Mother of Mercy, Pray for Us

This time of year can be difficult for many. For example, 2,000+ years ago a young woman was close to giving birth, traveling by foot (or perhaps donkey) over rugged terrain, not knowing where she would be during childbirth, yet knowing something astonishing was about to take place that would drastically change her life—and the world….. forever!

If you're struggling right now with difficulties in your life, ask Our Lady to help you. She is our Mother of Mercy. Ask her to untie the knots that cause you anxiety or pain or distress. She'll do it! 

One of the most powerful novenas is Our Lady, Undoer of Knots. In fact, it is one of Pope Francis' favorites. Start today, and begin the new year knot free: Novena to Our Lady, Undoer of Knots

The picture above (which I absolutely love) was painted by my new friend from Buenos Aires, Argentina, the very talented Mercedes Fariña. Be sure to check out her website: www.mercedesfarina.com.ar/habemus-papam

Time to Bombard the Heavens!

Help! I Need A Flying Novena to Fly to Memphis 

When Blessed Mother Teresa needed extra graces, and needed them fast, she would pray a Flying Novena. Turns out, I could use some extra graces to get me to the Women's Morning of Spirituality in Memphis.

Picture Title: Walking in Metuchen on a Snowy Day

Now, when I first heard of this notion of a Flying Novena, I was excited for two reasons. Number one, I love Blessed Mother Teresa. Two years ago she was my patron saint for the year and as I look back, it was one of the most spiritual years for me and oddly—though not to Mother Teresa—it was a year in which I spread the message of consecration to Jesus through Mary around the country. Number two, it's a perfect novena for busy person, because it is quick and simple!

Blessed Mother Teresa's Flying Novena consisted of nine Memorares in a row, and then get this—she'd add a tenth one in thanksgiving for the intention she KNEW the Blessed Mother would lay before her Son and her Son would answer. So cool!

On Friday, I am heading to Memphis for the Women's Morning of Spirituality, where they are expecting 1,200 women coming together to praise the Lord, rejoice in their gifts as women and grow in their faith. That means, I get to leave the frozen tundra of Minnesota for the balmy temps of Memphis, but there appears to be a little caveat—they just predicted 12 inches of snow would cover Minneapolis this afternoon. Therefore, I'm inviting you to join me in a Flying Novena.

So, as the skies begin to bombard us with snowflakes, let us bombard the heavens with prayer!

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided.

Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me.

Amen.

Sometimes Evangelization is Messy!

Our ways are not the Lords ways... thank God! Because God’s ways are so far beyond ours, and let’s face it, they are much neater. We can plan all we want, but when it comes down to it, the Lord always finds a way to not only appreciate our “loaves & fishes” efforts, but He multiplies them.

Take today—a simple day in the liturgical year, the 22nd Sunday of ordinary time; but not ordinary by any means. Today is the day we recognize the Blessed Mother’s birthday. With that little bit of knowledge in mind, and knowing I would be traveling to the west coast, my friends and I thought, “Hey, why not have a birthday party for Our Lady?” So my friend Rita ran with the idea. 

Rita planned a little birthday party for 4,500 families for the Mother of God, not a small undertaking. For the record, when you talk about charisms, Rita oozes the gift of hospitality. So much so, she invited everyone to be a part of the party. Not sure if that was her gift of hospitality shining, or the way Catholics rope in people to volunteer! Either way, it worked, and many gifts came together to create a marvelous celebration for the Queen of Heaven.

In her planning, Rita met with the various parish committees to make the day special. With the Liturgy Committee she decided the recessional song would be “Immaculate Mary” and that once the priest walked up the aisle, the congregation would sing Happy Birthday to the Blessed Mother. With the Knights of Columbus she planned to swap out the weekly donuts and coffee and have them sponsor blue cupcakes and punch. The Spanish Liturgy Committee was in charge of the decorations, and the Hearts Afire, Divine Mercy and Our Lady of Perpetual Help ministries hosted the cupcake soiree after each Mass. Rita made throwing this party a wonderful collaborative endeavor for the members of St. Clare’s in Roseville, California.

All of this was impressive enough, but when the Lord saw Rita’s impressive efforts, guess what, He multiplied them. He took her beautiful efforts to bring an awareness to the importance of recognizing the birth a woman whose “yes” to God’s will would change the world, and He made sure thousands were “fed”, and He did it in ways that we didn’t even think of.

Though we never saw picking up cupcakes at Sam’s Club as an opportunity to evangelize, the Lord did. Three times on the cupcake pick-up excursion Rita was asked if the 500 cupcakes were for a wedding, and she joyfully responded, “No, they are for the Blessed Mother’s Birthday.” You can imagine the looks exchanged and the great conversations started at the sound of those words. 

Though it was planned to sing Happy Birthday to the Blessed Mother after the first verse of “Immaculate Mary” during the recessional hymn, it wasn’t planned to have it broadcast on Immaculate Heart Radio... well, at least is wasn’t planned by Rita and committee. It appears Our Lady doesn’t mind how many people know she’s another year older, because the 9:30 am Mass at St. Clare’s was aired for all to hear, birthday wishes and all. I can’t help but think of the discussions generated as people heard the congregation singing Happy Birthday to the Blessed Virgin.

As if being an outlet to share the Good News wasn’t enough, Our Lady used her birthday celebration to teach the littlest among us how to live the Gospel. As the children left the church to hear the Gospel read to them at the children’s gospel time, they had to walk past a table of beautifully decorated scrumptious looking cupcakes and not touch a one! The Gospel on Sunday was about carrying your cross. You’d be hard pressed to find a bigger cross for a wide-eyed hungry 5 year-old, than a tower of untouchable cupcakes with mountains of frosting.

After all was said and done, crosses endured became blessings as chocolate crumbs littered the floor and blue frosting stained little teeth. Various committees got to be of service to their parish family, and workers at Sam’s Club and listeners of Immaculate Heart Radio perhaps found themselves pondering the birth of the Mother of God, a thought that hopefully did what our perfect Mother always does, pointed to the greatest birth of all, the birth of Our Lord.

Happy Birthday Theotokos!

Mediatrix of All Graces? What???

"Mary is the heart of the Church. This is why all works spring from her. It is well known that the heart has two movements; systole and diastole. Thus Mary is always performing these two movements: absorbing grace from her Most Holy Son, and pouring it forth on sinners." ~St. Anthony Mary Claret

The Church, in Union with Mary, Cries 0ut: “Veni, Sancte Spiritus!"

What a blessing to be part of the largest Pentecostal Church in the world, the Catholic Church! What a thrill to rejoice in the coming of the Holy Spirit 2,000 years ago and today to celebrate the liturgy, the great prayer by which the Church, in union with Jesus, raises up to the Father, asking him to renew the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! COME HOLY SPIRIT!

In his homily for the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Father said, "In the light of this passage from Acts, I would like to reflect on three words linked to the working of the Holy Spirit: newness, harmony and mission."

Pope Francis then went on to encourage us to trust in God with all our hearts and to trust in the newness He will bring into our lives, letting the Holy Spirit lead our souls in every decision. He challenged us to remain in the community of the Church and her teachings to ensure harmony—to live in the Church and with the Church. And he noursihed us for our mission, telling us to not stay closed in on ourselves but rather to let the Holy Spirit open us up to the mission stating it is the Holy Spirit who "impels us to open the doors and go forth to proclaim and bear witness to the good news of the Gospel, to communicate the joy of faith, the encounter with Christ!"

The Holy Father concluded his message to the faithful saying, "May each of us, and every group and movement, in the harmony of the Church, cry out to the Father and implore this gift. Today too, as at her origins, the Church, in union with Mary, cries out: “Veni, Sancte Spiritus! Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and kindle in them the fire of your love!” Amen.

Read the Holy Father's homily on the Vatican Radio website : Pope at Pentecost: Newness, harmony and mission

Got Plans for Fishing Opener? ... Ladies

​If you're in the Twin Cities, I'd love to have you join us at St. John the Baptist in Savage for a little luncheon sure to be packed with fun, food, faith and a few laughs! See the flyer below, and feel free to invite your girlfriends!

Good Friday Reflection on Their Last Words

A Good Friday tradition for me is to read "Seven Words of Jesus and Mary" by Archbishop Fulton Sheen. It's a small book that has a big impact on me every year.

Since I couldn't share the whole book with you, mostly because mine is high-lighted and marked up more than any other book I own (oh, and because there are copyright laws), I posted a great reflection below on the final words of Mary and Jesus. 

Take a moment, read it, and ponder it in your heart today... and always.

Good Friday Reflection:

When Our Blessed Mother saw him bow his head and deliver his spirit, she remembered that last word that she ever is recorded to have spoken in Scripture. It was to the wine steward at the marriage feast of Cana: "Do whatever he tells you."

The sweet relationship of three decades in Nazareth now draws to a close and Mary is about to give Emmanuel to us all, and she does it by pointing out to us the one and only way of salvation: complete consecration to her Divine Son. Nowhere in the scriptures is it ever said that Mary loves her son. Words do not prove love. But that love is hidden under the submission of her mind to his and her final injunction to us: "Do whatever he tells you."

Both the last recorded word of Jesus and the last recorded word of Mary were words of surrender: Jesus surrendered himself to the Father; Mary asked us to surrender ourselves to the Son. This is the law of the universe. "For all are yours: And you are Christ's. And Christ is God's" (1 Cor 3:22-23).