a year of prayer: 365 Rosaries

“When she became Mother of the Creator, she truly became Queen of every creature.” (St. John Damascene)


Today, August 22, we celebrate the Coronation and Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the fifth Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary. For centuries, we have called upon the intercession of Our Blessed Mother under a multitude of regal and holy titles: Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Virgins, Queen of the Rosary, Queen of Heaven and of Earth. Pope Benedict XVI noted that Mary is Queen of Heaven because of her humble and unconditional acceptance in the divine will when he said: ”God exalted her over all other creatures, and Christ crowned her Queen of heaven and earth.”

We have looked to Our holy Mother, to the Blessed Virgin Mary, to the Theotokos, to the Mother of Our Saviour, and have never been disappointed. Because of Her eminence, she is indeed entitled to the highest honors that can be bestowed upon any creature. Saint Gregory Nazianzen called Her Mother of the King of the entire universe, and the Virgin Mother who brought forth the King of the entire world.

Pope Pius XII established the feast of Mary’s Queenship in 1954, but recognition of Our Lady as Our Queen has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, the Archangel Gabriel announced that Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries of Mary’s life, Mary is closely associated with Jesus: Her Queenship is a share in Jesus’ kingship.

In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and “Queen” and Church fathers and doctors (among them, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Saint Augustine, Saint Anselm, Saint Peter Chrysologus, and Saint Amadeus of Lausanne) continued to use the title. Now familiar hymns such as “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail, Queen of Heaven,” and “Queen of Heaven” became popular as early as the eleventh century.

The feast of Mary’s Queenship is a logical follow-up to the Assumption, now celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his encyclical To the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because of her intercessory power.

In support of these four reasons that Our Lady deserves the title of Our Queen, Pope Pius XII bestowed upon her four titles. Of these four titles, two closely parallel those of Jesus, and two are unique unto the role of Mary.

First, Mary is Queen by her “divine relationship” with Jesus. That is, as Jesus was, is, and every shall be king, so, too, shall Mary ever be queen. But her relationship with Jesus supercedes that of normal earthly queen mothers, as she did not birth a man who would become king, she birthed an eternal king who predated the world.

Second, Mary is Queen by right of conquest, just as Jesus was King by the same right. Mary shared in her Son’s struggle and victory over Satan—and in doing so, shared in our redemption.

Third, Mary is Queen by grace. She is, as the Archangel Gabriel announced, “full of grace,” surpassed in grace only by Jesus. And fourth, Mary is Queen by the singular choice of the Lord. He chose her, appointed her, and elevated her through the birth of His Son.

In his Encyclical Letter of October 11, 1954, “On the Royal Dignity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Institution of Her Feast,” Pope Pius XII said “Constituted by the Lord as Queen of Heaven and earth, and exalted above all the choirs of Angels and the ranks of the Saints in heaven, standing at the right hand of Her only-begotten Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, She petitions most powerfully with Her maternal prayers, and obtains what She seeks.” (For the text of the complete Encyclical, see here.) He added that "nothing is excluded from her dominion." As Mediatrix of all graces, who shared in earning all graces, she is forever working on our behalf. United with her Son, Our Blessed Mother can obtain by her intercession anything that the all-powerful God can do by His own inherent power.

Today, and every day, let us kneel at Mary's feet and confidently pray, placing our needs and concerns into the hands of our Mother, Mary the Queen of angels and saints, Queen of heaven and earth! 


Father,
you have given us the mother of your Son
to be our queen and mother.
With the support of her prayers
may we come to share the glory of your children
in the kingdom of heaven.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


Saint Lomman, Abbot, "The Praises of Mary”:

O Mary, when our eyes close in our last sleep, and open to behold thy Son, the Just Judge, and the Angel opens the Book, and the Enemy accuses us; in that terrible hour, come to our aid. Be with us. When death came to Joseph, you and your Son were with him: Thy Son to judge, thou to console. O Happy Joseph! When death comes for us, be near us. O Mary, when we are held captive in the place of atonement; plead for us, and visit us, that we may find consolation in thy presence. Stretch forth thy hand to help us; deliver us from our bondage. We are thy children: Thou art our Mother. As little children we come to thee; we know no fear. O Mary, He changed water into wine for thee, even as He said: My hour has not yet come. Now He will not refuse thee, when you plead for us thy children. O Mary, come quickly to our aid. Do not let us stray from the Fold. The wolf is waiting to destroy us. There shall be neither night nor day to thy praises. Adoration to the Father Who created thee! Adoration to they Son, Who took flesh from thee! Adoration to the Holy Spirit, Thy Divine Spouse! Three in One, One in Three. Equal in all things. To Him be glory for ever. For ever. For ever. Amen.


The Saints on Mary's Queenship:

"No one has access to the Almighty as His mother has; none has merit such as hers. Her Son will deny her nothing that she asks; and herein lies her power. While she defends the Church, neither height nor depth, neither men nor evil spirits, neither great monarchs, nor craft of man, nor popular violence, can avail to harm us; for human life is short, but Mary reigns above, a Queen forever." (Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman)

"Just as Mary surpassed in grace all others on earth, so also in heaven is her glory unique. If eye has not seen or ear heard or the human heart conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Corinthians 2:9), who can express what He has prepared for the woman who gave Him birth and who loved Him, as everyone knows, more than anyone else?" (Saint Bernard of Clairvaux)

"She has surpassed the riches of the virgins, the confessors, the martyrs, the apostles, the prophets, the patriarchs, and the angels, for she herself is the first-fruit of the virgins, the mirror of confessors, the rose of martyrs, the ruler of apostles, the oracle of prophets, the daughter of patriarchs, the queen of angels." (Saint Bonaventure)

"Such is the will of God that we should have everything through Mary." (Saint Alphonsus Liguori)

“Believe me, there is no more powerful means to obtain God’s grace than to employ the intercessions of the Holy Virgin.” (Saint Philip Neri)

"Mary has the authority over the angels and the blessed in heaven. As a reward for her great humility, God gave her the power and mission of assigning to saints the thrones made vacant by the apostate angels who fell away through pride. Such is the will of the almighty God who exalts the humble, that the powers of heaven, earth and hell, willingly or unwillingly, must obey the commands of the humble Virgin Mary. For God has made her queen of heaven and earth, leader of his armies, keeper of his treasure, dispenser of his graces, mediatrix on behalf of men, destroyer of his enemies, and faithful associate in his great works and triumphs." (Saint Louis Marie de Montfort)

“To serve the Queen of Heaven is already to reign there, and to live under her commands is more than to govern.” (Saint John Marie Vianney)

"Prayer is powerful beyond limits when we turn to the Immaculata who is queen even of God's heart." (Saint Maximilian Kolbe)



Year 2: Day 234 of 365
Prayer Intentions: Trust in our Mother, our Queen;  Rest in her comforting grace; True devotion and consecration to Mary.
Requested Intentions: Restoration of health (J); Restoration of health (S); Freedom from pride (A); For children and marriage (M); For the birth of a healthy baby (Y); For personal family intentions, for the sick, poor, hungry, and homeless (G); Financial security and peace (J); Grace, peace, and obedience to the will of God in a marriage (H); Successful and blessed marriage for sin, freedom from anxiety for husband, spiritual contentedness for family (N); Employment and health for a husband (B); Recovery and health of a mother (J); For a family to grow closer to the Church, salvation for all children (D); Successful employment (L); Successful employment (S); Renewal of faith life (A); Support for an intended marriage, health for friend and aunt (J); Mental health assistance for son (G); Freedom from illness (S); Successful employment (C); Financial assistance and employment (B); For a family’s intentions (T); Successful examination results (B); Healing of a friend with cancer, for all those who help others (B); Healing and love (L); Grace and healing (V); Healing of a heart, consecration of a marriage (M); Health of a family, intentions of apostolate (H); For repentance (J); For a family in trouble (R); Healing, successful relationships for son, financial success (J); Success of a company (L); For a religious society (J); Healing of a husband, strength as a faithful caregiver (D); Healing of a son (T); Financial security, Healing and guidance (M); Healing of a heart and relationship (V); Employment for daughter (J); For a marriage that glorifies the Lord (K); Resolution of family situation, parents’ health (A); Positive results (C); For a son’s employment, faith, and relationships (S).

"By contemplating Mary in heavenly glory, we understand that the earth is not the definitive homeland for us either, and that if we live with our gaze fixed on eternal goods we will one day share in this same glory and the earth will become more beautiful. Consequently, we must not lose our serenity and peace even amid the thousands of daily difficulties. The luminous sign of Our Lady taken up into Heaven shines out even more brightly when sad shadows of suffering and violence seem to loom on the horizon.



We may be sure of it: from on high, Mary follows our footsteps with gentle concern, dispels the gloom in moments of darkness and distress, reassures us with her motherly hand. Supported by awareness of this, let us continue confidently on our path of Christian commitment wherever Providence may lead us. Let us forge ahead in our lives under Mary's guidance."
(Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, August 2006)


Today, August 15, we celebrate the feast day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven, the fourth Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary (see also the Resurrection, Ascension, and Descent of the Holy Spirit). In praying the Rosary today, Saint Louis de Montfort (in his method of total devotion and Total Consecration to Mary) suggests the following contemplations:

Our Father: The unspeakable generosity of God.
Hail Mary: To honor the eternal predestination of Mary to be the masterpiece of God’s hands.
Hail Mary: Her Immaculate Conception and her fullness of grace and reason in the very womb of St. Anne.
Hail Mary: Her birth which gladdened the whole world.
Hail Mary: Her presentation and her abode in the temple.
Hail Mary: Her wonderful life and her exemption from all sin.
Hail Mary: Her fullness of pre-eminent virtue.
Hail Mary: Her fruitful virginity and her painless childbearing.
Hail Mary: Her divine Motherhood and her relationship with the three persons of the most holy Trinity.
Hail Mary: Her precious and loving death.
Hail Mary: Her resurrection and triumphant Assumption.


The feast of the Assumption is a day of celebration! It marks the completion of Mary's physical work here on earth and a time when the fullness of her body and soul were taken into heaven. From the time of Her Immaculate Conception it was never God's plan to have the body that brought forth the Son of God to corrupt here on earth. Belief in the Assumption of Mary flows immediately from the belief in her Immaculate Conception-- if Mary was preserved from sin by the free gift of God, she would not be bound to experience the consequences of sin--death--in the same way we do. Since sin and death are the fruits of Satan, the freedom of Mary from the original sin of Adam also frees her from the consequences of sin—death. In this way, we see that Mary best fulfills the scripture of Genesis:

15I will put enmity between you [the serpent, Satan] and the woman [Mary], and between your offspring and hers [Christ]; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel. (Genesis, 3:15)


Mary's assumption into heaven shows the result of this freedom from sin--the immediate union of her whole being with her Son, Jesus Christ, at the end of her life. In that moment, she was assumed—both body and soul—into heavenly glory with the Lord. The Assumption holds out to us the mystery:

51Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. (1 Corinithians, 51-53)
 Church tradition has held the belief in the Assumption of Mary as far back as the first century, with evidence of this belief found in the apocryphal writings of Saint John the Evangelist. While this was a popular belief and devotion throughout the Church, it was not until 1950 that Pope Pius XII—following a broad council of bishops—declared the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a dogma of the Catholic Faith:

“For which reason, after we have poured forth prayers of supplication again and again to God, and have invoked the light of the Spirit of Truth, for the glory of Almighty God who has lavished his special affection upon the Virgin Mary, for the honor of her Son, the immortal King of the Ages and the Victor over sin and death, for the increase of the glory of that same august Mother, and for the joy and exultation of the entire Church; by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, and by our own authority, we pronounce, declare, and define it to be a divinely revealed dogma:

that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory.”


The Munificentissimus Deus went on to say:

“Finally the Immaculate Virgin, preserved free from all stain of original sin, when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory, and 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.”


The word “Assumption” underscores an important difference between the ascent of Jesus into Heaven and His mother’s journey. Jesus, being divine, ascended into Heaven of His own power. Mary, on the other hand, was brought to Heaven by the Lord—assumed without her control. In this manner, we see a final earthly example of the perfect trust that Mary had in the Lord, previously evident in her fiat of the Annunciation, her dangerous journey to visit Elizabeth, when she presented Jesus at the temple and was first told by Simeon and Anna about what His life would be like, and throughout her Son’s Passion and Crucifixion. As painful as her motherhood was, Mary always forgave and always believed regardless of how difficult her sufferings became.

Saint John the Evangelist (in his apocryphal works on the Assumption of Mary) wrote:

”Then the Savior said: Let it be according to your opinion. And He ordered the archangel Michael to bring the soul of St. Mary. And, behold, the archangel Michael rolled back the stone from the door of the tomb; and the Lord said: Arise, my beloved and my nearest relation; you who hast not put on corruption by intercourse with man, suffer not destruction of the body in the sepulcher. And immediately Mary rose from the tomb, and blessed the Lord, and falling forward at the feet of the Lord, adored Him, saying: I cannot render sufficient thanks to You, O Lord, for Your boundless benefits which You have deigned to bestow upon me Thine handmaiden. May Your name, O Redeemer of the world, God of Israel, be blessed for ever.


And kissing her, the Lord went back, and delivered her soul to the angels, that they should carry it into paradise. And He said to the apostles: Come up to me. And when they had come up He kissed them, and said: Peace be to you! as I have always been with you, so will I be even to the end of the world. And immediately, when the Lord had said this, He was lifted up on a cloud, and taken back into heaven, and the angels along with Him, carrying the blessed Mary into the paradise of God. And the apostles being taken up in the clouds, returned each into the place allotted for his preaching, telling the great things of God, and praising our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, in perfect unity, and in one substance of Godhead, for ever and ever. Amen.”


Church tradition holds that there is no earthly tomb containing the relics of Our Blessed Mother. Saint John Damascene has written (in the early fifth century), that the body of Mary was laid in Jerusalem by the remaining disciples of Christ, they later found the body to be gone—assumed wholly into heaven—and replaced with lilies and roses.

While the historical events of the Assumption of Mary are not recorded in the New Testament, the Bible does indicate her place in heaven. In the book of Revelation, John records his sighting of the Ark of God:

19Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm. (Revelation 11:19)
John then goes on to describe the Ark as he sees it and he describes the Ark as none other than Mary-- for this woman gives birth to a Son who is none other than Jesus:

1A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads. 4His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.  (Revelation 12:1-5)


Scripture confirms what is taught by the solemn Tradition of the Church: that Mary, whose body is the Ark of the New Covenant, is in heaven.


Saint Alphonsus de Liguori wrote of the Assumption of Mary:

"And now death came; not indeed clothed in mourning and grief, as it does to others, but adorned with light and gladness. But what do we say? Why speak of death? Let us rather say that divine love came, and cut the thread of that noble life. And as a light, before going out, gives a last and brighter flash than ever, so did this beautiful creature, on hearing her Son's invitation to follow him, wrapped in the flames of love, and in the midst of her loving sighs, give a last sigh of still more ardent love, and breathing forth her soul, expired. Thus was that great soul, that beautiful dove of the Lord, loosened from the bands of this life; thus did she enter into the glory of the blessed, where she is now seated, and will be seated, Queen of Paradise, for all eternity."


Let us now consider how our Savior went forth from heaven to meet his Mother. On first meeting her, and to console her, he said: Arise, make haste, my love, my dove, my beautiful one, and come, for winter is now past and gone. (Liguori uses the imagery from the Song of Songs 2:10) Come, my own dear Mother, my pure and beautiful dove; leave that valley of tears, in which, for my love, you have suffered so much. Come from Lebanon, my spouse, come from Lebanon, come: You shall be crowned. (Songs of Songs 4:8) Come in, soul and body, to enjoy the reward of your holy life. If your sufferings have been great on earth, far greater is the glory which I have prepared for you in heaven. Enter, then, that kingdom, and take your seat near me; come to receive that crown which I will bestow on you as Queen of the universe.”



Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven, I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth, you have at last been taken to the throne prepared for you in heaven by the Holy Trinity.

Lift my heart with you in the glory of your Assumption above the dreadful touch of sin and impurity.

Teach me how small Earth becomes when viewed from Heaven.

Make me realize that death is the triumphant Gate through which I shall pass to your Son, and that someday my body shall rejoin my soul in the unending bliss of Heaven.


From this Earth, over which I tread as a pilgrim, I look to you for help.


When my hour of death has come, lead me safely to the presence of Jesus to enjoy the vision of my God for all eternity together with you.


Mother of Christ and Mother of all peoples, we ask for your protection and your intercession.


Pray to your Son for us, to send the Holy Spirit in abundance, the Spirit of Truth who is the source of Life. Welcome the Spirit for us and with us as you did on the feast of Pentecost with the first disciples.


Mother you know and share our sufferings and hopes.


Today we entrust the whole world to you.


We pray for you to accompany us on our path.


Like John the Apostle, we wish to accept you into our homes, to learn from you how to resemble Jesus.


We entrust all our people to you, starting with those who are the weakest and who suffer the most: the unborn children, those whose life is menaced, those born in poverty, the young people searching for a sense to their life, the refugees, the unemployed, those tried by sickness, the families who are divided, elderly persons deprived of assistance and all those who are alone and without hope.


May the infinite saving power of Redemption rise up once more in the history of the world, the power of the Merciful Love of the Father!


May the Holy Spirit transform consciences!


May He heal our memories and purify our hearts. May the Lord always reign among us, He who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen



Year 2: Day 227 of 365
Prayer Intentions: For true devotion and consecration to Our Blessed Mother.

"Through the Holy Spirit we are restored to paradise, led back to the Kingdom of heaven, and adopted as children, given confidence to call God "Father" and to share in Christ's grace, called children of light and given a share in eternal glory." (Saint Basil)


Today we celebrate Pentecost, fifty days following Easter, marking the end of the Church’s springtime, and recalling the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and Our Blessed Mother in the Upper Room in Jerusalem. Pentecost, following the Resurrection of the Lord, and his Ascension into Heaven, is the third Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary.

15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever


23"If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.


25"All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14: 15-16; 23b-26)



A few weeks ago, we read part of Jesus’ “farewell message” in the Gospel of John, focusing on the unending, reciprocal love of the Lord. We read again today in the Gospel of the extension of that love promised to us by Christ, “another Counselor to be with us forever,” the Holy Spirit. Jesus asks for the intercession of the Holy Spirit here, in the teaching of the disciples, and the Father willingly gives of it. As well as the Holy Spirit, however, Jesus himself continues to instruct the disciples—and us-- which suggests the Spirit mediates Jesus' presence.

It is clear that the Father and the Son are personally present with the believers and that the Spirit has a role clearly distinguished from, though in union with, the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, but as God, is equal to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit’s teaching role is focused on the historical Jesus, as indicated by the reference to “all things” and “everything” (verse 26) and the use of the past tense. The Holy Spirit dwells in the Church as the source of its life and sanctifies souls through the gift of grace. The sanctification of mankind is attributed to the Holy Spirit because He is the love of the Father and the Son and because the sanctification of man by grace shows forth God's boundless love.

As Saint Augustine wrote of the Holy Spirit, as a gift of God’s Love: “Wherefore, if Holy Scripture proclaims that God is love, and that love is of God, and works this in us that we abide in God and He in us, and that hereby we know this, because He has given us of His Spirit, then the Spirit Himself is God, who is love. Next, if there be among the gifts of God none greater than love, and there is no greater gift of God than the Holy Spirit, what follows more naturally than that He is Himself love, who is called both God and of God? And if the love by which the Father loves the Son, and the Son loves the Father, ineffably demonstrates the communion of both, what is more suitable than that He should be specially called love, who is the Spirit common to both? For this is the sounder thing both to believe and to understand, that the Holy Spirit is not alone love in that Trinity, yet is not specially called love to no purpose.”

And in that way, we see, on Pentecost—which we celebrate today—the re-gifting of love, of Jesus, from the Father, through the Holy Spirit. Not only were the disciples—and we, the faithful, by extension—filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are re-awakened to the love and teachings of Christ—a love which burned within the disciples, and sprang forth to preach to the nations after being rekindled the power of the Spirit!

The arrival of the Holy Spirit fulfilled the promises Jesus made the disciples, read in the Gospel of John. It also, through the mediation of the Spirit, changed Jesus’ mission on earth. Many refer to Pentecost as the birth of the Church on earth, as the disciples began preaching in earnest that Jesus was the way to eternal salvation.
1When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.


5Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" (Acts 2:1-11)



We are told that the Holy Spirit descended upon the gathering of believers in the form of tongues of fire, and as such, the liturgical color for Pentecost is red, a reminder of the flames that "rested on them.” Another symbol for the Holy Spirit is the dove, usually emitting golden rays of light.

The Holy Spirit gave the apostles gifts of grace through which they would undertake the evangelical mission of the Church. On the day of Pentecost, the apostles were given the miraculous "gift of tongues" -- so that everyone from every country understood the message of salvation as if they were hearing it in their own languages. Thousands were converted by the preaching of Peter and the other apostles on that day alone.

But it was not just for the early disciples that the Holy Spirit came—it was for all of us. As Dom Columba Marmion, an Irish monk beatified by Pope John Paul II, wrote: “But it is also for us that the Holy Spirit has come, for the group in the Cenacle represented the whole Church. The Holy Spirit came to remain with the Church forever. This is the promise of Jesus Himself. He dwells in the Church permanently and unfailingly, performing in it without ceasing, His action of life-giving and sanctification. He establishes the Church infallibly in the truth. It is He who makes the Church blossom forth with a marvelous supernatural fruitfulness, for He brings to life and full fruition in Virgins, Martyrs, Confessors, those heroic virtues which are one of the marks of true sanctity.”

Pentecost represents God’s gracious, enabling presence actively at work among His people, calling and enabling us to dynamically and visibly live the witness of being His people. Pentecost Sunday is a day to celebrate hope, a hope evoked by the knowledge that God-- through the Holy Spirit-- is at work among us, within each of us. It is a celebration of newness, of recreation, of renewal of purpose, mission, and calling as God’s people. It is a celebration of God’s ongoing work in the world. Yet, it is also a recognition that His work is done through His people as He pours out His presence upon them. It is the work of salvation and redemption, for ourselves, our communities, our world!



Reflection of Pope John XXIII on Pentecost:

At the Feast of Pentecost I take the sacred Book in my hands and turn eagerly to the first page of the Old Testament, and then to the first page of the New. The first page of the Old Testament describes the creation of the world, saying that "the Spirit of God was moving on the waters". This refers to the whole universe, the seas and land masses, the animal, vegetable and mineral kingdoms: a triple realm, a manifold order; and it refers also to the governments of men, of races, peoples and tribes, inspired and moved by energies common to all mankind, and to the history of humanity slowly evolving through the centuries according to a Divine plan.


All nature, then, belongs to the temporal order, but always in the sight of God and subject to his power.


And now we turn to the first page of the Gospel, the New Testament, which begins with the sound of an angel's voice: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God...You will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus."


With this announcement to Mary there begins the epic of Redemption, which has Christ for its all-radiant Sun, the source of divine life and sanctifying grace.





Come, thou Holy Spirit come:
and from thy celestial home
send thy light and brilliancy.
Come, thou father of the poor,
come who givest all our store.
What is filthy make thou pure,
what is wounded work its cure,
water what is parched and dry.
Gently bend the stubborn will,
warm to life the heart that’s chill,
guide who goeth erringly.
Fill thy faithful who adore,
and confess thee evermore,
with thy sevenfold mystery.
Here thy grace and virtue send,
grant salvation in the end, and in heaven felicity.
Amen

Today, Easter Sunday, we celebrate with great joy the Resurrection of Our Lord, Jesus Christ! Alleluia! The Resurrection of the Lord is also the first Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary. We can imagine that Our Blessed Mother, Mary, having been foretold of His birth by an angel, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and suffered with Him as he died on the cross, knew that Her Son, Our Lord, was unlike any other. Her heart—the heart of a mother—died with Christ, but like ourselves, was reborn in the Resurrection!


We, like Christ, die a thousand times in sin, rising again in the forgiveness of Our Lord. Monsignor Romano Guardini writes, “This dying and entombing of the old self is a constant process within us through every struggle against evil, through every conquest of self, through every suffering which is bravely borne, through every sacrifice of love and charity. But through this dying of the old self, the resurrection of the new man is also accomplished.” We are reminded on Easter Sunday that our own lives must be those of conversion and resurrection. That our daily pain and struggle against sin brings us closer to the newness of life. After the pain of Good Friday, and the silent waiting of Holy Saturday, we find the love and forgiveness of the Lord on Easter morning.


1On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' " 8Then they remembered his words.



9When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.



17He asked them, "What are you discussing together as you walk along?"
They stood still, their faces downcast. 18One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, "Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?"

Today, August 22, we celebrate the Coronation and Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the fifth Glorious Mystery of the Holy Rosary. For centuries, we have called upon the intercession of Our Blessed Mother under a multitude of regal and holy titles: Queen of Angels, Queen of Patriarchs, Queen of Prophets, Queen of Apostles, Queen of Martyrs, Queen of Virgins, Queen of the Rosary, Queen of Heaven and of Earth.


On the Feast of the Queenship of Mary, we reflect on her virtues by reading an excerpt form a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne:


Observe how fitting it was that even before her assumption the name of Mary shone forth wondrously throughout the world. Her fame spread everywhere even before she was raised above the heavens in her magnificence. Because of the honor due her Son, it was indeed fitting for the Virgin Mother to have first ruled upon earth and then be raised up to heaven in glory. It was fitting that her fame be spread in this world below, so that she might enter the heights of heaven on overwhelming blessedness. Just as she was borne from virtue to virtue by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown to heavenly brightness.


So it was that she began to taste the fruits of her future reign while still in the flesh. At one moment she withdrew to God in ecstasy; at the next she would bend down to her neighbors with indescribable love. In heaven angels served her, while here on earth she was venerated by the service of men. Gabriel and the angels waited upon her in heaven. The virgin John, rejoicing that the Virgin Mother was entrusted to him at the cross, cared for her with the other apostles here below. The angels rejoiced to see their queen; the apostles rejoiced to see their lady, and both obeyed her with loving devotion.


Dwelling in the loftiest citadel of virtue, like a sea of divine grace or an unfathomable source of love that has everywhere overflowed its banks, she poured forth her bountiful waters on trusting and thirsting souls. Able to preserve both flesh and spirit from death she bestowed health-giving salve on bodies and souls. Has anyone ever come away from her troubled or saddened or ignorant of the heavenly mysteries? Who has not returned to everyday life gladdened and joyful because his request had been granted by the Mother of God?


She is a bride, so gentle and affectionate, and the mother of the only true bridegroom. In her abundant goodness she has channelled the spring of reason’s garden, the well of living and life-giving waters that pour forth in a rushing stream from divine Lebanon and flow down from Mount Zion until they surround the shores of every far-flung nation. With divine assistance she has redirected these waters and made them into streams of peace and pools of grace. Therefore, when the Virgin of virgins was led forth by God and her Son, the King of kings. amid the company of exulting angels and rejoicing archangels, with the heavens ringing with praise, the prophecy of the psalmist was fulfilled, in which he said to the Lord: At your right hand stands the queen, clothed in gold of Ophir (Psalm 45).