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What are your plans for the Easter season and beyond? Of course we celebrate our Savior’s rising from death on Easter Sunday. But in the days after, do we embrace the vocation Jesus Christ offers to us by way of his life, passion, crucifixion, and resurrection? I refer to the...
As I noted in my January column, this year we will explore in detail the apparitions of our Lady. My hope is that this practice of reflection and prayer with the Blessed Virgin will awaken a deeper understanding of the meaning of these events in you and bring to light...
If someone asked me, “What helps you keep your faith from wearing out?” I would sum up my answer in three words: prayers, perseverance, and patience. Of course, our best role models are our Savior Jesus Christ and Mary the Blessed Virgin. Jesus and Mary patiently prayed and persevered throughout...
We Redemptorists follow the example of our founder, St. Alphonsus Liguori, in his love for Mary, as we continue to preach and provide resources on the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Catholic tradition. Since the 1950s, those who devote their life to teaching about Mary in Catholic practice...
When the Blessed Virgin said to the angel Gabriel, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38), her life changed forever. Mary fully embraced our Savior in body and mind, heart, and soul. Our Lady embraced the new...
In recent articles I wrote about the Litany of Our Lady of Loreto. In this litany we address many titles of prayer to Our Lady, one of which is “Ark of the Covenant.” As we know from Exodus 25:10, God requested Moses to build an ark and sanctuary where he...
When our Blessed Mother appeared before three shepherd children in Fátima, Portugal, in 1917, Mary said: “Pray the rosary every day.” We cannot emphasize enough the importance of prayer. Without prayer, we cut ourselves off from our Lord’s amazing graces. God’s love is essential, especially in great difficulty. Consider Fátima’s...
In the tradition of the Church, we have many forms of liturgical prayers that honor Mary. Litanies, among the oldest forms of prayer, incorporate petitions and titles for God or a saint. In the Roman Catholic tradition, the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the most well-known of this...
Though we’ve experienced much uncertainty recently—particularly in relation to the spread of the Coronavirus—when it comes to our faith, there is always one certainty. We can always come together in prayer. Prayer is possible so often…as we walk, as we shop, as we wash our hands, and even as we...
June 27 is a special day during which we can especially celebrate a great source of consolation for so many. The annual feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help enables us to reflect on our veneration of our beloved icon. On this feast day, let us express our gratitude to...
The resurrection of Jesus Christ gives us the path to a better life on earth for the sake of our eternal life in heaven. His resurrection fulfills God’s promises and confirms Christ’s teachings and works. Do we believe in those promises or do we allow doubts to steer us from...
One can be a lonely number. According to the US Health Resources and Services Administration, loneliness and social isolation can be as damaging to one’s health as smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. Contrary to what some might think, research shows suicide rates are highest in the spring and summer. Clearly...
We live in an environment fraught with tension, which has the potential to take a toll on our faith life. Our Blessed Mother has always walked with the people of God and shed light upon the signs of the times. Is there an image of Mary for our modern times...
Louis de Montfort, the great Marian saint, wrote volumes about the importance of Mary in the mystery of salvation. His teachings and inspirational prayers positioned devotion to Mary as a way to increase our faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was often quoted as saying what later became...
At this time of year, we get caught up in the scramble of buying gifts, baking cookies, attending parties, and lighting up our homes with festive decorations. It’s all part of the joy of preparing for Christmas. It’s also part of the stress that comes on top of our increasingly...
A Sign that Enlightens Us “A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.” —Revelation 12:1 This Scripture quote that speaks of “sign” and “stars” has been used to proclaim the place...
How often have you prayed the rosary, only to feel that you get nothing out of it? The repetition of the prayers can become mechanical and monotonous. Perhaps you have even been tempted to stop praying the rosary. In October, the month dedicated to the rosary (the feast day of...
“Mary’s Memories” is a spiritual concept that encompasses more than our Blessed Mother remembering the past. Saint John Paul II used the concept in his apostolic letter On the Most Holy Rosary (Rosarium Virginis Mariae). In the section titled “Mary, Model of Contemplation,” he writes: “The contemplation of Christ has...
Upon the completion of her earthly life, Mary, the Mother of God, was taken to heaven, body and soul. Mary’s assumption into heaven in her entirety is inspirational and relates God’s desire for us—to be united with our Lord, in body and soul, for eternity. To join God in heaven’s...
June 27, the feast day of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, is an opportunity for us to spend time reflecting on Mary’s place in our Catholic tradition, especially her role in the life of the Church. The icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, in its highly developed symbolism, reveals...