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The Life and Lessons of St. Zelie Martin

 

Discover St. Zélie and the important lessons she can teach us!

Although she lived a hundred and fifty years ago, St. Zélie Martin (1831-1877) was a modern woman. She was a working mother who cared deeply about both her family and her career. She struggled to balance all her responsibilities. She often worried. But she always put God first and strove for holiness in everything she did.

She and her husband, Louis, were canonized together on October 18, 2015. They are best known as the parents of five daughters who entered religious life. Their most famous child is St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, one of the Church’s most loved saints and a Doctor of the Church.

Together, Saints Louis and Zélie are role models for a holy marriage and Catholic parenting. St. Zélie is a spiritual friend whom today’s women can turn to in their times of need. Discover this holy woman and the important lessons she can teach us.

 

 

 

 

The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary

The Rosary is one of the most beloved prayers of the Church. Countless individuals over the centuries have turned to Jesus and Mary using this prayer, meditating on the mysteries, finding comfort in the rhythmic, soothing prayers.

The tradition of praying for a fruit, or virtue, as one meditates on each mystery dates back to at least the time of St. Louis de Montfort in the 1700s. Through a series of brief reflections rooted in Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary invites you to explore this practice more deeply as an aid in your personal quest for holiness.

A helpful appendix includes how to pray the Rosary along with the 15 Promises of the Holy Rosary.

 

The Work of Our Hands: The Universal Gift of Creativity  

Do you think of yourself as being a creative person? All too often we compartmentalize creativity, making it the realm of artists, musicians, and writers. In reality, we are all called to be creative in some way. God is the great Creator. Scripture tells us that we are made in the image and likeness of God. As such, that creativity is an innate part of what it means to be human. We are all invited to contribute to the ongoing story of creation. Written from a Roman Catholic perspective, these pages invite you to reflect on the universal God-given gift of creativity and the ways that you can embrace that gift in your own life.

Our Lady of La Salette: A Mother Weeps for her Children

In 1846, the people of the small town of Corps, located in the French Alps, had largely forgotten God. That was soon about to change. Our Lady of La Salette appeared to two peasant children, sharing a warning message of the importance of Sunday observance and respecting the name of the Lord. She told the young children to share that message with the world. It is a message even more needed in our world today.

Our Lady of La Salette: A Mother Weeps for her Children shares the story of the apparition, the seers, the message, and the secrets revealed on a rural mountain in France over 170 years ago. It also reflects on the importance of that message for our own time.

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Reflect on Scripture as you Pray the Rosary

 

The Rosary is a beautiful prayer, one that Our Blessed Mother herself has asked us to pray. At its best, the Rosary is meant to be a time spent in prayerful meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary, events in the lives of Jesus and Mary. In reality, the repetition of the prayers often causes my mind to wander while I pray. If, like me, you have an internal voice that never stops talking and find it hard to meditate, The Ave Guide to the Scriptural Rosary may help you to keep your focus and lead you to a more meaningful prayer experience. If you are new to praying the Rosary, this book can help you learn to offer these prayers as a gift to Our Lady and her Son, Jesus.

The Ave Guide to the Scriptural Rosary by Michael Amodei is a small hardcover book which could easily fit into a medium-sized purse to accompany you to church for a time of prayer. You could also keep it on a nightstand for use in the morning or at night to begin or end your day with the Rosary.

It contains quotes from recent popes about the value of the Rosary. One of my favorites of those included is from Pope Francis:

In the prayer of the Rosary we turn to the Virgin May so that she may bring us ever closer to her Son Jesus, so as to know and to love him more and more. This simple prayer, in fact, helps us to contemplate all that God in his love has done for us and for our salvation, and allows us to understand that our life is united to that of Christ.

 

This book also contains a brief history of the Rosary, how to pray the Rosary, and the 15 promises of Mary to those who pray the Rosary. The bulk of this book, however, contains the twenty mysteries of the Rosary and a Bible quote for each Our Father and Hail Mary. These quotes invite us deeper into the mysteries of the Rosary and allow us to reflect in a meaningful way on the lives of Jesus and Mary. These scripture passages can also help children to focus on the prayers. In a family of children who are able to read, they could take turns reading the passages. An appendix includes additional Marian prayers.

The Rosary is one of my favorite prayers. I have prayed it in the car, on walks, and while doing dishes. I’ve counted the prayers on my fingers rather than using a set of rosary beads. Is it perfect? No. Does it still count as prayer? Yes. It isn’t always possible to set aside the time to have a meditative experience of prayer, especially in the busy years of motherhood. I encourage you to pray the Rosary whenever and however you can. However, The Ave Guide to the Scriptural Rosary can help increase your appreciation of the Rosary and your reflection on its mysteries. If you can set aside the time to use it, even if it is only for a decade at a time, it will enhance your spiritual life.

For additional reflections on the mysteries of the Rosary, please consider reading my book, The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary. 

 

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The Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth - Devotion to Mary

 

 

The Crowning of Mary as
Queen of Heaven and Earth

Fruit of the Mystery: Devotion to Mary

Pope Pius XII stated that after Mary was brought to heaven body and soul (the Assumption), she was “exalted by the Lord as Queen over all things, so that she might be the more fully conformed to her Son, the Lord of lords and conqueror of sin and death.”[i] The Church has also identified Mary as the “woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars” who is spoken of in Revelation 12:1.

In the times of the kingship of David and his son Solomon, it was not the wife of the king (keep in mind that they had many wives) who was considered queen, rather it was the king’s mother. The queen mother had incredible power and influence in the kingdom. She was referred to as “mother of my Lord”, which is how Elizabeth refers to Mary at the Visitation in Luke 1:43. The tradition that Mary, as mother of Jesus, the Lord of all, is therefore the queen of all has deep roots in Jewish history.[ii] 

Because of her unique role in salvation history and her place as queen of heaven and earth, we are right to have a deep devotion to her. This is not the same as the adoration that is rightly given only to God. Through prayers such as the Rosary and by observing the various liturgical feasts in her honor, we can demonstrate this devotion. Those who do so will be blessed. According to tradition, Mary gave 15 promises of special protection for those who have a devotion to the Rosary to St. Dominic and Blessed Alan de la Roche (see appendix).

Mary is the mother of the Church and the mother of each of us who believe in the promises of Christ. Pope Paul VI stated that “we believe that the Holy Mother of God, the new Eve, Mother of the Church, continues in heaven to exercise her maternal role on behalf of the members of Christ.”[iii] Mary is the most tender mother who loves us and wants to lead us all to eternal joy in heaven with God. Devotion to Mary helps lead us to Jesus.

In meditating on this mystery of The Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth, may we pray to always be devoted to Mary.

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[i] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 966.

[ii] For a more complete explanation, please see “Is Mary’s Queenship Biblical” by Edward Sri. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/is-marys-queenship-biblical

[iii] Catechism of the Catholic Church, 975.

 

The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary is available on Amazon. 

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