Mary

What is your devotion to Mary like? Do you have one?   Do you turn to Mary as an intercessor to the Lord for you?

As we celebrate the glorious feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, I have asked myself the above questions—and more. Do I pray the rosary enough? Do I turn to Mary, as our Mother, for help and consolation? Do I pray the “Magnificat” as my own prayer of resignation to our God?

Devotion to Mary can take many forms. My own mother prays the rosary with Mother Angelica every night as she watches the broadcast on EWTN. My aunt used to say this prayer in her time of desperation: “Oh, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Only she said it in French, which to her had much more impact. (O, Marie, conçus sans pêchés, priez pour nous qui avons recours à vous.) My own devotion to Mary was reinforced during elementary school. We learned the beauty of the rosary and we celebrated that beauty with a May procession every year.

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Music: A Reflection of our Cheerfulness

When I am driving I listen to Sirius Radio—usually the Catholic Channel or On Broadway. Recently, Julie James of On Broadway referred to music as “magical.” I think it is not only magical, but it is also mesmerizing and can be meditative. Music has always played an integral part of my life since I was very young. I am not a clever instrumentalist but I do think of myself as a singer.

I brought myself down a sort of “musical memory lane” and thought of all the people who have inspired me to do music in the church. First, there was Sister Theophane who directed our children’s choir at St. Antoine. I can still see her huge posters with the words of the hymns written so clearly and carefully on them. She used little accent lines to indicate how many notes were in each syllable. That was her way of giving us some visual cues. Then, there was Diane Weed, who taught us so much about liturgical singing. I was only in eighth grade then, but Diane was a fantastic mentor. She got me to sing at my first wedding when I was only 13.