In November, We Honor our Beloved Dead

The Church Militant, The Church Suffering, The Church Triumphant

    These terms are the terms I learned when growing up and learning about our Catholic Faith.  Although not used in the modern Catechism, they are referred to by their meanings, not the terms.
    The Church Militant is we who are alive and battling the battle, fighting the fight against sin each day.  We are the part of the Church who can still intercede for those who have died and speed their entry into heaven.
    The Church Suffering refers to those souls who have been saved but are suffering in Purgatory, waiting to be cleansed, longing for the day they can be united with God.
    The Church Triumphant are those souls who have been purified and live in heaven praising God and interceding for those of us on earth and in Purgatory.

    We are all united as a part of the Church, the Catholic Church, founded by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. 

    Two days of the year are devoted prayer and thanksgiving for those souls who are saints.  We celebrate the lives of the known saints who were canonized by the church and bear the title Saint before their names.  We also celebrate the unknown saints who are in heaven.  When we enter heaven, we will also be saints!  Most of us will be unknown saints.  Will that matter?  No, we will be in the presence of God!  What a joy to anticipate!  November 1 is All Saints Day, and it is a holy day of obligation for us.   Since the souls who have passed into heaven no longer need our prayers, we praise God for the gift of these souls who can now and do intercede for us.  We praise God for the chance to join these souls one day and breathe in the presence of The Lord!

    November 2, is All Souls' Day.  This is the day we remember the suffering souls in Purgatory.  The souls in purgatory can no longer help themselves, so we must pray for all the souls  that their release from Purgatory will be fast and they will enter into the presence of God for which they long!  How great is their longing for God!  When we pray for these souls, we  pray for those who will be intercessors for us in heaven, and they will greet us when we enter the Kingdom of God!   Offer masses for these souls.  Pray for these souls.  Have masses said for your beloved dead.  Have masses said for those who are not your beloved dead.  Your love will reciprocated not only by the souls whom you help, but by our Loving, Generous God!  He will not be out done in love, generosity, and graces! 

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home, and within my family.   Amen.

Our Lord, Jesus Christ, told St Gertrude the Great, that this prayer will release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is prayed.  Make a novena of this prayer, and you will help to release 9,000 souls in one day!  

Honor your dead!  Love your dead!  Pray for our dead!  Our church gives us a chance to honor and  remember our dead through the month of November!  Let us use this chance to draw closer to God and to the souls who have gone before us into eternal life! 

All Praise and Honor be to the Precious Blood of Jesus, for it wrought our salvation and our redemption. Amen

Living the Gospels

 I recently heard this story.

Joe has a friend named Mark.  Mark was recently diagnosed with throat cancer. Joe held a fundraiser at the tavern he owns to help out with some costs that Mark is facing as he battles cancer. Nick, a friend of Joe's, attended the fund raiser.  Nick was wearing  a Blackhawk's shirt that says "Hockey Fights Cancer". Joe saw the shirt and pointed it out to Mark and his parents.  As the evening came closer to the end, Nick pulled Joe aside and asked if Mark was a Blackhawk's fan. Joe replied that  Mark was a huge Blackhawk's fan. Nick asked  Joe to grab one  of the shirts from behind the bar for him.  Joe did.  Nick took the shirt off his back and gave it to Mark.  Mark loved the shirt! 

This story makes me proud. Nick is my son! 

Luke 10: 29-37

But because he wanted to justify himself, he (the scholar) said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  Jesus replied, "A man fell victim to robbers as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.  They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half dead.  A priest happened to be going down that road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.  Likewise, a Levite came to the place, and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.  But a Samaritan traveler who came upon him was moved with compassion at the sight.  He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.  Then he lifted him up on his own animal, took him to an inn and cared for him.  The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction, "Take care of him.  If you spend more than what I have given you, I shall repay you on my way back.  Which of these three, in your opinion, was neighbor to the robbers' victim?  He (the scholar) answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."  Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise.”

#living the gospels

Sometimes God Needs to Remind You...

My ankle seems to be healing, but I can't fit into my shoes.  Wearing slippers is my new norm since the fall down the stairs.  I'd rather be wearing my shoes, but even loose sandals are  impossible because of the swelling in my foot.  I have been embarrassed wearing my slippers, especially when attending Mass.  

This morning, as I hobbled into church before morning Mass, I met a friend who saw me limping, and, of course, wearing my slippers.  She asked me what happened.  I told her the story, with a touch of whining, looking for a bit of sympathy.  At the end of the story I added, "and I've had to wear my slippers to church twice." 

Julia looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Well, praise God.  At least you're here."  She smiled and went on her way.  "Praise God."  Oh, my, a moment of humility enveloped me.  "At least, you're here."  Yes, I was at Mass.  I was able to drive.  I was able to get to church without help.  I didn't break a hip or any other bone.  Yes, "Praise God."  I entered Church ready for Mass.

Later in the morning, I went to our local Post Office.  Laurie was there manning her desk.  She saw me limp in wearing my slippers.  Laurie asked me what happened.  I told the story again adding, "and I've had to wear my slippers to church, twice now." 

Laurie looked me square in the eye and said, "At least, you were able to go to church."  Oh, my!  God, being God,  reminded me again.  "Be grateful.  It could have been much worse."  I smiled and left again enveloped in His gift of humility.   Sometimes God reminds me  of what I should already know.

Thank You, Lord Jesus.  Thank You for reminding me of Your Unending Love.  Thank you for giving me these moments of humility.  I was not grateful, but now, I am.  I do praise You!  I thank You!  My Lord, My God, My All!

Do You Have What it Takes to Trust in God?

     Every soul’s journey in life is unique.  Many paths lead a soul to God.  Many paths lead a soul away from God.  We make choices about the paths we follow.  God has given us this amazing gift of free will!  Our choices often distort our thought processes so that we drift away from God.  We feel that we no longer trust God, or, perhaps feel, that we never did trust God.  We feel that we have been abandoned by God. We are not close to God.  Then, one day, grace comes to you, and you begin to hunger for God.  You want to believe, in God.  Yet, when you have not developed trust in God or your trust has been destroyed.  The question is then: how do you learn to trust God? 

Learning to trust God is a decision.  If you have ever heard the expression, “Fake it ‘till you make it,” make the decision that you will trust God.  When there is a desire to trust God, make the decision to trust God, in time and with prayer, trust will develop.

Remember, trust is a gift from God.  Pray for the gift of trust.  Remember that God has a plan for each soul.  Your journey is different from any other soul you meet.  Remember this, and do not compare yourself to any one else.  Ask God for the gift of trust in His Almighty Will. Tell God you love Him, then step aside and let God be God.  You will begin to feel God’s Loving Hand in your life, and you will begin to trust.

When there are setbacks, and you feel, again, that God has abandoned you, stop fear in its path.  Whisper a prayer of trust to Jesus.  “Jesus, I trust in You.”  Ask, again, for the gift of trust.   Pull yourself off the broken path, ask for the intercession of the Mother of God, and pray until your fear is relieved.  Pray.  Pray.  Pray.
    
    Mother Theresa used to say in her darkest times, “Jesus, I trust in Your tender love for me.”
       
    Saint Faustina prayed as Jesus taught her, “Oh, Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You.”

When you need reinforcement, read Sacred Scripture.  The psalms are a magnificent source of prayers of trust in God.

Psalm 27:
The Lord is My Light and my salvation,
whom do I fear?
The Lord is my life’s refuge;
of whom am I afraid?

Psalm 23: 4
Even though I walk through a dark valley,
I fear no harm, for You are at my side,
Your rod and staff give me courage.

The facts are these:
God loves you.
God has a plan for you.
God wants you to be with Him in heaven.
If you ask God for the graces that will bring you closer to Him, God will grant you those graces.  “Ask and you shall receive.” Mathew 7:7
God loves you.

Sunday Snippets - A Catholic Carnival

 Thank you, RAnn, from "This That and the Other Thing," for inviting me to join your Catholic Carnival.  RAnn has brought together a group of Catholic Bloggers to join together and discuss what they posted this week. 

RAnn also asks a question.  This week, the question was:  Who is your favorite saint?  For me, one of my 10,000 favorite saints is:  Theresa of Avila.  She knew how to get things done!

This week I discussed a variety of topics, including the meaning of the word Amen.  One commonality I find in my posts is prayer.  The Holy Spirit brings prayer into almost every post.  My favorite post this week was my post titled:  Saving Souls.

As members of the Church Militant, we are not only called to pray for the salvation of souls, we are required to pray for souls.  "Saving Souls," teaches us how, through prayer, we can help to save souls. 

All Creatures of Our God and King!

Our Lady Loves Us! Message from Our Lady of October 25, 2013

This message was a recent message from Our Lady of Medjugorje to the visionaries there.

These messages and apparitions are currently not approved by the Catholic Church,

although it is hoped that this approval will be forthcoming soon.