LIVE | Special Contemplation of the Holy Shroud of Turin
Tag: Faith
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From a letter by Saint Leo the Great, pope
(Epist. 28 ad Flavianum, 3-4: PL 54, 763-767)The mystery of man’s reconciliation with God
Lowliness is assured by majesty, weakness by power, mortality by eternity. To pay the debt of our sinful state, a nature that was incapable of suffering was joined to one that could suffer. Thus, in keeping with the healing that we needed, one and the same mediator between God and men, the man Jesus Christ, was able to die in one nature, and unable to die in the other.
He who is true God was therefore born in the complete and perfect nature of a true man, whole in his own nature, whole in ours. By our nature we mean what the Creator had fashioned in us from the beginning, and took to himself in order to restore it.
For in the Savior there was no trace of what the deceiver introduced and man, being misled, allowed to enter. It does not follow that because he submitted to sharing in our human weakness he therefore shared in our sins.
He took the nature of a servant without stain of sin, enlarging our humanity without diminishing his divinity. He emptied himself; though invisible he made himself visible, though Creator and Lord of all things he chose to be one of us mortal men. Yet this was the condescension of compassion, not the loss of omnipotence. So he who in the nature of God had created man, became in the nature of a servant, man himself.
Thus the Son of God enters this lowly world. He comes down from the throne of heaven, yet does not separate himself from the Father’s glory. He is born in a new condition, by a new birth.
He was born in a new condition, for, invisible in his own nature, he became visible in ours. Beyond our grasp, he chose to come within our grasp. Existing before time began, he began to exist at a moment in time. Lord of the universe, he hid his infinite glory and took the nature of a servant. Incapable of suffering as God, he did not refuse to be a man, capable of suffering. Immortal, he chose to be subject to the laws of death.
He who is true God is also true man. There is no falsehood in this unity as long as the lowliness of man and the pre-eminence of God coexist in mutual relationship.
As God does not change by his condescension, so man is not swallowed up by being exalted. Each nature exercises its own activity, in communion with the other. The Word does what is proper to the Word, the flesh fulfills what is proper to the flesh.
One nature is resplendent with miracles, the other falls victim to injuries. As the Word does not lose equality with the Father’s glory, so the flesh does not leave behind the nature of our race.
One and the same person—this must be said over and over again—is truly the Son of God and truly the son of man. He is God in virtue of the fact that in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He is man in virtue of the fact that the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.
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Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;
To be poor in spirit, for me, is to be filled with humility. The virtue at odds with being full of pride. When we live in humility, we are able to accept that we are not God, although we are created in His image and shine His Light. We then, do not act in a way which would diminish the Joy of our Lord and in turn are filled with His joy.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.Mourning is grief. Grief is never premiant for one with faith in our Lord. We know without a doubt that death does not have the final say. There is great joy in knowing that our loved ones have just stepped into the other room and one day, we will also.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.To be meek, is not to be weak, but strong in the virtue of love for neighbor. When love of the other is lived, there is peace in the land. Thus, we work together with others and are not filled with a desire to overtake for selfish ambition. If we quell selfish ambition, there is joy shared with all in society.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.What is this hunger? It is the hunger for our Lord. Our Lord is all that can satisfy the soul. If we truly hunger for righteousness, we stay on His path and follow Him intently, this leads to joy. His joy! Everlasting joy.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.It is mercy which is the driving force of the pure form of happiness. No one who has ever been shown mercy, was ever enraged. Rather, they are relived and are at peace. Peace and Joy are sisters who go hand in hand
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.A clean heart, is also a clean conscious, clear sight, clean hands and nothing “unclean” can see God. When one can see Him, He can not be unseen and thus, joy can not e taken away. We then strive to stay clean.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.What great joy we obtain by being called children of God! The greatest joy obtainable.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.We are called by our Lord to follow Him. How persecuted to death He was. So we should also and be filled with JOY as we follow Him to the resurrection!
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I found myself tagged in a note today, from someone I greatly admire. Someone who lent me a merciful ear to listen to me and in kindness offered words to guide me on my parlous journey through discernment. This is the note. Thank you Father John P. Mack. From the note, dated: January 24, 2011
St Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor, patron of writers and journalists
From The Introduction to the Devout Life by Saint Francis de Sales; bishop
When God the Creator made all things, he commanded the plants to bring forth fruit each according to its own kind; he has likewise commanded Christians, who are the living plants of his Church, to bring forth the fruits of devotion, each one in accord with his character, his station, and his calling.
I say that devotion must be practiced in different ways by the nobleman and by the working man, by the servant and by the prince, by the widow, by the unmarried girl and by the married woman. But even this distinction is not sufficient; for the practice of devotion must be adapted to the strength, to the occupation and to the duties of each one in particular.
Tell me, please, my Philothea, whether it is proper for a bishop to want to lead a solitary life like a Carthusian; of for married people to be no more concerned than a Capuchin about increasing their income; or for a working man to spend his whole day in church like a religious; or on the other hand for a religious to be constantly exposed like a bishop to all the events and circumstances that bear on the needs of our neighbor. Is not this sort of devotion ridiculous, unorganized and intolerable? Yet this absurd error occurs very frequently, but in no way does true devotion, my Philothea, destroy anything at all. On the contrary, it perfects and fulfills all things. In fact if it ever works against, or is inimical to, anyone’s legitimate station and calling, then it is very definitely false devotion.
The bee collects honey from flowers in such a way as to do the least damage or destruction to them, and he leaves them whole, undamaged and fresh, just as he found them. True devotion does still better. Not only does it not injure any sort of calling or occupation, it even embellishes and enhances it.
Moreover, just as every sort of gem, cast in honey, becomes brighter and more sparkling, each according to its color, so each person becomes more acceptable and fitting in his own vocation when he sets his vocation in the context of devotion. Through devotion your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.
It is therefore an error and even a heresy to wish to exclude the exercise of devotion from military divisions, from the artisans’ shops, from the courts of princes, from family households. I acknowledge, my dear Philothea, that the type of devotion which is purely contemplative, monastic and religious can certainly not be exercised in these sorts of stations and occupations, but besides this threefold type of devotion, there are many others fit for perfecting those who live in a secular state.
Therefore, in what situations we happen to be, we can and we must aspire to the life of perfection.
–From the Office of Readings, January 24
Father,
You gave Francis de Sales the spirit of compassion
to befriend all people on the way to the salvation.
By his example, lead us to show your gentle love
in the service of our fellow men and women.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. AMEN.
St Francis de Sales, early modern Roman Catholic bishop and doctor
St Francis de Sales is patron of writers and journalists.
+Live Jesus+
fjm
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Do not let our Lord’s gift of peace remain unopened. Do not be afraid.
There is no better time than now, to put away the failed political ideas and the political ideology’s behind them and to put on the armor of Christ. Nothing and no one but our Lord can save us. Turn back to Him and may you find the eternal peace He alone can give. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” John 14:27
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
His peace within ensures His peace abounds.
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This morning, in contemplation of my Carmelite Lectio Divina, the closing prayer is a prayer I must share, which truly reduced me to a pool of joyful tears.
Lord, my Father, I have really seen your star, I have opened my eyes to your presence of love and salvation and I have received the light of life. I have contemplated the night changed into light, pain into joy and solitude into communion; yes, all this happened before you, in your Word. You have led me through the desert; you have led me to your house and opened the door for me to enter. There I saw you, your Son Jesus, Savior of my life; there I prayed and adored, I cried and found your smile, I kept silence and learnt to speak. In your house, merciful Father, I have found life once more!
And now I am going back, I have resumed my journey, but the way is not the one I took before and my life is not what it was before. Your Word has left me with a new heart, capable of opening itself to love, to listen, to welcome and become home to so many brothers and sisters whom you have placed in my way. I was not aware, Lord, but you have made me into a child again, you have given birth to me with Jesus. Thank you,
Father, my Father!
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May you be blessed and come to know our Lord in the time which you have been given.
Merry Christmas to all
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St. Joseph seeks lodging…. May we all make room in our hearts for our Lord and our Holy Mother in this Year of St. Joseph. Through the intercession of St. Joseph. Amen.
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Please Read: A Christmas letter from St. Nicholas to the accidental Arians of 2020
Jesus Christ is LORD, and nothing less than LORD.
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Jesus Christ is Lord – Plea for Unity and Humility. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever – Hebrews 13:8
Place your faith, hope and love in our Lord, where it all belongs.
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“an unjust law is no law at all” St. Augustine.
As Catholics, we are ORDERED to treat everyone with dignity, mercy and love. We are not ordered to embrace sin and in no way can anyone change the Dogma of the Church.
An unjust law, is no law at all. If ONE unjust law, is accepted, that would mean ALL unjust laws would have to be embraced and accepted. It’s not an option.
Watch and see that the EDITING of this “movie” in which Pope Francis was “quoted”, was edited to cut out the full quote and the proper context in which Pope Francis had actually spoken on this subject.
No different than ALL the other times our Holy Father was taken out of context and misquoted.
Trust in our Lord, love one another anyway and be at peace.
What did Pope Francis say about civil unions? A CNA Explainer
10/23/2020 UPDATE: Mexican broadcaster: Vatican held back Pope Francis’ words on same-sex civil unions in 2019 interview footage
Father Agustino Torres has a great explanation that he posted on Instagram too, HERE
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Fantastic talk by Bishop Robert Barron on what is going on. Listen closely and see if you can see why our education system is failing. Why Hollywood is failing and keeps putting out trash. It IS Marxism. It IS Communism. It is the driving out God and replacing Him with me. This is the driving force of Communism. Fluid is a word heard a lot lately, be it gender fluid etc. When we see fluid as in a body of water, it always needs a form to be identified. What communism does is preach to the individual that YOU are in control of what you would like the form to be. Without thinking about where and Who created the “fluid” to begin with.
Think of Life Giving Water. Jesus Christ offers us the water of life. What form does this life giving water produce, but that of THEE Truth. With THEE Truth, comes law, order, freedom and peace.
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Back in the early 70’s, I remember my mom and dad having a discussion about the Church and all the changes taking place. SSPX was brought into the conversation and keep in mind, if you didn’t live through this time, you can’t imagine the confusion for souls who didn’t understand what was taking place. My dad had asked my mom what advise my great uncle was giving. Keep in mind, my great uncle was a Catholic Priest, who was living in Communist Slovakia. My mom told my dad, he said: Stick with Peter. And we did.
We must not fear what our Lord brings about. It is His Church. He is the Head. We are His members.
Bishop Robert Barron has a GREAT video today, on the subject of Vatican II which I must share.
Novena to St. Peter
St Peter, now that we are aware of the pressures the priests and bishops, cardinals and The Holy Father of Mother Church are under, I ask that you hear my prayer for you to send protection, guidance, support and encouragement to them, not forgetting the seminaries and the Brides Of Christ. The devil has been strong in recent times, not least in the last century and the beginning of this one. I ask that you intercede and ask St Michael and the archangels to fight the battle which needs to be fought for them. The Devil hides within holes throughout the centuries and I ask that you help the angels to find the places no matter how well hidden where he lurks and meddles from.
I know you shall not fail for my having asked you and I know that my prayers will be answered. The devil so often commands the moment. We are blessed to know that the eternal is the essential and we place our faith and knowledge in The Truth that our faith blesses us to know.
For the love of Jesus and the loving balm of the Holy Mother, help Mother Church to save Human Dignity. AmenI pledge to pray this every day for nine days – (or 54 days) and network this so that all Catholics are made aware of its existence.
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Something to ponder….
What exactly is NOT beautiful about worshiping our Lord at Mass?
Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan turned a concentration camp into a cathedral, the palm of his hand into an altar, his pocket into a tabernacle and darkness into Light with the grace of our Lord.
See yourself at a Wedding. Is the food not to your liking? Are the Groomsmen not wearing what you would like? Is the music not in the right key for your ear? Is the Wedding not up to your expectations?
What do you suppose the Bride and Groom’s mind is on this day? Is it the wedding or the Marriage? If she messes up her words, it is His that have already held True and it doesn’t negate the validity of the Marriage. It’s happening, everyone is there, its the most beautiful thing in this world.
We are a sorry lot. We often complain about the wedding without taking the Marriage into account. What makes the Liturgy strikingly beautiful, is the reality that our Lord entered into and rose above all that “ugliness” of ours and we can too, because He tells us to follow Him.
“Blessed are those who have been called to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”
It is a blessing just to be there. We should be grateful simply for that.
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Today’s pondering is a focus on silence. On quiet. On listening and not speaking during prayer.
Do you find yourself aimlessly reciting prayers, without pondering what you are saying, because your mind is clouded with distractions? Be the distractions of what your plans are later, what is troubling you, what you had experienced at some other time or even trying to focus on the words themselves, so not to make a mistake while reciting them?
What one can try is very simple. Stop everything. Keep the focus on what you are doing right now. You are in prayer. Be in prayer. Place 100% into the prayer. Sit and be mindful. Turn off what your distraction is, and “turn on” what you are doing. Slow down what you are saying, so that each word perminates you. Allow the fragrance of the prayer to envelop your entire being. When we bend down to smell a flower, do we bend down without thinking of what we are doing, while thinking of all our troubles? No. We are captivated by the beauty of the flower, while taking in the lovely scent. Thus, we stop to smell the flowers. The same must be done with prayer.
In practicing this always, that same focus takes in the beauty of our Lord. He becomes our focus, while all else, falls away.
Please see today’s Novena HERE
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Keeping the Word no matter what. In today’s Gospel, we hear our Lord say: “one’s enemies will be those of his household” . Do you find yourself at odds with those closest to you because you truly practice the faith? You are not alone. The more we pray, the more we adhere to our Lord’s commands and the more we come to believe in our Lord, the more we grow in the faith, and die to the world, the more we become like sandpaper to those around us, who do not believe. Oh, they often say they believe in our Lord, but they often add that “BUT” to their answer when you ask if they do.
All the “buts” they can give us, are very telling. Its generally a fear of wanting to move closer to the cross of our Lord. Moving closer to the cross, seems to souls that they will have more suffering, more struggles, more storms, more heat and who want’s that? The reality is, we have these things anyway, even far away from the cross, but closer to His cross, we find we are able to bare them because we are with our Lord.
How do we not become “sandpaper” to those around us? Through accepting the fact that we are all on this journey. We do not shove a soul nor demand them to believe in our Lord. We allow them to decide for themselves while we are living the faith deeply. Yes, you will be hated because of His name and we know that this is not against us, but the soul who finds fault with our Lord, is reveling the faults of themselves. They will hate you anyway, because they do not accept Him.
What they need, as a little sprout, is more water, more heat, or more sun. Fear keeps them from moving, growing into Him. Why is it, that humans are the only creatures that try not to reach out for what we need most and reach for what we want instead? Our Lord knows what we need. It is always Him.
On to today’s Novena HERE
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In my pondering of today’s novena and Gospel, we hear talk of “seeds”. We all start off in this life, each one of us, as as something considered insignificant to the world. Consider the seed, before it sprouts, it is just a seed. The seed changes drastically in its short span of being a seed when planted and becomes something much different.
Have you ever bumped into someone you have not seen for many years, and in speaking with them, all they seem to focus on is how you were back twenty or so years ago, without any care of what has taken place in the past twenty plus years? The spouse you have, the children and grandchildren that are now part of your life? As if the focus is constantly on the husk of the seed that was tossed aside, rather than the family tree that came forth from it.
Our spiritual life, begins the same way. As much as we focus on our temporal needs, food, housing, family, etc, we should spend that same time, focusing on our spiritual needs, so as to grow beautifully into who we were crated to be. Imagine if you will, how many today call for “Separation of Church and State”. Lets call the worldly part of your life, the State, and the spiritual part of your life, the Church. Although there truly is, only one life. How long do you think it would take, for your spiritual life to fall away and turn to dust, like the husk of a seed, if you were to separate the two? Very quickly. When this happens, there is no spiritual growth, and when that Friend (our Lord) from long ago (when you were Baptized) comes to you (moment of death) there is nothing to say, there isn’t any new fruit to give, because you have not grown.
“Grant, Lord, that I may listen attentively and remember constantly Your teaching, that I may put it into practice forcefully and courageously, despising riches and avoiding the worries of a worldly life… Grant me Your strength and that I may meditate on Your words putting down deep roots and purifying me of all worldly perils (St. John Chrysostom, A Commentary on the Gospel according to Matthew 44:3-4).“
Please go to today’s Novena HERE
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May we take this time we have been given today, to look deeply within our lives, and see where all our own dead parts are. What are dead parts, but that which sin has taken root, behaviors that cause us harm, unhealthy attitudes about others and ourselves, but especially actions that harm not only us, but all those around us.
Today’s Novena focuses on the red rose and “pruning”. I am brought to the Gospel of John.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
To remain in our Lord, is to love Him above all else. To continue daily to carry out His will and His commands. All that we love above our Lord, needs to be pruned or cut away, as it can not produce anything for our Lord. Again we hear in the Gospel of John:
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.2 He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
On to today’s reflection:
Day 3 – Novena for Our Lady of Mt Carmel by Fr. Gregory Houck
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Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- First Day: Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Second Day: Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Third Day: Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Fourth Day: Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Fifth Day : Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Sixth Day : Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Seventh Day : Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Eighth Day: Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
- Ninth Day : Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel
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From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop
(Sermo 47, 12-14, De ovibus: CCL 41, 582-584)“If I wanted to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ
This is our glory: the witness of our conscience. There are men who rashly judge, who slander, whisper and murmur, who are eager to suspect what they do not see, and eager to spread abroad things they have not even a suspicion of. Against men of this sort, what defense is there save the witness of our own conscience?
My brothers, we do not seek, nor should we seek, our own glory even among those whose approval we desire. What we should seek is their salvation, so that if we walk as we should they will not go astray in following us. They should imitate us if we are imitators of Christ; and if we are not, they should still imitate him. He cares for his flock, and he alone is to be found with those who care for their flocks, because they are all in him.
And so we seek no advantage for ourselves when we aim to please men. We want to take our joy in men—and we rejoice when they take pleasure in what is good, not because this exalts us, but because it benefits them.
It is clear who is intended by the apostle Paul: If I wanted to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. And similarly when he says: Be pleasing to all men in all things, even as I in all things please all men. Yet his words are as clear as water, limpid, undisturbed, unclouded. And so you should, as sheep, feed on and drink of his message; do not trample on it or stir it up.
You have listened to our Lord Jesus Christ as he taught his apostles: Let your actions shine before men so that they may see you good deeds, and give glory to your Father who is in heaven, for it is the Father who made you thus. We are the people of his pasture, the sheep of his hands. If then you are good, praise is due to him who made you so; it is no credit to you, for if you were left to yourself, you could only be wicked. Why then do you try to pervert the truth, in wishing to be praised when you do good, and blaming God when you do evil? For though he said: Let your works shine before men, in the same Sermon on the Mount he also said: Do not parade your good deeds before men. So if you think there are contradictions in Saint Paul, you will find the same in the Gospels; but if you refrain from troubling the waters of your heart, you will recognize here the peace of the Scriptures and with it you will have peace.
And so, my brothers, our concern should be not only to live as we ought, but also to do so in the sight of men; not only to have a good conscience but also, so far as we can in our weakness, so far as we can govern our frailty, to do nothing which might lead our weak brother into thinking evil of us. Otherwise, as we feed on the good pasture and drink the pure water, we may trample on God’s meadow, and weaker sheep will have to feed on trampled grass and drink from troubled waters.”
First Martyrs of Rome, pray for us
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Via Pedro Marrero –
A Meditation after praying the Divine Office:
As Deitrich Bonhoeffer reminds us, when Christ calls us he bids us die, to ourselves and to the world, and still at rarer times, in true martyrdom of the body for the sake of the Faith.
Some Christians will be crucified spiritually, others, as in the middle-east of our days, quite literally upon a Cross of Spiritual Battles or upon the wood of a roughly hewn beam under the watch of our old enemies, certain followers of a man who set us in opposition 1,400 years ago.
The Way, the Way of a Christian is along the Via Dolorosa towards the Cross.
The Gospel isn’t merely a set of books, as meritorious as their spiritual guidance is, but a profound sacrifice of ourselves through the grace gifted to us by the Persons of Love, as expressed through the Paraclete, the Comforter, who resides in an especially intimate way in the hearts of those called forth to the Altar worthily. The Word of God is dynamic, is alive, brings forth existence itself, is Scripture, Christ, His Church and all who follow the will of the Father. The Word of God is Love, and Love is a Person who invites us to His Presence. The Universe itself owes its existence to this effulgence of Love which could not help but call us forth to participate in this Love – And this is why Christ is King. This gift of the virtue of courage in martyrdom to ourselves and the world for love of God and neighbor for the Advancement of the Kingdom of True Love ( Agape ) is the Gospel, and that we can participate in it through the power of the Comforter is the Good News. That we have been overcome by grace and have become chalices overflowing with grace to bring new life into the world against the Cultures of Death and Darkness, which do not reside in the Truth since Truth is the Person of Love in the Most Holy and Blessed Trinity. The gaze of Love between the Father and the Son, eternally.
FROM TODAY’S OFFICE OF READINGS IN THE LITURGY OF THE HOURS:
From a homily by Pope Paul VI-
“Not to preach the Gospel would be my undoing, for Christ himself sent me as his apostle and witness. The more remote, the more difficult the assignment, the more my love of God spurs me on. I am bound to proclaim that Jesus is Christ, the Son of the living God. Because of him we come to know the God we cannot see. He is the firstborn of all creation; in him all things find their being. Man’s teacher and redeemer, he was born for us, died for us, and for us he rose from the dead.
All things, all history converges in Christ. A man of sorrow and hope, he knows us and loves us. As our friend he stays by us throughout our lives; at the end of time he will come to be our judge; but we also know that he will be the complete fulfilment of our lives and our great happiness for all eternity.
I can never cease to speak of Christ for he is our truth and our light; he is the way, the truth and the life. He is our bread, our source of living water who allays our hunger and satisfies our thirst. He is our shepherd, our leader, our ideal, our comforter and our brother.
He is like us but more perfectly human, simple, poor, humble, and yet, while burdened with work, he is more patient. He spoke on our behalf; he worked miracles; and he founded a new kingdom: in it the poor are happy; peace is the foundation of a life in common; where the pure of heart and those who mourn are uplifted and comforted; the hungry find justice; sinners are forgiven; and all discover that they are brothers.
The image I present to you is the image of Jesus Christ. As Christians you share his name; he has already made most of you his own. So once again I repeat his name to you Christians and I proclaim to all men: Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end, the alpha and the omega, Lord of the new universe, the great hidden key to human history and the part we play in it. He is the mediator – the bridge, if you will – between heaven and earth. Above all he is the Son of man, more perfect than any man, being also the Son of God, eternal and infinite. He is the son of Mary his mother on earth, more blessed than any woman. She is also our mother in the spiritual communion of the mystical body.
Remember: it is Jesus Christ I preach day in and day out. His name I would see echo and re-echo for all time even to the ends of the earth.”
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‘The Lord’s Prayer ‘is truly the summary of the whole gospel.’ ‘Since the Lord… after handling over the practice of prayer, said elsewhere, ‘Ask and you will receive, ‘ and since everyone has petitions which are peculiar to his circumstances, the regular and appropriate prayer (the Lord’s Prayer) is said first, as the foundation of further desires.’
Catechism of the Catholic Church; 2761.“Run through all the words of the holy prayers [in Scripture], and I do not think that you will find anything in them that is not contained and included in the Lord’s Prayer” – St. Augustine
Our Father, Who art in heaven,
Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy Will be done,
on earth as it is in Heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil. Amen.Blessed Father’s Day
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“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
― Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love
What is love? So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Act of Love
O my God, I love Thee above all things with my whole heart and soul, because Thou art all good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for love of Thee. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon for all whom I have injured.
Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.
O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.
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The tomb is empty. He is not here. Nor should you be..
LIVE as He has and does still today.
Blessed Easter to all.
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This will be the first time, since my conversion back home, that I will miss attending the Easter Triduum.
I can pour out my feelings here about missing it, but it wouldn’t change anything. I can only accept what is. What I can do, is REMEMBER all the times I was able to attend, and be grateful to have been there. To remember how our Lord touched my heart and help me come to realize how much my sins hurt Him, but more so, how much He had forgiven me. To remember the first time I had ever attended, and cried for all the times I had missed attending because I had so many other things that were, at the time, better to do. How foolish I was. When it became clear to me, everything had come to these three days, every day became a priority, to be with our Lord.
I remember Lord. I remember it all. I also remember the last Holy Mass I was in attendance. I remember how prolific the grace was, to see for myself, the Last Supper.
This day, as I can not be there, I will pray for all our Lord Priests. I will pray for all our Lords Deacons. I will pray for all our Lords Seminarians. I will pray for vocations to the Priesthood.
Lord, through Your most Holy Spirit, inflame the hearts of your friends with Your Divine Love. Touch their hearts as you have touched mine, that they may come to love you deeply above all else, in all souls and never be afraid to love as You have loved us. Give them Your Divine Courage to carry their crosses with You and to never leave You. Give them Your Divine Mercy, that they may be merciful as You have been merciful with us. I ask this through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, to Your most Sacred Heart and may the glory be always our Father in heaven, for all time and all eternity. Amen
Taken from USCCB:
Gracious and loving God, we thank your for the gift of our priests.
Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest.
Amen.
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As I woke this morning, I noticed we were in the midst of another rain storm. I pondered the day’s of Noah, and when the rain began to fall.
I was not afraid, because our Lord told us not to be. Also, due to the Ark of the New Covenant. Thinking about how we are all cooped up, separated from everything that can harm us and others, as our Lord protected us, from the virus.
Glory to our Lord. I prayed, and contemplated all we are going through, the entire world and simply accepted what I could not change. The “Ark” for Noah was not a prison for forty days, but a Sanctuary. As the New Ark was the womb for our Lord, which He was nurtured and grew. So also, my home is not a prison, but a domestic Church, to continue to worship our Lord, to be a peaceful place. To nurture and protect the life within. We grow in this home and it is up to us how we grow. Do we grow wild and angry with one another? Or do we choose to grow in respect and love for one another? That, I believe, is another grace our Lord is granting us, through this difficult time.
Learn to love again as our Lord has loved us.
As in the days of Noah, we choose the Ark.
Pope calls for 9pm Rosary for protection of our families
St. Joseph, pray for us
READING
2 Samuel 7:28-29Lord God, you are God and your words are truth; you have made this generous promise to your servant. Do, then, bless the house of your servant that it may be before you forever; for you, Lord God, have promised, and by your blessing the house of your servant shall be blessed forever.
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As we enter into the season of Lent, a good question to ask ones self is what is your attitude about it this year?
What do the thoughts about lent evoke in you?
Are you excited in a joyful way?
Are you anxious?
Are you looking forward to completely handing yourself over to our Lord?
Are you reserved?
Are you wondering how you will get through it again and will there be a change in you, or will it be just like last lent?
A good place to start Lent is with these question. Followed up with: What are you hoping for?
For a long time I would look at Lent as being on the same level as dieting for a special occasion. Man I need to get rid of 10 pounds right now and when ______________ is over, I can go right back to eating all that stuff I love again. Totally wrong in my attitude.
Lent is not a spiritual yo-yo diet plan for a special day, in which we trudge through it, complaining and suffering until we lose the weight and hope to go back to being exactly as we were when it’s over. It is a change for LIFE.
Lent is an exit ramp from a life of mortal sin and selfish ambition. It is a choice to follow our Lord, to enter into Him, and become obedient once again, not because we have to, but because we love Him in return.
Have you ever heard someone say, or have you yourself, like I have said: Ugh! I can’t go to the game because I HAVE to go to Church. Or, I can’t go with you to the beach today because my mom is making me to to Mass. Or, Why do I have to do all this stuff, isn’t Jesus everywhere anyway?
Yes, Jesus is everywhere anyway, BUT, making the “choice” to love Him back, and to be obedient to Him, is no different than falling in love with a perspective spouse or hanging out with your best Friend whom you love dearly and share everything with. When we love in return, Church, nor obedience is no longer a “chore” we are forced to do and painful. It is rather a CHOICE we make, to be with the One we love above all else instead. Ones attitude changes from discord to joy, and becomes , I GET to spend time at Mass with our Lord! Rather than I HAVE to go. Therefore, Lent is our way to ENTER into this place to fall in love with Him. When we love in return, obedience to whom we love, comes natural. We change from one who can’t be bothered to listen to Him, to one who intently is listening for Him. Thereby practicing and acting on His direction and not that of the worlds.
I pray for attitudes to change this year, that our hearts of stone, become flesh again, and can accept the gifts our Lord wants to give to us all. That of Himself, completely.
Blessed Lent to all and may we come to know the One who loves us all. The One who came to set us free from our sins, from our lives of misery, and to give us Himself.
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Discernment of Spirits.—All moral conduct may be summed up in the rule: avoid evil and do good. See more here at Catholic Answers
The other day, here, I had seen a commercial. As I watched it, it became clear to me how important in all aspects of our lives it is to have and use discernment. Whom are we truly listening to? Whom are we speaking to?
Pope Francis spoke this morning about what I had been pondering & what I seen in this commercial, today. Pope’s Morning Homily: Ask Whenever You Have a Feeling or Instinct, ‘Does This Come from Holy Spirit, or Spirit of the World?’
This is something I have been accustom to doing, for many many years. Ever since this day, which I wrote here, in my post, Repent, Repent, Repent.
I can truly say, and profess this day, John 20:18
As I finished my morning prayers today, the concluding prayer became very luminous.
O God, whose Only Begotten Son
has appeared in our very flesh,
grant, we pray, that we may be inwardly transformed
through him whom we recognize as outwardly like ourselves.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.Back to that commercial…
Notice, Mayhem is NOT her Mother in law, but Mayhem. Although she may see her Mother in law. You never know who you may be listening to, sitting with and speaking to, so fill your minds and hearts with the Word of God, and do not be deceived, discern everything. Have courage, respond in kindness to that which is not our Lord.
Repent and submit to our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Fill yourself with our Lord, purge yourself of self.
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Many have been comparing this new year as we entering into the 20’s as the roaring 20’s”. The only “roaring” I see about these coming 20’s, is the continuing of the evil one in the Advice to the Community
Be sober an vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.
I continue to pray for all this year and I ask our Lord for all, to be not afraid of confrontation with those who do not believe in Him. Tomorrow is the Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God. May we imitate her faith, grow in humility and fear not, as the Angel Gabriel told her, of the things to come that may cause us great distress. May we ponder all things in our hearts. May be cling to our Lord on His cross at all times, until the day He lifts us up and takes us to Himself.
Stay awake. Be alert. Be not afraid. Our Lord, our Father, is God of all.
Blessed and peaceful Solemnity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God to all, and may His will be done, this year and for all time and eternity.
Please enjoy this. Start it from the beginning
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If you find yourself looking for a particular “camp” inside the Catholic church, be it left, right, trad, liberal, it is only because you are in the “wrong someplace” within yourself and can not stand ALONE with our Lord. It is you and Him. No one else to grab out for. No one else to blame. No one else but yourself and Him. His tent.
ONE Body in Christ. I am Roman Catholic. Some say I am not Catholic enough. Some say I am way too Catholic. The only thing that matters, is our Lord calls me by name to Him and I listen to Him, following Him.
I was lost, now I am found.
“If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.”
Peg Pondering Again 