Worth Repeating: You Have to Laugh. God Endowed us with the Gift of Joy!

Notice anything different?

I decided to have a little fun.

It was fun to wear the red nose.

I smiled.

People smiled.

There was a little more joy in the world 

because of a silly red nose.

The wine didn't hurt either!

Jesus laughed.

Even though most depictions of Him do not show Him laughing,

I posit that people would not have been attracted to Him if they could not feel His joy.

He went to parties.

He had fun.

That's part of being human,

and,

it's okay to laugh at the appropriate times.

Sometimes, we can't help but laugh at inappropriate times.

I used to get in trouble, as a kid, for laughing in Church.

I had my ear pulled many times for laughing, 

but,

the problem was that when I got in trouble for laughing,

I would only laugh more

resulting in expulsion from the front of the Church to the back of the Church, and

walking the 

walk of shame to the last pew.

Often times, that was not enough to squash the laughter.

Yes, there's more.

A phone call home, well, that stopped the laughter for a bit.

I wonder if Jesus laughed in the synagogue?

I'm sure His joy overflowed onto the congregation.

I think for someone to feel joy,

you have to be receptive to that joy,

then you have to pass on that joy to others.

Dearest Lord,

Fill me with Your Joy.

Help me Always to remember that You are God.

Help me to remember that You were filled with joy.

Help me to remember that YOU ARE JOY! 

Tempt me with Your Joy.

Make me a joyous person so that I may share a little of Your love and joy with others.

Amen!

St. Joseph, Pray for Us

^" Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.  But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 
Matthew 1: 18-21 

" Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” 

Matthew 2:13 

I first saw this statue in a photo shoot of the new Pope Francis.  

When Pope Francis invoked the help of St. Joseph, he would write his prayer intention on a small piece of paper.  Next, he would place the paper under the sleeping St. Joseph.

And St. Joseph would help our beloved Pontiff.

Every Wednesday is devoted to St. Joseph.

Have a problem at work?

Discuss it with St. Joseph any time, but honor him on Wednesdays.

Need help with your family?

Discuss it with St. Joseph at any time, but honor him on Wednesdays.

 St. Joseph is available any time and any where, 

but

he listens especially hard on Wednesday.

Honor him on that day.

There is also a special devotion to St. Joseph on the first Wednesday of every month.

This devotion is similar to the First Friday devotion to the Sacred Heart and the First Saturday devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

This

LINK

explains the tradition and presents prayers for you to use that day.

Wednesday is day after tomorrow.
Begin and end your day honoring the earthly father of Jesus.

St. Joseph, Pray for us!

The Blessing of Dealing with Difficult People

We all know them.

They will argue with anything you say.

They will disagree with you for the sake of disagreement.

They will make life difficult for you no matter how hard you try.

We all know them.

Perhaps we are one of them.

"Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."

They aren't easy to live with, work with, deal with no matter where we encounter them.

Can you imagine how Jesus felt when He began His public ministry?

There were those who didn't believe or understand.

I'm sure they ran to the Temple guards and reported Jesus and His followers for His outrageous beliefs.

"He just said He was the Son of God!"

"How dare He cure on the Sabbath?"

"He eats with sinners."

"I saw Him wash the feet of a sinner!"

"He said He forgives sins!"

I'm sure He was refused entry into some houses because they feared the Temple Guards and because they were just difficult people.

Did Jesus give up on these people?

No,  He left Himself available for them, and some came in the darkness of night to see Him and learn.

Did He refuse to pray for these people?

No, He prayed for all His Children, His brothers and sisters.

Did Jesus strike back at them when they hurt His feelings by calling Him names or spitting at Him?

No, He worked in their lives to bring them to eternal life.

When Jesus was being tortured, did He curse His oppressors?

No, He prayed for them.

When the soldiers whipped Him at the pillar, did Jesus refuse to love them?

No, His love is unending.

When the soldiers nailed Him to His cross, did Jesus extend His Mercy to them?

Yes, He forgave them and the Father poured down graces of love and forgiveness.

 How can we do less?

A mother who lost her second daughter to gun violence showed her grace filled soul when she forgave her daughter's killers and prayed that they would seek God's grace of forgiveness for themselves.

How can we do less?

Difficult people are, at best, difficult, and, at times, dangerous,

but how can we do less than forgive them and offer God's love?

 Yet, they are a blessing.

From them we can develop our gifts of Mercy and Love.

From difficult people we can learn patience and extend that patience to others.

From difficult people we can grow spiritually by practicing the virtues.

From difficult people we can learn to become less judgmental.

From difficult people we can learn to show the love of God to our fellow man.

When we behave as a Child of God, we grow in grace.

When we behave as a Child of God, we please the Father.

When we behave as a Child of God, we are blessed.

The blessing we have passed on to a difficult person returns to us in fullness.

By blessing we are blessed.

"God bless us all," said Tiny Tim. 

He will.  He does.  

Amen!

 

 

Acts of Mercy 12 Years Ago

The 8 works of Corporal Mercy Are:

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

Today marks the 12th anniversary of my husband's death.

As he lay in hospice, 

we were given the gifts of these 

Corporal Works of Mercy.

1) We were fed by friends and neighbors.

2) The brought us whatever we needed to feed those who visited us including bottles of water.

3) They offered their homes to those who came to say goodbye.

4) They visited my husband.

5) They came to give us time off to rest.

6) They helped us through the sadness of death.

7) They helped us financially.

For this we are eternally grateful.

My son, though, reminded us of the most beautiful act of Mercy we were shown in his Facebook post yesterday.

He gave me permission to use his post.

To understand it, please read to the end.

As I said earlier I've been going through a lot of photos this week. Not going to lie, it's a tough week for me. Around this time 12 years ago my dad was ailing in hospice care. I'm not posting this to be a Debbie Downer. Maybe it's because I'm usually closed up and private, and sharing this is somehow oddly therapeutic for me. I think mostly it's because of going through the tough times I've found that if you look hard enough, there is good to be found in even the worst of times; sometimes you have to look very hard for it, sometimes it's right in front of you. Trust me, I've seen it. Not just in this story I'm about to tell you but in many other instances too.
The small paper lanterns you see in all of these photos are called luminarias. Consulting Wikipedia (yeah, I know how that sounds), luminarias are traditionally used in New Mexico and the southwest United States at Christmas Eve, lining driveways and walkways. The Roman Catholic tradition is used to symbolize a walkway that will guide the Christ child into your home. The luminarias are simple to make, consisting of a brown paper bag, sand at the bottom, and a candle. (There are other traditions and uses for them but you can Google that if you want to read about them further). Every Christmas Eve, my mom, and most recently my mom and sister would line the driveway with these luminarias.
As my dad's health began to fail, my mom began to line our driveway with the luminarias at night. Being that Minnesota is quite aways away from the SW part of the US, our neighbor asked about the luminarias in our driveway. Everyone in the neighborhood knew of my dad's failing health but no one had heard of a luminaria before. They were told the story you just read above (if you're still with me at this point). The next thing we knew, all of our neighbors began to set out luminarias too.
I don't have words to describe the overwhelming feeling of support, love, solidarity, and community, that came along with this simple gesture by the neighborhood.
Even in this dark time for my family, our neighbor's literally provided a shining light for us.

The photos above are the photos to which he was referring.

I am forever grateful for these acts of Mercy.  

My husband left this earth surrounded by love.

More than anything else, 

I am grateful! 

Worth Repeating: He's Been Busy, A New Saint, Weeping for Joy!

He has been on American soil less than 24 hours, and, 

Pope Francis has been greeted by the President and his family,

the Vice President and his family,

and 

they looked as happy as little kids in a candy store.

He was also greeted by a retinue of Church Princes and Bishops.

The Pope has also been welcomed by the President and a few thousand of his other close friends, 

in the backyard of the White House.

The Pope has ridden in the Pope Mobile, causing the Secret Service and his security guard to sweat bullets as those who have lined the way for hours, wanted to reach out and touch the Pope.

Pope Francis grinned from ear to ear as he was riding along.

He seems happiest when he is with the people, ministering to them with his love.

Running late, he conducted a mid day prayer service for bishops.

He wanted to greet all of them, but due to time, he could not.

Pope Francis didn't say a word, he simply lifted his sleeve and pointed to his watch.

Everyone knew what that meant. 

I'm already tired!

At this point, I love track of Pope Francis.

I'm glad I'm not on his security team!

He had one more appointment, then it was off to canonize a new saint.

Blessed Junipero Serra is now

Saint Junipero Serra.

He was an 18th century missionary who dedicated his life to converting the native American population to Catholicism.

I did a report on him once when I was 8.

I carved a mission out of a block of soap and used toothpicks for the crosses.  You can read more about that

HERE. 

If you want to read the Homily of Pope Francis at the canonization Mass, click

HERE.

I don't know what else the Pope has on his schedule today, but I'm tired.

The only thing I wish is that the Raymond Arroyo, of EWTN, had practiced the pronunciation of 

Saint Junipero's name.

I felt that was negligent of him.

Throughout all of this,

I wept.  

I don't know why, but it had to be sheer joy that God saw fit to bring our 

Beloved Pontiff to the United States.

Praise God!

 

Being a Catholic Today

I look at the crucifix, and I see a Man, a God-Man,

named Jesus, called the Christ,  who lived for us and died for us.

“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 

The Church He established on earth, and this is the only Church established by Jesus and carried on by the Apostles, is the only Church established by the 

Son of God.

The Catholic Church is ancient.

It's over 2,000 years old.

The world was very different then.

The Jews were waiting for the Messiah.
The problem was that, at that time, they did not recognize Him.
They expected Him to come and save them from the Romans.
He didn't, but He did come to challenge them.

Today, we are still challenged by Jesus.
Our world is heavy with sin.
We live in a culture where there is no wrong, where everything is right. 
Morality is what you decide it should be.

Being Catholic is not easy today.
As Catholics, we must follow the Truth because the Truth cannot contradict itself.
The Truth is always right.
The Truth is never wrong.
 We must show, by our actions, that we are loving and merciful to others.
We must follow the Commandments that Moses brought down from the mountains.
We must live an upright and moral life in a world where we will be scorned and disdaned.
We must be the light.
We must be the salt,
even when we are rejected.

Being a Catholic today is not easy,
but 
we have not been promised that life would be easy,
we have only been promised that when we die, a  moral life would be worth it.

Lord, help me to remain true to You.
You gave me the gift of our faith, help me to be strong.
When the world calls me to break your commandments,
I know that I will fall at times, but I ask for Your Strength and Courage to return to the grace of Your love.
Help me, Lord. 
Help me. 

I started Reading A New Book

My Heart Will Triumph

written by

Miriana Soldo,

one of the six visionaires of Medjugorje.

This book tells Mirjana's story, in her own words, of the apparitions of Medjugorje.

I am just beginning Chapter 7 in the book, so this cannot be a review, but I can say this about the book, 

I am learning a great deal about the early days of the apparitions.

The visionairies all suffered greatly at the hands of the Communist government.

The goal of the government was to stop the apparitions.

Little did they realize that the Blessed Mother cannot be stopped.

In her kindness and patience, she helped the 6 visionaries work through the sufferings and challenges of being a visionary  in this modern age.

If you want to get to know the Mother of God better, this book will bring you closer to her.

If you want to understand the visionaries more fully, this book will bring you a greater understanding of their lives and challenges.

So far, I highly recommend this book.

If you would like to comment on this book, feel free to do so.  

I'd love to hear from you!

Worth Repeating: A Letter From Your Guardian Angel

My Dearest Child,

You are not my child, but you were given to me by God the moment you were conceived in your mother's womb, not a second later, not a month later, but at that moment when you became a human being.

From that moment on, you were the person I was to love without condition, and the person whom I was to guide through your life.

God also charged me with protecting you throughout your life.

I love you beyond anything you can imagine.

I can't love you as much as God loves you, but I am a reflection of His love for you.

Although I am in the third choir of angels, I am very powerful.

I will protect and defend you unless God chooses to bring you closer to Him through adversity and challenges in your life.  Then, I can only do His Most Holy Will.

Do not be bitter if God allows challenges and tribulations in your life.  He is testing you, and He is using these trials and tribulations to bring you closer to Him.  When these challenges come to you, keep your eyes on Jesus.  He will send you the strength and courage that you need.  

I long for the time when we meet.  You have free will, and I cannot interfere if you choose to sin.  I try to direct you to God.  You will know when I am there.  If you have sinned, you will feel ashamed.  I am helping you return to God.  I am a part of your conscience.  Never feel ashamed to confess your sins.  I will be there loving you and rejoicing with heaven at your return to the Lord. Because God gave you the gift of free will, I cannot force you to choose God.  There are so many people who do not choose God!  Their angels are broken when they die.  Hell is a place I do not like to see.  There is no hope in Hell.  There is no God in hell.  The demons torture the souls there.  There is no relief from the suffering.  This is why you must pray for all souls, daily.

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

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you.  Save souls.

You will help to save souls.  Pray for those who have no respect for human life.  Pray for those who murder and kill in the name of religion.  Pray for those have abortions.  Pray for those who perform abortions.  Pray for those who violate the untimely death of children.  Pray for those who forsake God in favor of evil.

Evil comes in many forms.  You might not even recognize it when you see it.  Evil might look beautiful.  Evil might look like the fulfillment of everything you have ever wanted.  Evil might be calling you right now.  Just know that I am by your side at all times.  You are never alone.  I am invisible, but I am here.  Invoke my help and protection.  I will help you with great joy!

You are mine to serve on this earth.  
Ask me.  Invoke my help.  As me to bring other angels to help.
Call upon the Mother of God for help with angels.
She is our Queen.  We seek to serve her.  She, like no other, always does the Will of God.
Love her, too.
She is your mother.

My precious human,
I will close now with this thought.
I love you.
When you die, I will be with you.  I will be with you through your judgment.  I will escort you to Purgatory.   I will wait until you are purified, then I will escort you to the Throne of God where you will behold the
Beatific Vision for all eternity.

You are not alone, and you are loved.

Lovingly,
Your Guardian Angel

Ending the Week in Thanksgiving and Praise

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

John 1: 16 

1) Sometimes love is found where we least expect, even on naughty kitty's paws.

2)  I was blessed by someone today, and it was a great grace.

3) Knowing that the Mother of God is also our Mother, brings me great joy!

"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

Do you Ever Wonder Our What Guardian Angels Talk About?

God loves us so much!  

He gave each of us a guardian angel to be with us through life.

The job of each angel is to protect us and to bring us closer to Him.

Angels are formless spirits of light.

They are with us from the moment we are conceived and remain with us until death.  At that point, they escort us to the Throne of God for judgment.

Padre Pio had many encounters with angels.

People would often send their angels to him with requests for prayers.

I am old enough to remember
Padre Pio.

He died in 1968 when I was a young woman in college.

As a high school student, I would send my angel to talk with
Padre Pio.

I'm sure Padre Pio prayed for me, but I'm also sure he thought I was a brat, 

because I was a teen aged drama queen.

Last night, as a chatted with a dear friend on Facebook,

the thought came into my mind to ask her if she had talked with her

guardian angel that day.

She said that she had.

I can only assume that this thought was planted in my brain by my guardian angel.

Perhaps, it was through their communication, 

her angel's and mine

that these guardians wanted to reinforce to both of us

that they really were there, with us, always.

I don't know, but that sure was a strong thought.

This made me start thinking:  What do our Guardians talk about?

Maybe they don't because they are so busy praising God.

I only know that they are always in the beatific vision, that that would be marvelous!

However, here's what I imagine a conversation might be like.

GA 1: I went to the Lord today.  She doesn't seem to know I'm there.  Michael told me that she invokes him frequently, but she seems to forget I'm here.

GA 2: Mine forgets about me, too, but we did have a wonderful talk today.  She said she was sorry she had forgotten me.  She asked me to go to the Lord for a friend of hers with prayers.

GA 1:  That's wonderful!  Maybe that's why mine said 'Good Morning' to me today!

GA 2:  The Lord is kind and merciful and holy is His Name!

GA 1:  Praise be The Holy Trinity!

GA 2:  What did the Lord say about your charge?

GA 1:  He told me to pray for her and protect her.  He said that one day she will be more attentive to me.  He said He would ask her to with me a good day today, and she did!  Praised be Jesus!

GA 2:  My charge just sent me to the Lord with prayers for her family.  She also asked me to speak with her mother's GA and ask for prayers.

GA 1: I will join with you in prayer.

GA 1:  Mine just sent me to Padre Pio like she did when she was young.  I never thought she'd do that again.  He's is praying for her.  

GA 2:  I am being sent with a Mass to give to the Mother of God asking her to take the Mass to Jesus with a prayer request.

GA 1 and Ga 2:  Praise God!  

I don't know if that would be anything like what an angel might say, but it's good to know we have guardians and that they have charge over us.  

What do you think your angel might say?

 

Worth Repeating: Do You Believe in God?

heard the story, the other day, that a Facebook friend knew a man whose wife was having a baby very soon.  She wanted to hire a "Night Sitter" so that they could sleep through the night while the "night sitter" got up and took care of the baby.  She was stunned.  So were a lot of us to hear this.  It wasn't that the mom was working and needed the help.  She was planning on staying home with the baby.  Of course, dad would continue to work.  Nevertheless, how many of our husbands would get up and help us with our babies at night?  The couple had family in town who was willing and able to help.  The mother to be simply wanted one because many of her friends either had one or had had one when their babies were born.  The man was complaining because the cost of such a sitter was $1000 per week!  (If only I had earned that much as a teacher to take care of other people's children day after day after day!)

Then I looked at the rocking chair.  It's almost 35 years old.  We  bought it right before Jenny was born.  We shined it up and put it in the living room.  Jenny was a good baby, but she managed to get her days and nights mixed up.  She was so sweet and mellow at night, you couldn't help but enjoy her.  Nick on the other hand was all boy from the day he was born.  He would sleep for 20 minutes at a time, wake up to be fed and stay awake for 2 hours!  That was his schedule.  He was just a happy, bouncing baby boy.

I don't remember the number of hours I spent in this chair with my babies.  We'd be awake when everyone else in the neighborhood was asleep.  The soft glow of the night light in the living room, lit my way to the chair with the baby.  We'd rock and talk.  We'd rock and play.  We'd rock and look at the world around us.  We discovered our hands.  We held fingers.  We'd smile at each other.  Hours upon hours were spent in that chair.

When the kids grew a bit older and they'd get sick, we'd often find ourselves together in the rocking chair even during the dark hours of the night.  I'd rub aching tummies and sooth feverish brows with a cool wash cloth.  We'd take temperatures.  We'd drink the normally forbidden glass of pop that did help to sooth the aching tummies.  We'd count chicken pox blisters.  Once in a while, we'd even turn on the TV softly and watch until we went to sleep.

There was no night sitter and no family close enough to help.  We did this, and it was very hard at times, especially when I was exhausted or sick, too!  The reality is that, in spite of the difficulties of being awake when you didn't want to be awake, I would never trade this special time with my children.  This is time that can never be replaced or lived again.  I feel blessed to have had this time.  I thank God for it!

My children are grown now.  There is no more cuddle time in the rocking chair.  When their children are born, I am hoping that one of them will take it to their home to rock and care for their children.  We'll see.  Maybe they will have a special chair of their own.  However, no one or event can take that time from me!
I was blessed!

Step Out of the Boat - Thoughts from the Saints

"I am not afraid.  I was born to do this."

Joan of Arc

"Mother Angelica is proof that we are not limited by others' perceptions, and that God sometimes calls the most unlikely people to great things."

Raymond Arroyo

“I prefer a church which is bruised, hurting and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”

Pope Francis

"If it wasn't for people, we could all be holy!"

Mother Angelica

“Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness: kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile.”
Mother Teresa

“A society will be judged on the basis of how it treats its weakest members; and among the most vulnerable are surely the unborn and the dying.”  

St. John Paul II

"You aspire to great things? Begin with little ones.”  

St. Agustine

"His Mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever He tells you."

John 2:5

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which to look out
Christ's compassion to the world
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.”
St. Teresa of Avila

"Jesus is with me.  I have nothing to fear."

Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati

"Pray, Hope, Don't Worry."

Padre Pio

"Do not be satisfied with little things because God wants great things."

St. Catherine of Siena

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."

Corrie ten Boom

'The World does not need what women have.  It needs what women are."

 Edith Stein

"Remember to play after every storm."
Mattie Stepanek

 

 

It's Monday and God is with us

He said He'd be there

With us, To Trust Him alone.

He's God.  He knows best.

^"but he said to me, “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

We can't see all the twists and turns of our journey.

Only God knows what they are, but His Promise is that He will be with us through it all.

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
    and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
    and the flame shall not consume you.  For I am the Lord your God,
    the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. "

Isaiah 43:2 

 When life throws us a curve ball, unexpectedly, without reason,

we'll probably get hit in the face, but when we get up,

we can trust that God is with us.  He will never forget us.

"Can a woman forget her nursing child,
    or show no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even though these may forget,
    yet I will not forget you.   See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands;
    your walls are continually before me."

Isaiah 15-16 

All right, now, we have to face the facts.

It is Monday,

and

you have to get up, go out into the world, and be the light of Christ, the salt of the earth.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

 “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lamp stand, and it gives light to all in the house."

Matthew 5: 13-15 

Offer your day up to God.  Ask to put Him first in your life.  Be His Hands.  Be His Feet.

Be His Eyes.  Be His Mouth.  Be His Love to all.

Ask to see others as He sees them.

Remember what God did for us.

“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 

The Morning Offering

"O My Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer You my prayers, works, joys and sufferings of this day for all the intentions of Your Sacred Heart, in union with the Holy sacrifice of the Mass throughout the world, in reparation for my sins, for the intentions of all our associates, and in particular for the intentions of our Holy Father for this month." 

  

  

Ending the Week in Thanksgiving and Praise!

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

John 1: 16 

1) I have to thank God for all the blessings of the week, both

visible and invisible.

2) I want to thank God for prayers

unanswered.

Things worked out best His Way,

not mine.

3) I'm feeling better now.

It was a long week.

I think God is working on the virtue of Patience with me.

 

 

 

 

"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

 

Pixie, Purgatory, and Suffering

You know how it is with dogs.  They eat.  They drink.  They pass gas. Oh my!  And this is my Pixie.  She eats.  She drinks.  She passes a lot of gassssss.  As I write this, I am in a room that is filled with the odor of Pixie.  The odor of Pixie is not pleasant.  It's upsetting my stomach.

How does this story relate to being Catholic and how Pixie is making my Purgatory less?

St. Ignatius of Loyola said:

"If God gives you an abundant harvest of trials, it is a sign of great holiness which He desires you to attain. Do you want to become a great saint? Ask God to send you many sufferings. The flame of Divine Love never rises higher than when fed with the wood of the Cross, which the infinite charity of the Savior used to finish His sacrifice. All the pleasures of the world are nothing compared with the sweetness found in the gall and vinegar offered to Jesus Christ. That is, hard and painful things endured for Jesus Christ and with Jesus Christ."
Mother Angelica said:

"Holiness is not for wimps and the cross is not negotiable, sweetheart, it's a requirement."
St. Paul said:

'Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of the body, that is the church . . . " (Col 1:24)
There is merit in suffering.  I offer it up.  Where God applies the suffering, I don't know, but God might apply it to my Purgatory.   Then I have to thank Pixie.  She might be making my Purgatory shorter.
Thanks, Pixie!

Thoughts from Yesterday

All right, if you read my page called

Catholic Blogs by Mallory Hoffman

yesterday, this will look 

familiar.

So, get ready. 

It was a beautiful morning.

It's no longer early morning, but late morning. I sit in my "cave," alone now after visits from neighbors. The mosquitos are joining me as I finish my prayer time. Although not an ad, I do recommend spiritual reading on a Sunday morning. I am assigned to usher at the vigil Sunday mass, aka Saturday night, so I did sleep in today. It was almost nine when I woke up. Visits from the neighbors working in their gardens and walking before the heat hits, slowed down my process today, but that's ok. The Magnificat has become a great tool for me. I know there are other that are similar, so it doesn't matter. I subscribed both to the paper copy and the digital versions. I prayed the morning prayers and I prayed the lectio divinia. I read the spiritual readings. I feel better now, spiritually, than when I woke up. It's not easy to find the time, but I have learned that without God, nothing makes sense. Absolutely Nothing! We feed our souls with Him. Taking the time to adore and worship Him is not a trial, but it is a joy. It's finally become one! Like all that is good and worthwhile, prayer takes work, especially when you don't want to pray. Prayer helps us to grow in virtue and strength. Don't we need that now? Grow in God. He's there for you and me and even those people we don't like or who have hurt us deeply. Love is the most important thing we have. It is what we will be measured on when we die. Think about love. God is love. amen.