Enriching the Year of Eucharistic Revival

As many of us know our Church is celebrating a Year of Eucharistic Revival. In response to the sad lack of belief in the Real Presence, the Church is hoping it will serve to educate, enlightened and inspire all of us to increase our love and devotion to Jesus Christ truly present, Body, Soul and Divinity within the Eucharist. It is planned to last until July 17, 2024.

https://www.eucharisticrevival.org/

With this as our inspiration, we have created a Eucharistic Certificate and accompanying activities you could share with your group. You might decide to do them as a group or just share it with the members so they might do them within their family.

We have both the list of activities to do, along with a printable certificate. Like our other badges, you may decide as a Leader/Parent how many and which ones best fit your life.

Another lovely image using flowers from St. Francis de Sales! And Leader’s Chat today!

This past Wednesday, Jan. 24, was the feast day of St. Francis deSales who is my diocese’s patron saint. By cool coincidence, he is also my ‘saint of the year’ I got from Jennifer Fuilweiler’s Saint Name Generator back at the start of the new year.

So anyways, on Wednesay, I went to Daily Mass as I often am blessed to do, and then read the meditation from the Magnificat after Mass as I often do. It was from St. Francis deSales as expected, but what I did not expect were these wonderful words that reminded me so clearly of what we strive to do here at Behold Publications with all of our clubs:

“Let us make our way through the low valleys of the humble little virtues. There we will see roses among thorns; charity shining forth amid interior and exterior affliction, lilies of purity, and violets of mortification.”

Sounds just like us, doesn’t it? He goes on to encourage us”

“We ought to love above all others these three small virtues: meekness of heart, poverty of spirit, and simplicity of life, together with these common labors of visiting the sick, visiting the poor, and consoling the afflicted. Yet let it all be done freely and without anxiety.”

Now, I am still working on the ‘freely and without anxiety’ aspect of this but reading his words made me smile. Letting us see our virtue attempts as flowers, both small and large, to be collected and presented to Jesus and the Blessed Mother in heaven is a powerful image. Let this encourage us to keep trying, keep striving to find opportunities to do those “little virtues”!

LEADER’S CHAT ON ZOOM TODAY AT 2:00 P.M. EST. Check your email for the link. If you haven’t received an email from us (is your club registered?). Reach out via our website and we’ll get you started.

https://beholdpublications.com/home/

Getting a ‘new’ patron saint for the year is a tradition my family has had for a number of years. It gives us an opportunity to learn more about the saint (maybe a new one to us) and be assured we have an extra holy one on our team. It is always so encouraging! Maybe you want to do it for your family or group:

https://saintsnamegenerator.com/

Another lovely image using flowers from St. Francis de Sales! And Leader’s Chat today!

This past Wednesday, Jan. 24, was the feast day of St. Francis deSales who is my diocese’s patron saint. By cool coincidence, he is also my ‘saint of the year’ I got from Jennifer Fuilweiler’s Saint Name Generator back at the start of the new year.

So anyways, on Wednesay, I went to Daily Mass as I often am blessed to do, and then read the meditation from the Magnificat after Mass as I often do. It was from St. Francis deSales as expected, but what I did not expect were these wonderful words that reminded me so clearly of what we strive to do here at Behold Publications with all of our clubs:

“Let us make our way through the low valleys of the humble little virtues. There we will see roses among thorns; charity shining forth amid interior and exterior affliction, lilies of purity, and violets of mortification.”

Sounds just like us, doesn’t it? He goes on to encourage us”

“We ought to love above all others these three small virtues: meekness of heart, poverty of spirit, and simplicity of life, together with these common labors of visiting the sick, visiting the poor, and consoling the afflicted. Yet let it all be done freely and without anxiety.”

Now, I am still working on the ‘freely and without anxiety’ aspect of this but reading his words made me smile. Letting us see our virtue attempts as flowers, both small and large, to be collected and presented to Jesus and the Blessed Mother in heaven is a powerful image. Let this encourage us to keep trying, keep striving to find opportunities to do those “little virtues”!

LEADER’S CHAT ON ZOOM TODAY AT 2:00 P.M. EST. Check your email for the link. If you haven’t received an email from us (is your club registered?). Reach out via our website and we’ll get you started.

https://beholdpublications.com/home/

Getting a ‘new’ patron saint for the year is a tradition my family has had for a number of years. It gives us an opportunity to learn more about the saint (maybe a new one to us) and be assured we have an extra holy one on our team. It is always so encouraging! Maybe you want to do it for your family or group:

https://saintsnamegenerator.com/

Happy Feast of Mother Cabrini

A few years ago I was blessed to be able to visit my daughter, Amelia, in Colorado and we took a trip to visit the Shrine of Mother Cabrini. It was a lovely drive and hard to imagine the nuns who first took the long hike up the mountain to their new home!

https://mothercabrinishrine.org/

Photo from the Shrine Museum

“Mother Cabrini loved the mountains of Colorado. The foothills west of Denver held a special attraction for her. During her journeys in 1902 to visit the Italian workers and their families in the Clear Creek, Argentine, and South Park mining districts, Frances X. Cabrini discovered a property on the east slope of Lookout Mountain owned by the town of Golden.

No reliable source of water was known to exist on the property at that time, although there were two fine barns and a springhouse built in the 1890s. In 1909–1910, she negotiated the purchase of this property as a summer camp for her charges at the Queen of Heaven Orphanage in Denver, CO.

A farming operation, with poultry, other livestock and dairy cows, was established and maintained by three of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart who set up living quarters in the loft of the larger barn. During the summer months, groups of about twenty girls, according to age, would spend several weeks at the summer camp. They enjoyed the freedom of the outdoors and recreational activities in addition to tending the animals and performing farm chores.”

The spring is still there and you are invited to take a drink from it, or take some home. It is said it contains healing properties but who knows. I do know the chapel is lovely and the view of the mountains spectacular. If you are in the area, consider making the trek up the mountain as those nuns once did.

Our good friend, Joan, has a lovely book about her –

https://catalog.beholdpublications.com/product/the-orphans-find-a-home-a-st-frances-xavier-cabrini-story/?v=2320522a6676

And, finally, have you seen the trailer to the movie planned about her remarkable life?

https://www.angel.com/movies/cabrini

I am so looking forward to it!

Thank you FB ladies & Oct. Zoom Meeting Overview & Surprise Guest!

We had our October Leader’s Zoom Meeting this past Friday and it was lovely. But – before going into the meeting, I want to send along a shower of roses for our amazing FB group –

THANK YOU, thank you, Thank You to everyone who came to the help and rescue of Tracie who found herself charge of her LF’s group with little advance notice! She felt overwhelmed and lost but not for long. You gave her excellent ideas along with the encouragement and prayers she needed.

Give yourself some badges!! You all showed so much generosity, love of neighbor and friendliness (and so much more) to someone in need. You are all so kind and a sign – once again – of how amazing LF leaders (and their daughters) are.

Onto Zoom – we had both new and old friends there and a lovely surprise with a visit by Sister Stephanie, LIHM.

She is a member of the Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary order founded in the Philippines in 1991 and spoke of her work leading a group of Little Flowers in Nebraska. She was an absolute delight and we were so pleased to meet her and her ‘new to us’ order. Please take a moment and visit their site, their smiles alone with lift your spirit.

https://www.lihmsisters.org/

If you would like to find out about more religious orders to inspire you or your clubs head over to the Council of the Major Superiors of Women Religious. They are a dozens of orders who serve us and the Universal Church in a manner we can all be encouraged by.

Do you sometimes feel discouraged about the state of religious in the world? Well, the CMSWR

We also talked about try to incorporate music into your meetings through great Catholic music (Matt Maher, perhaps?) or just excellent Christian contemporary music. A quick dance mid-meeting can energize sleepy members or prayerfully send them on their way at the end.

Other news? A jubilee year for St. Therese was recently announced (more on that later), a movie about Mother Cabrini is coming (more on that as well).

If you have not dropped in on one of our meetings (last Friday of every month), please consider doing so. You never know who might show up and seeing other Moms who are doing their best to grow holier one virtue at a time is such a source of encouragement. We are ready for your questions!

Novena for Mental Health begins today!

(from novena.com)

Please forgive this late notice but I only found it myself today. I know many of us know and love someone who is struggling with mental health. It might even be ourselves. Please consider joining others as we join others in the “The Novena for Mental Health, which starts on Oct. 10, is offered “in solidarity with those suffering from mental health challenges as well as health care professionals, family, and friends who are caring for people in need.” (https://www.ncregister.com/cna/u-s-bishops-launch-mental-health-campaign-with-special-novena-discussions)

Continuing from the article at the Register, “Additionally, each day of the novena includes a reflection on a different theme related to mental health, such as removing stigmas, poverty, and suicide awareness; or a specific population affected by mental health challenges, such as families, children, and young adults.”

From the USCCB –

https://www.usccb.org/resources/Novena%20for%20Mental%20Health%209-Days.pdf

I love our Little Flowers family!

Pixabay, ArtsyBee

I wanted to send my love and thanks to all the Little Flower families who came to our recent camp and sent me letters of healing and prayers.

For everyone else, I was unable to attend this year’s camp due to sudden illness. I was devastated and while my Grace went by herself and had an amazing time (thank you to all the Moms who treated her so sweetly), the sadness of missing one of my absolutely favorite things in the whole, wide world made my illness even harder.

The letters you sent lifted my spirits and even made me cry – I missed you all so much. I am feeling much better and your kind thoughts and beautiful cards went along way to make that happen.

Thank you all again!

But I thought I prayed about it….

I just heard a little talk that I wish had been posted about 8 years ago.

Fr. Mike Schmitz, a favorite among many of us, just posted a 9 minute video for Ascension Presents entitled, “How do I know if I Made the Wrong Choice?” I listened it just this morning before heading out to Daily Mass.

Like I said, I wish I had heard this talk a number of years ago when Matt and I endured more than a few months of struggle, doubt and sadness surrounding a decision we made in regards to Matt’s employment and education.

Now, years past this struggle, we are doing really well and we can see how God walked with us each step of the way. BUT – in the midst of the ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’ of it all, we weren’t well. There was sadness, anger, resentment and recrimination. Of course, we prayed about the decision. Of course, we thought we were doing God’s will. Then why didn’t it work out the way we had expected? Well, that was God’s will as well.

Listening to Fr. Mike this morning brought me such comfort and peace. It also made me laugh out loud- listen carefully for “crock-pot Christianity”!

If you or someone you know is in the midst of some of those same feelings of doubt and accusation towards self or someone else take 10 minutes and listen to this. I will be praying it brings you the same peace it gave me.

Lent with Little Flowers – Meeting Recap

Photo by Thays Orrico on Unsplash

Just wanted to share the focus of this month’s Little Flowers’ Leaders Meeting. We focused on how our Little Flowers and other clubs might be able to add a little extra to their meetings during Lent.

A virtue of special importance over the next 40 days might be Perseverance – seeing things through to the end, despite fear or obstacles. “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3). And our catechism tells us that to “To live, grow and persevere in faith to the end we must nourish it with the word of God…” (CCC 162).

Our saint for Perseverance is St. Elizabeth Ann Seton (Wreath II). And Lent is all about perseverance. We strive each day to avoid that which we have given up, or lean into more prayers and time reading the Gospels. Lent can be a difficult thing and we will often want to give up as it all just too hard. But those acts of emptying ourselves of our wants and our will helps ensure there is more room for Jesus and His will.

If St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s story is not familiar to you, you might want to check out this delightful video from her shrine located in Emmitsburg, MD:

There is also a fun tour offered here – Fish On Friday seems quite appropriate doesn’t it!

If you would like an easy craft, consider sacrifice beads. These can become a great way to keep track of sacrifices made throughout each day in Lent:

You might even think about adding these to your library or gift in an Easter basket:

Regardless of the wreath you are working on or the club you belong to, perhaps taking some time to talk about the challenge of persevering to the end of Lent might be a good idea. We all struggle to keep up with our sacrifices, those commitments we made for extra prayer, sharing with the poor and other Lenten ideas. Remembering saints, like St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, struggled to persevere as well may make our Lenten journey more fruitful. She is there ready to help and intercede for you, your family and your club.

Be assured of our prayers as we all strive to grow a little bit holier, one virtue at a time.