A woman clothed with the sun

To Jesus through Mary! Hello on this beautiful sunny day celebrating the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady into Heaven! What an awe-inspiring and beautiful feast it is! 

On a personal note, this feast day is of special meaning to both the Mercer and Moe families. Twenty three years ago, Katie and Lori were consecrated to Our Lady. And 16 years ago, Josh and Lori went on their first date on this feast day. And five years ago, Katie and Andy were married on this great solemnity. 

We thank the Blessed Mother for interceding for us and guiding our families over the years! How has your family been blessed by Our Lady’s maternal intercession? If you have a story that might inspire others, we’d love to hear it! 

In this month dedicated to the Immaculate Heart, we thought it would be good to have a strong Marian theme this week and next. (Next week we celebrate the Queenship of Mary!) So, keep reading this edition of The Cause of Our Joy to learn more about just that – Mary, the Cause of Our Joy! 

Mary Is Assumed Into Heaven
Today we celebrate this great solemnity of Mary – her Assumption into heaven, where she was reunited with her Son. Through her Immaculate Conception, she was preserved from any stain of original sin. Unlike Adam and Eve, Mary chose, with the help of God’s grace, to remain free of sin. In his article, Her Glorious Assumption, Dr. Marcellino D’Ambrosio, says so eloquently, “It is fitting that she who knew no sin should know no decay and no delay in enjoying the full fruits of her son’s work. It is fitting that she who stood by Christ under the cross should stand by him bodily at the right hand of the Father.” 

If you’d like to learn more about the History and the Heart of the Solemnity of the Assumption, head over to Aleteia.

Assumption Rosary Rally for Peace today! 
Today, there are several places in the US where religious orders and dioceses are planning to gather in person and virtually to pray the Rosary for peace and healing for our country. To join virtually with the Sisters of Life, Dominican Friars and others, head over to Aleteia

Blessing of the Sea
There is a custom of blessing the sea on the Feast of the Assumption which dates back to Italy in the 15th century. It is believed to have started when a bishop, traveling during a storm on the Feast of the Assumption, threw his pastoral ring into the ocean and the stormy waters calmed. To learn more about this tradition, follow this link to the Catholic News Agency. Our Mother is always there, listening to our prayers. 

Mary’s Mission
An often misunderstood part of Catholic life is our love of Mary. Contrary to what many believe, we do not “worship” her nor do we think of her as in any way equal to God. We found a 9-minute video that easily and beautifully describes how Mary takes us to her Son. It has some neat insights and some common sense advice for talking with those who don’t understand our love for the Mother of God. 

We also found a great article by Kimberly Hahn that illustrates the moment when she and her husband, Scott, came to the realization that Mary’s greatest desire is to take us to her Son. It’s a good, short read! 

One more! We found this article from Regis Martin on the National Catholic Register’s site that speaks so beautifully and poetically about Mary’s mission to bring her Son Jesus to everyone. It’s not too long and it is a wonderfully written piece! Check it out! 

Finding Peace
Are you feeling stressed out? Do you have struggles with anxiety? Is life so hectic that you can’t seem to catch your breath and get a moment’s peace? If so, we have a “cut to the chase” article for you! Check out 10 Ways to Find Peace in Troubled Times for some suggestions to get the peace and rest your soul so direly longs for! 

Saint Spotlight
Saint Helena’s feast day is celebrated on August 18. She was the mother of Emperor Constantine the Great and an Empress of the Roman Empire. She was responsible for locating relics of Christianity and building several Churches on important sites such as the place where Jesus was said to have been born and where he was crucified. To learn more about this great woman of faith and her contribution to Christianity, read this article

Marian Minute 
This coming Friday, August 21st is the feast of Our Lady of Knock! This apparition hailing from Ireland is featured in our Exhibit of Marian Apparitions. To learn more about Mary’s silent example at this apparition, head over to Catholic Exchange. 

Movies!
The movie FATIMA is scheduled to be released into theaters and on demand on August 28. We have heard great things about this movie and are so excited to see it. Head over to their website for more information and to watch the trailer. 

There is also a new movie made by the Militia Immaculata, the group started by St. Maximilian Kolbe, the feast we celebrated yesterday. This movie tells about this great saint and the mission of the organization he founded. Follow the link above to watch this beautiful video. 

Liturgical Living
Catholic Icing has some great resources to celebrate the Assumption of Mary

For celebrating the Feast of St. Helena, here is a short video on her life. Since she is credited with finding the true Cross of Christ, here are some cross crafts to do with the kids. 

Marian Center Update
It’s easy to practice social distancing while attending our exhibit on Marian Apparitions! And you can shop at the Marian Center Gift Shop. 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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  1. Scott

    Thanks for this article! I created a course on the Virgin Mary, the Blessed Mother in Scripture. It discusses “the woman clothed with the sun” at Revelation 12, as well as the prophecy of the Immaculate Conception in Genesis 3:15, the Protoevangelium. The main sections of the ecourse describe Mary as the New Eve, the New Ark of the Covenant, and the New Queen of Israel.

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