Reflection: Saint Therese, the Little Flower

From the writings of Saint Therese, the Little Flower, Patroness of this ministry:

Jesus opened the book of nature before me, and I saw that every flower He has created has a beauty of its own; that the splendor of the rose and the lily's whiteness do not deprive the violet of its scent, nor make less ravishing the daisy's charm. I saw that if every little flower wished to be a rose, nature would lose her Spring adornments, and the fields would be no longer enameled with their varied flowers.

With what tenderness the heart of Saint Therese speaks of the care with which Our Lord clothes the lilies of the field and each person with their own specific radiance. The sentiments of Saint Therese are with the words of Our Lord: 

And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, 0 men of little faith ? 

Therefore do not be anxious .... But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.  Matthew 6:28-33

"So it is in the world of souls, the living garden of the Lord. It pleases Him to create great saints, who may be compared with lilies or the rose; but He has also created little ones, who must be content to be daisies or violets nestling at His feet to delight His eyes when He should choose to look at them. The happier they are to be as He wills, the more perfect they are." 

Sweet abandonment to the Will of God is written in the words of Saint Therese.  She gives us an example to the way of peace in our hearts and the way of adoration of Jesus in the beauty of His work in souls. Saint Therese teaches us how to trust in Jesus by remaining little, like a child.  A little child is carefree, open, vulnerable, trusting, innocent, fragile, pure of heart, filled with wonder.  

Meditation: Close your eyes and place yourself in the Father's hands. You are a little child. As the Father gazes at you, jump into His arms, trusting, in full confidence, that He loves you. Hear Him speak words of love to you. "You are My beloved child.  You are beautiful and precious to Me."  Stay in the Father's embrace, abandon yourself to Him and let His love come upon you like a river of grace. The banks of the river are surrounded with beautiful flowers of all kinds.  The Father created you as a flower, fragile, yet strong, when you remain connected to Him.  Let the Father fill you with wonder at His love for you as you rest in His tender embrace.

Let us pray with the confident trust of Saint Therese to be like little children as we pray for all the intentions we receive through this ministry.

Mary Mother of the Eucharist

Mary's body and soul are the heavenly tabernacle of God. She is the incorruptible Host, Holy and Immaculate. The Madonna and the Holy Eucharist are united inseparably "even to the end of the world."  Matthew 28:20

Prayer to Mary Mother of the Eucharist

Hail Mary, sweet Mother of the Eucharist, with sorrow and much love, You have given us your son Jesus while hanging from the Cross. We, weak creatures, anchor ourselves to You to be worthy sons of this great LOVE and SORROW. Help us to be humble and simple, help us to love all men, help us to live in grace always to be ready to welcome Jesus into our heart.

O Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, we, by ourselves, will never be able to understand this great mystery of love. Gain for us the light of the Holy Spirit, because only in that moment we will be able to perceive even for just one instant, all the infinite love of your Jesus in giving Himself to us. Amen.

When we go before Jesus on the altar, we always find Him "with Mary His Mother," as the Magi did at Bethlehem. Matthew 2:11

Jesus in the sacred Host, comes to each of us as He did to Saint John the Evangelist from the Cross on Calvary, "Behold thy Mother." John 19:27

Reflection: Made in the Image and Likeness of God...

Then God said: "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and the cattle, and over all the wild animals and all the creatures that crawl on the ground." God created man in his image; in the divine image he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them, saying: "Be fertile and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the living things that move on the earth." God also said: "See, I give you every seed-bearing plant all over the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food; and to all the animals of the land, all the birds of the air, and all the living creatures that crawl on the ground, I give all the green plants for food." And so it happened. God looked at everything he had made, and he found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed, the sixth day.  Genesis 1:26-31  

Have you held the face of a child in your hands and looked into the child's eyes?  The eyes of a child reflect love, innocence, wonder, trust and hope.  When you gaze at a child, these qualities are reflected back to you.  This is how God looks at you.  He gazes at you with great love. He made you in His image and likeness.  He made you unique and He has a plan for you.  How do you know His plan? 

Spend time alone with Him.  In the silence, you can hear Him speak words of love in your heart. Go to Eucharistic Adoration or sit before the tabernacle.  Open your heart and close your eyes.  Jesus is holding your face.  He is gazing into your eyes.  Love is pouring into your heart from His gaze. Be with Him and let Him hold you, let Him love you. Be still, and in the quiet of your heart, He will speak to you.  He will speak words of love.  You will know you are his beloved child.  Gaze at Him with the love and trust of a little child.    

January 22, 2015 marked the 42nd anniversary of the tragic day of the Supreme Court decision making abortion legal in the United States.  More than 57 million babies have been aborted since that day. The loss of all these lives is incomprehensible.

Today's Gospel  After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the Gospel of God.  "This is the time of fulfillment.  The Kingdom of God is at hand.  Repent and believe in the Gospel. Mark 1:14-15 

The March for Life was held this week in Washington DC.  More than 500,000 people, mostly young people, marched peacefully for the Protection of all Life.  This beautiful witness for life was barely noted by the news media, The people who march for life see the face of God in the unborn and are proclaiming the Gospel of Life with their lives. God is gazing upon them with great love.

We are made in the image and likeness of God.  We are creative, spiritual, intelligent, relational and moral. We communicate with God and with one another.  Though all humans possess these godlike capacities, each of us has the potential to express them distinctively, because God's image has been imprinted uniquely on each of us.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10

Choose LIFE

Today is a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children and we remember all the little ones lost since the tragic anniversary of Roe v Wade in the United States. We ask Our Lady of Guadalupe to intercede that we will be a culture of LIFE.  For the Protection of all LIFE in the womb, let us pray the Hail Mary three times in gratitude for the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the countless conversions that followed.  We pray for conversions today through the power of the Holy Spirit for all to know a baby is a blessing and a precious gift from God.



I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the Lord swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Deuteronomy 30:19-20

The Memorare to Our Lady of Guadalupe
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary of Guadalupe, that in thy celestial apparitions on the mount of Tepeyac, thou didst promise to show thy compassion and pity towards all who, loving and trusting thee, seek thy help and call upon thee in their necessities and afflictions. Thou didst promise to hearken to our supplications, to dry our tears and to give us consolation and relief. Never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, either for the common welfare, or in personal anxieties, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly unto thee, O Mary, ever Virgin Mother of the True God! Though grieving under the weight of our sins, we come to prostrate ourselves in thy august presence, certain that thou wilt deign to fulfill thy merciful promises. We are full of hope that, standing beneath thy shadow and protection, nothing will trouble or afflict us, nor need we fear illness, or misfortune, or any other sorrow. Thou hast decided to remain with us through thy admirable image, thou who art our Mother, our health and our life. Placing ourselves beneath thy maternal gaze and having recourse to thee in all our necessities we need do nothing more. O Holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer us.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, we ask you to intercede for the protection of life in the womb.   Jesus, open hearts and minds to the sanctity of all LIFE.

Saint Agnes, Virgin and Martyr

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Agnes of Rome, holy martyr and patron saint of girls. According to tradition, she was a beautiful virgin, who turned away all suitors, declaring that she could have no spouse, but Jesus. The rejected suitors informed Roman officials that she was a Christian and she was punished by being exposed in a brothel. There she was left miraculously unharmed; the only man who attempted to violate her was struck blind, and she healed him with prayer.

She was murdered at the age of 13, during the persecutions ordered by Diocletian. The name Agnes means lamb.  Saint Agnes was a courageous witness, who would not let sufferings, persecutions and confinement break her commitment to Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God

Agnus Dei, qui tolis peccata mundi,
Lamb of God, who take away sins of world,
dona nobis pacem. grant us peace.

Here is a wise and faithful virgin who went with lighted lamp to meet her Lord.

The bridegroom is here; let us go out to meet Christ the Lord. Matthew 25:6

Reflection: The Sign of the Cross...

You show me the path of life, in Your presence there is fullness of life. Psalm 16:11

Man is set apart because he is a person, made in the image and likeness of God. Even in his spiritual dimension, he experiences the succession of different phases, all equally fleeting. Saint Ephrem, the Syrian, liked to compare our life to the fingers of a hand, both to emphasize that its length is no more than a span, and to indicate that each phase of life, like the different fingers, has its particular character, and “the fingers represent the five steps by which man advances.”

With the Sign of the Cross, we send a visible sign to the world and follow the advice of Saint Ephrem of Syria (died A.D. 373):

"Mark all your actions with the sign of the life giving Cross. Do not go out from the door of your house till you have signed yourself with the Cross. Do not neglect that sign whether in eating or drinking or going to sleep, or in the home or going on a journey. There is no habit to be compared with it. Let it be a protecting wall round all your conduct, and teach it to your children that they may earnestly learn the custom."

The Sign of the Cross  

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Signum Crucis  

In nómine Patris et Fílii et Spíritus Sancti. Amen. 

Recently, there were some workers at my home.  When the first one, Robert, came in, he said in a bellowing voice, "Where's the holy water?"  I have a holy water font at my front door and it apparently had run dry.  I came to the door with holy water in hand and filled it. Robert smiled, gave me a thumbs up, placed his hand in the holy water and said, "In nómine Patris et Fílii et Spíritus Sancti. Amen." Then he told me he loves the Latin Mass and he asked me if I knew about True Devotion to Mary.  I said, yes and I asked him if he was consecrated to Jesus through Mary and he said yes.  I told him I am too.  How awesome is our God!  Robert went about his work.  I had to leave and when I returned, Robert was standing outside, waiting for me.  He told me how he has been very involved with the Consecration in his parish but how he felt recently that he was slipping away. When he walked into my home and saw the holy water font and images of Jesus and Mary, he knew they were speaking to him, calling him back   Our God is a God of surprises!  The Lord showed me through my encounter with Robert how He is always seeking us. When your life is consecrated to Jesus through Mary, they will not let you go.  

In one of Saint Ephrem's hymns, he speaks of the pearl as a symbol of the riches and beauty of faith: "I placed the pearl, my brothers, on the palm of my hand, to be able to examine it. I began to look at it from one side and from the other: it looked the same from all sides. Thus is the search for the Son inscrutable, because it is all light. In its clarity, I saw the Clear One who does not grow opaque; and in His purity, the great symbol of the Body of Our Lord, which is pure. In His indivisibility, I saw the truth which is indivisible."

Lord, grant that we may lovingly accept Your Will, and place ourselves each day in Your merciful Hands. Mary, Our Mother, pray for us, “now and at the hour of our death.” Keep us ever close to Jesus, your Beloved Son, the Lord and Giver of life. Amen.

Reflection: The Unborn...

All human life is sacred.  God creates life from its beginning. The life of every person is unique and part of God's perfect plan.  This ministry began through the prayers offered for an unborn baby, before and after she was born, praying that she may have abundant life.  She is eight years old now.  She is a precious gift from God, a little miracle who radiates love to everyone she encounters. 

We are a people of prayer.  We cannot be discouraged by the culture of death in our world.  The Lord has called us to be Apostles for Life, to stand up for the sanctity and protection of life in the womb. A baby comes into the world completely vulnerable and dependent.  Every unborn baby has a soul and was created by God. 

In today's Gospel, the paralytic was healed through the faith of his friends. Jesus hears our prayers for the unborn.  Let us pray, with confident trust, that He will heal hearts and build a culture of life:

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it became known that He was at home.  Many gathered together so that there was no longer room for them, not even around the door, and He preached the word to them.  They came bringing to Him a paralytic carried by four men. Unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd, they opened up the roof above Him.  After they had broken through, they let down the mat on which the paralytic was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.”  Mark 2:1-5

Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.  Jeremiah 1:5  

The Gospel of Life Evangelium Vitae (29, 102) John Paul II 1995
"Faced with the countless grave threats to life present in the modern world, one could feel overwhelmed by sheer powerlessness: good can never be powerful enough to triumph over evil!
At such times the People of God, and this includes every believer, is called to profess with humility and courage its faith in Jesus Christ, "the Word of life" (1 Jn 1:1). The Gospel of life is not simply a reflection, however new and profound, on human life. Nor is it merely a commandment aimed at raising awareness and bringing about significant changes in society. Still less is it an illusory promise of a better future. The Gospel of life is something concrete and personal, for it consists in the proclamation of the very person of Jesus. Jesus made himself known to the Apostle Thomas, and in him to every person, with the words: "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (Jn 14:6). This is also how he spoke of himself to Martha, the sister of Lazarus: "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die" (Jn 11:25-26). Jesus is the Son who from all eternity receives life from the Father (cf. Jn 5:26), and who has come among men to make them sharers in this gift: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" (Jn 10:10)."

"The one who accepted "Life" in the name of all and for the sake of all was Mary, the Virgin Mother; she is thus most closely and personally associated with the Gospel of life. Mary's consent at the Annunciation and her motherhood stand at the very beginning of the mystery of life which Christ came to bestow on humanity (cf. Jn 10:10). Through her acceptance and loving care for the life of the Incarnate Word, human life has been rescued from condemnation to final and eternal death."

As we approach the tragic anniversary of Roe v. Wade in the United States, let us surround this anniversary with nine days of prayer by praying a Novena for the Protection of the Unborn. Please pray the Novena and Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the next nine days for the Protection of Life in the womb and for the conversion of hearts.

The Divine Mercy Novena 

January 22nd will be a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, we ask for your powerful intercession.

You formed my inmost being; You knit me in my mother’s womb.  I praise You, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works  Psalm 139:13-14

Blessed Virgin Mary...a crown of twelve stars

Take my hand, Maria.


The Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin

From True Devotion to Mary Saint Louis Marie de Montfort

If it is not too inconvenient, they should recite every day of their lives the Little Crown of the Blessed Virgin, which is composed of three Our Fathers and twelve Hail Marys in honour of the twelve glorious privileges of Mary. This prayer is very old and is based on Holy Scripture. Saint John saw in a vision a woman crowned with twelve stars, clothed with the sun and standing upon the moon. According to biblical commentators, this woman is the Blessed Virgin.

There are several ways of saying the Little Crown but it would take too long to explain them here. The Holy Spirit will teach them to those who live this devotion conscientiously. However, here is a simple way to recite it. As an introduction say:" Virgin most holy, accept my praise; give me strength to fight your foes", then say the Creed. Next, say the following sequence of prayers three times: one Our Father, four Hail Marys and one Glory be to the Father. In conclusion say the prayer Sub tuum - "We fly to thy patronage."  

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.  Revelation 12:1

Let us entrust our lives, our families and all those for whom we pray to Our Blessed Mother Mary.

Reflection: The Epiphany...Follow the star...Into the Light...O Come let us adore Him

The Feast of the Epiphany has special meaning to me.  A little baby lying in a manger in a stable in Bethlehem came into my heart and filled me with great joy.  

"And behold,the star which was seen in the East went before them, til it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy, and going into the house they saw the child with Mary, His Mother, and they fell down and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh."  Matthew 2:9-12 

God made known the light in a star.  When I meditated on this Scripture, I placed myself at the stable.  Mary was holding the baby Jesus and Joseph looked over them protectively. Light flooded the place where the Holy Family was.  Mary and Joseph gazed at the Baby Jesus.  I drew close to the Baby and touched Him.  He gazed at me and love came from Him into my heart.

O Holy Night, the Star is brightly shining.  It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.

Have you ever made a journey when you were guided by light?  I recall a time in July 2006 when light guided my path in a most beautiful way.  I was on my first pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Our Lady called me there.  I heard her call through Eucharistic Adoration and praying the Rosary. There were so many miracles of grace there for me.  One evening, we planned to climb Cross Mountain.  We began our journey at 10:00 PM in hopes that we would reach the top of the mountain to see the sunrise.  It was very warm during the day so climbing the mountain during the night was easier.  However, the path to climb the mountain is covered with jagged rocks.  If I had seen the rugged path during the daytime, I may have thought I could not do it.  Since it was nighttime, we could not see what was ahead of us. We brought flashlights to guide our footsteps and we could only see in front of us, one step at a time.  I made the journey up the mountain in prayer for all the intentions I had brought with me. When we reached the top of the mountain, we saw the most glorious sunrise. When I think about the light on this journey, I think about the flashlight that guided my steps and the sunlight that shined over the horizon as morning broke.  

"In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."  Luke 1:78-79  Canticle of Zacharias            

Jesus calls me into the light during the silence of Eucharistic Adoration.  It is there, in His Presence, where He pours His love and light into my heart. He speaks to me and He comes to me in the silence of prayer...

Today as we celebrate the Epiphany, let us make a journey to Jesus with the three Kings.  How do we know where to find the Baby Jesus?  We follow the light of the star, along with the three Kings, who were carrying treasures for the Baby.   

O Holy Night, the Star is brightly shining.  It is the night of our dear Savior's birth.

In the stable, I am seated by the Baby Jesus.  As the three Kings entered, they rejoiced and fell down and worshiped Him. They lay their treasure before Him.  I fell down and worshiped the Baby Jesus too.  "I want to be close to You, Jesus.  I give You my heart."  His little hands stretched out to me and I touched them. Love and warmth came rushing to me and filled my heart. 

Jesus, the Light of the World, is calling you to draw close to Him.  He desires to shine His light upon you. On this Feast Day of the Epiphany, let us gaze at the Baby Jesus. He is calling you to an intimate encounter with Him.  When Jesus comes into your heart, your life is changed forever by His love.  He is calling you, "Come to Me and I will give you rest."   

"I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.  John 8:12  

O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord.