2014-12-25T20:11:26-05:00

O Jesus, our beloved Lord and Savior, hear our humble prayers on behalf of your Sisters and Nuns. Give them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love which will constantly increase throughout the course of their holy life. In their loneliness, comfort them; In their sorrows, strengthen them; In their frustrations, point out to them that it is through suffering that the soul is purified and show them that they are needed by the Church,... Read more

2014-12-25T20:12:27-05:00

A murder of crows swooped loud and large into the back yard. Their boisterous cawing drowned out the traffic noise from the other side of the house. The littler song birds flew away— in fear or possibly annoyance. Whatever morning peace existed departed with the winged invasion. The crows, and there were maybe twenty, landed heavily in the top branches of trees. They hopped and cawed, spread their expansive wings, and bobbed their heads while raising a ruckus. Usually I’d... Read more

2014-12-25T19:28:09-05:00

Emmaus Prayer for Priests   Lord Jesus, hear our prayer For the spiritual renewal of priests. We praise you for giving their ministry to the Church. In these days renew them with the gifts of your Spirit.   You once opened the Scriptures To the disciples on the road to Emmaus. Now renew your ordained ministers With the truth and power of your Word.   In the Eucharist you gave the Emmaus disciples Renewed life and hope. Nourish priests with... Read more

2014-12-25T19:28:41-05:00

Aw nuts! But honestly, I delight in these coral-colored fruits. They’re so cute and puckery. Though not good for human consumption, the buckeye is an amazingly beautiful tree that will become quite large (50-70 ft.). It graces the landscape with flowers in early summer and vibrant colors in autumn. This is the fruit from a smaller cultivar, a Bottle Brush Buckeye, that grows in my front yard. (Images by Margaret Rose Realy, Obl. OSB. All Rights Reserved.) Read more

2014-12-25T19:29:16-05:00

O Most Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, hear the prayers we offer for our Sisters and Nuns. Let them know clearly the work that You are calling them to do. Grant them every grace to answer Your call with courage, love, and a lasting dedication to Your will. We ask for our Blessed Mother Mary’s intercession on their behalf for perseverance in obedience in the face of trials. Amen. Read more

2014-12-25T19:35:18-05:00

Collecting and saving seeds from one season to the next is simple and allows you to keep growing the plants you love best. Here are a few tips and techniques to guide you. 1. First of all you’ll need to have planted open-pollinated varieties. They’ll come back true to the cultivar whereas hybrids won’t. Hybrid seeds can’t be saved; the majority of seeds turn out to be infertile with a less than 20% germination rate, and those that do germinate... Read more

2014-12-25T19:44:33-05:00

This prayer was written by Blessed Pope John Paul II and seems perfect for today’s memorial of The Most Holy Name of Mary. Prayer to the Virgin Mary for Priests O Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests, accept this title which we bestow on you to celebrate your motherhood and to contemplate with you the priesthood of your Son and of your sons, O holy Mother of God. O Mother of Christ, to the Messiah-priest you gave... Read more

2014-12-25T19:45:30-05:00

Instead of pictures, I thought I would share this information from Horticulture On-line: The biggest mistake people make when trying to ripen green tomatoes is placing them on a windowsill. The light shinning on the fruit will actually cause the skins of the tomatoes to become tough. A better way to ripen green tomatoes is to place them in a paper bag, wrap individually in newspaper or set them in any other enclosed space, such as a cardboard box. By doing this,... Read more

2014-12-25T19:54:28-05:00

I often find the greatest truths in the simplest garden lessons… The begonia is an amazing plant…it just keeps going along and blooming, and when cut back, it starts up again. ~ Gladys Taber And then there are the Angel Wing begonias…some cultivars are modest in revealing their beauty, hiding it beneath their wings.   Read more

2014-12-25T19:55:23-05:00

I’ve been a city-dwelling gardener all my life. I’ve worked on  overgrown lots that hid a multitude of sins, to old suburban back-yards with compacted patchy lawns. When I would begin to transform a landscape I would be unsure of what would be unearthed; one year I dug up a lawn chair. Gardening was done gingerly and with gloves, and tetanus shots kept up to date. A plant that I had grown in every yard was potatoes. I love potatoes.... Read more

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