Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Study who you are and follow your heart because it will often lead you
to miracles. Lord, in knowing who I am, I will become better able to know
and serve You.


Scripture for the day:

"But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and
persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act--they will
be blessed in their doing." ~James 1:25

Meditation for the day:

When something happens to upset us and we are discouraged, we can try
to feel that life's difficulties and troubles are not intended to
arrest our progress in the spiritual life, but to test our strength
and to
increase our determination to keep going. Whatever it is that must be
met, we can either overcome it or use it. Nothing need daunt us for
long, nor need any difficulty entirely overcome or conquer us. God's
strength is always there, waiting for us to use it. Nothing can be
too great to be overcome, or if not overcome, then used.

Prayer for the day;

I pray that I may know that there can be no failure with God. I pray
that with God's help I may live a more victorious life.

Peace of Jesus to you all! Hope your day went well. I did get the under of
the sink cleaned as much as I could reach, Linus will finish. I used a chair
and that helped me get up! Also got another closet cleaned out. Slowly by
surely. Supper was simple, he made hamburgers on the grill with those
skinny buns which we like a lot, and I made a good salad.
This time used raspberry dressing - by Drew - delicious dressing! Linus
worked 7 hours straight today, didn't take a break - and his feet are fine!
He's tired out, though so taking a rest now. Prayers are helping him!!
Thanks be to God for your prayers and mine. Did any of you think it was the
end? I sure didn't. Not according to scripture, that's for sure.

Homily of the Day


May 21, 2011


Dampened Spirits Can´t Catch Fire
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Acts 6:1-7 / 1 Pt 2:4-9 / Jn 14:1-12

A woman was full of miseries, so she came to tell her pastor all about it.
"My children hate me. Nobody ever comes to visit me. My arthritis is getting
worse. The sun hasn't been out in weeks. And this morning, the milk went
sour." Then her face brightened. "But you know, Father, I've had this
terrible headache all week and now it's gone!"

The pastor signed "No, my dear. Your headache isn't gone. Now I've got it!"

Do you get headaches or give them? The ideal answer, of course, would be
"neither." But that would probably be a lie!

Jesus offers us an alternative to giving and getting headaches.

His whole life, everything he did, shows us a much happier way of living
with one another: He fed people and healed them; he comforted and forgave
them as often as they needed it. And he helped people break free of
whatever was robbing them of life.

Everything Jesus did worked together to create inside his followers a space
that was spiritually and psychologically safe, calm and secure, a space that
was conducive to growing and changing. Remember that woman caught in the act
of adultery? Jesus created a safe spot for her, where she could get about
repairing her life instead of wasting it dodging rocks and repeating the
same old mistakes. He gave her a second chance at life, and he did it
without any grand show of force, just ten softly spoken words: "Let him who
is without sin cast the first stone."

In Sunday's gospel, Jesus says, "If you believe in me, you will do the work
I do." This is the work he's talking about: Creating safe, secure, happy
places for one another in which the really important work of life —
transformation and big-family building — can happen. Fearful, insecure,
unhappy people have neither the energy nor the heart to face themselves or
to work at growing into God's likeness, much less to build communion. They
expend every last drop of their energy on simply surviving.

That's not living, and it's not necessary. We can help one another get a
life in the same way Jesus did — by recognizing the powerful effect we have
on one another, for good or ill, and by consciously deciding to make even
our smallest choices add up into safe, secure, happy spaces where every
member of our big family can grow whole.

Just one example. For the few minutes we gather together for mass, we're
creating some kind of space for one another. The look on our faces (Have you
told your face you're happy lately?), the way we sit and stand and manage
our kneelers, the way we make room for others, the way we sing or don't
sing, the way we respond to the prayers (mumble, mumble): All this can lift
the spirits of the persons nearby, or it can dampen those spirits. (And
dampened spirits never catch fire!) Every moment of life is like that: We're
either strangling life or setting it free, either helping people to take
heart or causing them to lose heart. No waking moment is just neutral.

Spirits don't grow and flourish when they're under siege, or angry, or
focused on self-defense and mere survival. So why not do what Jesus always
did: Use what we've got, a long chain of tiny moments in which the smallest
of our choices can add up, one by one, and can help create safe inner
spaces, untouched by fear or anger, places where growing whole can happen.
It's so simple. Why not do it for one another — now!

Even When

Even when you have failed before, there is still every possibility of
success.

Even when one door is closed, another door will open.

Even when the situation appears to be hopeless, there is indeed hope.

Even when your options and your resources seem to be exhausted, there is
still something more you can do.Why is this so? Because the past does not
equal the future. Because you are endlessly adaptable, resourceful and
determined to go where you know you must go, to do what you know you must
do. Because in this moment, you can move beyond anything at all that may
have previously held you back.

Even when defeat appears certain, victory is well within reach.

Even when the night is at its darkest, dawn is already on the way.Never give
up, never give in, even when everything before has been a disappointment or
a
disaster. Because everything ahead can be just as you decide to make it.

-- Ralph Marston

All You'll Ever Need.........

How can you forget that you're blessed?
I've given you a heart to love with.
I've given you two lips to smile with.
I've given you two hands and everything you need to make your dreams come
true.
I've given you happy memories to warm your heart.
I've given you red roses to inspire love and romance.
I've given you white daisies so that you could escape to pleasant dreams.
I've given you the song of hummingbirds so that you can remember the beauty
of life all around you.
I've given you beaches, brooks, golden sand and blue skies to ease your
worries.
I've given you a sky full of stars and moonlight, so that you would strive
to reach far come the dawn.
I've given you long and lazy summer days to revive your spirit and an inner
peace that only come with the first snowfall. I've given you all you'll ever
need in life because I've given you my love.
Love God

TIMES OF REFRESHING

When I linger in Your presence,
All my wants and wishes cease.
From the toiling of a long day
Comes refreshing, comes release.



Gone the little disappointments
And the things which brought me pain.
In Your presence I find solace,
Strength to cope when hope seems vain.



You're aware of every struggle
From my doubts You set me free,
And the time becomes more precious
Which I spend on bended knee.

~ Regina Wiencek ~

Closing prayer - the Memorare

Remember, O most loving Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who
fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession was
left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, we turn to you, O Virgins of
virgins, our Mother. To you we come, before you we stand, sinful and
sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, do not despise our petitions, but
in your mercy hear us and answer us. Amen.

Good night everyone - hope your Saturday night will be blessed - and your
Sunday! Enjoy and worship our Lord at Church tomorrow! Enjoy the Gift of
Himself! and Sweet Dreams!