Divine Mercy Conference - Local Event - Day One

Joey and I attended the first day of the conference today.

Boy, were we glad we went! It was just the first day but what an opening! First of all, it's being held at the Hawaii Convention Center in the Waikiki area. Lucky for us, it's within walking distance and walk we did.

We had never been to the convention center before. My dh has often referred to it as the Big White Elephant but it is a beautiful building inside.

We took a very long escalator to the top and we had the feeling of going up to Heaven. This was probably because we knew that Jesus was up there!

We had lots of time to kill so we started exploring the bookstore. I saw some friends and spend time with them while doing a little shopping. All of a sudden I see a familiar face, a young priest. I pulled Joey to the other side of the room and I introduced ourselves to Fr. Donald Calloway. For those of you not familiar with him. He is a priest with quite a story to tell of his youth filled with sex, drugs and rock and roll before Divine Mercy intervened. He is now a priest with the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. We chatted a few minutes and I took a picture of Joey and Father Calloway. We are really looking forward to his talk tomorrow.

So the conference began with the Angelus, the recitation of the Holy Rosary in honor of our Blessed Mother's birthday, and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. A local recording artist sang On this Day O Beautiful Mother and Ave Maria while the Knights of Columbus led the procession of the banners of the different Catholic groups and pilgrims.

Then we had the privilege of hearing Dr. Bryan Thatcher, the head of EADM give a very moving speech on God's Divine Mercy.

I will try to post more tomorrow, and maybe some pictures, after the conference

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR BLESSED MOTHER

Photo Source: Internet

The Spiritual Tradition Regarding Mary's Birth

Sacred Scripture does not record Mary's birth. The earliest known writing regarding Mary's birth is found in the Protoevangelium of James (5:2), which is an apocryphal writing from the late 2nd century. What matters is not the historicity of the account, but the significance of Mary's and of every person's birth. In Mary's case, the early Church grew more and more interested in the circumstances surrounding the origin of Christ. Discussion about Mary throws light on the discussion about the identity of Jesus Christ.

The Church usually celebrates the passing of a person, that is, the person's entry into eternal life. Besides the birth of Christ, the Christian liturgy celebrates only two other birthdays: that of St. John the Baptizer and of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. It is not the individual greatness of these saints that the Church celebrates, but their role in salvation history, a role directly connected to the Redeemer's own coming into the world.


Mary's birth lies at the confluence of the two Testaments--bringing to an end the stage of expectation and the promises and inaugurating the new times of grace and salvation in Jesus Christ. Mary, the Daughter of Zion and ideal personification of Israel, is the last and most worthy representative of the People of the Old Covenant but at the same time she is "the hope and the dawn of the whole world." With her, the elevated Daughter of Zion, after a long expectation of the promises, the times are fulfilled and a new economy is established. (Lumen Gentium 55)

The birth of Mary is ordained in particular toward her mission as Mother of the Savior. Her existence is indissolubly connected with that of Christ: it partakes of a unique plan of predestination and grace. God's mysterious plan regarding the Incarnation of the Word embraces also the Virgin who is His Mother. In this way, the Birth of Mary is inserted at the very heart of the History of Salvation. (M. Valentini, Dictionary of Mary, pp. 36-7.)

On This Day, O Beautiful Mother

Refrain:
On this day, O Beautiful Mother!
On this day we give thee our love;
Near thee, Madonna, fondly we hover,
trusting thy gentle care to prove.

On this day we ask to share, dearest Mother,
thy sweet care;
Aid us e'er, our feet astray, wandering from
thy guiding way.

Queen of Angels, deign to hear, thy dear
children's humble pray'r;
Young hearts gain, O Virgin pure, sweetly
to thyself allure.

Back to School Prayer

Mahalo to my friend Easter for sharing this with us.







Back to School

Praise you, Lord, for the blessing of learning.

—Catholic Prayers for Every Day and All Day

Christ’s love and our faith in that love should pervade everything we do—work, study, play.

-St. John Bosco

PRAYER

We pray for all students

That they may learn and study

With Christ’s wisdom and understanding

And use all knowlege to make this world

A better place to live.

We pray for all parents and teachers

That they may bring to the children

The love of God first

Then love for God next.

With Christ as the anchor of learning

We shall prevail

And achieve that which Christ

Has planned for each child He brings

To this world.

We pray with Mary,

In her Son’s name, Jesus,

Amen!

-Easter A.

A Gift for our Blessed Mother on Her Birthday - September 8th

Mahalo Sue for this one too!

Friday 8th September is the feast of the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

As a Gift for Our Lady on this special day, please join with people from all over the world in a day of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion.

Fasting does not necessarily have to be just bread and water. It can be a day of abstinence from sweets, meat, TV, gossip or anything that you have to make an effort or sacrifice in order to do without.

As regards prayer, this can be as simple as 3 Hail Mary's on the day but of course the rosary and Eucharistic Adoration have a special place in Our Lady's heart not to mention the greatest prayer of all, the mass. And yet a moment of personal prayer joined to the prayers of so many will help to change hearts and make this a special day for Our Lady and will most certainly help in the battle against abortion.

Nothing needs to be done except to inform others to take part in this special birthday gift for our Mother who is incessantly praying for us.

May God Bless all your efforts and all your work for the protection of life. Please forward this far and wide.

Stuart McGovern
stumcgov@hotmail.com
Dublin

Eucharistic Quote by St. Augustine

Holy card courtesy of Aci Prensa

"Christ held Himself in His hands when He gave His Body to His disciples saying: 'This is My Body.' No one partakes of this Flesh before he has adored it."

- St. Augustine