Sharing Our Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy

Stay tuned for posts about our family’s Pilgrimage in San Antonio, Texas, including pics! We prayed the Rosary at all 5 Franciscan Missions along the San Antonio River, including the Alamo (which no longer has a church, so we prayed in the outside garden). We will have one post per Mission, plus one all about Eclipse Day. It was such an extraordinary experience full of blessings!

God bless all who participated all over the country in Nomen Christi Apostolate’s Eclipse Pilgrimage of Mercy…

working on pictures!

Please be patient as we work on all the pictures we took. We have to enhance color and light and fix framing. Also, email from the phone, re-size and place in files. It’s time-consuming, but we want to bring the very best pics that do these amazing Missions some justice!

+++ HOLY SATURDAY / THIRTY PIECES OF SILVER +++

Our Sorrowful Mother with 30 Pieces of Silver at Her Feet

30 Pieces of Silver, the Price of the Life of Our Blessed Lord

Yes, that is really 30 pieces of silver. There is something greatly emotional about holding them in your hand. It gives a new perspective on the Gospel account of Judas’ betrayal. It brings tears to your eyes. It is the price of what is priceless. It seems to cut into the collective heart, to the deepest part of what it means to be human…and not just human, but redeemed human. This small heap of silver taps into an inner knowing beyond the conscious mind. Somehow, part of us knows what it is looking at. The glittering in the light. The weight which feels as if it lies upon your very heart. The small amount of value, but the greatest spiritual significance.

“Then went one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, to the chief priests, And said to them: What will you give me, and I will deliver him unto you?”

Matthew 26:14

Note: This is about all the silver I own, so don’t come to my house thinking I have a ton of it:) BTW, the weight of this silver coin was 1 lb, 9.6 oz. It really is an experience to hold it in your hands. Think about silver.

To Dream the Impossible Dream: The Authentic Life

I keep saying that we will go crazy if we don’t have something to balance the darkness all around us, a vision to inspire us and get us through. And of course, faith in God. Let us never lose our humanity. Let us always hold our heads up high. And ultimately, we live for the next life.

I grew up listening to this song, we need a few anthems right now…

“The Impossible Dream (The Quest)”

Richard Kiley & Cast from Man of La Mancha, 1966

To dream the impossible dream

To fight the unbeatable foe

To bear with unbearable sorrow

To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong

To love pure and chased from afar

To try when your arms are too weary

To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest to follow that star

No matter how hopeless, no matter how far

To fight for the right without question or pause

To be willing to march into Hell for that Heavenly cause

And I know if I only be true to this glorious quest

That my heart will lie peaceful and calm when I lay to my rest

And the world will be better for this

That one man, scorned and covered with scars

Still strove with his last ounce of courage

To reach the unreachable star

(Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion)

Our “unreachable star” at Nomen Christi Apostolate is the Resilient Catholic Community,

the Authentic Life.

believe in it.

Visualize it.

Pray for it.

Give yours a name.

Work towards it.

See the little ones at Mass in their mothers’ arms. They’re gonna need you.

February is the Month of the Passion of Our Lord

As of Septuagesima Sunday (this past Sunday), the traditional Liturgical Calendar moves from the Cycle of Christmas to the Cycle of Easter.  We remain in this second part for the rest of the year.  We have been meditating upon the Mystery of the Incarnation and now we contemplate the Mystery of the Redemption.  The Cycle of Christmas contained Advent, Christmastide and Time after Epiphany.  The Cycle of Easter contains Septuagesima, Lent, Passiontide, Easter Time and Time after Pentecost. 

As we begin our journey into the Redemption of our souls, we consider how to best conduct our approaching Lent.  This is the purpose of Septuagesima, to arrive at Lent fully prepared and ready to roll.  Otherwise, you wake up on Ash Wednesday and say, “Oh no, it’s Ash Wednesday already.  What am I giving up?  I just made coffee.  Should I give up coffee?  I don’t want to dump it now, that’s expensive coffee.”  Or…”Why did I buy all those cookies?”  You can laugh, but YOU KNOW IT’S TRUE! 

In terms of which Lenten practices you may wish to do, maybe think a bit creatively this year, instead of the “same old thing.”  As we discussed in our “Total Eclipse” post, the world is engulfed in sin and emerging chaos.  Prayer, fasting, penance and spiritual practices in general, are so needed at this time.  And being that February is a month devoted to the Passion of Our Lord, this may help point our exercises in that direction.  Of course, there are the Sorrowful Mysteries, which some say each day in Lent.  There are the litanies of the Passion and the Holy Cross.  Here also, is a Lenten Novena.

Following are some of the notable feasts of this month (we provide both trad and new feasts)…

2nd-Presentation of Our Lord (also known as Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary or Candlemas, when traditionally, candles are blessed)

3rd-St. Blaise (Blessing of Throats)

4th-Sexagesima Sunday

11th-Quinquagesima Sunday, Our Lady of Lourdes

13th-Shrove Tuesday (Holy Face of Jesus traditionally celebrated)

14th-Ash Wednesday (fast & abstinence), St. Valentine (wonderful day to offer up for the intention of chastity)

21st-Ember Wednesday of Lent/Spring

23rd-Ember Friday of Lent/Spring

24th-Ember Saturday of Lent/Spring, St. Matthias

Traditional Calendar for February

Saint Joseph the Workman / Update

May 1st we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph the Workman, honoring him as a laborer and humble participant in Jewish society. The prayer below is not specific to this feast, but it is so beautiful. It is from The Raccolta, a short prayer, easily committed to memory…

“O Joseph, virgin father of Jesus, most pure spouse of the Virgin Mary, pray for us daily to the Son of God, that, armed with the weapons of His grace, we may fight as we ought in life, and be crowned by Him in death.”

Unfortunately, I am suffering numerous health issues, including continued eye problems which reduces my ability to work on electronics. I would ask for your patience and prayer for myself and my family. You have my deepest thanks and all my readers are always in my prayers as well. Chiara:)

If You Still Don't See Why We Need to Take Refuge...

From LifeSite:

Military Lawyer says Genetic Changes from COVID Vaccines are Creating a New Human 'Species' under the Law

Are the jabbed going to become the property of the government?

But we trust in God because we are His children and He sent His Only-Begotten Son to die for us!

and always keep your sense of humor

11th Day of Christmas

Eleven Faithful Apostles

1 ~ Andrew: First Apostle, Brother of Peter

2 ~ Bartholomew: Friend of Philip

3 ~ James the Greater: Brother of John

4 ~ James the Less: Relative of Christ, Brother of Jude, Author of Epistle

5 ~ John: “The Beloved,” Brother of James the Greater, Author of Gospel, 3 Epistles & Apocalypse

6 ~ Jude: “Thaddeus,” Relative of Christ, Brother of James the Less, Author of Epistle

7 ~ Matthew: “Levi,” Author of Gospel

8 ~ Peter: “Simon,” First Vicar of Christ, Brother of Andrew, Author of 2 Epistles

9 ~ Philip: Friend of Bartholomew

10 ~ Simon: “The Zealot,” Relative of Christ

11 ~ Thomas: “Didymus” (the twin), Doubter of Christ

(Names are in alphabetical order-this helps to memorize them!)

Image from familyatthefootofthecross.blogspot.com

6th Day of Christmas

Six Days of Creation: Genesis 1

1 ~ “Be light made.”

2 ~ “Let there be a firmament made amidst the waters.”

3 ~ “Let the waters that are under the heaven, be gathered together into one place: and let the dry land appear…Let the earth bring forth the green herb, and such as may seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after its kind.”

4 ~ “Let there be lights made in the firmament of heaven, to divide the day and the night.”

5 ~ “Let the waters bring forth the creeping creature having life, and the fowl that may fly over the earth…And God created the great whales.”

6 ~ “Let the earth bring forth the living creature in its kind, cattle and creeping things, and beasts of the earth…And he said: Let us make man to our image and likeness…male and female he created them.”

Hey, what about the song???

Partial artwork by Leah Smith from ncsundayschools

Thought for the Day

The universe does not revolve around me. A little disappointing. But mostly a huge relief. Actually, it’s very good news for the universe.

Just sayin.

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