The rain in the forecast could not dampen the spirits of the millions who had traveled for this incredible event. This special day would be remembered by the millions who were in Rome to celebrate. The city was packed. Our group met with people from Togo who were living in Paris. They had driven to Rome and had no place to stay. They were sitting at sidewalk tables soaking up the graces of the moment.  They were enjoying just being there with fellow pilgrims. We saw a group carrying a Lebanese flag. Carol Dazzio said hello and asked them if they were familiar with Fr. Labacki, a friend of Carol and Pete's for many years. One of the pilgrims was from the same town and lived next door to Fr. Labacki! Amazing!

Screens were set up all over the city so the millions who were not able to get close to the square would be able to see and hear. Even way in the back, near Castle San Angelo, Pope Francis' voice and the Mass responses could be heard.

Of course, there were huge groups of Polish pilgrims, 1500 buses came from Poland. They were dressed in their traditional costumes and waving flags, marching in groups and singing. They were so joyful and proud of their native son who had been elevated to sainthood.

We were unable to get into St. Peter's Square. Many people, mostly young, were camping on the street. Walking around Rome on Saturday evening, soaking up the excitement of the crowds, gave us a tremendous sense of belonging to the beautiful Roman Catholic Church of ours. We did manage to get into St. Peter's one morning so that our little group could celebrate Mass together.

Our group, the Magnificent Seven, was made up of myself, Carol and Pete Dazzio, Kathy and Johnny Hains, Dr. Bruce Kestler, and Fr. Al Davidson. What wonderful memories for us to cherish from this second trip to Rome together!

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Marian Consecration and Spiritual Motherhood 

By Kathleen Beckman,  CST Advisory Team Member 

At the closing of the XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops they turned to Mary, Star of the New Evangelization and reminded us to entrust ourselves to her:

The figure of Mary guides us on our way. Our journey, as Pope Benedict XVI told us, can seem like a path across the desert; we know that we must take it, bringing with us what is essential: the gift of the Spirit, the company of Jesus, the truth of his word, the Eucharistic bread which nourishes us, the fellowship of ecclesial communion, the impetus of charity. It is the water of the well that makes the desert bloom. As stars shine more brightly at night in the desert, so the light of Mary, the Star of the new evangelization, brightly shines in heaven on our way. To her we confidently entrust ourselves. (Rome, October 26, 2012)

Entrusting ourselves to Mary becomes especially real through the spiritual exercise of Marian Consecration as taught by St. Louis Marie de Montfort and St. Maximilian Kolbe. This lived reality of communion with Mary is exemplified more recently in the lives of saints such as Saint John Paul II and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

The founding team of Magnificat entrusted this ministry to the united Sacred and Immaculate Hearts in 1981. The fruit of such entrustment has manifested in glorious ways in many nations where this ministry has spread without any formal promotion except the breath of the Spirit and the shared personal testimony of thousands of women.

Marian Consecration is a covenant of love that results in the union of our hearts with Mary's. Various saints and the tradition of the Church tell us that this is the surest pathway to Jesus. Our new unity with Mary draws us into her mission on earth. What is Mary's mission? To birth Jesus on earth! God formed Mary to bring Jesus into the world, made her the Mother of the Eternal High Priest, and then made her the Mother of all priests.

While Mary's spiritual motherhood of all the faithful began at the Incarnation, it was at the foot of the cross that her expiring Son Jesus commissioned her to behold John the Beloved as her son. Jesus made evident the primacy of Mary's maternity of priests when, with some of his last dying breaths, he labored to say from the Cross, "Behold, your son." John became the icon of Jesus for Mary, and Mary became the Mother of all priests. She would serve him as she served Jesus. John is the continuation of the mission of the Eternal High Priest. Mary beholds the beloved apostle as her own son. She gives the first fruits of her maternal heart to John, Peter, and every priest down through the ages.

At the foot of the cross was also Mary Magdalene. Was she not also consecrated to Jesus through Mary since she had completely converted and was always close to the Lord and His Mother? It seems logical that Mary of Nazareth formed the holy women of the early Church to assist her in her spiritual support of priests. Women like Mary Magdalene would have been Mary's first spiritual daughters.

Now, many centuries later, there exists a spiritual army of women who place themselves at Mary's disposal. Marian Consecration has formed this army, which is also a sisterhood. Mary's daughters are her pupils in the art of spiritual maternity of priests. Humble but mighty in the Spirit, they are flower buds being cultivated in the rich soil of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These daughters are desirous of living a life of poverty of spirit, humility, silence, prayer, mortification, and charity. They now come forth to defend the faith and uphold the priests on the frontlines of a spiritual war.

Mary teaches us not only how to pray for priests but also how to serve them according to God's will. Spiritual mothers of priests carry them to the immaculate womb of Mary, where they are formed anew by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mary teaches us how to offer humble and hidden acts of reparation and sacrifice. She positions her daughters like spiritual hedges of protection around her priest-sons. She sends her well-schooled daughters to make prayer vigils on the watchtower of the Cross. She dresses her daughters in the supple spiritual armor of her mantle of grace. This army of Marian women form a fulcrum of spiritual sanctity to help press Mary's heel onto the head of the serpent, who, above all, attacks the shepherds in order to scatter the sheep.

God ordained that Mary protect priests with her maternal grace. He also ordained that Mary have her retinue of daughters to work with her in the service of the priesthood.

What are the first fruits of being a woman consecrated to Jesus through Mary? Spiritual maternity of priests! God asks spiritual daughters of Mary to behold her priest-sons.

What is the urgency? The anguished cry of the Church is a unified, "Come, Lord Jesus!" Consecration to Mary and spiritual maternity of priests will help bring about a renewed, illuminated, humbler, stronger, poorer, yet resplendent Church at the threshhold of a New Pentecost, waiting in joyful expectation for the Eucharistic reign of Jesus.

I am writing this reflection for Magnificat after returning from my visitation to the Aruba Magnificat Chapter where I spoke at their Sunday Brunch. Among the 200 women present were three priests who sat at the table with the service team and me. When Father introduced himself to me he said, "I like Magnificat-the women are alive! The faith is alive in them!" What a compliment! When Marian women who are alive in the Spirit surround priests, they are given an infusion of new life.

Priests give us Jesus in the Eucharist, forgive our sins, baptize our children and anoint our sick. We, daughters of Mary, give them some of Mary's joyful love, affirmation and sacrifice. Our Marian consecration is lived out when the first fruit becomes spiritual maternity of priests. Magnificat spiritual maternity of priests is not limited to Magnificat Meals. It goes deeper when we offer our sufferings for priests; offer our Holy Communions or Holy Hours for the sanctification of priests and vocations.

At the Magnificat Brunch, Father also shared with me that he could barely keep up with the needs of his parishioners on the Island. Just the night before a family brought to his rectory a young boy who was fully possessed. What would Mary do? Pray for the priest who is alter Christus!

(Adapted from Kathleen's newest book: Praying for Priests: A Mission for the New Evangelization to be released in July by Sophia Institute Press)

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ENLIGHTEN US, LORD!

By Marilyn Heap, CST Advisory Team

At the time of the Roman Empire, Pilate who ruled and judged the fate of the Accused, asked, "Shall I crucify your king?" The crowd, POLLED by shout, yelled, "Crucify Him!!" Fast forward, 2000- plus years.  The Clarion Herald, the weekly newspaper of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, LA, reported in its January 25, 2014 edition that Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain said the local Eastside Catholic High School's requirement that the vice principal quit after it learned of his same-sex marriage was not discriminatory but held to Church's teaching and the school's mission. School officials contend that he is "violating his signed agreement to abide by Catholic teachings."

According to the Clarion article, "In the weeks since his departure, Eastside Catholic students have staged a sit-in protest and launched a petition not only in support of the vice principal, asking for his reinstatement but in an effort 'to change the Catholic Church's opposition (to) gay marriage'. As of Jan. 17, 2014 the petition had more than 33,000 signatures of people around the country. The archbishop said, 'Leaders of Catholic schools are charged with the responsibility of both imparting and modeling the Catholic Church's teaching. The decision has been misunderstood and mischaracterized by some, and we now have an opportunity to help our students learn even more about Catholic teaching.'

Students are not alone in this regard. All of us need to challenge ourselves to learn the rationale behind the Church's opposition to what is erroneously called an "alternate" lifestyle. There are laws that govern the nature of the universe and the nature of the human person. For example, there is the law of gravity. If one attempts to jump from a high place, it is absurd to think that just because that person believes the law of gravity can be defied, it can be. The person will wind up dead or at least seriously injured. Likewise, when one believes a law of human nature can be violated, it is absurd to not understand that to defy this law will result in serious consequences.

What is this law of human nature referenced here? As Catholics, and throughout the history of humanity, it has been held that in order to keep the human race existing in a viable way, the ordinary means to do this is through the physical union of a man and a woman joined in a lawfully-committed love relationship that will sustain and care for what is procreated. This is a natural law written on our hearts. It dictates what is necessary not only to continue the human race, but to continue it in a viable manner. Today we are faced with "other" means outside the ordinary means dictated by the natural law to procreate and are being told there are "other" equally good means to care for what is procreated. It is absurd to think that we can introduce, bit-by-bit, activities that will defy a law of human nature and not suffer consequences as persons and as society. The laws of human nature are on equal par with the laws of the universe.

Jesus tells us to love God and our neighbor. We are not called to "like" everyone but we are called to "love" everyone, that is, to desire whatever is good for them. This applies not only to individual persons, but also to communities of people, society as a whole. It is LOVE, our desire for what is good for individuals and society, that impels us when we admonish persons and society about harmful behavior. To think otherwise is a lie! The issue of same sex "marriage" is a hot topic and we need to be able to explain our reasons for opposing it. This requires understanding the rationale behind the church's teachings. We must take steps to be enlightened so we can be outspoken in our concern about this issue when opportunity presents itself. It may be that we are out-polled contrary to our views, but TRUE LOVE which desires the REAL GOOD for others, always seeks ways to persuade especially at times when those views are being suppressed, oppressed or down right "persecuted".   

Now is the time to take heed, to challenge ourselves to allow the light of the Holy Spirit to guide us so we can stand-up for truth. We must always be ready to share and explain what we believe to be truth because that is what will set those we love free! Are you ready?

Furthermore, if you believe that persecution of Christians in this country is on the horizon, please read the article below giving Pope Francis' advice on this topic. It's time now to be prepared to safeguard our precious gift of faith. More

Unexpected Graces Received in the 

Most Holy of Places

By Elise Botch, CST Communications Ministry

In a recent Pilgrimage to France during the Easter Triduum, I participated in Good Friday Services in the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris.  As expected, the lines were long getting into the Cathedral, but especially this day because the relic of the Crown of Thorns was being exhibited, the most precious and most revered of all relics, making a rare public appearance from the hours of 11 am until 5 pm. The relic has been a treasure of Christendom for sixteen centuries. In 1248, St. Louis, King of France commissioned the building of  Sainte Chapelle to house this relic in which it remained until the Revolution, then it was deposited in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame in 1806. Ninety years later (in 1896) a magnificent new reliquary of rock crystal was made for it, covered for two- thirds of its circumference with a silver case and precious jewels. 

As I waited in line, slowly moving up closer to venerate this precious relic, you could hear a pin drop in the silence of private prayer and adoration.  Then it was finally my turn and I approached the Bishop who was cradling the relic on a pillow and the surrounding Priests and kissed the 'Crown of Thorns'. In that moment, I stood there in 'awe' of this unanticipated experience. As I walked away, I felt this prompting to look at my watch, it was exactly 3 pm. The bells began to ring and we all in one accord, knelt in reverence of the 3 o'clock hour. My heart filled with praise, God had granted me this inexplicable grace in the most holy of holy places. 

Are you experiencing a distorted view of the Newsletter?

Are photos deleted or piled upon each other? Do you see too much spacing between paragraphs? Are the articles truncated on the right side? Any of these issues could be due to the browser or email program you are using. It may not be compatible with the program we are using to create the newsletter.

One of ways to resolve the distortion is to open up the document in a different browser. Recommended browsers for the best compatibility are Google Chrome or Firefox. The other option is click on the link to the printer-friendly version of the newsletter. The result will be a more pleasant reading experience so you won't miss out on any details of an article.

Please make copies available for those you know without email and for your Chapter Meals.  Your parish priest might appreciate one also. This is a great way to share the Magnificat ministry with others and to keep in touch. 

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