I Have Not Posted In A While, But Am Thinking And Praying For Each Of You!

Hello My Dear Friends In Christ,

I am so sorry that I have not posted in nearly one month; I've been teaching summer school and then just simply catching up with everything on the acreage now that I have been out of school on July 1st. So I promise you that I have not forgotten my Catholic blog, nor any of you, and I just wanted you to know that I ask our Lord to bless each of you this summer season!

Blessings to each of you,

~ bella

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Prayers for Catholics Who Love Nature, Gardening & Rural Life!

Dear Friends In Christ,

Here are a few more prayers that I found on ConservationCatholic on the web for those of you like-minded/soul folks who, like me, believe that God's natural creation is a blessing given to us and who also believe in being 'stewards' who care for God's beautiful natural creation for us! Please know that the source that I found these beautiful Catholic prayers is ConservationCatholic.org.

Prayer on Contemplating Nature

You, O God, Majestic Creator, are the origin of all life.
Nothing can exclude itself from your creative influence.
You are wonderful in your words and in your sovereignty.
Amazed, I contemplate the perfection of the world

you created for human beings.
You are unmatched in your power and in your goodness.
O Lord, you direct like a conductor the orchestration of a storm,

and you shape like a sculptor the petals of a flower.
You are prodigious in your majesty and in your wisdom.
Lord, you have fashioned human beings to accept

the challenges of nature and to be your voice in creation.
O Lord and King, Majestic Creator,

you have made your mystery transparent,

in the world you have created.
I worship you in your creation and in your providence.
Amen.

.From Prayers of Blessing and Praise for All Occasions, 1987, Hugo Schlesinger & Humberto Porto.

Blessings of Fields and Gardens

Let us together praise the Lord,
from whom we have rain from the heavens
and abundance from the earth.
Blessed be God now and for ever.

Let us bless God,

whose might has created the earth

and whose providence has enriched it.

God has given us the earth to cultivate,

so that we may gather its fruits to sustain life.

As we thank God for this bounty,

let us learn also, as the Gospel teaches,

to seek first God's way of holiness:

then all we need will be given us besides.
O God,
from the very beginning of time
you commanded the earth to bring forth vegetation
and every fruit of every kind.
You provide the sower with seed and give bread to eat.
Grant, we pray, that this land,
enriched by your bounty and cultivated by human hands,
may be fertile with abundant crops.
Then your people, enriched by the gifts of your goodness,
will praise you unceasingly now and for all ages unending.

From Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. Contains excerpts from the English translation of Book of Blessings, 1988, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc.

The Lord has bestowed the fruits of the earth

for the benefit of all the world's people.

May we share with all in need

and so be good stewards of God's earth and its abundance.

We remember the words Mary speaks

in the Gospel story of the visitation:

"The hungry He has filled with good things."

Praise in Creation
by Gerard Manley Hopkins

Glory be to God for dappled things --
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches' wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced -- fold, fallow, and plough;
And all trades, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:
Praise him.

To Christ, King of the Universe
O Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You King of the Universe.

All that has been created has been made for You.

Exercise upon me all Your rights.

I renew my baptismal promises renouncing Satan and all his works.

I promise to lead a good Christian life and to do all in my power to procure the triumph of the rights of God and Your Church.

Divine Heart of Jesus,

I offer You my poor actions

in order to obtain that all hearts may acknowledge

Your sacred royalty

and that thus the reign of Your peace

may be established throughout the universe.
Amen.

Blessings on your gardens, rural acreages and/or farmlands!

~ bella

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It's Gardening Time: Catholic Prayers for Gardeners!

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My Dear Friends in Christ,
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Gardening is simply one of my greatest passions in life. I feel so grateful to our Lord for the simple blessings of beauty in both my flower and vegetable gardens and the ability to live out our dream of living on a country acreage . . . for His little piece of paradise that we lovingly call "La Bella Vita", the beautiful life (in Italian). Each and every time I am in the gardens, I feel so happy and so grateful. Besides being next to the horses, it is when I feel the most taken away from the stresses and worries of every day life.

I found the following beautiful Catholic prayers for gardeners and those who live a rural, country life on the Web today and wanted to share them with you. The e-source that I found these prayers is ConservationCatholic.com for your perusal.

The photos are all from my flower garden beds.

May God bless you and your gardens this year!

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Mother Earth
by St. Francis of Assisi

Dear mother earth, who day by day
Unfolds rich blessing on our way,
O praise God! Alleluia!
The fruits and flowers that verdant grow,
Let them his praise abundant show.
O praise God, O praise God,
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
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Prayer of the Christian Farmer (or Gardener)

O God, Source and Giver of all things,

Who manifests Your infinite majesty, power and goodness

in the earth about us, we give You honor and glory.

For the sun and rain, for the manifold fruits of our fields,

for the increase of our herds and flocks we thank You.

For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace,

we are grateful.

Supreme Lord of the harvest,

graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil,

in union with Christ Your Son, as atonement for our sins,

for the growth of Your Church,

for peace and charity in our homes,

for salvation to all.

Amen.

Prayer Source: Novena in Honor of St. Isidore: Patron of Farmers by National Catholic Rural Life Conference, National Catholic Rural Life Conference.
Any farmer or city gardener will find this a beautiful prayer.

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Prayer of a Rural Family

Wise and compassionate God, accept this our prayer;

Sheltered from storm and darkness, under this roof,

This family kneels to adore You.

For the day just past,

For keeping us safely, body and soul,

Now we most humbly Thank You.

For hilltops and verdure,

For sunlight and wind and boundless space,

For rain and sky's rich color,

For boughs and blossoms and cold clean snow,

We are eternally grateful.

For birds and beasts,

For the good black earth and the seeds producing

The plenteous harvest; for times without number

When we have eaten of that same harvest,

We thank You and bless You forever.

Deliver us safely, if such be Your will,

From deluge and drought,

From famine and war and disaster.

Give us tomorrow, as yesterday and today.

All things most needed for rightful living;

And move our hearts that we may have sorrow

For sinning against You.

God of the hearth and the harvest,

Your children, here kneeling, adore You.

Bless now our rest

And cherish us safe till the morrow.

Amen.

Prayer Source: Novena in Honor of St. Isidore: Patron of Farmers by National Catholic Rural Life Conference, National Catholic Rural Life Conference
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Blessings to you this beautiful springtime of year!

~ bella

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Praying Rosary For My Father's Cancer Radiation Treatments

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My Dear Friends in Christ,

I apologize if I have not blogged for a week or so, but I have begun teaching summer school classes, adopted two new horses, have been gardening and harvesting, and have had my father's health on mind as well. After his first two weeks of radiation, he is in much less pain and the treatment appears to be working positively! Praise Our Lord!
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I have added his health to my rosary petitions and if you are reading this, I humbly ask that you add just a second of a thought in your rosary petitions for him as well. We all know the tremendous power of PRAYER!
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I hope that you are having a blessed day!
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Blessings,
~ bella

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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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Easter is the Cause of Our JOY! The Most Important Holy Day For Catholics!

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My Dear Friends in Christ,

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is RISEN! Our sins are forgiven! Let us REJOICE in gladness and thanksgiving for this MIRACLE!

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Blessings,

~ bella

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Cherry Blossoms and A Random Act of Kindness

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Hello dear friends in Christ,
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You know lately it seems that the local, state, national, and global news is simply just depressing. . . It's true, I'm a very sensitive person and when my boundaries are weak, I pick up on this negativity so much that it just drags me down . . . which is not my nature at all.

So tonight during my commute home from campus, I thought to myself, "Just think about the good things around you and anything nice that someone did for me lately that was a blessing!"

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Well of course, being the flower and gardening freak that I am, I first thought of all the precious, delicate cherry blossoms now in bloom in the Carolinas, right next to the powerful splash of purple in the Eastern Redbud trees. I even saw a few brilliant red tulips on campus today, which I cannot grow on the acreage because the deer eat them for treats.

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Well, those thoughts were certainly very effective in lifting my spirits, but then I thought of something else that I forgot to tell you about that happened one afternoon during my spring break visit to my parents in Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ.

One afternoon I stopped in one of the local/regional grocery stores for a few things and when I was checking out, the check-out lady asked me if I had a "Frye's card" (the name of the store). I said, "No, I don't have one because I am just visiting; we don't have a Frye's where I live". Very unexpectedly and totally out of the blue, a tiny, little elderly lady said, "Here, use mine", and handed her card to the check-out lady. I said to the kind lady, "Thank you, and I hope that the blessing you gave me is returned to you too." She smiled at me and said, "You know, I've heard of that happening"! And I said, "It really does!"

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This nice lady saved me $10.00 during that shopping transaction. It was so sweet and pure of an act of kindness. And that just makes me smile! Even more so than the beauty of earth's flowers in spring . . . because it was human beauty!

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There really are good people out there; many of them are you who I read your blogs and you who read mine. In these times, I think that it is just so important that we focus on these little, tiny, wonderful things to keep our smiles going . . . and hopefully it will be contagious and we will be the next blessing of human beauty to another person.

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Blessings,

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~ bella

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Happy St. Joseph's Day - An Italian Traditional Tribute

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Hello my dear friends in Christ,

Well the fun and festivities around the globe for St. Patrick's Day have come and gone. And today a very little known feast day is observed among Italians and Italian-Americans. It is a quiet form of tribute, but is very meaningful. On this day Italians give thanks for prosperity, fulfilled promises and/or to simply share with those who are less fortunate. Here is a brief explanatory background of this feast day:

In Italy this day is known as "La Festa di San Giuseppe". St. Joseph is the Patron Saint of Sicily and in many American-Italian communities. On this day people show their gratitude to St. Joseph because back in the Middle Ages, there was a servere drought, so the people prayed to St. Joseph for rain with an oath to honor him with a large feast if their prayers were answered. The skies opened up with rain, a famine was prevented, and the people of Sicily kept their promise by preparing a massive banquet for St. Joseph. Everyone participated, including the needy.

The good news does not stop there. On this day, it is still tradition for Italians to give food to the poor and needy, in addition to placing fava beans (the crop that helped prevent starvation during the drought) on altars created for St. Joseph.

The altar is commonly 3 tiers high to represent the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and is covered with white linen fabric. Flowers, limes, wine, cakes, cookies, breads, candles, and a special Sicilian pastry called "Zeppole" are also placed on the altars. No meats or meat-filled dishes are allowed either on the altar and people are not allowed to eat meat during the dinner, because this feast takes place during Lent. Bread crumbs are commonly used in some of the recipes in order to represent saw dust, since St. Joseph was a carpenter. Many people will wear red.

A very special food made by Italians is called "Cuccadati" which beautiful bread loaves that are decorated in designs symbolic of a crown of thorns or other spiritual symbols of the Church. These cover latticework known as La Vastedde, along with lemons, limes, oranges, bay leaves, and myrtle branches.

In the United States, St. Joseph is honored in larger metropolitan cities where there is a high population of Italians. . . New Orleans, especially, because it is the port where many Sicilians entered America. Buffalo, NY, New York City, Chicago, and Kansas City also have public and private St. Joseph's altars constructed. A parade also takes place in New Orleans.
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an immense St. Joseph's Day altar in New Orleans, LA, USA
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Here is another beautiful explanation with photos of outstanding St. Joseph altars. In this web-site, the author explains in extreme details, the contents and their meanings of the food and wine items on the altars. It is highly recommended reading to understand the dedication to this Feast Day tradition: http://annachupa.com/StJo/index.html

and here is a link to a "Virtual St. Joseph's Altar": http://www.thankevann.com/stjoseph/

Buona Festa di San Giuseppee !!

Holy Card Image reprinted from Holy Cards for Your Inspiration blog http://thewindowshowsitall.blogspot.com

Blessings,

~ bella

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Happy St. Patrick's Day Especially to All of My Irish Friends and Family Members

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Hello dear friends in Christ,
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As the grass becomes greener this spring time of year, many Catholics and non-Catholics remember St. Patrick today.
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Here's to all of you and to my Irish friends and family members:

HAPPY ST. PATRICK's DAY!

"Irish" blessings t'ya,

~ 0'bella

For a beautiful prayer from St. Patrick, I recommend reading the post from Esther on her Catholic Mom in Hawaii blog. It is quite beautiful and inspirational. Her blog link is posted in my sidebar on the right.

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Horses and Heaven

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Hello my dear friends in Christ,

It is nearly 3:00 in the morning and I just can't sleep. After the death of my most precious horse companion-friend, Ace, yesterday, I feel like a living zombie (if there even is such a thing). Today before he was buried, we clipped strands of his mane and tail to have a few bracelets tastefully braided.

I wrapped a blue rosary around his right front hoof and asked our Lady to watch over him. (Later I realized how perfect 'blue' was for Ace due to all of the blue ribbons he won when he was in Hunter/Jumper competitions before we adopted him). My husband said, "I didn't know that horses were Catholic (trying to cheer me up) . . . and I said, "Mine is." We'll plant a tree over him when the time is right.

I'd like to thank Esther, Reenie, Kathy, Sally, Janice, Adrienne, Maryann, and Danielle, my blogging friends, for their immediate sentiments of sympathy to me. My tears flooded with gratitude for their caring concern for me.

But I wanted to just talk about my prayers that I said tonight before (trying to get to) sleep:

I am feeling this emotion of sadness, Lord, and yet I feel so SELFISH because there are so many FAR WORSE situations and issues in this world that are taking place right now. I am so sorry, Lord, if I am being selfish.

Yet, on the other hand, Lord, I believe that you gave us our emotions to feel, and to love, and to mourn, and to feel joyful. So I think that if You gave me these emotions, that it must be OK to feel them.

Lord, I truly do believe that you gave Ace to me. You love me and all of Your children so much, that You would do anything for our happiness, including the sacrifice of Your son for our eternal life with You in Heaven.

You gave me a love for horses upon my conception or even before the human thought of my conception! You strengthened that love throughout my younger years. You instilled in me, my own special dream . . . the goal of living on a country acreage with horses someday. Dear Father, I KNOW that You gave Ace to me and my son. He was a gift from You. Because of Ace's need for pasture, we found this lovely acreage that we know he enjoyed in the last 5 years. Father, I thank You for him and the years that he had with us.

Once again, Father, please forgive me for my sins and please help all the souls here on earth who suffer from loss, whatever that may be.

~ bella

P.S. If you care to see photos and a poem (author unknown) for Ace and how it all came about, you can find it on the 2 posts on March 15th, on my "La Bella Vita" blog at http://bellavita-bellasblog.blogspot.com

Buona Notte' (Good Night)

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Request to Join Me in a Good Deed for Lent

My Dear Friends in Christ,

I would like to ask you for some help regarding SOCIAL JUSTICE that the Catholic church is one of the strongest advocate for. Below is my post from today that I have on my other blog about Italian cuisine. It is in response to a negative ad campaign currently taking place on the part of Denny's restaurants here in the USA, in which Italians and Italian-Americans are depicted as mobsters.

It will only take a few seconds of your time to e-mail the company to pull the negative stereotypical advertisements. This would be a wonderful good deed to do for Lent to help stop the wrongful depiction of good people in this country.

Many thanks are extended to Janice T. Mancuso for granting permission to re-print this announcement excerpted in her e-newsletter "Tutto Italiano", here is her link: http://www.jtmancuso.com/.

From my blog:

"Would Black African-Americans tolerate prejudice and negative stereotypes in advertisements? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! An ad with that negative type of betrayal would be confronted IMMEDIATELY. So why should Italians and Italian-Americans have to continue to be mis-represented in the media ? WE SHOULD NOT!!!. . . . Please join me and others concerned about negative ethnic bashing of Italians and Italian-Americans by telling Denny's restaurants and other institutions that misrepresent people, that Italians are not mobsters. . . . . Italians and Italian-Americans are decent, educated, kind, and spiritual people who contribute positively to society and are sick and tired of the Godfather and Soprano humor and false drama that is out there!"

Please read on:

Italian Americans Protest Stereotypes in Denny's Ad Boycott Threatened If Commercial Is Not Pulled

WASHINGTON, DC - February 24, 2009

The Sons of Italy Commission for Social Justice (CSJ) is calling for a boycott of Denny's to protest the stereotyping of Italian Americans in the company's new national ad campaign, "Serious Breakfast." The CSJ isthe anti-defamation arm of the Order Sons of Italy in America, the nation's largest Italian American organization. Denny's is the largest family restaurant chain in the U.S. The CSJ has criticized one of the commercials in the series for its portrayal of three men who appear to be Italian American gangsters, discussing murdering "Benny" as they wait for their breakfast at a Denny's restaurant. The CSJ called for the commercial to be permanently removed from both television and the internet. In response to the CSJ's complaint, Nelson Marchioli, Denny's president and CEO, said the company had reviewed the commercial and found "no ethnic stereotyping, just fun and humor." "This is an unsatisfactory reply," says CSJ National President Anthony Baratta. "The Godfather movies and The Sopranos television series have helped make violence and criminality synonymous with Italian Americans," he says, "And the Denny commercial perpetuates this stereotype. That is not funny." If Denny's refuses to archive the commercial, Baratta says "Italian Americans can and will enjoy a 'serious breakfast' at a restaurant that does not insult them. Denny's should know that Italian Americans are the nation's fifth largest ethnic group, and to offend us will only hurt Denny's bottom line."

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Baratta urges all concerned to contact Nelson Marchioli at: Denny's Corporation, 203 East Main Street, Spartanburg, SC 29319; (800) 733-6697 or directly at (864) 597-7781

Email: nmarchioli@dennys.com

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The Sons of Italy CSJ is the anti-defamation arm of the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), the largest and oldest national organization for people of Italian descent in the U.S.

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To learn more about the CSJ, visit us on the Web at http://www.osia.org/ or contact us via e-mail at csj@osia.org.

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Sons of Italy News Bureau Press Release

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Please pass this message on for social justice concerns.

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Grazie,

Blessings and Amore,

~ bella

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Catholics Believe in Fasting During Lent

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Dear Friends in Christ,

Many people simply cannot understand the whole concept and behavior of fasting. They think, "Why in the world would anyone want to deprive themselves of food, or at least a decreased amount of food during one's day"? During the Lenten period, Catholics imitate Christ's own fasting for forty days in the desert and His resistance to the temptations of Satan that He encountered in the desert. When we humbly imitate Christ in our own self-denial, we purify our hearts, and our heavenly Father is pleased with us. Our souls receive spiritual benefits when we refrain from a variety of food, drink, and other negative temptations.

When Catholics fast during Lent, we do so as a willing penance for our offenses against God. We go beyond simply asking for forgiveness in our prayers or through the Sacrament of Penance. If we feel that little hunger pain by eating twice a day instead of three (or more) times a day. . . we can offer up that discomfort and share in Christ's suffering, thus helping our souls a little bit more as well.
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The glory of these forty days

We celebrate with songs of praise;

For Christ, by whom all things were made,

Himself fasted and has prayed.

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Alone and fasting Moses saw

The loving God who gave the law;

And to Elijah, fasting, came

The steeds and chariots of flame.

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Then grant that we like them be true,

Consumed in fast and prayer with you;

Our spirits strengthen with your grace,

And give us joy to see Your face.

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Hymn, The Magnificat, February 27, 2009, p. 371

Today, Lord, grant me Thy grace to fast in a way that is pleasing to You.

Blessings,
~ bella

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Denying Ourselves During Lent: Personal Sacrifices and Fasting

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Holy Card image re-printed with loving permission from "Holy Cards for Your Inspiration"

http://thewindowshowsitall.blogspot.com/

"If anyone wishes to come after me,

he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

What profit is there for one to gain the whole world

yet lose or forfeit himself?"

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Luke 9:22 - 25

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Lenten Prayers

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.image of a holy card from my personal collection

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Dear Friends in Christ,

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Let's begin our 40 days of Lent by increasing our prayer time.

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Dear Lord,

During these forty days time of Lent

give me strength to turn away from worldliness

and lift my our eyes to You.

Grant me the required discipline

to make a daily commitment to drawing closer to You.

Help me recognize the many opportunities that you offer to me

to draw ever closer to You each day.

Help me remove myself from my busy-ness

in order to spend time with You.

Help me turn off the noise around me

so I can listen to You.

In its place, lead me to Your Word

in Sacred Scripture, art, and music.

Lord, let me never forget Your suffering and Passion

and what you sacrificed for my salvation.

Amen.

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God of all compassion, Father of all goodness,

to heal the wounds our sins and selfishness bring upon us,

you bid us turn to fasting, prayer, and sharing

with our brothers and sisters.

We acknowledge our sinfulness, our guilt is ever before us:

when our weakness causes discouragement,

let your compassion fill us with hope and

lead us through a Lent of repentance to the beauty of Easter joy.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

.Amen

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Gracious Savior,

You have given us this season of Lent

so that we might open ourselves more fully

to your saving grace and new life.

By our fasting, prayer and almsgiving,

may we realize anew that we rely on You in all things.

Your gift of grace makes all good things possible,

including our desire to reject sin and return to you.

Grant your people a spirit of reconciliation this Lent

so that we may forgive one another as you have forgiven us.

.Amen

3rd prayer re-printed with permission from "Catholic Mom in Hawaii"

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Ash Wednesday and Lent

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Dear friends in Christ,

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Today is a most holy day, one that all Catholics around the planet unite together to begin our 40-day journey of repenting our sins, prayer, fasting, almsgiving, sacrificing, and doing good works. Pope John Paul II said that Catholics who fast and pray together as one body, are a most effective weapon against the power of the devil.

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Today, I join with all of you in this wonderful spiritual opportunity to improve our souls, to continue the fight against evil in this world, and to grow in faith ever closer to our Heavenly Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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Blessings,

~ bella

Through all your days . . . keep the Lord in mind, and

suppress every desire to sin or to break His commandments.

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Perform good works all the days of your life, and

do not tread the paths of wrongdoing.

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Do not turn your face away from any of the poor, and

God's face will not be turned away from you.

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Give to hungry some of your bread, and

to the naked some of your clothing.

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Whatever you have left over, give away as alms; and

do not begrudge the alms you give.

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At all times bless the Lord God, and

ask Him to make all your paths straight and

to grant success to all your endeavors and plans.

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Tobit 4:5, 7b, 16, 19a

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Catholics Believe in Sanctifying Grace -- What Is It?

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holy card image re-printed with loving permission from "Holy Cards for Your Inspiration"

http://thewindowshowsitall.blogspot.com/

. ". . . and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. amen"

Hello dear friends in Christ,
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How many of us can remember all of the teachings that were presented to us when we were younger regarding our Catholic faith? I know that I simply cannot pull it all out of my brain, even though what I learned didn't even scratch the surface of the depths of our Catholic Faith! I can't explain why; I just can't remember it all! My mother said it's because only so much could have been taught to us as children because our little minds could not grasp it all. I don't think that we as adults can grasp it all either; but it is such joy to learn more and more each day!
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I remember that I was taught with the Baltimore Cathecism and I cannot forget the words that my classmates and I (in parochial school) would continually say:

"God made me to know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this world, and to be happy with Him forever in Heaven. To save our souls, we must worship God by faith, hope, and charity; that is, we must believe in Him, hope in Him, and love Him with all our heart. We shall know the things which we are to believe from the Catholic Church, through which God speaks to us."
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But without that being constantly spoken or heard, those words set aside years ago. I'm so glad that they have been brought to my attention once again. The new Catechism states the same, but in different words. Yet as children, in the Baltimore, we MEMORIZED those words.
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I've been thinking about 'sanctifying grace' lately, what it is and why we need it so very much. Sanctifying grace:

• is a free gift from God, through Christ's death;


• is supernatural;


• we need it for our salvation (to return to God as mentioned above);


• we cannot enter Heaven without it;


• it 'confers in our souls' a new life; a supernatural life that allows us to share in God's life;


• we are not born with it because we are born with original sin;


• we receive it freely through the Holy Spirit;


• when we are Baptised in the Catholic Church, through which our souls become holy and pleasing to God;


• and we become adopted sons and daughters of God;


• God lives in our soul through the Holy Spirit;


• we lose it through mortal sin (1-an act of grievous nature, 2-which we fully know to be mortally sinful, and yet 3-we commit anyway, with full consent of our will);


• without it God is lost from our souls and the devil gains our souls;


• without it we are enemies of God and cannot enter His kingdom of Heaven;


• without mortal sin, we are in a state of grace, necessary to enter Heaven;


• the Holy Spirit lives within us in the state of sanctifying grace and we have a new nature;


• and we become temples of God;


• yet due to original sin, we will still have the tendency to sin, through human imperfection;


• yet it strengthens our will to avoid further sin;


• which then, in turn, expands our heart and influences us to do more good,


• which brings us increased merit for heaven; without sanctifying grace, we can gain no merits;


• by doing so we are increasingly attracted to God;


• we increasingly know and love God;


• if we lose it, we can only regain it through the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) by confessing our sins to a Catholic priest with true contrition, sorrow and a firm resolve and commitment not to repeat the sin; and finally, by making an act of perfect contrition (a prayer of sorrow for offending God because He is infinitely good and worthy of all our love.)


• if in the state of mortal sin, we cannot receive Christ in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist (Communion), even if we made an act of perfect contrition);

These points are just a few of note on the ever-important concept of sanctifying grace and should give each Catholic serious pause in thinking about what state our souls are in at each moment in our lives.

Blessings,

~ bella

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