November is a time of the year when we remember all those who are no longer with us physically here on earth. As Catholic, we know that death is not the end, it is just the beginning. With this in mind, it is important to always honor and celebrate our family and friend's who have entered into eternal life.
If you have lost a loved one, celebrate their birthday, anniversary or days that meant something special to them. Visit them at the cemetery, pray for their soul and ask them to pray for you. Did you know that when you come to Mass all your deceased family and friends are with you? When we are at Mass, “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (Hebrew 12:1). All Angels join us at Mass. The Communion of Saints are present too, which does included all of your loved one who are now in Heaven. So next time you are missing a loved one, come to Mass. For while you are there, you will be together with your loved ones as you are giving God glory and honor. And next time you come to Mass feeling alone, remember that you are surrounded by all those at the Mass which does include all the saints & angels. If you would like to learn more about this, please check out the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1136-1199. If you do not have a copy of the Catechism, check out the Vatican's website. Here is a link to the exact section of the Catechism that talks more about this topic: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s1c2a1.htm - Kate Tyler - Pastoral Associate -
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Mary knows the pain of a pierced heart.This month is dedicated to Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows. A lot of the time we see Mary as someone full of joy, and rightly so! She is often depicted with a peaceful face, radiating with love for her blessed Son. We might forget her deep agony as she watched her Son, the Savior of the World, be tortured and crucified. Maybe some of you know the pain of loosing a child. I'm sure it is a pain deeper than most ever have to know, but Mary has gone through it. Her heart was and is so closely unified to Christ's that she did not escape His suffering, but endured it with a 'Yes' to God's will just as she did in her Fiat.
Prayer to our Sorrowful Mother for a particular graceO, mother most holy and sorrowful, Queen of Martyrs, you who stood by your Son as He agonized on the cross; by the sufferings of your life, by that sword of pain that pierced your heart, by your perfect joy in heaven, look down on me kindly as I kneel before you, sympathizing with your sorrows and offering you my petition with childlike trust. Dear Mother, since your Son refuses you nothing, ask of His Sacred Heart to mercifully grant what I ask, through the merits of His sacred passion, along with those of your sufferings at the foot of the cross. Mother most merciful, to whom shall I go in my misery if not to you who pities us poor sinful exiles in this valley of tears? In our name, offer Jesus but one drop of His most precious blood, but one pang of His loving heart. Remind Him that you are our sweetness, our life and our hope, and your prayer will be heard. Amen
Honoring Mary's SorrowsThere are many ways to honor Mary's Seven Sorrows during the month of September. Here are a few ideas for you and your family to try out! Click each one to find out more! -Emily Gignac, Director of Faith Formation
Throughout the year we celebrate feast days of the Saints. There are many ways to celebrate all of the different feast days throughout the year. On September 8th we celebrate the birth of Mary which is a great time to share stories about her life, travel to a Marian Shrine, pray the rosary as a family or eat a large feast including a Birthday Cake. On St. Patrick's feast day on March 17, everyone becomes Irish for the day, we wear green and eat corned beef and cabbage. Often times special Masses are offered on a Saints feast day and some people may even pray a novena (9 days of praying) leading up to a Saint's feast day. Advent has begun which means we are getting ready for the birth of Jesus. This also means we are getting ready for the madness of the holidays. It's important during this busy time of year to make time to slow down, reflect, pray and enjoy time with our family and friends. One way to do so is by celebrating St. Nicholas' feast day on December 6th. Growing up I had several friends who's family celebrated St. Nicholas. I would always hear from my friends about the different fruits and candy they would get in the shoes on the morning of December 6. I decided when I had my own kids, I would make sure we celebrated this feast day. In our house, we will watch St. Nicholas' story by the Veggie Tales and read a few books about St. Nicholas the days before his feast day to help learn about him. On December 5th, we hang our stockings by our fireplace and prepare for St. Nicholas to visit our house. The next morning we all wake up to find our stockings filled with Clementines, Apples, Candy Canes, Chocolates and a small gift which is typically a book, craft or something along those lines. This is one of my favorite holiday traditions in our house. We get a chance to learn about a Saint and then celebrate their feast day together. As my children continue to grow up I hope we can do this more often with other Saints' lives as well. Below is a video with some more information about St. Nicholas. If you wish to learn more about how other countries celebrate and honor St. Nicholas Day, check out this website: http://www.stnicholascenter.org/pages/around-the-world/ I also invite you to learn more about the lives of the Saints. There is so much they can teach us about how to live a holy and good life. Feel free to share your family traditions for St. Nick's Day in the Comments. - Kate Tyler, Pastoral Associate - |
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