Blessed Virgin Mary – Page 13 – Perpetual Adoration

January 22, 2014

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The Queen of Titles

The dictionary defines the word “title” as “an appellation of dignity, honor, distinction, or preeminence attached to a person or family by virtue of rank, office, precedent, privilege, attainment, or lands.” It is said that the Blessed Virgin Mary has more than 1,000 titles, a handful of which are: Mother of God, Queen of Heaven, Seat of Wisdom, Mirror of Justice, Vessel of Honor, Cause of Our Joy, Gate of Heaven, Morning Star, and Comforter of the Afflicted.

December 20, 2013

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A Super Ball and the Mother of God

Do you know when the Super Ball was invented? It was invented when I was 7 years old (1964), by chemist Norman Stingley. I first learned about it from seeing commercials on television, which showed the new magical ball soaring into the sky whenever someone threw it against the pavement. I later got to see it in action firsthand after several of my cousins convinced their mothers to buy them their own Super Balls.

December 1, 2013

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MEDITATIONS FOR ADVENT

Advent is now upon us. What is Advent? It’s a time of waiting, a time of preparation — spiritual preparation for the anniversary of the coming of Jesus Christ. Instead of making spiritual preparations during Advent, many of us get caught up in the demands of everyday living. Any extra time that we have is spent on the material preparations that have become an annual tradition, such as buying gifts, decorating our homes and work areas, planning parties, and baking treats.

October 30, 2013

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Going Shopping At The Nut House

There’s a business on Main Street in downtown Peoria, across the street from the courthouse, called The Nut House. The inside of the business consists of a tiny storeroom that is lined with glass display cases along three sides. Inside the display cases are numerous trays and jars that contain different types of candy and nuts. On top of the display cases and on shelves attached to the walls are decorative jars that are also filled with candy and nuts. There are at least 200 different items on display that a customer can choose from.

October 26, 2013

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The Loss of a Unique Football Coach

Have you ever heard of Bum Phillips? He was the football coach who built the Houston Oilers into one of the top NFL teams in the late 1970s. Phillips was best known for his larger-than-life, no-nonsense character. He referred to himself as a “coach, cowboy, and Christian,” and customarily dressed in jeans, cowboy boots, a work shirt, and a white Stetson hat.

October 19, 2013

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A Stubborn Relative

About 20 years ago, when one of my relatives was going through some tough times, I tried to get him to commit to praying a rosary every day. (For the purpose of this article, I’m going to call him “Jim.”) Over a period of six months, Jim and I met on three separate occasions.

October 5, 2013

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What do Catholics Have in Common with The Incredibles?

One of the top ten movies on my recommendation list for Catholics is The Incredibles. Produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures in November 2004, The Incredibles won two Academy Awards and was the first entirely animated film to win the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Performance.

September 26, 2013

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Weak: “having little physical power or ability”

For some unknown reason, during the past couple of weeks I’ve been thinking a lot about the 10 principal virtues of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As a reminder, the 10 principal virtues are (1) her profound humility, (2) her lively faith, (3) her blind obedience, (4) her continual mental prayer, (5) her mortification in all things, (6) her surpassing purity, (7) her ardent charity, (8) her heroic patience, (9) her angelic sweetness, and (10) her divine wisdom.

August 31, 2013

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Do You Ever Experience Fear?

The first auto accident injury case that I tried in front of a jury was in 1985, two years after I opened my law practice. Prior to the beginning of jury selection, the insurance defense attorney and I sat down in the judge’s office to discuss the case. When the judge asked us if there was any way we could settle the case, the defense attorney explained that we had attempted to negotiate a settlement, but we were still $3,000 apart.