Mary’s Immaculate Heart

Driving past Immaculate Heart of Mary, I just knew I had to visit.  Then, that fall, we moved back to Brownsville and I simply forgot, except for here and there when I recalled my brief but memorable life in Harlingen.  Of course, the older I’ve gotten the more I’ve discovered that long-held heartfelt wishes do come true.

February 26, 2017

And so, decades later when visiting the Rio Grande Valley, we needed to attend Mass “somewhere,” allowing us exactly three hours to get to where we needed to be that afternoon.  “You remember that church in Harlingen?” I asked Steven.  “The one I told you I’ve been wanting to visit since June 1969?  Let’s check online to see if it has ten o’clock Mass.”  And, what a blessing that turned out to be: we met some very nice parishioners who shared their church memories after Mass.

    

          

          

          

       

       

          

         

June 11, 2017

Our first time at Immaculate Heart of Mary was so thoroughly fulfilling that I longed to revisit.  I wanted to see Patsy, Elvira, and Joe again even though our time was limited.  We had a three-hour drive back home to arrive in time for Sam and Ning’s annual pilgrim rosary at two o’clock.

The church parking lot was empty when we got to church, but we didn’t panic.  We were very early, so we weren’t surprised to find the church unlit.  I walked about taking photos as Steven prayed at the pew.  A family of three or four young adults walked in and, like us, they were from out of town.  Only they were so happy at “finding this church in perfect time for ten o’clock Mass” that they were congratulating each other.  “This is so exciting!” the woman continued.  “I’ve never been here.  I wonder what it’s like.”

They’ll find out soon enough, I smiled to myself.  I knew firsthand what to expect.  Welcoming parishioners, some more daring to strike up a conversation about their beloved church than others, but everyone genuinely inclusive.  Then, out of nowhere, a man, most likely the sacristan, quietly approached Steven and the others.

Standing near the altar I couldn’t quite make out what he said, but I sensed great disappointment not only in the voices, but also in the shuffling feet as the small group exited in disbelief.  I wasn’t done with my photos but walked over to Steven anyway since he anxiously awaited me in the aisle.

“I don’t know what happened, but there’s no ten o’clock Mass,” he said.  “According to the man, the bulletin with the times is posted in the vestibule.  The next Mass is at eleven-thirty, but we’ll be late to Sam and Ning’s if we stay for that.”

Despite the time crunch, I insisted on “just two more photos” before scrambling— Steven on his cell phone, me on my tablet— to quickly locate a church with eleven o’clock Mass.  Missing out was not an option!

            

      

      

      

June 17, 2017

I didn’t give up on Immaculate Heart of Mary so, being that we arrived in the Rio Grande Valley early in the week, we agreed to remain for Saturday evening Mass with a return home Sunday morning.  The beauty of attending Mass at a different time would give us a more rounded perspective on the church community, of course.  And, wouldn’t you know it?  They welcomed us in the same friendly fashion as our first time there.

We may have been visitors, but we weren’t treated like strangers.  We were like everyone else, basking in the smiles before and during Mass, the warm handshakes during the sign of peace, and the joy in seeing all the dads go up to the altar to receive a special blessing and a St. Joseph key fob for Father’s Day.  And, the icing on the cake?  The lector stopped by our pew to say hello and chat a while after Mass.

In hindsight, my only regret was not having left a “hello” for the lector to pass along to Elvira, Joe, and Patsy whom we’d met in February.  But, optimistically, that meant returning for Sunday morning Mass in the future.

      

July 9, 2017

We returned for eleven-thirty Mass with the hope of seeing our three friends, but it wasn’t meant to be.  They must’ve attended Mass earlier so, instead, we delighted in the joyful expressions— effusive smiles during Mass and playful hellos after Communion— from the two lively little boys sandwiched between us in the aisle seats and their parents to their left on the sixth pew facing the ambo.

      

         

Prayers

Daily offering…  O Jesus, through the immaculate heart of Mary I offer you my prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day in union with the holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world.  I offer them for all the intentions of your sacred heart: the salvation of souls, reparation for sins, the reunion of all Christians.  I offer them for the intentions of our bishops and of all apostles of prayer and, in particular, for those recommended by our Holy Father this month (Apostleship of Prayer).

Daily renewal…  Queen of the most holy rosary, I renew my consecration to you and to your immaculate heart.  Please accept me, my dear mother, and use me as you wish to accomplish your designs upon the world.  I am all yours, my mother, my queen.  All that I have is yours.

Immaculate heart of Mary…  Father, you prepared the heart of the Virgin Mary to be a fitting home for your Holy Spirit.   By her prayers may we become worthy temples of your glory.  Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

Novena…  O most blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer.  As your children we implore your intercession with Jesus, your son.  Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today.  (State your intention.)

We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer.  We trust to your gentle care and intercession those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting.  Help all of us, holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever (EWTN).

Solemn act of consecration…  Most holy virgin, Mary, we consecrate ourselves and our families to your sorrowful and immaculate heart; and we recommend to you all the people of our country and all the world.  Please accept our consecration, dearest mother, and use us as you wish to accomplish your designs in the world.

Sorrowful and immaculate heart of Mary, queen of the most holy rosary and queen of the world, rule over us together with the sacred heart of Jesus Christ, our king.  Save us from the spreading flood of modern paganism; kindle in our hearts and homes the love of purity, the practice of a virtuous life, an ardent zeal for souls, and a desire to pray the rosary more faithfully.

We come with confidence to you, mother of fair love.  Inflame us with the same divine fire which has inflamed your own sorrowful and immaculate heart.  Make our hearts and homes your shrine and, through us, make the heart of Jesus, together with your rule, triumph in every heart and home (Companions of St. Anthony, edited).

         

      

      

Contact information

Our Lord’s Virgin and Mother is from Franciscan Mission Associates, P.O. Box 598, Mt. Vernon, NY 10551-0598; and the Immaculate Heart of Mary prayers are from The Grail, St. Meinrad, IN; and Hirten Company, 35 Industrial Road, Suite 2, Cumberland, RI 02864-4714, respectively.  The prayer card is from Golden Prayer League, P. O. Box 1163, Kingston, PA 18704-1163.

Quotes

For unless our Lady is recognized as the mother of God and as the queen of all the saints and angels and as the hope of the world, faith in God will remain incomplete.  How can we ask him for all the things he would have us hope for if we do not know, by contemplating the sanctity of the immaculate virgin, what great things he has power to accomplish in the souls of men? (Thomas Merton).

Let us pray to the immaculate heart of Mary for all the graces that we need to be a brilliant light and a holy comfort to others each and every day in this darkened and sometimes frightening world.  Don’t forget to offer your sufferings to God and to make sacrifices to save souls (Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle in Our Lady of Fatima).

July 20, 2017

There are three things we must do to be at peace: have a pure intention to desire the honor and glory of God in all things; do the little that we can unto that end, following the advice of our spiritual father; and leave all the rest to God’s care (St. Francis de Sales in Roses Among Thorns).

May 31, 2021

“Let the soul of Mary be in each of us to magnify the Lord, and the spirit of Mary be in each of us to rejoice in God” (St. Anselm).

Links of interest…  Blessing of Catholic friends…  Consecration to the immaculate heart of Mary…  Finding your true self in Marian devotion…  Five words you need to hear at church…  God’s favorite garden…  IHM Church: website…  Immaculate heart of Mary: door of mercy / feast: Aug 22 / prayer (YT) / symbolism…  Immaculate Mary Song…  Mary: beloved of the Trinity / celebrating May / devotion / gate of heaven / meditations / prayers (Queen of angels) / untier of knots…  Prayer: devotion (purpose) / novenas / podcasts…  Society of the green scapular (heaven’s promises – Mary’s gift)…  Ten ways to grow in friendship with Jesus & Mary…  Quotes…  Why the Immaculate Heart is so close to the Sacred Heart…

WP posts…  Fatima prayers…  Lady of sorrows…  Lourdes novenas… Marian devotions…  Marytown shrine…  Our Lady…  Our Lady Star…  St. Benedict’s