Dec 22nd AND Dec 23rd, 2012

Happy 4th Sunday of Advent!!

Such a short 4th week this year...just one day long!

My apologies...A Christmas party and a very busy day caused me to miss posting yesterday's Antiphon! So today you get two. :) Praise the Lord!

Dec 22 - O King of the gentiles and their desired One, the cornerstone that makes both one: come, and deliver man, whom you formed out of the dust of the earth. (No reflection today, but you can find the chant music/Latin HERE!)

Dec 23 - O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and lawgiver, the expected of the nations and their Savior: come to save us, O Lord our God. (No reflection today, but you can find the chant music/Latin HERE!)

A few things going on in yesterday's antiphon...O King of the gentiles....Jesus was is typically called the King of the Jews, as He is the King, Lord/Messiah they have been waiting for. Here we see Him referred to as the King of the gentiles, no non-Jews, as well! He is the cornerstone, or foundation of all the nations on Earth, and indeed, everyone's savior.  We cry to Him, who formed us all in the first place, to come and save us from this mess of sin and darkness that we have gotten ourselves into.

For today's, the last of the O Antiphons...O Emmanuel.  Emmanuel means "God with us", so the first part is simply a repeating of the phrase. Jesus, our King and lawgiver...He came to save ALL the nations! We know we need help from sin and death, although many might not know that what, or who, they are hoping for is actually Jesus. The Savior. He comes to save us...Rejoice! :)

The O Antiphons, while great prayers to meditate on before Christmas, also contain a hidden message! The picture above contains the 7 names of Christ found in the antiphons, in the original Latin, the official language of the Catholic Church. In order, they are Sapientia (Wisdom), Adonai (Lord), Radix (Root), Clavis (Key), Oriens (Dawn), Rex (King), and Emmanuel (Emmanuel).  If you take the first letters of each of those names, and work back words, you get EROCRAS, or "ero cras,"... which is a Latin phrase meaning "I will be (there) tomorrow."  And tomorrow...Christmas Eve night, is when we celebrate the Birth of Christ...Beautiful!

I love being Catholic. :)

Be Catholic.
Be Holy!

Dec 21st, 2012

December 21st! The end of the world? False! Matthew 24:36...look it up. :) We know neither the day nor the time. So take courage, and keep living radically for Jesus Christ! :) Praise the Lord!

Today is also the Winter Solstice...the shortest day of the year!

 

Things only get brighter from here! How fitting that this day happens so close to Christmas, when we celebrate the Light of the World coming to Earth. :) This theme is also reflected in the Antiphon for today. Check it out:

Dec 21st - O dawn of the east, brightness of light eternal, and sun of justice: come, and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Dawn of the east...the sun...the SON! He comes to cast out sin and darkenss and death! What hope we have in Christ! Pray that He may enter your own sin and darkness...He will heal you. Be prepared, though, to be used by Him in wonderous ways! He will use you to your full potential to help others defeat their own darkness...what an adventure life with Christ is. :) Praise the Lord!

Check out a deeper reflection HERE again by Fr Z.

And...

Be Holy.

Dec 20th 2012

So much snow today! Praise the Lord!



Dec 20th - "O Key of David, and scepter of the house of Israel, who opens and no man shuts, who shuts and no man opens: come, and lead forth the captive who sits in the shadows from his prison."

Christmas is so close! But we must not miss out on the graces of these last few days of Advent. The O Antiphons continue.  Today's mentions Christ as the "Key of David."  David being King David of the Old Testament.  David was Jesse's son...and Jesse was mentioned in yesterday's antiphon! This is family that Jesus came from, as we know from both the prophets, as well as the geneology of Christ found in the Gospel of Matthew 1:1-17.

Jesus as the Key of David...He can both open and close doors in our lives...whatever He wants! This is BEAUTIFUL! God is leading us. We might not understand or like the doors that open or close...but we must keep in mind that God is leading us somewhere. He has a plan for us, a mission, for each one of us. If we pray, pay attention, and keep seeking holiness, we will find and fulfill that plan. And because it is given by God, it will be the absolute best plan for us in this life, leading us to life in the next. Praise the Lord!

But even deeper meaning...Remember in the Gospel when Jesus gives St. Peter the keys to the kingdom? Jesus is that Key! St. Peter, the first pope, was given that Key. Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church, and promised to be with us until the end of the age. Mmm. Check out more reflection related to that idea, again by Father Z, HERE!

In other news, this is coming up soon!!! Invite friends!

Be Holy.

Dec 19th 2012

We continue with our O Antiphons as we get closer and closer to Christmas...The third one of the Seven:

Dec 19th - "O Root of Jesse, that stands for an ensign of the people, before whom the kings keep silence and unto whom the Gentiles shall make supplication: come, to deliver us, and tarry not.." Reflection by Father Z - HERE! Read it! It helps so much to understand the true meaning behind these verses! :)

This antiphon happens to be one of my FAVORITE verses in the song O Come O Come Emmanuel, especially in the version linked below. The verse starts at 2:02. Take a listen!

Simply beautiful. Our Church is so rich with sacredness!

In other news...huge snow storm coming towards St. Francis tonight!!

Be safe...
Be Holy.

Dec 18th

Wow, I've missed almost all of Advent!! Shoot...

Hopefully all of you have been having a blessed season of preparation for the celebration of Christ's birth!! I love Advent...the cold weather, the snow(sometimes), the reflective and meditative music, the simplicity, the candles...all of it!

We're already in the third week of Advent, which is our week for JOY! Kid of a "we're halfway there!" to the season. We're reminded that Christ coming to earth is a JOYFUL thing. "Rejoice! Again I say, rejoice!" (Phil 4:4). That's why the candle is rose colored instead of purple...it's JOY!

Another pretty cool feature of the third week of Advent, is that we start the ancient tradition of the "O Antiphons." Every day for the 7 days leading up to Christmas, there is a specific antiphon, or verse, about Christ coming to save us. You are probably more familiar with these verses than you think, as they have been turned into a song...O Come O Come Emmanuel! Each verse starts with an Old Testament name of Christ, then continues with a fervent prayer for Christ to come and save us from our sin and darkness. Powerful stuff!

Here are yesterday's and today's, with links to where you can learn more about them. Read up on it! It's so cool!! Over the next week, I will continue to post those antiphons so you can pray and meditate along with the universal Church...who has used these antiphons for close to 1500 years!

Dec 17th - "O Wisdom, who came from the mouth of the Most High, reaching from end to end and ordering all things mightily and sweetly: come, and teach us the way of prudence." Reflection HERE!

Dec 18th - "O Lord and Ruler the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the flame of the burning bush and gave him the law on Sinai: come, and redeem us with outstretched arms." Reflection HERE!

Beautiful.

Be Holy.

Winter Calendar is here!! Check out the events we have coming up :) Hope to see you at one or all of them!

Be Holy.

End of November Already??

It is November 27th already...how does that happen!

Thanksgiving is over...Turkey is eaten...Naps have been taken...The Solemnity of Christ the King was just celebrated on Sunday, and we are in the last week of the liturgical year! That means...

It's almost ADVENT!!

Remember those Advent calendars with the little doors that open and chocolate is inside? Those were delicious...anyway, more on Advent later!

Today, check out this article...It is a piece over at Lifeteen.com offering advice to Catholic men, it's pretty awesome!

"I love being a man, but with this gift comes a great amount of responsibility. I may still have a lot to learn, but I do know that working on these things now can save you a lot of agony and pain in the future. But more importantly, they can put you down a greater path to holiness and allow you to lead others closer to Christ."

Check out the whole thing over there! - Click HERE!

Be Holy, men....and women...but this time, talking to the men. ;)

Thanksgiving and December

Thanksgiving is FAST approaching! At least I think it is...I'm confused by what I hear on the radio!

What a blur this year has been...yet at the same time...haven't I been working this job forever?? It is hard to believe it will only be a year come December.

And with that, December is going to be a great month! Check out all the things we have going on! Come to something, or all of it, and invite friends! Parents are welcome at these events as well. :) What a great way to bond with the youth during this Thanksgiving/Advent/Christmas Season!

December 1st - Lifeline @ NET Ministries in St. Paul (Grades 8-12)

    -Tony Melendez, a guitar player/singer born without arms will be performing.  Tickets are needed, and sell out quickly! Please contact Matthew by Nov 26th. 

December 1st - Cookie Baking! (Grades 6-12)

- Help Catholic United bake cookies in McCarthy Hall...you might just get a few to eat as well!

- From 9:00am - Noon.

December 3rd - Just Show Up Mini-Retreat (Grades 8-12)

-A mini retreat to LaCrosse, WI for prayer, music, ice cream, and 2.6 million Christmas lights! Who wants to miss that??

- From 5:15pm - 11:00pm. Late, but very worth it!

- Parents or other adults are more than welcome!

December 14th - Advent Angel Gift Wrapping Party (Grades 6-12)

- Wrapping presents for those in need, Christmas music, Christmas cookies, food, movies, and games!  

- 6:00pm - 9:00pm

December 25th - Christmas Day! (Everyone! Holy Day of Obligation!)

- See you at Mass! Jesus Christ is born!

January 1st - Mary, Mother of God Feast Day! (Everyone! Holy Day of Obligation!)

- See you at Mass! Let’s honor Mary together!

January 14th - Ice Skating and Pizza - 12:30pm (Grades 6-12)

-We’ll have pizza at Valentino’s and then head to the Rec Center for some ice skating!

January 16th - Middle School City-Wide Lock-In - 6:30pm - 12:00pm

February 23rd - High School City-Wide Lock-In -  5:15pm - 12:00pm

Year of Faith

The Year of Faith is upon us! 

"This year can help fill the Emptiness found in Society today." 

"Today, more than ever, evangelizing means witnessing to the new life, transformed by God, and thus showing the path." – Pope Benedict XVI’s homily from the opening Mass of the Year

Watch this video!

Check out these words from the Holy Father about the Youth in this world...

Pope Benedict XVI sees young people as a sign of hope for Christianity in the world. In a recent interview he stated the following, "A third reason [for hope]... is evident in the fact that this sense of restlessness today exists among the young. Young people have seen much - the proposals of the various ideologies and of consumerism - and they have become aware of the emptiness and insufficiency of those things. Man was created for the infinite, the finite is too little. Thus, among the new generations we are seeing the reawakening of this restlessness, and they too begin their journey making new discoveries of the beauty of Christianity; not a ...watered-down version, but Christianity in all its radicalism and profundity... The facts confirm this in a single phrase: Deep foundations. That is Christianity; it is true and the truth always has a future."  Beautiful.

The Vatican during the opening of the Year of Faith...look at all those people!!

October...it's almost over! What a packed month, praise the Lord!

Some items of note:

• Pope Benedict the XVI named two additional Saints to the level of Doctor of the Church - St. John of Avila, and St. Hildegard of Bingen. These aren't medical doctors, as some might believe, but rather Saints who through their lives showed a great understanding of the message of Jesus Christ. With these two recent additions, there are now 35 Doctors of the Church. Other notables include St. Therese of LiSieux, St. Augustine, St. Teresa of Avila. Read a bit more about St. Hildegard HERE! And for the complete list of Doctors, check out HERE (without the 2 new additions).

• The Feast of St. Denis happened on Oct 9th! St. Denis, as legend has it, was beheaded while preaching...he wasn't quite done yet, so he picked up his head and continued preaching while walking for quite a distance before falling over. That's just cool. :)

• October 11th marked the opening of the YEAR OF FAITH - declared so by Pope Benedict XVI. You'll be hearing much more about this throughout the next year! Praise the Lord. 

• SEVEN Saints were canonized in October! One of them, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is the first canonized Native American Saint! Praise God! Another, Saint Marianne Cope worked in Hawaii serving lepers.  We also have a new patron Saint of young people, Saint Pedro Calungsod! Click on their names to learn more!

And speaking of Saints...All Saints day is coming up soon! Did you know that we are called to be Saints? It's true...Saints are those we know of who are together with God in Heaven...what else is there??

Be Holy. Become a Saint. :)

Our Lady of Sorrows

Hello! Long time no blog!

Today(yesterday for most of you)...is one of my personal favorite Feast Days...Our Lady of Sorrows. I meant to post a little sooner in the day, but I was hanging out at the Archdiocesan Youth Conference in Minneapolis, MN for most of the day! What a blessed time with Archbishop Nienstedt, 1500 teens, and many priests and seminarians. It was beautiful :)

Okay, back to the Feast Day. Today, Saturday, September 15th, we honor Mary, our Mother, under the title of Our Lady of Sorrows.

This title specifically deals with the sorrow which she must have felt in seeing her son, the Son of God who she knew to be innocent and blameless, be tortured, mocked, and finally crucified and buried. What anguish she must have felt! She was faithful to God, and yet this was happening to her Son...God is not without a plan, however! If we read closely, this day was actually foretold roughly 30 years previously when Jesus was presented at the temple...let's check out the Word of God on this:

"22 And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons." 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. 27 And inspired by the Spirit he came into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,29 "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; 30 for mine eyes have seen thy salvation 31 which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel." 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; 34 and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed." " - Luke 2:22-35

So we see that this sorrow by Mary was predicted almost right after Jesus' birth! 1) That Jesus was proclaimed by Simeon as the Salvation of God's people, and 2) That a sword would pierce Mary's soul. Wow.

Still, knowing the pain was coming, I'm sure did not lessen it.  And although it is almost heartbreaking to imagine what Mary went through, it also gives me great hope. I know that any rough times I am going through, like a bad day, or someone was mean to me, or upset with me...the sorrow that I feel is NOTHING compared to what Mary suffered. AND! She was given to us as our Mother by Jesus Himself, so we are able to come to HER with our suffering! And she will give that to Christ Jesus! What a blessing! No matter our suffering, Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, is always there to assist us with her comfort and prayers. It is so beautiful!

And speaking of beautiful...here are some images commonly used with this Title of Mary, as well as some of the Basilica of Our Lady of Sorrows in Chicago IL! I would recommend checking it out if you're in the area. It is BEAUTIFUL!!! So...pictures:   :)

      

Shrine of Our Lady of Sorrows, more info HERE!

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us. Bring your cares, your wounds, and your sorrows to her.

Be Holy.

Just Show Up

Just show up!
That is the most often heard motto in the life of young Catholics at St. Francis of Assisi Parish...Just show up.

Students and leaders from Rochester parishes St. Francis, Resurrection, and Pax Christi, as well as Divine Mercy Parish in Faribault, did just that on August 6th for the second Just Show Up Retreat to the LaCrosse, WI.

We spent the afternoon at the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, learning about various Marian Apparitions, chatting and laughing with Father Jacinto of the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate, praying Evening Prayer with the Friars, touring the beautiful church, and enjoying God's beautiful creation in the bluffs of Wisconsin!

After dinner, we then moved onto the Diocesan Center of LaCrosse for a short presentation on the Eucharist by Father Wierzba, vocations director of the LaCrosse Diocese, followed by a Holy Hour for Vocations! Ice cream and fellowship with Catholics from around the area, including a Consecrated Single, ended the evening before our late night drive back home to Rochester.

It was a blessed trip indeed! Learning about the Saints and their relics(at least 6 of them!), praying in silence in the physical presence of our Lord, being "unreachable" during prayer to better focus on Him(no cell phones!), and surprise run-ins with the Totus Tuus team that came to St. Francis a few months earlier!

Here are some pics!

Be Holy!

Today is the Feast Day of St. Clare of Assisi! Co-patron of St. Francis of Assisi Church. What a blessed day!

Saint Clare was born during the time that St. Francis lived, in 1193, in Assisi, to a wealthy family. She loved hearing St. Francis preach, and followed His teachings.  She left her family, sneaking out at night to join him in a life of poverty.  That night, she cut off her beautiful hair, and was given just a plain, rough garment to wear.  She eventually became the mother and foundress of an order of nuns, who are today called the Poor Clares.  Her sister, and eventually mother, all came to join the order as well! Although she lived a life with very few comforts and luxuries, she was very rich in works of charity and piety.

One of my favorite stories of St. Clare is how once when her convent was threatened by invaders. As the attackers drew near, St. Clare calmly rose from her sick bed and went to a window with the Blessed Sacrament in a monstrance. As she raised the monstrance, the soldiers who were about to enter the monastery fell backward, as if dazzled.  The others who were ready to follow those attackers ran away in fear! The attackers left, the house was saved, and this image of her with the monstrance is one of the more common images of St. Clare.

She is the patron Saint of eyes, of television, and against eye diseases.

Read more about her HERE or HERE! She is a wonderful Saint to get to know, and to ask to pray for us. Her unworldliness is pretty profound! And here are some pictures :)

St. Clare's beautiful hair

Warding off invaders with the monstrance

         

Be Holy!! St. Clare of Assisi, pray for us!

Happy Friday!

In our Catholic Tradition, the first Friday of every month is devoted to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Remember when the whole month of June was devoted to that? That was beautiful!

Since today is the first Friday of August(can you believe it? August), we are asked to pray in a special way, seeking the mercy of Christ through His most Sacred Heart. Please take a moment(it only takes a minute or two) to pray the following litany as an act of reparation of sins to the Most Holy Eucharist. 

(Basically, to ask Jesus to have mercy on us for committing sins against the Eucharist...not giving Him the honor and praise and glory that He deserves!)

Ready? Let's pray!
HERE is a little history about the Litany


Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
V. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mother's womb, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, substantially united to the Word of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom dwells all the fullness of the Godhead, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, rich to all who call upon You, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in You, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in You, have mercy on us.
Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints,have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Jesus, meek and humble of Heart,
Make our hearts like unto Thine.

Let us pray.
Almighty and eternal God, look upon the Heart of Thy most beloved Son and upon the praises and satisfaction which He offers Thee in the name of sinners; and to those who implore Thy mercy, in Thy great goodness, grant forgiveness in the name of the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who livest and reignest with Thee forever and ever. Amen.


Be Holy.

Fun fact...this blog thing tells me that almost half of the people viewing the blog this month are viewing it from Russia...Soooo Здравствуйте! to the Russians, I guess! :)

Also, have you ever been to northern Minnesota? I was blessed to go on two trips up there in the past 2-3 weeks. Remarkable! So blessed to have these opportunities. Here's a few pictures!

Beautiful!!

The sun is much larger up north ;)

This is the lake we stayed on. So peaceful.

But now...back at St. Francis and ready for action! Lots of great stuff is coming up! Here's a quick rundown:
August 6th - Just Show Up Retreat - Our last one of the summer!
August 12th - St. Francis of Assisi Parish 75th Anniversary! It will be a wonderful afternoon of food, games, and music! Come join us!
August 13th - S'more Catholicism - HS Youth Group, this is your night! Last bonfire of the summer :(
August 20th - MS Youth Night - Last one of the summer as well!
For all events, permission forms are required, and can be found HERE!!
More Youth Group events will be happening in the Fall, but for now, that's the schedule for summer! If you have any input for activities/events/etc in the Fall, contact me! youthminister@stfrancis-church.org!

In other news, today is the Feast Day of St. Ignatius of Loyola! This man knew how to pray...how to really discern the will of God.  Many books and courses and talks have been developed based on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.  Praying in this way, with a spiritual director, can really help one to discern in what ways the Lord is calling them.  Check it out - HERE!

      

As always...Be Holy!

Happy Tuesday!

Just wanted to let you all know of some of the events going on over the next few weeks. I will be out of town for a week! My first vacation since starting! I'm excited.

Here's the scoop! All forms for these events can be found HERE!! Simply download, print off, fill out, and bring!

July 23rd - Middle School Youth Night
Sit back, relax, and enjoy watching Evan Almighty! (Catholic News Service Review can be found HERE). Bring a friend and some popcorn or other movie snack! 6-8:30PM in the Activity Room.

August 6th - Just Show Up Retreat #2
High School students! Join us as we again travel to LaCrosse for an afternoon/evening full of beauty and adventure! We will be checking out the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, visiting Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, and hanging out with some Sisters for ICE CREAM! Come learn what Pelicans have to do with the Catholic Church! We will depart St. Francis around 1:00pm, and return around 10:30pm. Cost is $5 to help with gas. Bring a few bucks for dinner too.

August 13th - S'more Catholicism
Details are still being worked out on this one...apparently 6-8:30pm on a very hot day is NOT a good time for a bonfire...who knew!

Also going on:

United Way Running Start for School

St. Francis Parish is again a drive and drop site for the United Way Running Start for School program.  Last  year, St. Francis collected over 800 items! This year, more than 7,000 low income students in Olmsted County are unable to afford school supplies.  This gives us an opportunity to help!

You will find two donation bins in the Gathering Space starting this weekend. While shopping for the upcoming school year, please consider purchasing a few extra

supplies to drop in the bins.  Backpacks, folders, pencils, notebooks, scissors, glue...pretty much anything!

The drive runs from July 14th - August 6th, with a friendly competition between the middle school and high school students! The winners will receive a prize...which has yet to be determined! Exciting!

Get involved! Become Saints! What else is there?  Be holy.

           

Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel!

Besides bringing to mind a delicious sugary snack(which is NOT what the Mountain is made out of, unfortunately. It's just another typical mountain), Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to Mary as the patroness of the Carmelite Order.  The Carmelites were hermits living on Mount Carmel, which is a mountain in the Holy Land, during the 12th and 13th centuries.

The most well known association with Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a devotion known as the Brown Scapular.  In 1251, in England, Our Lady appeared to Saint Simon Stock(who was a Carmelite), and handed him a brown woolen scapular.  She said, "This shall be a privilege for you and all Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall not suffer eternal fire."  Over the year, the Church extended this privilege to all Catholics who are willing to be "invested" in the Brown Scapular, who wear it always.

Why wear the Brown Scapular? Because it is a constant reminder to tell Our Blessed Mother every moment of the day that we venerate her, love her, and trust in her protection and prayers! Praise the Lord! (You can learn more HERE)


Other news...the Steubenville North Youth Conference was fantastic! Roughly 1,300 high school students from throughout the US and Canada spent the weekend learning how to live a joyful Catholic life, and spent time praising and adoring the Lord! It was a powerful weekend for all who attended. Be sure to thank those volunteers!

Also! Tonight at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, we will have our first bonfire of the summer!! 6-8:30pm! Yes, I know it won't really be dark, but it'll still be fun. :) Come join us! Forms are HERE!


BE HOLY!

Happy Thursday!

There is a big misconception out there that Saints are old fashioned. That they are all hundreds of years old, and that no one lives a life of holiness any more...this kind of attitude gets a big fat FALSE!! Holiness DOES matter. Holiness is definitely still relevant today! In the words of Matthew Kelly, Holiness is simply becoming "the best version of yourself." The person that God wants you to become.  That is Saintly living!

Another misunderstanding about Sainthood, is that you need to be a priest or religious brother or sister in order to become one. Again, FALSE!

Today is the Feast Day of two married people who are on their way to Sainthood.  Their current title is Blessed, instead of Saint. They require one more miracle before official declaration of Saint. (For more information on Saints and the process of how they are recognized, visit HERE!)

May I introduce...Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin.

They were the humble parents of St. Therese, a wonderful Saint in our Catholic tradition.  They worked "normal" jobs, were "normal" people, but lived out their faith in their daily lives.  They got married, had children, and raised those children within the Catholic faith which they loved so much!

Check out this link for just a bit more info about them! HERE!

Blessed  Luis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

Be Holy....Be Saints!!

Buon giorno!

Today, July 11th, is the Feast Day of St. Benedict of Nursia. St. Benedict...does that sound familiar? I hope so! This is the Saint that Pope Benedict XVI is named after! Saint Benedict is the twin brother of St. Scholastica.  How neat is that? Twins who both became Saints together! This could be you! (If you have a twin...) Here are some quick facts:

He was born in 480 AD, and is the patron saint of people suffering from poisoning, kidney disease, and students. St. Benedict is the patron of these particular groups because 1)someone tried to poison him, but once he blessed the cup,the poison was neutralized, 2) the poison was supposed to cause kidney failure, and 3) St. Benedict required all monks in his monasteries to study and read for 4 hours a way!

You can learn much about him HERE! 

There is also a pretty neat medal that goes along with this devotion. 

For a detailed description of what is on the medal, and the blessings that it contains, check out this website HERE! I would definitely recommend checking it out!

Please pray for the Pope today on this Feast Day of Pope Benedict XVI!