My Favourite Saints: Part 1

Okay, so we all have our favourite saints, right? The ones we want to be like, who inspire us, who we ask for help when we are having trouble , who have amazing stories. Those are the saints we like.
So my awesome Mum said that for (school) :) I could do a series of blog posts on my favourite saints.
So here I am. I'm going to start with my patron saints and then move on to other saints who if I could have had tons more patron saints I would have had, or who are just my best friends.

St. Catherine of Siena

St. Catherine of Seina. Back when I first read the St. Catherine of Siena book, I knew that I loved her. She was such an inspiration for me. And the book about her was really small so I can't help it if I chose it. :P But the way she did stuff. How she cut her hair and her mother was outraged! How the Dominicans first thought that she was too weak to become a sister, and she showed them that she had a strong spirit. And she saw Jesus up in the sky when she was very little. She is a Doctor of the Church, a bearer of the stigmata (hers was invisible though, how awesome is that?!)  There is much to like when it comes to St. Catherine of Seina, and if you want help. Ask her, I'm sure she'd be happy to help. BTW. My sister Autumn also has St. Catherine as a patron saint.
Patron Saint of: people ridiculed for their piety, firefighters, miscarriages, sick people, and bodily ills.
NOTE: When I say 'Patron Saint' it means that those are the situations that they are the best as handling or that they are the best at helping with. We don't worship saints, but we do ask them for help, (they are our friends) when we are struggling with something. Just thought I'd point out that.

St. Agnes. She suffered martyrdom under the reign of the Emperor Diocletain, at the age of twelve or thirteen. Her name was given to the authorities by a young man who was slighted by Agnes' resolute devotion to religious purity. The son of the prefect was stuck down and St. Agnes prayed for him to be brought back to life. She was also dragged naked through the streets and there are many versions of the story where God saved her from this humiliation by making her hair grow, so that is covered her body, or that anyone who looked at her was struck down dead by God. She was led out to the stake and it was attempted to be set fire to, but the flames neither touched her, nor hurt her. She was finally either, beheaded, or stabbed in the throat with a  In all icons and pictures of her, you will find a lamb is always in her arms, a sign of her purity. She is patron saint of: Betrothed couples, virgins, Young girls, crops, and a few others.

Since July 2010 these two saints have been my patron saints. I really need to get back to asking for their help more often, though! :)


God Bless
 

The Most Awesome things about being Catholic

I'm Catholic and because of that I decided that I wanted to do this blog post. No offence meant to anyone who doesn't have the same opinion as I do.

Number one: Going to Mass and Communion.

There is nothing as beautiful as going to to Mass. It says in the catechism that nothing not all the money in the world or everything valuable in the whole entire world cannot buy a Mass. It is beautiful and nothing can compare with it. You receive Jesus into your body and soul when you receive communion although it might not look like anything special to an outsider the fact is it is the most special sacrament of all. Because in fact, you are receiving your Savior into yourself. We always genuflect before we Communion because you are saluting your king and showing your respect and giving him glory. Now, its hard to believe that Our Lord can be in something so small and normal looking but all you have to do is believe with your whole heart and though it does still taste like bread and wine and still looks like it it isn't. It's God......and its also spiritual food. It changes during the consecration when the priest says "This is my body which will be given up for you." and the same with the wine and than he genuflects holding the host and it is no longer bread, it is Jesus. 

Number Two: Confession

Some people (like myself) find going to confession can be extremely stressful but the beauty of this sacrament is that after you have gone you fell really peaceful and just go and do your penance and try to do better. Jesus forgives all those people who are truly sorry and want to try always to be more like him. 

 

Number Three: Asking Saints, Angels, people in Purgatory, and Mary to pray for us.

Last night we started on a novena to Our Lady Un-doerer of Knots and the pray was soooo beautiful.

 

As Catholics we are forbidden to worship Mary but we are able (and do) honour her for she is the Queen of Heaven and of Earth and is Mother to Jesus and us all. We also ask her to pray for us and intercede for us, she's God's Mum, after all, and Jesus listens to her all the time because she is his Mother. 

Mary might be the best to pray to but we can also pray to other people too such as, Angels e.g. St. Raphael. People in Purgatory (which you can also offer up those little everyday struggles for so that they can reach heaven much faster than on their own) If you offer up your daily struggles for them they'll pray for you when they get to heaven and pray by all means, is always helpful. 

Anyway bit sidetracked *clears throat* moving another example could be your Patron Saints you chose at your confirmation (e.g. my full name is Vellvin Faine Catherine Agnes O.) Catherine is Saint Catherine of Siena who had been on my patron Saint list for years and St. Agnes I found so wonderful and her story so inspiring.

Blessed people like Blessed Pope John Paul the II or Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta you can pray to them as well even though they haven't been canonised yet. 

Number Four: Saying the Rosary

Now, I'm pretty sure that only Catholics say the Rosary but correct me if I'm wrong.

It's a beautiful prayer (or prayers you could say) I have a book which Autumn made for me for Christmas 2010 which had a picture of the Holy Trinity for the Apostles Creed, a picture of Pope Benedict the sixteenth for the 'Our Father, three Hail Mary's and Glory Be' And than pictures for the Luminous, Joyful, Glorious and Sorrowful. My personal favourite is Joyful though Sorrowful (I think) is nice to meditate on. Than I have a picture of Mary holding the Brown Scapular with Jesus in her arms, a picture of St. Michael the Archangel and than a really nice picture of Jesus. It takes about twenty minutes to pray it together each night for my Family (at least, this doesn't apply to anyone else) though we sometimes do three decades as well. This is one of the most powerful prayers in the whole world because it is dedicated to Mary and you are in fact, asking Mary (once again) to intercede And she has, as we all know, the ear of Jesus.

Number Five: Having really cool churches with big steeples and cool cathedrals, statues, altar cloths, patens, chalices, vestments, pews, hymn books, hymns, music, altars, flowers, and of course the most important: The Tabernacle.
All of these things help to remind you that you are in church that you are worshipping your king and you will receive him in communion. I do know that there are other denominations which ahve beautiful churches as well though.

Number Six: My Confirmation

I don't actually remember my First Communion very well because we were Anglican and I don't think I actually understood what it was but after we became Catholic (around 2006) I began to learn about my faith more. Confirmation is you repeating the beliefs which your Godparents and Parents said that they would teach you. It's saying yes, but instead of you being the little baby in the really nice baptismal gown you are actually saying this is what you believe and you are becoming a Adult in the eyes of the Church as it is said "A Soldier for Christ" and that is when you have a special seal placed upon your soul to show (though no one of us can see it) that that, is what you believe and The Bishop slaps you (Or something very like it) to show that you are going out into the world and that you will be persecuted (that is what the slap signifies) I didn't get a slap but I got something like it. It is something very different from anything else which I remember. I don't remember much of my first communion but my confirmation was something very different for me. Before we became Catholic I had my first Communion so you could say it was my first sacrament which I received in the Catholic Church.

Number Seven: Being a God parent.
I am a God mother to Trahaearn, as is Eden and Saxon is his only God Father. I got him a rosary and a small cross on his baptism and I'll always try to show and explain to him the faith from the simplest to the most complicated concepts of the Catholic Church. In short I'm

proud to be catholic!






God Bless

Confirmation pics (Finnally)!!!!!!!!!

I thought I would share with you some of my confirmation pictures. I've been meaning to show you these for simply AGES!!!!!!!!! Oh! And also a blog post on our guests I had sooooooooooo much fun with!! So without further adieu here they are:

My cake.

Me and siblings with the Archbishop. I'm the one of the dark brown hair. Should of done my hair different.

Me cutting my cake.

These are the gifts I received. The St. Gemma book is from my sponsor along with one of the cards, There's my big bible. And 3 medals a St. Agnes medal, a St. Catherin medal and a St. Benedict medal. Thanks Ben, for the Benedict medal.

The Season Table.

My dress.

Thank you Mr. S. for being my sponsor!






God Bless

WHOA!!!!!!!!! I haven't posted in TWO whole weeks! Well anyway the reason for that is mainly confirmation. I have two chapter books to finish reading before Saturday! Though I have a wonderful brother who has helped me make a schedule so I won't be late and finish them. Besides those books I have two other little chapter books and a couple of Fr. Lovasik books besides! Plus all of the memorising of which I have almost completed! And on Friday me and Saxon are gonna party we're going to party someone rub the lamp someone rub the lamp! Quoting Genie from the 3 Aladdin. Did I mention that I'm getting confirmed at night! Saturday night! RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!! I WANT MY CONFIRMATION ON SUNDAY!!!!!!!!!

But nooooooooooooooo that not going to have it on Sunday at our lady of Lourdes nooooooooooooooo my love their having it at ulverstone. The good thing is though that we get reserved seats!!!!!!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No one can steal our seats no one can steal our seats. Saxon is having Kynan as his sponsor, Eden is having Mrs.Hasset and I am having Mr. S. Mr. S. Is coming tomorrow with two of his daughters and one of his sons. I got a mole removed from my back on Monday so now I have stitching's in my back and I can't do any stretching or lifting anything like Corbyn and Arwen! Not to mention it makes me feel frustrated to know that I can't help like I usually do. Also me and Saxon have been discussing things and we have decided that we would like to get the Clone Wars series and check them out. I get my stitches out on Wednesday. Oh! The doctor I had was a real nice Lady! Very gentle and kind and all. Hopefully we'll get everything we need done before confirmation (prayers would be appreciated) Gotta go now. I'm enjoying reading about Jacen Solo bye and g'night,

P.s. Ever had you're ring tone changed because Mummy did you hear a Lady's voice saying:*whistle* "Taxi." Also Happy Birthday to my big sister Eden. Hey Eden maybe Mummy will let you read Waking Rose now!

God Bless

Confirmation!

I am having my confirmation in July! Wow! I really wish I could have a Latin mass. My confirmation names are going to be: Catherin and Agnes. So my full name will be: Vellvin Faine Agnes, Catherin Onions. Big mouthful isn't it! Well I will have to do a lot of work on my confirmation before I'm ready! I will be having it with Saxon and Eden. And Rogan will be having his first communion I think it's the evening before.This is a picture of Saint Catherin of Seina And this is a picture of Saint Agnes.
I hope I will understand all of my confirmation preparation.




God Bless