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Mary, Our Blessed Mother & Ukraine

Why is October 14th important?

“What is the warning of Fatima?”

“In the second, she warned that World War I would be followed by a far worse conflict unless people stopped “offending God.” She called for the “consecration of Russia to my immaculate heart”; otherwise, Russia would “spread her errors throughout the world.”-Google.com

Today, October 14, is often referred to as “Feast of Intercession and the Protection of the Theotokos”, (Mary, our Blessed Mother). In Ukraine it is a public holiday. And indeed, Ukrainian soldiers and veterans have a very special relationship with Mary! A soldier in the current Ukraine war was even seen with a drawing of Mary taped to the back of his helmet.

Why do many Ukrainians celebrate Mary on this day? Dating back to the 10th century, to a church in Constantinople, many have long considered Mary, our Blessed Mother, their Protector. “Around a century later, in 1037, Yaroslav the Wise, the Grand Prince of Kyiv, dedicated Ukraine to Mary.” Since then, Mary has been celebrated as the Queen of Ukraine!

Praying the Rosary for the Ukraine is a true Gift to give in these hard times. Letting them know that we are Praying The Rosary for them is a true Gift as well 🙂

The Rosary Is A Place :)

Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel once said, “The Rosary is a Place”.

And it is. A very comforting and wonderful place. 🙂

When praying the Rosary I saw the most beautiful garden filled with Amazing flowers. Each more beautiful than the last.

I heard Mary, our Blessed Mother, say “Don’t forget how you got here, Pray the Rosary”!

Mary, Our Blessed Mother :)

Mary is so crucial in Christ’s story. Mary never claimed that importance herself, but it’s there. She raised Him, She encouraged Him, Her love strengthened Him and She suffered with Him. She stood at the” Crossroads of History” with Him and walked the road with Him-all the way to the end ?

As for Jesus, He loved His Mother just like any other child does. As a little boy He carried water for Her in Egypt and helped Her with the household chores. (Yes, they had them even back then ?).

When Jesus received a boo-boo, it was Mary who bandaged it and kissed it better. It was Mary who carried Him on the long road to Egypt and who played with Him and raised Him, and He loved her. As He grew, she prayed with him and taught Him many of life’s lessons. And just like most sons, there is not much that He would not do for Her, because He loves Her.

Jesus IS God, but He was also human. He loved Mary with a son’s love and God’s Love. God’s Will always came first, His mission of Salvation always came first, but His love for His Mother Mary came as a close second, for the love a son has for him mother is incredibly special ?

For Mary, the responsibility to raise Jesus well was huge! Can you imagine being so young and raising the Savior of the world? She knew He had come to Save the world. She knew He was special to God and always would be. And yet, as much as She sought to raise Him in a way that was pleasing to God, She also loved Him as any mother loves her son. She carried Him for hours each day; she nursed him, and kept him close always. She taught him to walk, to play, to eat…And when He suffered so, She stood by His Cross with Him and offered what comfort she could. And after He died and rose again, She was a constant friend to the Apostles and a great resource for the early Church.

Asking Mary to pray for us is a privilege. And one we have because She loves us with a Mother’s Love too! Not asking Mary to Pray for us is to miss out on Her help, which we will greatly need in the days to come.

How Blessed are we to have Her ?

Mary, Christ’s Mother

There is one thing that the children, both at our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima, shared in common: They prayed the Rosary 🙂

Many have heard of the appearance of Mary at Lourdes. Many have visited Lourdes and have been healed. In 1858, Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette 18 times and thousands came along Saint Bernadette. People from all over the world still visit Lourdes and pray for healing of all kinds, and many are miraculously healed!

Written about less, is the shepherds nearby who saw a ray of light that led them to a statue of Mary. And Mary’s appearance in the 16th century. Mary appeared to Angleze de Sagazan. She was very, very poor and uneducated. But she was also very doubt and loved our Lord very much! Miraculously, “abudant” food was provided. A chapel was built and people were healed. One message that Mary gave was, “Do not forget to Thank God for His Blessings!” A message we still work on today 🙂

There is something else we learn, if God does not want something moved, it will not be moved!

But what can we learn today from Mary’s visit to Lourdes? There are so many lessons to be learned from Mary’s appearance in Lourdes. We learn that our Father is still in the business of granting Miracles, and we are reminded to Thank God for His Blessings! Our Father does indeed answer prayers and provides for us :). God still heals the sick, whether that is a physical sickness or a sickness of the heart :).

But we also learn that those who Follow Christ often face opposition and disbelief, but the price is infinitely worth it 🙂

We learn that Mary is kind, gracious and loving. She is constant in her prayers to God for sinners. And in her reminder for the need for Pennance!

And we are reminded one again that Mary loves us with a Mother’s Love, and can pray for us if we ask Her to 🙂

There is one thing that the children, at both our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima, shared in common. They prayed the Rosary. I do to, and it has helped to greatly deepen my faith, for which I am very grateful for. Praying the Rosary can help us all 🙂

Happy Mother’s Day Mary :)

I often think of Mary with awe! Although we often talk of Jesus’ sacrifice, we don’t talk of Mary’s nearly enough.

As a Mom, I can’t even imagine the horror and pain she endured watching her Son dying on that Cross. A million thoughts must have raced through her mind and heart. That she didn’t simply collapse is a testament to her courage and faith, her love for Jesus, as well as our Father’s strength and the Holy Spirit’s Comfort. It’s was a miracle in and of itself!

Personally, I know I would have collapsed. Just as I know I would have begged our Father not to allow my Son to die, especially in such a horrific way. But that was not Jesus’ Will. He came to save us from our sin, no matter the cost. Instead, Mary gave Jesus what He needed most, Her love and strength, and Her faith in our Father’s Will. Mary trusted our Father. She knew God’s ways were, and are, “higher than our ways”. And I am sure she prayed for Him! For Mary knew just how important prayer was and is!

Mary gave God Her all and trusted God with the outcome…

As a Mom, the sheer horror of watching my Son crucified would have broken me, but it didn’t break Mary. Because Her love for Jesus and our Father was that pure and that strong. And that love helped Her to overcome all. And for that alone, I will always be grateful to Mary. Just as I will always hope to be more like her!

Too often, modern day churches seem to argue about Mary’s role in the “church”. But the truth is – there really is no need for we are all the “church”

Mary was Jesus’ Mother and one of the best role models we will ever have. By Her sacrifice alone, she has not only proven Her love for our Father, His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, but for each of us as well.

And Jesus loves Mary so very much too, as only a Son can love His Mother.

As for the confusion of “praying to Our Blessed Mother Mary”. It is not that we are “praying to Mary”, but rather we are asking Mary to pray for us! And why would we not?

Mary is in Heaven with God and I talk with her every day! Sometimes simply to thank Her for all she sacrificed for us. And sometimes to ask her to pray for me or others. And I know she does, because She loves each of us.

Mary has enriched my faith and brought me great joy and peace! She can do the same for you. Happy Mother’s Day Mary, and thank you!?

Mary, Jesus’ Mother :)

When I think of Mary, I am always awed by her courage and strength and how much she loved Jesus! To stand as the foot of the Cross to offer what comfort she could, how she must also have suffered watching her beloved So ! And yet she, just a young girl herself, did it ! I don’t think I could have. I would have wanted to, but I don’t think I would have that faith and that strength!

Often we hear people dispute whether or not we should pray “to” Mary. But isn’t the real question, should we ask Mary to pray for us? After all we ask our family and friends to pray for us, why wouldn’t we ask Jesus’ Mother, beloved and chosen by God Himself, to pray for us? She was te bravest and strongest woman I have ever heard of, and loved more and better than I could ever imagine doing myself. And Mary’s faith was amazing!

I ask Mary to pray for me all the time, and am grateful for her amazing example of what a mother’s love should look like 🙂

Surely asking Mary to pray for us can only help us 🙂

I love Mary, and I am grateful for her prayers for me !

Can Mary Help Us? Yes!

Personally, I can’t tell you how much praying the Rosary has helped my Faith to grow. And when I talk with Mary after, I thank her not only for helping my faith to grow, but for allowing me to pray the Rosary!

Mary always points the way to her Son, Jesus. And Mary loves us like a Mother does. And because Mary was human; she truly understands how we feel and why we feel the way we do. She understands why we worry about family members and those we love, because she did too! She was very close to God, but she was human too!

She understands how life can be busy, because her’s was too!

And because she was so very obedient to God, she understands our desire to obey God as well!

And like any loving mother does, she warned us when we were headed for trouble. In both her appearance in Lourde and Fatima, and in Her appearance in Ecuador (Our Lady of Good Success)-Mary warned us of what would happen to our world if we did not turn back to God. She loves us and does not want us to suffer!

Can you imagine how difficult it must have been for Mary, a young girl, to have Jesus in a Manger? For many of us, we can well imagine just how difficult it would be to have a baby in a barn! There were no epidurals then, or any other pain relief! And she was so young!

Or how about Her flight to Egypt? Physically, that had to be so difficult. Being a Mom in today’s world is challenge enough, being Jesus’ Mom in yesterday’s world had to be truly difficult and more than we could even comprehend, much less do!

So when we ask her to pray for us, we can ask that we will grow in our faith and obedience, that we will be better mothers, that we will leave fear behind in favor of trusting God-Because Mary gets it – because She lived it :).

And because Mary loves us, She prays for us-always!

Thanking Mary October 7th: Our Lady Of The Rosary

Praying the Rosary has helped my faith to deepen and grow immeasurably. And I am deeply grateful to Mary that this is so. Just as I am deeply grateful for The Rosary :)

On October the 7^th, we honor Mary and The Rosary.

How did The Rosary begin? In 1208 The Rosary was given to St. Dominic by Mary in the Church of Prouille (France). The original Rosary had 15 decades. Each decade had an Our Father, followed by ten Hail Marys and a Glory Be To God at the end. People who said the Rosary used Prayer Beads, Rosaries, their fingers…To learn more about the Biblical basis for The Rosary, please visit Dayton University : https://udayton.edu/imri/mary/r/rosary-biblical-basis.php

There has been some controversy surrounding The Rosary, with Catholics honoring The Rosary and some Protestants saying it’s wrong. However, in recent years, many Protestants have adopted The Rosary as well.

Some of the Protestants who object to praying The Rosary site reasons such as “only Jesus is God”, but asking Mary to Pray for us is not treating Her as a God, but rather we are just asking someone very close to God to pray for us. We miss a very real opportunity to strengthen our faith when we fail to ask Mary to Pray for us ?

As for Jesus loving Mary, many of us are mothers, and many of us have sons. And our sons love us so much and we love them! Does anyone really think that Jesus did not love His mother at least as much as our sons love us?

There is another thought we might want to consider. Everything that Mary did and does – points the to the way to Jesus. Even the mysteries of the Rosary are really about the important life events of Jesus. And when we pray The Rosary, we get to meditate on Christ’s Life. Could there be anything better?

Mary loves us as a mother loves her children, as we love our children. Only more! And better! Our journey is a difficult one, we need all the Help and Love we can get!

Thank You Mary, for giving us The Rosary 🙂

The Prophecies of our Lady of Good Success – Hope Lives :)

During the 15^th and 16^th centuries, our Blessed Mother Mary appeared in Ecuador to a little known Spanish nun. She gave her both a warning for the future and hope. Mary predicted a “spiritual catastrophe” would occur in the Catholic church, beginning sometime after the mid 1900s.

One thing that Mary shared was that many would be unable to receive the Sacraments (Holy Communion, Confession, Baptism….). And has this not occurred due to Covid? While Walmart was deemed essential, church was not!

Mary also warned that the Sacrament of Marriage would be attacked. And has it not been? Less and less young people are getting married. Gay Marriage seems to be the law of the land, despite it being clearly displeasing to God! And in spite of the fact that during the Sacrament of Marriage we pledge before God to love another person until death due us part, divorce has grown by leaps and bounds. Does God forgive, of course. God forgives all those who truly repent through His Son Jesus Christ. But the increase of men and women breaking the vow that they made before God is concerning.

There will, for a variety of reasons, be a decrease in Priestly and Religious Vocations. And that’s important, for who will teach and continue the faith?

Many of the sick will not receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction. In other Christian churches, this is simply called a Prayer for the Sick. And it’s important. For those prayers can sometimes bring healing and always bring comfort.

Mary also told us that priests who truly serve the Lord will be attacked. Both priests and ministers who truly serve the Lord are being attacked daily. And their message, found in God’s Word is under attack as well.

Mary also said that many of the Faithful will be blinded. Truly unable to see what is happening around them and truly unable to see what God requires of them! Will they be lost?

Even more people will fall into sin! Too many will pick and choose among God’s Word, seeking to justify their sinful choices, but there will be no justification before God!

“Widespread moral corruption, Profanation of the Sacrament of Matrimony, Depraved Priests, Unbridled lust, Loss of Innocence and Lack of Priestly and Religious vocations” are just a few of the evils which will happen.

But when evil finally seems to triumph over all, when all seems lost, Complete Restoration of the Church will begin and the Church will finally reawaken. Because God Loves us 🙂

We need to pray daily, both for the courage we will need and that our faith will grow – despite the difficult challenges we face . And God WILL answer 🙂

Thank you, Mary!

The Assumption of Mary

The Assumption of Mary is celebrated by many Christian churches through out the world, especially Catholic Churches. It is a national holiday in many countries such as Italy, Spain, Belgium, Guatemala, Lebanon, Poland, and many more…

It’s a major celebration in countries such as Russia, Ireland, Mexico…

The Assumption of Mary is defined differently by different groups. The Catholic Church teaches that:

“having completed the course of her earthly life”, leaves open the question of whether the Virgin Mary died before her assumption or not. Mary’s assumption is said to have been a divine gift to her as the ‘Mother of God’.

I could see our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit giving Mary a “divine gift” 🙂

Catholics and Protestants have long differed on the question of the Assumption of Mary, but we are all Followers of Christ. And with so many attacking Christians through out the world, division is one thing we can not afford!

Mary has been called the “Queen of Heaven”, and She is. She always will be ?. And Jesus loved her in a special way. How could He not? After all, Mary was His Mother, chosen by God Himself, and Jesus was both human and divine. It is entirely believable that when Mary’s work here on earth was done, Jesus gave her a special gift. Just as we know that the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit were so happy when She came Home to Heaven. Just as we know that all of Heaven Heaven rejoiced upon her arrival.

Mary is Jesus’ Mother. And without Jesus, there would be no reconciliation with God and we would not be going to Heaven. That She willingly suffered so much on Jesus’ behalf and ours is without dispute. I personally can’t even imagine having Mary’s faith and strength and I will always be extraordinarily grateful to Her. Her example is a shining light for all of us and Her love for us is without question.

Catholic and Protestant churches may differ on the Assumption of Mary, but one thing we can all agree on is that Mary sacrificed greatly both for Jesus and for us. She loved Jesus and she loved us. And She is deserving of both our gratitude and love-always!

There’s a saying “in things we agree, unity” and in” things we disagree, charity”, for the ultimate source of truth on this earth will always be God’s Word.

Mary was a Great Gift both to Jesus and to all of us! She loves us all! And that we can agree upon 🙂