Catholic – Page 23 – hugsnblessings

movie confessions

Published on March 16, 2016February 8, 2017 by Dawn Marie2 Comments

It’s another Wednesday for Saint Maria Faustina KoWalska (what else,)

with a brief reflection on the Divine Mercy of God!

And I have a confession to make…

I’ve been watching an awful lot of movies these past 48 hours!

Mostly because I remain homebound on Doctor’s orders. And so it is that I must confess to taking advantage of this permission ‘to do nothing’ & have woven some mindless things amidst my lenten prayer time, such as a….

Movie Marathon

with sympathetic Helen by my side!

I have mainly chosen to revisit some of my all time favorite dramas to watch, for example: On Golden Pond (Norman is still ‘just an old poop’.) Terms of Endearment (I decided I still prefer Shirley MacLaine as Wheezer in Steel Magnolias…and then tried to figure out how did she ever get cast as Martha Levinson in Downton Abbey???) PS I love you (where a scene was filmed from Cuppycake & my favorite NYC restaurant, Ouest, which closed it’s doors June 2015 and made me all teary-eyed as that particular scene was playing with Harry Connick, Jr & Hilary Swank.) And then today, trying to build upon this movie marathon to pass still yet more time, I attempted to watch a family favorite, Return to Me, which for some odd reason would not play. (And I was really looking forward to some bicycle riding time with Minnie Driver & the habited Sisters through the streets of Italy!)

So instead I popped this Nun into the Blue-Ray:

Faustina, The Mystical Life of The Visionary of Divine Mercy!!

And NOW I had Helen’s full attention!!

Helen was riveted to the story of her namesake!

The movie is a drama on the life of Sister Faustina Kowalska, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, based upon her experiences recorded in her spiritual diary. Faustina received from Our Lord the visions of Divine Mercy and was both Beatified and Canonized by Pope John Paul II. The first feature film of its kind in Poland, it is a beautiful artistic portrayal of her mystical life in high quality cinema.

Dorota Segada was voted top actress of the year by European film critics for her stunning portrayal of Sister Faustina.

And while this movie just scraped the surface of the mystical experiences of St. Faustina & her many Diary entries, this was still a wonderful portrayal of St. Faustina’s mission as directed by Christ. The focus of Faustina’s time spent in confession with her Spiritual Director, Father Sopocko, and the tender compassion he showed during those times was a beautiful expression of what the Sacrament of Confession can be for us.

St. Faustina herself wrote many times in her Diary of the beautiful gift we are given through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

(113) And again, I would like to say three words to the soul that is determined to strive for sanctity and to derive fruit; that is to say, benefit from confession.

First [word] – complete sincerity and openness. Even the holiest and wisest confessor cannot forcibly pour into the soul what he desires if it is not sincere and open. An insincere, secretive soul risks great dangers in the spiritual life, and even the Lord Jesus Himself does not give Himself to such a soul on a higher level, because He knows it would derive no benefit from these special graces.

Second word – humility. A soul does not benefit as it should from the sacrament of confession if it is not humble. Pride keeps it in darkness. The soul neither knows how, nor is it willing, to probe with precision the depths of its own misery. It puts on a mask and avoids everything that might bring it recovery.

Third word – obedience. A disobedient soul will win no victory, even if the Lord Jesus Himself, in person, were to hear its confession. The most experienced confessor will be of no help whatsoever to such a soul. The disobedient soul exposes itself to great misfortunes; it will make no progress toward perfection, nor will it succeed in the spiritual life. God lavishes His graces most generously upon the soul, but it must be an obedient soul. -Diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul, Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska

Confession is a sacrament instituted by Jesus Christ in his love and mercy. It is here that we meet the loving Jesus who offers sinners forgiveness for offenses committed against God and neighbor. At the same time, Confession permits sinners to reconcile with the Church, which also is wounded by our sins.

Saint Faustina reminds us we need the sacrament of Penance because each of us, from time to time, sins. When we recognize that we have offended God who is all deserving of our love, we sense the need to make things right. Like the prodigal son in the Gospel, we long to know again the loving embrace of a forgiving father who patiently waits for each of us. Jesus himself has established this sure and certain way for us to access God’s mercy and to know that our sins are forgiven. By virtue of his divine authority, Jesus gives this power of absolution to the apostolic ministry. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church says, “in imparting to his apostles his own power to forgive sins the Lord also gives them the authority to reconcile sinners with the Church” (1444).

We need to know that our sins are forgiven. There is something in our human nature that calls out for the assurance that our sins are actually forgiven. Confession is the visible manifestation of God’s mercy that provides us, in human terms as well, the clear awareness that God has forgiven us.

As Holy Week approaches may we consider the mercy that awaits us. There is no better drama to play out than what forgiveness has to offer us.

And I must confess there is no greater drama to watch than our selves falling into the arms of Jesus as we allow Him to wash away our sins.

“As we exit the confessional, we will feel his strength which gives new life and restores ardor to the faith. After confession we are reborn.” Pope Francis

hugs n’ restored blessings as we sincerely, humbly, obediently proclaim…

Jesus, I trust in You!

prayer surprises.

Published on March 4, 2016March 4, 2016 by Dawn Marie2 Comments

I woke up this morning and began my usual routine.

Wash my face. Brush my teeth. Saunter downstairs for my morning Spark drink. Feed Helen. And then I begin morning prayer, where Helen often joins me with one of her many friends.

Helen & Minion ask, “Is it time to pray?”

This is what I expect to do tomorrow too. And the next day. And the day after that.

Every once in awhile though there is a surprise tucked in there, something just a little ‘different’ that I’m not expecting. Like Cuppycake using the last of the toothpaste and I must search the linen closet for a fresh box. Or maybe I’ll chose a different flavor of Spark than my normal Pink Lemonade. Today I was surprised when I sat down to pray, as I opened my Breviary to recite Morning Prayer & discovered that today was the Feast of Saint Katherine Drexel! Immediately a smile stretched across wide enough to reach my heart and I was transported in mind & spirit to when I’d visited her in Philadelphia during my pilgrimage to see Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families!

What is a Catholic Saints Feast Day?

The Catholic Church assigns one date out of the year for each and every canonized saint — known as the saint’s feast day. The saints are remembered on their individual feast days with special mention, prayers, and possibly a scripture reading.

A saint’s feast day can be the day of their actual death or a day assigned by the Church. Typically, the Church only assigns a day when the day of death is unknown or if several other saints are already assigned to that day. The number of canonized saints, however, is greater than the number of days in a calendar year. So two or more saints often share the same feast day. Because overlap often occurs, and the Church isn’t sure of the date of death of some saints, other calendar dates are sometimes chosen — such as the day that the saint was canonized. -What is a Catholic Saints Feast Day for Dummies.

Katharine Mary Drexel was born Catherine Mary Drexel in Philadelphia on November 26, 1858, the second child of investment banker Francis Anthony Drexel and Hannah Langstroth. Her family owned a considerable fortune. She was born into a tradition of philanthropy. Her uncle was the founder of Drexel University.

DE1FC1C319CFD7FBFBF2E1434F05D149 — Katharine Mary Drexel

When her family traveled to the Western states in 1884, Katharine Drexel saw the plight and destitution of the native Americans. She wanted to do something specific to help. Thus began her lifelong personal and financial support of numerous missions and missionaries in the United States.

In January 1887, the sisters were received in a private audience by Pope Leo XIII. They asked him for missionaries to staff some Indian missions that they had been financing. To their surprise, the Pope suggested that Katharine become a missionary herself! Although she had already received marriage proposals, after consulting her spiritual director, Drexel decided to give herself to God, along with her inheritance, through service to American Indians and Afro-Americans.

She took the name Mother Katharine, and joined by thirteen other women, soon established a religious congregation, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. The order continues to pursue their original apostolate, working with African-Americans and Native Americans in 21 states and Haiti.

The process of canonization for Katharine was begun by John Cardinal Krol who officially introduced her Cause in Rome in December 1964. On January 26, 1987, Mother Katharine was declared Venerable. On October 1, 2000, in Saint Peter’s Square, Vatican City, during the solemn celebration of Mass, Pope John Paul II proclaimed Mother Katharine Drexel, “Saint Katharine Drexel.”

And today I was delightfully surprised to be whisked back to my time spent at her National Shrine and the very blessed experience to have prayed in The Shrine area, which holds the entombed remains of Saint Katharine Drexel. During the World Meeting of Families the National Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel attracted more than 200 large busloads of people! Thousands visited the Motherhouse grounds, the Mission Center and Shrine. (Imagine how surprised the Sisters & Volunteers were when, at one point that Weekend, one bus was scheduled and SIX buses arrived instead and 50 persons poured out of each!)

The National Shrine of Saint Katharine Drexel & The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament’s Motherhouse.

The banner which hung in Saint Peter’s Square during Saint Katharine’s Canonization.

Saint Katharine’s former student, Mary! She frequently volunteers at the Shrine now & was one of the over 200 volunteers wearing chartreuse shirts helping to be sure everything went smoothly! (Mary & her family were invited to the Vatican when Blessed Katharine was Canonized.)

I can only imagine how Sr. Patricia, Sr. Agnes, and Sr. Annette, all Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, must have been smiling today too! And oh what a joy it was to have prayed, even so far away, this same prayer with all of them too…

Prayer

Ever-loving God, you called Saint Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to the African American and Native American peoples.

By her prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and the oppressed, and keep us undivided in love in the eucharistic community of your Church.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

7f60c48a59cf6f430a463fbac392099c — Saint Katharine Drexel, *pray for us!*

hugs n’ blessings for all the surprises that life often brings us!

recollected silence

Published on March 2, 2016February 8, 2017 by Dawn Marie6 Comments

It’s another Wednesday,

for Saint Maria Faustina KoWalska (what else,)

with a brief reflection on the Divine Mercy of God!

Pope Francis has made Mercy a central theme of his papacy, speaking of it often in homilies and in his texts. His apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (“The Joy of the Gospel”), uses the word 32 times. Symbolically in March of 2015 he called upon the entire global Roman Catholic church to take up his papacy’s central message of compassion and pardon, and announced that he would convoke a jubilee year to be called the Holy Year of Mercy!

This Jubille Year of Mercy, as proclaimed by Pope Francis, formally began on this year’s Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated Dec. 8. It will close on Nov. 20, 2016, the day celebrated that year as the feast of Christ the King.

Because of my devotion to the practice of the Divine Mercy and my deep admiration of St. Faustina Kowalska’s life…I have been VERY excited since Papa first made this proclamation!!

And now as we approach the 90 day mark of this Holy Year I have reflected upon the great graces I have already received within this Year of Mercy.

Do you ever do that?

Do you ever take a moment to reflect?

On love? On life? On all you have received?

And even on those thoughts filled with what should be? Could be? Will never be?

By the grace of God, I am grateful God has been guiding me toward a new path which no longer places expectations on life. Allowing me to simply be grateful for all that is given, all that is taken away, all that is loved, and all that is lost. The emotions which may coincide with any one of these occurences does not matter, for even they do not alter my underlying peace.

And there in lies why I bow my head in thanks, to God,…for His Mercy. His mercy, sinner though I am, to show me the path to Peace.

Does this mean I no longer feel pain? Or anger? Or disappointment?

No way!!

BUT I am discovering what it truly means to place my Trust in Him, as He maintains my peaceful heart despite the feelings I may be experiencing.

And (in all this recent reflection I have been doing)

I am giving thanks,

at this almost 90 day mark in the Holy Year of Mercy,

for the very first lesson my Teacher gave me

which lead me to this path toward Peace.

SILENCE.

I have listed below some of my favorite lessons, taken from St. Faustina’s Diary, which gently helped to guide me along the way…

I will not allow myself to be so absorbed in the whirlwind of work as to forget about God (82).

Great are the faults committed by the tongue. The soul will not attain sanctity if it does not keep watch over its tongue (92).

In order to hear the voice of God, one has to have silence in one’s soul and to keep silence; not a gloomy silence, but an interior silence; that is to say, recollection in God. One can speak a great deal without breaking silence and, on the contrary, one can speak little and be constantly breaking silence. …God does not give Himself to a chattering soul which, like a drone in a beehive, buzzes around but gathers no honey. A talkative soul is empty inside (118).

I spoke much with the Lord, without uttering a single word (137).

The soul that reflects receives much light. A distracted soul runs the risk of a fall. …But for the Spirit of God to act in the soul, peace and recollection are needed (145).

Even when I am dealing with very important matters which require attention, I do not lose the presence of God in my soul, and I am closely united with Him. With Him I go to work, with Him I go for recreation, with Him I suffer, with Him I rejoice; I live in Him and He in me. I am never alone, because He is my constant companion (318).

If only souls would become recollected, God would speak to them at once, for dissipation drowns out the word of the Lord (452).

Silence is a sword in the spiritual struggle. A talkative soul will never attain sanctity. The sword of silence will cut off everything that would like to cling to the soul. We are senstive to words and quickly want to answer back, without taking any regard as to whether it is God’s will that we shoud speak. A silent soul is strong; no adversities will harm it if it perseveres in silence (477).

The Holy Spirit does not speak to a soul that is distracted and garrulous. He speaks by His quiet inspirations to a soul that is recollected, to a soul that knows how to keep silence. If silence were strictly observed, there would not be any grumbling, bitterness, slandering, or gossip, and charity would not be done. Silent lips are pure gold and bear witness to holiness within (552).

I will safeguard my interior and exterior silence so that Jesus can rest in my heart (504).

However….

Keeping silent when one outght to speak is an imperfection and sometimes even a sin (553).

God speaks to us all. He constantly speaks to us through Sacred Scripture, liturgy, people, circumstances, events, and in many other ways, such as when he speaks to us more directly during times of quiet. While it’s possible for him to speak to us at such times in audible words, that seems rare. More often, he speaks with inaudible, interior words. Such interior words are often delicate and can only be heard in the Silence of our minds and our hearts.

I pray sometime, during this Year of Mercy, you too

may

hear Him,

feel Him,

see Him,

in your Silence.

hugs n’ silent blessings that bring you peace!

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phillipians 4:7

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15