A Mother in the Order of Grace

I'm happy to announce that I'll be contributing to the Catholic portal over at Patheos.  You'll find me at the "Summa This, Summa That" blog... "where ancient faith meets modern life."

(As you might expect from the likes of me, I must credit Our Lady for her influence and for every writing gig that comes my way... and so my first post is all about her!  Thanks, too, to Elizabeth Scalia for the vote of confidence.)

Here's a snippet:

She stands out in my garden, hands open wide to transmit love and grace to the world.  In this posture she is known as “Our Lady of Grace.”  My 3-foot statue depicts Mary, the Blessed Virgin Mother, through whom God did some of his greatest work.

To some of my neighbors, she represents “old school” Catholicism – a relic from bygone days. To others, she may be nothing more than outdoor décor – somewhat taller than a garden gnome, but more dainty than an animal cast in stone.

To me, her graceful motherly image reminds me that this ancient faith is, indeed, ever new, intersecting with my modern life. The Blessed Virgin Mother’s influence still holds sway in my life, and in the teaching of the Catholic Church.

Read the rest here.