June 8, 2002 – Feast Day – Immaculate Heart of Mary – The day my mother died – Memorial – Song

My mother adored Mary. When mom prayed, she talked to Mary as if she were her best friend and neighbor. It was highly appropriate that she died on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She was an organist and singer. Her soprano voice was the most beautiful voice I ever heard and that includes all famous sopranos. She played and sang many weddings and always counseled the brides to choose the Ave Maria for one of the songs at the wedding.

Her grandmother was named Immaculata after the Immaculate Heart of Mary. She also adored Mar,y, and she died at the moment of The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary. My mother went to sing for the crowning, and when she returned, she found my great grandmother sitting up straight in a chair, with a rose on top of her head, dead. It was some kind of miracle because also great grandma knew and often said that she would die in the month of May, the month of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

When mom was 3 years old, she used to play the organ and sing for her Immaculata’s rosary group. They all clapped for her as if she was an absolute maestro, but she was just plunking on the keys and pretending to sing something. Regardless, it inspired my mother to be an organist and singer, and she made her living, along with my father, who also had a beautiful tenor voice, as a church musician. All their lives, my mother and father played and sang for Mass – so many Ave Marias. – On my mom’s gravestone is: “I will trust in the covert of thy wings” and on Dad’s gravestone, right next to her’s, is: Alleluia, Amen.

Reflection – Feast Day – The Blessed Trinity – Our Lady of the Blessed Trinity? Yes. Mother of God? Yes. Mother of the Blessed Trinity? No.

This year the feast of the Blessed Trinity occurred on June 7, 2020. It so happened that my twins were baptized on the Feast of the Blessed Trinity entirely without my instigation some years ago, now. But before launching into that story, let me say what I know and have heard in the Catholic world from priests and the catechism about the Blessed Trinity and Mother Mary. There are 3 persons in 1 God. They are one God. Picture a 3 leaf clover. Other than that, it is a mystery to us. Each person, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, all contain the infinite virtues: almighty, all loving, eternal, all-knowing, all-present, among others. Is the Father God? Yes. Is the Son God? Yes. Is the Holy Ghost God? Yes. Are there three Gods? No. There are three persons in one God. Also, the title of Mother of God has its roots in the Counsel of Ephesus in 431 AD.  Although Mary was the Mother of Jesus and therefore bears the title, Mother of God; the title, Mother of the Trinity, implies that Mother Mary is the mother of God the Father and the Holy Ghost which is not true.

My twins were in the hospital in the ICU nursery. They were born premature. I was 42 years old at the time. I had a C-section. My daughter held the finger of the doctor before she was born. My son was born first, and he was almost 5 lbs. My daughter was born second, and she was almost 4 pounds. Before I conceived them, I agonized over whether to keep having children because my two previous children had also been born prematurely. They both had a stint in the ICU, but they were both fine!

I prayed a lot to Mary about it and was given a sign that I knew was saying that I should continue to have children. My mother-in-law bought a blanket for my baby boy, Joe. I opened it and it had two puppies on it. It said, “We are hopeful about the future.” The puppies were babies and they were hopeful, and I had that feeling. I knew God was speaking to me. However, I did not know I’d have twins. When I thought back on that sign, it was amazing to me that there were two puppies!

So, the twins were in the hospital. But they were both sound. The doctor kept them there for observation and to increase the weights of both babies, especially the weight of my daughter. So, I wasn’t alarmed that they may be near death or anything and would need Baptism right away. I guess I didn’t know enough about it. But there was a lady at church who heard about their birth somehow. I don’t know how because I don’t think I told anyone. She called me and insisted on their immediate baptism.

I was a little put off at the time. She insisted, and I was dealing with a lot. I didn’t really think it was her business, but I figured I ought to try and be humble and accept her help because maybe Mother Mary was behind the whole thing. She arranged everything for me and the priest came to the hospital on Trinity Sunday which was a great blessing that I would not have received had I not listened to this lady from church!

Furthermore, when we say the family rosary together, on the 5th glorious mystery which is The Crowning of the Blessed Virgin Mary as queen of Heaven, each member of the family says a title of Mary that they have chosen from among her many titles before each Hail Mary of the Hail Marys of this decade. My youngest daughter, one of the twins, says, Mother of the Blessed Trinity, pray for us. Although I’ve recently learned that’s wrong , I haven’t had the heart to correct her, yet. It’s the one she chose.