There’s a hidden prayer in the final petition of the Hail Mary

“Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.”  I learned these words early in childhood. I learned the sounds, the placement of the pauses; I even mastered the art of blending my voice with other voices to form a united wave of supplication. But after years of Hail Marys, one day it dawned on me that there was a hidden petition in the final words.  More from Aleteia>>>

“Little Nellie of Holy God”–The Toddler Who Inspired a Pope*

Ellen Organ was born on August 24, 1903 in what was known as the “married quarters” of the Royal Infantry Barracks in Waterford, Ireland. Her dad, William, was a soldier in the British army. Shortly after Ellen’s birth she was baptized into the faith at the Church of the Trinity. No one knows why, but from that point on Ellen Organ was called “Nellie”. More from Catholic 365>>>

Homily: The Annunciation and Laetare Sunday

Today — today only, not tomorrow — is a double celebration. As the rose vestments attest, it’s the Laetare Sunday Vigil, “laetare” meaning “Rejoice!” in Latin — the fourth Sunday of Lent, a marker that we’re more than halfway through our Lenten journey to the Easter Triduum, which the Catechism calls “the source of light” that “fills the whole liturgical year with its brilliance.” That light of the Easter Triduum shines especially brightly this weekend of Laetare Sunday, and we rejoice in anticipation of the great celebration of our Lord’s resurrection three weeks from now.  More from the National Catholic Register>>>