I couldn’t this morning decide what to watch on TV during the time I set aside for that before ‘beginning my day.’ Old reruns of “Sliders?” How about “Farscape?” “Babylon 5?” Maybe pick up where I left off during an interrupted binging of the original “Quantum Leap?” No, no, no, and no. I was restless …
Continue reading ‘Mother Angelica is as helpful and inspiring today as she was decades ago’ »
Today is Sacred Heart Friday; it was also the First Friday of the month but due to health issues I missed going to Mass. I have no idea what number Friday I was on, having done nine consecutive First Friday’s numerous times over the past few years. So, I’ll just “start over” next month. It’s …
This excerpt from the Second Reading of the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours for today is “From the Mirror of Love by Saint Aelred, abbot.” It is quite suitable for Sacred Heart Friday and as a daily Lenten meditation! …If someone wishes to love himself he must not allow himself to be …
Continue reading ‘Contemplate the loving gentleness of the humanity of the Lord’ »
In this excerpt from the Gospel for the Mass of Tuesday of the First week of Lent, Jesus reminds us that there is a condition for our bring forgiven for our sins: Matthew 6:14-15 “If you forgive men their transgressions, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, neither will …
Continue reading ‘Want forgiveness? Great! But there’s a catch…’ »
Since this blog is about “Conversion, Prayer, Fasting, Repentance, and Penance,” amongst other things, Lent is a natural time to blog a lot since those ‘abouts’ correspond to the season. I have often in previous Lents blogged daily, or at least a few times a week, taking inspiration from the daily Mass readings or the …
I’ve always loved this passage from the Second Reading of the Divine Office for the Feast of St. Stephen, Protomartyr: From a sermon by Saint Fulgentius of Ruspe, bishop: Now at last, Paul rejoices with Stephen, with Stephen he delights in the glory of Christ, with Stephen he exalts, with Stephen he reigns. Stephen went …
Continue reading ‘St. Stephen and St. Paul: united in Heaven’ »
In her diary, ‘Divine Mercy in my Soul,” St. Maria Faustina Kowalska writes of when she was given the gift of appearing before the judgement seat of God: 36 Once I was summoned to the judgment [seat] of God. I stood alone before the Lord. Jesusappeared such as we know Him during His Passion. After …
St. Rita, whose feast day is today, May 22nd, is the patroness of ‘impossible cases,’ as well as women in abusive marriages, mothers and those with serious illnesses and especially of wounds. A lot of that is appropriate for anyone in recovery, since we’ve experienced abuse and have given it, as well as succumbing to …
Continue reading ‘How St. Rita can help those of us in recovery’ »
Divine Mercy Sunday is upon us. This is one of my favorite Sundays since the Divine Mercy devotion was instrumental in my reversion to the Church, but also due to the promises of Our Lord towards those who approach Him with sincere repentance and contrition in wiping away their sins. I have always viewed Divine …
There seems to be numerous novenas at this time of year. That is possibly just my imagination, but nevertheless today begins another novena. This one is to Our Lady of Fatima for the commemoration of the Miracle of the Sun Apparition on October 13, 1917. I know that the typical Fatima novena celebrates the first …