In the history of the Church, Christ has come to us in times of crisis most remarkably through His Mother, the Virgin Mary. From her apparitions at Guadalupe, Fatima, and Lourdes, to name just a few, to the battles of Lepanto in 1571 and Vienna in 1683, and many others, the Virgin Mary has miraculously intervened in human history. Like any mother, Mary fights for her children when they are threatened—but particularly when they call out to her and intentionally invoke her help and protection. And as a good mother, she is interested not only in our eternal salvation, but also our temporal welfare. We need only invite her more deeply into our lives to unlock, so to speak, what she wants to do for us. She can bring Christ and His healing grace to you, now, and to the whole world through you. Are you interested?
Beginning the second week of May, we will offer various ways to learn more about Mary and "unlock" her powerful influence in our lives, depending on the level of engagement you are interested in:
A full, six-week course with daily reading and questions to answer, a weekly video to watch, and a weekly online discussion via Zoom.
Or, just read the daily readings in the book
Or, just watch the weekly video
Or, just join us weekly and listen to the discussion.
Or, just receive weekly questions to ponder and activities to try
Or...some combination of the above!
We will be using a mini-retreat by Fr. Michael Gaitly called 33 Days to Morning Glory. You can watch the weekly videos for free online at Formed.org here.
If you don't have a Formed account, sign up for free here.
You can purchase a copy of Fr. Michael Gaitley's book, 33 Days to Morning Glory, which we will use for our short (two-page) daily readings, here or here.
The Retreat Companion, which has daily questions you can ponder and write out your answers to, can be downloaded for free at the same place you watch the videos, at Formed.org here.
If you don't have a Formed account, sign up for free here.
If you prefer a hard-copy of the Retreat Companion, you can purchase what's called the Participant Packet, along with some other materials (but without the book), by going here.
Yes! There is a bundle (which may be cheaper), if you want to purchase everything together: the book, a hard-copy of the Retreat Companion, and some other materials, by going here.
UPDATE (as of 5-10): There will be just one section of the class, rather than two, which will meet at this time:
Wednesdays at 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. on May 13, 20, and 27; and June 3, 10, and 17.
Yes! This course will simultaneously teach you about Mary and prepare you to consecrate yourself to her. But the consecration is optional. Hopefully, though, by the end of the six weeks, you will be excited to do it! The intended date of consecration is June 20, 2020, which is the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
John Kovacs will be leading the course. For more information, email him at john.kovacs@stclarehouston.org.