Our Lady of Olives is to be situated within the larger context of the biblical symbolism of the Olive tree. In the Bible, but also in patristic and medieval writings, the olive tree–together with the vine and wheat ears–was considered a symbol of heavenly blessings, prosperity and fecundity in times of peace. The olive tree is also a symbol of spiritual excellence and distinction such as reconciliation with God, rectitude and innocence as well as fruitfulness of good works. This symbolism applied to Mary is a sign of faithful and loving dedication to the Lord but also a symbol of[…]

St. Anne is the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Though she is not mentioned by name in the Bible, we know of her through early Christian writings, the most important of which is the Protoevangelium of James, written in about 150 A.D. We are told that Anne, the wife of Joachim, was advanced in years before her prayers for a child were answered. An angel appeared and told her she would conceive a child who “shall be spoken of in all the world.” St. Anne’s feast day is celebrated on July 26. She is known as the patron saint[…]

O Virgin, full of every grace, wholly radiant and serene! You are the sacred and blessed resting place for the Son of God, resplendent in gold and dazzling in loveliness and glory! In the first place in your magnificent crown I shall place a topaz, excelling the sparkle of all other stones. This I do hoping to reflect the praise and glory of your singular excellence. This topaz is well suited to be an ornament of your crown, O most sweet Mistress; for just as you excel all women in the beauty of your flesh, so also you surpass all[…]

The Meaning of the Picture A Riddle in GreekThe original picture of Perpetual Help is an icon, done in the Byzantine manner on a tablet of hardwood. Because of its oriental origin, the dark oriental features of Our Lady, its oriental conception of the shining mystery of the Divine Maternity, its appeal is great in China, and India, in Russia and the Levant. But the strangest fact about the picture of Perpetual Help is that it should appeal at all to the Western mind. Accustomed as Europeans and the people of the Americas are to the madonnas of Rafael and[…]

“Come to Mass! Come, children, come to Mass, and bring your merry hearts with you. Come, you that are young and pray, and rejoice before the Lord. Come, you that are old and weary, and tell your loneliness to God. Come, you that are sorely tempted, and ask the help of heaven. Come, you that have sinned, and weep between the porch and the altar. Come, you that are bereaved, and pour out here your tears. Come, you that are sick, or anxious, or unhappy, and complain to god. Come, you that are prosperous and successful, and give thanks. Christ[…]

Margaret, known as Saint Margaret of Antioch in the West, and as Saint Marina the Great Martyr in the East, is celebrated as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church on July 20, and on July 17 in the Orthodox Church. St. Margaret’s voice was one of the Voices heard by St. Joan of Arc. St. Margaret is invoked against backache; she is a patroness of women in childbirth. St. Margaret is especially invoked for deliverance from demonic possession. Antioch was an ancient Greco-Roman city on the eastern side of the Orontes River. Its ruins lie near the modern city of Antakya,[…]

Prayer : Our Lady of the Snows, Immaculate Queen of the Universe, from this privileged sanctuary, Thou has bestowed so many countless graces and pledges of love upon the hearts and souls of millions. O Mother, from this cradle of Christianity, this Mother Church of all churches, deign to shower forth the graces of thine Immaculate Heart upon the remnant Faithful throughout the world, wherever they may be, and grant them the graces of a childlike love and unwavering fidelity to the holy truths of our Faith. Grant, good Mother, to the faithful Bishops of the Church the grace to[…]

“O fervent intercessor, Mother of the Lord Most High, thou dost pray to thy Son Christ our God and saves all who seek they protection. O Sovereign Lady and Queen, help and defend all of us who in trouble and trials, in pain and burdened with sins, stand in thy presence before thine icon, and who pray with compunction, contrition and tears and with unflagging hope in thee. Grant what is good for us, deliverance from evil, and save us all, O Virgin Mother of God, for thou art a divine protection to thy servants.” Troparion, Tone 4. Painted in[…]