Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Keep yourself young in spirit always by thinking new thoughts
and getting rid of old habits. Lord, may my spirit never become
frail and my abilities never become barren.


Scripture for the day:

"It is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance
of the foolish. As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not
use your freedom as a pretext for evil. Honor everyone." ~1 Peter
2:15-17

Meditation for the day:

Each new days brings an opportunity to do some little thing that will
help to make a better world, that will bring God's kingdom a little
nearer to being realized on earth. We can take each day's happenings
as opportunities for something we can do for God. In that spirit, a
blessing will attend all that we do. When we offer this day's service
to God, we are sharing in God's work. We do not have to do great
things.


Prayer for the day:

I pray that today I may do the next thing, the unselfish thing, the
loving thing. I pray that I may be content with doing small things as
long as they are right.

Hello all you positive pals and grateful gals! Where did the weekend go!
It sure went fast - today I made a chicken soup for lunch - started it on
the stove around 6 AM, a whole mature chicken, and after Mass which was
around noon, I took it out deboned it and with lots of veggies and rice it
made a very good chicken soup! Good there's enough for maybe two more
meals. We're invited for Lori's for supper tonight so wanted to get this
thread out early so it doesn't get so late. We are missing a snow storm but
another is coming soon - which should leave about a foot of snow! That
sounds like tomorrow thru Tuesday - we'll see if that is true. I left my
purse at the place we had our dinner and silent auction last night and
didn't even miss it until I got an email from the Parish Secretary saying I
left my purse and she has it at the parish office - so I picked it up just
before our 10:30 Mass - with everything in it!!! Praise the Lord!! I'm glad
I didn't have time to worry about it all night!!! When we got home we
talked over an hour to Darla - Airline tickets are so high - hate driving
all that way, we'll see - let it be up to God what we do. We'll let Him be
the planner. Today was a very nice peaceful and restful day here!

The Meaning of
L e n t


The Meaning of the Word "Lent"
The word Lent comes from Anglo Saxon times which means spring.
In Latin, Lent is quadragesima which means forty days. In Greek, it is
tessarakoste (fortieth), a word formed on the analogy of Pentecost
(pentekoste).
Period of Lent
The season of Lent is the period of forty days before the celebration of the
great feast of the Church, Easter.

In determining this period of forty days the examples of
* Israel (wandering for forty years in the desert, Deut 8:2,4),
* Moses (who stayed on Mt Sinai for forty days and forty nights, Ex 24:18),
* Elijah ( who walked for forty days and forty nights to Mt Horeb, 1 Kg
19:8) and
* Christ (who fasted forty days and forty nights in the desert, Mt 4:1-2)
must have exercised a predominant influence, but it is also possible that
the fact was borne in mind that Christ lay forty hours in the tomb.
On the other hand just as Pentecost (the fifty days) was a period during
which Christians were joyous and prayed standing, though they were not
always engaged in such prayer, so the Quadragesima (the forty days) was
originally a period marked by fasting, but not necessarily a period in which
the faithful fasted every day.

In order to have an exact forty days of fasting, Lent begins on Ash
Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday as Sundays (even during Lent) are
considered non fasting days.

Acts
The famous threefold acts during Lent are fasting (Mt 6:16-18), almsgiving
(Mt 6:2-4) and prayer (Mt 6:5-6). These acts are not practiced in order to
be seen by people. (Mt 6:1) Rather they are penance for repentance and
goodwill towards others.

Practices
In former days, the forty days of Lent are forty days of fasting with only
one meal (without any flesh meat) per day usually taken in the evening.
However nowadays, the rule has been greatly relaxed with two fasting days,
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The faithful is also encouraged to fast from
daily pleasure, not necesarily food, for example smoking cigarettes, giving
up a favourite TV program, etc.

During Fridays in Lent, the faithful gather as a community for the devotion
Stations of the Cross in churches. By praying the Stations, we reflect on
the sufferings of Christ and how we can make use of each station in our
daily life.

Our Lady's Lenten Message:

Dear children! This Lent is a special incentive for you to change.
Start from this moment. Turn off the television and renounce various
things that are of no value. Dear children, I am calling you
individually to conversion. This season is for you.

Thank you for having responded to my call.

Lord God,
you who breathed the spirit of life within me.
Draw out of me the light and life you created.
Help me to find my way back to you.
Help me to use my life to reflect your glory
and to serve others
as your son Jesus did.
With permission from: Creighton U Online Ministries

My Daily Offering For Lent
by
Father Paul M. Keeling, CRSP
(With Ecclesiastical Approval)


Lord, God,
Trinity of Love,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
I praise You,
I worship You,
I adore You,
I love You.

Father, Creator,
I thank You
for the gift of life.
May I do Your will
this day.

Jesus, Son, Savior,
by Your death on the Cross,
You showed me the Father's love.
May I be willing to die to myself
in order to live for You.
May I share Your "Good News"
this day with all those around me.
May Your love be reflected
in every kind word, thought, and deed.
And if I fail, be there to raise me up.

Spirit, Sanctifier,
shower Your life
upon all the peoples of the world.
Grant us the gifts of peace and love.
Amen.

Turn Around

You've wandered far from me my child,
In search of what you'd be.
But I've always followed close behind,
Turn around and look at me.

For all your struggle and your pain,
Just what have you achieved?
A life of worldly goods decayed,
Where nothing is believed?

I know it's hard to look at me,
Much like Adam in your sin;
But I call all children to my throne,
Not caring where you've been.

No, you weren't created perfect child,
And mistakes - you've made a few;
But my Son has borne them on the cross,
Do you doubt my word is true?

As He is mine eternally,
Through Him you are the same;
There is no need for fear or doubt,
No further need for shame.

Just cast your cares upon me,
And confess your sins complete;
That I may be our Father now,
And lift you to your feet.

Or is your pain so precious,
And the tears you've cried so sweet,
That you'd deny His wounded side,
The holes in His hands and feet?

By His blood you are made spotless,
By His body you're made free;
And My Love is waiting here My Child
Turn around now - reach for Me!

Author Unknown

God's Hand

Sometimes...

We must be hurt in order to grow;
We must fail in order to know,
We must lose in order to gain.

Some lessons are learned best
Only through pain.

Sometimes...

Our vision clears
Only after our eyes are
Washed with tears.

Sometimes...

We have to be broken,
So we can be tender,
Sick so we can rest and think better;
On things more important
Than work or fun;
Trip near death,
So we can assess how we've run.

Sometimes...

We have to suffer lack,
So we can know God's provision,
Feel another's pain,
So we can have a sense of mission.

So take heart, my friend,
If you don't understand today,
Instead of grumbling,
Ask God what He means to say,
In order to learn you must endure,
And learn to see the bigger picture.

In order to grow, you must stand;
Look beyond the hurt
To God's loving hand
That takes what is good,
And gives what is best,

And on this blessed thought, rest:

As your anxious heart,
With questions, waits,
God's hand only gives
What His loving heart dictates.

Sometimes the Lord calms the storm;
Sometimes He lets the storm rage...
And calms His child.

Better the storm with Christ...
Than smooth waters without Him.

- Author Unknown

God, Please Forgive Me
By C. Welton Gaddy

God, forgive my incompleteness: not growing in Christ, not expanding my
knowledge of the Scriptures, not developing all my talents.

God, forgive my disinterest: a lack of concern for needs around me, apathy
regarding the lostness of millions, blindness to hurts I could help heal.

God, forgive my dishonesty: taking, the easy way rather than the right way,
speaking in one manner while living in another, silencing truth to preserve
tranquility, settling for less than what is best, loving tradition more than
obeying your pioneering Spirit.

God, forgive my loudness: talking when I should be listening, proclaiming
when I should be studying, busying myself with new tasks when I should be
finding a quiet place to rest.

God, forgive my silence: feeling love and failing to whisper it, reeling
with joy and not shouting hallelujah, knowing truth and forfeiting an
opportunity to share it, sensing a need to share my faith and squelching the
impulse.

God, please forgive me.

With this I wish you all a very nice evening tonight and a good start of the
new week - let God do the planning and count your blessings. God bless you
all!