Here I am, punctual as usual! (Yes, that was a joke.) Actually, my life has had a number of ups and downs lately. Let me explain what you are looking at above....
This is my beloved Blessed Mother statue in my yard, which I have had for about 17 years. There is a whole story associated with this statue that is too much to go into right now-maybe some other time! Let's just say it has a mysterious history. You may be able to see faint tears coming down from the eyes, which developed after I purchased it. The flowers, my husband gave me yesterday to console me on the passing of my beautiful black & white Cardigan Welsh Corgi, named Obi. I had an extremely close bond with this dog and I have been beside myself for the past week after having to make that gut-wrenching decision that most pet owners eventually have to make. I never knew how hard it would be.
I decided to share my flowers with Our Lady and give them to her for her month of May. Nomen Christi Apostolate has been dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima and I am very excited about the 100th Anniversary coming up as well-May 13th! It is Mothers Day weekend and also a Saturday, which of course, is the day of the week associated with Our Lady. Coincidence? The rosary you see around her neck I purchased yesterday when walking around Huntington Station, NY, while my car was being serviced. I was walking through a Latino neighborhood and found that rosary for $3.00. I feel it was a little gift from Heaven as well, for my grief. I have not been blogging the past month because my dog was so sick, all I could think about was taking care of him. We tried to save him, but he was old and not responding to treatment. If his little doggie soul goes on, I have commended it to Saint Francis, to take care of until we can be reunited in Heaven. Call me crazy, but I believe love makes all things possible. Who are we to put limits on God?
I also have been busy with a brand new concept which I am writing a book about and am not yet ready to announce. So, you'll just have to keep coming back if you want to know what it is....unless I scrap the whole idea, which is always a possibility-but I don't think I will. I've learned that not every idea is a good one, but I think I've hit the jackpot on this one. It will take time to develop, so don't expect anything soon. Ok....hint....its a "Life Improvement" program to help people achieve balance in their lives. I am using myself as the initial guinea pig right now. If all goes well, I will then do workshop trials which you may be able to participate in. I'll keep you posted....
As usual, I have picked some of the feasts I find interesting in the month ahead....here goes...and have a blessed Month of May (please see prayer on Home page)! (If you want to do something on behalf of the loss of my dear dog, please pray for someone somewhere who is grieving with a loss and has no one to turn to. Thank you, my friends.)
5/1-St. Joseph the Worker/St. Peregrine, 1345-patron of cancer patients
5/2-St. Athanasius, 373-Doctor of the Church
5/3-Sts. Philip & James the Less, 61, 62/Finding of the Holy Cross
5/4-St. Monica, 387-mother of St. Augustine/Feast of the Holy Shroud
5/5-First Friday
5/6-First Saturday (great time to start this devotion which was instituted by Our Lady of Fatima!)
5/7-Good Shepherd Sunday
5/9-St. Gregory Nazianzen, 389-Doctor of the Church
5/10-St. John of Avila, 1569-Doctor of the Church
5/11-Sts. Philip & James the Less (trad)
5/13-100th Anniversary of the First Apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fatima, Portugal/St. Robert Bellarmine, 1621-Doctor of the Church/Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament
5/14-St. Matthias, 65 (Mothers Day-pro-life intentions)
5/15-St. Isidore the Farmer, 1130 (we like him!)/St. Dymphna, 7th C-Martyr for purity, patron of mental disorders
5/16-St. Simon Stock, 1265-Seer of the Brown Scapular (another devotion associated with Fatima)
5/22-Rogation Day (see previous post)
5/23-Rogation Day
5/24-Rogation Day/Our Lady Help of Christians
5/25-Ascension Thursday/St. Bede the Venerable, 735-Doctor of the Church
5/27-St. Augustine of Canterbury, 604/St. Bede the Venerable (trad)/Our Lady Queen of Apostles
5/28-Ascension of Our Lord/St. Augustine of Canterbury (trad)
5/30-St. Joan of Arc, 1431
5/31-Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary/Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary