Living in a college town and seeing how on fire university students are for their faith and for life gives me great hope. Praise God!!
AMDG!!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Give Me Jesus
While reading A Minute Captured by Jenny, I was so blessed to hear such beautiful and peaceful music. So glad to have found her blog, go check it out! Here is one of the songs I heard while there (not the same version though, but I like this one too). Have a blessed Sunday.
Thank You God for giving us Jesus at every Mass. Thank You Jesus for dwelling within us. Make our hearts like to Thine. In Your Holy Name, Amen.
Thank You God for giving us Jesus at every Mass. Thank You Jesus for dwelling within us. Make our hearts like to Thine. In Your Holy Name, Amen.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Fra Angelico's Annunciation
At the Marian Eucharistic Congress in Fargo last fall, Sr. M. Timothea Elliott spoke eloquently about the way St. Luke "paints a vivid word picture of the Annunciation with with the Angel Gabriel and Mary in the foreground and a theological exposition of the Old Testament in the background", similar to the this beautiful painting by Fra Angelico "expressing the significance of the Annunciation in light of the Old Testament."
May you have a blessed Solemnity of the Annunciation.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Priceless Moment
Tonight while I was snuggling in bed with our 2 year old daughter, my husband was leaving to go to Adoration. She sat up in bed and called out "Daddy, will you pray for me?"
He said to her, "Yes, I will pray really hard for you honey."
And she turned to me and said, "Mom, that means he really really loves me."
He said to her, "Yes, I will pray really hard for you honey."
And she turned to me and said, "Mom, that means he really really loves me."
Near Occasions of Sin
All of us are vulnerable to sin, especially when we place ourselves in situations that are near occasions of sin, and those situations can be different for different people.
I love the books by Susie Lloyd, Bless Me Father, For I Have Kids! and Please Don't Drink the Holy Water! Susie puts a humorous spin on some of the "near occasions of sin" that we may find ourselves in as mothers. I love how the subtitle of one of these books is "Homeschool Days, Rosary Nights and other Near Occasions of Sin." I laughed, and cried, my way through both of those books and am so appreciative of her humorous and heartfelt insight to the challenges of mothering during these times. It is so nice to know we are not alone on this journey and other people have the same crazy thoughts as us.
On the more serious side of this is that sometimes, because of my struggle with a bad temper, I feel as though my whole day can be considered a "near occasion of sin." But the truth is that God's grace makes me stronger and He will always help me when I am living and working within my vocation and calling from God. He presents us with opportunities through these struggles to make conscious acts of the will to overcome our weaknesses, and when we fail, to come to Him in repentance and seek His forgiveness. We receive more graces as we turn to Christ in the Sacraments, particularly in Confession and in the Eucharist. I also believe that Mary, our Blessed Mother, is right there with us to help us overcome temptation and to provide us with a role model in looking to Her Son for all we need.
Then there are the more serious near occasions of sin that are outside of our vocation and call from God. These are the near occasions of sin that we must avoid by conscious acts of the will, lest we place ourselves in an extremely vulnerable position. We are all susceptible to falling into grave sin, and to think otherwise is spiritually dangerous. All of us are in the crosshairs of the evil one, and he will find every opportunity to bring us down. Sure, we will fail on an everyday basis due to our own concupiscence; we are human, and we will sin. But to put ourselves in situations that are outside of God's calling for us and open ourselves up to attack is something that we need to be vigilant about avoiding, particularly when it comes to addictions or relationships that present a danger to our vocations. Speaking as a married person, sometimes there are subtleties to these relationships in that they seem like a good thing, but then our hearts are given more and more to another person who is not our spouse. And the same thing can apply to priests or religious sisters and brothers.
Thinking about near occasions of sin has been on my heart a lot in pondering about what has happened with both Fr. Euteneuer and Fr. Corapi. In one instance, wrongd
oing was found and Fr. Euteneuer admitted to his sins and in the other, Fr. Corapi has denied the allegations and an investigation is still underway. Both of these beloved priests and many others have been so strong in their battle against evil and in providing guidance to us as we fight our own spiritual battles. And yet, they are human and can fall. We must love them for who they are, God's creation, and in a special way, for their sacrifices to bring us the Sacraments. We must pray for them and not abandon them or the Holy Church even when they fall. There is great scandal caused by these sins, but we must remember that God's Mercy is greater than all of this, and we must pray urgently for the protection of priests, religious, family, friends and our own souls. We must do our own part by making conscious acts of our will to avoid serious occasions of sin and to turn to God immediately when we fall. He is there for us in our darkest moments. Let us be honest with Him and with ourselves and seek His Mercy always.
St. Joseph, terror of demons, pray for us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us. Through Your Holy Name, Amen.
I love the books by Susie Lloyd, Bless Me Father, For I Have Kids! and Please Don't Drink the Holy Water! Susie puts a humorous spin on some of the "near occasions of sin" that we may find ourselves in as mothers. I love how the subtitle of one of these books is "Homeschool Days, Rosary Nights and other Near Occasions of Sin." I laughed, and cried, my way through both of those books and am so appreciative of her humorous and heartfelt insight to the challenges of mothering during these times. It is so nice to know we are not alone on this journey and other people have the same crazy thoughts as us.
On the more serious side of this is that sometimes, because of my struggle with a bad temper, I feel as though my whole day can be considered a "near occasion of sin." But the truth is that God's grace makes me stronger and He will always help me when I am living and working within my vocation and calling from God. He presents us with opportunities through these struggles to make conscious acts of the will to overcome our weaknesses, and when we fail, to come to Him in repentance and seek His forgiveness. We receive more graces as we turn to Christ in the Sacraments, particularly in Confession and in the Eucharist. I also believe that Mary, our Blessed Mother, is right there with us to help us overcome temptation and to provide us with a role model in looking to Her Son for all we need.
Then there are the more serious near occasions of sin that are outside of our vocation and call from God. These are the near occasions of sin that we must avoid by conscious acts of the will, lest we place ourselves in an extremely vulnerable position. We are all susceptible to falling into grave sin, and to think otherwise is spiritually dangerous. All of us are in the crosshairs of the evil one, and he will find every opportunity to bring us down. Sure, we will fail on an everyday basis due to our own concupiscence; we are human, and we will sin. But to put ourselves in situations that are outside of God's calling for us and open ourselves up to attack is something that we need to be vigilant about avoiding, particularly when it comes to addictions or relationships that present a danger to our vocations. Speaking as a married person, sometimes there are subtleties to these relationships in that they seem like a good thing, but then our hearts are given more and more to another person who is not our spouse. And the same thing can apply to priests or religious sisters and brothers.
Thinking about near occasions of sin has been on my heart a lot in pondering about what has happened with both Fr. Euteneuer and Fr. Corapi. In one instance, wrongd
oing was found and Fr. Euteneuer admitted to his sins and in the other, Fr. Corapi has denied the allegations and an investigation is still underway. Both of these beloved priests and many others have been so strong in their battle against evil and in providing guidance to us as we fight our own spiritual battles. And yet, they are human and can fall. We must love them for who they are, God's creation, and in a special way, for their sacrifices to bring us the Sacraments. We must pray for them and not abandon them or the Holy Church even when they fall. There is great scandal caused by these sins, but we must remember that God's Mercy is greater than all of this, and we must pray urgently for the protection of priests, religious, family, friends and our own souls. We must do our own part by making conscious acts of our will to avoid serious occasions of sin and to turn to God immediately when we fall. He is there for us in our darkest moments. Let us be honest with Him and with ourselves and seek His Mercy always.St. Joseph, terror of demons, pray for us. Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us. Sacred Heart of Jesus, Have Mercy on us. Through Your Holy Name, Amen.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Never Despair of the Mercy of God
Many of you already read Fr. Z, but for those of you who do not, go read his post
Priests, holiness, and avoiding a spiritual peril
Here are some excerpts, but really you should read the entire post here.
It is a great concern today that many people are deeply shaken in their faith because of the sins of a very small number of priests and bishops. It is right and proper to be angry about their crimes when they are proven to have committed them. It could be that an idealization of priests and bishops leads to a disproportionate disillusionment when they are revealed not to be perfect, especially when they are shown to be sinners of the gravest sort.
We have to be reminded constantly what Augustine stressed in that controversy with the Donatists: Christians who left the Church because they were disillusioned with its outward appearances of perfection and holiness. Priests and bishops are sinners in need of a savior. Augustine said to his flock, “I am a bishop for you, I am a christian with you.”
Turning priests or bishops into idealized icons of holiness is fraught with spiritual peril. Admire the admirable, of course. But we need a necessary corrective in our admiration, namely, that the sole Holy One of God is Jesus Christ, the only perfect High Priest and actual minister of all graces which Holy Church’s ministers have the honor to mediate.
An accusation leveled at a priest is a horrible thing, because it is nearly impossible today for a priest to have a fair hearing. There is no perfect justice or charity in this world, but these days falsely-accused priests don’t get anything like even the world’s “justice”. But even when priests are guilty of that by which they are accused, it doesn’t surprise me that priests are sinners or in the worst cases commit bad crimes. Yes, priests and bishops should be held to high standards. After all, even the devil holds them to high standards. The devil hates priests and works tirelessly to trip them. Holy Orders doesn’t make a man less human. Should I be surprised that priests are sinners? I am a sinner.
The bottom line is that you cannot depend on the personal holiness of priests or bishops for your own personal holiness. The only true Holy One is the Lord.
Thanks Fr. Z for this post, clarity is what is needed and you have provided it with this post. Here are some good prayers for our beloved priests at Vultus Christi.
+JMJ+
"Those who commit these types of scandals are guility of the spiritual equivalent of murder, but I', here among you to prevent something far worst for you. While those who give scandal are guilty of the spiritual equivalent of murder, those who take scandal- who allow scandals to destroy faith- are guilty of spiritual suicide." -- St. Francis de Sales
"Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin. All hope consists in confession. In confession there is a chance for mercy. Believe it firmly. Do not doubt, do not hesitate, never despair of the mercy of God. Hope and have confidence in confession." --St. Isidore of SevilleSt. Francis de Sales and St. Isidore of Seville quotes from Defend the Faith Catholic Quotes
Saturday, March 19, 2011
St. Joseph, Pray for us
Beautiful prayers for our beloved priests from Fr. Mark at Vultus Christi. Thank you Fr. Mark.
On this Solemnity of Saint Joseph, I thought I might share again some of the prayers to Saint Joseph that I wrote several years ago and often pray. Together with Saint John in whose company he appeared at Knock on August 21, 1879, Saint Joseph is a powerful advocate and spiritual father for priests. He is also the friend and protector of family life, of exiles, and of immigrants. Saint Joseph is invoked for housing, for work, and in every material necessity.
PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH FOR PRIESTS
O glorious Saint Joseph,who, on the word of the angel speaking to you in the night, put fear aside to take your Virgin Bride into your home, show yourself today the advocate and protector of priests. Protector of the Infant Christ, defend them against every attack of the enemy, preserve them from the dangers that surround them on every side. Remember Herod's threats against the Child, the anguish of the flight into Egypt by night, and the hardships of your exile. Stand by the accused; stretch out your hand to those who have fallen; comfort the fearful; forsake not the weak; and visit the lonely. Let all priests know that in you God has given them a model of faith in the night, obedience in adversity, chastity in tenderness, and hope in uncertainty. You are the terror of demons and the healer of those wounded in spiritual combat. Come to the defence of every priest in need; overcome evil with good. Where there are curses, put blessings, where harm has been done, do good. Let there be joy for the priests of the Church, and peace for all under your gracious protection. Amen.
A PRIEST’S PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH
Saint Joseph, I take you this day as my advocate and defender, my counselor and my friend. Open your heart to me as you opened your home to the Virgin Motherin her hour of need. Protect my holy priesthood as you protected the life of the Infant Christ threatened by cruel Herod. In darkness bring me light; in weakness, strength, and in fear the peace that passes understanding. For the sake of the tender love that bound you to the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ, be for me, Saint Joseph, a constant intercessor and a shield against every danger of body, mind, and soul so that, in spite of my weaknesses and sins, my priesthood may bring glory to Christ and serve to increase the beauty of holiness in his bride the Church. Amen.
PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH FOR A PARTICULAR PRIEST
Saint Joseph, I present to you this day Father N., priest of Jesus Christ, and beg you to be to him advocate and defender, counselor and friend. Open your heart to him as you opened your home to the Virgin Mother in her hour of need. Protect his holy priesthood as you protected the life of the Infant Christ threatened by cruel Herod. In darkness bring him light; in weakness, strength, and in fear the peace that passes understanding. For the sake of the tender love that bound you to the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ, be for him, Saint Joseph, a constant intercessor and a shield against every danger of body, mind, and soul so that, in spite of his weaknesses and sins, his priesthood may bring glory to Christ and serve to increase the beauty of holiness in his bride the Church. Amen.
On this Solemnity of Saint Joseph, I thought I might share again some of the prayers to Saint Joseph that I wrote several years ago and often pray. Together with Saint John in whose company he appeared at Knock on August 21, 1879, Saint Joseph is a powerful advocate and spiritual father for priests. He is also the friend and protector of family life, of exiles, and of immigrants. Saint Joseph is invoked for housing, for work, and in every material necessity.
PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH FOR PRIESTS
O glorious Saint Joseph,who, on the word of the angel speaking to you in the night, put fear aside to take your Virgin Bride into your home, show yourself today the advocate and protector of priests. Protector of the Infant Christ, defend them against every attack of the enemy, preserve them from the dangers that surround them on every side. Remember Herod's threats against the Child, the anguish of the flight into Egypt by night, and the hardships of your exile. Stand by the accused; stretch out your hand to those who have fallen; comfort the fearful; forsake not the weak; and visit the lonely. Let all priests know that in you God has given them a model of faith in the night, obedience in adversity, chastity in tenderness, and hope in uncertainty. You are the terror of demons and the healer of those wounded in spiritual combat. Come to the defence of every priest in need; overcome evil with good. Where there are curses, put blessings, where harm has been done, do good. Let there be joy for the priests of the Church, and peace for all under your gracious protection. Amen.
A PRIEST’S PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH
Saint Joseph, I take you this day as my advocate and defender, my counselor and my friend. Open your heart to me as you opened your home to the Virgin Motherin her hour of need. Protect my holy priesthood as you protected the life of the Infant Christ threatened by cruel Herod. In darkness bring me light; in weakness, strength, and in fear the peace that passes understanding. For the sake of the tender love that bound you to the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ, be for me, Saint Joseph, a constant intercessor and a shield against every danger of body, mind, and soul so that, in spite of my weaknesses and sins, my priesthood may bring glory to Christ and serve to increase the beauty of holiness in his bride the Church. Amen.
PRAYER TO SAINT JOSEPH FOR A PARTICULAR PRIEST
Saint Joseph, I present to you this day Father N., priest of Jesus Christ, and beg you to be to him advocate and defender, counselor and friend. Open your heart to him as you opened your home to the Virgin Mother in her hour of need. Protect his holy priesthood as you protected the life of the Infant Christ threatened by cruel Herod. In darkness bring him light; in weakness, strength, and in fear the peace that passes understanding. For the sake of the tender love that bound you to the Virgin Mary and the Infant Christ, be for him, Saint Joseph, a constant intercessor and a shield against every danger of body, mind, and soul so that, in spite of his weaknesses and sins, his priesthood may bring glory to Christ and serve to increase the beauty of holiness in his bride the Church. Amen.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Prayer Request
Please pray for the 40 Days for Life campaign in Kalispell, MT. A dear, dear friend is coordinating the prayer vigil there at All Family Health Care abortion center, and last night an unidentified assailant threw a homemade "bomb" at an elderly prayer volunteer. Praise God, no one was injured. More on this story at LifeSiteNews.
True Wisdom - Dependence on God
Thus says the Lord:
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a barren bush in the desert that
enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose hope is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds.
~Jeremiah 17: 5-10
O Lord, plant me in the rich soil where Your Love abides. Let me not be thrown onto the shallow path to be devoured by the evil one. Let me not fall on the rocky ground where my roots do not reach You and I whither and am scorched for lack of roots. Let me not be sown among thorns of worldly anxiety and lure of world riches which choke Your Word in my soul and keep me from bearing Your fruit.
Let me be as the tree planted beside the waters, that I may stretch out my roots deep in Your Abiding Love to reach You, the Everlasting Stream of Water, the Source of all Life. Lord, let me fear not the heat when it comes and give me no distress during the drought that I may still have green leaves and bear Your fruit.
Thank You for life and Love and Grace and all that comes our way. All is Grace. All is You. I abandon myself to Your Will. I Love You.
In Your Most Holy Name, Amen.
Prayer adapted from Matthew 13:1-23
Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings,
who seeks strength in flesh,
whose heart turns away from the Lord.
He is like a barren bush in the desert that
enjoys no change of season,
But stands in a lava waste,
a salt and empty earth.
Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose hope is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
It fears not the heat when it comes,
its leaves stay green;
In the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.
More tortuous than all else is the human heart,
beyond remedy; who can understand it?
I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart,
To reward everyone according to his ways,
according to the merit of his deeds.
~Jeremiah 17: 5-10
~~~
O Lord, plant me in the rich soil where Your Love abides. Let me not be thrown onto the shallow path to be devoured by the evil one. Let me not fall on the rocky ground where my roots do not reach You and I whither and am scorched for lack of roots. Let me not be sown among thorns of worldly anxiety and lure of world riches which choke Your Word in my soul and keep me from bearing Your fruit.
Let me be as the tree planted beside the waters, that I may stretch out my roots deep in Your Abiding Love to reach You, the Everlasting Stream of Water, the Source of all Life. Lord, let me fear not the heat when it comes and give me no distress during the drought that I may still have green leaves and bear Your fruit.
Thank You for life and Love and Grace and all that comes our way. All is Grace. All is You. I abandon myself to Your Will. I Love You.
In Your Most Holy Name, Amen.
~~~
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the filed, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will He not much more provide for you, O you of little faith. So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil.
~Matthew 7: 25 - 34Prayer adapted from Matthew 13:1-23
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