Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Each day there are lessons to learn and lives to touch. Lord, You
have done so much for me. Help me to repay You.


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

"And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all
peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up
death forever. Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all
faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the
earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, Lo, this is
our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us. This is the
LORD for whom we have waited; let us be glad and rejoice in his
salvation." ~Isaiah 25:7-9

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

We can live today in the consciousness of God's contact, upholding us in
all good thoughts, words and deeds. If sometimes there seems to be a
shadow on our lives and we feel out of sorts, we can remember that this
is not the withdrawal of God's presence, but only our own temporary
unwillingness to realize it. The quiet gray days are the days for doing
what we must do, but we can know that the consciousness of God's
nearness will return and be with us again, when the gray days are past.

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

I pray that I may face the dull days with courage. I pray that I may
have faith that the bright days will return.

Peace of Jesus to you all! Hope you had a good, peaceful and relaxing Sunday, and kept holy the Lord's Day. It was a nice day here today - and we started our Parish Mission tonight. A Redemptorist priest is giving the Mission, every night until Wednesday night is the closing. He's very good and he's going thru the Sacraments - he did tonight, and we saw Lorriaine and her husband there - in our parish - for the Mission! Talked to Lorraine, she says they didn't find anything yet, will find out in two weeks results. She's been better and home for awhile now. It was so good to see her and talk to her, her husband, too. After the talk tonight they served pie and ice cream and had a social, that's when we got to visit. Both Linus and I didn't have the sweets, and tomorrow morning he gets his blood drawn again to check how he's doing with those trig. and how the diet is working. On the 11th he'll get the results for that. We had cards scheduled tomorrow night, forgetting about the Mission, so I called them today and we re-scheduled for next week, as they want to go to the Mission too. We haven't had a Mission in a long time. It's kind of like going on a retreat! The Church was packed!!!


ONE GUY DIDN'T

Three guys were tried for crimes against humanity.
Two guys committed crimes.
One guy didn't.

Three guys were given government trials.
Two guys had fair trials.
One guy didn't.

Three guys were whipped and beaten.
Two guys had it coming.
One guy didn't.

Three guys were given crosses to carry.
Two guys earned their crosses.
One guy didn't.

Three guys were mocked and spit at along the way.
Two guys cursed and spit back.
One guy didn't.

Three guys were nailed to crosses.
Two guys deserved it.
One guy didn't.

Three guys agonized over their abandonment.
Two guys had reason to be abandoned.
One guy didn't.

Three guys talked while hanging on their crosses.
Two guys argued.
One guy didn't.

Three guys knew death was coming.
Two guys resisted.
One guy didn't.

One.
Two.
Three guys died on three crosses.

Three days later.
Two guys remained in their graves.
One guy didn't.

-- Author Unknown

GOD ANSWERS PRAYER

I know not by what methods rare,
But this I know - God answers prayer,
I know not when He sends the word
That tells us fervent prayer is heard.
I know it cometh -- soon or late:
Therefore we need to pray and wait.
I know not if the blessing sought
Will come in just the way I thought.
I leave my prayers with Him alone,
Whose will is wiser than my own.

Lord let me capture the pure spirit of a loving child when I speak Your name.
Let me pray as a child prays, asking little for myself,
much for other souls and for Your beautiful world.
Protect me, sleeping and waking, from evil.
Lead me by the hand to good works.
Let me praise You in simple words and in glorious silence through all
the days and the nights of my life.
Amen.

~ Author Unknown ~

A CHILD'S PRAYER
Author Unknown


Dear God, are You still awake?
Have You got a minute or two?
You're pretty good at understanding,
And I really need to talk to You.


You see, Mommy came to tuck me in,
Like she does every night.
I was trying to play a trick on her,
Since she can't see without the light.


I was going to close my eyes
And pretend to be asleep.
But when I heard her crying,
I didn't dare let out a peep.


She started talking to you, God.
Did You hear the things she said?
Could You hear what she was saying
As she stood beside my bed?


Why would Mommy be so sad?
I wondered just what I had done,
And then I began to remember it all
As she named them one by one...


This morning we worked in the garden,
But, honest, I really didn't know
That if I picked all those little yellow blooms
The tomatoes wouldn't grow!


Charlie and I were trying to be helpers,
'Cause I know that's what Mommy needs,
But I don't think she was too happy with us
when we pulled up carrots instead of weeds.


Mommy said we should stop for the day,
she decided we had helped quite enough.
I sure had worked up an appetite...
I didn't know gardening was so tough!


We had peanut-butter and jelly for lunch
and I shared too much, I guess...
But I didn't realize until I was done
that Charlie had made such a mess.


Mommy said she needed a nap,
she had one of her headaches today.
She told me to keep an eye on my sister
and find something quiet to play.


Well, God, do You remember all those curls
you gave my little sister Jenny?
We played barber shop...very quietly...
and now, well, she doesn't have any.


Boy, was Mommy mad at me...
I had to go sit on my bed.
She said never to cut "people hair" again.
I guess I'll practice on Charlie instead.


We sat and watched poor old Albert,
I just knew he must be so bored
Going round and round
in the same place all day,
Wouldn't You think so, Lord?


I didn't think it would hurt
to let him out for a while.
I mean, mice need exercise, too.
By the way, have You seen Albert lately?
He's been sort of missing since two.


Mommy sent us outside for the rest of the day.
She said we needed fresh air.
But when Daddy came home she told him
She was trying to get something out of her hair.


We thought Mommy needed cheering up,
so we decided to brighten her day.
But, God, did You see the look on her face
When we gave her that pretty bouquet?


We had gotten a little bit dirty,
so Mommy said to get in the tub.
"Use soap this time," she reminded,
"and please don't forget to scrub."


Charlie didn't like the water too much,
but I lathered up real good.
I knew Mommy would be so proud of me
For cleaning up like I should.


I went downstairs to the table,
but during dinner it started to rain...
I'd forgotten to turn off the water, it seems,
and I hadn't unplugged the drain!


I decided right then it was just about time
to start getting ready for bed,
When Mommy said, "It's sure been a long day."
And her face began turning all red.


I lay there listening to Mommy
as she told You about our day.
I thought about all of the things I had done
and I wondered what I should say.


I was just about to tell her
that I'd been awake all along,
And ask her to please forgive me
for all of those thing I'd done wrong.


When suddenly, I heard her whisper,
"God, forgive me for today...
For not being more understanding
when those problems came my way...


For not handling situations in the way
You wanted me to...for getting angry
and losing my temper,
Things I know You don't want me to do.


And, God, please give me more patience,
Help me make it through another day,
I'll do better tomorrow, I promise.
In Jesus' name I pray."


Wiping her eyes, she kissed me
and knelt here beside my bed.
She stroked my hair for a little while..."
I love you, precious," Mommy said.


She left the room without ever knowing
That I'd been awake all the time.
And God, could we make it our little secret?
You know, just Yours and mine?


I'm sorry I was so much trouble today,
I really didn't mean to be...
Daddy says it's tough being a kid sometimes,
but I think it's harder on Mommy than me.


Well, goodnight, God. Thanks for listening.
It's sure nice to know You're there.
I feel so much better when I talk to You
'cause You always hear my prayer.


And I'll do better tomorrow, I promise...
Just You wait and see!
I'll try not to be so much trouble again,
But, God, please give more patience to Mommy
......Just in case! Amen.


"But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come
unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." - Matthew 19:14

Reflections on the Passion
by Father Doyle
October 12, 1956

IN THE account of the arrest of Christ, there is a particular and rather curious event that is mentioned by only one of the four Evangelists. The story is told by St. Mark in these words: “Then all his disciples left him and fled. And a certain young man was following him, having a linen cloth wrapped around his naked body, and they seized him. But leaving the linen cloth behind, he fled away from them naked” (Mk. 14:50).

Since Mark is the only Evangelist to record this circumstance, it is fairly well accepted by Scripture scholars that the young man referred to was St. Mark himself. It was common among the Evangelists to relate transactions in which they themselves took part without mentioning their own names. An added bit of proof that it was Mark himself who started out to follow Christ at the time of His false arrest and then deserted under the most embarrassing circumstance, is due to the fact that Mark did much the same after the resurrection. It was in his very marrow to be an enthusiastic starter but an easily discouraged person.

When St. Paul and St. Barnabas set out on their missionary journey they were attended by Mark. As long as they were sailing across blue waters and as long as they were in the island of Cyprus, Mark stuck with them. Even while they traveled along the coast of Asia Minor, John Mark was their minister. But the moment they went up into the island countries, among the rocks and the mountain streams, among robbers and crude natives, Mark left them. How tragically sad this whole missionary story would be if it ended there. But it did not end there. Mark, by the grace of God and the example and counsels of Barnabas, rose to the occasion and went back to his missionary work and later we find him working with St. Paul, who called him in fond words – “My fellow laborer” (Phil. 24). The vacillating in Mark became Mark the martyr, for he was martyred for the faith in Alexandria in Egypt.

Two powerful lessons come to us from the story of St Mark; First, Mark in his youth may have followed Christ without counting the cost. He was impetuous. He dashed out to the assistance of Christ at the moment of His arrest. Not until he was seized by a soldier as a follower and associate of Christ did he realize that he of all the disciples had ventured too close and with too much false zeal and without the necessary accompanying virtue of prudence. It was not till Mark stood naked before His master and heard the jeers of the soldiery who saw him make his escape that he realized his folly in relying on his own strength. It was then that he was emptied of his vanity.

The second lesson from the gospel story of Mark should be one of great encouragement for sinners. Mark had made some good starts but he had failed miserably; yet he did not become discouraged even when the great St. Paul refused to trust him after his debacle of the missionary journey he had made in the company of Paul and Barnabas. Paul refused to take him on the second trip. Barnabas, on the other hand, had faith in him and he made good. If you have made good starts, if you have weakened in your Lenten resolutions, take them up again with courage. With men we are given few chances. But God is patient and merciful. Forget the past and look with new hope to the future.

Closing prayer:
O SPOTLESS LAMB PRAYER

O Spotless Lamb of God! while Thy judges proclaim Thee an impostor, I rise without fear or shame to declare, in the face of Heaven and earth, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living god, and that I unreservedly assent to all the dogmas and to every article of truth proposed by Thy holy Church to my belief; but, O Divine Lord, give me grace to profess by my actions as well as my words the faith that is in me.

Have mercy on all who are involved in the dreadful night of infidelity; may the light of Thy grace shine upon them, and so penetrate their hearts that they may embrace the truth, and be admitted to the communion of Thy holy Church.

Good night all and God bless you! May you all have sweet dreams, and a very blessed Monday!