Fall Rosary Procession

11th Annual Candlelight Rosary Procession –

for Peace in the world and peace in families

“Sweet chain of Mary linking us to God.” Pope John Paul II

On Friday October 4th 2013, Father John Paul Erickson will lead the 11th annual Candlelight Rosary Procession from the Minnesota State Capitol to the Cathedral of Saint Paul. In this public witness of our Catholic Faith, we will gather to invoke our Blessed Mother’s intercession as we pray for the intentions of our new Holy Father Pope Francis, for priests and for holiness and peace in families and in the world. At the Cathedral we will entrust our families to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and honor Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

In these times of serious challenge and uncertainty, Our Lady continues to turn our attention to the power of the Holy Rosary. Together let us rededicate ourselves to this prayer, the prayer she has repeatedly held out to us in all her approved apparitions. Remember the words of Pope Pius XII -  “Put great confidence in the Holy Rosary for the healing of evils which afflict our times. Not with force, not with arms, not with human power, but with Divine help obtained through the means of this prayer, strong like David with his sling…”

Gathering time on State Capitol approach – 6:30 pm; Procession begins at 7:00 pm.

Bring a busload from your parish or area. 

Contact: First Student Inc. Charter bus Rental 651-645-3959.

www.firstcharterbus.com

Download a poster/flyer and more details on the Procession website:www.familyrosaryprocession.org

Act with Faith, Hope and Charity

Occasionally, summer's hot temps give us the opportunity to attend mass at a local air conditioned parish, yesterday's high temp in the 90's was once such occasion.  We usually either end up at Saint Odilia's  in Shoreview or Maternity of Mary in Saint Paul.  Yesterday we attended Maternity of Mary, where the Pastor, Father Peter Williams is my favorite homilist (and favorite confessor too).  He gave the a most apropos homily, which I'll try and summarize (wish I had recorded him). 

He started off by relating a story of a three year old he had met the previous week and how the boy had come up to Father several times and showed by word or deed that he was now a "big boy" now.   Later, though, the boy showed his abstinence in other behavior and would throw a tantrum or stomp off.  The only question the boy would ask is "Why".  Why do I have to do this?  Why do I have to eat that?  Why do I have to go to bed? 

In counseling parishioners one of the toughest hurdles that he encounters is how difficult it is for people to get past the why.  Why does my husband have cancer, he is too young.  Why can't I find a job?  Why doesn't my son attend mass?  Why is my boss so inconsiderate?  Why won't my father quit drinking? 

He related that we have to move beyond the "why" to the "where".  Where is God's plan in it?  God's challenges give us the opportunity to grow in holiness.  We need to accept God's challenges, find God's plan in them, and take the opportunity to act with Faith, Hope and Charity.  FHC!

Tolerance #1

For some time I have been wanting to put together a list of good blog entries on tolerance. I was inspired by Jan B's entry today:

"There is also teaching about women and modesty that in my opinion could bear some re-thinking. Last year we had a rosary in the park and invited surrounding parishes to join us, and a few did. It was ferocious weather and we ended up in our church and one of our youth was scandalized by two of the women from another parish who came back to church with us, because they wore pants. The pants were loose, thick, worn under long coats, and were perfectly modest. It made me think that we could perhaps do better to teach ‘modesty’ rather than ‘no pants no where no time’ and also wonder if the present interpretation didn’t originally come from a certain quarter of the community which has departed."

Chapel Veils: Ask Mom for Help

This is a repost from Philothea on Phire

The following is a comment made by good friend of this blog, Elizabeth, on my “Happy Mother’s Day” post. I thought it was worth sharing more widely, as a post of its own.

I wanted to share a "mother moment" I had this morning, I truly believe, with our Blessed Mother. 

Before I entered the church at the nearby Novus Ordo parish, I came up with a compromise of sorts with my self-consciousness when wearing a veil at a NO church. All winter, I simply wore a hat at Mass. Now that it's not hat weather… uh oh.  

So I put the veil over my head and tied it back under my hair, like a bandana. Silly, eh? I figured that this would be a way to ease into wearing it, while at the same time not being quite so noticeable to others. I know… like everyone in the church is looking at me, right? :) And besides, who cares if everyone looks at you! Further silliness!

So I knelt in my spot in front of the gorgeous statue of Our Lady, right up front in the handicapped row, and asked her to please help me to not be concerned about the looks I may get from others, or what other people may or may not think about it (including the army of VII priests there). I asked Her to please help me to don my veil at every Mass – just like I used to when I was able to attend the Traditional Mass, where every woman wears one. Please, please, please. Then I said a Hail Mary and the St. Michael prayer to settle myself in for the Mass, and sat back in the pew.

There was a tap on my shoulder.

I turned around to face a rather handsome, serious-faced man who leaned forward to whisper to me, "I haven't seen a woman wearing a veil in church in decades. I just wanted to tell you how beautiful it is to see you wearing a veil. Thank you for that."

I kid you not: that's what he said. And no one can tell me that that wasn't an answer to my heartfelt prayer! It brought a tear to my eyes, and I thanked Our Lady.

Awesome moment.

Rosary Procession May 5th

May - The Month of Mary

It is now late April, and time to start thinking about one of my favorite months.  Soon we will have May crownings, Rosary processions and other special events to honor our Blessed Mother.  So take time this May for you and your family to honor Mary.  God Bless.  Joseph, Mary and Jesus, Saint Mary Goretti, Gaurdian Angels Ora Pro Nobis

Saintly Humility Quotes

I found these tonight some are quite good.

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble" (James 4:6)

http://whitelilyoftrinity.com/saints_quotes_humility.html

Also, see Litany of Humility, Cardinal Merry del Val
http://sancteioseph.blogspot.com/2012/02/litany-of-humility.html

To be taken with love for a soul, God does not look on its greatness, but the greatness of its humility.
--St John of the Cross, OCD

“There is something in humility which strangely exalts the heart.”
--Saint Augustine

“It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels.”
--Saint Augustine

He who wants to learn true humility should reflect upon the Passion of Jesus. (267)
-- St Faustina, Divine Mercy in my Soul

The soul's true greatness is in loving God and in humbling oneself in His presence, completely forgetting oneself and believing oneself to be nothing; because the Lord is great, but He is well-pleased only with the humble; He always opposes the proud.
-- St Faustina, Divine Mercy in my Soul

Do you wish to be great? Then begin by being. Do you desire to construct a vast and lofty fabric? Think first about the foundations of humility. The higher your structure is to be, the deeper must be its foundation.
--Saint Augustine

We should let God be the One to praise us and not praise ourselves. For God detests those who commend themselves. Let others applaud our good deeds.
--Pope St. Clement I

'If humble souls are contradicted, they remain calm; if they are calumniated, they suffer with patience; if they are little esteemed, neglected, or forgotten, they consider that their due; if they are weighed down with occupations, they perform them cheerfully.'
--St. Vincent de Paul

'The first degree of humility is the fear of God, which we should constantly have before our eyes.'
--St. Louis de Blois

The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.
--Saint Vincent de Paul

Humility is the foundation of all the other virtues hence, in the soul in which this virtue does not exist there cannot be any other virtue except in mere appearance.
--Saint Augustine

There is more value in a little study of humility and in a single act of it than in all the knowledge in the world.
--Saint Teresa of Avila

"It is no great thing to be humble when you are brought low; but to be humble when you are praised is a great and rare attainment."
--St.Bernard

Humility is the mother of many virtues because from it obedience, fear, reverence, patience, modesty, meekness and peace are born. He who is humble easily obeys everyone, fears to offend anyone, is at peace with everyone, is kind with all.
--St Thomas of Villanova

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility.
--Saint Augustine

Indeed a humble rustic who serves God is better than a proud intellectual who neglects his soul to study the course of the stars.
--Imitation of Christ

A proud and avaricious man never rests, whereas he who is poor and humble of heart lives in a world of peace. The humble live in continuous peace, while in the hearts of the proud are envy and frequent anger.
--Imitation of Christ

It is a virtue and a prize to listen patiently to and put up with insults for the sake of God
--Revelations of St. Bridget

Humility does not disturb or disquiet or agitate, however great it may be; it comes with peace, delight, and calm. . . . The pain of genuine humility doesn’t agitate or afflict the soul; rather, this humility expands it and enables it to serve God more.
--St teresa of Avila

"Speaking absolutely, humility excels virginity."
--St. Thomas

'As patience leads to peace, and study to science, so are humiliations the path that leads to humility.'
--St. Bernard of Clairvaux

"No one reaches the kingdom of Heaven except by humility"
--St Augustine

" There never can have been, and never can be, and there never shall be any sin without pride."
--St Augustine

"Humility, which is a virtue, is always fruitful in good works."
--St. Thomas

"You cannot attain to charity except through humility."
--St. Augustine

"I make bold to say that it is profitable for the proud to fall, in order that they may be humbled in that for which they have exalted themselves.
--St. Augustine

The highest point of humility consists in not merely acknowledging one's abjection, but in taking pleasure therein, not from any want of breadth or courage, but to give the more glory to God's Divine Majesty, and to esteem one's neighbour more highly than one's self.
--St Francis De Sales

'There is no doubt that God will never be wanting to us, provided that He finds in us that humility which makes us worthy of His gifts, the desire of possessing them, and the promptitude to co-operate industriously with the graces He gives us.'
--St. Ignatius of Loyola

Humility makes our lives acceptable to God, meekness makes us acceptable to men.
--St Francis De Sales