Articles For Heart Mind Soul

Let us remember our authentic Christian traditions of honoring the saints on All Saints Day, November 1 and praying for the souls in purgatory on All Souls Day, November 2.

The nine patron saints for WYD 2011 include: St. John of the Cross St. Ignatius of Loyola St. Francis Xavier St. Isidore the Worker St. Maria of the Head St. Rafael Arnaiz St. John of Avila St. Teresa of Avila St. Rose of Lima For details on each saint, visit www.madrid11.com/en/camino/saints-and-patrons

Healthy, Hearty, Happy Humor is Healing.

You may have seen a picture of the Planned Parenthood mega-center in Houston. This is  another view of that building for you that truly shows the scope of this, the largest abortion facility in North America. To see the photo, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1391 The photo also contains a group of high school students. Their story is a testament to the power of prayer, the influence of youth -- and the importance of this mission. The students represent two schools -- Sacred Heart and St. Paul -- who are huge rivals in football. Just days before their annual meeting on the gridiron, students from both schools got together to pray at Planned Parenthood in Houston. They had to ride more than two hours to get there, but this was important. They designed special t-shirts for the event, and prayed at the facility for three hours. “What stronger witness could there be than when the students from rival schools join forces in solidarity with the unborn to pray ...

Don’t worry and don’t fear; God is more powerful than all your worries and all your fears.

WASHINGTON D.C., October 29 ( CNA ) - With the support of a Vatican imprimatur, a celebrity voiced audio production of the New Testament is set to be released this week. The audio series, featuring celebrities such as Neil McDonough, Julia Ormand and Kristen Bell, was produced by New York Times bestselling author and broadcast journalist for EWTN, Raymond Arroyo. Available on November 1, the 18-CD, 22-hour series is called Truth & Life Dramatized Audio Bible New Testament , with contributions from over 70 actors.

Finally today ... a story and a couple of pictures from the place where 40 Days for Life began -- and is stronger now than ever. The pictures show children praying outside Planned Parenthood. Ordinary pictures, perhaps, said Karen in Bryan. "But what is extraordinary if the beautiful witness of faithfulness and passion these families share in their commitment to life. They are the reason we are able to continue this mission, and we are so grateful for all that they do!" To see the pictures, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1388 One of the 40 Days for Life volunteers was able to talk to a high school girl -- let's call her Sarah -- who was entering Planned Parenthood. She was not there for an abortion, but to pick up birth control pills. The volunteer struck up a conversation with Sarah, who was curious about why there were people praying. Sarah took an information package that explains why Planned Parenthood is not the benevolent organization i...

O God, we thank you for the glorious company of the apostles, and especially on this day for Simon and Jude; and we pray that, as they were faithful and zealous in their mission, so we may with ardent devotion make known the love and mercy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Some people don’t see God anywhere and some people see God everywhere.

Pictures taken in the late afternoon on the way to the  Legion of Mary Rosary Making Workshop on Thursday, October 28, 2010 at Our Lady of Guadalupe School of Religion in Del Rio, Texas A most beautiful unexpected gift  from Our Lord and Our Lady  

Visit http://www.lifeteen.com/

Catholic Action For Faith and Family I Pledge My Support WHEREAS abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem-cell experiments and other attacks upon life and the family are matters of life and death for millions of innocent human beings; and WHEREAS these evils endanger the future of my country and the eternal souls of countless people; and WHEREAS every Catholic has a grave moral obligation to follow the Church’s teachings when he or she votes; and WHEREAS our responsibility as Catholic voters is great, especially in North America and Europe, where abortionists have killed tens of millions of babies and where old and sick people are becoming the victims of euthanasia; and WHEREAS we are obliged to educate our consciences by learning God’s law, both the natural law written in our hearts and the law revealed in God’s Word, taught with authority by the Church; an d WHEREAS our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI reminds us that the primary duty of those involved in public life is “the ...

When greed tempts, give twice as much. When procrastination tempts, push yourself twice as hard. When regrets and rejections tempt, rejoice in God’s promises instead. When fear tempts, let faith triumph instead. When panic tempts, let peace triumph instead.

October 26, 2010 A new national seminary will open in Cuba in early November, the first new religious construction permitted in the Communist nation in five decades. Cuba currently has 87 seminarians, according to Vatican statistics; 53% of the nation’s 12.7 million people are Catholic. Catholic Culture News

God not only knows what you're doing right now, but also what you're thinking   and how you're feeling.

A Message from Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller

AUSTIN, TEXAS, October 23 ( CNA ) - Six new FOCUS missionaries have joined the Catholic Student Center at Texas State University in San Marcos to evangelize and minister to college students. FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) is a national Catholic outreach program providing missionaries to college campuses all over the country. The missionaries are recent college graduates who have been taught effective methods of evangelization. Their purpose is to expand Catholic campus ministries. FOCUS missionaries have learned how to connect with students and encourage them to examine the meaning and purpose of their lives. They go through an intense summer training that centers on evangelization, apologetics, small group dynamics, Scripture and fundraising. Father Brian Eilers, the director of the H.L. Grant Catholic Center, requested FOCUS missionaries for the university campus. "Today we are the only college campus in Texas with FOCUS missionaries," he said...

When Theresa arrived at the 40 Days for Life vigil, the parking lot at Planned Parenthood was full. "We saw several women leave after their abortion," she said, "and one in particular really struck a chord within me. A young girl being escorted by her parents was holding her abdomen and crying. I immediately felt overwhelmed and began crying for her and her aborted baby as I prayed for God's mercy." Shortly afterward, another car pulled in. But no one got out. Theresa and the others at the vigil just kept praying. After about 10 minutes, the car began to leave. The woman in the car smiled, waved to the volunteers, and said, "I'm keeping my baby!" "We all thanked the Lord for saving this innocent life," Theresa said. "I gave Him a special thank you for giving us the gift knowing we made a difference." For Life, Shawn Carney Campaign Director 40 Days for Life

Do everything in God’s Time and Space, with God’s Energy,   utilizing God’s Money and Material Possessions   for God’s Greatest Glory.

Shawn Carney, co-founder of 40 Days for Life, describes the early days of its formation and rapid expansion as heroes from across the country join the pro life movement.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30 * TIME: 1:30 pm * PLACE: Next to Planned Parenthood 4600 Gulf Freeway Houston, Texas * INFO: http://www.houstoncoalition.com/ Shawn Carney Campaign Director 40 Days for Life

Panelists: Fr. Frank Pavone, David Barton, Wallbuilders and David Bereit, 40 Days for Life Get out the vote Activities Priests for Life has formed a “Vote Pro-life” Coalition of national ministries. These groups work together to advance non-partisan activities to help the People of Life to engage the electoral process in an informed and responsible way. The Coalition is sponsoring this webcast that can be followed online or by phone, and that will offer training for effective political action. Join this important webcast by registering here .

Put on the Mind of Christ. Put on the Heart of Christ. Put on the Soul of Christ.

Pray for God to purify our hearts by purging our hearts of hatred. Pray for God to purify our minds by purging our minds of malice. Pray for God to purify our souls by purging our souls of sinfulness.

God our Father, walk through my house and take away all my worries and illnesses and please watch over and heal my family in Jesus name, Amen.

Put everything in prayer perspective and you will see everything differently.

With early voting started and election-day, Nov. 2 nearing, we are once again called to live our "Faithful Citizenship." As Catholics we bring a unique vision to the public debate and when we vote, we declare both our loyal service to our nation and devoted service to our God. With a properly formed conscience on the vital issues of our time, I encourage you, after serious study and reflection, to carry out your moral and civic duty and vote in the upcoming election. In the U.S. bishops' document, "Faithful Citizenship," we read, "In the Catholic tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue and participation in political life is a moral obligation. This obligation is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and bear Christian witness in all we do. This obligation is in inherent in the dignity of the human person…" Many critical issues lay before our community, our state and our nation in the near future. A strong, moral and c...

 Priesthood Sunday is coordinated by the USA Council of Serra International , an organization of lay men and women whose mission is to foster and affirm vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the USA. Priesthood Sunday is a special day set aside to honor priesthood in the United States. It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church as a central one. To observe this celebration, Priests for Life invites you to join a Novena for Priests . You can say the special prayer below. Prayer for Priesthood Novena   Father, You sent your Son Jesus Christ To be our High Priest, And you gave us the gift of the priesthood To continue his saving work. Bless our priests, and give us more of them. Make them holy. Strengthen them to proclaim the Gospel of Life, And to defend the rights of all, Especially the unborn. Bring us, your priests and people To the life that never ends. We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.  

AUSTIN, TEXAS The idea of being a light in darkness was present at the midpoint event in Austin, where the local team organized a candlelight vigil at the abortion center. There's a picture of an adult and two small children that shows the spirit of that event most clearly. To see the photo, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1332 The light is indeed shining in Austin -- another young woman has changed her mind about abortion. "She and her boyfriend talked to a sidewalk counselor who was standing next to the driveway," said Elizabeth, the local coordinator in Austin. "They never got out of their car! After chatting for a couple minutes, they told the counselor thanks and drove home," she said. "They are keeping their baby!"

Pray not to become a prisoner of power, prestige, passions or possessions.

Happiness is going in God’s Direction, not directing God to make us happy.

by Shawn Carney, Campaign Director, 40 Days for Life I wanted to let you know about a wonderful pro-life event going on today, Tuesday, October 19, that complements this current 40 Days for Life campaign. Students from more than 3,500 school campuses are participating in Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity to raise awareness about the injustice of abortion by taking a vow of silence for one day in solidarity for the more than 3,000 children who die from abortion each day. Red arm bands and duct tape will identify them as taking part in the Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity. Anyone can participate (you don't even have to be a student) and you can use the time of silence to pray and fast for an end to abortion. Learn more and find out how you can participate at: http://www.silentday.org/

Don’t take things for granted; take things with gratitude.

How four couples forged lasting friendships with one promise and a monthly Rosary — for 50 years “Do you remember what Father (Michael J.) Hunt said years ago at the Confraternity Teen Night?” someone said. Father had predicted that in five years, almost all best friends would lose touch with each other. I hated to think that could happen to us. It’s easy to say, ‘Let's get together over coffee,’ but what if it doesn’t happen? For a moment, we thought back to the good times we had together at St. Leo’s Confraternity dances, to our years of junior high school, and then high school. We had shared so many wonderful memories and experiences. And we sure didn’t want it to end. “Why don’t we make a reason to get together? We could say the Rosary once a month at one another’s homes and let the Blessed Mother keep us together!” We all agreed that this was a great idea. Of course it hasn’t always been easy to meet.  But through it all, we came together. Over the past 50 years, we h...

DALLAS, TEXAS "Prayer is not a spectator sport," reads the title of a 40 Days for Life Dallas blog entry. Here's that story: There is prayer, and then there is PRAYER. On the sidewalk outside Southwestern late-term abortion center, we are witnessing PRAYER. More than twenty students from Christ for the Nations School of Spanish spent an afternoon facing the abortion center in deep unwavering prayer. It was a personal experience for each, yet united in a communal effort, as they each recited individual prayers aloud -- some with hands raised, others kneeling, others rocking, many with their eyes closed tight -- oblivious to everything except the focus of their prayers. To see a photo of the vigil in Dallas, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1294 The only breaks they took from this intensity were for the occasional prayer raised in song. Their visible passion and fire was no doubt fueled by their keen sense of the horrors that take plac...

October 16 is the feast day of Saint Gerard Majella.  This prayer is for the unborn

Life is full of surprises; so expect to be surprised at any moment.

“Suffering, Compassion, and Healing in Medicine” November 6, 2010 9:00am - 4:45pm CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital Center for Children & Families, 5th floor Auditorium San Antonio, Texas For more information click here .

WWW.VOTINGFORLIFE.COM

The body-heart-mind-soul is wounded. Pray for the Wounds of Christ to heal our body-heart-mind-soul.

Last week, EWTN hosted the EWTN 2010 Family Celebration in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of Mother Angelica. They will be airing the Family Celebration this weekend and I hope many of you will be able to catch this programming with all of it’s wonderful guest speakers and special features. If you have not attended one of these celebrations, I hope you can put it on your calendar for next summer (July) in Birmingham, Alabama. By watching it this weekend, you will get a feel of what one of these celebrations is like and the enjoyment that everyone has attending these ‘family gatherings’. Here are the dates and times for this weekend showing. Of course, you can always go to www.ewtn.com and under TV, look for October grid and pick the specified week for viewing. October 16 8:00 – AM Opening 9:00 – Talk #1, Raymond Arroyo 10:00 – Shrine of the Blessed Sacrament Tour Video 12:00 – Talk #2, Family Talk 3:00 – Talk #3, Dr. Raymond Guarendi 5:00 – Live show (The Life and Legacy of Mothe...

"Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing pass; God never changes Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices." "To have courage for whatever comes in life - everything lies in that." "Pain is never permanent." "We can only learn to know ourselves and do what we can - namely, surrender our will and fulfill God's will in us." "There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers."

DALLAS, TEXAS 40 Days for Life prayer volunteers in Dallas noticed two women sitting in a car outside the abortion facility -- a center that does late-term abortions. One of the women appeared to be several months into her pregnancy. The women just sat and watched the people praying. Occasionally, they held their heads in their hands. Then they watched again. A prayer volunteer reports that they eventually decided to leave -- and one more life was saved. "We had no idea we would experience another life saved by the grace of God," said Lauren in Dallas. Reflecting on the 3,000 lives saved through God's mercy at 40 Days for Life prayer vigils, she added, "Do we have any idea how this will change the world?" To see a picture of the 40 Days for Life vigil in Dallas, please go to: http://40daysforlife.com/blog/?p=1281 HOUSTON, TEXAS I've talked before about the Planned Parenthood abortion mega-center in Houston. Today I'd like to ...

Thursday, 14 October 2010 Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Chicago Auxiliary Bishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSp.S, 53, as the 6th Archbishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. He will succeed Archbishop José H. Gomez, who was named in April 2010 to be the successor to Cardinal Roger Mahony of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles upon his retirement in early 2011. The Vatican made Archbishop-designate García-Siller’s appointment official on October 14, 2010 at 5 a.m. Central Time. His installation as Archbishop of San Antonio is scheduled for November 23, 2010. Archbishop-designate Gustavo García-Siller was born in San Luis Potosí S.L.P., Mexico, to Gustavo García Suarez and Maria Cristina Siller de Garcia. He is the eldest of 15 children. His brother, Eugene, is also a priest. He studied at St. Johns Seminary in Camarillo, California, and the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, and holds master of arts degrees in philosophy, divinity and psychology. He was ordained in Guadalajara, Jun...

Santiago, Chile, Oct 13, 2010 ( CNA/EWTN News ) Pope Benedict XVI gave thanks for the initial success of efforts to free the first of 33 Chilean copper miners who have been trapped beneath the earth for the more than two months. At his weekly general audience, Oct. 13, the Pope said that “with hope" he continues to commend the miners to the "divine goodness" of Christ. The miners have been trapped under a half-mile of rock deep beneath Chile's Atacama Desert since the mine shaft collapsed Aug. 5. The first of the miners was brought to the surface on Oct. 13 and rescue officials now say it is possible that all will be free within a day. Pope Benedict XVI has offered prayers for the miners on several occasions during their 69 days underground. He also sent them each a rosary, delivered personally by Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz of Santiago, Chile.

Along the road of life there are many bumps and bruises, scraps and scratches; no one traverses through this life and is left unscathed.