Episode Transcript  

One

Behold Your Mother 

Today is the Feast of Mary, Mother of the Church. This is a special day to celebrate that Mary is our Spiritual Mother. 

Why do we believe she is our spiritual mother? Because Jesus said so. Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, 'Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, 'This is your mother'. John 19:25-27

John represents every person Jesus came to save, so Mary is not just the mother of Catholics; she is the spiritual mother of all people. And what did John do with the invitation of Jesus to take Mary as his mother? He took her into his home.

We are supposed to welcome Mary into our home. Make her part of our everyday life. She’s not a passing guest. She’s not a stranger. She’s someone whose presence we’re aware of every day, someone with whom we develop a deep personal relationship. We sometimes say, “My house is your house.” Consecration to Mary means saying to Mary, “My house is your house, My life is your life.” And when Mary comes into your life, the Holy Spirit will form Jesus in you.

Two

Our Mother Comes on a Rescue Mission 

What does a good mother do when her children are in danger? She comes to help them.

Since 1830, when Mary appeared to St. Catherine Labouré in Paris and gave the Miraculous Medal, showing that she crushes the head of Satan, she has continued to appear in many places: Lourdes, Fatima, and even today in Medjugorje.

Why is she coming? What is she asking?

Mary comes to call us back to God. Her message is simple and urgent: God is real. Sin will destroy you and the world. Return to God through prayer and conversion.

During the approved apparition of Our Lady of the Rosary in San Nicolas, on May 13th, 1989, Our Lady said, “…as previously in Fatima, today my visits are renewed on Earth. They are more frequent and more prolonged because humanity is passing through very dramatic times. Has man not understood that he must be uniquely at the service of God? If he resists, his soul will be lost. Many hearts do not accept my invitation to prayer and conversion. That is why the work of the devil is growing and expanding. My dear children, it is only through prayer and conversion that you will return to God.”   

Three

Prayer fosters Conversion 

Mary asks us to pray the Rosary every day because prayer is the way to conversion. 

Our Lady insists that the Rosary must be a meditation on the Word of God, not just a rote saying of words while our minds wander, because daily meditation with a resolution is the path to conversion. Meditation is to think about something from Scripture, the writings of the saints, or the teaching of the Church.

We ask ourselves, “Am I living this or not?” Then we make a resolution to live differently today. That is how we change, that is how we convert. But without meditation on the word of God, without reflecting honestly on our lives, and without a concrete resolution, we will not convert, we will not change. 

Four

Regular Confession Fosters Conversion  

Our Mother is calling us to conversion. A daily examination of conscience and frequent confession are the most effective means to conversion.  

When I go to confession regularly, I have to examine my conscience regularly, then I see things that need to change; in Confession, Jesus forgives me and gives me the grace to change. If I don’t go to confession regularly, then I forget to examine myself regularly, I grow completely desensitized to my sin, and I don’t change. 

This is why Mary asked for the Five First Saturdays of Reparation: On the first Saturday of every month, we go to Mass, receive communion, pray the Rosary, then think about the life of Jesus for fifteen minutes and go to Confession with the intention of making reparation to the Heart of Mary.  

Pope Benedict extended the window for confession from twenty days before until twenty days after the first Saturday. Basically, go to confession once a month. 

Sr. Lucia, the last living visionary from Fatima, wrote in a letter, “Our Lady promised to postpone the scourge of war if we would practice and spread the First Saturdays of Reparation…But I am afraid that we are not doing all that we are able to, and that God, in no way satisfied, may raise the arm of his mercy and let the world be ravaged by this punishment, which will be as never been, horrible, horrible!...Peace or war depends on the Five First Saturdays along with the Consecration.”  

Five

Taking Up Your Spiritual Responsibility

Mary is calling her children who are listening to help those who are not. That means she has a mission for you. 

Ladies, prompt your men to take up their spiritual responsibility. Don’t nag, just say to the men, “You have what it takes. I need you to be the spiritual leader. I need you to pray the Rosary with me and our kids or our friends.”

To all the men praying with us, Our Lady is very pleased. Now Our Queen has a mission for you to other men. We are in a spiritual battle for souls. Every good strategy for war includes air power and boots on the ground. This Rosary Podcast is the air support, but without ground troops taking and holding territory, we cannot win this war. Guys, Our Lady needs you to be the ground troops!

Here is what she wants you to do: Set aside time each day for personal meditation. End with one clear resolution. But don’t stop there, pray also with your wife and kids. 

Invite your wife or family or a friend to pray the Rosary podcast with you. Then talk about it. Your relationship with your wife, kids, and friends will be infinitely better if you pray the Rosary with them and have some good conversation after because friendship is built by good activity followed by good conversation. Invite one other man to do the same with his family and friends. Then follow up with him. Help each other stay the course. 

This is the day we celebrate the truth that Mary is our Spiritual Mother. Let’s commit to do what she asks and to be the missionaries she needs us to be. Will you do this for her? 

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you. 

• Invite one person to pray with you this week. If they decline, don’t nag, but keep praying for them every day.

• This week, say to Mary every morning, “My house is your house, My life is your life.”

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