St. Patrick

Did you know that St. Patrick was a visionary?  I didn't.  I have always associated him with the conversion of a bunch of idol worshipers by using the shamrock as a symbol for the Trinity.  I had no idea that God had told him in visions that he would convert all of Ireland in the process.  I also had no idea that he was the Patron Saint of snakebites.  Apparently, there is a legend that he drove all the snakes out of Ireland.  I guess I never associated Ireland with lots of snakes......which would stand to reason if St. Patrick drove them all out!  Hmmm.  Interesting.

I love learning new things about Saints.  Frankly, I think our Catholic Saints are a true untapped resource on our spiritual journey!  These men and women lived through tough times and yet they were willing to be martyred for the sake of Christ.  These should the role models for our children...not sports figures or movie stars.

It isn't often, in this day and age, that we have the opportunity (yes...opportunity) for martyrdom....at least not in this country.  However, there are people in other parts of this world that are truly persecuted and killed for their christian faith.  It's happening everyday.  For instance, there's the story of Dorothy Stang, a sister of Notre Dame.  She died after reading the Beatitudes to her killers.  Can you imagine?

As for St. Patrick, there is no historical account of how he died.  Suffice it to say that his Sainthood comes from his virtuous and holy life and by the souls that he helped to save...although he was never formally canonized by the Pope.

So, when you wake up on Saturday morning...think about St. Patrick and what he managed to accomplish for God....converting an entire country!  Maybe he can inspire us along our walk to encourage even just one person in hopes of showing them (either by word or example) the way to heaven.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ's birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God's strength to pilot me,
God's might to uphold me,
God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me,
God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me,
God's hand to guard me,
God's shield to protect me,
God's host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils, Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man's body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning, Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

When St. Paul referred to putting on the “Armor of God” in his letter to the Ephesians (6:11) to fight sin and evil inclinations, he could have been thinking of prayers just like this one! We may not wear combat gear in our daily lives, but St. Patrick's Breastplate can function as divine armor for protection against spiritual adversity.

(Prayer and last paragraph credit).

October - My favorite month!

I love October!  Don't you?  This is my absolute favorite time of year!  Here in Florida, we don't get much of a fall and our winter only lasts about two weeks....but that doesn't usually start until February.  Still, the weather here in Jacksonville has been THE BEST these past few days!  I'm not kidding....they've been the "open all the windows" kind of days!  This morning, it was 51 degrees outside!  Nathan and Amelia whined about needing a jacket to go to school.  My little Olivia, who is just like her momma, said she didn't need a coat!

On Saturday, the girls played outside ALL DAY!  They built a fort, played on the swing set, chased the cats, picked pecans and tried to hide from the fire ants!  I aired out the house by opening all the windows!  It felt so good!  I watched the cats chase butterflies and lounge in the shade of the trees.  Dan brought out the hammock from the garage and took a nap!  I ran around the house, cleaning, folding laundry, changing beds, put beef stew in the crock pot and enjoyed the energy that the cooler weather brought!  The kids decided they wanted to have a "camp out", so my hubby put up the tent and made popcorn.  Olivia came in the house about 10:00pm complaining of being scared....but the rest of them slept outside all night!  I enjoyed the cool weather from the comfort of my bed (I'm not really a camper).

October is also Breast Cancer Awareness month.  A dear friend has sent me some wonderful hand made items to give away in honor of this special month!  You'll be hearing more about that in the days to come!  I must admit though, I'm tired of the pink and all the talk about "awareness".  I think, for the most part, everyone is "aware" of breast cancer.  Heck, most people have been personally affected by it...either themselves or someone they know!  I think we should begin to move away from the "awareness" aspect of the disease and start doing more for research or helping those with the disease to cope better on a daily basis.  I've got lots of ideas I'd love to pass by you...stay tuned!

We also celebrate Our Lady of the Rosary this month!  I love the rosary!  Sometimes, as I sit and ponder all the evil in the world today, I begin to realize more and more that one of the greatest weapons we have against the enemy is the rosary!  This is from "The Secret of the Rosary" by St. Louis De Monfort....from The Seventeenth Rose...."The heretics, all of whom are children of the devil and clearly bear the sign of God's reprobation, have a horror of the Hail Mary.  They still say the Our Father but never the Hail Mary; they would rather wear a poisonous snake around their necks than wear a scapular or carry a rosary".  All the more reason to make saying the rosary a part of our daily prayer time! 

There are lots of other Feast Days this month.....St. Francis of Assisi (4th), St. Faustina (5th),  St. Gerard (16th) and Blessed John Paul II (22nd) just to name a few!  Why not take a few minutes each day and read about each Saint, ask for their protection and favor!

Enjoy your October!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!!!

We're playing hooky from school today and celebrating the day!  What are your plans?

The Saints!

"Not to know the saints is not to know what it is like to be a Catholic.  Trying to be a Catholic without knowing the saints is like trying to bake bread without flour."  ~Fr. Rawley Myers

Man of Hope

"It was hard for me to watch him walking in the sacristy or the corridors of the monastery, bent over, dragging his swollen feet, and holding on to the walls so that he would not fall down.  His suffering was tremendous, but he bore it without complaining as he continued to give himself to those who needed him.  When he would lift his head and look around, his big eyes looked like they were burning, not from pain but from a goodness that he could not contain".  ~excerpt from Padre Pio:  Man of Hope by Renzo Allegri

Saint Maria Goretti

We watched this movie last night.  WOW!  It was a good movie, if such subject matter can be deemed as "good".  Thankfully, the girls had already gone to bed.   Parts of it were definitely hard to watch.  To think that her life came to such a violent end was almost more than I could stand.  She had such a heart for God! 

The attacker stabbed Maria (11 years old) several times.  After enduring the attack, she also had to suffer through surgery without anesthesia.  She forgave her attacker before she died even going so far as to say that she wanted him in heaven with her.  At some point, he repented and he was in attendance at her canonization.

When Dan and I were in Rome for our anniversary in 2007, we were blessed to be able to visit  Our Lady of Mercy in Nettuno where Maria's remains are interred.  Below is a picture of the Church.

I would recommend the movie, however, I would watch it yourself first before you let any of the littles in your home see it.  It's in Italian but dubbed in English.

Good St. Anne: Patroness of Christian Mothers

I wanted to share with you something I read this morning during my devotion time.  It's from Good St. Anne: Her Power and Dignity, Patroness of Christian Mothers by Tan Books & Publishing......

St. Anne is the great model of all in the married state and of those otherwise charged with the education of children.  Great was her honor in being the mother of the Mother of God and in giving to a lost world the Advocate of Mercy.  Sublime was her office in instructing this blessed child in virtue and holiness.
St Anne herself was a "vessel of grace" not in name only, but in the possession of those gifts with which God had endowed her to be the worthy mother of the Virgin Mary.  Her motherly care for the Blessed Virgin was the means of St. Anne's sanctification.  Because of this she receives and will receive a special glory in the Church to the end of ages.
How encouraging this is to all parents who make the holy education of their children their principal duty.  By this they glorify their Creator, perpetuate His honor on earth and sanctify their own souls.  From the hand of parents God will one day require the souls of their children.  Happy will those parents be who can say to the Divine Judge: "Not one of those whom Thou hast given me has been lost through my fault."
Realizing, therefore, the great duty she has in rearing her children well, the Catholic mother will daily recommend her children to God and pray especially to St. Anne for the gift of imparting to them a good training, the highest and most difficult of all arts.
St. Anne obtains many graces, priceless graces, for all who venerate her, but she grants her maternal assistance in particular to Christian mothers who choose her for their patroness and model.  Numberless examples prove that St. Anne obtains great favors for Christian mothers.  She preserves peace in married life, restores harmony in discord and often wonderfully changes the bad disposition of a husband or a wife.  She protects the birth of children in an extraordinary manner; bestows blessings that lighten the task of rearing children properly; brings wayward children back upon the right path; obtains restoration to health for the mother when sick; preserves her precious life for her family, for her helpless children; and prevents the loss of husband and father.  She revealed to St. Bridget that she would protect all who live chastely and peacefully in the married state.
St. Anne is glorious among the Saints, not only because she is the mother of Mary, but also because she gave Mary to God.  She did not hesitate to sacrifice this child, her greatest joy, to the call of God, dedicating her at the age of three to His service in the Temple.  In this she is a beautiful example to parents to foster and encourage vocations to the religious life among their children, rather than running the dread risk of hindering them.  Through the intercession of St. Anne, parents come to know and acknowledge divine guidance and learn that children are born to them not for earthly ends, but for God.

What a glorious gift we have been given by God through His Church!  The things that have been written about the Saints are not just stories.  These were real people!   How blessed are we that God has given them to us to be our intercessors!  They can be great instruments of peace and understanding in a world that, at times, seems to be going crazy.  They can assist us on our journey and encourage us along the way.  They can show you the extraordinary out of the ordinary.  Let us take the time to call on these men and women of God....Let us learn more about their lives and let us use their example to draw us closer to God!

If you'd like to learn more about St. Anne, check out the above mentioned book or visit Ann Cramer at her blog Under Her Starry Mantle where she features, Tuesdays with St. Anne!

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

Today is the feastday of the first native born American to be canonized...St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Elizabeth suffered much in her life but relied heavily on the Blessed Mother and the Eucharist for strength and guidance. She was only in her mid 40's when she died.


Prayer in Honor of St. Elizabeth Seton

Lord God, you blessed Elizabeth Ann Seton with gifts of grace as wife and mother, educator and foundress, so that she might spend her life in service to your people.
Through her example and prayers, may we,
whose Faith Community is dedicated in her honor, learn to express our love for you in our love for all your children.

We ask this through Christ, Our Lord.

Amen.

St. Maria Goretti

When Dan and I were in Rome for our 10th anniversary in 2007, we were able to visit the incorrupt body of St. Maria Goretti. Fr. Steve drove us to Anzio/Nettuno for the day and this is where her remains are resting. I must tell you that it was incredible. She is beautiful! If you do not know the story of St. Maria Goretti, please take the time to read about her incredible life (and death).

This is where Maria's remains are exposed...Our Lady of Mercy in Nettuno, Italy. There was a mass going on in the church at the time so we chose not to take any pictures inside...out of respect. However, there are lots of pictures on line where you can see her incorrupt body.

Oh Saint Maria Goretti who, strengthened by God's grace, did not hesitate even at the age of twelve to shed your blood and sacrifice life itself to defend your virginal purity, look graciously on the unhappy human race which has strayed far from the path of eternal salvation. Teach us all, and especially youth,with what courage and promptitude we should flee for the love of Jesus anything that could offend Him or stain our souls with sin. Obtain for us from our Lord victory in temptation, comfort in the sorrows of life, and the grace which we earnestly beg of thee (here insert intention), and may we one day enjoy with thee the imperishable glory of Heaven. Amen.

Holy Card courtesy of Holy Cards For Your Inspiration

Prayer to St. Agatha

Oh St. Agatha, who withstood the unwelcome advances from unwanted suitors,

and suffered pain and torture for her devotion to Our Lord, we celebrate your

faith, dignity and martyrdom.

Protect us against rape and other violations, guard us against breast cancer and other

afflictions of women, and inspire us to overcome adversity.

Oh St. Agatha, virgin and martyr, mercifully grant that we who venerate your sacrifice,

may receive your intercession. Amen.

I am so thankful for our Catholic Faith and the Communion of Saints! Last week, we spent one day in St. Augustine at the Shrine Bookstore (one of my very favorite places!). There I found this lovely prayer card for St. Agatha. Along with it they had a very simple pink candle. They both were calling my name....so I bought them! Today, as I struggle with all the after effects of the breast cancer, chemo and surgeries, I am comforted and humbled by St. Agatha's story. It's such a blessing to know that there are Saints in heaven interceding for us!