The canonized women who are mothers add to our altars a special kind of incense – a two-fold fragrance of motherhood, both natural and spiritual. The very definition of their sainthood reveals that the life of the soul was sacrosanct to them and that while they nurtured the physical life of their children, it was eternal life which they desired to impart above all.
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February 24
"God said: 'Why do you never stop asking to taste of My delights, yet you refuse the tribulations?'"
-St. Margaret of Cortona
For Reflection:
This is a good question to ask myself. What is my response?
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MK writes:
"I was told Wicca people aren't involved in witchcraft, that they are just people of the earth. They respect the earth and are into herbs, natural things. I thought I heard they are with the new age. What do you know about them?"
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February 23
Feast of St. Polycarp, Bishop and Martyr (D. 155)
"Leave me as I am. The one who gives me strength to endure the fire will also give me strength to stay quite still on the pyre, even without the precaution of your nails."
-St. Polycarp at his martyrdom
For Reflection:
How is God giving me the strength of endurance today?
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February 22
Chair of St. Peter
"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the powers of death shall not prevail against it."
-Matthew 16:18
For Reflection:
How have I seen the truth of this statement in light of the history of the Church? How does this speak to the fact that the Catholic Church is the
Church Jesus founded?
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by Thea Parsons
We are celebrating the life of Saint Jacinta Marto, a young Saint with more humility and heroic virtue than many of us reading this email! Without question, she accepted the call of God through Our Blessed Mother to suffer...to suffer for the conversion of sinners! To pray for those who have no one to pray for them, the lowly. How blessed are we by this young Saint?! By her courage?! May she intercede on our behalf, that we may exercise the same obedience she did with her brother and cousin, that we may be as courageous and steadfast in our, 'yes,' when we are called, and in our prayer, and suffering!
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February 21
Feast of St. Peter Damien, Bishop and Doctor (1007 - 1072)
"In serenity, look forward to the joy that follows sadness. Hope leads you to that joy and love enkindles your zeal."
-St. Peter Damien
For Reflection:
The letter to the Hebrews tells us that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (11:1). How does this help me live out the advice of St. Peter Damien?
(Quote from Graceful Living)
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Eastern meditation apps might be all the rage, but when it comes to helping Catholics get the most of out of Lent, sitting in an empty void is not the way to go. If you really want an authentic Lenten experience, America’s number one Catholic prayer app,
Hallow, has just what you’re looking for.
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February 20
"He did not say: You will not be troubled; you will not be tempted; you will not be distressed. But He said: You will not be overcome."
-St. Julian of Norwich
For Reflection:
Dear Lord, So often I feel all but swallowed up by the events of every day life--not to mention those difficult moments of struggle, confusion, and doubt. It is Your grace and Your grace alone that gets me through these moments. Help me to remember that in the midst of every circumstance, You are there. In the midst of every reversal, You are there. In my deepest pain, in my worst distress, in my greatest temptation, You are there. Help me to hold on to this truth, and in You I will overcome. Amen.
(Quote from Graceful Living)
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While searching for a parish for her son who is in the military, MB was happy to find a parish near his military base. However, while browsing through the parish's most recent bulletin, she noticed a recommendation by the pastor about a presentation on centering prayer given by a Trappist monk named Fr. William Menninger. MB asks: "Does the Catholic Church condone this 'prayer'? I wonder if [the pastor] has investigated this action before recommending it to his flock? . . . At any rate, I will not recommend this parish to my son."
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Eastern meditation apps might be all the rage, but when it comes to helping Catholics get the most of out of Lent, sitting in an empty void is not the way to go. If you really want an authentic Lenten experience, America’s number one Catholic prayer app, Hallow, has just what you’re looking for.
