Are you trying to get more out of Mass than you have in the past? Try keeping a journal. You can list the readings from the Bible and look them up later. You can jot down questions for your pastor or deacon and email them for the answers. You can also write down your thoughts about the entire experience by spending a little time at the end of Mass. So what is the point? All of this journaling will help you to deepen your faith. Taking the message of Sunday into the work week can help you become the person God created you to be. And it all starts with making a few notes at Mass and using those notes to live a more Christ-like life. Try it out.
Finding St Anthony Among the Lost Items
Saint Anthony of Padua, though often associated with finding lost articles, was primarily known in his lifetime as a powerful and eloquent preacher. Originally a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, he was inspired to join the newly formed Franciscan order after witnessing the martyrdom of the first Franciscan missionaries in Morocco. His conversion to the mendicant life under St. Francis of Assisi transformed him, deepening his commitment to poverty, humility, and evangelical preaching. Gifted with profound theological knowledge and a captivating speaking style, he traveled across Italy and France, drawing immense crowds with his clear and passionate sermons, converting many and combating heresy with his unwavering faith and intellectual rigor. Beyond his public ministry, St. Anthony was a mystic who enjoyed profound spiritual experiences, most notably a vision of the Infant Jesus. This intimate connection with the Christ Child is a hallmark of his iconography, often depicting him c...
