Tag: maythemonthofmary

Posted in CHRIST the WORD and WISDOM, CONTEMPLATIVE Prayer, MARIAN POETRY, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MARIAN REFLECTIONS, MARY'S MONTH, QUOTES on GOOD WORKS, QUOTES on MYSTERIES of our FAITH, QUOTES on SANCTITY, The HEART, The HOLY NAME of MARY, The WORD

MAY – The Month of our Loving Mother Mary!

Posted on by AnaStpaul

It’s 1 May
The Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Month of our Loving Mother!

“The name of Mary
is a tower of strength,
which saves sinners from punishment
and defends the just
from the assaults of hell.”
St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455)

Mary Pondered All These Things in Her Heart (Cf Luke 2:19)

From a Sermon by St Lawrence Justinian (1381-1455) Bishop of Venice, Confessor
His Biography here:
https://anastpaul.com/2021/09/05/saint-of-the-day-5-september-saint-lawrence-justinian-1381-1455/

“While Mary contemplated all she had come to know through reading, listening and observing, she grew in faith,increased in merits and was more illuminated by Wisdom and more consumed by the fire of charity.
The Heavenly Mysteries were opened to her and she was filled with joy; she became fruitful by the Spirit, was being directed toward God and watched over protectively, while on earth.
So remarkable are the divine graces, that they elevate one from the lowest depths to the highest summit and transform one to a greater holiness.
How entirely blessed was the mind of the Virgin which, through the indwelling and guidance of the Spirit, was always and in every way, open to the power of the Word of God.
She was not led by her own senses, nor by her own will, thus, she accomplished outwardly, through her body. what Wisdom, from within, gave to her faith.
It was fitting for Divine Wisdom, which created itself a home in the Church, to use the intervention of the most Blessed Mary, in guarding the law, purifying the mind, giving an example of humility and providing a spiritual sacrifice.
Imitate her, O faithful soul!
Enter into the deep recesses of your heart, so that you may be purified spiritually and cleansed from your sins.
God places more value on goodwill in all we do, than on the works themselves.
Therefore, whether we give ourselves to God in the work of contemplation or whether we serve the needs of our neighbour by good works, we accomplish these things because, the love of Christ urges us on.
The acceptable offering of the spiritual purification, is accomplished, not in a man-made temple but, in the recesses of the heart where the Lord Jesus freely enters!”

Mary! How Sweetly Falls That Word
Anonymous, 19th Century

Mary! How sweetly falls that word
On my enraptured ear!
Oft do I breathe in accents low,
That sound when none are near.
Chorus:
Sing, O my lips and loudly proclaim:
O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name!
Sing, O my lip, and loudly proclaim;
O Mary, O Mary, how sweet is thy name!

Sweet as the warbling of a bird,
Sweet as a mother’s voice;
So sweet to me is that dear name,
It makes my soul rejoice.
Chorus.

Bright as the glittering stars appear,
Bright as the moonbeams shine,
So bright in my mind’s eye is seen
Thy loveliness divine!
Chorus.

Through thee I offer my requests,
And when my prayer is done,
In ecstasy sublime I see
Thee seated near thy Son.
Chorus.

Tune: St Basil’s Hymnal: Unnamed Tune. (1889)

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

Thought for the Day – 1 May – Devotion for May – the Month of Mary

Posted on by AnaStpaul

Thought for the Day – 1 May – Devotion for May – the Month of Mary

“God wills that all his gifts should come to us through Mary” (St Bernard)

It was in Rome, towards the end of the eighteenth century, one fine evening in May.   A child of the poor gathered his companions around him and led them to a statue of Mary, before which a lamp was burning, as is the custom in that holy city.   There, these fresh young voices sang the Litany of our Lady.   The next day, the little group, followed by other children, again gathered at the feet of the Mother of God. Next came their mothers, to join the little assembly.   Soon, other groups were formed and the devotion rapidly became popular.   Holy souls, troubled by the disorderly conduct which always increases and becomes graver at the return of the pleasant springtime, saw in these growing practices the hand of God and they co-operated with the designs of Providence by approving and promoting this new devotion, as a public and solemn act of reparation. The Month of Mary was founded….A Carthusian, A Month with Mary

“This is the month in which, in the churches and individual homes, the most affectionate and fervent homage of prayers and devotions from the hearts of Christians are raised to Mary.   It is also the month in which from His throne descend upon us the most generous and abundant gifts of the Divine Mercy.”….St Pope Paul VI, The Month of Mary,1967.

In our own times, we Catholics, wanting to be close to her always, offer her special presents in May – pilgrimages, visits to churches dedicated to her, little sacrifices in her honour, periods of study and well-finished work offered up to her and a more attentive recitation of the rosary….may-the-month-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary-1-may-2018

MARY:  THE MOTHER OF GOD
“When the Blessed Virgin said yes, freely, to the plans revealed to her by the Creator, the divine Word assumed a human nature — a rational soul and a body — which was formed in the most pure womb of Mary.   The divine nature and the human were united in a single Person – Jesus Christ, true God and, thenceforth, true man, the only begotten and eternal son of the Father and from that mo­ment on, as man, the true son of Mary.   This is why our Lady is the mother of the Incarnate Word, of the second person of the Blessed Trinity, who has united our human nature to Himself forever, without any confusion of the two natures.   The greatest praise we can give to the Blessed Virgin is to address her loudly and clearly by the name that expresses her very highest dignity: ‘Mother of God’.”

Let us offer to our Mother today:

Brief but frequent prayers of love, such as:

“Mother of God, your petitions are most powerful.”

St Josemaria Escriva – “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 274.

 

May Magnificat
Poem by Fr Gerard Manley Hopkins SJ (1844-1889)

May is Mary’s month and I
Muse at that and wonder why:
Her feasts follow reason,
Dated due to season—

Candlemas, Lady Day
But the Lady Month, May,
Why fasten that upon her,
With a feasting in her honour?

Is it only its being brighter
Than the most are must delight her?
Is it opportunest
And flowers finds soonest?

Ask of her, the mighty mother:
Her reply puts this other
Question: What is Spring?—
Growth in every thing—

Flesh and fleece, fur and feather,
Grass and greenworld all together,
Star-eyed strawberry-breasted
Throstle above her nested

Cluster of bugle blue eggs thin
Forms and warms the life within,
And bird and blossom swell
In sod or sheath or shell.

All things rising, all things sizing
Mary sees, sympathising
With that world of good,
Nature’s motherhood.

Their magnifying of each its kind
With delight calls to mind
How she did in her stored
Magnify the Lord.

Well but there was more than this:
Spring’s universal bliss
Much, had much to say
To offering Mary May.

When drop-of-blood-and-foam-dapple
Bloom lights the orchard-apple
And thicket and thorp are merry
With silver-surfed cherry

And azuring-over greybell makes
Wood banks and brakes wash wet like lakes
And magic cuckoocall
Caps, clears, and clinches all—

This ecstasy all through mothering earth
Tells Mary her mirth till Christ’s birth
To remember and exultation
In God who was her salvation.

 

Posted in CATHOLIC DEVOTIONS of the Month, CATHOLIC-PRAYERS OF THE CHURCH, MARIAN DEVOTIONS, MARIAN PRAYERS, MARIAN QUOTES, MORNING Prayers, PRACTISING CATHOLIC, PRAYERS of the CHURCH, QUOTES of the SAINTS, SAINT of the DAY, The BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, The WORD

One Minute Marian Reflection – 31 May – The Last Day of Mary’s Month and the Feast of the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 31 May – The Last Day of Mary’s Month and the Feast of the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour”…Luke 1:46

luke 1 46 - and mary said, my soul glorifies the Lord - 31 may 2018

REFLECTION – “THE VISITATION:  MARY SINGS OF THE LOVE OF GOD – “God is interested in even the smallest events in the lives of His creatures – in your affairs and mine — and He calls each of us by name.   This certainty that the faith gives, enables us to look at everything in a new light.   And everything, while remaining exactly the same, becomes different, because it is an expression of God’s love.   Our life is turned into a continuous prayer, we find ourselves with good humour and a peace that never ends and everything we do is an act of thanksgiving, running through all our day.   ‘My soul magnifies the Lord,’ Mary sang, ‘and my spirit re­joices in God, my Saviour.'” …St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) – “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing By, 144
Let us offer to our Mother today:
The Holy Rosary said with concentration and affection.god is interested in even the smallest events in the lives of His creatures - st josemaria - 31 may 2018 - the visitation

PRAYER – Almighty, ever-living God, You inspired the Blessed Virgin Mary, when she carrying Your Son, to visit Elizabeth.   Grant that, always docile to the voice of the Holy Spirit, we may, together with our Lady, glorify Your Name and offer You our constant praise and thanksgiving.   Through Christ, our Lord, with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary, mother of our lord pray for us - 31 may 2018 - the visitation

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

One Minute Marian Reflection – 30 May “Mary’s Month”

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 30 May “Mary’s Month”

And coming to her, he said, “Hail, favoured one! The Lord is with you.”…Luke 1:28

REFLECTION – “MARY:  THE CHANNEL OF GRACE – “Her power before God is such that she can obtain anything that we ask for and, like any mother, she wants to answer our prayers.   Like any mother, also, she knows and understands our weaknesses.   She encourages us and makes excuses for us.   She makes the way easy for us and, even when we think there is no possible solution for our worry, she always has one ready to offer us.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 292.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A visit or a conversation with a friend or relative whom we want to encourage to go to Confession.luke 1 28 - hail favoured one - like any mother also, she knows - st josemaria - 30 may 2018

PRAYER – Almighty God, Your incarnate Word fills us with the new light He brought to men.   Let the light of faith in our hearts shine through all that we do and say. Grant that through Mary, mother of Christ and our mother and protector, by her prayers and solace, we may learn humility and true faith.   We make our prayer through Jesus, our Lord, who is with You and the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary channel of grace - pray for us - 30 may 2018

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 – 28 May “Mary’s Month!”

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Marian Thought for the Day – 28 May “Mary’s Month!”

Mary is the “Virgo Potens,” the Powerful Virgin
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-18900)

THIS great universe, which we see by day and by night, or what is called the natural world, is ruled by fixed laws, which the Creator has imposed upon it and by those wonderful laws, is made secure against any substantial injury or loss.   One portion of it may conflict with another and there may be changes in it internally but, viewed as a whole, it is adapted to stand for ever.   Hence the Psalmist says, “He has established the world, which shall not be moved.”

Such is the world of nature but there is another and still more wonderful world.   There is a power which avails to alter and subdue this visible world and to suspend and counteract its laws, that is, the world of Angels and Saints, of Holy Church and her children and the weapon, by which they master its laws, is the power of prayer.

By prayer all this may be done, which naturally is impossible.   Noah prayed and God said that there never again should be a flood to drown the race of man.   Moses prayed and ten grievous plagues fell upon the land of Egypt.   Joshua prayed and the sun stood still. Samuel prayed and thunder and rain came in wheat-harvest.   Elias prayed and brought down fire from heaven.   Eliseus prayed and the dead came to life.   Ezechias prayed and the vast army of the Assyrians was smitten and perished.

This is why the Blessed Virgin is called Powerful—nay, sometimes, All-powerful, because she has, more than anyone else, more than all Angels and Saints, this great, prevailing gift of prayer.   No one has access to the Almighty as His Mother has, none has merit such as hers.   Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks and herein lies her power.   While she defends the Church, neither height nor depth, neither men nor evil spirits, neither great monarchs, nor craft of man, nor popular violence, can avail to harm us, for human life is short but Mary reigns above, a Queen for ever.her son will deny her nothing - bl john henry - mary virgo potens - 28 may 2018

Mary, “Virgo Potens,” Powerful Virgin, Pray for us!MARY VIRGO POTENS, POWERFUL VIRGIN - PRAY FOR US - 28 MAY 2018 - BL JOHN HENRY

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

One Minute Marian Reflection – 28 May “Mary’s Month!”

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 28 May “Mary’s Month!”

And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another ‘s…Job 19:26-27

REFLECTION – “MARY:  TAKEN UP TO HEAVEN – “Mary has gone to heaven in both body and soul and the angels rejoice.   I can imagine, too, the delight of St Joseph, her most chaste spouse, who awaited her in paradise.   Yet what of us who remain on earth?   Our faith tells us that here below, in our present life, we are pilgrims, wayfarers.   Our lot is one of suffering, of sacrifices, and privations.   Nonetheless, joy must mark the rhythm of our steps. ‘Serve the Lord with joy’ — there is no other way to serve Him.” … St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) – Cause of our Joy,” Christ is Passing By, 177.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A smile when someone corrects us or misjudges us.mary has gone to heaven - st josemaria - 28 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, for You are the Way, the Truth and our Life and Light, in doing Your will, is true joy on earth and eternal heavenly bliss.   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 immaculate holy mother of god - pray for us - 28 may 2018

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

Our Morning Offering – 28 May “Mary’s Month!” – The Memorial of St Germanus (c 490-576)

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Our Morning Offering – 28 May “Mary’s Month!” – The Memorial of St Germanus (c 490-576)

Most Holy Virgin, My Consolation
By St Germanus (c 490-576)

Most Holy Virgin!
Who are the greatest consolation
that I receive from God,
you who art the heavenly dew
which assuages all my pains,
you who are the light of my soul
when it is enveloped in darkness,
you who are my guide in unknown paths,
the support of my weakness,
my treasure in poverty,
my remedy in sickness,
my consolation in trouble,
my refuge in misery,
and the hope of my salvation,
hear my supplications,
have pity on me,
as becomes the Mother of so good a God,
and obtain for me a favourable reception
of all my petitions at the throne of mercy.
Amenmost-holy-virgin-my-consolation-by-st-germanus-28-may-2019.jpg

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

One Minute Marian Reflection – 26 May “Mary’s Month!” Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 26 May “Mary’s Month!” Saturday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

You are the glory of Jerusalem, the surpassing joy of Israel…Judges 15:9

REFLECTION – “MARY:  THE WAY TO JESUS – “Mary does the immense favour of bringing to the cross, of placing face to face with the example of the Son of God, those who come close to her and contemplate her life.   It is in this confrontation that Christian life is decided.   And here, Mary intercedes for us, so that our behaviour may lead to a reconciliation of the younger brother — you and me — with the firstborn Son of the Father.   “Many conversions, many decisions to give oneself to the service of God have been preceded by an encounter with Mary.   Our Lady has encouraged us to look for God, to desire to change, to lead a new life.”…St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing By 149
Let us offer to our Mother today:
Teaching someone how to say the Holy Rosary.mary does the immense favour - st josemaria escriva - 26 may 2018

PRAYER – “Hail, Mother of the Lord, Virgin Mary, Queen of the Rosary!   Blessed among all women, you are the image of the Church robed in paschal light, you are the honour of our people, you are the victory over every assault of evil.” ……………..Excerpt from the Prayer of Pope Francis at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Fatima,12 May 2017.    Pray for us Holy Mother of God and our Mother, lead us to your Son!mary the way to jesus - pray for us - 26 may 2018

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

Our Morning Offering – 26 May “Mary’s Month!” – The Memorial of St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

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Our Morning Offering – 26 May “Mary’s Month!” – The Memorial of St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

Mary, I Love You
By St Philip Neri (1515-1595)

Mary, I love you.
Mary, make me live in God,
with God and for God.
Draw me after you, holy mother.
O Mary, may your children persevere in loving you.
Mary, Mother of God and mother of mercy,
pray for me and for the departed.
Mary, holy Mother of God, be our helper.
In every difficulty and distress,
come to our aid, O Mary.
O Queen of Heaven,
lead us to eternal life with God.
Mother of God, remember me,
and help me always to remember you.
O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Pray for us,
O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray to Jesus for me.
Amenmary I love you by st philip neri - 26 may 2918

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

Marian Thought for the Day – 25 May “Mary’s Month” – The Memorial of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church

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Marian Thought for the Day – 25 May “Mary’s Month” – The Memorial of St Bede the Venerable (673-735) Father and Doctor of the Church

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, any my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.”

With these words Mary first acknowledges the special gifts she has been given.
Above all other saints, she alone could truly rejoice in Jesus, her saviour, for she knew that He who was the source of eternal salvation, would be born in time in her body, in one person both her own son and her Lord.

“For the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”

Mary attributes nothing to her own merits.   She refers all her greatness to the gift of one whose essence is power and whose nature is greatness, for He fills with greatness and strength, the small and the weak who believe in Him.   She did well to add:  “and holy is his name,” to warn those who heard and indeed, all who would receive His words, that they must believe and call upon His name.   For they too could share in everlasting holiness and true salvation according to the words of the prophet: “and it will come to pass, that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”   This is the name she spoke of earlier when she said “and my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.”

– from a homily by St Bede (673-735)

Blessed Virgin Mary, Pray for us!blessed virgin mary - pray for us - 25 may 2018

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 – 25 May “Mary’s Month”

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One Minute  Marian Reflection – 25 May “Mary’s Month” Friday of the Seventh Week in Ordinary Time, Year B

Those who love me I also love and those who seek me, find me…Proverbs 8:17

REFLECTION – “MARY:  OUR MOTHER – “Find out for yourself by personal experience the meaning of Mary’s maternal love.   It is not enough just to know that she is our Mother and to think and talk about her as such.   She is your Mother and you are her child.   She loves you as if you were her only child in this world.   Treat her accordingly. Tell her about every­thing that happens to you;  honour her and love her.   No one will do it for you or as well as you.”…” St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) Mother of God and our Mother,” Friends of God, 293.

Let us offer to our Mother today:
Many affectionate thoughts and prayers, by saying “Mary, my mother” each time we pause in our work.proverbs 8 17 - mary our mother, find out for yourself - st josemaria - 25 may 2018

PRAYER – Holy Almighty Father, grant us the grace to understand the immense love You have given us, in granting us the Mother of Your Divine Son, as our Mother too.   Holy Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, teach us, help us, show us the way, as all mothers do.   Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son and our Saviour, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God with our Father, forever, amen.mary beloved mother-pray for us all

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

Marian Thought for the Day – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

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Marian Thought for the Day – 24 May “Mary’s Month” – Feast of Our Lady, Help of Christians

Mary is the “Consolatrix Afflictorum,” the Consoler of the Afflicted
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

St PAUL says that his Lord comforted him in all his tribulations, that he also might be able to comfort them who are in distress, by the encouragement which he received from God.   This is the secret of true consolation:  those are able to comfort others who, in their own case, have been much tried and have felt the need of consolation and have received it.   So of our Lord Himself it is said:  “In that He Himself hath suffered and been tempted, He is able to succour those also that are tempted.”

And this, too, is why the Blessed Virgin is the comforter of the afflicted.   We all know how special a mother’s consolation is and we are allowed to call Mary our Mother from the time that our Lord from the Cross established the relation of mother and son between her and St John.   And she especially can console us because she suffered more than mothers in general.   Women, at least delicate women, are commonly shielded from rude experience of the highways of the world but she, after our Lord’s Ascension, was sent out into foreign lands almost as the Apostles were, a sheep among wolves.   In spite of all St John’s care of her, which was as great as was St Joseph’s in her younger days, she, more than all the saints of God, was a stranger and a pilgrim upon earth, in proportion to her greater love of Him who had been on earth, and had gone away.   As, when our Lord was an Infant, she had to flee across the desert to the heathen Egypt, so, when He had ascended on high, she had to go on shipboard to the heathen Ephesus, where she lived and died.

O ye who are in the midst of rude neighbours or scoffing companions, or of wicked acquaintance, or of spiteful enemies and are helpless, invoke the aid of Mary by the memory of her own sufferings among the heathen Greeks and the heathen Egyptians.

Mary “Consolatrix Afflictorum,”Consoler of the Afflicted – Help of Christians

Help us!, Pray for Us!our-lady-help-of-christians-pray-for-us-24 may 2018jpgour lady consoler of the afflicted - pray for us - 24 may 2018

 

 

 

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

Marian Thought for the Day – 23 May “Mary’s Month”

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Marian Thought for the Day – 23 May “Mary’s Month”  – Wednesday in the 7th Week of Ordinary Time Year B

Mary is the “Vas Honorabile,” the Vessel of Honour
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

ST PAUL calls elect souls vessels of honour: of honour, because they are elect or chosen; and vessels, because, through the love of God, they are filled with God’s heavenly and holy grace.   How much more then is Mary a vessel of honour by reason of her having within her, not only the grace of God but the very Son of God, formed as regards His flesh and blood out of her!

But this title “honorabile,” as applied to Mary, admits of a further and special meaning. She was a martyr without the rude dishonour which accompanied the sufferings of martyrs.   The martyrs were seized, haled about, thrust into prison with the vilest criminals and assailed with the most blasphemous words and foulest speeches which Satan could inspire.   Nay, such was the unutterable trial also of the holy women, young ladies, the spouses of Christ, whom the heathen seized, tortured and put to death.   Above all, our Lord Himself, whose sanctity was greater than any created excellence or vessel of grace—even He, as we know well, was buffeted, stripped, scourged, mocked, dragged about, and then stretched, nailed, lifted up on a high cross, to the gaze of a brutal multitude.

But He, who bore the sinner’s shame for sinners, spared His Mother, who was sinless, this supreme indignity.  Not in the body, but in the soul, she suffered.   True, in His Agony she was agonised;   in His Passion she suffered a fellow-passion;   she was crucified with Him;   the spear that pierced His breast pierced through her spirit.   Yet, there were no visible signs of this intimate martyrdom, she stood up, still, collected, motionless, solitary, under the Cross of her Son, surrounded by Angels and shrouded in her virginal sanctity from the notice of all who were taking part in His Crucifixion.

Mary “Vas Honorabile,” Vessel of Honour – Pray for us!mary vessel of honour - pray for us -bl john henry - 23 may 2018

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

One Minute Marian Reflection – 23 May “Mary’s Month”

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One Minute Marian Reflection – 23 May “Mary’s Month” Wednesday in the 7th Week of Ordinary Time Year B

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together...Acts 2:1

REFLECTION – “MARY:  QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES – “If we take our Lady’s hand, she will make us realise more fully that all men are our brothers – because we are all sons of that God, whose daughter, spouse and mother she is.   Our neighbours’ problems must be our problems.   Christian fraternity should be something very deep in the soul, so that we are indifferent to no one. Mary, who brought up Jesus and accompanied Him through His life and is now beside Him in heaven, will help us recognise Jesus as He crosses our path and makes Himself present to us, in the needs of others.”… St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “To Jesus through Mary,” Christ is Passing By- 145.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A kind word, a friendly conversation, a helping hand to persons with whom we live or work.acts 2 1 if we take our lady's hand - st josemaria - mary queen of the apostles - 23 may 2018

PRAYER – Almighty God, we offer our thanks for the great gift of the Mother of Your Divine Son, for as she was a Mother to His apostles, so still is she a Mother to us all.  Grant we pray, that by her intercession, we may learn to recognise Jesus in all our neighbours and serve them as we would Him.   Through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary queen of the apostles pray for us - 23 may 2018

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

One Minute Marian Reflection – 21 May 2018 “Mary’s Month!” – The First Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Marian Reflection – 21 May 2018 “Mary’s Month!” – The First Memorial of Mary, Mother of the Church

And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart….Luke 2:19

REFLECTION – “MARY’S PRAYER – “Let us ask the Blessed Virgin to make us contemplatives, to teach us to recognise the constant calls from God at the door of our heart.   Let us ask her now:   Our Mother, you brought to earth Jesus, who reveals the love of our Father God.   Help us to recognise Him in the midst of the cares of each day. Stir up our mind and will so that we may listen to the voice of God, to the calls of grace.” …St Josemaria Escrivá (1902-1975) – “Cause of Our Joy,” Christ is Passng By, 174.
Let us offer to our Mother today:
A visit to Jesus truly present in the Blessed Sacrament.luke 2 19 - let us ask the blessed virgin - 21 may 2018 - st josemaria

PRAYER – Lord God, You bestowed the Holy Spirit on Your Apostles while they were at prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.   Fill us too with the gift of Your grace in the Holy Spirit, that we may live our lives both in prayer and action and grant, that by Mary’s prayer, we may give You faithful service and spread abroad the glory of Your name, by word and example.   We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, Your divine Son, in union with the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, amen.holy mother mary at prayer - pray for us - 21 may 2018

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 – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

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Marian Thought for the Day – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Mary is the “Vas Insigne Devotionis,” The Most Devout Virgin
Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890)

TO be devout is to be devoted.   We know what is meant by a devoted wife or daughter.   It is one, whose thoughts centre in the person so deeply loved, so tenderly cherished.,, She follows Him about with her eyes;  she is ever seeking some means of serving Him and, if her services are very small in their character, that only shows, how intimate they are and how incessant.   And especially if the object of her love be weak, or in pain, or near to die, still more intensely does she live in His life and know nothing but Him.

This intense devotion towards our Lord, forgetting self in love for Him, is instanced in St Paul, who says. “I know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”   And again, “I live, [yet] now not I, but Christ lives in me;  and [the life] that I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and delivered Himself for me.”

But great as was St Paul’s devotion to our Lord, much greater was that of the Blessed Virgin, because she was His Mother and because she had Him and all His sufferings actually before her eyes and because she had the long intimacy, of thirty years with Him and because she was from her special sanctity, so ineffably near to Him in spirit.   When, then, He was mocked, bruised, scourged and nailed to the Cross, she felt as keenly as if every indignity and torture inflicted on Him, was struck at herself.   She could have cried out in agony at every pang of His.

This is called her compassion, or her suffering with her Son and it arose from this that she was the “Vas insigne devotionis.”

Mary, “Vas Insigne Devotionis,” The Most Devout Virgin

Pray for us!mary most devout virgin - pray for us - 19 may 2018

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 – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

Posted on by AnaStpaul

One Minute Marian Reflection – 19 May “Mary’s Month” – Saturday of the Seventh Week of Eastertide

When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”…John 2:3

REFLECTION – “MARY:   HER FAITH –  “If our faith is weak, we should turn to Mary.   St John tells us, that it was because of the miracle that Christ performed, at his mother ‘s request, at the marriage feast at Cana, that ‘his disciples learned to believe in him.’   Our Mother is always interceding with her Son, so that he may attend to our needs and show Himself to us, in such a way, that we can cry out, ‘You are the Son of God!'”...St Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) “Mother of God and Our Mother,” Friends of God, 285
Let us offer to our Mother today:
The “Memorare” for the person in our family who most needs the help of our Lady.when the wine ran out john 2 3 - if our faith is weak - st josemaria - 19 may 2018

PRAYER – Almighty God and Father, Your ways are not our ways, teach us to willingly agree to them, for You know which way we should go.   Help us to say “yes” always to Your plan and to render ourselves, as a sacrament of Your divine love to all we meet.  Fill us with the grace to be your tools, to bring glory to Your kingdom. Our Father, who art in heaven, may Your Will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.   Mary Mother of God, pray for us!   Through our Our Lord Jesus Christ with You, in the union of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.mary mother of faith - pray for us - 19 may 2018

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 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

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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 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 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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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, 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

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

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 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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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

Posted on by AnaStpaul

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 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 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