On this great solemnity, Fr. Chris reflects on the mystery at the heart of the Marian Fathers’ charism: the Immaculate Conception—God’s greatest act of mercy ever given to a creature. Despite the grief of losing his father just days earlier, he reminds us that Our Lady’s purity is the blueprint for our own path to holiness. Long before the dogma was defined in 1854, the Church cherished this truth in Scripture and Sacred Tradition, seen in Gabriel’s greeting, “Hail, full of grace,” revealing Mary as wholly transformed by divine life.

Saints Peter and Paul, whose feast day is June 29, are two heavyweights in the history of the Catholic Church. In fact, they were the original “Odd Couple”: one denied Christ after being chosen by Him, and the other was chosen by Christ after having denied Him. Father Chris Alar, MIC, explains how the future saints had something powerful in common: both were transformed by encountering Christ, the Living God.

The image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of the most known in all of Christianity. But what does it mean? Why do the Greek letters say? Why is Jesus' sandal hanging off of his foot? Why does Jesus, as a child, look like an adult? What do the colors signify? Fr. Chris Alar answers these questions and more.