December 18 – Our Lady of Hope, Our Lady of Waiting, or Our Lady of the “O Antiphons” of Advent The Rosary, a wonderful way to spend time with the Lord When we pray the Rosary, we manifest our continued efforts [...] efforts of giving honor to Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ, for her exemplary life and Christian virtues of humility, obedience and surrender to God’s will. It is also a recognition of her powerful i [...] we hope to find the wisdom and love we need to learn the lessons of discipleship so that, with hearts aflame with love for Christ, we can embark on our own mission to go forth and bear witness to the Gospel

rushing her to the pastor’s house. Every day upon waking at 6 a.m., she recited the Rosary of the seven sorrows, beginning with Simeon’s words to Mary that a sword would pierce her heart. In our conversation [...] June 5 - Our Lady of Help (Italy, 1611) Saved from the Rwandan genocide thanks to the Rosary Forgiving the men who killed my parents and brother was a process, a journey into deeper and deeper prayer,” [...] experiences in two books, Left to Tell and Led by Faith . During our interview, she described some steps of her interior journey: from hatred and a desire for revenge to compassion and forgiveness. Her

this Lent, let us take up our rosaries to find the courage to fast, to perform any other kind of self-mortification, and to nourish our faith, knowing that we will not come out of this desert empty-handed [...] General of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (from 2004 to 2012): "When comes the time of answering God’s call, Mary of the Annunciation, help us to say "yes". When comes the time for us to leave, Mary [...] Mary of Egypt, wife of Joseph, kindle Hope in us. When comes the time of misunderstanding, Mary of Jerusalem, increase our patience. When comes the time to speak up, Mary of Cana, give us the courage to

words to the angel, “let it be with me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38). Her yes makes her the mother of Jesus, but also makes her a model of faith, a template for all of us to copy. A way of life to [...] tell Jesus what to do, she simply draws his attention to a need. In the same way, our Blessed Mother Mary is with us in our times of troubles. She is there drawing Jesus’ attention to our needs. She is there [...] November 18 – Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquira Mother Mary’s true place in our prayer life It is important to address those skeptics who dismiss Mary as insignificant and complain how Catholics have

find prayer difficult, the Lord is there to help us. Paul’s Letter to the Romans says that the Spirit “comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself [...] April 5 – Our Lady of Fatima crowned Queen of Korea (1953) Do God and Mary hear the silent prayers we say in our heart? Q. I am an 88-year-old Korean War veteran with a question that is not earth-shattering [...] speaks directly to that. The Letter to the Hebrews says: “The word of God is living and effective … penetrating even between soul and spirit … able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart” (4:12)

Saint Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) - Our Lady of the Parish (Italy, 1829) What happens when we invite the Blessed Mother into our spiritual warfare On an enlightening episode of The Catholic Gentleman [...] believers to establish an open dialogue with Mary--to share their vulnerabilities and sufferings. "Understand that Mary seeks intimacy, and to truly have intimacy with someone, you need to be able to open your [...] we can find the courage to persevere through our own struggles and battles. "There's a deep intimacy when our wounds meet Jesus' wounds on the cross and when our wounds meet our mother's wounds. This shared

August 7 – Feast of Our Lady of Los Reyes (Seville, Spain) What place does the Virgin Mary hold in our life in the Holy Spirit? Father Irenée Tigo, vicar of the parish of Sinendé/N'Dali in Benin, speaks [...] called instead to be a sign of renewal and life for my community? Many people speak of the Holy Spirit and seek his charisms nowadays, which is very good because it contributes to the glory of God. But the [...] the fundamental question to ask is what place is given to Christ in our relationship with the Holy Spirit on the one hand, and what place is given to the Virgin Mary in our life in the Holy Spirit on the

still had to act in darkness)—and to her merit of accepting God's will at such a time. Mary is therefore able to initiate us into the secrets of the Wisdom of the Cross, which are not given to the lukewarm [...] August 27 - Saint Monica, mother of Saint Augustine (d. 387) – Our Lady of Quézac (France) Mary’s heart, our model in future tribulations One might think that a third millennium-Christian, through the [...] depth of the Cross. The Cross entrusts its secrets only to its lovers, that is, to those who are animated by the same dispositions that led Jesus to accept and endure it. The Blessed Virgin, full of wisdom

March 20 – 3rd Sunday of Lent – Our Lady of Abundance (Italy, 1603) Like Mary, we can nourish Christ with our good deeds! Eve took some food, and as a result we were condemned to an eternal fast; Mary [...] milk of her breast to his lips, and we too can offer him the varied meal of good deeds that are his delight. Saint Peter Damian (d. 1072), hermit and later bishop of Ostia, cardinal and doctor of the Church [...] when we strive to carry him unceasingly in our hearts. It was certainly a great marvel that Christ was conceived in Mary's womb, but it is no less marvelous to see him as a guest in our hearts... Mary

familiarity and the power of persuasion you have gained with your Son for being His mother, even though we have been convicted of our crimes and no longer dare to look to the heights of heaven, you save us from [...] May 20 - Our Lady of Graces (Italy, Cuneo, 1537) - Saint Germanus of Constantinople (d. ca. 733) Even Your Protection is Beyond our Understanding Who, after your Son, cares as you do for the human race [...] Who defends us unceasingly in our tribulations? Who delivers us before temptations can beset us? Who goes to so much trouble to beg for sinners? Who takes their defense to excuse them even in hopeless cases