Tag: Mary
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A Mother’s Love: Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church
Acts 1:12-14; John 19:25-34 If my mother said one thing to me consistently from the time I can remember, it was that she loved me. She said it all the time. When she felt the need to go beyond that, she’d say, “You will never know how much I love you until you have children […]
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A Fragrant Aroma: Monday of Holy Week
John 12:1-8 Awhile after my father died, my mother asked if I would help her sort out his things. As I took some clothes out of his dresser it struck me; they still smelled like him. It was as if my father was right there. It took me several minutes to regain my composure. Scientists […]
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Mother and Baby: The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord
Isaiah 7:10-14; 8:10; Psalm 40:7-11; Hebrews 10:4-10; Luke 1:26-38 Everyone knows the bond between a mother and her baby is special and that there is nothing in the world quite like it. But recently I came across some research that taught me things about it I didn’t know and that gave me new perspectives on […]
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Holy and Immaculate: Memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes
Isaiah 66:10-14c; John 2:1-11 Between 1830 and 1858 the Blessed Mother made three separate visits to France. First in Paris to Sr. Catherine Laboure, whence came the Miraculous Medal and the prayer, “Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Next she appeared to two shepherd children near La Salette in […]
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Living Stones: The Feast of the Holy Family
Sirach 3:2-6, 12-14; Colossians 3:12-17; Matthew 2:13-15,19-23 Recently on Catholic radio I heard of a church called the basilica of the Holy Family. It stands in downtown Barcelona and, from the images I’ve seen, is as breathtaking as it is hard to describe. I urge you to look up the pictures and videos online and […]
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The Three Consolations: Thursday of the 3rd Week of Advent
Judges 13:2-7, 24-25a; Luke 1:5-25 I remember once years ago sitting with my mother, watching TV. The shows were full of young people and I jokingly remarked, “I guess no one over 40 can be on TV.” Mom saw no humor in it; she replied, “Our society has no use for us older people, especially […]
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Our Mother, Clothed With the Sun: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Revelation 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab; Luke 1:39-47 The book of Revelation is apocalyptic literature. This was a genre used in and around the time of Christ. It is overloaded with rich and mystical symbolism; a single image may represent multiple things. Further, the imagery can be violent and warlike, even though its ultimate message is one […]
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Mother and Disciple: The Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Zechariah 2:14-17; Matthew 12:46-50 We may hear today’s gospel and wonder how any son could treat his mother like that, let alone the Son of God. Hearing that his mother is outside he doesn’t stop speaking and invite her in; rather, he uses her appearance to make the point that everyone who does the will […]
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The Hope of Happiness: Saturday of the 27th Week in Ordinary Time
Joel 4:12-21; Luke 11:27-28 In the reading from the prophet Joel, God vanquishes the enemies of Judah and the land produces in overflowing abundance. As the earlier chapters of this book make clear, a famine brought on by a plague of locusts had ravaged the land, both city and countryside. The images offered by Joel […]
Mark 10:45 