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This essay was published in the 1932-33 Saint Joseph’s Preparatory School’s Chronicle Magazine. William Gould (my paternal Grandfather) was an editor and wrote this essay.

The Irony of the Cross

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross presents in its background, one of those peculiar ironies which God, in His Providence, has permitted in order to confound that detestable vice of pride.

The events which led to the finding of the Cross are, for the most part, commonplace enough, but the climax has resulted in one of the most pronounced rejections of selfish ambition that the world ever witnessed.

Helena, a poor innkeeper’s daughter marries an officer of Rome

This climax had its root in the obscure hills of Bithynia, where Constantius Chlorus, an officer of Imperial Rome, first beheld Helena, the poor innkeeper’s daughter. The modest and fair Helena won the affection of the Stoic, yet proud general and he made her his wife. The years which immediately followed were happy ones for the noble Roman and his peasant wife. Then came the birth of their son, Constantine, who was fated to turn the bloody tide of Roman persecution which was threatening the dissolution of an already degenerated state. Both mother and father watched with equal pride the maturing years of their only son.

Proud Ambition Stifles Love

We next behold this happy trio under circumstances that are less consoling. The Empire had been divided. The emperor, Maximian had offered that part of the Empire, which comprised of Britain, Spain and Gaul to Constantius Chlorus, but with characteristic enterprise he had made the marriage of Theodora, his daughter, to Chlorus a necessary condition for acquiring this high position. Proud ambition stifled Chlorus’ love for his wife and the governor divorced her, much to the grief of his son, who could not bear the slight cast upon the mother, whom he passionately loved. Helena again receded into the shadows, shadows deeper than those cast by her native Bithynian hills.

Constantine: a devoted son and military hero

But her devoted son, Constantine, was meanwhile gaining great military fame and was rapidly rising to the head of the Empire.

Then one day, in the midst of a fierce battle, a luminous sign, a cross flashed across the heavens before the dazed vision of the Emperor Constantine and the instant lightning etched above the apparition these mystic words:

“In Hoc Signo Vinces”

The Eagle had won its last battle and the Cross had won its first. The mighty emperor confided his secret vision to his peasant mother and sowed the first seed of a sanctity that was to live forever. The pagan Helena who had held herself in obscurity, emerged into the new-born Empire, a Christian.

Then she, too, was blessed in a dream with the happy vision of the cross and was commissioned to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land where where she should find the true Cross.

Saint Helena art by Heather Sleightholm, this image can be purchased in her Etsy shop: Sleightholmfolk

Despite her years she promptly set out on her tedious journey and realized the fulfillment of her vision. After a long sojourn in and about the Holy Land she returned home and died in her son’s arms. She was buried with pompous ceremony and laid in state among the greatest figures of that world ruling Empire.

But herein lies the contrast. Helena, the poor peasant girl who was brought out of obscurity into high station as the wife of one of the nobles of the Empire, is rejected and cast into obscurity again by the pride of her husband.

But through the respect and devotion of her son she is again raised to the pinnacle of fame in Empire and finally rests in the Vatican as one of the greatest saints of the early Church.

But the bones of Constantius Chlorus are last remembered as resting at York in a small Church, of the pre-Reformation period, bearing the name of his saintly spouse. There he rested obliterated by the deserved praises of his wife and a fitting example of humiliated pride.

Did Saint Helena “stalk” my grandfather?

Sometimes, the Saints find us and intercede for us. I’ve experienced this myself with Our Lady of Guadalupe (read about that here) and have heard quite a few other people share similar stories where people have felt “stalked” by a Saint.

Since I have the privilege of seeing this essay written by a teenager in the early 20th century and know how his life followed until his death in 1992 – it’s remarkable to see how this Saint would have taken a special interest in my Grandpop.

Saint Helena is the patron of saint of difficult marriages and divorced people.

In a time when divorce was rare, my Grandfather was familiar with it in a way most of his peers were not. His father and mother divorced when he was 10 years old. I was told that he could have attended Saint Joseph’s University – he was offered a full scholarship. But, since he lived with his mother he was considered the man of the house and had to choose employment over education. The need for financial security was exasperated since these years were during the Great Depression.

Ironically, I think years later his parents ended up getting back together.

Perhaps knowing that Saint Helena was the patron of divorced people caught his interest since his own parents, who he loved very much, were divorced.

However, my grandfather wrote this essay about eight years before he met his wife, Helen Rose.

The year this essay was written, my Grandmother, Helen, was an eighth grade student in Saint Helena’s School in Philadelphia.

William and Helen were married in September of 1942, right before my grandfather was deployed to serve in Germany in what is known in history as World War II.

Much like her son Constantine, my grandfather saw the terror of war up close. I remember him telling me: “war is hell”.

Years later some of his grandchildren, myself being one, would also attend Saint Helena’s School.

I had a special fondness for my Grandpop Gould. Unfortunately he passed away when I was a sophomore in high school. He was the first grandparent I lost.

I can’t help but smile when I think – maybe my inclination to reflect upon our faith through writing is something that comes in part, from him.

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The post The Irony of the Cross: an Essay about Saint Helena written in 1933 appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

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A Saint, a Miracle and Your Catholic Christmas Gifts: Plus a Huge Giveaway!

There is an incredible miracle story about Saint Francis Xavier that I learned in recent years.
I told this story on a Live video just a short time ago on Instagram.

You can watch the video here: The Miracle of the Crab and the Crucifix

Saint Francis, a crab and his crucifix

Saint Francis Xavier traveled from Europe to Africa and Asia as a missionary.

During his time, traveling that far was done by ship.

During one voyage, there was a huge storm at sea.

Saint Francis and all the sailors and passengers on the boat were terrified. They thought they were going to meet their Maker that day.

So out of desperation, Saint Francis Xavier grabs his crucifix and holds it up over the sea. He held it and prayed to God that He would calm the storm and spare the lives of all aboard.

The sea calmed, the storm stopped and the lives were spared.

However, in the midst of the turbulence, the crucifix went overboard.

Saint Francis Xavier was grateful his life was saved, but upset that he lost his crucifix.

Once the ship made it to the shore, Saint Francis was walking along the beach.

As he walked along the shore, he noticed up ahead a crab was crawling out of the ocean. The crab was carrying something.

As he got closer, he realized the crab was carrying his crucifix!!!

Saint Francis retrieved his crucifix from the crab and, I imagine, gave great thanks to the Lord.

(I first came across this story in a book my son and I were reading: Saint Francis of the Seven Seas but you can read another version of this story here on The Jesuit Gourmet)

Giving Catholic Christmas Gifts: Why it Matters

I love this story for so many reasons.

First of all – I love a beach story.

Second of all – I LOVE a miracle story.

But third of all, I think this is a great way to reassure us that our religious gifts matter. They can bring comfort to the receiver when they are scared. They can be used during prayer. They can be very much appreciated by those who are gifted them.

Saint Francis Xavier dedicated his life’s work to spreading the Gospel to people very far from his home. He was a holy man.

I don’t know if he bought that crucifix for himself or if it was a gift.

I don’t know who made the crucifix and who sold it.

But what I know from this story is that he treasured that crucifix. And I also know that God must have heard his prayer that he wished he had not lost it.

For it was God who brought that crucifix back to him . . . he just happened to use the crab to deliver it.

So if you are wondering if it really matters or not that you give someone a Catholic gift . . .

I’m going to say, judging by this story, indeed it does matter!

The person you love may go through a scary, sad or uncertain time – a time when all they can grab or hold onto is that religious object you gave to him or her.

They may pray with it. They may grasp it for comfort.

They may just get to know Jesus a little better because of it.

Give that gift.

And on that note . . .

A Catholic Gift Giveaway Contest

I want to give someone a whole stockings worth of gifts!

Share this post and enter to win the following giveaway!

One person will win:

1. A Rosary from Small Things Great Love
2. Wine Charms from Madonna Rose Designs
3. A pair of socks from Sock Religious
4. A Wooden Wall Crucifix from Rough 2 Rustic
5. A necklace from Relics by Rose
6. A Be Yourself Journal for Girls
7. Various gifts from Pink Salt Riot
8. A Be Yourself Journal for Boys
9. A few more surprises!

Enter below – contest ends soon because I’m hoping they get to you by Christmas!!!

You must enter by Sunday, December 19, 2021!!!!

The post A Saint, a Miracle and Your Catholic Christmas Gifts: Plus a Huge Giveaway! appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

This post contains affiliate or associate links with several businesses (which means if you shop through the links, I earn a small commission). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

My husband and I were in counseling our first year of marriage.

Don’t worry, our 15 year anniversary is less than 6 months away.

But for us, marriage hasn’t been easy.

That doesn’t mean it hasn’t been an incredible blessing. We just came to the Sacrament with a ton of baggage.

In fact, our wedding song was “God Blessed the Broken Road”.

But, why go to Saint Joseph for marriage help?

Saint Joseph is often known as “Saint Joseph the Worker”.

Men feel strongly about their role as a provider. Even men who’s wives work full-time and even men who’s wives make more money than they do. Work is something most men use to describe their identity.

Saint Joseph is the patron saint of workers.

When Matt and I were first married, Matt worked as a retail manager.  It was not what he went to school for; but he took the job because he wanted to be a good provider.  I could see how unhappy and stressful his job made him.  His job sent him into a depression, and his work was so stressful, he also went into the hospital.  He spent about a week in the ICU.  We had only been married about a year.  “In sickness . . .” came a lot quicker than I had ever imagined.  

During our counseling sessions, we spoke about a lot of things that we were struggling with and our counselor made some suggestions to help us work through them.

But he (our therapist was a man) must have started to see and hear a pattern. Matt’s job and work must have been coming up a lot. The therapist finally suggested that Matt look for a different job. It was clear that this was a huge stressor – both on Matt and on our marriage.

One thing I have learned in the past 15 years – through my own relationship and watching the marriages of friends – is the work and the job of a husband is so important and influential in his life.

If a husband is unhappy at his job or with his career, that will negatively impact his home life.

I’ve seen it. It can lead to marriages ending completely.

If you’re marriage is stressed, I suggest you and your spouse take a look at your husband’s professional life. My gut feeling and experience tells me, it’s more important for a man to be happy at his job than it is for a woman.

I don’t have any degrees that can back up that last statement. But sometimes, our gut can tell us something a lifelong education can not.

I didn’t realize it at first, but what led him to take the job was the desire to be a good provider for me and our future children. Once I realized how much he disliked his work and we both became aware that it was affecting his physical and mental health, I suggested a change.

Matt’s reaction was not uncommon or odd… he simply said, “we can’t afford it.”

But let me play the devil’s advocate here: is it worth losing your marriage or potential happiness in family life over a job?

Now our situation was unique in quite a few ways.

We didn’t have children and I did have a job

I wasn’t suggesting he quit his job without another one lined up. Matt felt that he could get another job, it would just pay significantly less than what he was making at the time.

But what I – actually what Matt and I both believe, is that what I did next was what saved him and us.

I prayed a novena to Saint Joseph.

Now why do I think this prayer actually helped us?

I’d love to share that story with you!

I prayed this novena prayer with this intention:

I asked Saint Joseph to pray with me for Matt… that he would have a job he enjoyed doing and felt that he made a difference doing it.

And then, all of a sudden . . .

the school I taught in needed an IT guy.

I gave Matt’s resume to the President of the School. The President looked at it and looked at me and said… he’s way over qualified.

I explained how my husband desired to work in this field… and he’s been out of it for years. This would help him get back into the tech world and not look or be behind.

But…Matt didn’t just have to impress the school President.

Whoever got the job was going to have to work with the nun who ran the computer lab.
She was an SSJ.
That is, a Sister of Saint Joseph.
And not everyone got along swimmingly with her.

This nun and I did get along well. But it’s funny, that wasn’t the case for many of the teachers in the school.

She was, how do I describe this . . .”old school”?

Rigid, didn’t have a bubbly personality and honestly, I don’t know.

What I did know was that I could sign up to bring my 5 classes of freshmen to her computer lab almost any time because other teachers were not flocking to go there.

I also knew that in the 4 years I worked at the school, there had been at least two IT/computer support people who had worked there and left the job, and for the year before Matt applied, we only had Sister as our tech “go-to” person.

So Matt has his interview where he talked to all the school President and the Tech Coordinator of the Office of Catholic Education – basically all the people in the school district that are in charge of hiring IT professionals.

And… he met Sister.
And Sister LOVED Matt.

She loved him the day she met him.
She loved him every day he worked with her.
And when he left for another job, well that really made her sad… because honestly, she loved him.

That job got Matt back in the industry and gave him the experience and confidence he needed to move on and up in the field.

 I am so grateful for Saint Joseph’s intercession.

 And as an added wink and a smile, Saint Joseph passed on to Matt his love of woodworking.  

Woodworking has become Matt’s favorite hobby!

My husband still works in the IT field. He is supporting our family with a job he loves. And our oldest son’s middle name is Joseph.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!

How can Saint Joseph help a marriage if the problem is not stemming from employment?

One of Saint Joseph’s titles is the Pillar of Family Life. He wants to pray for you, take him up on the offer.

So, even if you’re marriage is on the rocks because of situations that are not at all work related, I strongly suggest praying this novena!

One of Saint Joseph’s titles is the Pillar of Family Life. He wants to pray for you, take him up on the offer.

Saint Joseph’s titles include many that reflect how much he is a great intercessor for marriage.

Saint Joseph’s titles, in addition to “the Worker” and “Pillar of Families” also include:

Mirror of Patience

Glory of Home Life

and

Terror of Demons.

Marriage requires a ton of patience. The mood of our home life is a reflection of the state or our marriage.

And friends, we all have demons we are battling.

Why not call in for back up?

Go to Joseph. He will help.

Want to read more about Saints and Marriage? Check out Ten Years of Marriage and the Saints that Helped Us Get Here

Want to read more about Saint Joseph? Read 5 Ways Saint Joseph Can Help You Live a Better Life

The post Marriage Trouble? Go To (Saint) Joseph appeared first on Prayer Wine Chocolate.

This post contains affiliate or associate links with several businesses (which means if you shop through the links, I earn a small commission). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I had the honor of interviewing John Kinuthia, a Catholic Speaker, Confidence Leadership Coach and Podcaster, on a Facebook Live video.

You can watch and/or listen to the interview by clicking here: Awaken the Saint Within You: An interview with John Kinuthia

John’s Ministry, Awaken the Saint Within, was inspired by the book written by Tony Robbins, Awake the Giant Within .

This phrase, Awake the _______ Within, seemed to keep popping up in John’s life . . . and it got him thinking.

Isn’t our first calling to be holy? To be a Saint?

So, as Tony Robbins seeks to offer effective strategies and techniques for mastering your emotions, your body, your relationships, your finances, and your life; John found his mission was different.

With Awaken the Saint Within Ministries, John Kinuthia offers strategies and techniques to find God’s desire in your heart and encourage you to go on a mission to find God’s will for you and embrace it each and every day.

John encourages us to love God. He motivates people to change in order to know Jesus better and follow Him in total trust and confidence. Even when things are not going well.

John and I spoke for about an hour. You can listen and/or view the whole conversation here: Awakening the Saint Within Us Interview

These tips were just some of the advice John gave all who would listen.

3 Tips to Awaken the Saint Within

1.Take an honest look at what is the first thing you do in the morning

One act John inspired in my own life since this conversation, is to pray a prayer of thanksgiving for my husband each morning before I get out of bed. John had us really thinking about loving God more and how to evaluate how much we actually love God above all things . . . he asked a simple question:

“What’s the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?”

When I asked myself this question, I quickly realized my answer was not “pray”.

It was not to thank the Lord that I woke up or for the family that is in my home.

He asked it gently. It made me think – and he made all of us aware that awakening the Saint within us is very possible. Small steps can truly move us closer to Our Eternal Father!

2.Make a daily commitment to get to know God better

John reminded us that a personal relationship with Jesus is a daily commitment.

My reaction to John was to ask him, “but how? How do we get to know God better?“

When you wake up, say a spontaneous prayer. For example: “Lord Almighty, good morning! Please remind me of my mission today!”

Read Scripture!

We can’t text God or call Him on the phone – but we can listen to Him and hear His will in Sacred Scripture. Don’t know where to start? Kinuthia recommends the Gospel of John – Chapter 17!

Again, back to number one – make God a priority each day. Feed your heart and soul first every morning. Even if it is with a short prayer like:

“Lord, I thank you, I believe that you are here.”

3.Do not define yourself by what you do NOT have

“Saints don’t compare themselves with other Saints.”

John made this statement and made me think of the saying, “comparison is the thief of joy.”

John advises us to take a good look at what we are thinking about. He advises us to have true confidence in Christ.

Having true confidence in Christ requires us to:

*lay down your life for Jesus

*be grateful for the little things

*know that you area beloved child of God

John is a big advocate of prayer journaling. Writing what you are grateful for is an awesome daily practice.

When you have a negative thought – find the positive side of it.

Change your thoughts and fill your heart with gratitude.

John gave so many more practical tips in our interview! I strongly recommend you listen! We discussed preparing for Mass; how do deal with suffering, what to say to a teen who claims Mass is boring and more. Here is the link to listen: Awakening the Saint Within Us

Let’s re-cap!

1. We are to love God with all our heart, soul and mind! Talk to God first thing upon waking up each morning! Ask Him to remind you of your mission and thank Him for the people in your life!
2. Put effort into your relationship with Christ. Read Scripture, be grateful, prepare yourself for Mass – and lots more suggestion on the video!
3. What you lack does not define you. Think of all you have been blessed with and find your identity in those blessings!

This Facebook Live Video was the first of many! Don’t miss the next one! Subscribe to PrayerWineChocolate and Follow Prayer Wine Chocolate on Facebook!

Want to Awaken the Saint Within a Young Person?

Check out the Be Yourself Journals – one for Girls and ONE FOR BOYS!

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This post contains affiliate links.  See more details on my About Me page.

Saint Gianna’s feast day is April 28th.

3 Ways St. Gianna Leads Us Closer to Jesus

1. Her Intercession

Recently during a visit, I noticed something on the floor of my parent’s house.

I picked it up and saw that it was a pair of Saint Gianna holy cards folded in half.

My son said, “Oh, those are mine”.  He quickly took them and placed them in his coat pocket as he passed by me . . . not sure when he finally stopped.

I couldn’t help but wonder why those holy cards were in his pocket, but, it brought back a vivid memory.

Without sharing to much of our son’s story, I can tell you a St. Gianna holy card spent at least 6 weeks attached to his hospital bed as a newborn.

When he was about 4 years old I heard from a nurse that took care of him in that NICU that her and some other nurses “didn’t think he would make it”.

Thank God I didn’t hear that then.  I knew he was sick, I knew he needed prayers.

I knew St. Gianna was a doctor and a mother.  I had holy cards that had touched her gloves.  I taped one behind his hospital bed name sign.

I asked everyone to pray, and I fell in love with the most wonderful baby boy in the whole world.

Even though I knew a little bit about St. Gianna and how her life ended as a young mother, I didn’t know much about how she viewed her faith and what wise words she had stated while living in this world.

Then I listened to her daughter, Gianna Emmanuela, speak about her “saint Mom” and I realized how far I am from where God wants me to be.

What I’ve come to learn, is that not only is St. Gianna a powerful intercessor, but a wise mentor.

Her words are relevant and full of truth.

Her simple but wise words are helpful to anyone living in the modern world with the hopes of going to heaven one day.

Her witness to true Christianity has inspired her daughter to dedicate her life to her mother’s memory and legacy – even though she only “knew” her for about a week.

Having that physical rectangular holy card helped me.  Attaching it to my son’s name sign was a prayer itself.  But I know that when I asked others devoted to Saint Gianna to pray for “a sick little boy in the NICU” that they prayed too.  They asked St. Gianna to intercede for him.

2. Her Wise Words and Christian Witness to our Modern, Fast-paced  Life

Her simple but wise words are helpful to anyone living in the modern world with the hopes of going to heaven one day.

I love how Catholic artisans have made it possible for us to place reminders of St. Gianna’s wisdom around our homes and in our work spaces.

“One earns paradise with one’s daily task”

Saint Gianna Molla

“The Secret of Happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for all He, in His goodness, sends to us day by day.”

“Whatever God Wants”

3. Her Example and Witness As a Holy Wife and Mother

In the book, Saint Gianna Molla: Wife, Mother, Doctor, Pietro Molla shares his personal insights of the heroic witness, love, sacrifice and joy of his saintly wife.

It is clear he truly loved and admired his wife.  These words take on a whole new life if you have ever heard their youngest daughter, Gianna Emmanuela, speak about her “saint Mama and holy dad”.  She knew her mom only for a week, but truly learned her mother was a model Christian.  Gianna Emmanuela shares letters written between Gianna and Pietro in the work:

The Journey of Our Love: The Letters of Saint Gianna Beretta and Pietro Molla. 

As the book description states:

“From balancing work and family life, to dealing with a long-distance relationship, to parenting, to coping with illness and death, Gianna and Pietro conquered it all. But none of it was accomplished without tremendous trust in each other and in God.”

The transcribing of these letters into a book was done by Gianna Emmanuela.

Gianna Emmanuela has dedicated her life to preserving her “saint mom’s” legacy.  She now travels the world asking for help in the
St. Gianna Restoration Fund Project, also known as the Ponte Nuovo Project.

5 Lessons I Learned From the Daughter of a Saint

The Ponte Nuovo Project’s goal is to honor and promote knowledge of Saint Gianna and her spirituality as well as to spread devotion to her by restoring, as a place of pilgrimage and prayer, the place where she lived as a spouse, a mother, a doctor, and a Martyr to Life in Magenta (Milan), Italy.

Each of the St. Gianna inspired products shown in this article can be purchased by these small business owners who have agreed to give 15% of their profits between now and May 13, 2018 to the St. Gianna Restoration Project.

We thought this would be a great way to honor St. Gianna and allow you to also have something physical to remind you of her great example and how much it means to truly love our God and be His child.

Want more information about the project?  Click here: PDF Document describing The St. Gianna Restoration Project

Want to donate directly to the project?  Click here: Make a donation to the St. Gianna Restoration Project

Saint Gianna is a special saint that can influence both the young and the old.  Here are some kid friendly St. Gianna products:

I know that physical holy card I placed on my son’s hospital bed wasn’t a magic wand.  But having something that physically reminds us of what our life should be about . . .well, it’s helpful.

I don’t know why those holy cards were important to my son, perhaps it was nothing.

But, I can only imagine how important the St. Gianna Restoration Projectis to Gianna Emmanuela.  I’ve read that it was very important to her father as well.

How wonderful would it be to the future of our world to have this place and Saint Gianna’s holy example preserved!

A group of incredibly talented artisans, who are devoted to St. Gianna, and myself, would like to help in our own little way.

Each of the St. Gianna inspired products can be purchased by these small business owners who have agreed to give 15% of their profits between now and May 1, 2018 to the St. Gianna Restoration Project.

We thought this would be a great way to honor St. Gianna and allow you to also have something physical to remind you of her great example and how much it means to truly love our God and be His child.

The small business featured in this article that will be donating a percentage of profits to the St. Gianna Restoration fund are:

Annunciation Designs

SaongJai Catholic Shop

Trendzilly

Just Love Prints

Books Faith Life

The Little Catholic Box

Want to browse more Catholic shops and support Catholic Artisans?  Check out Catholics Online: A Directory of Catholic Social Media Influencers

Did you see what happened that time I went to interview Gianna Emaneula? 5 Lessons I Learned From the Daughter of a Saint

Want to connect with others devoted to Saint Gianna – join the Facebook group Saint Gianna Beretta Molla, Pray for us!

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