Walk with Mary throughout the Year

 Day 59 Jul 08 After seizing Kazan in 1552 on the feast day of the Protection of the Mother of God, Tsar Ivan IV "the Terrible" ordered the construction of a cathedral in honor of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos (Mother of God). He also indicated other locations for the construction of churches and established the Kazan diocese. After a horrible fire in 1579, it was here that the Most Holy Mother of God revealed her Miracle Working icon. Several times, the Mother of God appeared at night in a dream to a devout girl named Matrona, daughter of an archer, and instructed her to tell the archbishop and governor to unearth Her icon from a place that she indicated. In the beginning, no one would listen to the girl. However, when the Mother of God appeared to her a third time, the girl became afraid and on July 8 (old style) she and her mother took a spade and began to dig at the site of the burned down home of the archer. It was Matrona that found the cherished treasure ...

Day 58: Jul 07 In the year 1380, when St John's Cathedral was being renovated, a statue of Our Lady was found. An apprentice stone mason was in search of some firewood and found out this statue in the rubble. The mason could not recognize it as that of Our Lady as it was in such bad shape. However, the head-mason in charge of the apprentice understood it as the that of the Mother of God. The statue was placed for veneration on the altar of St Martin in the cathedral church, but the people did not like it. Respecting the public opinion, one of the clergymen tried to remove the ugly statue from the Cathedral. The statue became too heavy for anyone to lift or move it. People also noticed that those who spoke ill about the statue started to have some sicknesses or even nightmares. A woman who mocked the statue became partially paralyzed. That night the lady had a vision of the Lord who asked her to repair the statue and pay due honor. The very next day she dragged herself to the Cathed...

 Day 57: Jul 06 The village of Saint-Sulpice-le-Dunois is a small village located near the center of France. Once home to Our Lady D’Iron, it is situated near the larger town of Blois, its population was only 517 citizens in the year 2007, which was a decrease from the 636 citizens who had lived there in 1999. It was in the chapel of this tiny village of Saint-Sulpice-le-Dunois, in the year 1631, that our story takes place involving Our Lady D’Iron. There was a young French couple living in the village at that time who felt themselves singularly blessed. Were they not fortunate? They took pleasure in their youth and enjoyed good health, had gainful employment, owned a modest home, and they had recently been blessed with a fine baby whom they felt was as sweet as the Babe of Bethlehem. Thus they mused on their way home together after early morning Mass one day. As soon as they entered their home, Pierre hurried to the cradle to gaze lovingly at his infant son. The child must have be...

 Day 56: Jul 05 In the year 1472, the statue in the shrine of Our Lady of Cambrai was dedicated by Peter de Ranchicourt, the Bishop of Arras. The statue at the shrine is known as Notre Dame de Grace et Cambrai, or Our Lady of Grace at Cambray, and is a famous and popular image of the Blessed Virgin. It depicts Mary standing atop a globe, with her hands down at her sides so that grace can fall from her fingertips upon her children. There is also a miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin holding her Divine Infant in a tender embrace. The image is said to have come to Cambray from Rome in about 1440, and it is ascribed to Saint Luke the Apostle. This icon is also known as Our Lady of Grace, and is considered the patroness of Cambray. The icon was crowned in the year 1894, and is proudly taken through the streets of Cambray in procession on the eve of the Assumption each year. This church was first built in honor of Our Lady in the year 524. This first church was reduced to ruins by the ...

 Day 55: Jul 04 Tradition holds that on the 24th of March, in the year 1320, two criminals were condemned to be burned to death for their crimes. One of them, a youth, called on the Blessed Virgin Mary. After invoking her name he stood in the flames and remained unhurt, while the other was entirely consumed. Pope John XXII was made aware of what had happened, and recognized the miracle, and directed that a chapel known as Our Lady of Miracles should be built at the execution site. During the French Revolution the chapel was seized as state property, and then sold. The church has now been made into an apartment building “conducive to meditation and contemplation.” St Alphonsus Liguori Writes... “How great then should be our confidence in this queen, knowing how powerful she is with God, and at the same time how rich and full of mercy; so much so that there is no one on earth who does not share in the mercies and favors of Mary! This the blessed Virgin herself revealed to Saint Bridg...

 Day 54: Jul 03 Before the evolution of modern cars and technologies, transportation was extremely difficult, especially for those who have to travel in extreme weather conditions like storms and snow. Despite the hard realities on the journey, people were often forced to travel. Travels were not like holiday trips or picnics, as we envisage today. Wars, famine, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, landslides, avalanche, etc. were some of the many reasons that made such tiresome travels. Many such travelers trust in God in the faith that the journey would come to a pleasant ending. It is no wonder why we have so many shrines on the wayside, especially in Europe. This was even more true in the Middle ages. Such shrines range from being just a simple cross to a massive church. Travelers stop by them to take a break from their journey to pray for their intentions. Tradition has it that on July 3, 1418 a Swiss soldier came across with the statue of Our Lady known as Our Lady of la Carolle or...

 Day 53: Jul 02 Assuming that the Annunciation and the Incarnation took place around the time of the vernal equinox, Mary left Nazareth at the end of March and went over the mountains to Hebron, south of Jerusalem, to wait upon her cousin Elizabeth. Because Mary's presence, and even more the presence of the Divine Child in her womb, according to the will of God, was to be the source of very great graces to the Blessed John, Christ's Forerunner. (Lk1:39-57). Feeling the presence of his Divine Savior, John, upon the arrival of Mary, leaped for joy in the womb of his mother; at that moment he was cleansed from original sin and filled with the grace of God. Our Lady now, for the first time, exercised the office which belonged to the Mother of God made man: that He might, by her mediation, sanctify and glorify us. St. Joseph probably accompanied Mary, returned to Nazareth, and when, after three months, he came again to Hebron to take his wife home, the apparition of the angel, menti...