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.

 

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

What to Expect

 

 

 

 

Mysteries of Christ's life:

 

His birth

 

His ministry

 

His miracles

His forgiveness

 

His passion and suffering

 

His Resurrection

His love

Should we expect any less in our life?

 

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. 

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.

 



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.










 

 





Our Choice Is All That The Unborn Have

There has been over 50,000,000 abortions over the past 40 years in the United States alone. 
This staggering number makes up a 6TH  of our current population today.  How many of our daughters, sisters and their children are not here today because of the right to choose?  What's really the war on women?  Women making them selves the priority or countless numbers of daughters, sisters and their children that will never have the right to life?  1/3 of my children's generation have been aborted.  Our choice is all these unborn lives have.  Choose life.   


A country that kills children is a country without hope.
~Pope John Paul II

You can't let a little bit of abortion...just like you can't let a little bit of murder.
~Nellie Gray

Injustice somewhere is an injustice everywhere.
~Martin Luthur King
 

 

 

 

Pray for the unborn and for the right to life.

 

 



Putting Off The Journey?

  

As we live in this world do we become more leathery?  Do our hearts become hardened to God?  How does it happen that it's been 30 years since our last confession?  How long has it been since our last mass?  Has it become easy to put God on the back burner?  How does this happen?  We're all hardened to God in some way.  We all have a reason why we've put off the journey to Him.  How does one change his heart to make it new?  It's something I'll ponder today. 

The virtuous soul that is alone and without a master, is like a lone burning coal; it will grow colder rather than hotter.
~St. John of the Cross



 

I Reflect

 

I reflect on God's love as this Christmas season comes to an end. I think about Christ's time here on earth from His birth to His passion.  I think about how His Father sent Him here to be sacrificed for us.  How do you repay someone who chose to die for you?  Just as St. Maximilian Kolbe, the Saint of Auschwitz, did for his prison mate: you repay Him with love and by seeing God in everyone.

"God does not require of us the martyrdom of the body, He requires only the martyrdom of the heart and the will."
~St. John Vianney
     
We know how fully Christ loves us.  He didn't ascend into heaven with the purpose of leaving us. He gave us His Holy Church and the Holy Eucharist.  History shows us that The Bible didn't come off of a local printing press.  There was an authoritative Church that Jesus left us before the New Testament was ever written to determine what books would be in the New Testament.  That authoritative Church was the Catholic Church.
Delving into the Early Church Fathers I realized that Christ's Church really was Catholic and the Catholic Mass then was quite similar to today's. The Early Church Fathers were the Christian leaders who took charge of the Church following the death of the 12 apostles.

"I would not believe in the Gospels were it not for the authority for the Catholic Church."
~St. Augustine

 God did not leave us to fend for ourselves and interpret the bible as we please.  It's all so awesome.  It's all about His love for us.  How can I not want to know this God?  It was all part of His plan.

"The more we love God, the more we will want to love Him."
~St. Joaquina

As Catholics, we have been given great treasures.  He has given us tools through His Church in tradition, scripture, prayer, and His sacraments.  Let us move forward and get to know God.  Let us learn our faith and learn why our Church stands for what She does. This is our responsibility!  God can't steer a parked car.  We must take the initiative to seek Him.
 Individualism and materialism have played a big part of my life.  I'm not nearly perfect with my relationship with God but I know He's the answer.  He's the way.
With the grace of God, I found my life to be unfruitful and unfulfilled.  He was always calling.  I resisted.  After many years, I finally picked up the receiver.  It's the same for all of us.  He's always calling.  It's up to us to decide when we'll answer His call.  It's never too late.

"To love God you need three hearts in one--a heart of fire for Him, a heart of flesh for your neighbor, and a heart of bronze for yourself."
~St. Benedict Joseph Labre

 When the suffering I shall endure in this life becomes to much for me to bear, I know where to go for hope, strength, and love.  God help my unbelief is a powerful, short prayer I've said through out the years when I've been a doubting Thomas.

"Be not afraid to tell Jesus that you love Him; even though it be without feeling, this is the way to oblige Him to help you, and carry you like a little child to feeble to walk."
~St. Therese of Lisieux

As I journey towards my next life, I thank God for His Love.
Because of His love, I have been given hope.  It was all part of His plan.

"As it is, these remain: faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest of them is love."
~1 Corinthians 13:13