May 4
"The soul of a woman must...be expansive and open to all human beings; it must be quiet, so that no small weak flame will be extinguished by stormy winds; warm, so as not to benumb fragile buds; clear, so that no vermin will settle in dark corners and recesses; self-contained, so that no invasions from without can peril the inner life; empty of itself, in order that extraneous life may have room in it; finally, mistress of itself, and also of its body, so that the entire person is readily at the disposal of every call."
- St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)
Today's Reflection:
Like the Blessed Virgin Mary, woman is called to receive the life of God within her through the power of the Holy Spirit, so that she becomes a channel through which love enters the world. A love truly able to aid humanity in not falling. Like our Blessed Mother we must bring God's word to His people, intercede before God's throne for the sake of the world, and unite our sufferings to the Passion and death of Jesus Christ. By so doing, we give birth to God's life in others and thus fulfill our divine mission of spiritual motherhood. This call is not for the fainthearted, but for women of courage, faith, perseverance, and hope.
In rereading that last line, how is God calling you to be a person of "courage, faith, perseverance, and hope" in order to bring God to others?
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May 3
"God needs spiritual mothers -- women who can "mother"
unmothered children.
-Dale O'Leary
Today’s Reflection:
Who has God placed in your path to mother?
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May 2
"The hour is coming, in fact has come, when the vocation of women is being acknowledged in its fullness, the hour in which women acquire in the world an influence, an effect, and a power never hitherto achieved. That is why, at this moment when the human race is undergoing so deep a transformation,
women imbued with a spirit of the Gospel can do so much to aid
humanity in not falling."
-Closing Message, To Women,
Second Vatican Council
Today’s Reflection:
What characteristic will help woman aid humanity in not falling?
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May 1
“Between women and God is often arranged the eternal salvation of husbands and sons. But for this she must be valiant."
-Madeline Sophie Barat
Today’s Reflection:
How can I become a more valiant woman?
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by Theresa Cavicchio
Traveling back in time two thousand or so years, to the Holy Land, we come upon a small, unassuming Galilean village called Nazareth, “Village of the Shoot,” its name evoking the hope for a Messiah prophesied by Isaiah: “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse (Is 11:1)” (Mike Aquilina, St. Joseph and His World).
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April 30
Feast of St. Pius V (1504 - 1572)
"O Lord, increase my sufferings and my patience."
-Dying words of St. Pius V
Today's Reflection
Do I have the courage pray this prayer? Why or why not? What virtue do I most need to acquire to do so?
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A recent Facebook post shared this urgent prayer intention by one outspoken priest:
"The police are afraid to be police
The priests are afraid to be priests
The Christians are afraid to be Christians
The Americans are afraid to be Americans
God, grant us the gift of fortitude to stand up against our oppressors."
St. Catherine of Siena would probably agree with his sentiment. She once declared, “We’ve had enough of exhortation to be silent! Cry out with a hundred thousand tongues. I see that the world is rotten because of silence.”
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CD writes:
"So many of my friends, who are very well educated, are suddenly getting involved in the Law of Attraction. Can you explain what this is and if Catholics can become involved in it?”
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April 29
St. Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)
"Eternal Trinity, Godhead, You could give me no greater gift than the gift of Yourself. For you are a fire ever burning and never consumed, which itself consumes all the selfish love that fills my being. Yes, You are a fire that takes away coldness, illuminates the mind with its light, and causes me to know Your truth. You are beauty and wisdom itself. "
-Adapted from a prayer of St. Catherine of Siena
Today's Reflection
Today, I will take a few moments to meditate on this prayer of St. Catherine and see what the Lord speaks to me through it.
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April 28
Feast of St. Louis de Montfort (1673-1716)
"The greatest saints, the souls richest in graces and virtues, shall be the most assiduous in praying to our Blessed Lady, and in having her always present as their perfect model for imitation and their powerful aid for help."
-St. Louis de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary
Today's Reflection
According to St. Louis de Montfort, how rich in grace and virtue might my soul be? To what extent can I increase my devotion to the Blessed Mother and her intercession?
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