The Purpose of Life

A reflection that came upon me today:

The very aim our our lives is to know and love God. In humbling ourselves and experiencing the most radical poverty, we unite ourselves deeper with Our Lord, who became for us all a prison of love. And only through the door of the Cross can we escape our prison of sin and into the loving arms of Our Father, who ransomed us by His own blood.

Many people ask what is love. But I must clarify that love is a person - His name is Jesus Christ.

There comes a time as we journey in life when we realize the utter beauty of our faith. Know that Christ loves you! It was for you that He died. As his hands, which healed so many, and his feet, which walked on water, where pierced with steel, He was thinking and loving you. Only in seeking to become united with Him through faith and the sacraments do we experience an inner love unlike any other. For God is love. Think sit and think about that...God is love.

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St. Jerome Emiliani

Saint Jerome Emiliani, Patron of the Orphans, by Flavia Ghelardi, photo by the Somascan Brothers in Brazil

Optional Memorial (1969 Calendar): February 8
Double (1955 Calendar): July 20

St. Jerome Emiliani was born in Venice in 1486 to Angelo and Eleanor Mauroceni Emiliani. After his father's death, Jerome ran away from his home. He became a soldier in Venice and was captured on August 27, 1511, by Venetian forces. While imprisoned in a dungeon, he prayed to Our Lady for help and was miraculously freed by her apparition. St. Jerome hung his chains on a church wall as an offering. He converted to Christianity after his dissolute youth.

St. Jerome Emiliani lived the rest of his life dedicated to serving the poor, the sick, and abandoned children. In 1518, he was ordained as a priest. In 1532 he founded a congregation (Somaschi) that was dedicated to educating children, especially orphans. St. Jerome Emiliani founded six orphanages, a shelter for penitent prostitutes, and a hospital. He died in 1537 of the plague while serving the afflicted. Later, in 1928 Pope Pius XI named him the universal patron of orphans and abandoned children.

Prayer:

O God, the Father of mercies, grant, that by the merits and intercession of blessed Jerome, whom Thou wast pleased to make a helper and father of orphans, we may faithfully keep the spirit of adoption whereby we are Thy sons both in name and in deed. Through our Lord.

Prayer Source: 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal

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We are all a Thought of God

What really bothers me is hearing people say "Why must I follow Jesus"? But, why wouldn't you. Jesus Christ, our God, created us out of nothing. He gave us the gift of life, and so that we might one day enter His presence in Heaven, Our Savior laid down His life to the last drop of His Blood.

As Our Lord carried His Cross with His body being ripped apart with beatings, He was thinking of you. All the time, as nails were slammed into his skin, He was offering to the Father His own death so that you might be redeemed for your sins. He died so that we might not have to go to eternal death.

With that said, I wanted to share some words by Pope Benedict XVI:

"The purpose of our lives is to reveal God to men. And only when God is seen does life truly begin. Only when we meet the living God in Christ do we know what life is. We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary."

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Seventh Day of the Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

Please join me in prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes for her intercession. Since she appeared in Lourdes many suffers have been healed through her intercession there. Please join me in praying for the sick. I was so pleased when several visitors posted that they will be praying along.

Today is the Seventh day of this Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Please join me in praying this novena even if you have not started yet.

Novena (Feb 2-10):

O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfort to the Afflicted,you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Deign to cast upon me a look of mercy.

By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors; and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal.I come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession.

Obtain, O loving Mother, the granting of my requests.Through gratitude for favors, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues that I may one day share your glory.Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Amen.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.)

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Let It All Be for Jesus

Blessed Mother Teresa - "All glory and honor are His. We must let Jesus use us as He sees fit."

Image Source: Images in the Public Domain. If you are interested in obtaining all of the images of this series in high resolution, please click here to visit my post to obtain them.

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Update on Fr. McKenna's condition

On January 15, 2006, I asked for prayers for Fr. McKenna. Here is an update I got today:

"Thank you sooo much for all your prayers for Reverend Emeritus Father Jim McKenna. He is still taking the chemotherapy and radiation to the brain and he is managing with his condition We get a weekly update and he thanks everyone for their prayers and asks that we continue to pray for him. Don't stop! He needs and deserves all he can get. He has a very strong faith and he is very happy to know that you are all praying for him. I sent him a mass card and let him know that he is being supported by all our prayer warriors around the world through the internet. This pleased him very much. Thanks again for all your time and efforts. Will keep you informed."

Please keep praying

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Blessed Pope Pius IX

Today the Church remembers, the longest reigning pope after St. Peter, Blessed Pope Pius IX. He lived from 1792 to February 7, 1878. Pope Pius IX was born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti as the son of Italian nobles. He was elected Pope on June 16, 1846, and he took the name Pius IX.

Pius IX is best known for declaring the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which is about the sinlessness of Mary. During his life, Pius IX was known for unconditional love for the Church, missionaries, and the priesthood.

His beatification process took many years until the miraculous cure of a French nun was attributed to him. Pope John Paul ll declared him blessed on September 3, 2000. His canonization is still pending.

Image Source: Photo believed to be in the Public Domain

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James 2:14-26

Tell me what is your opinion when you read James 2:14-26. I get the impression that works and faith are both very important. I don't know how someone can read this and say that works are not important to remain in grace.

What shall it profit, my brethren, if a man say he hath faith, but hath not works? Shall faith be able to save him? And if a brother or sister be naked, and want daily food: And one of you say to them: Go in peace, be ye warmed and filled; yet give them not those things that are necessary for the body, what shall it profit? So faith also, if it have not works, is dead in itself. But some man will say: Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without works; and I will shew thee, by works, my faith. Thou believest that there is one God. Thou dost well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, offering up Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou, that faith did co-operate with his works; and by works faith was made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled, saying: Abraham believed God, and it was reputed to him to justice, and he was called the friend of God. Do you see that by works a man is justified; and not by faith only? And in like manner also Rahab the harlot, was not she justified by works, receiving the messengers, and sending them out another way?

For even as the body without the spirit is dead; so also faith without works is dead.

James 2:14-26

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Fr. Andrea's last letter

This is an update to the post about Fr. Andrea, who was recently murdered in Turkey. Zenit recently published the 60-year-old priest's last letter. Read the whole letter at Zenit.

Here is an excerpt:

Jesus said: "I am the light of the world, he who follows me will not walk in darkness." If his light illuminates us, not only will it illuminate every situation, even the most tragic, but in addition we too, as He always said, will be light. The tenuous light of a candle illuminates a house, an extinguished lamp leaves everything in darkness. May he shine in us with his Word, with his spirit, with the sap of his saints. May our life be the wax that is consumed willingly.

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Sixth Day of the Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

Please join me in prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes for her intercession. Since she appeared in Lourdes many suffers have been healed through her intercession there. Please join me in praying for the sick.

Today is the Sixty day of this Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes. Please join me in praying this novena even if you have not started yet. Is anyone praying along with me in this novena?

Novena (Feb 2-10):

O ever Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Mercy, Health of the Sick, Refuge of Sinners, Comfort to the Afflicted,you know my wants, my troubles, my sufferings. Deign to cast upon me a look of mercy.

By appearing in the Grotto of Lourdes, you were pleased to make it a privileged sanctuary, whence you dispense your favors; and already many sufferers have obtained the cure of their infirmities, both spiritual and corporal.I come, therefore, with the most unbounded confidence to implore your maternal intercession.

Obtain, O loving Mother, the granting of my requests.Through gratitude for favors, I will endeavor to imitate your virtues that I may one day share your glory.Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Amen.

(Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.)

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