Catholic Fire

I enjoy adult coloring books. As a psychologist, I am keenly aware of the healing power of art therapy and how it can help reduce stress and tension and allow the person to focus and to express their emotions and their creativity. When I color, I feel relaxed and youthful again in the sense that I am allowing myself to play, to have fun, and to be like a child again. It is a wonderful escape from the everyday stresses of work, home, and family life. At Play in God’s Creation:An Illuminating Coloring Book  (written by Tara M. Owens and illustrated by Daniel W. Sorenson) is a beautiful coloring book that contains intriguing illustrations of flowers, trees, mountains, valleys, shells, butterflies, animals, oceans, and many scenes from nature. It guides you through arched pathways, intricate mazes, and open fields, providing spiritual direction along the way, with each drawing containing a quote from scripture, the saints, or mystics who guide you on the contemplative journey. ...

On November 1, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, also known as Hallowmas and All Hallows. Today's feast honors all the saints of the Church, known and unknown, whose virtues and efforts in this life are considered to have earned them an eternal reward with God. On this day, Catholics are asked to reflect on holiness and sainthood and to celebrate the holiness of men and women who gave their lives in faithfulness and service to God, and whose witness continues to inspire us today. Christians have been honoring saints and martyrs since at least the second century AD. Initially, the calendars of saints and martyrs varied by location, with churches honoring local saints. However, gradually feast days became more universal. The first reference to a general feast celebrating all saints occurred with St Ephrem the Syrian (d. AD 373). St. John Chrysostom (d. AD 407) assigned a day to the feast, the first Sunday after Pentecost, where in the Eastern Churches the feast is celeb...

October 1 is the feast of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux a dear friend and one of my most powerful intercessors. Here are some wonderful words of wisdom from her: "How easy it is to please Jesus, to ravish His Heart. We have merely to love Him, while, at the same time, forgetting ourselves." "We have merely to love Him, without looking at ourselves, without examining our faults too much." "The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity..." “Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity.” "On the day of my conversion Charity entered into my heart and with it a yearning to forget self always; thenceforward I was happy." "I applied myself above all to practice quite hidden little acts of virtue; thus I liked to fold the mantles forgotten by the Siste...

September 26 is the memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, the 17th century French priest known for his apostolic work among the poor and marginalized. Born to a poor family in Pouy in the southwest of France in 1581, Vincent was an intellectually gifted youth who began his theological studies at the age of 15 and was ordained at the age of 20. On a voyage to the Holy Land, Vincent's ship was boarded by pirates and he was captured and sold into slavery in Africa, where he was held for two years before he converted his master to Christianity and was freed. He returned to France and was appointed to a parish near Paris, from where he began to initiate and organize missions for the poor, destitute, forgotten, sick, uneducated, and unemployed. He founded the Congregation of Priests of the Mission and the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity and sent priests to Africa to minister to and ransom slaves. He vigorously opposed Jansenism and helped reform orders of priests and re...

September 23 is the Feast of St. Padre Pio, also known as St. Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968).  He was a priest, mystic, and stigmatist, and Spiritual Father to many. Here are ten bits of advice to help us grow spiritually from this powerful saint: Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God’s heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips, but with your heart. In fact on certain occasions you should only speak to Him with your heart. A thousand years of enjoying human glory is not worth even an hour spent sweetly communing with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Pray, hope and don't worry. Anxiety doesn't help at all. Our Merciful Lord will listen to your prayer. Love the Madonna and pray the rosary, for her Rosary is the weapon against the evils of the world today. All graces given by God pass through the Blessed Mother.”  Be souls of prayer. Never tire of praying, it is what is essential. Prayer shakes the Heart of God, it obtains necessar...

On Thursday, we celebrated the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary , and on Monday, we will be celebrating the feast of her Holy Name . She has given us so much! She has given us the gift of her maternal love. God calls all of us to be gift-bearers and to share the love that Our Mother has given us, through her virtues of humility, charity, purity, and obedience to God's will. 1. Pray a Litany to her.  The Church celebrates the feast of the Holy Name of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary to instill in us how valuable and beneficial it is for us to invoke her holy name in all our needs. The name Mary means “Star of the Sea.” Like the stars in the sky, she reflects the light of Christ and illuminates the way for us along dark paths. She protects us from evil and guides us safely home.  St. Thomas Aquinas, Doctor of the Church, wrote: “As mariners are guided into port by the shining of a star, so Christians are guided to heaven by Mary.”  As “Star of the Sea”, Mary ...

The month of September is traditionally dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary with the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows being commemorated on September 15. The feast of Our Lady of Sorrows commemorates the seven great sorrows which Mary lived in relation to her Son, as they are recorded in the Gospels or through tradition. The Seven Sorrows are: the prophecy of Simeon, the flight into Egypt, the loss of the Holy Child at Jerusalem for three days, meeting Jesus on his way to Calvary, standing at the foot of the Cross, Jesus being taken down from the Cross, and the burial of Christ. Devotion to the sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary dates back to the twelfth century, when it was first established in monastic circles under the influence of St. Anselm and St. Bernard. The Cistercians and then the Servites started to spread it. It was widely embraced during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, especially in the Rhineland and Flanders, where Confraternities of the Sorrowful Mothe...

Suscipe Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding and my whole will. All that I am and all that I possess, Thou hast given me: I surrender it all to Thee to be disposed of according to Thy will. Give me only Thy love and Thy grace; with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more. Amen. -- Suscipe (from the Latin word “receive”) is a short but powerful prayer attributed to St. Ignatius Loyola. Prayer of Abandonment Father, I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will. Whatever you may do, I thank you: I am ready for all, I accept all. Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures - I wish no more than this, O Lord. Into your hands I commend my soul: I offer it to you with all the love of my heart, for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself, to surrender myself into your hands without reserve, and with boundless confidence, for you are my Father. ~ Blessed Charles de Foucauld P...

Feeding Your Family’s Soul: Dinner Table Spirituality by Donna­-Marie Cooper O’Boyle Stressed and exhausted, today’s parents struggle to meet their deadlines and check off their "to do" lists. This often results in well-meaning parents putting off their children’s faith formation for "another time" or relying on others to teach their children.  This book is uniquely suited to come to their rescue! Feeding Your Family’s Soul: Dinner Table Spirituality is a vital tool to enable parents to transform a regular dinner time into a prayerful faith lesson for their elementary school to high school aged children. With 52 fun and creative faith lessons (one for each week of the year), this book will encourage parents and caregivers to seize the opportunity in teaching the Catholic faith to the children (the captive audience waiting to eat!) while gathered at the dinner table, reminding them of the value of coming together as a family to break bread and share heart...

Many of us struggle to understand the mystery of suffering in our lives. In fact, one of the most frequently asked questions by people of all faiths is, “Why would a loving God allow pain and suffering?” People often perceive pain and suffering as a punishment, rather than as a medicine or as a healing balm, which helps us grow closer to God. Redemptive suffering is something that we might understand intellectually, but have difficulty putting into practice. Even the great saints struggled to make sense out of the suffering and trials they endured. In Jeannie Ewing’s book, “From Grief to Grace: The Journey From Tragedy to Triumph” , she shares her own poignant struggle with suffering and grief,  recounting the story of the birth of  her daughter, Sarah, who was congenitally  diagnosed with a rare genetic condition known as Apert Syndrome, which is characterized by facial abnormalities and fused fingers.  Although Jeannie initially experienced heartbreak, loss,...

Being alone isn’t supposed to be scary. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz shows us how solitude can be an invitation and doesn't have to lead to loneliness. God himself has revealed to us how he is a relationship of love between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Made in his image, we are also made for relationship—with God and with one another. When we feel alone, it is because we were made to give ourselves to others as God gives himself to us.

When life throws challenge after challenge at us, it is easy to just give in and think we are helpless. In this video, Fr. Mike Schmitz offers an uplifting message for those tough times. No matter how dire the circumstances, with God’s grace, there is always something we can do.

On June 2, we honor Sts. Marcellinus and Peter -- two Roman martyrs who suffered under the Diocletian persecution, around the year 304.  Marcellinus was a priest, Peter an exorcist. Peter was thrown into prison at Rome, under the emperor Diocletian, by the judge, Serenus, for stating that he was a Christian. While in prison, he freed Paulina, the daughter of Artemius, the prison keeper, from an evil spirit which plagued her. When this occurred, Artemius and his wife and their entire household, along with their neighbors had run to witness this bizarre event. When they arrived, all were amazed and instantly converted to Christianity. Thus, Peter brought them to Marcellinus the priest, who baptized them. When Serenus heard of this, he called Peter and Marcellinus before him, and threatened to harm them, unless they denied Jesus Christ. Marcellinus refused, which resulted in his being separated from Peter, and shut up naked, in a prison scattered with broken glass, without foo...

Die Heimsuchung Mariens (The Visitation), 1695/1696, by Luca Giordano Luke 1:39-56 May 31 is the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which recalls Mary's visit with her cousin Elizabeth. This event is also the second joyful mystery of the rosary -- the first being the Annunciation. Elizabeth had been barren all her life, but in the Annunciation, Mary learned that her kinswoman was miraculously expecting a child in her old age. Upon hearing this good news, Mary fervently desired to share in Elizabeth's joy and serve her during the last part of her pregnancy. So she went "with haste" to visit Elizabeth and remained with her for three months. Mary's first action after God had come to dwell in her was one of self-denying charity. She undertook a troublesome journey in order to visit her cousin Elizabeth. Thus, she proclaimed charity to be the virtue which above all Christ brought with Him from heaven. God made Mary's visit the occas...

Today, Virginia Lieto, inspirational author, speaker, blogger, and theology professor reviews my new book, Learning to Love with the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir and will be giving away an autographed copy! Go visit her at Virginia Lieto and enter to win! There's only one more day for the blog tour, but you won't want to miss this last stop! On Tuesday, May 24, Tony Agnesi reviews Learning to Love with the Saints at Finding God’s Grace in Everyday Life. 

On Day 7 of the blog tour for my new book, Learning to Love with the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir , a long-time popular blogger whom I have known for many years, the avid reader and talented writer BarbSzyszkiewicz, also known as Franciscan Mom, reviews my book at both Franciscan Mom and Catholic Mom today. Go visit her and enter to win at both sites and enter to win a free, first edition, signed copy of my book at Franciscan Mom. Visit these sites for the remainder of the tour: Friday, May 20--Jeannie Ewing, Interview, Love Alone Creates  Book Giveaway! Saturday, May 21-- Patrice Faganant McArthur, Review, Spiritual Woman Sunday, May 22 -- Melanie Jean Juneau, Review, Association of Catholic Women Bloggers  and Joy of Nine Monday, May 23--Virginia Lieto, Review, Virginia Lieto , Book Giveaway! Tuesday, May 24 -- Tony Agnesi, Review, Finding God’s Grace in Everyday Life

Via Pinterest. A female reader from Africa writes: I am on the verge of giving up. I feel very different from every other person in the world and I am wondering what reward I would get for my being chaste from birth. I have never accepted intimate relationships with anyone, part of me wonders if that is what the church preaches, part of me is unhappy, part of me finds my way of life satisfying. The other part wonders if I have a life at all. I don't exactly need a relationship, but I wonder what to do with my life when I need one. I wonder if I would join a convent when I don't get one, and I wonder if that's the life I want for myself. I need advice on how to live despite the way the world projects virginity with such negativity. I need an assurance that I am not insanely weird, and I need to know that God would be there to direct my life for the best. Hang in there! Don’t give up! God is with you and will give you the grace you need to keep you strong in the bat...

On the day of Pentecost, "suddenly from up in the sky there came a noise like a strong, driving wind which was heard all through the house where they were seated. Tongues as of fire appeared, which parted and came to rest on each of them. All were filled with the Holy Spirit. They began to express themselves in foreign tongues and make bold proclamation as the Spirit prompted them" (Acts 2:2-4). Happy Birthday!

St. Mark, the Evangelist, the author of the second Gospel, is commonly identified as “John Mark” in the Acts of the Apostles (12:12, 25; 15:37). He is the patron saint of: attorneys, notaries, prisoners, and stained glass workers. Born a Jew, he was baptized and instructed in the faith by St. Peter the Apostle and traveled with him to Rome. He had a close relationship with St. Peter, who referred to him as “my son Mark” (1 Peter 5:13). Mark traveled with his cousin St. Barnabas and with St. Paul on their first missionary journey in Cyprus (Acts 13:5).  Mark is also said to have evangelized in Alexandria, Egypt and founded the Church there. Like Luke, Mark was not one of the twelve apostles. Some scholars believe him to be the young man who ran away when Jesus was arrested (Mark 14:51-52).  He is also considered to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. According to Eusebius, the Christian historian, Mark died at Alexandria and was martyred for his faith. In the ...

The saint of the day for April 8 is St. Julie Billiart,  a French religious leader who founded, and was the first Superior General of, the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. St. Julie Billiart is the patron saint of the sick and the poor. Saint Julie was born in Cuvilly, France, on July 12, 1751 to a affluent farm family.  Her family provided a loving environment and nurtured her spiritual growth. At the age of 14, she took a vow of chastity and devoted her life to serving the sick and the poor. She was a woman of serenity, despite the great personal suffering she endured. The Billiart family survived many hardships, including the deaths of several children. When Julie was 16, she went to work as a teacher to help support her family. One night, robbers invaded her home and shot her father as she stood by helplessly. He recovered from the incident, but the trauma caused Julie, who was then 23, to become paralyzed and a complete invalid. Julie spent...