![]() Greetings in Jesus and Mary..... Sorry I have been busy and away from doing articles. I pray all had a very Blessed Thanksgiving! We are currently getting around 20-24 inches of snow here in northern Michigan to be finished falling in about 4 days. Currently about 10 now on the ground. I have been consumed in prayer for those poor people in Northern Carolina. Looks like our government is complicit in this devastation ....if not directly...then with their lack of help. There is talk about possible lithium mining that could be done in those parts when it is cleared away and after many have lost their lives and their land. Time will tell. The beauty in all of this is that many people of faith have come together to donate so many things to keep these people fed and warm during these cold months coming. The numbers of people still missing are many and come Spring....there could be health issues of the dead bodies that are decaying around them that are somewhat still buried in the rubble. The numbers reported so far seem to be minimal (just like in Lahaina, Hawaii) compared to the real numbers of dead. The government is minimalizing this. The numbers keep growing as the living conditions are not good with no fresh water, food and proper housing and sanitation. Please consider donating what you can after listening to the video below that I have posted. These sweet girls in North Carolina have posted many ways for people to donate at the bottom of their video. Now to the topic of the day, The St. Andrew Novena in preparation of Christmas. This Novena is well known and is also known to bring many miracles over the years that it has been known. It is a great way to keep focused on the fact of the amazing gift of the baby Jesus from the Eternal Father to all of us. The words of this prayer give us a reality of what Jesus went through from the beginning of His birth. He embraced a life of poverty, love and simplicity for us to imitate. We should be aware of this as we celebrate this Christmas knowing that so many are suffering around the world. May we still be festive but at least possibly consider sharing with those who do not have basic necessities. This Novena is suppose to be prayed 15 times a day. I have never stuck to that number. Blessed be those who have. I try throughout my day to remember to pray it at various times to bring to my mind the greatness of this glorious moment of Christmas. I think the number was set to emphasize this.....that we are to ponder this moment throughout the day. So if you do not get to the number 15.....do not be discouraged and better yet...do not even expect to get there. Just remember to pray it throughout your day till Christmas as a constant meditation of the Birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. May we do this in union with Our Lady and ask Her to intercede for your needs and those around you. Also, yesterday started the Novena to the Immaculate Conception which we celebrate on Dec. 8th. May we just add this little but powerful prayer at the end of our St. Andrew Novena Prayer ..."Oh Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee. Amen." May we pray from our hearts and not be so particular about "doing it" as praying it. God wants our love and if we are human with human needs that lead to times of possible neglect......don't be hard on yourself, but offer this to the Heart of Jesus....He understands. If it increases our love....that is what matters. Have a Blessed Advent and keep all in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary! May Good St. Joseph pray for us to be attentive to our prayer life of love!
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![]() Greetings in Jesus and Mary..... The below article is taken from LifeSiteNews. — Tomorrow, November 20 at 12 p.m. ET, Bishop Joseph Strickland will be praying a live-streamed Rosary for peace as the war between Russia and Ukraine intensifies, ratcheting up the possibility of world war. The announcement that Strickland will be praying a Rosary for peace comes after disturbing geopolitical developments suggest the now two-year-long war between Russia and Ukraine is slated to escalate significantly. Earlier in the week it was reported that U.S. President Joe Biden gave the green-light to Ukraine to launch long-range American missiles deeper into Russia, with the Kremlin stating directly that such a move would escalate war in the region. The possible escalation comes at the same time reports suggest the West is still interfering in peace negotiations between the two embattled countries. As LifeSiteNews reported Monday, the threat of escalation seems imminent with Sweden, a recent addition to NATO, beginning to issue pamphlets to citizens warning of “crisis or war” as the intensity of the nearby war ramps up. May we join Bishop Strickland at noon Eastern time today, November 20th. Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us! ![]() Greetings in Jesus and Mary.... Tomorrow, in the Carmelite calendar, the Carmelites celebrate the feast of all the many Carmelite saints: saints like St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila (the two great reformers of Carmel), St. Thérèse of Lisieux (“The Little Flower”), the newly canonized St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), St. Simon Stock (who received the scapular at the hands of Our Lady, a sign of her guidance and protection), all of whom are very loved by the Church, and some of whom are counted among the Doctors of the Church. But, there are many others who are celebrated as well including St. Mary Magdalene dei Pazzi (excerpts found in the Divine Intimacy meditation classic), Bl. Titus Brandsma (the Dutch priest martyred at Dachau for his strong opposition to the Nazis), St. Andrew Corsini (known as the “Apostle of Florence” who was wild and dissolute in his youth but lived a life of great mortification thereafter), St. Mary of Jesus Crucified (who played an important role in the identification of Emmaus due to a private revelation), St. Teresa of St. Augustine and the Martyrs of Compiegne (16 in all, guillotined during the French Revolution), the Prophets Elijah and Elisha, St. Albert of Trapani (whom St. Teresa of Avila had a great devotion to), St. Margaret Redi (whose spirituality was to remain hidden and appear just like everyone else despite her heroic virtue and who has also been quoted in our Divine Intimacy excerpts), St. Angelo Paoli (particularly devoted to the poor and to the Passion of Christ), St. John Soreth (who formally established the first convent of Carmelite nuns in 1453), Ven. Mary Angeline Teresa (who founded the “Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm” in the U.S.), third order Carmelites, and the list goes on and on! All these saints became, as St. Elizabeth of the Trinity famously put it, a “Praise of Glory”. These saints are an inspiration to many, especially to those in the Carmelite communities. What they had in common is that, hidden in Christ, they climbed Mount Carmel, the Mountain of the Lord, and became transformed in Christ … and holy in the process. Besides being set apart for God, they shared a love for the Church and for the Carmelite order, a love for our Blessed Mother, the Queen of Carmel, and a deep understanding and appreciation for the Cross as both the instrument of our salvation and the manifestation of God’s merciful love for us. They sought to emulate this humble love that is patient and forgetful of self, a love which bears all things for the sake of the other, a love watered by self-denial and prayer. Thus, they began, in their lifetimes, to experience heaven on earth, an eternity begun now and in progress! May we pray to them and ask Our Lady, Queen and Mother of Carmel to pray for us as we journey closer to Her Son each day! Our Lady, Queen and Mother of Carmel, pray for us. Holy Carmelite Saints, pray for us. The below video is not related to this Feast Day but something of importance and something that needs our prayers! May Our Lady protect America! PRAY THE ROSARY FOR PEACE. ![]() Greetings in Jesus and Mary.... Thank you O Dear Blessed Mother for giving us this victory in the USA for a new President and a Congress/House that can work with him. This is a miracle in a world of AI and corruption! The states have come through with the votes for FREEDOM! May we share that freedom with the rest of the world because I know they were praying for us as well! May the Good God protect all these new senators, house reps, President and cabinet members from the evil forces that want destruction for America and for the world. May we embrace the Will of the Father and always be obedient to him and turn to Him constantly in prayer as we fight for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness! Here are a few points from Lifesite News that gives us reason to celebrate this victory. The few remaining states (including my own Michigan) have not solidified their vote yet (still counting) but these last four states are leaning toward Trump. Points from Lifesite News that are important to Catholics....... "Trump and Harris, who had replaced 81-year-old Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket less than four months ago, have sharply contrasting platforms and records, though Trump has taken a leftward shift on abortion in recent months. Harris, a former U.S. senator from California who was ranked the most liberal member of the Senate and had a 100% pro-abortion voting record, made abortion the centerpiece of her campaign and pledged to sign a federal law that would legalize unrestricted abortion in all 50 states. Harris endorsed the “Women’s Health Protection Act,” a Democratic bill that would declare abortion throughout pregnancy a national “right” and invalidate hundreds of state and local pro-life laws. Unlike Trump, she even opposes religious exemptions. Harris is also a militant supporter of all aspects of the LGBT movement, including “gender transitions” for minors, taxpayer funding for transgender surgeries, drag queens, and LGBT indoctrination of children in schools, and has said that she would sign the pro-LGBT “Equality Act.” Harris, an early proponent of homosexual “marriage,” was strongly backed by LGBT activists. Trump opposes underage “transitions,” LGBT ideology in schools, and allowing gender-confused males to compete in women’s sports and use female bathrooms but supports homosexual “marriage.” The Republican former president has vowed to criminalize “transitioning” minors without parental consent and to ban federally funded healthcare providers from subjecting children to transgender drugs and surgeries, among other actions. Trump, who had a pro-life record as president, has said that he would not sign a federal abortion ban or prohibit abortion pills and has embraced in vitro fertilization (IVF) while upholding Dobbs v. Jackson, the Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and once again allows states to ban abortion. In February, nearly 90,000 babies were estimated to have been saved so far due to the Dobbs ruling. Trump appointed three Supreme Court justices who voted to reverse Roe v. Wade and will likely have the opportunity to install more justices, especially now that Republicans will control the Senate. Trump has criticized some state pro-life laws, including Florida’s six-week abortion ban, but confirmed in August that he planned to vote against the unsuccessful pro-abortion constitutional amendment in the state that sought to nullify the law. He has additionally suggested that he would ban international taxpayer funding for abortion. Trump also vowed support for religious liberty, parental rights, and freedom of speech and pledged to defend homeschooling and end the Biden-Harris administration’s collusion with social media platforms to censor posts. While president, Trump approved the first-ever Catholic Mass on White House grounds. Harris, however, has a record of targeting Catholics, and as attorney general of California, prosecuted Catholic pro-life journalist David Daleiden after he released videos that showed Planned Parenthood executives discussing the sale of aborted baby body parts. As a member of the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, she suggested that a judicial nominee should be disqualified due to his involvement in the Knights of Columbus, citing the Catholic organization’s opposition to abortion and homosexual “marriage.” Under the Biden-Harris administration, the Department of Justice has selectively enforced the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act to target peaceful Catholic pro-life advocates like Mark Houck and Paulette Harlow, and the FBI was found to have surveilled churches that celebrate the Traditional Latin Mass. Trump has slammed the administration for jailing pro-lifers and vowed to pardon them if re-elected. The Biden-Harris administration has also tried to force hospitals and doctors to commit abortions and facilitate the surgical mutilation of gender-confused children, in a reversal of Trump administration policy. Like Harris, her running mate, Tim Walz, has extreme pro-abortion and pro-LGBT stances. As governor of Minnesota, signed a law that legalized abortion up to birth and repealed Minnesota’s parental notification requirement and ban on coerced abortion. Walz also signed an executive order and a law to protect “gender transitions” for children." May we give prayers of thanksgiving to God, Our Blessed Mother and all of Heaven for this great defeat against evil and may the newly appointed be protected from the enemy that does not want life but wars, and the mutilation of all that is from God. Thank you O Most Holy Trinity and Our Good Queen and Mother! Protect us as we move forward toward a country that protects and defends LIFE! |
AuthorBernadette Porter is a Traditional Catholic, a wife of 44 years with 6 adult home-schooled children and 8 grandchildren. A sincere devotion to Mary, the Mother of God leads me to want to share "The Church's best kept secret" - Mary! Archives
February 2025
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