Saint Francis and the Wolf

Saint Francis and the Wolf by Jane Langton • Saint Francis from Catholic Folk Toys • Ostheimer Wolf 

"We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way."

- St. Francis of Assisi

Since one of the famous stories of St. Francis tells how he tamed the wolf that was terrorizing the people of Gubbio, Wolf Paw Cookies make a fun treat for this feast day. Here are this year's cookies, made by our girls while I was running errands in town! The directions can be found over at Catholic Cuisine.

The book we read this year, pictured above, is Saint Francis and the Wolf by Jane Langton. You can find lots of other options in our October Book Basket.

Scroll through the archives for more ideas for celebrating the feast of St. Francis of Assisi.

While I was taking pictures, our six year old insisted on sharing his favorite Saint Francis of Assisi Pillowcase from Prayer Pillowcases with you all too! 

St. Francis of Assisi, ora pro nobis! 

Roses from St. Therese {and we bought a house!}

"O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose from the heavenly garden and send it to me as a message of love..." 

I finished praying my nine day Novena to St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus on September 30th, the anniversary of the death of St. Therese and the eve of her feast day on the new calendar. I was praying for reassurance that we were making the right decisions (buying the house we are buying without our current home selling yet) and that this home will sell soon. 🙏🏻

We were originally supposed to close escrow on October 8th, but the lender needed to close earlier, due to some terms on our loan, and the title company ended up sending the mobile notary out for us to sign closing documents on October 1st! I couldn’t help grinning (and sneaking a picture) when she arrived with roses on her shirt!!! 🌹

We wired the down payment and closing costs yesterday and got the notice from the lender this afternoon that our loan has funded! Looks like we bought each other a new house for our 19th anniversary this year!! 🥂

#feastofsttherese #rosesfromsttherese #showerofroses #feastoftheholyguardianangels #icantbelieveweareactuallymoving #deogratias #theworldsthyshipandnotthyhome

“If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient, but I only look at the present, I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future.” 

- St. Thérèse de Lisieux

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus: Day 9

Brown Scapular bearing the images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Little Flower hand-embroiderd by StellaMarigold Art over at Etsy • Blessed Be God Prayer Book

"Love can accomplish all things. Things that are most impossible become easy where love is at work." - St. Therese

The following novena is from the Blessed Be God prayer book.

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus First Day, Second Day, Third Day, Fourth Day, Fifth Day, Sixth Day, Seventh Day, Eighth Day, Ninth Day... 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus 
The Little Flower of Jesus

Prayer for Each Day

O GLORIOUS TERESA of the Infant Jesus, through whose unshaken confidence God was so glorified, obtain for me the same filial trust and love which animated thy innocent heart and soul. Grant that I may practice self-abnegation, patience and confidence, and that my confidence may be a fountain of blessings which God pours out upon me. As confidence was for thee the key to the greatest treasures of God, so it may induce me to throw myself into my Saviour's arms and say with David: "In Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be confounded." Amen. 

Ninth Day

PRAYER

O MY dear Lord, grant me as much filial veneration and love for Thy faithful foster-father and Thy most holy and immaculate Mother, as Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus cherished in her simple and child-like heart. And thou, O my little Saint, address thyself to my great protector and father St. Joseph, and my most holy Mother Mary, and entreat them to obtain for me the grace of dying in the arms of Jesus and uttering thy own words: "O, I love Him . . . My God . . . I . . . love Thee." Amen. 
Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria...

Act of Oblation of Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus

MY LORD and my God! O Most Blessed Trinity! I desire to love Thee and to make Thee loved by mankind. Since Thou hast loved me so much as to give me the only begotten Son for my Saviour and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. These merits I offer to Thee with joy, beseeching Thee to behold me only as in the Face of Jesus, and in His Sacred Heart burning with love. Moreover, I offer Thee all the merits of the saints - in heaven and on earth - together with their acts of love, and those of the holy Angels. Lastly, I offer Thee, O Blessed Trinity, the love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dearest Mother. To her I entrust this oblation, begging her to present it to Thee. Amen. 

Holy Child Jesus, have mercy on us. 
Our Lady of Victories, pray for us. 
Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, pray for us. 
Little Flower of Jesus, pray for us. 

Amen. 

St. Jerome and the Lion

At the end of each September, I love turning our leftover Michaelmas Cupcakes into the face of a lion for the kids to enjoy while we read the legend of St. Jerome and the Lion. You can find many options for today's feast listed in our September Book Basket. This year we are reading Saint Jerome and the Lion from our out-of-print copy (The Neumann Press, 2000 Edition) of Legends of Saints and Beasts by Ann Marie Jauss originally published in 1954.  

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"So valuable to heaven is the dignity of the human soul that every member of the human race has a guardian angel from the moment the person begins to be." - St. Jerome

The feast of the Holy Guardian Angels is coming up in a couple days! 

Ideas for celebrating can be found in the archives. 

St. Jerome, ora pro nobis!

Celebrating Michaelmas

The feast of Sts. Michael, Gabriel & Raphael, Archangels, traditionally known as Michaelmas, is celebrated each year on September 29th!

Short stories about “Saint Michael, the Archangel” and “Saint Gabriel, the Archangel” can be found in Saints for Boys (pictured above), a darling book for children by Alma Savage. Our whole family enjoys listening to The Day the Angels Fell, a dramatized audio production with exciting sound effects, which can be purchased and downloaded from Regina Martyrum Productions!

In addition to serving something made with blackberries, one of our favorite traditions each year (at least since 2008) is baking Devil's Food Cupcakes to celebrate a certain nameday in our home! This year our older girls baked and decorated the cupcakes. We always serve them with little swords to stab the cupcake and help St. Michael defeat the "devil”!

We love turning our leftover Michaelmas cupcakes into a lion for tomorrow's feast of St. Jerome!

St. Gabriel the Archangel • St. Michael the Archangel • St. Raphael the Archangel

"Make yourself familiar with the Angels, and behold them frequently in spirit. Without being seen, they are present with you." 

- St. Francis de Sales

Our tiny baby girl, who still fits her size 6 mth pajamas from last Christmas, loves playing with Shining Light Dolls! 

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do Thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host – by the Divine Power of God – cast into hell, satan and all the evil spirits, who roam throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Happy Michaelmas!

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus: Day 8

St. Therese Beaded Bracelet from Art Angel Gallery • Blessed Be God Prayer Book plus custom Missal Cover

"Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love." - St. Therese

The following novena is from the Blessed Be God prayer book.

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus First Day, Second Day, Third Day, Fourth Day, Fifth Day, Sixth Day, Seventh Day, Eighth Day, Ninth Day... 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus 
The Little Flower of Jesus

Prayer for Each Day

O GLORIOUS TERESA of the Infant Jesus, through whose unshaken confidence God was so glorified, obtain for me the same filial trust and love which animated thy innocent heart and soul. Grant that I may practice self-abnegation, patience and confidence, and that my confidence may be a fountain of blessings which God pours out upon me. As confidence was for thee the key to the greatest treasures of God, so it may induce me to throw myself into my Saviour's arms and say with David: "In Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be confounded." Amen. 

Eighth Day

PRAYER

O MY God and my love, give me on this earth the same mission Thou gavest to Thy Little Flower in heaven, of passing life in doing good to my neighbor. O Jesus, help me to console little souls and encourage them to love Thee; let them love Thee as much as Thy Immaculate Mother, Thy foster-father St. Joseph, Thy holy angels and Thy cherished Little Teresa loved Thee.  Allow me to pray with her: "Let Thy divine glance rest upon a vast number of little souls, worthy victims of Thy love." Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria...

Act of Oblation of Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus

MY LORD and my God! O Most Blessed Trinity! I desire to love Thee and to make Thee loved by mankind. Since Thou hast loved me so much as to give me the only begotten Son for my Saviour and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. These merits I offer to Thee with joy, beseeching Thee to behold me only as in the Face of Jesus, and in His Sacred Heart burning with love. Moreover, I offer Thee all the merits of the saints - in heaven and on earth - together with their acts of love, and those of the holy Angels. Lastly, I offer Thee, O Blessed Trinity, the love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dearest Mother. To her I entrust this oblation, begging her to present it to Thee. Amen. 

Holy Child Jesus, have mercy on us. 
Our Lady of Victories, pray for us. 
Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, pray for us. 
Little Flower of Jesus, pray for us. 

Amen. 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus: Day 7

"I applied myself above all to practice quite hidden little acts of virtue; thus I liked to fold the mantles forgotten by the Sisters, and sought a thousand opportunities of rendering them service." - St. Therese, Story of A Soul, Chapter VII

The following novena is from the Blessed Be God prayer book.

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus First Day, Second Day, Third Day, Fourth Day, Fifth Day, Sixth Day, Seventh Day, Eighth Day, Ninth Day... 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus 
The Little Flower of Jesus

Prayer for Each Day

O GLORIOUS TERESA of the Infant Jesus, through whose unshaken confidence God was so glorified, obtain for me the same filial trust and love which animated thy innocent heart and soul. Grant that I may practice self-abnegation, patience and confidence, and that my confidence may be a fountain of blessings which God pours out upon me. As confidence was for thee the key to the greatest treasures of God, so it may induce me to throw myself into my Saviour's arms and say with David: "In Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be confounded." Amen. 

Seventh Day

PRAYER

O MY dear Jesus, give me grace to practice little virtues. It is difficult, but I trust in Thy goodness and love for little souls. I am too weak to climb the steep ladder of perfection, but I know that as much as I hope I shall obtain from Thee. I join then Thy Little Flower and implore Thee with her to make me one of the many little, humble victims, worthy of Thy love. Amen.  Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria...

Act of Oblation of Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus

MY LORD and my God! O Most Blessed Trinity! I desire to love Thee and to make Thee loved by mankind. Since Thou hast loved me so much as to give me the only begotten Son for my Saviour and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. These merits I offer to Thee with joy, beseeching Thee to behold me only as in the Face of Jesus, and in His Sacred Heart burning with love. Moreover, I offer Thee all the merits of the saints - in heaven and on earth - together with their acts of love, and those of the holy Angels. Lastly, I offer Thee, O Blessed Trinity, the love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dearest Mother. To her I entrust this oblation, begging her to present it to Thee. Amen. 

Holy Child Jesus, have mercy on us. 
Our Lady of Victories, pray for us. 
Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, pray for us. 
Little Flower of Jesus, pray for us. 

Amen. 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus: Day 6

"When Charity is deeply rooted in the soul it shows itself exteriorly: there is so gracious a way of refusing what we cannot give, that the refusal pleases as much as the gift." 

- St. Therese, Story of A Soul, Chapter IX

The following novena is from the Blessed Be God prayer book.

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus First Day, Second Day, Third Day, Fourth Day, Fifth Day, Sixth Day, Seventh Day, Eighth Day, Ninth Day... 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus 
The Little Flower of Jesus

Prayer for Each Day

O GLORIOUS TERESA of the Infant Jesus, through whose unshaken confidence God was so glorified, obtain for me the same filial trust and love which animated thy innocent heart and soul. Grant that I may practice self-abnegation, patience and confidence, and that my confidence may be a fountain of blessings which God pours out upon me. As confidence was for thee the key to the greatest treasures of God, so it may induce me to throw myself into my Saviour's arms and say with David: "In Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be confounded." Amen. 

Sixth Day

PRAYER

O MY sweet Jesus, give me the charity and simplicity of Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, whose mission in heaven is to make others love the good God as she loved Him, to teach souls her little way. Give me such longings that I may not rest until my heart loves God with all my strength, until I arrive at the spiritual childhood of the Little Flower of Jesus. Amen.   Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria...

Act of Oblation of Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus

MY LORD and my God! O Most Blessed Trinity! I desire to love Thee and to make Thee loved by mankind. Since Thou hast loved me so much as to give me the only begotten Son for my Saviour and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. These merits I offer to Thee with joy, beseeching Thee to behold me only as in the Face of Jesus, and in His Sacred Heart burning with love. Moreover, I offer Thee all the merits of the saints - in heaven and on earth - together with their acts of love, and those of the holy Angels. Lastly, I offer Thee, O Blessed Trinity, the love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dearest Mother. To her I entrust this oblation, begging her to present it to Thee. Amen. 

Holy Child Jesus, have mercy on us. 
Our Lady of Victories, pray for us. 
Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, pray for us. 
Little Flower of Jesus, pray for us. 

Amen. 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus: Day 5

"The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity..." - St. Therese, VI letter to her sister Celine

The following novena is from the Blessed Be God prayer book.

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus First Day, Second Day, Third Day, Fourth Day, Fifth Day, Sixth Day, Seventh Day, Eighth Day, Ninth Day... 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus 
The Little Flower of Jesus

Prayer for Each Day

O GLORIOUS TERESA of the Infant Jesus, through whose unshaken confidence God was so glorified, obtain for me the same filial trust and love which animated thy innocent heart and soul. Grant that I may practice self-abnegation, patience and confidence, and that my confidence may be a fountain of blessings which God pours out upon me. As confidence was for thee the key to the greatest treasures of God, so it may induce me to throw myself into my Saviour's arms and say with David: "In Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be confounded." Amen. 

Fifth Day

PRAYER

O MY Lord, Innocence itself, Thou hast endured all manner of opprobrious treatment for love of me. Give me the grace of humility, self-abnegation, and patience that I may imitate Thy spouse, Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, and say with all my heart, O my despised Jesus, grant me the merits of Thy humility and patience to bear in tranquil spirit all the sufferings of this life, and then enjoy Thy company with Thy spouse, the Little Flower. Amen.   Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria...

Act of Oblation of Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus

MY LORD and my God! O Most Blessed Trinity! I desire to love Thee and to make Thee loved by mankind. Since Thou hast loved me so much as to give me the only begotten Son for my Saviour and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. These merits I offer to Thee with joy, beseeching Thee to behold me only as in the Face of Jesus, and in His Sacred Heart burning with love. Moreover, I offer Thee all the merits of the saints - in heaven and on earth - together with their acts of love, and those of the holy Angels. Lastly, I offer Thee, O Blessed Trinity, the love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dearest Mother. To her I entrust this oblation, begging her to present it to Thee. Amen. 

Holy Child Jesus, have mercy on us. 
Our Lady of Victories, pray for us. 
Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, pray for us. 
Little Flower of Jesus, pray for us. 

Amen. 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus: Day 4

"To offer oneself as a victim to Divine Love is not to offer oneself to sweetness - to consolation; but to every anguish, every bitterness, for Love lives only by sacrifice; and the more a soul wills to be surrendered to Love, the more must she be surrendered to suffering." - St. Therese, Story of A Soul, Chapter XII

The following novena is from the Blessed Be God prayer book.

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus First Day, Second Day, Third Day, Fourth Day, Fifth Day, Sixth Day, Seventh Day, Eighth Day, Ninth Day... 

Novena to Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus 
The Little Flower of Jesus

Prayer for Each Day

O GLORIOUS TERESA of the Infant Jesus, through whose unshaken confidence God was so glorified, obtain for me the same filial trust and love which animated thy innocent heart and soul. Grant that I may practice self-abnegation, patience and confidence, and that my confidence may be a fountain of blessings which God pours out upon me. As confidence was for thee the key to the greatest treasures of God, so it may induce me to throw myself into my Saviour's arms and say with David: "In Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be confounded." Amen. 

Fourth Day

PRAYER

O MY God and my Lord, Thou givest me what is best for me, and as Thy Little Flower consecrated herself to Thee as a sacrificial victim to endure for love of Thee all sufferings and pains, so also may I accept whatever hardships and contradictions Thou hast destined for my sanctification with perfect submission and even with cheerful mind, that I may be able to say as Thy cherished spouse, "O Jesus, I am a victim of Thy love." Amen.   Our Father, Hail Mary, and Gloria...

Act of Oblation of Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus

MY LORD and my God! O Most Blessed Trinity! I desire to love Thee and to make Thee loved by mankind. Since Thou hast loved me so much as to give me the only begotten Son for my Saviour and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine. These merits I offer to Thee with joy, beseeching Thee to behold me only as in the Face of Jesus, and in His Sacred Heart burning with love. Moreover, I offer Thee all the merits of the saints - in heaven and on earth - together with their acts of love, and those of the holy Angels. Lastly, I offer Thee, O Blessed Trinity, the love and merits of the Blessed Virgin, my dearest Mother. To her I entrust this oblation, begging her to present it to Thee. Amen. 

Holy Child Jesus, have mercy on us. 
Our Lady of Victories, pray for us. 
Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, pray for us. 
Little Flower of Jesus, pray for us. 

Amen.