St Francis’ idea to reproduce the scenes of Bethlehem in a crib is a marvellous way of contemplating the mystery of Christmas. One look at the crib stirs our hearts and fills them with the warm glow of hope as we try to imagine the greatness of the mystery of God made man in this […]
Christmas Traditions: Las Posadas
One of the most beautiful Christmas traditions brought to our Community by our sisters from Latin America is ‘Las Posadas’. This tradition emulates the pilgrimage of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem. As we know from the Scriptures, “there was no room for them in the inn.” (Lk 2:7) After searching everywhere for a […]
Christmas Traditions: Bambinelli Sunday!
The third Sunday of Advent is called Gaudete Sunday because, in the words of the entrance antiphon, we are called to, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near.” (Ph 4:4-5) In St Peter’s Square, Rome there is another tradition that emphasises the closeness of the Lord and brings […]
Advent: Preparing for the coming of the Lord
Each year, on the 1st Sunday of Advent, the Church heralds the start of a new year. A new year is often a time of ‘resolutions’, ‘new start’ or even renewal. The Church’s year is no different! As the Lord prepared Israel for the coming of the Messiah over the course of 4,000 years, it […]
May Christ’s Kingdom Come! The Solemnity of Christ the King
On the last Sunday of the Church’s liturgical year we celebrate the Solemnity of Christ the King. Pope Pius XI instituted the Feast in 1925 with the Encyclical Quas Primas so that the Church may honour Christ’s kingship and meditate on what it means to be subject to His ‘sweet’ rule. Indeed, the feast is […]
9th November Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica Rome: “Mater et Caput”
St John Lateran’s Basilica in Rome is the “Mater et Caput”, ‘Mother and head’, of all churches in Rome and the world. This fact is solemnised by the relief that adorns the entrance to the Basilica. The name “Lateran” is derived from the fact that this Basilica was constructed on the territory that belonged to […]
The Hail Mary moves Jesus’ Heart!
The Virgin of Revelation told us the power of invoking her intercession by praying the Hail Mary saying, “The Hail Marys that you say with faith and love are like golden arrows to the heart of Jesus.” At Tre Fontane, as with the other Marian apparitions of the last century, Our Lady emphasised the importance […]
“Call me Mother”
We recall the words of the Virgin of Revelation who, with her maternal goodness, came to recall a lost son, and therefore all of us, to conduct ourselves in a way that does not deviate towards “strange doctrines” (Heb 13:9) but is conduct that is worthy of a Christian. On the 12th April 1947, the […]
To go directly from the heart of Mary to the heart of Jesus!
Dear friends, we have finally arrived at the month of May which is considered the Marian Month par excellence! We would like to start our meditation with the very words of the Virgin of Revelation: “The Hail Mary’s that you say with faith and love are like golden arrows to the heart of Jesus.” Therefore, […]
Hallelujah! Jesus Christ is risen! Happy Easter 2024
After 40 days of Lent and the grace filled days of Holy Week, we arrive at Easter Sunday, our Lord’s Resurrection. Easter is the greatest and most important feast in the Church, and is indeed the basis of our Christian faith. Perhaps we did not progress on our Lenten journey as we had hoped. It […]