Saintly Friends

A few years ago, I decided to try something new for my New Year's resolution. Each month I was going to get to know a new saint. The saints' lives on earth were not always saintly, so reading about them helps encourage us to keep going.  Asking their intercession will also help us in our earthly lives.

The first month I did this, I randomly chose a saint, asking the Holy Spirit's intercession, and met St. Claude de la Columbiere. He had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so I asked him to help me to develop a devotion as well. I started the month off with a novena to this awesome saint and on the eighth day of the month I went to confession. The priest told me to say my penance with my head resting against the Sacred Heart! Beautiful! Two days later we did a votive Mass to the Sacred Heart.

Throughout the month the Sacred Heart would appear, one time in a used book store, I picked a book up and a prayer card fell out. One guess the image on that card! :-)

I bought a book on his teachings and learned as much as I could about his life. Turns out he was a priest and had been the spiritual director for St. Margaret Mary Aloqoque - who also had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (She also has a connection with St. John Vianney.....this happens a lot I have noticed - saints having connections with one another).

I have again started this practice of picking a new saint to get to know each month. I want to invite you to do the same. There are many ways to go about this friendship building and you will have to find what works best for you or your family, but I like doing a novena to my new friend at the beginning of the month, asking him/her to intercede for me in all things, and to help me come to a better understanding of their life and devotions. Buy a statue, books or even prayer cards. Invite them into your home to become a part of your life.

Picking a saint is always the hardest thing for me, but I found a wonderful website to help. I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit for help and then hit the Find Me A Saint button and up came the name of my new friend!  http://jenniferfulwiler.com/saints/

Give it a shot, who better to befriend but those who have already been here and done that and are now living all eternity in heaven!

Following Mary to Jesus

I love our Mother Mary. She is such a beautiful example for us to follow to grow in faith and love of Jesus. In fact, her every action shows us how to have faith, how to follow her Son and how to love Him more and more.

When the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would be the Mother of God, even though she didn't quite understand, she said to him, “Be it done to me according to thy word”. In other words, if that is what God is asking, I will do it. That is exactly what we should all be doing. She encourages us to do just that at the wedding in Cana when she says to the stewards, “Do whatever He tells you”. She isn't just talking to the stewards, she is talking to all of us. Imagine life if we all did what Jesus asked of us.

She followed Jesus, even to the cross. That was a cross for her as well. Imagine being there and watching your child suffer and being unable to do anything about it. The pain she must have suffered seeing Him give up His life for people who will mock Him, sin against Him and even deny His existence.

She carried Him in her womb for 9 months and when she gave birth to Him, she and Joseph soon had to flee because Herod wanted Him dead. They protected Him by fleeing to Egypt. We are called to protect Jesus as well; from our own sins and the sins and blasphemies of others. To protect Him from those who, even today, would like to see Him dead. We are called to do whatever we can to keep Him alive.

Mary carried Him in her womb for 9 months and then gave birth to Him, bringing Him into the world; not just for that generation, but for all generations to come until the end of time. She had the unique ability to give Him to everyone who desires Him. We have the ability and duty to keep Him alive generation after generation. To give Him to those in our lives, everyone we come in contact with and we can do it by following Mary's example. She carried Him within her body for 9 months, we carry Him in our bodies after receiving Holy Communion for about 15 minutes (every time we receive, so the more we receive Him in Holy Communion, the more we carry Him within us).

Mary didn't give birth and remain unchanged, she lived His teachings. She followed Him. Even today she is an example to us — showing us how to share her Son with others. When we receive Holy Communion, we should be transformed. We should be living more and more Christlike. We should be sharing the gospel with our lives, in what we do and say. Our actions will speak louder than our words. Are you living the gospel? Are you keeping Jesus alive for this generation?

Are you following Mary's example of carrying Jesus to the generations?

Today, live the way Mary teaches and tell God that you will allow His will to be done within you and that you will do whatever He tells you.