Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day nine

Painting is from the Pictures page on the website of St. Silas the Martyr in London.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day eight

Painting by Svitozar Nenyuk can be purchased here.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day seven

This picture can be found on the Society of St. Pius X in Canada page for Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day six

 

Stained glass image is from the Artwork page of the St. Catherine Labouré Roman Catholic Mission in Chino Valley, Arizona.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day five

Photo is from the Wheeling, WV library site and is of a mosaic on the outside of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Ukrainian Catholic Church.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day four

Image by artist Dan Paulos and is available for sale here.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day three

Image from one of the pages of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day two

  

Image comes from the Our Lady of Perpetual Help novena website of the Catholic Church of the Most Holy Redeemer.

Our Mother of Perpetual Help novena - day one

I am beginning another novena, this time in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. She is also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Help or Our Mother of Perpetual Succor.

I am taking my prayers from a copyrighted publication so I won't post sample prayers this time, but if you want to join in there are many examples on the internet. Or you could always just make up your own. Remember, praying to a saint is just like talking to one of your earthly friends and asking them to pray for you.

The only "rule" for a novena is to pray for a space of nine days. They don't even have to be consecutive, although that's how I'm setting up my novenas. (Please feel free to correct me in the comments below if you know better. I am still a new Catholic and could be wrong.)

I hope the pictures I post will help you in your prayers. By the way, I plan to go back and post credit for my St. Anthony pictures where possible. I didn't think of it at the time, but many of the pictures probably need to be credited.

There is no credit for this image. As far as I know this image is the basic icon for Our Mother of Perpetual Help.

Thank you, Tara Whitney...

...for this post.

And for this quote: Normal day, let me be aware of the treasure you are… Let me not pass you by in quest of some rare and perfect Tomorrow. One day I shall dig my nails into the earth, or bury my face in my pillow, or stretch myself taut, or raise my hands to the sky and want, more than all the world, your return. - Mary Jean Iron

I so needed it... And, yes, I am hopelessly behind on my blog reading.

and again?

So I've probably miscarried yet again. I won't know for sure for at least a week (when a pregnancy test should be negative again). This is the third time now, and each time has been very different. I guess the old adage that every pregnancy is different holds true for those that end in miscarriages as well as ones that end in regular deliveries.

I don't think I'm going to attach any pictures this time. I've posted a positive pregnancy test before (and I used the exact same brand this time around so just go look at that picture or use your imagination), and I didn't take pictures of the rest of it. What I thought might have been the baby looked nothing like pictures of a baby at that gestational age. So either it wasn't actually the baby or the baby developed abnormally. And if you want to see pictures of blood clots and placentas, well, there are a few examples on google.

I'm holding out a little hope that 1)this wasn't a miscarriage at all but a subchorionic bleed or something similar or 2)that this was a twin pregnancy and just one of the babies passed. I'm around 90% positive that I passed a placenta, so if there is still a baby I'm pretty sure it will have been the latter scenario.

St. Anthony novena - day nine

Image from the St. Anthony page of the St. Anthony Parish in Balfron, Scotland.

Good Saint Anthony, in God's providence you have secured for His people many marvelous favors. You have been especially celebrated, good Saint Anthony, for your goodness to the poor and the hungry, for finding employment for those seeking it, for your special care of those who travel, and for keeping safe from harm all who must be away from home. You are widely known also, good Saint Anthony, for securing peace in the family, for your delicate mercy in finding lost things, for safe delivery of messages, and for your concern for women in childbirth. In honoring you, Saint Anthony, for the many graces our Lord grants through your favor, we trustfully and confidently ask your aid in our present need. Pray for us, good Saint Anthony, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. May it be a source of joy, O God, to your Church that we honor the memory of your Confessor and Doctor, Saint Anthony. May his spiritual help always make us strong, and by his assistance may we enjoy an eternal reward. This we ask through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.

St. Anthony novena - day eight

Image is from this St. Anthony page.

Glorious Saint Anthony, I salute you as a good servant of Christ, and a special friend of God. You once were favored to hold the Christ Child in your arms as you cherished His world in your heart. Today I place all my cares, temptations, and anxieties in your hands. I resolve ever to honor you by imitating your example. Powerful patron, model of purity and victor over fleshly impulses, please win for me, and for all devoted to you, perfect purity of body, mind, and heart. I promise by my example and counsel to help others to the knowledge, love, and service of God. Amen.

St. Anthony novena - day seven

Image from this St. Anthony of Padua page.

Dear St. Anthony, comforting the sorrowful is a Christian duty and a work of mercy. By word, attitude, and deed I should try to brighten their days and make their burden easier to bear. St. Anthony, Consoler of the Afflicted, may I remember when helping someone in sorrow that I am helping Christ Himself. Kindly mention my pressing needs to Him. (Name you special intentions).

St. Anthony novena - day six

Image is from the History page of the St.Anthony Parish in Canton, OH.

Dear St. Anthony, you took the words of Jesus seriously, "Be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect." The Church honors you as a Christian hero, a man wholly dedicated to God's glory and the good of the redeemed. St. Anthony, Model of Perfection, ask Jesus to strengthen my good dispositions and to make me more like you, more like Him. Obtain for me the other favors I need. (Name them.)

St. Anthony novena - day five

 Image from the yenra.com St. Anthony prayers page. Many of the prayers posted for this novena also came from here.

Dear St. Anthony, God wants us to see Christ, our brother, in everyone and love Him truly in word and in deed. God wills that we share with others the joy of His boundless love. St. Anthony, Generator of Charity, remember me in the Father's presence, that I may be generous in sharing the joy of His love. Remember also the special intentions I now entrust to you. (Name them.)

Greetings from...

Another new blog is up. Enjoy!

St. Anthony novena - day four

Image found on the Franciscan Friars St. Anthony novena page.

Dear St. Anthony, your prayers obtained miracles during your lifetime. You still seem to move at ease in the realm of minor and major miracles. St. Anthony, Performer of Miracles, please obtain for me the blessings God holds in reserve who serve Him. Pray that I may be worthy of the promises my Lord Jesus attaches to confident prayer. (Mention your special intentions.)

St. Anthony novena - day three

Image is from the St. Anthony novena page at EWTN. 

O Holy St. Anthony, gentlest of Saints, your love for God and Charity for His creatures, made you worthy, when on earth, to possess miraculous powers. Encouraged by this thought, I implore you to obtain for me (request). O gentle and loving St. Anthony, whose heart was ever full of human sympathy, whisper my petition into the ears of the sweet Infant Jesus, who loved to be folded in your arms; and the gratitude of my heart will ever be yours. Amen.

St. Anthony novena - day two

Image from the St.Anthony of Padua gallery.

St. Anthony, you are glorious for your miracles and for the condescension of Jesus, Who came as a little child to lie in your arms. Obtain for me from His bounty the grace which I ardently desire. You were so compassionate toward sinners, do not regard my unworthiness. Let the glory of God be magnified by you in connection with the particular request that I earnestly present to you.

[State your request here.]

As a pledge of my gratitude, I promise to live more faithfully in accordance with the teachings of the Church, and to be devoted to the service of the poor whom you loved and still love so greatly. Bless this resolution of mine that I may be faithful to it until death.

St. Anthony, consoler of all the afflicted, pray for me.
St. Anthony, helper of all who invoke you, pray for me.
St. Anthony, whom the Infant Jesus loved and honored so much, pray for me. Amen.

Smile!

The new blog is up!

St. Anthony novena - day one

St. Anthony of Padua's feast day is June 13th. So I'm beginning a novena today. Feel free to join me.

Image taken from Derdo's Weblog.

Saint Anthony, great wonder-worker, intercede for us that God may grant us our request if it be for the good of our soul.

treasure hunting

My mom is spending the weekend with us, and today we spent about 6 hours in the car tracking down historical markers and letterboxes. We had a lot of fun and found some really cool spots off the beaten path.

 letterboxing at Jennings Mountain Cemetery

Read more about letter boxing here. And this site and this site are cool places to keep track of historical markers you've visited. If you're in Texas, you can look up historical markers here.

news

Well, I'm pregnant again. I'm telling everyone early this time because it's just too weird when people don't even know you are pregnant and then you miscarry. So this time everyone's going to know practically from the beginning. Hopefully I won't have to find out if it's easier that way or not. Please, please pray for this baby.

In other news, I'm starting a few other blogs. The first post for one of them should be up sometime today or tomorrow. I'll come back and link it then.

How have you been lately?