Month: October 2023 (Page 2 of 3)

It’s begun.

We are hanging on to our hats and enjoying the ride! Time flies! This picture is from 8 years ago.

Had a fun visit with the Jacobson Grandparents.  We feel blessed they’re willing to partake in the adventures out here.

Sent by a friend.  

https://watch.formed.org/videos/sacred-art-our-lady-of-the-rosary

Quote of the Day”You can’t go to heaven hating somebody. Forgive now. Be compassionate now. Be patient now. Be grateful now. Love Jesus and Mary now. Accept God’s will now.”–Mother Angelica

What does “memento mori” mean? As Catholics we are urged to “remember our death,” but why?We are all going to die. Every single one of us. And, over time, so will all those whom we know and love. This reality can strike fear in the heart of even the most faithful Christian. Yet, if we are pursuing holiness and conformity to God’s will, we need not fear what the future has in store for us: it is heaven, and union with the Lord Who is the source of our joy. Christ has already died for each of us, and if we have been baptized, then we have died to the world through our baptism in Him. If we understand and believe these truths of our Faith, we can live freely in the light of His love for us. We can spend our lives seeking His will and aspiring only for His will to be done. We can let go of our fear of death and embrace the unique mission He asks of us in our finite time on earth. Fear is a natural part of our humanity, but it is not the better part. The better part is to fix our gaze confidently on God, Who desires all to be saved. Instead of focusing on the unfamiliar, uncontrollable aspect of bodily death, God calls us to rejoice in the gift of our immortal souls, and to embrace the hope and the promise implicit in bodily death. This is a grace of the practice of memento mori, which is Latin for “Remember your death.” To take memento mori to heart is to remember our own deaths, and to live each day so that we are prepared to see the face of God. The practice of memento mori is essential, as it keeps the reality of our mortality present in our minds so that we may best live in a manner that will grant us heaven upon our death. How powerful to ready ourselves in the here and now, which we know is fleeting, for the gift of eternity with Christ Jesus! This life is precious. Every moment is gift and mystery. One day, at the hand of death, we will look upon the One Who we know loves us. His kingdom and our relationship with Him will endure into eternity, when we have left all we know of this world behind us. So, until that day, memento mori!

Perfect Weather. Perfect Homily. Perfect Meal. Perfect Family Ride. Perfect Autumn Memories. One of those days you cherish in your heart forever!

This task is not overwhelming when you have the A Team helping out!

What are the Catholic origins of Halloween? Though it is often hijacked by the pagan, demonic, and secular, All Hallows’ Eve has a treasured place in Catholic tradition……but you’d never know it when walking down the street in October, seeing houses gaudily strewn with fake spiderwebs, skeletons, and repulsive cadavers. Some Christians have considered withdrawing totally from this “holiday,” since it seems like the domain of the devil.

Halloween is another word for “All Hallows’ Eve”—the eve of All Saints’ Day. In the old Church calendar, the Vigil of All Saints was a liturgical event. It had its own Mass, where the priest would vest in penitential purple, the usual color for vigils. He would don white in the evening for the First Vespers of All Saints, which marked the beginning of the Church’s celebration of this great holy day.

Together, the Vigil (October 31st), the Feast of All Saints (November 1st), and the Commemoration of All Souls (November 2nd) formed a comprehensive picture of the Catholic view of the afterlife.

Then, there are the Vespers of the Dead—sometimes called “Black Vespers,” since the priest would vest in black, the color of death and mourning. These Vespers were not officially said on Halloween, but rather after Second Vespers on All Saints’ Day, looking toward All Souls’ Day. In the Catholic region of Brittany, a devotion developed of saying these Vespers on Halloween itself. It seems these Breton folk were quite solemn on Halloween and kept the importance of praying for the dead at the forefront of their Vigil doings.

In the British Isles, festive All Hallows’ Eve traditions arose that will sound familiar to you. Children would go door-to-door begging for a “soul cake” and promising in return to pray for the deceased of the giver’s family. The Halloween tradition of dressing up is also potentially connected with this custom (pictured below: an excellent Halloween/All Saints costume—St. Michael!).

Because of her Protestant leanings, Queen Elizabeth I forbade the traditions associated with All Souls’ Day. But these customs escaped her anti-Catholic, anti-fun edicts and have made their way down the centuries to us today.

Cited Source: Good Catholic