Articles For Heart Mind Soul

Some will adamantly assert that it is merely a glob of strawberry jelly on a slice of buttered toast. Some will decry the deed as just a fluke of random occurrence. Some will scorn at the absurdness and incongruity of simplistic imagination. Some will scoff at the silliness of the senseless scoop of strawberry jelly. But I know better, I know the real meaning behind that Love Token from God. My early Valentine Heart sent from God, telling me that He Loves me more than I will ever know or imagine. He Loves me seriously and He Loves me serendipitously. He Loves me in the BIG THINGS and He Loves me in the little things. He Loves me at breakfast, at lunch, and at dinner. He Loves me in the morning, in the afternoon, in the evening, and at night-time. He Loves me unmistakably, unequivocally and unconditionally. It has been said that the devil is in the details, but I know that God is in all the details of daily life, the smallest, most minute, seemingly insignificant...

Pope Benedict XVI has named Bishop Daniel Flores, 48, of the Archdiocese of Detroit, as the new bishop for the Diocese of Brownsville. He will be installed as the sixth bishop of the diocese on February 2, 2010. Bishop Flores, who serves as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Detroit, was ordained a bishop on November 29, 2006 at Detroit’s Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. He was born in Palacios, Texas, baptized in Zapata, Texas, and grew up in Corpus Christi. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in January 1988. As a priest of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, he served in a number of capacities, including Parochial Vicar at Corpus Christi Cathedral, Secretary to the Bishop, Diocesan Master of Ceremonies, Assistant Chancellor, Rector of the Saint John Vianney House of Studies, and Episcopal Vicar for Vocations. Bishop Flores also served in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, on the formation faculty and as vice-rector of St. Mary’s Seminary and on t...

The stamp is scheduled for release on Aug. 26, which would have been Mother Teresa's 100th birthday, and is intended to honor the Nobel Peace Prize recipient for her humanitarian work. A press release from the U.S. Postal Service: With this stamp, the U.S. Postal Service recognizes Mother Teresa, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her humanitarian work. Noted for her compassion toward the poor and suffering, Mother Teresa, a diminutive Roman Catholic nun and honorary U.S. citizen, served the sick and destitute of India and the world for nearly 50 years. Her humility and compassion, as well as her respect for the innate worth and dignity of humankind, inspired people of all ages and backgrounds to work on behalf of the world’s poorest populations. Mother Teresa, an ethnic Albanian, was born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on Aug. 26, 1910, in Skopje in what is now the Republic of Macedonia. Drawn to the religious life as a young girl, she left her home at the age of 1...

Pope Benedict XVI has named Auxiliary Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston as Bishop of the Diocese of Austin . Bishop Vásquez will be the fifth bishop of Austin and the first Mexican-American to lead the diocese. Bishop Vásquez, 52, was ordained as a bishop in January 2002 and has served as Galveston-Houston’s auxiliary bishop since then. Since 2006, Bishop Vasquez has been the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston's Vicar General/Chancellor, overseeing the administrative operations of the largest diocese in Texas and the 11th largest diocese in the U.S. He has also served as Episcopal Vicar for Hispanics and he has been the Archdiocesan Liaison for Youth during his years in Galveston-Houston. Bishop Vásquez was born July 9, 1957 in Stamford, Texas to Juan and Elvira Vásquez (deceased). He is the oldest child and has three brothers: Robert Vásquez, Samuel Vásquez (deceased) and James Vásquez and two sisters: Cynthia Martínez and Consuelo Elrod. H...

18-January-2010 -- Catholic News Agency Share Pope Entrusts Victims of Haitian Tragedy to Virgin Mary Vatican City, Jan 17, 2010 (CNA).- After praying the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI remembered those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. He prayed that the patroness of Haiti, the Virgin Mary, protect and assist them so that they might "find aid and comfort." The Holy Father mentioned that through contact with the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, he is keeping "constantly informed" as to the situation on the ground in the island country. Pope Benedict said that he heard from Archbishop Auza of the death of Archbishop of Port-au-Prince Serge Miot, and so many other priests, religious and seminarians. Pope Benedict assured the charitable organizations who are "taking charge of the immense need of the country" that they have his support. "I pray for the injured, for the homeless and for everyone who has tragically lost t...

Five Finger Prayer 1. Your thumb is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C. S. Lewis once said, a 'sweet duty.' 2. The next finger is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers. 3. The next finger is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president, leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance. 4. The fourth finger is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You cannot pray too ...

Choose Life “You shall not kill.” (Exodus 20:13) Those who argue so vehemently the right to end a life: Are they truly concerned about human dignity, or does other’s existence simply make them so uncomfortable that they would rather have them disappear? The right to die sounds more like society’s right to kill. All life is affected by the way people understand and keep the Fifth Commandment. Our faith tells us that human life is sacred because God created it. God alone is in charge of life from its beginning to its end. No one can claim the right to directly destroy a human being. A culture of death has been adopted in many societies today. Society has publicly disregarded God’s law in many ways. This is a path to self-destruction, because this path is not God’s path. Abortion, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research are part of this culture of death. All of these are the direct and deliberate killing of a human person made in the image and likeness of G...

On Sunday, January 24, 2010, eight (8) active & auxiliary members and friends of the Legion of Mary, The Nativity of Mary Presidium in Del Rio, Texas traveled to make a one (1) day pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower , 1715 N. Zarzamora in San Antonio, Texas. Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us and our intentions. We arrived for the 10:30 a.m. entrance procession and attended the 11:00 a.m. Mass celebrated by Retired Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Flanagan. This was the concluding/farewell day of the International Pilgrim Virgin Statue of Our Lady of Fatima visiting various parishes in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. We visited the The Order of Discalced Carmelite Nuns Monastery , 6301 Culebra Road, in San Antonio, Texas. We spoke with a cloistered nun who was behind a wooden turntable partition and asked her to pray for our petitions. At the Monastery entrance: Odilia Ervin, Enedina Gonzalez, Juanita Vasquez, Virginia Salaz...

To Save A Life Synopsis Ever since Jake Taylor was a kid, he was the type of guy you couldn't help but like. For Jake, life is good. He has a ton of friends, a basketball scholarship, a hot girlfriend and a really bright future. Not much to get down about, right? Enter Roger Dawson. He was Jake's childhood best friend before Jake's growing popularity pushed him out. Tired of not fitting in and having a place to belong, Roger walks onto campus and, with a gun in his pocket and pain in his heart, makes a tragic move. Jake is devastated by what Roger has done, and something in him changes. In seeking answers in his own life, one question plagues him the most: Could I have saved him? He finds himself deeply compelled to reach out to kids on the fringe -- kids who aren't viewed as cool enough. But this decision among other things, threatens Jake's world. He may lose his friends, his scholarship and even his reputation by asking "What ...

Now you have the opportunity to march online , alongside your fellow pro-lifers - even if you can't be in Washington, D.C. Americans United for Life (AUL) Action is proud to host the first Virtual March for Life . It will only take seconds, sign up, select your own "avatar" and then invite your pro-life friends and family to participate as well. It's the best way to "be there" even if you can't be there. Join the Virtual March for Life . Show your support for life. Make your voice heard.

A new film about the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, based on the memoirs of visionary Sister Lucia and the accounts of thousands of eyewitnesses. “The 13th Day” is the first major motion picture by directors Ian and Dominic Higgins. According to the film’s U.S. distributor Ignatius Press , their film tells the story of the Virgin Mary’s appearances to Lucia Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto. Over a six month period in 1917, the Virgin Mary gave prophecies and warnings to the children that included a harrowing vision of hell, the spread of communism and the attempted assassination of a Pope. The film was shot on location in Portugal and in the United Kingdom. It has a cast of hundreds and three young Portuguese actors play the roles of the young visionaries. Synopsis of The 13th Day At that time Jesus said in reply, 'I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the ...

  By Abe Levy - Express-News Dozens of people formed a line down the center aisle of a West Side Catholic church this week, each waiting for a turn to pray before a replica statue of Our Lady of Fatima on tour in San Antonio this month. Moms carrying infants in their arms were eager to ask for safety and health for their children. Business professionals dressed in suits sought spiritual and physical healings for themselves, relatives and friends. Gregory Ronnebaum, an unemployed truck driver and single father of two teens, looked to take the edge off a rough past year. “It gives you a lot of hope in these tough times,” he said Thursday, after a tear-filled encounter kneeling in front of the statue at San Juan De Los Lagos Catholic Church. Thousands are expected to visit the statue through Jan. 24 at about 25 churches in the San Antonio area as part of a worldwide tour. Sculpted in 1947, it is the official traveling statue for the Marian devotion, which is exper...

Pro-Life is the triumphant choice of the civilization of life. Pro-Choice is the tragic choice of the culture of death. We are to embrace the embryos and the elderly, let them live. The best "choice" is LIFE from natural conception to natural death. May Our Lord of Life be with us in our earthly as well as in our eternal and everlasting life. May Our Lady of Life be with us in our earthly as well as in our eternal and everlasting life. May we truly treasure precious human life in all its multitudinous manifestations. Life: appreciate it, love it and protect it. Who knows what wonders each child will bring to the world? Who knows what gifts each child will give to the world? We are to create protection for every child by love and by law. We who have a voice are to speak out for those who cannot speak for themselves. We are to be a voice for the voiceless, a word for those who have no words to express themselves, a light for those who are in darkness,...

Jesus sanctified life in the womb. “You will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.” (Luke 1:31) Jesus sanctified life as a baby. “They found Mary and Joseph and the infant lying in the manger.”(Luke 2:16) Jesus sanctified life as a child. “The child grew, and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40) Jesus sanctified life as an adolescent. “When he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast.” (Luke 2:42) Jesus sanctified life as an adult. “Jesus was about 30 years old when he began his ministry.” (Luke 3:23) Jesus sanctified life with its joys and sorrows. Jesus sanctified life in a family. “Every year his father and mother went to Jerusalem at the feast of the Passover.” (Luke 2:41) Jesus sanctified life as a worker. “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary?” (Mark 6:3) Jesus sanctified life as a friend “I have called you friends, because I have...

DON'T HOPE FOR A MIRACLE. MAKE ONE.  EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES : John and Aileen Crowley (Brendan Fraser and Keri Russell) are the parents of three children: John, Jr. (Sam M. Hall), Megan (Meredith Droeger) and Patrick (Diego Velazquez). But Megan, eight, and Patrick, six, have a congenital condition called Pompe disease–similar to muscular dystrophy–where the body lacks a certain enzyme that breaks down glycogen, a stored form of sugar needed for energy. This causes the body’s organs to enlarge and shut down. The life expectancy for children with this condition is two years. As Megan zips around the house in her special wheelchair under the care of Aileen and around-the-clock nurses, Patrick is slowing down. John works at a pharmaceutical company that seeks to develop a cure, but it is slow going. When he discovers the advanced work of Dr. Robert Stonehill (Harrison Ford), a doctor at Nebraska University, on a treatment protocol, John goes into overdrive. Stonehil...

By ROSE YBARRA Source: Catholic News Service McALLEN, Texas (CNS)—Throughout his childhood, David Calvillo's mother urged him to pray the rosary but he admits the recommendation went in one ear and out the other. "I thought the rosary was for old ladies and funerals," Calvillo said. His mindset began to change when he attended a retreat at the Benedictine Sisters of the Good Shepherd Monastery outside of Rio Grande City—reluctantly, Calvillo's wife Valerie pointed out. "He was a bit hesitant," Valerie Calvillo said. "He didn't know what to expect." Going to the retreat proved to be a life-changing experience. "As we were praying the rosary at the retreat, I saw something that I had never seen before," David Calvillo said. "I felt this incredible connection." Before he left the retreat, Calvillo stopped by the gift shop and bought a copy of the book, "The Secret of the Rosary" by St. Louis de Monf...