Reflection: Why did God create you?

Brothers and sisters: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28

How do you know what purpose God created you for? 

God created you to know, serve and love Him in this life and in eternal life.  God knows what is best for you. In serving Him, you come to know yourself. In knowing yourself, you become the person God created you to be.

How can you learn what God's purpose is for you?

Read and pray the Scriptures every day.  For the seeds to grow, a gardener must add water and nutrients to the soil, while the sun provides much needed light for growth  The Word of God is like water for our souls. God transforms us as we do our part and nourish our souls with His Word. In this way, we grow in knowledge of God. As you immerse yourself in the Scriptures, God begins the sanctification process in you and you come to know yourself.

Receive the Sacraments as often as possible.  God strengthens you by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist often. The Mass is the greatest prayer. God will shape you like the gardener grows  his plants, adding just the right amount of water and He will reach deep into your interior life through the sacraments. Allow God's hands to reach into you to purify. At times it may be difficult, but as you surrender to God, the Holy Spirit will open you and you will see vices removed and virtues being planted in your soul.

Pray in silence every day.  Pray before the tabernacle or in Eucharistic Adoration.  As you sit in the Presence of the Lord, in silence, you will hear him in your heart. He will pour His love into you and you will come to know His Will for your life.  In this way, you will become who God created you to be. God delights in you. He will never abandon you and He will complete the good work He has begun in you as you seek Him. He will mold, transform and sanctify you.

I am confident of this, that the One who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, pray for us!

Today is the Feast Day of Saints Anne and Joachim, the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary. They nurtured Mary and taught her how to listen and respond to God's request with faith, "Let it be done to me according to Your Word."

Their example of faith gave Mary the courage to stand at the foot of the Cross as her Beloved Son was crucified. They are examples and models for all parents and for all married couples. Their heroism and holiness set the atmosphere for Mary.

The Scriptures were central to their family. Mary developed a strong character to make decisions, a continuous practice of prayer, devotion to the laws of her faith, steadiness in moments of crisis, and devotion to her relatives. Saints Joachim and Anne faithfully and quietly performed their duties and practiced their faith.

Saint Anne is the patron saint of mothers, grandmothers and pregnant women. Devotion to her was the beginning of this prayer ministry. The novena to Saint Anne had a powerful impact on the pregnancy and birth of Lily Grace because our family, our parish community and beyond were praying the novena to Saint Anne that this precious baby would have abundant life. She is ten years old now. Her life is the fruit of prayer. The prayers were answered in the gift of this child who brings love and joy to everyone she meets.

Let us call upon the grandparents of Jesus, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, to intercede for all our needs for our families. Let us turn to them as models for marriage and love.

"Joachim and Ann, how blessed and spotless a couple! You will be known by the fruit you have born, as the Lord says: By their fruits you will know them. The conduct of your life pleased God and was worthy of your daughter. For by the chaste and holy life you led together, you have fashioned a jewel of virginity: she who remained a virgin before, during and after giving birth. She alone for all time would maintain her virginity in mind and soul as well as in body." Saint John Damascene, Early Church Father and Doctor of the Church

Holy Mary, Good Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, pray for us and for all those for whom we pray.

Reflection: A wounded baby bird...

The last few days, there has been a baby bird, a little dove, in my back yard. He is not able to fly. It looks like there is something wrong with his left wing. He hops around, pecking for food on the ground. Today he was drinking water out of a puddle and his mother swooped down next to him, prodding, as though she was trying to make him fly. Then the mother flew to the top of the garage, keeping an eye on her little wounded baby below. Her baby is so vulnerable and she appears to be fretfully watching.

All the birds of the heavens made their nests in its boughs; under its branches all the beasts of the field gave birth to their young, and under its shadow lived all great nations. Ezekiel 31:6

Seeing the mother bird watching over her baby dove, I was thinking about God and how He watches over us all the time. He never abandons us. God is our refuge and shelter. When life become a great challenge, He is waiting to comfort and guide us.

And I say, "O, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; Far away I would flee; I would stay in the desert. I would soon find a shelter from the raging wind and storm.  Psalm 55:7-9 

How can you find shelter in the Lord?

Place yourself in His Presence in silence. Find a quiet place at home or in a chapel or church or go to Eucharistic adoration. Jesus is waiting for you to come to Him. Be still and listen. Share with Jesus your fears, worries, sufferings and all the wounds of your heart. Let Him comfort and love you.

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.  Psalm 91:1-2

"O Jesus, Your little bird is happy to be weak and little. What would become of it if it were big? Never would it have the boldness to appear in Your Presence, to fall asleep in front of You." Saint Therese of Lisieux 

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!

Garment of Mary's Grace
Today is the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Our Blessed Mother appeared to Saint Simon Stock, a leader of the Carmelites. He pleaded with Mary for some special sign of her protection. On July 16, 1251, she designated the scapular as the special mark of her maternal love. Mary told him to promote devotion to it. The scapular is a modified version of Mary’s own garment. It symbolizes her special protection. She calls the wearers to consecrate themselves to her in a special way. The scapular reminds us of the Gospel call to prayer and penance, a call that Mary models in a splendid way.

Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is worldwide, and most Catholics are familiar with the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular. When Mary appeared to Saint Simon Stock and gave him the scapular, she said: "This will be for you and for all Carmelites the privilege, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire." The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was instituted for the Carmelites in 1332, and extended to the whole Church by Benedict XIII in 1726.

Saint Teresa of Avila called Carmel “the Order of the Virgin.” While Teresa was in a crisis, her mother died. Afflicted and lonely, Teresa appealed to the Blessed Virgin to be her mother. Saint John of the Cross credited Mary with saving him from drowning as a child, leading him to Carmel and helping him escape from prison. Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus believed that Mary cured her from illness. On her First Communion, she dedicated her life to Mary. During the last days of her life, she frequently spoke of Mary.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, protect us and all those for whom we pray and lead us to your Beloved Son Jesus.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Lily of the Mohawks, pray for us!

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, Virgin and Patron of consecrated virgins, the environment and ecology. Kateri was born near the town of Auriesville, New York, in the year 1656, the daughter of a Mohawk warrior. She was four years old when her mother died of smallpox. The disease also attacked Kateri and transfigured her face. She was adopted by her two aunts and an uncle. As a teenager, she converted and was baptized at the age of twenty under the hostility of her family and tribe. 

She suffered greatly for her faith, was treated as an outcast, but never wavered in it. She went to a new Christian colony of Indians in Canada where she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penances, and caring for the sick and aged. In 1679, Kateri made a vow of perpetual virginity, meaning that she would remain unmarried and totally devoted to Christ for the rest of her life.

Her health deteriorated rapidly due in part to the penances she inflicted on herself. Father Cholonec encouraged her to take better care of herself but she laughed and continued with her "acts of love." She died in 1680 at the age of twenty-four. Devotion to Saint Kateri led to the establishment of Native American ministries in Catholic Churches all over the United States.

Kateri became known as the "Lily of the Mohawks." She loved the Rosary and carried it around her neck always. She was devoted to the Holy Eucharist and to Jesus Crucified.

People enjoyed being with her because they felt the presence of God. One time, a priest asked why they gathered around Kateri in church. They told him that they felt close to God when Kateri prayed. They said that her face changed when she was praying. It became full of beauty and peace, as if she were looking at God's face.

I have felt a connection in prayer with Kateri ever since we began praying for baby Lily Grace and I discovered she was known as Lily of the Mohawks. I feel even more connected with her because of her love for Jesus in the Eucharist and Mary and the Rosary.

Novena to Saint Kateri
Kateri, favored child and Lily of the Mohawks, I come to seek your intercession in my present need: (State your intention here) I admire the virtues which adorned your soul: love of God and neighbor, humility, obedience, patience, purity and the spirit of sacrifice. Help me to imitate your example in my state of life. Through the goodness and mercy of God, Who has blessed you with so many graces which led you to the true faith and to a high degree of holiness, pray to God for me and help me.

Obtain for me a very fervent devotion to the Holy Eucharist so that I may love Holy Mass as you did and receive Holy Communion as often as I can. Teach me also to be devoted to my crucified Savior as you were, that I may cheerfully bear my daily crosses for love of Him Who suffered so much for love of me. Most of all I beg you to pray for me that I may avoid sin, lead a holy life and save my soul. Amen.

In Thanksgiving to God for the graces bestowed upon Kateri: (Recite the following prayers) Our Father...Hail Mary...Glory Be...(3 times)

Saint Kateri, pray for us and for all the families we pray for through this ministry.

Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, pray for us and for baby Charlie Gard and his Mom and Dad

Today is the Feast Day of Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, They were married at midnight between July 12 and July 13, 1858.  Louis designed a marriage medallion for Zelie with the Biblical pictures of Sarah and Tobias on one side with the date on the other side and the initials of their names. symbolizing the coming together of two families.

They were models of holiness and were canonized saints on October 18, 2015. Their marriage was one of love, as well as suffering. They are models of the beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage and powerful intercessors for the fidelity and faith of married love of a man and woman who were open to children and the gift of life. They had nine children, five of whom entered religious life. They lost four children at a young age. Their desire to have many children was for the Glory of God. Louis and Zelie did not want to be canonized. They wanted to become saints in their daily lives and made the mission of their lives to serve God. They lived modestly, reached out to help the poor and needy and led daily prayers in their home. Zelie died of breast cancer at the age of 45 and Louis suffered greatly and had a three year stay in a psychiatric hospital. Through all their trials, Louis and Zelie were devoted to a life of family and prayer.

God created man in His image, in the Divine Image, He created him; male and female, He created them. Genesis 1:27

Saints Louis and Zelie, pray for us and all the intentions we hold in our hearts

We live in a culture which undermines holiness and the sacredness of life and marriage.Saint Louis and Zelie are models for holiness within the family. We turn to them asking their powerful intercession for our families, our nation and our world. In a particular way, we ask for their intercession for the protection of baby Charlie Gard and his mother and father. Petition to save baby Charlie Gard sentenced to death.

Reflection: Come to Me and I will give you rest.

At that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although You have hidden these things from the wise and the learned You have revealed them to little ones. Yes, Father, such has been Your gracious will. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal Him. Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and You will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy, and My burden light." Matthew 11:25-30

Jesus is calling you to come to Him to give you rest. He knows your sufferings and burdens. Come, just as you are. Bring all your troubles, fears, anxieties, worries, struggles and needs.

Jesus is seeking you. Jump into His loving embrace. Tell Him the desires of your heart. He wants to know you intimately. Speak to Him like a little child and let Him love you.

Find a quiet place in the Presence of the Lord and ponder these words...

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

Come to Me and I will give you rest...

Reflection: Saint Maria Goretti, Little Mercy Saint

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902), Virgin and Martyr, led a life of heroic virtue.

Heroic virtues are the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity and the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude.

Maria lived her brief life for God with fidelity, fortitude and forgiveness. 

When her purity was being threatened, she had the courage to choose death and and she forgave her attacker. She had a pure heart and she kept her body pure.

Before she died, she forgave her attacker, Allesandro. He was sent to prison for her death. One night, Maria appeared to him in his prison cell and smiled at him. She was surrounded by lilies, the flower symbolic of purity. From that moment, he was converted and his heart was filled with peace. After serving his sentence, he lived in a Capuchin monastery, working in the garden. He asked forgiveness of Maria's mother and he went with her to Christmas Mass. There, he acknowledged his sin and asked forgiveness from God and the community. Forty years later, on June 24, 1950, Maria was canonized at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Alessandro's heart was converted, a miraculous fruit of Maria's life of forgiveness!

Have you experienced a deep hurt? Do you find it difficult to forgive? 

Jesus gave the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the forgiveness of sins. Go to confession and talk to the priest who is Jesus, in Persona Christi. Tell him about your hurt, tell him you want to forgive and ask him to help you.

Saint Maria Goretti can help you forgive. Pray to her for the person who hurt you. When you pray in this way, God expands your heart with love and peace. He gives you a forgiving heart. 

Official Prayer to Saint Maria Goretti
"Oh Saint Maria Goretti who, strengthened by God's grace, did not hesitate even at the age of twelve to shed your blood and sacrifice life itself to defend your virginal purity, look graciously on the unhappy human race which has strayed far from the path of eternal salvation. Teach us all, and especially youth, with what courage and promptitude we should flee for the love of Jesus anything that could offend Him or stain our souls with sin. Obtain for us from our Lord victory in temptation, comfort in the sorrows of life, and the grace which we earnestly beg of thee (here insert intention), and may we one day enjoy with thee the imperishable glory of Heaven. Amen."

O my Jesus, You gave Saint Maria Goretti the crown of martyrdom; help us to be unafraid and to be faithful to Your teachings of fidelity and forgiveness with her courageous witness.

God bless America...

Magnificat in America 

Cardinal Francis Spellman +1967 Archbishop of New York

America, Our America! Hold to the Vision of Mary, Mary Immaculate. Her glory fills the earth. She is our race. Its solitary boast. She, alone without sin, keeps the doom of wrath from thee, Who art defending Her glory. She, conqueror of evil, conquers evil for thee, Who art resisting evil.

America, Our America! Pray always to Mary, Mary Immaculate. She, the Mother to nations. She, the Mother of Christ, The Lord of all nations. She guards them and guides, subduing their hates, inspiring their spirits. She mourns for the prodigals, as children mourn, torn by their treasons.

America, Our America! Give thy heart to Mary, Mary Immaculate. Join Her prayer of praise. All Heaven attending, for our land that is free. Sing thou Her song of joy, all nations listening, giving thanks to God. Sing thou the song of souls, The Magnificat of Mary, The Magnificat of America.

Immaculate Mary, you are the Patroness of our country. We call upon your powerful intercession on this day, the 4th of July 2017, to restore the protection and sanctity of life and marriage and to defend our freedoms of religion and conscience. We ask in the Name of your Beloved Son Jesus.

Reflection: My Lord and my God...

When Jesus appeared in the midst of the disciples, Thomas was not with them. When they saw Thomas later, they told him that they had seen the Lord. Thomas doubted and said, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into His side, I will not believe." John 20:25  

My pastor gave a beautiful homily about Thomas this morning. He said not to focus on his disbelief. He said that Thomas went from hearing to disbelief and from disbelief to touching and from touching to believing. 

When we hear Jesus, even when we do not believe, He touches us and we come to believe. An encounter with Jesus always changes us. 

A week later, the disciples were in the locked room again and Thomas was with them. Jesus appeared in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving but believe." Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God." John 20:26-28

I have a beautiful rosary given to me by a dear friend. The beads on this rosary are small miraculous medals. This rosary is so precious to me. I pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy every day with it. As I pray the rosary with my husband each day and hear the mysteries of the rosary, my unbelief goes away. As I touch the beads, the tiny miraculous medals, I believe. 

HEAR, UNBELIEF, TOUCH, BELIEF

When we hear Jesus, even when we do not believe, He touches us and we come to believe. An encounter with Jesus always changes us.

Blessed are those who have not seen but still believe.  John 20:29