God alone Suffices

“Somehow, then, God must contrive to break through those routines of ours and remind us once again, like Israel, that we are ultimately dependent only upon Him, that He has made us and destined us for life with Him through all eternity, that the things of this world and this world itself are not our lasting city, that His we are and that we must look to Him and turn to Him in everything. Then it is, perhaps, that He must allow our whole world to be turned upside down in order to remind us it is not our permanent abode or final destiny, to bring us to our senses and restore our sense of values, to turn our thoughts once more to Him -- even if at first our thoughts are questioning and full of reproaches. Then it is that He must remind us again, with terrible clarity, that He meant exactly what He said in those seemingly simple words of the Sermon on the Mount: ‘Do not be anxious about what you shall eat, or what you shall wear, or where you shall sleep, but seek first the kingdom of God and His justice.’”

~ Fr. Walter Ciszek, S.J., “He Leadeth Me”, p. 22 ~

Accepting God’s Will

"One great means of preserving a constant peace and tranquillity of heart is to receive all things as coming from the hands of God, whatever they may be, and in whatever way they may come."

~ St. Dorotheus ~

Embrace Your Crosses

“Kiss frequently the crosses which the Lord sends you, and with all your heart, without regarding of what sort they may be; for the more vile and mean they are, the more they deserve their name. The merit of crosses does not consist in their weight, but in the manner in which they are borne. It may show much greater virtue to bear a cross of straw than a very hard and heavy one, because the light ones are also the most hidden and contemned, and therefore least comfortable to our inclination, which always seeks what is showy.”

~ St. Francis de Sales ~

The Lamb Suffered for Us

"The Lamb who was slaughtered for the sake of our salvation still thirsts – His desire for our salvation is greater than could be shown by His suffering – for His suffering is without end, as is His love."

~ St. Catherine of Siena ~

Catherine of Siena by Sigrid Undset, pp. 188-189

Prayer

Prayer is the perfect penance because it unites your heart, mind, and soul with God. 

~ paraphrased (or possibly a direct quote) from a sermon given by Fr. Insco, FSSP

Words to Remember

"He will provide the way and the means, such as you could never have imagined. Leave it all to Him, let go of yourself, lose yourself on the cross, and you will find yourself entirely."

~ St. Catherine of Siena ~

St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us!

Grow in Me

"Grow, Jesus, grow in my heart, my spirit, my imagination, my senses, by your modesty, your purity, your humility, your zeal, your love. 

Grow with your grace, your light, your peace. Grow despite my resistance, my pride. 

Grow until you reach the fullness of human perfection. Grow as you did at Nazareth before God and before men, for the glory of your Father."

~ St. Bernadette Soubirous ~

Sound Advice for Parents

Happy Feast of St. John Bosco!

I'm sharing this link here so that I can have easy access to it. 

 

St. John Bosco, pray for us!

Tasha Tudor

When I was in grade school, the librarian read us Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen, illustrated by Tasha Tudor. I remember going to the library each week and anxiously waiting for the librarian to finish reading the book, so that I could check it out and look at the lovely illustrations. When I grew a little older, I delighted in her illustrations in The Secret Garden. As an adult, I still like Tasha Tudor's illustrations. I also find pleasure in looking at photos of her amazing garden.

Postcard available from Tasha Tudor and Family

The other day, I came across the quote below from Tasha Tudor, and she endeared herself even more to me.

"I enjoy doing housework, ironing, washing, cooking, dishwashing. Whenever I get one of those questionaires and they ask what is your profession, I always put down housewife. It's an admirable profession, why apologize for it. You aren't stupid because you're a housewife. When you're stirring the jam you can read Shakespeare." 

Words to Remember

"The only success in life is the person who has a good death. The only failure in life is the person who has a bad death."
~ Fr. Wolfe, FSSP

Detachment

The other day, I called my friend, Elena. I was crying about something silly (it's what happens when I am pregnant), and she told me, "Christine, you need to learn to detach." She went on to tell me a story about St. Teresa of Avila and detachment. A little later, I was looking for a quote on something else, and I stumbled on these quotes from Catholic Tradition about detachment. I am posting them here for easy reference.

"Give me ten truly detached men. and I will convert the world with them."
- St. Philip Neri 

"Love consists not in feeling great things but in having great detachment and in suffering for the Beloved."
-St. John of the Cross 

"If you purify your soul of attachment to and desire for things, you will understand them spiritually. If you deny your appetite for them, you will enjoy their truth, understanding what is certain in them."
- St. John of the Cross 

"We must have a real living determination to reach holiness. I will be a saint means I will despoil myself of all that is not God; I will strip my heart of all created things; I will live in poverty and detachment; I will renounce my will, my inclinations, my whims and fancies, and make myself a willing slave to the will of God."
- Bl. Mother Teresa

I am thankful to have a friend who keeps me grounded and offers sound advice.

St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us!

Goodbye May Daybook!

Outside my windows,

Our flowers are blooming. The crocuses, daffodils, tulips, hyacinths, azaleas, and lilacs have faded.

Roses, Our Lady's pincushion (scabiosa 'butterfly blue'), angel daisies, armeria, dianthus, peonies, and lupines are now in full bloom.

I thoroughly enjoy spending time outside weeding because it gives me an opportunity to appreciate the beautiful flowers that God has made.

The children and I are thrilled that we have grapes, peaches, plums, raspberries, and strawberries forming too.

In the kitchen

I tried a new recipe. Pork isn't a favorite in our house, but I made this for dinner recently, along with the vegetables mentioned, and everyone was raving. Some of the children had seconds. It was so tasty that I made it again when our pastor came over for dinner.

I am hearing Agnes and Cecilia practicing for their violin recital in June, a shower running, and children talking.

I have been listening to Enthronement and Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.



My husband gave me these beautiful roses for Mother's Day.

I am still thinking about the amazing sermon that our pastor gave on Mother's Day. It was a wonderful gift. I know that I am not the only one thinking about it, as I was told by one of my daughters that she and her sisters were discussing it. I am also thinking about the excellent catechetical class that he gave recently. It was the last class that he was offering before he leaves for his new assignment in July.

We are going to miss Fr. S. a lot when he leaves for his new assignment as FSSP District Superior of North America, but he has promised to visit our parish often, and I know that he will make an extraordinary District Superior. Please keep Fr. S. in your prayers as he takes on his new responsibilities.

I am praying for Fr. S. and for our future pastor.

I am reading Footprints in a Darkened Forest by Ven. Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Like all of his books, it is very insightful. These quotes are just a few of the nuggets of wisdom found in the pages of this book:

"Youth was meant to live like wheat in a field, not to be pulled up until it was ripe."
~ p. 11 

"Eternity is without succession, a simultaneous possession of all joys. To those who live toward Eternity, it really is not something at the end; it is that which influences every moment of the 'now.'”
~ p. 18 

"In every prayer there is at least a brief wedding of time and Eternity."
~ p. 19 

"Our Blessed Lord said, 'If you do My Will, you will know My doctrine.' He did not say, 'If you know My doctrine, you will do My will.'
~ p. 208

I am thankful for my little boys. Kieran was thrilled to receive this cowboy outfit for his birthday.

He was delighted with his cake. Upon seeing it, he exclaimed, "That's a neat cake!"

Our youngest thoroughly enjoyed eating his brother's birthday cake.

Anecdote:

Me: "Smell this rose."

Kieran: "It smells good. We need to cut these pricks."
Me: "Oh no, we don't want to cut those. They are part of the rose that you thought smelled good."
Kieran: "But these are pricks. See!"
Me: "They are thorns, and they are part of the rose."
Kieran: "We need to cut them."
Me (breaking a thorn off): "Look, this is a thorn. We can break them off, but you don't want to cut them."
Kieran: "Why do you want to break them off?"
Me: "So that you don't cut my roses."
Kieran: "I don't want to cut your roses. I want to cut the pricks."

I can't win. A few weeks ago, he cut down a rose bush, or "prickles" as he called them. Last Saturday, he cut a bunch of the roses pictured below. The roses, or "pricks" that he was referring to here are yellow roses that are growing in our backyard. Hopefully, one day he will appreciate the roses, despite the thorns.

I love my little boy!

Busy September Daybook

Outside my window

The sun is setting. Planes are flying overhead and the branches of the trees are swaying with the gentle breeze.

I am wearing

a denim skirt, a brown t-shirt, and a fleur-de-lis flexi clip.

In the kitchen

I am so thankful to a friend and fellow parishioner who has been giving us Italian prunes, heirloom tomatoes, zucchini, and three overflowing boxes of apples.

In addition to eating the apples out of the box, we have also been making dried apples, applesauce, and apple pies.

Outside

Between our parish picnic and our State Fair, we have been spending a lot of time outside. Each year, our children look forward to our parish picnic. Our pastor, assistant pastor, the Knights of Columbus, and the young adults all work together to ensure that the children have a great time.

Like all of the other games, Tug of War is enjoyed by both young and old at our parish.

Our youngest daughter participated in her first egg race this year. She didn't quite understand the rules of the race (notice the egg), but she had a great time. She is such a sweet child.

This is the first year that we have all gone to the State Fair with "Daddy".  The younger children enjoyed some of the free activities like:

riding the tractors,

helping the ducks get to the other side

and running through the maze.

The children also had fun going on the rides.

We all had a great time.

I am thankful for

the Catechetical series that my pastor, Fr. S., started this month. I was happy to go to the first class in this series.

I am hearing

my children playing outside.

In our learning home

I am having a tough time so far this year. Please pray for me.

I am reading

Padre Pio: The True Story. Fr. V. recommended this book in one of his sermons and I decided that it was about time that I start to read it. My mom had a devotion to St. Padre Pio (he was Blessed Padre Pio at the time), and I read Stories of Padre Pio by Katarina Tangari, based on her recommendation, shortly after my mom died. It is good to be learning more about this great saint.

I am listening to

Modesty of Dress: You are Your Brother's Keeper

I am pondering
this quote from Bl. Mother Teresa that Cay Gibson shared on A Beehive of Spiritual Activity.

"If you are discouraged, it is a sign of pride because it shows you trust in your own power. Your self-sufficiency, your selfishness and your intellectual pride will inhibit His coming to live in your heart because God cannot fill what is already full. It is as simple as that.”

 ~ Bl. Mother Teresa ~

Keeping the Company of the Saints: St. Francis de Sales

"Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections but instantly set about remedying them — every day begin the task anew." 

~ St. Francis de Sales ~

When I saw Meredith's reminder about this week's Keeping the Company of the Saints, St. Francis de Sales immediately came to my mind. There are many saints that I like who I turn to and who inspire me, including, but not limited to, St. Joseph, St. Catherine of Siena (she was my favorite saint when I was growing up), St. Bernadette Soubirous, St. John Bosco, St. Therese of Lisieux and her parents, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Bridget of Sweden, St. Claude de la Colombiere, and St. Jean Marie Vianney. So, why did St. Francis de Sales come to my mind? I think that it is due to the fact that through his writings, this Doctor of the Church speaks to and inspires me.

"Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. Commend all to God, and then lie still and be at rest in His bosom. Whatever happens, abide steadfast in a determination to cling simply to God, trusting to His eternal love for you; and if you find that you have wandered forth from this shelter, recall your heart quietly and simply. Maintain a holy simplicity of mind, and do not smother yourself with a host of cares, wishes, or longings, under any pretext."

~ St. Francis de Sales ~

Over the years, I have read An Introduction to the Devout Life (I have an older copy of this book) several times and each time that I have done so, I have found myself pausing and thinking, "I don't remember reading that before, but I so needed to hear it." St. Francis de Sales' writing is so deep that I benefit from it in different ways each time that I read this book. I need the spiritual direction that this great saint offers.

"Kiss frequently the crosses which the Lord sends you, and with all your heart, without regarding of what sort they may be; for the more vile and mean they are, the more they deserve their name. The merit of crosses does not consist in their weight, but in the manner in which they are borne. It may show much greater virtue to bear a cross of straw than a very hard and heavy one, because the light ones are also the most hidden and condemned, aud therefore least conformable to our inclination, which always seeks what is showy."

~ St. Francis de Sales ~

St. Francis de Sales also appeals to me because he had a deep love for our Blessed Mother and consecrated himself to her. In fact, he promoted not only devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, but also to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort said that St. Francis de Sales was one of the greatest Marian saints. I cannot help but think that our Blessed Mother had and has a deep love for St. Francis de Sales too.

"Let us run to Mary, and, as her little children, cast ourselves into her arms with a perfect confidence."
~ St. Francis de Sales ~

By the grace of God, St. Francis de Sales brought many of the residents of Le Chablais back to the One True Faith that was founded by Jesus Christ, the Catholic Church. On December 8, 1602, during the time of the "Protestant Reformation", St. Francis de Sales was made the Bishop of Geneva. Along with St. Jane Frances de Chantal, St. Francis de Sales established the Institute of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He was canonized in 1665 by Pope Alexander VII and proclaimed a Doctor of the Church by Pope Pius IX in 1877. St. Francis de Sales is one of the many incorruptible saints.

"My past no longer concerns me. It belongs to Divine mercy. My future does not yet concern me. It belongs to Divine providence. What concerns me and what challenges me is today, which belongs to God's grace and to the devotion of my heart and my good will."

~ St. Francis de Sales ~

St. Francis de Sales, ora pro nobis!

I am joining Meredith at Sweetness and Light for Keeping the Company of the Saints.

Keeping the Company of the Saints: St. Bernadette Soubirous

 "Every moment that I live I shall spend in loving."
~ St. Bernadette Soubirous ~

The Grotto at Lourdes

The Bells of the Angelus 

The bells of the Angelus, Call us to pray. 

In sweet tones announcing the sacred Ave 

Ave, Ave, Ave Maria. 

Ave, Ave, Ave Maria.  

An angel of mercy, led Bernadette's feet, 

Where flows the deep torrent, Our Lady to greet. 

Ave, Ave, Ave Maria. 

Ave, Ave, Ave Maria.  

Immaculate Mary, Our hearts are all thine. 

Protect us, your children, Who kneel at thy shrine. 

Ave, Ave, Ave Maria. 

Ave, Ave, Ave Maria.

The Spring

Several years ago, on the Feast of our Blessed Mother's nativity and the days surrounding it, my husband, Catherine, and I were privileged to visit Lourdes with most of my family and some friends. Prior to thinking about or planning our trip to Lourdes, we learned that I was pregnant and decided that if we had another daughter, we would name her Bernadette. While we were in Lourdes, we read a plaque that shared the date of St. Bernadette's birth and I commented to my husband, "St. Bernadette's birthday is the day after my ultrasound due date."

Catherine at the Grotto

On St. Bernadette's birthday, I went to my doctor for a non-stress test and he told me, "You need to get to the hospital. You're having contractions every two minutes and you're 5 centimeters dilated." I wasn't feeling any pain or discomfort and had no idea that I was in labor. I asked the doctor if I could please call my husband before heading to the hospital. When my husband arrived at the hospital, I said to him, "This is a girl." He asked, "How do you know?" I responded, "Because it is St. Bernadette's birthday and we chose the name Bernadette for a girl." My husband jokingly replied, "Watch the baby be a boy." However, I knew in my heart that our baby was a girl.

Catherine and her daddy at the Grotto

For our daughter's Baptism, her godmother gave her goddaughter Fr. Lawrence Lovasik's Our Lady of Lourdes. Although I had watched The Song of Bernadette many times, I think that this was the first book that I ever read about "our Lady's little servant" and I thoroughly appreciated this children's book.

Some of my family, Bernadette's godmother, and me
outside St. Bernadette's home

As Bernadette grew, I knew that I wanted to teach her more about the patron saint after whom she was named. My parents gave her the video Bernadette: The Princess of Lourdes. My parents-in-law gave Bernadette their old copy of Saint Bernadette (A First Book for Little Catholics) (out of print) by Fr. Gales. I purchased Saint Bernadette Soubirous: And Our Lady of Lourdes by Anne Eileen Heffernan, FSP and Mary Elizabeth Tebo, FSP and the vision book Bernadette: Our Lady's Little Servant by Hertha Pauli. Last February, I read the latter book to all of my children. They all liked listening to and learning from the story. Bernadette expressed an interest in learning more about her patron saint, so I checked Bernadette Speaks: A Life of St. Bernadette Soubirous in Her Own Words by Rene Laurentin out from the library for her. She and her older sister enjoyed this book. We also watched Navis Pictures' film St. Bernadette of Lourdes on either February 11 or 18.

 

In the spring or early summer of this year, I spoke with Fr. Dennis Gordon, FSSP about the Catholic camps that he was hosting. During our conversation, we talked about St. Bernadette and he recommended the book, Saint Bernadette Soubirous: 1844-1879 by Abbe Francois Trochu. I am thankful that he did so.

My children gave me Saint Bernadette Soubirous: 1844-1879 for Christmas. This book gave me a greater appreciation of and love for St. Bernadette, and a great desire to return with my family to Lourdes and to visit Nevers (I became sick previously, so we didn't make it to Nevers). It also impressed on my mind that St. Bernadette didn't become a saint because she saw Our Lady of Lourdes; rather, she became a great saint because she did her best to live her life according to God's will. Only someone who was living their life according to God's will could write:

"O Jesus, keep me under the standard of your Cross... Let the crucifix be not merely before my eyes and on my breast, but in my heart, alive within me! Let me be crucified alive like Him, transformed into Him by the union of the Eucharist, by meditation on His life, on the inmost feelings of His Heart, drawing souls not to myself but to Him, from this high Cross to which His love fastens me alive for ever!"

~ Saint Bernadette Soubirous, pp. 341-342 ~

This month, as in years past, we will be receiving a call from my dad on February 18 (the day that the French celebrate St. Bernadette's feast day), wishing our daughter well on her patron saint's feast day. He is so good about remembering our special days. I wish that I were better about celebrating my children's name days. I am embarrassed to say that we often do nothing beyond mentioning that it is their patron saint's feast day and praying, "St. ____, pray for us" after our grace before meals. Other times, we will also read a book (if available) and/or watch a movie about the patron saint. Occasionally, we will have a special dessert on a name day. We have a special meal for the feast of St. Agnes on January 21 and the feast of St. Patrick on March 17. Hopefully, by being reminded who they are named after and by learning about their patron saints, my children will fall in love with their name saints and be inspired to live their lives according to God's will, embracing their crosses and thanking God for everything.

"...When you realize that God permits a thing,

you do not complain."

~ Saint Bernadette Soubirous, p. 33 ~

St. Bernadette, priez pour nous!

Immaculate Mary

(sung each evening by candlelight in Lourdes)

Immaculate Mary, thy praises we sing.

Who reignest in splendor with Jesus our King. 

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Maria!

In Heaven the blessed thy glory proclaim;

On earth we thy children invoke thy sweet name. 

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Maria!

Thy name is our power, thy virtues our light,

Thy love is our comfort, thy pleading our might.

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Maria!

We pray for our Mother, the Church upon earth,

And bless, Holy Mary, the land of our birth.

Ave, Ave, Ave, Maria! Ave, Ave, Maria! 

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

The Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes (an easier novena prayer) begins tomorrow, February 2, Candlemas (a.k.a. the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and ends on February 10, the day before the Feast of Our Lady Lourdes. We will be praying one of the above novena prayers for our baby who I will be holding in my arms the day after the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes.

I am joining Meredith at Sweetness and Light for Keeping the Company of the Saints.