Catholic Fire

1. This past week was a busy one. With my husband at home for the week due to spring break, I decided to transform the spare bedroom into another home office. His office is downstairs and mine in now upstairs. We previously shared an office, but it's nice to have my own little space. Actually, I now share it with my cat, Jazzy, who now has new furniture in her cat room. 2. On the Solemnity of St. Joseph, or St. Joseph's Day, we celebrated the feast with strawberry cheesecake -- Bill's favorite dessert. This is a special day for fathers, and for all who have a special devotion to St. Joseph. He has been such a good protector for our family. He's also Bill's Confirmation saint. We finished the nine day novena to St. Joseph, but continue to pray our daily prayer to him for ongoing intentions. 3. With both St. Patrick's day and St. Joseph's day this week, this week didn't seem to have that Lenten feel. This week I was encouraged to persevere in m...

Today is the feast of St. Therese of Lisieux , a saint that is very dear to my heart. Over the years, she has been a close friend and a powerful intercessor for me. Let me share a little about one of my favorite saints with you and why she is so special to me. I first learned about St. Therese of the Child Jesus when I was 15 years old, a sophomore in a Catholic high school. In English class, her autobiography, Story of a Soul, was one of the options on our required reading list. As I read her love for Jesus and learned of her "Little Way", I couldn't help but admire and desire to emulate this beautiful saint, who expressed so much joy in the midst of suffering. I cheered when this young woman who of my age acted with such strong faith and determination and did the forbidden, speaking out when she was told to remain silent, pleading with the Pope to let her enter Carmel. I loved the poetic way she expressed herself, her love for flowers, her deep insights into the ...

On September 11, 2009, our dear cat Callie left us. She was only 8 years old. Callie had been suffering from diabetes, as well as a very progressive and destructive disease which attacked her nervous system, preventing her from walking and interfering with her elimination processes. We adopted her only one year ago after her former owner passed away, but we became very attached to her. Before this horrible disease, when Bill and I began our night prayers, she would run into our bedroom, and jump up in the bed and sit on my chest as close as she could to my face, with her whiskers in my nose, while I rubbed her cheeks. She purred loudly and just couldn't seem to get enough of this. After ten minutes of this, she would jump on Bill for few minutes, then back to me for a longer period of time. When we were finished praying, she left and went to sleep on the floor in our room.   She had the swe etest and most affectionate disposition despite all the pain she was in ...

Happy 15th Anniversary, Bill! "As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you." ~ John 15: 9 - 12