Michael Gaitley Quotes & Sayings

When we pray the Rosary, the goal is not so much to reflect on the words of the Hail Mary prayer itself. Rather, the Hail Marys are meant to be a kind of "background music" that helps us enter into contemplation of the mysteries. This background music is like the gentle hand of a mother on our shoulders, standing behind us, getting us to look at Jesus, contemplate his face, and love him through his mother's eyes, mind, and heart. — Michael Gaitley

Mary's new motherhood is not some vague or abstract sort of thing. It's concrete and personal. And even though it's universal, it's also intensely particular. Mary is your mother. She is my mother. In this light, John Paul thinks it's significant that Mary's new motherhood on Calvary is expressed in the singular, "Behold, your son" not "Behold, your billions of spiritual children." The Pope gets to the heart of it when he says, "Even when the same woman is the mother of many children, her personal relationship with each one of them is of the very essence of motherhood."98 In short: Mary is uniquely, particularly, personally your mother and my mother, and she doesn't lose us in the crowd. — Michael Gaitley

In times of unprecedented evil, God wants to give unprecedented grace. For, as St. Paul wrote, "Where sin abounds grace abounds all the more" (Rom 5:20). — Michael Gaitley

The Holy Spirit does not act except through the Immaculata, his spouse. Hence, she is the Mediatrix of all the graces of the Holy Spirit. — Michael Gaitley

Unfortunately, we may not always fully enter into the mysteries of Christ, because we don't persevere in praying the Rosary. We forget that, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches, prayer can be a real battle (135). Sometimes the attacks in this battle are dryness in praying the Rosary. Well we should keep praying it. Sometimes as we get ready to pray the Rosary, we suddenly feel an aversion, fatigue comes over us, and our minds think of a million other things that have to be done. We should keep praying it. — Michael Gaitley

Saint Maximilian used to give spiritual conferences to the new men in his religious community, the novices. One day, he taught them a lesson they would never forget: "How to become a Saint." The future saint began by telling his listeners that sanctity isn't so hard. It's the result of a simple equation, which he wrote on the blackboard: "W + w = S." The capital W stands for God's Will. The small w stands for our wills. When the two wills are united, they equal Sanctity. — Michael Gaitley

For it must be recognized that before anyone else it was God himself, the Eternal Father, who entrusted himself to the Virgin of Nazareth, giving her his own Son in the mystery of the Incarnation."87 — Michael Gaitley

Yet the saint obediently accepted the destruction of his plans and blessed God. Because of this kind of detachment from his own will and attachment to God's, Louis became an instrument used by God to accomplish even mightier works. — Michael Gaitley

Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Help me to find the love of the Heart of Jesus hidden in the darkness. — Michael Gaitley

if we want to love Jesus completely, ardently, and perfectly - as did Mother Teresa - then we need his Spirit of Love, and Mary Immaculate brings him to us. — Michael Gaitley

We can be amazed at man not only because he is a person, not only because he's made in the image of God, but also because, by the Incarnation, human nature itself has been raised to a divine dignity. — Michael Gaitley

Before the fall, all these smaller rings were joined together and remained in harmony and communion. After the fall, they're pulled apart: Reason becomes darkened such that it doesn't clearly see the good; the will becomes fickle and weak, and the passions become wild, unpredictable, and difficult to control. — Michael Gaitley

Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary. Unite my will to the will of the Immaculata, which is one with your will. — Michael Gaitley

Marian consecration basically means giving Mary our full permission (or as such permission as we can) to complete her motherly task in us, which is to form us into other Christs. Thus, by consecrating ourselves to Mary, each of us is saying to her: Mary, I want to be a saint. I know that you also want me to be a saint and that it's your God-given mission to form me into one. So, Mary, at this moment, on this day, I freely choose to give you my full permission to do your work in me, with your Spouse, the Holy Spirit. — Michael Gaitley

Immaculate Heart of Mary, keep me in your most pure heart, so that I may please Jesus through you, in you, and with you."117 — Michael Gaitley

(1) Recognize the darkness: Recognize the darkness of our littleness and brokenness. (2) Keep trying: Keep trying to grow in holiness and do little things with great love. (3) Keep trusting: Keep trusting and believing that God will satisfy our desires for holiness, even if we don't yet fully understand how. — Michael Gaitley