Suppose you knew that the Blessed Mother was visiting your home today. Wouldn't you get ready to welcome her? Wouldn't you invite everyone you knew to come and meet her and offer her homage?Well, Mary came to our little parish in Woodstock today in her image of the Pilgrim Virgin of Fatima. It was a day of blessing for our parish family with visitation from 12:00 noon until about 8:00 p.m. There was Eucharistic adoration, confession, rosary and other prayers and a healing Mass this evening. To see the devotion of the parish was inspiring. We prayed and sang together making our little church a preview of the heavenly court.
The statue itself is beautiful, very lifelike, especially her eyes. They seemed to be glistening with tears. How the Blessed Mother grieves over the sins of her children who are preparing themselves places in hell. She calls us back again and again. I'm sure the reason our world hasn't been destroyed is through her motherly intercession. "Please, Son, give them more time."
Today we had an opportunity to make up for the blasphemies committed against Mary in her images. Think of the artists who have desecrated her and repent for them. We honored her image today. She took a place of honor on a little altar prepared with flowers only a few steps away from her Son exposed in the monstrance. While some have treated her image with contempt, our little parish venerated her like the queen she is. We prayed to her, not as a plaster statue, but for the living woman her statue represents.
Thank you, Lord, for this precious opportunity to praise the Queen of Heaven and greet her with devotion. She longs for us to assist her in rescuing souls from the evil one. How? By praying the rosary daily and by offering all the sacrifices of our daily life, its challenges and difficulties, for the conversion of sinners.
Will you help Mary save souls? You can do that by praying this prayer every day:
O my Jesus, I accept and bear with submission whatever sufferings God permits in my life today, for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
She came to St. Mary's here in Southbridge last year. Our family has much to be thankful for that we attribute to her intercession. One of my sons has a birthday coming up on 05/13! He has a very strong devotion to her, and we are very thankful to be able to attend the St. Benedict Center in Still River, MA.
ReplyDeleteI invite you to look over their website. As I am learning, it may very well be the #1 place in the country in terms of its devotion to Our Lady!
Thanks for all you do on your site!
Ed Page
Loved this post, Mary Ann. :^)
ReplyDeleteI will be saying all four sets of mysteries of the Holy Rosary at our nearest PP today as part of the 40 Days for Life prayer vigil.
Fr. Hardon always said petition *everything* through Mary's Immaculate Heart to the Sacred Heart of Jesus - and I do.
God love you,
Catechist Kev
Thank you both, Ed and Kevin, for your kind comments. What a joy and blessing it is to be joined in the body of Christ to other Catholics who love Our Lord and Our Lady. What a safety net against discouragement!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Ed, I posted this in 2015 when St. Benedict's left the Boston St. Patrick's Day Parade. I hope to visit the center some time.
ReplyDeletehttps://lesfemmes-thetruth.blogspot.com/2015/03/this-is-what-you-can-expect-from-true.html