15 Saturday Sep 2018
William Adolphe Bouguereau, Pieta, 1876
Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. This title was given to the Virgin Mary to reflect the sorrows in her life, especially her intense suffering and grief during the passion and death of her son and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
In addition to suffering at the foot of the cross, Mary endured many sorrowful events in her life, collectively known as the Seven Sorrows (or Dolors):
08 Saturday Sep 2018
“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38
It was Mary’s “Yes” to the Archangel Gabriel that enabled God to humble Himself, take on flesh, and launch His plan for the salvation of humanity through the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ. Mary was blessed to be the Mother of God. She was the first disciple of Jesus, carrying the Savior of the world in her womb. She indeed “found favor with God” (Lk 1:30).
Just as God asked Mary’s permission, Jesus is asking permission to dwell within you. He wants you to know His love for you. He took on human flesh so He could search for you like the shepherd searching after the one lost sheep (see Lk 15:1-7). Father Raniero Cantalamessa, Preacher to the Papal Household, said that all of Scripture can be reduced to just three words, “God is love.” Jesus is God’s love manifested in the flesh and He wants a personal and intimate relationship with you.
27 Friday Oct 2017
During the month of October, the Church honors Our Lady of the Rosary. We began this month with a call to pray the Rosary daily for peace in the world and for peace, unity, and harmony in all Christian families. As the month comes to a close, we want to reiterate the importance and efficacy of praying the Rosary daily for these intentions.
The feast of Our Lady of the Rosary was instituted by Pope St. Pius V to honor Mary for the Christian victory over the Islamic Ottoman Empire at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. He attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked through praying the Rosary throughout Europe for protection from the invasion. This victory severely curtailed attempts by Islam to control the Mediterranean region. Had this battle been lost, Western Christianity as we know it today would not have come about.
07 Saturday Oct 2017
Tags
Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholic, Christ, family, holiness, John Paul II, peace, prayer, rosary, unity
Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary in the Roman rite of the Catholic Church. Since the sixteenth century when St. Dominic was inspired to develop the devotion, the Rosary has been used to combat both physical and spiritual enemies.
This feast was instituted by Pope St. Pius V to honor Mary for the Christian victory over the Turks at Lepanto on October 7, 1571. He attributed the victory to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who was invoked through praying the Rosary throughout Europe for protection from the Turkish invasion.
