“Listening For God ” Conference

I’ll be speaking at a conference this week end. It’s all about “Listening Fr God” and orchestrated by Teresa Tomeo to follow up her book title Listening For God.

I’ll also participate in a LIVE panel discussion. You can click here to learn more and to register for FREE. There are some paid features available as well.

There are more than 50 speakers who will present, including: Al Kresta     Alyssa Bormes     Amy Smith     Anne DeSantis     Annie Karto     Anthony Coniglio   Bug Hall     Chris Martin     Crystalina Evert     Damon Owens     Deacon Dominick Pastore    Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle     Dr. Edward Sri     Dr. Mario Enzler     Dr. Matthew Bunson     Dr. Ray Guarendi      Ellen Salter      Fr. Andrew Dawson     Fr. Chris Alar, MIC     Fr. Edward Looney   Fr. Frank Pavone     Fr. John Trigilio, Ph.D.     Fr. Leo Patalinghug     Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S.J.   Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J.     Gail Buckley-Barringer     Gail Coniglio     Gary Zimak   Greg & Julie Alexander     Hope Ponsart     Janet Morana     Jason Evert     Jeff Cann   Jeff Cavins     Joan Lewis     Joe Matthiesen     John Hale     John Wisely     Joseph Warren   Julie Perolio     Kaitlyn Curtin     Kathy Crombie     Kelly Wahlquist     Kevin Wells     Kristine Hass   Linda Schaefer     Marge Steinhage Fenelon     Michelle Johnson      Mike Aquilina      Orlando Javien Jr.     Patti Maguire Armstrong     Peter Herbeck     Steve Ray     Teresa Tomeo     Tony Frasco   Vanessa Denha-Garmo    Marcus Grodi.

I hope that you register and tune in at your leisure. Register for FREE here!

Are We Doing Lent Wrong?

My friend Lisa shared a very sweet video of her granddaughter Lucy, who in less than a short minute tells us how to do Lent right! I hope that you will enjoy this short, lively, and absolutely precious tutorial!

Click on the video below and let me know in the comments below how much you enjoyed her video and if it might help you on the remainder of your Lenten journey. 🙂

“How to Love Like Mother Teresa”

I recently gave a presentation to the women of Faith & Wine in Lee County, Florida (as well as all of the others tuning in virtually from many parts of the world. The title of my presentation is “Small Things with Great Love: How to Love Like Mother Teresa.” You can see it in below by clicking on it. The woman in the first frame is the lovely Host who introduced me to the Zoom conference.

I suggest that you get yourself a beverage and get comfy. The presentation lasts a bit over an hour. Or, you can watch some, pause and pick up again as time allows.  I hope that this presentation will stir your heart.

Dear Anonymous

Thank you for your letter. I hope that you are well. I’m glad that you wrote I’ll try to answer your questions and I hope it will be helpful to you …

You stated in your letter that I have a “ridiculously long name.” Let’s start with that. My first name is “Donna-Marie.” My mother placed a hyphen in my name when she named me and when baptized because she liked the name that she gave to me and was hoping that the hyphen would prevent people from shortening my name. I don’t mind if people call me “Donna” or “Donna-Marie.” I am perfectly fine with either.

Many years ago, when my first book was going to be released for Catholic mothers titled, “Catholic Prayer Book for Mothers,” I decided to use my full first name for the book, rather than just simply “Donna” as others had shortened it to. I did it to honor my dear deceased Mother.

I decided to keep my maiden name of “Cooper” in order to show honor to my dear deceased father. And my last name, “O’Boyle” is to honor my dear husband.

You asked me what makes me “feel important.” I don’t feel important. I do feel deeply blessed to be a daughter of the Most high God. 

You asked, “Who” am I “to give spiritual advice? What qualifies you? Nothing!”

I am a Catholic woman, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, an author, a catechist, and an evangelist. I am no better than anyone else. However, I have been asked to share my insights, advice, and teachings. I do so because I love our Lord and want to serve His people. 

You stated, “All you do is prattle on to people to pray. Isn’t that brilliant?!”

I don’t think it’s brilliant. Rather, it is out of love that I encourage others to pray. I know by faith and our Church’s teaching that it is the only way to Heaven. I want to share that with as many as possible. 

Yes, you are correct. St. Jacinta and St. Francisco were sick. They were very sick. I have never said that they had a “mysterious illness.” However, I do share with people that through their sincere and earnest prayers; following requests from Our Lady of Fatima, they suffered with much love and courage for the conversion of souls. They had been shown a vision of hell by the Blessed Mother and did not want anyone to suffer the terrible fate of burning in hell. Yes, hell exists and there is a consequence for sin. And prayer (as was mentioned above), is essential for everyone. It helps our own souls and the souls of others. 

You stated that I am “making money on religion and spouting holiness.” It seems that you might have come up with your questions and comments after seeing me or hearing me in interviews. I suspect you have seen me on EWTN television sharing about Fatima and the shepherd children. You did send your letter to EWTN, after all. 

I do not get paid anything for my appearances on the media to share about the Gospel and God’s love, the spiritual life, etc. I don’t get paid for any of the television series that I have created and that I host on EWTN television. It is out of love for God and His people that I share.

You stated that Catholics are not required to believe in Fatima or Lourdes, etc. You are correct in that we are not required. However, the Church in Her goodness and wisdom points us to the authentic powerful apparitions that will aid our souls. 

You asked, “Why do we need another book on St. Faustina? Well, to try to put it succinctly, God’s Divine Mercy is so very important to every single person. We need God’s Mercy! Saint Faustina is a wonderful and perfect spiritual guide to help us to understand it more.

You stated, “You drop names all the time — Mother Teresa, Fr. Apostoli, John Hardon. Whoop-de-do!”

When someone is sharing about another’s example and holiness, it would be wise to state their name, wouldn’t it? I share about the Saints quite often. They are our sure intercessors. They help us to get to Heaven!

I hope that my letter to you will be helpful. I wish you well and I am praying for you to feel better. You seem to be upset and hurting. May God profoundly touch your heart and soul in a special way. God bless you!

Yours, in Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,

Donna-Marie 

Free Zoom TONIGHT!

I am still in recovery for Covid but I am happy to announce that I will be giving a presentation on Mother Teresa TONIGHT titled, “Small Things with Great Love: How to Love Like Mother Teresa.” It’s at 7:00 PM Eastern (tonight, Thursday, Feb. 25th) and there is still a bit of time to register for this free program. Feel free to share this post with others who might be interested.

Maybe I’ll see you tonight! Well, actually I won’t see you through Zoom, but you will see me. 🙂  Here is the link to register for Zoom.

Quarantine Diary: What day is it?

I have lost tract of the days. I guess I was not successful in writing a bit each day of quarantine. I haven’t been well enough to do so. I’ll force myself to write this post now.

Our view for all of this time…a dried up old Christmas tree…

I think today is “Day 8.” However, as I explained on “Day 1,” it is really further along in the quarantine, but I started posting blog posts after the fact. Now, if that is not totally confusing! 😉 I write this post today with a very bad head ache. I’ve already taken a lot of pain medication and I am praying for some relief from the unrelenting head aches.

I’ll try to catch you up a bit. C*v*d is a terrible illness. I hope you don’t get it. It varies with each person. Some folks get mild versions, while others suffer terribly and end up in the hospital, or even succumb to death. Each and every day and night I pray for those who are going to die (by whatever reason) that they will turn to God before taking their last breath so that they can make it to Heaven and not Hell. We must pray for the dying.

My husband and I are very fortunate thus far, that we are dealing with this awful illness at home alone back in the woods of rural Connecticut. So far, we have stayed out of the hospital and we are not “spring chickens!” We have each had a couple of virtual doctor’s appointments so far. That is after our in person visits to do the 3 tests–2 for C*v*d and 1 for the flu. Our C*v*d was positive.

Much effort to peel this little orange, but we are working hard at nourishing ourselves…

It’s a mystery with regard to how we contracted this debilitating illness. I stay home and work here and my husband works alone at his little shop. I have a feeling that my husband picked it up at the grocery store, possibly from a grocery cart handle or from someone there who was sick. We will never know.

It is a very real illness, despite what some choose to believe, perhaps due to what some consider “hype” or political agenda. It is real and it is debilitating. I hope and pray that you don’t get it. Or, that if you do, that it will be mild, please God. Our cases are not mild. However, we are extremely thankful that our severe chills and high fevers seem to be gone now, as well as the horrible sore throats. We hope that they don’t come back. This illness is unpredictable. We are still dealing with many other symptoms; including the awful cough, congestion, severe head ache, random sharp pains, deep bone and muscle pain, exhaustion and weakness.

Each and every day, several times a day, I earnestly cry out to God as Our Lady of Fatima has taught us to pray while we offer our suffering:

“It is for the love of You, the conversion of sinners, and for the reparation of the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary.”

We will get through this with God’s merciful grace. I want to thank you with all my heart for your prayers for us and for all those who are suffering. I am praying for you too!

Quarantine Diary: Day 1

I am in quarantine at home with my husband. We are both very sick with C*v*d. I am not even going to spell out the name of the illness because I have noticed that when that word is mentioned on social media, the “powers that be” automatically insert links to various information (propaganda??) about it. They do the same for political posts.

That aside, as I lay feverish in bed last night, I thought I would attempt to write a short blog post each day of my quarantine during this awful illness. I have no idea what I will write about, or if I’ll have the strength to do so. However, I shall try. Perhaps, just a few words or brief reflection each day.

We shall see how it goes.

Well, first off, today is not technically “day one” of my quarantine. But, I guess it’s “official” now. My husband and I have been quarantined since the afternoon of New Year’s Day/Solemnity of the Great Mother of God. That is when the terrible onset of my husband’s illness came on with great gusto.

Chills, high fever, cough and congestion descended upon him without mercy. I took care of him and we hoped and prayed for the best. We didn’t know if it was a virus, flu, or the dreaded C*v*d. The illness progressed with great vigor while we tried to steady the ship in that stormy sea of fever and pain.

I think I should insert a link here to my latest newsletter that explains what led up to now. You can read the brief newsletter here and then continue with this blog post.

Two nights after my husband’s onset of illness, I succumbed to the same illness. The terrible unnerving chills, high fever and deep bone pain assaulted me. After getting my husband settled for the night and getting into bed with a raging fever (even with 3 Advil under my belt,) I hung tightly to my rosary beads and pleaded with Our Lord and Our Lady to get me through the night, and if it is God’s holy will, to enter the new day with a renewed strength in which to to take care of my husband. 

Thanks be to God, my fever was down in the morning. The symptoms progressed, but I was able to care for my husband who was pretty bad off with coughing and congestion. I put another call in to the doctor’s office to get set up tests for the dreaded C*v*d.

We had a virtual appointments with the doctor and my husband and I were scheduled for the testing the following day.

I’ll stop there for now, because I want to share a wee bit from last night before my weakness and pain causes me to log off my computer…plus, I do need to muster my strength to make my way to the kitchen to figure out something for us to eat…

I’m back to this blog post now. Turns out that I had to take time away from this writing due to exhaustion and various C*v*d symptoms.

So…back to last night…

When fever and pain awakened me around 3:00 AM, I took my temperature and learned that the fever was back and after taking some more Advil, I opened my night stand drawer to bring out my mother’s Bible that I had kept in there for safe keeping. I hadn’t cracked it open in quite some time. It was the perfect time to do so. I propped up my pillows and began reading from the Psalms which I had flipped opened to.

I read a few pages and ended on:

Take courage and be stouthearted, all you who hope in the Lord” (Psalm 31:25).

I placed my mother’s Bible back into the drawer of my nightstand. I blessed myself with Holy Water and laid back down and prayed that I could get some more sleep.

EWTN’s Bookmark about 2 of my Fatima books

On this 103rd anniversary of the great Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, I’d like to share the following YouTube video of my interview with Doug Keck for EWTN’s Bookmark television show. In it we discussed my two Fatima books and Our Lady of Fatima’s message.

Click on YouTube video below…

EWTN Bookmark Interview

Here is my interview with Doug Keck on EWTN’s Bookmark television show. We discussed three of my books: Small Things with Great Love: A 9-Day Novena to Mother Teresa, Saint of the Gutters, Advent with Our Lady of Fatima, and 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina: A Year of Grace and Mercy.

You can tune in above by clicking the video or tune in here on Youtube at your leisure. If you like it, Please take a second to give it a thumbs up on You tube. 🙂

This was a very different kind of interview as compared to all of my other visits with Doug Keck for EWTN’s Bookmark. Doug and his lovely producer Lee South were off site so we conducted the interview through a video camera, an ear piece, and microphones (and I was seated on a high stool!).

Unfortunately, the technology was not the best and the feedback in my ear and very loud echoing as I was answering Doug was so disconcerting. I had to persevere and move forward, pretending all was well. 🙂 I’m always amazed at how the interviews come out, despite the technological problems.

Reflecting on 9/11

My friend June who had worked nearby to the horrifying devastation that occurred on 9/11 paused to reflect upon the events of her day, and nineteen years later, has shared her thoughts with me.

“I was living in Westchester County, north of New York City,” she recalled, “and taking the Metro-North commuter railroad to Grand Central terminal on the East side of New York City each day.” This began her trek to work, which she did so often, she could probably do it in her sleep!

It began as a typical work day for June. Buses, taxis, trucks, and cars were out in full force. Shop owners were opening their doors for business, while conversations emanated from newsstands and breakfast kiosks, and the unmistakable satisfying rich aroma of freshly brewing coffee wafted through New York City’s air. 

My friend recalled her typical morning, “I would then walk to my office at the Verizon location at 42nd Street and 6th Avenue.” Every day, June naturally took in the day-to-day New York City sights and sounds as she walked briskly to get to work. 

Looking south from 6th Avenue, the view was dominated by the twin towers. 

Though the daily sights and sounds along June’s commute were pretty much predictable, she remembered that on that particular morning, she had made a point to pause and make a mental note of appreciation of the incredible beauty that caught her eye. 

June told me, “As I reached 6th Avenue and approached the Verizon building, I recall looking south, seeing the towers, and thinking what a beautiful day it was. Without a single cloud, the sky was an incredible rich blue.” 

Mental note taken, she kept up her swift morning pace and got to the office for what she imagined would be yet another true to form work day.

That striking eye-catching beauty that June had gazed upon earlier and so much more was about to quickly evaporate. As June recalled, “I was on a call, when someone came to my office to tell me that a plane had hit one of the towers.”

Dumbfounded, June went over to one of the offices with a view south and “saw just one tower standing.” 

“For the sake of His sorrowful Passion…”

She immediately turned to God. June said, “I prayed for everyone, including friends who were working at the Verizon building across the street.” Within minutes, a second plane hit the other tower. As June watched in utter disbelief, she shared, “The second tower fell.”

She added, “I recall praying the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for all the souls.”

The Empire State Building is just eight blocks from the Verizon 42nd Street building. “Fearful that a third plane might target the Empire State Building,” June said, “about 11 AM, upper management advised us to vacate the building and head home.” June made immediate arrangements with her brother who was working at the same location. They met in the lobby, along with another worker, who headed out with them. June said, “Because no trains were leaving from Grand Central, we decided to walk to my brother’s home in Queens.”

June deeply reflected and continued to share her experience, “By 11 AM, with almost all traffic stopped and no planes flying overhead, and the hushed tones of other people nearby, midtown New York City was eerily quiet.” She told me that suddenly everything had dramatically changed. There were, “No engines humming, no impatient horns tooting, no boisterous crowd conversations.” None of that was left—it had totally, frighteningly dissipated into thin air, it seemed.

June called to mind, “It was spooky without all the noise of daily hustle and bustle.” She  vividly remembered, “With so many walking—heading uptown, walking across the bridges usually filled with vehicles—the visual was like that of refugees walking miles to safety.”

Eerie silence remains vividly in her thoughts

June could not forget. “Everyone was focused on the billowing smoke where the towers had been downtown.That frighteningly eerie silence is still very vivid in my thoughts.”

“We walked about seven or eight miles into the heart of Queens,” June shared. The siblings found a tour bus driver who was willing to take them a few miles farther. June said, “At that point, off the bus, we neared the famously heavily traveled Long Island Expressway.” 

June recalled the experience. Even eerier still, “With no vehicles traveling on the Expressway, the only sounds we heard were the booms of fighter jets flying overhead.”

June’s brother contacted a parish priest who is a good friend stationed at a church about three miles from where they were at the time. “The priest had to navigate through police blockades but did reach us about an hour later.” June will never forget that long journey when, amid countless others who suddenly found themselves in the same inconceivable predicament, the three of them kept putting one foot in front of the other to get to safety. 

“We started our journey at 11 AM and reached my brother’s home about 4 PM.”

It was a trek that June, her brother, their priest friend, and thousands of others would never forget. June said, “I stayed with my brother overnight. The following day, he was able to drive me to the Westchester train station where I had left my car the previous morning.” 

As June recollected, she stated a couple of times, “I can hardly believe that all this, and more in the months that followed, happened 19 years ago!” It is still so very fresh in the minds of countless people.

June counted her blessings and told me, “We were fortunate to have been far enough uptown to only see the macro picture of what was happening, but our friends who worked at the Verizon building across the street from the towers saw, felt, and experienced everything within a couple of hundred feet.” 

June stated, that because of the unimaginable horrendous trauma, “A number of them suffered from PTSD afterward and still have difficulty today.” 

Sadly, in addition to the horrifying devastation thousands have experienced and have even perished from, many others suffer from “survivor’s guilt,” and, as June pointed out, “many are reliving the trauma of seeing everything close up.”

June shared with me, “My brother and I pray each year for the deceased and also for the survivors, those friends and heroes who were there that day and those who worked later at the site doing rescue, recovery, and cleanup.” 

June encourages us, “If you haven’t had an opportunity to go to the memorial and museum, both are beautiful solemn tributes.” 

Mother Teresa’s “Inspiration Day”

Our first meeting with Mother Teresa. She grabbed my daughter’s little face. We had a very blessed conversation which I have shared in my books…

Joy is the sign of union with God, of God’s presence. Joy is love, the normal result of a heart burning with love.”

Mother Teresa
My son Joseph in my arms years later one time when we visited Mother Teresa in a private meeting. What a gaze!

Today…

Today is a special day. It’s the anniversary of when St. Teresa of Calcutta (whom I still refer to as Mother Teresa), received what she referred to as her “Call within a call” to start her religious order the Missionaries of Charity. I thought I’d tell you about it by using a couple of excerpts from my books.

From my book Advent with Our Lady of Fatima, I’ll share first about Mother Mary and Mother Teresa and then tell you how Mother Teresa’s journey to found the Missionaries of Charity began:

Mother Teresa Stands with Mary at the Foot of the Cross

Mother Teresa was madly in love with Jesus and His holy Mother. She chose the Immaculate Heart of Mary as her special patroness and established that special feast day as the titular feast for her congregation. We know that the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a big part of Our Lady of Fatima’s message. Mary’s Im- maculate Heart is full of love for all her children. But it is even more than that.

I will share something rather contradictory. I just said that Mary’s heart was full, and it is full of love and grace, but some- one else — a credible source — says it is empty. In his book Mother Teresa: In the Shadow of Our Lady, Father Joseph Lang- ford, MC, cofounder with Mother Teresa of her community of priests, the Missionaries of Charity Fathers, writes, “The Im-maculate Heart of Mary refers not only to Our Lady’s love and virtues, but also to her interior emptiness of self in imitation of Christ who ‘emptied himself’ to save the human race.” He continues, “Our Lady’s heart is the emptiest of all human hearts, the emptiest of self and the emptiest of pride, and therefore the most ready to give a heart’s welcome and shelter to those who are shelterless.” Fr. Langford knows that Mother Teresa understood the mystery of Mary’s Immaculate Heart: “Mother Teresa saw this as the condition both for receiving and giving God to the full.”

Those dusty train tracks…

Let’s step back to those dusty, often unreliable train tracks, and that rickety steam train running slowly down them in 1946. It was nearing autumn, and the thirty-six-year-old Sister Teresa left Calcutta to head to West Bengal, where she departed in Siliguri to board the small train to Darjeeling on the last leg of her journey. As I mentioned earlier, she had received her “call within a call” on September 10, 1946, while sitting on that hot, crowded train en route to her annual retreat. As the train made its way on the tracks, amid the sometimes-deafening noise, the humble nun distinctively heard Jesus speaking to her heart. She became profoundly aware of her great and holy work ahead: taking care of the poor and the salvation of souls. After that very eventful train ride, Mother Teresa received countless extraordinary revelations from Jesus, informing her of the mission entrusted to her and reiterating what He wanted. This went on for over a year. Then, at the end of 1947, Jesus revealed a series of three visions to Mother Teresa. She was shown a crowd of the poor in each of the visions. In the first vision, she saw the reality and painful poverty of the poor, and their inner poverty. She saw herself in the scene and the poor were reaching out to her. In the second scene, the Blessed Mother was amid the poor with Mother Teresa kneeling at her side. Our Lady spoke to her:

Take care of them—they are mine. Bring them to Jesus — carry Jesus to them. Fear not. Teach them to say the Rosary, the family Rosary, and all will be well. Fear not — Jesus and I will be with you and your children.

The Blessed Mother is intimately linked to God’s call to Mother Teresa. In the third vision, the distressed crowd is in darkness, seemingly unaware of the presence of Jesus in their midst, hanging from the Cross. Our Lady and Mother Teresa are there, too. But, this time Mother Teresa saw herself as a little child. The Blessed Mother was supporting Mother Teresa, one hand on her shoulder and the other on Mother’s outstretched arm. Our Lady was providing the strength that Mother Teresa needed in that moment. Mother Teresa’s right arm was out- stretched toward Jesus on the Cross. Jesus spoke to Mother Teresa.

“I have asked you. They have asked you. And she, my Mother, has asked you. Will you refuse to do this for me — to take care of them, to bring them to me?”

With God’s grace, and Mother Mary’s incredible help, Mother Teresa was able courageously to give her fiat of accep- tance for such an arduous and beautiful mission. Mother Mary was always nearby to support her as Mother Teresa carried out the work of striving to satiate the thirst of Jesus for the salvation of souls and to bring the poor to Jesus and Jesus to the poor. As well, the petite nun had the huge responsibility of managing her newly founded religious congregation and forming all her Sisters, and later, the brothers, priests, coworkers, and lay Missionaries of Charity who would follow. Again, Our Lady assisted Mother Teresa every step of the way.

Father Langford, who wrote about Mother Teresa and the Blessed Mother, spoke about the two in an interview. “As it was Our Lady who brought St. John, alone among the Twelve, to stand faithfully at Calvary,” Fr. Langford explained, “so it was Our Lady who brought Mother Teresa through the sea of suffer- ing opened before her, that she might shine the light of God’s love on the poor.”

Although the “two-way communication” that I mentioned earlier ceased when Mother Teresa endured the Dark Night, she continued to trust God and moved forward with love to accomplish God’s holy mission entrusted to her. Mother Mary never left Mother Teresa’s side.

Visiting Mother with 4 of my children at the time.

Reflect

Has God redirected your life in some radical way? Do you think He can? Will you allow it? We cannot all be Mother Teresas, but we are all, without a doubt, called to a life of holiness. Mother Teresa often said that holiness is not a luxury of the few but a simple duty for all. Take time to ponder how Mother Teresa was devoted to Mother Mary and relied upon her for powerful help. As we read in the passage beginning today’s reflection, Mother Teresa reminds us, “With great love and trust stand with Our Lady near the Cross.”

Pray

Dear Jesus and Our Lady of Fatima, please help me to remember to turn to you often during this Advent, especially when I am suffering in some way. St. Teresa of Calcutta, please pray for me. Immaculate Heart of Mary, please pray for me. Help me to become a saint to bring glory to God!

From my book “Small Things with Great Love”

In one of her letters to me, Mother Teresa asked me to “Be the one.” She was referring to the verse above, beginning this day of our novena: “I looked for compassion, but there was none, for comforters, but found none” (Psalm 69). She told me that Jesus said he looked for one to comfort him but found none. She reminded me that he experienced deep loneliness in the Garden and on the Cross. 

Mother Teresa encourages us all to “be the one.” More likely than not, we won’t be pulling maggots out of anyone anytime soon. But, what about the love we can show in our gentle smile at someone who is mean to us, or in the time we give to someone who needs to vent, or in being present to our family members, our neighbors, our co-workers when we are exhausted, and in showing love to a complete stranger when it is difficult to do so. Opportunities unfold for us to love sacrificially every day. Take time to ponder your own life and how God might be calling you to love more sacrificially. Strive to “be the one” to comfort Jesus through your prayers and good works.

Novena Prayer

This is the novena prayer I wrote for my book Small Things with Great Love: A 9-Day Novena to Mother Teresa the Saint of the Gutters:

St. Teresa of Calcutta, please hear my prayer. 

You are a faithful and devoted servant of our Lord and of his poor—those you called, “The poorest of the poor,” those in the greatest need, and those for whom our Lord instructs us to serve, saying, “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers you do to me.” Through your life of holy service, you demonstrated the joy of loving and taught us the greatness and dignity of every human being, from conception to natural death. Your continual walk in faith to serve those in need even as you were stricken with hardship and darkness floods my soul with great hope. Please, dear Saint of the Gutters, help me in my present need by presenting my prayer petition before the throne of God. [Here, mention your request.] 

Please also intercede for me so that I may have the strength and courage to give my own personal “yes” each day and so that I will come closer to our divine Lord Jesus Christ, ultimately joining you one day in praising him forever in heaven. 

Amen.

Be the One

I mentioned this earlier in my excerpt, however, I’ll mention it again–Take time to ponder your own life and how God might be calling you to love more sacrificially. Strive to “be the one” to comfort Jesus through your prayers and good works.

“Roots and Wings” Bracelet for Empty Nest Parents and Grandparents of Kids Going off to School, College, and Life!

I felt inspired to create a lovely bracelet design (which becomes a sacramental after it is blessed) for parents and grandparents of kids away from home. I designed the first two to be a bit fun and uplifting by using the lively colors of glass art beads.

One is a bit more colorful than the next which has darker beads (using blacks and white and some other colors). I made them with my signature nine-beads to represent a novena of prayer and also the nine-month pregnancy of human-life!

I believe having something tangible like these bracelet can bring a needed dose of hope and inspiration to the hearts of parents and grandparents who are missing their beloved kids and grandkids.

It is also a reminder to pray for them continuously.

We give them Roots and Wings!

I have added a touch of “empty nest” as well as giving them “wings” idea to the design by adding a sweet bird with nest charm. The featured medal is of the Holy Family of Nazareth and on the back of the medal is an image of a Guardian Angel. Each bracelet also has a crucifix and a Miraculous Medal.

No two bracelets will be exactly alike because I will place the colors in various different places on the bracelet and might add slightly different silver spacer components.

As well, I’ll be designing a couple of more “Roots and Wings” bracelets very soon so that there will other options for those who do not prefer such a “dazzle dazzle” colorful design with these larger beads.

Delivered to you…

Each bracelet will come to you in a gift box with a prayer card. I have composed the novena prayer that is on the back of the card that you see here in the photo above.

Here is just one more “Roots and Wings” design, a smaller beads.

I have added a touch of “empty nest” as well as giving them “wings” idea to this design as well, by adding a sweet bird with nest charm and two sweet silver bird components near to the slightly hammered style silver toggle clasp. The beads are sapphire blue glass combined with ceramic blue and white flower pattern.

The featured medal is of the Holy Family of Nazareth and on the back of the medal is an image of a Guardian Angel. Each bracelet also has a crucifix and a Miraculous Medal.

What think ye?

They are available at my “Bracelet Shop” for your purchasing options.

Our Lady of Sorrows

September is the month to remember Our Lady of Sorrows. The feast (or Memorial) day is celebrated on September 15th.

Every morning, as part of my Morning prayers, I stand before an old painting of the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary which hangs in my living room.

There, before the image, I ask Mother Mary’s help for so many needs as well as for all those whom have asked my prayers. It has become an important prayer habit of mine to do this. Mother Mary is so much a part of our lives as Catholics. Mary works tirelessly to usher us close to her Son Jesus Christ. Everything she does points us to Jesus. After all, she succinctly told the wine stewards at the Wedding Feast at Cana to “Do whatever He tells you,” (John 2:5) thus helping to bring about her Son’s first public miracle.

According to Catholic teaching, (you can see more here) the feast is dedicated to the spiritual martyrdom of Mary, Mother of God, and her compassion with the sufferings of her Divine Son, Jesus. In her suffering as co-redeemer, she reminds us of the tremendous evil of sin and shows us the way of true repentance. May the numerous tears of the Mother of God be conducive to our salvation; with which tears Thou, O God, art able to wash away the sins of the whole world.

As Mary stood at the foot of the Cross on which Jesus hung, the sword of sorrow Simeon had foretold pierced her soul. Below are the seven sorrows of Mary: 

  1. The prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35)
  2. The flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13-15)
  3. Loss of the Child Jesus for three days (Luke 2:41-50) 
  4. Mary meets Jesus on his way to Calvary (Luke 23:27-31; John 19:17)
  5. Crucifixion and Death of Jesus (John 19:25-30)
  6. The body of Jesus being taken from the Cross (Psalm 130; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:31-37)
  7. The burial of Jesus (Isaiah 53:8; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Mark 15:40-47)

Symbols: heart pierced with a sword; heart pierced by seven swords; winged heart pierced with a sword; flowers: red rose, iris (meaning: “sword-lily”), cyclamen.

Recent Inspiration!

Recently, I felt inspired to create a new bracelet in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows. It is called the “Seven Sorrows of Mary Bracelet.”

It is at my Bracelet Shop where you can see more and also where you can purchase. The bracelet comes in a gift box with a card explaining the Seven Sorrows.

Nuggets of Spiritual Nourishment for Catholic Moms

There is no doubt about it–Catholic Moms hit the ground running every morning! During this worldwide pandemic, that “ground” might be within the walls of her domestic church.

Mothers of every age and stage could certainly use a 5-Minute Retreat to give them a good shot in the arm for strength and wisdom to walk (or run!) forward in Faith. That’s why I wrote this book, Catholic Moms Cafe: 5-Minute Retreats for Every Day of the Year.

Fr. Mitch Pacwa from EWTN had something to say about my book:

So many people are so busy.

Moms find it difficult to structure a time for personal prayer, especially stay at home Moms. So many variables are beyond her control feeding and its concomitant processes in infants, illnesses, emergencies, etc. Finding time for prayer is a luxury in a world determined by the demands of others, particularly loved ones, particularly when they are little ones. This book is a handy tool to bring relief by setting aside a short time with profound and relevant meditations for Moms by a Mom. When a few quiet minutes appear, this is a great spiritual help with the cup of coffee and some time with our Lord.

Certain great saints are gourmands of the spiritual life. Doctors of the Church, such as St. Catherine of Sienna, O.P., St. Theresa of Avila, O.C.D., and many others were able to savor spiritual delights over many hours of deep and mystical prayer. The vocations opened these opportunities to them.

The vocation of motherhood opens eternal opportunities that most religious sisters miss sharing life’s adventures with a man [her husband] whose love can open up a life of whole new adventures, some of whom enter the world crying, hungry, needing special consolations, including dry diapers and nursing through illnesses. 

The adventures of husbands and children generally place limits on the amount of time available for savoring spiritual nourishment. However, the quality of spiritual food need not be compromised just because the time for savoring is short. Of course, a person might snack on spiritual junk food that gives a sugary high, or a saccharine substitute for authentic spiritual sweetness, a fried potato or corn chip that fills the hunger with empty spiritual calories all of which can be found in New Age falsehoods or superficial Christianity.

On the other hand, an appetizer that tides one over until there is time for a meal can be truly healthy, delicious and full of spiritual nutrition. These short daily meditations in Catholic Mom s Café are a long table full of tasty, spiritually nutritious appetizers for the soul of a busy Mom. One can snack on them in a short period of time each day and savor the tastes in those moments that pop up between busyness. The quotes in the “Ponder” sections of this book are full of wisdom, and they have been chosen wisely. Each time one returns to those quotes, one can learn still more. The “Offer” reflections both draw out good ideas from the “Ponder” quotes and suggest things to do within family life. Enjoy, grow and find some refreshment in your busy schedule.

–Fr. Mitch Pacwa, S. J.

Amazon noted that my book is out of stock at this time. However, I have copies here through my website.

You can order your autographed copy here:

Here is the book description (as noted on the Amazon website):

Motherhood is a miraculous vocation – sometimes the miracle is just making it through the day!

Let’s face it: being a mom is not for the faint of heart. Too often we just hit the ground running without giving our faith a second thought. This collection of quick “mini-retreats for moms” can change all that.

Consider these your spiritual “daily vitamins” that will energize you and help you find the faith, hope, and love you’ll need to be the mom God wants you to be – today and every day.

  • Ponder quotes from the Bible and other spiritual readings
  • Offer yourself to the Lord through an easy activity or idea
  • Pray suggested prayers that match the daily theme
  • Savor a little “sound bite” to carry throughout the day

Author, speaker, and EWTN host Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle knows what it’s like to be a busy mother who has to carve time out of her day for the Lord or it just won’t happen. With five kids of her own, she developed this book to fit into a mom’s lifestyle.

HUGE news!

Hello!

I am very excited to let you know about my upcoming book! It’s the only one of its kind–a Family Marian Consecration book! It is titled, Family Consecration To Jesus Through Mary: 33 Days of Preparation with Saint Louis Marie de Montfort. It is my labor of love for the family and will be released next month (June)!

I’ll share a snippet from the Introduction here:

…Back to those two questions I asked earlier, “How do we get to heaven?” and “How do we help our children and grandchildren to get there?” Well, I must tell you that I am deeply touched by Saint Faustina’s words. In her Diary, she explained one of her visions, in which she encountered a crowd of children about five to eleven years of age. They cried out to her, “Defend us from evil.” Saint Faustina then saw the Lord Jesus, who was distressed and told her, “You are to defend them from evil.” Saint Faustina said that from that moment she prayed for the children. She added, “But I feel that prayer alone is not enough” (765).

Helping children to be consecrated to Jesus through Mary will surely help to “defend them from evil” by greatly aiding their souls. It will be more than simply praying for them. Remember, Saint Faustina expressed that she believed that “prayer alone is not enough.” Your children’s consecrations will surely please Jesus and Mary too. It will certainly help pave the way to Heaven.

There is no better time than right now to seize the opportunity and help your family to consecrate their lives to Jesus through Mary. Your total consecration will be a perfect renewal of your baptismal vows, with Mary at your side and through her loving hands and Immaculate Heart…

And now, I will share the full cover! You can zoom in to read the back.

And here is just the front…

What do you think? I happen to think that it is gorgeous! I was just shown the cover late yesterday.

The good news is that even with the pandemic, the book is still on track for the June release. God is good! I pray that the book will aid countless families around the world!

336 pages, paperback

$18.95 plus shipping:

Here is some early praise for the book:

Review:

“Mary loves families.This book is a wonderful way for families to open themselves to Mary s love for them, and her deepest desire that they join her in wholeheartedly surrendering to God and doing what Jesus tells them.”
Ralph Martin, S.T.D.
Director of Graduate Theology Programs in the New Evangelization, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Archdiocese of Detroit

“Abandoning ourselves to God is the certain way to salvation; St Louis Marie de Montfort teaches us that Mary is the surest, shortest, and most perfect way to approach Jesus and make this act of abandonment. It is a journey we do not take alone, it is one we make in communion with others, most appropriately with members of our family, the domestic church. In this book, Donna-Marie Cooper O Boyle deftly guides families through St Louis Marie s plan of preparing to make the Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary, providing a catechism of Catholic faith and spirituality while helping parents in their role of forming their children as disciples of Christ. This is a beautiful book which, I hope, will enhance the spiritual lives of many Christian families.”
Fr. John S. Hogan, OCDS
Co-host of EWTN’s Forgotten Heritage, Author of “Thomas Becket: Defender of the Church”

“Jesus says the greatest commandment is to Love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. And the second is to love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:28-31). “Family Consecration to Jesus Through Mary” is a beautiful, clear, practical guide to understanding these commandments and most importantly living them out in your daily life.”
Patrick Madrid
Host of the Patrick Madrid Show on Relevant Radio

“In an era when family prayer consists of praying around the dinner table and before bed, and a time when more catechesis takes place at the parish church than in the home, Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle’s Family Consecration to Jesus Through Mary will introduce families to prayer and assist them in handing on the faith to their children. Families together will consecrate themselves to the Blessed Virgin Mary, who will surely obtain many graces from her Son, as husbands, wives, and children, live out their Consecration and baptismal promises.”
Fr. Edward Looney
Author of A Lenten Journey with Mother Mary

“Two Sides of Mercy” TV Interview with Ralph Martin

I recently visited with Ralph Martin President of Renewal Ministries on his EWTN television show: “The Choices We Face” to discuss Divine Mercy, St. Faustina, and my book 52 Weeks with Saint Faustina: A Year of Grace and Mercy. We also chatted about my life a bit which you can see in the first show. In this 2nd show we also discussed Our Lady of Fatima, the shepherd children, and so much more. You can see the show below. I hope that you enjoy it. God bless you!