Daily Positive Thread for Monday

gloriajean — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 00:37:47 GMT

Hello dear friends! The weekend is almost over - Darla and Greg leave for Texas early in the morning - we won't see them until the 4th of July now. It was great seeing them this weekend - a great blessing!! Today after Mass and something to eat it was a very restful day! Rest is always a great blessing!! Did anyone see that link or googled that under the sea Virgin Mary statue that was found under the Indian Ocean by divers who were searching for parts for that Malaysia plane - it was so moving and a miracle the statue was so beautiful, it looked like nothing touched it at all - the gold around her cloak just shined, I hope they, somehow, can bring it up from the ocean and place in a place of honor to her. It was sent to me by my former teacher and glad I opened it to see!!! That was another blessing to see. Do you have any blessings you'd like to share? And if you want prayer, you got it.

What we endure in this life is nothing compared to the glory that God

has in store for us in heaven. Lord, take every moment of my life as

a prayer to praise and glorify Your holy name.

Scripture for the day:

"Be still and know that I am God." ~Psalm 46:10

Meditation for the day:

I can be calm, true and quiet. I need not get emotionally upset by anything

that happens around me. I can feel a deep, inner security in the goodness

and purpose in the universe. I can be true to my highest ideals. I need

not let myself slip back into old ways of reacting. I can stick to my

spiritual guns. I can be calm always. I need not talk back or defend

myself too much against accusation, whether false or true. I can accept

abuse as well as I accept praise. Only God can judge the real me.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may not be upset by the judgment of others. I pray that I may

let God be the judge of the real me.

What Jesus Did For You and Me

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his

friends."

(John 15:13)

The physical trauma of Jesus Christ begins in Gethsemane with one of the

initial aspects of his suffering - the bloody sweat. The physician of His

group, St. Luke, is the only one to mention this. He says," And being in

agony, He prayed the longer. And His sweat became as drops of blood,

trickling down upon the ground."

It is known that under great emotional stress, tiny capillaries in the sweat

glands can break, thus mixing blood with sweat. This process alone could

have produced marked weakness and possible shock.

After His arrest in the middle of the night, Jesus was brought before the

Sanhedrin and Caiaphas, the High Priest. A soldier struck Jesus across the

face for remaining silent when questioned by Caiaphas. The palace guards

then blindfolded Him and mockingly taunted Him to identify them as they each

passed by, spat on Him, and struck Him in the face.

In the morning, Jesus, battered and bruised, dehydrated, and exhausted from

a sleepless night, is taken across Jerusalem to the Praetorium of the

Fortress Antonia. It was there, in response to the cries of the mob, that

Pilate ordered Bar-Abbas released and condemned Jesus to scourging and

crucifixion.

Jesus' hands were tied to a post above His head. His clothing was stripped

off. The Roman legionnaire steps forward with the flagrum in his hand. This

is a short whip consisting of several heavy, leather thongs with two small

balls of lead attached near the ends of each. The heavy whip is brought down

with full force again and again across the shoulders, back and legs of

Jesus.

At first the heavy thongs cut through the skin only. Then, as the blows

continue, they cut deeper into the subcutaneous tissues, producing first the

oozing of blood from the capillaries and veins of the skin, and finally

spurting arterial bleeding from vessels in the underlying muscles. The small

balls of lead first produce large, deep bruises which are broken open by

subsequent blows.

Finally, the skin of His back is hanging in long ribbons and the entire area

is an unrecognizable mass of torn, bleeding tissue. When it is determined by

the centurion in charge that the prisoner is near death, the beating is

finally stopped.

The half-fainting Jesus is then untied and allowed to slump to the stone

pavement, wet with His own blood. The Roman soldiers see a great joke in

this provincial Jew claiming to be king. They throw a robe across His

shoulders and shove down a ring of long, very razor sharp branches with long

thorns made in the shape of a crown into His scalp.

Again there is copious bleeding. After mocking Him and striking Him across

the face, they take a stick and strike Jesus across the head, driving the

thorns deeper into His scalp. Finally, the tire of their sadistic sport and

the robe is torn from His back. This had already become adherent to the

clots of blood and serum in the wounds, and its removal, just as in the

careless removal of a surgical bandage, causes excruciating pain - almost as

though He were again being whipped, and the wounds again begin to bleed.

The heavy beam of the cross is then tied across Jesus' shoulders, and the

procession of the condemned Christ, two thieves and the execution detail,

begins its slow journey. The weight of the heavy wooden beam, together with

the shock produced by copious blood loss, is too much. He stumbles and

falls. The rough wood of the beam gouges into the lacerated skin and muscles

of the shoulders. He tries to rise, but human muscles have been pushed

beyond their endurance.

At Golgotha, the beam is placed on the ground and Jesus is quickly thrown

backward with His shoulders against the wood. The legionnaire feels for the

depression at the front of the wrist. He drives a heavy, square,

wrought-iron nail through the wrist and deep into the wood. Quickly, he

moves to the other side and repeats the action, being careful not to pull

the arms too tightly, but to allow some flexion and movement. The beam is

then lifted in place at the top of the posts and the titulus reading "Jesus

of Nazareth, King of the Jews" is nailed in place.

The left foot is pressed backward against the right foot, and with both feet

extended, toes down, a nail is driven through the arch of each. As He pushes

Himself upward to avoid the stretching torment, He places His full weight on

the nail through His feet. Again there is searing agony of the nail tearing

through the nerves between the metatarsal bones of the feet.

As the arms fatigue, great waves of cramps sweep over the muscles, knotting

them deep, relentless, throbbing pain. With these cramps comes the inability

to push Himself upward. Hanging by His arms, the pectoral muscles are

paralyzed and the intercostal muscles are unable to act. Air can be drawn

into the lungs, but cannot be exhaled. Jesus fights to raise Himself in

order to get even one, short breath. Finally, carbon dioxide builds up in

the lungs and in the blood stream and cramps partially subside.

Spasmodically, He is able to push Himself upward to exhale and bring in the

life-giving oxygen.

Hours of this limitless pain, cycles of twisting, joint-rending cramps,

intermittent partial asphyxiation, searing pain as tissue is torn from His

lacerated back as He moves up and down against the rough timber. Then

another agony begins. A deep crushing pain deep in the chest as the

pericardium slowly fills with serum and begins to compress the heart.

The compressed heart is struggling to pump heavy, thick, sluggish blood into

the tissues - the tortured lungs are making a frantic effort to gasp in

small gulps of air. The markedly dehydrated tissues send their flood of

stimuli to the brain. Jesus gasps, "I thirst."

He can feel the chill of death creeping through His tissues. With one last

surge of strength, He once again presses His torn feet against the nail,

straightens His legs, takes a deeper breath, and utters His seventh and last

cry, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit."

Apparently to make double sure of death, the legionnaire drove his lance

through the fifth interspace between the ribs, upward through the

pericardium and into the heart. Immediately there came out blood and water.

This is the greatest example of one laying down his life for his friends. We

can never fully comprehend the spiritual aspect of Christ's suffering and

shame, but medical studies shed glimpses of light on the physical agony and

all the horror that Jesus Christ endured on the cross for you and me.

The Praises of God Most High

by St. Francis of Assisi

Thou art the Holy Lord, the Only God, who works miracles (Ps. 76:15) Thou

art strong, Thou art great (cf. Ps 85:10), Thou are the Most High, Thou art

King Eternal, Thou Holy Father (cf. Jn 17:11) King of Heaven and earth. (Mt

11:25)

Thou art three in one Lord, God of gods (cf Ps 135:2), Thou art Good, all

good, Highest Good, Lord God living and true. (cf. 1 Thes 1:9).

Thou art Love, Charity; Thou art Wisdom, Thou art humility, Thou art

patience (Ps 70:5), Thou art Beauty, Thou art gentleness; Thou art security,

Thou art quiet, Thou art joy; Thou art our Hope and Joy, Thou art justice,

Thou art temperance, Thou art all our riches unto sufficiency.

Thou art Beauty, Thou art gentleness, Thou art Protector (Ps 30:5), Thou art

our guard and defender, Thou art fortitude (cf. Ps 42:2), Thou art

refreshment.

Thou art our Hope, Thou art our Charity, Thou art our Sweetness, Thou art

our eternal Life: Great and admirable Lord, God Omnipotent, merciful Savior.

Sayings of Mother Teresa

The greatest fulfillment is in doing God's will.

We do not have to do great things,

only small things with great love.

We do not have to be extraordinary in any way,

I can do what you can't do and you can do what I can't do.

Together we can do something beautiful for God.

We can be the little pencils in the hand of God .

Meditations by Padre Pio

The trials to which the Lord subjects you and will subject you are all signs

of divine love and are jewels for the soul. Winter will pass and the never

ending spring will come, all the more rich in beauty as violent were the

storms (CE 27).

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Monday

Bobbi sue — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 12:55:46 GMT

Gloria, I prayed for your niece who is missing. I hope she contacts her family.

Blessings to all who post here and read.

I continue to pray for Shorelady's DH.

Have a good day.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Monday

lovestopaint — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 13:20:48 GMT

Cakers I read your post from Sunday, could you please tell me where you get those Jakeman's lozenges, sometimes my throat acts up and that anise flavor sounds very soothing.

Gloria I am praying for your niece too.

Counting my Blessings.

Harlene(lovestopaint)

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Monday

HeresLucy — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:19:04 GMT

Good morning!

Gloria, I guess I missed that Darla and Greg were in town. I know you hate to see them go.

Bobbisue, you have a good day.

Harlene, you have a good day as well.

I'm trying to pray the bad weather away. Keep in your prayers the folks where tornadoes touched down the past couple of days.

Pray for our world and our country. So much going on, it seems that only God can straighten the mess out.

I need to get busy doing housework so I will hush. May the Lord bless you with all good things.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Monday

serenity4ever — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 14:41:46 GMT

Blessings to all who post here. May all your intentions be granted.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Monday

gloriajean — Mon, 28 Apr 2014 22:34:41 GMT

Bobbiesue - thanks much! I continue to prayer for her DH too.

Harlene - thanks! If you get those lozenges let me know how you like them, ok?

Lucy - Hope your weather is better and your prayers helped. Ours is cold and rainy for until Thursday - I miss the sun! Sure miss the warmth! We pray daily for our country - and yes, only God can straighten it all out.

serenity - Thanks - blessings to you too and may your prayers be answered.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Monday

hsawaknow — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 00:35:26 GMT

Prayers, blessings and love to all. May the Lord keep us safe.

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Monday

gloriajean — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 00:41:57 GMT

Felicia - may the Lord give you good health and peace of mind! Blessings to you, too!

Re: Daily Positive Thread for Monday

Cakers1 — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 01:05:48 GMT

On 4/28/2014 lovestopaint said:
Cakers I read your post from Sunday, could you please tell me where you get those Jakeman's lozenges, sometimes my throat acts up and that anise flavor sounds very soothing.

Gloria I am praying for your niece too.

Counting my Blessings.

Harlene(lovestopaint)

Harlene: If you go to their website they have a store locator.

I used to get mine at Whole Foods but they don't seem to carry them anymore.

Our local market chain has them and I believe either CVS or Walgreens carries them.

Sometimes they are in a box, sometimes in a bag.

The anise is my favorite, too.

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