Community Chat

[gloriajean]

We call on God in our big problems, but often forget to call on Him
in our ordinary moments, yet He is always there and always loving us.
Lord, every time I seek Your help, You draw me closer to You.

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

"O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand." ~Isaiah 64:8

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

I can be renewed. I can be remade. In this I need God's help. God's
spirit can flow through me and, in flowing through me, it can sweep
away all the bitter past. I can take heart. The way can open for me.
Each day can unfold something good, as long as I am trying to live the
I believe God wants me to live.

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

I pray that I may be taught, but as a child would be taught. I pray
that I may never question God's plans, but accept them gladly.

Peace of the New Year be yours! Today Linus was scheduled to work, but they didn't need him, so sent him joyfully home to rest his feet!! He thought he might have to live today on iboprofins to get thru the day. Big blessing for him!!! He took the tree down, grilled the rest of the pork that he started to grill last night. We both didn't think it was wise to re-freeze the meat after it was thawed out, and neither of us could remember the reason why we shouldn't, so he grilled the rest and now we can freeze the cooked meat.
First thing this morning he went to Dr. Mike. He was pretty much out of joint from working those long hours last week and he told him that if he wanted to, he'll write a slip stating he shouldn't work long hours. He'll talked to Justin, the manager, about that when he gets a chance. Today my day was restful. I don't know why I've been so tired today - I did take a nap, still tired, so thought I'll get this thread out earlier, and go to bed early after our prayers. You all are included In our Rosary every day.
It's a blessing that I'm home and I can take a nap when I'm tired, it's a blessing to know that I can come here and my friends are here for me!! What a blessing you all are!!
And it's a great blessing to know that Our Lord, Jesus, is always with us, always there for us, always with us in prayer - where there are two or more gathered in prayer, He is in the midst of us. That is a great blessing and promise! It's a blessing also that He gave us His dear Mother, Mary to be our very own Blessed Mother and she is always here for us too, and our great interceder. Yesterday morning on Relevant Radio I heard some testimonies that were very interesting how Mary helped people who were in trouble by them turning to her and praying the Rosary. One was going to their parents on Christmas Eve and their car quit! The husband started walking to a gas station, the mother started praying the Rosary with the kids, and soon a man comes to the car asking if they need help. She said her husband was getting help at the gas station, the man with his truck drove there, came back with the husband, and fixed the car - here he was a mechanic, with all the tools in the car!!
There were more stories, but no room here to post them all!


Homily of the Day


January 3, 2011


By Their Fruits You Shall Know Them
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

1 Jn 3:22-4:6 / Mt 4:12-17, 23-25

“Should,” “must,” and “ought” are words for which we seem to have an inordinate affection. We like to use them a lot when we’re giving free advice to our friends or when we’re evaluating the decisions of others, whether they be coaches or politicians. Somehow, we have plenty of answers for other people’s questions. But what about our own?

Every day, whether we like it or not and whether we’re ready or not, we have to make all sorts of decisions large and small. Very few of them fall into the category of “life determining,” such as choosing a mate or a profession or deciding to have a family. But many of our tiny, seemingly insignificant choices have a way of adding up into whole life styles with major consequences.

So how do we discern what is true and what is not? John’s epistle tells us: “Do not trust every spirit, but put the spirits to the test to see if they belong to God.” The Holy Spirit will guide us in doing that, if we’re willing to take the time and to listen. And the most pertinent question the Holy Spirit will help us ask of ourselves concerns consequences. The old saying is right on the mark, “By their fruits you shall know them.” Does this choice or that life pattern produce “good fruit” and have good consequences? Are life and love built up or are they broken down and worn away by this or that choice?

The Holy Spirit will save us from the demon of self-deception if we are willing to invest in listening time with an open heart.

May your heart be open and listening, now and always!

I hope you all enjoy reading the Words of Encouragment which is now explaining the 12 days of Christmas. I sure am.

Words of Encouragement

January 3, 2011

The Tenth Day of Christmas!
by Mark Shea

Exodus 20:1

And God spoke all these words…

The awesome thing about the Ten Commandments is that they were spoken by God. The next most awesome thing is that we can understand them. A Being that invented the mysteries of quantum physics and the impenetrable enigma of every cell in your body needn't, once you think about it, have done either. But He did both. And because He did, we began to know Him. In the giving of the Ten Commandments, His word was spoken. In the birth of Jesus at Christmas, His Word became flesh.

January 3, 2011

Prayer

"A person's prayer often keeps step with his moral life. The closer our behavior corresponds to the Divine Will, the easier it is to pray; the more our conduct is out of joint with Divinity, the harder it is to pray."
Fulton J. Sheen

For Reflection:
On a scale of one to ten, with one being "easy" and ten being "most difficult," how would I rate my experience of prayer? In light of Bishop Sheen's quote, is a serious examination of conscience in order?
(Please note the word "often" in Bishop Sheen's quote. Other reasons exist for difficulty in prayer such as distraction or aridity. However, it is always good to examine our conscience as a first prevention against difficulty in prayer time.)

Mother Teresa Said...
You must try to bring the presence of God to your families. I think that just being together and loving one another brings peace and joy and strengthens the bond between family members in the home. That is the way to overcome all the evil that is in the world.

Start The New Year Out Right

Every once in awhile something really nice crosses your computer screen...like this..... Remember the five simple rules to be happy:

1. Free your heart from hatred.
2. Free your mind from worries.
3. Live simply.
4. Give more.
5. Expect less.

No one can go back and make a brand new start. Anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

Disappointments are like road bumps, they slow you down a bit but you enjoy the smooth road afterwards.

Don't stay on the bumps too long. Move on!

When you feel down because you didn't get what you want, just sit tight and be happy, because God has thought of something better to give you.

When something happens to you, good or bad, consider what it means. There's a purpose to life's events, to teach you how to laugh more or not to cry too hard.

You can't make someone love you, all you can do is be someone who can be loved, the rest is up to the person to realize your worth.

It's better to lose your pride to the one you love, than to lose the one you love because of pride.

We spend too much time looking for the right person to love or finding fault with those we already love, when instead we should be perfecting the love we give.

Never abandon an old friend. You will never find one who can take his place. Friendship is like wine, it gets better as it grows older.

Pass it on to your friends . . .

I Am There

You cannot see Me,
yet I am the Light you see by.

You cannot hear Me,
yet I speak through your voice.

You cannot feel Me,
yet I am the power at work in your hands.

I am at work
though you do not understand My ways.

I am at work
though you do not recognize My works.

I am not strange visions,
I am not mysteries...
only in absolute stillness beyond self
can you know Me as I am
and then but as a feeling and a faith.

Yet, I am there. Yet I hear.
Yet I answer.
When you need Me, I am there.

Even if you deny Me, I am there.
Even when you feel most alone, I am there.
Even in your fears, I am there.
Even in your pain, I am there.

I am there when you pray
and when you do not pray.

I am in you
you are in Me.

I am the law
on which the movement of the stars
and the growth of living cells are founded.

I am the love
that is law's fulfilling.

I am assurance.

I am peace.

I am openness.

I am the law
that you live by.

I am the love
that you cling to.

I am your assurance.

I am your peace.

I am one with you.

Beloved , I am there.

(author unknown)

Friends, today is the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus and I'd like this to be our closing prayer:

"Glorious name, gracious name, name of love and of power! Through you sins are forgiven, through you enemies are vanquished, through you the sick are freed from their illness, through you those suffering in trials are made strong and cheerful. You bring honor to those who believe, you teach those who preach, you give strength to the toiler, you sustain the weary" (St. Bernardine of Siena).

Good night now and Sweet Dreams to all!! May your tomorrow be everything you hope it to be - filled by blessing after blessings! May you enjoy good health, those who are sick with colds, heal fast, and those chronically ill, heal, by the Holy Name of Jesus. Amen.
I gotta tell you something about an old nun I used to know. She said that the Name of Jesus is like Honey on your lips. She went to bed repeating the Name of Jesus over and over and in the morning she had a sweet honey taste in her mouth!
Praise the Name of Jesus!! Now and Forever!!