Mary’s name is a fortified tower St. Alphonsus reminds us that the very name of Mary is a defense against the assaults of the Evil One. The Blessed Virgin herself revealed to St. Bridget: “On earth there is no sinner, however devoid he may be of the love of God, from whom the Devil is not obliged to flee immediately, if he invokes her holy name with a deter- mination to repent.” On another occasion she repeated the same thing... Read more
As you can probably tell I have always been a voracious reader. Growing up mysteries were my favorite genre. I can recall in my school days when I would anxiously await a trip to the library to get the next Hardy Boys volume. The older I got my love of mysteries remained. I moved beyond Franklin W. Dixon’s Hard Boys to perhaps the most well known detective of all time…..Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle hooked me immediately with his... Read more
Queen of hell and the demons To speak of Mary as queen of hell may sound surprising and even confusing. But St. Alphonsus explains. Not only is the most Blessed Virgin the queen of heaven and of all saints. She is also queen of hell and of all evil spirits. For she overcame them valiantly by her virtues. From the very beginning God foretold the victory and empire that our queen would one day gain over the serpent, when he... Read more
The figure of the Faith The celebrated English convert to the Catholic faith, G. K. Chesterton, tells what Mary meant to him before his conversion. The unconverted world . . . has a very strange notion of the collective unity of Catholic things or thoughts. Its exponents . . . give the most curious lists of things which they think make up the Catholic life; an odd assortment of objects, such as candles, rosaries, incense . . . vestments, pointed... Read more
The name of Mary is my love St. Alphonsus wants to call on Mary’s name, not just with an expectation of assistance, but with great love. Great Mother of God and my Mother, Mary, it’s true that I’m unwor- thy to speak your name. But despite the impurity of my tongue, you love me and desire my salvation. So grant that I may always invoke your most holy and pow- erful name for my aid, for your name is the... Read more
Matthew Kelly is an internationally acclaimed speaker, author, and business consultant. His books have been published in more than twenty-five languages, have appeared on the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestseller lists, and have sold more than fifteen million copies. He is also the founder of The Dynamic Catholic Institute a Cincinnati based non-profit organization whose mission is to re-energize the Catholic Church in America by developing world-class resources that inspire people to rediscover the genius of Catholicism. Recently... Read more
Your compassion surpasses my sins St. Alphonsus confesses his sinfulness to our Blessed Mother, but declares his confidence in her mercy. Mother of holy love, our life, our refuge, and our hope, you well know that your Son Jesus Christ, not content with being himself our perpetual advo- cate with the Eternal Father, has willed that you too should concern yourself, with him, in obtaining the divine mercies for us. He has decreed that your prayers should aid our salvation,... Read more
A prayer to the Lady worthy of all love St. Alphonsus prays that his love for Mary will become a great flame that consumes his heart. Queen of Heaven and Earth! Mother of the Lord of the world! Mary, of all creatures the greatest, the most exalted, and the most lovable! It’s true that there are many in this world who neither know you nor love you. But in heaven there are many millions of angels, and blessed spirits, who... Read more
You became Mother of God for our sake St. Anselm reminds Our Lady (and himself) that there’s no doubt she will help him reach heaven, since God took human flesh from her, not to condemn sinners, but to save them. We beg you, most holy Lady, by the favor that God did you in raising you so high as to make all things possible to you with him, to act in such a way that the fullness of grace that... Read more
This week Dynamic Catholic sponsors their first CBB giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a copy of Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation by Matthew Kelly (you can read my review here). I use Rafflecopter to run my giveaways which makes it simple for you and me! Enter below. The contest starts at midnight tonight EST and will end 12 AM EST 8/214 with a winner being announced later that day. a Rafflecopter giveaway Read more
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