“How merciful the good God is in letting us now and then run up against a snag of some kind, that halts us for at least a moment of reflection on the real purpose of our existence as rational creatures: eternity in God.”

Venerable Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap.

Father Solanus, Pray for Us!

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Celebrating 125 Years of Capuchin Ministry in Yonkers, NY (Province of St. Mary)

 

 

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LINKS

Venerable Solanus Casey (franciscan media)

Father Solanus:  Cause for Sainthood (Father Solanus Guild)

Doorway to Solanus Casey (Solanus Casey Center)

“If we wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honor.”

St. Charles Borromeo, O.F.S.

St. Charles Borromeo, great saint of the Third Order of Saint Francis, Pray for Us!

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Prayer on the Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo

Father,
keep your people in the spirit
which filled Charles Borromeo.
Let your Church be continually renewed
and show the image of Christ to the world
by being conformed to his likeness,
who lives and reigns, with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

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LINKS

Saint Charles Borromeo (Roman Catholic Saints)

Saint Charles Borromeo (franciscan media)

St. Charles Borromeo – A Model for All Clergy in Troubled Times (Monsignor Charles Pope – Archdiocese of Washington)

“In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, Circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free….but Christ is all and in all.”

Colossians 3:11

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When God looks at mankind, He doesn’t see us as different races. He doesn’t see different social standings. He doesn’t see color or creed. God looks past all the superficial things that our culture seems to magnify. He sees us all the same, not black or white, just His beautiful creation; one big family.

Sometimes people make mistakes of judging a whole race by a few people. We make sweeping generalizations and it keeps us from enjoying and getting to know people God places in our lives. May we always see others as God sees them in their hearts. When we see others through His eyes, we can come together in unity and receive the blessing of being in communion with all our Brothers and Sisters. Building communities that practice understanding, loving kindness and compassion may be the most important things we can do for the survival of our world.

Reflection Donna Hollis, O.F.S.

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“Love isn’t a state of perfect caring. It is an active noun like struggle. To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.”
― Fred Rogers

“With faith we visit the graves of our loved ones, where we can also pray for those who no one remembers.”

Papal Tweet (Pope Francis, November 2, 2016)

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Today we celebrate All Souls Day and pray for those who have gone before us.  The Prayer of St. Gertrude, below, is one of the most famous of the prayers for souls in purgatory. St. Gertrude the Great was a Benedictine nun and mystic who lived in the 13th century. According to tradition, our Lord promised her that 1,000 souls would be released from purgatory each time it is said devoutly.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

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Reflections on All Souls’ Day (Catholic News Service)

 

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Requiem Aeternam – Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. (uCatholic)

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All Soul’s Day – Richard Strauss (Fennell and Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra)

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LINKS

Let Us Help the Souls in Purgatory (Fr. Ed Broom, O.M.V. – Catholic Exchange)

The Art of Dying Well – NEW resource on death and dying (Catholic News Agency)

5 Ways to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory (Aleteia)

Purgatory? There’s Actually a Museum for That! (Aleteia)

Recipes for November ~ Month Dedicated to the Holy Souls (Catholic Cuisine)

“The feasts of All Saints and All Souls are “days of hope,” he said. The virtue of “hope is like a bit of leaven that enlarges your soul. There are difficult moments in life, but with hope you go forward and keep your eyes on what awaits us. Today is a day of hope; our brothers and sisters are in the presence of God, and we, too, will be there in the Lord’s arms if we follow the path of Jesus.”

Pope Francis (All Saints Day Homily 2013)

“The saints have found the secret of authentic happiness, which lies deep within the soul and has its source in the love of God.”

Papal Tweet (Pope Francis, November 1, 2016)

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Bishop Robert Barron on All Saints Day

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Litany of the Saints – John Becker

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LINKS

Best resource for all the saints – CatholicSaints.info

Saint of the Day (franciscan media)

The SaintCast (Dr. Paul Camarata)

Communion of Saints – tapestries by artist John Nava at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Angels

Calendar of Franciscan Saints & Blesseds (NAFRA)