striving to radiate Him always
We spent our Labor Day weekend at Lake Tahoe with Godparents and Godchildren.
ice cold water * 30 ft jumps * row boat * sand castles * bubbles in the wind * hikes * paddle boarding * river rocks * family * relaxation * late bedtimes * picnics * fishing * canoe rides * birthday * sand * dinner co-op * Mother Teresa’s feast day * 18 children * 6 adults * family prayer nights * morning offerings * blessings
Sweetie turned 5 the day after Papi turned 3. They both opted out of our birthday tradition, to have a date with mom and dad. They wanted to continue their yearly pool party. We have scaled back tremendously over the years – trying to simplify.
Papi and Sweetie hardly got out of the water. Although, Papi is the only toddler I saw get out to use the restroom. I lost count after the 4th visit to the bathroom. I couldn’t believe it, this from a boy who makes his mark on the carpet in our home.
Sweetie swam till her eyes were burning. She didn’t even care to open her presents (at the pool).
They both opened their presents at home. They were delighted with their new treasures. Sweetie received a lovely costume jewelry necklace that she was so pleased with. However, she did not know where she was going to “put it.” Sparkles immediately offered, “you can put in my jewelry box. You can have it. It’s your present.” My heart leaped. Sparkles ability to be detached and give at anytime always proves to be a great witness to us all.
I give thanks for our children (GFG) and each day You grant us. I pray that all of our GFG walk in Your light and be filled with Your JOY.
We celebrated Mother Teresa’s 100th birthday with great JOY & simplicity.
Indian Fried Bread – Catholic Cuisine
Mother Teresa Embroidery Pattern – Waltzing Matilda
3rd Day
“I Thirst”
“Follow His footsteps in search of souls. Carry Him and His light into the homes of the poor, especially to the souls most in need. Spread the charity of His Heart wherever you go and so satiate His thirst for souls.”
~ Mother Teresa
4th day
Our Lady Will Help You
“If we stand with Our Lady, she will give us her spirit of loving trust, total surrender and cheerfulness.”
~ Mother Teresa
“In the silence of our hearts, God speaks of His love; with our silence, we allow Jesus to love us.” ~ Mother Teresa
We are starting a novena to Bl. Teresa of Calcutta today, Aug. 27. It will end on September 5, her feast day.
© Photo by Michael Collopy
Mother Teresa of Calcutta
(August 26, 1910 – September 5, 1997)
Beatification – October 19, 2003
Optional Memorial
September 5th
NOVENA TO BLESSED TERESA OF CALCUTTA
Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Prayed each day of the Novena
you allowed the thirsting love of Jesus on the Cross to become a living flame within you,
and so became the light of His love to all.
Obtain from the Heart of Jesus (here make your request).
Teach me to allow Jesus to penetrate and possess my whole being so completely that my life, too,
may radiate His light and love to others.
Amen.
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Cause of Our Joy, pray for me.
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for me.
“Jesus is my All in All”
~~~
Complete meditations for this novena can be found here.
The bolded quotes are Mother Teresa’s words.
~~~
First Day – Know the Living Jesus
Thought for the day:
“Don’t search for Jesus in far lands; He is not there. He is close to you; He is in you.”
Ask for the grace of an intimate knowledge of Jesus.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Thought for the day:
“Do not be afraid – you are precious to Jesus. He loves you.”
Ask for the grace to be convinced of Jesus’ unconditional and personal love for you.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Third Day – Hear Him Say to You: “I Thirst”
Thought for the day:
“Just think! God is thirsting for you and me to come forward to satiate His thirst.”
Ask for the grace to understand Jesus’ cry of thirst.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Fourth Day – Our Lady Will Help You
Thought for the day:
Ask for the grace to learn from Our Lady to quench Jesus’ thirst as she did.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Fifth Day – Trust Jesus Blindly
Thought for the day:
Ask for the grace to have an unshakeable trust in the God’s power and love for you and for all.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Sixth Day – True Love is Surrender
Thought for the day:
“Allow God to use you without consulting you.”
Ask for the grace to surrender your whole life to God.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Seventh Day – God Loves a Cheerful Giver
Thought for the day:
“Joy is the sign of union with God, of God’s presence. Joy is love, the normal result of a heart burning with love.”
Ask for the grace to find joy in loving and to share this joy with all you meet.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Eighth Day – Jesus Made Himself the Bread of Life and the Hungry One
Thought for the day:
Ask for the grace of a deep faith to see Jesus in the Bread of Life and to serve Him in the distressing disguise of the poor.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
Ninth Day – Holiness is Jesus Living and Acting in Me
Thought for the day:
“Charity for each other is the surest way to great holiness.”
Ask for the grace to become a saint.
Recite the prayer to Blessed Teresa
by Joseph A. Corrado
Posters have appeared in churches and senior citizen centers around Hoboken in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Mother Teresa.
MOTHER TERESA (1910–1997) was born in Skopje (present-day Macedonia), and joined the Sisters of Loreto in Dublin in 1928. She left the Loreto order in 1948 to begin the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta. Her service to the poorest of the poor became her life’s work. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and was beatified in 2003.
Prayer to Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, longing to love Jesus as He had never been loved before, you gave yourself entirely to Him, refusing Him nothing. In union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, you accepted His call to satiate His infinite thirst for love and souls and become a carrier of His love to the poorest of the poor. With loving trust and total surrender you fulfilled His will, witnessing to the joy of belonging totally to Him. You became so intimately united to Jesus your crucified Spouse that He deigned to share with you the agony of His Heart as He hung upon the Cross.
Blessed Teresa, you promised to continuously bring the light of love to those on earth; pray for us that we also may long to satiate the burning thirst of Jesus by loving Him ardently, sharing in His sufferings joyfully, and serving Him wholeheartedly in our brothers and sisters, especially those most unloved and unwanted. Amen
Collect
God, who called blessed Teresa, virgin
to respond to the love of your Son thirsting on the cross
with outstanding charity to the poorest of the poor,
grant us, we beseech you, by her intercession,
to minister to Christ in his suffering brothers.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
RESOURCES
Mother Teresa of Calcutta Center – Official Site go to the bottom of the screen to stop the music player before selecting this link
Mother Teresa of Calcutta – EWTN
Mother Teresa Biography – Vatican
Where There Is Love, There Is God: A Path to Closer Union with God and Greater Love for Others – New Book by Mother Teresa
Misc. News – View From The Domestic Church
Coloring Page 1– Waltzing Matilda
Coloring Page 2 – Waltzing Matilda
Children’s Embroidery Pattern – Waltzing Matilda
Paper Doll – Paper dali
All Saints’ Day –Mother Teresa of Calcutta – Blossoming Joy
Food Ideas & Crafts – Family at the Foot of the Cross
Mother Teresa Tea – Catholic Cuisine
VIDEO – AUDIO go to the bottom of the screen to stop the music player before selecting these links
“You and I and every single human being in this world is a child of God, created in the image of God, created for greater things, to love and to be loved. That is why today we have so much suffering in the world because we forget that we have been created for greater things, that we have been created to love and to be loved. So it is very necessary for us to pray, for prayer will give us a clean heart and a clean heart can love. For the fruit of prayer is love and the fruit of love is service; and it is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the giving.”
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Holiness is not the luxury of the few.
…Holiness is not the luxury of the few. It is a simple duty for you and for me. Take the trouble to keep your family together. Let peace, joy, unity and love be always there. Bring prayer, bring the rosary into your family. Bring the consecration to the Sacred Heart into your family and you will free the love and joy and presence of Christ right there in your own heart and the hearts of your family.
And pray for us as we continue our work. For as you know, we have consecrated our lives to sharing God’s love and compassion to the poorest of the poor, to people who have nothing, who have nobody. Our sisters are now all over the world — God has blessed us with many vocations. I hope some of your sons and daughters will join the Missionaries of Charity and give that love and joy to many more people.
~ Words of Mother Teresa © Mother Teresa Center of the Missionaries of Charity
Father Sebastian Vazhakala
Hi! I'm Lena, mama of JOYfilledfamily.
We are a traditional Catholic family striving to live for Jesus Christ in everything we do. We pray to completely surrender our will to His and to become His servants. Our mission of this blog is to share our JOY.
This blog serves as a journal of us making good memories, living the liturgical year, and our spiritual journey.