CatholicMom.com

Archives for the ‘Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur’ Category

Visiting the Past and Thinking of the Future by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Nov 16th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurToday was a beautiful day here in New England. We took advantage of the sun and unseasonably warm weather to explore a local cemetery. I actually enjoy visiting cemeteries. I find them to be such peaceful places. (more…)

In Search of Wisdom by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Nov 9th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthur“Wisdom” is a term we use frequently. We all want to be wise. Indeed, wisdom is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We refer to the “Wisdom Literature” in the Bible. (more…)

Unfulfilled Desires by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Nov 2nd, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurAt Bible Study this week, my friends and I were discussing “passions” – those things that we feel strongly about. According to Quentin Hakenewerth, S.M., “a passion is emotional energy which is attached to some goal or object. Passions help us become lively and resourceful persons.” (more…)

Lord, Help Me to See You by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Oct 26th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurJesus said to [Bartimaeus] in reply, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man replied to him, “Master, I want to see.” Jesus said to him “Go; your faith has saved you.” (more…)

Pick Me! by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Oct 19th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurJames and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus and said to him,
“Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.”   (more…)

St. Teresa of Avila on Prayer by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Oct 12th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurOctober 15th is the feast of St. Teresa of Avila, Doctor of the Church. A 16th century Carmelite who worked to bring reform to that religious order (more…)

How Can I Become Like a Child? by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Oct 5th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthur“Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. (more…)

A Brief History of the Rosary by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Sep 28th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurOctober has long been the month dedicated to the Rosary. Pope St. Pius V established the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary (October 7th) in 1573 to thank God for the victory (more…)

It’s the Little Things by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Sep 21st, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurI just returned from my parish’s centennial celebration. The honorary chair for the evening was a former mayor of our city and lifelong member of our parish. (more…)

The Confirmation Question by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Sep 14th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurToday I overheard a very interesting conversation regarding the Sacrament of Confirmation. (more…)

The Parable of the Lost Teddy Bear and Goose by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Sep 7th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurThere once was a little boy who loved a soft blue teddy bear and a plush green goose with all of his heart. (more…)

What Does It Mean to Be Church by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Aug 31st, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurIt has been a rough week for the Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts. Mirroring similar processes that have occurred across the country, the Most Rev. Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell announced closures and mergers of parishes (more…)

St. Monica – Offering Hope for Mothers by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Aug 24th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurAs a woman who persevered in a difficult marriage, dealt with a cantankerous mother-in-law who shared her home, and prayed unceasingly for a wayward son, (more…)

Staying Awake with Others by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Aug 17th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurMy eight-year-old son has been having many bad dreams lately. They often come just as he is drifting off to sleep. He will come out of his room and ask me to say the “bad dream protection prayer” (more…)

St. Dymphna: The Lily of Fire by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Aug 10th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurSt. Dymphna, sometimes known as “The Lily of Fire,” is the patroness of those suffering from nervous and mental disorders. Her story is rooted in legend and cannot be verified, but the general story is as follows. (more…)

Pondering the Transfiguration by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Aug 3rd, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurThe Gospel of Mark tells us of the Transfiguration (Mark 9:2 – 8). Jesus takes his closest friends, Peter, James, and John, up onto a high mountain. (more…)

The Fruits of the Mysteries of the Rosary

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Jul 27th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

macarthurWhen I was growing up, my mother and I would say the rosary every day together. Before each decade, she would announce the mystery and the fruit, or virtue, associated with it.

(more…)

The Value of a Story by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Jul 20th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

It is no secret that Jesus spoke in parables, stories that were meant to teach a lesson. Parables such as that of the prodigal son, the man who sought the pearl of great price, and the parable of the sower continue to speak to us through the ages. (more…)

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Brown Scapular

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Jul 13th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

July 16th is the feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. This is in remembrance of the day in 1251 when Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock, a monastic who was living in England. (more…)

The Thorn and the Hemorrhage

By Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur • Jul 6th, 2009 • Category: Columnists, Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

As I was reviewing this week’s scripture readings I came across quite a juxtaposition between the reading from the second letter to the Corinthians on Sunday (more…)