May 16
“The conviction that Mary is close to those who are suffering or in situations of serious danger has prompted the faithful to invoke her as ‘Benefactress.’ The same trusting certainty is expressed in the most ancient Marian prayer with the words, “We fly to thy patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed Virgin (from the Roman Breviary).”
-St. John Paul II
May 15
“…that good Mother makes herself so present and so near to her faithful servants, to enlighten them in their darkness and their doubt, to strengthen them in their fears, and to sustain them in their struggles and difficulties, that…this virginal path to find Jesus Christ is a path of roses and honey.”
-St. Louis Grignion de Montfort
EV writes: “I don’t understand why it’s so dangerous to read a horoscope or get a tarot reading just for fun. If I don’t have any intention of being in contact with demons, what’s the harm?”
May 14
“The love that this good mother bears us is so great that as soon as she perceives our wants, she comes to our assistance. She comes before she is called.”
-Richard of St. Lawrence
An EF-4 tornado that ripped through Barnsdall, Oklahoma on May 6 with winds up to 175 mph tore through the parish of St. Mary’s in Barnsdall, leveling the parish center but leaving the tabernacle and the Blessed Sacrament untouched – and the sanctuary lamp still burning!
May 13
“Christians call upon Mary as “Helper,” recognizing her motherly love which sees her children’s needs and is ready to come to their aid, especially when their eternal salvation is at stake.”
-St. John Paul II
May 12
“Have recourse to Mary, who is the hope of sinners; and if you fear that she may refuse to take your part, know that she cannot do so because God Himself has imposed on her the duty of succoring the miserable.”
-St. Bonaventure
May 11
“Breathe freely and take courage, O wretched sinners, this great virgin who is the Mother of your God and Judge is also the Advocate of the whole human race.”
-St. Thomas of Villanova
May 10
“Mary exercises her role as ‘Advocate’ by co-operating both with the Spirit, the Paraclete, and with the One who interceded on the Cross for his persecutors (cf. Lk 23:24), whom John calls our ‘advocate with the Father’ (1 John 2:1). As a mother, she defends her children and protects them from the harm caused by their own sins.”
-Pope St. John Paul II
TB writes: “A woman I encountered as of late claims that Core Synchronization therapy is an acceptable form of energy medicine. I beg to differ since the word energy is in it. What can you tell me about this practice? Is it like Reiki? Also can you tell me the dangers to a person’s soul who practices Reiki or any kind of energy medicine? For some reason this makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck.”
