Sinead O’Connor (1966-2023)
(Photo courtesy of Wikicommons Images, Brian Ledgard CC BY 2.0)
JG asks: “I read that a hedge witch officiated at the recent funeral of Irish singer Sinead O’Connor. What is a hedge witch? Is this something new?”
Manifesting is all the rage these days. It’s about how to use your mind to will your goals into existence by using tools such as meditation, guided visualization, vision boards, and other rituals that many believe can make big things happen for anyone. Is this true, and is this something a Catholic should be get involved in?
by Theresa Cavicchio
“The Most Blessed Virgin Mary, when the course of her earthly life was completed, was taken up body and soul into the glory of heaven, where she already shares in the glory of her Son’s Resurrection, anticipating the resurrection of all members of his Body” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 974).
August 15
Feast of the Assumption
Who is she that ascends so high,
Next the Heavenly King,
Round about whom Angels fly
And her praises sing?
Who is she that, adorned with light,
Makes the sun her robe,
At whose feet the queen of night
Lays her changing globe?
To that crown direct their eyes,
Which her head attires;
There thou mayest her name descry
Writ in starry fires.
This is she in whose pure womb
Heaven’s Prince remained;
Therefore in no earthly tomb
Can she be contained.
Heaven she was, which held that fire,
Whence the world took light,
And to Heaven doth now aspire
Flames with flames t’ unite.
She that did so clearly shine
When our day begun,
See how bright her beams decline
Now she sits with the Sun.
-Sir John Beaumont (1583 – 1627)
August 14
Feast of St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Martyr (1894 – 1941)
“Obedience raises us beyond the limits of our littleness and puts us in harmony with God’s will. Obedience is the one and the only way of wisdom and prudence for us to offer glory to God.”
-St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe
August 13
Feast of Sts. Pontian and Hippolytus
“Do not devote your attention to the fallacies of artificial discourses, nor the vain promises of heretics, but to the venerable simplicity of unassuming truth.”
-St. Hippolytus
August 12
“If the work of God could be comprehended by reason, it would no longer be wonderful, and faith would have no merit if reason provided proof.”
-Pope St. Gregory the Great
by Theresa Cavicchio
On August 11, 1253 A.D., Clare of Assisi, abbess of the Community of Poor Ladies of San Damiano, breathed her last on earth. Born to the noble Offreduccio family (1193/4 A.D.), she was moved by the persuasive preaching of Francis of Assisi, renouncing her birthright and worldly riches to follow him in poverty and adherence to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus began the Second Order of Franciscans, this one for women, later known as the Poor Clares.
August 11
Feast of St. Clare (1193 – 1253)
“(Jesus Christ) is the splendor of eternal glory, the brightness of eternal light, and the mirror without cloud. Queen and bride of Jesus Christ, look into that mirror daily and study well your reflection, that you may adorn yourself, mind and body, with an enveloping garment of every virtue, and thus find yourself attired in flowers and gowns befitting the daughter and most chaste bride of the king on high.”
-St. Clare of Assisi
MR asks: “I’m wondering about Pilate. Is this exercise okay for Christians?”
