April 23
St. George, Martyr (280-303)
“As for Saint George, he was consumed with the fire of the Holy Spirit. Armed with the invincible standard of the cross, he did battle with an evil king and acquitted himself so well that, in vanquishing the king, he overcame the prince of all wicked spirits, and encouraged other soldiers of Christ to perform brave deeds in his cause.”
–From a homily of St. Peter Damian on St. George
April 22
“Lord, give me the heart of a child, and the awesome courage to live it out as an adult.”
–Catherine de Hueck Doherty, Molchanie
April 21
St. Anselm, Bishop and Doctor (1033-1109)
“O God, let me know you and love you so that I may find my joy in you; and if I cannot do so fully in this life, let me at least make some progress every day, until at last that knowledge, love and joy come to me in all their plentitude.”
–A prayer of St. Anselm
April 20
“Ceasing to struggle because of our defects when there is opposition to a serious mistake can lead us to that form of pride called pusillanimity, lack of courage and strength to bear misfortune or undertake large enterprises.”
–Francis Fernandez, In Conversation with God, Volume 2
Former navy pilot and committed Christian, Tammie Jo Shults, 56, who piloted Southwest 1380 to safety on Tuesday after part of an engine ripped off, is being hailed as a hero for how calmly and skillfully she landed the plane.
Regina Apostolorum in Rome where the week-long course “Exorcism and the Prayer of Liberation” is being held. (Wikicommons)
More than 250 people from 50 countries converged on Rome this week to attend a week-long course on exorcism and discuss the changing face of evil in our day.
(SaveAlfieEvans.com)
Pope Francis met with the father of Alfie Evans, a two-year-old suffering from an undiagnosed neurological condition in a hospital seeking the removal of his life support, and has opened the door to allowing the child to be transferred to Bambino Gesu in Rome.
April 19
“The soul truly in love with God never fails through laziness to do all in its power to seek God’s Son, the Beloved.”
–St. John of the Cross, The Spiritual Canticle
Back row (l/r) Michelle Espinosa, Christine Adelizzi. Front row (l/r) Kae, Sarah, and Riley
It was two years ago at a Women of Grace® retreat when Michelle Espinosa and Christine Adelizzi first heard about the Young Women of Grace® program and decided the Holy Spirit was calling them to start a group. They had no idea how to facilitate a class, but they acted in faith, bought a Facilitators Kit and left the rest up to God.
Michelle and Christine are now facilitating a group of seven girls at St. Thomas More parish in Allentown, Pennsylvania who are expected to complete the course in early June.
“It’s been a great first year,” said co-facilitator Michelle. “The girls are really special. I am amazed that they willingly give up their Saturday mornings to come together to strengthen their Catholic faith and to fellowship with one another. I pray that the valuable lessons of this program will carry them through high school and college.”
Judging from the comments the girls made about the class, this hope may be on its way to fulfillment.
“I’ve grown strong in my faith and learned how to respect myself,” said Sarah, 14, one of a set of triplets whose sister, Riley, is also in the class.
“I’ve learned how important it is to be a woman and to listen to God and try to be close to Him and do His will,” said Riley, 14. “I also learned the importance of prayer, and how important it is to come together in this community and listen to what other girls have to say.”
Kae, 16, said the program taught her how important it is to come together in a small group with other girls who share the faith. “The group encourages us in our role as women. In sharing our experiences and building each other up, we can learn to live as Catholic women in the world in spite of what the world is trying to tell us,” she said.
For co-facilitator Christine, who is a grandmother of two and has no experience teaching, she wanted to take on this loving labor after seeing the kind of world her granddaughters would be facing in the years ahead.
“I see the ways of the world and they are not good, especially toward women and family life,” Christine said.
Seven years ago, it was a Women of Grace® course that emboldened her with the truth of what it meant to be created female. The course introduced her to the writings of the Church on femininity, and when she read St. John Paul II’s Letter to Women, she felt something stir in her soul.
“Women of Grace changed my life,” she said, and her innate sense of spiritual motherhood naturally makes her want to share this gift with others.
“One year later, I’m enjoying facilitating Young Women of Grace®. I feel as though I am doing something to educate the girls in the truth of the Catholic Church and life. I couldn’t let this generation of girls go into Junior/Senior High and beyond unarmed about the ways of the world and the ‘culture of death’ we live in.”
Her and Michelle are planting the seeds, but letting God do the watering and the “Son-ing” to let the growth take place.
“One of my hopes for the girls is that they are learning discernment skills, by using the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, thought and prayer before acting,” Christine said. “I am impressed at how the seed has taken root, and in time who knows what our Lord has in store for these Young Women of Grace!”
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What started as a parents’ protest against graphic sex education in schools in Charlotte, North Carolina is now spreading across the country as fed-up parents decided “enough is enough” when it comes to programs that indoctrinate students in LGBTQ and “gender bending” ideologies.
