“Magnify the Lord” is excerpted from Psalm 34:3: “O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together”. The psalmist expresses the desire of my heart – that I only magnify the Lord; that I inspire others to magnify the Lord with Mary and the Church.

Mary echoes the psalmist in her Magnificat, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant” (Lk 1:46).

The concept of “magnifying the Lord” never crossed my mind until Christ enlisted His Mother to intervene in my life. Mary was not subtle. She knew I needed a persistent nudge to awaken from my spiritual lethargy.

For a year, I resisted daily invitations to join a mother’s Rosary prayer group. I had forgotten the mysteries of the Rosary, and attending Sunday Mass mostly afforded me an hour’s sleep. No daily prayer, no scripture reading, no awareness of the rich treasury of saint’s writings, no appreciation for the liturgy, no real friendship with Christ. I prided myself on being fiercely independent and successful by worldly standards.

Thanks to the tenacity of a school mother whose child was in class with mine, I attended the Rosary prayer group, and each Friday my heart softened by praying the Rosary in community. I was changed. Shortly following, I was invited to assist a Nun in leading a pilgrimage to Lourdes, France.

At Lourdes, the full glory of Catholicism was displayed, my heart was broken open. The number of pilgrims from every continent; the hospital beds filled with sick patients wheeled to the Grotto for Eucharistic healing services; the nightly candlelit Rosary processions with unceasing choruses of “Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!”; the miraculous healing bathes, the incorrupt body of St. Bernadette. I was convinced! There is nothing more vital, life giving, beautiful than Catholicism. I wanted God. He convinced me that I was wanted by Him. He called me to daily Mass, adoration, mental prayer, spiritual formation courses, spiritual reading – especially the lives of the saints. He sent wise priest spiritual directors to guide me. This is the start of my story.

Christ then led me to the Cross. A family member was murdered. My marriage was turbulent. My health was challenged. I learned the power of sacrificial love. Grace supplied. The school of the Cross brought forth spiritual transformation. Now, I echo the psalmist, “O magnify the Lord with me, let us exalt his name together” - with Mary! May the resources on this website be of some help to you.