Daily Positive Thread for Friday

gloriajean — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 00:25:05 GMT

Keep your feet firmly planted in your faith and your eyes raised to the
heavens.
Lord, You are my strength, my encouragement and my source of all that is
good.

Scripture for the day:

"Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever
welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me." ~Mark 9:37

Meditation for the day:

I can strive for a friendliness and helpfulness that can affect all who come
near me. I can try to see something to love in them. I can welcome them,
bestow little courtesies and understandings on them, and help them if they
ask for help. I need not send anybody away without a word of cheer, a
feeling that I really care about them. God may have put the impulse in some
despairing one's mind to come to me. I need not fail God by repulsing that
person. They may not want to communicate with me unless they are sure of a
warm welcome.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may warmly welcome all who come to me for help. I pray that I
may make them feel that I really care.

Peace of Jesus to you all!! Hope your day is going well, mine is, and I just
got my hair cut and shampooed here at home again, and she did such a good
job of styling it. Wish I had her knack! Hubby is working this afternoon
until 8:30 so I don't have to make supper - another blessing. Even though I
don't mind cooking at all, it's nice to have a night off. Our signing
papers take place tomorrow afternoon at 4 at the Café Renaissance (our fav
restaurant), and Jim, the manager, will be right there with us and making
sure everything will be in our favor. He's such a blessing to us these past
8 years ever since his Restaurant opened up. So we find out from banks
that there's no O bama plan, (low rates with no closing costs), or the banks
simply just will not do it!! We talked to Darla early this afternoon before
he went to work, and she's very happy with this, disgusted that we can't get
the O bama plan though, but at least this is going to work out well for us -
It is such a relief, friends!!! And it's great to know that both girls are
in favor of this and happy! Guess the 10 year Arm is too risky. We are
doing the 30 year.
Such a beautiful day here today again!! Sun is shining, and the patio is so
inviting!! Guess what - we have a male and a female cardinal who live in
our back yard, and are at our feeders, along with the other birds. They
have a little one, maybe more that flies there now too, and what we both saw
at least a couple times now, is that the male flies to his wife, and kisses
her on the beak!! It is so cute!! Puts a smile on our faces!!! God bless
the birds!

Homily of the Day

August 11, 2011

Hard Hearts Can´t Receive Forgiveness
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Josh 3:7-10, 11, 13-17 / Mt 18:21-19:1

Forgiveness is debt we owe to God — as well as to each other — because we
have all needed to BE forgiven so often. Every mass begins with a rite of
reconciliation, because the church knows and we know in advance that we’re
going to need it. No matter how hard we try, we’ll need to ask forgiveness,
and we’ll need to give it.

Especially when we’re hurt or angry, we may not feel like forgiving. And
the person who hurt us may well be a thoroughly rotten person, but
withholding our forgiveness is a dangerous choice. For as we do so, we
shrink and harden and close our own hearts. And in doing that, we shrink
our capacity to RECEIVE forgiveness — whether from God or from our
neighbors.

God’s capacity and desire to forgive us is immediate and infinite. Our
ability to receive his forgiveness is limited by the size of our hearts.

May your heart continue to grow larger and larger as you welcome God’s
people into your life. And may God’s peace which is beyond all
understanding fill your mind and your heart. Amen.

This is for 329:

Your daily reading from
St. Faustina's diary

August 11

O Holy Trinity, Eternal God, my spirit is drowned in Your beauty. The ages
are as nothing in Your sight. You are always the same. Oh, how great is Your
majesty. Jesus, why do You conceal Your majesty, why have You left Your
heavenly throne and dwelt among us? The Lord answered me, My daughter, love
has brought Me here, and love keeps Me here. My daughter, if you knew what
great merit and reward is earned by one act of pure love for Me, you would
die of joy. I am saying this that you may constantly unite yourself with Me
through love, for this is the goal of the life of your soul. This act is an
act of the will. Know that a pure soul is humble. When you lower and empty
yourself before My majesty, I then pursue you with My graces and make use of
My omnipotence to exalt you. (576)

The words of Our Lord Jesus Christ are in boldface. The words of Our Lady
are in italics.

God, Are You There?

I'm way down HERE!
You're way up THERE!
Are You sure You can hear
My faint, faltering prayer?
For I'm so unsure
Of just how to pray—
To tell you the truth, God,
I don't know what to say...
I just know I am lonely
And vaguely disturbed,
Bewildered and restless,
Confused and perturbed...
And they tell me that prayer
Helps to quiet the mind
And to unburden the heart
For in stillness we find
A newborn assurance
That SOMEONE DOES CARE
And SOMEONE DOES ANSWER
Each small sincere prayer!

Helen Steiner Rice

JESUS LOVES ME!
Author Unknown

Jesus loves me, this I know,
Though my hair is white as snow.
Though my sight is growing dim,
Still He bids me trust in him.

(CHORUS)
YES, JESUS LOVES ME... YES, JESUS LOVES ME...
YES. JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO.

Though my steps are oh, so slow,
With my hand in his I'll go.
On through life, let come what may,
He'll be there to lead the way.

(CHORUS)

Though I am no longer young,
I have much which He's begun.
Let me serve Christ with a smile,
Go with others the extra mile.

(CHORUS)

When the nights are dark and long,
In my heart He puts a song.
Telling me in words so clear,
"Have no fear, for I am near."

(CHORUS)

When my work on earth is done,
And life's victories have been won.
He will take me home above,
Then I'll understand his love

(CHORUS)

I love Jesus, does he know?
Have I ever told Him so?
Jesus loves to hear me say,
That I love him every day.

(CHORUS)

Today is the Feast of St. Clare:

St. Clare

(1194-1253)

One of the more sugary movies made about Francis of Assisi pictures Clare as
a golden-haired beauty floating through sun-drenched fields, a sort of
one-woman counterpart to the new Franciscan Order.
The beginning of her religious life was indeed movie material. Having
refused to marry at 15, she was moved by the dynamic preaching of Francis.
He became her lifelong friend and spiritual guide.

At 18, she escaped one night from her father’s home, was met on the road by
friars carrying torches, and in the poor little chapel called the
Portiuncula received a rough woolen habit, exchanged her jeweled belt for a
common rope with knots in it, and sacrificed the long tresses to Francis’
scissors. He placed her in a Benedictine convent which her father and uncles
immediately stormed in rage. She clung to the altar of the church, threw
aside her veil to show her cropped hair and remained adamant.

End of movie material. Sixteen days later her sister Agnes joined her.
Others came. They lived a simple life of great poverty, austerity and
complete seclusion from the world, according to a Rule which Francis gave
them as a Second Order (Poor Clares). Francis obliged her under obedience at
age 21 to accept the office of abbess, one she exercised until her death.

The nuns went barefoot, slept on the ground, ate no meat and observed almost
complete silence. (Later Clare, like Francis, persuaded her sisters to
moderate this rigor: “Our bodies are not made of brass.”) The greatest
emphasis, of course, was on gospel poverty. They possessed no property, even
in common, subsisting on daily contributions. When even the pope tried to
persuade her to mitigate this practice, she showed her characteristic
firmness: “I need to be absolved from my sins, but I do not wish to be
absolved from the obligation of following Jesus Christ.”

Contemporary accounts glow with admiration of her life in the convent of San
Damiano in Assisi. She served the sick, waited on table, washed the feet of
the begging nuns. She came from prayer, it was said, with her face so
shining it dazzled those about her. She suffered serious illness for the
last 27 years of her life. Her influence was such that popes, cardinals and
bishops often came to consult her—she never left the walls of San Damiano.

Francis always remained her great friend and inspiration. She was always
obedient to his will and to the great ideal of gospel life which he was
making real.

A well-known story concerns her prayer and trust. She had the Blessed
Sacrament placed on the walls of the convent when it faced attack by
invading Saracens. “Does it please you, O God, to deliver into the hands of
these beasts the defenseless children I have nourished with your love? I
beseech you, dear Lord, protect these whom I am now unable to protect.” To
her sisters she said, “Don’t be afraid. Trust in Jesus.” The Saracens fled.

Comment:
The 41 years of Clare’s religious life are poor movie material, but they are
a scenario of sanctity: an indomitable resolve to lead the simple, literal
gospel life as Francis taught her; courageous resistance to the ever-present
pressure to dilute the ideal; a passion for poverty and humility; an ardent
life of prayer; and a generous concern for her sisters.

Acceptance

God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world....
According to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of
His grace, by which He made us accepted in
the Beloved. Ephesians 1:4-6

You may never receive the full acceptance and approval of the people in your
life. But God has already given you His approval. His acceptance. He chose
you. Think about that. Almighty God chose you! No one compelled Him to. His
motive wasn't pity. The Bible says He created you and pronounced His work
"good." He's proud of the "you" He's made, and He is moved with love for you
just as you are.

Honor God By accepting each other as Christ has accepted you. Romans 15:7

Just as God has accepted you, He asks that you accept others. That doesn't
mean you must accept their aberrant behaviors or keep your mouth shut when
you see people doing things they shouldn't. Accepting others means
appreciating that each person was created by and is loved by God. They have
value for that reason. In loving must love whom He loves and accept whom He
accepts. That's the only proper response to so great a Creator.

A Prayer for Guidance
Lord I stand before you with a heavy heart,
I don’t have all the answers,
I am turning to you for guidance.

I want to be happy and healthy,
not if it offends you.
I want to know I am making the right decisions,
decisions that will not hurt you.

I am human and know I make mistakes,
I am human and know I am weak.
Allow me to gain strength from you.
I am asking for help.

Give me the strength to fight for what is important.
Give me the strength to help people as they help me.
Help me to see right from wrong through the trials of my life.
Never let me just give up on myself.

Forgive me for my mistakes and failures,
know I am trying to be the best and strongest person I can.
Never let me quit! ´

Amen.

A Fervent Prayer For The Sick and Suffering
O Almighty Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Savior. The same Lord that so
loves His children as to lay His life down for them. The same Lord that rose
from the dead on the third day, and Ascended into Heaven. The same Lord that
spoke the word and the Centurion’s Servant was immediately healed. The same
Lord that restored sight to the blind; cleansed lepers, cured the halt and
lame. The same Lord that with a word rebuked the seas and they were calm.
The same Lord that raised Lazarus from the dead. The same Lord that has been
given all power both in Heaven and on earth, do Thou, the same Lord visit
and heal Thy servant, (__name__), from the afflictions that they are now
suffering. Strengthen our faith like that of the Roman Centurion, so that we
may ask for this healing with the same faith, trust, and hope that Thy
servant, (__name__) will be healed in the same manner that the Centurion’s
servant was restored to health. O Holy physician of our souls and bodies,
hear this fervent prayer for Thy servant (__name__), and grant this request
as we hold this, Thy servant up before Thy glorious Throne. We ask this in
the victorious and Holy Name of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Good night everyone - Sweet Dreams - enjoy your night and tomorrow - may God bless you all!

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Daily Positive Thread for Friday