Friday, October 31, 2008

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Tonite is All Hallows Eve! Tomorrow is All Souls Day! I went trick or treating last nite as a cowgirl! yeehaw! Also, tomorrow is not a Holy Day of Obligation just so everyone knows since it falls on a weekend Your Saturday evening Mass or Sunday Mass counts this year!!!*Little Mary

Hello My Friends!

Yes, I am still really excited I saw McCain yesterday! It was amazing! One of my friends got to shake his hand! I held a sign! And our newspaper today has 3 articles, a whole page of pictures, and an article about Joe the Plumber! WOW! Throw in some regional news, some stuff about the Cavs game, Dear Abby, and the readers forum, and you have todays newspaper! It was cold but amazing to see. About 5000 people showed up! Thats like....1/6 of the cities population!!! It was so cool!!!xoxo*little Mary

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Novena Day 9/Last Day

This is the last day of the Teen Catholic novena to Saint Aloysius:

St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen."

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

;-)

Yeah I do wish Sarah was coming along....I do LOVE her!!! But this will be great! RosaryGirl I will say hi for you!(ok not really i hope i can even see the guy LOL!!!) I AM SO EXCITED! The Catholic school has bunches of kids going. some of my friends will be there! This is big for our town, really big!!!*Little Mary

YIPPEE!

I cant believe it! John McCain, as in the Presidential candidate, is coming to my little town!!! Tomorrow afternoon! And I am going! We havent had a Presidential Republican candidate stop here(according to our newspapers site) since Gerald Ford! WOW!!! Just wanted to share the good news!!!XOXO*Little Mary

Novena Day 8

St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen."

Special note to Hannah! I wrote that report in January! I did read that on the lifeteen site and about screamed throughout the house when they were declared Blessed! I always thought her parents must have been great people, especially religious considering all their kids became sisters!!!XOXO*Little Mary

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

St. Therese Report

This is the St Therese report I wrote for confirmation!

Therese Martin was born in Alencon, France, on January 2, 1873. She was the daughter of Louis and Zelie Martin. Her mother, a lace-maker, died of cancer when Therese was four years old. Her father was a watch-maker. Her family had always been strong Catholics. Her parents have been declared Venerable by the Church and may be declared Blessed sometime this year. Therese herself became even more spiritual after having been cured by the Blessed Virgin smiling at her when she was around ten years old. She then, at the age of fourteen, had what she called a “spiritual conversion,” and she believed that in that instant she lost all childhood immaturity.
When Therese was fifteen, she wanted to join the Carmel as two of her four sisters had done already, including her “Little Mothers,” Pauline and Celine. Fifteen was underage for joining the Carmel, and Therese took her case to the Superiors. They told her to join when she was twenty-one and “all grown up.” She eventually became tired of waiting, so she, her father, and her other two sisters (The ones who had not yet joined the Carmel) went to Rome to be part of an audience with the Pope. The Pope she went to see was Pope Leo XIII. The people in the audience were reminded not to speak to His Holiness. Each person in the audience went up, and one by one, kissed the Pope’s hand, and received a blessing from him. When Therese went up to do the same, after she had received her blessing, she asked Pope Leo XIII for permission to join the Carmel underage. The tour guide was petrified that this young girl would disobey the rules and speak to His Holiness! The Pope himself must not have been as petrified as the tour guide, because he answered her, “If God wills it, you will join the Carmel.” I love that particular story about Therese. It shows how spontaneous and fun-loving the Saint was.
Therese received permission to join the Carmel. She was very happy about this great opportunity. When she was made a full-fledged nun, she wished for it to snow, even though it was the wrong time of year. As she and the other nuns left the church, there was snow falling in the courtyard. She followed her “Little Way” in the works and other things she did at the convent. She did small things for God, because she thought that she did not need to be recognized for her good deeds, as long as God knew. Therese’s other two sisters eventually joined the Carmel as well, after their father’s death. During the last few years of her life, under the direction of her spiritual director, Therese dictated her widely-read autobiography, “Story of a Soul.” Therese came down with tuberculosis at the age of twenty-four. She died on September 30, 1897, at the convent in Lisieux. She was venerated on August 14, 1921 by Pope Benedict XV, beatified on April 29, 1923 by Pope Pius XI, and canonized on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Her feast day is October 1. She was declared a modern Doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II.
St. Therese greatly impresses me. She did not do anything big to become a saint; she merely made many small sacrifices. These small sacrifices helped her to fulfill her childhood dream of becoming a saint. Those barely noticeable sacrifices made by Therese are what make up the “Little Way” of St. Therese that so many people try to follow today. Therese was a subject of gossip at the convent, because she was so young to be in the Carmel. She put up with the gossip and worked extra hard to prove the gossipers wrong. She worked at the convent, shoveling, weeding, and doing many other tasks, even though she was weaker than many of the other nuns.
I should strive to be like Therese. I should try my best to offer up small things for God, much like Therese did. People do not need to know when I do good deeds, so long as God knows, because that is all that matters. I can pray daily for the souls in Purgatory, as Therese did. I am proud to have Therese as one of my Confirmation names. She is a great Saint to strive to be like.

I found it!!!

This is my Saint Bernadetee report!

St. Bernadette Soubirous was born to Francois and Louise Soubirous on January 7, 1884 in Lourdes, France. She was the oldest of the five children that survived past infancy in her family. Bernadette suffered from asthma due to the 1854 cholera epidemic in Lourdes, and therefore was sick often. Her family lived near the Boly Mill until she was around ten years old. Her family then lived in a “Chachot,” which is French for “prison cell,” and this damp living space made her asthma much worse. Since her family was so poor, she was hired out as a farmhand in Bartres, France in 1857. She came home to Lourdes and her beloved Catechism lessons when almost 14 years old, in January 1858.
In February of that same year, a simple trip to gather firewood with friends turned into an astonishing adventure. Bernadette and her friends had gone to Massabielle, a mill near the Gave River. Since Bernadette suffered from asthma, she tried to cross the river without getting wet, but it was to no avail, and she stayed at the riverbank opposite the mill. Suddenly, there was a strong wind, and Bernadette looked up to see a Lady in the Grotto. Bernadette knelt and prayed the Rosary with the Lady, and then as suddenly as she came, the Lady was gone. The date of the first apparition was February 11, 1858.
This was the first of many apparitions. On February 25, Bernadette was told by the Lady to dig in the dirt for a spring. She dug up and ate the dirt and bitter herbs, and a spring appeared. On March 2, 1858, the Lady told Bernadette, “Go and tell the priests to build a chapel here.” Of course the priests in Lourdes wanted to know who this Lady was. On March 25, 1858, the Lady finally answered Bernadette’s often-asked question, “Who are you?” The Lady said, “I am the Immaculate Conception.” The Lady was Mary, Mother of Jesus! Bernadette kept repeating these words to herself until she was back at the village church, and told the priest exactly what the Lady had told her. Though the priest thought her to be crazy, he eventually built a chapel on the grounds of Massabielle. On Friday, July 16, 1858, Mary and Bernadette said their final goodbyes. Bernadette joined a convent In Nevers, France, at the age of 22. The name she took as a member of the convent was Sister Marie-Bernard. Bernadette died on April 16, 1879, in the convent she joined in Nevers, France. She was thirty-five, and the main factors in her death were tuberculosis, asthma, and a tubercular tumor in her right knee. Her body is incorrupt. Her body is kept in a glass chamber at the Church in Nevers. Bernadette was beatified in 1925, and canonized in 1933 by Pope Pius XI. Her feast day is April 16th in all countries except for France; there the feast day is February 18th.
The spring Bernadette dug on February 25, 1858, was a miraculous spring. Many miracles have taken place at Lourdes, and these miracles have been recognized by the Church. There have been sixty-seven miracles recognized as of November 9, 2005. There have been cures of blindness, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, and many different cancers. Many people make pilgrimages to Lourdes. There you can be bathed in one of the spring’s miraculous Baths. Many places sell Lourdes water, and you do not even have to travel to France to buy it. I have a bottle I bought at the Sorrowful Mother Shrine in Bellevue while at my Confirmation Retreat.
I chose Bernadette to be one of my Confirmation names because I have always felt a special connection to this saint. I have always been fascinated by the fact that Mary appeared to Bernadette at the young age of 14 years old, which is how old I am. I have been reading books and watching movies about Bernadette since I could read, she has always been one of my favorite saints.
Saint Bernadette was a brave young girl. She rarely complained about her family’s living conditions, and accepted her asthma-related breathing problems. She rarely defied her parents. She went back to school when her father asked her to do so, and let her family hire her out as a farmhand to the lady who had wet-nursed her thirteen years before. The only time she defied her parents was in returning to the Grotto so many times to see the Lady. Her parents did not want the townspeople to think that their daughter was crazy. Rather, after many apparitions, Bernadette had as many as 10,000 people following her to the Grotto. Some of these people came from towns other than Lourdes, as the population of Lourdes was only 4,000 inhabitants.
I can be like Saint Bernadette by having a strong devotion to Mary. I can also try not to complain about things. I should be as eager as Bernadette in learning my Religion lessons. I can give up many sacrifices to God, like Bernadette did. She once said, “The more I am crucified, the more I rejoice.” All people should try to be more like her. I am proud to have Bernadette as one of my Confirmation names.

;-(

I am mad. I don't know where the saint reports I wrote for confirmation are. I have an idea1 I will look in my saved files! That will be easier than retyping the whole thing anyways!!!***Little Mary

Novena Day 7

"St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen."

Monday, October 27, 2008

novena day 6

"St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen."

Sunday, October 26, 2008

A little about St Bernadette

She is one of my blogs patron saints! (and one of my Confirmation names!!!) I will post about St Therese of Lisieux later!

Saint Bernadette (born Marie-Bernarde Soubirous; January 7, 1844 – April 16, 1879), was a miller's daughter from the town of Lourdes in southern France. From February 11 to July 16, 1858, she reported eighteen apparitions of "a Lady". Despite initial skepticism from the Catholic Church, these claims were eventually declared to be worthy of belief after a canonical investigation, and the apparition is known as Our Lady of Lourdes. After her death, Bernadette's body remained incorrupt, and the shrine at Lourdes went on to become a major site for pilgrimage, attracting millions of Catholics each year. On December 8, 1933 she was canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church; her Feast Day is celebrated on April 16.

(from wikipedia, i have to get going to lifeteen, i will do a more detailed, self-written bio later!!!)

XOXO*Little Mary

Novena Day 5

"St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen."

Novena Day 4

forgot to post this yesterday!

"St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen."

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Good day!

Today I am going to church. Then tomorrow, I have lifeteen. I heard its supposed to be really fun this week! and next week, we are having a concert with superchick and stellar kart, and i forget who else! i don't have any of their cds, but i like the songs they have on WOW 2008!!! so i am pretty pshyced for that. cant believe they are coming to our little city either!!!xoxo to all*little mary

Friday, October 24, 2008

HSM3!

this movie rocks! it is great! the music is awesome and catchy too! go see this movie! you have to! its the best! the choreography is amazing! my mom said it will win awards! the best choreography is in the number called "the boys are back" the song is great too, and there is a really cute "surprise!" this movie totally rocks!!!xoxo*little mary

Novena Day 3

"St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen."

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Novena Day 2

St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen."

Prayer Request

Hey all. In Saturdays local Catholic High School football game, a player was hurt, he broke his leg badly and his collarbone. My dad heard from one of the coaches who he works with at his work, also my friends dad, that he was being released today. Please pray for him! He is hoping to play football again next year, he is only a sophomore, like me. Thanks!!!XOXO*Little Mary

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

hi again!

Just got the Novena! Join me in praying this for the next nine days!!! Also, I have picked 2 patron saints, Sts. Bernadette and Therese. I will post some things about them tomorrow. Here is the novena!
"St. Aloysius, patron of youth. We are the youth of today. You were a young saint who devoted your life to prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, and the study of the saints. Please look down on this family of youth that is trying to bring God into today's world. Please look down on the Teen Catholic Family. Pray for our mission. Pray that we may open doors of new evangalization of our peers, the teens of the 21st centry.

Amen

God Bless*Little Mary

Hi for today!

Hi all! today I had art class. I love it! I keep meaning to reccomend a book, but keep forgetting. It is called Letters to a Young Catholic by George Weigel. Great book! Just a little humor, some childhood stories of the author and church teachings catered to my generation! great book! please read a copy!!!xoxo*Little Mary

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Hi!

My silent day went pretty well. I only spoke about 50 words, most during school this morning. I didnt even talk to anyone at my homeschool groups field trip tonite!!! I am watching the dancing w/ the stars results, my fave couple, cody and julianne was just saved! phew! that all for now but i will write more tomorrow!!!xoxo*little mary

Silent Day!

So far, so good. I did talk a bit when I was doung my schoolwork this morning, because I needed my mom's help a bit. But other than that I have used notes and answered yes or no questions with a head nod or shake. I hope that Judes day is going well, and also my friend from my town who is also doing the day in her school. Good luck to all my readers participating in Silent Day!!!*Little Mary

Monday, October 20, 2008

Hey all!

I will be posting alot tomorrow, it will be my way of communicating during the prolife day of silence. Please participate! i have a link to the site in my "cool sites to visit". I had youth groups last nite. it was a good time! it was my BFFs bday! lets see well that about all for now. I am watching Dancing w/ the Stars! its my fave tv show!!! well God Bless you all!!!*little mary

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Vocations

As Teen Catholic and Teen Catholic Girl have posted on vocations, I think I will as well. I believe my vocation, personally, is to the married life. I was more sure of this when I went to a vocations talk when I went to a steubenville youth conference w/ my youth group and went to a marriage vocations talk. The speakers were Brad Farmer of APeX ministries and his wife, Joia Farmer, who is a (really awesome!) singer. They were so cute together. If you ever have a chance to see a talk by them, go. It is funny! I think that religious vocations are very cool. If you feel you may have a vocation to the religious life, pray about it. If you would like, email me at apuckrin001@terra.edu and I will pray for you as well. I have a friend who is considering becoming a sister. I pray for her vocation every day. Please join me in praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood. I pray for this often because of the priest shortage. Thats all I have to say for now on vocations, so Arriverdereci(I know that is spelt wrong!)*Little Mary

Saturday, October 18, 2008

MORE FOOTBALL!

WE WON! WE FINALLY WON A GAME! It has been a long time coming, but we won a game 21-14! I wasnt at the game(i went to three games this year and of course the one i dont go to they win!) but wish i was. i heard from my one friend who was there that a senior friend of mine who is on the team cried, along with some other of his friends. it really means a lot to the team and all the school as well. i cant wait to see him tomorrow and congratulate him!!! all for now*God Bless*little Mary

Football!

I LOVE football. Seriously, I really do. Right now I have the Catholic high school game on. It is tied 14-14. I would have gone but already have gone to lots of games this year. I hope they win, because the are 0-8. I know many of the pllayers, and it is tough for them. I will let everyone know what goes down....well God Bless, Little Mary

Good Morning

Well almost afternoon! RosaryGirl emailed me a quote...."When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us?" We are outnumberig the Teen Catholic! Also, if you are a teen Catholic boy and are interested in doing a blog, Jude would like you to visit his blog(Teen Catholic) and email him about it. Today I have church. My family goes on Saturdays, and then I go again on Sundays with my friends for our Lifeteen Mass at another Catholic church in my town. I love lifeteen and look forward to going each week! I am a lector for the Lifeteen Masses but I am not scheduled again til the 9th of November. I am also a lector at my church. Last week was homecoming, and I went to church(and lectored too!) in my homecoming dress, hair all done up, and clickity shoes(great for walking up the aisle with the priest and servers....not!) Thats all for now, I dont want to run out of ideas for posts! God Bless*Little Mary

Friday, October 17, 2008

True Winners

This will be my last post for today, or I will run out of ideas for posts within a week! Here goes.....

So our local Catholic high school football team is currently 0-8. Sounds bad, yes. But they are true winners to me. You know why? Because they pray before every game, and they really believe God will help them. So far very few injuries this season. (Please pray for the players who were injured.) They hold their heads high. We could all learn a lesson from those players. Everyone thought the apostles were "losers" for following Jesus. they werent. they were the winners! So the football players are true "winners." GO PANTHERS! KEEP YOUR HEADS HIGH AND GOD WILL ALWAYS HELP YOU! God Bless*Little Mary

Piecing it all together!

Today my brother, dad and Iwere putting together a paper rack for my mom's scrabpook paper. Everything had to be JUST RIGHT! to fit! It makes me think of how well put-together this great world and everything in it is! it took God 6 days to create the world.....thank God Himself it did not take us that long to finish putting together this rack! Well, off to do some more blog editing.....I am a perfectionist about many things, so not having evrything I want on this blog yet is annoying me!! God Bless*Little Mary

Hi!

This is my very first post on my new blog! I am Little Mary, I am 14 and LOVE being Catholic! I am a very proud member of the Teen Catholic Family. Check out the Teen Catholic blog and also the Teen Catholic Girl blog! I am a member of LIFETEEN youth group. It is a really awesome program. If you have a lifeteen program near you, attend the youth Mass and go to the life nite afterwards. It is a great way to meet friends too! Well, I will post more later. Dinnertime! Ravioli! Yum! xoxo*Little Mary