Tree of Life

Have mercy on us Lord for we have sinned against you.  Today, Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent and the time for greater intensity of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. We take these next 40 days to prepare to commemorate the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. With St. Gertrude let us offer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus all the offerings of The Church on this Ash Wednesday united to His Passion.  While the feasting and customs of the feast should be postponed if not celebrated already, the symbols of love are tied to the love of Jesus in His Passion.  As Ashes are a sacramental and not a Sacrament they are not limited to Catholics alone. Anyone who desires to do so is able to receive ashes on Ash Wednesday. Lenten Regulations  A Lenten Resource A Playlist for Lent Check the bulletin of your local church for when Ashes are distributed. Some Churches such as St. Benedict’s on Main and Eggert in Buffalo distributes Ashes all day with Masses as w...

" Laissez les bon temps rouler"  ( Lay-say le bon tom roo-lay) Let the good times roll!  Today is the last day of Carnival which began on the feast of the Epiphany. Carnival comes from the phrase caro levare meaning “to put away the flesh." Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday because on this day people indulge before Lent. In Germany, women have their own special Carnival where they hold all the power and practice pranks. Today is Pancake day due to the need to use up pancake ingredients before Lent. Pancake racing is practiced today, pancakes are flipped and made while racing to the finish line. Some cultures like Poland observe Fat Thursday and eat special desserts like  Paszki . It is also sometimes called Shrove Tuesday from the word shrive, relating to repentance as a means to prepare for Lent. On this day, remove any old palms from last Palm Sunday and set them aside to bring to church to be burned for ashes. The Catholic Church honors the Holy Face of Jesus ...

Saint Valentine, patron of love, pray for us! Today is a celebration of love, we remember the martyrs of the church named Valentine who died to defend love and celebrated the Sacrament of Matrimony in defiance of the Emperor. The name Valentine comes from the word for valor. Although there are many legends about the different Valentines, they were all martyred for love of God. In pre-Christian times February 15th was a festival of love in roman culture but it was filled with cruelty and was inhumane so it was replaced by the feast of St. Valentine. Celebrate the feast of love by sending valentines to the lonely, elderly, veteran and forgotten. Check out local animal adoption events near you and remember to adopt don’t shop! Adopt a Valentine You can also send a valentine to a child in a hospital by clicking here and here . There was actually not just one Saint Valentine, but three. The first and most noteworthy was Saint Valentine of Rome. He was a priest in Rome, was martyred in 269 ...

Immaculate Mary, Your praises we sing! Today we honor the church approved apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes. Today marks the anniversary of Our Lady’s first visit to St. Bernadette. Like any other feast honoring Marian apparitions it is not only celebrating the apparition itself as no one is bound to believe private revelation but instead the dogma behind them. In the case of Our Lady of Lourdes that dogma is  The Immaculate Conception  of Mary. In her final apparition to Bernadette, Mary reveals “I am the Immaculate Conception.” In revealing herself in this way, Mary calls the faithful to recall the unique privilege she has from God and the love she has for us as our Heavenly Mother. Due to the multitudes of the sick who make pilgrimage to Lourdes to seek healing through Our Lady’s intercession, today is the World Day of the Sick .  The Messages of Mary Mary Reveals Her Name  (The Song of Bernadette) Our Lady of Lourdes Cartoon Virtual Tour of Lourdes   Live S...

   Every 4 years the human family gathers together to watch the Olympics and the Paralympics. We experience the wonders of the whole human family and our endurance as it is put on display each time we gather to watch the Olympics. It is a time of diversity, competition and appreciation of our oneness as humanity. Traditions and Symbols of the Olympics The Reason Behind Every 4 Years Team USA The Olympics TikTok Page Tracking the Torch  Medals Standings  Dolly Parton: We Are The Champions More About The Olympics The Paralympics Symbol A Vatican Document on Fraternity and Sports  (In sports we remember even the familiar “Hail Mary Pass” originating from when a Notre Dame player invoked Our Lady before throwing the ball to “miraculous” results.)