Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Do not take any action until you've prayed and listened and then you
will have guidance to reach the understanding necessary to complete
the things you need to do. Lord, I know that there is no obstacle for
You and ask that You will guide me along the right path.


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

"If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this
mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey
you.'" ~Luke 17:6

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

Day by day we can slowly build up an unshakable faith in God and in
God's ability to give us all the help we need. By having these quiet
times each morning, we can start each day with a renewing our faith,
until it becomes almost a part of us and a strong habit. We can keep
furnishing the quiet places of our souls with all the furniture of
faith. We can try to fill our thoughts each day with all that is
harmonious and good, beautiful and enduring.

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

I pray that I may build a house in my soul for the spirit of God to
dwell in. I pray that I may come at last to an unshakable faith.

Greetings to you all - hope your day was kept positive! Tonight at our Mission, he gave a wonderful talk about the Prodigal Son, we all know that story - he sure brought lots of meaning to it, he told a story of when his brother and him as kids broke the Baby Jesus doll that was kept for every Christmas - they wanted to see if it was a doll that cried when turned over etc. and they they tipped it over, it fell and the arm came off, and did they ever get scared and put it back broken. When their Mom came home with groceries, she could tell something was wrong, the boys were just playing cards but answered no, nothing was wrong. Later they both just had to come and tell her, and were very scared - but when they told her, she just told them how happy she was that they were so honest with her and she forgave them and gave them both a great big hug, then she got some crazy glue out and fixed the arm. Father will never forget that - it showed true forgiveness and love, and that's how God the Father forgives us when we tell him our failings. We are God's beloved! It was a very good talk - and I'm glad we were there. What a good blessing!! Tomorrow night is the closing with a Mass.

Homily of the Day


April 5, 2011


Come to the tree of Life
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Ez 47: 1-9 / John 5:1-16

Let’s look at Ezekiel’s vision of the temple and its river. A few simple points to draw your attention:

• Jesus is the temple;

• The water flowing from the temple is from the open side of Jesus from the cross;

• The trickle of water becoming a river is the growth of the Church;

• This river flows into what was the Dead Sea making it now very much alive, and is the renewal of the world by the Church;

• The trees growing with fruit along the side of the river are also the wood of the cross and the fruit of Christians;

• These trees are also the tree of life mentioned in the Garden of Eden;

• This fruit is available to us because of Christ;

• And nothing of these trees goes to waste: even the leaves which do not fade bring life.

So come to the Tree of Life, the Temple of God’s Glory, the Joy of Christians, the Life of the world.

Jesus said “Come to me all you are weary and heavily burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Lenten Prayer
Father, you have taught us to overcome our sins by prayer, fasting and works of mercy. When we are discouraged by our weakness, give us confidence in your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Salutation of the Wound in the Shoulder of Jesus
O Loving Jesus, meek Lamb of God, I miserable sinner salute and worship the most Sacred Wound of Thy Shoulder on which Thou didst bear Thy heavy Cross which so tore Thy flesh and laid bare Thy Bones as I inflict on The anguish greater than any other wound of Thy Most Blessed Body. I adore Thee, O Jesus most sorrowful; I praise and glorify Thee, and give The thanks for this most sacred and painful Wound, beseeching Thee by that exceeding pain, and by the crushing burden of Thy heavy Cross to be merciful to me, a sinner, to forgive me all my sins, and to lead me on towards Heaven along the Way of Thy Cross. Amen.

JELLY BEAN PRAYER
Author Unknown

Have you heard the story of the jelly beans?

The black ones are a symbol of our sinful heart, cold and hard not a
good start.

The red ones would be, the blood shed for you and me.

The white ones would mean washed white as snow, by the blood of Jesus
do you know?

The green ones mean growth for our clean heart, so we can tell others
of Jesus, now that's a good start.

The yellow ones would mean streets of gold, like the ones in Heaven,
as in the book of Revelation are told.

The purple ones are to mean like the robe He wore, when our sins on
the cross He bore.

So the next time you see a bag of jelly beans, you will know what the
colors mean.

- Another Version -

* RED * is for the blood He gave.
* GREEN * is for the grass He made.
* YELLOW * is for the sun so bright.
* ORANGE * is for the edge of night.
* BLACK * is for the sins we made.
* WHITE * is for the grace He gave.
* PURPLE * is for His hour of sorrow.
* PINK * is for our new tomorrow.

A bag full of jelly beans colorful and sweet,
Is a prayer,
is a promise,
is a very special treat.

-- Authors Unknown


DON'T WE ALL

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come
from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming
my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a
bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes,
and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other
times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those
"don't want to be bothered times."

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought.

He didn't.

He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look
like he could have enough money to even ride the bus.

After a few minutes he spoke.

"That's a very pretty car," he said.

He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly
blond beard keep more than his face warm.

I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.

He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never
came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him
if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held
true to the inner voice.

"Do you need any help?" I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never
forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it
from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing
but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me.

"Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in
the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun.

Don't we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed
help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare,
but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day. Those three
little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how
much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you
have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or
a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it's just a compliment, you
can give that.

You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.
They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different
perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from
daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.

Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe
he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and
wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.

Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then
said, "go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."

Don't we all?

-- Author Unknown

The Kindness Pledge

I Resolve to:

1. Speak kindly of someone at least once a day.
2. Think kindly about someone at least once a day.
3. Act kindly toward someone as least once a day.
4. Avoid speaking unkindly to anyone.
5. Avoid acting unkindly toward anyone.
[Source: The Hidden Power of Kindness, by Lawrence G. Lovasik]

Prayer to be Freed of the Seven Deadly Sins
O meek Savior and Prince of Peace, implant in me the virtues of gentleness and patience. Let me curb the fury of anger and restrain all resentment and impatience so as to overcome evil with good, attain your peace, and rejoice in your love.

O Model of humility, divest me of all pride and arrogance. Let me acknowledge my weakness and sinfulness, so that I may bear mockery and contempt for your sake and esteem myself as lowly in your sight.

O Teacher of abstinence, help me to serve you rather than our appetites. Keep me from gluttony - the inordinate love of food and drink and let me hunger and thirst for your justice.

O Lover of purity, remove all lust from my heart, so that I may serve you with a pure mind and a chaste body.

O Father of the poor, help me to avoid all covetousness for earthly goods and give me a love for heavenly things. Inspire me to give to the needy, just as you gave your life that I might inherit eternal treasures.

O Exemplar of love, keep me from all envy and ill-will. Let the grace of your love dwell in me that I may rejoice in the happiness of others and bewail their adversities.

O zealous Lover of souls, keep me from all sloth of mind or body. Inspire me with zeal for your glory, so that I may do all things for you and in you.

Vow of Silence

A man joined the priesthood. The order he joined could not speak for seven years. Then they could only say 2 words.

After the first seven years passed, he went into a small room where he was given the chance to say his two words to the leadership of the order. His two words were "Too cold." He was given extra blankets.

The next seven years passed and the leadership took him back into the small room and his 2 words were "Bad food." The kitchen changed the menu for him.

When the next seven years had passed they took him back into the small room, and his 2 words were "I quit".

"Fine!" exclaimed the leaders, "All you have done since you got here is complain anyway."

Give us this day our Daily Cross
Lenten Meditations on Justice and Peace
by Robert Waldrop

Nobody is beating around the b ush today. Moses is telling people to choose life, not death, and Jesus says everybody that wants to follow him must take up his cross every day!



The Cross is so holy for us, the impact of these words is easily missed. We haven't actually seen somebody crucified in Real Life. But in Roman Palestine, it was a common occurrence. Given its gruesomeness, to lie down calmly and voluntarily on a cross and then let somebody hammer nails into your hands and feet would have been an utterly horifying thought to the Jews and the Gentiles of Roman Palestine.



We aren't so different. Sure, we'll take up the Cross, as long as it is pretty, and perhaps made of gold or silver to wear around our neck. But big, grubby, wooden crosses, that are heavy to bear and fraught with trouble? We will go to great pains to avoiding seeing such. We put on our special invisible spectacles that allow us to evade sights we really don't want to see. We define away to nothingness unpleasant truths, unwanted sights, unwelcome sounds. They really aren't in trouble, we say, they're just lazy no good bums. They should all get jobs.



Meanwhile back at the Jordan River, Moses lays it right on the line for the nation. Life and prosperity or death and doom. Those are your choices. There is no column "C". There is no "all of the above are acceptable". If you obey God's commandments, fine. If not, how many different ways can you spell trouble? We don't have a problem understanding this when (e.g.) it comes to sexual issues. But justice and peace? Quick, thump that Bible and rattle that Catechism and find us an "out" to affirm our dissent from the Church's teaching. And today, all across the world, we are paying the price for ignoring God's principles of justice and peace.



It is not too late to turn things around. We can choose life and reject death. We can follow Jesus, even if that means doing something as unpopular as taking up a really big and particularly grubby Cross, that perhaps is disguised (e.g.) as a group of single mothers on welfare.



These aren't decisions that we can make "once and for all" and then we don't have to worry about them anymore. Jesus said, "take up his cross daily". It's a call to becoming more intentional about life, the universe, and everything. As if, your life has purpose and meaning, because it does, derived from the purpose and meaning of our very existence as human persons, children of the most high God.



The work of justice and peace very often is a heavy cross to bear, both for those who bring the Word and for the communities who are called to receive the Word. But Moses and Jesus, both of whom love us dearly, tell us the plain unvarnished, non-rationalized truth. There are no other alternatives! Life or death? Blessing or cursing? Survival or annihilation?



And what's the point to anything if we gain the whole world, but lose our souls?

Closing prayer:
Lord Jesus, give me your peace.

Give me confidence in the depths of danger.
Give me hope when I am surrounded by fear.
Still my worries, calm the anxieties pressing in on me from the world I live in.
Reassure me that you are with me when I seem alone.
Ease my doubting, as you did Thomas'.
Guide my searching for peace,
so that I may not seek it where it is not to be found,
but I may seek it in you.

Lord Jesus, live in me and give me your peace.

Amen

Good night all - Sweet Dreams and may you all have a very positive and peaceful Wednesday!! Enjoy the Gift of God's Day!