An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family.

He would miss the pay check, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.

When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well.
...........................................................................................................
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

This past weekend at the 10:00 Mass, I accidentally spilled some of The Precious Blood of Jesus on the carpet during Communion. I immediately placed a cloth purificator over the spill so that no one would step on the area until I could clean up the spill after Mass. After Mass ended, I went to the sacristy to get some water and additional cloth purificators to clean up The Precious Blood. When I came out into the main part of the Church, there were 3 nuns from The Children of Mary who had attended 10:00 Mass kneeling around the spilled Precious Blood with their faces down in adoration awaiting me to return. I, along with others, were quite moved by the sisters’ witness of the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. One parishioner was so moved that she snapped a picture and shared it with me.

I thought later...How many of us would think to go kneel like that in adoration until The Precious Blood was cleaned up? Certainly something to reflect upon.

Peace to all...

What to Give Up:
A LEnten Reflection

Give up on complaining -- focus on gratitude.

Give up pessimism -- become an optimist.

Give up harsh judgements -- think kindly thoughts.

Give up worry -- trust Divine Providence.

Give up discouragement -- be full of hope.

Give up bitterness -- turn to forgiveness.

Give up hatred -- return good for evil.

Give up negativism -- be positive.

Give up anger -- be more patient.

Give up pettiness -- become mature.

Give up gloom -- enjoy the beauty that is all around you.

Give up jealousy -- pray for trust.

Give up gossiping -- control your tongue.

Give up sin -- turn to virtue.

Give up giving up -- hang in there!

“Therefore, do not throw away your confidence; it will have great recompense. You need endurance to do the will of God and receive what he has promised.”
- Hebrews 10:35-36

1. Give up Sin
Show your love for God by keeping his commandments. Turn away from sins.

2. Fast
An empty stomach can lead to more attentive prayer. Give the money you saved on food to others in alms.

3. Pray
Be in constant prayer. Pray for your family and friends, for those who suffer, and for the Church and the world.

4. Do Good Works
Help those in need. Pray for them and be ready to serve them in their time of need.

5. Give alms
Help the poor and support the good works of the Church. Give cheerfully to God who has given us everything we have.

6. Abstain
Give up meat or other desirable foods during Lent, especially on Fridays, the day of Christ’s saving death on the cross.

7. Do Meditative Reading
Nourish your faith by spending time in quiet reading and reflection.

8. Control Desire for Possessions
Build up treasures in heaven rather than on earth. Cut down on material possessions, lessen wants, and share yourself- your time and your talents- with others.

9. Control Desire for Entertainment
Too much entertainment and other distractions can lead to less or no time for the works of the Lord.

10. Carry Out Duties in Life
Serve God by living out your vocation in love each day. Offer your daily life through Christ!

Saint Valentine, officially known as Saint Valentine of Rome, is a third-century Roman saint widely celebrated on February 14 and commonly associated with “courtly love.”

Although not much of St. Valentine’s life is reliably known, and whether or not the stories involve two different saints by the same name is also not officially decided, it is highly agreed that St. Valentine was martyred and then buried on the Via Flaminia to the north of Rome.

One common story about St. Valentine is that in one point of his life, as the former Bishop of Terni, Narnia and Amelia, he was on house arrest with Judge Asterius. While discussing religion and faith with the Judge, Valentine pledged the validity of Jesus. The judge immediately put Valentine and his faith to the test.

St. Valentine was presented with the judge’s blind daughter and told to restore her sight. If he succeeded, the judge vowed to do anything for Valentine. Placing his hands onto her eyes, Valentine restored the child’s vision.

Judge Asterius was humbled and obeyed Valentine’s requests. Asterius broke all the idols around his house, fasted for three days and became baptized, along with his family and entire 44 member household. The now faithful judge then freed all of his Christian inmates.

St. Valentine was later arrested again for continuing to try to convert people to Christianity. He was sent to Rome under the emperor Claudius Gothicus (Claudius II). According to the popular hagiographical identity, and what is believed to be the first representation of St. Valentine, the Nuremberg Chronicle, St. Valentine was a Roman priest martyred during Claudius’ reign. The story tells that St. Valentine was imprisoned for marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Both acts were considered serious crimes. A relationship between the saint and emperor began to grow, until Valentine attempted to convince Claudius of Christianity. Claudius became raged and sentenced Valentine to death, commanding him to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded.

St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of affianced couples, bee keepers, engaged couples, epilepsy, fainting, greetings, happy marriages, love, lovers, plague, travellers, and young people. He is represented in pictures with birds and roses and his feast day is celebrated on February 14.

There is peace in the midst of pain,
There is joy when it starts to rain,
There is happiness in the midst of a fall,
There is understanding when we don’t know all,
There is hope when we cast down our burdens,
There is grace when we walk God’s journey,
There is love when it hurts like hell,
There is endurance as we excel,
There is patience when we don’t see a way,
There is perseverance when we start to sway,
There is God doing what He knows best,
There is peace in our hearts so our minds can be at rest,
There is mercy in Jesus’s name,
There again is God who remains the same.

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman on a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beated the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the police station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, “I’m very sorry for the mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the ‘What Would Jesus Do’ bumper sticker, the ‘Choose Life’ license plate holder, the ‘Follow Me to Sunday-School’ bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. Naturally... I assumed you had stolen the car.”

Do you know me....?

I have a brother, who was an Apostle of Jesus Christ! Yet I am the first of John the Baptist’s disciples to be called by Jesus. Truth be told, I actually led my brother to Christ.

When it came time to evangelize, I headed to Scythia, which is present-day Russia. According to tradition, an Angel appeared to me and sent me to Matthew in Ethiopia; I reached him in a miraculous fashion. He was in prison and was now totally blind. I prayed over him, until he regained his sight of him. Not long after, I too was imprisoned by Quirinus, the governor of Macedonia. I was charged with inciting people to destroy the temples, and not to worship their ‘gods’. It was also a belief, that I was condemned by Quirinus and thrown to a wild boar, a bull, and a tiger -- all of which spared my life. Ultimately, I was bound to a cross that was in the form of an ‘X’, and died two days later after much suffering.

I am the patron saint of rope makers, for two reasons; one, for I was tied to my cross, and two, because as a fisherman, I often used ropes for my nets. People often call upon me to intercede for them, when they are suffering from gout, cramps, stiffness of the neck, and dysentery, which is known as my sickness.

I am..........St Andrew

Who am I

According to legend, he was given nine special privileges; his birth was announced by the same angel who gave the message to Mary, he leaped in his mother’s womb upon meeting Jesus, at his birth he was taken in the arms by Mary, he restored his fathers ability to speak, he instituted the baptism, he announced the mission of Jesus, he baptized Jesus, Jesus praised him, he made know the imminent coming of Jesus to those in Limbo.

His name means, “Yahweh is propitious”!

Often times, he is depicted wearing a garment of camel’s hair, eating locust, carrying a banner with the words “Ecce Agnus Dei” (Behold the lamb of God).

He is the Patron Saint of many groups; Tailors; because he made his own garment of camel’s hair in the wilderness and furriers belt-makers and tanners; because he wore a leather belt.
Hotel keepers and innkeepers; because of the banquet of Herod in which he participated, albeit in an unusal way.
Prisioners; because he was condemned to death.
Sword makers and those who make knives and scissors; because he was beheaded with a sharp sword.
Chimmney sweeps; because of his hairy appearance.

In paintings I am often times depicted wearing a garment of camel’s hair, a red cloak for martyrdom, a banner and a shell, from which he pours out water...

I am... John the Baptist

The Blessing of Homes at Epiphany

This is a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages, done on (or near) the Feast of Epiphany. Using chalk, mark your main door (or its lintel) with:

20 + C + M + B + 23

where 2023 is the current year. The following prayer may be said while making the marks:

The three wise men
(C) Casper, (M) Melchior, and (B) Balthasar followed the star of God’s Son
Who became human (20) two thousand and (23) twenty three years ago.
(++) May Christ bless our home (++) and remain with us throughout
the new year. Amen.

*Chalk is a incarnational image reminding us of the dust of the earth from which we were made. The initials CMB stand for the legendary names of the Magi, as well as Christus Mansioneum Benedicat,
“May Christ bless this house.”

The Christmas Poinsettias & Decorations on the Altar this Christmas Season are in Memory of...

Garret Matass & Deceased Family Members, Le’Roy Courteaux, Joey Gautier, Russell & Dot Thompson, Russell Thompson Jr, Dominick Cuti, Joe & Frances Currier, Mr. and Mrs. Leon Gelé, Etienne Gelé, Ghale Gelé, Mr. and Mrs. Leonard J. Scheurer, William F. Scheurer, Lenny Scheurer, Nancy & Joey Bellavia, Donald & Marie Schillaci, Verda & Maggie Dunn, Jack Stidham, Wanles Kellem, Harold & Linda Brown, Deceased Members of the DeLatte and Hamberger Families, Deceased Members of the Trosclair & Currier Families, Earl Dees, Penny Dees McDowell, Sid Coxwell, Corky & Chris Coxwell, JoJo and Vera Currier, Dennis Konzelman, Michelle Lynn Helton, Mike Murphy, Billy Higgins, Carl Faust, Ronald Hill, Michael Henry, Evie Ponson, Dolores Levy, Lloyd Ponson, Mike Neal, Mario Scramuzza, Warren Lepine, Marian Lepine, Penelope Ponson, Pamela Ponson Helmstetter, Judy Ponson, David Paul Delaune, Colby Delaune, Bobby Mixon, Juanita & Gerney Hall, David LeJeune, Lurline & Ernest Babineaux, and Pat Roberson

...My dear son, I will always be proud to be called Your father. I may not be here when Your Heavenly Father fulfills His plans in You. As long as I can be here, we will live together as a family of faith. Every single day, no matter what trials and challenges come our way, let us trust in God’s way for us. Let us be patient with each other, honest with each other. Let us support each other when we eed it and strenghten each other with God’s own loving patience. Let us learn God’s ways by loving others, forginging others and healing all who suffer. If You are to save Your Heavenly Father’s people from their sins, may God develop Your heart to love as God loves.

But for this moment, I cherish this time holding You, sleeping against my chest. As I await the singing that is the sign of Your mother’s return from the well, I know the angel was right: I will put my fears aside. For now the future is simple: I will teach You as my father taught me: to be a carpenter and to be a story teller. Together, we will love Your mother. Shaloam, my Son. Shaloam each day.

A pink candle that signifies joy makes sense since it is lit on Gaudete Sunday-names for the entrance antiphon for that Sunday’s Masss: “Rejoice (gaudete) in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice.” The joy is subdued, however, as the penitential violet of the other weeks lessens to rose as we move closer to Christmas.

As Advent is patterned in part after Lent, Gaudete Sunday is similar to the Lenten Laetare Sunday, which also represents joy and falls at the midpoint of Lent.

And that finally leads to the explanation for the pink candle. In the ancient Church on Laetare Sunday in Lent, the Pope gave a citizen a pink rose. The tradition has contined, as Popes bestowed golden roses on Catholic rulers and now more commonly, on places of devotion.

Following the papal rose custom, bishops and priests began wearing rose-colored vesments on Laetare Sunday. The Church then brought the Lenten practice of rose vestments to Advent on Gaudette Sunday. As a result, the pink candle gained a place in the Advent wreath.

Although the culture tells us it’s already Christmas, the Church reminds us through the pink candle of Advent that there is an appointed time for everything (Eccl. 3:1). The time now is for rejoicing-because the Lord is coming soon!

The Immaculate Conception is one of the most Catholic, most mysterious, and most misunderstood Catholic dogmas. The Immaculate Conception has nothing to do with the conceiving of Jesus within the womb of Mary - even though the Gospel reading at Mass that day is the account of the Annunciation, when the Archangel Gabriel told Mary that she was to be the Mother of Jesus. It’s within the text of that Gospel that Catholicism gets the Immaculate Conception.

Catholics believe in the Immaculate Conception, which means that from the first moment of her conception in the womb of her mother, St. Ann, Mary was kept free from original sin by the power of divine grace. So the Immaculate Conception is about Mary’s conception in her mother’s womb. The Incarnation, on the other hand, refers to Jesus’ conception in his mother’s womb.

When the Archangel Gabriel addressed Mary in the first chapter of Luke’s Gospel, he said, “Hail, full of grace.” (kercharit men in Greek, from the root word charis, meaning grace). She was full of grace because of the Immaculate Conception, a divine gift to her from God. She didn’t earn or merit it. He freely gave it to her, so she could provide a worthy, spotless, and pure human nature for Jesus.

In the Catholic Church, Advent is a period of preparation, extending over four Sundays, before Christmas. The word Advent comes from the Latin advenio, “to come to,” and refers to the coming of Christ. This refers, first of all, to our celebration of Christ’s birth at Christmas; but second, to the coming of Christ in our lives through grace and the Sacrament of Holy Communion; and finally, to His Second Coming at the end of time.
Our preparations, therefore, should have all three comings in mind. We need to prepare our souls to receive Christ worthily.

First We Fast, Then We Feast
That’s why Advent has traditionally been known as a “little Lent.” As in Lent, Advent should be marked by increased prayer, fasting, and good works. While the Western Church no longer has a set requirement for fasting during Advent, the Eastern Church, both Catholic and Orthodox, continues to observe what is known as Philip’s Fast, from November 15 until Christmas.
Traditionally, all great feasts have been preceded by a time of fasting, which makes the feast itself more joyful. Sadly, Advent today has supplanted by “the Christmas shopping season,” so that by Christmas Day, many people no longer enjoy the feast.

The Symbols of Advent
In its symbolism, the Church continues to stress the penitential and preparatory nature of Advent.

The Advent Wreath
Perhaps the best-known of all Advent symbols is the Advent wreath, a custom which originated among German Lutherans but was soon adopted by Catholics. Consisting of four candles (three purple and one pink) arranged in a circle with evergreen boughs (and often a fifth, white candle in the center), the Advent wreath corresponds to the four Sundays of Advent. The purple candles represent the penitential nature of the season, while the pink candle calls to mind the respite of Gaudete Sunday. (The white candle, when used, represents Christmas.)

Celebrating Advent
We can better enjoy Christmas—all 12 days of it, from Christmas Day to Epiphany—if we revive Advent as a period of preparation. Abstaining from meat on Fridays, or not eating at all between meals, is a good way to revive the Advent fast. (Not eating Christmas cookies or listening to Christmas music before Christmas is another.) We can incorporate such customs as the Advent wreath, the Saint Andrew Christmas Novena, and the Jesse Tree into our daily ritual, and we can set some time aside for special scripture readings for Advent, which remind us of the threefold coming of Christ.

Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil, he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot and ground coffee beans in the third pot. He then let them sit and boil without saying a word to his daughter. The daughter moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He took the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.
Turning to her, he asked. “What do you see?” “Potatoes, eggs and coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer”, he said, “and touch the potatoes.” She did and noted that they were soft.
He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face.
“Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

He explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had each faced the same adversity – the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently.

The potato went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but in boiling water, it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water, they changed the water and created something new.

“Which one are you?” he asked his daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

If you are a Lutheran, your religion was founded by Martin Luther, an ex-monk of the Catholic Church, in the year 1517.

If you belong to the Church of England, your religion was founded by King Henry VIII in the year 1534, because the Pope would not grant him a divorce with the right to re-marry.

If you are a Congregationalist, your religion was originated by Robert Brown in Holland in 1582.

If you are a Baptist, you owe the tenets of your religion to John Smyth, who launched it in Amsterdam in 1605.

If you are of the Dutch Reformed Church, you recognize Michaelis Jones as founder, because he originated you religion in New Your in 1628.

If you are a Protestant Episcopalian, your religion was an offshoot of the Church of England founded by Samuel Seabury in the American colonies in the 17th Century.

If you are Methodist, your religion was launched by John and Charles Wesley in England in 1744.

If you are a Unitarian, Theophilus Lindley founded your Church in London in 1774.

If you are a Mormon (Latter Day Saints), Joseph Smith started your religion in Palmyra, NY, in 1829.

If you worship with the Salvation Army, your sect began with William Booth in London in 1865.

If you are a Christian Scientist, you look to 1879 as the year in which your religion was born and to Mrs. Mary Baker Eddy as its founder.

If you belong to one of the religious organizations know as “Church of the Nazarene”, “Pentecostal Gospel”, “Holiness Church”, “Pilgrim Holiness Church”, or “Jehovah’s Witnesses”, your religion is one of the hundreds of new sects founded by men within the past one hundred years.

If you are Roman Catholic, you know that your religion was founded in the year 33 by Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and it is still the same Church.

“O God, I humbly beseech thee to teach me thy true religion, that leads to everlasting happiness, through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord. Amen.”

On November 1st, the Feast of All Saints' Day, some Dioceses and/or Parishes have a custom of Blessing the Catholic cemeteries or individual graves. This practice reminds the faithful that our departed brothers and sisters in Christ are in need of our prayers, especially those who are still in Purgatory.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.