God Appears When You Least Expect It

If you're following me on Twitter, you might've seen a tweet (yesterday) about my "road trip" with Verbum Veritatis blogger, Joe. If you were still on Twitter about an hour or two later you might've seen me "checking in" (via foursquare) to a church in Los Angeles. What you might have not known is that we had absolutely no intention of going to a church but we still ended up there... and that it seemed to be a sign from God that He was listening to our conversation.

If you've read this blog for, at least, a year now you've probably seen me mention Joe occasionally. He's a fellow L.A. Catholic blogger (though his location will soon change) who's been my math tutor as well as a good friend. He went to Mass with us the day after my father passed away last year and we've gone to both Mass and confession a couple of times with my family. I've known he was meant for the religious life since I met him but I did not push him one way or another. I let him discern his vocation in peace, with encouragement, just like I do with all my friends. Recently he was admitted to the Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy and will begin his postulancy next month. Since he will be relocating to Philadelphia, we decided to have one last hurrah before he left. At the last minute, I asked him to do me the favor of driving me into Hollywood (I live in the urban suburbs of L.A.) because I'd been craving imported Irish cookies I had had a few months ago. He agreed and we set off for the heart of Tinseltown.

About 80% (if not more) of the conversations between Joe and I have something to do with Catholicism and/or religion. While driving down the 101 freeway we started talking about the Mercedarians and about vocations in general. Without going into the specifics of our vocation stories (which I hope to write about some day), we both agreed that we were meant for the vocation that would be the "hardest" for us (but in a good way): the religious life for him and the vocation of marriage for myself. We were actually still talking about both my vocation, about how I will need patience and a lot of faith while I wait for whomever God has in store for me, and our liturgical abuses at parishes when we were about to reach our destination. Fortunately for us, this woman in a white car would not let us into the left lane where we needed to be... causing us to drive further up to be able to make a turn. What we did not expect was to find a hidden gem neither of us have even heard of: a gorgeous Catholic church on the outskirts of Hancock Park.

Christ the King Roman Catholic Church is absolutely breathtaking, especially inside. Both Joe and I were in awe that something so beautiful was located in Hollywood/Los Angeles, especially with the parishes we're used to seeing. Not that I'm ragging on the local parishes, they are all lovely in their own ways but this parish was like nothing I've ever seen in person. The stained glass windows, the location of the tabernacle... the entire inside of the church literally made me speechless. Unfortunately it was too dark inside so the pictures didn't come out too great, nor did they do the parish any justice, but I tried to take as many pictures as I could. (And, btw, if you take any of these pictures from the blog please give me credit for it.) Click the pictures to make them bigger.

The stain glass windows over the altar:

From Christ the King Roman Catholic Church

The confessional (with Joe looking at it):

From Christ the King Roman Catholic Church

Dedicated to the Virgin Mary:

From Christ the King Roman Catholic Church

Divine Mercy:

From Christ the King Roman Catholic Church

From the back of the church (does not do it any justice):

From Christ the King Roman Catholic Church

Mini grotto outside:

From Christ the King Roman Catholic Church

Close up:

From Christ the King Roman Catholic Church

As we were leaving, we found candles and lit one before we left. Once we were outside, I could see the Hollywood sign almost straight across from the parish. As I told Joe, to me it seemed like it was God's way of saying that He was there with us, never leaving us alone, even in the midst of debauchery and sin (which is prevalent in Hollywood). Even though we may seem like a minority in this great big city, God's not going to leave us alone and that gem was proof.

On the way to two different Irish shops (which I will actually write about next time; there are stories there as well), we were talking about how our discovery of this gorgeous church was like a sign for us. We had been talking about finally being at peace with our vocation discernments and everything else when we stumbled across the church. It was like God was telling us He had heard our conversation and that we had done the right thing. Since we were also talking about St. Therese of Lisieux (whom I coincidentally had a picture of in my purse) and had talked about the Little Flower being our intercessor during the vocation discernment, I also took it as rose from her. :)

As soon as I got home from our road trip, I told my mom about the parish and she immediately said that we had to go to Mass there at least once. I don't know when but we definitely will. :) Anyway, I thought it was a pretty good story to share so here I am blogging it. :D

Alright, I need to go catch up on emails since I had no access to my email account for a couple of hours two days ago (not good, Google!) as well as try to finish a book I want to review on this blog. :D I hope everyone is having a good week thus far!

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!

Personal Reflection: Confession

I absolutely LOVE going to confession, so much so that I go almost every weekend or at least every other week... or whenever I've committed a venial sin. The majority of the time it's just venial sins that have the priests asking me why I go confess them so often. For me, personally, I just feel better having no sins (no matter how "small" they are) on my conscience. I am very much like St. Teresa of Avila that way (though I am still working on reaching her level of sanctity... and have a long road ahead of me.) It's not so much that I just don't want to feel guilty for what I've done; I just want to show that I'm truly sorry for what I've done. I can get very emotional in the confessional because I am truly repentant about what I've done. I do not feel right having offended God in any way. I don't like being away from God in any way. Knowing that I am in danger of not spending eternity with God in heaven because I failed to confess something or because I did something reprehensible makes me incredibly unhappy.

I've gotten into the habit of taking an hour to examine my conscience before going to confession. I go to the quietest room I can find in the house, pray that St. Gerard Majella helps open my heart to God so that I may properly examine my conscience (he's the patron saint for a good confession) and use the iConfess app on my iPod touch. If I know I will forget something (and I usually do), I write it down so that I will be able to confess it. I feel so calm and at peace by the end that go in both respectful of the sacrament that I am about to receive as well as grateful for God's mercy. I know that I am only human and that I commit errors more than I would like but knowing that I can clear my conscience by owning up to my mistakes in front of God makes me happy.

My mother always says she will not confess whenever I go to confession but she always comes with me and always ends up going to confession as well. lol. It's something I never got to experience with my father but that I am overjoyed to share with my mother. I am still trying to teach her (sounds bad, I know) how to have a proper confession but it's an easier hill to conquer than the mountain of obstacles I had with my father.

I've been blessed enough to help (in a sense) convince others to go to confession for the first time in many years. I don't know what it is about me but I seem to attract older people who hadn't gone to confession in decades. I don't mind it one bit either. :) A lot of the time I am just in line when I get an older lady or gentleman asking me about confession. Somehow it opens the flood gate and they end up telling me their life story. About a few months before my father returned to the Church, I had an older lady who sort of pulled me aside and told me that she hadn't gone to confession in over 40 years (same as my father). She told me her fears and I told her the same thing I basically tell everyone whom I speak to: just open their hearts to God and let him in. The priests are not judgmental and they are there to help absolve us from our sins as well help us get back on the right path. Of course what I say varies from person to person but I try to help them any way I can. If I can, in any small way, help them get closer to God than nothing will make me happier as I am here to serve Him. I may not speak about confession in a grander or more "theologically sound" way but, if you haven't noticed, I tend to write straight from my heart... if it isn't with simpler words. :)

Alright, that is it for now. I want to get a little work on my novel before I head to confession today. I have two more posts planned that may take me a couple of days to get up. I am waiting for something in the mail before I can break the news (with pictures) and the other, well, I am working on and I am waiting to see results before I say anything. :) As I am now in my last month of vacation before the new semester at my new college begins, I will try to update more often. :)

That's it for now. I hope y'all have a lovely weekend.

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!

Music Monday: I Pray For You

This will be a short post as I am running around getting all my health forms signed and immunization records mailed for the upcoming school year.

Anyhoo, I don't know about y'all but I like to pray for whoever God has in store for me. I may not know who he is yet but I still pray that he is well and that the Lord is ever-present in his heart and mind. I also pray for those who have been special in my life because they've made me who I am today. I, however, don't pray quite like the lyrics of this particular suggest.

I first heard this song, and saw the video, on CMT one morning as I was getting ready to leave my home. It's called "I Pray For You" by Jaron and the Long Road to Love. It sounded promising until it got further into the lyrics... and those lyrics were played out in the video. My first thought was "Wow, I hope no one ever prays for me in this way!" You'll just have to play the video to know what I'm talking about (if you already don't).



I didn't post either the original video or the sequel because I found them a little... eesh. In the original video Jaime Pressly did and wore things that I would not want seen on this blog so I nixed that video from making it on here. The second video dealt with voodoo done on a satirical level but I wasn't comfortable displaying it either so I chose a fan made video with the lyrics. If you want to watch the videos, well, you've been warned and you should have that in mind if you wander over to youtube to watch 'em.

That's all for now. I hope everyone had a great weekend. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!

I'm a Phlegmatic-Sanguine, What's Your Excuse?

When Delaney lent me this book, The Temperament God Gave You by Art and Laraine Bennett, it had been on my amazon wishlist for at least a year and a half. I've always been interested in these kind of personality tests because they've proven to be very insightful... and the fact it explained things from a Catholic point of view made it that much more appealing to me.

I had previously taken the Four Temperaments test on Catholic Match (a couple of years ago when I was briefly on the site). The first time I received Sanguine-Phlegmatic as my result but it didn't really sound like me. There more things I disagreed with than not. When 4marks split from CM (or at least that's how I remember it) and allowed us to keep our profiles without having to stay on CM, I did just that and re-took the temperaments test. This time I received a 63% Phlegmatic and 37% Sanguine. After reading it, I knew that I had finally taken the test properly and had gotten it right.

After receiving the book I decided to once again do the test and it revealed that, indeed, I am a Phlegmatic-Sanguine. So what exactly does that mean? Well, in a nutshell, that I'm an introverted, empathetic gal who has to be careful not to get easily discouraged (I never do but...) or even fail to attempt something out of fear of failure (which I sometimes do). What I appreciate about this book is that it is honest but doesn't make you feel like you're completely flawed or weird. Though it does point out your weaknesses, which were pretty spot on with my own temperament, it also offers great advice without being preachy.

One of my favorite sections (though, it's hard to choose THE favorite) was definitely the chapter on your temperament and your spiritual life. It offered prayers one could recite to help with the spiritual weaknesses one has. As my primary temperament is Phlegmatic, my spiritual gifts are: peace, understanding, counsel, and meekness. On the flip side, my spiritual weaknesses are: sensuality, sloth, and complacency. I'm not even going to lie, I do struggle with sloth especially lately with all the blues I've been feeling. The saint who shares my temperament is St. Thomas Aquinas (who is a buddy of mine, as my good friend Angelica would say) so I know who to look up to when I feel myself slipping. For someone with my temperament the Rosary, the Liturgy of the Hours, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, the brown (Our Lady of Mount Carmel) scapular and Miraculous Medal are all recommended to enhance my spiritual life. I actually found this beautiful Miraculous Medal (which they were apparently giving away to whoever got there first and it was the last one) at my parish when I returned to the Church a couple of years ago and I believe it has helped me.

After I told my mom about how much I loved the book, we tried to find the Spanish language equivalent of it for her but there wasn't one. I ended up translating both the test and results to her. She ended up being a Sanguine-Choleric and my father (which we collaborated on to see if we would get his temperament right; we did) was a Choleric-Sanguine. Apparently I inherited my Phlegmatic side (as well as my multi-colored hair) from my paternal grandmother seeing as how both my parents are/were incredibly extroverted. We would laugh while I was translating things because they were spot on with all of us. I went back to the Parent-Child section, which advises parents on how to better motivate their child according to each's temperament, and read advice for my mom. Again, it was like the authors had been observing the interactions between my mother and I and I think it helped both of us understand the other better. It's certainly helped the relationship between her and I greatly as it really opened my mother's eyes to a problem we were having; our differing temperaments were clashing when it came to a certain issue but now my mom understands as do I.

I can't really go into a lot without writing entire paragraphs straight out of the book. If you want to learn more about yourself I would definitely recommend you checking out this book. If you've taken the test on 4marks, this book goes into more detail than on the site. (Btw, according to 4marks I am part of the minority of people that are phlegmatic-sanguines.)

Alright, well, I don't think this was much of a book review but I don't really think this book is one that can be reviewed properly without actively reading and engaging in it. Again, I highly recommend it and I think it will definitely help understand yourself and others. I definitely took a lot out of it and I know you will too. :D

I guess that's all for today. It's 100 degrees Fahrenheit (it was 101 yesterday) so I'm going to find a nice cool place to sit down and continue reading a book on Catholicism. :) I hope everyone is staying cool and out of the heat. :)

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless.

And, So, a Year Has Passed; Article Feedback

I took this picture from Patrick Madrid's Facebook profile.

It's a little weird, but terribly exciting, to see my name on the cover of a respected publication but there I am... on the bottom of the cover... A Gift From My Father. I wrote that. Mind boggling. :D I only have the pre-publication PDF that Patrick sent me so I haven't seen the final product but I have already gotten feedback. The first email was from someone I don't know who saw my email address in the issue. I was deeply touched by the email and it definitely made the 1st year anniversary of my father's death (which was on Sunday, the 11th) that much easier. More about this in a bit.

If you've noticed, it's taken me about a week or so to write again. I haven't been really active on twitter or Facebook either. I've just been really bummed out. Honestly, I didn't feel like doing anything except sleeping. I didn't really want to go out, at all, and had to force myself to actually leave the house. I didn't do anything except stay home and watch TV or movies to distract myself. It's weird for me to be in this state of mind but it's apparently normal.

On the days leading up to the 1 year anniversary, things were hard. I remembered the last time I had a real conversation with him... the last time I kissed him... the last time I saw him... and the last time he received the Eucharist (only days before his death). Mom and I reminisced about the time we had with him, both good and bad. Mom told me the story of how dad was shocked that I basically shooed them out the door on my first of school. Everyone else cried, I didn't... I had a little twinkle in my eye and I just wanted to learn. Also, I was ready for school at like 5 a.m. and dad would tell me to go back to sleep. Oh yes, the academia bug hit quite early. :D I don't remember any of that but my mom does and so that was a great story for me to hear. It was things like this, hearing stories I don't remember, that helped keep me sane. It was also the feedback I've gotten about my article.

If you haven't already guessed, the article I wrote for Envoy Magazine was about the gift that my father (both my earthly father and my Heavenly Father) gave me. I wrote about things I never wrote or even mentioned before to either friends or anywhere on this blog. So far the feedback has been positive. Everyone apparently has cried while reading it which I hope is in a good way. A good friend of mine, Elizabeth (who was my buddy in Ethics class last year), called me yesterday and told me how proud she was of me and what I'd written. She's a hardcore Catholic (and we were the only "conservatives" in the class so we've stuck together ever since) and she's been amazing support. She said that she remembered when I would skip a lecture because I had to go to the doctor with my father and she took notes for me. It made the article feel personal for her, but others who don't know me at all have also been touched... which has touched me as well. All I've ever wanted was to be there for others in some way; to make them feel like they're not alone in dealing with these kind of issues and I am so thankful to God for allowing me to do so with this article.

Everyone who's emailed me, or called me if you personally know me... thank you. Thank you so much for giving me emotional strength I needed to get through this past week. Thank you so much for your prayers... and those who asked me to pray for you for one reason or another, your petitions will be listed in my prayer book list that I keep. :) And while I'm thanking people, thanks to my friends who have been incredible this past year. My family's not as close as others are (it's just mom, my older brother -- the closest one to my age, and I) so thank you for being my adopted siblings. :)

By the way, to not end this on a completely emotional (sorry, I'm just very much like this) note, I've found the answer to busting the blues: BABIES! We have the cutest little 6 month old neighbor and she's actually helped when I've been just depressed. All I have to do is visit her and see the big dimply smile she greets me with and that just makes me feel so much better. She also likes to laugh and try to chat with me which is adorable. I'm very a baby person so it's something as small as her smile that she busts the blues. :) I'm telling you... it works. :D

Alright I have about two back posts that I haven't published so I'm going to try to finish them and post them soon. I hope everyone has had a great week thus far and will continue to have a good week. :D

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D

St. Maria Goretti Feast Day: Reflection on Purity

What can I say about St. Maria Goretti that I didn't say last year? I still think she's amazing and a great role model for purity. The debate still rages on: should we "glorify" a saint who chose to die instead of being raped? Is virginity more important than one's life? Everyone has their opinion and I don't want to start the debate on this blog but I will say that I'd still do what she did if, heaven forbid, I ever found myself in her shoes again. Yes, again.

When I was 14-15 years old, a young man who had recently graduated from the same high school I attended (and had previously dated a friend of mine) tried to force himself on me... while we were still on campus no less... but I somehow found the strength to push him away and escape. I may look small (tall but still small somehow) and weak, and I am definitely prone to anxiety, but my survival instincts have a knack of kicking in when I need them. The young man tried to get me alone again but he never did thanks to wonderful friends of mine, Robert and Priscilla, who never left me alone for the rest of the summer while I did work-study on campus. Of course no one else believed me because the young man was so beloved by everyone in administration but those two friends saw the way he looked at me and studied his actions around me so they didn't leave me. Robert, who I had just met no more than 2 weeks prior to the incident, posed as my diligent boyfriend who didn't mind hanging out hours after summer school classes were over just to make sure I was never alone. Though we never had true feelings for each other, I still hold a special place in my heart for him and for everything he did. I left that high school shortly after the work-study ended, especially since my anxiety had gotten much worse with the incident, so I never knew what happened to the young man or my friends but the experience certainly shaped me and what my thoughts are when it comes to this particular subject.

I am thankful to God for giving me some good common sense when I was still away from the Church. Before reverting to the faith, there were a number of occasions in which I could've easily been a victim these things -- many young men during my first year and a half of college inviting me to their apartments or even offering to pay for a cab so I could go "hang out" or "work on classwork" with them; oh the stories I could tell -- but somehow God kept me sane and safe. I have also developed a reputation for being "difficult" and "picky" when it comes to guys (it's not being difficult, it's being smart and not falling for tricks) but that's another story. :) Now that I am back and my ever-growing faith is intact, I am grateful that I have made the choices I have.

I didn't have the support system I have now when I went through these things. I mean, I've always had my mother and she was the first person I would tell whenever I got the horrid "invitations" from these so-called guy "friends", but I didn't have anyone my age who understood me. I was called a prude by everyone (including my former Women's Studies professor) but I still knew, in my heart, that I was doing the right thing. That is what I hope to get across to other young ladies who may read this blog (and I know I have some as young as 15): you are NOT alone if you don't have people in your life that will encourage and applaud your choice to be pure until marriage... or if you have others who are trying to encourage you to do things you know are bad. As for whether you should, in case of extreme danger, choose life or purity -- I can't tell you that. I can't make that decision for anyone. My personal choice will remain to choose purity and not because I dream of being a martyr. It's just that I value staying true to God more than I do doing what will be less painful or consequential in this mortal life. I know some of you will disagree but this is just my own personal opinion (have I stressed that enough?).

If you have been a victim of abuse, first a big virtual hug and please know that none of what happened was your fault. As the late Fr. Leo once told me, rape victims are not sinners nor should they feel like they are. You are still pure in God's eyes because you did not commit any sin and He loves you even more because of what you have gone through.

I don't know what I am going to do today for St. Maria Goretti's feast day but I really want to do something. I mean, the Rosary at 3 p.m. (it is currently 2:31 p.m. right now) followed by the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy Chaplet is definitely a given as they are favorite devotions of mine but may I'll take an hour or two to really reflect on just how important purity (and modesty -- post on this subject coming up soon) is to me. I bet I'll find many more things to thank God for, which is what I should really do instead of spending countless hours online where the purity of my eyes (laugh if you must but really think about it) can be easily defiled by the filth that seems to pop-up more and more everyday. Okay, sounds like a plan to me. :D

I hope everyone has a great day (which, if you're not going to the doctor's like I am, should be better than mine lol).

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :)

Novena in Honor of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - Day Nine

Great painting of Jesus chatting with Bl. Pier Giorgio, isn't it? I don't know who the artist is (I found this through google images) but kudos to them!

Last day... posting at 9 p.m. I'm sorry! I got caught up in these things called video games that made me waste my afternoon and evening. Lesson learned: I am way too competitive and I should no longer be allowed to play, 'cause I play to win! lol. I can hear some of my guy friends exclaiming how proud they are of me. lol.

Anyway, yes, last day. I hope those who have done the novena have enjoyed it. I know I have. :) Tomorrow will be the 85th anniversary of his untimely death. He was only 24 but he made such an impact in his short life. :)

Novena in Honor of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - Day Nine:

Jesus says: “Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.”

Pier Giorgio responds: “We who by the grace of God are Catholics must steel ourselves for the battle we shall certainly have to fight to fulfill our program and to give our country, in the not too distant future, happier days and a morally healthy society. But to achieve this we need constant prayer to obtain from God that grace without which all our powers are useless.”

We pray: Blessed Pier Giorgio, show me how to bear all wrongs patiently. Help me to accept the sufferings which others inflict on me because of my desire to be faithful to Jesus.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who protects the innocent, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I confidently turn to you for help in my present need: (mention your request.)


Daily Closing Prayers
(for private devotion)

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

God our Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
All the angels and saints, pray for us.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, pray for us. (Repeat after each invocation.)
Loving son and brother,
Support of family life,
Friend of the friendless,
Most Christian of companions,
Leader of youth,
Helper of those in need,
Teacher of charity,
Patron of the poor,
Comfort of the sick,
Athlete for God’s kingdom,
Conqueror of life’s mountains,
Defender of truth and virtue,
Opponent of every injustice,
Patriotic citizen of the nation,
Loyal son of the Church,
Devoted child of the Madonna,
Ardent adorer of the Eucharist,
Fervent student of the Scriptures,
Dedicated follower of St. Dominic,
Apostle of prayer and fasting,
Guide to a deep love for Jesus,
Diligent in work and study,
Joyful in all of life’s circumstances,
Strong in safeguarding chastity,
Silent in pain and suffering,
Faithful to the promises of Baptism,
Model of humility,
Example of detachment,
Mirror of obedience,
Man of the Beatitudes,

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Pray for us, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Father, You gave to the young Pier Giorgio Frassati the joy of meeting Christ and of living his faith in service of the poor and the sick. Through his intercession, may we, too, walk the path of the Beatitudes and follow the example of his generosity, spreading the spirit of the Gospel in society. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

IMPRIMATUR, November 2, 1994:
+Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D., Bishop of Beaumont, TX
------------------------

Have a great, safe weekend everyone! :D

Novena in Honor of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - Day Eight

Stained glass window picture found on the website of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Bristol, RI. I love it!

I'm terribly sorry for the late post but I spent a couple of hours in meditation regarding my vocation discernment. After being confused about being sure about my vocation (and taking the advice of two priests to think about it), I had to take the time to reflect and read a couple of sections in the Bible. After reading and reflecting, it's even more obvious and I feel so much more content about being a wife and mommy some day. I've known in my heart what my vocation is for quite some time now but, as I said, I was momentarily confused. Now I'm back and the novena must continue on schedule. :D

Novena in Honor of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - Day Eight:

Jesus says: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Pier Giorgio responds: “To live without faith, without a patrimony to defend, without a steady struggle for truth – that is not living, but existing.”

We pray: Blessed Pier Giorgio, teach me silence in the face of personal humiliation and unjust criticism. But guide me to be courageous like you in standing on the side of God’s truth. Help me to be faithful to Him in all things, so that His Will may be done in and through my life. Show me how to persevere in the struggle for those things which are holy and honorable.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is the source of grace and truth, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I confidently turn to you for help in my present need: (mention your request.)

Daily Closing Prayers
(for private devotion)

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

God our Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
All the angels and saints, pray for us.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, pray for us. (Repeat after each invocation.)
Loving son and brother,
Support of family life,
Friend of the friendless,
Most Christian of companions,
Leader of youth,
Helper of those in need,
Teacher of charity,
Patron of the poor,
Comfort of the sick,
Athlete for God’s kingdom,
Conqueror of life’s mountains,
Defender of truth and virtue,
Opponent of every injustice,
Patriotic citizen of the nation,
Loyal son of the Church,
Devoted child of the Madonna,
Ardent adorer of the Eucharist,
Fervent student of the Scriptures,
Dedicated follower of St. Dominic,
Apostle of prayer and fasting,
Guide to a deep love for Jesus,
Diligent in work and study,
Joyful in all of life’s circumstances,
Strong in safeguarding chastity,
Silent in pain and suffering,
Faithful to the promises of Baptism,
Model of humility,
Example of detachment,
Mirror of obedience,
Man of the Beatitudes,

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Pray for us, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Father, You gave to the young Pier Giorgio Frassati the joy of meeting Christ and of living his faith in service of the poor and the sick. Through his intercession, may we, too, walk the path of the Beatitudes and follow the example of his generosity, spreading the spirit of the Gospel in society. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

IMPRIMATUR, November 2, 1994:
+Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D., Bishop of Beaumont, TX

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Okay, I am going to go eat and then I am going to continue reading the new book on Bl. Pier Giorgio that I got. Yay! Don't worry; this has not become the Bl. Pier Giorgio blog. I'm tackling St. Pio of Pietrelcina (a.k.a St. Padre Pio) and St. Therese of Lisieux afterwards. ;)

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless. :D

Book Review: The Shadow of the Bear

First off, thanks to my little (adopted) sister, Delaney, for lending me this book. She said it was one of her favorite books and, as she is a fellow Janeite, I trusted her to not steer me wrong with literature. It was a good thing I did because I ended up thoroughly enjoying this book.

The Shadow of the Bear by Regina Doman is a modern day retelling of the Grimm Brothers' version of the Snow White and Red Rose fairytale. What I appreciated the most was that it was unabashedly Catholic. I found no cliches or stereotypical characteristics associated with faithful Catholics. The female protagonists, Blanche and Rose Brier, are devout Catholics who stay true to the Church's teachings while recognizing their own faults (Blanche's jealousy towards her sister, Rose's carelessness). Unlike some Catholic fiction novels that only show the positive qualities in their characters, this novel showed the teenage girls in a very believable and likable manner. The antagonists were also great; I know so when I wish they were real life people I could kick in the shins. lol. I won't go into more detail because I really want others to read this novel. Some things were predictable (for me; I'm not easily surprised and am a seasoned veteran when it comes to mystery novels) throughout the story but I was completely enthralled during the denouement and I was excited to find out what would happen next. I will not say any big spoilers in case anyone wants to read the book for themselves but let's just say that the ending was completely satisfying and that Mrs. Doman wrapped up the novel very nicely.

Though this novel is aimed at teenagers (and, I am guessing, specifically teenage girls), I found it entertaining and thrilling. I honestly couldn't put it down and read the last 80-90 pages without getting up from my bed. I was tired and I wanted to sleep but I was really sucked into the story. At the end, the 2 a.m. bedtime was worth it. It also gave me confidence that I had made the right choices with my own characters in the novel I've been working on.

In a nutshell: If you appreciate good Catholic literature with positive messages, and don't mind the whole fairy tale aspect of it, then I highly recommend it. Again, it is aimed for teenagers but this 25 year-old sincerely enjoyed the book from start to finish and can't wait to start reading the sequel. :) I hope some of you end up reading this novel. :)

Alright, I need to get the book review for one of the Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati books ready so I'm going to spend the rest of my day reading and writing. I hope y'all have a great day. :)

As always, thanks for reading and God Bless!

Novena in Honor of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - Day Seven

The Novena in Honor of Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati - Day Seven:

Jesus says: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.”

Pier Giorgio responds: “I offer you my best wishes – or, rather, only one wish, but the only wish that a true friend can express for a dear friend: may the peace of the Lord be with you always! For, if you possess peace every day, you will be truly rich.”

We pray: Blessed Pier Giorgio, despite your daily struggles, you found peace by fostering your own well being in work, study, and play; in prayer alone and with others; in silence and in song, in laughter and in serious conversation with friends. Guide me to that inner peace which will enable me to share peace with others.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who is our peace, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I confidently turn to you for help in my present need: (mention your request.)

Daily Closing Prayers
(for private devotion)

Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

God our Father in heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
All the angels and saints, pray for us.

Blessed Pier Giorgio, pray for us. (Repeat after each invocation.)
Loving son and brother,
Support of family life,
Friend of the friendless,
Most Christian of companions,
Leader of youth,
Helper of those in need,
Teacher of charity,
Patron of the poor,
Comfort of the sick,
Athlete for God’s kingdom,
Conqueror of life’s mountains,
Defender of truth and virtue,
Opponent of every injustice,
Patriotic citizen of the nation,
Loyal son of the Church,
Devoted child of the Madonna,
Ardent adorer of the Eucharist,
Fervent student of the Scriptures,
Dedicated follower of St. Dominic,
Apostle of prayer and fasting,
Guide to a deep love for Jesus,
Diligent in work and study,
Joyful in all of life’s circumstances,
Strong in safeguarding chastity,
Silent in pain and suffering,
Faithful to the promises of Baptism,
Model of humility,
Example of detachment,
Mirror of obedience,
Man of the Beatitudes,

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Pray for us, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati,
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray: Father, You gave to the young Pier Giorgio Frassati the joy of meeting Christ and of living his faith in service of the poor and the sick. Through his intercession, may we, too, walk the path of the Beatitudes and follow the example of his generosity, spreading the spirit of the Gospel in society. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

IMPRIMATUR, November 2, 1994:
+Joseph A. Galante, D.D., J.C.D., Bishop of Beaumont, TX