Community Chat

[gloriajean]

Let the story of your life be one of prayer and its answers because more is
given
to us through prayer than we can imagine. Lord, I will gratefully live the
blessings
that You pour into my life.

Scripture for the day:

"Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these
things will be given to you as well." ~Matthew 6:33

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

I can try to grow into a new life. I can think of spiritual things often,
and unconsciously I can grow. The nearer I get to the new life, the more I
can see my unfitness. My sense of failure can be a sign that I am growing
in the new life. It is only struggle that hurts. In sloth--physical,
mental, or spiritual--there is no sense of failure or discomfort. With
struggle and effort, I can be conscious not of strength but of weakness
until I am really living the new life. But in the struggle, I can always
rely on the power of God to help me.

Prayer for the day:

I pray that I may see signs of my growth in the new life. I pray that I may
always keep trying to grow.

Hello my friends! Today has been a good day, been praying a lot for Darla's
healing and that she can make the trip - and tonight found out they are
coming - Greg will drive. And by then I am trusting she will feel a lot
better too, prayers do work, you know. Pray and Trust. Continuing on with
much prayer tomorrow - having a candle lit for her too. Tomorrow is
Linus' day off - first one in 4 days!!! Then he works Sat., Sun. Mon. and
Tues. yet before having 3 days off. Saturday the weather may be bad -
freezing rain and sleet. Praying for no accidents anywhere. May the Angels
be with all travelers. Praying for you all for all your needs, thanks for
your prayers for us. God bless you!!

Here's the prayer I've been praying for Darla:

Memorare

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone
who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession
was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of
Virgins, my mother, to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and
sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions but in
your mercy hear and answer me. Amen. (I prayed this and memorized it when I
was a teen)

The actual author of the Memorare is unknown. It has been traditionally
attributed to the abbot St. Bernard of Clairvaux from the 12th century. This
is possibly because it was championed by another Bernard, the French priest
Claude Bernard, who used it extensively in his ministry to the poor and to
prisoners (including some quite hardened criminals!) in the 17th century.

Claude Bernard credited reciting the Memorare with curing him of a serious
illness. He had some 200,000 copies of the prayer printed up and distributed
in leaflets in various languages during his lifetime. (This was no small
feat in the days before desktop publishing, Kinko’s and the Internet!)

Church teaching holds that Mary is the Mother of the Church and our mother
as well “in the order of grace” (that is to say, spiritually) as we read in
the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 969).

Upon her death and assumption into heaven, “God chose her to be the
treasurer, the administrator and the dispenser of all his graces, so that
all his graces and gifts pass through her hands,” according to St. Louis De
Montfort, the celebrated 18th century French priest best known as a champion
of devotion to Mary.

Mary’s wonderful role in assisting in our salvation has been praised by many
Saints and Church fathers alike over the centuries. St. Lawrence Justinian
summed up the feelings of many of them when he once referred to the Blessed
Mother as “the ladder of paradise, the gate of heaven, the most true
mediatrix between God and man.”

Do you have a particular problem you feel you can’t share with our Creator?
Or perhaps you think he’s too busy? He’s never too busy to hear a sincere
request for His aid and guidance. (Indeed, he’s never too busy for any of
us, period!) Still, we are always welcome to ask His mother to help us. In
fact this delights our Lord!

As De Montfort once put it, by asking Mary to approach Him for us “we are
practicing humility, something which always gladdens the heart of God!” (St.
Francis de Sales once wrote in this regard that “God so loves humility that
He instantly hastens to the soul in which he sees it.”)

Keep in mind again that when we pray to Mary we also pray through her to her
Divine Son, Jesus! And she is happy to pray for us and to intercede with Him
on our behalf. You’ve probably asked a friend or colleague to pray for you
sometimes. Why not ask the Blessed Mother as well? After all, in the Hail
Mary we ask for her to “pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our
death.”

As long as we approach her with a sincere desire to do God’s will and to
make amends for our sins, we can ask for her help with confidence. (And,
after all, does it ever hurt to get on the good side of a loved one’s
mother?)

When our Lord said to St. John when He was on the cross “Behold Thy Mother”
(John 19:27) His mother became ours as well, as mentioned earlier! Don’t be
afraid to ask our Blessed Mother for her assistance (or to show her your
love!) by praying the Memorare, the Rosary, or many other fine prayers and
devotions to her.

The "W" in Christmas
Author Unknown


Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful
experience.

I had cut back on nonessential obligations - extensive card writing,
endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.

Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the precious
family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.

My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting
season for a six year old.

For weeks, he'd been memorizing songs for his school's "Winter
Pageant."

I didn't have the heart to tell him I'd be working the night of the
production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his
teacher. She assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning
of the presentation.

All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.

Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.

So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early,
found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around the room, I
saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats.

As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class,
accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then,
each group, one by one, rose to perform their song.

Because the public school system had long stopped referring to the
holiday as "Christmas," I didn't expect anything other than fun,
commercial entertainment songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes
and good cheer.

So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love," I was slightly
taken aback by its bold title.

Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy
mittens, red sweaters, and bright snow-caps upon their heads.

Those in the front row- center stage - held up large letters, one by
one, to spell out the title of the song.

As the class would sing "C is for Christmas," a child would hold up
the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy," and on and on, until each child
holding up his portion had presented the complete message, "Christmas
Love."

The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her; a
small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside down
- totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W".

The audience of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's
mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood
tall, proudly holding her "W".

Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter
continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it
together.

A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen.

In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we
celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos,
there was a purpose for our festivities.

For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud and
clear:

"C H R I S T W A S L O V E"

And, I believe, He still is.

Amazed in His presence.... humbled by His love.

HAVE A BLESSED CHRISTMAS SEASON

25 Ways to Share Joy this Christmas Season

1. Mend a broken relationship with a
friend or relative during the holidays.

2. Every night of the Christmas Season,
before going to bed, ask yourself,
"Whose life did I make brighter today?"

3. Give your toddler the honor of placing
the star or angel on the top of the Christmas tree.

4. Try the Swedish custom of writing a short,
lighthearted poem on each of your gift cards
that half reveals the contents of the present.

5. Take a holiday family photograph each year in
the same spot, such as by a favorite tree in your yard.
In the years to come, you'll have a wonderful
record not only of the growth in your family,
but also of the growth of your tree.

6. Tell your children about Christmas
when you were their age.

7. Offer to run Christmas errands
for an elderly friend or relative.

8. Record a cheerful Christmas greeting
for your answering machine.

9. Learn to say "Merry Christmas" in
several languages.

10. Remember that Christmas carols never sound
better than when you sing them in church.

11. Tip someone who doesn't expect it.

12. End an evening with family and close friends by
forming a circle, holding hands, and
singing a favorite Christmas carol.

13. Reserve a night for the entire
family to make ornaments for your tree.

14. Set aside some time at the beginning of the
holiday season to help your children
plan their gift-giving lists.

15. On a clear night, find the bright North
Star and recall the story of the Wise Men.

16. Open Christmas cards as a family activity each
night at the dinner table. Read the messages aloud.

17. Toast your friends when they are in your home.
Tell them how much it means to have them there.

18. This Christmas, write letters to several people
who have had a positive influence on your life.
Thank them for this gift they have given you.

19. Take a decorated miniature tree
to someone in a hospital or nursing home.

20. Secretly shovel the snow off
of your neighbor's front walk.

21. Instead of giving gifts at the office, take
up a collection to donate to a designated charity.

22. If you have friends who have lost family
members since last Christmas, make a special
effort to call and cheer them during the holidays.

23. Begin a Christmas journal. Write down memories
your family will share: events you attend, presents
you give and receive, and the
inevitable crises that occur.

24. Don't try to do everything yourself.
Remember, even Santa needs helpers.

25. Take time to remember that the greatest
holiday gift is a home filled with the people you love.

Don't be too busy today...
Share these ideas with friends and family!

THE FIRST CRIB

St. Francis of Assisi assembled the first crib in a cave on an Italian
hillside in 1223. His aim was to make the Christmas story come alive for the
shepherds and farmers of the locality.

On Christmas eve the friars and the people assembled with candles and
torches to illuminate the night. Then Francis arrived and was very happy
when he saw the preparations they had made.

The crib was put in place.
The hay was brought in.
The ox and donkey were led forward.
The woods rang with their prayers.
The rocks echoed with their hymns.


Francis spoke to them about God's Son coming among us to help us to realize
our splendid dignity as sons and daughters of the same Father.

At the end of the vigil they all returned to their homes, full of peace and
joy, feeling very close to GOD and to ONE ANOTHER.

Blessed Christmas!
(Author Unknown)