Lost & Found {by our Shepherd}

Here we are...it's Tuesday of the second week of Advent. Can you believe it? How is yours going? To be honest, mine has had highs and lows. Regardless of whether yours is going well or not, I have good news for you: you still have time. I was reminded of this a couple times at the Blessed is She twitter chat last evening {and P.S. - If you haven't been to one of those chats, I have to say, they are always so beautiful and fruitful. I really hope you'll join us sometime!}.

I'm over at Blessed is She today sharing my thoughts on Jesus, our Shepherd, and His heart for us.

Here's an excerpt from my post:

It’s easy to get lost. I don’t mean lost in a physical sense (though I admit I sometimes do that, too), but lost spiritually—and especially at this time of year. With sixteen days to Christmas, there is so much to be done. There are parties to attend, cookies to bake, trees to decorate, lights to hang, presents to buy and then wrap . . . the list can seem endless. Many of these things bring us joy—and that joy is a gift—yet deep in our hearts we know these material things will come and go. They will fade away.

To read the rest of my reflection, click here.

Praying you find time for quiet in your day and week during this blessed Advent season...

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7 Quick Takes {no. 36}On Advent, Art, St. Nick & Thanksgiving

It's Friday, which means it's #7QT time - linking up with our new host, Kelly!

{1}
How's your first week of Advent going? I shared how we are preparing our home on Saturday. While it's been a crazy week, I have found peace in making time for daily Mass as often as possible, and reflecting with my Blessed is She Advent Journal, which has been such a blessing.

{2}
One of the projects that's been keeping me busiest this week is my etsy shop. I have several new downloadable, printable designs available. This is probably my favorite new one:

{also available for download in black, purple or pink ink}

You may have seen my Fiat print on a handful of blogs this week that have so kindly shared my shop. You even have a chance to win one for yourself in two places right now!

{3}
First, there's Jenna's independent artists giveaway. My shop is included on the giveaway along with eleven other wonderful artists. You could win twelve gifts! Don't miss it.

{4}
Secondly, a print is included in Kendra's amazing giveaway (which is second to her super, super exciting news!). Click on over to enter!

{5}
Or, you could just visit the shop and purchase a print yourself (the downloadable ones are less than $10 - less than $8, in fact!). The Blessed is She and the Fiat prints are especially fitting for this Monday's Feast of the Immaculate Conception (and all year long, for that matter). Thank you for letting me share, and for supporting my small business! I so appreciate it.

{6}
Speaking of upcoming feast days, St. Nicholas's Day is tomorrow! Do you and your family celebrate? Even though we don't have any children's shoes or stockings to fill just yet, we plan to fill each other's shoes with a couple little treats. Somehow I have an inkling that St. Nicholas will be bringing Michael

Scott Hahn's Joy to the World: How Christ's Coming Changed Everything (and Still Does),

and

Laura's Everyday Sacrament: The Messy Grace of Parenting

for me. 

Fingers crossed! :)

And while we're talking about St. Nicholas - have you seen Kendra, Bonnie, & Jenny's posts about him? I loved hearing how each of these women talk about St. Nicholas/Santa Claus in their homes.

{7}
We had a great time this Thanksgiving with my in-laws who came to visit us. One of the highlights was going to the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving morning.

We also went to Radio City to see the Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular, which was so much fun!

So, so much to be thankful for this year (and every year). Praising God in a special way for our sweet baby boy who is now 25 weeks, and enjoying this second trimester energy while it lasts...

Praying you have a blessed weekend, friends.

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Preparing Your Heart & Home for Advent

Happy First Sunday of Advent! Can you believe it? Advent is one of my favorite seasons of the church year (and it marks the beginning of a new church year, too - so, happy new year!). Advent provides an opportunity for me to quiet my heart and spend some time preparing for the Lord's birth at Christmas. So many wonderful posts have been written about preparing for this season, but I'd love to share what I am doing to prepare my heart & home for Advent this year.

Most traditionally, we have an Advent wreath on our kitchen table. We light the candle(s) at dinner each night. This year I would like to try praying the O Antiphons beginning December 17. Have you ever done that? For more about how I make our Advent wreath each year, see this post.

New to our simple decorations this year is this Advent pendant banner. Below is a step-by-step DIY tutorial in case you're interested in making one for your own home {and if not, scroll beyond for more on our Advent celebration!}.

Cut strips of paper {purple, pink and optional gold} so they are 3 1/2 inches tall (by whatever the width of your paper is - mine was 12"). Note: If you want bigger pendants, cut your strips taller.

Mark and cut each paper as pictured below. Feel free to vary the size of your pendants depending on where you plan to hang your banner in your home. You will need three times as many purple pendants as pink and gold.

Using scotch tape, attach pendants to string of your choice (I love to use baker's twine!), as pictured. Be sure to start your purple, purple, pink, purple, {gold} pattern from left to right. I managed to make mine backwards both times I made one of these banners this year! 

That's it! Find a special place to hang your banner in your home as a reminder for you and your family of the four weeks of Advent and the great feast that will follow. 

I am so excited about this next decoration, too. This new, downloadable Fiat inspiration print is now available for you to purchase and print in my etsy shop. It's a perfect reminder for me to say "yes" to God each day - in ways big and small - just like Mary. It is available in three different colors. I love the way the eggplant printed on this piece of kraft brown paper.

{fiat // available here}

As far as preparing my heart goes, I find that if I don't make a plan, the season will come and go without much of a difference. And I really, really don't want that. This free Advent printable calendar is perfect for just that. I intend to use a copy to plan meals and a copy to remember special prayers, feast days, and blog posts I want to write. I hope this 2014 Advent calendar will be helpful for you, too. I'd love to know how you use yours.

{download & print}

I am so looking forward to using my beautiful Blessed is She Advent Journal. If you didn't get one before they sold out this year, there are many other options (some of which I plan to do, too!): 

• read the daily Mass readings

• subscribe to daily Blessed is She e-mails for reflection 

• journal - based on your personal prayers, your thoughts on the Mass readings, etc.

• attend daily Mass when possible

• spend time in adoration with Jesus (this always brings me such deep peace)

• Meg's Advent Boot Camp

• Advent devotionals at aholyexperience.com

What have I forgotten? What do you and your family have planned to make this season special?

Wishing you a most beautiful and blessed Advent season...

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Celebrating St. Catherine of Alexandria

Happy Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria! She is my confirmation saint, so we are celebrating today. Can I be honest with you as to why I chose her? I am named after my mother's confirmation saint, so I thought it would be good to choose a name that I would name my future daughter. Well, I liked both Catherine (preferably spelled Kathryn) and Alexandria, so there you have it. Probably not the most ideal way to choose a confirmation saint! Ha! Turns out the time from eighth grade to adulthood is a long time, and now I have a whole different list of names, should I one day be blessed with a daughter. :)

Anywho! St. Catherine of Alexandria, virgin and martyr, was really quite an incredible woman of God. A convert herself, she helped bring hundreds of men and women to the Christian faith. She refused to deny her faith to the Roman emperor, who then had her imprisoned, and eventually sentenced her to death on a spiked wheel. The wheel is said to have shattered into pieces when St. Catherine touched it, so she was beheaded.

I was inspired by this post to make St. Catherine of Alexandria's Miraculous Wheels for dinner tonight.

Here's my recipe:

{ingredients}
8 oz. pasta wheels
2 Tbsp. flour
2 cups milk (I used skim)
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg
1/8 tsp. hot chili powder
2 cups + 1/4 cup shredded cheese, separated (you pick the type - I used sharp white cheddar this time)
3 Tbsp. + 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, separated
2 Tbsp. bread crumbs

{how to}
Boil water and cook pasta wheels according to box instructions. Drain. Set aside.

Heat 3 tablespoons butter in large saucepan until melted. Add flour and stir until combined. Pour in the milk, salt & pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring most of the time, until mixture begins to bubble. Simmer for two minutes. Turn off heat. Add nutmeg and chili powder. Stir. Pour in 2 cups of shredded cheese and stir until melted. Add the cooked pasta wheels; mix well.

Pour pasta wheel mixture into 8x8" greased baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the 1/4 cup shredded cheese and breadcrumbs. Dot with 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter.

Bake at 350 degrees 20-25 minutes or until top is browned. Easy peasy and super delicious. Enjoy!

*     *     *

Prayer to Saint Catherine of Alexandria

Glorious St. Catherine, virgin and martyr, help me to imitate your love of purity. Give me strength and courage in fighting off the temptations of the world and evil desires. Help me to love God with my whole heart and serve Him faithfully. O St. Catherine, through your glorious martrydom for the love of Christ, help me to be loyal to my faith and my God as long as I live. Amen. {source}

St. Catherine of Alexandria, pray for us!

Praying your Thanksgiving week is off to a good start...

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A Birthday Gift for Thomas Gianna - Please Join Us

I would have been almost thirty-six weeks pregnant with Thomas Gianna today. I miss our sweet baby, and wonder so many things about what might have been. The Lord had other plans for our baby and family, in which I place my trust. Even when things don't make sense, the Lord is good. As scripture reminds me, his ways are so high above our ways, and his thoughts above our thoughts. Perhaps one day in heaven we will see the whole picture. Until then, we continue to try to follow the Lord's will for us.

My heart has recently been convicted to make an effort to help a cause which is near and dear to our little family: the National Gianna Center for Women's Health and Fertility. Without the Gianna Center, Michael and I wouldn't have learned the Creighton Model of Natural Family Planning when we were preparing for marriage. Without the Gianna Center, we would not have received the compassionate, gentle, high quality of care we so desperately needed during our miscarriage. I was actually at the Gianna Center when I found out God had blessed us with this new life inside me. In that moment I felt both intense joy and anxiety, and my doctor prayed with me as I wept in her office. The Gianna Center is a unique and extraordinary place.

Recently the Gianna Center kicked off "a campaign to raise funds needed to make pro-life health care available to more women and families in the greater New York metropolitan area, with the ambitious goal of establishing the city’s first prenatal care program dedicated to providing medical support to the region’s crisis pregnancy centers." They would also like to hire an OB so women could receive nine months of prenatal care (the doctor at the Gianna Center is a GYN, not an OB). I am filled with hope as I imagine the gift it would be to countless women to have this kind of care throughout pregnancy. 

Michael and I would like to do our part to help, and we would be honored if you would consider joining us. We are hoping to raise $2,500 for the Gianna Center in honor and memory of our first child, Thomas Gianna. 

There is a donate button at the bottom of this post, which will take you to a PayPal site where you can donate. (You don't need to have a PayPal account to contribute.) All donations we receive, regardless of the final amount, will be given to the National Gianna Center for Women. The button will be open through October 31, 2014, which was our Thomas Gianna's due date. This is our birthday gift to him. 

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for considering donating to this worthy organization. They are a beacon in Catholic health care, not only in NYC, but in the nation. Whether you are able to donate $1 or $1000, we are truly grateful. And, of course, your prayers for the success of their fundraising campaign are a great blessing and gift as well. 

Is there someone you would like to honor with your donation? What a beautiful tribute that would be. Perhaps you'd be willing to share this opportunity with your friends, family or blog readers - please do!
I pray that this coming together to raise money to benefit Catholic women and families will give great glory to God. 

May God bless you & yours abundantly...
Elise & Michael

P.S. Check back for updates on the progress of our gift!

{update 1} If you had trouble donating earlier today, the button should now be working! Thank you!
{update 2} PayPal does charge a fee per transaction, but I found it to be the easiest method for those donating online. However, if you wish to send me a check instead, send an e-mail to inendlesssong {at} gmail {dot} com and I will send you my address. Thanks to the generous reader who thought of this.
{gift update • as of 10.30.14 - only ONE day left to give!}

More information on the Gianna Center:

Affiliated with Saint Peter’s Healthcare System in New Brunswick, NJ, the National Gianna Center for Women’s Health and Fertility™ was founded in 2009 by Catholic physicians and lay persons.  The vision is to create a national network of medical facilities where physicians and nurses provide general gynecological care, prenatal care, natural family planning education, early pregnancy ultrasounds, and infertility services – all with a deep commitment to honoring the dignity of women and the sanctity of human life. The Gianna Center already provides much-needed medical support to crisis pregnancy centers, including providing prenatal ultrasounds.

Happy Michaelmas! {+blackberry cobbler recipe}

First of all, thank you so much for all the love you poured out on Friday's extra special post. We are very excited, and so appreciate your prayers. More on the baby soon - promise!

But today is a special day: the Feast of Michaelmas!

Honestly, I didn't know about Michaelmas until last year, but it's a feast I have quickly come to love: the feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel & Raphael. It's extra special at our house, since it is my husband Michael's feast day! Haley of Carrots for Michaelmas has a great post on the feast and its traditions. Maybe you saw Bonnie's recent Knot Bad video interviewing Haley. Or perhaps you've seen Kendra's post on how her family celebrates each year. Molly has some fun ideas, too.

Here's how we celebrated the feast today:

Praying the St. Michael prayer (a prayer I say almost daily...and often multiple times a day!):

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle.

Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.

May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,

and may thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Hosts,

by the power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits

who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls.

Amen.

Our wooden plaque with St. Michael's picture joined us at the dinner table, along with some fresh autumn flowers I bought at the farmer's market this morning. 

For dinner I tried this recipe for {Apple Roasted Chicken}. (I used drumsticks instead of a whole chicken and added potatoes.)

We had {Blackberry Cobbler} for dessert.

Here's the super easy, super delicious recipe I always use (and always love!):

{ingredients}
1 stick butter
1 1/2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. milk (at room temperature)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. whole blackberries

{how to}
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in ~9" square baking dish and put in oven to melt butter.

Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk and vanilla until combined.

Remove hot baking dish from oven and immediately pour batter into it. Spoon blackberries evenly over the batter. Return the dish to the oven and bake 40-45 minutes.

Allow dish to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. It's particularly delicious warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which is how we'll eat it tonight.

Hope you had a blessed Michaelmas!

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Blessed is She

Good morning, and happy Monday!

Today I am very excited to let you know about a new ministry: Blessed is She. Beginning September first, I am delighted to be joining some wonderful women to bring you daily devotions.

Not only am I looking forward to writing for this ministry, but I am excited to join this growing network of women - which hopefully will include you! Blessed is She invites us to spend time with the word of God on a daily basis and to grow in faith and relationship with Jesus. What could be better?

Please click over to visit us! Even though the devotionals don't start until September, you can read the daily readings and explore the website now. You can also follow Blessed is She on facebook, twitter,
instagram, and pinterest. Invite your friends to join us, too!

"Blessed is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her."

{Luke 1:45}

Two Years as One

June sixteenth, two thousand twelve was the happiest day of my life. 

Two years ago today I made a vow. I made a vow to Michael and to God that I would be true to my husband in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I vowed to love him and honor him all the days of my life. 

That's quite a promise to make, especially in the broken world we live in today. Thankfully though, I married a man who, with me, is striving (and failing and striving again) not to live for this world, but for the next. As a married couple we try to lead one another towards heaven. We encourage one another to become more and more the man and woman - the husband and wife - that God calls us to be. Marriage is our vocation, which means "a call." We believe we were called by God to be a living example of His love for the world. We can only do this by God's grace, and heaven knows we mess up (a lot). We are far from perfect; we have so much to learn. But what a gift to be united as one in marriage with my one true love and my very best friend. Thank you, Lord.

Thank you for the most wonderful two years, Michael. Thank you for being my husband, and thank you for choosing me as your bride. I can't wait to see what God has planned for us.

{ALL WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BY A THOUSAND WORDS PHOTOGRAPHY}

Brothers and sisters:
Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if one has a grievance against another;
as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must also do.
And over all these put on love,
that is, the bond of perfection.
And let the peace of Christ control your hearts,
the peace into which you were also called in one Body.
And be thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,
as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, 
singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs
with gratitude in your hearts to God.
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

                        {Colossians 3:12-17} - the second reading at our wedding ceremony, 6.16.12

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Come, Holy Spirit

Happy Pentecost, dear friends! 

This is my prayer today (and every day, really). Would you pray with me?

{"Spirit of the Living God" - Audrey Assad/Henry Hallam Tweedy}

O Spirit of the Living God, thou light and fire divine,
Descend upon Thy Church once more and make it truly Thine.
Fill it with love and joy and power, with righteousness and peace;
'Til Christ shall dwell in human hearts, and sin and sorrow cease.

Blow, wind of God! With wisdom blow until our minds are free
From mists of error, clouds of doubt, which blind our eyes to Thee.
Burn, winged fire! Inspire our lips with flaming love and zeal,
To preach to all Thy great good news, God's glorious commonweal.

So shall we know the the power of Christ, who came this world to save;
So shall we rise with Him to life which soars beyond the grave;
And earth shall win true holiness, which makes Thy children whole;
'Til, perfected by Thee, we reach creation's glorious goal.

Come, Holy Spirit! Fill the hearts of your people. Set us on fire for You...

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Mary's Virtues{Mondays in May: Honoring Mary series}

I recently came upon this blog post on the LifeTeen.com website (they have some great posts, regardless of whether you're a teen or not!). The post is titled "Mary's List: The 10 Virtues of Mary."
I'm hoping you will click on over to read the post and then come back here for my response.

. . .
       . . .
              . . .

Did you read it? What did you think?

We know, of course, that Mary was a virtuous woman, but what does that mean for me as a follower of Christ? As I reflected on the ten virtues of Mary, I realized what an inspiration these virtues can be for me as I strive continually to be more and more the woman God has called me to be. Personally, I know I have room for growth in each of these virtues.

{via}

The tenth virtue on the list, heroic patience, really stood out to me. In the post, the author describes Mary's heroic patience as "always trusting that God was on the move; having more faith in His plans than her own." Knowing that God always has the best plans in mind for us, it seems like this virtue should be easy to attain, but it can be so hard!

"For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord,

plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope."

{Jeremiah 29:11}

We live in a time where people are wrapped up in the things of this world and define themselves by worldly standards. It is so easy to lose an eternal perspective, so difficult to be in the world but not of it. I think that's why it is sometimes hard to have patience in God's plans: because our perspective is so different than His. But when, like Mary, we have patience and constantly place our trust in the Lord, we open ourselves up to the peace of Christ, which God wants to give us. Sweet, most Blessed Mary, mother of our Lord, Jesus, pray for us.

Which of Mary's virtues stands out to you?

I hope you will join me for the Marian linkup I am hosting next Monday, May 26, as the conclusion of this Mondays in May: Honoring Mary series. You will be invited to share any posts about Mary (they can be old or new!). I am really looking forward to it.

Wishing you a blessed Monday!

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Mondays in May: Honoring our Blessed Mother, Mary

I have to be honest with you. I do not have a super close relationship with Mary, our Blessed Mother. It's something I try to nourish because I know Mary will only lead me closer to Jesus, but for some reason I struggle with it. A devotion to Mary is something I desire. As a woman, I can relate to her. In recent times I am aware that Mary too knows the deep sorrow of losing a child. Not to mention that Jesus wants us to be close to her.

When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, "Woman, here is your son." Then he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother."

{John 19:26-27}

About eight years ago I completed the St. Louis de Montfort Total Consecration to Mary, which was a very fruitful experience, but a huge undertaking. (At least it was for me.) I have considered reading the book 33 Days to Morning Glory, as it has been recommended to me by more than one friend. Have you ever read it? I'd love to know your thoughts.

As I mentioned on Friday, I have decided to do a little something special here on the blog this month since May is a special time to honor our Blessed Mother, Mary. Each Monday I will be posting about Mary in some capacity. Then on May 26, the last Monday in May, I will host a Marian linkup which will be open through May 31, the Feast of the Visitation and the Queenship of Mary. I am hoping you will join me in linking up your posts on Mary (new or old!), in hopes that we can share and grow with one another as we honor the mother of Jesus. If you don't have a blog I would still love to hear from you in the comments section. What do you think?

I do hope you'll join me!

"Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin Mary too much.

You can never love her more than Jesus did."

{St. Maximilian Kolbe}

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7 Quick Takes {No. 14} & St. Gianna Novena {Day 6}

{1}

We are celebrating around here this week, friends! Why, you ask? Because on Wednesday, Michael passed his qualifying exams for his Ph.D. program! Woooooohoooo!! He spent hours and hours studying for these and I am just. SO. stinkin' proud of him. Way to go, love! Thank you, Lord!

{2}

Yesterday I found myself with two overripe bananas. Something needed to be done with them, and quickly. So...

Voila!

Banana Chocolate Chip bread! This recipe minus the walnuts, plus chocolate chips. #sorrynotsorry

{3}
While we're on the topic of delicious...I pinned this a few days ago:

{via}

Yep, that's strawberry, lime, cucumber & mint water. Doesn't that look refreshing? I'll let you know how it is when I try it. :)

{4}

This has been shared in several places around the Catholic blogosphere, but if you haven't yet seen SoulPancake's interview with Blythe about being Catholic, I highly recommend it.

It left me feeling inspired and happy to be a practicing Catholic (I like the term practicing because by no means am I perfect, but I am trying my best! Also - if you're interested, Kendra wrote a post today in response to some of the video's YouTube comments.)

{5}

If you've been by the blog in the last five days, you may know that we are in the middle of a novena to St. Gianna Beretta Molla. I have shared what I learned about her childhood, her vocation, and her experience as a mother. She is a wonderful intercessor for us! As promised, today I'm sharing a little on her canonization (for much more information, click here).

{6}

Gianna was canonized a saint on May 16, 2004. Her husband, Pietro, was present, marking the first time in the history of the Catholic Church that a husband witnessed his wife's canonization. I can't begin to imagine how that must have felt for him!

I'd love to share this short excerpt from Blessed (very-soon-to-be-Saint) John Paul II's homily from St. Gianna's canonization Mass.

Gianna Beretta Molla was a simple, but more than ever, significant messenger of divine love. In a letter to her future husband a few days before their marriage, she wrote: "Love is the most beautiful sentiment the Lord has put into the soul of men and women". Following the example of Christ, who "having loved his own... loved them to the end" (Jn 13: 1), this holy mother of a family remained heroically faithful to the commitment she made on the day of her marriage. The extreme sacrifice she sealed with her life testifies that only those who have the courage to give of themselves totally to God and to others are able to fulfill themselves. 

Through the example of Gianna Beretta Molla, may our age rediscover the pure, chaste and fruitful beauty of conjugal love, lived as a response to the divine call! 

Can I get an Amen?!

{7}

I'd be delighted if you would pray with me today. If you have any intentions you would like to pray for, please share them in the comments section.

Novena prayer:

God, our Father, You have granted to Your church the gift of Gianna Beretta Molla. In her youth she lovingly sought You and drew other young people to You, involving them, through apostolic witness and Catholic Action, in the care of the sick and aged, to help and comfort them.

We thank You for the gift of this young woman, so deeply committed to You. Through her example grant us the grace to consecrate our lives to Your service, for the joy of our brothers and sisters. 

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Jesus, Redeemer of mankind, You called Saint Gianna to exercise the medical profession as a mission for the comfort of bodies and souls. In her suffering fellow men and in the little ones, deprived of all support, she saw You. 

We thank You for having revealed Yourself to this servant as “one who serves” and who soothes the sufferings of men. Treasuring her example may we become generous Christians at the service of our brothers and sisters, especially those with whom You deign to share Your Cross.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

God, Sanctifying Spirit, who love the Church as Your Bride, You poured into the heart of Saint Gianna a share of Your Love so that she could radiate it in her family, and thus cooperate with You in the wonderful plan of creation, and give life to new children who could know and love You.
We thank You for this model wife and, through her encouraging witness, we beg You to grant to our families the serene and Christian presence of mothers committed to transform their homes into cenacles of faith and love, rich with generous activity and sanctifying service.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

O God, Creator and lover of mankind, You were close to Saint Gianna when, affected by illness, she was in the painful dilemma of choosing between her own life and the life of the child whom she was carrying in herself, a gift long-awaited. Trusting You alone, and aware of Your Commandment to respect human life, Gianna found the courage to do her duty as a mother and to say “yes” to the new life of her baby, generously sacrificing her own. Through the intercession of Mary, Mother of Jesus, and after the example of Gianna, inspire all mothers to welcome with love the sparkle of new life. Grant us the grace we are praying for {say your intentions} and the joy to find an inspiration in Saint Gianna who, as a model spouse and mother, after the example of Christ, gave up her life for the life of others. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

{novena source}

•     •     •

Thanks so much for praying. Only three days of our novena left!

And, as always - linking up these takes with Jen. I can hardly stand the wait for her book release
on Tuesday! Have you pre-ordered your copy?

Have a great Friday.

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