Saint Catherine of Siena, pray for us!

"Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire." Saint Catherine of Siena

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Catherine of Siena, Virgin and Doctor of the Church.

Saint Catherine of Siena:
"Our souls are like a garden of fruit trees. When we seek to do the Will of God, our souls will bear good fruit. How to we seek His Will? It is by listening to Him through prayer and silence and by united our crosses to the Cross of Jesus.

Have you ever walked through an apple orchard with a little child carrying a basket? There is such delight as the child pulls the apples from the trees and fills up the basket to overflowing. God delights in you. He wants to fill your soul so you will be overflowing with His love. As you draw close to Him, He will build virtues in your soul and He will set your heart on fire for Him.

God delights in you. Sit with Him as He fills your basket with the sweet and tender fruit which comes from His loving you and you loving Him in return.

Look at the sweetness of the tender fruit, the spotless Lamb, the seed sown in Mary as in a lovely field!...Our rational will has been made even stronger by God's union with humanity. I beg you in Christ gentle Jesus to lift your love, your affection, your desire up high. Take hold of the tree of the most holy cross and let it be planted in the garden of your soul, because this is a tree laden with fruits, the true solid virtues. For you see very well that beyond God's union with his creature, He has joined Himself to the Most Holy Cross. And He wills, He insists, that we too join ourselves to this sweet tree in love and desire. Then our garden cannot help producing sweet and tender fruit."

"I have called you friends because I have told you everything I have heard from My Father. It was not you who chose Me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain so that whatever you ask the Father, in My Name, He may give you. This I command you: Love one another." John 15:14-17

Keep me as the apple of Your eye; hide me under the shadow of Your wings. Psalm 17:8

Reflection: I have seen the Lord

The tomb is empty...

The promise is made to you and to your children, and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call. Acts 2:39

This promise is the gift of the Holy Spirit that Peter spoke of on the day of Pentecost. Jesus has risen from the dead!  Morning has broken.

But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid Him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" She thought it was the gardener and said to Him, "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take Him." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni," which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to My brothers and tell them, 'I am going to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.'" Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what He told her. John 20:11-18

Meditation

Place yourself at the tomb. Mary is weeping and so are you. Suddenly, Jesus is standing there in your midst. At first, you do not recognize him. Then He calls you by name and you know it is Jesus. He is truly risen!  You embrace Him and He looks at you with great love and says, "Stop holding on to me...Go to My brothers and tell them"  Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord." Turn to the Holy Spirit in prayer and Eucharistic adoration and ask Him to give you the courage and the words to draw others close to Him. He will fill you with His love, peace and joy and send you out to go and tell others about Him and His great love. 

How often do you want to hold onto something, but you have to let go? How do you let go?  You let go by asking Jesus to help you.  He wants you to let go of attachments to the world and to people. He wants you to go and tell others about Him and how much He loves them. Tell them, "I have seen the Lord!"


Jesus has called YOU by name. He has given YOU a mission to tell others about Him. He is commissioning YOU to go. Who is it in your life who is far away from the Lord? Ask Jesus to help you reach out to that person. When we bring others to our Blessed Mother Mary, she will bring them to her Beloved Son.

The worldwide pandemic...A time of grace

We know that all things work for good for those who love God. Romans 8:28

The coronavirus pandemic has spread throughout the world. God is inviting us to return to Him. It is a time of grace if we use this time well.

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

What can we do when Masses have been suspended and we are deprived of the Sacraments? This Lent, we have been drawn into the desert, a time of isolation and loneliness. What can we do during this time of testing?

Ask the Blessed Virgin Mary to be with you and walk with you throughout the day. Ask her to help you grow in the virtues of faith, hope and love. Ask her to teach you how to ponder as she did.

His Mother kept all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51

If your Church is open, pray before the tabernacle.
If you can go to Eucharistic adoration, go and sit in His Presence.
Set aside time for silent prayer.
Pray the Rosary with your family or alone.
Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
Pray the Liturgy of the Hours.
Follow the Mass Liturgy live streamed daily and Sundays.
Pray with the Scriptures with Lectio Divina.
Pray with the Scriptures with imaginative prayer of St. Ignatius
Pray a Spiritual Communion Prayer often during the day.
Make little sacrifices.
Send your Guardian Angel to be present at the Masses every priest celebrates privately.
Live in conscious communion with your Guardian Angel, your life companion and best friend, who has the mission to lead you to Jesus and Mary.

Pray for the Restoration of the Mass throughout the world. Use this time to make your own home a place of prayer, a retreat away from the world. Countless blessings will come from this time in the desert. Jesus will bring you into His wonderful light!

Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Romans 12:12

Reflection: The Seven Sorrows of Mary

On the Friday before Holy Week, we meditate on the suffering and sorrows of Our Lady of Sorrows. As Mary stood at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus hung, she willingly suffered along with Him as He gave His life to save the world.

"Behold, your Mother." And from that hour, the disciple took her into his home. John 19:27

The Seven Dolors or Sorrows, referred to the seven swords that pierced the Immaculate Heart of Mary which was filled with love and entwined with the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary
1. The prophecy of Simeon
2. The flight into Egypt
3. Loss of the Child Jesus for three days
4. Mary meets Jesus on His way to Calvary
5. Crucifixion and Death of Jesus
6. The Body of Jesus being taken from the Cross
7. The burial of Jesus

Meditation:

Let us enter into the scene of the Fifth Sorrow of Mary, the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus.

Imagine the sorrow Mary felt as she stood at the foot of the Cross. In her sorrow, Mary had hope. Jesus gave Mary to us. She is our Mother and our Hope. 

Place yourself at the foot of the Cross. Turn to Mary and pour out your heart to her. She is your Mother and she loves you dearly. Talk to her about your joys and your sorrows. Allow Mary to listen attentively and console you. Allow Mary to draw you close to her pure and Immaculate Heart. Ask her to help you carry your crosses the way she did and how to ponder all these things in your heart. Ask her to accompany you and help you to know Jesus and accept the Will of the Father for your life.

Mary walks with us and she teaches us couraggio; she teaches us to be brave and to have courage. 

Be strong and courageous. Joshua 1:9

Stabat Mater At the Cross her station keeping stood the mournful Mother weeping, close to Jesus to the last. Through her heart His sorrow sharing, all His bitter anguish bearing, now at length the sword has passed.

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us and walk with us as we carry our crosses. Draw us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and your Immaculate Heart.

Reflection: I AM

So Jesus said to them, "When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I AM, and that I do nothing on my own, but I say only what the Father taught me. The One who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone because I always do what is pleasing to Him." John 8:28-29

Jesus spoke these words to the Pharisees. They did not understand what He was saying. He was telling them that He is God. but they kept asking Jesus who He was. Jesus always does the Will of the Father and He tells us to do what is pleasing to God. 

The Israelites complained and they were not grateful for all the Lord was doing for them. Every time something went wrong, they blamed God. 

"When Abram prostrated himself, God spoke to him." Genesis 17:3 

When we humble ourselves and come before God like a child, we will hear Him speak. He will speak words of truth and love and we will know His voice.

God replied to Moses, "I AM who I AM. Then He added: This is what you will tell the Israelites, I AM has sent me to you." Exodus 3:14

The Old Testament was fulfilled in the New Testament.  God told Moses to tell the Israelites that He is I AM.  Jesus told the Jews that He is I AM.  The Father and the Son are One.  Jesus came only to do the Will of the Father.

Jesus said to them, "Amen, amen, I say to you, before Abraham came to be, I AM." So they picked up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area. John 8:58-59

The people did not believe what Jesus was saying and they did not understand so they wanted to stone Him, but He hid and went away.

How do you do the Will of the Father? Turn away from sin, do good, seek the Father's Will in all your actions. 

How often do you listen to God? How often do you sit with Him in silence? Silence is how you can hear Him. Through silence in prayer, Jesus teaches you to be patient, to wait and, if He delays in answering, He has a reason. Jesus is teaching you to be faithful and to trust in Him. 

How can you be faithful and trust in Him? Turn to our Blessed Mother Mary. She teaches you the way. She did not understand so many things, but she placed her trust in God. Mary helps prepare your hearts through prayer, silence, sacrifice and receiving the Sacraments frequently. Mary is the Seat of Wisdom and she teaches you to trust totally in God. She teaches you how to be obedient and to trust in Him even when you do not understand. Mary always leads you to her Beloved Son Jesus.  

Mary said, "Do whatever He tells you." John 2:5  

Do you believe what Jesus is saying to you? Open your heart and tell Jesus about your doubts, fears, worries and listen as He speaks words of Love to you.

Take time now to ponder these questions. Sit in silence in the Presence of the Lord so you can hear Him whisper into your ear:

During this time of the worldwide pandemic, are you complaining? 

Are you finding things to be grateful for? 

What is God asking of you? 

Lord, what are You teaching me in this moment?