Community Chat

[gloriajean]

What we endure in this life is nothing compared to the glory that God has in store for us in heaven. Lord, take every moment of my life as a prayer to praise and glorify Your holy name.

Scripture for the Day
"Be still and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10

Meditation for the Day
I can be calm, true and quiet. I need not get emotionally upset by anything that happens around me. I can feel a deep, inner security in the goodness and purpose in the universe. I can be true to my highest ideals. I need not let myself slip back into old ways of reacting. I can stick to my spiritual guns. I can be calm always. I need not talk back or defend myself too much against accusation, whether false or true. I can accept abuse as well as I accept praise. Only God can judge the real me.

Prayer for the Day
I pray that I may not be upset by the judgment of others. I pray that I may let God be the judge of the real me.

Peace of Jesus be with you all! Hello everyone! hope your day is going great - here we have sun and it's still shining, praise the Lord! We will eat our supper in the porch. It's a little late, but we haven't eaten yet. And Linus got sent home from work as work was slack and was he ever happy about that! After a nap he took Sammy out for a walk. He went to Sam's Club and got some grapefruits and oranges and some Pupperoni! Our meal last night was great - we can have left-overs now! Had a great time with the Sisters, after the meal we played cards!! Friday afternoon we meet with Catholic Charities - please pray that they can help us somehow someway, so Linus doesn't have to work, and we don't have to sell our house. God knows what can be done, we wait and be patient, but pray for His Will, always. Maybe they can't help us, but maybe they can refer us to someplace for help. Linus has noticed from one year to the next how much he's tiring out from working. My blessings are that he's able to walk the dog, his knee isn't that bad, and I'm so blessed to have him in my life and all of you, my dear friends!

Homily of the Day


March 29, 2011

Stop Thinking Like an Accountant!
by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Dn 3:25, 34-43 / Mt 18:21-35

One of the key things that children learn as they grow up is the value of fairness, the importance of playing by the rules and making sure that each person gets his fair share and nobody gets cheated. How often on the playground or the classroom or at home, we hear the outraged cry of one of our children saying, “that’s not fair!”

A deep-seated sense of fairness is crucial both to lasting relationships and to a decent society, but it’s not enough. Nevertheless, too many of us get stuck at the justice and fairness stage, and never move up to the next step. In confronting one another’s faults, we find ourselves too often thinking more like accountants than friends: “pay what you owe,” we say, as if we ourselves were able to pay all we owe! But, of course, we cannot.

Every last one of us is dependent upon the Lord and upon our friends being willing not to address us with an accountant’s ledger in hand, but to look at us with the same understanding that a good parent looks at a child who’s just learning how to do the simplest things.

Jesus is very clear about this: throw away your ledgers and your accountant’s hat, and think like a parent who never gives up loving and hoping for the child. It’s the only way to live, and a much happier way to live. And it will get your own heart wide open to receive all the forgiveness and understanding that you need.

Listen To Me

"Abandoning the Mother is but one step from abandoning the Son."

Just stop a while and listen to Me;
I have a question to ask of thee -
Why are you ignoring My Mother?

I chose Her to be My very Own
And greater perfection was never known
Why are you ignoring My Mother?

I was born through Her so we all would be
Spiritual members of one family
Why are you ignoring My Mother?

I've sent Her to you with a message divine
Not once or twice, but many a time
And still you're ignoring My Mother!

Like a wreath of graces Her Rosary she's given
To her loving children as a key to heaven
And still you're ignoring My Mother!

She came with My message to La Salette
But those requests have not been met
Why are you ignoring My Mother?

I sent Her again, to the cave at Lourdes
But just as before you spurned Her words
Why are you ignoring My Mother?

To the fields of Fatima again She came
For prayers and sacrifice in Her Son's Name
and still you're ignoring My Mother?

I sent Her to earth from heaven above
so you would give Her your honor and love
And still you're ignoring My Mother!

When you ignore My Mother you ignore Her Son
Because to Me, She's the dearest one!
Why are you ignoring My Mother?

You'd better amend and do not tarry
The ideal way to Jesus, is Mary!
So please stop ignoring My Mother!
Prayer on the Beatitudes

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Keep us from being preoccupied with money and worldly goods, and with trying to increase them at the expense of justice.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth." Help us not to be ruthless with one another, and to eliminate the discord and violence that exists in the world around us.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Let us not be impatient under our own burdens and unconcerned about the burdens of others.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be filled." Make us thirst for you, the fountain of all holiness, and actively spread your influence in our private lives and in society.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy." Grant that we may be quick to forgive and slow to condemn.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God." Free us from our senses and our evil desires, and fix our eyes on you.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." Aid us to make peace in our families, in our country, and in the world.

Lord Jesus, You said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of justice, for the kingdom of heaven in theirs." Make us willing to suffer for the sake of right rather than to practice injustice; and do not let us discriminate against our neighbors and oppress and persecute them.

Heaven and H ell

A man spoke with the Lord about heaven and h ell. The Lord said to the man, "Come, I will show you h ell." They entered a room where a group of people sat around a huge pot of stew. Everyone was famished, desperate and starving. Each held a spoon that reached the pot, but each spoon had a handle so much longer than their own arm that it could not be used to get the stew into their own mouths. The suffering was terrible.

"Come, now I will show you heaven," the Lord said after a while. They entered another room, identical to the first - the pot of stew, the group of people, the same long-handled spoons. But there everyone was happy and well-nourished.

"I don't understand," said the man. "Why are they happy here when they were miserable in the other room and everything was the same?"

The Lord smiled, "Ah, it is simple," he said. "here they have learned to feed each other."

WHY DO WE CRUCIFY HIM AGAIN?
From E-mail Ministry




I say something rude
to someone who's lost,
And I've ruined my witness,
But they will pay the cost.
--So I nail in the nails.


Can anyone see the Lord through me,
Or do they simply see my sins?
Am I living the life Christ wants me to,
Am I living the life of man?
--So I plunge in the spear.


And when I fail to pray,
and my conversations with Him fade,
Does He patiently wait for my call,
Though it causes Him pain?
--And I place the thorns upon His brow.


I lead a life of double standards,
One day good, the next one bad.
Can He quietly stand by
When He sees all I could have had?
--And I ridicule my Lord once again.


For you see,
Each time we turn our backs,
and return to the world of sin,
It is then that you and I,
We crucify Him again.


-- Brandy Cambell (12th grade)

Gifts
~~~~~

Not more of light I ask, O God,
But eyes to see what is;
Not sweeter songs,
But ears to hear these melodies;

Not more of strength,
But how to use the power that I possess;
Not more of love,
But skill to turn a frown into a caress;

Not more of joy,
But how to feel its kindly presence near;
To give to others all I have,
Of courage and of cheer.

No other gifts, dear God, I ask,
But only sense to see;
How best to use these precious gifts;
Thou hast bestowed on me.

(Author Unknown)

BIG MUD PUDDLES AND YELLOW DANDELIONS
Author Unknown



When I look at a patch of dandelions, I see a bunch of weeds that are
going to take over my yard. My kids see flowers for Mom and blowing
white fluff you can wish on.


When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me, I see a smelly, dirty
person who probably wants money and I look away. My kids see someone
smiling at them and they smile back.


When I hear music I love, I know I can't carry a tune and don't have
much rhythm so I sit self-consciously and listen. My kids feel the
beat and move to it. They sing out the words. If they don't know them,
they make up their
own.


When I feel wind on my face, I brace myself against it. I feel it
messing up my hair and pulling me back when I walk. My kids close
their eyes, spread their arms and fly with it, until they fall to the
ground laughing.


When I pray, I say thee and thou and grant me this, give me that. My
kids say, "Hi God! Thanks for my toys and my friends. Please keep the
bad dreams away tonight. Sorry, I don't want to go to Heaven yet. I
would miss my Mommy and Daddy."


When I see a mud puddle I step around it. I see muddy shoes and dirty
carpets. My kids sit in it. They see dams to build, rivers to cross
and worms to play with.


I wonder if we are given kids to teach or to learn from? No wonder God
loves the little children!!


Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you may look back and
realize they were the big things.


I wish you BIG MUD PUDDLES and SUNNY YELLOW DANDELIONS

POEM BASED ON THE LORD'S PRAYER
By Arlene Spanos
March 29, 2011


Heavenly Father above, Creator of love

Holy and Sacred is Your name

Your Kingdom come, Your Will be done

As in heaven be it on earth the same



Show me the way to reflect your love each day

Only You can help me understand and see

Help my pride erase to give others grace

Just as you have given grace to me



And this I pray, please keep evil away.

So though tempted I will not do wrong.

Help me be humble and true, more loving like You

And to be faithful my whole lifelong.



Forever you reign, in your glorious domain

Your Sovereign Power will never end.

I long to bring honor to You in all I say and do

In the Name of my Lord Jesus I pray. Amen

The Flood Story

A flood threatens a town, forcing everyone to evacuate, But Joe thinks,
"I'm a devout man, God will save me," and stays
put. As the waters rise, Joe's neighbor comes by and says, "Joe come with me, we've got to go." Joe declines,
"I'm a devout man, God will save me."

The waters keep rising, Joe scrambles to his second floor. A firefighter in a rowboat comes by. "Get in the boat or you'll drown," he says. Joe again declines, saying,
"God will save me. So this flood story goes."

Finally, the flood waters force Joe to his roof. A police helicopter comes by and throws down a rope. "Climb up or you'll drown," the policeman yells. "No, I'm a devout man,
God will save me," Joe replies.

Soon, Joe drowns.
He arrives in heaven and challenges God.
"Why didn't you help me?"

"What do you mean?" God says.

"I did help. I sent a neighbor, a firefighter and a helicopter."


Like Joe, many of us wait for something to rescue us while we miss opportunities to help ourselves. Whether in our business lives or personal lives, we hope for a transforming event.
A terrific new customer, a great relationship, a better family life.
But life isn't like that. Like Joe, if we want things to be different, we have to do something ourselves.
But where to start?
How do we learn to recognize an opportunity when it comes our way?

Make a plan - Form a vision of what you want to achieve, then develop a plan of how to make that vision a reality, To judge whether an opportunity
is one to seize or let pass you need to Understand whether it fits your goals.
Make a commitment - Get used to saying no, Get used to saying yes.
But whatever you do, do it with commitment and conviction. Like Joe, we have to learn to recognize opportunities and then grab them.

Good night everyone! Sweet Dreams and may you all have a great Wednesday full of blessings and peace!