Is Mary Foreshadowed in the Old Testament?

By Edalat Hope from Virtue Books


Editor’s Note: Article originally published on December 29th, 2025.


If you’ve ever watched Dead Poets Society, you might notice something about that teacher.

He doesn’t dump all the information on the students at once.

Instead, he teaches them gradually, step by step. Only once they understand one concept does he move on to the next.

God teaches that way, too.

He doesn’t reveal the fullness of His plan all at once. That would be like teaching calculus to a five-year-old.

Instead, gradually, He builds truth upon truth to form spiritually mature people.

Even in the Old Testament, God uses this same method. He puts hints of who He really is and his future plans. When you realise this, it opens your eyes to an entirely new way of reading the Bible.

Many Jews didn’t fully understand Christ. But when they understood how verses from the Psalms, Law and Prophets quietly pointed to Jesus, then they converted.

The Apostles and Church Fathers understood this hidden thread that runs through scripture.

But Christ did not just appear on earth.

God’s plan to redeem humanity happened through Mary. It was through Mary that he chose to enter the world.

Mary’s life is inseparable from Christ’s mission. God’s perfect plan for redemption was that Mary, the sinless one, would bear the Redeemer.

What is less widely known, though, is that Mary herself is foreshadowed in the Old Testament. And it’s through a little something called typology.

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A 1325 Word Interview with Associated of Friends of Saint Carlo Acutis USA


Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed the Association of Friends of Saint Carlo Acutis USA, via email in the summer of 2026. Some of the questions/answers may have been rearranged, edited, and paraphrased to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.


For readers who may only know Saint Carlo Acutis as “the internet saint,” who was Carlo at the heart of his spirituality and daily life?

Saint Carlo Acutis was far more than the “internet saint.” At the heart of his life was a profound love for Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist. He attended Holy Mass frequently, spent time in Eucharistic Adoration, prayed the Rosary daily, and lived a life of charity by serving others with humility and joy.

Although he enjoyed computers, sports, and ordinary teenage activities, Carlo never allowed technology to become the center of his life. Instead, he used it as a tool to evangelize, always pointing people to Christ. His famous words, “The Eucharist is my highway to Heaven,” perfectly summarize his spirituality. Carlo reminds us that holiness is possible in everyday life when we place Jesus at the center of everything we do.

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Why Catholics Should Rediscover the Drops of Blood Devotion


Sponsored: This article is made possible by Frank & Myrrh, supporting quality and engaging Catholic content.


Some Catholic devotions are familiar from childhood. We learn the Rosary, walk the Stations of the Cross during Lent, or pray a novena before a saint’s feast day.

Others are less familiar, waiting in the Church’s treasury until we stumble across them.

The Drops of Blood devotion is one of those traditions.

At its heart, the devotion invites us to slow down and contemplate the Blood Jesus shed during His life and Passion. Instead of viewing Good Friday as a single event, we pause at particular moments of Christ’s suffering. We remember His agony in Gethsemane. The scourging. The crown of thorns pressed onto His head. His painful journey to Calvary. The nails driven into His hands and feet. The lance piercing His side.

Each moment brings us back to the same reality: Jesus gave Himself completely for us.

Devotion to Christ’s Blood is not about treating His Blood as something separate from Him or focusing on suffering for its own sake. The Blood belongs to Christ’s sacred humanity. When Catholics honor the Precious Blood, we honor Jesus Himself and remember the price He willingly paid on the Cross for our redemption.

Remembering Every Drop of Christ’s Blood

A traditional form of devotion to the Precious Blood meditates upon seven moments, sometimes called the seven “effusions,” in which Christ shed His Blood: His Circumcision, His agony in Gethsemane, His scourging, His crowning with thorns, His ascent to Calvary, His Crucifixion, and the piercing of His side.

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Mercy Without Limits: Trusting the Endless Love of God

Guest Post by: David Tonaszuck

A reflection on the Gospel of Matthew 15:21-28

Dear Friends in Christ,

There’s a story of a young father named Michael who, late one night, drove through a red light. He was tired, distracted, and simply didn’t see it. A police officer pulled him over and, seeing Michael’s anxiety and the sleeping baby in the backseat, asked what was wrong. Michael, exhausted and ashamed, confessed he’d lost his job that week, and was taking his feverish daughter to the hospital. He expected a ticket, maybe even harsh words. Instead, the officer paused, then quietly said, “I’ve been there. Let’s get you to the hospital safely.” He gave no ticket. He gave Michael mercy. That moment, Michael later said, felt like God’s love breaking into his darkest hour—unexpected, undeserved, but exactly what he needed.

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An 1147 Word Interview with Dr. Peter Howard


Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Dr. Peter Howard, founder and president of the Fulton Sheen Institute and the Fulton Sheen Movement, via phone on July 28th, 2026. I rearranged, edited, and paraphrased some of the questions and answers to improve the reader experience while preserving the integrity of the original responses.

Additional context: the Archbishop Fulton Sheen Foundation- based in Diocese of Peoria- all the canonical things goes through this organization- is distinct from the following: 

  1. Fulton Sheen Institute- that’s the formation arm (retreats pilgrimages, media)
  2. Fulton Sheen Movement- a non-profit to help get the beatification back on track

Can you share how you first became interested in Venerable Fulton Sheen?

I listened to a remastered recording of a 1974 retreat for priests and seminarians.

I knew by the end of the retreat that I had to make some big decisions and I knew that Fulton Sheen was going to be a big part of my life.

Fulton Sheen became my academic obsession when I was studying and working on my doctorate. I used every chance I had to share the word about Fulton Sheen. After my doctorate, I wanted to build something that wasn’t in existence. I started the Fulton Sheen Foundation in 2019. 

I know that the reintroduction of Sheen will lead to a resurgence of the priesthood and the New Evangelization. Over the last three years, I have been fighting for the beatification of Fulton Sheen. For example, when I saw Pope Leo XIV, in Rome as he was passing me by, I shouted out “Restart the cause for Fulton Sheen.” I believe the Holy Father heard me. It helps that Pope Leo is an American and was already familiar with Fulton Sheen.  

Everything in this journey with Fulton Sheen is being choreographed by God. We need someone to lead America into the next generation and that person is Fulton Sheen. 

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The Simple Catholic Sunday Funnies: Episode 36

Welcome to another The Simple Catholic Sunday Funnies! Growing up, one of my favorite parts of Sunday was flipping to the comics section of the newspaper: a little pocket of humor, color, and light-heartedness to start the week.

Now, in that same spirit, I’m excited to share this weekly collection of wholesome, funny Catholic comic strips. Thanks to the incredible talents of artists like Father Alvaro Comics, The Catholic Cartoonist, Sam Estrada, Tomics, and Fr. Michael DeBlanc. These comics bring a joyful twist to our shared faith, reminding us that laughter is one of God’s great gifts.

Enjoy Catholic comics!

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“Jesus Left the House”: When God Feeds in Abundance

By: Mauro Russo


Editor’s Note: Articles originally published on Pane Vivo.


A Reflection on Matthew 14:13-21

Jesus left the house, crossed the sea and withdrew to a deserted place. But the crowd followed him. And seeing them, he had compassion on them and healed the sick. This is the heart of Matthew 14:13-21, and every time I read it I stop on one word alone: compassion.

It is not the same as duty. It is not the same as giving alms. I can give alms without feeling anything for that person, for their poverty, for their pain. The gesture is concrete but remains cold, antiseptic. Compassion is something else: it is entering into another person’s pain, taking it on, feeling it as your own.

Jesus did not heal to build an audience. He had no need of recognition. He was the Almighty. Jesus healed because he loved. And those he healed felt it: they felt understood, not merely assisted.

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