SACRED HEART

This beautiful and unique bracelet honors the Sacred Heart.  Hand woven bracelet with delicate Sacred Heart milage medal.  Milagros are little miracles and refer to the medals made in petition or prayer for a special intention.

PRAYER FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

May the grace of the Sacred Heart be with you.
The peace of the Sacred Heart encompass you;
The merits of the Sacred Heart plead for you;
The love of the Sacred Heart inflame you;
The sorrows of the Sacred Heart console you;
The zeal of the Sacred Heart animate you;
The virtues of the Sacred Heart shine forth in your word and work;
And may the joys of the beatific vision be your eternal reward.
AMEN.

May the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary bless and guide us throughout the New Year with peace, love, health and happiness.

Happy New Year to everyone with love and gratitude.

Beautiful and unique handmade chaplet bracelet available on atelierzovak.bigcartel.com

ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE

HAPPY FEAST DAY OF ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE

Unique medal honoring St. Maximilian Kolbe. 

Maximilian Kolbe was born in 1894 in Poland to a poor but pious Catholic family.  His father Julius who fought for Polish independence from Russia was hanged by the Russians in 1914.  His mother Marianne later became a Benedictine nun.  He was a mischievous and wild child but at the age of twelve when he received his First Holy Communion a vision of the Virgin Mary changed his life.

"I asked the Mother of God what was to become of me.  Then she came to me holding two crowns, one white, the other red.  She asked if I was willing to accept either of these crowns.  the white one meant that I should persevere in purity, and the red that I should become a martyr.  I said that I would accept them both." -Saint Maximilian Kolbe

He took his final vows in 1914 and became a Franciscan.  Devoted to his faith, he founded the Militia of Immaculate Mary for conversion and dedication to the Virgin Mary.  In 1922 he began publication of the magazine 'Knight of the Immaculate' to fight religious apathy.  In 1927 he founded a new monastery of Niepokalanow.  In 1930 Maximilian and four brothers left for Japan and founded a monastery in Nagasaki which survived the war and still serves as a center for Franciscan work today. He then went to India but returned to Poland because of his poor health.  He continued to work in the monastery but was arrested in 1939 during the Nazi invasion of Poland.  He was let go soon after and went back to the monastery to continue his work.  They housed 3000 Polish refugees of which two-thirds were Jewish.  In 1941, the monastery was shut down and Maximilian was imprisoned again.  Transferred to Auschwitz, he was branded as prisoner 16670.  He was beaten in prison and left for dead.  He was smuggled into the camp hospital where he recovered and continued ministering to the prisoners saying Mass and giving them communion with smuggled bread and wine.  In July of 1941 Maximilian volunteered to take the place of a married man with young children.  He gave his life in exchange for this man as he had promised the Mother of God so many years ago when he accepted the red crown.

St. Maximilian Kolbe is the patron of families, journalists and against addiction.  His feast day is celebrated on August 14th.

NOVENA PRAYER TO ST. MAXIMILIAN KOLBE

O Lord Jesus Christ, who said, "greater love than this no man has that a man lay down his life for his friends," through the intercession of St. Maximilian Kolbe whose life illustrated such love, we beseech you to grant us our petitions...
(here mention the requests you have).
Through the Militia Immaculata movement, which Maximilian founded, he spread a fervent devotion to Our Lady throughout the world.  He gave up his life for a total stranger and loved his persecutors, giving us an example of unselfish love for all men - a love that was inspired by true devotion to Mary.
Grant, O Lord Jesus, that we too may give ourselves entirely without reserve to the love and service of our Heavenly Queen in order to better love and serve our fellowman in imitation of your humble servant, Maximilian. Amen.
(Say 3 Hail Marys and a glory Be)

PRAY FOR NEPAL

WE PRAY FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE EARTHQUAKE IN NEPAL:

GOD OF HOPE, HEAR OUR PRAYER.

This unique little bracelet is a reminder for us to pray for the people of Nepal and their intentions.

This sacramental is handmade with a beautiful little Miraculous Mary medal in the colors of the Nepalese flag.  The Miraculous Mary medal is "testimony faith and the power of prayer.  It's greatest miracles are those of patience, forgiveness, repentance and faith."  

A percentage of the proceeds of the sale of the bracelets will be donated to Catholic Relief Services for the people of Nepal.

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

Immaculate Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus and my mother, I come to you with confidence in your powerful intercession, manifested through your Miraculous Medal.  As your loving, trustful child I ask this favor... Obtain for me as well, a pure heart, that my entire life may give glory to God. Amen

O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you.

ST. GIANNA MOLLA

HAPPY FEAST DAY OF ST GIANNA MOLLA!

"Love your children.  In them you can see Baby Jesus.  Pray for them a lot and every day put them under Holy Mary's protection."

+ St. Gianna Molla +

Patroness of mothers, physicians and unborn babies.

ALLELUIA!

FEAST DAY OF ST. JOSEPH

(The following quotes are from St. Teresa of Avila about her devotion to St. Joseph.)

“I took for my advocate and lord the glorious Saint Joseph and commended myself earnestly to him; and I found that this my father and lord delivered me both from this trouble and also from other and greater troubles concerning my honor and the loss of my soul, and that he gave me greater blessings than I could ask of him. I do not remember even now that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant. I am astonished at the great favors which God has bestowed on me through this blessed saint, and at the perils from which He has freed me, both in body and in soul. To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succor us in some of our necessities but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succors us in them all and that the Lord wishes to teach us that as He was Himself subject to him on earth (for, being His guardian and being called His father, he could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that he asks. This has also been the experience of other persons whom I have advised to commend themselves to him; and even to-day there are many who have great devotion to him through having newly experienced this truth.” “I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to this glorious saint, for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God. I have never known anyone to be truly devoted to him and render him particular services who did not notably advance in virtue, for he gives very real help to souls who commend themselves to him. For some years now, I think, I have made some request of him every year on his festival and I have always had it granted. If my petition is in any way ill directed, he directs it aright for my greater good.”

“I only beg, for the love of God, that anyone who does not believe me will put what I say to the test, and he will see by experience what great advantages come from his commending himself to this glorious patriarch and having devotion to him. Those who practice prayer should have a special affection for him always. I do not know how anyone can think of the Queen of the Angels, during the time that she suffered so much with the Child Jesus, without giving thanks to Saint Joseph for the way he helped them. If anyone cannot find a master to teach him how to pray, let him take this glorious saint as his master and he will not go astray.” (Autobiography Chapter 6).

HAPPY FEAST DAY OF ST. JOSEPH

IRISH BLESSINGS

"May the good saints protect you,

And bless you today.

And may troubles ignore you,

Each step of the way."

+ Irish Blessing +

BLESSED LENT

Blessings to everyone on their

Lenten journey 

of prayer, fasting and giving.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

WISHING EVERYONE A HAPPY NEW YEAR FILLED

WITH HAPPINESS, HEALTH, PEACE AND MANY, 

MANY BLESSINGS

from ATELIER ZOVAK

MERRY AND BLESSED CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas

Sretan Bozic

Buon Natale

Joyeux Noel

Feliz Navidad

Froehliche Weihnachten

Nollaig Shona Dhuit

Wesolych Swait

Bozego Narodzenia

God Jul

CHRIST THE KING

What child is this, who, lay to rest,

On Mary's lap is sleeping?

Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,

While shepherds watch are keeping?

This, this is Christ the King,

Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:

Haste, haste to bring Him laud,

The Babe, the Son of Mary

SAINT JOHN PAUL ll

Unique medal honoring St. John Paul ll.

Pope John Paul ll was born Karol Josef Woytyla on May 18, 1920 in Wadowice, Poland.  He was ordained a priest in 1946.  He became cardinal in 1967 and the pope in 1978.  He made history by becoming the first non-Italian pope in more than 400 years.  As the Vicar of Christ and the successor of St. Peter, he has revolutionized the office of the modern pope.  He has taken his mission out of the Vatican and traveled to more than 100 countries spreading his message of faith and peace.  He had a great love of prayer, especially Eucharistic prayer.  He has written an extraordinary number of encyclicals, letters and homilies.  He canonized 482 saints and beatified 1,338 people.  He was also a vocal advocate for human rights who was credited with the fall of communism in his native Poland.

Pope John Paul ll was a great influence on the youth.  He always had a wonderful relationship from his early days as a priest by inviting them to mass, conferences, hiking and spending time outdoors until his last days as the pope always inspiring them with his strong faith and love for them.  He reached out to them when he became pope and gathered with millions of youth around the world throughout his pontificate and during World Youth Day.  Pope John Paul ll was blessed with charisma and a youthful spirit and it showered through the love that the youth had for him.

"Do not be afraid to be the saints of the new millennium, if you become what you are, you will set the whole world on fire."

+St. John Paul ll+

Pope John Paul ll died on April 2, 2005.  Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who became Pope Bendict XVI, presided at the funeral Mass and concluded his homily by saying: "None of us can ever forget how, on the last Easter Sunday of his llife, the Holy Father, marked by suffering, came once more to the window of the Apostolic Palace and one last time gave his blessing urbi et orbi ('to the city and to the world').

St. John Paul ll is the patron of World Youth Day.  His feast day is celebrated on October 22nd.

DOWN SYNDROME AWARENESS

LIFE IS A BLESSING COLLECTION

October is Down Syndrome Awareness month.

These unique and beautiful sacramentals celebrate life and remind us that "life is a blessing".  Wear these powerful sacramentals in honor of those with Down syndrome.

In honor of life and Dr. Jerome Lejeune, a percentage of the proceeds of the 'Life is a Blessing' collection will be donated to the Jerome Lejeune Foundation.  Dr. Jerome Lejeune was a passionate doctor, a dedicated research worker and a valiant defender of life.  He discovered that the presence of an extra twenty-first chromosome causes Down syndrome.  Dr. Lejeune was an incredible role model to many by his ability to combine his Catholic faith with his amazing abilities as a scientist.

Handmade in the awareness colors of Down syndrome, blue and yellow, these sacramentals are a reminder as Dr. Jerome Lijeune said that 'Before God and man we bear witness that for us every human is a person'.

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.

This beautiful little wrap is a wonderful reminder to honor, remember and support women with breast cancer.  Wear this bracelet in honor of your grandmother, mother, sister, daughter, cousin, friend, neighbor and all women with breast caner.  The tiny Miraculous Mary medal or St. Michael the Archangel medal is strung unto pink cord and has a slip knot closure which is adjustable.  the sacramental comes wrapped on a cared, ready for giving.  This bracelet is also a wonderful reminder to pray everyday for those who have breast cancer.

A percentage of the sale of this little sacramental will be donated to Atalie's Hope, a not for profit foundation dedicated to helping children of women who have lost their fight with breast cancer.  Along with breast cancer awareness, Atalie's Hope supports children both emotionally and financially to bring comfort and a little bit of joy.

PRAYER TO ST. AGATHA FOR HEALING OF BREAST CANCER

St. Agatha, woman of valor, from your own suffering we have been moved to ask your prayers for those of us who suffer from breast cancer.  We place the name (s) before you, and ask you to intercede on their behalf.  from where you stand in the health of life eternal - all wounds healed, and all tears wiped away - pray for _____________, and all of us.  Pray God will give us His holy benediction of health and healing.  And, we remember  you were a victim of torture and that you learned, first hand, of human cruelty and inhumanity.  We ask you to pray for our entire world.  Ask God to enlighten us with a "genius for peace and understanding."  Ask Him to send us His Spirit of Serenity, and ask Him to help us share that peace with all we meet.  From what you learned, from your own path of pain, ask God to give us the Grace we need to remain holy in difficulties, not allowing our anger or our bitterness to overtake us.  Pray that we will be more peaceful and more charitable.  And from your holy place in our mystical body, the Church, pray that we, in our place and time will. together, create a world of justice and peace. Amen.