Just before dinner this evening, my daughter pointed outside and said we have a visitor Mom! We sure did. Unable to attend Palm Sunday Mass, we talked about the Holy Spirit coming to us. How our Lord is always with us and we need to focus on the Light in all we face at all times, and not the darkness that seeks to confuse and frighten us. Trusting completely in our Lord. We have already been forgiven for not being able to attend, so we must accept His forgiveness. Least we sin against the Holy Spirit, not trusting in our Lord’s pardon.
Tag: Trust
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“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”
I have to laugh when I hear souls talking about the end of the Catholic Church. She can never end, because she will always be, as she has always been. Nothing can destroy what our Lord has already built. Nothing can change what He has achieved. Nothing can change what the Saints have already become. Nothing can change what already is.
Peace
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When I first started to turn back to our Lord, I tossed out many things that reminded me of something bad that I did, and things in general that others had given to me. Why? Because I didn’t want to remember those things or those people. Tossing them out did not stop the memories. What did happen, was when I placed my faith and trust in our Lord, the memories didn’t hurt anymore, because our Lord changed my mind.
He took away my “broken mind”, and taught me how to think correctly, trusting His Mind. Nothing in this world has power unless we allow it to and thus when we do give it power, we take that power away from our Lord and give into sin.
What takes place, when we lose control, without allowing God all control, is devastating to a soul. Peace is gone, terror of everything grabs hold and the souls begin to believe in themselves and not in our Lord. Scrupulosity takes hold. We forget that each soul has “free will” to choose our Lord, and we watch everyone and everything with scrutiny and not Love, knowing that our Lord loved us also, when we were train wrecks.
No matter what takes place, as our Lord has told us, we must remain with hope, faith and LOVE in our Lord, keeping our eyes fixed on what is above, and not on what is below. When we keep our eyes on what is below, we look down on everything. When we keep our eyes fixed on what is above, we realize we are all on a level playing field of sinners in need of our Lords redemption. That takes humility. Pray more, worry less. When we worry, we act on internal illusions that seek to drag us down as misery loves company.
Although our Lord Himself took a whip and knocked over tables, we must always remember, we are not Him. The disciples did not join Him in doing this. The righteousness of our Lord far surpasses ours. I pray for the conversions of the souls who took the statues, and I pray for all who are trying to justify theft in this case. It was a statue. Not an idol. Things (anything) becomes an idol when man makes them idols by “worshiping” them (letting them have any power) and not our Lord. Such in the same way when souls fear them, rather than our Lord. Properly destroying idols also includes destroying the ones in the intellect.
Justifying theft is not good. Fear of anything but our Lord, is misplaced Trust. Repent and believe in the Gospel.
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.Beautiful post by Elijah’s Breeze
“I do not fear Satan half so much as I fear those who fear him.” – St. Teresa of Avila
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When trust is broken, as a wife, I come to understand that the LORD is in this Marriage Trinity, and it is He who is the Spouse of our souls, the Bridegroom who NEVER breaks the trust. Who does not stray. As my husband may through temptation, I adhere to the Lord even when my husband may stray, praying for his repentance! Praying for his return.
Such as it is the same, for the shepherds who stray.
I ponder Psalms, chapter 116
I kept faith, even when I said,
“I am greatly afflicted!”
I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars!”
How can I repay the LORD
for all the great good done for me?
I will raise the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD
in the presence of all his people.
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I went to grab a bowl from my cabinet for dinner tonight and when I did, I found this…
Before finding this, and keep in mind it was one of my favorite bowls, I had received an email from my daughter’s teacher in regards to her struggling with behavior issues again, requesting a meeting. My youngest daughter is on the Autism Spectrum and problems arise when her routine changes.
Before receiving the email, I had been struggling with other family issues pertaining to my oldest daughter, and my middle daughter is struggling with both issues with her sisters on top of being a very emotional preteen. SO , things have been slightly tense trying to carry it all, not very easily, and coming to realize that I can not fix anything, but I can hope in our Lord and pray.
My favorite bowl. When I pulled it down and noticed the bottom had fallen out, all I could think of was, “This too?”. I’m not a materialistic person. The loss of the bowl was a split second of loss, as I got back to the real issues with my girls, which also, I was not able to fix today. So I pray and place it all once again into our Lord hands.
I sat down and pondered for a moment of all that was taking place. Got back up an pulled that bottomless bowl from the trash and was reminded to cling to our Lord. Stop struggling.
When things in this world are tough, and everything seems to go so bad that the bottom falls out, cling to our Lord even tighter and don’t let go. When the bottom falls out, your left with the top. And that is how a “halo” is made.
A beautiful quote from St. Faustina:
Sister Faustina wrote of her experiences at the behest of the Lord Jesus:
My daughter, I demand that you devote all your free moments to writing about My goodness and mercy. It is your office and your assignment throughout your life to continue to make known to souls the great mercy I have for them and to exhort them to trust in My bottomless mercy. (1586)“O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.”
And this.. is the side of that favorite bowl. His word was not broken.
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What do homosexuals, masons, communists, socialists, and ______________ (fill in the blank) all have in common, that so many fear may have infiltrated the Catholic Church?
Be it that the Church has been “infiltrated” or not, its been infiltrated by SINNERS since our Lord founded it, 2000 years ago. He is the Head. “Be not afraid”. He has been dealing with US SINNERS before He was Conceived. As He deals with us today and the Church remains. Fear only Him.
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Our Lady of Consolation (Carey, Ohio), Divine Mercy shrine
When I first started this blog, Peg Pondering Again, “Trying To Paint A Picture Of Christ” was a mission in my heart. I didn’t know how it would look. I didn’t know how to start. I didn’t know what our Lord wanted me to do. I just knew He was calling me to do it. Today, I know in my heart, the “painting” is complete. Merciful Lord Jesus Christ, I trust in you.
“In the document, Pope Francis says the Holy Year is “dedicated to living out in our daily lives the mercy” which God “constantly extends to all of us.”
St. Faustina, pray for us. St. John Paul II, pray for us. Our Lady of Consolation, intercede for us. Merciful Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
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A recent story came out regarding the words of the Imam who was present in the Vatican garden for the “Prayers for Peace”: What Did the Imam Really Say? Revisited
I’m reminded of the faith of the Prophet Elijah. Being Catholic we KNOW there is only One God. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Remember those who worshiped the false idols:
25 Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one of the bulls and prepare it first, since there are so many of you. Call on the name of your god, but do not light the fire.” 26 So they took the bull given them and prepared it.
Then they called on the name of Baal from morning till noon. “Baal, answer us!” they shouted. But there was no response; no one answered. And they danced around the altar they had made.
27 At noon Elijah began to taunt them. “Shout louder!” he said. “Surely he is a god! Perhaps he is deep in thought, or busy, or traveling. Maybe he is sleeping and must be awakened.” 28 So they shouted louder and slashed themselves with swords and spears, as was their custom, until their blood flowed. 29 Midday passed, and they continued their frantic prophesying until the time for the evening sacrifice. But there was no response, no one answered, no one paid attention.
Hummm
Elijah’s Prayer
…37″Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that You, O LORD, are God, and that You have turned their heart back again.” 38 Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. 39 When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, “The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God.”…Place your trust in our Lord.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
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I reached that point in my conversion back home to where our Lord has told me to go and LIVE. Its been 17 years on this road to this point.. (no, its not over, Its a lifelong process until He takes me home)
For a while, I began to feel like a pill bug, turned in on myself afraid to move, for a VERY long time. I can only assume it needed to be, in order for me to see myself, in every direction, for who I was and for who God created me to be. But more to see God for who He is. I take His words to heart now: “Be not afraid”. Rather than taking them in fear and trembling… Thank you Lord. Glory to God.
I TRUST in You O Lord.
EDIT TO ADD:
We can’t all have that metamorphosis in such a grand way as the worms changing to butterflies. Sometimes, all the changes that need to take place are simply in direction…
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Let Him enter your heart. Let Him take hold of every aspect of your life.
Fill every day He has given you, and gives to you, with Him. In deed, in thought, in prayer in love.
Cast away your past sins and sinfulness. Don’t continue in the past but prepare for the future. A new year is upon us. Be the change in the world for the good of all and to the Glory be Gods. Live the faith, daily. Love God above all else, daily.
The Year of Faith has concluded. May we Christian Family’s, make it our Mission to ensure we do
the Will of God. Stand up and be what our Lord has called you to be, HOLY.Not just for 2014,but for all time, teach your children to be holy by your example. One need not be a Catholic Priest or Sister to be Holy or to be a Great Saint. We are ALL called to be saints first. Teach them to love God above all else as with this ONE lesson for life, everything falls into place in perfection of Christ Jesus, thus all society reaps the bountiful harvest of the fruits of faith. When you love God above everything, it becomes VERY easy to see, all sin stems from the soul breaking the very first commandment. “You shall have no other gods before me”
As a Catholic Parent, you have ONE job. To teach your children to love God above EVERYTHING else. Sainthood is the ONLY “Profession” we should encourage our children into. Profession of Faith. Parents are so caught up in wanting their children to succeed in the world and overlook how much more important it is to do the Will of God – the faith becomes secondary. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” Our Lord then doubled it to Love your neighbor as yourself.
With the first command to love God above all else and teach your children to also, the second command becomes natural and easy to do. If you love God above all else, doing the Will of the Father, becomes your will. The Great Saints placed God first. Not their desire to become “Scholars” as the reason they became GREAT Scholars is because of their Love for God therefore becoming Great Saints first. St. Augustine did not set out on the path to God thinking about how fantastic it was to write. He wrote everything he EXPERIENCED through God. Thus, doing the Will of God, and God giving him the title after his entering into Eternal Life. Leaving a visible path behind for others to our Lord, and thereby to Abba Father. As did all the great Saints.
In 2014, let’s make it clear to the entire world that as Christians, we love God above all else. Placing worldliness and sinful behaviors behind us. And if you fall, He will pick you back up to continue on through His Sacraments. If we do just this one thing, the entire world would never be the same. Don’t allow 2014 to become just another secular year, make it HOLY. Dedicate it to Him who gave His life to you. What is just one year to give Him in return? In one year, living the faith with your entire heart, you will never want to return to who you once were without Him. You won’t be able to remove your eyes from Him ever again.
I for one am looking forward to placing 2013 in the past. I am grateful for all God has done for me and my family. Lord may we all move forward into the new year, with YOU and never without You O Lord. May we apply all the gifts you have given to us, in all aspects of our lives, to give Abba Father all the glory and honor through Jesus Christ and the most gracious Holy Spirit, Three, eternally in the One God of all. Amen
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I’m not sure how to post this or write this as what I am about to say is not intended to bring malice or harm to anyone but rather has been a very clear message to me.
On “another form of internet media”, I was engaged this morning in a very interesting conversation. It was striking actually as I didn’t know who I was talking to at first and then when it hit me, the understanding came through.
I don’t watch television and mainly when I do, I’m not truly watching and I am praying and speaking to our Lord in contemplation. Being that my husband watches a lot of television, I do spend time with him as he is watching. Recently we started watching a show, in which I had grown sort of fond of. It was interesting and to be honest, I could see a lot of references to faith and our Lord to keep me occupied while not truly falling into the “story worshiping.”
One night, or maybe a for a few, after my children were settled down for the night, my husband and I would sit together to watch this particular show. I would normally go off to pray as my children went to bed but started to place my praying the Divine Office later and later. I started to grow very fond of the show and the lead character that played in it. I could see a lot of “Spiritual” things in him that reminded me of our Lord but truly were not Him.
Back to the “conversation” on the other “internet media site”. A question was posed in regards to faith. I responded and the back & forth between the two of us was very revealing. I did not know I was speaking to someone who was unaware of the faith. As I looked deeper and was accused of things in which I did not say, I looked to see who this person was. Low and behold, It’s the lead character to the show I had placed my prayer time on hold for to watch.
It is true, our Lord uses everyone to convey what He needs to be said. This has left me with a deeper trust in Him and a definite pulling away from the “world” that attempted to suck me back in. Don’t get me wrong, I love the man who truly was unaware of this taking place and I pray deeply for his conversion along with forgiving him for what has been said.
It truly was a blessing, and IS a blessing for our Lord to speak to me in this way. No matter what, God comes first. Prayer life and speaking to our Lord first! This goes much deeper, but I truly know it would be best kept it in my heart.
Glory to God. I am deeply grateful to our Lord.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me”
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I had a thought during Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament this morning I can only attribute to our Lord.
Imagine, everything you can imagine, every thought coming to into existence, taking physical shape in exile, then imagine having the will, the strength. power to living with the created ideas and the right to control every thought. Not just having the ability to control everything you can imagine into existence, but being it. That is God. “And the Word was made flesh.”
One second there is nothing, the next a thought, the next creation. Will, existence, control. The Holy Trinity of “Being Still” that has always been. Just be, still.
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All the pain and suffering in this world is not caused by God but by a lack of belief in Him. Lack of trust in Him. Lack of faith in Him. Lack of love for Him.
He taught me this personally today. I spent most of today, after Mass, with friends who are not Catholic and most who downright do not believe in God. Every time I go into the world, I find myself withdrawn. I become very uncomfortable and spend most of the time, even surrounded by friends, in silent prayer. I’m with them in their homes, in body, but I’m not there. In every conversation, I find myself watching every word spoken, every gesture, every movement, looking for an opportune time to stand up for the faith or to stand up for our Lord. I see things from a point of view that comes from a place of security in our Lord. I am always on guard. There is no time for rest in the world. It’s a dark, miserable place and souls don’t even know they are there.
Since 1998 I have been surrounded by so many souls who do not believe in God, the pain has been unbearable at times. Some say they do, but continue to hurt Him by living as the world lives. I thought for the longest time God was mad at me and I was serving some sort of punishment. WRONG! Although I have cried many tears and suffered greatly for hurting our Lord through my sins, He is showing me how my total trust in Him, total LOVE for Him is SAVING me! His love is NEVER punishment. He is showing me how much He loves ME! How much he LOVES every soul! How much MERCY He has for EVERY soul on earth! Seriously! All the pain I have and it is DEEP hurting pain, utter anguish at times, is not caused by Him. Its caused by the souls around me who don’t know Him.
While pondering a conversation today with a friend I was with, that I had with earlier about her children and the reason they were not baptized, mind you, she brought up the topic, although surrounded by friends at a party, I walked by myself and came to stop under a tree. I looked up, feeling the pain of my surroundings and the gentle Voice came to my heart telling me exactly where my pain and suffering had been coming from this entire time. Its the lack of faith in God. Lack of belief in Him that is causing me all my pain. When I see the disregard for Him everywhere, it is like a thousand cuts to my soul. God isn’t doing this to me. The world is doing this to me. God is taking away my pain and replacing it with His love. I know this because the peace and tranquility when I am with Him can never be described in words. Its pure ecstasy and every time I suffer like this, He is with me to see me through. All the time!
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Isaiah 55:1 “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.
In the past few months in my absence, our Lord has been keeping me very busy. So busy, I haven’t found any time to spend wallowing in self pity or my past sinful nature. Or should I say, when He has given me time for this, I pray rather the do this. The guilt of my past is gone and has been replaced with love. He has granted my soul with many gifts. So many gifts it would be impossible to list them. I have found our Lord in every action, in every moment of time I have been using. Imagine putting a puzzle together. Each puzzle piece representing the gifts from our Lord. Each individual piece containing numerous instances of God’s grace in your life. So numerous, you could never count them. Or if you tried to, it would take the rest of your life to do so. Seeing the forest for the trees would be the best description. When one full piece is placed next to the matching piece, the picture becomes clearer and the drive to finish the puzzle is overwhelming. Not in a way that would be considered to be under pressure to complete it, but rather freely completing it because no other joy on this level has ever been attained. This I can only call the gift of life. You see yourself not able to do anything but His will and self is empty.
What I have been able to do, though God’s grace, is ponder how He has destroyed everything in my life He never placed in my soul, that I should believe myself to be, to begin with. The joy found in this magnificent destruction of the self, is overwhelming. Its calming and true peace. Where for so many years, my life was as a desert dust storm. Sand blowing in every direction never knowing where it was to land. Never knowing what its true purpose was, but to reek turmoil in the path of all it should encounter. Making life miserable for all who entered as I was miserable and did not know where to turn or what to do. I listened to wind and those who kicked me up and landed in the direction where they had kicked me. I tried to fill the forms others had made for me and could never be what they wanted me to be. I was dried up.
Doing continual work for our Lord, praying continually, attending mass not only on Sundays and Holy Days, but every day, constant receiving of the Sacraments, through Christ, He continually waters me. The joy of not only seeing His work, but knowing His word is eternal, brings fourth such a peace through knowing He is King. He is truth. Everything He said, is true. He never changes. He changes us. Truth that so many miss in this world and don’t even know it. Yet seek this peace in material possessions and never find it. What absolute awe to see God destroy the things in a soul for the only purpose, His, to replace them with love.
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Since I could not attend adoration yesterday morning, I found myself in the prayer labyrinth. Before I started my prayer walk, I went over to the grotto where our statue of Bernette is with Our Lady of Lourdes. I prayed to her and told her I had fallen madly in love with her Son. We ended up having a very long conversation. I smiled and walked to where the start of the labyrinth was and on my way, I found blessed palms laying on the ground. They were intertwined with one another and someone spent time to do so. I picked them up as I could never leave them just laying on the ground. They were with me my entire journey. As I got to the center of the labyrinth, I knelt down and began to pray. As I did, I noticed another blessed palm, tucked into one of the lamps, out of normal sight. I left it there and finished my prayers.
While attending the Mass of the Lords Supper, I remembered the blessed palm that needed help. I was filled with an overwhelming desire to not leave that palm behind in the elements. It had been blessed and did not belong anywhere but in a place of honor.
After mass & a brief adoration, I walked outside and it was quite dark. There were many people around as mass had just concluded. Some watched as I walked to the center of the labyrinth which was unlit. I knelt down and felt around under the lamp in which I had seen the palm. I could not see but managed to take hold of it and was so happy I had found it. I couldn’t help but look up to the sky and smile as I said, “Like a thief in the night”. No one knew what I was doing and how important it was for me not to leave that palm behind. Like the Chrism used at baptism, that leaves the mark of the LORD on each soul indefinitely, identifying us as His, was the way I seen this palm. It had become lost and belonged to our Lord. That drive I had in me to get it, is the same drive our Lord has to go get His souls when they become lost. Or, “No soul left behind”.
Mark 13:2 “And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”
“turn your ear to me, make haste. Be for me a rock-fastness, a fortified citadel to save me.”
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