So much of our prayers can be summed up in the Holy Family, and we should be honored that God gives our own families as a small image of the Trinity itself.
That’s truly phenomenal.
Continue reading “The Holy Family”The Holy Family
Blessed are you
What a wonderful time of expectation we have!
Continue reading “Blessed are you”When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
Luke 1:41-42
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Pure of heart
Our mother Mary is most amazing because of her purity of heart. The image I have is that, for her, saying “yes” to God was not really a hard decision at all.
Because her heart was focused on her Lord.
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” — Luke 1:38
A woman clothed with the sun
Today we have the wonderful celebration of the Assumption of our Blessed Virgin Mary.
It’s not directly in the Bible, of course, although there amazing images in the book of Revelation which indicates that Mary is present in Heaven, is powerful, and using that power on our behalf.
Battling the Prince of Darkness.
The fruit of thy womb
Today is the solemnity of the nativity of St John the Baptist. Which gets me thinking about the journey that our Holy Mother had during her pregnancy.
Can you possibly imagine the trail of wondrous miracles she experienced during those nine months? From the Annunciation, to the visitation of Elizabeth, and so on.
Luke 2:19 But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.
Us
Our readings today reinforce the message that we’re all in this together.
It’s a particularly counter-cultural thought, because our country does its best to celebrate individual accomplishment, independence, and self-sufficiency. Which is all good, I suppose, but the fact is that God created us as society, not just a billion random beings on a planet.
I was talking with a guy recently who is writing a book about becoming an elder. Continue reading “Us”
Holy Mary
There’s no question that our Blessed Mother is holy.
Actually, I was a bit puzzled about this when I converted to Catholicism. I guess I’d assumed that the word “holy” was the same as “divine.” Godly. Not of this world, but of heaven.
What I’ve learned is that holiness is something that each of us – every person – is called to be. And can achieve.
Forgive me my sins
I’ve been doing an interesting little experiment lately.
I try changing the prayers from talking about us/we/our to instead talk about I/me/my. It’s just an experiment, to help me see how it feels.
There’s a fascinating result: It feels like I’m taking more ownership and accountability for my relationship with God, Jesus, and Mary.
Thee, thou, thine
Growing up, I learned the version of the Lord’s Prayer that you see to the right. When I joined the Catholic Church in 1985, I first learned the Hail Mary and many other prayers based on the traditional language.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
I guess I just assumed that this was my “church language”, kind of like dressing up for Mass.
It seemed respectful and appropriate. Formal.
Intentions
I found out yesterday that a colleague is dying, with only weeks to live. That sort of news really gets you thinking about this gift of life that God has given us, and what lies beyond.
It brings up emotions that are hard to describe.
I dedicated this morning’s Rosary to him. In gratitude, in hope, in support. Because I won’t be able to see him again, I’m relying on my supernatural support system to help him get what he needs.