Novena to Saint Martha

The prayer that follows must be recited for nine consecutive Tuesdays, lighting a candle on each Tuesday.

This miraculous Saint has been known to grant anything, no matter how difficult it is, before the ninth Tuesday.

NOVENA

Saint Martha,
I resort to thy aid and protection.
As proof of my affection and faith,
I offer thee this light,
which I shall burn every Tuesday.

Comfort me in all my difficulties
and through the great favors thou didst enjoy
when the Savior was lodged in thy house,
intercede for my family,
that we be provided for in our neccessities.
I ask of thee, Saint Martha,
to overcome all difficulties
as thou didst overcome the dragon
which thou hadst at thy feet.
In the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost.

Amen.

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory Be...

Saint Martha

Tomorrow, Friday, July 29^th, is the feast of St. Martha , exactly a week after her sister, St. Mary Magdalen.  St. Martha is the patron Saint of cooks and housewives, as well as single women, butlers, dieticians, servers, innkeepers, and travelers.   Not much is known about her, except what we are told in the Gospel and tradition, and as she is a special patroness for most of us, we’re going to focus on her today.

Everything could be a prayer.

The Painter's Honeymoon

Edmund Blair Leighton

(Obviously, this is exactly what it looks like on days when my husband works from home.)

Encouragement from Yesterday's Liturgy

There were so many comforting and encouraging Psalms in the liturgy of yesterday's Mass that I wanted to revisit them here today.

Intoit (Ps 54, 17, 23):
When I cried to the Lord He heard my voice.
Cast thy care upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee.

Gradual (Ps 16, 8):
Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of Thine eye: protect me under the shadow of Thy wings.

Offertory (Ps 24, 1) :
To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul: in Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be ashamed.

Happy Feast of Saint Mary Magdalen!

Someday I'll do a longer post about this valiant woman, but for today, here's a prayer:

May we be helped by the intercession of blessed Mary Magdalen, we beseech Thee, O Lord, who in answer to her prayers didst raise her brother Lazarus to life, after he had been dead four days: Who livest and reignest, world without end, Amen.
Collect of the Mass of St. Mary Magdalen

Valiant Vignette

Whenever I hear of one of those families with multiple religious vocations, I always feel that those parents must be doing something right.  (Not that a family without vocations means that the parents are doing something wrong!)  Mrs. Gertrude Scheerer was a mother who must have done something right.

Her husband had originally planned to become a Dominican Priest, but left after six months. (He then became a police officer in Philadelphia, and married Gertrude.) But like Mr. and Mrs. Martin, the parents of St. Therese, this disposition to be generous with God spread to his children.  The Scheerers had ten children, and they lived their Catholic Faith in their daily lives at home.  Mr. Scheerer passed away while his family was still young, leaving Mrs. Scheerer a widow with ten children. 

She must have done something right, because all ten! entered the religious life.  Five became Discalced Carmelite Friars, two were Dominican Friars, and the three girls became Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine de Ricci.  One of the Dominican brothers became a bishop in 1960.  All of his siblings attended his ordination to the episcopacy, and had a family picture taken with Pope John XXIII.

(Dominicans on the left, Carmelites on the right.  His Holiness in the middle, to break up any fights.)

Mrs. Scheerer was named "Catholic Mother of the Year" in 1945. (I didn't even know they had that award!  Cool, huh?)

So here's my salute to all the Valiant Mothers who are behind the priests and religious we so desperately need!

Priceless

I guess even amidst our modern conveniences, house work is still housework, and still needs love to make it meritorious.  

The Dedication

Edmund Blair Leighton

As the saying goes, behind every great man there is a great woman.

Happy Feast of Saint Camillus!

This one is especially for those of you in the nursing profession.

A bit off topic...

After writing yesterday's post, I wondered if it may have been a bit heavy on the criticism.  I recalled this quote from Disney Pixar's Ratatouille:

"In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face, is that in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so." - Anton Ego

So in the words of Chef Skinner, "Perhaps I was a bit... harsh."  Perhaps if the author of "One Night with the King" and the makers of its movie had portrayed Esther more accurately, she would not have resonated with modern audiences.  I like to think it would have been better, of course, but I'm sure they had their reasons.

Anyway.  That's what's going on over here today.  It's just Disney Pixar quotes. :)

Have a happy weekend!

Hmm... Are there any valiant Disney Pixar female characters?....

The Book of Esther and “One Night with the King”

                This post will be a two for one special.  Not only will we be looking at Queen Esther as a valiant woman, I’m also going to review the 2006 movie based on a novelized version of the story, titled “One Night with the King.”

Even the smallest...

I think Esther was one of those "small people" who ended up changing the course of the future.  More on her tomorrow!

The Rose's Day

By Edmund Blair Leighton

Esther's Prayer

Welcome Back!

This week we're focusing on Esther, one of the heroines of the Old Testament.  Here are a few excerpts from her prayer:

O my Lord, who alone art our king, help me a desolate woman, and who have no other helper but thee.
...
Remember, O Lord, and show thyself to us in the time of our tribulation: and give me boldness, O Lord, king of gods and of all power.
Give me a well ordered speech in my mouth, in the presence of the lion...
...
O God, who art mighty above all, hear the voice of them, that have no other hope: and deliver us from the hand of the wicked.  And deliver me from my fear.

Little Vacation

Dear Readers,

I'm taking a break this week, hopefully getting caught up on things, and I'll be back at it again next week.  Happy Fourth of July!

-Valiant Woman in Training

A Psalm for Friday

Blessed are all they that fear the Lord: that walk in his ways.

For thou shalt eat the labours of thy hands: blessed art thou, and it shall be well with thee. 

Thy wife as a fruitful vine, on the sides of thy house.

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the Lord.

May the Lord bless thee out of Sion: and mayest thou see the good things of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
And mayest thou see thy children' s children, peace upon Israel.

Psalm 127