Bella

[MrCasey @MrCasey62]

“I prefer truth in solitude to error in company.”

~ St. Teresa of Ávila

[Catholic Manhood ❤️‍🔥 @bethecreed]

“Speak little of yourself, nothing of others, and much of God."

Saint John Bosco

[MrCasey @MrCasey62]

“A thousand years of worldly happiness are not worth one hour with God in Heaven.”

~ St. Thomas Aquinas

[Bella @Bellamae33]

@TheStaad Hope you get relief soon! Thankfully it's been a few years since my last episode, but I also dealt with vertigo for several years. One thing that helped with the nausea was an essential oil blend I got from my pharmacy called devertigo.

[Fr-Faulkner @fr_faulkner]

On Mother’s Day I know it’s traditional to post the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary punching the Devil, but this year I hope people don’t forget about the cool manuscript illumination where she has an angel babysit Jesus while she wrestles a demon and makes him cry “uncle”.

[Saint Quotes @GloryBeeGod4evr]

A single 'Blessed be God!' when things go wrong is of more value than a thousand acts of thanksgiving when things are to our liking.

- St. John of Avila

[Saint Adaugoijele ✝️ @JustAdaugoijele]

Saint Lidwina of Schiedam is the patron saint of the chronically ill and those suffering from bodily afflictions, having endured 38 years of immense pain following a skating accident. Her prayers focus on patience, finding meaning in suffering, and uniting personal pain with Christ's passion.

A Prayer to Saint Lydwine for chronic pain

O Glorious Saint Lydwine,
Christ chose you to suffer terrible chronic pain for poor sinners and to offer up all your sufferings to Him.
Intercede on our behalf and help us bear our small sufferings with fortitude, calling to mind your greater ones.
Grant us the grace to trust completely in Jesus, even during times of deep sorrow and pain.
Help us to always place our petitions in the hands of Our Lady, and to unite our sufferings with those of Jesus and Mary for the salvation of souls. Saint Lydwine, patron of those who suffer from chronic pain and illness,
pray for us that we may be relieved according to God’s holy will,
and that we may offer our pain in love and patience for the glory of God.
Amen

If you're dealing with chronic pain, know that you're not alone, offer it (even imperfectly) with hers and Christ's.

May Saint Lydwine intercede for your relief, peace, and healing according to God’s will.

[☩ 𝕁𝕄𝕋 ☩ @SecretFire79]

St. Catherine of Genoa (1447–1510), often called the “Apostle of Purgatory,” received deep mystical insights into this state of purification...

In her famous Treatise on Purgatory, she described purgatory not primarily as a place of punishment, but as an interior fire of God’s love.

⚡She explained that the souls in purgatory suffer intensely, in some ways similar to the pain of hell, because they are delayed from seeing God face to face. The greatest torment is the burning longing for God, whom they now love perfectly but cannot yet fully possess.

⚡Yet, despite the suffering, these souls are filled with profound joy and contentment.

⚡Why? Because they know with certainty that they are saved, that they belong to God, and that every moment of purification is drawing them closer and closer to Him. There is no sadness, no despair, only a joyful, willing purification by the fire of divine love.

St. Catherine teaches us that purgatory is not a second chance, but the final cleansing so that souls can enter Heaven completely pure and ready to enjoy the Beatific Vision.

Let us remember to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, they can no longer help themselves, but our prayers, Masses, and sacrifices can greatly shorten their suffering and speed them toward Heaven.

“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”

[Trad West @trad_west_]

Today is Holy Saturday, the day Jesus Christ descended into Hell.

Modern Christians treat Holy Saturday like a quiet day off before Easter. They think Jesus was just sleeping in the dark.

But in Catholic tradition we call today the Harrowing of Hell.

While His physical body lay cold on the stone slab, Christ’s Spirit descended directly into the underworld.

He went as a Conqueror. He shattered the bronze gates of Limbo, bound the enemy, and personally rescued the souls of the righteous Patriarchs: Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, and all the righteous dead who had been waiting for millennia.

Today is a day of great Victory. Now we wait for the return of the King.

[Paul Fleuret @RealAbs1776]

Understand this: The movies and shows about the crucifixion have been tame when compared to what He actually went through.

Even The Passion Of The Christ was forced to hold back a little in order to avoid an X rating.

Crucifixion was, and still is, arguably the most excruciating death someone can experience.

The night before in Gethsemane, He was sweating blood. This is known as hematidrosis. This would have caused His skin to become extremely sensitive, thus making the beatings to come even worse.

The fear He felt was the beginning of His feeling the weight of our iniquities being laid on Him.

Yet - in this moment, He didn’t demand that the Father take it from Him. He only asked for the cup to pass Him over if it was within the Father’s will.

Up next came the Cat of Nine Tails, or a Roman Flagrum. This was a weapon with long leather “tails”, each embedded with sharp bones and metal.

He was flogged 39 times as Jewish law mandated “40 minus one”, because 40 was said to kill a man.

This flogging wasn’t like being punished by your father’s leather belt.

Every strike tore flesh, every strike exposed muscle. Every strike exposed nerve endings. Every strike tore flesh to the bone.

This would be like getting struck with razor blades over and over again, leading to hypovolemic shock from blood loss.

Oh, and the crown of thorns? These weren’t rose thorns. These were thorns which were 2-3 inches long. Beaten into his skull.

These thorns would have pierced his skull, tripping the trigeminal nerve, thus causing unimaginable pain and even more blood loss from the dozens of head wounds.

At this point, extreme nausea and dizziness would begin to set in.

What came next? Carrying the cross. Which weighed around 300lbs. This would be like carrying two full kegs on your back.

Splinters and wood grating against the open flesh on His back. And He had to carry it 650 yards, or close to a half mile.

Imagine carrying a log on your back after being skinned alive.

Up next? He was nailed to the cross with spikes 5-7in in length. Piercing His wrists - this no doubt pierced the median nerve, causing extreme burning sensations up and down His arms.

A spike was driven through his ankles - severing nerves and tendons. This would have felt like standing on broken glass every time He pushed Himself up in order to breathe.

He suffered for 6 hours.

His chest muscles collapsing, making every single breath a fight for life.

His shoulders were dislocated, His arms stretching unnaturally long.

His heart was struggling to pump blood.

He was extremely dehydrated, His lips cracking.

His heart more than likely literally ruptured from the stress.

And on top of all of that, He had to feel a separation with the Father for a period of time in order to REALLY bear the weight of our sin.

He took up this burden for ALL sin before Him, and ALL sin which came after Him.

HE DID IT ALL FOR US.

To free us. To defeat sin. To give us a pathway to the Kingdom.

Every sin we commit is exactly why He had to do it.

And the real kicker? He knew what was coming when He rode into Jerusalem … and He didn’t turn around. He kept going.

For us.

[Saint Adaugoijele ✝️ @JustAdaugoijele]

“Today’s society does not pray. That is why it is falling apart.”

- St. Padre Pio

[Catholic Life @prayandfast2]

"A Holy Hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament is worth more than a thousand years of human glory."

-St. Padre Pio

[MotherMary @Mothermary0012]

Saint Michael the Archangel defend us in battle..

[Bella @Bellamae33]

@Bug_Hall From rascal to radical 💪

[Stephen @PrayTheRosary]

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle

[Matthew Joseph @matthew_sede]

“Love Mary. She is loveable, faithful. She will never be outdone in love, but will ever remain supreme. If you are in danger, she will free you. If you are troubled, she will console you. If you are in need, she will help you.”

-St Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows

Happy Feast!

[Maria Lucia Tcherassi, OCDS @matcherassi]

“…in every event the best we can do is leave ourselves in the hands of God.”

( St. Teresa of Jesus. The Way of Perfection. Chap. 19)

[St. Padre Pio Quotes @PadrepioSaint]

† St. Padre Pio says:

“Remember this: The sinner who is sorry for his sins, is closer to God than the just man who boasts of his good works.”

[MrCasey @MrCasey62]

“Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself.”

~ St. Francis de Sales