Confirmed in Christ (times 2)!!!

On May 19th both Joseph and Michael received the Sacrament of Confirmation.  What a beautiful and holy day!  Both of the boys picked holy men to be their sponsors:  Joseph picked Nathan Casey, a family friend who loves the Lord, and likes baseball and playing guitar--just like Joseph! :)  And Michael picked Tom Kaiserski, another family friend who attends our church, attends a monthly Marian prayer group that we are a part of, and he also attends many of our boys' baseball games because he, too, is a baseball fan.  :)  I'm so proud of the boys for picking such great Catholic men to sponsor them, to pray for them, and to be strong role models for them in the faith for many years to come.

The Confirmation Mass was truly filled with the Holy Spirit.  It was beautiful to watch all the confirmandi be prayed over by all 4 priests that were concelebrating the Mass, and then be blessed with the holy oil by Monsignor O'Neill (our temporary bishop who our boys know so well because they have been altar serving for him for nearly a decade!)  But the highlight for me was watching my boys be altar servers for their own Confirmation Mass, especially during the holy Consecration when all of the senior altar servers reverently knelt with candles in front of the altar while one server prayerfully swung the incenser 3 times as the priest held up the Body and Blood of Jesus.  It truly felt like heaven on earth--so mystical and holy--and it made my heart overflow with gratitude to be Catholic and to have my children raised in this beautiful faith.

I pray that my sons will always be filled with the Holy Spirit and share their love for God and His holy Church their whole lives!

"Come Holy Spirit, 

fill my sons with your gifts, 

and guide them along the path of God's holy will 

in all of their decisions throughout life."

Joseph chose St. Augustine to be his Confirmation name and intercessor.

Michael chose St. Michael the Archangel as his name and intercessor.

when failure weighs heavy

Perfectionists like me take failure hard.  But it is good for us.  It keeps us humble.  It reminds us that only God is perfect.  And within the suffering of failure, there is merit (that is, if we remember to offer up the suffering and unite it to Jesus' suffering!) :)  I'm not so sure I always do so well at the offering it up part!  But this quote that I recently came across in St. Faustina's diary inspires me to not take failure so hard, because succeeding at a task is not what is important to God--it's the suffering, not the succeeding, that has merit!  How freeing that is!  Perhaps this quote will encourage all of you perfectionists out there too!

"It is not for the success of a work, but for the suffering, that I give reward." 

(Jesus' words to Faustina, diary entry #90)

And here's a real failure story for you too, in case it helps you feel better to know you're not alone in your failures... :)

Last summer I was inspired with an idea for our school's Kindergarten auction project.  I love to quilt, and my baby was going to be a Kindergartener, which meant I would have tons of free time to quilt since all of my kids would be in school.  So I offered to make a quilt using the school uniform fabric and the cute faces of the Kindergarteners printed on photo fabric.  I worked my buns off for 4 months, spending countless hours agonizing over every detail like a true perfectionist.  I followed the directions to the tee regarding the photo fabric because I had never made a photo quilt before.  I had fun but I was also very stressed out.  I finally finished it.  I washed it...  And I ruined it.  Yes, I ruined it in the wash.  I didn't even use any detergent!  The photo fabric was supposed to be "color-fast," but when I pulled it out of the wash the photos were faded and wrinkly.  It looked horrible.  There was nothing I could do.  I had to accept the experience as a teachable moment, an opportunity for humility, and move on with plan B for the auction quickly.  Thankfully, I was able to design and order an adorable fleece blanket from a company online using the cute Kindergartener's photos that I had taken, and it turned about beautifully!  It was not as awesome as I had planned, it was not a hand-made quilt using the cute uniform fabric, but it was still beautiful and snuggly and made the family that bought it happy (I hope).  And I trust that God had a reason for how things turned out, and that He used every ounce of my suffering for some good purpose.  (I'm not sure if I'll ever try to make a photo quilt again though...or ever offer to make an auction project.  There's only so much suffering that a perfectionist can take!)  :}  But all in all, it was a good experience for me.  It stretched me and reminded me to say "Praise the Lord anyway!" when things don't turn out the way I had hoped.  For  His ways are always perfect, and He will use our failures and sufferings for great good, even though we might not see it or understand it right away.

Here's a photo of the quilt prior to me ruining it in the wash...

And here's a picture of the cute blanket that became the final auction project:

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This...

Our sweet Nathanael received the sweetest gift of his life last weekend:  the real Presence of Jesus for the first time!  It really doesn't get any better than this---at least not on this side of Heaven, I don't think!  To have Jesus' Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity within us at every Holy Eucharist, filling us with His grace, strength, and love---what a Gift!  I love being Catholic!!! 

It was such a beautiful day for Nathanael.  He was so happy and excited.  I bet he felt like he had waited a lifetime for this day...watching his older brothers have their 1st Communions and watching them receive Jesus week after week and having to wait and wait for his turn to finally arrive.  Well, arrive it did, and he was ready!  He wore the same 1st Communion outfit that his oldest brother Joseph wore 9 years ago!  It truly warmed my heart.  As a mom, I am so happy that my children truly believe in the Real Presence, and I pray they always will.  I heard a crazy statistic that over half of Catholics don't even believe that the bread and wine truly are changed into Jesus' Body and Blood (as Catholics we call this transubstantiation).  I don't know how this can be...how can Catholics not believe this essential truth of our faith?  Especially when you read about all the Eucharistic miracles that have happened and are still happening all over the world!  I was so happy that our young, on-fire priest gave his homily about Eucharistic miracles and how there is no doubt that God loves us so much and wants to be so close to us that He literally gives us His Heart at every Eucharist!  There have been numerous, well-documented miracles of communion hosts that have literally changed into bloody flesh, and when they have been scientifically tested, they all have AB positive blood type, they all come from living heart tissue, and they all show evidence that the heart has undergone a terrible beating of some kind.  Coincidence...no way!  Jesus gives us His real, living, wounded Heart at every Eucharist!  What crazy-love our God has for us!  I hope many hearts were inspired to believe more fully in the Real Presence at that special 1st Communion Mass.

After the gorgeous Mass at the Cathedral, we came home to celebrate with 2 other families that had 1st communicants (2 of Nathanael's very best friends), as well as 2 of our neighbors who wanted to share in Nathanael's special day.  Despite the fact that we are in the month of May, it snowed outside.  But we were all warm and happy inside, and some of the kids braved the weather and went biking and zip-lining anyway :)  Perhaps that is how Nathanael came down with a fever and cold that night???  But we were SO grateful he waited to get sick until after his 1st Communion.  It was a day that I hope he treasures in his heart always, and I pray that he will always firmly believe in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and grow closer to Jesus every time that he receives Him!

Nathanael (on the far left) with his 1st Communion Class,

as well as Deacon Bob and Fr. Christopher Lebsock

Nathanael with one of his best friends, beautiful little Emily, 

who also happens to be my God-daughter.
They look like a little bride and groom...

wouldn't that be something if someday they got married!  :)

Nathanael with his 2 best friends:  Emily and Stevie

Paul and I so proud of our holy little man!

Nathanael showing a few of his special 1st Communion gifts:

A rosary from Grandma Jean

A Bible from Grandma Theresa and Grandpa Pat

A Sacred Heart picture from mom and dad

And with the money he got from friends and family, he wants to buy baseball cards :)

Catching up!!!

I have certainly been neglecting my blog of late.  Hopefully I will get back into a weekly routine of blogging soon, but in the meantime, I'll just give a quick post to catch up on the random happenings in our household...

For starters, I never even posted our Christmas pictures!  Ooops!  This year we decided to brave the winter roads and head back to South Dakota for the holidays.  As always, it was wonderful.  There truly is "no place like home," and every time we go back it is like a retreat for me and a party for my boys.  My parents have a way of just taking care of everything and making things so relaxed and fun-filled.  Every time we go I make a mental note that this time I'm going to be more helpful so that my mom can sit back and relax, but every time we go, my mom has this Mary Poppins way of doing everything without anyone even noticing.  I really hope her "Mary Pippins-ness" is genetic and that those magical qualities start being exemplified in me someday :)  But for the time being, they seem hidden...deep deep down in my genetic coding...because just the idea of cleaning, cooking and menu planning stress me out!  :)  But I digress...  Here are a few photos of our fun stay with Grandma and Grandpa.  I'm mad at myself for not taking more photos, but again, being at my mom's house puts me in this lazy retreat-like daze and I forgot about all of the things I should be doing! :)

My sweet parents with my sweet boys on Christmas Day :)

Isaiah checking out his new LEGO set!

He's so proud that he can build sets all by himself now :)

Natey happy about his new Easton bat, and hoping he will be a big slugger this year!

Dominic and Isaiah finding the treasures in their stockings

Michael investigating his new fly fishing rod

A fun and relaxing Christmas morning opening presents at Grandma and Grandpa's house.

My teenagers playing cards with cousin Elizabeth and Grandma Theresa.

Many hours were spending playing cards around this table over Christmas break.

Somehow Grandma never tired of playing cards with my kids!

She is a saint in so many ways! :)

Grandpa Pat playing a serious card game against Dominic...

Everything is a competition with grandpa!  :)

Dominic wanted to help Grandpa snowblow after a South Dakota blizzard.

We ended up getting stuck at Grandma's house a couple of extra days due to blizzards!

The best place in the world to get snowed in!!!  :)

Another highlight this winter was Nathanael's first Reconciliation.  I can't believe he is old enough for the 2 big sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion this year, but he is and he is so happy about it!!!  It was so precious to take him to out beautiful church and see him in line to go to Confession.  I wish I could have gotten a better picture, but I don't think I will ever forget his sweet face, so nervous and excited, while he was waiting for his turn.  And then to see his big smile of relief and true JOY when he was done---what a gift to a Catholic mother's heart!  He got to light a candle when he was finished, and then I took him and his friend Stevie out for a treat to remind them that indeed, GOD'S MERCY IS SWEET!

A blurry but beautiful photo of Natey waiting in line for confession.

I was sitting far away on the other side of the church, but it warmed my heart to see him look at me as if he needed an encouraging look from his mommy before his big moment :)

A very happy Natey and Stevie as they celebrate the SWEETNESS of God's MERCY!

And last, but not least, this winter has been busy with basketball season for Joseph and Dominic.  This was Dominic's first year playing basketball and he LOVED it!  To be honest, Paul and I were more than a bit apprehensive about the whole thing due to Dominic's past year of struggling with panic attacks.  But he proved to himself and to us that he could handle the stress and aches and pains of playing a sport.  We are SOOO proud of him!!! It was so fun to watch him play because he was so fast and so intense.  One of the other parents who was watching one of the games quickly nicknamed him "the Ferrari" :)  He had one game in particular that I don't think he will ever forget because he was the hero of the game, scoring more than half of the total points scored.  I hope he continues to play in the coming years and that he always remains as humble as he is fast  :)  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of Dominic playing basketball this year.  I don't have a great telephoto lens, plus, he probably would have looked like a blurr since he is always moving so fast!  :)

Joseph also played basketball this year and had a fun season.  This year was only the 3rd year that our school has had a basketball team, so the high school team was not very competitive compared to many of the other teams we played.  Joseph's team only won one game, but they had tons of fun and put their hearts into every minute of every game.  Joseph's ball-handling and shooting skills improved dramatically this year and he usually scored a couple of baskets per game.  He was always easy to spot on the court with his hobbit-like curly hair.  :)  Again, I didn't get any good action photos of Joseph playing ball, but thankfully one of the parents with a great telephoto lens took a couple of pictures that I stole off of the school Facebook page :)

Joseph trying for a 3-pointer!

I can't remember if he made the shot or not,

but he sure had good form! :)

Joseph's team was thrilled to be able to play one game at the fancy Carroll College gym.

So What's the Big Deal About the Feast of Divine Mercy?

So, what's the big deal about Divine Mercy Sunday?  Well, for me personally it's a big deal because the message of Divine Mercy and praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy has had a major role in my spiritual life and in my marriage (but that's a long story that I'll save for another day perhaps).  And on a larger scale, this Feast Day and its message must have been a BIG deal to Jesus in order for him to appear numerous times to a humble nun from Poland and ask her repeatedly to share His words with the world.  Jesus explains to St. Faustina in great detail the date it is to be celebrated, the meaning of this feast day, and the comforting promises He attached to it.  Here are just some of the words Jesus Himself gave to Faustina when he appeared to her not too long ago (in the 1930s):

Souls perish in spite of My bitter Passion. I am giving them ... the Feast of My mercy. If they will not adore My mercy, they will perish for all eternity. Secretary of My mercy, write, tell souls about this great mercy of Mine, because the awful day, the day of My justice is near.  (Diary of St. Faustina #965)

My daughter, tell the whole world about My inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the First Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (Diary #699)

And did you know that you can get a plenary indulgence on Divine Mercy Sunday?

“An indulgence is a remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven, which the faithful Christian who is duly disposed gains under certain prescribed conditions through the action of the Church which, as the minister of redemption, dispenses and applies with authority the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1471)

Several years ago, Pope John Paul II instituted a plenary indulgence for Divine Mercy Sunday. It’s important to note that the plenary indulgence is not the same thing as the special graces promised by God to Saint Faustina. But it is just another opportunity to detach ourselves from this world and to unite us ever closer to Him.

To receive the special graces promised to us by God on Mercy Sunday, you must receive Holy Communion on that day while in the state of grace (detached from sin) and with the trust in His Divine Mercy.

Plenary Indulgence On Divine Mercy Sunday

To receive the plenary indulgence, you must fulfill a number of conditions:

• Sacramental confession Within abut 20 days before or after
• Receive the Eucharist
• A prayer for the intentions of the Pope
• In any church or chapel take part in the prayers and devotions held in honor of Divine Mercy or in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament pray the Our Father and the Creed, adding a prayer to the merciful Lord Jesus (e.g. Merciful Jesus, I trust in you!”)

You must be in the state of grace, at least at the time the indulgenced work is completed. This means that you must not have committed a mortal sin without going to confession. For a plenary Indulgence, it is further required that all attachment to sin — including venial sin — be absent.

Indulgences can be applied either to yourself or to the souls of the deceased.  

And did you know that Jesus promised very special graces to those who even look upon the image of His Divine Mercy with devotion!?  Here are some of those promises straight from Our Savior's mouth that he spoke to St. Faustina:

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus I trust in You.  I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. The two rays denote Blood and Water.  The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. (Diary of St. Faustina #47 and #299)

I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory. (Diary of St. Faustina #48)

I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature:  “Jesus, I trust in You." (Diary of St. Faustina #327)

By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls…(Diary of St. Faustina #742)

There are 2 main artists who painted the image:

 this one (above) was done by Hyla and is the more recent painting, 

and Eugene Kazimirowski did the original image (below). 

This painting is the "Original" painting done by the artist Eugene Kazimirowski in 1934.

It is said that when Faustina first saw the painting, she cried because it did not look nearly as beautiful as her beloved Savior looked when He appeared to her.

But who could ever capture the glory of God on canvas?

Aren't those promises AWESOME!?  ...Spared from hell, protected from God's just wrath, extra graces...  Guys and gals, it just doesn't get any better than that!  :)  

So, I hope you'll take Jesus at His word and take full advantage of the graces He is offering you this Sunday on the Feast of Divine Mercy, and also any day of the year by praying the Chaplet, looking upon the image of His Divine Mercy, thanking Jesus for His merciful love, and also sharing His message of mercy with others!

For more info:
http://www.thedivinemercy.org/
http://www.praymorenovenas.com/blog/divine-mercy-indulgence

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, 

Pray for us all!

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe today!  I hope you feast on Mexican foods today!  :)  I'm making taco lasagna with chips and salsa, and rose-shaped cinnamon rolls for dessert.   Perhaps your family could also gather to pray a rosary today, and imagine how Juan Diego would have prayed with tender trust to our Lady once he saw her beautiful face and heard her loving voice.  He affectionately called Our Lady, "Senora mia, mi nina" (my Lady, my little girl"), and she tenderly called him "Juanito," or her little Juan.  May we have such a tender love for Our Mother Mary too, and give thanks to God for allowing her to appear to Juan Diego and other humble souls throughout history to teach us about her motherly love, and God's fatherly love and mercy for us all!  You may also want to share with your family some of these miraculous facts about Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego's tilma:

Our Lady of Guadalupe Fact Page

• Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego on December 9, 10 and 12, 1531.
• The image is proven not to be painted by human hands; no natural or animal mineral colorings, or paint, are found on it
• The image has remained intact with all its original vibrancy for 475 years. The natural life span of a cloak made with fiber from the gave or maguey plant is only about 30 years.
• The image is a pictograph which could be read and understood by the Aztec Indians.
• On her rose garment is a topographical map of the location of her apparition.
• Our Lady appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden and Queen.
• She is wearing a blue-green mantle (the color worn by royalty) covered with stars.
• The stars signify she comes from heaven – the Queen of Heaven. The constellations are in the exact position as appeared before dawn on the morning of December 12, 1531.
• Her robe is colored rose or pale red and covered with Aztec flowers, symbolic of an Aztec princess.
• In the center of her robe, overlying her womb, is a four petal quincunx flower in the shape of a cross which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. The Virgin’s Baby, Jesus, is Divine and the new center of the universe.
• Her hands are joined in prayer and, therefore, she is not God but clearly there is one greater than she and she points her finger to the cross on her brooch.
• Her fur cuffs symbolize royalty.
• She wears a black maternity band signifying she is with Child.
• A black cross is on the brooch around her neck. This signifies she is a follower of the God of the Spanish Missionaries, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all.
• She stands in front of the sun. The sun symbolizes the greatest Aztec god – Huitzilopochtli. She announces the God who is greater than their sun god.
• She stands on the moon. The crescent moon symbolized the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent moon god. She has clearly crushed and defeated him.
• The image depicts Revelation 12:1:  a woman clothed with the sun with the moon at her feet
• An angel with eagle’s wings supports the Mother of God. The eagle was the “bird of the sun.” Here the eagle is the servant of the Virgin. She holds her mantle in one hand and robe with the other, signifying the Son she bears is from both heaven and earth.
• To date the image cannot be explained by science.
• The image on the tilma was able to do what up to that time the missionaries were not able to do significantly. Namely, clearly explain Christianity to the Indian people. The proof is in the fact that after the apparitions, eight million natives of Mexico converted to Catholicism from 1531 to 1538.
• A doctor once heard a heartbeat coming from the image using a stethascope over the womb area.
• The eyes of the image have the refractory characteristics of human eyes, and they miraculously reflect the image of the witnesses present at its unveiling, including Juan Diego and the bishop.

I also found this article by the modern-day Catholic "prophet" Charlie Johnston very interesting, especially how the actual title "Guadalupe" is actually a mispronunciation of the Aztec word that Juan Diego used to refer to Our Lady---"Coatlallope"---which literally means "she who crushes the serpent."  How fitting!

In 1531, the poor peasant, St. Juan Diego, was visited by Our Lady several times on Tepeyac Hill, near what is now Mexico City. Most of the missionaries in the Americas were well-intended, but they had utterly failed to convert the Aztec Indians. The average Aztec was caught between a rock and a grinding stone. Their indigenous faith, the cult of Quexlcoatl (the infamous feathered serpent) required constant human sacrifice. The pyramids always ran red with human blood. The Spanish and Portuguese explorers frequently enslaved native peoples. The problem was so bad that, in 1430, Pope Eugene VII had made enslaving a native of the Canary Islands a matter of excommunication. In 1537, Pope Paul III explicitly extended the punishment to the enslaving of American Indians, as well.

The Aztec culture had long prophesied of a woman who would free them from the bloody requirements of Quexlcoatl. When Juan Diego tried to report the messages of Our Lady to his bishop, the bishop quite reasonably demanded some proof. On his last visit to Our Lady, a bunch of wild roses were blooming at the hilltop out of season. Our Lady told Juan Diego to gather them up in his tilma (an apron made of cactus fibers, commonly worn by working peasants) and take the flowers to the bishop. When he dropped them from his apron in front of the bishop, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on his apron. (Interestingly, tilmas rot, usually within 20 years – and never last more than 40. Diego’s tilma, with the image of Our Lady on it, still stands in the cathedral in Mexico City, vibrant almost 500 years later). The titles of Our Lady are always related to where she appeared or to what her primary role in that appearance is. Diego explained to the bishop that this woman was, in Aztec "Coatlallope", which roughly translated means “she who crushes the serpent.” The bishop, however, mistakenly heard the name of the European Spanish City, Guadalupe, rather than the Aztec phrase, which is how the title came about.  

The miraculous image spoke simultaneously to two cultures. I could go into detail on what it meant to the Aztecs, but suffice it to say it was recognized as the deliverance from the bloody cult of Quexlcoatl. Within a decade, 10 million Indians converted and the Cult of Quexlcoatl was consigned to the ash heap of history. When the missionaries failed, Our Lady came herself and accomplished the conversion to the worship of her Son, Jesus--the Christ. In today's culture, our little efforts to re-convert Europe and to convert Islam may fail, but so long as we hold fast to Our Lady’s mantle, she will prevail.  (excerpt from Charlie Johnston's blog:  https://charliej373.wordpress.com/

Lastly, here is the recipe for the rose-shaped cinnamon rolls that we like to make on this Feast day:  http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2015/07/st-elizabeth-rose-bread.html

Our Lady of Guadalupe, 

Pray for us all!

Dom the Bomb's Big Month

The month of July was filled with big excitement for Dominic.  The first big event was his birthday.  The big double ones---11 years old!  On his actual birthday we took him to his favorite restaurant--Chile's--where the birthday boy gets a free slice of cheesecake, his favorite dessert of all time.  Then a week later, we had a party for him.  All he wanted were a few of his favorite friends to come out to play games, and especially to try out the new zip line he got for his birthday...
 

Waterballoons, pizza, cheesecake, friends, ziplining, and LEGOs...

doesn't get much better than that!

Dominic's next big July event was attending his first ever church camp away from home!  He was excited but nervous to go.  I was nervous about him being homesick.  Six days away from home for the first time seems like a long time to me.  But my worrying was for naught. When I picked him up, he was all smiles and said, "This was the best week of my life!  I wish I could stay!"  So much for being homesick.  I kinda wished he missed me just a little bit  :}  But perhaps it's because I give him too many chores...  I asked him to do some chores the day he got back home, and he said he wished he could go back to Legendary Lodge.  Oh well, I guess I'm just training him that you can't stay on the mountain-top forever...  After the Transfiguration, Jesus and his disciples had to come back down because there was work to be done for the Kingdom.  And so it was for Dominic...  Now he faces daily routine, chores and trying to get along with his siblings again...all for the greater glory of God and to further the Kingdom!  :)

Happy Birthday,  delightful Dominic!

You are our fun-loving son with a sensitive heart,

a super-smart brain, a gift for music,

and the ability to build anything out of LEGOs!

You are growing into a brave and holy young man,

and I am so eager to see what God is calling you to be as you grow up!

I hope you know that my love for you is zippier than a zip-line,

sweeter than cheesecake,

and stronger than a superglued LEGO set!

Love, 

Mommy

A Hail Mary for Michael

We dropped Michael off today for a week of leadership church camp at Legendary Lodge.  I think this is the 5th year that he's attended camp at Legendary Lodge, located on beautiful Salmon Lake, but this his his first year of leadership camp and his first year attending without his big brother Joseph.  Joseph wanted to go, but he had driver's ed this summer instead (growing up is a drag).  Anyway, Michael was more than a little bit nervous as the day for camp arrived; he even asked if it was too late to cancel and get our money back!  He also is still recovering from a flu-like virus, and isn't quite feeling 100%  So, please say a Hail Mary for our Michael, that he is able to give his anxieties to the Lord and receive whatever graces God has planned for him this week.  It was hard for me to walk away and leave him at camp today, but I need to trust that even though I can't always be there to take care of him, his Heavenly Mother can.  Yes, Michael is in very good hands.  Maybe it's me you should say the Hail Mary for!  :}

If you look closely, you might see a white cross on the top of the mountain.

The campers usually take a hike to this cross during the week,

and some of the over-achievers get up early in the morning 

to race the young, athletic priest to the top.

So far I don't think anyone has beat Fr. Lennamon, 

but I'm sure Michael would love to try! :)

Michael's little brothers following him to his cabin to help him get settled.

Michael is in the Coyote cabin this year,

and he was super happy to be one of the first ones to pick his sleeping spot.

He found a tiny room with only 2 bunk beds and saved spots for his best buddies :)

One final picture before we said our goodbyes to Michael.

The house will feel weird this week without him.

In a couple of weeks, Dominic will head to camp for the first time!

My babies are growing up!

Hopefully Michael won't run into any mermaids 

or the mythical "swamp monster" that they say roams the area ;)

Divine Mercy Sunday---indulgences, promises, graces galore!

Today is Divine Mercy Sunday---probably my favorite feast day.   Did you know you can receive an indulgence on this special Feast Day of Divine Mercy?  To read more about that, click here.

Oh, how I wish I could express just how grateful I am that Jesus appeared to St. Faustina and asked her share the message of His infinite mercy with the world--and with me in particular!  It would be a very lengthy and heavy blog post if I tried to explain to you why I am so indebted to the Divine Mercy devotion, but I will briefly share that I believe the Divine Mercy Chaplet rescued my marriage and saved my soul from complete despair almost 3 years ago to the day.  That is why I am so passionate about spreading this devotion every chance I get!

The Divine Mercy Chaplet is so powerful--just trust me, it is!  Actually, don't trust me, trust Jesus, because He Himself gave us this powerful prayer in 1931!   And did you know that Jesus promised very special graces to those who even look upon the image of His Divine Mercy with devotion!?  Here are some of those promises straight from Our Savior's mouth that he spoke to St. Faustina:

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: Jesus I trust in You.  I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. The two rays denote Blood and Water.  The pale ray stands for the Water which makes souls righteous. The red ray stands for the Blood which is the life of souls. These two rays issued forth from the very depths of My tender mercy when My agonized heart was opened by a lance on the Cross. These rays shield souls from the wrath of My Father. Happy is the one who dwell in their shelter, for the just hand of God shall not lay hold of him. (Diary of St. Faustina #47 and #299)

I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish. I also promise victory over its enemies already here on earth, especially at the hour of death. I myself will defend it as My own glory. (Diary of St. Faustina #48)

I am offering people a vessel with which they are to keep coming for graces to the fountain of mercy. That vessel is this image with the signature:  “Jesus, I trust in You." (Diary of St. Faustina #327)

By means of this image I shall grant many graces to souls…(Diary of St. Faustina #742)

This painting is the "Original" painting done by the artist Eugene Kazimirowski in 1934.

It is said that when Faustina first saw the painting, she cried because it did not look nearly as beautiful as her beloved Savior looked when He appeared to her.

But who could ever capture the glory of God on canvas?

Aren't those promises AWESOME!?  ...Spared from hell, protected from God's just wrath, extra graces...  Truly, ladies and gentlemen, it doesn't get any better than that!  Our family has had a Divine Mercy picture in our house for years, but I had no idea of the special graces and promises associated with it until recently.  Once I heard about the graces, I went to our local Catholic book store and bought a whole bunch of them to give as gifts to some very special people in my life.  Perhaps God was pleased with my enthusiasm, because a few weeks later at a local fundraising banquet, there was a Divine Mercy canvas painting on the silent auction table, and of course I had to bid on it...  And the Lord in His infinite mercy and kindness let me win it...for only $25!  I was so thrilled!!!  Some people left the banquet with handmade quilts or gift certificates, and I left with Jesus in my arms! You can't beat that! :)  I was especially thrilled with the canvas print because it was the "original" Divine Mercy image, which is the one that we did not have in our home yet (there are a few different versions of the painting out there...you can read more about them HERE if you wish).  Our new painting is now in a very special place in our bedroom, so that my husband and I can look at it often and be reminded of the gift of Divine Mercy in our marriage. God is so very, very good!

I wish I was able to tell everyone in the whole world about Jesus' infinite mercy and how He is just longing for souls to come to Him with trust and confidence in His mercy!   No sin is greater than His love and mercy!  And when we ask Him to wash away our sins in the ocean of His mercy, not only does He completely forgive our sins, but He also gives us the grace to completely forgive others!  Yes, even those who have sinned against us and completely broken our hearts...we can forgive them because Jesus has forgiven us when we have sinned and broken His heart.  God's mercy on us begets our mercy on others.  What a priceless gift.  What a saving grace.  I am eternally grateful.  Please help me to spread Faustina's message of Jesus' infinite love and mercy with our world so desperately in need of that message!  Perhaps you would consider buying some Divine Mercy holy cards or pictures and giving them away as gifts...  Or buy one for your own home if you don't have one yet...remember the special promises given to those who have a Divine Mercy image in their homes?  But above all, pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as often as you can---your soul and the souls of countless others will benefit beyond belief!

One tradition that our family started a couple of years ago is to do a Family Consecration to Merciful Love on Divine Mercy Sunday.  Fr. Michael Gaitley wrote a beautiful consecration prayer in his book "Consoling the Heart of Jesus," and it's also in his book "33 Days to Merciful Love."  Tonight we will gather all the kids around the Divine Mercy image, light some candles, and pray this prayer.  Perhaps your family would want to join us in doing the same.  

A Family Offering to Merciful Love

Jesus, you said to St. Faustina: 

The flames of mercy are burning me. I desire to pour them out upon human souls. Oh, what pain they cause Me when they do not want to accept them!(1074). You, at least, come to Me as often as possible and take these graces they do not want to accept. In this way you will console My Heart. Oh, how indifferent are souls to so much goodness, to so many proofs of love! My Heart drinks only of the ingratitude and forgetfulness of souls living in the world. They have time for everything, but they have no time to come to Me for graces (367). My daughter, take the graces that others spurn; take as many as you can carry (454). I want to give myself to souls and to fill them with My love, but few there are who want to accept all the graces My love has intended for them. My grace is not lost; if the soul for whom it was intended does not accept it, another soul takes it (1017).

Lord Jesus, if you want to pour your mercy out on souls, how much more must you desire to pour it out on whole families, especially in our time when so many families reject you. Therefore, we the ______________ Family offer ourselves to your merciful love and ask for the graces and mercy that other families refuse. We ask this in order to console your Heart and because we need your mercy. Fill us with your mercy, Lord. Please forgive us our sins, and give us the grace to be merciful to one another in our deeds, words, and prayers. May the rays of mercy that go forth from your Heart reign in our home and in our hearts. Please make our home a place where your mercy can rest and where we, too, can find rest in your mercy. Bless us with your mercy when we leave our home and bless us again when we return. Bless everyone we meet with the mercy you pour into our hearts. Especially bless those who visit our home — may they experience your mercy here.

Mary, Mother of Mercy, help us to faithfully live our Offering to God's Merciful Love. We give ourselves to you and ask you to share with us your Immaculate Heart. Help us to accept your Son's mercy with your own openness of heart at the Annunciation. Help us to be grateful for God's mercy with your own joyful heart at the Visitation. Help us to trust in God's mercy, especially during times of darkness, with your own steadfast faith at Calvary. Finally, Mary, protect and preserve our family in love, so that one day we may rejoice together with you and all the saints in the communion of the eternal Family of Love, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

St. Faustina, pray for us.

St. Thérèse, pray for us.

Also, for those who aren't familiar with the Chaplet, here's how you pray it:


Optional Opening Prayer:
You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls,
and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You! (x3)

Our Father, Hail Mary and the Apostle's Creed

On each “Our Father” bead of the rosary, pray:
Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

On each of the 10 “Hail Mary” beads, pray:
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Concluding prayer:
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (x3)

Optional Closing Prayer:
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion--inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.