February 2, 1999 (P.S. Feb.3,11,13,16)

Dear sisters and brothers in Christ,

How are you? It is nice to be communicating with you again. Today is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, please click here for a brief description. As you may notice, it is taken from Daily Mass Readings, a wonderful service offered by Catholic Information Network whose link is listed on our home page. We may indeed use it daily.

Today is also exactly nine days before the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. Click here for a beautiful prayer which can surely be adopted as part of a Novena to Our Heavenly Mother. As we know, she is greatly delighted in each of us as her children. She certainly will give her best attention to us and our prayer, much more than a normal mother would.

Thank you.

Your truly in Christ and Our Heavenly Mother,

The editor

P.S. (Feb.3) Without doubt, a Novena would become much more efficacious if it is preceded or accompanied by the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass or a Holy Hour of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

May Our Lord be praised!

P.S. (Feb.11) Today is the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, for a special litany to Our Heavenly Mother, click here. For a Novena prayer which we can start any time before or after her feast day, click here. And for further information on her apparitions, etc., click here.

As in the prayer seen above (click here), Our Lady's deepest desire is to bring us ever closer to her Son Jesus. Pray for us unceasingly then, Our Lady of Lourdes! Our dearest Heavenly Mother!

P.S. (Feb.13) Here is a thought on the eve of Valentine Day… In fact, many canonized mystics like St. Theresa of Avila and St. John the Cross have used the analogy of a mystical marriage to describe the intimate relationship between Christ and our soul (cf. Jordan Aumann, Spiritual Theology, p.350). Hence, we can relate to Jesus mystically as our best friend, sweetheart, love, or valentine, etc., before, during and after Holy Communion.

In fact, such a relationship with Christ is possible not only for single Christians (who can surely identify Jesus as their best friend or valentine, etc., both today and throughout their single life), but also for married ones. "Therefore what God has joined together" (Mt 19:6) in Holy Matrimony, Our Lord will only bring them ever closer to each other in God, consistently and unceasingly, in good times and in bad.

Click here for a prayer in which we can relate to Jesus as our dearest friend, love or valentine, etc. Apparently, this prayer is best said after Holy Communion as there are few moments on earth when we are physically and spiritually closer to Christ Himself.

P.S. (Feb.16) Click here for a random note on Ash Wednesday. Praise God!