Five Minute Friday: Rest

God made rest sacred when, after creating the world in which we live, He Rested.

Yes, 

God, our Father, our Creator,

Rested on the 7th day.

As a Father, God set the example for His Children.

He doesn't want us to only work without stopping,

He wanted us to rest, too.

He made the night to balance the day and 

He rested.

Like Jesus wept,

the Father rested.

If rest is needed, we need to follow His Example.

Rest.

Rest.

Rest.

In many cases, God uses rest to work on us, to inspire us, to enlighten us.

When we allow Him, He works with us in our rest.

Joseph the earthly father of Jesus, was inspired by God in his sleep.

When he was concerned about making Mary his wife because she was pregnant, God sent an angel to Joseph in a dream, to tell Joseph that it was all right to make Mary his wife.

God also sent an angel to Joseph, in a dream, to tell him to take Mary and his Child to Egypt where they would be safe.

Rest.  Critical. Rest.

Let's talk about Prayer and Praying for Others

Do you pray for yourself?

If not, you should.

Do you pray for your children?

If not, you should.

Do you pray for your spouse or former spouse?

If not, you should. 

Do you pray for your family or the deceased members of your family tree?

If not, you should.

Do you pray for your coworkers?

If not, you should.

Do you pray for those your enemies?

If not, you should.

Do you pray for???????

If not, you should.

Do you pray?

Many souls are being lost  today that might be saved through 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

Your Mercy.

Don't have the time?

That prayer took exactly

10 seconds to pray.

I timed it.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we love you, save souls.

3.4 seconds.  Yes, I timed it.

A rosary takes, approximately, 20 minutes to pray. 

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy takes, approximately, 9 minutes to pray.

The Our Father takes 20 seconds.

The Hail Mary takes about 14 seconds to pray.

The Glory Betake about 10 seconds to pray.

If you feel that time is a factor, it's really not.

Turn your eyes toward heaven and pray.

God is good!

Amen. 

 

Worth Remembering: 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.

Five Minute Friday: Lose: The Mission is over

The Mission at Church is over.

Viva La Mission!

Viva Christo Rey!

Viva La Fey!

What did we lose?

After ten days, you lose the joy of the missionaries as they spilled out of the church and into the streets of our town.

We lose the joy they bring to our parish.

We lose the very, early morning, and I do mean early morning,

rosary walks.

We lose the blessings of the priests who served us through this mission.

We lose the friendships that were made.

We don't lose the blessings and gifts from God.

The fruits of the mission were different for each person.

The Holy Spirit filled each of us in different ways.

He touched our hearts in piercing ways.

Jesus walked with each of us whether we were support help or directing everything.

God blesses us.

He blessed our parish.

Jesus, Meek and Humble of heart, make my heart like yours.

Amen.

God so loved the world!

God so loved the world!

God so loved the world!

Amen.

We are blessed.

Worth Repeating: Lord, Fill me with Your Joy

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!

Love More

The opposite of full is empty.

So many run on empty.

They are lost and lonely.

They weep silent tears.

Some grow stronger because they know they are loved

by God,

by parents,

by children,

by friends,

by anyone.

Some grow more lonely and fade away thinking our world will be better off without them.

Some grow angry and full of hate.

Why should anyone feel unloved?

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life."

John 3:16

If God loved us so much, that He allowed His Son, His only Child, His only Son, to be born and live in our world, then to suffer a death that was painful and tortured for the Love of us,

then why should be not love?

If we forgive those who hurt us, then we love.

If we are kind to all, especially those who hate us, then we love.

If we suffer for those who are unkind to us, then we love.

If we make someone feel good about themselves, then we love.

If we open the door for someone who can't, then we love.

If we have compassion for the outcast, then we love.

Love knows no end.

Love forgives.

Love is kind.

Love is a gift from God.

Entry From My Prayer Journal: June 7, 2016

Lord,  Heavenly Father,

Send Your Holy Spirit into my heart.

I open my heart to receive 

His Love,

His Mercy.

I open my soul to

His Counsel,

His Guidance.

I seek to do the Will of the Father,

even when I only want my way,

not 

His.

Restore my soul, Oh Lord.

Refresh my being.

I seek the fragrance of Your garden

where all are praising 

Your Most Sacred Name!

I long for the

Beatific Vision.

I seek to feel the beating of 

Your Sacred Heart,

on fire with love,

which knows no boundaries

and flares Your Love to Your people,

Your Beloved souls.

Rejoice, my God,

Rejoice!

I am the sinner who has returned.

I strayed from Your Love

to do 

my will,

not Yours,

but,

I have returned!

Let heaven rejoice with me!

Amen!

Worth Repeating: Purgatory

Pray for the Souls in Purgatory!

Eternal Father,

I offer You the most precious blood of your Divine 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 in the universal church,

those within my own home

and

within my family.

Amen.

(St. Gertrude Prayer, said to release 1,000 souls would be released each time it is prayed.)

All praise and honor be to the Precious Blood of Jesus, for it wrought our salvation and our redemption.

Amen.

It's early and I've already been so blessed...

1) I walked in a Rosary walk this morning.

2) Mass was beautiful.

3) There was a close parking space available today.

4) Eucharistic adoration was beautiful!

5) I had a delicious breakfast.

6) A conversation with a friend blessed me with joy.

7) I received the Eucharist this morning.

8)  The sight of these flowers blessed me with great joy and reminded me  of the beauty of the Creator.

9) No stress when writing this blog today.

10) My dog loves me!  

And it's only 9:20 AM.  There are so many blessings to come.  

Thank you, Jesus, for all that You have given me today.

She's the Mediatrix of All Graces, and this is Her Prayer: 10 Reasons to Pray the Rosary

1) Learn about the Life of Jesus by Praying the Rosary.  The Rosary begins with His Mother's fiat to the Angel Gabriel in the Joyful Mysteries.

The Rosary ends with the Coronation of Mary in heaven after she is assumed into heaven when her life on earth is finished.

The rest of the rosary is dedicated to the life of her Son on earth.

2) The Rosary is biblically based.  Each mystery can be found in the Bible.

3) The Blessed Mother has made great promises to those who pray the Rosary.  Check out this link to read about them.  They are wonderful!

Our Lady never goes back on her promises.

4) All graces flow through the Mother of God.  She is the Mediatrix of all graces.  The Rosary will bring you closer to her love.

5) As Catholics, we do not worship Mary.  We worship God only, but through the Rosary we honor and venerate the Mother of God.  Jesus loves His Mother very much, and He wants us to become more like her.

Pray the Rosary.

6) The saints recommend the prayer of the Rosary.  Padre Pio says, "The Rosary is the weapon for these times."  Use it as a weapon, the greatest weapon against satan.

7) When offering the Rosary for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, they feel great relief from their sufferings.  Pray the Rosary for the souls in Purgatory.  Pray for your loved ones who are in Purgatory.  The suffering is great.  They rely on you for their deliverance from Purgatory. 

Pray for the abandoned and forgotten souls, especially, for they have no one to pray for them.

8) In times of trouble, the Rosary will bring you great comfort.  Through yourself into the arms of your Mother for strength and comfort.  She will walk with you through the storms, and you will find comfort in her arms.

9) Praying the Rosary is a form of meditative prayer  By using your mind, your words, touching the beads, you use your body to pray.  When your body is involved in prayer, your prayer is deeper and a form of meditation on the life of Jesus.

10) In all of her apparitions on earth, the Mother of God asks us to pray the Rosary for her intentions and for ours.  She asks us to align our intentions with the Will of God.  She is our Mother, too.  She knows what is best, but she never forces us to do what is right or good.  She only asks us to pray the rosary daily.  

Pray! Pray! Pray!

No Rose Without a Thorn: an Exercise in Imaginative Prayer

Have you ever reached into a bush to cut a rose and found yourself clutched by a thorn.

Ouch!

We sought to capture the beauty of a rose in our hands and found the pain of the thorn.

I had to smile at this thought.

Suddenly, I heard waves hitting the shore, and I smelt the salt of the lake and the fish that were caught and being hauled to the shore.

In the distance, men were working on a boat, mending nets and cleaning fish.

They talked among themselves.

In the distance they saw a man walking towards them.

They knew Him and greeted Him with joy.

Jesus smiled and greeted them.

"God bless you.  I hope your catch was good."  Simon answered, "More than enough for the week!"

Simon and his brother looked at each other.  Their father heard the exchange and came over from the boat.  He was ready to yell and keep them working, then Jesus smiled at him.

He said to his sons, "Come.  Follow Me, and I'll make you fishers of men."

Simon and his brother looked at each other.  They dropped the nets they were holding leaving their father at the edge of the lake staring at them.

They left with the Master who said to them.

"Come.  We're going to a wedding first."  He knew what they were thinking as they walked.  "You can bathe in the waters before we reach the wedding."

They simply nodded and followed Jesus.

Jesus began to teach them.  He started to tell them about the Love of the Father for them.  They only looked at each other.  They knew they had to follow Him

They had no idea of how long it took to reach the wedding.  They were enraptured with what Jesus said, but they were also confused.  Jesus was telling them to love their enemies.

Simon quipped, "I think our father is upset.  Do we have to love him when he's upset?"

Jesus smiled.  "What do you think?"

The wedding feast was going on when they arrived.  The food smelled amazing, and they were all hungry.  The Mother of Jesus greeted them at the wedding.  She had them sit down in a quiet place, away from the crowd, so they could eat.  She brought them bread, grapes, cheese, olives and some water.  There was no wine. 

Simon saw a glint in the eye of Jesus as Mary came over to Him.  She said to Jesus, "They have no wine."  Jesus smiled in spite of himself.  "What am i supposed to do, Woman?  My time has not yet come."

Simon gasped slightly at this.  He wasn't sure he'd have had the courage to say this to his mother.

Mary just smiled and turned to the waiters.  She said, "Do whatever He tells you."

Jesus smiled and shook His head slightly.  They realized He could not say no to His Mother.

The air was hot, and they were wishing for some wine.  They could only watch in awe as the servants worked hard to fill the six huge jars with water.  When they finished, they returned to Jesus.  He smiled at His Mother.  He looked at Simon and his brother.

Quietly Jesus said, "Take the wine to the head waiter to taste. "  Then Jesus reached out to His mother.  She held His hand.  "Thank You," she whispered quietly.

There was a bit of stirring as the head waiter pulled the groom back to the area where Jesus was.

He was scolding the groom.  "Most people serve the good wine at the start of the party, but you have saved the best for last."  The groom simply didn't know what to say.  He tasted the wine, and he smiled.  Then he ran back to the party.  The waiter had had enough.  He had the servants take the jars to the guests and begin to serve them.

Mary brought Jesus and His friends some wine.  Simon almost choked because he had never tasted such good wine.

The servants, knowing what had happened, came back to Jesus and began to worship Him.

Jesus blessed the servants, and He sent them to serve the guests.  He cautioned them to be quiet about what they had seen.

Simon could not believe what he had seen, but he knew his life would be forever tied into the life of Jesus.

 

Worth Repeating: Ways to Help the Souls in Purgatory

Impatience is a sin which I regularly confess.  Most of my impatience happens when I drive.  Today was no exception.  I drove on Highway 14 heading towards Sam's Club to shop.  The Lord has a sense of humor!  Within 5 minutes of being on the road, I found myself driving behind a car going less than 55 mph in a 65 mph speed limit.  Grrrrrrrrrrr!  The cars behind me were moving over to the fast lane to pass both of us.  Since there were so many cars, I was stuck.  The car in front of me slowed down to 50 mph.  Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.  I. Was. Impatient. To. Pass, and my exit was approaching!  I thumped my fingers on the steering wheel.  Then, my guardian angel must have whispered in my ear.  I thought of the souls stranded in Purgatory who so desperately need our prayers, sacrifices, and acts of charity to enter heaven.  

I realized I could offer my contrition for my impatience  to God for the beloved souls.  I whispered a quick apology to God and asked Him to forgive me and bless the driver of the slow car in front of me.  Then, I asked God use what He could of my repentance for the souls.  After that, each time I started to become impatient, I offered it up for the souls in Purgatory. I was still stuck behind that slooooow car. The drive became much more tolerable knowing that I had this gift, this tiny sacrifice, to help the souls stuck in Purgatory.

When I reached Sam’s, I saw that the driver was an elderly man bringing his elderly, disabled wife to shop.  He smiled at me when we parked next to each other.  I was ashamed and added impatience to my notebook for confession. 

As I shopped, my angel reminded me that there are many more ways to help the souls who are moving slowly through Purgatory knowing there is nothing they can do to help themselves.  

Pray for the souls daily, hourly. 
      A quick prayer to say is:  Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love You!  Save souls!  Say this prayer 9 times and you have prayed a novena for the souls. 

Say the St Gertrude prayer which is said to release 1,000 souls each time it is prayed.

Eternal Father, I offer You the most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus, in Union with all the Masses said throughout the world today, in reparation for sins, for the Holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home, and in my family. Amen.

I always add::

All praise and honor be to the Precious Blood of Jesus for it wrought our salvation and redemption. Amen. 

All of these prayers said together will take less than five minutes and you will have helped souls move beyond the bounds of Purgatory.

2) Attend a Holy Hour of Adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament and offer the time spent adoring Jesus for the souls.

3) Offer up your aches and pains, (We all have them,) for the souls.

4) Turn your sins into virtues by repenting of your sins, changing your behaviors, your thinking, and offering up the emerging virtues for souls.

5) Every morning, dedicate your day for the Holy Souls.

6) Fast for the souls in Purgatory.  Skip a meal. Don't buy that coffee you crave.  Give up soda.   Turn off TV. Offer your "fast" up for the Souls.

7) Your acts of charity should not be wasted either.  You know that co-worker that annoys you?  Smile and say a kind word.  Offer the merits of your kindness for the souls.  You know that family member you haven't spoken with in 10 years?  Forgive the infraction.  Forgive the hurt, and this can be very difficult.  Offer your merits for the souls who suffer so greatly.  The souls will never forget your kindnesses to them.

When you die, and you are released from the bonds of Purgatory, the souls you helped to release will be waiting at the Gate of Heaven to take you to Jesus as you make your triumphant entry.  They will never forget that you helped them see the Face of God sooner than they could have without your merits going for their souls.  While you live, they will pray for you and with you.  They will intercede for you even as they suffer the pangs of Purgatory.  They love you!  They want to be in heaven with you. 

Always remember that God loves the souls in purgatory. He also loves those who love the souls.  You are His beloved child.  His Love is unending for you and for all His children. Help save souls!