Happy Birthday New Horizons

HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY NEW HORIZONS

 

New Horizons is three years old today. When I commenced the world of blogging 3 years ago, it was a new adventure taken at the beginning of a new decade in my life on my 50th birthday. As I commenced this blog,my desire was to encourage my Catholic brothers and sisters to discover and enhance their Catholic faith.

During these last three years, I have felt excited to post regularly. I have been heartened by some comments and have been able to connect with my readers through the stats. This meant I could see what people were interested in and what countries were having a read.  I wish to thank all readers who have taken this journey with me and I hope you will continue to enjoy following my blog as we journey into 2013.

 From time to time this year, my posts were less than regular as I enter into another phase  of my life.  I  felt my creative spirit and energy left me. Thank you for continuing to check in on New Horizons and not losing hope that I would return again.

Please feel free to give me feedback on any posts that assisted you grow in your faith or any posts that you enjoyed reading. I would also be interested in hearing of a topic or series of topics that may interest you, and of course pass on my blog address to your friends and family who may be interested.

If you wish to give New Horizons a birthday present, please click on the donate widget. to the right of the post.   All proceeds will go to a well deserving cause.

I hope you will continue to enjoy following my blog as we journey into 2013. I look forward to posting daily during 2013 and hope and pray that

New Horizons does help you to discover and enhance your Catholic faith.

Two Great Feasts in November to think about

Origins of All Saints Day and All Souls Day

The feasts of All Saints Day and All Souls Day, when Catholics are encouraged to offer Masses and prayers for our deceased family members and relatives, were the living expression of a doctrine which stretched back to the earliest era of Christianity, and which is embodied in the Apostles' Creed.

The origin of All Saints Day is to be found in the prayers made to the martyr saints of the persecuted Church in the early centuries.  All Souls Day reflects the constant teaching of the Church, stretching back into the Old Testament period where it is record in the Book Maccabees, " It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to prayer for the dead, that they may loosed from their sins'

It seems a tragedy that All Saints Day is less recognized that Halloween, now a secular celebration of what was once the day before All Hallows (Saints) Day.

In Australia in 2001, the Australian bishops made a decision to reduce the number of Holy Days of Obligation, with the great feast of All Saints Day and All Souls Day (albeit an unofficial  Holy Day of Obligation) disappearing from the awareness of  even practising Catholics. As a consequence of that decision, a diminished awareness of the doctrine of Communion of Saints has resulted, a doctrine which teaches that believers on earth are united in a spiritual fellowship with the saints in Heaven and the souls in Purgatory.

These beautiful feasts days are both a source of inspiration and a consolation that we, in the world as the pilgrim Church can aspire to be reunited with our families and friends who are the Church triumphant in the joyful perfection of Heaven.  We can also give the souls in purgatory- great consolation by our prayers and Masses since we can pray for them, but they cannot pray for themselves.  Let us assist them by our prayers, works of charity, offering up our day and trials for them and attending Mass for their souls not only on these great feasts, but also during the month of November.

Let these great feasts touch our spiritual consciousness this year.