Thought for the day: God Entrusted the Blessed Virgin Mary with Jesus, Who Is Our Salvation

I get frequent questions from Christians and others about why Catholics venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary to such a great degree, as if they think there is something wrong with doing so.

While there are numerous, simple and rational arguments for honoring the Mother of God (the first chapter of the Gospel of Saint Luke, not the least of them) it all really comes down to understanding and appreciating the true measure of God’s prudential judgment, providence and grace:

God the Father chose to make the human body of his divine son from the sin-free flesh of the Blessed Virgin Mary. With the Virgin’s informed consent, the Holy Spirit proceeded to make it so.

The impeccable, divine human, who we know as Jesus Christ, went on to triumphantly wield his unique, holy, purpose-built, body, blood, soul and divinity as the ultimate weapon against perpetual slavery to Satan, sin and death.

God chose to trust the Blessed Virgin Mary
with Jesus,
who is our salvation.

Mary never failed.

Now that her divine son has assumed Mary – body and soul – into Heaven and enthroned her at his right hand, so she might powerfully rule and reign with him, according to his own promises (which also apply to us) how and/or why would we ever expect her to fail, in even the very least of things?

Would not such a negative attitude reveal a shocking, lack of faith, in God?

Since faith is typically, required for salvation, would not such a lack of faith tend to place our own eternal salvation in jeopardy?

Our trust in Divine Providence, in the power of God’s grace and in God’s tender mercies; the God who loves us and who always keeps his promises; is the reason that Catholics, throughout all the ages, have always respectfully, placed our hopes, prayers and petitions before the throne of God with the loving assistance and care of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Why?

Because God did the very same thing,
in regard to his own, divine son.

God did it first.

And it worked!

Today’s Question: Can you tell us of an experience in prayer?

Today’s Question: Can you tell us of an experience in prayer?

Answer: While on the way to an important Church meeting, the head gasket on my car engine failed, all the anti-freeze blew out, the engine overheated, the car stalled and I was stranded, about an hour (rush hour travel time) away.

I invoked God’s assistance, explaining that if he wanted me to get to the meeting, I would need a little help. Then, I said a quick, Hail Mary and turned the ignition key.

The car started. Steam was shooting out of the engine and all the trouble lights on the dash were shining brightly.

I pulled out into rush hour traffic, anyway.

The steam shortly quit coming out. Then, the trouble lights also went out.

I successfully made my way to the meeting (on time) and later, all the way back home, where I added a gallon or two of fresh anti-freeze.

I drove the same car for another two years.

I never knew that the Blessed Virgin Mary could fix a bad head gasket! Perhaps an angel was also involved.

I went on to experience a number of other miracles, both big and small, while working on that particular Church project.

True story!

Asked and answered today on Yahoo! Answers.

What to do? For probably the first time in history, the phrase, “Is the Pope Catholic?” is no longer merely rhetorical.

Next stop: Antichrist revealed?

Question: …From his many statements, it is very clear that the pope has given a tacit approval to homosexuality.

In one of his interviews, he said “Who am I to judge?” The Pope is not able to assertively state that homosexuality is sinful. Instead, he indirectly says homosexual practice is acceptable, as long as the person lives a good life.

What to do?

Answer: That particular statement is merely “the tip of the iceberg”! Increasing numbers of Catholics are beginning to wonder if Francis is really the Pope, since it’s highly unlikely that any “real” Pope would even consider saying and doing such ridiculous and even, heretical things.

For probably the first time in history, the phrase,
“Is the Pope Catholic?” is no longer merely rhetorical.

The current infestation of the Holy Catholic Church by the worldwide network of homosexual clergy, including up to one third of all Catholic Priests and one half of all Catholic Bishops – not to mention a host of corrupt Catholic seminaries, Catholic religious orders and the Vatican itself – has also yet to be officially addressed, in any meaningful way.

Five things to do, until things in the Holy Catholic Church
finally improve:

1) Send a silent, but clear, message: Continue to attend Mass, but rather than offering the standard, verbal responses or participating in the usual hymns, respond “Sotto Voce” (quietly, to yourself) instead;

2) Starve the scoundrels: Reduce personal Church offerings to no more than $1 per week. Contribute freely to other, (verifiable) worthy ministries, instead;

3) Institute a year-long Eucharistic Fast: Refrain from receiving the Holy Eucharist. Make a silent, personal, “Spiritual Communion” instead. If Francis IS the Pope, you probably don’t want to be too closely “in communion” with the likes of him. If it turns out that he’s NOT actually the Pope, the same is even more true. But, remember to faithfully fulfill your Easter Duty;

Even the most “thick headed” Catholic Bishops will likely be able to figure that something is very, very wrong, when the congregation goes silent, the weekly collections “dry up” and all the people refuse to go up and receive Holy Communion!

4) Enlist the help of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her divine son, Jesus: Pray the Holy Rosary, AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.

5) Keep all your personal, spiritual affairs in good order: Because once end time events begin, they will likely proceed, at a very rapid pace.

I mention this last point because two things are always true: 1) The return of Jesus Christ is always liable to occur at any time; 2) If Jesus doesn’t choose to return during your lifetime, there’s no doubt that you will (shortly) find yourself appearing before him, in Judgment.

Asked and answered today on Yahoo! Answers (edited for content and clarity)

Further study (link): An act of idolatry made at the Vatican with the participation of the Pope

(Photo by Giulio Origlia/Getty Images)

Notre Dame Conflagration – Unique, Totally Gratuitous Opportunity for SSPX To Step Up

By Doug Lawrence

Probably the only thing more destructive than the recent Notre Dame Cathedral conflagration will be the proposed effort at rebuilding it and likely, re-purposing it, as a modern, multi-faith worship/welcome center, pretty much destroying any true sense of the original and authentic, Roman Catholic faith Tradition.

This is not to say that there has been much of that original Tradition in evidence there, for the last fifty years, or so. The fact that only a handful of broadcasters, politicians, Catholic Church officials, and Catholics, in general, have even mentioned Jesus Christ or the Blessed Virgin Mary, when speaking about it, provides ample evidence that what was once a revered “House of God” is now viewed as little more than another “cultural asset” of the state.

It turns out that the Notre Dame Cathedral isn’t even owned by the Catholic Church anymore and hasn’t been, for quite some time.

Perhaps now is the time for all of that to change. That’s where the SSPX (The Society of Saint Pius X) comes in – the group of conservative bishops and priests that rejected the Vatican II reformation, were excommunicated – then re-communicated – and now – are negotiating with the Vatican to be fully repatriated.

The SSPX people are originally from France, so they ought to have at least a few influential, political backers, still holding out, somewhere, in France’s “deep state” liberal government. Maybe they could even forge an alliance with the “Yellow Vest” people? Stranger things have happened, in service of God.

The plan is so simple that even a child could understand it: Purchase the ruined Cathedral from the French government, for say, one € (Euro) or whatever it takes; direct and supervise the entire rebuilding effort, according to the authentic Catholic Tradition i.e. classically beautiful architecture, artwork and statuary, faithfully reproduced in all the doctrine, worship and other activities taking place there – including the Mass of the Ages; raise all the necessary restoration funds; operate the Cathedral, going forward, without the need for any state funding, and most importantly – PROVIDE THE INITIAL “SPARK” THAT WILL REVITALIZE not only the old Notre Dame Cathedral, but also PARIS, FRANCE, EUROPE, THE CATHOLIC CHURCH and eventually, the WHOLE WORLD!

There’s more than a billion (alleged) Catholics throughout the world. Three “bucks” a piece ought to cover the entire “tab” – plus an ongoing, regular offering, to cover necessary future expenses and maintenance. Even if, as many suspect, only about ten percent of those professing to be Catholic actually are, thirty “bucks” a piece would not be too much to ask. Every Catholic in the world could contribute, according to his/her means and capacity.

What role (official and/or unofficial) should the (thoroughly corrupt) Vatican play in all this? ABSOLUTELY NONE! “Grass roots” Catholics should pay for it all and the SSPX should rise to the occasion – by the grace and power of God – and “get ‘er done”!

This, ladies and gentlemen, was the sum total of my Good Friday meditations on the Passion of Jesus Christ, our Risen Lord and Savior. What better day than Easter Sunday, for a “New Beginning”?

Please pass this around, if you think it has merit. 

Real, holy, just, powerful and perfect feminism. Nothing like what we all too often encounter today.

With the Blessed Mother, it isn’t, “Hold my beer…”, it’s, “Hold My Baby….” handing off the baby Jesus to a nearby angel, the Blessed Virgin Mary contends with and handily defeats the devil, according to God’s grace. Illumination taken from the Taymouth Hours, circa ARSH 1325.  Courtesy of Ann Barnhardt’s Catholic Website. Enjoy!

What if the Shroud of Turin image is genuine and what if Jesus resembled his mother?

A Canadian filmmaker has posted a retouched image of a Bouguereau painting of the Virgin Mary — using the face on the Shroud as a guide. The results are, I think, stunning.

His assumption that He would have born a resemblance to His only human parent. He said this about it:

“If you put the shroud on top of this drawing, you will almost match the face, like it could be” an accurate portrayal of His mother’s face.

Exquisitely beautiful – and it does rather make sense that Our Lord would physically resemble his mother!

Submitted by Bob Stanley/The Catholic Treasure Chest Website

More about the works of artist William Bouguereau

Cuba’s patron saint, the Virgin of Charity of Cobre

THE STATUE: It’s now 403 years old and stands just over a foot (35 centimeters) tall, but the petite wooden statue in a small-town church in eastern Cuba is among the most venerated Catholic icons in the world and an object of pride and reverence for hundreds of thousands on the island. Protected inside a glass case, she wears a full, golden dress and her feet rest on a shimmering crescent moon.

More

Precious insights into the family life of the Blessed Virgin Mary – and our families, as well

Saint Joachim, the father of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God and the Mediatrix of All Graces, knew the contempt that would be visited upon His Divine Grandson, Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, sent himself into voluntary exile after he was denounced by a priest of the Old Dispensation for not producing a child after twenty years of marriage to his wife, our good Saint Anne.

He was visited by an angel, who reminded him of the fact that Abraham’s wife, Sarah, did not conceive a child until she was ninety years old, telling him that his wife, Saint Anne, would conceive a daughter named Mary, who would be the Mother of God.

Saint Joachim and Saint Anne brought their daughter to the Temple when she was three years old, giving their long-awaited child back to the good God Who had given them to her so that she could be the Mother of their own Saviour, Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Read more

Annunciation: The day God waited patiently for Mary’s “yes!”

And in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God into a city of Galilee, called Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David: and the virgin’s name was Mary.

And the angel being come in, said unto her: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. Who having heard, was troubled at his saying and thought with herself what manner of salutation this should be.

And the angel said to her: Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God. Behold thou shalt conceive in thy womb and shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of David his father: and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever. And of his kingdom there shall be no end.

And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man? And the angel answering, said to her: The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee and the power of the Most High shall overshadow thee. And therefore also the Holy which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. And behold thy cousin Elizabeth, she also hath conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her that is called barren. Because no word shall be impossible with God.

And Mary said: Behold the handmaid of the Lord: be it done to me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. (Luke 1:26-38)

Text and video

March 25 is Abortionist Repentance Day (and the great feast of the Annunciation)

Download the PDF form for free

Submitted by Frank V.

Produced by Church Militant TV – http://www.churchmilitant.tv/

Scientific fact: The Blessed Virgin Mary carried Jesus inside her body for a lot longer than nine months.

The report examined the increasing evidence that “when a woman has a baby, she gets not just a son or daughter, [but] an army of protective cells–gifts from her children that will stay inside her and defend her for the rest of her life.”

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Editor’s note:  And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord. And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid: for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me: and holy is his name. (Luke 1:46-49)

Isn’t literal, biblical truth grand? Consider all the awesome ramifications!

Now, what about those Christians who hold that Mary is no different than the rest of us? Does that not constitute an explicit denial of scientific fact, as well as an implicit denial of the power, holiness and divinity of Jesus Christ? 

The closer you look and the more you come to know about the unique relationship between Jesus and his blessed mother, the easier it is to accept and appreciate Catholic dogma on the subject – including her total sinlessness, her absolutely holy life and her assumption into Heaven – body, as well as soul – all according to God’s grace and plan.

Related slide show

Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Des Plaines, Illinois is expecting up to 100,000 celebrants over the next two days

CHICAGO, IL (December 6, 2013) – This overnight celebration honoring Our Lady of Guadalupe, Patroness of the Americas, will begin with an opening Mass on Wednesday, December 11, at 4 p.m., at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, 1100 North River Road in Des Plaines.  The Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Marco A. Mercado, Archbishop’s Delegate for Hispanic Ministry and Rector of the Shrine.  The lighting of the traditional “Antorcha Guadalupana” or “Guadalupe Torch” will take place at 10 p.m.

Throughout the two-day celebration, Masses will be offered every two hours in the Shrine’s outdoor grotto and in the gymnasium. The outdoor mass celebrated at the grotto will be shown live in a tented area outside the gymnasium.  Music and Folkloric dances in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe will also be held indoors throughout both days. . A large food tent, located in between the outdoor grotto and the gymnasium, will be available as a warming center.  Another large heated tent will be available directly outside the gymnasium.

After the lighting of the Guadalupe Torch, pilgrims, representing dozens of parishes throughout Cook and Lake counties, will light their own torches and participate in the Guadalupe Torch Run.

Read more

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe 

1170 North River Road
Des Plaines, IL 60016
Phone: (847) 294-1806 Fax: (847) 294-1981
A Shrine of The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago IL

photo: YouTube

Our Lady of Guadalupe Image: How has the 481-year-old Tilma survived so many years without decay?

“All the cloths similar to the Tilma that have been placed in the salty and humid environment around the Basilica,” Dr. Orozco explained,“have lasted no more than ten years.”  A painting of the image on cloth which had been protected behind glass was discarded after only eight years, because the colors had faded and the threads had broken so badly.

The Tilma, meanwhile, was displayed unprotected for 116 years, exposed to the heat of tens of thousands of candles and to the harsh, humid and salty air; yet it remains vibrant.

Read more

December 12 is the official commemoration of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

All About Eve: Satan quickly surmised that women are the key to ultimate human potential.

by Doug Lawrence

Nowhere in scripture do we read of Satan tempting Adam at any time, prior to the existence of Eve.

In fact, nowhere in scripture do we read of Satan directly tempting Adam, at all. All we can do is a bit of exegesis, based on the fact that Jesus Christ,  “The New Adam” – was tempted by Satan – and based on that, we can assume that Adam was tempted, as well.

But I digress!

The point is … humanity was going nowhere until God created Eve. Only then did the possibility exist of an entire race of human beings – numbering greater than the stars in the heavens and the sands on the sea shore (Genesis 22:17) and only then did Satan make his move: first, on Eve. Then, Eve quite easily enlisted Adam in their offense.

Consequently, mankind soon found himself evicted from Eden, in addition to being  permanently and hopelessly enslaved to Satan, sin and death. If not for the saving work of Jesus Christ, our Holy Redeemer, it would have remained so, for an eternity.

Satan continues to concentrate on Eve’s “daughters – sisters” to this very day. And except for the superabundantly graced, totally sinless Blessed Virgin Mary, “The New Eve” – most women tend to remain extraordinarily easy marks! I trust it is unnecessary to name names and cite specifics.

Not that men – except for Our Bless Lord, Jesus Christ – are any better. Most are just bold, recidivist sinners of a different gender. And life goes on.

Get wisdom, because it is better than gold:
and purchase prudence, for it is more precious than silver.
The path of the just departs from evil:
he that keeps his soul keeps his way.
Pride goes before destruction:
and the spirit is lifted up before a fall.
 (Proverbs 16:16-18)

Something to think about, this Advent!

Seeking the Lost Ark: The place shall be unknown, till God gather together the congregation of the people, and receive(s) them to mercy.

by Doug Lawrence

My good friend Bob Stanley of the Catholic Treasure Chest website writes:

This post builds on the info recently received from my Israeli friend. Here is something that I think is of great importance, as the Bible appears to tell us where the Ark of the Covenant is.

2Ma 2:3 And with other such like speeches, he exhorted them that they would not remove the law from their heart.
2Ma 2:4 It was also contained in the same writing, how the prophet, being warned by God, commanded that the tabernacle and the ark should accompany him, till he came forth to the mountain where Moses went up, and saw the inheritance of God. (see Deut 34:1 below for the name of the mountain, and the other verses which insure that they refer to the inheritance).
2Ma 2:5 And when Jeremias came thither he found a hollow cave: and he carried in thither the tabernacle, and the ark , and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door.
2Ma 2:6 Then some of them that followed him, came up to mark the place: but they could not find it.
2Ma 2:7 And when Jeremias perceived it, he blamed them, saying: The place shall be unknown, till God gather together the congregation of the people, and receive them to mercy.
2Ma 2:8 And then the Lord will shew these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear, and there shall be a cloud as it was also shewed to Moses, and he shewed it when Solomon prayed that the place might be sanctified to the great God.

Deu 34:1  Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab upon mount Nebo, to the top of Phasga over against Jericho: and the Lord shewed him all the land of Galaad as far as Dan.
Deu 34:2  And all Nephtali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasses, and all the land of Juda unto the furthermost sea,
Deu 34:3  And the south part, and the breadth of the plain of Jericho the city of palm trees as far as Segor.
Deu 34:4  And the Lordtsaid to him: This is the land, for which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying: I will give it to thy seed. Thou hast seen it with thy eyes, and shalt not pass over to it.
Deu 34:5  And Moses the servant of the Lord died there, in the land of Moab, by the commandment of the Lord:

Source: Douay-Rheims Bible

The Jews, the Arabs and the non-Catholics don’t have the books of Maccabees and they refuse to read them in Catholic Bibles. After all, they say the Catholic Bible is corrupted and Maccabees is not inspired…right? This reminds me of the Indiana Jones movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” where Sallah (John Rhys-Davies) looked over about half mile away, saw the Nazi’s digging for the ark and rejoiced by saying “They are digging in the wrong place”.

Months ago I asked my Jewish friend where Mt. Nebo was, without mentioning why I would like to know. He said it is in Jordan. That is another reason why the Jews never tried digging there. It makes a lot of sense to me that since the temple mount is a relatively small area and has been explored, dug and tunneled for many centuries and yet never was even a sign or clue that something as large as the Ark was found within it. Even the crusaders made exhaustive but essentially fruitless searches there.

Go back and read again the 2nd sentence of 2Ma 2:7.  Maybe it is happening right now???

Doug replies:

There’s a lot of intriguing possibilities there. I find it interesting, looking at the map, that Moses did indeed have a clear view of precisely what is described in the scriptures. God really did let him see the Promised Land – pretty much in its’ entirety.

It’s been my experience that people expect the site of the lost Ark to be either somewhere on or around the temple mount, or even as far away as Mt. Sinai – assuming that anyone today actually knows the true location of that holy mountain.

Even with the sold description provided in Maccabees, there’s a lot of potential hiding places for the Ark, on and around Mount Nebo.

Maybe Moses will retrieve it and he and (either) Enoch or Elijah will come back to witness in Jerusalem, near the end of the tribulation period? The Ark may even be the energy source for the Heavenly “fire” and the drought. (Rev 11:3-6)

Another interesting note about Moses: Even the devil was unable to find his dead body, so Moses is a very good candidate for having being assumed into Heaven, by God – as was Elijah, in his fiery chariot. The fact that both later appeared with Jesus during the Transfiguration seems to add credence to that possibility.

So we have Enoch, Elijah, Moses, the Blessed Virgin Mary – and maybe even Lazarus – his second time around – all being assumed into Heaven, by the awesome power of God.

That’s almost a bigger deal than finding the lost Ark!

Ann Barnhardt waxes theologically about the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Immaculate Conception, Jesus Christ, and the Assumption

There are two phases to Mary’s existence. The first phase was from the moment of her conception until the Annunciation, which is when Jesus was conceived in her womb. The second phase was from that moment of Jesus’ conception forward for all eternity. Each phase has its own physiological delight attached to it which required Mary to be a sinless vessel for Our Lord.

First, the pre-Annunciation period. As it has been discovered just within the last few decades, all baby girls have all of the eggs that are ever going to be in their ovaries fully formed not just at birth, but fairly early in their fetal development phase. Unlike men who are continuously producing new sperm, a woman’s eggs aren’t created and formed with each menstrual cycle. All that is happening during a cycle is that an egg, which has been fully formed in a woman’s body since she was a pre-born fetus, is released into the reproductive tract. What this means theologically is that the egg containing the 23 chromosomes that God would miraculously fertilize with 23 chromosomes that He miraculously supplied (including a Y chromosome) to become the Word Made Flesh, Jesus Christ, was physically present inside Mary’s body from the time that Mary was inside of her mother’s womb. That egg, and those chromosomes, that physical constituent of Our Blessed Lord was present inside of Mary’s body, waiting to be . . . if I may use the word . . . consecrated. The word consecrate, when broken into its Latin components means:

Con: With
Secr: Holy
Ate: Territory of a Ruler

And so, Mary was, from the time she was inside St. Anne’s womb, already carrying a portion of Our Lord’s physicality, namely 23 of His chromosomes. And thus Mary was, from her very beginning, already a proto-tabernacle, already the Ark of the New Covenant, carrying within her what would be consecrated into The Law Incarnate, The High Priest, and The Bread of Life – just like the Old Ark, except perfected and fully fulfilled as God Incarnate. And as we know from the book of Exodus, the Old Ark had to be “perfect”. And thus, the Ark of the New Covenant was TRULY perfect, except this perfection was a perfection that only God Himself could accomplish: the perfection of Mary, full of grace and thus saved from all sin, including Original Sin.

The second phase is actually broken into two sub-phases. The first sub-phase is when Mary was pregnant with Jesus and His entire body was inside of hers.

The second phase is that phase from the time of Jesus’ birth forward into all eternity. Jesus is STILL physically inside of Mary in a unique way. It was discovered just a few short years ago that immune cells pass from a pre-born child to the mother across the placenta. Not only do these immune cells, which are the child’s and thus carry the exclusive and complete DNA of the child, pass across the placenta, but they persist in the mother’s body for the rest of her life. A woman who has carried a son has immune cells with Y-chromosomes in her bloodstream that can now be filtered out of her blood and observed. Female children also pass cells to their mothers.

Thus, a woman truly does carry her children around inside of her, with their DNA coursing through her heart, for the rest of her life. That isn’t just a sentiment – it is a physiological fact.

Thus, Mary continued and continues to this day to be a perpetual, living physical tabernacle of her Son, as she carries cells with His DNA in her bloodstream. And so now we see why Mary was and had to be filled with grace and thus saved from the stain of sin from the moment of her conception eternally forward – because she was and is a perpetual Ark of the New Covenant.

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Editor’s note: This is good stuff!

Short, related slide show

Practical instruction on the Holy Rosary: How to pray it, what it means, what you can expect to obtain, more.

First, the history.  The Rosary was given by the Blessed Virgin herself to St. Dominic in ARSH 1214.  St. Dominic was having a terrible time combating heretics that were deeply embedded in the Church.  (D’oh!  Sound familiar??)  Long story short, she appeared to St. Dominic and told him what the Holy Trinity wanted done.  Her words were, “I want you to know that, in this kind of warfare, the battering ram has always been the Angelic Psalter which is the foundation stone of the New Testament. Therefore if you want to reach these hardened souls and win them over to God, preach my Psalter.”

The Angelic Salutation are the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary from Luke 1:28:  ”Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.”

The rest of the prayer then quotes the words of Mary’s cousin Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, upon Mary’s arrival at her home to be with her through her miraculous post-menopausal pregnancy in Luke 1:42:  ”Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”

The rest of the prayer asks Our Blessed Lord’s mother to pray for us to her Son now, and especially at the hour of our death.

Read more from Ann Barnhardt 

Must see: Extraordinary video provides truthful, common sense answers to some of the Bible’s most intriguing mysteries.

Watch the 11 minute video

No smoke. No mirrors. Just a simple, totally “orthodox” explanation of key Old and New Testament Scriptures and the divine connections between the Bible, Jesus, Mary, the Evangelists, the Early Church Fathers, the constant teachings of the Catholic Church, and the authentic beliefs and practices of the Christian faithful.

Most people have probably never heard, read, or seen this information before – but it’s all true and it’s all right there in the Bible, for anyone to plainly see.

Watch the 11 minute video

Additional study:

The Passion Behind the Passion – Chapter 11 (pages 107-123)  PDF Document

Blessed Virgin Mary (PowerPoint Slide show)

Legion of Mary

Submitted by Jola S.

Obvious conclusion: The Blessed Virgin Mary was a lot like Sister Joan Chittister and the LCWR.

The purpose of this column is not to parse what the bishop said about Mary on the Feast of the Assumption. I prefer instead to look at what he did not say about her because, it seems to me, what he left out of that homily says much about what is expected of women in the Catholic church.

For instance, Mary answers the angel’s declaration to her by questioning it. An angel! Someone of much higher rank, it would seem, than even apostolic delegates, and only then with a “Be-it-done-unto-me” response to a situation to which, apparently, “no” was a viable answer. Otherwise, why bother to have the conversation?

Even more important, perhaps, is the awareness that despite the seriousness — even the danger — of her situation, Mary did not go to any man — to the high priests of the temple, the local rabbi, her father or even Joseph — for directions about what to do next. She went to another woman for the wisdom she needed and followed that instead. No visitations here.

Link

Editor’s note: Since the Blessed Virgin Mary was full of grace from the moment of her conception, whatever Mary did and however she chose to do it would have been in complete conformity with God’s divine will.

The priest Zecharia was instantly made speechless when he dared question the angel Gabriel, yet  Mary’s immaculate state of grace led that same angel to humbly respond to all her queries – and then to wait patiently for her answer – so that according to the “yes” of a humble but sinless maiden of Judea, Salvation might finally be permitted to come into the world.

As the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the one who carried the Son of God in her blessed womb – first in the order of God’s grace – Mary would have had ready access to whatever wisdom and direction she needed – probably before she even knew it. She would also have been virtually invisible to the forces of evil – a spiritual “singularity” of which the evil ones could make absolutely no sense.

There were a number of very practical reasons for Mary’s visit to Elizabeth, but avoiding men (or “dissing” members of the hierarchy) likely had nothing to do with it. Bible prophecy was fulfilled, John the Baptist was baptized/anointed in-utero by the Holy Spirit, with Jesus attending – and Mary was able to safely maintain a low profile, until her wedding – and the subsequent birth of Jesus.

Despite her high level of education, Joan Chittister’s “twisted sister” mentality has once again led her to all the wrong conclusions, simply because she inordinately covets the things of men and lacks basic humility. Pity!

Related story

Tyler Flowers, catcher for the Chicago White Sox: I love praying the Rosary.

I love to pray rosaries, which are very Christ-centered. In fact, Jesus’ name is literally at the center of the Hail Mary. It’s been said that praying the rosary is learning about Jesus at the school of Mary.

When you consider what Jesus said about becoming like a little child in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, it’s easy to see the importance of placing ourselves at the feet of our spiritual mother, Mary.

Everyone knows it’s perfectly normal to see a child with his mother in the natural order, but the same is also true in the spiritual order: Children of God the Father need a mother, and they have one in Mary. When you become more devoted to Mary, you will inevitably become more devoted to Jesus in the Eucharist.

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Editor’s note: The Cubs could use a few guys like this.