Anthony DeStefano has written a new book entitled Our Lady’s Picture Book through Sophia Institute Press. The book is illustrated by Juliana Kolesova. This is the sequel to his bestselling book Our Lady’s Wardrobe. A beautifully told and illustrated book, Anthony explains page by page the different title of Mary including: Our Lady of Sorrows; […]
Keys to Grow in Virtue and Grace Fr. Quan Tran, Roman Catholic priest and Author has written a book offering keyways to grow in love of the Lord through growth in virtue and grace. The book is beautifully written with each chapter focusing on a key element of how we can grow in imitation of […]
Surely, the Blessed Mother would have taken on the suffering of her Son, Jesus Christ if it were possible. That is what loving mothers always wish they could do. Instead, Mary suffered alongside her Son, because that too is what mothers do. We go to Mary to get closer to Jesus for that very reason. […]
It would seem that being raised by devout Catholic parents who prayed the rosary daily would have pointed to a good and holy future for Bartolo Longo. And it did. Eventually. First, he strayed so far from God that he became a satanic priest. Yet, as far as Bartolo strayed—and it was extreme—he was not beyond […]
If ever there was a good time to make reparation for the offenses to the Blessed Mother, now would be a good time. Even if you have already made the Five First Saturdays, it’s something we can do again and again. At Fatima, through the Blessed Mother’s apparitions to the 3 shepherd children, the devotion […]
“You’d better take down your article,” I was advised in an email. “The Blessed Mother has warned that anyone who interferes with her message will suffer consequences.” Ah the joy of writing about condemned apparitions. The article being referred to was five years old. The odds of me taking down an article I had carefully […]
[Editor’s note: Originally published June, 2006] Mary and mercy came to our house this May. After years of chasing an illusive dream of someday organizing our entire home, I finally managed, with God’s assistance, to do just that. It was a ruthless and exhaustive endeavor. Closets, cabinets, drawers, shelves and rooms were systematically purged of […]
Mesoamerica, the New World, 1521: The capital city of the Aztec empire falls under the Spanish forces. Less than 20 years later, 9 million of the inhabitants of the land, who professed for centuries a polytheistic and human sacrificing religion, have converted to Christianity. What happened during the interval that produced such an incredible and […]
God gives mothers whatever good they ask for their children. Why? Because they are humble. They are living signs of humility and only the humble are filled with God. Jesus also gifts mothers with a share of His sorrows and passion to be applied to the salvation of their children. “It makes me happy to suffer for you, […]
Celebrate Mother’s Day a Different Way (Originally published in CL 5/7/13 With Mother’s Day approaching, like any modern day mom, I am looking forward to celebrating the day. I must admit, I love breakfast in bed, I love receiving the gifts, the flowers, the homemade cards. I particularly enjoy enjoying relishing in the graces of […]
As we celebrate September, a month dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows, we observe three feasts this month that call us into a more devoted relationship with the Blessed Virgin Mary. This month, we celebrate: September 8 – The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary September 12 – The Most Holy Name of Mary September […]
When it comes to the Mother of God, the Catholic Church honors Mary with many titles, prayers and devotions. During the liturgical season of Ordinary Time, priests, deacons, seminarians, consecrated men and women and the laity conclude the final hour of the Liturgy of the Hours, Compline (Night Prayer), with a hymn to Mary—the Salve […]
Meditation and Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion (Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 67:2-3,5-6,8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21) Living Our Lives as Beloved Sons or Daughters of Our Heavenly Father When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman … so that we might receive adoption (Galatians 4:4-5). Our mothers usually know […]
Chapter 8 Was Mary Rebuked by Jesus? Those who read the Holy Scriptures without any knowledge of biblical languages, sometimes fall into serious misinterpretations of the text. One good example of such misunderstandings is “Jesus’ rebuke of Mary” at the time of the wedding in Cana of Galilee. Was Jesus ever disrespectful of his mother? […]
Chapter 3 Mary, the New Eve When Adam and his wife were expelled from Paradise, Adam gave her the name Eve (mother) “because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3, 20). In 1 Corinthians 15, 22 St. Paul teaches us: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be […]
Chapter 2 Mary, the Ark of the New Covenant The meaning of Sacred Scripture has been placed there by the Holy Spirit. This has been done in such way that we will never be able to plumb the depths of wisdom that can be found in the Bible. With the eyes of faith we are […]
It is a Catholic tradition to acknowledge and honor the unselfish and holy life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. One way of doing that is for a family to plant, maintain and enjoy a Mary Garden. In the Middle Ages, missionaries and travelers spread stories across Europe about flowers named after Mary and various times of […]
Just when I thought I was home free, it hit. I caught one of those nasty Spring viruses that come racing around the corner while you’re looking in the other direction. Because the buds are beginning to swell on the trees and the first warm breezes are beginning to blow, you forget about watching out […]
The guy sitting next to me in the optometrist’s office bugged me. I mean, he really bugged me. He bugged me like I wanted to actually step outside and stand on the sidewalk by the front door until it was time for my appointment; that’s how much he bugged me. Rather than commit an act […]
It already started, you know. The hoopla over Mother’s Day is well underway. In the next several days, the greeting card companies, florists, and chocolate manufacturers will do their best to make us feel like villains if we don’t get our mother something sweet and sentimental for “her” day. At least, of course, we’d better […]
I’ve always been pretty athletic, but my first introduction to hiking was not especially enjoyable. It occurred during Survival Training at the Air Force Academy and included seven days of hiking about 8-10 hours a day in the mountains of Colorado. We hiked at night so I was not able to enjoy the beautiful views […]
She was just a wisp of a thing. She probably was around 20, but she looked like she was 13 years old. She had a beautiful newborn baby girl snuggled on her shoulder as she stood patiently at the back of the crowd. She reminded me of what I’d imagined our Blessed Mother to look […]
