Vigil

Feast of the Immaculate Conception,

Dec. 8:  Uncatechized as she was, Bernadette could not have known and didn’t understand Mary’s answer to “Who are you?” Bernadette said, “…her face became very serious and she seemed to bow down in an attitude of humility. Then she joined her hands and raised them to her breast . . . She looked up to heaven . . . then slowly opening her hands and leaning forward towards me, she said to me in a voice vibrating with emotion, 'I Am The Immaculate Conception….'".[1]  O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.

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[1] http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/lourbern.htm

I'm Amazed

I'm not sure, but I may have just met some future theologians. After they heard me read "A Christmas Story with St. Joseph, one child asked, "Why did [Joseph and Mary] get married?" Another asked, "Why did God become a baby?" And still another asked, "Why did God send Jesus?"

Hope you're sitting down: these were PRESCHOOLERS!!!

Of course, the true future theologian was probably the kid who raised his hand and said, "I like bananas."

To Plan Ahead So We Can Give

Dear Friends,

Advent starts tomorrow, our time of planning for Christmas and especially the coming of Christ into our hearts.  While we "rejoice in the Lord always," it's also a time of penance, the fast before the feast.  I plan on fasting from one of my favorite holiday beverages:  eggnog.  To offer it up with joy will be challenging sometimes...

There are also things that we can do to give joy to others.  The feast of St. Nicholas is coming up on December 6th.  Someone shared with me that because her father was of Slavic descent, one of their family traditions was polishing up their shoes and leaving them lined up for St. Nicholas' visit.  In the morning, she and her siblings would find treats inside their shoes.

While there are many legends about the saint, the Church knows that after being orphaned at a young age, he dedicated his life to God and used his inheritance to help the poor, sick and suffering.  While bishop of Myra, he earned a reputation for his generosity, love for children and concern for sailors.

A good way to honor or celebrate his feast day (Dec 6) might be making an anonymous donation or secretly giving a small gift to someone in need.

St. Nicholas, pray that we love all of God's children generously.

A Blessed and Special Feast

Blessed Miguel Pro, Nov. 23:  Cue the “Mission Impossible” music… A clandestine priest in Mexico during the persecution of Catholics (1920s), he celebrated Mass, administered the sacraments and helped the poor, despite suffering from a chronic stomach ailment.  As he was martyred by firing squad, he cried, “Viva Cristo Rey!”  Blessed Miguel, pray that we can be fearless in living out our faith.

                Feast of Christ the King, Nov. 25:  Let’s honor Him, the true King of the Universe, who lives and reigns now and will come again.

A blessed and joyful Thanksgiving to you and your families,

Geri Guadagno

Saints for mid-November

St. Josaphat of Polotsk, Nov. 12:  Who?

He was born in Lithuania around the year 1580.  A mystical experience during childhood inspired him to commit Church rituals and psalms to memory, and to desire poverty and martyrdom for Jesus. As an archbishop, his work to reunite the Eastern Church with Rome incited so much wrath that he was indeed martyred.  St. Josaphat, patron of Christian unity, pray that we grow in charity and end our divisions through love.

St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Nov. 13:  My Italian grandmother, Frances, kept a statue of Mother Cabrini on her dresser.  Unfortunately, I don’t know where she got it or what happened to it after she passed.  Like my grandmother, Frances Cabrini was an immigrant who became a naturalized citizen.  The first U.S. citizen to be canonized (1946), she is the patroness of immigrants.  She founded nearly 70 institutions, including orphanages, hospitals and schools.  Mother Cabrini, pray that we have a heart for the most vulnerable and serve them as we would Jesus.

Two Holy Days

Feast of All Saints, Nov. 1:  The ghoulies, ghosties and long-legged beasties had their fun on “All Hallow’s Eve,” but the saints march in today, including those known to God alone.  I think of my little buddy, John of the Smiles…  Do you have a favorite saint?  Why is he/she special to you?  Write to me and share your thoughts.  Maybe I’ll feature them in a future newsletter!

Feast of All Souls, Nov. 2:  The Church asks us to pray for our beloved dead and to honor their resting places today and during this month.

                Susan Tassone has almost single-handedly revived the practice of praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.  Belief in Purgatory is as old as the Church and based in scripture (see the Second Book of Maccabees 12:45, 1 Cor 3:12-15, and Rv 21:27), though it wasn’t defined in doctrine until the high Middle Ages.* Many saints such as my Birgitta, Gertrude (who also gave us a prayer), Vincent Ferrer, Louis Bertrand, Gemma of Galgani, Faustina, and (Padre) Pio had revelations or visions about Purgatory.

                Tassone has compiled several devotionals for the Holy Souls, who need our prayers and sacrifices to gain quicker entrance into Heaven.  Her Prayers, Promises, and Devotions for the Holy Souls in Purgatory (Our Sunday Visitor, 2012) includes novenas of reflections and prayers, Marian supplications, Holy Hour prayers, saint invocations and more.

 If your bookshelf is bursting and your Kindle is crammed, here is a simple guide of offerings for the Holy Souls: 

1.       Thirty minutes of Adoration

2.       Pray the Rosary

3.       Pray the Stations of the Cross

4.       Fast and abstain from meat on

All Souls Day

5.       Fast and abstain from meat on

all Fridays in November.

*https://www.osv.com/Article/TabId/493/ArtMID/13569/ArticleID/11051/9-truths-about-purgatory.aspx