Happy St. Patrick's Day!

First...I must admit that I have drunk my fair share of green beer and sham-rocked away many St. Patrick Days.  I am reminding myself as much as anyone else, to remember the great St. Patrick in a way that truly honors him.

March 17th is the Feast Day of St. Patrick.  He is remembered for bringing Christianity to Ireland.  Like some other famous Saints, Patrick's Feast has been taken captive much like the young Patrick himself.  It's a bit ironic that one of the greatest Irish, Catholic Saints came from Britain.  He was captured, enslaved, then broke free only to return to convert the Irish to Christianity.  He traveled fearlessly around Ireland facing the pagan kings and those who once took away his freedom, only to repay them with true freedom.

As a daily communicant I sometimes loose the specialness of going to mass on a feast day.  In past years it has been a pleasure to go to St. Patrick's in our town for mass.  I have also enjoyed the Irish Family Reunion and celebrating with the vibrant Irish community at The Shamrock Club and local pubs.  I've been blessed by many special friendships brought together by culture, religion, music, and laughter.  I have wonderful memories of traveling to Ireland once with my husband and then a very special trip with his side of the family.  The Irish and Ireland hold a special place in my heart.

While it is a myth that St. Patrick banished the snakes from Ireland, I feel that the good St. Patrick would find that a new serpent has not only taken over his feast day but is slithering his way back onto his beloved Ireland.  This "Isle of Saints" could use all their intercession to bring back the fire of faith to the country.  

So remember to ask for the intercession of St. Patrick, pray for Ireland and all the Irish people near and far.  

St.Patrick, pray for us🙏

Go and make disciples!

Go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19)

When you are on fire with Lord you want to share it.  I find one of the most rewarding experiences as a Catholic is to sponsor others. It is a blessing to walk with others on their spiritual journey.   Each time I had the honor to be a sponsor or work on the RCIA team (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) I always got much more out of it than what I gave.  I find it is not only an opportunity to learn more about my faith, but it is also refreshing to be around those entering The Church and coming alive in their faith.  

Lent is the final discernment time for  catechumens (one who is not baptized) and candidates (one who is baptized in another faith).  As Catholics, we should all be keeping them in our prayers.  Many parishes put up pictures of those in RCIA so we can welcome them and pray for them throughout Lent.

The Easter Vigil is the highlight of the experience.  Yes, it's usually 3+ hours, but I have always felt like it goes by quickly and it is the most beautiful Mass of the year.  The excitement starts with the Easter bonfire and the lighting of the Easter Candle  and then the return of The Gloria and Allalluias illuminate your senses.  It is beautiful to witness the baptism, confirmation, and first communions of our newest Catholic brothers and sisters in faith.  This is what it is all about, taking that walk together.  If you haven't experience this...GO!  

We'll see ya on the road!

Walk in the light!

This Sunday we celebrated the first scrutiny in preparation for the Baptism of the catechumens who are to be admitted to the Sacraments of Christian Initiation at the Easter Vigil.  In this third Sunday of Lent we are all drawing closer to the light of the cross.  We also started daylight savings time so are days are literally getting longer and lighter. 

Here are some words from the Easter Vigil Liturgy that the priest uses to bless the Paschal Candle that we can use to ponder as we draw closer to the celebration of the light of the world...

Those in RCIA are drawing nearer to entering the light of Christ.  This is a good time to start thinking about inviting those that friends and family who have drifted away from the church to come home for Easter. 

We'll see you on the road! 

That's Adorable!

On our recent podcast episode (#1) we talked a bit about Eucharistic adoration, and how that can be a kind of pilgrimage that is easily accessible.  It was interesting in researching the podcast, that the concept has been around since the beginning of  Christianity, when the host would be reserved for the sick or dying.  In religious communities in the 2nd and 3rd centuries adoration would take place.

Now, when I grew up our parish never had adoration, nor was I exposed to it until about 15 years ago.  This despite the fact that 40 hour devotions have been around for centuries.  It seems like the practice, the simple act of adoring our Lord present in the Eucharist went away for while.

I enjoy my time spent in adoration, as both physically and spiritually it is the time I feel closest to God.  Whether it is my hour in a nearly empty adoration chapel in silence, or with a dozens of fellow Catholics at a holy hour, this time in contemplation, reflection, prayer, and interior quiet is a glorious gift.  One of many such gifts our faith tradition provides.  I encourage you to take advantage of this devotion, whether in a formal setting or just time in front of the tabernacle.  The graces that come this are abundant.

We'll see you on the road!

Let's Dance!

Enjoying talk by our retreat leader, Fr. Cassian Derbes, O.P. on "The Virtues of Mary" at St. Therese's Retreat Center. This is what I am getting...

"To be virtuous speaks of living gracefully.  

Virtue speaks of happiness.  

Gives witness to blessedness. 

Mary is blessed among women. 

Blessed equals happy. 

God wants us to be happy!

Grace is an elegant movement.

It is how God animates you".

We'll see you on the road... I'll be the one dancing 😄! 

( Oh, btw... Cassian Derbes is now on my best names ever list... Could be tied with The Venerable Bede!)

Silence

St. Thomas Aquinas died on this date, March 7, 1274. 

"The last word of St. Thomas is not communication but silence. And it is not death which takes the pen out of his hand. His tongue is stilled by the super-abundance of life in the mystery of God. He is silent, not because he has nothing further to say; he is silent because he has been allowed to glimpse into the inexpressible depths of that mystery which is not reached by any human thought or speech. The acts of the canonization process record: On the feast of St. Nicholas, in the year 1273, as Thomas turned back to his work after Holy Mass, he was strangely altered. He remained steadily silent; he did not write; he dictated nothing. He lad aside the Summa Theologica on which he had been working. Abruptly, in the middle of the treatise on the Sacrament of Penance, he stopped writing. Reginald, his friend, asks him, troubled: "Father, how can you want to stop such a great work?" Thomas answers only, "I can write no more." Reginald of Piperno seriously believed that his master and friend might have become mentally ill through his overwhelming burden of work. After a long while, he asks and urges once again. Thomas gives the answer: "Reginald, I can write no more. All that I have hitherto written seems to me nothing but straw. Reginald is stunned by his reply".- Josef Pieper, The Silence of St. Thomas

0n Silent Retreat at 

We'll see you on the road! 

Back to silence....shhhhh 😉 

God allows u-turns!

Have you ever been driving along and had a strange feeling that you were going in the wrong direction? On a trip out west, late at night, when one of us was asleep that is exactly what happened....sorry, that's another story.  This one is about a spiritual u-turn.  

It started a few years into our marriage.  We had become regular mass goers due in part to Chip's return to the church choir he had enjoyed in his youth.  I started feeling something was missing, particularly during Lent as we neared the Easter Vigil when new Catholics were brought into the church.  I felt that strange feeling that I was going on the wrong road.  You know when they build a new highway and there is that old road running parallel to the new one but they just don't connect.  That is exactly what had happened.  I was on the wrong road and I needed to find the entrance ramp.  Years earlier I had exited my faith formation when my parents divorced and we stopped going to church just at the time when I should have been confirmed.  I had been telling myself that that formality didn't matter.  So many of my Catholic friends said that they didn't feel any different after their confirmation.  Maybe it didn't make a real difference.  Matter of fact the priest who married us told me not to worry, that I was a Catholic (By the way, he is now married and no longer an active priest...hmmmmm.).

I started feeling like something was missing and realizing that it did matter! The Holy Spirit started nudging me a little at first but then it was so strong that I just couldn't deny the reality any longer.  Everywhere I looked, everything I read,  at home, at work, and at church it was all about fire...being on fire, word on fire, tongues of fire... fire, fire, fire!  I have since found that when I get these repeated messages it is important to listen.  So when the priest announced one Sunday that they would be having a special class for those raised Catholic that didn't complete their sacramental rites, my soul cried out, "That's me!"

So I took the class, went to my first confession since I was a child, got confirmed, and  I am here to tell you that confirmation does make a difference.  When I was confirmed I was truly filled with The Holy Spirit and I have been on fire with the love for Jesus ever since.  I have been living and loving my Catholic faith on the move!

If you have had a similar experience and have not received all of your sacraments,find a good holy priest and live your faith to the fullest.  It will change everything!

We'll see ya on the road!

Help spread the Divine Mercy message !

Would love to see this on the road!

Help bring this beautiful 22ft. billboard to Columbus, Ohio.

WILL YOU HELP BRING SINNERS BACK TO GOD'S MERCY!!! 

Billboard prices range from $650.00 to $1250 and can be up by the 12th of this month. 

If you would like to help and get involved with the billboard campaign, please contact Tim at: 

Tim McAndrew

Laity for Mercy feastofmercy.net

We'll see ya on the road!

Oh! Look who is blogging!!

I can hear our friends and family now..."Oh! Look who is blogging!"

To quote a member of one of my prayer groups, "If this it what she says, imagine what she is thinking?!" ( Insert their wild laughter!) 

Well, this just may be the place where you will all get that special experience. (Insert my wild laughter!)

We'll see you on the road!

Welcome to our journey on the road to heaven!

The Mission    Luke 10:1     The Lord  sent them... in pairs...

Welcome to our journey on the road to heaven.  Here we are on our pilgrimage to the Holy Land.  It took us a long time to get to this point...which brings us to the point of this blog.  As you can see, we are still on that road and we want you to join us on our journey.  We will be taking a look back at the road we have have traveled, enjoy where we are are now and look ahead to where we want to go.  We're sure to have some roadblocks along the way, but with the grace of God and the Holy Spirit keeping us on the right path we are sure to make it to our destination.  It takes some preparation, planning, and packing to make it a good trip.  We'll be sharing our favorite travel tips from books, travels, Saints, music, and great people we have met.

We'll see ya on the road!