Catholic Fire

Celebrating Father's Day (the third Sunday in June) is a tradition in the United States. This is a day for the entire family to go to Mass and to pray for fathers and grandfathers. Today is a day to be thankful for fathers and all that they do and have done for us. As I remember my own father who went Home to His Heavenly Father several years ago, I remember how much he loved me, my mother, and our entire family. He was a wonderful provider for our family, of course, and to this day I can hear his voice saying, "Never miss a day of work." And, he never did. But more than that, I remember how he led our family in the faith - how he always drove us to Mass and insisted that all seven of us arrive there at least fifteen minutes before Mass began (This wasn't easy with five women and only one bathroom in the house.) I remember how he was actively involved in the Holy Name Society and the Knights of Columbus, and how he led us in the holy rosary and encouraged us t...

1.  "As a Father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who trust Him." - Psalm 103:13 2.  “To be a good father, the first requirement is to be present in the family. To be close to his wife, to share in everything, joy and pain, burdens and hopes." - Pope Francis, General audience, Feb. 4, 2015 3.  "A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty." - Unknown. 4.  “The best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.” – John Wooden 5.  “Any man can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad.” -Anne Geddes 6.  "Dads don’t need to be tall and broad-shouldered and clever.  Love makes them so." - Pam Brown 7.  "Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance." - Ruth E. Renkel 8. "Father!–to God himself we cannot give a holier name." - William Wordsworth 9.  "A father acts on behalf of his childre...

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, ...

By Jean M. Heimann June 13th is the feast of St. Anthony of Padua. With it being so close to Father's Day, my dad has been on my mind, so I thought I would re-post this popular post I wrote last year and updated this year. Whenever I think of my father, who passed on to eternal life 16 years ago, I am reminded of St. Anthony of Padua.  My dad introduced me to this powerful intercessor, to whom he was deeply devoted, inviting me to pray the novena prayers with him shortly before he died.  Although he was eighty years old and was suffering from an aggressive cancer, dad was able to recite the prayers from memory. He prayed often for the conversion of his family and for many other intentions, He gave me a copy of the novena prayers and encouraged me to pray it on my own. While I had always invoked St. Anthony of Padua for objects I seemed to be consistently misplacing, I never realized until then what a great saint he was and what a miracle-worker he was. I now pray daily...

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, for daddies. For big, strong men with tender hearts, with hands that are calloused and rough, yet so soft and gentle when hearts need mending. Lord, help children to delight this day in being with their dads, even if it must be only by phone. May the precious memories flow, and bring laughter, and new love and appreciation. Lord, please take care of our dads. Though they are brave and protective, they must also be frightened sometimes, when money runs low, when we need things, when we're hurt or sick. Lord, when their hearts break because they can't do it all, please help us to let them know how much we love them. And how much You love them. Lord, forgive the men who know they are not good fathers, and help them to ...

By Jean M. Heimann Whenever I think of my father, who passed on to eternal life 16 years ago, I am reminded of St. Anthony of Padua.  My dad introduced me to this powerful intercessor, to whom he was deeply devoted, inviting me to pray the novena prayers with him shortly before he died.  Although he was eighty years old and was suffering from an aggressive cancer, dad was able to recite the prayers from memory.  He gave me a copy of the novena prayers and encouraged me to pray it on my own. While I had always invoked St. Anthony of Padua for objects I seemed to be consistently misplacing, I never realized until then what a great saint he was. St. Anthony of Padua is a Doctor of the Church, a Franciscan priest called the "Hammer of the Heretics", the "Wonder Worker", and the "Living Ark of the Covenant." Countless conversions, miraculous healings, and powerful preaching were all characteristic of his ministry. He was born to a noble family in 1195 ...

Saint 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. Amen. ~Pope John XXIII

"Fathers, your face, your heart, is the number one glimpse your children have of the image of their heavenly Father." * Today is a day to be thankful for fathers and all that they do and have done for us. As I remember my own father who went to his eternal reward several years ago, I remember how much he loved me, my mother, and our entire family. He was a wonderful provider for our family, of course, and to this day I can hear his voice saying, "Never miss a day of work." And, he never did. But more than that, I remember how he led our family in the faith - how he always drove us to Mass and insisted that all seven of us arrive there at least fifteen minutes before Mass began (This wasn't easy with five women and only one bathroom in the house.) I remember how he was actively involved in the Holy Name Society and the Knights of Columbus, and how he led us in the holy rosary and encouraged us to sing "Immaculate Mary" and "Holy God" on road ...

Prayer to Saint Joseph for Fathers Saint 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. Amen.

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 purple...