Today August 22nd, 2022 is the celebration of the Queenship of Mary. The day falls on the octave (8th day) after the Assumption and celebrates the coronation of Mary Queen of Heaven.
It is also the the second anniversary of this blog which was started on August 22, 2020 and my birthday.
Usually, in the days leading up to all of that I pause to take stock of my life and work and make plans for the coming year. While I haven't really done that this year, I do know that I want to increase my devotion to the Blessed Mother in the months ahead and to start spending more time on my Etsy shop and home projects.
I don't see any big changes looming in terms of my writing or media. I just want to continue on as I have been. It is my prayer, however, that a renewed focus on the Queen of Heaven will inform all of everything I do.
Thanks to everyone who has been keeping me company on this crazy journey!
About Catholic and Non-Catholic Meditation
This video is about the difference between Catholic meditation or meditative prayer and non-Catholic meditation.
Catholic meditation, like all prayer, helps lift our minds and hearts to God. Popular non-Catholic meditations do not focus on God. Popular forms of meditation includes New Age and Eastern meditation as well as more generic "non-spiritual" meditation.
Non-Catholic meditation has become VERY mainstream over the last couple of decades. It is now widely recommended by doctors and therapists. Professionals will often say that the type of meditation they reccomend isn't in any way spiritual - but on some level most are.
Because most people who have returned to the Church after time in the New Age or occult understand that popular meditation is a form of alternate spirituality, they avoid meditation altogether. But, while non-Catholic meditation can be spiritually dangerous, Catholic meditation has a great deal to offer.
I share more on the nature and practice of Catholic meditation - and how it differs from other kinds of meditation - in the video above In my next post I'll talk about the 3 key differences between Catholic and non-Catholic meditation, and the reason why non-Catholic meditation can be spiritually unsafe.
So please check back!
Podcast Version:
I was walking through my hometown on the feast of the Assumption when I happened upon this beautiful Mary shrine. I decided to take some pictures and didn’t notice the ray light until I shared them later online.
The Assumption of Mary Novena is started on August 7th and finishes on August 15th. The feast day of the Assumption of Mary, which is a holy day of obligation in the Catholic Church, is on August 15th.
Novena Prayer*
Eternal Father, you graciously looked upon the humility of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and made her to be the Mother of the Word Incarnate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Grant we beseech you that we who honor her Assumption into the Kingdom of Heaven, may by her Motherly intercession also come to share in the inheritance of those whom you have redeemed by the precious Blood of your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.Most holy Immaculate Virgin and my Mother Mary, to thee who art the Mother of my Lord, the Queen of the world, the advocate, the hope, and the refuge of sinners, I have recourse today, I who am the most miserable of all. I render thee my most humble homage, O great Queen, and I thank thee for all the graces thou hast conferred on me until now. I love thee, O most amiable Lady; and for the love which I bear thee, I promise to serve thee always, and to do all in my power to make others love thee also. Dearest Mother bring before the throne of your beloved Son the prayers and intentions I ask during this novena.
(Here we mention our prayers. Pray for the intentions of our Holy Father the Pope, and for all the clergy. Pray also for the sick and dying, and for the suffering souls in purgatory)
I place in thee all my hopes; I confide my salvation to thy care. Accept me for thy servant, and receive me under thy mantle, O Mother of Mercy. And as thou art so powerful with God, deliver me from all temptations, or rather obtain for me the strength to triumph over them until death. Of thee I ask a perfect love for Jesus Christ. Through thee I hope to die a good death. O my Mother, by the love which thou bearest to God, I beseech thee to help me at all times, especially at the last moment of my life. Leave me not, I beseech thee, until I am safe in heaven, blessing thee, and singing thy mercies for all eternity. Amen.
The Memorare.
Assumption of Mary Prayer Card
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