Pope Benedict's XVI final tweet: "Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the (center) of your lives."
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Did You Know?
Did you know that the sign of the cross is a short but powerful prayer?
Make the sign of the cross anytime during the day. Offer it up if you feel tempted, worried, scared, in danger, passing a church, in thanksgiving, or for a person in distress.
Make the sign of the cross anytime during the day. Offer it up if you feel tempted, worried, scared, in danger, passing a church, in thanksgiving, or for a person in distress.
A sign in the form of a cross made by the Christian as a prayer honoring the Blessed Trinity, "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
(2157; cf. 786) The Catechism of The Catholic Church
Sunday, February 24, 2013
What to Expect
Mysteries of Christ's life:
His birth
His ministry
His miracles
His forgiveness
His forgiveness
His passion and suffering
His Resurrection
His love
His love
Should we expect any less in our life?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Holy Father Resigns
News early this morning of the Holy Father resigning from the Papacy came as a surprise.
I never knew that a pope could resign! Blessed John Paul II carried out his Papacy while suffering with Parkinson's disease. He was an example to us. He taught his flock the value of suffering, aging and life.
For the good of the church, Pope Benedict through prayer and discernment chose a different path. Humbly, he chose to resign due to advancing age.
He is doing what his Shepard is calling him to do.
He is doing what his Shepard is calling him to do.
Our next pope will be unique, in the sense that, he'll receive prayers and counsel from a living and retired pope. This hasn't occurred in over 600 years.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Seek, and You Will Find
One of the most common questions I hear, is why don't Catholics know their faith? Why aren't they on fire for it?
I can only speak for myself.
For most of my life, I too wondered the same thing.
I went to Catholic school from grades 2-8 during the late 60's and early 70's.
The teaching of catechises seemed to be in transition.
I didn't witness the love for God or for the Church from my lay teachers or even from the few nuns that taught there.
The Church was going through changes.
The secular world was on fire with materialism, feminism, the introduction of birth control, and legalized abortion.
College education was on the rise.
Education is great for learning to think outside of the box but it can also make someone less dependent on God.
People believe that they are the master of their own lives. You're able to purchase more things because of your education.
This era gave way to a "It's all about me" society.
I believed only what I chose to believe because God wouldn't make up rules. Catholics are out of touch and old school.
It was all about my happiness.
I was part of this new age.
Poor human reason when it trusts in itself substitutes the strange absurdities for the highest divine concepts.
~St. John Chrysostom
An accumulation of events occurred in my life, since those days of elementary school.
Through the grace of God, those events enabled me to seek Him and my faith.
The fire started to burn in me and I didn't even realize it.
Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears; it never reaches the heart. But when God's grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding, His word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart.
~St. Isidore of Seville
I had taken it upon myself to learn about my Catholic faith.
The Church that Christ gave us is deserving of this from me.
I wanted to understand the core beliefs of His Church.
The Eucharist
The Papacy and Peter
Confession
Salvation
The Virgin Mary
The Communion of Saints
Sacred Tradition
Authority
Purgatory
Baptism
The Bible
After studying the above, I sensed an urgency to learn more.
Yes, I was on fire.
"Ask and you will be given what you ask for. Seek, and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Anyone who seeks finds. If only you will knock the door will open."
~Matthew 7:7-8
I keep the embers burning through scripture reading, the catechism, books, movies, the EWTN cable network, the Internet, blogging, reading up on the saints, and by seeking counsel from our priest.
I love to hear and read about reversion and conversion stories.
I learn so much from them.
What would prompt a non Catholic to choose to be Catholic?
What would draw an atheist to Catholicism?
I try to talk about God more and more with my husband and daughters.
I would like to be a part of their spiritual journey.
I pray to God so that I know Him more, so I can love Him more.
Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will find the bad ones. Unoccupied they cannot be.
~St. Thomas More
God loves us so much that He gave us His Church for guidance, so He could always be with us. He didn't leave us to fend for ourselves.
I can only speak for myself.
For most of my life, I too wondered the same thing.
I went to Catholic school from grades 2-8 during the late 60's and early 70's.
The teaching of catechises seemed to be in transition.
I didn't witness the love for God or for the Church from my lay teachers or even from the few nuns that taught there.
The Church was going through changes.
The secular world was on fire with materialism, feminism, the introduction of birth control, and legalized abortion.
College education was on the rise.
Education is great for learning to think outside of the box but it can also make someone less dependent on God.
People believe that they are the master of their own lives. You're able to purchase more things because of your education.
This era gave way to a "It's all about me" society.
I believed only what I chose to believe because God wouldn't make up rules. Catholics are out of touch and old school.
It was all about my happiness.
I was part of this new age.
Poor human reason when it trusts in itself substitutes the strange absurdities for the highest divine concepts.
~St. John Chrysostom
An accumulation of events occurred in my life, since those days of elementary school.
Through the grace of God, those events enabled me to seek Him and my faith.
The fire started to burn in me and I didn't even realize it.
Learning unsupported by grace may get into our ears; it never reaches the heart. But when God's grace touches our innermost minds to bring understanding, His word which has been received by the ear sinks deep into the heart.
~St. Isidore of Seville
I had taken it upon myself to learn about my Catholic faith.
The Church that Christ gave us is deserving of this from me.
I wanted to understand the core beliefs of His Church.
The Eucharist
The Papacy and Peter
Confession
Salvation
The Virgin Mary
The Communion of Saints
Sacred Tradition
Authority
Purgatory
Baptism
The Bible
After studying the above, I sensed an urgency to learn more.
Yes, I was on fire.
"Ask and you will be given what you ask for. Seek, and you shall find. Knock and the door will be opened. For everyone who asks, receives. Anyone who seeks finds. If only you will knock the door will open."
~Matthew 7:7-8
I keep the embers burning through scripture reading, the catechism, books, movies, the EWTN cable network, the Internet, blogging, reading up on the saints, and by seeking counsel from our priest.
I love to hear and read about reversion and conversion stories.
I learn so much from them.
What would prompt a non Catholic to choose to be Catholic?
What would draw an atheist to Catholicism?
I try to talk about God more and more with my husband and daughters.
I would like to be a part of their spiritual journey.
I pray to God so that I know Him more, so I can love Him more.
Occupy your minds with good thoughts, or the enemy will find the bad ones. Unoccupied they cannot be.
~St. Thomas More
God loves us so much that He gave us His Church for guidance, so He could always be with us. He didn't leave us to fend for ourselves.
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