Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Our body is the temple of God and our soul is His image. It is the devil's work
to make us forget that and feel useless, incapable and worthless.
Lord, I will not deny Your existence in me. I am strong and capable because
You live and work through me.

Scripture for the day:

For God has commanded that every lofty mountain be made low, and that the
age-old depths and gorges be filled to level ground, that Israel may
advance secure in the glory of God. The forests and every fragrant kind of
tree have overshadowed Israel at God's command; for God is leading Israel
in joy by the light of his glory, with his mercy and justice for company.
~Baruch 5:1-9

A voice of one crying out in the desert: "Prepare the way of the Lord,
make straight his paths.
Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made
low. The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made
smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God." ~Luke 3:1-6


Meditation for the day:

We need to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus at Christmas . and His
coming at the end of time as well. This is the season to level the ground
and get rid of the mountains, hills and winding roads that are in the way.
The Sacrament of Reconciliation can be very helpful in this process. We
can make room for the Lord to come to us.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may level the ground and straighten the road for the Lord to
come to me. I pray that I may build peace and live justly.

Peace of the Lord be with you all! Hope you all had a good Monday! I had the day off today - I mentioned having Father Matthew over this morning for Apple Pancakes at 8 AM - it was very nice - he's such a nice young man, he gave us a hug too! He told us a little about our new pastor, Fr. Vince, I haven't seen him yet, but he says he's very nice and easy to get along with and what a relief for Fr. Matthew to not have to take care of both parishes anymore!
Today was a laid back day for me - I had a nap, and just heated up chili for supper. I put in the left over barbequed beef into the chili and was that ever good!! I'll have to do that again! Linus - well, he had a bad day at work today - his knee was very painful, so I told him that he just has to get to the bottom of it all, and not use the brace or Iboprifins for a crutch but get the right treatment. He agreed. He'll have to start with going to work and filling out another workman's comp paper, when his knee first gave out there he filled one, but he doesn't think it's still there, because he kept going to work. Now we are thinking he may need physical therapy but he needs a doctor to refer him. Please, again, pray for his knee to get better, and that we make the right decisions. He's tired of being in so much pain!!
Thank you for caring and for your prayers. I won't worry - but I'm concerned and know things have to get done, and then God will do His best. I place Him in God's Hands, and God is in control. Tuesday I'll be working all day at Lori's office.

Homily of the Day


December 6, 2010


Life Dosn´t Have to Be Flat and Gray
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Is 35:1-10 / Lk 5:17-26

There are stages in all our lives that qualify very nicely for some of the adjectives that Isaiah uses in today’s first reading: parched, lifeless, lame, feeble, thirsting. We don’t have to be old or sick to have those feelings deep in our souls. Life can wear us down. The endless routines, the etceteras of life can leave us with the energy and dynamism of a TV test pattern. And we can seriously begin to wonder if we’ve still got a pulse.

It can happen for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes we hit a dead end, find ourselves in a place with no life in it, and slowly recognize that we need to make some changes and move on. But more often it’s a simple matter of memory loss: we forgot why we’re here in this place, doing this or that, and we forgot where we’re going.

It’s the “vision thing.” And when we lose our vision, the whole world turns gray. The remedy is actually quite simple: Remembering who we are, what our gifts are, and to whom God is calling us to carry those gifts. The moment the vision returns, the energy and the joy return as well.

That’s a key part of our daily prayer, remembering that we are the Lord’s and that we have from him a purpose that is worthy of us. So take that quiet remembering time with the Lord every day. It’s the best investment you’ll ever make.

My Christmas Pledge

I Promise . . .

I. To make my Christmas a holy day with Christ-----not a holiday without Him.
2. To observe Christmas as the birthday of Christ-----not a day to give and receive material gifts.
3. To remember that the real symbols of Christmas are the Star, the Stable and the Crib-----not Santa Claus and his reindeer.
4. To teach my children that "Santa Claus" is the nickname of St. Nicholas-----who gave to the poor in honor of Christ.
5. To help one poor family-----in honor of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family of Bethlehem.
6. To send Christmas cards remindful of Him, the Infant Savior-----not decorated only with candy canes, dogs, ribbons and wreaths.
7. To make room in my home for Him-----with a Christmas Crib to remind me that He was born in a stable.
8. During the Christmas season, in a special way, to honor Mary, His mother-----who kept the first Christmas vigil beside the manger.
9. To begin Christmas by leading my family to His altar-----to receive the Bread of Life.
10. Today and every day, to give "Glory to God in the highest"-----to work and pray for "Peace on earth to men of good will".

From Fasting To Feasting

Fast from judging others;
Feast on seeing the best in people.

Fast from emphasis on differences;
Feast on the unity of life.

Fast from despair;
Feast on hope.

Fast from thoughts of illness;
Feast on the healing power of God.

Fast from words that destroy;
Feast on phrases that are encouraging.

Fast from discontent;
Feast on gratitude.

Fast from anger;
Feast on patience.

Fast from being negative;
Feast on being positive.

Fast from worry;
Feast on trust.

Fast from complaining;
Feast on appreciation.

Fast from hostility;
Feast on peacemaking.

Fast from bitterness;
Feast on forgiveness.

Fast from constant activity;
Feast on slowing down.

Fast from disrespect;
Feast on recognizing the sacred in all life.

Fast from self-concern;
Feast on compassion for others.

- Author Unknown


Don't Give Them Vinegar!

The preacher placed two identical jars on the table next to the pulpit.

He quoted 1 Samuel 16:7 'The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

"These jars came from the same factory, were made of the same materials, and can hold the same amount. But they are different," he explained. Then he upset one and it oozed out honey. He turned over the other, and vinegar spilled out.

"When a jar is upset, whatever is in it comes out. Until the jars were upset, they looked alike. The difference was within, and could not be seen. When they were upset, their contents were revealed. Until we are upset we put on a good front. But when we are upset, we reveal our innermost thoughts and attitudes, for 'out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.'" (Luke 6:45)

What if someone tipped you over today? What would flow out? Would you reveal the "honey" of grace and patience, or the "vinegar" of anger and sarcasm?

"Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." (1Peter 4:8)

Have a terrific day knowing that the one who upsets you may be just looking for some honey - Don't give them vinegar!


CHILDREN'S CHRISTMAS SERVICE
By Marion Smith
Large churches have their pluses and minuses, as do small
ones .I am thankful I have been a part of both.

When our children were in their teen years, our family
worshiped at the 11 PM Christmas eve service. The hush of the
congregation as candles were lit at the close of the service, along
with singing of Silent Night is still- to this day- a very sweet
memory for me.

However, time marches on, and we spend the holidays with
grandchildren, we are blessed to attend the Children’s Service the day
before Christmas. This year the church was jam packed. What a praise
to God that each parent exhibited- getting their family to church
during the last minute bustle of the season! Well, the pace was
lively, the music delightful, the overhead screen depicting Charlie
Brown reading Luke 2, and the candles lit at the end of the service –
once again- as we sang Silent Night.

I noticed a man who arrived late. He had no children with
him, and I wondered- had he just seen the cars outside the church and
been draw in? Here, on the day before Christmas, had the Holy Spirit
guided this man to come and sit in His house of worship? The
latecomer’s appearance was rather shabby. Unshaven, with dirty hair
tied in a pony tail, he squeezed in at the end of a pew, next to a
well groomed man wearing a suit. Before long, it was the end of the
service- time to light the candles and sing Silent Night. The late
arriver had no candle, as they had all been distributed. The father
looked to his left and noticed the situation. He then gave his candle
to this man. Their eyes met; a smile formed on each face; I witnessed
the love of Jesus in action. As I sat and observed from two pews
behind, I thought, God bless them both. One gave; one received. And
God looked down and saw the power of Jesus’ love in action.

Good night now and God bless you all!! Sweet Dreams and may your Angels surround you with love and peace! Enjoy the Gift of God's day!!

Closing Prayer:

Prayer for Trust in Jesus

O Christ Jesus,
when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.
Help us to have perfect trust
in Your protecting love
and strengthening power,
so that nothing may frighten or worry us,
for, living close to You,
we shall see Your hand,
Your purpose, Your will through all things.


St. Ignatius of Loyola
May we all be sensitive to those who are less fortunate than
we are. Let us remember the reason Christ came to earth—not just for
those who had much – but for each one upon this earth. May we give to
others as has been given to us, and do so with the love of Christ in
our hearts.