Return to The Reign of Mary No. 175
The Reign of Mary
No. 175: Letter from the Editor
March 19, 2020
St. Joseph, Spouse BVM
Dear Friends in Our Lady,
Praised be Jesus and Mary. The month of March is always a welcome time of the year. We are in the midst of the spiritually valuable time of Lent and spring is at hand. But March is also the time when we honor the great patron of the Church. St. Joseph is a model for us in many ways, but he is especially a powerful patron whom we must invoke for the needs of Holy Church in our time. Jesus and Mary can refuse nothing to St. Joseph, so let us go to him with confidence to implore the grace of perseverance and the welfare of the Church.
If we look at what has been taking place in the Vatican, it is more of the same. Francis’ long-anticipated apostolic exhortation on the Amazon region (Querida Amazonia) was finally published on February 2nd. It represents the official results of the Amazon Synod held in Rome in October. Although a married priesthood was not mentioned, as many had feared would be the case, there was a generous encouragement of pagan “inculturation” into the liturgy. True, that has been going on for decades since Vatican II, but the document gave a new impetus to the practice.
Lately, the news media have been completely dominated by coverage of COVID-19. Fear of the spread of this novel coronavirus has completely upended life in an entirely unprecedented manner. American citizens (as well of those of most other countries) have been dealing with strictures that were unheard of just a few months ago. What all this demonstrates is that fear of contracting a potentially deadly illness arouses people to accept policies they never would have considered otherwise.
If only men would have at least as much worry for their spiritual lives! Lent is a time for penance and atonement for sin. Let us pray for sinners, that they will be converted before it is too late. For, as Our Lady said, so many souls go to hell each day…. Mortal sin is the real virus that must be dreaded beyond all else.
Finally, we commend to your prayers the soul of Thomas Drahman, a dear friend of our religious Congregation who passed away on March 15. When we purchased Mount St. Michael in 1977, Tom quit his job in order to manage the large facility for a short time. That “short” time extended many years, until his retirement. Tom was a faithful laborer who wore many hats in his role of facility manager and accountant. We would not have Mount St. Michael had it not been for the selfless giving of Tom Drahman and his wife Mary Ann. May he rest in peace.
May you all have a most blessed Easter, and may Our Lady intercede for us, that we might all persevere in the faith and reach heaven, our true home.
In Jesus and Mary,
Fr. Benedict Hughes, CMRI (Email)