Exploring the depth of our prayers
Today we celebrate Mary’s birth, a crucial step in our salvation story. In the Catholic tradition, Mary is honored as the sinless tabernacle for our Lord.
This purity was reinforced for us when our Lady identified herself in Lourdes saying “I am the Immaculate Conception.”
If that’s true, then her parents Anne and Joachim played a crucial role in her upbringing.
Continue reading “The Birth of Mary”
Continuing with the Glorious Mysteries, today we celebrate Mary as Queen of Heaven.
It’s kind of a weird phrase if you think about it. God is King, so … Mary is equivalent to God?
Not at all.
Continue reading “Coronation of our Mother”
This certainly is the season of Mary. We’re paying attention to her absolutely unique relationship with God and His Son.
As Catholics, we believe that Mary is already present in Heaven. Body and soul. Why?
Because it was revealed to us in the book of Revelation. John was shown the glory of the Son, uncountable angels, and myriad souls. And Mary.
Continue reading “Mary’s Assumption”
This is a new celebration, instituted by Pope Francis in 2019. It comes Monday during the week of Pentecost.
How appropriate, as Pentecost was the birthday of the Church!
I love that we now recognize the intimate relationship between Our Mother and The Church. The actual stories seem to have been lost in the mists of time, other than Mary’s appearance in Revelation.
Continue reading “Mary, Mother of the Church”
This feast of the Visitation always makes powerful connections for me.
It’s one thing for God to ask Mary to be the mother of our Lord. That’s miraculous, of course, but we’ve heard the story so many times that we become a bit immune to the wonder of it.
But here we have Mary’s cousin, Elizabeth, recognizing this wonder in a very real sense.
Continue reading “Mary visited Elizabeth”In a loud voice [Elizabeth] exclaimed, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!”
Luke 1:42
Today we’re celebrating that God came to us in the form of his Son, Jesus the Christ.
Read moreThe angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” And the angel said to her in reply, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God. And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.
Luke 1:26-38
When the days were completed for their purification
Luke 2:22
according to the law of Moses,
Mary and Joseph took Jesus up to Jerusalem
to present him to the Lord.
Today I am reminded that Jesus Christ was a living, breathing person. Starting as a baby, later blossoming into our guide, prophet, model, and savior.
Perhaps that gives me hope for my own life, right? Because there sure are days when I feel hope is a far stretch.
What a great celebration we have today!
Brothers and sisters:
Galatians 4:4
When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law,
to ransom those under the law,
so that we might receive adoption as sons.
What kind of God comes is incarnated as the child of a human? Well, our God.
Continue reading “Mary, the Mother of God”
Catholics tend to focus so much on Jesus and Mary that we forget the holiness of the family unit. But in fact, the family is the foundation of the Church and society at large.
It breaks my heart to see the diminishing of families through divorce and avoiding children. It feels like we’re destroying the purpose of being human.
So today we celebrate the Holy Family, and indeed, all families.
Continue reading “The Holy Family”
I have no Hispanic background, so I wasn’t that aware of this amazing Feast we are blessed with today.
We’re commemorating the 1531 appearance of Our Lady to a peasant named Juan Diego in Mexico. Juan was sent to a place where roses were blooming – in the middle of winter – to gather them up and show them to his bishop.
Here is more of the amazing story.
Continue reading “Our Lady of Guadalupe”