Category Archives: Saint Days and Liturgical Feasts

The Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ

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This Sunday we celebrate the beautiful Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, known as Corpus Christi.

A feast established through the efforts of St. Juliana of Liège, a thirteenth-century Augustinian who had a deep longing for a feast to honor the Blessed Sacrament, it is a day on which Christians are encouraged to celebrate the Eucharist in processions and adoration. In days gone by, entire towns would line the streets as the Sacred Host was held high for all to see. Sadly, since Vatican II, these types of processions have largely fallen out of practice. Read the rest…

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

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Dear Friends,

Here is the prayer to the Holy Spirit that I prayed today on Women of Grace Live (M-F, 11:00 AM ET). As I mentioned, I can offer no attribution as it has none on the card I received. I hope it truly blesses you.

Blessings,

Johnnette

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Spirit, fill my heart with your holy gifts.

Let my weakness be penetrated with your strength this very day,

that I may fulfill all the duties of my state conscientiously,

that I may do what is right and just.

Let my charity be such as to offend no one, and hurt no one’s feelings;

so generous as to pardon sincerely any wrong done to me.

Assist me, O Holy Spirit, in all my trials of life,

enlighten me in my doubts,

strengthen me in my weakness, help me in

all my needs, protect me in temptations

and console me in afflictions.

Graciously hear me, O Holy Spirit, and pour your light

into my heart, my soul, and my mind.

Assist me to live a holy life and to grow in goodness and grace.

Amen

 

 

Woman of Grace: St. Catherine of Genoa

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St. Catherine of Genoa (1447 – 1510)

The life of St. Catherine of Genoa confirms that spiritual renewal, virtue, holy reflection, and spiritual direction lead to wisdom and discernment. Born into an illustrious Italian family that was connected to two popes, Catherine was known as a quiet and pious child, being both prayerful and obedient. Read the rest…

Women of Grace: The Courageous Legacy of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity

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Sts. Perpetua and Felicity died on March 7, 203

The annals of the Church are full of examples of courageous Catholic women, but few can rival the tale of a young nursing mother and a pregnant woman who showed such fierce courage in the face of death that even the hardest Roman soldiers were brought to their knees.

The story of Sts. Perpetua and Felicity, whose feast we celebrate today, was recorded by the hand of Perpetua herself as well as others who knew the women. This account, known as “The Martyrdom of Perpetua and Felicity,” was so popular in the early centuries that it was often read during liturgies. Read the rest…

Woman of Grace: St. Katharine Drexel

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Woman of Grace: St. Katharine Drexel (1858 – 1955)

It’s only fitting that as we march forward in the battle for religious freedom, we have the opportunity to celebrate the Feast of St. Katharine Drexel, a pioneer of civil rights and activism. Read the rest…

Woman of Grace: St. Scholastica

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Woman of Grace: St. Scholastica (480 – 543)

St. Gregory the Great recounts this story from the life of St. Benedict’s beloved twin sister, St. Scholastica, which shows how expressing our petitions to God with childlike faith and confidence sometimes yields immediate and amazing results.

After Benedict founded a monastery for men, Scholastica remained very close to her brother, founding a convent for women some miles away. Every year Scholastica went to visit Benedict at a little place just outside the monastery gate. Read the rest…

Woman of Grace: St. Josephine Bakhita

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Woman of Grace:  St. Josephine Bakhita (1869 – 1947)

It is natural to express thanksgiving for being released from difficult trials and circumstances. But who would be grateful for those who cause such difficult trials or circumstances? This is the stuff of saints — the very stuff of which Saint Josephine Bakhita was made. Read the rest…

Woman of Grace: Venerable Thecla Merlo

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Ven. Thecla Merlo (1894-1964)

Venerated January 22, 1991 by Pope John Paul II

Meditation on Sacred Scripture and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament have been the foundation of prayer for many women destined to be great spiritual mothers. Such was the case with Maestra Thecla, first Superior General of the Daughters of St. Paul founded by Father James Alberione. Teresa Merlo was a pious young Italian woman whose family was alive with Catholic piety and devotion. She had been trained as a seamstress but desired to enter religious life. Her brother, a seminarian, introduced her to Father Alberione who was looking to form a feminine congregation dedicated to spreading the Gospel through the press. With faith and trust in God, Teresa said “yes” to Father Alberione’s suggestion that she join the group of women he was forming. In 1922 she was consecrated to serving the Lord along with nine other women. This new order, called the Daughters of St. Paul, was forging new apostolic ground in the area of mass communications and women religious. Teresa chose the name “Thecla” in honor of St. Thecla, the early follower of St. Paul. Read the rest…