BIG C CATHOLICS

October 20, 2016 Most holy St. Jude – apostle, martyr and friend of Jesus, today I ask that you pray for me and my intentions! (State your intentions here) You are the patron of the impossible. Pray for me and my intentions! O St. Jude, pray that God’s grace and mercy will cover my intentions. Pray for the impossible if it is God’s will. Pray that I may have the grace to accept God’s holy will even if it is painful and difficult for me. St. Jude, pray that I may have your zeal to preach the Gospel. O St. Jude, pray for me that I may grow in faith, hope and love and in the grace of Jesus Christ. Pray for these intentions, but most of all pray that I may join you in heaven with God for all eternity. Amen.

October 20th, is the optional memorial of Saint Paul of the Cross, (1694-1775) the 18th century priest and mystic, best known for his special devotion to the Passion of Christ, who founded the Passionist Order. Born Paolo Francesco Danei, in the town of Ovada, Genoa, (present day Italy) he was the oldest of sixteen children. His parents, Luke Danei and Ann Marie Massari, were devout, but impoverished. (Although of noble lineage, by the time of Paul's birth his family were merchant traders.) From the very beginning it was clear that Paul possessed a preternatural spiritually ability. From his mother, he received a deep reverence for the sufferings of Jesus crucified. Whenever he whined or complained, she would would show him a crucifix to remind him that our Savior had endured far worse. From his father, Paul received his first catechesis in learning about the lives of the saints and their courageous sacrifices and great devotion serving in imitation of Christ. At 15, upon liste

October 19, 2016 Most holy St. Jude – apostle, martyr and friend of Jesus, today I ask that you pray for me and my intentions! (State your intentions here) You are the patron of the impossible. Pray for me and my intentions! O St. Jude, pray that God’s grace and mercy will cover my intentions. Pray for the impossible if it is God’s will. Pray that I may have the grace to accept God’s holy will even if it is painful and difficult for me. St. Jude, you loved our Lord, help me to love Him more. O St. Jude, pray for me that I may grow in faith, hope and love and in the grace of Jesus Christ. Pray for these intentions, but most of all pray that I may join you in heaven with God for all eternity. Amen.

It is crucial that we, as Catholics faithful to the Magisterium, speak with a unified voice because of the reality that certain laws directly contradict Church teaching, the natural law and the good of society. In our country over 1 million unborn children are killed by abortion every year. All Catholics have a moral obligation to keep this human rights catastrophe at the forefront of their minds when voting. Catholics must also open their eyes to the attacks upon religious freedom that are proliferating in our society. More and more, government agencies are attempting to punish individuals and institutions that adhere to the truth that marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and that every child needs and deserves a mother and a father. Finally, Catholics should carefully consider the role that judges increasingly play in deciding issues like abortion, marriage and religious freedom. It is now the case that judges and other unelected officials all too often take these deb

The Novena to St. Jude starts on Monday, October 19th, leading up to his feast day on October 28th. Jude (not to be confused with Judas Iscariot) is one of the twelve Apostles named by Jesus. He is also known as Thaddeus, (meaning sweetness and gentleness of character) as well as Jude of James, Jude Thaddaeus, Judas Thaddaeus or Lebbaeus. Click here to sign up for daily reminders to pray the St. Jude Novena. Saint Jude followed Jesus faithfully until our Lord's crucifixion. He then preached the Gospel in Judea, Samaria, Idumaea, Syria, Mesopotamia and Libya. Jude spoke both Greek and Aramaic, and was a farmer by trade. His New Testament letter stressed the importance of a faithful person persevering despite harsh circumstances. Jude died a martyr around the year 65 AD. Tradition holds he was killed with arrows when he refused to deny his faith in Christ. After his martyrdom, pilgrims came to his grave to pray. Many benefited from his powerful intercession. Hence the titl

On October 19th, dioceses in the United States observe the memorial of Saints Isaac Jogues, Jean de Brébeuf and companions, also known as the North American Martyrs. The six Jesuit priests and two laymen from France, were the first martyrs of North American to be officially recognized by the Church. At the expense of their own safety and despite great hardship, they brought Christ to the native population. It is estimated they converted some 7,000 members of the Huron tribe. The Huron’s enemies, the Iroquois waged ruthless wars against the Huron and Algonquian nations as well as the French. Iroquois Mohawk braves brutally tortured and killed the North American Martyrs between 1642 and 1649. In 1534, Jacques Cartier voyaged to the New World where he explored current day Newfoundland and the St. Lawrence River Valley for France. By the 17th century, French Jesuit missionaries were the first to teach the Gospel to the indigenous people living there. Enduring harsh conditions and shif

Beginning in medieval times, popular piety, credits Saint Luke with writing the first icons of Mary. Upon seeing his depiction, our Lady is alleged to have said, “Let the grace of Him Who was born of Me and My mercy be with these Icons.” In The Liturgical Year , Dom Gueranger O.S.B. presents with cogent eloquence Luke the artist "According to tradition he was an artist, as well as a man of letters; and with a soul alive to all the most delicate inspirations, he consecrated his pencil to the holiest use, and handed down to us the features of the Mother of God. It was an illustration worthy of the Gospel which relates to the divine Infancy; and it won for the artist a new title to the gratitude of those who never saw Jesus and Mary in the flesh. Hence St. Luke is the patron of Christian art." There are several legends concerning Luke’s writing of icons. According to one, an angel presented Luke with three boards on which he made three pictures of Mary. Another contends he