We have a Teenager in the House!

Today was Geneva's 13th Birthday! It seems the time has gone so quickly. We had a terrific dinner, delicious desserts and she got a couple of nice gifts to mark the special occasion!

Thinking about this being the beginning of her teen years, I wondered if there was a Patron Saint of Teenagers. Sure enough, there is! It is Saint Aloysius Gonzaga, who is known as the Patron Saint of Teenagers and young Catholics. St. Aloysius wanted to be a priest from a young age and wanted to become a Saint out of sheer willpower. When he entered the Jesuits, he was advised to discontinue his boot-camp type of approach and simply follow regular prayer and acts of self-control and self-denial. He thought this approach was too easy, but obeyed nonetheless, which pleased his superiors. He once said, "I am a piece of twisted iron. I entered the religious life to get twisted straight." He died at a young age while compassionately caring for the sick in Rome during the plague of 1591.

Blessed are you Lord, God of all creation. You gave Saint Aloysius both a wonderful innocence of life and a deep spirit of penance. Through his merits, grant that Geneva's young life may be saved from the spirit of this world and have the same sense of innocence and spirit of penance as Saint Aloysius. Through Christ we Pray, Amen.

Happy Birthday, Geneva! We love you!

Making a wish...