Entries by Debbie Staresinic

How to Build a Culture of Life

Our Christian Identity  ​An authentic understanding of our deepest identity as beloved children of God is the foundation for building a culture of life! To understand more fully how to defend and protect human life, we must first consider who we are, at the deepest level. God creates us in his image and likeness, which […]

A Birthday Party for Mary

Last year on September 8th my husband and I had a birthday party for Mary. We invited the kids and grandkids over to celebrate. The little ones were very excited. Like all children they love birthday parties. They brought a beautiful cake, baked and decorated by their mom, with pink rosettes for the special occasion. We […]

A Gift for You: Free Rosary App

On a Mission to Love Rosary App You asked. We listened! Listen to the sweet voices of children praying the rosary with On a Mission to Love. Pray all five decades of the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries by tapping “Listen in Browser” on the SoundCloud icons below . Add the app to your […]

Transforming Schools, Inspiring Saints, and Changing the World

Banners are popping up in schools throughout the country proclaiming: We are a TOB Campus – A Community of Persons Where Everybody is Seen as a Gift. Why all the excitement? And what does TOB Campus even mean? A TOB Campus embraces the following… we are first and foremost a Catholic school, fully committed to […]

The Total and Fruitful Love of Mary the Bride

By Laura Ercolino Pope John Paul II used 4 words to describe how men and women are called to respond with the gift of themselves to the love of Christ as spiritual brides: free, total, faithful, and fruitful. This is the language of spousal love – human and divine. Think for a minute of the […]

The Rosary of Abandonment: Jesus, You Take Over

The Rosary of Abandonment by Fr. Dolindo Ruotolo God come to my assistance. Lord make haste to help me. Glory be. Our Father. Hail Mary. 1st Decade: Jesus, You take over! (10 times on the beads of the Hail Mary). Glory be. 2nd Decade: Mother Mary, guide me. (10 times on the beads of the Hail Mary). Glory be. 3rd Decade: Jesus […]

The Surrender Novena

O JESUS, I SURRENDER MYSELF TO YOU, TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING! This novena was given by Jesus to Servant of God Fr. Don Dolindo Ruotolo  (1882-1970), a parish priest from Naples, Italy, who lived a life of tremendous suffering. Jesus’ teaching about total abandonment is for all of us. Jesus asks us to trust Him […]

Novena to the Holy Spirit

The novena in honor of the Holy Spirit is the oldest of all novenas since it was first made at the direction of Our Lord Himself when He sent His apostles back to Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost. It is still the only novena officially prescribed by […]

A Gift for You: Child of God Print

Imagine placing this little prayer beside your child’s bed as a loving reminder of who they are and why God made them. We are delighted to offer this print as a complement to our book. On a Mission to Love: Rosary Meditations for Children and Families Rooted in St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body (TOB) […]

Divine Mercy Novena

Open each day with the Divine Mercy Chaplet then say the prayer for the day’s intention: First Day: Today bring to Me ALL MANKIND, ESPECIALLY ALL SINNERS, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me. […]

Following Jesus to Calvary During Holy Week with the Rosary

Reflect with Fr. F. X. Lasance on Our Lord’s Passion while praying the Sorrowful Mysteries. All five mysteries may be prayed each day during Holy Week. Or you may pray one mystery each day beginning on Holy Monday leading up to the Crucifixion on Good Friday. The Agony in the Garden In the Garden of […]

Full Text of Consecration of Russia and Ukraine

Pope Francis has asked the bishops of the world to join him on March 25 in consecrating Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Here is the full text of the prayer: O Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, in this time of trial we turn to you. As our Mother, you […]

The Sorrowful Mysteries During Lent

This Lent, consider praying the Sorrowful Mysteries with reflections and artwork from on a Mission to Love. Free PDF download at bottom of post. Make this Lent your holiest ever! Your sister in Christ, Debbie The Sorrowful Mysteries The Agony in the Garden   VIRTUE: OBEDIENCE Our Father… 1. After sharing His last meal […]

Marriage and the Cross of Christ

Imagine a world without divorce. No more broken families. No more hearts torn apart. A small town in Europe has identified the key to lasting marriages. They see marriage as a cross indissolubly united to the Cross of Christ. This is the Catholic view of marriage. Read about the inspiring Croatian tradition of the Marriage Cross and […]

Letter to My Goddaughter Marrying Outside of the Church

The following letter written by Janet E. Smith, Ph.D. is filled with wisdom, truth, and charity. My husband and I agonize over wedding invitations from our godchildren, nieces, and nephews marrying outside of the Church. If you are in a similar situation I think you will find this to be a tremendous resource. Thank you, […]

Nine Days for Life Novena

January 19-21, 2022 9 Days for Life is an initiative of the USCCB for the protection of human life. Each day’s intention is accompanied by a short reflection and followed by 1 Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, & 1 Glory Be. Day 1 ​Abortion tragically rejects the truth that every life is a good and perfect […]

The Father’s Love Revealed in the Body

Mary laid Jesus in a manger, a feeding trough, as a hint that one day He would be bread for the world.  Moreover, Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a town whose name means “House of Bread.” Scripture is filled with signs and symbols foreshadowing the Good News of the Gospel. Carefully construed, every detail has […]

Homily for the Feast of the Holy Family

By: Fr. Mike Lagrimas The basic unit of society is the family. And so, when the family is weakened, the whole society crumbles. This is what Pope St. John Paul said: “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Nowadays, we clearly see how the […]

Prayer in Defense of Marriage

God our Father, we give you thanksfor the gift of marriage: the bond of life and love,and the font of the family. The love of husband and wife enriches your Church with children,fills the world with a multitude of spiritual fruitfulness and service,and is the sign of the love of your Son, Jesus Christ, for […]

God Will Work Miracles if You Let Him

Mary’s expectations of God we’re unlimited. She believed and trusted in him completely despite an uncertain future. When the angel Gabrielle says to Mary that “Nothing is impossible with God”, do we really believe it? How high are our expectations of God? God can work miracles if you let him. It doesn’t matter how you […]

Married in the Church and in the Trinity

“The two shall become as one. They are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore let no man separate what God has joined.” —Mark 10:8-9 In a culture that is becoming increasingly anti-Catholic, anti-Christian, anti-marriage and anti-family, Catholics are increasingly getting married outside the Church. The beauty and truth of God’s plan for marriage has […]