There is a Longing

St. Genevieve was born a simple peasant in the early fifth century in Nanterre, France. When she was seven years old, Nanterre was visited by the Bishop of Auxerre, St. Germanus. Prefiguring her sanctity, the Bishop signaled young Genevieve out of the crowd, and she asked to be taken to the church and consecrate herself to God. The following day, Germanus gave the young girl a brass medal engraved with a cross, instructing her to wear it as a symbol and reminder of her consecration. He also advised her not to wear any other item of jewelry as a means to avoid vanity. A fter her consecration, and with the help of the holy Bishop, Genevieve devoted herself to prayer and penance. By the time she was fifteen, she was blessed with the grace of continual prayer. She also abstained from meat and would, for many years, eat only twice a week.  As a result of her parents’ death, Genevieve moved to Paris to live with her grandmother. There she continued to live her life dedicat...

No post today other than to wish you all a very, Merry Christmas! We hope your day has been full of many wonderful blessings!

  "At that time, as the number of disciples continued to grow, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. So the Twelve called together the community of disciples and said, 'It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to serve at table. Brothers, select from among you seven reputable men filled with the Spirit and wisdom, whom we shall appoint to this task, whereas we shall devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.'  The proposal was acceptable to the whole community, so they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid hands on them." (Acts of the Apostles 6:1-6) *************** On December 26, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen. As you can see above, St. Stephen lived in the first ...

"Rejoice and be glad that so great and good a Lord, on coming into the Virgin's womb, willed to appear despised, needy, and poor in this world, so that men who were in dire poverty and suffering great need of heavenly food might be made rich in him." (St. Clare of Assisi)

This is the 4th Sunday of Advent. The difference this year is that we are graced with a full week to prepare for Christmas next Sunday.  Throughout these past weeks, Advent wreaths have been lit al over the world in homes & churches. Did you know that each week of Advent has a particular focus? ~ Week One - HOPE, the anticipation of Christ's birth ~ Week Two - PEACE/FAITH, the journey to Bethlehem & preparing the way of the Lord ~ Week Three - JOY, the reminder of the joy of Jesus' nearing birth ~ Week Four - LOVE, the reminder of God's endless love & that He IS love As we light our 4th candle throughout this next week, let us turn our hearts & minds to Christ's coming birth & His great love for each of us. Think specifically of how much He loves you, personally. May we turn our focus to the words of today's Gospel -- "...and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means, 'God is with is.'" God is love & God is with us! This is ...

    Jacomo (or James), was born into the noble Benedetti family around the year 1230 in Todi, Italy. He diligently studied law and became a competent lawyer. However, his success was not without pride and vanity. At this time, his wife Vanna, a pious woman, was disturbed by her husband’s worldliness and undertook atonement for Jacomo’s sins through prayer and penance.            In 1268, Jacomo convinced Vanna to accompany him to a tournament, where she took her place in one of the stands with other noble women. Unexpectedly, the stand collapsed. When Vanna’s body was found, it was discovered that she wore a penitential girdle. Realizing that it was for him that she wore it, a deep impression was made on Jacomo and he was moved to a profound conversion.            Abandoning his previous life and dividing his possessions among the poor, Jacomo embraced extreme poverty and entered the Third Order Francis...

Today is the Feast of St. John of the Cross, so we're sharing a poem of his on Christ's birth for Wisdom Wednesday. ************  Romance IX, Of the Birth of Christ When the interval of waiting For His birth its course had run, Straight from out His bridal chamber Came the Bridegroom, God the Son.   Once on earth, with arms extended He embrac’d His heavenly Bride, And the gracious Mother laid Him In the manger, at her side.   All around that helpless baby Animals were standing by; Men sang songs of glad rejoicing; Angels join’d their songs on high,   Celebrating the betrothal ‘Twixt the Bridegroom and the Bride, While the Almighty, in the manger, As an infant, wept and cried.   So the Bride those tears as jewels Brought to the betrothal-rite, And the Maid was lost in wonder As she saw so rare a sight.   Man was full of joy and gladness; God was shedding tears as man. Ne’er was such a strange mutation Since the ages first began. - St. John of the Cross ...

Gaudete!  "Rejoice in the Lord ways; again I say rejoice. Indeed, the Lord is near." (Phillipians 4:4-5) We take a break in this penetential season on this 3rd Sunday of Advent to rejoice. The Latin word, "Gaudete" means rejoice.  Our preparations during Advent are aimed at our Lord Jesus' coming - both His birth & 2nd coming. Think of all the things that bring you joy. I'm talking about true joy, not just those fleeting moments that occur, like a job promotion or finding your favorite items on sale. I have personally & purposefully found joy in the midst of sorrow or life's trials. I've been able to laugh & share memories of loved ones who've passed helps ease the pain of loss. Last year, when my son was going through radiation treatments for a brain tumor, he lost most of his hair. We found joy in putting googly eyes on the back of his head, making a face with the lingering patches of hair. None of these things bring as much joy, ho...

On Wednesday, December 14, we celebrate the feast day of St. John of the Cross. John was born June 24, 1552 into a poor family. His father had been born in wealth, but was disowned when he married John's mother, a poor woman of lower class. John's father & older brother both died when John was just a young boy. His mother supported the family through work as a weaver. He attended a boarding school specifically for poor & orphaned children. Thanks to his religious education, he decided early on that he would choose a religious path.   He joined the Carmelite order in 1563, choosing the name John of St. Matthias. He was ordained as a Carmelite priest in 1567. A rift began in the Carmelite order. The Discalced Carmelites wanted to restore the original, strict Rule of the Carmelites while the ordinary Carmelites preferred the newer, less strict ways. John had developed a friendship with St. Theresa of Avila & they worked together for the restoration.  John faced much o...

Tomorrow, December 8, we celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Contrary to some beliefs, this is NOT the celebration of Jesus being born of a virgin. Mary IS the Immaculate Conception & She Herself, revealed this to St. Bernadette during one of Her apparitions in Lourdes, France on March 25, 1858.  Immaculate Conception refers to the Catholic dogma, defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854, that Mary was preserved from Original Sin from the moment of Her conception, all in preparation for Her becoming the Mother of Jesus.  (Dogma is a belief defined as true, handed down by God through the authority of The Church.) "Mary was immaculate, and remote from all stain of sin."  (St. Ephraim the Syrian Doctor of the Church) "The Virgin is therefore called immaculate, for in nothing was she corrupt." (St. Sophronious) "That our Sovereign Lady was full of preventing grace for her sanctification; that is, preservative grace against the corruption of original sin....

Matthew 3:1-12 "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!" "Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees."   Repentance is more than just being sorry for what you've done wrong. It's about being sorry AND wanting to make a change for the better, to not sin again and to make reparation. Given our fallen nature, due to the effects of Original Sin, this is no easy task & definitely not something we can do all on our own. That is why we have the great Sacrament of Reconciliation. We confess our sins to the priest, who is "in persona Christi" (in the person of Christ). In an Act of Contrition, we pray, "I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy Grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasion of sin."  Our roots of sin will continue to grow deeper into our souls if we don't do something to stop them. We need more than just pruning. Only God can reach the depths to strike with His Grace & Forgiveness. And with the Holy Spirit ...

St. Sabas was born in Cappadocia, the son of an army officer. Left to the care of his uncles, he was often mistreated and ran away several times before taking refuge in a monastery. Although his family was against it, the monastic life had an attraction for Sabas and so he chose to remain, where he advanced in virtue. At the age of seventeen, he received the tonsure and lived a life of work and prayer. When he was thirty, Sabas sought a more secluded life and was given permission to remain in a hermitage for five days of the week. After a few years, his strict life began to draw men to him, seeking to join him. Although reluctant at first, he finally gave into the increasing number of his followers. Sabas founded more monasteries afterward, and despite his duties as abbot, he always felt drawn to the life of a hermit. Later on in his life, Sabas traveled and preached, convincing many of the truth and converting hearts. In 532, Sabas fell ill and received his eternal reward. We c...