Hope you had a blessed Sunday! 🙏
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.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
Hope you had a blessed Sunday! 🙏
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.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
Hope you had a blessed Sunday! 🙏
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.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. Over 50k Catholics were in attendance across the United States. Eucharistic Adoration, daily Mass and a line-up of speakers headed by Fr. Mike Schmitz and Bishop Robert Barron were the highlights (but to be honest the entire week was a highlight).
The experience was truly transformative, filled with moments of profound joy and palpable movements of the Holy Spirit. As I reflect on those days, I’d like to share some of the most impactful insights I gained.
One of the first things that struck me was the overwhelming sense of joy that permeated the entire event. As I sat in the conference hall during supper, I couldn’t help but notice the many small groups of two or three people scattered throughout the room. In those moments, I felt certain that Jesus was present among them, fulfilling His promise: “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20).
While waiting in line for the Eucharistic Miracles exhibit (a popular attraction with over an hour and a half wait), I had a life-changing encounter. I met Emilio, a gentleman from California, whose story deeply moved me. Emilio shared how he had been involved in gang activity from a young age and had even taken a life at 22, resulting in a life sentence. Eventually, a combination of legal changes and Emilio’s profound spiritual transformation led to his release.
His journey of repentance and renewal in prison led him to give his life to Jesus. Emilio’s wife, who accompanied him, emphasized that she felt the Eucharistic Congress was specifically for him. This reminded me that while we were blessed to attend, the Eucharistic Revival is for all baptized Catholics – we are all called to share the Gospel and live sacramentally.
Another powerful realization came during Dr. Mary Healy’s talk on healing and prayer. The healing service she conducted with Fr. Mathias Thelen felt biblical in its intensity, reminiscent of Jesus’ own ministry. During this service, I experienced firsthand the power of prayer and the name of Jesus.
Despite initial doubts about whether my relatively minor headache was worthy of divine intervention, I prayed, “Lord, help my unbelief” – echoing the father in Mark 9:24. To my amazement, as the service concluded, I realized my headache had disappeared. This experience reinforced the truth that Jesus has the power to heal us physically, mentally, and spiritually – just as He did in biblical times. Jesus is the Divine Physician and He desires to heal all our wounds.
A recurring theme throughout the Congress was the significance of repentance. According to Fr. Mike Schmitz, “If this is going to be a revival, if it’s going to be a real revival, here’s the reality. In the history of Christianity, you can never have a revival without repentance.”
To fully receive the graces available in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, we must approach it with hearts open to God’s mercy. But this mercy is not forced upon us. We have to repent of our sins. The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it this way, “Jesus calls to conversion. This call is an essential part of the proclamation of the kingdom: ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel” (CCC 1427).
This emphasis on repentance serves as a powerful reminder of our continual need for God’s mercy and our call to ongoing conversion.
The National Eucharistic Congress was a profound reminder of the living presence of Christ in our midst, particularly in the Eucharist. It reinforced the power of community, the importance of personal testimony, the reality of divine healing, and the necessity of repentance in our spiritual lives.
As we move forward in this Eucharistic Revival, may we all be renewed in our commitment to Christ, open to His healing power, and ready to share His love with the world. The revival is not just for those who attended the Congress – it’s for every baptized Catholic. We are all called to live out our faith in a sacramental way, drawing strength from the Eucharist and sharing the Good News with those around us. I will see you all in the Eucharist!
These testimonials offer just a glimpse of the countless ways Jesus touched hearts during the Congress. If you attended the National Eucharistic Congress, I invite you to continue this chain of witness:
Take a moment to reflect on your experience. How did you encounter Jesus during the Congress? What moment stands out as particularly meaningful or transformative?
I encourage you to write a short paragraph (100-200 words) sharing your personal encounter with Jesus at the Congress. You might consider:
Hope you had a blessed Sunday! 🙏
Time for another Catholic Meme Monday. Today we will have a mega-sized issue to celebrate the big 1-5-0 and the National Eucharistic Congress that ended yesterday. 🍞🍷☀️✝️
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.
P.S. If you prefer receiving quality Catholic humor in daily doses follow me on Instagram @thesimplecatholic.
I will see you in the Eucharist! 🍞🍷🙏✝️
Editor’s Note: Post originally published on July 15, 2022.
Incredible saints have come from the Carmelite religious order: Saints John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, and Therese of Lisieux represent this Catholic spirituality. The Blessed Virgin Mary is the Spiritual Mother of the Carmelites.
The Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16th. During the late 14th century, St. Simon Stock received a vision of Mary who advised him to wear a scapular as a sign of her protection.
Before I go further, I have to clarify something to avoid getting a ticket from the grammar police. I am aware I misspelled Carmel in the title (who hasn’t said caramel in place of carmel 😊 at least once?). I did not know much about the Brown Scapular (or any for that matter—there is blue, green, and white too!) until a few years ago. This Catholic devotion provides a sweet win over sin. However, God planted many hints of this devotion in my childhood.
Before my son’s First Communion earlier this summer, we showed him some sacramentals I received for my First Communion and on the top right of the felt-laden box was a brown scapular. My mother also made it a point to frequent the local Carmelite monastery when Mass was open to the public.
The Brown Scapular is not a talisman—it does not bestow magical protection for the wearer. According to the Catholic of the Catholic Church paragraph 1677, “Sacramentals are sacred signs instituted by the Church. They prepare men (and women) to receive the fruit of the sacraments and sanctify different circumstances of life.”
While Mary promised protection (and salvation) to all wearing the Brown Scapular upon death, the sacramental is a sign pointing at sacramental living. I had a priest bless my Brown Scapular. It is suggested you make a consecration to Mary as well.
Initially, Marian consecration seemed excessive (I already pray the Rosary). But the more I petition Our Spiritual Mother for guidance the closer I am to Her Son. St. Louis de Montfort wrote, “We never give more honor to Jesus than when we honor his Mother, and we honor her simply and solely to honor him all the more perfectly. We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek—Jesus, her Son.”
I have learned that the more a person learns about a subject or person there exists a direct correlation in an increased amount of titles or synonyms to describe them. For example, I had a lot of nicknames as an infant and toddler because of my parent’s love toward me. I have inherited that same knack to create multiple monikers for my children as well.
Within the Catholic Church, our honor toward Mary, the Mother of God, lends itself to a burgeoning of titles to reference her too. She has over 2,000 titles! Her title Our Lady of Mount Carmel reminds us that closeness to Mary is closeness to Jesus. Mary’s promised Simon Stock, “Whosoever dies in this garment shall not suffer eternal fire.” Again, the Brown Scapular is not a lucky charm or talisman. Instead, it is an outward sign of an interior lifestyle. The principles of Carmelite spirituality include:
Another interesting fact about the Carmelites is Mount Carmel is the same mountain where the Old Testament prophet Elijah challenged 450 prophets of Ba’al. Elijah lived during a time when Israel succumbed to idol worship. His complete trust in God allowed him to be an instrument for God’s power and majesty (1 Kings 18: 20-39).
Our Lady of Mount Carmel testifies to the power of God in an even better way than Elijah. Mary’s total obedience to God the Father’s will led the birth of Jesus Christ—our savior. The Blessed Mother of God leads us to the Son. You will battle sin all your life. Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel protects us and leads us to victory (through trusting in Jesus) over sin.
History of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Hope you had a blessed Sunday! 🙏
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.