If You Really Want a Holy Lent, Walk it with Mary!

On the first and third Sunday's of the month we have catechism after Mass. It's short, only about twenty minutes, but what a grace! There is always a message that touches the heart and brings clarity to the "fog of the moment"* in which we live. 

Several Sundays ago Fr. Albert, a retired Dominican in residence at St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary, delivered the teaching and focused on discouragement and Mary's role in protecting us based on the teachings of St. Maximilian Kolbe, Knight of the Immaculata.

In Honor of the Blessed Mother, Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces

In honor of the Blessed Mother as the intercessor who always takes our requests straight to the throne of God, I am re-posting Fr. Tom Collins two-part article. Our Lady is a mother and friend who will never fail us.

Fr. Tom Collins shares his view of Mary as Co-Redemptrix - Part A

Continued, Part B

With Thanksgiving tomorrow, it's the perfect day to say thank-you to the Blessed Mother. She was no "ordinary girl" as Pope Francis called her. She was and is the Immaculate Conception. Not one of us "ordinary girls" can claim that distinction.

Ecumenism Rules: No Titles for Mary as Coredemptrix and Mediatrix

I double post these days because of Blogger's censorship. Check out my free Substack website.

I'm reading the recent document on the Blessed Mother released by the Vatican Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith. If you haven't heard of it yet, this document crushes the movement to declare Mary Coredemptrix and Mediatrix of All Graces. How low that office has fallen under its new prefect, the scandalous Cardinal Fernandez of kissing fame. 

Obviously, my expectations were not high considering the source, and it immediately became apparent why the Queen of Heaven is getting short shrift. The second paragraph of the document makes it abundantly clear what drives the dicastery: "a particular ecumenical effort." 

Two Visions of the Future: Under Which Would You Rather Live?

Large families are honored in Russia with the Order of Parental Glory

DO YOU WANT SOVEREIGNTY OR SLAVERY?

CHOICE #1 -- SOVEREIGNTY

Do you want in your country “parent number one, parent number two and parent number three instead of mother and father? "

Monday Morning Musings with Mary

 I finished The Imitation of Christ and The Imitation of Mary last week and started reading them again from the beginning. What wisdom and spiritual aid are contained in these two little gems! The Soul of the Apostolate has also become a daily companion. I've read it before, but it also is worth re-reading. Add a chapter from Scripture and one has a daily mini-retreat. 

The beginning of The Imitation of Mary calls her a "masterpiece of grace." Every newly baptized infant shares in that description as a mini-masterpiece of grace. Next time you hold a baptized baby, look into the little one's clean eyes and you will catch a glimpse of heaven. After Jesus, Mary is the source of our salvation. If you want to follow Him, follow her. She is a sure guide and will teach you to walk unerringly in His footsteps.

We don't see Mary in the bible busy running around. Her life was mostly spent in silence. She gives us only one piece of advice - at the wedding feast of Cana. "Do whatever He tells you." We can only follow that advice if we listen to Him. And we can only hear Him in silence, going apart like He did to a quiet place away from the world and it's distractions:

Sunday Meditation: Mary is the Icon of Advent

Mary's womb: the first Tabernacle

Advent words: waiting, preparation, hope, expectation, longing, promises, light and dark, redemption...

But the one word that, for me, encompasses all the others and summarizes all that is Advent leading up to Christmas when Jesus Christ is born to us, that word is Mary.

Mary's lap: the first altar of worship

Mary is advent's icon.
She represents the hope, the expectation, the longing for a Messiah. It is Mary whose "yes" begins the fulfillment of God's promise to send a Redeemer. Mary waits while the Word Made Flesh dwells in the darkness of her womb. She prepares for his coming lovingly sewing His swaddling clothes. She longs for the day when the Son of God will be born like the sun rising in the East to bring light to the world. Mary, the Mother of God, is Advent's icon.

Sister Lucia of Fatima loved Our Lady profoundly and she presents her to us in Eucharistic language
fitting for Advent meditation:

Guest Post by Fr. Tom Collins On Mary as "Co-Redemptrix": Premises and Foundation

Editor's note: With Mary's big feast day coming in a few days I thought Fr. Tom's article on Mary as Co-Redemptrix was timely. Today I'm publishing a pre-article which gives the foundation for her title. Each of Father's points is well worth meditating on, "pondering in our hearts." Drawing close to Mary is key to drawing closer to Jesus. He was as close to her as a person could be. Doesn't it make sense that He wants us to draw closer to Him through her? The demons hate Mary because of her humility. When we come to Jesus through Mary we exhibit a humility that shines like the star of Bethlehem. I'll be pondering all these points over the next few days. I hope you'll join me. Our Lady, Mother of the Savior and Mother of Sorrows, pray for us.                 


PREMISES FOR THE DOCTRINE OF MARY AS CO-REDEMPTRIX

St. Cyril of Alexandria, Pray for Us

Today is the feast of St. Cyril of Alexandria who fought the Nestorian heresy. Nestorius, the bishop of Constantinople (problems with bishop aren't a modern phenomena), demeaned the role of the Blessed Mother. He denied that she was the Mother of God claiming she was only the mother of Christ's humanity. Heretics serve a purpose in the Church, however, because they cause the doctrines they deny to be definitively stated. And, in fact, the Council of Ephesus in 431 addressed the heresy of Nestorius and his followers. Mary was named "Theotokos," Mother of God and those who denied it declared "anathema."

The devil hates Mary so much exactly because of her exalted role in God's plan. That a mere human, a lowly woman, could be the door through which the Creator of heaven and earth entered the world assaults Satan's great pride. And so he works hard to encourage men to deny Mary's role in salvation. He's done that bad job with many protestants who are so antagonistic toward Christ's mother they fairly drip with animosity. But can you imagine Jesus, the Word who articulated the command to honor parents, disrespecting his own mother? No! Jesus, our Savior, was humble enough to enter the world through the womb of Mary. Why would He not expect us to imitate His sublime humility by coming back to Him through Mary? That's why we seek her intercession. She represents the humble doorway that leads us directly to Christ. Mary, Theotokos, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. St. Cyril, defender of Mary, pray for us.

More on the Dignity of Women

If we women would only be who we are called to be, the transformation of the culture would be ensured. Women are the civilizers of the society, the first teachers with an inner wisdom and a gift of spiritual insight. It was Mary who "pondered all things in her heart" and became the spiritual mother of the apostles and the guide of the early Church. If we draw close to Mary we will become more like her and "magnify the Lord" in our world. Imitate Mary, ladies, to be more truly yourselves and a greater gift to your families and the world.

The Dignity and Genius of Women

by Pope John Paul II

From the beginning of Christ’s mission, women show to him and to his mystery a special sensitivity which is characteristic of their femininity. It must also be said that this is especially confirmed...not only at the Cross but also at the dawn of the Resurrection. The women are the first at the tomb. They are the first to find it empty. They are the first to hear: “He is not here. He has risen, as he said”… They are also the first to be called to announce this truth to the Apostles....

The Gospels…highlight the fact that women were in the forefront at the foot of the Cross, at the decisive moment in Jesus of Nazareth’s whole messianic mission. John was the only Apostle who remained faithful, but there were many faithful women...the Mother of Christ and “his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas and Mary Magdalene” were present, but “there were also many women there, looking on from afar, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him.”

Read the complete document.