Book about Pope Benedict XVI

       

From Come Meet Jesus: An Invitation from Pope Benedict XVI by Amy Welborn. 

 Purchase a pdf copy here. 

We have met Jesus. We suspect—or even affirm—that he is what he says he is: the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We confront the image of him crucified, and it won’t leave us. We read what he says about being free from burdens, the possibility of eternal life, and God’s care for us when we are lost. We are, as Pope Benedict wrote of St. Peter, “fascinated” by Jesus. Now what? 

The figure of Jesus Christ beckons and intrigues us. We’re drawn to learn more about him, so it makes sense that we turn to the source: the Bible. It does, indeed, make perfect sense to turn to the Scriptures as we seek to know Jesus. In fact, as St. Jerome says, it makes no sense to claim to know Jesus without the Scriptures: “He who is ignorant of the Scriptures is ignorant of Christ.”

 Pope Benedict said in a speech in 2008:

 How can one love, how can one enter into friendship with someone unknown? Knowledge is an incentive to love, and love stimulates knowledge. This is how it is with Christ too. To find love with Christ, to truly find him as the companion of our lives, we must first of all be acquainted with him. Like the two disciples who followed him after hearing the words of John the Baptist and asked him timidly, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” they wanted to know him better. It was Jesus himself, talking to his disciples, who made the distinction: “Who do people say that I am?”—referring to those who knew him from afar, so to speak, by hearsay, and “Who do you say that I am?”—referring to those who knew him personally, having lived with him and having truly penetrated his private life, to the point of witnessing his prayer, his dialogue with the Father. Thus, it is also important for us not to reduce ourselves merely to the superficiality of the many who have heard something about him—that he was an important figure, etc.—but to enter into a personal relationship to know him truly. And this demands knowledge of Scripture, especially of the gospels where the Lord speaks to us.

 But for many of us, finding and getting to know Jesus through the Scriptures is really not as simple as it sounds. We may be intimidated by the prospect of reading the Bible, since we have never really studied it. We may, unfortunately, think of Scripture reading and study as something for Protestants, not Catholics. We may also be working within some particularly modern paradigms of viewing the Bible, paradigms that are of great interest to Pope Benedict and that he addresses frequently in his catechesis. In short are we too studious about the Bible—and not prayerful enough?

Catholic Story Bible

         

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The Great Adventure Kids Catholic Bible Chronicles  by Amy Welborn  is designed to help children ages 8-12 understand the greatest story of all time. It features 70 stories carefully chosen to capture the story of salvation history in its entirety from Adam and Eve to Christ and the Apostles.

Written by a gifted children’s storyteller, the Catholic Bible Chronicles makes the stories of Biblical heroes like Abraham, Moses, David, and the Blessed Virgin Mary come alive. Each story features an illustration that helps readers imagine what it would have been like to be present as biblical history unfolded. 

This 320-page book reads like a novel and incorporates the 12 color-coded time periods of The Bible TimelineⓇlearning system throughout to make it easier for children to grasp the chapters of Biblical history.

With a focus on how the stories of God’s family members intersect across time, Catholic Bible Chronicles will allow young people to see for themselves that God has a plan for us all.

This collection of Bible stories will excite young readers about the great adventure God has in store for those who love him.

October 17 - Ignatius of Antioch

        An introduction, from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI:

St Ignatius was Bishop of Antioch, which today is located in Turkey. Here in Antioch, as we know from the Acts of the Apostles, a flourishing Christian community developed. Its first Bishop was the Apostle Peter - or so tradition claims - and it was there that the disciples were "for the first time called Christians" (Acts 11: 26). Eusebius of Caesarea, a fourth-century historian, dedicated an entire chapter of his Church History to the life and literary works of Ignatius (cf. 3: 36).

Eusebius writes: "The Report says that he [Ignatius] was sent from Syria to Rome, and became food for wild beasts on account of his testimony to Christ. And as he made the journey through Asia under the strictest military surveillance" (he called the guards "ten leopards" in his Letter to the Romans, 5: 1), "he fortified the parishes in the various cities where he stopped by homilies and exhortations, and warned them above all to be especially on their guard against the heresies that were then beginning to prevail, and exhorted them to hold fast to the tradition of the Apostles".

The first place Ignatius stopped on the way to his martyrdom was the city of Smyrna, where St Polycarp, a disciple of St John, was Bishop. Here, Ignatius wrote four letters, respectively to the Churches of Ephesus, Magnesia, Tralli and Rome. "Having left Smyrna", Eusebius continues, Ignatius reached Troas and "wrote again": two letters to the Churches of Philadelphia and Smyrna, and one to Bishop Polycarp.

Thus, Eusebius completes the list of his letters, which have come down to us from the Church of the first century as a precious treasure. In reading these texts one feels the freshness of the faith of the generation which had still known the Apostles. In these letters, the ardent love of a saint can also be felt.

Amy Welborn's Books

Catholic Bible Study

       The Apostles is a collection of the catecheses Pope Benedict XVI gave during his weekly General Audiences in 2006 and 2007. The talks were given in either St. Peter’s Square or, in less favorable weather, the Paul VI Hall next to St. Peter’s Basilica.

Below are excerpts from a study guide written by Amy Welborn and available for free download here. 

Below are some of questions for the first session on "Chosen by Jesus" 

Questions for Study

7. Pope Benedict describes the essence of the Church as “communion.” • What is the source of communion in the Church? How does it come about? • What are the two dimensions of communion for members of the Church? • “‘Communion’ is truly the Good News . . .” (page 22). Why is this so?

 8. Given the centrality and understanding of communion, what, then, is the Church?

 9. What is the ministry of the Apostles all about, particularly in relationship to communion? 

10. What is the relationship of the ministry of the Apostles to truth? 

11. What is the relationship between truth and love?

More

St. Teresa of Avila - October 15

       St. Teresa of Avila is  in The Loyola Kids' Book of Saints by Amy Welborn, and Loyola has a very readable excerpt here 

I. Saints are People Who Love Children
St. Nicholas,St. John Bosco, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla

Saints Are People Who Love Their Families
St. Monica,St. Cyril and St. Methodius, St. Therese of Lisieux,Blessed Frederic Ozanam,

Saints Are People Who Surprise OthersSt. Simeon Stylites,St. Celestine V,St. Joan of Arc,St. Catherine of Siena

Saints Are People Who Create
St. Hildegard of Bingen,Blessed Fra Angelico,St. John of the Cross,Blessed Miguel Pro

Saints Are People Who Teach Us New Ways to Pray
St. Benedict,St. Dominic de Guzman,St. Teresa of Avila,St. Louis de Monfort

Saints Are People Who See Beyond the Everyday
St. Juan Diego, St. Frances of Rome, St. Bernadette Soubirous, Blessed Padre Pio

Saints Are People Who Travel From Home
St. Boniface, St. Peter Claver, St. Francis Xavier, St. Francis Solano, St. Francis Xavier Cabrini

More

(If you would like to read a pdf version, click here.) 

Free Book on Kindle

         Here. Now. A Catholic Guide to the Good Life by Amy Welborn- free today

An excerpt from Chapter 1:

Forgetting someone?

You may have noticed that in all of this talk about voices, forces and influences, we seem to have left someone out.

Ah, yes. God.

You're reading this book, so it's probably safe to assume that you're a baptized Christian - maybe even a baptized and con- firmed Catholic who goes to Mass regularly. Or at least a lot, rel- atively speaking.

So tell me. Where's God in your life?

And I don't mean that in terms in vague, abstract terms. I mean ... really. As you live your life, make your decisions, open your mouth to speak, spend your money, choose your career and pur- sue it... where's God?

I'll leave that up to you to figure out and confront. But after you've thought about it a bit, come back here and confront this:

If you say you're a Christian, you're saying that God is at the center of your life.

Because, you see, that's what being a Christian is. It's not a club dreamed up to keep you busy or make you feel like a useful mem- ber of society. It's not about just having a religious label because a religious label is a useful thing to have in our society. Believe it or not, it's not even about having standards or guidelines to live by or being a better person.

It's about this question: Who do you belong to? And this one:

Who's your judge?

Oh, and this one, too:

Who loves you, without end or limit?

In other words, being Christian - contrary to what you might have heard is most definitely not about obligations, rules, stan- dards, or membership. Oh, those things may spin out of our Chris- tian identity, especially as we live it in the world with others, but the heart of it all goes a whole lot deeper than that.

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   Here. Now. A Catholic Guide to the Good Life - free today

Written by Amy Welborn

CHAPTER 1

Center, Found

"Just let me be myself. Please."

It's what so many of us want from the world. The simple free- dom to be ourselves. With one condition, of course:

"As long as no one thinks I'm lame."

That seems to be how it works, all the time, from all time. My oldest son, now in his early 20s, once observed that he and his friends, in their quest for radical individuality, ended up all dress- ing in the same style, playing the same music, and talking in iden- tical slang and code words. Funny how that happens.

We all want to be ourselves, but sometimes we operate under a curious misunderstanding of what that means. We think that the "myself" we're trying to be is some totally independent being, free from any outside influences. That's just not the way it is, though.

No one creates themselves from scratch. Well, no one creates themselves at all, of course, but even when it comes to style, val- ues, career direction, expectations, and even likes and dislikes, we are the product of an interaction with other forces and voices out- side ourselves.

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         Here. Now. A Catholic Guide to the Good Life - free today

 So many questions. So many "answers."

Who am I? What do I want out of life? When did everything get so complicated? Where will I find true happiness? Why do I think that’s even possible? How do I choose what’s right and what’s best in a world with a million different voices trying to get me to listen to – and live by – their answers?

There’s a voice that will always tell you the truth. The voice that belongs to the One who created you. The voice that belongs to the One who loves you the most deeply and who wants nothing but the absolute best for you. The voice that belongs to the One who knows where your personal path to true peace and happiness lies.

Originally published in 2004 by Our Sunday Visitor, this ebook version is published by the author, Amy Welborn

Amy Welborn in Living Faith

                                Amy Welborn is a contributor - five devotions per issue -  to the Living Faith daily devotional .

Today, October 10

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person, there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 3:28

More than one year ago, I stood in St. Peter’s Square when white smoke arose, signaling the election of Pope Leo XIV.  What an experience! Folks from all over the world, so different in some ways but all filled with joy, one in Christ.

What’s amazing is that I don’t have to go to Rome to experience that. Every time I’m at Mass, even if there’s only a few other people present in the dimness of 6:30 a.m. in our Cathedral, it’s the same, really.

MORE

September 29:

I witnessed some serious road rage the other day. It was so aggressive that I hung back from traffic, not wanting to be caught in the middle.

A driver honked at the hesitating car in front of him. That driver slammed on his brakes, inched forward, slammed them again, gunned forward into the busy intersection, circled, then raced back in the direction he’d come, engine roaring. What in the world was that for? I wondered. What did that accomplish?

MORE

 June 23:

God’s presence is like that. To the ends of the earth, every moment with the Lord gives me the opportunity to learn something new—even in the grocery store I visit daily or in the company of an old friend.  Even when ever-old, if my eyes and heart are open to the presence of the living God, what he has to reveal will still be ever-new to me.

MORE

 April 23:

I can sometimes allow my understanding of myself, my life and God to stagnate. I assume I get it, that I’ve got the answers for all the good—and bad—questions and challenges. 

But is that really so? Is what I think I know now all there is to know? Might I be more open to the Philip I might meet along the way, ready, as the Ethiopian, to have my eyes opened to something new?

MORE

April 4:

Have you ever hit rock bottom? Have you ever been in a situation of such sadness and darkness that you could not imagine ever—I mean ever—feeling anything close to joy again? That there was simply no way to loosen the chains, to not feel the weight of grief, frustration or helplessness that afflicted you at that moment?

And have you ever made it through? Have you found that with time and grace, light glimmers and the weight that seemed to define your days has lightened?

That glimpse? Take that and blow it up, expand it to eternity and let it surround and then sweep away all the heavy darkness of your entire life—of the world.

MORE

March 23:

To imaginatively place ourselves in a Gospel scene is an ancient spiritual practice. To do so here invites us to first see ourselves in a special place: alone with Jesus.

Now he asks: Who has condemned us?

MORE

March 8:

Once again, Jesus’ disciples seem to be almost clueless. They’re also intimidated: They don’t dare ask Jesus why he’s talking to this woman. Here, they can’t see past the literal meaning of his words about food. This dynamic can be both a concern and a comfort to me.

If the disciples spent day and night with Jesus and still didn’t grasp his meaning or purpose, what hope do I have? On the other hand, if even the disciples were confused, I suppose I shouldn’t feel badly when I am either.

MORE

, February 26:

There are so many ways that the Lord gives us strength. It can come as we open ourselves to his grace and just find ourselves stronger in mind, spirit and body. He can bless us with wisdom that gives us perspective and, therefore, strength.

And, of course, God answers our call and strengthens us through others who share our joys and pain, who laugh and cry with us. They are brothers and sisters with whom we can stay strong and even joyful during the journey serving God’s people.

MORE

February 2:

What a richly layered feast this is. It’s the real and final end of the Christmas season: Until a few years ago, the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square stayed up until this feast. It’s a day to remember and celebrate religious women and men. And over the centuries, the tradition has grown of bringing candles from home to church to be blessed on this day. Candles that, before electricity, would have been used throughout the year, not just for a decorative touch but to give light necessary for everyday living. The candles, then blessed, would shed not only natural light, but be a sign of Christ’s presence.

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December 28:

Among all the genres of viral videos out there, one that I find most affecting is one I’d call “Children meeting their newborn siblings for the first time.”

From teens to toddlers, those moments are nothing but joy. Even small children break into happy tears when their tiny swaddled-up brother or sister is gently placed in their arms. What a mysterious, profound bond is family love!

MORE

November 19:

Could it be that part of Jesus’ “love language” is to gently and persistently remind me to never rest comfortably in my own worldview? That God always has more to reveal to me, and that I always have more to learn?

MORE

November 2:

In many of these shrines, small and large, there’s another image too. It’s a photograph. An old woman. A child. A young man in a uniform. A candle flickers nearby.

Don’t forget, they say. You walk by and ask for prayers. Don’t forget to pray for us too.

MORE

 October 11:

A friend is going through a terrible, world-shifting time. Life today looks completely different than it did even six months ago. She’s done what she could, but she really can’t do any more. It’s hard and sad. We do what we can to accompany those in difficult places. But it’s a challenge to offer words that don’t end up sounding like empty platitudes, isn’t it? Or even, if we’re going through our own hard times, reading words like the psalmist’s and believing them.

MORE

, June 6:

A few years ago, I wandered into a little church in Ferrara, Italy, and saw a black and white photo of a woman religious in front of a tomb. This Sr. Veronica of the Blessed Sacrament was a Carmelite mystic who had died in 1964. Her canonization cause (in Italian) is: SuorVeronica.org.

I was struck, first, by the notion of running into a new-to-me saint around the corner. What surprising people and stories might I encounter anywhere if I’m paying attention?

Free Catholic Book

     

Here’s Mary and the Christian Life by Amy Welborn.  It's free today, on Amazon Kindle. 

Here is an excerpt from the book, about the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The image of Mary as a woman “clothed in the sun” certainly has power and has a place in Christian iconography. It is also important in Catholic and Orthodox understandings of Mary’s place in heaven. But the image is also so complex that it serves to enrich our understanding even beyond this identification to help us see God’s gift of Mary as the Mother of the Church-as our mother.

As we’ve seen throughout this book, Mary is a powerful presence in our lives as individuals and as a Christian community because in her we see the promise God holds out to all of us. We see that our yes-our fiat-matters. God moves and redeems in the midst of the most fundamental human mysteries of pregnancy and childbirth, using creation to re-create, to save.

In our presence to one another, we bear and welcome Christ. Our love of God and neighbor is part of the cosmic course of history. In welcoming the light of Christ, in celebrating his justice and passionate love, we are part of something astonishing and miraculous because it is God’s work in the world, through us. The heart of discipleship is seeking Christ and, once we find him, listening and following his word. Suffering happens, and in the suffering of every person is Christ, to whom we are called to be quietly, lovingly present.

This is Mary’s life. It is our life as well, lived, not alone, but under the care of a most loving mother, the gift of a most loving and understanding God.

Free Catholic Book on Kindle

   

Here’s Mary and the Christian Life by Amy Welborn.  It's free today, on Amazon Kindle. 

Here is an excerpt from the book, about the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Western thinking about the Assumption developed and flowered over the course of centuries. The feast was celebrated in Rome by the early eighth century. The formal definition of the ancient belief was articulated by Pius XII: “The Immaculate Virgin… when the course of her earthly life was finished, was taken up body and soul into heavenly glory.” What is left open in this definition is the question of whether Mary actually experienced death. Theologians debated that question, and still do, since death is one of the curses humanity experiences as the result of the fall. Theologians consider whether Mary, freed from original sin, would have experienced the consequence of death. Pope John Paul II, however, articulates the predominant view when he says, “To share in Christ’s Resurrection, Mary had first to share in his death.” In the end, what the Assumption means is that Christ’s victory over death can be seen in Mary. What she enjoys now, in the presence of the Lord, awaits us as well.

So the woman of Revelation 12 is really all of these: she is Israel, Eve, the Church, and Mary. Catholic interpretation of this passage has reflected this depth for hundreds of years, as theo- logians and spiritual writers have interpreted it in light of the understanding, so clear in Jesus’ words to Mary and the beloved disciple at the cross, that Mary and the Church are intimately identified with each other. In birthing the body of Christ, Mary births the Church, a church that she watches in its suffering and with which she suffers.

Most Holy Rosary - October 7

  October 7, is the feast of the Most Holy Rosary:

  Here is the entry on the Rosary from the Loyola Kids Book of Catholic Signs and Symbols by Amy Welborn. 

 Remember the format: Left-side page has an illustration and a simple explanation for younger children. Right-side page has a more in-depth explanation for older students. This entry is in the section entitled, "At Home."

Free Catholic Book

  

Here’s Mary and the Christian Life by Amy Welborn.  It's free today, on Amazon Kindle. 

Here is an excerpt from the book, about the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

The Assumption of Mary is simply the teaching that Mary has been “assumed” or “taken” into heaven, body and soul. She enjoys now what all disciples hope for-the resurrection of the body, life eternal in the presence of God.

Although the Assumption was not formally defined as Catholic doctrine until 1950 by Pope Pius XII, it was widely believed since ancient times. We find the original articulation of this belief in the Eastern Church. This isn’t surprising because the East is where Christianity began and, for the first few centuries, where most theological conversations were taking place. In addition, from early on, Eastern Christians nurtured a strong devotion to Mary, in which her status in heaven reflects the Eastern understanding of salvation as a sharing in the life of God. The Eastern celebration of this event is called the “Dormition” or “falling asleep.” Eastern Christians believe that Mary did die and that Jesus took her body to heaven, leaving an empty tomb.

OCIA Resources

       

 The How-to Book of the Mass by Michael Dubruiel not only provides the who, what, where, when, and why of the most time-honored traditions of the Catholic Church, but also the how. All in an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand format.

From the introduction:

When the apostles spied Jesus walking on the water, they were overcome with fear. 

Peter asked our Lord if it were really Him or a ghost. Our Lord told the apostles not to fear. Peter, now having regained his composure, asked if he might join Jesus for His evening walk on the water. Jesus told him to come out of the boat. And Peter did. And Peter walked on the water, too. For a few moments. Then he took account of how strong the winds were, and he sank like a rock. 

This morning when I went to Mass It was thundering outside. I wondered whether I had remembered to shut the windows at home and in my car. I thought about all the electrical appliances, the trees in our yard, and I wondered whether lightening had struck anywhere near our home. All the while, the priest was preaching his homily. Do you think I encountered the living Jesus at that moment?

 Other times It is my one-year-old son, Michael Jacob. or five-year-old son, Joseph. who are vying for my attention. They can make listening and praying difficult. But on the other hand, they often help me to notice everything in a new light. Their pointing out everything they see and asking "What is it?" has been a great aid in the formation of this book. Whatever the distractions of the day, I know that too often I am caught up with the winds and not with Jesus. If you are like me, then this book will help you. The Mass is our opportunity to meet Jesus, to listen to Him and to receive Him. There is a story in the Gospel of Luke that provides a summary of the Mass. It is the account of how the Risen Lord Jesus made Himself known to several of His disciples as they were making their way to a town called Emmaus.

A sample page:

St. Francis of Assisi - October 4

    It's the feast of St. Francis of Assisi:  October 4. 

Adventures in Assisi  by Amy Welborn is the fruit of my interest in St. Francis as well as trips both Ann and I have taken to the town.  Ann has been twice, and I traveled there two years ago with my two youngest, on our epic 3-month stay in Europe.

  

There are, of course, many books on St. Francis for children, but ours is different in several ways:

1) It's set in the present. There are regular allusions to and illustrations from St. Francis' life, but the children at the center of the story are contemporary children, interacting with St. Francis, his life and his message, in the context of their own lives.

2) It's not about the wolf of Gubbio or the creche or St. Francis and creation - as great as those are, those stories are the subjects of most of the books about Francis out there, and really, do we need one more?

3) The children, we hope, are physically more representative of most children you see in picture books in general, and in picture books for Catholic in general, who tend to be pretty much all Caucasian.  This was quite important to me.  Given the makeup of the Catholic Church, even just in the US, it's ridiculous that the demographics of children's book illustrations don't reflect that.  The models for these children, incidentally, are Ann's family members.

The *Real* Prayer of St. Francis

 

Yes, it’s time for that ritual curmudgeonly reminder about the “Peace Prayer” or “Prayer of St. Francis,” memorialized in the hymn “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace” that you might hear this weekend at Mass:

Not a prayer of St. Francis of Assisi. He didn’t write it, didn’t compose anything like it.

The incorrect association of “Make me an instrument of your peace” with St. Francis runs so deeply now, it’s presented as such uncritically, for example, on the EWTN and many other sites, including Franciscan-related ones which should know better, but still. It shouldn’t be this way. Truth matters, in areas great and small.

I explored the matter in my book The Words We Pray.   I think the actual history of the prayer makes it even more interesting than it is as a mythical pronouncement of St. Francis. Also, when Make me a channel of your peace comes to define the saint, we miss out on even more challenging words. Try it. Read his letters and Rule. 

Anyway – from The Words We Pray:

Francis stands in witness, quite simply, to the truth of the gospel. Yes, it can be done, and yes it will give you peace, which is what happiness is really about.

So when were struggling with this paradox and the extraordinary pressures from within and without to just give in and throw ourselves into things, money. and power. we turn to God for strength, and we often do this through St. Francis. It’s like turning to a friend who’s endured great loss when it suddenly becomes our turn to face loss. We remember her witness, we recall her words and her example, and if she’s around, we give her a call and ask her for help. When we’re smuggling to live the gospel in a world of gorgeous, empty promises, St. Francis is that friend for many of us.

One of the prayers that express the possibilities that St. Francis embodies is the Prayer of St. Francis, or the Peace Prayer.

The most recent scholarship indicates that St. Francis of Assisi could not have written this prayer. The earliest mention we can find of the Peace Prayer appeared in a French religious journal in 1913, about 800 years after St. Francis lived. This journal gives as its source another journal, no longer in existence. The next appearances come from both Italian and French newspapers in 1916, saying that Pope Benedict XV had been sent a copy of the prayer. courtesy of yet another French periodical, crucial copies of which do not seem to exist and which arc assumed to have been lost in one of the two World Wars. These earliest versions of the prayer, as printed in these newspapers and journals, make no mention of St. Francis or the Franciscans.

The Peace Prayer came into wider circulation just a couple of years later on a prayer card printed for Third Order, or Secular Franciscans who were living in the region of Reims. France. Secular Franciscans live in the Franciscan spirit, take certain vows. but live in regular society rather than in community. On one side of the card was a picture of St. Francis, and on the other side was the prayer. called -Prayer for Peace,- with an admonition that all Secular Franciscans live by the spirit of this prayer.’

From there, it popped up throughout Europe; for instance, it was adopted as the official prayer for the Christian Movement for Peace, which grew in Switzerland in the 1920s. The Reformed Church of France incorporated the prayer into its liturgy. It’s in a prayer book printed to accompany devotionals broadcast on the BBC in 1936. After World War II, its popularity understandably grew, and it appeared in many different German and English prayer books after the war. The earliest versions of this prayer attribute it to Souvenir Normand, that disappeared periodical. As the years went on, some versions added “attributed to St. Francis.” This byline eventually won out, and from that point, the assumption was widespread that St. Francis was the author.v

Feast of the Guardian Angels - October 2

     

Feast of the Guardian Angels:

Here's a nice Guardian Angel prayer fromt the Catholic Doors site:

My good Angel, Thou comest from heaven; God has sent thee to take care of me. Oh, shelter me under thy wings. Lighten my path, direct my steps. Do not leave me, stay quite near me and defend me against the spirit of evil. But above all come to my help in the last struggle of my life. Deliver my soul so that with thee it may praise, love and contemplate the goodness of God forever and ever

Books by Amy Welborn

St. Thérèse of Lisieux - October 1

 She's in the Loyola Kids Book of Signs and Symbols by Amy Welborn

She's in The Loyola Kids Book of Saints by Amy Welborn, under "Saints are people who love their families."  

Pope Benedict on St. Therese, from 2011:

Dear friends, we too, with St Thérèse of the Child Jesus, must be able to repeat to the Lord every day that we want to live of love for him and for others, to learn at the school of the saints to love authentically and totally. Thérèse is one of the “little” ones of the Gospel who let themselves be led by God to the depths of his Mystery. A guide for all, especially those who, in the People of God, carry out their ministry as theologians. With humility and charity, faith and hope, Thérèse continually entered the heart of Sacred Scripture which contains the Mystery of Christ. And this interpretation of the Bible, nourished by the science of love, is not in opposition to academic knowledge. The science of the saints, in fact, of which she herself speaks on the last page of her The Story of a Soul, is the loftiest science.

St. Jerome - September 30

   September 30 is the memorial of St. Jerome. From Pope Benedict XVI:

What can we learn from St Jerome? It seems to me, this above all; to love the Word of God in Sacred Scripture. St Jerome said: “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ”. It is therefore important that every Christian live in contact and in personal dialogue with the Word of God given to us in Sacred Scripture.

This dialogue with Scripture must always have two dimensions: on the one hand, it must be a truly personal dialogue because God speaks with each one of us through Sacred Scripture and it has a message for each one. We must not read Sacred Scripture as a word of the past but as the Word of God that is also addressed to us, and we must try to understand what it is that the Lord wants to tell us.

However, to avoid falling into individualism, we must bear in mind that the Word of God has been given to us precisely in order to build communion and to join forces in the truth on our journey towards God. Thus, although it is always a personal Word, it is also a Word that builds community, that builds the Church. We must therefore read it in communion with the living Church.

The privileged place for reading and listening to the Word of God is the liturgy, in which, celebrating the Word and making Christ’s Body present in the Sacrament, we actualize the Word in our lives and make it present among us. We must never forget that the Word of God transcends time. Human opinions come and go. What is very modern today will be very antiquated tomorrow. On the other hand, the Word of God is the Word of eternal life, it bears within it eternity and is valid for ever. By carrying the Word of God within us, we therefore carry within us eternity, eternal life.

From the Loyola Kids Book of Saints by Amy Welborn

From the Loyola Kids Book of Catholic Signs and Symbols by Amy Welborn

Amy Welborn in Living Faith

                              Amy Welborn is a contributor - five devotions per issue -  to the Living Faith daily devotional .

Today, September 29:

I witnessed some serious road rage the other day. It was so aggressive that I hung back from traffic, not wanting to be caught in the middle.

A driver honked at the hesitating car in front of him. That driver slammed on his brakes, inched forward, slammed them again, gunned forward into the busy intersection, circled, then raced back in the direction he’d come, engine roaring. What in the world was that for? I wondered. What did that accomplish?

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 June 23:

God’s presence is like that. To the ends of the earth, every moment with the Lord gives me the opportunity to learn something new—even in the grocery store I visit daily or in the company of an old friend.  Even when ever-old, if my eyes and heart are open to the presence of the living God, what he has to reveal will still be ever-new to me.

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 April 23:

I can sometimes allow my understanding of myself, my life and God to stagnate. I assume I get it, that I’ve got the answers for all the good—and bad—questions and challenges. 

But is that really so? Is what I think I know now all there is to know? Might I be more open to the Philip I might meet along the way, ready, as the Ethiopian, to have my eyes opened to something new?

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April 4:

Have you ever hit rock bottom? Have you ever been in a situation of such sadness and darkness that you could not imagine ever—I mean ever—feeling anything close to joy again? That there was simply no way to loosen the chains, to not feel the weight of grief, frustration or helplessness that afflicted you at that moment?

And have you ever made it through? Have you found that with time and grace, light glimmers and the weight that seemed to define your days has lightened?

That glimpse? Take that and blow it up, expand it to eternity and let it surround and then sweep away all the heavy darkness of your entire life—of the world.

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March 23:

To imaginatively place ourselves in a Gospel scene is an ancient spiritual practice. To do so here invites us to first see ourselves in a special place: alone with Jesus.

Now he asks: Who has condemned us?

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March 8:

Once again, Jesus’ disciples seem to be almost clueless. They’re also intimidated: They don’t dare ask Jesus why he’s talking to this woman. Here, they can’t see past the literal meaning of his words about food. This dynamic can be both a concern and a comfort to me.

If the disciples spent day and night with Jesus and still didn’t grasp his meaning or purpose, what hope do I have? On the other hand, if even the disciples were confused, I suppose I shouldn’t feel badly when I am either.

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, February 26:

There are so many ways that the Lord gives us strength. It can come as we open ourselves to his grace and just find ourselves stronger in mind, spirit and body. He can bless us with wisdom that gives us perspective and, therefore, strength.

And, of course, God answers our call and strengthens us through others who share our joys and pain, who laugh and cry with us. They are brothers and sisters with whom we can stay strong and even joyful during the journey serving God’s people.

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February 2:

What a richly layered feast this is. It’s the real and final end of the Christmas season: Until a few years ago, the Christmas tree in St. Peter’s Square stayed up until this feast. It’s a day to remember and celebrate religious women and men. And over the centuries, the tradition has grown of bringing candles from home to church to be blessed on this day. Candles that, before electricity, would have been used throughout the year, not just for a decorative touch but to give light necessary for everyday living. The candles, then blessed, would shed not only natural light, but be a sign of Christ’s presence.

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December 28:

Among all the genres of viral videos out there, one that I find most affecting is one I’d call “Children meeting their newborn siblings for the first time.”

From teens to toddlers, those moments are nothing but joy. Even small children break into happy tears when their tiny swaddled-up brother or sister is gently placed in their arms. What a mysterious, profound bond is family love!

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November 19:

Could it be that part of Jesus’ “love language” is to gently and persistently remind me to never rest comfortably in my own worldview? That God always has more to reveal to me, and that I always have more to learn?

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November 2:

In many of these shrines, small and large, there’s another image too. It’s a photograph. An old woman. A child. A young man in a uniform. A candle flickers nearby.

Don’t forget, they say. You walk by and ask for prayers. Don’t forget to pray for us too.

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 October 11:

A friend is going through a terrible, world-shifting time. Life today looks completely different than it did even six months ago. She’s done what she could, but she really can’t do any more. It’s hard and sad. We do what we can to accompany those in difficult places. But it’s a challenge to offer words that don’t end up sounding like empty platitudes, isn’t it? Or even, if we’re going through our own hard times, reading words like the psalmist’s and believing them.

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, June 6:

A few years ago, I wandered into a little church in Ferrara, Italy, and saw a black and white photo of a woman religious in front of a tomb. This Sr. Veronica of the Blessed Sacrament was a Carmelite mystic who had died in 1964. Her canonization cause (in Italian) is: SuorVeronica.org.

I was struck, first, by the notion of running into a new-to-me saint around the corner. What surprising people and stories might I encounter anywhere if I’m paying attention?