Merry Christmas!

But there will be no gloom for her that was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he will make glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased its joy; they rejoice before Thee as with joy at the harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of His burden, and the staff for His shoulder, the rod of His oppressor, thou hast broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." 
Isaiah 9: 1-6 
First Reading for Christmas Midnight Mass

Little Miracles

So it's pretty safe to say I've been rather frustrated for the past five and a half hours of my life. I was at work, we set up for the show and then when we were all done setting up we had nothing to do until the show was over, which meant four and a half hours of just sitting in the sound booth.  I had brought my laptop with to try and do some things, but of course - the internet connection was terrible.  Now, it has been a pain once in a while before, but it has never been as bad as it was tonight.  I think the longest I was able to stay connected for one period of time was about five minutes, and then I'd lose connection and have to wait five to ten minutes before it would pick up the signal.  So I fought with the internet for about four and a half hours.  Then the show finished, and it was a really big concert so there was a rather large stage strike... and only four of us to do it so it took at least an hour and twenty minutes, which was frustrating because I ended up not getting to chat with one of my friends.  So I got back to my dorm in time to say goodnight to my friend, and have continued to struggle with the internet for the past 30 minutes.

Now, you may well wonder why I am still struggling with the internet when I could and should just go to bed... and actually, it isn't all of the internet that is being a pain right now, just YouTube, Amazon and ITunes and any place where I would look for a certain song I really, really wanted to find.  And yes, this is where the little miracle comes in.  To understand it completely though, we have to go back about... oh five years.

I was about thirteen at the time.  One of my mom's friends had given us a few cd's to borrow, actually, I think it was just the one cd.  As I remembered tonight, it was the "Wow Worship: Yellow" CD.  We borrowed it for several weeks and listened to many times, and I remember there was one song I particularly fell in love with.  It was beautiful, and the music was so wonderfully celtic and uplifting and the melody really struck a chord with me.  (No pun intended).  In fact, I can still remember very clearly sitting in our van, I believe I was in the first or second bench, but either way I was in the middle seat, waiting for my mom to come out of the pharmacy, and we were listening to that song.  That may have even been the first time I heard it, I'm not sure. When the time came to return the CD, I begged my mom to try and find a copy and buy it so I could have that song again.  She looked in all sorts of Christian Bookstores, but could not find it anywhere.

I never forgot that song, even after I couldn't remember the name or the band or the lyrics or even the melody.  All I could remember was that it sounded celtic, it was beautiful, the cover of the CD was yellow and that I wanted to find it again. When I saw WOW CD's at the bookstores, I would look at the track listings, hoping I would recognize the title.  Now I am not entirely sure why I didn't ever go ask the family we borrowed the CD from about the song... I guess because I usually thought about the song when I was in a bookstore, and I've never been in a bookstore with them.

Then tonight, I was at work.  The concert that came through was a Christian ministry organization, and this was their Christmas Concert fundraiser sort of thing.  It was very long, and full of praise and Christmas songs and prayer and Scripture readings.  I half listened to it, mostly because I was frustrated with my internet.  Then, towards the end of the show, they started to sing this song and something sounded familiar.  For whatever reason, my mind instantly jumped to my mystery song and I began searching WOW cds on Amazon.  I looked at all the yellow ones I could find, but I still didn't connect the song the choir was singing to the song that I had been looking for.  I couldn't listen to any of them then, plus the internet still was being a pain, so I finally decided to just wait until I got back to my room.

Of course, as I said before, anything with music wasn't working so I hadn't narrowed down a CD... than I remembered seeing the song "Here I Am To Worship" listed on one of the yellow CDs.  To make a long story short, my mom heard that song last year at a friend's concert, knew she had heard it before, but couldn't remember who had sung the version she liked.  When I realized that this was on one of the yellow cds and the artist was not one we had listened to when we had been trying to find the version a year ago... I figured out that it must be that CD.  I looked at the track list, and there on the same CD as "Here I am to Worship" was the song at the concert.  I knew it had to be the same song, and bits and pieces started coming back to me.

That was when the Internet really started giving me trouble.  Nothing that played music would work.  Not Amazon, not Playlist, not ITunes, not Youtube.  I found the WOW version, but it wouldn't load so I restarted my computer.  Still, the video on YouTube would. not. work.  I told myself that I'd waited about seven years, a few more hours wouldn't make a difference, but my stubborn side declared I was not going to bed until I had heard the song.  While the video was loading, I decided that I would start saying my night prayers.  I began with my "Spiritual Communion", and I was not halfway through when the video started playing.  Only the first 43 seconds loaded, the rest still hasn't, but I heard enough to know that after seven years, I had found my song.

The Feast of Divine Mercy

"I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls... On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment." - the Words of Jesus in Saint Faustina's Diary

Today is the Feast of Divine Mercy, proclaimed by Pope John Paul II on the date of Saint Faustina's canonization.  It truly is a wonderful feast and I encourage you all to take advantage of it!  Here's a good site you can check out for more information.  : http://divinemercysunday.com/

These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

I love gifts.  Getting them, making them, giving them... I love everything about gifts.  Gift giving is my love language, it's how I show love and it's the best way for others to make me feel loved.

I think that that's one of the reason's why I love Christmas so much, because of the gifts.  I don't think I'll ever lose the excited anticipation I have for tearing open wrapping paper to see what I've received that year.  I know I'll never lose the joy that comes from watching others open up the gifts that I've given them.

Of course, the present I am most excited for is the gift that I am given every year... Christ the Lord.  I can only imagine how much joy it gives God to give us the gift of His Son, and how much more joy we give to Him when we receive His present joyfully and gratefully.  I know it disappoints me when people aren't quite as excited about the gifts I've carefully picked and wrapped for them as I had hoped.  So this year, let's all try that much harder to receive God's gift of love to us with joy and happiness, and thank Him with all our hearts.

Feast of Christ the King

Today is the feast of Christ the King, an important feast in the Catholic Church, as well as the end of the liturgical year. It follows naturally that I would write today's poem about Our Lord. I'm afraid it is not very good, but I hope it will please Him.

All give hail to our glorious King
Majesty He is, peace He brings
In resplendent array He comes
King of our hearts, King of our homes
With glad voices His praises sing.

With mercy for every being
Can't you see Him kind smiling?
Arms wide open and warm welcome
King of our Hearts

He makes an end of suffering
No more will we feel death's sharp sting
No better place then His Kingdom
Such a King brings joy to thralldom
His love is here in everything
King of our Hearts.

International Day of Blasphemy

Yes, you read the title right. Today is the first International Day of Blasphemy, complete with art exhibits and a contest.

How far will people push God?

I was able to find Prayers of Reparation for Blasphemy, that I thought I would share with you all. I encourage you to pray them, as well as pray for the conversion and repentance of all those who are involved with this.


Golden Arrow

May the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, most mysterious and unutterable Name of God be always praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified in heaven on earth and under the earth, by all the creatures of God, and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar.
Imprimatur - T. J. Toolen, Archbishop of Mobile-Birm

Praise to the Holy Name of Jesus

May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!
May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!
May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!
May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!
May the Holy Name of Jesus be infinitely blessed!


Act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, animated with a desire to repair the outrages unceasingly offered to Thee, we prostrate before Thy throne of mercy, and in the name of all mankind, pledge our love and fidelity to Thee.

The more Thy mysteries are blasphemed, the more firmly we shall believe them, O Sacred Heart of Jesus!

The more impiety endeavors to extinguish our hope of immortality, the more we shall trust in Thy Heart, sole Hope of mankind!

The more hearts resist Thy Divine attractions, the more we shall love Thee, O infinitely amiable Heart of Jesus!

The more unbelief attacks Thy Divinity, the more humbly and profoundly we shall adore It, O Divine Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy holy laws are transgressed and ignored, the more we shall delight to observe them, O most holy Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Sacraments are despised and abandoned, the more frequently we shall receive them with love and reverence, O most generous Heart of Jesus!

The more the imitation of Thy virtues is neglected and forgotten, the more we shall endeavor to practice them, O Heart, model of every virtue!

The more the devil labors to destroy souls, the more we shall be inflamed with desire to save them, O Heart of Jesus, zealous Lover of souls!

The more sin and impurity destroy the image of God in man, the more we shall try by purity of life to be a living temple of the Holy Spirit, O Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Holy Church is despised, the more we shall endeavor to be her faithful children, O Sweet Heart of Jesus!

The more Thy Vicar on earth is persecuted, the more will we honor him as the infallible head of Thy Holy Church, show our fidelity and pray for him, O kingly Heart of Jesus!

O Sacred Heart, through Thy powerful grace, may we become Thy apostles in the midst of a corrupted world, and be Thy crown in the kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

Nihil Obstat - John J. Clifford, S.J. Censor Liborum
Imprimatur - + Samuel A. Stritch, December 17, 1943 Archbishop of Chicago.

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Prayer of the Sacred Heart
by Bishop Roger Kaffer

O my Jesus, I love You! I love You! I love You! Most Sacred Heart, Most Sacred Love of my lover, My Savior, My God and my all! How can you love me? So unworthy, so fragile, so fickle! Yet You do and I know it and I cannot tell You how deeply, how immensely and how intensely and completely I wish to return Your love for me - by living, dying and bringing honor and glory to You by helping in a priestly and selfless way to spread Your kingdom. O Christ My King! All that I am, have and do I give to You! No strings! No conditions! Just total, confident love. There is nothing, Lord Jesus, nothing at all that You cannot have - nothing at all that I will not give - or give up - if You want me to. I know this is easier to say than to do. I know that I am a coward and a sinner and a weakling. But my confidence and love for You is such that I know whatever You ask, You will more than give the strength to give You - not fearfully, reluctantly, begrudgingly - but cheerfully and gladly. Your Will! Let me do Your Will my Jesus! Completely, totally, unreservedly - with no strings attached! I love You! I love You! I love You! I wish to be completely and totally Yours. Come Lord Jesus! Come into my heart, come into my soul, come into my body and take me, possess me, transform me, only keep me always close to You - then dispose of me as You will! Amen.

The Feast of Pentecost

Prayer to the Holy Spirit
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and enkindle in them the fire of Thy love. Send forth Thy Spirit and they shall be created and Thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
Let us Pray. O God, Who instructed the hearts of Thy faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, to be truly wise and ever to rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Feast of the Ascension of the Lord

Out of compassion for us, He descended from heaven: and although He ascended alone, we also ascend, because we are in Him by grace.
~ Saint Augustine

The Origins of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

Hello to all of you! A Blessed Feast of Divine Mercy! In honor of this feast day, I would like to share with you the paragraph from Saint Faustina's Diary where she records how Our Lord instructed her to pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. For those of you that own Saint Faustina's Diary, this excerpt is paragraph 476. Note: text in bold are the words of Jesus.

The next morning, when I entered chapel, I heard these words interiorly: Every time you enter the chapel, immediately recite the prayer which I taught you yesterday. When I said the prayer, in my soul I heard these words: This prayer will serve to appease My wrath. You will recite it for nine days, on the beads of the rosary, in the following manner: First of all, you will say one OUR FATHER and HAIL MARY and the I BELIEVE IN GOD. Then on the OUR FATHER beads you will say the following words: "Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonment for our sins and those of the whole world." On the HAIL MARY beads you will say the following words: "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world." In conclusion, three time you will recite these words: "Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world."

Feast of Divine Mercy

How to Recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Chaplet of Mercy is recited using ordinary rosary beads of five decades. The Chaplet is preceded by two opening prayers from the Diary of Saint Faustina and followed by a closing prayer.

---

1. Make the Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. Optional Opening Prayers

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world. O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy, envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

3. Our Father

Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

4. Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

5. The Apostle's Creed

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

6. The Eternal Father

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

7. On the Ten Small Beads of Each Decade

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

8. Repeat for the remaining decades

Saying the "Eternal Father" (6) on the "Our Father" bead and then 10 "For the sake of His sorrowful Passion" (7) on the following "Hail Mary" beads.

9. Conclude with Holy God (Repeat three times)

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

10. Optional Closing Prayer

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion — inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

~ taken from thedivinemercy.org

Alleluia! He is risen!

HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Christ we do all adore Thee, and we do praise Thee forever!
For on the holy cross hast thou the world from sin redeemed.

Defend our Holy Father and Our Lord!

Please do this!

You are urgently requested to protest a sacrilegious cartoon in the French newspaper Le Monde - because the cartoon depicts Our Lord handing out prophylactics from a boat to the excited masses.

The cartoon reads:

"The multiplication of the condoms followed the multiplication of the loaves."

The cartoon targets the Pope too. He is shown as a decrepit old man who says: "Anything goes!"

As Catholics, you and I cannot accept such an attack on Our Lord and the Papacy!

That's why I ask you to please send a protest message via email to Le Monde at:

courrier-des-lecteurs@lemonde.fr

I've written a sample message that you may copy and send as yours. Please see it below. Or you can use it to help you in writing your own email message.

Whatever option you prefer, it's vital that you send your message right away. While the issue is hot. Perhaps even within the next 15 minutes. The honor of Our Lord and the Papacy is precious and cannot be brushed aside.

But there's more -

Le Monde also wrote an editorial against the Pope. They harshly criticized Benedict XVI for his statement in favor of morality during his recent trip to Cameroon.

All the Pope did was to reaffirm Church teaching about chastity and showed how prophylactics, instead of helping to protect lives and restrict the spread of AIDS, actually contribute to spread the disease and cause more deaths.

Logic. Facts. Morals. Not what the secular libertine world wants to hear.

In response, an angry and bitter chorus of liberal anti-Catholic voices swept Europe, and Le Monde was the most evident expression of hatred against Catholic morality over the last week.

That's why it is so important that you and I, united with Catholics across the world, raise a thundering protest against Le Monde - an expression of love, faith and loyalty to God, the Papacy and Catholic morality.

I once again urge you to please send a protest message via email to Le Monde at: courrier-des-lecteurs@lemonde.fr

And feel free to use the sample message below, if that helps you to get yours done and sent in a timely fashion.

You and I cannot sit this one out on the sidelines.

For the love of God and the Catholic Church and morality, please send your message today, and consider forwarding this email to all the Catholics you know.

May God bless you!

Sincerely,

Robert E. Ritchie, Director

PS - Here's the sample message you may use:

Le Monde:

As a Catholic, I was shocked and deeply pained to learn that your newspaper published a sacrilegious cartoon showing Our Lord Jesus Christ handing out prophylactics from a boat to the excited masses. The cartoon places words in the mouth of Our Lord and the Pope that are totally unacceptable.

I do not accept this warped and portrayal of Our Lord, the Pope and Catholic morality.

In response, I demand that you apologize for the cartoon and pledge never to publish such offensive material again.

With a heartfelt prayer for your conversion, and for the spiritual and material wellbeing of France.

Protest NOW!

Urge YouTube to Remove "Jesus Juice" Video


How do you feel about YouTube allowing people to post videos showing the Holy Eucharist being desecrated and mocked?

For example, did you know there's a video called "Jesus Juice" on YouTube showing a man who takes a Host and mixes it with fresh fruit in a juicer machine?

Did you know that the video maker mocks Our Lord by saying: "I think that even Jesus himself would drink this juice it is so delicious...I can almost see Jesus in that juice already."

He also says: "If you want to make this yourself at home, you might be saying - where can I find that secret ingredient? Well, I bet if you just think about it hard enough, you'll be able to figure it out."

Finally, he mocks Our Lord before drinking the "Jesus Juice" in these words:

"Jesus, we thank you for this juice. May it nourish my body. And
thank you for giving me the idea as I sat in church..."

This is a sacrilege! And don't you consider it shocking that YouTube allows someone to post this type of offensive speech on its video sharing site?

So please send your protest message to YouTube.

The good news is that tens of thousands of Catholics joined our previous email protests against similar desecration videos on YouTube. Other Catholic sites and groups joined us, and we were able to get the desecration videos pulled from YouTube - thank God!

That victory reminds me of the protest we did against e-Bay auctioning consecrated hosts online. We won that one too! E-bay changed its policy and no longer facilitates the sale of consecrated hosts online.

These victories spur me to action today, to reach out to millions more Catholics out of the one billion Catholics worldwide. Ultimately, I hope 100,000 people sign this protest message to YouTube.

Will you help do it by passing on this message to your friends and family?

Thank you for helping. And if you like the work we're doing please:

Go here to send a small gift to spread the YouTube protest to millions of Catholics in America and abroad.
Sincerely,
Robert Ritchie
Robert E. Ritchie, Director

The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple

From the Gospel According to Luke. Chapter 2, verses 22-40

And when the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the law of the Lord, "Ever male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord") and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord "a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons. Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And inspiried by the Spirit he came into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for the glory to thy people Israel." And his father and mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, "Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of many hears may be revealed." And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan'u-el, of the tribe of Ahser; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity, and as a widow till she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. And coming up at that very hour she gave thanks to God, and spoke of him to all who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.

______________________________

And when they had performed everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city, Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was upon him.

Merry Christmas To All!

The Story of Christmas, in Photographs

The Annunciation - The Angel Announces that Mary will be the Mother of God

The Innkeeper brings the Holy Family to the Stable

Joseph readies the stable for Mary

Mary and Joseph rest and pray

Angels come to the Stable

The Christ Child is Born

The Shepherds Asleep in the Fields

The Shepherds Are Awakened by the Arrival of the Angels

The Angel Expresses the Birth of Christ to the Shepherds

The lives of the people of Bethlehem

The Shepherds kneel before Jesus

The Shepherds spread the news of Christ's Birth to the townspeople

The townspeople adore Jesus

The three Kings travel to Bethlehem

The Three Kings visit King Herod

The Three Kings give gifts to Jesus

May the love of Christ our Lord
Be with you this day,
To guide you and to hold you
As you go upon The Way.


Merry Christmas!

The Angel of Marye's Heights

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him... Then the king will say to those on the right... 'I was thirsty and you gave me to drink...'
Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you ...thirsty and give you drink?'...
And the kind will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'

~ Matthew 25:31-32, 35, 37, 40

Sergeant Richard Rowland Kirkland was enlisted in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. He fought with his fellow soldiers on December 13th in one of the bloodiest battles of the entire war, repelling the Federal Army of the Potomac. In the closing of the battle, and all through the night, Sergeant Kirkland listened to the cries of agony and pleas for mercy from the Federal soldiers lying wounded on the battlefield.
The cries continued on into the next day, many begging for water.
At last Kirkland could stand it no longer. He approached his commander, General Kershaw, and asked for permission to bring water to the suffering men. Kershaw replied, asking Kirkland, "Don't you know that you would get a bullet through your head the moment you stepped over the wall? ..."

Kirkland responded with these words, "Yes, I know that I may, but if you will let me, I am willing to try it." The General could not refuse this gallant and earnest request and allowed Kirkland to go out on his mission of mercy. He was greeted as expected with bullets from the Federals on the other side of the field, but once he began administering aid to the wounded men, they ceased fire. Both sides watched and cheered, and after Kirkland had done all that he could do, he returned to the Confederate lines.
Sergeant Kirkland went on to distinguish himself at Gettysburg and later fell on the field at Chickamauga. He truly followed out the orders of Our Lord, Kirkland's chief commander,

'But to you who hear I say... love your enemies and do good to them.
Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.'

~ Luke 6: 27, 35, 36

What is a Shieldmaiden?

What is a shieldmaiden?
Well according to Wikipedia, a shieldmaiden is:

a virgin who had chosen to fight as a warrior in Scandinavian folklore and mythology and they are often mentioned in sagas such as Hervarar saga and in Gesta Danorum. Shieldmaidens also appear in stories of other Germanic nations: Goths, Cimbri and Marcomanni.^[1] The Valkyries were based on the shieldmaidens,^[1] and they were J.R.R. Tolkien's inspiration for Éowyn.

So basically, a shieldmaiden could be considered as the female counterpart of "a knight in shining armor". She was a soldier; a woman or girl who chose to fight for her country, beliefs, cause, or for whatever other reasons she might have had. St. Joan of Arc could be considered a sheildmaiden, then, I suppose.

But what does it mean to be a shieldmaiden toady? Obviously many of us aren't part of Scandinavian folklore or mythology, and even fewer of us are soldiers in the army, or likely to become one. How can one be a shieldmaiden then?

I found an atricle about Shieldmaidens on the website chivalrytoday.com. While I don't agree with most of the article (it has a slightly feminist-ic stance), there were a couple of good paragraphs in there. I take the liberty to quote them now.

A shieldmaiden is firstly a woman. As a woman she is the keeper of the hearth flame that provides a safe nurturing environment for her family. She is the teacher of her children and lady for her lord. The shieldmaiden has the courage to do the unglamorous daily tasks and to do them graciously. She is an example to her family and the keeper of the peace. She is generous to others while also being generous to herself. She keeps her word no matter how hard to fulfill and she stands by her beliefs. She selflessly serves...

...As a warrior a shieldmaiden must have the strength to make her way in a man’s world. She must be willing to get her hands dirty and make sacrifices. She may have to bide her time in an unsavory position until the time to fight is at hand. When that time comes she must have the courage to stand without blame. She keeps her word and is willing to show mercy. She is willing to help others. She stands by her convictions and commitments.

You may say, "Yes, this is all fine and good, but is that it?" The answer, in my opinion, is no. We as Christians can become shieldmaidens by becoming warriors of Heaven. By putting on our spiritual armor and fighting battles for the greater glory of God. Anyone can fight for the truth and for the faith. By taking up our spiritual shields, we can become Shieldmaidens in the purest and holiest meaning of the word.

We are soldiers of Christ and shieldmaidens of God.

Powerful Novena in Urgent Need

This is a novena to the Infant of Prague, a novena for an urgent need. Our country is in a very urgent need. It is permissible that: In cases of great urgency, a novena of hours may be made instead of days. The prayers should, if possible, be repeated at the same time every hour for nine consecutive hours.
I strongly encourage each and every one of you and your families, to pray this novena on election day, November 4th. Every single prayer counts and is needed! I can attest to the power of this novena, it once saved my family from bankruptcy.
PLEASE pass this novena along and urge everyone you know to pray it on November 4th as well! Our prayers DO count, and we must storm heaven with them!

Suggested intention:
That this election day, our country may elect a holy, wise, pro-life, pro-family president and other political leaders.

Powerful Novena in Urgent Need to the Infant of Prague

O Jesus, who said, "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you," through the intercession of Mary, Your most holy Mother, I knock, I seek, I ask that my prayer be granted.

(Mention your request)

O Jesus, who said "All that you ask of the Father in My Name He will grant you," through the intercession of Mary, Your most holy Mother, I humbly and urgently ask Your Father in Your Name that my prayer be granted.

(Mention your request)

O Jesus, who said "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My word shall not pass," through the intercession of Mary, Your most Holy Mother, I feel confident that my prayer will be granted.

(Mention your request)

Amen.