LEAVES Website for Jan-Feb 2019 Issue
Excerpted from “Leaflets” column:
In the liturgical calendar Jan. 22 is a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Sadly, there are those who believe that a life that is inconvenient is expendable. When parents are told that the baby in the womb is going to be handicapped, some choose to abort their precious baby.
Pope Francis reminded us that we must welcome all life as a gift of God. Expectant parents of a disabled child should receive our love and support. As the Holy Father said, “A sick child, … just as an elderly person, needs assistance…. He or she who is presented as a problem is in reality God’s gift who can draw me out of my self-centeredness to make me grow in love.”
The Pope went on to say that the world embraces the idols of money, power and success. These are “mistaken parameters by which to evaluate life” and that “the only authentic measure for life is love, the love that God has for it!” (Pope Francis, 10/10/18)
Life is not disposable, no matter the circumstances - healthy or sick, able or disabled, planned or unplanned. Let us offer continuous prayers on behalf of these dear unborn children. May they find a loving welcome into the world.
March 2 is the feast day for our confrere Bl. Engelmar Unzeitig. As our LEAVES family is well aware, many blessings have resulted from his intercession on our behalf. As we offer earnest prayers of supplication for his assistance, let us also offer prayers that he will one day soon be elevated to sainthood. Bl. Engelmar, pray for us!
May God grant all our LEAVES family abundant blessings throughout 2019 and always - Fr. Thomas Heier, C.M.M.
Excerpted from “Our Family Album”:
St. Anthony Helps Find Favorite Rosary
I lost my favorite rosary of 30 years - Greenie. (I name my rosaries!)
Greenie has a little cross-shaped medal with eight religious pictures that turned gold. It also has a medal of St. Therese, St. Francis and St. Anthony.
I asked the Holy Spirit and St. Anthony to find Greenie. I have a stack of old LEAVES magazines about a foot high. I read and prayed from a few magazines every day from this stack of LEAVES.
It took two months, but I found Greenie. It was between some old LEAVES magazines in the stacked pile! God is good! God and the saints are my buddies and my family - Kathy G.
St. Therese Offers Peace
I am a single mother of a large adoptive family of children who have special needs. A few years ago my family was being torn apart by a malicious rumor that threatened to separate us all. I was really distraught, couldn’t sleep and worried all the time for over a month.
During this time my mother’s sister sent me a box of small items that had belonged to my long-deceased grandmother: her prayer books, rosaries and small statues. Among them were worn prayer cards to St. Therese. Since I love and admire my grandmother I decided to ask for Therese’s help also.
One night I fell asleep praying to Therese and awoke during the night with a lovely person standing over me, a person who was really present, yet as an image of light, and she was smiling at me kindly. I recognized her as St. Therese. She did not say anything to me, but I felt a deep sense of peace and all my fear was lifted.
I knew everything would be all right. It was as if St. Therese came to tell me: heaven is on your side.
The very next day the situation completely resolved itself. Whenever I wonder about, or fear, life or death, I remember her kind face, beauty and complete joy. Her kindness that lives beyond life on earth continues to sustain me when times are hard.
St. Therese is my role model of peace and kindness, guarding us even from those who might harm us, and this is never easy. We can only follow her example as best we can - Name Withheld.
LEAVES Encourages Spiritual Growth
My first LEAVES magazine arrived as a retirement gift from Mom. As I quickly scanned the pages for the first time, I realized that an unexpected door had opened with new friends inside. I paused, closed my eyes and thanked our Lord for sending LEAVES.
Amazed at LEAVES 75th anniversary and its free subscriptions, I carefully read each page, enjoying the religious messages and empathizing with the writers’ petitions. The key to LEAVES’ survival and success is that you work for God. Dedicated readers appreciate your caring and sharing efforts to be His servants. So we will take care of your financial needs when we can because you support our spiritual growth.
Given LEAVES magazine’s personal nature, specifically, a Catholic publication, its readers and writers bond as a family. We earnestly seek the joys and accept the sorrows of unknown strangers, proudly linked together as our Lord’s flock.
The tie that binds is PRAYER! The sincere letters of petition and thanksgiving from faceless friends touch our hearts, signal hope and inspire us to send our Lord’s message of unconditional love on their behalf.
In our fast-paced highly technical world, it is comforting to know that people still like to write. And there is no easier or more intimate subject to write about than ourselves. Indeed, as a Dale Carnegie graduate, I learned that all people really want is for others to like them. Victor Hugo said it more eloquently: “The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.”
Additionally, during my breast cancer treatment and recovery, I understood and accepted that life was never meant to be easy. Thus our Lord asks us to take up our crosses and follow Him. But we cannot do it alone. For life is not about ME. It is about US - all God’s children. Together we listen to His Word and spread our wings - with LEAVES.
My donation is for LEAVES to open more doors for our Lord’s Word to soar and take flight. With appreciation - Ann M. Baker.
Excerpted from Blessed Engelmar Testimonies:
A Life of
Blessed Engelmar
There is now available a booklet of the life of Blessed Engelmar Unzeitig, C.M.M. You may receive a free copy of it by sending a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
Our donation is in thanksgiving for a huge blessing received through the intercession of Bl. Engelmar - a financial transaction that was a miracle! Thank you - M/M J. S.W.
+ + +
My donation is an offering for answered novenas by Bl. Engelmar and Blessed Mother Mary. Please keep my children in your prayers - Lisa R.
+ + +
My donation is to help LEAVES carry on your good works. I wanted the readers of LEAVES to hear about our good news. My husband was on the donor list for a heart transplant. Usually that takes time, like several months, before a donor comes through. From the day he was placed on the list I began to pray to the Divine Mercy daily for the person who would give their heart to him. We also prayed to our Blessed Lady, Fr. Engelmar, St. Therese and many other saints. Five weeks later he received a perfect heart. Someone wonderful was merciful to donate his heart. He is home now and doing fine. We give thanks to God for His mercy - A.A.
+ + +
Many of my relatives died in Dachau and in other concentration camps. Their crime - being one-fourth Jewish blood, aiding Jews or intermingling with Jews. The cause of Bl. Engelmar should be moved along quickly. These are times that need Fr. Engelmar’s spirituality. He prays for all those lost to the Catholic Church. I have a Slovak grandmother. She was Byzantine Rite. I have dual rites. Thank you for promoting the cause of Fr. Engelmar. Those were the worst of times, but through Fr. Engelmar’s intercession they became the best of times, especially those who died as martyrs for charity and the True Faith. Fr. Engelmar is the kind of hero our Faith needs today - Deacon Jude.
Novena in Honor of
Abbot Francis Pfanner
Abbot Francis Pfanner founded Mariannhill Monastery, and 110 years ago its monks became the Congregation of Missionaries of Mariannhill. He was not only a great missionary, but also a holy man. The cause for his beatification has begun. We have available a novena in his honor and will send you a free copy of it when you send a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
The Flame of Love
By Joseph Albino
Our Lady selected Candlemas Day, Feb. 2, as the Feast Day for the new Flame of Love devotion. Elizabeth was also given the following ejaculatory prayer to be recited for the Flame of Love devotion: “Spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all humanity.” Our Lady also requested that this prayer be added to the Hail Mary, placing this prayer right after the words “...pray for us sinners...”
In addition as a defense against the wiles of Satan, our Lord gave Elizabeth the following additional prayer:
May our feet journey together.
May our hands gather in unity.
May our hearts beat in unison.
May our souls be in harmony.
May our thoughts be as one.
May our ears listen to the silence together.
May our glances profoundly penetrate each other.
May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father.
In giving this prayer to Elizabeth, our Lord explained that recitation of the prayer would blind Satan, decreasing the influence that he has to lead everyone to sin and decreasing his power to prevent the graces of God to work efficaciously in a person’s life.
Pleasure
By Margaret Peterson
Don’t look for joy in pleasure
Or life will pass you by.
It’s found in serving God the Lord
Of earth and sea and sky.
For He it was who chose you
To fit into His plan,
A plan that no one else could do
However long life’s span!
The joy you get from serving Him
Is far beyond life’s pleasure,
For then you get to know His love
Far beyond all measure.
To Know Him
By Linda Donohoo Monday
To know Him is to love Him,
To love Him brings me joy.
I cannot help but smile
When I think of Mary’s boy.
How Good It Is
By Sr. Marcella LaKoske, OP
Sometimes darkness is good.
We bury seeds in the ground
so they will grow toward the light;
Through cracks and crevices
they soon come around.
A baby in its mother’s womb
reposes in soft, dark posture
until it’s ready for birth,
and then comes forth into the light
eager to live on this beautiful earth.
How often we squander the darkest days
and do not think of the light
that’s shining around and above God’s face.
An effort of faith and love
will help us replace the doom,
and soon we too will scatter the gloom,
and dance our way up above.
Excerpted from “Leaflets” column:
In the liturgical calendar Jan. 22 is a Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children. Sadly, there are those who believe that a life that is inconvenient is expendable. When parents are told that the baby in the womb is going to be handicapped, some choose to abort their precious baby.
Pope Francis reminded us that we must welcome all life as a gift of God. Expectant parents of a disabled child should receive our love and support. As the Holy Father said, “A sick child, … just as an elderly person, needs assistance…. He or she who is presented as a problem is in reality God’s gift who can draw me out of my self-centeredness to make me grow in love.”
The Pope went on to say that the world embraces the idols of money, power and success. These are “mistaken parameters by which to evaluate life” and that “the only authentic measure for life is love, the love that God has for it!” (Pope Francis, 10/10/18)
Life is not disposable, no matter the circumstances - healthy or sick, able or disabled, planned or unplanned. Let us offer continuous prayers on behalf of these dear unborn children. May they find a loving welcome into the world.
March 2 is the feast day for our confrere Bl. Engelmar Unzeitig. As our LEAVES family is well aware, many blessings have resulted from his intercession on our behalf. As we offer earnest prayers of supplication for his assistance, let us also offer prayers that he will one day soon be elevated to sainthood. Bl. Engelmar, pray for us!
May God grant all our LEAVES family abundant blessings throughout 2019 and always - Fr. Thomas Heier, C.M.M.
Excerpted from “Our Family Album”:
St. Anthony Helps Find Favorite Rosary
I lost my favorite rosary of 30 years - Greenie. (I name my rosaries!)
Greenie has a little cross-shaped medal with eight religious pictures that turned gold. It also has a medal of St. Therese, St. Francis and St. Anthony.
I asked the Holy Spirit and St. Anthony to find Greenie. I have a stack of old LEAVES magazines about a foot high. I read and prayed from a few magazines every day from this stack of LEAVES.
It took two months, but I found Greenie. It was between some old LEAVES magazines in the stacked pile! God is good! God and the saints are my buddies and my family - Kathy G.
St. Therese Offers Peace
I am a single mother of a large adoptive family of children who have special needs. A few years ago my family was being torn apart by a malicious rumor that threatened to separate us all. I was really distraught, couldn’t sleep and worried all the time for over a month.
During this time my mother’s sister sent me a box of small items that had belonged to my long-deceased grandmother: her prayer books, rosaries and small statues. Among them were worn prayer cards to St. Therese. Since I love and admire my grandmother I decided to ask for Therese’s help also.
One night I fell asleep praying to Therese and awoke during the night with a lovely person standing over me, a person who was really present, yet as an image of light, and she was smiling at me kindly. I recognized her as St. Therese. She did not say anything to me, but I felt a deep sense of peace and all my fear was lifted.
I knew everything would be all right. It was as if St. Therese came to tell me: heaven is on your side.
The very next day the situation completely resolved itself. Whenever I wonder about, or fear, life or death, I remember her kind face, beauty and complete joy. Her kindness that lives beyond life on earth continues to sustain me when times are hard.
St. Therese is my role model of peace and kindness, guarding us even from those who might harm us, and this is never easy. We can only follow her example as best we can - Name Withheld.
LEAVES Encourages Spiritual Growth
My first LEAVES magazine arrived as a retirement gift from Mom. As I quickly scanned the pages for the first time, I realized that an unexpected door had opened with new friends inside. I paused, closed my eyes and thanked our Lord for sending LEAVES.
Amazed at LEAVES 75th anniversary and its free subscriptions, I carefully read each page, enjoying the religious messages and empathizing with the writers’ petitions. The key to LEAVES’ survival and success is that you work for God. Dedicated readers appreciate your caring and sharing efforts to be His servants. So we will take care of your financial needs when we can because you support our spiritual growth.
Given LEAVES magazine’s personal nature, specifically, a Catholic publication, its readers and writers bond as a family. We earnestly seek the joys and accept the sorrows of unknown strangers, proudly linked together as our Lord’s flock.
The tie that binds is PRAYER! The sincere letters of petition and thanksgiving from faceless friends touch our hearts, signal hope and inspire us to send our Lord’s message of unconditional love on their behalf.
In our fast-paced highly technical world, it is comforting to know that people still like to write. And there is no easier or more intimate subject to write about than ourselves. Indeed, as a Dale Carnegie graduate, I learned that all people really want is for others to like them. Victor Hugo said it more eloquently: “The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved.”
Additionally, during my breast cancer treatment and recovery, I understood and accepted that life was never meant to be easy. Thus our Lord asks us to take up our crosses and follow Him. But we cannot do it alone. For life is not about ME. It is about US - all God’s children. Together we listen to His Word and spread our wings - with LEAVES.
My donation is for LEAVES to open more doors for our Lord’s Word to soar and take flight. With appreciation - Ann M. Baker.
Excerpted from Blessed Engelmar Testimonies:
A Life of
Blessed Engelmar
There is now available a booklet of the life of Blessed Engelmar Unzeitig, C.M.M. You may receive a free copy of it by sending a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
Our donation is in thanksgiving for a huge blessing received through the intercession of Bl. Engelmar - a financial transaction that was a miracle! Thank you - M/M J. S.W.
+ + +
My donation is an offering for answered novenas by Bl. Engelmar and Blessed Mother Mary. Please keep my children in your prayers - Lisa R.
+ + +
My donation is to help LEAVES carry on your good works. I wanted the readers of LEAVES to hear about our good news. My husband was on the donor list for a heart transplant. Usually that takes time, like several months, before a donor comes through. From the day he was placed on the list I began to pray to the Divine Mercy daily for the person who would give their heart to him. We also prayed to our Blessed Lady, Fr. Engelmar, St. Therese and many other saints. Five weeks later he received a perfect heart. Someone wonderful was merciful to donate his heart. He is home now and doing fine. We give thanks to God for His mercy - A.A.
+ + +
Many of my relatives died in Dachau and in other concentration camps. Their crime - being one-fourth Jewish blood, aiding Jews or intermingling with Jews. The cause of Bl. Engelmar should be moved along quickly. These are times that need Fr. Engelmar’s spirituality. He prays for all those lost to the Catholic Church. I have a Slovak grandmother. She was Byzantine Rite. I have dual rites. Thank you for promoting the cause of Fr. Engelmar. Those were the worst of times, but through Fr. Engelmar’s intercession they became the best of times, especially those who died as martyrs for charity and the True Faith. Fr. Engelmar is the kind of hero our Faith needs today - Deacon Jude.
Novena in Honor of
Abbot Francis Pfanner
Abbot Francis Pfanner founded Mariannhill Monastery, and 110 years ago its monks became the Congregation of Missionaries of Mariannhill. He was not only a great missionary, but also a holy man. The cause for his beatification has begun. We have available a novena in his honor and will send you a free copy of it when you send a stamped (postage for one ounce), self-addressed envelope to us at: LEAVES, P.O. Box 87, Dearborn, MI 48121-0087.
The Flame of Love
By Joseph Albino
Our Lady selected Candlemas Day, Feb. 2, as the Feast Day for the new Flame of Love devotion. Elizabeth was also given the following ejaculatory prayer to be recited for the Flame of Love devotion: “Spread the effect of grace of thy Flame of Love over all humanity.” Our Lady also requested that this prayer be added to the Hail Mary, placing this prayer right after the words “...pray for us sinners...”
In addition as a defense against the wiles of Satan, our Lord gave Elizabeth the following additional prayer:
May our feet journey together.
May our hands gather in unity.
May our hearts beat in unison.
May our souls be in harmony.
May our thoughts be as one.
May our ears listen to the silence together.
May our glances profoundly penetrate each other.
May our lips pray together to gain mercy from the Eternal Father.
In giving this prayer to Elizabeth, our Lord explained that recitation of the prayer would blind Satan, decreasing the influence that he has to lead everyone to sin and decreasing his power to prevent the graces of God to work efficaciously in a person’s life.
Pleasure
By Margaret Peterson
Don’t look for joy in pleasure
Or life will pass you by.
It’s found in serving God the Lord
Of earth and sea and sky.
For He it was who chose you
To fit into His plan,
A plan that no one else could do
However long life’s span!
The joy you get from serving Him
Is far beyond life’s pleasure,
For then you get to know His love
Far beyond all measure.
To Know Him
By Linda Donohoo Monday
To know Him is to love Him,
To love Him brings me joy.
I cannot help but smile
When I think of Mary’s boy.
How Good It Is
By Sr. Marcella LaKoske, OP
Sometimes darkness is good.
We bury seeds in the ground
so they will grow toward the light;
Through cracks and crevices
they soon come around.
A baby in its mother’s womb
reposes in soft, dark posture
until it’s ready for birth,
and then comes forth into the light
eager to live on this beautiful earth.
How often we squander the darkest days
and do not think of the light
that’s shining around and above God’s face.
An effort of faith and love
will help us replace the doom,
and soon we too will scatter the gloom,
and dance our way up above.