Return to The Reign of Mary No. 157
The Reign of Mary
Vol. XLVI, No. 157: Letter from the Editor
March 19, 2015
Feast of St. Joseph
Dear friends in Our Lady,
Praised be Jesus and Mary. Due to various circumstances, this issue of The Reign of Mary is being printed well behind schedule. Nevertheless, the timing of its printing fortuitously corresponds with the feast of St. Joseph, the great patron saint of our Holy Mother, the Church. Just as he protected Christ during His infancy and youth, so also St. Joseph is the guardian and protector of the Mystical Body of Christ. How much we need his powerful intercession today! Let us fervently invoke his assistance for the Church in these times, when so many heretics — like Herod in the time of Christ — seek to destroy her.
We also are closing out the final two weeks of Lent, as we look forward to Easter. During Passiontide we call to mind the most bitter and painful Passion of our dear Redeemer. We weep anew for our sins, the cause of His sufferings, and resolve to amend. There is no more beneficial reflection than that of the sufferings of Christ and of the sorrows of our Blessed Mother. May this year’s Passiontide lead each of us to a greater hatred of sin and a more determined effort to conquer it in our lives once and for all!
As we look forward to the celebration of the feast of the Resurrection of Our Lord, let us also take hope for the future. When Jesus died on the Cross, His apostles thought that all was lost. In reality, Our Lord’s greatest triumph was at hand. So too, as we lament the tragic state of the Church, so reduced in numbers and battered by heresies, the defeat of the devil and his human agents may be right around the corner. Let us take courage, knowing that Jesus and Mary will win in the end. It is not our place to question why or to attempt to predict the future. Rather, let us trust in God and in the all-powerful intercession of Our Lady, as we pray for perseverance and look forward to eternity with Jesus and Mary.
In that regard, we ask your prayers for our recently departed friends and parishioners, especially for the repose of the souls of Emily Radecki (the mother of our twin brother-priests, Fathers Dominic and Francisco Radecki, CMRI), Charles Picard (the father of Father Bernard Uttley, OSB) and Vincent Patrick Hughes, my own father. Each of these souls has passed away recently. As we pray for the faithful departed, let us also remember that our own pilgrimage in this vale of tears may soon come to an end. May that thought help us to persevere in times of discouragement and trial.
May God bless you all.
In the service of Jesus and Mary
Fr. Benedict Hughes, CMRI
(Email Father)