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"Life is so busy. How can I find time to Pray?"
With all the obligations in our lives, it's tempting to leave prayer till tomorrow. And then forget about it. How can we make time for prayer?
If we don’t take time to pray, we could not do this work.—Mother Teresa
If anyone in the world might have seemed to have an excuse for “not having time to pray,” it was Mother Teresa and her tireless sisters in the Missionaries of Charity.
But Mother Teresa never allowed any amount of work to encroach on her prayer time or that of her sisters. The good Mother knew that, without prayer, everything else failed.
Prayer is the heart of every Christian life—not just that of religious orders. If you take the heart out, the body will die. If you make the heart stronger, the body will be stronger. If you make greater demands on the body, the heart needs to be extra-strong.
It’s easy to sideline prayer amidst the constant demands of work, family, school, and other practical things, but if we aren’t praying, every aspect of our lives suffers.
One way to make prayer a consistent practice is to schedule regular prayer time for yourself at home. A holy hour at home—perhaps weekly, perhaps biweekly—can keep you centered and spiritually strong, even if the pace of life seems overwhelming at times. It’ll help you to keep praying even if you can’t make a holy hour in church as often as you’d like to.
Mike Aquilina and Regis J. Flaherty’s The How-To Book of Catholic Devotions: Everything You Need to Know but No One Ever Taught You provides a step-by-step guide to making a holy hour—and you can use it for your at-home holy hours too! Put prayer on your calendar—and don’t dare to cross it out when the laundry starts building up or the lawn needs mowing! You’ll be amazed at how prayer can transform your life. Pick up a copy of The How-To Book of Catholic Devotions here!
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St. Hildegard von Binger Visionary's Skill
Which visionary's skill set included theology, scriptural interpretation, musical composition, botany,and natural medicine?
The works of this german abbess are staggering in their breadth of knowledge.
St. Hildegard von Bingen was born at the end of the 11th century in what is now southwestern Germany, the daughter of noble parents. She was entrusted to a Benedictine monastery at a young age and became abbess, eventually moving her community to Rupertsburg, where she lived the rest of her life.
St. Hildegard’s musical compositions rank her among the most prolific medieval composers. Dozens of liturgical compositions, with both music and text, have come down to us, as well as a musical morality play, Ordo Virtutum (“Play of the Virtues”)—which is the earliest non-liturgical musical drama.
Her own studies and work in monastery gardens and infirmaries gave rise to two works of natural science: one on the medicinal uses of various plants, minerals, and animals, and the other on the human body, with information and cures for various ailments.
But Hildegard’s most extraordinary works were her documentations of her unique visions, which first began when she was a small child and continued throughout her life. She transcribed them in three works: Scivias (“Know the Ways [of the Lord]”), Liber Vitae Meritorum (“Book of Life’s Merits”), and Liber Divinorum Operum (“Book of Divine Works”), which cover topics including salvation history, the virtues and vices, the Prologue of St. John’s Gospel, and the relationship of God and man.
The nature of Hildegard’s visions is fascinating. Not only are they full of astounding images and scenes—she also describes her visions as being seen with her “inner eye” rather than her physical senses. She speaks of her interpretations of Scripture and divine truths as coming to her from on high and describes the “Living Light” that permeates her revelations.
Hildegard’s communication with other religious, abbots, abbesses, civil leaders, royalty, and popes testifies to her great influence. Her contemporary, St. Bernard of Clairvaux, advocated her work with Pope Eugenius III—and the Pope gave her his blessing to continue recording her visions and even to speak publicly to the faithful.
Hildegard is one of many gifted Catholics who have contributed to our knowledge of the sciences. Meet more of them in Brilliant: 25 Catholic Scientists, Mathematicians, & Supersmart People, a wonderful gift for yourself or perhaps a young reader in your life.
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What are the 7 Promises of Our Lady to those devoted to her 7 Sorrows?
Did you know that Our Lady promised seven extraordinary graces to those devoted to her Seven Sorrows?
Yesterday, following the feast of the Holy Cross, we celebrated the related Feast of the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady.
It may seem strange to honor someone’s sorrows. But the Church and Mary herself, in apparitions, have encouraged devotion to her Sorrows with promises of special graces for those who honor them.
The Sorrows of Our Lady are seven particular sufferings that she endured in her life:
- The prophecy of Simeon
- The flight into Egypt
- The loss of the Child Jesus for three days in the Temple
- The meeting of Jesus and Mary on the road to Calvary
- The crucifixion and death of Jesus
- Jesus is taken down from the Cross and placed in the arms of His Mother
- The burial of Jesus
Devotion to Our Lady’s Sorrows has existed since the early centuries of the Church. It came into particular focus in the 13th century when Our Lady appeared to the Seven Founders of the Servite Order, giving them a black garment as their habit and asking them to meditate on her Sorrows.
In the 14th century, Our Lady revealed to St. Bridget of Sweden seven special graces that she would grant to those devoted to her Sorrows. She spoke at length to St.
Bridget about the Passion of her Son and her own Sorrows, and made these promises to those who would say seven Hail Marys daily while meditating on her tears and sufferings:- “I will grant peace to their families.”
- “They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries.”
- “I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work.”
- “I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.”
- “I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.”
- “I will visibly help them at the moment of their death—they will see the face of their mother.”
- “I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.”
Devotion to Our Lady’s Sorrows—a practice extolled and propagated by so many saints—is one that you, too, can pick up easily. Saying seven Hail Marys only takes a couple minutes!
You can expand your devotion with the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows, a prayer of the Servite Order, which consists of seven Hail Marys for each of the Seven Sorrows. The Catholic Company offers beautiful beads to assist you in your prayer: seven groups of seven black beads connected by medallions depicting Our Lady’s Sorrows.
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Can we read the Journals of the Saints?
Many saints have left us essays, books and other writings. But some have left us their own journals. What better way to start thinking like a saint than to read a first-hand account of their journey to sanctity?
Sometimes the saints feel far away. It’s tempting to consider their thinking as too far above us, a mentality that we can’t understand or attain. We might give up on imitating them, or—worse—start to believe that we can’t become saints ourselves.
Some of these holy men and women, however, have brought their thinking down to earth for us by leaving us readable, reachable journals of their spiritual lives.
Indeed, some of these journaling saints are the ones who seem the most inaccessible—those whose lives were marked by intense mystical experiences. Their diaries offer us a wonderful way to overcome our intimidation and meet them as they really are.
Come on! Let’s introduce ourselves to some of these saints.
- St. Thérèse of Lisieux. St. Thérèse’s spiritual memoir, The Story of a Soul, is a classic for Catholics. In it she recounts her childhood, her entry into Carmel and its challenges and joys, and the development and essence of her “Little Way.”
- St. Faustina Kowalska. Entitled Divine Mercy in My Soul, St. Faustina’s diary was written in obedience to her spiritual director. She discusses her profound relationship with Our Lord, her conversations with Him, and His visions and messages to her regarding His Divine Mercy.
- St. John Paul II. The written reflections of Pope St. John Paul II, dating from 1962 all the way to 2003, were recently published in English for the first time. In them, the Pope relates his own concerns, spiritual insights, and thoughts on his ministry from the time he was bishop of Krakow through almost the entirety of his pontificate.
- St. Gemma Galgani. Like St. Faustina, St. Gemma wrote her diary out of obedience. A soul whose mystical experiences were equaled only by her intense sufferings, St. Gemma spoke with Our Lord and her guardian angel, bore the stigmata, and even had her diary stolen by the devil! (He apparently did not want us to benefit from it.) You can see the original diary—burn marks and all—at the Passionist monastery attached to the Basilica of Saints John and Paul in Rome.
Sainthood is not beyond your reach. It isn’t a special prize God gives to some and not to others. He calls all of us to heroic virtue, which is the essence of sainthood. In Good Catholic’s series Heroic Virtue, you’ll learn how to go about the task of growing in the virtues, one by one, step by step, with the saints themselves as your examples. Start your journey toward Heroic Virtue today!
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Why do we Exalt the Cross?
Today is the glorious Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. But why do we "exalt" the Cross?
From a historical perspective, today’s Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross commemorates three events:
- The finding of the True Cross by St. Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, in the 4th century;
- The dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, built by Constantine soon after the finding of the True Cross;
- The restoration of the True Cross to Jerusalem in the 7th century by the Byzantine Emperor Heraclius, after it had been seized as a trophy by the Persian Emperor Chosroes II.
More than simply a marker of historical events, today’s feast is a celebration of the Cross as the triumphant symbol of our salvation. The Cross was the means by which Christ brought us back into the friendship of God. It was His chosen weapon in the battle He waged for our souls. It is a continual reminder of His glorious victory over sin and death.
Just as a victorious king takes down the flag of his enemy and raises his own when he wins a battle, so do we mount the Cross high on our churches, on our buildings, and in our homes to commemorate and celebrate the triumph of Christ the King. We gather under the Cross as His loyal subjects, the joyful people that He freed from the bondage of the devil.
The Church has an ancient and beautiful hymn to the Holy Cross that captures the joy we feel today. Vexilla regis prodeunt—The Royal Banner Forward Goes—was originally written in the 6th century and is principally sung during Passiontide and for today’s feast.
The first verse alone offers us a beautiful meditation for today. Translated from the Latin:
Abroad the Regal Banners fly,
Now shines the Cross’s mystery;
Upon it Life did death endure,
And yet by death did life procure.
We should always keep the Cross before our eyes, on this day and always. As Catholics, we are particularly devoted to the crucifix—the Cross with Christ’s Body upon it—as a continual meditation on the sufferings and death our King endured to earn the victory. The Catholic Company offers a wonderful selection of crucifixes to hang in your home, such as this beautiful 16″ crucifix hand-painted in Lucca, Italy.
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There's a European-Inspired shrine...in Alabama?We can't always visit the many awe-inspiring catholic sites around the world that we'd like to see. However, pilgrimages are available right here in the United states...even in the Southeast!
Across the globe, there are many places that a Catholic simply must visit one day. Europe, especially, is filled with centuries-old shrines, basilicas, and other Catholic sites that take our breath away. Many Catholics keep a bucket list of all of the beautiful places around the world that they want to visit in their lifetime.
Time, cost, and logistics, however, often make it difficult to make any solid plans to travel far away from home. Fortunately, these difficulties are opportunities in disguise—opportunities to take advantage of the Catholic sites here in the United States. Some American pilgrimage sites look almost exactly like what we can see in Europe.
One such site is nestled in the heart of the South. Outside Birmingham, Alabama, is the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, also known as the O.L.A.M. Shrine, or simply the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
This shrine is modeled after the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, Italy. It houses both the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration and the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, who are consecrated priests and religious brothers.
The main level of the shrine has 24-hour adoration. This is due to the charism of the Poor Clare Nuns of Perpetual Adoration, who ensure that our Eucharistic Lord is adored ceaselessly.
The chapel is divided into two sections by the enclosure wall that adjoins the altar which holds the monstrance. Visitors have access to the main section, while the cloistered nuns pray on the other side. Mass is held both in the main and lower-level crypt of the shrine.
The O.L.A.M. Shrine also features other activities and places to visit, including the Pope John Paul II Eucharistic Center. This site is a small museum that walks you through the biblical roots and history of the Eucharist. You can enjoy a guided tour at specified times.
Finally, outdoor sites are situated throughout the Shrine, including a Lourdes Grotto and the Eucharistic Stations and Garden, which illustrate the story of salvation.
The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament is a beautiful pilgrimage destination that is more accessible and financially savvy if you are looking to take a group on a pilgrimage. To plan your trip, visit their website here.
Mother Angelica lived and died in the monastery attached to this shrine. In her honor, The Catholic Company sells several of her books and EWTN episodes that you can watch anytime. Discover her works here.
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What We Owe To Gargoyles
The magnificent cthedral of Notre-Dame de Paris would certainly be missing something without its gargoyles. Actually, it might not be standing without them.
The fantastical stone beasts adorning Notre-Dame’s exterior have inspired spiritual and creative thinking since the cathedral was built in the 12th to 14th centuries.
A Notre-Dame gargoyle…or is it? Read on!
But what are gargoyles, and why did the architects of Notre-Dame install them?
To understand the stone creatures overlooking Paris, one must first call them by their proper names. We often hear the term “gargoyle” applied to any of these statues, but a better general term would be “grotesque.” A “gargoyle” is a grotesque that serves a practical function, as opposed to a “chimera,” a grotesque that is purely decorative. Some of the famous “gargoyles” of Notre-Dame are actually chimeras, and were added later during the restorations undertaken in the 19th century.
So, a gargoyle is functional. But what function could such a beast possibly serve?
Gargoyles are, in fact, rain-spouts. Water soaking into the walls and mortar of a building can damage its integrity, so the medieval architects installed gargoyles to do the job of gutters. Rainwater collects in their hollowed-out, elongated bodies and shoots out of their mouths, protecting the stone walls of the mighty structure.
Now there’s some proper gargoyles!
Okay, but why do these gargoyle rain-spouts have to be so ugly?
Grotesques are ugly because the Church employed them to illustrate to the faithful the reality—and ugliness—of evil. Some say that they are a contrast to the beautiful depictions of the saints and angels, and that their position on the outside of the building reminds the faithful of the dangers of the world and the spiritual safety to be found within.
Notre-Dame Cathedral is one of the marvels of the Catholic world. For centuries it has weathered not only rain and physical tempests, but the chaos of heresies, wars, and revolutions. It survived the iconoclasm of the French Revolution, the Nazi occupation of Paris in World War II, and most recently, a near-fatal fire. All those storms came and went, but this cathedral, like the Church herself, remains.
As a tribute to this glorious cathedral, The Catholic Company offers a stunning, handcrafted Notre-Dame Rosary. The agate and jasper beads reflect the colors of the cathedral’s stone, and St. Joan of Arc, patroness of France, is depicted on the center medal. A crown of thorns, commemorating the precious relic housed in the cathedral, encircles the crucifix. Available exclusively at The Catholic Company!
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Who Was Rhoda Wise?
How did a humble little home in Canton, Ohio, become a place of healing?
Rhoda Wise was born in Ohio in 1888, the daughter of a bricklayer and his wife. Widowed shortly after her first marriage, she remarried and adopted two daughters. But her second husband, George Wise, was an alcoholic who wasn’t able to keep a steady job and provide adequately for his family.
In addition to these challenges, Rhoda developed a 39-pound ovarian cyst that required surgical removal in 1932, from which she seemed to recover well. In a separate incident in 1936, she seriously injured her ankle and was afterward painfully crippled.
A couple years later, Rhoda’s doctors found that she had developed complications stemming from her initial surgery. This discovery necessitated further operations that left her with an open abdominal wound.
While she was at the hospital, which was run by religious sisters, she—a Protestant—became interested in the Rosary and asked a sister to teach it to her. She also became deeply devoted to St. Thérèse of Lisieux and, drawn to the Catholic Faith, was received into the Church in 1939.
Later that year, she was sent home after the doctor determined that she was suffering from incurable stomach cancer. The drainage from her wound eventually caused her whole abdomen to become raw and sore.
As she lay on her sickbed at home, she attested that she received an extraordinary visitor.
Rhoda said that Our Lord appeared to her, clothed in gold and resplendent, on May 28, 1939. He said He would return 31 days later, and on June 28, He appeared again with St. Thérèse, who healed Rhoda of her abdominal ailment. In August, St. Thérèse visited her again to heal her casted foot.
Up until her death, Rhoda received several other apparitions of Our Lord and St. Thérèse, and between 1942 and 1945, suffered from the visible stigmata every First Friday between 12 PM and 3 PM. One of Our Lord’s requests was an echo of the Fatima message: that the Rosary be said every day for the conversion of Russia. He also foretold that many cures and conversions would take place on account of Rhoda’s story.
Souls in need of healing or desiring to see this holy woman flocked to her house. Among them was Rita Rizzo, later to become Mother Angelica, foundress of EWTN, who was herself healed of a stomach affliction.
Rhoda Wise died in 1948. In 2016, Bishop Murry of Youngstown opened the cause of her beatification and declared her a “Servant of God.” Two years later, her case was sent to the Vatican’s Congregation of Saints in the process of obtaining the title “venerable.” Her home in Canton continues to be a place of prayer and pilgrimage today.
Rhoda Wise is just one example of God’s healing power at work in the modern world. You can read more about contemporary saints through whom He has chosen to work in Nothing Short of a Miracle: God’s Healing Power in Modern Saints. Available right here at The Catholic Company!
