Parabolic : A Catholic Reflection:
"To help us repent, let's pray the following prayers:
Jesus, open my eyes to the parables right before me.
Jesus, put a new parable into my life today.
Jesus, may I have repeated flashbacks of old parables until I repent.
Jesus, may I take Your parables to heart, go to Confession, and repent of my sins.
Praying these prayers will reveal that the routine circumstances of our lives are charged with meaning. In our everyday life, the Lord will confront and convict us, encourage and heal us, and motivate and empower us. Our lives will be full of repentance and excitement. They will be full of living parables.
PRAYER: Jesus, may I be easy for You to talk to."
Monday, June 2, 2008
Prayer
Faith alone? Hardly...
USCCB - (NAB) - June 2, 2008:
"For this very reason,
make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,
virtue with knowledge, knowledge with self-control,
self-control with endurance, endurance with devotion,
devotion with mutual affection, mutual affection with love."
and the bottom line is LOVE! Not as the world shows us, but as Jesus Himself has demonstrated.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
It's raining!
USCCB - (NAB) - June 1, 2008:
"“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them
will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And everyone who listens to these words of mine
but does not act on them
will be like a fool who built his house on sand.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”"
Look around you...check out the news...look into the lives of your family and friends...all around the rains of distruction are pounding and its results are obvious...families falling a part left and right. Guess what...none of us are immune...God did not promise us temperate weather year round...what He has promised to those that obey Him is protection from the storm...it will still pound on us(how can it not...don't our hearts break at what we are witnessing?)but we'll be protected from distruction...He will NEVER leave us.
So...let's get going on building our 'house' on the rock! Start with prayer(heart to heart prayer).
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Thank You, Jesus
Thank You, Jesus : A Catholic Reflection: "Our life in Christ is not diminishable, not insufficient, and not destructible. Our life in Christ is full, perfect, and eternal. We must not let the devil rob us of our joy in Christ. We must resist his temptations and live by faith our glorious life in Christ.
PRAYER: Father, may I 'rejoice with inexpressible joy' (1 Pt 1:8) because I am a Christian."
Ransomed
USCCB - (NAB) - May 28, 2008:
"Beloved:
Realize that you were ransomed from your futile conduct,
handed on by your ancestors,
not with perishable things like silver or gold
but with the precious Blood of Christ
as of a spotless unblemished Lamb."
Our freedom was bought at a precious price...shouldn't we be enjoying it to the fullest?
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
holy, holy, holy
USCCB - (NAB) - May 27, 2008:
"Like obedient children,
do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance
but, as he who called you is holy,
be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,
for it is written, Be holy because I am holy."
What does it mean to 'be holy'? I think this is one thing that confuses the non Christian (and quite a few Christians) greatly. It does not mean to act in any one particular way, or even do particular pious acts. What it does mean is to be totally attuned to the Will of God in your life...to not even desire anything that is not of Him. To be obedient to all that He is asking of you in any particular moment(to take it one step further...sin is disobedience(remember Adam and Eve's first sin?)...any action in our part that gets in the way of holiness). What...you haven't heard from God lately? Then I would suggest that you turn to His church and train your heart to listen in a whole new way. Your life will never be the same again...I promise you that.
Please pray for this family
The Charles F. Dewhirst Family Funeral Homes:
"Idalina L. Henriques, 56, of Methuen died Friday May 24th, 2008 at the Mary Immaculate Health Care Services in Lawrence."
Idalina's husband is my sister in law's cousin...please keep their entire family in your prayers.
"Idalina L. Henriques, 56, of Methuen died Friday May 24th, 2008 at the Mary Immaculate Health Care Services in Lawrence."
Idalina's husband is my sister in law's cousin...please keep their entire family in your prayers.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Are you eating enough?
USCCB - (NAB) - May 25, 2008:
"Just as the living Father sent me
and I have life because of the Father,
so also the one who feeds on me
will have life because of me."
We sit down to at least three meals a day so that our bodies don't perish...our spirit needs food too...let's not starve it to death.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Prayer
USCCB - (NAB) - May 24, 2008: "Jas 5:13-20
Beloved:
Is anyone among you suffering?
He should pray.
Is anyone in good spirits?
He should sing a song of praise.
Is anyone among you sick?
He should summon the presbyters of the Church,
and they should pray over him
and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
The prayer of faith will save the sick person,
and the Lord will raise him up.
If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven."
What a beautiful reading. It speaks to us of our basic need to be in constant contact with our Creator. So simple, really. 'just do it'. It really is the answer to all that ails us.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Divorce and Remarriage
Divorce and Remarriage : A Catholic Reflection:
"Paul mentioned another occasion, after a divorce is initiated by the unbelieving spouse, when divorce and remarriage is allowed (1 Cor 7:15). Paul also stressed that the believing spouse should do all in his or her power to preserve the marriage (1 Cor 7:16). Although these are two exceptions, Jesus hates divorce (Mal 2:16). However, remarriage without being granted an annulment by the Church is more of a problem than divorce. Jesus loves the divorced and will heal, save, and love them.
No matter what your situation, turn to Jesus. He is 'close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit He saves' (Ps 34:19).
PRAYER: Father, may divorced people accept Your order in their lives and receive Your love."
Praying for all in these situations and their families and friends(one marriage disolved effects everyone)...especially the children.
Focus on the good.
USCCB - (NAB) - May 23, 2008: "Jas 5:9-12
Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another,
that you may not be judged."
This is a really hard one. Everywhere we turn these days there seems to be reason for complaint...and no where more then within our own families. God give us the strength necessary today to focus on the good that is all around us...beginning in our own homes with our spouses and children.
Prayer for Marriages(Sean Cardinal O'Malley)
Heavenly Father, through the intercession of the Holy Family,
Help us to treasure the gift of marriage that reflects the love of Christ for the Church,
where the self-giving love of husband and wife unites them more perfectly and cooperates in your plan for new life created in your image.
Help us support men and women in their vocation of marriage, especially in difficult times when they join their sufferings to the Cross.
Help us uphold the institution of marriage in our society as the place where love is nurtured and family life begins.
Help us to acknowledge that our future depends on this love and on your providential care for us. Amen.
Gospel
Mk 10:1-12
But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife,
and the two shall become one flesh.
So they are no longer two but one flesh.
Therefore what God has joined together,
no human being must separate.”
Thursday, May 22, 2008
prayers please
Daughter of Christian music star killed by car - Yahoo! News
Please pray for this family...I can't even imagine the horror...my heart aches for them.
Please pray for this family...I can't even imagine the horror...my heart aches for them.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy
Happy Hearts At Home: The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy: Admonishing the Sinner:
"The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy
Convert the sinner,
Instruct the ignorant,
Counsel the doubtful,
Comfort the sorrowful,
Bear wrongs patiently,
Forgive injuries,
Pray for the living and the dead."
Hmmm...I quickly read through the above list and went 'ick...those are hard...I don't think I like them very much'...lol. That was my 'inner brat'...lol. The thing is that those are indeed hard if you aren't grounded in Christ and have no clue to the Truth that only the Holy Spirit can provide...no wait...they aren't 'hard'...they are impossible.
Catechism of the Catholic Church
Catechism of the Catholic Church - PART 3 SECTION 1 CHAPTER 3 ARTICLE 2:
"CHAPTER THREE
GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE"
"CHAPTER THREE
GOD'S SALVATION: LAW AND GRACE"
the basis of our mission
The Sprirt takes us out into the desert (Pastoral Letter, Lenten 2006) | Gozo Diocese:
"I really wish that we all grow in our conviction that we are truly God’s children and treasure this identity which is really the basis of our mission. Oh how I do wish that we become even more rooted in our sense of belonging to God and that it informs our vision of Church."
"I really wish that we all grow in our conviction that we are truly God’s children and treasure this identity which is really the basis of our mission. Oh how I do wish that we become even more rooted in our sense of belonging to God and that it informs our vision of Church."
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