Catholic Fire

Today we celebrate the feast of St. William of Paris, also known as St. William of Eskilsoe. William (1105 - 1203) was born in Paris of a noble French family. He was educated by the monks of Saint-Germain-des-Pres under the direction of his Uncle Hugh, the abbot. From there, he was received by the chapter of secular canons of St. Genevieve.  This was already a venerable college of canons, having been founded by King Clovis and St. Choltide in the 6th Century.  But it had grown decadent and in great need of reform. In fact, his fellow canons were so hostile to William and his disciplined way of life that he had to leave and relocate to Epinay, outside of Paris. Pope Eugene III visited the abbey in 1148, discovering its poor state. The reform of St. Genevieve was entrusted to the Canons Regular of St. Victor, who were a relatively new canonical house on the outskirts of Paris, being founded only a few decades earlier.  The prior of St. Victor, Odo, came to St. Genev...

Wishing you a glorious and blessed Easter! Jean Pope at Easter Vigil: Entering the Mystery

The Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ have been reflected in artwork for centuries. In fact, Jesus Christ's ordeal is one of the most recurrent themes in art history. It has left humanity with some of its most beautiful and dramatic images. Van der Weyden, Giotto, Dalí, Velázquez, Goya, Murillo, Caravaggio, El Greco and Rembrandt are some of the masters who have translated the key moment of Christianity into tremendous art.

Divine Mercy Novena Prayers First Day of the Divine Mercy Novena Intention: Today bring to Me ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL SINNERS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me. Novena Prayers: Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit. Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen. Divine Mercy Chaplet Second Day of the Divine Mercy Novena ...

Today begins the holiest and most important time of the Church year -- the Easter Triduum . It commemorates the heart of our faith: the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Sacred Triduum begins with Holy Thursday, which marks the end of the forty days of Lent and the beginning of the three-day celebration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ - Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil/Easter Sunday. The Triduum liturgies teach us the meaning of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection. The richness of the rituals and symbols help us to experience the mysteries of Jesus’ final hours, His passion, suffering -- and His rising from the dead. In a special way, during these three days,we come together as God's people to remember the saving act of Jesus, the miracle of His resurrection – and to celebrate our faith and identity as Catholics. Because Christ was willing to die for our sins and was raised from the dead, death is no longer the end of life for us. It is t...

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:

Holy Week is the week that changed the world. Here are 12 ways you can make this week more meaningful. 1 . PRAY  throughout the day, speaking to God just as you would to a close friend. Ask Him to save souls, especially those who are dying this day and are most in need of His mercy. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for these souls. 2. FAST  Eat smaller portions of food for meals or eat food without salt or pepper this week. 3. REPENT   Examine your conscience daily and go to Confession. 4. ADORE  Spend time with the Lord in Eucharistic Adoration this week, even if you only have 15 minutes. 5. PRAY the rosary slowly, contemplatively, meditating on the sorrowful mysteries. 6. ATTEND all of the Triduum liturgies. 7. PRAY the Stations of the Cross. 8. MEDITATE on Christ's Passion daily as you read the various accounts of the Passion in the Gospels. 9. SACRIFICE Offer up any pain or difficulties you are experiencing and unite them with Chr...

Fr. Barron tells us that Kenneth Branagh’s “Cinderella” is the most surprising Hollywood movie of the year, not because it subverts the traditional fairy story, but because it presents it as a deeply Christian tale.

1. Spring has arrived here in Wichita! Above are just a few of the signs I have been seeing in my yard. Below is another sign of spring. 2. On Palm Sunday evening, I will be a guest on Fr. Ronald P. Legwin 's radio program discussing my book, Seven Saints for Seven Virtues. I am looking forward to that, as well as to my next speaking engagement at Sacred Heart parish in Colwich this coming week. 3. On March 25, we celebrated the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord and I wrote a new blog post on that feast day, focusing on joy and love. 5. On Thursday, I also wrote a blog post entitled Surrender it to God , which focuses in on abandonment, trust, and surrender. 6. What I am reading this week: 30 Days with Teresa of Avila by Daniel Burke and Anthony Lilles. 7. Here is another book recommendation from my friend, Leticia Velaquez: Review of the book "Joyful Witness: How to be An Extraordinary Catholic" by Randy...

The saint of the day for March 26th is St. Margaret Clitherow, patron of businesswomen, converts, and martyrs. Margaret was born in Middleton, England, in 1555, of protestant parents. An attractive woman full of wit and cheer, she had a charming personality. In 1571, she married John Clitherow, a well-to-do butcher (to whom she bore two children). She was a good housewife, capable in business, dearly loved by her husband, whose only regret was that she would not attend church. A few years later, she entered the Catholic Church. Her zeal led her to harbor fugitive priests, for which she was arrested and imprisoned by hostile authorities. They tried every means to make her deny her Faith, but the holy woman stood firm. Finally, she was condemned to be pressed to death on March 25, 1586. She was stretched out on the ground with a sharp rock on her back and crushed under a door loaded down with unbearable weights. Her bones were broken and she died within fifteen minutes. The hum...

“Our Lord has shown me the way that leads to love – it is the only way that leads to love – it is the way of childlike trust and surrender; the way a child that sleeps is afraid of nothing in its father’s arms.” -- St. Therese of Lisieux "We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can - namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us." – St. Teresa of Avila “Just surrender it to God!” I heard my wise friend saying as I recounted to her the events of the past week. “I am!” I retorted. “I am going to pray for you”, she replied. I like to think that I am immune to letting my feelings get out of control. I am an intelligent, rational human being after all, almost Spock-like at times. Of course, I know what I am supposed to do spiritually when things become chaotic and are totally out of my control in this life. The very first thing to do is to pray – to share my intimate feelings with God. After all, He knows me inside and out, and loves me uncond...

Mary was a great model for us because in her heart there was no obstacle to God's will. Her "Yes" to God's plan for her life is all about her obedience and love for Him. Related Post: The Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord 

On March 25, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, which is the coming of the Angel Gabriel to the Virgin Mary to announce to her the special mission God had chosen for her in being the mother of His only Son. This solemnity is also the first joyful mystery of the rosary and an event which should fill our hearts with joy and thanksgivng. The Franciscans tell us: “The Immaculate Virgin Mary joyfully conceived Jesus by the Holy Spirit.” In doing so, they describe the annunciation as the Blessed Virgin Mary’s first joy. In the first chapter of Luke, we learn that the Angel Gabriel, who was sent by God, shared with the Blessed Virgin Mary the message that she was to be the Mother of God. Imagine the joy in the heart of Mary when she learned from this messenger of God that she, who was willing to be but a handmaid or servant in the household of the Lord, was actually to be the Mother of God!  What joy and happiness at the greeting of the angel! What jo...

The saint of the day is Saint Turibius of Mongrovejo  also known as St. Toribio de Mogrovejo. Together with St. Rose of Lima, St. Turibius of Mongrovejo is the first known saint of the New World, serving the Lord in Peru, South America, for 26 years. Born in Spain and educated for the law, he became so brilliant a scholar that he was made professor of law at the University of Salamanca and eventually became chief judge of the Inquisition at Granada. He succeeded too well. But he was not sharp enough a lawyer to prevent a surprising sequence of events. In 1580 the archbishopric of Lima, capital of Spain's colony in Peru, became vacant. He was the one person with the strength of character and holiness of spirit to heal those who had infected that area. He protested the assignment, but was overruled. He was ordained a priest and bishop and sent to Peru, where he found colonialism at its worst. The Spanish conquerors were guilty of every sort of oppression of the native popul...

The saint of the day for March 21st is Saint Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello (also known as St. Benedicta Cambiagio Frasinello). Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello was born on October 2, 1791 in Langasco (Genoa) Italy; she died on  March 21,1858 in Ronco Scrivia in Liguria. She was a wife, religious and foundress. She let the Holy Spirit guide her through married life to the work of education and religious consecration. She founded a school for the formation of young women and also a religious congregation, and did both with the generous collaboration of her husband. Benedetta was a pioneer in her determination to give a high quality education to young women, for the formation of families for a "new Christian society" and for promoting the right of women to a complete education. Call to marriage, then to religious life From her parents Benedetta received a Christian formation that rooted in her the life of faith. Her family settled in Pavia when she was a girl. When sh...

1. I love St. Patrick's Day ! This year we attended the local parade, which we enjoyed. Here are just a few photos of the floats and parade entries we viewed. 2.   St. Joseph's Day is also a wonderful day for celebration! Check out these beautiful St. Joseph Altars in New Orleans. 3 .  This week I wrote about St Cyril of Jerusalem , a 4th century theologian and Doctor of the Church, who was accused of Arianism by his brother bishops!  He gave some great advice to the catechumens: "Make your fold with the sheep; flee from the wolves: depart not from the Church."  4. Here's a FREE BOOK! From the Hub to the Heart by Andy LaVallee and Leticia Velasquez -- FREE from now until Saturday! Go HERE.   Read my review 5.  Happy First Day of Spring! 6.  "This is an absolutely wonderful book, inspiring, edifying, informative and beautifully written." - Ellen Gable Hrk...

The Inaugural Mass of the Pontificate for Pope Francis took place on March 19, Saint Joseph's Day. Joseph is one of  Pope Francis' most beloved saints. He explained why during his trip to the Philippines in January. POPE FRANCIS January 16, 2015 (Philippines) "I have great love for Saint Joseph, because he is a man of silence and strength. On my table I have an image of Saint Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church!” Pope Francis advised people to leave a "note" under the image of the saint for help whenever they have a problem. POPE FRANCIS January 16, 2015 (Philippines) "Joseph’s rest revealed God’s will to him. In this moment of rest in the Lord, as we pause from our many daily obligations and activities, God is also speaking to us.” St. Joseph is described in the Gospel as a discreet but determined man, virtues that Pope Francis values. POPE FRANCIS January 16, 2015 (Philippines) "But like Saint Jo...

Today is the solemnity of St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary, foster father of Jesus, and patron of the universal Church.  On May 31, we honor St. Joseph as the patron of workers. Most of the reliable information on St. Joseph is contained in the first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Here we discover that Joseph was of royal descent from David, that the family was from Bethlehem in Judea and that Joseph, who was a builder, had moved from Bethlehem to Nazareth in Galilee. Joseph was engaged to Mary and upon learning that she was pregnant; he had plans to divorce her. Described in Matthew as a righteous man, he intended to dismiss her quietly. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream to tell him, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins" (MT 1:20-21). "When Jo...

The saint of the day for March 18 is St. Cyril of Jerusalem, a fourth century theologian, bishop, and Doctor of the Church, whose writings remain significant as examples of the theology of the Church in that era. Born in Jerusalem around the year 315, well-educated, particularly in the Scriptures, he was ordained a priest by St. Maximus, the bishop of Jerusalem, and succeeded him as bishop in 348. As a priest, he instructed and prepared the catechumens for Baptism during Lent. During his early years as a bishop, around 350, he delivered a series of homilies to new members of the Church. Twenty-four of the homilies have survived and are studied today. Three years after Cyril became the Bishop of Jerusalem, a large cross-shaped light shone for several hours in the sky over the city – an occurrence that many understood as a sign of the Church's victory over heresy. Others interpreted it as a sign of sufferings that the new bishop would experience in shepherding his flock. Th...

Today is the feast of St. Patrick, who is known as the "Apostle of Ireland." St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, was born in Wales about 385 AD. His given name was Maewyn. Until he was 16, he considered himself a pagan. He was kidnapped from the British mainland at that time by a group of Irish raiders who sold him into slavery. He escaped from slavery after six years and returned to his homeland. There he heard the call to return and bring Christianity to Ireland, so he went to Gaul and studied in the monastery under St. Germain, bishop of Auxerre for a period of twelve years. He was ordained a priest, consecrated a bishop and returned to Ireland around 435 AD. Patrick was quite successful at winning converts, which led to clashes with the Celtic Druids. He was arrested several times, but escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland, establishing monasteries across the country. He also set up schools and churches which would aid him in his conversion of th...