Mary Calls Us to Lent

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These days I am busy preparing to give a three-day parish mission on our Blessed Mother entitled "Mary Calls Us to Lent." My aim is twofold: 1) to convince the parishioners to pray to Mary as their God-given loving mother and powerful intercessor and 2) to inspire them to imitate her as the first and best Christian. Because my mind is focused on the Mother of God today, this post includes an excerpt from my new book Heart to Heart with Mary: A Yearly Devotional. It is the reading for Wednesday, January 31. The realistic statue of Mary on the cover is in our chapel at the provincial center. I love how she looks—not like a distant goddess but like a simple, approachable woman, someone you can converse with and pour out your heart. Click to continue

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