To Jesus through Mary! Good morning from the Marian Center in Joy Valley on the feast of St. Christopher, whose name means Christ-bearer! As we come to the end of the month, many of us are thinking, “Whoa! Summer is more than half over! Where did the time go?!” Summer does seem to be flying by! It’s this passing of time that has the ability to really reinforce the fact that our lives are but a breath and our days and years spent “working out our salvation” are so fleeting and precious.
Recently we have been asking ourselves what the most important things are. Since we don’t have all the time in the world and we really do want to make the best of the time we do have, it’s worth asking this question! What is really important? What really matters in the end?
That’s what we’re about today- adjusting our vision so that we put into sharp focus the things that really matter, the things that endure!
So, without further ado, let’s get into this!
A Firm Foundation
The Church celebrates St. Ignatius of Loyola on July 31st. As the founder of the Society of Jesus, he has some excellent advice for us about how to recognize what really matters and what we ought to pass on as we seek to grow in holiness. Head on over to our website to take a look at some of Loyola’s advice!
Be Not Afraid
In the first reading this coming Sunday, we hear of how young King Solomon asks God for wisdom. In Matthew’s gospel we hear the parable of the pearl of great price.
A possible take away from this is that if we have the gift of wisdom, then we would give all we have for that pearl of great price: our faith in Jesus Christ. It follows, then, that if Jesus offers us this pearl, this treasure, we would be fools to let anything get in our way, right?
It’s with this line of thought that we have been examining all the fear and anxiety of these past months. If what we have in Jesus is so valuable, we would give everything for it, even the ultimate sacrifice! And happily, death is not the worst thing that can happen to us! We came across this article by Msgr. Charles Pope about this topic and we think he’s spot-on!
We Need Grandparents
Tomorrow is the feast of Sts. Anne and Joachim. They are celebrated as Mary’s parents and grandparents to Jesus. Many of us have fond and loving memories of our grandparents and some of you are blessed to be grandparents. The vital role of the grandparent in a child’s life cannot be measured. In our searching we came across this organization that is specifically for Catholic grandparents and it looks pretty neat! We also found 10 Fun Ways to Connect With Your Grandchildren This Summer, and it had some neat ideas! Sts. Joachim and Anne, pray for us and our children and grandchildren!
Humanae Vitae
Today marks the 52nd anniversary of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical on human life. This groundbreaking document has been prophetic in it’s warning of how the contraceptive mentality would erode family life and the moral fabric of the modern world. We found the article, Humanae Vitae 50 Years Later; More Important Than Ever, to be an enlightening read. Check it out!
Marian Minute
Our Lady of Good Success spoke to Mother Mariana, a cloistered nun in Quito, Ecuador, in the 1600s. In these messages, Our Lady predicted that a future pope would declare the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, and then later a pope would declare the dogma of the Assumption. She also said: “I will preserve this Church, so beloved by Me, until the consummation of time. It will be strongly attacked, but never conquered. For, if men are lacking, from Heaven will I send down legions of Angels for its conservation, defense and triumph.” Read more about this apparition here.
Nifty News
Recently, news came that Fr. Michael McGivney would soon be moving up the ranks on the way to sainthood. He will be beatified on Oct. 31. The miracle that will lead to his beatification is nothing short of stunning and heartwarming. Click here to read about the miraculous healing of a little boy in utero and how he (now 5 years old) is spreading God’s love. It’s a beautiful story!
Liturgical Living
We have some great feast days to celebrate this week. Follow the links below for some ideas.
—Sts. Anne and Joachim, July 26
Marian Center Update
We have made the difficult decision to not host an in-person Marian Conference in 2020. We’ve sent a letter to everyone in the mail, but you can also read it here.
Thankfully, it’s easy to practice social distancing while attending our exhibit on Marian Apparitions! We are open for our full schedule from Tuesday-Saturday, 10 to 4. Hope to see you soon!
To Christ Through Mary,
Katie Moe and Lori Mercer
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