THE QUEENSHIP OF MARY

Gem Quote

"We are not surprised that God, by a special privilege, preserved her from original sin, and from the slightest actual sin, when we call to mind that of the pure flesh of Mary was formed the sacred and adorable body of Jeus Christ, the Son of God." 

The Dove of the Tabernacle 
 County Tipperary, Ireland, 1876

Morning Prayers

  MORNING PRAYER

Manual for The Children of Mary

As soon as you awake, bless yourself with the sign of the Cross & say:
O my God, I give myself wholly to Thee.

Bless me, O Lord; defend and govern me this day and for ever, and after this short and miserable pilgrimage, bring me to everlasting happiness with thee.

O God, my Creator and Redeemer, look graciously on thy servant, the work of thy hands; and mercifully grant that all my thoughts, words, and actions, may be directed to the praise and honor of thy name, and the salvation of my own soul. Amen.  

Place yourself in the presence of God.

Most holy and august Trinity, one God in three Persons, I believe that thou art here present; I adore thee with sentiments of the most profound humility, and render thee, with all my heart, the homage which is due to thy Sovereign Majesty.

Thank God, and offer yourself to Him.

My God, I thank thee most humbly, for all the favours thou hast bestowed upon me; it is thy goodness which has brought me to the beginning of this day, which I desire to employ only in thy service.

I consecrate to thee all my thoughts, words, actions, and sufferings; bless them, O Lord, that they may be animated by thy love, and tend only to promote thy greater glory.

Resolve to avoid sin, and to practice holiness.

Adorable Jesus, Divine Model of that perfection to which we should aspire, I will endeavour this day, after thy example, to be mild, humble, chaste, zealous, patient, charitable, and resigned; and I will strive particularly to avoid those faults to which I am most subject, and which I sincerely desire to correct.  

Beg the necessary grace.

My God, thou knows my weakness; I can do nothing without the assistance of thy holy grace; do not refuse it to me. O my God, but proportion it to my wants; give me sufficient strength to avoid what thou hast forbidden, to practice the good thou expectest of me, and to suffer patiently all the crosses thou mayest be pleased to send me.

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name: thy kingdom come: thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

The Hail Mary.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

The Apostles' Creed

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almightly, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; thence he shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of Saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

Act of Faith

MY God, I most firmly believe in thee, and in all that thou hast revealed to thy holy Catholic Church; because thou art truth itself, who neither canst deceive, nor be deceived. Amen.

Act of Hope

MY God, I most firmly hope in thee, because of all thy promises; and I trust that thou wilt give me eternal life, and all the graces necessary to obtain it, through the merits of my Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Act of Charity

MY God, I love thee with my whole heart and above all things, because thou art the Sovereign Good, and for thy own perfections most worthy of all love; and for thy sake I love my neighbour as myself. Amen.

The "Angelus Domini."

The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary;
And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Behold the handmaid of the Lord,

Be it done to me according to thy word.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 

And the Word was made flesh,

And dwelt amongst us.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 

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

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, thy merciful eyes 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!

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

Our Lady's Litany

 

I opened my window to the gentle rain and said my prayers there.  

My Mother's Litany

LITANY OF LORETO

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. Christ graciously hear us.
God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us.
Mother of Christ, Pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, Pray for us.
Mother most pure, Pray for us.
Mother most chaste, Pray for us.
Mother undefiled, Pray for us.
Mother unviolated, Pray for us.
Mother most amiable, Pray for us.
Mother most admirable, Pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, Pray for us.
Mother of our Redeemer, Pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, Pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, Pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, Pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, Pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, Pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, Pray for us.
Mirror of justice, Pray for us
Seat of wisdom, Pray for us.
Cause of our joy, Pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, Pray for us.
Vessel of honor, Pray for us.
Singular vessel of devotion, Pray for us.
Mystical rose, Pray for us.
Tower of David, Pray for us.
Tower of ivory, Pray for us.
House of gold, Pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, Pray for us.
Gate of heaven, Pray for us.
Morning star, Pray for us.
Health of the sick, Pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, Pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, Pray for us.
Help of Christians, Pray for us.
Queen of Angels, Pray for us.
Queen of Patriarchs, Pray for us.
Queen of Prophets, Pray for us.
Queen of Apostles, Pray for us.
Queen of Martyrs, Pray for us.
Queen of Confessors, Pray for us.
Queen of Virgins, Pray for us.
Queen of all Saints, Pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, Pray for us.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us, O Lord!.
Christ, hear us, Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.


Anthem:  We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God, despise not our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us from all dangers, O ever glorious and blessed Virgin.
   V.  Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
   R.  That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray

   Pour forth, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ thy Son has been made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection; through the same Christ, our Lord.  Amen.
   V.  Pray for us, O holy Joseph.
   R.  That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY

   We beseech thee, O Lord, that we may be assisted by the merits of the Spouse of thy most holy Mother; so that what we are unable to obtain of ourselves, may be granted us through His intercession;  Who livest and reignest world without end.  Amen

The Holy Rosary, Francis J. Kaib, New York, D.&J. Sadlier & Co. Barclay Street - 1881

The Jesus Prayer

(The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple)

“As you breathe in,” he told him, say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ,’ and as you breathe out, say, ‘Have mercy on me.”

More About the Jesus Prayer

By Bishop Robert Barron

I’m in the process of re-reading a spiritual classic from the Russian Orthodox tradition: The Way of a Pilgrim. This little text, whose author is unknown to us, concerns a man from mid-nineteenth century Russia who found himself deeply puzzled by St. Paul’s comment in first Thessalonians that we should “pray unceasingly.” How, he wondered, amidst all of the demands of life, is this even possible? How could the Apostle command something so patently absurd?

His botheration led him, finally, to a monastery and a conversation with an elderly spiritual teacher who revealed the secret. He taught the man the simple prayer that stands at the heart of the Eastern Christian mystical tradition, the so-called “Jesus prayer.” “As you breathe in,” he told him, say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ,’ and as you breathe out, say, ‘Have mercy on me.”  When the searcher looked at him with some puzzlement, the elder instructed him to go back to his room and pray these words a thousand times. When the younger man returned and announced his successful completion of the task, he was told, “Now go pray it ten thousand times!” This was the manner in which the spiritual master was placing this prayer on the student’s lips so that it might enter his heart and into the rhythm of his breathing in and out, and finally become so second nature to him that he was, consciously or unconsciously, praying it all the time, indeed praying just as St. Paul had instructed the Thessalonians.

In the power of the Spirit, the young man then set out to wander through the Russian forests and plains, the Jesus prayer perpetually on his lips. The only object of value that he had in his rucksack was the Bible, and with the last two rubles in his possession, he purchased a beat-up copy of the Philokalia, a collection of prayers and sayings from the Eastern Orthodox tradition. Sleeping outdoors, fending largely for himself, relying occasionally on the kindness of strangers, reading his books and praying his prayer, he made his way. One day, two deserters from the Russian army accosted him on the road, beat him unconscious and stole his two treasures. When he came around and discovered his loss, the man was devastated and wept openly: how could he go on without food for his soul? Through a fortuitous set of circumstances, he managed to recover his lost possessions, and when he had them once again, he hugged them to his chest, gripping them so hard that his fingers practically locked in place around them.

I would invite you to stay with that image for a moment. We see a man with no wealth, no power, no influence in society, no fame to speak of, practically no physical possessions—but clinging with all of him might and with fierce protectiveness to two things whose sole purpose is to feed his soul. Here’s my question for you: What would you cling to in such a way? What precisely is it, the loss of which would produce in you a kind of panic? What would make you cry, once you realized that you no longer had it? And to make the questions more pointed, let’s assume that you were on a desert island or that you, like the Russian pilgrim, had no resources to go out and buy a replacement. Would it be your car? Your home? Your golf clubs? Your computer? To be honest, I think for me it might be my iPhone. If suddenly I lost my ability to make a call, my contacts, my music, my GPS, my maps, my email, etc., I would panic—and I would probably cry for sheer joy once I had the phone back, and my fingers would close around it like a claw. What makes this confession more than a little troubling is that, ten years ago, I didn’t even own a cell phone. I lived my life perfectly well without it, and if you had told me then that I would never have one, it wouldn’t have bothered me a bit.

What I particularly love about the Pilgrim is that he was preoccupied, not about any of the passing, evanescent goods of the world, but rather about prayer, about a sustained contact with the eternal God. He didn’t care about the things that obsess most of us most of the time: money, power, fame, success. And the only possessions that concerned him were those simple books that fed his relationship to God. Or to turn it around, he wasn’t frightened by the loss of any finite good; but he was frightened to death at the prospect of losing his contact with the living God.

So what would you cling to like a desperate animal? What loss would you fear? What do you ultimately love?

Pray With Padre Pio Power

Pray with Padre Pio Power

When someone asks you to pray for them, why not pray with “Padre Pio Power”?

When I heard that the prayer below (written by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque) was the one Padre Pio would use when people asked him to pray for them, I needed no further encouragement for choosing this prayer in the same way. Padre Pio has tens of thousands of miracles associated with him, including the healing of a very good friend of Pope John Paul II.

When you use this prayer, keep a journal to record these special intentions. Keep in mind this type of petition is for specific needs such as gainful employment, healing from an illness, etc. After some time has passed, refer back to this journal to record the amazing way God answers these prayers. Due to our limited view and God’s eternal view, it is important to always trust that He knows far better what is really needed in these situations. Be open to seeing how sometimes He answers our specific prayers in a way that does not always match exactly with what we asked. When looking back on these petitions, see how His way is better.

Padre Pio’s Sacred Heart Novena Prayer

O my Jesus, You have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of (here name your request).

Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed by thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is is heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end. Amen.

Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You. (Repeat 3 times.)

Conclude with Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, 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 vale 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 merciful, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.

"St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us."

The Holy Eucharist

Ray Bolger Receiving Holy Communion.

Ray Bolger Photos

What is the Holy Eucharist?

The Holy Eucharist is the Sacrament which contains the body and blood, soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ under the appearances of bread and wine.  
Holy Eucharist―Good grace or Thanksgiving.

By what other names is the Holy Eucharist known?

The Holy Eucharist is also known as the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacrament of the Altar, Holy Communion, and Viaticum.

Prayer to God's Mother

Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith, 1922

Me and My Mom

At last The quintessential soft, buttery dinner roll. Nestled - we might even say "crowded" - into a couple of 8" round pans, the shaped buns rise into one another as they bake. The result? Soft-sided pull apart buns, ready for melting pats of soft butter.

Here's how I did it!

INGREDIENTS.
 

• 3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 tablespoons potato flour or 1/4 cup instant potato flakes
• 3 tablespoons Baker's Special Dry Mild or nonfat dry milk
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 4 tablespoons soft butter
• 2/3 cup luke warm water
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Combine all of the dough ingredients in a large bowl, and mix and knead — using your hands, a stand mixer, or a bread machine set on the dough cycle — to make a soft, smooth dough.

Place the dough in a lightly greased container — an 8-cup measure works well here. Cover the container, and allow the dough to rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until it's just about doubled in bulk.
Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly greased work surface.

Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces, by dividing in half, then in halves again, etc. Round each piece into a smooth ball.

Lightly grease two 8" round cake pans. Space 8 buns in each pan. 
Can you use 9" round cake pans, or a 9" x 13" pan? Sure; the buns just won't nestle together as closely, so their sides will be a bit more baked.

Cover the pans, and allow the buns to rise till they're crowded against one another and quite puffy, about 60 to 90 minutes. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Uncover the buns, and bake them for 22 to 24 minutes, until they're golden brown on top and the edges of the center bun spring back lightly when you touch it. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the center bun should register at least 190°F.

Remove the buns from the oven, and brush with the melted butter. After a couple of minutes, turn them out of the pan onto a cooling rack.
Serve warm. Store leftovers well-wrapped, at room temperature.

We wish you a very happy Thanksgiving day. Enjoy the bounty!

This could have been me and my mom.  She was always working and my eyes were always fixed on her.  She taught me how to give and how to live! And I'm missing her today. . . 

Very Old and Very Short Prayers to Our Mother Mary

 

I opened the window to the gentle rain and said my prayers there.

LITANY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us. 
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, Pray for us.
Holy Virgin of virgins, Pray for us.
Mother of Christ, Pray for us.
Mother of divine grace, Pray for us.
Mother most pure, Pray for us.
Mother most chaste, Pray for us.
Mother inviolate, Pray for us.
Mother undefiled, Pray for us.
Mother most amiable, Pray for us.
Mother most admirable, Pray for us.
Mother of good counsel, Pray for us.
Mother of our Creator, Pray for us.
Mother of our Saviour, Pray for us.
Virgin most prudent, Pray for us.
Virgin most venerable, Pray for us.
Virgin most renowned, Pray for us.
Virgin most powerful, Pray for us.
Virgin most merciful, Pray for us.
Virgin most faithful, Pray for us.
Mirror of justice, Pray for us
Seat of wisdom, Pray for us.
Cause of our joy, Pray for us.
Spiritual vessel, Pray for us.
Vessel of honor, Pray for us.
Vessel of singular devotion, Pray for us.
Mystical rose, Pray for us.
Tower of David, Pray for us.
Tower of ivory, Pray for us.
House of gold, Pray for us.
Ark of the covenant, Pray for us.
Gate of heaven, Pray for us.
Morning star, Pray for us.
Health of the weak, Pray for us.
Refuge of sinners, Pray for us.
Comforter of the afflicted, Pray for us.
Help of Christians, Pray for us.
Queen of angels, Pray for us.
Queen of patriarchs, Pray for us.
Queen of prophets, Pray for us.
Queen of apostles, Pray for us.
Queen of martyrs, Pray for us.
Queen of confessors, Pray for us.
Queen of virgins, Pray for us.
Queen of all saints, Pray for us.
Queen conceived without original sin, Pray for us.
Queen of the most holy Rosary, Pray for us.
Queen of peace, Pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.     
     V.  Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
     R.  That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us Pray

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His passion and cross be brought to the glory of His resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Ind. of 300 days, each time.―Pius VII. Sept. 30, 1817.)

Ejaculations to the Blessed Virgin

Mary. 
(Ind. of 25 days, each time.―Clement XIII. Sept. 5, 1750.)

Mary, Virgin Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me. 
(Ind. of 50 days, once each day.―Leo XIII. March  29, 1894.)

Mary our hope, have pity on us. 
(Ind. of 300 days, each time.―Pius X. Jan 8, 1906.) 

My Mother, my trust. 
(Ind. of 300 days, each time.―Benedict XV. Sept. 6, 1915.)

Our Lady of the most Holy Sacrament, pray for us. 
(Ind. of 300 days, each time, before the Blessed Sacrament exposed.―Pius X.  Jan 10, 1906.)

The Man of God

Fr.  Callan & McHugh
Authors of "Blessed Be God."

P. J. Kennedy & Sons, 1928

Panis Angelicus or Bread from Heaven

This first photo and the following were taken by Life Magazine's John Philips. Here we see the Parish Priest and sacristan walking up the sidewalk on home visitation. We can assume this is a serious visit as the children of the house are kneeling alongside the road.

 

In this second photo we become aware of a second photographer who must have been standing alongside of the house.  The little girl continues to kneel in prayer.

Life Magazine revealed to us that the Priest was indeed on a serious visit as he was carrying a Consecrated Host to a dying child.

O Mary, Mother of Mercy, we pray for the child for whom the Eucharist was being carried so carefully and with such dignity and holy reference.  He was a child so we know he is safe in your arms and heaven's abode. We pray also for all the other folks caught in these historical photos for they have all surely passed into the beyond.  

But I fear and tremble when I think of my sins, and of the hour of my own death which draws nearer with each day, indeed with each hour. 

If now, already, I feel the pang of a sin-stained conscience, if now the weight of my sins press me almost to despair, what shall I do in the sad hour of my death?

O my protectress, in the blood of thy divine Son, and in thy mighty intercession, I place my hope. Obtain for me from my blessed Redeemer, sincere sorrow for my sins, true contrition and a resolute will of amendment. And when the moment of death approaches, help me, Mary, in my struggle, strengthen me against all assaults of Satan, assist me to gain the crown of victory. Let me now frequently call upon thee, that with the sacred name of Jesus, and thy holy name upon my tongue, I may depart from this life in peace and enter the celestial abodes of eternity. Amen.

Heavenly bread

That becomes the bread for all mankind;

Bread from the angelic host

That is the end of all imaginings;

Oh, miraculous thing!

This body of God will nourish

Even the poorest,

The most humble of servants.

Even the poorest,

The most humble of servants.

Heavenly bread

That becomes the bread for all mankind;

Bread from the angelic host

That is the end of all imaginings;

Oh, miraculous thing!

This body of God will nourish

Even the poorest,

The most humble of servants.

Even the poorest,

The most humble of servants.

Let Me Shake You!

Hugo da Silva: (after witnessing the miracle) Only the fool saith "There is no God"

Ricardo Montalban SHAKES you by your Shoulders!

PART ONE

PART TWO

PART THREE

PART FOUR

Celebrating Our Lady of Fatima

Read the Entire Book Here

The only thing remarkable about the Portuguese village of Fatima is the name it bears. It is that of an Arab maiden who, snatched from her father's stronghold, died shortly after becoming a Christian and the bride of her captor. The latter laid her to rest in the chapel of a monastery which stood on this site over 700 years ago. He himself exchanged his knightly trappings for the plain robe of a monk. In time the monastery disappeared but the chapel stayed standing. Low white walled houses clustered around and made of it a village church. The memory of Fatima clung to the venerable stones which sheltered her remains, and the village took her name.
It is a high plateau hereabouts and hilly. When the Moors and Arabs were masters of most of the Spanish peninsula, this region is one which escaped from their rule. It has remained to this day isolated from the main roads. The soil is too stony for farming, but the pasturage is fair. The villagers keep some stock, and what with their olive trees, grapes and garden-produce, they have enough for their frugal needs. Of course, they have to work long and hard. The children help by tending the sheep.

Sunday is in honor with these sturdy folk. Work clothes are replaced by clean and neat ones.The blouses and skirts of the women are gay, and shawls frame the beauty of their firmly moulded features.

At the time of which we are speaking, there was trouble in Portugal. A series of revolutions from 1910 to 1913 had left the government in the hands of an anti-religious clique, bent on molesting the population in the practice of its loyal faith in Christ.

As a result, the joy that comes from a flourishing Christian life was absent from the land. The Church was hampered and hate hung heavy over the cities.  Christ was no longer supreme in Portuguese hearts, and they were forgetful that their country was dedicated to Mary, His mother, whom He loves, forgetful of the love they owed her too, forgetful of her power to deliver them from oppression and injustice. Even in the remoter places like Fatima, though nothing could shake the tranquil faith of the women, the men were becoming indifferent and listless. The practice of reciting the family rosary in the evening was dying.

But all this was going to change. Great events were impending. The village which the fair young convert from Islam had named was to receive the visit of another maiden, a Queen whose name is imperishable, whom all nations until the end of time shall call blessed. She came to the poor people of Portugal to save them from the catastrophes of our times and, by means of a regenerated Portugal, to show the wartorn world the way to peace and happiness. And to aid her in this mission of mercy, she chose three little children.  

Is Mary Truly the Mother of God?

Danbury, Connecticut - 1950

Is the Blessed Virgin Mary truly the Mother of God?

The Blessed Virgin Mary is truly the Mother of God, because the same Divine Person who is the Son of God is also the Son of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On what day was the Son of God conceived and made man? 

The Son of God was conceived and made man on Annunciation day―the day on which the Angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary that  she was to be the Mother of God. Luke I; 26-38.

How is this important event commemorated? 

This important event is commemorated by the first words of the Hail Mary, by the Angelus, and by the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25).

Prayer to God's Mother

Advanced Catechism of Catholic Faith and Practice, 1922.

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