Blessed Virgin Mary
« Previous Entries“The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary…”
Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Annunciation by the Master of Flémalle
Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. (Nine months until Christmas!)
Readings for the day.
Thanks to Jeff Ziegler for pointing me to this piece of artwork in the Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. Click here to read about the painting or to see a larger image.
To Jesus Through Mary–An Opportunity
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009If you’ve wondered about or wanted to participate in consecration to Jesus through Mary, here’s an opportunity that will interest you. Mary’s Project, directed by CUF advisor Msgr. Charles Mangan, is beginning preparation for consecration/re-consecration to Jesus through Mary starting tomorrow, November 5. The consecration/re-consecration will take place on December 8, the Solemnity of the […]
Solemnity of the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Saturday, June 20th, 2009As Mary pondered all she had learned from reading and from what she had heard and seen, how greatly did she increase in faith, advance in merit, and become enlightened with wisdom! More and more she was consumed with burning love. Drawing life and inspiration from the heavenly mysteries which were being unlocked in her, […]
“The Upward Movement of Exaltation”
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009From Pope Benedict’s homily at vespers in the Upper Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. (Emphases mine.)
What happened here in Nazareth, far from the gaze of the world, was a singular act of God, a powerful intervention in history, through which a child was conceived who was to bring salvation to the whole […]
The Model Mother and the Loving Savior
Monday, May 11th, 2009May is the month of Mary, and June the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Over at CUF.org, we’ve drawn two neat articles from the Lay Witness archives that touch on these subjects.
In “Devotion to Mary, Fidelity to God Almighty,” Msgr. Eugene Kevane explains how Our Lady makes faith formation come to life. He […]
Mary, Mother of God: The First Marian Dogma–Update
Thursday, January 1st, 2009Today we celebrate Mary, Mother of God. Stop. Think. Not only did God become man, but He chose one of us, a human, to be His mother. “Mary is truly ‘Mother of God’ since she is the mother of the eternal Son of God made man, who is God Himself” (Catechism, no. 509). (She was […]
Magnificent
Monday, December 22nd, 2008Jeff Ziegler suggests Botticelli’s Madonna of the Magnificat for our contemplation as we approach Christmas. Here’s just one beautiful detail: the Christ Child’s hand on top of His mother’s hand, as she writes the Magnificat.
Jeff points us to the Web Gallery of Art, which has the full image, as well as some notes on the […]
Lyre, Lyre, Sanctifier
Monday, June 9th, 2008Today the universal Church celebrates the feast of St. Ephrem the Syrian, a fourth-century doctor of the Church. Of all the doctors of the Church, I believe he is the only one who became what we would today call a “permanent deacon.”
This fascinating saint early in life attended the ecumenical Council of Nicaea and ran a […]
Blessed Among Women
Friday, May 30th, 2008“A woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to [Jesus], ‘Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts that you sucked!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it’” (Lk. 11:27-28).
At first glance, this passage can be a little troubling for us as […]
Just Do It!
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008During this month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, with May crownings and last week’s celebration of the feast of Our Lady of Fatima still fresh on our mind, I thought I would take this occasion to call all of us to renew our desire to pray the Rosary frequently and with much fervor and devotion.
I’m not necessarily talking about […]