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Catholic Answers Press is one of the top Catholic publishers in the United States. In addition to publishing tons of amazing books for Catholics, they also have an apologetics website and a radio show where listeners can call in and ask their questions about the Catholic faith. Here are just a few reviews of some of my favorite books that they've published. Happy reading! A Daily Defense: 365 Days (plus one) to Becoming a Better Apologist- Jimmy Akin I featured this book in another book review post on devotionals and prayer books. This is the same review from that post, so if it looks familiar, that's why! A Daily Defense- This book is by very famous apologist, Jimmy Akin, from Catholic Answers. The description on the front of the book is "365 days (plus one) to becoming a better apologist". The book is an excellent resource for those of us who love to defend our Catholic faith, or have questions about it and want to learn more. The book is set up in a way that for each day there is a common objection to Catholicism and Jimmy Akin's explanation on how to defend the Church's teaching on the topic. It's easy to understand and definitely worth the 5 minutes per day that it takes to read. This would be a great read for someone going off to college or just for anyone who is often put in situations where they need to defend their Catholic faith. https://www.google.com/amp/s/shop.catholic.com/amp/a-daily-defense-365-days-plus-one-to-becoming-a-better-apologist/ Persuasive Pro-Life: How to Talk About Our Culture’s Toughest Issue- Also by famous Catholic Answers apologist, Trent Horn, this book is probably my favorite pro-life book of all time. Trent Horn gives clear answers to common pro-life objections, strategies for having meaningful conversations with those who have questions about the pro-life movement or are pro-choice, and many more tips and strategies to help you in your journey as a pro-life apologist and advocate for the unborn. This is the book that I used as a resource in all of my pro-life posts leading up to St. Gianna Molla's feast day. Check them out if you haven't already! https://shop.catholic.com/persuasive-pro-life-how-to-talk-about-our-cultures-toughest-issue/ 33 Days to Morning Glory: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat In Preparation for Marian Consecration This book by Fr. Michael Gaitley is a necessity for anyone who is interested in consecrating themselves to the Blessed Mother but isn't sure where to start. My family read the meditations as a family during Lent this year leading up to our consecration on The Feast of the Annunciation (Check out my "Happy Feast of The Annunciation!" post!). It only takes a few minutes each day and adequately prepares you for the consecration, giving you tons of information on Marian saints, what the consecration means, what graces being consecrated brings, and how Marian Consecrations have helped so many people on their path to sainthood. Let me know in the comments if you've consecrated yourself to the Blessed Mother or if you've used this book before! I'd love to hear about your journey :-). https://shop.catholic.com/33-days-to-morning-glory-a-do-it-yourself-retreat-in-preparation-for-marian-consecration/ 20 Answers Series The books in the 20 Answers Series give 20 answers per topic for numerous topics of Catholic teaching including The Eucharist, Abortion, Saints, Death and Judgment, Salvation, and many more. They're a quick and easy way to learn what the Church teaches about many different topics and an excellent tool for apologetics and evangelization. https://shop.catholic.com/20-answers-series-sampler-books/ Why We're Catholic: Our Reasons For Faith, Hope, And Love Also by Trent Horn, this book is perfect for anyone who is interested in learning more about the Catholic faith. The book answers commonly asked questions about topics such as Truth, God, Jesus, The Bible, The Church and Sacraments, saints, sinners, morality, and destiny. It presents answers in a simple way that makes it an easy resource for anyone and everyone. It would also be a great resource for evangelization. It would be an awesome book to have on hand wherever you go where you may encounter people who want to learn more about Catholicism (pretty much everywhere!!!) Luckily, Catholic Answers sells their books in bulk for a very good price... :-) https://shop.catholic.com/why-were-catholic-our-reasons-for-faith-hope-and-love/ Catholic Answers sells SO MANY MORE books than these!! Make sure you check them out at https://shop.catholic.com/ I'm just getting started reading them and I'm so excited to see what God will reveal to me through the works of these amazing Catholic authors. Please let me know in the comments section if you check out any of these books or if you've read them before. God bless!

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops are together consecrating their respective nations to the Blessed Mother today. This is especially appropriate due to the status of our world right now because of the Coronavirus pandemic. So what does this consecration mean? The Oxford Dictionary defines consecration as"the action of making or declaring something, typically a church, sacred." In this case, countries are being consecrated instead of churches. This means that the nations will be under her protection and she will lead and guide them on the path to salvation through her son. Knowing that you are under the protection of the Mother of Christ and that she is leading you closer to her son every day is a big comfort. In this time of uncertainty and isolation, it can be easy to feel lonely. When walking hand in hand with Christ guiding your life you are never ever alone. Our world is desperately in need of prayer right now. This virus is a big wakeup call for many people, calling them back to God through prayer. One of the 15 promises of the Rosary is that "You shall obtain all you ask of me by recitation of the Rosary." Think about this... If we can obtain all that we ask for, if it is in accordance with the will of God, we can have such a huge impact on our world. We can stop pandemics, save countless lives, help people get to Heaven (as well as ourselves), and prevent disasters of all kinds simply by praying and meditating upon the mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary. The Rosary is a great gift to us. We, as Catholics, are so blessed to be able to use this gift. Of course, anyone can pray the Rosary, but it is typically Catholics who do so most often because of our dedication to the Blessed Mother. This consecration is very important for our world right now. Between pandemics and upcoming presidential elections, our world really needs a whole lot of prayer. Take some time today to ask for the intercession of our Blessed Mother for healing and protection of our nations. I've included some links to videos to pray along with at the bottom of the page. You can also watch the consecration on EWTN or on their Facebook page at 3 p.m. Eastern Time. This is a very big day for the Church! I'm looking forward to uniting with you in prayer today so that our Blessed Mother can lead our nations towards always living totally with and for God. https://www.facebook.com/ewtnonline/- EWTN Facebook Page https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2PsbQ5K5go&t=722s- Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary (prayed on Tuesdays and Fridays) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvMMrF1IPm4- Live Eucharistic Adoration

Today (April 28th) is the feast day of Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. She is an amazing modern saint and an inspiration to many all over the world. She was canonized in 2004 and is the patron saint of the pro-life movement, mothers, physicians, and unborn children. Gianna was a woman of great faith, hope, and love. She was an Italian mother, wife, pediatrician, and a great lover of Christ. From the time she was very young, she was very involved in her parish, as well as in a local Catholic Action group. In 1954, she was married to the man that she had been praying for. She and Pietro had 4 children together, all of who are still alive and well today. During her fourth pregnancy, her doctors found that she had a tumor in her uterus that was endangering the lives of both she and her unborn child. The doctors gave her 3 choices for her pregnancy, along with the recommendation of immediate surgery to remove the tumor. She could either have an abortion, ensuring her own survival but killing her baby, have a complete hysterectomy, unintentionally killing her child, or she could deliver her child and risk complications from delivery. She chose the latter, telling her husband and the doctors that if it came time to choose between saving her life or the life of her child, they should save the baby. Her youngest child, Gianna Emanuela, was born on Holy Saturday (April 21) of 1962. Gianna suffered for many days after the birth of her child, finally dying on April 28, 1962, at the young age of 39. As I mentioned in the Saint of the month section of this blog, Gianna is my confirmation saint. She showed true love and was a great example of a Catholic wife and mother (both of which I hope to be someday!) I really feel that she chose me because of my passion for the pro-life movement, as well as my love for children. I hope to be a youth minister someday, so her love for youth really spoke to me. Another thing that sticks out to me about her was her immense love for Christ and her abandonment to His divine will. One of her more famous quotes is, "Whatever God wants." She truly surrendered her life to the will of God by giving all that she had for Him and for her children. Gianna is a wonderful example of sacrificial love. You can do no more to show someone you care for them than laying down your life for their sake. In the end, Gianna got to save her baby's life, as well as go to Heaven and be with her Lord. We, as teenagers living in a world so full of people who advocate for women's right to abortion, need to be a voice for life. We need to show the world that all lives matter and are loved by a God who will never let them down. If we, the next generation of parents, law-makers, and leaders live and love as Saint Gianna did, our world will be a much better place. Let's ask St. Gianna to intercede for us as we work and pray towards a better, more pro-life world so that all lives are valued, just as they are in the eyes of God. Let's also ask her to intercede for us, the next generation of saints, that we may live holy lives and spread the love of the Lord everywhere we go and to everyone we meet. Saint Gianna, Pray for us!!! Resources: https://saintgianna.org/main.htm http://www.stgiannaphysicians.org/ https://blog.franciscanmedia.org/franciscan-spirit/saint-gianna-beretta-molla-one-of-us https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Gianna-Molla-Mother-Doctor/dp/0898708877 https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3AGianna+Beretta&s=relevancerank&text=Gianna+Beretta&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1 Here's a prayer to St. Gianna: http://www.stgiannaphysicians.org/prayer_to_st_gianna

In the last post, I gave you some strategies from Trent Horn's book, Persuasive Pro-Life. One of these strategies was to ask questions instead of making statements. In this post I will highlight these questions and show you how to use them when engaging in dialogue. Question 1: What is abortion? This question is very important to ask. It's easy to assume that everyone knows what happens during an abortion and what the results of it are. That is definitely not the case! This is a good question to ask because it lets you know what the person's level of knowledge about the subject is and how best to respond to them. It is also a good way to spark deeper conversation and is a good lead to other questions. You may get an answer such as the one that Planned Parenthood offers: That abortion expels the pregnancy from the woman's body. This is completely invalid because pregnancy is not a thing, it is a condition, and conditions cannot be removed. They can be cured or controlled but they cannot be removed. The Merriam-Webster definition of pregnancy is: "containing a developing embryo, fetus, or unborn offspring within the body." In removing the "pregnancy," abortion removes the woman's state of being pregnant, and in doing that, removes the embryo/fetus/ unborn offspring that is depending on the woman's body to survive. Ex: Pro-Life: So, what is abortion? Pro-Choice: It's a procedure that removes a pregnancy from a woman. Pro-Life: Oh. I see. Well... Question 2: What is pregnancy? Most people will answer this question with some sort of variation of "it's the time when a woman's child/fetus/offspring is growing inside of her body." As I mentioned above, the definition of pregnancy is: "containing a developing embryo, fetus, or unborn offspring within the body", so if this is how they answered the question they are correct. This question makes the person admit that pregnancy is a time when a new organism is growing inside of a woman's body. After asking this question and guiding the person to understand the correct answer if they did not realize it already, you can ask the MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION that there is to ask when engaging in dialogue.... Question 3: What are the unborn? This question is the most important because if you can get the person you're talking to to understand that the fetus is a living human being, it will start to make sense to them that abortion is wrong because it kills a human being. This is always the question to come back to when conversing with others because it is ultimately the question that you are trying to answer. Another variation of this question: What are humans? The answers you will get from this question will vary. One of the most common responses though, is that a human is a member of the human species and is someone who meets all the requirements for human life. If this is the answer that you get, you can demonstrate that a fetus meets all of these requirements (has 23 chromosomes, comes from human parents, etc. and therefore, is a human that deserves all the rights that we, born humans, have, including the right to life. Once you get the person to understand that the fetus (developing baby) inside of its mother's womb is alive, it will most likely be very easy to get them to see why abortion is wrong. Question 4: What happens to a fetus when it is aborted? The answer you will get it will probably be along the lines of: "it's removed from the woman's body" or "it just goes away". The first answer is true- the fetus is removed from the woman's body, but there's more to it. When the fetus is removed, it dies. That child depends on its mother for nourishment and life, similar to the way that a newborn child does. A popular argument for abortion is that a woman should not feel obligated to lend her body to another person for 9 months because it will cause her discomfort. This is exactly like saying that a woman should not feel obligated to feed, clean, clothe, or shelter her children just because it may cause her discomfort. If you present this example to the person you are talking to and ask them if they think that a mother is obligated to feed, clean, shelter, clothe, and care for her children*, and their answer is, "because the child is her responsibility and she needs to take care of it", then you can ask "what makes that child any different from a child living in its mother's womb?" This will lead you back to the question of, "what are the unborn?". Miscellaneous questions to ask: Why is it wrong to kill a newborn baby? Most people will answer with something along the lines of, "because it's a human being." This question will lead you back to the question of, "what are the unborn?" You can also ask the person what the difference between a newborn and a child in its mother's womb is. Hint: The only difference is their location!!! In the next post in this series, you'll learn the reasons why most women have abortions and the safer and morally correct alternatives to abortion that are available to women in those situations, as well as why abortion is never necessary. * If a woman finds that it is physically impossible for her to care for her children, there are other options such as foster care, adoption, or the child could even stay with a trusted relative or friend until the mother had the means necessary to care for her child. The decision to place a child for adoption or in foster care is a very difficult one. If you or someone you know are in this situation, please talk with a trusted priest, family member, or other responsible adult that can get you the resources you need. You can also contact a pregnancy care center and they will try to help you out.

In this post we're going to learn some tips for effectively discussing abortion with those of opposing viewpoints. In his book Persuasive Pro-Life*, Catholic apologist Trent Horn lays out some tips for talking with those who identify themselves as pro-abortion. These tips are as follows: 1. Don't be weird 2. Make your evidence bulletproof 3. Use questions instead of statements 4. Actually Listen 5. Agree whenever possible Don't be weird: This step is pretty simple. Don't purposefully try to offend people because of their opinion of abortion. Don't insult them or use hateful words. For example, don't tell the person that you are talking to that they are going to hell because they think abortion is okay. That is not effective and will only make you seem insensitive and rude. Make your evidence bulletproof: Always keep good, unbiased sources in the back of your mind when discussing abortion. These sources could include medical journals, the CDC, articles from the Lozier institute, and many more. Know the basic facts of abortion and human development so that you have an answer to most questions that you are faced with. If you don't have an answer to a question, THAT"S OKAY!!! Simply tell the person that you're not 100% sure how to respond and see if they can give you their email address so that you can do some research and get back to them. Use questions instead of statements: Asking questions has proven to be very effective when speaking with people of opposing viewpoints. Asking questions shows that you are interested in the other person's opinion and you care about what they have to say. In Trent Horn's book, he gives some examples of questions to ask. Here are a few of them: 1. What is abortion? 2. What is a human? 4. What is pregnancy? 5. What's wrong with being pro-abortion? 6.Why is it wrong to kill a newborn baby? 7. What does an abortion do to the fetus? In an upcoming post we'll be discussing how to use these questions in conversation and how to respond to the answers to the questions. Actually listen: Let the person you're talking to know that you care about their opinion and what they have to say. Use active listening skills (Learn more about that here: https://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/ActiveListening.htm) and try to stay open minded. Agree whenever possible: Try to find common ground with the person you're speaking with. For example,if someone says that they are for abortion because it helps women assure them that you also want what's best for women and then tell them why abortion actually hurts women instead of helping them. Finding common ground will make your conversations a lot more enjoyable and fruitful. Let me know in the comments if you use any of these tips in conversations or if you know of any other good strategies. Try some of them out! They work, I promise :-) * Pages 43-53 You should get the book! It's really good and Trent Horn is very smart. Here's the link to buy it: https://www.amazon.com/Persuasive-Pro-Life-Cultures-Toughest/dp/1941663044

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday! This feast day in the Church celebrates God's infinite mercy and love for us. The devotion to Divine Mercy came from a young Polish nun, Sister Maria Faustina Kowalska of the Blessed Sacrament when Jesus appeared to her while she was in her cell at the convent. He gave her many messages, all of which she wrote in her diary*, along with a prayer called the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. This prayer is SO POWERFUL!! It can literally get even the most hardened of sinners to heaven. Jesus also told Sr. Faustina to pray the chaplet for those who are dying and those who have already died and He will show them great mercy. The apparitions and the prayers have been approved by the Church and Sr. Faustina is now a saint (yay!!!) Here's her story: https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=510 Jesus' mercy is so overwhelming that no human mind can even begin to fully understand how much He wants to give us His mercy and love. If you've never prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, today would be an excellent day to start. Here's a guide for how to pray it:https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet It's a very easy prayer and it doesn't take long at all. Jesus has promised great graces to souls who recite it devoutly each day. Another amazing thing about Divine Mercy Sunday is that all of our sins and punishments for them are wiped clean today if we receive communion and go to confession (Or for those of us in COVID-19 areas, pray a spiritual communion prayer and make a sincere act of contrition). ** Today, thank Jesus for his gift of mercy. Tell him you love Him, and repent of your sins. Jesus doesn't need to be merciful, but He is, because that's just how much he loves us. If you've not "been" to Mass yet today, here are the links to YouTube mass by some of my favorite priests :-) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqCt59FsILM Fr. Brian Van Fossen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hMRmy96tIk Fr. Mike Schmitz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igCYooPqXjw Bishop Robert Barron Always remember that Jesus loves you. His mercy is infinite and His love is never-ending. No matter what you've done He is always there to welcome you back with open arms. Run to Him. Allow His love to overflow from your life into the lives of those around you. May God bless you on this Divine Mercy Sunday and always <3 * This diary is published and available to purchase. It's amazing and you should definitely check it out :-) https://www.amazon.com/Diary-Divine-Mercy-My-Soul/dp/1596141107 ** Diary 699. Also, let's pray for all those souls who have died as a result of the Coronavirus.

So, we know that we, as Catholics, are pro-life. And we know that one of the practices we are working to eliminate is abortion, but do we really know what abortion is? One of the most important things about having a system of beliefs is knowing what you stand for and knowing how to tell right from wrong. If we are ever to effectively convince others of the truth that abortion is an evil and immoral practice, we need to know what abortion is and why it is immoral. In this post, we are going to discuss what abortion really is and why it is so wrong. What is abortion? From the Oxford Dictionary: “The deliberate termination of a human pregnancy, most often performed during the first 28 weeks of pregnancy” Abortion is done deliberately. This means that it is done on purpose and that there is a reason for doing it. It is not a miscarriage in which the child is killed by natural reasons. Abortion terminates things, in this case, the life of the child that is living in its mother's womb until it is old enough to survive outside of the womb. Therefore, we can reasonably conclude that abortion is the purposeful killing of a child while it is still residing in its mother's womb. Abortion is performed in a variety of ways, most of which can be found on this page: https://studentsforlife.org/abortion-facts/ All of these ways of performing abortions are gruesome and traumatic for both the child and the mother. In most cases both the woman and the child experience pain, and the child is killed. Keep in mind that millions of abortions are performed every year around the world.Even if only a million were committed per year, That would be 2739 abortions per day in a 365 day year. 2739 lives lost in a single day. It's hard to believe that anyone could possibly rationalize that abortion could ever be okay. Over the next few days, we'll be breaking down common points that people use to justify abortion and learning the truth so that we can better protect the lives of the unborn. Why is abortion wrong? Because it ends the life of an innocent human being and strips them of their dignity. That's the answer. Plain and simple. Abortion ends the life of a human being who has worth and dignity and is made in the image and likeness of God. When a child is aborted it is not even given a chance to live. It cannot thrive and it cannot live the life that God meant for it to live. Abortion also hurts the woman who is having the abortion. Many women struggle with anxiety and depression, as well as other health issues after they've had an abortion. Many feel guilt because of their abortion and wish that they had not made the decision. If you or someone you know has had an abortion, help is available and people do care about you and want to help you. Here's a website of an organization that helps people who have been hurt by abortion: https://www.rachelsvineyard.org/ Overall, abortion is wrong because it hurts people. It hurts women, children, and all those who love them. Everyone, no matter their stance on abortion, would most likely agree that if something harms the people they love, it is not okay and should not be tolerated. I know that this is a tough topic, but it needs to be heard about and known about so that it can end. Please let me know in the comments section if you have any questions about abortion or the pro-life movement that you would like to be covered in other posts. You can go to the Students For Life of America website to get more reliable information about abortion and the pro-life movement. https://studentsforlife.org/

The Catholic Church is one of the biggest leaders in the Pro-Life movement all over the world today. We respect and value every human life, no matter the age or social stance, and believe that everyone, no matter what, should have the right to live. So, you might be wondering, "What makes pro-lifers different from the rest of society?" The answer: A lot. We live in what is called a culture of death. A culture where lives are not valued and treated with dignity. We can see this particularly through the support for abortion, the death penalty, assisted suicide, and even just magazine covers in the checkout line at the grocery store. Being pro-life means being pro- all life. From the moment that a child is conceived in its mother's womb, it is entitled to all basic human rights and deserves to be treated as we would treat anyone who is living outside of their mother's womb. We are different because we see every human being in the image and likeness of God. We know that he has a spectacular plan for their lives and because they are created by Him for His purpose, they deserve to live. St. Gianna Beretta Molla is the patron saint of the Pro-Life movement. Her feast day is on April 28th, just 12 days from now. Over these next few days, I will be focusing on one of the most immoral tragedies and practices that our society has normalized: Abortion. I am going to be sharing different strategies and resources to counter abortion, as well as give you facts and statistics so that you will have the knowledge and tools to use to help save lives. Abortion is by far the largest issue that the pro-life movement works to stop and definitely the most controversial. We, as a Church, need to spread the message of life and eradicate abortion. We don't just need to make abortion illegal, we need to make it unthinkable. If we are ever going to live in a world where people are valued and loved simply because they exist, abortion needs to end. We, as teenagers and the future adults and leaders of our world, have the power to bring back the dignity of life. And we will accomplish it. With God on our side, nothing is impossible.

Jesus is Risen! Alleluia! Imagine the joy that Christ's disciples and his mother must've felt when they first discovered that Jesus had risen from the dead as he said that he would! Let us try to grasp this joy and live it out in our everyday lives so that the whole world might know the true joy that comes from being a disciple and lover of Jesus Christ. Read more about it in my Easter post!

Happy Easter!! St. Pope John Paul II said that we, as Catholics, are Easter People. As Easter People, we need to spread the message of Easter, that Jesus Christ rose from the dead, to the entire world. Our world is so infiltrated by sin and hatred that many people don't even know what Easter is actually all about. Eggs, bunnies, flowers, and even chocolate, no matter how much superficial happiness they bring, are nothing compared to the joy that comes with knowing that Jesus Christ, Son of God, conquered sin and death so that we, ordinary people, ordinary sinners, may have the chance to be in Heaven, a paradise beyond what our Human minds are capable of imagining. And Heaven is a paradise simply because it is only there that we can be fully united with our Father once again. Easter truly is the happiest day of the year, no matter what the circumstances are. This Easter especially, we can meditate on the joy that comes simply with knowing that Christ rose from the dead. This year, many of us can't celebrate with family, friends, Easter gifts, or even the insane amount of chocolate that some of us usually receive. Instead of having the focus be on all of the worldly celebrations, we can switch the focus to where it belongs- on Christ. The man who literally defeated death itself, the man who gave his life for the people that brutally murdered him, the man who loves us with a perfect love, rose from the dead! Pope John Paul II said during his Angelus address one day in 1986: We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery - the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. “We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!”. We are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the “fundamental duty of love of neighbour, without which it would be unbecoming to speak of Joy”. We realize that joy is demanding; it demands unselfishness; it demands a readiness to say with Mary: “Be it done unto me according to thy word”. As he says, we are all looking for joy. He reveals that the secret to feeling true joy is love. And not just friendship love, not just romantic love, but Agape love. Agape love is the love that God has for us. It is sacrificial love- A love that gives all it has and expects nothing in return. It is only through Agape love, faith in the Lord, and total surrender of our lives to God that we will ever find true joy. This Easter, ponder the amazing amount of love that Jesus has for you. It was you that He was thinking about as He hung upon His cross. Take that love, and use it to set the world on fire with the love of Christ. May God bless you on this Easter and always. I am praying for you every day. <3

Joseph of Arimathea gently lays the body of Jesus down on a stone shelf-like structure in the tomb that was supposed to be his family's final resting place. Although to those surrounding Him it seems like this is the end for Jesus, we know that that is not the case. While His disciples and his mother are mourning the loss of his life and are trying to grasp what has happened now that everything they know is seemingly gone, Christ is fully alive, saving souls and opening the Gates of Heaven so that all, by His grace and mercy, could spend eternity with He and the Father. As Christians, one of our duties is to bury the dead. This is one of the Corporal Works of Mercy. These actions are those that involve taking care of other people's physical bodies and include feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, sheltering the homeless, visiting the sick, visiting prisoners, burying the dead, and giving alms to the poor. When we do these things in our everyday lives, we are serving Christ. Joseph of Arimathea is regarded as one of the best examples of practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy. Although in this time of isolation, it may be difficult to help people in person, there are still things you can do to practice the Corporal Works of Mercy. Here are a few ideas: Feeding the Hungry: -Donate to a local food bank or food pantry -Call family members and friends and see if they need any food items that you might have extras of -Play this game: https://beta.freerice.com/ to donate rice to families in poverty while improving your word skills. There's also an app!! Giving Drink to the Thirsty: - Conserve water in normal ways ( turn off water when brushing teeth, showers instead of baths, etc.) BUT STILL WASH YOUR HANDS!!! - Donate water bottles to food pantries -Donate to water charities such as The Water Project. Check out this link to see what they do! https://www.charitywater.org/about/mission Shelter the Homeless: - Pray. - Hand out masks. Here's a video about how to make them from one of this blog's subscribers! https://youtu.be/FiBdnHSCTlg Visit the Sick: - Check on family members or friends who are sick (virtually, of course) - Make a care package for healthcare workers - Pray for the health and healing of the world Visit the Prisoners: - Pray - Check on people who work in prisons Bury the Dead: - Pray for all those who have lost a loved one during this time - Donate flowers to a cemetery still allowing burials - Pray a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for all those who have died. Here's a link explaining how to pray the chaplet: https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/pray-the-chaplet Give alms to the poor: - Donate money to charities helping the poor - Give food or clothing to those in need - Donate to the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul The best thing we can do right now to keep each other safe is pray. Prayer is the most powerful weapon that we have right now and our world desperately needs us to use it during this crisis. Let me know in the comments how you and your family are practicing the Corporal Works of Mercy in this time when so many are in need.

Today, on this very unusual Good Friday, let's ponder the seven last phrases that Christ spoke on the Cross. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” When Jesus spoke these words He showed us His immense love and mercy. He forgave those who beat Him, stripped him, and crucified him. How much strength it would have taken to forgive those who were hitting him, even if they did not know what they were doing. Jesus, help us to forgive our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We ask for your forgiveness and mercy in our lives and the lives of those we love. Prayer Recommendation: The Chaplet for Mercy to Forgive Others: https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/chaplet-of-mercy-forgiving-another/ “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” Jesus says these words to one of the thieves that were crucified next to him. The man asked Jesus to remember him when He comes into His kingdom. He does this after rebuking the other criminal for putting Christ to the test. Jesus assures the man that he will go to Heaven. This is what Christ promises us all when we are Baptized. If we stay in his grace and out of mortal sin, his promise will be fulfilled through his love and mercy. Lord, we long to be with you among the saints in the halls of heaven. Help us to avoid temptation and stay as far away from sin as possible. Prayer Recommendation: Prayer for the Salvation of the World: https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=2730 “Woman, behold your son.” Jesus gives John to his mother and His mother to John, the beloved disciple. In doing so, He also gives her to us. Mary is our spiritual mother. She loves us and has great power before God and her son. She is the divine mediatrix, meaning that she intercedes for us and brings our prayers to the Father. She is always there for is, just as a good mother should always be. Jesus longs for us to belong to her so that we will be closer to Him. Mary, we thank you for being our heavenly mother. We ask you to intercede for us and bring our prayers to God. Prayer Recommendation: The Rosary: http://www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/rosaries/how-to-pray-the-rosary.cfm “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” "Jesus was not abandoned but He allowed Himself to feel and experience this complete loss of the Father in His human nature. He felt the deep experience of despair. He allowed Himself to know and experience the effects of sin. Therefore, He knows what we go through when we despair. He knows what it feels like. And He is there with us in those temptations enabling us to press on through any despair toward total faith and trust in the Father." TAKEN FROM CATHOLIC DAILY REFLECTIONS DAILY MEDITATION Lord, help us through our moments of trouble and despair. We unite ourselves to your suffering on the cross in those moments and long for the day when we will be in Heaven and there will be no more pain. Prayer Recommendation: Prayer to Unite Yourself To Christ's Suffering: https://catholicexchange.com/uniting-suffering-christs-passion (Scroll to the bottom of the article for the prayer) “I thirst.” These words are so powerful. Jesus thirsts for us. He longs for our souls. He wants us to come to him and love him- and he wants to love us. We can satisfy his thirst for souls by giving him all of our love. Mother Teresa wrote a beautiful meditation on Jesus' thirst for souls. Here's the link: https://youtu.be/uxrLdeurxis. If you get a few minutes today, take the time to just sit silently and meditate upon Mother Teresa's words. They are written from Jesus' perspective and are very powerful. Jesus, I find it so amazing that you long for my soul to be united with you. I want to satisfy your thirst with my love. Give me the grace to realize how much you love me and to love you and others more and more every day. Prayer Recommendation: Listen to Mother Teresa's "I Thirst" Reflection “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” These words are the words of ultimate surrender to God. When we say these words, we acknowledge that God has control over every aspect of our lives. We submit our lives to His will, which "is love and mercy itself", as we say in the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. We can all work on more fully giving our entire lives to God so that we can live totally with Him and for Him. Lord, I long to be totally yours. I want my life to reflect You. Use me in any way that you want and form me into the person that you created me to be. I give you everything, My Lord. Prayer Recommendation: Healing Prayer of Surrender: http://catholic.net/op/articles/1333/healing-prayer-of-surrender.html “It is finished.” What does Christ mean by this? Although it signifies that his life is coming to a close, it also shows that Christ has accomplished his earthly mission- giving himself as a perfect sacrifice for the salvation of us all. He suffered and died so that we may have eternal life. With every ending, there is also a new beginning. Jesus' death marks the beginning of a new world- one where death is not the end. Lord, you finished your earthly mission. You suffered and died at the hands of mortal men so that they too might someday be in Heaven with the father. Help us to realize your sacrifice so that we might spread the truth of what you endured for us to others. Prayer recommendation: Read this meditation on Jesus' words: https://catholicsstrivingforholiness.com/2017/04/13/good-friday-meditation-it-is-finished-jn-1930-summary-vid-full-text/ Just a reminder that today is a day of fasting and abstinence in the Church. Many Good Friday Services can be found online. Let me know in the comments section what your family is doing today to commemorate the Lord's passion.