Legion of Mary Qld

15/09/2025

Apostles laid to rest in Catholic Churches.

In Rome, Italy

St. Peter: His tomb is beneath the high altar of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.

St. Paul: The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls was built over his tomb. Radiocarbon dating of bones found in the sarcophagus under the main altar date them to the 1st.

St. Philip and St. James the Less: The relics of both Apostles are located under the main altar of the Basilica dei Santi Apostoli (Church of the Holy Apostles).

St. Jude Thaddeus and
St. Simon: Their remains are in a tomb under the main altar of St. Joseph inside St. Peter's Basilica.

St. Bartholomew: His relics are kept in the Basilica of St. Bartholomew on the Tiber Island.

In other parts of Europe

St. James the Greater: According to tradition, his remains were brought to Spain, and his tomb is under the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. This site is the destination of the famous Way of St. James pilgrimage.

St. Andrew: While he was martyred in Greece, his relics were eventually transferred to Italy. They are now located in the Cathedral of St. Andrew in Amalfi.

St. Matthias: The Benedictine Abbey of St. Matthias in Trier, Germany, contains a portion of his relics.

St. Thomas: Though initially buried in India, tradition holds his body was moved to Ortona, Italy, where relics remain today.

Outside of Europe

St. John: He is believed to have died and been buried in Ephesus, in modern-day Turkey. The Basilica of St. John was built over his tomb.

St. Thomas: Early tradition holds he was martyred and initially buried in Mylapore, Chennai, India. A portion of his relics remains there at the San Thome Basilica.

St. Matthew: His body is said to lie in the crypt beneath the Salerno Cathedral in Salerno, Italy.

Judas Iscariot: After his su***de, Judas's body was never venerated. His remains are traditionally located in Akeldama, near the Valley of Hinnom in Jerusalem.

10/09/2025

FYI: Plenary Indulgence in Early November

07/09/2025

The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary❤️🙏🌷💐🎂⛪️

September 8 is the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary because it falls exactly nine months before the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, a liturgical calculation to mark important events in Mary's life, rather than a historical record of her birth. This liturgical connection signifies Mary's birth as the "dawn of salvation" and the joyful beginning of the work of redemption.

The Liturgical Connection
A Calculated Date:
The Church celebrates Mary's birth on September 8 to correspond with the feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, which falls exactly nine months prior.

A Common Practice:
The practice of assigning a date nine months before a significant event to mark the beginning of a new life, such as the Annunciation and Christmas, is a well-established liturgical tradition.

The Significance of the Date
The "Dawn of Salvation":
Mary's birth on this date symbolizes the "dawn of salvation". Her arrival is seen as a glimmer of light in a world darkened by sin, signaling the coming of her son, Jesus.

A Unique Celebration:
Mary's birthday is one of only three birthdays celebrated on the liturgical calendar, alongside those of Jesus and John the Baptist, highlighting her unique role in salvation history.

Historical and Cultural Context
Ancient Tradition:
The tradition of celebrating Mary's Nativity goes back to at least the sixth century, with a church built in Jerusalem on the presumed site of her birth.
Cultural Customs:
In some cultures, this day also marks traditional celebrations, such as the "Our Lady of the Grape Harvest" in France, where grapes are blessed and attached to her statue, and "Drive-Down Day" in the Alps, where cattle are brought from summer pastures.

04/09/2025

Happy Feast Day of St Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us🙏➕💐🌷

The feast day for Saint Teresa of Calcutta, also known as Mother Teresa, is on September 5th each year, the anniversary of her death. The Catholic Church celebrates this day to honor her for her lifelong dedication to serving the poor, the sick, and the destitute.

Why September 5th?
Mother Teresa died on September 5, 1997, and her feast day was established on this date to commemorate her life and work.
Who was Mother Teresa?
Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu, she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation that cares for the poor.
She was canonized as a saint by Pope Francis in 2016.
How is the feast day observed?
The feast day is celebrated with Mass, adoration, and the exposure of relics for veneration in some churches.
It is also a day to reflect on her example of selfless charity and to perform works of mercy in the community.

15/08/2025

Blessed Mother Mary, pray for us🙏➕🌷

14/08/2025

https://sacredheartfla.org/sunday-mornings/seasonal/feast-days-solemnities/the-solemnity-of-the-assumption-of-the-blessed-virgin-mary/

The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Mass & More > Liturgical Seasons > Feast Days & Solemnities > The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary: August 15th The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into H...

08/08/2025

Solemnity of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop🙏➕💐🌷 8th August

07/08/2025

THE AMBO AND THE LECTERN;

HERE’S THE DIFFERENCE
________________
Many Catholics, even well-meaning ones, use the words ambo, pulpit, and lectern as if they mean the same thing.
But in the wisdom of the Church and the structure of the sacred liturgy, they are not the same.

✝️ The Ambo is a sacred, designated space within the sanctuary, often fixed and made of stone or wood, from which the Word of God is proclaimed during Mass.

It is the place where God speaks to His people, especially through the proclamation of the Gospel.
That’s why the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) says the Ambo must be “a fixed, dignified, and elevated place.”

📖 Just like the altar is where Christ offers Himself, the Ambo is where Christ speaks.

Only the Word of God is proclaimed from the Ambo:
– The First and Second Readings
– The Responsorial Psalm (if not sung)
– The Gospel
– Sometimes the Homily and Prayers of the Faithful

✝️ The Lectern, on the other hand, is more general.
It is a movable stand used for reading or speaking in secular or non-liturgical settings.

You’ll find it at weddings, meetings, classrooms, conferences, even in some churches outside the sanctuary, where announcements or reflections are made.
But it is not a liturgical furnishing. It is not where the Gospel is proclaimed during Mass.

✝️ What about the Pulpit?

The term “pulpit” is traditional and still used, especially in older churches.
It usually refers to an elevated platform for preaching, and in many places, it served the same role as the Ambo.
But in modern liturgical terms, “Ambo” is the correct name for the sacred space designated for Scripture.

So what’s the big takeaway?🤚

✅ The Ambo is sacred, reserved for the proclamation of the Word of God.
✅ The Lectern is functional, used for general speaking or announcements.
✅ The Pulpit may refer to either, but in liturgical terms, the Ambo is preferred.

That’s why you will never see the Gospel read from a lectern,
because the Gospel is not just a reading, it is the Living Word of Christ.

The Ambo is a fixed place where Christ speaks and the Lectern is a movable stand where announcements or reflections are made by the priest and lay people.

Small terms.
Big meaning.
In God's house, details reveal devotion.

Respect the Ambo.
Use the Lectern rightly.
Proclaim the Word with reverence.
Worship God who speaks.

God bless you 🙏

__________________e

05/08/2025

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CHAPEL AND A CHURCH➕🙏

______________

Many Catholics use the words chapel and church interchangeably.
But in the wisdom of the Church, these two sacred spaces are not the same.

A church is a sacred building set apart by the bishop for public worship.
It is canonically erected, typically with a parish community, and most importantly, it has an altar where the Eucharist is celebrated, and a tabernacle where the Blessed Sacrament is reserved.

In this context, we mean “church” as a parish church, the central place of worship for a local Catholic community under the care of a parish priest.

Every Catholic parish has a church.
It is the heart of the community.
It is where Sunday Mass is obligatory.
It is where baptisms, weddings, and funerals are ordinarily held.
It is under the authority of a parish priest.

But a chapel is different.

A chapel is a sacred space, often smaller, and not always open to the public.
It may be located inside a hospital, school, convent, seminary, airport, or even a private home.
Mass can be offered there, but chapels are not parish churches.
They might not have a full-time priest and may not reserve the Eucharist permanently.

Some chapels are oratories, canonically designated places primarily set aside for prayer.
Depending on their status, they may or may not have regular sacraments.

Here’s the key difference: 🤚

A Parish church is established by the Church for the entire People of God, as a place of public, communal worship.
A chapel is often created for a specific group (e.g. Seminaries, religious bothers & sisters in a convent, mission school, airport, hospital,...), or for private worship, not the wider parish community.

Think of it this way:
🏰 A church gathers the People of God.
🕍 A chapel serves people where they are, in schools, hospitals, or houses of formation.

That’s why Mass in a hospital chapel can fulfill your Sunday obligation if it is a valid Mass celebrated by a Catholic priest (cf. Canon 1248 §1).
However, Catholics are ordinarily called to participate in Sunday Mass within their parish church, as a sign of belonging to the wider Church community.

The church is the home of the whole Body of Christ.
The chapel is a lamp lit in hidden places, where the Body of Christ is hurting, praying, recovering, or consecrated in silence.

WHAT ABOUT THE ADORATION CHAPEL?

Many people also refer to Adoration Chapels as “churches.”
But we must be clear:
An Adoration Chapel is a chapel, not a church.

It is a sacred space dedicated to Eucharistic Adoration,
A place where the Blessed Sacrament is exposed or reserved for silent, personal worship.

While deeply holy and spiritually powerful, an Adoration Chapel is not a parish church:

✝️ Mass is usually not celebrated there
⛪ It does not replace Sunday Mass obligation
🙏 It nourishes personal prayer, not the central liturgical life of the Church

Think of it this way:

- A parish church is where the family of God gathers together
- An Adoration Chapel is where individual hearts withdraw to keep watch with Jesus

Both are holy.
But they are not the same.

So the next time you say, “I went to the chapel,” or “I’m at the church,” ask yourself:
👉 Is this a parish church, a private chapel, or an adoration chapel?

✅ Respect the difference
✅ Reverence the space
✅ Worship the God who sanctifies both

God bless you 🙏

30/07/2025

29/05/2025

The Ascension is a liturgical Solemnity celebrated by all the Christian Churches. It falls on the fortieth day after Easter Sunday. Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Augustine make reference to it, but it was probably Saint Gregory of Nyssa who influenced the propagation of the feast. Since it falls on Thursday, in many countries, this Solemnity is transferred to the following Sunday. With his Ascension into heaven, the presence of the “historical Christ” comes to an end, and the presence of the Body of Christ, the Church, is inaugurated.

A new way of being
The text from Acts offers us some theological-spiritual coordinates to understand the mystery we are celebrating. The text says in Acts 1:11 that Jesus “was taken up”. It places emphasis that it was an action of God. A cloud “took him from their sight” (v. 9) recalls the image of the cloud on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:15), the cloud above the ark of the covenant (Ex. 33:9), and lastly, the cloud on the Mount of the Transfiguration (Mk. 9:7). Jesus’s Ascension into heaven, therefore, is not a “separation” but a different way of being. He explains why the disciples were “filled with joy” (see Lk. 24:52). Because Jesus died, rose, and now ascended, the gates of Heaven are open, the gates of eternal life. The “cloud of faith” that envelops our lives today is not an obstacle, but a way through which we can have a living and true experience of Jesus, since we have the certainty that if he has risen and ascended into heaven, the same destiny awaits us, since he is the first fruit (see 1 Cor. 15:20).

16/05/2025

All welcome⛪️🙏➕🌷💐