This one came from a Catholic Homeschooling Mom.

We pray the Stations of the Cross on Fridays.  We light a candle for each station and turn out all the lights.  The kids take turns blowing out a candle for each station prayed.  For the last station the last candle is blown out and it signfies Jesus’ death.  There is complete silence and the kids quietly go to bed.

To help with the praying of the stations,  each child has their own shoebox wrapped in purple paper with the following items (a symbol for each station)

1st station: rope (Jesus condemned to death)
2nd station: small wooden cross
3rd station: band aid (Jesus falls 1st time)
4th station: plastic rosary (Jesus meets Mary)
5th station: saint card of Simon helping Jesus (I print these)
6th station: small piece of fabric w/ iron on image of Jesus’ face
7th station: band aid (falls 2nd time)
8th station: kleenex tissue (women crying)
9th station: band aid (falls 3rd time)
10th station: small piece of purple felt (clothes stripped)
11th station: VERY large galvanized nail about 6 inches long (Home depot for $.20)
12th station: crucufix (Catholic store, plastic about $.50)
13th station: holy card of Michaelangelo’s Pieta
14th station: stone (big one from backyard or park)

I also include Fr. Lovasik’s Station of the cross book in their Boxes.  My girls made theirs about 4 years ago.  Last week I had moms come over and they all brought some of the items and we made boxes for our kids.  I made two more for my son and 3 yo dd.

This tradition is one of the simplest.  I keep the boxes and only bring them down for prayer time.  They LOVE praying the stations because they get to rummage through their boxes.  Free boxes available at Payless.  It should cost no more than $3 per box.
http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/seasons/Lent/

Courageous Priest

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To control lust one must know the steps that lead to it. Agree? Read the following scripture passage and discover Satan’s secret steps to get you to fall into the sin of lust.

Daniel 13:7-11

When the people left at noon, Susanna used to enter her husband’s garden for a walk.
When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,
they began to lust for her.
They suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,
and did not keep in mind just judgments.
Though both were enamored of her, they did not tell each other their trouble,
for they were ashamed to reveal their lustful desire to have her.

and how we can combat them at each level.

1. saw her enter every day – Idleness is the devil’s play ground.
2. suppressed their consciences – The lustful thought is not a sin, but entertaining it is.
3. would not allow their eyes to look to heaven – Jesus gave us this example in John 17:1 “When Jesus had said this, he raised his eyes to heaven.” We must turn to God for help desiring purity and holiness.
4. did not keep in mind just judgments – 2 Chronicles 19:7 “Now then, let the fear of the LORD be upon you; take heed what you do, for there is no perversion of justice with the LORD our God, or partiality, or taking bribes.” A proper fear of the Lord produces righteousness, because we do not want God in His Mercy to give us our due justice. The remedy here is to reflect on the pains of hell and purgatory.
5. did not tell each other their trouble - Go to confession and if possible a trusted friend.
6. ashamed to reveal their lustful desire – 1 Kings 2:1-2 “Take courage and be a man.
   Keep the mandate of the LORD, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written…” God uses fear to draw us to a hatred of sin. Notice that Satan also uses fear to keep us from going to God. Take courage and bring this evil to the light, then God can take over from there.

These old men did not heed these steps. They fell into mortal sin by trying to get Susanna to sleep with them. For them and for us the punishment is death, when we choose to follow these steps.

Lust is a serious issue. By identifying the problem early in the process one can fight the snares of the devil with God’s grace and have a much greater chance of success.

May God bless you and grant us all a pure heart.

Go ahead and email this to friend. They will thank you for it.

______
John Michael – St. Bellarmine’s Blog

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Did you notice the pose? Does it remind you of anything?

Maybe that is why the Angel Gabriell came to her. She was good at blocking out Satan.
Nice feminine touch.

What do you think?

St. Bellarmine’s Blog

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Alan Brown, 49, a Jefferson City seminarian, tragically died of a heart attack.

Alan woke up and was praying the Liturgy of the Hours with his fellow seminarians, when the heart attack occurred. He was rushed to a St. Joseph, MO hospital.

He died at 3:45 PM, the hour of Mercy, having received the last rites.

A frequent adorer of the Blessed Sacrament, Fr. William Korte said “He knew the gift of God. He knew the source of His wealth.”

In a Catholic Missourian article Mr. Brown writes:

“I would like to encourage every Catholic to spend time often with our Eucharistic Lord in adoration of Him. It’s all about what Jesus wants to do for you, not about what you can do for Him. As Christians, we know that it is in dying we are born to eternal life.”

Mr. Brown was going to graduate in May and was scheduled to enter theological studies at Sacred Heart School of theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin.

Let us pray,
Eternal rest grant unto him O’ Lord and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed through the Mercy of God, rest in peace.

Mr. Alan Brown (October 19, 1959 – January 22, 2009)

Alan Brown, please pray for holy vocations to the priesthood. Amen

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It is no secret that fathers are in a great battle to keep your children holy and pure so they can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Never before has the battle been so fierce and seemly one sided. With arguably the bloodiest battle raging with disobedient baptized children whom reject the teachings of the Church, the bride of Christ.

Yes, the battle front is wide with many strong opponents, but remember it was Judas, one of the chosen, whom caused Jesus the most torment. Why else would Jesus say that it was better for him not to be born?

It is not our responsibility to build up the Lord’s army? Well, obviously we need all the help we can get. Of course, you know about the power of the Sacramentals, the Rosary, Confession, Holy Communion, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy among many other weapons. But here is one you may of missed.

The prophet Elijah. Remember him? The one so powerful with the Lord that he could control the weather, bring down fiery brimstone and like our Lady was assumed into heaven. He also has a great role to play to prepare our hearts for Jesus’ second coming. Yes, Elijah will come to this earth again.

What is Elijah’s exact role for his second coming. Scripture tells us best.

Malachi 4:5-6

[5] “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.
[6] And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse.”

His role is to heal the relationship of father to son and son to father. That’s good to know. It is quite the weapon for fathers, don’t you agree?

To invite Elijah into your house this Christmas. Like John the Baptist, he will prepare your hearts for the coming of the baby Jesus. And fulfill the Malachi’s prophecy of healing your relationship with God and your families.

What a weapon!

Fathers need to know about Elijah’s powerful intercession. Please post this or email to a friend.
Merry Christmas.

John Quinn – St. Robert Bellarmine’s Blog

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So what does it mean?

It really simple, pray that the people who are voting for abortion candidates will get CONFUSED while voting and vote for the pro-life candidate instead.

In the Bible, God allowed people to be confused so that good could triumph. Examples of that can be found in Genesis 11, Exodus 23, Deuteronomy 7 and Judges 7 (confusion of the enemy).

Pass it on.

St. Robert Bellarmine Blog

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To: Immodestly Dress Women
From: Fr. John Lyons

Immodest Dress Is Not
Allowed In Church

“At this time we most especially need to remind girls
and women to not wear immodest low-cut dresses or blouses.
Women and girls should be careful that their dress is
not revealing at all, even when they bend over or kneel
down.”

• Full Church Bulletion Post Here: Immodest Dress Is A Sin

Blogger Note: All headlines are added for effect. The priest was much more delicate than the headlines used.

My fellow Dads, this priest defends the dignity of women. He even has the courage to refuse Holy Communion to properly informed women wearing immodest dress.

Immodest Dress Defined

Father John Lyons defines immodesty as ANYTHING Revealing.

• Do you defend this definition on immodestly dressing?

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Prayer to St. Anne

For Healing

Efficacious St. Anne Novena; feast day July 25th

Saint Anne, beginning in the Middle Ages,
Christians invoked you to intercede with our
Lord on their behalf. They begged you to
obtain a cure for their sickness or infirmity.

Now, I come to you with faith and confidence
and ask you for help. I am afflicted and
distressed with my illness and am suffering.
The fear of an ominous future drains what
is left of my hope. I worry for myself and
for those I love. I know you can help me
recover both health and hope.

You, Saint Anne, are so powerful and
merciful and I trust in you. I trust that if
you intercede for me, things will go getter.
It will become easier for me to praise God,
to be generous, and to serve others
thanks to my restored health.

I make this request for the health of my body
and for the health of my soul. I also pray for
all those who suffer on earth, for all the sick
confined to bed, at home or in the hospital.

Come to my aid, Good Saint Anne, and
work for all of us today, the wonders you
have wrought in the past.

Amen.

Related Catholic Prayers for Healing

• Little Known Secrets For Catholic Healing Prayers For The Sick

• Here is a Catholic Healing Prayer by 7th Century Irish Monk

• Here is St. Robert Bellarmine’s Catholic Healing Prayer of hidden ills.

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St. Robert Bellarmine, Jesuit, Doctor of the Church, wasn’t shy admitting he was a copycat. As a matter of fact he says mimicking was his “secret” for being a good bishop.

When asked by a friend, some years after his stint as the Archbishop of Capua, what made him so good an Archbishop during his residence in Capua, he gives this account;

“As when one looks into a mirror, I set my
mind to consider intently the life and conduct of
the most admired Bishops that had been in the
Church before me; endeavouring, by God’s help,
to throw off all that was imperfect in myself,
and assume a new exterior, resembling theirs as
nearly as possible, that so I might adapt my
actions thereunto.

Therefore, I read constantly the histories of those
Bishops, perusing in order the volumes of Surius;
and I read, especially, the lives of the holy Popes
Ambrose, Martin, Augustine, Germanus, Anselm of
Canterbury, Antonine of Florence, Lawrence and
others.

But I derived the greatest advantage from the
narratives of those most holy Prelates who went
before me in Capua, Ansbertus and Andoenus;
for both of them perfectly sustained the name and
office of Pastor, nourishing the souls of their subjects
with the constant preaching of the word of God, their
bodies with liberal charities, and themselves with
the wholesome food of prayer.”

Reminds you of this scripture quote:

1Cor.11 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Have you read a good biography on a Saint lately? St. Bellarmine highly recommends it.

Related Links on St. Robert Bellarmine

• St. Robert Bellarmine – The Yoke Of Jesus
• St. Robert Bellarmine Quote: The Role Of Mary
• More Saint Robert Bellarmine “How Suffering Results In Greater Charity”

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The Visitation of Mary

Just Discovered More Posts:

• The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth

• Never seen before meditations on the Visitation of Mary as revealed by St. Robert Bellarmine.

And Mary rising up in those days went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda. [Lk. 1:39]

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth

How lyrical that is, the opening sentence of St. Luke’s description of the Visitation. We can feel the rush of warmth and kindness, the sudden urgency of love that sent that girl hurrying over the hills. “Those days” in which she rose on that impulse were the days in which Christ was being formed in her, the impulse was his impulse.

Many women, if they were expecting a child, would refuse to hurry over the hills on a visit of pure kindness. They would say they had a duty to themselves and to their unborn child which came before anything or anyone else.

The Mother of God considered no such thing. Elizabeth was going to have a child, too, and although Mary’s own child was God, she could not forget Elizabeth’s need—almost incredible to us, but characteristic of her.

She greeted her cousin Elizabeth, and at the sound of her voice, John quickened in his mother’s womb and leapt for joy.

I am come, said Christ, that they may have life and may have it more abundantly. [Jn. 10, 10] Even before He was born His presence gave life.

With what piercing shoots of joy does this story of Christ unfold! First the conception of a child in a child’s heart, and then this first salutation, an infant leaping for joy in his mother’s womb, knowing the hidden Christ and leaping into life.

How did Elizabeth herself know what had happened to Our Lady? What made her realize that this little cousin who was so familiar to her was the mother of her God?

She knew it by the child within herself, by the quickening into life which was a leap of joy.

If we practice this contemplation taught and shown to us by Our Lady, we will find that our experience is like hers.

If Christ is growing in us, if we are at peace, recollected, because we know that however insignificant our life seems to be, from it He is forming Himself; if we go with eager wills, “in haste,” to wherever our circumstances compel us, because we believe that He desires to be in that place, we shall find that we are driven more and more to act on the impulse of His love.

And the answer we shall get from others to those impulses will be an awakening into life, or the leap into joy of the already wakened life within them.

Excerpted from The Reed of God, Caryll Houselander.

Here is the good stuff! The Blessed Virgin Mary according to St. Robert Bellarmine

• The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to Elizabeth with the gospel readings.

• St. Robert Bellarmine Quote: The Role Of Mary

• The Visitation of Mary as revealed by St. Robert Bellarmine.

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