Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Our words are powerful tools and can influence even when we are not aware.
Lord, help me to speak with kindness and sensitivity and to be a positive
source of encouragement and support to others.

Scripture for the day:

"Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in
you?" ~1 Corinthians 3:16

Meditation for the day:

God is all around us. God's spirit pervades the universe. And yet we often
do not let God's spirit in. We sometimes try to get along without God's
help and we make a mess of our lives. We can do nothing of any value
without God's help. All our human relationships depend on this. When we
let God's spirit rule our lives, we can learn how to get along with others
and how to help them.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may let God run my life. I pray that I will never again make
a mess of my life through trying to run it myself.

Hello my friends! Hope you had a nice Saturday! We had another wonderful
day today that God gave us - and for supper tonight we had the Nuns over,
our friends from about 20 years. Srs. Pat and Phyllis. Hubby fried some
fish he caught yesterday. Also had sweet potato fries, broccoli salad, and
fresh corn on the cob. I made Apple Crunch out of our apples. It was a nice
evening with them, we ate out on the patio/porch, and played cards. A real
blessing having them over, and very nice visit.
Homily of the Day


August 20, 2011


Why Don´t You Tell Your Face?
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Is 22:19-23 / Rom 11:33-36 / Mt 16:13-20

On Sunday morning a man showed up at church with both of his ears terribly
blistered, so his pastor asked, “WHAT happened to YOU?”

“I was lying on the couch watching a ball game on TV while my wife was
ironing nearby. I was totally engrossed in the game when she went out,
leaving the iron near the phone. The phone rang, and keeping my eyes on the
TV, I grabbed the hot iron and put it to my ear.”

“How dreadful,” gasped the pastor. “But how did the other ear get burned?”

“Well, you see, I’d no sooner hung up and the guy called back!”

+ + +

He just didn’t get it. Lots of folks never get it, never understand how life
really works, even at the simplest levels. That’s why Jesus is pressing his
followers — and us — so insistently in Sunday’s Gospel: “Do you understand
who I am,” he asks, “and what my being here means for you?”

It’s a crucial question. And there’s one sure way of finding the answer,
and that is by checking how we’re living. Are we living like people who know
for sure that a loving God is walking at their side at every minute? Let’s
see:

+ Have we stopped wasting our time worrying?

+ Have we put aside posing and posturing and fretting about our image?

+ Have we stopped closing our eyes to our dark side? And stopped avoiding
things that seem too much for us?

+ Do we welcome life with a happy heart. Are we glad to wake up in the
morning?

+ Do we see how gifted and special we are? At least sometimes, does seeing
our own giftedness just make us want to smile?

+ Do we have hearts so full of thankfulness that we instinctively work at
helping others be as happy as we are?

If that’s the way we’re living, then we understand who Jesus is, and we know
what it means to have him walking with us. It means that we’ve been set free
from all kinds of chains and fears and sadness. It means that no matter
what, we’re going to be okay. It also means that we have the power to help
set other people free from all manner of sadness by showing them HIS face
mirrored right here in our own.

A long time ago there was an old Indian chief whose little granddaughter was
something of a sourpuss. “Are you happy?” he asked her one day.

“Yes, grandpa,” she replied.

“Well then, my dear, why don’t you tell your face?”

We have every reason to be very happy right here and now because we already
have everything we really need: We have God himself!

Why don’t we tell our face, and our heart?

We’ve already got it all!

Thanks


I give thanks
Not only for
What I have
But also for
What I will
Soon come
To find.

I give thanks
For trials
And tribulations
That have to
Be overcome.

I give thanks
For the test
That must
Be passed.

I give thanks
For happiness
And pain.
No matter the
Emotion - I
Give thanks
Just the same.

Who You Are
Who do you think you are? Are you the problems you encountered yesterday, or
are you the positive possibilities that exist today?
Are you the limitations that others have convinced you to adopt? Or are you
the person who can work your way through whatever obstacles may confront
you?

Are you the shortcomings and disappointments you've known? Or are you the
most magnificent, most treasured dreams you can imagine?

Are you the empty, meaningless pursuits of the materialistic culture that
surrounds you? Or are you the deeply held, lasting values you know to be
truth?

Who you think you are can make all the difference, in this moment, in your
life. Because who you think you are is who you constantly work to more fully
become.

Who do you think you are? Choose right now to be the best you can imagine.

-- Ralph Marston

THE STORY OF THE SEED
By Francis Kong


A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to
choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one
of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something
different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, 'It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I
have decided to choose one of you. 'The young executives were shocked,
but the boss continued. 'I am going to give each one of you a SEED
today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it,
and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from
the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you
bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.'

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others,
received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story.
She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.
Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After
about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about
their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a
plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had
killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had
nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just
kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to
grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company
brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that
he wasn't going to take an empty pot...

But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to
his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his
life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the
boardroom. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants
grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes
and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his
colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young
executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. 'My, what great plants, trees, and
flowers you have grown,' said the CEO. 'Today one of you will be
appointed the next CEO!'

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his
empty pot.. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the
front. Jim was terrified. He thought, 'The CEO knows I'm a failure!
Maybe he will have me fired!'

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his
seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and
then announced to the young executives, 'Behold your next Chief
Executive Officer!

His name is Jim!' Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his
seed.

'How could he be the new CEO?' the others said.

Then the CEO said, 'One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a
seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it
back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it
was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers.
When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another
seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and
honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one
who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!'

End of story.

I have read variations of this story credited to anonymity but in
terms of lesson is worth repeating specially in a country like ours
that need to be reinforced with lessons on virtuous leadership.

Scriptures say whatsoever you sow you shall reap.

Plant honesty and reap trust.

Plant goodness and you reap friends.

Plant humility and reap greatness

Plant perseverance and reap contentment

Plant consideration and reap perspective

Plant hard work and reap success

Plant forgiveness and reap reconciliation

Plant faith in GOD and reap a harvest.

I guess the question is what are you planting now?


SPIRITUAL HOUSEKEEPING
Author Unknown


I do not know about you but I don't like cockroaches. We had them in a
house that we bought in Long Island. I did not know anything about
hiring exterminators so I decided to get rid of them myself. I bought
a sprayer and bought some chemicals to kill them. To measure the
chemicals I took a measuring spoon and wired it to the outside of the
sprayer. I did this to make sure that I didn't make a mistake and use
the measuring spoon again in the house. How could I ever clean it well
enough to use it again safely for cooking?

Imagine going in your china closet, getting one of your best crystal
glasses, and then using it to measure chemicals to kill the bugs
around your house. Then let's imagine that you take it in the house
and wash it. Would
you dare to use it again? Of course not! It would be contaminated with
a toxic film invisible to your eye that might poison anyone who used
this glass.

Now imagine that your soul and mine are like this glass. It has been
so easy for me to fall victim to the attractive but false temptations
of our contemporary world. For example, power, money, liquor, and
possessing more and more material possessions are alluring. These are
played up so seductively on television and in the media. These can
become our golden calves, our false idols! Who has time for God or
Church? Perhaps unwittingly or even deliberately I have filled up my
glass with these toxins that may kill my soul and potentially others
whom I know and love. We call these toxins sin. This mix more
importantly is toxic to God and poisons our relationship with Him. The
worst of these is so strong that it totally poisons our relationship
with God.

Imagine that we determine to do better and try to rid ourselves of
these toxins. Can you or I wash the glass of our soul clean enough by
ourselves? It would be like trying to wash the lethal chemicals out of
our glass with
household soap.

Let's assume, however, that we turn to Our Savior, Jesus Christ, and
ask Him with a contrite heart to wash our glass. Is there a sin that
He cannot forgive? His Mercy is boundless. He died to redeem us of our
sins and is prepared always to forgive us.

How can we avoid refilling the glass to the brim with another toxic
brew? This also is very difficult to do by ourselves. No matter how I
have tried to do this the devil always seems to find a way to slip a
temptation in my
life when I am weak. My glass, you see, is terribly weak and fragile.
The toxins once again begin to fill my glass.

Imagine that Christ not only cleans our glass but also puts a
protective substance in the glass that makes it difficult for the
devil to introduce any more toxins. Is this possible? The answer is
yes. We call this protection grace. The Sacraments are the greatest
source of this protection. The more grace that we have in our glass
the stronger that this protection is. The greatest of the Sacraments
is the Communion. We have the blessing and privilege to be able to
receive Our Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, Body and Blood, Soul and
Divinity, in Communion. The grace that He brings surpasses all human
understanding. Communion is the food of Eternal Life. Jesus Himself,
who suffered and died for us on the Cross, gives Himself willingly,
joyfully, lovingly, mercifully, to us. This protection increases the
more frequently that we receive Communion. The devil, compared to
Christ, is a grain of sand. When Christ fills our soul there is no
room for the toxins that the devil seeks to tempt us with. May we get
in the habit of receiving Jesus in the Communion as often as we can to
take full advantage of this protection.

When Christ has cleaned and filled the glass of our soul whom do you
imagine others see when they look at us? May we pray that they no
longer see us - - but only see Jesus Christ Himself!

A Little Talk With Jesus

A little talk with Jesus
How it smooths the rugged road,
How it cheers and helps me onward
When I faint beneath my load.

When my heart is crushed with sorrow
And my eyes with tears are dim,
There is naught can yield me comfort
Like a little talk with Him.


Though my way is often dreary
And my walk is weak and slow,
A little talk with Jesus
Tells me all I need to know.

And He answers me so gently
In a soft and loving tone,
"I am with you always
You will never be alone.


He tells me that He loves me,
And paid the ransom for my soul,
Now He is my brother
His love has made me whole.

I cannot live without Him
His love is all I know,
A little talk with Jesus
Gives me all I need to grow.

Oh, I often feel impatient
And I mourn His long delay,
For I never can be settled
While He yet remains away.

So I wait a little longer
For His own appointed time,
And I glory in the knowledge
That such hope is ever mine.

In my Father's perfect dwelling
Where the many mansions be,
I will daily talk with Jesus
And He there will talk with me.

Author Unknown
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»

"Come unto me, all ye that labour
And are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
{ Matthew 11:28 }
«:*´`³¤³´`*:»§«:*´`³¤³´`*:»

Prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary

Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary, I come to you to
consecrate myself and my entire family to your United Hearts. I desire to
renew the vows of my baptism and place each member of my family through an
act of faith, hope and love into loving union with the Holy Family of Jesus,
Mary and Joseph. I dedicate myself and each member of my family to the
Guardian Angels God has given each one of us. O Holy Guardian Angels,
enlighten, guide and protect each one so as to lead us safely home to
heaven.

At Fatima, dear Mother of God, you appeared with St Joseph and the Child
Jesus blessing the world. O Holy Family, bestow blessings upon me and my
entire family so that we may live the Christ-life. I desire that each
member of my family adore always the Most Blessed Trinity and love our God
in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

Grant peace to each member of my family. Keep each on in the grace of Jesus
Christ. Never permit any of my family to stray from the true faith. (For any
family member who has strayed, I beseech you to bind up the wounds, lift up
the fallen, restore and keep each of our loved ones in grace. Bid them come
back to their Father's true home.) Amen.

Good night all - Sweet Dreams and may God bless your Sunday!