Tuesday 12 November 2013

Some Information of Mary

Mary the mother of Jesus is called by many names. She is called the Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Mother of the Church, Mediatrix, Our Lady, etc. These would be explored in upcoming episodes of this blog.

What we would like to look at today is some back ground data on Mary. The feast of her nativity (birth) is celebrated on the 8th of September in Nazareth, Israel to parents Joachim and Anne . She is greatly honored and worship by many Christians around world. This is vividly shown by the many church and shine dicated in her name on every content of the world. Some of these are: the Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico.

There are many iconic symbols that are attributed to Mary these range from the blue mantle (this is a stripe of blue cloth tired around her waist), the crown of 12 stars, pregnant woman, roses, the woman with child and many others.

Saturday 8 June 2013

The Immaculate Heart of Mary


Blessed_Virgin_Mary.jpg

The Immaculate Heart of Mary (also known as The Sacred Heart of Mary) is a devotionalname used to refer to the interior life of the Blessed Virgin Mary, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for her son Jesus, and her compassionate love for all persons. [1] The consideration of Mary's interior life and the beauties of her soul, without any thought of her physical heart, does not constitute the traditional devotion; still less does it consist in the consideration of the heart of Mary merely as a part of her virginal body. The two elements are essential to the devotion, just as, according to Roman Catholic theology, soul and body are necessary to the constitution of man. In 1855 the Mass of the Most Pure Heart formally became a part of Catholic practice.
Eastern Catholic Churches occasionally utilize the image, devotion, and theology associated with the Immaculate Heart of Mary. However, this is a cause of some controversy, some seeing it as a form of liturgical latinisation. The Roman Catholic view is based on Mariology, as exemplified by Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae[2] which builds on the total Marian devotion pioneered by Louis de Montfort.
Traditionally, the heart is depicted pierced with seven wounds or swords, in homage to theseven dolors of Mary. Also, roses or another type of flower may be wrapped around the heart.

Learning From Mary to Keep the Word of God


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(Vatican Radio) Like Mary, we must learn to receive and keep the Word of God safe 
in our hearts. Marking the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary 
at morning Mass Saturday, Pope Francis pointed out that Mary read her life with the 
Word of God and this is what safekeeping means.


Astonishment and safekeeping: Pope Francis developed his homily around these two

 themes starting from the Gospel of the day, which recounts the astonishment of the 
teachers in the Temple listening to Jesus and Mary’s keeping the Word of God safe in 
her heart. Astonishment, the Pope observed, "is more than joy: it is a moment in which
 the Word of God comes, is sown in our hearts. " But, he warned, "we cannot always live in wonder", this should be “kept in our hearts” 
throughout our lives. And this is precisely what Mary does, when she is "astonished" and keeps the "Word of God" in her heart:

"Keeping the Word of God: what does this mean? I receive the Word, and then I take a bottle, I put the word in the bottle and I 

keep it? No. Keeping the Word of God means that our heart opens, it is open to that Word just like the earth opens to receive the 
seed. The Word of God is a seed and is sown. And Jesus told us what happens with the seeds: some fall along the path, and the 
birds come and eat them; this word is not kept, these hearts do not know how to receive it”.

Others, he said, fall into a stony soil and the seed dies. Jesus says that they "do not know how to keep the Word of God because they are not 

constant: When a tribulation comes they forget." The Pope repeated that the Word of God falls into a soil that is unprepared, not kept, full of
 thorns. And what are the thorns? Jesus pointed them out, when He speaks of '"attachment to riches, vices”. Pope Francis said “keeping the 
Word of God means constantly meditating on what this Word says to us and what happens in our life." And this “is what Mary did”, she 
“pondered and questioned” it. This, said Pope Francis, "is a truly great spiritual work":

“John Paul II said that, because of this work, Mary had a particular heaviness in her heart, she had a fatigued heart. But this is

 not the same as tired, it is fatigue, this comes from effort. This is the effort of keeping the Word of God : the work of trying to find


 what this means at this moment, what the Lord wants to say to me at this time, this situation of questioning the [meaning of ]the 
Word of God is how we understand. This is reading our life with the Word of God and this it means to keep".

Pope Francis added that memory also safeguards God's Word. “It helps us to preserve it, to remember everything the Lord has done in my 

life". He continued : “it reminds us of all the wonders of salvation in His people and in my heart. Memory safeguards the Word of God. 
" The Pope concluded his homily urging everyone to think "about how to keep the Word of God in our hearts, how to safeguard this 
astonishment, so that it is not eaten by the birds, suffocated by vices":

"We would do well to ask ourselves: 'With the things that happen in life, I ask myself the question: what is the Lord saying to me

 with His Word, right now?'. This is called keeping the Word of God, because the Word of God is precisely the message that the
 Lord gives us in every moment. Let us safeguard it with this: safeguard it with our memory. And safeguard it with our hope. 
We ask the Lord for the grace to receive the Word of God and keep it, and also the grace to have a heart that is fatigued in this 
effort. So be it. "
Saturday morning Mass was attended by staff from Caritas Internationalis, accompanied by the secretary general, Michel Roy.






 






Text from page http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/06/08/pope_at_mass:_learning_from_mary_to_keep_the_word_of_god/en1-699623
of the Vatican Radio website 

Saturday 18 May 2013

Tea With Our Lady In Tortuga









This year’s procession with Our Lady of Montserrat was limited to inside the Tortuga church because of inclement weather. The statue is accompanied by, among others, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli and Frs Alan Hall and Glyn Jemmott.
This year’s procession with Our Lady of Montserrat was limited to inside the Tortuga church because of inclement weather. The statue is accompanied by, among others, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli and Frs Alan Hall and Glyn Jemmott.
A Mass celebrated in Spanish by Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli and Tea with Our Lady of Montserrat (“Te con Nuestra Senora de Montserrat”) marked Tortuga’s commemoration of the Feast of Our Lady of Montserrat.
The Tortuga church is nestled in the Montserrat Hills in Trinidad’s central range. The area was named by Spanish settlers after the Montserrat Mountains of Catalonia in the region of Barcelona, Spain.

Although it is unknown when the statute of Our Lady of Montserrat, also called “La Moreneta”, came to Tortuga, it is believed that it was brought by Capuchin missionaries. The wooden statue in Tortuga is said to be a replica of a statue of Our Lady in a shrine in Montserrat, Spain.


In honour of the Spanish spiritual ancestors, Te con Nuestra Senora de Montserrat (Tea with Our Lady of Montserrat) and the Spanish Mass were held on April 27 – the feast day of Our Lady of Montserrat. Non-Spanish speaking attendees followed in booklets and through translations by Tortuga Parish Priest Fr Alan Hall.

Fr Glyn Jemmott also spoke fluent Spanish as he offered prayers during the Mass.
Archbishop Girasoli, for whom this was his first visit to the 135-year-old church, did the homily in English. He told the congregation that Our Lady was always giving the best direction to her Son and led the way to Him.

The children from the Tortuga Primary School sang the recessional song, which happened to be their winning composition from the first ever Joseph T Rostant Hymn to Our Lady of Montserrat competition, held during the 2012 Tea with Our Lady.

“Our Lady on the Hills” was performed under the direction of the school’s principal Theresa Roberts. Another of the compositions from the competition, “Mama Maria”, was sung by the
Montserrat Sisters as the entrance hymn.

The inclement weather prevented the usual procession with the statue of Our Lady from the church to the Tortuga Presbytery. However, “La Moreneta” – on which restoration works were recently completed by Marian devotees from Citizens for Conservation – was paraded throughout the church.
Members of the congregation then made their way under umbrellas to the presbytery’s grounds and the inviting ambience at the Tea with Our Lady event.
A Spanish menu of empanadas, bollito, arepas and dulces was served along with local favourites.

Guitarists Patrick Gouveia, Anthony Gibbons and Lorraine Neves set a soothing mood with music which had a Spanish flair. Singer Turon Roberts-Nicholas warmed the atmosphere under the tents with renditions of “Ave Maria” and “His Eye is on the Sparrow”.
To the delight of many, several door prizes were distributed by master of ceremonies Louis Dulal-Whiteway.

The Shrine Committee has dubbed 2013 the Year of the Spanish and in December it will host an Advent/Christmas Carol Service and Country Christmas Food Festival. Food of Spanish/Latin American origin will be featured as part of the Food Festival and it is anticipated that art from the Spanish/Latin American regions will be on sale at the event.
Over the years, with the assistance of then parish priest Fr Steve Duncan, the Shrine Committee – headed by Diane Bertrand – has introduced several initiatives including Marian devotions every Saturday and a gift shop and museum at the church, known for its many statues and beautiful stained glass windows.

Thursday 9 May 2013

Praying the Rosary with the Archbishop


Dejhan Aaron of Presentation College, Chaguanas, prays the rosary at Archbishop’s House last Wednesday. Dejhan Aaron of Presentation College, Chaguanas, prays the rosary at Archbishop’s House last Wednesday. Students of Catholic secondary schools will lead the rosary at Archbishop’s House each Wednesday in May – the month of Mary. Archbishop Joseph Harris, Papal Nuncio Archbishop Nicola Girasoli and Vicar General Msgr Robert Llanos were among those who attended. Photo: Raymond Syms

Wednesday 8 May 2013

Feast of the Immaculate Virgin, Proctectoress of the Dominican Order.


Today throughout the World, Dominicans celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Virgin, Proctectoress of the Dominican Order.

At a difficult period in his preaching ministry, St. Dominic had a dream in which he saw heaven. Christ was there, arrayed like a king, with His Mother beside Him cloaked in a magnificent mantle. Around the Blessed Mother were countless souls from all walks of life—clergy, laypersons, and members of every religious order ever founded. Among the religious there were Benedictines, Augustinians, Carmelites, Franciscans, everyone—except the Order of Preachers. Struck to the heart, Dominic said, “Is there not a single one of mine?” The Lord gestured to His Mother, who opened her mantle. There, under it, were hundreds and hundreds of Dominican souls in their black and white habits. The Lord said, “Behold, I have left your Order in the care of My Mother.”


Prayer Dedicating the Order of Preachers to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Virgin Mother Mary, with trust we approach you. We, your preachers, fly to you who believed in the words sent from heaven and pondered them in your heart. We stand close around you, who are always present to the gathering of apostles.
 
In you the Word was made flesh, that same Word which we receive, contemplate, praise together and preach. Therefore, under your guidance we today devote ourselves anew to the ministry of the Word. Furthermore, we declare to you that, hearing with you the Word within ourselves and anointed by the Spirit whose sacred vessel you pre-eminently are, we are consecrated in the name of Jesus Christ to the evangelization of the world.
 
With the eyes of your heart enlightened, you understood the mystery of the Word. Through you we, too, are able to perceive the presence of that same Word in the history of our time, so that we may finally contemplate him face to face.
 
Through you the Father sent his Son into that world that he might save it. Through you we will be powerful in the sight of your people, becoming witnesses of that truth which frees and of that love that unites.
 
To this place we have brought our needs and here we ponder them. Do you, Mother, give us strength and perserve the harmony of our family, so that what was begun by our profession may be brought to completion by our love for one another, for the salvation of the world and to the praise and glory of God.

Today throughout the World, Dominicans celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Virgin, Proctectoress of the Dominican Order.

At a difficult period in his preaching ministry, St. Dominic had a dream in which he saw heaven. Christ was there, arrayed like a king, with His Mother beside Him cloaked in a magnificent mantle. Around the Blessed Mother were countless souls from all walks of life—clergy, laypersons, and members of every religious order ever founded. Among the religious there were Benedictines, Augustinians, Carmelites, Franciscans, everyone—except the Order of Preachers. Struck to the heart, Dominic said, “Is there not a single one of mine?” The Lord gestured to His Mother, who opened her mantle. There, under it, were hundreds and hundreds of Dominican souls in their black and white habits. The Lord said, “Behold, I have left your Order in the care of My Mother.”


Prayer Dedicating the Order of Preachers to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Virgin Mother Mary, with trust we approach you. We, your preachers, fly to you who believed in the words sent from heaven and pondered them in your heart. We stand close around you, who are always present to the gathering of apostles.

In you the Word was made flesh, that same Word which we receive, contemplate, praise together and preach. Therefore, under your guidance we today devote ourselves anew to the ministry of the Word. Furthermore, we declare to you that, hearing with you the Word within ourselves and anointed by the Spirit whose sacred vessel you pre-eminently are, we are consecrated in the name of Jesus Christ to the evangelization of the world.

With the eyes of your heart enlightened, you understood the mystery of the Word. Through you we, too, are able to perceive the presence of that same Word in the history of our time, so that we may finally contemplate him face to face.

Through you the Father sent his Son into that world that he might save it. Through you we will be powerful in the sight of your people, becoming witnesses of that truth which frees and of that love that unites.

To this place we have brought our needs and here we ponder them. Do you, Mother, give us strength and perserve the harmony of our family, so that what was begun by our profession may be brought to completion by our love for one another, for the salvation of the world and to the praise and glory of God.