Reflection: "Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand."

"Yet, Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay: we are all the work of Your hand." Isaiah 64:7

God is the Potter; we are the clay. We are a lump of clay in the hands of  the Father. In His hand, we are formed. He knew you before you were born. He created you for a purpose.

"Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, before you were born, I dedicated you, a prophet to the nation, I appointed you." Jeremiah 1:5

How do you know what purpose God created you for? 

Receive the Sacraments as often as possible. As God begins to mold you, strengthen yourself by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist often. The Mass is the greatest prayer. God will shape you like the potter, adding just the right amount of water and He will reach deep into your inner self through the sacraments. Allow God's hands to reach into you to purify you and to form the inside of the pot. 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.

Read and pray the Scriptures every day. Before the potter can mold the clay, he must add water so the clay will be soft, pliable and easily molded. 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.

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.

"This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: Rise up; be off to the potter's house; there I will give you my message. I went down to the potter's house and there he was, working on the wheel. Whenever the object which he was making turned out badly in his hand, he tried again, making of the clay another object of whatever sort he pleased. Then the word of the Lord came to me: Can I not do to you, house of Israel, as this potter has done? says the Lord. Indeed, like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand. house of Israel." Jeremiah 18:1-6

Reflection: O Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us!

Mary, the Mother of Jesus and the Mother of God, is the Seat of Wisdom. In the Litany of Loreto, she is given this title because she gave flesh to Jesus, the Son of God, whom the Scriptures refer to as the Wisdom of God. During Jesus’ early years, Mary sat Him on her lap and nurtured Him, thus becoming the “seat” of Wisdom. Art renditions of this image show Mary on a throne with the child Jesus in her lap.

Through Mary, Jesus entered the world as our Savior. Through Mary’s guidance and love, Jesus grew into a loving and caring man, who left His parent’s home to do the work God had given Him to do. Throughout His life, Mary was near, rejoicing with Him in all His good works, supporting and comforting Him in His days of doubt and suffering. Mary was the first disciple of Jesus.

When the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream, He told him to ask something of Him. Solomon asked for an understanding heart. He asked for wisdom to distinguish right from wrong.

"The Lord was pleased that Solomon made this request. So God said to him: 'Because you have asked for this, not for a long life for yourself, nor for riches, nor for the life of enemies, but for understanding so that you may know what is right, I do as you requested. I give you a heart so wise and understanding that there has never been anyone like you up to now, and after you there will come no one to equal you.'" 1 Kings 3:10-12

Today Truth is being distorted and twisted. The tactics of the enemy are deception, destruction, discouragement, doubt and division. Do not fall for the tactics of the enemy. Seek Jesus who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. Cling to Him in the Sacraments of the Catholic Church. Ask Our Lady to protect you and your loved ones. Hold onto Jesus as you seek the Truth and ask Him for wisdom in all you say and do. 

Are you seeking wisdom?

Wisdom is a gift from God that helps us understand what God’s plan and purpose is for our lives. Wisdom needs to be cultivated so that the soil of our hearts can hear God’s voice, as Mary did. Mary’s parents helped her to use her gift of wisdom so that she was ready to understand God’s plan and purpose for her life when the angel came to announce it.

Turn to Mary. Ask her for wisdom. Sit in the Presence of Jesus in Eucharistic adoration. Pray the rosary and meditate on the Scriptures. Ask Mary to teach you how to be silent in the Presence of the Lord. Spend time in silent prayer. In the silence, you will hear God's voice. 

"When I was young and innocent, I sought wisdom openly in my prayer. She came to me in her beauty and until the end I will cultivate her." Sirach 51:13-14  

O Mary, Seat of Wisdom, pray for us and for all the names we receive through this prayer ministry.

Reflection: St. Anne and St. Joachim, pray for us!

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, parents of our Blessed Mother 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. Through the Word of God, 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.

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 thirteen 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.

Good Saint Anne, mother of her who is our life, our sweetness and our hope, pray to her for us and obtain our request.  Good Saint Anne, pray for us.  Jesus, Mary, Anne

"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

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

Reflection: Come to Me...

Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

The call to Eucharistic adoration came to me through praying the rosary. There have been times in my life when Our Lady has invited me to go on pilgrimages to some of her Shrines. There have been so many miracles of grace for me during these pilgrimages.

As I reflect over the years, I see Mary's powerful presence in my life. She is the most loving, gentle Mother, but she is so much more. She has a powerful strength through her intercession. I picture her in both ways, gentle and strong, a Mother who comforts and a powerful warrior and protector of her children.

I have always known and loved Mary, but during Eucharistic adoration, she entered my heart in a new way through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our Lady is calling you to spend time in the Presence of the Lord in Eucharistic adoration. It is there, in the silence, where Jesus and Mary will speak to your heart.

Come away by yourselves to a deserted place and rest awhile. Mark 6:31

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, 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. Her mother was a Catholic and her father was a Mohawk warrior. 

When she was four years old, her mother died of smallpox. The disease also attacked Kateri and left scars on her face and affected her eyesight. She was often ridiculed by others. 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 ran away to a new Christian colony of Indians in Canada where she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penances, teaching children about the faith 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 at the beginning of this ministry when I discovered she was known as Lily of the Mohawks. I feel even more connected with her because of her great 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.

Saint Louis and Saint Zelie Martin, pray for us!

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.

Their marriage was one of love, as well as suffering. They desired to have many children for the Glory of God. In their openness to the gift of life, they had nine children, five of whom entered religious life. They lost four children at a young age.

The mission of their lives was 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. Louis suffered greatly and had a three year stay in a psychiatric hospital. Through all their trials, they 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

The beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage is reflected in their lives of holiness, sanctity, prayer and good works. They are powerful intercessors for marriage and family life through their examples of the fidelity and faith in the married love of a man and woman. They were canonized saints on October 18, 2015.

We live in a culture which undermines holiness and the sacredness of life and marriage. Let us turn to them for their powerful intercession.

Saints Louis and Zelie, intercede for all families and pray for us and all the intentions we receive through this ministry and all those we hold in our hearts.

The Angelus

The Angelus Prayer calls to mind the Incarnation of Jesus. The word Angelus means Angel. In Latin it is “Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariæ.” This prayer is prayed at 6:00 am, noon, 6:00 pm and a bell is rung to announce the time of prayer.

During the year, the Angelus is prayed. During Easter time, the Regina Caeli (Queen of Heaven) is prayed.  When we pray the Angelus with faith and love, we imitate Mary, humble servant of the Lord. When we pray the Angelus, we interrupt our day and turn to the Lord, to our Blessed Mother and to thoughts of our eternal home.

The Angelus
The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary...And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary...
Behold the handmaid of the Lord...May it be done to me according to thy word. Hail Mary...
And the Word was made Flesh...And dwelt among us. Hail Mary...
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts, that we to whom the Incarnation of Christ Thy Son was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection.  Through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

What a beautiful, simple devotion praying three Hail Marys three times a day!

St. Maria Goretti, Little Mercy Saint, pray for us!

The Feast Day of Saint Maria Goretti (1890-1902), Virgin and Martyr was celebrated yesterday.

Maria led a life of heroic virtue. She lived a brief life for God with fidelity, fortitude and forgiveness.

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

When Maria's purity was being threatened, she had the courage to choose death. She was stabbed fourteen times. Before she died, she forgave her attacker, a neighbor, Allesandro.

Maria had a pure heart and she kept her body pure.

Allesandro 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. She handed him fourteen lilies, one at a time. 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 attended her canonization. His 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 the wound in your heart, your deep 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 and 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, to be faithful to Your teachings of fidelity and forgiveness with her courageous witness and give us an increase in the virtues of faith, hope, charity, prudence, justice, temperance and fortitude.

Saint Maria Goretti, Little Mercy Saint, pray for us!

God bless America!

Mary, the Immaculate Conception, you are the Patroness of the United States of America. We call upon your powerful intercession on this day, the 4th of July 2020, 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.

In our prayers for our country through this ministry, we pray for families, for the sanctity of all life, for the dignity of every human person and for vocations to marriage, the priesthood and consecrated life, which are born and nurtured in families.

Prayer to the Guardian Angel of the United States 
Opus Sanctorum Angelorum

O glorious Guardian Angel of the United States, to whom God has entrusted the care of our beloved country, we honor you and thank you for the care and protection you have given to this great nation from the first moment of its inception.

O powerful Angel Guardian, whose watchful glance encompasses this vast land from shore to shore, we know that our sins have grieved our Lord and God and marred the beauty of our heritage. Lead us to a deep conversion, so that we may return to the embrace of His merciful love!

O Holy Angel, obtain for us through the intercession of the Queen of Heaven before the throne of God the graces we need to overcome the forces of evil so rampant in our beloved land. Help us, our God-given protector and friend, to respond wholeheartedly to the urgent pleas of the Mother of God at Fatima. Assist us to offer the prayers and sacrifices necessary to bring peace and goodness to our nation. We want to make you known and loved throughout our land, so that docile to your inspirations we may know, love and serve our Lord more faithfully and so become once more "one Nation under God." Amen.

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.

From the Declaration of Independence July 4, 1776
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Reflection: My Lord and my God

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

On the evening of the first day of the week, the disciples, afraid of the Jews, were locked in a room and Jesus appeared in their midst, showed them His hands and His side and said, 'Peace be with you." John 20:19-20  

There are many things in the world today which can cause fear, distress and uncertainty. Jesus came to take away our fears and give us His great gift of peace. 

He breathed on them and said "Receive the Holy Spirit whose sins you forgive are forgiven them and whose sins you retain are retained." John 20:22-23

When Jesus breathed on the disciples, they received the Holy Spirit and He gave them the power to forgive sins or to retain them. Jesus has given you the gift to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to receive forgiveness of your sins. When your sins are forgiven, the Holy Spirit showers grace upon you so that you can go and sin no more. Go to Confession. Jesus is waiting for you.

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  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 recall an experience which was stressful. A beautiful priest told me to take my rosary in my hand and on each bead, pray, "Jesus I trust in You." 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. I did what the priest told me to do, but I also added my own prayer. On every miraculous medal, I prayed, 

"Jesus I trust in You. Help me to trust You more deeply." 

The stressful situation resolved itself in ways I could have never imagined and Jesus did help me to trust Him more deeply. Maybe you can try this way of prayer too. Jesus will draw you in close and He will help you to trust Him more deeply.

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in His Name.  John 20:30-31

O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You. Jesus I trust in You.  From the Chaplet of Divine Mercy