Let's go Christmas Shopping!

Hello and blessed Advent dear friends!

I'm always attracted to the small Catholic businesses at this time of year whether I'm shopping for others or making a wishlist for myself.  Of course, I find tons of great products I would love for myself but alas my budget is tight so I'll put a couple things on my wishlist and dream about the rest.  But I thought it might be fun to share my most favorite gift ideas with you!!  The Catholic mom, Jessica, over at Shower of Roses puts together a drool-worthy Sleighful of Gift Ideas and Giveaway every year on her blog with tons of great gift ideas for the whole family!!  But since I'm a few years older than her oldest daughter, I've always found there could be more recommendations for "older" Catholic young women.  So think of this list as the ultimate gift guide for that 20-30-year-old Catholic young woman in your life!!  Or maybe you are that young woman and need inspiration for your wishlist and friends' gifts!  Well, look no further and enjoy this festive and faithful gift list!

(This post may contain affiliate links.  Thank you for your support of Catholic small businesses!)

1. Traditional Catholic Planners

First up on my list are calendar planners! I've been a fan of the Happy Planner designs and layouts for years after being gifted one in 2018. But just like many other secular artistic businesses, The Happy Planner includes gay pride and other woke concepts in their products so I'm looking to make the switch to a traditional Catholic calendar planner. I've been pretty spoiled by the layout and customizability of the Happy Planners so I have high expectations when searching for alternatives. Here are four of the absolute favorites that I found!

(Pictured above clockwise starting top left:)

1. Women's Traditional Catholic Planner 2022-2023 from Raising Hearts shop on Etsy

        This one is my top favorite so far with plenty of room, a simple yet elegant design, and extra goodies such as a dinner planner and Sacraments tracker!

2. 2023 Half Size Catholic Planner: Simply Catholic Edition from Elizabeth Clare Shop on Etsy

        This purse-sized planner includes both Traditional and NO calendar feasts so you'll never miss anything yet there's still plenty of room for your own plans and personalized touch.

3. Fiat: Traditional Catholic Planner from Sophia Institute Press

        A gorgeous option with the stunning artwork you may have seen in the Illustrated Liturgical Year Calendars also from Sophia.  This full-color planner is also a great portable size with room for all your plans alongside lots of Catholic richness.

4. 2023 Liturgical Daily Planner from Angelus Press 

        A classic Catholic planner with all the liturgical info you need including traditional feasts, vestment colors, and days of fasting and abstinence.  There's also room for notes and sketches!

Ps. If you've already got a classic calendar or planner for this year, I highly recommend these Feast Day Stickers from Mourning Dove Co. on Etsy.  My parents gifted them to me last year and I absolutely loved them.  The minis fit in my Happy Planner perfectly allowing ample space for other plans in the date boxes.

2. Missals

Every Traditional Catholic needs a hand missal!!  Here are some of the best and most affordable missals I've found and like!

(Pictured above in order of ascending price clockwise:)

1. St. Andrew Daily Missal from Daughters of Mary Press    

        This is the pre-1955 missal that is chock full of prayers, images, and propers for Mass!  The most economical option out there for just $40!

2. 1962 Roman Catholic Daily Missal from Angelus Press

        This missal is simple and easy to follow with all the basics (and more) you'll need!  Check out the link for a full description of all this missal has to offer!

3. Father Lasance - The New Roman Missal from Daughters of Mary Press

        I believe this one is a fan favorite!  You can't go wrong with Father Lasance, the beloved author of "The Catholic Girls Guide."  

4. St. Joseph Daily Missal from Fraternity Publications 

        Although this missal does not include all that the others above have to offer, this is the one I've had for years and it's still my favorite.  Easy to read text, plenty of illustrations to keep you on track with your progress in the order of the Mass, and all the basic prayers and propers in English you need!

3. Catholic Spirituality Books

1. Divine Intimacy by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. from Fraternity Publications

        Full of beautiful daily meditations on Catholic life and the Saints!  This is at the top of my wishlist this year!

2. The Catholic Girl's Guide by Fr. Lasance from Angelus Press

        This book is small yet mighty with a plethora of wisdom and prayers for young girls from the tween years even up through their adulthood.  I have a hand-me-down copy that I use all the time and take almost everywhere with me because it fits in my purse.  Good for both meditative reading and prayer.  It is a wealth of spiritual nourishment that you can use for years to come!

3. The Little Flower Prayer Book: A Carmelite Manual of Prayers from TAN Books

        A newer addition to my spiritual armory, this prayer book is a must for all lovers of the Little Flower, the little way, and all things Carmelite in general!  There are excerpts of St. Thérèse's writings along with prayers to her, composed by her, and for all the special Carmelite devotions.  It is my new favorite prayer book!

4.  The Golden Arrow: The Revelations of Sr. Mary of St. Peter from TAN Books

        A wonderful and easy read about the origin of the devotion to the Holy Face and the Golden Arrow prayer that Our Lord Himself revealed to a Carmelite nun.  A beautiful and inspiring read.

4. Catholic Apparel

(Pictured clockwise starting at top left:)

1. Venite Adoremus Dominum Nativity Sweatshirt

2. Our Lady of Guadalupe t-shirt

3. Our Lady of Mt. Carmel t-shirt

4. Lattes, Leaves, & Latin Mass Please t-shirt

        I know this one is more of a fall-themed shirt but I just love the concept so much!

5. Christmas Decor

(Pictured from top left clockwise:)

1. Nativity Wood Carved Religious Icon from Kozakworkshop on Etsy

        All of their products are gorgeous!  Check them out!

2. Madonna and Child Christmas ornament from Caritas Dei on Etsy

        Also tons of other great gifts from this shop on Etsy!

3. Immaculate Heart of Mary ornament from In Aeternum Boutique on Etsy

        Such a gorgeous ornament and there are also Holy Family and Sacred Heart ornaments as well!

4. Christmas Tree Creche Candle from The Cloister Shoppe

        We get our Advent candles from these Dominican nuns!

There are so many other gift ideas such as rosaries, jewelry, art, statues, craft supplies, and music; the list is endless!  All you have to do is search "Catholic Christmas" on Etsy to find lots of great and festive ideas!  Also, I have lots of ideas saved to this board on my Pinterest!  I hope you found this list helpful for starting your own wishlist or shopping for that special Catholic young woman in your life!

Wishing you a blessed Advent and happy Christmas shopping!

In cordibus Jesu et Mariae,

Sarah

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 9

Ninth Day: Praise to God

Opening prayer:

Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.

Thoughts of Mariam:

My God, I adore you.  You alone are great.  I adore Your greatness and Your power.  You’re admirable.  Who is like you?  There is no other God like You neither in Heaven nor on earth. 
How happy I am that God created me to call Him my God!  Let all echo with the praises to my God! (“Thoughts”, p. 24-25)

We pray with Mariam:

Whether I’m in joy or in sorrow, Lord, may your Holy name be blessed!  Whether I’m in pain or in peace, Lord, may Your Holy Name be blessed!  Whether I’m suffering or in pleasure, may Your name be blessed, O Lord. (“Thoughts”, p. 41)

 
Saint Mariam, please pray for me and for all my intentions. (Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory

Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns.  I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father.  So with Jesus in the garden of Getsemani I say:
“Thy will be done, not mine”
Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

 
Amen. 

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 8

Eighth Day: Sincerity

Opening prayer:
Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.

Thoughts of Mariam:

“Uprightness is your salvation.  Even if a man has all kinds of good qualities, if he doesn’t possess an upright heart and a humbled spirit I shall not be there in his house” says the Lord.
Don’t live with falsehood.  The life of falsehood is short, very soon it shall end. (“Thoughts”, p. 79-80)

We pray with Mariam:

O Divine Savior, do not allow me to seek compliments, because if I seek praise I shall find humiliation hidden underneath, whereas if I look for humiliation I shall find the compliments of Jesus underneath.
Do not allow me to seek anything other than Your Holy will. (“Thoughts”, p. 80)
Saint Mariam, please pray for me and for all my intentions. (Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory

Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns.  I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father.   with Jesus in the garden of Getsemani I say:
“Thy will be done, not mine”
Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 7

Seventh Day: Charity
Opening prayer:
Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.


Thoughts of Mariam:

It’s to the extent that you love your neighbor that I know how much You love me. If you do not love your neighbor, by that I know that you do not love Me.
Every time you consider your neighbor as a creature without Jesus, you fall very low. (“Thoughts”, p. 64)


We pray with Mariam:

O my God, I continue to live with my brothers and sisters in charity, as if I had only today to live with them.
Where charity prevails, there God is found. Let them be united, may there be charity. May all their hearts be united to You. (“Thoughts”, p. 68, 66)

Saint Mariam, please pray for me and for all my intentions. (Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory


Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns. I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father. So with Jesus in the garden of Getsemani I say:
“Thy will be done, not mine”
Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.


Amen.

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 6

Sixth Day: Hope

Opening prayer:
Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.


Thoughts of Mariam:

Here’s what you made Jesus to say: “Do you believe that if a hen saw its enemy coming, she would not hide her chicks under her wings to defend them?
And do you think Jesus will do less than the hen?  Do you think He can’t hide the little ones under His mantle and protect them from the great?
Then why are you afraid? (“Thoughts”, p. 48)


We pray with Mariam:

My God, no one has ever sinned as I have.  Therefore I rejoice and have much hope because I shall proclaim your great Mercy.
I seldom feel any sense of trust, I have no feeling of Hope.  But I hope against hope.
I always want to hope and abandon myself to God! (“Thoughts”, p. 50)

Saint Mariam please pray for me and for all my intentions. (Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory


Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns.  I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father.  So with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani I say:
“Thy will be done, not mine”
Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 5

Fifth Day: Faith

Opening prayer:
Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.


Thoughts of Mariam:

Look at Jesus Who descends upon the altar during Mass; He comes down in response to the word of the Priest. Believe that He comes to nourish you and that with Him, you would never ever lack anything. He is there like a little child, He’s there for you- go to Him!
Faith, how beautiful, how powerful! A soul who has faith can do all, God shall give it everything. (“Thoughts”, p. 26)


We pray with Mariam:

Lord, so many desire You, but they’re blinded, they don’t really know You, nor search avidly for you. They don’t see You, nor find You, darkness blinds us. I, Lord, am also one of them… (“Thoughts”, p. 22)

Saint Mariam please pray for me and for all my intentions. (Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory


Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns. I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father. So with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani I say:
“Thy will be done, not mine”
Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 4

Fourth Day: Mary, Mother of God

Opening prayer:
Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.


Thoughts of Mariam:

Because of Her faith and humility Mary feels unworthy to become the Mother ofGod. It was Her faith that made Jesus grow in Her each day.
If we have such faith, Jesus will also grow in our hearts. (“Thoughts”, p. 40)

We pray with Mariam:

At the feet of Mary, my dearest Mother, I found life again.
Oh, all you who suffer come to Mary, at the feet of Mary I found life again. Your Salvation and your life are at the feet of Mary. At the feet of Mary I find life again. (“Thoughts”, p. 42-43)

Saint Mariam please pray for me and for all my intentions. (Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory


Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns. I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father. So with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani I say:
“Thy will be done, not mine”
Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 3

Third Day: The Holy – Spirit
Opening prayer:

Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.


Thoughts of Mariam:

I saw a dove before me and above it an overflowing chalice as if there was a spring within it, and the overflow watered the dove and washed it.

At the same time, I heard a voice coming out from this most admirable Light. It said: “If you want to look for Me, to know Me, and to follow Me, invoke the Light, the Holy Spirit”.
The Holy Spirit will come and heal the sick and awaken those who sleep… (“Thoughts”, p. 38)


We pray with Mariam:

Source of Peace and light, come and enlighten me.
I’m hungry, come and feed me!
I’m thirsty, come and quench my thirst!
I’m blind, come and enlighten me.
I’m poor, come and enrich me.
I’m ignorant, come and instruct me.
Holy Spirit I abandon myself to You… (“Thoughts”, p. 38)

Saint Miriam, please pray for me and for all my intentions.

(Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory


Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns. I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father. So with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani I say: “Thy will be done, not mine”

Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 2

Second Day: Jesus Christ

Opening prayer:
Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.


Thoughts of Mariam:

I saw our Lord Jesus poor, sad, suffering, and searching for lodging, and He said to me: “I’m searching for a lodging, a home, and nobody wants to receive me.  As soon as I present Myself, they send me away.  Even you sometimes drive Me out from your heart… Oh if only I could find someone who would but work solely for My Glory, I would do everything for him!” (“Thoughts”, p. 27)


We pray with Mariam:

Forgive me my God! You alone, You alone!… Jesus is not known.  Jesus is not loved!  The white Bread is being rejected in favor of the black bread*.  It's deplorable, it's saddening to be eating the black bread.

How can we cling to His works and not to Himself?  You alone, You alone, My God! (“Thoughts”, p. 32-33)

Saint Miriam, please pray for me and for all my intentions.

(Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory


Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns.  I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father.  So with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani I say: “Thy will be done, not mine”

Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Novena: Day 1

Hello my dears!  Today is a very special day!  Not only is it the start of the Divine Infant King Novena from the Institute of Christ the King, but it is also the start of the novena to my dear Confirmation Saint, St. Mariam!!  If you want, please join me in praying!  I'll post the specific prayers each day here.  At the end of this novena, I will have a post all about my beloved friend.  I can't believe I haven't shared her yet with you!  She is definitely very special, so stay tuned!

First Day: God the Father

Opening prayer:
Holy Spirit, inspire me;
Love of God, consume me;
On the true path, lead me;
Mary my mother, look upon me;
With Jesus, bless me;
From all evil, from all illusion,
from all danger, preserve me.


Thoughts of Mariam:

Seek God alone without dwelling upon anything created.
If you speak, do so as if you were not speaking. - If you listen, do so as if you were not listening.
God alone is all.  The creature is but nothingness and sin.  All here below are vanities because all that passes is nothing.
At the moment of death, how sorry we shall be for not having taken advantage of the time allotted to us. (“Thoughts”, p. 20)


We pray with Mariam:

I know well, Lord, that You strike us against Your will but your justice is more powerful.
 Enough, Lord, have mercy on us.  Don’t treat us according to Your justice, but according to Your Mercy. (“Thoughts”, p. 21)

Saint Mariam, worries and concerns move my heart.  I bring them to you, so that you present them to our Lord Jesus Christ, and intercede for me.

(Mention your requests in silence)

Our Father – Hail Mary – Glory


Final Prayer:

God, our Father, through the intercession of Saint Mariam, and through my trust in Your Divine Son, I present to you all my concerns.  I do not know whether what I have asked is according to Your Holy Will, my Heavenly Father.  So with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemani I say: “Thy will be done, not mine.”  Be close to me through Your Beloved Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. 

Amen.

New St. Therese Phone Wallpapers!

 Praised be Jesus Christ!

In working out the new design for this blog, I've been experimenting with Canva, a social media content design app.  I discovered that I could make countless Catholic quotes into simple, beautiful, and inspiring phone wallpapers!  Here are a few that I made with quotes from my very dear patron Saint, St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.  Please feel free to share and enjoy!

God love you!

Long Live Christ the King: Blessed Euphrasio of the Child Jesus

Recognize this Carmelite Blessed?  I bet not.  I didn't recognize him either.  I actually couldn't find any info about him on the internet that was even in English! 

I only stumbled upon this intriguing Carmelite because I follow the Carmel of Lisieux on Facebook.  Yep, that's the Carmel that St. Therese and three of her sisters entered.  But their page only posts in French so I'm left to the mercy of Facebook Translate to read their posts.  It's ok but leaves a bit to be desired.  Still, the artwork caught my eye.  Here was a Carmelite friar seated next to the Infant of Prague and if you know me, you know He's my absolute favorite!!  Whenever I find someone or someplace devoted to my Little King, I must get to know them!  

So I scanned the short translated post and decided to look up more of his story.  Google was next to no help at all.  I only found this one little spot with the most basic information not including any explanation of his life story whatsoever.

Meet Blessed Euphrasio of the Child Jesus.

So far, all we know is that his feast day is October 12th.

He was a discalced Carmelite priest martyred in the Spanish Civil War.

Born February 8th, 1897, and died on October 12th, 1934 at the age of 37.

He was Venerated and Beatified by Pope Benedict XVI.

I must know more!!  

So I continued my google search but came up empty-handed.  I returned to the link with very little information and decided to look a little closer.  At the bottom was a link to some website in Italian.  We're practically world travelers by this point, don't you think?! France, Spain, Italy?!

Thanks to Google Chrome's handy dandy translation plug-in, I could read the Italian webpage about our new heavenly friend.  Eufrasio Barredo Fernández was born in the parish of Cancienes, in the province of Asturias, Spain in 1897 and was baptized the following day.  He grew up under the tutelage of his grandfather, Vincenzo.  He entered the Teresian College of Villafranca in 1912 and traveled to study at different colleges of the Carmelites, making his simple profession on July 26, 1916, and solemn profession on March 18, 1922. Eufrasio was ordained a priest on September 23, 1922, in Santander.  He celebrated his first Mass on October 1st in Oviedo, Asturias, Spain. (Less than a year before St. Therese was Beatified, for context.)  

Photo by Francisco Santiago

After his ordination, Fr. Euphrasio was appointed professor of philosophy and theology in various colleges, while at the same time devoting himself to a fruitful priestly ministry.  In 1926, his superiors sent him to Krakow, Polland to strengthen and consolidate the Carmelite presence in the countries of Eastern Europe.  He cared very much for this work as shown by his dedication to learning the difficult Slavic language in order to be able to carry out his mission.  He stayed there until recalled to Burgos in the fall of 1928 where he worked as director of two magazine publications, "Il Monte Carmelo" and "Eco del Carmelo e Praga."  In 1929, he became a professor of Theology in Oviedo and directed the catechetical meetings held in the convent.  Fr. Euphrasio was elected prior of the community on May 8th, 1933 but the community was beginning to sense the coming revolution. On October 5, 1934, the Spanish leftist revolution erupted in Asturias and Father worked to ensure the safety of his brothers.  He worked to help them escape and was about to himself.  He made to flee over the high garden wall but fell dislocating his hip.  The injury worsened and Fr. Euphrasio requested to be taken to the hospital.  There, he was recognized as a religious, and even himself declared that he was prior of the Carmelites so he was taken from the hospital bed by the militia and carried off to the marketplace to be shot by the wall of the "Mercato Vecchio."  

Photo credit: CarlosGlezPaniagua on Twitter

He addressed the men about to kill him as, "My children," forgiving them and then crying three times 

"Viva Christo Rey!"  "Long live Christ the King!" 

Pope Benedict XVI recognized Euphrasio's martyrdom on December 16, 2006, and beatified him on October 28, 2007, with 497 other victims of the same persecution.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, I have made a list on Google Maps of the prominent places in Blessed Euphrasio's life so we can better visualize his story.  Here's the link! 

Map of Blessed Euphrasio's Life

I had so much fun combing the internet search results for images of our new Carmelite friend. I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe learned something new!  Have you heard of Blessed Euphrasio or the martyrs of the Spanish revolution before?  Please do let me know in the comments below!  Here's a site with more info on some of the other Carmelite martyrs of the Spanish Civil War.

(Fun fact: I translated the prayer from Spanish in Google Translate and then replaced the text in the image for you. 😊)

Bibliography:

Isn't this artwork from M. Andres adorable?

https://www.facebook.com/carmel.delisieux/posts/2190891461051470 

https://catholicsaints.info/blessed-eufrasio-of-the-child-jesus/    

http://www.santiebeati.it/dettaglio/93500  http://www.artesacro.org/Noticia.asp?idreg=42540

Blessed Euphrasio of the Child Jesus, pray for us!

God love you!!