As we head through Lent towards Good Friday and then onto Easter. It can be power to meditate on what is called the 'Last 7 Words of Christ'. 1) Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. 2) Today you will be with me in paradise. 3) Woman, behold, thy son! Behold, thy mother! 4) My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 5) I thirst. 6) It is finished. 7) Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.

Know The Faith - Traditional Catholic Lessons and Prayers

Lenten Minute Reflection - 7 Last Words

St Joseph is mentioned in all the Gospels, but no words of his are ever recorded in scripture. You could say St Joseph is the strong silent type. The Gospel of Matthew tells us that when Mary was betrothed to him but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit, and Joseph since he was a righteous man, and unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly., but then an angel appeared in a dream and told him not to be afraid. St Joseph did as the Lord commanded when he awoke. It must have been a stressful situation for him. Advent can be a stressful time, but if we take St Joseph as our model, we can find some holy silence, listen for Our Lord and Not be Afraid.

St Joseph - Advent Reflection Minute

Advent comes with some challenges …for us in the northern hemisphere the days are now short and dark. Another challenge especially for children is patience. Waiting for those wrapped gifts under the tree to be opened. Celebrating Advent means learning how to wait. We hear in Psalm 130 - My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for daybreak. But what if Advent is the opportunity YOU have been waiting for? That time to grow in your faith, to better know your faith, to make that commitment to a regular time of prayer each day? In the famous hymn Joy to the World. We hear the words” Let every heart prepare him room” this is not just a line directed at the innkeepers of Nazareth that had no room for in at the inn, but rather a reminder for all of us, especially at this busy time of year to turn our waiting into a time to prepare a room for God in our hearts.

Waiting - Advent Reflection Minute

Happy New Year! Advent is the beginning of a new liturgical year in the Church. Do you have a New Years Resolution for this New Liturgical Year? Let me recommend a simple one… To Begin Again. Venerable Bruno Lanteri, who founded the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, had a popular phrase he often used… Begin Again. What a great phrase to embrace for Advent. Each Year we have an opportunity to Begin Again with each Advent. If we have struggled in the past year to become better Christians, if we feel like we have stumbled in our faith, now is the time to Begin Again. St Paul in the 3rd chapter of his letter to the Philippians encourages us to focus on one thing: Forgetting what lies behind and instead devoting our efforts forward to what lies ahead. This Advent let us find the courage to Begin Again as our New Liturgical Year’s Resolution.

Begin Again - Advent Reflection Minute

A Deliverance Prayer of Command for the Laity.  

Prayer of Command for Our Families and Our Country

Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because of this, God greatly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every other name.

Good Friday Gospel and Homily with Fr. Robert McTeigue, SJ

We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You; Because, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world...

The Way of the Cross

When Jesus arrives at the Tomb of Lazarus, Mary his sister kneels before Jesus and said, “Lord if you had been here my brother would not have died”. Jesus was friends with Lazarus and his sisters. When he sees her weeping, he is moved and The gospel tell us, Jesus Wept. Those 2 words. Are the shortest sentence in the Gospels. "Jesus wept."

Lent Reflection - Lazarus is One of Us

Think of that person in your life you have a hard time reconciling with…if he or she doesn’t come immediately to your mind ask your guardian angel to help you discern who this person is. Pray for that person every day throughout the rest of Lent, even if you can’t stand them. What good is it to fast and obey every discipline of Lent but still end up after 40 days not reconciled with each other? The Lord’s Prayer is an important prayer to revisit on a deeper level during Lent.

Lent Reflection - The Our Father

There is a lot of depth and interesting details in the story of the woman at the well.. Jesus asks a Samaritan woman for a drink while his disciples are off to buy food... and this request leads to a fascinating conversation. Jesus reveals to her that he has living water that will cause those who drink it to never thirst again, he also reveals he knows the details of her relationship with several husbands and even tells her a non-Jew that he is the Christ, the long-awaited Messiah.  We are told that the woman leaves her water jar at the well and goes off to tell the people in town... it’s as if she completely abandons her important mission for water she abandoned bodily comforts for more important things.

Lent Reflection - The Woman at the Well

When Saint Pope John Paul the 2nd added the Luminous Mysteries to the Holy Rosary back around 2002, I found the Transfiguration to be the most difficult mystery for me to meditate on. I knew its story but didn’t know to relate it to my life. Years later after dealing with medical struggles, I realized that to experience the Transfiguration was to grasp a small sense of God’s grace in my life...

Lent Reflection - The Transfiguration

It’s OK for Lent to be a struggle. Christ never promised us fame, riches, or happiness in this life, but rather suffering poverty and sacrifice. The desert of lent helps us discern the need for God. We must realize in most cases the desert is more of a path then a place for us to live. If we follow in the path of Christ, that is in His Way of the Cross, we find not a crown of gold but a crown of thorns.

Lent Reflection - The Desert

Ash Wednesday Reflection

I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come to me all that desire me and be filled with my fruits (Sirach 24: 24-26). O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Grace, Hope of the world. Hear us, your children, who cry to you Let Us Pray O God, who by the marvelous protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary has strengthened us firmly in hope, grant we beseech You, that by persevering in prayer at her admonition, we may obtain the favors we devoutly implore. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen. Prayer to Our Lady of HopeO Mary, my Mother, I kneel before you with heavy heart. The burden of my sins oppresses me. The knowledge of my weakness discourages me. I am beset by fears and temptations of every sort. Yet I am so attached to the things of this world that instead of longing for Heaven I am filled with dread at the thought of death. O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me in my distress. You are all-powerful with your Divine Son. He can refuse no request of your Immaculate Heart. Show yourself a true Mother to me by being my advocate before His throne. O Refuge of Sinners and Hope of the Hopeless, to whom shall I turn if not you? Obtain for me, then, O Mother of Hope, the grace of true sorrow for my sins, the gift of perfect resignation to God's Holy Will, and the courage to take up my cross and follow Jesus. Beg of His Sacred Heart the special favor that I ask in this novena. (Make your request. ) But above all I pray, O dearest Mother, that through your most powerful intercession my heart may be filled with Holy Hope, so that in life's darkest hour I may never fail to trust in God my Savior, but by walking in the way of His commandments I may merit to be united with Him, and with you in the eternal joys of Heaven. Amen. Mary, our Hope, have pity on us. Hope of the Hopeless, pray for us. 3 Hail Marys Devotion to Our Lady of Hope is one of the oldest Marian devotions. The first shrine bearing that title was erected at Mezieres in the year 930.

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Know The Faith - Traditional Catholic Lessons and Prayers

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