A married woman must, when called upon, quit her devotions to God at the altar to find Him in her household affairs. -St. Frances of Rome   As a mom, I have struggled with this. Longing for just a few more minutes of morning prayer, before my children wake up. Hoping for quiet and stillness at Mass so I can soak in the grace I desperately need for the next week. This was especially difficult when I was a new mom with young children. “All I want is some quiet time with You, Lord. Is that too much to ask?” I often wondered. Even though my children are older now, new challenges come into play. I continue to struggle with balancing prayer and the duties required of me as a wife and mom. At times, this feels isolating, like I am the only one who wrestles with this. But I know, deep down, that my experience is not unique. In fact, I think it is safe to say that most moms struggle with a lack of their own time to do their own things, including prayer. St. Frances of Rome: A Saint Who Struggled, Too I stumbled upon the above quote from St. Frances of Rome a few years ago, when I was curious about the Saint whose feast day shares my birthday. Her words gave me a tremendous amount of hope. And I soon learned that she was not only advising other women with these words, she was incorporating them into her own life, too. Frances also struggled with finding a balance between living a quiet, contemplative, and prayerful life and being present to the obligations she had to her husband and children. Over the course of her life, though, she learned some valuable lessons that helped her not only be a good wife and mother, but also a holy, prayerful woman of God. Yes, we can be both! And St. Frances of Rome can show us how. God’s Will or Yours? Frances was born in 1384 in Rome. From an early age, she had a strong love for God. By age 11, she decided that she wanted to become a nun. Her father, however, had different plans for her. By the time Frances was 13, he already promised her hand in marriage to the son of another wealthy family. Frances prayed that God would somehow prevent the marriage from happening. She complained to her confessor, who responded, “Are you crying because you want to do God's will, or because you want God to do your will?” She surrendered her will to God’s, but she did so reluctantly. Her husband was a good man who cared about her very much. But her heart was not in the marriage, and she still longed to be a bride of Christ. What made it worse was that Frances was thrown into a very social life. She was expected to attend and host numerous parties while her heart longed for quiet time with God. This took a toll on Frances’ health, and she collapsed from the stress. Close to death, Frances had a vision of St. Alexis, a fourth-century monastic who became a beggar instead of marrying and lived a life of anonymity, even to his family. He told her that God was giving her a choice: to recover or not. Frances responded, “God’s will is mine.” St. Alexis promised Frances that she would live a life that glorified the Lord. You’re Not Alone Frances recovered, but her struggle did not disappear. She was still expected to entertain and go visiting with her mother-in-law. While she was constantly surrounded by people, Frances felt utterly alone. Finally, Frances took a risk and confided in her sister-in-law Vannozza, who seemed to like being social. But it turned out that Vannozza was just a naturally joyful person. Deep down, she wanted to live a devout life, too. Frances and Vannozza became the best of friends and made a plan to balance their devotions with their obligations to their families. They decided that their vocations came first. They renewed their commitment to their husbands and families and worked with joy. But they also attended Mass together and set up a secret chapel in the palace where they could go and pray. With this new commitment, and a sister in Christ by her side, Frances turned more of her attention toward the needs of her own household. She gave birth to two sons and one daughter. She became the administrator of the household when her mother-in-law passed away. Her family flourished under her care. She was faithful to her duties but still managed multiple works of mercy, too. Coming Full Circle Throughout her life, Frances endured war, plagues, the kidnapping of her son, and the early deaths of two children. Eventually, her husband and father-in-law had a deeper conversion, which allowed her to sell her jewels and fancy clothing to give more to the poor. Later in life, with her husband’s permission, Frances started a lay order of women attached to the Benedictines called the Oblates of Mary. The women lived in the world but offered themselves to God and to the service of the poor. After her husband’s death, Frances moved in with the Oblates of Mary and became the superior. At the age of 52, she had the life she wanted at age 11. God just had other plans for her in between. Frances died in 1440 at the age of 56. St. Frances of Rome, Pray for Us! The life of St. Frances is an encouraging one. She struggled with something that I struggle with on a daily basis: balancing prayer and work. And her life story has taught me a lot: I am a work in progress. The Lord loves the time I spend with Him. The Lord also gives me important work to do. I am not alone in my struggle to find balance. Sisterhood is important. One friend can make all the difference. The Lord places desires on my heart, but I need to trust that His timing is perfect in bringing those desires to fruition. Lord, I long to spend time with You in prayer. I also know that you have given me work to do in this world. May I find You, Lord, in every moment of my day, whether before the tabernacle or in front of a pile of laundry. St. Frances of Rome, pray for me. Amen. [bctt tweet="On the Feast of St. Frances of Rome #BISblog //" via="no"]

Coming up with something to give up for Lent was easy as a child. I would give up my soda habit and tease my brother for his foolish lack of foresight in giving up all sweets. Didn’t he know Lent was 40 days? That was way too long to go without chocolate. Maturing in Lent As I grew up, the question became more complicated. I learned somewhere along the way about the idea of centering Lenten penances around prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, but those concepts were still hazy to me. Among my college friends, it was popular to set wildly demanding Lenten practices for ourselves. One friend had a list of about a dozen things she was giving up for Lent taped above her dorm room bed. Another year, my housemates and I did a communal penance bowl that we had to blindly pick from each morning. “No furniture for a day” was really more fun than penance, but woe betide the unlucky person who picked “Cold shower.” At other times, Lent became almost like a Catholic January 1st, with everyone setting “resolutions” rather than adopting spiritual practices. Yes, some of these were spiritually-minded, but often they had secondary goals like saving money by not going out to eat or losing weight by fasting from sugar. A Desire for Deeper As much as I probably grew in my relationship with God through all those Lenten practices—both the good Lents and the spectacular failures (deciding to give up bedding for Lent was deeply ill-advised and lasted only a few days)—something about the way I did Lent each year seemed scattered. Few of the practices seemed to have any effect past the end of the season. The more resolution-like ones lasted about as long as most New Year’s Resolutions once Easter had arrived, and the deeply penitential ones often seemed pointlessly hard with no clear direction. Lenten Clarity One year, as I browsed the typical Lenten reading materials that parishes distribute, I read a line about Lent being a time to focus on what is specifically preventing you from having the best possible relationship with God. This struck me as obvious enough in the moment, so I brushed past it. But over the next few days, something shifted into place. For Lent, I would identify the one thing that most hindered my relationship with God, and I would focus all of my attention on that. That very first year, I spent hours in the Adoration chapel, trying to discern what was the most persistent difficulty in my spiritual life. Finally, I settled on the idea of hunger. I’d been reading about the Saints desiring God so deeply that it felt like a physical need, and I wanted to feel that. So that Lent, I designed what I did around a theme of “Hungering for God.” Choosing a Theme for Lent This led to a practice I continue using today of theming my Lent around my biggest spiritual obstacle. It has taken many of the intervening years to refine the practice, but each and every one of those years has been a time of growth. I’ve had themes such as: Sorrow Discipline Entering the Desert Order Detachment For each, I chose practices for Lent that specifically addressed those spiritual needs. Narrowing the Focus After a few years, I decided to limit myself to exactly three practices, one for each of the traditional focus areas of Lent: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. The year I picked “Order,” for example, I decided to read the Gospel for the day each morning and write a few lines about it as my prayer practice. For “Detachment,” I fasted from listening to the radio in my car to part myself with a small worldly comfort in favor of silence. When my focus was “Discipline,” anytime I was annoyed by someone, I committed to giving $5 to a charity that reminded me of something that person would care about. One particularly fruitful Lent, “Only Jesus” was my theme, and my form of fasting was requiring myself to take any significant events in my life before Jesus in the Adoration chapel before texting any of my friends for input. Sometimes my choices were specific and demanding, while other times they were intangible and difficult to define. But all were directed towards my one identified spiritual theme or battle for that year. Worth the Struggle There are some times when Lent still feels like a struggle, when I wonder if I’m ever really growing in relationship with God. And my practice, even when it is the most fruitful, is still, at its core, imperfect. But I think that’s part of the point of Lent. This Lent, identify what is most keeping you from God. Then, focus all your prayer and attention on fighting that obstacle. Go out into the desert for these forty days and wrestle with it. Use the unique grace and gifts of this penitential season to give you strength as you draw closer to the Lord through this time. Let this be the year that our Lenten practices don’t dwindle away and stop after Easter like the most well-intentioned New Year’s Resolutions. May they instead continue to bear fruit in our spiritual lives. Have you ever chosen a theme for Lent? Will you this year? Share your ideas in the comments below! [bctt tweet="Choosing a Theme for Lent #BISblog //" via="no"] Abigail Saffert is a grad student turned college writing instructor turned retail manager. Her Catholic Studies background, her M.A. in English, and the unnecessary amount of library cards crammed into her purse testify to her lifelong love of reading and writing. She appreciates that there’s a patron Saint for coffee houses because she thinks it justifies the amount of coffee she drinks in a day.

The feast of St. Claude de la Colombiere is very timely, as it lands on the day after Valentine’s Day. A day marked with hearts galore. Up until this year, all I knew about the man is that he was the confessor to the mystic, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and played a big role in promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These are two very important responsibilities, and yet there is still so much more to know and admire about him! St. Claude de la Colombiere's Early Life Claude was born in France on February 2nd, 1641. His family eventually moved to Vienne where he began his early education and later he studied rhetoric and philosophy in Lyon. He loved the arts, literature, and was considered a social butterfly. While he was studying in Lyon, he felt a call to religious life, specifically to the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, a religious order founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola. He entered the Jesuit Novitiate at Avignon when he was just seventeen years old. Here he made his first vows with the order and became a professor of both grammar and literature. He eventually traveled to Paris to study theology and returned to Lyon as a priest. A Passion for Preaching Claude dedicated himself to meditating on the life of Jesus, so as to belong to Him fully. He wrote in his journal, “I see that I absolutely must belong to him...I have a free heart.” He accepted trials with the mindset “that God only expects these things of us out of friendship.” It was Claude’s friendship with Christ which gave him joy and perseverance to passionately and effectively preach the Gospel. A man of confidence and conviction, he was known for his great homiletics. He knew his target audience, enabling him to speak directly and in a way which caught people’s attention. His published sermons continue to bear fruit today. A Friend and Supporter On his 34th birthday he was appointed rector of the Jesuit community at Paray-le-Monial as well as the spiritual director of the Monastery next door, the Monastery of the Visitation Sisters. Margaret Mary Alacoque was at this Monastery, and was waiting for the Lord to provide her a friend who would help to promote the message which Jesus was revealing to her, the message to promote devotion to His Sacred Heart. Upon meeting Father Colombiere, it became apparent that he was the friend she was looking for. Father Colombiere believed that the apparitions which she was receiving were authentic and he strongly encouraged her to write down everything she could about the messages the Lord was giving to her. Father Colombiere was devoted to helping Margaret Mary in her mission to bring others into the love of Jesus’ Most Sacred Heart and played a big part in making this devotion more well known. Travels and Tribulation Claude spent less than two years in Paray, and in 1676 he was sent to be the preacher to the Duchess of York and moved to St. James Palace in London. During his time there, he witnessed many people become reconciled with the Church, writing, “I could write a book about the mercy of God I’ve seen Him exercise since I arrived here!” He worked vigorously in London, but before long he showed signs of a serious pulmonary disease. His health continued to decline when in 1678 he spent three weeks in prison due to being falsely accused of being involved in a plot to kill the King. The allegations were made by Anglican clergyman Titus Oates and this conspiracy is known as the “Popish Plot.” This plot claimed that the Jesuits were planning to kill King Charles II in order to bring his Catholic brother James to the throne. Fortunately, one of Claude’s assignments included tutoring the sons of the finance minister to King Louis XI, and so Louis was able to negotiate his release. While this saved him from martyrdom, he was still expelled from England and returned to France where his health deteriorated quickly. On February 15th of 1682, the first Sunday of Lent, he died of a hemorrhage at the age of forty-two. Pope John Paul II canonized him a Saint in 1992. His relics are venerated near the Monastery of the Visitation in Paray-le-Monial. Tender Care and a Wild Run I pray that we heed the prompting of JPII in his closing homily for the canonization Mass of St. Claude, and remember that the canonization of this man is meant to “be for the whole Church an appeal to live the consecration to the Heart of Christ, a consecration which is a self-giving that allows the charity of Christ to inspire us, pardon us and lead us in his ardent desire to open the ways of truth and life to all our brothers and sister!” In the words of Laura Kelly Fanucci: The Sacred Heart...loves foolishly by the world’s standards. It cares tenderly for the small and sick that the world ignores. It runs wildly after one lost sheep. It rejoices lavishly over a single repentant sinner. It rescues each of us from where we were scattered when it was cloudy and dark.   [bctt tweet="On the Feast of St. Claude de la Colombière #BISblog //" via="no"] This post contains affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting Blessed is She!

I get into bed after a long day. My feet ache from chasing my three-year-old, preparing meals for the weekend, and running errands. I feel the sharp twinge of pain in my lower left abdomen as I lay down and am reminded of the shot I took earlier in the day for infertility. My heart breaks anew. I can feel myself turning inward, focusing on the aches and the pangs. I open up my phone and see the article I saved to read earlier that day. The first paragraph makes all my little pains seem so insignificant. I am reminded that thinking of others instead of ourselves is often the greatest cure for pain: On Good Friday 1940, the Nazi SS Guards of Dachau Concentration Camp found pretext to punish sixty-some priest-prisoners with an hour on “the tree.” One former Dachau prisoner describes the torture saying, ‘They tie a man’s hands together behind his back, palms facing out and fingers pointing backward. Then they turn his hands inwards, tie a chain around his wrists and hoist him up by it. His own weight twists his joints and pulls them apart.’ The barbaric aptitude of the guards of Dachau incarnated the demonic for the some 2500 priests condemned to incarceration in the camp during the years 1933–1945. Priests were crowned with crowns of barbed wire while groups of Jewish prisoners were forced to hail them as kings. Guards mocked, spat upon, and forced priests to carry railroad ties, all in imitation of the crucified Lord. -Br. Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P The Brave Priests I think of those brave priests, uniting their horrific suffering to Jesus’ Passion in such a literal way. I reflect on what their thoughts must have been, or if they were even able to think. I wonder what prayers and petitions they must have offered up. What if their prayers, their holy courage, and their martyrs' blood was for me? For us? What if they offered it up for the Church—for you and for me? May their blood and cries to God not be in vain. Taking Up Our Cross Why is there so much suffering in the world if God is good? It’s a question most of us have asked. It’s a question I asked after reading about the sixty priest-prisoners hanging on the tree. I opened up the Catechism for an answer, and this is what I found in paragraph 618: Christ calls His disciples to ‘take up their cross and follow Him’, for ‘Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example so that we should follow in His steps.’ This is achieved supremely in the case of His mother, who was associated more intimately than any other person in the mystery of His redemptive suffering. Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.   [bctt tweet="Apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven. -CCC 618 #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] What Our Lady’s Suffering Teaches Us “Achieved supremely in the case of His Mother.” That sentence penetrated my heart. Mother Mary teaches us how to suffer because she followed Jesus’ example of redemptive suffering the most perfectly. Not only did she suffer greatly at the foot of the Cross, she suffers with us, her children. St. Teresa of Calcutta, one of the greatest Saints of modernity, wrote that, “Our Lady’s role is to bring you face to face with the love in the Heart of Jesus crucified.” There is Merit in Suffering Our Lady, in perfect imitation of her Son, teaches us that there is merit in our suffering. From the cross comes our salvation. After the Passion, there is the joy of the Resurrection. One day, we too will share in her Glorious Mysteries and be with Him body and soul in Heaven and crowned in glory. Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Bernadette Today, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, I am reminded of a young French girl who was accustomed to suffering, St. Bernadette Soubirous. Mother Mary appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France eighteen times between February 11th and July 16th, 1858. Our Lady, who always began and ended the apparitions with the recitation of the Rosary, communicated to Bernadette, “You must pray to God for sinners.” The Message of Lourdes The message of Lourdes is a call to penance and prayer, for the conversion of sinners and in reparation to God. St. Bernadette spent the remainder of her life doing just as Our Lady asked. Because of her own “fiat” there are countless miracles still occurring today at the healing spring and baths of Lourdes. St. Bernadette’s suffering—the humiliation and mockery she experienced, her physical pains, and the deep longing to see Our Lady’s heavenly beauty again—was united with Christ’s suffering, redeeming both her soul and ours. Christ in His Mercy Gave Us A Loving Mother Yes, Christ’s Passion, Death, and Resurrection is enough. As one of the greatest Marian Saints, St. Louis de Montfort reminds us that Mary is, “less than an atom” in comparison with the infinite majesty of Christ. Yet, he continues to say, “God having willed to commence and complete His greatest works by the most Holy Virgin ever since He created her, we may well think He will not change His conduct in the eternal ages.” New Meaning to Suffering At Lourdes with Bernadette, just as she did at Calvary with John, Mother Mary teaches us to unite everything to her Immaculate Heart so that she may perfect our offering and present it to her Son. She invites us to give her our pain, sorrow, joys, frustrations, and anxiety. Our suffering has merit, for our own souls and for others. “By His passion and death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth configure us to Him and unite us with His redemptive passion” (CCC 1505). Tangible Ways to Unite Our Suffering To Christ Through Our Lady How do we unite ourselves and our suffering to Mother Mary for our own souls and the souls of others? Some beautiful ways are through the recitation of the Rosary just as Mary gave as an example in Lourdes, or through Marian consecration. Wearing a scapular or reciting a Hail Mary are powerful ways, too. Yet, my favorite way is just a simple prayer St. Teresa of Calcutta would pray throughout each day, “Mary, lend me your heart and keep me in your most pure heart.” Our Lady of Lourdes, give us your heart so full of love for your Son, Jesus, and for sinners, that we may always see the face of Christ in all we meet. Keep us safely within your most pure heart, so that when we meet Christ in Heaven, He may see only your deep, indescribable love for Him—the love you had as you held Him, as you first gazed at Him in Bethlehem, and as you beheld Him at the foot of the Cross. Amen. How has Our Lady impacted your view on suffering? [bctt tweet="Our Lady of Lourdes and Redemptive Suffering #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

It’s almost time. In a few days, one of the most beautiful and beloved times of the year will come to a close. And for me, that’s always a little hard. The combined Advent and Christmas seasons invite us to enter into the miraculous story of Salvation History. We carve out special time for prayer and reflection. We light candles and wait in joyful hope. We prepare our hearts and homes for the birth of the Babe who changes everything. And then we celebrate! Not only for a day, but for eight … and then twelve … and then through the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Yes, there is a warmth and glow to the Advent and Christmas seasons that I love! And when it’s time to pack it away for another year, I feel an emptiness in my heart and home. Grateful for the Seasonal Life Thankfully, we live within the rhythm of a seasonal life. The natural and liturgical seasons, coupled together, don’t allow me to hold onto one season or another too tightly. Rather, they propel me forward and beckon me to fully enter the present moment. So I unplug the twinkle lights and box up the ornaments. I welcome a new season: Winter’s Ordinary Time. [bctt tweet="The natural and liturgical seasons, coupled together, don’t allow me to hold onto one season or another too tightly. Rather, they propel me forward and beckon me to fully enter the present moment. #BISblog //" via="no"] Liturgical Living Between Christmas and Lent This block of Ordinary Time does not last very long. It begins just after Christmas and ends when Lent begins. Here are a few ways to live liturgically during winter’s Ordinary Time: January: the Holy Name of Jesus January can be filled with expectation. We hope to accomplish specific New Year’s resolutions. We also dare to hope for what the new year could bring: health, hope, love, financial security, and so on. This can cause our hearts to grow restless because we want to control the outcome of our hopes, dreams, and goals. It is fitting, then, that the month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. Because while we do have some control over our resolutions and goals, this dedication reminds us that Someone far greater has all the control, and we can entrust our new year to Him. To practically dedicate January to the Holy Name of Jesus, consider praying with your favorite Name for Jesus. It could be Savior, Messiah, Redeemer, Lord of Lords, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, or something else. Whichever one resonates with you, write it out and place it wherever you pray. Invite Jesus, under this particular title, to reign in your heart and take care of you, as you begin the new year. Solidify Prayer Practices Speaking of prayer, Winter’s Ordinary Time encourages us to recall our encounter with Christ this Christmas and decide how we want to practically live it out in the ordinariness of life. Hold onto your prayer practices of Advent and Christmas, and solidify them into a daily prayer routine. One way to do this is by praying with the daily Psalm or Gospel reading, which can be found online or in a printed format, such as the Magnificat. Journal about how God is speaking to you personally through His Word. Add a Rosary, or even just a decade, to your day. Discern whether the Holy Spirit is prompting you to begin a weekly Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament. Order Our Days in Peace As you begin adding birthdays and other special dates to your new calendar, decide how to make this year more spiritual. Pencil in what time you will pray each day. Schedule time to attend an extra Mass each week and Confession each month. Decide what feast days you want to celebrate and devotions you want to add. Select the spiritual books you want to read. The key is to not add all the spiritual things at once. Rather, be mindful of what is already present in your life and build (slowly) from there. February: the Holy Family The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family. For those who prayed with All the Generations Advent + Christmas devotional, this is a perfect time to continue asking God to reveal your unique place in His family. It is also be a lovely time to pray intently for your own family’s needs, asking the Holy Family to intercede in a special way. Keep Your Nativity Up If you’re still having a hard time putting the Christmas decor away, tradition suggests that Catholics keep their nativities up through the Feast of the Presentation, since it points us toward Jesus’ birth. The Presentation is celebrated on February 2nd, 40 days after the birth of Jesus. We find this event in the Gospel of Luke 2:22-40, and we meditate on it in the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary. Under the Law, Joseph and Mary presented their first-born son in the temple. This is another ‘epiphany’ celebration insofar as the Christ Child is revealed as the Messiah through the canticle and words of Simeon and the testimony of Anna the prophetess. -from Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year Learn about Sacramentals The Presentation is also called Candlemas, since this mini-epiphany expresses that Jesus is the Light of the World. Candlemas leads us to a deeper understanding of the purpose of sacramentals within our Catholic Faith. Sacramentals, such as holy water, the Rosary, and candles are “sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments” (CCC 1667). They strengthen our devotion to and love for the Lord. On Candlemas, it is customary to have candles blessed. If there is a parish near you that observes this tradition, bring candles that you will use in your home on the Sabbath or feast days and have them blessed. Receive an Extra Blessing Those blessed candles are put to work right after Candlemas. For the following day is the feast of St. Blaise, who was a physician and bishop. He is attributed for saving a child who was choking on a fish bone, and this miracle led to the blessing of throats on his feast day. Placing blessed unlit candles upon a person’s throat, the priest prays Through the intercession of St. Blaise, bishop and martyr, may God deliver you free from every disease of the throat, and from every other disease. In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This blessing is especially comforting to people with throat-based illnesses. For example, I have thyroid issues, and I find great solace in having my throat blessed every year. But really, a blessing upon the throat can be good for all of us as we fight colds and flus this winter. How do you plan on growing in your faith during these ordinary winter days? [bctt tweet="Liturgical Living Between Christmas and Lent #BISblog //" via="no"]

I have heard the names Andre and Bessette in my life lately, as friends have used them as names for their children. I know in at least one case that this was to honor the Saint Andre Bessette, whose feast we celebrate today. This man’s virtue and example led to his beatification in 1982 by Pope John Paul II and his canonization in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. The Early Life of Andre Bessette In 1845, Alfred Bessette was born to a large family in the province of Quebec, Canada. Orphaned and adopted at the age of twelve, he began his work in a diverse area of trades including work as a shoemaker, baker, blacksmith, and factory worker. Due to his frail health, he was unable to hold a job for very long. Finally, when he was twenty-five, he submitted his application to the Congregation of the Holy Cross, whose motto is Ave Crux, Spes Unica meaning “Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope”. This motto calls on those in the community to bear the cross as a gift and share the hope of the Gospel with others. Despite his desire and willingness to bear this cross, his entrance did not come with ease. While Alfred’s childhood pastor sent a note of recommendation, saying, “I am sending you a saint” the community initially denied him entrance due to his poor health. Eventually, after the prompting of the Archbishop of Montreal, he was admitted into the community. He took the name Andre, in honor of his childhood pastor. A Shared Simplicity Andre Bessette’s example reminds me of the humility of St. Joseph. He received the simple tasks he was given with meekness. He served diligently as a doorkeeper, sacristan, and laundry worker. French Bishop Jacques-Benigne Bossuet wrote, “It is only an extreme simplicity that can render the heart obedient and accommodating.” Bossuet makes the point that it is only in striving to fully surrender ourselves to God that we can come to complete unity with Him. It is this surrender and union to God that enabled Andre to serve so obediently and humbly with his community. He approached his everyday, menial tasks with the same attitude that St. Joseph would, with obedience and positivity. In Andre’s words: My only ambition is to serve God in the most humble tasks. Mundane to Majestic His joyful spirit in these mundane duties proved his faithfulness and perseverance. It would prelude the great mission that God had in store for him. A mission to fundraise for what would become the world’s largest shrine, dedicated to a man with whom he shared much in common: the humble and simple St. Joseph. While Brother Andre only stood five feet tall, the monument that he helped to found stands at the highest point in Montreal. It is taller than even Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London or Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. His Great Mission Brother Andre was given permission to start fundraising in 1900 and the original chapel officially opened in 1904. This basilica, called St. Joseph’s Oratory, began in 1924, on the fiftieth Jubilee of Brother Andre’s Final Vows. The cornerstone of the basilica was blessed before a crowd of over thirty-thousand people. Unfortunately, Brother Andre passed away before the basilica was completed. Yet after his passing, construction continued. But not without the help of thousands of workers. Finally, on March 19, 1955 , the Feast of St. Joseph, it was inaugurated as a Minor Basilica. A Peek Inside A friend and I made a pilgrimage to Saint Joseph’s Oratory a few summers ago, we dubbed the road trip “The Great Canadian Adventure.” My arrival to the destination was met with a deep sense of St. Joseph’s presence. I felt him most closely not in the basilica itself, but rather at the end of the votive chapel downstairs, which is near both the crypt church and the tomb of Brother Andre. This art-deco votive chapel was designed in the late 1940’s and it holds objects like canes and crutches which were left behind by grateful pilgrims showing off the graces and healings which have been granted through St. Joseph’s intercession. A Candle Glowing Imagine 10,000 candles lit all around you. This chapel glows with the light of them and you can even feel the heat of these small flames as you walk past. The flickering lights led me to an unassuming hallway at the end of the chapel where there stood a small statue of St. Joseph. In contrast to the votive chapel, one solitary wick floats on the surface of a basin containing vegetable oil in front of the statue of St. Joseph. I knelt down to pray with him there and I felt such peace. I felt like he was praying there right beside me. It was only later that I learned that it was the statue where Brother Andre took a bit of oil from a lamp that was burning in front of it, and he offered that oil to those who were sick, telling them to rub it on their body and to ask for St. Joseph’s intercession for their healing. This oil is not meant to be used as a treatment, but rather a form of faith. This candle burns day and night and the oil is given to pilgrims as they entrust their petitions into St. Joseph’s fatherly intercession. Great Humility The location of this statue of St. Joseph was not fixed in a place of great prominence, reflecting his great humility, the same humility he shared with Andre. Now, nine years after Brother Andre’s canonization, I have a canister of this oil in my home, a wedding gift from friends of mine, two Holy Cross Priests. This oil is a reminder to follow Saint Andre’s example and more fully surrender my heart to God. We can trust in His plan, because even if our everyday life looks like a routine of mundane tasks like Brother Andre’s, God will bear fruit out of our everyday yesses. [bctt tweet="St. Andre Bessette #BISblog //" via="no"]

Happy Feast of St. Stephen, sisters! And, to those of you in the UK or countries historically connected to it, happy Boxing Day! Wait a second, you might be thinking to yourself. What does one of these things have to do with the other? What could the first Christian martyr have to do with a British bank holiday? How would the patron Saint of deacons and altar servers have anything to do with boxes? Or maybe you’re wondering why you’ve now got that weird Christmas carol, “Good King Wenceslas” going through your head. Fear not, sister. I’m here to tie it all together for you today. Sound good? Let’s go. Who Was St. Stephen? St. Stephen was, like I said, the first martyr of the early Christian Church. But let’s rewind a bit. Who was he and how did he get there? After Jesus’ Ascension into Heaven, the fledgling Church was being led and formed by the Apostles. Signs and wonders were being performed. Peter and friends were repeatedly brought before the Sanhedrin and being set free again. Disciples were selling their property in order to build the Church and communities were being formed. In the midst of all this, the Greek-speaking members of the community came to the Apostles and said that their widows were not being well looked after. So, in order that they be able to continue the work that they needed to do, the Apostles decided to appoint helpers, as it were. They chose seven men, of whom Stephen was the first. They laid hands upon them and blessed them, thus making them the first ordained deacons of the Church. Stephen the Deacon Stephen was “a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5). As the archdeacon (or lead deacon), he was “filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people” (Acts 6:8). People from all backgrounds came to discuss and debate with Stephen, but none could stand against his powerful, God-given wisdom and spirit. Ultimately, this led them to going to the Sanhedrin and falsely accusing Stephen of blasphemy. Stephen the Martyr The trial and death of St. Stephen is remarkable not only in that his is the death of the first Christian martyr, but in how closely related it is to that of Christ’s. Stephen is brought before the Sanhedrin on charges of blasphemy, like Jesus was. When he was asked if the charges against him were true, like Jesus, he did not answer them directly. Instead, he went on to give the longest continuous speech in the entire Bible (Acts 7:2-53). When he was finished, Stephen was blessed with a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God in Heaven and told the crowd what he saw. Those who were against him would have none of it, though, and cried out in loud voices and began to stone him to death. At the very end, and in an echo of the Savior whom he loved, he asked the Lord to receive his spirit. Then he said, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” and died (Acts 7:59-60). St. Stephen is the patron Saint of altar servers, bricklayers, casket makers and, of course, deacons. The Boxing Day Connection I’m going to attempt to combine St. Stephen, Good King Wenceslas, and Boxing Day. Wish me luck. “Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen.” Well, King W was actually a Bohemian duke who lived in the 10th century. He was, however, a good and benevolent man and, according to the Christmas carol, when he went out that day it was to give alms to the poor. Boxing Day is a tradition that started in the 800s. While now it is looked at merely as a day off of work after Christmas, it actually began as the day when the alms boxes (or poor boxes) in parishes were opened and the alms distributed to the poor. St. Stephen’s ministry came to be because widows needed help. And who were the widows in the cultural history of the early church? Usually the poorest and least able to care for themselves. So… St. Stephen helped the poor, so did King Wenceslas, and so do the alms boxes at Church. Ta-da! How can we celebrate St. Stephen AND Boxing Day? Here are just a few suggestions for your celebration: Send a Christmas card (or gift box?) to your deacons at church to thank them for their faithful service to those in need. Box up any extra non-perishable food items you may have and deliver them to your local food pantry. Make a donation to the poor box at your parish (or to another worthy cause). Thank an altar server after Mass with a box of Christmas cookies. Merry Christmas, sisters! In honor of St. Stephen, may we always remember those who have less than we do by our actions and in our prayers. And may we be so filled with the Holy Spirit that we, too, someday see Jesus standing at the right hand of God. [bctt tweet="On the Feast of St. Stephen #BISblog //" via="no"]

Last December I felt I was entering in to the season of Advent in a deeper way than previous years. It was a time for me in which I intentionally focused on the waiting. A phrase that stood out to me in the beginning of Advent was a quotation by Sister Miriam James Heidland, who said: Mary let go and did not grasp or make a plan B. We ought to wait with God rather than for God to make things happen. My tendency is to always have a back up plan. I’m not so good at the waiting “with God” part. Instead, I twiddle my fingers waiting for God to show me how He is going to answer my prayer. If that means not answering my prayer in the way that I had hoped, then I expect Him to show me how He is going to answer my prayer in another concrete way. The ability to wait patiently in the unknown is not a gift that I have. But it ought to be. Another reminder I received in the beginning of Advent was that waiting can be a gift that helps us to live in the present moment. I knew that if I better embraced the waiting I would naturally feel more at peace and more relaxed. In embracing the waiting, my surrender would be more full. Nothing Would Again Be Casual or Small As I began the Advent weeks of embracing the waiting, a friend sent me a poem by Fr. John Duffy titled “I Sing of a Maiden”. It was a favorite poem of the founder of the Sisters of Life, John Cardinal O’Connor, and each Sister wears a medal with a portion of the poem etched on to it. A few of the lines from the poem are as follows: Never again would she awake And in herself the buoyant Galilean lass,... A new awareness in her body when she stirred, A sense of Light within her virgin gloom: She was the Mother of the wandering Word, Little and terrifying in her laboring womb. And nothing would again be casual and small, But everything with light invested and overspilled With terror and divinity, the dawn, the first bird's call, The silhouetted pitcher waiting to be filled. These words became the focal point of my Advent meditation. I wanted my “silhouetted pitcher” to be filled, and I wanted to live life as if “nothing would again be casual and small.” I invited Mary to walk with me in the waiting, just as she had walked with Joseph from their home in Nazareth to the place of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem. The History of the Basilica of the Nativity Just over five miles south of Jerusalem sits Bethlehem, the place where “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). This holy site, which has been recognized as Jesus’ birthplace since the 2nd century, is housed within the Basilica of the Nativity. It is the oldest major church in the Holy Land. It is even included on the Unesco World Heritage List. The church was originally commissioned by Saint Helena, a woman we have to thank for many of the important churches built in the 4th century. Her son, Emperor Constantine, legalized Christianity in the Roman Empire. In order to enter the fortress-like Basilica of the Nativity which holds within it the cave where Mary gave birth to Jesus, you must bow low underneath a door which is just under four feet high. It is aptly named the door of humility because it reminds us to bow low and humble ourselves before we enter the place where God humbled Himself to become man. The Status Quo Today, the church is managed under the provision of what is called the Status Quo, which gives ownership to the Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Franciscan Churches. The Status Quo is a decree which was imposed in 1757 by the Ottoman Turks, giving a variety of religious communities both the ownership and responsibility of tending to different sections of sites within the Holy Land. Inside the Church of the Nativity, a majority of the building and furnishings belong to the Greek Orthodox. The northern transept of the church is owned by the Armenians. Both the Greek Orthodox and the Armenians are responsible for the Altar of the Nativity. The Roman Catholics have possession of this church’s centerpiece, namely, the Grotto of the Manger, the cave where Mary gave birth to Jesus. The specific location where Jesus was born is shown by a 14-pointed star. The fourteen points on the star give honor to the three different sets of fourteen generations of Jesus’ ancestry. We read in Matthew 1:17: Thus the total number of generations from Abraham to David is fourteen generations; from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations; from the Babylonian exile to the Messiah, fourteen generations. “Hic” There are two places in the Holy Land where the Latin word “hic” is inscribed upon a very significant place. In case your Latin is a little rusty, “hic” in these instances means “here.” It is a little word which carries a profound weight when standing in the places where Jesus walked. The first place I read this was in the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, at the site where the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and she gave her fiat. In that place it reads: Verbum caro HIC factum est transforming the familiar phrase from John 1:14, “the Word was made flesh,” into: the Word was made flesh HERE. The other place I saw this word inscribed was on the 14-pointed star in the Basilica of the Nativity, where at the place Jesus was born it reads: Hic De Virgine Maria Jesus Christus Natus Est meaning: HERE Jesus Christ was born to the Virgin Mary. Jesus did humble Himself before us by taking on human flesh. And as powerful as it was seeing the word “hic” at these sacred places in the Holy Land, Jesus is also here with us today. And He wants to wait with us. [bctt tweet="The Basilica at Bethlehem #BISblog //" via="no"]

Maybe it’s because our names share the same meaning, but I’ve always felt a connection to Saint Lucy. Both Lucy and Claire mean “light” and I am reminded of G.K. Chesterton's words that, “Coincidences are spiritual puns.” Everything happens for a reason. Discovering that St. Lucy and I share the same name-meaning is what initially attracted me into learning more about her story and life. God uses the most intricate and personal ways to draw us in! St. Lucy: Virgin and Martyr St. Lucy, a virgin and martyr, gave her life to Christ at a young age. She was born of nobility in Italy during the time of the Diocletian persecution. St. Lucy had a strong devotion to St. Agatha, and Lucy’s own mother experienced a miracle through her daughter’s prayers and Agatha’s intercession. Courageously keeping her vow of virginity, St. Lucy refused to marry the Governor of Syracuse and was brutally tortured because of her choice. One tradition holds that her persecutors gouged her eyes out and tried to burn her. When the fire kept extinguishing, the torturers killed her by thrusting a sword in her neck. The Beauty of Purity St. Lucy teaches us the supreme nobility of chastity and purity. It’s incredible to think that men and women have sacrificed their lives for the sake of purity. Purity for Christ and His Kingdom is supremely beautiful and worthy of honor. Whenever we feel tempted or drawn to the impure, let us find courage and strength in St. Lucy’s story of sacrifice, bravery, and love. God and His Saints The devotion a person has to God’s Saints does not end with the Saints themselves, but rather reaches ultimately to God through the Saints. It pleases God and gives Him glory when we honor those who excelled in love of Him. When we honor God’s Saints, especially on their feast days, we celebrate God’s love for His people and the hope that we too may one day sit on the throne beside Him (Revelation 3:21). St. Lucy’s Day As her name suggests, St. Lucy remains a light to many nations. St. Lucy’s Day is celebrated in her Italian homeland and in many other countries throughout the world. A beautiful thing about Catholicism is that it beckons us to celebrate specific heritages and traditions, yet it also reaches beyond all cultures and races. The word "catholic" means "universal" and we see this unity in a special way within God’s Saints. Celebrating in Sicily St. Lucy’s Feast Day coincides with the Winter Solstice, a time where light within darkness is both appreciated and yearned for. In Sicily, the location of her martyrdom, a procession takes place on her feast day. Remembering when St. Lucy saved them from famine in 1646 when a boat full of grain miraculously appeared on her feast day, Sicilians honor her by refraining from consuming pasta and bread on December 13th and instead celebrate by eating cuccìa, a pudding made of wheat berries and sugar. Celebrating in Sweden Sweden and other Scandanavian countries focus their celebration on Saint Lucy’s charity and bravery. Tradition holds that Saint Lucy would bring food and refreshment to Christians hiding in the Catacombs during Diocletian’s persecution. She would wear a candle-lit wreath to light her way and free her hands to carry as much aid to her fellow Christians as possible. Now, every St. Lucy’s Day, a young girl is elected to represent St. Lucy and leads a procession, wearing a white robe with a red sash and a crown of candles on her head. Honored Throughout the World From novenas recited in the Philippines to Naples’ tradition of lighting fires by the sea at dawn, St. Lucy is loved and honored by many faithful throughout the world. It’s exciting to think that we can participate in her feast too, even in some small way! Here are a few simple ideas to celebrate the life of this Saint of light! Wear white or red in honor of St. Lucy’s purity, virginity, and martyrdom. Make cuccìa (this recipe looks great!) or Saint Lucia Buns (I’ll be using this recipe). Or you could simply make store bought cinnamon rolls like Lisa did last year! Attend Mass or pray the Liturgy of the Hours. If you have children, make a paper wreath crown for them to wear. Pray for those experiencing illness of the eyes or blindness. The Communion of Saints However you celebrate St. Lucy’s Day this year, know that you are loved by God and by her. Know that you are never alone because we are part of the Communion of Saints. Carry the light of the Resurrection and the hope of eternal life in your heart this St. Lucy’s Day. St. Lucy, pray for us! [bctt tweet="The Feast of St. Lucy + Meaningful Traditions #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] HIS WORD CHANGES LIVES God is speaking to you through His Word. In this personal study, you will learn to hear God's voice by reading slowly and praying deeply. BEGIN THE JOURNEY

Today is the second day of Advent. An entire season, filled with joyful anticipation and expectant hope, awaits us. The candles on the Advent wreath stand tall, eager to help us count down the days and weeks until the birth of Jesus. And we feel a peaceful thrill about this season. We want to savor the days and enter into what it means to “stay awake” and “be prepared,” as Jesus instructs in the Gospel. But this desire for Advent—for waiting, watching, hoping, and preparing—can be easily overpowered by a cultural mindset that is already celebrating Christmas. Carols start playing on the radio before Thanksgiving Day. The stress of shopping for the perfect gift appears to be the pinnacle of the “holiday season.” And for practical purposes, school pageants, holiday office parties, and other festive events all happen early in December. How can we, who long to be present to the liturgical moment, wait until December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus? How can we uphold a spirit of Advent, while still living in the world? It might be hard, but it is possible with a few intentional ideas. How to Wait to Celebrate Christmas + Live Advent Abundantly Here are six ways to hold off on celebrating Christmas, even in a culture that starts (and ends) celebrating too early: 1. Savor your prayer time. During Advent, we often desire to refresh our prayer practice by starting anew or adding something extra to our time with the Lord. No matter how crazy the season feels, hold onto this longing to draw close to Jesus this Advent. Schedule prayer in your planner. What time of the day can you regularly enter into the presence of God? Journal through an Advent devotional or pray with the daily Gospel. This helps to stay present to Advent and not jump ahead to Christmas. Add a Eucharistic holy hour (or half hour) to your week. Consider how the shepherds and wise men adored the Christ Child in Bethlehem, and how we can adore that same Christ Child in the Blessed Sacrament every day! 2. Light your Advent wreath. This simple custom slows down the hustle and bustle that tries to invade our Advent peace. Lighting one candle per week and seeing the slow progression from darkness to light helps us realize how dark our world is without the light of Christ. In what ways is God calling us to move from darkness to light, so Jesus can be born in our hearts this Christmas? Place your wreath in a central location. Bless your wreath with special prayers and a sprinkling of holy water. Light it at the same time every day. Perhaps during your personal prayer time, family prayer time, or dinner. 3. Wait for it. It’s good to feel excited about decorating our homes, listening to Christmas carols, and immersing ourselves in all-things Christmas. But waiting to do these things will help us savor Advent. It will also make celebrating the birth of Christ more meaningful when Christmas finally arrives. Delay decorating your home until the third Sunday of Advent—Gaudate Sunday—when we light the pink candle and joyfully remember that our waiting is almost over. Make the Nativity the decorating exception. Set it up early in Advent for meditation and prayer, but leave the manger empty as a reminder of for Whom we are longing. Instead of listening to Christmas carols during Advent, create an Advent playlist to enjoy (or listen to ours). Or savor the peacefulness of these Advent hymns by the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles. 4. Be intentional. As invitations to parties come in, as the calendar fills up with pageants and band concerts, and as the to-do list grows longer by the minute, it is important to be intentional about how we spend our time during the short season of Advent. What is truly necessary, and what is possibly optional? Seek God’s help as you prioritize. He will surely shed His eternal light on your schedule, if you ask Him! Jesus delights in our desire to make Christmas special for our family and friends. But He also doesn’t want our work to cause anxiety (remember what He said to Martha!). So prayerfully consider declining an invitation, opting out of the cookie exchange, and crossing a couple of tasks off of your list. See how this frees you up to remain present to Advent. It might be difficult to delay all holiday tasks during Advent, especially baking, shopping, and wrapping. But is there a way to simplify them? Only bake two or three types of cookies, instead of 12. Shop online to avoid stressful crowds. As you write out cards and wrap gifts, pray for the people who will receive them. 5. Celebrate Advent’s feast days. Celebrate a couple of Advent’s wonderful feast days. Doing this makes Advent festive and fun, especially for kids, while still maintaining a spirit of waiting and preparing. Fill shoes or stockings with small treats on the Feast of St. Nicholas (December 6th). On December 9th, attend Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (a holy day of obligation). Place flowers by a statue of Mary, either at church or in your home. Enjoy a Mexican-themed dinner on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (December 12th). Serve cinnamon rolls (or authentic St. Lucia buns) for breakfast on December 13th, the feast of St. Lucy. 6. Save Christmas merriment for Christmas. While the world packs away Christmas on December 26th, the festivities are really only beginning with the Octave of Christmas (December 25th-January 1st). The 12 Days of Christmas begin on Christmas Day and go through Epiphany. And the entire Christmas season lasts until the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, which is January 12th this year. There are many fun Christmas traditions that don’t need to be crammed into the four short weeks of Advent. We can spread them out during the official Christmas season. Host a movie marathon with your favorite holiday movies. Crank up the Christmas carols and sing to your heart’s content. Celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas by learning what each day symbolizes. Cozy up by the Christmas tree and bask in the glow of its twinkling lights. Thank God for sending His Son Jesus into this world on Christmas, to rescue us from darkness and light our way back to the Father’s loving embrace. How do you wait until Christmas to celebrate? Please share your ideas in the comments below. [bctt tweet="How to Wait Until Christmas to Celebrate (While Still Living in the World) #BISblog #advent // " username="sarahcdamm"]

For years now, St. Andrew has intrigued me. It all started when this Blessed is She reflection landed in my inbox back in 2016. Emily’s words resonated with me deeply two months into motherhood, when I was feeling more invisible than I ever had. Since then, St. Andrew’s name has stood out to me as if highlighted every time he pops up in the Gospel readings for the day. He’s not mentioned too often, speaking up even less—just twice in the Gospel of John. Other than that, he’s always referred to simply as part of the group. In those two instances when his words were recorded, though, they bear a striking similarity. In both cases, they perfectly demonstrate how well he kept his ears open and then was unafraid to speak up. Listening... One of my biggest struggles throughout my life has been listening. Perhaps it’s a bit of a perfectionist streak, my nagging longing to be liked, or my lifelong identity as a writer that makes me feel as though I always need the perfect words. Whatever the cause, I often have to force myself to listen well when someone speaks, rather than plan out the next thing I’ll say. I know this is a weakness. I don’t believe it’s one St. Andrew shared. John tells us that Andrew was an apostle of St. John the Baptist. When St. John the Baptist uttered, “Behold the Lamb of God” as Jesus passed (John 1:35-36), St. Andrew was nearby. St. John the Baptist didn’t outrightly tell his friends to get up and follow Jesus. But, in this case, he didn’t need to. St. Andrew had clearly been listening to the message of this final prophet during their time together: that another was coming. He was listening in this moment when he found out exactly Who that was. He listened. Andrew heard. He got up and followed Jesus (John 1:37). And then...he spoke up. ...and Knowing When to Speak And boy, did his speaking up rock the course of history. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which is translated Anointed). Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas (which is translated Peter). -John 1:40-42   What if Andrew hadn’t been listening that day? What if he had kept the news of Jesus’ presence to himself? And how often am I not listening? How often am I missing the opportunity to share truth, encouragement, or wisdom because I didn’t hear what I needed to hear in the first place in order to offer those things? Bringing What Little We Have “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish,” he told Jesus, “but what good are these for so many?” -John 6:8-9 This is the second quote of St. Andrew’s recorded in the Gospels. I think you can picture the scene as vividly as I can; we’ve heard it time and time again. There’s a hill crowded with thousands of people. There is a tension of restlessness, trying to see and hear the Messiah, and supernatural calm that there, there He is. And there is the sun starting to sink in the sky and one individual realization after another that no one packed food. We don’t know if St. Andrew was the one who spotted the boy in the crowd of five thousand plus, clutching his measly dinner. We don’t know if the boy presented the food to him, identifying something approachable about the Apostle. But what we do know is that even though this offering seemed insignificant, St. Andrew still brought it to the Lord. “But what good are these?” Those words ring so true to me. What good are my gifts and talents, when there are others so much more skilled? What good is my donation when a need is so great? And what good is my voice when the world is noisy? Jesus’ response to St. Andrew is the same ones He gives to us. He takes our tiny offering with gratitude. Maybe He’ll simply accept it with love. But maybe...maybe He’ll use it to work a miracle. St. Andrew, pray for us! Don’t forget, the St. Andrew novena in preparation for Christmas begins today. As we pray through Advent, may he intercede for us to listen attentively and speak up boldly, just as he did. [bctt tweet="On the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle #BISblog //" username="lisajanelkirk"]

A Saint is a person in Heaven who lived a virtuous life in a heroic way for the Faith and who is worthy of imitation. It is pleasing to God and gives Him glory when we honor those who excelled in love of Him. The devotions we have to Saints do not end with the Saints themselves, but rather reaches ultimately to God. Universal Call To Holiness The Saints are in their glory, contemplating God and stand before Him in perfect joy, peace, love, and happiness in Heaven. As different as all the Saints are, there is one thing they all have in common: they lived out their specific call of Christ, that universal call to holiness. Every Saint is a man or woman who desired a friendship with God, and who fell in love with Him, our King. The Communion of Saints The witness of their heroic love stories with God can inspire, and even change our own lives. Whenever I feel dry or apathetic, reading stories about the lives of the Saints and calling upon their intercession always rekindles and ignites my faith. Their witness of love, joy, and fidelity to God within their obstacles, pain, and even their own dryness inspires and uplifts my soul. St. Giuseppe Moscati In retrospect, during the most pivotal moments in my life I was asking the intercession of a specific Saint. Many of my memories are accompanied with the name of a Saint. As a child I remember reciting the words on a Marian prayer card at night. In high school I asked St. Bridget to be with me during a particularly painful year. During nursing school I offered my vocation as a nurse to St. Joseph. When I was single and discerning I called upon the intercession of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. Throughout my pregnancy with my son, Peter Karol, I asked Pope St. John Paul the Great to protect us. And now, I have a devotion to St. Giuseppe Moscati. Doctor of the Poor I first discovered St. Giuseppe Moscati two years ago after watching a film about him. I was immediately drawn to his story of fidelity, courage, sacrifice, and strength. Moscati was a brilliant Italian doctor, professor, and miracle worker. Known as the “holy physician of Naples,” St. Giuseppe Moscati saw Christ in each of his patients. He went to Mass and received Jesus in the Eucharist each day before visiting his patients. His pure love for God and neighbor culminated in the vow of chastity and poverty that he made. Moscati lived simply in order to serve the poor without cost, and never charged a fee to priests or religious. Miracle Worker Miracles happened while he was alive and continue to occur after his death. Healings from cancer, accidents, and other ailments, including infertility, take place through his intercession. St. Giuseppe Moscati lived out the Beatitudes, serving Christ in the sick, poor, lonely, homeless, and suffering. Saints Change Our Lives Saints change history because they change lives. After watching the film and learning more about St. Giuseppe Moscati’s life I was inspired to create a medical scrub line in his honor, Moscati Scrubs. Before becoming a stay at home mother, I worked as an oncology nurse. It’s been a joy combining my passion for the Faith and the medical field. My life truly has not been the same since discovering this incredible Saint and I see his intercession in my life so clearly. Our Friendship With Christ There is nothing more attractive to me than a person living for Christ, when it is clear that a person truly has heaven as a goal and lives like Heaven is their goal, just as St. Giuseppe Moscati lived. Those are the people I’m drawn to and that is the person I want to be. My goal is for Christ to shine through me so that people may see Christ and have a friendship with Christ. Our world needs that. People in the world are yearning for that! Our world needs you; the world needs your friendship with Christ. [bctt tweet="The world needs your friendship with Christ. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] Three Challenges for the Feast of St. Giuseppe Moscati Here are three challenges for us on this Feast of Saint Giuseppe Moscati: Do You Want Heaven? Ask yourself if you want Heaven. Do you want to be with God, do you want to be His Saint? Do you want the glory, joy, peace, love, and happiness for eternity? If your answer is yes, make Heaven your goal in the way you live. Live like you want Heaven. Start praying each day, even if it’s a few seconds or saying the words, “Jesus, I want heaven, help me become a Saint.” And if your answer is “no” or you aren’t sure if you want Heaven, please say a little prayer asking God to place that desire for Heaven in you. Because we want you in Heaven. God wants you in Heaven. He wants to spend eternity with you. [bctt tweet="Live like you want Heaven. #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"] Fall in Love with Christ Begin falling in love with Christ. Let your heart be romanced by God. Falling in love with our Creator is the greatest love story. God loves us deeply and profoundly. He loves us no matter what. No sin is too big for Him. And once we fall deeply in love with Christ, we are better able to love people here on earth. Find Heavenly Friends Make a Saint your best friend. It could be your confirmation Saint or the Saint your parents named you after. Or if you don’t know where to begin, ask God to send you one—He will! You could even Google some of your hobbies and who the patron Saint is of that hobby. For example, if you love music, St. Cecilia is the patron Saint of music. Or pick up a book about the lives of the Saints and if you feel drawn to one, begin asking them to be with you throughout the day. Be a Saint! Sisters, you are beautiful. You have gifts and talents that God gave you, that He wants you to use and share with the world. You are the light of this world, a world that is often full of darkness and despair. You are God’s joy. You are His joy! You are loved by Him. You are meant for that perfect joy, peace, love, and happiness in Heaven. Saint Giuseppe Moscati, pray for us! [bctt tweet="The Life of St. Giuseppe Moscati #BISblog //" username="findphilothea"]

A handful of Saints within Catholicism have been given the title “Great.” Most recently canonized is Pope St. John Paul the Great, but there’s also St. Albert the Great, St. Gregory the Great, St. Leo the Great, St. Basil the Great, and St. Bartholomew the Great (just to name a few). The title is bestowed upon a person whose intellectual influence within the Church was so profound that it’s impact continues to echo for generations after their death. One such individual—and the only female to have this title associated with her name—is St. Gertrude, whose feast we celebrate today. St. Gertrude + Visions of Love A brilliant mind, Gertrude began her convent years far more interested in her academic studies than in the spiritual practices which accompanied life in the habit. Her focus transformed drastically when she began receiving visions of Christ at the age of twenty-five (a gift that was first and foremost meant to spark her conversion, and then aid the life of the universal Church). There were two prominent motifs that spanned across the entirety of her visions. Firstly and most importantly, she was granted the grace of seeing the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. No joke, she was given a vision in which she gazed through Christ’s open side and peered upon the Divine, beating Heart (roughly 300 years before devotion to the Sacred Heart was made popular by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque). Secondly, she received multiple visions of Purgatory, which seems slightly extraneous considering the topic of her primary visions. However, with God, nothing is random. These visions were purposefully paired together. What first appears to be a hodge podge of happenstance was actually God’s way of revealing His heartfelt love for those souls being purified in fire. Beyond that, He wanted to recruit our assistance in alleviating their suffering. The Good Father In the book of Hebrews, God is compared to a parent disciplining a child. My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor lose courage when you are punished by him. For the Lord disciplines him whom he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives. ...God is treating you as sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? -Hebrews 12:5-7 Now, Purgatory is not a punishment for sin, but it is a consequence. A consequence that God upholds for our own benefit. However, as any parent, teacher, or child care-taker would tell you, holding them accountable and letting them deal with the consequences of their actions is no fun for anyone. It brings no satisfaction and often causes pain for the person in charge of upholding the standard. God’s relationship with His children in Purgatory is no different. In a vision to Gertrude, He confided that He longs for the faithful on earth to plead for mercy for the suffering souls. He uses the metaphor of a king who imprisoned a friend for justice's sake, but internally hopes that someone will beg for mercy for his friend. Sin does require justice, but God desires to be merciful … and quickly! A Pearl Exchange The Sacred Heart longs to be merciful and thus wishes people to pray often for the souls in Purgatory. He revealed to St. Gertrude that each and every prayer prayed on behalf of the Church Suffering appears as a valuable pearl on a magnificent golden table in Heaven. This holds true no matter how brief the petition. Jesus told Gertrude... I accept with highest pleasure what is offered to Me for the poor souls, for I long inexpressibly to have near Me those for whom I paid so great a price. By the prayers of thy loving soul, I am induced to free a prisoner from purgatory as often as thou dost move thy tongue to utter a word of prayer.  Christ is so eager to be reunited with those souls He saved that even the most minute prayers will do. Obliging the Sacred Heart As is the case with all hearts devoted to another, Gertrude found herself loving those things the Sacred Heart loved. In her case, she became devoted to offering prayers and supplications for souls stuck in Purgatory. At every Mass, she offered her Eucharist for their souls. In thanksgiving, Christ granted her a vision of all the souls that were realized because of a single reception. It was so numerous that Gertrude was left stunned. In another vision, Jesus gave her a prayer and a promise that each time it is prayed, He would release 1,000 souls from Purgatory. Gertrude used the prayer herself and also wrote it down. Eternal Father, I offer You the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus Christ, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, those in the Universal Church, in my home, and in my family. A Three-Fold Benefit In praying for our Church Suffering, there is nothing to be lost and only good things to gain. First of all, it benefits the souls themselves. Whether your prayers merit them Heaven or simply alleviate the suffering they face, the souls are grateful. So grateful, in fact, that they turn around and offer prayers for you! That’s the second benefit of praying for these souls—it brings more Divine Grace into your life as they offer their sufferings for you and your intentions. We Will See Them Lastly, and most importantly, it is a great comfort to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus who desires an end to their suffering more than anyone. Venerable Fulton Sheen (soon to be beatified!) once said, “As we enter Heaven we will see them, so many of them coming towards us and thanking us. We will ask who they are, and they will say, ‘a poor soul you prayed for in purgatory.’” I’ve always loved this imagery, and am looking forward to this moment greatly. However, now thanks to learning more about the revelations of St Gertrude, I can’t help but imagine Christ in the mix, making His way to the front of the group and embracing me in gratitude for the small ways I helped to reunite Him with all the souls He loves. Have you ever heard of this prayer of St. Gertrude for the souls in Purgatory? Let's all take a moment and pray it today! [bctt tweet="St. Gertrude + the Souls in Purgatory #BISblog //"

Today is the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran! So why do we care so much about a building in Rome that we dedicate an entire feast to it on the Roman calendar? History and Architecture of the Basilica of St. John Lateran Upon looking back at the dedication of the St. John Lateran in Rome, Rome’s Cathedral, we owe our attention to the Emperor Constantine, the son of Saint Helen. In 313, when the Emperor Constantine granted Christians freedom to practice their religion, he had the first church built in Rome: the Church of St. John Lateran. Constantine donated the land for this church, as the land was a gift to him from him from the Lateran family. This is where the Pope lived up until the Avignon Era and today it is the Pope’s Cathedral Church. As such an important church, St. John Lateran is given several different distinctions: cathedral, archbasilica, and major basilica. A cathedral is where the bishop's seat, or cathedra, is located and it symbolizes their teaching authority. It is also granted the name “archbasilica” for its spiritual, historical, and architectural significance. Finally, it is one of the four major basilicas in Rome, a distinction given to the city’s most highly ranked churches. What You'll See On the facade of St. John Lateran you will find inscribed in Latin: omnium urbis et orbis ecclesiarum mater et caput. This translates to “the mother of all churches of Rome and the world.” This church is our mother church, the head of all the churches in the world, making it the church and spiritual home of all Catholics. The dedication of St. John Lateran was celebrated in 324, and at that time it was dedicated to the Most Holy Saviour. It was not until the 6th century that the names of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist, the current namesakes, were added. Inside, along the nave, you will find giant depictions of the twelve Apostles who appear to be supporting the ceiling of the Church and each is holding the symbol of his martyrdom. Above the high altar you will also see reliquaries of ... wait for it ... the bones of the heads of Saints Peter and Paul! We are “God’s Building” The readings for this feast day invite us to reflect on the meaning and importance of church buildings. For the Jews, their life revolved around the temple. The greatest tragedies they ever experienced were the destruction of the temple by the Babylonians, and then again in 70 A.D. by the Romans. The Jews could only hope and pray that one day the temple would be restored to its pure state, and their prayer was answered by Yahweh Himself. Churches today are meant to be that new temple. We are that temple. In today’s Gospel of John we hear how Jesus went up to the temple in Jerusalem and overturned the tables of the money-changers, angry with them for desecrating the temple with their sales. When they asked Him what sign he could show them to prove the authority with which He spoke, He said He would, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up” (John 2:19). He fulfilled this prophecy through His bodily temple. In the Second Reading today, Paul says, “You are God’s building...Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:9,16). Jesus foreshadowed the coming of the temple of the body of Christ, the Church, the place where divinity and humanity meet. Every church building represents this temple which reveals to us the body of Christ. This is what we are celebrating today! The Importance of Buildings in the Life of a Christian Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said that today’s feast: reminds us of the importance of the concrete buildings in which the community gathers together to celebrate God’s praises. Every community therefore has the duty to carefully guard their holy structures, which constitute a precious religious and historical patrimony. For this we invoke the intercession of Mary Most Holy, so that she might help us to become, like her, a ‘house of God’, living temple of his love.   We can do this through answering our baptismal anointing as priest, prophet and king. What it Means To Act as Priest, Prophet, and King Bishop Robert Barron has spoken about how the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran honors St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. John and in so doing it encapsulates the three-fold offices of priest, prophet, and king. We see the priestly office in St. John, as he was very contemplative and mystical. It it is our priestly responsibility to live a life of prayer and going to Mass. St. Paul’s office is the prophetic office, as he teaches and preaches and goes out to all nations. We can exercise this role by sharing our Faith with others and proclaiming the love of Jesus Christ. The third, kingly, office we see in St. Peter, as it represents rule and governance in the Church. We practice the kingly office when we practice self-mastery and self-control in our lives. Bishop Barron speaks of our kingly responsibility as one which requires us to help lead others to the Kingdom of God. We can start to live these three offices today by simply praying and asking the Blessed Mother to help us become a “house of God,” evangelizing through being a “living temple of His love” which will therefore help us to lead others to experience God’s love and hopefully, in turn, they too will direct their lives towards the Kingdom. Have you ever been to the Basilica of St. John Lateran? [bctt tweet="On the Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran #BISblog //" via="no"]

Walk into any store or tune into any radio station, and you would think Christmas is next week. The minute Halloween is over, Christmas is here. Never mind that it’s still very much fall, Thanksgiving is still a few weeks away, and Advent is the season that prepares us for the long-anticipated birth of Our Savior. It can be hard to form holiday traditions rooted in Faith, when we live in a very secular (and commercial) society. We hang stockings, decorate the tree, and give gifts. But perhaps we wonder why we do these things. Is there meaning behind these traditions? Or do we do them “just because”? Holiday Traditions Rooted in Faith Developing traditions takes time and patience. My family has tried things that simply didn’t click for us. Or some ideas worked well when we had two children but not as well with six. Eventually, the traditions that were meant to be ours took root in the hearts of each family member. And before we knew it, the kids started telling me, “That’s our tradition, Mom!” And because we believe that Christmas is—and always will be—about God coming to dwell among us, we recognize how our holiday traditions are rooted in Faith … while fun and nostalgic, too. Counting the Days Celebrating the season of Advent helps us prepare our hearts and homes to welcome Jesus on Christmas Day. The Advent Wreath The Advent wreath is a lovely connection between home and church, with Advent wreaths prominently set up in both places. My family enjoys the flickering light of the candles as the winter days grow darker. Our Advent wreath acts as a “Christmas countdown” of sorts, too, as we light another candle each week and the anticipation of Christmas grows. Jesse Tree Another way to countdown the days until Christmas is with the Jesse Tree. This custom traces Jesus’ lineage all the way back to Creation. Each day, we hang an ornament that corresponds with a Scripture reading. As each Bible story is read, we see a golden thread tying them together. And that thread is God. The Jesse Tree reminds us of God’s immense love and faithfulness. We see how He transforms the messiest situations by giving us a Savior. We recognize that the story of salvation is our story, too. Decorating Glorifies God It is quite customary to do a lot of decorating at Christmastime. In fact, we can have multiple bins of Christmas decorations that are enjoyed for only a few weeks each year! And that’s OK. Because we are celebrating Jesus’ birth, after all! And when we decorate to honor the Lord, of course we want every space to sparkle! Often, the Christmas tree is the focal point of our Christmas-y homes. But perhaps we can turn greater attention to the nativity scene. One way to do this is by displaying it in a more central location. Add candles or twinkle lights. Make the scene a tiny altar, where we come to pray. Decorating the tree helps us think about how God’s love is everlasting, just like the life of an evergreen. While stringing lights around the tree, we contemplate how Jesus is the light of the world, and His light “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). And placing a star or angel on top, we remember the first Christmas when angels appeared to shepherds in the night sky and announced the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:8-20). Think of Mary and how she must have kept her house for the Holy Family. I imagine it being tidy, peaceful, and ready to welcome family and friends. As we prepare our homes for Christmas next month, let’s ask for Mary’s intercession to focus on hospitality, not perfection. Hanging Stockings by the Chimney Whether or not Santa Claus is part of your Christmas celebration, it is very popular to hang stockings somewhere in the home. This tradition can be linked to St. Nicholas, whose feast day is December 6th. On St. Nicholas Day, fill shoes or stockings with chocolate coins and a small faith-based gift. Read The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. In this poem, “the stockings were hung by the chimney with care in hopes that St. Nicholas soon will appear.” This references the legend of St. Nicholas, who tossed bags of money through windows to help poor families. His generosity slowly evolved into the idea of Santa. Giving Generously, Like the Wise Men Can we even think about Christmas without thinking about gift giving? We may wonder why we do it, but we can’t imagine not doing it! To make gift giving more meaningful, consider praying with the Scripture passage that tells the story of the Three Wise Men and the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh that they gave to Jesus at His birth (Matthew 2:1-12). As we contemplate giving Christmas gifts, let’s ask the Lord to fill our hearts with the generosity of the Wise Men. Like the Wise Men, we can be lavish in our giving, even if we can’t spend a lot of money. For example, we can spend extra time visiting an elderly family member. We can help an elderly neighbor string lights on their house, or we can bake cookies for our parish priest. Consider giving gifts that symbolize the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Since gold is known to be valuable, the gold gift is something at the top of the recipient’s wish list. The frankincense gift is something that draws us closer to the Lord, just as our prayers rise up like incense (Psalm 141:2). And since myrrh is an ointment for the body, the myrrh gift is something practical, such as clothes, pajamas, or a new purse. This practice adds meaning to the presents we give (and receive) on Christmas Day, and it also simplifies the shopping. Rooting Traditions in Faith is Easier Than You Might Think Holiday traditions that we enjoy year after year are special for one reason or another. And the more we think about it, the more we discover how they are rooted in Faith and help us celebrate the birth of Jesus. What are some of your holiday traditions rooted in Faith? [bctt tweet="Forming Holiday Traditions that are Rooted in the Faith #BISblog //" via="no"]

Happy Feast of All Saints! This feast begins the month of November and orders our hearts and prayers toward a posture of giving gratitude. All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day differ a bit from our traditional Thanksgiving mindset, in that we are giving thanks for, and asking intercession from those holy witnesses that have gone before us. Very often I think the close succession of holy days that fall near this turning of the calendar can jumble the focus of the particular feasts and our participation in them. It is awe-inspiring (and a little out of the ordinary) to link our individual lives with the likes of the entire Mystical Body of Christ. But that is what this feast and its next-day-twin, All Souls', are all about. Celebrating the Saints Before the days of the Saint-name-generators, choosing a Saint—or letting a Saint choose you—for the year was a practice. It was new to me. I assume this was a roommate’s New Year’s tradition, or maybe my friends were onto something cutting edge? Either way, on January 1st, out came the bag of Saint cards that my friend had stashed somewhere in her desk drawer. We passed around the tiny icons like baseball cards, singling out that patron or patroness that might offer particular guidance to our young adult lives in the New Year. When it came time for me to choose, I pulled out an icon for All Saints. My friend suggested I draw again because I was only supposed to get one, and it was a little much to expect all of the Saints to walk with me that year. I assured her that given the opportunity for all the Saints in Heaven to accompany me; I was not going to pass it up on a technicality! This is basically the feast of All Saints in a nutshell. All the Saints! After all, I had grown up attending All Saints parish. I had always appreciated that no one had chosen to pare down our heavenly intercessors to just one. With so many wonderful options, why narrow it down? We celebrated the Communion of Saints by way of our annual parish festival. I imagine I went to Mass, but perhaps my limited understanding of the Liturgy blended with all other liturgies. It wasn’t until I became rooted in a town with a Benedictine Abbey in which to celebrate the feasts of All Saints' and All Souls' Days that my eyes were opened to the magnanimity of these days, the particular distinctions between these celebrations, and what they mean. A Profound Liturgy Candles flickering and schola chanting, the Abbey was illuminated by dozens of relics throughout the church, available for veneration by the gathered community. Something about this celebration felt so mooring to me, connecting the past with the present. The next day, the atmosphere was similar, but fresh in its own way as the names and images of deceased loved ones were spoken and shared—my grandmother’s included. The loves and losses that had melded and shaped the people gathered that year collected and offered back to God not in the freshness of grief, but in the gratitude of bearing witness. All Saints' Day The Feast of All Saints is celebrated on November 1st each year, or All Hallows' Eve if you attend the Vigil Mass. It is a day to venerate all of the holy women and men who have already been canonized and the entire Church Triumphant. It is typical that during a celebration of All Saints' that a church would include any relics in its possession in the celebration of this Liturgy. At a vigil celebration, this very often looks like a votive candle illuminating the relic for the benefit of the gathered community that they might pray in a more intimate way for the intercession of a Saint that is significant to that faith community. ­ The Mass is always a sensory experiences, but in a particular way, the vigil celebration of All Saints' Day is a feast for the eyes. All Souls' Day We follow one celebration with the Feast of All Souls, at which time we celebrate everyone and anyone of the faithful who have died that year and the entire Church Suffering. We pray on their behalf for eternal rest. Often parishes will provide a book of the dead in which the names of those who have died during the year will be listed and prayed over. This is a particularly moving time of remembrance of those we love and have lost. It stirs a deep hope both in the act of remembering their lives and interceding for them. Our parish has a tradition of celebrating Dia de los Muertos after Mass on both holy days. Each year, families create memorials of their loved ones with pictures, foods, and trinkets that help to mark the significance of that person’s life. Of course, their loss is mourned. But it is joy that I notice as people commemorate the lives of those they have lost. For a concept that is difficult for adults to comprehend, and even more so to explain to children, I still find the movie Coco to be one of the best and most beautiful attempts to capture the practice of honoring the feast of All Souls and the vastness of the cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). The theology of this particular day is deeply moving and yet it smacks of ordinariness. On some level, this is how we keep the memory of our families alive, in the hope of reunion in Heaven. Honoring the lives of those we love, however long or short, is our heritage. How do you celebrate the feasts of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day? Share ideas with us in the comments below! [bctt tweet="The Difference Between All Saints' and All Souls' Days #BISblog //" via="no"]

This Sunday, on October 13, Cardinal John Henry Newman will be canonized a Saint. Newman is one of the most well-known converts to the Catholic Church from Anglicanism. Before his conversion, he was a renowned Anglican theologian who led the Oxford Movement, a movement with the goal of returning the Church of England to the Catholic roots founded before the English Reformation. He wrote forty books and over twenty-thousand letters, with his most famous books being an Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine, Apologia Pro Vita Sua, and Essay on the Grammar of Assent. One of the miracles attributed to Newman is from an American law school graduate who was healed after asking for his intercession while suffering from a life-threatening pregnancy. How I Came To Know Newman John Henry Newman is not a man that I became familiar with until I enrolled in a college course on him taught by world-renowned Newman scholar Dr. Don Briel. I bring up this beloved professor because of his particularly lucid explanation of Newman’s vision. In Dr. Briel’s words, in order “to think deeply about the truth of things, requires that a student thinks about his purpose or her purpose in life.” This requires attentiveness and leads us to the fullness of life, which is Christian joy. Dr. Briel was diagnosed with cancer just over one year ago and has since passed away. When his students learned of his illness they flocked to him to ask for his advice. What he shared with them was Newman’s vision: Newman’s vision is that we have a great dignity and are meant for a purpose which we can’t fully grasp. If that’s true, then the main purpose in life is to be attentive. Attentive to the working of grace that invites us to understand that work more deeply and participate in it more fully...that’s the real key...God is inviting a transformation of life and its purpose, not simply a work to be done.   Transformation Requires Change One of Newman’s most famous quotations is “To live is to change and to be perfect is to change often.” Prayer can lead us to this change. Newman wrote “prayer, I say, has what may be called a natural effect in spiritualizing and elevating the soul. A man is no longer what he was before; gradually … he has imbibed a new set of ideas, and become imbued with fresh principles”. All living things are in the process of change, it is an essential part of life and what enables us to be transformed more fully into the image of God. [bctt tweet="“To live is to change and to be perfect is to change often.” -Bl. John Henry Newman #BISblog //" via="no"] So Who is This John Henry Newman? Newman went to Trinity College in Oxford, England. During Newman’s time there, it was known for its “gentleman-commoners,” men who attended elite colleges, not in order to delve into their studies, but rather to prove their high status. Most of the men at this school were ones who abused their freedom and lived their college years as though they were entitled to behave however they pleased. Newman was of a much different character than these men. Unlike many of the others, he placed his priorities on his studies. While he also found time to enjoy his hobbies of playing music, learning to dance, and writing plays, these pursuits were always secondary to his studies. His diligence paid off, and just four years after he finished his undergraduate at Trinity, he was made a tutor at Oxford’s Oriel College. Newman’s Habit of Mind Newman noticed that the goal of liberal education in a university was becoming disordered. Students were not being challenged beyond their comfort zone and failed to look beyond themselves. Newman aimed to make possible an education which combines intellectual learning, moral discipline and religious devotion. According to Newman, the primary goal of a liberal arts education should be to form a philosophical habit of mind. In his well-known book, Idea of a University, Newman describes this habit of mind. He talks about how a man who is properly liberally educated is one who will customarily see things in their right order and balanced connectedness to the world around them. Newman wrote, “not to know the relative disposition of things is the state of slaves or children; to have mapped out the universe is the boast, or at least the ambition of Philosophy.” The endeavor of liberal education should not be the mere acquisition of knowledge, but rather knowledge permeated with reason. Reason is what fleshes out and makes sense of simple facts, allowing us to find our purpose. Finding Purpose If you are looking to find more purpose in your life, pray this prayer written by our new Saint, John Henry Newman. God has created me to do Him some definite service. He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission. I may never know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good; I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it if I do but keep His commandments. Therefore, I will trust Him, whatever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him, in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him. If I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends. He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me. Still, He knows what He is about.   Rest in the knowledge that God knows what He is about. And if you are attentive, you will fulfill the mission He has for you. [bctt tweet="The Canonization of John Henry Newman #BISblog //" via="no"] This post contains affiliate links. Thanks so much for supporting Blessed is She!