Today I talk about St. Helena and the True Cross. I have a rather mysterious connection to St. Helena and I share a little bit about my own journey and my temporary guardianship of three holy relics of the True Cross. I have learned that the Cross is non-negotiable if we want to become saints. During this time of affliction, we need to lift high the Cross and call all people to Christ’s love poured out for our salvation. We can also participate in the redeeming work of the Cross through offering our suffering united to Him on the Cross.
Category: Catholic
The Saints and the Cross Episode 11: St. Padre Pio
Today’s episode is on St. Padre Pio and persevering through this period of exile. He is a saint who achieved high levels of sanctity and was given great blessings and gifts from God, including the stigmata. He suffered tremendously, often at the hands of others because of these extraordinary gifts. During this time as we struggle with being exiled from the Real Presence in Holy Communion and public celebration of the Mass, he is an example to us of how to persevere and endure suffering.
Many feel abandoned by the Church, but the reality is, the hierarchy has failed the flock since the inception of the Church. The battle for the renewal of the priesthood will come and is being fought by some at present, but in this present exile, we need to focus on conversion of heart, deeper prayer, and making reparations–including for the hierarchy–so that Christ can unleash great graces into the world for the salvation of souls. Lord willing, we will come out of this period strengthened in faith, hope, and charity so that we can live the mission He has given to each one of us in order to draw all peoples into conformation with the Most Holy Trinity.
The Saint and the Cross Episode 10: St. Catherine of Siena
I’m a few days late, but today I talk about St. Catherine of Siena. In this short talk, I focus on her life of prayer and the interior life, which led Christ to use her in extraordinary ways. She’s often quoted in response to the clergy sex abuse scandals. It’s important for us to remember that God is the one who provides the graces we need to live certain missions. If He is calling us to help renew the priesthood, then we must first be people of prayer and mortification. We must seek His will or we may get in the way of what He’s trying to accomplish. It is a life of profound prayer and union with God that makes any missions He gives to us possible. Prayer must come before action.
The Cross and the Saints Episode 9: St. Augustine
Today, as promised, I talk about St. Augustine who was St. Monica’s son. He is a great saint for those who are struggling with lust and the sins of the flesh. He had a dramatic and beautiful conversions which is recounted in his Confessions. I highly recommend reading it during this time at home. He is also a wonderful saint for all of us as we constantly seek conversion of heart. This process of conversion of heart is a moment-by-moment struggle as we try to turn to God in all things. St. Augustine, ora pro nobis.
The Saints and the Cross Episode 8: St. Monica
The next saint in the series is St. Monica. For those of you struggling with wanting your children, family, friends, and others to return to the Church or convert, St. Monica is the saint for you. She shows us how our prayers, sacrifices, and love will be used by the Holy Spirit for their sanctification and ours. We must trust that He is always at work and sometimes we need to get out of the way and allow the people He sends to help our loved ones do His work. No matter what, we can trust God is working in the lives of our loved ones.
*Precision in language matters a great deal to me in both my writing and speaking. I inadvertently–a slip of speech–referred to the Holy Spirit with their rather than His. No, I was not trying to use gender-neutral language. God has revealed Himself through the masculine even though He also possesses all feminine qualities within Himself as well. It was a small enough mistake that I decided not to re-record the whole thing.
The Saints and the Cross Episode 7: St. Joan of Arc
Happy Third Sunday of Easter! Today I talk about the next saint in my series: St. Joan of Arc. This one is for my daughter who loves the martyr saints. St. Joan of Arc is a wonderful example to us of how to follow God’s will even when those around us do not understand it fully. She was tasked with doing extraordinary things in the face of extreme odds, but her faithfulness to God, led her to accomplish all that He asked of her. She eventually gave her life for Christ as a martyr when she was burned at the stake. May we all use this time to prayerfully discern where Christ is calling us to serve Him for the salvation of souls.
The Saints and the Cross Episode 6: St. John the Apostle
Today I talk about a very real danger of the temptation to despair that I see growing as this exile continues. The answer to this temptation is greater love of God. St. John is an example to us of how to endure agonies, trials, and afflictions at the foot of the Cross completely centered in the love of God. If you know someone who is struggling with despair, please share this video with them. When those moments come, may we all have recourse to greater and deeper prayer in the Word of God and the intercession of St. John, and of course, Our Lady.
The Saints and the Cross Episode 5: St. John Vianney
Happy Easter! Today I cover one of the saints you all requested. He is a great saint who I already have a devotion to as a spiritual mother to priests. I could talk about him and the priesthood for hours, but I tried to keep it somewhat short. Please pray daily for our priests!
The Saints and the Cross Episode 3: Our Lady of Sorrows
A blessed Holy Week to you all! Today I cover Our Lady of Sorrows in the next episode of The Saints and the Cross. Let us turn to Our Lady of Sorrows to help us unite our will fully to Christ’s and to allow ourselves to be pierced with the agony, mystery, and love of the Cross.
The Saints and the Cross Episode 2: St. Therese of Lisieux
Today I cover two aspects of St. Therese of Lisieux’s teaching: Doing small things with great love and persevering in trial and testing knowing it is a sign of God’s love for us.
Today is my 39th birthday. I’m requesting that anyone who views this video or stops by the blog to offer a prayer for our priests, bishops, and Holy Father. In your kindness, after you pray for your own parish priests, please remember mine: Fr. Kevin and Fr. Christian. I pray that Our Lord may unleash tremendous graces on our priests through the Immaculate Heart of His Mother.
Here’s a beautiful prayer you can offer written by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who is a fellow April birthday.
Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s Prayer for Priests
LORD JESUS CHRIST,
eternal High Priest, you offered yourself to the
Father on the altar of the Cross and through the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave your priestly
people a share in your redeeming sacrifice.
Hear our prayer for the sanctification of our priests.
Grant that all who are ordained to the ministerial
priesthood may be ever more conformed to you,
the divine Master. May they preach the
Gospel with pure heart and clear conscience.
Let them be shepherds according to your own Heart,
single- minded in service to you and to the Church
and shining examples of a holy,simple and joyful life.
Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
your Mother and ours,draw all priests and the flocks
entrusted to their care to the fullness of eternal life where
you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen
