O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary, Pray for us

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TIZIANO Vecellio
The Descent of the Holy Ghost
c. 1545

When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. John 19: 26-27


"This is true not only of John, who at that hour stood at the foot of the Cross together with the Mother (of Jesus), but it is also true of every disciple of Christ, of every Christian. -- Pope John Paul II, Redemptoris Mater

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Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,
Our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry,
Poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, Oh most gracious advocate,
Thine eyes of mercy towards us,
And after this our exile,
Show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, o loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

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Mother of My Lord, Pray for us

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PONTORMO, Jacopo
Visitation
1528-29

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

"Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled." And Mary said: "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior." Lk 1: 41-47

When we say the "Hail Mary" we repeat these divine greetings,
"rejoicing with Mary at her dignity as Mother of God and praising the
Lord, thanking Him for having given us Jesus Christ through Mary" ("St.
Pius X Catechism", 333).

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Our Lady of the Rosary, Pray for us

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MURILLO, Bartolomé Esteban
Virgin and Child with a Rosary
1650-55

"Say the Holy Rosary.
Blessed be that monotony of Hail Marys
which purifies the monotony of your sins!"

-- St. Josemaria Escriva

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Mother of God, Pray for us

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MAULBERTSCH, Franz Anton
Visitation (detail)
1771-77

And why is this granted me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? Luke 1:43


"Called in the Gospels 'the mother of Jesus,' Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her son, as 'the mother of my Lord.' 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)" C.C.C. # 495



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Peace in the Womb

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I think since the last election I am much more aware of bumper stickers on cars around me as I drive, and as I park, and I walk through parking lots. I read every single one of them.

The leftover Obama '08 admittedly get my dander up -- gloaters? I see a lot of them, or at least it seems like a lot.

And I see Peace stickers. "Peace for the world," "COEXIST" with all of the politically corrected symbolism, "Peace for the planet," etc., etc.

I've had a sticker running through my head for several months now. Something mildly sharp, but not offensive. Something simple, concise and cool -- my Pro-Life counter to those "Peace for the world" folks.

I finally created the artwork and had the bumper sticker made. What do you think?





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Mediatrix of All Grace, Pray for us

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Virgin with the Host
Ingres 1854

"Mary is the Mediatrix between her Son and us for a twofold reason: she gives Jesus to us and she brings us to Him. The Gospel tells us this several times, showing us the typically maternal attitude of Mary as she brought Jesus to mankind. Our Lady offered the Infant Jesus to the adoration of the shepherds and the Wise Men; she took Him to the Temple and presented Him to Simeon; by her intercession at Cana, she obtained the first miracle from her Son. On Calvary, Mary received into her arms the martyred, lifeless Body of her beloved Son, whom she offered to mankind as the price of its redemption. In the Cenacle, she begged the plenitude of the Holy Spirit for the Apostles and, from that day to the day of her Assumption, she sustained the infant Church by her prayers and maternal encouragement. To find Mary is to find Jesus. This is the whole reason for her existence and her mission: to give Jesus to the world and to souls, and with Jesus, to give His grace and blessings. As St Bernard says, Mary is truly the channel which carries the living water of grace to mankind; furthermore, she brings Jesus, the very source of grace.

As Mediatrix, Mary also leads men to Jesus by teaching them the way to her Son and by showing them how to please Him. We are always poor little children incapable of making presentable gifts to God, but Mary our Mother, with maternal delicacy, arranges and embellishes our gifts, our acts, our prayers and sacrifices, and offers them with her own hands to her divine Son. She, like a true mother, gives particular attention to our hearts, which she desires to make pleasing to Jesus: Mary wants to form in each one of us a heart which is pure, full of love and goodness, a heart which can beat in unison with the heart of her Son. Let us then, place our hearts in Mary's hands, that she may fill them 'with grace and truth, life and virtue' (Roman Missal)." -- Divine Intimacy

"O Mary, God has given you the plenitude of all His benefits, to show us that all hope, all grace, all salvation come from your superabundance. Grant, therefore, O Mary, you who have found grace and have given us life, that through you we may approach your divine Son, O Blessed Mother of Salvation! Grant that through you we may receive Him who was given to us through you. Let your spotless purity excuse before His eyes the faults of our malice. May your humility, so pleasing to God, obtain pardon for our pride! May your immense charity cover the multitude of our sins, and may your glorious fruitfulness make our good works faithful!

"O Lady, our Mediatrix and our advocate, reconcile us with your Son, recommend us to your Son, present us to your Son! You are blessed by the grace you have found, by the privileges you have merited, by the mercy you have brought to the world. Obtain for us that Jesus, who through you deigned to share our infirmity and our wretchedness, may grant us also through you a share in His glory and in His beatitude." -- St Bernard

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A Friendly Reminder

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I had my mammogram today.
Maybe you're due, too?

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Mother Most Pure, Pray for us

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Daily Daily Sing to Mary
Rev. F W Faber

Daily Daily Sing to Mary

Sing my soul her praises due

All her feasts her actions worship

With the heart's devotion true

Lost in wond'ring contemplation

Be her Majesty confess'd

Call her Mother, call her Virgin

Happy Mother Virgin Blest

She is mighty to deliver

Call her trust her lovingly

When the tempest rages round thee

She will calm the troubled sea

Gifts of heaven she has given

Noble Lady to our race
She the Queen who decks her subject

With the light of God's own grace.

Holy Card image from midihymns.homestead.com

Saint Philip Neri, Pray for us

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Remember Also in Prayer Today...

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...the Catholic priests who administer the sacraments to our soldiers, especially Anointing of the Sick, and as well, the priests who commend their precious souls to our Heavenly Father.





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We Remember...

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...and for their souls we pray.


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Fading light dims the sight
And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright
From afar drawing nigh,
Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun
From the lakes, from the hills, from the sky
All is well, safely rest;
God is nigh.

Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.
God is near, do not fear,
Friend, goodnight.




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Mary Immaculate, Patroness of America

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MURILLO, Bartolomé Esteban
Immaculate Conception
1665-70

Prayer for Renewal of Consecration to Our Patroness of the United States of America, the Immaculate Conception

Most holy trinity: Our father in heaven,
who chose Mary as the fairest of your daughters;
Holy Spirit, who chose Mary as your spouse;
God the son, who chose Mary as your mother;
in union with Mary,
we adore your majesty and acknowledge
Your supreme, eternal dominion and authority.

Most holy trinity, we put the United States of America
into the hands of Mary immaculate in order that she
may present the country to you.
Through her we wish to thank you for the great resources of this land
and for the freedom, which has been its heritage.
Through the intercession of Mary,
have mercy on the Catholic Church in America.
Grant us peace.
Have mercy on our president
and on all the officers of our government.
Grant us a fruitful economy born of justice and charity.
Have mercy on capital and industry and labor.
Protect the family life of the nation.
Guard the precious gift of many religious vocations.
Through the intercession of our mother,
have mercy on the sick, the poor, the tempted, sinners –
on all who are in need.

Mary, immaculate virgin, our mother, patroness of our land,
we praise you and honor you and give our country
and ourselves to your sorrowful and immaculate heart.
O’ sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary
pierced by the sword of sorrow
prophesized by Simeon save us from degeneration,
disaster and war. Protect us from all harm.
O’ sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary,
you who bore the sufferings of your son
in the depths of your heart be our advocate.
Pray for us, that acting always according to your will
and the will of your Divine Son,
we may live and die pleasing to God.
Amen.

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Queen of Angels, Pray for us

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LIPPI, Fra Filippo
Madonna with the Child and two Angels
1465

August Queen of Heaven!
Sovereign Mistress of the angels!
Thou who from the beginning
hast received from God
the power and mission
to crush the head of Satan,
we humbly beseech thee
to send thy holy Legions,
that, under thy command and by thy power,
they may pursue the evil spirits,
encounter them on every side,
resist their bold attacks
and drive them hence into the abyss of eternal woe.
Amen.





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Fleece of Heavenly Rain, Pray for us

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“In that first ‘fusion’ with Jesus (Holy Communion), it was my Heavenly Mother again who accompanied me to the altar for it was she herself who placed her Jesus into my soul.” -- Saint Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church


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Rose Ever Blooming, Pray for us

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GENTILESCHI, Orazio
The Vision of St Francesca Romana
1615-19


After discussing with my mother-in-law, yesterday, my frustrations at my life, my lack of time to finish any single thing, she sent me this saintly quote. It is comforting to know that there are saintly words of wisdom for every problem, showing us that we are not the first, nor the last, to experience each difficulty.




"When night falls and, looking back, we see that everything was fragmentary and much remained unfinished; when some things arouse deep shame and remorse; then take it all just the way it is, and put it in God's hands and leave it to Him. Thus you can rest in Him, truly rest, and start the new day as a new life." --St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross - Edith Stein

Whenever I lay down and slept, the Lord preserved me to rise again. Psalms 3:6



Mother Mary, Rose Ever Blooming, Pray for us

Novena to the Holy Spirit

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My mother-in-law reminded me that tomorrow begins a Novena to the Holy Spirit in preparation for Pentecost.

Novena to the Holy Spirit

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses I offer myself, soul and body, to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light and listen to Your voice and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring his opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, so to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Ghost, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, "Speak, Lord, for Your servant heareth."
Amen

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Christ Jesus, before ascending into heaven, You promised to send the Holy Spirit to Your apostles and disciples.
Grant that the same Spirit may perfect in our lives the work of Your grace and love.
Grant us the Spirit of Fear Of The Lord that we may be filled with a loving reverence toward You.
the Spirit of Piety that we may find peace and fulfillment in the service of God while serving others;
the Spirit of Fortitude that we may bear our cross with You and, with courage, overcome the obstacles that interfere with our salvation;
the Spirit of Knowledge that we may know You and know ourselves and grow in holiness;
the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten our minds with the light of Your truth;
the Spirit of Counsel that we may choose the surest way of doing Your will, seeking first the Kingdom;
Grant us the Spirit of Wisdom that we may aspire to the things that last forever;
Teach us to be Your faithful disciples and animate us in every way with Your Spirit.
Amen.

FIRST DAY
Creation Awaits Fulfillment

Holy Spirit, Lord of light!
From Your clear celestial height,
Your pure' beaming radiance give!

Almighty and eternal God, send forth Your Spirit, who brought order from chaos at the beginning of the universe, and peace to the Lord's disciples.
Grant that I, as your creation, baptized in your Spirit, may be filled with the seven gifts so that I may forever do your will and renew the face of the earth.
Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

SECOND DAY
Christ's Promise To Send The Paraclete

Come, Father of the poor!
Come, treasures which endure!
Come, Light of all that live!

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, fill me with devotion to God alone.
In the Risen Christ, I welcome You, O Spirit of truth, whom the Father sends in Jesus' name.
Wash clean the sinful soul, and rain down your grace that we may be one with the Church in fidelity to our Lord Jesus, Christ.
Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

THIRD DAY
The Soul Of Christ's Body, The Church

Thou, of all consolers, best,
Visiting the troubled breast
Dost refreshing peace bestow.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart.
God, our Father, may I, through the grace of your Spirit, be forever filled with filial affection for you.
Grant that I may be inspired to love and respect all members of your family as brothers and sisters of Jesus, who, together with him, call you Abba, Father.
Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

FOURTH DAY
The Dignity Of The Christian

Thou, in toil art comfort sweet;
Pleasant coolness in the heat;
Solace in the midst of woe.

Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in time of trouble and adversity.
O, Divine Trinity, grant that we may be strengthened to see in ourselves and each other the dignity that is ours as temples of Your Holy Spirit, to be loved by one another as each of us is loved by Jesus.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord.
Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

FIFTH DAY
Gifted To Serve And Build Others Up

Light immortal! Light Divine!
Visit Thou these hearts of Thine,
And our inmost being fill!

Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father.
Father, through Your Spirit, You invite us to participate in the fullness of Creation.
Help me to see that all gifts are from You and intended for your Glory.
For there are many different gifts, but always the same Spirit, many ways of serving, but 'always the same Lord.
Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

SIXTH DAY
Human Weakness And Sinfulness

If Thou take Thy grace away,
Nothing pure in man will stay,
All his good is turn'd to ill.

Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Understanding, enlighten our minds iixat we may appreciate and see more fully what we know by faith.
Come to us in our weakness and give voice to our petitions, for "the prayers that the Spirit makes for God's holy people are always in accordance with the mind of God."

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

SEVENTH DAY
Growth In The Freedom That Love Gives

Heal our wounds - our strength renew;
On our dryness, pour thy dew;
Wash the stains of guilt away!

Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Counsel. Make my thoughts holy, my love pure, and my works pleasing to God.
Father, guided by Your Spirit, may I strive to make loving choices and respect all life.
May we be aware of our dignity as Your sons and daughters, redeemed with the Blood of Your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, Our Lord.
Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

EIGHTH DAY
Gifted Through The Spirit

Bend the stubborn heart and will;
Melt the frozen, warm the chill;
Guide the steps that go astray!

Come, 0 Blessed Spirit of Wisdom, strengthen my faith, increase my hope, perfect my charity.
Father, enlighten us each day, in the silence of our hearts, to discern the voice of Your Spirit, to do what He asks of us and to understand the gifts He freely gives us.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.

NINTH DAY
Sent With The Power To Reconcile

Thou on those who evermore,
Thee confess and Thee adore,
In Thy sevenfold gifts, descend;
Give them comfort when they die;
Give them life with Thee on high;
Give them joys which never end.
Amen.

Father, through Jesus, Your Son, You sent the Paraclete to be at our side, to reconcile all Creation to you.
Grant that I may be forever open to Jesus' invitation to "Receive The Holy Spirit!" Father, open our hearts to accept Your forgiveness for our sins and to offer that same forgiveness to those who we feel have offended us.
For merciful forgiveness is the essence of Your love revealed in Your Son.
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Your Heavenly Fruits - Your charity, joy, peace patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness and temperance, that I may, by faithful submission to your Inspiration, merit to be united eternally with You in the love of the Father and the Son.
Amen.

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be To The Father, Act Of Consecration to the Holy Spirit, Prayer For The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit.


Art:
RESTOUT, Jean II
Pentecost


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A Walk in the Woods

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We had a great day at the park with Grandma. The weather was perfect and the park was gorgeous. The woods I referred to earlier was actually a park, located just up the street. It's a wondrous place to visit and the grounds are immaculate. I wish I could employ all of their groundsworkers to keep my yard looking so beautiful. We ended our visit with lunch at California Pizza Kitchen and a treat at Fizziwigs Candy Shop. What a wonderful (almost) end of the school year treat.

Dianthus in a vivid shade of magenta.


If only I could get ferns like this to grow in my beds.

Only a few of the roses were in bloom yet,

but this fabulous blush was one of them.

I wish I could give you the sound effects to go with the picture.

Gigantic blue hostas.

Daddy long legs.

Mama frogs and all her little tads are just to the left.


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Bits

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Today we're having a fun day -- a walk in the woods and lunch with Grandma. A little math to do and a little language arts and I think we're mostly done for the weekend -- a nice, long weekend.

I have so much to do outdoors that I am really very anxious for school to be finished. This time of year drives me nuts. Everywhere I turn is work that needs long periods of time to accomplish. And I only have bits.

Last night I worked on the garden. I've worked on it here and there in the evenings, but have barely made progress. We have large side yard that is terraced for growing vegetables. A couple years ago, my husband used sections from the exterior of a huge tree that was cut down to contain the beds. Now the wood is rotted and the dirt is pouring out each time it rains. So every few days the kids and I go and buy more concrete wall pieces and fix a small section. It's hard work. I'm getting too old for all this. Would you think worse of me if I told you that last night, after a particularly hot and grueling session of "building the beds," I took a nail brush, a lit candle, and an ice cold beer into a nice-quite-so-cold-but-definitely-cool shower? Well the candle didn't actually go into the shower, but the beer and the nail brush did. Have you ever taken a shower by candle light? It's almost as good as a bath. Of course in my peri-menopausal state, I can't take hot baths, so the candlelit cool shower is actually better. It was almost worth the backache (and buttache!) I have today.

Rambling.

If you're not a nature nut, I apologize in advance for my obsession with our woodpecker parents. They are just so neat. I think woodpeckers should be on the Top Ten Best Parents list. I read yesterday that every time they bring a bug (they feed the babies one at a time) they take out some waste. I say again, if human parents had to work that hard...
We made an observation the other day. The papa woodpecker doesn't like us on the deck, at least not grilling because the grill is right under their nest. He flits around and cheeps at us, but won't go to the nest. The mama flies to the nest and goes right in. She has babies. They are hungry. Don't mess with the mama.

Well, I'm off to have a lovely day. May not be back this weekend, except for Mary. If I don't see you, have a good Ascension Thursday (and Sunday). Enjoy your Memorial Day. Remember what it's all about.

Some pictures from the garden:

Mint growing up through the hostas.
I love the leaves when they're so fresh and green (both the mint and the hostas).

An abundance of flowering chive.
I enjoy the flowers more than the herb.

.Salvia -- so pretty this time of year.

My new Double Knock-out -- Rosa "Radtko"

Mary, the Mother of Jesus, Pray for us

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Modello for the Ascension of Christ with Saints Agnes and Helen
Naldini, Giovanni Battista Mid 1570s

"O my God, O my Jesus, You are going away and leaving us! Oh! what joy there will be in heaven! But we have to remain here on earth. O eternal Word, what has Your creature done for You, that You should do so much for him and then ascend into heaven to glorify him even more? Tell me, what has he done for You, that You should love him so much? What has he given You? What do You look for in him? You love him so much that You give Yourself to him, You who are all things, and besides whom there is nothing. You want from him his entire will and intellect, because when he gives them to You, he gives You all that he has. O infinite Wisdom, O supreme Good, O Love, O Love so little known, little loved, and possessed by so few! Oh! our ingratitude, cause of every evil! O Purity, so little known and so little desired! O my Spouse, now that You are in heaven, seated at the right hand of the eternal Father, create in me a pure heart and renew a right spirit within me." -- St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi

"All there were persevering with one mind in prayer with … Mary, the Mother of Jesus" (Acts 1: 14)

Silence, recollection, prayer, peace with our brethren and union with Mary: these are the characteristics of the novena we too should make in preparation for the coming of the Holy Spirit. -- The Divine Intimacy

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Mama and Daddy Downy Woodpecker

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About a month ago, my husband noticed some activity in a tree that sits just next to our lower deck. The activity was about 12 feet straight up on a section of the tree that died and was removed. The activity involved woodpeckers.

We live on a ravine with a creek and we have quite a bit of "urban wildlife." Actually, though I call it urban wildlife because we live in a large suburb of a major Ohio city, we have some interesting wild animals around, including lately, a coyote and a muskrat. Anyway, we have a lot of birds -- run of the mill stuff mostly, as well as owls and a Cooper's hawk that hangs around to feed. We also have some visiting Blue Herons. The woodpeckers are considered run of the mill because there are an abundance of them around. And we're really not that fond of them because they often cause trouble. They peck on the house and burrows holes looking for bugs. They can make a pretty big mess (and a big racket).

When they started this activity in the tree we thought they were just burrowing for bugs. A couple days later we realized what they were doing. While mother Robins and Cardinals were trying to create grass and mud nests in every available location around (including about the light on our front porch), this busy mama and daddy were carving their nest out of a tree. They created a perfect little entry hole and then busied themselves for days carving a little space out of the center of the dead trunk. Incredible little creatures! They had nested in the dead tree and were waiting for a brood of baby woodpeckers to hatch.

Within a few weeks we noticed activity of a different nature. Mama and daddy Woodpecker were coming and going at a rapid rate, and popping in and out of the hole. They would pass each other coming and going, sometimes waiting for the other to come out of the hole before going in. The entire time the parents are gone, the babies cry -- it sounds like a loud chorus of crickets. It is really incredible activity -- it goes on all day long with the parents flying off to find food and returning every three to four minutes. Back and forth all. day. long. I have often said that if human parents had to work as hard as birds, humans would have died off long ago.

I caught some pictures, though the clarity is not great.

Fortuitously, I read a post at Renee's about birdwatching last week and ordered binoculars for the little kids and a new bird book. They arrived on Monday. The kids and I have been sitting on the deck with our new birdwatching binoculars, seeing it all up very close. Very cool. An awesome science lesson. I read (here's a great bit of information, if you're interested) that the birds often return to their nest for future nests -- hoping they'll consider this home.

Mama bird lands -- she always looks around before she goes in.
I'm assuming she's looking for danger.

Mama goes in and daddy swoops n behind her.

Daddy lands and waits for mama to come out.

Daddy disappears inside.

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Mother of Hope, Pray for us

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HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger
Darmstadt Madonna (detail)
1526 and after 1528

"O Mary, I put my trust in you; in this hope I live and this hope I long to die, saying over and over: 'Unica spes mea Jesus, et post Jesum virgo Maria'' - My only hope is Jesus, and after Jesus, Mary." -- St Alphonsus

HAIL, HOLY QUEEN,
Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve;
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

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Ave Maria, Pray for us

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MIGNARD, Pierre
The Virgin of the Grapes
1640s

Mary's Faith, The Divine Intimacy

Using St Elizabeth's words, the Church says in praise of Mary: "Blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord" (Luke 1,45). Great things indeed were to be accomplished in Mary; and she had the great merit of believing in them. On the word of God as announced by the Angel, she believed that she would become a mother without losing her virginity; she, who was so humble, believed that she would truly be the Mother of God, and that the fruit of her womb would really be the Son of the Most High. She adhered with entire faith to all that had been revealed to her, accepting, without the least hesitation, a plan that would upset the whole natural order of things: a virgin mother; a creature, Mother of the Creator. She believed when the Angel spoke to her; she continued to believe even when the Angel left her alone and she found herself in the condition of an ordinary woman who knows that she is about to become a mother. "The Virgin," St Bernard says, "so little in her own eyes, was magnanimous in her faith in God's promise! She, who considered herself nothing but a poor handmaid, never had the least doubt concerning her vocation to this incomprehensible mystery, to this marvelous change, to this inscrutable sacrament; she firmly believed that she would become the true Mother of the God-Man."

The Blessed Virgin teaches us to believe in our vocation to sanctity, to divine intimacy. We did believe in it when God revealed it to us in the brightness of interior light, and the words of His minister confirmed it; but we should also believe in it when we find ourselves alone, in darkness, amid difficulties that tend to disturb and discourage us. God is faithful, and He does not do things by halves: He will finish His work in us, provided we have complete confidence in Him.

"O Mary, overshadow me and I shall be calm and confident. Accompany me on my way and lead me by secret paths. I shall not be spared suffering, but you will arouse in me a real hunger for it, as for an indispensable food. Mary! Your name is sweet as honey and balm to my lips. Hail, Mary! who can resist you? Who can be lost if he says, 'Hail, Mary?' You are the Mother of the little ones, the health of the sick, the star in storms…. Oh! Mary! If I am helpless, without courage, without consolation, I run to you and cry: Ave Maria! You are the comfort of slaves, the courage of little ones, the strength of the weak, Ave Maria! When I say your name, my whole heart is inflamed, Ave Maria! Joy of angels, food of souls, Ave Maria! (cf E Poppe).

Doubt delays me, hesitation paralyzes me, uncertainty clips my wings…. O Mary, help me to have complete faith, so that I can give myself wholly to God, adhere to all His plans, accept with my eyes closed every disposition of divine Providence. Make me believe so that I shall be able to face storms with courage, abandon myself entirely to God's action, and advance with confidence along the road to sanctity. If you are with me, O Mary, I shall have no fear. The strength of your faith will be the support and refuge of mine, so weak and languid.

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Clothesline Rosary

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Some people pray the rosary while they walk or run, some while they drive, others as they fall asleep. There really is no limit as to when or where you can pray the rosary -- it's a beautiful thing wherever you are.

Lately I have found I can pray five decades of the rosary while I hang my clean clothes on the line. Have you seen this image of Our Holy Mother and the Infant Savior?




What better way to become close to Our Mother and her Holy Son than to pray while working? It's hard to focus, however, when the kids are chattering in my ear, or when I'm trying to read a recipe, so all chores are not ideal for multi-tasking with prayer time. Usually I can catch some uninterrupted time at the clothesline, though, especially while the kids are doing a task at the school table. I was having trouble keeping count of my Hail Marys the other day when I decided to use my tools (a rule in our house -- use your tools). I can clip ten clothespins to my blouse and as I pray, I remove them and use them. By the end of the day I have easily prayed one rosary. It's good for a Divine Mercy chaplet or a seven sorrows chaplet, too.



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Nourisher of God and Men, Pray for us

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Fra Bartolommeo della Porta
Apparition of the Virgin to St. Bernard
1504-07


"In dangers, in doubts, in difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her name depart from your lips, never suffer it to leave your heart. And that you may more surely obtain the assistance of her prayer, neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for (your) guide, you shall never go astray; while invoking her, you shall never lose heart; So long as she is in your mind, you are safe from deception; while she holds your hand, you cannot fall; under her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall reach the goal." -- St. Bernard of Clairvaux


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Priests in the News, Again

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Do ya think maybe the media likes picking on Catholic priests? Do ya think?

I get tired of it, don't you? One Catholic priest, in the entire world, makes the news because he can't keep his vows, and the media, world-wide, goes crazy on this "See, we told you it's not natural" frenzy. This story just doesn't seem to want to die either. I just said to Doug yesterday, "Its the same old, same old, one bad apple thing. Hundreds of thousands of Catholic priests in the world keep their vows and one guys blows it for all of them."

Today I read a letter written by the awesome Fr. Euteneuer and I'm posting it here because it really explains why celibacy in the priesthood can be done, and done well. Pray for our priests.


The Dynamics of Celibacy

Some recent high-profile priest scandals have put celibacy back in the limelight as a topic for the pagan world to rage about, but rarely will you hear what the Catholic Church actually teaches about it. I hope that the following insights will be a short-course in the dynamics of a marvelous life of grace: namely, celibate chastity. The world needs to hear “the other side” of the story.

Number One: Celibacy is a gift to the world, not a rule imposed by the Church on a few seemingly-abnormal men. Celibacy initiates men into a life of spiritual fatherhood in a strikingly positive way for others. We are called “father” for a reason: we bring spiritual life to our people through the sacred mysteries which we handle, and they are drawn into a spiritual family thereby. A truly dedicated priest has thousands of spiritual children who sometimes make immense demands on him—I often wish I had only seven children like my father! In an age where men have massively renounced their sacred duty to generate, protect and nurture families, there are myriads of selfless, celibate men sacrificing themselves in a truly manly way for the sake of God’s family and, indeed, even for the sake of many individual families. The fact that some priests fail at it does not make the gift of celibacy anything less than a true blessing; in fact, its failures force us to reflect more deeply on its quiet successes. It’s hypocritical to think that we should throw away the gift of celibacy (i.e., make it “optional”) based upon a miniscule percentage of failures of its practitioners. We don’t say the same thing about the much higher percentage of failures in marriage. Should we allow polygamy just because some married men can’t stick to one woman? This is the time to reaffirm the genuine beauty and value of celibacy, not change this immense gift to us.

Number two: Celibacy is the personal renunciation of the legitimate goods of marriage and family as a fruitful sacrifice for the kingdom of God. The astonishment of this generation that a perfectly normal, red-blooded male could make that particular sacrifice is exactly the point of celibacy. The world needs to know that there are some men walking around who are not bound either by the expectations of society or by the terms of our fleshly human nature. They are bound by only one concern; that of a kingdom that is not of this world, and they are willing to sacrifice everything for it. The presence in society of men who make this sacrifice is profoundly challenging to a culture that wants to reduce everything in life to the pleasure principle. Such a total renunciation is truly counter cultural: it’s like choosing to live with a permanent wound in the heart that never heals but out of which flow “rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38) that heal countless others. Celibacy is not easy for anyone to live, in fact, it is a constant death to self; but it is enormously life-giving to others, and the Church has not lost sight of that for two thousand years.

Number three: vows are vows. Married men make vows and so do priests. A vow is a promise before God of fidelity to a particular person or state in life. From a spiritual point of view a vow in marriage has the same significance as a vow of celibate chastity: it is permanently binding on the individual and requires total fidelity. We all know that vows are broken by weak and fallible men, but we also know and have seen that vows can be repaired, sins repented of, amends made and forgiveness granted to those who have offended others. Who of us does not depend in some way on the Mercy of God and those we have hurt when we have fallen? The return to fidelity breaks our pride and chastens our passions. What we must never do is make excuses or justify our compromises with pop cultural moral relativism. For example, the fact of “falling in love” with someone is no more an excuse to abandon the celibate priesthood than it is to abandon a wife and family for another woman. I have known many married men who have had that experience and then, in a more rational moment, picked themselves up, dusted themselves off and returned to fidelity—sometimes at a great cost. Thankfully God gave us a rational will, in addition to our lower passions, so that we have something other than whimsical feelings to govern our actions. Fidelity is always possible for those who desire to return to their deepest commitments.

Well, although a short article on celibacy is not enough to explain such a beautiful mystery, it is just enough to witness to a very dynamic way of life whose adherents have given life to millions throughout the centuries. In this time of great secular challenge to our faith, let us pray for the celibate men and women who have served us so well in this life and especially for those who are still trying to return to fidelity.

Sincerely,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International


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Mother of the Unborn, Pray for us

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You'd have to be living in a cave to not know what's going on at Notre Dame the past few weeks, and especially today. I've seen the video of Fr. Weslin more than a dozen times, and I feel a little suspicious that the media is replaying the footage, not for the sympathy it will garner, but to poke fun. Pictures of the faithful, with their hands in cuffs and their rosaries dangling from their fingers, have made it onto every news source. Think Satan isn't laughing? The enemy is within.

I mentioned in another post that Satan would be most successful by using a Catholic priest to be divisive. While some Catholics follow Fr. Jenkins, others follow the Catholic bishops. In the last few days I've seen students pitted against each other in news interviews, Notre Dame alumnus in disagreement with each other, members of the body of Christ at complete odds with each other on who is "right." Doesn't anyone see who they please with their fighting? It is certainly not Our Lord, nor His Heavenly Father. And it is certainly not his Blessed Mother. He who crawls on the ground is most pleased (Genesis 3:14).

NCR journalist Tom McFeely wrote, about Arizona State's decision not to honor the president with a degree, "ASU declined to grant Obama the honor of an honorary degree on the grounds he hasn’t done enough to earn one, whereas Notre Dame is conferring the identical honor even though Obama has done far more than enough, through his promotion of abortion, to disqualify himself from ever receiving such an honors from an authentically Catholic institution."

Praying to Our Mother in heaven is just about the only thing we can do at this point.

Prayer for life by Pope John Paul II

O Mary, bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life:
Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers
of babies to be born,
of the poor whose lives are made difficult,
of men and women who are victims of brutal violence,
of the elderly and the sick killed
by indifference or out of misguided mercy.
Grant that all who believe in your Son
may proclaim the Gospel of life
with honesty and love to the people of our time.
Obtain for them the grace
to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new,
the joy of celebrating it with gratitude
throughout their lives
and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely,
in order to build,
together with all people of good will,
the civilization of truth and love,
to the praise and glory of God,
the Creator and lover of life.

~~ Pope John Paul II
Encyclical Letter "The Gospel of Life"
Given in Rome, on March 25,
the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord,
in the year 1995.

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Mother of Our Hearts, Pray for us

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Yesterday we celebrated May Crowning at our house -- just the little homeschoolers and mama, and I thought I'd share some thoughts and pictures.

We moved our statue to the driveway to clean her up -- she was looking pretty green. If you notice that Mary looks like her head has been patched, you'd be right. But we think she''s beautiful. A little soapy water, and finally some Tilex, got most of the green off.




We planted some Petunias and Lobelia in the ground in front of Mary's place. It's so shady in our front yard, not much does well in this spot, but we always try. I probably should have bought Impatiens, but the kids wanted the Petunias and I picked the pretty blue Lobelia.




We put Mary back in her place and lit a new blue vigil candle on the ground next to her.

Peach (the youngest student) crowned Mary and we prayed a (short) Litany.




And lest you think my little home school students are just so sweet, I'll tell you that the whole time we were washing Mary, and planting the flowers, and even lighting the candle, I was hearing, "Hey let me do that." "But mom, she got to the last one." "Not fair, it's my turn." I had quite a headache by the time the whole thing was over and I was thinking that blue drink would be good with a shot of something clear and strong, if you know what I mean.




I used the idea for a Mary crown of Rice Krispie Treat found over at Catholic Cuisine (sans blue food color) for afternoon snack. I picked up some Duncan Hines cookie icing to add some blue flowers, but it's very runny -- perfect for frosting cookies, hence the name -- duh! Never let it be said I only share the beautiful things. And the blue Hawaiian punch was pretty good, even without a shot.

We love you, Mary. You are worth the headache.

Marianist Litany

Mary, God chose you as the mother of his Son and called all nations and generations to bless the gift of grace he gave you. In the company of those who have gone before us, with people of all races and languages, we call upon you in prayer.

Holy Mary, (Response: pray for us)
Mother of God,
Mother of our redemption,
Mother of a lost child,
Mother of comfort and understanding,
Mother who shares our joys,
Mother who endures our sorrows,
Mother whose heart was pierced by a sword,
Mother most merciful,
Woman responsive to God's word,
Woman willing to believe the impossible,
Woman who rejoices in her lowliness,
Woman with an undivided heart,
Woman of perfect freedom,
Woman wrapped in mystery,
Woman moved by the Spirit,
Woman champion of the poor and lowly,
Woman graced by a husband's love,
Woman widowed by a husband's death,
Woman at the cross,
Woman patient and waiting,
Woman clothed with the sun,
Queen of the fullness of times,
Queen of beauty unalloyed,
Queen of integrity,
Queen of painful meetings,
Queen of all our heart's treasure,
Queen of our destiny,
Queen of peace,

Mary, you are mother and virgin, wife and widow, peasant and queen - blessed for all time. We need the comfort of your prayers. Remember us always to our Father through your Son, Jesus Christ, who is our Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

Grandma brought over a little arrangement so that indoor Mary would have flowers, too. Thanks, Grandma.

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