Just Another Day In Paradise

Tri-color Pasta Salad for Trinity Sunday

Check out my latest post on Catholic Cuisine. Have a blessed Trinity Sunday!

Wordless Wednesday

taken by Marygrace, age 16

Wordless Wednesday

taken by Kolbe, age 9

Homemade laundry detergent recipe

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
1 Cup Borax

Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water.

 

Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.

 

Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

 

Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.

 

Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.

Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons. (Approx. 650 loads)

Thanks to my dear friend Molly for sending me the ingredients to make my own laundry detergent. I couldn't have done it without her help. Recipe source: The Duggar's website

Celebrating the feast of Pentecost with food

Menu:

7 fruits of the Holy Spirit salad

pasta with Fire Roasted tomato sauce

Ham with red peppers

strawberry shortcakes

cherry chocolate ice cream

I've been waiting all year for this!

 

 

 

The power of prayer

My little 10 year old boy Kolbe just experienced the power of prayer. Two days ago he went in for a cleaning and the dentist said his gums were a little swollen because his molars were coming in and causing a lot of discomfort. He told me if the swelling didn't go in two days, he would have to go on antibiotics and have the tooth pulled next week. Unfortunately, during the night he ended up getting a very bad infection and I had to rush him to the dentist first thing this morning. When the dentist saw how bad it was, he decided to pull the tooth right away and not wait until next week. He told me to wait for him in the waiting room and he would let me know when it was over.

While I was waiting for Kolbe to come out, the dentist called me and said he needed to speak to me. He said, "I'm sorry, Mrs. X, but things aren't going well." That is not something you want to hear from a medical professional, even if it's from a dentist. He said he was going to have to refer him to a pediatric dentist because Kolbe was extremely anxious and he wasn't able to calm him down, since all they gave him was novacane. I knew that tooth had to come out today. I didn't want to risk the infection spreading, so I went over to Kolbe and talked to him while the doctor waited by his side.

My sweet little boy was shaking so badly, so I knelt by his side and held his hand. The first thing I told him to do was to take a slow, deep breath and try to relax. Then I asked him to pray to Our Heavenly Mother. I told him to pray the Hail Mary over and over again. Then I reminded him of what Our Sweet Lord went through in the crucifixion and to try to offer up his pain to Jesus. I told him the story of St. Apollonia and I asked her for her intercession. I also told him to pray to St. Maximilian Kolbe, his patron saint. I have no idea what the dentist was thinking, but I didn't care. I just needed Kolbe to know that his suffering was not in vain and to go to Our Heavenly Mother and Jesus for comfort.

I knelt down next to him, closed my eyes, held his hand and prayed that Our Lady would bring him relief and that Our Lord, the Divine Physician, would relieve him of this terrible pain. Before we both knew it, the tooth was out and he barely felt a thing. He went from shaking uncontrollably to lying down peacefully.

On our way home Kolbe told me he prayed Hail Marys over and over again and our seven year old daughter Angela told us she prayed the Rosary for him in the waiting room. God is so good and merciful to show my little children the power of prayer. I want my children to run to Our Lord, Our Lady and the saints in times of fear, anxiety and suffering. Thank you, Sweet Jesus, for showering my children with your graces today!

May crowning- better late than never ;-)

Novena to the Holy Ghost

Pray especially starting on the day after Ascension Thursday, ending on the Pentecost

First Day:
Almighty and eternal God, Who hast vouchsafed to regenerate us by water and the Holy Ghost, and hast given us forgiveness of all our sins, vouchsafe to send forth from heaven upon us Thy sevenfold Spirit, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude, the Spirit of Knowledge and Piety, and fill us with the Spirit of Holy Fear. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

Second Day:
Come, O blessed Spirit of Holy Fear, penetrate my inmost heart, that I may set Thee, my Lord and God, before my face forever; help me to shun all things that can offend Thee, and make me worthy to appear before the pure eyes of Thy Divine Majesty in heaven, where Thou livest and reignest in the unity of the ever Blessed Trinity, God world without end. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

Third Day:
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Piety, possess my heart. Enkindle therein such a love for God, that I may find satisfaction only in His service, and for His sake lovingly submit to all legitimate authority. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

Fourth Day:
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Fortitude, uphold my soul in times of trouble and adversity, sustain my efforts after holiness, strengthen my weakness, give me courage against all the assaults of my enemies, that I may never be overcome and separated from Thee, my God and greatest Good. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

Fifth Day:
Come, O Blessed Spirit of Knowledge, and grant that I may perceive the will of the Father; show me the nothingness of earthly things, that I may realize their vanity and use them only for Thy glory and my own salvation, looking ever beyond them to Thee, and Thy eternal rewards. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

Sixth Day:
Come, O Spirit of Understanding, and enlighten our minds, that we may know and believe all the mysteries of salvation; and may merit at last to see the eternal light in Thy light; and in the light of glory to have a clear vision of Thee and the Father and the Son. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

Seventh Day:
Come, O Spirit of Counsel, help and guide me in all my ways, that I may always do Thy holy will. Incline my heart to that which is good; turn it away from all that is evil, and direct me by the straight path of Thy commandments to that goal of eternal life for which I long. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

Eighth Day:
Come, O Spirit of Wisdom, and reveal to my soul the mysteries of heavenly things, their exceeding greatness, power and beauty. Teach me to love them above and beyond all passing joys and satisfactions of the earth. Help me to attain them and possess them for ever. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

Ninth Day:
Come, O Divine Spirit, fill my heart with Thy heavenly fruits, Thy charity, joy, peace, patience, benignity, goodness, faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may never weary in the service of God, but by continued faithful submission to Thy inspiration, may merit to be united eternally with Thee in the love of the Father and the Son. Amen.

Recite one Our Father, one Hail Mary, and seven Glory Be's

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT
On my knees before the great multitude of heavenly witnesses, I offer myself, soul and body to You, Eternal Spirit of God. I adore the brightness of Your purity, the unerring keenness of Your justice, and the might of Your love. You are the Strength and Light of my soul. In You I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve You by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against You. Mercifully guard my every thought and grant that I may always watch for Your light, and listen to Your voice, and follow Your gracious inspirations. I cling to You and give myself to You and ask You, by Your compassion to watch over me in my weakness. Holding the pierced Feet of Jesus and looking at His Five Wounds, and trusting in His Precious Blood and adoring His opened Side and stricken Heart, I implore You, Adorable Spirit, Helper of my infirmity, to keep me in Your grace that I may never sin against You. Give me grace, O Holy Spirit, Spirit of the Father and the Son to say to You always and everywhere, "Speak Lord for Your servant heareth." Amen.

(To be recited daily during the Novena)

PRAYER FOR THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

O Lord Jesus Christ Who, before ascending into heaven did promise to send the Holy Spirit to finish Your work in the souls of Your Apostles and Disciples, deign to grant the same Holy Spirit to me that He may perfect in my soul, the work of Your grace and Your love. Grant me the Spirit of Wisdom that I may despise the perishable things of this world and aspire only after the things that are eternal, the Spirit of Understanding to enlighten my mind with the light of Your divine truth, the Spirit of Counsel that I may ever choose the surest way of pleasing God and gaining heaven, the Spirit of Fortitude that I may bear my cross with You and that I may overcome with courage all the obstacles that oppose my salvation, the Spirit of Knowledge that I may know God and know myself and grow perfect in the science of the Saints, the Spirit of Piety that I may find the service of God sweet and amiable, and the Spirit of Fear that I may be filled with a loving reverence towards God and may dread in any way to displease Him. Mark me, dear Lord, with the sign of Your true disciples and animate me in all things with Your Spirit. Amen.

(To be recited daily during the Novena)

Mother's Day Rosaries

Here is a collection of women's Rosaries I have available for Mother's Day. They will be on sale for the month of May, which is dedicated to Our Blessed Mother.

 

 

 

I only have one of each. They are available for purchase here.

The Body and Blood of Christ