January 22 – Our Lady of Ceignac (France, 1516) Minister of Goodness Mary is the minister of God in the department of goodness. She does not condemn and she does not tear one apart. Instead she revives [...] revives and vivifies all that is presented to her. A mother's love has limits, hers does not. Go to Mary. Go to that incomparable Mother, and believe that she will never make any difference between you and her [...] She will consider you as the flesh of her flesh, the bones of her bones; She will see you as another Jesus Christ on earth. The love she has for her Son is the measure of the love she feels for you. Jacq
Aug 24 - Consecration of Our Lady of Benoite-Vaux (France, 1138) The Valley of Benediction As from 1140, the monks from Etanche Abbey in France owned land and a chapel in the little valley watered by a [...] a little tributary of the Meuse, half way between Verdun and Bar-le-Duc: they called it the Valley of Benediction or "Benoite-Vaux." According to the legend, woodcutters are said to have heard Angels singing [...] singing the Ave Maria at this spot and to have found a statue of Mary at the foot of an oak tree not far from the river. The Blessed Virgin was holding an apple in one hand and the Infant Jesus in the
November 8 - Our Lady of Belle Fountaine (La Rochelle, France) - Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity (d. 1906) Mary, Model of Interior Souls It seems to me that nobody has penetrated the mystery of Christ in [...] no tongue has been able to tell, nor pen translate. May this Mother of Grace form my heart, so that her little child be a living and striking image of her first-born, the Son of the Eternal, the One who [...] speaks about "the understanding" that was given to him, and yet just look at how all the saints remain in the dark when one contemplates the clarity of the Blessed Virgin! [?] The secret that she pondered
November 8 - Our Lady of Belle Fountaine (La Rochelle, France) - Blessed Elisabeth of the Trinity (d. 1906) Mary, Model of Interior Souls It seems to me that nobody has penetrated the mystery of Christ in [...] no tongue has been able to tell, nor pen translate. May this Mother of Grace form my heart, so that her little child be a living and striking image of her first-born, the Son of the Eternal, the One who [...] speaks about "the understanding" that was given to her, and yet just look at how all the saints remain in the dark when one contemplates the clarity of the Blessed Virgin! [?] The secret that she pondered
October 7 – Our Lady of the Holy Rosary The Rosary helps us enter into the simplicity of God It may seem a little strange that a prayer as simple as the Rosary should be particularly associated with Dominicans [...] often thought of as very simple people. We have a reputation for writing long and complex books on theology. And yet, we fought to keep the Rosary ours... But why is this simple prayer so dear to the Dominicans [...] leave behind. It is the simplicity of those who oversimplify, who have too easy answers to everything, who know it all in advance. They are either too lazy or are incapable of thought. And there is the true
December 21 - Our Lady of Saint Acheul (Amiens, France, 4th C.) founded by Saint Firmin Mary in the Midst of Israel's Waiting (XII) "Sing and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for, behold, I come, and I will [...] dwell in the midst of you" (Zech 2:10) The expectation of the Messiah was also announced by the prophets as a cause for great joy and exultation, foretold to the mysterious "daughter of Zion", and the humble [...] daughter of Zion; for, behold, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and
March 5 – Our Lady of the Miracle (Italy, 1440) Was Mary born in Sepphoris of Galilee? Sepphoris of Galilee (now in Israel) is not mentioned in the Bible but it was one of the most majestic cities in biblical [...] manifested his glory to his disciples, is not far from Sepphoris. About 6 miles from Nazareth, Sepphoris is described by the Roman historian of Jewish origin Flavius Josephus as the "ornament of all Galilee" [...] Galilee" in the time of Herod the Great, who decided to fortify it to make it its temporary capital. Sepphoris had an eventful history: it was destroyed then rebuilt, its splendor increasing over time, adding
September 19 – Our Lady Reconciler of Sinners of La Salette (France, 1846) The words of Heaven are not merely words (I) In a letter dated December 26, 1870, Melanie Calvat, to whom the Virgin Mary appeared [...] spirit of the scenes that are shown: that is, if it is a sad scene, one is sad, if it is a happy scene, one is happy, one feels joy. One sees plots being made; one sees kings of the Earth, each of whom has [...] agitated, doing and undoing; one sees the jealousy of some, the ambition of others, etc. And all this in a single word that escapes from the lips of the Virgin Mary, who makes hell tremble. Yes, if these
December 21 - Our Lady of Saint Acheul (Amiens, France, 4th C.) founded by Saint Firmin Mary in the Midst of Israel's Waiting (XII) "Sing and rejoice, daughter of Zion; for, behold, I come, and I will [...] dwell in the midst of you" (Zech 2:10) The expectation of the Messiah was also announced by the prophets as a cause for great joy and exultation, foretold to the mysterious "daughter of Zion", and the humble [...] daughter of Zion; for, behold, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you. Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people; and I will dwell in the midst of you, and
witnessed confirmed him in his decision to proclaim the dogma of the Assumption. He had previously submitted it to a vote of all the bishops of the world of which only 6 out of 1,181 had expressed reservations [...] 13 – First apparition of Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal, 1917) The Fatima miracle of the sun happened in Rome too Pope Pius XII (elected in 1939, d. 1958), who was very attached to Fatima, said that he too [...] walk in the Vatican Gardens, reading and studying.” He arrived at the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, “and towards the top of the hill … I was awestruck by a phenomenon that before then I had never seen
