BIG C CATHOLICS

Saint Monica is the patron saint of mothers & wives. The vocation of motherhood (and fatherhood) is extremely important for our society and in the eyes of God. St. Monica prayed diligently for her children for years on end. May she intercede especially for the children and grandchildren in our lives. Today, let us pray for all mothers and fathers to be good and holy examples for their children. Day 2 - The St. Monica Novena Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worries and anxieties, you threw yourself on the mercy and providence of God. Through sorrow and pain, you constant...

August 19th, the Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Saint John Eudes, (1601-1680) the French priest and missionary who founded the Congregation of Jesus and Mary and the Order of Our Lady of Charity. He was born in the village of Ri, in Normandy, France, the son of peasant farmers Isaac and Martha Eudes. At 14, he entered the Jesuit college at Caen. Despite his parents' hopes that he marry, Eudes joined the Congregation of the Oratory of France in 1623. Two years later, he was ordained to the priesthood. During this time, he studied the Christocentric spiritual thought of Cardinal de Bérulle whose desire was "restoring the priestly order to its full splendor". To that end, Eudes became an apostolic missionary, preaching over 100 parish missions, throughout Normandy, Ile-de-France, Burgundy and Brittany. His gifts as a preacher and confessor won him great renown. The founder of the Sulpicians, Father Jean-Jacques Olier called him, "the prodigy of his age...

When Saint Monica was praying for her son's conversion, she prayed, fasted, and asked clergy to talk with him. They assured her it was useless after so many years. It turns out that nothing Is impossible with God. St. Monica's prayers made a difference, and eventually, her son, St. Augustine, converted. Her husband and mother-in-law, who were both pagan, also converted because of her prayers and example. Today, let us pray for peace; peace between nations, peace between people, and within families. Day 1 - The St. Monica Novena Dear Saint Monica, you were once the mournful mother of a prodigal son. Your faithfulness to prayer brought you and your son so close to God that you are now with him in eternity. By your intercession and God’s grace, your son St. Augustine became a great and venerable Saint of the Church. Please take my request to God with the same fervor and persistence with which you prayed for your son. (Mention your intentions here) With your needs, worri...

The Crucifixion of Saint Peter , Caravaggio, 1600-01.  [Christ said unto them] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you . — John 15:20 The word martyr derives from the Greek word meaning "witness." A martyr is one who willingly suffers death rather than renounce his Faith. The one thing all martyrs for Christ share is that they would rather die than lie. Despite being crucified, stabbed, stoned, dragged, skinned and burned, every Apostle of Jesus (save Judas) proclaimed the truth of Christ’s Resurrection until their last breath. In refusing to abandon their beliefs in the face of vicious persecution, today’s Christian martyrs give their lives to grow the Church. The Holy Father has said , "the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church… It is true that during the times of Nero many Christians were persecuted, and today there are just as many." Francis explained the role martyrs play as witnesses: "We know that there is no growth without the...

The Saint Monica novena for those who have fallen away from the Church starts August 18th. St. Monica is most known for her intercessory prayers on behalf of individuals that have abandoned the Faith, as she prayed for the conversion of her son, the great Doctor of the Church, Saint Augustine of Hippo, for 15 years. What we know of St. Monica comes almost entirely from the writings of St. Augustine. Their relationship was close, especially in Monica's final years. One episode from her childhood suggests the origin of her fortitude. She was occasionally sent to the cellar to draw wine for the family, and fell into the habit of taking secret drinks. Before long she was consuming large amounts. One day a family slave caught her. So great was her shame, she gave up the habit. A short time later, Monica was baptized. Afterward, she led a life of irreproachable virtue. St. Monica is also the patron saint of alcoholics, married women, mothers, wives, and difficult marriages. Clic...

Father George Rutler, pastor of St. Michael's church in New York City, has written a commentary on the martyrdom of French priest, Father Jacques Hamel, at the hands of ISIS terrorists. In " Tolerating Terror ", Fr. Rutler examines the "paradox in the way the self-styled Age of Reason exploded in a Reign of Terror." He takes issue with Pope Francis' remarks equating the present day radical Islamists' Jihad with acts of domestic violence perpetrated by Catholics. From the article: "The slaying of Father Jacques Hamel at the altar of the church of Saint Etienne-de Rouvray in Normandy should be the envy of every priest: to die at Mass, the holiest hour of the world. The president of France was heartfelt in his mourning, but Monsieur Hollande was also historically remiss when he said: 'To attack a church, to kill a priest, is to profane the republic.' He spoke from the comfortable remove of the Fifth Republic, which would not exist were it ...

Warning: The following is truly stomach turning. In April, we told you that a Satanic group is set to verse a "black mass"  at the Oklahoma City Civic Center Music Hall this August. Now, the satanist behind it claims the event is meant to be educational . "Part of our religion is to have our God attack other gods." He explained that followers of Ahriman will destroy a blood drenched statue of the Virgin Mary, then consume a pig heart inside it. (Mortified? Then pray this !) In light of such ever increasing demonic activity let us never forget God's words found in Sacred Scripture. He tells us that: In the face of this… We should remember this… Christ triumphs over Satan. CCC §566 Instances of demonic manifestation in society are now commonplace as more and more people do Satan's bidding. You may recall this from last summer: Hundreds of people attended Mass at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Detroit on Saturday to protest the debut...