The prayer of the Church

I've been feeling more and more of a pull to begin praying--at least in part--the Liturgy of the Hours.  Over and over I would consider purchasing a copy of Christian Prayer, or even the 4-volume Liturgy of the Hours set (both from Catholic Book Company) but somehow it just never quite happened.

On Sunday I went to evening Mass at a neighboring parish--and what was the subject of the sermon?  Learning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours!  Fr. Gyan even offered to make an appointment with any of us who wanted to learn this important part of Catholic prayer life.

That's all it took.  I decided then and there that I was going to learn to pray this official prayer of the Church.  And I made plans to get myself over to the local Catholic book store this weekend to purchase either a copy of Christian Prayer, or the first volume of the 4-volume set.

But a funny thing happened....I started searching for information about reading the Breviary the other night and I discovered that the version of the Breviary that I really want--the one that's the easiest to use, and contains the most up-to-date translations, etc.,. isn't available here!

So I'm off to Kenya to order a copy!  OK, I'm not really going to Kenya, but I have contacted the Daughters of St. Paul to order a copy of their version of the single-volume Breviary "The Prayer of the Church."  I'm also ordering a copy of an abbreviated version of the LOTH from them--called "Christian Prayer" it contains the texts for morning, evening, and night prayer.

I'm hoping to have them in time for the first day of Advent.  What a wonderful way to start the new liturgical year!

Novena to St. Monica starts today!

If you are like me, then there's someone you care about who has left the Catholic church--and you really, really, really want them to come home!    Or there's someone you love who hasn't converted yet.  Who can understand your pain and longing better than St. Monica, who spent 18 years praying for the conversion of her son!  It took quite a while, but look at how she was rewarded for her faithfulness!

Today is the first day of the Novena to St. Monica, and thanks to the lovely young couple at PRAY MORE NOVENAS we have the novena prayers.  If you haven't visited PRAY MORE NOVENAS and signed up to be notified of the monthly novena, please hurry over there and get signed up!

Here are the prayers for today:

Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your own son.

(Mention your intentions here)

With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constantly devoted yourself to God. Pray for me that I might join you in such a deep faith in God’s goodness and mercy.

Above all, dear Saint Monica, pray for me that I may, like your son, turn from my sin and become a great saint for the glory of God.

First day of school!

Here's our theme for the year.  

God still answers prayers!

And sometimes you get the answer as a complete surprise!  Today was one of those days.

Several years ago I managed a child care center.  One day I overheard a conversation between one of the mothers and the owner.  The mother had just had another miscarriage.  It seemed that she didn't have trouble getting pregnant, she just had trouble staying pregnant.

When I left that job I never thought I would see her again, but periodically I would think of her and pray that wherever she was, she had managed to get pregnant again and that she had managed to carry the baby to term.

In my new job as a 1st grade teacher's assistant I was pleasantly surprised to see the name of her son on my class roster.  At the open house this afternoon I saw her, and she told me that she now has a daughter who is a year old!

I couldn't help but start to cry, and then I confided in her how I had been praying for her over these years, even though I never expected to see her again.  And how happy I was to know that those prayers had been answered!

God is good.

Another Catholic symbol for my home

While shopping at one of our local thrift stores I found this beautiful copper mold.  My mother always had a few copper molds hanging on the wall of her kitchen when I was growing up, so they invoke wonderful memories for me.  At less than $2, I knew I wanted it.  Alas, I had no cash with me.

I went back this week and the mold was still there!  Armed with some $$$ this time I brought it home with me.  It's soon going to be polished up and hanging in my kitchen to remind me of one of my goals in life--to make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela.

The shell-shape is the same shape as the shells the pilgrims wear.  I may never walk El Camino de Santiago, but I can be reminded that all of life is a pilgrimage each day when I see this shell in my kitchen.

Well worth the $2, don't you think?

A special Mass

One of our neighboring parishes held a special vigil Mass this evening in honor of the 45th anniversary of Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Humane Vitae".  The Mass was so well attended--it was packed, standing-room only!

Fr. Jerry Martin gave a beautiful sermon on the truth about the Church's teaching on artificial contraception, and the reasons for the teaching.  I'm going to write him a note tomorrow thanking him for such a truthful, and moving, sermon.

If only more priests would preach (and preach well!) on the beauty of what was contained in Humana Vitae...how different our world today might be.

Pope Paul VI was a prophet.  He foresaw so much of what we've experienced a culture, and he warned against it in his encyclical.  If only we had listened...

My rosary arrived!

When the mail arrived there was a little white box, addressed to me, from Real Life Rosary!  The rosary I won in one of their recent Facebook contests is here!   Isn't the rosary beautiful?

Thanks again, Hahn Family, for the lovely rosary!

Want one like this?  Check out www.realliferosary.com!