Somethings about Mary in January 2015
Many, many thanks to Alba, Altona, Andrea, Sister Barbara, Celine, Corazon, Francis, Father Hugh Logan, James, José María, Josefita, Julie, Lorna, Lourdes, Lucy, Madeleine, Maria, Maria-Leila, Marie Claire, Michael, Michel, Natalie, Nazar, Paula, Peter, Philip, Randy, Thomas, the Villegas family, Yvonne & Zareth for giving their 'something' about Mary this month.
This photo is of Our Lady of Bodmin.
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1st January - Solemnity of Mary, Holy Mother of God & 48th World Day of Peace - Marie-Claire 
"In the middle of the Hail Mary, there is the word ‘Jesus’, the Word made flesh. He's encased within the words of Scripture, and the words of Tradition, for the Church says, 'Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.' And the rosary has got this wonderful prayer. And if we think about all the history of our salvation, it's all there in the rosary. We are taught by Our Lady to do whatever Jesus tells you, even though it might be silly, like filling jars of water when we need wine. We then say with him, 'Father, not my will but yours', even if it might need the crucifixion. But then there is that promise of resurrection. We will reign with Mary, she will bring us to heaven through the rosary."
Marie-Claire is from Malta.
Our Lady's message to Mirjana Soldo, Medjugorje, 2nd January 2015:
"Dear children, I am here among you as a mother who desires to help you to come to know the truth. While I lived your life on earth I had knowledge of the truth, and by this alone, a piece of Heaven on earth. That is why I desire the same for you, my children. The Heavenly Father desires pure hearts filled with the knowledge of the truth. He desires for you to love all those whom you meet, because I also love my Son in all of you. This is the beginning of coming to know the truth. Many false truths are being offered to you. You will overcome them with a heart cleansed by fasting, prayer, penance and the Gospel. This is the only truth and it is the truth which my Son left you. You do not need to examine it much. What is asked of you, as I also have done, is to love and to give. My children, if you love, your heart will be a home for my Son and me, and the words of my Son will be the guiding light in your life. My children, I will make use of you, apostles of love, to help all of my children to come to know the truth. My children, I have always prayed for the Church of my Son, and so I also ask the same of you. Pray that your shepherds may come to shine forth with the love of my Son. Thank you."
2nd January - Feast of St Basil the Great & St Gregory Nazianzen - Sister Barbara 
"Our Lady is my mother: very close to me and someone I turn to for any help I need, any advice I want, any troubles that need sorting out, she's the one that is closer to me than anyone."
Sister Barbara is from Cornwall in England.
3rd January - Feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus - José María 
"It’s been a very special grace being brought up in a place like Fatima, where Our Lady of Fatima appeared. Everyone that has been at Fatima has surely felt the motherly atmosphere and security, safety, in that place because, well, that's what it was all about: Our Lady being made known by three little humble children."
José María is 22 & from Fatima in Portugal; he gives his response in English & Portuguese.
5th January - Andrea 
"John Paul II, when he was elected he was talking to the crowd and he asked to pray to the Holy Mother and he said 'We are going to pray together to our holy mother, Madonna Sanctissima', which is the most holy Mother of the Church.
Quando Giovanni Paolo II stata eletto nel 1978, parla alla folla che e in dentro di preghare la Madonna e sono venuti queste due parole 'Madonna Sanctissima'. "
Andrea is 29 & from Italy.
6th January - Solemnity of the Epiphany - the Villegas family 
Marta: “La Madre de Dios. The mother of God.”
Jorge: “The Mother of God.”
Javier: “The Mother of God and our mother.”
Marta: "Me too."
Agustin: “The first Christian and the Mother of God.”
Ruth: “The mother who takes care of all of us.”
The Villegas family altogether: "Dios te Salve, María, llena eres de gracia, el Señor está contigo. Bendita tú eres entre todas las mujeres y bendito es el fruto de tu vientre, Jesús. Santa María, Madre de Dios, ruega por nosotros pecadores, ahora y en la hora de nuestra muerte. Amén."
Agustin, Ruth, Marta, Jorge & Javier Villegas are from Spain.
8th January - Michel 
"I love Mary very much. I’m saying my rosary every day and she’s protecting us very much. So we can have a lot of faith because she's our mother and she protects us.
Quelqu'un a dit que si Marie n'existait pas, on serait orphelin. Qui a dit ca? C'est magnifique et c'est tout à fait vrai. Voila. Elle est notre mère et elle nous protège et c'est un cadeau du ciel merveilleux."
Michel is from France & gives his response in English & French.
9th January - Thomas 
"When I was staying at a monastery in Galilee in Israel, when I was about 19 and just before I became a Catholic, there was a beautiful little grotto church with these hermits, which overlooked the Sea of Galilee. And in the small grotto church there was this most exquisite, very modern icon of Our Lady holding Christ, and she has the most unbelievably deep and profound look in her eye. Her face, it's a Palestinian woman - it's a representation of Mary that I've never really seen since but it's one that evokes the person of Mary, who was a Palestinian girl who God came to and revealed to us the salvation of the world."
Thomas is 23 & from the United Kingdom.
10th January - Maria 
"I’m very, very fond of Our Lady because I know that I’ve got very strong faith."
Maria is from Portugal.
11th January - Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord - Father Hugh 
"I was going through a very difficult time as parish priest and it was very distressful and I was really down. It was on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception that I got up really early and I was praying, I went into the church and I took a statue of Our Lady and I placed her next to the lectern. When I was preaching, this feeling just overwhelmed me, a feeling of sadness, and I felt the presence of Our Lady, I felt her presence embracing me and consoling me, and then I understood why Pope Francis had said we all need a mother."
Father Hugh Logan is a priest of the diocese of St George in Grenada.
12th January - Philip 
"Being asked what Mary means for me felt somewhat strange at first as I'd never really stopped to think about it. It's not a question I'd ever been asked; perhaps I should have thought about it? But for me it's not something I felt the need to ponder over. Being asked what she means for you is almost like being asked what my mother or father or best friend means to me. It's one of those things that, like breathing, is part of my every day life. And as a Catholic Christian it's part of my life of prayer and part of my relationship with the Lord."
Philip is from England.
13th January - Feast of St Hilary of Poitiers - Madeleine 
"We love Mary, she's our mother, the queen of heaven.
La Vierge Marie est la reine du ciel."
Madeleine is from Switzerland.
14th January - Nazar 
"Mary to me is a mother, a mother that even though she shows me so much love constantly, she's also this mother that just keeps me in check, and she reminds me whenever I'm sort of straying a little bit far from the path where I should be looking and it's towards her son, Jesus Christ."
Nazar is 20 & from England.
15th January - Lucy 
"Mary, you have never let us down. We thank you, Mary, and we ask you to keep us faithful to our vocation."
Lucy is from London.
16th January - Corazon 
"Holy Mary is the most powerful mistress of all souls. She is so merciful and she rules all over the world .. and I've found out that she is the most merciful of all mothers."
Corazon is from Manila.
17th January - Lorna 
"Mary is our mother, Mother of God, our Queen, Mother of the Church, and Mary Most Holy."
Lorna is from the Philippines.
20th January - Maria-Leila 
"The Virgin Mary was my guidance since I was a child, and I always venerate her. She has been my helping hand until now and with all my troubles I always go to her."
Maria-Leila is from the Philippines.
21st January - Michael 
"What Our Lady means to me is forgiveness, love, peace, joy!"
Michael is from Notting Hill in London.
22nd January - Feast of St Vincent Pallotti - Alba 
"Mary is my mother - the Mother of God and my mother."
Alba is from Colombia & gives her response in English & Spanish.
23rd January - Paula 
"Mary is the Mother of God and being his mother she's also the mother of all of us. For me, she's key in my life. She drives my life, she tells me where I have to be, how to do my thing. She taught Jesus and so she tries to teach us. That's Mary. Mary is love."
Paula is from Spain & gives her response in English & Spanish.
24th January - Feast of St Francis de Sales - Lourdes 
"Mary is everything for me, Mama Mary is very kind to me."
Lourdes is from the Philippines.
Our Lady of Medjugorje's message to Marija Pavlović on 25 January 2015:
“Dear children! Also today I call you: live your vocation in prayer. Now, as never before, Satan wants to suffocate man and his soul by his contagious wind of hatred and unrest. In many hearts there is no joy because there is no God or prayer. Hatred and war are growing from day to day. I am calling you, little children, begin anew, with enthusiasm, the walk of holiness and love; since I have come among you because of this. Together let us be love and forgiveness for all those who know and want to love only with a human love and not with that immeasurable love of God to which God calls you. Little children, may hope in a better tomorrow always be in your heart. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“Queridos hijos! También hoy los invito a vivir en oración su vocación. Ahora más que nunca, Satanás quiere sofocar, con su viento contagioso de odio y de inquietud, al hombre y su alma. En muchos corazones no hay alegría porque no está Dios ni la oración. El odio y la guerra crecen día a día. Los invito, hijitos, a empezar de nuevo con entusiasmo el camino de la santidad y del amor, porque por eso yo he venido entre ustedes. Juntos, seamos amor y perdón para todos aquellos que solo saben y quieren amar con el amor humano, y no con el inmenso amor de Dios al cual Él los invita. Hijitos, que la esperanza en un mañana mejor esté siempre en su corazón. Gracias por haber respondido a mi llamado."
"Cari figli! Anche oggi vi invito: vivete nella preghiera la vostra vocazione. Adesso, come mai prima, Satana desidera soffocare con il suo vento contagioso dell’odio e dell’inquietudine l’uomo e la sua anima. In tanti cuori non c’è gioia perché non c’è Dio ne la preghiera. L’odio e la guerra crescono di giorno in giorno. Vi invito, figlioli, iniziate di nuovo con entusiasmo il cammino della santità e dell’amore perché io sono venuta in mezzo a voi per questo. Siamo insieme amore e perdono per tutti coloro che sanno e vogliono amare soltanto con l’amore umano e non con quell’immenso amore di Dio al quale Dio vi invita. Figlioli, la speranza in un domani migliore sia sempre nel vostro cuore. Grazie per aver risposto alla mia chiamata.”
26th January - Feast of Ss Timothy & Titus - Peter 
"My wife is Martha and we’re both Catholics and we’re devoted to Our Lady. We pray to her for her help and we receive it and we are thankful."
Peter is from London.
27th January - Julie 
"Mary is a strong lady ... For all the pain that Jesus went through, she had to endure it in her own way."
Julie is from London.
28th January - Feast of St Thomas Aquinas - Altona 
"For me, Mary is a big helper and I always can go ask her about everything. When I’m happy, when I’m sad, I’ve got a big friend."
Altona is from Poland & gives her response in English & Polish.
29th January - Francis 
"Our Lady is Mother in the order of spirit and she will look after our spiritual needs because God knows better what is best for us than we do ourselves and she, being the Mother of Christ is the Mother of God, so there wouldn't be anything from her and we want her intercession because her intercession is most powerful of all."
Francis is from England.
30th January - Yvonne 
"Part of my morning prayer is ‘Mary, dear mother, help me to live in communion with Jesus today.'"
Yvonne is from England.
31st January - Feast of St John Bosco - Zareth 
"For me the Virgin Mary is always there to listen to whatever plea I have in my life - my hardships and my joys. So for she's always there like my earth mother, so that's how important Mary is to me as a person and as a Catholic."
Zareth, from the Philippines, gives her response in English & Tagalog.