Hope you had a blessed weekend! And Happy Halloween (aka All Hallow’s Eve)!!!
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
O most holy apostle, Saint Jude, faithful servant and friend of Jesus,
the Church honoureth and invoketh thee universally, as the patron of hopeless cases,
and of things almost despaired of.
Pray for me, who am so miserable. Make use, I implore thee, of that particular
privilege accorded to thee, to bring visible and speedy help where help was almost
despaired of.
Come to mine assistance in this great need, that I may receive
the consolation and succor of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations,
and sufferings, particularly (here make your request) and that I may praise
God with thee and all the elect throughout eternity.
I promise thee, O blessed Jude, to be ever mindful of this great favour,
to always honour thee as my special and powerful patron, and to gratefully
encourage devotion to thee.
Amen.
Beauty is often found in the ordinary. Sometimes you find it by happenchance. The constant is it’s all around. In thought or sharing laughter. You will find beauty in allTo see it in everything, even in something as simple as this tree. When you are open to beauty and be still And see life as it is meant to be— free from it’s guise.Hope you had a blessed weekend!
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
Editor’s Note: Article originally published in October 18, 2018.
As a child I had a fascination with maps, geography, and the idea of being on a quest. My favorite books to read as a kid included the famous Greek epic The Odyssey and the Redwall Series by English author Brian Jacques. Both included a sense of adventure whereby the main character(s) trekked across dangerous terrain and met obstacles to overcome (external and internal struggles) before arriving at their destination towards the end of the story. The word odyssey means journey, pilgrimage, or trek.
As a father of four [one is in utero!], I am able to reacquaint myself with the sense of life as a voyage. Frequently, I lose sight of reality as the flood of daily temptations, confusion, and struggles assail me. My 5-year-old daughter definitely got her penchant for atlases from me. Almost every day, she asks me, “Daddy! Can you please get me paper and markers for me to make a map?!” Cartography reigns supreme in my household—especially on rainy days!
The other day I read an article online that referenced the importance of returning to a sense of voyage. A quote from St. Thérèse of Lisieux stuck in my mind after I went on with the rest of my day. The Doctor of the Church wrote, “The symbol of a ship always delights me and helps me to bear the exile of this life.”
Her words convey a truth that something about sea travel points to a higher reality. Perhaps it is because we named our child Noah, named after the Old Testament figure who crafted the ark, that I tend to have boats on the mind—at least subconsciously. Or maybe, there is something innate in each of us that desires the continual movement that travel affords us. St. Augustine famously declared, “Our hearts are restless, until they rest in you [God].”
Here is a well-written and easy to understand article on the connection between Noah’s Ark and its prefiguring of the Catholic Church: Ten Ways Noah’s Ark Prefigured the Church. Just as the giant boat housed the holy individuals of Noah and his family, so too, does the Catholic Church safeguard individuals striving for holiness against the dangers of the deluge of temptations!
Another important point that stands out regarding the maritime theme is that life is bearable when we look to the Promised Land—Heaven—as our destination. When times get tough, during the turbulence of life we look beyond our vehicle, and outside of ourselves toward the horizon—toward the rising of the Sun [Son]!
Every quest involves dead-ends, treacherous terrain, and wild beasts [physical and/or spiritual]. Fellowship is essential for any journey—just ask Frodo the Hobbit!
Knowing life is a voyage helped remind me I’m not alone in the journey. God send you helpmates along the way!
Family. Friends. Saints.
When life gets your down and despair sets in, please be reminded that you still have a road ahead. You have the ability to pick the road on this pilgrimage of life. Make life more joyful by following the witnesses of the holy ones before us!
An Unexpected Journey- How September 21st, 2017 Became the New Start to My Spiritual Life
3 Lessons from St. Therese of Liseux—Changing Lives One Day at a Time
Why Jesus is the true Noah and how his cross is the new “ark”
P.S. Congratulations on finishing your latest (reading) voyage!
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Hope you had a blessed weekend!
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday.
That’s all I have this week. Stay tuned for next week’s Catholic Meme Monday. Receive updates straight to your email inbox by subscribing to The Simple Catholic blog.
Among my favorite saints is the Spanish Carmelite nun Teresa of Avila. Her spirituals works bring peace and comfort to my life. I discovered a simple, but powerful prayer, a poem Saint Teresa wrote, that brings comfort in distressing times.
Let nothing disturb you,
Let nothing frighten you,
All things are passing away:
God never changes.
Patience obtains all things
Whoever has God lacks nothing;
God alone suffices.
We thank God for the wonder witness of the life of Saint Teresa of Avila. May we look to her as a faithful spiritual toward Jesus Christ. St. Teresa pray for us!
How Saint Teresa of Avila Cut Through My Exterior with Her Interior Castle
Spiritual Surgeons— Clean Out the Wounds of Your Soul with Teresa of Avila