The Feast of St. Thomas the Apostle

The Feast of St. Thomas is tomorrow and we think it's a great time to contemplate his question to Jesus, "How can we know the way?" In our situation, we are daily questioned on product, on trust and on faith. "How do you choose what to buy? How do you decide what companies to trust, what publishers to carry? Do you have faith in the economy, in the choices of our leaders? Well, let's face it, like you, we put our trust and our faith in Jesus, in the belief in the power of His Spirit. The Case for Jesus by Brant Pitre gives us all the evidence we need to know that He is real. He is here. We do not have to put our hands in his wounds to know because He Himself tells us that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. If we take time with Him at Mass and in prayer, in study and by caring for and loving one another, we know the very thing that St. Thomas witnessed. We know that Jesus is with us in the day to day decisions. We know that like St Thomas, we too can say with all certainty, as the Eucharist is raised, "My Lord and My God." And it is in that trust, that faith, that belief in the power of the Holy Spirit, that we make decisions that effect others and just like you, we depend on good authors and faithful vendors as well as recommendations from customers and friends, but most importantly, we rely on prayer. On this weekend, we especially pray for the leaders of our country and for all those who defend our freedom. We pray through the intercession of St. Thomas, that we, God's people,  put on hold all doubt, all skepticism, and seek together to find the Way, the Truth and the Life...our life, as one, in Jesus Christ.
 

Saved Sacramentals

"Sacramentals help draw us closer to Christ. With prayer and with the proper intention, the many beautiful sacramentals help us focus on that which is holy. Although we do not need them for salvation, sacramentals draw us into deeper devotion and prayer." - Amazing Graces

We love antiques. We have couches and chairs and desks handed down from our parents and their parents and aunts and uncles...well, you get it. They carry meaning. They have history. Many were handcrafted. Things are "just not made like they used to be." Point is, we love them mainly because they bring back memories. Good times. Joy. So, as we travel, we search through local antique stores and as we do, we find many of our beautiful sacramentals. Some are well displayed and cared for but often we find them dirty and mis-marked. We have begun collecting and cleaning our sacramental finds and putting them in the store so they can go to new homes that appreciate and love them as we do. Looking up the history and thinking about who could have had these pieces in their homes has become a true joy. The statue of the Blessed Mother that was prayed in front of for the son or daughter going off to war. The picture of the Sacred Heart that blessed the multi-family home because of His promise "I will bless every place where a picture of my Heart is exposed and honored." The crucifix with the rubbed smooth feet of Jesus from constant prayers by a husband for his wife each time she gave birth. These beautiful gifts of grace carry meaning and are meant to bring us closer to Christ, to His Mother, to the Saints and to the joy of our faith. They draw us into prayer and help us to focus on our journey to become Saints. Our Saved Sacramentals section has become a very popular area inside the store. And, well, it should. Our customers love the history and the stories as much as we do!