Community Chat

[gloriajean]

We are often called upon by God as His means to care for His people.
Lord, I am here to serve You and am ready to do Your work.

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.

Greetings my friends! Hope your day went well. Today it was cooler, didn't get in the upper 80's, this morning it was beautiful out! We went to Mass at 8, a blessing it always is when we go, and another blessing was that Linus had to work a long day today and his feet didn't hurt!! He was at a shoe place that had doctors and they put some paddings inside his orthodics and that took pain away! Amazing! Prayers help for sure!! What are your blessings?

Homily of the Day
July 25, 2011
We Possess a Treasure in Earthen Vessels
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.
2 Cor 4:7-15 / Mt 20:20-28
A wise old Irish nun once quoted an old saying to me: “Pain is the price of consciousness.” How regularly that truth is evident in the life of St. Paul, who was painfully aware of his own feet of clay. As he says in today’s epistle, “We possess a treasure in earthen vessels.” It’s true of us all, though sometimes we don’t remember either part of that quote. We so easily forget what a treasure we have in the totally unearned love with which the Lord cherishes us. Who in the world could have imagined that this would be the way that God would want to deal with his creatures? But, unlike St. Paul, we also regularly forget how seriously unfinished we are, and we take the Lord’s love for granted, almost as if it were earned. To face our flaws as Paul did is painful and it’s tempting to look the other way. But consciousness of our real selves, instead of our imaginary selves, is the price of opening the door to God’s healing love, and it’s the key to beginning to grow into the persons that God always dreamed we’d be.
That consciousness of our real selves has to be renewed and expanded daily. The task is never done in this life. But rewards are real, here and now, and they’re worth the pain, every bit of it. It’s not the pain of death, but the pain of giving birth.

Power of the Holy Name of Jesus
The name of Jesus is the shortest, the easiest, and the most powerful of prayers. Everyone can say it, even in the midst of daily work. Our Lord Himself has solemnly promised that whatever we ask the Father in His Name we shall receive (provided, of course, that it be for His Glory and the good of our soul).
Each time we pronounce the holy Name of Jesus with reverence and love, and with proper intention, we give great glory to God and obtain for ourselves priceless graces.
Each time we say Jesus, we may, in desire:
Make an act of perfect love, offering to God all the infinite love of His Divine Son as if it were our own.
Offer the Passion and Death of Our Lord to the Eternal Father for His greater glory and our own intentions.
Offer to God all the infinite merits and perfections of Jesus.
Offer all the Holy Masses said each day throughout the world, for the glory of God and the good of our own and others' souls.
Each time we say Jesus, we increase in our souls the virtues of faith, hope and charity. Our faith becomes more lively, our confidence in God greater, and our love more intense.
The Holy Name of Jesus saves us from innumerable evils and dangers, helps us to overcome temptations, and delivers us from the power of the devil, who is constantly seeking to do us harm.
The Holy Name of Jesus fills our souls with peace and joy, and gives us strength to bear our trials and sufferings with patience and resignation.
Each time we say Jesus, we can gain a partial indulgence which we may apply to the souls in purgatory, thus relieving and liberating many of them from their awful pains, and gaining for ourselves friends who will pray for us with incredible fervor.
We ought, therefore, to try to acquire the habit of saying Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, very often every day, with fervent love and devotion - when dressing, when working - no matter what we are doing, in moments of sadness and in moments of joy, at home, in company, on the street, when walking, riding or waiting. We can say it countless times every day, and thus gain untold graces and blessings for ourselves and for the whole world. Nothing is easier, if only we do it with all our heart.
INVOCATION
O admirable Name of Jesus! Name most holy! to men most amiable! Name above every name. No other name is given under heaven in which we can be saved.
Jesus, honey in our mouth, melody to our ears, sweet jubilee to our hearts! O Jesus! You are our life, You are our salvation, You are our glory, to You be praise forever and ever. Amen
Imprimatur +Carolus Hubertus LeBlond
Episcopus Sancti Josephi
Infant of Prague Press

Messages to Remember
When you find a dream inside your heart, don't ever let it go. For dreams are
the tiny seeds from which beautiful tomorrows grow. Let God take care of you!
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Words and hearts should be handled with care, for words when spoken and hearts
when broken are the hardest ones to repair.
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Appreciate even the simplest things in life, like a smile or a hug, for you can
never tell how long these will last.
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The virtue of friendship is not finding the perfect friend, but by loving the
imperfect friend perfectly. True friendship doesn't have a happy ending. It
simply doesn't end.
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When I grow old and am about to die, I will remember your face and the places
we've been to. Though it may seem so few, it would surely make me smile because
when I die, I know I'm still keeping you.
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When you are feeling stressed and about to break down, just remember: STRESSED
is just DESSERTS spelled backwards. It's just a piece of cake!
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There is no shop in the world where we can buy friends… that's why we treasure
them, knowing that we can't find any replacement over the counter. God bless you!
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I may be out of reach and out of sight but I'm always touching your heart,
praying and hoping that you will always be all right. Take care!
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When I say friend, I mean someone heaven-sent. Someone I care about, someone
special. Someone worth loving, someone like you.
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A person with a good heart smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress,
and grows brave through reflection and prayers.
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Today, I wish you simple joy that lasts, love that won't end, blessings to be
shared, courage to achieve your dreams, and beautiful moments to remember.
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Let Love be your companion, Hope be your guide, and wherever Life leads you,
keep Laughter by your side! Smile, for the Lord loves you!
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What makes friendship special is the way each one remembers the other when they
are apart and they miss the talks, the laughs and the times they were together.
Life changes; memories don't.
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Sometimes, we close our eyes and just listen to the echoes of our hearts. We
fall in love and there are times when we love so much that we lose ourselves
in our own emotions.
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Life is always changing; we're meant to strive and grow. That's why each day
measures more than years. So, take time to treasure the things you've gained,
grown and learned. You are special.
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You may think that time makes people forget… but the longer the time people
spend apart, the longer it makes them remember each other more often.

The Boat
Old Mrs. Watkins awoke one spring morning to find that the river
had flooded the entire first floor of her house. Looking out of
her window, she saw that the water was still rising.
Two men passing by on a rowboat shouted up an invitation to row
to safety with them. "No, thank you," Mrs. Watkins replied. "The
Lord will provide." The men shrugged and rowed on.
By evening, the water level forced Mrs. Watkins to climb on top
of the roof for safety. She was spotted by a man in a motorboat,
who offered to pick her up. "Don't trouble yourself," she told
him. "The Lord will provide."
Pretty soon, Mrs. Watkins had to seek refuge atop the chimney.
When a Red Cross cutter came by on patrol, she waved it on, shouting,
"The Lord will provide." So the boat left, the water rose, and
the old woman drowned.
Dripping wet and thoroughly annoyed, she came through the pearly
gates and demanded to speak to God. "What happened?" she cried.
"What else did you want me to do," God said. "I sent three boats."
Author Unknown

The Lord's Test
I woke up this morning
and knew that today,
The sun would not be shining
and the clouds would be gray!
As I stepped outside,
rain fell upon my head.
My car wouldn't start
so I walked to school instead.
I forgot all of my assignments
I failed all of my tests.
I dropped my head in disgust
and asked the Lord for one request.
"Lord, why is it that things
won't go my way?"!
He gently replied, "Dear child it
is because you didn't thank me yesterday.
I woke you up and enabled
you to see the sun again!
I gave you shelter,
protected your family,
and even let you make a new friend.
I blessed you far
greater than I ever had before.
But you were too busy
to thank me once more.
You didn't feel sick
because I maintained your health.
You had money in your pocket
because I maintained your wealth!
You had shoes on your feet
and clothes to wear, too.
You had plenty of food to eat,
and what did you do?
You ignored me and went
about your tasks.
But when you wanted something
you never hesitated to ask.
I was there when you needed me
and that wasn't too long ago.
But when things started going your way,
it was me you did not know.
As if that weren't enough,
I provided your favorite luxuries.
This was something I didn't have
to do, they weren't even necessities.
And when it was time to get on your
knees and show your gratitude.
You decided that after such a
fulfilling day, you weren't in the mood.
So I decided to
give you just a little test.!
To show you how it would feel
to stop being blessed."
I began to realize what
the Lord was saying.
And when I got home, I fell
to my knees and started praying.
He said, "My child, you have
learned and you know I do forgive.
But remember to remember this day
as long as you shall live.
I love filling your life with joy,
and your pain I'll alleviate it.
But just a simple thank you
would show how much you appreciate it."

A Prayer for Guidance
Lord I stand before you with a heavy heart,
I don’t have all the answers,
I am turning to you for guidance.
I want to be happy and healthy,
not if it offends you.
I want to know I am making the right decisions,
decisions that will not hurt you.
I am human and know I make mistakes,
I am human and know I am weak.
Allow me to gain strength from you.
I am asking for help.
Give me the strength to fight for what is important.
Give me the strength to help people as they help me.
Help me to see right from wrong through the trials of my life.
Never let me just give up on myself.
Forgive me for my mistakes and failures,
know I am trying to be the best and strongest person I can.
Never let me quit! ´
Amen.

Good night everyone! Sweet Dreams and may your Tuesday be blessed!!