Mary – Blessed Mary We know Her by many names. She is the Queen of Peace, the Mystical Rose, the Mother of God. Blessed Mary’s many names have been sacredly bestowed following one of her miraculous apparitions or a miracle she granted. Her names have also been revealed through a timely message given to us, as she did at Fatima. In Latin America the Blessed Mother is also known as “La Conquista” or the Mother of the Conquered. Michelangelo’s Pieta depicts her as “Mater Dolorosa” or Madre Dolorosa. Here we see Her suffering as She holds the body of Jesus after his Crucifixion. I call her Blessed Mary, Holy Mother – and use the words given us in the Magnificat: “For hold, henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.” The Litany of Loreto This beautiful prayer venerates the Blessed Mother by her many holy names. It…
C.S. Lewis talked about a day that would come when we would all be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. Remember Grim’s Brothers and Hans Christian Andersen fairy tales and stories? Or the miracle in Cinderella’s story that still captivates you even now. No matter how old we are, we can always benefit from putting some fairy tale magic into the air. Here are 3 ways to bring enchantment into your day: 1. Inspire Your Surroundings in Little Ways We all have pictures and special mementos displayed throughout our home. They bring back wonderful memories of life’s most precious moments. In addition to these treasures, are there other special tokens or little inspirations that remind you of a magical moment still imprinted on your heart? They can be as simple as your favorite fairy tale quote or a picture capturing an…
My connection to the enchanted forest began when I was six years old and a Brownie in the Girl Scouts. Our small but mighty troop was working on a play about a witch who cast the terrible “laughing” spell on a young Princess. Sunrise to sunset, the Princess just giggled and giggled. The King was desperate to find a cure for his daughter and restore peace in the castle. Nothing could stop his daughter’s constant chuckling. So he sent word throughout the kingdom stating that anyone who could reverse the witch’s spell would be rewarded with a bag of gold coins. However, any person who tried to cure the Princess and failed would face banishment from the kingdom forever. It was a fabulous tale filled with characters determined to win the treasure. A good witch, a beautiful fairy, talking forest animals and an old…
With summer officially starting, now is a great time to put your “to-get-done” checklist together. You might be thinking about the list of family activities that get prioritized on your calendar each year. Although that list is really important, it is not the one I am referring to here. After all, almost everything on the family calendar typically gets done as planned. The whole family rallies behind making sure nothing gets missed. The annual block party, visits to the town pool and beach outings all get the attention they deserve. The list I am referring to is the one containing the things you are thinking about doing just for yourself. Despite your best efforts, these activities often get shelved to make room for everything else. Time passes and before you know it, the opportunity is gone. So if you haven’t started writing your own…
What Are Values? Values are our most defining beliefs and emotional memories held in the heart and inspired by the soul. They are the core principles that drive our greatest passions. Values are created and cultivated early in life. All our experiences encountered as children, home surroundings and people that influenced our thinking shaped these deep-seated emotions. Values are the heart-wired understandings we take with us everywhere. They are considered by many as our most defining “feeling” qualities. Just as athletic skills become more natural with repetition, our values are reinforced whenever an event triggers a sensitive memory cataloged away in our heart. Scientists define emotion as “energy in motion.” Our emotions form patterns and imprint(s) on the brain that influence human behavior. Over time and with continuous repetition of thought, our values ultimately drive our decisions and choices we make in life. They sway the relationships…
