Feast of Mary Mother of God 

Hello, John!

Celebrate the first day of the new year by honoring the Blessed Mother Mary. Because Franciscans pay special attention to the Incarnation, perhaps it's not surprising that we have a special appreciation for the Mother of God.

Padre Pio nurtured his love for the Mother of Jesus from the time he was a child. He would go to the church in Pietrelcina to greet and pray to our Lady of Graces.

He always kept a little picture of this Madonna hanging on the wall of his cell. He would glance up at her with gratitude before eating his meager meals, before going to rest, and each time he returned to his cell weary and fatigued after hearing confessions. He looked up at his little Mother with immense tenderness before closing his eyes in death.

Padre Pio’s love for the Madonna was that of a friend who has faith, who believes and hopes. It was not just sentimental piety expressed in beautiful phrases, sighs, and sobs! His love for the Mother of God was the result of constant meditation, which had become his way of life. Padre Pio contemplated Mary within God’s plan for the salvation of mankind. By being close to her, he felt closer to Jesus.

Love of the Madonna animated Padre Pio, and inspired him all the more to become an apostle. “I should like to have a voice strong enough to invite all the sinners of the world to love the Madonna.” God heard this sigh of love: He was given a voice that could be heard even when he was silent. It was a voice that touched the depths of people’s hearts and penetrated their consciences, a voice that tormented and shook those who were dormant. It was a voice that was as terrible as the crashing of thunder in the night, yet as sweet as a caress. It was a voice that was threatening yet inviting, a voice that annihilated yet restored, that consoled and pardoned.

To all those who recommended themselves to his prayers, Padre Pio would say: “Love the Madonna. Recite the rosary.”—Fr. Francesco Napolitano

A Time of Renewal

One of my favorite parts of the New Year is opening my new planner for the upcoming year and seeing its blank pages. Each month and day are wide open for new possibilities, adventures, and challenges. It doesn’t take a new year, though, to provide the opportunity for rebirth in our lives. 

It seems as if we are always looking for ways to renew ourselves, our surroundings, and the way we do things—especially at the beginning of a new year. And while it might not always be easy, renewal is good for our lives because it opens us up to new possibilities, just like those empty calendar pages. Each day, we are given a chance to renew ourselves and our lives based on the choices we make.

Last October, the Franciscan family experienced its own renewal with the formation of the new Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The establishment of the new nationwide province, which has been in process for a while, brings together friars from across the country. This historic moment provides the Franciscans with possibilities, adventures, and challenges—much like the beginning of a new year. 

Please pray for the friars as they gather in a new way to continue their mission of spreading the message of St. Francis to all.—Susan Hines-Brigger

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