May 9 MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD

Why do we call Mary “Mother of God”? To understand the title, “Mother of

God,” we must first clearly understand Mary’s role as mother of our Savior,
Jesus Christ. As Catholics, we firmly believe in the incarnation of our Lord:
Mary conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Confer Luke 1:26-38 and
Matthew 1:18-25.) Through her, Jesus Christ– second person of the Holy
Trinity, one-in-being (consubstantial) with the Father, and true God from true
God– entered this world taking on human flesh and a human soul. Jesus is
true God and true man. In His person are united both a divine nature and a
human nature. Mary did not create the divine person of Jesus, who existed
with the Father from all eternity: “In fact, the One whom she conceived as man
by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none
other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity.

Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly ‘Mother of God’ (Theotokos)”
(Catechism, #495). As St. John wrote, “The Word became flesh and made His
dwelling among us, and we have seen His glory: The glory of an only Son
coming from the Father filled with enduring love” (John 1:14). For this reason,
sometime in the early history of the Church, our Blessed Mother was given the
title “Mother of God.” St. John Chrysostom (d. 407), for example, composed in
his Eucharistic Prayer for the Mass an anthem in honor of her: “It is truly just
to proclaim you blessed, O Mother of God, who are most blessed, all pure and
Mother of our God.

We magnify you who are more honorable than the Cherubim and incomparably
more glorious than the Seraphim. You who, without losing your virginity, gave
birth to the Word of God. You who are truly the Mother of God.” However,
objection to the title “Mother of God” arose in the fifth century due to confusion
concerning the mystery of the incarnation. Nestorius, Bishop of Constantinople
(428-431), incited a major controversy. He stated that Mary gave birth to Jesus
Christ, a regular human person period. To this human person was united the
person of the Word of God (the divine Jesus). This union of two persons– the
human Christ and the divine Word– was “sublime and unique” but merely
accidental.

The divine person dwelt in the human person “as in a temple.” Following his
own reasoning, Nestorius asserted that the human Jesus died on the cross, not
the divine Jesus. As such, Mary is not “Mother of God,” but simply “Mother of
Christ”– the human Jesus. Sound confusing? It is, but the result is the
splitting of Christ into two persons and the denial of the incarnation. St. Cyril,
Bishop of Alexandria (d. 440) refuted Nestorius, asserting, “It was not that an
ordinary man was born first of the Holy Virgin, on whom afterwards the Word
descended; what we say is that, being united with the flesh from the womb,
[the Word] has undergone birth in the flesh, making the birth in the flesh His
own…” (Against Those Who do not Wish to Confess that the Holy Virgin is the
Mother of God). This statement affirms the belief asserted in the first
paragraph. On June 22, 431, the Council of Ephesus convened to settle this
argument. The Council declared, “If anyone does not confess that the
Emmanuel is truly God and therefore that the holy Virgin is the Mother of God
(Theotokos) (since she begot according to the flesh the Word of God made
flesh), anathema sit.”

Therefore, the Council officially recognized that Jesus is one person, with two
natures– human and divine– united in a true union. Second, Ephesus affirmed
that our Blessed Mother can rightfully be called the Mother of God: Mary is not
Mother of God, the Father, or Mother of God, the Holy Spirit; rather, she is
Mother of God, the Son– Jesus Christ. The Council of Ephesus declared
Nestorius a heretic, and the Emperor Theodosius ordered him deposed and
exiled. (Interestingly, a small Nestorian Church still exists in Iraq, Iran, and
Syria.) The incarnation is indeed a profound mystery. The Church uses very
precise– albeit philosophical– language to prevent confusion and error.
Nevertheless, we must ponder this great mystery of how our divine Savior
entered this world, taking on our human flesh, to free us from sin. We must
also ponder and emulate the great example of our Blessed Mother, who said, “I
am the handmaid of the Lord; be it done unto me according to thy word.” May
we turn to her always as our own Mother, pleading, “Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

May 10 HOLY VIRGIN OF VIRGINS, HER PERPETUAL VIRGINITY

 Most Protestants claim that Mary bore children other than Jesus. To support
their claim, these Protestants refer to the biblical passages which mention the
“brethren of the Lord.” As explained in the Catholic Answers tract Brethren of
the Lord, neither the Gospel accounts nor the early Christians attest to the
notion that Mary bore other children besides Jesus. The faithful knew, through
the witness of Scripture and Tradition, that Jesus was Mary’s only child and
that she remained a lifelong virgin. An important historical document which
supports the teaching of Mary’s perpetual virginity is the Protoevangelium of
James, which was written probably less than sixty years after the conclusion of
Mary’s earthly life (around A.D. 120), when memories of her life were still vivid
in the minds of many.
 

According to the world-renowned patristics scholar, Johannes Quasten: “The

principal aim of the whole writing [Protoevangelium of James] is to prove the
perpetual and inviolate virginity of Mary before, in, and after the birth of
Christ” (Patrology, 1:120–1). To begin with, the Protoevangelium records that
when Mary’s birth was prophesied, her mother, St. Anne, vowed that she would
devote the child to the service of the Lord, as Samuel had been by his mother
(1 Sam. 1:11). Mary would thus serve the Lord at the Temple, as women had
for centuries (1 Sam. 2:22), and as Anna the prophetess did at the time of
Jesus’ birth (Luke 2:36–37).

A life of continual, devoted service to the Lord at the Temple meant that Mary
would not be able to live the ordinary life of a child-rearing mother. Rather, she
was vowed to a life of perpetual virginity. However, due to considerations of
ceremonial cleanliness, it was eventually necessary for Mary, a consecrated
“virgin of the Lord,” to have a guardian or protector who would respect her vow
of virginity. Thus, according to the Protoevangelium, Joseph, an elderly
widower who already had children, was chosen to be her spouse. (This would
also explain why Joseph was apparently dead by the time of Jesus’ adult
ministry, since he does not appear during it in the gospels, and since Mary is
entrusted to John, rather than to her husband Joseph, at the crucifixion).

According to the Protoevangelium, Joseph was required to regard Mary’s vow of

virginity with the utmost respect. The gravity of his responsibility as the
guardian of a virgin was indicated by the fact that, when she was discovered to
be with child, he had to answer to the Temple authorities, who thought him
guilty of defiling a virgin of the Lord. Mary was also accused of having forsaken
the Lord by breaking her vow. Keeping this in mind, it is an incredible insult to
the Blessed Virgin to say that she broke her vow by bearing children other than
her Lord and God, who was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. The
perpetual virginity of Mary has always been reconciled with the biblical
references to Christ’s brethren through a proper understanding of the meaning
of the term “brethren.”

The understanding that the brethren of the Lord were Jesus’ step brothers
(children of Joseph) rather than half-brothers (children of Mary) was the most
common one until the time of Jerome (fourth century). It was Jerome who
introduced the possibility that Christ’s brethren were actually his cousins,
since in Jewish idiom cousins were also referred to as “brethren.” The Catholic
Church allows the faithful to hold either view, since both are compatible with
the reality of Mary’s perpetual virginity. Today most Protestants are unaware of
these early beliefs regarding Mary’s virginity and the proper interpretation of
“the brethren of the Lord.” And yet, the Protestant Reformers themselves—
Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli—honored the perpetual
virginity of Mary and recognized it as the teaching of the Bible, as have other,
more modern Protestants. The Protoevangelium of James “And behold, an
angel of the Lord stood by [St. Anne], saying, ‘Anne! Anne! The Lord has heard
your prayer, and you shall conceive and shall bring forth, and your seed shall
be spoken of in all the world.’

Athanasius “Let those, therefore, who deny that the Son is by nature from the
Father and proper to his essence deny also that he took true human flesh from
the ever-virgin Mary” (Discourses Against the Arians 2:70 [A.D. 360]).
Epiphanius of Salamis “We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of
all things, both visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
God . . . who for us men and for our salvation came down and took flesh, that
is, was born perfectly of the holy ever-virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit” (The Man
Well-Anchored 120 [A.D. 374]). “And to holy Mary, [the title] ‘Virgin’ is
invariably added, for that holy woman remains undefiled” (Medicine Chest
Against All Heresies 78:6 [A.D. 375]).

May 11 MARY, MOTHER OF THE CHURCH

Since the Virgin Mary's role in the mystery of Christ and the Spirit has been
treated, it is fitting now to consider her place in the mystery of the Church.
"The Virgin Mary . . . is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of
God and of the redeemer.... She is 'clearly the mother of the members of Christ'
. . . since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth of believers
in the Church, who are members of its head."500 "Mary, Mother of Christ,
Mother of the Church."501 Wholly united with her Son . .

Mary's role in the Church is inseparable from her union with Christ and flows
directly from it. "This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation
is made manifest from the time of Christ's virginal conception up to his
death";502 it is made manifest above all at the hour of his Passion: Thus the
Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in
her union with her Son unto the cross. There she stood, in keeping with the
divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering,
joining herself with his sacrifice in her mother's heart, and lovingly consenting
to the immolation of this victim, born of her: to be given, by the same Christ
Jesus dying on the cross, as a mother to his disciple, with These words:
"Woman, behold your son". Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your
mother."

And from that hour the disciple took her into his home" (John 19:26,27). Â
From the earliest centuries of the Church this gift of a mother  has been
reflected upon in some of the most beautiful writings in the Christian tradition.
Jesus gave us His Mother. The Church is fundamentally a relational reality.
Through Baptism we now live our lives in the Lord by living in His Body, the
Church, through which he continues his redemptive mission. For most of us,
much of that life is lived within the smallest cell of the Body of Christ, the
"domestic church" of the Christian family. The Catholic Catechism tells us:
Since the Virgin Mary's role in the mystery of Christ and the Spirit has been
treated; it is fitting now to consider her place in the mystery of the Church.
"The Virgin Mary is acknowledged and honored as being truly the Mother of
God and of the redeemer. She is 'clearly the mother of the members of Christ'
since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth of believers in
the Church, who are members of its head." "Mary, Mother of Christ, Mother of
the Church" (CCC)
May 12 OUR LADY OF MT. CARMEL, QUEEN OF THE APOSTLES

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was called Patroness of Carmelite Monks. She takes
her title from the beautiful mountain in Israel facing the Mediterranean Sea,
since the time of Prophet Elijah (850 B C) Mt. Carmel was considered a Holy
place and a symbol of fidelity to the Lord. Elijah assembled the people of Israel
to demonstrate the supremacy of God over Baal. In 1150, St. Berthold founded
there the Order of the Carmelites, placing it under the patronage of the Mother
of God. On July 16, 1251 the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Simon Stock, the
general of Carmelites at Aylesford, England.

Mother Mary give him the brown scapular and said " my beloved son, receive
this scapular for your Order .It is a special sign of a privilege which I have
obtained for you and for all God's children who honor Me as Our Lady Of Mt.
Carmel . Those who die devotedly Clothed with this Scapular shall be preserved
from eternal fire. The Brown Scapular is a badge of salvation. The Brown
Scapular is a shield in time of danger. The Brown Scapular is a pledge of peace
and special protection, until the end of time. Soon after, St. Simon instituted
the confraternity of the Brown Scapular, whose purpose was to spread the
veneration to Mary and the wearing of scapular. Originally the Brown Scapular
consisted bin in 2 pieces of brown woolen cloth embroidered with outline of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel and tied together by string and worn over the
shoulders. The devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel has spread throughout the
world.

This feast is particular to the Carmelite Order and is the octave of the
Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We honor Mary as Mother of Divine
Grace since she is the Mother of the Son of God, the Author of Grace. Tradition
ascribes to Mary the titles Mother of Divine Grace, Mother Most Amiable,
Mother Most Admirable, Mother of Mercy. God has chosen her to be treasurer
and dispensatrix of all His graces. Since Mary has formed the Head of the
predestined, Jesus Christ, it pertains to her to form also the members of the
Head, who are the true Christians. She has received from God a special power
to nourish souls and to make them grow in Him. St. Augustine says that the
predestined in this world are enclosed in Mary’s womb and that they come to
the light only when their good Mother brings them forth to eternal life. It is to
her that the Holy Spirit has said, “Take root in my elect” (see Ecclesiasticus
24:12) — creating roots of deep humility, of burning charity and of all the
virtues.

May 13 OUR LADY OF FATIMA, MYSTICAL ROSE

Tertullian and St. Ambrose, the root represents the genealogy of David; the
stem is Mary and the flower, the rose, is Christ. (The Rose of Sharon). From the
Middle Ages, the text from Isaiah is understood to refer to Mary and Jesus:
“But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud
shall blossom.” Also, from the book of Sirach: “I grew tall like a palm tree in
Engedi, like rosebushes in Jericho.” As we have seen the veneration of the
Mystical Rose began from the first centuries of Christianity. We can also see
how in the Litany of Loreto (1587), the title Mary, Mystical Rose, is given to
honor the Blessed Virgin. From the year 1738, in the diocese of Speyer in
Germany, in the Shrine of Rosenberg, the miraculous image of the “Mystical
Rose” has been venerated. Three roses, one white, one red, and one gold, are
painted on the pedestal that holds the image. Mary, the most beautiful of God's
creation, is indeed "the Incarnate Rose," especially chosen for God's garden.
She is the "rose of Sharon and the lily of the valleys" [Song 2:1]. There is no
rose comparable to her and she has made Paradise ever so much more
beautiful. But if you call her a rose, white is the color of her purity; gold, the
tint of her royalty; red, the hue of her suffering. The rose grows out from a stem
of thorns and in the heart of this flower, the red of the Cross of her son was
forming. Indeed, without thorns a rose is not a rose, and without the thorn of
great suffering, Mary could not have become the Mystical Rose of God's
Paradise.

Messages reported by Pierina Gilli:

The three roses: The Virgin, crying, told her: “prayer, sacrifice and penance.”

June 1, 1947: Pierina reported that she had a vision of hell where she saw, in
three different sections, three categories of religious, consecrated souls, and
priests corresponding to the three swords in the vision and the three intentions
for which she should offer her prayers and sacrifices. St. Maria Crocifissa di
Rosa appeared together with Our Lady who had the same appearance that she
had had in the first apparition, with three swords piercing her heart. The saint
told her to tell her superior that Our Lady would honor this religious institute,
forming many living roses among the religious.

May their be three nuns in each community that offer themselves as mystical
roses.

1.   White Rose: spirit of prayer to repair for the offenses to the Lord
committed by religious who are unfaithful to their vocations

2.   Red Rose: spirit of sacrifice to repair for the offenses to the Lord
committed by religious who live in mortal sin

3.   Yellow-Gold Rose: spirit of total immolation to repair for the offenses

to the Lord committed by Judas-Priests, and in particular for the
sanctification of priests

“These three roses will be those who make the three swords fall from the
Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary.” This call was made in a particular way to
religious, and is extended to all who listen to the voice of our Mother and desire
to be faithful and devoted to her. It is the call of a Mother to her children.
Called to offer themselves for the good of others, especially souls consecrated to
God.

July 13, 1947 “ First Apparation of Our Lady with Three Roses on her chest.
Our Lady appears in the hospital, dressed in white, with a white cape which
had reflections of silver light. A white mantle was clasped under her chin, as by
a clip. This mantle reached to her feet, allowing some light brown hair to fall
over her forehead. It had golden trim. She told me: “I am the Mother of Jesus
and the Mother of all of you.” She opened her arms and instead of the swords
had three roses: white, red and yellow (golden). After a pause, she continued:
“Our Lord sent me to sow a new Marian devotion in all institutes, masculine as
well as feminine, in religious communities and among all priests. I promise you
that if you venerate me in this special way, you will enjoy my protection in a
special way, there will be a blossoming of religious vocations.”

*She asked that the 13 of each month be a day in which the Marian Day be
celebrated, which would be prepared for by 12 days of special prayers. She
asked “This day should be in reparation for the offenses committed against Our
Lord by consecrated souls who pierce my Heart and the Heart of my Divine Son
with three sharp swords by their faults.” That day an abundance of grace and
holiness of vocations will be poured out upon the institutes that honor this
devotion.

*”I desire that July 13 of each year be celebrated by each Institute.” She
continued saying: “I desire that each Congregation or Institute there be souls
who live with a great spirit of prayer, to be able to prevent any vocation from
being unfaithful.” (In that moment, the white rose on her chest shone more to
show its meaning.”

*”I also desire that there be other souls who live trials and humiliations with
generosity and sacrificial love, Â to repair for the offenses that Our Lord
receives from consecrated souls who live in mortal sin (the Red rose shone
more brightly)

*I also desire that other souls immolate their lives completely to repair the
betrayals received by Our Lord from his Judas-priests.” (the Yellow-God Rose
shone brightly)
*”The immolation of these souls will obtain from my maternal Heart the
sanctification of these ministers of God and an abundance of grace upon their
congregations.” In this instant Our Lady was in silence for a short time. Then,
with a complacent smile and with her gaze upon St. Maria Crocifissa di Rosa
she said: “I have chosen this Institute first, because this foundress is “of the
rose”, who has infused in her daughters the spirit of Charity.” Here she smiled
with joy: “This is why I appear surrounded by a rosebush.”

* The Lord chose this institute first of all for the charisma of its Foundress,
love. The apparitions of Our Lady, Mystical Rose continued through December
of that year, 1947, during which time she revealed the hour of grace and her
Immaculate Heart, following the initial revelation at Fatima decades earlier.
She appeared again to Pierina from 1960-1975,giving Pierina the image for the
medal to be cast, renewing the call to conversion, and asking for a consecration
to her Heart.
May 14 OUR LADY OF ALL NATION, QUEEN OF PEACE

Under the title of “The Lady of All Nations” the Blessed Virgin appeared in Amsterdam
from 1945 - 1959, revealing to an ordinary woman, Ida Peerdeman, that she “THE
LADY OF ALL NATIONS” or “THE MOTHER ALL NATIONS”, wants to be known and
loved by all.  She showed the current situation in the Church and in the world
through visions.

In her messages, Mary reveals the plan with which God wants to save the world
through His Mother.  Accordingly, she gives all peoples and nations a prayer and an
image.
The image shows THE LADY OF ALL NATIONS standing on the globe, permeated by
God’s light, before the Cross of her Son the Redeemer with whom she is inseparably
united. From Mary’s hands stream forth three rays of Grace, Redemption and Peace
which she may grant to those who invoke her as Advocate. The flock of sheep
represents the nations of the whole world who will not find rest until they look up to
the Cross, the centre of the world.
Our LADY OF ALL NATIONS dictated a short, powerful prayer to preserve us from
degeneration, disaster and war (see prayer below image on right).
 
Messages from Our Lady of all Nations
“You, nations of this time, know that you are under the protection of the Lady of All
Nations, invoke her as Advocate; ask her to stave off all disasters. Ask her to banish
degeneration from this world. From degeneration comes disaster. From degeneration
comes war. Through my prayer you shall ask that this be staved off from the world.
You do not know how great and how important this prayer is before God.” (May 31,
1955)
She asks that this prayer be prayed at least once a day. “I assure you that the world
will change.”(April 29, 1951)
As MOTHER OF ALL NATIONS she has been sent by the Father and the Son to bring
unity and peace to the world for “under this title and through this prayer, she may
deliver the world from a great world catastrophe.”(May 10, 1953)
Therefore, THE LADY Of ALL NATIONS emphatically asks for a great worldwide action
to spread her prayer and image. “Help with all your means and see to the
outspreading, everyone in one’s own way.”  (June 15, 1952).
Prayer of the Lady of All Nations
 Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Father, send now Your Spirit over the earth.  Let the
Holy Spirit live in the hearts of all nations, that they may be preserved from
degeneration, disaster and war.  May the Lady of All Nations, the Blessed Virgin Mary,
be our Advocate. Amen.

May 15 MARY, HELPER OF THE REDEEMER

The title co-Redemptrix is difficult because it is too easily misinterpreted as

making Mary a fellow redeemer with Christ, which is, of course, a heresy.
Jesus Christ is our sole Redeemer [1 Timothy 2:5]. It is for this reason that
Vatican Council II did not see fit to encourage invoking Mary by the name or
title of Co-Redemptrix. However, using this title for Mary does not suggest that
she is equal to Christ in her role. The prefix "co" means "in cooperation with" or
"to aid." This prefix does not convey the meaning "equal to." What this title has
difficulty in conveying is Mary's role as one who both cooperates and who is
completely dependent upon and subordinate to Christ as the sole Redeemer.

According to the doctrine of the divine economy of salvation, man is to

cooperate in securing his salvation and the salvation of others. In Greek
economy means plan or management. When applied to God the term refers to
God's manifestations to the world of His universal gift of grace and His desire
expressed in 1 Timothy 2:4 that He desires all men to be saved and to come to
the knowledge of the truth. A Christian participates in God's plan of
redemption through prayer, sorrow for sin, penance, sacrifices, and submission
to the will of God. In this participation we become co-redeemers with Christ
and the degree of our holiness determines more or less the efficacy of our work
of co-redemption.

Empowered by Christ we are all mutually responsible for one another's

salvation and for reaching out to others who are not members of the Body of
Christ but who are called along with us [Matthew 28:18-20; 1 Timothy 2:3-5].
Christ uses all His disciples as His ministers of grace. He works with us
according to 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 in His desire to bring all men to salvation.
It stands to reason then if we can participate as mediators in assisting Christ
in bring other men and woman to salvation that we can also participate as co-
redeemers with Christ. It follows then that Mary, as the first and most holy of
Christians is the co-redeemer with special merit. From her fiat at the
Annunciation, to the torturous path to Golgotha, to her vigil at the foot of the
Cross, the Virgin Mother offered herself in suffering with her Son.

She participated in our salvation then and she continues to participate through
her mediation in the redemption of the human family, serving her Son as
conduit of grace and merit. Pope Benedict XV (1914-1922) wrote of Mary's
unique role in the redemption of mankind when he offered "She renounced her
mother's rights for the salvation of mankind and, as far as it depended on her,
offered her Son to placate divine justice; so we may say that with Christ she
redeemed mankind." And Pope John Paul II in his General audience of
Wednesday, December 18, 1996 said: "Beginning with Simeon's prophesy,
Mary intensely and mysteriously unites her life with Christ's sorrowful mission:
she was to become her Son's faithful co-worker for the salvation of the human
race." (L'Osservatore Romano, January 1, 1997).

What Pope Benedict XV, Pope John Paul II and other theologians are saying is
the Virgin Mary cooperated in our redemption under and subordinate to Christ
and that God freely willed to associate the Blessed Mother in an intimate and
direct way with her Son in the redemption of mankind. Other quotations of
Pope John Paul II expressing Mary's role as co-redemptrix: March 31, 1985:
"May Mary our Protectress, the Co-Redemptrix, to whom we offer our prayer
with great outpouring, make our desire generously correspond to the desire of
the Redeemer." October 6, 1991: "Birgitta looked to Mary as her model and
support in the various moments of her life,

 
She spoke energetically about the divine privilege of Mary's Immaculate
Conception. She contemplated her astonishing mission as Mother of the Savior.
She invoked her as the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Sorrows, and Co-
Redemptrix, exalting Mary's singular role in the history of salvation and the life
of Christian people." (after Mass to honor the canonization of St. Birgitta).
November 4, 1984 "To Our Lady- the Co-Redemptrix- Charles (St. Charles
Borromeo) turned with singularly revealing accents."

The title co-Redemptrix for the Virgin Mary has not been officially approved by
the Magisterium of the Roman Catholic Church, although there is an effort
under way spearheaded by Catholic theologian Mark Miravalle to have this title
approved. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to date has not
supported this initiative. Mary's Continuing Mission Mary's true mission in the
past and in the present is to lead us in obedience and faithfulness by her
example to her Son, Christ Jesus. It is important to understand that Mary's
motherly mediation in no way adds or takes away from her Son's unique
mediation as the risen Lord in glory. Her true glory is ever to be entirely
transparent to His and to lead us by her motherly love and compassion to her
beloved Son and Savior.

On the altar of the Cross our Lord gave His Mother to the Apostle John and
through him to the whole Church. When Scripture tells us from that hour the
disciple took her into his home [John 19:27] our understanding is that John
became not only the representative of the Church but also a representative of
the whole human race. Therefore, the Virgin Mary becomes mankind's spiritual
mother calling all men, as she did the servants at the wedding in the Gospel of
John 2:5, to do whatever He tells you. The wedding at Cana was the beginning
of Jesus' public ministry and it was also the beginning of Mary's role as
intercessor for the human family. Mary prayed in union with the Apostles and
disciples in the Upper Room as the followers of Jesus the Messiah, in
obedience to Jesus' command, prayed 9 days for the coming of the Holy Spirit
on the 10th day the Holy Spirit came in fire to possess the New Covenant
universal Church [Acts 1:13-14].

The book of Acts of Apostles records that the leaders of the infant Church along
with the entire faith community were persevering in prayer with Mary the
Mother of Jesus, and so the Church has done ever since. Then too, in the
Church has been fulfilled the Scriptural prophecy uttered by the Virgin Mary
by divine inspiration: Behold for henceforth all generations shall call me
blessed [Luke 1:48]. Even though no human being can ever pay her an honor
equal to that which God has given Mary in choosing her to be the Mother of our
Savior, it is contrary to Holy Scripture as well as to all Christian tradition and
history to neglect giving Mary the honor she deserves. Mary, as our Mother, is
the loving gift from Jesus Christ to every man, woman, and child in the family
of God. For additional references see CCC# 495 Mary's Motherhood; CCC# 496
Mary's virginity; CCC#465 Mary, Mother of God; Mediatrix CCC# 964-970.

May 16 OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE, MOTHER OF THE WORD INCARNATE

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May 17 MARY, SEAT OF WISDOM AND MERCY

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May 18 OUR LADY OF SORROW, CAUSE OF OUR JOY

First, Our lady of sorrows the woman tasted bitterness at the prophecy of
Simeon , when she hears that a sword would pierce her heart, already fear
stabbing her. But then, as always, a yes. Each sorrow a yes. Specially, we
remember the seven sorrows: The prophecy of Simeon, The flight into Egypt,
The loss of the Child Jesus in the temple, Their meeting on the way to calvary,
Jesus' Death on the cross, Mary's Reception of his Body, And the Placing of his
Body in the Tomb. Those are the big ones. And all the little piercings, too, each
step he took away from her, into the crowds that would kill him each soul that
rejected him, each sin she saw, each one was an ache.

But every time there is a yes, the giving away of herself into the will of God.
Every sorrow was sealed with a "fiat" that gave it eternal power. Until finally it
would culminate at the foot of the Cross, with her leaning into that will with a
silent agony we can only imagine. In that darkest hour, in the horrible silence
as heaven held its breath, He spoke. "Woman, behold your son...behold your
mother." In that extreme grief, there was yet another yes. And we all flooded
into her heart, hollowed out by humility and suffering. The day he wrenched
eternal life back for us, he gave us the source of his own human life - he
handed us his Mother. And we win twice. Cause of our Joy- So that's one
reason she's the Cause of Our Joy.

Because in another act of generosity only possible for God Himself, she is ours.
Our Lady. In the most anguished hour of all her sorrows, we received a gift that
the angels would envy if they could envy. We share her with them as a Queen,
but only to us can she be a Mother. In all things she shares our life and loves
us with unspeakable tenderness. Once we have become her children, we feel
the warm gentle weight of her gaze that makes life bearable even in its most
difficult days. She is also The Cause of our Joy, because by the design of God,
it is only through her that he came. Christ our salvation came through this
little vessel and we are so forever grateful. From the first, the big "Fiat" spoken
to Gabriel, divinity took flesh within her and finally, our salvation was
underway. She is the first chapter in the book of eternal life.  Joy itself comes
to the world, and only through Mary. St. John the Baptist was the first to feel
it., leaping with joy as an unborn baby as he felt their presence, even as she
herself exclaims, "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my
Savior!" (Luke 1:47) Appropriately, then, we rejoice too because she is honored
in heaven and earth. She is given a seat next to her son, she is crowned Queen
of Heaven, the final victory is given to her. "A great marvel appeared in the
heaven: a woman, dressed with the sun, with the moon at her feet, and on her
head a crown of twelve stars." (Revelation 12:1) If our Mother is Queen, then we
take heart . Yes, we are still pilgrims, but our mother has gone ahead, where
she points to the reward of our efforts. "She is The Cause of our Joy because
she is a sign of our salvation.

What we hope for she holds high as a promise fulfilled. Finally, and this is the
difficult part, but what brings it all full circle - Our Lady of Sorrows is the
Cause of Our Joy because, Fr. John Hardon said, "She enjoyed the happiness
of suffering with Christ, suffering for Christ, suffering like Christ. How the
meaning of happiness is taught us by the mother of God...happiness on earth
is a measure of our living lives of sacrifice as Our Lady did. When we address
Our Lady as the Cause of Our Joy, we mean it ...She is the Cause of Our Joy
because our Joy will depend on how faithfully we allow Mary to teach us what
it means to be happy.

May 19 MARY, MOTHER MOST CHASTE, VIRGIN MOST HOLY

TAKEN FROM THE GLORIES OF MARY by Saint Alphonsus Liguori with Nihil
Obstat and Imprimatur, 1931 Since the fall of Adam, the senses being
rebellious to reason, chastity is of all virtues the one that is the most difficult to
practise. St. Augustine says: "Of all the combats in which we are engaged, the
most severe are those of chastity; its battles are of daily occurrence, but victory
is rare." May God be ever praised, however, Who in Mary has given us a great
example of this virtue. "With reason," says Blessed Albertus Magnus, "is Mary
called the Virgin of virgins; for she, without the counselor example of others,
was the first who offered her virginity to God."

 
Thus did she bring all virgins who imitate her to God, as David had already
foretold: After her shall virgins be brought ... into the temple of the King. [Ps.
44:15] Without counsel and without example. Yes; for St. Bernard says: "O
Virgin, who taught thee to please God by virginity, and to lead an Angel's life on
earth?" "Ah," replies St. Sophronius, "God chose this most pure virgin for His
Mother, that she might be an example of chastity to all." Therefore does St.
Ambrose call Mary "the standard-bearer of virginity." By reason of her purity
the Blessed Virgin was also declared by the Holy Ghost to be beautiful as the
turtle dove: Thy cheeks are beautiful as the turtle-dove's. [Cant. 1:9] "Mary,"
says Aponius, "was a most pure turtle dove." For the same reason she was also
called a lily: As the lily among the thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
[Cant. 2:2] On this passage Denis the Carthusian remarks, that "Mary was
compared to a lily amongst thorns, because all other virgins were thorns, either
to themselves or to others; but that the Blessed Virgin was so neither to herself
nor to others;" for she inspired all who looked at her with chaste thoughts. This
is confirmed by St. Thomas, who says, that the beauty of the Blessed Virgin
was an incentive to chastity in all who beheld her.

St. Jerome declared that it was his opinion that St. Joseph remained a virgin
by living with Mary; for, writing against the heretic Helvidius, who denied
Mary's virginity, he says, "Thou sayest that Mary did not remain a virgin. I say
that not only she remained a virgin, but even that Joseph preserved his
virginity through Mary." St. Gregory of Nyssa, says, that so much did the
Blessed Virgin love this virtue, that, to preserve it, she would have been willing
to renounce even the dignity of Mother of God. This we may conclude from her
answer to the Archangel, How shall this be done, because I know not man?
[Luke 1:34] and from the words she afterwards added, Be it done to me
according to thy Word, [Ibid., 38] signifying that she gave her consent on the
condition that as the Angel had assured her, she should become a Mother only
by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost.

St. Ambrose says, that "whoever has preserved chastity is an Angel, and that
he who has lost it is a devil." "Our Lord assures us that those who are chaste
become Angels, They shall be as the Angels of God in Heaven. [Matt. 22:30] But
the impure becomes as devils, hateful in the sight of God. St. Remigius used to
say that the greater part of adults are lost by this vice. Seldom, as we have
already said with St. Augustine, is a victory gained over this vice. But why? It is
because the means by which it may be gained are seldom made use of.

 
These means are three, according to Bellarmine and the masters of a spiritual
life: fasting, the avoidance of dangerous occasions, and prayer.

1. By fasting, is to be understood especially mortification of the eyes and of the

appetite. Although our Blessed Lady was full of Divine grace, yet she was so
mortified in her eyes, that, according to St. Epiphanius and St. John
Damascene, she always kept them cast down, and never fixed them on anyone;
and they say that from her very childhood her modesty was such, that it filled
everyone who saw her with astonishment. Hence St. Luke remarks, that, in
going to visit St. Elizabeth, she went with haste, that she might be less seen in
public. Philibert relates, that, as to her food, it was revealed to a hermit named
Felix, that when a baby she only took milk once a day. St. Gregory of Tours
affirms that throughout her life she fasted; and St. Bonaventure adds, "that
Mary would never have found so much grace, had she not been most moderate
in her food; for grace and gluttony cannot subsist together." In fine, Mary was
mortified in all, so that of her it was said my hands dropped with myrrh. [Cant.
5:5]

2. The second means is to fly the occasions of sin: He that is aware of the
snares shall be secure. [Prov. 11:15] Hence St. Philip Neri says, that, "in the
war of the senses, cowards conquer:" that is to say those who fly from
dangerous occasions. Mary fled as much as possible from the sight of men; and
therefore St. Luke remarks; that in going to visit St. Elizabeth, she went with
haste into the hill country. An author observes, that the Blessed Virgin left St.
Elizabeth before St. John was born, as we learn from the same Gospel, where it
is said, that Mary abode with her about three months, and she returned to her
own house. Now Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come, and she
brought forth a son. [Luke 1:56] And why did she not wait for this event? It was
that she might avoid the conversations and visits which would accompany it.

3. The third means is prayer. And as I knew, said the wise man, that I could
not otherwise be continent except God gave it ... I went to the Lord and
besought Him. [Wisd. 8:21] The Blessed Virgin revealed to St. Elizabeth of
Hungary, that she acquired no virtue without effort and continual prayer. St.
John Damascene says, that Mary "is pure, and a lover of purity." Hence she
cannot endure those who are unchaste. But whoever has recourse to her will
certainly be delivered from this vice, if he only pronounces her name with
confidence. The Venerable John d' Avila' used to say, "that many have
conquered impure temptations by only having devotion to her Immaculate
Conception." O Mary, O most pure dove, how many are now in Hell on account
of this vice! Sovereign Lady, obtain us the grace always to have recourse to thee
in our temptations, and always to invoke thee, saying, "Mary, Mary, help us."
Amen.

May 20 Mary, Vessel of Selfless Devotion: Vessel of Honor

Blessed John Henry Newman illustrates the meaning of devotion, and shows
how Our Lady overflowed with devotion to her son.

To be devout is to be devoted. We know what is meant by a devoted wife or

daughter. It is one whose thoughts center in the person so deeply loved, so
tenderly cherished. She follows him about with her eyes; she is ever seeking
some means of serving him; and if her services are very small in their
character, that only shows how intimate they are, and how unceasing. And
especially if the object of her love be weak, or in pain, or near to die, still more
intensely does she live in his life, and know nothing but him.
This intense devotion towards our Lord, forgetting self in love for him, is
displayed in St. Paul, who says: “I know nothing but Jesus Christ and him
cruci- fied” (see 1 Cor 2:2). And again, “I live, [yet] now not I, but Christ liveth
in me; and [the life] that I now live in the flesh, I live in the faith of the Son of
God, who loved me, and delivered himself for me” (see Gal 2:20).
But great as was St. Paul’s devotion to our Lord, much greater was that of the
Blessed Virgin: because she was his mother, and because she had him and all
his sufferings actually before her eyes, and because she had the long intimacy
of thirty years with him, and because she was from her special sanctity so
unspeak- ably near to him in spirit. When, then, he was mocked, bruised,
scourged, and nailed to the Cross, she felt as keenly as if every indignity and
torture inflicted on him was struck at herself. She could have cried out in
agony at every pang of his. This is called her compassion, or her suffering with
her Son, and it arose from this that she was the “Vessel of Devotion” unlike any
other. Moreover, as I have said before, no other act of devotion enables us to
rid ourselves so easily of the possessiveness which slips unnoticed even into
our best actions. This is a remarkable grace which our dear Lord grants us in
return for the heroic and selfless surrender to him through Mary of the entire
value of our good works. If even in this life he gives a hundredfold reward to
those who renounce all material, temporal and perishable things out of love for
him, how generously will he reward those who give up even interior and
spiritual goods for his sake!
IN GOD’S PRESENCE, CONSIDER . . .
Am I devoted to Jesus and his mother in the sense described here? In what
practical ways do I show my devotion?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
May 21 MARY, MORNING STAR
There is no title in all the Litany more descriptive of Mary's loving office to men
than "Morning Star." Every star, indeed, is an image of Her. Her most popular
figure is "Star of the Sea," due no doubt to the loveliest of Her hymns—the Ave
Maris Stella, which goes back at least to the ninth century, and to the Alma
Redemptoris Mater, of the eleventh century.
 
Mary had much to do with stars. The Star of Bethlehem was the only lamp for
the cave. "We have seen His star in the East," said the Magi, and they found it
again reflected in the eyes of Mary. Star of the Morning or Star of the Sea, was
used to emphasize Mary’s role as a guiding star for Christians and Gentiles.
The Gentiles were included because in the Old Testament the Israelites also
referred to the sea as the borders of their territory. They believed that the
Gentiles came from outside their borders, therefore, they came from the “sea.”
An ancient title for our Blessed Mother is Our Lady, Star of the Sea. The title
was most likely given to her in the fourth century, by the great Doctor of the
Church, St. Jerome. People called Mary, Stella Maris, which means Star of the
Sea, and to this day, devotion to this title is very popular around the w4orld.
Stella Maris (Nostre) or Our Lady, Star of the Sea, was used to emphasize
Mary’s role as a guiding star for Christians and Gentiles.
 
The Gentiles were included because in the Old Testament the Israelites also
referred to the sea as the borders of their territory. They believed that the
Gentiles came from outside their borders, therefore, they came from the “sea.”
Writings from the ninth century said that Mary, Star of the Sea, was to be used
as a “guide” to be followed on the way to Christ to avoid capsizing in storm-
tossed waters. Then, in the twelfth century, St. Bernard of Clairvaux wrote: "If
the winds of temptation arise; If you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation
look to the star, call on Mary; If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of
ambition, of envy, of rivalry, look to the star, call on Mary. Should anger, or
avarice, or fleshly desire violently assail the frail vessel of your soul, look at the
star, call upon Mary.” St. Anthony of Padua wrote about Mary, Star of the Sea,
and many years later, Pope Pius XII, quoted Bernard of Clairvaux saying: “Mary
... is interpreted to mean 'Star of the Sea.' This admirably befits the Virgin
Mother.. (for) as the ray does not diminish the brightness of the star, so neither
did the Child born of her tarnish the beauty of Mary's virginity.” The practice of
invoking Mary as a guiding star for seafarers has led to devotion to Our Lady,
Star of the Sea, all over the world, especially in coastal and fishing
communities.
 
There are many, many Catholic churches that are named in honor of Mary,
Star of the Sea. The oldest church in the Archdiocese of Miami is the Basilica of
St. Mary Star of the Sea.This church was founded in 1846. There is another St.
Mary Star of the Sea not far away in Key West. This church was founded on
February 26, 1852. Today, it also is a Basilica. Our Lady, Star of the Sea, is
Patroness to Catholic missions and seafarers. The Apostleship of the Seawas
named after her and many coastal churches around the world are named Stella
Maris or Mary, Star of the sea.
 
 
 

May 22 Our Lady and the Two Towers (Tower of David and Tower of Ivory)

When we think of the two towers, we now often think of the World Trade Center
and the tragedy associated with it. Or perhaps some might think of the book
from J.R.R. Tolkein, but I present yet another thought on ‘Two Towers’… Some
thoughts from the Litany of Loreto Mary: Turris Davidica or TOWER OF DAVID

 
(1) MARY, you are called the Tower of David because the Church applies to you
these words of the Canticle: “Thy neck is as the tower of David, which is built
with bulwarks; a thousand bucklers hang upon it, all the armor of valiant men”
The towers which David built to the walls of Jerusalem rose above all the other
buildings. From them one could obtain a clear view of the surrounding country
and observe every movement of the enemy. As the tower of David surpassed all
other buildings of Jerusalem, so you, the daughter of David, excel all angels
and men in dignity and sanctity; the angels and saints are servants and friends
of God, but you are the Mother of God. No dignity is higher than this.
Consequently God has endowed you with a higher degree of sanctity than that
which all angels and men could possess. Tower of David, you were the most
humble of all; hence the Lord did great things for you. He chose you to become
the Mother of His Son and made you the Queen of heaven. Help me to become
daily more humble, that I may be great in the eyes of God.

(2) MARY, the tower of David was so strong and provided with so many means
of defense that it could resist the attacks of the enemy. Greeting you as the
Tower of David, I acknowledge that the devil could not prevail against you and
that you overcame all his attacks. Though he lay in wait for your heel, you
crushed his head (Gen. 3,15). By an extraordinary grace God preserved you
from the stain of original sin and thereby prevented you from falling into the
power of Satan in the very first moment of your life. The weapons you used in
your struggles against Satan were those which your divine Son recommended
to His disciples and to us: “Watch and pray, that you may not enter into
temptation” (Matt. 26:41). You were watchful over your heart, over your senses,
over your surroundings. Where you could not escape the attacks of the enemy,
you met them with courage and confidence in God, with your eyes fixed upon
God, and asking His help in prayer. Let me also be like a tower of David in the
struggle with my spiritual enemies. With the help of divine grace I can conquer
evil. Help me to be watchful over myself; for the devil often makes use of the
inclinations of my heart and my external senses in order to tempt me to sin.
Make me watchful in dealing with the world, so that I may avoid all occasions
of temptations. Like you I wish to place my entire confidence in God and to
pray frequently, especially? In the hour of temptation.

(3) MARY, the tower of David afforded protection and safety to all on account of
its firmness and its powerful means of defense. You are such a tower for me.
You afford me the most powerful protection and will permit no harm to befall
me, if I have recourse to you in my struggle against evil. I hope to be saved for
certain, because a firm trust in you is my weapon. I shall face my enemies
courageously when I can count on your help as a shield in my hands. Tower of
David, protect my soul from sin. I turn to you for aid when the battle is
heaviest. With your help I shall be victories. A TOWER in its simplest idea is a
fabric for defense against enemies. David, King of Israel, built for this purpose
a notable tower; and as he is a figure or type of our Lord, so is his tower a
figure denoting our Lord’s Virgin Mother. She is called the Tower of David
because she had so signally fulfilled the office of defending her Divine Son from
the assaults of His foes. It is customary with those who are not Catholics to
fancy that the honors we pay to her interfere with the supreme worship which
we pay to Him; that in Catholic teaching she eclipses Him. But this is the very
reverse of the truth. For if Mary’s glory is so very great, how cannot His be
greater still who is the Lord and God of Mary? He is infinitely above His
Mother; and all that grace which filled her is but the overflowing and
superfluities of His incomprehensible Sanctity. And history teaches us the
same lesson. Look at the Protestant countries which threw off all devotion to
her three centuries ago, under the notion that to put her from their thoughts
would be exalting the praises of her Son. Has that consequence really followed
from their profane conduct towards her? Just the reverse the countries,
Germany, Switzerland, England, which so acted, have in great measure ceased
to worship Him, and have given up their belief in His Divinity while the
Catholic Church, wherever she is to be found, adores Christ as true God and
true Man, as firmly as ever she did; and strange indeed would it be, if it ever
happened otherwise. Thus Mary is the “Tower of David.” – Ven. John Henry
Cardinal Newman

May 23 MARY, ARK OF THE NEW COVENANT

The Virgin Mary is the living shrine of the Word of God, the Ark of the New and
Eternal Covenant. In fact, St. Luke’s account of the Annunciation of the angel
to Mary nicely incorporates the images of the tent of meeting with God in Sinai
and of the temple of Zion. Just as the cloud covered the people of God
marching in the desert (cf. Nm 10:34; Dt 33:12; Ps 91:4) and just as the same
cloud, as a sign of the divine mystery present in the midst of Israel, hovered
over the Ark of the Covenant (cf. Ex 40:35), so now the shadow of the Most
High envelops and penetrates the tabernacle of the New Covenant that is the
womb of Mary (cf. Lk 1:35).

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a city of
Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And
when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she exclaimed with a loud cry,
“Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And
why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For
behold, when the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the babe in my womb
leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment
of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” (Lk 1:39-45) : In the ark was the law
of God inscribed in stone; in Mary’s womb was the Word of God in flesh. In the
ark was the urn of manna, the bread from heaven that kept God’s people alive
in the wilderness; in Mary’s womb is the Bread of Life come down from heaven
that brings eternal life. In the ark was the rod of Aaron, the proof of true
priesthood; in Mary’s womb is the true priest. In the third century, St. Gregory
the Wonder Worker said that Mary is truly an ark—”gold within and gold
without, and she has received in her womb all the treasures of the sanctuary.”

In the ark was the law of God inscribed in stone; in Mary’s womb was the Word
of God in flesh. In the ark was the urn of manna, the bread from heaven that
kept God’s people alive in the wilderness; in Mary’s womb is the Bread of Life
come down from heaven that brings eternal life. In the ark was the rod of
Aaron, the proof of true priesthood; in Mary’s womb is the true priest. In the
third century, St. Gregory the Wonder Worker said that Mary is truly an ark
—”gold within and gold without, and she has received in her womb all the
treasures of the sanctuary.”

Similarly, Mary is called “Full of Grace” but she is also called “Woman”,
particularly by her Son, who is God. Now, this must be interpreted taking into
consideration the ancient Hebrew culture, not with our present culture 2,000
years later. Otherwise we lose the sense of the message or be led astray by
understanding it through the lenses of a different culture. In the ancient
Hebrew culture, calling “Woman” was a title of respect, as for us calling “Lady”,
or even “Gentlewoman” (in archaic English culture), it is a sign of esteem or
reverence (John 4:21) (8:10) (20:13) (20:15).
Jesus, the new Adam (1 Cor 15:45), calls His mother “Woman”. It is not
disrespectful as some people with different culture and current social
environment think. Are you going to believe that Jesus dying on the Cross,
with many wounds on His body, taking time to get air and breathe, talking with
difficulty, was going to disrespect His mother or break one of His own
Commandments (Exodus 20:12)? Of course not! in no case whatsoever (John
2:4) (John 19:26). And this title of “Woman” is related to the first prophecy that
God makes:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your lineage and yours.
He will crush your head and you will stalk your heel.” (Gen 3:15).  This is
precisely what happens in chapter 12 of Revelation, enmity between Satan and
the “Woman” and her lineage.
May 24 Mary’ Assumption: The Gate of Heaven

Mary’s Assumption: The Gate of Heaven

What is the Assumption of the Blessed Mother? Addressing a jubilant crowd of
over 500,000 people packed into St. Peter’s Square, Pope Pius XII solemnly
defined in Munificentissimus Deus on November 1, 1950 that “the Immaculate
Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly
life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.” Although the solemn
definition may have been at the midpoint of the twentieth century, the belief in
the Assumption of our Blessed Mother exemplifies the dynamism of revelation
and the Church’s ongoing understanding of it as guided by the Holy Spirit.
Granted, the word Assumption does not appear in Sacred Scripture. For this
reason, many fundamentalists who literally interpret the Bible would have a
difficulty with this belief. Nevertheless, we must first pause and reflect on the
role of our Blessed Mother in the mystery of salvation, for this provides the
foundation for the belief in the Assumption.
We firmly believe that from the first moment of her conception, Mary was free
of all sin including Original Sin by a special favor of Almighty God. The
Archangel Gabriel recognized her as “full of grace,” “blessed among women,”
and “one with the Lord.” Mary had been chosen to be the Mother of our Savior.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, she conceived our Lord, Jesus Christ, and
through her, true God became also true man: “The Word became flesh and
dwelt among us.” During her lifetime, although the Gospel citations are limited,
Mary always presented our Lord to others: to Elizabeth and her son, John the
Baptist, who leapt for joy in the womb at the presence of the Lord still in His
own mother’s womb; to the simple shepherds as well as the wise Magi; and to
the people at Cana when our Lord acquiesced to His mother’s wish and
performed the first miracle. Moreover, Mary stood at the foot of the cross with
her Son, supporting Him and sharing in His suffering through her love as only
a mother could do. Finally, she was with the Apostles at Pentecost, when the
Holy Spirit descended and the Church was born. Therefore, each of us can step
back and see Mary as the faithful servant of God who shared intimately in the
birth, life, death, and resurrection of our Lord. For these reasons, we believe
that the promises our Lord has given to each of us of sharing eternal life,
including a resurrection of the body, were fulfilled in Mary. Since Mary was free
of Original Sin and its effects (one of which is corruption of the body at death),
since she shared intimately in the life of the Lord and in His passion, death,
and resurrection, and since she was present at Pentecost, this model disciple
appropriately shared in the bodily resurrection and glorification of the Lord at
the end of her life. (Note that the solemn definition does not specify whether
Mary physically died before being assumed or just was assumed; it simply
states, “Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life….”)
Mary is assumed into heaven: small and humble, she is the first to receive the
highest glory. She, a human creature, one of us, attains eternity in soul and
body. And there she awaits us as a mother waits for her children to come
home. Indeed the People of God invoke her as the Gate of Heaven. We are on a
journey, pilgrims towards the home that is up there. Today we look to Mary
and we see the finish line. We see that a creature was assumed into the Glory
of the Risen Jesus Christ, and that creature could not have been but her, the
Mother of the Saviour. We see that Mary, the new Eve, is in heaven, together
with Christ, the New Adam; she is also there, and this gives us comfort and
hope on our pilgrimage here below.
The feast of the Assumption of Mary is a call to each of us, especially those who
are afflicted by doubt and sadness, and live with their gaze turned down,
unable to raise their glance. Let us look up. Heaven is open. It does not
inculcate fear. It is no longer distant because on the threshold of Heaven, a
mother, our mother, is awaiting us. She loves us, she smiles at us and she
thoughtfully assists us. Like every mother she wants the best for her children
and she says to us: “You are precious in God’s eyes; you were not made for the
small satisfactions of the world, but rather for the great joy of heaven”. Yes
because God is joy, not boredom. God is joy. Let us allow Our Lady to take us
by the hand. Each time that we hold the Rosary in our hands and pray to her,
we are taking a step forward, towards the great destination of life.
Let us allow ourselves to be attracted by true beauty. Let us not be befuddled
by the trivialities of life, but rather let us choose the greatness of Heaven. May
the Holy Virgin, Gate of Heaven, help us daily to trustfully and joyfully look to
where our true home is, where she is awaiting us like a mother.

May 24 The Immaculate Heart of Mary, The Refuge of Sinners

This passage from The Glories of Mary helps us better understand why God
who desires our eternal salvation so much is anxious, so to speak, to establish
in the world Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We are told, through
the message of FATIMA, this will come about through the Collegial
Consecration of Russia.

Mary Is So Tender an Advocate That She Does Not Refuse 

To Defend The Cause Even Of The Most Miserable.

       So many are the reasons that we have for loving this our most loving
Queen, that if Mary was praised throughout the world; if in every sermon Mary
alone was spoken of; if all men gave their lives for Mary; still all would be little
in comparison with the homage and gratitude that we owe Her in return for the
tender love She bears to men, and even to the most miserable sinners who
preserve the slightest spark of devotion for Her.

       Blessed Raymond Jordano, who, out of humility, called himself the Idiot,
used to say, "that Mary knows not how to do otherwise than love those who
love Her; and that even She does not disdain to serve those who serve Her; and
in favor of such a one, should he be a sinner, She uses all Her power in order
to obtain his forgiveness from Her Blessed Son." And he adds, "that Her
benignity and mercy are so great that no one, however enormous his sins may
be, should fear to cast himself at Her feet: for She never can reject any one who
has recourse to Her. Mary, as our most loving advocate, Herself offers the
prayers of Her servants to God, and especially those who are placed in Her
hands; for as the Son intercedes for us with the Father, so does She intercede
with the Son, and does not cease to make interest with both for the great affair
of our salvation, and to obtain for us the graces we ask."

       With good reason, then, does Denis the Carthusian call the Blessed Virgin
"the singular refuge of the lost, the hope of the most abandoned, and the
advocate of all sinners who have recourse to Her."

       But should there by chance be a sinner who, though not doubting Her
power, might doubt the compassion of Mary, fearing perhaps that She might be
unwilling to help him on account of the greatness of his sins, let him take
courage from the words of St. Bonaventure. "The great, the special privilege of
Mary is, that She is all-powerful with Her Son. But," adds the saint, "to what
purpose would Mary have so great power if She cared not for us? No," he
concludes, "let us not doubt, but be certain, and let us always thank Our Lord
and His divine Mother for it, that in proportion as Her power with God exceeds
that of all the saints, so is She in the same proportion our most loving
advocate, and the one who is the most solicitous for our welfare."

       "And who, O Mother of mercy," exclaims St. Germanus, in the joy of his
heart, "who, after Thy Jesus, is as tenderly solicitous for our welfare as Thou
art? Who defends us in the temptations with which we are afflicted as You
defend us? Who, like Thee, undertakes to protect sinners, fighting, as it were,
in their behalf? Therefore," he adds, "Thy patronage, O Mary, is more powerful
and loving than anything of which we can ever form an idea."

       "For," says the Blessed Raymond Jordano, "whilst all the other saints can
do more for their own clients than for others, the divine Mother, as Queen of
all, is the advocate of all, and has a care for the salvation of all."

       Mary takes care of all, even of sinners; indeed She glories in being called
in a special manner their advocate, as She Herself declared to the Venerable
Sister Mary Villani, saying: "After the title of Mother of God, I rejoice most in
that of Advocate of Sinners."

       Blessed Amadeus says, "that our Queen is constantly before the divine
Majesty, interceding for us with Her most powerful prayers." And as in Heaven
"She well knows our miseries and wants, She cannot do otherwise than
compassionate us; and thus, with the affection of a mother, moved to
tenderness towards us, pitying and benign, She is always endeavoring to help
and save us." And therefore does Richard of St. Laurence encourage each one,
however bad he may be, to have recourse with confidence to this sweet
advocate, being assured that he will always find Her ready to help him; "for",
says the Abbot Godfrey, "Mary is always ready to pray for all."

       "Oh, with what efficacy and love," says St. Bernard, "does this good
advocate interest Herself in the affair of our salvation!" St. Bonaventure,
considering the affection and zeal with which Mary intercedes for us with the
divine Majesty, in order that Our Lord may pardon us our sins, help us with
His grace, free us from dangers, and relieve us our wants, says, addressing the
Blessed Virgin, in the words of an ancient writer: "We know that we have as it
were but one solicitous in Heaven for us, and Thou art this One, so greatly
does Thy solicitude for us exceed that of all the saints." That is, "O Lady, it is
true that all the saints desire our salvation, and pray for us; but the love, the
tenderness that Thou showest us in Heaven, in obtaining for us by Thy prayers
so many mercies from God, obliges us to acknowledge that in Heaven we have
but one advocate, and that is Thyself; and that Thou alone art truly loving and
solicitous for our welfare."

May 25 OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL, MOTHER OF DIVINE

GRACE
May 26 OUR LADY OF LOURDES, HEALTH OF THE SICK AND
COMFORTER OF THE AFFLICTED 

In 1858, there lived in the village of Lourdes, a little peasant girl, Bernadette
Soubirous, 14 years old, uneducated, simple, poor, good. On February 11, she
was sent with two more girls to collect wood. They walked to the Rock of
Massabielle, where the two companions crossed a mountain stream; while
Bernadette was removing her shoes to follow them she became conscious of a
ravishing beautiful Lady, standing in the hollow of the rock, looking at her.
Bernadette fell involuntarily upon her knees, gazing enraptured at the lovely
Lady, who smiled lovingly at Bernadette and then disappeared.
The mysterious Lady from heaven appeared in all, eighteen times to the little
girl and among other things told her to drink the water from a mysterious
fountain which was not yet observed. Bernadette scratched in the sand at a
spot indicated, and water began to trickle through the earth; after a few days
there gushed forth every day 27,000 gallons of pure, clear spring water, and
this water flows still.
Bernadette was asked by Our Lady of Lourdes, who always showed her a sweet
heavenly courtesy, to request the priest to have a church built on the spot, that
processions should be made to the grotto, that people should drink of the
water. The main emphasis of her message was that the faithful should visit the
grotto in order to do penance for their sins and for those of the whole world.
In answer to Bernadette’s inquiry, “Who are you?” the Lady answered, “I am
the Immaculate Conception.”
The apparitions appeared for the last time on July 16, 1858. Bernadette never
again had the supreme privilege of seeing and visiting with Our Lady. Later,
Bernadette became a nun at Nevers and there spent the rest of her life.
Through her "Lourdes was destined to become a focus of faith and mercy;
thousands of souls were to flock thither to increase their piety, to borrow new
energy and resolution. Suffering and charity were to join hands under the eyes
of the Divine Mother. Miracles were to be never-ceasing."
Four years after, the Bishop declared upon an exhaustive and scrupulous
investigation, to the faithful, that they are “justified in believing the reality of
the apparitions.”
In 1873, a basilica was built on top of the rock and in 1883 another church
was built below and in front of the rock. From 1867 when records began to be
kept till 1908, about 5,000,000 pilgrims had visited the grotto; now about
1,000,000 people visit Lourdes every year. Although Our Lady never at any
time promised that pilgrims who visited the grotto would be healed of their
physical ills, remarkable cures began at once and have continued ever since.
Many of them are of such a character that they can be ascribed only to
supernatural power.
There is no doubt that the cures are miraculous because every possible natural
cause has been proved false. There is no chemical composition in the water to
make it have curative properties. It has been claimed that the cures might be
due to suggestion, but Bernheim, head of the famous school of Nancy, says
that although suggestion has a chance of success in certain functional
diseases, it requires the cooperation of time. Suggestion cures slowly and
progressively, while complete cures at Lourdes are instantaneous. the supreme
life giver himself is responsible for the many cures witnessed at this shrine of
the Immaculate Conception, and He chose a simple peasant to reveal to the
world the love He bears all mankind as the adopted children of His Blessed
Mother.
Bernadette died in 1879 at the age of 35, and was later canonized. The body of
the blessed Saint can still be seen in its glass coffin, intact and incorrupt,
looking as its photographs show, like a young woman asleep. The chair at
which she prayed, the altar where she received her First Holy Communion, the
bed in which she slept, the room in which she lived – all can be seen at
Lourdes.
Lourdes is one of the greatest Marian shrines in the world. Here, praying to
Our Lady of Lourdes, one may obtain refreshment, courage, energy and
inspiration to continue the age-old struggle of the great Catholic Faith against
the forces of darkness and disintegration. This great shrine, all its miracles,
and the streams of grace that are poured into the world through Our Lady of
Lourdes, were made possible through the faithfulness and the sanctity of a
little peasant girl.

Feb. 11 is World Day of the Sick, an observation introduced by Pope John Paul
II as a way for believers to offer prayers for those suffering from illnesses. The
day coincides with the commemoration of Our Lady of Lourdes and is an
important opportunity for those who serve in Catholic health ministry to reflect
on caring for those who are sick as well as those who provide care to them.