Tree of Life

The following was compiled during the height of the COVID pandemic and edited on June 21st 2025 in response to the United States attack on Iran. The modern Rites of The Church do not subscribe certain prayers as she did in previous times. The purpose for this is to remind us that the Holy Mass takes pride of place over other devotionals. Therefore, Masses for Peace and Justice and the prayers therein are most efficacious. During COVID devotion to Mary, Help of the Roman People and the miraculous crucifix that Pope Francis used in his extraordinary Urbi et Orbi came to focus. In addition devotion to St. Michael was heightened as it should be again in times of increased tensions and unrest. The reception of the Sacraments, the Rosary with invocations to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as well as to St. Michael and the angels are helpful here as well as the Litany of the Saints and the Ave Maris Stella . In times like this The Church may publish an Oratio Imperata.   When...

   Each month of the calendar year is dedicated to a Catholic Devotion. In  June it is  the  Sacred Heart of Jesus  because this month is when the annual feast of the Sacred Heart is celebrated. June also marks  LGBTQ+ Pride Month . Pride month this year is a very important time because of the attack on the Trans community and the bigotry by conservatives towards the gay community. This is classic vice under the mask of virtue that saints warn about. June also marks  Adopt a Cat Month and   Caribbean American Month.  In 2025  the Jubilee of the Sacred Heart  will continue this month until the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart.  Daily Reads  Honoring Pride AND the Sacred Heart Meditations on the Litany of the Sacred Heart A Pride Month Resource Weather Lore Calendar Lunar Folklore  The Strawberry Moon ( Full Moon Folklore , The Full Moon in Ireland ) New Moon in Ireland For more about this months dedications click...

  Good Shepherd Sunday   “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” (Psalm 23) The Fourth Sunday of Easter is known as Good Shepherd Sunday or Vocations Sunday due to the Gospel reading being about Christ as the Good Shepherd.  Priests are called to be good shepherds also in their care for God’s flock. Pope Leo XIV Message  (For the 2025 celebration Pope Francis had recorded a message before passing away on Easter Monday, read here .) Good Shepherd Sunday Resources Good Shepherd Iconography In association with today’s feast is also the devotion to the Divine Shepherdess, named for Our Lady as Mother of the Good Shepherd. Traditional depictions like the photo below are used for this devotion:

  AVE MARIA Each month of the calendar year is dedicated to a Catholic Devotion. In  May it is  the  Blessed Virgin Mary  because the springtime customs of the past are now perfected in their dedication to our Heavenly Mother, the true Queen of Creation.  May is the month amongst them all that sparks the most widespread devotion among the faithful and holds particular customs that most months do not. It’s a wonderful idea to honor our Blessed Mother by deciding to do something in Her honor each day of May, especially by praying the rosary ! We can also honor Our Lady by planting a Mary garden . This month is also when the  Sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation are widely celebrated, please inspire and pray for those who will be receiving these Sacraments. See the bottom of this post for more Marian resources.  May also marks  Jewish American Heritage Month ,  Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month ,   Haiti...

  Each month of the calendar year is dedicated to a Catholic Devotion. In April   it is  the Eucharist and the Holy Spirit .   This is because Easter is typically in April and when it is in March the season still continues through April and the Holy Eucharist and the Holy Spirit have a special role in the Easter mysteries. More information on Catholic belief about the Eucharist can be found Here and Here.  April 1st is also April Fools’ Day (see below). April 1st is also the beginning of Arab American Heritage Month  and Earth Month . Finally, for those lovers of Halloween like myself, look for “Halfway to Halloween” events happening near you or on streaming services like Shudder. The themes of Halloween overlap with those of the Lenten season as well and thus spooky movies during Lent are most appropriate as  Lent continues into the month of April this year. Daily Reads  Weather Lore Calendar Lunar Folklore  The Pink Moon Full Moon Folklo...

Solar Eclipse 2024 Do not look at the Eclipse without appropriate  ISO approved eyewear  except for when there is 100% totality which means the moon completely covers the suns. This will not occur in every state and every location so be aware if your area is 100% totality. Use  precaution  taking pictures of the eclipse so as to not damage your phone. Finally, many conspiracies are going to abound and fears regarding the Second Coming of Christ. We don’t know the day Jesus will return but are called to live each day as if it was THE Last Day. That doesn’t mean that Christians are called to paranoia or cause fear but to be an example of Christ’s love in the world and to trust in and call upon His Mercy. The Annunciation and the Eclipse Keeping Pets Safe During the Eclipse Solar Eclipse Folklore  (Some superstitions say to wear red, specifically a red ribbon or safety pins during an eclipse.) The Eclipse and the Path of Peace  The Eclipse and FOMO Pop Culture...

Happy March!  All that which is colored in a rose/pink tone below is a clickable link. Each month of the calendar year is dedicated to a Catholic Devotion. In March it is St. Joseph . This is because his feast day falls on March 19th. Start off this month right by making a special prayer to St. Joseph! March 1st is also the beginning of Women’s History Month as well as Irish Americans Month . As we celebrate the Irish we celebrate all the great things they’ve brought to America most of all, Halloween . And as we celebrate women we ask Mary, Blessed among Women to intercede for justice and equality for women. March is filled with the color green for the feast of St. Patrick and the dawning of Spring. This month along with the aforementioned holds the celebration of the feast of the Annunciation, Christ’s Incarnation on March 25th. Daily Reads Icons of Women's History Weather Lore Calendar Dates of Importance First Saturday 3/1 Mardi Gras 3/4 Ash Wednesday 3/5 First Friday 3/7 Sain...

Each month of the calendar year is dedicated to a Catholic Devotion. In February it is the Holy Family . This is because the Feast of the Presentation falls on February 2nd and this feast honors the obedience of Jesus, Mary and Joseph to the Mosaic Law. February is also the bridge between the Christmas and Lenten seasons and honors the life of Christ in the care of Mary and Joseph. February 1st is also the feast of St. Brigid , the matriarch of Ireland. It is also the beginning of Black History Month . February is known as the month set aside for the Feast of St. Valentine. This month let us take time to share love throughout the world. Click here for the Cupid Crew initiative. About St. Brigid St. Bridgid Images Vegan St. Brigid Cakes The grave of St. Brigid (and St. Patrick):  Daily Reads  Weather Lore Calendar February Dates of Importance: February 1st:  The First Saturday Devotion to the Immaculate Heart February 2nd: Candlemas and Groundhog's Day  and the Fi...

*Please celebrate wisely and don’t drink and drive or allow anyone who’s been drinking to drive home. Uber and AAA have resources for free and safe trips home.* On December 31st each year much of the world welcomes the end of the old and the beginning of the New Year.  New Year’s Eve is a time to reflect on the year gone by and to thank God for the blessings He’s granted to us. We ask for mercy for the mistakes we’ve made and ask for the strength to learn from them and we make resolutions for the year to come. The Church exhorts us to pray the Te Deum  to gain an  indulgence * for the close of the old year in thanksgiving to God for the blessings bestowed therein. The colors for New Year are often gold for luck and white for peace. The inclusion of black I believe is to commemorate the death of the passing Year whereas silver and gold in this regard are used to commemorate time like silver and gold anniversaries. Father Time and Baby New Year both represent how the transi...

  The Holy Innocents, the Infant Martyrs of Bethlehem   December 28th honors the infants slain by Herod's jealousy after the birth of Christ and the Holy Family’s flight into Egypt as  refugees . In 2024 we remember in a certain way all the children who are victims of the cruelty of Israeli soldiers in Palestine. As Bethlehem is in Palestine, the evil committed there today, especially against children re echoes the sorrow and solemnity of today’s feast and how the Christ Child, the Newborn King commands a ceasefire!  The Coventry Carol  is a haunting song for today’s feast. Today we reflect on the Flight to Egypt (the second of the  Seven Sorrows of Mary , an efficacious devotion) it's also one of the  Seven Joys and Sorrows of St. Joseph . Today's feast is a unique point in our Christmas celebrations where we reflect that from even from His Infancy, Christ was sought out for death until He laid down His life for us on the Cross. About the Holy Innocen...