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Saint Agnes ​​ The Story: Saint Agnes was a beautiful, late 4th-century girl and a devout Christian. When Agnes was old enough to marry, she repeatedly refused to marry, saying "Jesus Christ is my only spouse." She was eventually reported to the authorities as a Christian and was martyred because she refused to deny Christ and His authority over her life. She died in January of 304 at the age of 12 or 13. ​ You can read more about Saint Agnes and her life at https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=106 ​ Patron of: young girls, chastity, rape survivors, and the Children of Mary ​ Feast Day: Jan. 21 ​ Quotes: "Jesus Christ is my only Spouse." "I am already promised to the Lord of the Universe. He is more splendid than the sun and the stars, and He has said He will never leave me!" “He chose me first and He shall have me.” St. Agnes is a shining example of sacrificial love and both emotional and physical virginity, all of which are lacking in our world today. Let's ask St. Agnes in this month of January to help us, the young Church, to live out the virtues that she exemplified in her short earthly life so that we can someday meet her in eternal life. ​ Saint Agnes, please PRAY FOR US!! ​ ​ ​ Sources for information, quotes, and picture: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=106 http://catholicfaithpatronsaints.com/prayers-quips-and-quotes-st-agnes-of-rome-feast-day-january-21/

Today on this feast day of the Church we remember and celebrate the lives of the holy and innocent children who were slaughtered in King Herod's search to kill Jesus when He was just a baby. You can read the whole story in today's gospel. The direct killing of children may seem like a thing of the past. After all, humans are more humane now, right? Sadly, that thinking is wrong. Millions of children are brutally killed every single day of our lives. A lot of our government leaders are not trying to stop this from happening, and some of them even promote it. Some people think there's nothing morally objectionable about it and work for their right to be able to do it. What is this awful massacre? What is this thing that is taking so many precious and innocent lives from our world? Abortion. Abortion is the evil act that is killing so many beautiful little people. It is said that history repeats itself. Abortion is not the exception to this. By allowing and even promoting this obvious evil, our societal leaders are allowing Herod's horrid act to take place day after day and year after year. We have the power to change that. We have the power to convince our leaders to change their minds about the killing of the unborn and show them the Truth! All it takes is a little courage to stand up for life. One really good and effective way to do this is to contact your state's governmental leaders. You can do this either individually by emailing, writing to, or calling or contacting them directly by sending them a message through Students for Life Action, the sister organization of Students for Life of America which is the largest student-led pro-life organization in the nation. On this feast day of the Holy Innocents, let's remember all of the souls of those precious babies killed by King Herod, as well as those of the millions of children killed by abortion. I firmly believe that these little saints of the Church are resting in the arms of their Father and Heavenly Mother and can be powerful intercessors for us. All of the Holy Innocents, please pray for us as we work with all of our strength to protect the beauty and dignity of every human life! “Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14

In the popular Christmas song, "O Holy Night", right before the climax of the song are the words "a thrill of hope, a weary world rejoices..." What is your thrill of hope? What makes you believe that there is more than the sadness that our world seems to be living in a state of? What makes you believe that everything will be okay, even if it's not okay right now? What is the reason that you keep going, keep believing, even when the going gets tough? There is one answer to this question. Other things or people may give us hope, but they themselves are not that hope, no matter how amazing they may be. Jesus Christ, true God and true man, is the only true and everlasting thrill of hope. Despite everything that has happened this year, Jesus is still our hope and gives us reason to rejoice. This thrill of hope, He didn't come as a king, filled with glory and power, he didn't come bearing a sword, he didn't come with a political agenda, He came in a cave, born to a peasant girl and her loving husband. He came as a baby, sweet and gentle. And He came as a thrill of hope for a weary world that was in need of joy. Even though modern celebrations of the birth of the Christ Child only seem to be about flashy lights and sparkles, we always need to remember that our true hope, Jesus Christ, was born in a dirty stable, His parents were unsure of the path ahead, but all throughout their journey with Jesus they just trusted God. God has a plan for them and He has a plan for you. He has a plan for me and He has a plan for this country and for our world. He will not let us down. Our Lord is faithful and He keeps His promises. As we embark on our journey through the Christmas season, let us not forget who it is that we celebrate, who is the cause of our joy, our thrill of hope, Jesus Christ. May God bless you and your families always. Have a very merry Christmas and a blessed new year!

And Jehoshaphat. And Rehoboam. And Amminadab. And Hezron. And Asaph. And all of the other people with awesome names that are found in today's Gospel reading from the book of Matthew. Today's Gospel details the lineage of Jesus Christ and tells of the generations before Him all the way back to Abraham. Traditionally genealogies such as these, when used in Biblical texts, are there to show a jump in time. This one, however, is different, as it details the family of the Son of God rather than simply illustrating that a long period of time has passed. This genealogy just goes to show that every single person that has ever lived on this earth matters and is loved and cared for. All those people were part of a greater plan, and most of them probably had no idea that they would be the family that would bring the son of God into the world, but they were. God has a bigger plan for you and for me than we can even imagine. He is in control and He has an amazing plan of which we are vital players. Just like all those people didn't know that God was going to make their nation and family one that would never fade into history, sometimes we don't know where God is leading us. Sometimes we have absolutely no idea why we are going through what we are going through in our lives. Sometimes we can't see where God is leading us. The path ahead might be bumpy and maybe you've taken so many turns that you're not even sure how you got to where you are. Even though it's uncertain, even though we don't understand, even though nothing seems to be going right, that's okay. God is in control. Just as He was for all of those people in Jesus' genealogy, He has always been there and He always will be there for His people. So even though Biblical genealogies can seem monotonous and we may be tempted to rush through them, let's always remember that each and every person mentioned, and those not mentioned, matter in the eyes of God and are loved immensely and part of a larger plan. And so are we. Fun fact: We too are part of the lineage of Jesus! Even though Christ never married, the line of Christ's family continues on through the Church (Us!)

This month's featured Saint is Saint Nicholas! The Story: Saint Nicholas was a 4th century Bishop who is more commonly known today as Santa Claus. This comes from the translation of his name"(Santa Claus = Sint Klaes = Saint Nicholas)"* and his reputation of giving gifts! The most famous story that illustrates his remarkably generous spirit is this: "Both of his (Nicholas') parents tragically died during an epidemic when he was a young man, leaving him well off, but to be raised by his uncle - the Bishop of Patara. Nicholas was determined to devote his inheritance to works of charity, and his uncle mentored him as a reader and later ordained him as a presbyter (priest). An opportunity soon arose for St. Nicholas and his inheritance. A citizen of Patara had lost all his money, and needed to support his three daughters who could not find husbands because of their poverty; so the wretched man was going to give them over to prostitution. Nicholas became informed of this, and thus took a bag of gold and threw it into an open window of the man's house in the night. Here was a dowry for the eldest girl and she was soon duly married. At intervals Nicholas did the same for the second and the third; at the last time the father was on the watch, recognized his benefactor and overwhelmed Nicholas with his gratitude." * You can read more about Saint Nicholas and his life at https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=371. ​ Patron of : Bakers, Pawnbrokers, Children, Sailors, and numerous Parishes and Dioceses. Feast Day: December 6th Saint Nicholas was an incredible example of cheerful giving and selfless generosity. During this Advent and Christmas season, as well throughout the whole year, we, as Christians should strive to be generous with the blessings that God has given us, just as Saint Nicholas was. Saint Nicholas, please PRAY FOR US!! * All quotes, as well as other background information used in creating this post comes from the link to Catholic Online provided in the "The Story" section of this blog post. ​

It's the most wonderful time of the year..... Almost. We have to get ready for it first! Beginning today (or last night if you went to a vigil Mass), we are in the liturgical season of Advent. From the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Website : " Beginning the Church's liturgical year, Advent (from, "ad-venire" in Latin or "to come to") is the season encompassing the four Sundays (and weekdays) leading up to the celebration of Christmas. The Advent season is a time of preparation that directs our hearts and minds to Christ’s second coming at the end of time and also to the anniversary of the Lord’s birth on Christmas. The final days of Advent, from December 17 to December 24, focus particularly on our preparation for the celebrations of the Nativity of our Lord (Christmas)." While the rest of the world is well into their Christmas season right about now and will continue to be until around December 26th, we as Catholics, as well as many Protestants, have just begun our preparation for the Christmas season, and our celebrating doesn't end until at least January 6th (Epiphany)!! Advent is a time of preparation. We prepare our hearts, minds, and souls for His coming again, for the celebration of His holy Birth at Christmas, and for the little moments in which we meet Him throughout our day. The following are a few ways to get the most out of this Advent season and truly experience the preparation for Christ's coming. And just like Lenten practices, our new good habits don't need to stop when the liturgical season ends :-) Preparing for His birth: Go to Confession (or if you can't get there because of COVID-19, confess your sins to Jesus in prayer and say an Act of Contrition with a resolve to get to sacramental Confession as on as possible) Receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist Make a Jesse Tree ( This is a wonderful explanation) Use a scriptural Advent Calander Read or listen to an Advent devotional each day. (There are some nice ones online or on Youtube. Make sure you find a Catholic one!) Do something nice for someone who's going to have a baby Read the Nativity story (Matthew 1:18-25 or Luke 1- 2:20) Set up a Nativity scene in your Home Preparing for His Second Coming: Go to Confession (or if you can't get there because of COVID-19, confess your sins to Jesus in prayer and say an Act of Contrition with a resolve to get to sacramental Confession as on as possible) Receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist Keep your soul in a state of Grace ! Don't get sucked into all the end-time prophecies and people on Youtube who think that Jesus is coming back soon just because there's a pandemic. I'm sure that they mean well, but Jesus said that we will not know the day, nor the hour at which He will return in His glory. Presumably, that includes the people on Youtube as well as us. Pray the Rosary Encounter Christ in the everyday moments of your life so that when He comes back again, you will know Him and He will know you. Pray for the world! Preparing for encounters with Christ in everyday life: Go to Confession (or if you can't get there because of COVID-19, confess your sins to Jesus in prayer and say an Act of Contrition with a resolve to get to sacramental Confession as on as possible) Receive Christ in the Holy Eucharist Form a prayer routine. Pray in the morning, before bed, throughout your day, at school, at home, right now. (Seriously, go pray and come back to read this later!!) Go to Adoration as frequently as possible Seek Christ in those around you Serve Him by living a life of Love Pray, pray, pray! Read a devotional Love everyone, no matter who they are or what they've done, because Christ lives in each and every one of us. Remember that even though our world has already gone wild with lights, Santa, glitter, shopping, and reindeer, the true joy of Christmas and of the Advent season lies in Jesus Christ, and not in the things of this world, no matter how wonderful they are! It is He who we prepare to celebrate on Christmas during this liturgical season. We can't truly enjoy the gift and joy that Christ brings at Christmas unless we have prepared our hearts to receive it. That's what Advent is all about :-) Have a very blessed and happy Advent season!

Happy Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe! Today we are reminded that Christ is our ultimate King. No matter how big and powerful we are in this world, at the end of our lives, we will stand before the Father and King and give an account of how we loved. And that can seem scary, as we are fallen creatures. But God is love, and we are loved by Love. The remarkable thing about our King, the True King, is that He loves each of us intimately and completely and he wants us to and gives us the chance to live with him forever in His kingdom. And He doesn't just tell us this because He wants to gain our votes or support. (He's God, He doesn't need to be voted for!!) Christ tells us that we will be with Him in His kingdom, not by doing amazing things, being a celebrity, having a lot of money, but simply by loving those around us. When we love people, we are loving Christ who lives inside their hearts (whether they know it or not!) No matter who our political and societal leaders are wherever we live in the world, we always need to remember that Christ is the ultimate King and He alone is powerful. Sometimes our leaders don't act the way that they ought. Sometimes they say that they are one thing and then act completely different. Sometimes they believe in killing children in the name of "choice". When we see these people acting so contrary to everything that faith and science and basic logic teaches us, we don't need to be afraid of them or discouraged. God is in control. Every single one of us, at the end of our earthly lives, will get to face our ultimate King, Lord, Lover, and Judge. It's very important to remember that we are obligated to follow Christ's rules, not those of the "kings" of this world. This is not to say that we shouldn't follow governmental rules. We should always follow the laws of our country to the extent that they are morally acceptable. (St. Thomas More is a great example of this). If a government is decent, its rules and laws will help people follow God's law, not help them to break it. If a leader is telling us to do something that is contrary to faith and science and basic logic, we need to say no, and we need to let them know that what they are doing is wrong. This can be difficult, but we can ask Christ for the strength to do what is right in His eyes, no matter what others may say, or think, or do. So, in the midst of all the political turmoil, confusion, and deceitfulness so much present in our world today, let's remember just one thing: Jesus Christ is the one, True King. His laws are our laws, and we should do what He says, not necessarily what other leaders want us to do. We thank God for those who are doing what they can, whether directly or indirectly, to help build up His Kingdom. For those who are not doing their best in promoting a culture of life, of peace, and of simple common sense, we need to pray for them as well, that the Light of Christ will outshine the darkness of their lives. Jesus Christ, in your mercy and power, please transform our country and bring us back to you!

Who are you? Have you ever taken the time to think about your answer to this question? We hear it fairly often, but I'm willing to assume that most people do not normally think about what their own answer would be. On the surface level, it's an easy question to answer. Now, as a teenager, you may be given the titles of son, daughter, sibling, student, friend, and many more. When you are older you may be titled as a doctor, a lawyer, a youth minister, a sister, a priest, a parent, and so much more. When posed this question, we don't often take the time to think beyond this worldly surface level of answers. So now let's think a little deeper... Every single title given to us by other human beings can be taken away. The only exception to this would be family titles such as mother, father, sibling, etc. Every single title that refers to what you do (doctor, priest, teacher, etc.) can be taken away. Every title in relation to where you are can be taken away (Pennsylvanian, Mexican, American, etc.) What we need to realize is that none of those titles define us. At the end of our lives, what we do for a living, where we lived, which degrees we earned or other of the things that the world sees as valuable in determining a person's worth will not matter. All that will matter is who you are. As Catholic-Christians, we do not need to wonder about who we are. We are given one title that surpasses all other titles we have been given. And that title is "Chosen." At the end of the day, that is who we are. We are, as Saint Peter says, “'a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises' of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9) God has chosen us specifically to belong completely and totally to Him. He wants us to live completely with Him and For Him. We have a purpose. God has a plan, and that plan will allow us to "announce the praises of Him" to everyone we may meet. We are a people of His own, who He has called from the darkness of sin and death into the light of love and salvation. This is the most important title you will ever receive because it defines who you are and it is given to you by your maker. This title is how you will find true joy and peace. It is what enables you to love and be loved. You are not defined by your sins. You are not defined by who the world sees you as. Your definition and your title are given to you by your Father. Your Heavenly Father, who loves you beyond what you could ever imagine. He says that you are loved, He says that you have a purpose, and He says that you are chosen. So the next time that someone asks, "who are you?," you can confidently answer with the truth- "I am Chosen. I am a Child of God, a slave of His love, and loved beyond measure. I am God's and God's alone."

In today's Gospel, the apostles are in a boat, and there is a lot of wind. All of a sudden, they see something on the water and immediately think that what they are seeing is a ghost. The Gospel writer says that they are terrified. I don't blame them. I would be too! The next lines of the Gospel go like this: At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.” Take a moment to put yourself in this situation. You are sitting in the boat, cowering in fear. You hear Jesus say, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." You lift your eyes to look at Him, and He looks right back, his gaze penetrating your very soul, and He says "Come." Come. Come and do what? What is Jesus asking you to do? There is at least one thing that Jesus wants you to do right this very second. The fact that you are reading this sentence proves that. That thing could be starting a blog, bringing Christ to a friend from school, going to confession, becoming in full communion with His Church through the sacrament of Confirmation in the Catholic Church, or even answering the call to marriage or religious life. Maybe you have no idea what it is. Maybe you know exactly what it is and are afraid to do it. You were created for a purpose. Just like Peter, Jesus is calling you to do something special . Trust that Christ will help you to find what you need to do. Do you remember the next part of the story? Here it is: Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” Trusting that Jesus has a plan in store for you is the first step in doing what He wants you to do. The next step for you is to get out of the boat. While Jesus is all-powerful and can do whatever He wants, He still needs your cooperation. He loves us and does not force us to do anything we do not want to do. That would not be love. While He does not force us to do anything, He gently guides us in the right direction. It is our decision to step out of the boat. When we get out of the boat, we are relying solely on Jesus' divine intervention to do what He wills. The boat represents our own desires, o ur own will for our lives. And sometimes getting out of that boat will take a lot of effort. It may take time and it might not be easy. The water might not be as warm as you want it to be, and you might not be very comfortable. But as long as you keep your eyes on Jesus and not on your feelings of unworthiness at being chosen by God, your fear, or feelings of uncertainty, you will be just fine and you will be filled with joy. All you need to do is trust Jesus and cooperate with His will. He will do the rest. What do I mean by this? I mean that Jesus will provide for your material and spiritual needs. If you know you need to evangelize to a kid at school, ask Jesus to help you have the opportunity to do so, and He will. If you need to go to confession, ask Jesus to let you get there, and He will. If you feel called to go on a pilgrimage with your youth group but don't have enough money for it, ask Jesus to help you find the money for it, and guess what? He will. If it is in His plan, He will make a way. However, if you take your eyes off of Christ and begin to believe that something isn't possible just because of your circumstances at that moment, you will fall, just like Peter did. Without our focus on Jesus, we are bound to fall because He is the only thing that is holding us up. How can we expect to succeed in our calling to become a saint by doing what we want instead of what Jesus wants? Just like He says in John 15:5, "Apart from me, you can do nothing." And if you do end up falling, just as He did for Peter, Jesus will stretch out His hand and catch you. He will do all that He can to pull you up out of the water. It's up to you to not let go of His hand. Don't doubt Jesus' power and love and mercy! Those attributes of Christ are the sustenance that will get you through this journey to whatever God is calling you to do. So, my message to you, dear brothers and sisters, is to keep your eyes fixed on Christ. Don't be afraid! You will do amazing things for the Kingdom of Heaven when you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and are submissive to His plan for your life. Pray that He will make known to you His plan for your life, and trust that He will enable you to do what He wants you to do. The first step is simply getting out of the boat. After that, it's all up to Him.

We have been given months and months of free time. What did you use that free time for? Hopefully you've used it to your benefit and made time for things you haven't normally had time to do. Sadly, one of these things that people often say they don't have time for is prayer. But it doesn't have to be this way!!! We can make every single action, thought, and feeling of our day into a prayer. Prayer is simply a conversation with God. That's it. Even one singular thought of God is a prayer. It is entirely possible (and actually fairly easy!) to, as St.Paul says, "Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5: 17) In non-first century language, this basically means to pray constantly. If you are like most people, you probably don't know where to start. I'm here to help! The following is a "schedule" of a typical day for a teenager. This can apply whether you're in a school building, cyber school, or homeschooled, and will hopefully give you ideas for how to incorporate prayer into your day. The links to the prayers can be found by clicking on the underlined, purple words. Wakeup - Stop! Before you even get out of bed, say some morning prayers. I would especially recommend praying the morning offering as well as a prayer to your guardian angel . Another good habit to get into would be to reading the daily readings and making a spiritual communion , even before you get out of bed. Getting ready for the day - As you get a shower, remember your Baptism and ask Christ to wash you of your sins once again. As you brush your teeth, ask Him to make all of your speech holy. As you get dressed, envision yourself putting on the armor of God. (Ephesians 6 13-16) Eat breakfast - As my health class teacher once told my class, "You're a fool if you don't eat breakfast!" So do it!! But before you do that, make another spiritual communion , recognizing that Christ himself is all the sustenance you'll ever need, and of course, say a prayer before meals to thank Him for your food. Going to school - This one doesn't apply so much to the home/cyber schoolers, but you could still do it too :-) On your way to school, whether you're biking, walking, riding a bus, or driving, pray a decade of the Rosary (or a full Rosary ) and ask God to help you in all your struggles and trials throughout the day. English class - At the beginning of class, say a prayer for your teacher and classmates. If you are writing an essay, ask the Holy Spirit to give you the necessary words. If you are reading a book, pray for real-life people who may be involved in similar conflicts. Always remember to stand up for the values and morals that you stand for when it comes to reading books . Don't settle for garbage. It's not worth losing your soul over a trashy book. This can sometimes be hard in a public school setting but it will be worth it in the end! Computer Class - Thank God for the gift of technology and pray that it will be used for good in your school and all around the world . Language Class - Ask the Holy Spirit to help you speak with confidence. Pray that your knowledge of the language may be helpful in your spreading the Good News to every nation. Math Class - Pray for perseverance, courage, and strength. You're also going to need some patience. A lot of it. If you are love math, good for you! Please say a prayer for those of us who don't... (this applies to any subject) Art Class - Use your art skills for Good! If you have the freedom to create whatever you want, use your creativity to make something that is going to build up the kingdom of God. Ex: drawing or painting of a saint, religious symbolism, cord, bead, or wire Rosary , carving or statue of a saint, Jesus, or the Blessed Mother. If you aren't allowed to do this, make your art to be a gift to someone else. It will definitely brighten someone's day :-) Science Class - Pray for scientists who are trying every day to figure out how to make the world an even better place for us by trying to understand it. Science is a great gift from God! Depending on what you are studying, you could pray for the protection of the environment, protection from sickness and disease, health, etc. History class - One really cool thing about God is that He is outside of time. This means that our prayers can be used to help someone who lived thousands of years ago! Pray for people in whichever period of history you're learning about. Another interesting thing to do out of school hours would be to look up how the Church was involved in whatever historical events your class is discussing, if they happened within the past 2000 years. Lunch - Pray the prayer before meals , using the sign of the cross and everything! You can pray out loud or in your head. Invite your friends to pray with you as well. You could also make another spiritual communion . Praying is a great way to evangelize without using words! If you see someone sitting alone, go and sit with them, or invite them to sit with you. In the hallways (Home/cyber schoolers- in between subjects??) - Depending on how much time you have between classes, pray a decade of the Rosary , or just say a few prayers asking the Lord to bless everyone you pass by. Music Classes - Use your music to evangelize! If you can choose a piece to play or sing and present to a class, make it something religious. A hymn or contemporary Christian song woud be great! If your school has a holiday concert and you sing a Christmas song that has lyrics that include the true meaning of Christmas, tell your choir/band director that you really appreciate that and thank them for their choice in music. Health and Gym - Ask the Lord to keep you healthy so that you can continue to work for His glory. Offer up your discomfort and tiredness for the salvation of souls. Study Hall - Say a prayer before study, and then do your homework! If you have extra time, you could pray another decade of the Rosary . Going home - Most schools seem to get out around the 3 o'clock hour. On your way home, pray a Divine Mercy Chaplet and thank God for a good day. After School activitie s- Ask Jesus to be with you as you travel to and from your activities. If you have time, you our could finish your Rosary if you didn't already do so. Some parishes offer a daily Mass in the evenings. If you can, try to attend a daily Mass before or after your activities . Dinner - Say the prayer before meals and make a spiritual communion . Use this time to talk with your family about your day! Bedtime - Don't stay up too late! If you like to read, you could do some spiritual reading to wind down. Before you go to sleep, take some time to talk to God about your day. Pray the prayer for daily neglects , the healing prayer at bedtime , and the prayer to your guardian angel . You can replace the word " day " with "night" in the guardian angel prayer. Pray an Act of Contrition. I hope these ideas help you to build prayer into your school day. The more you pray, the better your relationships with God, yourself, and others will be. I truly believe that God changes lives through prayer. Let Him change yours! Please share this post with other Christian friends who might benefit from it!

Happy Birthday to our beautiful and wonderful and heavenly mother, Mary!!! Today in the Church we celebrate the nativity of Mary. Imagine how the angels and saints and especially our Lord are singing and praising her today!! Our heavenly Mother deserves a little love on her birthday! One of the best ways to give her this is to pray the Rosary . If you've never prayed the Rosary before or if you're asking "does loving Mary and asking her to pray for me take away from the glory and honor that Jesus deserves?" don't worry!! There are TONS of videos of people praying the Rosary on Youtube that will explain it. You can also click on the word " Rosary " to get to a website that will show you how to pray it. And the answer to the second question is absolutely not !!! As St. Maxamilian Kolbe said, “ Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” Mary is our Heavenly mommy. She is only there to help us and to bring us to her son. You can also consecrate yourself to Jesus, through Mary, using St.Louis de Montfort's consecration. Find out more about it HERE . It's a great way for Catholics and Non-Catholics alike to come closer to Jesus, through the loving and Immaculate Heart of His Mother. Along with being the greatest woman that ever lived, Mary is also a wonderful example of many things. Purity, obedience, chastity, love, mercy, faith, and those are just naming a few!! We can always turn to her and ask for her intercession when struggling to live out any of those virtues or when fighting temptations. As some of you may know, the Catholify App has teamed up with a couple of other Catholic online ministries to pray 1 million Rosaries for Our Lady's birthday. Starting May 1st, 2020, many Catholics around the world have logged their rosaries every day . In an absolute miracle, we passed the 1 million Rosaries goal yesterday morning!! What a wonderful gift Lady and to our world! A few days ago the goal seemed out of reach, but we prayed and somehow, by the grace of God, we made it!! It just shows you how far Jesus will go to give His mother a gift! You can still log Rosaries today (September 8th) to increase the count. So, Happy Birthday to our dear Mother!!! May she always be with us, strengthening, guiding, and interceding for us as a Mother and friend. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death!!

Today is someone very special's birthday. She is a very important part of my life and of so many others. Millions of people, actually. She has a great amount of faith and is totally dedicated to Christ. Many people follow Her lead and strive to live up to Her expectations. And guess what. She wants you to follow her too. It is only in following Her lead that you will ever find the joy and love and life that you so desperately long for. She will lead you to life and love Himself- God. Have you figured out who I'm talking about yet? If you haven't guessed it already, the amazing being that I am referring to is the one, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church. It was established on this day- Pentecost- In the year 33 A.D. It was on this day 1,987 years ago that the Catholic Church was established for all so that they may believe and have the fullness of truth and to carry out the mission of Christ until He comes again. Peter, one of Christ's apostles, was made the first pope when Jesus established in the Papacy in Matthew 16:18-19. ("And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”) The Catholic Church is the only Church that has a Pope that is a successor, and therefore, is the only Church that Christ Himself established. The Catholic Church has the fullness of faith. You see, Jesus established one Church for all to belong to. He wants every single person that will ever live on the face of this earth to be part of the Church that He established. We know that Christ wants us all to be one because He says in John 17:11, "And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. " Jesus loves you immensely. More than you could ever imagine. And it is for that reason that Jesus Christ Himself is inviting you to be a member of the one true Church- The Catholic Church. If you aren't Catholic yet, don't be afraid to take that leap of faith straight into the arms of Christ and become the Catholic that you were meant to be!* If you are already Catholic, continue to be a faithful member of the Body of Christ and live out this immensely rich and historical faith tradition that Christ Himself has so graciously invited you to participate in. So, to conclude, happy birthday to our dear and wonderful Church! I and so many others are looking forward to many wonderful years to come. On this Pentecost Sunday, I invite all of my readers to ask the Holy Spirit for the grace to be led to where you are supposed to be. If you do that, God will lead you to His Church and to be the saint that He so desperately wants you to be. God bless you all, and may the Holy Spirit enkindle in your hearts a flame of love and a desire for Truth. <3 *Interested in becoming Catholic or just seeing what we're all about? Check out some of these websites: https://www.catholicscomehome.org/ https://www.catholic.com/ (These people can answer pretty much every question about Catholicism.... It's amazing!) https://chnetwork.org/ I would also recommend contacting a local Catholic parish to find people who can answer more of your questions. I'm always open to questions, too! Just email me using the contact spot at the bottom of the Home page. Be assured of my prayers for you, as well as those of the entire Church! :-)