Month of Mary #24 ( 11min) Play – Father Joachim tells us that our final guide, St. John Paul II, is a triple blessing. Not only is he a saint and theologian, he is also a Pope, and as Pope, developed his Marian Teachings from those of the Second Vatican council. So, before we start with St. John Paul II, we look at the teachings of Vatican II, particularly the Eighth Chapter of the Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, as it speaks of Mary’s “Maternal Mediation” which is not a repudiation of Jesus’ sole mediation, but a profound participation in it. Father stresses that Mary’s cooperation with the work of her Son didn’t end after the Nativity, Ministry, Crucifixion, Resurrection, or Ascension, but continues to this very day and with us.

The excerpt from Lumen Gentium may be found here (from paragraphs 61 & 61): http://bit.ly/S4OALj

Today’s Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Fill my heart with praise to God for giving me Mary as my spiritual mother.

Ave Maria!

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Month of Mary #25 ( 10min) Play – Today we start a reflection on what we know of Mary’s life, described as Her “retreat”, and how God prepared Her for the role He had predestined Her for. Today we especially reflect on some of the puzzling passages where it seems Jesus is rebuking His Mother, such as Mark 3 (when His cousins came to rebuke Him while He was preaching in Nazareth), Luke  2 (Finding in the Temple), Luke 11 (the woman crying out from the crowd).

Today’s Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Help me to be faithful to heart-pondering prayer, as was Mary.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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Month of Mary #26 ( 06min) Play – Today we continue reflecting on Our Lord’s preparation of Mary for Her role as spiritual mother and mediatrix. We focus on the Wedding at Cana, examining St. John Paul II’s teaching from paragraphs 21 and 22 from his encyclical Redemptoris Mater (bit.ly/RedemptorisMater). We can take three points away for our meditation, (1) Mary’s role is not by necessity, but by the will of God, (2) Mary needs servants to carry out the will of God under Her direction, and (3) Mary’s mediation is in union with and subordinate to the one mediation of Jesus Christ, Her savior and ours.

Today’s Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Remind me to ask for Mary’s powerful intercession in my times of need.

Ave Maria!

Audio (MP3)

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Month of Mary #27 ( 08min) Play – For a third day, we continue to look at the God’s preparation of Mary. Today, we look at the final preparation and actualization of Mary’s Spiritual Maternity: the Crucifixion. Let us reflect that as She, the Coredemptrix, stood beside the Cross, Her love for us was intensified, She heard the same “I Thirst” Mother Teresa did, and also the words “Behold your son”. Notice the concreteness of this, we are given Mary as our Mother individually, and She receives us not as a vague crowd, but, as any mother receives her children, as individuals with a unique relationship with Her. She is God’s Mother, She is Your Mother, and She is My Mother; uniquely, particularly, and personally.

Today’s Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Thank you for the gift of my loving Mother, Mary.

Ave Maria!

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Here is Pope Francis on how the Church is both hierarchical (priesthood, bishops, etc thus fatherly) and motherly (unified and nurturing).

This points out the Marian aspect of the Church where Mary is both exemplar of the Church and Mother of all Christians and leads us to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

During his weekly general audience, Pope Francis explained that bishops, priests and deacons are called to guide and protect the Church, especially through the celebration of the Sacraments.

SUMMARY OF POPE’S CATECHESIS:

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

In our catechesis on the Church, we have seen that the Holy Spirit constantly bestows his gifts for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ. Among these gifts are the ordained ministries. Through the sacrament of Holy Orders, bishops, priests and deacons are called to guide and protect Christ’s flock, above all though the celebration of the sacraments which give us new life in Christ.

The Church is thus both hierarchical and maternal: her ordained ministries are at the service of her spiritual motherhood.

via Pope Francis explains why the Church is both hierarchical and maternal.

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Man’s cooperation with God in the unfolding mission of redemption in human history is sublimely and supremely evident at Fatima, which bears the imprint of both the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred of Jesus.

The message regarding the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary reveals God’s will for the unique cooperation of Our Lady, the Co-Redemptress with the Redeemer, Our Lord Jesus. The Triumph of Her Immaculate Heart is the means by which God wills to realize the Triumph of Jesus’ Sacred Heart.

By God’s will, all His elect are involved in hierarchical meditation, but most especially the Mother, who brought Him into the world and brings the world to Jesus, Who in turn, as revealed in Scripture, submits all to the Father (Cf. 1 Corinthians 15:28).

Ave Maria!

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The post May 13 Live Stream Talk: Msgr. Arthur B. Calkins – The Hearts of Jesus & Mary in the Fatima Message first appeared on AirMaria.com.