The Power of a Mother’s Prayers

In August we honor the Assumption of Our Lady. Jesus honored His Mother on earth; He continues to do this by bringing her home to Him to enjoy the joys of heaven. Saint Katharine urges us to think often “of the joys of heaven and that these are to be yours. Make it yours by corresponding with every grace.”

We also honor the Queenship of Mary during August. We can see in the feasts of St. Monica and St. Augustine the power of a mother’s prayers. St. Augustine lived a carefree life for thirty years but St. Monica’s prayers followed him all the way. Her prayers became a quiet and invisible force in his life until he became the person God called him to be.

Saint Katharine said many times that we are called to be saints.  Easier said than done, you say? Saint Katharine said that to become a saint, all we have to do is to do what God asks of us. God sometimes seems to ask a lot of us. If we step back and let God work through us and our friends, we will see that we can handle these challenges.

The prayers of Mary, the Queen of heaven and earth and the Mother of Jesus and of us, are very powerful. All we have to do is to ask for her help.

Hopefully, you have had a relaxing and refreshing summer and will begin a new term with a renewed spirit.

Stephanie Morris, Ph.D., A.S.B.S.

The Sacred Heart and the Eucharist

 

I am Stephanie Morris, formerly the Director of Archives of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and an Associate of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (ASBS). Sister Annette Marie O’Donnell had begun this blog as “Companions on the Journey” but has retired from actively writing. St. Katharine said we are all typewriters in the hands of the Lord; it has been a pleasure and privilege for me to serve as St. Katharine’s typist for many years.

June was a busy month, remembering dads, grads and newly-weds. This year we also had Pentecost, the Feasts of the Most Holy Trinity, of Corpus Christi, and the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul.\

The Holy Spirit is an important source of grace and insight to all. Saint Katharine said all our good thoughts come from God. So, if you do or say something that makes someone else smile, the Holy Spirit is working through you to share the love of the Trinity with others.

“Corpus Christi” is, as you probably all know, Latin for the feast of “The Body and Blood of Christ.” It became one of the principal feasts of the Church. For the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, this is a very important feast, as the Blessed Sacrament is the Eucharist, the Body of Christ.

For St. Katharine, “the center, the power of the Eucharist” was the Sacred Heart. In the Eucharist Jesus gave the most precious gift He could bestow – His Sacred Heart – the “very Source and center of love.” May we feel the flame of this love when we receive the Holy Eucharist. For St. Katharine the Eucharist is the continuation of the Incarnation. Jesus comes to us as closely as He came to the Blessed Mother and unites us with all of the Saints.  

In July we will celebrate the feasts of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, the Lily of the Mohawks. She suffered for her practice of her faith but was able to flee to Canada to practice her faith in safety before her death in 1680. Are we able to suffer a little for our faith, our belief in mercy and compassion?

Family is another theme in July, with the feasts of Saints Joachim and Anne, the Blessed Mother’s parents, and of the siblings Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. We could say a few extra prayers for our families and for families in distress.

May you and your families have a safe and blessed summer.

Stephanie Morris, Ph.D., A.S.B.S.