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Posts in Prayer
Claimed by Mary: Under the Patronage of Mary in Her Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe

This week in the United States, we celebrate two great Marian feasts: the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, our country’s patronal feast day, and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who has been repeatedly declared the empress of – not just Latin America – all America. How did it come to be that America would fall so clearly under the patronage of our Lady? And what do these two aspects of our Lady mean for us today?

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Refectory Reading Review: Lectio Mary

As Catholics, what we believe about Mary is rooted in Jesus, and as we deepen our relationship with Mary, she always leads us to her Son, Jesus. This is even more vital during these times in which we live. We need to cultivate our relationship with our Mother Mary, who is the new Eve, the Mother of the Messiah, our Queen, and the Mother of Sorrows. Here’s one series that can help us do just that.

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Our Lady's Message: Prayer and Penance

During these times, it is good to once again remember what we have been told repeatedly by our Lady when she has appeared in our troubled past – as followers of Christ, we are called to undertake penance and prayer. The specific prayer recommended time and again by Our Lady is the Holy Rosary. But what about penance, the other side of this coin? If all is mercy and we are forgiven, why does God require penance?

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Sheltering-in-Place? Join Mary in the Upper Room

No doubt about it, we are living in painful and surreal times. As sheltering-in-place has become the “new normal”, some things in life have been forgone, others put on hold. But one thing that can and should grow and flourish is our faith and spiritual life. You are invited to join Mary in the upper room for a day of retreat, right where you are, as you are!

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Our Only Hope

For most of us, the beginning of Lent was like any other. We chose which Lenten practices we wanted to do, if possible, we made a point to go to Mass on Ash Wednesday, and we settled in for another 40-day season of purple. But we did not count on this: ending Lent and spending the Holy Triduum sheltering at home, social distancing, with sickness, death, economic difficulties and stress looming over us. We did not choose this cross.

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