Another Saintly Quote

Thanks Sue!

You should be like a little child who while it knows that its mother
is holding its sleeve walks boldly and runs all around without being distressed at a little fall or stumble; after all, it is as yet rather unsteady on its legs. In the same way, as long as you realize that God is holding onto you by your will and resolution to serve Him, go on boldly and do not be upset by your little setbacks and fails; there is no need to be put out by this provided you throw yourself into His arms from time to time and kiss Him with the kiss of charity. Go on joyfully and with your heart as open and widely trustful as possible; and if you cannot always be joyful, be at least brave and confident.

~ St, Francis De Sales

Sainty Quote

Picture from Gefroh Family Rosary Collection

Thanks Sue!

Let us carefully observe the manner of life of all
the apostles, martyrs, ascetics and just men
who announced the coming of the Lord.

And let us emulate
their faith, charity, hope, zeal, life,
patience under suffering,
and perseverance unto death,
so that we may also share their crowns of glory.

Saint John of Damascus (676-749)

The Way, The Truth, The Life

Thanks Barb!

"Arrogance, pride is always the beginning of the end.
It is only in the simple hearts of man, the simple hearts,
the child-like candor of an adult,
that the truth will be found and the way.
I am the way! No one shall come to the Father but through Me,
for I am the way. All who deny My visit to your world,
all who have not accepted Me as the Messiah, they are against Me,
and as such, will seek to destroy all who uphold the truth."

The Spiritual Life:
A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology

Reverend Adolphe Tanquerey, S.S., D.D.

Living Your Life Without Sin

Thanks Barb!

There was a little girl, who's father was a pastor.

One day, she came to her father and said, "Daddy, can a person go their whole life without sinning?"

The father answered, "No, honey, I'm sorry, but that's just not possible."

"What about a year, daddy? Can a person go a whole year without sinning?" She continued.

"No, I don't think that's possible either."

"What about a day, can a person go a day without sinning once?"

"It's very unlikely, no, I don't think they can."

"What about one moment, daddy, can a person go one moment without sinning?"

"Yes, that is possible."

"Then daddy, I want to live my life, moment by moment."

Isn't that how we should live our lives. Not looking ahead to our whole lives, or distant plans. But live moment by moment, as if this moment where your last one before you reach eternity.

~ Author Unknown ~

Daily Dosage of Sacramentum Caritatis

H/T to Legion of Mary

Liturgical song

42. In the ars celebrandi, liturgical song has a pre-eminent place. (126) Saint Augustine rightly says in a famous sermon that “the new man sings a new song. Singing is an expression of joy and, if we consider the matter, an expression of love” (127). The People of God assembled for the liturgy sings the praises of God. In the course of her two-thousand-year history, the Church has created, and still creates, music and songs which represent a rich patrimony of faith and love. This heritage must not be lost. Certainly as far as the liturgy is concerned, we cannot say that one song is as good as another. Generic improvisation or the introduction of musical genres which fail to respect the meaning of the liturgy should be avoided. As an element of the liturgy, song should be well integrated into the overall celebration (128). Consequently everything – texts, music, execution – ought to correspond to the meaning of the mystery being celebrated, the structure of the rite and the liturgical seasons (129). Finally, while respecting various styles and different and highly praiseworthy traditions, I desire, in accordance with the request advanced by the Synod Fathers, that Gregorian chant be suitably esteemed and employed (130) as the chant proper to the Roman liturgy (131).

Regarding the Gospels

Picture from Gefroh Family Rosary Collection

Last year there was a big hullabaloo about the newly discovered Judas Gospel. This year apparently a secret gospel of Mark has been found!! Imagine that!

But let us remember what what the early Church writers had to say:

St. Irenaeus writing during the latter half of the second century wrote that our four Gospels were the only recognized ones: "It is not possible that the Gospels can be either more or fewer in number than they are."

Origen summed it up quite concisely during the first half of the 3rd century:
"The Church has four Gospels, heretics have many more."

John Paul II

Tomorrow marks the 2nd anniversary of the death of our beloved Pontiff. It is with joy that I read that his cause for sainthood is ever so close.

ARTICLE

Personally, I never had an opportunity to meet him. When he was in New Jersey, I was in Colorado and when he was in Colorado, I had moved to Hawaii. Our paths sadly never crossed. But like many other Catholics, cradle or converts, I owe my growth in faith to both my mom and to John Paul the Great!

At the end of the Divine Mercy Chaplet, our family prays a little litany to the saints who promoted Divine Mercy...St. Faustina, St. Maximilian Kolbe and John Paul II.

As everyone knows, he died on the vigil of Divine Mercy and we know that was no coincidence.

Favorite Quotes by JP2

As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.

Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought.

I kiss the soil as if I placed a kiss on the hands of a mother, for the homeland is our earthly mother. I consider it my duty to be with my compatriots in this sublime and difficult moment.

Marriage is an act of will that signifies and involves a mutual gift, which unites the spouses and binds them to their eventual souls, with whom they make up a sole family - a domestic church.

Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes.

Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it.

The cemetery of the victims of human cruelty in our century is extended to include yet another vast cemetery, that of the unborn.

The great danger for family life, in the midst of any society whose idols are pleasure, comfort and independence, lies in the fact that people close their hearts and become selfish.

The vow of celibacy is a matter of keeping one's word to Christ and the Church. a duty and a proof of the priest's inner maturity; it is the expression of his personal dignity.

To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others.

...and my all-time favorite...

Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.

Favorite Books in our Family's Library by JP2 or about him

The Jeweler's Shop

Easter Vigils and Other Poems

Gift and Mystery

Crossing the Threshold of Hope

Pope John Paul II He Came to us as a Father

The Wisdom of John Paul II

John Paul II The Biography by Tad Szulc

...and my favorite...John Paul II's Book of Saints by the Bunsons

Praise of Christ Who Suffered for Us

Christ suffered for you,and left you an example to have you follow in His footsteps.

He did no wrong; no deceit was found in His mouth. When He was insulted, He returned no insult.

When He was made to suffer, He did not counter with threats. Instead He delivered Himself up to the One who judges justly.

In His own body He brought your sins to the cross, so that all of us, dead to sin, could live in accord with God's will.

By His wounds you were healed.

1 Peter 2:21-24
From New Saint Joseph People's Prayer Book, Catholic Book Publishing, New York

You Know You're a Cradle Catholic When...

H/T to Just Doing My Best

1. Your Sunday Missal was a gift for your First Holy Communion, and has a large chocolate stain on the page for the Easter Sunday daytime Mass. [Or is that just me?]

2. You were baptised before you were old enough to hold your head up unaided.

3. Every time you fell over and grazed your knee as a child, your mother would tell you to "offer it up".

4. There's a lively family discussion every year about whether you're still required to fast on Christmas Eve.

5. At least once in your life, you have accidentally genuflected on entering a theatre or cinema.

6. You once worked out that the only person in your family who was required to fast under the rules of the Church was your mother. Since she was responsible for catering, the entire family fasted every fast day anyway.

7. When you were told to draw your family tree as a child at school, you kept having to ask for extra paper.

8. Converts seem to know a lot more about the teachings of the Church and the source of Catholic beliefs than you do.

9. As a teenager, you used to have a snack at 11:30 pm the night before a fast day and keep eating until midnight struck, to stave off any potential hunger pangs.

10. Talking about your beliefs makes you feel faintly uncomfortable, particularly when in the company of other cradle Catholics (especially if they also happen to be members of your family). You do, however, know a good selection of Catholic jokes.

I would like to add one more....you find yourself doing the Sign of the Cross when passing the library or other secular building.

Holy Week - Palm Sunday

Hosanna, Hosanna to the son of David.
Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest,
Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest.
Amen.

Hosanna to the son of David (Tomás Luis de Victoria)


These are the palms we received at Mass this morning. My husband made a little cross of one of them.

Today we were pleasantly surprised to hear Father J. chant in Latin. He also chanted the Consecration prayers in Latin. Before the dismissal, he told us to expect more Latin during our liturgies. We may even have a Tridentine Mass maybe once a month or so. He explained that Latin was never supposed to be replaced and only used on some occasions but rather, it was always supposed to be used during the Liturgy with the vernacular used on certain occasions.

Latin has made its way into our parish and from the response of some of the parishioners, we couldn't be more happier. It was a very solemn Mass and it was so beautiful. Again, thanks Father J!