Posts Tagged ‘Blessed Virgin Mary’
Mary, Mother of God: A Reflection on Devotion and Worship
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! January 1 is a special day in the Catholic Church of the Western rite, dedicated to honoring Mary as the Mother of God. This feast, known as the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God, highlights the deep connection between devotion to Mary and the worship of Jesus Christ.…
Read MoreThe Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
God’s Work of Salvation Today the Church celebrates Mary’s Immaculate Conception. The readings of today present us with the themes of sin and salvation. In this scenario, Mary stands as a bridge between the old and new dispensation. The old being the fall, what could be described as the triumph of sin and human weakness…
Read MoreFeast of the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today, September 8th , the Church marks the feast of the nativity of the blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus. This feast day was introduced in Rome from the Eastern Church in the seventh century. Only a few people enjoy the privilege of a birthday celebration in the Church’s liturgical calendar — the Birthday…
Read MoreThe Solemnity of Assumption of Blessed Virgin Mary
Dear brothers and sisters, “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24). The Dogma of Assumption The Church teaches that “when the course of her earthly life was finished, Immaculate Virgin Mary was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory and exalted by the…
Read MoreFeast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Oh María, Madre mía (Oh Mary, my mother) oh consuelo del mortal: (oh consoler of mortals) amparadme y guiadme (Protect me and guide me) a la patria celestial. (To the heavenly homeland.) Song of Mary This is always the song that we sing after the daily mass when I was serving at St Patrick in…
Read MoreMary the Mediatrix of all Graces: The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Celebrating the Virgin Mary’s Birthday in Today’s Liturgy Today we celebrate Mary’s birth because of her role in God’s plan of salvation as the mother of Jesus. It is something worth noting that the readings of the celebration of Mary’s birth do not center on Mary. Rather, they present us with the prophecy of the…
Read MoreWho is the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes?
At Lourdes, at the place of the apparitions, there is a mysterious source of inexhaustible water. Thousands of people go there on pilgrimage in search of this water which continually cures many diseases. Today, I would like to answer the question ‘‘Who is the Virgin Mary?’’
Read MoreThe Stage is Set
The scene The stage is set and in today’s Gospel we see a drama acted out that will shift our focus and change our view of the little family who we follow, as they move into the great arena of the Temple of Jerusalem. As the scene opens they appear overshadowed by the glory of…
Read MoreThe Value and Dignity of Motherhood in a Christian Family
Today is my birthday. My family will remember the event with congratulatory remarks. The world, however, will focus on my mother. In fact, I have two mothers. My biological mother would remember the joy of my birth, the birth of her first born son. My spiritual mother remembers my adoption into her family, when I…
Read MoreGod’s Wondrous Works: The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. Pope Pius IX solemnly proclaimed the dogma with the 1854 Bull, Ineffabilis Deus. In it, the Holy Father affirms that the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God, and in view of the…
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