Sacred and Immaculate Heart of Mary

 

What does the Virgin Mary represent to you?

For me, she signifies Love: Love for God, Love for her Holy Son, Love for Joseph and the Holy Family, Love for all human beings, and Love for the world as the abode of all humans. Her love is boundless, reaching through the corridors of Time to embrace all souls in Heaven, hell, and purgatory. She only wants the best for everybody. She wants everyone to find, embrace, and be one with God. Her goal is peace, happiness, strength in adversity, and heavenly rewards.

Don't we all want that? 

Let the Mother enfold you and bring you to Christ. Love God with all of your heart and soul.

Love one another.

STOP THE HATE!

Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (EWTN)

"O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to thine Immaculate Heart.

"We consecrate to thee our very being and our whole life; all that we have, all that we love, all that we are. To thee we give our bodies, our hearts and our souls; to thee we give our homes, our families, our country. We desire that all that is in us and around us may belong to thee, and may share in the benefits of thy motherly benediction. And that this act of consecration may be truly efficacious and lasting, we renew this day at thy feet the promises of our Baptism and our first Holy Communion.

"We pledge ourselves to profess courageously and at all times the truths of our holy Faith, and to live as befits Catholics who are duly submissive to all the directions of the Pope and the Bishops in communion with him. We pledge ourselves to keep the commandments of God and His Church, in particular to keep holy the Lord's Day. We likewise pledge ourselves to make the consoling practices of the Christian religion, and above all, Holy Communion, an integral part of our lives, in so far as we shall be able so to do.

"Finally, we promise thee, O glorious Mother of God and loving Mother of men, to devote ourselves whole-heartedly to the service of thy blessed cult, in order to hasten and assure, through the sovereignty of thine Immaculate Heart, the coming of the kingdom of the Sacred Heart of thine adorable Son, in our own hearts and in those of all men, in our country and in all the world, as in heaven. so on earth."

This Valentine's Day, embrace ALL of your brothers and sisters.

Dawn Pisturino

Mary was a Strong Woman

 

There have been many stories on the news lately about mothers who have lost children to violent crime, illness, suicide, and accidents. Whenever I listen to these mothers, I wonder: how would I handle a similar situation? Could I hold up under all the grief and guilt? Could I survive the death of my child? I'm not sure that I could. After my brother died of cancer, my mother was so consumed with grief, she died four years later. She simply could not live with it.

Our Mother, the Blessed Virgin, was very human, in spite of all the blessings showered down on her by God. She experienced a wonderful miracle - bearing God's Son - and fully accepted all responsibilities and consequences that came with it. From the very beginning of her agreement with God, she was beset with hardship, ostracization, criticism, worry, sorrow, and deep emotional pain. She experienced stress, physical pain, the loss of her husband, and old age - just like the rest of us.

She also experienced some of the most horrific experiences that anyone can experience. As a Jewess, Mary lived under Roman oppression and rule. She saw first-hand how the Jewish people suffered. She was given in marriage to a man that was chosen for her by her family, according to Jewish custom. When Mary agreed to bear the Son of God, she was jeopardizing everything in her life, including her family and her husband. She was risking her very life, as she could have been stoned as an adulteress.

But Mary's faith in God was greater than her fear of retribution and death. She trusted in God to take care of her and her child. Joseph proved to be a tender, loving, and loyal husband. He was the perfect stepfather for Mary's child. Nonetheless, Simeon warned Mary that "a sword of sorrow will pierce your soul" when Jesus was presented in the Temple, and the Holy Family was forced to flee to Egypt to escape King Herod's death threat.

As a mother, Mary felt all the worry and anxiety that mothers feel when their children fall ill, get injured, or become lost. Imagine her anxiety when Jesus embarked on his great ministry. He traveled long distances, and so many things could have gone wrong! Now, put yourself in Mary's shoes during Jesus' arrest and trial. How she must have suffered at the falling of each lash across his back! How she must have wept over every cut, bruise, and drop of blood!

What was Mary thinking as she watched her only son carry the cross through the streets of Jerusalem? Was she praying for a miracle to save him - or was she trusting in God's plan? How much heartache and mental anguish did she feel in those moments? We can only imagine.

When Jesus was nailed to the cross, did she feel every strike of the hammer? Did she cry out in pain? The reality of his death must have struck her then. There was no going back.

I don't know if I could watch my child suffer in such pain and agony without striking out at the guards and the people who cheered on his death. I don't know if I could experience such pain and anguish without falling completely apart. I don't know if I could watch my only child die in such a horrific manner without dying myself. 

Yet, Mary stood at the foot of the cross with courage and strength. She trusted in God's essential goodness and love. And when Jesus' body was taken down, she caressed him like a loving mother and buried him in the tomb with the promise that God would take care of him.

What joy Mary must have felt on the day of her son's resurrection!

Not only did God keep his promise to Mary, but He kept His promise to the whole world. Mary was renewed with new strength and courage - and so must we be. We must trust that no matter what happens, God's plan is in place, and He will take care of us and our loved ones. And we will be reunited in a better place.

Dawn Pisturino

July 16, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Fatima and Russia

(Photo by Andreas Praefcke)

Sister Lúcia wrote in her third memoir of August 1941 that the Virgin Mary told the three children at Fatima on July 13, 1917:

"God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The [First World] war is going to end; if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that He is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the communion of reparation on the first Saturday's. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace. If not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred, the Holy Father will have much to suffer, various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she will be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world." 

The question is: was Russia officially consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary?

Sister Lucia herself confirmed that Pope John Paul II accomplished this feat during his speech in Saint Peter's Square on March 25, 1984. At that time, he consecrated the world and Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, although he did not specifically name "Russia" and spoke of nations in general that were in great need of spiritual help. As a result, many people believe that Russia still has not been consecrated.

The Virgin also requested that First Saturday devotions be made consistently by the faithful. COVID closed many churches that are just beginning to reopen.

Prayer, along with faith, hope, charity, and love, are the tools we have to resist the spread of Russian aggression. Vladimir Putin is a member of the Russian Orthodox Church. Pray that his heart may be converted away from aggression and war and turn to love of Mary and the Church. Pray that he will find renewed faith in God and stop the killing. Pray that he will submit to Our Lord, Jesus Christ, throw down his weapons, and work for peace.

Pray for the people of Ukraine, who have sacrificed everything for their freedom. 

Dawn Pisturino

March 4, 2022

Copyright 2022 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

John Paul II and the Miracle of Fatima

 

Pope John Paul II and the Blessed Virgin

The first and second secrets of Fatima, revealed to three humble children by the Blessed Holy Mother on May 13, 1917 in Fatima, Portugal, brought terrifying revelations of Hell, devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, World War II, and the destruction of human dignity and freedom that would result if Russia abandoned the Russian Orthodox Church and turned to Communist dictatorship.

After the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II on May 13, 1981, the Pope requested to read the third secret of Fatima. He immediately consecrated the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In a special prayer he wrote, "Take under your motherly protection the whole human family, which with affectionate love we entrust to you, O Mother. May there dawn for everyone the time of peace and freedom, the time of truth, of justice, and of hope."

The third secret appears to refer to the martyrdom of the Pope. Since Pope John Paul II survived the assassination attempt, does it mean that the third secret has yet to be fulfilled? Some people believe that is the case. Other people believe that something more unique and wonderful occurred on May 13, 1981.

Pope John Paul II (1920-2005) grew up in Poland as Karol Jozef Wojtyla. While attending the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Nazi German forces invaded Poland in 1939 and closed the university. He was required to work from 1940 to 1944 under Nazi occupation. In 1942, he became interested in the priesthood. In 1944, he was struck by a German truck and sent to a hospital. This accident convinced him that the priesthood was the right choice. The young man escaped the Nazi round up of young men called "Black Sunday" by hiding in his uncle's basement. He stayed with his uncle until 1945, when the Nazis fled from the city. Later, he described the Nazi regime in Poland as "bestiality."

Pope John Paul II is credited with helping many Jews during the Nazi occupation. He was a staunch opponent of all forms of totalitarianism, including Communism. He fought diligently to help end Communism in Poland and the rest of Europe. His efforts fell in line with the Blessed Holy Mother's warnings about Communist Russia. Did the Holy Mother perform a divine miracle and save the Pope's life as a reward for his lifelong work against oppression? Did she save his life in order to finally bring an end to Communist Russia? If so, the horrifying death of the Pope predicted by the third secret has been nullified, cancelled, avoided. It will never come to pass as part of a secret revealed at Fatima.

Humanity escaped the ongoing oppression of Nazi Germany and Communist Russia. Yet, dictatorships all around the world still exist. As devout Catholics devoted to the Church and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we have a solemn obligation to follow in Pope John Paul II's footsteps and fight totalitarianism wherever it still exists. We have a solemn duty to uphold and defend the inalienable right of humans to be free.

Dawn Pisturino

March 9, 2021

Copyright 2021 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.

Hail, Mary!

 

The Annunciation Dove by Jean Fouquet

 

The Annunciation reminds us that Mary, without question, and with complete faith and devotion to God's will, accepted God's offer to become the Mother of the Word Incarnate.

 

The Hail Mary

 

Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 

Hail, Mary! is the greeting made to Mary by the Angel Gabriel when he delivered the awesome message that God had chosen Mary, above all women, to be the Mother of God.  The complete prayer did not come into common practice until the 15th century. The Hail Mary is now the foundation of the Holy Rosary. The Annunciation is the first mystery in the Joyful Mysteries.

 

PRAY THE ROSARY DAILY

 

August Devotion: The Immaculate Heart of Mary

Act of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary

O Mary, Virgin most powerful and Mother of mercy, Queen of Heaven and Refuge of sinners, we consecrate ourselves to your immaculate heart. Amen.

 

And don't forget The Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin on August 15th.

God Bless You.

 

Dawn Pisturino

August 12, 2014

Copyright 2014 Dawn Pisturino. All Rights Reserved.