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Monday, October 31, 2011
This information has been provided by The Cliffs of Moher Facebook Page - Check it out if you'd like to learn more about Samhain.
https://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/cliffs-of-moher/the-story-of-samhain-the-ancient-irish-origin-of-halloween/140644759316794
Long before the Americans invented Halloween the Irish were
celebrating Samhain a great druidic festival that marked the boundary between
our world and the spirit world.
Samhain - a Celtic festival In druidic times Samhain marked the end of the old year and the beginning of the new year. The Celtic New Year’s Eve was a mysterious moment which belonged neither to the past nor the present. Samhain was considered the third and last harvest of the growing year. Fruit and nuts were the last gifts of nature to be gathered and the apple in particular was the symbol of this harvest. Traditionally great bonfires were lit at Samhain upon which in druidic times may have been the site of human sacrifices to ensure that the winters reign was not unending. FEILE NA MARBH - the dead walk abroad At Samhain the spirits of the dead sought the warmth of the fireside and communion with their living kin. This time was also known as Féile na Marbh (the Feast of the Dead). As the veil between worlds thinned, all manner of spirits walked abroad at Samhain, including those of loved ones passed on. An empty chair by the fire was often left free along with a candle in the window to guide the ghosts home for comfort and seek their blessing for the coming year. In time the candle was placed inside a turnip lantern upon which a demon’s face was carved to scare off unfriendly spirits. The tradition of wearing of costumes and masks at Samhain developed to deceive these same unfriendly spirits lest they recognised you and called you to the Otherworld before your time. Nervous living folk would attempt to appease the wandering spirit with gifts of fruit and nuts, which may be the origin of the ubiquitous treat or treating. APPLE MAGIC Peel an apple to predict a spouse. Samhain was also a time for divination and apples were predominant among the tools used to tell the future. Bobbing for apples or snapapple was used as a race among unmarried contestants – the winner who took the first bite of the apple was destined to be the first to wed, alternatively the winner was destined for good luck in the coming year. An unmarried girl would attempt to peel an apple in one long strip and cast the peel over her shoulder. The peel would reveal the initial of her future husband. Before the stroke of midnight a person would sit in a room in front of a mirror lit by only one candle and cut an apple into nine pieces. With their back to the mirror they would ask the question they wanted answered and eat eight of the apple pieces. The ninth would be thrown over their left shoulder. Then they would turn and look over the same shoulder into the mirror where they would see a symbol or image that would answer their question. BARM BRACK A fruit loaf called barm brack was baked at Samhain with tokens wrapped in greaseproof paper. If you found a token in your slice of barm brack this also foretold your future. The type of tokens varied by family but common examples were:
HOW SAMHAIN BECAME HALLOWEEN Modern Halloween With the coming of Christianity to Ireland in the 7th century Pope Boniface IV introduced All Saints Day, a time to honour saints and martyrs, to replace the pagan festival of the dead. It was originally celebrated on May 13th but in 834 Pope Gregory III moved All Saint’s Day to 1st November and it became the opportunity to remember all Saints who had died and all of the dead in the Christian community. October 31st became All Hallows Eve (or Hallow e’en) Labels: All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, Christianity, Halloween, Samhain by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments 
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Some call it an Examination of Conscience while it's better known in the Catholic Church as the Examen. This intensely personal prayer is adapted from a technique described by
Ignatius Loyola in his Spiritual Exercises. St. Ignatius thought that
the Examen was a gift that came directly from God, and that God wanted
it to be shared as widely as possible. One of the few rules of prayer
that Ignatius made for the Jesuit order was the requirement that Jesuits
practice the Examen twice daily—at noon and at the end of the day. It’s
a habit that Jesuits, and many other Christians, practice to this day. I must admit that I have difficulty making the commitment daily. Pray for me.
The true purpose of the Examen is to give prayerful reflection on the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us. The Examen is an ancient practice in the Church that can help us see God’s hand at work in our whole experience. Here's a suggestion I found helpful, maybe you will too. This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced. 1. Become aware of God’s presence. 2. Review the day with gratitude. 3. Pay attention to your emotions. 4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. 5. Look toward tomorrow. Here's a very good suggestion on how to carry out this examination of conscience thoroughly. You will learn about things that you may not be aware of. It's also a chance to make you better aware of your conscience. FAITH
Have you practiced the Examen in your life? It really does take a commitment but I do believe it will bring us closer to God and make it harder for the Devil to tempt us away from God.
If you have some time take a look at this video posted about a Sculpture at Fairfield University in honor of St. Ignatius and the Examen.
Labels: Catholicism, Examen, Saints, St. Ignatius by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
The movie the Lion King has been hailed as one of "The 25 All-TIME Best Animated Films" by TIME Magazine.
I recall when the movie was released by Disney back in 1994, my oldest son was only six months old. I loved this movie as much as he did, more even. The music was written and composed by the very talented team of Elton John & Tim Rice. The original score for the movie was by Hans Zimmer. Do you remember the opening scene when a large group of animals gather around Pride Rock in Africa waiting for the birth of Simba, the newborn son of the lion king and queen, Mufasa and Sarabi? I remember getting goose-bumps because the music and the imagery where so beautiful. Unfortunately you see Mufasa's younger brother, Scar, is not happy with the birth of this young cub, the heir. Scar is jealous as he has plans of his own for taking over Pride Rock. How amazing was Jeremy Irons as Scar? There oh so wise character of Rafiki by Robert Guillaume was terrific. Don't forget the hysterical Nathan Lane portrayal of Timon the meerkat friend of Simba. The cast in this original movie was truly amazing. There are so many wonderful messages, not so hidden, throughout the movie. References to Shakespeare's Hamlet as well as the Biblical stories of Joseph and Moses. Of course the usual battle of good vs. evil exists with good (Simba) prevailing over evil (Scar) in the end. Yippee! I was lucky enough to see the Broadway Production of the Lion King a few years later. I'll tell you I was speechless with the opening of this production. My son was with me, though he was a bit older it was memorable for him as well. The music and the way the actors brought the characters to life on stage was really spellbinding. Recently, I was able to get my hands on a CD of music called the Best of the Lion King. Again, the feelings the music stirs up in me is unexplainable really. My young girls are now getting to experience all that the Lion King has to offer. It's been seventeen years since it's original release and I can't wait to get the movie as a Christmas present for my two year old niece! That's what I would call a Classic Movie. Wouldn't you? Do you have any memories of the Lion King that you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you. Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: evil, good, Moses, music, St. Joseph, The Lion King by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
This past Sunday, October 23rd , 2011 was World Mission Sunday. This observance of Word Missions was organized by the Propagation of the Faith. It is a day
set aside for Catholics worldwide to recommit themselves to the
Church's missionary activity through prayer and sacrifice.
As described by Pope John Paul II, World Mission Sunday is "an important day in the life of the Church because it teaches how to give: as an offering made to God, in the Eucharistic celebration and for all the missions of the world" The role of a Missionary is to be sent into an area to spread the Good News and to provide services to the people such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin missionem (nom. missio), meaning "act of sending" or mittere, meaning "to send". The word was used in light of its biblical usage; In the Latin translation of the Bible, Christ uses the word when sending the disciples to preach in his name.The Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSCs) is an international missionary congregation of women religious present on six continents and in sixteen countries of the world. The Institute is comprised of four provinces and one region. The Stella Maris Province encompasses ministries in Australia, the Philippines, Swaziland, Southern Africa, and the United States. In all the countries they serve, they work in partnership with lay women and men. On October 7, 1950, Mother Teresa received permission from the Holy See to start her own order, "The Missionaries of Charity", whose primary task was to love and care for those persons nobody was prepared to look after. In 1965 the Society became an International Religious Family by a decree of Pope Paul VI. The Patron Saint of Missions and Missionaries is St. Therese of Lisieux. Her feast day is celebrated on October 1st. We are all truly Missionaries of Christ. We are sent out to teach others about Jesus and provide love and charity to those in need. Do you see yourself as a Missionary? Do you have stories to share about being a part of the Mission of the Holy Catholic Church? We'd love to hear from you about this. Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: Catholic, Catholic Saints, Missionaries, Missions, St. Therese of Lisieux by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Monday, October 24, 2011
What a great weekend this was! My family got busy Friday evening and ventured out to the local, very large, hardware store in our area. Our "Honey Do" list couldn't wait any longer. Not that any work was going to get started that evening, we just needed to have the "supplies" on hand when in fact we could actually DO anything on the "Honey Do" list.
Here's how the Saturday morning goes for me: wake up, have coffee (If I could figure out how to have coffee before waking up, I'd do that first), make the bed, tell my husband I wanted to take the kids kite flying, soccer games and then off to Basketball registration (which by the way doesn't start until after Thanksgiving). Stay with me, here's where it gets a little complicated. My husband hangs a curtain rod (yes he did), I dusted, changed curtains, somebody vacuumed (I think my 16 year old son did this actually). Again, I say it would be a great day to fly a kite at the beach. Here's where my husband kind of chuckles, not a funny kind of giggle, more of a "You really are crazy" kind of laugh. "No I mean it" says I, "when was the last time we flew a kite"? I think it was almost three in the afternoon when the girls and I were in the car, kite in hand, ready to go. Wait, "where's Dad" my daughter says. Oh, he's mowing the neighbors lawn down the street, let's go get him. Unfortunately he was not ready to leave so we had to go without him. Don't worry he'll come next time. Oh yes, there will be a next time. Off to the beach we go. Did I mention that the kite was NOT yet assembled? You know the "insert pole A into hole B" kind? Really it wasn't too bad. We had the kite up in the air in less than fifteen minutes (even I didn't think I'd be able to do it). Mom's Rule! If I could capture the laughter we shared this afternoon while chasing the wind with our kite, I would. It was an amazing day. How many kids have never had the enjoyment of flying a kite together with family? What was truly awesome about this afternoon was that while we were flying our kite another family, that had been playing on the beach, came closer to watch the kite. One of the young boys had two cochlear implants and he couldn't have been more excited with the kite. I had him try it a few times but you could tell he enjoyed watching the kite swoop through the sky while someone else ran around the beach to keep it up there. My heart really filled with joy for this young boy. After a few more tries we decided it was time to go. I don't know sign language very well but I do know that the boy was signing "more, more" by touching his fingertips from both hands together. It was very hard not to stay hours longer making this boy smile. We'll be back and I pray maybe this boy will be back too. Or if not him maybe other children that have never had the chance to fly a kite on the beach will be there. So, next time someone tells you to "Go Fly a Kite", say "thank you, I think I will"! When was the last time you flew a kite? If you say never, I would urge you to give it a try. You really don't know what you've been missing. Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: beach, children, family, husband, kites, mother by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Don't you think it's just too soon to be singing Christmas tunes? Just yesterday I received a tweet from Justin Bieber announcing the release of his latest album "Under the Mistletoe". There was a link to watch his latest video of his song "Mistletoe" (note song title and album name are slightly different).
I replied to the Tweet, "thanks but no thanks". I refuse to listen to Christmas music before Thanksgiving. I know I'll have to search for new radio stations as they seem to start playing Christmas music right after Halloween is over. Just this past weekend I took one of my daughters out to find a Halloween Costume. Can you believe I had to pass the Christmas Trees and Holiday Displays in order to get to the Halloween Section of the store? Isn't that kind of backwards? Do you remember when Advent truly was the beginning of our preparations for Christmas? This year the First Sunday of Advent begins on November 27, 2011. Notice it follows Thanksgiving which we American's will celebrate on November 24th.
Advent is a period of spiritual preparation in
which Catholics (other Christians do too) make themselves ready for the coming or birth of
the Lord, Jesus Christ. During this time, Christians observe a season of prayer, fasting and repentance, followed by anticipation, hope and joy. It's a wonderful time of year! Do you remember the Advent Calendar and how exciting it was to be able to count the days until Christmas? How fun can it be for a child when the season is more like two months. You kind of get a little tired of it and can't wait for it just to end. How many of us want to take the Christmas Tree and decorations down on December 26th? I think it helps to have a real tree because you can't put it up too early because it dies. Maybe there is a lesson in that? The Christmas Season in the Catholic Church this year continues from December 24th through the Epiphany on January 6th. Please keep your tree and decorations up as long as you can to truly Celebrate the Christmas Season as it is intended, not as retailers would like to suggest we do. Here is a great on-line Advent Calendar I found and plan to use this year. I hope you will consider taking back the Advent & Christmas Season and truly celebrate them as they were meant to be spent. Hint- Shopping really was never meant to be a part of this. The gifts given to Jesus were not held on lay-away or on a credit card that took three years to pay off. Speaking of Christmas music, who doesn't love Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley and Andy Williams singing our favorite Christmas tunes? I'll have to wait and see how much I'll like Justin Biebers new album after Thanksgiving. I'll keep you posted. Let me know how you celebrate the Advent and Christmas Seasons. What's your favorite Christmas song? Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: Advent, Catholic, Christmas, Holy Family, music by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
I just read an article that said that Pope Benedict XVI has announced a “Year of Faith” to help Catholics
appreciate the gift of faith, deepen their relationship with God and strengthen
their commitment to sharing faith with others.
While celebrating Mass on Sunday with participants in a Vatican conference on new evangelization, the Pope said the Year of Faith would give “renewed energy to the mission of the whole Church to lead men and women out of the desert they often are in and toward the place of life: friendship with Christ who gives us fullness of life”. Faith helps people recognize the face of Christ in those who are suffering, and “it is his love that impels us to assist him whenever he becomes our neighbor along the journey of life”, the Pope wrote. The observance will begin on October 11, 2012 and conclude on November 24, 2013. The start date coincides with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. “It will be a moment of grace and commitment to an ever fuller conversion to God, to reinforce our faith in him and to proclaim him with joy to the people of our time,” the Pope said in his homily. “Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy,” the Pope wrote. I know from experience that your faith can grow and become stronger when you share it. Why not take a "Leap of Faith" and vow to make this year a "Year of Faith" for yourself and those around you? Why not attend Mass, read the bible, pray the Rosary and just talk to God? After all it's our faith that saves us. "Because you have so little faith. In truth I tell you, if your faith is the size of a mustard seed you will say to this mountain, "Move from here to there," and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you." Matthew 17:20. If you would like to read more from the Catholic Herald article, just click here. Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: Bible, Catholicism, faith, Gospel of Matthew, Pope Benedict, Year of Faith by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Friday, October 14, 2011
I don't care what the calendar says or how my clothes don't fit the way they used to. I refuse to admit that today I am actually 16,003 days old. That's OK, my husband is 17211 days old.
Why does age really matter anyway? Native American tribes placed significance on milestones of their children's development rather than the day they were born. The first step a child takes causes just as much rejoicing as say getting married or having children of their own. How many of these clichés have you tried to convince yourself of lately?
I don't really care what the calender says it's just that I'm pretty sure I've crossed the half-way point in my life. At least I think I've come close. I know it's more important that I feel good, try to eat right and make the most of each day. Having a strong faith and a loving family is what I count on to keep me alive longer. Being told "I'm from good Irish stock" doesn't hurt either I think. Here's hoping that I get to see at least 30,000 days (I'm not going to tell you how many years that is). How old are you today? Do you care? Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: age, faith, family, Irish, marriage by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Have you seen the movie "The Way" yet starring Martin Sheen and his son Emilio Estevez? I must admit I haven't yet, but I just watched the trailer and I don't think I've wanted to see a movie this bad since.... well it's been a really long time that I really wanted to see a movie in the Theatre and not wait for the DVD.
Watch the trailer and see if you are as touched as I was. Every character brings something to this movie. It's deep, personal, funny and sad. I got that just from the trailer. You can't help but BELIEVE this story. I provokes different emotions from different characters. They help each other. Each having their own "stuff" to deal with. Here's a few lines that I stopped me in my tracks. Tom (Martin Sheen's character) says "My son was almost forty", Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger) replies "But, he'll always be your baby". Awww. Another quotalbe line comes from Tom (Martin Sheen) to his son Daniel (Emilio Estevez) --"You don't choose a life Dan, you live one.". That's classic. Since I haven't seen the movie yet, here's "The Story" from the movies website: "The Way" is a powerful and inspirational story about family, friends, and the challenges we face while navigating this ever-changing and complicated world. Martin Sheen plays Tom, an American doctor who comes to St. Jean Pied de Port, France to collect the remains of his adult son (played by Emilio Estevez), killed in the Pyrenees in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago, also known as The Way of Saint James. Rather than return home, Tom decides to embark on the historical pilgrimage to honor his son's desire to finish the journey. What Tom doesn't plan on is the profound impact the journey will have on him and his "California Bubble Life.”
Inexperienced as a trekker, Tom soon discovers that he will not be alone on this journey. On "The Way," Tom meets other pilgrims from around the world, each with their own issues and looking for greater meaning in their lives: a Dutchman (Yorick van Wageningen), a Canadian (Deborah Kara Unger) and an Irish writer (James Nesbitt), who is suffering from a bout of writer's block. From the unexpected and, oftentimes, amusing experiences along "The Way," this unlikely quartet of misfits creates an everlasting bond and Tom begins to learn what it means to be a citizen of the world again. Through Tom's unresolved relationship with his son, he discovers the difference between "the life we live and the life we choose." --- THE WAY, written and directed by Emilio Estevez, was filmed entirely in Spain and France along the actual Camino de Santiago. I'll let you know how I really think of it next week after I watch the movie. I hope you'll see it to and share your thoughts on it with me. Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: Camino de Santiago, challenges, Emililo Estevez, family, friends, love, Martin Sheen, The Way by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
You know when you get an idea and you think about it. Then you think about it some more. And then when you don't think about for a little while, something happens you have start to think about it again. Well, I think that's how God works.
Just this morning I was chatting with Tom about a church that my husband and I went to Mass at while we were away this weekend. (Thanks Mom for watching the kids) First, I need to share with you that I don't have an iPhone and I refuse to pay $30 a month for a data plan so I really have a basic cell phone. The B&B we stayed at has Wi-Fi but I didn't have anything to access it with... Anyhow, I asked Diana the lovely innkeeper if she could tell us where the nearest Catholic Church was. She could and did and we entered the street address in our GPS so we could find it and off we went. This too is how God works. We set off around 10:40 hoping that we wouldn't miss a 12pm Mass at this church. What are the odds (I know there are no odds when it comes to the Way of the Lord) that we would be only 4 minutes away from the Church and Mass would begin at 11. No I am not kidding, this really happened. This is a pretty new Church and when we walked in I said to my husband "it's nice but" it makes me realize how blessed we are to belong to a parish with a Church that was built between 1890 and 1897. I just love our Church. It has magnificent Stained Glass windows, beautiful marble statues and Stations of the Cross images all around the Church. The organ, which was recently damaged by lightening, is breathtaking. I could go own for quite awhile, I love my Church. The Church we were visiting was new, had a multi-purpose floor, portable chairs with pull out kneelers and pre-recorded music. I just didn't really feel like I was at Mass. Don't get me wrong, the priest was great. During his homily he called three people from the Congregation by name (loved this). He had people greet each other before Mass started (makes the Sign of the Peace easier, you've already met). Everyone we met was so friendly and welcoming but,,, something was missing for me. There were three stained glass windows which were lovely but I couldn't help feeling like I was in an auditorium or a Parish Hall rather than a Church. Forgive me I know that's not nice and believe me I realize the cost to build a Church like the one I go to is no longer possible. The Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in California was built in 2002 for about $250 Million. A new organ alone could cost over $500,000. So my point is not to find fault with new Churches, it's just that I may have taken the beauty of my Church for granted. I grew up attending this Church with my grandmother and was married here, baptized my children here and my children have received all of their Sacraments here. Someday I pray they'll even want to be married here too. Did I tell you that "I LOVE MY CHURCH"? Please don't get me wrong. I would attend Mass under a tree in the fields and would walk miles to get there if I had too. It's just that being able to attend weekly Mass in a Church that has been there for more than 100 years is special to me. I'm sure the folks at the Church we visited love their Church too. It's home for them as my Church is to me. Anyway to make a (very) long story short. I was only thinking about writing this, maybe tomorrow, and THEN came across this article and figured maybe God was trying to get me to do this NOW because HE knows, I might not remember to do it tomorrow. Please let me know what kind of Church you attend? What do you LOVE about your Church/Parish? I'd love to hear from you. Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: Mass, music, organs, prayer, stained glass, Stations of the Cross, statues by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Have you read your Church Bulletin recently? Be honest, maybe you've read something about a Rosarian Breakfast or a little note about the Grammar School's latest fundraising endeavors. Some read only the cover and the advertising on the back (hopefully you will support those in your Parish who help support your Church). Anyway I digress.
My reason for posting this is, my Church Bulletin sometimes has inserts about the New Missal (are you ready), sometimes it's got great letters from our Pastor. This week it had in insert about Liturgy and Prayer Life that I found very interesting. I even learned some Latin - "lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi" meaning, as we pray, so we believe, and so we live. (I love this) I think it will make a great bumper sticker, don't you? Here's what the flier had to say about Prayer --- Sunday mornings should not be limited to a single hour on Sunday mornings. In fact, the richer our prayer lives are throughout the week, the more fully we will be able to enter into the Sunday celebration of the Eucharist. Here are some ways to make your daily life more prayerful:
I know, it seems like a lot at first glance but really it isn't. Prayerfully consider these things and try to add them into your busy schedule. If you are like me you will feel a difference. Maybe you could start by taking one or two suggestions from the list. Let me know how you make out. I'd love to hear from you. Blessings, Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: believe, latin, Mass, prayer by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Saint Francis of Assisi was born by the name Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone (1881/1882). He was an Italian, Catholic Friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscian Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of St. Francis. St. Francis was the son of a wealthy cloth merchant in Assisi, and he lived the high- life typical of a wealthy young man, even fighting as a soldier.
While going off to war in 1204, Francis had a vision that guided him
back to Assisi, where he lost his desire for his worldly life. On a Pilgrimage to Rome, Francis begged with the beggars at St. Peter's Basilica. He was so moved by this experience that he then took a vow of poverty.
When Francis returned home to Assisi he began preaching on the streets, and soon had a following of his own. His order was endorsed by Pope Innocent III
in 1210.
Saint Francis had a
great devotion and veneration for Christ crucified and never ceased to preach this
devotion till his death
Francis is credited as having arranged for the first Christmas
manger scene in 1223. A year later, he received the Stigmata making him the first person to bear the wounds of Christ's Passion. He died in 1226 while singing Psalm 141.
It was on July 16, 1228, when he was pronounced a saint by Pope Gregory IX. St. Francis of Assisi is known as the patron saint of animals, the environment and is one of the two patrons of Italy. It has become customary today for Catholic Schools and Churches to hold ceremonies blessing animals on his Feast Day which is October 4th each year.
Labels: animals, environment, Italy, Pope Innocent III, St. Francis of Assisi by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
Monday, October 3, 2011
Have you been to a wedding recently? I haven't in awhile but I do have a cousin getting married next October. I hope I make it onto the guest list. I remember when my husband and I were choosing our readings for our weddings (ladies admit it, WE probably chose them) they all sounded lovely but ONE just hit me. I'm sure at the time I had NO idea what the words really meant. After many years of marriage, kids, a home and life in general, I can honestly say I DO know what they mean today.
The reading I chose way back then, I'm sure I would still choose again today. It's everlasting and stays with you. It's deep and gets you to think if you let it. Sometimes I think we hear a verse or two but don't really get the full meaning of the reading. I wanted to share it with you. The reading comes from St. Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 13.
If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I won, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, love is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interest, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love NEVER fails. If there are prophecies, they will be brought to nothing, if tongues, they will cease; if knowledge, it will be brought to nothing. For we know partially and we prophesy partially, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. When I was a child, I used to talk as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things. At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known. So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
(1Cor 13:1-13)I hope you enjoy it and maybe you remember your wedding day and it brings a smile to your face and a warmness in your heart. It's the very last line that does it for me. ... the greatest of these is LOVE! Let me know the readings you chose or would choose today? I'd love to hear from you. God Bless! Cathi D. cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com Labels: Corinthians, faith, hope, love, marriage, St. Paul by: The Catholic Gift Shop 0 Comments
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