Weekend Humor: The Bagpiper

I hope this brightens your day. Thanks, Joan, for sharing it with me:

As a bagpiper, I play many gigs..  Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a grave side service for a homeless man.  He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back-country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost; and being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions.  I finally arrived an hour late..... and saw the funeral guy was evidently gone, and the hearse was nowhere in sight.

There were only the diggers and crew left.... and they were eating lunch.  I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late.  I went to the side of the grave and looked down.  The vault lid was already in place.  I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around.  I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends.  I played like I've never played before for this homeless man.

And as I played 'Amazing Grace', the workers began to weep..  They wept; I wept; we all wept together.  When I finished, I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car.  Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I was opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say,  "Sweet Mother of Jesus, I never seen nothin' like that before.... and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.."

The Vortex: CCHD - It's about politics & it's worse than we thought

 Vortex presentations from RealCatholicTV.com on CCHD: (Watch both.)

Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"God inspired in the heart of the pure Virgin Mary His own intense love for humility, and abhorrence of pride. She possessed, even from her infancy, a far greater horror of pride and ambition, and a far deeper love for humility than all the saints together. It was the first virtue that she practices. She abased and humbled herself before all. She esteemed herself, and would have been happy to be treated by others, as the last of the creatures. By marvelous radiance of her Immaculate Conception, she beheld herself susceptible to the guilt of the children of Adam, except that God miraculously preserved her, and she considered that she might have been capable of all the sins in the world, whose source is original sin. It was this humility which attracted to her the countless graces which rendered her worthy to be the Mother of God, Queen of heaven and earth.

Give thanks to Almighty God who resists the proud and gives grace to the humble, and offer Him all the glory that this Maiden accorded to His majesty by her practice of the richest humility during her childhood and throughout the rest of her life."
~ St. John Eudes

What does the feast of the Presentation celebrate?

It celebrates the fact that the parents of Our Lady brought her to the Temple at the age of three and handed her over to live there for a long period as a virgin consecrated to the Temple, contemplating God exclusively.

What is the special beauty of this feast?

Our Lady was the one chosen before time began, the Queen of Jesse from whom the Messiah would be born. The Temple was the only place in the Old Testament where sacrifices were offered to God. It represented, therefore, the only true religion. Our Lady being received at the Temple was the first step to the fulfillment of the promise that the Messiah would come to the true religion. It was the encounter of hope with reality. When she was received at the Temple, Our Lady entered the service of God. That is, a soul incomparably holy entered the service of God. At that moment, notwithstanding the decadence of the nation of Israel, and even though the Temple had been transformed into a den of Pharisees, the Temple was filled with an incomparable light that was the sanctity of Our Lady. It was in the Temple atmosphere that, without knowing it, she began to prepare herself to be the Mother of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was there that she increased her love of God until she formed the ardent desire for the imminent coming of the Messiah. It was there that she asked God the honor to be the maidservant of His Mother. She did not know that she was the one chosen by God. This is so true that she wondered about the meaning of the salutation of the Archangel Gabriel when he greeted her to ask her permission for the Incarnation. That preparation for Our Lady to be the Mother of Jesus Christ began with the Presentation at the Temple, the feast the Church celebrates on November 21.

Is there a grace we should ask on this day?

We should ask for spiritual help to be better prepared to serve God as Our Lady did. But the best way to serve God is to serve Our Lady herself. So, on this feast day we should re-present ourselves before Our Lady, asking her to receive our offer of service and to give us her assistance in the task of our sanctification, just as the Holy Ghost helped her at the Temple of Jerusalem.

~ Prof. Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira 

 

Saint of the Day: St. Felix of Valois, Confessor

Felix, born in 1127, and John of Matha founded the Order of Trinitarians for liberating captured Christians from Saracen slavery. He belonged to the royal family of Valois. The breviary recounts several marvelous events from his life. As a boy he frequently gave away his clothes to clothe the naked. He pleaded for the life of a murderer condemned to death and foretold that he would reform and lead a highly edifying life-which prophecy proved true. With St. John of Matha he journeyed to Rome at the bidding of an angel and requested permission from Pope Innocent III to found a religious Order (1198). During holy Mass the Pope was granted a revelation regarding the proposed foundation; an angel appeared to him clothed in white with a red and blue cross. At Innocent's bidding the Order took the name of the Blessed Trinity.

In the newly-founded monastery at Cerfroi, Felix was favored with a visit by the Blessed Virgin. During the night preceding the feast of Mary's Nativity all the brethren slept through Matins by a special divine dispensation. Felix alone appeared at choir, where he found the Blessed Virgin clothed in the habit of the Trinitarians, accompanied by a great throng of angels similarly dressed. United with them, with Mary as choir leader, Felix recited the Office as usual. When he was about to leave the earthly choirs to join those of heaven, an angel foretold to him the day of his departure; he admonished his brethren to persevere in love toward captives and the poor, and died on November 4, 1212, mature in age and merit.

~ Via Catholic Culture.

Novena of the Miraculous Medal Begins Today

This novena begins today November 19 - 27, won't you join us in prayer...

Novena of the Miraculous Medal

O Immaculate Virgin Mary,

Mother of Our Lord Jesus and our Mother,

penetrated with the most lively confidence

in your all-powerful and never-failing intercession,

manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal,

we your loving and trustful children implore you

to obtain for us the graces and favors we ask during

this novena, if they be beneficial to our immortal souls,

and the souls for whom we pray.

(Here form your petition)

You know, O Mary, how often our souls have been

the sanctuaries of your Son who hates iniquity. Obtain

for us then a deep hatred of sin and that purity of

heart which will attach us to God alone so that our

every thought, word and deed may tend to His greater

glory. Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and

self-denial that we may recover by penance what

we have lost by sin and at length attain to that

blessed abode where you are the Queen of angels

and of men. Amen.

H/T: Therese at The Apostolate of Hannah's Tears

Oprah to Retire Chicago -- Based Syndicated Show in 2011

 I'm not an Oprah fan, but found this interesting (particularly in light of the recent Sarah Palin interview):


From the Chicago Tribune:

Oprah Winfrey plans to tell viewers on Friday's live edition of her top-rated daytime program that she will retire the Chicago-based syndicated talk show that made her rich, famous and, if not a kingmaker, a maker of bestselling authors and perhaps even a U.S. President at the end of the 2010-11 season, its 25th on national TV.

Harpo Productions confirmed Thursday both her decision and that she will discuss it on her program, her last live show of the calendar year, set to air at 9 a.m. on WLS-Ch. 7, her flagship station.

Speculation has been rampant that she might choose to leave daytime TV ever since it was announced in January 2008 that she and Discovery Networks planned to partner on a cable network: OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network.

More here.

Worldwide Masses Scheduled on December 9 in Honor of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

According to the Diocese of Paterson, memorial masses are scheduled to be celebrated worldwide on December 9th to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of famed author, lecturer and television evangelizer Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, as well as promote his cause for canonization. More here.

Via Notes From the Blackboard:

His family and friends will gather for a special Memorial Mass on December 9, 2009, 5:00 pm at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NY, where Sheen preached so many memorable homilies and where he is buried. A special reception will follow the Mass to help raise funds to support the works of the Sheen Foundation. For more information or to be placed on the invitation list, please contact Jane Peverly at the Sheen Foundation, PO Box 728, Peoria, IL 61762, or info@archbishopsheencause.org

H/T: Esther

THE LATEST ON SWINE FLU / VACCINES

If you have been concerned about about the swine flu and vaccines, I recommend you take a look at the following fascinating posts online:

ALLERGIES, ASTHMA MAY BE HAVE VACCINE LINK, ALONG WITH SPIRITUAL IMPLICATIONS

Testosterhome: Trust in the Time of Swine Flu

Swine Flu: Will Your Kids Get the H1N1 Vaccine?

Simple Solutions to Battle H1N1 Hysteria

Obama's Double Cross on Abortion: Why is everyone so surprised?

Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments on the latest developments regarding the health care bill:

On November 15, presidential advisor David Axelrod made it clear that President Obama opposes the Stupak amendment that bans abortion funding in the House’s version of the health care bill. The Senate has just completed its version, and it contains nothing like the language of the Stupak amendment. As reported today by AP, “On a controversial issue that threatened to derail the House legislation, [Senate Majority Leader] Reid would allow the new government insurance plan to cover abortions and would let companies that receive federal funds offer insurance plans that include abortion coverage.”

President Obama, after telling the public that he would not support a bill that provided federal funds for abortion (he was hailed by the bishops for doing so), is now championing a bill that would do just that. Moreover, he is pushing for legislation that the American people do not support: CNN posted survey results yesterday showing that 61 percent of the public is in favor of banning the use of federal funds to pay for abortion; only 37 percent favor it.

In other words, Obama has decided to renege on his promise, betray the bishops and defy the American people. Risky business given that today’s Rasmussen presidential tracking poll shows only 46 percent of voters approve of Obama’s performance. Worse, only 27 percent strongly approve and 41 percent strongly disapprove of the job he has been doing. Wait until the public learns about Obama’s double cross on abortion!

This doesn't surprise me one bit! Obama is a radical supporter of the culture of death and has been for as long as I can recall. He lied to the Pope, he lied to the Bishops, and he lied to the American people. I have been warning my readers about him for years. What surprises me is that anyone believed him in the first place.  After all, he is the "Abortion President".

Today's Saint: St. Raphael Kalinowski, O.C.D.

Saint Rapahel was born  in 1835 as Joseph, son of Andrew and Josepha Kalinowski in present day Lithuania.  Saint Raphael felt a call to the priesthood early in his life, but decided to complete his education.  He studied zoology, chemistry, agriculture, and apiculture at the Institute of Agronomy in Hory Horki, Russia, and at the Academy of Military Engineering in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Saint Raphael became a Lieutenant in the Russian Military Engineering Corps in 1857.  During his post he was responsible for the planning and supervised the construction of the railway between Kursk and Odessa.  He was promoted to captain in 1862 and stationed in Brest-Litovsk.  In Bret-Litovsk he started, taught, and covered all the costs of a Sunday school, accepting anyone interested.

In 1863 he supported the Polish insurrection. He resigned from the Russian army and became the rebellion's minister of war for the Vilna region.  He only took the commission with the understanding that he would never hand out a death sentence nor execute a prisoner. He was soon arrested by Russian authorities and in June of 1864 he was condemned to death for his part in the revolt.  Fearing they would be creating a political martyr, they commuted his sentence to ten years of forced labour in the Siberian salt mines.  Part of his sentence was spent in Irkutsk where his relics have been moved to sanctify the new cathedral.

Upon his release in 1873, he was exiled from his home region in Lithuania. He moved to Paris, France, and worked as a tutor for three years.  In 1877 he finally answered the long-heard call to the religious life, and joined the Carmelite Order at Graz, Austria, taking the name Raphael. He studied theology in Hungary and then joined the Carmelite house in Czama, Poland.   He was ordained on January  15, 1882.

Saint Raphael worked to restore the Discalced Carmelites to Poland, and for church unity. He founded a convent at Wadowice, Poland in 1889 and worked with Blessed Alphonsus Mary Marurek. He was a noted spiritual director for both Catholics and Orthodox.  He was considered  an enthusiastic parish priest and spent countless hours with his parishioners in the confessional.  Saint Raphael died in 1907 and was cannonized by Pope John Paul II in 1991.

Source 

Saint Raphael is a "patron of ecumenism, especially with Eastern Christians."

Quote:

Our Redeemer, ever present in the most Blessed Sacrament, extends His hand to everyone. He opens His heart and says, 'Come to Me, all of You.'"

~ Saint Raphael

Huckabee talks about Sarah Palin, 2010 elections, and the sanctity of human life

Holy Father calls for the world to respect the dignity of children

Vatican City, Nov 18, 2009 / 11:33 am (CNA).- Following today's general audience, Benedict XVI appealed to the international community to respect the rights of children around the globe.

The Holy Father recalled that November 20 marks the United Nations Day of Prayer and Action for Children, saying, “My thoughts go to all the children of the world, especially those who live in difficult conditions, and suffer because of violence, abuse, sickness, war or hunger.”

“At the same time,” he continued, “I make an appeal to the international community to increase its efforts to offer an adequate response to the dramatic problems of infancy. May a generous commitment on everyone's part not be lacking so that the rights of children may be recognized and their dignity given ever greater respect."

Beautiful Sacred Music for Meditation, Contemplation

Sanctus Bene~ polyphony: Catholic Chant via Catholiques1:

EWTN to Air Solemn High Mass Nov. 21

Irondale, AL (EWTN) (November 17, 2009) - EWTN Global Catholic Network will air a Solemn High Mass in the Extraordinary Form live from the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament in Hanceville, Ala. at 8 a.m. ET, Saturday, Nov. 21. The date was chosen because it is the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lady.

The two-hour Solemn High Mass will be celebrated by Fr. Laurent Demets, a member of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, which is a Society that instructs and trains priests to preserve, promote, and protect the Church’s authentic liturgical and spiritual traditions.

EWTN Global Catholic Network, in its 28th year, is available in over 150 million television households in more than 140 countries and territories. With its direct broadcast satellite television and radio services, AM & FM radio networks, worldwide short-wave radio station, Internet website www.ewtn.com and publishing arm, EWTN is the largest religious media network in the world.

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, virgin (USA)

Today is the optional memorial of St. Rose Philippine Duchesne.


Saint Rose was born on August 29, 1769 at Grenoble, France to a family of wealth and political connections. When she was eight years old, she heard a Jesuit missionary speak of his missionary work in America, which sparked a strong desire within her to evangelize. She was educated at home until she was 12 years old, when she was sent to the convent of the Visitation nuns in Grenoble to continue her studies. She joined them when she was 19 without the permission or knowledge of her family.

Her convent closed quite abruptly during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution. She spent the next ten years living as a laywoman, but continued to live as if she were still with her Order. She established a school for poor children, cared for the sick and hid priests from the Revolutionaries. When the Reign of Terror ended, she reclaimed her convent and attempted to reestablish it with a small group of sisters. However, most were long gone, and in 1804, the group merged with the Society of the Sacred Heart under Saint Madeline Sophie Barat. They then reopened their convent as the second house of Sacred Heart nuns. Rose became a postulant in December 1804, and made her final vows in 1805.

In 1815, Mother Duchesne was assigned to found a Sacred Heart convent in Paris. At age 49, she and four sisters were sent as missionaries to the Louisiana Territory to establish the Society's presence in America. Diseases contracted during the trip to America nearly killed her, and after she recovered in New Orleans, the trip up the Mississippi nearly killed her again. She established her first mission at Saint Charles, Missouri, a log cabin that was the first free school west of the Mississippi River. She eventually opened six other houses in America, which included schools and orphanages. She experienced some opposition as her teaching methods were based on French models, and her English was terrible; her students, however, received a good education. She was constantly concerned about the plight of Native Americans, and much of her work was devoted to educating them, caring for their sick, and working against alcohol abuse.

Finally able to retire from her administrative duties, Mother Duchesne evangelized the Pottawatomies and in the Rocky Mountains at age 71, and taught young girls of the tribe. This work, however, lasted but a year, as she was unable to master the Pottawatomie language. She was known to the tribe as "Woman-Who-Prays-Always". She spent her last ten years in retirement in a tiny shack at the convent in Saint Charles, Missouri where she lived a life of poverty and penance, in constant prayer.

Patron: Opposition of Church authorities; diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

We cultivate a very small field for Christ, but we love it, knowing that God does not require great achievements but a heart that holds back nothing for self.

~ Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne

The Priests: How Great Thou Art

Pope John Paul II: The Way is Paved for His Beatification

Vatican analyst Andrea Tornielli reported this week that the first step toward the beatification of John Paul II has already been completed.  He explained that officials at the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints have given the green light for the proclamation of the late Pope's heroic virtue.

Tornielli added that only the signature of Pope Benedict XVI is needed for the proclamation to become official, noting that it “could come during Christmas, when the prefect for the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, Archbishop Angelo Amato, will include it in cardinals’ agenda.” Once the decree is signed, he said, Pope Wojtyla will be given the title of “venerable.”

For more information, read the entire CNA article here.

Sarah Palin: I Want to Play a Major Role in National Politics, 'If People Will Have Me' (Videos of the Barbara Walters Interview)

I'm so happy to hear that Sarah Palin wants to continue her role in politics and is speaking out against Obama's policies and ObamaCare. She was recently interviewed by Barbara Walters and here is what ABC News had to say about that interview: (My comments are in red).


In an interview with ABC News' Barbara Walters, Palin, whose book, "Going Rogue: An American Life," lands on bookshelves Tuesday, said she would give the president a mere four for his job performance on a scale of one to 10.

That's way too high, Sarah! Obama gets a zero from me.

"There are a lot of decisions being made that I -- and probably the majority of Americans -- are not impressed with right now," said Palin, the former governor of Alaska. "I think our economy is not being put on the right track, because we're strayed too far from, fundamentally, from free enterprise principles that built our country. And I question, too, some of the dithering, and, hesitation, with some of our national security questions that have got to be answered for our country." 

Exactly! Well said!

Even after last year's devastating defeat, Palin remains one of the Republican Party's brightest stars.

That's because she's not a RINO.  Although she ran on the Republican ticket, I don't really consider her a Republican -- she more of an Independent -- "a Maverick".


From Alaska, she has been weighing in on issues and influencing policy debate in Washington. She scored a major blow to Obama in August when she wrote on her Facebook page that under Obama's plans, the fate of the elderly and her son Trigg, who has Down syndrome, would be determined by "death panels."

Of course she scored a major blow to BO, because she told the truth, which is something he rarely does. 

Watch the Barbara Walters interview:

I need to mention that I do not agree with Sarah Palin on birth control. She tells Barbara that she is not against birth control.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary: Widow, "Mother of the Poor"

In her short life Elizabeth showed such great love for the poor and suffering that she has become the patroness of Catholic charities and of the Secular Franciscan Order.

Born in Bratislava in 1207, Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of King Andrew of Hungary was betrothed at the age of four to Prince Ludwig of Thuringia (in central Germany) and sent to live at his father's court. They were married when she was fourteen and he was twenty - one. She loved him deeply and bore him three children.

In addition to caring for her children, Elizabeth was devoted to the poor, the sick, and the aged. Seeking to become one with the poor, she wore simple clothing. Daily she would take bread to hundreds of the poorest in the land, who came to her gate. She grew in piety under the spiritual direction of a Franciscan Friar.

Once when she was taking food to the poor and sick, Prince Ludwig stopped her and looked under her mantle to see what she was carrying; the food had been miraculously changed to roses.

On another occasion, she took in a dying leper and placed him in the couple's own bed. Ludwig was furious about this and when he turned back the sheets and saw the figure of the leper, he realized that he was witnessing the literal embodiment of Christ ("Whatever you do for the least of my brothers that you do unto me." Matthew 25: 40b).

Their happy marriage ended in 1225 when Ludwig died in the Crusades. Following his death, the husband's family viewed Elizabeth as squandering the royal purse and threw her out. Her royal aunt and uncle made a castle available to her and set about making plans for a second marriage for her. However, she followed God's calling to renounce her position and enter into a new life.

On Good Friday 1228, Elizabeth became a Third Order Franciscan, sold all that she had, and worked to support her children. She settled into a small house that she herself had built and attached a hospital to it, which she founded in honor of St. Francis. Here she spent the few remaining years of her life caring for the sick, the poor, and the elderly. Penance, prayer, and practical charity filled her hours.

Her gifts of bread to the poor, and of a large gift of grain to a famine - stricken Germany, led her to become patron of bakers. St. Elizabeth is also the patron saint of countesses, the death of children, the falsely accused, the homeless, nursing services, Catholic charities, widows, and young brides.

St. Elizabeth died in extreme poverty at the age of 24 in 1231 and was canonized in 1235.

Image: Edmund Blair Leighton (1853-1922)
The Charity of St. Elizabeth of Hungary
Oil on canvas
Collection of Fred and Sherry Ross

 

Benedict XVI: World Hunger Must be Overcome

See Pope targets eliminating hunger as goal for Catholic Church for more information.

Sarah Palin on Oprah: Extra Time (Video and Discussion)

 Lots of good stuff here that wasn't shown on TV -- some of it very funny. Be sure to watch to the end.



Did you watch the interview today -- what did you think?

Obama's Home Teleprompter Malfunctions During Dinner

Obama's Home Teleprompter Malfunctions During Family Dinner

~ Via Onion News Network.

FOX News: Carl Cameron Reports on Palin Oprah Interview

Carl Cameron Reports on Palin Oprah Interview on Fox News, Nov 16, 2009.

Say Something Nice About a Priest Meme

Thanks, Esther, for the tag.

As the title says, I have to say something nice about a priest.

It's difficult to narrow down my choice to one priest because I have known so many really wonderful priests. The priest I have had the most interaction with recently has been the associate pastor of our parish, Fr. Michael Linnebur. His photo is below.

 Let me share a little information about Father with you:

Fr. Michael Linnebur is originally from Sacred Heart parish in Colwich, Kansas. He was a graduate of Colwich Elementary School, Andale High School (’97), and Kansas State University (’02), before entering the seminary in the fall of 2002. He spent his first 4 years studying philosophy and theology at the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio, and then completed his last 2 years of theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. Fr. Linnebur was ordained to the priesthood on May 24, 2008 by Bishop Jackels, and began serving the St. Francis of Assisi parish community in June 2008.

We know from this information that Fr. is from a small, German Catholic community which is a very strong pro-life community -- very family-oriented and dedicated to their faith. He had wonderful preparation for the priesthood and is now serving in as an associate pastor in the largest church in the diocese of Wichita.

I have known Father Linnebur for almost two years now. He appears cheerful whenever I see him and seems personally concerned about me and my family. He is very personable and has such a boyish charm about him that is very natural. He gets along really well with the children of the parish -- always striking up conversations with them. He seems just as comfortable with the adults.

I see Father Mike most often at daily Mass and at RCIA. He celebrates Mass so reverently and prayerfully, and his homilies always begin with a personal greeting to those in attendance. He speaks clearly and distinctly and loudly enough that even those who are hard of hearing can understand him. His homilies always seem to contain  quotes from the saints which emphasize the points he is making. He seems very sincere and his words strike a chord in me that move me to live out my faith more deeply in my life. The Truth spoken with enthusiasm is hard to resist.

In RCIA, Fr. Mike is a natural at instructing others in the faith. He embraces the Catholic faith and speaks with such joyful enthusiasm that is so contagious to those around him -- I don't know how anyone could resist becoming a Catholic after listening to him. Of course, he doesn't always have all the answers -- but when he doesn't know something, he looks it up and gets back with his students, which is what most wise instructors do. Nevertheless, he is very knowledgable and explains the faith very well. He has a great sense of humor which adds to the positive atmosphere of his classroom.

I have also had the opportunity to go to The Sacrament of Reconciliation with Father Mike and always come out feeling refreshed and renewed. When you speak to Fr. Mike, you can tell that he is really listening carefully to what you say by his questions and responses. His penances seem to be carefully thought through and inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Our parish usually gets the newly ordained priests who stay for a year or two and then are transferred to other parishes. I sure hope this isn't the case with Fr. Mike -- I would like it if he were to stay around for awhile and I know others feel the same way. He is certainly God's gift to us and I am so thankful for him.

Now I have to tag someone. I choose the following people:


Souternus at A Catholic Notebook.

Mary Ann Kreitzer at LES FEMMES -- THE TRUTH.

Suzanne at Suzanne's Shorelines.

Simple Woman's Daybook: November 16, 2009

Outside My Window ... it's a dark and dreary day...cold, wet, and windy.

I am thinking ...about the work I need to do this week.

I am thankful ... for the home we live in...it's not perfect, but it provides shelter from the cold weather and it seems that we are seeing more and more people losing their homes in this recession.

From the kitchen ... I will be making turkey cutlets a la Jean -- my own special recipe...my dh loves it and so do I!

I am wearing ...a pink nightgown.

I am creating ...a less cluttered and more organized home, which seems to be an ongoing challenge here.

I am going ...to work in a more determined manner on the Light Weigh Program this time and pray for the grace to do better this time. I would be content with losing 30 lbs -- so I have about 21 lbs. to go.

I  am reading... my Bible and devotionals now. I have finished reading Bleeder -- waiting for the review to be published.

 
I am hoping ... that I get a check in the mail soon. The budget is very tight right now.

I am hearing ... the hum of my computer -- it's very quiet here now.

Around the house ... it's clean for the most part... I vacuumed over the weekend...hoping to get the carpet cleaned over Thanksgiving weekend.

One of my favorite things ... is preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I look forward to the holidays and would like to do something different this year to help those who are less fortunate than we are.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week ... daily Mass, chiropractor appointment today, RCIA on Wednesday, and writing projects with deadlines to do.

A Picture Thought I Am Sharing ...

 

 Yes, you guessed it...my camera broke down.

 

Find instructions and links to other daybooks at The Simple Woman

Today's Saints: St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Gertrude the Great

St. Margaret of Scotland, Patroness of Mothers

St. Margaret of Scotland was not a Scot, but was born about 1045 in Hungary of Anglo-Saxon and Hungarian parents. Her family was in exile at that time due to the Danish invasion of England. Margaret's grandfather was King Edmund Ironside of England and her father was Edward the Exile, the heir to the throne of Scotland.

Margaret was the eldest of three children born to Edward and Agatha. She was educated by her mother and was well grounded in the scriptures and liturgy. She was about 12 when the family returned to England and was educated under the influence of the Benedictines. She learned French, ecclesiastical embroidery, and began to read works of theology: St. Augustine and St. John Cassian greatly influenced her spiritual development.

While fleeing the invading army of William the Conqueror in 1066, her family's ship wrecked on the Scottish coast. They were assisted by King Malcolm III Canmore of Scotland, whom Margaret married in 1070.

The King was deeply devoted to his beautiful, intelligent, and devout wife: she introduced him to a new way of life and a new spirituality. Although he was unable to read, he would handle her books and examine them. If she was fond of a particular book, he would look at it with interest and kiss the pages. While she did not succeed in teaching him to read or stop making war, she did teach him to pray sincerely and frequently.

Margaret prayed often for her husband and added fasting and almsgiving to her prayers, that they might "easily ascend to heaven". Once when he followed her into the garden, he found her praying for him and "her loving spirit set him on fire".

She was very generous in giving alms to the poor, who flocked around her whenever she appeared in public. When she gave away all that she had, the courtiers would give what they had, even their own cloaks. She would sometimes even give away the King's gold.

The couple had a loving and fruitful marriage. Margaret bore the King eight children, six sons and two daughters. She loved them dearly and raised them well, supervising their education herself. The youngest boy became St. David. Both her husband and her son, Edward, were killed in battle. Yet she prayed: "I thank You, Almighty God, for sending me so great a sorrow to purify me from my sins."

Margaret died in Edinburgh on November 16, 1093. She is remembered for the happiness of her marriage, for her devotion to prayer and learning, and especially for her generosity to the poor. In 1250, Margaret was canonized by Pope Innocent IV.

She is the patron saint of mothers, large families, learning, queens, Scotland, the death of children, and widows. 

St. Gertrude the Great, Virgin

St. Gertrude was born in Eisleben, Germany in 1256. As a five year old, she was received into the monastery of the Cistercian nuns in Helfta. She was an intellectually gifted student with a gentle disposition who applied herself to her studies, concentrating on literature and philosophy.

At the age of 26, Gertrude had the first of many visions of Jesus which brought about a deep interior conversion, drawing her into the innermost recesses of His Sacred Heart. Her heart symbolically united in a vision to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, she was a precursor of the later devotion to the Sacred Heart. She also advocated frequent reception of the Eucharist and devotion to St Joseph.

Similar to other mystics, such as St. Teresa of Avila, the Passion of Christ was her favorite devotion and when she meditated on it, or on the blessed Eucharist, she was often unable to control the torrents of tears which flowed from her eyes. She frequently went into ecstasy when she meditated or focused on the great love of Christ and united her heart with His.

On one occasion, Jesus, appeared to Gertrude in a vision and pointed out to her the wound in his side, out of which flowed a stream of crystal-clear water. The heart of Christ seemed to her to be suspended like a lamp in her own heart. She heard it throbbing with His unconditional, redemptive love for both saint and sinner.

In her short book of "Divine Insinuations, or Communications and Sentiments of Love," she proposed exercises for the renewal of baptismal vows, by which the soul completely renounces the world and herself, consecrates herself to the pure love of God, abandoning herself entirely to His holy will.

When in a vision the Lord asked Gertrude whether she would prefer health or sickness, she responded, "Divine Lord, give me whatever pleases You. Do not consider my wishes at all. I know that what You choose to send is the best for me."

Gertrude was an extraordinarily charitable person toward all those she encountered and her love for others manifested itself in tender sympathy towards the souls in purgatory. An extremely humble person, she prayed that her many spiritual gifts not be manifested outwardly to others and her request was granted. Gertrude was blessed with the gift of prophecy as well as the gift of miracles. A prolific writer, she authored five books on spirituality. However, only three of them are still in existence.

Gertrude died on November 17th, 1301 or 1302 of natural causes. She is the patron saint of nuns, travelers, and the West Indies.

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus


O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is aflamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your Will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen.

~ Saint Gertrude the Great


Prayer of Saint Gertrude the Great


Dictated by Our Lord, to release 1000 souls from purgatory each time it is said.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son Jesus Christ, in union with the most Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, said throughout the world today, for all the holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home, and within my family.

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