LISS Day 34

Our Lady

Luke 1:46-49 & John 19:25-27

In a previous LISS reflection about Mary's unbroken spirit despite her time of heartbreak, I reflected on her grace from God to live through her Son's humiliation and death on the cross. She is an extraordinary woman (biggest understatement ever!)... one who is my inspiration and whom I love dearly... for it was by her intercession I was able to encounter her Son. I have a relationship with my most Blessed Mother, but many do not. In fact, I call her my beautiful Maria, because she is the most beautiful woman ever created by God. So, I have found a website which helps to explain the Litany of Our Lady of Loreto, which will help you who do not have a relationship with her, to understand who she is! You can click here for the original link which belongs to The International Marian Research Institute in Dayton, Ohio. This is the many advocacies of Our Lady.

1. Mary's Holiness - Three introductory advocations highlight Mary's sanctity as person (Sancta Maria), her role as mother of Jesus Christ (Sancta Dei Genitrix), and her vocation as virgin (Sancta Virgo Virginum). Mary's sanctity is stressed.

2. Mary, the Mother - Twelve advocations refer to Mary as Mother. The purpose of this series of advocations is to highlight the various facets of Mary's role as mother. Some of these advocations, especially at the beginning (1-3) and at the end (11-12) of the series, are referring explicitly to her maternal activity and the addressees (Christ, the Church...) of this activity. Mary is:

(1) Mother of Christ (Mater Christi)
(2) Mother of the Church (Mater Ecclesiae) 

(3) Mother of Divine Grace (Mater Divinae Gratiae)

And again, at the end of the series:

(11) Mother of our Creator (Mater Creatoris)
(12) Mother of our Savior (Mater Salvatoris)

The intermediate advocations (4-10) qualify or characterize the person of Mary as mother, mainly with adjectives:

(4) Mother Most Pure (Mater purissima)
(5) Mother Most Chaste (Mater castissima)
(6) Mother Inviolate (Mater inviolate)
(7) Mother Undefiled (Mater intemerata)
(8) Mother Most Amiable (Mater amabilis)
(9) Mother Most Admirable (Mater admirabilis)

(10) Mother of Good Counsel (Mater boni consilii) [Mother of Fair Love (Mater pulchrae dilectionis)]

Mary attracts love and admiration, and she is of good counsel, but most of the characteristics mentioned (4-7) refer to the miraculous and virginal birth of Jesus.

3. Mary, the Virgin - The advocations of Mary Mother are followed by six titles extolling her as Virgin. They stress not only the merit of her virginity:
Virgin Most Prudent (Virgo prudentissima)
Virgin Most Venerable (Virgo veneranda)
Virgin Most Renowned (Virgo praedicanda)

but also the "efficacy" of virginity. Mary is:

Virgin Most Powerful (Virgo potens)
Virgin Most Merciful (Virgo clemens), and
Virgin Most Faithful (Virgo fidelis).

4. Symbols of Mary - We then have thirteen symbolic advocations, mostly taken from the Old Testament and applied to Mary which highlight her virtues and her eminent role in salvation history:

(1) Mirror of Justice (Speculum justitiaé)
(2) Seat of Wisdom (Sedes sapientiae)
(3) Cause of Our Joy (Causa nostrae laetitiae)
(4) Spiritual Vessel (Vas spirituale)
(5) Vessel of Honor (Vas honorabile)
(6) Singular Vessel of Devotion (Vas insigne devotionis)
(7) Mystical Rose (Rosa mystica)
(8) Tower of David (Turris davidica)
(9) Tower of Ivory (Turris eburnea)
(10) House of Gold (Domus aurea)
(11) Ark of the Covenant (Foederis arca)
(12) Gate of Heaven (Janua coeli)
(13) Morning Star (Stella matutina)

5. Mary, the Helper - The group of four advocations that follows extol Mary's role as advocate for spiritual and corporal works of mercy. She is:
(1) Health of the Sick (Salus infirmorum)

(2) Refuge of Sinners (Refugium peccatorum)
(3) Comforter of the Afflicted (Consolatrix afflictorum)

(4) Help of Christians (Auxilium christianorum)


6. Mary, the Queen - The last part of the Marian advocations is composed of a series of 13 titles referring to Mary as Queen. Mary is Queen of Saints and inhabitants of heaven:

(1) Queen of Angels (Regina Angelorum)
(2) Queen of Patriarchs (Regina Patriarcharum)
(3) Queen of Prophets (Regina Prophetarum)
(4) Queen of Apostles (Regina Apostolorum) 

(5) Queen of Martyrs (Regina Martyrum)
(6) Queen of Confessors (Regina Confessorum)

(7) Queen of Virgins (Regina Virginum)
(8) Queen of all Saints (Regina Sanctorum omnium)

There are five advocations which emphasize the personal holiness, distinction, and role of Mary’s queenship:

(09) Queen Conceived Without Original Sin (Regina sine macula originali concepta) 

(10) Queen Assumed into Heaven (Regina in caelum assumpta)
(11) Queen of the Most Holy Rosary (Regina sacratissimi rosarii) 

(12) Queen of Families (Regina familiarum)
(13) Queen of Peace (Regina pacis)


Hail Mary, so full of beauty and God's Grace! You are the most feminine of comforters, who we cry to daily for your prayer and intercession and to wipe away our tears. Thank you for bringing me closer to Your Son, inspiring me in spirit to pray at the foot of His cross of salvation with you! Pray for us, all of us sinners now, and at the hour of our death!

LISS Day 27

New heart

Psalm 51:10-11 & Romans 5:5 (although I think y'all should read all of Romans 5!) are today's reflections.

For the converted, I ask you, to read more than just these passages. Read 1 John Chapter 4, and the whisper of each word will flood into your new heart and fill it to brimming with the Love of God! As John writes in verse 13, "This is the proof that we remain in him and he in us, that he has given us a share in his Spirit." [1 John 4:23]. We know of the perfect Love that John speaks of in this chapter, for through the Spirit, we received it in abundance, and we discovered the Truth that we so ardently believe. He made our hearts new... hearts of flesh, called to Love with as perfect a Love as we possibly can - the Love of sacrifice and selflessness. "My dear friends, let us love one another, since love is from God and everyone who loves is a child of God and knows God." [1 John 4:7] I have never before now, breathed in this book of the Bible. Gosh - I cannot believe the true treasures that the New Testament is filled with!!! I first become captivated by the book of Romans, and now I am filled with the life of this book of 1 John. God is so Good to me! We believe in the Truth that Jesus is the Son of God, and we ought to pray together that our testimony is not from us, but rather from God, whose testimony is infinitely greater than ours. With our new hearts, our selfless love puts God above ourselves. I ask you to pray for me and for one another, that as children of God, our hearts of flesh may never again return to becoming hearts of stone, but remain hearts that beat with life for God in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

For my brothers and sisters who want to open their hearts to receive God in Spirit, we journey with you, with love in our hearts for you. You are always in our prayers, and we pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for your conversion! I share with you my favourite song at the moment as we approach Valentines day. One day, every word of this song will be brought to life within you, and you will realise the tremendous gift of God's Love when He became incarnate of the Virgin Mary, became man, and died to save us from our sin. His sacrificial Love paid the price for our iniquity - is there any greater love than this? Pray with peace and love in your hearts, and He will come upon you! Ask the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, because she wants you to know her Son, and through her blessed mystery, she will lead you to Him through the Spirit of the Holy Trinity.

God of perfect Love, I thank you with all my body, soul and spirit for the Love you continuously pour out to me in Your Word. As I come to know your Word more over time, grace me with the Love I need to bring others to Your Love. Help me to become more selfless and less selfish and walk with me as I learn to live the word sacrifice. Renew the hearts of Your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of Your Love... send forth Your Spirit!

LISS Day 24

The Gift of His Spirit

Reflections: Galatians 4:6 & Acts 2:1-4

The Pentecost was Christ's promise to His disciples. Imagine the Love that God the Father had for His children, to send Himself in a third person to remain with the human race from generation to generation. Many things have been said about Pentecost - mainly that we all have the potential to receive the 7 gifts of the Holy Spirit as well as the charismatic gifts, and that between Easter and the feast of Pentecost it is a celebratory time in the liturgy - the climax being that Pentecost offers people a taste of Heavenly life.

I'd like to direct people to the EWTN site on Pentecost. Just googling the word Pentecost gives some really weird results. I even spotted a 'How-to' for conversion during Pentecost. Say whaaaaaaat?! A How-To? Is a conversion something that one forces upon oneself, or is it a gift from the Holy Spirit?

I remember the Blessed Virgin Mary, who in purest obedience to God's Will, freely allowed herself to become the intimate spouse of the Holy Spirit. She is a true inspiration. Conceived without original sin, she was never in need of God to transform her in the way that we need God to transform us from inside out! Her spirit was gentle and meek, yet her spirit never broke even when she suffered painfully as her heart (her beloved Son, Jesus) was torn away from her. She remained sinless - despite her extreme sorrow. Our spirits are created to obey the Trinity, and we are encouraged to live that to the fullest. But like Mary, receiving the gift of spirit does not mean that our hearts can not feel torn and ripped out of ourselves, shredded in tormenting pain - for this, our souls (the heart and mind) are what makes us human, together with our physical bodies. Rooted in her love for God, she endures the worst suffering during the Passion - the loss of her Son, who was a precious gift to her from the Father through the Holy Spirit... her spirit truly was one of complete grace. We can imagine how much comfort Jesus gained from her closeness and love, never asking her to stay away even when He knew how painful this was for her too. What was more important to them both was that they were obedient to God's Will. She gives her love to Him still, even after His death on the cross, and the Resurrection.

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love.
V. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created.
R. And Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray. O God, Who didst instruct the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same Spirit to be truly wise, and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.