Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Study who you are and follow your heart because it will often lead you
to miracles. Lord, in knowing who I am, I will become better able to know
and serve You.


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.

Hello my friends! Such beautiful weather today - like spring and snow is
melting! In the patio it was almost 70 and I sat on the swing talking to
Ann this afternoon. She got back from seeing Mike last night, and Ray left
this morning to go there for a week. When he got to the car this morning, it
had a flat tire! Thank God Ann didn't have trouble with it on her 8 hour
trip home! One of the guys in the other car, pickup, died, one is critical
and the driver is fine, but got arrested for drinking and driving. Michael
was on his way home from work driving the company vehicle. He is home from
the hospital, can go back to work in a couple weeks, but not to lift
anything over 20 pounds for a month. He never needed surgery - his liver
and spleen got torn. So we pray his body heals without having to have
surgery. There was a surgeon right there, but it was decided not to. It
was nice talking to Ann, but I think it was a bit soon to be back at work
tonight - in talking about it, makes her break down, but I told her I'd pray
for her for God to give her strength. Mike is only 28, her baby.

Prayer for Tuesday, the Second week of Lent

God in heaven and in my life,
guide me and protect me.
I so often believe I can save myself
and I always end in failure.
Lead me with your love away from harm
and guide me on the right path.
May your Spirit inspire the Church
and make us an instrument of your love
and guidance.
Thank you for your care for me.

Prayer for Avoiding Sin

Hear, Lord, the prayers we offer from contrite hearts. Have pity on us as we
acknowledge our sins. Lead us back to the way of holiness. Protect us now
and always from the wounds of sin. May we ever keep safe in all its fullness
the gift your love once gave us and your mercy now restores. Amen.

The Power of Holy Water
from the Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila
1562 A.D.

"From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water
to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again. They also
flee from the Cross, but return; so holy water must have great virtue. For
my own part, whenever I take it, my soul feels a particular and most notable
consolation. In fact, it is quite usual for me to be conscious of a
refreshment which I cannot possibly describe, resembling an inward joy which
comforts my whole soul. This is not fancy, or something, which has happened
to me only once; it has happened again and again and I have observed it most
attentively. It is let us say, as if someone very hot and thirsty were to
drink from a jug of cold water: he would feel the refreshment throughout his
body. I often reflect on the great importance of everything ordained by the
Church and it makes me very happy to find that those words of the Church are
so powerful that they impart their power to the water and make it so very
different from water which has not been blessed."
"One night, too, about this time, I thought the devils were stifling me; and
when the nuns had sprinkled a great deal of holy water about I saw a huge
crowd of them running away as quickly as though they were about to fling
themselves down a steep place."

"I will only describe something that happened to me one night of All Souls.
I was in an oratory: I had said one nocturne and was repeating some very
devotional prayers which follow it -- they are extremely devotional: we have
them in our office-book -- when actually the devil himself alighted on the
book, to prevent me from finishing the prayer. I made the sign of the Cross
and he went away. I then began again and he came back. I think I began that
prayer three times and not until I had sprinkled some holy water on him
could I finish it. At the same moment I saw several souls coming out of
purgatory: their time there must have been nearly up and I thought that
perhaps the devil was trying to impede their deliverance."

YOU ARE MY LEANING POST
- by JEAN CONDER SOULE


You are my leaning post, dear Lord,
My shelter and my rock.
You open up the door for me
Each time You hear me knock.

All I need to do is ask
And You provide the way.
You hear me when I call You
The times I kneel to pray.

Thank You, Lord, for your great love,
Your comfort and Your care.
It's such a joy for me to know
I may seek and find You there.

"Our Father" from God

My child who art on earth,
worried, lonely, tempted;
I know your name perfectly,
and I pronounce it to hallow it,
because I love you.
No, you are not alone, but lived in by me,
and together we are building the kingdom
which you are going to inherit.
I like you to do my will,
because my will is that you should be happy,
for the Glory of God
is a living human being.
Always count on me
and you will have bread for today;
do not worry,
I only ask that you should get used to
sharing it with your sisters and brothers.
You know that I forgive your trespasses
even before you commit them;
that is why I ask that you should do the same
to those who trespass against you.
So that you should never fall into temptation,
take my hand tightly
and I will deliver you from evil,
my poor dear child.

May your day be bright and cheery and full of blessings!