“Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin Mary too much. You can never love her more than Jesus did.” –Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe
“You can never love her more than Jesus did”
Lovely Lady Dressed in Blue
Mary Dixon Thayer who wrote more than one poem for Our Blessed Mother, is the author. This prayer-poem was popularized in the 1950s by Archbishop Fulton Sheen.
Prayer for Worries, Fears & Doubts
Eternal, Holy God, I come to You burdened with worries, fears, doubts and troubles. Calm and quiet me with peace of mind. Empty me of the anxiety that disturbs me, of the concerns that weary my spirit, and weight heavy on my heart. Loosen my grip on the disappointments and grievances I hold on to so tightly. Release me from the pain of past hurts, of present anger and tension, of future fears. Sometimes it’s too much for me Lord, too many demands and problems, too much sadness, suffering, and stress. Renew me spiritually and emotionally. Give me new strength, hope, and confidence. Prepare me to meet the constant struggles of daily life with a deeper faith and trust in You. Let your love set me free, for peace, for joy, for grace, for life, for others, forever. Amen.
Dear Love Being Catholic Friends
Dear Love Being Catholic Friends,
During these unprecedented times I am so thankful for all the priests who have been live streaming Mass on TV. Thank you also to those who have been able to bring us some of the sacraments in a creative and safe manner, while we are all adjusting to our (temporary) new normal.
I am praying that churches will open again soon (with whatever social distancing and safe measures need to take place) and that we will be able to once again attend Mass and receive Christ in the Eucharist. This day will come and if anything this pandemic has shown me is the true beauty of our Catholic faith and the great gift we have been given by being Catholic.
We often don’t appreciate what we have until it is gone. Being able to watch Mass on TV is truly a gift and a blessing, but it is not the same and I miss it.
I remember when I first started re-discovering my love for the Catholic faith, I attended Mass at a beautiful church that had the tabernacle and crucifix displayed prominently up front. The church I had been attending did not have this, so when I walked into this church, it moved me profoundly and brought me to tears.
I love the tabernacle not stuck in a corner. I love that Catholic churches have the altar front and center, and not a pulpit. I love to watch the priests and deacon kiss the altar when they enter and leave Mass. I love the bells, the candles, the incense, the statues of Mary, Joseph and the saints, the oils, the vestments, the stained glass windows – all of it. I love that during the consecration (in many churches) you hear these beautiful bells ringing, which call your attention to the miracle that is taking place upon the altar. These bells help to connect us in a deep and mysterious way to the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist.
I love the crucifix. You will come across some people who express distaste at the thought of depicting Jesus at His most vulnerable. Guess what? This should make you uncomfortable. Jesus does not want us to look at His Crucifixion as only a past event. Every lash that he took, every blow that drove the nail into his hands was caused by you and me. OUR sins (present, past and future) hung Jesus on that cross. The crucifix is the ultimate expression of the lengths that a loving God will go to reach us. Gazing at a crucifix is a humbling experience.
I love walking into Mass and blessing myself with holy water, and then kneeling in prayer before Mass begins. We kneel because we are in the presence of God. Kneeling is a very meaningful and intimate gesture, and it expresses adoration and shows our reverence towards Him. Kneeling in God’s presence during Mass emphasizes the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist, and how much we love and adore our King.
When we see incense being used in our churches, it is meant to remind us of heaven, and that our worship of God in the Christian liturgy is divine in origin. It also reminds us to pray, and that our prayer rises to God like the smoke from the censer, purifying our worship of God, and allowing his Holy Spirit to work in us to make us holy.
These little traditions and sacramentals all mean something, and make the Mass all the more meaningful and beautiful. They help us with all of our human failings and distractions to understand what is really going on at Mass, and to focus on Christ. Are they necessary for the validity of the sacrament? No. But can they help one to truly appreciate and recognize the beauty of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and come to a deeper understanding of why we are there? Yes.
In an era where a tragically large number of Catholics no longer believe in the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist, or even attend Mass every Sunday, these sacramentals can help one focus on the miracle that takes place upon the altar. I love all of our beautiful traditions which are a very powerful devotional aid during Mass, and a rich sacramental tradition of the Church.
I am praying for you all during these challenging and unprecedented times, and especially for all who have been affected by the Coronavirus, and those on the front lines battling this invisible enemy. I am also praying for Pope Francis, our cardinals, bishops, priests, deacons, religious and our beautiful Catholic Church.
Thank you all for following this page and for being there for each other – we will get through this! Love to you all!
In Christ, 
Liz
Happy Easter!
Christ has risen – Alleluia! Wishing you all a very Blessed and Happy Easter!
Holy Saturday
Holy Saturday
We spend this day in stillness and quiet reflection, weeping at the tomb of our Lord.
Morning Prayer
In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I will begin this day.
I thank you, Lord, for having preserved me during the night. I will do my best to make all I do today pleasing to You and in accordance with Your will. My dear mother Mary, watch over me this day. My Guardian Angel, take care of me. St. Joseph and all you saints of God, pray for me.
O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all my relatives and friends, and in particular for the intentions of the Holy Father.
I wish to gain all the indulgences attached to the prayers I shall say and the good works I shall perform this day. Amen.
Jesus I trust in You!
Eternal, Holy God, I come to You burdened with worries, fears, doubts and troubles. Calm and quiet me with peace of mind. Empty me of the anxiety that disturbs me, of the concerns that weary my spirit, and weigh heavy on my heart. Loosen my grip on the disappointments and grievances I hold on to so tightly. Release me from the pain of past hurts, of present anger and tension, of future fears. Sometimes it’s too much for me Lord, too many demands and problems, too much sadness, suffering, and stress. Renew me spiritually and emotionally. Give me new strength, hope, and confidence. Prepare me to meet the constant struggles of daily life with a deeper faith and trust in You. Let your love set me free, for peace, for joy, for grace, for life, for others, forever. Amen.
“Before I Formed you in the Womb, I knew you. “
Today is the 47nd anniversary of Roe Vs. Wade which legalized abortion. Today we remember the millions of lives lost to legal abortion in our country.
Think of the future generations that have been wiped out. There are literally millions of souls who were never given the chance to be a son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, or friend. Look at your children, grandchildren, spouse, or best friend, and ask yourself – what if they were aborted and never existed?
As Catholics, we believe that ALL human life is sacred and needs to be protected from conception to natural death. We care about pre-born and born children (at all stages), we care about women, men, families, the poor, the elderly, the orphans, the sick, the disabled, the weary, the immigrants, those who have been harmed by human trafficking . . .
ALL human life.
If abortion wasn’t the killing of a child, then why do we look away if we see a picture of an aborted baby? What’s the big deal if it’s just a clump of cells, and not human? We look away because we know we are looking into the window of the womb where a human life was once growing. We are looking Truth in the face, and the reality of what an abortion really is – the slaughter and killing of a human being.
Abortion turns the womb into a tomb.
The womb should be the most sacred and safest place on earth, but instead is the most dangerous.
According to Catholic teaching a faithful Catholic must not support abortion. The Catholic Church’s teaching on abortion, according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church #2270, is:
“Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception. From the first moment of his existence, a human being must be recognized as having the rights of a person – among which is the inviolable right of every innocent being to life.”
The March for Life in Washington D.C. is this Friday, January 24th and will end at the Supreme Court steps. The United States is 1 of 6 countries allowing abortion after 20 weeks. China & North Korea are two of them. We are better than this.
Please continue to fight to end abortion. Please continue to fight to protect all life from conception to natural death. Keep praying. Keep marching. Keep supporting women who think they have no other option. Keep voting to protect life. Do not rest until this great human rights struggle of our time is overcome. Be Bold. Be Catholic. Fight the good fight and protect the innocent.
God bless all those who have lost their lives to abortion, those in danger of abortion, and for all post-abortive parents who have been so wounded by this terrible injustice.
“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Jeremiah 1:5 
In Sickness and in Health
My dad (Bill) will be 88 this year and has suffered from Dementia for the last 7 years. He’s also a (retired) PGA Master Golf Pro – (He received a full golf scholarship to the University of Florida over 60 years ago!) – and when he was in his 20’s was the Head Golf Pro at the Naval Air Base in Pensacola, FL – teaching many golf lessons to several of the Blue Angels and many servicemen and women over the years. (This is the same place where that awful attack and killings took place last month.)
Recently my sister asked my dad “If you could do five things, what would you want to do?” He replied, “Well, I would marry Claire, then I would marry her again. Then I would marry her again and again. Is that five?” 
My Mom & Dad will be married 64 years this May, have eleven children, 26 grandchildren, and pray the rosary together every day. Their love for each other is such an inspiration – in sickness and in health! Dementia and Alzheimers is not easy for anyone, yet my mother takes wonderful care of him with such style and grace, and I have a sister and her family who live right down the road who are truly his angels. All of my brothers and sisters visit and help so much – we are truly blessed! He also has some wonderful help that comes to their home during the week to help with physical therapy, breathing exercises and extra care – they are all such a blessing to our family.
Last week after he finished his exercises (he does them somewhat willingly ha ha) – he looked at my mom and told her he was crazy . . . then with a grin and twinkle in his eye he added “I’m crazy in love with you!”
My sister and I took this short video of my parents last week when I was down in Florida visiting them. They turn 88 and 86 this year – and this is one of their favorite songs. There have been good days and bad days as my dad battles Dementia, but this dance made his day. He loves to dance and is always holding hands with my mom. (Who is a saint here earth!) My mom (Claire) also has a really strong devotion to St. Joseph, and says her daily prayers every day – one of the prayers she says is a 12 year prayer!
Just thought I would share this with you all. Dementia can be so scary – and sad, but there are also so many special moments of grace like seeing the love and care my parents have for one another that are truly a gift from God. I am so thankful to God for the gift of my parents and family – and all of you!
In Christ,
Liz
Love Being Catholic 