Archbishop Oscar Romero

"Peace is not the product of terror or fear. Peace is not the silence of cemeteries. Peace is not the silent result of violent repression. Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution of all to the good of all. Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity.It is right and it is duty."

You may know him as Archbishop Oscar Romero, but he was not only a Catholic Archbishop in El Salvador but rather an instrumental person in the peace of the country. And the price for his work in the peace led him to his death in 1980 - he was shot at the Consecration of the Eucharist during Mass.

Right now I'm watching the video, "Romero," a movie on his life and will be posting more in the next few days.

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Poverty

I just watched a video on poverty and felt compelled to spread it to others through this blog. Please watch the video from the USCCB and let me know what you think.

Poverty is a horrible issue. Poverty is classified into specific groups so for more information please see a past post of mine. However, I'd like to share that roughly 21% of the world is in extreme poverty - making less than $1 per day. Imagine how hard life is with $1 per day.

But, we can make a difference. Let's pray for these people. Let's donate money. And, above all, let's care; apathy is the enemy here. The opposite of good is not evil but rather apathy, not caring.

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Pope Benedict XVI

2012 Anno Domini:

• Urbi et Orbi for Easter (April 2012) 
• 85th Birthday (April 2012) 
• Restores Papal Fanon while Canonizing 7 Saints (October 2012)

2011 Anno Domini:

• Mass for the Octave of Christmas (January 2011)
• Celebrates Mass on Feast of Epiphany in Fiddleback (January 2011)

2010 Anno Domini:

• Palm Sunday (March 2010)
• Visit to Shroud of Turin (May 2010) 
• Pope Benedict XVI Adds Tiara Back to Papal Coat of Arms (October 2010)
• Names 24 New Cardinals (October 2010) 
• Consistory for the Creation of Cardinals (November 2010)
• Comments on Condom Usage (November 2010)
• First Vespers of Advent (December 2010) 
• Christmas Homily (December 2010)
• Urbi et Orbi (December 2010)

2009 Anno Domini:

• Wears a fiddleback to the Mass on the Epiphany (January 2009)
• Holy Communion to be Given Only to the Kneeling (April 2009)
• Corpus Christi (June 2009)
• Meets with the President of Malta (June 2009)
• Sacred Heart Feastday (June 2009)
• Mass before the Relics of St. Padre Pio (June 2009)
• Vespers for Sts. Peter and Paul (June 2009)
• Presentation of the Pallium to 34 new Archbishops (June 2009)
• Vespers in the Restored Pauline Chapel (July 2009)
• Meets President Obama and the First Lady (July 2009)
• Priests are to be Witnesses of Love (August 2009)
• First Vespers of Advent (December 2009)

2008 Anno Domini:

• Baptism of the Lord Ad Orientem in the Sistine Chapel (Jan 2008)
• Homily on 20th Century Martyrs (April 2008)
• Mass on 3rd Anniversary of John Paul ll's Death (April 2008)
• Wears Pascal Mozzetta (April 2008)
• 50th Anniversary of Pope Pius XII's Death (October 2008)
• First Vespers of Advent (December 2008)

2007 Anno Domini:

• 3,000,000 visit him in 2007
• Urges Eucharistic Adoration (June 2007)
• Recognizes Franz Jaegerstaetter as a Martyr (June 2007)
• Pope Benedict XVI canonizes four saints (June 2007)
• 21 men ordained in the Legionaries of Christ (April 2007)
• Prays before the remains of St. Augustine (April 2007)
• Benedict XVI writes on evolution (April 2007)
• Easter Urbi et Orbi Address (April 2007)
• Holy Week (April 2007)
• Mass for Palm Sunday (April 2007)
• "Hell Exists" (Mar 2007)
• Benedict XVI Extols Sacrament of Penance (Feb 2007)
• Mass for World Day of the Sick (Feb 2007)
• Address for World Youth Day 2007 (Feb 2007)
• Pope Benedict XVI: Tighten up Annulment Criteria (Jan 2007)

2006 Anno Domini:

• He gives his Urbi et Orbi Address (Dec 2006)
• Celebrates Midnight Mass (Dec 2006)
• He reminds us that the Nativity of Jesus is real (Dec 2006)
• He visits the Muslim country of Turkey (Nov - Dec 2006)
• Pope Benedict XVI speaks on Cloistered Monasteries (Nov 2006)
• He reminds the Faithful that mortal sin leads to damnation (Nov 2006)
• All Saints and All Souls Day (Nov 2006)
• Pope Benedict XVI visits Pontifical Lateran University (Oct 2006)
• Prayers needed for the Holy Father (Sept 2006)
• Support for the Holy Father (Sept 2006)
• Starts 6-day trip to Bavaria Germany (Sept 2006)
• Pope Benedict XVI's message to Canadian Bishops (Sept 2006)
• He visits "Veronica's veil" in Italy (Sept 2006)
• Vatican abolishes Christmas concert (Aug 2006)
• Pope Benedict XVI's Assumption Homily (Aug 2006)
• Pope Benedict XVI is interviewed (Aug 2006)
• He visits a Marian Church and prays for peace (Aug 2006)
• He visits a Swiss monastery and a kennel for St. Bernards (Aug 2006)
• He takes a vacation at the papal summer residence (See Photos)
• The Holy Father goes on a 26 hr. trip to Valencia, Spain (July 2006)
• He meets with President Arroyo of the Philippines (June 2006)
• Corpus Christi (June 2006)
• Pope Benedict XVI: "Priest to be an expert at the spiritual life" (June 2006)
• The Holy Father celebrates Pentecost (June 2006)
• He ends May, the month of Mary, with a blessing (May 2006)
• Pope Benedict XVI visits Poland
• He meets with Hugo Chavez (May 2006)
• He ordains 15 on World Day of Prayer for Vocations (May 2006)
• 43rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations (May 2006)
• Children are neglected in a loveless society (Apr 2006)
• He calls for beatification standards to be raised (Apr 2006)
• One Year with Benedict XVI (Apr 2006)
• His 79th Birthday and Easter Sunday (Apr 2006)
• Good Friday (Apr 2006)
• Continues to stand for pro-life values (Apr 2006)
• Calls for fasting for Iraq (Apr 2006)
• Pope Benedict XVI installs the new Cardinals (Mar 2006)
• The Church and Christ are inseparable (Mar 2006)
• Our Journey in the Shadows (Mar 2006)
• Papal title "Patriarch of the West" dropped (Mar 2006)
• Ash Wednesday 2006 Audience Speech (Mar 2006)
• He elevates the first cardinals in his pontificate (Feb 2006)
• He celebrates the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (Jan 2006)

2005 Anno Domini:

• Why do the popes have a theological advisor?
• He says "God loves every embryo" (Dec 2005)
• Christmas Day Address (Dec 2005)
• Christmas 2005, Midnight Mass with Pope Benedict XVI (Dec 2005)
• Pope Benedict opens 43 for Beatification (Dec 2005)
• His words on the Silence of St. Joseph (Dec 2005)
• "Jesus is your true friend" (Oct 2005)
• His First Synod as Pope, the Synod on the Eucharist ends (Oct 2005)
• He visits a children's hospital in Rome
• The faith in two words: Jesus and love (Sept 26, 2005)

Papal Trips:

• Poland - May 26-28, 2006
• Valencia, Spain - July 8-9, 2006
• Bavaria, Germany - September 9-14, 2006
• Turkey - November 28 - December 1, 2006
• Brazil - May 9-14, 2007
• United States of America/UN - April 15-21, 2008
• France - September 12-15, 2008
• Holy Land - May 8-15, 2009
• Portugal - May 11-14, 2010
• United Kingdom - September 16 - 19, 2010

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Take Action: Catholic Action

Take a stand for the Faith! Be a solder for Christ! Click here to see the action items that you can take as a Catholic.

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Book Reviews

'"A willow tree,' says Pope St. Gregory the Great, 'bears no fruit, but by supporting as it does the vine together with its grapes, it makes these its own by supporting what is not its own.' In like manner, he who warmly recommends a book calculated to do much good makes his own all the good that is done by the book" (Father Michael Mueller in The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass)

My Reviews:

• Dominus Est - It is the Lord by Bishop Athanasius Schneider
• Memory and Identity by Pope John Paul II
• Rise, let us be on our way by Pope John Paul II
• The Lessons of St. Francis by John Michael Talbot
• Novena, a book filled with novenas
• Crossing: Reclaiming the landscape of our life by Mark Barrett, OSB
• The Spiritual Vision of Pope Benedict XVI: Let God's Light Shine Forth edited by Robert Moynihan
• Parish Priest: Father Michael McGivney and American Catholicism by Douglas Brinkley and Julie Fenster.
• Mother Angelica by Raymond Arroyo
• Saints Behaving Badly by Thomas J. Craughwell
• Ordinary Work, Extraordinary Grace: My Spiritual Journey in Opus Dei by Scott Hahn
• The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Blessed Anne Catherine Emmerich
• Ten Prayers God Always Says Yes To by Anthony DeStefano
• Greater Than You Think by Fr. Thomas D. Williams
• God is My Coach by Larry Julian
• Aristotle's Children by Richard E. Rubenstein
• Moral Theology By Rev. Heribert Jone
• Why God Matters: How to Recognize Him in Daily Life by Karina Lumbert Fabian and her father, Deacon Steven Lumbert
• Past Suspicion by Therese Heckenkamp
• Union of God: Letters of Spiritual Direction by Blessed Columba Marmion
• After Virtue by Alasdair MacIntyre 
• A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father by Mark Shriver
• The Celebration of the Mass: A Study of the Rubrics of the Roman Missal by John O'Connell 
• The Eucharistic Storms: Communion in the hand and the marginalizing of the Real Presence by Barry Forbes
• Sacred Fire: Practicing Devotion to the Heart of Jesus by Philip Bulman
• Our Lady, Undoer of Knots by Marge Fenelon
• Saint Junipero Serra's Camino by Stephen Binz
• Saint Catherine of Siena by Alice Curtayne
• Garcia Moreno by Fr. Berthe
• Saint John of the Cross by Father Paschasius Heriz
• The Courageous Shall Conquer by Henry Brenner OSB
• (3) Volume Roman Breviary by Baronius Press
• Oremus: A Treasury of Latin Prayers
• Only Through These Hands by Bishop Theas of Lourdes
• Secrets of the Sacred Heart by Emily Laminet
• The Spirit of St. Dominic by Fr. Humbert Clerissac

Books contrary to the Holy Faith:

• Conversations with God by Neale D. Walsch
• The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
• The Jesus Dynasty by James Tabor

Let me know if these book reviews help you out. I've done book reviews for readers before. If you are a convert and seeking book recommendations, see this post.

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Saints

General Info:

• What is a Catholic Saint and how does one become one?
• Saint's Feast Days
• Doctors of the Church
• The Miracles of St. Padre Pio
• Why do Catholics value martyrdom and martyrs?

Recommended Meditation on the Catholic Liturgical Year:

• The Liturgical Year (15 Volume Set) by Father Dom Gueranger
• Divine Intimacy by Fr. Gabriel of Saint Mary Magdalen
• The Church's Year by Fr. Leonard Goffine

Those in the Process for Beatification:

• 36 North Korean Martyrs
• Franz Jaegerstaetter
• Venerable Margaret Sinclair
• Pope Pius XII
• Archbishop Fulton Sheen
• Pope John Paul I
• Venerable Catherine McAuley

Questions:

• Why pray to saints?
• Are saints even alive?

Blesseds (Not a complete list):

• Blessed Father Augustine Thevarparampil 
• Blessed Cardinal Clemens August von Galen
• Blessed Father Eustaquio van Lieshout
• Blessed Martyrs of Nowogrodek
• Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati
• Blessed Sara Salkahazi
• Blessed Father Mosè Tovini
• Blessed John of Vercelli 
• Blessed Humbert of Romans 
• Blessed Jordan of Saxony 

Saints (Not a complete list):

• St. Agatha (? - 251)
• St. Agnes (241? - 254?)
• St. Albert the Great (1206 - 1280)
• Pope St. Alexander I (? - 119)
• St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568 - 1591)
• St. Alphonsus Liguori (1696 - 1787)
• St. Ambrose (340 - 397)
• Pope St. Anacletus (? - 92)
• St. Andrew (? - 60)
• St. Andrew Avellino (1520 - 1608)
• Pope St. Anicetus (? - 167)
• St. Ansgar (801 - 865)
• St. Angela Merici (1474 - 1544)
• St. Anne (? - ?)
• St. Anselm of Canterbury (1033 - 1109)
• St. Anthony of Egypt (251 - 356)
• St. Anthony of Padua (1195 - 1231)
• St. Anthony Zaccaria (1502 - 1539)
• St. Apollonius the Apologetic (? - c. 186)
• St. Athanasius (295 - 373)
• St. Augustine of Canterbury (? - 605)
• St. Barnabas (? - 61)
• St. Bartholomew (? - ?)
• St. Basil the Great (330 - 379)
• St. Bede the Venerable (672  - 735)
• St. Benedict (480 - 547)
• St. Benedict Joseph Labre (1748 - 1783)
• St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 - 1153)
• St. Bernardine of Siena (1380 - 1444)
• St. Blase (? - 361)
• St. Boniface (c. 673 - 754)
• St. Bridget of Sweden (1303 - 1373)
• St. Brigid of Ireland (453 - 523)
• St. Bruno (1030 - 1101)
• St. Cajetan (1480 - 1547)
• St. Camillus of Lellis (1550 - 1614)
• St. Casimir of Poland (1458 - 1483)
• St. Catherine of Genoa (1447-1510)
• St. Catherine of Siena (1347-80)
• St. Cecilia (? - 176)
• St. Charles of St. Andrew (1821 - 1893)
• St. Charles Borromeo (1538 - 1584)
• St. Charles Lwanga (1865 - 1886)
• St. Clare (1194 - 1253)
• Ss Cosmas and Damian (c. 3rd Century - 287)
• St. Cyril of Alexandria (c. 376 - c. 444)
• Ss. Cyril & Methodius (826/827 - 869)
• Pope St. Clement I (? - 99)
• St. Damascus (306 - 384)
• St. Denis (? - 258)
• St. Dominic de Guzman (1175 - 1221)
• St. Dominic Savio (1842-1857)
• St. Dominic of Silos (1000 - 1073)
• St. Edward the Confessor (1003 - 1066)
• St. Eleuterus (? - 189)
• St. Elizabeth of Hungary (1207 - 1231)
• St. Eusebius of Vercelli (283 - 371)
• Pope St. Evaristus (? - 102)
• Pope St. Fabian (236 - 250)
• St. Felix of Valois (1127 - 1212)
• St. Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577 - 1622)
• St. Filippo Smaldone (1848 - 1923)
• St. Frances Cabrini (1850 - 1917)
• Forty Holy Martyrs of Sebaste  (? - 320)
• St. Frances of Rome (1384 - 1440)
• St. Francis Borgia (1510 - 1572)
• St. Francis Caracciolo (1563 - 1608)
• St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622)
• St. Francis Xavier (1506 - 1552)
• St. Francis of Assisi (1181 - 1226)
• St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows (1838-1862)
• St. Gemma Galgani (1878 – 1903)
• St. George (? - 303)
• St. George Preca (1880 - 1962)
• St. Gertrude the Great (1256 - 1302)
• St. Giles (? - c. 710)
• St. Gorgonius (? - 304)
• St. Gregory VII (1020 - 1085)
• St. Gregory the Illuminator (257 - 331)
• St. Gregory the Wonder-Worker (213 - 270)
• St. Helena (c. 246 - 330)
• St. Henry II (972 - 1024)
• St. Hilary of Poitiers (315 - 368)
• St. Hilarion (297 - 391)
• Holy Maccabees 
• St. Hyacintha of Mariscotti (1585 - 1640)
• Pope St. Hyginus (? - 140)
• St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. 50 - c 107)
• St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491 - 1556)
• St. Irenaeus of Lyons (c. 130 - 202)
• St. Isidore of Seville (c. 560 - 636)
• St. James the Greater (? - c. 44)
• St. James the Lesser (? - c. 62)
• St. Jane Frances de Chantal (1572 - 1641)
• St. Januarius (? - c 305)
• St. Joan Antidea Thouret (1765 - 1828)
• St. Jerome (347 - 419)
• St. Jerome Emiliani (1486 - 1537)
• St. Joachim (? - ?)
• St. John Baptist de la Salle (1651 - 1719)
• St. John Bosco (1815 - 1888)
• St. John Chrysostom (c. 347 - 407)
• St. John Eudes (1601 - 1680)
• St. John Gualbert (985 - 1073)
• St. John Nepomucene Neumann (1811-1860)
• St. John Vianney (1786 - 1859)
• St. John of God (1495 - 1550)
• St. John of Kanty (1390 - 1473)
• St. John of San Facundo (1419 - 1479)
• St. John of the Cross (1542 - 1591)
• St. John the Apostle (? - c. 101)
• St. Joseph, husband of Mary
• St. Joseph Calasanctius (1556-1648)
• St. Joseph of Leonissa (1556 - 1612)
• St. Juan Diego (1474 - 1548)
• St. Jude Thaddeus (? - ?)
• St. Juliana Falconieri (1270 - 1341)
• St. Junípero Serra (1713 - 1784)
• St. Justin (c. 100 - 165)
• St. Lawrence (? - 258)
• St. Lawrence Justinian (1381 - 1456)
• St. Leo the Great (400 - 461)
• St. Louis IX (1214 - 1270)
• Pope St. Linus (? - 79)
• St. Lucy (283 - 304)
• St. Luke (? - c. 74)
• Pope St. Marcellus I (255 - 309)
• St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647 - 1690)
• St. Margaret, Queen of Scotland (1045 - 1093)
• St. Margaret of Cortona (1247 - 1297)
• St. Marguerite Bourgeois (1620 - 1700)
• St. Maria Goretti (1890 - 1902)
• St. Marie Eugenie of Jesus (1817 - 1898)
• St. Mark the Evangelist (? - 68)
• St. Martha (? - c. 80)
• St. Martina (? - 228)
• Pope St. Martin I (? - 655)
• St. Martin de Porres (1579 - 1639)
• St. Martin of Tours (315 - c. 400)
• St. Mary Magdalene (? - ?)
• St. Mary Magdalene de Pazzi (1566 - 1607)
• St. Matthias (? - c. 80)
• St. Maximilian (274 - 295)
• St. Maximilian Kolbe (1894 - 1941)
• St. Nicholas of Myra (? - 346)
• St. Nicholas of Tolentino (1246 - 1306)
• St. Norbert (1080 - 1134)
• St. Paschal Baylon (1540 - 1592)
• St. Patrick (c. 385-461)
• St. Paul Miki (1562-1597)
• St. Paul of the Cross (1694 - 1775)
• St. Paul the First Hermit (c. 228 - c. 343)
• St. Paulinus of Nola (354 - 431)
• St. Perpetua and Felicilty (? - 165)
• St. Peter Canisius (1521 - 1597)
• St. Peter Celestine (St. Celestine V) (1215 - 1296)
• St. Peter Claver (1580 - 1654)
• St. Peter Chrysologus (406 - 450)
• St. Peter Damian (1007-1072)
• St. Peter of Verona (1206 - 1252)
• St. Padre Pio (1887 - 1968)
• St. Philip Benizi (1233 - 1285)
• St. Philomena (c. 291 - c. 304)
• Pope St. Pius I (? - 154)
• Pope St. Pius V (1504 - 1572)
• Pope St. Pius X (1835 - 1914)
• St. Philip the apostle (? - c. 80)
• St. Placid (515 - 541)
• St. Polycarp (69 - 155)
• St. Rafael Guizar Valencia (1878 - 1938)
• St. Raymond Nonnatus (1204 - 1240)
• St. Raymond of Peñafort (c. 1180 - 1275)
• St. Rita of Cascia (1386 - 1457)
• St. Remigius (437 - 533)
• St. Robert Bellarmine (1542 - 1621)
• St. Romuald (c. 951 - 1027)
• St. Rosa Venerini (1656 - 1729)
• St. Rose of Lima (1586 - 1617)
• St. Sabbas (439 - 532)
• St. Sebastian (c. 257 - c. 288)
• St. Scholastica (480 - 543)
• Seven Founders of the Orders of Servites
• Seven Holy Brothers
• Pope St. Silverius (? - 537)
• St. Simon of Lipnica (c. 1435 - c. 1482)
• St. Simon the Apostle (? - ?)
• Pope St. Sixtus I (? - 127
• Pope St. Sixtus II (? - 258)
• Pope St. Soter (? - 170)
• St. Sylvester (1177 - 1267)
• Pope St. Sylvester I (? - 335)
• St. Stanislaus Kostka (1550 - 1567)
• St. Stephen of Hungary (975 - 1038)
• St. Stephen of Mar Saba (? - 794)
• St. Stephen the First Martyr (? - c. 33)
• Pope St. Telesphorus (? - 137)
• St. Teresa of Avila (1515 - 1582)
• St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873 - 1897)
• St. Theodore Guerin (1798 - 1856)
• St. Thomas the Apostle (? - c. 72)
• St. Thomas Aquinas (1225 - 1274)
• St. Thomas Becket (1118 - 1170)
• St. Thomas More (1478 - 1535)
• St. Thomas of Villanova (1488 - 1555)
• St. Timothy (c. 3 - c. 97)
• St. Titus (? - c. 96)
• St. Ubaldus (1084 - 1160)
• St. Valentine of Rome (? - 269)
• St. Victor I (? - 199)
• St. Vincent Ferrer (1350 - 1419)
• St. Vincent of Saragossa (? - 304)
• St. Wenceslaus (907 - 935)
• St. Zephyrinus (? - 217)

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Prayer

Information:

Prayer
Five Types of Prayer
Conditions for Prayer

Divine Office:

Divinum Officium
Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Various Prayers:

Anima Christi
Morning Offering
St. Michael the Archangel Prayer
A Prayer of Praise
3 o'clock Mercy Prayer
Angelus
Regina Coeli
A prayer for reparation for those that don't love Jesus
A prayer to venerate any saint
Prayer before & after Mass
Prayer for Students by St. Thomas
Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
Prayer to Our Lord Jesus, Crucified
A Prayer before Praying
Prayer before a crucifix
Prayer to the Holy Cross
Prayers for Lent
Prayer for Accepting God's Will
Prayer for the Cronically Ill
Evening Prayer by St. Alphonsus Liguori
The Praises of God Most High by St. Francis of Assisi
Prayer to Jesus in the Holy Sacrament of the Altar
Prayer for Peace
Prayer to live a life of prayer
Holy Trinity Prayer
Prayer to the Glorious Cross
Prayer for those that hurt us
Prayers for the deceased
A Prayer for Priests
Prayer for the Poor by Blessed Mother Teresa
Daily Offering to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for the dying
Prayer of the Chalice
The 15 prayers of St. Bridget to honor Our Lord's passion
Prayer to Jesus in the Tabernacle
Prayer for a deceased priest
Prayer to follow the Good Shepherd
Prayer for Faith in the Risen Lord
Prayer to Jesus Crucified
Prayer before examinations
Prayer for the sick
Prayer for the Forgotten Soul
The Angel's Prayer at Fatima
A Prayer for November
Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
Prayers in Times of Inclement Weather 
Litany of the Saints in Latin (chanted) 
Prayer Against Blasphemy by Pope Pius XII 
Morning Offering for all who have left the Church 
Prayer for the Conversion of American Protestants
Prayer for the Conversion of the Jews
Prayer for the Conversion of the Anglicans
Prayers for the Salvation of All Men
Servite Rosary Chaplet
Act of Reparation for Blasphemies Uttered Against the Holy Name of Jesus

Marian Prayers:

Prayer for Mary's Intercession by St. Francis
A Prayer to Jesus and Mary for the Holy Souls in purgatory
An Eternal Alliance with Mary
The Rosary
Dedication of oneself to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Prayer of Devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal
A Prayer for the Month of May
Litany to the Immaculate Heart of Mary 
Prayer to Mary, our Queen 
Prayer of Reparation for Insults to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary
Consecration to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

Novenas:

Novena to the Holy Family
Novena to the Magi
Novena for Christian Unity
Novena for the Assumption of Mary

Novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
Novena to Our Lady of Sorrows
Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes
St. Andrew's Christmas Novena
Novena to St. John Bosco
Novena to Our Lady of Fatima
Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Election Day Novena
Novena to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
Novena for the Holy Souls
Novena to St. Anthony
Novena to the Holy Ghost (Pentecost Novena)
Novena to the Holy Ghost (Booklet)
Novena to the Infant of Prague
Novena to St. Patrick
Novena for the Annunciation
Novena to the Holy Face

Dealing with Saints/Sainthood:

Prayer to St. John Bosco
Blessing of Throats (St. Blase)
Unfailing prayer to St. Anthony of Padua
Prayer for the intercession of St. Padre Pio
Prayer to St. Monica
Prayer to St. Joseph 
Prayer to St. Vincent de Paul
(For more see the Feastdays Listing)

Dealing with Special Days or Circumstances:

Prayer for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord
All Saints Day Prayer
Christmas & Advent Prayers
Prayer for Lent
Ash Wednesday Prayer
Good Friday Prayer
Stational Churches of Lent
Ascension Thursday Prayer
Prayers for Pentecost
Labor Day Prayers
St. Joseph Feastday Prayers
Prayer for the Election of a Holy Pope
Candlemas Prayers

Act of Dedication of the Human Race to Christ the King

For the Holy Souls in Purgatory:

Prayer of Supplication to the Poor Souls in Purgatory
Prayer for the Souls in Purgatory
The Our Father for the Souls in Purgatory
A Prayer to Jesus and Mary for the Holy Souls in purgatory
An Offering of the Precious Blood for Souls
Prayer for the Holy Souls
Three Prayers for the Holy Souls
Prayer to the Holy Souls
Another Prayer for the Holy Souls
The Rosary for the Poor Souls in Purgatory
Novena for the Holy Souls

Office of the Dead

Acts of Consecration:

To the Sacred Heart
To the Sacred Heart (as written by Pope Leo XIII)
To the Immaculate Heart of Mary
To St. Joseph

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Mary, the Mother of God

In the Catholic faith, we honor Mary as the Mother of God. We do not worship her, but we pray that through her intercession we may become closer to her Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ. This goes back to the Communion of the Saints. Above all, we know that Mary is not just the Mother of God but also our mother as well because Jesus gave her to us:

"When Jesus, therefore, saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" And from that hour the disciple took her into his own household" (John 19:26-27)

St. Albert the Great wrote: "Immediately next to being God is being the Mother of God." She held a unique role in salvation's history. Jesus Christ redeemed us, but Mary remains the Mother of Jesus and our spiritual mother. She is not equal to God but rather the most glorious person created by God because of her humility, trust in God, and above all, her Immaculate Conception.

Canon Francis Ripley writes in This is the Faith: "Because of the inexpressible dignity that is hers, the Catholic Church has from the beginning given Mary the highest form of honor below that reserved for God alone. The Church's practice has always reflected her belief that, provided Mary is not adored (which is the unique honor given to God alone), she cannot be honored to excess."

Various articles of mine on Mary:

• Mother of God (Examination of Doctrine)
• Co-Redemptrix
• The Ark of the New Covenant
• May - The month of Mary
• Presentation of Mary
• The Immaculate Conception
• The Queenship of Mary
• The Assumption of Mary
• Our Lady of Fatima
• Our Lady of Perpetual Help
• Our Lady of Lourdes
• Our Lady of Mount Carmel
• Our Lady of Sorrows
• Our Lady of Guadalupe
• Our Lady of La Salette

There are five traditional Catholic beliefs about Mary:

1. That she is the Mother of God;
2. That she was Ever-Virgin;
3. That she was immaculately conceived (remained sinless too);
4. That she was assumed into Heaven and crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth;
5. That she is Mediatrix of all Graces, Co-Redemptrix and Advocate for the People of God.

Numbers 1-4 inclusive have all been defined as infallible and must be believed. Number 5 has not been made a dogma of the faith. It is not a required belief of the Church.

Marian Prayers:

1. Prayer for Mary's Intercession by St. Francis
2. A Prayer to Jesus and Mary for the Holy Souls in purgatory
3. An Eternal Alliance with Mary
4. Dedication of oneself to the Blessed Virgin Mary
5. Prayer of Devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

"The Virgin Mother has no greater wish than to see her divine Son obeyed, loved, glorified, and exalted" (Blessed Columba Marmion)

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Some Apologetic Posts

Apologetics is the defense of the Catholic faith. Here is a list of some of my posts. If you are non-Catholic and would like more information than posted on this website, much more information on the basics of Catholicism can be found at Fish Eaters.

And for great Catholic book recommendations - including a list of sites with free Traditional Catholic Books - please visit my page: Catholic Book Recommendations

Various:

• Holy Trinity
• The Holy Mass
• Eucharistic Adoration
• Purgatory
• Indulgences
• Papal Infallibility
• Rites of the Catholic Church
• Excommunication
• Brown Scapular
• Rosary
• Example of the Martyrs
• Faith-Alone (Sola Fide)
• Scripture-Alone (Sola-Scriptura)
• Can God co-exist with evil?
• Can women be ordained to the priesthood?
• The Primacy of Saint Peter
• The evil of artificial Contraception
• A Crucifix as opposed to an empty cross
• Why use the title "Holy Father"?
• Are saints alive?
• Errors of Martin Luther?
• The Errors of Protestantism
• Are Catholics "born again"?
• Call no man "Father"?
• How the Church Leads us to God
• Will all Catholics be saved?
• Persecuting the Church is persecuting Jesus
• Can non-Catholics be saved?
• Why Organized Religion?
• Is inappropriate language sinful?
• Why do Catholics light prayer candles?
• How do Catholics view the theory of evolution?
• Fasting and Abstinence Rules
• Statues and Graven Images
• The Errors of So-Called Protestant "Reformers"

Liturgical Issues:

• When should a person bow or genuflect?
• Communion in the Hand, Extraordinary Ministers, Altar Rails
• Avoid the Neocatechumenal Way
• Should holy water be removed during Lent?
• What reverence is shown to the Gospel?
• What are the minor orders?
• Can priests still wear cassocks?
• Should applause take place during Mass?

Responding to Modern Concerns:

• The Catholic Church & Galileo
• The Catholic Church & Slavery
• The Church & the Holocaust
• The Church & the Nazis
• Membership in the Masons
• Nuns should wear the habit
• Women and veils
• Centering Prayer
• Religious Unity/Ecumenism
• Mormons: Sheep Not of this Fold
• Annulments & Divorce

Recommended Catholic Books:

• See the list of recommended books on Apologetics

The Sacraments:

• Baptism
• Confession
• Eucharist
• Extreme Unction

The Blessed Virgin Mary:

• Main Topic: Blessed Virgin Mary

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My Catholic.com

I just found a new and, I'd say, brilliant website called My Catholic.com, which is a customizable Catholic homepage. You can upload blogs to it and read not only news but Mass readings, some saintly writings, see the weather, and many other great features. Please check it out and tell me what you think of it.

And, if you'd like to upload my blog's content by clicking on the "content" tab then just enter my site's feed url into the space that asks for it. Here's my blog's url feed:

http://acatholiclife.blogspot.com/atom.xml

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