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. ...

In The Four Keys to Everlasting Love: How Your Catholic Marriage Can Bring You Joy for a Lifetime , Manuel (Manny) and Karee Santos share the secrets of securing a lifetime of authentic love and mutual joy in marriage. Karee Santos, a marriage columnist, and Dr. Manuel Santos, a psychiatrist who has been counseling couples for more than fifteen years, have teamed up to compose a comprehensive manual which enables couples to find a deep, lasting, and satisfying love through a sacramental marriage. The Four Keys to Everlasting Love was written for both engaged couples preparing for marriage as well as couples in all seasons of marriage. Using real-life stories, biblical principles, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the teachings of St. John Paul II, the Santoses witness to the significance of a sacramental marriage. The Santoses effectively accomplish this by telling their own captivating story: how they overcame personality, culture, and religious differences; how they lea...

1. Do not be afraid to be holy! Have the courage and humility to present yourselves to the world determined to be holy, since full, true freedom is born from holiness." -- St.John Paul II, World Youth Day, Santiago, Spain, 1989 2.  “Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.”  -- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa: In My Own Words , 1 3,  "Sanctity consists in struggling, in knowing that we have defects and in heroically trying to overcome them. Sanctity, I insist, consists in overcoming those defects - although we will still have defects when we die; for if not, as I have told you, we would become proud." -- St. Josemaria Escriva The Forge , 312 4. "All the science of the saints is included in these two things: To do, and to suffer. And whoever had done these two things best, has made himself most saintly....

I have been reading and reviewing Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s books for the past seven years and have been a big fan. Donna-Marie has served as an inspiration to me and to all women, speaking to us in a gentle, gracious manner, guiding us spiritually, with wisdom and love. Now, she has written a book (her twentieth) that tops them all. In The Kiss of Jesus: How Mother Teresa and the Saints Helped Me to Discover the Beauty of the Cross , she shares her life story. And, what a story it is! In this candid, astonishing autobiographical account, this soft-spoken, delicate, and devout Catholic media celebrity reveals the shocking struggles she has tackled in life. She became engaged to a drug addict who held her against her will, threatening harm to her family. She faced miscarriages, abuse, serious illness, divorce, financial difficulties, custody battles, and single motherhood – all with great inner strength and tremendous courage. Through God’s providence, she met Mother Teresa, th...

The feast of Our Lady of  Lourdes, which we celebrate on February 11, has always had a special place in my heart -- not only because of my French family background and living in a small French village (located in the heart of the USA), but because as a child, I related on a personal level to Bernadette. Like her, I was initially a slow learner in school. My health was poor and I was a little behind my peers in the primary grades because I missed so much school and also because I was nearsighted and needed glasses. (However, it didn't take me long to catch up and even excel in my studies after I got my glasses.) Everyday after school, I visited Bernadette and Our Lady at the Lourdes shrine behind our church and prayed there, often imagining what it would be like to have been St. Bernadette. To this very day, I continue to be fascinated by the simple obedience, humility, and holiness of this great saint. February 11 marks the first apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858 ...

 Pope Francis told families in the Philippines Friday that they should take time to rest and to pray together and to be examples of holiness.  On the second day of his five day trip to the Asian archipelago, Pope Francis told tens of thousands of people gathered for a meeting with families that the world “needs good and strong families” to overcome threats of poverty, materialism, destructive lifestyles, and those caused by separation due to migration. In his discourse, delivered at the “Mall of Asia Arena,” Manila’s principle sports arena, the Pope said “the Philippines needs holy and loving families to protect the beauty and truth of the family in God’s plan.” Below, please find the the full text of the Pope's adress (including his off-the cuff remarks in Spanish which were translated into English) Dear Families, Dear Friends in Christ,  I am grateful for your presence here this evening and for the witness of your love for Jesus and his Church.  I tha...

1. Mary of Nazareth: The Life of Our Lady in Pictures by Fr. Donald Calloway -- Ignatius Press, 2014 I have this book and love it! It is one of the most inspirational books I have read! Beautiful photos, uplifting quotes from the saints about Mary, all make this an ideal Christmas gift. 2.  Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does) by Scott Hahn -- Image, 2014 3. Practical Theology: 350+ Ways Your Mind Can Help you Become a Saint by Peter Kreeft -- Ignatius 2014  4. St. John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Everett -- Totus Tuus Press and Lighthouse Media, 2014 5. Bringing Lent Home with St. John Paul II: Prayers, Reflections, and Activities for Families   by Donna-Marie Cooper-O'Boyle -- Ave Maria Press, 2014 This is the perfect book for family communication and reflection! It is power-packed with great stories on Pope St. John Paul II that you will love reading! ...

The liturgical season of Advent begins on the First Sunday in Advent , November 30, 2014, opening a new year in our Church's Calendar. The word Advent is from the Latin adventus, which means "coming" and is associated with the four weeks of preparation for Christmas. Advent blends together a penitential spirit, very similar to Lent, a liturgical theme of preparation for the Second and Final Coming of the Lord, called the Parousia, and a joyful theme of getting ready for the birth of Christ. Advent is a season of waiting, a season filled with hope. Here are ten tips for making this Advent Season a holier one for you and your family: 1. Take the entire family, as often as possible, to daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, and to the sacrament of Reconciliation. On days when you are unable to attend Mass, read and reflect on the Scriptures for that day. 2. Use an Advent calendar and/or a wreath to mark this time of preparation. Pray Advent prayers with the fami...

"The call to holiness is not just for bishops, priests or religious ... No. We are all called to become saints! So often, we are tempted to think that holiness is granted only to those who have the opportunity to break away from the ordinary tasks, to devote themselves to prayer. But it is not so! Some people think that holiness is closing your eyes and putting on a pious face... No! That is not holiness! Holiness is something greater, more profound that God gifts us. Indeed, it is by living with love and offering Christian witness in our daily tasks that we are called to become saints." ~ Pope Francis speaking in his General Audience on Wednesday, November 19, 2014

1. “Holiness does not consist in doing extraordinary things. It consists in accepting, with a smile, what Jesus sends us. It consists in accepting and following the will of God.”  -- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Mother Teresa: In My Own Words, 1 2. "Holiness does not demand anything great, beyond the ability of the person. It depends on God's Love; every daily act can be transformed into an act of love. " -- Saint Ursula Julia Ledochowska 3,  Sanctity consists in struggling, in knowing that we have defects and in heroically trying to overcome them. Sanctity, I insist, consists in overcoming those defects - although we will still have defects when we die; for if not, as I have told you, we would become proud. -- St. Josemaria Escriva The Forge , 312 4. "Do not be afraid to be holy! Have the courage and humility to present yourselves to the world determined to be holy, since full, true freedom is born from holiness." -- St. Pope John Paul II, Wor...

In a fascinating interview, Colleen Hammond discusses her personal journey to veiling.  She conveys how it relates to modesty, holiness, purity, and femininity.

"Holiness does not demand anything great, beyond the ability of the person. It depends on God's Love; every daily act can be transformed into an act of love. " ~ Saint Ursula Julia Ledochowska (1865-1939)

During his homily at Monday morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta, the Pope focused on the Beatitudes; on the day following the historic meeting for peace in the Vatican, he called for the courage of meekness to defeat hatred. Reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day which focusses on the Beatitudes, Pope Francis described them as a “program”, the “identity card of a Christian”.  If you ask yourself how to become a good Christian,  this is where you can find Jesus’s answer, an answer – he said - that points to an attitude that is currently very much against the tide: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Wealth – Francis pointed out – offers no guarantee, in fact – he continued – when the heart is rich and self-satisfied, it has no place for the Word of God: “Blessed are they who mourn for they will be comforted”. The world tells us that happiness, joy and entertainment are the best things in life. And it looks the other way when there are problems of disease or pain in the fa...

November 30, 2013. (Romereports.com) To become a saint a person doesn't need to be a theologian, although saints are the ones that know God best. Expanding on this topic, the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross organized a gathering to look into how saints have influenced theology. Specifically, it addressed the contributions of St. Josemaría Escrivá into this field.   MSGR. FERNANDO OCÁRIZ Vicar General of Opus Dei “Joseph Ratzinger had said it, and he repeated it as Benedict XVI. Even John Paul II had talked about it: the witness of saints is necessary in theology, because the saints are the ones who have known God best. And they shed new, original light into the field of theology.” Swiss Cardinal Kurt Koch recalled that for Joseph Ratzinger, saints were the most credible witnesses of the Christian faith, the authentic reformers of the Church, and the first interpreters of the Holy Scripture. But he added that all baptized people are called to holiness. CARD. KURT ...

Today, on this glorious feast day, the Church celebrates all the saints: canonized or beatified, and the multitude of those who are in heaven enjoying the beatific vision who are known only to God. During the early centuries, the saints venerated by the Church were all martyrs. Later on the Popes set November 1 as the day for commemorating all the Saints. All Saints Day is one of my favorite days of the liturgical year. I have so many saint friends in heaven who are constantly interceeding for me. The special saints in my life are many, but I will share just a few who have influenced my life in powerful ways. I was born on the feast of St. Dominic,baptized on the feast of St. Pius X, and chose St. Catherine of Siena (a Dominican) for my Confirmation saint. I was named after St. Joan of Arc, the patron saint of France, and St. John the beloved disciple. I am an oblate with the Community of St. John, which was founded by a French Dominican priest. One of the community's patron s...

October 2, 2013. (Romereports.com) During his general audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis talked about contradictions. He explained that the Church is holy, despite the sins and flaws of its members, including that of popes.   He explained that people don't make the Church holy, but rather God does. He said it's holy because the Church cannot be separated from Christ. Through the Holy Spirit, sinners receive help. POPE FRANCIS “Throughout history there has been the temptation to say that the Church is only for the 'pure' and for those who live completely coherent lives...and the rest can leave. But this isn't true. That is heresy! The Church is indeed Holy, but She doesn't reject sinners. None of us are rejected. The Church doesn't reject us, but rather it welcomes all of us. The Church is also open to those who are farthest from Her.” The Pope said that understanding the true meaning of holiness is key. The Church, he said, is not a p...

By Daniel Burke with Fr. John Bartunek , released November, 2012, Emmaus Road Publishing, Steubenville, Ohio, 161 pages. Paperback. Available from Navigating the Interior Life , EWTN Religious Catalogue,   Emmaus Road Publishing , Amazon , Barnes & Noble , Major book stores and Catholic book stores. Reviewed by Jean M. Heimann, M.A. in Theology, freelance writer, retired psychologist, and oblate with the Community of St. John. The great Dominican St. Vincent Ferrer once said: “A person who has a director by whom he allows himself to be guided, whom he obeys in all actions, great and small, will more easily and quickly arrive at perfection than he ever could by himself, even were he gifted with an extraordinary degree of intelligence and supplied with books explaining the nature of all virtues and the means of acquiring them.” As Catholics, we know that there is nothing more important in our present life than that of preparing for our future life. This is exactly what ...

Marriage is like a beautiful gilded bird cage. All the Little birds on the outside want to get in, while all the Little birds on the inside want to get out! This saying, by an author unknown to me, summarizes accurately the state of marriage today. Marriage is still an attractive and useful institution, and millions of couples each year begin the journey. At the same time, however, at least half of those who enter the “gilded bird cage” find themselves wanting to get out, their marriage ending in separation and divorce. Check out the rest of this wonderful article at CNA: Matrimony: Is it Still Holy? by Bishop Thomas J. Tobin .

By Jean M. Heimann What do the saints have in common? 1. They are realists – They recognize themselves to be imperfect human beings with a sinful nature and they know that they cannot be holy without the grace of God. They understand that the past is behind them and they must now live in the present and not worry about the future. When they are hurting the most and feel nothing but emptiness in their hearts, they realize that God has not abandoned them, but is closest to them. 2. They hear God’s voice and are obedient to it. They take the time to enter into the silence and to converse with God there. They know that there are many times they will not hear His voice clearly, but they will continue to come to seek Him with all their hearts, to fight the annoying external and internal distractions which attempt to block out the communication between them. When they hear His call, they follow after Him. Though there are many obstacles on the path, they accept and embrace their cross, unit...