Was it Meant to be Easy?

No, it wasn't.

Being a Catholic was not meant to be easy.

St. Bernadette was told by Our Lady,

"I cannot promise you happiness in this world, only in the next."

Being close to God means being away from this world.

Daily, no hourly, no each minute,

we must choose 

to live for God 

or

to live for the world.

Easy, no, but we do have our weapons.



“Listen and let it penetrate your heart…do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain.  Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?” (Our Lady’s words to her servant Juan Diego.)

She's already crushed the serpent's head.
She's bringing her children to her Son.

The path that leads us to God is full of thorns and brambles.
No path is ever free.
The thorns pierce our feet.
The brambles cut our feet.
The end is in sight.

Our Mother promises us safety in her arms, in her mantle.

Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
the Lord is with You.
Blessed are You among women,
and 
Blessed is the fruit of your womb, 
Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
Pray for us sinner now
and
at the hour of death.

Amen.

5 Things I love About Adoration

1) There can be a 1000 people adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, yet, it's like you are the only one with Jesus at the time.

2) The room is silent during adoration.

In the silence, we hear the word of God in our hearts.

3) I am overwhelmed by the love of Jesus because I know that he does not leave us alone.

4) Jesus dispenses graces during the time He is adored.  His adorers never go home without Him.

5) Jesus waits for us in adoration.

Even when we are alone, we are not alone.

Ending the Week in Thanksgiving and Praise

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."

John 1: 16 

1) Pixie had to have 3 canine teeth extracted, but she's doing all right.

She's pretty sore, though.  At least, she won't get sick from having infected teeth.

2) I learned this week that ordinary time is not ordinary.  Take the garden.  Even though the plants look static, like they're not moving, root growth is carried on where we can't see it.  The cells of each plant are growing and reproducing.  There is nothing ordinary about that.

Nothing.

3) Adoration is a time of great graces for the adorer.

"Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!I will praise the Lord as long as I live;    I will sing praises to my God all my life long."
Psalm 146:1-2

 

Why I Pray the Rosary

1) I believe the Promises of the Blessed Virgin Mary for those who pray the Rosary.

(Click HERE to learn what they are.  There are 15 Promises the 

Mother of God made to us.)

2) The praying of the Rosary involves the uses of the body and the senses.

a) You use your brain to imagine each mystery as it unfolds.

b) You use your brain to see the Mother of God and Jesus as they live each mystery.

c) Your fingers touch and move the beads.

d) You pray the words of the prayers as you touch a bead.

e) You hear the words recited.

f) You listen to each word of the prayer.

3. The Rosary is based on incidents in the Bible.  All the mysteries are taken from events in the life of Jesus as documented in Sacred Scripture.

4) The Rosary is a prayer of meditation.  As you recited the Rosary, you reflect on other things.  Your brain activity slows down.  Your breathing slows down.  Your heart rate slows down.  Rather than focus on the "breath," you focus on the lives of Jesus and Mary.

5) The Rosary has great power.  Padre Pio said, "The Rosary is the weapon for today."  We need all the weapons we have to stay spiritually safe in our world.

6) The Rosary is a devotion that can be taught and passed down to the children in a family.  This enables parents to teach the faith to their children.  By praying the Rosary with the "little ones," you take them to Jesus who wants nothing more than to interact with them.

7) The Rosary is a prayer that can be prayed daily with the family.

8) The Rosary is a short prayer around which the family can be centered.  An average Rosary, when prayed with devotion, takes about 20 minutes to pray.  That's less than 1/24 of a day in time.

9) By praying the Rosary, we walk with Mary through the life of Jesus.  Mary seeks to bring us home to Him.

10) The Rosary saves souls.

Why do you pray the Rosary?  If you don't, why not?

Worth Revisiting: Mercy in this Year of Mercy

"Blessed are the Merciful, for they will receive Mercy."

The Corporal Works of Mercy

Feed the Hungry.

Give Drink to the Thirsty.

Shelter the Homeless.

Visit the Sick.

Visit the Prisoners.

Bury the Dead.

Give Alms to the Poor.

Spiritual Works of Mercy 

 Counseling the doubtful.

Instructing the Ignorant

Admonishing the sinner.

Comforting the sorrowful.

Forgiving Injuries.

Bearing Wrongs Patiently.

Praying for the Living and Dead.

These actions are the things we do to serve with the gift of Mercy.  

So, what do we find in Mercy?

In Mercy there is:

Forgiveness

Love

Truth

Kindness

Gentleness

Compassion

Patience

Acceptance,

and, most importantly,

God.

In God's Mercy to us there is:

Kindness

Gentleness

Justice

Deliverance

and, most importantly,

Salvation!

Amen.  

Gardening, Seasons, Giving Thanks to God, and Confession

Seasons.

We are blessed with 4 of them:

spring (birth)

summer (maturation)

fall (letting go)

winter (death and burial)

This morning glory plant is 

FINALLY

beginning to climb my mailbox.

I've waited since early spring for this to happen!

The tendrils are trained, and, soon, 

I hope,

the flowers will begin.

If I am patient,

next spring the seeds from this plant will again begin to grow, and the mailbox will be pretty.

The seasons have passed.

We are now in the fullness of summer. 

When I thought I couldn't bear the cold and snow of winter,

tendrils of spring would flare out.

A warm day that made an outdoor walk palatable,

A touch of green grass poking up, taller than the late spring snows.

Then, when I thought I couldn't bear the thought of the cooler days,

they began to warm, and the garden began to sprout.

Little plants that might be weeds, grew out of the garden.

Seedlings were planted.

They rooted and took well in the soil.

Then, when I thought I couldn't bear the thought of no fresh vegetables from the garden or flowers in bloom,

Summer exploded!

Now, it's hot.  Some days it's humid, but this is summerl

Now, I'm beginning to feel that I can't stand any more of the hot and humid days,

I know that fall will be coming and the cycle will be complete.

God's designs are good.

Even through the seasons, all things work for good.

All things were created for us.

All things were created for God's Glory,

We can honor Him by offering each day to Him.

We give Him the good, the bad, and the ugly.

We can honor Him by praising Him and blessing Him for the glory of creation.

God's works are good.

It is we who screw things up,

but we have a God who loves us,

no matter what.

He is a kind, gentle and loving Father, but, we need to remember, that in His role as Father,

He is also God of Justice.

He loves us, but we must be held accountable for our transgression, our sins.

Our sins hurt and offend God.

This is when we must fall on our knees, return to the confessional, and beg forgiveness.

God is there waiting, through the gift of our priests, to forgive and help us atone for our sins. 

Come back to Me,

God asks,

but we can't do it on our own.

We must humble ourselves and enter that box where our sins will be revealed and forgiven.

"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."

Amen.

Act of Contrition

Oh, my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because I have offended You, My God, who are all good and worthy of all my love.  I firmly resolve with the help of Your grace to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sin.

Amen.

  

After a daily examination of conscience, pray the act of contrition, go to confession, perform your penance and feel the graces from God flow into your soul.

You'll never be sorry for  righting yourself with God.

 

Thoughts from Adoration Today

As His Mother gently offered her Son to His Father,

He Who was go grievously wounded,

He Who died a gruesome death for the love of His Children,

I offer to You, dear Father,

with the heart of my 

motherhood,

No, I give you my children

that you gave to me.

I take spiritual authority over them, no matter their age or condition,

and,

You as the King of Heaven, I humbly ask that you accept my children into the 

protection and graces of Your

Son's

Sacred Heart.

As gently as His Mother returned

her Son to the You,

I commit my children through

His Mother's Immaculate Heart, 

and I ask You, Father, to love and guide them back to the home for which they were intended.

They were never mine,

but they were Your gift to me.

I cannot thank You enough for these gifts of my soul.

I ask You, Father, to forgive me where I have failed in parenting these beautiful souls.

I beg Your forgiveness, knowing that You will fill their emptiness and their wounds with Your Love and Heaing.

Jesus, through Your Mother's Immaculate Heart,
I consecrate my children to You.

Flesh of my flesh, they are.

I uplift them to the healing love You offer this world.

I ask Your Mercy on their souls.

Holy Spirit, I consecrate my children to Your 

Goodness and Love.

I ask that You infuse Your Love in my children

and 

bless them with Your Gifts.

Guide them through the storms of life.

Guide them to Jesus so that He will calm the storms and protect them from all evil.

Amen.

Ending the Week with Thanksgiving and Praise, Especially Praise for the Gift of My Son!

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."

John 1: 16 

 

1) Today is my baby's 37th birthday!  I give praise and thanks to God for the gift of my children, and today, for the gift of my son.

Because of him, I became a mother for the second time.  He checked into the world with a loud cry and weighing 9 pounds 11 ounces!

What a blessing!

2) Throughout my daughter's cancer journey, the boy child has been our rock.  He helped to lighten the mood, and he has been a great support for us!

I have been so blessed!

3) The boy has accomplished so much and has made us to proud of him!  He is a kind and loving man.  He does for others with great love.  God is in his heart!

Happy Birthday!!

"Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!I will praise the Lord as long as I live;    I will sing praises to my God all my life long."
Psalm 146:1-2

 

Blessing and Blessed with Pickles

When the Lord blesses you with cucumbers and dill,

what can you do?

You can make pickles.

Screech!

Insert sound of needle scratching a record.

Orrrrrr

If you don't have the time or simply are not blessed with the Gift of Hospitality by the Holy Spirit,

You can chop up the cucumbers and dill and mix.  Add a touch of onion and garlic.  Mix together.  In another bowl, mix 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste, a dash of pepper, and 1 teaspoon olive oil.  Add to cucumbers and dill and mix. 

That's good, too.

 God blesses us daily with many seen and unseen graces.

Cucumbers and dill are graces we can see and eat!

So, how can I thank God for these blessings by blessing others?

1) Give a jar of pickles to a neighbor or shut in.

2) Send a jar of pickles to the rectory.

3) Invite a neighbor in and teach your neighbor to make pickles.

4) Have friends over for dinner, and share your pickles with them at dinner time.

5) Give away your "secret" recipe for making pickles.

 You will be blessing and touching hearts this way.

I'm going to bless you, now and give you my recipe.

Click here for he link.

HERE 

I love this recipe, and so do my kids.

Enjoy, and I'd love to know what you think of them!

God Bless You!!!

 

 

 

Worth Revisiting: Prayer

Hail Mary,

Full of Grace,

The Lord is with you.

Blessed are you among women

and

Blessed is the fruit of your womb,

Jesus.

Holy Mary,

Mother of God,

Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

Amen.

A Place and Time of Adoration

JMJ

Adoration ends in silence.

The priest reposes the Blessed Sacrament and blesses us.

We sing

Tantum Ergo,

off key for the most part, but with great intent to praise God.

I'm sure Jesus is smiling in the taberacle

I begin to review the notes in my prayer journal.

What is Adoration? 

Time

-A time for God

-A time of focus

-A time of prayer

-A time of special graces

-A time of love.

Place

 -A place for discernment

-A place for worship

-A place for love

-A place for peace

-A place for prayer

Gift

-A gift from God

-A gift of love

-A gift filled with graces

-A gift of the senses

-A gift of consolation

Expression

-An expression of God's love for us

-An expression of our love for Him

-An expression of graces for our souls

-An expression of His Mercy for us

-An expression of His joy for us.

Cup

-A cup of blessing

-A cup sorrows

-A cup of fulfillment

-A cup to take to the World

A cup of heaven.

Praise God for His Gift of Adoration to us!

Amen!

The Day I Saw My GrandFather at the Top of the Stairs, And He Had Been Dead for 40 Years!

I've rarely spoken about this event,

and 

the few people to whom I have entrusted this knowledge have been kind enough to keep my secret for almost 30 years.

The gentleman in this photo is not my grandfather.

I don't know who he is, but he is not my grandfather.

My grandfather died when I was 12 years old.

I am now in my upper 60's.

I loved him very much,

and,

I was greatly saddened by his death.

I prayed for the repose of his soul often.

Eventually, I forgot, but I did pray for the souls in Purgatory frequently.

I dearly love the souls!

Then, one day, as I was cleaning the bedroom, I walked past the open door that led to the staircase.

I glanced there, and I saw him.

There was my grandfather dressed in his gray jacket with his hat, and he was smiling!

I walked past the door, and then I went,

"Huh?"

I walked backwards to the door, but he was gone.

The vision of him lasted only seconds, and with that knowledge, I fell down on my knees and prayed for him.

I realized that it had been 40 years since he died, and I wondered if he had been in Purgatory all that time.

Had he just been released from Purgatory in that moment I saw him?

Was he still in Purgatory and needed more prayers for relief?

I don't know, but that few seconds of time caused me to pray more for the souls in Purgatory, especially those whom we thought had been released a long time ago.

I never thought that he would have still been in Purgatory after 40 years!

40 years of suffering!

How long the average soul stays in Purgatory, we don't know.

The souls who have come back to ask for prayers have told the mystics that one day in Purgatory feels longer than 30 years. The intensity of their sufferings is great, greater than anything on earth.

They cannot help themselves.  

We are their only help.

So, please pray for the souls.

Offer Masses for them.

Pray the St. Gertrude prayer for them daily.

Pray for the repose of your family tree.

Pray for those who are alive now that they might have the grace of a holy death and spend little time in Purgatory.

Prayer for the release of souls.

Pray for them.

Pray for yourself.

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 sin, for the Holy Souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the Universal Church, those within my own home and within my family. Amen.

My Heart is Heavy Now....

My heart is heavy today. More violence against police officers. Being a Catholic in today's America will not get any easier. How, in the light of this senseless violence, can we be the light of Jesus? How can we be the peace that only He can give? It's not a matter of whether we can or not, it is a matter of doing what we must. We must forgive. We must comfort. We must educate. We must pray. One of these without the other is useless. Prayer cannot be ignored. Padre Pio said, "The Rosary is the weapon for these times." Let's all pray today. Our country needs it. We need to pray for the conversion of the perpetrators. We need to pray for the souls of those who have died. We need to pray for the safety of our women and men who are in law enforcement. We need to pray.

Sunday Morning Blessings...

Need I say more?

God is good!

Ending the Week with Thanksgiving and Praise

From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."

John 1: 16

 

1) We are now a blended family.  

Jenny and her two cats have moved in with us.

Pixie is not happy, but she and Fred the cat are beginning to make peace with each other.

That's a true blessing!

 

 

2) God has blessed us with a beautiful and fruitful garden.

I'm waiting on the potatoes.

First time we've grown them!

It might be a bit, but I hope it's sooner than later.

 

 

 

3) We're having a cucumber and parsley salad for lunch, fresh from the garden.  Doesn't that sound good?

 

"Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!I will praise the Lord as long as I live;    I will sing praises to my God all my life long."
Psalm 146:1-2

 

 

 

Coming Home

The mailbox is about 50 feet away on the curb.

I walked there just now, picked up the mail.

The  air, which has been so HOT in the past few days, has finally cooled.

That means our parish's adoration chapel will be cool today.

I look forward to my visit there.

I sit.  I look at Jesus in the monstrance.

  I cringe, knowing I have been weak.

Dear Lord, I've done it again.

I failed You.

I tried, but I stumbled and fell.

I know I hurt You,

and,

I knew I would hurt You, 

but I did it anyway.

Being Catholic, just isn't easy.

You, Jesus, tell us:

"If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love"

John 15:10 

Your love is so Faithful. You wait for us to return.
When we do, you celebrate and welcome us home with open arms.

"Then the father said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours.  But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.’”
Luke 15: 31-32 

Throughout our lives, You are there.
You shower us with graces.  You fill our emptiness with Your love, even when we stumble and fall,
even when we doubt.


“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 
2 Corinthians 12:9 

Then, tears come to my eyes when I remember

“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

Thank you, Lord.
Thank You!



  
 

Worth Repeating: Praying for the Dead

Purgatory.  A gift from God so that we might be with Him for all eternity. 

In this Camino, let us remember all who have died  and seek to relieve their pain, for their sufferings are great, even though they have achieved salvation.

As we continue to walk this Camino, let us pray daily for the Holy Souls in Purgatory.

(Article 12, Section III, 1030-31 Defines Purgatory as a place of purification  for those who have achieved salvation, but who have not yet achieved the degree of holiness they need to enter heaven.)

Upon death, the soul of the deceased person, which will live eternally, is judged by God.  A soul is  either  sent to heaven, hell, or purgatory.  Souls who are cleansed and united with God, enter heaven.  Souls who have rejected God and have refused to repent of their sins are condemned to hell.  Souls who have died in the state of grace, but who have not had all of their sins expiated, are sent to purgatory. 

After death, a soul is no longer able to help itself.  A soul can pray for others, but it cannot pray for itself.  When a soul enters purgatory for the final purgation, a soul can only hope for the prayers of those left behind to ease their sufferings.  Although joyful in the knowledge that they have been saved and will enter heaven when their time of purgation is over, a soul in purgatory suffers greatly for those sins that have not been expiated. 

Padre Pio said: The souls in Purgatory pray for us, and their prayers are even more effective than ours, because they are accompanied by their suffering.  So, let's pray for them, and let's pray them to pray for us."
Do we know who goes to heaven, hell, or purgatory? 

No, we don’t, unless officially canonized by the Catholic Church, only God knows. 

If we do not know where a soul goes upon death, for whom should we pray?
We should pray for every deceased person whether we knew them or not.

Are there any prayers we should say for the Holy Souls?
There are many ways and prayers to pray for the Holy Souls.  Here are some suggestions.

The St. Gertrude Prayer is said to release 1,000 souls from Purgatory, each time that it is prayed.

Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen.

Another good prayer.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord; And let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen
What else can we do for the Holy Souls?
We can have Masses offered for the souls of the deceased.

 

Masses are important for both the living and the dead.


We can pray Rosaries for the deceased.
Padre Pio said: ”The souls in Purgatory repay the prayers that we say for them."

 Aside from prayer, is there anything else we can do for the souls in Purgatory?
We can offer our works of charity and our sufferings for them. 

Increase your prayer time.

Pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory daily as we walk this Camino Del Rey.

Life at Best is Fragile...

Who knows?

God knows.

When I make a right turn instead of a left turn,

I might change my life.

When I listen instead of asking more questions,

I might change another person's life.

When I pray for the salvation of souls,

I might be helping a soul that would have otherwise have been lost.

When I pray for the souls in Purgatory,  I might be praying for the release of someone dear to me.

When I trust that God has my back,

I have changed my life.

Ending the Week with Thanksgiving and Praise: Blessing upon Blessing

 "From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace."

John 1: 16

1) Our country's 240th  4th of July celebration was not marred by violence.

2) Things are settling in at our house.

Kitties are learning to tolerate Pixie.

Pixie is learning to survive in a home with kitties.

3) Warm weather, maturing gardens, bugs and fertilizer make for delicious crops from the garden.

The harvests are beginning.

"Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!I will praise the Lord as long as I live;    I will sing praises to my God all my life long."
Psalm 146:1-2

Stepping Out of the Boat

^" Immediately he made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead to the other side, while he dismissed the crowds.  And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat, battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.  And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.  But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

  

Peter answered him, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  He said, “Come.” So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.  But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Matthew 14: 22-33

I met Grace on a bitter cold day last winter.  I had seen her frequently at early Mass, though we had never spoken.  She parked in the back parking lot at Church, near where I had parked.  Grace's car needed a jump.  She couldn't get it going.  She had the cables and asked me if I would help her out by giving her a jump.

I own a Prius with a different sort of electrical system in the car.  When I bought the car, the dealership had told me  not to give anyone a jump because I could ruin the electrical system in my car.

I looked at Grace and told her that I couldn't help her, but that I would find someone who could.  Finding someone was easier said than done, but, eventually,

Mark, our parish administrator, came outside to help Grace.

Knowing she was getting the much needed help, I left,

but this was not the end of the story.

A month ago, at church, we hosted a parish mission.

There were 70 missionaries.

On the first night, after the Mass that opened the mission, a young woman touched my arm to get my attention.

She was dressed in a simple white shirt and long gray skirt.

She wore her hair behind her head in a french braid.

I looked at her.

She said, "Mallory, do you remember me?  It's Grace.  You helped me with my car last winter."

Of course, I remembered her!

We hugged, then I realized she was with the group of nuns who would be part of our missionaries.

She was a postulant in the order of 

the Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matara.

Sister Grace!

Wow!

Grace, stepped out of the boat!

Please pray for Grace and those who walk with her on her journey.

Thank you!

Keep your heart open.

You might be called to step out of the boat!

 

 

Worth Revisiting: Ever Changing History

I changed history.  Actually, it wasn’t anything that I did, it was the gift my mother gave me.  She gave me life instead of an abortion.    I was born.  Even though she was an unwed mother, she knew that life was a gift from God.  She protected my life, and I was born. 

If I hadn’t been given the gift of life, history would have been different.  By being born, we change  “what could have been,” into what is.  There are no “what ifs.”

Abortion changes history.  We don’t know what might have been.  The “what if’s” are always there.  The “what could have beens,” we will never know.  All we have is the grief of not knowing.  The child who could have been is gone and will not be able to come back.  As opposed to many adoptions, there is no child who will be looking for their birth parents in 20 years where there might be a glad reunion.  The “what if’s” and “what could have beens” are empty words when an abortion is performed.

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
    wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
    she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”  
Matthew 2:18

We grieve for those killed in the service of our country, as we should.
We weep when children die, as we should.
We cry out when the young die in an act of violence, as we should.
We shut our eyes and remember a life, when the elderly die, as we should.
We weep, as we should.
Who weeps for those who were never born?


Some scream that women have the right to do with their bodies as they choose.  Others cry out for the rights of women.  Some label abortion as a part of women’s health.  Laws have been enacted to protect these rights.  The rage of women’s rights overpower the rights of the unborn, the fetus, which means “little one.”  Who protects the rights of the unborn?  Who cries out for their protection?  The deaths of these little ones changes history. 

“All of us must care for life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth…to give life is to open (our) heart, and to care for life is to (give oneself) in tenderness and warmth for others, to have concern in my heart for others.
Caring for life from the beginning to the end. What a simple thing, what a beautiful thing..So, go forth and don’t be discouraged. Care for life. It’s worth it.”
Pope Francis


There are organizations that promote abortion and have succeeded in convincing the world that abortion is a good thing.  There are those who advocate the “termination” of a pregnancy (an abortion) because a child might be ill.  They claim there is no other alternative for the unwanted baby.  The baby who came too early.  The baby whose only claim to life is through it’s mother.
If a mother cannot take care of her baby, and there are many women who are in dire straights who cannot afford to raise a baby, there are alternatives.  Adoption is one alternative.  Yet, these same organizations claim that adoption is not an alternative because of the way a child will feel when it is adopted.  They claim adoption will cause trauma and heartbreak, not only for the mother, but for the child.  Therefore, it is not good, and abortion, the ending of that baby’s life is the only alternative.  They claim that only through abortion will a woman find peace.

“The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between.”
Mother Teresa

History changes when a child is born. 
History changes when a child is aborted. 
God has a plan for each of us. 
Abortion changes God’s plan.
Abortion changes God’s plan.

Trust

Can we rely on the sun setting and rising?

Most of the time, yes.

The heavens are ordered to God's time,

not ours.

We rely on the sun to tell us when the day has begun and when it ends.

We learned that when the sun rises, 

it is day.

We learned that when the sun sets,

it's night.

God made time for us,

not for Him,

and 

it is good.

However,

millions of years ago, a meteor hit the earth

raising dust that blanketed the earth, causing a winter,

killing the dinosaurs and other creatures in the impact area,

and darkness prevailed across the earth. 

This was in God's time as He chose for new species to evolve.

The time was still God's time,

not ours.

This could happen again, but we don't know.

We can only trust.

Trust.

Like the cat who is sleeping without fear.

Trust

that God knows more than we do and has a plan for our lives, our world, our salvation.

Trust.

For me,

I need to put down the burden of the world on my shoulders.

I can't fix it, so I need to learn to trust.

I need to know that if a meteor hits the world and destroys life as we know it,

it's okay.

God knows.

God knows.

Our world is enveloped in darkness.

There are pin points of light in the darkness, and it is through these small pockets of light that God will work.

He has already defeated the cause of darkness,

and the evil one hates this.

satan's time is limited, but God's time is not.

No matter what, we have to trust.

We have to trust in the darkness.

We have to trust in the light.

We simply have to keep our eyes on Jesus who is the light of heaven.

We have to pray and trust.

God's thoughts are not our thoughts.

God's ways are not our ways,

and that's all right.

Lord, like that silly little cat, teach me to trust in You.  I place this heavy cross that I carry before You.

I invite you into my life to heal me and teach me to trust You.

I offer my rosaries to You and through Your Mother's Immaculate Heart,

I bind my children, our world, and me to You.

Jesus, I trust in You.

Jesus, I trust in Your Tender Love for Me.

(Blessed Mother Theresa)

Amen.

The 4th: The Joy of Liberty

The Celebration Has Begun.

We are blessed!

Celebrate!

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow!

240 Years of Freedom!

Thank you, Lord!