Tree of Life

  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:

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...

*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 . 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 Innocents More About the Holy Innocents Holy Innocents Day  (Note that the color purple is no longer used but red instead for the blood of the martyrs and the Gloria is still sung as well as the Alleluia for Christ has come to us on Christmas and we are still rejoicing in the octave.) Tomb of the Holy Innocents (Starts at 8 minutes ...

Today we honor the only Vatican Approved Marian Apparition in Africa as well as the visionary of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. For more about the Miraculous Medal see November 27th just above. Note: Laboure is French and is pronounced La-bore-aye. About Our Lady of Kibeho  (Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan Genocide has a book and cd about Our Lady of Kibeho. See also the documentary “If Only We Had Listened”.) About St. Catherine  (Her patronage of pigeons, the elderly and prisoners is due to her caring for them as a child and as a Daughter of Charity. She is also patroness of miners in relation to her being the recipient of the miraculous medal.) 

Today we honor the medal of the  Immaculate Conception  which Our Blessed Lady revealed to St. Catherine Laboure.  The Story of the Medal The Association of the Miraculous Medal The Chapel Where Mary Appeared The Miraculous Medal plays a special role for those who are a part of the Militia Immaculata. See  here  for more details. 

Guardian Angel, pray for me!  Today we honor our guardian angels. Far from a fairytale or folk legend, guardian angels are our God given companions in live to protect us and sway us from the temptations of the devil. Despite there being next to no pictures portraying angels with adults, our guardian angel remains with us from birth to death. Saint Padre Pio had a very close relationship with his guardian angel and would send his angel to converse with the guardian angel of a companion. It is a tradition of Catholics to send their angel to Mass each day and to greet Jesus in the Tabernacle whenever they pass by a church. Today let us rekindle our friendship with our guardian angel and give thanks to God for such a great gift! To adore and recieve the Eucharist today is a great way to honor your companion as the Eucharist is "the Bread of Angels".  About Guardian Angels A Prayer to the Angels for the Souls in Purgatory Padre Pio and Guardian Angels St. Gemma and Her Angel Work ...

  The Passion of Saint John the Baptist O God, who willed that Saint John the Baptist should go ahead of your Son both in his birth and in his death, grant that, as he died a Martyr for truth and justice, we, too, may fight hard for the confession of what you teach. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen Today we honor the death of St. John the Baptist. Going before the Lord to prepare His way, John is martyred by the request of Herod's wife. While John is not a traditional martyr in the sense of dying for the name of Christ, He died to defend the dignity of marriage as Herod has taken his sister in law as his new wife. Typically today's feast is unfortunately used as a means to defend the dignity of marriage by means of excluding gay couples from marriage equality. Thankfully we can see that John was calling out what would be adultery and the corruption of the love and self giving tha...

  Saint Bartholomew, pray for us!  Today we Honor Apostle of Our Lord and Martyr, St. Bartholomew. A plenary indulgence can be gained under  the usual conditions  by visiting a church named for the Saint of the day and praying the Our Father and Apostle’s Creed. About Saint Bartholomew Place of Honor to Saint Bartholomew in the Holy Land Saint Bartholomew Iconography St. Bartholomew in St. Gertrude’s Visions Armenia   is under Saint Bartholomew’s patronage and is thus a good day to learn about this country.  Major reliquary/tomb of our Saint: 

Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! O God, who made the Mother of your Son to be our Mother and our Queen, graciously grant that, sustained by her intercession, we may attain in the heavenly Kingdom the glory promised to your children. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  Amen Today marks one week since Our Lady was Assumed into Heaven so we focus on God crowning Her as Queen of the Universe. This event is important as Mary takes on the title and role vacated by Eve. Before The Church retained only the Octaves of Christmas and Easter as She does today, all major feasts including the Assumption had an octave. Most solemnities that have an octave closed the week long celebration by crowing it (pun intended) with a second feast. For example the octave of Christmas is closed with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. While there is no modern octave of the Assumption the 8th day (the feast d...

  The Feast of the Holy Rosary Today is commemorated as Our Lady of the Rosary (formerly  Our Lady of Victory ) in memorial of Our Lady's intercession at the Battle of Lepanto. A plenary indulgence can be gained under the usual conditions by visiting a church named for Our Lady of the Rosary or Our Lady of Victory and praying the Apostle’s Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. In 2024 Pope Francis has asked that we mark today's feast as a  Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace . Methods of Praying the Rosary A Rosary in Imitation of Our Lady  Health Benefits of Praying the Rosary   Making Time to Pray the Rosary   The Rosary Confraternity The Rosary and October   Our Lady of Victory Basilica  Artwork: Our Lady of the Rosary     "When you pray Holy Mary Mother of God, pray for us sinners now....., the Blessed Mother comes instantly to your side to pray with you. And she does not come alone. She brings angels with her. And not just one or two for she...

Today we honor St. Dominic, the founder of the Dominican Order and the man traditionally believed to have been given the Rosary by the Blessed Virgin Mary.  A plenary indulgence can be gained under  the usual conditions  by visiting a church named for the Saint of the day and praying the Our Father and Apostle’s Creed. The Life of St. Dominic The Relics of St. Dominic The Spot Where St. Dominic Received the Rosary Artwork: St. Dominic, Recipient of the Rosary Today is also International Cat Day! May St. Dominic pray for and protect all the kitties of the world especially the homeless, hungry, in danger and most in need!

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us!  “ Pardon the faults of your servants, we pray, O Lord, that we, who cannot please you by our own deeds, may be saved through the intercession of the Mother of your Son and our Lord. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  Amen” Today we honor the miracle surrounding and the creation of the major Marian Shrine of all Christendom: St. Mary Major. We ask Our Lady to intercede for us and for all people affected by weather conditions and for the homeless as this shrine is Mary’s home and She herself by a miraculous snowfall designated where She wanted it built. In this church in the Nave are the relics from Christ’s crib where He was born in Bethlehem. The liturgical color for this feast is white or gold, signifying the glory of God for which the church is consecrated. Today it is good to renew our Baptismal promises and our Marian consecration, recalling how we are also consecrated to God thro...

  Saints Martha, Mary and Lazarus, pray for us!  Today we honor the friends of Our Lord, Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead and his sisters Martha and Mary. Today is a special feast for those with anxiety as Martha is the Saint to whom Jesus expressed that she needs to trust in Him and take care of herself as she was “anxious about many things”. Jesus also admonished Lazarus’ sisters to not fear but have faith just before He raised Lazarus from the dead.  A plenary indulgence can be gained under the usual conditions by visiting a church named for the Saint of the day and praying the Our Father and Apostle’s Creed. About St. Martha  About St. Lazarus  The Tomb of St. Martha  Major Reliquary of St. Lazarus  Places of Our Saints in the Holy Land  St. Martha Iconography  St. Lazarus’ Iconography  Jesus Raising Lazarus in Art  The Raising of Lazarus (Clip) Jesus Visits Martha and Mary (Clip) The next few links refer to the visions of ...

  O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee!  Each Marian feast day honor's Mary's role in salvation history one way or another. This post honorsHer intercession by means of a  sacramental  (blessings or blessed items) that She has given the Church. Today’s commemoration is just a devotional anniversary of Mary’s first visit to the visionary to whom She would later reveal the miraculous medal of the Immaculate Conception. The feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal is November 27th. To honor today’s anniversary The Central Association of the Miraculous Medal is holding a fundraising event.  Mary’s First Apparition to St. Catherine ( July 18th) St. Catherine Labouré and the Miraculous Medal By Rev. Robert J. Billett, C.M.F. The Virgin Mary inaugurates the Marian Era   The night of July 18, 1830 was a night that changed the history of the world. It was the night that the Blessed Virgin Mary ushered in the modern Marian era. It had ...

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!   Each Marian feast day honor's Mary's role in salvation history one way or another. Today’s feast of Our Lady on this post honor Her intercession by means of a special  sacramental  (blessings or blessed items) that She has given the Church. The liturgical color for this feast is white or gold for Our Lady's purity and glory, Her powerful intercession. Popular devotion to Mary is to wear blue in Her honor. On the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel we honor the approval of the Carmelite Order as a religious order in the Church and Mary giving to St. Simon Stock and the whole world the brown scapular. About Our Lady of Mt Carmel Brief Explanation of the Scapular  More About the Brown Scapular  The Apparition of Our Lady  Celebrating Today’s Feast A Desert for Today’s Feast  (As today is also National Ice Cream Day, ice cream would be a great desert to enjoy. Dairy free/vegan ice cream abounds at your local stor...

  Saint James, pray for us!   Merry Christmas in July!  “Almighty ever-living God, who consecrated the first fruits of your Apostles by the blood of Saint James, grant, we pray, that your Church may be strengthened by his confession of faith and constantly sustained by his protection. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.” Today we honor the cousin of Christ and brother of the disciple, St. John. Today is the celebration of the patron Saint of Spain and Australia and therefore days to learn about these places and their cultures. Today also marks 5 months until  Christmas  Day, known as Christmas in July . Just like  Halfway to Halloween  in April, we celebrate Christmas in a similar way today, replacing the spooky with the merry and horror with holiday. A good way to do this is by watching movies like “Rudolph and Frosty’s Christmas in July”.  A ...

And Thomas replied, “My Lord and my God!”  Today we honor the apostle Thomas and we recall the Lord Jesus strengthening his faith by appearing to Him after His Resurrection and proving Himself by the revelation of His Sacred Wounds. Legend also states that Thomas was late to arrive to the Virgin Mary’s funeral and in turn She appeared to Him and gave Her a relic of Her clothing as proof of Her Assumption . Another legend states that Thomas baptized the three Wisemen. Therefore as we celebrate Christmas in July, today would be a good day to begin any such celebrations if we hadn’t already. We could do so by watching movies and listening to music and doing activities related to the feast of the Epiphany  . An interesting insight to this is that St. Thomas is also a special partaker in the Epiphany of the Lord but not as an Infant as the wise men were but as the Resurrected King.This occurred when St. Thomas didn’t believe Jesus appeared to the other disciples, He said he wouldn’...