The last saint in my mini “Saturday’s Saint” series within this 31-day writing series is St. Bernadette Soubirous. She is a most beloved saint in the Catholic Church, because the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to her and asked her to build a grotto for healing in her honor. St. Bernadette was born in Lourdes, France on January 7, 1844. She was the oldest of nine children, but some of her siblings died at a young age, and even Bernadette became sick as…
Today’s saint is St. John Vianney, one of the greatest parish priests in the history of the Catholic Church. Many might be surprised that he struggled in school, because he is such a beloved priest and saint in our church. But he did, and his story of perseverance is inspiring. Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney was born and baptized on May 8, 1786 in France. He was raised in a Catholic home, and his family was often found helping the poor. During the French Revolution,…
I probably should be writing about St. Teresa of Avila today, as it is her feast day. But today’s saint is St. Joan of Arc. Why? Well, this past summer I was on retreat, and I found this lovely holy card of St. Joan of Arc. I was drawn to it because of the prayer on the back, and I thought, “Wow! St. Joan of Arc is a perfect intercessor for my daughter!” Joan was born in France in 1412….
As a Catholic mom, I am grateful for the belief in the communion of saints, the great cloud of witnesses who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. On earth, they strived to live holy lives, following God’s will, practicing virtue, and overcoming sin. Now, they are in Heaven, and God has generously given them the opportunity to pray for us on earth, who are still striving for our Eternal Home. I often teach my children about particular…
As I ran errands this week, I noticed the inevitable: stores decorating and displaying Christmas items. The Halloween section was being consolidated, while the Christmas gift wrap was being set up in the very next aisle. Whenever I start to see Christmas coming too early, I get a bit panicky. Suddenly, I feel as if I am behind with the extra to-dos that this season brings. I have to remind myself that I still have an entire month before Advent…
Today is the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, during the month of the Rosary! I discovered a lovely reflection on the Rosary in my archives, and I thought it would be #WorthRevisiting today: All the supreme teachers, the popes, have been unanimous in proclaiming that the devotion to the Most Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Rosary are the hope and salvation of the world in our evil and dangerous era. They have endeavored, by word and example, to bring the…
Have you ever been asked the question, “Are you a ‘Mary’ or a ‘Martha’”? It’s as if we are expected to choose one or the other. It’s also as if one is better than the other, for doesn’t Jesus say, “Mary has chosen the better part”? (Luke 10:42) Many women identify with Martha more than Mary. After all, we see ourselves doing the same tasks that cause so much anxiety in Martha—cooking, cleaning, running errands, feeling busy with our long…
There are so many beautiful quotes by St. Therese of Lisieux, aren’t there? Here’s one that was e-mailed to me today: Receive Communion often, very often … there you have the sole remedy, if you want to be cured. Jesus has not put this attraction in your heart for nothing … When I was praying this morning from my Magnificat, many of the Scripture passages that were quoted pertained to children, which makes perfect sense, since St. Therese often is…