Opening My Prayer Journal: My Prayer during Adoration

Lord Jesus,

I sit in front of Your Tabernacle of a Monstrance of the altar.  I am distracted by my notebook, well, not exactly my notebook, I am distracted by the blank pages in my notebook.

I can only say that my faith is weak today.  I feel like I am saying No to You.

I want to say yes to You, but it's like a part of me is missing.  I should throw myself on Your Mercy!  Today, I want to control.  I want to be in charge, and knowing this, I realize how stupid this idea is.

I do long for a humble heart!

Today, my heart is lukewarm.

I do not feel an attachment to You.

Yet, I still long for a thread,

a cord, a rope to anchor me to Your Sacred Heart. 

 I am dry.

Is this what You want me to accept?

Do You want me to take off my shoes and walk the hot, dry sands with You?

Do you want me to accept, no embrace, the dryness of the desert so that You will compress my heart and change the dust into diamonds?

May You be glorifies, Jesus, through my journey in the desert!

Praise to the Father!

Praise to the Son!

Praise to the Holy Spirit!

The desert is hot.  The wind blows away my foot prints.

No one will know I walked this desert path.

The blows away the path on which I journey.

When I die, my flesh will be dust.

When I die, my bones will be dust.

My soul, though, will never be dust.

It will be living long after my time on earth has finished.

Lord Jesus, remember me when I die.

Do not let my spirit roam the dunes and not leave a mark.

Do not let me be forgotten by You.

I veil myself in Your Presence as a sign of respect for You.

I hide beneath my veil, for I am not worthy to be seen by You, but You made me as I am,

and I know I am worthy of Your Love.

I continue to seek Your graces. 

You give Your Love to all, freely and without conditions.

Why, then, do You go away when I seek You?

I cannot find You and I do not understand.

I look an do not see You.

My eyes are closed to Your glory!

I seek You on the highest dune.

The wind leaves trails to know it was there.

I am like a ghost whom no one sees.

I leave no trail.  I leave no mark.

I see no path.  I am lost.

The wind spits sand in my eyes.

Lord, save me!

I am blinded and in pain!

Lord, hear me!

the howl of the wind plugs my ears with sand.  I cannot hear You!

Lord, forget me not.  I am in need of Your protection.

The beasts attack, and they want my soul.

Lord, help me!

I need You!

I need You!

The storm is passing.  There is only a gentle breeze now.
I feel You near to me. 
You are near me.
The desert is beginning to turn green.
Do I hear water, too?
The desert is covered in green.
Lord, thank You.
Thank You!

Worth Revisiting: 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.

It's so Easy...

"Love God above all else."

 Communicate with the
Divine Trinity
in prayer.

Give permission to God to love you.
(God will only work with your permission.)

Tell God you love Him.
(Believe it or not, God likes to be told He's loved.)

Open your heart to God.
(He knows what's been going on in your life.  Like anyone who is seeking a relationship with you, God wants you to share your life with Him.  It's only normal.)

Fill your heart with God.
(God is love.  He wants to fill your heart with His Love.  Ask Him to do just that.  He will not refuse you His
Sacred Heart.)

Seek to do only the Will of God. 
(God is love.  God is Truth.  God is unchanging.)

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself.

Who is my neighbor?
(My family.  The people across the street.  The driver in the car next to me.  The clerk at the gas station.   Our beloved Pope Francis. The terrorist who is a suicide bomber. (Yes) The person who cut you off in traffic.  I think you get the idea.)

How do I love my neighbor as myself?

Treat your neighbor as you would want to be treated.
Forgive your neighbor.  (Sometimes we have to forgive at a distance.  Remember, we have to love ourselves, too.)
 Be kind to others.
Be patient with others.
Perform acts of Mercy.
Imitate Jesus.
 (Read Sacred Scripture (the Bible) daily.)
Love yourself.
Be kind to yourself.
Be patient with yourself.
Develop compassion for others.
What you do for others, do for yourself.
Easy Peasy?
No, not at all.
Worth it?
Yes.

Heaven awaits us.


 
  

May the Peace of the Risen Lord be with You Now and Forever!!!!!

By Bartolomeo Schedoni - Web Gallery of Art: Public Domain 

 

 

He has Risen,

Allelujiah!

He Has Risen from the dead.

And the World Seemed the Same

The next morning, the sun rose in the East as it always did.  The merchants began to open their shops, closed for the Sabbath.

All was ready to give the day to the Lord.

The Roman soldiers were patrolling the town as they always did.

The birds were chirping loudly, or so it seemed.

Nothing had changed, but everything had changed.

The world would never be the same.

The stone was still in front of the tomb.

The Romans were alert for anyone passing by.

No one was allowed to stop.

The Roman guards had changed.  No one had gotten near the body.

The Apostles were huddled together in the Upper Room praying for fear of their lives.  Rumors were flying around town.  The sadness in the room was palpable.  The Master had died a horrible death.

The men were terrified.  They knew that Judas had hung himself.  Peter still wept.

His Mother and the women prayed quietly.  The women would interrupt their prayer to make food for the group.  

The birds chirped outside in the trees.  Cats and dogs roamed the streets looking for food.  A few children were outside playing.  They could hear their mothers scolding them and bringing them in the house to celebrate the Sabbath.

Work had already begun to repair the Temple.  

The cave was quiet.  His body was surrounded by angels worshiping Him and guarding His body.

Silence.

The world would know soon.

Very soon.

Mary of Cleophas Speaks: Part 2

The soldiers grabbed Jesus and made Him walk to the area where the condemned men were held. There were two men who would also die that day.  They didn't look like they had been beaten or scourged.  Jesus was thrown in with them. We weren't sure that Jesus could get up.
He'd try to lift Himself off the ground and the Romans would kick or whip Him.  When He fell again, they would laugh.  Mary continued to weep and pray. 

The crowds were gathered on the street.  The other two men were naked.  We turned our heads so that we would not deny them their dignity.  The condemned men carried their crosses.  One was very angry and he swore and cursed the Romans.  He was mocked by the Romans for his nakedness.  Jesus was mocked by the soldiers, but His bloodied garments were on His body.  Jesus was so weak.  He could barely walk.  I heard someone say, in a  mocking tone, that they hoped Jesus didn’t die on the way to His cross.  Then they laughed. 

Mary told John that she wanted to get near Jesus.  John maneuvered them through the crowds to a place where the parade of men who were going to die would pass.  John kept looking at Mary.  He said that Jesus did not look like himself.  Mary’s eyes filled with tears, but she was determined.  John took her to her Son.  He had fallen again and was trying to get up.  The soldier were laughing and drunk.  They saw Mary get near her Son.  One of the soldier waved his whip at her, but that kind soldier who helped me, knocked the other soldier down before that whip could touch Mary or Jesus.  The kind soldier was firm and he sent the drunk away from Jesus.  The soldier stepped into the area and everyone knew that they could not get near Jesus or Mary.  Mary embraced her Son.  That touch seemed to give Jesus new energy.  The kind soldier was moving in the crowd.  He grabbed a man from the crowd.  I think my husband knew this man.  The soldier kindly looked at Mary.  John supported her and moved her away from Jesus.  Jesus smiled at John.  He seemed to whisper a blessing to the soldier, but I don’t know what He said to him.  The other man was being forced to carry the cross of Jesus. 

Jesus was so weak.  It was difficult for Simon to help Jesus.  Jesus lost His footing and fell again.  Simon was yelling at the soldiers to leave Jesus alone.  A woman, whose home was nearby, ran through the crowd towards Jesus.  One of the Roman soldiers tried to stop her, but she, like His Mother was determined to get near Jesus.  Her veil had been pulled off by a soldier  That did not deter Veronica.  She grabbed her veil away from him, and knelt before Jesus.  She gently wiped the blood from His face.  Mary wept at her kindness to her Son.  A soldier tried to grab Veronica and throw her on the ground.  The kind soldier grabbed him with great violence and sent him flying against the wall.  I don’t know if he was alive when things calmed down.  He was just laying on the floor and no one was helping him.

It wasn’t far to the skull.  So much of this time was a blur.  Jesus’ garments were torn off His body, and the bleeding began again.  Jesus’ pain was beyond anything I had ever seen.  Where  were His Apostles?  We watched as Jesus was nailed to the cross.  We watched as His cross was raised up.  We watched incredible suffering.  The High Priest pushed Mary of Mandala down as he paraded himself before the crowd.  He yelled at Jesus as he walked by with great disdain.  Mary wept.

The high priest paraded himself in front of the crowds mocking Jesus.  One of the other crucified men reminded him that Jesus was praying for him and forgiving him.  The high priest cursed that man and left to go back to the temple.  The crowd jeered at Jesus. 

The Romans kept the crowds back.  John asked if we could get near the cross of Jesus.  He
 reminded the soldier that this was His mother.  The soldier hung his head in shame and motioned for us to move closer.  As we drew near His cross, we heard the other man cursing Jesus.  The crucified man on his right replied that they were sentenced as they deserved, but that Jesus had done nothing to deserve this punishment.
.
Jesus moved His head to look at the man.  The man said, “Remember me when you come into Your kingdom.”  Jesus told him that he would be in paradise with Him today.  The man began to cry, not from pain, but from joy. 

Jesus looked down at His Mother.  She was in great pain.  Their sufferings were the same.  John held her up.  She kissed her Son’s feet.  Mary’s face and clothing were covered with His Precious Blood.  Jesus knew that He had to take care of His mother.  He told Mary, “Behold your son.”  Jesus’ voice was not much more than a whisper.  John looked at Jesus.  “Behold your mother.”  John was charged with taking care of her for the rest of her life, which he did with great joy.  Then Jesus looked at His mother.  She knew. Jesus gave her to the rest of us as our Mother, too.

Time dragged on and the men grew weaker.  It was near the third hour when Jesus, in His great agony, called to His Father wondering why He had been abandoned.  The Romans dipped a sponge on a hyssop branch and offered it to Jesus.  He had also said, “I thirst.”  They raised the sponge to His lips.  Jesus refused the drink. 

The clouds were thick and looked fierce.  The winds were beginning to blow and blow hard.  We clung to John as he clung to his mother to stay upright.  Then we heard Jesus say, “It is finished.”

A moment later, Jesus breathed His last and died.  Mary screamed in pain.  His head hung down.  The Romans were trying to get out of the storm.  The lighting was frightening.  They began to break the legs of the other men.  When they came to Jesus, they could see He was dead, so one of the soldiers, for reasons we never understood except that it was God’s Will, shoved a spear into the side of Jesus.  Blood and water gushed out.  The soldier stood there unable to move or speak.  We were also covered with the blood and water.  The soldier was hit hard by another Roman. He seemed to come out of this state he was in.  He knelt down and exclaimed, “This was the Son of God.”

The storm passed.  A man who had been a secret follower of Jesus came with other men to take the body of Jesus down from the cross.  The rain had washed His body.  Mary held Jesus close to her.  He was cold.  She wept quiet tears.  When the men came to wrap His Body, Mary did not want to let go, but John reminded her that Jesus must be buried before the sunset.  Mary nodded and wept.  We followed at a close distance as the men carried His Precious Body in the shroud to the new tomb.  There was only a limited time, and Jesus’ body had not been covered with Aloes, but He was laid in His tomb before sunset. 

The Romans watched as we lay Him to rest.  They had been instructed to put a huge stone in front of the opening,  They would keep watch to make sure that no one would come and steal His body.  We left.  John supported Mary, and Mary and I supported each other.  We were exhausted and hungry.  We reached the room where His Last Supper had been.  The Apostles were there, hiding.  At first, I felt very angry that they had not been with us and with Him.  My anger left me when I saw Mary, His Mother, my sister-in-law, talking kindly to each of the apostles and hugging them. They were weeping, especially Peter. 

We finally slept.  The Apostles were terrified and would not leave the Upper Room.  We prepared the food that was brought to us.  We spent the Sabbath in prayer. 

The day after the Sabbath had not yet dawned.  Mary of Magdala and I left the upper room.  We found some herbs and aloes to embalm the body of Jesus.  Peter had opposed us leaving the upper room.  Mary, His Mother, embraced us, blessed us, and sent us on our way knowing that we would be safe, in spite of the thieves and the robbers and the soldiers. 

No one stopped us.  The sun was breaking it’s light in the east when we approached the tomb.  The soldiers were gone!  The stone had been moved away.  We dropped our packages and hesitatingly walked into the tomb. 

There was a young man in there, not Jesus!  He asked us why we were looking for the living among the dead.  We could not say anything, but  when we saw the burial clothes on the rock bed where He had lain, we knew.  Jesus had said He would rise, and He did!!!!!  He was alive!!!
Mary wanted to look for Him, but I reminded her that we needed to make the men come here to see for themselves because no one would believe us since we were women.  We ran back to the upper room.  His Mother, Mary, just smiled at our news.  The men did not believe us, except for John.  John convinced Peter that he needed to see.  Jesus had appointed Peter as the new leader.  They ran.  We ran closely behind.

The tomb was still empty!  The men saw the burial clothes and they rejoiced!  They ran back to the upper room shouting for joy!  It wasn’t until we returned that I realized that Mary was not with us.    She came soon shouting that she had seen the Master!  He had told her to tell the Apostles to stay where they were, and He would come to them soon!

We ran like little children to His Mother.  She embraced us and we returned to prayer. 

Yes, yes.  Jesus did appear to us and to many others.  He was so beautiful!  He said that we were blessed to have seen Him and known Him.  We all fell to our knees praising Him and the Father.  Jesus told us that He would send the Holy Spirit soon.  We continued to pray. 
We saw Jesus rise to heaven.  His Mother wept tears of joy.  We continued to pray.

I cannot describe with words, they are not enough, what happened when the Holy Spirit came.  He gave so many gifts to us!  The Apostles left the upper room.  They proclaimed the life and death of Jesus!  The conversions were in the thousands that first day.  My nephew, the Son of Mary, was God!  He had lived, died, and rose from the dead for us.  We were no longer afraid.  His church began to grow. 

Yes, I know I’m old, but what I tell you is true.  Jesus was a man, born of a woman, my sister in law.  She was pure and never sinned.  Jesus was both Man and God.  He grew up in a small village and changed the world.  Actually, when you came to Jesus, you would never be the same.  That was impossible.

Yes, I was at His Crucifixion and death.  I was blessed to be with His Mother and with Him.

No, I didn’t doubt.  I didn’t even think.  Jesus had told us that He would suffer and die and rise from the dead, and He did!  He was the Messiah who had been foretold by the ancients.  He is the Son of God.  He’s alive!  He lives, and soon, I will see Him again. 

He is love.  He is truth.  If you follow Him, and do what He says, you’ll be like the thief who died and went to heaven.  Heaven, yes, that’s our true home.  I’ve lived so long, and I’m tired.  I want to go home.  I want to be with Jesus again.  I want to be with Mary again.  So many people have died for their love of Jesus.  Remember that kind soldier?  He was martyred in Rome.  After his death, he came to me.  Jesus had sent him to remind me that I still had work to do on earth.  He had gone straight to heaven.  He died encouraging others to give their lives joyfully.  He was not silenced until they cut his tongue out of his mouth and sent him to the lions.  Even the lions would not attack him.  He was like the prophet Daniel.  Finally, thinking that the lions were tame, they sent a soldier in to stab him to death, which he did.  The lions attacked the soldier who had killed our friend.  He died within seconds.  The lions gathered the body of our friend, licked it clean, then circled  around his body.  They would not let anyone near him until the body of the evil one had been removed.  Yes, it was a miracle.  God can do anything!  Always remember that!

God can do anything!

I’m tired now.  I must sleep.  I feel my time on earth is still long.  Jesus sent that kind soldier to me after he had died to remind me to be firm.  My time would be short for him, but long for the earth.  Find Peter or one of the Apostles.  They can tell you more.  I must rest now.
I will pray for you. 

Mary of Cleophas fell into a deep sleep from which she never woke. Even though she had been dead for a few minutes, a smile formed on her lips.  She was with her nephew.  She loved Him dearly.  

Amen.

May the joy of the Risen Lord be with you now and forever.

Amen.

Mary of Cleophas Speaks Part 1

Yes, that's right.  I walked with His mother as she and John made their way up Golgotha to the site of the crucifixion. John held Mary up.  He had great strength that day.

No, I don't know why Peter was not there.  I remember that he and the others were hiding.  They were terrified that they would also be crucified.  Peter continued to weep.  He had denied that he knew Jesus, in the early morning hours, just as Jesus had prophesied.  He could not bear the weight of his grave sin against the Master. 

I am sister in law to Mary who carried Jesus in her womb and gave birth to Him.  No, we didn't know the truth about Jesus then. We only knew that He, Jesus, was the Son of Joseph and Mary.  There had been some gossip before they married that Joseph was not the Father of Mary's child, but Joseph did not divorce her.  He took her into his home to be his wife.  Mary and Joseph lived together until Joseph died.  Jesus took over as the provider for the family.  They were very poor, but I remember how happy they were as a family.  My husband, Joseph's brother, and I tried to share with them, but they would only accept that which they needed.  Jesus would thank us and encourage us to give to the poor.  I don't think they realized how poor they were. 

I had been with Mary after the Passover celebration. We only knew that Jesus and the Apostles had left to go pray in the Garden of Olives.  We returned home, and we prayed with Mary until we fell asleep. John woke us up before dawn.   He told us what had happened in the garden.  We dressed quickly and made our way to the Temple.  There were already so many people waiting for the high priests to arrive and the trial to begin.  The people were outside were yelling and screaming and cursing Jesus.  Mary’s heart was breaking.  She felt His pain in her body.

John didn't want us to stay there, but Mary insisted we stay.  Jesus was on trial for His life.  We couldn't see Jesus, but we saw a couple of the Apostles trying to blend in with the crowd.  Suddenly, Peter came running out of the crowd.  People were laughing at him.  He ran without looking and nearly knocked me down.  He stopped when he saw Mary.  He was speechless for once, and then he burst into tears. 

Poor John was beside himself!  He was trying to protect us, but he couldn't seem to do it. The crowd was so unruly.  Peter ran on.  We didn't know what happened until later.  The Romans were finally trying to break up the crowds. I tried to tell them that Jesus was being unfairly tried, but one of the temple guards made fun of me and pushed me out of the way. The Roman soldier swatted him with a whip.  He got off his horse and helped me up.  He told the temple guard that he would take care of him if he ever saw him strike a woman again.  The guard ran away.  Then the Roman lead me back to through the crowd to Mary, John, and the Magdalene.  He was very kind.  I whispered a prayer to the Father for him.  Little did I know then, that this soldier would be martyred, many years later,  with many other faithful Christians because of His love for Jesus.  

When the sun came up, we had our first glimpse of Jesus.  Mary grabbed her heart.  Jesus had been beaten badly.  His beautiful face was thick and swollen, and His Precious Blood was flowing from wounds on His eyes and jaws.  The guards would not let us get near Him, and Jesus was lead away to Pilate in chains.

 We were pushed away by the crowds.  By the time we reached Pilate, Jesus was not there.  We could not understand where He was.  Mary saw Jesus in a corner talking with Pilate.  The high priest and the others were trying to stir up the crowd to demand that Jesus be crucified.  We could hear them yelling, "crucify Him." I thought Mary would break down.  Her heart was broken at the thought of Jesus dying.  Jesus was already so bloody.  He had been beaten severely by the Temple guards.  The drunken Roman soldiers helped, too.

Pilate came out to speak to the crowd.   The crowd was screaming so loudly that it was hard to hear what Pilate was saying.  The soldiers were moving through the crowd trying to silence the crowd. 

Pilate told the crowd that He could find no reason to execute Jesus.  The crowd began to scream Crucify Him!  The Roman guards  to calm them down, but the crowd wanted blood.  Pilate spoke to the crowd again.  I couldn't hear what he said stood with their weapons raised.  was trying to help Mary.  Then the Roman soldiers took Jesus to the back.  We knew He was about to be scourged.  Men often died from scourging.  The Romans were vicious.  Many of the people in the crowd tried to go down to watch the scourging.  John was one of them. The heat was becoming intense.  Mary of Mandala and I coaxed His Mother and  we sat under a tree.  The Apostles were in hiding, somewhere in the city.  We hoped they were praying.  We couldn’t understand why they weren’t with us.

Mary began to cry.  She felt pain she said.  It was only later that we realized she was feeling the pain of Jesus as He was scourged.  There were times when we thought she would collapse.  We gave her water to drink.  She kept saying, "My Son, My Son!"  She was exhausted.  Suddenly, she stopped crying.  We looked up, and there was Jesus.  I wasn't sure it was Jesus.  He was hard to recognize.  His face was swollen and distorted.  He had been beaten badly.  His body and His clothes were drenched in blood.  He looked like He had been working as a wine presser.

Much of this time was a blur for me.  I saw Jesus, my nephew, beaten and bloody.  The scourging had been intense.  Pilate said something about releasing someone, I don't remember who it was, or Jesus.  The high priest led the crowd in screaming for the release of the other man.  Pilate knew it was useless.  He condemned Jesus to die, then Pilate washed his hands.  The high priests were jubilant. 

Part 2: tomorrow, Good Friday

Join us as we follow Jesus to His death and resurection.

Could you not Watch One Hour with Me?

^"Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, “So, could you not stay awake with me one hour?  Stay awake and pray that you may not come into the time of trial; the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Matthew 26: 40-41

The only light is the light of the moon.  For some reason, the moon is very bright this night.  There are a couple of torches burning in the garden, but their light is dim.

Next to one torch, I see three men sleeping very soundly.  Their snoring is loud.  I hear an owl screech eerily in the distance.

Then, I hear the moaning.

A sliver of moon light illuminates the Master.  He is covered with sweat and blood.  He wipes His face with His cloak and leaves the spot where He prayed.  He walks to the men who are closest to Him.  I hear Him say that the time has come.  The stunned men get up and call the others as Jesus walks ahead of them.  Coming from the other direction are the soldiers. They bring with them one of His Apostles, a close friend, Judas.  I see the hurt on His face as Judas kisses Him on the cheek.  His eyes fill with tears as He looks at Judas.  Judas recoils and runs away.  Jesus is struck on the face by a Roman soldier.  Peter grabs his saber and slices off the soldier's ear.  The smell of fresh blood is becoming familiar in this violent episode.  In the chaos, the Apostles run like frightened children.

With blood flowing out of His mouth, Jesus tells Peter to lay down his sword.  Jesus reaches down to the soldier.  His ear is healed.  Peter has joined the other Apostles in flight.

 Jesus is beaten and kicked as He is tied up and lead away.  His Precious Blood is leaving a trail of salvation in the ground.  The Garden is once again quiet.  His time has come.

Jesus, My Lord and My God.

Forgive me!

 

Prayers for Peace

Your Heart is broken, Lord,

at the violence we see in the world.

Your Sacred Heart breaks with each act of violence that takes a life or injures a heart.

Father, forgive us.  Open our hearts to your love.

Jesus, remind us that Your death was not in vain and Your Life was given for all.

Holy Spirit, guide us in the ways of peace.

For all those who are in pain,

Heal them, Oh, Lord.

For all those who are grieving,

Comfort them, Oh, God.

For all those whose lives will never be the same,

Hold them close to Your Heart.

For those who do not believe, inspire them, Oh, God.

For those who hate, forgive them, Oh Lord.

For those who have died, bring them into Your Love.

For those Who cannot forgive, melt their hearts.

We are blessed by Your Grace, and for that we thank You.

Lord, God, Lamb of God!

Forgive us, and in that forgiveness, inspire us to forgive our enemies.

Mercy, Lord Jesus, Mercy.

Thank You.

Amen.

 

Entering Holy Week and Ending Lent, an exercise in mental prayer

Together we walk into Jerusalem

beside

Our God,

Our Lord.

The Hosannas ring loudly from the crowd.

The palm branches explode with energy as they are waved in the air

in praise of the Messiah.

Children smile and dance in his wake.

Mothers raise their babies up for blessings from the Rabbi, the Master.

 

The crowd presses against Him as He rides the simple donkey.

He wears no royal robes,

nor does he wear a crown.

He sees their needs.

He heals.

The babe in the womb, who died, is now living and kicking again because Jesus healed her mother.

The heart of a man who was frozen in bitterness is suddenly opened and pouring forth his wounds and pain.  He is healed by the Master.

He loves.

The woman near death is not healed of her ailment.  Rather, she closes her eyes peacefully, seeing the Master as He is in eternity.  She knows He will come for her soon.  She joins the ancients waiting for the Messiah to open the gates of heaven for them.

The widow who is near despair because she has no money for food.  She no longer has a home, but she is found by a man who will take her into his home as his mother, not as a slave, but as his family.

He blesses.

He sees the women and men who will die for Him, but not until His church is established.

He blesses them with the courage and strength they will need when the blood of martyrs is shed.

The child who had not eaten today finds food on a tree that was barren.

He devours the food he is given.

The fruits of victory are being sown, even as the Master is praised.

Soon there will be silence and gasps of horror as the Master is beaten, tortured, and killed,

but

the Glory of God will shine through Him.  

Prepare the way of the Lord!

Prepare His way!

 

He Knew

 He rode the donkey knowing...

A few more days and His life would be over.

He would be mocked.

He would be beaten.

He would be abandoned by those whom He loved.

He knew.

Both Human and Divine,

He saw the sufferings.

He felt the pain.

His human nature recoiled,

but

His Divine Nature,

Love, embodied in Him,

Accepted His cross with joy.

He knew.

 He heard their praises as He rode.

He saw their souls locked in earthly thoughts.

He wept.

Soon they would turn on Him.

Soon they would demand His death.

Soon He would feel the pain of nerves raw from the whip,

Chunks of flesh torn from His body,

His Head crowned with thorns.

The day would darken.

The nails would be pounded into His Hands and Feet.

He would see His mother weeping,

Her sufferings joined with His for all mankind.

He knew.

 Love propelled Him to the cross.

As he rode,

Knowing what was to come,

He healed.

He taught.

He loved.

Love overcame the sorrow.

Love overcame the ain.

He knew. 

Salvation would come soon.

Photo credit:  Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons, Andrea Montegna

How do You do it?

How do You do it?

You are the God of Miracles!

Your glory, which is greater than the Universe,

is contained in that 

Consecrated Host.

My brain is too small to understand.

How do You,

the great

I AM WHO AM,

contain Yourself, Your Glory, in that small host?

You are the God Who created all from

Nothing.

How can you take nothing

and bring forth

something?

I don't understand,

but

You're God. 

I'm not.

Alelujiah!  Praise be to You, Lord, Jesus Christ,

My Prayer to St. Jospeh

Dearest St. Joseph,

You who were selected by God to be the 

Protector,

Defender,

and 

greatest love

of 

Mary and Jesus,

I ask you to welcome me as part of your family of love.

I pray that you will be a part of my life,

and 

that I will come to know you 

better.

I pray that you will intercede for me before the Throne of God,

who selected you to take care of His Most Precious Son on earth.

I pray that when I sleep you will protect me from the evils of the night.

I pray that you will protect me from the evils of the day.

I pray that you will walk by me as I journey home to God.

Dearest St. Joseph, 

protect my children.

Heal the hurts in our family.

Help us to love one another as you loved Mary and Jesus.

St. Joseph, Patron Saint of families,

pray for us.

Amen!

A Heart Full of Love

A heart full of divine love can only bear witness to God who is love.

This heart, which offers us repose, when we stumble and fall, beats only.) to the stirrings of love fulfilled.

A pure heart bears only love, a love of near perfection, which can only come from 

God.

Sin cannot touch this heart for it is protected by 

Love.

Love is poured out from the Beloved to the 

Loved.

Love empties Himself into

her.

(Thought from adoration)

Early Morning

My Favorite Quotes from Sacred Scripture

I hope you enjoy this video.  These are some of my 10,000  favorite quotes.

What are yours?

Ending the Week with Thanksgiving and Praise!

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

1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18

1) Prayers were answered this week.  They weren't the answers I expected, but they were answered.

I'm not sure I understand one of the answers, but it was a specific answer to my prayer.  It was unexpected, bu God knows best, so I just have to trust.

2) I am slowly returning to prayer.  This is a true blessing since prayer has been difficult for me for a while.
God is good.

3) Pixie is feeling better with the new medication.  Her tummy is no longer upset.  She's even gained weight!  She's turning into a little chunker now. This is really good news for me!

Praise God from Whom all Blessings flow.

Praise Him all creatures here below.

Praise Him above the Heavenly Host.

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!!!!

Our Lady's Love for Us

Our Lady continues to show her motherly love for us in Medjugorje.   She seeks to lead us to her Son.

Here are her two latest messages to the Visionaries in Medjugorje.

(Although not yet approved by the Church yet, I have visited Medjugorje twice, and I can attest to the fact that it is a bit of heaven on earth.)

Here is the message from Our Lady given through Mirjana this morning:

March 2, 2016

"Dear children, my coming to you is a gift from the Heavenly Father for you. Through His love I am coming to help you to find the way to the truth, to find the way to my Son. I am coming to confirm the truth to you. I desire to remind you of the words of my Son. He pronounced words of salvation for the entire world, the words of love for everyone - that love which He proved by His sacrifice. But even today, many of my children do not know Him, they do not want to come to know Him, they are indifferent. Because of their indifference my heart suffers painfully. My Son has always been in the Father. By being born on earth He brought the divine and from me received the human. With Him the word came among us. With Him came the light of the world which penetrates hearts, illuminates them and fills them with love and consolation. My children, all those who love my Son can see Him, because His face can be seen through the souls which are filled with love for Him. Therefore, my children, my apostles, listen to me. Leave vanity and selfishness. Do not live only for what is earthly and material. Love my Son and make it so that others may see His face through your love for Him. I will help you to come to know Him all the more. I will speak to you about Him. Thank you."

Message of February 25, 2016 to Mirjana

 

"Dear children! In this time of grace, I am calling all of you to conversion. Little children, you love little and pray even less. You are lost and do not know what your goal is. Take the cross, look at Jesus and follow Him. He gives Himself to you to the death on the cross, because He loves you. Little children, I am calling you: return to prayer with the heart so as to find hope and the meaning of your existence, in prayer. I am with you and am praying for you. Thank you for having responded to my call." (February 25, 2016) 

She's our Mother and she loves us!

Worth Repeating: Snippets of Grace and the Word of God

"For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together."

Colossians1: 16-17 

"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day."

Genesis 1: 31

"Lift up your eyes on high
And see who has created these stars,
The One who leads forth their host by number,
He calls them all by name;
Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power,
Not one of them is missing."

Isaiah 40: 26

"Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God has shone forth."

Psalm 50:2

“But now ask the beasts, and let them teach you;
And the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you. “Or speak to the earth, and let it teach you;
And let the fish of the sea declare to you. “Who among all these does not know
That the hand of the Lord has done this."

Job 12: 7-9

 ^"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end."

Ecclesiastes 3: 11

There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—

 

"A time to give birth and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. 

 A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to tear down and a time to build up. 

 A time to weep and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance.

A time to throw stones and a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace and a time to shun embracing.
⁶ A time to search and a time to give up as lost;
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
⁷ A time to tear apart and a time to sew together;
A time to be silent and a time to speak.
⁸ A time to love and a time to hate;
A time for war and a time for peace."

Ecclesiastes3: 1-8

Thoughts from My Mass/Prayer Journal

"I AM WHO AM"

Exodus 3:14

A thought from my Mass/Prayer Journal. 

I use this journal each time I attend the 

Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  

I date my entry, usually.

(I just realized I didn't date this one!)

I also make a note of the name of the priest who is saying Mass.

I have found that when I have a question about something said in the homily,

the priests are very happy to clarify my thoughts.

Sometimes thoughts float into my soul before Mass, most times, not.

If they do, I write them down.

This is what I wrote down on either

2/14 or 2/15.

I sit in the Presence of the Lord, my God,

as the ancients to whom was revealed the

One God,

the Creator,

the 

I AM WHO AM.

I throw myself on God's Mercy.

I seek to be consumed by the

Fire of His Love.

I seek to burn like the 

burning bush

that could not be consumed by the fire.

I seek pardon and mercy,

Oh, Lord, I am in trouble.

Help me, Oh, God.

Destroy my will to sin.

I am far away from You

adrift at sea.

Help me, Lord, My God.

.

I added in the next section of my journal:

When God touches your life, you cannot ever be the same.

It's impossible. 

At this point, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass began.

Oh, Lord, I am not worthy!

Amen.

Do you keep a prayer or Mass journal?

Does it help you to grow?

What is the most profound moment you have experienced and recorded in your journal?