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Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary Today is the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which recalls Mary's visit with her cousin Elizabeth. This event is also the second joyful mystery of the rosary -- the first being the Annunciation. Elizabeth had been barren all her life, but in the Annunciation, Mary learned that her kinswoman was miraculously expecting a child in her old age. Upon hearing this good news, Mary fervently desired to share in Elizabeth's joy and serve her during the last part of her pregnancy. So she went "with haste" to...

May 31, 2012 Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary   Reading 1 Zep 3:14-18a Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!Sing joyfully, O Israel!Be glad and exult with all your heart,O daughter Jerusalem!The LORD has removed the judgment against you,he has turned away your enemies;The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,you have no further misfortune to fear.On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!The LORD, your God, is in your midst,a mighty savior;He will rejoice over you with gladness,and renew you in his love,He will sing joyfully because...

Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 7 (Her Final Words) Feb 27th, 2012by Gary Zimak.   As we conclude this series on Mary’s words in Scripture, her advice to the servants at Cana summarizes her faith and how she lived her life. After informing Jesus that “they have no wine”, Mary turned to the servants and uttered her last recorded words in the Bible:“Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2:5)Throughout this study, we have listened to the Blessed Mother’s words as she teaches us how to better live our Christian faith:“How can this be, since I have no relations with...

St. Athanasius: On the IncarnationWith an Introduction by C. S. Lewis St. Athanasius_____________ Author: Athanasius of Alexandria(Probably written before 313 A.D.) St. Athanasius Contra Mundum (Against the World)"This is a good translation of a very great book...St. Athanasius stood contra mundum for the Trinitarian doctrine, "whole and undefiled," when it looked as if all the civilized world was slipping back from Christianity into the religion of Arius---one of those "sensible," synthetic religions which are so strongly recommended today and which then, as now, included among their devotees many highly cultivated clergymen. "I soon discovered I was reading a masterpiece..."  -C. S....

Featured Term (selected at random):SEVEN DOLORS The seven sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They are traditionally identified with the sorrows that Mary experienced in her association with Christ: the prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34-35), the flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-21), the three-day separation from Jesus in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-50). and the four incidents related to Christ's Passion, as described or implied by the Evangelists; namely, Mary's meeting Jesus on the way to Calvary, the Crucifixion, the removal of Christ's body from the Cross, and the burial in the tomb. There were two feasts in honor of the seven sorrows:...

 The Rosaryby Sebastian R. FamaThe Rosary consists of the Apostle's Creed, which is a statement of Christian belief, the Lord's prayer, which was uttered by Jesus in Luke 11:2-4, the Glory Be, which is a prayer that glorifies the Trinity, the Hail Mary, and the Mysteries. The Hail Mary and the Mysteries are probably the two parts that are the most misunderstood by non-Catholics. However, they are both very scriptural. In Psalm 143:5 we read, "I remember the days of old, I meditate on all that thou hast done, I muse on what thy hands have wrought." Eighteen of the...

 The Assumptionby Sebastian R. FamaThe doctrine of the Assumption of Mary, just like the doctrine of the Trinity, is not formally defined in Scripture. However, in both cases we find scriptural evidence to support them. There are two examples in Scripture that clearly demonstrate the bodily assumption of saints. Enoch (Hebrews 11:5) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:1-13) were both taken up to heaven with their bodies. All Christians agree on this, so logically all should agree at least on the possibility that the same could have happened to Mary. (1) Scripture teaches us that it was possible. The Assumption of...

March 26, 2012   Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord   Reading 1 Is 7:10-14; 8:10 The LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying:Ask for a sign from the LORD, your God;let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!But Ahaz answered,"I will not ask! I will not tempt the LORD!"Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David!Is it not enough for you to weary people,must you also weary my God?Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign:the virgin shall be with child, and bear a son,and shall name him Emmanuel,which means "God is with us!"...

 The Immaculate Conceptionby Sebastian R. FamaIn 1854 Pope Pius IX affirmed the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception. He wrote, in part, "We declare, pronounce and define, that the doctrine which holds that the most blessed Virgin Mary, at the first instant of her conception, was preserved immune from all stain of sin, by a singular grace and privilege of the omnipotent God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ…" (Ineffabilis Deus).The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception is consistent with the teachings of Scripture. In fact it is foretold in Genesis 3:15 where God says to Satan, "I will put...

"The Mystery of the Annunciation is the Mystery of Grace" by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger The Mystery of the Annunciation is the Mystery of Grace | Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI) | Ignatius Insight The mystery of the annunciation to Mary is not just a mystery of silence.It is above and beyond all that a mystery of grace. We feel compelled to ask ourselves: Why did Christ really want to be born of a virgin? It was certainly possible for him to have been born of a normal marriage. That would not have affected his divine Sonship, which was not...

  Mary Ever-Virginby Sebastian R. Fama Some say that Mary had children other than Jesus.  They cite several passages of Scripture that supposedly say as much.  One example is Matthew 1:24-25, which reads, "When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.  He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus." The word "until" seems to indicate that after the birth of Jesus there were normal marital relations.  However, the Greek word heos (ἕως) which is translated as until, does not imply...

Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 6 (The Wedding At Cana) Feb 20th, 2012by Gary Zimak. “They have no wine.” (John 2:3)As I continue with Part of 6 of my 7-part series on Mary’s words in Scripture, the scene shifts to the wedding at Cana. Previously we’ve been looking at Mary’s words as recorded by Saint Luke, but now we’ll focus on Saint John’s writing. When the wine ran out at the wedding, Mary’s four words leave us with a powerful message. More importantly, it was her words that led to Jesus performing His first miracle!Do you really think...

Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 5 (Losing Jesus) Feb 13th, 2012by Gary Zimak. Mary: “Where’s Jesus?”Joseph: “I thought He was with you.”Mary: “No, I thought He was with you.”Joseph: “Well, He has to be around here somewhere, so let’s look.”(Mother Angelica,  Mother Angelica’s Private and Pithy Lessons From the Scriptures)This humorous snippet of fictitious dialog reminds us that, despite being the parents of the Messiah, Mary and Joseph weren’t given a pass from the worries and difficulties faced by all parents.  When we look at the story of the Finding in the Temple, we can almost feel the helplessness...

Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 4 (The Magnificat) Feb 6th, 2012by Gary Zimak. As we continue our look at Mary’s words in the Bible, the scene shifts from Mary’s encounter with Gabriel (the Annunciation) and moves to her visit with Elizabeth (the Visitation).  After traveling in haste to be with her pregnant relative, Mary is greeted with the words:“Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached...

Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 3 (Submission) Jan 30th, 2012by Gary Zimak. As we continue with Part 3 of a 7-Part series on Mary’s words in Scripture, I’ll be taking a look at the final words of the Blessed Mother to the angel Gabriel.  Last time we focused on Mary’s declaration that she is the Lord’s handmaid (servant).  Essentially, Mary informed Gabriel that she considers herself to be the Lord’s servant.  Furthermore, as a sign that she fully accepts her mission to bring the Savior into the world, Mary adds the words:“May it be done to me according to...

Featured Term (selected at random):OUR LADY OF EINSIEDELN Marian shrine in the Benedictine Abbey chapel at Einsiedeln in Switzerland. A Brother Meinrad, in 840, retired from the Benedictine monastery at Reichenau to the forest of nearby, hoping to lead a more austere life. He took with him a small statue of Mary and her Son, and his cell became Our Lady's small chapel. this simple statue showed the Christ Child resting on his mother's left arm, while his little hand is raised in blessing. Twenty-three years later the old monk was murdered by bandits who thought he had hidden gold...

Listening To Mary’s Voice – Part 2 (Humility) Jan 23rd, 2012by Gary Zimak.  As we continue with Part 2 of a 7 Part series on Mary’s words in Scripture, I’ll be taking a look at a powerful statement made by Mary to the angel Gabriel.  Last time we focused on Mary’s question to the angel after learning that she had been chosen to be the mother of the Savior.  Having made a vow of virginity, Mary was confused as to how God’s will could be fulfilled.  She didn’t doubt that it could happen (unlike Zechariah, who flat out didn’t believe...

February 11, 2012 Saturday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time Reading 1 1 Kgs 12:26-32; 13:33-34 Jeroboam thought to himself:"The kingdom will return to David's house.If now this people go up to offer sacrificesin the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem,the hearts of this people will return to their master,Rehoboam, king of Judah,and they will kill me."After taking counsel, the king made two calves of goldand said to the people:"You have been going up to Jerusalem long enough.Here is your God, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt."And he put one in Bethel, the other...

THE MAGNIFICAT     The Magnificat, taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55), is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise to the Lord. It is also known as the Canticle of Mary in the Liturgy of the Hours, a special collection of scripture readings, psalms, and hymns that constitute what is known as the prayer of the church. (Priests and other religious are required to pray sections from the Liturgy of the Hours each day.) Although the Magnificat has had numerous musical settings from such composers as Palestrina, Bach and Mozart, it can be recited as well as sung. Its name...

Mary: Mother of God? This article is prompted by an ad in the Parade Magazine titled: "Mary Mother of God: What All Mankind Should Know." The offer was made for a free pamphlet entitled "Mary Mother of Jesus" with this explanation: "A clear, insightful pamphlet explains the importance of Mary and her role as Mother of God." This is quite a claim, to say the least! Nowhere in the Bible is Mary said to be the mother of God. I touched on this subject in a series on "Mary Co-Redeemer with Christ" printed recently. Question: If Mary is the Mother...

Pope Hghlights Mary's Role as 'Woman of the Apocalypse' By Benjamin Mann     Column of the Immaculate Conception. Credit: Marc Climent (CC BY 2.0) Rome, Italy, Dec 8, 2011 / 04:28 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Benedict XVI reflected on the biblical description of a “woman clothed with the sun” in his remarks at Rome's Spanish Steps on the 2011 Feast of the Immaculate Conception. “What is the meaning of this image? It represents the Church and Our Lady at the same time,” the Pope told the crowd assembled before the nearby statue commemorating the 1854 definition of Mary's Immaculate...

January 1, 2012   Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God   Reading 1 Nm 6:22-27 The LORD said to Moses: "Speak to Aaron and his sons and tell them: This is how you shall bless the Israelites.Say to them:The LORD bless you and keep you!The LORD let his face shine uponyou, and be gracious to you!The LORD look upon you kindly andgive you peace!So shall they invoke my name upon the Israelites, and I will bless them." Responsorial Psalm Ps 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8. R. (2a) May God bless us in his mercy.May God have pity on...

Featured Term (selected at random):OUR LADY OF MADHU Best known shrine of Ceylon (Sri Lanka). When the Dutch conquered Ceylon and began to stamp out Catholicism, a small band of native Catholics converted by the Portuguese took to the jungle, carrying a statue of the Madonna with them. Eventually a church was built to house it. As no one can live in the jungle during the wet season, Mary is alone for months, but when the rains pass, Moslems and Hindus as well as Catholics journey to Madhu. The pilgrimage is planned to take a month. They sing hymns, chant...

What If Mary Said “No”? October 13th, 2009 by Gary ZimakMost of us are familiar with the story of the Annunciation as told in Chapter 1 of Luke’s gospel. The angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary and informed her that she had been chosen to be the Mother of the Savior. Mary agreed, Jesus was born and the entire human race was redeemed. Sounds simple, right? Did you ever consider what would have happened if Mary said, “no”? Sometimes we forget that Mary had free will and wasn’t forced to go along with the plan that would result in...

Science & the Virgin of Guadalupe Read what science has discovered about the tilma of the Virgin of Guadalupe Download a high-resolution image of the Our Lady of Guadalupe here 1. Ophthalmic studies made on the eyes of Mary detected that when the eye is exposed to light, the retina contracts, and when the light is withdrawn, it returns to a dilated state, just as happens with a living eye. 2. The temperature of Juan Diego’s tilma, made of a material that comes from fibers of the maguey cactus, maintains a constant temperature of 98.6 degrees, the same as that...

Mary, Mother of Life Our Lady of Guadalupe By: Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR The image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, miraculously imprinted on St. Juan Diego’s cloak, speaks a message about life. First, it shows that Mary is carrying Christ within her. She is wearing a dark cord with two tassels hanging down from her waist, called a cinta, which was worn only by pregnant women. And photographs of the image, studied by scientists, reveal a slight protrusion of the abdomen, indicating Our Lady is carrying the Christ Child in her womb. An interesting symbol of life on the...

December 12, 2011   Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe   Reading 1 Zec 2:14-17 Sing and rejoice, O daughter Zion!See, I am coming to dwell among you, says the LORD.Many nations shall join themselves to the LORD on that day,and they shall be his people,and he will dwell among you,and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.The LORD will possess Judah as his portion in the holy land,and he will again choose Jerusalem.Silence, all mankind, in the presence of the LORD!For he stirs forth from his holy dwelling. Or Rv 11:19a; 12:1-6a, 10ab God's...

December 8, 2011 Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary   Reading 1 Gn 3:9-15, 20 After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,the LORD God called to the man and asked him, "Where are you?"He answered, "I heard you in the garden;but I was afraid, because I was naked,so I hid myself."Then he asked, "Who told you that you were naked?You have eaten, then,from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!"The man replied, "The woman whom you put here with meCshe gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate...

PRAYER TO THEIMMACULATE CONCEPTION O God,  who by the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare a worthy dwelling place for Your Son, we beseech You that, as by the foreseen death of this, Your Son, You did preserve Her from all stain, so too You would permit us, purified through Her intercession,  to come unto You. Through the same Lord Jesus Christ,  Your Son, who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen. First, recite the Prayer to the Immaculate Conception. Then, recite the appropriate prayer of each of the nine days. Day 1 Day...

November 21, 2011 Memorial of The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary   Reading 1 Dn 1:1-6, 8-20 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah,King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon cameand laid siege to Jerusalem.The Lord handed over to him Jehoiakim, king of Judah,and some of the vessels of the temple of God;he carried them off to the land of Shinar,and placed the vessels in the temple treasury of his god. The king told Ashpenaz, his chief chamberlain,to bring in some of the children of Israel of royal bloodand of the nobility, young men without any defect,handsome,...

Featured Term (selected at random):LADY DAY Originally the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin (March 25), although now the title is applied to other Marian feast days, e.g., the Assumption into Heaven. All items in this dictionary are from Fr. John Hardon's Modern Catholic Dictionary, © Eternal Life. Used with permission.

Featured Term (selected at random):OROPA (THE BLACK MADONNA) National Shrine of Our Lady near Turin, Italy. St. Eusebius, on his way back from the Holy Land after his exile during the Arian heresy, brought to the hermitage chapel at Oropa a statue of the Madonna. Later he died there. Mary of the shrine is called the Black Madonna because the Mother and Child in the three-foot-high statue have jet black faces and hands deliberately colored by the original carver. When Biella was saved in the 1599 plague, which decimated the entire section, the commune decided to build a larger...

Chesterton on devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary I do not want to be in a religion in which I am allowed to have a crucifix. I feel the same about the much more controversial question of the honour paid to the Blessed Virgin.  If people do not like that cult, they are quite right not to be Catholics.  But in people who are Catholics, or call themselves Catholics, I want the idea not only liked but loved and loved ardently, and above all proudly proclaimed. I want it to be what the Protestants are perfectly right in calling it;...

October 7, 2011   Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary   Reading 1 Jl 1:13-15; 2:1-2 Gird yourselves and weep, O priests!wail, O ministers of the altar!Come, spend the night in sackcloth,O ministers of my God!The house of your God is deprivedof offering and libation.Proclaim a fast,call an assembly;Gather the elders,all who dwell in the land,Into the house of the LORD, your God,and cry to the LORD! Alas, the day!for near is the day of the LORD,and it comes as ruin from the Almighty. Blow the trumpet in Zion,sound the alarm on my holy mountain!Let all who dwell in the...

Featured Term (selected at random):OUR LADY OF COPACABANA The principal Marian shrine of Bolivia, on the Peruvian border. This shrine to Our Lady, dating from 1592, is located in the mountains near Lake Titicaca. The site marked the location of an Inca temple to the Sun God. The legend of Mary and her Son goes back to 1576, when she appeared to some Inca fishermen and led them to safety in a violent storm on the nearby lake. In gratitude they built a small shrine in 1583 for a four-foot-high statue of wood and stucco carved by a descendant of...

Featured Term (selected at random):MOTHER OF GOD Title of the Blessed Virgin Mary as the physical parent of Jesus, who is God. Although first defined against Nestorius at the Council of Ephesus (431), the concept goes back to subapostolic times. The basis in Scripture is the twofold theme of the Gospels, that Jesus was true God and that Mary was truly the mother of Jesus. St. Ignatius of Antioch (d. 107) wrote to the Ephesians: "Our God Jesus Christ was carried in Mary's womb, according to God's plan of salvation." The title of Theotokos (Mother of God) became current after...

September 15, 2011   Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Reading 1 1 Tm 4:12-16 Beloved:Let no one have contempt for your youth,but set an example for those who believe,in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity.Until I arrive, attend to the reading, exhortation, and teaching.Do not neglect the gift you have,which was conferred on you through the prophetic wordwith the imposition of hands by the presbyterate.Be diligent in these matters, be absorbed in them,so that your progress may be evident to everyone.Attend to yourself and to your teaching;persevere in both tasks,for by doing so you will save both yourself...

September 12, 2011   Monday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary time   Reading 1 1 Tm 2:1-8 Beloved:First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers,petitions, and thanksgivings be offered for everyone,for kings and for all in authority,that we may lead a quiet and tranquil lifein all devotion and dignity. This is good and pleasing to God our savior,who wills everyone to be savedand to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God.There is also one mediator between God and men,the man Christ Jesus,who gave himself as ransom for all. This was the testimony at the proper...

September 8, 2011   Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1 Mi 5:1-4a The LORD says:You, Bethlehem-Ephrathah,too small to be among the clans of Judah,From you shall come forth for meone who is to be ruler in Israel;Whose origin is from of old,from ancient times.(Therefore the Lord will give them up, until the timewhen she who is to give birth has borne,And the rest of his brethren shall returnto the children of Israel.)He shall stand firm and shepherd his flockby the strength of the LORD,in the majestic name of the LORD, his God;And they shall remain,...

"A dress cannot be called decent which is cut deeper than two fingers' breadth under the pit of the throat;; which does not cover the arms at least to the elbows; and scarcely reaches a bit beyond the knees. Furthermore, dresses of transparent material are improper." (The Cardinal vicar of Pope Pius XI) Marylike is modest without compromise, "like Mary", Christ's Mother. Marylike dresses have sleeves extending at least to the elbows; and skirts reaching below the knees. Acceptable Marylike Standards have been revealed in many private revelations since 1917 throughout the world. One of these standards is the dress...

August 22, 2011 Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary Reading 1 1 Thes 1:1-5, 8b-10 Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy to the Church of the Thessaloniansin God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for all of you,remembering you in our prayers,unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of loveand endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,before our God and Father,knowing, brothers and sisters loved by God, how you were chosen.For our Gospel did not come to you in word alone,but also in power...

THE MAGNIFICAT   The Magnificat, taken from Luke’s Gospel (1:46-55), is the Blessed Virgin Mary’s hymn of praise to the Lord. It is also known as the Canticle of Mary in the Liturgy of the Hours, a special collection of scripture readings, psalms, and hymns that constitute what is known as the prayer of the church. (Priests and other religious are required to pray sections from the Liturgy of the Hours each day.) Although the Magnificat has had numerous musical settings from such composers as Palestrina, Bach and Mozart, it can be recited as well as sung. Its name comes...

Apparitions in Zeitoun Egypt                                                                                                .Our Ladyof Lighttrue photo  Apparitions of Our Lady of Light, Zeitoun, Egypt Our Lady appeared in Zeitoun hovering above Saint Mark's Coptic Church, a shrine dedicated to the Holy family, which according to tradition rested in that place during their stay in Egypt.The apparitions, ( hundreds in number ) took place at night, and Our Lady was always surrounded by light.The Coptic Church celebrates 32 feast days in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The last day falls on 2 April, and commemorates Our Lady under her title, Our Lady of Light.At 8:30 p.m. on...

A collection of some 'miraculous' photographs of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Well, as Saint Augustine of Hippo says, "Unless you believe, you will not understand." These are pictures taken by various people including apparitions witnessed by millions in Egypt including the former president of Egypt, Abdul Nasser. See post at Miraculous Photos of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Public Rosary in San Francisco to draw thousands By Marianne Medlin     Father Patrick Peyton addresses the San Francisco Family Rosary Rally, October 7, 1961 San Francisco, Calif., Jun 2, 2011 / 06:01 am (CNA).- Fifty years after a 1961 public Rosary gathered over half a million people in San Francisco, a Catholic lay group is organizing the same event for October of 2011.Rally organizers told CNA on June 1 that "thousands" of Catholic faithful are expected.On October 15, the Bay Area chapter of the Legion of Mary – an international community of lay Catholics – will host their Family Rosary...

The Magnificat is a Bold Prayer!By: Msgr. Charles Pope I pray you might indulge me a little speculation that cuts against the usual “visuals” surrounding the Magnificat. And , if what I say does not please your sensibilities I ask pardon now, and once again your indulgence.In our western culture we tend to think of Mary in very soft focus, humbly praying, head bowed, quiet and almost shy in her demeanor. And this may all be true. But as I read Mary’s prayer, the Magnificat day after day, and as I read it today’s Gospel, I cannot help but...

MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS Our Lady became the helper of the human race for the first time when her prayers were heard and God send His Son to rescue the world from the empire of sin. She is the great woman predicted in the Proto-evangelium of Genesis, who will crush the head of the devil (Genesis 3:15). She is also portrayed in the Apocalypse as the Woman clothed with the sun, (Revelation 12:1). Then the dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war on the rest of her children, those who keep the commandments of God...

  Mary Our Mother   This Mother's Day let your mother know how much you appreciate her.   Bishop Paul S. Loverde   5/4/11 As Mother’s Day approaches, it is likely that each of us can recall several moments when we did not behave in the way that our mothers desired. It is certainly not always easy to be a mother, especially when her dreams for her children may not work out as planned. We are, in a particular way during this month, reminded of how much our mothers have sacrificed for us and we should take the opportunity to...

Featured Term (selected at random):SANCTUARY OF OUR SORROWFUL MOTHER This shrine to Mary was founded in 1926 in Portland, Oregon, and is constructed on two terraces, one on street level, another at the top of a high cliff. A marble Crucifixion group dominates the area. On the lower level is a cavern where under the grotto arch stands a white altar framed with flowers and vines. Above on the cliff wall is a replica of Michelangel's Pietà with two bronze angels holding torches. At the western end of the amphitheater is the cross-laden Christ, whose stumbling figure leads the eye...

Featured Term (selected at random):MARIAN ART The Blessed Virgin in Christian art or architecture. The most ancient image of the Blessed Virgin still extant is a painting in the Roman catacomb of Priscilla on the Via Salaria. Dating from the early second or late first century, the fresco pictures Mary seated with the Child Jesus in her arms and what appears to be a prophet standing next to her, volume in hand and pointing to a star above the Virgin. Three other Marian paintings in the same catacomb date from the second and third centuries. One image on the tomb...