OUR LIFE: In Mary, after Christ, we live and move and have our being. She is our spiritual mother in the order of grace. She's the New Eve, the Mother of All the Living in the New Covenant. We recognize and are grateful we came to life in Christ because of Mary's "yes" at the Annunciation. We all owe our spiritual lives to our mother. Christ gave us His Mother as our mother; she is "our life."
OUR SWEETNESS: When we love someone, we use endearing terms to refer to them. When you spend time with Mary and talk to her, pray to her, she has a way of bringing us joy, hope and sweetness. When we fall, Mary comes as "our sweetness," our loving mother.
OUR HOPE: In the eyes of the world, everything fell apart 2,000 years ago on Good Friday. All hope seemed lost. The disciples ran away. There was one person still standing there whose heart was filled with hope. Even going through a torturous agony in her maternal heart she was not despairing or lacking trust, but was an anchor of hope for St. John and for the Church, even to the present day. When we go through agony and all hope seems lost, she reminds us it is not. As our spiritual Mother, she continues to be hope for us in difficult times, in times of darkness, or when we have trouble seeing what God's plan or purpose is for us. "Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy. Our Life, Our Sweetness, and Our Hope."
Speakers
Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle is recognized by millions of people as the friendly face and soothing voice of ideal Catholic womanhood. Yet her frequent appearances on radio and television, many best-selling books (more than 35), and dynamic speaking engagements have established her as a mainstay in the lives of anyone devoted to seeking to live according to strong Christian values, to improving their family relationships, and making a powerful impact on their communities. As a Catholic, her universal, compassionate and relatable approach has catapulted her into the mainstream media and the lives of all denominations of Christians, as well as those seeking a deeper relationship with God and a more fulfilling life. A best-selling and award-winning author, she was named one of the “Top Ten Most Fascinating Catholics” in 2009. Publishers Weekly recognized Donna-Marie’s first book Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers as a breakout top ten best-seller within the first week of its release.
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Jean MacKenzie, R. PSYCH
I have always had a strong love of learning coupled with a great desire to succeed. I want to know more about the things I encounter in my life and thoroughly research every endeavour I undertake.
When I became pregnant with my first child, I read all the information I could get my hands on regarding pregnancy, child birth, and parenting. When my husband and I bought our first home I read everything I could about buying and owning a house. And, when I decided to start a private counselling practice I learned everything I could to try and make it as successful as possible.
However, when I got married research was not something that crossed my mind. Both of our parents had strong, successful relationships. Shouldn’t that be enough? We were young, in love and naive and while we do credit our parents with having a positive influence on us, we were blind to the many factors that could potentially erode at our relationship.