On Christian Voting ... and a few Other Things

Before we vote "our consciences" we need to make sure WE HAVE ONE. We need to make sure it's FORMED CORRECTLY with the TRUTH. Not what we THINK is truth, not what we HOPE is truth, not what Sam down the block SAYS is truth ... but IMMUTABLE TRUTH and His Name is JESUS. And if it's really the Truth we're seeking, we turn to our Bibles, to our trusted religious leaders and prayerful friends and discuss the issues. Is life important? Is it possible that the 'fetal tissue' in a woman's womb will deliver as a monkey or will it always be a human being? THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE FOLKS! WHAT'S WRONG IS AND ALWAYS WILL *BE* WRONG! No matter what one generation says or believes. I've said for decades: "TRUTH IS TRUTH AND CHANGES NOT."

If you truly call yourself CHRISTIAN, let alone CATHOLIC .... you need to take this seriously. I believe this election will have NO SECOND CHANCES ... what you select this time you're GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE/DIE with. THIS IS AN HISTORICAL TIME whether you want to believe it or NOT. You have been born into this time for a REASON, it's NOT by chance. You are here to see if when Jesus returns will He find any FAITH. REAL FAITH ... not the *oh sure I love Jesus but I'd rather be golfing on Sunday kinda faith*. Whether you want to believe it or not makes no difference .. but we ARE in a spiritual battle ... our very souls depend on the choices we make towards Jesus and our neighbors and how we stand up for those who have no voice. We have to jump down on one side of the fence now folks .... middle ground is no longer an option. 

We have folks running around all over the world wreaking havoc and terror and chopping off heads to force us to subscribe to their 'religion of PEACE' ... 9/11, California, Paris, Africa and the Middle East ... we have babies being torn from their mothers wombs which should be the safest place in the world and if they happen to survive, they have their throats slit or necks broken .... AND they're selling their body parts joking along the way and **JUSTICE** stands with the malefactors rather than the whistle-blowers ..... we have shooting sprees in movie houses, malls, schools, streets and many other places along with suicide bombers in any populated area where innocent civilians are their victims and it goes on and on. 

Now, many will say HOW CAN GOD LET THESE THINGS HAPPEN?

Well, let's see now ... we took down the 10 Commandments, kicked prayer out of school, stopped parents from disciplining their children, instilled free sex and contraception, abortions, praised gay sex and gay 'marriage', and basically made our vacation planning more important than making and nurturing an intimate relationship with the One that gives us our very next BREATH. Could it be God's removed His Protective Hand to let us see what we've chosen perhaps? I think that when we ignore God for too long, He leaves us to our own [selected] devices, so we can see how bad it IS and how much we DO need Him. Sometimes all the talking in the world does no good to stubborn children and it only 'clicks' with them when they burn their hands, that fire really *IS* dangerous and hurtful to them. 

As I said .. we are in the midst of a real
SPIRITUAL WAR. The ole boy knows the outcome and that he won't win, so in fury, he tries to take down all the souls he can. He can't hurt God Himself, but he can hurt Him by stealing souls and hurting those God loves. Think this isn't true? Look around you. Read the newspaper.
The Bible told us 2,000 yrs ago that the end days would have more martyrs than there were in the first century with the lions and Roman arenas!  These folks in the middle east aren't just getting murdered. They're getting murdered in the most torturous ways imaginable! I can't even repeat some of the stuff I've seen or read or been asked to pray for. Many have contacted me from that area and Africa telling of the horrors and have sent pictures of their stories. Truly they need our prayers and what ever help we can give. These are the time when we find out who drank the kool-aid and who knows how to put on the ARMOR OF GOD. If you're smart, you'll choose the latter and join the battle. 

The battle is raging and we all must do our part ... this WORLD is passing away ... it's not NOT NOT the end of the world ... but it's near to the end of times AS WE KNOW THEM. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!

 

This election is very important ... DON'T say "MY VOTE WON'T MATTER" ... it DOES matter ... you know how many folks say that ???? Look what we wound up with last time ... well "DEAD PEOPLE WERE VOTING", HUH? *BLINKS* It was documented that the social security numbers of the deceased were used to register to vote and NOTHING WAS DONE ABOUT IT!?!??!! HOW???????? WHY??????????

How the things that are SO BLATANTLY EVIL have gone on for SO LONG without much response or correction is beyond my understanding ... UNLESS I equate it to the 'great lie' that could even fool the elect. If you're not grounded strongly in Faith, you'll never even see it the Bible says and God will give you over to believe it even more strongly :-( ... He will never push Himself on us ... but sometimes, to call us back home, He needs to let us see the consequences of our actions and frequently throughout history, He's permitted one nation to 'chastise' another nation for His Purposes to bring them back to the Truth. The longer a person or nation remains in the dark, it will be hard to see anything, let alone the Truth and when/if you do get a glimps of it, just like coming out of a cave in bright daylight, it will hurt your eyes .... BE CAREFUL ... BEWARE ... DO NOT RELY ON YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING! WE ARE WARNED ABOUT THIS IN SCRIPTURE. 

"Trust in the Lord with your whole heart and lean not to your own understanding." ~Proverbs 3:5 

St. Paul basically said Look, Jesus came down from heaven and called us 12, Jesus showed us how He fulfilled the old Testament prophecies ... we saw His miracles, we watched Him die and rise again! He laid down the foundation for His Church giving the keys to Peter. He instituted the 7 Sacraments (yes all in the Bible, every one) and He showed us how to be pleasing to the Father through traditional teaching and Scripture, that all may be one in Him as He is One with the Father. And St. Paul says to us: ... "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel to you other than that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema!" ~Galatians 1:9

And our dear Lord, prayed for us .. yes even us so many centuries later ... we find this in John 17:20,21: “I pray not only for them [the Apostles], but also for those who will believe in Me through their word, so that they may all be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."

I BEG you take this seriously. I'm not a kook, I've seen much in my 6+ decades and I remember living in a period when there was respect, love, kindness and concern for others. When you weren't afraid to be out after dark. When you could walk into any Church 24/7 to visit with Jesus. When getting in trouble at school meant you would get more after you got home. The kids growing up today have no idea what they missed ... the majority also have no idea of real values, morals, scruples, respect or LOVE of neighbor. Before I go off on a real tangent ... please let me admonish you to not take this voting time lightly .... please please please for the love of God and Country ... DO YOUR HOMEWORK to FORM YOUR CONSCIENCE RIGHTLY ... THEN and only THEN are you ready to vote. If you want to PM me on Facebook or Twitter or here ... I'll be more than happy to answer questions or help however I can. 

What is your preference???

There IS NO perfect candidate .. we must vote for the least of all evils.

Blessings! ...  and may He Who ransomed us, His children, with His precious Blood have mercy on us all!

St. John Bosco

On January 31 the Church honors the Memorial of St. John Bosco-Friend of the Youth. He was called "Apostle of Youth" because he dedicated his life to the young people by organizing youth clubs, hostels, and boarding schools where he taught them. He founded the Salesian Society for the boys in 1854 which was named St. Francis de Sales. In 1872 he also founded the Salesian Sisters called Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians to work for girls.
St. John Bosco had no formal system or theory of education. His methods centered on persuasion, authentic religiosity, and love for young people. He was an enlightened educator and innovator. The educational philosophy of John Bosco can be condensed in three words: reason, religion, and kindness. The basic principle of his system was a deep understanding and love for young people and their problems.

Saint of the Week January 31
St. John Bosco is considered as the saint of the youth. Founder of Salesian Society, named in honor of St. Francis de Sales. His lifework was the welfare of young boys and girls, hence his title, "Apostle of Youth." His methods centered on persuasion, authentic religiosity, and love for young people. He was an enlightened educator and innovator. Pope John Paul II named him "teacher and father to the young."

At age 14, he really wanted to be a priest because he wants the youth to understand their faith. He served a priest for its morning masses and the priest taught John Bosco Latin. But the young John Bosco needed to stop his lessons with the priest because he needed to work in a farm to help their family for a living. But he did not stop dreaming of becoming a priest until one day his uncle brought him to a school where he can fulfill his dream.

Don Bosco was first and foremost a priest. Whatever priestly work needed doing and came to his hand he did, whether it was saving some poor waif off the streets of Turin or conducting delicate negotiations between the Vatican and the government for the appointment of bishops to the vacant Italian sees. So greatly in fact had the influence of this peasant priest from Becchi grown that he was called on to act as intermediary in this important matter. He consented to do so, as he told the President of the Council at Florence, solely as a priest — "Priest at the altar, priest in the confessional, priest among my boys, and priest in the king's palace or his ministers' offices: I will be nothing but a priest." ~ Lancelot C. Sheppard, Don Bosco's biographer



He is a patron saint of apprentices; boys; editors; young people; laborers; students and young people.

To know more about St. John Bosco, please click on the following links:

	Novena to St. John Bosco
	Novena In Honor Of St. John Bosco
	About St. John Bosco
	Vision of St. Bosco
	St. Bosco Biography
	St. Bosco Oratory Project
	St. Bosco Dreams
	St. Bosco Resurrection

A Crisis For Saints

St. Pio

Faithful Catholics: Pray More and Complain Less,
A Message of Hope

Dear Catholic Friend,
I am writing to you to give you a word of encouragement. So I would hope you take this in the fatherly way I want to address you, as one who is a priest of over 32 years and as spiritual director of dozens of people, a priest who very much has personal contact with many of the lay faithful and knows very well the deep concern – anxiety may be a better word – over the present situation in the Church. Take this as if I were in your presence, saying firmly and clearly and with great confidence: Be at peace! Pray more! Calm down and don’t lose heart!

Padre Pio is quoted as saying, “Pray, hope, and don’t worry!” I want to aim that especially at people who write those anxiety-filled blogs and articles at the Church’s present situation, but certainly to all the Catholic faithful who are confused, bemused, or just plain angry. I certainly understand your concern; in fact, I share it but my consideration as to what to do is different. I conclude that we should pray more and complain less; besides you might recall the words of Psalm 95 which we priests and religious who recite the Divine Office have the joy of choosing as the invitatory psalm in our daily recitation of the breviary; specifically the verse that says: “Forty years I endured that generation. I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways.’ So I swore in My anger, ‘They shall not enter into My rest.’”

What Are You Going to Do?

Let’s not try our Lord’s patience, rather let’s take this as an opportunity to establish a firmer faith, a more secure hope and a deeper charity. After all, what are you going to do? Leave the Church?! Wouldn’t the Evil One then have the victory over your soul?
Think of it! Aren’t you one who loves that old title given to us at confirmation, “soldiers of Christ.” Well, then don’t walk off the field of battle. These are the times, I’m convinced, that St. Louis Marie de Montfort prophesied, the time of the great saints: “Towards, the end of the world . . . Almighty God and His holy mother are to raise up great saints who will surpass in holiness most other saints as much as the cedars of Lebanon tower above little shrubs.” (St. Louis Marie de Montfort, True Devotion to Mary, article 47). Take it a s a compliment that our father God finds you worthy of these times, that He finds you capable of great sanctity!
I write as one who gives direction to many souls and who is alarmed at the discouragement that has entered so many hearts. I hear it and see it a lot and I must confess that discouragement is not foreign to me, especially given the confusion spread even by those called to strengthen our faith. That being said, I want to tell you what I tell the souls entrusted to me: Pray more! Pray for an increase of faith, hope, and love and make it an apostolic prayer, said with missionary zeal for the sake of others. “Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, increase our faith, hope and love!” Not just once, but many times a day, pray this way and you will fulfill your duty as a good soldier of Christ.

Hang in There Friends!

I write this out of gratitude for all the Catholic faithful whose loyalty to Christ and His holy Church has inspired me throughout my life. Hang in there friends! Hang in there with greater faith, hope, and love. “The gates of Hell will not prevail!”
May holy Mary, the woman of great faith and mother of the Church, envelop you in Her most compassionate and immaculate heart. Peace!

by:  Fr. William Moser
January 20, 2016
originally posted: http://courageouspriest.com

The Octave of Christian Unity Resources And Prayers

What is it?

The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity lasts from January 18th until January 25th and is a time when Christians of all stripes are called to pray for the unity of the Church. Pope Leo XIII had asked for Catholics to pray for Christian unity and in 1897 established the continual recitation of a novena. The actual dates of the week of prayer were established by Spencer Jones, an Anglican priest and Lewis Wattson, an Episcopal priest who later converted to Catholicism.
They suggested the dates of January 18-25 to begin with the old date of the Confession (or Chair) of St. Peter and end on the Conversion of St. Paul, holy days within the Church year. Pope Pius X approved the new octave and extended its observance throughout the whole of the Catholic Church. Paul Couturier, a Frenchman, is well known for popularizing the week. The links below explain more of the history of the octave and served as sources for this brief introduction.
A Brief History of the Week of Prayer
Another Brief History

We believe the best way to achieve unity between Orthodox and Catholics is twofold: prayer and mutual understanding. This is also how we will accomplish greater unity with our Protestant brothers and sisters. On Ancient and Future Catholics we have always worked towards mutual understanding and now we want to make prayer for visible unity another primary focus. What better way to achieve that goal than to start with the octave of Christian unity? We have several suggestions for these 8 days. The first obvious activity is prayer. Each day we will post prayer suggestions, but above all, we must pray for visible unity between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, and with other churches as well. Secondly, we will provide a reading from both Eastern and Western Christian writers. This purpose is to help each side become more acquainted with the riches involved in the Western and Eastern heritage. This will also include liturgical texts. Finally, we will give practical suggestions for better relations with individual Orthodox and Catholics, principles which apply also to our relationships with Protestants. Although we are primarily focusing on Catholic-Orthodox relations, our secondary focus will be prayer for the unity of all Christians and the conversion of non-Christians. This effort is not officially associated with any diocese or parish and we are loyal to the Magisterium and our bishops. We are simply laymen trying to live out our faith.
So, starting on January 18th, please join us and the Catholic Church as we pray that all Christians, by God's grace, may be one as our Lord prayed before his Passion.

Start Praying!

Octave: Day 1 (Jan. 18)
Octave: Day 2 (Jan. 19)
Octave: Day 3 (Jan. 20)
Octave: Day 4 (Jan. 21)
Octave: Day 5 (Jan. 22)
Octave: Day 6 (Jan. 23)
Octave: Day 7 (Jan. 24)
Octave: Day 8 (Jan. 25)

taken from http://www.ancient-future.net

Feast of the Holy Family

The Holy Family is the name given to the family unit of Jesus: The Divine Son of God Jesus, his mother the Virgin Mary, and his foster-father Joseph. We know very little about the life of the Holy Family through the canonical Gospels. They speak of the early years of the Holy Family, including the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the flight into Egypt, and the finding of Jesus in the temple. Various non-canonical works, including the
Infancy Gospel of Thomas, try to fill in the blanks. However, even though these apocryphal works may contain some truth derived from oral tradition, they have been deemed unworthy of canonical status because of the way they present Jesus. While the exact details of the day-to-day life of the Holy Family may be unknown, we can still learn a lot from the stories we do have.

Devotion to the Holy Family is a recent development, but one that naturally grows out of a love for Jesus and his family. The cult of the Holy Family grew in popularity in the 17th century, and several religious congregations have been founded under this title. The Holy Family also became portrayed in popular art of the period. On October 26, 1921 the Congregation of Rites (under Pope Benedict XV) inserted the Feast of the Holy Family into the Latin Rite general calendar. Until then it had been celebrated regionally (see History below). Popes before and including Benedict XV (especially Leo XIII) promoted the feast as a way to counter the breakdown of the family unit. Today the Church celebrates the Feast on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's Day (Known as the Feast of Mary Mother of God in the Catholic Church). If both Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Sundays, no Sunday exists between the two dates, so the Church celebrates the Holy Family Feast on December 30th. If the feast falls on the 30th, attendance is not obligatory. Up until 1969, the Holy Family feast was kept on the first Sunday after the Epiphany. It was transferred to its current date in 1969.

The Feast of the Holy Family is not just about the Holy Family, but about our own families too. The main purpose of the Feast is to present the Holy Family as the model for all Christian families, and for domestic life in general. Our family life becomes sanctified when we live the life of the Church within our homes. This is called the "domestic church" or the "church in miniature." St. John Chrysostom urged all Christians to make each home a "family church," and in doing so, we sanctify the family unit. Just how does one live out the Church in the family? The best way is by making Christ the center of family and individual life. Ways to do this include: reading scripture regularly, praying daily, attending Mass at least on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, imitating the actions of the Holy Family, going to confession frequently, and so forth, all done together as a family unit.
In addition to cultivating positive actions, the Church understands that various actions and behaviors are contrary to God's
Divine plan for the family. These include abortion, contraception, embryonic stem-cell research, divorce, spousal abuse, child abuse, among other things. Catholic Teaching is that a marriage must be open to children. Anything artificial that prevents this is contrary to divine law, although spacing births for a just reason is permitted (and may be accomplished through "natural family planning").
Also, poverty, lack of health care, rights violations, government intrusion in the life of communities and families, and other justice concerns must be addressed by faithful Christians because of the negative effect these conditions have on the family unit. St. Paul gives us some advice on family life in Colossians 3:12-21:

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, and sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the Name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged (RSV).

The Holy Family feast is a good time to remember the family unit and pray for our human and spiritual families. We also may take this feast to reflect on the value and sanctity of the family unit, and to evaluate our own family life. What ways may it be improved? What would Jesus, Mary, and Joseph do? Finally, we can use this feast to ask ourselves what are we doing to promote the family within our own cultures, neighborhoods, and communities.

Prayer in Honor of the Holy Family

Lord Jesus Christ,
Who, being made subject to Mary and Joseph,
didst consecrate domestic life
by Thine ineffable virtues;
grant that we,
with the assistance of both,
may be taught by the example
of Thy Holy Family
and may attain to its everlasting fellowship.
Who livest and reignest forever. Amen.

Giving THANKS!

This week we were discussing the history of the Thanksgiving Holiday as we celebrate it in the United States. One interesting thing we discovered is that the U.S History each of us learned was quite different. In fact one of our sisters had almost no teaching of any "religious" roots in the founding of many of the original colonies. Due to this we thought it might be of interest to give a (very) short history of some of our country's Thanksgiving celebrations.
Many of us in America think of our "first thanksgiving" as being the one celebrated by the pilgrims in Plymouth in 1621. (This feast lasted 3 days and was attended by 53 Pilgrims and 90 Native Americans.) 

What we may not realize is that the traditions of having" thanksgivings" -days of prayer to thank God for the blessings of ending droughts, granting military victories or the more common custom of thanking God for blessings of the harvest were actually recorded in many areas much earlier. We list just a few for those who might enjoy a bit of history. 

At the time when "British America" included not only the American colonies but parts of Canadian territory, there was a celebration of a thanksgiving feast at Frosbisher Bay in 1578. This is considered to be the first thanksgiving on Anglo American soil and provides the basis for today's Canadian Thanksgiving Holiday. 

Celebrations in the territory now considered to be the United States occurred in Spanish territory in the 16th century, and were routine in Virginia with Jamestown holding one in 1610 and by charter holding "that there shall be yearly and perpetually kept holy a day of thanksgiving to Almighty God." 

The First National Proclamation of Thanksgiving was given by the Continental Congress in 1777. In 1789 President George Washington proclaimed and created the first Thanksgiving Day designated by the national government of the United States of America.

We thank God for his blessings and that he will continue to pour out his blessings on us. We leave you with the words of George Washington:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor, and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be. That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks, for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation, for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interposition's of His providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war, for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed, for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us. And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually, to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed, to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shown kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord. To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us, and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best. Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

Many thanks to: 
The Poor Clare Sisters of Spokane
Franciscan Monastery of Saint Clare
4419 N Hawthorne St
Spokane, WA 99205, USA

The word Eucharist comes from the Greek word for Thanks. The original and only perfect Thanksgiving Meal is the Holy Eucharist. (The Holy Thanksgiving)

America is one out of many nations that celebrates a Thanksgiving Day. The Catholic Church celebrates it in every nation on earth every day, everywhere Holy Mass is celebrated. You are all invited to this Holy Meal to give thanks to Jesus for His Holy Sacrifice at that meal. Malachi prophesied it in the Old Testament. My Name will be great among the Gentiles for a perfect sacrifice will be offered in My Name from the rising of the son til the going down there of. Every minute of every hour, of every day, that Holy Thanksgiving sacrifice is offered for all mankind. Don't miss out being there on this special day of Thanksgiving.

Happy and Holy Thanksgiving to all of you!

Pray for America .... Pray for the World!

The Precious Blood of the Lamb!

Please pray & help promote the Church approved USA Chaplet.
God bless!
NO BEADS NEEDED!
JUST COPY AND PRAY THE PRAYERS! :)

All Saints Day November 1st

Every day in the Church year has a saint day, but the Solemnity of All Saints is when the Church honors all saints, known
and unknown. This is similar to the American holidays of Veterans Day and Presidents Day, when a group of people are honored on a specific day. While we have information about many saints, and we honor them on specific days, there are many unknown or unsung saints, who may have been forgotten, or never been honored specifically. On All Saints Day, we celebrate these holy men and women, and ask for their prayers and intercessions.
The concept of All Saints Day is connected to the doctrine of The Communion of Saints. This is the concept that all of God's people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification (called Purgatory in the West), are spiritually connected and united. In other words, Catholic and Orthodox Christians (and some Protestants) believe that the saints of God are just as alive as you and I, and are constantly interceding on our behalf. Remember, our connection with the saints in heaven is one grounded in a tight-knit communion. The saints are not divine, nor omnipresent or omniscient. However, because of our common communion with and through Jesus Christ, our prayers are joined with the heavenly community of Christians. St. Cyril of Jerusalem (AD 350) testifies to this belief:

We mention those who have fallen asleep: first the patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs, that through their prayers and supplications God would receive our petition...(Catechetical Lecture 23:9).

The Catholic Catechism concisely describes this communion among believers, by which we are connected to Christ, and thus to one another:

"Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness...They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us...So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."

"...as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself: We worship Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples (
CCC956, 957)!

There are thousands of canonized saints, that is those individuals officially recognized by the Church as holy men and women worthy of imitation. Because miracles have been associated with these people, and their lives have been fully examined and found holy by the Church, we can be assured they are prime examples of holiness, and powerful intercessors before God on our behalf. There are also many patron saints, guardians or protectors of different areas and states of life. For instance, St. Vitus is the patron saint against oversleeping, and St. Joseph of Cupertino is the patron saint of air travelers. It may sound crazy to have a patron saint against oversleeping, but keep in mind the Church has something meaningful for every area of our human lives. All of these saints are celebrated throughout the year, as many have their own feast days (for instance, St. Hilary of Poitiers, whose feast day is celebrated January 13).

History

Christians have been honoring saints and martyrs since at least the second century AD. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, probably written near the middle of the second century, attests to this reality:

Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more pure than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, so that when being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps (18).

Initially the calendars of saints and martyrs varied by location, with churches honoring local saints. However, gradually feast days became more universal. The first reference to a general feast celebrating all saints occurs in St Ephrem the Syrian (d. AD 373). St. John Chrysostom (d. AD 407) assigned a day to the feast, the first Sunday after Pentecost, where in the Eastern Churches the feast is celebrated to this day. In the West, this date was probably originally used, and then the feast was moved to May 13th. The current observance (November 1) probably originates from the time of Pope Gregory III (d. AD 741), and was likely first observed on November 1st in Germany. This fact makes the connection of the All Saints Feast with the pagan festival Samhain less likely, since Samhain was an Irish pagan feast, rather than German.
The vigil of the Feast (the eve) has grown up in the English speaking countries as a festival in itself, All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. While some Christians refuse to observe the holiday, considering it to be "pagan," as far as the Church is concerned, the date is simply the eve of the feast of All Saints. Many customs of Halloween reflect the Christian belief that on the feast's vigils we mock evil, because as Christians, it has no real power over us. David Morrison explains the proper relationship between Christians and Halloween. Various customs have developed related to Halloween. In the Middle Ages, poor people in the community begged for "soul cakes," and upon receiving these doughnuts, they would agree to pray for departed souls. This is the root of our modern day "trick-or-treat." The custom of masks and costumes developed to mock evil and perhaps confuse the evil spirits by dressing as one of their own. Some Christians visit cemeteries on Halloween, not to practice evil, but to commemorate departed relatives and friends, with picnics and the last flowers of the year. The day after All Saints day is called All Soul's Day, a day to remember and offer prayers up on behalf of all of the faithful departed. In many cultures it seems the two days share many customs. See the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church for more information.

Worship and Prayer Resources

Prayers for the Feast of All Saints
Prayers for All Hallows Eve

ST. TERESA OF AVILA

St. Teresa was born in Avila, Spain, on March 28, 1515. As a little girl in her parents' rich home, Teresa and her brother Rodrigo loved to read the lives of the saints and martyrs. It seemed to them that the martyrs got to heaven an easy way. The two children set out secretly to go to the land of the Moors. As they walked along, they prayed that they might die for Christ. But they had not gotten far when they met an uncle. He took them back to their worried mother at once. Next the children decided to be hermits in their garden. This didn't work out either. They could not get enough stones together to build their huts.

 

St. Teresa herself wrote down these amusing stories of her childhood. The fact is that when she grew to be a teenager, however, she changed. Teresa read so many novels and foolish romances that she lost much of her love for prayer. She began to think more of dressing up to look pretty. But after she recovered from a bad illness, Teresa read a book about the great St. Jerome. Then and there, she made up her mind to become a bride of Christ. As a nun, Teresa often found it hard to pray. Besides that, she had poor health.

Teresa wasted time every day in long, foolish conversations. But one day, in front of a picture of Jesus, she felt great sorrow that she did not love God more. She started then to live for Jesus alone, no matter what sacrifice had to be made. In return for her love, the Lord gave St. Teresa the privilege of hearing him talk to her. She learned to pray in a marvelous way, too. St. Teresa of Avila is famous for having opened new Carmelite convents. These convents were filled with sisters who wanted to live holy lives. They made many sacrifices for Jesus. Teresa herself gave them the example. She prayed with great love and worked hard at the convent tasks. St. Teresa was a great leader and true lover of Jesus and his Church. She died in 1582 and was proclaimed a saint by Pope Gregory XV in 1622. She was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970. She is remembered on October 15th.

One of her prayers: 

Lord,
Thou knowest better than I myself
that I am growing older and will someday be old.
Keep me from the fatal habit of thinking
I must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

Release me from craving to
straighten out everybody’s affairs.

Make me thoughtful but not moody;
helpful but not bossy.

With my vast store of wisdom,
it seems a pity not to use it all;
but Thou knowest, Lord,
that I want a few friends at the end.
Keep my mind free from the recital of endless details;
give me wings to get to the point.

Seal my lips on my aches and pains;
they are increasing, and love of rehearsing them
is becoming sweeter as the years go by.

I dare not ask for improved memory,
but for a growing humility and a lessening cock-sureness
when my memory seems to clash with the memories of others.
Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be mistaken.

Keep me reasonably sweet, for a sour old person
is one of the crowning works of the devil.
Give me the ability to see good things in unexpected places
and talents in unexpected people;
and give, O Lord, the grace to tell them so.
Amen.