Saint Therese of Lisieux "The Little Flower"

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

May is the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.

MARY, QUEEN OF APOSTLES,

MARY, QUEEN OF PROPHETS,

MARY, QUEEN OF VIRGINS,

MARY, QUEEN OF MARTRYS,

MARY, QUEEN OF DOCTORS OF THE CHURCH,

MARY, QUEEN OF ALL SAINTS,

PRAY FOR US.

On this glorious day, May 17, 2025, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the canonization of "The Little Flower," Saint Therese of the Lisieux, also known as Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Virgin and Doctor of the Church. Give God the praise!  

For a few fun facts, born January 2, 1873, Saint Therese died September 30, 1897, after living a short but powerful life. From the age of 15 until her death at the age of 24, Therese lived a hidden life of the Carmel cloister in Lisieux, France. After her death, though, Therese's fame spread throughout the world and continues to spread this day. Pope Pius X called her "the greatest saint of modern times." 

With a special devotion to The Little Flower, Pope Pius XI, beatified her on April 29, 1923, and canonized her two years later, May 17, 1925. Pope Pius XI called Therese the "the Star of his Pontificate," and in the homily at her canonization, he recommended that all the faithful practice her "Little Way," as he preached:

 If everyone follows this path of spiritual childhood, everyone will see how easily reformation of human society can be achieved, which we have proposed since the beginning of our pontificate. We, therefore, adopt as our own prayer of the new Saint Therese with which ends her autobiography: 'O Jesus, we beseech Thee to cast Thy glance upon the vast number of little souls, and to choose in this world a legion of little victims worthy of Thy love. Amen.

Pope Pius XI proclaimed her "Universal Patron of the Missions," alongside Saint Frances Xavier, on December 14, 1927. Pope Saint John Paul II gave Saint Therese the title "Doctor of the Church," on World Mission Sunday, October 19, 1997. She is joined by other women Doctors of the Church including Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Catherine of Siena, and Saint Hildegard of Bingen. The Church commemorates the Feast of Saint Therese on October 1. It's not too early to mark your calendars and note the date as an annual celebration. And it's never too late to read her autobiography, Story of a Soul, where she begins, "Springtime story of a little white flower written by herself and dedicated to the Reverend Mother Agnes of Jesus." And I can't go without saying that I received the privilege of venerating the relics of Saint Therese of Lisieux in 2000 when they traveled through Mt. Angel, Oregon. The Little Flower ⚘ was on tour 🚚 with a stop at Mount Angel Abbey. I have been a fan of relics since. How cool is that 😊.

Today it is best to let Saint Therese of Lisieux speak for herself ...

Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers.

(Story of a Soul, Manuscript A, Chapter I)

It seems to be that if a little flower could speak, it would tell simply what God had done for it without trying to hide its blessings.

(Story of a Soul, Manuscript A, Chapter I)

Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be.

(Story of a Soul, Manuscript A, Chapter I)

I should be distressed that I drop off to sleep during my prayers and thanksgiving after Holy Communion. But I don't feel at all distressed. I know that children are just as dear to their parents when they are asleep or awake and I know that doctors put their patients to sleep before they operate. So I just say God "knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust."

(Story of a Soul, Ch. 8)

For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy. Go to the mountain with Peter, James, and John, or even the valley; you will find Jesus there. You will do well to be attentive to His voice, for it is a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

(Story of a Soul, see reference in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2558) 

Was not Jesus my only Friend! I knew how to speak only to Him; conversations with creatures, even pious conversations, fatigued my soul. I felt it was far more valuable to speak about Him, for there is so much self-love intermingled with spiritual conversations.

(Story of a Soul, Manuscript A, Chapter IV)

Do not be afraid of holiness. It will not take away your energy, your vitality or joy. On the contrary you will become what the Father had in mind when He created you. and you will be faithful in your deepest self. To depend on God sets us free from every form of enslavement and leads us to recognize our great dignity ... Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God's grace. For in the words of Leon Bloy, when all is said and done, "the only great tragedy in life is not to become a saint.

(Story of a Soul, Manuscript A, Chapter I)

Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.

(Story of a Soul, Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

Here's one of my favorites. Go Therese go! ...

I feel the vocation of the WARRIOR, THE PRIEST, THE APOSTLE, THE DOCTOR, THE MARTYR. Finally, I feel the need and desire of carrying out the most heroic deeds for You, O Jesus. I feel within my soul the courage of the Crusader, the Papal Guard, and I would want to die on the field of battle in defense of the Church.

(Story of a Soul, Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

And now with a few well-known words ...

Charity gave the key to my vocation ... LOVE COMPRISED ALL THE VOCATIONS, THAT LOVE WAS EVERYTHING, THAT IT EMBRACED ALL TIMES AND PLACES ... IN A WORD THAT IT WAS ETERNAL!

Then in the excess of my delirious joy, I cried out: O Jesus, my Love ... my vocation at last I have found it ... MY VOCATION IS LOVE!

(Story of a Soul, Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

Everything I have, everything I merit, is for the good of the Church and souls.

(Story of a Soul, Epilogue)

In the evening of this life, I shall appear before You with empty hands, for I do not ask You, Lord, to count my works. All our justice is stained in Your eyes. I wish, then, to be clothed in Your own Justice and to receive from Your Love the eternal possession of Yourself. I want no other Throne, no other Crown but You, my Beloved.

(Story of a Soul, Appendices, "Act of Oblation to Merciful Love")

And about three months before she died, Therese offered this ...

I feel that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making others love God as I love Him, my mission of teaching my little way to souls. If God answers my requests, my heaven will be spent on earth up into the end of the world. Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.

(Story of a Soul, Epilogue)

Today's photo: Praise and exalt Him above all forever. 

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

May is the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary

She is clothed with strength and dignity, 

and she laughs at the days to come.

MARY, QUEEN OF MOTHERS,

PRAY FOR US.

On you have I leaned from my birth,

from my mother's womb you have been my help.

My hope has always been in you.

(Psalm 70:6)

Welcome to Good Shepherd Sunday and the celebration of Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day. We pray for all mothers, biological, psychological, or spiritual, that through the intercession of Mary, Mother of God, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, will guide them, and bless and reward them for their sacrifices, love, and care. Bless the work of their hands and hearts. 

The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God is the heart of a mother.

(Saint Therese of Lisieux, "The Little Flower", 1873-1897)

A woman by her very nature is maternal - for every woman, either married or unmarried, is called upon to be a biological, psychological, or spiritual mother - she knows intuitively that to give, to nurture, to care for others, to suffer with and for them - for maternity implies suffering - is infinitely more valuable in God's sight than to conquer nations and fly to the moon.

(Alice von Hildebrand, 1923-2022)

We invoke some of the saints who were mothers ...

SAINT BRIDGET OF SWEDEN,

SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON,

SAINT PERPETUA,

SAINT HELENA OF CONSTANTINOPLE,

SAINT MONICA,

SAINT OLGA OF KIEV,

SAINT ADELAIDE OF BURGANDY,

SAINT MARGARET OF SCOTLAND,

SAINT HEDWIG OF SILESIA,

SAINT FRANCES OF ROME,

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA,

SAINT MARGARET POLE,

SAINT MARGARET BALL,

SAINT MARIE OF THE INCARNATION,

SAINT MARIE-MARGUERITE D'YOUVILLE,

SAINT MARIA CRISTINA OF SAVOY,

SAINT ELISABETTA SANNA,

BLESSED EUROSIA FABRIS BARBARI,

SAINT HILDEGARD BURJAN,

BLESSED CONCEPCION CABRERA DE ARMIDA,

BLESSED WIKTORIA ULMA,

SAINT GIANNA MOLLA,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Give her a reward of her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Eastertide 2025

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

April is the month dedicated to the Divine Mercy

May is the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary

June is the month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

By the Lord has this been done.

MARY, MOTHER OF HOPE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

DIVINE MERCY, SOURCE OF MIRACLES AND WONDERS,

I TRUST IN YOU.

HEART OF JESUS, IN WHOSE FULLNESS WE HAVE ALL RECEIVED,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Papa Francesco, 

Requiescat in Pace.

We pray for all the Cardinals who gather to elect the Holy Father's successor. At the same time, we pray for all the faithful. We have our part to play too. May the Holy Spirit guide and direct us. 

Our prayers continue as we pray for our Holy Father,

Pope Leo XIV. 

Auguri Papa Leone XIV.

Lord, God, keep Pope Leo XIV close to Your Sacred Heart. 

Guide him in truth, strengthen him in grace, 

and let his every step draw the Church nearer to you.

Amen.

He is risen. Alleluia! Sing praise; sing praise. 🎶 We welcome all the newly baptized and confirmed. Benvenuti a tutti! Together, may we grow in faith, joy, and happiness.

HAPPY EASTER!

BUON PASQUA!

FROHE OSTERN!

JOYEUSES PAQUES!

FELIZ PASCUA!

We welcome too the Easter morning birds, busy as they "fly beneath the dome of the sky," and sing praise from this tree and that one. God looks at it all and finds it very good. As Pilgrims of Hope, we hear from Cardinal Basil Hume, from an Easter Sunday Morning Television Program, 1986.

Easter is so much more than a welcome spring holiday. It has its own special meaning and importance. It offers us real hope. It is the key that unlocks the secrets of life. It reveals the immensity of God's love and the future He has planned for each of us ... Easter gives us an idea of what our life is for. Through Easter we see how the love of God shines through darkness and discouragement and death. We now have sure hope that there is meaning and a purpose in all that happens to us, and a future beyond our wildest dreams.

Jesus Christ is risen from the dead! 

Lift up your heads, O gates! And be lifted up, O ancient doors! That the King of glory may come in.

(Psalm 24)

Life is not a waiting room leading to the void but the beginning of eternity ...

God does not live in a distance castle, nor does He hide Himself behind impenetrable anterooms. The door is open; it is called Jesus Christ. The celebration of Easter is intended to show us the radiant light that streams from this door.

(Pope Benedict XVI, 1927-2022)

Throw open the door of your heart ... let the radiant light that streams from the King of Glory enter. 

SAINT MARCELLINUS, VINCENT AND DOMNINUS,

SAINT BEUNO,

SAINT AGNES OF MONTEPULCIANO, OP,

SAINT ANSELM OF CANTERBURY,

SAINT MAELRUBHA,

SAINT CAIUS AND SOTER,

SAINT GEORGE,

SAINT ADALBERT OF PRAGUE,

BLESSED TERESA MARIA OF THE CROSS,

SAINT FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN,

SAINT ERKENWALD,

SAINT EGBERT,

SAINT MARK THE EVANGELIST,

BLESSED ROBERT ANDERTON AND WILLIAM MARDSEN,

OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL,

SAINT ASICUS,

SAINT MAUGHOLD,

BLESSED HOSANNA OF KOTOR, OP,

SAINT PETER CHANEL,

SAINT LOUIS GRIGNION DE MONTFORT,

BLESSED MARIA GUGGLIARI ECHEVERRIA,

SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, VIRGIN, DOCTOR,

POPE SAINT PIUS V,

SAINT MARIE OF THE INCARNATION,

OUR LADY, MOTHER OF AFRICA,

SAINT JOSEPH THE WORKER,

SAINT ATHANASIUS, BISHOP, DOCTOR,

SAINTS PHILIP AND JAMES, APOSTLES,

SAINT HILARY OF ARLES,

THE ENGLISH MARTYRS,

BLESSED MARIE-LEONIE PARADIS,

SAINT CONLETH,

SAINT BRIGID,

THE BEATIFIED MARTYRS OF ENGLAND AND WALES,

SAINT JOSE MARIA RUBIO,

BLESSED ANGEL PRAT HOSTENCH AND COMPANIONS,

BLESSED EMILY BICCHIERI,

SAINT ASAPH,

BLESSED EDMUND RICE,

SAINT RICHARD REYNOLDS,

SAINT ANGELUS,

SAINT FRANCOIS DE LAVAL,

SAINT EVODIUS,

BLESSED CHRISTIAN DE CHERGE AND COMPANIONS, MARTYRS,

SAINT PETER OF TARENTAISE,

SAINT JOHN OF BEVERLEY,

SAINT ROSE VENERINI, 

BLESSED ALBERT OF BERGAMO, OP,

BLESSED CATHERINE OF SAINT AUGUSTINE,

BLESSED JOHN SULLIVAN,

BLESSED ALOYSIUS RABATA,

SAINT GEORGE PRECA,

SAINT PACHOMIUS,

SAINT LOUISE DE MARILLAC,

SAINT DAMIAN OF MOLOKAI,

SAINT JOHN OF AVILA,

SAINT COMGALL,

SAINT ANTONIUS OF FLORENCE, OP,

THE CARTHUSIAN MARTYRS,

SAINT EPIPHANIUS OF SALAMIS,

SAINTS NEREUS AND ACHILLEUS,

SAINT PANCRAS, MARTYR,

BLESSED JANE OF PORTUGAL, OP,

OUR LADY OF FATIMA,

SAINT ERCONWALD,

BLESSED IMELDA LAMBERTINI, OP, 

SAINT MATTHIAS, APOSTLE,

SAINT ISIDORE THE FARMER,

SAINT CARTHAGE,

BLESSED ANDREW ABELLON, OP,

BLESSED GILES OF VAOZELA,

SAINT SIMON STOCK,

SAINT JOHN STONE,

POPE SAINT JOHN I,

SAINT ERIK OF SWEDEN,

SAINT DUNSTAN,

SAINT MILBURGA,

SAINT IVO OR YVES,

SAINT RAPHAEL LOUIS RAFIRINGA,

SAINT FRANCIS COLL GUITART, OP,

SAINT BERNARDINE OF SIENA,

BLESSED COLUMBA OF RIETI, OP,

POPE SAINT CELESTINE V,

SAINT RITA OF CASCIA,

SAINT JOACHINA DE VEDRUNA DE MAS,

SAINT CHRISTOPHER MAGALLANES AND HIS COMPANIONS

SAINT EUGENE DE MAZENOD,

OUR LADY, HELP OF CHRISTIANS,

BLESSED LOUIS-ZEPHIRIN MOREAU,

SAINT ALDHELM,

SAINT DOMINIC,

POPE SAINT GREGORY VII,

SAINT MARY MAGDALENE DE PAZZI,

SAINT BEDE THE VENERABLE,

SAINT JANE ANTIDE THOURET,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: With help from a ladder, I managed this one.☺ Sing praise to the Lord for His glorious achievement. 

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Holy Saturday

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

April is the month dedicated to the Divine Mercy

The one who descended is also the one who ascended far above all the heavens,

that He might fill all things.

DIVINE MERCY, SHIELDING US FROM THE FIRE OF HELL,

I TRUST IN YOU.

OUR LADY OF SORROWS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Pilgrims of hope, we wait.

Something strange is happening-there is a great silence on the earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

However, as the Lord takes Adam by the hand, He says ...

Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light ...

I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be held a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only person and we cannot be separated.

(From an ancient homily on Holy Saturday, in Office of Readings, Holy Saturday)

O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. 

Pope Saint John Paul II offered this about Holy Saturday:

On Holy Saturday, the Church, once again, identifies herself with Mary: all her faith is gathered in her, the first believer. In the darkness that envelopes creation, she remains alone to keep the flame of faith alive, preparing to welcome the joyful and surprising announcement of the Resurrection. In memory of the Mother of the Lord, the Christian community on this aliturgical day is called to devote herself to silence and meditation, nourishing in expectation the blessed hope of a renewed encounter with the Lord.

(Pope Saint John Paul II, Wednesday General Audience, April 3, 1996)

Let us be silent this day and ask Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows to pray for us so that we, like her, be strengthened in our faith. 

Solitude can be very rewarding and full of blessing because in the silence of the inner being, 

one finds God.

(Venerable Fulton Sheen)

BLESSED JAMES OLDO,

SAINT ALPHEGE,

BLESSED ISNARD OF CHIAMPO, OP,

BLESSED SIBYLLINA BISCOSSI, OP,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: From the archives, February 6, 2023. Praise God in His holy place, praise Him in the mighty heavens. 

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Holy Week

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

April is the month dedicated to the Divine Mercy

By His wounds we are healed. 

DIVINE MERCY, INSPIRING HOPE AGAINST ALL HOPE,

I TRUST IN YOU.

OUR LADY OF SORROWS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

And to strengthen Him an angel from heaven appeared to Him.

(Luke 22:43)

Welcome to Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord and our entrance into Holy Week 2025. 

You ask, "Why, why, why?" and rightly so. Look at the cross, venerate it, embrace it in your prayer. Jesus had to go through darkness, pain, and death so as to give meaning to our darkness, our pain, and our death. But more than this: suffering and death become friends because through them we have received new life which will be ours now and after death, and for always.

(Cardinal Basil Hume, The Mystery of the Cross)

For our reflection this Holy Week, here are the Communion Antiphons for each day. When was the last time you prayed with a Communion Antiphon? 

Father, if this chalice cannot pass without my drinking it, your will be done.

(Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord)

Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress. 

Turn your ear towards me; on the day I call, speedily answer me.

(Monday of Holy Week)

God did not spare his own Son, but handed him over for us all.

(Tuesday of Holy Week)

The Son did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

(Wednesday of Holy Week)

I will sing for ever of your mercies, O Lord, through all ages my mouth will proclaim your fidelity.

(Chrism Mass)

This is the Body that will be given up for you; this is the Chalice of the new covenant in my Blood, says the Lord, do this, whenever you receive it, in memory of me.

(Evening Mass of the Lord's Supper)

And for Friday, the Celebration of the Passion of the Lord, the verse before the Gospel.

Christ became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Because us this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every other name.

We continue to "look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual longing" (RB 49:7) and pray:

O God, who in this season

give your Church the grace

to imitate devoutly the Blessed Virgin Mary

in contemplating the Passion of Christ,

grant, we pray, through her intercession,

that we cling more firmly each day

to Your only Begotten Son

and come at last to the fullness of grace. 

Dear Jesus, grant us the grace to resolutely follow you all the days of our lives. Venerable Fulton Sheen gives us something else to ponder ...

So when God pulls down the curtain on the drama of the world's redemption, He will not ask what part we played, but only how well we the played the role assigned to us.

(The Wisdom of Fulton Sheen, Blue Sparrow, 2021, entry for April 13, p. 39)

POPE SAINT MARTIN I,

SAINT MARGARET OF CASTELLO, OP,

BLESSED LUCIAN BOTOVASOA,

BLESSED PETER GOONZALEZ, OP,

SAINT BERNADETTE SOUBIROUS,

SAINT DONAN,

BLESSED BAPTIST SPAGNOLI OF MANTUA,

BLESSED CLARA GAMBACORTA, OP,

BLESSED MARIA MANCINI, OP,

SAINT LASERIAN OR MOLAISE,

BLESSED MARIE-ANNE BLONDIN,

BLESSED MARY OF THE INCARNATION,

SAINT ALPHEGE,

BLESSED ISNARD OF CHIAMPO, OP,

BLESSED SIBYLLINA BISCOSSI, OP,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Passionflower. From the archives, July 11, 2018.

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Ash Wednesday/Lent

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

March is the month dedicated to Saint Joseph

April is the month dedicated to the Divine Mercy

Thoroughly wash me from my guilt.

MARY, VIRGIN MOST POWERFUL,

MARY, MOTHER OF HOPE,

SAINT JOSEPH, SUPPORT IN DIFFICULTIES,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

DIVINE MERCY, SWEET RELIEF FROM ANGUISHED HEARTS,

I TRUST IN YOU.

Welcome to Ash Wednesday and the days following up to the First Sunday of Lent, now in March dedicated to Saint Joseph, the month that leads us to the month of April, the month dedicated to the Divine Mercy. 

Often, we enter the holy season of Lent with vigor and enthusiasm. We pray to cleanse ourselves of all that keeps us from growing closer to the Lord. We repent and ask our Lord for forgiveness for our faults and failings, to seek reconciliation with our neighbors, especially those with whom we live and work. And with that we add to the usual measure of our service something by way of private prayer and abstinence from food and drink, or in other words, we deny ourselves some food, drink, sleep, needless talking and idle jesting, as Saint Benedict teaches in Chapter 49 of the Holy Rule, "The Observance of Lent." As laudatory as all this is, it came to me this morning, tired already, that perhaps it might help to enter these holy days gently. It can happen that our initial vigor wanes as the days go on. The daily happens and we experience setbacks and just do not seem to be following our initial Lenten program so to speak. So, why not enter these days fully engaged, with a certain vigor, but simultaneously remember the God of mercy who loves us tenderly, with compassion and love. Remember, as Venerable Fulton Sheen said, "You are infinitely precious because you are loved by God." Infinitely precious; no matter what. Together, united in faith and prayer, whatever we offer to God these days, we want to offer it with the joy of the Holy Spirit so as to look forward to holy Easter with joy and spiritual longing (See RB 49).  We are in the Jubilee Holy Year of Hope. And, as Saint Paul writes, "Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5). Be full of the love of God that has been given to you. His Love will sustain you. And remember with me: "I have the strength for everything through Him who empowers me" (Philippians 4:13). 

Hope is knowing that I have

been forgiven, my guilt removed.

Hope is knowing that there is a future,

a life after death.

Hope is knowing that there is love,

that there is a God,

and I am loved by Him.

Whatever happens He does care.

Hope is knowing that He has plans,

even if I do not understand them.

(Cardinal Basil Hume, The Mystery of Love)

As it has become an annual Lenten practice, I offer the following passed along to me some years ago by a friend of Cardinal Basil Hume, Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery of Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments. 

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ indwelling in them.

Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on unity of life.

Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.

Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.

Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger; feast on patience.

Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.

Fast from worry; feast on trust.

Fast from compliance; feast on appreciation.

Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.

Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.

Fast from hostility; feast on nonviolence.

Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.

Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal truth.

Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.

Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.

Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.

Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.

Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.

Fast from idle gossip; feast of purposeful silence.

Gentle God, during this season of fasting and feasting, gift us with Your presence, so that we can be a gift to others in carrying out Your work. Amen.

Some other voices for this holy season ...

In this Holy Lent, let us lift up our hearts and always go forward to the triumph of the reign of Christ in society.

(Blessed, soon to be Saint, Pier Giorgio Frassati, 1901-1925)

Preparation for Lent begins with desire. We exist to desire God. As Saint Augustine says, "My heart is restless until it rests in Thee." In this is the preparation for Lent; touching a desire for God that is deep down in the heart. Desire is like a flame, it starts small and it grows. Lent should fan our desire for God into a bonfire ...

(Servant of God Catherine de Heuck Doherty, 1896-1985)

No sound ought to be heard in the Church but the healing voice of Christian charity.

(Edmund Burke, 1729-1797, in Taylor Caldwell, No One Hears But Him)

Lord, Jesus, open our hearts that we may hear, so that when we open our lips, our utterances may build up your Church.

(Father Richard Veras, in Magnificat, "The Sacred Act of Listening," February 2, 2025, p. 34)

Charity is a right attitude of mind which prefers nothing to the knowledge of God.

(From the chapters On Charity by Saint Maximus the Confessor, abbot, in Office of Readings, 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time)

I gradually gained a bit of satisfaction from being considered an extremist. Was not Jesus an extremist in love? - "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, pray for them that despitefully use you" ... Was not Paul an extremist for the gospel of Jesus Christ? - "I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus" ... Was not Thomas Jefferson and extremist? - "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." So the question is not whether we will be extremist, but what kind of extremists will we be. Will we be extremists for hate, or will we be extremists for love ...

(Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968, Letter from Birmingham Jail)

You must be in right earnest, or you will do little or nothing for God.

(Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821)

And parting words from a fellow American, enough to keep us busy for the days which make up a life that, as Saint Benedict says, should be a continuous Lent ...

To a great extent the world is what we make of it. We get back what we give. If we sow hate, we reap hate; if we scatter love and gentleness we harvest love and happiness. Other people are like a mirror which reflects back on us the kind of image we cast. The kind person bears with the infirmities of others, never magnifies trifles, and avoids a spirit of fault finding.

(Venerable Fulton Sheen, 1895-1979)

SAINT CHAD,

SAINT DAVID,

BLESSED CHARLES THE GOOD, COUNT OF FLANDERS,

SAINT KATHERINE DREXEL,

SAINT VIGNAL,

SAINT CASIMIR,

SAINT KIERAN, 

SAINT KYNEBURGHA,

POPE SAINT LUCIUS I, MARTYR,

SAINT JOHN JOSEPH OF THE CROSS,

SAINTS PERPETUA AND FELICITY,

SAINT STEPHEN OF OBAZINE, CISTERCIAN ABBOT,

SAINT JOHN OF GOD,

SAINT SENAN, BISHOP,

SAINT DUTHAC,

SAINT FELIX,

SAINT AENGUS,

SAINT CONSTANTINE, 

SAINT AUREA,

SAINT JOHN OGILVIE,

SAINT RODERICK,

SAINT THEOPHANUS,

BLESSED JOHN ANNE,

SAINT MATILDA,

SAINT LOUIS DE MARILLAC,

SAINT PATRICK, BISHOP, MISSIONARY,

SAINT CYRIL OF JERUSALEM, BISHOP, DOCTOR,

SAINT EDWARD THE MARTYR, 

BLESSED JAN TYRANOWSKI,

SAINT JOSEPH,

SERVANT OF GOD BLANDINA SEGALE,

SAINT HERBERT,

SAINT CUTHBERT,

SAINT BENEDICT,

SAINT ENDA,

SAINT DEOGRATIUS, 

SAINT NICHOLAS OWEN, 

SAINT LEA OF ROME,

BLESSED CLEMENS AUGUST VAN GALEN,

SAINT JOHN OF EGYPT,

SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON,

POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II,

SAINT FRANCIS OF PAOLA, HERMIT,

SAINT ISIDORE OF SEVILLE, BISHOP, DOCTOR,

SAINT VINCENT FERRER, PRIEST,

SAINT JOHN BAPTIST DE LA SALLE,

SAINT STANISLAUS, BISHOP, MARTYR,

SAINT PETER CHANEL, PRIEST, MARTYR,

SAINT LOUIS MARIE GRIGNION DE MONTFORT,

SAINT CATHERINE OF SIENA, VIRGIN, DOCTOR,

POPE SAINT PIUS V,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: And of my sin cleanse me.

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

Jubilee Holy Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

February is the month dedicated to the Holy Family

Reading from the Rule of Saint Benedict for February: Chapter 7:35 through Chapter 23 Excommunication for Faults

Who is this king of glory?

JESUS, MARY, AND JOSEPH,

    MARY, MOTHER OF MERCY

MARY, HEALTH OF THE INFIRM,

MARY, CONSOLER OF THE AFFLICTED, 

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Welcome to February, the month dedicated to the Holy Family. Today is the day we officially end the holy Christmas Season with the Presentation of the Lord, also called Candlemas. Behold, our Lord will come with power, to enlighten the eyes of His servants, alleluia. At the same time, we mark the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life.

And if that’s not enough, we celebrate the World Day of the Sick on February 11. We pray for all the sick this month, and those who suffer in any way be it physical, mental, or spiritual. Remember that Our Lord, the Divine Physician, came for the sick; those who are well do not need a physician. Jesus did not come to call the righteous but sinners (See Mark 2:17). Watch out. There is some moving and shoving going on to get to the head of the line.☺ Jesus, heal us according to Your divine will. May Our Lady of Lourdes cover us in her protective veil. May she sustain our faith and hope and help us care for one another in fraternal love.* As Saint Benedict says: "Care of the sick must rank above and before all else, so that they truly be served as Christ" (RB 36:1).

About the Presentation of the Lord then. When I pray the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary and it's time for the Fourth Mystery, the Presentation of Jesus, I reflect on how I present Jesus in me to others. And how I welcome the Jesus presented to me in others. Hmmm. What will it be at any given moment or anytime of the day. Saint Teresa of Calcutta offers this: "We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do." Some years ago, I saw this little saying on the counter of a restaurant: "Kindness is free. Sprinkle that stuff everywhere." And I remember what Saint Benedict says about guests: "All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ" (RB 53:1). So what is the Jesus in me and the Jesus in you about this month. 

Our voices are a little of this and a little of that, all though encourage us and add a few more words of wisdom to pray with. 

We sometimes feel more troubled and preoccupied by the suffering of a friend or a child than by our own suffering. In itself, this may be fine and good, but it must never become an occasion for despair ... our distress is legitimate, but we must remain peaceful.

(Father Jaques Philippe, b. 1947, Searching for and Maintaining Peace: 

A Small Treatise on Peace of the Heart)

Like action, suffering is part of our human existence ... Certainly we must do whatever we can to reduce suffering: to avoid as far as possible the suffering of the innocent; to soothe pain; to give assistance in overcoming mental suffering. These are obligations both in justice and in love, and they are included among the fundamental requirements of the Christian life and every truly human life.

(Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi On Christian Hope, 36)

It is not by sidestepping or fleeing from suffering that we are healed, but rather by our capacity for accepting it, maturing through it and finding meaning through union with Christ, who suffered with infinite love.

(Pope Benedict XVI, Spe Salvi On Christian Hope, 37)

The glory of the living God is made manifest to the eyes of faith and hope in the frail flesh of a child, In baptism we have been made the temple of the living God. Let us welcome the Lord of glory in whatever guise He comes to us in, receiving Him in joyful prayer, in purity of heart, and in charity toward all.

(Magnificat, February 2, 2025, commentary of Psalm 24, p. 37)

Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do ... but how much love we put in that action.

(Venerable Fulton Sheen, 1895-1979)

Charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control, chastity.

(Fruits of the Holy Spirit)

God loves a cheerful giver.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, 5:16/2 Cor 9:7)

We conclude with a doozy we've heard before. Shout it out, Sister. Let your light shine for all to see. 

Every day we are called to be salt for the world, bringing the flavor of [Jesus' love] to a culture bland from disillusionment. Spending my daily life on plans that are focused merely on myself is putting a bushel basket over what Jesus wants others to see and witness: 

His love radiating uniquely through you.

(Sister Faustina Maria Pia, S.V., the Sisters of Life)

SAINT ANSGAR, BISHOP,

SAINT BLAISE, BISHOP, MARTYR,

SAINT AGATHA, VIRGIN, MARYTR,

SAINTS PAUL MIKI AND HIS COMPANIONS, MARTRYS,

SAINT JEROME EMILIANI,

SAINT JOSEPHINE BAKHITI, VIRGIN,

SAINT SCHOLASTICA, VIRGIN,

SAINT TEILO,

OUR LADY OF LOURDES,

SAINT GOBNAIT,

SAINT JULIAN THE HOSPITALLER,

BLESSED REGINALD OF ORLEANS,

SAINT HUMBELINE OF JULLY,

SAINT CYRIL, MONK,

SAINT METHODIUS, BISHOP,

THE SEVEN HOLY FOUNDERS OF THE SERVITE ORDER,

SAINT PETER,

SAINT GREGORY OF NAREK, ABBOT, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH,

PRAY FOR US.

*Pope Francis, Prayer for Those Who are Sick.

Today's photo: From the Joyful Mystery of the Birth of Jesus to the Joyful Mystery of the Presentation of Jesus. May we bear the fruits of Love of God and Sacrifice. A light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory for your people Israel. 

© Gertrude Feick 2025

The Baptism of the Lord

Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus

Reading from the Rule of Saint Benedict for January 1-21: The Prologue of the Holy Rule - Chapter 4 The Tools for Good Works.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters.

JESUS, MODEL OF GOODNESS,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

MARY, QUEEN AND MOTHER,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Dear faithful readers, I thought to give a brief shout today. After all, it is the Baptism of the Lord, the day the Holy Father, following a tradition established in 1981 by Pope Saint John Paul II, baptized 21 babies in the Sistene Chapel. For a bit of history then, it was in 1981, when then Pope John Paul II began baptizing children in the Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, a ceremony that was reserved for children of Swiss Guards. In 1983, the Mass was moved to the Sistene Chapel and eventually extended to children of all Vatican employees. Give God the praise! 

Today is a day when, as Pope Francis preached, "Each of you, parents, and the Church itself are giving the greatest gift, the greatest gift: the gift of faith to the children." Our baptism is the greatest day of our lives, and, as such, is a day when we remember our date of baptism. Do you remember the date of your baptism? If you don't, why not contact the parish where you were baptized and ask. Mark your calendars and celebrate each year. As a voice from heaven came to Jesus, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased," the voice comes to each one of you, "You are my beloved child; with you I am well pleased." Grateful for the gift, may we receive the grace this week to live our baptismal promises with deeper authenticity and fervor.*

Now with a few voices to encourage us ...

Baptism is the "the sacrament of faith" in a particular way, 

since it is the sacramental entry into the life of faith.

(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1236)

Jesus listened with an open ear and an open heart to the voice of His Father. Listening, He obeyed. Let us, who have been baptized in Him, listen to the voice that calls us beloved children and gives us a work to do, the work of the Gospel proclaimed and lived in love for God and neighbor.

(Magnificat, Prayer for the Morning, commentary on Psalm 40, January 12, 2025, p. 161)

At your baptism, Jesus entered the world in a new way through His union with you and all that is unique in you.

(Father Richard Veras)

The soul is regenerated in the sacred waters of baptism and thus becomes God's child.

(Saint Maximilian Kolbe, 1894-1941)

Christ is baptized, not to be made holy by the water, but to make the water holy, and by His cleansing to purify the waters which He touched.

(Saint Maximus of Turin, 380-465)

Baptism places upon our souls a mark that forever will identify it as one privileged of God.

(Sister Mary Jean Dorcy, OP, 1914-1988)

In baptism we have been made the temple of the living God. Let us welcome the Lord of glory in whatever guise He comes, receiving Him in joyful prayer, in purity of heart, and in charity toward all.

(Magnificat, Prayer for the Morning, commentary on Psalm 24, February 2, 2024)

And as Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year ...

In Your sacrament we daily embrace You and receive You into our bodies; make us worthy to experience the resurrection for which we hope. We have had Your treasure hidden within us ever since we received baptismal grace; it grows ever richer at Your sacramental table. Teach us to find our joy in Your favor! Lord, we have within us Your memorial, received at Your spiritual table; let us possess it in its full reality when all things shall be made new.

(From a sermon by Saint Ephrem, deacon, in Office of Readings, June 9)

* See Magnificat, January 11, 2025, Suggested Prayer of the Faithful, p. 160.

Today's photo: On a recent visit to "back home again in Indiana," I took this on a snowy and cold day while on a long walk. See the White River, with floating mallards, view from a bridge on College Avenue, Indianapolis, IN. I bet Jesus was glad he wasn't baptized in this frigid river. Burr ...😊 The Lord, over vast waters.

© Gertrude Feick 2025

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God

Jubilee Year 2025: Pilgrims of Hope

58th World Day of Peace, "Forgive us our trespasses, grant us Your peace"

January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus

Reading from the Rule of Saint Benedict for January: The Prologue of the Holy Rule

May the peoples praise You, O God.

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD,

MARY, QUEEN OF HEARTS,

MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE,

MARY, QUEEN OF FORGIVENESS,

MARY, MERCIFUL MOTHER,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

JESUS, PRINCE OF PEACE,

JESUS, PRINCE OF HOPE,

JESUS, PRINCE OF FORGIVENESS,

JESUS, PRINCE OF MERCY,

JESUS, PRINCE OF RECONCILIATION,

HAVE MERCY ON US.

Happy New Year, and welcome to the Jubilee Year 2025, may we be "Pilgrims of Hope." Jesus, Prince of Hope, have mercy on us. Holy Mother of God, Queen of Hope, pray for us. 

We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. For when our hope is pure, it no longer trusts in exclusively human and visible means, nor rests in any visible end. He who hopes in God trusts God, Whom he never sees, to bring him to the possession of things that are beyond imagination.

(Thomas Merton, No Man is an Island)

May we live in pure hope and be perfectly free. For "hope does not disappoint because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us" (Romans 5:5).

As we celebrate the Holy Mother of God, we also celebrate the 58th World Day of Peace, with the theme "Forgive us our trespasses, grant us Your peace." Perhaps all of us will agree that we could not only invigorate our hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, we could also, along with our neighbors near and far, better some of the ills we experience day in and day out through forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace. 

I have been immersed in the series The Chosen. I marvel at the actors and actresses, the character development, the noteworthy lines and scenes, and the lessons to learn by the gradual conversion and witness of not only Jesus' immediate followers, but of others, Jew and Gentile alike. I am presently in Season 4. It is in episode 2, "Confessions," that I have seen one of the most powerful portrayals of forgiveness. Without spoiling it for those who haven't tuned in, there are a few lines to share. Jesus asks Matthew two questions that may help us as we seek forgiveness and reconciliation with God and our neighbor, especially a neighbor with whom we live or work: "Have you asked for forgiveness?" and "Who harmed the other first?" We might also remember a few other things Jesus says to Matthew: "You don't apologize to be forgiven. You apologize to repent. Forgiveness is a gift from the other person." And if you just think you can't apologize due to fear, anxiety, lack of courage, shame, embarrassment, or some other reason, remember these words of Jesus to Matthew: "I make people what they aren't. You know that better than most." Jesus will give you the strength and courage to offer a sincere and heartfelt apology to someone you have harmed. And lastly, in the past, in the present, in the future, for all time then, we might remember that "there is no peace when two of My followers hold resentment towards one another." Thank you, Jesus, you give the peace that the world does not give. However, we have our parts to play. This is why our holy father Saint Benedict instructs us: "Let peace be your quest and aim ... If you have a dispute with someone, make peace with him before the sun goes down" (Rule of Saint Benedict, Prologue 17; 4:73). And lead us not into temptation.

Our friends in heaven and on earth encourage us. 

In teaching us to pray the "Our Father," Jesus begins by asking the Father to forgive our trespasses, but passes immediately to the challenging words: "as we forgive those who trespass against us". In order to forgive others their trespasses and to offer them hope, we need for our own lives to be filled with that same hope, the fruit of our experience of God's mercy. Hope overflows in generosity; it is free of calculation, makes no hidden demands, is unconcerned with gain, but aims at one thing alone: to raise up those who have fallen, to heal hearts that are broken and to set us free from every kind of bondage.

(Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the LVIII World Day of Peace, January 1, 2025, paragraph 10)

Seventy-seven times forgiveness acknowledges that I do not see the whole story, that God does not love me more than He loves those with whom I am in conflict. It is absolute surrender and love, and extravagant kind of grace, and undeserved forgiveness that holds out a hand that may be refused.

(Mother Saint Teresa of Calcutta, 1910-1997)

It is always tempting to take credit for the gifts and to lay blame elsewhere for our faults. If we do not claim responsibility for the choices that are truly ours, neither can we ask for or seek forgiveness. Too heavy for us, our offenses-to heavy not to allow the Lord to wipe them away.

(Magnificat, Prayer for the Morning, Introduction to Psalm 65, March 9, 2024)

No one heals himself by wounding another.

(Saint Ambrose of Milan, 339-397)

Only the peace of God, which surpasses all pleasures of the senses, can satisfy the aspirations of our soul.

(Venerable Mary Magdalene of Jesus in the Eucharist, C.P., 1888-1960)

Forgiveness often seems impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. The God who lives within us will give us the grace to go beyond our wounded selves and say, "In the Name of God you are forgiven."

(Henri Nouwen, 1932-1996)

If by chance your conscience is burdened by sin, take your rosary and say at least part of it ... [Jesus] will plead for you and will obtain for your contrition and forgiveness of your sins. 

(Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort, 1673-1716)

We say that we must seek God, go to Him and ask for forgiveness, but when we go, He is waiting for us. He is first! ... You go [a] sinner but He is waiting to forgive you.

(Pope Francis, Vigil of Pentecost, May 18, 2013)

It is to be hoped that the life of everyone will be a life sustained by passionate love for the Lord Jesus; a life capable of responding to suffering and to thorns with forgiveness and the total gift of self, in order to spread everywhere the good odor of Christ.

(Pope Saint John Paul II, May 20, 2000, to pilgrims on the Centenary of the Canonization of Saint Rita of Cascia, d. 1457)

Breath of life, you who knows us better than we know ourselves, grant that the words we speak serve to praise your name and express your love for creation. Prevent us from speaking in any way that hurts another, but rather let our speech be instructive, uplifting, and always in accordance with your will. We ask this through your son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

(Advent and Christmas with Thomas Merton, Liguori, 2002, p. 81)

There are more than a few saints to invoke this month, including "wholly American," Mother Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. ☺ For all the saints ...

SAINT BASIL THE GREAT,

SAINT GREGORY NAZIANZEN,

SAINT MUNCHIN,

SAINT GENEVIEVE,

SAINT KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA,

BLESSED STEPHANA QUINZANI OP,

SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON,

SAINT JOHN NEWMANN,

SAINT RAYMOND OF PENYAFORT,

SAINT ANDRE BESSETTE,

SAINT NATHALAN,

SAINT PETER THOMAS,

SAINT ADRIAN OF CANTERBURY,

SAINT ANDREW CORSINI,

BLESSED ANN OF THE ANGEL MONTEAGUDO OP,

BLESSED GONSALVO OF AMARANTE OP,

BLESSED BERNARD SCAMMACCA OP,

SAINT AELRED OF RIEVAULX,

SAINT MARGARET BOURGEOYS,

SAINT BENE (BENEDICT) BISCOP,

SAINT HILARY OF POITIERS, BISHOP, DOCTOR,

SAINT KENTIGERN OR MUNGO,

BLESSED PETER DONDERS,

SAINT ITA,

SAINT REMIGIUS, REMY OR REMI,

SAINT FURSA OR FURSEY,

SAINT JOSEPH VAZ,

SAINT ANTONY, ABBOT,

OUR LADY OF ARABIA,

SAINT MARGARET OF HUNGARY OP,

SAINT WULSTAN,

SAINT NINO (HOLY CHILD),

SAINT FAOLAN,

SAINT HENRY OF UPPSALA,

THE JESUIT MARTYRS OF THE REFORMATION OF EUROPE,

BLESSED ANDREW OF PESCHIERA OP,

POPE SAINT FABIAN,

SAINT SEBASTIAN,

BLESSED CYPRIAN MICHAEL TANSI,

BLESSED ANGELO PAOLI,

SAINT AGNES, VIRGIN, MARTYR,

SAINT VINCENT, DEACON, MARTYR,

SAINT PUBLIUS,

BLESSED ANTHONY DELLA CHIESA OP,

SAINT MARIANNE COPE,

BLESSED HENRY SUSO OP,

SAINT FRANCIS DE SALES, BISHOP, DOCTOR,

SAINT PAUL, APOSTLE,

SAINTS TIMOTHY AND TITUS,

SAINT ANGELA MERICI, VIRGIN,

BLESSED EDWARD OLCORNE,

SAINT HENRY DE OSSO,

BLESSED MARCOLINO OF FORLI OP,

SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS, PRIEST, DOCTOR,

BLESSED ARCHANGELA GIRIANI,

BLESSED VILLANA DE BOTTI OP,

SAINT AEDAN OF FERNS

SAINT JOHN BOSCO,

SAINT ALBAN ROE,

SAINT THOMAS GREEN,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: Mary, Mother of God, most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

© Gertrude Feick 2025