Epiphany of the Lord 2023 - Seeking the Light of Christ

 

Happy Epiphany everyone. In many parts of the world, the feast of the epiphany is celebrated with as much solemnity as Christmas: families gather together to feast, sing, and exchange gifts—recalling the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh brought by Magi from the east in honor of the new-born King.

I too, have returned from the east. Last night, I returned from two weeks in Edinburgh, Scotland. And I too, traveled with a few wise men, two brother priests. After four years here at St. Ignatius, you may have noticed that I enjoy traveling a bit: seeing new places, tasting new foods, seeing how different cultures go about their day-to-day life, and the art and architecture they have produced. It’s a chance to glimpse how God has worked and is working around the world. 

Years of study preceded the Magi’s journey from the East—these pagan scholars studied the Hebrew Scriptures and the known astrological charts and set out to follow the star which signaled the birth of the King of Kings, whose reign of goodness, peace, and justice would be eternal. And follow the star they did. Coming to Jerusalem they first met a real imposter of a king, King Herod, just like many of us, in our journeys, encounter so many imposters to God.

The wise men then continued their journey to Bethlehem, the little town in which King David was born and raised. And there in Bethlehem they found the newborn heir of David, the Savior whom the prophets foretold, they brought him gifts, and worshiped and adored him. 

They searched for the savior—through study, through the exhaustion of a thousand-mile journey. And upon finding him, they worshipped and adored.

Finally, they return to their home country, by a different route, having been warned to avoid Herod’s treachery.  

You’ve no doubt heard the famous reflection that “of course they go back a different route, you never come to Christ and go back the same way you came.”  The encounter with Christ changes you.

Throughout Christian history we have countless stories of people from all over the world who begin life one way, and upon encountering Christ, their lives are changed forever.

Think of those first called by the Lord—Peter, Paul, Andrew, and James.  They began life as fishermen, but meeting Christ, encountering him, their lives were changed forever.  They went from ordinary Galilean fishermen to miracle working world missionaries and martyrs!

Saint Paul, too, remember, was a stringent adherent of the Jewish law who put Christian converts to death.  But upon the road to Damascas, Paul encountered Christ, and his life was changed forever.  

There have been cutthroats, crooks, trollops & bigamists, war-mongers, shard sharks and con men, devil-worshippers and atheists who have not only converted to Christ, but who have become saints—men and women who began life one way, far from any semblance of righteousness, but who were led grace to follow a star, and came to know, love, adore and worship Jesus Christ as God and Lord. 

One of my favorite sinners turned saints is the great St. Augustine. Augustine, remember, rejected his mother’s Catholic faith for many decades. In his youth, he engaged in thievery and promiscuity, in his college years, he joined a cult and promoted heresies about God. “It was sinful and I loved it” was his motto for many years. And yet, his heart remained restless, he was not satisfied with those imposters. He yearned for Truth, he yearned for Christ. 

He searched and he listened. And the Epiphany for Augustine came through the preaching of the holy bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose, who inspired Augustine to pick up the Christian Scriptures. And picking up the Bible, Augustine came upon a powerful line from St. Paul. “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness . . . . But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh "  

Augustine says that reading that verse caused the light of faith to flood into his heart and the darkness of his doubts were dispelled. Augustine prepared for baptism, and was later ordained a priest and bishop. 

Our Church history, our parish history is full of such stories of life changing Epiphanies. Many of you, no, have been led on journeys, which started in doubt and sin, but ended in faith? Thanks be to God.

Each year, I have the honor of working with such journeying souls in our RCIA program. And they often enter RCIA because they have heard Christ or glimpsed Christ in our Catholic worship, or witnessing Catholics putting their faith into action in works of charity, witnessing Catholics standing up for the truth in this morally ambiguous culture, or they have received a book or had a conversation with a Catholic that challenged them to question their opposition to Catholicism. Catholics doing what Catholics are supposed to be doing has led to countless epiphanies for those seeking Christ.

But epiphanies are not just for the uninitiated.  God wants to continue to reveal Himself to each of us—to help us deepen our faith, hope, and love for Christ. And that happens, how? It happens through prayer, daily prayer. Daily we must pray, kneeling at the crib of Bethlehem, kneeling at cross, kneeling and the throne of our King. Faith, hope, and love are deepened by picking-up the scriptures like St. Augustine, and meditating on those timeless words, considering what it means for us to "put on christ" and to "make no provision for the flesh". Faith, hope, and love are deepened through selfless works, and pilgrimages, and holy conversations with strangers, and acts of kindness. 

Seek an Epiphany every time you come to Mass. Seek an Epiphany every day. Seek to be renewed in that holy desire to fall down before the Lord in worship and adoration, and to be changed by him for His purposes, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

December 23 2022 - O Emmanuel, Desire of the Nations & Savior

 Just two days prior to Christmas, we read from the prophet Malachi. Malachi was the last of the Old Testament Prophets. Like Isaiah and Jeremiah before him, Malachi foretold how a Savior would come to redeem us and usher in the kingdom of God’s peace.

He also spoke of the events that would occur just prior to the arrival of the Messiah. There would be a forerunner to prepare his way, a messenger to point out to God’s people that the Messiah is coming soon. And in the Gospel, we read about the birth of the forerunner, John, who would preach from the banks of the Jordan, calling Israel to repent, to prepare their hearts for the imminent arrival of the Savior.

The final O Antiphon today sings of the Messiah as Emmanuel, the awaited Savior of the nations. All the nations of the earth look for him and long for him. Christians in every nation on the planet prepare today for the celebration of the Saviors birth. But also, the antiphon is saying that even those who do not believe in Christ, still long for him. They are looking for him in all the wrong places, worshiping false idols, engaging in immoral actions which are unfulfilling substitutes for right worship. If only they would look to Him, they would find their hearts desires.

And so Christians, like John the Baptist, have this mission, this duty to announce to the nations that the One whom they long for, is Jesus Christ. Our own Christmas celebrations are part of that. The love with which we celebrate, the joy with which we celebrate, the peace in which we gather together, the charity which our celebrations inspire, all these things witness to Christ. 

May we pour our hearts into celebrating Emmanuel—God with Us—the desire of the nations and Savior thereof, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Please respond to each of these petitions, “Come Lord Jesus”

May Christ, the Wisdom which comes from the mouth of God, guide us in knowledge and love.

May Christ, Adonai, leader of the House of Israel, bring deliverance to all of the oppressed.

May Christ, the Root of Jesse, come to the aid of nations and leaders of nations to walk in the ways of peace.

May Christ, Key of David, free all those captive to sin. 

May Christ, the Morning Star, enlighten those who dwell in the shadow of death.

May Christ, King of the Nations, reconcile all divisions caused by sin.

May Christ, Emmanuel, God with us, bring comfort to all those who mourn.

Almighty ever-living God, who brings salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

 

December 21 2022 - O Rising Sun, splendor of eternal light

 

On this darkest day of the year, the first day of winter, the church in her wisdom gives us this reading from the song of songs proclaiming, “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth”.  We are able to say this as we are called to live by faith, not by sight.  

The world may be at its coldest and darkest and most barren, but God’s Word enables us to detect another reality: of supernatural warmth, light, and fruitfulness due to the nearness of God. 

The sun is rising. The church sings: “O Oriens, splendor lucis aeternae, et sol iustitiae: veni”. O rising sun, splendor of eternal light and sun of justice, come and illumine those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

The O Antiphon is a direct reference to Micah chapter 7 verse 8: “Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light.” It is also a reference of course to Psalm 23, “though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for God is at my side.” 

Again, Christ is the fulfillment of these old testament verses. He is the light, which enlightens everyone, light for the whole human race, who dwells in the darkness of the ignorance of God. And he is the light that is with us always, even in the face of evil and death. The birth of Christ signals that man is not abandoned to suffering and mortality; there is something more, there is something beyond finitude. His birth is the beginning of a new creation, in which God says once again, let there be light. The light of the Christian faith enables us always to begin anew—to live in newness, in which we are continually recreated by God.

What a powerful message the Church joyfully proclaims at a time when many people begin to feel the extremes of seasonal depression, stressed finances, family turmoil, injustice, and sickness. Knowledge of Christ brings consolation, patience, peace, strength, endurance, and even physical health, for even science shows the physical benefit of being filled with hope and faith and joy.

John the Baptist, in the darkness of his mother’s womb, leaps for joy at the nearness of the Christ child. May we, who sit in the darkness of the world do the same, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petitions, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That those in the darkness of error and faithlessness may be enlightened by the light of Christ through the witness of the Church

For the protection of the unborn, and the overturning of all laws lacking respect for the dignity of human life.

That those struggling with winter depression or addiction may find light and peace and joy in Christ.

That Christ may banish disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and strengthen all who suffer persecution for the sake of the Gospel.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord. 

 

4th Sunday of Advent 2022 - A virgin shall conceive

 
We’ve come to the final Sunday of Advent. All four candles of the Advent wreath are lit; we are on the threshold of Christmas. We have been preparing our hearts through prayer, good works, music, decorations. Signs. Signs that God is close. Christmas is near.

In our first reading, King Ahaz was given a sign. A sign that God was near.

For King Ahaz was facing a dilemma: a dreadful one. On one hand, His enemies in northern Israel were attempting to coerce him to join them in a coalition—a collation against the Assyrian superpower. The assyrians were sweeping through the region, conquering everyone with whom they came in contact. And so King the Arameans and the King of Northern Israel thought they’d band together and get Ahaz to join them.

On the other hand, Ahaz has a bit of political cunning. He knows, there’s no way this coalition is going to stand against the Assyrian superpower. So he he’s being tempted to bow down and worship the gods of the Assyrians. 

What is he to do? He’s facing this Giant—Assyria. Reminding us of his great great great grandfather David, who also faced a Giant—named Goliath. Well, the God sends his prophet, Isaiah, to the king. And Isaiah tells Ahaz to have faith in God, like David facing Goliath. God is your protector. And Isaiah, knowing that, Ahaz’s faith is sort of weak at moment says, you want to know God is with you, ask for a sign, any sign, as high as the heavens and deep as the netherworld, a sign that will show you that God is with you. And Ahaz, in a moment of false piety, says, oh no, I couldn’t possibly do that. 

And Isaiah says, fine, God will give you this sign, a sign that you couldn’t come up with on your own:  “The virgin will conceive and bear a son and she shall call him Emmanuel.

It is impossible to say exactly what the fulfillment of this prophecy meant to King Ahaz. Who was the virgin in his day whose child was to signal that God was with him and his people? We do not know who she was. And sadly, chose not to believe. 

Ahaz trusted not in the power of God, but in the power of man. He entered into a protection treaty with Assyria, which on the one hand guaranteed him security and saved his country from destruction, but on the other hand demanded a price: the worship of the protecting power’s national gods. Idolatry. And after Ahaz had concluded the treaty with Assyria, despite Isaiah’s warnings, an altar was built for the worship of the Assyrian gods in the very Temple of Jerusalem. This violated the covenant with God. And it wouldn’t be long before Jerusalem was conquered by Babylon a few decades later. 

The Church gives us this powerful passage—a virgin will conceive and bear a son. We like Ahaz are being urged by God to trust him. Will you heed the warnings of the prophets and turn away from sin. Will you heed the invitation of the prophet to trust in God and his promises? Will you stand firm in the face of worldly pressures or bow to earthly gods? 

Sadly we see swaths of people abandoning faith, when faith is needed now more than ever. We are seeing the political consequences of faithlessness play out in our very day. Pagan idols bring us neither protection nor joy. 

Ahaz chose not to believe. So God gave all of humanity the same choice as Ahaz. That the virgin of Ahaz’s day was neither named nor identified points to the fact that the promise reached far beyond the historical moment of King Ahaz. It was a promise that reached far beyond that hour, and continued to shine for Israel as a star of hope pointing to an unknown future.

But that star comes into view again centuries later, when the veil is finally lifted, and the virgin’s identity and the identity of her son are made known. The Virgin who conceives by the power of the Holy Spirit and gives birth to the Son of God—Emmanuel, as we heard in the Gospel today. 

And even though Jesus is not actually named Emmanuel, Jesus “IS Emmanuel, as the entire history of the Gospel demonstrates. He is true man and at the same time God, God’s true Son, with us.”

“The virginal conception of Jesus is a divine work that surpasses all human understanding and possibility.” This is precisely what Ahaz resisted. He was not open to mystery, he was not open to faith, or the divine work that surpasses understanding and possibility.

God invites all of humanity to trust in the sign. The sign of signs. Will you trust? Two weeks ago, I reflected on how If you were to pick up the bible, and turn to nearly any page of the holy book, God is inviting humanity to trust Him. Sometimes the bible gives us models of trust, and then sometimes we see the consequences of what happens when we don’t trust God.

Adam and Eve are told to trust God. He would feed them, he would take care of them. Don’t eat of the forbidden tree, just trust me. And we know how that worked out. 

Abraham, is called our father in faith, He trusted God to leave his homeland and follow the path that God was showing to Him. Proverbs says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” Isaiah speaks of his own trust in God when he says in chapter 28: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.” Jeremiah, the grumpier prophet says: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.”

The Lord Jesus in the Gospels teach us to trust when he says: “do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?”

Over and over, the injunction to trust God, to trust in his promises, and over and over in Scripture illustrations of the blessings that come in trusting in God, the tragic consequences when we don’t. 

King Ahaz failed to trust in God. And that had tragic consequences for the nation which he ruled. Even though Isaiah pointed out signs that God was with him, he chose not to trust. And, it’s easy to condemn Ahaz, but this is a sin of which we’re all guilty. 

Catechism 397 explains the first sin and every sin, as a failure to trust God. It says, “Man, tempted by the devil, let his trust in his Creator die in his heart and, abusing his freedom, disobeyed God's command. This is what man's first sin consisted of. All subsequent sin would be disobedience toward God and lack of trust in his goodness.”

And so Advent is needed. We need Advent to help us renew our trust in the promises of God and to resist the inroads the enemy has made in our lives and to repent of our failures to trust.

But then consider, that the sign of the Virgin conceiving and giving birth becomes the very model of trust for us. The Virgin is the perfect example of the "obedience of faith" mentioned by Paul in the second reading.

Lumen Gentium says, “the Blessed Virgin stands out among the poor and humble of the Lord, who confidently hope for and receive salvation from Him.” Failure to trust was the origin of sin, but the exercise of trust became the origin of salvation. 

“To celebrate Advent means: to become Marian, said Pope Benedict XVI, “to enter into that communion with Mary’s ‘Yes,’ which, ever anew, is room for God’s birth, for the ‘fullness of time,’” In the final Advent days ahead, renew your trust that the Savior is indeed born of the virgin, point out his saving birth for all to see, for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

3rd Week of Advent 2022 - Friday - A burning and shining lamp

 Tomorrow, December 17, begins what is often called “Late Advent” or “Deep Advent”; the Scripture readings and orations begin to take on slightly different tones and themes. Where the first part of Advent proclaims joyfully that the Christ is coming, this last part of Advent begins to focus on who is coming, the identity of the Christ child. 

The O Antiphons of “Late Advent”, for example, each ascribe Old Testament names and titles to the one who is born on Christmas Day. Jesus is the fulfillment of all of those Old Testament prophesies: He is the Rod of Jesse, He is the Key of David, He is the Rising Star from the East, He is Adonai in the Flesh, He is Emmanuel—God With Us. These ancient prayers of the Church show how the Old Testament pointed forward to Jesus; how God prepared the human race for His own coming in the flesh.

In the same vein, John the Baptist is a lot like those O Antiphons. He dresses and acts and speaks like a prophet from the Old Testament speaking about the one who is to come. He helps Israel transition from the shadows of prophecy to the reality of God-in-the-flesh.

Because John witnessed to the truth of his identity, Jesus called John in the Gospel today “a burning and shining lamp”. Could he say the same about us? We are to be lamps, spotlights, the point others to Jesus.

Isaiah gives us wonderful instructions in the first reading for becoming burning lamps for Christ: “observe what is right, do what is just”. 

Observing what is right, doing what is just, performing good deeds, engaging in acts of mercy, these works are not for the purpose of gaining honor for ourselves, but to point to the one who has set us on our way. 

The Lord Jesus himself urges us that our choices can point others to God. He says, “Thus let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and they should glorify your Father in the heavens.”

As the light of the sun is seen less and less during these late December days, let us shine forth with the light of the Son of God by praying a little harder, giving a little more, striving to walk in the ways of righteousness and justice for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petition, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That Advent repentance and good works may prepare us rightly for Christmas joy.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  

That all those who wander in the darkness of error, far from the Gospel of Christ, may be led through the preaching and example of the Christian people to the fullness of the light of faith. 

That Christ may heal every disease, drive out hunger, ward off every affliction, and bring peace to the suffering.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who brings salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

December 13 2022 - St. Lucy, virgin & Martyr - Let there be Light!

 Light. Light features prominently in our faith. The first thing God created was light. God’s first words in the Bible are “Let there be light”. 

Psalm 119 describes God’s word as a light for our feet and a lamp unto our path.

Isaiah foretells of a time when the people walking in darkness will see a great light; when upon those living in the land of the shadow of death, light shall dawn.

Psalm 27 says, “The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom should I fear”? 

Light. Light enables us to see. It helps us to avoid the dangers which would lead to our demise.  “All things become visible when they are exposed by the light” St. Paul says. We are to walk by the light of God which enables us to avoid deadly sin and make our way to the unapproachable light of heaven. 

Light enables us to detect what is Good, what is True, and what is beautiful. By God’s light, we can see what is good and what is bad for us. By God’s light we can see what is true and what is erroneous. And By God’s light we can detect the many facets of his beautiful creation. Light enables us to behold the beauty of created things, for God has poured his beauty into Creation, and gives us light to appreciate. Ecclesiastes says, “The light is pleasant, and it is good for the eyes to see the sun.”

Light is also utilized by the Church in her liturgy. Candles are light on the altar for the celebration of holy Mass, so that we can see the mysteries we are celebrating. The paschal fire and the paschal candle are lit at easter time to symbolize the new creation of Christ’s resurrection. And light is used during Advent, our Advent Candles are lit on Advent Sundays to help us prepare well for the celebration of Christ—the light who comes into the world at Christmas. In the Gospel of John begins talking about Light, that John the Baptist himself was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light: that the true Light who gives light to every man was coming into the world.”

Today we celebrate St. Lucy. Her name, Lucy, Lucia, comes from the latin word “Lux” which means, light of course. Her life was filled with the light of Christ. In the saints, the Lord’s teaching that his followers are to be the light of the world, is fulfilled. The Lord’s light shined in the life and soul of St. Lucy. 

Even when she was struck blind as part of her tortures for following Christ in a time of persecution: Lucy was still able to see. The light of Christ truly enabled her to walk by the light of faith, not simply by sight of the physical eyes.

We all need the help of the saints in order to be like those wise virgins in the Gospel who keep the light of their lamps ready for the Lord's return.

There is a beautiful and simple prayer called the St. Lucy prayer that goes like this: 

Saint Lucy, you did not hide your light under a basket, but let it shine for the whole world, for all the centuries to see. We may not suffer torture in our lives the way you did, but we are still called to let the light of our Christianity illumine our daily lives. Please help us to have the courage to bring our Christianity into our work, our recreation, our relationships, our conversation -- every corner of our day…for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We raise up our prayers of petition, as we await with longing the Advent of Christ the Lord.

That Advent repentance and devotion may prepare us rightly for Christmas joy.

That our president and all civil servants will carry out their duties with justice, honesty, and respect for the dignity of every human life.  

For the conversion of those who reject Jesus and His Church, those who have fallen into serious sin, and those who have fallen away from the Church. 

Through the intercession of St. Lucy, we pray for all those who suffer blindness and eye disorders, and for safety from accidental loss of vision, and for all of the sick and suffering.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Almighty ever-living God, who brings salvation to all and desire that no one should perish, hear the prayers of your people and grant that the course of our world may be directed by your peaceful rule and your Church rejoice in tranquility and devotion. Through Christ our Lord.

December 12 2022 - Our Lady of Guadalupe - Crushing the head of the serpent

 On December 9, 1531 Our Lady appeared to the simple peasant, Juan Diego, and sent him to tell the bishop that heaven desired a church to be built on the hill of Tepeyac. 

Like Moses at the burning bush, Juan Diego asked our Lady, and who shall I say you are who are sending me? 

And she responded in his native language of Nahuatl. She called herself "Tlecuatlecupe," (Ta-LAY-Cau-tul-CUP-pe) which means "the one who crushes the head of the serpent"

Remember, that at that time in Mexico the Catholic Church was very small. The first missionaries to Mexico only arrived in 1519. The bishop to whom Juan Diego was sent, was the first bishop of Mexico. The native religion was still very much in full force. In 1487, when Juan Diego was just 13 years old, he would have witnessed a most horrific event: the Aztec ruler at the time, dedicated a new temple pyramid to the chief gods of the Aztec pantheon, which involved the human sacrifice of over 80,000 men over a period of four days and four nights. 

Human life was not valued. Pagan Gods, such as the winged-serpent God—Quetzalcoatl—were worshipped through unimaginably bloody human sacrifice. And so, for our Lady to introduce herself as “the one who crushes the head of the serpent” had a number of meanings. Firstly, it was a reference to Scripture—for Genesis foretells how the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. Revelation, too, depicts the woman with child pitted against the ancient serpent returned. But her introduction was also prophetic in that the religion of human sacrifice which worshipped the serpent God would soon be crushed.

What was in 1531 an almost entirely pagan culture almost entirely converted to Christ.  According to a contemporary chronicler, nine million Aztecs became Catholic in a very short time.  And even though Catholicism flourished in Mexico for about 400 years, we know that the old serpent is always conspiring to regain his lost territory.

The last 100 years have seen terrible persecution of the Church: state sponsored persecution, the murder of holy priests, outlawing of monasteries, seizing of Church property, atheism, and also the neopagan worship of santa Muerte, a female deity of death. 

Wherever holy faith is abandoned, the powers of evil and death will soon return, but Our Lady is unfailing protection and strength to all who devoutly implore her assistance.

The Feast of Guadalupe is an important Advent feast, to remind us that we prepare during Advent to celebrate the birth of Christ the Savior, victor over the powers the ancient serpent—of sin and death. And so throughout Advent we do well to invoke Our Lady in our prayers for conversion--the conversion of our culture, especially for those who, because of their errors and false beliefs spread and participate in evil intentionally or unintentionally, and our own conversion—that the powers of evil and death may have absolutely no place in our hearts.

Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas and the Right to Life Movement, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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We bring our prayers to God through Mary.

That Our Lady may protect the Church from all evil, and aid us in the mission of the Gospel.

That all government leaders may be awakened to the supreme dignity of each human life, and that all people of our nation may work together for an end to the culture of death. 

For all mothers, that they may find in Mary the example and strength to carry out their vocation. 

For all refugees forced to flee from their homes, that God may bring peace to them and their country of origin.

That the sick may draw strength, consolation, and healing by turning to Our Lady, who intercedes for us from her place in heaven. 

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

We pray, O Lord our God, that the Virgin Mary, who merited to bear God and man in her chaste womb, may commend the prayers of your faithful in your sight. Through Christ our Lord.