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Nov. 2023
vol. ii
Interior
DESIGN
This vision board is an elegant and relaxing master bedroom using a mix of rich yet subtle textiles and warm neutrals.
This Miraculous Medal set is the perfect addition to the nightstand to display on either side of the bed.
product spotlight
newsletter subscribers receive exclusive access to shop the spotlight products at 20% off on the First Friday of the month
Sacrum Incensum candle
by Oremus Homegoods
Sacrum Incensum (Latin for Sacred Incense) is crafted with a unique blend of vetiver and rose essential oils, capturing the smoky and sweet aroma of traditional incense burned during Mass.
Each candle is made with a coconut soy wax blend, hand poured into reusable glassware and finished with a wooden wick for a non-toxic and chemical free flame.
This product supports American businesses in:
Alaska, California, Connecticut, Ohio, Texas and Washington
Miraculous Medal Oval Vintage Frame Set
by Tina Heinen Collection
Oval vintage desk frame displaying the Miraculous Medal front and/or reverse intaglio
The Miraculous Medal was given by Our Lady to St. Catherine Labouré in 1830.
“Our Blessed Mother was standing on a globe, with dazzling rays of light streaming from her outstretched hands. Framing the apparition was an inscription: “O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” When Mary spoke to St. Catherine, she said “Have a medal struck upon this model…. Those who repeat this prayer with devotion will be, in a special manner, under the protection of the Mother of God. Graces will be abundantly bestowed upon those who have confidence.”
Frame measures 5.6 x 3.8
get the look
mass readings and a short reflection for this upcoming Sunday to prepare our hearts for the weekend ahead
Interior
LIFE
Thirty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 139
Reading 1
A great King am I, says the LORD of hosts,
and my name will be feared among the nations.
And now, O priests, this commandment is for you:
If you do not listen,
if you do not lay it to heart,
to give glory to my name, says the LORD of hosts,
I will send a curse upon you
and of your blessing I will make a curse.
You have turned aside from the way,
and have caused many to falter by your instruction;
you have made void the covenant of Levi,
says the LORD of hosts.
I, therefore, have made you contemptible
and base before all the people,
since you do not keep my ways,
but show partiality in your decisions.
Have we not all the one father?
Has not the one God created us?
Why then do we break faith with one another,
violating the covenant of our fathers?
Responsorial Psalm
R. In you, Lord, I have found my peace.
O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty;
I busy not myself with great things,
nor with things too sublime for me.
Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted
my soul like a weaned child.
Like a weaned child on its mother's lap,
so is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in the LORD,
both now and forever.
Reading 2
Brothers and sisters:
We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.
With such affection for you, we were determined to share with you
not only the gospel of God, but our very selves as well,
so dearly beloved had you become to us.
You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery.
Working night and day in order not to burden any of you,
we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly,
that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us,
you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God,
which is now at work in you who believe.
Alleluia
Gospel
Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.
Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.
For they preach but they do not practice.
They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people's shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.
All their works are performed to be seen.
They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.
They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation 'Rabbi.'
As for you, do not be called 'Rabbi.' You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.
Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called 'Master'; you have but one master, the Christ.
The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted."
Reflection
"...but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice."
In this gospel reading, Jesus uses the Pharisees as an example to his followers of basically "what not to do." Listening to this description and imagining what the opposite of this would look like, what we should do... I can't help but think of one person...
a mother.
Maybe it's because this Sunday's readings coincidently mention mothers more than once, ("Like a weaned child on its mother's lap, so is my soul within me," "We were gentle among you, as a nursing mother cares for her children.") and having just recently weaned my little one, motherhood and all that it entails is fresh on my mind.
If this passage were to be rewritten to reflect motherhood, as a sort of exemplary guide, I'd imagine that it would sound something like this.
Mothers have taken their seat... on the floor to play with the children, in the rocking chairs to nurse the babies, in the backseat to entertain the whole car, continually putting the needs of their family above their own.
Do and observe all things that they tell you and follow their example closely, for they practice what they preach.
They tie up heavy burdens and quietly carry them without making a fuss, while also picking up the burdens of those around them, because they just can't ignore the urge to help.
Most of their work is hidden, performed within the walls of their homes, with only God and the small souls that they tend to as their witness.
They splash water on their face and pull back their hair so you'd never be able to tell that they were up all night with the colicky baby.
They love the ordinary places. Quiet Tuesday mornings preparing breakfast for their family, watching their little one stumble as they take their first steps, seeing their husband walk through the door at the end of the day, and the name "mama" spoken from the mouth of their toddler for the first time.
What a privilege to be called this holy name.
There are many who bear this name on earth, but only one who is our mother in heaven.
As for you, call upon her often, and she will be quick to help you in all your needs.
The greatest mothers among you are the greatest servants, pouring out themselves daily for the people they love.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
And you mother, after spending your life in the service of those around you, will one day be exalted by our heavenly father.
.
.
.
Mothers, if no one is there to praise your clean house and compliment your cooking, and support you through your exhaustion, know that the Father sees, and he cares, and he is so proud of the holy work you are doing that for now may be known only to him.
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