Catholic Fire

1. This is the time of year that I devote 33 days to prayer and study in order to prepare to renew my Marian consecration, which I originally made over twenty years ago. This week, I wrote an article entitled "What is Marian Consecration?" in which I explain the reasons for Marian consecration and the ways in which it is done. I also learned something new today. In preparation for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, beginning on December 8th, the Marians of the Immaculate Conception are putting the stories and devotions from the book: 33 Days to Morning Glory online. It is an awesome opportunity to reap the benefits of a most beautiful book and devotion! Click here for Day 1.  Don't worry if you see this late or can't make every day -- go ahead and begin. You won't regret it. 2. We celebrated All Saints' Day this past week. Here are seven quotes from the saints on sanctity. 3. Are you praying for the Souls in purgatory? November is devoted to the Holy ...

1. This week, we welcomed our new priests, Fr. Joshua Evans, assistant pastor, on the left, and Fr. C. Jarrod Lies (pronnounced "Lease"), pastor, on the right. 2. I have been working on two new books along with preparing a new project, which I will announce soon. In the meantime, my book Seven Saints for Seven Virtues is doing well and continues to get good reviews. 3. We're gearing up here for the upcoming Midwest Catholic Family Conference , which will be featuring: Matt Maher, Fr. James Kubicki, Tim Staples, Dr. Pia Solenni, Dr. Tim Gray, and more. We attend this every year in August and it just seems to get better and better! 4. This past week, I posted on Catholic Fire this prayer to the Blessed Mother for the healing of our country. 5. Here is an update on my vegetable and flower gardens: The first tomato the season -- a big boy! Our State Flower has popped up! The butterflys really enjoy the purple echinea  ...

May 26 is the feast of St. Philip Neri, patron saint of joy. He was born in Florence, Italy on July 22, 1515, one of four children of the notary Francesco Neri. His mother died when he was very young, but a very capable and competent stepmother filled her place. Although they were related to Italian nobility, the family was quite poor. Philip was a cheerful and friendly boy, who was well-liked by all who knew him. At eighteen, Philip was sent to the town of San Germano, where he lived with a childless relative who had a business there to train as an apprentice and heir. Philip had a strong aptitude for business. Soon after his arrival, Philip began speaking of his conversion, which dramatically changed his life. He left his relative’s home and set out for Rome, as he had a vision that he had a mission to fulfill there. He left without money or a specific plan, trusting in God’s providence. In Rome, he found shelter in the home of Galeotto Caccia who offered him an attic and a ...

Now this is original and entertaining! And funny! A principal of a Kentucky grammar school got a little tired of recording the same "School is closed because of snow today" message so he got a little...creative! It merits Catholic Fire's creativity award of the week. H/T: Creative Minority Report.

On New Year's Eve at 11:45 am, Pope Francis called up the small community of the Carmelite nuns of Luccena in Cordoba, Spain, but they didn't pick up the phone. Their once-large community has now dwindled to a mere five nuns, three of which are from Argentina, which is also the pope's home country. He left them a voicemail in Spanish which said: What are the nuns doing that they can't answer [the phone]? I am Pope Francis, I wish to greet you in this end of the year, I will see if I can call you later. May God bless you! According to ABC, he managed to get a hold of them at 7:15 pm and convey his good wishes for the new year. Listen to the message here , in Spanish. Source

We’re pleased to announce the launch of a blogger tour for SAINT by Lino Rulli. Widely known for his wit and humor as the host of “The Catholic Guy” on SiriusXM Radio, Lino Rulli has released, SAINT: Why I Should Be Canonized Right Way. This book is a follow-up to SINNER , which was released in 2011; also from Servant Books. If Rulli has his way, he will be canonized on Divine Mercy Sunday, which, allegedly, is when Blessed Pope John Paul II and Pope John XXIII will be canonized in Rome. (The official announcement will be next week- Sept. 30.)  Rulli provides evidence for his cause (and yours) in SAINT. Each day during this SAINT blog tour- Sept. 25 through Oct. 4 - one of 10 participating blogs will post unique content relating to the book. As readers follow along on this virtual book tour, they will have a chance to read/ listen to excerpts from SAINT as well as print and Skype interviews with Rulli. They’ll get honest reviews from Catholic bloggers, and have a c...

Pope Francis has certainly won my heart. I could tell he was a humble man, when I first saw him on EWTN. Everything we have been reading about him in Catholic news reports points to his humility and love for God and the poor. Then, just the other day, my husband shared this with me , which opened my heart to him. He reminds me of Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta in many ways. Mother Teresa opened a home in America for AIDS patients and she urged the destitute and dying to come to her for care, even when they had been rejected by their own families. Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of AIDS patients in Argentina. There is much that I could say about him, but you can learn so much about him just by watching him interact with people and listening to him. March 17, 2013. (Romereports.com) It seemed like there was no more room in St. Peter's Square or along surrounding streets. Hundreds of thousands of people came to hear the first Angelus of Pope Francis. Early ri...

Why Shouldn't Men Go to the Grocery Store? This Hilarious Comedian Will Tell You! from yabbadabbadoo on GodTube .

 While speaking to a large crowd of politicians and diplomats in Prague on Saturday afternoon, the Holy Father entertained an uninvited guest -- a spider! The active arachnid crawls up the side of his neck and he doesn't even flinch! I know the Pope is a seasoned speaker, but I'm very impressed with his self-control.

H/T: Flo

Related Post: St. Philip Neri, The Humorous Saint

The Virgin Appearing to St. Philip Neri Giovanni Battista Tiepolo St. Philip Neri was born in Florence, Italy on July 22, 1515. He was one of four children of the notary Francesco Neri. His mother died when he was very young, but a very capable and competent stepmother filled her place. Although they were related to Italian nobility, the family was quite poor. Philip was a cheerful and friendly boy, and was popular with all who knew him. At eighteen, Philip was sent to the town of San Germano, where he lived with a childless relative who had a business there to train as an apprentice and heir. Philip had a strong aptitude for business. Soon after his arrival, Philip began speaking of his conversion, which dramatically changed his life. He left his relative’s home and set out for Rome, as he had a vision that he had a mission to fulfill there. He left without money or a specific plan, trusting in God’s providence. In Rome, he found shelter in the home of Galeotto Caccia who offered him ...

This one is hilarious and cracked me up! ~ Via Steven Crowder.

This Catholic Apple spoof should bring a smile to your face. Very cleverly done! Check out the other funny videos on his YouTube channel . H/T: American Papist

at Starbucks. H/T: The Curt Jester

You'll love this one! H/T: Marcel at Aggie Catholics.