My favorite St. Edith Stein quote:

“The followers of the Anti-Christ make every effort to tear the cross out of the hands of Christians... Therefore, the Savior today looks at us, solemnly probing us: ‘Will you remain faithful to the crucified?’ If you decide for Christ, it could cost you your life... If you intend to be the Bride of Christ, the Crucified, you too must completely renounce your will and no longer have any desire except to fulfill God’s will.

The Savior hangs before you with a pierced Heart. He has spilled His Heart’s blood to win your heart. If you want to follow Him in holy purity, your heart must be free of every earthly desire. Jesus, the Crucified, is to be the only object of your longings, your wishes, your thoughts... The world is in flames. Are you impelled to put them out? Look at the Cross. From the open Heart gushes the Blood of the Savior. This extinguishes the flames of hell. Make your heart free... and then the flood of Divine Love will be poured into your heart until it overflows and becomes fruitful to all the ends of the earth...”

The Cross is my anchor...

One day many years ago I was at a prayer meeting with Fr. Flanagan (the founder of SOLT) and he asked us to reflect on how we carry our crosses. When it came my turn to share I said, ‘I don’t feel like I carry my cross- I think that the cross carries me!’ More recently I had a similar thought- I noticed how when life is hardest and I feel thrown around the waves of life, clinging to Jesus’ Cross tends to be my reaction and His Cross becomes like my life jacket and my anchor in the storm. It is by placing the Calverized parts of my life with His suffering that I find the fruits of the Holy Spirit in my suffering. A saint once said (I think it was St. Francis) that the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is union with Jesus crucified. The Cross of Jesus is truly the fountain of all our heart’s desire and need for happiness.

A novena of family healing Masses starting Sept. 8th... Please pray along

PRAYER FOR HEALING THE FAMILY TREE
Rev. John H. Hampsch, CMF
Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help.
I have physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, and interpersonal needs. Many of my problems have been caused
by my own failures, neglect and sinfulness,
for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord. But I also ask you to forgive the sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on me
in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns, and defects in body, mind and spirit. Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders. –pause-
With your help I sincerely forgive everyone, especially living or dead members of my family tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose sins have resulted
in our present sufferings and disorders.
In the name of your divine Son Jesus,
and in the power of the Holy Spirit, I ask you, Father,
to deliver me and my entire family tree
from the influence of the evil one. – pause –
Free all living and deceased members of my family tree, including those in adoptive relationships,
and those in extended family relationships,
from every contaminating form of bondage.
By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father,
and by the shed blood of your Precious Son Jesus,
I beg you to extend your blessing to me
and all my living and deceased relatives.
Heal every negative effect transmitted
through all past generations,
and prevent such negative effects
in future generations of my family tree. – pause –
I symbolically place the cross of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each generation.
I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus 

purify the bloodlines in my family lineage.u
Set your protective angels to encamp around us, and permit Archangel Raphael, the patron of healing, to administer your diving healing power to all of us, even in areas of genetic disability.
Give special power to our family members’ guardian angels
to heal protect, guide and encourage each of us in all our needs. Let your healing power be released at this very moment, and let it continue as long as our sovereignty permits.
In our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage
with a holy bonding in family love.
And let there be an ever deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to your Son Jesus.
Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its tender, warm, loving presence,
so that our family may recognize
and manifest that love in all our relationships.
All of our unknown needs we include with this petition that we pray in Jesus’ precious name.
Amen, Amen and Amen