Meditations on the Litany of Loreto  
She never committed even a venial sin, and this special privilege is not known to belong to anyone but Mary. – Saint John Henry Newman, Mediations on the Litany of Loreto
 
Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!
 
Happy Easter! 
 
On our Second Day of May, the Month of Mary, as we contemplate the Blessed Mother we do so with a recent saint, listening to his wisdom and allowing him to guide us toward a deeper understanding of a favorite Marian litany: Saint John Henry Newman’s Mediations on the Litany of Loreto.  In this series of mediations, Saint John Henry Newman offers a reflection on each of the titles of our Lady – this is a wonderful treasure in its own right, made more precious as Newman was a convert to Catholicism from Anglicanism.  Thus, his mediations on the Blessed Mother (a typical stumbling block for Protestant Converts) offer a great help to every member of the Catholic Church in our devotion for the Mother of God. Saint John Henry Newman’s own thoughts on Mary developed from praising the holiness of the Mother of Christ as an Anglican preacher to defending Mary’s role as intercessor in “ Certain Difficulties Felt by Anglicans in Catholic Teaching Considered.”  An article summarizing the mediations on the Litany of Loreto by Saint John Henry Newman can be found here.
 
A quick aside, Saint John Henry Newman was a 19th century theologian, poet, Catholic priest and cardinal. Born in 1801, he was before his conversion a well-known and well-respected Oxford academic, Anglican preacher, and public intellectual.  Newman’s 1845 conversion to the Catholic faith was controversial in England, and resulted in the loss of many friends, including his own sister who never spoke to him again. In October of last year (2019), Pope Francis declared Cardinal John Henry Newman a saint. That same month, the pope elevated the December 10 ^th to be the Feast of Our Lady of Loreto to the Church’s universal Roman Calendar.  (Also, this is not the same Saint John Nepomucene Neumann of Philadelphia… instrumental in establishing Catholic Schools and Eucharistic Devotions… although their names are pronounced the same, two unique Saints – more on our beloved Saint John Nepomucene Neumann at another time…)
 
The Litany of Loreto is a beautiful and ancient prayer – highly encouraged during the Month of May, at any devotion offered to Our Lady (even to conclude the Rosary).  The titles of Mary come to us from the devotions at the ‘Holy House of Loreto’ – the house purportedly where Mary received the Lord Jesus as her son in her womb, at the Annunciation.  This house is in Italy, a great place of pilgrimage… more on how this house moved from Nazareth to Italy is found in an article on the Holy House of Loreto.  In a homily in 1995, Saint Pope John Paul II called the Holy House of Loreto, “the house of all God’s adopted children.” He continued: “The threads of the history of the whole of humankind are tied anew in that house. It is the Shrine of the House of Nazareth, to which the Church that is in Italy is tied by providence, that the latter rediscovers a quickening reminder of the mystery of the Incarnation, thanks to which each man is called to the dignity of the Son of God.”
 
As we continue in this beautiful month of May – no doubt the final hours of April provided plenty of Spring rain for flowers! – let us praise the Lord though our devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Pray the Rosary each and every day!  And… as you are inclined, seek the intercession, protection, and guidance of the Mother of God through the Litany of Loreto! 
 
 
Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!
 
 
 
Know of my prayers for you, please pray for me!
 
Father Wilke
 
Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us!