Originally posted on March 30, 2011
Finding peace in troubled times may seem difficult, but it’s certainly not impossible. However, before we find that peace, first we have to search for it. And in order to search for it we first have to be in a peaceful place within our own hearts. Offering a sign of peace, in whatever form that may be, is a perfect gesture of kindness and love when it is genuine and coming from the heart. But if we are to offer peace, we first have to possess it ourselves. After all, you can’t give away what you don’t already have.
If we are to search for, find and promote peace in troubled times we first have to recognize that without humility, there is no peace. I’ve read that Saint Francis de Sales said that peace is born of humility. He said that the only things that really trouble us are pride and the esteem we … [Read More...]
Tomorrow, March 26th, is the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord. (The Annunciation is typically celebrated on March 25th, unless that day falls on a Sunday during Lent.) On this day of the Annunciation, we celebrate the angel Gabriel’s appearance to the Virgin Mary when he announced that the Blessed Virgin was chosen by God to be the Mother of the Lord. We also celebrate Mary’s fiat, which was her willingness to accept God’s holy plan.
The Angelus (latin for “angel”) is a prayer that may be recited in memory of the Incarnation. It was traditionally recited in Roman Catholic churches, convents and monasteries three times a day at 6:00 am, 12:00 pm and 6:00 pm. Some Anglican and Lutheran churches also use this devotion.
The Angelus
V. The angel spoke God’s message to Mary,
R. and she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail, Mary. . . .
V. ”I am the lowly servant of the … [Read More...]
Originally posted on March 12, 2011
This is the time of year when we should be remembering what Our Lord told Saint Maria Faustina regarding The Divine Mercy. He said that the Chaplet can be prayed anytime, but He specifically asked that it be recited as a novena, especially on the nine days before the Feast of Mercy. He promised, “By this Novena (of Chaplets) I will grant every possible grace to souls” (Diary,796).
As you can see, I’m doing a lot of linking back to two previous posts I wrote on this topic a while back. Please refer to those posts for a thorough explanation of The Divine Mercy and/or additional information about its purpose, the Chaplet, etc. I’m going to dedicate this post to the Novena to The Divine Mercy and include the first three of the nine days of prayers. The bold font are the words of Our Lord as He instructed Saint Faustina where … [Read More...]
Note: Please read Young Americans in a Spiritual Crisis – Part One (and Part Two which follows it) before continuing on to this one, which is Part Three.
The Spiritual Dangers of Metal Music
Father Esper mentions an Italian psychiatrist named Dr. Simone Morabito who equates “Satanic rock music” to a slow-acting, highly effective poison. And Dr. Morabito goes on to say that according to the psychiatrists’ medical journal, in recent years there have been 5,000 young people in the United States who have committed suicide. Dr. Morabito is convinced that one of the main causes of these suicides is “satanic rock music that promotes the taking of one’s life.”
Besides the self-destructive lyrics found in certain songs, there is another kind of danger attached to heavy metal music which involves the extreme volume (110 decibels or more) of the music, combined with stroboscopic lights and the used of drugs or alcohol which can, because of the excessive stimulation of the … [Read More...]
Please take a few moments to read the prayer requests below. And be sure to visit the category on the sidebar titled Prayer Requests if you’d like to read the previous posts on this topic. Also, please let me know if I accidentally neglected to include your request and I will be sure to include it in next week’s post. Thank you for your prayers and for sharing your time.
Prayer Request from Joy:
Dear God,
Help me to straighten out my financial problems. I place this need before You knowing that You will guide me to a good solution. Please grant me the patience and tolerance necessary to calm my spirit and help me to remember that You have everything under Your control and I have nothing to fear or worry. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Prayer Request from Michelle Triska:
please pray that god heals my hiatus hernia, and stomach medical problems, pray that god restores my body back … [Read More...]
Originally posted on March 2, 2011
The other day one of the readers suggested that I write about the Scapular. I have to admit, I probably should’ve covered this topic by now, and in fact had already received this suggestion from that same reader a few months ago. The Scapular is such an important element of our Catholic faith but unfortunately, it isn’t as popular as it once used to be.
What Is the Scapular?
Most Catholics have at least heard of the Scapular, even if they don’t choose to wear it. However, I’m guessing there are probably several others (maybe in the younger age groups) who have either never heard of it or who only have a vague idea of what it is and why it plays such a significant role in our salvation.
This is The Catholic Encyclopedia’s description, word for word, of what the Scapular is in terms of the actual physical definition:
It consists essentially of … [Read More...]
Note: Please read Young Americans in a Spiritual Crisis – Part One before continuing on to this one, which is Part Two.
More Spiritual Insights on the Harry Potter Phenomenon
Clare McGrath Merkle was a New Age “healer” and advanced yoga practitioner who has since returned to the Catholic faith. Father Esper quotes her in his book:
Many of the delightfully described magical arts in the Harry Potter series were pretty standard fare in training courses I mastered to some degree or another, including telepathy, divination, energy-work, necromancy, geomancy and time-travel, to name but a few. . . A close reading of one of the books in the series, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. . . by the eyes of a former occultist like myself, reveals her [Rowling's] more than cursory familiarity with the occult. (Clare McGrath Merkle, “Harry Potter and the Lost Generations.” www.crossveil.org/potter.html.)
Father Esper goes on to point out another writer’s words with regard … [Read More...]
I’m reading a book called Spiritual Dangers of the 21st Century by Rev. Joseph M. Esper. Father Esper has appeared on Women of Grace, which is hosted by Johnnette Benkovic and airs on the EWTN network. In fact, it was on that program where I first heard him promoting Spiritual Dangers of the 21st Century.
In this book, Father Esper has dedicated a whole chapter to the ways in which the young people of our nation are – to quote directly from his book - “growing up in the most spiritually and morally dangerous era in human history.” Since for obvious reasons I cannot quote the whole chapter in this post, I thought I’d instead provide a condensed version sort of outline as to the major highlights of the chapter, along with Father Esper’s examples of how the youth are being spiritually assaulted and his suggestions as to what can be done about this alarming situation that, … [Read More...]
Originally posted on February 24, 2011 (before Father John Corapi’s crisis occurred)
Why am I titling my post “Jesus as Servant” when the earth seems to be on fire with anger and chaos? Shouldn’t I (and you) be up in arms over the moral outrage, violence and bloodshed that is spilling out into every corner of the world these days? Why am I portraying Jesus as servant rather than as the great and almighty God Who must be furious with all of the despair and distress that humanity has brought upon itself?
Here we have earthquakes, riots, moral breakdown, bloodshed, death. And yet I’m presenting an image of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples? How un-debonair.
Jesus as Servant Practiced Humility
I would venture to guess that now more then ever Jesus is still washing the feet of all of His disciples, desiring that humility be practiced; asking that we turn our thoughts and hearts toward holiness and abandon … [Read More...]
A while ago I wrote a post called Spiritual Warfare Prayers – (2) and it was a follow-up to Spiritual Warfare Prayers. Spiritual Warfare Prayers
is a book I’ve talked about before, and yesterday I found a prayer in there that I decided to say. Out loud. In front of the Sacred Heart picture that hangs on my wall in my bedroom. Can you believe I was almost nervous about saying the prayer because I didn’t want to instigate the whatever-it-is-entity that seems to have infused itself into every nook and cranny of this house! I was actually finding myself distressed about the fact that there would possibly be some sort of spiritual blowback because the whatever-it-is-entity would hear me. And then I thought: This is pathetic. I’m actually stressing out about praying out loud?? To God?? Enough.
Binding Evil Spirits and Moving On
I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t live in this house anymore … [Read More...]
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Hello, my name is Margo. When I was 23 years old and working as a part-time nanny in New York City I had the pleasure of caring for a little 5-year-old boy named Alexander. One day I had been overcome with sadness and in a weak moment, I found myself confiding to this little boy about a friend I couldn't find because he was lost. Alexander, quickly responded without missing a beat, “Follow a trail!” [