Hail Mary

The Apocryphal Roots of Virgin Mary’s Birth Story

To listen to this post, click below. Today, September 8, is the date that the Roman Catholic Church celebrates the birth of the Virgin Mary. Had it not been for Mary accepting the invitation to bear the son of God, the trajectory of man would be quite different. So her birth is indeed cause forContinue reading “The Apocryphal Roots of Virgin Mary’s Birth Story”

Dementia and the Rosary

As dementia took over and my mother’s memory faded, the rosary helped keep us connected. To listen to this post, click below. My mother, like so many elderly, had forgotten many things in her last years as she suffered from dementia. My brother and I were lucky that she still recognized us as family, thoughContinue reading “Dementia and the Rosary”

Rosary ID tags are links to past

I have three very special rosaries. The first was given to me by my dear cousin Jennifer when she learned of a medical issue my then-6-month-old son was having. It was blessed at Medjugorje. The second belonged to my mother. It’s a wonder there are any beads left, because she prayed it constantly. The thirdContinue reading “Rosary ID tags are links to past”

What is the Scriptural Rosary?

In the midst of praying the rosary, distractions often interrupt my focus. To remedy this, I’ve embraced the scriptural rosary, which involves reading related scripture before each Hail Mary. This method has deepened my prayer experience, and I’m grateful to have discovered it in my mother’s collection of prayer books.

On ‘Jeopardy,’ Mary is the question

My brother sent me this screen shot of a recent question featured on “Jeopardy.” The answer is what appears on the screen. The question, in “Jeopardy” fashion, would be Who is the Virgin Mary? Alex Muhler, a policy analyst from Oakland, CA offered up the correct answer. (Muhler took second place in this particular game.)Continue reading “On ‘Jeopardy,’ Mary is the question”

Pizzelles and the Hail Mary

I used to pride myself on my multi-tasking abilities. Not anymore. I am now retired and my goal in life is to single-task as often as possible. And at the top of my list of single-tasking priorities is prayer. Old habits are hard to break, though, and I still find my mind wandering when IContinue reading “Pizzelles and the Hail Mary”

The origin of the ‘Hail Mary’

It just may be the most-often recited prayer of all Christian prayers–the “Hail Mary.” In Latin it is called “Ave Maria.” I know that personally I have prayed this prayer more than any other, mostly because it is the primary component of the Rosary. And also because when I was a little girl we wentContinue reading “The origin of the ‘Hail Mary’”