Prayers for the Booklady

For the Okie-Booklady: talented blogger, dedicated mother and inspiring Catholic.

Hope the prayers help.

PS Anyone wishing to make a pilgrimage to the National Shrine of St. Joseph, info can be found here

God In Vegas: Part One, The Taxi

I know God is all around us, and in some places it is easy to spot Him. Church is an obvious one. I often see God in nature. But I recently encountered Him in a place one might not expect.

I saw God in Las Vegas.

This post will be a long one so I am going to break it up into three parts: The Taxi, Church and the Strip.

Part One: The Taxi

My husband had a day of meetings and I had the day to myself. The Las Vegas strip is a familiar place to me, as work has taken me there often over the years. I am not much of a gambler and even less of a drinker so the shops, spas and restaurants are usually my main diversions. But instead of shopping or a massage, I wanted to find daily Mass.

I searched the internet and found the Shrine of the Most Holy Redeemer and made plans to attend their midday Mass. While I was poking around I also found that relics of Padre Pio, currently touring the USA, were going to be in Las Vegas that very week! My time in Vegas was short but I hoped to be able to catch a glimpse of those as well.

I hopped into a taxi and both the driver and the doorman seemed surprised that I had given an off-strip address. The driver inquired as to whether it was business or residence and I explained that it was a church. He said “Oh, yes, I have been there. It is a beautiful place.”

“Are you Catholic?” I asked him. “Yes, well Catholic and Orthodox, I don’t know. My mother was Catholic and my father was Orthodox. So I don’t know what I am.”

I told him about the relics of Padre Pio and that this was an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity. He said he wouldn't go but his wife would be interested in seeing them. So I searched for the schedule on my handheld while he talked about life.

Turns out he had moved to the US thirty some years ago from France. His wife was a devout Catholic. He was deeply concerned about the state of affairs in his homeland, feeling that religious and ethnic tensions were tearing away at the France he once knew. “I don’t feel safe there. Here if you call the police, they come. In France, they don’t come.”

“I am so sorry, sir.” I said, truly meaning it. “I’ve been following what has been happening in France and I know it must hurt to watch your country deteriorate. I promise I will pray for France – and for you – when I am at Mass today.”

At this point the schedule of the Padre Pio relics appeared on my screen and I read it to my driver. Happily, they would be at the church his wife attends on Thursday of that week. As I inquired about the other locations for veneration, it became apparent that I would not likely have the chance to attend.

We had arrived at the Shrine, and my driver jumped out of the taxi and ran around to the back door. He opened my door and stood there, hesitating for a moment.

“Thank you so much, sir," I said, smiling as I handed him the fare. “Have a good day!"

“God Bless you” he said emphatically, but with the uncertainty of someone who doesn't use the term often . He looked at me and gave me a hug.

I wouldn’t see the relics of Padre Pio that week. But something told me that this fallen away Frenchman would.

The Empty House

I recently came into possession of a medal of Our Lady of Tears. I have a devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows, experience wonderful peace and great graces by praying the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows so yesterday I decided to pray the very similar Rosary of Our Lady of Tears.

As I was meditating on the sorrows that Mary felt as she watched her most precious, beloved, sinless, innocent God-man son suffer at the hands of those He loves so much, a thought occurred to me.

There is another facet of Jesus’ Passion, and maybe one of the most painful of them all, that I had not yet considered: Jesus had to watch His mother suffer during His Passion. He saw her tears as she took in the agony he endured. Her heart undoubtedly broke a thousand times, for she understood the horror of it all far more than we can even today.

Imagine the love between this mother and Child, who is love itself. Any parent knows what it is like to watch your child cope with pain. That we would do anything to make the pain stop, but understanding that there are some hurts that we just can’t take away.

I had always reflected on Our Lady’s sorrows through the eyes of a mother. I simply can’t imagine what she endured to as she watched her Son, whom she loved so much, be beaten and spit upon, have his flesh torn from his body, be vilified, reviled and crucified by people He loved.

But I had never considered what Jesus endured watching His mother. I always thought it was so beautiful that she was there to support Him, never leaving His side. But He watched her agony too, and that no doubt tore his most Sacred Heart.

Thinking about it took me back to the night my father died, ten years ago. Despite poor health, his passing was somewhat unexpected. I thank God, for my father received many wonderful blessings that night. He received Last Rites from our parish priest, who we literally bumped into moments after hearing the shocking diagnosis that my father had just hours to live. He died surrounded by his entire family and his best friend. There was so much love in that room.

We left the hospital in a daze and drove home to a house that suddenly seemed to be the emptiest place in the world. My father was all around us – his half-finished crossword puzzle sat on the table – yet he was gone.

Forever.

Though I was an adult, long married and living in another city, I slept that night in my parents’ bed. I laid on my father’s pillow and my heart ached for one more hug from the man I had loved more than anything else. I didn’t think I could hurt any more until I heard my mother’s quiet sobs.

It was the worst moment of my life.

I knew her heart was broken. She watched him suffer so much and now she had to say goodbye to the man who had been at her side for 46 years. I would have done anything to ease her pain, yet I knew there was nothing I could do to lessen her sorrow. I just laid there and whispered, “it’s okay Mom.”

Jesus felt that pain too. The pain of watching His mother’s heart break.
It is heartbreak that I can only begin to understand because of that horrible night ten years ago.

He knew that He would die on the Cross. He knew she would be at His side. And she would receive His body.

From the Cross, He knew the mother He loved with all His heart would go home to an empty house.

And He did it for us.

How can I help you, Officer?

The Pope is visiting New York City. His motorcade stops for a bit and the Holy Father is sitting in the car alone with his driver. Looking around at the beautiful German engineering of the Mercedes limousine, the Holy Father says to the driver, "You know, I hardly ever get to drive. Would you please let me take this for a spin?"

The driver is understandably hesitant and says, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm supposed to do that."

But the Pope persists, "Please?" The driver finally lets up and says. "Oh, all right, I can't really say no to the Pope." So the Pope takes the wheel and takes off like they are on the Autobahn!

A policeman notices the speeding limo and pulls it over. The cop walks up and taps on the glass, asking the driver to roll down the window.

Immediately recognizing the Holy Father, the startled young officer asks the Pope to wait a minute. He goes back to his patrol car and radios the chief.

Cop: Chief, I have a problem.

Chief: What sort of problem?

Cop: Well, I pulled over this guy for driving way over the speed limit, but I think it is a serious VIP.

Chief: Important like the mayor?

Cop: No, no, much more important than that.

Chief: Important like the governor?

Cop: Wayyyyyy more important than that.

Chief: Like the president?

Cop: More.

Chief: Who's more important than the president?

Cop: I don't know who it is, but he's got the Pope driving for him!

A Prayer for Ethan

Praying for the dead. It's one of the spiritual works of mercy.

I never met Ethan Stacy. But I am asking you to please say a prayer for him. I pray this precious 4 year old boy, who was tortured for much of the last week, went straight to heaven and is now snuggled in the Father's lap. I pray he never, ever endures another ounce of pain.

Last week, Ethan had a brief respite from being savaged and scalded. On May 6th, Ethan was locked in a bedroom - with the handle taken off the door so he couldn't escape - while his mother left to marry the man who had been beating him.

I don't understand. I am angry and sad and sickened.

But I trust you Lord.

You understand what it is like to be beaten by people who You just wanted to love. You know what it is like to watch someone you love so much be indifferent to your agony. You know what it is like to be mocked, tortured, and battered by those you love. And you know what it is like to die unjustly and cruelly at the hands of people who would be consumed with love for you, if only they knew what a precious gift from God you are.

Please Lord, give Ethan a hug from me.

I hope to meet him one day. Maybe he can show me around Heaven.

A gift for the Whiner

An update to the St. Joseph and the Ungrateful Whiner post - the nice young executive couple has agreed to rent our home for several years. Our realtor sent us the rental contract for our review yesterday.


It was Saturday, May 1st.

The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker.

Thank you Father.
Thank you Lord.
Thank you Holy Spirit.
Thank you Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth.

and

Thank you glorious, patient wonderful, loving and POWERFUL St. Joseph!

St. Joseph and the Ungrateful Whiner

I’ve always had a fondness for St. Joseph and over the years I have received truly extraordinary graces through his intercession. In fact, every petition I’ve ever presented him has been granted.

So when my husband and I placed our home on the market a few years ago, I turned to him in prayer. Our home went on the market the week before Thanksgiving in 2007. I didn’t worry or think too much about selling it over the holidays so I began my first novena to St. Joseph the first week of February 2008.

Every night I knelt next to my bed and prayed the Unfailing Novena to St. Joseph. Sure enough, at the end of nine days we had an interested buyer – two as a matter of fact. One agreed to our asking price but they were denied financing. The other made an offer that we thought was too low. So I prayed some more. Even though I didn’t notice it at the time, in hindsight I recognize that every time I finished a novena, someone would go through our house and they would generally make a verbal offer. The offers were always too low – or so I thought. Confidently I would respond to our realtor “Thanks but no thanks. We’ll wait it out for a reasonable buyer.”

So weeks turned into months and months turned into years. The offers that we turned down in the early months of 2008 suddenly began to look very good. I prayed a bit more, and then the offers from people wishing to rent our home started to come in. Our home is located in a city where a major international corporation in headquartered and executives from around the world are frequently transferred there for two and three year stints. The corporation itself is the tenant, they issue the monthly rent checks, security deposit and employ a maintenance and cleaning team to restore the home to its original condition when the lease is up. It is actually a great deal, if you are interested in being a landlord.

But I had ‘faith’ that renting was not the way to go. I had ‘faith’ that my prayers would be heard and that a buyer would turn up. Beside I didn’t want another family damaging our home and furnishings. So again my confident ‘thanks but no thanks’ response was given to our realtor.
I began to feel frustrated and told myself that I had to have patience. My prayers would be answered in God’s time. So we turned down a host of prospective tenants.

One day in November of 2009, our realtor called us with two prospective tenants, both long term executive rentals. It had been months since any potential buyers had gone through our house. For the first time we began to consider renting. I hemmed and hawed and thought of a million reasons why I didn’t want other people living in our home. I wanted to sell the home and be done with it.
My husband and I debated it and finally I came around. We agreed to rent the home only to discover that the tenants leased another home so they could be settled before the holidays. We pulled our house off the market in frustration and let it remain unlisted for a few months.

We relisted it in February and would have sold it for any of those early offers we had rejected back in 2008.

An offer to rent our home came in from an executive family with four teenagers and a dog. I was near tears thinking of the shape our home would likely be in after two years in that scenario. We have two kids and a dog and know how much damage happens to a home during the course of a day.

I fought despair and whined to heaven. I was in the midst of a spiritual tantrum when it suddenly occurred to me that God had been trying to bless me all along. Every prayer I sent to St. Joseph had been answered, just not in the way I had expected. The epiphany came that my haughty confidence and ‘faith’ was actually pride. God knew things about the real estate market that the world didn’t, and he sent buyers our way . I petulantly snubbed them, and His graces.

But good and patient St. Joseph presented my case time and time again, and Jesus graciously responded. I know how frustrating it is when my children are ungrateful for my acts of love and kindness. I was so ashamed to consider what must have been going through their minds. I had been an ungrateful whiner.

So I apologized to Our Lord and Good St. Joseph and resolved to accept God’s grace no matter how my pride tried to deceive me. I began another novena to St. Joseph and this past week two prospective executive tenants came though. Both are interested in renting. One prospect was more appealing and I just heard they are considering another property. I fought a wave of disappointment then caught myself.

God knows things I don’t. God and great Saint Joseph have been patiently trying to bless my family. I am going to get out of His way, accept His grace and say thank you for not giving up on me. And I am going to thank Him for the gift of St. Joseph, the patient and powerful patron who never fails anyone who approaches him with confidence.

Three Kings and A Porter

January 6th. The Feast of the Epiphany ...a special day honoring the three men who traveled a looong way to honor Our Lord. No TSA back then, but undoubtedly their journey was more arduous than we can imagine. So how do you think they felt upon arrival at the destinations of destinations? The chance to behold the Infant Jesus, to adore him, to spend time with the Holy Family...what wonders awaited those faithful wise men.

One more note on the Epiphany, hope you all had the chance to have some chalk blessed this year. It is a great family tradition, please pass it along to Catholic families everywhere.

The reason for my return to blogging tonight is the feast of Brother Andre. I wish to share the profound respect and appreciation I have for an amazing man well on his way to canonization.

For those of you not familiar with Blessed Brother Andre, be prepared to have your socks knocked off by the wonderful miracles God worked through a humble Canadian doorman.

My family made a pilgrimage to see some of the magnificent fruit of this holy and delightful man's life - St. Joseph's Oratory in Montreal, Canada.The Oratory itself is breathtaking. The shrine honoring St. Joseph is filled with piles of crutches, discarded wheelchairs and other evidence of countless miraculous healings. Wherever Brother Andre went, miracles followed. However, he was the first to attribute them to the intercession of glorious St. Joseph, to whom Brother Andre had a deep devotion.

I've pasted American Catholic's brief synopsis of Brother Andre's extraordinary life below, but great in-depth info can be found here and here.

Brother Andre: The Wonder Man of Mount Royal is a fantastic book for those looking to learn more. Fans of Padre Pio or Venerable Solanus Casey might want to check out this book too. All three men embraced lowliness, serving God with their whole hearts. Sincere thanks to God for the grace of their good example.

One final note - during our visit to St. Joseph's Oratory, I approached both St. Joseph and Brother Andre with a major prayer request. I remember feeling so ashamed to ask holy St. Joseph to pray for me, someone so ridiculously imperfect. I placed my hands on Brother Andre's tomb and thanked him for loving Our Lord , St. Joseph and Our Lady so much.

The Oratory is so special, so beautiful, such holy ground that I felt like I could have floated out of there. Praying there - in fact, just being there - gave me so much peace. It really felt like you were close to God.

About a week later I received a call. My prayer request had been answered. Everything I asked for had been granted.

God is so good.

Thank you so much St. Joseph and Brother Andre. Please pray for us!


Blessed André Bessette(1845-1937)

Brother André expressed a saint’s faith by a lifelong devotion to St. Joseph.

Sickness and weakness dogged André from birth. He was the eighth of 12 children born to a French Canadian couple near Montreal. Adopted at 12, when both parents had died, he became a farmhand. Various trades followed: shoemaker, baker, blacksmith—all failures. He was a factory worker in the United States during the boom times of the Civil War.

At 25, he applied for entrance into the Congregation of the Holy Cross. After a year’s novitiate, he was not admitted because of his weak health. But with an extension and the urging of Bishop Bourget (see Marie-Rose Durocher, October 6), he was finally received. He was given the humble job of doorkeeper at Notre Dame College in Montreal, with additional duties as sacristan, laundry worker and messenger. “When I joined this community, the superiors showed me the door, and I remained 40 years.”

In his little room near the door, he spent much of the night on his knees. On his windowsill, facing Mount Royal, was a small statue of St. Joseph, to whom he had been devoted since childhood. When asked about it he said, “Some day, St. Joseph is going to be honored in a very special way on Mount Royal!”

When he heard someone was ill, he visited to bring cheer and to pray with the sick person. He would rub the sick person lightly with oil taken from a lamp burning in the college chapel. Word of healing powers began to spread.

When an epidemic broke out at a nearby college, André volunteered to nurse. Not one person died. The trickle of sick people to his door became a flood. His superiors were uneasy; diocesan authorities were suspicious; doctors called him a quack. “I do not cure,” he said again and again. “St. Joseph cures.” In the end he needed four secretaries to handle the 80,000 letters he received each year.

For many years the Holy Cross authorities had tried to buy land on Mount Royal. Brother André and others climbed the steep hill and planted medals of St. Joseph. Suddenly, the owners yielded. André collected 200 dollars to build a small chapel and began receiving visitors there—smiling through long hours of listening, applying St. Joseph’s oil. Some were cured, some not. The pile of crutches, canes and braces grew.

The chapel also grew. By 1931 there were gleaming walls, but money ran out. “Put a statue of St. Joseph in the middle. If he wants a roof over his head, he’ll get it.” The magnificent Oratory on Mount Royal took 50 years to build. The sickly boy who could not hold a job died at 92.

He is buried at the Oratory and was beatified in 1982.

Rubbing ailing limbs with oil or a medal? Planting a medal to buy land? Isn’t this superstition? Aren’t we long past that?
Superstitious people rely only on the “magic” of a word or action. Brother André’s oil and medals were authentic sacramentals of a simple, total faith in the Father who lets his saints help him bless his children.


Quote:“It is with the smallest brushes that the artist paints the most exquisitely beautiful pictures,” said Blessed André Bessette.

with appreciation to www.AmericanCatholic.org

All Souls Day +Prayer = Healing the Family Tree

Invigorated tonight by a magnificent morsel on the unfathomable mercy and generosity of Our Good and Gracious Lord, I headed over to bloggger to fill you all in... only to find that I had to pause for a moment to recall my username and password. Yes, it has been a long time.

Some of you may be familiar with the 'healing the family tree' ministries of certain Catholic priests - Father John Hampsch most notably comes to mind.

Well tonight I came across a priest's story which provides a beautiful visual of the miracles of healing the family tree.

Our Lord cleanses our families with His Most Precious blood, in answer to prayer on All Souls Day.

He never stops giving.

He never stops loving.

He never stops sacrificing Himself for the salvation of His Children.

Please say a prayer for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Today and every day. Offer your rosary for them, have Masses said for them, or offer your Communion for all of those poor souls who cannot pray for themselves. Your spiritual generosity will not go unrewarded!

Pray, Hope and Don't Worry

Pray, hope and don't worry....

St. Padre Pio

Happy Feast Day of St. Padre Pio!

Bilocation ...the gift of reading souls...fights with the devil..bearing the wounds of Christ...

Padre Pio's holy life was marked with extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit, an intense love of Jesus, the Eucharist and His Passion, and deep devotion to Our Lady. It is reported that St. Pio prayed up to 36 rosaries a day!

And I am so proud of myself when I do one. *sigh* That is why we venerate this remarkable saint - we all have much to learn from his holy example.

So for all of those in need of a miracle, today is your day. Ask wonderful Padre Pio, trust in the mercy and goodness of God and don't worry.

Prayer for the Intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit. You marked his body with the five wounds of Christ Crucified, as a powerful witness to the saving Passion and Death of Your Son. Endowed with the gift of discernment, St. Pio labored endlessly in the confessional for the salvation of souls. With reverence and intense devotion in the celebration of Mass, he invited countless men and women to a greater union with Jesus Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist.Through the intercession of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, I confidently beseech You to grant me the grace of (here state your petition). Amen.

Glory be to the Father... (three times).

Efficacious Novena To The Sacred Heart Of Jesus (This novena prayer was recited every day by Padre Pio for all those who asked his prayers)

O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, ask and it will be given you, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.’ Behold, I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father... Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.II. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in my name, He will give it to you.’ Behold, in Your name, I ask the Father for the grace of...Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father... Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.III. O my Jesus, You have said, ‘Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away.’ Encouraged by Your infallible words, I now ask for the grace of...Our Father... Hail Mary... Glory be to the Father... Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in you.O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us poor sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate heart of Mary, Your tender mother and ours.

Hail, Holy Queen... St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us

Amen.

More devotions to Padre Pio can be found here.

How to Pray The Rosary of the Seven Sorrows

An ancient prayer is making its way back into the mainstream, and serious prayer warriors everywhere are adding it prominently to their arsenals.

I had heard this prayer was powerful, it was not until I started praying it myself that I realized just how special it is. It is called the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows, the Seven Dolors of Mary Chaplet, or the Servite Rosary.

Lots of promises attached to this one. I'll list them following an explanation of the prayer. These rosaries are not as widely available as the standard five decade version, but there is a place online to purchase a seven sorrows rosary here. This site is an outstanding resource - it has a booklet explaining the rosary in detail, a CD to accompany your prayers and a book explaining the approved 20th century apparition where Our Lady specifically requested this prayer. Awesome!

There are seven mysteries, followed by seven small beads ( called weeks in stead of decades)

The prayer goes like this:

1) Act of Contrition

2) Announce the First Sorrow. Our Father... then pray Seven Hail Marys while meditating on the Sorrow

3) Announce each respective Sorrow, pray the Our Father, then pray Seven Hail Marys while meditating on the Sorrow.

4) Finish with three Hail Marys for the Tears of the Blessed Virgin Mary,

5) Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for the intentions of the Holy Father

6) Final prayer is: ' Virgin Most Sorrowful, Pray for Us' three times.

The Seven Sorrows of Our Lady, with thanks to TheGrotto.org

The First Sorrow

The Holy Prophecy of Simeon: The Blessed Virgin, filled with joy, presented her only son in the temple. How her heart must have broken to hear the prophetic words of Simeon as he foretold the suffering of the Savior and His mother.

The Second Sorrow

The Flight of the Holy Family into Egypt: On a moments notice, St. Joseph and the Blessed Virgin must take the Infant Jesus on a perilous journey to evade Herod's men who hunted Him. They endured cold, hunger and many hardships as they made their way to a foreign land.

The Third Sorrow

Mary seeks Jesus lost in Jerusalem: The Virgin Mary understands firsthand the profound sorrow of losing a child. For three agonizing days St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother searched for twelve-year-old Jesus, before finding Him among the scholars in the temple.

The Fourth Sorrow

Mary meets Jesus on the way to Calvary: Jesus, battered and condemned to crucifixion, meets His mother, on the road to Calvary. He is beaten and indescribably defiled; her sorrow is absolute as Jesus drags the cross on which He will be crucified.

The Fifth Sorrow

Mary stands at the foot of the cross: Mary stands near her dying Son, unable to minister to him as he cries "I thirst". She hears him promise heaven to a thief and forgive his enemies. His last words, "Behold your mother," a gift for all of mankind, as His Beloved Mother becomes Mother of All Peoples.

The Sixth Sorrow

Mary holds the body of Jesus: The Pieta. The passion and death are complete, but for Our Lady, grief continues. She holds His body in her arms. Meditate on her tears.

The Seventh Sorrow

Mary places the body of Jesus in the tomb: The sun goes down on the most tragic day in history. As she awaits in faith the resurrection of her Son, Mary alone in sorrow, lays the body of her Son in the tomb.

The Promises with thanks to MotherofAllPeoples.org and piercedhearts.org

According to the visions of St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) our Blessed Mother promises to grant seven graces to those who honor her and draw near to her and her Son every day by meditating on her dolors (sorrows) and entering into her grief.

• "I will grant peace to their families."


• "They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries."


• "I will console them in their pains and will accompany them in their work."


• "I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls."


• "I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives."


• "I will visibly help them at the moment of their death-- they will see the face of their mother."


• "I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy."

St. Alphonsus Liguori testifies to complementary revelations given by Our Lord to St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231) where He further promises four special graces to those dedicated to the sufferings of the co-redeeming Mother:

• 1. That those who before death invoke the Blessed Mother in the name of her sorrows, should obtain true repentance of all their sins.


• 2. That He would protect in their tribulations all who remember this devotion, and that He would protect them especially at the hour of death.


• 3. That He would impress upon their minds the remembrance of His Passion, and that they should have their reward for it in Heaven.


• 4. That He would commit such devout clients to the hands of Mary, so that she might obtain for these souls all the graces she wanted to lavish upon them.

It is hard to describe the peace I feel when I pray this rosary.

Please, Lord, let your peace remain with us always. And on this the anniversary of 9/11, I offer a heartfelt plea for my country. We need you and Your Mother today more than ever. Please help us end abortion, stop socialism, and turn our eyes always toward You.

Happy Birthday to the Blessed Virgin Mary

A Very Happy Birthday to Our Lady!

Thank you for your YES to God.

And I thank Him for the gift of you.

Love, HappytoBeCatholic

PS apologies for my absence to everyone. I have much to post, but life has been really hectic lately. Tomorrow!!

Novena of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Today we begin a novena honoring the Nativity of Our Lady, celebrated on September 8th. More thoughts on that tomorrow. Novena follows. Enjoy!

Novena for the Nativity of Our Lady

The prayer of each day is preceded by the following:
V. O God, come to my assistance

R. O Lord, make haste to help me

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit

R. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

First Day: Heavenly Child, lovable Mary, the Eternal Father delights in your birth, for He beholds in your coming into this world one of His creatures who is so perfect that she will become the worthy Mother of His divine Son. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from the heavenly Father, the pardon of my sins, and an abiding sorrow for them.
Hail Mary...

Second Day: O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam, admirable Mary, the Son of God delights in your birth, for He beholds the one chosen to be His Mother, and oh! such a beloved Mother. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining from your divine Son the grace to be born again spiritually to a holy life, perfectly conformed to yours, so that I may merit to obtain eternal glory.
Hail Mary...

Third Day: O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam, lovable Mary, the Eternal Word takes delight in your birth, for He sees the source of His Immaculate Blood. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from the Word made Flesh, the grace to find in this Divine Blood the eternal happiness of my soul.
Hail Mary...

Fourth Day: O Chosen One among the daughters of Adam, admirable Mary, the Redeemer, promised to mankind from the beginning of the world, takes delight in your birth, for He sees the one who is destined to become the co-redemptrix of souls by uniting her tears to the Blood shed on the Cross to save mankind.
Hail Mary...

Fifth Day: Resplendent Lily of Paradise, lovable Mary, the Holy Spirit takes delight in your birth for He sees in you the soul never stained by sin, which would forever be His worthy Temple. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from the Holy Spirit His divine love and final perseverance.
Hail Mary...

Sixth Day: Most Beautiful Branch of the tree of David, most admirable Mary, whose birth was such a consolation to St. Joachim and St. Anne who were delighted to be the parents of so holy a child, may your birth be the consolation of my soul, by obtaining for me from God, victory over the world and detachment from all the things of this earth.
Hail Mary...

Seventh Day: Resplendent Morning Star, lovable Mary, your birth was the cause of great joy to the angels, for they beheld in you the Mother of the Redeemer of the world, who by His Death would repair the loss sustained by the fall of rebellions angels in paradise. May your birth give joy to my soul also, by obtaining for me from God, victory over the infernal enemy, deliverance from all his snares, and the grace to be associated in glory with the angels in heaven.
Hail Mary...

Eighth Day: Brilliant Aurora of Heaven, lovable Mary, your birth brought great consolation to the souls of the saints detained in limbo, for it announced the approach of the Sun of Justice, Jesus Christ, who would enlighten their darkness and then conduct them to paradise. May your birth give joy to my soul also, and obtain for me from God, patience in all adversities, a perfect and constant conformity to His most holy will.
Hail Mary...

Ninth Day: Mediatrix between God and mankind, admirable Mary, by your birth you perfected the joy of all the children of Adam, who, through you, have received the Author of Grace, for He has made you the treasurer of all the graces which are imparted to us. May your birth be a special cause of joy to my soul by obtaining for me from God, eternal salvation and all the graces necessary to obtain it.
Hail Mary...

The prayer of each day is ended by the following:

Antiphon: Your Nativity, O Virgin Mother of God, was the herald of joy to the whole world; since from you arose the Sun of Justice, Christ our God, who, destroying the curse, bestowed the blessing, and confounding death, rewarded us with life everlasting.
V. Let us celebrate with joy the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.R. That she may intercede for us with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray

Grant to us your servants, we beseech you, O Lord, the gift of Your heavenly grace, that as our salvation was begun in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin, so from this solemn festival of her Nativity may we obtain an increase of peace. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Nihil Obstat: Iacobus P. King, I.C.D. Censor Deputatus. Imprimatur: Bryan Iosephus McEntegart, D.D., LL.D. Episcopus Bruklyniensis.

A Tale of Three Mothers

I am an adoptive parent. I recently stopped at a local parish to request Masses for the biological mothers of my children. I am concerned for them always, but have reason to believe that my son’s mother is very much in need of prayer at the moment.

I entered the parish office to request the Masses.

“Do you need them yet this year?” the woman behind the desk inquired.

“No, no.” I said, not wanting to be pushy. “The Masses can be said whenever it works for you.”

“Oh, great.” she said, grabbing her Mass schedule and flipping through pages. “Let me see when the next available Mass is... how does Oct. 24th* work?” she asked.

“Great,” I said, and began filling out a paper with the spelling of my son’s biological mother’s name. As I handed her the paper, I peered down over the counter at the scheduling book. I noticed that she had actually scheduled the Mass for the following date, October 25th.

“The 25th?!” I blurted out without thinking. The lady behind the desk looked up, startled.

“What? Oh my goodness,” she laughed. “I don’t know why I did that. I had my pencil on the 24th and it just moved down there to the 25th."

She looked up at me again and saw that tears we were welling in my eyes. “ Do you want me to change it? I can move it to the 24th.”

“No,” I said, smiling. “That day is perfect." I paused for a moment, then decided to explain. "This Mass intention is for my son's biological mother. The 25th is his birthday.”

She gasped, then rubbed her arm and showed me her goosebumps. I smiled, thanked her and headed toward the tabernacle to say thank you to Our Lord.

Before I entered, I waved to the statue of Our Lady, still blinking back tears.

"Thank you, Mother" I whispered, and I meant it with all my heart.

She is so good.

* date changed to protect the identity of those involved

Thoughts on the Assumption of Our Lady

Meditating on the Assumption pushes my brain to its limit – I know the joy in Heaven must have been indescribable but I simply cannot fathom what it was like for Our Lady to first behold the beatific vision. To meet the Father for the first time. To see her Divine Son again, in all of His heavenly majesty. To fully understand her role in the salvation of its world. To see St. Joseph ; that the two of them might wonder in all of their humility and obedience the greatness of God that He bestowed upon them such extraordinary dignity. To have choirs of angels welcoming Our Lady into Paradise. *sigh* Oh, to have been a mouse in the corner. What a glorious day it must have been!

But it was when I learned the Franciscan Crown Rosary, a prayer celebrating the joys of Our Lady, that I found something else to ponder about the Assumption.

According to one Franciscan Order, the Blessed Virgin Mary was seventy-two years old when she was assumed into Heaven. Estimating that she was fourteen when she gave birth to Jesus, she would have been forty-seven when He died. That leaves twenty-five years for her on Earth without her beloved Son. Despite her joy in His victory, the Resurrection and Ascension into Heaven, it must have been incredibly painful for her to be separated from Him.

Certainly she had the company of some of the Apostles, and friends. I am sure she knew that she would see her Divine Son again one day, but we humans often need a tangible presence for comfort.

I would assume that Our Lady may have been given special consolation at times, visits from her Son or the holy angels. But maybe not. Maybe her solitary presence on Earth was part of a bigger plan.

Because she was given twenty-five years to further contemplate the mysteries of God, Our Lady must have prayed often for the salvation of her Son’s beloved children. She knew what was in store for the faithful, and she knew the desolation that befell those who rejected God.

And one tear from the spotless, sinless Virgin means more in Heaven than we can possibly imagine. How often did Our Lady plead lovingly through tears with the Father for mankind, many of whom she saw living sinful lives, oblivious or indifferent to her Son who sacrificed all while she, the Mother of God, remained, sinless, on Earth?

Perhaps those twenty-five years she spent on Earth were yet another facet of her martyrdom. She undoubtedly offered her own agony to the Father as she watched her Son suffer on the Cross. Did she offer the sorrow of being separated from her Son to the Father for the sake of mankind? I suspect so.

And such an offering from the humble Virgin would have made her Assumption into Heaven all the more glorious.

Thank you so much to Our Lord and Our Lady for this beautiful Feast Day. Please check out this prayer in honor of this extraordinary day.

PS A worldwide five-decade rosary will be prayed tomorrow in honor of the Assumption. US Times – 11 a.m. Eastern, 10 a.m. Central, 9 Mountain and 8 a.m. Pacific. More details here.

The Price of Beauty

Pop singer Jessica Simpson is set to return to reality TV this fall in a series entitled The Price of Beauty. According to a network press release Ms. Simpson will travel the world to “"to meet women, study local fashions, dietary fads and beauty regimes…” tracking the global quest for beauty, and showcasing the extreme measures some women will go to make themselves feel youthful and pretty.

I thought extreme measures would be along the lines of stars like Demi Moore going to a clinic in Austria where leeches are applied to her skin( following a turpentine bath, naturally), to detoxify the blood.

Unfortunately Moore’s leeches are on the sane end of the spectrum. Turns out women around the world are headed to far off lands for a downright evil beauty treatment which alleges to turn back the clock. As a forty-something woman myself, I’m all for anti-aging breakthroughs; however, you won’t catch me near this one with a fifty foot pole.

Why not? The ‘beauty breakthrough’ consists of facial injections comprised of stem cells harvested from aborted babies. Sadly, there is a market for this:

“…Women like Susan Barrington, a 52-year-old housewife from England, are heading to places such as Barbados, the Dominican Republic, Moscow and Rotterdam to obtain the treatments.

She has been given the final go-ahead form (sic) a local clinic to travel abroad for the treatment that promises to make her look 10 years younger and doesn't mind that lives have been sacrificed to enhance her beauty.

To produce the treatments, clinics are using tissue from babies killed in abortions from 6 to 12 weeks into pregnancy and stem cells obtained from destroying human embryos to inject into a client's face. The fetal cells then begin a supposed rejuvenation process that makes the skin look younger…”

A sickening twist makes the story even more unsettling:

“To obtain the cells, women in underdeveloped nations are paid up to $200 dollars to carry a baby up to the optimum eight to 12 week period when the fetuses are “harvested” for their stem cells which are then sold to exclusive cosmetic clinics….”

Use of the new product is unregulated with the target market being wealthy British and American tourists. In Moscow alone more than fifty clinics are offering the injections.

Hopefully if Jessica Simpson stumbles across this abomination she will not showcase it in anything other than the unflattering light of Truth. In this case, the price of beauty is the life of a child. If that isn’t too high, I don’t know what is.

Thank you, St. Dominic

Years ago, Our Lady gave the world the greatest weapon against evil through the saint whose feast we celebrate today. Speaking from experience, I promise you this: If you pick it up, and use it as instructed, evildoers in this world and the next don't stand a chance.

My Favorite Miracle

One of my favorite bloggers, Michael over at Reach Paradise, recently mused about the miracle of the loaves and fishes, then posed this question: If you could have witnessed one of Our Lord's miracles, what would it have been?

This sent me over the edge because that just happens to be a happy pastime of mine - sometimes when I pray the rosary I get lost thinking about what it must have been like to be there for the Annunciation, or the Nativity or the Resurrection or to have even walked past Jesus when he was out and about.

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Transfiguration, where Jesus revealed himself in all of his splendor to Peter, James and John. Now Michael, that would have been something to see!

The best thing is that this is a miracle that seems within reach. Maybe it won't be on Mount Tabor - but I pray one day I too will see my Lord in all of His splendor.

He suffered and died so that He might welcome my sinful self into His Kingdom. On the cross, He made His Mother my Mother. He loves me and He forgives me. And Michael, that is my favorite miracle of all!

Jeff Kuhner: Voice of Truth

No, it is not your imagination. There really is an anti-Catholic bias in much of the media.

Thankfully there is a rising star among their ranks who is bold, brilliant and unabashedly Catholic.

Jeffrey Kuhner is an eloquent and impassioned columnist for the Washington Times. His most recent column, which will undoubtedly bring a smile to the faces of HappytoBeCatholics, can be found here.

A former professor from Canada's prestigious McGill University, Kuhner reportedly stood out among the impressive faculty for possessing one of those impossibly big brains crammed full of knowledge on a multitude of subjects. This gift, coupled with quick wit and lightning recall, resulted in his classes being crammed with eager and attentive students who knew they were in for something special.

Good news for the American public... Kuhner is a frequent guest host on many syndicated talk radio shows. I happened upon him yesterday as I was station hopping, and he was guest hosting the Michael Savage Show. The discussion was on current events, not faith, but it was really wonderful to know the man behind the microphone sees the world through Catholic eyes.

More from Jeff Kuhner can be found in the archives of the Washington Times, or at the Edmund Burke Institute for American Renewal.

The Importance of Perseverance

Today is a wonderful day! We celebrate the feast of St. John Vianney, truly a remarkable servant of God if ever there was one.

Perhaps the best lesson from the example of St John Vianney's life was that of the importance of perseverance in the face of adversity. St. John Vianney faced many obstacles, including limited education and opposition at various stages in his life from envious and troublemaking people. However, it was in his well- chronicled fights with the devil that this spiritual gem was revealed - he told confidants he noticed that the nights where the Enemy was most vicious in his attacks were always followed by a major conversion the next day. He knew a big fish was coming in, so to speak. Invariably someone who had been away from the sacraments for many years or someone who had been firmly entrenched in a life of serious sin would show up in his confessional, ready to return to Christ.

Life is like that for all of us. The enemy hates all souls, but especially devout Christians. When you are reconciled with God, living according to His Will and everything seems to be going wrong, don't give up! Don't despair! It very likely means that your efforts are pleasing to God, and we know who always wins in the end. Your very own 'big fish' may be right around the corner.

Please take the opportunity today to pray for a special priest, vocations, the Holy Father and the Church. The wonderful, wonderful Curé, patron saint of parish priests, is waiting to intercede on this special day.

AUGUST 4: DESIRE FOR HEAVEN

O Holy Priest of Ars, your precious remains are contained in a magnificent reliquary, the donation from the priests of France. But this earthly glory is only a very pale image of the unspeakable glory which you are enjoying with God. During the time you were on earth, you used to repeat in your dejected hours, 'one will rest in the other life." It is done, you are in eternal peace, and eternal happiness. I desire to follow you one day. Until then, I hear you saying to me: "You should work and fight as long as you are in the world." Teach me then to work for the salvation of my soul, to spread the good news and good example and to do good towards those around me in order that I will receive the happiness of the Elect with you. Holy Priest of Ars, I have confidence in your intercession. Pray for me during this novena especially for ... (mention silently your special intentions).

Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

O St John Vianney, Patron of Priests, pray for us and for all priests!