These reflections are a result of more than 40 years of ministry as a Roman Catholic priest. Most of these years I spent in the Diocese of Charlotte which covers Western North Carolina. Now I am retired, and live in Medellín, Colombia where I continue to serve as a priest in the Archdiocese of Medellín.

Queenship of Mary, August 22

I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors; you shall be my people, and I will be your God. (Ez 36:23-28)
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/082224.cfm
A new heart, a new spirit. As we come to the conclusion of the prophecy of Ezekiel, the prophet offers hope and a renewal of the covenant: “You shall be my people, and I will be your God.” Today is the octave day of the feast of the Assumption of Mary. We celebrate Mary as queen because she is the Mother of the King of Heaven, her son Jesus Christ. One of the most popular Christmas carols in Colombia is Salve, Reina y Madre (Hail, Queen and Mother).