Community Chat

[gloriajean]

If we look to God for guidance, we will not be weighed down by the
circumstances of our life. Lord, free me from the worries that come
to distract me and keep me focused on that which is important.


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

"One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one
another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which
commandment is the first of all?' Jesus answered, 'The first is,
'Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the
Lord your God with
all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and
with all your strength.' The second is this, 'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than
these." ~Mark 12:28-31

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

To truly desire to do God's will , therein lies happiness for us. We
can start out wanting our own way. We want our wills to be satisfied.
We can take and not give. Gradually, we can find that we are not
happy when we are selfish, so we begin to make allowances for other
peoples' wills. But this again dos not give us full happiness, and we
begin to see that the only way to be truly happy is to try to do God's
will. In these times of meditation, we can seek to get guidance so
that we can find God's will for us.

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

I pray that I may subordinate my will to the will of God. I pray that
I may be guided today to find God's will for me.

Hello my friends! Today started out nice with going to Mass and visiting
with someone after Mass, then later on Lori called her Dad devastated that
she has to pay so much income tax! So sometimes we wonder if it even pays to
have your own business. She sure isn't getting ahead. But that's what she
feels called to do - be a good Massage Therapist, the best she can be and
help lots of people. It's a blessing that Linus' day at work was busy but
he wasn't hurting tonight - must be your prayers!! And now he starts his
vacation. We'll be able to do all the Holy Week services this year being
we're not going to Texas this week. Today I got a perm - Georgia came and
did it and she is also taking care of my plantar's wart. She scraped it off,
and taped it off very good - she even thought that super glue on it would be
good for it to not breathe and die off. We might try that yet. Glad I got
the perm now, hadn't had one in since September, and my hair needed the
body. Nice to have it now for Holy Week and Easter. For me this is a
blessing!! I hope Lori can find her blessings too. Got an email from
Donna, my niece and Erma's daughter - saying that Erma fell again and in in
the hospital, fortunately no broken bones, but she's in a lot of pain. If
she can walk tomorrow she can go home. Remember Erma has Parkinson's.

Prayer for Wednesday of Holy Week

My savior,
do you invite me to share
in the glory of the resurrection?
Please stay with me
as I struggle to see
how accepting the crosses of my life
will free me from the power
of the one who wants only
to destroy my love and trust in you.
Help me to be humble and accepting
like your son, Jesus.
I want to turn to you
with the same trust he had in your love.
Save me, Lord. Only you can save me.

With permission from: Creighton U Online Ministries

Mother Teresa Said...


"Cheerfulness should be one of the main points of our religious life.
A cheerful giver is a great giver.
Cheerfulness is a sign of a generous and mortified person,
who, forgetting all things, even herself, tries to please God in all she
does for souls.
Cheerfulness is often a cloak which hides a life of sacrifice,
continual union with God, fervor and generosity."

Letting Go of Resentments

A story tells of a merchant in a small town who had identical twin sons. The
boys worked for their father in the department store he owned and, when he
died, they took over the store.

Everything went well until the day a dollar bill disappeared. One of the
brothers had left the bill on the cash register and walked outside with a
customer. When he returned, the money was gone. He asked his brother,

"Did you see that dollar bill on the cash register?"

His brother replied that he had not. But the young man kept probing and
questioning. He would not let it alone.

"Dollar bills just don't get up and walk away! Surely you must have seen
it!"

There was subtle accusation in his voice. Tempers began to rise. Resentment
set in. Before long, a deep and bitter chasm divided the young men. They
refused to speak. They finally decided they could no longer work together
and a dividing wall was built down the center of the store. For twenty years
hostility and bitterness grew, spreading to their families and to the
community.

Then one day a man in an automobile licensed in another state stopped in
front of the store. He walked in and asked the clerk,

"How long have you been here?"

The clerk replied that he'd been there all his life. The customer said,

"I must share something with you. Twenty years ago I was 'riding the rails'
and came into this town in a boxcar. I hadn't eaten for three days. I came
into this store from the back door and saw a dollar bill on the cash
register. I put it in my pocket and walked out. All these years I haven't
been able to forget that. I know it wasn't much money, but I had to come
back and ask your forgiveness."

The stranger was amazed to see tears well up in the eyes of this middle-aged
man.

"Would you please go next door and tell that same story to the man in the
store?" he said.

Then the man was even more amazed to see two middle-aged men, who looked
very much alike, embracing each other and weeping together in the front of
the store. After twenty years, the brokenness was mended. The wall of
resentment that divided them came down.

It is so often the little things -- like resentments -- that finally divide
people. And the solution, of course, is to let them go. There is really
nothing particularly profound about it. But for fulfilling and lasting
relationships, letting them go is a must. Refuse to carry around bitterness
and you may be surprised at how much energy you have left for building bonds
with those you love.

Don't say you're not Important

Don't say you're not important,
It simply isn't true,
The fact that you were born, !!
Is proof, God has a plan for you.

The path may seem unclear right now,
But one day you will see,
That all that came before,
Was truly meant to be.

God wrote the book that is your life,
That's all you need to know.
Each day that you are living,
Was written long ago.

God only writes best sellers,
So be proud of who you are,
Your character is important,
In this book you are the "Star."

Enjoy the novel as it reads,
It will stand throughout the ages,
Savor each chapter as you go,
Taking time to turn the pages.

Author Unknown.

THE VIRTUES OF LOVE

The first virtue for good loving is DISCIPLINE. Discipline means doing
something hard because it is right. We are not usually very disciplined
people. We tend to avoid the difficult thing, to take the easy way out. We
often avoid doing what is right because it involves SACRIFICE. Love is
hard. It demands SACRIFICE OF THE SELF, which is the last thing we want to
give up.

Love also demands PATIENCE. It is not something that comes easily and
instantly. You have to work at it and let it grow. Loving is a slow,
tedious process that comes with time. We also have to be patient with
ourselves and each other. Willing to wait and let love grow. Love always
grows in patience.

Love must be REASONABLE. It must have an intellectual basis. Many of the
caricatures of love we see around are based on emotion and impetuosity. If
we act without thinking, we distort love. If love is unreasonable, it can
only lead to disaster, and eventually, to disillusionment.

It is also impossible to love without HUMILITY, for the biggest obstacle to
love is pride. Humility demands acceptance of the truth. Humility is not an
easy virtue. It makes demands on us, it threatens the ego, it forces us
into excuses or self-justification. But the real lover is a truly humble
person.

FAITH is at the bottom of all happy loving. Faith means that we believe
even if we do not have evidence for the belief. You cannot love another
person if you do not have faith in yourself. The most deadly enemy of love
is lack of trust and faith.

The final virtue that is needed for good loving is COURAGE. In many ways,
it is the most important of them all. We are good people; we need and want
to love. But what gets in the way is our insecurity, our lack of courage.
We are afraid that we cannot do it, or we are afraid of what other people
will say or think. It takes a lot of courage to love.

You’re Always There for Me

When the world comes crashing in
And chaos rules my mind,
I turn my heart to you, Lord,
And pure, sweet peace I find.
You lift me out of trouble
You comfort me in pain;
You nourish, heal and cleanse me,
Like cool, refreshing rain.
In times of joy and bliss,
When things are going right,
You lift me even higher,
And fill me with delight.
You listen to my prayers;
You hear my every plea;
I’m safe because I know
You’re always there for me.
By Joanna Fuchs

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

This last one was written by my former Spiritual Director and friend. He
wrote that for me for my list. He is now in a Nursing Home.

Tomorrow starts the Holy Week Services - Holy Thursday - a big doings at our
Churches. God bless you and grant you a blessed Holy Week.