Quotes

....it is possible to serve God in all states and conditions of life without the performance of great exterior penances, provided only one fights vigorously against one's passions and conforms oneself in all things to the holy will of God. Remember it is far more meritorious to renounce one's own will and submit oneself entirely to the will of God than to perform the greatest bodily mortifications." - Our Blessed Mother to Blessed Anna Maria Taigi

"Laziness is the mother of all vices." - Blessed Anna Maria Taigi

Thoughts on Marriage, and a PERFECT Saint for Wives and Mothers!

This morning started out pretty much like any other one, but unfortunately it ended with an argument with my husband. The final result was him going off to work a bit late and us both starting our days with frustration and resentment instead of peace and happiness. Thankfully we have email and text messages and all is well again:)

After our little argument about something quite meaningless, I have to admit that I felt just ugly, tired and yuuuckkkky. I kept telling myself to "get it together" and that it was just a little argument. Well, this is true it was nothing major, or was it? At that point I thankfully remembered some advice a good priest gave me quite awhile ago. This priest reminded me of something simple, that all and any graces that God sends me can only be received through my complete and full cooperation in my vocation as wife. If I don't honor the vow I made to God and my husband at my marriage ceremony day in and day out, I literally begin to block out graces that our Lord wants to shower upon me. Graces that I want and need, especially in my vocation as a mother. Graces like patience, understanding, caring, love, fortitude, etc. etc.

Wow, when I meditate on this fact, that I can reject God and his gifts by having an uncharitable and selfish moment my husband, I understand that this is something major, and it explains why, after a disagreement with my husband, I feel so "off." It becomes hard, hard work just to do the laundry or change a diaper.

I am constantly learning about myself in the context of my marriage, and am praying and hoping that in the future there will be less of my own self in it and more "oneness" with God and my husband. One way that has recently helped me tremendously in this area of life has been reading "Wife, Mother, and Mystic," and studying the life of Blessed Anna-Maria Taigi. This book is so amazing yes, because it describes fantastic ecstasies and other saintly experiences (like prophesying the downfall and death of Napoleon) that this holy woman had, but what is even more inspiring to me is that it gives concrete examples of what this wife and mother did on a daily basis to guide herself and her family on the path of perfection. For example, when she would leave or enter her home she would always say, "Praise be Jesus and Mary," and she always was sure to say the rosary daily with her family. She never let her spiritual duties interfere with her family's needs. (For example she would miss Mass or Benediction if someone was ill and she would stay home to care for them.) Her husband could also be quite "difficult," in his own temperament, but nevertheless she was always sweet, caring and obedient to him. There were times when her husband, Domenico, would come home angry and cranky from work and would yell at Blessed Anna and tell her she was a fool! Anna always responded to her husband with a smile (even if he was in the wrong!) and would say, "Yes, you are right I am a fool!" What amazing humility! Hopefully someday I can at least be something like her!





Triduum Prayer in Honor of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi
(Pray one of the below prayers each day for three days)


O Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, by that humble submission with which you believed in and adored the august mystery of One God in Three Persons, obtain for me from the Most Holy Trinity the favor which
I confidently implore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and forever shall be,
World without end. - Amen
(repeat three times)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, by the great love and tender pity with which you honored the mysteries in the life of Jesus, obtain for me from Him the favor which I earnestly implore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and forever shall be,
World without end. - Amen
(repeat three times)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

O Blessed Anna Maria Taigi, through your filial devotion to the Blessed Virgin, obtain for me from Her the favor which I humbly implore.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and forever shall be,
World without end. - Amen
(repeat three times)

Our Blessed Mother's Month of May-St. Louis de Montfort's Way of Consecration

I have read St. Louis de Monfort's writings in the past but I have recently decided to formally complete the consecration. My consecration will be complete on the feast of Our Lady of Perpetual help on June . My preparation began this past Monday, and the little reading and studying I have done has taught me SO MUCH about Christ through our Blessed Mother! Reading "True Devotion" has opened my eyes to many hidden little habits and beliefs that I can correct, thanks to our Lady.

This devotion is one that is recommended by many priests, religious and even many Popes! Here are some general resources about the devotion that would help you in discernment of consecrating yourself as a slave for Our Lady and for Christ!

Our Friends of Our Lady Apostolate - has detailed information about the Consecration to Jesus through Mary including the schedule to begin your study and a FREE consecration kit. (There is a 33 day preparation period for the consecration, and then your formal consecration is done on a particular Marian feast day of your choosing.)

EWTN Library-Has a wealth of information including all the required reading material.

Fisheaters-you can find background and history about this devotion as well as particular prayers.

The Pope on Family Life

VATICAN CITY, 14 MAY 2009 (VIS) - At 8.30 a.m. today the Pope travelled by helicopter to Nazareth, town of the Annunciation and of the Holy Family, which is located some 110 kilometres from Jerusalem. Having landed, the Holy Father continued his journey by car to the Mount of the Precipice where he celebrated Mass to mark the closure of Year of the Family, an initiative organised by the Catholic Church in the Holy Land......In his homily, the Holy Father affirmed that, following the example of Mary, Joseph and Jesus, "we come to appreciate even more fully the sacredness of the family, which in God's plan is based on the lifelong fidelity of a man and a woman consecrated by the marriage covenant and accepting of God's gift of new life.

"How much the men and women of our time need to re-appropriate this fundamental truth, which stands at the foundation of society, and how important is the witness of married couples for the formation of sound consciences and the building of a civilisation of love", he added...." Go HERE to read the rest of the article.

Our Blessed Mother's Month of May-Mary Vitamin

Helen over at Castle of the Immaculate has an absolutely amazing devotional yahoo group called the Mary Vitamin. Here is the description taken from the group's homepage....



"Mary Vitamin is a daily email support for Marian mental prayer. Each day (Monday through Friday) members will receive a brief Marian quote with a corresponding Marian meditation and resolution. The Mary Vitamin is designed to make mental prayer a little simpler and bring Our Lady into your day in a systematic way.

Real Marian devotion is studying the life and virtues of Our Lady and
then putting into practice what we learn from Her. Devotion is not the same as worship. God alone is due our worship. The fancy word for this is “latria.” Worship is what we offer to the Lord at every Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the unbloody representation of Calvary. It is worship because we bow down before the very presence of God who is offered in an unbloody way on the altar as the Innocent Victim, the Lamb who was slain.

To the saints we offer what is called, “dulia.” We reverence their memory. We ask for their assistance. We talk to them as friends along the road to heaven, the path they know and were successful in finding. They are our mentors, our teachers, our intercessors. They enjoy the gift of heaven and want to help us to get there as well.

Our Lady enjoys a special regard by all the Saints and from God Himself. She is God’s Spouse, God’s Daughter, God’s Mother. God did not let Her body corrupt in the earth at death. In fact, He never permitted any stain of sin to mar Her beauty before Him. She never sinned, but more than that, She never lost a drop of grace poured out upon Her from God. She deserves more attention from us than any of the saints. We call this “hyperdulia.”Moreover, She deserves such great attention from us because Our Lord, with His dying breath said :"Woman, behold your son. Son, behold your Mother.” The last words from a mortal man sum up his life, what if the words are from the lips of God?"

Well, I am just amazed at how timely these meditations have been in my own life! Helen does an AMAZING job at compiling these short little holy devotions that are just perfect for the busy lady, wife, and mother. If you want to grow closer to our Lady I would not pass up on the opportunity to request membership in this group. Go check it out!

Weekly Recipe-Creamy Slow Cooker Seafood Chowder

This week's recipe is taken from the Best Loved Slow Cooker Recipes cookbook.It is very tasty, and perfect for Friday abstinence too!

If you are into crock pot cooking I would definitely recommend this cookbook. It's filled with great recipes, but ones that are not too "out there" or require ingredients that you have never heard of.

I would also like to note, that at first glance this meal seems to be a bit pricey. However, it goes a loooong way! It says that it serves 8-10 people, but I would say more like 12-14 servings. Also, to reduce the cost you could easily omit one or two types of the canned fish, as this is were most of the expense seems to be. I have made it without the oysters and with only one can of the shrimp and it was still just as wonderful. Plus, it can't get much easier than just throwing everything in the pot and letting it cook all day!

Creamy Slow Cooker Seafood Chowder

1 quart (4 cups) half-and-half
2 cans whole whit potatoes, drained and cubed
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen hash brown potatoes
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 cup butter, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
5 cans (8 ounces each) whole oysters, drained and rinsed
2 cans (6 ounces each) minced clams
2 cans (4 ounces each) cocktail shrimp, drained and rinsed

1.) Combine half-and-half, canned potatoes, soup, frozen potatoes, onion, butter, salt, and pepper in 5 qt. crock pot slow cooker. Mix well. Cover; cook on LOW 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

2.) Add canned fish; stir gently. Cover; cook on LOW 30 to 45 minutes.

Tip: Seafood is delicate and can be easily overcooked. It should only be added to the Chowder during the last step as stated above.

Our Blessed Mother's Month of May-Quotes!

"Christ so honored His great Mother that, not content with yielding her dominion over all His possessions, He gave her authority over His own person, with the power to command Him; He obeyed her and was subject to her. Mary had God subject to her. Can more be said? Can there be any more sublime honor, elevation, and dignity?" - excerpt from "The Love of Mary," by D. Roberto-Hermit of Monte Corona

"Mary, the most holy Mother of God, passes unnoticed, as just one more among the women of her town.
Learn from her how to live with 'naturalness'." -excerpt from "The Way," by Josemaria Escriva

Our Blessed Mother's Month of May-Book Recommendation

The Love of Mary, by D. Roberto, hermit of Monte Corona is an amazing read on the love that Mary has for us. Get this book if you want to grow closer to our Lady, and I mean CLOSE. The Love of Mary, is divided up with a few pages of reading for each day of the month in May. I have only been reading a few days worth and already have learned so much that I had to recommend it. This book was originally written by the hermit D. Roberto in 1856, but the advice and reflections are fresh and seem so new! What a wonderful place to study about loving Mary and Mary's love for us! This book is truly unique and I am very grateful to this little man, the hermit, for his collection of writings and thoughts!

Edited to Add: Join JMJ at Totus Tuus Family and other bloggers this month and honor the Blessed Mother by posting your favorite prayer, devotion, story etc.

My Finished Apron!

Almost two months, several mistakes and a new sewing machine later, I am finally done with my apron! My refurbished sewing machine has been giving me a hard time for awhile now, and it finally got so bad that my husband agreed that I could get a new one! I will post about my machine soon, but for now here is the finished project.

Here are two pictures. I made the ties extra long because I like to have the option to tie the apron so that it goes around my back and then tie it in the front. I have always thought that this was the most comfortable way to wear an apron.






I also wanted to share with you the pattern I used. A nice pattern, and very easy to follow, even for a beginner like me.:)Aprons are so much fun to make and even more fun to wear! Sometimes, even when I am having one of those drab days, I can put on an apron and I just get empowered. I usually find myself meditating on all the women of the past who worked so very hard (MUCH harder than I do) in their homes with pride! An apron for them was an absolute necessity. I am finding more and more that it is a necessity for me too! With a full apron on, I am able to keep my clothing cleaner which means less laundry in the long run. I also don't ruin my clothes with stains. I think this apron is so pretty, though, that I find it hard to wear when I am doing work because I don't want to get it dirty or stained! Well, I know all I need is one good throw of sweet potatoes from the baby and then I will have it "broken it.":):)

I am so blessed to be able to get this new machine, and I am now really looking forward to tackling a lot more of all those home decor and clothing projects I have been thinking of!


Are you a Catholic Lady who sews, or crafts? If so, you should join the Modest Sewing Blog Directory. Go HERE to find out more.

Our Blessed Mother's Month of May-Mary Gardens

Go HERE to visit a wonderful site FULL of information on Marian Gardens..everything from the history of Mary Gardens, prayers and even what each of the different colors and flowers symbolize.

HAPPY PLANTING!


A Mary Garden Prayer

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

As our hearts are raised to you in love and thanksgiving through
the light, grace, wisdom, and growth of these pure, blest,
transfigured Flower signatures of Our Lady - your direct creations,
showing forth and sharing with us your divine goodness, beauty,
truth and glory - we commune with you in awe and rapture and pray
that we and all our brothers and sisters may be opened to the
fullness of the divine love of God and Neighbor, through which we
are to transform the fallen world into the culminating earthly
Peaceable Kingdom and Paradise, that all may be lifted up
resplendent in the eternal New Heaven and New Earth of our Crucified
and Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in grateful return and to
the greater glory of the Father, in the union of the Holy Spirit of
Love for all eternity.

We beseech this through the redemption and mercy of The Heavenly,
Eucharistic Lamb that was Slain, and through the intercession
of:

St. Francis, apostle of the love of God in every creature,
St. Paul, teacher of the place of all Creation in the Divine
Plan of Redemption,
St. Patrick, sanctifier of nature to quicken devotion to God,
St. Colomban, ever alert to find God in the woods and fields,
St. Fiacre, re-opener of the world to the outpouring of
Divine healing love through garden herbs and flowers,
St. Rose of Lima, to whom the boy Jesus and his Mother were
present in the garden,
St. Isidore, assisted by Mary's angels in plowing the soil to feed
the hungry,
St. Phocas, digger of earth in the hope of the Resurrection,
St. Dorothy, bestower on earth of heavenly flowers and fruits,
St. Bernard, searcher of flowers for likenesses of Jesus and Mary,
St. Anselm, theologian of Our Lady's Queenship of redeemed nature,
St. Francis de Sales, quickener of spiritual life and growth
through the discernment of their mirroring in nature's unfolding,
St. John of the Cross, poet of the spiritual countryside
of the soul's mystical journey of love,
St. Louis de Montfort, nurtured in the spiritual paradise of Mary,
St. Theresa, showerer on earth of roses of heavenly love and grace,
St. Dominic, missionary of the power of the Rosary,
St. John Eudes, drawn by union with the light Christ into the Heaven
of the Trinity,
St. John Chrysostom, beholder of resplendent earth as the radiance
of God's face,
St. Athanasius, dweller in heaven on earth,
St. Bonaventure, proclaimer of the fullness of Mary's blessed and
immaculate sharing and glorifying magnification of God's creating,
saving and renewing power,
St. Joseph, patron of all who labor for the building of God's Kingdom,
St. John, prophet of the descent of the Heavenly Jerusalem,
and of

Blessed and Glorious Mary, Ever Virgin, our Mother
Mystical Rose, Mediatrix of all Grace, and Queen of Heaven and
Earth, in the union of her Immaculate, Sorrowful and Glorified
Motherly Heart with the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Quotes for This Week

"Selfishness in matrimony is fatal. A wife should always remember that her husband's interests are hers and that her greatest interest is her husband." -excerpt from "A Mother's Rule and father's Rule of Life," by Martin J. Scott, S.L.

And two quotes especially in Honor of Our Most Holy Lady, during her month of May...

..."Consequently, that grand Lord always independent and sufficient to Himself, never had and has not now any absolute need of the Holy Virgin for the accomplishment of His will...Nevertheless, I say that things being as they are now, that is, God having willed to commence and to complete His greatest works by the Most Holy Virgin ever since He created her, we may well think He will not change his conduct in the eternal ages, for He is God, and He changes not, either in His sentiments or in His conduct." True Devotion to Mary," by St. Louis De Monfort

"Mary is the great believer who humbly offered herself to God as an empty vessel for him to use in his mysterious plan. She did not try to live according to human calculation but put herself completely at the disposal of God's mysterious, incomprehensible design. All she wanted to be was the instrument and servant of the Word. Therein lies her true fame: that she remained a believer despite all the darkness and all the inexplicable demands God made on her. She believed even in the face of certain incomprehensible facts...Today God is still mysterious; indeed he seems to have a special kind of obscurity in store for each person's life. But could he ever render any life as dark and incomprehensible as Mary's? This is the real reason for her greatness and her being called blessed: she is the great believer." -Pope Benedict XVI