Community Chat

[gloriajean]

There is much wisdom in knowing what to overlook. Lord, may I take
every opportunity to praise and choose carefully when I feel the need
to criticize.


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

"So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love,
and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them."
~John 4:16

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

A consciousness of God's presence as one who loves us can make all life
different. The consciousness of God's love can promote the opening of
our whole being to God. It can bring wonderful relief from the cares
and worries of our daily lives. Relief can bring peace and peace can
bring contentment. We can try to walk in God's love. We can have a
contentment that no one can take from us. We can feel sure of God's
unfailing love and care for us and for all God's children. There is
freedom and serenity in those who walk in God's love, held safe in God's
loving care.

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

I pray that I may walk in God's love. I pray that, as I go, I may feel
the spring of God's power in my steps and the joy of God's love in my heart.

Hello my friends! Hope you all had a great day today. We had sunshine, and
that's always good, but it was colder. In reading about your working
outside sounds like the middle of summer to me. My blessings today -
Ordinary Day!! Praise the Lord! Not much went on here today except that he
worked and had a good day at work, and that's always a blessing. Tomorrow
morning he sees the specialist for his knee. Yes, the surgeon!! I pray he
won't need surgery. Can you believe that next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday
already? Just heard that on the radio. Time to think of some good Lenten
stuff to send to my list and here. Are you making any Lenten Resolutions?
I will, some. I will do the Stations of the Cross for one, often, if not
daily. There - I said it so I have to do it! Last year both Lori and I
didn't eat meat - I don't think I'll be doing that again - just Fridays,
maybe Wednesdays too, but not everyday. That got much!

Homily of the Day


March 2, 2011


To Ransom Captives and Rescue Prisoners
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Sir 36: 1, 4-5a, 10-17 / Mk 10:32-45

Deep in the Middle Ages wave after wave of Christians went on crusades to
the Holy Land to liberate the holy places from the Moslems. These crusades
went on for several centuries and failed in the end. But in the meantime
there were vast numbers of casualties: many thousands killed or injured in
battle, tens of thousands — including a king of France — cut down by disease
on the way, and thousands more — including a king of England — held captive
for ransom. Whole religious orders of priests were founded with the sole
purpose of ransoming captives and liberating prisoners from the clutches of
the heathens. And sometimes those priests would even offer themselves in
exchange for the prisoners!

Just an isolated moment in history long ago and far away? We might think so,
but today’s Gospel disagrees. For, as we heard so clearly, Jesus defines his
whole mission as ransoming captives. “I have come to give my life in ransom
for the many.” In defining himself in that way, Jesus also defines our
vocation as his followers. So we’d better figure out what this business of
ransoming captives and rescuing prisoners is all about.

First of all, what it’s not about for us is dashing off to Lebanon or Iran
or Iraq to negotiate with terrorists. Our task is more subtle than that, and
our opportunities are much closer at hand. Jesus is asking us to do for one
another what he tries to do for us. He’s asking us to invest our very best
energies in the task of setting one another free from whatever holds us
captive.

To understand that vocation we have to look closely at the kinds of things
that enslave people. Just think of the fears, and angers, and grudges that
hold people captive. Think of the bad habits of a lifetime that are trapping
so many. Think of the bad ideas that imprison so many. And think of the
compulsive need for things, the need for stuff, which holds so many of us
hostage and forecloses the possibility of a happy life. Just call up in your
mind’s eye the face of anyone you know, friend or foe, and you’ll see there,
even in the very best of people, the hints of prison walls, the need to be
set free.

So how do we go about helping one another escape our prison walls? Tons of
free advice will rarely do it — we’ve already learned that! The most
powerful, liberating gift we have to give is our steadfast, compassionate
presence. Our strength, our goodness, and our willingness to continue
walking at the side of our friend can, in time, become strength and goodness
and freedom for our friend.

That is a wonderful gift we have to give: strength, goodness, and freedom.
What a sadness it would be if we failed to give it!

Short Meditation:

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Called to Respond

As Christians, we are called to follow the example of Jesus
who held nothing back, who gave it all for us.…
We are called to respond to people in need
not because they “deserve” our help by some merit of their own,
but because it is what God calls us to do,
because the person before us is a child of God,
the face of Christ before us, even if nothing
this person does or has done seems “deserving.”

from Saints Off the Pedestal: Real Saints for Real People

START OVER


When you've trusted God and walked his way
When you've felt his hand lead you day by day
But your steps now take you another way ...

Start over.

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry
When you've tried your best and there's no more to try
When you've failed yourself and you don't know why ...

Start over.

When you've told your friends what you plan to do
When you've trusted them and they didn't come through
And you're all alone and it's up to you ...

Start over.

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone
When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong
And now your grandchildren come along ...

Start over.

When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will
When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still ...
When you want to stop cause you've had your fill ...

Start over.

When you think you're finished and want to quit
When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit
When you've tried and tried to get out of it ...

Start over.

When the year has been long and successes few
When December comes and you're feeling blue
God gives a January just for you ...

Start over.

Starting over means "Victories Won"
Starting over means "A Race Well Run"
Starting over means "God's Will Done"
Don't just sit there ..............

When I say good morning I mean to say:
G-od
O-ffers us His
O-utstanding
D-evotion to
M-ake us
O-bedient &
R-eady for a
N-ew day with Him.
I-nspire others please, and
N-ever forget
G-od loves you!

God's Will For You and Me


Just to be tender, just to be true,
Just to be glad the whole day through,
Just to be merciful, just to be mild,
Just to be trustful as a child,
Just to be gentle and kind and sweet,
Just to be helpful with willing feet,
Just to be cheery when things go wrong,
Just to drive sadness away with a song.
Whether the hour is dark or bright,
Just to be loyal to God and right,
Just to believe that God knows best,
Just in His promises ever to rest-
Just to let love be our daily key,
That is God's will for you and me.


~~~ "A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing." ~~~

Prayers in Times of Weakness, Trial, Tribulation
O Heart of Love, I place all my trust in Thee, for I fear all things from my
own weakness, but I hope for all things from Thy goodness.
St. Margaret Mary

I live through the mercy of Jesus, to whom I owe everything and from whom I
expect everything.
Pope John the 23rd

Yet, O Lord, though I have no feeling of confidence in You, nevertheless, I
know that You are my God, that I am all Yours, and that I have no hope but
in your goodness; so, I abandon myself entirely into Your hands.
St. Francis de Sales

You make a root below the soil flourish and you can make fruitful the
darkness in which you keep me.
Jean-Pierre de Caussade

I adore all Thy purposes without

VISITING DAY
Author Unknown
March 2, 2011


He was looking forward to this moment all day long, after 6 days of
labor and it finally arrived - Visiting Day!


The man with the keys arrived to swing open the large, heavy doors.
The cold gray hall springs to life in the warm glow of light. He could
hardly control His emotions.


The families began to arrive. He peers from the corner of the room
longing for the 1st glimpse of His loved one. He lives for the
weekends. He lives for these visits.


As the cars arrive, He watches intently. Then, finally, they arrive,
for whom He would do anything. They embrace, eat a light lunch and
reminisce how things used to be.


At one point, they break into singing, with interruptions of laughter
and applause. But all too soon it is over. A tear comes to His eyes as
they depart.


Then the man with the keys closes the heavy doors. He hears the key
turn in the lock marking the end of a special day. There He stands,
alone again.


He knows that most of His visitors will not contact Him again till
next week. As the last car pulls away from the parking lot, Jesus
retreats into loneliness as He waits until next Sunday - Visiting Day.


Is the time that we spend with Jesus an everyday thing, or do we just
visit Him on Sunday. Think about it ...

Closing Prayer:

Healing Prayer

Dear God,
Be my redeemer, my internal teacher, my divine physician.
Thank You for your presence in my life.
I surrender to You all I am, all I think, all I feel, and all I have.
I recognize in this moment that Yours is the power to heal and make whole.
You who have the power to work miracles,
You who rule time and space, please take me in Your arms and hold me.

Dear Lord, please lift me up and heal me.
Cast out of my mind all thoughts that are not of You.
Cast out of me all harsh and critical nature.
Cast out of me all violence and all anger.
Cast out of me all demons from my past.
For I would be made new.

I wish to walk so close to You that we might be as one.
I ask for new life, new mind, new body, new spirit.
Dear God, please come into me and release me from this pain.

Amen.

Good night everyone - Sweet dreams to all and may your Thursday be filled
with lots of joy, peace and love, plus many more blessings!
God bless you all!! See you then.