Web Site
Another essential service is a web site. Yes, it is possible to run a business without a web site, but
One devotional practice that is associated with Lent is making the Stations of the Cross. The Stations of the Cross are fourteen moments in Jesus' Passion that go from His being condemned to die to being buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimithea. Through meditating on these stations, we can unite ourselves more closely with Our Suffering Savior Who gave everything for us.Use these mediations by St. Alphonsus Liguori to help you make the Stations of the Cross at your parish or in your home.To get your own copy, just download a free copy of the meditations this holy Doctor of the Church. The Stations include a picture and meditation for each of the fourteen stations along with verses from the Stabat Mater Dolorosa (At the Cross Her Station Keeping).Read through a Gospel during Lent (Free Resource)
One of the three pillars of Lent is prayer, and one way to increase your prayer life is to spend more time listening to God by reading His Word. He speaks to us through Scripture. Although we hear a Gospel passage every Sunday and at weekday masses, it can be a very fruitful experience to read through one of the Gospels from start to finish. The Evangelists wrote their Gospels as story and there is flow to each one of the accounts. When you read through a Gospel, you will pick up more of the sense of order that the Evangelists wanted to share.
Download the Lenten Gospel guide which has four plans--one for each Gospel--to lead you through a Gospel during Lent. The breaks are made a natural stopping points, and each section gives you enough to read and reflect on for one day.
Download the guide. Grab your Bible. And, listen to God's Word as you read through a Gospel during Lent.Gospel Readings for Every Day of Lent (Free Resource)
If you prefer to read from different Gospels during Lent, this resource has you covered. It is a selection of Gospel readings from all four Gospels that present passages that are good for reflection throughout Lent.
The free daily Gospel Lenten reading plan has readings for all the days of Lent (including Sundays), Holy Week, and the first Sunday of Easter.
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Featured Course: The "Why" and "How" of Saints (Free Resource)
Why are there saints? How does someone become a saint? How do you explain the saints? Learn the answers to these questions and much more in this 5-day email course.
Advent Countdown Paper Chain Craft (FREE)
Advent is a time to help us prepare for the coming of the Lord in His Nativity in Bethlehem.
Use this fun and easy craft to help your whole family prepare for Advent.It is an Advent calendar that you make and use throughout the season of Advent. The countdown chain takes you from the First Sunday in Advent until the First Day of Christmas.
The craft comes with a list of supplies, illustrated instructions, ideas for how to use the countdown chain, and a full list of the Catholic saints' feast days during Advent.
Advent Meditations by St. Alphonsus Liguori (FREE)
Advent is a time to help us prepare for the coming of the Lord in His Nativity in Bethlehem. Let a Doctor of the Chuch help you prepare with eight brief, but profound meditations which will assist you in readying your heart to give itself completely to the Holy Child of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In these reflections, St. Alphonsus Liguori, a Doctor of the Church, provides three brief points that include acts of love for God, thoughts on contrition for sin, and a petition for final perseverance. The meditations generally include a quote from Scripture, and, because of his great devotion to Our Lady, they conclude with a prayer to her asking for her intercession.
With eight meditations, these could be made on the morning and evening of each Sunday of Advent. Or, they can be made on the eight days preceding December 25th, by starting on December 17th.
St. Andrew Novena Mobile Phone Wallpaper (FREE)
The Christmas Anticipation Prayer aka St. Andrew Novena
The St. Andrew Novena is also known as the Christmas Anticipation Prayer. It is popularly known by the saint's name because it begins on his feast day which is November 30th. The devotion, the origin of which is not exactly known, is to pray the prayer fifteen times each day from the Feast of St. Andrew through Christmas Eve in order to prepare your heart for receiving the Child Jesus in His Nativity.
Wait. Before you think to yourself, "I cannot pray something 15 times per day!", keep reading. I have some tips to help make it easier.
Why Pray this Prayer?
It is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations during Advent. This beautiful prayer reminds us of the purpose of Advent which is to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit in order that they might be readied for celebrating the first coming of Jesus in Bethlehem and to be prepared for His second coming at the end of time or at end of our time here on earth.
Tips for Praying the Prayer
It might seem a challenge to pray a prayer fifteen times a day. And, it certainly can be. Here is what has helped me. First, I remember that the prayer is short. (But, it is powerful if you meditate on the words.) Second, I pray it in groups of five prayers, three times a day. My goal is to do it in the morning, around noon, and in the evening. Third, I have started to use the following phone wallpaper to help me to remember to pray it and to have the prayer easily available. Just download the image by clicking on the button below and add it as your wallpaper to help you pray this holy prayer.
And, use your phone's calendar to set a reminder for you to pray the prayer. Just set up a reminder three times per day throughout Advent. You will find it does not take long to pray the prayers.
The Prayer
Hail and blessed be the hour and moment in which the Son of God was born of the most pure Virgin Mary, at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold. In that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, O my God, to hear my prayer and grant my desires, through the merits of Our Savior Jesus Christ, and of His blessed Mother. Amen.
Angels in the Bible (FREE)
Who are angels? And, what do angels do?
The angels are saints, too. The angels, including our own guardian angel, are perfectly united with God.
Learn more about the important roles which angels have played in all of salvation history from the Garden of Eden to the book of Acts. And, as you learn more about them, you will grow in your devotion to our Heavenly friends, the angels.
Books about the Saints
Voices of the Saints by Bert Ghezzi
Voices of the Saints is a wonderful book written by Bert Ghezzi in which he introduces you to 365 saints through their own words. Each saint is given two pages in the book. As the title of the book suggests, you get to know the saints through their own voices.
The entry for each saint includes an excerpt from something the saint wrote or said as well as biographical information to help you become familiar with the saint.
With 365 saints, you could add one saint per day to your spiritual reading and become more familiar with the saints. The book is arranged in alphabetic order by name, but you can also read about the saints in chronological order beginning with the Blessed Virgin Mary and continuing with the guides that lead you to the next saint. Either way, it can make for a great Catholic daily devotional to take you throughout the entire calendar year.
I have gone through periods where I have read from this book every day, and I enjoyed learning more about the saints I encounter in its pages.
Bert Ghezzi's book certainly can be a welcome addition to your prayer life as you let the saints help guide you on your journey with the Lord.
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