Catholic Fire

1. I hope you had a Happy 4th of July!  Here are a couple of photos of me wearing my Lady Liberty t-shirt and of a cool, sugar-free dessert I made for Independence Day. 2.  This has been a short, but very busy week! Let's take a look at a book I have been reading -- Jeannie Ewing's From Grief to Grace: The Journey from Tragedy to Triumph . I highly recommend it! Read my review. This is my only bumper sticker. 3. I am already getting a Study/Rosary Group together for the Fall. This is what we parish ministers/ stewards work on during the summer. I have been doing lots of reading and research for the group. 4. It's not too late to start the novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel , which began on Thursday. Her feast date is July 16. 5. How does my garden grow? Check out the photos below. May 20, 2016 June 7, 2016 Here is the first blooming gladiola from our garden, which is falling over. 6. Now a word from o...

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. - Psalms 33: 12. Eternal God, stir our minds and stimulate our hearts with a high sense of patriotism on this Fourth of July. May all that this day symbolizes renew our faith in freedom, our devotion to democracy, and redouble our efforts to keep a government of the people, by the people, and for the people truly alive in our world. Grant that we may highly resolve on this great day to dedicate ourselves anew to the task of ushering in an era when good will shall live in the hearts of a free people, justice shall be the light to guide their feet, and peace shall be the goal of humankind: to the glory of your holy name and the good of our nation and of all mankind. Amen. - Prayer offered in Congress by Chaplain, Rev. Edward G. Latch, D.D. Wednesday 1974

1.  June is the month for flowering plants to bloom -- at least around here it is. Check out these photos I took recently: Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflowers)  Sunflowers Roses Rose of Sharon bush with Orange Day Lilies 2.  June is the month of weddings. Here we are celebrating our 24th wedding anniversary. We love seafood and enjoyed eating out at this wonderful seafood restaurant. Here we are on our wedding day: Cutting the wedding cake: 3.  Here is the latest write-up on my new book , Learning to Love with the Saints: A Spiritual Memoir. It gives just the right amount of information and substance. Did I mention that it contains photos? If you have read it, would you please post a few sentences on what you thought about it on Amazon? I would very much appreciate your opinion. Thank you! 4.  Speaking of my new book, Learning to Love with the Saints , would you like to win a copy?...

O Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, at this most critical time, we entrust the United States of America to your loving care. Most Holy Mother, we beg you to reclaim this land for the glory of your Son. Overwhelmed with the burden of the sins of our nation, we cry to you from the depths of our hearts and seek refuge in your motherly protection. Look down with mercy upon us and touch the hearts of our people. Open our minds to the great worth of human life and to the responsibilities that accompany human freedom. Free us from the falsehoods that lead to the evil of abortion and threaten the sanctity of family life. Grant our country the wisdom to proclaim that God’s law is the foundation on which this nation was founded, and that He alone is the True Source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. O Merciful Mother, give us the courage to reject the culture of death and the strength to build a new Culture of Life.

“Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD.” -- Psalm 33:12  "Be free people! What do I mean? Perhaps it is thought that freedom means doing everything one likes, or seeing how far one can go.... This is not freedom. Freedom means being able to think about what we do, being able to assess what is good and what is bad, these are the types of conduct that lead to development; it means always opting for the good. Let us be free for goodness. And in this do not be afraid to go against the tide, even if it is not easy! Always being free to choose goodness is demanding, but it will make you into people with a backbone who can face life, people with courage and patience.... Be men and women with others and for others: true champions at the service of others."  - Pope Francis Happy 4th of July!

“There are two kinds of freedom; one is freedom from something, the other is freedom for something. One is freedom of choice which enables us to choose between good and evil; the other is the higher freedom which rests in the attainment of truth and goodness.” — Venerable Fulton J. Sheen in Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen: A Man for All Media, page 106

For me, the Fourth of July was about fireworks and picnics as a young child. However, as I grew older, I learned the true purpose of celebrating Independence Day. I learned that it is about celebrating our freedoms and the responsibilities we have as a result of those freedoms. I learned that it is about being grateful to God for all that He has given us – our lives, our families, our faith, and so much more. It is about appreciating those gifts and using them to know, love, and serve God with our whole mind, our whole soul, and our whole strength.  After all, what good are our freedoms if they are not used for the ultimate purpose for which they were created? Each new day is a gift God gives us to use and develop our gifts to the fullest. While each day may not be perfect, He continues to love me, despite my imperfections. Today I am thanking God for my freedom to worship Him in my vocation as a wife, mother, and writer. I am holding up my life – as imperfect, but as beautif...

An Independence Day Message from a genuine  American President:

Archbishop Michael O. Jackels reflects on the challenge of being both Catholic and American today.

Independence Day is a holiday that unites us as we celebrate our freedom and independence as “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” It also is the final day of a “Fortnight for Freedom ,” a two-week period of prayer and action called by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to address many current challenges to religious liberty, including the HHS mandate and attempts to redefine marriage. It’s a time to honor the men and women who have courageously fought, and continue to fight, for our religious freedom, as well, including the late military chaplain Fr. Emil Kapaun. Kapaun posthumously received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama in April, nearly 60 years after he heroically gave his life as a POW in the Korean War. The Vatican is also considering him a possible candidate for Sainthood. His life, service and hero’s death is the subject of an incredible new book, THE MIRACLE OF FATHER KAPAUN , co-written by Roz Wenzl and Travis Heying, and published ...

"It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." ~ George Washington (1789 - 1797) , first President of the United States "The care of human life and happiness, not destruction, is the first and only object of legitimate government." ~ Thomas Jefferson , (1743-1826) third President of the United States, Principal Author of the Declaration of Independence As the Declaration of Independence was being signed, 1776, S amuel Adams declared: "We have this day restored the Sovereign to Whom all men ought to be obedient. He reigns in heaven and from the rising to the setting of the sun, let His kingdom come." ~ Samuel Adams (1722 - 1803) is one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. "Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it." ~ Abraham Lincoln , (1809 - 1865) the 16th President of the United States "If the Decl...

1. Yankee Doodle Dandy (James Cagney, 1942) 2. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) - James Stewart 3. The Farmer's Daughter, (1947), Loretta Young 4. Sergeant York (1941), Gary Cooper 5. The Battle of Midway , 1942, Henry Fonda

Yestersday, we prayed the Patriotic Rosary in our parish, which I highly recommend. The Patriotic Rosary is a powerful prayer for divine protection and mercy for our Nation and its rebirth. It is a beautiful way of consecrating our nation to God and is especially appropriate for this time of year. We will be praying the Patriotic rosary again on July 4 -- I ndependence Day.