Catholic Fire

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...

 “Joy is the infallible sign of the presence of God within.” -- Cardinal Tmothy Dolan “Here is the difference between the joys of the world and the cross of Jesus Christ: after having tasted the first, one is disgusted with them; and on the contrary, the more one partakes of the cross, the greater the thirst for it.”  -- St. Ignatius of Loyola "Spiritual joy arises from purity of the heart and perseverance in prayer." -- St. Francis of Assisi “Let anyone who comes to you go away feeling better and happier. Everyone should see goodness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile. Joy shows from the eyes. It appears when we speak and walk. It cannot be kept closed inside us. It reacts outside. Joy is very infectious.” -- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta "Joy is prayer -- Joy is strength -- Joy is love -- Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. God loves a cheerful giver. She gives most who gives with joy. The best way to show our gratitude to God a...

1. Attend daily Mass and the sacrament of Reconciliation with your family as often as possible. 2. Attend fewer Christmas parties and spend more time in prayer. Pray the Rosary with the family or spend an hour each week in Eucharistic Adoration together. Light a candle for the Blessed Virgin Mary on her feast days. 3. Laugh. Find humor in the events of your everyday life. Watch classic comedies with clean humor. 3. Buy fewer Christmas presents for family. Instead teach them the real meaning of Christmas by giving more of your time, talents, and money to those who need it. Volunteer at the soup kitchen or the homeless shelter. Collect food, toys, coats, and other articles for the needy. 4. Use an Advent calendar and a wreath to mark this time of preparation. Pray Advent prayers with the family when you light up the candle on the wreath. Sing "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" throughout Advent. Pray the Rosary or the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at this time. 5. Take prayer...

I just learned that my book, Seven Saints for Seven Virtues has recived the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval. First, I waited a couple of months before I could apply, then I waited another couple of months for it to be approved. So, it has been a while in coming, but my patience paid off and I am ecstatic! Thank you, Lord! These little minions express how I feel:

Fr. Barron: If every innate or natural desire we have points to some objective state of affairs that fulfills it, then our innate desire for ultimate joy points to a supernatural source of fulfillment. In other words, if your desire is for the properly unconditioned good, true, and beautiful, then it necessarily orients you toward "God." 

(Vatican Radio) Mother Church teaches us works mercy are essential for our salvation, said Pope Francis at his general audience on Wednesday , but “it is not enough to do good to those who do good to us. To change the world for the better we must do good to those who are unable to reciprocate, as the Father did with us, in giving us Jesus". And once again he had a special thought for the persecuted Christians of the Middle East. In his greeting to Arabic speaking pilgrims and in particular to those from Syria and Iraq, Francis said that "the Church, following the example of his Master, is a teacher of mercy: She faces hatred with love, defeats violence with forgiveness; responds to weapons with  prayer! May the Lord reward your fidelity, instill courage in your fight against the forces of evil and open the eyes of those who are blinded by evil, so they may soon see the light of truth and repent for their mistakes. May the Lord bless you and protect you always”. Speaki...

Today was one stressful day for me! Everything that could have gone wrong did -- almost. As is my daily custom, I attended afternoon Mass. During Mass, I was experiencing the pangs of chronic pain, which is often exacerbated by stress. Nevertheless, I felt elevated -- lifted up above the pain.  I began to experience joy in the midst of my suffering. The graces of the Eucharistic Sacrifice made me realize that in this present situation, I was living out Heaven on earth. St. Pope John Paul II  described the Mass as "Heaven on Earth," explaining that what "we celebrate on Earth is a mysterious participation in the heavenly liturgy." ( Angelus address, November 3, 1996).  The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Divine Liturgy confirms John Paul II's description, further elaborating:  "In the earthly liturgy we take part in a foretaste of that heavenly liturgy which is celebrated in the holy city of Jerusalem toward which we journey as pilgr...

"Joy, with peace, is the sister of charity. Serve the Lord with laughter." -- St. Pio of Pietrelcina "We are not saints yet, but we, too, should beware. Uprightness and virtue do have their rewards, in self-respect and in respect from others, and it is easy to find ourselves aiming for the result rather than the cause. Let us aim for joy, rather than respectability. Let us make fools of ourselves from time to time, and thus see ourselves, for a moment, as the all-wise God sees us." -- St. Philip Neri “Let anyone who comes to you go away feeling better and happier. Everyone should see goodness in your face, in your eyes, in your smile. Joy shows from the eyes. It appears when we speak and walk. It cannot be kept closed inside us. It reacts outside. Joy is very infectious.” -- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta "Joy is a net of love by which we catch souls." -- Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta "We are at Jesus’ disposal. If he wants you to be sick...

"To trust God means that we must know that whatever comes to us comes from his hands.  If we do not see that sorrow comes from his hand and cannot get the comfort of his love from it, it may be because we do not acknowledge our joys as his gifts. If we felt grateful for our food, for the sunlight, for our work, our homes, for those we love, if we were conscious that these were all given by God, we should have formed a clear enough idea of his love to know him; we should know him well enough to know, because we know him, that he does not want us to suffer, but allows it because there is good for us in it. To resist, to be bitter, to say it is no use, all increases the pain. To accept it gratefully from God eases the pain." "Now, is there is a way in which a busy person could practice this growing trust without having to meditate all day long?  Yes, it is very simple.  Make a mental picture of two huge giving hands, God's hands, and every so often in the day or ...

In his Friday morning Mass, Pope Francis talked about having faith, even in challenging times. He said that Christian life is full of trials, but one day sorrows will turn into joy. POPE FRANCIS "How many sick people who are at the end of their lives, feel physical pain, but also peace in their souls...This is the seed of joy, the seed of hope and peace. Do you have peace in your soul in moments of darkness, or when faced with challenges, persecution, or when others celebrate your failures? Are you at peace? If you feel peace, you have the seed that will bring everlasting joy.” Despite the hardships faced in Christian life, the Pope highlighted that Jesus says 'Don't be Afraid.' SUMMARY OF THE POPE'S HOMILY Source: Vatican Radio "We must tell the truth: Christian life not just one big party. Not at all! We cry, we cry so many times. When we are sick; when we have a problem with our son, in the family, with our daughter, or wife, or husband; When ...

Rejoice, heavenly powers! Sing, choirs of angels! Exult, all creation around God’s throne! Jesus Christ, our King, is risen! Sound the trumpet of salvation! Rejoice, O earth, in shining splendor, radiant in the brightness of your King! Christ has conquered! Glory fills you! Darkness vanishes for ever! Rejoice, O Mother Church! Exult in glory! The risen Savior shines upon you! Let this place resound with joy, echoing the mighty song of all God’s people! ~ from the Exsultet sung at the Easter Vigil May the joy of the risen Lord fill your hearts! Happy Easter, everyone!

By Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M.  For anyone who seeks out the real meaning of the holidays, the last few days before Christmas are the most powerful period of Advent and an intensely beautiful time of year. This weekend we celebrate Gaudete Sunday, with its spirit of joy and its rose liturgical vestments as an alternative to the season’s violet. The day takes its name from the opening words of the Introit at the beginning of Mass: Gaudete in Domino semper, or “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Phil 4:4,5).  And it’s followed just a few days later by the Octave before Christmas, Dec. 17-23, the time of the “O Antiphons.” In Christian worship, an antiphon is a special prayer recited or chanted before a psalm or canticle. The “O Antiphons” refer to the seven antiphons recited before the Magnificat during Vespers in the Liturgy of the Hours. They entered the Church’s liturgy as early as the fifth century. By the eighth century they were a regular part of Chri...

(Vatican Radio) The Church must always be joyful like Christ. That was the message of Pope Francis at Mass this morning at the Casa Santa Marta. The Pope emphasized that the Church is called to transmit the joy of the Lord to her children—a joy that gives true peace. Peace and joy. Pope Francis’ homily dwelt on these two themes. In the reading from the book of Isaiah, he noted, we see the desire for peace that we all have. It is the peace, says Isaiah, that the Messiah brings to us. In the Gospel, on the other hand, “we are able to see a little into the soul of Jesus, the heart of Jesus: a joyful heart”: “We always think of Jesus when He preaches, when He heals, when He travels, walks along the street, even during the Last Supper. . . But we aren’t used to thinking about Jesus smiling, joyful. Jesus was full of joy, full of joy. In that intimacy with His Father: ‘I rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and I praised the Father.’ It is precisely the internal mystery of Jesus, that rel...

During his daily morning Mass at the Vatican, the Pope talked about how Christians should prepare for Christmas. Reflecting on today's Gospel, where a Roman officer, asks Jesus to save his servant, Pope Francis said it's not enough to seek out Christ. One must also be willing to be found by Him. POPE FRANCIS "Christmas is an encounter! It's a journey to encounter Him, to find Him through our hearts and our lives. To find the living God and to find Him through faith. It's not easy to live with faith. In today's Gospel, the Lord was struck by the faith of this centurion. He was moved by his faith. He had embarked on a journey to encounter the Lord, but it was a journey of faith. So, he not only found the Lord, but he also felt the joy of being found by the Lord. This is precisely the encounter we seek. An encounter of faith.” And to actually have an encounter with Jesus, the Pope highlighted three points. He said one must pray more, increase charity and...

July 8, 2013 (Romereports.com) The four-day pilgrimage of over 6,000 seminarians and novices culminated with a special Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Basilica. The Pope addressed those on a vocational journey by stressing the fact that their young age is a great treasure for their mission within the Church. POPE FRANCIS “You represent the Church’s youth! If the Church is the Bride of Christ, you in a certain sense represent the moment of betrothal, the Spring of vocation, the season of discovery, assessment, formation. And it is a very beautiful season, in which foundations are laid for the future. Thank you for coming!” Pope Francis said that the true goal of consecrated people must be that of announcing joy and serenity to the world. This, the Pope said, should be a natural consequence when someone has experienced God's consolation and tenderness. POPE FRANCIS “Sometimes I've seen consecrated people who are afraid of God's consolation. Poor ...

Today 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 cousin 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 Both women rejoiced over their good fortune. What wonderful and exciting news they both had to share! I know what it is like to experience the heartbreak of infertility and can only imagine what a joy it would be to experience pregnancy and to share that bond with another woman. God wants all women to experience the beauty and joy of motherhood, even if they are unable to biologically have children. He wants some of us to adopt child...

Today we commemorate Blessed Teresa Maria of the Cross, Carmelite nun and founder. Teresa Maria Manetti (Bettina was her nickname.) was born at Campi Bisenzio, Florence, Italy. Daughter of Salvatore Manetti and Rosa Bigagli, Teresa had one brother, Adamo Raffaello. She lived her entire life in her small village. Bettina had a cheerful, energetic disposition and a talent for organization and all the qualities which make for a good leader. At the age of 21, she rented a home with two other women who dedicated themselves to a life of prayer, penance, and charity. They cared for the sick and the poor and taught catechism to children. They were inspired by the writings of Saint Teresa of Avila, and had a special devotion to her. Many other women joined the small group. The women were admitted to the Teresian Third Order and Bettina took the new name of Teresa Maria of the Cross. Two years later, she joined the Discalced Carmelites as a nun. Over the next few years she sta...