“Mondays with Mary” – Our Lady of La Salette

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Tom Perna

Traditionally, in the Roman Liturgical Calendar, September 19 was the day we honored the Blessed Virgin Mary under her title, Our Lady of La Salette. For today’s “Mondays with Mary”, I will briefly explain to you the story about the La Salette, the apparition witnessed by Maximin Giraud and Melanie Calvat, and the aftermath and approval of the devotion.

On Saturday, September 19, 1846, Maximin, eleven years old, and Melanie, fourteen years of age, were blessed to see a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the town of Corps close to Grenoble, in the southeast part of France. They saw Mary high up above the pasture, above La Salette, as they were tending to cattle and sheep for their employer.

They explained that they witnessed seeing a beautiful, tall, woman who was wearing a long, white, pearl covered sleeved dress, covered by a white shawl with a crown on her head adorned with roses. She wore white shoes that were decorated in roses of many different colors. Her arms were folded over her breast. Around her neck was a crucifix, which was large, and was covered with a small hammer and pincers. The figure of Christ on the crucifix shined very brightly. The entire image – the woman along with the very bright crucifix were covered in light. The children also said that the woman was seated on a stone and her head was in her hands.

Speaking with a melancholic voice and tears from her eyes, Our Lady explained to the children that she was sad because people were not repenting of their sins and that the arm of her son was becoming heavy. She did not know how long she could hold it up. She explained that she was praying hard for the people, even though they continued to blaspheme and worked on Sundays. She declared that punishments were coming in the form of famines and blights to the crops.

Our Lady secretly shared information with each of the two children, which were not to be shared with anyone, however, in-time, the secrets were shared with Pope Pius IX in 1851. The secret given to Maximin was eventually published in “Annales du Surnaturel” in 1888. The secret given to Melanie was shared (Our Lady said it could be) in 1858; the same year Our Lady appeared in Lourdes.

Before disappearing from the children’s sight, she asked them to spread her message. Once they returned home, accounts were written down. As often happens in cases like this, opposition and skepticism began to grow rapidly. And as often, the witnesses of such apparitions remain steadfast in their accounts – this case is no different. Both Maximin and Melanie maintained that their story was true, despite the opposition they faced in the form of bribes, teasing, threats, and nasty tricks. Every time they were asked to explain their accounts (often separately), the accounts came out exactly the same.

Bishop Bruillard also faced opposition, but after five years of intense investigation examining the facts, with two different commissions of inquiry, he approved devotion to Our Lady of Salette. On September 19, 1851, Bishop Bruillard declared that a miraculous event did occur and said,

“We declare that the apparition of the Blessed Virgin to two shepherds, on September 19, 1846, on a mountain in the Alps in the parish of La Salette, bears in itself all the marks of truth and that the faithful are justified in believing without question in its truth. And so, to mark our lively gratitude to God and the glorious Virgin Mary, we authorize the cult of Our Lady of La Salette.”

In 1852, a new religious order was founded by the Bishop, the Missionaries of La Salette. Melanie also started her own religious community and may have used the Rule given to her by Our Lady. A new basilica was being built to honor Our Lady of La Salette, as Bishop Bruillard laid the cornerstone. Pilgrims quickly began to descend upon the small town. Our Lady became known as “Reconcilatrix of sinners.” Many people developed a great devotion to Our Lady of La Salette, including three great saints – St. John Bosco, St. John Vianney, and St. Madeleine Sophie Barat.

Even though this apparition happened 170 years ago, the messages given to these two young children should ring loudly with us today. Our Lady said that materialism; atheism, spiritualism, and secularism would increase on a large scale. Many people, including those who whole-heartedly believed in Jesus Christ, would lose their faith. Blaspheming of the Sunday Sabbath would continue and people would place other things in front of that time with God. War and destruction would come and go, particularly in the beginning of 20^th century.

Our Lady of La Salette, appearing only four days after Our Lady of Sorrows, truly is the Mother of Sorrow, because she is weeping for the sins of humanity.

Our Lady of La Salette…Pray for Us.

Sources:

Fongemie, Pauly. “Our Lady of La Salette.” Our Lady of La Salette. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.

“Lady of La Salette.” Lady of La Salette. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.

“Secret of La Salette – Our Lady of La Salette (France).” ~Secret of La Salette -Our Lady of La Salette (France)~. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.

“What Is the Story of Our Lady of La Salette? – Catholic Straight Answers.”Catholic Straight Answers. N.p., 22 May 2013. Web. 19 Sept. 2016.

A Whole Lot of Writings on Our Lady of Sorrows

Posted on September 15, 2016 by Tom Perna

Today in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, we celebrate the Marian memorial known as Our Lady of Sorrows. This traditional devotion, which helps us understand Mary’s role in the suffering of Our Lord Jesus Christ, began in 1814 by Pope Pius VII. Many of the Church Fathers and other saints wrote on how Mary is united with Christ in his suffering and how we are to suffer with Christ as well. In this Apostolic Letter, Salvific Doloris, Pope St. John Paul II said,

“Suffering is also an invitation to manifest the moral greatness of man, his spiritual maturity. Proof of this has been given, down through the generations, by the martyrs and confessors of Christ, faithful to the words: “And do not fear those who kill the body, but cannot kill the soul.”

If you don’t know or haven’t realized it yet, suffering is very much a part of the Christian lifestyle, and although following Christ brings us happiness and joy, suffering is something that we all must learn to embrace. We are reminded of this every time we walk into a Catholic Church and see the crucifix in the sanctuary. As she is in all things that pertain to the Christian faith, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the perfect example for us when it comes to suffering. Although she was free of all sin because of her Immaculate Conception, she still had to endure great pains and great suffering as she watched Her Son and Our Lord suffer to and on the cross.

Our Lady of Sorrows by Carlo Dolci

So for today’s blog post on the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows, here are the many blog posts I have written in the past that speak about the Blessed Mother as the Mother of Sorrows –

1. “Mondays with Mary” – 7 Quotes by Pope St. John Paul II on Our Lady of Sorrows

2. “Mondays with Mary” – Our Lady of Sorrows

3. “Mondays with Mary” – Marian Reflections from St. Alphonsus Ligouri

4. “Mondays with Mary” – The Burial of Our Lord, and the Loneliness of the Blessed Virgin

5. “Mondays with Mary” – The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ and Mary at the Foot of the Cross

6. “Mondays with Mary” – The Suffering of Mother Mary

7. “Mondays with Mary” – Jesus, Mary, and the Cross

8. “Mondays with Mary” – Mary Under the Cross

9. “Mondays with Mary” – The Method of Praying the Rosary of the Mater Dolorosa

10. “Mondays with Mary” – Pope St. John Paul II on the Suffering of Mary

11. “Mondays with Mary” – The Prophecy of Holy Simeon

12. “Mondays with Mary” – Litany of the Mater Dolorosa

Our Lady of Sorrows…Pray for Us.

“Mondays with Mary” – The Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary

Posted on September 12, 2016 by Tom Perna

Today is the optional memorial for the Most Holy Name of Mary. It began as a feast in the year 1513 in the country of Spain. In 1671, it was extended to all of Spain as well as to the Kingdom of Naples. It was recognized by Pope Innocent XI in 1683 to commemorate the besieging of Vienna, whereupon the Christian forces defeated the Muslims.

This memorial is to remind us of how great the name of MARY truly is in salvation history. Her name brought glory to God the Father and God the Son. She is the Mother of the Savior and her name must be remembered for all time. Her name is a name of honor and should be highly venerated. She is the Mother of God, the greatest and holiest of all of God’s creations. Mary is the Queen of Heaven and Earth and reigns with Christ for all eternity.

Although the feast fell out of the Roman Calendar in 1969, Pope St. John Paul II restored the memorial in 2000 when the third typical edition of the Roman Missal was published.

If you want to pray the Litany of the Holy Name of Mary privately today here it is –

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.
Son of Mary, hear us.
Son of Mary, graciously hear us.

Heavenly Father, of Whom Mary is the Daughter,
Have mercy on us.
Eternal Word, of Whom Mary is the Mother,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Spirit, of Whom Mary is the spouse,
Have mercy on us.
Divine Trinity, of Whom Mary is the Handmaid,
Have mercy on us.

Mary, Mother of the Living God, pray for us.
Mary, daughter of the Light Eternal, pray for us.
Mary, our light, etc…
Mary, our sister,
Mary, flower of Jesse,
Mary, issue of kings,
Mary, chief work of God,
Mary, the beloved of God,
Mary, Immaculate Virgin,
Mary, all fair,
Mary, light in darkness,
Mary, our sure rest,
Mary, house of God,
Mary, sanctuary of the Lord,
Mary, altar of the Divinity,
Mary, Virgin Mother,
Mary, embracing thy Infant God,
Mary, reposing with Eternal Wisdom,
Mary, ocean of bitterness,
Mary, Star of the Sea,
Mary, suffering with thine only Son,
Mary, pierced with a sword of sorrow,
Mary, torn with a cruel wound,
Mary, sorrowful even to death ,
Mary, bereft of all consolation,
Mary, submissive to the law of God,
Mary, standing by the Cross of Jesus,
Mary, Our Lady,
Mary, Our Queen,
Mary, Queen of glory ,
Mary, glory of the Church Triumphant,
Mary, Blessed Queen,
Mary, advocate of the Church Militant,
Mary, Queen of Mercy,
Mary, consoler of the Church Suffering,
Mary, exalted above the Angels,
Mary, crowned with twelve stars,
Mary, fair as the moon,
Mary, bright as the sun,
Mary, distinguished above all,
Mary, seated at the right hand of Jesus,
Mary, our hope,
Mary, our sweetness,
Mary, glory of Jerusalem ,
Mary, joy of Israel,
Mary, honor of our people,
Mary, Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception,
Mary, Our Lady of the Assumption,
Mary, Our Lady of Loreto,
Mary, Our Lady of Lourdes,
Mary, Our Lady of Fatima,
Mary, Our Lady of Czestochowa,
Mary, Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal,
Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel,
Mary, Our Lady of the Angels,
Mary, Our Lady of Dolors,
Mary, Our Lady of Mercy,
Mary, Our Lady of the Rosary,
Mary, Our Lady of Victory ,
Mary, Our Lady of La Trappe,
Mary, Our Lady of Divine Providence,

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Spare us, O Lord Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Graciously hear us, O Lord Jesus.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world,
Have mercy on us, O Lord Jesus.
Son of Mary, hear us.
Son of Mary, graciously hear us.
V. I will declare thy name unto my brethren.
R. I will praise thee in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Us Pray.

O Almighty God, Who beholds Thy servants earnestly desirous
of placing themselves under the shadow of the name and protection
of the Most Holy Virgin Mary, vouchsafe, we beseech Thee,
that by her charitable intercession, we may be delivered from all
evil on earth, and may arrive at everlasting joys in Heaven,
through Jesus Christ Our Lord. R. Amen.

“Mondays with Mary” – 10 Quotes on the Blessed Mother from St. Teresa of Calcutta

Posted on September 5, 2016 by Tom Perna

For the past five days, I have written five different blog posts focusing on the words of the newest saint in the Catholic Church’s arsenal, St. Teresa of Calcutta. On day one, I focused on work and evangelization; day two, I wrote about family life; day three, I focused on faith and holiness; day four, yesterday, I wrote about her words on prayer; and finally today, we will focus on her words that speak about Blessed Virgin Mary. Since today is a Monday, it fell perfectly to include this last blog post as part of my “Mondays with Mary” series.

In her book, Total Surrender, St. Teresa of Calcutta says the following about Mary’s Example –

“The Magnificat is Our Lady’s Prayer of thanks. She can help us to love Jesus best; she is the one who can show us the shortest way to Jesus. Mary was the one whose intercession led Jesus to work the first miracle. ‘They have no wine,’ she said to Jesus. ‘Do whatever he tells you,’ she said to the servants. We take the part of the servants. Let us go to her with great love and trust…”

Like many of the saints before her, including her contemporary, Pope St. John Paul II, she had a deep devotion and a relationship rooted in love with the Blessed Virgin Mary. St. Teresa of Calcutta (“Tiny T”), like her Teresa predecessors, St. Teresa of Avila (“Big T”) and St. Therese of Lisieux (“Little T”), knew the importance that the Blessed Mother played not only in the life of Jesus Christ, but the important role she plays in all of salvation history. She knew well if there were no Mary, there would be no Jesus. Mary’s role in the Church, yesterday, today, and tomorrow is always about leading us closer to Jesus Christ.

To conclude this quintuple of blog posts, here are 10 quotes focusing on the Blessed Virgin Mary from the words of the Saint of Calcutta –

From a letter written on the day of her death –

1. “Loving trust and total surrender made Our Lady say ‘yes’ to the message of the angel. And cheerfulness made her fun in haste to serve her cousin Elizabeth. That is so much our life: say ‘yes’ to Jesus and running in haste to serve him in the poorest of the poor. Let us keep very close to Our Lady and she will make that same spirit grow in each of us.”

2. “Pray especially to Our Blessed Mother Mary, placing all your intentions into her hands. For she loves you as she loves her Son. She will guide you in all your relationships so that peace may fill your life.”

3. “Let us ask Our Lady, in a very special way: Mary, mother of Jesus, be a mother to each of us, that we, like you, may be pure in heart, that we, like you, love Jesus; that we, like you, serve the poorest for we are all poor. First let us love our neighbors and so fulfill God’s desire that we become carriers of his love and compassion.”

4. “Mary is our mother, the cause of our joy. Being a mother, I have never had difficulty in talking with Mary and feeling close to her.”

Speaking about electricity and wires, and where the power of our ‘light’ comes from, she says the following –

5. “Our Lady was the most wonderful wire. She allowed God to fill her to the brim. By her surrender ‘Be it done to me according to thy word’ she became ‘full of grace.’ The moment she was filled by the current, by the grace of God, she went in haste to Elizabeth’s house to connect the wire, John, to the current, Jesus. As his mother said, ‘This child, John, leapt up with joy at your voice.’ Let us ask Our Lady to come into our lives also and make the current, Jesus, use us to go round the world – especially in our own communities so that we can continue connecting the wires of the hearts of men and women with the current, Jesus.”

6. “Even Almighty God cannot fill what is already fill. We must be empty if we want God to fill us with fullness. Our Lady had to be empty before she could be full of grace. She had to declare that she was the handmaid of the Lord before God could fill her. So also we must be empty of all pride, all jealousy, of all selfishness before God can fill us with his love.”

7. “Mary showed complete trust in God by agreeing to be used as an instrument in his plan of salvation. She trusted him in spite of her nothingness because she knew he who is mighty could do great things in her and through her. Once she said ‘yes’ to him, she never doubted. She was just a young woman, but she belonged to God and nothing nor anyone could separate her from him.”

8. “Mary did not feel ashamed. She proclaimed Jesus her son. At Calvary we see her standing upright – the mother of God, standing next to the cross. What a deep faith she must have had because of her love for her son! To see him dishonored, unloved, an object of hatred. Yet, she stayed upright.”

9. “How much we need Mary to teach us what it means to satiate God’s Thirsting Love for us, which Jesus came to reveal to us. She did it so beautifully. Yes, Mary allowed God to take possession of her life by her purity, her humility, and her faithful love…Let us seek to grow, under the guidance of our Heavenly Mother…”

10. “If we stand with Our Lady, she will give us her spirit of loving trust, total surrender, and cheerfulness.”

As the Catholic Church celebrates this newest Saint, please pray for the work of the Missionaries of Charity throughout the world, pray for the pilgrims returning home from the Canonization, and pray that all people, even our enemies, may they come to know the love and mercy of Jesus Christ through His Holy Mother and the Saints in Heaven.

10 Quotes on Prayer from St. Teresa of Calcutta

Posted on September 4, 2016 by Tom Perna

Since today is the Canonization Day for St. Teresa of Calcutta, I am going to be as plain as I can with you and say that prayer is simply a conversation with God. If you are interested in reading more about prayer I would suggest checking out my QLC’s – The Way of Prayer, Expressions of Prayer, and The Battle of Prayer. She can say things a lot better than I can on this subject.

So with this being said, let’s focus on 10 quotes on prayer from St. Teresa of Calcutta –

1. “Prayer is as necessary as the air, as the blood in our bodies, as anything to keep us alive – to keep us alive to the grace of God.”

2. “Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at this disposition, and listening to his voice in the depths of our hearts.”

3. “I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart that God speaks. God is the friend of silence – we need to listen to God because it’s not what we say but he says to us and through us that matters.”

The fourth quote is something a lot of people don’t think about when it comes to prayer, but the saints speak of it –

4. “You can pray while you work. Work doesn’t stop prayer and prayer doesn’t stop work. It requires only that small raising of the mind to him: I love you God, I trust you, I believe in you, I need you now. Small things like that. They are wonderful prayers.”

5. “Love to pray. Take the trouble to pray. Prayer opens your heart until it is big enough to hold and keep God. We must know Jesus in prayer before we can see him in the broken bodies of the poor.”

6. “Deep down in every human heart there is knowledge of God. And deep down in every human heart is the desire to communicate with Him.”

Silence is something our modern culture struggles with greatly. St. Teresa of Calcutta says it’s essential part of our prayer life –

7. “If we neglect prayer and if the branch is not connected with the vine, it will die. That connecting of the branch to the vine is prayer. If that connection is there then love is there, then joy is there, and we will be the sunshine of God’s love, the hope of eternal happiness, the flame of burning love. Why? Because we are one with Jesus. If you sincerely want to learn to pray: keep silence.”

8. “My secret is very simple: I pray. Through prayer I become one in love with Christ. I realize that praying to him is loving him.”

9. “Prayer must come from the heart and must be able to touch the heart of God. See how Jesus taught his disciples to pray: Call God your Father; praise and glorify his name; do his will as the saints do it in heaven; ask for daily bread, spiritual and temporal; ask for forgiveness of your own sins and for the grace to forgive others; ask for the grace to resist temptations and for the final grace to be delivered from the evil which is in you and around you.”

This is another very important part of prayer and place to do it. If you have a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, pray there —

10. “Every moment of prayer, especially before our Lord in the tabernacle, is a sure, positive gain. The time we spend in having our daily audience with God is the most precious part of the whole day.”

St. Teresa of Calcutta…Pray for Us.

Mother Teresa: 12 Quotes on Faith and Holiness

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Tom Perna

Over the past two weeks, I taught the parents of our Family Formation Religious Education program at the parish. At our parish, when a child or children attend their bi-weekly religious education class, one of their parents has to also attend a session, where we (Fr. Will and I) instruct the parents on different topics in the faith. In the past, we have had a variety of speakers come in to speak to the parents, but now it will primarily be Fr. Will and I, with a few exceptions from time to time.

For the first two weeks (a total of four nights, 2 talks per night, the same talk 8 times), I focused on the Communion of Saints. Since this semester is all about the saints (super heroes) and next semester the virtues (super powers), we thought it would be good to give the parents an overall understanding of the Communion of Saints and an understanding of who and what the saints are to the Catholic Church. I expelled some of the false notions I imagine some of them had or had been given to them by non-Catholics.

So you might be asking yourself at this point – why he is sharing all of this with us? Well, the reason is because one thing that the saints had during their time here on earth was faith and holiness. I shared with the parents that faith and holiness could get us through even the darkest times in our life, even when we struggle to see the good of humanity, faith and holiness can assist us in putting our trust in God. I also told them that we are called to be saints in the places we live today and that from the moment of our Baptism, we are called to live lives of holiness. The term saint comes from the Latin term, sancti, which means holy.

So with being said, let’s take a look at 12 quotes from Mother Teresa on faith and holiness –

1. “Living a Christian life provides for the growth of faith. There have been many saints who have gone before to guide us, but I like the ones who are simple, like St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower of Jesus…she did ordinary things with extraordinary love.”

2. “Faith in action is service. We try to be holy because we believe. In most modern rooms you see an electrical light that can be turned on with a switch. But, if there is no connection with the main powerhouse, then there can be no light. Faith and prayer is the connection with God, and when that is there, there is service.”

Here is something that could be on the lips of the martyrs –

3. “No one can take my faith from me. If, in order to spread the love of Christ among the poor and neglected, there were no alternative but to remain in that country, I would remain – but I would not renounce my faith. I am prepared to give up my life but never my faith.”

Nothing more simpler than this next one…

4. “You have to be holy where you are – wherever God has put you.”

5. “Holiness grows fast where there is kindness. I have never heard of kind souls going astray. The world is lost for want of sweetness and kindness.”

6. “Holiness is not something extraordinary, not something for only a few brains, with intellectual powers that can reason, that can discuss, that can have long talks and read very wonderful books. Holiness is for every one of us as a simple duty – the acceptance of God with a smile, at all times, anywhere and everywhere.”

7. “Holiness is not the luxury of the few; it is a simple duty, for you and for me. We have been created for that. So let us be holy as Our Father in Heaven is holy.”

8. “Holiness is not in the feelings of in imagination, it is reality. One thing that helps me and will help you is this: works of love are works of holiness.”

9. “God does not demand that I be successful. God demands that I be faithful. When facing God, results are not important. Faithfulness is what is important.”

10. “We must become holy not because we want to feel holy, but because Christ must be able to live His life fully in us.”

11. “Nothing can make me holy except the presence of God and to me the presence of God is fidelity to small things. Fidelity to small things will lead you to Christ. Infidelity to small things will lead you to sin.”

For many of us, including the saints before us, this is where the rubber hits the road…

12. “I must give myself completely to him. I must not attempt to control God’s actions. I must not desire a clear perception of my advance along the road, nor know precisely where I am on the way of holiness. I ask him to make a saint of me, yet I must leave to him the choice of that saintliness itself and still more the choice of the means that lead to it.”

As we continue to get closer to the Canonization of St. Teresa of Calcutta, let us pray this day that we can answer the call from our Baptism and strive for holiness in whatever state or vocation we are in currently. Ask the Saints in Heaven to pray for you. Ask them to show you how they grew in holiness.

St. Teresa of Calcutta…Pray for Us.

7 Quotes on Family Life from Mother Teresa

Posted on September 2, 2016 by Tom Perna

One of the biggest attacks in this modern secular culture in which we live is the attack on the traditional family. It seems as if the family through a variety of avenues is always under attack. As the culture becomes more hostile to Christianity as whole, and particularly, Catholicism, I can only see more attacks descending from many sides looking to destroy the beauty and sacredness of the traditional family made up of man and woman.

I don’t have to tell you all – you know it and can see it all around us! Even within the Catholic Church itself you have people who claim to be Catholic, but have bought into the lies that have been sold to us about the traditional family. If Abortion wasn’t a big enough issue, we are now enduring the “every day, I’m alright, you’re alright” of same-sex attraction and gender reassignment. At some point, all of this is going to implode on itself.

For today’s blog post, I give you 7 quotes from Mother Teresa on Family Life. This is the second of five blog posts that will I write over the next few days. As you read these quotes, reflect upon them and try to implement them in your own family life.

1. “To parents: It is very important that children learn from their fathers and mothers how to love one another – not in the school, not from the teacher, but from you. It is very important that you share with your children the joy of that smile. There will be misunderstandings; every family has its cross, its suffering. Always be the first to forgive with a smile. Be cheerful, be happy.”

2. “Bring prayer back into your family life, and you too will see that unity, the bond of joyful love that will bind you together. Maybe there is poverty and suffering in your families. But sharing together, loving together will help you.”

“3. Motherhood is the gift of God to women. How grateful we must be to God for this wonderful gift that brings such joy to the whole world, women and men alike! Yet we can destroy the gift of motherhood, especially by the evil of abortion, but also by thinking that other things like jobs or positions are more important than loving, than giving oneself to others. No job, no plans, no possessions, no idea of ‘freedom’ can take the place of love.”

4. “Why did God make some of us men and others women? Because a women’s love is one image of the love of God, and a man’s love is another image of God’s love. Both are created to love, but each in a different way. Woman and man complete each other, and together show forth God’s love more fully than either can do it alone.”

5. “Everybody today seems to be in a terrible rush, anxious for greater development and greater riches, so that children have little time for their parents. And parents have little time for their children and for each other. So the breakdown of peace in the world begins at home.”

These last two quotes from Mother Teresa I would consider prophetic. I think she saw what was coming during her lifetime, and now it’s coming to fruition today. The bold is mine.

6. “If a mother can kill her own child, how long will it be before we start to kill one another? We should not be surprised when we hear about murders, deaths, wars, and hate in the world today. Don’t ever allow even one child, born or unborn, to be unwanted. Let us go with Our Lady to search out that child and take him or her home.”

7. God told us, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself,’ So first I am to love myself rightly, and then to love my neighbor like that. But how can I love myself unless I accept myself as God has made me? Those who deny the beautiful differences between men and women are not accepting themselves as God has made them, and so cannot love the neighbor. They will only bring division, unhappiness, and destruction of peace to the world.”

To read other blog posts that I have done on the family, in the search box at the top of this blog, type in family, and you should see my eight posts. Many of them focus on the theology and words of Pope St. John Paul II.

Today, continue to pray for the thousands of pilgrims that are beginning to descend upon the Eternal City for the Canonization of Mother Teresa this coming Sunday, September 4.

Pray for the traditional family – that we who believe in its beauty will have the strength to combat those forces who seek to destroy it.

Pray for all families today that might be struggling and enduring great emotional pain.