Living a Mother's Rule of Life

Cute Sayings VIII

2011-07-19T08:05:00.000-04:00

"Mom, if you eat a seed, will a flower grow in your tummy?" - Grace, Age 6

Cute Sayings VII

2011-07-19T08:04:00.001-04:00

"Mom, that lady looks just like Mary Poppins!" - Gracie watching The Sound of Music.

After I told her it was the same woman, she wanted to know what her real hair color was.

hahahaha!

Cute Sayings VI

2011-07-19T08:02:00.000-04:00

"Mom, see how our knees are bent this way? Turkeys' knees are bent in the back!" - Grace, Age 6

Cute Sayings V

2011-07-19T08:01:00.001-04:00

"I want YOU, to want ME!" - Maggie Age 3, who has obviously listened to Cheap Trick way too many times in the truck...

Cute Sayings IV

2011-07-19T07:56:00.002-04:00

Gracie was watching me rinse out clothes in the bath tub that were covered with sand and red tide. She said, "I wish we could have a whale as a pet. It could live in our tub."

How to Cook Dinner with a 1 Year Old

2011-07-19T07:29:00.000-04:00

Go to kitchen with toddler trailing close behind. Open the bottom cabinet. Grab the frying pan. Close the cabinet as fast as you can. Redirect toddler not to take out all the pans. Put frying pan on the stove (back burner). Go to fridge. Open door and wrestle with toddler from emptying the fridge door contents. Hold toddler's hand while reaching in with the other hand to grab the hamburger. Close fridge door with foot. Open packages. Look up and race across room to get toddler down from top of sofa. Go back to stove. Throw the meat in as fast as possible. Stop toddler from throwing out the sippy cup. Remember you forgot to turn on the burner. Tell older sibling to put toddler down. Toddler runs over for leg hugs, wants to be picked up. Hold toddler on hip. Grab spatula. Toddler leans over to grab cool spatula. Turn him away with body. Put him down on floor. Grab a tupperware bowl and plastic ladle. Set him up on the rug to "cook". Prevent older siblings from stealing his cool new toy. Realize the heat is too high on the meat. Hurry to break up the meat and flip it over. Now... side dish? Stop toddler from throwing all dvd's off the shelf.

Cute Sayings - Part III

2010-12-28T10:20:00.000-05:00

‎"mommy, i got wake ups"... that's maggie speak for hiccups.

Cute Things

2010-12-21T12:35:00.000-05:00

kids are painting ornaments. maggie (2 years old) paints lilly's sleeve. then says, "i sorry, lilly". how can you be mad about that? lol she's really cute. but the shirt is ruined.

Cute Sayings - Part II

2010-12-20T10:59:00.001-05:00

‎"it's the one i ordered, mom!" - elizabeth, age 4, excited about a coloring picture just printed off the computer

Cute Sayings - Part I

2010-12-20T10:14:00.000-05:00

"frosty the snowman! and a corn cob pipe and a corn cob pipe!" - maggie age 2, singing her version of frosty

Baby Chris

2010-12-18T22:06:00.000-05:00

baby chris (age 1) found daddy's san damiano Crucifix and held it up for daddy. then crawled over toward him. took the Crucifix. kissed it and said "Jesus". after multiple kisses, he finally gave Jesus to daddy.

Creamed Pearl Onions

2010-11-29T14:58:00.003-05:00

Ingredients

1 lb of pearl onions
pat of butter
1 cup of heavy cream
1 TBSP of italian parsley, chopped
2 cloves of minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of chicken broth

Saute onions in a medium size pot with a pat of butter, until golden brown. Add the cream, parsley and garlic and cook over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove cover and add the chicken broth. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Adjust seasonings and serve.

For a thicker sauce, make a cornstarch slurry and stir in slowly, being careful not to over thicken.

God's Divine Love

2010-06-09T08:17:00.003-04:00

Everyday I feel the Lord's love. My heart is so grateful to be able to see evidence of His divine love in my life. Not only can I see His love, but I feel a tremendous peace and joy interiorly. That is not something I could will on my own. It is a gift freely given. It is a wonderful gift from God that comes from the Sacraments and trying to live out His will.

My Lord, I love You! Increase my love for You! Amen!

Audio Files: The Wit and Wisdom of Archbishop Fulton Sheen

2010-05-21T16:16:00.002-04:00

The Demonic Today
Angels
Cure for Selfishness
Guilt
Human Passions
Inferiority Complex
Is A Woman An It?
Knowing and Loving
Meet a Perfect Stranger - Yourself
Of Course There Is Incompatibility
Suffering
The Approach of Midnight
Should Parents Obey Their Children?
To Spank or Not to Spank
The Glory of the Soldier
What Holds Us Together?
The Rosary
What Did I Do to Deserve This?

Every Mother

2010-05-06T08:04:00.002-04:00

"Every mother, when she picks up the young life that has been born to her, looks up to the heavens to thank God for the gift which made the world young again. But here was a Mother, a Madonna, who did not look up. She looked down to Heaven, for this was Heaven in her arms." - Archbishop Fulton Sheen

Dare to Discipline

2010-04-15T11:44:00.001-04:00

by Fr. Longenecker

In the wake of the Catholic soul searching and hand wringing over the child sex abuse allegations and cover up, I've got some ideas on how the situation might be improved. It involves discipline, and lest this sounds too harsh for our delicate soft, selves, let's remember that 'discipline' and 'disciple' are from the same root.

Here are some problems and solutions. I don't propose this as infallible or as a complete (or even accurate) list. But see if it gets some discussion going.

1. We're soft and decadent. We give ourselves too much of a break. We're materialistic, self indulgent and too easy to let ourselves off the hook. What we need is some good old fashioned asceticism. Let's look to the desert fathers who, repelled by the decadence of established Roman Christianity, fled to the desert to practice mortification. "These only come out by prayer and fasting..."

2. We've lost the idea that we're involved in a spiritual battle and that the devil is like a roaring lion stalking about seeking whom he may devour. What we need is more prayer and a new alert and vigilant spirit that does not give the devil even one toe in the door. We need that vigilance first for ourselves and for our brothers and sisters. St Therese cries out, "Sanctity! It must be won at the point of a sword!" Call on the angels and saints.

3. We lack discipline and direction. People consider it essential to have a coach and strict self discipline for success in every other endeavor. Athletes, musicians, business men, academics all demand professional direction and discipline. We think we can get to heaven by sauntering along in some kind of spiritual feel good hippie trance. We need firm spiritual direction and self discipline.

4. We're good at acknowledging that we're good, but bad at admitting that we're not perfect. We've gone too far in the "I'm OK. You're OK" philosophy. God does love us just as we are, but he loves us far too much to leave us that way. He wants each one of us to be saints, and most of us are far from that goal just yet.

5. We're too cowardly in dealing firmly with one another. All of us, but especially fathers, husbands and pastors need to speak out against sin and speak to family members, colleagues and Christian brothers and sisters who offend or who are in danger of offending. When a person is caught in sin proper forgiveness should be balanced with proper restitution and reparation.

6. We think we can be half a saint. We want enough sanctity to make us feel good and no more. St Therese cries out, "You must be a whole saint or no saint at all!"

7. We think that morality doesn't matter. This is gnostic. It's a false separation of the spiritual from the physical. What we do in our bedrooms, what we do in our boardrooms, what we do with our check books and what we do with our prayer books all affect our spiritual life.

8. We've replaced worship with good works. We've made the church into a social services organization, a fund raising agency, a school, a charity, a glorified soup kitchen, a babysitting service, a luncheon club, a dating agency, a social networking group, a group therapy session, a singalong and just about anything but the gathering together of the saints of God. Only when we worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness will we begin to be transformed not by our good ideas and good works, but by contact with God's awesome grace, and only when we are truly transformed can we hope to transform the world. Thomas a Kempis says, "Why do you wish to change the world when you cannot change yourself?"

9. We are too easy on our clergy. We love our priests. We love our deacons. We love our bishops. We support them. We honor the sacrifices they make. However, we should also hold them accountable. The fact is, money and power corrupt and priests and bishops often have more money and power than they know how to deal with. Together we should uphold the sanctity of their office and the laity should work together to confront and challenge clergy in a respectful and firm way when they go astray. We should not be surprised at corruption, and I think a bit of healthy suspicion of those in power is not a bad thing.

10. We have neglected catechesis and spiritual formation. Instead of teaching the fullness of the Catholic faith, liberals have dished out sentimental, feel good religion on the one hand while the conservatives have dished out dogma and apologetics and liturgical 'correctness' without enough spiritual formation and direction in dynamic life of the Spirit. Christian love is always tough and tender at the same time. Liberals give us tender without tough. Conservatives give us tough without tender. We need both.

http://gkupsidedown.blogspot.com/2010/03/dare-to-discipline.html

Ask and You Will Receive

2010-04-14T07:55:00.002-04:00

"Our Savior says, if you have not recieved the graces that you desire, do not complain to me, but blame yourself, because you have neglected to seek them from me."

- St. Alphonsus Liguori

The Fire of Suffering

2010-04-14T07:49:00.001-04:00

"As iron is fashioned by fire and on the anvil, so in the fire of suffering and under the weight of trials, our souls receive that form which our Lord desires them to have."

- St. Madeline Sophie Barat

The Family - A Domestic Church

2010-04-14T07:45:00.002-04:00

"The family is the most ancient institution which God founded in Paradise, when He called the first pair of human beings into existence. The first blessing which God gave was for the wellbeing of the family. With family life, the history of the world commences."

- St. John Vianney

The Blessings of Our Faith

2010-04-14T07:40:00.003-04:00

"When we contemplate the blessings of faith even now, as if gazing at a reflection in a mirror, it is as if we already possessed the wonderful things which our faith assures us we shall one day enjoy."

- St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto

Holy Obedience

2010-04-14T07:35:00.003-04:00

"The devil doesn't fear austerity but holy obedience."

- St. Francis de Sales

Loving Our Neighbor is Loving God

2010-04-14T07:31:00.002-04:00

We cannot be sure whether we are loving God, although we may have good reason that we are. But we can know quite well whether we are loving our neighbor.

- St. Teresa of Avila

Cheerfulness

2010-04-14T07:24:00.002-04:00

Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life. Therefore the servant of God ought always to be in good spirits.

- St. Philip Neri

There is Nothing Sweeter

2010-04-14T07:15:00.003-04:00

"To think ourselves imperfect, and others perfect---- that is happiness. That creatures recognize we are without virtue takes nothing from us, makes us no poorer; it is they who by this lose interior joy; for there is nothing sweeter than to think well of our neighbor."

- St. Therese of Lisieux

Sugar: The Bitter Truth

2010-04-08T08:48:00.003-04:00

I was absolutely riveted by this video because it was explained very precisely, the problems with HFC. I thought i knew a lot about the physiology and effects of high fructose corn syrup and white sugar on our systems, but i learned new facts. Made me even more convinced that our family has to do this for our health. He explains metabolic syndrome (high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease) and how all of them are brought on by our diets. Good stuff!

Charity Begins Today

2010-04-02T07:40:00.002-04:00

"Charity begins today. Today somebody is suffering, today somebody is in the street, today somebody is hungry. Our work is for today, yesterday has gone, tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today to make Jesus known, loved, served, fed, clothed, sheltered. Do not wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow we will not have them if we do not feed them today."

- Blessed Mother Teresa

God is Infinitely Merciful

2010-04-02T07:25:00.002-04:00

"You must be persuaded that your sinful past is in no way an obstacle to very close union with God. God forgives, and His forgiveness is Divine. With the Angels, God was not merciful because they had no miseries. With us, who are full of miseries, God is infinitely merciful."

- Blessed Columba Marmion

77 Graces and Fruits to be Derived from Devout Attendance at Holy Mass

2010-03-18T06:59:00.003-04:00

"He who devoutly hears Holy Mass will receive a great vigor to enable him to resist mortal sin, and there shall be pardoned to him all venial sins which he may have committed up to that hour." - St. Augustine, Sup. Can. Quia passus, de Consecr. dist. 2.

Taken from "Cochem's Explanation of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass"
by Fr. Martin Cochem,

1. For thy salvation God the Father sends His beloved Son down from heaven.

2. For thy salvation the Holy Spirit changes bread and wine into the true body and blood of Christ.

3. For thy sake the Son of God comes down from heaven and conceals Himself under the form of the sacred host.

4. He even abases Himself to such an extent as to be present in the minutest particle of the sacred host.

5. For thy salvation He renews the saving mystery of the incarnation.

6. For thy salvation He is born anew into the world in a mystic manner whenever holy Mass is celebrated.

7. For thy salvation He performs upon the altar the same acts of worship that He performed when on earth.

8. For thy salvation He renews His bitter passion in order that thou mayest participate in it.

9. For thy salvation He mystically renews His death, and sacrifices for Thee His precious life.

10. For thy salvation He sheds His blood in a mystic manner, and offers it up for thee to the Divine Majesty.

11. With this precious blood He sprinkles thy soul and purifies it from every stain.

12. For thee Christ offers Himself as a true burnt-offering, and renders to the God-head the supreme honor which is its due.

13. By offering this act of worship to God thou dost make reparation for the glory which thou hast failed to give Him.

14. For thee Christ offers Himself to God as a sacrifice of praise, thus atoning for thy omissions in praising His holy name.

15. By offering to God this oblation which Christ offers thou givest Him greater praise than do the holy angels.

16. For thee Christ offers Himself as a perfect sacrifice of thanksgiving, making compensation for all failures on thy part to render thanks.

17. By offering to God Christ's act of thanksgiving thou dost make ample acknowledgment of all the benefits He had bestowed on thee.

18. For thee Christ offers Himself as the all-powerful victim, reconciling thee to the God Whom thou hast offended.

19. He pardons thee all thy venial sins, provided thou art firmly resolved to forsake them.

20. He also makes reparation for many of thy sins of omission, when thou didst leave undone the good thou mightest have done.

21. He removes many of the imperfections attached to thy good deeds.

22. He forgives thee the sins, unknown or forgotten, which thou hast never mentioned in confession.

23. He offers Himself as a victim to make satisfaction for a part at least of thy debts and transgressions.

24. Each time thou hearest Mass thou canst do more to pay the penalty due to thy sins than by the severest work of penance.

25. Christ places to thy credit a portion of His merits, which thou mayest offer to God the Father in expiation of thy offenses.

26. For thee Christ offers Himself as the most efficacious peace-offering, interceding for thee as earnestly as He interceded for His enemies on the cross.

27. His precious blood pleads for thee in words as countless as the drops which issued from His sacred veins.

28. Each of the adorable wounds His sacred body bore is a voice calling aloud for mercy for thee.

29. For the sake of this propitiatory victim the petitions proffered during Mass will be granted far sooner than those that are proffered at other times.

30. Never canst thou pray so well as whilst present at Mass.

31. This is so because Christ unites His prayers to thine, and offers them to His heavenly Father.

32. He aquaints Him with thy needs and the dangers to which thou art exposed, and makes thy eternal salvation His particular concern.

33. The angels also, who are present, plead for thee, and present thy poor prayers before the throne of God.

34. On thy behalf the priest says Mass by virtue of which the evil enemy will not be suffered to approach thee.

35. For thee and for thy everlasting salvation he says Mass, and offers that holy sacrifice to God Almighty.

36. When thou hearest Mass, thou art thyself in spirit a priest, empowered by Christ to offer the Mass both for thyself and others.

37. By offering this holy sacrifice thou dost present to the Blessed Trinity the most acceptable of all oblations.

38. Thou dost offer an oblation precious indeed, of greater value than all things in heaven and earth.

39. Thou dost offer an oblation precious indeed, for it is none other than God himself.

40. By this sacrifice thou dost honor God as He alone is worthy to be honored.

41. By this sacrifice thou dost give infinite satisfaction to the most Holy Trinity.

42. Thou mayest present this glorious oblation as thine own gift, for Christ Himself gave it unto thee.

43. When thou hearest Mass aright, thou dost perform an act of highest worship.

44. By hearing Mass thou dost pay the most profound reverence, the most loyal homage, to the sacred humanity of Our Lord.

45. It is the best means whereby to venerate the passion of Christ, and obtain a share in its fruits.

46. It is also the best means of venerating the Blessed Mother of God, and increasing her joy.

47. By hearing Mass thou canst give greater honor to the angels and saints than by reciting many prayers.

48. By hearing Mass devoutly thou canst also enrich thy soul more than by aught else in the world.

49. For in this act thou dost perform a good work of the highest value.

50. It is a signal exercise of pure faith, which will receive a great reward.

51. When thou dost bow down before the sacred host and the sacred chalice, thou dost perform a supreme act of adoration.

52. For each time thou dost gaze reverently upon the sacred host thou wilt receive a recompense from heaven.

53. Each time thou dost smite thy breast with compunction some of thy sins are remitted to thee.

54. If thou hearest Mass in a state of mortal sin, God offers thee the grace of conversion.

55. If thou hearest Mass in a state of grace, God gives thee an augmentation of grace.

56. In holy Mass thou dost spiritually eat the flesh of Christ, and drink His blood.

57. Thou art privileged to behold with thine eyes Christ hidden under the sacramental veil, and to be beheld by Him.

58. Thou dost receive the priest's benediction, which is confirmed by Christ in heaven.

59. Through thy diligence in hearing Mass thou wilt also obtain corporal and temporal blessings.

60. Furthermore, thou wilt be preserved from many misfortunes that would otherwise befall thee.

61. Thou wilt also be strengthened against temptations which would otherwise have vanquished thee.

62. Holy Mass will also be to thee a means of obtaining the grace of a holy death.

63. The love thou hast shown for Holy Mass wilt secure for thee the special succor of angels and saints in thy last moments.

64. The remembrance of the Masses heard in thy life time will be a sweet solace to thee in the hour of death, and inspire thee with confidence in the divine mercy.

65. They will not be forgotten when thou dost stand before the strict Judge and will incline Him to show thee favor.

66. Thou needest not fear a long and terrible purgatory if thou hast already to a great extent atoned for thy sins by frequently assisting at Holy Mass.

67. One Mass devoutly heard will do more to mitigate the pains of purgatory than any act of penance, however difficult of performance.

68. One Mass in thy lifetime will be of greater service to thee than many said for thee after death.

69. Thou wilt attain a high place in heaven, which will be thine to all eternity.

70. Thy felicity in heaven will, moreover, be increased by every Mass thou hearest on earth.

71. No prayers offered for thy friends will be as efficacious as a single Mass heard and offered on their behalf.

72. Thou canst amply recompense all thy benefactors by hearing Mass for their intention.

73. The best help, the greatest consolation, thou canst afford the afflicted, the sick, the dying, is to hear Mass for them.

74. By this same means thou canst even obtain for sinners the grace of conversion.

75. Thou canst also earn for all faithful Christians saving and salutary graces.

76. For the suffering souls in purgatory thou canst procure abundant refreshment.

77. And if it is not within thy power to have Mass said for thy departed friends thou canst by devout assistance at the holy sacrifice release them from the tormenting flames.

What dost thou now think of the holy Mass O Christian? Can it be supposed that in the whole world there is any other good work whereby so many graces and fruits are placed within our reach? If Christians only knew how to profit by holy Mass, they might aquire greater riches than are to be found in all the things God has created.

To omit hearing Mass daily merely from carelessness or indolence would be a proof that we are either ignorant of, or indifferent to, the divine treasures it contains. God grant that those who read this may in future appreciate more fully this pearl of great price, value it more highly, seek it more diligently!

The Seven Deadly Sins: Memorize and Understand Them

2010-03-16T15:27:00.002-04:00

by Msgr. Charles Pope

Early in my priesthood I began to feel a bit embarrassed that there were certain things I did not know more thoroughly and had not committed to memory. Among these things were the Seven Deadly Sins, and the Seven Gift of the Holy Spirit. Priests are like doctors. Imagine going to a doctor who was poor at diagnostic medicine or a doctor who knew nothing of medicines and cures available. Not much of a doctor and I didn’t what to be “not much of priest.” It should be the case that when people come to me, either in confession, counseling or Spiritual Direction that I have some command of the particulars both of spiritual disease and spiritual healing. So, I committed myself to memorizing and understanding the basic areas of spiritual and moral trouble such as the seven deadly sins, lists of the deeper drives and sinful attitudes, works of the flesh from Galatians 5 and other negative thinking or drives. I committed to learning the names and “moves” of these maladies. I also committed to memorizing and understanding the gifts and methods of healing to to be sought: sacraments, scripture, prayer, holy fellowship, virtues and Gifts of the Holy Spirit, Fruits of the Holy Spirit and so forth.

I cannot write on all these things here but since it is Lent how about one. Do you know what the Seven Deadly Sins are? It is a great value to know and begin to understand these deep drives of sin in us. They are more than just sins per se, they are drives or patters of sin and from them issue many other sins. The more we can know and distinguish them the more we can grow in self knowledge. We can begin to understand better how we “tick.” Further, being able to know and name these seven deep drives of sin helps us to know their moves and gain mastery over them. As they stir deep within us we can see evidence of their stirrings and begin to take greater authority over them.

Too many Christians know little about twisted nature of sin. They just know they’re a little messed up (or alot!) and can’t seem to figure out why. Have you ever gone to the doctor, not knowing what was wrong and left feeling better just because you finally knew what ailed you had a name and a cure? Being able to name our demons is an essential part of growth and healing.

Fr. Robert Barron recently published a 100 minute DVD on the subject of the Seven Deadly Sins called Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues. I would like to recommend you get it and learn all you can about these root sins and the virtues that help us to overcome them by God’s grace. You can order it here: http://www.ignatius.com/ViewProduct.aspx?SID=1&Product_ID=3539&AFID=12&
Briefly stated though here are the Seven Deadly sins listed for you:

Pride - The sinful drive that distorts proper self love so that we esteem ourself more than is proper and at the same time denigrate the goodness of others. There is such a thing as well ordered self love and self esteem but Pride is love of self which is perverted causes us unjustly to think of others as beneath us or less worthy. Pride also stirs us to reject lawful authority of others over us including God and refuses appropriate submission. Pride is at the root of every sin for through it we pridefully think we have a way better than what God has set forth or that we alone can be the judge of right and wrong. Adam and Eve wanted to “be like Gods” and wanted themselves to determine what was right and wrong. Hence they demanded to eat of the tree of the “Knowledge of good and evil.” This is Pride.

Greed - The sinful drive that stirs excessive desire for wealth and possessions. It is the insatiable desire for more. It is not wrong to desire what we need but through greed we hoard things and acquire far beyond our needs or what is reasonable, and we fail to be generous and bless the needy and poor. Through greed we can also come to see the things of this world as more precious than the things of heaven.

Lust - The sinful drive that leads to an excessive or inappropriate desires or thoughts of a sexual nature. It is not wrong to experience sexual desire per se but lust perverts this either to become excessive (all that matters), or for the object of it to be inappropriate (e.g. sexually fantasizing about someone other than a spouse). More broadly, lust is thought of as an excessive love for others that makes the love of God secondary.

Anger - The sinful drive that leads to inordinate and unrestrained feelings of hatred and wrath. It is not always wrong to experience anger, especially in the presence of injustice. But anger here is understood as a deep drive which we indulge and wherein we excessively cling to angry and hateful feelings for others. This kind of anger most often seeks revenge.

Gluttony - The sinful drive to over-indulge in, or over consume anything to the point of waste. We usually think of food and drink but gluttony can extend to other matters as well. This sin usually leads to a kind of laziness and self-gratification that has little room for God and the spiritual life. Over indulging in the world leaves little room for God and the things of the spirit. Gluttony may also cause us to be less able to help the poor.

Envy - The sinful drive that leads to sorrow or sadness at the goodness or excellence of another person
because I take it to make me look bad or less excellent. If I envy someone I want to diminish or undermine their excellence. Envy is not the same as jealousy. If I am jealous of you, I want what you have. If I am Envious, I want to diminish or destroy what is good or excellent in you. St. Augustine called Envy THE diabolical sin because of the way it seeks to eliminate excellence and goodness in others.

Sloth - The sinful drive that leads to sorrow or sadness at the good things God wants to do for me. Instead of being joyful at the offer of holiness, chastity, self control, etc. I am sad or averse to it. I avoid the call to embrace a new life. Most people think of sloth as laziness. But what sloth really is, is an avoidance of God and what He offers. I fear or dislike what He can do for me so I avoid him. Some avoid God by laziness, but others avoid him by becoming workaholics, claiming they are too busy to pray, get to Church or think about spiritual things.

http://blog.adw.org/2010/03/the-seven-deadly-sins-just-memorize-them/

Silence

2010-03-11T06:12:00.000-05:00

"Silence is not a privation of stillness, nor a muteness, nor an emptiness; it is a communion by which one attains truth above creation and action." - Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

An Examination of Conscience

2010-03-04T07:50:00.002-05:00

by Blessed Mother Teresa

"You need only ask at night before you go to bed, "What did I do to Jesus today? What did I do for Jesus today? What did I do with Jesus today?" You have only to look at your hands. This is the best examination of conscience."

- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Bible Study

2010-02-16T11:35:00.002-05:00

Our Fathers Plan in MP3

1. Reading Through The Bible

2. History Of Early World

3. Patriarchs

4. Israel In Egypt

5. Conquest Of Canaan

6. Judges

7. United Kingdom

8. Divided Kingdom

9. The Exile

10. Gospels I

11. Gospels II

12. Acts I

13. Acts II

Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity!!!!!

2010-02-15T09:08:00.001-05:00

"Upon receiving Holy Communion, the Adorable Blood of Jesus Christ really flows in our veins and His flesh is really blended with ours." - St. John Vianney

To Prepare the Heart for Communion

2010-02-15T09:06:00.001-05:00

"The heart preparing for Communion should be as a crystal vial filled with clear water in which the least mote of uncleanness will be seen." -St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Be Therefore Perfect, As Your Heavenly Father is Perfect

2010-02-15T09:01:00.000-05:00

"You ought to make every effort to free yourselves even from venial sin, and to do what is most perfect." -St. Teresa of Avila

Do Not Despair

2010-02-15T08:46:00.001-05:00

"Have you sinned? Go into the church and wipe out your sin. As often as you might fall down in the marketplace, you pick yourself up again. So too, as often as you sin, repent your sin. Do not despair." -St. John Chrysostom

I am the Truth

2010-02-11T18:01:00.001-05:00

Christ said, "I am the Truth"; he did not say "I am the custom." - St. Toribio Alfonso Mogrovejo

Proverbs 31: 11-12

2010-02-10T12:55:00.001-05:00

"Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize. She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life." - Proverbs 31: 11-12

Penance & Reparation: A Lenten Meditation

2010-02-10T08:34:00.002-05:00

by Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

Penance and reparation are the consequence of sin. Or again, penance and reparation are the price we have to pay for our own and other people's sin. Penance and reparation, finally, are what God requires from sinners as a condition for showing them His mercy.

In order to better understand the meaning of penance and reparation, we have to look for a moment at what happens whenever we sin. Two things happen:

First: we incur guilt before God for the self-will that caused us to sin. We become more or less separated or estranged from God, depending on the gravity of our sin.
Second: We deserve punishment for the disorder we cause by our sinful conduct. We become liable to suffering pain, again more or less pain, depending on how seriously we have done wrong.
Against this background, we can more easily see the meaning of penance and reparation.

Penance is the repentance we must make to remove the guilt, or to reinstate ourselves in God's friendship.
Reparation is the pain we must endure to make up for the harm we brought about by our self-indulgence when we sinned.
What then do penance and reparation have in common? They have this in common, that they are absolutely necessary if the justice of God is to be satisfied after we have offended the divine Majesty. They also have this in common, that God now has a right to demand more of us than He would have required had we not committed sin. The word more is basic to any correct understanding of penance and reparation.

But if penance and reparation have this in common, how do they differ? They differ, as we have seen, in the two different ways that we do wrong whenever we sin. Because we have failed in loving God, we now owe Him more love than He would have required had we not offended Him.

We did wrong by our willful love of self. So now we have to make up by our selfless love of God. This is Penance.

And because we have brought disorder into the world by our sins, we must undergo pain to undo this harm we have caused. This is reparation.

Why Penance and Reparation?
If we ask, why penance and reparation, the first answer is: Because God wants it.

But if we press the question: Why does God want it? Then we must say, because in His mysterious wisdom, His justice requires it. We may legitimately say, without really understanding it, that He has no choice. Having given us a free will, if we abuse liberty, we must use our freedom to repay to God the love we have stolen from Him (which is penance) and repair the damage we have done (which is reparation).

Notice, all along I have been using the first person plural, "we", because penance and reparation are owed to God not only because I have individually sinned, but because we human beings have sinned and are sinning, in our day, on a scale never before conceived in the annals of history.

We know better than Cain after he killed his brother, Abel. We are our brother's keepers. We are mysteriously co-responsible for what other people do wrong. There is a profound sense in which all of us are somehow to do penance and make reparation, not only for our sinful misdeeds, but for the sins of our country and, indeed, for the sins of the whole human race.

We return to our question: Why penance and reparation? Because, in Christ's words, "Unless you do penance, you shall all likewise perish".

Is it any wonder that on Pentecost Sunday, after Peter preached his sermon, and rebuked the people for their sins, and they asked him, "what must we do," his first word to the multitude was the imperative verb, "Repent!"

Is it any wonder that Our Lady of Fatima's message to a sinful world in our day, may be summarized in the same imperative, "Do penance."

Indeed, the calamities that we have so far seen in this present century: two world wars with more casualties than in all the previous wars of history, and the threat of a nuclear holocaust that hangs over us like a tornado cloud. All of this is God's warning to do penance and reparation. Why? Because God is not mocked.

You do not offend God with impunity. You do not sin without retribution. You do not ignore the will of the Almighty and expect the Almighty to ignore what you do.

What bears emphasis, however, is that this retribution is either to be paid willingly, with our penance and reparation, or will be paid unwillingly within the divine punishment.

The divine logic is simple, awfully simple, and all we have to do is learn what God is telling us. Either we do penance and reparation because we want to, or we shall suffer (against our will) the consequences of our sins in this life, and in the life to come.

But remember, this penance and reparation is to be done not only for what we have personally done wrong. It is for all the pride and lust, for all the cruelty and greed, for all the envy and laziness and gluttony of a sin-laden human family.

God is merciful and in fact as our Holy Father has told us, Jesus Christ is the Incarnation of divine mercy. But God's mercy is conditional. It is conditional on our practice of penance and reparation.

How to Practice Penance and Reparation
We come to the third and, in a way, most important part of our subject: How?

I say it is the most important because we could talk for hours about the theology of penance and reparation and end up, wiser perhaps, but not holier. We must take the next and final step, and ask ourselves, practically, what am to do about it?

In order to come to the point immediately, let me give you what I call seven rules, three for penance and four for reparation. They can be expressed in seven words, where each word is a divine command as follows:

Pray!
Share!
And forgive! - for penance, to make up for our failure in loving God.
Work!
Endure!
Deprive!
And sacrifice! - in reparation for the punishment that we and others have deserved for our sins.
Suppose we spend a moment on each of these seven rules, and ask Our Lord, to open our hearts to respond with generosity to His offended Sacred Heart.

Rule #1 - Pray
God expects more of us because we have sinned. And the first more that all of us can put into practice, is more prayer.
Call it giving more time each day to prayer.
Call it attending Mass more often.
Call it reciting the Rosary more frequently.
Call it being more attentive when we pray.
Call it more fervor in our life of prayer.
Call it getting more people to join us when we pray.
No matter, the first rule of salutary penance is more prayer.

Rule #2 - Share
Remember what Christ told us the night before He died. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you." If all sin is a failure in loving God, and we mainly show our love for God by loving one another, then we had better show our love for others by sharing with them what God has given to us.
Again the word more comes in. We are to examine our conscience and ask ourselves, what more can I share with those whom God has placed into my life?

Can I give more of my time to others?
Can I share more of my knowledge with others?
Can I share more of my skill with others?
Can I share more of my money with others?
Can I share more of my Catholic faith with others?
Each of us is different in this matter of sharing because each of us is living a different life with different people whom God's Providence places in our path. The second rule for the practice of penance is more sharing.

Rule #3 - Forgive
Christ could not have been more explicit in urging us to forgive others who offend us. He gave us whole parables on the subject of forgiveness. He warned us that God will be as merciful to us as we are forgiving to others. He placed, in the center of The Lord's Prayer, a frightening invocation, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."
Once again, it behooves us to look to our practice of forgiveness of injuries, so to be more forgiving in the future than we have been in the past.

Can I be more forgiving by forgetting what others have done to me?
Can I be more forgiving by ignoring the unkindness and thoughtlessness and perhaps meanness that others commit against me?
No two of us are living the same lives. Each of us have different people saying or doing or failing to say or do things that hurt us and, perhaps, crush the very heart of our souls. The third rule of penance is to be more forgiving.

Rule #4 - Work
We now shift from penance to reparation, and our first directive is to work. How is work a form of reparation of sin? It is reparation because our fallen human nature dislikes to exert itself. Work is a form of mortification that all of us can look to see whether we could not work harder than we are doing - in performance of tasks that are part of our state in life.
By nature we are prone to first do what we like, then what is useful, and finally, what is necessary.

I cannot think of a more effective kind of reparation than to set our minds to reversing that order.

We should first do what is necessary, then what is useful, and only then what is pleasant or what we like.

Rule #5 - Endure
In some ways this is the keystone of reparation, the patient endurance of the sufferings and trials that God sends us.
God in His mercy sends us the Cross in order to try our patience that we might save our souls and the souls of many others besides.

The variety of these trials sent us by God defies classification and their intensity depends on a thousand factors that differ with different people. If we are to expiate sin we must resign ourselves to endure pain. But, as we know, there are degrees and degrees to this resignation.

Can we accept misunderstanding from others with greater peace of mind?
Can we be more generous in doing what we know God wants us to do, although doing it is painful?
Can we suffer without pitying ourselves?
Can we put up with discomfort, or distaste, or disability, without becoming bitter about what we are tempted to consider injustice on the part of God?
Yes, God's violations are blessings, and the crosses He sends us are tokens of His love. But how we need the light of faith to see this, and the strength of His grace to do this -- in reparation for sin, as the price we must pay to reach heaven, where every tear will be wiped away and all the past, which is now the present, will have passed away.

Rule #6 - Deprive
Our sixth rule is to practice reparation by depriving ourselves of something we now have that we could, if we wanted to, do without.
It may be some luxury in the home,
Or some delicacy at table,
Or some comfort in our way of living,
Or some trinket, or adult toy that we could just as well do without.
Call it mortification or self-denial; whatever the name, the basic idea is to expiate for sins of self-indulgence by giving up. When we sin we offend God by choosing some creature to which we have no right. When we practice mortification, we make reparation by choosing to deprive ourselves of some creature we have a right to -- why, in order to undo the harm caused by sin and thus propitiate the offended justice of God.

Rule #7 - Sacrifice
I have saved sacrifice for the end because it synthesizes everything we have so far said.
What is sacrifice? Sacrifice is the surrender of something to God.
Sacrifice is the heart of penance and reparation.
When we sacrifice, we let go with our wills of whatever we could legitimately possess and enjoy because we want to make up to God for having stupidly chosen some creature in preference to the Creator.
We return to where we began by stressing that when we sacrifice, we do more than we would have done; we give up more than we would have given up; we surrender more of what we like in order to -- in plain English -- prove to God that we love Him.

There is an episode in the Gospels that perfectly synthesizes this cardinal mystery of sin and penitential reparation.

Remember after the Resurrection when Christ asked Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than the others do?" Why the question? Because Peter had sinned; sinned more than the others who had remained faithful to the Master. Peter was expected to love Christ more. Why more? Because he had more to sacrifice in order to expiate more because he had so deeply sinned in denying the Saviour.

Conclusion
As we look into our hearts we must humbly confess that truly, we have sinned, sinned often, sinned deeply, sinned willfully.

But God is good. He gives us the privilege of not only expiating what we have done wrong, but actually becoming more pleasing to Him by our penance and reparation.

It was no pious statement that St. Paul gave us when he said, "Where sin abounded, grace has even more abounded." In other words, in God's providence, He allows us to sin so we might repent and become saints.

Copyright © 2003 by Inter Mirifica
http://www.therealpresence.org/archives/Lent/Lent_002.htm

Offering it Up

2010-02-08T08:46:00.001-05:00

Having marveled at the amazing truth that Jesus not only redeemed us, but through his grace has desired to give us a real, consequential role in the building up of his everlasting Kingdom through merit, now we are ready to tackle your question. If we are in the state of grace, our prayers, virtuous actions, and even our sufferings can become a source of merit. When we unite them to Christ (“offering them up”), they become pipelines of grace extending from the heart of Christ into our hearts and through us into the Church and the world around us. That said, we also must remember that the diameter of the pipeline is not fixed. It depends upon four factors. Growth in spiritual maturity depends to a great extent on the interior discipline required in living out these four factors.

First, there is the amount of sanctifying grace present in my soul. The more I am filled with grace, the more merit my prayers, virtuous actions, and sufferings will have when I offer them to God. The more grace I am infused with, the higher the wattage on the lamp of my soul. This is because grace is what makes us more like God, more united to him. A kind word from a stranger can be pleasant, but a kind word from someone dear to me is much more meaningful. The Christian who prays regularly, receives the sacraments regularly, and makes an effort to practice all the Christian virtues, rooting out sinful tendencies and avoiding sin, is more united to God. They are in a better position to merit. As the Bible puts it, “The Lord keeps his distance from the wicked, but he listens to the prayers of the upright” (Proverbs 15:29). And lest you think this is just an Old Testament anachronism, here’s St. James making the same point in the New Testament: “…The heartfelt prayer of someone upright works very powerfully” (James 5:16). What goes for prayers goes also for virtuous actions and sufferings.

United to the Vine

Second, there is our union with Jesus. This is closely related to the first factor, but it is less formal and more relational. It’s a question of being aware of our union with Christ. We are members of his mystical body, and so he is always with us. The more conscious we are of this union, the more meritorious all of our actions become. When we are working on a project with another person, the beneficial synergy happens more fully and dramatically if we are in constant contact with that person along the whole process. Our project as Christians is to build up Christ’s Kingdom in our hearts and in the world around us. If we try to do the work on our own and then check in with the Lord at the end of the day, that’s good. But it’s much better if we work side-by-side with him throughout every phase of the project. This is the spiritual discipline of living in the presence of God, and it turns even the most mundane tasks into meaningful encounters with God. If I am habitually living and working aware of Christ’s presence in my heart, then saying the words “Lord, I offer this up to you” resonates deeply in my soul, opening up a wider flow of God’s grace (merit) through that offering. St. Paul encouraged the Christians of Colossae to practice this spiritual discipline: “…Whatever you say or do, let it be in the name of the Lord Jesus, in thanksgiving to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17).

To Want or Not to Want…

Third, there is our purity of intention. We can “offer up” our sufferings, using them to gain merit, for many different reasons: because we don’t want to go to hell; because we want more glory in heaven; because we want our sufferings to win graces for others who are in need; because we want to show God that we love him no matter what, even if he permits suffering in our lives; because we want to conform our lives more perfectly to Christ… The same variety of reasons can be present in our prayers and virtuous actions. We can obey because we don’t want to be punished, or because we recognize that the virtue of obedience is pleasing to God and glorifies his wisdom; we can exhaust ourselves to earn a decent living because we are afraid of being labeled a failure, or because we recognize that God has given us a mission to provide for a family and thereby be a mirror of the Father’s goodness… The default setting for our interior intention is usually self-centered. But with God’s help and constant effort on our part, we can make it more and more mission-centered, Kingdom-centered, Christ-centered. Of course, usually we have more than one intention, e.g. we work for the satisfaction of a job well done, but also to benefit the world around us and to make a living, and also to glorify God. Multiple intentions are natural and normal – human beings are complex creatures. But the more we can consciously renew our supernatural intention, stirring up the reasons for doing things that are based on the wisdom of our faith, the bigger pipeline of grace we can become. This factor applies even to the littlest things we do, as St Paul makes clear: “Whatever you eat, then, or drink, and whatever else you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

Going from Cold to Hot

Fourth, there is the factor of fervor. You can have 20 kids in a math class, and every single one of them can be working on an exercise. But not every single one of them will be putting their whole heart into it. You can have 15 kids at baseball practice, but not all 15 will be giving their all for the whole two hours. Just so, we can all say the words, “Lord, I offer this up to you,” but we will not all say them with equal fervor; the more meaning we pour into them, the more merit we can acquire. When sufferings come our way, for example, we can accept them with different degrees of fervor: reluctance, patience, gratitude, joy. As long as we accept them out of faith, we will merit – we will help increase the flow of grace in the Church. But if we accept them with a greater degree of faith (e.g. “Lord, you are giving me a chance to unite myself more closely to Christ on the cross – OK, Lord, help me to share his love as I share his pain!…”), there will also be a greater degree of merit. Jesus stressed this factor when he identified the most important commandment: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). He said all. The implication is that we can love with different degrees of totality.

Sanctifying grace, union with Jesus, purity of intention, and fervor are four factors that help determine the degree of merit that our prayers, virtuous actions, and sufferings (sacrifices) can win for ourselves, the Church, and the world around us. So, to answer the original question, there is much more to uniting our sufferings to Christ than simply saying the words, though that is the necessary catalyst.

I hope this hasn’t discouraged you by giving the impression that the spiritual life is overly complicated. It really isn’t. In fact, knowing that one simple action (a prayer, a headache, an act of service, an honest word, a chore) can either open up a trickle or a torrent of grace is a jewel of wisdom. It should fill us with optimism and enthusiasm. We don’t have to convert nations or face lions in the Coliseum to do something glorious for God! Nor do we have to learn complex yoga techniques in order to develop spiritual maturity – we just have to dig deep into our soul before, during, and after our normal activities, and activate our faith so as to plug them into our Christian mission of building Christ’s Kingdom. (By the way, the easiest way to do that is to grow in the habit of “praying at all times” [1 Thessalonians 5:17]. When we do that, the four factors kick in and intensify automatically.) This is less glamorous than becoming a martial arts expert, because it is largely interior and invisible (to everyone except you and God), and therefore requires more discipline. As St Paul put it, we “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).

But the good news is, as always, that we are not alone. God, Mary, the angels and the saints are all eager to help us, if we just give them the chance.

Yours in Christ, Fr John Bartunek, LC
http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/topics/suffering

Invincible Weapons

2010-02-08T08:37:00.003-05:00

"All my strength lies in prayer and sacrifice. They are my invincible weapons, and I know, by experience, that they can soften the heart much better than words."

- St. Therese

Change the World

2010-02-03T18:53:00.001-05:00

"Everything starts with one person ... I don't care if you're 5 or 105, God from all eternity chose YOU to be where you are, at this time in history, to change the world."

- Mother Angelica

I Will Serve Him

2010-02-03T05:30:00.000-05:00

"Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him....He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life, He may shorten it; He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me to strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future from me; still He knows what He is about."

- John Henry Cardinal Newman

Teach Me, O Lord

2010-02-02T12:02:00.000-05:00

A Prayer by Fr. John Hardon

Teach me, my Lord, to be kind and gentle in all the events of life, in disappointments, in the thoughtlessness of others, in the insincerity of those I trusted, in the unfaithfulness of those on whom I relied.

Let me put myself aside, to think of the happiness of others, to hide my pains and heartaches, so that I may be the only one to suffer from them.

Teach me to profit by the suffering that comes across my path. Let me so use it that it may mellow me, not harden or embitter me; that it may make me patient, not irritable; that it may make me broad in my forgiveness, not narrow, proud and overbearing.

May no one be less good for having come within my influence. No one less pure, less true, less kind, less noble for having been a fellow traveler in our journey toward eternal life.

As I go my rounds from one task to another, let me say, from time to time, a word of love to You.

May my life be lived in the supernatural, full of power for good, and strong in its purpose of sanctity. Amen.

(Father John A. Hardon Catholic Prayer Book with Meditations p.49)

God Tests

2010-02-02T10:36:00.001-05:00

“The Devil tempts that he may ruin and destroy;
God tests that He may crown.”

- St. Ambrose

The Modern Mind and Authority

2010-02-02T10:25:00.000-05:00

"The modern mind will accept nothing on authority, but will accept anything on no authority. Say that the Bible or the Pope says so and it will be dismissed without further examination. But preface your remark with “I think I heard somewhere, or, try but fail to remember the name of some professor who might have said such-and-such”, and it will be immediately accepted as an unshakable fact." - G.K. Chesterton

Weakness is a Guard

2010-02-02T09:23:00.000-05:00

"The weaknesses we experience are naturally providential guards against one of the very greatest dangers to holiness: pride." - Venerable Father Solanus Casey

Carry On!

2010-02-02T08:06:00.001-05:00

"Don't lose heart. Carry on! Carry on with the holy stubbornness which in spiritual terms is called perseverance." - Saint Josemaria Escriva

A Prayer of Faith

2010-02-02T08:03:00.000-05:00

"Sometimes I am so cold and in such darkness that I merely look to heaven and plead for light. That's a prayer of faith. A lot of people think that faith is all joy. Well, I don't. Faith is sometimes scary. There are many moments in life where you are uncertain about which way to go. That kind of faith is hard. There's a type of darkness in Faith, not the darkness that comes from sin, but the darkness that necessitates trust." - Mother Angelica

The Hell There Is!

2010-02-02T07:45:00.000-05:00

The Hell There Is!

The doctrine of hell is so frightening that numerous heretical sects end up denying the reality of an eternal hell. The Unitarian-Universalists, the Seventh-Day Adventists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Christadelphians, the Christian Scientists, the Religious Scientists, the New Agers, and the Mormons—all have rejected or modified the doctrine of hell so radically that it is no longer a serious threat. In recent decades, this decay has even invaded mainstream Evangelicalism, and a number of major Evangelical figures have advocated the view that there is no eternal hell—the wicked will simply be annihilated.

But the eternal nature of hell is stressed in the New Testament. For example, in Mark 9:47–48 Jesus warns us, "[I]t is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." And in Revelation 14:11, we read: "And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name."

Hell is not just a theoretical possibility. Jesus warns us that real people go there. He says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matt. 7:13–14).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs" (CCC 1035).

In his 1994 book, Crossing the Threshold of Hope, Pope John Paul II wrote that too often "preachers, catechists, teachers . . . no longer have the courage to preach the threat of hell" (p. 183).

Concerning the reality of hell, the pope says, "In point of fact, the ancient councils rejected the theory . . . according to which the world would be regenerated after destruction, and every creature would be saved; a theory which abolished hell. . . . [T]he words of Christ are unequivocal. In Matthew’s Gospel he speaks clearly of those who will go to eternal punishment (cf. Matt. 25:46). [But] who will these be? The Church has never made any pronouncement in this regard" (pp. 185–6).

Thus the issue that some will go to hell is decided, but the issue of who in particular will go to hell is undecided.

Source: http://www.catholic.com/library/Hell_There_Is.asp

Anxiety

2010-02-02T07:24:00.001-05:00

"Beware of anxiety. Next to sin, there is nothing that so much troubles the mind, strains the heart, distresses the soul and confuses the judgment." - Archbishop Ullathorne: Humility and Patience (19th Century)

A Powerful Weapon!

2010-02-02T07:21:00.000-05:00

"The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you will be amazed at the results." - Saint Josemaria Escriva

Where God is Loved and Honored

2010-02-02T07:15:00.000-05:00

"Happiness is to be found only in the home where God is loved and honored, where each one loves, and helps, and cares for the others." - Saint Theophane Venard

Love Until it Hurts

2010-02-02T07:09:00.001-05:00

"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love." - Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta

:)

2010-02-02T07:08:00.000-05:00

"Give me a sense of humor, Lord, and something to laugh about." - St. Thomas More

If Everything Had Gone Smoothly

2010-02-02T07:07:00.001-05:00

"If everything had gone smoothly, just as you envisioned, wouldn't you have become very complacent? Would you have depended on the Lord so much? Would you really have known that He's the one doing it all? You might think you could have done without those setbacks and problems and persecutions -- but you're wrong. You needed them." - Mother Angelica

Precious in God's Sight

2010-02-02T07:05:00.001-05:00

"Don't think that, because the particular virtues you have in mind don't shine in your neighbor, he won't be precious in God's sight for something you're not thinking about." - Saint John of the Cross

Truth

2010-02-02T07:04:00.001-05:00

"Error may flourish for a time, but truth will prevail in the end. The only effect of error ultimately is to promote truth." - John Henry Cardinal Newman

Trust in the Lord

2010-02-02T06:41:00.000-05:00

Faith

2010-01-29T20:20:00.001-05:00

"Faith is one foot on the ground, one foot in the air, and a queasy feeling in the stomach." - Mother Angelica

Good Works

2010-01-29T20:06:00.000-05:00

"If it were given a man to see virtue's reward in the next life, he would occupy his intellect, memory and will in nothing but good works - regardless of danger or fatigue."

- St. Catherine of Genoa

To Do the Will of God Always!

2010-01-29T20:04:00.001-05:00

Saint Gerard Majella, Patron Saint of Expectant Mothers, had a placard tacked to his door with the inscription:

"Here the Will of God is done, as God wills, and as long as God wills."

Source: The Story of St. Gerard Majella, Published by Saint Gerard Guild, 1949

A Tree's Fruit

2010-01-29T19:58:00.000-05:00

"Christian fathers and mothers: if you wish to have pious, good children, you must first of yourselves be God-fearing and lead good lives. As the tree, so will the fruit be, says an old proverb, and the Divine Word verifies this."

- St. John Vianney

Visits to the Blessed Sacrament

2010-01-29T19:56:00.000-05:00

"Do you want Our Lord to give you many graces? Visit Him often. Do you want Him to give you few graces? Visit Him seldom. Visits to the Blessed Sacrament are powerful and indispensable means of overcoming the attacks of the devil. Make frequent visits to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and the devil will be powerless against you."

- St. John Bosco

Morning Prayer

2010-01-29T19:55:00.002-05:00

Dear Lord,

So far today Lord, I've done alright. I haven't gossiped, haven't lost my temper, haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, nor over-indulgent. And I'm very thankful to you for that.

But..........In a few minutes, Lord, I'm probably going to need a lot more help because I'm going to get out of bed!!!!!

Remember

2010-01-29T19:48:00.001-05:00

The next time you feel like GOD can't use you, just remember...

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ (3 times!)
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
Mary Magdalene was the Samaritan woman who was divorced, more than once...
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer... AND
Lazarus was dead!

Now! No more excuses!
God can use you to your full potential.
Besides, you aren't the message, you are just the messenger.
And one more thing...
Share this with a friend or two...
In the Circle of God's love, God is waiting to use your full potential.

Parents: Prepare Your Children for Eternity

2010-01-29T19:30:00.005-05:00

PARENTS FOR ETERNAL LIFE

So the litany of secularism goes on. Its most principal target is our children.

This then brings us face to face with the gravest duty of believing Catholic parents. They must be convinced that their primary responsibility as parents is to prepare the children that God gave them — for eternal life.

Yes, parents are the primary teachers of their children in all that pertains to the children's lives here on earth. But that is not all. That is not primary!

What is primary? The parents' most fundamental duty is to prepare their children for eternity.

• Parents must, and the word is must teach their children from birth on that God created us to know, love and serve Him in this life in order that our souls may reach heaven.

• Parents must teach their children that everything in this life is to be only a means of leading us to our heavenly destiny.

• Parents must teach their children that while everything in this life is intended by God to lead us to heaven, not everything is to be used in the same way

— Some of the persons, places and things in our life are to be enjoyed,
— Other persons, places and things are to be endured,
— Other persons, places and things are to be removed. Why? Because they lead us to sin.
— Finally, there are persons, places and things that God asks us to surrender. It is an invitation from God to sacrifice what we like in order to express our greater love of God.

• Parents must teach their children that they have a fallen — I like the term "falling" — human nature. We are not naturally prone to do what God wants but what we want.

• Parents must teach their children that if they are going to cope with their natural tendencies to pride and lust and anger and envy and greed, and avarice and gluttony — they need the constant help of God's grace.

• Parents must teach their children that to obtain the necessary light and grace to know God's will and the necessary strength to do it, they need to pray and receive the sacraments.

All of this is locked up in the simple statement that parents are parents for eternal life. God gives them children in this world, but not for this world.

Parents, in God's plan, are to conceive and give birth to, and nourish and educate their children for life after bodily death. After all, the only purpose that God has in having parents here on earth is that they might raise families for everlasting life in heaven.

By Fr. John A. Hardon, S.J.

Opening the Mind

2010-01-25T09:55:00.000-05:00

"The object of opening the mind, as of opening the mouth, is to shut it again on something solid." - G.K. Chesterton

A Love Affair

2010-01-25T09:53:00.001-05:00

"Let your religion be less of a theory and more of a love affair." - G.K. Chesterton

Idolatry

2010-01-25T09:06:00.000-05:00

“Idolatry is committed, not merely by setting up false gods, but also by setting up false devils; by making men afraid of war or alcohol, or economic law, when they should be afraid of spiritual corruption and cowardice.” - G. K. Chesterton

True Soldiers

2010-01-25T08:53:00.001-05:00

"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." -G.K. Chesterton

The Art of Faith

2010-01-25T08:47:00.000-05:00

"Faith is the art of holding on to things your reason has once accepted, in spite of your changing moods." - C.S. Lewis

The One Great Thing to Love on Earth

2010-01-12T14:05:00.000-05:00

"Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament. There you will find romance, glory, honour, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves on earth." - JRR Tolkien

Patron Saints for 2010!

2010-01-04T11:06:00.001-05:00

I have been doing this for a few years now! I'm just amazed at the patrons for this year, as they are COMPLETELY appropriate. If you would like to find out your patron, head on over to my friend Marianne's blog! The link to email her is on the right-hand side of the blog: http://yourpatronsaint.blogspot.com

Here are the saints chosen for us this year:

Hubby - St. Eustachius and his family, feast day on 09/20!
Me - St. Charles Borromeo, 11/04
Joey - St. Francis of Assisi, 10/04
Grace - St. Lucy, 12/13
Elizabeth - St. Jerome Emiliani, 02/08
Margaret - St. Luke, 10/18
Christopher - St. Angela of Foligno, 01/04

One of My Fav Movies

2010-01-04T10:03:00.000-05:00

"I Remember Mama" is such an excellent movie. One of my favs!

These are the days

2010-01-04T09:50:00.000-05:00

"These are the days when a Christian is expected to praise every creed but his own." - G.K. Chesterton

Happy Name Day

2010-01-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

Happy Name Day to my daughter, Elizabeth Ann! St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us!

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2009-12-28T07:47:00.002-05:00

This morning Joey said, "It's so nice that Christmas is not just one day. It's still Christmas!"

I said, "Yes, Joey! We are party animals, celebrating Christmas more than one day."

He replied, "We are not animals, we are mammals!!!!"

Guess the homeschooling is paying off! :)

What a Wonderful Christmas

2009-12-27T07:57:00.003-05:00

Joey declared this was a wonderful Christmas. Gracie told me that she doesn't need any presents, just our family. Then, she gave me a great big hug. It just doesn't get better than that. Plus, I have my cheeky 3 year old, adorable 1 year old and gorgeous newborn son to love up. God answered my prayer to come into our hearts!!

2009-12-24T10:46:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas to all! The light of the Christmas star to you, The warmth of home and hearth to you, The cheer and good will of friends to you, The hope of a childlike heart to you, The joy of a thousand angels to you, The love of the Son and God's peace to you.

Santa Wrote Back!

2009-12-23T20:01:00.001-05:00

Here is the reply we received from Santa on Facebook! You can read the original letter to Santa, here. It will probably make more sense in understanding his reply. :)

Santa sent you a message.

--------------------

Re: Dear Santa

Ho Ho Ho Joey, Gracie & Lilly,

Santa is reading each & every request & letter...I will be leaving in just a few hours to start my travel around the world bringing all the wonderful toys to all the boys & girls on my Nice List. This year it seems to be much larger than usual...in looking over the List I see the names: Joey, Gracie & Lilly on it...that makes my Heart very warm, knowing that children like to keep their teeth brushed, helping their mom & dad around the house by keeping their toys & clothes picked up & remembering to keep quiet when their younger brother or sister is taking a nap.

I will tell the Elves to pack as many things possible for you all in my giant red Santa Sack for the trip in the Sleigh. Sometimes there isn't enough room to get everything in there so we may not be able to bring everything that you all want...but never fear, there is always next year.

Just remember, there are some things that Santa can't deliver. Things like time machines...they just don't exist & Santa & the Elves don't know how to manufacture one. We just have to live everyday as if it is the most precious one we have...if you do that...you'll never regret having lived a poor life....

Remember, Santa Loves All of You.....

........and Wishes You & Your Family......

A very Merry Christmas

Santa

PS - Just leave a tiny amount of milk & 2 cookies...and maybe a carrot stick for Rudolph.....

The Redeeming Power of the MASS

2009-12-23T17:25:00.002-05:00

The Redeeming Power of the MASS

A talk given by Father Mateo, SS.CC., apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and founder of the Work of the Enthronement, to a group of Eucharistic Sentinels making a Holy Hour at the Benedictine Sanctuary of Perpetual Adoration in Tucson, Arizona.

Dear Friends - You are the friends of the King, so we are friends. Are you really zealous? Are you really apostles of the Sacred Heart in the Blessed Sacrament? Yes, I am preaching love; I am preaching the Lover, Jesus - a love self - forgetting, a love spreading, a love conquering. You must be apostles! You love him; you must be apostles, the ones to set fire to other hearts, to other baptized Catholics, that they may love the Master as you love Him. How many Catholics there are who have not grasped the duty of being apostles, the duty of gratitude! How many there are who are interested only in themselves, in their own spiritual welfare, and care nothing for that of others. No, it is our POSITIVE DUTY, OUR OBLIGATION, TO BRING OTHERS TO THE MASTER, to give Him not only our own souls but the souls of others.

Be grateful and be generous in giving of the treasure which Our Lord has entrusted to your care, lavishing these treasures on souls, on poor, starving souls. It is sad that so few love Jesus. Therefore, make him better known, better loved. In His name I ask you: be apostles, in gratitude, in charity.

We preach charity toward the poor and unfortunate people. That is beautiful, splendid, and it must be done; and yet, what is material charity when compared to a soul? I refer to the conquering of even one soul, for there is nothing greater than that - to conquer souls redeemed by Our Lord, for whom He shed His Precious Blood. That is true gratitude, true charity. You must love each other, your neighbors; then give them Jesus, give them Jesus! Give Jesus to those straying far from Him; a duty of charity concerning souls, a duty of gratitude toward Jesus, your Benefactor, who has chosen you as His friends, who has overwhelmed you with graces; then give what you have received.

Pay the Ransom with the Chalice

But that is not sufficient. Fervent Sentinels, trusting in your generosity, I go farther. Do you know what I am preaching everywhere? I am preaching: Pay the ransom of souls with the Chalice, with the CHALICE. The greatest means of converting souls is one more Mass, one more Mass during the week, and, with sacrifice, two or three more Masses; if possible, daily Mass, to pay for the eternal salvation of souls so dear to you. That is the great thing - the Chalice filled with the Precious Blood. You will never see souls go astray if you pay the ransom, hearing one more Mass, two, three, four, and, if possible, daily Mass. with sacrifice; then you are apostles, paying the ransom for the Sacred Heart.

I remember long years ago, a lady - she had her own unconverted mother, and that old lady was dying. Nothing, nothing to be done. Her daughter, a wonderful Catholic, said to her: "Mother, you are baptized; you are supposed to be a Catholic." But the mother would not listen. "Nonsense! Allow me to die as I have lived. I do not need God; 1 am 78 years old!" The daughter came to me, asking what should be done. I said to her: "Pay the ransom; you are a Catholic. go to Mass, daily Mass." She was wonderfully faithful. She was not at all healthy, the church was at a distance, yet she never missed one Mass.

It seemed fruitless. She said to her mother one day: "Mother, please, you are dying. Shall I not call a priest?" "No! No!" Then the daughter brought a picture of the Sacred Heart, which she held up for her mother to see. "Here, Mother, is the King of Love. Please, Mother, let Him come to you in Holy Communion. I have prayed and gone to Mass daily, in order that you may not die without making your peace with Jesus who has loved you so much. The Chalice has been offered every day for you, that your soul may be washed in the Precious Blood." So the daughter pleaded, until finally the mother turned to her and said: "I do not know how, but I have changed completely. A priest - oh, get me a priest at once!" And the mother died praising the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Then the husband, a man living with hate in his heart toward God - an actual apostle of Satan. He also asked for a priest, for he was sick, very sick. He asked for Father Mateo. I heard his confession four times, and he received Holy Communion as often. He called in fifteen or twenty of his former friends, also living in hate, and said to them: "Kneel down and adore Christ the King, the King of Love. That is the only thing worth while." He died praising the Sacred Heart. Then the third one in the same family, gone astray - the youngest brother, twenty-five years old, also returned to the Sacraments. And why? The Mass, daily Mass, the Chalice, the greatest power of redemption.

One More Mass! A Novena of Masses

How often have I heard young ladies say to me: "Father, we are making novena after novena for certain conversions but to no avail." Do you know what I reply? I do not blame that; that is all right but instead of annoying the saints with novena after novena why do you not make a novena of Masses? THAT IS THE GREAT NOVENA. And all the saints will applaud you for they realize the greatness of Holy Mass. I do not blame your novenas to the saints but I say transform your novenas into something divine, omnipotent - the Chalice - one more Mass - two, three or four more Masses - if possible daily Mass. You are asking for a miracle; I approve, But I tell you that you must pay the ransom for the conversions you make. You have a right to ask for such miracles. Do you know what a conversion is? It is the resurrection of a soul. It is far greater to see the resurrection of a soul than the resurrection of a corpse. Oh one more Mass! Please - one more Mass! Pay the ransom with the Chalice. One more Mass! If you have anyone at home sick, or dying, oh, pay the ransom with the Chalice - one more Mass!

Silent Preaching of a Saintly Mother

May I relate to you something personal, with real emotion? I am the son of a Protestant. My father was an Anglican. One of my uncles was a missionary in India, the other a Canon in Westminster Abbey in London for thirty years. Yet I have seen my father, 58 years old, kneeling for his first confession and first Communion, weeping out of joy, the great Anglican, over powered by grace. Who converted him? The grace of God. But who was the instrument? A great preacher? Yes - that preacher was my mother. How did she succeed? Speaking generally, you know that husbands do not like sermons at home. Then how did she convert my father? She never missed Mass, her daily Mass, except when sick and dying, and even then the priest came to give her Holy Communion.

When I left home for school in the morning, she was already back from church - and we were eleven children. She knew her first duty was to the home, to attend to her family; and yet in spite of that she found time to go every morning to Holy Mass and to receive Holy Communion. She paid the ransom. Our Lord was obliged to grant her the favor, for He is justice as well as truth. I venerate my mother. She died in 1935, when I was preaching in Japan. She is saying, as I am saying, that it is the Chalice, the Chalice, the CHALICE!

A saintly soul said one day to Our Lord who appeared to her: "O Lord, what could I offer to Thee, for Thy glory, for my sanctification, for the salvation of many, many souls?" And Our Lord replied: "For My Father, for yourself and for souls, give Me one more Mass!" Where there is a will there is a way; where there is love, there is a way. When you love Him, come! come! come! With sacrifice prove your love, by giving Him, one, two, three Masses during the week, if possible daily Mass. If you make the effort, you will be blessed a thousand times and you will praise Him one day.

Little Missionaries

I remember preaching in Scotland, when it was very cold. The pastor asked me to speak to a large number of little ones, six, seven, eight and nine years old, about to make their first Communion. I said to them: "Tell Mama that I am preaching the reign of the Sacred Heart - that you are going to become missionaries." After I had finished speaking to the children, one little girl came to me and said: "My daddy never goes to church; he never goes to church. I am going to say to Mama what you have said, and I am never going to miss one Mass." You see, I had preached the Sacred Heart, and asked them to help me save souls with one more Mass. The child told her mother she was going to attend daily Mass for her father. The mother thought it was too cold, but the child insisted she must save her father's soul. So the mother at length consented to allow her to attend daily Mass. Three months later I met this child, and she said to me: "Father, do you remember what I told you about my daddy not going to church? Well, I have never missed one Mass since then. It has been cold and I am often sleepy, for it is early. And do you know what I say to Jesus when I have Him here (in her heart)? I tell Him I am going to Mass and Communion every morning. It is for my daddy, for my daddy. I am paying the ransom. I am taking his place here every morning, so that You may save his soul, here at the altar rail, my loving Jesus." Wonderful!

When the precious moment of Consecration has arrived, imagine yourself on Calvary, standing beneath the Cross with Mary, and, united with her sentiments, offer to the Eternal Father the Precious Blood and Wounds of Jesus, for the conversion of sinners and unbelievers and the poor souls in purgatory. And now, united with Jesus and Mary, look at your crucifix and make your offering by saying: Eternal Father. I offer Thee the Wounds of our Lord Jesus Christ to heal those of our souls. My Jesus, pardon and mercy through the merits of Thy Sacred Wounds. Renew this offering for every wound of Jesus. You will also have time to see Him in spirit, in pain and suffering, in the first, second, and third fall under the heavy weight of the Cross. Do not forget the adorable Face of Jesus, the seat of Al1 wisdom, crowned for us with thorns. God promised a great reward for those who honor His holy Face. In this offering, we are offering heaven to heaven. This is not all; we are following the Master, the Good Shepherd and the good Samaritan, to heal the wounds of our Savior who has loved us so much.

Let us trust Jesus in our temporal needs and especially in our spiritual needs. When saying in the "Our Father," give us this day our daily bread (the Holy Eucharist), let us be mindful to plead for our neighbor, the lukewarm, and ourselves.

Never miss Mass through your own fault. Some times you cannot attend; but make the effort never to miss one Mass and Communion, in spite of difficulties. You will bless me when dying, if you do this. May God grant you the grace to attend Mass daily, and to receive daily Communion with the intention of saving souls from hell, and thereby glorifying God in heaven for all eternity. There is no greater love.

Imprimatur: Most Rev. Geo. W. Ahr,
S.T.D. Bishop of Trenton

HOLY FACE ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 1, St. Henri Station,
Montreal, Canada H4C 3J7

Christmas all the way!

2009-12-23T17:13:00.001-05:00

Lilly is singing to the tune of Jingle Bells... "Christmas Trees, Christmas Trees, Christmas all da way!"

What Child Is This?

2009-12-23T16:00:00.003-05:00

What Child Is This?

What Child is this who, laid to rest
On Mary's lap is sleeping?
Whom Angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and Angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

Why lies He in such mean estate,
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christians, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce Him through,
The cross be borne for me, for you.
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh,
Come peasant, king to own Him;
The King of kings salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise a song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby.
Joy, joy for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary.

The Christ Child

2009-12-23T14:50:00.001-05:00

“THE CHRIST CHILD” BY G.K.CHESTERTON

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast,
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s heart,
His hair was like a fire.
(O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world’s desire.)

The Christ-child stood at Mary’s knee,
His hair was like a crown.
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down.

The Everyday Hidden Cross

2009-12-23T12:42:00.001-05:00

"Whenever you see a poor, wooden cross, alone, uncared for, worthless...and without a corpus, don't forget that that cross is your cross--the everyday hidden cross, unattractive and unconsoling --the cross that is waiting for the corpus it lacks: and that corpus must be you." - St. Josemaria Escriva, "The Way"

Prayer to St. Raphael

2009-12-23T12:35:00.002-05:00

Prayer to St. Raphael

St. Raphael, loving patron of those seeking a marriage partner, help me in this supreme decision of my life. Find for me as a helpmate in life the person whose character may reflect some of the traits of Jesus and Mary. May he (she) be upright, loyal, pure, sincere and noble, so that with united efforts and with chaste and unselfish love we both may strive to perfect ourselves in soul and body, as well as the children it may please God to entrust to our care.

St. Raphael, angel of chaste courtship, bless our friendship and our love that sin may have no part in it. May our mutual love bind us so closely that our future home may ever be most like the home of the Holy Family of Nazareth. Offer your prayers to God for the both of us and obtain the blessing of God upon our marriage, as you were the herald of blessing for the marriage of Tobiah and Sarah.
St. Raphael, friend of the young, be my friend, for I shall always be yours. I desire ever to invoke you in my needs.

To your special care I entrust the decision I am to make as to my future husband (wife). Direct me to the person with whom I can best cooperate in doing God’s Holy Will, with whom I can live in peace, love and harmony in this life, and attain to eternal joy in the next. Amen.

In honor of St. Raphael: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

Prayer to the Divino Nino in Difficult Times

2009-12-23T10:32:00.000-05:00

Prayer to the Divino Nino in Difficult Times

Divine Child Jesus,
In my difficulties: help me
From the enemies of my soul: save me
In my errors: enlighten me
In my doubts and pains: comfort me
In my solitudes: be with me
In my diseases: invigorate me
When others despise me: encourage me
In temptations: defend me
In difficult hours: strengthen me
With your maternal heart: love me
With your immense power: protect me
And, into your arms, when I die: receive me
Amen.

Spiritual Adoption Prayer

2009-12-23T10:31:00.001-05:00

Spiritual Adoption Prayer

It is recommended that the following daily prayer is said for a period of nine months:

Jesus, Mary and Joseph, I love you very much. I beg you to spare the life of the unborn baby that I have spiritually adopted who is in danger of abortion.

- Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

A Morning Prayer, by Saint Therese

2009-12-23T10:30:00.001-05:00

A Morning Prayer, by Saint Therese

O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.

O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity.

Amen.

The Beatitudes

2009-12-23T10:28:00.002-05:00

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the meek,
for they shall possess the earth.

Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.

Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice' sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when men reproach you, and persecute you, and speaking falsely, say all manner of evil against you, for My sake.

Rejoice and exult, because your reward is great in heaven; for so did they persecute the prophets who were before you.

A Prayer for Abortion Victims

2009-12-23T10:27:00.002-05:00

A Prayer for Abortion Victims

Holy Mother of God and of the Church, our Lady of Guadalupe, you were chosen by the Father for the Son through the Holy Spirit.

You are the Woman clothed with the sun who labors to give birth to Christ while Satan, the Red Dragon, waits to voraciously devour your child.

So too did Herod seek to destroy your Son, Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and massacred many innocent children in the process.

So today does abortion killing many innocent unborn children and exploiting many mothers in its attack upon human life and upon the Church, the Body of Christ.

Mother of the Innocents, we praise God in you for His gifts to you of your Immaculate Conception, your freedom from actual sin; your fullness of grace, your Motherhood of God and the Church, your Perpetual Virginity and your Assumption in body and soul into heaven.

O Help of Christians, we beg you to protect all mothers of the unborn and the children within their wombs. We plead with you for your help to end the holocaust of abortion. Melt hearts so that life may be revered!

Holy Mother, we pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all mothers and all unborn children that they may have life here on earth and by the most Precious Blood shed by your Son that they may have eternal life with Him in heaven. We also pray to your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart for all abortionists and all abortion supporters that they may be converted and accept your Son, Jesus Christ, as their Lord and Savior. Defend all of your children in the battle against Satan and all of the evil spirits in this present darkness.

We desire that the innocent unborn children who die without Baptism should be baptized and saved. We ask that you obtain this grace for them and repentance, reconciliation and pardon from God for their parents and their killers.

Let there be revealed, once more, in the history of the world the infinite power of merciful love. May it put an end to evil. May it transform consciences. May your Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart reveal for all the light of hope. May Christ the King reign over us, our families, cities, states, nations and the whole of humanity.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, hear our pleas and accept this cry from our hearts!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, Protectress of the Unborn, Pray for us!

O, Come All Ye Faithful

2009-12-23T10:26:00.004-05:00

O, Come All Ye Faithful

O come, all ye faithful,
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him,
Born the King of Angels!

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.
Sing, alleluia,
All ye choirs of angels;
O sing, all ye blissful ones of heav'n above.
Glory to God -
In the highest glory!

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,

Christ the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet Thee,
Born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be the glory giv'n;
Word of the Father,
Now in the flesh appearing,

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

We Three Kings of Orient Are

2009-12-23T10:25:00.005-05:00

We Three Kings of Orient Are

We three Kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
field and fountain, moor and mountain,
following yonder star.

O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem's plain
Gold I bring to crown him again
King forever, ceasing never
Over us all to reign.

Star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, all men raising,
Worship him God most high.

Star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Myrrh is mine; it's bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Glorious now behold him arise,
King and God and Sacrifice.
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Earth to heaven replies.

Star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading, still proceeding
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

2009-12-23T10:25:00.003-05:00

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

Hark! the herald angels sing, -
"Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled."
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem."
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest heav'n adored:
Christ, the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of the favored one.
Veil'd in flesh, the Godhead see;
Hail, th'incarnate Deity:
Pleased, as man, with men to dwell,
Jesus, our Emmanuel!
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!

Hail! the heav'n-born Prince of peace!
Hail! the Son of Righteousness!
Light and life to all he brings,
Risen with healing in his wings
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die:
Born to raise the sone of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Hark! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!

Silent Night

2009-12-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

Silent Night

Silent night, holy night!
All is calm, all is bright.
Round yon Virgin, Mother and Child.
Holy infant so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia,
Christ the Savior is born!
Christ the Savior is born.

Silent night, holy night!
Son of God love's pure light.
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.
Jesus Lord, at Thy birth.

Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem

2009-12-23T10:24:00.001-05:00

Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem

Oh little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in the dark streets shineth, the everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

For Christ is born of Mary, and gathered all above
While mortals sleep the angels keep their watch of wondering love
Oh morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth.
And praises sing to God the king, and peace to men on earth.

How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heaven
No ear may hear his coming, but in this world of sin
Where meek souls will receive him still, the dear Christ enters in.

Oh holy Child of Bethlehem, descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today
We hear the Christmas angels, the great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us, our lord Emmanuel.

Blessing of the Home on Epiphany

2009-12-23T10:23:00.000-05:00

Blessing of the Home on Epiphany

You may go through the various rooms of the home sprinkling holy water. As the various rooms are sprinkled, read the prayer:

Bless, O Lord, almighty God, this home so that in it there may be health, chastity, victorious strength, humility, goodness and mildness, obedience to God's laws, and acts of thanks to God the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and may this Blessing remain upon this house, and upon all who dwell in it. Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

After the prayers of the blessing is recited, the initials of the Magi are inscribed upon the doors with blessed chalk, as 20 + C + M + B + 08. (The initials, C, M, B, can also be interpreted as the Latin phrase "Christus mansionem benedicat" which means "Christ bless this house".)

An Act of Thanksgiving for the Blessings of the Past Year

2009-12-23T10:22:00.001-05:00

An Act of Thanksgiving for the Blessings of the Past Year

O God, the beginning and the end of all things, Who art always the same, and Whose years fail not, we now, at the close of another year, kneel in adoration before Thee, and offer Thee our deepest thanks for the fatherly care with which Thou has watched over us during the past, for the many times Thou hast protected us from evils of soul and body, and for the numberless blessings, both temporal and spiritual, which Thou hast showered upon us. May it please Thee to accept the homage of our grateful hearts which we offer Thee in union with the infinite thanksgiving of Thy divine Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with Thee liveth and reigneth forever and ever. Amen.

The Beautiful Hands of a Priest

2009-12-23T10:20:00.001-05:00

The Beautiful Hands of a Priest

We need them in life's early morning,
We need them again at its close;
We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,
We seek them when tasting life's woes.
At the altar each day we behold them,
And the hands of a king on his throne
Are not equal to them in their greatness;
Their dignity stands all alone;

And when we are tempted and wander,
To pathways of shame and of sin,
It's the hand of a priest that will absolve us--
Not once, but again and again.

And when we are taking life's partner,
Other hands may prepare us a feast,
But the hand that will bless and unite us--
Is the beautiful hand of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,
For the Host which their fingers caress;
When can a poor sinner do better,
Than to ask Him to guide thee and bless?

When the hour of death comes upon us,
May our courage and strength be increased,
By seeing raised over us in blessing--
The beautiful hands of a priest.