~Tomorrow, on the fifteenth day of August, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven; or, as it is also called, Marymass. For this happy day, I am re-posting the following Assumption day entry. “Mary’s life on Earth drew to a close. Her eyes were fixed on Heaven. Her heart beat with affection for God; her face shone and a smile was ever on her lips. All at once her heart gave a start, and Mary flew to Heaven, to the embrace of her beloved.” ~Rev. James Alberione, S.S.P., from The Life of The Madonna in Art The Fr. Alberione quote was all I intended to post for Marymass, but I checked to see what Dom Prosper Gueranger (b. 1805- d. 1875) had written about it, and, as usual, his writing is rich and informative; therefore, I am posting a portion of Dom Prosper for those who have a bit more reading time. Following Dom Prosper, I included a small portion of the apostolic constitution Munificentissiumus Deus (1950), wherein Pope Pius XII declared the…
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Holy Mother, Hear Our Cries
Some times a song (a poem!) expresses that which Catholics feel for the Most Holy Blessed Virgin Mary, and the following song (see link) is an example of such a piece of music. It captures the traditional sentiments of love and trust that the Church has had, and we, her children, too, hold towards this good and loving Mother. “By means of the human nature Christ assumed from Mary, he became the Redeemer of men. Mary, carrying the Savior within her, also carried all those whose life was contained in the life of the Savior. Therefore, all the faithful united to Christ, are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones from the womb of Mary like a body united to its head.” ~ Pope St. Pius X (source) Mary is a mother who is always ready to help those who call upon her. She is singular in her purity and faithfulness, and no mother may compare to her. And, yes, we unashamedly call her name a thousand times. May you have a good day in June.…
An Encore for May, The Month of Mary
~This post is an encore from May of 2023, but its contents remain ever-true, because she to whom it is dedicated stands firm in her goodness, purity, and radiant love. This “she” is the Most Holy Blessed Virgin Mary, and Catholics around the world love her in unison with her Son, Christ Jesus. May God bless you all in May, the month of Mary. “The Child Christ lives on from generation to generation in the poets, very often the frailest of [mortals], but [mortals] whose frailty is redeemed by a child’s unworldliness, by a child’s delight in loveliness, by the spirit of wonder. Christ was a poet, and all through his life the Child remains perfect in him. It was the poet, the unworldly poet, who was king of the invisible kingdom; the priests and rulers could not understand that. The poets understand it, and they, too, are kings of the invisible kingdom, vassal kings of the Lord of Love, and their crowns are crowns of thorns indeed.” ~Caryll Houselander (b. 1901- d. 1954) We are into May, and what…
The Clement and Loving Mother, Mary
Today, I am going back to The Glories of Mary by St. Alphonsus Liguori. In the excerpt I am posting, the Marian saint speaks of the clemency of Mary and of her great charity. St. Alphonsus relates that: …. to our Lady’s great compassion for sinners, St. Bernard calls her the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey. And St. Leo tells us that, when he looks at her, he no longer sees God’s justice but only His mercy, for Mary is full of the mercy of God. She is like a fair olive tree in the field (Sir 24: 14). Only oil (a symbol of mercy) is extracted from the olive; only grace and mercy flow from the hands of Mary… And what safer refuge can we find than the compassionate heart of Mary? There the poor find a home, the sick a cure, the afflicted consolation, the doubtful counsel, and the abandoned help. We would be poorly off indeed if we had no Mother of Mercy to attend to us all the time and relieve us in our needs. Where there is no woman,…
Candlemas 2024
“Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence.”–Saint Francis de Sales Today, on the feast of Candlemas, I am re-posting a poem in which the English Catholic writer Gilbert Keith Chesterton (b. 1874- d. 1936) professed his love of, and need for, the Blessed Virgin Mary. The poem is titled Confessional, and it is quite beautiful. The last line strikes a poignant chord as Chesterton confesses that his heart is a heavy load to bear. At the conclusion of the poem, the reader is left with a sense that Chesterton had made a heartfelt and childlike entreaty to Our Lady that she might assist him in bearing the load of his heart (paraphrase GKC). This poem expresses the essence of Catholic devotion to Our Lady: giving oneself to Jesus through the Blessed Virgin Mary, and subsequently trusting in Our Lady’s loving (maternal) care. For more on Candlemas, you might read here, here, and here. May you have a good Candlemas day 2024. ~SCF Confessional by G.K. Chesterton Now that I…