Mary
Walking on My Knees with Mother Mary
By guest writer Ann Tran. Last year in August, I went on a pilgrimage to Portugal for the Centennial Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima. Often, I struggle to pray with the distractions of daily worries of family, friends and making ends meet, so in going on a pilgrimage I hoped I would be able […]
St. James and Our Lady of Del Pilar
Today, January 2, is the 1,978th anniversary of the apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary to St. James the Greater at the pillar in Zaragoza, Spain in the year A.D. 40. I never have been particularly devoted to St. James the Greater, but for some reason, he seems to be devoted to me. I heard […]
I’m Dreaming of a Contemplative Christmas
Together with “exciting” and “joyful”, “stressful” is a word that is associated with the days leading up to Christmas and with the Christmas season itself. Increased rush hour traffic, shopping lists and parties to squeeze into tight budgets and schedules, tasks lists in the preparation of the Christmas dinner, caroling rehearsals, and year-end work to […]
Spiritual Allies
For the past three months, the liturgical calendar has been reminding us of our spiritual allies. Towards the end of September, we commemorated the feast of the Archangels. On October 2, we celebrated the feast of the Guardian Angels. On October 7, the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, we reminded ourselves of the […]
Why We Shouldn’t “Gloss Over” Marian Devotion
I’ve always enjoyed learning about epic stories of martyrdom. Even as a young child of 8 or 9 years old, I would read, in awe (and a little bit of shock) about the ways in which holy men and women across the centuries have lived and died as witnesses of God’s love and mercy. In […]
God’s Rose-Coloured Specs
To say that someone sees through rose-coloured or rose-tinted glasses is a common idiomatic expression by which we describe someone as seeing something as being more pleasant than it is.[1] The idiom implies that someone’s perspective on a particular reality, or on reality itself, is overly optimistic—rose-coloured, tinted, and glossed, softening the cold hard truth. […]
The Apparition that Changed the World: A Review of Jean Heimann’s New Book on Fatima
The following review was originally written on the blog Sacrifice of Love. It is republished here with permission from the author. With depth and simplicity, Jean Heimann’s new book, Fatima: The Apparition That Changed the World (Tan Books 2017), instructs and inspires as it delves into the story of Our Lady of Fatima. However, instead of […]
Marian Battle Plan for World Peace: Consecration and Salvation
Last year, I finished Fr. Michael Gaitley MIC’s book, The Second Greatest Story Ever Told. I am sure some of you know about his book 33 Days to Morning Glory sold by the Marian Fathers. The Marian book talks about Marian consecration according to St. Louis de Montfort, St. Maximilian Kolbe, Pope St. John Paul […]
The New Evangelization: What’s new, why now?
By guest writer Nick Chui. Evangelization: Why is the Gospel good news? The word “evangelization” comes from the Greek “Euangelion” meaning the announcing of good news. St Paul and the apostles were excited about the person and message of Jesus. They had encountered Jesus as a Savior, who by His cross and resurrection, has triumphed […]
Finding Femininity at Its Finest
We are in a spiritual battle right now. Society is challenging women, and the men that support them, to rethink femininity and what it means to be a feminist. It is a conflict that demands increasing courage to face. We shouldn’t have any consternation though; women are the daughters of the greatest human warrior we […]
A Review of Benedict XVI’s Shortest Book
Yesterday I finished the first book I’ve ever read by then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger. I’m quite proud of myself. This isn’t the first one I’ve started. One of the Lay Dominicans in my chapter has made the argument that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI will one day be declared a Doctor of the Church. To be declared […]
Not Alone: At the House of Mary Near Ephesus
I was a solo traveler in the pilgrimage I joined to the Holy Land and Turkey. Most of the others in the pilgrimage were traveling with their spouses, their friends, or their relatives. Those who were not seemed to have known each other previously. Although everyone else was very nice, fun even, at times I […]
