Make room for the Divine guest.......make a habit of hospitality!

Today our Catholic Church celebrates the dedication of St. Mary Major in Rome. This basilica is the oldest church in the West dedicated to the honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the holy Mother of God. Our Blessed Mother uttered the perfect “Yes” to God in offering all of herself in becoming the Mother of God. Tomorrow we remember Transfiguration of the Lord. We recall the very glory of God revealed in Christ Jesus upon Mount Tabor (photo at left: The Church of the Transfiguration). How can we open our hearts to welcome God, the Divine Guest? How shall we imitate Our Blessed Mother and Our Lord Jesus? This week, Pope Benedict XVI taught a group of altar servers about the Eucharist, Jesus’ greatest gift to us. As reported by the CNA (Catholic News Agency), our Holy Father says this about the Eucharist: "It is a precious good," he said, "a treasure whose value cannot be measured, it is the Bread of life, it is Jesus who makes himself food, support and strength for our daily path and open road to eternal life; it is the greatest gift that Jesus left us." (read more).

Each day this summer, among the moments of preparing for visiting guests in our homes, let us pay special attention to actively prepare for and invite Jesus to dwell within our hearts. We can do this by receiving Him in the Eucharist, having prepared our hearts through prayer and the sacrament of reconciliation. In addition, we can develop the habit of setting our minds on Jesus, moment by moment, inviting Jesus to come and stay with us through spiritual communion. May we all form this habit of hospitality of constantly inviting the Divine Guest into our hearts. Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful!

Our Advent Pilgrimage with Mary

By Terry Polakovic (click her to read more by Terry)

Once again, the season of Advent is upon us, and for this reason, we turn our gaze to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The greatest mystery of Christianity entered the world by way of a woman ~ this woman. For Catholic women like ourselves, Mary is the model of how we should live out our Advent. She teaches us anew how to trust, to love, and to wait in silent anticipation for the coming of Christ. Our late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, had a great devotion to Our Lady which he shared in his 1987 encyclical, Redemptoris Mater (Mother of the Redeemer). He who has been called the most “Marian” pope in history entrusted both his pontificate and his entire life to her.

As we begin our 2009 Advent pilgrimage with Mary, let us remember that the greatest gift ever offered to the world is Jesus Christ. If we want to bring joy to others this Christmas, we have to bring them Christ. Certainly, we can buy them toys, clothes and gadgets, but if we aren’t giving them Christ, they are receiving nothing of lasting value.

As we bring this year to a close, I want to thank each and every one of you who have supported the efforts of ENDOW over this past year. You have made this program of study possible. As you know, our efforts are aimed at helping women know God better so they may love Him more. Our belief is that such love will express itself in service and will result in happier, more harmonious relationships with spouses, families, professional colleagues, and in parish life. We believe that changing the culture starts with one woman at a time.

Visit www.endowonline.com to get involved this Christmas Season with ENDOW!

Mary's Other Month

,Mary's Other Month By Gigi Zapiain

OK I’m biased, but I think my Mom is the cutest senior citizen around. She loves a good romantic comedy at the movies, is a great traveler that enjoys exploring new places, never misses her aerobics class with women 40+ years younger than herself, could plant a dry stick in the ground and nurture it into a blooming plant, and revels in an end-of-season shoe sale as much as I do.

She and my Dad were married for 51 years before he returned to the Lord in 2005. After the funeral, I realized that as long as she had been alive, Mom had never been alone. She grew up in her boisterous family, went to college with her sisters, worked for an airline while living at home when she met the handsome grad student finishing up at Fordham University and tied the knot. With me and my brothers long since grown and out of the house – I realized she no longer had anyone to come home to with Dad gone.

Mom was and still is in good health, but there was no way I was going to leave her – alone. I won’t bore you with the details, but I decided to leave New England and head to Texas to where Mom had lived much of her life to seek my fortune there.

It was in October that I headed south that year – this gorgeous month when the weather is bracing and the trees wear their blazing finery – and remembered that it is that “other” month that is dedicated to Mary, Mother of God. It’s not often that I can claim to know what Jesus was thinking – but I have to say I know exactly how he felt when he did not want His Mother to be alone. I don’t believe for a minute that Jesus thought that Mary couldn’t look after herself – rather the Lord entrusted her to the Beloved Disciple because a Mom is always a Mom – and in her human nature, Mary would do best in an environment where she could continue her loving, nurturing ways; now in a special way with the Apostles, especially the one that Jesus loved.

After getting over a bit of southwest culture shock, the Lord was merciful and I was able to land a good job, and brought Mom to live with me. It would not be true if I told you things are perfect having Mom for a house-mate. If she had her way I would wear sailor-collared dresses to work every day – but it would also be untrue to say it is not good. It is very good, and I believe the Lord has blessed our decision to be together. I know Dad would have approved – and I know that Jesus does.

Birthdays!

By Mercy Gutierrez

Liturgically, we just celebrated the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary (September 8th) and this feast day left me with many thoughts. As you might know, Catholics don’t usually celebrate saints’ birthdays in the Church. Pope Benedict remarked that “the Church always argued that it was premature to celebrate a birthday because the rest of the life of the person born on that day was subject to such ambiguity.” Obviously, the Blessed Mother is exempt from this norm because of her Immaculate Conception and grace-filled purity throughout life. However, Catholics typically celebrate the end of a saint’s life, usually marked by their date of death, knowing that is when the saint encountered the full splendor of Christ and entered into eternal life with Him. So, with our eyes fixed on eternity, it makes sense to celebrate the beginning of eternity rather than the beginning of our earthly life.

As women, God has entrusted us in a special way to celebrate life. The question remains, “how can we celebrate life while still reminding our children (biological or spiritual children) about our journey toward everlasting life?” This summer, I was impressed that my daughter received a special call from her Godfather on the date of her baptism, June 23rd. Every year, he has made a point to celebrate her “birth in Christ” more so than her natural birthday eight weeks earlier. Likewise, I hear of families who celebrate the feast days of all saints who carry their children’s namesake. Similarly, other families celebrate feasts of each child’s patron saint selected during their sacraments of First Communion or Confirmation. A friend of mine, upon entering religious life, was given a new name by her Superior and a new “birthday,” namely the feast of the saint given. No matter the tradition, the point remains the same. We must always orient our lives and that of our families toward heaven. Persevering in holiness is no easy task! So, any reminder of our heavenly destination and those who have successfully gone before us is a welcomed birthday gift in my mind!