Blessed Mother – Page 2 – The Parish of St. Cecilia-St. Gabriel

Eclipse

If you are reading this article, it means the world didn’t end last week. This, despite the occurrence of a torrential rainstorm, an earthquake, and a solar eclipse all happening within a fortnight of each other. Personally, I found the rain depressing, the earthquake unsettling, and the eclipse fascinating. I remember my first experience ofContinue reading “Eclipse “

Queen of Peace

We always begin the new year with Mary, the Mother of God. In the ancient world, to those who objected to the title “Mother of God,” the Church responded definitively that she who is the mother of Jesus must also be the Mother of God, since Jesus is God and there is no division inContinue reading “Queen of Peace “

Marian Consecration

When I was in my last year of seminary, something significant happened to my spiritual life. A friend gave me the book: 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration by Fr. Michael Gaitley. I had always known that the Blessed Mother was important. But I don’t think I hadContinue reading “Marian Consecration “

The Power of Carmel

July 16 is the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Because it falls on a Sunday this year, we don’t celebrate it in the liturgy, but it’s worth commemorating even on our own. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the patron saint of the Carmelite Order which traces its spiritual lineage back to theContinue reading “The Power of Carmel “

Regina Caeli

Every Friday morning, either me or Fr. Mariusz celebrates Mass for the students and faculty of the Catholic Academy of Stamford (CAS), the school located on the St. Cecilia campus. A few weeks ago, as we were getting everything prepared in the sacristy, I heard one of the servers, an eighth grader named Patrick, quietlyContinue reading “Regina Caeli “

Health Crisis

There is a mental health crisis in our society, especially among the young, and everybody knows it. Fr. Roger Landry, the Catholic chaplain at Columbia University, in a recent article in the National Catholic Register, cites a 2023 Center for Disease Control study which found the following: 57% of girls and 29% of boys reportedContinue reading “Health Crisis “

Love Your Mother

My sister has an image of the Blessed Mother on her kitchen counter, near the sink. During a visit, it caught my eye and I remarked to her how beautiful I thought it was. “Yes,” she said, slightly wincing, “whenever I look at it, I think about how much better I need to be doing.” Continue reading “Love Your Mother “

Bells

In 1940, Walt Disney released the film Fantasia, which consisted of eight sequences of animation set to pieces of classical music. It is generally considered a masterpiece. The most famous scene from the movie, of course, is “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” which features Mickey Mouse as a novice magician who tries to wield magic to helpContinue reading “Bells “

La Guadalupana

In November, 1519 the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes was received by King Moctezuma at the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan, the future site of Mexico City. One of the Spaniards who accompanied Cortes, Bernal Diaz del Castillo, wrote about what they saw there: “Among us there were soldiers who had been in many parts of theContinue reading “La Guadalupana “

Rosary & Renovations

Pray the Rosary May is the month of Our Lady, and a good time to resolve to pray a daily rosary. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Just a couple of weeks ago, two world-famous Catholics made strong pitches for the daily rosary. There was Pope Francis, of course, who exhortedContinue reading “Rosary & Renovations”