Category: The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marian Thought for the Day – 18 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day – 18 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary is the “Regina Martyrum,” the Queen of Martyrs
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

WHY is she so called?—she who never had any blow, or wound, or other injury to her consecrated person. How can she be exalted over those whose bodies suffered the most ruthless violences and the keenest torments for our Lord’s sake? She is, indeed, Queen of all Saints, of those who “walk with Christ in white, for they are worthy” but how of those “who were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held?”

To answer this question, it must be recollected that the pains of the soul may be as fierce as those of the body. Bad men who are now in hell and the elect of God who are in purgatory, are suffering only in their souls, for their bodies are still in the dust. Yet how severe is that suffering! And perhaps most people who have lived long, can bear witness in their own persons, to a sharpness of distress, which was like a sword cutting them, to a weight and force of sorrow which seemed to throw them down, though bodily pain there was none.

What an overwhelming horror it must have been, for the Blessed Mary, to witness the Passion and the Crucifixion of her Son! Her anguish was, as Holy Simeon had announced to her, at the time of that Son’s Presentation in the Temple, a sword piercing her soul. If our Lord Himself could not bear the prospect of what was before Him and was covered in the thought of it with a bloody sweat, His soul thus acting upon His body, does not this show how great mental pain can be? and would it have been wonderful though, if Mary’s head and heart, had given way as she stood under His Cross?

Thus is she most truly the Queen of Martyrs.

Mary, “Regina Martyrum,” Queen of Martyrs,

Pray for us!mary - regina martyrum - queen of martyrs - pray for us - 18 may 2018

Posted in EUCHARISTIC Adoration, franciscan OFM, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS, The PASSION

Thought for the Day – 18 May – Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Felix of Cantalice O.F.M. Cap.(1515-1587) “Brother Deo Gratias”

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Thought for the Day – 18 May – Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Felix of Cantalice O.F.M. Cap.(1515-1587) “Brother Deo Gratias”

Saint Felix did not have what the world esteems;  his education was lacking.   But he knew five red letters — the wounds of the divine crucified One, Whom he worshipped daily in the Blessed Sacrament and one white one — the Virgin Mary, from whom he one day miraculously received the divine Child in his arms.

St Felix of Cantalice “Brother Deo Gratias”, Pray for us!st felix of cantalice - pray for us = 18 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The PASSION, The WORD

One Minute Marian Reflection – 18 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Marian Reflection – 18 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

“…and you yourself a sword will pierce...” Luke 2:35

REFLECTION – “MARY:  THE CO-REDEMPTRIX – “It is with good reason that the popes have called Mary co-redemptrix. ‘So fully, in union with her suffering and dying Son, did she suffer and nearly die; so fully, for the sake of the salvation of all souls, did she abdicate the rights of a mother over her Son and immolate him, insofar as it was in her power, to satisfy the justice of God, that it can rightly be said that she redeemed mankind together with Christ.’   This gives us a deeper understanding of that moment in the Passion of our Lord on which we shall never tire of meditating:  Stabat autem iuxta crucem Iesu mater eius, ‘There, standing by the cross of Jesus, was his mother.'”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) – “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 287.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
Five small hidden sacrifices in honour of the five major wounds of our Lord.luke 2 35 - st josemaria - so full in union wit her suffering and dying son - 18 may 2018

PRAYER – Lord God, in Your wisdom You gave us Your only begotten Son and His Mother to be ours too!   You gave us both Your only Divine Son to save us from our sins and His Mother, to help us become Your perfect children. Penetrate our inmost being with Your holy light, so that our way of life may always be worthy of Your great love and the sacrifice of Your Son and His Mother.   We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary - co-redemptrix - pray for us - 18 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The PASSION

Marian Thought for the Day – 17 May “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day – 17 May “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary is the “Mater Salvatoris,” the Mother of the Saviour
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

HERE again, as in our reflections of yesterday, we must understand what is meant, by calling our Lord a Saviour, in order to understand why it is used, to form one of the titles given to Mary in her Litany.

The special name by which our Lord was known before His coming was, as we found yesterday, that of Messias, or Christ.   Thus He was known to the Jews.   But when He actually showed Himself on earth, He was known by three new titles, the Son of God, the Son of Man and the Saviour; the first expressive of His Divine Nature, the second of His Human, the third of His Personal Office.   Thus the Angel who appeared to Mary, called Him the Son of God;  the angel who appeared to Joseph called Him Jesus, which means in English, Saviour;  and so the Angels, too, called Him a Saviour when they appeared to the shepherds.   But He Himself specially calls Himself the Son of Man.

Not Angels only, call Him Saviour but those two greatest of the Apostles, St Peter and St Paul, in their first preachings.   St Peter says He is “a Prince and a Saviour” and St Paul says, “a Saviour, Jesus.”   And both Angels and Apostles tell us why He is so called—because He has rescued us from the power of the evil spirit and from the guilt and misery of our sins.   Thus the Angel says to Joseph, “Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins;” and St Peter, “God has exalted Him to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and remission of sins.”   And He says Himself, “The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which is lost.”

Now let us consider how this affects our thoughts of Mary.   To rescue slaves from the power of the Enemy implies a conflict. Our Lord, because He was a Saviour, was a warrior.   He could not deliver the captives without a fight, nor without personal suffering.   Now, who are they who especially hate wars?   A heathen poet answers. “Wars,” he says, “are hated by Mothers.”   Mothers are just those who especially suffer in a war.   They may glory in the honour gained by their children but still such glorying, does not wipe out, one particle of the long pain, the anxiety, the suspense, the desolation and the anguish which the mother of a soldier feels.   So it was with Mary.

For thirty years she was blessed with the continual presence of her Son—nay, she had Him in subjection.   But the time came when that war called for Him, for which He had come upon earth.   Certainly He came, not simply to be the Son of Mary but to be the Saviour of Man and, therefore, at length He parted from her.   She knew then, what it was to be the mother of a soldier.   He left her side; she saw Him no longer, she tried in vain to get near Him.   He had for years lived in her embrace and after that, at least in her dwelling—but now, in His own words, “The Son of Man had not where to lay His head.”

And then, when years had run out, she heard of His arrest, His mock trial and His passion.   At last she got near Him—when and where?—on the way to Calvary and when He had been lifted upon the Cross.   And at length she held Him again in her arms, yes—when He was dead.   True, He rose from the dead but still she did not thereby gain Him, for He ascended on high and she did not at once follow Him.   No, she remained on earth many years—in the care, indeed, of His dearest Apostle, St John.   But what was even the holiest of men, compared with her own Son and Him the Son of God?

O Holy Mary, Mother of our Saviour, in this meditation we have now suddenly passed from the Joyful Mysteries to the Sorrowful, from Gabriel’s Annunciation to thee, to the Seven Dolours.   That, then, will be the next series of Meditations which we make about thee.

O Holy Mary, Mother of our Saviour, Pray for us!holy mary mother of our saviour, pray for us - 17 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY CROSS, The PASSION, The SEVEN LAST WORDS of CHRIST, The WORD

One Minute Marian Reflection – 17 May “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 17 May “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”…Mark 15:34

REFLECTION – “MARY:  THE SORROWING MOTHER – “Our Lady is there listening to the words of her Son, united to Him in His suffering, when He cried out ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’   What could she do?   She united herself fully, with the redemptive love of her Son and offered to the Father, her immense sorrow, which pierced her pure heart, like a sharp-edged sword.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 288
Let us offer to our Mother today:
The mortification of keeping quiet about any pain or discomfort, any inconvenience or disappointment, uniting it with her pain as she stood by her crucified Son.what could she do - she united herself - st josemaria - 17 may 2018

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, forgive the sins of Your people and as nothing we can do is worthy in Your sight, save us through the intercession of the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.   As Christ suffered for our sins, so Mary, the Blessed Virgin His Mother, suffered with Him and for us too.   Grant we pray, that by her prayers we may learn to give You these sufferings alone, in silence for our sins in union with our suffering Lord and His Mother, with the Holy Spirit, one God with You, forever amen.mary mother of sorrows - pray for us - 17 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 17 May “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Our Morning Offering – 17 May “Mary’s Month” – Thursday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

O Mary!
By Venerable Fulton Sheen (1895-1979)

O Mary,
we have exiled your Divine Son
from our lives,
our councils,
our education,
and our families!
Come with the light of the sun
as the symbol of His Power!
Heal our wars,
our dark unrest.
Cool the cannon’s lips so hot with war!
Take our minds off the atom
and our souls out of the muck of nature!
Give us rebirth in your Divine Son, us,
the poor children of the earth
grown old with age!
Ameno mary by fulton j sheen - 17 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, DEVOTIO, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY ROSARY/ROSARY CRUSADE

Marian Thought for the Day – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

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Marian Thought for the Day – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

The brown Scapular of the Carmelite Order has gained considerable popularity and use among those devoted to the Blessed Mother.   The following prayer, addressed to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, prays for her continued protection and grace for those who wear the scapular:

Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

O all-blessed, immaculate Virgin,
ornament and glory of Mount Carmel,
you who looks, with most gracious countenance,
on those who have been clothed,
with your venerable livery,
look kindly also on me
and take me under the mantle
of your maternal protection.
Strengthen my weakness with your might;
enlighten the darkness of my heart,
with your wisdom;
increase in me,
the virtues of faith, hope and charity.
So adorn my soul with graces
and virtue of our God,
by your prayers,
that it may always be dear
to your divine Son
and to you.
Assist me during life,
comfort me in death
with your most sweet presence
and present me as your child
and faithful servant,
to the most Holy Trinity,
that I may be enabled to praise
and extol you in heaven forever.
Amenprayer to our lady of mount carmel of the brown scapular - 16 may 2018 st simon stock

In 1322, Pope John XXII issued a document known as a Papal Bull in which he included a promise from Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In his document, the Pope revealed that he had received an apparition of Our Blessed Mother, during which she made a promise to all mankind.

Her “Sabbatine Privilege” was as follows:

“on the First Saturday after the death of one of the faithful, Our Blessed Mother would free from Purgatory her Scapular children who have fulfilled certain conditions.   She stated to Pope John XXII:  “I, the Mother of Graces, shall descend on the Saturday after their death, and as many as I find in Purgatory I shall free.”

The Church has since formalised the Sabbatine Privilege, based on this revelation. Containing three conditions, those who follow and practice true devotion, will be released from Purgatory by Our Lady’s intercession on the Saturday after their death.   As set forth by the Church, the three conditions include:

1)Wear the brown scapular devoutly, once you’ve been enrolled in the Scapular Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel;

2) Observe chastity according to your state in life;

3) Recite daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. (Given the length of this beautiful prayer, with permission of a priest you can substitute five decades of the rosary, abstinence from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays or another approved good work).

His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, wrote concerning the Sabbatine Privilege, “Certainly, this most gentle Mother will not delay to open as soon as possible, through Her intercession with God, the gates of Heaven for children expiating their faults in Purgatory.”

Once one has been enrolled in the Scapular Confraternity of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel, one shares in the daily prayers and other spiritual benefits of the Carmelite Order. Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s scapular promise of salvation to Saint Simon Stock and the Carmelites applies to the enrollee as well!   http://ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/confraternities

The short form of the investiture is as follows:

Receive this Scapular, a sign of your special relationship with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, whom you pledge to imitate. May it be a reminder to you of your dignity as a Christian, in serving others and imitating Mary.
Wear it as a sign of her protection and of belonging to the Family of Carmel, voluntarily doing the will of God and devoting yourself to building a world true to His plan of community, justice and peace.

scapular

Many popes and other religious figures over the centuries have extolled the virtues of the brown scapular devotion.   Pope Pius XII went so far as to say: “The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit.”   More recently, Pope Paul VI said: “Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin … the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel.”   Still, they caution that, although our Lady of Mount Carmel promised that the scapular would protect us from eternal fire, wearing it in itself doesn’t guarantee our salvation.

The scapular is not to be worn as a substitute for leading a devout life of love and obedience to our Lord.   The Most Reveren. Kilian Lynch, former prior general of the Carmelite Order, warned that the scapular was not “endowed with some kind of supernatural power which will save us no matter what we do or how much we sin.” He said, “Fidelity to the commandments is required by those seeking ‘the special love and protection of Our Lady.”

The immeasurable benefits of the Scapular result from the fact that the wearing of “the armour of Mary” is not merely an external act of devotion– it is a sign of our internal consecration to the Immaculate Virgin.   The scapular recommends us to her endless grace and generosity.   At Fatima in 1917, the Mother of God encouraged all people to consecrate themselves to Her Immaculate Heart.   And in the final Fatima vision on 13 October, the Blessed Virgin appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, wearing the robes of the Carmelite Order, holding aloft the Brown Scapular.   On that occasion, Our Blessed Mother reminded us that the devoted living of the Brown Scapular consecration, paired with daily prayer of the Holy Rosary, is a necessary part of the amendment of life– the random of a sinful world– for which she so earnestly pleaded.

Pope Pius XII stressed this important truth: “May the Scapular be a sign to them (all who wear it) of their consecration to the Most Pure Heart of the Immaculate Virgin.”   In wearing the brown scapular devoutly, in living in love and obedience to God, we join our hearts to Mary’s and thus, to her divine Son’s Sacred Heart as well!

Father,
You called St Simon Stock to serve You in the brotherhood of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Through his prayers, help us like him, to live in Your presence and to work for man’s salvation.   Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns
with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.   Amen

Holy Mother of Carmel, Pray for us

St Simon Stock, Pray for us

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Marian Reflection – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the Memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother…John 19:25

REFLECTION – MARY:  AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS – “We find her on Calvary, at the foot of the cross, praying.   This is nothing new for Mary.   She has always acted like this, in fulfilling her duties and looking after her home.   As she went about the things of this earth, she kept her attention on God.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “A Life of Prayer,” Friends of God, 241.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
An act of contrition, said many times, asking
her to offer our sorrow for our sins to Jesus crucified.we find her on calvary - st josemaria - 16 may 2018

PRAYER – Almighty God, grant that Your faithful who rejoice in the protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, may be delivered from every evil through her prayer and come to enduring joys in heaven.   May we, ever fulfil our duties and offer all our sufferings for the reparation of our own sins and those of all the world.   Mary, holy loving Mother, pray for us.   Through our Lord Jesus Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.holy mothr mary - pray for us - 16 maty 2018

Posted in CARMELITES, CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

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Our Morning Offering – 16 May “Mary’s Month!” – Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide and the memorial of St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

Carmel’s Flower
By St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

Carmel’s Flower,
Vine ever blossoming,
Heaven’s splendour!
Virgin who bore a child.
No one is like thee.
Mother gentle and kind.
Yet never touched by man!
To Carmelites give thou the privilege.
Help us Star of the Sea.carmel's flower - st simon stock - 16 may 2018

Posted in CARMELITES, DEVOTIO, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Saint of the Day – 16 May – St Simon Stock (1165-1265)

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Saint of the Day – 16 May – St Simon Stock (1165-1265) Religious Monk, Visionary, Mystic, Marian devotee, early prior general of the Carmelite religious order.   Born c 1165 in Aylesford, County Kent, England – died on 16 May 1265 in the Carmelite monastery at Bordeaux, France of natural causes while on a visit.    Patronage – Bordeaux, France.

HEADER 2 marian-scapular-vision-small1header - Nicolas_Mignard-Vierge_et_saint_Simon_Stock

Simon was born in Aylesford, England, to one of the most well-known and respected Christian families in the County of Kent.   While still an infant, he was chosen by the Blessed Mother for her own, with his parents and others hearing him recite the Angelic Salutation of the Archangel Gabriel, long before he had learned to speak.   Prodigious as a child, he learned and memorised the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin before he was able to read, reciting it on a daily basis.   He was observed to read the Holy Scripture, kneeling in his room, by the age of six.

At the age of twelve, Simon left home, living as a hermit in the hollowed trunk of a large oak tree, earning him the name Simon “Stock.”   There he triumphed over the demon, as he would later tell his religious, only by the assistance of the Most Holy Virgin.   While living as a hermit, he drank only water and ate only herbs, roots and wild apples. Eventually, after eight years of solitude, Simon felt called back to communion with others and joined the Carmelite Order.   He finished his studies at Oxford and later (in 1215) was appointed Vicar General of the Order.

Saint Simon worked tirelessly to spread the Carmelite Order throughout Europe, founding many communities in university towns such as Cambridge, Oxford, Paris and Bologna.   He was responsible for the revision of the Rules of the Order, leading the community from lives as hermits to those of mendicant friars.   Known for his deep devotion to Our Blessed mother, as well as for the spiritual gifts of miracles and prophecy, Simon was elected as the sixth Superior General of the Carmelites at age 82.   He continued to govern the order for twenty years, demonstrating holiness, vision and prudence.

During his tenure as Superior General, Simon was graced with a visitation from the Blessed Mother, to whom he was so devoted.   Radiantly surrounded by a multitude of Angels, Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared to him as he knelt in prayer at Aylesford, England.   Presenting to him the Carmelite Brown Scapular, she made Her Promise of unparalleled generosity to him, his spiritual children and to all those who wished to consecrate themselves to her by this special sign: Her words were:

“Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of your Order.   It is the special sign of my favour, which I have obtained for you and for your children of Mount Carmel.   He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire.   It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger and a pledge of special peace and protection.”

The scapular (from the Latin, scapular, meaning “shoulder blade”) consists of two pieces of cloth, one worn on the chest and the other on the back, which were connected by straps or strings passing over the shoulders.   In certain Orders, monks and nuns wear scapulars that reach from the shoulders almost to the ground as outer garments.   Lay persons usually wear scapulars underneath their clothing, consisting of two pieces of material only a few inches square.   Although the scapular may be worn by any Catholic, even an infant, proper investiture must be done by a priest.   Subsequently, the scapular must be worn in the proper manner, the individual forfeiting its holy benefits if neglectful or careless.

Saint Simon Stock died on 16 May 1265, at the age of 100 and was buried in the cathedral of Bordeaux, where he was visiting at the time of his death.   The Saint’s bones are still preserved in a cathedral in Bordeaux;  a tibia was brought to England in the 1860s for the Carmelite church in Kensington, a part of the skull was enshrined at Aylesford in 1950.   St Simon was never formally Canonised but he has been venerated by the Carmelites since at least 1564 and the Vatican has approved the Carmelite celebration of his feast.

Pietro_Novelli_Our_Lady_of_Carmel_and_Saints
Pietro Novelli, Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Carmelite Saints (Simon Stock (standing), Angelus of Jerusalem (kneeling), Mary Magdalene de’Pazzi, Teresa of Avila), 1641 (Museo Diocesano, Palermo.)

Scapular-Vision-Shrine-12-800x500

Devotion to the Brown Scapular remains widespread and recommended by the Catholic Church.   The Carmelites continue to find meaning in the traditional story and iconography of Saint Simon Stock receiving the scapular, particularly as reflecting their filial relationship with Mary.   When St Pope John Paul II addressed the Carmelite family in 2001 on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the bestowal of the Scapular, he said:

“Over time, this rich Marian heritage of Carmel, has become, through the spread of the Holy Scapular devotion, a treasure for the whole Church.   By its simplicity, its anthropological value and its relationship to Mary’s role, in regard to the Church and humanity, this devotion was so deeply and widely accepted, by the People of God, that it came to be expressed, in the memorial of 16 July on the liturgical calendar, of the universal Church, “the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.”

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The CHRIST CHILD

Marian Thought for the Day -15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day -15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary is the “Mater Christi,” the Mother of Christ
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

EACH of the titles of Mary has its own special meaning and drift and may be made the subject of a distinct meditation. She is invoked by us as the Mother of Christ.   What is the force of thus addressing her?   It is to bring before us that she it is whom from the first was prophesied of and associated with, the hopes and prayers of all holy men, of all true worshippers of God, of all who “looked for the redemption of Israel” in every age before that redemption came.

Our Lord was called the Christ, or the Messias, by the Jewish prophets and the Jewish people.   The two words Christ and Messias mean the same.   They mean in English, the “Anointed.”   In the old time there were three great ministries or offices by means of which, God spoke to His chosen people, the Israelites, or, as they were afterward called, the Jews, viz., that of Priest, that of King and that of Prophet.   Those who were chosen by God for one or other of these offices, were solemnly anointed with oil—oil signifying the grace of God, which was given to them for the due performance of their high duties.   But our Lord was all three, a Priest, a Prophet and a King—a Priest, because He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins; a Prophet, because He revealed to us the Holy Law of God; and a King, because He rules over us. Thus He is the one true Christ.

It was in expectation of this great Messias that the chosen people, the Jews, or Israelites, or Hebrews (for these are different names for the same people), looked out from age to age.   He was to come to set all things right.   And next to this great question which occupied their minds, namely, When was He to come, was the question, Who was to be His Mother?   It had been told them from the first, not that He should come from heaven but that He should be born of a Woman.   At the time of the fall of Adam, God had said, that the seed of the Woman, should bruise the Serpent’s head.   Who, then, was to be that Woman thus significantly pointed out to the fallen race of Adam?   At the end of many centuries, it was further revealed to the Jews that the great Messias, or Christ, the seed of the Woman, should be born of their race and of one particular tribe, of the twelve tribes, into which that race was divided.   From that time every woman of that tribe hoped to have the great privilege of herself, being the Mother of the Messias, or Christ; for it stood to reason, since He was so great, the Mother must be great and good and blessed too. Hence it was, among other reasons, that they thought so highly of the marriage state, because, not knowing the mystery of the miraculous conception of the Christ, when He was actually to come, they thought that the marriage rite was the ordinance necessary for His coming.

Hence it was, if Mary had been as other women, she would have longed for marriage, as opening on her the prospect of bearing the great King.   But she was too humble and too pure for such thoughts.   She had been inspired to choose that better way of serving God, which had not been made known to the Jews—the state of Virginity.   She preferred to be His Spouse, to being His Mother.   Accordingly, when the Angel Gabriel announced to her, her high destiny, she shrank from it, till she was assured, that it would not oblige her, to revoke her purpose, of a virgin life devoted to her God.

Thus was it that she became the Mother of the Christ, not in that way, which pious women for so many ages had expected Him but, declining the grace of such maternity, she gained it by means of a higher grace.   And this is the full meaning of St Elizabeth’s words, when the Blessed Virgin came to visit her, which we use in the Hail Mary: “Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”   And, therefore, it is that, in the Devotion called the “Crown of Twelve Stars” we give praise to God, the Holy Ghost, through whom she was both, Virgin and Mother.

Mary, “Mater Christi,” the Mother of Christ

Pray for us!mary, mater christi - pray for us - 15 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Marian Reflection -15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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One Minute Marian Reflection -15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Jesus said to her, “Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever he tells you.”…John 2:4-5

REFLECTION – “MARY:  AT CANA – “In the Gospel, St John has recorded a wonderful phrase of our Lady.   At the wedding of Cana, she turned to the waiters and said:  ‘Do whatever he tells you.’   That is what it is all about — getting people to face Jesus and ask Him:  ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’ “…. St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing 149
Let us offer to our Mother today:
Prompt obedience, when we are called or asked to do some errand or some act of service.at the wedding of cana - st josemaria escriva - 15 may 2018

PRAYER – Accept our prayer, Lord, as we wend our way to You.   Grant, we pray, that by the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may remember her words and do whatever You tell us.   Mary, our Mother and Mother of our Lord Jesus, pray for us. Through Jesus Christ, in union with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever amen.mary mother - pray for us - 15 MAY 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, FATHERS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Uncategorized

Our Morning Offering – 15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Our Morning Offering – 15 May – “Mary’s Month” – Tuesday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary, Mother of Grace
St Athanasius (297-373) Father & Doctor

It becomes you to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him who granted you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God and our Queen.
Help us for the sake of the King,
the Lord God and Master, who was born of you.
For this reason,
you are called full of grace.
Remember us, most holy Virgin,
and bestow on us gifts
from the riches of your graces,
Virgin full of graces.
AmenMARY, MOTHER OF GRACE - ST ATHANASIUS - it becomes you to be mindful of us - 15 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOGMA, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION

Marian Thought for the Day – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary is the “Mater Creatoris,” the Mother of the Creator
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

THIS is a title which, of all others, we should have thought it impossible for any creature to possess.   At first sight we might be tempted to say that it throws into confusion our primary ideas of the Creator and the creature, the Eternal and the temporal, the Self-subsisting and the dependent and yet, on further consideration, we shall see that we cannot refuse the title to Mary, without denying the Divine Incarnation—that is, the great and fundamental truth of revelation, that God became man.

And this was seen from the first age of the Church. Christians were accustomed from the first to call the Blessed Virgin “The Mother of God,” because they saw that it was impossible to deny her that title without denying St John’s words, “The Word” (that is, God the Son) “was made flesh.”

And in no long time it was found necessary to proclaim this truth by the voice of an Ecumenical Council of the Church.   For, in consequence of the dislike which men have of a mystery, the error sprang up that our Lord was not really God but a man, differing from us in this merely—that God dwelt in Him, as God dwells in all good men, only in a higher measure; as the Holy Spirit dwelt in Angels and Prophets, as in a sort of Temple, or again, as our Lord now dwells in the Tabernacle in church.   And then, the bishops and faithful people found there was no other way of hindering this false, bad view being taught but by declaring distinctly and making it a point of faith, that Mary was the Mother, not of man only but of God.   And since that time the title of Mary, as Mother of God, has become what is called a dogma, or article of faith, in the Church.

But this leads us to a larger view of the subject.   Is this title as given to Mary more wonderful than the doctrine that God, without ceasing to be God, should become man?  Is it more mysterious that Mary should be Mother of God, than that God should be man? Yet the latter, as I have said, is the elementary truth of revelation, witnessed by Prophets, Evangelists and Apostles all through Scripture.   And what can be more consoling and joyful than the wonderful promises which follow from this truth, that Mary is the Mother of God?—the great wonder, namely, that we become the brethren of our God, that, if we live well and die in the grace of God, we shall all of us hereafter be taken up by our Incarnate God to that place where angels dwel, that our bodies shall be raised from the dust and be taken to Heaven, that we shall be really united to God, that we shall be partakers of the Divine nature, that each of us, soul and body, shall be plunged into the abyss of glory which surrounds the Almighty, that we shall see Him and share His blessedness, according to the text, “Whosoever shall do the will of My Father that is in Heaven, the same is My brother and sister, and mother.”mary mater creatoris, mother of the creator - pray for us - 14 may 2018

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One Minute Reflection – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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One Minute Reflection – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions...Luke 2:46after three days they found - luke 2 46 - 14 may 2018

REFLECTION – “MARY: LOSING AND FINDING THE CHILD JESUS – “The Mother of God, who looked for her Son so anxiously when he was lost (through no fault of her own) and experienced such great joy in finding him, will help us retrace our steps and put right, whatever may be necessary when, because of our carelessness or our sins, we have been unable to recognise Christ.   With her help, we will know the happiness of holding Him in our arms once more and telling Him we will never lose Him again.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 278
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A good, sincere, sorrowful confession of our sins and failures, in the sacrament of Penance.the mother of god who looked for her son - st josemaria - 14 may 2018

PRAYER – Lord God, as You brought joy to the world, through the resurrection of Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, grant that through His Virgin Mother, we may constantly seek and recognise our Lord and Saviour and turn to Him in complete trust and love.   Mary, Mother of our Lord, bring your holy child to us.   Through Jesus Christ with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mother of god and our mother - mary pray for us - 14 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Our Morning Offering – 14 May – Mary’s Month!” – Monday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary Immaculate, My Solace
By Bl John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

What shall bring me forward in the narrow way,
as I live in the world,
but the thought and patronage of Mary?
What shall seal my senses,
shall tranquilise my heart,
when sights and sounds of danger
are around me but Mary?
What shall give me patience and endurance,
when I am wearied out
with the length of the conflict with evil,
with the unceasing necessity of precautions,
with the irksomeness of observing them,
with the tediousness of their reception,
with the strain upon my mind,
with my forlorn and cheerless condition,
but a loving communion with you!
You will comfort me in my discouragements,
solace me in my fatigues,
raise me after my falls,
reward me for my successes.
You will show me your Son,
my God and my all.
When my spirit within me is excited,
or relaxed,
or depressed,
when it loses its balance,
when it is restless and wayward,
when it is sick of what it has
and hankers after what it has not,
when my eye is solicited with evil
and my mortal frame trembles
under the shadow of the tempter,
what will bring me to myself,
to peace and health,
but the cool breath
of the Immaculate
and the fragrance of the Rose of Sharon?  Amenmary immaculate my solace - bl john henry newman no 2- 14 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, NOTES to Followers, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

13 May – Wishing all the Mothers a very Blessed and Happy Mother’s Day

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13 May – Wishing all the Mothers a very Blessed and Happy Mother’s Dayblessed mothers day 2018 - 13 may - mary holy mother pray for us

I extend my wishes for a Blessed and Happy Mothers’ Day to all mothers who labour unceasingly, that their children gain eternal joy in Heaven and most especially offer thanks and praise to the Holy Trinity for the greatest creature ever conceived, the Great Mother of Our Saviour, Mary Most Holy!
Of her we can never say enough, well enough, often enough, for not only is every day Mary’s Mother’s Day, as it should be but because we, her spiritual children, have learned the lesson, from sitting on her lap in the recitation of the Hail Mary, that as she is our true Mother, every day is also our day, her children, the children of God and the siblings of her Divine Son.

To our Holy Mother of us all, we pray:

Mary, on this day, when we honour all mothers, we turn to you.
We thank the Lord, whom you serve, for the great gift of motherhood.
Never has it been known, that anyone who sought your intercession, was left unaided by grace.
Dear Mother, thank you for your “Yes”, to the invitation of the angel
which brought heaven to earth and changed human history.
You opened yourself,to God’s word
and the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.
Dear mother, intercede for all of our mothers.
Ask your Divine Son, to give them the grace of surrendered love
so that they could join with you, in giving their own “Fiat.”
May they find daily strength to say “yes”, to the call to the sacrificial love-
the very heart, of the vocation of motherhood.
May their love and witness, be a source of great inspiration
for all of us, called to follow your Son.
God Bless Mothers on this Mothers day,
Mother of the Word Incarnate,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
In the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen

Mary, Holy Mother, pray for us!a mother's day prayer to Mary - no 2 - pink - 13 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The INCARNATION, Thomas a Kempis, Uncategorized

Marian Thought for the Day – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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Marian Thought for the Day – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Feasts of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Help, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Memorial of the Dedication of the Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs (Pantheon)

Mary is the “Janua Cœli,” the Gate of Heaven

Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)MARY JANUA COELI - GATE OF HEAVEN - BL JOHN HENRY NEWMAN - PRAY FOR US - 13 MAY 2018

MARY is called the Gate of Heaven, because it was through her, that our Lord passed from heaven to earth.   The Prophet Ezechiel, prophesying of Mary, says, “the gate shall be closed, it shall not be opened and no man shall pass through it, since the Lord God of Israel has entered through it—and it shall be closed for the Prince, the Prince Himself shall sit in it.”

Now this is fulfilled, not only in our Lord having taken flesh from her and being her Son, but, moreover, in that she had a place in the economy of Redemption;  it is fulfilled in her spirit and will, as well as in her body.   Eve had a part in the fall of man, though it was Adam who was our representative and whose sin made us sinners.   It was Eve who began and who tempted, Adam.   Scripture says: “The woman saw that the tree was good to eat, and fair to the eyes, and delightful to behold; and she took of {37} the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave to her husband, and he did eat.”   It was fitting then in God’s mercy that, as the woman began the destruction of the world, so woman should also begin its recovery and that, as Eve opened the way for the fatal deed of the first Adam, so Mary should open the way, for the great achievement of the second Adam, even our Lord Jesus Christ, who came to save the world by dying on the cross for it.   Hence Mary is called by the holy Fathers a second and a better Eve, as having taken that first step in the salvation of mankind which Eve took in its ruin.

How, and when, did Mary take part and the initial part, in the world’s restoration?   It was when the Angel Gabriel came to her to announce to her the great dignity which was to be her portion.   St Paul bids us “present our bodies to God as a reasonable service.” We must not only pray with our lips and fast and do outward penance and be chaste in our bodies but we must be obedient and pure in our minds.   And so, as regards the Blessed Virgin, it was God’s will that she should undertake willingly and with full understanding, to be the Mother of our Lord and not to be a mere passive instrument, whose maternity would have no merit and no reward.   The higher our gifts, the heavier our duties.   It was no light lot to be so intimately near to the Redeemer of men, as she experienced afterwards when she suffered with Him.   Therefore, weighing well the Angel’s words before giving her answer to them—first she asked whether so great an office would be a forfeiture of that Virginity which she had vowed.   When the Angel told her no, then, with the full consent of a full heart, full of God’s love to her and her own lowliness, she said, “Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word.”   It was by this consent that she became the Gate of Heaven.and so, as regards the Blessed Virgin Mary - bl john henry newman - 13 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, St JOSEPH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

One Minute Marian Reflection – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Feasts of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Help, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Memorial of the Dedication of the Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs (Pantheon)

The child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom and the favour of God was upon him...Luke 2:40

REFLECTION – “MARY:  HER HIDDEN LIFE WITH JESUS:   I like to go back in my imagination, to the years Jesus spent close to his mother, years which span almost the whole of His life on earth.   I like to picture Him as a little child, cared for by Mary, who kisses Him and plays with Him. I like to see Him growing up, before the loving eyes of His mother and of Joseph, His father on earth.   What tenderness and care Mary and the holy Patriarch must have shown toward Jesus, as they looked after Him during His childhood, all the while, silently, learning so much from Him.   Their souls, would become more and more like the soul of that Son, who was both man and God.   This is why His mother and after her St Joseph, understand better than anyone, the feelings of the heart of Christ and the two of them. are thus, the best way, I would say the only way, to reach the Saviour.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 281

Let us offer to our Mother today:
The effort of doing our ordinary work well, on time, with competence and finesse.what tenderness and care - st josemaria - 13 may 2018

PRAYER – Let us praise You, Lord, with voice and mind and deed and since life itself is Your gift, may all we have and are be Yours.   May Your Mother Lord Jesus, teach us as You taught her.   Grant we pray that Mary, Your Mother and ours and Mother of all the Church, Your Mystical Body,  will take us all to Your heart, with St Joseph by her side.   Mary, most Holy, pray for us.   We make our prayer through our Lord Jesus, the Christ in union with You, Holy Father and the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever, amen.holy mary mother of god - pray for us - 13 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord

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Our Morning Offering – 13 May – “Mary’s Month” – The Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord and the Feasts of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Help, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Memorial of the Dedication of the Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs (Pantheon)

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin
By St Maria Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938)

O Mary, Immaculate Virgin,
Pure crystal for my heart,
You are my strength, O sturdy anchor!
You are the weak heart’s shield and protection.
Mary you are pure, of purity incomparable;
At once both Virgin and Mother,
You are beautiful as the sun, without blemish,
And your soul is beyond all comparison.

Your beauty has delighted the eye of the Thrice-Holy One.
He descended from heaven, leaving His eternal throne,
And took Body and Blood of your heart
And for nine months lay hidden in a Virgin’s Heart.

O Mother, Virgin, purest of all lilies,
Your heart was Jesus’ first tabernacle on earth.
Only because no humility was deeper than yours
Where you are raised above the choirs of Angels
and above all Saints.

O Mary, my sweet Mother,
I give you my soul, my body and my poor heart.
Be the guardian of my life,
Especially at the hour of death, in the final strife.”

(Diary, 161)o mary immaculate vifgin by st faustina - 13 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Feast of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament – 13 May

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Feast of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament – 13 May

History of the Title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament

St Peter Julian Eymard (1811-1868), of France, had a strong devotion to the Holy Eucharist and Our Lady and began his priestly life in the Society of Mary.   “But his heart burned with the desire to establish perpetual adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament exposed upon a royal throne and surrounded by a large court of adorers.”  On 2 February 1851, at the shrine of Fourvière, the most Blessed Virgin had made him understand its necessity.   ‘All the mysteries of my Son have a religious order of men to honour them. The Eucharist alone has none . . . .’

After several years of prudent reflection and interior combat, encouraged by Pope Pius IX, he founded the Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament at Paris on 13 May 1856

The title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament was first given to Mary by St Peter Julian Eymard in May 1868, while speaking to his novices.   A few years later he described what her statue should look like:  “The Blessed Virgin holds the Infant in her arms and He holds a chalice in one hand and a Host in the other.”   He exhorted them to invoke Mary: “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”

Later, Pius IX enriched the invocation with indulgences.   Twice, St  Pius X did the same. On 30 December 1905, he granted a 300 days indulgence to the faithful who pray:  “Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.”
“This title, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, is perhaps the most meaningful of all,” said St. Pius X.

In 1921 the Sacred Congregation of Rite authorised the Blessed Sacrament Congregations to celebrate each year, on 13 May, a “solemn commemoration of the Blessed Virgin,” with the intention of honouring Mary under the title of “Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.”   And of course this Feast is still celebrated today with great joy by all the spiritual sons and daughters of St Peter Julian Eymard.

St Pope John XXIII codified the title of Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament when he declared St Peter Julian Eymard a saint on 9 December 1962, at the end of the last session of the Second Vatican Council.

Posted in CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, FEASTS and SOLEMNITIES, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

13 May – Ascension Sunday, Feast of Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Help, Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Dedication of Saint Mary of the Martyrs and Memorials of the Saints

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Ascension Sunday (2018)

Our Lady of Fatima 101st Anniversary of the First Apparition pray-for-us-mother-of-god - 14 may 2017

Our Lady of Help:   Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary under this title began in Palermo, Sicily in the 14th century, and has since spread throughout the Augustinians.   It began when Father Nicola Bruno, who suffered from severe and long-term pains in his side, prayed to Our Lady for healing while meditating on a painting of Mary in which she used a stick or club to chase away the dragon and protect the infant Jesus;  the artist was making reference to passages in Genesis and Revelations that referred to the eternal enmity between The Woman and the serpent.   That night, Father Nicola received a vision of Mary and was healed.   The painting received the title “Our Lady of Help” and the devotion began.   Since 1804 the celebration has had its own liturgy.

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament:   The title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament was first given to Mary by St Peter Julian Eymard in May 1868, while speaking to his novices.   A few years later he described what her statue should look like: “The Blessed Virgin holds the Infant in her arms and He holds a chalice in one hand and a Host in the other.”   He exhorted them to invoke Mary: “Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”our lady of the blessed sacrament - 13 may feast day

Dedication of Saint Mary of the Martyrs:   Commemorates and celebrates the dedication of Minor Basilica of Saint Mary of the Martyrs, formerly a temple of all the pagan Roman gods called the Pantheon, in Rome, Italy by Pope Boniface IV in 609.audio-guided-tour-of-the-pantheon-in-rome-basilica-of-st-mary-of-the-angels-and-the-martyrs-hSAzUyPKXzour lady of martyrs - pantheonour lady of martyrs - pantheon.2our lady of martyrs - pantheon.3

St Abban of Abingdon
St Agnes of Poitiers
St André-Hubert Fournet
St Anno of Verona
St Argentea of Cordoba
St Euthymius the Illuminator
Bl Fortis Gabrielli
Bl Gerard of Villamagna
Bl Gemma of Goriano
St Glyceria of Trajanopolis
St John the Silent
Bl Julian of Norwich
St Lucius of Constantinople
St Mael of Bardsey
Bl Magdalen Albrizzi
St Merewenna of Rumsey
St Mucius of Byzantium
St Natalis of Milan
St Onesimus of Soissons
St Servatus of Tongres
St Valerian of Auxerre
—
Martyrs of Alexandria: A group of Catholic Christians martyred in the church of Theonas, Alexandria, Egypt by order of the Arian Emperor Valens. Their names have not come down to us. 372 in Alexandria, Egypt.

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marian Thought for the Day – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertidemary mirror of justice - speculum justitiae - pray for us - 12 may 2018 - bl john henry newman

Mary is the “Speculum Justitiæ,” the Mirror of Justice
Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

HERE first we must consider what is meant by justice, for the word as used by the Church has not that sense which it bears in ordinary English.   By “justice” is not meant the virtue of fairness, equity, uprightness in our dealings;  but it is a word denoting all virtues at once, a perfect, virtuous state of soul—righteousness, or moral perfection;  so that it answers very nearly to what is meant by sanctity.   Therefore when our Lady is called the “Mirror of Justice,” it is meant to say that she is the Mirror of sanctity, holiness, supernatural goodness.

Next, what is meant by calling her a mirror?   A mirror is a surface which reflects, as still water, polished steel, or a looking-glass.   What did Mary reflect?   She reflected our Lord—but He is infinite Sanctity.   She then, as far as a creature could, reflected His Divine sanctity and therefore she is the Mirror of Sanctity, or, as the Litany says, of Justice.

Do we ask how she came to reflect His Sanctity? —it was by living with Him.   We see every day how like people get to each other who live with those they love.   When they live with those whom they don’t love, as, for instance, the members of a family who quarrel with each other, then the longer they live together the more unlike each other they become but when they love each other, as husband and wife, parents and children, brothers with brothers or sisters, friends with friends, then in course of time they get surprisingly like each other.   All of us perceive this;  we are witnesses to it with our own eyes and ears—in the expression of their features, in their voice, in their walk, in their language, even in their handwriting, they become like each other and so, with regard to their minds, as in their opinions, their tastes, their pursuits.   And again doubtless in the state of their souls, which we do not see, whether for good or for bad.

Now, consider that Mary loved her Divine Son with an unutterable love and consider too, she had Him all to herself for thirty years.   Do we not see that, as she was full of grace before she conceived Him in her womb, she must have had a vast incomprehensible sanctity, when she had lived close to God for thirty years?—a sanctity of an angelical order, reflecting back the attributes of God, with a fullness and exactness, of which no saint upon earth, or hermit, or holy virgin, can even remind us.   Truly then she is the Speculum Justitiæ, the Mirror of Divine Perfection.now consider that, - bl john henry newman - mary the mirror of justice - 12 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

One Minute Marian Reflection – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Marian Reflection – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

…he has looked on his servant in her lowliness…Luke 1:48

REFLECTION – MARY:  HE HAS LOOKED ON HIS SERVANT IN HER LOWLINESS :   “The mystery of Mary helps us to see that in order to approach God, we must become little. Christ said to his disciples:  ‘Believe me, unless you become like little children again, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.’   To become children, we must renounce our pride and self-sufficiency, recognising that we can do nothing by ourselves.   We must realise that we need grace and the help of God our Father to find our way and keep to it.” … St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary” Christ is Passing By, 143.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A visit to a lonely person to share the joy of trusting in God alone.the mystery of mary helps us to see - st josemaria - 12 may 2018

PRAYER – Grant us, Lord, we pray, that through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may become like little children, trusting in You, our Father, following Your Son and finally arriving safely home with by the guidance of the Holy Spirit.   Mary, Immaculata pray for us.   Through Jesus Christ our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary, immaculata - pray for us - 12 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, DOCTORS of the Church, MARIAN PRAYERS, MORNING Prayers, PRAYERS of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 12 May “Mary’s Month!” – Saturday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Mary, I Beg You
By St Anselm (1033-1109)
Doctor magnificus (Magnificent Doctor);
Doctor Marianus (Marian Doctor)

Mary, I beg you,
by that grace through which,
the Lord is with you
and you will to be with Him,
let your mercy be with me.
Let love for you always be with me,
and the care for me, be always with you.
Let the cry of my need,
as long as it persists,
be with you,
and the care of your goodness,
as long as I need it,
be with me.
Let joy in your blessedness
be always with me,
and compassion for my wretchedness,
where I need it,
be with you.
Amenmary I eg you by st anselm - 12 may 2018 - no 2

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Marian Thought for the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Marian Thought for the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Mary is the “Regina Angelorum,” The Queen of Angels
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

THIS great title may be fitly connected with the Maternity of Mary, that is, with the coming upon her of the Holy Ghost at Nazareth after the Angel Gabriel’s annunciation to her and with the consequent birth of our Lord at Bethlehem.   She, as the Mother of our Lord, comes nearer to Him than any angel;  nearer even than the Seraphim who surround Him and cry continually, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

The two Archangels who have a special office in the Gospel are St Michael and St Gabriel—and they both of them are associated in the history of the Incarnation with Mary:  St Gabriel, when the Holy Ghost came down upon her and St Michael, when the Divine Child was born.

St. Gabriel hailed her as “Full of grace” and as “Blessed among women” and announced to her that the Holy Ghost would come down upon her and that she would bear a Son who would be the Son of the Highest.

Of St Michael’s ministry to her, on the birth of that Divine Son, we learn in the Apocalypse, written by the Apostle St John.   We know our Lord came to set up the Kingdom of Heaven among men and hardly was He born, when He was assaulted by the powers of the world, who wished to destroy Him.   Herod sought to take His life but he was defeated by St Joseph’s carrying His Mother and Him off into Egypt.   But St John in the Apocalypse tells us that Michael and his angels, were the real guardians of Mother and Child, then and on other occasions.

First, St John saw in vision “a great sign in heaven” (meaning by “heaven” the Church, or Kingdom of God), “a woman clothed with the sun and with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars; and when she was about to be delivered of her Child, there appeared “a great red dragon,” that is, the evil spirit, ready “to devour her son” when He should be born.   The Son was preserved by His own Divine power but next the evil spirit persecuted her;  St Michael, however and his angels, came to the rescue and prevailed against him.

“There was a great battle,” says the sacred writer; “Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and that great dragon was cast out, the old serpent, who is called the devil.”

Now, as then, the Blessed Mother of God has hosts of angels, who do her service and she is their Queen.

Mary, Regina Angelorum – The Queen of the Angels, Pray for us!mary regina angelorum - queen of the angels - pray for us - 11 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, EUCHARISTIC Adoration, MARIAN QUOTES, MARY, MATER ECCLESIAE, MORNING Prayers, PAPAL ENCYLICALS, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, QUOTES - J R R Tolkien and MORE, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The HOLY EUCHARIST / The HOLY MASS

Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Quote/s of the Day – 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

“Who, more than Mary, could be, a star of hope for us?
With her “yes”, she opened the door of our world,
to God Himself;  she became the living Ark of the Covenant,
in whom God took flesh, became one of us
and pitched His tent among us.”

Spe Salvi 49who, more than mary - pope benedict XVI - 11 may 2018

“Consequently, every time we approach
the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharistic liturgy,
we also turn to her who, by her complete fidelity,
received Christ’s sacrifice for the whole Church.
The Synod Fathers rightly declared that
“Mary inaugurates the Church’s participation
in the sacrifice of the Redeemer.”
She is the Immaculata, who receives God’s gift
unconditionally and is thus associated with His work of salvation.
Mary of Nazareth, icon of the nascent Church,
is the model for each of us, called to receive the gift
that Jesus makes of Himself in the Eucharist.”

Sacramentum Caritatis 33

Pope Benedict XVIevery time we approach the body and blood of christ - pope benedict - 11 may 2018

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, QUOTES of the SAINTS, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Marian Reflection 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Marian Reflection 11 May – “Mary’s Month!” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out.   And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was…Matthew 2:9

REFLECTION – “MARY:  WELCOMING THE MAGI: “‘Going into the house, they saw the child with Mary, his mother.’   Our Lady is always near her Son.   The Magi are not received by a king on a high throne but by a child in the arms of His mother.   Let us ask the Mother of God, who is our mother, to prepare for us the way that leads to the fullness of love …. Her sweet heart knows the surest path for finding Christ.” …St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975) “The Epiphany of Our Lord,” Christ is Passing By, 38.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A visit to a poor person to communicate
our Lady‘s concern for that person.going into the house they saw the child with Mary - st josemaria - 11 may 2018

PRAYER – Heavenly Father, Your plans are always the Truth.   So in Your wisdom, You gave us Mary as our Mother, to help us home to You.   Grant that by her prayers we finally arrive with You in Your eternal Kingdom.   Through Jesus our Lord, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary mothr of god - pray for us - 11 may 2018

Posted in BREVIARY Prayers, CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN TITLES, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Our Morning Offering – 11 May “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Our Morning Offering – 11 May “Mary’s Month” – Friday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Alma Redemptoris Mater
Loving mother of the Redeemer
Prayers of the Church from the Breviary

Loving mother of the Redeemer,
gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen,
yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature
you bore your Creator,
Yet remained a virgin after as before.
You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,
have pity on us poor sinners.

Alma Redemptoris Mater,
quae pervia caeli porta manes,
et stella maris, succurre cadenti,
surgere qui curat, populo:
tu quae genuisti, natura mirante,
tuum sanctum Genitorem,
Virgo prius ac posterius,
Gabrielis ab ore,
sumens illud Ave, peccatorum miserere.

This is one of four Marian antiphons, with following versicles and prayers, traditionally said or sung after night prayer, immediately before going to sleep.   It is said from the beginning of Advent (from night before the fourth Sunday before Christmas) through 1 February.alma redemptoris mater - loving mother of the redeemer - 11 may 2018

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Marian Thought for the Day – 10 May “Mary’s Month” and Thursday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Marian Thought for the Day – 10 May “Mary’s Month” and Thursday of the Sixth Week of Eastertide

Mary is “Sancta Maria,” the Holy Mary
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

GOD alone can claim the attribute of holiness.   Hence we say in the Hymn, “Tu solus sanctus,” “Thou only art holy.”   By holiness we mean the absence of whatever sullies, dims and degrades a rational nature;  all that is most opposite and contrary to sin and guilt.

We say that God alone is holy, though in truth all His high attributes are possessed by Him in that fullness, that it may be truly said that He alone has them.   Thus, as to goodness, our Lord said to the young man, “None is good but God alone.”   He too alone is Power, He alone is Wisdom, He alone is Providence, Love, Mercy, Justice, Truth.   This is true but holiness is singled out as His special prerogative, because it marks more than His other attributes, not only His superiority over all His creature but emphatically, His separation from them.   Hence we read in the Book of Job, “Can man be justified compared with God, or he that is born of a woman appear clean?   Behold, even the moon doth not shine and the stars are not pure, in His sight.”   “Behold, among His saints none is unchangeable and the Heavens arc not pure in His sight.”

This we must receive and understand in the first place but secondly, we know too, that, in His mercy, He has communicated in various measures His great attributes to His rational creatures and, first of all, as being most necessary, holiness.   Thus Adam, from the time of his creation, was gifted, over and above his nature as man, with the grace of God, to unite him to God and to make him holy.   Grace is therefore called holy grace; and, as being holy, it is the connecting principle between God and man.   Adam in Paradise might have had knowledge and skill and many virtues;  but these gifts did not unite him to his Creator.   It was holiness that united him, for it is said by St Paul, “Without holiness no man shall see God.”

And so again, when man fell and lost this holy grace, he had various gifts still adhering to him;  he might be, in a certain measure, true, merciful, lovin, and just but these virtues did not unite him to God.   What he needed was holiness and, therefore, the first act of God’s goodness to us in the Gospel, is to take us out of our unholy state by means of the sacrament of Baptism and by the grace then given u, to re-open the communications, so long closed, between the soul and heaven.

We see then the force of our Lady’s title, when we call her “Holy Mary.”   When God would prepare a human mother for His Son, this was why He began by giving her an immaculate conception.   He began, not by giving her the gift of love, or truthfulness, or gentleness, or devotion, though according to the occasion she had them all.   But He began His great work before she was born, before she could think, speak, or act, by making her holy and thereby, while on earth, a citizen of heaven.   “Tota pulchra es, Maria!”   Nothing of the deformity of sin was ever hers.   Thus she differs from all saints. There have been great missionaries, confessors, bishops, doctors, pastors.   They have done great works and have taken with them numberless converts or penitents to heaven. They have suffered much and have a superabundance of merits to show.   But Mary in this way resembles her Divine Son,  that, as He, being God, is separate by holiness from all creatures, so she is separate from all Saints and Angels, as being “full of grace.”

sancta maria -mary most holy - pray for us - 10 may 2018