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My late grandmother had a tremendous devotion to Our Lady.

I remember before I was a teenager, I would often see a rosary in my grandma’s hands. Near the end of her days, she would quietly move from one bead to the next, knowing in her heart that she was getting closer to the other side of eternity. 

My mom also has a great devotion to Our Lady. Although she now has dementia, she still has a rosary by her favorite recliner chair and also by her bedside. 

Forgotten are the names and faces of almost everyone she once knew, except for a few close family members. What I find remarkable is, she still remembers all of her childhood prayers and loves to pray the rosary. After forgetting that we had just prayed the rosary together, she would soon ask me, “Would you like to pray the rosary with me?” I would chuckle and say, “Sure mom that would be great!” and we would pray another decade. 

My wife Denise and I are so grateful that both of our parents have passed onto us the importance of having a sincere devotion to Our Mother Mary. Our Lady has certainly played an important role in many aspects of our family life and our Cat.Chat apostolate. We have often sensed her presence in the major decisions we’ve had to make as she would lead us and guide us, in what I believe, were key moments of ministry and discernment. 

"As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary.”  - Saint Thomas Aquinas

 

Back in 2001, when we started Cat.Chat, we surrendered the future of this apostolate to her Immaculate Heart and then launched our first CD called “Mary Leads Me Closer to Jesus”. This was the beginning of an incredible 22 year journey that we could have never anticipated when we started. I believe that the Holy Spirit, and Mary’s powerful intercession, led the way as we often said one simple, and at times very difficult, YES! It was certainly one yes at a time and each one led to new opportunities and creative ways to evangelize and encourage kids, families and couples, to live out their Catholic faith to the fullest.

 

“Where there is a mother, there is tenderness. By her motherhood, Mary shows us that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong.” (cf. Evangelii Gaudium, 288). 

 

We are a people with a Heavenly Father and an Immaculate Mother; we are not orphans. Let us call on her often and allow her to infuse within us the Grace she abundantly wants to share with us. 

Like my grandmother, may our devotion to Mary and each yes we say, prepare us to enter the other side of eternity.

 

Thoughts to ponder:

  • What is one thing that God may be calling you to say YES to today?
  • May this song I wrote called Immaculate One, help you to surrender your prayer to Mary as she presents them to Our Lord Jesus.
  • Listen to Immaculate One on Apple Music.
  • Listen to Immaculate One on YouTube

This song was sung by my daughter Reanne. You can read the lyrics below. 

 

In Christ,

Gerald Montpetit (Cat.Chat Man)

 

 Immaculate One

Verse 1: Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Take my prayers to the Holy One.

Purify, beautify, present them to our Lord.

Purify, beautify, present them to our Lord.

 

Chorus: Immaculate One, Morning Star.

Mary, so Holy, most Blessed you are.

Queen of Peace, so tender are your ways.

humble and pure, favoured One.

 

Verse 2: Mary, Mother of Jesus.

Take my prayers to the Holy One.

Purify, beautify,  present them to our Lord.

Purify, beautify,  present them to our Lord.

 

Chorus:  Immaculate One, Morning Star.

Mary, so Holy, most Blessed you are.

Queen of Peace, so tender are your ways.

humble and pure, favored One. 2X

 

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