Catholic Fire

On July 1, we honor Blessed Junipero Serra, a Franciscan priest and missionary, who converted thousands of native Americans. Miguel Jose Serra was born on the island of Majorca (Spain), on November 24, 1713, and took the name of Junipero in honor of Saint Juniper, who had also been a Franciscan and a companion of Saint Francis of Assisi. In 1730, he entered the Franciscan Order and was ordained seven years later. A brilliant man who had earned his doctorate in theology, he taught philosophy and theology at the University of Padua for two years.At the age of thirty-seven, he arrived in Mexico City on January 1, 1750, and spent the rest of his life converting the people of the New World. When Father Junipero Serra founded California's first mission in 1769, he was 56 years old and asthmatic, with a chronic sore on his leg that troubled him for the rest of his life, and he suffered frequently from other illnesses, as well. He stood just 5 feet, 2 inches, and, as a journalist la...

The Coliseum Rome, Italy From My Personal Photo Collection On the day after the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, we honor the first martyrs of the Roman Church. They were victims of the Emperor Nero, who blamed Christians for a fire that destroyed most of the city of Rome in the year 64. These Christians were arrested, interrogated, and brutally murdered for Nero's personal entertainment. They were thrown to the wild beasts in the arena or soaked in tar and used as living torches. Their deaths are documented in the writings of the Roman historian Tacitus and in Pope St Clement’s letter to the Corinthians. Reflection As I write about these early Christian martyrs, I can't help but reflect on the time I spent with my Community in prayer and thanksgiving for their sacrifice and their great faith while visiting the Coliseum in Rome, Italy in February, 2006. I felt such a strong sense of their presence as I envisioned these innocent, defenseless victims being tos...

Here are a few of my favorites: Non-Fiction 1. The Miracle of Father Kaupan by Roy Wenzel and Travis Heying 2.  Rooted in Lov e by Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle 3.   Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious: Celebrating the Gift of Catholic Womanhood by Pat Gohn 4. Saint John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Everet 5. Jacob's Ladder: Ten Steps to Truth by Peter Kreeft Fiction 1. Murder in the Vatican by Ann Margaret Lewis 2. The Watson Chronicles by Ann Margaret Lewis 3. In Name Only by Ellen Gable 4. A Subtle Grace by Ellen Gable 5. Theophilos by Michael D. O'Brien Classics  Non-Fiction 1. Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of S t. Therese of Lisieux 2.  The Life of St. Catherine of Siena: The Classic on Her Life and Accomplishments as Recorded by Her Spiritual Director  by Raymond of Capua 3. Two Sisters in the Spirit: Therese of Lisieux and Elizabeth of the Trinity  by Hans Urs von Balthasar 4. Th...

Sts. Peter and Paul are the co-founders of the Church - the solid rock on which it was founded. St. Peter  Peter's original name was Simon. He was a fisherman and the brother of Saint Andrew, the apostle who led him to Christ. As an apostle of Christ, Simon was renamed "Peter" (in Hebrew Kephas) or "rock" by Jesus to indicate that Peter would be the rock-like foundation on which the Church would be built. Peter's house often became the scene of miracles, since Jesus would stay there whenever He was teaching in that locality. Together with his brothers John and Andrew, Peter belonged to the first of Jesus' disciples. After the Ascension, Peter took the leading role that Christ had assigned to him and became the first Pope. He served as the first Bishop of Rome and died there as a martyr in 64 a.d. crucified with his head downward, as he was not worthy to die in the same manner as Christ. Peter is the author of two letters, the first encyclic...

Some months ago, this picture of a Spanish soccer fan made the front pages. It shows a girl wearing the flag of her soccer team, Atletico de Madrid, praying that they would win final game of a competition. And so they did. It's normal to see soccer fans and players praying. Most of them make the sign of the cross before entering the soccer field. But, who can you pray to so that your team wins? The patron saint of sports is Italian Saint Pier Giorgio Frassati. He was a brilliant student who was an avid hiker. Every time he organized a trip to the mountain, playing a soccer game was part of the plan. Another Italian is the patron saint of soccer: Luigi Scrisoppi. He is usually depicted with a ball in his hand. He was known for his dedication to youth through sport. Saint John Bosco was also proposed to be the patron saint of soccer players. The character of this famous Italian educator had everything needed to enjoy soccer: youth, joy and friendship. Pope John Paul II i...

On June 28, the Church celebrates the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary the day – one day after the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The proximity of both celebrations reflects the deep connection between the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of His Mother. The connection between the Hearts of Jesus and Mary was prophesied by Simeon at the Presentation in the Temple of Jerusalem. In Luke 2:35, we read: “and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” The fulfillment of this prophesy is found in John 33-34: “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs, but one soldier thrust his lance into his side, and immediately blood and water flowed out.” It was at the piercing of Christ’s Heart at His death, then, that Mary...

"I came to cast fire upon the earth; and would that it were already kindled." (Luke 12:29) We have approached the fire of the love of God. Let us allow that fire to burn our lives. Let us feed the desire to spread that divine fire throughout the world, making it known to all the people around us. They too can experience the peace of Christ and find happiness there. A Christian who lives united to Christ's heart can have no goals but these: peace in society, peace in the Church, peace in his soul, the peace of God which will reach its climax when his kingdom comes. ~ St. Josemaria Escriva Image Source

Today is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this feast, we focus our attention on Jesus truly present in the Holy Eucharist and reflect on God’s unconditional love and boundless mercy as symbolized by His heart. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has as its dogmatic foundation the Incarnation of the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. On account of the hypostatic union, every part of our Lord's Human Nature is worthy of adoration. Hence, therefore, we adore His bodily Heart, beating in His Bosom. We also honor the Heart of Jesus as a reminder, or symbol, of His love for us, and we are moved to make Him a return of love, because He has loved us and He is not loved by men. Love, consecration, and reparation are the characteristic acts of this devotion. In this form it is now solemnly approved by the Church. On the feast of the Sacred Heart celebrated on the Friday after the Octave of Corpus Christi an act of reparation is prescribed for recitation in every ch...

St. Josemaria Escriva Related Posts: St. Josemaria Escriva  (brief biography, quotes, and video) St. Josémaria Escriva and the Miraculous Medal St. Josemaria Escriva on Love for Our Lady St. Josemaria Escriva on Fortitude St. Josemaria Escriva on Heaven St. Josemaria Escriva on Truth Chastity Quote of the Day: St. Josemaria Escriva Image Source: Pinterest

By Jean M. Heimann Today is the feast of St. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei and the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross. St. Josemaria Escriva was born in Barbastro, Spain, on January 9, 1902. One of six children born to Jose and Dolores Escriva; three of his siblings died in infancy. His father was a small businessman, and when his business failed in 1915, the family moved to Logroño, Spain. When Josemaria was fifteen, he saw the bare footprints left in the snow by a monk and was moved by this. He believed that God was calling him in some way and he was encouraged to become a priest. He studied for the priesthood in Logroño and Zaragoza, Spain. In 1924, his father died, leaving him as head of the family; consequently, Josemaria had to simultaneously support the family while studying for the priesthood. After his ordination in 1925, he was assigned to a rural parish, and later to Zaragoza. In 1927, he began studying law in Madrid.  In 1928, during a spiritual...

Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty O God our Creator, from your provident hand we have received our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You have called us as your people and given us the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God, and your Son, Jesus Christ. Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit, you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society. We ask you to bless us in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty. Give us the strength of mind and heart to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened; give us courage in making our voices heard on behalf of the rights of your Church and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith. Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father, a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters gathered in your Church in this decisive hour in the history of our nation, so ...

Image Source The saint of the day for June 24th is St. William of Vercelli, abbot and founder of a religious congregation known as the Hermits of Monte-Vergine. William was born to noble and wealthy parents in Vercelli, Italy in 1085. He lost his father and mother in his infancy and was raised by a relative. At age fifteen, he made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. When he returned, he became a hermit in Naples and lived there on an uninhabited mountain in solitude. However, he became famous after he worked a miracle, curing a blind man. His desire to live a contemplative life and to focus on God was interrupted; consequently, he moved to another mountain. On this mountain, he built a beautiful church in honor of Our Lady. His holiness attracted  many followers and, in 1119, he established the Congregation of Monte Vergine, or Mount of the Virgin. These sons of Our Lady lived in great poverty. Some of the monks began to complain that the rule was too strict a...

Today, June 24th is the Solemnity of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. From a sermon by Saint Augustine The Church observes the birth of John as in some way sacred; and you will not find any other of the great men of old whose birth we celebrate officially. We celebrate John’s, as we celebrate Christ’s. This point cannot be passed over in silence, and if I may not perhaps be able to explain it in the way that such an important matter deserves, it is still worth thinking about it a little more deeply and fruitfully than usual. John is born of an old woman who is barren; Christ is born of a young woman who is a virgin. That John will be born is not believed, and his father is struck dumb; that Christ will be born is believed, and he is conceived by faith. I have proposed some matters for inquiry, and listed in advance some things that need to be discussed. I have introduced these points even if we are not up to examining all the twists and turns of such a great myste...

The saint of the day for June 23 is St. Joseph Cafasso. He was born on January 15, 1811 in northern Italy, about twenty miles from Turin. Joseph Cafasso was the third child of a family of four. His parents, who were known for their charity to the poor, were small farmers who had to supplement their scanty income by working on neighboring farms. Although he was born with a deformed spine, Joseph did not allow this defect to influence his need to do penance. Even in his childhood he had certain days set apart for penance, and he fasted every Saturday in honor of Our Blessed Lady. He also attended daily Mass, at which he often served. He was gifted with a keen intellect and a good memory, and was first in his class at school. He was ordained a priest in 1833 at the age of twenty-two. After Ordination, he was selected to be an assistant professor of moral theology at ecclesiastical college in Turin. He was a brilliant lecturer. His fame soon spread and attracted students not only...

This isn't your average movie... -You're late -I'm sorry about that -Since when are you paid to feel? An undercover officer, is given a specific assignment. People are having a change of heart, and his mission is to find out why. -Who leads the group? -They talk about a Father, a Son, and they also mention a woman, whom they refer to as Mother. That Mother, of course, is the Virgin Mary and the film titled 'Mary's Land' has a specific purpose. JUAN MANUEL COTELO Mary's Land, Director  "It's a movie about finding God through Our Lady.” Juan Manuel Cotelo is the director of the film. He describes it as part documentary, part fiction. In it, he interviews people, not actors, from all over the world, who actually experienced a spiritual conversion, and Our Lady played a key role in all of it. "I heard a voice that was so sweet and so motherly.” "The voice came, it was feminine, direct to me: Why are you hurting? I ...

by Jean M. Heimann Today's saint, Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591), was the firstborn in a highly wealthy and influential Italian noble family.  His father was a famous mercenary soldier.  Aloysius assumed adult responsibilities at an early age. He began his training as a soldier and courtier at the age of four and, when he was only eight, served in the court of Grand Duke Francesco I de’Medici. While serving in the court, he studied in Florence, where he received an excellent classical education. In Florence, Saint Aloysius became ill with kidney disease, and in the process of recovery spent time in spiritual reading and prayer.  At the age of nine, Gonzaga made a private vow of chastity. At the age of 12, he returned home to his father’s castle, where he met St. Charles Cardinal Borromeo, who gave him his first Holy Communion.  Shortly thereafter, Aloysius began to teach catechism to young boys. Much to the displeasure and anger of his father, Aloysius state...

Religious liberty is present, said the Pope, when people can express their faith publicly and not just in private. POPE FRANCIS "The fact that religious persecution still exists and that it provokes war is unacceptable. This damages our rationality, it's an attempt against peace and it belittles the dignity of men and women.” The Pope addressed an international conference on religious liberty, welcoming the group to the Vatican. He said that, nowadays, Christians are persecuted more than in the early days of the Church. There are also more martyrs now, he explained,  than centuries ago. POPE FRANCIS "It pains me a great deal to know that Christians, from around the world, suffer the most from this discrimination. This is happening more than 1,700 years after Constantine signed the Edict of Milan, granting Christians the right to express their faith freely.” The International Conference was carried out by Rome´s LUMSA University and St. John´s University Sch...

“(E)every child comes from a man and a woman, and has a right, a natural human right, to know and be known by, to love and be loved by, their own mother and father.” “Love is the answer. But love in the truth. The truth is that every child comes from a mother and a father, and to deliberate(ly) deprive a child of knowing and being loved by his or her mother and father is an outright injustice. That is our very nature, and no law can change it.” ~  Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco speaking at the  “March for Marriage” on June 19, 2014 as quoted in   Archbishop Cordileone calls for a 'civilization of truth and love'  on Catholic News Agency. Image Source: CNA

The saint of the day for June 20 is St. Alban , the first Christian martyr in Britain during the early 4th century. He is the patron saint of converts and torture victims. Even though he was not a man of faith, St. Alban was very hospitable and compassionate. As a soldier, he sheltered a persecuted priest, Amphibalus, during a time that Christians were being put to death in Britain. The priest struck St. Alban with his faith and piety, as well as his dedication to prayer. Alban soon converted to Christianity. In an effort to help the priest escape, he switched clothes with him. But Alban was caught and ordered to renounce his faith. St. Alban refused to worship idols, and when asked to state his name, answered “My name is Alban, and I worship the only true and living God, who created all things.” When he refused, he was to be tortured and beheaded. The person first selected to execute Alban heard his testimony and converted on the spot. After refusing to kill Alban, he was...

This year we celebrate the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary on June 28, so we begin the nine day novena in her honor today. Novena Prayer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary O Most Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As your children, we implore your intercession with Jesus your Son. Receive with understanding and compassion the petitions we place before you today, especially ...(special intention). We are comforted in knowing your heart is ever open to those who ask for your prayer. We trust to your gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with God forever. Amen.

Late Archbishop Fulton Sheen is one step closer to becoming a Blessed. A group of Vatican doctors and theologians agreed that a miracle should be attributed to the intercession of Venerable Fulton Sheen. The case involves a stillborn baby boy. His mother gave birth to him back on September 2010. For over an hour, the stillborn showed no signs of life. Overwhelmed with grief, his parents started praying to Fulton Sheen, asking for a miracle. After 61 minutes, the baby boy responded. Three years and a full recovery later, the boy named James Fulton Engstrom, in honor of the late Archbishop, is doing just fine. The American prelate rose to fame back in the 1950's with his television show 'Life is Worth Living.' He even won an Emmy for his work. He died on December 9th, 1979, but he is still remembered for his direct, clear and moving homilies. The process isn't over just yet. Now that a team of doctors and theologians agreed that there is no medical explanation ...

June 19 is the optional memorial of Saint Romuald, abbot and founder of the Camaldolese Benedictines-- one of the Italian branches of the Benedictines. He was born around 950 in Ravenna, Italy of a noble family and died on June 19, 1027 in Val-di-Castro, Italy. Horrified, after his father killed a relative in a duel, at which he was forced to be present, Romuald retired to the Benedictine monastery of St. Apollinare, near Ravenna, where he became abbot from 996 to 999. For almost thirty years he traveled about Italy, reforming monasteries and establishing hermitages. Romuald's own father eventually became a monk in one of his monasteries; when he later wavered in his vows, his son's encouragement helped him remain faithful. The last fourteen years of Romuald's life were spent in seclusion at Mount Sitria, Bifolco, and Val di Castro. St. Romuald died in 1027, and was canonized in 1595. Like all the saints, Romuald fought a lifelong battle against the assau...

The saint of the day for June 18 is St. Osanna Andreassi also known as St. Osanna of Mantua (1449 - 1505), an Italian Dominican tertiary, who was a mystic and stigmatist. The daughter of Italian nobles Nicolaus and Agnes, she is reported to have had her first mystical experience at the age of five: a vision of the Trinity, the nine choirs of angels, and Jesus as a child her own age, carrying His Cross. Feeling called to the religious life, Osanna rejected an arranged marriage and became a Dominican tertiary at the age of 17; however, she waited 37 years to complete her vows so she could care for her brothers and sisters after the death of her parents. At the age of eighteen she experienced mystical espousal to Jesus -- like St. Catherine of Siena, she had a vision in which Our Blessed Mother made her a bride of Christ, placing a ring on her finger. When she was thirty she received the stigmata on her head, then her side, and finally on her feet. She also had a vision in whic...

Fr. James Kubicki,SJ, National Director of the Apostleship of Prayer, shares an inspiring message with us about the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Pope John Paul II.

Thousands of priests and catechists from the Diocese of Rome met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. They told him of the troubles they deal with in their parishes. In response, the Pope focused on a danger families and society face today: living in a hurry. POPE FRANCIS "When I hear the confession of young couples and they start talking about their children, I always ask them the same question: do you make time to play with your children? The fathers usually say: 'But Father, when I go to work in the morning they are sleeping, and when I'm back home they're also in bed.' This is no way to live.” Not only parents, but especially children pay for this lack of time and attention, the Pope went on, because they might grow up as 'orphans,' who don't get support from neither their family, parish nor society. POPE FRANCIS "This is a society of orphans. Let's think about this, eh? It's important. Dad is tired, mom is tired, they go to sle...

The saint of the day for June 17th is Saint Albert Chmielowski - Founder of the Albertine Brothers and Sisters, and one of the saints who inspired the vocation of the young Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II. Saint Albert was born on August 20, 1845 in Igolomia, Poland (near Kraków) as Adam Hilary Bernard Chmielowski. Born into a wealthy and aristocratic family, Adam was the oldest of four children. Actively involved in politics from his youth, Adam lost a leg fighting in an insurrection against Czar Alexander III at age 18. In Krakow, he became a popular artist and his talent in the subject led him to study in Warsaw, Munich, and Paris. A kind and compassionate person, Adam was always deeply aware of human suffering, and felt called to help those in need. Realizing that God was calling Him to a life of service, he returned to Krakow in 1874, determined to dedicate his talents to the glory of God. Instead of continuing his work as an artist, he decided to care for th...

The saint of the day is St. Lutgardis, a Cistercian, and one of the first mystics of the Sacred Heart. St. Lutgardis is the patron saint of the blind and physically disabled people. Born in the 12th century, she came to her vocation, in part, due to her father’s bad business sense. Her father lost her dowry in a failed business venture and sent her to a Benedictine convent at the age of 12. A few years later, she received a vision of Christ showing her his wounds, and at age 20 she became a Benedictine nun. Her visions continued and she is said to have levitated and dripped blood from her head when meditating on the Passion. Seeking a stricter life, she joined the Cistercians and displayed the gifts of healing, prophecy, spiritual wisdom and teaching on the Gospels. She accepted the blindness that afflicted her for the last 11 years of her life as a gift that helped reduce the distractions of the outside world. In her last vision, Christ told her when she was to die, the da...

Catholics have risked their lives for thousands of years to be at Mass. For mere ritual? Nostalgia? Obligation? No. For the most intimate encounter we get with our maker on this side of eternity and to tap into the power we need to live the life we were made for. Thank you, Chris Stefanik !

On Trinity Sunday evening, Pope visited the community of Sant’ Egidio in the Roman neighborhood of Trastevere... He spoke to the community, focusing on solidarity: solidarity in prayer; solidarity in action to aid the weakest and most vulnerable in society; and especially, solidarity across generations. Departing from his prepared remarks, the Holy Father said, “A people that does care for its elder members, one that does not take care of its young people, is a people without a future, a people without hope – for young people - children, young people - and seniors carry [the people] forward in history.” Pope Francis went on to say, “Children and young people [do so] with the vim and vigor natural to youth, to be sure [It. I bambini, i giovani con la loro forza biologica, è giusto]. The elders [do so] by offering memory. When a society loses its memory, though, it is finished.” Pope Francis went on to tie the crisis among the young and the elderly in society to the “throw-away ...

My earliest memory of my dad is when I was about 4 years old. I remember wanting to retrieve an item on the top of our living room fireplace and standing on the seat of my backless child-sized chair to do so. As I grabbed the item, I fell off the chair, with my underarm sliding into one of the two steel rungs that would have held up the linoleum back on the chair. The blood was pouring out as I cried out in pain and my parents ran over to inspect me. Somehow my dad made the bleeding stop and soon afterwards he repaired the back of the chair. I forgot all about my injury when he fixed my chair so that it was good as new. I knew that I had nothing to fear from that chair anymore and that I had something to sit in that was like new. New anything was rare in our home – dad worked as an ironworker after he returned from World War II and work for him in the winter was rare. As a sergeant in the war with the Fifth Army, dad had been stationed in France and North Africa. He had earned a ...

St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste husband of Mary, you passed your life in loving fulfillment of duty. You supported the holy family of Nazareth with the work of your hands. Kindly protect those who trustingly come to you. You know their aspirations, their hardships, their hopes. They look to you because they know you will understand and protect them. You too knew trial, labor and weariness. But amid the worries of material life your soul was full of deep peace and sang out in true joy through intimacy with God's Son entrusted to you and with Mary, his tender Mother. Assure those you protect that they do not labor alone. Teach them to find Jesus near them and to watch over him faithfully as you have done. ~ Pope St. John XXIII Holy Father, You are the one who knows how absolutely special fathers are. You made them that way. How else can a man work so hard, give so much, and love unconditionally, without your strength? So first, Lord, thank You for fathers, ...