Community Chat

[gloriajean]

When you have faith in yourself and God, you will know that you are loved
and safe and never alone. Lord, I am these things because You are always
with me.

S C R I P T U R E F O R T H E D A Y
"If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow
is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you--you of little
faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to
drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that
strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them.
Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as
well." ~Luke 12:28-31

M E D I T A T I O N F O R T H E D A Y
I know that God cannot teach anyone who is trusting in a "crutch." I can
throw away the worldly things I have come to depend upon and walk in God's
power and spirit. God's power can so invigorate me that I can indeed walk
on to victory. There is never any limit go God's power.
I can go step by step, one day at a time. God's will can be revealed to me as
I go forward.

P R A Y E R F O R T H E D A Y
I pray that I may have more and more dependence on God. I pray that I may
throw away the "crutches" I sometimes use for excuses.

Peace of Jesus to you my friends! Hope you felt His peace with you all day!! Mass this morning was a treasure!! Our new priest is wonderful!! He is very spiritual, very funny, and such a nice personality! I praise and thank our Lord for him!! I've got to meet him - I did talk to him after Mass a bit when he was out shaking hands - to tell him that my friend, Linda L has cancer in her only kidney she has left. Linda's husband is Fr. Vince's first cousin. He didn't know that. It was a blessing, too, when Darla called today and we both got to talk to her. When we go there for Easter, Linus will stay another week with her, and he'll even get to sit in her class and watch her teach!! He's looking forward to that! Wish I could too, maybe another time. Tickets are bought - I'm coming back with Lori Easter Monday - thought Sammy needed me here - but Darla really wanted me to stay too, said Lori could take care of Sammy at her house. Never thought of that, but it costs about $100.00 to change reservations so we'll leave it as it is. At least I'll get to see her and more improvements to her house.
Today it was another cold day here - 17 below zero this morning but it warmed up now to 8 above. More snow I hear is coming. Let's see - how many days for Spring?
Darla says the highs there in Arlington get to be around 55 or 60 degrees, cooler at night. By Easter it should be in the 80's. It was last Easter when we were there in March.
Looking forward to our trip. We leave on Holy Thursday night here to go to a hotel in Mpls. That's my birthday we are leaving on. We'll celebrate it at Darla's.
Prayers are being prayed for all of you - every day.

You Must Have The Mind of Christ!
By the late Father Kilian McGowan, C.P.
Used with permission, from the Passionist Priests
The greatest waste of a human mind is to have lived without the knowledge of Christ. The greatest failure of the human heart is never to have truly loved Christ. The greatest tragedy in any life is to fail to make Christ the center of our lives.
This knowledge is no theoretical thing. It is knowledge born of a deep union through love. Our Blessed Lord should be more real to us than what we can see, or touch, or hear. He should be a real experience in our lives, that is just as striking as a sense experience which we cannot possibly ignore because of its vividness and intensity.
All too many look upon the Gospel of Christ as they do a fascinating story with inspiring and uplifting events and words. Yet, this is no mere storybook whose memories we kindly remember. The love and wisdom, the piety and power of Christ are far more than pleasant memories-they are vital realities that give meaning to our Christian lives.
In fact, there is only one thing that can give real meaning to our Christian lives and that is: union with Christ in humble and self-sacrificing love. To fail to achieve this is to let history pass us by. It is much more-it is to miss an experience of the greatest force in this life or the next-the infinite love of God!
Saint Paul tells us that we must "Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus...Who emptied Himself." (Philippians 2:5) Christ achieved the redemption of the world by a complete emptying of Himself. The truly Christ-minded realize that they can love God whole-heartedly only through a complete self-emptying.
The first emptying, of necessity will be of all voluntary sin. Sin is a serious reality that makes a loving experience of Christ impossible. We must empty ourselves also of our natural yearnings for a comfortable and predictable life, of our prejudices and attachments, of our insistence on having things our own way. We must be willing to lay down our lives in small things for our brethren, just as Christ laid down His life for us.
With us, as with Christ, the final emptying will always come on a cross. It will be a cross fashioned by love and coming from the hands of God. It will be a cross that not only sanctifies us, but also redeems the age in which we live. It will be a cross most adapted by the wisdom of God to the individual needs of each soul.
Christ delighted in the plan of His Father, even though it demanded a complete emptying of Himself-not that His human heart did not shrink from it. In fact, He actually sweat blood when He witnessed a preview of His final sufferings and death. He gave up what was hardest, even for Him, to give up-His honor and His life.
The same will be true of those who unite themselves to Christ in humble and self-sacrificing love. God will gradually empty them of all that is not God, or of all that is an obstacle to the growth of His love in their hearts and lives. Our sacrificial love of God will always reach its summit with the loving acceptance of God's loving designs in our lives.
Our minds must be taken up with the thought processes of Christ. Our hearts must be activated with the loves and desires of Christ. Our days should be absorbed with the memories and the works of Christ. Only then, can we say with the Apostle: "I live, now it is no longer I, but it is Christ that lives in me."
This is more than our goal-it is the only thing that gives meaning to our Christian lives!

Words of St. Padre Pio
Life is nothing but a continual struggle against one's self, and it does not open to beauty without the price of suffering.
Always keep Jesus company in Gethsemane and He will know how to comfort you in the hours of anguish that will come.
There is one thing I absolutely cannot stand and it is this: if I have to rebuke someone, I am always ready; but I cannot bear to see someone else do it. To see someone humiliated or mortified like this is unbearable for me.
May God be pleased to see that these poor creatures truly repent and return to Him. One must truly be a mother towards all those people and, for this reason, have great care for them, because Jesus tells us that there is more festivity in Heaven for the sinner who repents than for the perseverance of 99 just people. These words of the Redeemer are truly comforting to many souls who unfortunately sin, and who then want to repent and return to Jesus.
The woes of humanity: these are thoughts for everyone.
Don't try, excessively, to heal your heart, as your efforts would only make it more infirm. Don't make too great an effort to overcome your temptations, as this violence would only make them stronger. Despise them and don't dwell on them too much.
Do good everywhere, so that everyone can say: "This is a son of Christ."
Endure tribulation, sickness and pain for the love of God and for the conversion of poor sinners. Defend the weak, console those who weep.
Don't worry about taking up my time, because the time best spent is that spent in the sanctification of souls, and I don't know how to thank our Heavenly Father when He presents me some souls that I can help in some way.
Never has the thought of revenge crossed my mind. I have prayed for them (the slanderers) and I pray. Perhaps sometimes I have said to the Lord: "Lord if to convert them a punishment is necessary, then give it so that they may be saved."

All Roads Lead Home
Whatever you are going through,
Of pain or circumstance,
It is not there because of luck,
It is not there by chance!
God has a special plan for you
That's known to Him alone,
So trust that He is leading right,
For all His roads lead home!
He's promised He will never give
A thing too much for us,
But make escape in every trial,
So in His mercy trust.
Sometimes the way is smooth and fine,
Sometimes all rock and stone-
But whatever way He gives,
All His roads lead home!
He uses pain, He uses others,
To bring deep-needed change.
No circumstance He gives to us
Is in our life in vain.
Oh, child of His, don't be concerned,
The path ahead's unknown,
For with the Savior as your Guide,
All His roads lead home!
Lynn Fenimore Nuzzi

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto me and rest; Lay down, O weary one, lay down your head upon my breast."
I came to Jesus as I was, so weary, worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting place, and he has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come hold, I freely give the living water; thirsty one, stoop down, and drink, and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank of that living stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived, and I live in him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world's light; Look unto me, your morn shall rise, and all your day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found in him my star, my sun;
And in that light of life I'll walk till trav'ling days are done.
(Horatius Bonar)

PRINTS OF ELBOWS ON MY BED
Author Unknown
I was but a youth and thoughtless,
As all youths are apt to be;
Though I had a Christian mother
Who had taught me carefully.
There came a time when pleasure
Of the world came to allure,
And I no more sought the guidance
Of her love so good and pure.
Her tender admonitions fell
But lightly on my ear,
And for the gentle warnings
I felt an inward sneer.
But Mother would not yield her boy
To Satan's sinful sway,
And though I spurned her counsel
She knew a better way.
She made my room an altar,
A place of secret prayer,
And there she took her burden
And left it in His care.
And morning, noon and evening
By that humble bedside low,
She sought the aid of Him who
Understands a mother's woe.
And I went my way unheeding,
Careless of the life I led,
Until one day I noticed
Prints of elbows on my bed.
Then I saw that she had been there
Praying for her wayward boy,
Who for love of worldly pleasure
Would her peace of mind destroy.
Long the conflict raged within me,
Sin against my Mother's prayers,
Sin must yield - for Mother never
While she daily met Him there.
And her constant love and patience
Were like coals upon my head,
Together with the imprints
Of her elbows on my bed.
And so at last the fight was won,
And I to Christ was led,
And Mother's prayers were answered
By her elbows on my bed.

THE STORY OF SOUL
Author Unknown
There once was a man named Soul who was walking in a garden. He was
whistling a real sweet tune for he was saved and had the joy of the
Lord, but he was a baby Christian. As Soul was walking, a beautiful
and seductive woman came out from behind a tree. Soul was very
startled. He said, "Hello, I'm Soul, what is your name?"
She replied, "I am Temptation, I have what you want."
"What do I want?" replied Soul.
"You want to do all things which are of the flesh," said Temptation.
Soul replied, "O.K., lead me."
So he and Temptation went off and fulfilled the desires of the flesh.
When Soul returned to the garden, he met a man named Condemnation.
Condemnation said, "Hey, I see you have met my friend, Temptation."
Soul said, "Yes, who are you?"
"I am Condemnation, I come after Temptation. We work hand-in-hand. "
Then Condemnation jumped on Soul's back and began to beat him. He hit
him in the face and kicked him when he was down. This went on for
several days.
On about the third day, a man named Mercy came running and said, "I
command you, Condemnation, to stop beating Soul."
Condemnation snickered, "Make me."
So Mercy unsheathed his sword and cut Condemnation in two.
As Soul watched in astonished pain, he was overtaken by the power of
Mercy. Mercy walked up to Soul and said, "I have dealt with
Condemnation before. He should not show up around you anymore."
Soul replied, "How can I ever thank you?"
"Well," replied Mercy, "I was sent here by God and He told me to
introduce you to a dear friend of mine. His name is Redemption."
Redemption walked up and said, "Hello Soul, I see that you are not
doing well."
Soul replied, "Not until Mercy came along. It is a pleasure to meet
you Redemption."
"Well", said Redemption," I am glad to meet you. Are you ready to
accept me?"
"What do you mean?" asked Soul.
Redemption said, "Well, when you accepted Jesus and decided to walk
with Him, then you chose to accept the things of Him and His love. I
am a part of Jesus' love. I help you feel forgiven. You will never
have to deal with Condemnation again. Temptation may come around, but
I have someone I would like for you to meet who can help you with
that. His name is Grace."
Grace walked up to Soul and said, "Hello Soul, I have been waiting for
you. As a matter of fact all three of us have been waiting to meet
you.
I will help you take the way out of Temptation that God gives you as
it comes up. The last person we want you to meet is Faith."
"Hi Soul, I am Faith, and I will help you stay strong and keep your
beliefs strong," said Faith.
Soul began to cry. When he began to cry Redemption said, "This is what
we were here for. Jesus redeemed you, saved you by Grace through Faith
and gives you his Mercy. Jesus loves you Soul."
Soul said, "I love you, Jesus."

Good night everyone and sweet dreams to all! Here's hoping for a blessed Monday - in every way! Thank you all so very much for being here!! I mean this for just the readers too.