Look for Mary. Wherever you go, look for Mary. She will be everywhere—not only in every nation on every continent, but in every kind of place.
The grand cathedrals that will soar into the sky for thousands of years. The small, hidden chapels that will remain dark and simple.
She will be on the wayside shrines along old country roads and in stone niches set into city arches. Mary will be in heart-stopping masterpieces of art at world-class museums, and in the miraculous marble of ancient sculpture. Mary will be in tiny carvings at the vintage markets and on hand-painted prayer cards at the monastery.
Look for Mary and let her teach you softly, gently, deeply. She has many names and many faces. She wasn't Asian, Latina, African, or European. But she shows up looking like all of us.
She wears what we wear—feathers, tilmas, head scarves, aprons, veils, skirts, sandals—and shows us that God is for all of us. There's no culture or place who can own more of God or the Catholic faith than any other. Universal means universal. Radiant holiness can bloom from even the humblest soil.
She also wears what we don't—crowns, jewels, robes of gold—and shows us that only fiat fulfills our deepest identity. However we see and define ourselves is only dust compared to the breathtaking beauty of how God sees and defines us.
In her fiat, Mary reveals the only way worth spending our time and energy and breath. Yes to God’s vision for you. Yes to letting it be done unto me according to Your word. Yes to the One who loves you most. Only fiat makes us fully ourselves and fully free.
And Mary said, 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.'
And the angel departed from her." +Luke 1:38
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Would you like help adding a sacred layer your next trip? Make your travels deeper and unforgettable with a customized travel guide. Your guide will include journal prompts, reflection insights, spiritual quotes, and Catholic points of interest personalized for your family's or group's specific destination. Contact me. I'd love to create something to help you find the sacred wherever you go. I also offer speaking and presenting for your group's next retreat, day of reflection, or event.
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