Are Sundays a Day Off During Lent?

Lent is coming soon so it's a good time to ask: Are Sundays a day off in Lent? I never heard about such a thing as a child but now, it seems like standard operating procedure.  From the Sunday-free-day crowd, I heard that since Sundays celebrate the resurrection of our Lord,  fasting is not even appropriate.  Well, what the heck?   Were all those extra days of sacrifice unwarranted? 

Call on the Precious Blood of Jesus

Devotion to the Precious Blood is a devotion to the very passion and death of our Lord Jesus Christ who shed his blood  as the price for our redemption. It is a powerful and intimate way to pray for reparation of sin and for our intentions.  Here are some prayers that do that.

Powerful Prayers to the Angels

Have you ever encountered an angel? They are mentioned throughout Scripture as protectors, guides, and messengers. “Regarding the angels, he says, ‘He sends his angels like the winds, his servants like flames of fire,’” (Hebrews 1:7).

     

4 Exorcists on Holy Hacks for Spiritual Protection

Exorcists are men in Persona Christi who gaze straight into the eyes of hell and grasp for souls against an enemy bent on destroying them. The reason to write about this ministry is to warn people against the occult and to draw them closer to Jesus Christ for the spiritual protection he offers. 

Only 2/3 of Bishops Came Through

For pro-lifers who see abortion as the preeminent issue of our day, the second day of the Fall General Assembly of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), went well.  On Tuesday, two-thirds of the bishops voted for the slaughter of the unborn to remain the pre-eminent social justice priority for the USCCB. This wording counters arguments often used to excuse voting for a  pro-abortion politician because they defend other human life issues of equal importance. 

The Fountain of Youth: Having Babies

My daughter Teresa & grandson Xavier

           Science has identified a way that women can slow aging, have a stronger brain, and live longer. Babies! Having them at all, having more of them, and having them at a later age, are all ways that women benefit physically from becoming a mother. So, change that diaper, wipe that messy face, and smile! 

"Baby Shark" Outfielder Parra, Proud Catholic

WA Post Photo

If you watched the World Series, perhaps “Baby Shark” became stuck in your head thanks to Gerardo Parra.  He was the high energy outfielder for the winning team, the Washington Nationals.

A big part of Parra's acclaim had to do with his walk-up song "Baby Shark" that threw the stadium into an "infectious" pep rally. People sang and clapped arms like imaginary jaws and even took to showing up in shark hats and costumes.

Use Your Weapons!

           

 

         Sometimes I yearn for a voice from above to shout: "Catholics, use your weapons!" To do nothing about all hell breaking loose is to join the other side. 

The Hope of Lepanto: the Feast of the Holy Rosary

We are not to lose hope even in the face of the nightly evening news.  We have Jesus and all the treasures of the Catholic Church.  And on October 7, we have the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, also known as Our Lady of Victory.  This feast shows us the way to victory. 

St. Faustina Helping Us Now More Than Ever

 “Jesus, I Trust in You,” was the message of Divine Mercy that Jesus gave to us through Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska. She was the third of ten children, born in Poland on August 25, 1905, died October 5, 1938, and canonized on April 30, 2000.  

As a sister with the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, St. Faustina had a deep interior life. Jesus revealed the devotion of Divine Mercy to her which includes the powerful Chaplet of Mercy. 

Never Say Never, a St. Padre Pio Miracle

Paul Walsh was 17 when the car he was driving hit a tree on Chester Pike in suburban Philadelphia on an icy December night in 1983. Not only was his skull shattered, every bone in his face was broken and there was a tear in his brain. Doctors at Crozier Chester Medical Center said he was irreversibly brain damaged and would never regain consciousness.  But as the old saying goes, “Never say never.”