In case you didn’t get a chance to tune in to our wonderful chat this morning on Morning Air. Here is a link of my chat with John Harper. I had a great time chatting with him about Lent, families, and even the fact that we both have Polish grandmothers!
You can purchase all four of my Lenten books here for only $11.00!
What are your Lenten plans?
I have bundled all four of my Lenten books for purchasing at the ridiculously low price of $11.00 for all four!
Here’s a brief note from the publisher about the newest one and about the series:
In Bringing Lent Home with Pope Francis, popular author and EWTN host Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle, offers Pope Francis as a guide through Lent. Guided by the threefold Lenten practices of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, the booklet offers inspiring stories, practical ideas for family prayer, easy-to-do activities, and suggestions for conversations. Building on the popularity of Bringing Lent Home with St. John Paul II, Bringing Lent Home with Mother Teresa and Bringing Lent Home with St. Therese of Lisieux, this edition provides the same practical elements: a quotation from Pope Francis, a story about his life, and practical suggestions for living the threefold call of Lent-prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Parents can enhance their own daily prayer by using the booklet’s reflections for parents. On Sundays, families focus on the themes assigned to that Sunday of Lent, and Cooper O’Boyle suggests a project for the week ahead. The booklet can be used with any of the three Catholic lectionary cycles.
You can order them here. Buy a set for yourself and one for a friend!
My friend and fellow author Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda just released a book The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run: Fr. Stanley Rother, Martyr from Oklahoma.
I have endorsed this fine book. This is what I said:
In this edifying and inspiring biography of Father Stanley Rother, priest, missionary, and martyr, the author draws us into the small town of Okarche, Oklahoma and the village of Santiago Atillan and unfolds one man’s faithful journey. She illustrates how God raises the faithful to the ranks of sanctity and how every small loving act of service deeply impacts lives. A must read.
I am including an excerpt. But, first here is a little about Maria:
In the past 30 years, María has been published broadly in the U.S., including the New York Times, Our Sunday Visitor, St. Anthony Messenger, Columbia, and other national and diocesan publications.
Maria’s work as a Catholic journalist has taken her on international assignments in Central America and the Caribbean, the Middle East, and throughout Europe. But perhaps her favorite assignment was covering Pope John Paul II’s historic visit to her native country, Cuba.
Her primary life-time assignment, however, has been as wife to Michael for 34 years, mother to four grown children—and now “Bella” to six beautiful grandchildren!
The Shepherd Who Didn’t Run
“How a 46-year-old priest from a small German farming community in Oklahoma came to live and die in the remote, ancient village of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, is a story full of wonder and God’s Providence.
When Pope John XXIII requested in the early 1960s that North Americans send missionaries to South and Central America, the Oklahoma Church responded.
In 1964, the then-Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa took over the care of the church of Santiago Atitlán, the earliest parish in the Diocese of Sololá dating back to the 16th century. But no resident priest had served the indigenous Tz’utujil community of Santiago Atitlán for almost a century…
From the onset, that first Oklahoma missionary team understood that the Tz’utujil are an agricultural people who retain much of their ancient Mayan culture and pride. This was a perfect fit for Father Stanley Francis Rother, a farming boy from the western Oklahoma town of Okarche.
When he arrived at Santiago Atitlán in 1968, Father Stanley instantly fell in love with the volatile and stunning land of volcanoes and earthquakes, but above all, with its people. His Tz’utujil Indian parishioners called him “Padre Apla’s,” which translates “Francis” or “Francisco” in the native Tz’utujil language…
Once Guatemala’s civil war found its way to the peaceful villages surrounding beautiful Lake Atitlán, many people, like Father Stanley’s own catechists, began to disappear regularly.
Father Stanley’s response was to show his people the way of love and peace with his life. He walked the roads looking for the bodies of the dead to bring them home for a proper burial, and he fed the widows and orphans of those killed or “disappeared.”
Yet it was living these works of mercy that put Father Stanley on a death list.
“In his final Christmas letter to Oklahoma Catholics published in two diocesan newspapers in 1980, Father Stanley concluded, ‘The shepherd cannot run at the first sign of danger. Pray for us that we may be a sign of the love of Christ for our people, that our presence among them will fortify them to endure these sufferings in preparation for the coming of the Kingdom’.”
Servant of God Father Stanley Rother was shot to death in the rectory of his parish church on July 28, 1981. His cause for sainthood is currently under review.
This past June (2015) a panel of nine theologians handed a majority vote affirming that Fr. Stanley Rother’s death was in odium fidei, or in hatred of the faith. And now a panel of 15 cardinals and archbishops must approve the martyrdom cause. This is where we are today, waiting on this vote.
To learn more about this excellent book visit the author Maria Scaperlanda here.
Check out Our Sunday Visitor here.
I recently chatted with radio host Elizabeth Reardon on her show “An Engaging Faith.” We talked about my background, my books, my memoir The Kiss of Jesus, the season of Lent, families, Mother Teresa, Pope Francis, the saints, and so much more. You can listen to the archive right here.
I hope that you enjoy it. God bless you!
A Simple Grace recently interviewed me about the faith, love and prayer. They have used a couple of my responses in their new magazine. The piece is titled, “Author of ‘Bringing Lent Home with Pope Francis’ shares her secret for discovering everyday miracles.”I believe that the full interview is in the hard copy of the magazine.
You can see my response about love, prayer and cleaning a toilet here!
Enjoy!
I haven’t had a chance to blog lately. I’ve had many things to report, but alas, no time in which to write them down. I’ll probably end up doing video blog posts – much better on my wrists (due to all of the typing I’m always doing and my joint pain). But then again, I’d have to put some make up on and get dressed up (at least a bit better than I am usually in my home office out here in the rural woods of Connecticut)!
Just kidding. I don’t really have to do that. You probably wouldn’t mind if I wasn’t dressed up and didn’t have make up on when delivering a message to you. After all, I am all about keeping it real. But, I think you know what I mean. The videoing requires some thinking and planning too. I’d also have to make sure that my office is clean! 😉 So, for now, I’ll simply type away and fill you in a little, at least.
I just got back from a whirlwind trip to the EWTN television network in Irondale, Alabama. There I met with Johnnette Benkovic and we were together on the set and chatted while five shows were filmed on Women of Grace. They will air in the near future and I’ll keep you posted on that.
It was wonderful to see Johnnette again and to share about the crooked path in my life and my memoir The Kiss of Jesus. We discussed some pretty intense issues. These are issues that affect countless women all around the world. I am praying that these shows will impact women’s lives and even help them to heal from deep wounds or at least get them headed in the direction of healing. Please pray for the people who will watch the shows.
In other news, I’m working on some exciting things at the moment as I continue the fight against the four tick-borne diseases I have been plagued with.
I’ll be back to give you more updates when time allows but I need to get to some deadline writing work right now. May God bless you and keep you!
I was recently on Salt and Light TV/Radio. The interview is here. After listening to the first few minutes of introduction by Deacon Pedro, you can scroll through to the 23 minute mark which starts the 2nd half of the show. That’s where you will hear my interview about my life of struggles and joy, meeting Mother Teresa, and my memoir The Kiss of Jesus.
It was a blessed and happy Christmas in so many ways. My grandson was here for his very first Christmas! I was surrounded by my five children, my husband, my daughter’s husband, and one daughter’s significant other–all coming together to celebrate in the heart of my home. Needless to say, I was extremely thankful. It was a whirlwind of crazy and blessed few days filled with so much activity and precious moments shared together.
Oh, wait a minute! Did I mention there was a brand new puppy too? One of my daughters has a new puppy and he came to visit too, romping around in Christmas paper!
There were so many beautiful moments, but I cherish the moment when I gave my little grandson one of his very first Christmas gifts. When he saw that it was a board book with bright and cheery pictures he smiled and pointed at the pictures and immediately turned his head to look into my eyes and smiled so wide he made me smile too. It was as if he was saying, “Grandma, I love this book! Thank you!”
That little precious moment warmed my heart.
This is a different precious moment with a different book enjoyed first thing on Christmas morning. But I will always remember my darling grandson’s little angelic face smiling and looking into my eyes as he looked at his present from Grandma.
There were some challenges for me to endure this Christmas time, as well. I won’t go into them now. But, I think you’ll see as you read these stories that there are all sorts of challenges interwoven throughout all of this Christmas JOY. Amid the struggles are stories of joy and blessing, and even miracles too that warm my heart and cause me to praise God. I want to share a few of them with you.
Babies born at Christmas time
I’ll start with the babies. In recent days, I know of two babies that were born safely (one for whom I was praying while in utero which had a serious medical condition). One Mom lost a lot of blood in childbirth and needed additional prayers to recover. Her baby was born early and was having trouble nursing. I was keeping them strongly in my prayers and checking on them. I asked others to pray as well.
She emailed me to say, “God has used you so beautifully to bring us grace in this house and I do not know how to thank you Donna. Thank you for the best Christmas gift.” I was so humbled and blessed by her words. I felt deeply thankful that because of God’s grace, my simple desire to continue prayers for them had made such a difference in their lives.
The other baby was diagnosed before birth with Skeletal Dysplasia (Dwarfism) which can sometimes be fatal. When asking for prayers from me before the birth, the Mom explained, “At this time Doctors are telling us to be optimistic but prepare ourselves because they really do not know if she’ll survive. Her rib cage has not formed properly, the ribs are about half the length they should be, meaning they do not meet the sternum. We have been praying through the intercession of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos for a miracle, that her rib cage will be healed.” She also expressed that no matter what, she would love and care for her baby.
Very recently I received a message from the Mom to say that she was in labor–to please pray for a safe delivery and a healthy baby, and to ask others to pray. I did just that and waited.
The precious baby girl was born just the other day. Her rib cage is fully formed! Thank God! This is truly miraculous and an absolute answer to prayer! The newborn is in the NICU but is doing well thus far. Let’s pray for this baby and family. The doctors are currently testing for another condition which could cause bone fractures. I pray that will be ruled out.
God’s perfect timing
Then there is the order of the 150 Miraculous Medals that I needed to send to a far off place to a woman who had requested them to give to homeless people. I tried to expedite the delivery because I wanted to ensure the package would be received in time for their Christmas festivities. But, even with careful planning and a “guaranteed” delivery time, it still didn’t seem that it was going to make it on time. Yet, I still sensed that somehow the medals would arrive in God’s perfect timing. I knew I had to leave it all in God’s hands because there was nothing more I could do. I sent an apologetic email about the possible late delivery.
A few days later, I received an email from the woman. “I wanted to let you know of how things worked out all in God’s perfect timing…First, the letter I helped compose, somehow didn’t get printed in time to go into the bags either, and the lady who runs the Soup Kitchen ended up going around individually talking with each person, holding their hands, and giving them the letter personally. How beautiful!” She said.
“And now, I am quite sure that this is what God wants of me too,” she explained. “It would be so much easier to just put the gift in the bag and not have personal contact, although the gift handed in person will obviously be so much more meaningful.”
The delayed delivery caused this woman to re-think the way in which she would gift the medals. She now planned to hand deliver each blessed Miraculous Medal to each homeless person who visited the Soup Kitchen.
The medals had indeed arrived on time. I smiled when I read her email about “God’s perfect timing.” Another bit of Christmas joy I thought! What a blessing!
Totally transformed by a kind gesture
Another story really warmed my heart too. Yesterday, I called my elderly ex-mother-in-law on the phone to see how she was doing. If you have read my memoir The Kiss of Jesus, you would know that we are still in touch on a regular basis. She is very dear to me.
Elizabeth just very recently transitioned to a long term medical facility and told me during our phone call that her roommate who is 97 years old had a very tough week and had almost died. A few days after her troubling ordeal, the woman seemed very forlorn. Elizabeth, feeling sorry for Arlene and seeing her so quiet, called out to her from her side of the room. But Arleen just sat there, hung her head and did not respond.
Elizabeth recalled to me that suddenly she had an idea. She decided to quickly pick up a photo from the table beside her bed to show it to her depressed neighbor. It was a picture of her great-grandson (my grandson!) with whom she enjoyed a very special visit on Christmas day.
She wheeled herself over in her chair and showed Arlene the sweet picture. Her roommate suddenly lit right up and started asking all sorts of questions about Elizabeth’s great grandchild.
“It was like she was totally transformed when she saw his smiling face,” Elizabeth told me over the phone. “It brought her out of herself and she was happy again!”
Elizabeth handed the photo to Arlene and told her to keep it because it seemed to make her so happy. I told Elizabeth that my heart was so warmed in learning about this very sweet exchange.
“You helped her so much by reaching out to her.” I told Elizabeth.
“Well, my little great-grandson helped her without even knowing it!” She said.
As we conversed I also told Elizabeth that I was very proud of her for the way she had transitioned into her new environment (which had come about very suddenly just about a month or so ago).
“And now you are even helping others to feel better!” I said. I wanted her to feel encouragement and affirmation.
Even more JOY…
Even as I write this reflection, I heard from a woman who reached out to me before Christmas begging prayers and feeling very scared. Further testing had been ordered for her after her mammogram had detected a mass in one of her breasts. She had said, “I just received some not so good news and I am really upset.” The poor woman had to wait until after Christmas to go back in to the doctor to check further. I promised my prayers.
I just got word from her that the mass is gone. She explained that the radiologist was very certain that there was no mass evident in the follow up testing.
The woman said, “I claim her [the radiologist] words as healing in Jesus’ name. Thank you Donna so much for all you do for all of us.”
As you can imagine, I am praising God!
God never stops working through our gestures of love and prayer.
Merry Christmas!
I have posted this recipe in years past and I’ll offer it again this year. This beautiful Christmas morning french toast holds a special meaning to me because of how it came about. I’ll get to telling you that sweet story very soon and I’ll try not to keep you waiting too long. But, as you can imagine it is pretty busy around here! For now, I’ll give the recipe to you so you can make it for your family.
Incidentally, I like this recipe so much that I made it as one of the dishes at my daughter’s baby shower brunch.
shown before baking and before the blueberries and pecans are added
Overnight Christmas Blueberry-Pecan French Toast
Ingredients:
nonstick spray
1 baguette, cut into 20 one inch slices (you can use a wholegrain bread for extra nutrition or even a gluten free bread)
6 eggs
3 cups of milk
1 cup brown sugar (I use honey or pure maple syrup)
vanilla to taste
nutmeg to taste (or just use cinnamon)
Cinnamon (I sprinkle it all over the top as well as into the egg batter)
1 cup pecans, toasted
2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
Preparation:
Coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with the nonstick spray and arrange the baguette slices in a single layer in the dish. I cheat and do a couple of layers! 🙂 In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, three-fourths of the brown sugar, vanilla and nutmeg. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread.
Cover and chill the mixture overnight. There will appear to be a lot of moisture when the mixture goes into the refrigerator, but most of it will soak into the bread by morning.
Just before baking, sprinkle the remaining one-quarter cup brown sugar, (or honey or pure maple syrup). pecans and blueberries over the bread. Bake the dish in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes to one hour (the recipe says 30 minutes, but I found that it could take longer, so check at 30 but be sure to have allowed for 45 minutes to 1 hour) or until golden and bubbling. Serve with pure maple syrup. For an added treat, heat the syrup with blueberries and have blueberry-flavored syrup.
Enjoy!
I love this recipe because all of the preparation is done beforehand and you only need to pop the dish into the hot oven on Christmas morning at about 45 minutes to an hour before you’d like to serve it. I like to serve fresh fruit along with this “french toast,” which can be washed and prepared and placed on a dish in the refrigerator in advance to save you the trouble on Christmas morning. I sometimes serve fresh muffins – various kinds along with the fruit and “french toast.” You may use a whole grain type baguette in this recipe for added nutrition.
So go ahead and make this dish in advance and place it into the oven on Christmas morning, set the timer and then go open your presents! So EASY – that’s the idea – to keep it simple and enjoy your loved ones!
Let me know how you like it if you decide to make it. 🙂
After that radio interview, I had to get ready for a LIVE national TV interview on Boston’s Catholic TV (yes, that means putting on a little make up) while enduring a migraine and dealing with some lighting issues.During this season of Advent, I felt very inspired to create these novena bracelets to celebrate the sanctity of human life as well as to have a tangible means to pray for it.
These novena prayer bracelets serve many purposes. I have made each bracelet with nine beads to symbolize nine months of pregnancy. The number nine is very significant in praying a novena of prayer. The bracelet will be a visual reminder to pray a novena for your own pregnancy, for your daughter’s, granddaughter’s, godchild’s, or niece’s pregnancy, or to pray to conceive a child, to pray to adopt a child, to pray for your own children and grandchildren, and to pray for every pregnancy to result in a live birth and for the end to abortion.
As I create and craft each novena bracelet, I pray for whoever will end up wearing the bracelet and for all unborn babies. Each bracelet will be constructed with an attached crucifix, Miraculous Medal, and most of them will also contain a pregnancy saint’s medal. It will be shipped to you in an attractive box with prayer cards inside. I encourage you to get your bracelet blessed so that it may serve as a blessed sacramental.
A portion of all proceeds will be donated to a local pregnancy organization to help babies and unwed mothers.
Here’s just one of the “Prayerfully Expecting” Novena Bracelets for sale:
You can see many more designs and all of the information about the bracelets here on the “Prayerfully Expecting” page of this website.
Pope Francis declared an Extraordinary Year of Mercy which officially started on December 8th, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, and the 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council. It will end on Nov. 20, 2016, on the feast of Christ the King.
The biblical theme Pope Francis has chosen is “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”
Traditionally, every 25 years the Pope proclaims a holy year, which features special celebrations and pilgrimages, calls for repentance and conversion, as well as providing special opportunities to experience God’s grace through the sacraments, especially confession. Extraordinary holy years, like the Holy Year of Mercy, are less frequent, but offer the same opportunities for spiritual growth.
Pope Francis said, “Let us not forget that God forgives and God forgives always. Let us never tire of asking for forgiveness.”
Pope Francis continued, “I am convinced that the whole Church — which has much need to receive mercy, because we are sinners — will find in this jubilee the joy to rediscover and render fruitful the mercy of God, with which we are all called to give consolation to every man and woman of our time.”
There’s so much that we can say about this great opportunity for grace and there are countless things we can do during this Year of Mercy. Therefore, I decided to do a regular radio show called “Mother Teresa and Mercy.” I’ll discuss practical ways in which we can be merciful and to grow in holiness, basing it on the wisdom of Blessed Mother Teresa with whom I was very blessed to know as my spiritual mother for about ten years. She still mothers me from heaven!
You can hear the first short segment of “Mother Teresa and Mercy” right here at your leisure.
I recently experienced a beautiful encounter at my parish during a book signing after Mass. A woman came up to me and said she wanted to purchase my memoir The Kiss of Jesus which she wanted to gift to her sister who lived out West. She said she hoped she could surprise her sister with the book in thanksgiving for all her sister had done for her.
She went on to explain that her sister had gifted four of my books to her in recent years. As she was telling me, she pointed to my book The Domestic Church: Room By Room and recalled how that book helped her immensely.
“This book, The Domestic Church, brought me back into the Church! It also made me be sure to get all of my children baptized,” she recalled. “I also have an altar in my home because of this book.”
She was referring to my encouragement to parents to establish a prayer table or prayer corner in their homes so that they can raise their family in the faith more tangibly. They can hopefully be drawn to the Sacred rather than the secular with the holy reminders of the sacramentals and sacred images on and near their prayer table.
My heart was soaring, knowing that this woman had come back to the Church because her generous and caring sister had gifted my The Domestic Church book to her. God is so amazing! I thought.
The woman pointed to other titles on the table that her sister had sent to her and seemed to be so surprised that they were there in front of her.
The story gets even better.
The sweet woman at my book table went on to tell me that she was in disbelief that I was a parishioner at this particular parish.
“Don’t you usually go to this Mass?” she asked me. “I have seen you here before.”
She was trying to figure out whether or not I was just visiting this evening with my books or if I had been the woman she had seen all along.
I confirmed that I was indeed a parishioner. She was astounded. I told her that I try to keep a low profile at my parish.
“I watch you all of the time on EWTN and I read all of your blogs!” She told me. It took a moment for her to wrap her head around the fact that the author she was following for years was nearer to her than she could have imagined.
“You look shorter on TV!”
She had not realized that the woman she had seen at Mass at a distance was me.
We both smiled. Again, I felt deeply grateful to God that He had worked in this woman’s life through my books and television shows.
I recently spoke with Matt Swaim on EWTN’s Son Rise Morning show about my new outreach to the homeless and needy “Warming the homeless with LOVE, ‘holy’ scarves, and sacramentals.” You can li
sten to our short segment here.
If you’d like to learn more you can go here to this blog post
.
Life is always interesting even when living where I do, way back in the woods of rural Connecticut. Even when I am stuck in the house without a car and recovering from a fever, chills, and pain I had the other day–life is always fascinating.
I often tell my audiences when I am out speaking that they shouldn’t worry if they can’t get out of the house to do their ministry work or evangelizing for any reason because God will certainly bring the people to them!
This morning my elderly neighbor’s cleaning lady knocked on my door to tell me that my neighbor’s phone was not working and asked if I could kindly make a couple of calls for her. I then realized that my landline was not working either. But I could use my cell phone to make the calls. One call was to alert the phone company about the outages. That took some time as the technician checked everything out over the phone on my neighbor’s line and mine. I was happy to help my neighbor Bev since she is in her eighties and has had a couple of strokes. She definitely needs her phone to be working.
After some checking, the phone company woman on the other end of the call was able to send a signal to the phone lines and surprisingly fixed them. Though the phones seemed to be working fine, she said she’d leave the order in for a repairman to come to the houses today just in case they went out again. I thought it was a good idea even though I didn’t have time to be dealing with this today. The phones did go out again, but they came back on shortly after.
Soon after, my phone rang and it was my neighbor Bev. We hadn’t talked in a couple of weeks or more because her schedule had changed due to some health issues with both she and her husband and I had not wanted to disturb with a phone call in case they might be resting. So it was very nice to speak with Bev. We caught up on the phone for a few minutes and decided to get together for tea after Thanksgiving. I told Bev that I was happy that we had a problem with our phones today so that I could have the opportunity to speak with her.
After that, I got back to my work and then another phone call came in. This time it was the phone company repairman. He asked if the phones were working. I told him that they were fixed by the phone company woman during the phone call. He told me that he would check it out by going to the telephone pole and box down the road and then he’d stop by the house. He warned me that the phones might go out again but I shouldn’t be alarmed because it might just be him tinkering with the connections and wires.
“It’s a good thing I don’t have a radio show today,” I said. “I do regular radio shows from my telephone,” I explained.
The man asked, “Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?”
“Not at all,” I reassured.
“Did you write a book?” He inquired.
“Is your name Dave?” I fired right back.
I instantly recalled an entire scenario that had transpired years prior in which a phone man showed up at my house when my phone was completely fine. He told me all about his life-changing experience, and after a while, left with a copy of one of my books and a couple of blessed Miraculous Medals.
“Yes!” he said. He added that he’d see me within the hour. We said “good bye” and hung up. I could tell that he was so surprised that we mysteriously reconnected after an interesting encounter years ago. Truth be told, I was very surprised too!
Wait a minute. Pausing. I thought, Isn’t he in my Miraculous Medal book? He is, I know he is.
I ran up to my office to get a copy of the book to check. Yes, indeed, he was there right under the subtitle, “The Phone Man.” I took the book downstairs because I planned to give it to Dave when I would see him.
Wow. God never ceases to amaze me!
Dave arrived at my front door and we heartily shook hands to greet one another, smiling, happy to see one another again.
“Wow, you know those Mir–a–cle Medals you gave me?” Dave asked.
“The Miraculous Medals?” I asked him. I couldn’t help smiling at his slight change of the word. “Yes, I remember. I gave you two – one for you and one for your son.”
“Well, those medals sure are powerful!” My son keeps his in his wallet. I keep circulating the one you gave me to each person in the family who needs it. It really works!” He explained.
“I’ll need to give you more blessed medals so you won’t have to keep passing the one around.”
I also explained that it is best to wear the medal around the neck if possible. The Blessed Mother actually said that great graces will be received when it is worn around the neck. I gave Dave a little more history while we both stood on the sidewalk outside my front door. I kept moving a bit to get into the sunshine since the temperature seemed to be dropping and I was still feeling a bit sick.
Then I told Dave that he was in my Miraculous Medal book. He was so surprised, he couldn’t believe it.
“Wow, I am really blown away to know that I am in your book.”
“Yes, your story is inspiring people all over the world,” I told him.
“I can’t believe it–wow” he said.
“Maybe I shouldn’t tell you where you are in the book,” I teased, “so that you will read the whole thing and learn the history of the Miraculous Medal and about St. Catherine Laboure.”
I handed the book to Dave and he expressed his gratitude. I did point out the location of his story. He read it and smiled. I ran to grab a copy of my memoir too, The Kiss of Jesus as well as five blessed Miraculous Medals and a bunch of blessed St. Benedict medals. I told him about the power in a St. Benedict Medal, also explaining that there is nothing superstitious about it. I gave him a few leaflets that explained the origin.
We chatted a bit. We talked about Miraculous Medals, families, life, and Dave told me that every night he thanks God for his life. When we first met he had shared about a harrowing experience. He is thankful to be alive.
I asked if I could take his picture. I also asked his permission to blog about it later. He happily obliged and gave his permission to post his photo. I reminded him that God is always in control and that it was very interesting that both times that he came to my house there was really no problem with the phone. But, I believe that God wanted Dave to receive the blessed medals and books so God brought him here to my house.
Dave made a point to mention that it had been 4 or 5 years ago when he came to my house the first time and he said today was the only other time that he worked in this area.
Just then, Dave gazed down at both books he held in his hands and said, “I didn’t come here to help you with the phones. It is very clear to me now that I came here for you to help me. God is in charge!”
Life is a holy adventure! God is always in control!
I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Tony Rossi of “Christopher Close Up.” He wrote a lovely review as well. Here is his review:
“Jesus, help me, please,” prayed a then-teenage Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle in a state of terror as her fiancé Matthew (not his real name) forced a gun into her hand and tried to get her to kill him.
Matthew was an ex-Marine and Vietnam veteran who had been a leader in O’Boyle’s Catholic parish and she believed that he would make a good husband. But then something snapped inside him and he suffered a nervous breakdown. With several guns, including a machine gun, in his home, he threatened to kill O’Boyle and her family if she ever left him. Fearful of what would happen, she stayed put, but kept trying to come up with ways that she could safely escape this situation.
One day, Matthew lunged at her, forced a pistol into her hand, got her finger on the trigger, and pushed her to shoot him. Tears streamed down O’Boyle’s face because, even though she wanted to get away from Matthew, she didn’t want to kill him. That’s when she prayed, “Jesus, help me, please.”
During an interview on “Christopher Closeup” about her new memoir “The Kiss of Jesus,” O’Boyle recalled, “Jesus did help me because [Matthew] got up immediately off my lap, threw the gun against the wall and ran out of the room screaming all kinds of crazy things. He came right back, picked up the gun and put it in his pocket. I had to sit there and not make one sound, one move, one blink, one breath – and then try to stay clear of him until I could figure out what to do next.”
Thankfully, O’Boyle did finally get away from Matthew and move on with her life – and she believes that Jesus was there to help and guide her every step of the way. But that doesn’t mean her road was trouble-free or pain-free. In fact, it was often just the opposite…
You can see the entire review and listen to our half hour chat here.
Happy feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary! She inspires us to help the poor. Even from a young age she was thinking about and helping the less fortunate.
As a daughter of royalty, Elizabeth was thrust into many responsibilities as well as her future marriage which had been arranged by her father. This arrangement caused her to be separated from her family at a very young age.
Elizabeth lived up to her duties, as well as took care of the countless needy people who came to her gate for bread. In serving the afflicted, there were times Elizabeth gave away the royal clothes and goods.
Perhaps my very favorite story about St. Elizabeth was when she allowed a sick leper to sleep in her bed when her husband was away. Her husband Ludwig returned unexpectedly and his mother, who always found fault with Elizabeth, summoned Ludwig to see who was in his bed. Upon throwing back the blankets, Elizabeth’s husband did not see a leper but miraculously saw Jesus lying there.
Constantly caring for the severely ill, Elizabeth became deathly ill and died at the young age of almost twenty four. Miraculous healings soon began to occur at her grave located near the hospital she founded. Elizabeth was canonized only four years later.
St. Elizabeth is the patron saint of Secular Franciscans and Catholic Charities.
Pope Benedict XVI spoke about her:
Elizabeth practiced assiduously the works of mercy: she gave to drink and eat those who came to her door, she got clothes, paid debts, looked after the sick and buried the dead. Coming down from her castle, she often went with her maidservants to the homes of the poor, taking bread, meat, flour and other foods. She would hand the food out personally and carefully oversaw clothes and shelter for the poor. This behavior was reported to her husband, who not only was not annoyed, but answered her accusers: “So long as they don’t come to the castle, I’m happy!” Placed in this context is the miracle of bread transformed into roses: While Elizabeth was going through the street with her apron full of bread for the poor, she met her husband, who asked her what she was carrying. She opened her apron and, instead of bread, magnificent roses appeared. This symbol of charity is often present in depictions of St. Elizabeth.
Hers was a profoundly happy marriage: Elizabeth helped her husband to raise his human qualities to the supernatural level and he, on the other hand, protected his wife in her generosity to the poor and in her religious practices. Ever more in admiration of his wife’s great faith, Ludwig, referring to her care of the poor, said to her: “Dear Elizabeth, it is Christ whom you have washed, fed and looked after.” A clear testimony of how faith and love of God and one’s neighbor reinforce marital union and make it even more profound…”
~ Pope Benedict XVI, Oct. 20, 2010.
Conrad of Marburg, St. Elizabeth’s spiritual adviser, wrote a letter in support of her canonization:
“Elizabeth was a lifelong friend of the poor and gave herself entirely to relieving the hungry. She ordered that one of her castles should be converted into a hospital in which she gathered many of the weak and feeble. She generously gave alms to all who were in need, not only in that place but in all the territories of her husband’s empire. She spent all her own revenue from her husband’s four principalities, and finally she sold her luxurious possessions and rich clothes for the sake of the poor.
“Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, Elizabeth went to visit the sick. She personally cared for those who were particularly repulsive; to some she gave food, to others clothing; some she carried on her own shoulders, and performed many other kindly services. Her husband, of happy memory, gladly approved of these charitable works. Finally, when her husband died, she sought the highest perfection; filled with tears, she implored me to let her beg for alms from door to door. Good Friday of that year, when the altars had been stripped, she laid her hands on the altar in a chapel in her own town, where she had established the Friars Minor, and before witnesses, she voluntarily renounced all worldly display and everything that our Savior in the Gospel advises us to abandon. Even then, she saw that she could still be distracted by the cares and worldly glory which had surrounded her while her husband was alive. Against my will, she followed me to Marburg. Here in the town, she built a hospice where she gathered together the weak and the feeble. There she attended the most wretched and contemptible at her own table.
Apart from those active good works, I declare before God that I have seldom seen a more contemplative woman.”
Pray for us and teach us to love the poor, St. Elizabeth! As your husband realized and exclaimed, “Dear Elizabeth, it is Christ whom you have washed, fed and looked after,” pray for us that we will strive to care for the poor too. Amen.
Today begins the Miraculous Medal novena which is nine days of prayer to end up on the feast day of November 25th (though it is also celebrated on November 27th, the anniversary of an important apparition).
It seems so fitting to me that I should be going out today with the first batch of “holy” scarves for the homeless and needy. You might have seen my post about this new part of my ministry: “Warming the homeless with LOVE, scarves, and sacramentals.”
Please pray along with me in this beautiful novena. I am requesting that in this novena all throughout the nine days which is to Jesus through Mary and Her blessed sacramental, the Miraculous Medal, that you ask for special help for the homeless and unfortunate and if you could, please keep my ministry in your prayers as well. Of course, we don’t want to forget to include France in this novena. The Blessed Mother Herself mentioned France to St. Catherine in one of Her apparitions to her when explaining the Miraculous medal.
Please add all of your own intentions in this powerful novena. Thank you in advance for praying for the homeless, for my encounters with them when I gift them with the “holy” scarves, that Our Lord would really speak to their hearts, and for whatever God’s holy Will might be in this regard.
Here is the novena prayer (but please continue to read the post below the prayers because there is more):
Novena of the Miraculous Medal
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.
Come, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your
faithful, and kindle in them the fire of Your love. Send
forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created. And You
shall renew the face of the earth.
Let us pray.
O God, who did instruct the hearts of the faithful by
the light of the Holy Spirit, grant us in the same
Spirit to be truly wise and ever to rejoice in His
consolation, through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have
recourse to you. (3 times.)
O Lord Jesus Christ, who have vouchsafed to glorify by
numberless miracles the Blessed Virgin Mary, immaculate
from the first moment of her conception, grant that all
who devoutly implore her protection on earth, may
eternally enjoy Your presence in heaven, who, with the
Father and Holy Spirit, live and reign, God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
O Lord Jesus Christ, who for the accomplishment of Your
greatest works, have chosen the weak things of the
world, that no flesh may glory in Your sight; and who
for a better and more widely diffused belief in the
Immaculate Conception of Your Mother, have wished that
the Miraculous Medal be manifested to Saint Catherine
Laboure, grant, we beseech You, that filled with like
humility, we may glorify this mystery by word and work.
Amen.
Memorare
Remember, O most compassionate Virgin Mary, that never
was it known that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your assistance, or sought your intercession
was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we fly
unto you, O Virgin of Virgins, our Mother; to you we
come; before you we kneel sinful and sorrowful. O Mother
of the Word Incarnate, despise not our petitions, but in
your clemency hear and answer them. Amen.
– Novena Prayer
O Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord Jesus and
our Mother, penetrated with the most lively confidence
in your all-powerful and never failing intercession,
manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal, we
your loving and trustful children implore you to obtain
for us the graces and favors we ask during this Novena,
if they be beneficial to our immortal souls, and the
souls for whom we pray. (Here privately form your
petitions.) You know, O Mary, how often our souls have
been the sanctuaries of your Son who hates iniquity.
Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and self-denial
that we may recover by penance what we have lost by sin
and at length attain to that blessed abode where you are
the Queen of angels and of men. Amen.
An Act of Consecration to Our Lady of the Miraculous
Medal
O Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate, we dedicate and
consecrate ourselves to you under the title of Our Lady
of the Miraculous Medal. May this Medal be for each one
of us a sure sign of your affection for us and a
constant reminder of our duties toward you. Ever while
wearing it, may be blessed by your loving protection and
preserved in the grace of your Son. O most powerful
Virgin, Mother of our Savior, keep us close to you every
moment of our lives. Obtain for us, your children, the
grace of a happy death; so that, in union with you, we
may enjoy the bliss of heaven forever. Amen.
O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have
recourse to you. (3 times.)
[from EWTN and appears in my book]
***
Novena of the Miraculous Medal (a shorter novena)
O Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of Our Lord Jesus and our Mother,
penetrated with the most lively confidence in your all-powerful and never-failing intercession, manifested so often through the Miraculous Medal,
we your loving and trustful children implore you to obtain for us the graces and favors we ask during this novena,
if they be beneficial to our immortal souls,
and the souls for whom we pray.
(Here form your petition)
You know, O Mary, how often our souls have been the sanctuaries of your Son who hates iniquity.
Obtain for us then a deep hatred of sin and that purity of heart which will attach us to God alone so that our every thought, word and deed may tend to His greater glory.
Obtain for us also a spirit of prayer and self-denial that we may recover by penance what we have lost by sin and at length attain to that blessed abode where you are the Queen of angels and of men.
Amen.
https://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/MiraculousMedal.htm
You can also check this out at one of the popular Miraculous Medal Shrines (in Philadelphia) to follow along with what they are doing for the novena if you’d like.
THANK YOU again from the bottom of my heart for praying along with me this beautiful Miraculous Medal novena. I pray that Mother Mary may grant you many graces. I do hope that you are (or will) wear a blessed Miraculous Medal.
O, Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. (the prayer that the Blessed Mother asked to be printed on each Miraculous Medal).
You can read the whole history of the Miraculous Medal, the Blessed Mother, and St. Catherine Laboure in my book: The Miraculous Medal, Stories, Prayers, and Devotions.
Saint Maximilian was someone who had a beautiful devotion to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal and would hand out blessed Miraculous Medals often also saw the medal as a means of expressing the Total Consecration of his followers to the Blessed Mother and was a means of safeguarding it. He added his own prayer to be said by those in the Militia Immaculatae (Knights of the Immaculate) group that he formed:
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us
who have recourse to thee, and for all who do
not have recourse to thee, especially the enemies
of the Church and those recommended to thee.
Saint Catherine Laboure would pray this way:
“When I go to the Chapel I place myself before the good God and I say to Him: ‘Lord, here I am, give me what you will.’ If he gives me something, I am very pleased and I thank Him. If He gives me nothing, I still thank Him because I do not deserve anything. And then again, I tell Him all that passes through my mind; I recount my pains and my joys and…I listen. If you listen to Him, He will speak to you also, because with the good God it is necessary to speak and to listen. He will always speak to you if you go to Him simply and sincerely.”
Click on image to see more about the medals.
This morning I headed out with a healthy armload of beautiful hand-made scarves embellished with blessed medals which I had sewn on to each one. Here is a bit of information about this “holy scarf ministry.
The scarves that were all ready to go out this morning are shown here stacked up on this little rocker.
I decided that the first stop after my doctor’s appointment was to visit a Religious Order that is very near and dear to my heart–the Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s Order). So, after my appointment we headed over–my husband drove and I prayed many Hail Mary’s as my fingers glided over the beads of my Rosary with a passion. We were headed deep into an area of the city known for its crime. Though I knew this to be a certain reality, I also knew without doubt that we would be safe. God was with us.
A couple of times, as we drove along I pointed out various people to my husband who was intent on finding the address of the MC convent and was totally focused on that.
“There’s a little lady in a wheel chair. She could use a “holy” scarf.”
She continued wheeling down the sidewalk and my husband kept on driving–a man on a mission.
“There’s someone who looks very needy…” My voice trailed off. I wanted to offer the scarves to everyone. I continued on with my Rosary.
Our destination this day was the convent where I knew the Sisters would welcome the scarves for the poor and who would have direct contact with the most in need.
I spotted a church and we found the convent very near. My husband and I were greeted warmly by the Sisters upon arriving at the convent. I was surprised that I was recognized immediately when one sister called out my name. I wasn’t expecting that. I spent some time with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. I felt so much at home as I knelt there in quiet Adoration for a few moments. Peace entered my soul.
Then, when my husband came back inside after he had re-parked our vehicle closer to the convent, I prayed a prayer out loud quietly in the chapel while Dave stood by my side. I prayed for the Sisters, for all of the needs in that area, and for all who would receive the scarves. We then enjoyed a chat with the gracious and joyful Sisters.
If you have read any of my books you’ll know how much I appreciate those two poignant words, “I Thirst” painted on the MC chapel wall. I have observed those same two words painted on at least seven other MC chapels around the world. But, that might be another subject for another time.
For now, I’ll tell you that I was so happy to give the Sisters the “holy” scarves so that they could give them to the homeless and needy in their area. I let them know that I will be sending more scarves to them and that I’d visit again when I could.
We had to bid our good byes because I knew the Sisters needed to get back to their work.
“Come back anytime. You are welcome!” one Sister called out to us again as we made our departure down the front steps to our vehicle.
I’ll keep you posted about further journeys. I’ll keep scarves with me as I am out and about all throughout the cold Autumn days winter days ahead.
Pray for me please and all those I will meet who will receive these warm gifts. Thank you in advance!
My recent interview with Staci Gulino on “Faith and Good Counsel”
talking about my memoir The Kiss of Jesus is here. You can listen at your leisure. I hope that you enjoy it!
