Catholic Fire

Today, January 26, is the memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus. Both men were close colleagues with St. Paul in his missionary journeys and perpetuated his work among the Gentiles. Timothy and Titus were converted to Christianity by Paul, and became his companions and helpers. Paul made both men bishops and assigned Timothy to the Church in Ephesus, and Titus to the Church in Crete. He wrote them “pastoral” epistles, giving advice for both pastors and parishioners. Timothy, “brother and co-worker for God in the gospel of Christ” (1 Thes 3:2) was young (Paul writes “Let no one have contempt for your youth” in 1 Timothy 4:12a), and somewhat shy, but had great zeal for spreading the faith. He has been viewed by some as the "angel of the church of Ephesus" (Rev 2:1-17). He joined Paul in the joy of the privilege of preaching the gospel, but also  suffered much because of it. St. Timothy was stoned to death thirty years after St. Paul's martyrdom for refusing to worship ...

1. Mary of Nazareth: The Life of Our Lady in Pictures by Fr. Donald Calloway -- Ignatius Press, 2014 I have this book and love it! It is one of the most inspirational books I have read! Beautiful photos, uplifting quotes from the saints about Mary, all make this an ideal Christmas gift. 2.  Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does) by Scott Hahn -- Image, 2014 3. Practical Theology: 350+ Ways Your Mind Can Help you Become a Saint by Peter Kreeft -- Ignatius 2014  4. St. John Paul the Great: His Five Loves by Jason Everett -- Totus Tuus Press and Lighthouse Media, 2014 5. Bringing Lent Home with St. John Paul II: Prayers, Reflections, and Activities for Families   by Donna-Marie Cooper-O'Boyle -- Ave Maria Press, 2014 This is the perfect book for family communication and reflection! It is power-packed with great stories on Pope St. John Paul II that you will love reading! ...

The amazing Pat Gohn graciously invited me to her popular Among Women podcast. We discussed the saints and virtues which are profiled in my new book Seven Saints for Seven Virtue s . You can listen HERE . Seven Saints for Seven Virtues is available at  Amazon , Barnes & Nobles , Franciscan Media, and at Catholic bookstores. You can read my review of Pat Gohn's beautiful book Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious HERE. Related Posts: Blessed, Beautiful, and Bodacious (video) It was wonderful to be there, but it's great to be back!

By Jean M. Heimann Today we commemorate Blessed Josefa Naval Girbes, a member of the Third Order Secular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Teresa of Jesus – model of charity and chastity. Josefa Naval Girbes was born in Algemesi, Valencia Province, Spain, on December 11, 1820. Maria Josefa was baptized the same day she was born, and was soon known as Josefa. She was confirmed in 1828, and made her First Communion a year later. Josefa’s strong Catholic faith was manifested in her deep devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She always wore her scapular and her rosary as a necklace.  Josefa and her students prayed the Angelus when the church bells rang at noon and a Hail Mary every hour. On Saturdays, her morning prayers were dedicated to Mary. As a secular Carmelite, Josefa had a special devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and she repeatedly requested that when she died, she be clothed in the habit of Carmel, a request that was granted. Her mother died when she was only t...

Today is the feast of St. Anthony Mary Claret -- a favorite saint that my husband introduced me to about twenty years ago when he gave a teaching on this incredible man of God. I don't think I have ever heard of any saint who was filled with so much zeal for his apostolate. He was a monk and a mystic who exerted an unusual amount of influence over the laity by obeying the call of God. Born on Christmas eve, 1807, in the village of Sallent, in Catalonia, Spain, Anthony was a very pious child. When he was eleven years old, the bishop visited his school and asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. Without the least bit of hesitation, he replied: "A priest." As a young adult, Anthony Claret excelled as a maker of cloth and as a weaver in his father's textile factory. He then studied for the priesthood, desiring to be a Jesuit. Ill health prevented him from entering the Order, so he served as a diocesan priest. He was ordained at age 27 and busied himself ...

The blog tour begins! Be sure to visit Ellen Gable's blog, Plot, Line, and Sinker , to check out the first post. Ellen is also giving away a free copy of Seven Saints for Seven Virtues , so don't miss out on your chance to win!

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” – Matthew 5:9 How do we deal with the violence, war, and conflicts that we face in our world today?  How can we serve as true peacemakers in our 21st century culture? St. Bernard of Clairvaux , a Cistercian abbot, a contemplative, theologian, and mystic of the twelfth century is an excellent example for us to follow. Due to the numerous schisms which had arisen in the Church during his age, he traveled throughout Europe, restoring peace and unity. Not only did he deal with divisions in the Church, but he also mediated in secular disputes and was sought out as an adviser and an arbitrator by the ruling powers of his era. What was his secret for restoring peace and unity to a troubled world? He was merely a modest monk with no worldly power or possessions. What made him so influential and valuable to others was the fact that he was a man of heroic virtue. Which virtues made him effective as a peacemaker in...

Modesty of Dress and the Love of God: An Effective Way to Defend the Family

It is sheer lunacy to imagine that one has deserved the gifts of God. You may be proud only of the achievements you had before the time of your birth. But anything after that, indeed the birth itself, is a gift from God. You may claim only those virtues in you that are there independently of your mind, for your mind was bestowed on you by God. And you may claim only those victories you achieved independently of the body, for the body too is not yours but a work of God. A chaste man is someone who has driven out bodily love by means of divine love, who has used heavenly fire to quench the fires of the flesh. A person is at the beginning of a prayer when he succeeds in removing distractions which at the beginning beset him. He is at the middle of the prayer when the mind concentrates only on what he is meditating and contemplating. He reaches the end when, with the Lord, the prayer enraptures him. Humility has it signs: ...poverty, withdrawal from the world, the concealment of one's ...

The title “Mary, Queen of Saints” describes just how holy and powerful our dear Mother is. Mary, Holy Virgin, pure and perfect, gave birth to Jesus Christ and so we revere her above all saints. Because Mary was full of grace, she excelled in every virtue to a greater extent than every other saint. Each of the saints excelled in a particular virtue, but Mary possessed all of the virtues that could be expressed in any creature. Because of the fullness of grace and the splendor of her virtues, she reigns above all the saints as their Queen. She is the holiest of all saints – the best model that we as women - can strive to imitate. We can all seek to follow after our Blessed Mother in a special way in order to bring peace, patience, and prayer into our homes and into every aspect of our daily lives. As women, we are called to imitate Mary, the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of the Church. This is not an easy task, particularly when we are inundated by constant messages from our c...

On Mary's birthday I want to give her something special this year -- not just something for today, but for the entire year. But what do you give to a Mother who has everything? She truly has it all -- She's in Heaven with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. She has no sin on her soul, and possesses a glorified body. She's beautiful, intelligent, and wise and possesses every virtue anyone could ever desire. She has no need for material things. Of course, she has my heart. Several years ago, I made my Consecration to Mary, entrusting my heart to her. Then, when I made my Oblature with the Community of St. John a few years ago, I offered up my life to Jesus through Mary, making promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience. So what's left? Well, I am certainly far from being perfect and have miles to go before I could ever begin to love her Son and others the way she loves them. I can't ever expect to acquire the level of holiness that she has, but I can do my bes...

This video is done as a decade of the rosary. Ten statements, each done so you can meditate on the Annunciation of Jesus to Mary. The rosary is a meditative prayer, and we meditate, and remember the moment as told in the bible, when the angel came to Mary, asking her if she would be the Mother of our Savior. The moment is very deep, as it teaches us about the humility of Mary, her obedience to God, and it reminds us that she was a part of Gods plan for our salvation. As you say the rosary, place yourself in the room with Mary, as the angel appears to her, telling her of Gods plan for her, and for us. This beautiful song is sung by my friend Maureen Hegarty, (Maureenderry) on youtube. Deus meus, adiuva me.. (My God come to my aid) Domine mi, exaudi me... (My God hear me) Video and Commentary via Steve Silvia.

As the result of sin, the virtues have become painful to us; we shrink from them because they mean humiliation and suffering. " You do not want to be humiliated?" Humilation is an honor, suffering a joy, because Jesus Christ has placed in them true honor and true joy. ~ St. Peter Julian Eymard

By Jean M. Heimann During the month of May, we seek to imitate our Blessed Mother in a special way in order to bring peace, patience, and prayer into our home and into every aspect of our daily lives. As women, we are called to imitate Mary, the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of the Church. This is not an easy task, particularly when we are inundated by messages from our culture encouraging us to behave in ways that is not conducive to developing virtues. According to St. Alphonsous Ligouri, we are called to imitate our Blessed Mother in the virtues of: humility, faith, hope, chastity (purity), poverty, obedience, patience, and spirit of prayer. However, it’s important not to expect perfection in any one of these areas. God does not expect it, so neither should we. During this month, I would like to focus on one or two virtues at a time in order to give them adequate attention. Let’s start with humility. St. Bernard tells us humility “is the foundation and guardian of the vir...

1. Into Great Silence - I predict that it will be a spiritual classic and be loved by audiences for many years to come. Into Great Silence answers the most frequently googled question, "Who is God?" as well as "How can I find Him?" It also answers, "How can I find true happiness?" All this is explained using minimal dialogue, but just by watching the way these monks live their lives. This is a must - see movie for everyone! The DVD is now out. 2. Bella is a beautiful film that has had a powerful impact on our culture! As a result of this film, lives have been saved. Bella was responsible for the birth of seven babies. And, this was all possible through a grassroots effort -- promoted by the culture of life. 3. Amazing Grace is a movie which emphasizes character, Christian values, and yes, even virtues – something that you rarely see in Hollywood films nowadays. 4. Ratatouille - Like a great recipe, this film has all the right ingredients – humor, d...

The New York Times has called Fr. Groeschel a variety of names, including: "terrorist", "kindly bearded sage", and "a saint". He was called a "terrorist" for praying the rosary with another priest outside an abortion mill where babies were being murdered and women's lives were endangered. The Times called him a saint for giving out turkeys to the needy at Christmas. If it were that easy to become a saint, he joked, there would be a lot more people giving out turkeys. Father admitted that he does read the NY Times to keep an eye on "what the enemy is doing". Fr. Groeschel, who earned his doctorate from Colombia University in 1973 and is a professor of pastoral psychology at St. Joseph Seminary of the archdiocese of New York, believes that "a lot of mistakes in this country are a result of psychologists." Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, an extremely intelligent and highly educated man (the first American to be awa...

"Every virtue in your soul is a precious ornament which makes you dear to God and to man. But holy purity, the queen of virtues, the angelic virtue, is a jewel so precious that those who possess it become like the angels of God in Heaven, even though clothed in mortal flesh." ~ St. John Bosco "Purity is a supernatural denial of nature, which means that a mortal and corruptible body is rivaling the celestial spirits in a truly marvelous way." ~ St. John Climacus "It is well known, and is daily experienced by the clients of Mary, that her powerful name gives the particular strength necessary to overcome temptations against purity". ~ St. Alphonsus de Liguori "A pure soul is like a fine pearl. As long as it is hidden in the shell at the bottom of the sea, no one thinks of admiring it. But if you bring it into the sunshine, this pearl will shine and attract all eyes. Thus, the pure soul which is hidden from the eyes of the world, will one day shine before...

"We must never glance at what is good in ourselves, much less ponder over it, but we should search out what is wrong and what is lacking. This is an excellent way of remaining humble." "Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying." ~ St. Vincent de Paul "Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility." ~Saint Augustine "Humility is the virtue that requires the greatest amount of effort." ~St. Philippine Duchesne "No man has understanding if he is not humble, and he who lacks humility is devoid of understanding. No man is humble if he is not peaceful, and he who is not peaceful is not humble. And no man is peaceful without rejoicing. In all the paths upon which men journey in this world they will find no peace, until they draw nigh to hope in God." ~ St. Isaac the Syrian "Humility is constant forgetfulness of one's achievements....

We do not very often come across opportunities for exercising strength, magnanimity, or magnificence; but gentleness, temperance, modesty, and humility, are graces which ought to color everything we do. There may be virtues of a more exalted mold, but... these are the most continually called for in daily life. ~St Francis de Sales