12 Ways to Find Time to Be Catholic This Summer

12 Easy Ways to

Find Time To Be Catholic

20 Decade Dark Wood Beaded Holy Rosary 43" Long

Pray the Rosary - Even though the recitation of the Holy Rosary takes only seventeen minutes, many of us don't take time to pray it.

Long hikes through the mountains, a stroll along the seashore, or just quiet evenings on the front porch offer the perfect opportunity to begin to incorporate this devotion into your life.

Start with just a single decade and before you know it, the Holy Rosary will become part of your daily life.

Keep a rosary under your pillow. If you wake up at night you can pray yourself back to sleep.

12" Jesus Divine Mercy Statue Composite Hand Painted

Set the Alarm on Your Cell Phone for 3:00 pm.

Our Lord under the title of the Divine Mercy asked Saint Faustina to make the Stations of the Cross at that hour, or to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

If you can, keep a small Stations of the Cross Crucifix attached to your cell phone or in your wallet to contemplate His Sorrows, if only for a moment.

Pray Grace Before Meals - No matter where you are, at home, at a picnic or even at McDonald's, take a moment to give thanks for the food that has been set before you. Pray for those who do not enjoy the abundance you have.

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ, Our Lord, Amen.

Celebrate the Feast of the Assumption - August 15th

In many areas of the world it is an old Catholic custom for Bishops and Priests to bless the sea on this Feast of Our Lady, especially in fishing communities. Also known as the Wedding of the Sea, it is sometimes accompanied by the Priest tossing a wreath and wedding ring into the waters. Some of the faithful will keep petals to guard against storms during the year.

The passages from the 21st chapter of the Gospel of St. John in which Jesus went fishing with His Apostles are read, along with sections of Luke 5. The Magnificat is prayed and then the sea is sprinkled with Holy Water and the Sign of the Cross made over it. It is believed that to swim in the waters blessed on this day is curative and many bring some home to use as holy water. In many parishes it is the custom to bring flowers and fruits to Church.

See this page on this important Feast Day for prayers to be said.

Learn to Pray the Liturgy of the Hours - Referred to as the prayer of the Church, learning to pray the liturgy of the hours can be daunting when you start out.

Here is a thorough explanation for beginners.

Here is an excellent account of how one young woman, who became a nun, was taught the Liturgy of the Hours by a young seminarian on a camping trip and began a life long love for the "Song of the Church."

Better yet, learn to sing it in Latin. Liber Hymnarius consists of the hymns and invitatories of the Divine office, as used in monasteries. The great corpus of chant office hymns under one cover.

Use Aspirations Throughout

the Day and Night

The shortest little prayers, offered up to God can become habit forming and a help in times of trial or temptation and as reparation:

- Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love

you. Save souls.
- St. Joseph, head of the Holy

Family, pray for us.
- All you holy saints of God,

intercede for us.

- O Mary, Conceived without sin,

pray for us who have recourse to

thee!

- St. Michael, defend us in battle.

When you hear the Name of God taken in vain, pray

"Blessed Be God's Name Forever!"

Learn About the Feasts of Summer From the bonfires in honor of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist (traditional prayers over the bonfire here) through the Feast of San Gennaro in early September, our Catholic Church is full of rich traditions. Explore the many customs and incorporate a few into your Catholic life.

Wear a Brown Scapular - The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is on July 16th. The brown scapular is a sign given by Our Lady of her desire to love and protect us. Not a "lucky charm" - wearing the scapular is a sign of our devotion to her. Many types are available.

Start Using Holy Water and Blessed Salt in your home. These two very powerful sacramentals of the Church have the power to remit venial sin. Bless your homes, bless your children, and ask God's blessing and protection. Read more about holy water here.

Learn Latin - Or At Least A Little Bit Despite the claims of some modernists, Latin is not gone. It is, in fact, the official language of the Church. The Holy Father urges us all - even little children - to learn our basic prayers in Latin. And, with the anticipated Motu Propio expected soon, the Latin Mass will be more widely available for all Catholics everywhere.

Start with basic prayers.

If you're feeling more ambitious, there are a number of excellent resources for learning more. Why? Begin to reclaim our heritage as a universal Catholic Church by praying in Una Voce - one voice. And, children who learn Latin do better in just about every subject.

And why not attend a Latin Mass?

Pray the Angelus - The traditional greeting of the Angel to Our Lady. Prayed in honor of the Incarnation when bells are rung at 6:00 am, noon, and 6:00 pm. You may use this prayer as Grace Before Meals.

Consider Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary using the method of St. Louis Marie de Montfort. The long form takes 30 days and traditionally begins and ends on her Feast day. Start by reading True Devotion to Mary and do read it prayerfully to decide if this is right for you, as it is a serious commitment that approaches the seriousness of a vow.

If you decide to go forward with this "holy slavery", then use a consecration book. If you'd like one for free, let us know.

Read Good Catholic Books

As the saying goes, "Junk in, junk out."

Summer reading lists are a tradition in most homes, but they often exclude the great Catholic works of the Saints and the reading of Holy Scripture.

Why not begin a solid program of Catholic reading this summer - for you and the children? The Lives of the Saints are so much more exciting than Harry Potter.

We hope you will explore our vast inventory of Catholic books. Looking for something special? Just type it into the search box.

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