The most common question students got wrong in my catechism class was related to the teaching of the Immaculate Conception. Nearly all the students thought the Church is referring to Jesus. Instead, the Immaculate Conception is referring to the Blessed Virgin Mary!
According to Pope Pius IX in his encyclical Ineffabilis Deus, “The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”
The angel Gabriel testifies to the holiness of Mary in Luke 1:28 by greeting her, “Hail, favored one full of grace.” Mary’s perfect obedience to God’s will of selecting her to bear the Son of God is another instance of her holiness.
How was Mary Saved
I once heard a priest describe Mary’s salvation this way. Imagine that humanity fell into a muddy pit. This caused our first parents (Adam and Eve) to get dirty with the stain of sin.
In order for mankind to be purified or washed from this imperfection God instituted the sacrament of Baptism. Mary did not need Baptism (and the other sacraments) for salvation because God saved her from falling into the pit (of sin) in the first place!
Mary is not a deity to be worshiped. Her role as in salvation history is that of Jesus Christ’s Mother. The Son of God is still the focal point of our hearts, mind, and soul.
To Jesus through Mary
We can look to Our Blessed Mother as a guide, a signpost, and a beacon that orients us toward God. Throughout Church Tradition, the Old Testament signs of Noah’s ark and Jacob’s ladder are interpreted as symbols of Mary. The Blessed Virgin acts as a bridge or intercessor between us and Christ. She is NOT a replacement for Christ.
The beauty and grandeur of Mary exists because she is the perfect mirror. Immaculately conceived and without sin. That was the mysterious plan of God. She reflects God’s love outward toward all of humanity. May we continue to grow closer to God and learn from the humble example of Mary to obey God in all things!
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed John Preiss, president of Fatima Family Apostolate, via phone on October 24th, 2025. Some of the questions/answers have been rearranged, edited, and paraphrased to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
Carrying on Father Fox’s Legacy
Fatima Family Apostolate was founded by Father Robert J. Fox nearly forty years ago. How do you continue his mission today?
He founded in 1986 and what we do today through our media, our website, and the materials he wrote (over 50 books) we spread the message of Fatima to families. The main thing we focus on is praying the Rosary daily, wearing the Brown Scapular, and doing the First Saturday Devotion.
The Heart of the Fatima Message
Many Catholics know the basics of Fatima—the apparitions, the Rosary, and the call to conversion—but fewer grasp its full depth. What do you think is the most misunderstood or overlooked part of the Fatima message today?
I think just living it out in your daily life. We have Catholics that come to the shrine that haven’t heard about Fatima. We have so many different Marian devotions. People don’t realize that the Fatima message (I call it the CARE- Confession, Adoration, Rosary, and the Eucharist) and the First Saturday Devotion is the nucleus to our faith.
Family Life and Fatima
The Apostolate emphasizes the family as the foundation of faith. How can modern families—often busy, distracted, and digitally saturated—practically live out the message of Fatima in their homes?
What we have to do as parents is to set aside time for the message of Fatima. After work we are tired, the kids are running around. It’s about commitment. We commit to soccer, swimming, and other things. There’s so many opportunities, but we as parents need to be committed to praying the Rosary together as a family. So we set a time around 7:30pm to pray the Rosary as a family.
My wife and I were already praying the Rosary by ourselves. When you have a lot of children like we do the more structure you have, especially in prayer it just works out better for everyone.
Image courtesy of John Preiss.
Mary as Model and Mother
As someone deeply devoted to Our Lady, how has your own relationship with Mary grown through your work? Can you share a moment when you personally experienced her intercession or maternal guidance?
I definitely have grown, it’s been a spiritual blessing to be a part of this apostolate. As a convert in 2000, I didn’t have a devotion to Mary prior to my conversion. Meeting Fr. Fox and learning about Fatima has been helpful in my prayer life.
There was an instance where my niece was in an accident, hit by an 18 wheeler, and we prayed the Rosary and I got a sense that things will work out.
I also remember when, before I was a part of the apostolate (around 2008), I was in Adoration. Fr. Fox was ill and stressed at this time. I went to church and asked Our Lady and Our Lord for a sign of how I could help Fr. Fox, and I heard church bells. I didn’t believe it so I asked them again how I could help Fr. Fox. And I heard the bells again.
Fr. Fox soon after made me the executor of his will and Vice President of the Fatima Family Apostolate.
Evangelizing Through Media
Your website and blog are vibrant resources for formation and inspiration. How do you see digital evangelization—especially blogging and social media—helping to renew Marian devotion in our time?
I see that you can make videos to reach more people. The Internet and social media can be bad but it can be used for good. I see now that I can do 10x more today than I could 10-15 years ago.
It’s so much easier to create products and start a blog than ever before. God has given us the resources and the ability to evangelize and we have to use every tool at our disposal to bring people to the faith.
Fatima and the World Today
Looking at the cultural and moral challenges we face globally, how do you see the message of Fatima speaking prophetically into our current moment?
Fatima is a message that is timeless. The thing we need to focus on now is the First Saturday devotions. Some say we need to do the consecration to Russia, we have a letter from Sr. Lucia saying that the consecration was done in 1984 by Saint Pope John Paul II. We can get caught up in various conspiracies, but if we want peace in our world we need to pray for peace. The message of Fatima is even more relevant. We need to live out the messages of Fatima and not the controversies.
Hope for the Future
What gives you hope as you look to the future of the Church and the families you serve?
I see that the young people are coming to church. The priests coming out of seminarians are more on fire for the faith. Your age group (millennials) is trying to develop their prayer life.
What does the CARE program bring us to? It’s to the triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And First Saturday Devotion is the way to strengthen families. Will we have total peace? Probably not, but it will be a different kind of peace, a peace in our hearts that God is in control.
There’s one parish in our diocese that has four Latin Masses each Sunday. It’s neat to see the young families. And the goal is to have them pass the faith onto their children.
We have to have a generational change in the Church. Where we can teach our children to pass on the faith to their children. And I hope that continues. That’s how the world gets better, when we are practicing our faith. It might take a few generations to notice the changes.
Are there upcoming projects or initiatives from Fatima Family Apostolate that readers can look forward to?
The main project is promoting Fr. Fox’s books Eucharist: Heaven and Earth Unite. We also have a museum and it’s on the road to the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Hanceville. We have first class relics of Saints Jacinta and Francisco.
We are looking to do an event at our center in May 2026.
About John Preiss:
John C. Preiss is the Director of the Fatima Family Apostolate and an accomplished Catholic author dedicated to promoting devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and deepening the faith of families worldwide. As a convert to the Catholic Church, John brings a passionate and personal perspective to his ministry. John and his wife Teresa, reside in Hanceville, Alabama with their ten children.
In the autumn of 1873, Saint John Bosco shared a vision with his spiritual director that would crystallize the spiritual wisdom of his entire life’s work. In this dream, he beheld the Church as a mighty ship besieged by enemy vessels bent on her destruction. Yet amid the chaos and bombardment, two towering columns rose from the sea, steadfast and unshakeable. One was crowned with a statue of the Immaculate Virgin, bearing the inscription “Help of Christians.” The other, taller and more enduring still, supported a Eucharistic Host and proclaimed “Salvation of believers.” The Pope, steering the flagship through the storm, safely moored the Church to these two columns. At that moment, all enmity dissolved.
For Bosco, this vision was no mere spiritual fantasy. It was the culmination of decades spent educating poor and neglected youth. It revealed the deepest conviction of his pedagogical mission: that the salvation and flourishing of souls rests entirely upon devotion to Mary and frequent reception of the Eucharist. To understand Saint John Bosco as a teacher is to understand him as a herald of these two pillars, and to grasp their central importance for Catholic life today.
The Foundation: Reason, Religion, and Love
Don Bosco’s approach to education, which he termed the “Preventive System,” stands in sharp contrast to the harsh disciplinary methods of his era. Where other educators relied on fear, punishment, and distance, Bosco built his entire method on a trinomial foundation: reason, religion, and love. This was not mere sentimentality. It was a profound theological conviction about the nature of the human person and the work of formation.
The Preventive System sought to prevent faults rather than punish them after the fact. Bosco believed that young people, prone to fickleness and distraction, often stumbled not from malice but from momentary forgetfulness or weakness. A strict system of repression might stop disorder, but it could never transform hearts. It would breed resentment, bitterness, and revenge—scars that lasted into adulthood. Instead, Bosco positioned educators as loving fathers who would walk alongside their charges, offering counsel, warning them of dangers ahead, and drawing them toward goodness through affection and trust.
The genius of Bosco’s method lay in its recognition that education is fundamentally a work of the heart. An educator must first be loved before he can be respected. He must be present, not as a distant authority, but as a benefactor invested in each student’s welfare. This way, the educator becomes a cherished guide, whose words and counsel stay with the student long after school ends.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Father Edward Looney via phone call on July 1st, 2025. We have rearranged and edited some of the questions. This provides the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
You’ve written and spoken extensively about the Blessed Mother. What first sparked your devotion to Mary, and how has that relationship deepened over time?
What really started it was—I joke—I came out of the womb loving Mary. My mother and father were separated by the time I was born. I grew up in Oconto, WI, and in my hometown, there was a woman who organized pilgrimages to Medjugorje. And I think she had a great influence on Marian devotion in our parish. I remember starting later with rosaries.
Once you realize our Catholic tradition is 2,000 years old, and once you start reading the Early Church Fathers, it only deepens your devotions. The writings and quotes of the saints inspired me too.
In your book A Heart Like Mary’s, you offer practical ways to imitate Our Lady. What’s one Marian virtue you personally find the most challenging to practice as a priest?
Sponsored: This article is made possible by Matrivi supporting quality and engaging Catholic content.
The Memorare prayer begins with “Remember” – a gentle reminder that we can approach the Blessed Virgin Mary with confidence in her unfailing intercession. This beautiful prayer encapsulates a profound theological truth that resonates with the heart of the Catholic faith: Mary serves as our surest guide to her Son, Jesus Christ. Like a well-worn path that leads home, Mary provides the most direct route to encounter Christ in our spiritual journey.
Where Mary is, so too is Jesus. This simple yet profound theology is evident even to children who instantly recognize Mother and Son in holy icons. The innocence of a child pointing to an image and exclaiming “Gee-sus! Mary!” captures perfectly what the Church Fathers spent centuries articulating. Mary’s primary purpose is always to lead us to Christ.
For many Catholics, the Memorare holds a special place in their hearts. Learning this prayer word by word in middle school classrooms creates lasting memories that grow more meaningful with time and deeper understanding of Mary’s role in salvation. Mary’s constant maternal care for the faithful throughout centuries doesn’t leave anyone who seeks her help “unaided.” The prayer confidently asserts this truth not merely as poetic language, but as a testament to her enduring protection.
Mary: The Theological GPS to Christ
Like a divine GPS, Mary unfailingly guides us toward her Son. She doesn’t simply point the way – she accompanies us on the journey, offering direction, protection, and unwavering love. As the “Star of the Sea” (Stella Maris), Mary serves as our guiding light through life’s often turbulent waters, leading us unerringly to the safe harbor that is Christ.
The name “Matrivi” beautifully captures this concept, combining the Latin “matri” (mother) with “vi” (road, way, journey). Mary is both mother and path – the one who nurtures us spiritually while simultaneously showing us the way to Jesus. In John’s Gospel, Mary’s instruction at the wedding feast of Cana perfectly encapsulates her mission: “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5). Her words always direct us to listen to and follow her Son.
Mary’s role as our spiritual guide was highlighted by Pope Pius X when he referred to her as the “Destroyer of Heresies.” False teachings lead us down incorrect paths, but Mary, through her perfect obedience and unwavering faith, always illuminates the true path to salvation. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux aptly described Mary as “the neck” through which “the body is joined to the head,” emphasizing her unique role in connecting the faithful (the Body of Christ) to Jesus (the Head).
Throughout history, Marian apparitions have served as divine “checkpoints,” helping humanity return to the right path when we’ve strayed. From Guadalupe to Lourdes to Fatima, Mary has appeared with messages of prayer, penance, and return to her Son. These apparitions reinforce her role as our spiritual guide, always gently redirecting our attention to Christ.
The Humble Connector of Divine Grace
The image of Mary as “the neck of the Body of Christ” beautifully illustrates her humble yet crucial role. There’s nothing flashy about a neck – its primary function is to connect the head to the rest of the body. Similarly, Mary’s humility shines throughout Scripture, from her troubled response to Gabriel’s greeting to her quiet presence at the foot of the cross.
Despite receiving more titles and honors than any other saint, Mary remains the model of humility. As Saint Bernard noted, “It is not hard to be humble in a hidden life, but to remain so in the midst of honors is a truly rare and beautiful virtue.” Mary’s humility makes her the perfect channel of grace from Christ to his Church.
We Confidently Find Jesus through Mary
When we pray the Memorare with sincere hearts, we acknowledge Mary’s unique position in salvation history. The prayer’s confidence – “never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection… was left unaided” – stems from Mary’s perfect alignment with God’s will. She never keeps grace for herself but always directs it toward those in need, just as she directed the servants at Cana to her Son.
The Memorare invites us to approach Mary as “Mother of the Word Incarnate,” reminding us of the Council of Ephesus’ declaration of Mary as Theotokos (God-bearer). This title protects the truth of Christ’s full humanity and divinity. Mary’s motherhood ensures that Jesus is truly one of us while remaining fully God – a mystery we can approach with confidence through her intercession.
As we wear or gift a Miraculous Medal from Matrivi, we carry a tangible reminder of Mary’s guidance. Each medal becomes a small compass pointing us toward Christ, a physical manifestation of the spiritual reality that Mary always leads us to Jesus. In praying the Memorare, we recognize that through Mary, we find our most reliable path to Christ – a journey of truth, beauty, and ultimately, eternal life.
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According to St. John Paul II, “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Families are a microcosm of society. The breakdown of the family unit is the greatest tragedy of our lifetime.
Living with other people is challenging.
Raising children is a full-time job. It’s an underappreciated and exhausting job. There is no parent manual. Too many unique circumstances exist for a clear-cut black and white rulebook. Right?!
While the details of parenthood can be debatable, there is a blueprint to raising a family with grace and love. This model is found by examining the Holy Family! Jesus. Mary. Joseph.
An analysis of Scripture and Traditional Catholic teaching will show us that the Holy Family’s love, obedience to God’s will, humility, and patience give you an example of how to foster meaningful and lasting relationships with your friends, spouses, children, and neighbors.
Model for the Family
In his Angelus on December 31st, 2006, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI declared, “The Holy Family of Nazareth is truly the “prototype” of every Christian family which, united in the Sacrament of Marriage and nourished by the Word and the Eucharist, is called to carry out the wonderful vocation and mission of being the living cell not only of society but also of the Church, a sign and instrument of unity for the entire human race.
Jesus displayed obedience to his parents. This truth is shown in the tradition of the Catholic Church. The opening Antiphon in the Divine Office for the Feast of the Holy Family is “Come let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who was obedient to Joseph and Mary.” Simple yet profound!
Imagine being God and still able to submit yourself to the authority of your father and mother.
Silence leads to sanctity
Guess how many words of St. Joseph did the Evangelists record in the Gospels? If you guessed a whopping ZERO then you are correct my friend! Though included in the key infancy and adolescent scenes of Jesus’ life the foster father of our Lord said nothing!
The adage “actions speaks louder than words” applies more directly to St. Joseph than arguably any other person in history– as we can only analyze his actions. Cardinal Robert Sarah in The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise plainly stated, “Man must make a choice: God or nothing, silence or noise.” Using Sarah’s logic Joseph not only clearly, but overwhelmingly chose God!
Joseph’s ability to heed the Angel’s message to flee the wrath of King Herod demonstrates a complete trust and dependence on God. The noise of life yanks me in different directions– all away from God. Looking to the silent saint as a role model helps to remind me of the importance of asking the Lord for help.
St. Joseph provides the ideal for what it means to be a kind and loving father and man. More than ever this world needs strong men to be role models for their families and communities.
Humility overcomes Hubris
According to St. Louis de Montfort, “The Son of God became man for our salvation but only in Mary and through Mary.” Mary is honored because of her humility and obedience to the will of God. Her YES to God’s plan was the pathway by which Jesus entered our world.
Like St. Joseph, Mary’s trust in God was evident in her obedience, despite the unique circumstances the Holy Family was in.
Conclusion
Due to Original Sin, humanity suffers a fractured relationship with God. The Mystery of the Incarnation involved God becoming man in the Person of Jesus Christ. Divine Love selected Joseph of Nazareth to be the legal and foster father of Jesus Christ and protector of Mary. Mary was chosen to be the mother of the Son of God.
St. John Paul II closed his Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris Consortio by saying, “I entrust each family to Him, to Mary, and to Joseph.”
May all men reflect upon the silent, humble, and diligent example of the Holy Family. And may the Holy Spirit grant us opportunities to be holier versions of ourselves!
A few days ago, my wife sent me a text that I never expected. It simply read, “No apple orchard this year😢 ,” accompanied by a screenshot from our favorite apple orchard. The notice from the Orchard explained,
“APPLE UPDATE: An update we are devastated to share…With great sadness, we are not able to offer U-Pick Apples out in the orchard this season. Due to the spring drought and apple thrip pest, our trees just weren’t able to produce the harvest we had hoped for.”
Disappointment washed over me as I absorbed this news. When you spend months looking forward to something the letdown is pretty steep when your hopes are dashed. This experience led me to contemplate the connection between life’s disappointments and spiritual dryness.
Part 2: Understanding Spiritual Aridity
Spiritual dryness, an often-overlooked aspect of our faith journey, cuts to the core of our spiritual walk. We’ve all experienced those profound moments of connection with our faith, those times when the presence of God felt tangible and reassuring. But what occurs when that profound sensation suddenly evaporates? This experience can be overwhelming, especially if it’s our first encounter with spiritual aridity. However, it’s crucial to understand that this arid phase isn’t a judgment on our worthiness or dedication. Rather, it’s a facet of our spiritual journey, a terrain we’re meant to traverse, not an indictment of our faith.
As we explore this intricate topic, let’s take a page from the saints’ playbook. These remarkable individuals, who left their indelible mark on our faith, also grappled with spiritual dryness in their journeys. Amidst their spiritual desolation, they discovered that these periods weren’t indicative of their lack of holiness or spiritual effort. Instead, they realized that God, in His divine wisdom, allows souls to undergo these purgative periods to deepen their relationship with Him. This profound insight serves as our guiding light. It reminds us that our own spiritual dryness isn’t a verdict on our devotion but an invitation to fortify our faith.
When the wellsprings of spiritual consolation seem to have run dry and our souls yearn for the divine presence, let us remember that this spiritual dryness is a natural part of our journey. Draw inspiration from the saints who navigated this arid terrain. We find solace in knowing that these droughts aren’t desolation but opportunities for spiritual growth and a deepening of our relationship with God.
Part 3: Transforming Aridity into Wonder
In an article I wrote for Catholic Exchange, I explored “Three Ways to Turn Spiritual Aridity into Wonder.” Drawing inspiration from saints like St. Teresa of Calcutta, St. Maria Faustina, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross, I learned that dryness in prayer is not an indictment of our spirituality. Instead, it’s an opportunity for growth. Much like a desert, periods of spiritual dryness can serve as a place of purification and transformation.
Look to the Sacraments as Spiritual Oases
Just as travelers in a parched land seek water with utmost urgency, those facing spiritual aridity yearn for a source of spiritual refreshment. These oases in the desert, are the sacraments that Christ instituted to sustain us throughout life’s various stages. The sacraments, such as the Eucharist and Confession, stand as omnipotent oases, ever-flowing sources of God’s grace.
Living Water: A Promise from Christ
Recalling the story of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4, we are reminded of His promise of living water. While this living water is not the physical water necessary for our survival, it symbolizes the grace found in the sacraments. These sacramental oases never run dry; they patiently await our journey to their wellsprings to receive God’s abundant grace.
According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (paragraph 1210):
“Christ instituted the sacraments of the new law. There are seven: Baptism, Confirmation (or Chrismation), the Eucharist, Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. The seven sacraments touch all the stages and all the important moments of Christian life: they give birth and increase, healing and mission to the Christian’s life of faith. There is thus a certain resemblance between the stages of natural life and the stages of the spiritual life.”
Journey to the Well: The Sacrament of Confession
At the end of a particularly challenging week I recognized the need to address my issues with anger and impatience at home. Seeking spiritual refreshment, I ventured to a nearby Catholic Church to confess my sins to a priest.
In that moment, the priest stood in Personi Christi, embodying the authority to forgive sins through the sacrament of Holy Orders. This power, passed down from Jesus to His Apostles—the first Catholic priests (John 20:22-23)—allowed me to receive the healing graces of Confession.
Armed with this newfound grace, I returned home better equipped to confront the temptations of anger and impatience that had plagued me. Just as travelers in the desert find solace in the oasis, I found solace in the sacrament, knowing that these spiritual oases never run dry, always offering refreshment to those who seek them.
Follow the Caravan
Autumn has always held a special place in my heart. It’s a season when nature’s vibrant hues signal the transition from the warm embrace of summer to the crisp embrace of fall. One of my favorite autumn traditions has been visiting the local apple orchard with my family. There’s a unique joy in wandering through rows of apple trees surrounded by the fragrant aroma of ripe fruit. Last year, we missed out on this experience due to a hectic schedule and an early frost that closed the orchard prematurely. So, this year, I eagerly anticipated our visit. Little did I know, a message from my wife would take me on a surprising journey, sparking thoughts about the connection between life’s disappointments and spiritual dryness.
We’re not meant to walk our Christian journey alone. Just as travelers in the desert rely on one another for support, we should seek assistance from our fellow believers. Building a network of friendships and seeking guidance from trusted individuals can provide much-needed companionship on our spiritual journey.
In my article “Catholic Camaraderie: Unity in Suffering, I emphasized the importance of finding a community to support and uplift us in our prayer life. In our shared faith, we discover the strength that comes from praying together and bearing one another’s burdens. This sense of unity in suffering reinforces the idea that our Catholic faith isn’t just an individual endeavor but a communal one.
As we navigate the spiritual terrain, building connections within the Church provides a support system that extends beyond the pews. Trusted friends and mentors offer guidance, share their experiences, and help us persevere through our own trials. Following the caravan of fellow believers allows us to draw strength, solace, and inspiration from the Catholic community, making our spiritual journey not only more bearable but also deeply enriching. In unity, we find the companionship and encouragement needed to endure the desert’s challenges and emerge stronger in our faith.
Look to Mary in the Dark Night
In times of spiritual aridity we can turn our gaze toward the gentle presence of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Venerable Fulton Sheen poignantly captured the essence of Mary’s role when he said, “The Blessed Virgin Mary reflects her divine son. Without him, she is nothing. With him, she is the mother of men.” This profound statement encapsulates the beautiful truth that Mary, like the moon reflecting the light of the sun, illuminates our path and guides us to her Son, even when we struggle to feel His immediate presence.
Just as the moon’s glow lights the way for travelers in the night, Mary’s spiritual radiance can lead us to her Son, Jesus. Her intercession has been likened to the moon’s light breaking through the darkest night. Through her unwavering love and maternal care, she provides solace and guidance, reminding us that even in the darkest moments of our spiritual journey, Mary is there to lead us to her Son’s loving embrace.
One profound example of Mary’s role as our spiritual guide is seen in her journey from heartache to hope. Just as the moon’s glow dispels the darkness, Mary’s intercession can pierce the darkness of our struggles and lead us to the radiant presence of Jesus. Her enduring love and guidance offer hope, transforming despair into a deep and abiding faith.
Final Harvest: Wrapping Up 🍎🍏
As I reflect on these three ways to transform spiritual dryness into wonder, I’m reminded of the unexpected turn of events this year. Although we couldn’t visit our local apple orchard, my mom surprised us with apples from her city’s orchard. In that unexpected moment of generosity, I found a glimpse of the wonder that can emerge from life’s disappointments. Just as we can find refreshment in the midst of a dry orchard season, we can also find spiritual renewal during our moments of spiritual aridity. It’s all part of the journey.
So, when life leaves you feeling parched, remember, the oasis is closer than you think. Seek solace in the sacraments, companionship with your fellow travelers, and guidance from the Mother who reflects the divine. In this way, even the driest of deserts can become places of profound spiritual wonder.
