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A 33 day do-it-yourself retreat in preparation for Marian Consecration The day of our Baptism is the most significant in each of our lives. De Montfort suggests that if we were to personally and sincerely renew our baptismal vows and place them in the hands of Mary, then this act alone would go a long way in helping us overcome sin in our lives. Therefore, he makes such a renewal of vows an essential element of his prayer of consecration. Address Mary and pray to her as follows: I, (name), a faithless sinner, renew and ratify today in thy hands the vows of my Baptism; I renounce forever Satan, his pomps and works; and I give myself entirely to Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Wisdom, to carry my cross after Him all the days of my life, and to be more faithful to Him than I have ever been before. Amen So, St. Louis has us attack sin right at its root – Satan and his pomps and works – has us recommit our lives to Christ, and has us do all of this with and through Mary. Why throug

Advent Repentance Examination of Conscience Sacrament of Confession     Yes, I am of the old school.  I still call the Sacrament of Reconciliation the Sacrament of Confession.  Like a rose, by any other name, this Sacrament is a Sacrament of great graces and peace no matter the name.  Read the entire article at "His Unending Love."  Click HERE.

A  WestJet  Christmas video delivers a special surprise to its passengers.  Yes, it's a commercial, but I thought the thoughtfulness and the planning that went into this to pull it off is just outstanding! You can see the video here .  

"Every Knee Shall Bow" Philippians 2:10 by Gaye Frances Willard “Whose birthday is it, anyway?” is the Christmas question asked by Alternatives for Simple Living, an advocacy group that favors simple living as an antidote to societal ills such as credit cards, personal debt, shopping malls, big SUVs, depleting the earth’s resources, and not spending time with family. A UMNS graphic by Doyle Burbank-Williams, Alternatives for Simple Living 

Since it's too soon for the Twelve Days of Christmas, here are twelve tips for celebrating Advent instead. These tips include what you should do, what you shouldn't do, and what you can get away with (I'll promise never to tell). **What to Do this Advent** 1. Explore other cultural traditions:  Learn how the custom of Christmas stockings evolved from the German tradition of slipping treats into shoes or slippers that kids leave near the chimney in the days leading up to St. Nicholas' Day (December 6). Celebrate the Feast Day of the Patroness of the Americas, Our Lady of Guadalupe, on December 12 at the nearest parish with a large Hispanic community. On Christmas Eve, you can serve twelve fish dishes the way the Italians do. Experiment by adding shrimp cocktail or baked clams to the menu. Dilled salmon steaks garnished with lemon always taste great. Sushi platters or bouillabaisse combine many types of fish in one dish. See how many you can add to your Christmas E

                     "Desde el Cielo una hermosa ma ñ ana Desde el Cielo una hermosa ma ñ ana La Guadalupana,  La Guadalupana, La Guadalupana  baj ó  al Tepeyac" (canci ó n tradicional de la Guadalupana) ¡Gracias a  Nuestra  Santísima Madrecita  de Guadalupe ! (Enjoy:  Traditional hymns and songs celebrating Our Lady of Guadalupe. )

What you put in the collection basket says a lot about you and where you are at in your journey. Some of us put in our 10% tithing without a second thought. Some of us put in the few “extra” dollars we may have. Some of us struggle with the need to “give” to the already “rich” church and so put in very little. I remember once when one of my sons was quite young and had — unbeknownst to me — picked up all his change from his room and put it in the collection basket as it passed. I think it was about 19 cents. But very few of us realize that when that basket passes, it is an incredible opportunity to give anything and everything to God. Sure, it is about money and tithing; but money is only the beginning. That collection basket is a chance to empty yourself so that your gifts may be joined to those of Christ’s at the altar and used for God’s kingdom. They will be joined in the consecration and if offered with no strings attached can be appropriately dispensed by God, who

Hello!  I really wasn’t planning on this post, until I saw such fresh-looking beauties today at the local market.  So I thought I would share with you a short post of mine [that I did earlier this fall for another site] to simply review some of this fruit's wonderful attributes...  Attributes known (per available research) to help protect cells from ongoing assault & damage that could otherwise foster disease & illness, including: cancer, cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration, & infection! Value of the Red Ruby  -- Red Grapefruit! Being Fruitful! ...with my Florida Reds The Red Grapefruit is admired for its: Vitamin C , Vitamin A , and P ectin/Soluble Fiber; L ow- G lycemic Index Rating; L ycopene (a carotenoid) + other powerful P hytochemicals; Reported s upply of l ittle t o n o traces of pesticides, per the EWG.   -- Peak grapefruit season relates to where it’s grown, but generally from late fall through spring in the USA [Texas/Florida,

Today is the feast of  La Virgen de Guadalupe ,  Our Lady of Guadalupe . Under that title Mary is a Secondary Patroness of the Philippines. Ten years after Ferdinand Magellan, the Portugues explorer, landed in the Philippines - 1521 - Our Blessed Mother appeared to San Juan Diego on the Hill of Tepeyac, near Mexico City. (I think it is now part of the city). At the time the Church in the Philippines was under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Mexico, which was set up in 1530. The Diocese of Manila, the first in the Philippines, wasn't erected until 1579, as a suffragan of the by now Archdiocese of Mexico. So there are long, historical links between the Church in the Philippines and the Church in Mexico. The official website of the shrine, in Spanish, is   here . Below is an article we published in the  May-June 2013 issue of  Misyon , the Columban online magazine I edit here in the Philippines. The author lives and works in Metro Manila. A Visit to Tepayac

Apparently this rather piercing painting of Mary is a forensic artist’s rendering of  the Virgin Mary  based on the image of our Lord on the Shroud of Turin, in combination with a painting by William-Adolphe_Bouguereau.  Maria (accurate face matching the Shroud of Turin)   by  JulienLasbleiz   Digital Art  /  Drawings & Paintings  /  Illustrations  /  Technical ©2011-2013  JulienLasbleiz This image is a t ribute to one of my favourite painter William Bouguereau. This painting of Maria the virgin has been done in photoshop. The project was to paint an accurate face of Maria, matching the Christ’s face in the “Shroud of Turin” Since the Lord was the biological son of the Theotokos alone, any physical features of his face would have come directly from her. His eyes would have been her eyes. His face would have been a masculine version of her face.  read More>      

UBI CARITAS ET AMOR. DEUS IBI EST. Father Ignatius was at the supermarket pushing his trolley slowly from one aisle to the next and reading his shopping list as he went along. He rarely visited the confectionery counters but this time he made a special detour to buy a box of chocolates for Mrs Davenport, his housekeeper, whose birthday was the following day. Just as he entered the aisle he saw one of his parishioners there standing a few feet away. He was a successful local business man and a regular in church every Sunday and at confession every Saturday morning. The priest was about to greet him when what he saw next made him suddenly stop in his tracks and freeze on the spot. The business man took a chocolate bar from the shelf and put it in his pocket. He then moved away nonchalantly as if nothing happened. Father Ignatius faced a sudden dilemma. Should he confront the man and tell him what he did is wrong. This m

Yesterday, 10 December,  Pope Francis published the video abov e. Below is the English translation of the text. I have  highlighted  some parts and added  [comments ]. Dear brothers and sisters, Today, I am happy to announce to you the launch of a campaign against global hunger by our very own  Caritas Internationalis  and to tell you that I intend to give my full support. This confederation, together with its 164 member organisations works in 200 countries and territories around the world and  its work is at the heart of the mission of the Church and of Her attention towards all those who suffer because of  the scandal of hunger , those with whom the Lord identified when he said, “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat” . Logo  of Caritas Internationalis [ Wikipedia ] Continue here .

Five Tips For Keeping the Season of Advent Holy in Our Domestic Churches

The Angelus by Millet. In past centuries, Church bells  rang three times day to signal everyone should stop what they were doing and pray. St. Paul urges us to “pray constantly” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But what does this mean? How can we practice it? When we reach a high state of the spiritual life, we will be in constant communion with God (see, I am assuming we are all going to make it that far). But in the meantime, we can form habits that help us pray throughout the day. When two people fall in love, they want to spend as much time together as they can. Not only do they go out on a date very evening, they also contact each other during the day. When I was younger, we would call each other or send emails. Today, couples might text each other. Just to hear the other person’s voice or read his words of love would keep the smile on the loved-one’s face for hours. We need the same kind of contact with God. Our “date” with God is our daily time set aside for nothi

After reading Melanie Rigney's blog,  On the Nightstand: December , I began to run around the house to gather up the books on my nightstand. My "nightstands" are all over the place:  living room, bedroom and the kitchen.  Most of my "real books" are stacked in the living room, piled atop and below a lamp/table/magazine rack configuration that I bought online.  I try to keep it tidy, but it seems impossible. To find out what I'm reading this Advent season, click here .

standing in the shadow of LOVE

Naturally, most of the spiritual greats knew how to laugh. I mean think about it, when you are in a relationship with the Eternal, your life in comparison is rather hilarious. It is sort of like comparing the life of a man to that of a comical, self dramatizing ant. It follows that saints are not pale, morose souls with their eyes rolled up, gazing into the heavens; they are down-to earth, humble people who know how to laugh at their own ridiculous foibles. Look at St. Theresa of Avilia.While on a journey to visit one of her convents, a donkey threw this great doctor of the Church into a stream of freezing cold water. Standing in her water-logged, heavy habit, she yelled at God, “If this is how you treat your friends,  no wonder you have so few!” I smile every time a picture this scene of an outspoken, strong, unaffected woman with a quirky sense of humour because it is diametrically opposed to some of the pious, sappy looking paintings of her.  Nope, sane saints know how t

Do whatever He tells you ! Mary's last words in the Bible (John 2:5) Our Lady has been reportedly appearing and giving messages in  Medjugorje  since 1981.  In our times, another heavenly apparition of major significance is  Medjugorje .  It is the greatest reported Marian apparition in history, and it will be the final of her apparitions given in this way until the end of time.  Unprecedented in history, Our Lady Queen of Peace has been visiting with visionaries  daily  for over a quarter century, so as to form us in her  School of Prayer and Holiness ,  just as she did her Son in His daily life in Nazareth.  The Church confirms that the faithful may meditate on the messages, spread them and that  private pilgrimages to Medjugorje are permitted .  There have been many significant supporters of this still-ongoing apparition. Hundreds of cardinals and bishops have visited Medjugorje as pilgrims (or have expressed their support for what is happening there), along with te

Young adult books are big sellers…for the over 18 crowd. This, according to a recent Nielson poll and reported by CBS news. I’m not surprised by this "new" poll—and you shouldn’t be either. And I would hazard a guess that the numbers are mostly women—or are even higher if only women were polled. After all, we want more than pornography and vampires. We want to be transported to that place of hope and kindness despite odds. Speak to us about the realities of our lives and remind us of all the great potential we have! Long ago (okay, about 3 years ago), I reviewed Nancy Carabio Belanger’s “Olivia”books. What I couldn’t get over—and tried to get across in my posted reviews—was how much I enjoyed the books that were written for tweens and teens. Me, a slightly older than middle-aged woman truly loved them. I likened them to Anne of Green Gables: a timeless book that can be read by anyone of any age. Nancy’s books are that good. They take you back to a place filled with

ADVENT PRAYER  Father in heaven, our hearts desire the warmth of your love and our minds are searching for the light of your Word.Increase our longing for Christ our Savior and give us the strength to grow in love, that the dawn of his coming may find us rejoicing in his presence and welcoming the light of his truth.We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. Amen ADVENT PRAYER  Father, in the wilderness of the Jordan you sent a messenger to prepare people's hearts for the coming of your Son. Help me to hear his words and repent of my sins, so that I may clearly see the way to walk, the truth to speak, and the life to live for Him, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

In our secular, we're-doing-fine-by-ourselves world, there appears in this season an amazing and unique window of opportunity. A slot. A crack in the Everyday. An opening through which the call of God might be heard through carol or card.    In recent years, we have seen that crack narrow.  The Court House steps of my youth haven't seen a nativity display in years.  Store clerks wish me "happy holidays" at best.  But even now, somewhere between shoppers lined up for black Friday and the queues awaiting after-Christmas sales, there is still a window of opportunity.  A time when someone rushing through a store might catch the strains of an old familiar carol, one she's heard every Christmas since childhood.   Yet this time, the words sound.... different.  She remembers pictures of a babe in a manger, and some part of her seems to thaw.... This is a season when we can acknowledge (like at no other time) the One Who was born for us. After all,

The Savior is coming!  The Savior is coming! You Also Must Be Prepared [Mt 24] While sitting in my car recently, waiting for my son, a song (from earlier this year) came on the radio that I never heard of before… A song that very unexpectedly led me into thinking about THE coming.  It was just a few days before Advent at the time, when Catholics are especially reminded of the “last things”, nearing the threshold of our season of hope & preparation. The song, however, is actually about the ruin of Pompeii , the ancient Roman city near modern-day Naples , as it was suddenly buried under the volcanic ash of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.  Apparently, the songwriter was inspired by the people of Pompeii ; that is, in how their remains were forever preserved in their positions, at that exact moment in time... “caught up and lost in… vices.”  It made me wonder… Will I (we), too, be caught, off-guard & unprepared for last things; for judgment?  …Which led me to also consider how

The mystery of Mary, captured  exquisitely   throughout history, continues to seize the heart and imagination of artists. 

Advent is here! It's time to prepare our hearts for Jesus. Here are a few things we are implementing into our Advent season....  Each year when we set up our Nativity we leave Jesus out until Christmas morning. We also leave the wise men out of the scene until the Epiphany. I really don't like seeing Mary and Joseph adoring and empty manger so I am on a hunt for a wooden figurine of the expectant Mary on the donkey, on their way to Bethlehem. My plan is to have this figure outside the stable until Christmas and then move The Holy Family into the stable on Christmas morning. I am loving this idea of the changing scene throughout the month. Another idea I just recently heard about is to place a piece of straw in the manger each time someone sacrifices something or does something kind for another. This is in an effort to build a soft bed for Jesus through acts of love.  I can't wait to see the stable fill with straw over the next few weeks! T

We’ve got lots of great deals on our books for Christmas! If you are pinching your pennies, you’ve found the right place to begin your Christmas shopping with presents that entertain and engage! TheGreen Coat: A Tale from the Dust Bowl Years by Rosemary McDunn has been on Amazon’s best-seller list and is a favorite among homeschool families and Catholic classrooms. Right now it is available on Kindle for $2.99 and we know this will become a favorite in your home! SaintsAlive: New Stories of Old Saints is hagiography at its very best! Endorsed by Catholic Editors and Librarians alike, this is a perfect stocking stuffer for the Kindle at $4.99. FindingGrace by Laura Pearl and Hiding the Stranger: The Trilogy by Joan L. Kelly both have received the prestigious Catholic Writer’s Guild Seal of Approval. Finding Grace is now on Kindle at $4.99. Hiding the Stranger is $2.99! If you are huge fan of devotionals, you can beat Tending the Temple by best-selling authors Kevin Vo

Since  Julianne B. McCullagh    has written such a beautiful article on  Feast of the Immaculate Conception , I will just compliment her article with images. Because there are thousands of beautiful paintings, icons and stained glass images which celcebrate our Lady's Immacualte Conception, I need three separate posts. This one is dedicated to stained glass images.

There was a fashion for a while to scoff at the very idea of the Immaculate Conception of Mary--a fashion, I think, from those who thought they were too smart to believe such stuff of poetry. One such scoffer, a bestselling author who has a background similar to my own (we attended the same all girls Catholic Academy) told me she is annoyed with the teaching of the Immaculate Conception because it implies that Mary is better than us. Imagine that, the Mother of Our Lord, better than us!! Frankly, I was dumbfounded by that bit of reasoning from someone I thought had a big enough brain to overcome postmodern Catholic university intellectual fashion. Remember when Moses was harangued by his group of grumbling nomads (who, having escaped from Pharaoh, built a golden calf to worship while Moses was communing with YAHWEH and receiving ten very sensible commandments to help this disparate group become a people) demanded to see YAHWEH themselves? Who did Moses think he was anyway to be

Two Girls Praying,  Emile Munier Are you a contemplative? Some people, faced with this question, would answer an enthusiastic, “Yes!” Perhaps they are saints, at a high stage of union with God. Or perhaps they practice Eastern (as in Hindu or Buddhist) forms of meditation that they equate with contemplation. Some would call themselves contemplative because they are thoughtful and quiet. The rest of us might answer, “No.” Since we are not saints, we wouldn’t dare think of ourselves as contemplatives in the proper sense. Nevertheless, everyone, no matter his stage in the spiritual journey or his vocation, can live a contemplative life. A contemplative life is a life ordered toward union with God If you have read The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila, you know Teresa divides the spiritual life into seven stages, which she called mansions.  (To be completely accurate, she says that a soul goes back and forth among these stages, rather than proceeding from one to