A 16 minute podcast in which Sonrise Morning show host Ryan Lopez asks Dr. Italy some insightful questions about the rosary as a contemplative and Christ-centered prayer, Mary as the first contemplative, fruitful meditation on the mysteries, and practical tips on unlocking the power of...
Saint Andrew of Crete on the nativity of Mary as a turning point between old and new covenant, the frontier where types and symbols give way to reality. This reading shows that September 8th was celebrated as the birthday of Mary, daughter of Joachim and...
In this 15 minute podcast, Anna Mitchell, host of the Sonrise Morning show, asks Marcellino D'Ambrosio (aka "Dr. Italy") about the origins and meaning of the dogma and feast of the Assumption of Mary, celebrated since ancient times on August 15th by the Catholic Church...
Ambrose reflects on the Virgin Mary's Visitation of her cousin Elizabeth as recounted by the evangelist Luke in the first chapter of his Gospel. The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is the second joyful mystery of the rosary....
Bede the Venerable, one of the greatest Christian writers of the early Middle Ages, here reflects on the Magnificat, the Canticle of the Blessed Virgin Mary proclaimed during her visitation of her cousin Elizabeth and sung every night in the Church's evening prayer, part of...
REDEMPTORIS MATER (Mary, Mother of the Redeemer) John Paul II Encyclical Letter of John Paul II on the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Life of the Pilgrim Church promulgated on 25 March 1987 [dropcaps type='normal' font_size='100' color='' background_color='' border_color='']T[/dropcaps]he Mother of the Redeemer (Redemptoris Mater) has a precise...
The Regina Caeli, Latin for "Queen of Heaven," is a hymn and prayer dating back to around the 12th century, by an unknown author. In this jubilant Eastertide hymn of praise, we celebrate with the Blessed Mother the joy of Christ's Resurrection, and ask her...
The biblical term "mystery" refers to a long thread running through history, hidden under ordinary faces and events. It comes to a climax in an Angel's annunciation to a Virgin that puts together many biblical concepts -king, messiah, emmanuel, son of God - pondered on...
The Gospel of Luke presents Mary, mother of Jesus, as the model of faith, showing us what faith must include to be authentic and effective. And imitating Mary's virtue is key to an authentic Marian devotion....
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary (called the Dormition in the Christian East) has been celebrated as a solemn feast on August 15 since ancient times. What is the meaning and basis of the dogma and the Solemnity?...