Hello my friends!! Beautiful weather today!!! My husband got a lot done outside today, powerwashing the woodwork out there, and started in staining - our Arbor, fence and the risers he built. He'll finish on Monday - going to a graduation tomorrow. I got quite a bit done in the house today too, did some cleaning out cupboards and putting some things to good use. Some Amway products - sure are wonderful!!! It's been years, but they still work well!! Anyone know anything about Amway? Take care everyone and enjoy your long weekend!!! Praying for you all!!
Life is what our thinking makes it. Lord, help me visualize myself richly
living each day, believing, achieving, and then succeeding.
Scripture for the day:
"We are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in
the body we are away from the Lord--for we walk by faith, not by sight." ~2
Corinthians 5:6-7
Meditation for the day:
We can know God by spiritual vision. We can feel that God is beside us. We
can feel God's presence. Contact with God is not made by the senses.
Spirit-consciousness can replace sight. Since we cannot see God, we can
perceive God by spiritual perception. God can span the physical and
spiritual with the gift to us of spiritual vision. Many persons, though
they cannot see God, have had a clear spiritual consciousness of God.
Although we are bound in a certain sense by space and time, we can know that
beyond those boundaries there is limitless space, eternity of time and God.
Prayer for the day:
I pray that I may have a consciousness of God's presence. I pray that God
will give me spiritual vision.
TROUBLE TREE
Author Unknown
The carpenter I hired to help me restore an old farmhouse had just
finished a rough first day on the job. A flat tire made him lose an
hour of work, his electric saw quit, and now his ancient pickup truck
refused to start.
While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he
invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door,
he paused briefly at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with
both hands.
When opening the door, he underwent an amazing transformation. His
tanned face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small
children and gave his wife a kiss.
Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity
got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do
earlier. "Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied. "I know I can't
help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, troubles
don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just
hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the
morning I pick them up again."
"Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick
'em up, there ain't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night
before."
Ice Cream for the Soul
author unknown
Last week I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son
asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads he said, "God
is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even
thank you more if mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty
and justice for all! Amen.
Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a
woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today
don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice-cream! Why, I
never!"
Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it
wrong? Is God mad at me? As I held him and assured him that he
had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an
elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and
said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great
prayer.
"Really?" my son asked
"Cross my heart." Then in theatrical whisper he added (indicating
the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad
she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for
the soul sometimes."
Naturally, I bought my kid's ice cream at the end of the meal.
My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will
remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and without
a word walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a
big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for
the soul sometimes and my soul is good already."
He was going to leave, but....
One day an elderly surgeon said to an aging bishop, "Bishop, I just want to
inform you that I'm thinking about leaving the Church. What do you say about
that?"
The bishop asked the medical man if he could give him a few reasons for his
decision. The doctor looked the bishop squarely in the eye and told him that
he was highly disappointed with the Church and all it stood for. "Look," he
explained, "the Church has been around for over a thousand years and today
people are no better than they ever were. Or would you care to deny that?"
"What you say is absolutely right, doctor," said the bishop. "But look at it
this way: we've had water on this earth for millions of years, and you still
go and get your hands dirty every day, don't you?"
The doctor thought that one over, put on his hat, and disappeared from the
bishop's sight. Incidentally, he never left the Church.
OUR FATHER:
PARAPHRASED BY SAINT PETER JULIAN EYMARD
Our Father Who art in Heaven
in the heaven of the Eucharist,
to You Who are seated on the throne of grace and love,
be benediction, and honor, and power and glory for
ever and ever!
Hallowed be Your Name
first in ourselves, through the spirit of
Your humility, obedience, and charity.
May we in all humility and zeal
make You known, loved, and adored by all men
in the Holy Eucharist.
Thy kingdom come
Thy Eucharistic kingdom.
Rule Thou alone forever over us
for Your greater glory
through the power of Your love
and triumph of Your virtues
and the grace of a Eucharistic vocation
in my state as a layman.
Grant us the grace and mission of Your holy love
so that we may be able to effectively extend
Your Eucharistic kingdom everywhere
and realize the desire you expressed:
"I have come to cast fire on the earth;
and what would I, but that it be kindled?"
Oh! that we might be the incendiaries of this heavenly fire!
Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven
grant us the grace to find all our joy
in wanting You alone,
in desiring You alone,
and in thinking of You alone.
Grant that by denying ourselves always
and in all things,
we may find light and life
in obeying Your good, acceptable, perfect Will.
I will what You will.
I will it because You will it.
I will as You will it.
I will it as long as You will it.
Perish our thoughts and desires
if they are not purely
from You, for You, and in You.
Give us this day our daily bread
You are our Eucharistic Lord
and You alone will be our food and clothing,
our riches and glory,
our remedy in illness,
and our protection against all evil.
You will be all things to us.
And forgive us our trespasses
Forgive me Jesus, for I am sorry for all my sins
just as they stand in Your eyes.
As we forgive those who trespass against us
For anyone who has offended us in any way,
with our whole heart we forgive them
and desire for them the gifts of Your love.
And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
Deliver us Jesus, from the demon of pride,
impurity, discord and complacency.
Deliver us from the cares and worries of life
so that with a pure heart and a free mind
we may joyfully spend our life
and devote all that we are and all that we have
in the service of our Eucharistic Lord.
Amen.
In You, O Lord Jesus, have I hoped;
let me not be confounded forever.
You alone are good.
You alone are powerful.
You alone are eternal.
To you alone be honor and glory,
love and thanksgiving
forever and ever. Amen.
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