Ora et Labora, Prayer and Work
In St. Benedict’s rule for living monastic life, one finds many pearls of wisdom for living in our domestic church.
Living Heroically: The Life (and Lifestyle) of the Venerable Mary Ward
Summertime brings summer reading, and the Catholic saints of the underground English Church give us a model for struggling with joy today in our own lives. Mary Ward is a saint for our times.
From Faith Comes Freedom
Every generation in every century has thought their battles against Satan to be the worst, and so too will future generations of the Church. And while God has won the war, we still must fight the battles to save souls. Let us not hesitate to call upon St. Joseph frequently as God has intentionally made him part of His providential plan for us.
Holy spouses
Tracing Jesus’ holy lineage, we find there is much to ponder in this union of Mary and Joseph as husband and wife. The Holy Family is not only the model for all families, the Holy Spouses are the greatest intercessors for them.
That irritating woman!
Saints have their own personalities and sometimes those can rub even other holy people! Mother Cabrini’s life demonstrates for us how God works through people who have humbly submitted themselves to Him.
Our Pillar of Strength
In Mary’s life we see exemplified the beauty of all life from conception to natural death, a life grounded in family who came and remained together through thick and thin to the very end. She remains with us, her spiritual children, this very day unto our dying breath too.
Surrounded by angels
September 29 is the glorious feast of the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Rafael. Then October 2 we herald our guardian angels. Who are the angels, and how might our life change if we were to celebrate, and call upon, our angels all 365 days of each year?
Assumptions and our excitement for Paradise
If we ask our Mother of Grace for help, she will lead us to let go of our attachments, especially attachment to our own way of thinking and perceiving the world. Slowly, like the saints, we too will become excited awaiting Paradise.
A time of transition
February is a month of transitions: late winter preparing for early spring; Lent preparing for Jesus’ passion and death. It begins, however, with a celebration of the return of God to the temple: The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord.
The O Antiphons
When I attended mass back in the 1990’s, the song O Come O Come Emmanuel was sung at every mass during Advent. I thought maybe it was our pastor’s favorite Christmas song! LOL! I didn’t know then about the O Antiphons…