Crafts

St. Therese Themed Rosary

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Today I thought I would show you all a rosary I recently made. I themed it around St. Therese. St. Therese was my confirmation saint and her autobiography, The Story of A Soul is one of my favorite books. Thus, I really wanted to have a rosary themed around her.Rosary Photo

The beads I chose were 6mm Swarovski pearl beads. They are cream colored with a slight pinkish tint. The official name of the color is light cream rose. The eyepins are used are normal base metal. My favorite part of this is the centerpiece! It has an actual picture of St. Therese! I love this so much, because I do find that many of the centerpieces have artwork which can be… difficult to identify. I also love that the centerpiece has roses on the edges. The crucifix is also one I love. If you look closely, you will see small decorations which match the centerpiece on it.

 

I am very satisfied with how this rosary turned out. It has a good weight to it when you hold it in your hands, which is nice. What are your favorite rosaries? This one and my olive wood rosary from the Holy Land are my favorites. Now I just have to get this one blessed!

Book Hauls

Book Haul Alert!

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Hello everyone!

I just ordered some new books! TAN Books (one of my favorite publishers) is having their

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$5 book sale here. No, I am not being sponsored for this post; this is just an amazing sale I thought you should know about! When I found out, I was so happy because I will be going on vacation in a little while and wanted some good paperbacks to read on the trip. To get the discount, you have to order three of the books eligible for the discount. These are the ones I ordered:

  • Life of St. Catherine of Siena by Blessed Raymond of Capua

I am really excited about this one. St. Catherine of Siena is a Doctor of the Church after all, and I have been even more interested in her since I read Lay Siege to Heaven. This book promises to be especially illuminating because it was written by her spiritual director. I know only a little about St. Catherine of Siena now, so I think this will teach me a lot! It was originally $19.95!

  •  Come Rack, Come Rope by Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson

This one is fiction, but I think will also be spiritually edifying. It is set during the Elizabethan era in England when Catholics are facing persecution. This was written by the same man who wrote Lord of the World. Originally $16.95.

  • Golden Arrow: The Revelations of Sr. Mary of St. Peter by Sr. Mary of St. Peter

The devotion to the Holy Face of Jesus has always fascinated me, but I haven’t ever had the chance to learn much about it. My interest was especially piqued when I heard that Cardinal Burke prayed the Chaplet of the Holy Face of Jesus (source here). I was so pleased when I saw this one on the list of books available for $5! I am going to have to think about making my own Chaplet of the Holy Face after I read this. Originally $16.95.

I will let you all know with a blog post when the books arrive!

Crafts

Finished Knitting Project – Rosebuds in Nice

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Hello everyone,

I thought that I would show you all a picture of a project which I recently finished. It is a knitted shawl which I made for my mother. The yarn is a blend of silk and wool. I really love how it feels! The pattern is called “Rosebuds in Nice”, and is available from Ravelry here.

It was enjoyable to knit. The pattern was well written. The directions were clear and the charts were easy to understand. I think that it is a nice size as well. It is large enough to really wrap around your shoulders. I would highly recommend knitting this to anyone interested in lace. It took me a little under a year to finish.

BeFunky-photo (8)

Commentary · Crafts

Enjoying Crafts & An Exhortation

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Hi everyone,

I am sorry there will not be a full length post tonight. I have been very distracted today, Final Commentary Logobut I actually finished a craft which I had been working on for a long while. I am not telling you what it is today, but I should have a post out tomorrow about it! My thoughts have been dwelling especially upon what my favorite crafts are and why I enjoy them. Cross stitch, crochet, beading, and knitting are three of my favorite craft activities.

I was trying to pin down exactly why I like them. I think part of the reason is the fact that I can do them while listening to talks or shows. One of my favorite things to do is to watch videos or listen to podcasts while I work on my projects. I also like crafts because I can make people unique gifts. This is extremely enjoyable!

I do think that I have a tendency to “overdo” it on the crafts. By this I mean that sometimes I allow my enthusiasm for these activities to distract me from prayer. As in all things, temperance is a virtue here!

Moving on to the exhortation section of this blog post. In reading the news today, it becomes clear that the Devil is at work in today’s world. In a thousand different ways, in various times and places, he strives to keep us from Heaven. The power of evil seems so great, so deeply entrenched in our culture. It is important to remember that God always has the upper hand. The Devil is never more powerful or equal to God. We must trust God and be obedient to His Law. We must have faith, hope, and love in these times.

The reason I am writing about all this is simple. I cannot do much about the chaos in our culture. I cannot wave my hand and ban abortion, contraception, euthanasia, or gay “marriage”. What I can do, however, is love all of those who have become ensnared in these sinful activities. I can pray for them. I can beg God’s mercy. More than that, I can ask you all to do the same. So, my request to you is to pick up your rosary beads and say the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for our world. Here is a link to instructions on how to pray it from the Marians of the Immaculate Conception. May God richly bless all of you.

Commentary

Important Advice from Father Z

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I just read a wonderful blog post from Father Z. He has excellent advice for all faithful

Final Commentary LogoCatholics in these times. The Catholic faith possesses the beauty which truth alone can lay claim to. We, the laity, need to love it. It is only by knowing the truth that we can defend it from those who would seek to obscure it. I urge you all to take the time to read his post and take his advice. He links to some excellent resources in his post as well. Tolle lege! http://wdtprs.com/blog/2018/07/what-catholics-do-when-the-churchs-body-is-being-torn-apart/