As one might admire a many-faceted gem, turning it over and over to reveal still greater brilliance, each mystery of our Catholic Faith shines forth with exquisite beauty. The Fifth Glorious Mystery—the Coronation of the Blessed Virgin Mary as Queen … Continue reading
Blessed Virgin Mary
Let Heaven Receive Her Queen
Celebrations that commemorate Mary gild the liturgical year. Among others, we remember her Immaculate Conception, her Presentation at the Temple, her fiat at the Annunciation, her Visitation unto Elizabeth, her divine maternity, and, today, her Assumption into heaven. In the … Continue reading
The Peace of Fatima
When the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Lucia and her cousins Saints Francisco and Jacinta in Fatima on May 13, 1917, she asked them to “say the Rosary every day, to bring peace to the world.” What makes for peace? … Continue reading
Maternal Mystery
The Blessed Virgin Mary is a mystery. Although she is human like we are, it can be easy to consider her an enigma, perhaps far too lofty to be relatable. Conceived immaculately, never stained by original or personal sin, her … Continue reading
The Elegant Power of the Holy Spirit
Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the day the Church celebrates the conception of God Incarnate in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The union between the power of God and the fragility of mankind is made manifest … Continue reading
New Year’s Day Is Mother’s Day
For the Church, New Year’s Day means Mother’s Day. The Church rounds out the Octave of Christmas by celebrating the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Savior born in Bethlehem was truly human—like us in all things but sin—and … Continue reading
Mary the Theologian
St. Anselm of Canterbury defines theology as “faith seeking understanding” (fides quarens intellectum). Simply put, for one to do the work of theology, he or she must start from a position of faith in God. From there, the desire to … Continue reading
Las Posadas
Last night, in parish neighborhoods all over Mexico and the U.S., Christian faithful began begging from house to house looking for a place to stay in imitation and remembrance of the poor Holy Family. This is the tradition of Las … Continue reading
Whistler’s Mother
On this great feast day, when we remember the good and solicitous Virgin of Guadalupe, I am reminded of another, no less familiar, image. The reader may well identify the black-clad lady portrayed above as the mother of James Abbot … Continue reading
St. Ambrose on Mary
Today is the memorial of St. Ambrose, bishop and doctor of the Church. He was born to an influential Roman family in 340 and eventually became a Roman Governor. He was made bishop of Milan in 374 at the behest … Continue reading
Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord
Editor’s note: This post was originally published on November 29, 2012. Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk was ordained to the priesthood in May 2017 and now serves as the Vocations Director for the Dominican Province of St. Joseph. This Sunday, the … Continue reading
Sorrowful with God
Editor’s note: This is the eighth post in our newest series, Beholding True Beauty, which consists of prayerful reflections on works of sacred art. The series will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the month of October. Read the whole … Continue reading
Look at Me
Imagine it is 8 a.m. on a Friday morning and everyone is preparing to rush off to work or school or whatever morning activity is in their schedule. Now when someone gets to work or school, it is usually the … Continue reading
Contemplating Beauty in Music
Editor’s note: This is the fourth post in our newest series, Beholding True Beauty, which consists of prayerful reflections on works of sacred art. The series will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the month of October. Read the whole … Continue reading
He Casts Down the Mighty and Raises Up the Lowly
As a religious, one of the most beautiful parts of my daily prayer is singing the Magnificat at Vespers. The humility of the Blessed Mother’s prayer always strikes me. Rather than accepting the praise for herself, her “soul proclaims the … Continue reading
Her Reign Continues
Today’s feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a reminder that modern sensibilities still struggle with the idea of monarchs with real power. But, if we understand monarchy through a more classical lens, we realize that the … Continue reading
Undefiled
Sooner or later, my body will become a corpse. A corpse looks alien. It’s both strangely familiar (so clearly my body), yet utterly unrecognizable (so clearly not me), putting on display the jarring indignity of death, the separation of my … Continue reading
Many Hearts, One Love
To gaze on Mary with Mother Teresa and her sisters is to look into Mary’s Immaculate Heart. “I put all my trust in her heart,” Mother Teresa confided (Come Be My Light, 135). Writing to a spiritual director, she pleaded, … Continue reading
Many Hearts, One Love
To gaze on Mary with Mother Teresa and her sisters is to look into Mary’s Immaculate Heart. “I put all my trust in her heart,” Mother Teresa confided (Come Be My Light, 135). Writing to a spiritual director, she pleaded, … Continue reading
Strength to Climb
I love the collect the Church prays on today’s feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It voices a simple and robust request for God to act in our lives through the Blessed Virgin Mary: May the venerable intercession of … Continue reading
The Priesthood and Spiritual Maternity
The vocation to be a spiritual mother for priests is largely unknown, scarcely understood, and, consequently, rarely lived, notwithstanding its fundamental importance. It is a vocation that is frequently hidden, invisible to the naked eye, but meant to transmit spiritual … Continue reading
Two Weeks Too Late
Today we celebrate the Annunciation. . . two weeks late. Having just celebrated the Paschal Mystery of Christ’s death and Resurrection during Holy Week and the Easter Octave, we now take a step back to the event which made it … Continue reading
Mary’s View of the Passion
The most solemn week of the year has arrived—Holy Week. After the grand drama displayed before us on Palm Sunday, sweeping from Jesus’ entrance on a colt to His entombment, where should we focus our reflections? One of the best … Continue reading
Repent and Pray
Tomorrow, May 13, the Church celebrates the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s first apparition to the three shepherd children of Fátima. It is an occasion for us to thank God for the loving care He shows us through His Mother, … Continue reading
Mary’s Peace Plan
Editor’s note: This piece was originally published in Dominicana in September 1947 by Br. Vincent Ferrer McHenry. He was ordained a priest on June 9, 1949. In his almost sixty-five years as a priest, Fr. McHenry served as a college … Continue reading