Daily Positive Thread for Tuesday

gloriajean — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 06:20:48 GMT

In life it is those that persevere that will succeed. Lord, every day is a
fresh beginning.
With You, I will come closer to my goals each day if only I don't give up
and quit.

Scripture for the day:

"Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy,
and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk,
so that by it you may grow into salvation--if indeed you have tasted that
the Lord is good." ~1 Peter 2:1-3

Meditation for the day:

I can remember that in spiritual matters I am only an instrument. It is not
mine to decide how or when I am to act. God can plan all spiritual matters.
It is up to me to make myself fit to do God's work. All that hinders my
spiritual activity can be eliminated. I can depend on God for all the
strength I need to overcome those faults which are blocks. I can keep myself
fit, so that God can use me as a channel for God's spirit.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that my selfishness may not hinder my progress in spiritual matters.
I pray that I may be a good instrument for God to work with.

Hello my friends! Hope your day went well. We were at the State Fair all
day with two other couples, our friends of over 20 years! It was a nice,
sunny day, walked and walked! Little bit too much walking for me there -
but enjoyed being with our friends. We ended up eating at a nice restaurant
on the way home to celebrate our Anniversary. I had turkey, dressing, and
mashed potatoes, and had enough turkey to bring home! It was a big serving!
We never ate there before. So that was it for today - but many blessings
along the way!! Great blessing being with friends who put up with you for
years and years!!

Homily of the Day

August 29, 2011

The Patterns Don´t Lie
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

1 Thes 4:13-18 / Mk 6:17-29

Like a runaway train, life can get away from us and surge out of control. It
sneaks up on us. At one moment, we’re like those foolish maidens in the
gospel, all dressed for the party, their lamps burning brightly, relaxed and
unworried about taking a little nap while they wait for the groom to show
up. Then suddenly, everything changes: it’s time to go, their lamps burn
out, they arrive late, and they’re locked out … for good! Show’s over.

Lives don’t go sour overnight. They may appear to, and the final unravelling
may be swift and terrifying, but the process takes time and thousands of
tiny decisions, building one upon the other. And often we hardly notice
where they’re leading and what they’re adding up to.

As we examine our consciences, we usually find no single matter of great
seriousness, no murders, no child abuse, no major hates, no adulteries. And
we think we’re home free. But what we really need to look at are the
persistent patterns of our daily choices which cumulatively define who we
are.

In the Watergate crisis, “Deep Throat” said to “follow the money” if we
wanted to find the real culprits. In our lives, there’s a parallel: Follow
the persistent patterns of your choices if you want to find out who you
really are.

There’s our bottom line: If you don’t want your life to surge out of
control, track the patterns of your daily choices early and often. They’ll
tell you who you are and where you’re headed, and they’ll tell you when you
have some course corrections to make. The patterns don’t lie, so watch them
closely with the Holy Spirit at your side.

PAID IN FULL
Author Unknown

Your day in court will come one day, so make sure that you have good
representation.

After living a "decent" life my time on earth came to an end. The
first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of
what I thought to be a court house. The doors opened and I was
instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table.

As I looked around I saw the "prosecutor," he was a villainous looking
gent who snarled as he stared at me, he definitely was the most evil
person I have ever seen. I sat down and looked to my left and there
sat my lawyer, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed
very familiar to me.

The corner door flew open and there appeared the judge in full flowing
robes. He commanded an awesome presence as he moved across the room
and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. As he took his seat behind the
bench he said "Let us begin."

The prosecutor rose and said "My name is Satan and I am here to show
you why this man belongs in h ell." He proceeded to tell of lies that I
told, things that I stole and in the past when I cheated others. Satan
told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the
more he spoke the further down in my seat I sank. I was so embarrassed
that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own lawyer, as the Devil told
of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I
was equally upset at my representative who sat there silently not
offering any form of defense at all. I know I had been guilty of those
things, but I had done some good in my life -- couldn't that at least
equal out part of the harm I've done?

Satan finished with a fury and said "This man belongs in h ell, he is
guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can
prove otherwise. Justice will finally be served this day."

When it was his turn, my lawyer first asked if he might approach the
bench. The judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and
beckoned him to come forward.

As he got up and started walking I was able to see him now in his full
splendor and majesty. Now I realized why he seemed so familiar, this
was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the judge "Hi Dad" and then
he turned to address the court. "Satan was correct in saying that this
man had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And yes the
wages of sin is death and this man deserves to be punished."

Jesus took a deep breath and turned to his Father with stretched arms
and proclaimed "However, I died on the cross so that this person might
have eternal life and he has accepted me as his Savior, so he is
mine."

My Lord continued with "His name is written in the book of life and no
one can snatch him from me. Satan still does not understand yet, this
man is not to be given justice but rather mercy." As Jesus sat down,
He quietly paused, looked at his Father and replied "There is nothing
else that needs to be done, I've done it all."

The Judge lifted his mighty hand and slammed the gavel down and the
following words bellowed from his lips -- "This man is free -- the
penalty for him has already been paid in full. Case dismissed."

As my Lord lead me away I could hear Satan ranting and raving "I won't
give up, I'll win the next one."

I asked Jesus as he gave me my instructions where to go next. "Have
you ever lost a case?" Christ lovingly smiled and said "Everyone that
has come to me and asked me to represent them has received the same
verdict as you .

"Give your hands to serve and your heart - to love"

The aim of the Missionaries of Charity is to quench the infinite thirst of
Jesus on the Cross for love and for souls by living our consecrated life to
the full: In having nobody but only Jesus by the vow of Charity; in having
nothing but only Jesus by the vow of Poverty; in having only Jesus by the
vow of wholehearted and free service to the poorest of the poor.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden (...) in
the same way, let your light shine before men, and they may see your good
deeds and praise your Father in heaven." (Mt 5, 14, 16)

The invitation Jesus addressed to Mother Teresa in 1946 "Come, be my light",
continues to resound again and again to be his light in the darkness of
human poverty, in a world darkened by sin and misery.

Woman known by everyone as Mother Teresa of Calcutta was born 26 August 1910
in Klopje as GANXHE - Agnes BOJAXHIU - third child, the youngest child of
Albanian parents Kole and Drane Bojaxhiu. In November 1928 she joined Loreto
Sisters in Dublin where she took 1st vows in 1931 and after 6 years (in1937)
Mother made her final profession.

Among the Missionaries of Charity the 10th September 1946 is celebrated as
the birthday of the Congregation Mother Teresa said that it was a "call
within a call". A total unexpected experience came to her on that day in the
little train climbing up from Siliguri to Darjeeling, the thirst of Jesus,
and a call to give her life in service to the poor and rejected in the
slums.

"I knew it was His will and I had to follow him to those who, like Jesus had
nowhere to lay their head... the naked, despised, forsaken, forgotten,
broken... it was an order... I knew where I belonged, but I did not know how
to get there, how it would be accomplished, but so let myself be used by God
in His way, unknown to me." From Mother´s early writings"

Mother Teresa was so concerned about the society and she expressed it in one
of the most important letters to her children:

"The time has come to speak openly on the gift God gave me on September 10th
to explain as fully as I can what means to me the thirst of Jesus. For me
the thirst of Jesus is something so intimate... everything in the Missionary
of Charity exists only to satiate Jesus. His words on the wall of every
Missionary of Charity chapel are not from past only, but alive here and now,
spoken to you...'

Jesus Himself must be the one to say to you "I Thirst"...

"I Thirst" is something much deeper than Jesus is just saying, "I love
you"...

The heart and soul of M. C. is only this: the thirst of Jesus´heart hidden
in the poor.

This is the source of every part of Missionary of Charity life... satiating
the living Jesus in our midst is our Society´s only purpose". (25.03.1993)

"The fruit of SILENCE is Prayer
The fruit of PRAYER is Faith
The fruit of FAITH is Love
The fruit of LOVE is Service
The fruit of SERVICE is Peace"
Mother Teresa

Things Don't Just Happen

Things don't just happen to us who love God;
They're planned by His own dear hand.
Then molded and shaped, and timed by His clock.
Things don't just happen; they're planned.

We don't just guess on the issues of life,
We Christians just rest in our Lord.
We are directed by His sovereign will
In the light of His holy word.

We who love Jesus are walking by faith,
Not seeing one step that's ahead,
Not doubting one moment what our lot might be,
But looking to Jesus instead.

We praise our dear Savior for loving us so,
For planning each care of our life,
Then giving us faith to trust Him for all,
The blessings as well as the strife.

Things don't just happen to us who love God,
To us who have taken our stand.
No matter the lot, the course, or the price,
Things don't just happen; they're planned.

Esther L. Fields

A Prayer for Adoration

Jesus, my God, I adore You, here present in the Blessed Sacrament of the
altar, where You wait day and night to be our comfort while we await Your
unveiled presence in heaven. Jesus, my God, I adore You in all places where
the Blessed Sacrament is reserved and where sins are committed against this
Sacrament of Love. Jesus, my God, I adore You for all time, past, present
and future, for every soul that ever was, is or shall be created. Jesus, my
God, who for us has endured hunger and cold, labor and fatigue, I adore You.
Jesus, my God, who for my sake has deigned to subject Yourself to the
humiliation of temptation, to the perfidy and defection of friends, to the
scorn of Your enemies, I adore You. Jesus, my God, who for us has endured
the buffeting of Your passion, the scourging, the crowning with thorns, the
heavy weight of the cross, I adore You. Jesus, my God, who, for my salvation
and that of all mankind, was cruelly nailed to the cross and hung there for
three long hours in bitter agony, I adore You. Jesus, My God, who for love
of us did institute this Blessed Sacrament and offer Yourself daily for the
sins of men, I adore You. Jesus, my God, who in Holy Communion became the
food of my soul, I adore You. Jesus, for You I live. Jesus, for You I die.
Jesus, I am Yours in life and death. Amen.

Dear Lord,
Another hectic week has started
and I feel I need your strength and love
even more than the day before.
May I hear Your tender voice guiding
me through this day and in some way,
may I show an act of love and kindness
to people that I meet today,
be it a helpful hand or a smile,
patience instead of anger,
understanding instead of frustration.
Help me Lord to see you in others that I meet.
Amen

Good night everyone - Sweet Dreams and may you all have a very positive and
peaceful Tuesday - with many blessings!

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Daily Positive Thread for Tuesday