Happy New Year!!!

Guy Lombardo and Auld Lang Syne courtesy of New Year's Eve 1957 and Clairol

St Stephen's Day

Happy St Stephen's Day!!!

Merry Christmas

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet

The words repeat

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along

The unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Till ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,

A voice, a chime,

A chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,

And with the sound

The carols drowned

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,

And made forlorn

The households born

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!

And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;

"For hate is strong,

And mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The Wrong shall fail,

The Right prevail,

With peace on earth, good-will to men.

Christmas is Coming

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

The latest on Santas location  from Norad:


http://www.noradsanta.org/en/track.html

Saint Louis Catholic: It Needs to Be Said, and Repeated

Love this post from St Louis Catholic. 

Saint Louis Catholic: It Needs to Be Said, and Repeated

How about this prayer by Pope Leo XIII:

Prayer for the Pope

O Lord, we are the millions of believers, humbly kneeling at Thy feet and begging Thee to preserve, defend and save the Sovereign Pontiff for many years. He is the Father of the great fellowship of souls and our Father as well. On this day, as on every other day, he is praying for us also, and is offering unto Thee with holy fervor the sacred Victim of love and peace.
Wherefore, O Lord, turn Thyself toward us with eyes of pity; for we are now, as it were, forgetful of ourselves, and are praying above all for him. Do Thou unite our prayers with his and receive them into the bosom of Thine infinite mercy, as a sweet savor of active and fruitful charity, whereby the children are united in the Church to their Father. All that he asks of Thee this day, we too ask it of Thee in unison with him.
Whether he weeps or rejoices, whether he hopes or offers himself as a victim of charity for his people, we desire to be united with him; nay more, we desire that the cry of our hearts should be made one with his. Of Thy great mercy grant, O Lord, that not one of us may be far from his mind and his heart in the hour that he prays and offers unto Thee the Sacrifice of Thy blessed Son. At the moment when our venerable High Priest, holding in His hands the very Body of Jesus Christ, shall say to the people over the Chalice of benediction these words: "The peace of the Lord be with you always," grant, O Lord, that Thy sweet peace may come down upon our hearts and upon all the nations with new and manifest power. Amen.

Twenty Six

Twenty Six lives taken.  So much grief and sadness.  How does a person respond?  There are no words that can really comfort.  Nothing can bring back the much loved family member or friend.  To read more about the victims, visit (CNN link) here.

This idea comes from NBC news correspondent Ann Curry.  She suggests twenty six acts of kindness in memory of the twenty six victoms. 

Come Lord Jesus

My Soul Magnifies the Lord

My soul doth magnify the Lord. 47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

48 Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid; for behold from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed. 49 Because he that is mighty, hath done great things to me; and holy is his name. 50 And his mercy is from generation unto generations, to them that fear him. 51 He hath shewed might in his arm: he hath scattered the proud in the conceit of their heart. 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich he hath sent empty away. 54 He hath received Israel his servant, being mindful of his mercy: 55 As he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever.

The End of the World as We Know It

No, I'm not talking about the upcoming jump off the financial cliff. 

We are just about a week into Advent.  We are looking towards the coming of the Christ -in Christmas as a babe and in a broader sense.  Christ will come again and it will be the end of this world.  You (and maybe I) might be there when Jesus comes as the triumphant King.  More likely, the end of this life will be in death.  It is simply the end of this life.  As a Catholic, I believe there are four things that I should keep in the back of my mind - the last four things.  These are Death, Judgement, Heaven, and Hell.  All of us will die.  All of us will face a judgement.  Will we see heaven or will we see hell?  Each moment on this earth affords us a choice. 

Use this time of Advent well - prepare yourself to meet the King.   Audio Sancto has some beautiful sermons on the last four things and specifically for Advent.

St Nicholas

 Yes, Virginia, there really was a St Nicholas.   Today is his feast day.  You can read more about St Nick here.  Very cool site, with lots of actvities.

Advent Reading

So, I usually pick a good devotional book to read during Advent.  I am currently reading Come Lord Jesus- Meditations on the Art of Waiting by Mother Mary Frances, P.C.C.  Mother Mary Frances is a favorite author of mine.  She was the Mother Abbess of the Poore Clare community in Roswell, New Mexico.  I've read A Right to be Merry - an excellent book if you are discerning a vocation.

How do you prepare during Advent?

Royal News

Perhaps you have heard that The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting a baby.  Royal congratulations are in order .  Huzzah!!!!!

Come, Emmanuel

Happy Tnanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

That Time of Year

I tried - really I did.  I Heart Christmas music.  I could quite happily listen to it year round.  So, as we are just about a month until Christmas, may I present - Music!!!!!!!!

Armistice Day

Meant to post this for Sunday, but time flew away from me.

In Flanders Fields

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
      Between the crosses, row on row,
   That mark our place; and in the sky
   The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
   Loved and were loved, and now we lie
         In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
   The torch; be yours to hold it high.
   If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
         In Flanders fields.

St Elizabeth

⁴² And she cried out with a loud voice, and said: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. ⁴³ And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord.

All Saint's Day

Join me in praying the litany of the saints.  Remember to get to Mass - holy day of obligation!!

Ave Maris Stella

St. Seraphin of Montegranaro

Feast day is today.  In the Franciscan tradition, he was a simple man with the gift of reading hearts.  Read more here.

Mary, Undoer of Knots

Join me  in praying the novena to Mary Undoer of Knots

No Worries

From my patron saint - St Teresa of Jesus.

Let nothing disturb you; Let nothing frighten you.

All things are passing. God never changes.

Patience obtains all things. Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.

God alone suffices.

Ave Maria

Happy Easter

Litany of Saints

One of my favorite parts of Easter Vigil

Watch and Pray

Ash Wednesday

Joel 2 :12-13 12 "Yet even now," says the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; 13 and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD, your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and repents of evil.



Shrove Tuesday

So, are you ready for Lent?  Audio Sancto has some great Lenten Missions.

• 2010 Lenten Mission Here and Here.
• Here for other years.

Dominican Nuns versus the DHHS...

The Nashville Dominicans released a statement on the recent ruling by the DHHS. I'm with the Dominicans. Prayer and fasting can work miracles.

Domine, da mihi hanc aquam!: Nashville Dominican Sisters Say NO to B.O. Anti-Ca...: A recently released statement from the Nashville Dominican Sisters: Statement from Dominican Sisters of St. Cecilia Congregation February 6...

La Vie En Rose or a Catholic Guide to Confession

Via Patrick Madrid

Catholic Conscious

If you attended mass yesterday, most likely you heard about the recent ruling from the Department of Health and Human Services.  Healthcare providers have been given until August of 2013 to find a way to include coverage in their health plans for prescription contraceptive drugs and sterilization  procedures .  This goes directly against the teachings of the Catholic Churc

c.1600, from L. conscius "knowing, aware,"
conscious." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 30 Jan. 2012. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/conscious>.

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE):

Mantilla Cool

Happy New Year