My visits with Johnnette B. Williams are airings this week on EWTN’s “Women of Grace” television.
The description for the series
“The common denominator of the human experience is suffering. We all experience it to greater or lesser degree, and if we haven’t experienced it yet, it is sure to come. After all, we live in a broken and fallen world surrounded by broken and fallen people.
So the question ought not to be. “Will I suffer?” We are assured of that. Rather the question ought to be, “What will I do when I suffer?” And the way we answer that question makes all the difference in the world.
This week’s guest on Women of Grace answered that question not once in her life, but many times over. And what she discovered was the cross, when embraced, holds abundant and beautiful treasures. In this 5 Part Women of Grace series, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle will share with us how to Discover the Beauty of the Cross.”
Part 1 through Part 5 airing all week this week on EWTN television (1:00 PM and 11:00 PM Eastern)
Always a blessing to visit with Johnnette Benkovic!
“The Kiss of Jesus” is #4 in Biographies of Catholicism
By the way, Amazon just posted that my memoir “The Kiss of Jesus” is right now #4 in Biographies of Catholicism!
Number 4 right now on Amazon in Biographies of Catholicism!
You can get your autographed copy here!
A great Lenten read. You can order your autographed copy here.
Do you believe in Angels? I do. Of course, Angels are real.
I’ve studied them, I’ve written about them, and have even experienced them. Angels are mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. I also wrote a book about Angels (“Angels for Kids“). We are all blessed to have our own Guardian Angel to accompany us through life.
Incidentally, Father Andrew Apostoli, CFR had me on his show “Sunday Night Prime” twice to discuss the holy Angels. I’ll post about that soon (and come back here at some point to leave links to the shows — check below under my signature). I don’t have an assistant or anyone that helps me with the work, so it may take a while — I’m not complaining, I do have help from my amazing Guardian Angel!
Truth be told, I don’t really have time to write this blog post, but if I don’t do so now, it might never be shared. We are about one week away from Christmas. As I type these words, I am battling a migraine. It’s a dreary wet cold day here in New England. I can’t even get the fire started properly, as there are too many ashes in the wood stove. We need to make some time to clean them out.
I haven’t had time to decorate much for Christmas and I have only stolen away a few hours recently to begin my Christmas shopping. I have been busy with life and with book writing. I am on a tight deadline for an important biography I am currently writing. Plus, my husband got very sick right after Thanksgiving and ended up in the ER one night due to a very low oxygen level.
Thanks be to God, he turned a corner and is doing very well now. I asked Jesus to please (if it was according to His holy will) spare me of the dreaded virus so that I could take care of my husband and also try to continue on with other responsibilities.
Thanks be to God again, Jesus spared me. It was a true miracle in my humble opinion. Trust me. I was endlessly coughed upon and exposed to it by a couple of other “positive” people for a number of days in close proximity, and then the 24/7 care of my husband (for about 2 weeks).
God has His reasons for everything and I am singing His praises for taking such good care of us. All the while, we are and have been praying for so many other people who are sick or suffering in some way. The ministry of helping others in need is very busy at this time.
But let me get to the point of this sharing with you …
As I mentioned, I have that very tight book deadline. Actually, it was due yesterday! Thanks to my kind and understanding publisher, I have a bit more time to complete the manuscript. However, yesterday, I was working away on it (with a migraine) and suddenly the manuscript was completely gone! Yes, I said, “gone!” It had mysteriously disappeared!
The only document that resembled the manuscript was a much shorter one that had given me trouble earlier on in the writing process, so I had copied the work I had done on there thus far, and transferred it to another document where I have been writing ever since — AND saving my work every few minutes in various places (drives) due to having had lost a bunch of important work in the past (when the hard drive on my fairly new computer totally crashed and was not retrievable). 🙁
Even with saving my work constantly, the manuscript disappeared! I’m sure you can imagine the fear that began rushing through my veins! This was months of work. All the while, I was trusting God that He would help me — somehow — that no matter what, all would be well — eventually.
My cell phone was just about dead, so, I picked up the land line phone (which had been out of order for a couple of days, but was suddenly working!) and I called a technician. I knew from past experience that I had to be very careful. I needed to get immediate help because if I did the wrong thing, I could lose the entire manuscript for good. I was getting confusing messages on the screen of my computer and every single option offered was not good — at all!
After some initial delay with the automated communication, I finally got a real person on the phone, someone with whom I would try to explain my situation and whom would hopefully and prayerfully be able to help me. Please God! I prayed.
“Hello, my name is Angel …”
“Hello my name is Angel. May I ask your name?”
You can probably imagine my surprise and delight to be speaking with someone named Angel! God is pretty amazing like that!
Well, there is just so much to the story and I don’t want keep you hanging, but I need to be a bit brief so that I can get back to my work.
In a nutshell, Angel was a true Godsend! We had the most amazing conversation. He ended up telling me that he served in the military for a number of years and that he always counts his blessings and continues to put his “life into the hand of the MAN above.” That really told me something about him.
Well, it took almost 2 hours to fix the problem and thank God it is fixed now. The last few minutes (or more!), we shared with one another about our Faith in God and even about writing. You see, this man has a book in him, just wanting to be written.
I believe God put me in Angel’s life yesterday to encourage him to write the book that has been on his heart for years now. And God certainly put him into my life to inspire Faith in my own heart and to give to me this story to share with you (not to mention the fact that Angel had saved my book)!
I told Angel that I was so delighted when I heard him tell me his name at the beginning of what would be a truly blessed conversation — one I won’t forget.
One more thing! Last evening, I swept up some piles of dirt and pieces of bark from fire wood that my husband had brought into the house, and I headed to the kitchen to get our dinner going. Right then, broom and dust pan in hand, I literally stopped in my tracks.
“Wow!” I said out loud, entering the kitchen.
It had suddenly dawned on me that I had been working on the chapter about ANGELS (and demons) when my book manuscript disappeared and all of the above happened! I hadn’t thought about that when I was in the midst of trying to save my book.
Pretty amazing!
I’ll add quickly here that during our phone conversation, I offered to give Angel my email address in case he wanted to get in touch about his future book (so I could encourage him :)) and he said he couldn’t take that over the phone since the phone call was being recorded by the company, etc. So, since we were “screen sharing” at that moment, I punched in my website and it popped up. I told him he could find out how to reach out to me through my website.
He was amazed as he looked at my website.
I wish I could tell him that one last thing, though … because I know he would think it was pretty amazing — and that is that I was actually writing about the Angels just moments before He, (Angel!) answered the phone and helped me with my huge problem. Maybe he will see this blog post. 🙂
Well, my dear Reader, please pray for my writing. I best get back to it now. I just wanted to share this with you.
Stay safe and well. Take your vitamins! I can’t help it, it’s the MOM in me! Keep praying and counting your blessings. Give God’s love to others. They surely need it, especially at this time of year.
Look at this sweet 4-year old enjoying making my Advent cookie recipe from my new book Christmas Joy with Grandma! with her Grandma! Her photo sent to me by her Grandmother and used with permission.
Create your memories Moms and Grandmoms!
Click on book cover to learn more and to order your autographed copy
Makes a nice Christmas gift or any gift — even a gift for yourself!
By the way, I have some new pretty tea cups in the shop. I pair them with my book: A Catholic Woman’s Book of Prayers. A little card goes with the set (the autographed book and one tea cup and saucer) to encourage folks to strive to make every day a celebration.
I drew from my mother’s wisdom of when she was ill with cancer in the hospital bed and decided that life was much too short to save the good china for special occasions. She vowed that when she got home she would start using her fancy dishes stored away in her china cabinet.
I say, “Let’s use our good china with joy.“ ❤️❤️❤️
Do you enjoy baking Christmas cookies with the little ones? Or with the “big” ones?! I recently wrote a book: Christmas Joy with Grandma! (published by Marian Press) and decided to conclude it with one of my own recipes for healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. Because my story’s Grandma bakes cookies with her grandchildren Anne-Marie and Joseph, I decided to call my cookies, “Advent cookies”!
I hope to start a new trend in Catholic and Christian families — baking Advent cookies when getting together during the Advent season to light the Advent candle or just while enjoying one another’s company in the home — the domestic church during the Advent season. Baking these cookies can help to highlight the important season of Advent when we are to prepare our hearts for the Christ Child at Christmas!
I’m delighted to know that a family whom has read my book decided to use my recipe in my Christmas Joy with Grandma! book to make a batch of Advent cookies (which, by the way, are suitable for any time of the year).
Have a look at their fun in the photos below and see Sophia Monica and Olivia making the cookies. Receiving these photos brought a big smile to my face! I’m glad they had so much fun and enjoyed the end results! They are creating warm memories in their family while also relishing in their precious present moments together. This beautiful family also seized the opportunity to capture a few photos for their Christmas card!
Incidentally, I asked if they enjoyed the cookies, and Mom Allison said,
“Yes! We did enjoy the cookies! They were nice and flaky hot out of the oven, and became more like a light traditional cookie once cooled. The house smelled great!”
Allison Hsu
I hope more families will make and enjoy my “famous” Advent cookies. I think I’ll start a contest soon. Families who send to me their photos of the cookies and of making them will be put into a drawing to win something special! Stay tuned for more information on the contest!
To order a signed copy of this book
Available now!
Click here to learn more and to order an autographed copy of Christmas Joy with Grandma!
To learn a bit more about this book, click here. I think you’ll also love the lush watercolor illustrations by noted watercolor artist Ann Engelhart.
A new review just came in for “Christmas Joy with Grandma!”
Click here to learn more and to order an autographed copy.
I began reading Christmas Joy with Grandma aloud to my three children and after Chapter 1, they grabbed the book to read for themselves! The illustrations are engaging and evoke a sense of nostalgia for this mom. The story is great at introducing not only the Christmas story through scripture but the rich Advent traditions of the Advent wreath and creche. I do think this book would be a great gift from grandparents to read aloud to their grandchildren to make special Christmas traditions of their own.
Allison Hsu
The Reviewer’s daughters, left to right: Sophia (face not pictured), Olivia and Monica
Officially releasing in September 2022, but I am making copies available to you right now (while supplies last)!
Click above image to learn more and to purchase an autographed copy (or use button below).
“Take an Advent journey with Joseph, Anne-Marie, and Grandmother! Together, you’ll discover the story of Christmas and get ready to welcome Jesus into your own heart and home. Beautifully illustrated, this gentle, loving introduction to the true meaning of Advent and Christmas by celebrated author Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle will become a beloved book for every family and revisited each holiday season.”
Praise for Christmas Joy with Grandma!
Great Children’s Book! It is not only a Christmas book, but an Advent book as well. Donna-Marie brings out the joy of family sharing, Advent-Christmas traditions, and the true meaning of Christmas. The smell of those Grandma’s homemade cookies exudes from each page. Read this book by a nice warm fireplace during Advent or Christmas!
Fr. Anthony Gramlich, MIC Assistant Rector of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy
Everyone loves a story – and a story is a wonderful way to teach about Advent without making it feel like a lesson. Christmas Joy with Grandma! gives grandparents and parents a way to share with littles what they believe about Advent in an easily readable and beautifully illustrated way. A great way to share the joy of our Faith!
Kimberly Hahn, author of Life-Giving Love
Donna-Marie’s book, “Christmas Joy with Grandma!” is a treasure to behold; a gift to read and share. It draws you into a place of light, joy, and love. Donna-Marie makes the “real Christmas Story” come to life. Within charming text and colorful illustrations is a vital message on waiting, and preparing for the Christ Child. I look forward to reading this with my grandchildren. Highly recommended for children and adults!
Kathleen Beckman, Author, Speaker, Praying for Priests, A Family Guide to Spiritual Warfare, Beautiful Holiness
In this dizzying, high stress era of sound-byte driven, speed-of-light communications, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle has written a simple, sweet and sincere story about the value of patience, the thrill of quiet anticipation, the beauty of grandparents, and the true meaning of family, love, and Christmas. Her new children’s book is an absolute delight!
Anthony DeStefano, Bestselling Catholic Author of A Travel Guide to Heaven, Our Lady’s Wardrobe, and Our Lady’s Picture Book
I recently had the blessing of a radio interview with Michael O’Neill on his show “The Miracle Hunter.” We had a very beautiful discussion about the history of the Miraculous Medal and also its relevance today. You might know Michael for this particular show and perhaps also for his television shows on EWTN.
I love his shows for he delves into rich history and comes up with amazing content to stir our hearts and inspire us to aspire to holiness!
Here’s a bit from the EWTN website: “‘Miracle Hunter’ Michael O’Neill delves into the fascinating world of miracles and takes listeners on a hunt that explores the greatest mysteries and marvels of the Catholic Church. From visions of the Virgin Mary and inexplicable medical healings through the intercession of Saints to the miracles of the Eucharist and those who bear the wounds of Christ, listeners will journey through the wonders that have inspired the fascination and faith of believers for centuries.”
Well, there was so much more I could say about the amazing sacramental — the Miraculous Medal, but alas, there’s only a certain amount of time on the radio! I hope you’ll get a chance to read my book, The Miraculous Medal: Stories, Prayers, and Devotions which you can see and order below. It is filled with much enthralling detail and many miraculous stories.
click book cover image (and then scroll down the “Book” page) to learn more.
The interview aired this past Saturday on EWTN radio but you can still listen on a share-able Soundcloud link here:
I had the blessing and pleasure of chatting once again with Chris Sparks on “Sparks of Mercy” podcast. We discussed a tough topic. You can read the episode details below.
EPISODE DETAILS
It may be the hardest teaching Christ ever gave us: “love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you” (Lk 5:44). How do we live it? With her customary cheerfulness and down to earth practicality, author Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle takes the impossible into the realm of the commonsensical, offering practical advice on living loving mercy toward our enemies and so transforming our modern world. To order “Divine Mercy in a Woman’s Life: Milestones Along The Way” visit ShopMercy.org.
You can tune in at any time to listen to this recording. I suggest you get yourself a beverage and pull up a chair. It’s a 40 minute (or so) podcast.
I recently came across my conversation with the wonderful folks at the Busted Halo Radio Show in NYC. On air, we discussed two of my books. By Dawn’s Early Light: Prayers and Meditations for Catholic Military Wives, as well as Catholic Wisdom for a Mother’s Heart.
I disclosed the reasons why it was important to me to write a book of prayers for the heroic military women (wives, sisters, mothers, aunts, daughters, cousins, friends, and any woman associated with the military). We also discussed Catholic women, Catholic mothers, and their amazing vocation, and so much more.
I hope you enjoy our conversation. Just click here to listen at your convenience. Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below … God bless you!
Brand NEW creation! I designed this with Benedictine Monks in mind — two Monks in particular. The two Benedictine friends have prayed for me and for the ministry. I wanted to make something special for them for Christmas. I thought they could keep the chaplet of beads, or “prayer cord” in their pockets as a protection and a reminder of prayer. After it is blessed, it becomes a sacramental.
I decided to make more of them and make them available for you for purchase. Though I made them for my Benedictine friends, this prayer cord is appropriate for anyone (male, female, Religious or layperson). Saint Benedict is beloved among many and he is known for his powerful protection.
When a St. Benedict medal or crucifix is blessed with the FULL exorcism blessing, it becomes a powerful “weapon” against evil. While my supplies last, I’ll include a leaflet with the full description of the St. Benedict medal and background on St. Benedict.
In addition, I will include a copy of the exorcism blessing for the medals, which can be carried out by a Catholic priest or deacon.
The St. Benedict Crucifix and the lovely and sturdy St. Benedict Cross, both measure about one and a half inches long. The cord measures approximately 10 and a half inches long and is made out of brown and white swirled glass beads and silver plated components and end caps on the beads. A decade of prayer can be prayed on the cord, or the entire Rosary, praying one decade at a time. In addition, one can pray a novena of prayer and an extra prayer on the 10th bead in thanksgiving (like Mother Teresa has done).
What do you think? You can comment below if you’d like.
It comes in a velvet gift bag and sells for $35.99 plus shipping. Or, two for $66.99! I will include a leaflet about the St. Benedict medal. I will also include the blessing formula for a priest or deacon to use to bless your prayer cord.
To receive by First Class Mail (in the U.S.), please use the payment button below:
To receive by Priority Mail (in the U.S.), please use the payment button below:
For orders outside the United States, please use payment button below:
To purchase 2 for $66.99, with First Class postage, please use payment button below:
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Have you ever seen my “Birds of the Air” creation? It’s a special Novena prayer bracelet to remind us of God‘s loving providence (Matthew 6:26).
“Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?”
By the way, the little picture of the bird on the clothesline with the patchwork quilt (on the card) is actually my painting ☺️. This photo shows the front and back of the prayer card that comes with the bracelet which comes in a gift box. The little “faith“ charm on the bracelet is actually a silver color. In this picture, due to the lighting, it looks a bit different.
It comes in a gift box with the prayer card and sells for $42.99 plus shipping. Or, two for $79.99!
To receive by First Class Mail (in the U.S.), please use the payment button below:
To receive by Priority Mail (in the U.S.), please use the payment button below:
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To purchase 2 for $79.99, with First Class postage, please use payment button below:
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I was inspired to create this prayer cord because a very dear friend of mine, who is dying asked me to make a cord of prayer beads for her. She loves the Mother Teresa Emergency Novena Prayer Bracelet that I had sent to her. However, she just recently desired a cord of beads, as well.
As I was making it for my special friend, I decided that I should make more of them so that it will be available for others who would like to purchase it for themselves or for loved ones. It’s a tangible item that becomes a sacramental after it is blessed. It can bring comfort to those who desire to pray earnestly for urgent matters in their own lives, their family’s life, or for some other reason. It has a very nice feel to it and you can keep it in your pocket, purse, back pack, or on your night table.
The crucifix I have used has a St. Benedict medal as part of it. So, I have had the crucifixes blessed with a full exorcism blessing. This Mother Teresa “Emergency” Novena Prayer Cord is suitable for anyone, but I think especially for women because of the feminine design. I have another design in mind that will be less flowery and I hope to make it soon.
Don’t worry with regard to the men! I just designed two other kinds of Novena Prayer Cords for men, but with St. Joseph the Worker as the theme. I’ll post it very soon!
This special Novena Prayer Cord measures approximately 10 1/4 inches in length. I recommend getting it blessed by a priest or a deacon after receiving it. It will still retain the special exorcism blessing already on the crucifix (which is my gift to you).
Comes with lovely velvet bag and prayer card
Memorare prayer on back of card.
It sells for $35.99 plus shipping. Or, two for $66.99!
To receive by First Class Mail (in the U.S.), please use the payment button below:
To receive by Priority Mail (in the U.S.), please use the payment button below:
For orders outside the United States, please use payment button below:
To purchase 2 for $66.99, with First Class postage, please use payment button below:
To purchase 2 for $66.99 with Priority Mail Postage, please use payment button below:
To order TWO outside the United States, please use payment button below:
The month of November for Catholics is supposed to be a time to prayerfully remember the holy souls in Purgatory. These souls in Purgatory are being purified to be able to get to Heaven. Their sins were forgiven before they had died, but they had not yet done penance for their sins. After we die, we can no longer pray for ourselves. The souls in Purgatory rely on, and earnestly hope for our prayers.
On the feast of All Souls, the other day, I visited a local cemetery to pray for the holy souls. It was a grey chilly day. I parked my car and got out and made my way around the cemetery, praying and observing the many grave sites. I saw some graves of little babes, just one or a few days old and laid to rest by their loving families. I saw many very simple graves and countless ornate ones too. Each person has a story. Every person is loved by God. These souls have finished their pilgrimage on earth and many are awaiting the everlasting happiness of Heaven. We need to pray for them.
Saint Faustina’s mission to save souls
In addition to her great mission to propagate the message of Divine Mercy, St. Faustina Kowalska, a great mystic of the twentieth century had a mission to save souls. In her Diary, the young Sister Faustina recounted a profound experience she had very soon after entering Religious life which touched her to the core of her being. She had asked Jesus for whom she should pray. Our Lord told her that He would tell her on the following night. Below, you’ll see this explained in the excerpt from my book and also from the Diary.
Our friend Saint Faustina earnestly prayed for souls. Souls even visited her to ask for her fervent prayers. Often, the humble mystic knew when someone was dying and she prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet for them. All throughout her Diary, we can learn about her many encounters with the souls in need of prayer.
Purgatory: a place of suffering and transformation
Helen was very familiar with interior suffering, but now in the convent, she would also taste the cup of physical suffering. At times, she felt deeply tormented mentally and spiritually over the humiliations and pain that she experienced at the hands of some of the sisters and her superiors. The pain from these interior torments sometimes caused her to suffer physically. As Helen matured in the spiritual life, she realized the great power in redemptive suffering — in offering her suffering to God and asking Him to use it for His glory. She would later write, “Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystalized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love” (Diary, 57). She also learned she could suffer her Purgatory while on earth, and that she should work hard to help free souls from Purgatory.
A few weeks after Helen went through the interior trial of feeling tempted to leave the congregation, she became physically rundown due to a variety of things, including spiritual conflicts that weighed upon her. When Helen was at the point of exhaustion, her superior decided to send her to Skolimow, near Warsaw, to the congregation’s rented summer country home. The home was used for the sisters living in Warsaw and the girls in their charge. There, Helen would get a much-needed rest, doing only the light work of cooking for the other sisters and looking after one convalescing nun.
In Skolimow, this young postulant experienced an incredibly profound mystical vision that involved her guardian angel. Helen had asked Jesus for whom she should pray. Jesus said He would reveal it on the following night. Helen was shown the souls in Purgatory. Her guardian angel appeared and instructed her to follow him. “In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls” (Diary, 20). Later, she explained her visit to Purgatory. Though she observed the souls praying fervently, Helen was made to know that their prayers could not be of any use for themselves. They needed prayers from others to aid them. Helen asked the souls what was their greatest torment. It was their longing for God. The souls were assured that they would indeed be with God in Heaven in eternal happiness, but first, they needed to be purified.
Helen also observed that the Blessed Mother, called the “Star of the Sea” by the Holy Souls, visited them and brought them “refreshment.” No doubt Mother Mary brought great hope and comfort to the souls. Her guardian angel escorted her out of Purgatory, and she heard an interior voice, “My Mercy does not want this but justice demands it” (Diary, 20). Helen was deeply impacted by this visit, and afterwards prayed earnestly for souls. Some souls would actually visit her, seeking prayers. We will discuss this more later on …
Here’s how St. Faustina penned the experience in her Diary:
“I saw my Guardian Angel, who ordered me to follow him. In a moment I was in a misty place full of fire in which there was a great crowd of suffering souls. They were praying fervently, but to no avail, for themselves; only we can come to their aid. The flames which were burning them did not touch me at all. My Guardian Angel did not leave me for an instant. I asked these souls what their greatest suffering was. They answered me in one voice that their greatest torment was longing for God. I saw Our Lady visiting the souls in Purgatory. The souls call her ‘The Star of the Sea.’ She brings them refreshment. I wanted to talk with them some more, but my Guardian Angel beckoned me to leave. We went out of that prison of suffering. [I heard an interior voice] which said, ‘My mercy does not want this, but justice demands it.’ Since that time, I am in closer communion with the suffering souls (Diary, 20).”
Praying for the holy souls
With regard to praying for the souls in Purgatory in this month of November, Marian Father, Fr. Michael Gaitley, MIC suggested, to “pay attention to what’s going on in nature, and let that consideration move your thoughts to the suffering of the souls in purgatory.”
“In other words,” he added, “as November progresses and the days become shorter and colder, as the landscape becomes barren and desolate, we can allow the somber atmosphere to gather our minds and hearts to focus on the suffering of the souls in purgatory. They also experience a kind of dark-cold barrenness and desolation that far surpasses what we endure on earth, and we should try to be mindful of their plight.”
Saint Faustina loved the holy souls so much that she asked the Lord for three special requests on the very profound day of her perpetual vows. She said, “Jesus, I know that today You will refuse me nothing.” She made her first two requests and then for her third request she said: “Jesus, I plead with You for the souls that are most in need of prayer. I plead for the dying; be merciful to them. I also beg You, Jesus, to free all souls from PURGATORY.”
I paused right there
A few days ago on the feast of All Souls, as I was meandering through the cemetery, praying for the holy souls, I came across this blank headstone. I couldn’t find a name on it anywhere. I paused and prayed right there for that person. Though, I do not know their name or anything about them, I will continue to pray for that special soul and all of the souls in Purgatory.
Please remember the holy souls in Purgatory. Try to get into a prayerful habit of praying for them in the morning and in the evening. Visit cemeteries, especially in the month of November to pray for the holy souls.
Our Lady, Star of the Sea, please help them and help us. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.
[Since writing this blog post, I have since written another. It’s about adopting a Forgotten Soul and you can see it here.]
I was blessed to sit down with Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers through the airwaves on his show “Walk by Faith Wednesday Webinars with Deacon Harold” to discuss the very holy season of Advent. Since Advent is just 3 weeks away, it’s wise to begin to think about our plans and put them into place to make a holy Advent journey. I hope you like our discussion and I encourage you to share this blog post with your friends and family members who might be interested.
I was blessed to chat with my good friend Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (https://www.deaconharold.com/) on his show: “Walk by Faith Wednesday Webinars with Deacon Harold.” We discussed Our Lady of Fatima and Her important messages and my book, Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions. Providentially, we discussed this on the anniversary of the “Great Miracle of the Sun” at Fatima. I hope you enjoy our visit! Please pass it along to your family and friends and please click “thumbs up” on the Youtube channel if you like it.
Domestic Church House Warming, Wedding, Shower, or Baptism Gift
Additional versions coming soon!
Whether this gift is for yourself and your own family or for gifting to a family at a marriage, at the Baptism of their child, a wedding or baby shower, when moving into a new home, or at any other time — it is a beautiful blessing to have special holy items in the Catholic home.
This gift includes blessed sacramentals (“visible forms of invisible grace,” shared Augustine of Hippo in the fourth century) for spiritual protection of the family and home, as well as books (and possibly a DVD) to thoroughly nourish the family and teach the Catholic Faith.
The 100% beeswax candle should be blessed and used in the home during special occasions and even in times of storm or unrest. Bring the candle to a Catholic priest or Deacon and ask for a blessing upon it.
The Holy Water bottles should be filled with blessed Holy Water from church and kept on hand at all times in the Catholic home for purposes of blessing people and things. It’s a very good prayerful habit to bless one another with Holy Water in the form of a cross on the forehead in the morning and evening, and before leaving the home. Blessed Holy Water is a sacramental and a form of spiritual protection and reminds us of our Baptism.
The Holy Water font can be hung by the front door and should contain blessed Holy Water to be used upon entering and leaving the home, or at any other time. Its can also be hung in a bedroom or any other place in the home.
FREE: gift to you from Donna-Marie —The blessed St. Benedict medals (already have been blessed with a full exorcism blessing) and can be placed at the 4 corners of the home for spiritual protection.
FREE: gift to you from Donna-Marie —The jar of Blessed Salt (already blessed with the full exorcism blessing) should be used (sprinkled) any time and anywhere spiritual protection is desired. The formula for the blessing of salt (on page 3 and 4) can be taken to a Catholic priest or Deacon, along with a supply of clean fresh salt. You can request that your new salt be blessed. You can then use that clean salt in recipes, in salt shakers at the table, (even put a couple granules on your tongue) and also to sprinkle (in homes, cars, hotels, etc.), anywhere you’d like spiritual protection. It is not a superstition to used blessed salt and it should not be used in a superstitious way. Blessed salt is a sacramentals of our Catholic Church. Salt is mentioned in the Bible and Jesus mentions salt. Using sacramentals requires faith in God.
The books: Feeding Your Family’s Soul: Dinner Table Spirituality and Reclaiming Sundays, both written by noted author, speaker, and television host Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, will help equip parents, grandparents, and caregivers with the Catholic tools to teach the Faith and to reclaim their family Sundays. Donna-Marie knows that families are very busy and gives them sure ways to slow-down to make time for family togetherness, learning the Faith, to pray and carry out works of mercy.
Donna-Marie has it all mapped out in the books and encourages parents, grandparent, and caregivers to seize opportunities to give 10 to 15 minute faith lessons right at the dinner table, or wherever and whenever it works for the family. The author also gives ways in which to carry out the lesson’s theme throughout the weeks.
The DVD: Feeding Your Family’s Soul: Simple Lessons for a Faith-Filled Home(if included in this gift set) offers 7 inspiring lessons in practical and meaningful ways. With compassion, humor, and encouragement, along with striking imagery, Donna-Marie empowers parents to reclaim their role as the primary catechists to their children.
You can learn more about Donna-Marie’s books, work, and ministry by visiting her website: www.donnacooperoboyle.com
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
(Ephesians 6: 10-11)
Order here for a version without the DVD
The version without the DVD but everything else (not shown above) is $49.00 (plus shipping)
Order here for version WITH the DVD
More than a $100.00 value, but on sale for $87.95 plus shipping (within the USA) Use the “Add to Cart” button below.
More versions of the Domestic Church Gift Set will be coming soon.
They will include various other books and a choice of other DVD’s.
You know, at times, for me, writing books is like taking “truth serum.” You might laugh. However, when I earnestly pray and deeply desire to help others get to Heaven by sharing Church teachings and amazing stories of the Saints, I often end up disclosing something very personal. It just comes out as I am steeped in prayer and writing for the greater glory of God. I thought I’d tell you that.
You see, just today, I happened to come across something I wrote a few years back. You might know that I have written many books. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to remember everything I have said. Then, if I get the occasion to read part of my own writing, sometimes I am surprised that I shared certain things. Again, it is always done in an attempt to inspire others to strive for holiness and an encouragement for them to help others get to Heaven.
I’ll share the Preface of my book Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions with you now. The words that popped out at me today are about my experiences with Mother Teresa a.k.a. St. Teresa of Calcutta”
Above is a beautiful picture that Mother Teresa gave to me with a long note on the back. You might notice that there’s a reflection of a cross on Mary’s veil. It just “happened” to show up as I was holding the image Mother Teresa had given to me. A cross on the wall of my office reflected upon the glass frame. No coincidence here!
Preface
Ninety-nine years ago, Our Blessed Mother’s great love for her children was manifested in her appearance to three young peasant children on the rocky hillside in Fatima, Portugal. During this, her first appearance, the Blessed Virgin Mary asked the children to pray the rosary for the conversion of sinners. Mary specifically instructed, “Pray the rosary every day, in order to obtain peace for the world, and the end of the war.”
As I type these words, my heart is bursting to share this important and most essential message given us from heaven. I have always loved the Blessed Mother and feel very fortunate to have been raised in the Catholic faith, knowing about our Mother in Heaven. My dear friend and spiritual mother, St. Teresa of Calcutta, whom I was privileged to know for ten years and who was very close to the Blessed Mother, encouraged me to turn to Mary often with this simple prayer.
“Mary, Mother of Jesus, be Mother to me now.”
Mother Teresa often prodded me to “bring others to Jesus through Mary.” In the almost two dozen letters she wrote to me, she frequently mentioned Mother Mary. In one she said, “Pray to Our Lady—pray the rosary very fervently, cling to Our Lady. She will surely lead you to Jesus to know His will for you.” A couple of years ago, I had the most amazing and beautiful dream on the night of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in which St. Teresa of Calcutta appeared to me and very clearly asked me if I was offering my sufferings and sacrifices. I exuberantly told her, “Yes!” But immediately after I uttered that word of affirmation to her, I was made to know that there is so much more to offer.
Recently, I took out my notebook filled with Mother Teresa’s letters, which had been lovingly typed to me on an old typewriter. Some letters of the alphabet were typed so gloriously askew, a sign of the age of the typewriter and of the faithful and frail woman whose holy passion inspired her to sit and type away, long after her duties of the day were completed. Every one of Mother Teresa’s letters to me pierced my heart with a tender love that cannot be articulated. In seeing them again, some took on new meaning and implication as I read them slowly, meditating upon the words.
In October 1987, she wrote, “Please continue praying and offering your sufferings for our Mother—she needs it most now.” All these years later, I understand more clearly what Mother Teresa was asking of me.
As my spiritual mother’s heart overflowed with passion to encourage me to know the Mother, so my heart longs to encourage you through the story of Our Lady of Fatima. I pray that as you read through the history and heavenly messages of one of the most popular and prophetic of all Marian apparitions in Church history, you will grow closer to the Blessed Mother who always leads souls closer to her Son Jesus. I am praying to the Blessed Mother and asking the intercession of Blessed Francisco, Blessed Jacinta, and Lucia to pray for me as I write this book and for each person who will read this book so that they will be deeply transformed and moved by grace!
I hope and pray that you, dear reader, will become more prayerful and interested in doing your part to bring about the conversions of sinners through your prayers and offerings of sufferings and mortifications for the glory of God. This what Our Lady of Fatima has asked of us.
Jesus and his Mother Mary await generous souls who are willing to make reparation for all those who are in danger of losing their souls to hell. Will you be a generous soul?
Let us pray to the Immaculate Heart of Mary for all of the graces that we need to be a brilliant light and a holy comfort to others each and every day in this darkened and sometimes frightening world. Don’t forget to offer your sufferings to God and to make sacrifices to save souls.
Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Fatima, our dear Mother in Heaven, please pray for us. Please help our world! We are comforted knowing that your Immaculate Heart will triumph.
Yours in prayer and in Christ’s love,
Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle
May 13, 2016 Feast of Our Lady of Fatima
***
I’ll repeat the part that popped out at me today:
“A couple of years ago, I had the most amazing and beautiful dream on the night of the Feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, in which St. Teresa of Calcutta appeared to me and very clearly asked me if I was offering my sufferings and sacrifices. I exuberantly told her, ‘Yes!’ But immediately after I uttered that word of affirmation to her, I was made to know that there is so much more to offer.”
Yes, dear Reader, there is SO much more to offer … Heaven waits for our prayers and offerings to help save souls.
God bless you!
Donna-Marie
ORDER Our Lady of Fatima: 100 Years of Stories, Prayers, and Devotions NOW for $15.99 plus shipping.
I recently designed a new NOVENA bracelet for EWTN Religious Catalogue and here is a short video highlighting my newest exclusive design. I hope you like it. Please share this post with those whom might be interested and also on your social media. Thanks in advance and God bless you!
By the way, if you are interested in purchasing this Novena bracelet, you can click here to be taken to the “Patriotic Novena Bracelet” (item 742) on the EWTNRC website.
