Pope’s message: Christian Joy is a Gift from the Holy Spirit

May 31, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Pope Francis
Face Book Image

Pope Francis preached about fear during his morning homily at Casa Santa Marta on Friday, May 15. According to Vatican Radio he said that Christian joy is a gift. It is a gift from the Holy Spirit.

Pope Francis began his homily by saying, “Fear is not a Christian attitude, but rather an attitude of a caged animal without freedom.” The first reading from the Acts of the Apostles tells us that Jesus appeared to Paul in a vision telling him not to be afraid. To go on speaking and not to be silent, for he was with him. Pope Francis described fear as an attitude that can harm, weaken and diminish. In his homily he emphasized that a fearful Christian is a person who has not understood the message of Jesus.

Pope Francis explained, “This is why Jesus says to Paul: ‘Do not be afraid. Continue to speak.’ Fear is not a Christian attitude. It is an attitude, we could say, of a caged animal, without freedom, who does not have the freedom to look ahead, to create something, to do good… no, always: ‘No, but this is dangerous, there is something else, something else…’ And this is a vice. It is the fear of doing evil. A person who is afraid does nothing, doesn’t know what to do. He is focused on himself, so that nothing bad will happen.”

Pope Francis encouraged the faithful to ask for the grace of courage, so as not to become fearful. The pontiff continued, “There are fearful communities that always go on the safe side: ‘No, no, we aren’t doing this… No, no, this can’t be done, this can’t be done.’ It seems they have written on the gateway: ‘Forbidden.’ Everything is forbidden because of fear. And you enter into this community and the air is stale, because it is a sick community. Fear makes a community sick. The lack of courage makes a community sick.”

Pope Francis stated that fear must not be confused with fear of the Lord, a grace that allows the faithful to experience awe in adoration.

Pope Francis continued by describing the true meaning of joy which is the opposite of fear.

“Christian joy is not simply enjoyment, is not a fleeting cheerfulness,” he explained. “Christian joy is a gift, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit. And having a heart that is always joyful because the Lord has triumphed, the Lord reigns, the Lord is at the right hand of the Father, the Lord has looked upon me and called me and has given me His grace, and has made me a Son of the Father… That is Christian joy. A Christian lives in joy.”

Continuing his homily, Pope Francis said that it is the lack of joy in Christian communities that causes it to become sick. Perhaps it would be a fun-loving community but it has grown sick with worldliness, because it does not have the joy of Jesus Christ. And thus, when the Church is fearful and when the Church does not receive the joy of the Holy Spirit, the Church is sick, the communities are sick, the faithful are sick.

Pope Francis concluded with this prayer: “Lift us up, O Lord, to Christ seated at the right hand of the Father… raise our spirit. Take away our every fear, and grant us joy and peace.”

Courage is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which is received when one receives the Sacrament of Confirmation. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are: Wisdom, Understanding, Courage (fortitude), Counsel, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord (Awe), Thousands of Catholics will be confirmed this spring. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are what guide a Catholic Christian throughout his/her life. Without the Holy Spirit as our advocate we are afraid and uncertain about the will of god in our lives.

Faith, Feast Days, Featured, Our Lady, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: The Feast of the Visitation, Feast Day May 31

May 30, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

The Visitation Public Domain Image — The Visitation

The Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin is celebrated on May 31.

We celebrate Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth while she was pregnant with Jesus. Elizabeth was six months pregnant with St. John the Baptist. When they met, the baby lept for joy in Elizabeth’s womb.

Not only the baby, but Mary and Elizabeth were filled with joy. Elizabeth tells Mary:

“Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.”

Mary responds with the Magnificat which has become a beautiful hymn of praise and thanksgiving.

Magnificat

My soul does magnify the Lord:
And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior
Because He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaid: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For He that is mighty has done great things to me: and holy is His Name.
And His mercy is from generation until generations, to them that fear Him.
He has showed might with His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart.
He has put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things: and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He has received Israel His servant, being mindful of His mercy:
As He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

As we celebrate the Feast of the Visitation let us reflect on how important our families are to us. Imagine the joy Elizabeth and Mary shared together as they anticipated the birth of their babies! It is important that we too, give thanks to God for the many blessings he has bestowed on us and our families.

God hugs you.

Quote of St. Hildegarde of Bingen; Feast day Sept. 17

May is the Month of Our Lady

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Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Joan of Arc, Feast Day May 30

May 29, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

St. Joan of Arc Burning at Stake Public Domain Image — St. Joan of Arc
Burning at Stake
Public Domain Image

St. Joan of Arc was born in Domremy, Francs in 1412 on the Feast of the Epiphany on Jan. 6. Her parents, Jacques and Isabelle were peasants. She was the youngest of four children, having three older brothers. She helped her mother with spinning and helped shepherd the animals. She was very devout as a child enjoying her religious faith and spending her free time in church.

St. Joan grew up during the “Hundred Years War”, which never seemed to end. The French were losing the war while she was young. England was invading the country of France causing much suffering. Joan prayed with great devotion and fervor for the suffering people.

At the age of thirteen, Joan began to have visions and hear voices which counseled her. She claimed to hear the Voice of God, Michael the Archangel, St. Catherine of Alexandria and St. Margaret of Antioch. In 1428, the voices told her to go tho the King of France and help him reconquer his kingdom. She was told to accompany Prince Charles to his coronation. St. Joan went to the town of Vaucouleurs seeking help from the military commander. After three trips he decided to listen to her.

She was given an escort of six which included two knights. They left on Feb. 23, 1429. The journey was 400 miles, taking eleven days in the winter to travel. She was given permission to meet with Prince Charles VII. However, he concealed himself in the crowd to test Joan. Joan, however, recognized him. St. Joan spoke to him, saying:

“I am Joan the Maid and to you is sent word by me from the King of Heaven that you will be anointed and crowned in Reims and you will be Lieutenant to the King of Heaven who is King of France.”

After being questioned by clerics who asked for a sign Joan was eventually given a sword, armor and a banner with the names of Jesus and Maria to lead the French Army to Tours in 1429. She was only 17 years old.

St. Joan led French troops against the English and recaptured the cities of Orleans and Troyes. Prince Charles was then anointed King with St. Joan at his side holding the banner in 1429.

St. Joan was later captured and then sold to the English. Joan spent six months in prison before she was put on trial for heresy and witchcraft. After being found guilty she was burned at the stake in 1431. Her ashes were scattered in the Seine River. A second trial was held 25 years later which overturned the first verdict because it was politically motivated. Joan was declared a martyr.

St. Joan was beatified by Pope Pius X and canonize by Pope Benedict XV in 1920 who said that she is a “most brilliantly shining light of God.”

I know this now,

Every man gives his life for what he believes.

Every woman gives her life for what she believes.

Sometimes people believe in little or nothing.

One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it and then it’s gone.

But to surrender what you are and to live without belief

is more terrible than dying…even more terrible than dying young.

Quote of St. Joan of Arc

May is the Month of Our Lady.

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Faith, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Bona of Pisa, Feast Day May 29

May 28, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

The feast day of St. Bona of Pisa is celebrated on May 29. She is the patron saint of flight attendants, travelers, pilgrims and travel guides.

St. Bona of Pisa was born in 1156 in Pisa, Italy. She was the child of a single mother. She was told that her father had vanished during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. As a child she was very pious. In a vision while praying before the crucifix, Jesus reached out his hand and touched her. By the age of ten she had become an Augustinian tertiary. (A tertiary is a lay member of a monastic order).

In another vision she learned that her father was still alive and fighting in the Crusades in Jerusalem. St. Bona decided to make a trip to Jerusalem to find her father. After finding him she returned home, only to be captured by pirates on the Mediterranean Sea! Countrymen came to her rescue and she eventually arrived home safely.

St. Bona was appointed the official pilgrimage guide by the Knights of St. James. She made nine trips to Spain and Santiago de Compostella, always leading a group of pilgrims. On her final trip she became very ill. She died at the age of 51 after returning home from the pilgrimage.

Pope John XXIII named her the patron saint of flight attendants, travel guides, couriers and travelers.

The greatest method of prayer is to have none.

If in going to prayer one can form in oneself a pure capacity

for receiving the spirit of God, that will suffice all method.

Quote of St. Jane Francis de Chantal; Feast day December 12

May is the Month of Our Lady.

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Catholics Nourished by Living Bread

Quote May 27, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Monstrance Body and Blood of Jesus Christ — Monstrance
Body and Blood of Jesus Christ

At the center of the Catholic faith is its’ belief in the Eucharist. Jesus Himself said:

“I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6, 35).

In John 6.53 He states,

“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day, for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.”

The church has always interpreted this statement to be literally true. How is this possible? All things are possible with God!!

In the Old Testament, God rained down manna from the sky to feed the Israelites in the desert for forty years. The Eucharist is modern day manna. Our faith is nourished and kept alive by living bread… the body and blood of Jesus Christ. St. Paul teaches us that the church is the Body of Christ. In I Corinthians 12-13 St. Paul states:

“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

The Saints in the early church all professed a belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Justyn Martyr (100-165) was one of the first to try to explain this belief.

Next Sunday, we celebrate Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ). It is important for us to reflect on how Jesus came to nourish us, not only by scripture but by being true food for us.

Through God all things are possible. When we read the bread of life discourse (John 6), we need to ask ourselves, do we truly believe what Jesus tells us, or like the disciples who turn away do we pick and choose the teachings of Jesus we want to believe.

To quote St. Augustine ((354-430),

“If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it’s not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

To be true disciples of Jesus, we must get to know Him, to love Him and let ourselves be fed by Him.

At the center of the Catholic faith is its’ belief in the Eucharist. Jesus Himself said:

“I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6, 35).

In John 6.53 He states,

“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day, for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.”

The church has always interpreted this statement to be literally true. How is this possible? All things are possible with God!!

“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

The Saints in the early church all professed a belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Justyn Martyr (100-165) was one of the first to try to explain this belief.

Next Sunday, we celebrate Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ). It is important for us to reflect on how Jesus came to nourish us, not only by scripture but by being true food for us.

To quote St. Augustine ((354-430),

“If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it’s not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

To be true disciples of Jesus, we must get to know Him, to love Him and let ourselves be fed by Him.

At the center of the Catholic faith is its’ belief in the Eucharist. Jesus Himself said:

“I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6, 35).

In John 6.53 He states,

“Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day, for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.”

The church has always interpreted this statement to be literally true. How is this possible? All things are possible with God!!

“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”

The Saints in the early church all professed a belief in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Justyn Martyr (100-165) was one of the first to try to explain this belief.

Next Sunday, we celebrate Corpus Christi (The Body of Christ). It is important for us to reflect on how Jesus came to nourish us, not only by scripture but by being true food for us.

To quote St. Augustine ((354-430),

“If you believe what you like in the gospel, and reject what you don’t like, it’s not the gospel you believe, but yourself.”

To be true disciples of Jesus, we must get to know Him, to love Him and let ourselves be fed by Him.

Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Germanus, Feast Day May 28

May 27, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

The feast day of St. Germanus of Auxerre is celebrated on May 28. He served as the Bishop of Paris.

St. Germanus of Auxerre was born in 496 near Autun, France. He was ordained by St. Agippinus the Bishop of his diocese. He became the Abbot and administrator of St. Symphorianus, a suburb of Autun. Although at first he declined the position, he was named Bishop of Paris in 566. He was known as an eloquent preacher who brought conversion and the Christian faith to many people. Under his influence the lifestyle in the city became less worldly and vain. He tried to end civil strife and the licentiousness of the kings and nobles.

St. Germanus was known to have received the gift of miracles and prophecy. After his death on May 28, 576, King Chilperic wrote his epitaph praising his virtues, miracles and the zeal he displayed in working for the salvation of souls.

For the Christian there is no such thing as a “stranger.” There is only the neighbor…..the person near us and needing us.

Quote of St. Edith Stein; Feast day August 9

May is the Month of Our Lady

Benedictine Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Augustine of Canterbury, Feast Day May 27

May 26, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

St. Augustine of Canterbury Public Domain Image — St. Augustine of Canterbury

The feast day of St. Augustine of Canterbury is celebrated on May 27.

St. Augustine was the prior of the Benedictine Monastery of St. Andrew in Rome. Pope Gregory decided he needed to send missionaries to England. Augustine and 30 monks were who he chose to send. The mission was to unite the Christians after the Saxon conquest of England.

The King of England listened with curiosity to what the missionaries had to say. On Pentecost Sunday in 597, King Ethelbert was baptized. He believed in religious freedom and did not make his new religion mandatory however many followed his example and were baptized. St. Augustine was not successful in uniting the Anglo-Saxon Christians with the original Briton Christians (Celtics). He followed Pope Gregory’s advice to purify rather than destroy pagan temples and customs. As much as possible pagan rites and festivals were changed into Christian feasts.

St. Augustine died eight years after arriving in England. He died on May 26.

God’s works are not regulated by our plans and wishes.

Quote of St. Vincent de Paul; Feast day September 27

May is the Month of Our Lady

Apostle, Faith, Quote, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; St. Philip Neri, Feast Day May 26

May 24, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

The feast day of St. Philip Neri is celebrated on May 26.

He is known as the Apostle of Joy because of his cheerful nature. St. Philip was born in Florence, Italy in 1515. After having a conversion experience when he was 18, his life changed radically. He went to Rome with no plan, totally trusting in God’s guidance.

For two years, he was a tutor for small boys. Eventually he took courses in philosophy and theology at the Sapienza and at St. Augustine’s Monastery. After three years he quite suddenly sold his books and began a mission to the people of Rome. He engaged in conversations with people on the street corners, often asking, “Well brothers, when shall we begin to do good?” He served the sick in the hospitals and prayed for them in the churches. His favorite place of prayer was at the Catacomb of St. Sebastian.

St. Philip had a special devotion to the third person in the Trinity. He prayed daily to the Holy Spirit. At night he was called to solitude and prayer. Ten years after beginning his ministry, with the help of his confessor, Father Rossa, a confraternity of laymen began meeting to pray together. He encouraged the devotion of the Forty Hours. Father Rossa finally convinced him that he should become a priest. He was ordained in 1551. The Congregation of the Priests of the Oratory was founded several years later by St. Philip. They had simple rules. They shared a common table and performed spiritual exercises together. They were not bound by any vows.

St. Philip died from a hemorrhage on the Feast of Corpus Christi after hearing confessions.

St. Philip Neri Public Domain — St. Philip Neri
Public Domain

Many of the following short sayings of St. Philip Neri are still remembered today.

Do not grieve over temptations you suffer. When the Lord intends to bestow a particular virtue on us, He often permits us first to be tempted by the opposite vice. Therefore, look upon every temptation as an invitation to grow in a particular virtue and promise God that you will be successful, if only you stand fast.

Let us strive for purity of heart for the Holy Spirit dwells in candid and simple minds.

Bear the cross and do not make the cross bear you.

There is no purgatory in this world. Nothing but heaven or hell.

Sufferings are a kind of paradise to him who suffers with patience, while they are a hell to him who has no patience.

Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life. Therefore the servant of God ought always be in good spirits.

Watch me, O Lord, this day, for abandoned to myself, I shall surely betray thee.

My children, if you desire perseverance, be devout to our Blessed Lady.

It is an old custom with the servants of God always to have some little prayers ready, and to be darting them up to heaven frequently during the day lifting our minds to God out of the filth of this world. He who adopts this plan will get great fruit with little pains.

We are not saints yet, but we too, should beware. Uprightness and virtue do have their rewards in self-respect and in respect from others, and it is easy to find ourselves aiming for result rather than the cause. Let us aim for joy, rather than respectability. Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time, and thus see ourselves, for a moment as the all-wise God sees us.

Never say “What great things the Saints do”, but “What great things God does in His Saints.” Cast yourself in the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength.

Believe me, there is no more powerful means to obtain God’s grace than to employ the intercessions of the Holy Virgin.

The true way to advance in holy virtues is to persevere in a holy cheerfulness.

The cheerful are much easier to guide in the spiritual life than the melancholy.

Excessive sadness seldom springs from any other source than pride.

If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a crucifix, and think that Christ shed His Blood for him, and not only forgave his enemies, but prayed the Eternal Father forgive them also.

The fruit we ought to get from prayer is to do what is pleasing to the Lord.

He who runs away from one cross, will meet a bigger one on his road.

St. Philip Neri with Cross

The best way to prepare for death is to spend every day of life as though it were the last.

The devil, who is a most haughty spirit, is never more completely mastered than by humility of heart and a simple clear undisguised manifestation of our sins and temptations to our confessor. Christ died for sinners; we must take heart therefore, and hope that paradise will be ours provided only we repent of our sins and do good.

He who continues in anger, strife, and a bitter spirit, has a taste of hell.

Humility is the true guardian of chastity.

If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in sweetness, patience, humility and charity.

O Jesus, watch over me always, especially today, or I shall betray you like Judas.

May is the Month of Our Lady

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Doctor of the Church, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Bede the Venerable, Feast Day May 25

May 24, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

The feast day of St. Bede the Venerable is celebrated on May 25.

St. Bede was born in Sunderland, England in 672 or 673 near the Monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul. At an early age he was sent there to be educated. His entire life became a life of study and prayer.

At the age of 19, he ordained a deacon. He became a priest at the age of 30. After declining a request to be abbot of his monastery he chose to instead focus on writing. He wrote over 60 books, which have not survived. He also translated writings of the early church Fathers from Latin and Greek into English.

St. Bede died on Ascension Thursday, May 26, 735 while singing to God. Pope Leo XIII proclaimed him a Doctor of the Church in 1899.

Christ is the morning star, who, when the night of this world is past, brings to His saints the promise of the light of life and opens everlasting day.

Quote of St. Bede

May is the Month of Our Lady

Apostle, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Joanna, Feast Day May 24

May 23, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

The feast day of St. Joanna is celebrated on May 24.

St. Joanna was a devoted follower of Jesus. We learn about her in Luke’s Gospel, Chapter 8. She was the wife of Chuza who was a steward for Herod. She, along with Mary Magdalene, Susanna, and other women, provided for Jesus out of their personal resources as he traveled from town to town preaching and healing.

St. Joanna was one of the three women who arrived at the tomb to prepare the body for burial on the first Easter morning. She is also referred to as the myrrh bearer. The women discovered the stone moved and the body gone. Two men appeared to them in dazzling clothes, telling them He had risen and reminding them that Jesus had said he would be crucified and rise again. The women reported to the Apostles all that they had seen and heard.

It is hard to imagine being such a close friend of Jesus. The disciples who followed and supported Jesus knew Him in a way we can only wish to know him. But St. Joanna shows us what a true disciple is. She supported Jesus and His ministry on a daily basis in any way possible. She heard the words he spoke and saw the miracles he worked. True friendship is what all of us should be seeking from Jesus. True friends are always there for each other. As disciples we should be serving Jesus in any way we can. We should also be turning to Him in all our needs weather they be small or large. We should never be afraid to be honest with Jesus, because He is our friend.

The instruments of God are always humble.

Quote of St. John Chrysostom; Feast day September 13

May is the Month of Our Lady

Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John Baptist Rossi, Feast Day May 23

May 22, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

The feast day of St. John Baptist Rossi is celebrated on May 23.

St. John Baptist Rossi was born in Voltaggio, Italy in 1698. He was one of four children. He studied in Rome. Suffering from epilepsy, he was forced to leave college. However, he eventually finished his studies. He was ordained a priest at the age of 23.

St. John Baptist Rossi worked in Rome for 40 years. He served the sick, homeless and prisoners. He earned a reputation for being a good confessor. He especially supported the hospice of Saint Gala which gave overnight shelter to the poor. It was founded by Pope Celestine III.

In 1764, St. John died from a stroke. The papal choir sang at his choir and 260 priests attended his funeral. He was canonized by Pope Leo XII in 1881.

From silly devotions and sour faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!

St. Teresa of Avila; Feast day October 15

May is the Month of Our Lady

Faith

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Rita of Cascia, Feast Day May 22

May 21, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

St. Rita De Cascia Public Domain Image — St. Rita De Cascia

The feast day of St. Rita of Cascia is celebrated on May 22. She is the patron saint of impossible causes, abuse victims and widows.

St. Rita was born in 1386 in Cascia, Italy. She was known to be very spiritual even as a young child. She enjoyed visiting shrines and wished to become a nun. Her parents were opposed to the idea and arranged for her to be married. Her husband turned out to have a bad temper and was very difficult for her to live with. She dealt with his abuse with prayer, patience and kindness. They had twin sons. Their difficult marriage lasted 22 years.

One day while returning home from work her husband was ambushed and killed. St. Rita’s sons were now teenagers and began to talk of revenging their father’s death. St. Rita turned to prayer. She prayed that her sons would not be able to go through with the revenge. Her prayer was soon answered. Both her sons died from a deadly illness soon after without taking revenge on their father’s killer.

After the death of her husband and sons, Rita applied to enter the Augustinian Convent. Her first attempt was denied because of the ongoing feud. Rita persisted however. She convinced her husband’s family to put aside their hostility. The two rival families embraced peace. Rita turned to St. John the Baptist, St. Nicholas of Tolentino and St. Augustine, requesting their intercession. The convent changed their decision and allowed her entry. She was 36 when she entered the monastery.

St. Rita had a great devotion for the passion of Christ. She meditated often on the crucifix. On Good Friday, 1442, St. Rita meditated on the suffering of Jesus on the crucifix. She offered to relieve Christ’s suffering by sharing even the smallest part of his pain. As she was meditating, a small wound on her forehead appeared. It appeared to be a thorn from the crown that Jesus wore. St. Rita had this stigmata for 15 years.

St. Rita was confined to bed for the last four years of her life. She ate very little. The Eucharist sustained her and she remained joyful during her suffering. Before her death St. Rita requested a rose be brought to her from her parents’ garden even though it was January. Surprisingly, a rose was discovered to be blooming on the rosebush and it was presented to her. St. Rita gave thanks to God for this sign of God’s love.

Because this impossible request of St. Rita for a rose in January was answered she became the patron of impossible causes. It was also known that her prayers were known to obtain remarkable cures.

St. Rita died on May 29, 1456. Many miracles were recorded after her death . She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1900.

St. Rita’s incorrupt body is venerated today in the Nation Shrine of Cascia.

Be at peace with your own soul, then heaven and earth will be at peace with you.

Quote of St. Jerome; Feast day September 30

May is the Month of Our Lady

God hugs you.

May is the Month of Our Lady

I know this now,

Every man gives his life for what he believes.

Every woman gives her life for what she believes.

Sometimes people believe in little or nothing.

One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it and then it’s gone.

But to surrender what you are and to live without belief

is more terrible than dying…even more terrible than dying young.

May is the Month of Our Lady.

For the Christian there is no such thing as a “stranger.” There is only the neighbor…..the person near us and needing us.

May is the Month of Our Lady

God’s works are not regulated by our plans and wishes.

May is the Month of Our Lady

Let us strive for purity of heart for the Holy Spirit dwells in candid and simple minds.

Bear the cross and do not make the cross bear you.

There is no purgatory in this world. Nothing but heaven or hell.

Sufferings are a kind of paradise to him who suffers with patience, while they are a hell to him who has no patience.

Cheerfulness strengthens the heart and makes us persevere in a good life. Therefore the servant of God ought always be in good spirits.

Watch me, O Lord, this day, for abandoned to myself, I shall surely betray thee.

My children, if you desire perseverance, be devout to our Blessed Lady.

It is an old custom with the servants of God always to have some little prayers ready, and to be darting them up to heaven frequently during the day lifting our minds to God out of the filth of this world. He who adopts this plan will get great fruit with little pains.

Never say “What great things the Saints do”, but “What great things God does in His Saints.” Cast yourself in the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength.

Believe me, there is no more powerful means to obtain God’s grace than to employ the intercessions of the Holy Virgin.

The true way to advance in holy virtues is to persevere in a holy cheerfulness.

The cheerful are much easier to guide in the spiritual life than the melancholy.

Excessive sadness seldom springs from any other source than pride.

If a man finds it very hard to forgive injuries, let him look at a crucifix, and think that Christ shed His Blood for him, and not only forgave his enemies, but prayed the Eternal Father forgive them also.

The fruit we ought to get from prayer is to do what is pleasing to the Lord.

He who runs away from one cross, will meet a bigger one on his road.

The best way to prepare for death is to spend every day of life as though it were the last.

He who continues in anger, strife, and a bitter spirit, has a taste of hell.

If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in sweetness, patience, humility and charity.

O Jesus, watch over me always, especially today, or I shall betray you like Judas.

May is the Month of Our Lady

Christ is the morning star, who, when the night of this world is past, brings to His saints the promise of the light of life and opens everlasting day.

May is the Month of Our Lady

The instruments of God are always humble.

May is the Month of Our Lady

From silly devotions and sour faced saints, good Lord, deliver us!

May is the Month of Our Lady

Discovering the Spirituality of Catholicism

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