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During the Easter vigil on April, 3rd 2021, I, along with my parish of St. Paul’s Catholic Church, celebrated my baptism, first holy communion, and confirmation. This was my first step of answering God’s call to Religious life. https://fscc-calledtobe.org/2025/10/21/austin-parish-traveling-vocation-shrine-rebuilds-gods-church/

S1.2 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

How many parents here are Grandparents and how many?? children - Grandchildren - I myself have three children and five grandchildren

That's debatable.

Thank you for your support

The Fifth Sorrowful Mystery The Crucifixion Le Cinquieme Mystere Douloureux La Crucifiction Notre Pere, Qui est au cieux, Que Ton nom soit sanctifier, Que Ton regne vienne, Que Ta volonter soit faite sur la terre comme au ciel, Donnes-nous aujourd'hui, notre pain de ce jours, Pardonnes-nous nos offenses, comme nous pardonnons aussi a ceux qui nous ont offenser. Ne nous soumet pas a la tentation, mais delivres-nous du mal. Amen S1.1 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

Gloire au Pere, et au Fils et au Saint Esprit, comme il etait au commencement, maintenant et toujours, pour les siecles des siecles. Amen Oh mon Jesus, pardonnes-nous nos pechers, preserves-nous des feux de l'enfer, conduisez au ciel toutes les ames, specialement celles qui ont le plus beson de Ta misericorde. Amen Notre Pere, qui est au cieux, Que Ton nom soit sanctifier, Que Ton regne vienne, Que Ta volonter soit faite, sur la terre comme au ciel. Donnes-nous aujord'hui, notre pain de ce jours, Pardonnes-nous nos offenses, comme nous pardonnons aussi a ceux qui nous ont offenser. Ne nous soumet pas a la tentation, mais delivres-nous du mal. Amen

God bless... prayers are a wonderous thing.

S4.10 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

In our Gospel lesson, two people go to the Temple to pray, but only one goes home justified. First, we meet the Pharisee. He assumes the correct position for prayer: he stands. Yet, he stands by himself, setting himself apart from others. But not too far. From his vantage point, he can scan the crowd of worshippers, can even spy a tax collector hunched over on the edge of the assembly. The Pharisee chooses a place with good sight lines, somewhat apart from others, where he can see and be seen, he offers prayers to God that are meant to be overheard. In his prayers, he uses two strategies to puff himself up. One, is about himself. And two, he puts others down. The Pharisee points out to the Lord God what the Lord surely already knows: he fasts twice a week and gives a tenth of all his income. One wonders for whose benefit he says these things. For God? Hardly. For the other worshippers? He probably thinks so. We should note a couple of things about what the Pharisee says. The technical term for what the Pharisee does — fast twice a week and tithe on all of his income means he goes above and beyond what is required by the law. By saying he fasts twice a week, the Pharisee was boasting of an asceticism that went beyond the norm. The same goes for tithing. He wants God and everyone within earshot to know about his super observance, which goes well beyond that of the others. We don’t get too much psychological theory in the New Testament. But Luke gives a pretty clear explanation in the introduction to the parable. He says that Jesus “told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt.” People who boast try to portray themselves as righteous. Whether their audience is found in the Temple or on Instagram, braggarts try to prove their righteousness through their superior character and deeds. Which leads us to the second strategy. The Pharisee thanks God that he is “not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.” But more seriously, why do people belittle others? Again, we don’t find too much psychological theory in the New Testament, but Luke’s explanation is still pretty good. Self-righteous promotion before God goes hand in hand with demeaning others. Second on the scene, we meet the tax collector. He also stands for prayer, but with lowered eyes. He stands also far off, not wanting to be noticed. Unlike the Pharisee who assumes a position from which to see and be seen, the tax collector tries to fade into the background. There, he beats his breast as a sign of repentance. Tax collectors were contemptible. Not only did they collaborate with the Romans, but they also cheated their fellow Jews. When the tax collector does speak, he utters a simple cry for mercy: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” In the Greek text, the tax collector’s entire petition consists of six words. The Pharisee’s speech is twenty-nine words, four times as long. The Pharisee boasts about himself and his deeds, using the word “I” four times. The only thing that the tax collector says about himself is that he is a sinner. Unlike the Pharisee who passes judgment on all manner of people, the tax collector passes judgment only on himself. But the tax collector does one thing the Pharisee doesn’t. He asks for God’s mercy. The Pharisee gives God a status report highlighting his extraordinary piety and practice. What’s God’s mercy have to do with it? According to the tax collector, everything. It’s the only thing he asks for. That day, the tax collector, not the Pharisee, went home justified. We must remember the parable is not primarily about us. It is about God. In Luke 15:7, Jesus tells us, “There will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” The saying about the humble being exalted is a saying about God, who does the exalting, God, who does the justifying, God, who rejoices over the repentance of one sinner. The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector might better be named the Parable of the Merciful God. We may also rightly understand this parable as not only spoken by Jesus but also about Jesus. God’s greatest act of mercy is found in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. In John’s Gospel, Jesus’s crucifixion is also his exaltation. It is at once the paradox of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation, and the source of our salvation. As Jesus says, “I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32). All people — the sinful and the righteous, the humble and the braggarts, the Pharisees and the tax collectors — are drawn into the mystery of redemption through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, at the foot of the cross, we can make the tax collector’s cry for mercy our own: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” In Luke’s Gospel, we see this enacted in the penitent thief who says, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And Jesus replies, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise” (23:42-43).

S4.9 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

S4.8 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

A New Postulant for Glencairn Cistercians (Trappistines) Grace McCann entered as a postulant at St Mary’s Abbey on 15 October, the feast of St Teresa of Ávila. Having previously explored her vocation at Glencairn, Grace returns with a renewed openness to God’s call. In the words of St Teresa, “God does not tire of giving, nor should we tire of receiving.”. Please continue to pray for Glencairn's postulant sisters, Marlena and Grace!

S4.7 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

Tolerance: The ability to tolerate something, in particular the existence of opinions or behaviors that one does not necessarily agree with. Essentially, it’s active Christian humility, charity, temperance, and patience. Not being an empty gong. 1 Corinthians 13.

This is an age old topic, here at Phatmass. Please review what the Church says about Mark 9:38…. Read the CCC 811-870, and especially 818, 819, and 822.

S4.6 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

I agree. However, I believe we've now high jacked this thread - maybe we should start another?

I've been considering lately the absence of a sacrifice in Protestant worship. Catholics and Protestants alike have largely forgotten what true worship is, that it is centered around the Continual Sacrifice. It's no wonder they think we worship the Blessed Virgin Mary, when their highest form of "worship" is singing songs and gathering in community. And that goes to show, "Praise and Worship" is a misnomer. That's not worship. Not to a Catholic, anyway.

S4.5 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

On July 29th, St. Gregory's Abbey (Benedictine monks) in Oklahoma posted: " ... Work is currently being completed by the three abbey postulants and Abbey staff member Manny Sauviller." On August 7th, I posted: "If you know any prayers, say 'em now for these guys - this monastery is holding on, and they've had a few vocations in the last ten years, but they could really use an infusion of monks." ON October 19th, I am happy to report that all three postulants have entered Saint Gregory's Abbey in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Three Benedictine Novices in Oklahoma

S4.4 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen

Maybe I didn't use the correct wording here - I meant to say that Protestantism has the same intent, and they advertise salvation, although admittedly the method is wrong. What I notice most in protestant services is the the absence of sanctity - go to a couple of services then go to a Catholic Church and you will learn in part the immense value of the Eucharist.

I agree with all of what you said here. But that is not the same as saying, "Protestantism offers the same destination." Protestantism itself does not offer salvation in any way, shape, or form. Only the Catholic Church offers salvation. Other faiths cannot be said to offer salvation, in themselves, in even the slightest degree. I'll reiterate: people of other religions can be saved, but only through special graces that ultimately come to them from Christ, through the Catholic Church. It is a very important distinction; it's the difference between heresy and orthodoxy.

S4.3 Je vous salut Marie, pleine de grace, le Seigneur est avec vous, vous etes benie entres toutes les femmes et Jesus, le fruit de vos entrailles est beni. Sainte Marie, Mere de Dieu, priez pour nous pecheurs, maintenant et a l'heure de notre mort. Amen