Among Friends

[gloriajean]

Hello my friends!  Nice relaxing day here today.  I'm so glad we went to Mass last night because I woke up with a doozy of a headache this morning!  It's gone now after a couple of iboprofins. I guess I need an adjustment. Haven't had one since I fell on my hands and sprained them last October.  My sister, Ethel, is doing fine in rehab. Monday she had her knee replacement done, talked to her this afternoon and she thinks she can come home for Easter!  

Use your talents.  The world would be silent if only the birds that sing

the best would sing.  Lord, I will use Your gifts because You chose

them especially for me.

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

"If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is
not healthy, your body is full of darkness."  ~Luke 11:34

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

"If your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light; but if it is
not healthy, your body is full of darkness."  The eye of the soul is the
will. If our will is to do the will of God, to serve God with our lives,
to serve God by helping others, then truly shall our whole body be full
of light. The important thing is to strive that our will be attuned to
the will of God, a single eye to God's purpose, desiring nothing less
than that God's purposes be fulfilled.  We can try to seek in all things
the advance of God's kingdom, seek the spiritual values of honesty and
purity, unselfishness and love, and earnestly desire spiritual growth.
Then our life will emerge from the darkness of futility into the light
of victory.

P R A Y E R   F O R   T H E   D A Y  

I pray that my eye may be healthy.  I pray that my life may be lived in
the light of the best that I know.

Palm Sunday Reflection by Bishop Robert Barron

Palm Sunday

A King and a Donkey

A donkey was, in Jesus' time, much what it is today: a humble, simple, unassuming little animal, used by very ordinary people to do their work. The wealthy and powerful might own horses or a team of oxen and a political leader might ride a stately steed, but none of them would have anything to do with donkeys.

All of his public career, Jesus had resisted when people called him the Messiah. He sternly ordered them to be silent. When they came to carry him off and make him King, he slipped away.

But now he is willing to be proclaimed precisely at the moment when he rides into Jerusalem on a donkey. The Gospel is clear: this is not only a donkey; it is a colt, the foal of an ass, on whom no one had ever previously sat. This is a young, inexperienced, unimpressive donkey. This is the animal upon whom Jesus rides into town in triumph. In other words, this is no ordinary King; this is not the Messiah that they expected.

Now let us look even more closely at the animal. Jesus tells two of his disciples to go into a neighboring town and to find this beast of burden. “If anyone asks, respond, ‘the Master has need of it’” (Matthew 21:3). The humble donkey, pressed into service, is a model of discipleship. Our purpose in life is not to draw attention to ourselves, to have a brilliant career, or to aggrandize our egos. Rather, our purpose is to serve the Master’s need—to cooperate, as he sees fit, with his work.

What was the donkey’s task? He was a “Christopher,” a Christ-bearer. He carried the Lord into Jerusalem, paving the way for the passion and the redemption of the world. Would anyone have particularly noticed him? Probably not, except perhaps to laugh at this ludicrous animal.

The task of every disciple is just the same: to be a “Christopher,” a bearer of Christ to the world. Might we be unnoticed in this? Yes. Might we be laughed at? Of course. But the Master has need of us and so we perform our essential task.

100 Truths About Jesus 

Jesus came to die and destroy Satan's power - Heb. 2:14 
Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets - Matt. 5:17 
Jesus came to give life - John 10:10,28 
Jesus came to taste death for everyone - Heb. 2:9 
Jesus came to proclaim freedom for believers - Luke 4:18 
Jesus claimed to be God - John 8:24; 8:56-59 (see Exodus 3:14);10:30-33 
Jesus created all things - John 1:3; Col. 1:15-17 
Jesus is before all things - Col. 1:17 
Jesus is eternal - John 1:1,14;8:58 
Jesus is honored the same as the Father - John 5:23 
Jesus is prayed to - Acts 7:54-60 
Jesus is worshipped - Matt. 2:2,8,11;14:33;28:9,17 John 9:35-37 
Jesus is called God - John 1:1,14;20:28 Col. 2:9 ******. 2:13 
Jesus is omnipresent - Matt 28:20 
Jesus is with us always - Matt. 28:20 
Jesus is our only mediator between God and ourselves - 1 Tim 2:5 
Jesus is the guarantee of a better covenant - Heb. 7:22;8:6 
Jesus said, "I AM the Bread of Life" - John 6:35,41,48,51 
Jesus said, "I AM the Door" - John 10:7,9 
Jesus said, "I AM the Good Shepherd" - John 10:11,14 
Jesus said, "I AM the Way the Truth and The Life" - John 14:6 
Jesus said, "I AM the Light of the world" - John 8:12;9:5;12:46; Luke 2:32
Jesus said, "I AM the True Vine" - John 15:1;15:5 
Jesus said, "I AM the Resurrection and the Life" - John 11:25 
Jesus said, "I AM the First and the Last" - Rev 1:17;2:8;22:13 
Jesus always lives to make intercession for us - Heb. 7:25 
Jesus cleanses from sin - 1 John 1:9 - 
Jesus discloses Himself to us - John 14:21 
Jesus draws all men to Himself - John 12:32 
Jesus forgives sins - Luke 5:20;7:48 
Jesus gives eternal life - John 10:28;5:40 
Jesus gives joy - John 15:11 
Jesus gives peace - John 14:27 
Jesus has authority - Matt. 28:18; John 5:26-27;17:2;3:35 
Jesus judges - John 5:22,27 
Jesus knows all men - John 16:30 
Jesus opens the mind to understand scripture - Luke 24:45 
Jesus received honor and glory from the Father - 2 Pet 1:17 
Jesus resurrects - John 5:39;11:25-26;6:40,44,54 
Jesus reveals grace and truth - John 1:17 see John 6:45 
Jesus reveals the Father - Matt. 11:27 Luke 10:22 
Jesus saves forever - Matt 18:11 John 10:28 Heb. 7:25 
Jesus bears witness of Himself - John 8:18;14:6 
Jesus' works bear witness of Himself - John 5:36;10:25 
The Father bears witness of Jesus - John 5:37;8:18; 1 John 5:9 
The Holy Spirit bears witness of Jesus - John 15:26 
The multitudes bear witness of Jesus - John 12:17 
The Prophets bear witness of Jesus - Acts 10:43 
The Scriptures bear witness of Jesus - John 5:39 
The Father will honor us if we serve Jesus - John 12:26 see Col. 3:24 
The Father wants us to fellowship with Jesus - I Cor 1:9 
The Father tells us to listen to Jesus - Luke 9:35; Matt. 17:5 
The Father tells us to come to Jesus - John 6:45 
The Father draws us to Jesus - John 6:44 
Everyone who's heard & learned from the Father comes to Jesus - John 6:45 
The Law leads us to Christ - Gal. 3:24 
Jesus is the Rock - 1 Cor. 10:4 
Jesus is the Savior - John 4:42 1 John 4:14 
Jesus is King - Matt. 2:1-6 Luke 23:3 
In Jesus are the treasures of wisdom and knowledge - Col. 2:2-3 
In Jesus we have been made complete - Col. 2:10 
Jesus indwells us - Col. 1:27 
Jesus sanctifies - Heb. 2:11 
Jesus loves - Eph. 5:25 
We come to Jesus - John 5:40;7:37;6:35,37,45,65 
We sin against Jesus - 1 Cor 8:12 
We receive Jesus - John 1:12 Col. 2:6 
Jesus makes many righteous - Rom 5:19 
Jesus is the image of the invisible God - Heb. 1:3 
Jesus sends the Holy Spirit - John 15:26 
Jesus abides forever - Heb. 7:24 
Jesus offered up Himself - Heb7:27;9:14 
Jesus offered one sacrifice for sins for all time - Heb. 10:12 
The Son of God has given us understanding - 1 John 5:20 
Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith - Heb. 12:2 
Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest of our confession - Heb. 1:3 
The Son of God has given us understanding - 1 John 5:20 
Jesus cleanses us from our sins by His Blood - Rev. 1:5; Rom. 5:9 
Jesus is the Light of the world - John 9:5 
Jesus has explained the Father - John 1:18 
Jesus was crucified because of weakness - 2 Cor. 13:4 
Jesus has overcome the world - John 16:33 
Truth is in Jesus - Eph. 4:21 
The fruit of righteousness comes through Jesus Christ - Phil. 1:11 
Jesus delivers us from the wrath to come - 1 Thess 1:10 
Disciples bear witness of Jesus Christ - John 15:27 
Jesus died and rose again - 1 Thess. 4:14 
The Christian dead have fallen asleep in Jesus - 1 Thess. 4:15 
Jesus died for us - 1 Thess. 5:10 
Jesus tasted death for everyone - Heb. 2:9 
Jesus rendered the devil powerless - Heb. 2:14 
Jesus is able to save completely - Heb. 7:25 
Jesus was a ransom for many and to serve - Matt. 20:28 
Jesus came to be a high priest - Heb. 2:17 
Jesus came to save - John 3:17; Luke 19:10 
Jesus came to preach the kingdom of God - Luke 4:43 
Jesus came to bring division - Luke 12:51 
Jesus came to do the will of the Father - John 6:38 
Jesus came to give the Father's words - John 17:8 
Jesus came to testify to the truth - John 18:37

Key Players

The donkey awakened, his mind still savoring the afterglow of the most exciting day of his life. Never before had he felt such a rush of pleasure and pride.

He walked into town and found a group of people by the well. "I'll show myself to them" he thought. But they didn't notice him. They went on drawing their water and paid him no mind. "Throw your garments down," he said crossly. "Don't you know who I am?" They just looked at him in amazement. Someone slapped him across the tail and ordered him to move. "Miserable heathens!" he muttered to himself. "I'll just go to the market where the good people are. They will remember me."

But the same thing happened. No one paid any attention to the donkey as he strutted down the main street in front of the market place. "The palm branches! Where are the palm branches!" he shouted. "Yesterday, you threw palm branches!" Hurt and confused, the donkey returned home to his mother.

"Foolish child," she said gently. "Don't you realize that without him, you are just an ordinary donkey?"

Just like the donkey who carried Jesus in Jerusalem, we are most fulfilled when we are in the service of Jesus Christ. When we lift up Christ, we are no longer ordinary people but key players in God's plan to redeem the world.

- - -
Zechariah 9:9 - Rejoice, rejoice, people of Zion!  Shout for joy, you people of Jerusalem!  Look, your king is coming to you!  He comes triumphant and victorious, but humble and riding on a donkey - on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

Prayer after Communion - Palm Sunday

Lord, you have satisfied our hunger with this Eucharistic food. The death of your Son gives us hope and strengthens our faith. May his resurrection give us perseverance and lead us to salvation. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy Week in The Home

The week between Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday is the holiest of the year.  This is the week we focus on the surpassing love of Jesus for us as He proves it by giving up His life for us.  All the love of God is poured out on us during this week.  We need to pause from our hustle and bustle of ceaseless activity to reflect on that wonderful love and receive it powerfully into our hearts.  We need to let the precious Blood of Jesus wash us in the bath of purification and renewal so that we can be filled with the new life of Jesus Christ.  So that the love of Jesus can just fill our being and bring us joy and peace.  Father and heads of households, somehow you must bring that love of God home to your family or household.  Help those in your household to be aware and appreciative of the love that Jesus has for them this Holy Week.  Besides the beautiful liturgies in Church during Holy Week, bring the spirit of this Holy Week into your home to build on and Expand what you experienced in Church.  Perhaps you could read and talk about part of the account of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus at the end of one of the Gospels.  Or maybe you can find some other better way to celebrate Holy Week in your home.

Father Alvin J. Quade

Palm Sunday Prayer

Almighty Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your Son to be born of woman and to die on a cross, so that through the obedience of one man, estrangement might be dissolved for all men. Guide our minds by his truth, and strengthen our lives by the example of his death, that we may live in union with you in the kingdom of your promise. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Cross is that solid wood that preserves and maintains always enkindled the fire of Charity.

March 20 - Jesus Calling

Thank Me for the glorious gift of My spirit. This is like priming the pump of a well. As you bring Me the sacrifice of thanksgiving, regardless of your feelings, My Spirit is able to work more freely within you. This produces more thankfulness and more freedom, until you are overflowing with gratitude.

I shower blessings on you daily, but sometimes you don’t perceive them. When your mind is stuck on a negative focus, you see neither Me nor My gifts. In faith, thank Me for whatever is preoccupying your mind. This will clear the blockage so that you can find Me.

Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.
—2 Corinthians 5:5

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
—2 Corinthians 3:17

Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High.
—Psalm 50:14

[gloriajean]

[gloriajean]