Today is the feast of the Assumption of Mary. I drove to Mt. Irenaeus to attend Mass this afternoon. I decided forty minutes prior to Mass to make a forty-five minute trip. I arrived a little late having missed the readings and got there in time for most of the homily. Fr. Bob reflected on the history of the feast and his own personal devotion to Our Lady. Fr. Bob said that some contemplatives believe that Marian devotion is the key to contemplation. I hadn’t heard that before and I’ll have to do some more reading and thinking on that. Brother Joe shared about how the “Hail Mary” had helped him weather some negative thinking today. Later as we sat talking before dinner I related how I carried a Franciscan Crown Rosary in my car and last year carried a rosary with me to work every day. I was born on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and so Mary has always figured in my life. My favorite hymn is Ave Maria. The Lady continues to bless and protect me and I’m grateful for her presence.
I’m grateful too for the Friars who welcomed me for dinner tonight. Eating a dinner with them is always a gift that I cherish. Tonight was no exception. I felt as though I were dining with the Lord himself. Brother Joe prepared a lovely dinner complete with Swiss chard and carrots from the garden, a salad and chicken that had been marinated in Coca-Cola. Fr. Dan had prepared a blueberry betty for dessert. Today I was hungry for God and good food and I was well fed. Peace.
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rosary, mary, marian devotion