striving to radiate Him always
Pope Benedict XVI will celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on June 29, feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.
Resources:
A New Priest 1951 – Part I
A New Priest 1951 – Part II
Pope Benedict XVI Prayer Card
Prayer for Priest Prayer Card in honor of Pope Benedict’s 60th Anniversary of Priestly Ordination, the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the World Day of Prayer for Priests.
Activities for Kids:
God Bless Pope Benedict XVI Coloring Page
Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI Coloring Page
How to Recongize a Pope Quiz
Symbols of Papal Coat of Arms
Papal Coat of Arms Coloring Page
Meet Pope Benedict – Story, Printable Book, and Crossword Puzzle
What a Pope Does – Activities
Mitre Craft – Catholic Icing
Paper Bishop Miter or “Pope Hat” – Catholic Missionary Family
Additional Prayers and Activities
Hear my prayer, O Lord, and my supplication: give ear to my tears. Be not silent: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner as all my fathers were. ~ Psalms 38:13
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My family was invited to take a pilgrimage. It was an answer to many prayers and a great consolation. We have always desired to take a pilgrimage as a family.
The word "pilgrim" comes from the Latin "peregrinus," meaning "foreigner" or "stranger," and in the deepest sense, that is what all Catholics are: a people whose home is not this world, but the Heavenly Jerusalem, toward which our lives move us. But in that journey to share in St. John’s vision, we often make smaller journeys, or "pilgrimages" — that is, journeys made to sacred places for the purpose of veneration, to ask help from or thank God and His Saints, to fulfill a vow, or to make penance. ~ Fisheaters
We had two-weeks notice for this journey. We joyfully accepted the invitation and trusted that the Good Lord would work out the details. Dad and I covered it all in prayer. We chose to go with the bare essentials to practice detachment, ALL FOR. The Littles were on board and ready for the faithfilled adventure.
Our plans 
were foiled when the second date set for the pilgrimage was canceled. The weather forecast was bleak and the coordinators wanted decent conditions since this was our first go at such a journey. We did not lose peace but the rescheduling meant that Dad couldn’t make the adjustment at work. I was not ready to brave the journey with all the Littles and no Dad. Praise God, Dad insisted that Rose and I go on the pilgrimage. Rose eagerly accepted Dad’s proposal. It was not going to be an easy endeavor for her since she was still recovering from a dislocated knee cap but she was committed. I had no worries about leaving Dad with all the Littles but I was a tad apprehensive since it meant that I would have to wean Dragonfly. Needless to say, we moved forward to walk for Christ.
The rescheduling of the pilgrimage turned out to be another beautiful consolation. We were on pilgrimage during the same time as the Chartres Pilgrimage and Pentecost Sunday – Decent of the Holy Ghost.
Chartres, is a traditional pilgrimage that we hope to (physically) make soon. I had been spiritually preparing to be with the pilgrims at Chartres, since 2010.
The Paris-Chartres Pilgrimage is a three-day walk from Notre-Dame de Paris to Notre-Dame de Chartres, approximately 75 miles. Pilgrims are organized into groups of 20-65 people, that are referred to as “chapters”. The “walk” is through the streets of Paris, and then into the countryside. It can be muddy, rocky, and demanding-and the rewards of such a penitential exercise are eternal. Good sturdy shoes are a must. Each chapter is accompanied by at least one chaplain, who hears confession and gives spiritual direction to each pilgrim who avails himself of the priest’s presence. This pilgrimage originated in the 12th century, with interruptions for the various wars our European brethren seem to find themselves in from time to time. A plenary indulgence is granted, under the usual conditions. ~ FSSP
More on Chartres from a secular view.
I considered our pilgrimage, Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Bethlehem, to be a mini-Chartres Pilgrimage. The Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Bethlehem was a three-day walk from San Juan Bautista Mission to Carmel Mission, approximately 45 miles.
Our Lady of Bethlehem, is The Oldest Shrine of Our Lady on the West Coast of America.
The pilgrimage was made for the following intentions:
I hope to post a brief overview of our physical journey, in the following weeks. As for my faith journey, I’m still unraveling the many blessings and fruits.
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We might journey in a spirit of penance, fasting and giving alms along the way. We might do so joyously, in thanksgiving for blessings received, or in a spirit of supplication for blessings desired. Or we might do so simply to be blessed by being in the presence of holy relics or by walking on ground hallowed by Our Lord or the Saints. Whatever our more particular purposes, leaving behind what is comfortable to us and visiting a strange place is a way to get out of a "spiritual rut" and step outside our normal routines which can sometimes keep us distracted or focused on the wrong things — or perhaps focused too much on otherwise good things. When made with the right attitude, pilgrimage is a way to "lose" our lives for His sake.
+++All for the Sacred and Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, all through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, all in union with St. Joseph.+++
Walk for their Lives is a 12 week walking challenge as we raise money for the unborn. Have someone sponsor your miles, for example a penny for each mile or a dime or even a flat rate such as $50 for each 1,000 miles. Keep track of your miles, post them weekly, win door prizes, get your feet moving for their lives!
Missionaries of Charity – Queen of Peace Shelter ~ The Queen of Peace Shelter provides temporary shelter and meals for single pregnant women and their minor children.
Culture of Life Family Services ~ Culture of Life Family Services is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the entire community through family medical care, natural family planning education, psychological counseling, and spiritual direction to women and families in crisis pregnancies.
Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home ~ The Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home is a home for women who are pregnant and in need of shelter, food, safety, comfort and support during their pregnancy and for a short time afterwards. Their goal is to empower these women to become self-sufficient and independent in their return to the community with their babies or to facilitate adoption as an option if they so choose.
Stand True Christ Centered Pro Life Ministries – We are committed to establishing a culture of life, and bringing light to a generation covered by darkness. We believe that the only true way to end abortion is to turn hearts to Christ. Though it is important for the unjust laws to change, we must first turn the hearts of our nation. (the president, Bryan is a recent convert to the Catholic Church.)
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
This is Rose and I in front of the Carmel Mission after a 3-day pilgrimage, over 41 miles on foot. Needles to say, we experienced it all – pretty, happy, funny, and real.
{pretty, happy, funny, real}
~ Capturing the context of contentment in everyday life ~
Every Thursday, here at Like Mother, Like Daughter!
{pretty}
these tile necklaces were created for a group of pretty & blessed First Communicants.
{happy}
my ever evolving summer list. you can view my inspiration here and here.
{funny}
dragonfly loves himself some peanut butter. he took this spoon-full of sticky yumminess when we weren’t looking.
{real}
the girls had a great time working on their Marian artwork for the ATC Swap. sadly, i didn’t get them sent off. this is my third failed attempt. praise God that my girls were forgiving.
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We’re ready for the summer! We decided to adopt an already made summer list. It fits us and it was too cute to pass up.
Click here to see the complete list and print your own copy.
We’ll be making some activity swaps to fit in some special events. We will try to post all of our fun!
Here is a reflection I had on Phase I of my fitness journey. It came after I found myself defeated and raw with emotions. There were multiple factors at play. I was post-partum and hormonal. I was also tired of not seeing results in my fitness and weight-loss journey. The most prevalent factor was spiritual warfare. I was weakened by my flesh and Satan did not miss a beat. He was right there, ready to bring me down. I give thanks and praise to the Good Lord for teaching me early on, what to do at such time of trial — call on Our Blessed Mother. She always leads me directly back to her son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.
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My desires conformed to His will…
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You have given it all to me. To you, Lord, I return it. Everything is yours; do with it what you will. Give me only your love and grace. That is enough for me. ~St. Ignatius of Loyola
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.
