Faithful Hearts

One of the first prayers a Catholic learns is "Hail Mary". A prayer speaking to Mary, mother of Jesus. Why are Catholics especially close to Mary, and what do we say to her through this prayer? Mary is the mother of Jesus. She was understood to be very young, according to modern standards, when she conceived Jesus. St Matthew recorded that Mary was found to be "with child of the Holy Spirit" when Mary was betrothed to Joseph. St Matthew described how the Angel of the Lord t

St Maximilian Kolbe is a saint in modern times - he experienced both the First and Second World Wars. Kolbe was born on 8 January 1894 as Raymond Kolbe in a low-income family with a German father and a Polish mother in Wola, a then Russian-occupied area. He developed his faith from a young age and recalled his vision of asking Mother Mary what was to become of him. Mother Mary asked him to choose between a white rose and a red rose - the former is for purity, while the latte

One of the humble moments in Catholic Mass is when we are invited to take the host, the bread and water that have been transubstantiated to become the body and blood of Christ. The priest raises the body and blood and says the prayer: "Behold the Lamb of God, Behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb." Cathedral of St John in Warsaw, as part of Old Town, is a World Heritage Site. The people pray by saying: "Lord, I am

St Martha is known for her hospitality, welcoming Jesus to her house. St John, in his Gospel, tells us that Jesus loves Martha, Mary and Lazarus. At home, Martha is an active woman, taking care of meals and other housework. This contrasts with the role of her sister, Mary, a contemplative model, who focuses on listening to Jesus. When Martha vented to Jesus about Mary leaving her alone to do all the work, Jesus comforted her lovingly, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and up

Some, even Catholics, ask: why do we pray to the saints? In 2021, Pope Francis published a letter addressing a frequently asked question: why do we pray to the saints? The answer has been included in the title of the letter: "praying in communion with the saints." (1) In other words, from the Catholic perspective, we do not pray to the saints, but we pray in communion with the Saints. St Don Bosco Statue in Turin, outside the Basilica of Our Lady Help of Christians Pope Fran