Our poverty has made you rich, Mary! Blessed Henry Suso is confident of Mary’s willingness to show him compas- sion, because she became the Mother of God precisely for that purpose. Consider, mild Queen, consider, chosen one, how you derive all your merits from us poor sinners. What was it that made you the Mother of God, that made you a jewel box in which the Eternal Wisdom came to rest? O Lady, it was the sins of us poor... Read more
Many of us likely feel we have a pretty good relationship with our savior Jesus Christ. Well….you’re probably wrong. Not that we are to blame, we may not even know it. If you open Matthew Kelly’s latest book Rediscover Jesus: An Invitation, you will find out pretty quickly that we have room for improvement. Thankfully Matthew gives us the tools to make it happen. The book is broken into forty chapters. As stated in the beginning of the book you... Read more
Through Mary, peace is restored to the world St. Cyril of Alexandria was the great champion of the title “Mother of God” as a way of affirming that her Son was truly God. This hymn to Our Lady celebrates her role as expressed in that title. Glory be to you, holy Mother of God, masterpiece of the universe, brilliant star, glory of virginity, scepter of faith, indestructible temple inhabited by him whom immensity cannot contain, Virgin Mother of him who,... Read more
Mary, mother of the recreated world The creation of God the Father was deadened by human sin. But by becom- ing a Man, born of the Virgin Mary, God the Son restored that creation. St. Anselm observes that as God is the Father of the created world, Mary is the mother of the recreated world. Blessed Lady! Sky and stars, earth and rivers, day and night—every- thing that’s subject to the power or use of the human race—rejoice that through... Read more
Divine graces come through Mary’s hands Since all graces are the fruits of Christ’s redemptive work, St. Alphonsus reasons, they are contained in the treasure that God entrusted to Mary. The Mother of God made a tremendous sacrifice of her Son for the salvation of the world. Because of the great merit she acquired by this sacrifice, which she made to God, she was rightly called by St. Augustine “the repairer of the human race”; by St. Epiphanius, “the redeemer... Read more
The Open Book Podcast Episode 006 This episode’s guest Paul Thigpen and I discuss his books A Year with Mary: Daily Meditations on the Mother of God and Manual for Spiritual Warfare. Links Mentioned in this Episode Purchase a copy of A Year with Mary: Daily Meditations on the Mother of God. Purchase a copy of Manual for Spiritual Warfare. Visit the publisher Saint Benedict Press. Music for this episode provided courtesy of Sam Rocha from his album Late to Love. The intro song is Genesis Time, and... Read more
Mary cooperated in our redemption St. Alphonsus observes that even though Jesus could have redeemed us without any assistance, it was fitting that God chose to have Mary cooperate in our redemption. St. Bernard says that “as a man and a woman cooperated in our ruin, so it was proper that another man and another woman should cooperate in our redemption; and these two were Jesus and his mother, Mary.” “There is no doubt,” observes the saint, “that Jesus Christ... Read more
Mary and the Blessed Trinity St. Louis summarizes the ancient Christian teachings about Mary in her relationship to each Person of the Blessed Holy Trinity. God the Father gathered all the waters, and he named it the sea (Latin, mare). He gathered all his graces, and he called it Mary (Latin, Maria). This great God has a most rich treasury in which he’s laid up all that he has of beauty and splendor, of rarity and preciousness, including even his... Read more
How can Mary be our hope? St. Alphonsus responds to those who object to speaking of Mary as our hope. Some cannot bear to hear us salute and call Mary our hope: “Hail, our hope!” They say that God alone is our hope, and that he curses those who put their trust in creatures, as the prophet Jeremiah says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man” (Jer 17:5). Mary, they exclaim, is a creature; and how can a crea-... Read more
This week The Coming Home Network International and Catholic Word sponsor the giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a copy of Journeys Home and Journeys Home 2 by Marcus Grodi (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 8/14 with a winner being announced later that day. a Rafflecopter giveaway Read more
The Catholic Book Blogger
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In