“Try to be at peace with everyone, and try to live a holy life, because no one will see the Lord without it.”
Prior to our "Evening in Honor of Mary" this past Monday, as I was getting a pizza at Anthony Junior's with some of the parish staff, I ran into a couple, Lisa and Joe, whom I married at Our Lady of Fatima in Hopewell Twp. As we were exchanging memories, I inquired how their daughter was doing. They mentioned she was a fifth grader at Our Lady of Fatima Catholic School. They had asked her recently if she wanted to go to the public junior high school for sixth grade and the girl simply said, “Mom and Dad, I don’t want to go to a school where I can’t learn about Jesus and Mary.”
Last Saturday 45 couples came to our parish for our all-day pre-Cana marriage preparation. Six couples assisted me with the presentations. One couple who spoke on the subject of communications, Allen and Michelle Veeck, told the group that they live in Sewickley and travel 20 minutes to get to St. Joseph Parish. They begin the rosary in their driveway and complete it by the time they pull into the parking lot here at St. Joseph for church. Their four children believe that praying the rosary and attending Mass is the "complete package deal" for church on Sunday!
During the recent season of Lent, I gave a day of reflection at a parish in our diocese, and in gratitude, the priest gave me a large book on the life of Blessed Pope John Paul II. In that book a story is recounted of the Holy Father distributing rosaries to pilgrims visiting him. The Pope‘s aid inadvertently handed him two rosaries instead of the usual one, and as the person attempted to return one of the rosaries, the Pope joyfully and jokingly said, "You must need two!"
The above are just some of the stories I shared on Monday at our night to honor Mary, the Mother of God, in this month of May (though the weather felt more like the month of October, which is also a month that we honor the Blessed Mother). There were 100 people in attendance. The prelude music included "Czarna Madonno" (Polish), "Santa Vergine" (Italian) and "Ave Maria" (Latin) and other favorite Marian hymns. We prayed the evening prayer for the Blessed Mother antiphonally, left and right sides of the church taking turns, listened to the sung "Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary", heard a Gospel reading from John 19: 25-27, had a homily, and watched three second grade First Holy Communicants crown Mary, Queen of Us All.
I mentioned in my homily that on the second Sunday of every May (May 8th this year), we pause to celebrate the gift our earthly mothers on Mother‘s Day. And that evening we were pausing in May to honor Mary, the Mother of God and Mother of the Church, seeking her intercession for protection, counsel, wisdom, prudence, holiness, humility, obedience, trust, fidelity and love.
There is a special Sacramentary entitled "Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary." From this book a priest may choose to offer a Mass in honor of Mary from an amazing array of titles:
Advent Season
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Chosen Daughter of Israel
- The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Annunciation of the Lord
- The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Christmas Season
- Holy Mary, Mother of God
- The Blessed Virgin of Mary, Mother of the Savior
- The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Epiphany of the Lord
- The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of the Lord
- Our Lady of Nazareth
- Our Lady of Cana
Lenten Season
- Holy Mary Disciple of the Lord
- The Blessed Virgin Mary at the Foot of the Cross, I & II
- The Commending of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Reconciliation
Easter Season
- The Blessed Virgin Mary and the Resurrection of the Lord
- Holy Mary, Fountain of Light and Life
- Our Lady of the Cenacle
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Apostles
Ordinary Time
- Holy Mary, Mother of the Lord
- Holy Mary, the New Eve
- The Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary Holy Mary, Handmaid of the Lord
- The Blessed Virgin, Temple of the Lord
- The Blessed Virgin, Seat of Wisdom
- The Blessed Virgin, Image and Mother of the Church, I, II & III
- The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of All Creation
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Mediatrix of Grace
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Fountain of Salvation
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Teacher in the Spirit
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Good Counsel
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Cause of our Joy
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Pillar of Faith
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Fairest Love
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Hope
- Holy Mary, Mother of Unity
- Holy Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Providence
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of All Consolation
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians
- Our Lady of Ransom
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Health of the Sick
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace
- The Blessed Virgin Mary, Gate of Heaven
One of my favorite speakers throughout my life is Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, TX. At every retreat he gives to priests, he always emphasizes the importance of the Eucharist, prayer, the Cross, repentance from sin, the gift of the Holy Spirit and devotion to Mary. It is his firm belief that we cannot live faithfully without these key ingredients. Mary our Mother and Model, pray for us!
