 Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire...And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.-Acts. 2: 3-4 Pentecost marks the beginning of the Catholic Church. It is the day when, the Holy Spirit breathed into the Apostles, turning them from fear to the bravery of a roaring lion. After witnessing death, the Apostles fearful for their lives hid in an Upper Room. But, "a noise like a strong driving wind" (Acts 2:2), the Holy Spirit, came upon them. After this, the Apostles had the strength to begin their mission on earth: the evangelization of the world. Immediately, St. Peter began to, preach in the streets, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. "Therefore let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2: 36). This fire of the Holy Spirit also lives in each of us. St. Justin Popovich declared that "From Holy Pentecost, the day of the Holy Spirit, every God-like soul in the Church of Christ is an incombustible bush which continuously burns and is inflamed with God and has a fiery tongue within it." We are Temples of the Holy Spirit and like, the Apostles we should utilize this fire to evangelize our communities and world. A social media post is a quick and easy way to spread the faith to the world. Also, you can invite a friend that is away from the Church, to join you for Sunday Mass. Partaking in your Parish's activities is another way to evangelize your community. This Pentecost let us use the Fire of the Holy Spirit in our hearts, to help us on our mission View My Catholic Family Magazine Summer Edition: http://online.anyflip.com/zywc/pgns/mobile/index.html 
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 One can witness and appreciate the beauty of God's creation, especially in the summer season. The sound of crashing waves, the flowers in full bloom, the warm sun shining down, and the birds tweeting at the break of dawn. All these little details often go unnoticed, but it is in these that we see the handiwork of God. St. John Chrysostom said, “From the creation, learn to admire the Lord! Indeed the magnitude and beauty of creation display a God who is the artificer of the universe.” Nature and the seasons are a gift from God, and we need to protect and respect this gift. St. Francis demonstrates a good example of a steward of creation. He saw the hand of God in nature and did all he could to protect and appreciate it. St. Francis respected plants and animals, his little brothers and sisters. Also, he spent time in deep prayer, surrounded by the beauty of nature. In the midst of creation, St. Francis felt the closest to God. "Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Earth our Mother who sustains and governs us." - St. Francis This summer let us strive to appreciate and help flourish the beautiful world God gave us. Because it truly is a "Wonderful World.” View My Catholic Family Magazine Summer Edition: http://online.anyflip.com/zywc/pgns/mobile/index.html   “Behold this heart which has so loved men.” – Jesus Christ. Love for us was the great motivator for Jesus. It was love that moved Christ to come to Earth, and it was love that gave Him the strength to sacrifice himself on the Cross. Love also, is what gave us the Blessed Sacrament. “The Blessed Sacrament is the Invention of Love.” –Our Lord This ardent, burning love for us is evident in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Jesus showed St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French Visitation nun, the fullness of His love: His Sacred Heart. "And He showed me that it was His great desire of being loved by men and of withdrawing them from the path of ruin that made Him form the design of manifesting His Heart to men, with all the treasures of love, of mercy, of grace, of sanctification and salvation which it contains.” Jesus desires us to have a devotion to His own Sacred Heart. St. Margaret Mary said this "devotion is so pleasing to Him that He can refuse nothing to those who practice it.” How can we practice this devotion? One way is to consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Another way is to partake in the "Nine First Fridays," which is the act of attending Mass and receiving Holy Communion for, nine consecutive first Fridays. Also, we can show our love for the Sacred Heart, by offering up our sufferings and making sacrifices in reparation for the sins against Him. The month of June is dedicated to the veneration of the divine Heart. Let us strive to increase our love for the Sacred Heart, especially during this month. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us! View My Catholic Family Magazine Summer Edition: http://online.anyflip.com/zywc/pgns/mobile/index.html   The Virgin Mary is the ultimate role model for all mothers. She is the mother of all mothers. Motherhood is a beautiful blessing, but it certainly has its challenges. We can also take great comfort in the arms of our Blessed Mother Mary. She is the perfect role model for each of us as women and mothers, no matter where we are in our lives. First of all, from Our Blessed Mother, we can learn the importance of trusting in the Lord in all circumstances. When the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary to announce that she was going to be the Mother of God, Mary accepted the role without questioning God. She said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). Mary trusted that God had a plan for her. As mothers let us always trust in the Lord like Mary did. God has a plan for us and our families just like he had a plan for Mary. Never doubt that He has great plans for our lives. Our Blessed Mother went through many trials in her life, but she never lost sight of the Lord, she persevered to the end because she trusted that God was in control. She knew that as long as she stayed focused on God, things were going to work out for the best. No one is exempt from problems and difficulties in this life, but if we keep our eyes focused on God, He will give us the strength and help we need to get through it and in the end I assure you that things will work out for the best. The key is to trust God. Humility is another virtue of Our Lady. Humility for Our Blessed Mother was not a matter of weakness, but of a strong determination to let God work in her and through her. Mary was humble because she knew that God wanted to do “great things” (Luke 1:49) in her, not by her own power, but by the working of the power of God. All of our talents, virtues, and gifts came from God. Only when we emptied our hearts of self-love will Jesus’ light will shine through us. Let us trust, persevere, and with great humility trust in God just like Our Blessed Mother did. View My Catholic Family Magazine Summer Edition: http://online.anyflip.com/zywc/pgns/mobile/index.html   Pietra Fitness is a Retreat for Body and Soul that involves stretching and strengthening classes featuring Christian prayer and meditation in the Catholic tradition. At Pietra Fitness, our “whole person” workouts utilize physical exercise to promote core strength as a solid physical foundation for the rest of the body. For the soul, our workouts include prayer and meditations built upon the strongest of foundations: the rock of Christ and His Church. This powerful combination truly benefits the entire human person – restoring harmony and wholeness to both body and soul. Pietra Fitness exists to help people increase their faith, health, and well-being through Catholic prayer and spirituality and the physical practice of stretching and strengthening postures. You can improve your health, wellness, and happiness by strengthening your mental, physical, and spiritual foundations. We have worked hard to develop a program with a solid foundation in each of these areas so that, with God’s grace, you can rejuvenate, refresh, and restore your whole person – mind, body, and soul. It is our goal to help you achieve your optimal health regardless of age, physical limitations, and state of health. Pietra Fitness is a way to stay physically fit while answering the call of St. Paul to pray unceasingly. We simply offer our exercise in prayer to God. To Learn More about this Amazing Exercise class that will truly strengthen the family, go to pietrafitness.com   Aligning your Financial Future with your Faith by the assistance of Prosperitas who will not only help you invest for financial success but even more importantly for spiritual success. As Pope John Paul II says, “Even the decision to invest in one place rather than another, is always a moral and cultural choice.” Tim Vinton, Head of Prosperitas will give you and your family expert help to navigate the difficult waters of making investments while holding up to the highest moral standards. Using the USCCB guidelines, Prosperitas will help ensure your investments are not tainted by abortion, contraceptives, embryonic stem cell research, curbing pornography, labor standards and many more moral issues. Strengthening the family can only come when your faith enters all facets of your life. Your investments are an important part of your life, bring your faith into this area as well with the help of Prosperitas. Go to: www.investprosperitas.com   Our First Communion is considered one of the biggest days in our Catholic lives because this is the day we receive Jesus Christ’s body and blood in the form of bread and wine for the first time. We all remember the day we had our First Communion. It was a day of prayer and festivities. We were dressed in white and spent weeks of preparation for this big day. Excited and anxious to receive Communion, like swans in a row we went to the Altar with our hands folded in prayer. The Priest greeted us with "This is the body of Christ,” our meekly reply, “Amen,” and the little host was put into our mouths. Next, we went to the Eucharistic minister who said, “This is the blood of Christ,” and we replied once again, “Amen,” and we drank. Just like that, Jesus had entered into us. St. Cyril of Alexandria said that when we receive Communion we are “as two pieces of wax fused together make one, so he who receives Holy Communion is so united with Christ that Christ is in him and he is in Christ.” The Pastor in our parish always makes a point to say in every First Communion, that this is the “first of many” Communions. Our First Communion is not supposed to be our last Communion; rather it is the beginning of many more Communions. Since we are receiving Christ’s body and blood, every Communion, your second, third, hundredth, etc. should be very special. We must treat each of our Communions with the same amount of joy and love as we did during our First Communion. Let us be hungry to be filled with the grace that comes from Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Oftentimes we forget the importance and the great gift we have been given through the Eucharist. Jesus said to St. Faustina ““I desire to unite Myself to human souls, know, My daughter, that when I come to a human heart in Holy Communion, My hands are full of all kinds of graces which I want to give to the soul. But souls do not even pay any attention to Me; they leave Me to Myself and busy themselves with other things. . . They treat Me as a dead object.” We must strive to change this by rejoicing at every chance we have to receive Christ and believing that Christ is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. Additionally, we should remember God’s deep love for us and how He fills this love in our souls when we receive Him. St. Therese of Liseux during her First Communion was filled with so much joy that she was moved to tears by God’s immense love, “Heaven entered my soul when I received Jesus…It was joy alone, deep ineffable joy that filled my heart.” A short prayer we could say before Communion is “Thank you Jesus for the great gift I am about to receive, Amen.” Let us always remember to treat every Communion like it was our First Communion. View My Catholic Family Magazine Easter Issue at: http://online.anyflip.com/zywc/fnmd/mobile/index.html#p=1   These elegant and timeless pieces of art are a beautiful way to show your faith to the world. gailsdesigns.net/ Gail’s Designs are faith-inspired jewelry and artisan rosaries. These pieces are elegant and timeless works of art that are the perfect blend of faith and beauty. The founder, Gail, was inspired by her European grandparent’s cherished treasures of rosaries and vintage jewelry. She was also inspired by her childhood image of women at Midnight Mass who wore finely crafted medals from the Vatican. Gail said that “the most rewarding part of my business is when I hear stories of how a bracelet, necklace or a rosary brought someone to the faith.” These stunning pieces are sold throughout the U.S.A, Canada, and have recently been introduced in Europe. Each piece is hand-crafted in the U.S.A. Whether you are buying that special gift for another or for yourself, you will find that these treasured pieces will surely stand the test of time, to be enjoyed from one generation to the next. To order one of these treasures, go to: Gailsdesigns.net   Let’s challenge ourselves this Lenten Season with 40 days of Sacrifice. Lent is the time when we devote ourselves to fasting, abstinence, penitence, and making personal sacrifices in preparation for Easter. We can prepare this year by doing a different sacrifice for each day of Lent to bring us closer to Jesus. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter Saturday and there 40 weekdays in between. These 40 days are in commemoration of Christ's fasting in the wilderness. As we partake in this 40 day Lenten Challenge, let us remember Jesus’ sacrifice for us on the Cross and His Glorious Resurrection. March 1-Ash Wednesday: Witness to your faith by wearing your ashes. March 2: Accept today’s crosses without complaint. March 3: Pray to St. Katherine Drexel to help us have diligence in our works of mercy and perseverance in sacrifice. March 4: Give your loose change to the poor. March 6: Pray an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be for the Pope’s intentions. March 7: Perform a random act of kindness. March 8: Write 10 things you are thankful to God for and meditate on all the blessings God has given you. March 9: Listen to a Christian station instead of a secular one when you drive. March 10: Fast from snacks for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. March 11: Read today’s Gospel Matthew 5:43-48 and reflect on ways to show your love to your neighbors. March 13: Pray the Rosary with your family for the End of Abortion. March 14: Pray the Angelus at noon. March 15: Sit and meditate for fifteen minutes in complete silence and listen to what God wants to tell you that day. March 16: Drink only water today, no juices, sodas, or other beverages. March 17: Pray St. Patrick’s prayer, “The Breastplate.” March 18: Go to Confession to clean your soul before Easter or preform an Act of Contrition. March 20: Pray to St. Joseph, today is his feast day. March 21: Donate food for the poor and needy at your local Food Pantry. March 22: Take some quiet time with Jesus in the Tabernacle or pray a Prayer to Jesus in the Tabernacle. March 23: Limit your time on social media and spend more time in prayer. March 24: Take a few minutes to appreciate the beauty of God’s work in nature. March 25: Read the story of the Annunciation Luke 1:26-38 and meditate on Mary’s yes to God. March 27: Read a Psalm in thanksgiving of God’s love for us. March 28: Write a Thank You card for your parents or role model in your life. March 29: Attend Daily Mass or pray a prayer of “Spiritual Communion.” March 30: Read for 20 minutes a spiritual book. March 31: : Meditate on God’s calling for you in your own life. April 1: Write a letter to God, thanking Him for all the gifts He has given you. April 3: Give your old clothes to the homeless shelter or clothes drive near you. April 4: Do not give into anger; rather attempt to understand the other person’s stance and compromise. April 5: Fast from take-out and restaurants. April 6: Do something nice for someone you know. April 7: Pray the Stations of the Cross for the conversion of the world. April 8: Volunteer your time at a local charity or your Church. April 10: Fast from chocolate, sweets, and deserts for the poor of the world. April 11: Give up watching your favorite TV show for the day. April 12: Be positive instead of negative. April 13:-Holy Thursday: Read the Lord’s Supper Luke 22: 14-34 and imagine what it would be life to partake in this supper. April 14-Good Friday: Pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 3:00 pm. the hour of Christ’s death on the Cross. April 15-Last day of Lent: Think on how you continue to challenge yourself through sacrifice throughout the year. Lent is a good time for sacrificing. Let us deny ourselves something every day to help others. -Pope Francis View My Catholic Family Magazine Easter Issue at: http://online.anyflip.com/zywc/fnmd/mobile/index.html#p=1  |
