Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Each day is new! Each day is an opportunity to start again and be our best
selves. Lord, silence my old ways of thinking, my old habits, and my old
tapes
inside my head.

Scripture for the day:

"Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life." ~John
6:68

Meditation for the day:

"Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life." The
words of eternal life are the words from God reaching out into our
true being, our spiritual selves. They are the words from God which
are heard by us in our hearts and minds when these are wide open to
God's spirit. These are the words of eternal life, which express the
true way we are to live. They say to us in the stillness of our heart
and mind and soul: "Do this and live."

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may follow the dictates of my conscience. I pray that I
may follow he inner urging of my soul.

Hello my friends! Hot day today! Got the lettuce, kale, radishes and
raspberries picked. Linus saw one ripe cherry on the tree so that's going
to be next. Our strawberries are not doing well at all, but we'll have
plenty of raspberries. We should get some potatoes by the fourth. How I
love fresh dug up potatoes! I love digging them too! It was a nice day off
for Linus today - he did some weeding and mowed the lawn. Made chicken
drummies on the grill - delicious! And we had our fresh lettuce for supper
in a salad with our raspberries, sprouts, sunflower seeds, and tomato,
forgot about the radishes I picked, they are ready in the fridge. Today my
blessings are my everyday ones, our garden, our nice day, our visit with
Darla over the phone from MN to TX free. There's this nice lady in our
Church who sometimes sits with us at daily Mass - we met her in the Choir
and she also was in the Why Catholic group that met - and someone asked
Linus if she is our daughter, and we laughed and said we'd be happy to have
her for a daughter! We told her that, and here on Father's Day she sends him
a Father Day message on the phone while we were at Mass last night - wishing
her adoptive father a wonderful Father's Day - it just blessed his heart!
Mine too! How sweet is that?
She is such a wonderful person inside and out! We love her! Her name is
Deanne. Here's wishing you all a very blessed and positive Tuesday - all
day filled with God's blessings. May you find answers to all your prayers -
thanks for yours and know you are in mine! God bless each and every one of
you, my friends! Love hearing from you!

Why go to Church?


If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this! If you're
spiritually dead, you won't want to read it. If you're spiritually curious,
there is still hope!

Why Go To Church?

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and
complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday. "I've gone
for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like
3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of
them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by
giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column,
much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote
this clincher:

"I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked
some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu
for a single one of those meals. But I do know this.. They all nourished me
and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me
these meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I had not gone
to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!" When you are
DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something! Faith sees the invisible,
believes the incredible and receives the impossible! Thank God for our
physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

God used an important divine inspiration to prove to us that our Holy
Scriptures contains truth... God used prophecy; this is the ability predict
the future. Nobody else can do this, because only God is the creator of
time and only God is above time to know what will happen in the future.

The Old Testament was written hundreds, even thousands, of years before the
time of Jesus.

Arguably, the most important prophecy given to us was the prediction that
Jesus will come to earth to save us. There are hundreds of biblical
predictions concerning the birth, life, and death of Jesus in the Old
Testament and which have been realized and confirmed in the New Testament.
Below are just a few of them which you may find familiar...

In the Old Testament, we read about
a virgin who will become pregnant and it will be a sign that God is with us.
(Isaiah 7:14)
In the New Testament, we are told that
the Virgin Mary, will give birth to Jesus, the Son of the Most High God.
(Luke 1:31-32)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a star that will announce the birth of a king. (Numbers 24:17)
In the New Testament, we are told that
wise men followed the star that led them to baby Jesus. (Matthew 2:2)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a ruler that will be born in Bethlehem. (Micah 5:2)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus was born in Bethlehem. (Luke 2:4-6)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a King who will be known as the Son of God. (Psalms 2:7)
In the New Testament, we are told that
heaven announces Jesus as the Son of God. (Matthew 3:17)

In the Old Testament, we read about
one being betrayed by a close friend for 30 silver coins. (Psalms 41:9 and
Zechariah 11:9,12)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus was betrayed by one of His apostles, Judas, for 30 silver coins.
(Matthew 26:14-15 and Matthew 27:4)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a servant who is treated harshly and yet remaining silent. (Isaiah 53:7)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus kept quiet during harsh accusations. (Matthew 26:63)

In the Old Testament, we read about
one being rejected by one's own people. (Isaiah 53:3)
In the New Testament, we are told that
the crowds chanted for the death of Jesus. (Luke 23:18)

In the Old Testament, we read about
the cry and anguish of a man and the pains of his hands and feet. (Psalms
22:16)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus had his hands pierced by nails. (John 20:25)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a man calling out for God and being humiliated by other people who shook
their heads at him. (Psalms 22:7)
In the New Testament, we are told that
people hurled insults, shook their heads at Jesus, and humiliated him.
(Matthew 27:39 and Luke 23:35)

In the Old Testament, we read about
God's servant who is numbered amongst the criminals. (Isaiah 53:12)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus was crucified with bandits. (Mark 15:27)

In the Old Testament, we read about
God's servant who is being harshly treated and yet still praying that they
might be forgiven. (Isaiah 53:12)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus prays for forgiveness to those who are killing Him. (Luke 23:34)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a victim whose clothes were gambled for and divided up amongst evil men.
(Psalms 22:18)
In the New Testament, we are told that
the soldiers who killed Jesus threw dice and gambled for Jesus' clothes.
(Luke 23:34)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a suffering man who is felt forsaken by his father. (Psalms 22:1)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus felt abandoned by God. (Matthew 27:46)

In the Old Testament, we read about
the good man whom the Lord preserves completely and none of his bones will
be broken. (Psalms 34:20)
In the New Testament, we are told that
the soldiers did not break the legs of Jesus, as they did to the others who
were crucified. (John 19:33)

In the Old Testament, we read about
the one who was stabbed to death and they mourn for him like those who mourn
for an only child. (Zechariah 12:10)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus, the only Son of God, had his side pierced by a soldier's spear. (1
John 4:9 and John 19:34)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a devoted servant who would bear the punishment of many. (Isaiah 53:11)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus died for our sins. (1 Corinthians 15:3)

In the Old Testament, we read about
an innocent man who was buried with the rich. (Isaiah 53:9)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus was taken by a rich man to be buried in the rich man's tomb. (Matthew
27:59-60)

In the Old Testament, we read about
a wise man who is saved from the power of death. (Psalms 49:15)
In the New Testament, we are told that
Jesus rises from the dead. (Luke 24:34)

Prophecy is God's signature on the scriptures. So christians can rejoice,
because God came to earth to save us. And we knew He would... We knew a
thousand years before it happened.

No other book in the history of the world can approach the impact of the
Bible. It has transformed countless lives. It has inspired great works of
art, music and literature. The very wealthy have drawn success secrets from
its pages; the most poor have found comfort and challenge in its words. And
it is the basis for much of "civil" society in many parts of the globe.

A Letter of Jesus to You,

to pray with Him


I am Jesus of Nazareth, and I am always with you, like the sun is always
with you, even on a winter night when you don't see it… if the sun were not
with you, you would be frozen, even more that in the North Pole.

I am your friend and I want to help: Take a minute and tell me about your
problem… yes, I know it well!… but if you talk to me about it, it means that
you have faith in me, and to have faith in me is the way I can help you,
and, besides, you show you want to be my friend… I am listening!.

Tell me about your dreams, your successes and failures, your problems at
home, in the neighborhood, at work… take a little time… friends spend time
with each other, and talk about it all…. and I can help, I really want to
help… but I will never force you into anything, I am with you like a dove,
like the Holy Spirit, but with the hurricane power of Pentecost, able to
fill you up with my own love and joy and peace…

I know you don't see me… but also you don't see the waves of radio and
television, and they are there with you!… you only need a good radio or TV
set… a good set to see me is prayer, specially to see the results of what I
can do for you…

Watch out after prayer!… for sure I am going to answer you!, probably not
with words, but with deeds!… that's the way God usually talks: Giving you
your hands and feet and heart, and the air and sun… and giving you your
relatives and friends, and the sky and animals and roses… all the scientists
have been unable to make a petal of of rose, not even a leaf of a tree or
one of your hairs!.

I always answer your prayers with a big YES!… if there is a storm in your
life, and you pray, I will always answer you in either one of these two
ways: I will calm the storm, or I will calm you, and you will pass through
the storm with the joy and peace I can give.

So, tell me about your storm: Your sickness, your problem with your husband
or wife or children or parents or friends or enemies… your problem at work,
with money… that big problem of your soul… I really enjoy listening to you,
I have all the time of the world for you… thank you for your company, for
your friendship…

When you pray with a friend or for a friend, I am with you in a very special
way, like the sun is with you on a beautiful springtime day… because then,
you not only believe in me, but you also believe in my Church… and that's a
great joy for me, as I said in Matt.18:19-20.

So, take a little time and tell me about the problems or dreams of your
relatives, or friends, or enemies… I can help them, and I want to help them,
I really want!… but I need the spark of your prayer, of your friendship, of
your faith… I need you!… your friends need you!…

Thank you for this time with me… and watch out!… don't forget to give thanks
to God when you get the good results you asked for, in your own life, or in
the life of your friends.

One suggestion more: Whenever you can, go and visit me in the Eucharist, in
the Tabernacle, at the Temple: I am also there present, but as the sun in
summer on a hot noon, with my Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity… all of me!… I
am in love with you… let me love you, just show me your faith and friendship
by just visiting me, and receiving the whole of me in your heart. I am
waiting for you. I want to be your daily bread of life (Jn.6:48-58,
Matt.6:11).

Thank you for this time. Your friend,

Jesus of Nazareth.

adapted from John Paul II, 8 October 2000


...O Mother, like the apostle John,
we wish to take you into our home
that we may learn from you to become
like your Son.

"Woman, behold your son!"
Here we stand before you
to entrust to your maternal care
ourselves and our families,
the Church, the entire world.

Plead for us with your beloved Son
that he may give us in abundance the
HOLY SPIRIT, the SPIRIT of truth which
is the fountain of life.

Receive the SPIRIT for us and with us,
as happened in the first community gathered
round you in Jerusalem on the day of
Pentecost.

May the SPIRIT open our hearts to justice
and love, and guide families, people and
nations to mutual understanding and a firm
desire for peace.

We entrust to you all people, beginning
with the weakest: the babies yet unborn,
and those born into poverty and suffering,
the young in search of meaning, the
unemployed, and those suffering hunger
and disease.

We entrust to you all troubled families,
the elderly with no one to help them,
and all who are alone and without hope...

Mother Teresa said...
Be happy in the moment, that's enough. Each moment is all we need, not more.
Be happy now and if you show through your actions that you love others,
including those who are poorer than you, you'll give them happiness, too. It
doesn't take much - it can be just giving a smile. The world would be a much
better place if everyone smiled more. So smile, be cheerful, be joyous that
God loves you.