St. Catherine of Siena - My Nature is Fire

A Prayer of St. Catherine of Siena:

My Nature is Fire

In your nature,
eternal Godhead,
I shall come to know my nature.
And what is my nature, boundless love?
It is fire,
because you are nothing but a fire of love.
And you have given humankind
a share in this nature,
for by the fire of love
you created us.
And so with all other people
and every created thing;
you made them out of love.
O ungrateful people!
What nature has your God given you?
His very own nature!
Are you not ashamed to cut yourself off from such a noble thing
through the guilt of deadly sin?
O eternal Trinity,
my sweet love!
You, light,
give us light.
You, wisdom,
give us wisdom.
You, supreme strength,
strengthen us.
Today, eternal God,
let our cloud be dissipated
so that we may perfectly know and follow your Truth
in truth,
with a free and simple heart.
God, come to our assistance!
Lord, make haste to help us!
Amen.

From The Prayers of Catherine of Siena. 2nd edition. Suzanne Noffke, OP, translator and editor.(San Jose.: Authors Choice Press, 2001)

H/T Drawn By Love

Moving from Sorrow into Joy through His Divine Mercy

There is a difficulty in moving from the penance of Lent and sorrow of Holy Week into the joy of Easter and our Lord's Resurrection. Our Holy Church provides such a blessing as we celebrate Easter Day as one continuous day during the Easter Octave. This year, it is giving me time to move my devotion for the Cross of Christ into the joy of His Resurrected Life. I am not making promises about getting there though within this week..... maybe by Pentecost?

This particular Easter I find that life is particularly messy and it has been a real struggle moving from the sorrow (and joy) of the cross to the pure joy of the resurrection. We are now within weeks (if not days) of delivering our new baby! As exciting as this may be, it also carries with it a lot of burden. As much as I am trying to focus on the joy that cometh, in reality, I also am having a hard time with mixed emotions of the pregnancy ending and wanting this pregnancy to be done!! New life is such a beautiful gift and I am so grateful for God's gift to us and to me to be able to carry His creation within, but I am also so tired and ready to be able to move a bit more normally again (God willing).

I also have some fear about labor and delivery, and trusting in God's Mercy is really the only way to get through this time. I am so thankful for the prayers of the Divine Mercy novena, carrying through from Good Friday and through the Easter Octave. I keep trying to think about that moment just after our other babies were born, where words are hard to describe the joy at holding and seeing God's creation for our family for the first time. That is the joy that cometh, new life, and the beauty of God's Love shown in one little soul. A small foretaste of the Joy of being in His Presence forever, perhaps?

Eternal God, in whom Mercy is endless, and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us, and increase Your Mercy in us, that in difficult moments, we might not despair, nor become despondent, but with great confidence, submit ourselves to Your Holy Will, which is Love and Mercy Itself.

I turned 40 on Monday, and my husband and children will tell you that I have not been very pleasant to live with for the past several weeks (maybe even longer??, oh, we won't go there). I'll say it again, life is just messy, and even more so when I begin to contemplate the labor pangs going on in the world right now as well. Trusting in the Mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ and in His Resurrection is the only way to make it out of this present darkness.

In my own heart, the darkness threatens daily, and I must look up, away from myself, and to His Resurrection and His Mercy to know His Love and Strength. It is so hard not to be consumed by the information around us and by our own daily anxieties, but Hope in Him is our anchor. He brings us joy now, here in this world He has created for us. Even though there are trials and struggles He has bled and died to give us new life in Him. Let us turn our hearts to the joy that cometh and to the joy that He gives now.

+JMJ+

Hide me within Your wounds, Lord Jesus. Let me never forget Your Sacrifice, but allow me to know Your Joy and Your Resurrection too. Pour forth your Divine Mercy, in the water and blood gushing forth from Your Heart, into my body and soul, so that I may truly know Your Resurrected Life within. Lord, I open myself completely to You. In Your Divine Mercy, cast out my fear. I trust in You. I trust in You. I trust in You! In Your Holy Name, Amen.

Pange Lingua

Thank you to the booklady for posting this:



PANGE lingua gloriosi
Corporis mysterium,
Sanguinisque pretiosi,
quem in mundi pretium
fructus ventris generosi
Rex effudit Gentium.

SING, my tongue, the Savior's glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world's redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.

Nobis datus, nobis natus
ex inacta Virgine,
et in mundo conversatus,
sparso verbi semine,
sui moras incolatus
miro clausit ordine.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.

In suprema nocte coenae
recumbus cum fratribus
observata lege plene
cibis in legalibus,
cibum turbae duodenae
se dat suis manibus.

On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.

Verbum caro, panem verum
verbo carnem efficit:
fitque sanguis Christi merum,
et si sensus deficit,
ad firmandum cor sincerum
sola fides sufficit.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;-
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.

Tantum ergo Sacramentum
veneremur cernui:
et antiquum documentum
novo cedat ritui:
praestet fides supplementum
sensuum defectui.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble sense fail.

Genitori, Genitoque
laus et jubilatio,
salus, honor, virtus quoque
sit et benedictio:
procedenti ab utroque
compar sit laudatio.

Amen. Alleluia.

To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honor, blessing,
might and endless majesty.

Amen. Alleluia.

Why I Love Jesus

Mary at The Beautiful Gate has tagged me for a meme of Why I Love Jesus. I admit at first I was excited to be tagged but then when I started to try to think of 5 reasons why I love Jesus, I kept stumbling at what to say because my love is so inadequate compared to the Love of Christ. “I love Him because He loves me” seemed a selfish thing for me to say at first. But in reality, this is the truth and where it all begins:

+JMJ+

Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent His only Son into the world so that we might have life through Him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another. No one has ever seen God. Yet, if we love one another, God remains in us, and his love is brought to perfection in us.

We love because He first loved us.

~ 1 John 4: 8-12; 19

My love is only meaningful WITHIN His Love. My love is not to be compared to His Love but to be known within His Love, safe, secure, strong, and beautiful. Outside of the Love of Jesus Christ, my love is deceptive. Five reasons I love Jesus:

1. His Love never fails, even when mine does.
2. He is my Savior. Even though sin condemns me, He is mighty to save me.
3. He gives me Mary as my Mother. Mary is teaching me to receive the graces of wisdom and true humility through her Magnificat, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord….” and through the beautiful way she silently “ponders and keeps these things in her heart.”
4. He has rescued me from darkness and He will never abandon me.
5. He speaks to me through all my senses –

I love Jesus because I hear Him speak to me through His Holy Word at Mass, through the gentle voice of encouragement from family and friends, in hearing my husband laugh, and in hearing Him speak directly to me through His beautiful creation of music.

I love Jesus because I see His great Love for me and for all the world as I see through the eyes of faith how He bleeds and dies for us on the Cross and in His mighty and powerful Resurrection. I love Him in seeing my husband love and care for our children and in his care for his students and in the work of his hands. I love how He reveals His Love by beautiful works of creation, like sunsets and mountains and powerful thunderstorms. I love to see Him in the love of mother and father for their children and in a priest’s care for his flock. I love Him and how He moves me to compassion and great love for those whom I see suffering.

I love Jesus as I taste His great Love for me in the Eucharist. I love Him in the taste of the gifts He gives us in good food and drink.

I love Jesus and His great Sacrifice and Love for me as I receive Him and His touch on my tongue at communion. I love Him in the touch of Holy water to my hands and forehead and heart. I love Him in the loving touch of my husband. I love Him in the hugs and kisses of my children. I love Him in feeling rain fall on my face or in the wind blowing all around but knowing that He is my anchor. I love Him in how He gives me the ability to touch others to bring comfort and strength.

I love Him in the smell of a thunderstorm or rain coming, in the smell of incense at Mass or Adoration, in the memories evoked of His providence and Love upon smelling certain scents.

Thank You Jesus.

If you read this and are inspired to share your reasons for loving Jesus, just put a note in the comments of where you have it posted and I will link it here.

God Bless you and have a wonderful week.

Get to know me

Hi, let me introduce myself!! My name is Kathryn. I decided to start blogging with my real name because everyone here at home calls me Mom and people blogging have been calling me Mom too. Now you can call me by my real name! Also Therese at Aussie Coffee Shop has a great list of questions. Here they are:

Get to know me.

1. What time did you get up this morning? 7:30am

2. How do you like your steak? medium well

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? I think it was Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader

4.What is your favorite TV show? Journey Home on EWTN

5.If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? Right here where we are!

6. What did you have for breakfast? Special K with Strawberries (it was on sale)

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Mexican food

8.What foods do you dislike? any kind of seafood (I know, I know)

9. Favorite Place to Eat? Spezias or my grandmas :)

10. Favorite dressing? homemade Caesar salad dressing (not the kind with anchovies)

11.What kind of vehicle do you drive? Honda Odyssey Van and Toyota Camry

12. What are your favorite clothes? pretty flowing skirts and peasant type shirts

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Austria (because of music history there) and Ireland (because this is a big part of my heritage)

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? 1/2 full usually :)

15. Where would you want to retire? in the country somewhere!

16. Favorite time of day? family prayer time in evenings before bed

17. Where were you born? El Paso

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? college basketball if I know who the players are

22. Bird watcher? No, but sounds lovely, maybe some day!

23. Are you a morning person or a night person? definitely night except have been really tired lately

24. Pets? No, but kids keep trying to talk us into one! :)

25. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share? Just under two months until baby's due date!

26. What did you want to be when you were little? An oceanographer or a chemist

27. What is your best childhood memory? Camping with my grandparents, definitely!

28. Are you a cat or dog person ? dog

29. Are you married? Yes, for almost 13 years!

30. Always wear your seat belt? yes

31. Been in a car accident? yes

32. Any pet peeves? People saying, "That's not my job."

33. Favorite pizza toppings? pepperoni and pineapple (and lately have liked green olives and red onions too)

34. Favorite Flower? zinnias

35. Favorite ice cream? pecan praline and cookies and cream on a big giant waffle cone

36. Favorite fast food restaurant? QDoba

37. How many times did you fail your driver's test? none (although there is some vague memory that I lost my driver's license once and did fail the written test and had to take it the next day, but it's all unclear)

38. From whom did you get your last email? Mom from a homeschooling group we're in

39. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? wouldn't want to do that, but probably a book store

40. Do anything spontaneous lately? made toffee bars this afternoon!

41. Like your job? yes, most challenging yet most rewarding

42. Broccoli? yummy with cheese sauce too!

43. What was your favorite vacation? Disney World with the kids a couple of years ago

44. Last person you went out to dinner with? family just for fun

45. What are you listening to right now? nothing, I should put some music on!

46. What is your favorite color? Blue

47. How many tattoos do you have? none

48. Coffee drinker? Yes, but not so much lately since being pregnant

49. How many children do you have? 4 plus one on due in May plus one lost by miscarriage

50. Favorite beverages: coke classic caffeine free, Colorado Bulldog, Boulevard Beer

It's time for Schoolhouse Rock again

It's time for Congress to watch Schoolhouse Rock again, I'm Just a Bill:



I do not believe that making a mockery of the Constitution is the answer....

HT Ed Morrissey at Hot Air