Totus Tuus: Mary, I am totally yours...

Totally Yours
Immaculate Conception, Mary, my Mother. Live in me. Act in me. Speak in and through me. Think your thoughts in my mind. Love, through my heart. Give me your dispositions and feelings. Teach, lead and guide me to Jesus. Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior. Possess my soul. Take over my entire personality and life. Replace it with yourself. Incline me to constant adoration and thanksgiving. Pray in me and through me. Let me live in you and keep me in this union always. Saint Pope John Paul II

At times when Christianity itself seemed under threat, its deliverance was attributed to the power of the Rosary, and Our Lady of the Rosary was acclaimed as the one whose intercession brought salvation.   Pope John Paul II  Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 40  

Tomorrow we begin a New Year.  May Saint John Paul II be our intercessor.  Let us entrust ourselves to Mary.  Let us say to her, "I am totally yours."  Our Mother Mary will protect us, love us and always lead us to her Beloved Son Jesus.

Prayer for the intercession of Saint Pope John Paul II
O Holy Trinity, we thank You for having given to the Church Saint Pope John Paul II, and for having made him shine with Your fatherly tenderness, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love.  He, trusting in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself in the likeness of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and has pointed out to us holiness as the path to reach eternal communion with You.  Grant us, through his intercession, according to Your Will, the grace that we implore,  Amen.

The Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to you for your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, our Mother.  To you we come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful.  O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer them. Amen.

Saint Bernard sums up the great spiritual advantage of true devotion to our Blessed Mother.  Let us repeat that wonderful prayer of Saint Bernard to become a trusting child before Mary, even as the Son of God did. Saint Bernard says, and we say with him, "Look to the star of the sea, call upon Mary … in danger, in distress, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. May her name never be far from your lips, or far from your heart … If you follow her, you will not stray; if you pray to her, you will not despair; if you turn your thoughts to her, you will not err. If she holds you, you will not fall; if she protects you, you need not fear; if she is your guide, you will not tire; if she is gracious to you, you will surely reach your destination."



Mary was petitioned as "Mother of God" at least by the 3rd Century, as is evidenced by the discovery of the Sub Tuum prayer:

This prayer, known in Latin as "Sub tuum Praesidium" and first found in a Greek papyrus, c. 300, is the oldest known prayer to the Virgin.

We turn to you for protection, Holy Mother of God. Listen to our prayers and help us in all our needs. Save us from every danger, glorious and blessed Virgin.

The "Memorare" is a sixteenth-century version of a fifteenth-century prayer that began "Ad sanctitatis tuae pedes, dulcissima Virgo Maria." Claude Bernard (1588-1641) popularized the idea that the "Memorare" was written by Saint Bernard.

Mary, Our Mother, understands the sufferings we carry when our children hurt. Let us bring our children to her and ask for her intercession to her Beloved Son Jesus. Her heart was pierced when she heard Simeon's words, as she held her precious baby. She did not understand, but she kept all these things in her heart. Let us unite our sufferings and those of our children and those for whom we pray with Mary by praying the Memorare.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to you for your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, we fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, our Mother.  To you we come, before you we stand, sinful and sorrowful.  O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer them. Amen.

On earth, the Blessed Virgin offered her life in that obedient service which is true worship of God. In heaven, she leads the song of eternal praise which rises like incense before the throne of God.  Let us imitate Mary and ponder everything in our heart.

The Holy Family

Today is the Feast Day to honor the Holy Family: Jesus, the Divine Son of God, His Blessed Mother Mary, and His foster father Blessed Saint Joseph.

The Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. Our family life becomes sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. This is called the "domestic church" or the "church in miniature." St. John Chrysostom urged all Christians to make each home a "family church," and in doing so, we sanctify the family unit by making Christ and his Church the center of family and individual life by reading Scripture regularly, praying daily, attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation and imitating the actions of the Holy Family, all done together as a family unit.

"May the Holy Family, who had to overcome many painful trials, watch over all the families in the world, especially those who are experiencing difficult situations. May the Holy Family also help men and women of culture and political leaders so that they may defend the institution of the family, based on marriage, and so that they may sustain the family as it confronts the grave challenges of the modern age! During this Year of the Eucharist may Christian families find the light and strength to be united and to grow as the 'domestic church' especially in their diligent participation in the celebration of the Eucharist on Sunday."  Saint Pope John Paul II Prayer from Angelus Message for the Feast of the Holy Family 2004

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church 533-534  
The hidden life at Nazareth allows everyone to enter into fellowship with Jesus by the most ordinary events of daily life:

The home of Nazareth is the school where we begin to understand the life of Jesus - the school of the Gospel. First, then, a lesson of silence. May esteem for silence, that admirable and indispensable condition of mind, revive in us. . . A lesson on family life. May Nazareth teach us what family life is, its communion of love, its austere and simple beauty, and its sacred and inviolable character... A lesson of work. Nazareth, home of the "Carpenter's Son", in you I would choose to understand and proclaim the severe and redeeming law of human work. . . To conclude, I want to greet all the workers of the world, holding up to them their great pattern their brother who is God.

The finding of Jesus in the temple is the only event that breaks the silence of the Gospels about the hidden years of Jesus. Here Jesus lets us catch a glimpse of the mystery of his total consecration to a mission that flows from his Divine Sonship: "Did you not know that I must be about my Father's work?" Mary and Joseph did not understand these words, but they accepted them in faith. Mary "kept all these things in her heart" during the years Jesus remained hidden in the silence of an ordinary life.

1 John 3:1-2 See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

O Holy Family, we consecrate to you the names and intentions we receive through this ministry for all these families and their needs.  Jesus we trust in You.

Behold thy Mother

Saint John, known as the Evangelist and the "beloved disciple" was born in Bethsaida. Today we celebrate his feast day. He was called to follow Jesus while mending his fishing nets. John wrote the fourth Gospel, three Epistles and the book of Revelation. His passages before the existence of the Word, his writings are among the most powerful of the New Testament. He wrote of how Jesus became the light of the world and life of our souls.

John, the Evangelist, wrote of Christ and His Divine and brotherly love. With James, his brother, and Simon Peter, he was one of the witnesses of the Transfiguration. John is thought to have been especially close to Jesus; he alone was at the foot of the cross when Our Lord died, and it was to John that Jesus said, "Behold thy Mother."

According to legend, the emperor Diocletian once tried to poison John by ordering him to drink a cup of poisoned wine. Saint John blessed the wine and the poison slithered away in the form of a snake.

1 John 1: 1-4 Beloved: What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes; what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life, for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us, what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

What we have seen and heard, we proclaim now to you, we speak of the Word of life. 1 John 1:1,3

O Beloved Disciple Saint John, the Evangelist, help us to have a personal encounter with Jesus each day. Help us to be His disciples.  We ask your intercession for all the intentions we receive through this ministry for babies, little ones and their families.

The Christmas crib

The cherished tradition of the Christmas Crib and the Nativity scene was begun by Saint Francis of Assisi. On Christmas Eve in 1223, Saint Francis so longed to see with his own eyes the circumstances of Jesus' coming to Bethlehem, that he arranged to have the scene recreated in a cave at Greccio, using live people and animals. During the solemnities of the Mass being offered there, a little child was seen lying in the manger. From that celebration began the custom of the Christmas crib or crèche."

Pope Benedict XVI spoke on the tradition of the Christmas Crib:

"Following a beautiful and firmly rooted tradition, many families set up their crib immediately after the feast of the Immaculate Conception, to set up the crib at home can be a simple but effective way of presenting the faith and transmitting it to one's children. The manger helps us to contemplate the mystery of God's love who revealed himself in the poverty and simplicity of the Bethlehem cave.

Saint Francis of Assisi was so overwhelmed by the mystery of the Incarnation that he wanted to present it again in Greccio with the living manger, thus becoming the initiator of a long popular tradition which still keeps its value for evangelization today.

The crib can help us, in fact, to understand the secret of the true Christmas, because it speaks of humility and the merciful goodness of Christ, who "though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor." 2 Corinthians 8:9

His poverty enriches those who embrace it and Christmas brings joy and peace to those who, as the shepherds, accept in Bethlehem the words of the Angel: "And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." Luke 2:12

May our own Nativity scenes be a visible reminder of that night when our Savior was born. May we never forget to see in our hearts the the Holy Family, Mary and Joseph and the little Babe of Bethlehem, who came to save us from sin. May we always remember that the wood of the manger that held Him so securely would one day give way to the wood of the cross. May we too embrace Jesus with all of our love as did Saint Francis.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, pray for us and all the names we receive through this ministry.

For unto us a child is born. Isaiah 9:6

Today is born our Savior, Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:1-7 "In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled. This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."

Luke 8-14 "Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Christ and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

Heavenly Father, we contemplate and gaze upon the newborn Baby Jesus, all holy, full of innocence, the Son of God.  Sweet Baby Jesus, we rejoice on this day of Your birth. Come into our hearts with Your peace and love. We entrust to You all the names we receive through this prayer ministry and we ask Our Lady of the Rosary to always be Our Comforter and Our Most Powerful Intercessor.  O Come O Come Emmanuel!

Reflection: What child is this?

Luke 2:4-7  And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

O Blessed Joseph, it must have caused you great concern that there was no room in the inn for Mary to have her baby.  You were her quiet protector and you found a place to stay.  O Saint Joseph, you are the Protector of Families and we ask you to watch over all families.  

Luke 2:8-14 Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger." And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests."

When the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds and the glory of the Lord shone around them they had great fear but they listened to the message of the angel.  O Lord, help us to listen to you when we are afraid.  Help us to see the signs You give us that lead us to great joy.  Stay with us, as we come, gazing at You lying in the manger.  O Prince of Peace, bring Your peace into the world, into our families and into our hearts. 

Luke 2:15-20 When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds. And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.

O Mary and Joseph, the shepherds came in haste to see the babe lying in the manger.  You welcomed them as you welcome us to come and see the baby Jesus, His hands outstretched to us.  As we kneel before the baby, we sing songs of praise to see the newborn King.  O Mary, you kept all these things, pondering them in your heart.  Help us to be like you, Mary, and to ponder all the Lord has done for us.  Blessed Saint Joseph and Holy Mary, Mother of God, draw us close to the baby Jesus where we may find rest. 



O Holy Family, we entrust to you all the names we receive through this ministry.

Reflection: Hail Mary, full of grace!

The angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph and the virgin's name was Mary.  And coming to her, he said, "Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."  But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.  Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God."  Luke 1:26-30

Mary received news from the angel that greatly troubled her.  How did she respond?  She pondered. When we receive troubling news. how do we respond? What can Mary teach us?  Although Mary did not understand the angel's greeting, she pondered his words.  How can we do as Mary did?  When we are faced with something difficult to understand, we can turn to the Lord. We can be silent and ask Him to stay near us.  It is in the quiet, the silence, that the Lord will come to us. Even if we never understand, we will be at peace if we do as Mary did.  God looked with favor upon Mary.  Mary reacted to the mysteries of God by pondering, reflecting and keeping these things in her heart. Mary led a life of contemplation. This is the lesson she gives us. Throughout Mary's life of contemplation, she had a desire to share with others the mysteries of God that had been revealed to her.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 508
From among the descendants of Eve, God chose the Virgin Mary to be the Mother of His Son,  "Full of grace", Mary is "the most excellent fruit of redemption; from the first instant of her conception, she was totally preserved from the stain of original sin and she remained pure from all personal sin throughout her life."

Mary was chosen to be the Mother of God.  God bestowed many blessings upon Mary: her Immaculate Conception, her role as the New Eve as Christ role was the New Adam, her spiritual motherhood of all and her Assumption into heaven.

As we approach Christmas Day, let us ask Mary to bring us to the crib,  Let us gaze at the Baby Jesus and ask Him to give us a heart like Mary: a heart overflowing with love, a heart of contemplation and a heart that ponders all things as she did, with strength, courage and complete trust and abandonment to God.  

Hail Mary, full of grace!  The Lord is with you!  Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb Jesus.   

Reflection: The Light of the World...

During this beautiful season of Advent, we wait with expectant hope for the Blessed Holy Night and the birth of the Baby Jesus, the Light of the World. The star of Bethlehem illuminated the sky above where He lay, the little Lord Jesus, asleep on the hay.

O Holy Night, the stars are brightly shining; it is the night of our dear Savior's birth. 

Jesus came to bring light into the world.  How can we prepare our hearts as we await His birth?  How can we bring light into our hearts? We can go and visit Him, as the shepherds were the first to do.  Where can we visit Him? We can stop into a church or chapel and sit before the tabernacle. Jesus is there waiting for you.  We can go to Eucharistic Adoration.  Jesus is present on the altar, Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity. What happens when we sit with Him during Eucharistic Adoration? Jesus pours His light and love into our hearts.  He prepares our hearts for His coming.  Do you want to have a heart prepared for Jesus on Christmas morning?  He is waiting for you to come to receive the beautiful Sacrament of Reconciliation.  

Long lay the world in sin and error pining, 'til He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

My pastor spoke of these words and how beautiful it is to meditate on the words of Christmas songs. When you are in sin and error, come to Jesus in Confession.  When you have an encounter with Him in this beautiful Sacrament, your soul will feel its worth.  If you have not been to confession in a while, ask Our Lady to accompany you.  She is your beautiful and loving Mother and she will help you.  The priest will welcome you and he will help you, if you do not remember what to do. Run to Jesus and pour out your heart to Him.  You will receive forgiveness, mercy, healing and peace. He will pour out His Light and Love upon you.  

A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices, for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Jesus is the Light of the World.  Open your heart and let Him shine His Light upon you, let him love you and heal you.  He is waiting for you to come away with Him and He will give you rest...

Fall on your knees and hear the angel voices.  O night Divine, O night when Christ was born.  O night Divine, O night, O night Divine.

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Patroness of the Unborn  Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. A poor Indian Juan Diego was a 57 year old widower who lived in a small village near Mexico City. On Saturday morning December 9, 1531, he was on his way to attend Mass in honor of Our Lady. He was walking by a hill called Tepeyac when he heard beautiful music like the warbling of birds. A radiant cloud appeared and within it a young Native American maiden dressed like an Aztec princess. The lady spoke to him in his own language and sent him to the bishop of Mexico, a Franciscan named Juan de Zumarraga. The bishop was to build a chapel in the place where the lady appeared.

The picture is Our Lady of Guadalupe at the Shrine of the Holy Innocents at the National Shrine of Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. This shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe is a beautiful place to remember a child who was lost. It is a place of healing and hope.

Mary to Juan Diego: “My dearest son, I am the eternal Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God, Author of Life, Creator of all and Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth...and it is my desire that a church be built here in this place for me, where, as your most merciful Mother and that of all your people, I may show my loving clemency and the compassion that I bear to the Indians, and to those who love and seek me.”

The bishop told Juan Diego to have the lady give him a sign. About this same time Juan Diego’s uncle became seriously ill. Poor Diego was to try to avoid the lady. The lady found Diego and assured him that his uncle would recover and she provided roses for Juan to carry to the bishop in his cape or tilma. Juan Diego told his story to the Spanish bishop, who instructed him to return and ask the Lady for a miraculous sign to prove her claim. The Virgin told Juan Diego to gather some flowers from the top of Tepeyac Hill. It was winter and no flowers bloomed, but on the hilltop Diego found flowers of every sort, and the Virgin herself arranged them in his tilma, or peasant cloak. When Juan Diego opened his tilma in the bishop’s presence, the roses fell to the ground and the bishop sank to his knees. On Juan Diego’s tilma appeared an image of Mary miraculously imprinted exactly as she had appeared at the hill of Tepeyac. It was December 12, 1531.

Our Lady's apparition was an event of great significance for Native Americans. Nine million Indians became Catholic in a very short time. Our Lady of Guadalupe shows us God's love for the poor and for the unborn that stems from the Gospel itself.

The Image on the Tilma
The imprint of Mary on the tilma is striking, and the symbolism was primarily directed to Juan Diego and the Aztecs. Mary appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden with a look of love, compassion, and humility, her hands folded in prayer in reference to the Almighty God. Her rose dress, adorned with a jasmine flower, eight petal flowers, and nine heart flowers symbolic to the Aztec culture, is that of an Aztec princess. Her blue mantle symbolized the royalty of the gods, and the blue color symbolized life and unity. The stars on the mantle signified the beginning of a new civilization. La Morenita appeared on the day of the winter solstice, considered the day of the sun's birth; the Virgin's mantle accurately represents the 1531 winter solstice! Mary stands in front of and hides the sun, but the rays of the sun still appear around her, signifying she is greater than the sun god, the greatest of the native divinities, but the rays of the sun still bring light. Twelve rays of the sun surround her face and head. She stands on the moon, supported by an angel with wings like an eagle: to the Aztec, this indicated her superiority to the moon god, the god of night, and her divine, regal nature. Most important are the black maternity band, a jasmine flower, and a cross that are present in the image. Mary wore a black maternity band, signifying she was with child. At the center of the picture, overlying her womb, is a jasmine flower in the shape of an Indian cross, which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. This symbol indicated that the baby Mary carried within her, Jesus Christ, the Word made Flesh, is Divine and the new center of the universe. On the brooch around her neck was a black Christian cross, indicating she is both a bearer and follower of Christ, the Son of God, our Savior, who died on the Cross to save mankind. The image signified Mary bringing her Son Christ to the New World through one of their own.

Mary to Juan Diego:Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy?

Our Lady of Guadalupe, we entrust all the names we receive through this prayer ministry to you, our most loving and merciful Mother.

Saint Juan Diego

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Juan Diego.  He deeply loved the Holy Eucharist.  By special permission of the Bishop, he received Holy Communion three times a week, a highly unusual occurrence during those times. Saint Pope John Paul II praised Juan Diego for his simple faith nourished by catechesis and pictured him as a model of humility for all of us.

Prayer to Saint Juan Diego
You who were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe as an instrument to show your people and the world that the way of Christianity is one of love, compassion, understanding, values, sacrifices, repentance of our sins, appreciation and respect for God’s creation, and most of all one of humility and obedience; You whom we know is now in the Kingdom of the Lord and close to our Mother; Be our angel and protect us, stay with us as we struggle in this modern life often not knowing where to set our priorities; Help us to pray to our God to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them for the good of humanity and the good of our Church, through the Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Heart of Jesus. Amen

Our Lady of Guadalupe spoke these words to Juan Diego. She speaks these words to us.

Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the fountain of your joy? Are you not in the fold of my mantle, in the cradle of my arms?

Saint Juan Diego, pray for us, for all the little ones and families for whom we pray.

Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. On this day, we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was conceived without sin. The Immaculate Conception means that the Blessed Virgin Mary was free from Original Sin from the very moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, Saint Anne. We celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on September 8; nine months before is December 8, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Today is the Patronal Feast Day of the United States of America. May Our Lady bless our country and protect and guide us.  Please pray for the protection of Life, Marriage and Religious Freedom in our beloved country.

You are all beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you. Song of Solomon 4:7

Mary, the one who is "full of grace" and the one whom "all generations will called 'blessed'" has been viewed as unique since the earliest days of the Christian faith. Just as Christ has been called the "new Adam," the Church Fathers, especially Saint Justin in 150AD and Saint Irenaeus 180AD, saw Mary as the "new Eve," who humbly obeyed God, even though Eve disobeyed. The Church Fathers also called Mary the "new ark of the covenant" and theotokos, God-bearer. It is from these titles that the doctrine of Mary's Immaculate Conception and sinlessness unfolded. Saint Ephrem, the Syrian, in 373AD spoke of Mary as without stain or blemish, calling her "all pure, all immaculate, all stainless, all undefiled, all incorrupt, all inviolate." Saint Augustine left open the possibility of Mary's sinlessness, even using language similar to the Catholic dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

Heavenly Father, You prepared the Virgin Mary to be the worthy mother of your Son. You let her share beforehand in the salvation Christ would bring by His death and kept her sinless from the first moment of her conception. Help us by her prayers to live in Your presence without sin. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Seek the Lord...

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His mercy endures forever.  Psalm 118:1

Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake their way, and sinners their thoughts.  Let them turn to the Lord and find mercy; to our God who is generous in forgiving.  For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, oracle of the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts.  Isaiah 55:6-9



Our Blessed Virgin Mary offered her life and gave her Fiat through her obedience and humble service. This is true worship of God, surrendering to His Will. In heaven, she leads a song of eternal
praise, like incense raising up to God.

O Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us to seek His face and turn to Him where we will find mercy. O Jesus, teach us to know Your ways and raise our thoughts to Your thoughts; help us to seek You and we will find You.

Reflection: Prepare the way of the Lord...

Today is the First Sunday of Advent.  Over these special weeks before Christmas, we gather and give thanks.  We pray and sing together, inviting the Lord into our lives, our homes, the Church and into the world which God loves so much that He sent His only Beloved Son.

The best way to prepare for Advent is to spend Advent with Mary.  Let us reflect on how Mary pondered God's Word.  Mary was still.  She invites us to be still and to listen as God speaks to us during this beautiful season of Advent, as we prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus. 

The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight the paths of our God.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortable unto her.  Hosea 2:14  

In the wilderness, John the Baptist proclaimed the saving Presence of God.  After the Baptism of the Lord, the heavens opened, and the Holy Spirit rested upon Him in the form of a dove.  The voice of the Father was heard:  This is My Beloved Son, listen to Him.  God came to a deserted place.  He calls us into a deserted place, into the silence, where we can hear Him. 

How can we prepare our hearts for the coming of the baby Jesus on Christmas Day?  Ask Our Lady to accompany us.  She is our most loving Mother and she always leads us to her Beloved Son.  Jesus heals our hearts and shines His light upon us.  Spend time with Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration.  It is there, in the silence, that Jesus will speak to your heart.  The heart of the message of Advent is to bring light into a world of darkness.  The Advent candles symbolize Jesus Christ, the Light of the world.  It is He who can dispel the darkness and bring hope.  The Lord is always coming to those who seek Him.  Let us seek Him through the eyes and heart of Mary.

The silent soul is capable of attaining the closest union with God.  It lives almost always under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  God works in a silent soul without hindrance.  In order to hear the voice of God, one has to have silence in one's soul and to keep silence; not a gloomy silence but an interior silence; that is to say, recollection in God. Diary of Saint Faustina 198, 477, 118

The Miraculous Medal

The mission that God wanted to entrust to Catherine was made manifest to her on November 27, 1830. It was the mission of making and distributing the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, now known as the Miraculous Medal. That day was the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. The Sisters were gathered in the chapel as usual for prayers at five-thirty in the afternoon. Suddenly Our Lady appeared to Catherine.  At first Mary appeared standing on a globe and dressed in white having with a long white veil which fell to her feet. The Virgin held in her hands, at the height of her shoulders, a golden ball which she seemed to be offering to God as she raised her eyes to heaven. Her fingers were covered with rings whose precious jewels sparkled brilliantly and showered down innumerable rays of light on the globe beneath her feet, almost obscuring the view of her feet. Mary lowered her eyes and looked directly at Catherine. Mary said nothing, but Catherine heard this message, "The ball which you see represents the world, especially France, and each person in particular. These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The jewels which give no rays symbolize the graces that are not given because they are not asked for." Then the apparition changed.

Our Lady appeared with a white dress, a blue mantle, and a white veil which draped back over her shoulders. She was still standing on the globe, and had one foot on the head of a serpent which lay at her feet. The 1830 was marked on the globe. The Virgin had her arms and hands pointed downwards, and a cascade of rays was falling down from both hands onto the globe. An oval frame formed around the Blessed Virgin, and written around within it, in letters of gold, was the beautiful prayer, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you." This was the front side of the medal that was to be made.

Then the vision revolved to show the reverse side of the medal. Catherine saw a Cross with a bar at its feet with which was intertwined an "M." Beneath the "M" were the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, both  surmounted by flames of love, one having a crown of thorns, and other pierced with a sword. Encircling all of this were twelve stars around the oval frame.

Sister Catherine died on December 31, 1876. In 1895 her cause for Beatification was introduced in Rome. She was beatified on May 28, 1933. When her body was exhumed, after fifty-seven years of burial,, it was found to be completely incorrupt and supple. Catherine was canonized a Saint on July 27, 1947. This approval by God and the Church was like a seal on the apparitions of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.  Her Feast Day is November 28th.

Saint Catherine of Laboure, pray for us and all the intentions we receive. 

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. 

Reflection: In Thanksgiving for all the blessings...

On this Thanksgiving Day, Mass will be offered for YOU, prayer partners
of this ministry.  We give thanks for all your prayers for the babies, little ones and families. We never know how our prayers are used.  The Lord takes our prayers and little offerings and places them where they are needed.

Our Blessed Virgin Mary offered her life and gave her Fiat through her obedience and humble service. This is true worship of God, surrendering to His Will. In heaven, she leads a song of eternal praise, like incense raising up to God.

Catechism of the Catholic Church 1330
The Eucharist is a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the Father, a blessing by which the Church expresses her gratitude to God for all His benefits, for all He has accomplished through creation, redemption, and sanctification.  Eucharist means, first of all, "thanksgiving."

We gather around the table of the Lord at the altar during Mass. Jesus is alive in the Eucharist: Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.  During the Mass, heaven and earth meet.  The Mass is the most perfect prayer.  When you go to Mass, try to arrive early, read the Mass readings and meditate on them. If you can, stay after Mass is over and sit quietly with the Lord.  At every Mass, He will strengthen you, comfort you and heal you.

When you are not able to go to Mass or anytime during the day, you can make a prayer of Spiritual Communion.  It cannot replace receiving the Eucharist but it is a very real extension of its fruits.  The more the prayer of Spiritual Communion becomes a habit, the more you unite yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

During the Offertory, think about what you want to bring to the Lord at that Mass.  When the priest calls down the Holy Spirit over the bread and wine, this is when the miracle happens.  Through the words of the priest, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus.  At the moment of the Consecration, heaven and earth meet.  Mary is present, standing with her beloved priest and the altar is surrounded by angels.  At that moment, tell the Lord your heart’s desire, tell him what you are offering to Him, tell Him what you need and thank Him for all He has done for you.  When you receive Jesus in the Eucharist, speak to Him.  He will transform you and fill you with unimaginable graces.

Listen, my faithful children: open up your petals, like roses planted near running waters; send up the sweet odor of incense, break forth in blossoms like the lily.  Send up the sweet odor of your hymn of praise; bless the Lord for all He has done!  Sirach 39:13-14

O give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His love endures forever. Psalm 136:1

Jesus Christ, King of the Universe

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Christ, King of the Universe.  This Sunday provides a bridge to the new Church Year that begins next Sunday on the first Sunday of Advent, a time of waiting in hope and expectation, a time of longing for the coming of the Kingdom of God amid the darkness of a sinful world. It is through the Virgin Mary that we receive Christ the King into our hearts. She walked with Jesus and always brings us to Him. Mary is the guardian of our life, hidden in Christ. It is through Our Mother Mary's love that we have the knowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.

“In that first ‘fusion’ with Jesus in Holy Communion, it was my Heavenly Mother again who accompanied me to the altar for it was she herself who placed her Jesus into my soul.”  Saint Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church

"The Virgin Mary, being obedient to His Word, received from an angel the glad tidings that she would bear God."  Saint Irenaeus, Father of the Church

"I am not only the Queen of Heaven, but also the Mother of Mercy."  Our Lady to Saint Faustina

The good thief, hanging next to Jesus on the cross said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom." Jesus replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."
Luke 23:42-43



“King” was one of the earliest titles given to the Son of God. The title does not refer to a status of an earthly king, which many of the Jews had been expecting; someone to overthrow the Roman rule and be an earthly king of the Israel. Rather He came to be the spiritual king; His kingdom is in heaven, not confined to the earth alone. It is an eternal Kingdom of light and truth, of holiness and grace, of justice, love and peace.  The King is love.

And this will be made manifest at the proper time by the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.  1 Timothy 6:15

Christ, King of Divine Majesty, have mercy on us. Remember us when You come into Your Kingdom. Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, pray for us.

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Magnificat
The Canticle of Mary

And Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and Holy is his Name. Luke 1:46-49

In accordance with Jewish custom Mary's parents, Anne and Joachim, named her eight days after her birth, and were inspired to call her Mary. Let us pray the words of Saint Bernard who invites us to become a trusting child before Mary, even as the Son of God did:

Look to the star of the sea, call upon Mary. In danger, in distress, in doubt, think of Mary, call upon Mary. May her name never be far from your lips, or far from your heart. If you follow her, you will not stray; if you pray to her, you will not despair; if you turn your thoughts to her, you will not err. If she holds you, you will not fall; if she protects you, you need not fear; if she is your guide, you will not tire; if she is gracious to you, you will surely reach your destination.

The meanings ascribed to Mary's name by the early Christian writers and perpetuated by the Greek Fathers. "Bitter Sea," "Myrrh of the Sea," "The Light Giver," "The Enlightened One," "Lady," "Seal of the Lord," and "Mother of the Lord" are the principal interpretations. From the time of Saint Jerome until the 16th century, preferred interpretations of Mary's name in the West were "Lady," "Bitter Sea," "The Light Giver," and especially "Star of the Sea." Stella Maris was by far the favored interpretation. The Hebrew name of Mary, Miryãm, (in Latin Domina) means lady or sovereign; this Mary is in virtue of her Son's sovereign authority as Lord of the World. We call Mary our Lady as we call Jesus our Lord, and when we pronounce her name we affirm her power, implore her aid and place ourselves under her protection.

Saint Ephrem said, "that the name of Mary is the key of the gates of heaven," in the hands of those who devoutly invoke it.

O Mary, on this Feast Day of your Presentation, we call upon your Most Holy Name and entrust our prayers to you, our Loving Mother.

Reflection: In this is love...

Recently I had the blessing of being present during a conversation of two little sisters, the oldest is an eight year old with Down Syndrome and the youngest is five years old.  They were on their way home from school and the five year old was upset saying that the boys in her class would not play with her.  As the conversation unfolded, she said she was chasing the boys. I explained that if someone does not want to play, we should not chase them but go and find another person to play with.  I said sometimes boys like to play only with boys and sometimes girls like to play only with girls. She was still not comforted until her eight year old sister said to her, "Remember Daniel Tiger. He knows about being a friend."  Daniel Tiger is a cartoon character on a television program which is based on Mister Roger's Neighborhood.  Mister Roger's taught about friendship saying, "Won't you be my neighbor?" Compassion and understanding came from the pure heart of this little one with Down Syndrome who wanted to comfort her little sister and she did.

In this is love. 1 John 4:10

God looks at us with compassion.  We are His Beloved.  He wants to comfort us and He gives us ways to be comforted: The Mass, the Eucharist, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Mary, our Blessed Mother, Sacred Scripture and Prayer.

To remain a child before God means to recognize our nothingness, to expect everything from God.  It is not to become discouraged over out failings, for children fall often, but they are too little to hurt themselves much.  Saint Therese, the Little Flower​

Saint Therese of Lisieux understood we must have childlike trust in God. She wrote in her autobiography, Story of a Soul:

Even though I had on my conscience all the sins that can be committed, I would go, my heart broken with sorrow, and throw myself into Jesus' arms, for I know how much He loves the prodigal child who returns to Him. It is not because God, in His anticipating Mercy, has preserved my soul from mortal sin that I go to Him with confidence and love.  

Although My greatness is beyond understanding, I commune only with those who are little.  I demand of you a childlike spirit.  Diary of Saint Faustina 332

Like Saint Therese, Saint Faustina often talked about being like a little child who throws herself into the father's or mother's arms:

Write this for the benefit of distressed souls; when a soul sees and realizes the gravity of its sins, when the whole abyss of the misery into which it immersed itself is displayed before its eyes, let it not despair, but with trust let it throw itself into the arms of My mercy, as a child into the arms of its beloved mother."  Diary of Saint Faustina 1541

Like little children, let us jump into the arms of God's mercy.  Let us run to Jesus for comfort in the Mass and the Eucharist, Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Sacred Scriptures and Prayer to Mary our Blessed Mother.

Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  1 John 3:2 

In Honor of our Veterans...

America, our country is truly blessed; God, through the powerful intercession of Mary, the Immaculate Conception, has shed His grace on America. May He continue to do so from sea to shining sea! Let us reflect and remember all those who have served our country, past and present.

"You gave for peace with courage that families may be free so children could grow strong and safe they'd ever be.  In giving for the sake of peace, you may have suffered loss. Your body may still show its wounds from taking up the cause.  May remembrance of your time away, your sacrifice for peace spur us on to strive more strongly for freedom, that there'll be release.  From causes that sent some away to fight that we may freely live with gratefulness we thank you, Veterans, for all you gave and give!" Prayer by Susan Helene Kramer



Blessed Mother Mary, protect our veterans and their families, especially their children. Bring comfort and peace to those who have lost loved ones defending our country. We are honored to have Mary as the Patroness of America because she is the most powerful intercessor. By a decree from the First Council of Baltimore, Mary in her Immaculate Conception, was elected as our principal Patron. A patron is one who has been assigned, or in this case, chosen by election, as a special intercessor before God.

Saint Louis de Montfort, in his renowned manuscript True Devotion to Mary, boldly suggests that Christ is weak in front of his Mother. It’s as if he can’t say “No” to her! The Catechism of the Catholic Church (969) states that the Blessed Virgin is invoked under the title Mediatrix of all grace. While no creature measures up to the one and only Redeemer, we profess that Mary cooperates in a unique way in her Son’s redemptive mission. She knows what is best for her children and so intercedes for us before the very source of all grace, Jesus Christ.

In tribute to a special Vietnam veteran, Poppy, grandfather of Lily Grace and Norah.

Reflection: All for Jesus through Mary

Behold, your Mother.  John 19:27

The way to be close to Jesus and Mary is by consecrating our lives to them and by praying and meditating on the Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary.

I will espouse you to me forever: I will espouse you in right and justice, in love and mercy; I will espouse you in fidelity, and you shall know the Lord.  Hosea 2:21-22

We will know the Lord by drawing close to Mary in prayer through the Rosary.  How do we get close to Jesus?  Mary, our beautiful Mother will draw us close to her Beloved Son.

We can make a Consecration to Jesus through Mary and place ourselves totally in her hands.  When you do, you give her permission to form you, discipline you, and mold you into a true follower of Christ.  Do not be afraid, as Saint John Paul II always said.  She loves you and will always take care of you.  Always remember her words to Saint Juan Diego in Guadalupe, Mexico:

"Hear and let it penetrate your heart, my dear little son; let nothing discourage you, nothing depress you; let nothing alter your heart or your countenance.  Also do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain.  Am I not hear who am your Mother?  Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life?  Are you not in the folds of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms?  Is there anything else that you need?"

Through Saint Louis de Montfort and the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, we surrender ourselves as a slave to Mary, and to Jesus through her.  Then we perform all our actions with Mary, through Mary and for Mary.  When I made the Consecration to Jesus through Mary, I had no idea what a profound and beautiful impact it would have on my life.  I renew my Consecration every year at the Feast Day of the Assumption of Mary.  Sometimes I renew it more than once a year, on another Marian Feast Day.  Totus Tuus, Totally Yours!



Caryll Houselander, British mystic, poet and spiritual teacher
"Mary never resisted the Holy Spirit by whom she had conceived Jesus because she was passionately devoted to the Will of God and because she loved the world. Her values were his values. Their own miracle went on, and it went on as mysteriously as a pure, bright stream running underground. Just as Christ received God's love from Mary in his infancy, He did God's Will in the little acts of obedience that filled the loveliness of their lives in the loss in the Temple and the temptation in the wilderness. That which had been the secret of her strength from the beginning is the secret of the communion between them."

Blessed Mother Mary, hear our prayers and petitions for these little ones and families. We entrust them to you and ask that you intercede and bring their needs to Jesus. We offer our Rosaries and Memorares in His Holy Name.

Reflection: All Souls Day

Today we celebrate All Souls Day. Our Lord dictated the following prayer to Saint Gertrude the Great to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said.

Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

Saint Gertrude's life was the mystic life of the cloister, a Benedictine nun. She meditated on the Passion of Christ, which many times brought a flood of tears to her eyes. She did many penances and Our Lord appeared to her many times. She had a tender love for the Blessed Virgin and was very devoted to the suffering souls in Purgatory. She died in 1334. Her feast day is November 16th.

The Holy Souls Will Repay Us A Thousand Times Over
Now who can be in more urgent need of our charity than the souls in Purgatory? What hunger, or thirst, or dire sufferings on Earth can compare to their dreadful torments? Neither the poor, nor the sick, nor the suffering, we see around us, have such an urgent need of our help, yet we find many good-hearted people who interest themselves in every other type of suffering, but few who works for the Holy Souls. Who can have more claim on us? Among them, there may be our mothers and fathers, our friends and near of kin. When they are finally released from their pains and enjoy the beatitude of Heaven, far from forgetting their friends on earth, their gratitude knows no bounds. Prostrate before the Throne of God, they never cease to pray for those who helped them. By their prayers they shield their friends from many dangers and protect them from the evils that threaten them.  We pray the Novena and Chaplet of Divine Mercy for the souls in Purgatory to be released.

The Holy Souls are those who die in God's grace but are still imperfectly purified. By undergoing purification after death in purgatory, they achieve the holiness necessary to enter heaven. God provides a means of grace for souls to be cleansed in Purgatory so they may enter Heaven.  Purgatory is the place where small sins and attachments are cut.  As Pope Francis speaks of the Church as a hospital for the wounded, Purgatory is a place where the infection of sin and attachments is eliminated.  We pray for the souls in Purgatory. They need our help and our prayers can release them into Heaven. May all the Holy Souls through the mercy of God rest in peace.

The Lord said to me, Enter into Purgatory often, because they need you there. O my Jesus, I understand the meaning of these words which You are speaking to me, but first let me enter the treasury of Your Mercy. Diary of Saint Faustina 1738

O Mary, Mother of God, we offer you our prayers and sufferings to release the holy souls in Purgatory though the intercession of Saint Gertrude.  May you carry these prayers to Jesus, your Beloved Son.

All Saints Day

Today we honor all the saints. They continually intercede with The Father for us. A saint is a person who reflects the holiness of God by living the virtues in a heroic way and showing boundless charity and total faith in God. The early history of the Church is filled with stories of the heroic faith of these of witnesses to Christ's truth. The stories of these saints, of all ages and all states in life, whose fidelity and courage led to their sanctity or holiness, have provided models for us throughout history.
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Many of those especially holy people whose names and stories were known, the Church later canonized or formally recognized that the life of that person was holy, or sanctified. A saint is an example for us. The Church's calendar contains many saint's days, which Catholics observe at Mass, some with special festivities, but there were thousands and thousands of early Christian martyrs, the majority of whose names are known only to God. Throughout the history of the Church, there have been countless others who are saints, who are with God in heaven, even if their names are not on the list of canonized saints.

In order to honor the memory of these unnamed saints and to recall their example, the Church dedicated a special feast day Mass so that we can celebrate the lives and witness of those who have died and gone before us into the presence of the Lord.

Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Holy Mary, all the angels and the communion of saints, we call on you as a cloud of witnesses to help us each day and to pray for us.

Our Lady's five weapons to defeat satan.

Just as God gave David five stones with which to defeat Goliath, Our Lady, Queen of Peace, gives us five stones or weapons we can use to defeat satan.

Daily Prayer and the Rosary
Message of June 12, 1986 “Dear children! Today I call you to begin to pray the Rosary with a living faith. That way I will be able to help you. You, dear children, wish to obtain graces, but you are not praying. I am not able to help you because you do not want to get started. Dear children, I am calling you to pray the Rosary and that your Rosary be an obligation which you shall fulfill with joy. That way you shall understand the reason I am with you this long. I desire to teach you to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Fasting on Wednesday and Fridays
Message of July 21, 1982 “The best fast is on bread and water. Through fasting and prayer one can stop wars, one can suspend the natural laws of nature. Works of charity cannot replace fasting …Everyone except the sick, has to fast.”

Daily Reading of the Bible
Message of October 18, 1984 “Dear children! Today I call on you to read the Bible every day in your homes and let it be in a visible place so as always to encourage you to read it and to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Monthly Confession
Message of June 26, 1981 “Make your peace with God and among yourselves. For that, it is necessary to believe, to pray, to fast, and to go to confession.” Message of November 7, 1983 “Do not go to confession through habit, to remain the same after that. No, it is not good. Confession should give an impulse to your faith. It should stimulate you and bring you closer to Jesus. If confession does not mean anything for you, really, you will be converted with great difficulty.”

Holy Communion
Message of May 16, 1985 “Dear children! I am calling you to a more active prayer and attendance at Holy Mass. I wish your Mass to be an experience of God. I wish especially to say to the young people: be open to the Holy Spirit because God wished to draw you to Himself in these days when Satan is at work. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

O Mother Mary, Queen of Peace, help us to use the five weapons you give to us.  Pray for us and for all the intentions we receive through this ministry. 

Litany of Humility

Litany of Humility
Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)
Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,

Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided
that I may become as holy as I should…

Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and you will learn from Me for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden light.  Matthew 11

Reflection: Saint Pope John Paul II

Immaculate Conception, Mary, my Mother. Live in me. Act in me. Speak in and through me. Think your thoughts in my mind. Love, through my heart. Give me your dispositions and feelings. Teach, lead and guide me to Jesus. Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior. Possess my soul. Take over my entire personality and life. Replace it with yourself. Incline me to constant adoration and thanksgiving. Pray in me and through me. Let me live in you and keep me in this union always.  Saint Pope John Paul II

On October 22, 1978, Pope John Paul II began his pontificate with these words:  “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ.”  Today we celebrate his Feast Day.

This is a call to a deeper, intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.  John Paul's Beatification on Sunday, May 1, 2011 reminded us about of his life and message.  I was blessed to attend his Canonization on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014.  This was a grace more than I could have ever imagined. From the time he became Pope, I always felt a closeness to him.  I have come to know him as a personal intercessor for my family. The way it unfolded for me to go, I believe that he invited me to his Canonization.

On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, we were awakened at the Hour of Divine Mercy 3:00AM. How beautiful is that!  We looked outside our hotel to the street below.  Streams of people filled the sidewalks of Rome; many were singing as they walked to Saint Peter's Square for the Canonization. We left our hotel at 5:30 AM and we walked to Castel Sant' Angelo, a beautiful, round castle with a large angel on the top.  We could see Saint Peter's Basilica from the castle.  We found a place in the field outside the castle and waited for the 10:00 AM Mass.  We prayed the rosary as we waited. We heard reports that every person from Poland was in Rome for the Canonization.  It did seem that way! They love John Paul the way I do.  As we watched the Canonization Mass on a jumbo-tron television screen, we were surrounded by a large group from Croatia, praying and carrying their flags so proudly.  We truly understood the meaning of One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.  It was such a beautiful grace for me to be present at this amazing moment in time.  Our God truly is a God of surprises.  He had more for me than I could have ever imagined.  Later that afternoon, we were blessed to go to a private Mass in a beautiful church in Rome where there was perpetual adoration and a beautiful image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.  So many graces...

When I was in Saint Peter's Square, I took a photo of the image of Mary holding Jesus which is at the beginning of this Reflection.  After the attempt was made on John Paul's life, he looked around Saint Peter's Square and saw there was no image of Mary.  He had this image painted there.  Totus Tuus, Totally yours, was the way he lived his life, totally for Mary.  She always leads us to her Beloved Son Jesus.  I have been thinking about John Paul and how much I love him.  I know he is with me.  I love his writings on the Gospel of Life, Love, Suffering, the Rosary and the Dignity and Vocation of Women because they draw me into the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

The witness of the life of this great man, and the words he spoke in his many homilies, speeches, and encyclicals are more relevant today than ever, especially to today's teenagers, who may be too young to remember or recognize John Paul II's influence on the Church and on the world. Today let us pray to Saint John Paul II for our priests, who were so dear to his heart. Many vocations were revealed to men through the powerful witness of Pope John Paul II.

PRAYER TO THE BLESSED MOTHER FOR PRIESTS

O Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests, accept this title which we bestow on you to celebrate your motherhood and to contemplate with you the priesthood of, your Son and of your sons, O holy Mother of God.

O Mother of Christ, the Messiah, to priests you gave a body of flesh through the anointing of the Holy Spirit for the salvation of the poor and contrite of heart. Guard priests in your heart and in the Church, O Mother of the Savior.

O Mother of Faith, you accompanied to the Temple the Son of Man, the fulfillment of the promises given to the fathers; give to the Father for his glory the priests of your Son, O Ark of the Covenant.

O Mother of the Church, in the midst of the disciples in the upper room you prayed to the Spirit for the new people and their shepherds; obtain for the Order of Presbyters a full measure of gifts, O Queen of the Apostles.

O Mother of Jesus Christ, you were with him at the beginning of his life and mission and you sought the Master among the crowd, you stood beside him when he was lifted up from the earth consumed as the one eternal sacrifice, and you had John, your son, near at hand; accept from the beginning those who have been called, protect their growth, in their life ministry accompany your sons, O Mother of Priests. Amen.

Saint Pope John Paul II, on your feast day today, we ask you to bless and protect our priests and keep them holy. Blessed Mother Mary, watch over them and wrap your mantle around them.  Protect our priests who bring us the Eucharist, the source of all life and love.

We entrust all the names we have received and all the names we will receive to Our Lady of the Rosary. We thank Jesus for giving His Mother to us.  Jesus we trust in You.

Saint Luke and Our Lady of Czestochowa

Today is the feast day of Saint Luke the Evangelist. He is well known as the writer of one of the four books of the Gospels. It is less known that he was a painter. Legend attributes the painting of Our Lady of Czestochowa to Saint Luke, the Evangelist. It is thought that the original and first Black Madonna to be made into an icon came after Saint Luke the Evangelist experienced an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary and painted her. While painting the image, it is said that the Holy Virgin related to Saint Luke the life of Jesus which he later incorporated into the Gospel of Saint Luke in the New Testament. He painted a portrait of Our Lady of Czestochowa on the cedar wood table at which she had taken her meals. Saint Helena, the Queen-Mother of Emperor Constantine was said to have located the portrait during her visit to the Holy Land and to have brought it to Constantinople in the fourth century. After remaining there for five centuries, it was transferred in royal dowries until it made its way to Poland, and the possession of Saint Ladislaus in the fifteenth century.

The legend continues: During Ladislaus' time, the image was damaged during a siege, by a Tartar arrow, "inflicting a scar on the throat of the Blessed Virgin." In 1430, Hussites stole and vandalized the precious image, breaking it into three pieces. Adding insult to injury, one of the robbers drew his sword, struck the image and inflicted two deep gashes. While preparing to inflict a third gash, he fell to the ground and writhed in agony until his death. The two slashes on the cheek of the Blessed Virgin, together with the previous injury to the throat, have always reappeared, despite repeated attempts to repair them. Many miracles were worked by Our Lady of Czestochowa. In more recent times, the Czestochowa Madonna has also been acknowledged for her protection of and cooperation with the Polish nation. Saint Pope John Paul II of Poland had a personal devotion and prayed often before her.  He called the writings of Saint Luke the Gospel of Mercy.

Our Lady of Czestochowa, Saint Luke and Saint Pope John Paul II, pray for us and all those for whom we pray through this ministry.