Category Archives: Blessed Virgin Mary

Lenten Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows: Day 6

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Day 6 (Monday)

The Piercing of the Side of Christ

Typically, the Sixth Sorrow in the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows is “Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross,” but seven mysteries leave two open ones for a nine day novena. So, Jesus being removed from the Cross and placed into the arms of His Mother is tomorrow’s post.

What happened when St. Longinus threw the spear that pierced the side of Jesus? Blood and water flowed out. Blood, symbolizing the Eucharist, and Water, symbolizing Baptism. This has been the Church’s understanding since the beginning, and this has especially been emphasized in the Divine Mercy image.

Kazimirowski Eugeniusz, Divine Mercy, 1934.

Attribution: By Eugeniusz Kazimirowski – cisza2.krakow.dominikanie.pl, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9049047

Blood and Water, the Eucharist and Baptism, are the life of souls. Without Baptism, we are not members of the Mystical Body of Christ and will never be admitted into the Beatific Vision after our death. The Eucharist is Bread for the Journey, the waybread that strengthens us as we Trudge our Road of Happy Destiny.

What must have gone through Mary’s heart and soul as she witnessed this additional indignity committed against her Son? Seeing Him lifeless upon the gibbet of the Cross, bearing the wounds of the scourging and the Cross itself; and now this! His Sacred Heart was opened unto us when He perished on the Cross, and the Sacraments were empowered by His Death and the piercing of His side. And with all this:, now her Sorrowful Heart and His Sacred Heart are united in pain and suffering. Her Sorrowful Heart is united with the Heart that beats with a pure, absolute love for Humanity. What a wonderful component to add to our Sacred Heart devotion: Mary’s sorrow added to our reparative work for our’s and other’s sins.

Now ponder the next verse in the Stabat Mater:

Holy Mother! pierce me through;
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour crucified:
Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all my sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

(Stabat Mater)

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Lenten Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows Day 4

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Day 4 (Saturday)

Jesus Meets His Afflicted Mother

The sorrow of a mother upon seeing her son treated the way Jesus was; from His arrest and conviction, during which He had to endure unspeakable humiliations including torture… His Mother Mary witnessed it all. Now she sees Him carrying His cross on the way to His execution for crimes he was innocent of, all to redeem us from our sins.

Perhaps your own mother witnessed your own descent into abuse of alcohol or drugs; little could she do to stop it, or perhaps she did try hard, but you rejected the help, preferring the god of your choice. While Jesus did not deserve what happened to Him, you did, as it was your choice to pick up the drink or the drug, little realizing what genetic or environmental combinations “made you different” so that it ended up destroying you (or very close to.)

Mom was there. Not your Earthly mother, but your Heavenly one. Our Lady looks after her children whether or not they are paying her any heed. Maybe when you were a little child you were taught to say the Hail Mary three times before bedtime for protection from mortal sin. Momma Mary remembered. Perhaps you were taught the rosary and you prayed it for a while until other things took you away. Momma Mary remembered. Finally, one day, when you were at your bottom, you “met your own afflicted mother,” and Momma Mary pointed to Jesus. Somehow you knew, you cried out the Jesus and He answered. 

Watch for Mary pointing you to someone. Listen for Jesus calling you to help another. 

OU SSHO 16-001.

Bruis’d, derided, curs’d, defil’d,
She beheld her tender Child
All with bloody scourges rent;
For the sins of his own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His Spirit forth He sent.
(Stabat Mater)

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Lenten Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows: Day 2

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Day 2 (Thursday)

The Flight into Egypt

Joseph is told in a dream to take Mary and the Child Jesus and flee to Egypt to protect the babe’s life as Herod is killing all the young male children in the region around Bethlehem. Herod is in a jealous rage that there may be a king to rival him. That this “rival” king is the Messiah and if Herod humbled himself to worship the Messiah, he would likely go down in history as perhaps one of the greatest kings ever, never occurred to him. Instead, he becomes a symbol for all tyrannical leaders, be they monarchs or republican despots, who rule through fear and terror. Furthermore, he is the prefiguring of all those politicians of any stripe who advocate for abortion and infanticide (i.e. ‘partial birth abortion’) as well as those who enact domestic policies that drive their citizens and subjects far from their homeland to become refugees and migrants. And yes, Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were refugees and migrants as they had to flee their native province to a foreign one. Right-wing excusers for unjust immigration policies try to argue that they were not, on the silly basis that Palestine and Egypt were both parts of the Roman Empire. If that mattered, then why flee? Palestine was their homeland, Jesus’ life was threatened and they literally migrated to some land not their own for refuge. Otherwise, these same people hide behind the law as an excuse to support unjust immigration policies (“But they’re illegal aliens! They’re breaking the law!”) Hiding behind the law as an excuse to enable sin is only several degrees less than concentration camp prison guards citing “We were only following orders!” when accused of crimes against humanity. It didn’t work then; it shouldn’t work now. 

The points to ponder and meditate on are the fear and anxiety that permeates everyone’s lives today over the current global and domestic situation (“domestic” as in whatever country you may be reading this) as well as how Mary, herself, coped with it back then. Her “fiat” wasn’t just about accepting the fact that she was to be the Mother of the Messiah, she continually gave her “fiat” in every instance of her life. Her will was always God’s will, as St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe always taught.

Flight into egypt 768x512.

Children’s lives are threatened at every age and in many ways. From being murdered in the womb to shameless infanticide, and through pedophilia crimes that gets ignored if you’re wealthy and powerful enough. If that’s not enough, there’s the increasing sexualization of young people by pop culture. We can pray today and for the rest of Lent for the elimination of these grave crimes. 

There is plenty to be anxious and fearful in these turbulent times. Meditate on Mary’s fiat, and on your own trust in Divine Providence.

Oh, how sad and sore distress’d
Was that Mother highly blest
Of the sole-begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs;
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying glorious Son.

(Stabat Mater)

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Lenten Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows: Day 1

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There is an old, pre-1969 Catholic devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. Prior to the revision of the liturgical calendar in 1969, the Friday after Passion Sunday was known as the Feast of the Seven Dolors/Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows. (It’s confusing as this is now the Fifth Sunday of Lent and it gets more confusing as the next Sunday is Palm Sunday with its Passion readings.) Since this Feast of Our Lady essentially duplicated the September 15th Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, it was deleted from the calendar in 1970. (I think it was a mistake to do this, but I was only six at the time and no one bothered to ask me.)

There was also a Novena as a part of this old liturgical date; I learned of it from an old prayerbook from 1953 entitled, “Mary, My Hope,” by Fr. Lawrence Lovasik. (There is an updated, post-Vatican II version released, I think, in the 1970s.) 

Since Our Lady told St. Bridget of Sweden that…

“I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.”

… and since I really, really, really, want to skip Purgatory, I am going to “propagate this devotion” by posting every day from today through next Thursday, the Vigil of the deprecated feast, a short novena to Our Lady of Sorrows. (I only have nine previous posts on the Sorrowful Mother! I’d better get bloggin’!) Each day is based on one of her Sorrows. It’s not much, more like just some things for you to ponder.

Our Lady of Sorrows 1.
Here it goes:

Today: Day 1 (Wednesday)

The Prophecy of Simeon

We first learn of the sorrowful path Our Mother will trod during her life when we read of when she and St. Joseph took the Child Jesus to the Temple for the ritual presentation of the first born. St. Simeon saw the Christ Child and through the Holy Spirit was informed He is the Messiah. Simeon was promised that he would not die until he saw him. He did, and he approached Mary and Joseph and taking the babe in his arms, uttered the “Nunc Dimmittis,” which forms a part of the Church’s Night Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours.

“Now, Master, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and glory for your people Israel.”

Luke 2:29-32 Courtesy: USCCB

Continuing on, St. Simeon tells Mary:

“Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” (Luke 2:34-35)

The points for you to ponder and meditate of are Mary’s foreknowledge of the suffering she (and Jesus) will endure and how she bore it throughout her life; and how Our Lady accepts this sorrow before it happens. Lent is a very appropriate time to think about these things…

Although the Scripture passages don’t mention this, it is likely that Simeon’s prophecy was among those things Our Lady kept in her heart and pondered during her life. So, this will be a further reminder about the contemplative dimension of Catholic prayer life: there is action (a good, especially the works of mercy) but there also is prayer, another good: that quiet prayer when you dwell within your soul and touch God who dwells there.

At the Cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last:

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,
All his bitter anguish bearing,
now at length the sword has pass’d.

(Stabat Mater)

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The LORD looks into the heart

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This excerpt from the First Reading for the Mass of the Fourth Sunday of Lent is taken from 1 Samueal 16:7.

Not as man sees does God see, 
because man sees the appearance 
but the LORD looks into the heart.”

Courtesy: USCCB

I just love this. People habitually see just the exterior: a person’s race, gender, economic status, health. But God sees the whole person, and He knows the underlying causes for the exterior appearances judged by others. 

It’s shame that people cannot do similar; while we can never see into the heart of someone, we can look at other people and not just see them as typical representatives of their race or gender; or we can choose to not see them as an objective thing to use or judge or disregard.

This is a common theme in my book, Building a Civilization of Love: a Call to Creative Catholics:

 

 

Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics is a call to arms, or rather, a call to pens, paintbrushes, and video cameras, for creative Catholics to take up St. Maximilian Maria Kolbe’s call to infiltrate pop culture and help alleviate the ills that pervade contemporary society. St. Maximilian saw back in the 1920s how the use of cinema, radio, and mass-market books was corrupting society. He thought that those same tools could be used as a countercultural force to overcome this corruption.

Furthermore, it explains through the example of three critical apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Guadalupe, Lourdes, and Fatima how she herself suggested strategies and alternatives to the dehumanizing and increasingly pagan contemporary culture we have today.

Building a Civilization of Love: A Call to Creative Catholics concludes by showing how the Catholic Faith can be used to provide a road map out of our current morass and a blueprint to build a more just and fair society constructed according to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy and other elements of traditional Catholic Social Teachings.

“Chapter III: Following Mary’s Example” dives into this.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

Living the Message of Lourdes

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Reblogged from last year:
Tomorrow is the Feast Day of Our Lady  of  Lourdes, commemorating the first apparition Our Lady to a young sheperdess, St. Bernadette Soubirous, in this date in Lourdes, France, 1858. You can learn all about it here: The official website of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes as well as: Lourdes Sanctuary.

Given the significance of this Apparition to us alcoholics and addicts (recovered or not) I wrote an entire chapter on it in  “The Sober Catholic Way.” 

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From Chapter XVI: “Live the Message of Lourdes:”

How is the Apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes related to the Sober Catholic Way? We are sick people, regardless of the length of our sobriety. Our Lady of Lourdes is our special channel of healing graces. Jesus is the Divine Physician and He works through His Mother at Lourdes.

Furthermore, Our Lady told Bernadette several times about the need for penance. This strikes at the heart of who we are. For we have hurt and damaged others through the sins we committed against them during our active years of addiction. Penance is something we desperately need.

Therefore:

We should also willingly “take up our Crosses” and accept those trials, troubles, and tribulations that come into our lives every day and offer them up in reparation for our sins and those of others.

You could rephrase a part of that in Twelve Step language as a type of ‘making amends.’

And one last thing: it’s OUR FEAST DAY, TOO!!

Pope St. John Paul II had declared February 11th as the “World Day of the Sick,” a special day for healing Masses and prayers for anyone suffering from any illness, malady, or disability. It’s our feast day!

Donations to support my work are appreciated!

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Hail Mary as a Christocentric meditation

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I was engaged in a debate on the r/catholicism subreddit regarding the propriety of the Hail Mary prayer, the Rosary, and devotion to Mary at all; since the poster felt it took away from reverence or attention properly due the Father and Jesus; and that we should just focus on saying the our Father, ‘as Jesus taught us.’ The poster felt that the Hail Mary wasn’t enough about Jesus and the Father.

 

While praying my daily Rosary I thought of another counterpoint to make to the poster, and felt that it would make a good post for Sober Catholic. It’s kind of like a meditation on the Hail Mary, with a Christocentric/Patercentric appeal. To make it obvious, I use all caps whenever God makes an appearance in the Hail Mary.

 

Hail Mary, Full of Grace (Mary is ‘full of grace’ only because she had to be so that the HOLY SPIRIT can overshadow her so as to conceive JESUS.)

the Lord is with you. (Who else is this referring to, but JESUS?)

Blessed are you among women; (She is only ‘blessed’ because she will be the Mother of GOD, a/k/a JESUS.)

and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. (There is that JESUS person, again!)

 

Holy Mary, Mother of God; (JESUS, anyone!)

pray for us sinners, (Why are we sinners? Because we turned away from JESUS, who, if you read especially the Gospel of John, came to do the will of the FATHER. ‘Sin’ is when our actions are contrary to GOD’S will, pr when we abuse the natural gifts given to us by GOD.)

now, and at the Hour of our Death,

AMEN

 

Mary is referenced 6 times, while the Trinity is referenced or implied 8 times, as I count them. Now, multiply that by the number of beads on the Rosary. 

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You can see that the focus of the Hail Mary is less on Mary, but more of the Father and Jesus; it forms a perfect complement to the Our Father, thus making the Rosary an ideal form of devotion to the Father.

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

LAST MINUTE NOVENA ANNOUNCEMENT! Novena to Mary, Undoer of Knots, Dec 23-31

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I was scrolling past some YouTube “suggested channels” when I stumbled across the Divine Mercy For America Channel. I love the Divine Mercy devotion; it literally saved my life. Anyway, the channel announced that they will have their annual Mary, Undoer of Knots Novena. It seems to be an annual thing for them. (I must have missed this in the past.)

I might have written about the Undoer of Knots devotion in the past but I’m in a hurry to get this out so I’ll look for previous posts later. 

The Divine Mercy for America folks say that this annual year-end tradition (Dec 23-31!!) is great for clearing out the gunk from the past year (my words, not theirs, but the idea is the same. You can listen to them here: Join the Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots, Words on Screen, Dec 23 to Dec 31, Divine Mercy for America. (It’s the same link as the one posted in the “channel announced…”)

Here’s a screenshot of the video’s thumbnail:

 

Here are links to all nine days (the links should work, if not, just go to the link in the Join the. sentence above):

Day 1 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Struggling Marriages

Day 2 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for those Struggling with Addictions

Day 3 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Our Pastors

Day 4 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Our Bishops.

Day 5 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for the Poor.

Day 6 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Those Who Do Not Believe in God

Day 7 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Christians Outside the Catholic Church

Day8 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Our Holy Father the Pope

Day9 Novena to Mary Undoer of Knots – Praying for Our Personal Intentions

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

On Mary as Mediatrix of All Graces

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More thoughts on Mater Populi Fidelis. No one asked, but this is my blog so pfthpfth.

Jesus is the sole Redeemer and Mediator of all Humankind.

Mary, under her titles of co-Redeemer (Redemptrix) and co-Mediator (Mediatrix) is still a member of humanity; she is not a god, or demi-god. There’s God the Father, then, Jesus as the sole Mediator and Redeemer; and then, at the pinnacle of the human pile, Mary. She is not in any external position between humanity and Jesus.

By virtue of her Immaculate Conception is the most perfect and exalted member of humanity and because of that, she leads us to Jesus. What else can she do? That is how her Redemptrix and Mediatrix attributes (for lack of a better term) are worked out. She leads us to Jesus and intercedes for us with Him.

Although I still like that document, I wish the author’s perspective was more like that. It wouldn’t fundamentally change the document, but it might have stepped on fewer conservative/traditionalist toes and also might have set up the conditions that would enable a future Pope to formally declare Mary as Co-Redeemer and Co-Mediatrix as the final Marian dogma. Coming from the perspective I described above, it would have encouraged further thinking and discussion, leading towards greater acceptance of the dogma. 

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)

The Hour of Grace, December 8th, Noon to 1PM local time

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This is from an approved apparition (see: Green light for devotion to Our Lady Mystical Rose, plus, you can just look up stuff yourself on Our Lady of the Mystical Rose/Mary, Mystical Rose/Our Lady of Montichiari/ or the seer Pierina Gilli)

Image courtesy: Luisa Piccarreta

The Hour Of Grace is on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

From 12 Noon To 1 PM, (your local time, so this should cover the Earth with graces for a 24 hour period.)

THE REQUEST OF OUR BLESSED MOTHER FOR THE HOUR OF GRACE:

1. The Hour of Grace is to be one full hour of prayer, beginning at 12:00 Noon and continuing until 1:00 PM, on December 8th, Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

2. During this hour, the person making the “Hour of Grace” either at home, church, the grotto, must put away all distractions (do not answer the phones or answer any doors or do anything but totally concentrate on your union with God during this special Hour of Grace).

3. Begin the Hour of Grace by praying Psalm 51 three times with out-stretched arms.

4. The rest of the Hour of Grace may be spent in silent communication with God meditating upon the Passion of Jesus, saying the Holy Rosary, Precious Blood Chaplet, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Chaplet of St. Michael, Sorrowful Mother Chaplet, etc.

The Blessed Virgin has requested that Her important message be sent throughout the entire world. Please help Her Mission: “that all souls be drawn to God and that Jesus will be loved in every heart.”

If the children cannot recite Psalm 51 between 12 noon and 1:00 p.m., because they may be in school, say it in the evening as a family.

The Blessed Virgin Mary promised that whatever a person asked Her for during this Hour of Grace (even in impossible cases) would be granted to them, in accordance with the Will of the Eternal Father.

Here’s more info on the Devotion to Mary, Mystical Rose: Devotions to honor Our Lady, the Mystical Rose

I have a new book! "The Sober Catholic Way" is a handbook on how anyone can live a sober life, drawn from over 17 years of SoberCatholic posts! It's out now on "Amazon," "Apple Books," "B&N" and and others!"!

My two other books are still available! "The Stations of the Cross for Alcoholics" and "The Recovery Rosary: Reflections for Alcoholics and Addicts" (Thank you!!)