Mary's Catholics

The word Advent comes from the Latin word adventus  which means "coming or arrival". Advent is a time of preparation for Christmas.  It is composed of four Sundays in which the fourth and last Sunday is the Sunday before Christmas.   Advent  has a penitential spirit similar to that of Lent.   The liturgical theme during Advent is the preparation for Christ's Second Coming which is called the Parousia.    Advent is symbolized by an Advent Wreath, which is made of evergreen branches formed into a circle or any green leaves (in the absence of evergreen branches) that can be formed into a circle, and four candles - three violet or purple  candles and one pink candle which are inserted into the branches.  A candle is lit every Sunday until all four candles are lit on the fourth Sunday of Advent.  The pink candle is lit on the third Sunday of Advent, which is also called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is a Latin word which means "Rejoice"....

It is said that the devil, first, attacked the early church from without through persecution.  But failing in this he changed his strategy.  This time he attacked from within through heresies.  The saints fought the heresies; while Holy Mother church protected her flock through Ecumenical Councils. By the 3rd century, the church existed in relative calm and in some parts, even in luxury.  There was much time for everything specially for speculative theology.  Instead of being concerned with how to live holy lives, people were speculating on the nature of God.  The Hierarchy begun to enter into politics and Emperors begun to manipulate the hierarchy. The church became splintered into several groups. St. Jerome observed: that one day the whole world woke up to find itself Arian, a heresy propagated by the priest, Arius, and backed up by a bishop, Eusebius. Before the church could win her battle against the heresy of the priest Arius, a bishop, Ne...

What is genuine devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary? 1.  True devotion to Mary is interior - it comes from within the heart and mind and follows from the love we bear her. 2.  True devotion to Mary is trustful - it fills us with confidence in the Blessed Virgin Mary, just like the confidence of a child for its mother. 3.  True devotion to Mary is holy - it leads us to avoid sin and to imitate the virtues of Mary. 4.  True devotion to Mary is constant - it is guided by faith and not by feelings.  It strengthens our desire to lead good Christian lives. 5.  True devotion to Mary is disinterested - it inspires us to seek God in His Blessed Mother and not ourselves.  Mary's true devotees serve her out of love and not for selfish gain. Source: From the book  True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary             Author:  St. Louis Marie de Montfort

Do you have a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary?  If so, what kind of devotion do you have?  According to St. Louis Marie de Montfort in his book True Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary , there are seven kinds of false devotions. 1.  Critical devotees - are those who do not have a clear devotion to Mary.  They criticize all those forms of Marian devotions and practices that do not appeal to them.  They hardly believe or question the truths of the miracles that are attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. 2.  Scrupulous devotees - are those who consider devotion to Mary as separate from devotion to Jesus.  They consider devotion to Mary as an offense to Jesus. 3.  Superficial devotees - are devotees who do not have an interior devotion to Mary.  Their devotion consists only of the external practices. 4. Presumptuous devotees - are devotees who continue to live in sin thinking that God will accept t...

One may think that I'm as meek as a lamb or as innocent as a dove just because I have this religious blog dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Two years ago, I attended a seminar on how to make a blog. After the seminar, I was excited and planned to create a music blog which will talk about my favorite songs, favorite music videos and favorite artists. For many months, I read and reread the guidelines that were given to us during the seminar.  But every time I pray and told the Lord that I'm planning to create a music blog, there's always a voice inside me telling me to create a religious blog instead of a music blog.  I always refused, "No, I'm not worthy to create a religious blog, it's not for me, and what would I write, I'm not fluent in English."   But then, something inside me argued, "If you're not fluent in English, then why would you create a music blog?"   Yes, God speaks deep within our consciences, but I'm always ash...

St. Catherine of Genoa's vision of Purgatory - By Joe Tremblay There are three divisions of the church, namely:  1. Church Militant - composed of Christians here on earth who are struggling against the devil, sin, the world and the flesh.  We, the living, belong to this Church. 2.  Church Suffering - means the souls in purgatory, and 3.  Church Triumphant - comprised of the saints in heaven. The Church Suffering cannot help themselves but we, the Church Militant can help them by praying for them and by offering sacrifices for them. I read so many books about the souls in purgatory, and I found out how badly they need our help.  So let's pray for them or better yet have a mass said for them. 

We are in the last day of October, the month of the Holy Rosary. It is fitting to share to the world especially to the Catholics the reflections of the Popes about the Rosary.      The Rosary is well suited to the honor of God and the Blessed Virgin Mary and for warding off impending dangers.   - Pope Sixtus IV, 212th Pope      The Rosary is the scourge of the devil.  - Pope Adrian VI,  218th Pope      The Rosary was instituted to appease the anger of God and to implore the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary. - Pope Gregory XIII, 226th Pope      Give me an army saying the Rosary and I will conquer the world. - Blessed Pope Pius IX, 255th Pope      The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life.  It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings.  There is no more excellent way of ...

Last Sunday, October 21, 2012 was the canonization of seven new saints at the Vatican by Pope Benedict XVI. Here are the seven new saints: 1.  Jacques Berthieu (November 1838 - June 1896) - Jesuit priest and missionary from Cantal, France who was killed in Madagascar for refusing to renounce his faith rather than accepting an offer from a village chieftain.  Beatified on October 17, 1965 by Pope Paul VI. 2.  Pedro Calungsod (c. 1654 - April 2, 1672) - Teenage sacristan and catechist from the Visayas region in the Philippines who went with the Jesuit missionaries to Guam and helped priests in converting the natives.  He was speared by a village chieftain.  Beatified on March 5, 2000 by Pope John Paul II. 3.  Giovanni Battista Piamarta (November 1841 - April 1913) - Italian priest, educator and founder of the "Congregation of the Holy Family of Nazareth".   Beatified on October 12, 1997 by Pope John Paul II. 4.  Carmen Salles y ...

October 21, 2012 is a very significant day for Filipino Catholics around the world.  Today is the canonization of the second Filipino saint, Blessed Pedro Calungsod who from now on will be known as St. Pedro Calungsod. But who is St. Pedro Calungsod? Name:  Pedro Calungsod (Calonsor in Spanish records) Date of Birth:  c. 1654 Birthplace:  Visayas region in the Philippines Died:  April 2, 1672 Feast Day:  April 2 Stained glass image at the Archdiocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes, Cebu City, Philippines Pedro Calungsod was a teenage Filipino sacristan and missionary catechist who died a martyr's death in Guam in 1672.  His place of origin could not be ascertained since there was no record that could point to his exact birthplace. In historical records, he was merely known as "Bisaya" or in English, "Visayan". The Visayans are a Filipino ethnic group living in the Visayas group of islands in the Philippines.  Some of...

The Holy Rosary is composed principally and in substance of the "Our Father" and the "Hail Mary".  But what is the history of the Holy Rosary? In 1214, St. Dominic, a priest, was working hard for the conversion of the Albigensian heretics, but his efforts were hindered by the gravity of people's sins.  Feeling so depressed, he withdrew into a forest near Toulouse, France where he unceasingly prayed for three days and three nights.  He did nothing but weep and do harsh penances in order to appease God's anger.  His body was lacerated that he finally fell into a coma. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and said:   "Dear Dominic, do you know which weapon the Blessed Trinity wants to use to reform the world?"    St. Dominic answered:   "Oh my Lady, you know far better than I do because next to your son Jesus Christ, you have always been the chief instrument of our salvation."   Our Lady replied:   "I want you to know th...

My favorite prayer is the holy rosary.  I learned how to pray the rosary when I was ten years old.  I came to know the praying of the rosary at an early age. When I was five, I saw many rosaries at the altar of my mom's room, and whenever I go to church I always saw people praying the rosary.  At the age of ten, out of curiosity, I asked my mom to teach me how to pray the rosary. At first, I really don't know the story and the importance of the holy rosary.  I just love praying it.  My knowledge of the importance and history of the holy rosary came in 1993 when I bought a book entitled " The Secret of the Rosary " by St. Louis Marie de Montfort.  I read and reread the book.  The more I understand the secret of the rosary, the more I love praying it. Just as the fetus is connected to the mother through the umbilical cord, Catholics are connected to the Blessed Virgin Mary through the holy rosary. While the umbilical cord is only temporary, the ...

Name:  Marie Francoise Therese Martin Birthdate:  January 2, 1873 Birthplace:  Alencon, France Parents:  Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin Siblings:  Marie, Pauline, Leonie and Celine The Martin couple had nine children but four of them died (three infants and a five year old) of Enteritis.  All of the five surviving daughters became nuns including Therese. Therese was baptized on January 4, 1873. On August 28, 1877, Therese's mother Zelie died of breast cancer at the age of forty-five.  Therese was only four years old.  Three months later, her Father moved the family to Lisieux. Towards the end of 1879, Therese had her first confession. Therese became sick and on May 13, 1883, she reported that she saw the Blessed Virgin Mary smiled at her.  She was then healed of her sickness. On May 8, 1884, Therese received her first Holy Communion. On December 25, 1886, Therese experienced a conversion that changed her life. On Novemb...

Don't complain if you suffer.  It is the prized and valued stone that is polished.   Does it hurt?  Allow yourself to be cut, gratefully, because God has taken you in His hands as if you were a diamond.  An ordinary pebble is not worked on like that.  - St. Josemaria Escriva      Without the burden of afflictions it is impossible to reach the height of grace.  The gifts of grace increase as the struggles increase.                                                                             -  St. Rose of Lima Do as the storekeeper does with his merchandise; make a profit on every article.  Suffer not the loss of the tiniest fragment of the true cross.  It may only be a sting of a fly or the point of a pin that annoys you, an ec...

I'm afraid of sufferings, I don't like them, yet I've been through a lot of them in my life.  I've been through pains, depressions, confusions, hopelessness and fears.  I also experienced being judged rashly by others.  But thank God, I survived all of them. I've been reflecting on suffering for many years.  I've been asking God so many questions about suffering.  At first, I thought God would give me all the answers in just one prayer, but I was wrong.  Instead of giving me all the answers right away, he chose to enlighten me little by little in many different ways: through books, different situations in life, the lives of other people, prayers and reflections.  He still continues to enlighten me until now.  I can feel that he's not finished with me yet. These are some of the things that I learned about suffering: Nobody is exempted from suffering, not even Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and the saints. The cross which is the u...

Watch this video on Youtube Every time you receive some kindness, don't let that kindness ends with you but spread it to others.  What makes this world beautiful is man's kindness to one another.  As what the video says, kindness keeps the world afloat.

A SUMMARY It is widely known among Catholics that the Blessed Virgin Mary made a number of appearances to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France in 1858, and that her first appearance was on 11 February 1858.  But only few Catholics knew that Our Lady's last appearance to St. Bernadette was on July 16, 1858 which happens to be her feast as the Lady of Mount Carmel. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the patroness of the Carmelite Order.  On July 16, 1251, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock in Cambrige, England. She appeared to him holding in her hands the Scapular. She said: "This is for you and yours a privilege, the one who dies in it will be saved."   This was probably in answer to the prayer of St. Simon Stock who was Prior General of the Carmelite Order at that time.  He always asked the Blessed Virgin Mary in his prayers to favor his Order with some singular privilege. cc photo by jeromz on flickr ...

Because they are in danger: 1. From the world; 2. From the flesh; and 3. From the devil cc photo courtesy of Northfielder on flickr From the world. The priest has to walk through a world with his mind always on God.  He must work in a world where pleasure is found in food and excitement; yet he is expected to find his happiness in the companionship of Christ.  To live this difficult life, the priest must have much grace, and grace is obtained through prayer. From the flesh. The priest is called to a superhuman life; yet he remains a human being. If he is to resist the strong forces of his nature, and truly live an angelic life, he has to be full of the grace of God, and this is obtained only by prayer. From the devil. Satan hates Christ, and never ceases trying to destroy Him and His Church.  If Satan makes even one priest fail, it means the offering of far fewer Holy Masses.  It means the glory of God is in some way injured.  It mean...