Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed James Alberione: Lord, glorify in Your Church Your Priest, Blessed Father James Alberione. May he be for all of us an example and intercessor in the journey of our sanctification and of our apostolic commitment. Open the ways of evangelization so that the presence of Jesus Master, Way and Truth and Life may shine in the world, through Mary, Mother and Queen of Apostles, Grant me the graces that I ask for at this time...
Monday, April 25, 2011
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Friday, April 1, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Behind-the-Scenes: To Be Born (Day 2: Baptism, Letter)
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Mother Thecla Merlo, Co-Foundress of the Daughters of St. Paul
Mother Thecla Merlo, Co-Foundress of the Daughters of St. Paul
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Morning Prayers (from The Pauline Cooperator's Daily Companion)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Evening Prayer (From the Pauline Cooperator's Daily Companion)
I adore you, my God,
and I love you with all my heart.
I thank you for having created me,
made me a Christian,
and kept me this day.
Forgive me my failings and sins
and accept whatever good I may have done.
Take care of me while I sleep
and deliver me from all danger.
May your grace be always with me
and with all my dear ones. Amen.
(Pray the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory to the Father, and Angel of God.
Make an examination of conscience on the day,
and pray the Act of Contrition.)
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in the hour of my death.
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, when I die may I rest in peace with you.
Amen.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Friday, February 11, 2011
Vote for "Ask a Catholic Nun!" best Catholic Facebook Page 2011
Many of you know I am a Pauline Cooperator - a Third Order member of the Pauline Family - which includes the Daughters of St. Paul, my awesome Sisters that I'm always bragging about. Their Facebook Page "Ask a Catholic Nun!" is a finalist in the Catholic Reader's Choice Awards for best Catholic Facebook Page.
Please follow this link and vote for "Ask a Catholic Nun!" in Category 10 as the best Catholic Facebook Page of 2011!
Sunday, January 16, 2011
One of my favorite prayers by Blessed James Alberione
O holy Apostle who, with your doctrine and with your charity, has taught the entire world, look kindly upon us your children and disciples.
We expect everything from your prayers to the Divine Master and to Mary, Queen of the Apostles.
Grant, O Doctor of the Gentiles, that we live in faith, that we save ourselves through hope, and that charity alone reign in us. Obtain for us, O Vessel of election, docile correspondence to divine grace, so that it may not remain unfruitful in us. Grant that we may better know you, love you, and imitate you, that we may be living members of the Church, the mystical body of Jesus Christ.
Raise up many and holy apostles. Breathe over the world the warm breath of true charity. Grant that all men may know and glorify God and the Divine Master, the Way, Truth, and Life.
And You, Lord Jesus, know that we do not have any faith in our own strength; in Your mercy, then, grant that we may be defended against all adversity through the powerful intercession of St. Paul, our teacher and father.
Amen
Friday, January 7, 2011
Alberione Trivial Pusuit #3 (Click on Link for Answer and Story)
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Alberione Trivial Pursuit #2
Monday, January 3, 2011
Alberione Trivial Pursuit #1
"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
Pauline Prayer Book for our Haitian Brothers and Sisters
Why?
We are all on a spiritual journey. We all want that journey to lead us to heaven, to eternity with God. For this journey, we need one another.
The journey so far has led me to read and learn about so many forms of authentic Catholic spirituality - Ignatian, Benedictine, Carmelite, Dominican, Franciscan, etc. My biggest problem was that I came to love each one tremendously. I began reading more and more, spending more and more time at the Daughters of St. Paul bookstore on Watson Road here in St. Louis. Who would have thought my greatest conversion story would take place in a bookstore? Mine was not quite as sudden or dramatic as St. Paul on the road to Damascus, but getting to know the Daughters of St. Paul affected me no less significantly.
The sisters are Eucharistic by nature. The first time I entered the chapel in their bookstore, the Blessed Sacrament was exposed and one of the sisters was on her knees, gazing at Christ, with an indescribably beautiful smile on her face. I had a glimpse of heaven. I knelt at one of the other kneelers and noticed on the wall behind the monstrance the words: "Fear not, I am with you. From here I want to enlighten. Atone for sin." I had that brief moment of absolute certainty that I was on the right path.
Over the last several years I have worked my way through as many books, CD's, DVD's and conversations with the Daughters of St. Paul that time has allowed. Time is at such a premium for all of us. Years ago we were told that with advances in technology we would have much more free time on our hands. We all know this has not been the case. Our lives are busier and more hectic than ever. Even if we are unable to find time to read good books, see enlightening movies or attend lectures and discussions, maybe we could all spend a little time on the internet supporting one another on our faith journeys. Many of you know more about many aspects of Catholic spirituality than I do.
Pope John Paul the Great called us all to a New Evangelization, to share the Gospel with the world. I am hoping we can all be St. Paul in this blog space by sharing Christ with one another and with others. St. Paul travelled to many foreign and often hostile regions to evangelize the world; we are fortunate to be able to use the internet to reach even farther and more quickly.
The idea of using today's means of social communication to spread the Gospel was given to Blessed James Alberione on the night between the centuries (December 31, 1900 - January 1, 1901). He was a 16 year-old seminary student adoring Christ in the Blessed Sacrament when a special light came to him from the Host. Following this, Blessed James Alberione became the founder of the Society of St. Paul priests, the Daughters of St. Paul, the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master, Sisters of Jesus the Good Shepherd, Sisters of the Queen of Apostles, and numerous institutes that are also part of the Pauline family.
So what is Pauline spirituality? In my experience, Pauline spirituality encompasses all the teachings of Sacred Scripture, Sacred Tradition, and love of all the other spiritualities and Saints of the Church. It is the members of the Pauline family who are the happiest people I know! It is loving God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit with all our hearts and souls, through the intercession of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, and St. Paul.
So why St. Paul? I can relate to St. Paul. We first meet him in the New Testament as a sinner. He has a thorn in his side that God decides is best not to take away. I sometimes wish I knew what that thorn was, but it's probably better I don't know. I like to pretend it is one of my many weaknesses or faults. If St. Paul could go from persecuting Christ and His Church to becoming the person responsible for spreading the Gospel and establishing the Church in foreign lands, the least I can do is start a blog. I have been especially inspired by my two favorite bloggers, Sr. Margaret Charles Kerry, fsp, and a Pauline Cooperator named Rae Stabosz. I believe Sr. Margaret and Rae are doing just what St. Paul and Blessed James Alberione would be doing with the internet.
In future blogs (which will be shorter than this first post!), I would like to share writings of St. Paul, Blessed James Alberione, and many others. I look forward to others sharing writings from other Catholic spiritualities and writers. An especially Pauline way of sharing is to point out to one another what aspects particularly speak to each of us.
Another Pauline trait is to pray for one another. My prayer is that we support one another on our path to holiness. Our goal is to glorify God in all that we do - so let's do it!