Articles & Updates

VIEWPOINTS OF AN ASPIRING SAINT

June 11, 2005
There are those who say we are all saints and others who say we are not saints until we get to heaven. It is probably safe to say we all have the potential to be saints but how many of us aspire to be one? I do. Though most of my life I was unaware of this desire which lay dormant in my heart, I had an awakening of the most unusual kind! I witnessed a Eucharistic Miracle at a place of pilgrimage, in Worcester, Massachusetts, where I went in search of the Divine Healer, for my grandchild, Katelin, who was gravely ill. Through faith, prayer and Jesus Christ, came a remarkable cure, which is well documented in the book “Memoir of a Miracle”. It was not the end of the story, nor even the climax; it was the reward of faith, which propelled me to Ask, Seek and Knock at Heaven’s door. The defining moment came while I was venerating a consecrated host after Mass in the tiny chapel at Audrey Santo’s home. It bled. Yes, I did say bled, and I will never forget that life changing moment, or my response. I said, “Oh my God, everything they tell us is true!” They, being the Catholic Church and the truth being, the Eucharist is the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. I remember being both excited and ashamed. I was excited because I knew I had witnessed something very special, very unusual. I was ashamed because like Thomas I knew I must have harbored some doubts. How easy it is to believe when we see something physically, yet as Catholics we are called to “see” by faith! My life was immediately and forever changed by that experience. That was an unexpected miracle and one I had NOT asked for. I gave my heart totally and completely to Jesus! I made a promise before I went on my pilgrimage that if the Lord healed Katelin, I would make His works known. I have tried my best to do that but my Eucharistic experience has given me a desire to make Adoration better known and more widespread. I am currently on a committee that has brought Perpetual Adoration to St. Gregory the Great but wouldn’t it be wonderful to have this beautiful devotion in every Parish?! Impossible, you say! Nothing is impossible unto God. Saints aspire to do the Lord’s work while here on earth. Often, they persevered against great odds. Adoration brought many strengths and graces to them. My husband cut out a headline from an article and taped it to my dresser mirror. It reads “The Dawn of a New Millennium” and I am a “new” Dawn, changed by grace through Jesus Christ. A priest, friend of mine is fond of telling me, ‘There is no Saint Dawn.’ “No, not YET!" is my response. We are all called to walk the road to perfection, knowing full well we will never attain it, but we do it anyway for the love of God. All that matters to Him is that we TRY!!!

Our Next LOL Meeting

June 11, 2005
Our next meeting is August14th, 2008 in The Gathering Room attached to St. Gregory's Church. We have much to pray for and be Thankful for. We will have a "Regular" meeting. Back to Basics Ladies with a reading from the Bible, the Catholic Catechism and St. Faustina's Diary after our prayers. Discussion---Purgatory! Goodies & Fellowship to follow. see you there!

All are welcomed.

CELIBACY, A CHOICE AND A GIFT!

June 11, 2005
I do not understand why there is so much controversy about priests getting married! Here in America people seem especially obsessed with this matter. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church it states that our priests are "Chosen" from among men of Faith who intend to remain celibate for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven. They are called to 'consecrate' themselves with an "undivided heart" and to give themselves 'entirely' to the Lord. Celibacy is a sign of this new life of service of which the priest has been consecrated. How beautiful! When a man is consecrated to the priesthood it means he is committed to "Holiness." Just as bread and wine are forever changed at the consecration of the Mass, so a man's life is forever changed when he is consecrated to the priesthood. To put it more simply why would you join the Boy Scouts if you didn't believe in what they stand for? Celibacy is a choice and a gift! In 1 Corinthians 7:32-34 it states, "I would like you to be free from worry. An unmarried man concerns himself with the Lord's work because he is trying to please the Lord. But a married man concerns himself with worldly matters, because he wants to please his wife; and so he is pulled in two directions." Here we have a very important component of celibacy made clear, if one wants to be dedicated to Jesus in body and spirit then one must be celibate othewise division occurs. Since marriage is also a sacrament and to fulfill it one is called to obey the vows taken, at some point the vows of marriage and the priesthood will come into direct opposition. You cannot serve God and your spouse equally . The Priesthood by its very nature concentrates on Christ being "All." The greater issue here is not the shortage of priests, it is one of sanctity. Human nature seeks change, Divine Nature seeks obedience and humility. Where the points being made for married priests are well taken they are not well thought out. Doing so may aleviate one problem only to open Pandor's box to a plethora of new problems! It has been done before and it is called Protestantism. They do not grow stronger, on the contrary they have fractured and divided into over 2000 different denominations, with many making up their own rules. Something very special is watered down and lost. We have the teachings of the Church Fathers, Tradition, Scripture and the guidance of the Holy Father who has emphatically said no, to married priests. As Catholics we are to be humble and obedient to the Chair of Peter! The arrogance and rebelliousness of some in the Church only causes weakness within. The Catholic Church is not perfect. We have many problems, but we have a high degree of sanctity and holiness outlined by Jesus Christ who is found in every tabernacle in every Catholic Church throughout the world and that is truly awesome! The answer to our vocation problem will come through Eucharistic Adoration when more people go before the Real Presence and pray for good and holy priests and for a strengthening of all Religious. We go through the painful throes of cleansing from time to time throughout our history but we emerge a stronger church, not by change but by FAITH!! The Lord has promised that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against His Church and I trust in Him! Dawn Curazzato

Inspirationals

October 23, 2005
IF YOU ARE KIND PEOPLE MAY ACCUSE YOU OF SELFISH, ULTERIOR MOTIVES; BE KIND ANYWAY!

WORRY DOES NOT EMPTY TOMORROW OF ITS SORROW, IT EMPTIES TODAY OF ITS STRENGTH!

THE ONLY ONES AMONG YOU WHO WILL BE REALLY HAPPY ARE THOSE WHO HAVE SOUGHT AND FOUND HOW TO SERVE!

YOU WILL FIND, AS YOU LOOK BACK ON YOUR LIFE, THAT THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU REALLY LIVED ARE THE MOMENTS WHEN YOU DID THINGS IN THE SPIRIT OF LOVE!

HAPPINESS IS AN AFFAIR OF THE HEART WHICH HAPPENS WHEN WE LET GOD IN!

SAINTS

October 23, 2005
ST. PADRE PIO SAID IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR THE WORLD TO GET ALONG WITHOUT THE SUN THAN WITHOUT THE HOLY SACRIFICE OF THE MASS

ST. THERESA WAS OVERWHELMED WITH GOD'S GOODNESS AND ASKED OUR LORD, "HOW CAN I THANK YOU?" OUR LORD REPLIED, "ATTEND ONE MASS!"

THE HOLY MASS IS OF GREATER PROFIT WHEN HEARD IN OUR LIFE TIME THEN AFTER HAVING IT CELEBRATED FOR RELIEF OF OUR SOULS AFTER DEATH!(POPE BENEDICT XV)

ST. GERTRUDE WAS TOLD THAT 1,000 SOULS FROM PURGATORY ARE RELEASED EACH TIME THIS PRAYER IS SAID: "ETERNAL FATHER, I OFFER THEE THE MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD OF THY DIVINE SON, JESUS, IN UNION WITH THE MASSES SAID THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TODAY, FOR ALL THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY, FOR SINNERS EVERYWHERE, FOR SINNERS IN THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH, THOSE IN MY OWN HOME AND WITHIN MY FAMILY. AMEN."

ARCH OF TRIUMPH

October 25, 2005
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A DONATION OR JUST RECEIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORTHY PROJECT CLICK ON THE EMAIL ADDRESS PROVIDED. CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE FOR FREQUENT UPDATES AND INFORMATION ABOUT UPCOMING EVENTS.
www.archoftriumph.org

JOHN PAUL II PRAYER CARD AND BLESSED MEDAL

October 26, 2005
IF YOU WOULD LIKE A JOHN PAUL II PRAYER CARD FOR HIS INTERCESSION FOR YOUR NEED AND FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF HIS SAINTHOOD, ALONG WITH A BLESSED MEDAL, PLEASE SEND A SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE TO LADIES OF THE LORD, 162 SUNDOWN TRAIL, WILLIAMSVILLE, NEW YORK 14221. IF YOU WISH TO SEND US YOUR PETITIONS WE WOULD HAPPILY PUT THEM IN OUR PETITION BOOK AND PRAY FOR THEM EVERY DAY. GOD BLESS YOU!

SPIRIT DAILY
AUTHOR MICHAEL BROWN'S WEB SITE

November 7, 2005
PLEASE VISIT www.Spiritdaily.com OFTEN, WHERE YOU WILL FIND INTERESTING NEWS AND ARTICLES PERTAINING TO OUR CATHOLIC FAITH. MICHAEL BROWN IS AUTHOR OF "THE DAY WILL COME", "THE LAST SECRET", "SECRETS OF THE EUCHARIST" AND MANY MORE THOUGHT PROVOKING BOOKS. HE HAS ALSO BEEN A GUEST SPEAKER AT ST. BERNADETTE'S CHURCH IN ORCHARD PARK

Words from Archbishop Fulton Sheen
"CROSSES" (great words from a great man!)

December 1, 2005
Crosses can be great blessings if we allow them to be. "It is the trials imposed upon us by others, such as their injustices, their harsh words, their knife-in-the-back attitudes, and their peevishness, that gall us; yet these are counted as the daily crosses of the man who would be truly religious. Much weariness of the Spiritual life is due to the constant necessity of bearing the shortcomings of others, along with the never-ending strife against our own base inclinations. Then begins the task of accepting such people as a cross, and through our patience and forgiveness, putting love where we do not find it!"