Today is my 10th wedding anniversary and I'm very thankful to God for my beautiful wife Mary.

Our Wedding at St. Mary of the Assumption in Lake Leelanau, Michigan

When I started thinking back to the many different milestones and adventures along the way, I couldn't believe it. It seemed impossible that everything happened in that amount of time. However, I also started thinking about what more I can do as a Husband and Father, or should I say NEED to do. And then it hit me.

While 10 years seems like a long time, it's nothing compared to eternity. My number one job on this earth is to love God, my wife, and children. If I do that with all my heart, strength, and courage I will have succeeded in my marriage and in leading them to Heaven.

I have a prayer that I want to share. This prayer asks for the intercession of St. Paul of the Cross, whose feast day we celebrate today. I also pray it regularly with my other daily prayers.

St. Paul of the Cross

O glorious Saint Paul of the Cross, who, by meditating on the Passion of Jesus Christ, didst attain to so high a degree of holiness on earth and of happiness in Heaven, and, by preaching the same Passion, didst offer anew to the world the most certain cure for all its ills, obtain for us the grace to keep it ever deeply engraved in our hearts, that so we may be able to reap the same fruits both in time and in eternity. Amen.

Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife and I pray each day for the strength and courage to be the best husband and father I can be.

Photo of St. Paul of the Cross is from A Catholic Child's Illustrated Lives of the Saints by L.E. McCullough.

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I love it when I learn something new about the Catholic Faith. I received an email from The Catholic Company advertising a book called A Prayerbook of Favorite Litanies and it mentioned "only six litanies approved for use during public prayer". Naturally, I tried my best to name all six. I wasn't successful. Don't keep reading if you want to give it a try.

Here's the approved litanies for public prayer...

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus - Litaniae de Sacratissimo Corde Iesu

Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus - Litaniae Sanctissimi Nominis Iesu

Litany of the Most Precious Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ - Litaniae pretiosissimi Sanguinis Domini Nostri Iesu Christi

Litany of the Saints - Litaniae Sanctorum

Litany of Loreto ("Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary") - Litaniae Lauretanae

Litany of St. Joseph - Litaniae Sancti Ioseph

To view or download all the litanies, you can visit The 6 Litanies Approved for Public Recitation at fish eaters.

I also posted the Litany of St. Joseph last March.

Don't forget that the month of June is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so it's a great time to pray the Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!

Photo from catholicseeking.blogspot.com

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I almost have it memorized and hopefully after this Easter Season I will. During the Easter Season we replace the Angelus with the Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven).

Queen of Heaven, rejoice, alleluia. / For He whom you did merit to bear, alleluia.

Has risen, as he said, alleluia. / Pray for us to God, alleluia.

Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia. / For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.

Let us pray. O God, who gave joy to the world through the resurrection of Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, grant we beseech Thee, that through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, His Mother, we may obtain the joys of everlasting life. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

You can learn more about the Regina Coeli at Catholic Culture.

Now if I was only close enough to a Catholic Church to hear the bells I wouldn't have to set my Google Calendar to remind me!

He is Risen, Alleluia! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!

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I was looking around for some prayers for wives, etc. and found one in here A Catholic Prayer Book by John F. Kippley that I liked. It's a great collection of prayers and this prayer will be another addition to my Daily Prayers page.

Prayer for My Wife

Heavenly Father, I thank You for the gift of (your wife's name). Help me always to see her as a gift from You to me. Help me to be the good husband and father You want me to be. Father, please help my wife to be the good woman You want her to be. Help her to grow in all the virtues she needs as wife, mother, and homemaker. Help her to be the real heart of our family, and help her to accept the leadership that You have entrusted to my care. Help us to be good parents and to grow ever closer as we grow old together. I ask this in the name of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Read a new post at Catholic Dads about New Novena for Families and I wanted to share.

Fr. Francisco Faus of São Paulo, Brazil has added the Novena For Families (click to print), to the other popular Novenas, Novena for Work and the Novena for the Sick.

Here's a quick note about the Novena for Families...

This Novena, prepared for couples by Fr Francisco Faus, aims to ask God through the intercession of St Josemaría, for the grace to maintain or continually improve a truly Christian family, on the bedrock of the love for Christ and the example of the Holy Family, the foundations on which — with the grace of the Holy Spirit — every Christian family should be built.

I'm looking forward to praying this Novena for Families with my family. One of the staples of my prayer list is from St. Josemaria Escriva, his booklet Praying the Rosary with St. Josemaria Escriva, is one of my favorite ways to say the Rosary.

Photo from Josemaria Escriva. Founder of Opus Dei

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I've been so busy with work and having a limited computer at home (Toshiba!), I wasn't able to put together a nice post to honor Good St. Joseph. Instead, here is one of my favorite prayers to the holiest example of Catholic Fatherhood we have!

Litany of St. Joseph

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Jesus, hear us.
Jesus, graciously hear us.

God, the Father of Heaven,
have mercy on us.

God, the Son, Redeemer of the world,
have mercy on us.

God, the Holy Spirit,
have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, One God,
have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Renowned offspring of David, pray for us.
Light of Patriarchs, pray for us.
Spouse of the Mother of God, pray for us.
Chaste guardian of the Virgin, pray for us.
Foster father of the Son of God, pray for us.
Diligent protector of Christ, pray for us.
Head of the Holy Family, pray for us.
Joseph most just, pray for us.
Joseph most chaste, pray for us.
Joseph most prudent, pray for us.
Joseph most strong, pray for us.
Joseph most obedient, pray for us.
Joseph most faithful, pray for us.
Mirror of patience, pray for us.
Lover of poverty, pray for us.
Model of artisans, pray for us.
Glory of home life, pray for us.
Guardian of virgins, pray for us.
Pillar of families, pray for us.
Solace of the wretched, pray for us.
Hope of the sick, pray for us.
Patron of the dying, pray for us.
Terror of demons, pray for us.
Protector of Holy Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world.
Have mercy on us.

He made him the lord of his household.
And prince over all his possessions.

Let us pray. O God, in your ineffable providence you were pleased to choose Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother; grant, we beg you, that we may be worthy to have him for our intercessor in heaven whom on earth we venerate as our Protector: You who live and reign forever and ever. Amen.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Photo via SUNDRY THOUGHTS OF KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

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Our Lady of Guadalupe, mystical rose, make intercession for Holy Church, protect the Sovereign Pontiff, help all those who invoke thee in their necessities, and since thou art the ever Virgin Mary and Mother of the true God, obtain for us from thy most holy Son the grace of keeping our faith, sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life, burning charity and the precious gift of final perseverance. Amen.

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Pray for Us!

Our Lady of Guadalupe at Sancta.org

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