"Stand fast in the faith and love one another. And don't let our suffering cause you to stumble." -St. Perpetua to her brother during their martyrdom at Carthage by wild beasts and gladiators. .
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Rome, the Eternal City, the shrine of the Early Christians. Walking in the footsteps of apostles and martyrs is a humbling and out-of-body experience. Witnessing early Christian imagery of Our Lady, the Eucharist, the Trinity, the Annunciation, and the Resurrection in churches and homes buried beneath the city brought tears to my eyes. They loved, lived, and died for these truths.
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Would I have the wisdom and fortitude to encourage my brother to stand fast in the face of a brutal death nor let my torture sway his faith? What compelled these Christians? What compelled Christ? In Today's Gospel reading, Jesus affirms, "There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, nor secret that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have said in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed on the housetops. I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body but after that can do no more. . . Do not be afraid." Luke 12:2-7
As I continue to process my Roman pilgrimage, I encourage us all to BE NOT AFRAID and cling to truth-the truth of Christ. A God where all the hairs on our head are accounted for in this life and the next. 💛🕊
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“The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.” – Archbishop Fulton Sheen
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In honor of October the Month of the Rosary, learn to pray the Rosary with a step by step guide on my blog!!! #chronicallycatholic #linkinbio #newblogpost #catholicblogger
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The Our Lady of Lourdes rosary pictured above was a heartfelt gift purchased @catholicgoodiebox.
"How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world."- Merchant of Venice, William Shakespeare
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A #fridayintroductions of sorts. How do I look in this picture? Healthy? Joyful? Tired? Comfortable? Travel enthusiast? The reality: I'm overjoyed, overwhelmed, exhausted, medicated, and passing multiple kidney stones with an aggressive headache while nauseated, but basking in the general Roman splendor.
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One of my greatest struggles is when a person asks "How are you?" and responds for the person, usually "you look good or you look . . ." This form of implied manipulation robs both persons an element of their humanity and opportunity to respond authentically. As a minimum, it's careless and potentially hurtful communication. When you ask a person how they are, please, remain silent granting them the opportunity to respond whether or not your effort is reciprocated. And I hope others treat you with the respect you deserve. If a person hurts you in this manner, pray for them and yourself.
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Compassion means "to suffer with." Being truly present to people is a dying artform. Kindness includes patience. Kindness involves vulnerability and openness to the unexpected. Kindness could involve suffering. Consider Christ with the Samaritan woman at the well or the woman hemmoraging, be present. May God bless and keep y'all.
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“Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” And he said to them, “When you pray, say:“Father, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread; and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive every one who is indebted to us; and lead us not into temptation.”
-Luke 11: 13-.
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Photo taken: October 2018, Disputation of the Holy Sacrament by Raphael, Stanza Stella Segnatura Room Papal Palace.
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Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
where there is sadness, joy.Â
O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
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