A Call to Authentic Virtue

by Fr. John Granato  |  09/08/2024  |  Words from Fr. John

My Dear Friends,

We have three Marian feast days in the next eight days. Today, September 8th, we celebrate her birthday. Thursday, September 12th, is the Holy Name of Mary. And next Sunday, September 15th, is Our Lady of Sorrows. Three opportunities to honor our Blessed Mother, although liturgically this year, we only celebrate the Holy Name of Mary since her birthday and Our Lady of Sorrows fall on a Sunday.

The Holy Name of Mary is a special feast day for me because it is the patronal feast day of the Society of Mary (Marist Fathers), the religious order I had taken vows with and was ordained to the priesthood. Even though I no longer am a Marist officially, I still consider myself a Marist at heart because I was formed as a religious and a priest by the Marists.

Every morning when I wake up and every night before I go to bed I say three Hail Marys and the Sub Tuum for the intentions of the Society of Mary. And I still have spiritual books written by Marists, including our founder, the Venerable Jean Claud Colin, on my bookshelf that I occasionally read. She is the perfect example of womanhood and femininity, and like a good mother, she is patient with us when we fail as women or fail as men in honoring women. It is important for us to turn to her most sorrowful heart during those times for her sorrowful heart extends not only to uniting her sufferings with the sufferings of her Son, but her heart is sorrowful as well as she sees her children turn from her Son and turn from love.

As men we are called to protect the virtues of women, and as women we are called to protect life, especially the most vulnerable. Our Lady has a sorrowful heart when she sees the disregard we have for authentic femininity, authentic masculinity and an authentic concern for life in the womb and beyond. We keep praying the rosary in honor of our Blessed Mother and also for an increase in morality and an end to abortion. God bless.