Thursday, May 1, 2008

May...month of Mary

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If you have ever felt called to a deeper relationship with our Lord's Blessed Mother...the Carmelite Order may be just thing for you. Check out the link above.

Are you ready?

"Perfect Storm" : A Catholic Reflection:

"Tomorrow we begin praying the Pentecost Novena, nine days of fervent prayer to prepare for receiving a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. What storm will result if you receive the Holy Spirit during or after this Novena? It may mean that:

you must leave your job, as did St. Joseph (Mt 2:14),
you start a new job, which becomes the launching pad for a new ministry (Acts 18:3, 5),
you pack up and move where the Spirit leads (Acts 18:1),
you lose your spiritual mentor (Jn 16:17) and have to step out and take leadership, as did the apostles,
you will weep, mourn, and grieve (Jn 16:20),
you step out in bold obedience to the Holy Spirit, and because of that, your church is instantly divided (Acts 18:4ff),
talented leaders are converted and raised up (Acts 18:8),
many hear the word of God and come to believe in Jesus (Acts 18:8), and
you 'shake' off the spiritual and physical debris left by the storm (Acts 18:6), and, undaunted, continue bearing fruit in the power of the Spirit (see Mt 7:24-25).

'Receive the Holy Spirit' (Jn 20:22), and let Him 'stir' up your world (2 Tm 1:6).

PRAYER: Father, may I be more concerned with being separated from the Holy Spirit than I am with having to endure upheaval.
PROMISE: 'Your grief will be turned into joy.' –Jn 16:20
PRAISE: St. Joseph accepted Mary as his wife, thus enduring scandal, rejection, and relocation, and did so joyfully."


So...are you ready to start 'marching to a different drummer'? It might throw you out of sync...but oh the JOY that is to come!

Out of sync?

USCCB - (NAB) - May 1, 2008:

"Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.”"


Sometimes being a Christian means that we are just bit out of sync with the rest of the world. We may be told to 'wait' while every one else is rushing forward...or to go ahead when it just doesn't make sense to anyone else. This may indeed cause pain...but only for a little while...wait...the joy is coming!