Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Every moment of anger uses up a moment of your happiness. Lord, help
me to be patient, loving and kind at the times in which it is most
difficult.


Scripture for the day:

"For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see what you
see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear
it." ~Luke 10:24

Meditation for the day:

Though it may seem a paradox, we can believe in spiritual forces which
we cannot see more than in material things which we can see, if we are
going to truly live. Between one human being and another only
spiritual forces can suffice to keep them in harmony. These spiritual
forces we
know, because we can see their results although we cannot see them. A
changed life--a new personality--results from the power of unseen
spiritual forces working in us
and through us.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may believe in the unseen. I pray that I may be
convinced by the results of the unseen which I do see.

Hello my friends! Rainy day all day here today! I have to say that our
flowers and garden were in their glory! Between showers, I picked some
more lettuce for us, got it all washed and spinned and in the fridge. Long
day for Linus - but he's doing ok - feet are tired, he's taking a nap on the
couch now - he wishes he wouldn't feel so worn out! Two more long days to
go, it's always so busy there. He sure does wish he'd get the call for the
appliance job any day now. Please let us continue to lift him up in
prayer - it does help, I know. My blessings today are my ordinary ones, the
rain, the lettuce God gives us free, my very wonderful friends besides my
dear family and Sammy! Also the gift of our house - last year it was for
sale at this time and you all know how we felt about it. It's a blessing to
get to know you here, what wonderful people God sends my way!


Mother Teresa Said...

I always begin my prayer in silence, for it is in the silence of the heart
that God speaks. God is the friend of silence - we need to listen to God
because it's not what we say but what He says to us and through us that
matters. Prayer feeds the soul - as blood is to the body, prayer is the
soul - and it brings you closer to God. It also gives you a clean and pure
heart. A clean heart can see God, can speak to God, and can see the love of
God in others.

Leaving The City of Regret

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found
myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I
knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I'm talking about my
annual "Guilt Trip."

I got tickets to fly there on Wish I Had airlines. It was an extremely short
flight. I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it
myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what
might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret
City International Airport. I say international because people from all over
the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be
hosting the year's most important event, the Annual Pity Party. I wasn't
going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the towns leading citizens
would be there.

First, there would be the Done family, you know, Should Have, Would Have and
Could Have. Then came the I Had family. You probably know ol' Wish and his
clan. Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost. The
biggest family would be the Yesterdays. There are far too many of them to
count, but each one would have a very sad story to share.

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make and appearance. And It's Their Fault
would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his
life, and each story would be loudly applauded by Don't Blame Me and I
Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing
that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became
very depressed. But as I thought about all of the stories of failures
brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and
subsequent "pity party" could be cancelled by ME! I started to truly realize
that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing
kept going through my mind, I CAN'T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE
POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY. I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled,
encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I left the City of Regret
immediately and left no forwarding address. Am I sorry for mistakes I've
made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if you're planning a trip back to the City of Regret, please cancel all
your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called, Starting
Again. I liked it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence
there. My neighbors, the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts are so very
helpful. By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because
the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival. God bless you in
finding this great town. If you can find it -- it's in your own heart --
please look me up. I live on I Can Do It street.


This is a touching story which shows us that we can feel abandoned even when
we are trying to live our life for God. (Following are some familiar
verses...)

My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
My strength is gone, gone like water spilled on the ground.
All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like melted wax.
My throat is as dry as dust,
and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth.
You have left me for dead in the dust.
A gang of evil men is around me;
like a pack of dogs they close in on me;
they tear at my hands and feet.
All my bones can be seen.
My enemies look at me and stare.
They gamble for my clothes
and divide them among themselves.
(Psalms 22:1,14-18)

David wrote Psalm 22 about a thousand years prior to Jesus' death.
Crucifixion wasn't invented at that time, so the verse "they tear at my
hands and feet" is quite extraordinary. (Crucifixion was invented by the
Persians between 300-400 B.C.)

It may seem strange that God would prophecy His own death, but The Book of
Isaiah in the Old Testament tells us that it wasn't so strange after all.
"But he endured the suffering that should have been ours, the pain that we
should have borne. All the while we thought that his suffering was
punishment sent by God. But because of our sins he was wounded, beaten
because of the evil we did. We are healed by the punishment he suffered,
made whole by the blows he received. All of us were like sheep that were
lost, each of us going his own way. But the Lord made the punishment fall
on him, the punishment all of us deserved." (Is. 53:4-6) The Lord says, "It
was my will that he should suffer; his death was a sacrifice to bring
forgiveness. And so he will see his descendants; he will live a long life,
and through him my purpose will succeed." (Is. 53:10)

Why did God do this? He did it because he is both righteous and loving.
Because he is righteous, God cannot overlook sin—he must punish it with
death. Because he is loving, he provided a sinless substitute to bear our
sin and to take God's wrath for us.

This is why John the Baptist introduced Jesus as "the Lamb of God which
takes away the sin of the world" (Jn. 1:29). This is why Jesus said that as
God's Son, he did "not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life
as a ransom for many (Mk. 10:45). Jesus came to die on a cross because there
was no other way that a holy God can be reconciled to sinful people like you
and me. And to make sure that we would know this was his plan, he predicted
centuries before he did it.

Now that you know this, you have to act on this knowledge by personalizing
it. Have you acknowledged to God that you have gone astray and turned to
your own way? Have you agreed with God that your sins put Jesus on the
cross? Have you told God that you trust in Jesus' death as the only payment
for your sins? This action is what makes this knowledge life-changing. The
moment you call out to God in this way, He will forgive you of all your
sins, and give you eternal life, and begin a relationship with you by
indwelling you through his Spirit. Do you want this? Then make your move.

Some Writings of Saints on Rosary devotion

Many saints have been great devotees of Mary and they propagated this
devotion through their lives and teachings. Here we examine only some of
these statements about Rosary devotion. Louis de Montfort He assures us that
anyone who prays the Rosary everyday will never be led astray. He adds that
this is a statement he would gladly sign with his own blood. Such was the
confidence he had in the Rosary.

Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa had a special love for Rosary and she had it in her hand as a
spiritual weapon. She advised her sisters to pray the Rosary devoutly and
faithfully both in the community and in the homes of the poor so that Our
Lady would enter their life and take care of them. 4.3.4.3. Alphonsus
Liguori Immense is the good, which this devotion has done to the world. Many
have been delivered from sin, or led to a holy life and a good death by
means of it. It should be recited with devotion, keeping in mind what Our
Lady once said to St Eulalia that five decades said slowly and devoutly were
more pleasing than fifteen said hurriedly and without devotion.

Conclusion


Our Lady's Rosary occupies a unique place in the Church's treasury of
devotions, because it contains all the principal salvific events
accomplished in Christ from his virginal conception to the effects of his
Paschal Mystery radiating out into the Church and upon Mary. Our
spirituality is certainly Christocentric and God oriented, and not
Mariocentric. The Rosary devotion facilitates us to grow in this
Christocentric spirituality with the help of our dear Mother Mary. This
devotion is not merely an act of piety, but it directs people to a deep
Christian life. The Rosary, if properly recited leads one to contemplation
and thus transformation of life. It becomes a source of commitment to God
and to our brothers and sisters. Praying the Rosary helps us to be united to
Christ through Mary and induces one to live according to the teachings of
Jesus and Mary. Jesus teaches us the right way to love God and neighbor, and
Mary tells us, "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn2: 5).









THE DEVIL'S BEATITUDES
Author Unknown


If the Devil were to write his Beatitudes, they would probably go
something like this:

Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend
an hour once a week with their fellow Christians in Church - they are
my best workers.

Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be
thanked - I can use them.

Blessed are the touchy, with a bit of luck they may stop going to
church - they are my missionaries.

Blessed are those who are very religious but get on everyone's nerves
- they are mine forever.

Blessed are the troublemakers ~ they shall be called my children.

Blessed are those who have no time to pray - they are easy prey for
me.

Blessed are the gossipers - for they are my secret agents.

Blessed are those critical of church leadership - for they shall
inherit a place with me in my fate.

Blessed are the complainers - I'm all ears for them.

Blessed are you when you read this and think it is about other people
and not yourself - I've got you.




Share This Love
Lord, I am filled with the life You have shared with me. Just knowing You
love me fills me with joy.

Lord, I know You want me to share this love and joy with others. To share
Your gifts with them is to follow You to be Christian.

There are many ways of sharing, Lord many ways of loving. Send Your Spirit
to help me know how best to share my life, my love, my hopes and my joy with
others.

SPECIAL GROCERY LIST
Author Unknown
October 22, 2009


Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her
face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the
store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a
few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and
unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food.

John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she
leave his store at once.

Visualizing the family needs, she said: "Please, sir! I will bring you
the money just as soon as I can."

John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a
charge account at his store.

Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the
conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the
grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her
family.

The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, "Do you have a grocery
list?"

Louise replied, "Yes sir."

"O.K" he said, "Put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your
grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries."

Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her
purse and took
out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the
piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed.

The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the
scales went down
and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to
the customer and said begrudgingly, "I can't believe it."

The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on
the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he
continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales
would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally,
he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with
greater amazement. It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which
said: "Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your
hands.." The
grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in
stunned silence.

Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a
fifty-dollar bill to the grocer
and said; "It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a
prayer weighs."


So dear heart, trust God to heal the sick, provide food for the
hungry, clothes and shelter for those that don't have as we do. Amen &
Amen Don't break this, please!
Prayer is one of the best free gifts we receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards.
May you always walk with Angels God Bless!

Enjoy your Sunday! In our Church we are celebrating Pentecost Sunday - the
coming of the Holy Spirit!
Happy Feast Day everyone!