Lead Me In Your Paths, Oh, Lord!

Lord,
Lead me in Your paths.
My soul is aching for You.
The rocks on this path are sharp,
And my ankles twist as I walk.
My heart is open, sliced.
I am confused.
I hear not Your voice.
Lord, what am I to do?


What do you think?
Are you looking for Me or just a release from your pain?
Yes, your road is rough.
It's covered with thistles and burrs that will cling to you.
The rocks will only get sharper and more pointed.
The slope will rise higher.
This is Your life.
My children suffer for love of souls.
They feel pain.
They suffer.
 

They offer their pains for the salvation of souls.
My heart overflows for my children who give their all for souls.
 Your journey can be made safe.
Your road can be made smooth.
You must discern which road you want to walk.
My ways are not easy.
You must choose.

You complain that your journey is painful.
I fell three times under my cross.
I thought I would die from that pain alone.
 

My Mother gave Me consolation.
Veronica, with great courage, wiped My face so that I might see the road ahead of Me.
The women of Jerusalem wept as I walked past.
Simone of Cyrene carried My cross with Me.
I wanted to stop the world, change the world so that this pain would cease.
 

My angels could not even come near.
Yet, I walked
Knowing this final walk of my life was for souls.
My triumph would give honor and glory to My Father,
And Salvation would come to the world,
 

I walked with love to
The place of the skull
Where I submitted to my tormentors as they beat Me,
Whipped Me,
And pounded nails into My Body which screamed in pain.
I forgave them as My Body bled out.
I had so little in my Body left to give.
 

Now,
You must choose.

Each road will lead you to Me,
Even if you stumble and fall.
There will be challenges on both roads,

Offer up your sufferings to Me

with great love for souls.

I will make you whole.

The pain will overwhelm you,

but the love of souls will free you from that pain. 

You will see where I walked.

The blood will lead you to Me.

 

I promise that you will suffer.
You will stumble and fall.
Just know that this is the road I carved out for you.
Will you walk in my footsteps?

Worth Repeating: Lord, Fill Me with Your Joy!

Public Domain: Wikimedia, Bockhorst

Lord, fill me with Your joy,
For I am nothing without You.
When life wears me down,
And desperate tears flow,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.

When Your blessings poured forth are bitter,
The nights are long and sleepless,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
Remind me I serve You only,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.

When endurance reaches the bitter end,
When the cross becomes too heavy,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
When others reach out and see You in me,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
When the summit of my pain is reached,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.

When I seek and find you not,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
When prayer is empty, without words,
The boulder blocks Your tomb,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.

In flowers, snow, rain, and worms,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
In sorrow, pain, loneliness, and grief,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
When I fall hard and scrape my knees,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.

When I have sinned and You have forgiven me,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
When life is bleak and all seems lost,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
When l am weak and death is near,
Lord, fill me with Your joy.

Lord, fill me with Your joy.
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
Lord, fill me with Your joy.
I am Yours!

 

mmh

 

 

I Give You My Blessing...

I remember a scene from my childhood.  I remember when my mother and her siblings would leave the company of each other, before the good byes were said, they would go up to each other, make the sign of the cross upon the forehead of the person to whom they would say good bye, and give them their blessing.
The words might be, "God bless you."
Or
"Via con adios."
(God be with you.)
Or
"God be with you as you drive home."

We children were simply blessed with the words,
"Be good to your parents."
That was only if we could be caught near an adult.

The voice of the blessing is profound.
Words of blessing can be silently prayed,
But
These words gain strength when they are spoken aloud
Because by speaking these blessings aloud
God is publicly invoked.
When there are two or more gathered in prayer,
I AM in your midst.

When God is in our midst,
The blessing gains strength and power.

The power of the blessing is great.
When we invoke God and ask that s/he be blessed in a profound way,
God hears our prayer.

To bless means to invoke divine favor upon someone.
We are not just asking Gòd as an intercessor to grant a petition,
We are invoking God to bless them,
To make them holy,
To make straight their paths.
We are asking God, as did prophets of old,
To lay His divine hands upon this person
And bless them with great spiritual gifts.


His ways are not our ways,
And
His thoughts are not our thoughts,
 

We don't know how God will accomplish what we ask of Him.
Perhaps our blessing to another person might be,
"May you be abundantly blessed by the Love of God."
God will bless this person with His love,
But the outpouring of His Love might be in the form of a serious illness.
God might have been waiting to bless this person with an illness to sanctify him or her.
God's intent maybe to purify that person through suffering or sorrow.
Whereas, we might have intended to bless them with the joy of the Lord,
God saw His chance to bring this person closer to Himself through suffering.

In spite of this possibility,
Never hesitate to bless someone.
When you pray for blessings upon a soul,
You are helping to bring them closer to God.

I met a priest at a funeral who greeted everyone this way,
"May the peace and love of Jesus always be with you."
I wasn't sure how to respond, so I said,
"And with your spirit."
Now, I wish I had blessed him praising his priestly vocation.

Blessings don't have to be complicated.
They can be a simple phrase such as,
"God be with you today and always."
Or
"May God bless you."

If you want to get a bit more complicated you can,
But in my experience I have found that simple blessings do not pull people out of their comfort zones.
When people are comfortable,
They can respond more easily.
"Thank you,"
They might say,
Or
"God be with you, too!"

"Blessing upon blessing.
Grace upon grace."
Traci M.

There is great power in a vocal blessing.
Ask God,
He will invoke His power
And
Bless, Bless, Bless.
Don't be afraid to ask.
Blessings bring great sanctity into our lives.
Bless.
Make Holy.
Invoke God to bring His favor upon others.
Bless.
Bless.
Bless.

I Blew It! Yesterday was Good Sheperd Sunday. Yesterday Was the Day on Which the Church asks us to Pray for Priestly Vocations.

“The World Day of Prayer for Vocations.”

That was yesterday, but the truth of the matter is that we can pray for priestly vocations any time.

We should pray for priests daily.

They battle the forces of evil

mentally,

physically, 

spiritually,

and

emotionally.

Many men  have chosen not to seek a priestly life.

Who can blame them?

Our priests are attacked everyday in the media.

The parishoners of their own parishes can make the life of a good priest

miserable.

We have a shortage of priests now.

This is one of the reasons we need to pray for men to be inspired by the Holy Spirit and discern.

 

The Catholic Church asks us to pray for vocations to the priestly life.

Without priests,

the physical presence of Jesus would be absent from our world.

Through the consecrated hands of the priest,

ordinary bread and wine are consecrated,

and become the body, blood, soul and divinity of our Lord and Savior,

Jesus Christ,

the Second Person of the Triune God.

Think about this mystery,

Jesus, the Son of God, physically on earth!

How wondrous is that!

Pray for your priests!

Pray that they stay true to their vocations.

Pray for men to prayerfully consider the priesthood.

Pray that many men listen to the whisperings of the Holy Spirit and seek the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

We need our priests!

Please join us in praying for vocations now.

St. Faustina’s Prayer for Priests

“O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church: Grant it love and the light of Your Spirit, and give power to the words of Priests so that hardened hearts might be brought to repentance and return to You, O Lord. Lord, give us holy Priests; You yourself maintain them in holiness. O Divine and Great High Priest, may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the devil’s traps and snares which are continually being set for the soul of Priests.

May the power of Your mercy, O Lord, shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of Priests, for You can do all things.”

~~St. Faustina’s Diary #1052

Rest in the Lord...

Hope

He waits for you in the confessional.

Ending the Day in Thanksgiving....

Prayer Journals are wonderful ways to record all the things for which we are grateful!

Do you remember the gratitude journal?

The gratitude journal was and is a statement of fact which will raise our endorphins making us happier.

Facts are these::

People who live in the state of gratitude are happier people.

People who appreciate all that they are given are happier people.

Even if it's been a bad day or week,

there is always something for which we can be grateful.

God always gives us something each day we can record.

No, our day might not have gone like we would have liked it to go,

but

God had other plans for our day.

Here's an excerpt from my prayer journal from yesterday.

4/23/15

My wrist is still sore and stiff.  Ouch.  I'm glad that I can offer this pain up to God.  For that, dear Lord, I am most grateful.

Our weather looks to be improving, but it will still be a few days before we can call it "warm" again.

I'm grateful to know that it will get warm, eventually?

I didn't sleep well last night.  I tossed and turned all night.  I woke up cold because the covers were on the floor.  It was a long day.  I'm grateful that I will sleep well tonight.

I saw a red-winged black bird today!  It was sitting on a bush near the highway!  Thank you, Lord.  Spring is on the way!

Pixie is sleeping well today.  She always sleeps well!  I'm thankful for that.

I'm grateful for my diabetic educator.  She really helps me!  Bless her, Lord, and thank you for the gift of her.

I found some silk ginkgo leaves today!  They are beautiful.  They always give me hope.

Thank You, Jesus.

The rhubarb is growing.  It's not ready to cut, yet, and eat, but it's a sure sign that spring is on the way!  Thank You, Father Creator!

Lord, these are only a few of the blessings you gave me today.  Thank you for all the ones of which I was aware, and of all the ones I was not aware.

Amen.

 

Until Yesterday...

Public Domain: Edwin Harris: Girl in a pink apron

Until yesterday I believed that the problem was

discerning 

God's Will.

Today, I have changed my mind.

The problem is not discerning 

God's Will,

but

in 

accepting God's Will.

An hour praying and discussing the issue of fasting with Jesus

at adoration

and 

a discussion with our pastor after adoration on the same topic taught me that 

discernment

was not the issue.

Accepting

God's Will

was the issue.

I am a diabetic who is insulin dependent.

Fasting is, and has been, a significant issue for me.

I have tried food fasts, only to find my sugars rise instead of fall.

I have tried fasts of bread and water, which also cause my sugars to rise very high.

I have tried abstaining from different foods.

I have tried eating only vegetables, and

 my sugars rise.

My daughter pointed out to me that if I wanted to fast,

food was not the fast for me.

However,

I ignored what she said was obvious.

I felt that God's Will was for me to fast.

 

Nope. No. Nein. Nada. No way

did these food fasts work.

 

Yesterday, in a discussion with our pastor, he said to me.

"It's obvious.  It is not God's Will that you fast from food."

 

Nu-uh!

God wants me to fast!

 

"Have any of your food fasts worked in the past?" Father asked me.

 

"Well, then, I have to discern what foods I have to fast from," I replied.

 

"I think God has been telling you for a long time," Father replied.

 

"I want my prayers to be more effective.  I have to fast!" I said.

 

 'Think about it," Father replied.

Last night as I wrote in my prayer journal,

there were still no answers about the  foods from which I should fast.

I knew I had to discern God's Will.

Then I saw them.

There were so many "I's" in my journal.

I want to fast.

I want to use food.

I

I

I.

Discernment was not the issue. 

Acceptance was.

None of my food fasts had ever worked,

 the numbers showed that clearly.

 

God had made His Will clear,

but I wasn't listening to Him.

 

His Will for me is that I not use food to fast.

Perhaps, the hunger I feel for Him can be fueled from virtue.

 

He's asking me to 

TRUST HIM.

 

He's asking me to 

ACCEPT HIS WILL.

 

He's asking me to behave with 

HUMILITY.

He's asking me to let Him be in charge, to let Him be

GOD.

 

Truthfully, it's a relief.

I don't have to worry about fasting any more.

I didn't like it anyway, but now, I can take this gift of not fasting,

and,

honestly thank God because it's not His Will for me.

He will show me what He wants me to do.

 

Now, the balance returns with the gift of His Peace.

TRUST

ACCEPTANCE

HUMILITY

DIE TO SELF.

 

The journey begins anew.

Perhaps, this is the beginning of humility?

 

 

Worth Repeating Wednesday: When You Become a Saint, You Will Be Known as the Patron Saint of What?

St. Joseph is venerated as the Patron Saint of so many things, actually, just about everything.  He's the Patron Saint of the Universal Church, the Patron Saint of workers, the Patron Saint of a Holy Death, etc. etc. etc.

Other canonized saints, such as, St. Francis of Assisi are known for other things.  St. Francis is known as the patron saint of ecology, nature, and animals.

St. Catherine of Sienna is the patron saint of nurses.

Our newly canonized saints, John XXIII and John Paul II, are also patrons.

John XXIII is the patron saint of Papal Delegates.

John Paul II is the co-patron saint of World Youth Day.

Thomas Aquinas is the patron saint of teachers, students, and  academics.

Mary Magdelene is the patron saint of tanners, pharmacists, and hair dressers.

St Augustine is the patron saint of brewers, printers and theologians.

So, since our goal is to become a saint, whether we are canonized or not, of what will you be a patron saint?

I'm thinking, I'd like to be the patron saint of those who are different, misfits, artists, and those who really don't fit into the mold.   I want to be the patron saint of those who march to a different drummer and follow a separate path.


That sounds really good to me!

Prayer of Praise...

God's strength will be poured out upon me.
His blessing will be joy.
His blessing will be trust.
His blessing will be strength.

Never more will I doubt.
Never more will I forget.
He is my Lord.
He is my God.

The Lord of Hosts is the Holy One,
The great I AM!
He is above all else.
Why should I fear?

He can do no wrong.
He is before at all times.
He strengths me and leads me.
Holy is His name.

15 Reasons Why I Love Beng Catholic!!!!

God, the Father: Creator of Heaven and Earth.  Father Almighty.  God of Love.  One of three Persons in the Trinity.  Through Him, all things were made.

Jesus: The Son of the Living God, Begotten not made, one if being with the Father.  Agreeing submitting His Will to the Father, Jesus suffered an horrific death for the sake of all humankind.  “Not my Will,” He said, “But Your Will be done.”

Holy Spirit:  The Third Person of the Trinity.  The Comforter.  The Guide.  The Paraclete

The Resurrection of the Body:  Jesus defeated death when He rose from the dead.  By His death we were saved.  By His Resurrection, we, too, will rise, one day.

The Truth - The Catholic Church speaks the truth, even if it’s not a popular truth to speak.  From the Catechism of the Catholic Church: Article 1: Section 1950: The Moral Law. 

“The moral law is the work of divine Wisdom. Its biblical meaning can be defined as fatherly instruction, God's pedagogy. It prescribes for man the ways, the rules of conduct that lead to the promised beatitude; it proscribes the ways of evil which turn him away from God and his love. It is at once firm in its precepts and, in its promises, worthy of love.”

The Mass:  The Mass is an encounter with Jesus, in which you pray with body, mind, and voice.  In the Mass we worship the Trinity.  We receive the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, which is Jesus, Himself.  We give thanks to God, and through the anointed hands of the priest, receive the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity  of Jesus. 

The Eucharist: Through the anointed and consecrated hands of the priest, the bread and wine offered at Mass become the person of Jesus, crucified on the cross for our sins. 

The Forgiveness of Sins:  Through the priest, in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, when we repent with sincere hearts, and confess our sins, the priest, acting in the place of Jesus, forgives us our sins. 

The Blessed Virgin Mary: The Mother of God.  While we, as Catholics, do not worship and adore our Lady, we have a strong devotion to her and her feminine role in the Church.  With her fiat, the final chapter of the salvation of mankind began.  Free to choose, she had only one question, “How can it be, since I do not know man?”  The angel assured her that the power of the Holy Spirit would come upon her and she would conceive and give birth to a Son who was the promised Messiah.  With that knowledge, Mary said yes, and her Son, our Lord and God, was conceived in the womb of the Virgin that God chose to be our Savior.
Forgiveness of sins

Pope Francis:  Our beloved Pontiff who has opened more doors in the faith to welcome those whom we might have shunned without his love.  I’m not sure I could love our dear Pontiff any more than I do at this moment, but I’m sure God will find a way to show me, I should love and pray for him even more.

Purgatory: God’s gift to us.  If the stain of sin is still upon us, and we are not yet ready for heaven, rather than being condemned to hell, God’s gift of love for His children is Purgatory, where we will be purified of our sin condition knowing that we will be allowed in the presence of the Beatific Vision of God when we are cleansed.  Hope, literally, spring eternal in Purgatory.


Sacred scripture: The Bible: The Words of God, contained in the Bible, are spoken and read at each Mass.  The Word of God is proclaimed at each Mass.  Catholics are encouraged to read the Bible daily and meditate on the Word of God.  Begin each reading with a prayer to the Holy Spirit.  Reflect on what God is saying to you in Scripture.  Use an approved Catholic Bible.  Using the prompts of the Holy Spirit, put into practice what you read.


The Communion of Saints: All the Faithful form one body, which is the Church with Christ as it’s head.  We are one body.  We are linked to each other through that which is holy from all that are holy.


The Rosary of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary:  The Rosary, in line after the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, is the second most powerful prayer to God.  Many graces are granted to the faithful who pray the Rosary.  The Rosary consists of:  The Apostles’ Creed, followed by and Our Father, Three Hail Marys, and one Glory Be.  After this the name of the Mystery is pronounced:  The Joyful, the Sorrowful, the Luminous, and the Glorious.  Each decade of the Rosary has a name in the mystery on which we meditate as we pray.  In each decade of the Rosary we recite: one Our Father, followed by 10 Hail Marys, followed by one Glory Be.  In between each decade we pray 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 They Mercy.   To conclude the Rosary we pray the Hail Holy Queen.

If you don't yet know how to pray the Rosary,

or,

if you need a quick review, 

Click

HERE. 

My Guardian Angel:  The comfort of knowing that God appointed a heavenly being to be with me all the days of my life, from the moment of conception to the moment my soul leaves my body at death, a spiritual being who will protect and guide me in the ways of God, is overwhelming.  Each of us, in addition to the magnitude of the  gifts God has given us, has an angel who loves us almost as much as God does.  This angel seeks to bring us to the Throne of God one day, and present us to God with overwhelming joy! 

There are many more reasons why I love my faith!  God is good!  God is love!  God is all powerful!  I praise God for the gift of the Catholic Church!

The Litany of Humility

Photo Credit Dawn Hudson

The pastor at our local Newman Center takes Fridays off.

As a result, a group of young men from the Newman Center, attend Mass at our Church every Friday morning.

When we exit Mass,

the young men gather in a group,

cell phones in hand,

and together,

speak and respond to the 

Litany of Humility.

The Litany of Humility was written by 

Rafael Cardinal Merry Del Val

(1865-1930)

He was Secretary of State for

Pope Pius X.

Litany of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved…  R. Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I … R. Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...
That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease …
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything…
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

R. Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

May we all become as prayerful and humble as these young men.

Prayerful Weekend 2:: Prayer to My Guardian Angel

Prayerful Weekend:: 1 The Angelus

Give Thanks to the Lord for He is Good, His Mercy endures forever.

Attribution: This image was originally posted to Flickr by Camera on autopilot at http://flickr.com/photos/14168366@N08/3696773588

Praise God?  

Why?

He's God.  Does he need our praise?

 Does he need our thanksgiving?

Truthfully,

NO, 

God does not need our praise.

God does not need our thanksgiving.

However,

if someone gifted you with all you would or could ever need, wouldn't you, at least, write them a 

thank you note?

If you were granted an audience with the Pope,

wouldn't you write a thank you note to the person who arranged the meeting with the Pope?

Wouldn't you write a thank you note to Pope Francis?

 Of course, you would!

God being greater,

shouldn't we praise Him and Thank Him for all His wondrous gifts to us?

When you have no words,

there are some beautiful psalms.

Here's one of them.

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 

 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 

 For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods. 

 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it,
    and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

 O come, let us worship and bow down,
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!

Psalm 96: 1-6

Think about your day.

Name 3 things for which you can praise and thank the Lord!

 

Tammy and Our Lady of Guadalupe

I had a friend who was diagnosed with advanced stage lung cancer at age 45.  She had never smoked, not even once, and when she was diagnosed, all of us cringed.  Her diagnosis was a shock to everyone.  She suffered greatly through her cancer journey, yet, even in her days of greatest sufferings, Tammy was consoled by her faith. 

Tammy had been an adult convert to Catholicism.  Like so many who have been received into the church at a later age, her faith was strong.  She was tested, but she was not found wanting.  Her faith was firm.   Her faith was unwavering.  She trusted God completely.  She gave strength to her family and friends. 

As her cancer progressed, she had one wish, and that was to go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.  The doctors advised against traveling.  She was very weak.  Tammy spent a lot of time in a wheel chair now, and her family was concerned.  They felt that the trip might adversely affect her precarious health. 

Tammy was not to be discouraged.  Along with her family, Tammy boarded an airplane that would take them to Mexico City.  Once there, she felt a surge of strength to the point where she was able to climb the stairs without help.  Her strength was remarkable!  She was keeping everyone moving, and she was happy.  Tammy prayed many times at the shrine of Our Lady.
Her family prayed for her physical healing.  Tammy also prayed.  As she prayed, she became more peaceful.  Her greatest sorrow was that she would not be able to see her son grow up to be a man.  Yet even in this sadness, an aura of peace surrounded her.  She surrendered all to God.  Her healing became deeper than flesh.  Her healing was in her soul.

As much as her family would have liked to have seen a physical healing for Tammy, Tammy’s cancer continued to spread in her body.  Lesions were found in her brain, and she acknowledged that this was the beginning of the end of her life.  The last time I saw Tammy, she was watching TV in a nursing home.   I came into the room, and her back was to me.  She was sitting directly in front of the television set.  I said, “Hi, Tammy.”  She turned her head and looked at me.  She didn’t know who I was.  She smiled and turned back to the program on EWTN.  She loved watching EWTN.  I tried to engage her, but her God was so much more important than I was.  I don’t blame her.  She was Mary to my Martha at that moment.  Even as her brain was affected by the rapidly growing  tumors, her God was there with her, and she knew it! 

A few weeks later, I received the call that Tammy had died earlier that morning.  She left this earth surrounded by love and she leapt into the arms of Love.  Her faith was her fortress.  Her God was her strength and her love.

I don’t know why I’m thinking about Tammy today.  I do miss her.  Her son is now in college.  I know she’d be proud of him!  It's been 8 years since she died.

Tammy reminded me that our Catholic faith is precious, and that our God is trustworthy and full of love.  Tammy understood the wonders of our God, the God who never gives up.  The God who gives strength.  The great I AM.  The cross became her crown. 

Miss you, Tammy! 

Saint Gertrude Prayer

Said to release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is prayed.

Eternal Father, 

I offer you the most precious blood of your Son Jesus,

in union with all of the Masses said throughout the world,

In reparation for sins,

for the Holy Souls in Purgatory,

for sinners everywhere,

for sinners in the Universal Church,

those within my home and within my family.

Amen.

Worth Revisiting Wednesday: In 2013, I learned...

In 2013, I learned...

 That without God in my life, I have nothing.  I am nothing.                                                   

John 15: 5  I Am the vine, you are the branches.  Those who abide in Me and I in them bear much fruit because apart from Me you can do nothing. 

That even when I walk my path, if I am walking the path that God has chosen for me, I am at peace.

Job 22: 21 Agree with God and be at Peace.  In this way good will come to you. 

That when life is difficult, if I rely on God, in spite of the difficulties, I am safe.

Psalm 23: 1-4 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters;
He restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for His name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil; for you are with me;
That If I sin and turn away from God, the confessional is the means for forgiveness and reconciliation.

James 5: 16 Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective.

That although not easy, forgiveness is meant for everyone from the driver who goes well under the speed limit, driving me insane on the road,to the one who has destroyed our trust.

Mathew 5: 43-47  "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.  But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?

That prayer is like eating.  It is our spiritual nourishment.  It is our connection to God.

Matthew 7: 7  “Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you

Sirach 35: 16-17: He whose service is pleasing to the Lord will be accepted, and his prayer will reach to the clouds. The prayer of the humble pierces the clouds, and he will not be consoled until it reaches the Lord; he will not desist until the Most High visits him, and does justice for the righteous, and executes judgment.
James 1: 6-8: But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.  For that person must not suppose that a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, will receive anything from the Lord.

Romans 12:12:  Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.


7) That when we turn away from  our fellow human beings who are suffering, we turn away from Jesus.

Proverbs 21:13: He who closes his ear to the cry of the poor will himself cry out and not be heard.

Deuteronomy 15:11 Since there will never cease to be some in need on the earth, I therefore command you, “Open your hand to the poor and needy neighbor in your land.”

Mathew 25: 31-46“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.  All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,  and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.  Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?  And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?  And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’  And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;  for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,  I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’  Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal lifeThat sin has grave consequences for our souls, even if the sins are not mortal sins.

Isaiah 59:2: but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you so that he does not hear.


That God never forces Himself on us.  He is there waiting for us to hear His invitation to Love.

Kings 19: 11-13 And he said, “Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. 13 And when Eli′jah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him, and said, “What are you doing here, Eli′jah?”
That God loves all.  He is Love embodied. 

 John 3:16  "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

John 4:7-21: Beloved, let us love one another; for love is of God, and he who loves is born of God and knows God.  He who does not love does not know God; for God is love.  In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.  In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.  No man has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his own Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.  Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  So we know and believe the love God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.  In this is love perfected with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and he who fears is not perfected in love.  We love, because he first loved us.  If any one says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.  And this commandment we have from him, that he who loves God should love his brother also

Things about Jesus and Prayer

See attribution at the bottom of this text

Rising very early before dawn, he left
and went off to a deserted place, where He prayed.
Mark 1: 36

Even Jesus prayed.

The second person of our Triune God,

prayed.

 Jesus prayed.

He prayed in a deserted place.

Often, He would pray early in the morning or all night.

"In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed."
Mark 1:35





Jesus would begin his prayer with praise and thanksgiving to the Father.

"At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.<sup>"

Matthew 11: 25-26</sup>

Jesus thanked His Father for the gift of His followers to Him.
(One of my favorite scriptures)

After Jesus had spoken these words, he looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you,  since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.  I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.
 “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.  Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.  I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.  And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.  While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. 

John 17: 1-12 


Jesus prayed to ask the Father that He take away His cup, but Jesus submitted to the Father's Will.


"Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,  “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.”  Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength.  In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground."
Luke 22: 41-44


Jesus prayed for His murderers.  He asked the Father to forgive them.

"Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing."
 Luke 23:34

 In His Misery on the Cross, Jesus calls out to His Father in abandonment.

 ^"And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:46

Before this, Jesus taught us how to pray.

“Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
    hallowed be your name. 

     Your kingdom come.
    Your will be done,
        on earth as it is in heaven.     

 Give us this day our daily bread. 

     And forgive us our debts,
        as we also have forgiven our debtors.      

And do not bring us to the time of trial,
        but rescue us from the evil one."

Matthew 6: 9-13 

Photo attribution

"Statue of Jesus Christ in Prayer" by Conniemod - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Statue_of_Jesus_Christ_in_Prayer.JPG#/media/File:Statue_of_Jesus_Christ_in_Prayer.JPG

Beatitudes of the Beautifully Weird

Public Domain: PDPhoto.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blessed are the weird, for they shall see life as no one else can.

Blessed are they who don't fit in, for they have a special place to fill.

Blessed are they who are rejected because they are different, they reflect the true beauty of God.

Blessed are they who are alone because they are different, for through them shines the light of God.

Blessed are they who are not included, for they are close to the Heart of God.

Blessed are they who are on the outside, for they have room to grow.

Blessed are they who feel the pain of exclusion, for their differences bring them closer to God.

Blessed are they who hunger for friendship and are refused, they are precious in His sight.

Blessed are they who think outside the box, for their boxes are a prison.

Blessed are they who are beautifully weird, for they have felt the nails of the Cross.

Blessed are they who were made to be weird, for this is a blessing from God.

Divine Mercy Sunday: Jesus, I Trust in You!

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

 The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is to be recited using ordinary rosary beads.  

Opening Prayer (to be prayed on the first large bead of the rosary)

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls, and an 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.

Response: O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us, I trust in You!  (Repeat 3 times.)

On the three small introductory beads:
Pray one Our Father, One Hail Mary, and one Apostles' Creed

On the large beads:
Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ,

Response: in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world

On the 10 small beads, repeat:

For the sake of His sorrowful passion,

Response: Have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Repeat the above for each of the 5 decades.

End with:

Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
(Repeat 3 times.)

Closing Prayers:
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.  Amen.

Jesus, I trust in You.  (Repeat 3 times.)
Mother of Sorrows, Pray for us.
St. Faustina, Pray for us.

Pope Francis: Prayer

When God Takes Over and Works in Our Lives. We just have to step aside, trust, and let Him be God! Lessons Learned:

My day started with a rude awakening

at 3 AM.

My tooth had been hurting,

and I had been to the dentist earlier in the day.

This was 3 AM,

and

my tooth was throbbing.

I don't remember pain like this.

Nothing seemed to help,

but,

at long last,

the Tylenol kicked in and took the edge off.

I slept fitfully until 5 AM.

The pain was raging again.

This time,

I showered

and waited for my dentist's office to open.

I had to miss Mass, but this pain was more than I could handle.

I was told to come right in.

The dentist would deaden the pain, and then we would see what he suggested.

The xray the day before had shown nothing was wrong with my tooth.

Although His Hand was in this,

here's where God's glory began to shine.

My dentist deadened my mouth.

The pain was gone!

While he did this, the secretary was calling to get me an emergency appointment with an endodontist.

I decided to go to Perkins and get a pancake since pancakes are soft.

I had only been there 5 minutes when my mouth exploded in pain, again.

I went back to my dentist.

When he arrived, the receptionist was on the phone with the endodontist.

I had an appointment at 1:30 PM.

I was in the chair in minutes and the dentist was deadening my mouth again.

(See how God is working?  I had nothing to do with this. If this had happened today, things would have been more difficult.)

Fast forward to 10 AM.

The medication was wearing off.

I swallowed my Tylenol and took a nap.

This was good.  I woke up at 11:30.  I could eat lunch.

By the time I arrived at the endodontist, the pain was coming back.

He decided that my tooth was not salvagable, but they didn't pull teeth.

I just looked at them.

I didn't know what to say.

The receptionist was on the phone.

My dentist was gone for the weekend.

(I had no choice here but to let God be God.  Miracles do happen.)

She was like a dog that won't let go of a bone.

Another call to some maxillary specialists in town.

His nurse said he was at the hospital, but she would call him.  

The time between calls was about 10 minutes.

She started out by saying that she was only the messenger.

The doctor would extract my tooth, but he would only do it if I agreed to be put under.

I also needed a driver, and I should get up to their office as soon as possible.

I was stuck again.

(Letting God do the work was great!)

I happened to be at Hobby Lobby.

 I checked out.

A call to one friend.  No one answered.

I called another friend.

Yes, she'd be more than willing to drive me.

She'd be at my house in ten minutes.

It would take me 15 to get home.

She had the rest of the afternoon free.

I got home.

Sue was there.

I parked my car in the garage.

We were off.

This was at 2.

The procedure was completed at 5:30.

No more pain.

No more tooth, but that's okay.

God bless, Sue, she waited the entire time.

Throughout all of this,

I didn't do a thing.

God simply took over.

I was in too much pain to try to orchestrate the afternoon.

Then, as I was eating my applesauce,

I saw this amazing sunset.

God's closing gift to me for that day.

Lessons learned:
Let God be God.
Offer it Up, which I did.
God will take care of you, even if His ways are not our ways.
Trust.
Pray.
Hope.
Don't go to Hobby Lobby before a procedure!
 

When there are No Words, and Fear overtakes Faith...

Then silence is best.

Worry is least.

Consider this::

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  

 

Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?   

 

And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life?   

 

And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these.   

 

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 

Matthew 6: 24-30 

 

Peace

Truth

Mercy

Love