Oh, Dearest Mother, Sweetest Virgin of Altagracia, our Patroness. You are our Advocate and to you we recommend our needs. You are our Teacher and like disciples we come to learn from the example of your holy life. You are our Mother, and like children, we come to offer you all of the love of our hearts. Receive, dearest Mother, our offerings and listen attentively to our supplications. Amen.



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Subject Topic: What Brings You Closer to Mary? Post ReplyPost New Topic
Poll Question: What brings you closer to the Blessed Mother?
Poll Choice Votes Poll Statistics
6 [20.69%]
4 [13.79%]
2 [6.90%]
8 [27.59%]
5 [17.24%]
0 [0.00%]
0 [0.00%]
4 [13.79%]
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SeaStar
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Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 6:25pm | IP Logged Quote SeaStar

There are so many ways to honor and grow closer to Blessed Mary.... which one is yours?

And while we are at it, what is your favorite title for Mary?
It's a toss up for me:
Cause of our Joy.... love this one,
but of, course,
Star of the Sea          .....

Forum Giveaways:

Handmade rosary

Handmade set of spring-themed notecards

Just Like Mary by Rosemarie Gortler & Donna Piscitelli.... perfect for teaching little ones about Mary

ETA: You can vote for more than one thing in this poll



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SallyT
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Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 6:55pm | IP Logged Quote SallyT

Wow, this was hard. I wish there had been an "all of the above" option!

But I went with the Mary Garden. My husband gave me a statue of the Blessed Mother for the garden for my birthday in November -- I had never had one, and had wanted one forever. And she absolutely *makes* the garden where I put her. It was a bed in the back that had always seemed to lack focus and order . . . and now she's there! She is the focus and order.

It's a big bed that already had a lot of things in it -- lilies, roses, daisies, rosemary, salvias . . . as I have discovered, pretty much every plant in existence has some Marian connection or other, so it was kind of a Mary garden anyway. And I have always loved to plant things that had Marian symbolism. Actually, my two favorite plants in that garden are blue sage -- because it's blue -- and obedient plant. I don't know that that one is on any official "Mary Garden" lists. Its other name is something like "False Dragon's Beard," and it's called Obedient Plant because the flowers don't fall off the spiky flower heads if you cut it and put it in a vase. But -- there's a Marian virtue for you.

Even though it's winter, I go out to that garden a lot to visit and talk to her. Makes me happy just to look out the kitchen door and see her. She's all over our home, but there's just something about tending her garden.

Sally

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Betsy
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Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 7:15pm | IP Logged Quote Betsy

I went with praying the daily rosary.....but more accurately would be crafting rosaries and wearing my miraculous medal.

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Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 9:19pm | IP Logged Quote pumpkinmom

Praying to Mary is my pick so I went with asking for Our Lady's help. Seems like that is what I do most. I would love to do a few things on the list! Like a Mary Garden!

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SallyT
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Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 9:27pm | IP Logged Quote SallyT

I voted for that (Mary garden) on the poll, but my vote doesn't seem to show up.

I don't have a designated Mary altar in my house, but I have a lot of little shrine spots. The one that's making the most difference to me right now is the dark corner of my kitchen counter where I used to have a shelf of spices. Cleared off the back of the counter and put novena candles there instead, to lighten it up: Sacred Heart and Our Lady of Guadalupe (because there she is next to the beans at Aldi). I light them in the morning, and they remind me to pray all day.

So that vote of mine that isn't showing up is really for both an altar AND a garden! :)

Sally

(oh, never mind. I see why -- I forgot to hit the "cast my vote" button.)

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guitarnan
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Posted: Jan 27 2015 at 9:42pm | IP Logged Quote guitarnan

I chose "asking Our Lady's help as I go through the day." For me, that includes prayer and a very rambling (on my end) conversation, one that's gone on for many years. The Blessed Mother seems to always know how I feel about difficult situations - she had to move to a different country with no notice (we had notice, both times...I'm blessed!), cope with an uber-confident child, and face all the other things that moms worry about. Somehow, knowing that even Mary didn't have a perfect, Pinterest-worthy parenting experience really helps me, every single day.

My mom has always had a deep devotion to the Blessed Mother. I'm so thankful she told me about it, so that I would turn to Our Lady in times of need, too.

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Posted: Jan 28 2015 at 1:55am | IP Logged Quote St. Ann

I voted for 4 different options.
Singing Marian hymns
Mary garden/Altar
Beautiful images
Asking her intercession

We have a Mary Altar and I am working on a garden... come spring.
There are so many beautiful Marian songs in English, German and Latin.
Sometimes I look up to her image and sigh a prayer - no words.

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SeaStar
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Posted: Jan 28 2015 at 6:09am | IP Logged Quote SeaStar

I love the picture of L'Innocence
I have hanging up in my home. I also have Kitchen Madonna that keeps me company in my kitchen. Both inspire me to pray each time I pass them.

I really do not think I could get through some days without Our Lady's help!

Sally, your Mary garden sounds lovely!

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knowloveserve
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Posted: Jan 29 2015 at 11:22am | IP Logged Quote knowloveserve

I picked other because nothing has drawn me closer to Mary than the personal consecration I made to her two years ago. I used the book 33 Days to Morning Glory and it was lovely...

My favorite titles of our lady are:

"Star of the Sea"

and more recently, the simple but profound:

"Refuge of Sinners"

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MaryM
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Posted: Jan 29 2015 at 6:18pm | IP Logged Quote MaryM

knowloveserve wrote:

My favorite titles of our lady are:

"Star of the Sea"


I love that title, too & Mary undoer of knots...

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Becky Parker
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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 6:58am | IP Logged Quote Becky Parker

knowloveserve wrote:
I picked other because nothing has drawn me closer to Mary than the personal consecration I made to her two years ago. I used the book 33 Days to Morning Glory and it was lovely...


I agree, know love serve! I used the 33 Days book along with St. Louis de Montfort's "True Devotion". Ever since then, I feel like I am so much closer to Mary and I talk to her throughout the day, asking for prayer, wisdom, "HELP!" ... My Miraculous Medal has become very important to me as well.

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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 7:35am | IP Logged Quote Pilgrim

Selected "Other" besides the few I selected because I think the biggest thing for me is "reading about Mary". The more I get to know of her, the closer I draw in devotion. A couple of the books that have brought me closest to Mary are the Windeatt books about the Miraculous Medal and the children of Fatima.

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Posted: Jan 30 2015 at 2:30pm | IP Logged Quote stefoodie

I was really torn between "Praying the Rosary" and "asking Our Lady's help as I go through the day". The other things apply too, but it's those two that I've done most of my life.

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Posted: Feb 10 2015 at 11:48am | IP Logged Quote cathhomeschool

I voted for "images of Our Lady," "asking for Our Lady's help as I go through the day," and "other." Seeing images and statues of Our Lady inspires and reminds me to ask her for help throughout the day. I voted for "other" because going to Adoration draws me closer to Mary.

My favorite titles of Our Lady are Our Lady of Guadalupe (there is a beautiful image in our Adoration Chapel) and Our Lady of the Rosary. Mary has given me many graces, inspiration, and visible signs through these two titles.    

Sally, I think your Mary Garden sounds lovely too!

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SeaStar
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Posted: Feb 16 2015 at 10:55am | IP Logged Quote SeaStar

Bumping this up for last minute votes!

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