“The unique and unrepeatable position that Mary occupies in the Community of Believers . . . stems from her fundamental vocation to being Mother of the Redeemer. Precisely as such, Mary is also Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ, which i … [Read more...]
The Biblical Mariology of Pope Benedict XVI, Part 1
Hail, Full of Grace
Book Reviews – March 2021
Mary and Bioethics: An Exploration. By Francis Etheredge. Reviewed by Fr. Aidan Nichols. (skip to review) A Year with the Mystics. By Kathryn Lopez. Reviewed by Lawrence Montz. (skip to review) Wisdom from the Psalms. By … [Read more...]
Hail Full of Grace, the Lord Is With You
Whom does the Archangel Gabriel address when he speaks the words: “Hail full of grace, the Lord is with you”? Is it not a humble Virgin named Mary, born to Saints Joachim and Anne in the city of Galilee named Nazareth? She who is known as … [Read more...]
“I Am The Immaculate Conception”
In his classic and inspirational book The Song of Bernadette, a novel based on the true story of Mary’s apparitions and miracle at Lourdes, France, Franz Werfel wrote, “Then at last she revealed the most important happening of the day, whi … [Read more...]
The Hail Mary and Love
At the Annunciation, St. Gabriel brought a message from God that was really a declaration of love. No doubt some people reading this have heard that praying the Rosary is not as repetitive as it may seem at first glance, because with each … [Read more...]
The Gift and Rights of Being Conceived, Part 2
Even if, as we have seen in Part I of this essay, there are unresolved questions concerning the definition of the moment of conception, an irreversible moment involving the action of God, each one of us is nevertheless evidence of an actual … [Read more...]
The Immaculate Heart of Mary as the The Perfect Custodian of the Human Heart
Showing us a disposition to be acquired, as well as admired. Can anyone doubt that we live in times of great moral danger, perhaps as great as at any time in human history? Any recitation of grave evils in the world need go no further … [Read more...]
Mother of Mercy
On March 13, 2015, His Holiness Pope Francis announced that on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary—December 8, 2015—the Universal Church would enter an Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy. Why did his Holiness cho … [Read more...]
The Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary: Detecting a Pattern of Internal Consistency
Against the background of the words, Ave Maria, the principal events of the life of Jesus Christ pass before the eyes of the soul. They take shape in the complete series of the joyful, sorrowful, and glorious mysteries, and they put us in … [Read more...]
Imagination, Prayer, and the Spousal Gift
In and through Christ’s Spirit, St. Joseph stands ready to assist any priest in going to Mary, thus concretizing the priest’s own spousal identity. In this essay, I will explore the identity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in her powerful rol … [Read more...]
The Vertex of Love
When Mary was predestined in one and the same decree with Jesus Christ by the design of God—before the creation of angels or the universe, and before the existence of sin or evil—she was predestined to be the Spouse of the Holy Spirit ... to … [Read more...]
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