Hello my friends! Today after Mass we helped serve coffee and donuts, met a new helper who worked with us. It was a restful day - got a blessing call from my sister, Erma, who has Parkinson's - she wasn't able to come to the Anniversary Sunday so wanted to know all about it. She planned on coming, but that morning she came down with a fever and couldn't come. Had a nice phone visit. Also another phone visit with my sister, Deil! Hoping your tomorrow is full of God's blessings!!
Get outside of yourself and be outgoing for others. Lord, help me
to act in a heartwarming manner so that Your presence in me lights
an entire room.
Scripture for the day:
"He must increase, but I must decrease." ~John 3:30
Meditation for the day:
We can try to stand aside and let God work through us. We can try not
to block God off by our own efforts, or prevent God's spirit from
working through us. God desires our obedient service and our loyalty
to the ideals of the new life we are seeking. If we are loyal to God,
He can give us protection against mistakes. God's spirit can plan for
us and secure for us a sufficiency of all spiritual help. We can have
true victory and real success, if we will put ourselves in the
background and let God work through us.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that I may not interfere with the working of God's spirit in me
and through me. I pray that I may give it full rein.
Mother Teresa Said...
"The joy of Jesus will be my strength --
it will be in my heart, in every person I meet.
They will see it in my work, my walk, my prayer --
in everything."
For life to be fullest, sweetest and rewarding:
-Do more than move; improve.
-Do more than get; give.
-Do more than regret; repent.
-Do more than look; see.
-Do more than sympathize; help.
-Do more than attend church; worship.
-Do more than have children; rear them.
-Do more than build a house; make a home.
-Do more than breathe; LIVE
-Do more than live; LOVE
Live today so that you will make life better for those around you.
You will end up making your life better too.
Lord, You teach that it is in giving that I receive.
May I always have a generous spirit. Amen.
LET US SEEK GOD'S GUIDANCE
By Helen Steiner Rice
As the threatening "Clouds of Chaos"
Gather in man's muddled mind;
While he searches for an answer
He alone can never find;
May God turn our vision skyward
So that we can see above ...
The gathering clouds of darkness,
And behold God's brightening love.
For today we're facing problems
Man alone can never solve,
For it takes much more than genius
To determine and resolve,
The conditions that confront us
All around on every side,
Daily mounting in intensity
Like the restless, rising tide.
But we'll find new Strength and Wisdom
If instead of proud resistance ...
We humbly call upon the Lord
And seek Divine Assistance;
For the spirit can unravel
Many tangled, knotted threads
That defy the skill and power
Of the world's best hands and heads.
For the plans of growth and progress
Of which we all have dreamed,
Cannot survive materially
Unless the spirit is redeemed.
So as another Year dawns,
Let us seek the Lord in prayer
And place our future hopes and plans
Securely in God's care.
ARTIST'S TOUCH
By Marion Smith
Genesis 1:26 And God said "Let us make humankind in our image
In April,1999, my daughters and I had the marvelous opportunity to
fly to Paris for one week. We took a day trip to Montmarte, France
where we visited the Basilica du Sacre Cour and then purchased some
art work.
The artists were side by side in the town square, stroking their
canvases with great intent and also selling their finished paintings.
I was intrigued as I watched one artist working at his easel. He
would take a dab of this color, then that color, and apply them to the
canvas. He would blend moist paints on the canvas and then paint
harsh looking lines here and there. Next he would stroke some soft,
but long strokes, sweeping them across the picture with a great flair.
He would stand back, viewing the canvas from his own perspective . He
would see what was needed for his creation. If he saw something
unappealing he would just paint right over it with another color-
obliterating it completely!
God is our master artist. We are the canvas. He brings light and
beautiful color into our existence, with strokes of His love. He is
the one creating a masterpiece of art in our lives. He is making us
into the image of his beautiful and sinless son, and I am thankful. He
touches us with dabs of color-allowing us to enjoy each one and then
blending them into happy memories. We have joyful experiences , His
abiding love, and His open invitation to a relationship with Him. He
also draws straight lines for us to follow – His way - the way
of truth and light. He blends our talents with those of other
believers to work together as the “Body of Christ.”
Shadows may appear on our lives, just as they do on the artists’
canvas. They can vary from small sadness’ to times of overwhelming
grief or fear. God’s master hand is upon us at these times also.
The most wonderful thing God does is to “paint over” or whitewash all
our sins. They become completely obliterated. The wrongs we’ve done
and other grievances we have committed against God - He is ready,
willing and able to wash all of them out of His mighty sight when we
ask Jesus to forgive our sins. Isn’t that the most wonderful news?
I am so thankful I am the canvas and God is the artist in my life. I
know He will keep working on “this piece of art” until the day I am
called home to be with Him eternally. Only then will my painting be
perfected- better than a Monet or Van Gough - ready to be framed and
presented to the king of kings!
Today's Reflections by Patrick Carnevale
Remember him in prayer, he's either still in the hospital or just
discharged, has a heart condition. Still he's faithful in getting his
reflections out.
Today's readings 9/7/14
Ez.33:7-9; Ps.95:1-2, 6-9; Rom.13:8-10; Mt.18:15:15-20
No one likes to be involved in conflict, we usually try to steer away from
situations like that, but as scripture tells us sometimes it's unavoidable
and is actually our duty toward one another. It's hard to imagine
admonishing someone is an act of love, but if it's done out of love it can
be the highest level of love there is, one that we actually "owe" to each
other just like our saint tells us. Most of us know what the term "tough
love" means, we've had to show it toward a disobedient child or friend who
has hurt us. When it's dispensed properly it hurts us just as much as it
does them, and the reality is that sacrifice enables our love to rise to the
next level of perfection. Yes, perfect love demands sacrifice, the Cross is
a good example of that, and that's why I believe that if our love doesn't
involve a certain degree of sacrifice it really isn't complete. The bottom
line is if we see someone in danger we owe it to them to say something out
of love for them, how they respond is up to them.
God bless you,
In Jesus - Pat
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