St Patrick's Day Novena

Thanks to Scott P. Richert Catholicism Guide at About.com for this insight into the Breastplate of St Patrick. I will make it part of my morning prayers this March in preparation for his feast day. In addition to baking my Gran's recipe for Irish Soda Bread and decorating the house in Irish green.

The Lorica, or Breastplate, of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is best known for only one of its verses (the one that begins "Christ with me"). But the full version, printed here, incorporates all the elements of Catholic morning prayer: It is anAct of Faith (expressing the Catholic teaching on the Trinity and on Christ); an Act of Hope (in God's protection throughout the day and throughout life, as well as in eternal salvation); and an Act of Charity (in the love expressed for God). It is, therefore, an ideal morning prayer, especially for those who have a devotion to Saint Patrick.

The Breastplate of Saint Patrick

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

I arise today through the strength of Christ with His Baptism,
through the strength of His Crucifixion with His Burial,
through the strength of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
through the strength of His descent for the Judgment of Doom.

I arise today through the strength of the love of Cherubim
in obedience of Angels, in the service of the Archangels,
in hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
in prayers of Patriarchs, in predictions of Prophets,
in preachings of Apostles, in faiths of Confessors,
in innocence of Holy Virgins, in deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through the strength of Heaven:
light of Sun, brilliance of Moon, splendour of Fire,
speed of Lightning, swiftness of Wind, depth of Sea,
stability of Earth, firmness of Rock.

I arise today, through God's strength to pilot me:
God's might to uphold me, God's wisdom to guide me,
God's eye to look before me, God's ear to hear me,
God's word to speak for me, God's hand to guard me,
God's way to lie before me, God's shield to protect me,
God's host to secure me:
against snares of devils, against temptations of vices,
against inclinations of nature, against everyone who
shall wish me ill, afar and anear, alone and in a crowd.

I summon today all these powers between me (and these evils):
against every cruel and merciless power that may oppose my body and my soul, against incantations of false prophets,
against black laws of heathenry,
against false laws of heretics, against craft of idolatry,
against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
against every knowledge that endangers man's body and soul.
Christ to protect me today
against poison, against burning,
against drowning, against wounding,
so that there may come abundance of reward.

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, through belief in the Threeness, through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.
Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation is of Christ. May Thy Salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.

St Andre Bessette once lived near me

St Andre Bessette had a difficult youth. Orphaned at 12, he had a large family to help raise, and this sent him from Canada to Northeastern CT where I make my home. He worked in several factories in CT, RI and MA in the 1860's and when he returned to Canada to join the Holy Cross Fathers, his returned several times to visit relatives in this area.
 I ask his intercession for the faith of his ancestors in this area, where churches and Catholic schools are closing. St Andre Bessette, please pray for us, our weakened faith has allowed the proud Catholic heritage of this area to wane, ask St Joseph to stir up the Holy Spirit in us, that we can renew the faith in our children and bring back the Catholicism you once lived so beautifully. Heal us in body, mind and spirit, so that we may be proud of our spiritual inheritance.
St Andre worked in Moosup, CT, near Wauregan, where the Ave Maria Home has been offered a rectory to use to house a dozen pregnant homeless women. St Andre, please help us obtain Bishop's permission to use Sacred Heart Rectory to help these women. You who had so much compassion for the humble poor, help us to help these women with this home where they may find peace and love.
Amen

Read the entire article in Four County Catholic.

St Gianna Berrretta Molla video available

New DVD Tells Story of Modern Day Hero of Divine Love

“St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” is a new DVD about a saint who lived in our own time. The DVD is a visual delight, featuring photos and home movies of St. Gianna, who lived from 1922 to 1962. One gets to see her getting married and playing with her children and living out her career as a doctor. Viewers see her laughing and smiling and loving life. This is a real woman. She is someone like us. 

Here we get to know a woman like so many of us who struggled to balance work and family. She was highly intelligent, excelling in her studies. She also loved music and art and being in the mountains. She loved her family above all else, but saw her career as a physician as a calling from God. Not only did she run her own practice, she was an active volunteer and sought to bring medical care to those who needed it, especially mothers and children. She would tell other doctors that “when you have finished your earthly profession, if you have done this well, you will enjoy divine life ‘because I was sick and you healed me.’” 

St. Gianna was raised in a Christ-centered family and sought to raise her children the same way. Her life was one of service and was deeply rooted in prayer. She attended daily Mass as often as possible and prayed her rosary daily. She was always ready to encourage others in their relationship with God. She was a woman who viewed life as a gift from God and trusted in the power of prayer. Totally pro-life, her ultimate sacrifice was to give birth to her last child, even though she was advised against it and knew it might result in her own death. After giving birth, she bravely bore her final suffering with grace and prayer. She died on April 28, 1962 at the age of 39. Beatified in 1994 and canonized in 2004, Pope John Paul II held St. Gianna up as a role model for mothers, physicians, and the pro-life cause.

“St. Gianna Beretta Molla: A Modern Day Hero of Divine Love” was produced by Catholic Action for Faith and Family which includes the St. Gianna Physician’s Guild. The mission of the Guild is to unite and encourage Catholic physicians and health care professionals, to promote and defend Catholic principles in a public way by word and example, and to inspire sanctification in their lives.

To order the video, please visit http://www.stgiannaphysicians.org/ 

Did you celebrate St Stephen's Day?

Mr Beeler at his blog The Catholic Comedy did. Go on over and celebrate the faith of the first martyr. We may be needing such strong examples of the Faith to face what is coming in this nation.

Venerable Pope John Paul II

Faithful Catholics needed some good news this year. The Solidarity leader, the man who saved Eastern Europe from Atheistic Communism is now declared Venerable. And the holy Fr Jerzy Popieluxzko, who died as a martyr during the Solidarity protests. Good thing, the way this nation is heading, we may need their intercession to save America from Communism soon. And the holy Fr Jerzy Popieluxzko, who died as a martyr during the Solidarity protests, pray for us.

John Paul's cause has moved ahead at record speed and his beatification could be the fastest in modern time, if the miracle is approved soon. The Vatican had only waived the five-year waiting period once before, for Mother Teresa, who died in 1997, and was beatified by John Paul in 2003.


In addition to John Paul and Pius, the pope also declared that a young Polish priest, Rev. Jerzy Popieluszko, was a martyr for the faith after he was kidnapped and killed in 1984 by Poland's communist-era secret police. The martyr designation means he can be beatified without a miracle.

Also declared Venerable was Pope Pius XII, who battled the Nazis by saving thousands of Jews from certain death, hiding some in the Vatican itself. Chief Rabbi of Rome converted to Catholicism and took the name Eugenio (Pope Pius' former name)  at his Baptism in honor of the Popes courageous example.

These strong men knew what it meant to suffer for their convictions and have much to teach us in these troubled times.

Read the entire story on Fox News.

Mother Teresa's Guide to Sanctity

Today on Blessed Mother Teresa's birthday in heaven, what will probably become her feastday, celebrate by reading my review of "Mother Teresa's Secret Fire" up at Catholic.net.

Fr Langford shares the principles of her spirituality and in this wonderful book, you will find new intmacy with Jesus in prayer.

Miracle to advace cause of Cardinal John Henry Newman

Pope John Paul to be beatified next April

There is some debate on the exact date, since April 2, 2010 is Good Friday, however, it seems that our dear departed Pope John Paul the Great will be beatified next Easter Season.

At the NCRegister Blog they are suggesting that he be beatified on the fifth annivesary of his death, on Divine Mercy Sunday (not by the calendar, but by the feast day he created).

I agree heartily. A perfect day.
Read the story here.

My St Patrick's Day Montage

I created this in honor of St Patrick. For a translation of the haunting Ag Criost an Siol the second song on the montage, click here.

A saint for today's problems; St John of God

My friend Anita Moore at V for Victory has discovered that St John of God suffered from heavy indebtedness which he incurred while serving the needs of the poor. What a comfort to know that a saint can intercede for those of us who were plunged into financial difficulties by the vagaries of Wall Street.
St John of God, pray for us.

50th Anniversary of discovery of genetic cause of Down syndrome

Although Dr Jerome Lejeune,to his horror soon discovered that this important discovery, along with the discovery of amnio-centesis was used to abort 90% of babies with DS, it is a victory nonetheless, as it has improved the lives of the thousands who have Down syndrome. This was the topic of discussion at the Ponitifical Academy of Life in Rome this week.

Prof Bruno Dallapiccola recalled how Down syndrome children were previously ostracized, but now, 50 years later, "kids with trisomy have managed to reach an autonomy never seen before […] and can discreetly integrate themselves into society. They earn degrees. Professor Lejeune's discovery permitted this victory.
"Now, despite that in some countries as many as 90% of Down syndrome babies are aborted, the professor noted that every year, he meets 10 to 20 families who welcome a Down baby.
Dallapiccola recalled a visit to Lejeune in Paris in 1963. Since his discovery, he said, "something important changed in history," and "that mustn't be regretted."
To celebrate this important discovery and the fact that the Church has given Dr Lejeune the title of Servant of God, which has put him on the path to sainthood, read my article at the National Catholic Register, and send me an email at marysjoys@yahoo.com with your mailing address and I'll send you a holy card of Dr Lejeune with a prayer for his intercession for a miracle.
Read the entire story on Zenit.

Father Patrick Peyton's cause for canonization opened

This is wonderful news. No one save Archbishop Fulton Sheen did more to evangelize America than Fr Peyton whose famous saying, "the family that prays together, stays together" is well known.
Peyton, who died in 1992, used technology to reach more people than he ever could by person, founding Family Theater Productions in 1947 in Hollywood, said the Rev. John Phalen, president of Holy Cross Family Ministries, which carries on Peyton's work.
He bolstered his message with Hollywood elites, including Loretta Young, Jimmy Stewart, Bing Crosby and Lucille Ball, who appeared on his shows. He ended many programs with his catchy family message, now trademarked by his ministry.
As Peyton grew up in Ireland, his family prayed the rosary daily and it brought them strength, Phalen said. He thought the centuries-old tradition linked to the Virgin Mary could help other families.
May he pray for the Catholics in this nation who need his message of the family rosary more than ever.
HT AP

St Theresa of Avila

My favorite story of St Theresa of Avila, doctor of the Church.

"When she was five years old she convinced her older brother that they should, as she says in her Life, "go off to the land of the Moors and beg them, out of love of God, to cut off our heads there." They got as far as the road from the city before an uncle found them and brought them back. Some people have used this story as an early example of sanctity, but this author think it's better used as an early example of her ability to stir up trouble."

Young Teresa showed a great predeliciton for, well, trouble. It was a sign. . . that her life would bring her to heaven the hard way, through reforming the Carmelite Order with her friend St John of the Cross, author of "Dark Night of the Soul"

HT Catholic Online

India has too few baby girls

I once saw a docutmentary about this situation of eugenic infanticide of baby girls in India, and this article in MercatorNet vividly describes the consequences of the killing of 50 million baby girls on this newly prosperous nation. First women are killed because they are women, then they are treated as slaves because they are too few. Mother Teresa tried to solve this problem by saying, "don't kill the child, we will take the child" and the Missionaries of Charity's orphanages have had thousands of baby girls adopted to European families.
Yet the slaughter continues, despite growing prospertiy, and aided by new ultrasound technology. This is a clear example of the humanizing influence of the Culture of Life provided by the Catholic Church, which is sorely overpowered in this tragic land. The problem is most pronouned in the North, just the are which is killing Catholics en masse.
Blessed Mother Teresa, pray for India.

New book on the true story of Padre Pio's stigmata

These revelations have been released in a book titled "Padre Pio Sotto Inchiesta: l''Autobiografia Segreta'" ("Padre Pio Under Investigation: The 'Secret Autobiography'"). The volume is prefaced by Vittorio Messori and edited by Father Franceso Castelli, historian for the beatification cause of Pope John Paul II and professor of modern and contemporary history of the Church at the Romano Guardini Institute for Religious Sciences in Taranto, Italy.Until the publication of this book, many assumed that Padre Pio -- whether for reasons of modesty or because he thought himself unworthy of the charisms he had received -- had never disclosed to anyone what happened on the day he received the stigmata.
Read the entire story at Catholic Online.

Fr Damien, and parents of St. Therese will soon be saints

There has been a miracle accepted towards the cause for canonization of Louis and Marie Celine "Zelie" Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux.
Also the cause of Fr. Damien of Molokai has advanced, I have always admired the lives of these saintly people, and am hopeful they will be raised to the altar.
HT CNA

The Pauline Year begins today

A message from Pope Benedict:
"Dear brothers and sisters, as in early times, today too Christ needs apostles ready to sacrifice themselves. He needs witnesses and martyrs like St Paul. Paul, a former violent persecutor of Christians, when he fell to the ground dazzled by the divine light on the road to Damascus, did not hesitate to change sides to the Crucified One and followed him without second thoughts. He lived and worked for Christ, for him he suffered and died.
How timely his example is today!
And for this very reason I am pleased to announce officially that we shall be dedicating a special Jubilee Year to the Apostle Paul from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009, on the occasion of the bimillennium of his birth, which historians have placed between the years 7 and 10 A.D."
HT Charlotte was both

Happy St. Patrick's Day my montage Beautiful Ireland

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Holy Father to canonize 6 year old Italian girl

Her nickname was Nanolina and she died of bone cancer before reaching her 7th birthday, yet she achieved what most Catholics never achieve in a long lifetime: heroic sanctity.
She has been put on the road to canonization by Pope Benedict XVI.
HT Catholic Culture

We're celebrating St. Patrick on Friday this year

It's the first time since 1940 the Church has had to move up the good saint's feast day so that it doesn't fall in Holy Week. St. Patrick's Day is to be celebrated on March 14, my daughter Christina's 6th birthday. She won't mind, she has my Irish Grandma giving her a touch of Irish blood, and we have always planned her party for the day of the town St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Enjoy my montage Beautiful Ireland in honor of St. Patrick.