O holy St. Philip Neri, patron saint of joy,

Keep us safe through your loving intercession and may the joy of the Holy Spirit which filled your heart, St. Philip, transform our lives and bring us peace. Amen

Joy is something deeper and more lasting. Even when an activity is over when you feel contentment or consolation, that is joy, as St. Ignatius points out.  Focusing on the long term goal of heaven and not on the little things that annoy us can help us have joy. Yes, there are difficulties in life, but if we allow ourselves to focus only on those, we will sink into the muck of our emotions.

Look to the cross. It is an example of focusing on the joy that is to come. But remember because of Christ’s death and resurrection we can have that joy now, in this life. I’m certain our joy in heaven will be far greater than any we experience here on earth, but we can still have joy. That is the gift we have from God.

When you are feeling less than full of joy, pray the prayer of St. Philip Neri and ask him to intercede for you.

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or Free registration.

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Teresa wanted her order, the Carmelites, to go back to convents existing on public offerings and poverty rather than relying on personal endowments of the wealthy. This caused a conflict between the two Carmelite groups, the Primitive and Mitigated. The Primitive was what Teresa was espousing. However, in the conflict, she was told to retire and stop working. Eventually, she was able to return to her life’s work with help from the King and Pope Gregory XIII.

Let nothing disturb you,

St. Teresa of Avila

When you feel troubled, pray the prayer above and remember that you have God.

Don’t forget, register for the Catholic Moms Summit Nov 13, 14, 15. All Access Pass

or Free registration.

The post St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Reading is my favorite way to relax! I’ve read a few of Carolyn Astfalk’s books and thought it would be nice to talk about how she got started writing fiction.

A few years ago when she had only 2 children and a husband who traveled frequently for business, she took part in a popular writing challenge, write a 50,000-word novel in November. So she did! Currently, she has 4 novels, Stay with Me, Rightfully Ours, Ornamental Graces and All in Good Time. All can be found on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and independent Catholic bookstores.

It is real! The characters face real-world contemporary problems and solve them by relying on faith to do so. Each book shows us how mercy works, why we need the sacraments and how grace and forgiveness are ours for the asking. These are novels you can read knowing faith is not an aside but applied in a practical way in the character’s lives. I haven’t read All in Good Time yet,  but plan on it. All the books are geared to adults, mainly women though men read them too. Rightfully Ours is a coming of age novel that is appropriate for older teens as well.

This week, read a work of fiction, preferably Catholic or Christian! Tell us your favorite title in the comments.

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or Free registration.

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The psalms cover the entire range of human emotion and experience and so can be very helpful in prayer. One-third of the psalms are psalms of lament, which reminds us that it is okay to pour out our heart and soul to God, our anger, disappointment, frustration, all of it! He knows it, tell him. It helps.

No matter the type of psalm, I always feel comforted, knowing that I am not alone in the emotion I am experiencing.

Read and pray a psalm each day this week. Tell us your favorite in the comments.

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Meet Anne Kidder, the woman show who runs Kidderbug Kreations! Anne loves to sew and create special gifts for others. She created the items in her online store to give people an opportunity to give meaningful handcrafted gifts. She says, “there is a memory in every moment.”  And there is!

There are gifts to help us remember those we love who have passed on. Pillows, bears and hand-embroidered prints are a few items.

Anne also has great baby gifts. My favorite is the hooded towels!

A new line of St. Michael gifts with custom-designed fabric. There are baby toys, burp cloths, and a diaper clutch when your big bag is too much.

Anne welcomes the opportunity to help you find just the right gift, so don’t hesitate to contact her.

Her webiste is KidderbugKreations!

Pray the St. Michael Prayer this week!

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Register here! It’s free.

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It means to make something appear larger, to enlarge, increase, enhance. The archaic meaning is a bit different and more in line with what we think of in relation to God. It means, to extol, glorify, praise, bless, worship, venerate and adore.

The above verses remind us that we have much to thank God for and when we do, we are magnifying what he has done so that others can see it. It is one way we share the Good News. But God also takes our work and prayers, small or large, and magnifies them. In the same way as a small bit of yeast leavens all the dough (Matthew 13:33) he takes what we offer him and makes it bigger. God can use all we do for his glory if we put it at his disposal.

Spend some time praying about this: How can you magnify the Lord? And how does he magnify you?

Learn more about the Catholic Moms Summit and register here!

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In the Catholic Church, there is a group of men, called permanent deacons who are married and serve in various ways. This episode looks at how one man heard his call to become a deacon and acted on it.

It’s my husband, Deacon John, and I am happy to have you hear his story of how God spoke to him. It is a personal story and certainly not the experience of all deacons. But, that’s the way God works. He treats each of us as the unique individuals we are, not reaching us in the same way.

A permanent deacon is a man, married or single, who wants to serve God in a particular way. Each diocese has different rules as to the age of the man, the schooling required, and other variables. What is consistent though is that deacons are ordained to serve at the altar and proclaim the Gospel at Mass. They can also baptize, officiate at weddings, and bless items that people want to have blessed.

Because this month is his 5 year anniversary as a deacon. I thought it would be nice to share his story.

Leave your questions in the comments and I’ll answer them.

This week, take a few minutes to thank a deacon for saying yes and serving God and the Church. If you don’t know a deacon, thank your pastor, priest, a sister – a person you are grateful for who said yes to God.

The post Becoming a Deacon appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.

Have you ever wondered, what is a Doctor of the Church? Well, wonder no more. I’ll explain, in broad strokes what that means.

How does one become a Doctor of the Church?

First, you must be a saint. A saint is someone who has great holiness. A Doctor of the Church has holiness that is outstanding. During their lifetimes, they truly exemplified what it means to follow Christ. They also left behind a body of work for us today. Writing, letters, books, sermons, which had great depth on a particular doctrine or teaching of the Chruch. This helps us, even today, grow in our own understanding. Their work has withstood the test of time.

How many Doctors are there?

36; 32 men and 4 women. The Church has been selecting DOctors from saints since 1298. The latest, St. Gregory of Narek, was made a Doctor in 2015 by Pope Francis.

The four women Doctors are Catherine of Siena, Theresa of Avila, Terese of Lisieux, and Hildgard of Bingen.

While all the saints are notable, a few are more well known than others: St. Anthony of Padua, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Thomas Aquinas.

For a complete list, look here.

I mentioned in my podcast that I am starting a study group on St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans. I’d love to see you there and signing up is as easy as entering an email. 

Our NotLukewarm Challenge this week is to write in honor of all the great writing left to us from the Doctors. Read a bit of scripture or just sit and pray by writing your prayers. Take 5 or 10 minutes. That’s all!

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Amy Brooks, a former middle and high school teacher, has written a journal for boys! She is a mom of 3, 1 son and a set of twins – a son and a daughter. Besides taking care of her family, she is behind quite a few websites (the list is below) and now the author of 2 journals from Our Sunday Visitor, Be Yourself, A Journal for Catholic Boys (new) and Be Yourself, A Journal for Catholic Girls.

Amy describes it as teen magazine meets religion textbook! There are writing prompts, activities, pages to color, saints to learn about and more. The journal is for tweens and young teen to use on their own or in a class as independent work. She says,  “The purpose of both journals is to encourage young people to identify as a son or daughter of God and to truly enjoy the journey of getting to know God and getting to know the mission or missions God has planned for each individual. ”

The book would make a great gift for a tween starting middle school, for a feast day or Confirmation. It is something I would have liked to have when my children were that age.

Amy had a great idea for this week’s challenge. Every morning, before you even get out of bed, pick one person to pray for that day and start off by thanking God for that person right away. It’s one small yet powerful way to pray for someone.

Prayer, Wine,  Chocolate – her website.

Catholics Online Facebook Page

Catholic Talk and Inspiration Facebook Page

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I recently spoke with Jen Frost, a sewist and fabric designer who wrote a book on living out the liturgical year. I didn’t mention it to Jen, but this is one of my favorite topics! How we can incorporate the Church seasons into our daily life is something I think is so important. It truly helps us to live out our faith every day. I also loved the way Jen said it, it helps her make “my faith my own.” If you want more specific information on the Church seasons, I have an episode for you.

Creating has always been a part of her life; she learned to hand sew at a very young age, and remembers her mom sewing Halloween each year. Jen’s mother-in-law quilts. She introduced Jen to it and she fell in love with it – and that Christmas, after not being able to find an Advent quilt pattern available on the market, Jen taught herself how to write quilt patterns and published her first pattern: Advent Wreaths.

For Jen, creating Christian patterns is a beautiful way to share faith through gorgeous quilts and fabrics! She fills a niche in the quilt pattern market that wasn’t being filled before. Jen appreciates the inclusion that offering faith-filled patterns brings and being able to connect with so many different denominations.

Back in 2015, Jen met Allison Gingras on a podcast interview for Catholic Creatives. The pair stayed in touch and when Allison put together a group of women to write the Stay Connected Journals she asked Jen to write the one on liturgical living.

The book, published by Our Sunday Visitor,  has 7 chapters, each focusing on a different Chruch season. Advent, Lent, Easter, Christmas and Ordinary Time are discussed. There are scripture references and questions to ponder to help make a connection between the word and everyday life. And while it can read cover to cover, Jen suggests reading it just before the next season, so you’re not reading about Christmas in July! In fact, she has a book club set up on her website that does just that. Take a look at it and consider joining in!

This week, Jen invites you to consider your family and faith traditions and find out a little more about it. Where does it come from? Why do you do it?  So maybe you’ll ask a family member or maybe it requires a bit of internet research, but either way, find out a bit more!

Jen’s website, Faith and Fabric. 

Buy her new book!

The post Make Every Day Blessed – A new Stay Connected Journal appeared first on Ultimate Christian Podcast Radio Network.