Universalis: Office of Readings
Isaiah 48:1 - 11
"Now I am revealing new things to you,
things hidden and unknown to you,
created just now, this very moment,
of these things you have heard nothing until now,
so that you cannot say, ‘Oh yes, I knew all this’.
You had never heard,
you did not know,
I had not opened your ear beforehand;
for I knew how treacherous you were,
and that you have deserved the name of rebel from your birth."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 20, 2007:
"And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God."
Evangelium vitae - Ioannes Paulus PP. II - Encyclical Letter (1995.03.25)
"1. The Gospel of life is at the heart of Jesus' message. Lovingly received day after day by the Church, it is to be preached with dauntless fidelity as "good news" to the people of every age and culture.
At the dawn of salvation, it is the Birth of a Child which is proclaimed as joyful news: "I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord" (Lk 2:10-11). The source of this "great joy" is the Birth of the Saviour; but Christmas also reveals the full meaning of every human birth, and the joy which accompanies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfilment of joy at every child born into the world (cf. Jn 16:21)."
"O, Mary, bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life. Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violance, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.
--John Paul II"
Universalis: Morning Prayer (Lauds):
"God, you deigned to reveal the splendour of your glory to the world through the holy Virgin’s giving birth to your Son.
Grant us this gift: that we may celebrate this great mystery of the Incarnation
with complete faith and devotion for ever."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 19, 2007:
"He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah
to turn the hearts of fathers toward children
and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,
to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”"
Intercessors Of The Lamb:
"So we have to allow this Word that we are receiving every day to grow, to grow in hiddenness, to grow within us, to grow in wisdom and grace. Wisdom, the highest form of wisdom, by the way, is always surrender. 'Be it done'. It is openness; it is receptivity. Just to hear God's word and not receive it is not enough. We have to receive it into our own self as Our Lady did. He will grow within us."
Stepping Out of the Boat: WE GOT THE CALL!!!!!!!! WILL YOU HELP US!!!!!!:
"WOWZERS! We got THE CALL ! We got THE CALL ! We got THE CALL !It has been a crazy day of waiting to see what the final outcome was going to be. I am beyond excited to tell you that our tickets are booked, suitcases packed, video camera charged because....we are going to meet our SON!!!!!"
Spirit Daily - Daily spiritual news from around the world:
"Go through the house and rid it of objects that smack of the occult or salaciousness. Anything linked to the supernatural (other than that associated with Jesus), and anything attached to lust, should be cast out."
Universalis: Office of Readings:
Psalm 67 (68)
"O God, command in your strength;
make firm what you have achieved in us.
From your temple in Jerusalem,
kings shall bring you tribute.
Rebuke the wild beast of the reeds,
the herd of bulls, the lords of peoples.
Let them lie prostrate before you with tribute of silver.
Scatter the peoples that delight in war.
Nobles will come from Egypt,
Ethiopia will stretch out its hands to God."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 18, 2007:
"Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel,
which means “God is with us.”"
USCCB - (NAB) - December 17, 2007:
"Eleazar became the father of Matthan,
Matthan the father of Jacob,
Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ."
Intercessors Of The Lamb:
"Can you imagine what it will be like when the Church really goes into the desert again, really becomes contemplative again and really starts receiving the enfleshment of the Word, being fed, experiencing the joy? Can you imagine the evangelization that will go forth? People are drawn to happy people. Joy is contagious. You will be able to walk down the street and say, “What do they have?” That is what drew us, in the cloister, to the Charismatic renewal in the first place. Bishop Joseph McKenny came and was so filled with joy. It was wonderful to see a Bishop at the altar who was happy. You cannot camouflage joy, can you?"
Gaudete Sunday: This Child is our Victory. REJOICE! - Catholic Online:
"The Third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday, the 'pink candle' Sunday, the Sunday we light the pink candle on the Advent wreath. Gaudete is the imperative plural form of the Latin verb gaudere (to rejoice). It is a command ordering us to rejoice! In these days of penance and preparation leading up to the feast of our Savior's birth, it reminds us of the joy that is to come, and serves, amid this season of penance, as a kind of 'break' when we recall the hope we have because of the coming of Jesus."
Universalis: Morning Prayer (Lauds):
"All creatures, bless the Lord
Bless the Lord, all his works, praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens; all his angels, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens; all his powers, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon; all stars of the sky, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, rain and dew; all you winds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat; cold and warmth, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, dew and frost; ice and cold, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, ice and snow; day and night, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness; lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, all the earth, praise and exalt him for ever."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 16, 2007:
"Those whom the LORD has ransomed will return
and enter Zion singing,
crowned with everlasting joy;
they will meet with joy and gladness,
sorrow and mourning will flee."
Intercessors Of The Lamb:
"We’ll change when we begin to experience God’s love for us personally. So He said, “I’ve called you. I’ve called you for this victory of justice. I want you to wear this breastplate of justice. I’ve called you for the victory over sin. I’ve called you to have a pure heart.” Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure of heart, they shall see God” (Mt 5:8). Oh to see God! Here are those mystical gifts again—to see God in others, to see God in situations, and to see God moving in different countries. The pure of heart can see the movement of God."
Spirit Daily - Daily spiritual news from around the world:
"The truth is clear only when the soul is pure, and so purify this Christmas and see like you have never seen! See the truth. See the full picture. Stop imagining the worst.
Ask Our Blessed Immaculate Mother to give you immaculate vision. Purify yourself by elevating yourself into a mindset of love. Go to Confession. Fast before the feast.
This will help you observe matters in a new, fuller way -- and that can be the source of what Christmas is all about: comfort and joy. Go for it!
It is the time of year when matters can be unusually lucid and you should take advantage of it: 'Lord, let me have new eyesight. Let me see what I should see, clearly. Let me see reality in more fullness.'"
Medjugorje Graces: Children of Medjugorje Newsletter:
"On December 2nd, one could see tears in Mirjana’s eyes. When the apparition was over, she wept for a long while before sharing with us the following message:
“Dear children! Today, while I am looking at your hearts, my heart is filled with pain and apprehension. My children, stop for a moment and look into your hearts. Is my Son, your God, truly in the first place? Are His commandments truly the measure of your life? I am
warning you again: without faith there is no God’s nearness and no God’s word which is the light of salvation and the light of common sense.”
Mirjana added, “I painfully asked Our Lady not to leave us and not to take her hands away from us. She painfully smiled at my request and left. This time Our Lady did not say, I thank you!”"
USCCB - (NAB) - December 15, 2007:
"Mt 17:9a, 10-13
As they were coming down from the mountain,
the disciples asked Jesus,
“Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
He said in reply, “Elijah will indeed come and restore all things;
but I tell you that Elijah has already come,
and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands.”
Then the disciples understood
that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist."
Universalis: Office of Readings:
"Psalm 105 (106)
At Horeb they made a calf
and worshipped a statue.
They exchanged the glory of their people
for the likeness of a bull, that eats grass.
They forgot their God, who had saved them,
who had done great miracles for them in Egypt,
wonders in the land of Ham,
terrors at the Red Sea.
Then he said that he would destroy them,
but Moses, his chosen one, was there:
he stood in the breach before him
to turn aside his wrath,
to prevent the destruction.
To them, the Promised Land meant nothing,
they did not believe the Lord’s word.
They stayed muttering in their tents,
they were deaf to the voice of the Lord."
John Welch, O.Carm - Seasons of the Heart - AN ENSLAVED HEART
"When John of the Cross drew a stylised mountain to picture the journey of transformation he drew three paths up the mountain. The two outside paths, one of worldly goods, the other of spiritual goods, did not reach the top. Only the middle path of the nadas attained the summit of Carmel. He amplified his teaching in the picture with several lines of text at the bottom. The lines of the text were variations of the theme, "to possess all, possess nothing".
The text at the bottom of the picture gives insight into John's basic understanding of the spiritual journey. He agrees that we are made to possess all, know all, be all, etc. But he also understands that we will never have all if we ask any part of God's creation to be sufficient for these hungers. His counsel to possess nothing in order to possess all is a cryptic encouragement to never ask some thing (some part of God's creation) to be all. Only the one who is no-thing can be our All.
Such asceticism sounds difficult unless one understands that John is addressing men and women who have tried the other paths in life for fulfilment. Their hearts have gone out in search of the one who loved them and they have become enmeshed in life with hearts broken and scattered. John's counsels are words of life for people dying for lack of proper nourishment. He is pointing out the path of life for pilgrims who have lost their way."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 14, 2007:
"Reading 1
Is 48:17-19
Thus says the LORD, your redeemer,
the Holy One of Israel:
I, the LORD, your God,
teach you what is for your good,
and lead you on the way you should go.
If you would hearken to my commandments,
your prosperity would be like a river,
and your vindication like the waves of the sea;
Your descendants would be like the sand,
and those born of your stock like its grains,
Their name never cut off
or blotted out from my presence."
Pushing Against The Rock
Author Unknown
There once was a man who was asleep one night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Saviour appeared to him.
The Lord told him He had a work for him to do, and showed him a large rock explaining that he was to push against the rock with all his might. This the man did, and for many days he toiled from sunup to sundown; his shoulder set squarely against the cold massive surface of the rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling his whole day had been spent in vain.
Seeing that the man showed signs of discouragement, Satan decided to enter the picture - placing thoughts in the man's mind, such as ``Why kill yourself over this?, you're never going to move it!'' or ``Boy, you've been at it a long time and you haven't even scratched the surface!'' etc. giving the man the impression the task was impossible and the man was an unworthy servant because he wasn't moving the massive stone.
These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man and he started to ease up in his efforts. ``Why kill myself?'' he thought. ``I'll just put in my time putting forth just the minimum of effort and that will be good enough.'' And this he did or at least planned on doing until, one day, he decided to take his troubles to the Lord.
``Lord,'' he said, ``I have labored hard and long in Your service, putting forth all my strength to do that which You have asked of me. Yet after all this time, I have not even budged that rock even half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?''
To this the Lord responded compassionately, ``My friend, when long ago I asked you to serve Me and you accepted, I told you to push against the rock with all your strength and that you have done. But never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. At least not by yourself. Your task was to push. And now you come to Me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed, ready to quit. But is this really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled; your back sinewed and brown. Your hands are calloused from constant pressure and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your ability now far surpasses that which you used to have. Yet still, you haven't succeeded in moving the rock; and you come to Me now with a heavy heart and your strength spent. I, my friend will move the rock. Your calling was to be obedient and push, and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom, and this you have done.''
Intercessors Of The Lamb
I said, “How can we pray for you today?” She said, “Maybe you could pray for my headache. I have a headache.” I thought to myself, “Oh God, thank You. That’s all she wants us to pray for—a headache. I mean, we certainly should be able to get the grace for a headache!” See how much of self is still here. How much I thought it depended on my partner and me. We both kind of looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief that this was all she wanted. So we just said this simple little prayer, “God, would You touch her and take away her headache?” That was all, and she jumped up out of the chair, energized, and said, “It’s gone! It’s gone!” We said, “It is?!” “Yes!” I said, “Well, that’s wonderful. How long have you had this headache?” “Five years.” So God was teaching us. Every time we pray, He teaches us something. He teaches us that this kind of ministry is for children because children know they don’t have any power. They know it all rests on God. They just ask. That’s the key: it all rests on God.
Excerpt from “Desert Prayer,” city, New Mexico, 1998.
Universalis: Office of Readings:
"It was not by their own swords that our fathers took over the land, it was not their own strength that gave them victory; but your hand and your strength, the light of your face, for you were pleased in them."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 13, 2007:
"The afflicted and the needy seek water in vain, their tongues are parched with thirst. I, the LORD, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open up rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the broad valleys; I will turn the desert into a marshland, and the dry ground into springs of water. I will plant in the desert the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive; I will set in the wasteland the cypress, together with the plane tree and the pine, That all may see and know, observe and understand, That the hand of the LORD has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it."
Intercessors Of The Lamb:
"God wants us to bloom wherever we are planted. Wherever God has placed us, that’s where He wants us to pray. Intercession is a ministry for all people in all walks of life. God asks us to pray where we pray best—right where He has placed us. Intercession fits into any vocational call because it comes out of our baptismal vocation, which we all have in common. That’s the beauty of it. We’re all in this together as a Church, as God’s people. All of us together make up the Body of Christ. Together we focus on Jesus, and together we intercede for the Father’s greater honor and glory."
Excerpt from Interceding with Jesus, Chapter 4, 2000.
Intercessors Of The Lamb
"We come to the table every day, no matter how busy we are, even though we might be eating on the run, but we have to be fed. Have you ever thought at Thanksgiving, "Oh I'm never going eat again? I'm just stuffed". But we are there the next day. We have to come back to the table of the Lord, as well. We have to come back into His presence. He is there for us, a personal friend. He is there for us as our Shepherd. He is there for us to feed us so that we do not fall by the wayside. We must make our prayer time a priority. If He is our friend, if He is our Beloved, if this time with Him is our top priority, if we are convinced that it is the one thing necessary, then we will be there. We will be there seeking God in quiet communication. We will come apart and simply rest awhile in his presence. Each day you need to have a quiet time. It might just be that you have to go in the bathroom and lock the door. It might be a little prayer chair you have or a prayer closet, some place where the family knows that this is your time and you can have that space because God said, "I want you to know Me. But you need to be still. You need to be quiet.""
Excerpt from Mother Nadine’s, “Gift of the Desert,” Corpus Christi, TX 2006
USCCB - (NAB) - December 11, 2007:
"Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 10, 2007:
"Say to those whose hearts are frightened: Be strong, fear not! Here is your God, he comes with vindication; With divine recompense he comes to save you. Then will the eyes of the blind be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared; Then will the lame leap like a stag, then the tongue of the mute will sing. Streams will burst forth in the desert, and rivers in the steppe."
Taking Baths : A Catholic Reflection:
"Before Christmas, we must take a bath. In fact, we should take two baths, a baptismal bath 'in water for the sake of reform' and a bath 'in the Holy Spirit and fire' (Mt 3:11). Unlike the bath in water, this fire-baptism removes impurities from even the most precious metals."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 9, 2007:
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” "
Intercessors Of The Lamb
"Mary’s obedience didn’t just stop there at the Annunciation, we see it at Cana as well because she asked Jesus really to do a miracle when she said, “They have no wine.” Now that seems simple but Jesus did not seem to be aware of that and He seemed surprised at the request and He says, “Woman what is that to you and to Me? My hour is not yet come.” It is interesting that in this Scripture, we now hear Jesus calling Mary, “Woman.”
At the beginning of this passage, John writes, “The Mother of Jesus was there.” But now Jesus did not call her, “Mother,” but, “Woman.” He knows, as she herself knew, that she is the woman of Genesis which the Father spoke about when He said to satan, to the serpent. “I will be put enmity between you and the woman.” Our Lady knew her identity! She is still prompted by the Holy Spirit who is her spouse. She is Our Lady of Light, spouse of the Holy Spirit! And, it was the prompting of the Holy Spirit at that wedding that made Mary ask for the miracle. The Spirit was letting her know, “They have no wine.” He is the New Wine. The Spirit was letting her know, “They need Me.” "
Excerpt From Mother Nadine’s, “On Earth as it is In Heaven” The Philippines, 11/05
A Bravenet.com Calendar - Friday December 7, 2007:
"Title:Praise and Worship
Duration:9:00 pm - 12:00 am
Details:Eucharistic Adoration with Praise and Worship at St. Joseph's Chapel in Wakefield, MA. "
Intercessors Of The Lamb
Today He is calling us in a deeper way to be the light of the world—to be so filled with this consecration, His holiness, His Truth, that we will be a light to all the nations. He wants us to be an epiphany of His love and His presence. He wants us to be holy. He wants us to be a royal priesthood. He wants us to be Church and to look like His Church. So I believe He is telling us to go forth now as the prophetic Church, as the Church that has learned to listen to Him everyday, and can take His words out. He is calling us to be a Church that has received His gift of Wisdom and knows the secrets of His heart and what the Father has taught. We need to become a prophetic Church again. I believe this is manifested in one of the beautiful gifts that we will hear about today in Scripture—the incense of prayer. This is being given to us today in a deeper way so that we can come forth and be this house of prayer and this prophetic Church.
Excerpt from “One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic,” Kingstown, West Indies, 2001.
USCCB - (NAB) - December 7, 2007:
"Reading 1
Is 29:17-24
Thus says the Lord GOD: But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."
Universalis: Vespers:
"Psalm 147 (147B)
God, the foundation of Jerusalem
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem — Sion, praise your God. For he has strengthened the bars of your gates, he has blessed your children. He keeps your borders in peace, he fills you with the richest wheat. He sends out his command over the earth, and swiftly runs his word. He sends down snow that is like wool, frost that is like ashes. He sends hailstones like crumbs — who can withstand his cold? He will send out his word, and all will be melted; his spirit will breathe, and the waters will flow. He proclaims his word to Jacob, his laws and judgements to Israel. He has not done this for other nations: he has not shown them his judgements."
A Bravenet.com Calendar - Thursday December 6, 2007:
"Title: Advent Evening of Reflection
Duration:7:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Details:St. Joseph Parish in Wakefield.
Let us assess our relationship to the Lord & look how we serve and meet him through others. "
Spirit Daily - Daily spiritual news from around the world:
"Can you imagine the guts, the faith, it takes, in these times, to be a priest? These days, we can say that good priests (and they're in the majority) are true heroes. They suffer a white martyrdom."
Intercessors Of The Lamb
"Our Lady said, “Now you do whatever He tells you.” She said that to the servants. Hopefully we are all servants of the Lord! She is saying that to us as well. “You do whatever He tells you.” That “whatever” can be frightening. What does that mean –“whatever”? We do not always know. It simply means whatever - whatever God’s word is, whatever God’s will is, whatever God wants. This is exactly what she is asking of us. “Do whatever He tells you.” Much of the time, we are not listening. We do not know what He is saying. That is why the contemplative posture is so important. We must be able to can hear what God is asking. We can hear His preference and then we can do whatever His word is showing us. Obedience is also the fruit of humility. There is only one way to know if we are humble and that is to ask ourselves, “Are we being obedient?” If we are being obedient to God’s way, God’s preference, then that is humility. That is the kind of obedience, the kind of humility, that will crush pride – that will crush the serpent’s head. It will crush satan."
Excerpt From Mother Nadine’s, “On Earth as it is In Heaven” The Philippines, 11/05
Universalis: Morning Prayer (Lauds):
"Show forth your power, O Lord, and bring your great strength to our aid. Although our sins impede our steps, let your grace help us to go forward."
Universalis: Today:
"St Nicholas
He was bishop of Myra, in Lycia (now part of Turkey) and died about the middle of the fourth century. He has been venerated throughout the Church, especially since the 10th century. Because of his help to the poor he is the patron saint of pawnbrokers, whose insignia of three golden balls represent the three purses of gold he is said to have given secretly to a poor man who could not afford dowries for his three daughters. "
USCCB - (NAB) - December 6, 2007
Gospel
Mt 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’
will enter the Kingdom of heaven,
but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.
Carmelite Chapel and Gift Shop at the Northshore Mall | Peabody | Massachusetts:
Daily Mass Schedule
Mon - Fri:
8:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
3:00 p.m.
Sat:
8:30 a.m.
12:00 p.m.
4:00 p.m.
5:30 p.m.
"Confessions
Mon - Fri: One half hour before every Mass
Sat:
8:00 - 8:30 a.m.
10:45 - 11:45 a.m.
2:45 - 3:45 p.m."
From Fr. Ron (taken from this week's buletin)
"The appearance of snow brings to mind the passage from Isaiah 1:18:
“Come now, and let us reason together”, says Yahweh. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall
be as white as snow.” Yes, when we confess our sins, they are washed away and our souls become
as white as snow. This Advent Season is a time of preparing for the coming of the Lord in
a new way into our lives.
When we are expecting a guest, we prepare for their coming by cleaning up our house. One way
for us to prepare for Christmas is to go to confession and have our souls become as white as snow
to receive Jesus. The sacrament of reconciliation is a sacrament to receive the mercy of God.
When we receive that sacrament, our sins go on the cross of Jesus. It is there that He pays the
penalty of our sins and we are washed clean, not by soap and water, but by His blood.
Mary, in some of her apparitions, is requesting monthly confession. As our mother, she knows
what is spiritually good for us. Do a spiritual good for yourself this Advent and go to confession
and have your soul become as white as snow. Cards are available in the foyer to help you in examining
your conscience and in reciting the Act of Contrition. Next week, opportunities for confession
will be listed. If you are at the North Shore Mall, you can visit the Carmelite Chapel or in
Boston; St. Anthony’s Shrine. Both places schedule confession many times each day."
Intercessors Of The Lamb
When Mother Teresa of Calcutta was alive she came to the United States and said that out of all the countries in the world, America was the poorest of the poor. We are starving! Maybe it is because we are so busy talking that we are not listening, we are not receiving, we are not being fed in God’s presence. Jesus said, “Blessed are you who hunger and thirst for holiness (for My presence, for a relationship). You shall be satisfied!” One of the first things He did after the Resurrection was to feed His apostles after they had been fishing. They were out there fishing and, as usual, they caught nothing. We will not catch anything either. Jesus calls out to them; they did not recognize Him. He was in His resurrected form here. No one recognized Him. No one except John the contemplative. He knew the voice. He said, “It is the Lord!” Jesus called out, “Children, have you caught anything yet?” He said, “Cast your net on the right side.” That, for us, is the contemplative side, the receiving side. The left side, the left brain, is more the masculine part of us, where we are doing, speaking. The right brain is the receiving side. It is where we receive, where we are fed. Then we can go about the Father’s business in whatever He wants.
Excerpt from Mother Nadine’s, “Lord, Teach Us To Pray,” Springfield, MO, 2006
USCCB - (NAB) - December 5, 2007:
"Reading 1 Is 25:6-10a
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples A feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, The web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces; The reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken."
Intercessors Of The Lamb:
"December 6, 2004
“Prayer is the Way of Childhood”
The way of childhood is the way of littleness. Jesus said that we need to change; we need to repent. We need to become little or He said that we can not enter into His kingdom (Mt 18:2-4). Prayer is a striving to enter more and more into His kingdom by becoming little. This is totally against our culture, but the Bible cuts right across the culture."
Universalis: Office of Readings:
"Psalm 9B (10)
Thanksgiving
With what purpose, Lord, do you stay away, hide yourself in time of need and trouble? The wicked in their pride persecute the weak, trap them in the plots they have devised. The sinner glories in his desires, the miser congratulates himself.The sinner in his arrogance rejects the Lord: “there is no God, no retribution”. This is what he thinks – and all goes well for him. Your judgements are far beyond his comprehension: he despises all who stand against him.
The sinner says to himself: “I will stand firm; nothing can touch me, from generation to generation”. His mouth is full of malice and deceit, under his tongue hide trouble and distress. He lies in ambush by the villages, he kills the innocent in some secret place. He watches the weak, he hides like a lion in its lair, and makes plans. He plans to rob the weak, lure him to his trap and rob him. He rushes in, makes a dive, and the poor victim is caught. For he has said to himself, “God has forgotten. He is not watching, he will never see”."
USCCB - (NAB) - December 4, 2007
"Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them."
