Novena for Iraq: Day SIX

Sixth Intention: RIGHT BALANCE

Immaculate Mother of God, conceived without Original Sin, never touched by the slightest stain of sin, "tainted nature's solitary boast," we the beloved of thy Immaculate Heart come to thee on this sixth day of this Novena to pray for the grace of right balance.

O Spotless Virgin-Mother, Mother of God and our Mother by grace, obtain for us right balance as a foundation of candor, or tranquility, of clearness and holiness. may there be no duplicity in our thoughts and actions. Obtain for us a right balance in the order of our interior life, O Immaculate Heart of Mary, according to the well-ordered interior life thou lived in the perfection of holiness when thou lived on earth. Lead us to grown in holiness with a balance of spirituality so that our wills here below are in harmony with the Kingdom of God in heaven, where thou, as Queen and Mother reign with Jesus Christ thy Son Who is our King, and our Lord. May we avoid all extremes, as thou did, O Mother of God the Son, Daughter of God the Father, and Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Thou were subject to thy loving husband St. Joseph and to the laws of God. May we never be more Catholic than the Church, nor less Catholic than this same Holy Church thy Son Jesus Christ founded. May we seek to live a Catholic life and follow the teachings of the Church in faith and morals without compromise in a harmonious balance. May there be no conflict between what we believe and what we do. May we not demand of others what we decline to practice ourselves. May we never compromise right principles by subtle reasoning. May our speech be "Yes" when we mean "Yes" and "No" when we mean "No." - Mt. 5:37

Obtain for us by thy powerful intercession, O Holy Mediatrix of all Graces, a right balance in living the spirit of poverty, chastity and obedience according to our state in life, so that the wiles of Satan never succeed in getting us to succumb to the spirit of the world, the weakness of the flesh, or the pride of life. Send forth thy Holy Angels, O Queen of Angels, Cause of our Joy, Mother of Mercy. Intercede that we be open to the glorious Spirits of Heaven who are powerful to bring right order in our lives. Amen.

Novena for Iraq: Day FIVE

Fifth Intention: SILENCE

Immaculate Mother of God, our Mother by grace, we the beloved of thy Immaculate Heart come to thee on this fifth day of this Novena to pray for the grace of silence.

Blessed Mother Mary, Queen of Peace, exalted above all Angels and Saints, thou partakes in the Heavenly glory of the Beatific Vision of the Blessed trinity; thou sees God "face to face" even as He Is. 

- 1 Cor. 13:12 

Obtain for us the grace that everything we speak may be spoken in love and every silence we keep is kept, not in anger, obstinacy, vengefulness or deceitfulness, but in the sacredness that opens hearts to God's Word. As thou pondered the Word of God in thy Immaculate Heart, O Ever-Virgin Mother of God and Mother of men, obtain for us the grace of silence so that we are not bound to the distractions of the world. Rather, emptied of the world, we desire to be filled with the treasures of Divine Grace. It is in holy silence that we can comprehend Divine treasures and the secrets of the King's Sacred Heart.

Good St. Joseph, Foster Father of Jesus Christ and true husband of Mary, thou loved silence upon earth. The Bible does not record a word thou spoke. Yet, in thy silence, thou had the holiest state in life next to Jesus and Mary. By intercession in union with thy sweet spouse, obtain for us, O Glorious St. Joseph, the grace to imitate both interiorly and exteriorly the spirit of thy silence.

O Holy Family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in imitation of the silence which reigned in thy home, empty us of worldly noise and distractions so as to hear the voice of the Lord more clearly. Open our hearts to the work of the Holy Angels, who will lead us to faith in and love for the Most Blessed Trinity, the Word made flesh, the Church as the Mystical Body of Jesus and to the highest veneration of God's Mother, the Mother of the Church. May the spirit of materialism never more touch our lives, Heavenly Mother. Help us to be detached from the things of this world, opened in silence to the magnificent melodies of the supernatural. Where our hearts are, there also is our treasure. In the silence of our hearts, "Speak Lord, for thy servant is listening." - 1 Sam. 3:9.

Novena for Iraq: Day FOUR

Fourth Intention: CHARITY

Immaculate Mother of God, our Mother by grace, we the beloved of thy Immaculate Heart come to thee on this fourth day of this Novena to pray for the grace of the holy virtue of charity.

Let rays of light from thy Immaculate Heart penetrate our souls with the love of God. Mary, Mother of Christ, Mother of Holy Love, form us according to the Heart of thy Son. His love of the Father and all mankind was so great that He lay down His life for us, even to death on the Cross. Obtain for us the grace of the infused supernatural virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake, and love others for the sake of God. In devotion to thy Immaculate Heart, O Mary, we will acquire the virtue of supernatural charity by the Divine power of charity infused into our souls together with sanctifying grace.

St. John, Apostle of Love, who received the Mother of Love into thine home and thereby into thy heart according to the word of Jesus Christ from the Cross, we look to thy intercession to obtain for us knowledge of God Who is Love so that we may abide in God, and God in us. Mary, Souse of the Holy Ghost, it is through thy powerful intercession that the Holy Spirit sanctifies souls and enables us to say "Lord Jesus" in faith and love. Invoke, O Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Spirit of Divine Love to fill us with ever grater love of Jesus Christ and of the Father. Teach us to have faith as thou had faith upon earth and to love as thou lovest. Share even now the flames of the intense love which radiates from thy Heart. Enkindle in us the fire of the Holy Spirit. Help us to serve the Church lovingly and faithfully. In a world grown cold to love, a world divided, unite us through the power of thy prayers, O Immaculate Mother of Love, into one fold under one Shepherd. In drawing us to Jesus, possess our souls, our very lives. Enlighten our every thought, word and deed, so that our lives reflect thy own.

As Our Lady of the Holy Eucharist, illuminate and purify us so that we may approach the Sacrament of Love to receive our loving Savior fruitfully to final glory. In this way, one day we will come, O Loving Mother of Grace, to be in Heaven both body and soul with Jesus as King and thou as Queen and Mother. Amen.

Spiritual Art

Since being hospitalised in March 2013 (after numerous issues, including brain-haemorrhage) I haven't been able to draw anywhere near as well as I did in the past. So I gave up - for a while anyways! I do love to draw, however, and have been doing it since I can remember!

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Spiritual pictures is something I have come to enjoy drawing, since I found God again nearly a decade ago. To me, I see it as a form of prayer. Praying doesn't have to be words - it's about communicating with God - so as I spend my minutes, hours, weeks or months even drawing a nice spiritual sort of image, I am really communicating with God. Which is why I decided, even though I may not be as good as I once was at drawing, if I enjoy it and it leads me to talk to God, I should continue to do it.

Funnily enough, as I draw one of my many spiritual pictures, I seem to be quite happy with the end result, as though my drawing skills have returned - sometimes improved. Trying to draw something else, something secular so to speak, is another story. It's like the Holy Spirit is making me draw these images, helping me improve, but only so long as its something that I would call a "prayerful piece".

These are a few pieces I have made in the past couple of months. Not the best quality as they are photographs as opposed to scanned-in images due to lack of owning a scanner at the moment... but you get the idea!

Immaculate Mary

Symbolic Sacred Heart of Jesus

Queen of Heaven

Sunday Snippets: #08

SUNDAY SNIPPETS: A Catholic Carnival. 

Week starting Sunday 19th Week in ORDINARY TIME

We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. 

I've written quite a few posts this week, guess you can say I'm back blogging more than ever.

• A have a good old rant on belief and believing in God.
• Another rant on the power of the devil.
• This week was the Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe: Here is some info I him.
• Some information on my Patron Saint: St. Stanislaus Kostka.
• I also write about my Patron Saint, Stanislaus Kostka and my own life.
• This week I started a Novena for the persecuted in Iraq.
• Day ONE and Day TWO of the Novena.

Enjoy reading! All comments are greatly appreciated and welcomed!

Novena for Iraq: Day THREE

Third Intention: OBEDIENCE

Immaculate Mother of God, our Mother by grace, we the beloved of thy Immaculate Heart come to thee on this third day of this Novena to pray for the grace of obedience.

Obtain for us, O Holy Mother of God, the spirit of obedience found in responding to the grace of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in our souls. May we always realize that obedience comes from the desire to unite our wills with the Will of God.

O Spouse of the Holy Ghost, by thy intercession grant us the grace to be open to the ministrations of the Holy Spirit with us and to our Angels who influence us to think and act in harmony with the Divine Will. We desire to submit to all lawful authority, inwardly and outwardly, so as to avoid having those rebellious, dissenting attitudes, which cause the spirit of revenge in our hearts. By union with the Divine Will, with thy Immaculate Heart as guide, O Mother, we will obtain the true peace of the Holy Spirit and union with the Most Blessed Trinity.

Obtain for us, the beloved of thy Immaculate Heart, O Mother Mary, the grace of obedience to all lawful authorities which are in harmony with the laws of God and His Holy Church. In this way, the grace of humility for which we pray will accompany the doing of God's Will and all of the commands we obey will turn out for the greater glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Intercede, O Glorious Mother, that we may always remember that obedience as a virtue is pleasing to God because it means the sacrifice of our wills out of love for God. May our spirit imitate thine, O Holy Mother, when you answered God's Angel: "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; may it be done to me according to Thy word." - Luke 1:38

Grant us, O Loving Heart of Mary, the grace of rendering a special respect and undivided obedience to our Holy Father, the Pope and to bishops who speak and teach in union with him as Vicar of Christ on earth. By always being obedient, may we, with the refuge of thy Immaculate Heart, live in uprightness as in the discipline of a well-ordered army, for the sake of Jesus Christ and His Holy Church. Amen.

Power of the Devil

Many people will laugh at me when I say this, but do read on - Satan and his minions are real, not imaginary. All the issues going on in the world at the moment, also the ones that have been going on for quite some time now, some before I was even born. We are living in a very faithless, thus Godless, age. There are many people who have faith, many who "pretend" to have faith or have an obscure belief to "something of this world" and an increasing majority of those who simply have no faith and don't seem to want it, rejecting every opportunity as it arises.

Wars in the Holy Land; genocide and persecution of religious minorities in Iraq and Syria. Legalisation of abortions and euthanasia in Western countries; U.S.A's first public Satanic Mass. These are all under Satan's power! But none of these are his worst of powers, affecting people without faith, as well as many with faith, making you believe he doesn't even exist. He is simply an archaic creation of religious institutes in order to keep us for being evil. Nothing could be further from the truth.

I felt his power yesterday, and nearly gave into it. Since I've been reading more spiritual books, attending Mass more often and gradually trying to change my sinful ways, Satan doesn't like that, and will try to stop me reuniting with my Heavenly Father. Yesterday was the Feast of the Assumption of Our Lady, which is one of two Holy Days of Obligation in Australia - very important, for obvious reasons! I have known the Mass times for more than a week and planned to make the half-hour walk to my favourite local church for the event.

However, when I woke up in the morning, I was simply too tired. Felt like I hadn't slept properly. I got out of bed, came to the lounge room to start getting ready for my day... but just couldn't. So I curled up on the couch and when to sleep again. I woke up several times, checked the time, then kept on going back to sleep.

By the time I finally got up, made a coffee and told myself to get ready, it was quite late in the morning. I almost shrugged it off, telling myself I'd go to Mass on Sunday, don't worry about it! But with all the things I've been reading of late, many little dots have reconnected in my mind, and I realised this was all the power of the Devil!

Our Lady is Satan's greatest enemy, other than God Himself, so wanting me to be excessively tired that I would shrug off the greatest Feast Day of Our Lady is just what he wanted! He will employ the same techniques whenever I go to pray the Rosary or some other powerful praying technique!

Looking at the time, I realised I had better jump in the shower and get ready - FAST! Ive done it all too often in the past, where the smallest excuse would be the reason I don't go to Mass. Some days its too wet, other days too hot. Today was simply because I was tired when I really shouldn't have been! Getting ready as quick as possible, I had to then keep telling myself if I am late to Mass, whilst not preferably, I'm sure it's not any where near as bad as missing the whole celebration!

I left my house and walked into town, listening to some Holy music to get myself more in the spirit of the day and I made it to church with about one-minute before it actually started! I was quite hot as it was quite a Spring-type of day, but at least I made it. Everything after that was fine, my day ran quite smoothly and went to plan, making the most of such a Holy Day calling into the Catholic store next door for the second time in two-weeks. I didn't have a lot of money, but I thought I'm much better off spending it on things that will help my Spirit, as opposed to things that will slowly kill my Spirit.

Novena for Iraq: Day TWO

Second Intention: HUMILITY
Immaculate Mother of God, and our Mother by grace, we the beloved of thy Immaculate Heart, come to thee on this second day of this Novena to pray for the grace of humility.

Mary, our Mother, our Confidence, we invoke thy most sweet Heart that we may be thy humble servants and thereby servants of thy son, our Lord Jesus Christ. May we live in humility within the refuge of thy Immaculate Heart, as members of the Holy Catholic Church. Obtain for us the grace to live in true faith with courage to serve readily and joyfully.

Intercede, O Holy Mother of God, Mediatrix of All Graces, so that we may have a joyful acceptance of our trials. May the holy virtue of humility, in which thou excelled to the highest degree, O Ever-Virgin Mother of God, guard us against suspicion, jealousy, envy, against self-sensitivity, against the bearing of grudges, against all thinking of superiority over others. With the fire of thy Heart warm the coldness of our hearts. May we humbly serve Jesus in souls everywhere possible with a spirit of helpfulness, cheerfulness, and strength, without compromise to truth, but in total consecration to thy Immaculate Heart which is at one with the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. May the humility we acquire and ask for gain us confidence in the power of thy intercession for our salvation and for the protection and growth of Holy Mother Church. Assist us so that we serve in the present, faithful to Tradition, and look toward the future with undiminished trust in the power of thy Immaculate Heart.

Guard us, O Holy Immaculate Mother, from the spirit of quarrelsomeness, so that we may live in peace and harmony with our families and others and thereby lead those not now in the Church, to unity in the fullness of the One True Faith, the Holy Catholic Church.

O Mary, thou prayed, "My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. Because He hath regarded the humility of His handmaid; for behold, all generations shall me blessed." - Luke 1:47-48
It was thy humility that made thee great in the divine Light. Send forth now thy Angels and our Guardian Angels, in particular; also the Angel that guards our nation, that we may always live by truth. Amen.

Novena for Iraq: Day ONE

Starting today, on the Feast of the Assumption, finishing on Saturday August 23, join in praying this "Novena to the Immaculate Heart," for the Christians and other minorities facing death and persecution. First, pray the opening prayer, followed by the daily intention, followed by the Rosary. Each day I will re-post the daily intention. 

Opening Prayer

Immaculate Virgin, by the holy will of your Son my Lord Jesus Christ, you are my Mother in Heaven. Your Immaculate Heart is full of love, mercy and compassion for sinners like me. I ask that you intercede for me today for…

(mention your prayer intentions)

I trust in your intercession before the throne of God for my needs. Please pray also that if my requests are not in accordance with the will of God, that I may be, like you, conformed to His will and not my own.

Immaculate Heart of Mary. Pray for us!

Amen.

First Intention: FIDELITY

Most Holy Mother of God, our Mother in the order of grace, we the beloved of thy Immaculate Heart come to thee this first day of this Novena to pray for the grace of fidelity.

Mary, Mother of holy Love, our Confidence, we invoke thy most sweet Heart, that we may always be faithful to God, the Holy catholic Church, the Good Angels, our Guardian Angels in particular, and to the Saints in Heaven of which Thou are the Queen.

Mother Mary, Model of Faith while thou was on earth, may we have a fidelity that avoids any depreciating criticism, not only in thoughts, but even more in words. Grant us the strength of self-control so that in all matters or questions of integrity, we may act and answer as thou Mary and our Guardian Angel would answer. May we be steadfast in the service of Holy Mother Church until death and adore the Most Blessed trinity in communion with thee and all Angels and saints for all eternity.

O Virgin most faithful, Scripture declares thee "blessed among women;" again it says, "Blessed art thou that hast believed, because those things shall be accomplished that were spoken to thee by the Lord." - Luke 1:45
Obtain for us a faith so strong that we will accept the Word of God through His Holy Church, even when it it is difficult and seems contrary to the way of the world.

Loyal to the very end, Mother Mary, thou stood beneath the Cross on calvary with John the beloved disciple. Thou heard with him the words of the redeeming Savior as He completed His public ministry, "Woman, behold thy Son... Behold thy mother." - John 19:26-27 
It was thy noble role to be Mother and Heart of the infant Church, sustaining the disciples of Christ in courage and prayer, drawing down the power of the Holy Ghost as they gathered around thee after the Ascension awaiting the first Feast of Pentecost.

Mother of the Church, it has ever been thy part in the Holy Church to invoke for us the virtues of Faith and Hope so that we might live in love, patterned after thy Immaculate Heart. Thou believed, Mary, not only when things were easy; thou continued to believe in Jesus in his darkest hours. With thee as mother, we shall persevere in fidelity until the very end. Amen.

St. Maximilian Kolbe

Today marks the Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, one of the Churches more recent living Saints and one that I have found strength in reading about. Amongst other things, he is the Patron Saint against drug addiction, and for those whom battle with a drug addiction. Quite fitting for me!

Born in Russian occupied Poland in 1894 as Raymond Kolbe, to a poor yet pious family, his parents were both Franciscan lay tertiaries. His father was hanged by the Russians whilst fighting for Polish independence, after which his mother became a Benedictine nun. Raymond's brother also became a priest.

At a young age when receiving his First Holy Communion, he had a vision of the Virgin Mary which changed his life: "I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me. Then she came ti me holding two crowns, one white, the other red. She asked if I was willing ti accept either of these crowns. The white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr. I said I would accept them both." - St. Maximilian Kolbe.

He founded the Immaculata Movement "Militia Immaculatae" and spread devotion to the "Miraculous Medal". He also started a magazine, "Knight of the Immaculate" which had a big publication rate for its time, and also founded a new monastery, "City of the Immaculate" near Warsaw with land given to him by the Prince of Poland. This monastery eventually started its own radio station, had a religious community of about 800 men, the largest in the world of its day, and was fully self sufficient including medical services and fire brigade. Obviously Maximilian had a great devotion to Our Lady!

He did a great number of other things in his time, but when he was arrested by the Nazi's in their invasion of Poland, eventually ending up in Auschwitz, his love of God and his fellow man didn't diminish. There he would hear confessions and celebrate Mass (with bread and wine smuggled in).

Some prisoners escaped from the camp, and Nazi retribution meant they had to kill ten prisoners for every one prisoner who escaped. The man the Nazi's chose to kill was married, and had young children. Maximilian took that mans place and was to die by starvation. Whilst fellow prisoners died, Maximilian was still fighting on, eventually having to be "killed off" with a lethal injection, dying the way he always wished - in service.

Novena for Iraq

Starting this Friday, 15th August, on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, join me and fellow Catholics in praying a novena to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Living so far from Iraq, being unable to physically help the persecuted, we can help them with the power of prayer!

I thank the Lord that I was able to live in a country of freedom, free from persecutions that the Iraqi Christians and other minorities are facing with their lives. Pray for these martyrs, as well as those who have escaped with their lives, that there will be an end to this conflict and that they may be reunited with our Father in Heaven.

You can find some info and opening prayers for the novena here and follow these prayers with the Rosary.

Show your support by joining this novena on FaceBook: Novena for Iraq.

Please spread the word and invite family/friends to join us!

St. Stanislaus & Me

We are a pilgrim people, always on the move and learning more about our spirituality every day. Never can we learn everything our faith has to offer, regardless of how many books you have read; we are learning and improving every day until our earthly-lives are up and we're recalled to God, in Heaven, where our true home is. Life on earth is only for a mere moment in comparison to the eternal life in Heaven we all dream of!

One of my favourite Saints who I attribute to my coming back to believe in God is St. Stanislaus Kostka. He is a popular Saint, but not as widely known of as certain others, such as St. Francis, St. Augustine or more modern day ones such as St. Faustina.

St. Stanislaus died at the tender age of eighteen, so he hadn't written books, been a teacher in theology or worked his way up the hierarchy of Catholicism to be anyone viewed as important, such as a Bishop. In fact, he was only a novice in the Society of Jesus for one-year before his death, so finding information and devotional items is quite rare. It doesn't make him any less significant however; he is a beloved Saint of the Catholic Church.

In my childhood as I prepared to receive the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation (in my family parish we usually undertook the two Sacraments together) I chose to study St. Stanislaus. Originally I chose him because I would take on his name as my Confirmation name, and I thought it was a nice yet different name.

After surviving a car-accident nine-years ago - and finding faith in God once again - I would utilise my time with learning more about this Saint whom I learnt of in my childhood. I had forgotten pretty much everything I had once learned during my years away from spirituality and rejection of the church. All just teenage rebellion, trying to "find myself".

St. Stanislaus basically helped me get back into the faith I was bought up with, as opposed to going to another religion for guidance. I would read about his life, his death, and the certain things that he is a Patron Saint for. I would get very interested in him, firstly because I was at the time nineteen; he died at age eighteen, as well as learning of him being Patron Saint "against broken bones".

In my nineteen years of life, I had never broken or fractured a bone in my body, except for in the car-accident, breaking my spine. Other than that, even now, I haven't broken or fractured a bone since. This was all getting very exciting! I had studied about him in my younger days, thus his name was added to my own birth-name, but after reading he was patron against broken bones, I started to call him "My Patron Saint" once again. I have ever since!

Call it "coincidence" or true spiritual help. I myself don't believe much in coincidences - I believe in God, and through St. Stanislaus Kostka, He was inviting me back to His Church. As I grew in spirituality, I would often look for books or medallions of St. Stanislaus, but to no avail. With the power of the internet these days, however, I was able to find some items for him from international shops. Nothing that significant, but I now own a small prayer card of him, which came with its own medal to put on a chain around ones neck.

He was the first Saint I ever studied, and through his intercession to God, I believe is the reason I am still walking and not in a wheelchair. Thank-you, St. Stanislaus! Help me to become more like you, loving God everyday, through devotion to Our Lady: Queen of Heaven!

St. Stanislaus Kostka

Stanislaus Kostka was only 18 years old when he died, and had been a Jesuit novice for less than a year.  He is one of the popular saints of Poland and many religious institutions have chosen him as the protector of their novitiates.

He was born in 1550 at the family estate in east-central Poland.  His father was a local governor and military administrator, and a senator of the Kingdom of Poland.  His mother was the sister and niece of Polish dukes.  According to the standards of those times, all this meant Stanislaus was a Polish noble destined for public life.

When he was 14, his father enrolled him and his older brother Paul in a new Jesuit college in Vienna that was especially favored by the nobility.  Paul, who always had an eye for comfort, found them rooms in the house of an Austrian senator.

Stanislaus was a serious and quiet person.  He avoided all unnecessary contact with visitors, applied himself to his studies, dressed plainly for a noble, and spent so much time in prayer that Paul derisively nicknamed him “the Jesuit.”  Paul interpreted Stanislaus’ natural meekness and humility as a reproach to his own worldly and carefree way of life.  Whatever Stanislaus did either offended or irritated him. So, he harassed his younger brother, abusing him physically and verbally.  Stanislaus didn’t crack under pressure.  He just became more virtuous and determined to become a Jesuit.

In December 1565, Stanislaus received some heavenly help.  Feeling ill and close to death, he asked to receive Holy Communion.  Paul kept putting him off, saying the illness wasn’t life-threatening.  (Their landlord was a staunch Lutheran and wouldn’t allow a priest into the house).  Stanislaus prayed to St. Barbara to somehow receive Communion, and soon Barbara and two angels appeared to him in his room, bringing him Communion.  They left, and then Our Lady carrying the baby Jesus appeared, and told him he was to enter the Society of Jesus.  Stanislaus regained his health and returned to college.

Now really resolved to be a Jesuit, Stanislaus asked the Jesuit provincial of Vienna for admittance, only to be told he needed his parents’ consent.  Stanislaus knew they wouldn’t give it, and decided to ask further away from home.  In August 1567, he walked the 450 miles to Augsburg, Germany.  Paul heard of it and started after him.  Stanislaus was dressed as a simple pilgrim, and the angry Paul went right past him on the road without recognizing him and gave up the chase.

Stanislaus reached the Augsburg provincial, Fr. Peter Canasis, S.J., and together they agreed that Stanislaus ought to get even further away from his father’s political influence.  They decided on Rome.  In September 1567, he and two Jesuits went on foot, south through Germany and over the Alps to Italy.  It took a month to reach Rome.

There Stanislaus presented himself to the head of the Society of Jesus, Father General Francis Borgia, S.J., and entered the Jesuit novititate.  For the next ten months, his prayer was purified and his union with God grew more intense.

In early August 1568, Stanislaus had a premonition that he would die on August 15.  He took sick on the 10th, and on the 14th he told the infirmarian that he would die the next day, but this Jesuit shrugged it off; the patient didn’t seem critically ill.  Then suddenly he worsened.  After receiving Holy Communion and the Last Rites, he chatted cheerfully with his fellow novices until nightfall.  After they left, he prayed often, “My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready!”  About 3:00 a.m. his face lit up joyfully.  He said Our Lady was approaching with her court of angels and saints to take him to heaven.  Then he died — on August 15, the feast of Our Lady’s own assumption into heaven.

Only 36 years after his death, he was beatified.  He was canonized on December 31, 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII.  His feast day is November 13. 

–  Excerpted and edited from Jesuit Saints & Martyrs: Short Biographies of the Saints, Blessed, Venerables, and Servants of God of the Society of Jesus by Joseph N. Tylenda, S.J., Second edition, © 1998 Ignatius Press, Chicago.

BELIEF: The ULTIMATE Question

It has been a while since I've had a good old rant, and at the moment, I have plenty on my mind. From examining my life, the way I live: what's right, what's wrong; why am I here, what is my purpose. PLENTY is going on upstairs, though that in itself is a miracle after enduring a serious car accident nine years ago, receiving a brain injury amongst other injuries... but more-so after having a brain hemorrage just over one-year ago. In reality, I should be a vegetable. But I'm not. I guess I'm a thinker - always have been, always will be. From childhood, through my youth, into adulthood.

I always have plenty on my mind regarding spirituality and religion, thinking of things from the minute I wake up to the second I fall asleep at night. My problem is I don't have anyone to really discuss my spirituality and beliefs with. Here I am, feeling alone in the world, as I am surrounded by people with very little, if any, faith at all. Those I am around who may have a spiritual belief certainly don't share the same depth of passion for it, or hold the same beliefs as myself. They are usually the ones to jump on the anti-Catholic bandwagon, if they themselves aren't actually driving it!

I'm one of the most tolerant of people around. I may not agree with another persons beliefs or lifestyle, but I won't try to push my beliefs on them. I hold true that the one true faith is Catholicism: if it weren't, then I could go to any denomination and still be at peace. However, if others choose to accept a different denomination, or a different world-religion all together, that is their choice and they shouldn't be questioned. I'm not God - He can judge them on the last days!

How would I feel if someone tries to push their faith on me? Even after learning I am a Catholic, they will still try, telling me all the faults and errors in Catholicism. Why can't they be like me, realise I believe in SOMETHING and be happy for me, as opposed to trying to push their particular denomination onto me? Generally the most hate filled people in the world can be people of faith, which really is quite sad.

Other times, I will encounter people who question my beliefs, why I go to church, what's the point of it all? To say simply: I don't have to answer them. They're not God. Only recently have I come to this  conclusion. As Jesus said to his own friend, St. Peter: "Go behind me, Satan!" - Matthew 16:23.

People such as these will fill my head with such thoughts that I am wasting my time believing in something that's simply not there. I used to debate these things with people until either they turned to my faith, I turned to theirs, or we agreed to disagree (which was usually the case). Then one word would be said: REGRET. When I die and realise I was wrong, won't I regret all those hours wasted going to Mass? All the books of spiritual nature I've read? All for... what?

If that were to be the case (which I don't believe at all!) then; No. I wouldn't regret having believed in something. I would be dead, I wouldn't exist, so how could I have regrets? I would however regret if I die and found myself in hell. That would undoubtedly be the biggest regret of my life, having to spend eternity in pain and suffering on a scale much more severe than the pains and suffering I endured whilst on earth.

I will go with a more comforting belief, give myself a better chance of getting to Heaven, and actually BELIEVE. Having beliefs I may be limited in what I can do on earth, for many things the body wants can be a sin. But to spend eternity in Heaven is a much better option, than to do whatever I want on earth and spend eternity in Hell.

Many scientific/medical tests will show that people of faith are happier people. So if we live, we die, end of story - at least having faith made me a happier person.

Sunday Snippets: #07

SUNDAY SNIPPETS: A Catholic Carnival. 

Week starting Sunday 18th Week in ORDINARY TIME

We are a group of Catholic bloggers who gather weekly to share our best posts with each other. 

This is my second consecutive week of ongoing posts to my blog - awesome! My biggest goal in life at the moment is to work on my spiritual life, growing closer in love of God and His Church - so whilst I haven't put heaps into my blog this week, I am getting back into it, slowly yet surely.

• Some surprising findings from people who have died, but were able to return to tell what happened.
• Spiritual Shopping: Some new books I bought this week.
• The Revelation: A Graphic Novel: Very cheap, brilliant comic-book/graphic novel I bought from the "iBook Store."

Enjoy reading! All comments are greatly appreciated and welcomed!

Tweet'ed: #04

Week starting Sunday 18th Week in ORDINARY TIME

NEWS

• Former Archbishop of Sydney, Cardinal Edward Clancy, passed away.
• Prehistoric paintings in a French cave: World Heritage Site.

WEB

• In celebration of the feast of St. Mary (Mackillop) of The Cross.

IMAGES

• I've got an AWESOME friend; GOD!