BIG C CATHOLICS

On the occasion of Father Solanus Casey's beatification, November 18, 2017, the following prayer for the canonization of this extraordinary Capuchin Franciscan priest and miracle worker may be recited for the cause of Blessed Casey and for one's own personal intentions. Blessed Father Solanus Casey, intercede for us. Jesus, you made Fr. Solanus Casey an example of humility, charity and selflessness. He taught us that every human life has value and dignity. May we follow him in serving the poor. the sick, the dying, the despondent and the desperate. Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore..., knowing that he will soon be numbered among Your saints. We ask this in Your name,  through the intercession of Mary,  Your Mother, Queen of heaven and earth. Amen. Bl. Solanus Casey, you overcame adversity with humility in answering God’s call to the priesthood. May we, inspired by your example, persevere with

November 17, 2017 This novena is focused on letting God reign supreme, among all nations, among all people, and most especially within us. To start, we would like to pray for your personal intentions. If there is any one particular area of your life that you have given over to sin return it to God during this novena. Christ our King, pray for us. Christ the King Novena Prayer - Day 1 Christ, our Savior and our King, renew in me allegiance to Your Kingship. I pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things. O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in my life and in the life of the world. Christ, my King, please answer these petitions if they be in accordance with Your Holy Will… [Mention your intentions here] As I reflect on Your second, glorious coming and the judgment of all mankind, I beg You to show me mercy and give me the grace to become a great saint. I pray that not only will I spend eternity with You but that You may use me

Saint Gregory, the 3rd century bishop of Neocaesarea in Asia Minor, is usually remembered for his piety, pastoral wisdom and miracles. Known in his life as "Thaumaturgus", the wonderworker, he defended the doctrines of the Church against heretical attacks. Here he encourages all Christians to act with humility: They who keep the commandment ought to keep it without any sordid covetousness, demanding neither recompense, nor reward, nor fee, nor anything else that bears the name of acknowledgment. — St. Gregory Thaumaturgus  ______________________________________ Prayer for St. Gregory the Wonderworker's Intercession O holy Saint Gregory, confessor and priest of the Lord, I pray that you would intercede with God on my behalf, that, being purified from all vice, I may please Him in all things, and that He will grant me also the peace possessed by all His servants. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. To Him be all glory and honor. Amen.

Optional Memorial - November 16th  There are people who make a lasting impact on the world even though their earthly lives are very short. Saint Elizabeth of Hungary or Saint Elizabeth of Thuringia was just such a person. Both a king’s daughter and a king’s wife, her love and care for the poor led her to be beloved by the common people during her life, and resulted in her canonization a mere four years after her death. Elizabeth, daughter of the king of Hungary, was born in 1207. In 1221, at the age of 14, she married Louis IV of Thuringia (Germany), He ascended the Thuringian throne at the age of 16. Over the next six years Elizabeth would bear him three children. The couple were deeply in love and very devoted to each other. Louis fully supported his young wife in her spiritual life and in her prodigious efforts aiding the destitute. This included selling state treasures to assist the needy. Tragically, in 1227, Louis died on the Sixth Crusade after promising Emperor Frede

St. Gertrude the Great of Helfta was a 12th century German Benedictine nun, mystic and theologian. Graced with visions of Christ, her spiritual insights into mystical union with God, Purgatory, and the eternal value of suffering for our souls are a treasure for the Church. Here she speaks to the merit of suffering. Bodily and spiritual affliction are the surest sign of Divine predilection. Gratitude for suffering is a precious jewel for our heavenly crown... Man should always firmly believe that God sends just that trial which is most beneficial for him. — St. Gertrude the Great ____________________________________ Prayer for St. Gertrude the Great's Intercession O God, who prepared a delightful dwelling for yourself in the heart of the Virgin Saint Gertrude, graciously bring light, through her intercession, to the darkness of our hearts, that we may joyfully experience you present and at work within us always. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and

This feast day was instituted by Pope Pius XI on December 11th, in 1925, within the encyclical letter Quas Primas . The Holy Father was responding to the fact that the world was becoming increasingly nationalistic and secular. Governments were claiming more and more allegiance from citizens and attempting to replace God. While nations insult the beloved name of our Redeemer by suppressing all mention of it in their conferences and parliaments, we must all the more loudly proclaim his kingly dignity and power, all the more universally affirm his rights. – Quas Primas, 25 Pope Pius XI, therefore, created the feast of Christ the King to help the faithful to remember that our allegiance to Christ is above any allegiance to the government of a nation. Often, as society has grown increasingly secular, one pledges fidelity to ideas, ideologies or movements, in the hopes of fitting-in or winning favor: "The faithful...by meditating upon these truths, will gain much strength and co

Fr. René J. Butler, M.S. Provincial Superior, La Salette Missionaries of North America Hartford, Connecticut ( Click here for today’s readings ) If there is anybody here whose grandmother was (or is) a lousy cook, you may well be in a minority of one. Grandma’s (or Nana’s or Mémère’s or Nonna’s) cooking is the stuff of family memories and legends. No one cooks the way she did. The “worthy wife” of the first reading is that kind of person. The text concludes, “Let her works praise her at the city gates.” The image here is a little foreign to us, so I’ll explain it briefly. In ancient times the city gates were the place where you were most likely to run into friends and catch up on the latest news and gossip. But when you spoke of “Mrs. Worthy,” you would be praising her, for her talents and her character, and everyone would think what a lucky man “Mr. Worthy” was. In this context, you could reasonably take the “talents” of today’s parable to mean whatever you happen to