WALK THE TALK!!!

Once again Michael nails it! Watch this very important short video .. share it with all you know, ESPECIALLY your Bishops, Pastors and all clergy. Just IMAGINE (no, not like John Lennon) what transformation would take place if this was done in this country alone, let alone the whole world. Formation has been a joke in the last decades. It's no wonder our young ones don't take things seriously. It's a wonder how any of us still DO .. only by the grace of Almighty God to be sure! Folks ... this is TRUE AND REAL and it's happening in YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT NOW and has been for a long time. Don't just think about November and the elections coming up (and please DO remember to take out the TRASH on the 2nd!) ... but we should also pray for the strength and grace to stand firm in the FAITH THAT WAS PASSED DOWN from the 1st century. It's been watered down so many times now, it's a wonder it's at all recognizable! Do it in love .. show this to your priests and diocese members .. but DO IT. PRAY FOR OUR BISHOPS, PRIESTS and all CLERGY that they may be given the grace to be the servants God needs in times such as these!
Prayer and Penance is KEY. Don't get lost in the world and its problems ... it will all pass quickly ... rather pay attention and work for ETERNITY and the KINGDOM that you may stand in His Presence forever!

St. Francis of Assisi

Saint Francis of Assisi (1182-1226) was born into a wealthy family at Assisi, Italy, the son of a cloth merchant. Francis received little formal education and during his youth was mostly preoccupied with having fun. As a young man, he was popular, charming, enjoyed practical jokes and was usually the life of the party.
Because of his wealth, he generally picked up the tab and thus attracted a following of fun loving, rowdy young men and promiscuous women.
When armed conflict broke out between the men of Assisi and a neighboring city in 1202, Francis eagerly volunteered for the cavalry but wound up getting captured after the first big battle and spent a year in captivity.
Francis returned to Assisi hailed as a hero, but unknown to his friends he had undergone a transformation in his outlook during his captivity. Although he was once again the life of the party, he was now questioning his reason for existence.
After much contemplation, including vivid dreams and mystic visions, he turned away from the pursuit of all worldly pleasures, sold all of his property and donated the money to the Church. He then began a lifelong passion of caring for society's castoffs, the sick and poor, including lepers.
His wealthy father reacted to his son's odd new lifestyle by disinheriting him. Thus Francis lived in utter poverty and even went without shoes. But his humbleness, extraordinary kindness and love for humanity attracted the attention of other young men and they also chose to give up worldly pleasures and follow him to spread the gospel and serve the poor.
Eventually, as the brotherhood grew, its members traveled to other parts of Europe to preach, including France, Germany, Spain and England. A separate order for women was formed, now known as the Franciscan Nuns or Poor Clares.
Francis had much love for animals with special fondness for the birds. He liked to refer to animals as his brothers and sisters. Legend has it that wild animals had no fear of Francis and even came to him seeking refuge from harm.
In 1224, Francis went up onto a mountain and began a 40-day fast. During that time he is said to have had a miraculous vision and received the marks of the nails and spear exactly as they appeared on the body of Jesus during his crucifixion.
After his death in 1226, Francis was declared a saint by Pope Gregory IX. For several centuries thereafter, his Franciscan order experienced continuous growth and is still active today caring for the poor, educating youth, and performing many other good deeds.

There is SO much written about St. Francis. Certainly one of the most beloved and well known saints in the Church. You can google for a more extensive bio and additional information that the little bit here, so I will just add a few lines that I feel we all would do well to remember.

I think we can best honor him on this his feast day and every day as well, by forming our consciences in such a way where we find ourselves LIVING our Faith rather than just giving lip service and showing up weekly to a service that clearly some only do out of obligation. I am reminded of the story where to took another with him to preach in the city. They arrived and merely walked around the town square in a circle a bit. His fellow friar asked when they were going to begin preaching. Francis merely replied: "we just DID". ;)
Let's live our lives so that others may look at us and KNOW what a CHRISTIAN is ... that we have love for one another!

I'll close with a quote from St. Francis that holds true for all generations:

"Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible."

St. Francis
Feast Day: October 4
Born: 1181 or 1182 at Assisi, Umbria, Italy
Died: 3 October 1226 at Assisi, Italy
Canonized: 16 July 1228 by Pope Gregory IX
Major Shrine: Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi, Assisi, Italy
Patron of: against dying alone, against fire, animal welfare societies, animals, Assisi, Italy, birds, Catholic Action, ecologists, ecology, environment, families, Franciscan Order, lacemakers, merchants, needle workers, peace, tapestry workers, zoos

"My little sisters, the birds, much bounden are ye unto God, your Creator, and always in every place ought ye to praise Him, for that He hath given you liberty to fly about everywhere, and hath also given you double and triple rainment; moreover He preserved your seed in the ark of Noah, that your race might not perish out of the world; still more are ye beholden to Him for the element of the air which He hath appointed for you; beyond all this, ye sow not, neither do you reap; and God feedeth you, and giveth you the streams and fountains for your drink; the mountains and valleys for your refuge and the high trees whereon to make your nests; and because ye know not how to spin or sow, God clotheth you, you and your children; wherefore your Creator loveth you much, seeing that He hath bestowed on you so many benefits; and therefore, my little sisters, beware of the sin of ingratitude, and study always to give praises unto God."
~Saint Francis of Assisi - c1220

Novena/Litany to the Guardian Angels ~Sept. 23 - Oct 2nd

 HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL
Angel, my counselor, inspire me.
Angel, my defender, protect me;
Angel, my faithful friend, intercede for me;
Angel, my consoler, fortify me;
Angel, my brother, defend me;
Angel, my teacher, instruct me;
Angel, witness of all my actions, purify me;
Angel, my helper, support me;
Angel, my intercessor, speak for me;
Angel, my guide, direct me;
Angel, my light, enlighten me;
Angel, whom God has assigned to lead me, govern me.

Lord, have mercy on us.
    Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
    Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
Holy Mother of God, pray for us.
Queen of the Angels, pray for us.
St. Michael, pray for us.
St. Gabriel, pray for us.
St. Raphael, pray for us.
All holy Angels and Archangels, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who unceasingly behold the Face
of the heavenly Father, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who never part from us, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who are devoted to us in heavenly friendship,
pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, our faithful admonishers, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who preserve us from many evils of body and soul,
pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, our mighty defenders against the attacks
of the evil enemy, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, our support in the time of temptations, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who help us when we stumble and fall, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who comfort us in troubles and sufferings,
pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who uphold our prayers and carry them before the
Throne of God, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who through your inspirations and encouragement help us to progress in the good, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who despite our faults never leave us, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who rejoice over our improvement and advancement inperfection, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who watch over us and pray for us even when we rest, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who do not abandon us in our agony of death,
pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who console the souls in Purgatory, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, who lead the righteous into Heaven, pray for us.
Holy Guardian Angels, with whom one day we hope to eternally praise and
behold God, pray for us.
Noble Princes of Heaven, pray for us.

Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord!

Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
    Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.

Our Father...

Bless the Lord, all His Angels, you mighty ones who do His Will.
He has sent His Angels before you, to guard you on all your ways.
My God, in the presence of the Angels, I will bless You.
    I want to adore You and praise Your holy Name.
Lord, hear my prayer. And let my cry come unto You.

    LET US PRAY
Almighty, Eternal God, in Your ineffable goodness You have assigned a special Angel to all men, from the womb onwards, as a protection for body and soul. Graciously grant that I may follow my holy Angel so faithfully and love him so dearly, that through Your grace and under his protection I may one day reach the heavenly Father's House and may merit to behold Your Divine Countenance together with him and all the holy Angels.  Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord.  Amen.

Heavenly Father, Your infinite love for us has chosen a blessed angel in heaven and appointed him our guide during this earthly pilgrimage. Accept our thanks for so great ablessing. Grant that we may experience the assistance of our holy protector in all our necessities. And you, holy, loving angel and guide, watch over us with all the tenderness of your angelic heart. Keep us always on the way that leads to heaven, and cease not to pray for us until we have attained our final destiny, eternal salvation. Then we shall love you for all eternity. We shall praise and glorify you unceasingly for all the good you have done for us while here on earth. Especially be a faithful and watchful protector of our children. Take our place, and supply what may be wanting to us through human frailty, short-sightedness, or sinful neglect. Lighten, O you perfect servants of God, our heavy task. Guide our children, that they may become like unto Jesus, may imitate Him faithfully, and persevere till they attain eternal life. Amen

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Prayer to One's Guardian Angel
When Unable to Assist at Mass for Spiritual Communion 

Go, my Angel Guardian dear, To Church for me, the Mass to hear. Go, kneel devoutly at my place and treasure for me every grace. At the Offertory time Please offer me to God Divine. All I have and all I am, present it with the Precious Lamb. Adore for me the great Oblation. Pray for all I hold most dear, be they far or be they near. Remember too, my own dear dead for whom Christ's Precious Blood was shed. And at Communion bring to me Christ's Flesh and Blood, my Food to be. To give me strength and holy grace , a pledge to see Him face to Face. And when the Holy Mass is done, then with His blessing, come back home. Amen.

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Memorial St. Theresa of the Child Jesus ~ Old Calendar: St. Remigius, bishop, confessor (Remi)

Today is the memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, more popularly known as "the Little Flower." Although just an obscure cloistered Carmelite nun, she has had universal appeal since her death in 1897. St. Thérèse is the patroness of all foreign missions and patroness of France. Her feast day was formerly October 3.According to the 1962 Missal of Bl. John XXIII the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite, today is the feast of St. Remigius, bishop and confessor, who died in 533. He baptized King Clovis, bringing the Frankish nation to Christianity. He is one of the patrons of France.

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St. Thérèse

Marie Thérèse Martin was born at Alençon, France on January 2, 1873, the youngest of five daughters. Her father, Louis, was a watchmaker, and her mother, Zelie, who died of breast cancer when Thérèse was four, was a lace maker. She was brought up in a model Christian home. While still a child she felt the attraction of the cloister, and at fifteen obtained permission to enter the Carmel of Lisieux. For the next nine years she lived a very ordinary religious life. There are no miracles, exploits or austerities recorded of her. She attained a very high degree of holiness by carrying out her ordinary daily duties with perfect fidelity, having a childlike confidence in God's providence and merciful love and being ready to be at the service of others at all times. She also had a great love of the Church and a zeal for the conversion of souls. She prayed especially for priests. She died of consumption on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24, and was canonized in 1925. She has never ceased to fulfill her promise: "I will pass my heaven in doing good on earth." Her interior life is known through her autobiography called Story of a Soul. Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1997.
Patron: florists; foreign missions; missionaries; pilots; against tuberculosis; AIDS sufferers; illness; loss of parents; Australia; France; Russia; Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska; Diocese of Fresno, California; Diocese of Juneau, Alaska; Diocese of Pueblo, Colorado.
Symbols: roses; discalced Carmelite nun holding roses; Carmelite nun with roses at her feet; Carmelite nun holding images of the Child Jesus and Holy Face of Jesus; Carmelite nun holding a crucifix and roses; book.

God our Father, You have promised Your kingdom to those who are willing to become like little children. Help us to follow the way of Saint Therese with confidence so that by her prayers we may come to know Your eternal glory. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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St. Remigius
Also known as Remi, he was born at Laon, the son of Count Emilius of Laon and St. Celina. He became known for his preaching, and in 459, when he was only twenty-two, he was appointed bishop of Rheims. He was ordained and consecrated and reigned for more than seventy years, devoting himself to the evangelization of the Franks. In 496, Clovis, pagan King of northern Gaul, supposedly in response to a suggestion by his wife, Clotildis, a Christian, invoked the Christian God when the invading Alemanni were on the verge of defeating his forces, whereupon the tide of battle turned and Clovis was victorious. St. Remigius, aided by St. Vedast, instructed him and his chieftains in Christianity, and soon after baptized Clovis, his two sisters, and three thousand of his followers. Remigius was a zealous proponent of orthodoxy, opposed Arianism, and converted an Arian bishop at a synod of Arian bishops in 517. He was censured by a group of bishops for ordaining one Claudius, whom they felt was unworthy of the priesthood, but St. Remigius was generally held in great veneration for his holiness, learning, and miracles. He was the most influential prelate of Gaul and is considered the apostle of the Franks. He died at Rheims on January 13. — Dictionary of Saints, John J. Delaney
Patron: France.
Symbols: Oil stock; dove with Holy Ampulla in its beak; birds; veil of St. Veronica; font; broken fetters.
Often Portrayed As: Dressed as a bishop with a miter and staff with a cross and is holding the oil of the sacred phial in his right hand with a dove hovering over. For centuries the events at the crowning of Clovis I became a symbol used by the monarchy to claim the divine right to rule.

Our Lady of Good Remedy 9/30-10/8/2010

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O QUEEN OF HEAVEN AND EARTH, Most Holy Virgin, we venerate thee. Thou art the beloved Daughter of the Most High God, the chosen Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit, and the Sacred Vessel of the Most Holy Trinity.
O Mother of the Divine Redeemer, who under the title of Our Lady of Good Remedy comes to the aid of all who call upon thee, extend thy maternal protection to us. We depend on thee, Dear Mother, as helpless and needy children depend on a tender and caring mother.
Hail, Mary....
How Devotion to Our Lady of Good Remedy Started
O LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, grant that we may draw from thy treasury of graces in our time of need.
Touch the hearts of sinners, that they may seek reconciliation and forgiveness. Bring comfort to the afflicted and the lonely; help the poor and the hopeless; aid the sick and the suffering. May they be healed in body and strengthened in spirit to endure their sufferings with patient resignation and Christian fortitude.
Hail, Mary....
DEAR LADY OF GOOD REMEDY, source of unfailing help, thy compassionate heart knows a remedy for every affliction and misery we encounter in life. Help me with thy prayers and intercession to find a remedy for my problems and needs, especially for... (Mention your intentions here).
O loving Mother, on my part, I pledge to adopt a more intensely Christian lifestyle, to a more careful observance of the laws of God, to be more conscientious in fulfilling the obligations of my state in life, and to strive to be a source of healing in this broken world of ours.
Dear Lady of Good Remedy, be ever present to me, and through thy intercession, may I enjoy health of body and peace of mind, and grow stronger in the faith and in the love of thy Son, Jesus.
Hail, Mary.....
V. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of Good Remedy,
R. That we may deepen our dedication to thy Son, and make the world alive with His Spirit.

A Little Update

I haven't been very active lately, due to some health, emotional and sleeping issues .. but, as they say, "this too shall pass" ;)
At any rate, I wanted to just mention that I add quotes, Vortex videos, prayer requests and some other things in the static pages nearly on a daily basis. These won't show as a new post, cuz they're in static pages, so please check what interests you on the right side bar for new content.
I'm going to focus more on this blog rather than my starkvisions.com website because if anything happens to me (not in the best of health lol), eventually my domains will be removed, but this online blog will remain for some time I would think because new content is automatic on some side bar 3rd party applications. So .. that's the reason for that! ;)
I also think I'm going to start with more personal thoughts and opinions rather than just news events, etc. .. we'll see how that goes. Anyway, I'm growing, slowly but surely as they say. Please make it a point to visit the prayer requests daily and pray for the folks that have specifically asked and please .. never forget the souls in purgatory and conversion of souls on earth .. oh yeah, and all the lil ole rosary makers trying to make Jesus and Mary smile :)
God bless!

A Catholic "Tea Party" Group?

As faithful Catholics, we need to pray for discernment. There are many many liberal and yes, even subversive clergy in the ranks these days. I believe many of them aren't willfully attempting to destroy the Faith, but many inadvertently DO, due to their complacency and fear of offending and trying to remain 'politically correct'. We must remember that charity .. TRUE CHARITY, is not merely giving alms to the poor and other corporal good works. Real charity means going to our brothers and sisters with LOVE and RESPECT when we see them faultering or actually falling into sin. To say nothing and let them fall deeper makes us accomplices in their sin. I know this is very hard with priests and religious and all clergy. But, do you want to be uncomfortable now or answer for it later? ... Let us all pray for the charity, strength and discernment to be able to keep each other on the right path and strengthen one another in Jesus' Merciful Name!
And above all .. PRAY FOR YOUR PRIESTS & ALL CLERGY DAILY!

The Homosexual Catholic

I think this is a very important topic, as Michael says, where it's so prevalent in the world today in nearly every aspect of our lives for many different reasons. Here's a fresh new way to look at this situation that gives us some insight that perhaps we haven't considered, but should. We definitely should. We all need to show more respect for each other in general, but even moreso for the homosexual population.

Catholic Answers