Prayers for the Dead on Memorial Day - Honoring our Loved Ones Who Have Passed Away &/Or Died For America

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My Dear Friends in Christ,

Today is a special day in that we, Americans, remember, recall, honor, and pray for our loved ones who have passed away, and for those who have sacrificed their lives for America and her values.

I am unable to visit any of the graves of my deceased relatives because I simply live so far away from the Midwestern state of Iowa where I was born and raised and where both my husband's and my relatives are laid to rest. I am very sad about this reality, but I know that prayer is powerful no matter WHERE it takes place.

Who do you remember today? Do you remember who died for us in WWI? in WWII? in any other war, including the devastating war that we are currently engaged in?

There was no one who died in any war in my immediate family, however, I do know that one of my relatives in Italy stood up to Mussolini's Fascist soldiers in his tiny village, REFUSING TO MAKE AN ALLEGIANCE TO FASCISM and NAZISM. He was placed along a wall and SHOT TO DEATH for his position on democracy and freedom in Italy. What an incredible level of strength in the face of extreme adversity! His Catholic faith and love of our Lord will hopefully redeem him in his ultimate sacrifice of personal life!

Let us always remember: FREEDOM IS NOT FREE!

I googled the web to find some Catholic prayers for the deceased for today's post for Memorial Day. I have found the following on Catholic Evangelism.com

Catholic Prayers for the Dead

O loving God . . .
I pray you to welcome my deceased family,friends, loved ones into heaven with you. Forgive them their sins and reward them their goodness.
Grant that I may be with them again in your Peaceful presence.
Amen.

O God our Father,Creator of all the living,
we entrust to Your gentle care all those we love who have gone before us;
and have gone to their rest in the hope of rising again.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

O God, Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
grant to the souls of our departed loved ones,
the remission of all their sins,
that by means of our pious supplications,
they may obtain the joy of heaven which they have earnestly desired.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Let us Pray:

Merciful Father, hear our prayer and console us.
As we renew our faith in your Son,whom you raised from the dead,
strengthen our hope that all of our departed brothers and sisters
will share in his resurrection,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

blessings today and always,
~ bella

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God's Glory in Springtime!

Hello my Dear Friends in Christ,
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God's gift of beauty in nature is popping up all around me here on the acreage this Spring. We have been so blessed with weekly rains this year and there is hope that the 3-year long drought that has gripped the area is ending (at least for this spring anyway). I just had to go outside with my camera and capture some of the glory of spring. I hope you enjoy what I photographed on my nature walk:
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azaleas and hostas shimmering in the sun

sun dappled shade on this lime-colored hosta

mama bird lovingly protecting her babies in her nest

tender bleeding hearts growing in the shade

a magnificent throat of a stargazer lily

the beauty of dogwoods

brilliant blue columbine

brilliant azaleas

the birdbath to welcome our feathery friends among the hostas

proud and stately foxglove

. . . and finally, a perfect old fashioned rose for all of my blogging friends!

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Blessings, and wishes for a lovely spring for you too,

~ bella

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First Holy Communion for My God Daughter

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Holy Card Image from Holy Reflections
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Hello my dear friends in Christ,
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This month my family and I celebrated a most holy and special occasion: The First Holy Communion of Ashleigh, my Godchild. It was a most beautiful and sacred event in our lives and we are so delighted for her ability to now receive the Eucharist - "the source and summit" of the Catholic Church.
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Thank you Lord for the precious gift of Yourself that we are invited to receive each and every day of our lives as Catholics.
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Holy Card Image from Holy Reflections
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I found this lovely prayer on CatholicOnline.com:

A Prayer for those who are preparing Children for their First Holy Communion

O Jesus,
who hast loved us with such exceeding great love

as to give us the ineffable gift of the Holy Eucharist,

inflame us with a burning zeal to promote Thy glory

by preparing worthily the little children

who are to approach Thy holy table for the first time.

Protect, O Sacred Heart of Jesus,

these young souls from the assaults of evil,

strengthen their faith,

increase their love and

endow them with all the virtues that will make them worthy to receive Thee.

Amen.

Blessings,

~ bella

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Let's Pray for the Conversion of Obama's Heart

Dear Friends in Christ,

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Let us pray today and always for the conversion of Obama's heart towards protecting the life of the unborn, for his understanding of the sanctity of life, and for his conversion away from the culture of death.

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Let us also pray for the strengthening of our Catholic universit's in upholding, teaching, and representing with integrity, the beliefs of the Holy Catholic Church.

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Let us pray for all Catholics and non-Catholics alike to walk away from the culture of death that exists in today's society.

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Blessings,

~ bella

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Catholics ARE Christians! Evangelicals today tell me we're NOT CHRISTIAN! UGGGHH!!

Hello dear friends in Christ,

Well the village evangelical idiots are alive and well in the Southeast as I found out during lunch with a friend today.....Oh my precious Lord, I was told by this brainwashed anti-Catholic that Catholics believe that Jesus was just another person and nothing else.

I knew that my prayers to defend the faith and to hopefully draw more in to love and respect the Catholic Church were being answered.

It all started with our discussion of the lack of moral authority that exists today in America and this horrible president that is now seeking shallow fame and glory through his "rock-stardom" and his pitifully self-absorbed wife that the world is setting on a pedestal (what is WRONG with everyone, other than the fact that we know with sincerity that it is the work of the devil that is (and has) influencing(ed) America's first couple and their shallow, glitz-thirsty followers).

So anyhow, during this once peaceful lunch, this fool asks me "Where do you go to church?"

I said, "Our Lady of Lourdes."

He stared at me.

I stared back with a nice smile and said, "Yea, I'm Catholic". Our Lady of Lourdes is the one and only Catholic church in town. No surprise, amidst the 35 Southern Baptist churches, and who knows how many evangelical churches there are, that there is just one Catholic church in this Southern town.....growing beyond their dismay and with, oh my gosh are you ready for this . . . plans to open a new Catholic school soon!

And then, hold on to your Rosaries, my dear friends, this "evangelical" questioned me, by asking with audacity, "Who do you believe Jesus Christ is?"

And I responded with firm conviction, "Jesus is the Word, the Revelation, He is God made flesh, became man, He is one of the Holy Trinity: The Father, the Son, and The Holy Spirit . . . This is not only stated in the Book of John, but also in the Catechism of the Catholic Church". I could have gone on and on, but I wanted to give this fool a simple definition . . . I'll save more for later . . . hee hee!

He asked, "Do you believe that Jesus Christ is God?" And I said, "Of course!"

He said that every Catholic he had ever met stated that Jesus is just a person and not God. And I said, you don't the Catholics that I know and worship with.

WHERE DO THESE FOOLS GET THIS GARBAGE INFORMATION THAT IS EVIL-Y PASSED ON TO OTHERS?? -- WHAT EVIL UNTRUTHS about the Holy Roman Catholic Church are being spread out there!!!

Then he told methat I was a CANNIBAL because Catholics believe that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Jesus......and so forth and so on!

Then . . . oh here's the line that always goes for the main vein and artery - - HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE BORN AGAIN? YOU NEED TO READ NICODEMUS, cuz YOU AREN'T BORN AGAIN!

Hey friends, can someone point me in the right direction for some good statements to defend ourselves and our Faith? This uneducated, ultra anti-Catholic biased fool will see me again next week and I want to give him some valid grounds for his errors, and of course in a most loving and gracious manner! :)

I don't know about you, but I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW MORE IN LOVE WITH MY CATHOLIC FAITH I AM EACH AND EVERY DAY and how I know that there is going to be a JUDGEMENT DAY for fools such as this one that I met today. Little does he know that I have been placed in HIS LIFE to show him the TRUTH and not the other way around. Bring it on!

With peace and love to my friends of the TRUE and ORIGINAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH,

~ bella

PS....After one month's absence from my blogs (due to my teaching vocation), I'M BACK, stronger than ever to defend our Faith and our beliefs!

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