NO CRYING AT MY FUNERAL

NO CRYING AT MY FUNERAL

Sunday, September 3, 2006

The Blessed Virgin Mary's Birthday Celebration


By Paul Dion, STL

When is the last time that you turned your mind to the celebration of the BVM's birthday? You might have to think about that question a little bit. Yet, every year on September 8 the Universal Church celebrates the birthday of Our Blessed Mother.

This year, St. Christopher Parish, under the auspices and the hard work of Father Ronald Guzman, MS and Father Romeo Seleccion, MS, planned a wonderful celebration in honor of Our Mother. Since they are vowed to spread Her message of love and obedience to Her Son, they take joy in the preparation of such events. They requested statues and pictures of Mary from all the parishioners, especially if they were linked to a very special devotion to Mary.

Father Ronald planned and decorated Domas Hall with the more than 60 statues and pictures that he received. Domas Hall became a very holy place, a serene cave, full of the soul of Mary and the Spirit of God. The saints of St. Christopher parish created a holy cave of spiritual healing power.

Click here to view photos of the exhibit.

Yes, we live in a male dominated Church. We live in a Church that reveals God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in a male dominated way.

This weekend the Church showed us that She recognizes and reveres the mystery of this male power being balanced by the powerful spirit of a woman who was as tough as Her Son. She made Him what He turned out to be. If she could do it with Him, I assure you that she can do it with us.

If you took the time to go wish Her a happy birthday in Domas Hall this weekend, you'll know what I mean. In the short period of time that you would have spent there, you would have seen faces of Mary that would have carried you away. You would have walked away a different person. You would have known why you are proud to confess that you are Catholic and that you are so happy to claim Mary as your Mother.

It is a joy to share these thoughts with Christian brothers and sisters. I am glad to be a child of Mary. I know that I am going to die in her arms, all warm and cuddly.

She'll hand me over to Jesus and say something like, "See, I told you he wasn't as bad as you thought sometimes. Thank you for letting me have him first. It happened so fast! He is so happy that you listened to me after all those years. Here, you hold him for a minute. He wants to thank you personally."

See, you don't have to cry at this guy's funeral.

(Click here to view the many wonderful articles that await you in www.ParishWorld.net, America's Catholic Lifestyle Magazine. Be informed, be inspired, be blessed. )

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