Tree of Life

  The Brown Scapular by Father William Most  In the year 1251 a most momentous vision took place. St. Simon Stock, the Prior or the Carmelites, newly transplanted to England, prayed earnestly to Our Lady for help. Then: "To him appeared the Blessed Virgin with a multitude of angels, holding the Scapular of the Order in her blessed hands, and saying: 'This will be a privilege for you and for all Carmelites, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire." The above account it taken from an early Carmelite Catalog of Saints. Since this vision is a part of private revelations, we need to investigate. For there are two kinds of revelation, public and private. Public revelation is that which is found in Scripture and Tradition; it was complete, closed when the last Apostle died and the New Testament was finished. There is to be no new public revelation until His glorious return at the end of the world. All other revelations are called private. The term is not too good, ...

    B RIEF EXPLANATION OF THE BROWN SCAPULAR BY FR. JOHN SCHULTZ, C.SS.R. It is said of the Catholic Church that she boasts: Give me the child until he is twelve years of age, and I will have him for life.  Anyone, parent or teacher, engaged n the education of children can make a similar boast. You can say for certain: Give me the child at any age. Let me teach him one thing he will remember for life, and he will save his soul. I shall be the instrument in saving the soul of any child in whose leart I can implant the wisdom of one lesson which will prompt him to wear the Scapular of the Blessed Virgin ----- and to wear it always.   To people who do not understand, is folly to preach this doctrine. Immediately shallow thinkers will vent their rage against habitual sinners who wear the Scapular in hope of receiving mercy from God.  "Superstition," they will cry. "Such hope is presumption, contrary to the teaching of the Church and wholly to be rejected. What merit...

The following post contains links to the post dedicated to each month of the year.  January  🥳 February  💝 March ☘️ April 🐰 May 🌸 June 👔 July 🎇 August 🌻 September 🍁 October 🎃 November 🦃 December 🎄

Today we begin to celebrate all things spooky as we celebrate the beginning of summer and our yearning for All Hallows’ Eve which began to grow since Halfway to Halloween in April. Today’s holiday originates from the Disney series “Gravity Falls”. The people of Gravity Falls love Halloween so much that they celebrate it twice a year. In Gravity Falls Summerween is celebrated the second last Friday of June or June 22nd. Summerween reflects Midsummer and the Nativity of St. John the Baptist on June 24th. Summerween can be held several days long, beginning on the Summer Solstice and continuing through the feast of St. John. Fortunately many stores will begin to put out their Halloween stuff (Michael’s, AtHome) so we can celebrate by enjoying the arrival of merchandise. A fun way to celebrate is to watch Gravity Falls and their Summerween episode in particular. Slasher summer is another means of celebrating by watching campsite horror and telling ghost stories around the campfire. An add...

Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto thine! “Blessed be the Name of Jesus, Blessed be His most Sacred Heart!” -From “The Divine Praises”  The Friday following Corpus Christi is the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in accordance with His request that a feast be dedicated to His honor on this day. The following day is dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  We honor the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart each month on First Friday and First Saturday respectively also in accordance with revelations of Our Lord and Our Lady. June is also the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. As Trinity Sunday we celebrate the dogma on which our whole faith is hinged, the Sacred Heart is the devotion on which all others are hinged. The Sacred Heart formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, pierced on the Cross, the fount from which Divine Mercy and the Sacraments flow holds the key to all others. As Pentecost closes the Easter season the next two weeks ...

  “Come, Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well-beloved Spouse.” Between the celebration of Ascension and Pentecost is the Novena of the Holy Spirit. We now imitate intimately those days which after Jesus returned to the Father, Christ’s apostles with the Blessed Virgin pray and wait for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Further, some resources from the Pentecost page can help us worthily prepare to celebrate the birthday of Holy Mother Church. Traditional Novena to the Holy Spirt  (Begins the Friday following the traditional date of the Ascension, 40 days after Easter. Regardless of when the Ascension is celebrated locally. The date would be titled Friday of the Sixth Week of Easter.) Another  Pentecost Novena 3 Day Miraculous Prayer to the Holy Spirit 10 Day Holy Spirit Devotion   A Meditation on Mary in the Upper Room  More on Mary in the Cenacle Preparing for the Spirit with St. Gertrude The prece...

  Easter is when Jesus has won our salvation and the Sacraments are those signs established by Him to give us grace. The Sacraments aren’t limited to Easter but it’s because of the Paschal Mystery being celebrated during this time of year that First Communions and Confirmations are commonly celebrated during the Easter season. This post exists to “house” the other posts throughout the year containing information retaining to these Sacraments for those who will be receiving them and for their sponsors and their family and friends supporting them.  First Communion (Corpus Christi and Holy Thursday, feast days of the Eucharist)  Patron Saints of First Communicants The Importance of First Communion Confirmation (Pentecost, feast day of the Holy Spirit)  See also the “Sacraments” section of this post.

May 4th each year is a celebration of all things Star Wars. This is because of the Star Wars quote “May the Force be with you” being reflected in “May the 4th.” Click here  for an article about Star Wars as a Christian Allegory and another about religious themes in Star Wars. 2024 marks the  25th anniversary  of the Phantom Menace installment of the franchise. Although released 4th, it is the first chronically in the series. Disney+ has all the Star Wars movies as well as Simpsons Star Wars episodes. Star Wars Day Star Wars Playlist Star Wars Events in Buffalo Star Wars Events in Disney World Disney Star Wars Merch Carrie Fisher Star of Fame Vegan Star Wars Recipes   UTINNI! 

The blessed season of Easter is the time to reflect all the more on our salvation. This post is to contain the links pertaining to this most joyous season for our edification and will remain pinned to my social media between feast days throughout the season. Each link is relevant for the whole season. The Easter  link is relevant throughout the season and always, as Christians are Easter people. Due to their roots in the Paschal Mystery, Eastertide is also the season of First Reconciliation, First Communion and Confirmation, aka “ The Season of Sacraments .” Easter Easter Time With Mary Easter Week Customs Easter Week with St. Gertrude Easter Monday  Divine Mercy Novena  (Prayed from Good Friday- the Saturday after Easter.) Divine Mercy Sunday   (Second Sunday of Easter) Easter and God’s Creation  The prayer known as the Angelus prayed at 6am, 6pm and (most commonly)  Noon is replaced from Easter-Pentecost with the Regina Caeli.  Finally, as Easte...

As the plot against Jesus grows more and more severe as Good Friday draws near Jesus is “anointed” before His burial by the tears of Mary Magdalene. Jesus notes that she is forgiven much because she loves much.  Prayer of Thanksgiving for the Tears of St. Mary Magdalene O most merciful Jesus, I give Thee thanks for that work of piety which the blessed Mary Magdalene wrought on Thee, when she washed Thy feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed them and anointed them with fragrant ointment; whereby she obtained from Thee such signal grace that Thou didst pour into her heart and soul so great a love of Thee, that she could love nothing apart from Thee; beseeching Thee, that by her merits and intercessions Thou wouldst vouchsafe to give me tears of true repentance and pour into my heart Thy Divine love. Amen. (Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be)    “Whoever shall give God thanks for all the tears I shed upon the feet of Jesus, our most merciful G...

Between the emotions of Palm Sunday and Holy Thursday there lies the Monday and Tuesday of Holy Week as well as Spy Wednesday. There are no particular customs for the Monday and Tuesday of this great week but there are important events in the life of Christ leading to His Passion that are worthy of reflection.  The Monday of Holy Week marks the Cleansing of the Temple (pictured above). After Jesus’ entry into the Holy City on Palm Sunday He goes to the temple and is righteously angered about what He witnesses. Although the Gospel reading for the day reflects on an event traditionally attributed to the Tuesday of Holy Week, the Cleansing of the Temple is traditionally commemorated today as well as the cursing of the fig tree. Both events recall corruption and the lack of good fruit amidst those who claim to serve God. This is Jesus’ calling us to true service such as He will show supremely in His Passion. Some depictions of the Cleansing of the Temple shows Jesus releasing the anima...

 Today we commemorate the Baptism of Jesus Christ by St. John the Baptist in the Jordan River. Although it was not necessary for Jesus to be baptized, He does so as an example for us and an exercise in humility. As today Jesus prepares to begin His public ministry this is the last day of the Christmas season and the beginning of Ordinary Time. The color white or gold is used liturgically to symbolize the glory of God and the purity of Christ. Typically the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated liturgically the Sunday after Epiphany or January 13th in some places. When the Epiphany falls on the 7th or 8th it’s moved to the Monday after (January 8th or 9th). Since this feast begins Ordinary Time, the Sunday after the feast is the second Sunday of Ordinary Time no matter the date. Christ’s Baptism in other denominations of Christianity are celebrated with the Feast of the Epiphany as Christ's Baptism and His first miracle, the Wedding at Cana are all Theophanies, revelations of God. The W...