Daily Positive Thread for Monday

gloriajean · ‎03-10-2010

Hello my friends! Just got back from having supper with our friends, Ray and Ann, our best friends here! Good food and lots of visiting. They sure are a blessing to us! Hope you all had a good Sunday, too. Thanks for praying for Linda!

You will be what you believe that you are and you will become what you

believe you can become. Lord, increase my humility so that I may always

be mindful that the good within comes from You.

S C R I P T U R E   F O R   T H E   D A Y

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in
heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and
sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. ~Matthew 5:43-45

M E D I T A T I O N   F O R   T H E   D A Y

We can turn out all thoughts of doubt and fear and resentment. We
need not tolerate them. We can bar the windows and doors of our minds
against them, as we would bar our homes against a thief who would
steal in to take away our treasures. What greater treasures can we
have than faith and courage and love? All these can be stolen from us
by doubt and fear and resentment. We can face each day with peace and
hope. They are the results of true faith in God. Faith can give us a
feeling of protection and safety that we can get in no other way.

P R A Y E R   F O R   T H E   D A Y

I pray that I may feel protected and safe, but not only when I am in
the harbor. I pray that I may have protection and safety even in the
midst of the storms of life.

Hail Most Gracious Mother of Mercy

Hail, most gracious Mother of mercy! Hail, Mary for whom we fondly yearn and through whom we obtain forgiveness! Who would not love thee? Thou art our light in uncertainty, our comfort in sorrow, our consolation in trial and our refuge from every danger and temptation. Thou art our sure hope of salvation, second only to thine only-begotten Son. Happy are they who love thee, Our Lady! I beg of thee, listen graciously to the prayers of this thy servant, a miserable sinner. Scatter the darkness of my sins by the bright beams of thy holiness so that I may be pleasing in thy sight.

(The Raccolta)

ADVENT PRAYER

Heavenly Father, make me attentive to your Word, make me respectful towards its depths and courageous towards its challenge. Help me to grow in appreciation of your Son, Jesus by doing as Mary did, pondering and treasuring in her heart all that he said and did. Help me to say the Rosary in that spirit so that when I am called I may answer promptly, generously and fully. Amen.

The Birthday of Christ

The Lord was resting in a house
When His Birthday came again.
In celebration of His first,
The earth was remembering when
He was born beneath the star,
In a lowly stable then.

The high and mighty of the earth,
In pompous display of wealth,
Showered the Lord with trinkets of gold,
Mostly gained by stealth.
With benign air and ponderous pride
They wished Him the best of health.

The Lord of All regarded them
With eyes of sorrow and shame.
"It would please me mightily, for you
To remember and speak My Name.
To help all those truly in want
And do it for me, not fame.

"What need have I of money and jewels
When I have the whole world," said He'
"Be kind and help the sick and the poor;
When you do it, do it for Me.
When you give in Love your talents and time,
You help to set Me free.

"The lowest slave who helps his brothers
Is truly a Brother to Me.
Those who heal with Love in their hearts
Are really healing Me.
Those who give their life for others
Will live for eternity.

"To all who seek to remember My birth,
Remember My life as well.
Keep My day with Love in your hearts,
And don't forget to tell
All you meet of My Love for them,
Then Love will forever swell."

Laughing All The Way
"Merry Christmas"

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:
1. Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts.
2. Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
3. Raising teenagers is like nailing Jell-O to a tree.
4. If you can remain calm, you don't have all the facts.
5. Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's acorn that held
its ground.
6. My mind not only wanders; sometimes it leaves completely.
7. One reason to smile is that every seven minutes of every
day, someone in an aerobics class pulls a hamstring.
8. God put me on earth to accomplish a certain number of
things.
Right now, I am so far behind I will live forever.

THE FOUR STAGES OF LIFE:
1) You believe in Santa Claus.
2) You don't believe in Santa Claus.
3) You become Santa Claus.
4) You start to look like Santa Claus.

I hope that this put a smile on your face.
Send this message along to anyone that needs a good laugh and can envision Jell-O sticking to a tree

Christmas in prison..

Sister Maurella Schlise, a Catholic nun from Fargo, South Dakota, was spending
the holidays with her family in Florida, and planning a visit to a nearby maximum
security prison on Christmas Eve. "My sister Rosemary and her husband conduct
a weekly prayer meeting there, and they invited me along," Sister says. Although
visitors are not allowed to bring food to the prison, the rules had been relaxed
for Christmas.   Rosemary planned to fill little bags with homemade cookies
and candy for the men.   For many, it would be their only gift.

That morning, Sister Maurella attended mass.  She was thinking about the
inmates, wondering if they could actually experience Christmas behind bars,
when she sensed God's presence, and a message.   "Bring one hundred
bags to the prison," it seemed to say.

One hundred! That seemed far too many for Rosemary's usual group of 30 or 40 men. Had the words just been Sister's imagination? Sister talked it over with Rosemary.  "Well..." Rosemary decided, "It's a lot, but I'd rather have too many than not enough."

The women spent the day filling one hundred white bags with goodies, then
carefully packed the car.   As they came through the prison gates, the chaplain
flagged them down.   "The chapel is packed!" he exclaimed.  Sister was glad
they had brought extras.

Instead of Rosemary and Pat conducting a meeting, they were surprised to discover
that the convicts themselves had prepared a Christmas program. An inmate with a vibrant voice sang the poignant story of the Little Drummer Boy. Another did the Ave Maria.   Several read inspirational pieces, and some prayed.  The chapel was hushed, small candles providing the only light.

Finally the program ended, and the men eagerly lined up. Sister Maurella and
Rosemary handed each a white bag.   But when all the bags were gone, there
were ten men still standing in line---and no more candy to give away.

Sister stood, shocked and dismayed.   How could this have happened?   If God had truly spoken to her that morning, why hadn't He told her to bring one hundred and ten bags?   What should they do? "God, multiply the bags," Rosemary prayed silently.

But a young convict had also seen their dilemma.   "Sister," he spoke quietly,
"we others....we'll share our bags with them."

Sister looked at the faces surrounding her.   Men of every color and
nationality, murderers, thieves... But men who now, because of His birthday,
were willing to reach out to others, to give, to care. Tears pricked her eyes.

Suddenly a prison trustee entered the chapel, carrying a sack.   "Rosemary,
we had some leftovers from a group that came this morning," he said.
"Can you use these?"

Rosemary took the sack. Inside were ten white bags, each filled with sweets.

Everyone rejoiced as the remaining men received their treats, especially Sister.
She had wondered if Christmas could come in a prison, but now she knew.
Where love is, God is.

Padre Pio on Christmas

So plentiful, O Christians,

are the lessons that shine forth
from the grotto of Bethlehem!

Oh how our

hearts should be on fire

with love for the one who
with such tenderness was

made flesh for our sakes!

Oh how we should burn

with desire to lead the

whole world to this lowly cave,
refuge of the King of kings,
greater than any

worldly palace, because

it is the throne and

dwelling place of God!

Let us ask this Divine

child to clothe us with

humility, because only

by means of this virtue

can we taste the fullness

of this mystery of Divine

tenderness.

Feast of St. Peter Canisius - December 21

St. Peter Canisius

Lord Jesus Christ, You gave Saint Peter a vision of Your Sacred Heart. He felt great sadness as He realized that You suffer when Your love is despised, ignored, and rejected. From then on, he offered up all his work as a sacrifice of devotion to Your Sacred Heart. I ask him to pray for me when my love for another person is misunderstood or rejected. I ask him to pray for everyone I know who has experienced unrequited love. O passionate Lord, help us to continue giving love no matter how long we have to wait for it to be accepted. Heal our broken hearts with a stronger touch of Your love. Saint Peter, pray for us. Amen.

December 20

When I joined the ranks of humanity, born into the humblest conditions, My Glory was hidden from all but a few people. Occasionally, streaks of Glory shone out of Me, especially when I began to do miracles. Toward the end of My life, I was taunted and tempted to display more of My awesome Power than My Father’s plan permitted. I could have called down legions of angels to rescue Me at any point. Imagine the self-control required of a martyr who could free Himself at will! All of this was necessary to provide the relationship with Me that you now enjoy. Let your life become a praise song to Me by proclaiming My glorious Presence in the world.

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
—John 2:11

The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.” The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar
—Luke 23:35–36

It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp. For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands. How great are your works, O Lord, how profound your thoughts!
—Psalm 92:1–5