Just a Catholic Mom

The Annunciation of the Lord: March 25th Behold, the handmaid of the Lord. Pure and lowly, humble and holy, delight in the Father's eyes. For the son she was chosen, the world waited frozen, as from her lips came her reply. "Yes," was her answer; no better word was spoken, for death would now be broken, by the Son she would bear and raise. Sing, let your heart ring, with praise for His mother, dear Mary, who's full of grace!  (Poem and oil pastel created by me) "Hail, full of Grace! The Lord is with you." These were the words that the angel Gabriel announced to the Blessed Virgin Mary, as he shared God's plan for her to become the mother of God's son, and waited for her reply. With Mary's beautiful "yes," the fate and history of mankind was changed! No longer would death prevail. Jesus, God's only begotten Son— the Lamb of God— was to become the paschal sacrifice, establishing the New Covenant between God and humanity. "Hail, M...

Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Feast Day March 19th ( This is the statue of Saint Joseph my family has in our home on our fireplace mantle) Today, we celebrate Saint Joseph. Most of my life, I honestly didn't think too much about Saint Joseph aside from him being the husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the earthly father to whom God entrusted the care of His only Begotten Son. Saint Joseph never says a word in the Bible, but I've since learned that what he says through his actions—allowing God to speak to him and trusting and following God's plans without hesitation— speak volumes of him as a person and his character, and allow us a glimpse into the virtues of the most holy Saint to ever live (The Blessed Virgin Mary is in a category all her own above the Saints!).    My personal devotion to Saint Joseph, and realization of his awesomeness, began in the fall of 2019. My husband and I were in the process of listing our home on the market an...

Saint Patrick: Feast Day March 17th It's safe to say that most people have heard of Saint Patrick, whether it’s because there is a huge festival in Ireland, the Windy City turning the Chicago River green, or being told to wear green so that you don't get pinched. Have you ever paused to wonder, however, who Saint Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, was as a person?  As a young boy, the future Saint Patrick lived in Britain, was taken prisoner by Irishmen, and was held as a slave in Ireland for years. Once he was able to finally escape back to Britain, Patrick felt called to the priesthood, and eventually became a bishop. As a bishop, Patrick ventured back to pagan Ireland bringing Christianity to its shores, establishing numerous churches, and using the shamrock to teach the Irish about the Holy Trinity ☘️ So, as you and your family celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day today, think about the faith, trust, bravery, and forgiveness Saint Patrick exhibited as he went back to the land w...