Ending the Week In Thanksgiving and Praise

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

John 1: 16 

1) I've been blessed to see God working in my son's life, and for this I am very grateful.

2) Yesterday, God worked in my life.

3) The harvest is almost finished, but God blessed us with a bountiful harvest from the garden.

"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

5 Prayers to Pray When You Don't Have the Time

Jesus.
 A single word prayer that can and should be uttered daily remembering the power and the sacredness of His Holy Name.  Pray the Holy Name of Jesus when you drive to work.  Utter His holy name as you fall into sleep.  Say His name, reverently 300 times a day.  You will grow closer to God.
 

Jesus, Son of the Living God, have mercy on me a sinner.

 In this simple prayer, we acknowledge that we are subject to God, and we acknowledge that we are sinful.  We ask Jesus, the Second Person of the Divine Trinity, to have mercy on us.

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.

This prayer is known as the Fatima Prayer.  It was given to the children by the angel of Fatima.

We should pray this prayer daily for the forgiveness of sins and to ask for God's mercy on our world.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the Mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

With this prayer, we pray for the Souls in Purgatory who can no longer help themselves.

The Souls suffer greatly in Purgatory as they are cleansed of the stains of sin and their attachments to earth.  They crave the Presence of God, and this craving is said to be intense.  One cannot be in the Presence of God unless we are purified for He is all Holy.  Purgatory is a gift from God to His Children who do not die in a state of purity. 

Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God's love entrusts you here.  Ever this day/night be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide.  Amen.

God has given each of us a guardian angel.  This angel, a magnificent being of light, who loves us with intense, pure love, is given to us, by God, from the moment of conception to moment we die.  Our angel loves, guides and protects through life, yet, does not interfere with our gift of free will, nor does our angel interfere with the Will of God, and at times, must step back to allow God's Will to transpire in difficult times.  Saint Padre Pio advised his spiritual children to have a good relationship with their guardian angels.  He reminded them that their guardians prayed continuously for them and offered the prayers of those for whom they cared to God.  

 

Worth Repeating: When We Die

  Our hearts stop beating.  Our lungs no longer fill with air.  Our bodies cease to function.  Our immortal souls are released from our bodies.  We enter into eternal life, and our souls leave our physical bodies.  We only take with us, that which we are.
 
Reports from those who have returned include tunnels through which the soul flies at speeds unknown on earth.  Lights are brighter than any here.  Colors are vibrant and living.  Colors that have never been seen are visible to the soul who has left the body.
 
Family and friends who have died come to greet the newly dead.  Many times, souls are sent back because it’s not their time.  Others are given the choice to return to their bodies or not.  Visions of a “being of light” are often reported.  Many identify this being as Jesus, Love personified.
 
Life reviews, with the full knowledge of how one’s actions on earth affected ourselves and others, take place in front of Eternal Love.  Great sorrow or joy can be felt by the soul as the consequences of our actions are seen and felt.  All is truth, but truth with great love. 
 
The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that when we die our souls are separated from our bodies and we stand in judgment by God.  We are then sent to Heaven, hell or purgatory.
    Yes, Heaven is real.
    Yes, hell is real.
    Yes, Purgatory is real. 
 
Heaven or hell.  This is what we choose when we live.  God is Love, but the choices we make will affect our life after death.  The gift of free will is given to us by Our Loving God.  We either choose God or not.   Sin is grave, but with true repentance God will forgive even the most vile sinner. 
 
Since only the purified, the unblemished, can enter heaven, most need to spend time in Purgatory to cleanse the soul.  All will be known, and all will be truth.  As painful as it will be to know that we are not ready to be with God, we will also know that  God awaits us with open, loving arms. Our sins have consequences for us, and Purgatory is a place to purify our souls before we join the Great I AM in heaven. How great and painful is the longing for God by the soul in Purgatory!   What a blessing from our loving God! 
 
Once in Purgatory, the deceased cannot pray for themselves.  It is our duty, as members of our Church, to pray for all of our beloved, and not so beloved dead, that their time in Purgatory may be lessened.  How grateful are the souls who are released through our prayers!  When in heaven they become our intercessors!  They will come to greet us when we enter the Kingdom of God!  It is our duty to pray each day for these beloved souls of God!  How grateful is our Heavenly King when we do so. 
 
The St. Gertrude prayer is said to release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time that it is recited. 

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 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.
    Sadly, beyond a divide through which no soul can cross, is hell.  Hell is eternal torment from which there is no escape.  Hell never ceases.  Once condemned to hell, the soul cannot leave.  The torment and pain continue through eternity.  Hell exists where God’s love cannot.  Hell is a choice.  The consequence of unrepentant sinner is hell.
    Our Lady, in all of her apparitions, asks us to pray for souls to be saved.  She gave this prayer to us at Fatima.  She has asked us to pray frequently so that more souls will come to God and be saved.

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.

This is the prayer recited between decades of the Rosary.  You will save souls, and these souls will love you for this gift!  We never know whom we will help to save.  The souls you save might be those people whom you love.  

Heaven is a choice.  God. Love.  Eternal joy.  The Hope of all Mankind.
Pray.

“But it is as written:  What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians: 9

Pray for the dead daily.
Pray for those you love and for those whom you don't love.
Pray for sinners daily.
We are all sinners.
Pray that all souls will enter into the joy of eternal life.
Jesus tells us,
"My grace is sufficient unto you."
Pray that those who reject His Graces and Love will be converted and souls will be saved.
Pray!
Pray!
Pray!

The Monarchs and Life into Death into Life

I took this picture of the caterpillars on September 26.  In some areas of the country, there would be no problem.  Here, in southern Minnesota,   I wonder if it is too late for these beautiful creatures to turn into butterflies before the first frost.

The butterfly migration has already begun.

Last week, there were many butterflies fluttering around.  This week, I've only seen one or two monarchs. 

I don't know if these guys will make it, but if they do, I applaud them, and I thank God for the gift of these beautiful creatures.

The analogy of the caterpillar  turning into a butterfly is a comparison of death into life.

As Catholics, we believe that when we die, our immortal soul lives on into eternity.  Our life, which was our time of merit, our time to get to know God,  to love Him and serve Him, ends, and we face God for an accounting of our life.  At that moment, we know our fate:  Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory.

Few souls go directly to heaven.  The ones who go directly to heaven, are the souls who were purified, tested, and tried in life, and overcame their times of tribulation loving God and serving Him with joy.  

The souls who go to hell are the souls who have no love for God.  They served other gods in their lives.  Money, sex, power were their gods, even if they considered themselves good people.  Their service was to themselves and not to God.  They sinned and refused to repent.  They did it "their way."  There is no room in hell for God or for love.  Hell is real, and souls do go there.  Where as heaven is love, hell is no love.  Hell is emptiness and pain.  God does not go there.  God separated heaven and hell with a chasm and souls cannot cross that chasm.

Hell is not where I want to be.

Souls can be saved, even some of the greatest sinners can be saved with 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 Thy Mercy.

Pray and know that you are helping to save souls.

The rest of the souls go to Purgatory.  Purgatory is a place of final purgation where souls who died before they were purified before they die.  Most souls find themselves in Purgatory and are grateful to God.  We must be pure to enter heaven.  Purgatory is God's gift to us so that this can happen, and souls suffer greatly in Purgatory.  They cannot pray for themselves, they can only pray for others and repent.  When they are purified, they enter into paradise, but that can take a very long time.  We are the only ones who can help them by our prayers, offering Masses for them, offering our joys and sufferings for them...This prayer written by St. Gertrude is said to release 1,000 souls each time it's prayed.

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 everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those within my own home, and within my family.  Amen.

All Praise and honor be to the Precious blood of Jesus, for it wrought our salvation and our redemption. Amen.

So pray, that like these little monarchs, it's not too late for your immortal soul or the souls of others.  Pray that your time on earth will be judged a time of merit and not loss.  

God wants all of His Children with Him in Paradise.

We were redeemed by Jesus, but The Father gave us free will.

We can choose to be holy or not.

God does not force holiness on His children.

Redemption is the gift.

What we do with that gift is up to us.

Pray daily for the salvation of souls.

Pray daily for the salvation of your soul.

Pray for the souls in Purgatory.

With prayer, we will be using one of God's gifts to us.

We will be drawing closer to Him and growing in holiness.

Amen.

Allelujiah.

To Everything There is a Season

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break 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 away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 

 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to throw away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 

a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

Another season has flowed into another, like a river rippling the sand as it flows to the ocean.

Yesterday it was summer.  Today it is fall.  In a few weeks, I will mark the advent of my 68th birthday.  I'm old.  I've seen many seasons under the heavens.  I've seen more seasons than I will in the future.  In other seasons, I had a lot more energy than I do in this season.  I have health issues that I didn't have in other seasons.  In spite of my pink hair, I am aging.  My skin is wrinkled.  I need stronger glasses than I have in other seasons.  Yes, age is catching up with me.

What have I learned in all these years?  

I've learned that I must put God ahead of all else.  He is above all else.  He is the great I AM.  Although there are those who call me ancient, He truly is Ancient and Immortal.  He is I AM.

 I've learned that I cannot become a better person on my own.  I have learned that I have to rely on God for everything.  I am not self sufficient.   God gives His graces and gifts to all, but not all accept them.  I am learning to accept His gifts with humility, at least, some humility and gratitude, even if I feel that His gifts are not what I wanted.  God knows best, not me.  (I'm still working on this.)

 I've learned that all prayers are answered.  Sometimes, prayers are answered just as we asked.  Sometimes, when we think that God does not hear our prayers, I've learned that God is leaving  the solution up to us.  We have the gift of free will, and God will not interfere with that gift.  Sometimes, God simply says no.  He knows what is best for our salvation, and He is willing to deny us that which we ask for in prayer.

I've learned, that the Mother of God wants to help lead all of her children to her Son.  She is our Mother, and we are her children.  This is her job.  She prays for us daily and desires that all of God's children be saved.  She is the new Arc of the Covenant.

I've learned that prayer is essential to life.  Like breathing sustains our physical life, prayer sustains our spiritual life.  Without prayer, our souls dry and wither.  With prayer, we blossom and grow closer to God. 

I've learned that our experiences change us, especially those that cause us great suffering and sorrow.  We can choose to become bitter as we suffer, or we can offer our sorrows to God and join with Jesus in redemptive suffering to save souls.  Of course, we'll be changed by our sufferings.  We should be!  

God purifies us in our sufferings and He seeks to bring us closer to Him.  This means change.  We cannot change without experience, and, if we allow God to lead us, we will grow in purity of spirit and grow closer to God.

I've learned that if  you write too long, people quit paying attention.  I'm stopping here.  

Praise God!

Ending the Week with Thanksgiving and Praise

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

John 1: 16 

1) A friend of mine took my intentions with her when she visited the heart of Padre Pio.  I am so grateful!

2) My Dear Daughter is outside harvesting what's left.  She's pulling dead vines and branches.

She is amazing!

3) The days are still warm, and the night's are cooling off.

That is amazing!

 

"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

My Favorite Things About Being Catholic

The  Eucharist

Mass

Our Priests

Community

Sacred Scriptures

The Trinity

God the Father

God the Son

God the Holy Spirit

Jesus

Mary

Joseph

Pope Francis

Papal line of succession

the Rosary

Novenas

Eucharistic Adoration

Mystics

Mysticism

Ancient

Truth

Love

the Gospels

Bible

the Saints

the Martyrs

the Apostles

Miracles

Healings

Pro Life

Sacred

and

many 

other 

things.

Worth Repeating: Hi! I'm Mallory. I am the Author of this Blog...

I'm fairly new to the Catholic blogging world, and I love it!  Although I've been a blogger for 8 years, I've never written a Catholic blog before.

My other blog is called, "For the Love of Beads." 
In the secular part of my life, I make lampwork glass beads, polymer clay beads, fiber beads, metal beads, I crochet and make jewelry.  I have been a contributor to many nationally known beading magazines.  

This Catholic blog, His Unending Love, came about because the Holy Spirit would not leave me alone!  He pestered me until I began to take His dictation.  I have dedicated my blog to Him, and when I write, and there is peace, I know the inspiration  and dictation comes from Him. 

Well, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!  Hope to see you again, here,  at His Unending Love.

A Prayer for Tuesday

Lord,
I know you made Tuesdays, and there must be a reason, but I don't like Tuesdays.  Tuesdays are Monday's let down.  I coast through Tuesdays, silent and unaware of the toils and dangers from which you have saved me.  The graces which You pour down on us, well, I miss them because of my Tuesday fog.  Tuesday is Your gift to us!  Wake me up, Lord!  Teach me to enjoy the graces you give me.  Teach me that everything, absolutely everything, is a gift and blessing from you.  Bless me with a love of Tuesdays that I might come closer to You, Who are all great.  Thank you.
Amen

A Blog Post Can Even Be a Prayer

I have an app on my smart phone called

Laudate.

It's a wonderful app that gives you everything from 

Saint of the Day

to a general compilation of

Prayer.

In that section of prayer, 

I found a prayer that I can never seem to memorize, but is a powerful prayer of reparation.

This prayer is the prayer given to the children, by an angel at Fatima, for the reparation of sins committed

that continue to offend God.

Pray it daily.

It's powerful!

 

My God,

I believe.  I adore.  I hope and I love You.

I beg pardon for those who do not believe,

do not adore,

do not hope,

and

do not love You.

Amen.

Ending the Week with Thanksgiving and Praise

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

John 1: 16 

1) The passage of time does heal, even though the healing can be painful at times.  Remembering can bring joy.

2) My walking sticks are almost finished, and, by the grace of God, a branch fell from the maple tree in front, and it's the perfect length for a walking stick.

3) The new freezer is working well!

It's all a gift from God!

 

 

 

 

"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