Walking on Water

Matthew 14: 22-33

    The crowds had been large.  The group needed to travel to the other side of the lake to minister to the people in other towns.  They had a boat, so Jesus sent His men on ahead to be ready for the crowds who would be gathering there in the morning.  Jesus continued His ministry with the people and slowly sent them away.  Since Jesus was so tired when His children had gone to their homes, He went up on the mountain to pray.  He knew He would be refreshed when He began His journey to the other side of the lake.
   
As the Apostles continued on their journey across the lake, the winds began to blow.  Seasoned sailors, they made adjustments as they steered across the lake.  It was late into the night. 

"Peter," said Matthew, " Do you think he'll be there?" 

Peter replied, "The Master said that He would be there, and He will." 

"How is He getting there?"  John asked. 

"I don't know," said Peter, "But He will.  He promised.  The Master does not go back on His promises."

    The waves began to crash on the deck.  The Apostles were getting soaked as they tried to steer the boat in the storm.  The boat was taking on water.  "If the Master were here..." Thomas began.  Peter cut him off, "The Master is not here, so we have to steer the boat."  Peter was sounding angry.
   
    The men were working hard to stay afloat.  In the distance, they saw a light coming towards them.  "Peter," shouted Judas, "What is that?" 
   
    "How should I know!" shouted Peter.  He truly did not like Judas, but the Master had called Judas to walk with them.  "Steer the boat!  Steer the boat!" 
   
    The light grew brighter as it came closer to them.  They could make out the figure of a man in the light.  "It's a ghost!  It's a ghost!"  Great fear began to overtake them.  The men began to panic.  The waves seemed to be even higher than before.  "It's a ghost!"  Then they heard the Master's calm voice in the heart of the storm, "It is I."  He said it again, "It is I."

    Peter, soaked to the bone from the storm, shouted back to Jesus in the storm, "Master, if it is truly You, allow me to come to You."  Jesus, very calmly said, "Come."
Peter, shaking from cold and fear, looked at the other Apostles whose eyes were filled with fear.  He could not retreat now.  He even thought he felt someone push him towards the edge of the boat.  He stood on the edge and jumped into the water.  Peter fully expected to sink into the water, but he didn't.  He stayed on the water.  Filled with even more fear, Peter looked at the waves crashing into the boat.  He took one step forward towards the Master.  He took another step on the water.  He could hear the men into the boat gasp as he began to walk on the water.  The Master stood where He was holding a welcoming hand out to Peter.  Then Peter saw the waves.  They were bigger than he was, and he felt more fear than he had ever known before.  He took a step forward, but he began to sink into the black, murky water.

    "Lord," screamed Peter, "Save me!"

    The Master leaned forward and helped him up with His Hands.  "Oh, you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

    The Master and Peter got into the boat.  Immediately, the storm calmed.  The waves no longer broke over the boat.  The sea suddenly reflected the moon as if the sea were crystal.  In the distance, the sky was beginning to lighten.

    The men in the boat began to worship their King.

    "Truly," they exclaimed, "You are the Son of God!"

Psalm 9: 1-2

Psalm 8: 1

Gratitude

To give thanks to God is to acknowledge His greatness and power in our lives.  Gratitude is an act of humility by which we praise God for the ways in which He has worked in our lives, thanking Him for His greatness, His love, and His kindnesses to us. When we thank God, we demonstrate that we love Him more than anyone or anything in our lives.  Thanking God helps us to recognize our finite natures and reminds us that He, the Great I AM, is above all else. 
   
When we thank God, we remind ourselves that we are His creatures, His creations.  We grow in the virtue of humility, and we align ourselves more closely with the Will of God.  We use our gift of free will, to acknowledge that God is our Creator, our Redeemer, and our Enabler.  We give ourselves over to the Triune God, and we allow  Him to work in our souls, molding and changing us into His likeness.  Even in dire circumstances, when we focus on the Lord knowing that, no matter what happens, He is with us, we acknowledge that God is our Creator and that without Him, our lives would lack meaning and virtue. 
   
Paul reminds us to “pray without ceasing, giving thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  (1 Thessalonians 5: 17-18)  To pray without ceasing means to offer our lives to Him so that each act, each thought, each word becomes a prayer.  Let us offer our lives in thanksgiving so that we might praise Him and thank Him endlessly.

The Prayers of the Rosary

Sign of the Cross:

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

Apostles' 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 Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into Hell; on the third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into Heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father almighty; from whence 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 life everlasting.
Amen. 

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.

Hail Mary

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.  Blessed are you among 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.

Glory Be

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Fatima Prayer

Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of they mercy.

Hail Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! 

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Amen.  

St. Michael Prayer 

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Next week, we learn the the mysteries of the rosary.  We will also be given some meditations on the mysteries. 

How To Pray the Rosary

How to say the Rosary.

Make the Sign of the Cross.

Offer up the Rosary for your intentions.

1) Begin the rosary by using the crucifix and saying the Apostles’ Creed. Meditate on the truths of our faith.

2) On the first large bead say the Our Father.
 
3) On the next 3 beads say the Hail Mary.
 
4) On the next bead, say the Glory Be to the Father. 

Begin to recite and meditate on the mysteries of the day. 

Each mystery of the Rosary has 5 decades.  

Each decade consists of the following prayers.

On the first large bead, pray the Our Father.

On each of the next 10 beads recite one Hail Mary.

On the next large bead, recite the Glory Be. 

After the Glory Be, recite the Fatima Prayer. 

Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell.  Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.  

Then, using the same large bead that you used for the Glory Be, begin the next decade of the Rosary.  

After completing the prayers of the 5 decades of the Rosary, end your rosary using the Hail Holy Queen. 


Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness and our hope.
To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve:
to thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us,
and after this our exile,
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
 

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.

 

Pray for us Oh, Holy Mother of God,

That we May be Made Worthy of the Promises of Christ.

October, the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

October is the month dedicated to  the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Tradition has it that the Rosary was given to St. Dominic by the Mother of God.  However, there is some dispute about this story.  Check out this article by Father William Saunders.  Click HERE for the link.  This is an older article about the Rosary because Father Saunders does not include the Luminous mysteries in his discussion,
however, that omission does not make this article any less relevant.

Notes about October.  October 7 is the Feast of the Holy Rosary.

This year, on October 13,  Pope Francis will consecrate the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  The original statue of Our Lady of Fatima will be brought to the Vatican as a part of this consecration. 

Pope Pius XI dedicated the entire month of October to the Rosary.

What saints say about the recitation of the Rosary.

“The greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary.”
Saint Francis de Sales

“The Holy Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessing.”
Blessed Alan de la Roche

“The Rosary is the most beautiful and the most rich in graces of all prayers; it is the prayer that touches most the Heart of the Mother of God…and if you wish peace to reign in your homes, recite the family Rosary.”
Pope Saint Pius X

“When you say your Rosary, the angels rejoice, the Blessed Trinity delights in it, my Son finds joy in it too, and I myself am happier than you can possibly guess. After the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, there is nothing in the Church that I love as much as the Rosary.”
Our Lady to Blessed Alan de la Roche 

“Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood.”
Saint Louis de Montfort 

So, how do you say the Rosary?

Stay tuned.  We're going to cover that next. 
 

Go in Peace

Luke 8: 43-48

The narrow roads of the town were crowded with people who wanted to get near the Master.  People were pushing, walking elbow to elbow, as they sought to get closer to Him.  She was weak and frail from the loss of blood.  She had heard the Master preach, and she had loved Him immediately.  She only wanted to get near to Him to ask Him to heal her or just to touch His garment.  She knew that, if she could only get close to Him and touch His clothing, she would be healed. 

He was so far away from her on this dusty road.  The shop keepers called out to Him as He walked past them.  He waved and greeted them with that Smile that she could never forget.  He seemed to be busy talking to His advisors.  She had heard their names, but she could not remember them.  She stumbled once, and someone caught her before she fell. 

She was a widow, and she had no money left.  She had spent all she had to pay the doctors who tried to help her, but  the bleeding would not stop.  She knew that she was near death.  She knew was considered unclean by those around her.  Many people would avoid her in the town, but on this dusty road where buildings were so close, and so many sought the Master, no one seemed to notice her.  She was relieved to be unseen. 

She fought her way through the crowd with all the strength she had.  She saw His Mother walking in the crowd. She was hoping that, maybe, if she would catch His Mother's eye, His mother would help her get close to Her Son.  His Mother didn't look her way.  She, too, was struggling with the crowd.  Even though the road was steep and crowded, she was determined.  He was her only hope, so she continued on this dusty road, only wanting to touch His garment.

Suddenly, there was an opening in the crowd.  She didn't think she would have the strength to get close enough, but she worked her way through the small parting in the sea of people.  She was right behind Him.  She could smell the sweet fragrance that came from His Body.  He and His advisors were still walking and talking.  They walked so fast and she had a difficult time catching up.  She reached out.  She grabbed the hem of His garment.  She felt the power flow from Him into her body.  The bleeding stopped. She felt energy flow through her body restoring her strength.  She realized she had been healed. 

Then, she was seized with  fear.  She had touched this Holy Man of God, and she had been unclean.  She turned to leave, but heard Him say, "Who touched Me?"  She hid her face in shame.  His disciples looked at Him and said, "Master, the crowds have been so great.  There are many people touching You as they walk with You."  He spoke with authority saying, "Someone touched Me.  I felt power flow out from Me."  He searched the the crowd with His gentle eyes.  She knew she must go to Him and admit her great shame. 

She was trembling with fear as the crowds separated to let her draw near to the Master. Her legs could barely support the weight of her body they were trembling so much.  She shook with fear and knelt in front of Him and said, "Master, I touched Your hem, and I was healed."  He held her face in His strong hands and smiled.  She didn't want to look at Him.  She was filled with shame at what she had done.  He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes.  "Daughter, your faith has saved you.  Go in Peace."

His eyes!  She could never forget His eyes full of tenderness and mercy.  He helped her to stand up.  Tears streamed down her face as she looked at Him.  He smiled at her.  Then He turned around, and the crowd followed Him, and she was left standing alone in the street.  She looked ahead, and she saw His Mother looking back at her and smiling.  She waved.  His Mother waved.  Then the two women turned away from each other filled with Love by the Master.  She was at peace.

Glory Be

Hail Mary

Our Father

Words of Blessing

"The Lord spoke to Moses saying:  Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying,  Thus you shall bless the Israelites:  You shall say to them,

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace."

Numbers 6: 22-27

So it was that the Lord God of Israel blessed His people.  Everyday, we have a choice to bless people or not.  There are many words of blessing.  Sometimes, all we need to know are the words.  This is my list.  Yours might be longer.  I urge you to make a list and use these words frequently with those you love, and, more importantly, with those you don't like.

God Bless You
I love you
Peace
May you be blessed
For you
Blessings
I give you my love
I hold you in my heart
I will love you for the rest of my life
I hope you feel better.
Let me hold you.
I give you my heart.
I want to help you.
May I help you
Listen to me
May I help you find a seat
May I carry that for you
How was your day

Let's do this together.
Are you all right
My heart is in your heart.
I will never forget you

Peace be with you

Have a good day

How can I help you

What would you like for dinner

Did you clean your room

What words can you add to this list?

Purgatory

The place of final purgation before the soul is cleansed of all that is imperfect and not of God.  Purgatory, a place of hope to the souls who wait to be lifted into the arms of God for all eternity.

At death, the soul given the gift of Purgatory, knows that at some point, it will be with God.  However, a soul can no longer help itself to gain spiritual perfection.  A soul can only wait and suffer the pains of purgation that will bring about perfection.  Souls in Purgatory need our help.  Our prayers and sacrifices can shorten the time a soul spends in this place of great longing for God.  We, as the Church Militant, can help the soul move through Purgatory into the arms of God.

The prayer of St. Gertrude is said to release 1,000 souls each time it is recited.  Think of how many souls you can send to God if you recite this prayer only once a day.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the most precious blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with all the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those in my own home and within my family.
Amen. 



 

Prayer for Peace in Syria

God of Compassion,

Hear the cries of the people in Syria,

bring healing to those suffering from the violence,

bring comfort to those mourning the dead,

strengthen Syria's neighbors in their care and welcome for refuges,

convert the hearts of those who have taken up arms, 

and protect those committed to peace.

God of Hope,

inspire leaders to choose peace over violence and to seek

reconciliation with enemies,

inspire the Church around the world with 

compassion for the people of Syria,

and give us hope for a future of peace built in justice for all.

We ask this through

Jesus Christ,

Prince of Peace

and

Light of the world.

Amen.

(editor's note: Sadly, any other country's name could be substituted for Syria.)

"Dear Children, Pray! Pray! Pray!" Our Lady of Medjugorje, September 15, 2013

On September 15, 2013, Our Lady of Medjugorje delivered one of her shorter messages for the world to visionary

Marija Pavolic-Lunetti.

The place of the apparition was in the garden of 

Sister Emmanuel Mailard and her community.

Our Lady delivered her message after praying over those gathered for the apparition.

Our Lady simply said,

"Dear Children, Pray! Pray! Pray!"

The only other time that Our Lady has given such a short message to the world was on

October 25, 1991,

4 months before war broke out in Croatia

and

5 months before the war in Yugoslavia spread to 

Bosnia Hercegovina

where Medjugorje is located.

Marija explained that prayer is needed so that we can develop 

peace

in our hearts.

Through our personal conversions,

peace can spread and develop in the world.

"Dear Children, Pray! Pray! Pray!"

From today's Gospel at Mass...

Psalm 26: 1-3

Give Thanks

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Thessalonians 5: 16-18

Thanksgiving is not the only time of the year in which we need to remember to give thanks and be joyful.  Paul reminds us that we must rejoice always. 

Really?  Rejoice always?  What about when things go wrong?  Yes, even when things go wrong.
 Pain is easier to bear when we focus on Jesus.  By focusing on our God, we are able to take the burden off of ourselves.  The pain is easier to bear when we know that Jesus, our Brother, is with us through each trial and storm.  Rejoice?  Yes, rejoice for God is at our side!  His Arms are outstretched ready to bear our pain and help us carry our cross.  Rejoice!  The Lord is with us!

Pray without ceasing!  Surely Paul is joking!  How can we pray without ceasing?  Why should we pray without ceasing? 

The easiest way to pray without ceasing is to begin each day with the morning offering. 

O  My Jesus,
through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You all of my prayers, works,
joys and sufferings
of this day for all the intentions
of Your Sacred Heart,
in union with the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass said
throughout the world,
in reparation for my sins,
for the intentions of all my relatives and friends,
and in particular
for the intentions of the Holy Father. Amen.

By giving your day to Jesus, you are in a constant state of prayer.  Since prayer is the direct communication with God, we grow closer to Him.  By giving Jesus our day, we become aware of the virtues we need to develop and practice.  With this knowledge, we can choose to grow closer to God by growing in holiness.  To grow in holiness, we eliminate sin and the causes of sin in our lives.  We choose the ways of God over the ways of the world.  Yes, pray always.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

When the sea is calm and the waves are gentle, giving thanks to God is easy.  We can praise and glorify Him with our entire being.  Our heart and soul joins easily to the heart of our Savior. Then, the storm surrounds us, and Paul reminds us that we must continue to give thanks to God in all circumstances.  When the waves throw us to the shore and threaten to swallow our boat, how can we give thanks?

We can learn to give thanks by saying,

Thank you, Lord, for being with me in this storm.  What happens at the end of this storm, I don't know, but I do know that You will be with me through it all.

Easier said than done?  Of course it is!  In the heart of the storm, the ability to thank God is a unique challenge.  However, Jesus has promised us that He will give us the graces we need each day.  

"My grace is sufficient for you." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Thanksgiving begins with the decision to thank God in spite of what is happening in our lives.  When you are tempted to run and hide or slide into a slippery web of self pity or doubt, you can choose to make the decision to thank God knowing that He is with you, and that He is allowing this storm to bring you closer to Him.  We all have the amazing gift of free will, and it is through this gift that we can choose to honor and glorify the great I AM with our gift of thanksgiving.

For what am I grateful?

1) The hot weather is easing up!  Fall is on the way!
2)  I made it through the day without gossiping today!
3) I had a delicious dinner yesterday!  

Yes, I am grateful!  Thank You, My Lord and My God!

From My Prayer Journal

I journal.  I seek answers when I journal.  I ask questions of the Lord.  I'd like to share an entry from my prayer journal.  Do you journal?  Do you have a prayer journal?  I'd love to hear from you about this.

Prayer Journal

I am so out of sorts again.  I don't know why.  Jesus, help me.  If You wanted to bring me to my knees, I give up.  You did.  I feel so beaten and battered today.  I don't know why.  I wish there were some answers.  I meditate in front of the crucifix.  I know You want me to realize how much you suffered on Your cross..  I know that You suffered for my salvation.  What is it You want me to see that I am not seeing?  I see You struggling to breathe.  I see You roll Your head.  I see You in pain.  What is it You want me to see?   What am I not understanding?
 

What I Imagine Jesus would say to me

Love.  I want you to see the Love I have for you.  Even though you don't feel My Love, I want you to know I love you.  I have always loved you.  Offer up your sadness to Me.  Give it to Me with Love.  I will use it.  My Father will see Me in you.  Don't block Us.  We are God.  We are the Trinity. 

You can see that I've shown you only a small bit of My suffering when I was nailed to that tree.  It was for you that I suffered.  It was for you that I died.   As you meditate on My cross,  I want you to be united with Me in suffering.  I want you to grow closer to Me.  Purification is a hard process, but it is a journey all of My children must endure to be with Me. 

Love is not an emotion, but it does make us feel good.  Love is action.  Love is beauty.  Love is prayer.  You are struggling with prayer.  My Mother has encouraged all of her children to continue in prayer until prayer becomes a joy.  Hold on to that thought.  Prayer will become a joy for you, but you must pray more.  I know you feel stuck.  You are stuck, but it's where you need to be right now.  You need to wait in patience for Me to meet you in this spot.  Pray and ask my Mother for her to help.  She loves you so much.  I AM here waiting for you with open arms.  I love you. That's all you need to know.  When the time is right I will move you into deeper prayer.  I love you.

God the Supreme Good

Psalm 18: 14-20

The Lord thundered from heaven;

the Most High made his voice resound.

He let fly his arrows and scattered them;

shot his lightning bolts and dispersed them.

Then the bed of the sea appeared;

the world's foundations lay bare.

At the roar of the Lord,

at the storming of his nostrils.

He reached down from on high and seized me;

drew me out of the deep waters.

He rescued me from my mighty enemy,

from foes too powerful for me.

They attacked me on a day of distress,

but the Lord came to my support.

He set me free in the open;

He rescued me because he Loves me.

Our Lady of Medjugorje - Message of September 2, 2013 - Thoughts

September 2, 2013

"Dear children; I love you all. All of you, all of my children, all of you are in my heart. All of you have my motherly love and I desire to lead all of you to come to know God’s joy. This is why I am calling you. I need humble apostles who, with an open heart, will accept the Word of God and help others to comprehend the meaning of their life along side God’s word. To be able to do this, my children, through prayer and fasting you must learn to listen with the heart and to learn to keep submitting yourselves. You must learn to keep rejecting everything that distances you from God’s word and to yearn only for that which draws you closer to it. Do not be afraid. I am here. You are not alone. I am imploring the Holy Spirit to renew and strengthen you. I am imploring the Holy Spirit that, as you help others, you too may be healed. I am imploring Him that, through Him, you may be God’s children and my apostles." Then with great concern Our Lady said: "For the sake of Jesus, for the sake of my Son, love those whom He has called and long for the blessing only from the hands which He has consecrated. Do not permit evil to come to reign. Anew I repeat – only along side your shepherds will my heart triumph. Do not permit evil to separate you from your shepherds.”

Thoughts

Dear children - She really is our mother!

I love you all. All of you, all of my children, all of you are in my heart. All of you have my motherly love and I desire to lead all of you to come to know God’s joy. This is why I am calling you.

She loves us all.  We are in her heart.  She wants all of her children to come to know God’s love!  She continues to call us with her mother’s heart so that we will not be lost.

I need humble apostles who, with an open heart, will accept the Word of God and help others to comprehend the meaning of their life along side God’s word.

She needs for her children to be humble and open to her love so that we can accept the Word of God.  She wants us to be able to understand what our lives mean when in conjunction with God’s word.

To be able to do this, my children, through prayer and fasting you must learn to listen with the heart and to learn to keep submitting yourselves.
If we are to be able to open our hearts so that we can understand God’s will in our lives, we must use the gifts of prayer and fasting.  In this way, we will learn to discern God’s Will in our lives.



You must learn to keep rejecting everything that distances you from God’s word and to yearn only for that which draws you closer to it.

Sin is what distances us from God and His Word.  In order for us to stay in the light of God, we must reject sin and yearn only for that (prayer and fasting) which brings us closer to God.

Do not be afraid. I am here. You are not alone.

Our Mother is always with us.  With her near, we cannot be alone no matter how alone we feel.

I am imploring the Holy Spirit to renew and strengthen you. I am imploring the Holy Spirit that, as you help others, you too may be healed. I am imploring Him that, through Him, you may be God’s children and my apostles."

Our Mother intercedes for us.  She asks the Holy Spirit to renew His graces in our hearts and to give us His strength.  She continues to intercede for us that the Holy Spirit will heal us as we work to heal others.  She continues to ask the Holy Spirit to shape us into Children of God and to become His apostles.

For the sake of Jesus, for the sake of my Son, love those whom He has called and long for the blessing only from the hands which He has consecrated.

For the sake of her Son, Jesus, the great High Priest, Our Mother calls us to love those whom her Son has called, whose hands were consecrated at ordination, and seek out and long for their blessings on us.  It is through our priests that Christ blesses us.  They are His Hands on earth.

Do not permit evil to come to reign. Anew I repeat – only along side your shepherds will my heart triumph. Do not permit evil to separate you from your shepherds.
Our shepherds, our priests, are our guides to heaven and life eternal.  It is only along side of those who stay within the magisterium of the church, that Our Mother’s Immaculate Heart will triumph.  We cannot let evil separate us from her Sons, Jesus’ brothers, our priests.


Sweetest Jesus,
We thank You for the gift of Your Mother.  She loves us!  She intercedes for us!  She seeks to bring us to You, Our Heavenly King.  We thank You for her.  We thank you for our priests.  Bless our priests.  Help them to be strong in the face of the all the temptations and dangers they face.  Help us to realize that our priests are our shepherds.  Help us to remember that You are the Great High Priest!  We praise You!  We thank You!  Amen.

Psalm 19: 8-10

The Sabbath

Words for the
Sabbath

The Lord, our God, is Above All Else!
There is no one like Him!

He is the King of Kings!
He is the Light of Heaven!
He is the Creator!
He is the Enabler!
He, alone, is above all else!
He is the Paraclete!
He is Truth!
He is Eternal!
He is Love!
He is Everlasting!
He is Joy!
He is Life!
He is the Alpha and Omega!
He is the King of Angels!
He is the King of Saints!
He is the Foundation!
He is the Son!
He is the great I AM!


Prayer for the Sabbath
Heavenly Father, 
We come to You as your children, knowing that You are the Creator of all.
We thank You for this life that You have given us!
We thank You for this day that You have given us!
We adore You, the great I AM!
We praise You, Our God!
In deepest humility, we give You this our day.
Let it be spent in humble praise and thanksgiving of You!
Bring us together with those we love so that we might grow in love.
If we cannot be together, then bless our loved ones.
Grant them the gift of Your Peace and Love.
Accept our offerings of love.
Heal the differences between us. 
Accept our forgiveness as a gift of love to You.
Let us all be one in You.
Join us to our suffering sisters and brothers whom we do not know.
Lord, dearest God, they are Your children, too.
Accept our prayers for them that we might all be one in Your Heart!
Lord, we give You this day.
Thank You for Your gift of love to us of this day.
Praise to You,
Our Almighty and Loving God!
Amen.

A Prayer for Peace

Prayer for Peace

Heavenly Father,
we come to You in deep humility to ask for the
gift of peace,
first in our hearts and then extending to our world.
We are all Your children, your creations.
You gave us the gift of life, yet there are those who wish to destroy this life.

You are the great
I AM.
You are the Almighty God.
You are the Creator of all.
We praise You and we adore You!

Heavenly Father,
we thank You for Your Love and Mercy in our very troubled world.
We see acts of inhumanity performed against our sisters and brothers.
We see nations war against nations.
We see brother killing brother, fathers killing their families, mothers killing their children.
We see nations destroying their own people.

For these grave sins,
we beg Your forgiveness.
We beg for your mercy, and we ask that you bring a sense of peace to our very
sick and troubled world.

We thank you for Your Love and Mercy, Abba, Father.  We thank You.

Heavenly Father,
we come again to ask You to spare our world Your justifiable wrath.
We are not worthy of Your Love and Goodness.
We are not worthy of Your Mercy.
We know this.
In the deepest humility,
and through the intercession of Your Most Beloved Son,
Jesus,
and the graces of the Holy Spirit,
and the intercession of the
Mother of God,
we ask You for the gift of peace in our hearts and in our world. 
We thank You,
Almighty God.
We Praise You,
Heavenly Father!
We ask for Your Mercy and Compassion.
We ask,
knowing that we cannot do this on our own,
that you grant us
Peace.

Amen.

Pope Franics Asks Us to Join Him for a Day of Prayer and Fasting for Peace

Pope Francis has asked the World to Join Him in a Day of

Prayer and Fasting 

on

September 7, 2013

for world peace,

especially in Syria.

Click

HERE

for the link to the article on the website

Courageous Priest.

Remember,

anyone can fast.

You do NOT need to fast only from food.

You only need to fast from something that has meaning for you.

Fast from cigarettes on Saturday.

Fast from alcoholic beverages on Saturday.

Fast from television on Saturday.

Fast from meat on Saturday.

Fast from gossip on Saturday.

Fast from driving on Saturday.

(Walk where you need to go.)

Fast from your favorite food on Saturday.

Fast from video games on Saturday.

Fast from going out to eat on Saturday.

Fast from sleeping in on Saturday.

(Get up early and pray. )

There are so many ways to fast!

To fast from food is wonderful!

East only one full meal on Saturday.

Cut your portions in half and eat only what is left on Saturday.

Give up deserts on Saturday.

Give up candy on Saturday.

Give up soda pop on Saturday.

If you think fasting is negative then look for the positive.

(Just remember, giving up something special is not negative.)

Go to Mass Saturday morning and pray for peace.

Recite the Rosary for peace on Saturday.

Pray for an hour for peace when you could be doing what you want to do.

Read Sacred Scripture for an hour on Saturday.

Call your parents.

Visit the sick.

Make a visit to Church and pray for peace.

Go to confession and offer this up, with great humility, for peace.

Offer your day for peace.

Recite the Jesus Prayer one time every waking hour.

("Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.")

What else can you do?

Prayer + Fasting

Please join Pope Francis

in prayer for peace in our world,

especially in Syria.

 

 

 

 

The Colbert Report 09/03/13 Cardinal Timothy Dolan interview

Be Still and Know that I AM God! Psalm 46:10

Silence.  Beloved Silence.  When was the last time you heard silence?  Turn off the TV right now.  Shut off the computer.  Turn off the IPod.  Go into your room and close the door.  What do you hear?
    If you are the parent of a young child, you will probably hear someone knocking at the door and asking for you.  Of course, you should go open that door and bring that little one into your lap, and in loving silence, hold that child as you bask in the silence. 
    If you an adult without young children in the home, you might hear noises come into the silence from the outside.  You might hear a dog barking or music playing in the distance.  You might hear children playing.  You might hear birds chirping.  Yet, where you are, it is quiet.  It is silent. 
    Feel this quiet.  Allow this silence to envelope you. Touch this soundless environment.  Hold the quiet in your heart. Open your mouth and do not speak.  Hear the silence.  Does silence have a sound?  Yes, as white is the absence of color, so is silence the absence of noise, not sound. 
    Now, find a comfortable place to sit or kneel.  For it is in silence that we can find God.
   
    Psalm 46, verse 10 says, "Be still and know that I AM God."
   
    For it is in this silence that God wishes to fill us with His Love.  He wishes us to hear His whispers of love.  He wishes to touch our hearts and transform our lives.   He wishes to envelope our lives with His Eternal and Unending love.  He wishes to love us in this silence. 
    Do not break this silence with a word.  Just be still.  Let God move your heart into His Love.  Allow God to be God in this silence.  There is nothing He cannot do.  He does not need to prove Himself to you.  You do not need to prove yourself to God.  God knows what you think before you begin to think.  God knows what you will do before you begin to do it.  Let the silence overwhelm you as God, like a distant thunder storm, moves in to gently lift you into His love.  In this silence, as with two lovers, you begin to feel Him move into your heart.  In this silence, He begins to transform you to bring you closer to Him.  God begins to transform you and purify your soul so that you can be brought into Eternal life. 
    As with Mother Mary, this begins with your yes to Him.  Do not question.  Do not ask.  Simply stay silent and bask in His Love.  Surrender your hearts and souls to Him.  He waits for you in the silence.
    Seek the silence.  Avoid the noise.  Know that He is God.

His Unending Love - For God So Loved the World

"For God So Loved the World that He Gave His Only Son,

so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish

but might have eternal life.

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through

Him."

John 3: 16-17