Your Saint for the Year 2012!

Where I prayerfully ask God to guide my hand in choosing for you a Saint Companion to guide your 2012....

FOR OUR 8th YEAR....it is time to pick a new saint to guide each of us this year, as we have done in years before. Did you get a saint last year? Blog about it...encourage this tradition.

It is said that the Saint picks YOU.

In our family, we post our Saints of the Year on our refrigerator so that we are constantly reminded of them... of our journey with them... to be inspired by what their life can teach us in our faith journey. It becomes a great learning and spiritual study to google our saint and learn and read as much as we can about them.

With solemnity, we each fervently pray as our hand reaches into the basket. We ask that the saint God intends to "teach and journey " with us this year will choose us.

And they have been so meaningful to us. Sometimes a certain saint likes to stay and share themselves with other members of our family....like Padre Pio, St. Therese's family and Mother Cabrini. We are growing in love for our saints. Some might say we are Saint Junkies!

Would you like to have a companion saint this year? CAN I PICK A SAINT FOR YOU?

Leave me a comment and I will leave you one back with a Saint Companion for 2012. Then, google them...read all you can about them. Get a medal and post their prayer card on your mirror...learn from them and their struggles. Make it a New Year's resolution to let them transform you in some way!

All you holy men and women, ora pro nobis.


(This project becomes larger each year, thank you, Lord!  Please be patient with me as I gladly respond to requests as promptly as I can.)

Shhh...Silence

At the Vatican Bloggers Meeting in May of this year I met Narda from the blog, From The Pews.  For me, there was something special about her. She just glowed. After the meeting we talked and we continue to "talk" online and I believe her kindness and generous spirit are the source of that glow.

While attending the meeting was the highlight of my year, it was also very intimidating. The other bloggers were so well-known and seemed to all know each other.  The organizers of the event, especially Richard Rouse, made it very hospitable, and I sat beside some friendly bloggers from Europe. I learned a lot and the event continues to shape my perspective on Catholic social media.

Today, I am reminded that it is Narda that spoke to me, a fish out of water, and continues to and I am so grateful for her kindness. I hope you will visit her wonderful blog. I am especially linking to a recent post of hers on silence, http://fromthepews.org/2011/12/28/shhh-silence/ . For me, I want to make this practice a New Years resolution for all the reasons she mentions.

 "A heart that does not listen to God but just refrains from talking does not qualify as silence.…inner noise can be just as noisy as outside sound……Silence frees us from what people think of us, from the stresses of the day, from the noise in our own spirit. It enables us to break the bondage of things and people, by the power of the Holy Spirit."  

HomeSchool Just Got a Whole Lot Cooler!

Can't wait to share with you all the ways we find to use these in our homeshooling! 

Let me know if you have any recommendations for educational apps and God bless your 12 days of Christmas.

Lessons from the Nativity

"They looked at, contemplated and admired the Christ child. That is all they did. They were in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar of the manger. They blessed and thanked God who gave us his Son out of His love for us. Nobody will ever be able to understand or explain what went on inside Mary at that time."

From A Moment With Mary

What do we learn from the three main characters of the cave in Bethlehem?

"Jesus, Our Lady and St. Joseph -- incomparable teachers of every virtue-- offer us sublime examples of poverty, virginity and humility at the moment of the birth of the Divine Child.

St. Joseph teaches us to be poor, that is, to be lacking in everything, at times even in what is necessary. Indeed, he chose the poverty of a cave, not having the means to provide for a better and more dignified childbirth.

Our Lady, in her virginal childbirth, teaches us to be pure: chaste in soul and in body, in thoughts, desires and actions.

Finally, great is the lesson in humility that the Baby Jesus bestows upon us from His poor cradle. The Creator of the universe humbles Himself to the point of desiring to be born in a cave and to be laid in a manger -- in reality, a box for which horses and cattle eat -- hidden from all, in a small town of Palestine."

Who is Mary? (Academy of the Immaculate: 2001), 46.

Join the MaryVitamin for "nourishment" like this...and, in +JMJ+,  MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Mary Wrapped the First Christmas Present

Mary wrapped the first Christmas Present....

Precious.

Gift.

Mary, Christ, Mass

In these next few days Lord, help me to focus on these things...

Mary, FULL of Grace...my model of femininity and motherhood. She who said, "Be it done unto me according to thy word." She who ponder all these things inside her heart, in trust and holiness. She who ALWAYS, leads us to Christ...

CHRIST, my Lord and my God.  He who chose to humble Himself as a poor, defenseless babe. Who came to "serve, not be served." PRESENT....in our midst. The Word made flesh. Emmanuel. Prince of Peace.

Mass, where heaven touches earth.  The Eucharist IS Our Lord. Prayerful participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is filled with graces, not to be missed. May I receive Him worthily.Soul nourishing. Healing.

And for you, dear reader, may I wish you the same....Mary, Christ Mass.

4th Sunday of Advent

"There were only two classes of people who heard the cry that night; shepherds and wise men.

Shepherds: those who know they know nothing.
Wise men: Those who know they do not know everything.

Only the very simple and the very learned discovered God...The simple shepherd heard the voice of an angel and found their Lamb; the wise men saw the light of a star and found their Wisdom" ~ Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

May we HEAR Him and FIND Him in our hearts this Christmas.

12 Christmas Prayers

Source: etsy.com via Adriana on Pinterest

Wordless Wednesday ~ Vatican Stained Glass

Rejoice in the Journey!

If, as Herod, we fill our lives with things...and if we consider ourselves so important that we must fill every moment of our lives with action...when we we have the time to make the long, slow journey across the desert as did the Magi? Or sit and watch the stars as did the shepherds? Or brood over the coming of the Child, as Mary did?

For each of us there is a desert to travel... a star to discover...and a connection to nurture with Christ who is to come, born to bring us life!

On Gaudete Sunday, these 3 admonitions remind me of the 3 candles lit in our Advent journey...wishing you every blessing.

HE is on His way.

Why I Homeschool ~ We Must Know Our Faith

Not so much about academics, but about Catechesis in general...because Eternity hangs in the balance.

Why the Latin Mass?

By the Rector of St. Gianna's Oratory and from the blog, http://acatholicrose.tumblr.com/

Why do we use Latin, why is the Mass in Latin? Why do we celebrate Mass in the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite?

Latin is a powerful language which lets the Catholic Church express clearly and precisely the doctrines of our Faith. The Latin language is a tool, shaped by the Church over the centuries, to pass on the faith in its integrity over time. It is a language which lets us express our faith with a timeless beauty.

This language does not belong to any specific nation and cannot be exploited by nationalism. This language lifts our hearts beyond borders, races, times and social or political classes and lets us pray together and experience the universal character of the Catholic Church which is the universal harbor of salvation, the only true religion and Christ’s only family on earth, the only Kingdom of God in this world.

As the Catholic Church is a perfect supernatural society, founded by the God-Man Jesus Christ, it is most fitting that it has its own language and that its members are familiar with its language so that they can actually pray together with each other and with the Sovereign Pontiff in Rome who is the visible head of this unity. Jesus spoke Latin and the inscription INRI on the Cross was in Latin (Iesus Nazareus Rex Iudeorum / Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews). Latin is the origin of many languages like Italian, Spanish and French and has considerably influenced the English language. Latin helps us to understand the origin and meaning of many English words.

The love for the Traditional Latin Liturgy is not a question of sentimentalism or nostalgia but a result of our love for the Catholic Faith which is so well, rich, deep, and beautifully expressed by this extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite. As Pope Pius XII wrote in his Encyclical “Mediator Dei”, there is a deep link between Faith and Worship: We pray as we believe and we believe as we pray. Pope Benedict XVI wants us to rediscover this rich liturgical heritage of our Faith which has formed the hearts and minds of so many saints over the centuries.

Today we witness -according to Pope Benedict XVI- an eclipse of God in the life of most people and thus in the life of society. In the United States only about 25% of Catholics attend Mass on Sundays, which means that 75% disregard the Third Commandment of the Decalogue, that we sanctify the Day of the Lord. In France, for instance, 94.5% of the Catholics of this country disregard attending Mass on Sundays. The ignorance of our Faith is even more alarming! We live in a world that needs God, we live in a world that needs saints, many saints and many holy priests, religious and bishops, pro-life politicians and families.

We believe that the Traditional Latin Mass, which has sanctified, charmed, strengthened and educated generations for centuries since early Christianity, is an important part of this new Evangelization for which Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI call us. The Second Vatican Council quoted solemnly the words of Pope Pius XII in the Sacred Constitution on the Liturgy “Sacrosanctum Concilium” that the Liturgy is the center and summit of the life of the Church. If this is the case, and we believe it firmly, then the resurgence of the Catholic Church will come mainly through the Liturgy and our participation in it, in Faith, Humility and Adoration. The liturgy needs to be celebrated with reverence because of its tremendous sacred character. It needs to be beautiful because the Mysteries of our Faith which we celebrate are most beautiful and awesome. It needs to be of doctrinal depth as God has revealed Himself to us in the profoundness of His Divine Mysteries!

The practice of Ecumenism should not become a pretext to empty or minimize the Catholic Liturgy and to disguise the sacrificial character of Holy Mass. The Ecumenical dialog and especially Catholic catechism and missionary efforts should help to spread and foster Catholic teachings on the sacrificial nature of Holy Mass and of the ministerial priesthood.

As Rector of St. Gianna Oratory I am very glad about the growing number of young families and faithful of all ages who are rediscovering the Roman Liturgy in all its fullness and are reinvigorated in the practice of their Faith. They love the Latin which they slowly learn to understand and which lets them experience the Universality of the Catholic Church beyond nations, language barriers and time. They know themselves to be close to the Pope who himself prays much in Latin, and invites all to join him when he prays on our behalf to the Lord.
Also at the Parish Masses in English and Spanish we have many faithful who welcome Latin during the celebration of the Eucharist and who appreciate and enjoy spiritually the heritage of Latin hymns and chants together with the English and Spanish hymnals.

Latin unites us, Latin lets us pray together, Latin points to the origin of our Faith in Jesus Christ, Latin points to the Sovereign Pontiff in Rome who is the visible representative of Christ on earth. Latin is the best protection against Christian nationalism expressed in attempts to establish an American Church, a German Church, a French Church, a Spanish or Mexican Church, etc. We are all Catholic and the use of Latin in the Liturgy continuously reminds us of this and fosters this triple unity which we have and enjoy as Catholics, a unity of Faith, Sacraments and Government. The liturgical use of Latin glorifies and praises God Who invested the Catholic Church with this unity and Who wants to be adored and worshipped in the true Faith.

The Holy Spirit has given us, through the Papacy and the Bishops, the Catholic Liturgy in its divers forms in the Catholic Occident and Orient, for the celebration of the Sacrifice of the Mass, for the profession of our Faith and to praise Him by the recitation of the Divine Office/ Liturgy of the Hours according to His Will: “ Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!” The Catholic Liturgy is the fruit of the sanctifying action of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Catholic Church over the centuries. It is a masterpiece of faith, art and culture and as such it is the setting for the celebration of the Divine Mysteries, just as a beautiful gold ring is a most fitting setting for the most precious diamond. The diamond of Christ’s sacrifice needs the setting of the sacred Catholic Liturgy! The Holy Ghost has brought it forth through holy Popes and Bishops in the history of the Church and this liturgy has matured over the centuries along with a growing understanding of the Eucharistic faith.

Our Immaculate Mother

Thursday, December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception...O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

Looking forward to Mass on that Holy Day as it also marks the 1 year anniversary of my youngest son serving at the Latin Mass.

"We declare, pronounce, and define that the doctrine which holds that the most Blessed Virgin Mary, in the first instance of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege granted by Almighty God, in view of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the human race, was preserved free from all stain of original sin, is a doctrine revealed by God and therefore to be believed firmly and constantly by all the faithful. Hence, if anyone shall dare -- which God forbid! -- to think otherwise than as has been defined by us, let him know and understand that he is condemned by his own judgment; that he has suffered shipwreck in the faith; that he has separated from the unity of the Church; and that, furthermore, by his own action he incurs the penalties established by law if he should dare to express in words or writing or by any other outward means the errors he thinks in his heart."
-Blessed Pope Pius IX, Ineffabilis Deus, 8 Dec. 1854

"The day of the Nativity of the Mother of God is a day of universal joy, because through the Mother of God, the entire human race was renewed, and the sorrow of the first mother, Eve, was transformed into joy."
-Saint John Damascene, Father and Doctor of the Church

"The world being unworthy to receive the Son of God directly from the hands of the Father, he gave his Son to Mary for the world to receive him from her."
-Saint Augustine – Bishop of Hippo, Father, and Doctor of the Church

2nd Sunday of Advent ~ Look to the Wise Men

"This Advent we look to the Wise Men to teach us where to focus our attention. We set our sights on things above, where God is. We draw closer to Jesus...When our Advent journey ends and we reach the place where Jesus resides in Bethlehem, may we, like the Wise Men, fall on our knees and adore Him as our true and only King." ~ Mark Zimmermann (Our Advent Journey)

Sunday Silence ~ With Santa

Room in my Inn...

Reminding myself during this Advent journey to open my heart...to make room. In my selfishness and worldly distractions, I often forget the One I love.

And when you truly love someone, you want to be with them, spend time with them. As always I look to Our Blessed Mother, who during this time carried Him, pondered Him beneath her heart and WAITED for something new to be born from her...

Blessed Advent.