The following was the Old Testament reading at Geralyn's and my wedding: Tobit 8:4 When Sarah’s parents left the bedroom and closed the door behind them, Tobiah rose from bed and said to his wife, “My sister, come, let us pray and beg our Lord to grant us mercy and protection.” 5 She got up, and they started to pray and beg that they might be protected. He began with these words: “Blessed are you, O God of our ancestors; blessed be your name forever and ever! Let the heavens and all your creation bless you forever. 6 You made Adam, and you made his wife Eve to be his helper and support; and from these two the human race has come. You said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; let us make him a helper like himself.’ 7 Now, not with lust, but with fidelity I take this kinswoman as my wife. Send down your mercy on me and on her, and grant that we may grow old together. Bless us with children.” 8 They said together, “Amen, amen!” So far, so good! O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!
I saw this post on Instagram and it tickled me. This is the perfect day to share the story of one religious who was madly in love with Our Blessed Mother. December 6th, 2023, will mark the 25th anniversary of the passing of our Brother Marion into eternal life. Frank Giglio, Sr., a successful businessman from New York, was an early collaborator with Mother Angelica and a supporter of @ewtnmedia. He was also a tremendous benefactor to the Blue Army of Fatima in Washington, New Jersey and became a veritable Apostle of the Brown Scapular, giving away hundreds of thousands in his desire to save souls from the eternal fire. A father with two children, Frank witnessed his wife die from cancer before receiving his own diagnosis of terminal cancer. Wanting to end his days in a holy life, he arranged a trust fund for his children, and Mother Angelica welcomed him as one of the first members of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word. Knowing his great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima, she gave him the playful name: Brother Marion Mary of the Holy Name of Mary. It fit him perfectly. In spite of his cancer diagnosis Brother Marion lived more than a decade, progressively losing his ability to walk and speak. He never lost his strong will though and insisted that as much as possible everything be Fatima blue, his sheets, his towels and even his shampoo. Recent friars did not know Brother Marion. But for those that did, and helped care for him, his example will never be forgotten. Nor will his brief, often repeated prayer, “Mary, help me love Jesus more.” And that’s just what she did...
Here's a hymn from the Monday, morning prayer of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Monday being devoted in the Little Office to the Immaculate Conception. Mary Immaculate, star of the morning, Chosen before the creation began, Chosen to bring, for thy bridal adorning, Woe to the serpent and rescue to man. Here, in an orbit of shadow and sadness, Veiling thy splendor, thy course thou hast run; Now thou art throned in all glory and gladness, Crowned by the hand of the savior and Son. Sinners, we worship thy sinless perfection; Fallen and weak, for thy pity we plead; Grant us the shield of thy sovereign protection, Measure thine aid by the depth of our need. Bend from thy throne at the voice of our crying. Bend to this earth which thy footsteps have trod; Stretch out thine arms to us, living and dying. Mary immaculate, Mother of God. F.W. Weatherell
It has been raining very heavily here for several days, very dark too. I had a feeling that Our Lady was going to bring me a gift for her Feast and was looking forward to getting it unwrapped Yesterday I watched a little story from Father Mark Goring concerning the Church Approved apparitions of Our Lady in Kibeho Rwanda. One of the local priests had accused the visionaries of being a , 'Pack of liars'. Our Lady warned a visionary to tell the priest he had been wrong to do so and needed to repent and said as a penance he needed to say three rosaries as a penance with arms outstretched. The priest, rattled did so. After saying them he put his rosary in his top drawer. A visionary then told the priest he was wrong to cover the rosary in the drawer with magazines and clothes. Our Lady told the visionary that he should not be doing this to what is a Sacred Object, that he should treat it with more respect. Plus Our Lady told the priest that he should carry the Rosary with him at all times. This priest became one of the biggest supporters of the apparitions out there. I took this onboard and decided to take the rosary with me up the mountains yesterday. There was heavy rain and winds and mist when I got to the car park and I was nearly the only one parked. I felt a bit mad going out in this weather but I was going stir crazy sitting at home the last few days. But starting up the mountain I took out my rosary beads and started praying them. Suddenly the really horrible weather did not matter any more. Such a feeling of joy and peace swept over me, the bad weather simply did not matter anymore. Years and years ago I stopped saying the rosary because I was praying all the time anyway with Contemplative prayer. My Spiritual Director warned me not to do this and was horrified but I went ahead anyway. So stupid. But since I retired I am back into it big time and it has been such a huge, huge gift. Hopefully I will get back to doing the full four decades a day now. I have pinned the rosary pouch to my belt and will carry it wherever I go and keep saying it often. What a huge, huge gift for the Feast! Another little gift in the rain yesterday. So dark and gloomy and raining non stop I decided to head down to my local Parish Church for a visit and to stop in and say the rosary and maybe the Stations to cheer myself up. It was full of local little children singing and dancing to prepare for their Christmas play, Such a joy to watch them! Happy right away! The blues all gone. It reminded me of a scene from the film, 'The Bells of St Mary's if you recall. Another little gift for the Feast, I went to a confession to a priest who had been very harsh with me before. But this time he was so kind and gentle and understanding. Such a change! Our Lady of Kibeho, pray for us.
