St. Mary's is open on Saturdays 

 from 9:30 to 5:00 and this Saturday, 

 February, 27th we will also 

 have a book table at the 

Catholic Men of Faith Conference from 7-3 at St. Philip's Catholic Church in Franklin, TN. 

Looks like it's going to be a great day!

Fr. Jacques Philippe

Fr. Jacques Philippe was in town last week speaking at the Aquinas Forum on the Dominican Campus which is home to Overbrook School, St. Cecilia Academy and Aquinas College. All of his books are wonderful and would be great during this Lenten Season or any other season for all that matter. Highly recommend!

St. Valentine

Writings on St. Valentine usually begin, "Very little is known about this Saint". And yet, people all over the world celebrate this day every year, thinking about the ones they love and possibly marking the day with gifts of flowers or candy or dinner. Why? Could it be possible that a bishop in the Third Century was martyred because he believed in the sanctity of marriage? Could there have been a bishop who performed weddings for those in love despite the mandates of the Emperor Claudius? Claudius, constantly at war, was desperately in need of soldiers. He felt that men would never enlist if they feared having to leave a wife and family. So, he cancelled all marriages in hopes of strengthening his army. Valentine had to perform weddings in secret. He was determined to keep the Sacrament of Marriage, well, sacred. Captured and thrown in jail to be sentenced, could he have possibly had mercy on one of the Judge's daughters who were blind? Legends tell that Valentine prayed for God to heal the little girl then left a note that read, "your Valentine" before he was put to death.

I can certainly believe that there was and still are those who believe in love. The love of Christ. The love between two young people. The love of one man or one woman for others. And, I certainly believe that there was and still are those who believe in the journey of life and love, the struggle of the journey and the need to go against the grain of society. I certainly believe that even when our beliefs are tainted by laws there is still a basic good in man, there is still love and that good and that love is God. And I can certainly believe that there was once a man of God who believed in the power of love and the sacredness of Marriage and was willing to die for his beliefs, for his faithfulness, for love. All for love!

Happy St. Valentine's Day to all! We love our customers!

What We Choose for 40 Days

There are many, many great titles we can choose to accompany us on our journey through the Lenten Season. There are many, many authors with wonderful reflections teaching us to take time, to meditate, to find ways to love more fully, to show mercy, to imitate the Saints or the Fathers of the Church or Pope Francis. There are those of us who will choose more than one book and there are those of us who will choose nothing. There are those of us who will give up something and there are those of us who will add something for another and there are those who will do both. Our children may ask others what they are doing for Lent. Adults tend to keep those questions more to themselves even though we may be curious. We are human. We do like other people's ideas, sometimes better than our own. We love good recommendations. We love partnership.

The point is that regardless of all of the above, today we celebrate Ash Wednesday. We acknowledge the beginning of Lent, of 40 days to do something. We acknowledge the truth that we are to blow the trumpet and proclaim a fast. We are to be ambassadors for Christ and we are to reconcile. We are to go to our inner rooms, to close the door and to pray. We are not to look gloomy or neglect our appearance. We are reminded that we are dust and to dust we shall return. The point is that today we are called to begin a 40 day journey to change, a journey toward God, a journey for something more.

Let's go. Together. And if along the way, you need a little encouragement, a push, a small reminder, stop by. I'm sure we could use the same. That's a large part of what we're here for!