What wisdom Holy Mother Church has in dedicating the first day of the year to Mary, Mother of God! 
Mary is the Mother of God and she is our mother, too. Her fiat is the genesis of every fiat given to God. And every fiat given to God is enriched by hers. The fathers of the Second Vatican Council state it simply, succinctly, and profoundly: she is our Mother in the order of grace.
This poem, written by Giovanni Domini (1356-142), expresses the maternal beatitude we find so dear. May it elevate our hearts in gratitude to God for the gift of the Blessed Virgin. And may it elevate our hearts to the reality of our salvation which comes through the gift of her Son, Jesus Christ Savior of the World.
It echoes the one we find in Psalm 51.
What will we give Jesus this Christmas? Is it the gift He truly desires?
than I'd hoped to get a post ready to go.
As you know from my previous post, I attended the Catholic Radio Association Conference held in Birmingham, AL from October 13 - 17. The event began with a tour of Radio Mountain, the home of the shortwave radio network begun by Mother Angelica back in 1994. I never cease to be amazed at the wonder of radio communication through the air waves.
Hello Everyone!
I am in Birmingham, Alabama this week for the annual Global Catholic Radio Conference. Today we went to "Radio Mountain," the site of the shortwave radio network that provides Catholic programming to the world and to the US via 200+ AM/FM radio stations and also through Sirius Satellite (Station 160).
As a program provider since its inception, I was once again awestruck by the opportunities available by means of electronic communications. Zeal filled my heart and desire filled my soul. I am hoping to offer you some pictures from our visit today and to keep you informed of the event in general.
Off to the Shrine in Hanceville tomorrow for a retreat. Wing a prayer for me and for all of those attending and presenting.
Blessings in Jesus and Mary,
Johnnette
One of the great blessings of Catholic radio is its ability to have a significant impact in the lives of those who listen and, as a program provider for EWTN Global Catholic Radio, I have the opportunity to experience this often.
Take this past Monday's program for example. At the beginning of the program I shared a little about the difference between good fear and morbid fear and the virtue of trust. Apparently, it struck a chord with a lot of our listeners. Following is one email we received. What touched my heart about this woman's experience is that she began to see God making a difference in her life almost immediately.
When you have finished reading the piece you can find additional information about the topic by listening to the podcast of our program (go to the website www.womenofgrace.com) or you can read my post dated 04/28/09.
May God bless you and meet your deepest need!
Today we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. This prayer, though simple in form, is really a way to take us to the depths of union with God. The following is from The Women of Grace Foundational Study Guide.
"My daughter, be diligent in writing down every sentence I tell you concerning My mercy, because this is meant for a great number of souls who will profit from it."
So said Our Lord Jesus Christ to Sister M. Faustina Kowalska, a religious sister of the Congregation of Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy. And so began one of the most influential spiritual movements of our day and time -- Divine Mercy.
this short study on the angels features just such a poem. It is written by J. Corson Miller, an American poet who was born in 1883. The time of his death is unknown.
However, we do know that J. Corson Miller was a devout Catholic of whom one critic wrote, "Imagination, passion, facility of musical and expressive word and phrase, lyrical tone -- these natural endowments are augmented by education, vision and Catholic faith."
Interestingly and not without note, Miller pledged his life to Our Lady and promised to be her "consecrated knight in deed and song." Many of his poems were written about her and to her.
As you read Miller's poem, Hymn to the Guardian Angel, look for his profoundly Catholic worldview, his knowledge of the faith, and the imagination and passion he employs to communicate it.
