Totus Tuus Family & Catholic Homeschool

The Fulfillment of God's Will

2012-02-24T10:40:00.000-05:00

This quote came to my email today from Women of Grace.

February 24

"One cannot speak of the tragedy of Calvary because there can be no tragedy in relation to Jesus or Mary. The fulfillment of God's will can never be tragic."

Frederico Suarez

For Reflection: What great insight! How does this impact your perspective of your own cross? Remember, God's will is expressed through His perfect will as well as His permissive will. Since nothing happens to us without God's knowledge, our sorrows are permitted for a greater good to be manifested. What greater good have you seen come from past sorrows? What greater good might God be working through your current dolor of the heart?

So I take this as my MOMENT OF GRACE for the week...it connects with something a friend said to me. She said, "God will choose my Lent, He always does." And right before Lent began, some challenges arose. More will come, I am sure, as I pray to God to open my eyes to ways I can improve. I will lift these crosses up to God in trust for the greater good He will bring.

There is nothing uglier, nothing worse than the Crucifixion....Deicide.

Yet from it God brought the greatest beauty, the greatest Good....Redemption.

Wordless Ash Wednesday

2012-02-22T17:41:00.001-05:00

The Holy Father..."Slowing Down"

2012-02-19T12:51:00.000-05:00

At Mass today, with worry I know I should not have, I felt the need to pray for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI as I hear reports of him "slowing down." He's in his mid 80's and it's to be expected, but I can not imagine a next Pope....

PRAYER FOR THE POPE

O Lord, we are the millions of believers, humbly kneeling at Thy feet and begging Thee to preserve, defend and save the Sovereign Pontiff for many years. He is the Father of the great fellowship of souls and our Father as well. On this day, as on every other day, he is praying for us also, and is offering unto Thee with holy fervor the sacred Victim of love and peace.
Wherefore, O Lord, turn Thyself toward us with eyes of pity; for we are now, as it were, forgetful of ourselves, and are praying above all for him. Do Thou unite our prayers with his and receive them into the bosom of Thine infinite mercy, as a sweet savor of active and fruitful charity, whereby the children are united in the Church to their Father. All that he asks of Thee this day, we too ask it of Thee in union with him.
Whether he weeps or rejoices, whether he hopes or offers himself as a victim of charity for his people, we desire to be united with him; nay more, we desire that the cry of our hearts should be made one with his. Of Thy great mercy grant, O Lord, that not one of us may be far from his mind and his heart in the hour that he prays and offers unto Thee the Sacrifice of Thy blessed Son. At the moment when our venerable High Priest, holding in His hands the very Body of Jesus Christ, shall say to the people over the Chalice of benediction these words: "The peace of the Lord be with you always," grant, O Lord, that Thy sweet peace may come down upon our hearts and upon all the nations with new and manifest power.
Amen

The Solution for the Catholic Church from Anthony J. Mullen

2012-02-12T17:36:00.000-05:00

WHERE ARE THE CATHOLIC LEADERS WHO CARE ABOUT GOD AND HIS CHURCH? by Tony Mullen of MyConsecration.org

If you knew the one and only solution to cure all the Catholic Church’s problems (and the problems are so severe as to be on the verge of catastrophic) and you could also cure the world’s problems in addition to the Church’s problems, would you not be guilty of the utmost crime if you chose to ignore the solution or not to share it with everyone?

Now, what if you knew the solution was foolproof……in that it could not fail? Yes, it could not fail, because it had a Divine certitude to it. It was God’s plan in His own words. Further, God had repeated the plan over and over for 95 years. Would you not be guilty of a catastrophic failure in obedience? Do you believe this would be an overstatement of the facts if the eternal life of hundreds of millions of souls was at stake based upon ignoring God’s plan? Is this not precisely where we are today for the Church’s lay and religious leaders?

Let’s look at the brutal facts:

• Less than 2% of Catholics frequent the Sacrament of Confession on a regular basis.
• About 20% of Catholics obey the third commandment and worship every Sabbath at the Eucharistic Sacrifice…“the source and summit” of the entire Catholic Faith.
• Only 14% of Catholics can name all 10 commandments; most can’t name 5 commandments!
• Less that 3% of Catholics pray the Rosary every day.
• Less than 1% of Catholics have made their Consecration to Mary’s Immaculate Heart and wear the Brown Scapular every day, which are considered the objective marks of true devotion to Mary’s Immaculate Heart.

Yet, God has consistently and urgently asked everyone to be devoted to His Mother’s Immaculate Heart. So, how is it that so few Catholics are devoted to Mary’s Immaculate Heart? Would objective people not be forced to agree there has been an egregious failure of lay and religious leadership?

God intervened in human affairs at Fatima, Portugal in an unprecedented way by allowing the sun to spin as if out of control and speed toward the earth in front of 70,000 people, which fact was recorded in the secular newspaper the next day. God’s message through His Mother was very, very specific: “God wishes to establish in the world devotion to My Immaculate Heart and promises salvation to those who embrace it.”

Consecration to Mary’s Immaculate Heart has been the chief starting point for the devotion. Both Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict have urged all Catholics to make this Consecration.

The Bishops of Vatican II urged us: “Everyone should entrust their life to Mary’s Motherly Care.” St. Maximilian Kolbe has put it well: “Teach others this Consecration…if this is the quickest, surest way to become a saint, it’s also the quickest, surest way to conquer the whole world for Christ, if only we tell others about it.” And if you somehow mistakenly believe this detracts from God, listen to the greatest Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St. Margaret Mary: “The most effective way to obtain devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is through the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

Recently, the Church has approved the “Our Lady Flame of Love” message from God, where our Lord has told us just how critically important this step is to our Faith: “The Flame of Love from My Mother’s Immaculate Heart will be to your generation what Noah’s Ark was to Noah’s generation” (www.theflameoflove.org). Think about the significance of that statement! The attacks on our Faith will grow so severe in the future that our Faith will be swept away without this extra grace!

As Catholic leaders, do we not have a real, solemn duty to help the Church spread this knowledge? Is there something more important you could do with your time and talent? Are not millions, if not billions, of souls at stake? As Leaders, let us act!

Tony's letter has me thinking...what would the Catholic Church, currently under attack, be like if every member was led to consecrating themselves to Jesus through Mary's Immaculate Heart?

And now...there's an app for that!

You could begin your Total Consecration on February 20th, as it is a perfect spiritual exercise for Lent!

Sunday Silence - Portrait

2012-02-12T16:24:00.000-05:00

Catholic Pinterest

2012-02-11T16:58:00.000-05:00

I joined Pinterest early on and luv it. I am delighted to see all the news reports about it's record breaking growth, now considered a Top 10 Social Site! It passed 10 million users after 9 months, making it the the fastest growing standalone site ever, according to Business Insider.

Today I created a group board called CATHOLIC PINTEREST, A "narthex" for Catholics to gather and share Pinspirations. Pins on all things CATHOLIC, a Catholic Pinterest community.

One of the reasons I did so was because I had recently been bumped from another group board. I presume it is because I pinned something Pro Life. On this new board, Pro Life pins are welcome!

Are you on Pinterest? Would you like to connect there, do you need an invite, or would you like to be a contributor to this board? Let me know in comments or at my email address found at the top right of the blog sidebar.

And if you are new to Pinterest and want to know more about it, below are a bunch of links.

http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/02/know-your-internet-what-is-pinterest-and-why-should-i-care/252835/

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Pinterest

Moments of Grace ~ My Mother

2012-02-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

I am joining the wonderful, new blog SUSCIPIO in Moments of Grace, a link-up sharing something from your week....taking "a moment to look back on your week and recall these glimpses of grace as they wove themselves into the flurry of your life."

A while back I wrote about how my Mother had joined the teaching staff here at Totus Tuus Academy. On "Teaching Thursdays" my delighted little girl gets her GrandDandy as her teacher for one-on-one grandparent attention.Yesterday was one of those Thursdays.

Here they are studying the Baltimore Catechism together. This Photo is a moment of grace for me and I am deeply touched seeing my mother share the faith with her grand-daughter, but also because my youngest son took this photo! He was so happy and excited and I hope that I pass along my love of photography to him, maybe all of my children....like my Father did for me.

It also happened to be my mother's birthday! At a dinner out for the occasion, a few days ago, each of us took turns around the table telling my mother the reasons why we love her. It's a family birthday tradition. When it came to my turn, part of what I said was in response to her telling me on my birthday how happy I had made her. I returned to that, to let her know how happy she has made me. My mother gives and gives. Tirelessly. And all through my life she has made special moments and gave of herself to us unselfishly. All of her children share those happy memories and admiration. For me, all that she gave was so deeply satisfying that my happiness and contentment continue. Although I want to grow in many areas and improve, especially in faith, I don't have other preoccupations...things or experiences I need. A happy childhood without wants is what she and my father gave me. And I know I am lucky, blessed.

It is the realization of those graces and the beauty that emanates from this photo and the ones above that I hold close to my heart and cherish this week. God bless you, Mother, on your birthday and always!

My moments of Grace.

Dissent "Not Compatible With Being A Good Catholic"

2012-02-09T17:39:00.000-05:00

Dissent is the watered down, politically correct word for heresy today.

On Twitter I am seeing a few tweets from people who want to identify themselves as Catholics but they are saying that they are FOR contraception and the HHS mandate.

It's confused me.

Can they call themselves Catholic when they so dissent from Catholic teaching?

So I googled to see if there were any links on the topic and found these.

"In 1987, Pope John Paul II told the American bishops in San Francisco that it was a "grave error" ... dissent from established doctrines is not"compatible with being a good Catholic" and does pose an "obstacle to the reception of the sacraments," (Source)

Follow this link to Catholic United for The Faith and their instructive article on The Grammar of Dissent: Identifying and Engaging Heresy " The Code of Canon Law, canon 751, defines heresy as "the obstinate denial or doubt, after baptism, of a truth which must be believed by divine and catholic faith." The Catechism of the Catholic Church identifies heresy as a sin against faith, and thus against the First Commandment (no. 2089).

It's an illuminating read, filled with suggestions, and in the end asking us to pray and sacrifice for these souls. "In all of this we must walk the path of charity. This is the virtue that allows us, as the Catechism, quoting Pope John Paul II, says, "to discern the often narrow path between the cowardice which gives in to evil, and the violence which under the illusion of fighting evil only makes it worse" (no. 1889).

Loveable, Capable, Valuable Plate

2012-02-08T12:47:00.000-05:00

A special plate I made when our family was just beginning.

A friend shared the idea that although you could buy a "special" plate for birthdays this could be about more.

And so it marks life's celebrations and even life's disappointments with the reminder that in good times and in bad when this plate appears at your place in our family table....

You are loved....You are valued...You are capable.

Sunday Silence ~ Ice Hockey Style

2012-02-05T20:31:00.000-05:00

To Identify Oneself As A Catholic

2012-02-04T10:20:00.000-05:00

Found this at Fr. Z's, "cards designed to help Catholics identify themselves as Catholics."

I'd like to see a US version that correlated to the Precepts of the Church.

The 6 Precepts of the Church (The Duties of a Catholic) Fisheaters.com
1.To go to Mass and refrain from servile work on Sundays and holy days (I had to learn that when you love someone, you want to be with them. Missing Sundays and Holy days were a grave sin (CIC 916). that separated me from communion until confession. http://whycatholicsdothat.com/is-missing-sunday-mass-a-mortal-sin/ )
2. To go to Confession at least once a year (traditionally done during Lent) (I had to learn that the Sacrament of Confession meant grace. Did I want more graces? Then go often! Get "clean" often.)
3. To receive the Eucharist at least once a year, during the Easter Season (I had to learn that I needed to receive worthily. Sometimes that means not receiving until I could return to a state of grace through Confession. To receive, I must also be in a state of grace, having confessed grave sin. I must believe what the Church teaches, especially about Transubstantiation and I must fast one hour before receiving.http://www.catholic.com/tracts/who-can-receive-communion
4. To observe the days of fasting and abstinence http://www.fisheaters.com/fasting.html
5. To help to provide for the needs of the Church according to one's abilities and station in life God can not be outdone in generosity and so we give away, generously
6.To obey the marriage laws of the Church Our marriage was a Sacrament, our vows and promises were made before God and witnessed by family and friends. We will be true to our words and keep our promises including accepting children freely and raising them in the faith.

And that's just the bare minimum to scrape by...shouldn't we want to/strive to offer more?

Latin High Mass...As It Unfolds

2012-01-30T19:26:00.000-05:00

It is beautiful. It transcends time. Here, in the Mass of the Saints there is silence and it washes over me and brings peace. (Video)

The Procession

Asperges - The Sprinkling Rite

Prayers at the Foot of the Altar

Incensing before the Intriot

Kyrie Eleison

Gloria

Oremus

Incensing of the Gospel

Sermon

Offertory

The Incensing of the Altar

Incensing of the Priest

The Canon of the Mass

Consecration & Elevation

Domine Non Sum Dignus

Holy Communion

Corpus Christi - Communion of the Faithful

Recessional

My husband and 3 sons all serving...

THANKSGIVING AFTER MASS ~ Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas

I give thanks to Thee, O Lord, most holy, Father almighty, eternal God, that Thou hast vouchsafed, for no merit of mine own, but out of Thy pure mercy, to appease the hunger of my soul with the precious body and blood of Thy Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ. Humbly I implore Thee, let not this holy communion be to me an increase of guilt unto my punishment, but an availing plea unto pardon and salvation. Let it be to me the armour of faith and the shield of good will. May it root out from my heart all vice; may it utterly subdue my evil passions and all my unruly desires. May it perfect me in charity and patience; in humility and obedience; and in all other virtues. May it be my sure defence against the snares laid for me by my enemies, visible and invisible. May it restrain and quiet all my evil impulses, and make me ever cleave to Thee Who art the one true God. May I owe to it a happy ending of my life. And do Thou, O heavenly Father, vouchsafe one day to call me, a sinner, to that ineffable banquet, where Thou, together with Thy Son and the Holy Ghost, art to Thy saints true and unfailing light, fullness of content, joy for evermore, gladness without alloy, consummate and everlasting happiness. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Remember Kerplunk

2012-01-18T16:26:00.003-05:00

What games are you kids playing?

Catholic, New Media Spots of 2012 to Visit!

2012-01-13T14:13:00.000-05:00

There are some exciting, new and vibrant Catholic spots on the New Media/New Evangelization information highway. I mentioned the Mother of Divine Grace YouTube page recently and now 2 more have come to my attention. 2012 has started off with some new "vehicles" to get us to our destination!

On Facebook, join Erika's group, Saint Padre Pio Catholic Social Media Network as it develops as a meeting place for Catholic bloggers. So far bloggers there are sharing posts, twitter addresses, Facebook pages and Pinterest accounts, truly creating a network.

And then, there's this blog, Suscipio . A blog to "raise up, support, maintain the authentic Catholic woman," Suscipio is the movement of the Holy Spirit upon Jenny's heart. There are plans there for a book club and a bible study and ongoing encouragement via blog posts.

These holy women have felt similar calls to use social media to support and build up the Catholic Faith. We live in blessed times and I am encouraged to be... along for the ride!

(Please share in comments any Catholic sites you have found and recommend.)

Thank You, St. Louis Review!

2012-01-12T17:13:00.000-05:00

The News Paper for the Archdiocese of St. Louis has mentioned this blog in a recent article! (Also mentioned was Lacy's great blog, CatholicIcing. )

http://stlouisreview.com/article/2012-01-12/new-year-new-saint

Thank you St. Louis Review. I am excited that more people might be encouraged to develop a relationship with a saintly companion for 2012. Even after 8 years of doing this, I am still finding new and inspiring comments from participators on how God is using His saints in their lives.

Read about the saints...these are the true heroes!

Laura Berquist TV! MODG YouTube Channel!

2012-01-06T22:03:00.000-05:00

What an excellent idea! Mother of Divine Grace Catholic Homeschooling curriculum now has a YouTube channel of helpful videos to assist families.

So far, there seems to be 6 videos up at MODGLearning.

Education is making exciting inroads into new media and I am so proud of MODG for merging on to the information highway.

Soundtrack of My Life - Beautiful Things, for Jamie

2012-01-05T17:28:00.000-05:00

Thinking of Our Lady and how God makes Beautiful Things...Be it done unto me according to thy word.

The song stuck in my head at this moment of my life along with the beauty of Jamie and her family...they teach me to trust, like Mary and to see real beauty.

Make me new, Lord.

All this pain

I wonder if I’ll ever find my way

I wonder if my life could really change at all

All this earth

Could all that is lost ever be found

Could a garden come up from this ground at all

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

All around Hope is springing up from this old ground

Out of chaos life is being found in You

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new

You are making me new You make beautiful things

You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of us

You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of the dust

You make beautiful things You make beautiful things out of us

You make me new, You are making me new You make me new, You are making me new

Your Saint for the Year 2012!

2011-12-31T13:56:00.002-05:00

Where I prayerfully ask God to guide my hand in choosing for you a Saint Companion to guide your 2012....

FOR OUR 8th YEAR....it is time to pick a new saint to guide each of us this year, as we have done in years before. Did you get a saint last year? Blog about it...encourage this tradition.

It is said that the Saint picks YOU.

In our family, we post our Saints of the Year on our refrigerator so that we are constantly reminded of them... of our journey with them... to be inspired by what their life can teach us in our faith journey. It becomes a great learning and spiritual study to google our saint and learn and read as much as we can about them.

With solemnity, we each fervently pray as our hand reaches into the basket. We ask that the saint God intends to "teach and journey " with us this year will choose us.

And they have been so meaningful to us. Sometimes a certain saint likes to stay and share themselves with other members of our family....like Padre Pio, St. Therese's family and Mother Cabrini. We are growing in love for our saints. Some might say we are Saint Junkies!

Would you like to have a companion saint this year? CAN I PICK A SAINT FOR YOU?

Leave me a comment and I will leave you one back with a Saint Companion for 2012. Then, google them...read all you can about them. Get a medal and post their prayer card on your mirror...learn from them and their struggles. Make it a New Year's resolution to let them transform you in some way!

All you holy men and women, ora pro nobis.

(This project becomes larger each year, thank you, Lord! Please be patient with me as I gladly respond to requests as promptly as I can.)

Shhh...Silence

2011-12-29T11:04:00.000-05:00

At the Vatican Bloggers Meeting in May of this year I met Narda from the blog, From The Pews. For me, there was something special about her. She just glowed. After the meeting we talked and we continue to "talk" online and I believe her kindness and generous spirit are the source of that glow.

While attending the meeting was the highlight of my year, it was also very intimidating. The other bloggers were so well-known and seemed to all know each other. The organizers of the event, especially Richard Rouse, made it very hospitable, and I sat beside some friendly bloggers from Europe. I learned a lot and the event continues to shape my perspective on Catholic social media.

Today, I am reminded that it is Narda that spoke to me, a fish out of water, and continues to and I am so grateful for her kindness. I hope you will visit her wonderful blog. I am especially linking to a recent post of hers on silence, http://fromthepews.org/2011/12/28/shhh-silence/ . For me, I want to make this practice a New Years resolution for all the reasons she mentions.

"A heart that does not listen to God but just refrains from talking does not qualify as silence.…inner noise can be just as noisy as outside sound……Silence frees us from what people think of us, from the stresses of the day, from the noise in our own spirit. It enables us to break the bondage of things and people, by the power of the Holy Spirit."

HomeSchool Just Got a Whole Lot Cooler!

2011-12-26T21:19:00.002-05:00

Can't wait to share with you all the ways we find to use these in our homeshooling!

Let me know if you have any recommendations for educational apps and God bless your 12 days of Christmas.

Lessons from the Nativity

2011-12-23T11:47:00.001-05:00

"They looked at, contemplated and admired the Christ child. That is all they did. They were in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament exposed on the altar of the manger. They blessed and thanked God who gave us his Son out of His love for us. Nobody will ever be able to understand or explain what went on inside Mary at that time."

From A Moment With Mary

What do we learn from the three main characters of the cave in Bethlehem?

"Jesus, Our Lady and St. Joseph -- incomparable teachers of every virtue-- offer us sublime examples of poverty, virginity and humility at the moment of the birth of the Divine Child.

St. Joseph teaches us to be poor, that is, to be lacking in everything, at times even in what is necessary. Indeed, he chose the poverty of a cave, not having the means to provide for a better and more dignified childbirth.

Our Lady, in her virginal childbirth, teaches us to be pure: chaste in soul and in body, in thoughts, desires and actions.

Finally, great is the lesson in humility that the Baby Jesus bestows upon us from His poor cradle. The Creator of the universe humbles Himself to the point of desiring to be born in a cave and to be laid in a manger -- in reality, a box for which horses and cattle eat -- hidden from all, in a small town of Palestine."

Who is Mary? (Academy of the Immaculate: 2001), 46.

Join the MaryVitamin for "nourishment" like this...and, in +JMJ+, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Mary Wrapped the First Christmas Present

2011-12-21T21:31:00.000-05:00

Mary wrapped the first Christmas Present....

Precious.

Gift.

Mary, Christ, Mass

2011-12-19T20:35:00.000-05:00

In these next few days Lord, help me to focus on these things...

Mary, FULL of Grace...my model of femininity and motherhood. She who said, "Be it done unto me according to thy word." She who ponder all these things inside her heart, in trust and holiness. She who ALWAYS, leads us to Christ...

CHRIST, my Lord and my God. He who chose to humble Himself as a poor, defenseless babe. Who came to "serve, not be served." PRESENT....in our midst. The Word made flesh. Emmanuel. Prince of Peace.

Mass, where heaven touches earth. The Eucharist IS Our Lord. Prayerful participation in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is filled with graces, not to be missed. May I receive Him worthily.Soul nourishing. Healing.

And for you, dear reader, may I wish you the same....Mary, Christ Mass.

4th Sunday of Advent

2011-12-18T15:08:00.003-05:00

"There were only two classes of people who heard the cry that night; shepherds and wise men.

Shepherds: those who know they know nothing.
Wise men: Those who know they do not know everything.

Only the very simple and the very learned discovered God...The simple shepherd heard the voice of an angel and found their Lamb; the wise men saw the light of a star and found their Wisdom" ~ Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

May we HEAR Him and FIND Him in our hearts this Christmas.

12 Christmas Prayers

2011-12-15T23:35:00.002-05:00

Source: etsy.com via Adriana on Pinterest