+++ PENTECOST SUNDAY +++

Veni Sancte Spiritus!

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From the traditional Masses of the Vigil and of Pentecost Sunday:

When I shall be sanctified in you, I will gather you together out of all the countries and I will pour upon you clean water and you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness and I will give you a new spirit, alleluia, alleluia!

Grant, we beseech Thee, O almighty God, that the splendour of Thy brightness may shine forth upon us, and the light of Thy light may, by the illumination of the Holy Spirit, confirm the hearts of those who have been born again by Thy grace.

Alleluia! Give glory to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever!

The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world, alleluia!

Let God arise, and let His enemies be scattered and let them that hate Him flee from before His face.

Alleluia, alleluia! Send forth Thy Spirit, and they shall be created, and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth. Alleluia!

Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love!

Suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a mighty wind coming where they were sitting, alleluia, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, speaking the wonderful works of God, alleluia, alleluia!

May the infusion of the Holy Spirit, O Lord, cleanse our hearts, and render them fruitful by the inward sprinkling of His dew.

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From The Daily Missal:

“The Vigil Mass of Pentecost is a festal Mass, which opens the celebration of the Feast and Octave of Pentecost….the Saturday following begins the liturgical season called Season after Pentecost.”

Our first thought on this Whitsunday should be one of joy! It is easy for forget that when the world is engulfed in suffering. But we must remember we are part of a Body and Holy Church gives us these joyful times for our good. Even in the midst of difficulty, we must raise our eyes to Heaven and remember where our eternal home is and what a great God we have! This coming octave of Pentecost should be celebrated with great happiness, which the fearful world does not understand. Each day this week, let’s return to the wonderful Mass of Pentecost, its beautiful Sequence and Vespers. I will be posting these. Please pray them with your family.

We are reminded in the Vigil Mass: “…you shall be cleansed from all your filthiness and I will give you a new spirit.” What an appropriate sentiment for this time. This is exactly what is happening now in the Church and hopefully in the world. We are being purified through our suffering. May we begin to ascend to greater heights of holiness, as never before! Let us give God our very best so He may show mercy on us and bring us back our sacramental life.

The above words also speak of “illumination of the Holy Spirit.” Never before have we needed this more. Let us pray for this illumination and ability to discern truth, during a very confusing time. Our Church leaders especially need this, so let us continually pray for them and try to trust that the faithful ones are doing the best they can. If we do not like what they are doing, we can write to them, without judgement or divisiveness. Do not let Satan infect your heart with anger-that only plays into his hands. I certainly would not want to be a bishop at this time. Imagine what a terrible burden they bear. We should support them with love and understanding. Understanding is one of the Holy Ghost’s gifts!

In the Gospel of the Vigil Mass, Our Lord tells us, “I will not leave you orphans.” When we are tempted to become despondent, we must remember He is with us. We are all having terrible adversity right now, myself included. But every time one door closes, another opens. This is a cosmic law. We must search for that other door. The Communion verse states: “He that believeth in Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” Imagine that. Rivers of living water! How can we fail to be joyful?

One more suggestion: How can we establish a more personal relationship with the Third Person of the Holy Trinity? A good meditation for the coming octave. Today is also the new feast of the Visitation and the old feast of the Queenship of Mary. A Pentecost graced with a double Marian feast! What more could we want?

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Following is our previously posted short meditation on the Third Glorious Mystery of the Rosary….

The Descent of The Holy Ghost

“Descent” is a dramatic word. What does dictionary.com say? Here is an excerpt:

descent: noun
-the act, process, or fact of moving from a higher to a lower position.
-a passage or stairway leading down.
-any passing from higher to lower in degree or state; decline.

Let’s go through this. “Higher to a lower position.” When we contemplated the Ascension, we spoke of Christ traversing from earth to Heaven. Now Heaven descends to earth. “Passage or stairway leading down.” This stairway, leading down from Heaven also helps us to ascend back up to Heaven, through the fruits and gifts of the Holy Ghost. “Passing from higher to lower in degree.” The Higher comes down to the lower, not to degrade Himself, but to uplift us to Himself. How extraordinary. And people think Catholics are negative?

So here we have the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity, taking His turn to come to earth, the final great Act in this Story of God’s revelation of Himself to mankind and ultimate redemption. First, the Father came to the Jews, then the Son came to die, then the Holy Ghost came as the “Giver of Life,” as we are told in the Nicene Creed. We received Him in our Sacrament of Confirmation, but how often do we think of this sacrament and its implications in our daily lives? We must study the fruits and gifts we received and make every effort to increase these virtues within ourselves.

Image courtesy http://www.catholictradition.org/Tradition/holy-ghost8.htm

May is the Month of Our Lady!

Each month in the Catholic calendar is dedicated to a particular intention and this month, it is Our Lady. It is sad Catholics have gotten away from this unifying theme each month. We have largely forgotten that we are the Body of Christ on earth, all as one. Many are focused on their own parishes, not even having any knowledge of what is going on in the parishes around them, nevermind the larger picture. Each month, I will be discussing the focus for that month (I’m not known for being perfectly timely, as I have many domestic responsibilities, family in need and my own health issues-my hubby and I are empty nesters, but I still have lots on my plate-please be patient with me when I am flaky).

So how can we honor the Mother of God this month? I never claim to have all the answers and I always encourage others to be self-empowered and use their own creativity. What I would suggest, as I’ve been saying a lot these days, is to re-commit ourselves to daily Rosary and devotion to the Immaculate Heart in all the requests of Fatima (which we will be discussing in the coming days in detail). Please think of how you can devote yourself to her this month with your family. God will certainly look upon the world with greater mercy if He sees there is love for His Beloved Mother!

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday in the new. Let us never feel abandoned by God, even in dark moments. If you are feeling depressed, just say “I give myself to Thee” and commend it all to Him. Our priest gave a wonderful homily this morning over the internet (where they can see everything-hmmmmm). He said you should never let anything take your joy away. We have Christ and the Good News of the New Covenant-anything less than joy is an insult to Him. He explained that when we are caught up in the cares of the world, our joy can be taken away, but we must keep our eyes on the Eternal. What a great and consoling message at this time.

Following are some notable feasts this month (some old, some new). If you have been following me for several years, you know I have a particular interest in the Doctors of the Church. I always say, if you wish to read one book of each Doctor, it will take 35 years! This month, we have 5 Doctors of the Church. My husband and I read about one of them per month in the book, The 35 Doctors of the Church: https://www.tanbooks.com/thirty-five-doctors-of-the-church.html?___SID=U This month, we are focusing on Saint Robert Bellarmine, whose feast is May 13th. I once read his “Hell and Its Torments” and was forever changed. Have a blessed month of May!

May 3-Good Shepherd Sunday (new), Sts. Philip & James the Less

May 9-St. Gregory Nazianzen, Doctor

May 10-St. John of Avila, Doctor

May 13-OUR LADY OF FATIMA* (take a look at the World Apostolate of Fatima site https://www.bluearmy.com/ for prayers and info), St. Robert Bellarmine

May 15-St. Isidore the Farmer (Nomen Christi Apostolate counts him among our patrons), St. Dymphna, patron of mental disorders (many are experiencing anxiety right now)

May 16-St. Simon Stock, seer of the Brown Scapular, another of Our Lady’s requests (good time to be wearing it!)

May 18-20-Minor Rogation Days-trad custom-prayer and penance

May 21-ASCENSION OF THE LORD-check your diocese if this is a Holy Day of Obligation

May 24-ASCENSION OF THE LORD (new)

May 25-St. Bede the Venerable, Doctor (new)

May 27-St. Bede the Venerable, Doctor (old)

May 30-Vigil of Pentecost

May 31-PENTECOST, The Visitation, The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (what a wonderful triple feast!)

*Nomen Christi Apostolate is dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima

Picture above is from my own yard-I believe our home has protection!

Sat the 25th is a Rogation Day

This is the Major Rogation Day, traditionally celebrated in the Church. The Rogation Days are similar in spirit to the Ember Days, seeking mercy and blessings upon the coming season. These were the celebrations that made people love the Church and feel connected to her. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to bring all these beautiful practices back? This Rogation Day, as the world and the Church continues to suffer, how appropriate a time to observe this ancient tradition! From “Catholic Answers Encyclopedia:”

“Rogation Days, days of prayer, and formerly also of fasting, instituted by the Church to appease God’s anger at man’s transgressions, to ask protection in calamities, and to obtain a good and bountiful harvest…The Rogation Days are the 25th of April, called Major, and the three days before the feast of the Ascension, called Minor.” For full text: https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/rogation-days

The “Litany of the Saints” was normally recited on the Rogation Days. Pray it with your family! https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/litany-of-the-saints-250

Also, if you did not have the chance to perform the Divine Mercy devotion last Sunday, wouldn’t this Rogation Day be a great time to do that? Please see our previous post for our “at home” program. It doesn’t take long! My husband and I prayed it and it was quite a blessing and consolation at this time, especially the closing prayer:

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

This Rogation Day is also the feast of Saint Mark. Saint Mark, pray for us at this hour!

October is the Month of the Holy Rosary!

First of all, the major features of this month of October in the Roman Catholic Church are:  Dedication to the Holy Rosary given to St. Dominic, the celebration of the centennial of the final apparition at Fatima, the great Miracle of the Sun seen by thousands and a general focus on pro-life issues, the first Sunday of the month being dedicated to this cause....the annual "40 Days for Life," a Christian initiative, overlaps with the month of October-it began September 27th and extends till November 5th-this involves a three-point approach:  Prayer & Fasting,  Constant Vigil and Community Outreach.  Think about getting involved-these efforts have saved many lives!

We also have the trad feast of Christ the King, last Sunday of October and several Marian feasts, including Our Lady of the Rosary, corresponding to this month's theme.  We celebrate only one Doctor of the Church this month, St. Therese, probably (but I haven't researched this) the youngest of all the Doctors, only reaching the age of 24-what an accomplishment for such a young woman to attain a distinction reserved in all 2,000 years of Church history, for only 35 people!  We also honor several saints of the Gospel, companions of Christ, this month, along with one of the writers of the Gospel, Saint Luke.

So there are many things to think about in the coming weeks-if you can't do it all, pick one thing and devote yourself to it.  That is the beauty of being a Catholic-it is such a rich and varied tradition, there is something for everyone!  Here is sampling of this month's feasts:

10/1-St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church, 1897/Respect Life Sunday

10/2-Holy Guardian Angels

10/3-St. Therese of Lisieux (trad)

10/4-St. Francis of Assisi, 1226

10/5-St. Faustina Kowalska, Seer of the Divine Mercy, 1938-pray the chaplet!

10/6-First Friday

10/7-First Saturday/Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary-what a day to celebrate the First Saturday devotion, in the month of the Holy Rosary and also the month of the final Fatima apparition-remember, this devotion was given to Sister Lucia!

10/8-Our Lady of Good Remedy

10/11-Divine Maternity of Our Lady

10/12-Our Lady of the Pillar

10/13-CENTENNIAL OF THE MIRACLE OF THE SUN AT FATIMA, PORTUGAL-the final Fatima apparition-Don't forget our Holy Hour right here on the blog!  What special gift would you like to give Our Lady on this joyful day?  My gift will be to spend the day at the World Apostolate of Fatima Blue Army Shrine in New Jersey-Mass will be said by Bishop Frank Caggiano, Bishop of Bridgeport, CT-he is the very first clergy member I met with in Brooklyn 4 years ago, to discuss Nomen Christi Apostolate and we had a great meeting!  Maybe I'll see you there?

10/16-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, Seer of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1690/St. Gerard Majella, 1755-patron of pregnant women

10/17-St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (trad)

10/18-St. Luke the Evangelist

10/21-St. Ursula & Companions, Martyrs, 4th Century-legend states she had up to 11,000 companions martyred with her, perhaps even more, but no one knows for sure what the actual number was

10/22-Pope St. John Paul II, 2005/St. Mary Salome, Mother of Saints James & John, Apostles

10/24-St. Raphael the Archangel-patron of travelers & the blind

10/28-Saints Simon & Jude, Apostles

10/29-Christ the King

10/31-All Hallow's Eve-pray for those who perform occult practices on this day in direct response to Holy Church's devotion to the saints in Heaven....and for reparation for these sins

September is the Month of Our Lady of Sorrows

Prophecy of Simeon + Flight into Egypt + Loss of the Child Jesus + Way of the Cross + The Crucifixion + Descent of the Body of Christ + Burial of the Body of Christ

We honor Our Lady's sorrows this month-she suffered so much to bring us Our Savior!  Let us find ways this month to show our thanks and love for her.  There is a chaplet of her Seven Sorrows, which can be purchased, or you can even pray it on regular rosary beads.  What a wonderful devotion to pray with your family this month!

What are some other features of the liturgical month of September?  As the season of Autumn begins, we celebrate the Ember Days of September, for a fruitful harvest.  This is a great traditional Catholic time to do creative seasonal crafts with kids or anything else you can think of which would be in keeping with the spirit of the Ember Days.  We celebrate 5 Doctors of the Church, including St. Hildegard, one of the few women Doctors-a great lover of nature, which resonates with the mission of Nomen Christi Apostolate.  We also honor 3 20th-century saints, including St. Teresa of Calcutta, who was canonized one year ago! 

Wishes for a blessed month of September-may we all grow closer to Christ in the next 30 days....AND DON'T FORGET OUR FATIMA FAMILY HOLY HOUR ON THE 13TH!

9/1-First Friday

9/2-First Saturday-what a great year to perform the First Saturday Devotion!

9/3-Pope St. Gregory the Great, Doctor of the Church, 604/Pope St. Pius X, 1914

9/5-St. Teresa of Calcutta, 1997

9/8-Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

9/11-Let us never forget that terrible day 16 years ago!  We pray for the souls of the departed and all those affected by this crime against humanity!

9/12-Most Holy Name of Mary

9/13-Centennial of the Fifth Apparition at Fatima, Portugal/St. John Chrysostom, Doctor of the Church, 407

9/14-Exaltation of the Holy Cross

9/15-Our Lady of Sorrows/Seven Sorrows of Our Lady

9/17-St. Robert Bellarmine, Doctor of the Church, 1621/St. Hildegard of Bingen, Doctor of the Church, 1179/Stigmata of St. Francis of Assisi, 1224

9/19-Our Lady of La Salette/St. Januarius & Companions, Martyrs, 304-St. Januarius is the saint whose blood liquefies in Italy several times per year-when it fails to liquefy, it signals a upcoming local disaster

9/20-Ember Wednesday in September-day of prayer and penance, trad meat at one meal

9/21-St. Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist

9/22-Ember Friday in September

9/23-Ember Saturday in September-trad meat at one meal/St. Pio of Pietralcina, 1968

9/24-Our Lady of Ransom

9/27-St. Vincent de Paul, 1660

9/29-Archangels Michael, Gabriel & Raphael

9/30-St. Jerome, Doctor of the Church, 420

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Today is the feast of St. Alphonsus de Ligouri, who died in 1787 and is a Doctor of the Church. 

The 2nd is the trad feast of St. Alphonsus and the "historical" feast of Our Lady of the Angels-many wonderful Marian feasts to come this month!  Think about how we may honor her Immaculate Heart this coming month.  The feast of her Immaculate Heart is the 22nd, along with her Queenship-what a glorious day!  Of course we also have the Assumption.....the Seven Joys and several other feasts in honor of Our Lady.

It is interesting to note that during this Marian month, we also have....St. Dominic, who gave us the Holy Rosary, St. Maximilian Kolbe, so devoted to Our Heavenly Mother, St. Joachim, her dear father and St. Monica, another famous mother.  We also celebrate 3 Doctors of the Church, 2 saints killed at Auschwitz, one year apart, 2 patrons of gardening (we like them at Nomen Christi!) and the luminous Transfiguration of Our Lord.  Wishing you all summer blessings and don't forget about our Fatima Family Holy Hour, which falls on a Sunday this month!  Here is a sampling of upcoming feasts....

8/4-First Friday/St. John Vianney (The Cure of Ars), 1859 (I saw his heart once!)/St. Dominic, Seer of the Holy Rosary, 1221

8/5-First Saturday/Our Lady of the Snows

8/6-Transfiguration of Our Lord

8/8-St. John Vianney (trad)/St. Dominic (new)

8/9-St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), 1942

8/11-St. Clare (Chiara), Foundress of Poor Clares, Companion of St. Francis of Assisi, 1253/St. Philomena, 304

8/12-St. Clare (trad)

8/13-Centennial of the Fourth Apparition at Fatima

8/14-St. Maximilian Kolbe, Martyr of Charity during Hitler regime, 1941/Vigil of the Assumption

8/15-THE ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, Holy Day of Obligation (please pray for my son's safe trip back to school today-ty!)

8/16-St. Joachim, Father of the Blessed Virgin Mary

8/20-St. Bernard of Clairvaux, Doctor of the Church, 1153

8/21-Our Lady of Knock, 1879/Pope St. Pius X, 1914

8/22-Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Immaculate Heart of Mary

8/23-St. Rose of Lima, Patroness of South America, 1617

8/24-Our Lady, Health of the Sick/St. Bartholomew, Apostle

8/26-Our Lady of Czestochowa

8/27-Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin Mary/St. Monica, Mother of St. Augustine, 387

8/28-St. Augustine of Hippo, Doctor of the Church, 430

8/29-The Passion of St. John the Baptist

8/30-St. Fiacre of Brie, Patron of gardeners, 670/St. Rose of Lima, Patroness of gardeners....also! (trad)

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus

There's still time to recite this beautiful litany during the Month of the Most Precious Blood.  The ruby is the birthstone of July, a precious stone which seems to honor the Precious Blood with its bright red color.  Summer, heat.  The Blood, like drops of sweat during Our Lord's Agony.  So much to meditate upon.  And so much to be grateful for.  Our sufferings are so little compared to His.  O Lord Jesus, thank you!

Lord, have mercy on us.  Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.  Christ, hear us.  Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Blood of Christ, Only-Begotten Son of the Eternal Father, save us.
Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, etc.
Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament,
Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony,
Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging,
Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns,
Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross,
Blood of Christ, Price of our salvation,
Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness,
Blood of Christ, Eucharistic Drink and Refreshment of souls,
Blood of Christ, River of mercy,
Blood of Christ, Victor over demons,
Blood of Christ, Courage of martyrs,
Blood of Christ, Strength of confessors,
Blood of Christ, bringing forth virgins,
Blood of Christ, Help of those in peril,
Blood of Christ, Relief of the burdened,
Blood of Christ, Solace in sorrow,
Blood of Christ, Hope of the penitent,
Blood of Christ, Consolation of the dying,
Blood of Christ, Peace and Tenderness of hearts,
Blood of Christ, Pledge of Eternal Life,
Blood of Christ, freeing souls from Purgatory,
Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor,

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord, in Thy Blood.  And made of us, a kingdom for our God.

Let us pray:  Almighty and eternal God, Thou hast appointed Thine Only-Begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by His Blood.  Grant, we beseech Thee, that we may worthily adore this Price of our salvation and through Its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life so that we may rejoice in Its fruits forever in Heaven.  Through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.

"This Litany in honor of Jesus in His Most Precious Blood, was drawn up by the Sacred Congregation of Rites and promulgated by Pope John XXIII on February 24, 1960.  The devotion to Jesus in His most Precious Blood was first popularized by Saint Gaspar del Bufalo (1786-1837, feast Dec. 28), who founded the Missioners of the Most Precious Blood.  A partial Indulgence is granted to the faithful who recite this litany."  (Courtesy Catholic Online, Litany text from "A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies.")

What's Left of July?

The Month of the Most Precious Blood

For a variety of reasons, I was not able to get the first half of the month posted-sorry 'bout that....but there is still half of July left!  (It just so happens I turn 50 during this particular time, which I have been emotionally preparing for, for a long time.  We'll see how well I prepared-I'll tell you how depressed I am in a few weeks!  But seriously, please pray for me during this life transition-I am using it as an opportunity to gain a fresh perspective and make more progress toward my goals, including those relating to this ministry.  TY!) 

So what did we miss?  July commenced with the Feast of the Most Precious Blood followed by the Visitation.  During the past 2 weeks, Holy Church has also honored the Apostle Thomas, the Holy Popes, Our Lady of Refuge, St. Maria Goretti (martyr for purity), Sts. Cyril & Methodius, St. John Fisher & St. Thomas More, St. Veronica, St. Kateri (my great-neice is named for her!) and St. Bonaventure, a Doctor of the Church.  All Ye Holy Saints, pray for us!  Thank you for your most blessed lives!

How can we honor the Precious Blood of Christ this month?  That is a very interesting question because it forces us to consider how His Blood may be distinct from His Body.  I do not pretend to be a theologian, so I will encourage you to pursue this question yourself with prayer.  We will be posting the Litany of the Most Precious Blood during the next 2 weeks, so please come back and pray this beautiful prayer with your family!  Litanies are such a wonderful Church tradition that have been largely lost.  Here are some notable feasts coming up-let us never forget all the great saints who have given their lives for our benefit.....

7/16-Our Lady of Mount Carmel (we will see in our coming Fatima Holy Hours how important the Mount Carmel message is to Our Lady)

7/19-St. Vincent de Paul, 1660

7/20-St. Jerome Emiliani, 1537

7/21-St. Lawrence of Brindisi, 1619-Doctor of the Church

7/22-St. Mary Magdalen

7/23-St. Bridget of Sweden, 1373

7/24-Vigil of St. James the Greater

7/25-St. James the Greater/St. Christopher, c. 250

7/26-Sts. Joachim & Anne

7/29-St. Martha, Companion of Christ

7/30-St. Peter Chrysologus, 450-Doctor of the Church

7/31-St. Ignatius of Loyola, 1556

This blog provides both old and new feasts.

May is the Month of Our Lady

Here I am, punctual as usual!  (Yes, that was a joke.)  Actually, my life has had a number of ups and downs lately.  Let me explain what you are looking at above....

This is my beloved Blessed Mother statue in my yard, which I have had for about 17 years.  There is a whole story associated with this statue that is too much to go into right now-maybe some other time!  Let's just say it has a mysterious history.  You may be able to see faint tears coming down from the eyes, which developed after I purchased it.  The flowers, my husband gave me yesterday to console me on the passing of my beautiful black & white Cardigan Welsh Corgi, named Obi.  I had an extremely close bond with this dog and I have been beside myself for the past week after having to make that gut-wrenching decision that most pet owners eventually have to make.  I never knew how hard it would be. 

I decided to share my flowers with Our Lady and give them to her for her month of May.  Nomen Christi Apostolate has been dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima and I am very excited about the 100th Anniversary coming up as well-May 13th!  It is Mothers Day weekend and also a Saturday, which of course, is the day of the week associated with Our Lady.  Coincidence?  The rosary you see around her neck I purchased yesterday when walking around Huntington Station, NY, while my car was being serviced.  I was walking through a Latino neighborhood and found that rosary for $3.00.  I feel it was a little gift from Heaven as well, for my grief.  I have not been blogging the past month because my dog was so sick, all I could think about was taking care of him.  We tried to save him, but he was old and not responding to treatment.  If his little doggie soul goes on, I have commended it to Saint Francis, to take care of until we can be reunited in Heaven.  Call me crazy, but I believe love makes all things possible.  Who are we to put limits on God?

I also have been busy with a brand new concept which I am writing a book about and am not yet ready to announce.  So, you'll just have to keep coming back if you want to know what it is....unless I scrap the whole idea, which is always a possibility-but I don't think I will.  I've learned that not every idea is a good one, but I think I've hit the jackpot on this one.  It will take time to develop, so don't expect anything soon.  Ok....hint....its a "Life Improvement" program to help people achieve balance in their lives.  I am using myself as the initial guinea pig right now.  If all goes well, I will then do workshop trials which you may be able to participate in.  I'll keep you posted....

As usual, I have picked some of the feasts I find interesting in the month ahead....here goes...and have a blessed Month of May (please see prayer on Home page)!  (If you want to do something on behalf of the loss of my dear dog, please pray for someone somewhere who is grieving with a loss and has no one to turn to.  Thank you, my friends.)

5/1-St. Joseph the Worker/St. Peregrine, 1345-patron of cancer patients

5/2-St. Athanasius, 373-Doctor of the Church

5/3-Sts. Philip & James the Less, 61, 62/Finding of the Holy Cross

5/4-St. Monica, 387-mother of St. Augustine/Feast of the Holy Shroud

5/5-First Friday

5/6-First Saturday (great time to start this devotion which was instituted by Our Lady of Fatima!)

5/7-Good Shepherd Sunday

5/9-St. Gregory Nazianzen, 389-Doctor of the Church

5/10-St. John of Avila, 1569-Doctor of the Church

5/11-Sts. Philip & James the Less (trad)

5/13-100th Anniversary of the First Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal/St. Robert Bellarmine, 1621-Doctor of the Church/Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament

5/14-St. Matthias, 65 (Mothers Day-pro-life intentions)

5/15-St. Isidore the Farmer, 1130 (we like him!)/St. Dymphna, 7th C-Martyr for purity, patron of mental disorders

5/16-St. Simon Stock, 1265-Seer of the Brown Scapular (another devotion associated with Fatima)

5/22-Rogation Day (see previous post)

5/23-Rogation Day

5/24-Rogation Day/Our Lady Help of Christians

5/25-Ascension Thursday/St. Bede the Venerable, 735-Doctor of the Church

5/27-St. Augustine of Canterbury, 604/St. Bede the Venerable (trad)/Our Lady Queen of Apostles

5/28-Ascension of Our Lord/St. Augustine of Canterbury (trad)

5/30-St. Joan of Arc, 1431

5/31-Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary

April is the Month of the Holy Eucharist

The Church dedicates this month to Our Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament.  It is a time to renew our appreciation for this great privilege.  It is easy, when we receive Him every week, to begin to take this for granted.  But we must guard against this, lest the precious Body of Christ be taken from us!  How can we deepen our love and devotion to the Holy Eucharist this month?  We may receive Him more frequently, we may perform any of the many Eucharistic devotions, we may visit Him in Adoration, we may begin the Nine First Fridays Devotion (given to Saint Margaret Mary, which requires that Holy Communion is received on nine consecutive first Fridays), we may make reparation to Him for all the outrages against this great Sacrament (see prayer on Home page from the LItany of Reparation to Our Lord in the Blessed Eucharist)...just a few ideas! 

What other unique features does this month of April bring to us?  It is a month of special weeks:  the traditional Passion Week, Holy Week and the joyful Easter Week.  We celebrate 3 Doctors of the Church, 2 20th Century saints (both Italian women!) and the Major Rogation Day, a traditional day of prayer and fasting, very similar to the Ember Days, but with a different origin.

After our 40 days of penance and the contemplation of Our Lords terrible sufferings, may be all celebrate a happy and holy Easter Sunday.  What a great joy!  Isn't it wonderful to be Catholic?  Here's a sampling of this month's feasts:

4/1-First Saturday-Our Lady of Fatima requested that we observe the First Saturdays

4/2-Passion Sunday, commencing Passion Week

4/4-Saint Isidore of Seville, 636-Doctor of the Church

4/7-First Friday/Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary-say the Seven Sorrows Chaplet, it's a wonderful devotion!

4/9-Palm Sunday, commencing Holy Week/Saint Mary of Cleophas, 1st Century

4/10-Saint Ezechiel, 6th Century BC-Old Testament Patriarch

4/11-Saint Leo the Great,461-Doctor of the Church/Saint Gemma Galgani, 1903

4/12-Spy Wednesday

4/13-Holy Thursday

+++ EASTER TRIDUUM +++

4/14-Good Friday-fast and abstinence

4/15-Holy Saturday/Easter Vigil

4/16-Easter Sunday, The Solemnity of Solemnities, commencing Easter Week-Happy Easter!/Saint Bernadette, 1879

4/21-Saint Anselm, 1109 (Easter Friday is a solemnity, therefore no penance is required)

4/23-Divine Mercy Sunday-Saint Faustina, pray for us!  What a beautiful day of devotions!/Quasimodo Sunday

4/25-Saint Mark, 74/Major Rogation Day-great day to do special prayers and crafts with children relating to the season of Spring

4/26-Our Lady of Good Counsel

4/28-Saint Louis de Montfort, 1716/Saint Gianna Molla, 1962

4/29-Saint Catherine of Siena, 1380-Doctor of the Church

4/30-Saint Catherine of Siena (trad)

this blog provides both new and traditional feasts