Marian Monday--Witness

Being back to Steubenville is back into high gear and I am attempting to find my stride.  It hasn't all been painful however, prayer opportunities have been abundant with a FOP, household life Mass, opening semester Mass, daily Mass, and household commitments.  The Lord is already calling me on to great things for this semester and I am so excited to see all the places he has to take me.  Many ideas are starting to role around in my head for Marian Monday topics, many which need to be pondered a bit more (a Marian idea in it of itself!!).  I feel myself though wanting to write a bit about my Marian witness over the years.

I grew up in Catholic home (you can read more about my deeper conversion here) and always knew about Mary.  Memorized the Hail Mary in Kindergarten, knew the rosary was related to her, and thought she looked awful beautiful in the Nativity.  In high school, she was often brought up in LIFETEEN and in particular a CORE member of the ministry, a grandpa to all, was in love with her and she had done alot of work in his life.   However it was upon coming to Franciscan that Mary took a whole new role in my life.

Here at Franciscan people are obsessed with Our Lady.  Want to discuss a woman who is loved and talked about by all, nothing compares to Mary.  It was at FUS that I learned about consecration to Our Lady and during my first semester here I did a consecration to Our Lady with preparation by St. Louis de Monefort (another topic for another day!).

Between then and now I have taken a class all about her, Mariology, taught by Dr. Marivalle, a Marian specialist often involved in Vatican happenings   (I highly suggest his Introduction to Mary book which was written at the the request of  professors of other schools to be used as a text book in their schools who aren't lucky enough to have him present as a professor)  It was in the class that I realized the depth and richness of what the Bible and the Church teaches us about Our Lady.

I have renewed my consecration multiple times both again through St. Louis de Monefort and also with preparation by St. Maximilian Kolbe.   I have joined a household with an alive and deep devotion to Our Lady.  Our name, Regina Angelorum, literally means queen of the Angels.  (I promise a household post,    I am being rude and leaving all the non-frannies in suspense).

On a day to day basis I strive to live in imitation of Our Lady.  Sometimes I succeed and other times I fall on my butt in utter failure.  I desire to pray a daily rosary, I know that I am more who the Lord calls me to be when I make it a part of my day.  There are times when I rock the daily rosary and other times when I run dry.

I could go on and on about all the aspects of Our Lady that are significant to me but there are more Mondays ahead.  Here however I hope you find a personal short summary of who Our Lady is to me.  I hope you will subscribe and come around again for more about Our Lady, her scapular, the rosary, consecration, her virtues, and anything that floats my boat.