May 2026: Mary, Our Lady of Grace

For this episode of Stories from the Guild, we journey into the life and witness of Blessed Sandra Sabattini, a young woman whose joy, humility, and love for Christ continue to inspire young Catholics around the world. Through her story, listeners are invited to reflect on what it means to pursue holiness in everyday life — in friendship, service, prayer, and trust in God’s plan.

We also explore the beauty and significance of Our Lady of Grace, reflecting on Mary’s loving intercession and the many graces the Lord desires to pour out through her maternal care. Alongside inspiring stories and biblical reflections, this episode tackles practical faith questions for young listeners, offering encouragement for living boldly and faithfully in today’s world.

Filled with hope, wisdom, and gentle reminders of God’s presence, this conversation encourages listeners to seek holiness not someday, but now — trusting that even the smallest “yes” to the Lord can transform a life.

Through thoughtful questions and shared reflection, this episode invites youth into deeper engagement with their faith—both personally and as part of a growing community.

Listeners are invited to subscribe and receive updates by enrolling in the Youth Guild.

Enrollment is FREE and includes these special benefits:

• A medal of St. José Sánchez Del Río, blessed by Cardinal Raymond Burke
• Holy Mass offered for the Youth Guild on the second Saturday of each month, and on Saint José’s Feast Day (February 10)
• The printed Full of Grace Youth Journal, mailed monthly, so members can follow along with each episode through guided prayer and reflection

To enroll, visit youthguild.org, click Enroll, and complete the online form.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Stories from the Guild
00:29 The Life and Legacy of Blessed Sandra Sabattini
02:26 Devotion to Our Lady of Grace
04:48 Scriptural Foundations and Teachings on Mary
07:43 Understanding Grace and Mary’s Role
09:15 Questions from the Youth and Responses
14:33 Conclusion and Call to Action

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:07

This is Stories from the Guild, a podcast produced by the Youth Guild of St. Jose Sanchez del Rio. The Youth Guild is an outreach of the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin. All youths, from toddlers to teenagers ages 2 to 17, are welcome to enroll for free. We welcome you to listen to this month's episode as we reflect and pray together as we read through our journal entitled Full of Grace. Let's begin.

SPEAKER_01 0:51

Blessed Sandra Sabatini. Blessed Sandra Sabatini was a joyful, faithful, and generous young woman who was hit by a car and killed at twenty two years old. But only two days earlier she had written in her diary, There's nothing in this world that's yours. Sandra realized this. It's all a gift that the giver can intervene with whenever and however he wishes. Take care of the gift you've been given. Make it more beautiful and fulfilling for when the time comes. Sandra was born in Italy in 1961 and was baptized the day after she was born. Her family was deeply faithful. They moved into the rectory of the church of San Guiramo, where her uncle was the priest. This allowed Sandra to enter into the devotional life of the church, and from a young age, she carried a rosary with her everywhere. As a teenager, Sandra joined the Pope John XXIII community, whose mission was to serve and live alongside the poor. Sandra dedicated herself to transmitting divine love to those in deepest need. She would serve on retreats for the disabled and spend time in the homes of the poor and abandoned. Sandra also embraced her vocation to married life. She became engaged to a young man named Guido, and together they focused their relationship on growing in holiness and serving others. It was while the two were together on their way to a community meeting that Sandra was struck by the car. She is the only blessed who was engaged to be married at the time of her death. In 2019, Pope Francis approved a miraculous healing attributed to the intercession of Sandra, and she was beatified October twenty fourth, twenty twenty one. She is the patron saint of youth, and her feast day is May the fourth. Dear faithful reader, May is a glorious month. The flowers bloom, the trees come to life, and the anticipation of summer grows stronger every day. In the church, May is a month of deep devotion to our Lady. With Mother's Day approaching, we look to Mary not only as the Mother of God, but as our own mother as well. This is a beautiful time to make a pilgrimage to a holy site. Even visiting a statue at your local church can give you that sense of journeying toward her. And as we pray in the memorari, we fly into thee, O Virgin of Virgins, our Mother. This month we focus on her title, Our Lady of Grace. Her feast day is celebrated on May 8th, just two days before we celebrate our own earthly mothers. This title is rooted in the Gospel of Luke when the angel Gabriel addressed Mary as full of grace at the Annunciation. However, the specific devotion to this image comes to us through a 17th-century Carmelite monk, Venerable Dominic of Jesus and Mary. In 1610, while Dominic was inspecting an old house to convert it into a monastery, he passed a pile of garbage. He felt a persistent tug in his soul to go back and check the debris. There he discovered a discarded image of Our Lady. Offended that anyone would treat the Mother of God with such irreverence, he took the image home, cleaned it, and repaired the damage. He placed the image in his cell for veneration. One day, while cleaning, Dominic noticed a bit of dust on the frame and whispered, I humbly beg your pardon for forgetting to dust your picture. At that moment the image miraculously came to life. Mary smiled and nodded her head at him. Dominic's prayers were granted through her intercession, and he asked her for special graces for all who honor her image. She replied, All those who ask for my protection and honor this picture with devotion will obtain an answer to their prayers and will receive many graces. Moreover, I will pay special attention to the prayers offered to me for the relief of the souls in purgatory. Our Lady of Grace is always there to intercede for us, pouring out God's favor upon all who ask. Through these graces she also earned the title Gate of Heaven, as she helps relieve so many souls from the purifying fires of purgatory. These titles, Our Lady of Grace and Gate of Heaven, remind us to stay close to her. Everything Mary does points us towards Jesus, whom we hope to be with for all eternity. If you let Mary be your guide on the path to holiness, she will never lead you astray. Our Lady of Grace, pray for us. To others grace is given in portions, but upon Mary the fullness of grace was showered all at once. She who held the author of grace in her arms now holds him out to you. Draw near to the mother, and she will bring you to her son. Scripture commentary in Catechesis Mary the Gate of Heaven. From the book of Genesis chapter three, verse twenty-four, the Lord God drove out the man and woman from the Garden of Eden. Then he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword to guard the way to the tree of life. From Ezekiel chapter forty four, verse two. And the Lord said to me, This gate shall remain shut, it shall not be opened, and no one shall enter by it, for the Lord the God of Israel, has entered by it. Psalm twenty four, verse nine. Lift up your heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may come in. From the letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians, chapter four, verses four and five. When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And finally, from the book of Revelation, chapter eleven. Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and earthquake, and heavy hail, and a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come. Commentary by Saint Louis de Montfort from the Secret of Mary. To give ourselves to Jesus through Mary is to imitate God the Father, who has given us his Son only through Mary, and who communicates to us his grace only through Mary. From Saint Alphonsus Ligori, from his the glories of Mary. Mary is called Scala Celestis, which means the ladder of heaven. By means of Mary, God has descended from heaven to earth, so that by her we might merit to ascend from earth to heaven. From Matthias Joseph Shibin, Handbook of Catholic Dogmatics Book five, part two. From earliest times Mary has been called the treasury of grace, the throne of grace, the ladder and the gate of heaven, and the hope of the children of Eve. These expressions are not used to describe any other saint. They express that the author of grace came down from heaven through her, so that human beings might be led to heaven through her. And finally, Pope Benedict XVI, from his homily on the Assumption from 2008. Mary entered heaven after her son with an uncontainable force, keeping the way behind her open to us all. For this reason we invoke her today as Gate of Heaven, Queen of Angels, and Refuge of Sinners. Our catechesis questions Why is Mary our Lady of Grace? From the moment of her conception, Mary was free from all stain of original sin due to the merits of her son Jesus. She was uniquely filled with God's life in her soul, from her conception to her death. Where do we see Mary called Our Lady of Grace in Scripture? At the Anunciation in the Gospel of Luke, chapter one verse twenty eight, the angel Gabriel calls Mary full of grace, as if that were her name. Her identity is full of grace, because she is overflowing with God's grace. What other Marian title do we celebrate in May? Mary is called the gate of heaven, because as blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman said, it is through her that Jesus passed from heaven to earth, and it is through her intercession and cooperation with God that we pass from earth to heaven. We celebrate the Feast of the Ascension on May 14th, the feast on which Jesus' mission to open heaven to us was completed. Some discussion questions to discuss with your family. First, Grace is God's life in our souls. What actions build up this grace? two sin harms God's life in us. Is there a sinful habit that you can break this month? And finally number three, Mary is full of grace. What can you ask Mary to help you with this month? Some inspiration Under Mary's mantle the saints found their sure path to heaven. As our mother and gate of heaven, she shelters all who seek her protection. From the little way of Saint Therese to the bold witness of Saint Carlo Acudis, run to her and she will lead you home.

SPEAKER_00 13:50

Let's listen in together to a recent question. I wonder if he or she is listening right now. If so, thank you for sending us your letter.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

Our first question this month comes from Nickel, age 11, from the state of Minnesota. Dear Deacon Cabot, can guardian angels hear what you're saying even though you're not speaking out loud? Dear Nickel, I love the concept of our guardian angels. Your question as to their ability to hear our thoughts without us speaking out loud is a great one. Our guardian angels are placed over us. At the moment we are conceived in our mother's womb, God has a direct connection to us from that moment forward. Our angel has the job of constantly working to move our imagination and memory and feelings towards God and away from sin. These good angels see us in the light of the vision of God and therefore can hear what we are thinking and give influence to help make the correct decision. They give us the freedom to make that final decision. This is an important part of the free will that God gives to each of us. We aren't robots just blindly following. We must make decisions that influence our path toward God or away from God. But we can call on our guardian angels for assistance, and they are there to help us move in the right direction. Be sure to pray to them and request their guidance and care over you as you journey toward heaven. God bless you, Nicole. Deacon Chris Cabot. Our second question this month comes from Peyton, age 13, from the state of Iowa. Dear Deacon, I was wondering if it was breaking the commandment to honor the Sabbath by acquiring and spending money on Sunday, especially if you worked for it. Thank you in advance, Peyton. Dear Peyton, the third commandment to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy is one that deserves some attention. And your question is a good one to help us figure it out. God created the world and the universe and all it holds in six days. And on the seventh he rested. God calls us to reflect that same attitude. When we engage in work that puts burdens on others and distracts us from God, we are not living fully the commandment. For you to accept money potentially means you are working for it. If so, then you may not be meeting the expectation of keeping the Lord's Day holy. The focus of our day of rest needs to be first on God. Are you living out our faith by attending Mass as the most important thing you do? After that, you look at family. Are we helping each other on our path to holiness? Sharing a meal together, talking about how God is working in our lives and in our family, are valuable conversations to have around the dinner table. Lastly, we move to leisure. Sometimes leisure involves spending money. In your case, if you are spending your hard-earned money on something fun, this would be acceptable in the eyes of God. See the catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2187. It says there that every Christian should avoid making unnecessary demands on others that would hinder them from observing the Lord's day. It is calling us to be vigilant in what we do and how we do it, so that we can give as much honor and glory to God on our day of rest, our day to recharge, and prepare for a productive and fulfilling work week. I pray this helps you to try and live out the commandment to honor the Lord's Day and grow closer to our Lord because of it. God bless you, Peyton, Deacon Chris Cabot.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

Have you looked at this month's artwork? Check it out toward the back of your journal and see the beautiful work of children and teens just like you. Would you like yours to be included? Mail your work of art to us using the envelope inside your journal and ask a parent to help you get it to the mailbox. Parents, if your artist has a specific feast day or month he or she would like a work of art to be considered, please give us three months in advance to review the submission. And artists, we can't wait to see what you send us. Happy creating.

SPEAKER_01 19:00

Thank you for listening to this episode of Stories from the Guild. We look forward to receiving your letters, poems, comics, prayers, questions, art, and anything else creative. We are excited to bring you more content through our podcast and full of grace journals. Make sure to follow Stories from the Guild on your favorite listening platform. It's easy and free. Just click the little button. From all of us at the Guild, until next time, may God bless you and keep you, and may Our Lady of Guadalupe hold you in the hollow of her mantle.

SPEAKER_00 19:41

Want to learn more about the Youth Guild of St. Jose Sanchez Del Rio? Visit youthguild.org to learn more. Enrollment in the Youth Guild is completely free, and it comes with meaningful spiritual and tangible benefits designed to inspire young hearts for Christ. Your child, grandchild, student, or godchild between the ages of 2 to 17 will benefit from the abundant graces of monthly mass and the intercession of a courageous youth saint with a blessed medal to remind them of his patronage. As our patron saint said it best, viva Christo Rei! Long live Christ the King. Keep living the faith and sharing the joy, friends. May the peace of Christ be with you.