Feast of Saint Benedict

Today is the the feast of St. Benedict. Let's pray for his intercession.

From my book: Catholic Saints Prayer Book (OSV, 2008):

 St. Benedict


480-543 • Feast Day: March 21

Patron of Europe and against poisoning



***

“To pray for one’s enemies in the love of Christ; to make peace with one’s adversary before sundown

and never to despair of God’s mercy.”

— ST. BENEDICT

St. Benedict was born in the year 480 at Nursia in southern Italy, to a noble Roman family.

Benedict saw the corruption of the world in his youthmand left home to live in a cave in the mountain of

Subiaco, near Rome. There he was taught the Christian ascetical life by St. Romanus.

Benedict quickly attracted a large number of disciples because of his holiness. In 529, he left for

Monte Cassino, where he founded the great abbey that became a center of the religious life in Europe.

Abbot Benedict wrote “The Rule,” instructions for monastic life that would become the basis of religious

life for all Western religious orders and congregations of his time. The Rule teaches the way to perfection

through mortification, humility, obedience, prayer silence, and detachment from the world. Some conspired


against him, not wanting to obey the Rule. However, countless souls were converted by Benedict’s

holiness and his Rule of life.Many miracles have been attributed to Benedict,

including raising a boy from the dead. He trusted God for everything. Money and food always showed up

when he needed it. Benedict foretold the day of his death and was then seized with a violent fever.

On the sixth day of illness, March 21, 543, he was carried into the chapel by his disciples to

receive the Body and Blood of Jesus. He then raised his arms to heaven and prayed his last prayer

before dying at the altar. Many miracles have occurred through Benedict’s

intercession.The highly esteemed medal of St. Benedict dates back to the time of

the abbot himself, who frequently battled evil spirits. The St. Benedict medal is blessed with three solemn

prayers by a Benedictine monk or authorized priest; one of the blessings is an

exorcism. This medal is known for having much power over evil. It offers powerful protection in spir-

itual and temporal needs when worn or used with devotion and a trust in the life-giving power of the holy


Cross and the merits of St. Benedict.

Prayer to St. Benedict

Dear St. Benedict, so many miracles have been attributed


to you. Your reputation to protect against

evil is comforting to me as I invoke your assistance.

Please protect me, my family, and my loved ones from

every evil and all harm. St. Benedict, pray for us and

for all who invoke your aid. If it is in God’s holy will,

please grant me (here mention your request). Amen
 
You may order autographed copies at my website: www.donnacooperoboyle.com

Sale on My Saints' Book!

I've been wanting to mention that I am having a sale on my book Catholic Saints Prayer Book which is a a very popular, sturdy, hard-cover prayer book of 32 saints who will inspire your children, grandchildren, CCD students, and friends. It's written for adults but is very suitable for children too. I give copies to my CCD students as gifts.

I decided to offer it at 10% OFF THROUGH THE MONTH OF MAY since this is a First Holy Communion time and Confirmation time is coming up, there may still be time to snatch one for a mother, grandmother, Aunt, or godmother for Mother's day (I know, sorry it's getting late). It makes a nice gift for any occasion.

Check my website: http://www.donnacooperoboyle.com/ and look at the book page. Look for a 10% off paypal button near the book image. Leave a note telling me whose name to inscribe in the book when you place your order or send the note to DMCOBoyle@aol.com

If you'd rather order through Amazon.Com, take a look at the left side of this blog to see my books on Amazon. You may also order this book through the publisher: Our Sunday Visitor or get it at your local book store.

Something fun!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Opportunities surround us...

Small Opportunities to Be Saintly Surround Us

No, we don’t need to take a course in sanctity to become a saint one day– it’s all mapped out for us and right under our noses...

Check out my latest installment about the saints for youth at the Goodness Reigns website here.

Dear St. Joseph!

Prayer to St. Joseph

Dear St. Joseph, you were an ordinary man, a humble

carpenter. But you were a prayerful, holy soul, the

foster father of Jesus, a model for us all. Please guide

me in my own journey through life, helping me be

aware of God’s specific call to me. Help me to see

that in my own life, God is calling me to greater

things for His glory. Please pray to the Blessed Trinity

for me to be granted the graces that I need most.

I pray that I can be faithful to my state of life, totally

trusting in God’s divine providence for me. St.

Joseph, pray for all who invoke your aid. If it is in

God’s holy will, please grant me (here mention your

request). Amen.


Prayer from my book: Catholic Saints Prayer Book (Our Sunday Visitor, 2008)

My new blog about the saints

The Stuff of Saints

“God knows just what each of us needs to become a saint. It’s when we decide to respond in love to all of the little details of life we are immersed in that we are heading in the right direction.” Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

Take a look at my brand new saints' blog on the Goodness Reigns website for youth by clicking here.

Happy birthday to St. Therese!

St. Therese's birthday is today. As I drift off to sleep tonight after saying some more prayers. I will be thinking of what she said one time,
"You cannot be half a saint. You must be a whole saint or no saint at all."

God bless your night!

Donna-Marie

Pro-Life Pumpkins and Saint O'Lanterns!

How about focusing on the saints and precious life this time of year and stay away from the gory scary images? I am going to have an All Saints party with my CCD class this week rather than a Halloween Party. We may even carve a pumpkin or I may bring it with me for a decoration.

Teresa Tomeo and I chatted about these images earlier this morning on our segment together, "Mom's Corner" on Catholic Connection (Ave Maria Radio) and aired through EWTN.

Here are a few images and directions:


Go on over to Catholic Cuisine for some more great ideas and the directions.



Check out the American Life League website for directions and down loadable template for this unborn baby image.

Have fun with these. I'll be back later to post some additional ideas. By the way, I'll also be posting a link to my radio show this morning as soon as I get the mp3.

God bless your day!

Donna-Marie

New review for my book: Catholic Saints Prayer Book

You can check out a new review for my book: Catholic Saints Prayer Book here.

Pope Benedict reflects on Saint Monica

Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Aug 30, 2009 / 11:14 am (CNA).- At Sunday’s Angelus prayer in the courtyard of Castel Gandolfo’s apostolic palace, Pope Benedict XVI recalled the previous week’s liturgical memorial of St. Monica, mother of St. Augustine of Hippo and model and patron of Christian mothers.

“Much is recounted about her in her son’s autobiography ‘The Confessions,’ a masterpiece among the most read works of all time,” Pope Benedict said. “There, we understand that St. Augustine imbibed the name of Jesus with maternal milk and was educated in the Christian religion by his mother, the principles of which remained impressed on him even in the years of spiritual and moral wavering.”

Monica, Benedict XVI explained, never stopped praying for her son and his conversion and she had the consolation of seeing him return to the faith and receiving baptism. The Pope added, “God heard the prayers of this holy mother, to whom the Bishop of Tagaste said: ‘It is impossible that a child of so many tears should go lost.’ In truth, St. Augustine does not only convert, but decides to embrace the monastic life and back in Africa, and himself establishes a community of monks.”

“The final spiritual conversations between him and his mother in the quiet of a house in Ostia, in anticipation of departure for Africa, are moving and edifying,” the Holy Father explained. “By then St. Monica had become for this her child ‘more than a mother, the source of his Christianity.’ Her lone desire had been for years the conversion of Augustine, who then was positively oriented toward a life of consecration to God’s service.” (Continued at Daily Donna-Marie)

Prayer to St. Monica

Prayer to Saint Monica

Dear St. Monica, your devotion as a mother and wife and your commitment to your family, especially in your prayer for them sets a powerful and timely example for us all. Please pray to the Blessed Trinity for me, my family and all I hold dear so that we will be open to the graces that our Lord in His great mercy wants to shed upon us. Help mothers and wives everywhere to know that our Lord never turns His ear from a mother’s faithful prayers for her family. St. Monica, pray for us and all who invoke your aid. If it is in God’s holy will, please grant me (here mention your request). Amen.

From my book, Catholic Saints Prayer Book (Our Sunday Visitor, 2008)