Saturday August 16, 2025
Good News Reflections:
Making scripture meaningful to your daily life
by Terry Modica
“Now, therefore, put away the strange gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” (From today’s first reading)
Good News Reflection for:
Saturday of the 19th Week of Ordinary Time
August 16, 2025
Today’s Readings:
Joshua 24:14-29
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-8, 11
Matthew 19:13-15
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081625.cfm
Podcast:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-august-16-2025
How and why the Blessed Mother really can help
The Feast of the Assumption of Mary is a very special day for me — as is the day we celebrate her queenship.
Having been raised a Protestant, I didn’t know how to have a personal relationship with the Holy Mother of Christ when I became Catholic (1977).
For several years, I wondered how to experience with Mary what I witnessed in others. For me, praying the Rosary was boring babble. Why did they get so much more out of it? And greater than my desire to pray the Rosary was my longing to feel her motherly care and protection.
To deal with this struggle, I prayed: “Lord Jesus, if You want me to have a personal relationship with Your mother, then You have to make it happen.”
God often tests our sincerity by not giving us what we ask for as soon as we start asking for it. Several months later, I woke up one morning with a personal relationship with Mary. I did nothing to make it happen except leave it all up to Jesus. And so, by his supernatural intervention, I simply woke up and felt a bond with Mary that had not existed the night before.
A few years after that, Mary made me sense her nearness when God called me to found Good News Ministries. One day while I was asking God to give me the opportunity to serve him in a way that would make a big difference in people’s lives, I noticed her motherly presence, dressed in blue, standing close by. Later, when the Lord very clearly announced the calling to start GNM, I knew that Mary had come to me to serve as the Patron Saint and the Queen Mother for this ministry.
How and why Mary really can help us
Is Jesus Prince of Peace and King of Kings? Yes.
Then who is the Queen Mother? Mary of course.
Does a queen have authority? Indeed yes.
How does a good queen use her authority? By helping everyone in the kingdom any way she can.
When Mary passed away and went to heaven, did she lose her authority as queen? Of course not, because she is still the mother of Jesus who is still the King of Kings.
Then what does she do with that authority? Does she just float idly on a cloud while her Son does all the work? No of course not. She is still Mary our Queen — the Queen Mother to all of us who are brothers and sisters of Christ our Savior. And she continually serves God as a good queen by using her authority to do good for those under her care.
As a good queen, she helps us in our relationship with the King. She fights along side us in our battles against the villains who want to hurt our relationship with the King. She crushes the enemy by wielding her authority (fulfilling God’s promise of Genesis 3:15).
Exorcists report that demons fear Mary so much they won’t even say her name. During exorcisms, just a glance from Mary is all it takes to send them fleeing.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, defeater of Satan, crushing the head of the serpent beneath your heel, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.
Come see the Good News Ministries special consecration to Mary. It includes a demon-conquering adaptation of the Hail Mary. Go to gnm.org/7-warriors-of-the-cross/consecration-to-mary-defeater-of-satan.
© 2025 by Terry A. Modica
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