Does Your Throat Hurt?

 It my youth, on the closest Sunday to February 3, the priest would have us come up at the end of Mass for the blessing of the throat. He held two candles over the throat and said a prayer. I once belonged to a parish named for St. Blaise, bishop and martyr. We always celebrated St. Blaise there.

I haven't experienced the throat blessings in recent years.  My current parish is named for a long ago pope, not the bishop who blesses throats. But, this Covid variant that is going around starts with a sore throat. Maybe it is time to find some parish that celebrates St Blaise with a throat blessing today.

The Saints

 As a child of a Protestant mother and a Catholic father I didn't know much about the saints.  I didn't even know about saints who helped you sell your house, or find things, or travel safely.  I know that these are mostly superstitions, but I had never even heard of them. I had heard that it wasn't right to worship saints by the Protestants and that Catholics revered saints, but didn't worship them from the Catholic side.

After my son was born I got a little more interest in the saints.  Before then the only saint I really knew was St Frances Cabrini who has a feast day on my birthday.  I wanted to "meet" her so I read what I could find about her.  So, I started on a journey to meet the saints.

November is a good month to meet saints.  It is a month devoted to saints.  I have also come to appreciate the saints I have known.  My dad died many years ago. He was an example to me and a protector of my childhood.  He did a lot of community service and lectored at Mass. My Grandma S was also my Godmother. She was an example to me of someone with a deep faith.  She trusted God and lived through many trials in life without complaining or bitterness.  My friends Marlene and Laura died too young.  I learned so much from them about parenting and forgiving and living in courage and faith.  I have known more saints than these, but these are a few.

Someday, perhaps someone will list me as one of the saints that they knew.  I aim to be a saint.

My Sisters the Birds

 An environmental saint for today, that is St Francis.  His feast day is October 3rd, which was superseded by Sunday, so let's think about him today.  I love St Francis.  He rebuilt a church, he rebuilt The Church.  Francis invented manger scenes.  I love manger scenes.  He worked against corruption.  He lived simply, but I don't see him as a simple man.  St Francis listened to God.  God spoke to him.

Our current Pope has used St. Francis as his patron name.  It was a good choice in my book.  It is a blessed name. I wonder what St. Francis would think about today?

Be a Saint

 If you were a saint, what would you be doing right now?  Maybe you would step away from the computer?  Maybe you would change some practice in your life.  The good thing about becoming a saint is that you don't have to do it all at once.  You can start gradually.  Maybe an extra prayer here, a daily Mass there.  An encouraging word for someone who needs one.

What would you do if you were aiming for sainthood?  And if you aren't, why not?

Friday the Thirteenth

 So, I know for a fact that 67 years ago November 13 was on a Friday. It was a lucky day for me, a Friday's child who is loving and giving according to the rhyme. I came into the world a 9 pound something first baby of my family. According to my mom I was never a little baby.  I was born in Iowa, but lived in Illinois.  The hospital was across the river in Iowa.

I have always considered Friday the Thirteenth to be my lucky day.  I think just to counter all the negative publicity the day gets rather than any real conviction about good or bad luck.  Back in the day my mom, one presidential election year said she would make a cake shaped like an elephant if the GOP won the White House and a donkey if the Democrats won. I think it was a donkey that year.

I grew up in northern Illinois and my family would usually predict whether we would see snow before my birthday.  Most years we would not, but once in a while we would as I recall. It was cold in northern Illinois, not like here in the faux south of Missouri.

My birthday is the feast day of St Frances Xavier Cabrini.  She was born in Italy but came to America as a missionary although she really wanted to go to China.  She opened schools and hospitals.  She is a rather contemporary saint in that she died in 1917 in Chicago. I have found her to be a strong intercessor and I invite her to pray with me about many things.

Enjoy Friday the Thirteenth.  Make it your lucky day too.

Talking With Mary (The Mother of God) About Your Problems

I go to a spiritual director monthly.  I find I need to see her more than I do my dentist or doctor.  Health of my soul is the most important aspect of my life. Recently I was highly troubled about a relationship issue.  I was also troubled about an event that happened in the past.  I shared these things with my spiritual director.  She suggested that I find a time and talk to Jesus, Mary and St Frances Cabrini about these issues.  So I did. On a beautiful September afternoon I sat on my deck and wrote a letter that I read to those particular holy people.  Jesus, and Mary are probably obvious choices.  St. Frances Cabrini is a personal favorite of mine.  Her feast day is my birthday.

I wasn't really sure what this would do. But, I am an obedient direct-ee, so I found a time and did this exercise. The surprising thing for me was that I immediately felt lighter. I resolved years of anguish.  I was able to forgive.

I have come to believe that when an idea that I haven't previously thought of pops into my head during prayer and it is a positive or consoling idea, that idea is divinely inspired.  When I was talking to Mary the idea popped in that the person who had done the past thing that had stuck with me so long probably did it because they were ashamed.  They couldn't face me so they did something that ultimately hurt me worse.  I don't know if this is true.  But, it was what Mary told me and it makes sense and it makes it possible for me to forgive and largely get over the hurt, so it was a good thing.  I was tired of carrying around that hurt and other things I had done and prayers I had prayed had not helped as much. Praise God!

For the other thing, the relationship issue, when I was talking to Mary about my hurt in that instance she reminded me of something I had forgotten about the other person.  That memory changed my perspective on the person.  It gave me insights into the behavior and a new approach to take.  Will it help?  I hope so.  It can't hurt.

I pray to God.  I worship and adore God.  Sometimes in prayer God has answers for me.  But, I have found talking to Mary, a real woman who lived a real life among people who had all the frailties and problems of life can give me real insights into situations.  I find comfort in Mary's wisdom. And I will talk about Mother Cabrini another time.  We often have a laugh together.  

Boring Post--The Saints

 A friend who attended Catholic Grade School and High School recently admitted that she knew almost nothing about the saints.  She said that when she retired she would read about them.  Since she is in her sixties, that day isn't too far away.  But, I wonder if she will.

I was a publican (I am a cradle Catholic who never attended Catholic School). I knew very little about the saints.  This was in part because I have a very Protestant mother who had no understanding of saints.  It was in part because after Vatican II teaching of the faith was sometimes a bit sketchy.  Apparently this is even true in Catholic Schools from my friends admission.

But, I came to be interested in St Frances Cabrini who shares her saint day with my birthday.  When you see a particular saint listed every year on your birthday, you tend to get curious if you are me.  So, I had read something about her.  Then she cropped up at a moment of crisis of faith for me.  Suddenly, I got a whole lot interested in her and in all of the saints.  So, I read some things.  And I read some more things. I would be the first to admit I am no expert on saints, but I know most of the big names and something about them.  There are a few saints I feel especially drawn to, St Frances Cabrini is one of those.  I have a relic from Rose Phillipine Duschene whose shrine is just a few miles from my house. I live in a town and a county that have saints names.  I know a few saints.

It isn't hard to study the saints.  One might sit down with a book of the lives of saints, but that isn't my chosen method.  Sometimes I want to know the patron of a certain thing, or the saint whose feast is a certain date and I look it up.  I think that it is more beneficial to know a few saints than it is celebrities.  Sometimes I ask for their prayers in a tight spot.  Knowing the saints, or the ones that I do anyway, makes me feel not so alone in my life. There is always a saint to pray for me.