This time of year provides some of my favorite feasts on our liturgical calendar. The feast of the archangels (Sept. 29th), St. Therese (Oct. 1st) and the guardian angels (Oct. 2nd).
I've always loved the angels. Something very comforting in thinking about us having an angel, no? I used to read those books you see all over now about "encounters with angels" or some such notion. Now, I tend to simply say the guardian angel prayer whenever I'm worried about something that may transpire that day; it's very soothing.
"Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen."
And St. Therese has always been one of my favorites. Her autobiography is one of the few writings of the saints that I can manage to slog through. Not to knock saints' writings, of course. It's just that oftentimes, I find them...challenging. You know. HEAVY READING. I would classify myself as a *light reading* kind of gal. Her autobiography is just so sweet and touching. A profound read, and a fast one at that. The year Mike and I were engaged, I hosted a St. Therese party on October 1st. I loved that, super fun. It was really just an excuse to get together with my Catholic friends, and what better reason than St. Therese?
As well, this time of the year, (my favorite, as you all know :) I start to think ahead to the start of the upcoming new liturgical year. Usually in October, I start stalking my local Catholic bookstore for the new St. Joseph's Sunday Missal. LOVE that little thing. I bring it to Mass with me every week, and I love that it's specifically for the year in question. No flipping to figure out if we're on cycle A, B or C, and what week in Ordinary Time we happen to be at. Certainly, a permanent missal would be more cost efficient in the long run, but at $5 a year, I stick with good old St. Joseph.
And of course, with the new liturgical year, comes Advent. AAAhhhh, Advent. I so adore Advent and Lent. Two of my other favorite times of the year :)
St. Therese is also one of my favorite saints--and has been since I was a child. I even took her name for confirmation. Her "little way" seems so much more livable than some of the other saints. And, of course, I might be biased, but I've always found a resemblance between her "littleness" and the spirit of St. Francis.
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