Tom: Application Question p. 15 and general comment

The question that I felt compelled to address is #9. "How can I show more respect, honor, and service to our lady?"

The past 2 years I have regularly been attending a weekly Catholic men's group called "That Man is You" (www.thatmanisyou.org). It is the best Catholic men program that I have ever been involved with and I truly wish it were in every Catholic parish. It really challenges men to step up to the plate and be the Christian men and father figures we are meant to be, and it gives all the examples and great instruction on how to carry that out. Steve Bollman the program developer does an unbelievable job in these weekly presentations. Last Lent, one of the challenges he gave us in an effort to try to pray unceasingly, was to say/pray to ourselves an ejaculatory prayer and the one he suggested was Acts 17:28. "In Him we live and move and have our being". He urged us to do this at regular intervals, such as when raising from sitting or going in or out of a room or in my case before seeing a patient. I can't say that I do this consistently but I can say that I'm working on it consistently. In beginning to understand and appreciate the preeminent role that Mary has in our path to Jesus I added to Acts 17:28, "through Mary" to honor the reality of her perfect intercession for us. "In Him we live and move and have our being through Mary."

Comment: Another point that was made in the commentary is that St. Louis draws 3 conclusions. (1) Mary deserves more of our attention. (2) Her full dignity remains a secret to us. (3) Her holiness can only be revealed by grace. In the first conclusion I really liked the idea of making Marian feast days special times of examination of conscientious and renewal of our consecration to Mary. Also I wasn't aware of St. Michael's important intercessory role as an ally of all those who make the true devotion to Mary. Now when saying the St. Micheal's prayer, which is said after all Masses in our parish of St. Mary's, this will have increased meaning to me. Praise God!