Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.  The forty days before Easter, and a time for reflection, penance and fasting which prepares us for Easter Sunday, the day of Christ's resurrection.

1.  Prayer-continue praying a decade of the Rosary and learn more about my faith by reading the catechism
2. Fasting-from cursing, a vice that has reared it's ugly head
3. Alms giving- as Fr. Barron suggests, giving at a minimum $5 to any charity that sends me a request in the mail.

What will you be doing during Lent?

Source: matthewpaulturner.net via Lisa on Pinterest

Novena Prayers...

Do you see the badge on the right side of my blog?  About half way down and it changes periodically?  It's the novena badge from Pray More Novenas.com  A website that sends out the corresponding novena prayers to your email.  I've been part of pray more novenas for about a year and I'm so thankful that the prayers are there for me on a daily basis.
What is a novena?  A novena is a series of daily prayers that you pray for nine consecutive days.  The daily prayers may be the same, or different, depending on the particular novena that we are praying. According to Catholic Encyclopedia a novena is "A nine days' private or public devotion in the Catholic Church to obtain graces. There are four types of novenas novenas of mourning,novenas of preparation, novenas of prayer, and novenas of indulgence.  

This month we are praying the novena to St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost  people, items and spiritual goods.  If anything is lost, I pray "St. Anthony, St. Anthony, something is lost, help me find it."  That little prayer works!  I've found my keys, glasses, or a book I've lost, not right away, maybe several days later, but the lost item is found!  
Why not join me in praying this novena to St. Anthony?

Generosity Prayer...St. Ignatius

A quote from Daily Catholic quote blog:

“A Prayer for Generosity”
St. Ignatius of Loyola

“Teach us, Good Lord, To Serve Thee as Thou deservest;
To give and not to count the cost;
To fight and not to heed the wounds;
To toil and not to seek for rest;
To labor and not to ask for any reward,
save that of knowing that we do Thy will.
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord,
Amen.”

I really like this little prayer.  It's simple and short and reminds us that we serve HIM.

Portrait by Peter Paul Rubens.
Born	December 24, 1491 Loyola, Guipúzcoa, Spain
Died	July 31, 1556 (age 64) Rome, Papal States
Honored in	Roman Catholic Church, Anglican Communion
Beatified	July 27, 1609 by Pope Paul V
Canonized	March 12, 1622 by Pope Gregory XV
Feast	July 31
Attributes	Eucharist, chasuble, book, cross
Patronage	Dioceses of San Sebastián andBilbao, Biscay & Guipúzcoa,Basque Country, Military Ordinariate of the Philippines,Society of Jesus, soldiers, Educators and Education.

Cradle to Grave…Catholic

Source: titianhaired.tumblr.com via Jana on Pinterest

Cradle Catholic..what does that mean? Born and raised Catholic.  With that said, sometimes I take my faith for granted.  ‘Take for granted’? I don’t think that is the right word, but it’s the only one I can come up with right now.  Reading blogs and stories of newly converted Catholics, I’m envious.  Envious of the joy-filled, bursting at the seams, shout it from the roof tops faith. 

“I believe in one god, creator of heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ his only son, born of the virgin Mary….” I try to go to mass every Saturday or Sunday- it’s good to have choices.  I pray a decade of the Rosary daily, we say grace before meals, attend mass during Holy Days of obligation.  But still feel like a ‘good enough Catholic’.  There are things I love about the Church, the traditions, that no matter what city or state I’m in when I walk into a church the mass will be familiar.  Then there are those that I don’t necessarily agree with the Church:frequent confession, their stance on birth control, same sex marriage, married priests. The term cafeteria Catholic comes to mind.  Picking and choosing what I want to follow.  Leaving the church would be easy, but sticking around.  Going to mass soothes my soul and re-energizes it to take on another week.
This I know..Jesus loves me and always will.  HE forgives me and will not be upset if I miss mass every now and then. HE knows I do my best and when I fall will be there to pick me up so I can start over.