If you’re a woman, and if you’ve given birth, you know the weeks following the delivery of your baby are a time when your body is shedding what is no longer needed once the baby has arrived. In ancient times, body fluids such as those present during pregnancy were thought to make a new motherContinue reading “The Purification of Mary & The Presentation of Jesus”
Tag Archives: Searching for the Virgin Mary
How old was Mary when she gave birth to Jesus?
In just about every image we see of Mary, it appears that she is in her very late teens or early twenties. She is youthful, but she also projects a level of maturity beyond her years. Scholars, however, say that Mary was most likely between the ages of 12 and 16 when she gave birthContinue reading “How old was Mary when she gave birth to Jesus?”
The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
Eight days after Christmas Day, on the first day of January and at the close of the Christmas octave, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. This is the day we celebrate Mary’s divine maternity. I continue to wonder how, as just a young girl, Mary’s faith allowed her toContinue reading “The Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God”
My first real Christmas
I wrote the following column for a Catholic newspaper where I served as editor. It was penned just after Christmas 2015, nine months after my father passed away. I am 58 years old and this year marked my first “real” Christmas. My older brother and I were raised in a loving Italian Catholic home. WeContinue reading “My first real Christmas”
The tilma: Tangible proof of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe
Our Lady of Guadalupe, whose feast day we celebrate today, Dec. 12, is among the most well-known of the apparitions of the Blessed Mother. The story of her relationship with now-St. Juan Diego in 1531 is remarkable. You can read it here. What is more remarkable to me is the tangible evidence of her encounterContinue reading “The tilma: Tangible proof of the apparition of Our Lady of Guadalupe”
The Immaculate Conception … explained
I think if you surveyed 1,000 people, asking them what the Immaculate Conception is, 900 people would answer that it is when the Holy Spirit came over Mary and she conceived Jesus, while remaining a virgin. They would be wrong. The Immaculate Conception is, in fact, the conception of Mary in the womb of herContinue reading “The Immaculate Conception … explained”
See live video of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe
The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is imprinted on the tilma of St. Juan Diego which hangs in the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. While continuing my study of the Blessed Virgin Mary through the Sacred Heart Major Seminary free online course, I was awed by the link provided to a live videoContinue reading “See live video of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe”
Getting to know the Blessed Virgin
I’m so excited to have found a free online course from the Catholic Sacred Heart Major Seminary called “Behold Thy Mother.” It is a self-paced, four-week course that includes videos, course work, quizzes and multiple resources that will allow the student to explore more deeply the role of Mary. I just finished the first videoContinue reading “Getting to know the Blessed Virgin”
The Rosary is a gift, direct from Our Lady
October is the month in which we celebrate the gift of the Most Holy Rosary. According to CatholicCulture.com, in the year 1206 St. Dominic received the Rosary from the Blessed Virgin Mary in response to his prayers for aid, during a period in which he was losing his battle against heretics. A good overview ofContinue reading “The Rosary is a gift, direct from Our Lady”
Miracle of the Sun witnessed by some 70,000 people
I’ve always thought that all God has to do to get the whole world to believe is to make something miraculous happen. Well, he did just that on Oct. 13, 1917. Our Lady made her final appearance to three children to whom she had appeared monthly since May of the same year. She fulfilled herContinue reading “Miracle of the Sun witnessed by some 70,000 people”
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