Pope to canonize new saints!

American Catholic.com shares here about 8 new saints that will be cannonized later this year. 

VATICAN CITY (CNS)—Pope Benedict XVI will create six new saints Oct. 17, including Blessed Mary MacKillop, who will be Australia's first saint, and the Canadian Blessed Andre Bessette, who will be the first saint of the Holy Cross Brothers.

I am falling in love

I'm falling in love with a young saint named St. Philomena. Scott Hahn recently released a CD on this beautiful saint through Lighthouse Ministries. (Have I mentioned how much I love Lighthouse) I can listen to the CD in pieces and bits in the car while I drive. I am unsure why I was so moved by this particular CD about this particular saint but I am.

St. Philomena died a martyr when she was 13. Not much was known about her when her remains were found. Somewhere around 1805 is when the true devotion to her began.  I am going to write more about her history soon.

Saint Philomena.com  shares that St. Philomena is known to be especially powerful in cases involving conversion of sinners, return to the Sacraments, expectant mothers, destitute mothers, problems with children, unhappiness in the home, sterility, priests and their work, help for the sick, the missions, real estate, money problems, food for the poor and mental illness. But truly, as her devotees discovered, no case, of whatever matter, is too trivial or too unimportant to concern her.

There is something amazing about this saint that is moving myself and many others. Check her official Italian site out here.

Do you have something to share about St. Philomena? 

St. Philomena, pray for us-

Mother Teresa and Grace

Feast Day of St. Therese and Novena

October 15th marks the Feast Day of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873–1897) also known as the Little Flower. Here is a link to EWTN's novena. If you begin tomorrow (Wednesday) it will end on the 15th.

What is a novena?

Taken from www.catholicanswers.com

A novena is simply the pious practice of praying for a particular intention nine times. It is usually done with one prayer over a nine-day period but can be done by praying the same prayer nine times in a row. Any formal, informal, or spontaneous prayer done in a set of nine times constitutes a novena. You may use a formal novena that is approved for devotional use or you may put together your own set of prayers for your private use. The only requirement is that the prayers not be said with the intention to manipulate an answer from God. Whatever they are—if they are said faithfully and with trust in God that he will answer your prayer in the manner he wills to do so—they are fine.

Martha Martha

Part II of my rather long delay at the airport led me to another article of interest. This one about Martha. For all the times I have read Luke 10:41-42 I never really saw it in the light I did at the airport in Tennessee. I felt like reading Jesus' words to Martha could be directly spoken to me. He says,

"Martha, Martha you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her". Luke 10:41-42

Now Martha is someone I can relate to. She is hardworking, focused, and manages an entire household. All the while she is completely missing the mark. And Martha had Jesus right in front of her and she was still missing the mark! It is just amazing to me to think of Jesus saying, 'You (Martha) are anxious and worried'. First of all, how did He know? Was her face worried? Was she scurrying about trying to get things done? Maybe biting her nails?

I know that mindset; anxious, scurrying about in order to get things done. And I can almost hear Jesus specifically talking to me. What is important is the next line. Jesus says to look to Mary. To look at what she has embraced and see that her peace will always be with her because she has chosen the Lord. And truthfully, I am sure Martha thought she was doing well, doing the right thing. But she was so busy getting things done that she forgot to turn her heart over to the Lord. Fortunately for her she had the actual Lord to let her know what she was doing wrong!

Lord, help us to put the things of non importance aside and always keep our hearts open to You. Help us to embrace Martha's servitude and Mary's heart.

Holiness through laundry

While enjoying my two hour plane delay on the way to Florida I read an interesting article in the St. Anthony Messenger. It was an article about St. Hunna who is known solely as the 'Holy Washer Woman'. What?! The story says that St. Hunna was of a higher social standing and washed the clothes of the poor. I guess I could consider my life and St. Hunna's life as one in the same... pre-canonization of course. I often feel that I should be getting mani-pedi's but instead I am resigned to washing juice stained shirts. I envision a personal masseuse but instead I am attempting to match socks that may never have even had a mate in the first place.

But there is something heart warming about knowing that our beautiful Church recognizes the holiness of a woman who is only known for washing clothes. What love she must have shared with the community with every shirt and pant she washed. And even more amazing is knowing that sanctity can be obtained through such a mundane task. This in itself is a moms dream as this information lets us know that all our efforts with laundry, dishes, etc. will not be unnoticed. We can be saints through our washing machine. The secret is doing so with love in our hearts; knowing that all things can be done for the greater glory of God.

Of course, this is the part that I forget: to 'wash in love'. Maybe it's time to put a picture of Jesus next to the washing machine. Then I can keep my eyes on Christ no matter what may be doing.

Year of St. Paul

St. Paul the Apostle

As the year of St. Paul comes to a close (6/28/2008-6/29/2009) I thought it was important to recognize his vital role in the Church. June 29th also marks the Feast Day of St. Paul and St. Peter.

St.Paul is known as 'Founder of the Christian Church'. In light of this profound title it is only fitting that this disciple would also write in Galatians 2:20 ' It is not I who live, but Christ lives in me'. St. Paul went out of his way to preach the Gospel and did not fear death. His martyrdom secured his eternity with our Beloved.

Pope Benedict XVI says, " From [St. Paul] we draw a very important lesson: what counts is to place Jesus Christ at the center of our lives, so that our identity is marked essentially by the encounter, by communion with Christ and with his Word".



Our Sunday Visitor put out a great pamphlet about St. Paul that provides a few facts about his life:

Paul was born in 8 A.D. in what is now Turkey.

Paul was a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee.

Saul was his Jewish name; Paul was his Roman name.

Paul was a tentmaker by profession.

The letters, or epistles, of St. Paul make up one third of the New Testament.

They include: Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Phillippians, Colossians, 1 and 2 Thessalonians, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon.

Paul was beheaded outside the walls of Rome during the reign of Nero, probably between A.D. 65 and 67.

Paul is buried where the Basilica of St. Paul outside the walls now stands.

A Prayer to the Apostle Paul:

Glorious St. Paul,
Most zealous Apostle,
Martyr for the love of Christ,
Give us a deep faith,
A steadfast hope,
A burning love for our Lord;
So that we can proclaim with you,
"It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me".

Help us to become apostles,
Serving the Church with a pure heart,
Witnesses to her truth and beauty
Amidst the darkness of our days.
With you we praise God, our Father:
"To Him be the glory in the Church and in Christ, now and forever."

Amen

What is a saint?

What is a saint:

"the holy one" who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life

Three Steps to Sainthood:

1. Recognition of heroic virtue

2. Beatification and the first miracle

3. Canonization

Feast Day of St. Catherine of Siena

Today is the feast day of St. Catherine of Siena, a doctor of the Church-

Catherine said,

"There is no perfect virtue-none that bears fruit- unless it is exercised by means of our neighbor." She exercised this virtue throughout her life, whether by nursing lepers, negotiating peace between feuding cities, or bringing the papacy back to Rome.

St. Catherine, pray for us.

Feast Day

Today is the feast day of

St. Louis de Monfort

and St. Gianna!

Pray for us!