Mother of God

It is never about us, but it is always about God.

God is the vine and we are the branches.
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1, 4-7)

When Mary said, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it

be done to me according to your word.”
This reveals to us how we are all instruments of God.

"Loving Mother of the Redeemer, gate of heaven, star of the sea,
assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.
To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator!"

Overcoming Dis-ease

Dislike can grow into annoyance;

annoyance can blossom into anger;

anger can turn to hatred.

 

We have to be careful not to let the seeds of our dislike grow and multiply,

The words of Jesus and of other spiritual masters apply even to those mildest of negative feelings, our dislikes. To become truly free, to work for unity and peace, we have to work at all these relationships that cause us pain and dis-ease.

~Jean Vanier in Becoming Human

Forgiveness

When forgiveness is necessary, don't wait too long. We must begin to forgive , because without forgiving, we choke off our own joy; we kill our own soul.

Dusk, Twilight

It is dusk, or you may prefer twilight

whatever word you choose

it is the time of day immediately following sunset

It is the time that daylight is gently tucked into the earth's bed

and twilight provides the soft illumination

just long enough for one to contemplate on the day that

just transpired.

You will have just enough time before this

natural dimmer that God created will gradually drift

you into that gentle good night.

 

Sweet dreams!

Solitude

"Solitude is not loneliness, although both mean being alone. Solitude means being alone to oneself and to be alone with God. It means a lack of noise and distraction, but the inner silence does not lead to emptiness. It means time to listen, to recollect oneself, to let God’s presence take hold. It means time and quietude to think things out and not be propelled along without reflection. It means time to pray."  ~Archbishop Rembert Weakland

Chosen By God

St. Paul writing to the Corinthians should serve as a reminder to us today when so many people are angry at each other;

"God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise;
God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things -
and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are,
so that no one may boast before him." ~1 Corinthians 1:27-29

Since Christ chose you, He accepted you. He didn't distinguish by race, color, creed or even political persuasion, therefore;

“Christ accepted you, so you should accept each other, which will bring glory to God.” (Rom. 15:7)

Handwriting on the Wall

Before you lose your cool, read the handwriting on the wall.

 

"Man is a strange animal. He generally cannot read the handwriting on the wall

until his back is up against it."  ~Adlai Stevenson

Give Thanks to God

We give you thanks, Holy Father,
for your holy name,
which you have made dwell in our hearts,
and for knowledge and faith and immortality,
which you have made known to us through Jesus your servant.
Glory to you forever!

Never forget that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we belong to Him;
we are his people, we are his flock.  - Psalm 100:3

Prayer for the Departed Souls

O GOD of the Spirits of all flesh, O Jesus, Lover of souls, we recommend unto Thee the souls of all those Thy servants, who have departed with the sign of faith and sleep the sleep of peace. We beseech Thee, O Lord and Saviour, that, as in Thy mercy to them Thou becamest man, so now Thou wouldest hasten the time, and admit them to Thy presence above. Remember, O Lord, that they are Thy creatures, not made by strange gods, but by Thee, the only Living and True God; for there is no other God but Thou, and none that can equal Thy works. Let their souls rejoice in Thy light, and impute not to them their former iniquities, which they committed through the violence of passion, or the corrupt habits of their fallen nature. For, although they have sinned, yet they always firmly believed in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; and before they died, they reconciled themselves to Thee by true contrition and the Sacraments of Thy Church.

O Gracious Lord, we beseech Thee, remember not against them the sins of their youth and their ignorances; but according to Thy great mercy, be mindful of them in Thy heavenly glory. May the heavens be opened to them, and the Angels rejoice with them. May the Archangel St Michael conduct them to Thee. May Thy holy Angels come forth to meet them, and carry them to the city of the heavenly Jerusalem. May St Peter, to whom Thou gavest the keys of the kingdom of heaven, receive them. May St Paul, the vessel of election, stand by them. May St John, the beloved disciple, who had the revelation of the secrets of heaven, intercede for them. May all the Holy Apostles, who received from Thee the power of binding and loosing, pray for them. May all the Saints and elect of God, who in this world suffered torments for Thy Name, befriend them; that, being freed from the prison beneath, they may be admitted into the glories of that kingdom, where with the Father and the Holy Ghost Thou livest and reignest one God, world without end.

Come to their assistance, all ye Saints of God; gain for them deliverance from their place of punishment; meet them, all ye Angels; receive these holy souls, and present them before the Lord. Eternal rest give to them, O Lord. And may perpetual light shine on them.

May they rest in peace. Amen.

 

prayer by Blessed John Henry Newman

 

God's Love for Us

Do we truly understand God’s love for us? St. Paul reminds us that in spite of the things we do at times, God still loves.

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:38-39)

Seeking and Finding

God is never an object to be found or possessed as we find other objects, but the One who shares your own deepest subjectivity—or your “self.” We normally called it our soul. Religion called it “the Divine Indwelling.” Fr. Richard Rohr

 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

 

Fr. Rohr points out that you initially cannot see what you are looking for because what you are looking for is doing the looking. 

Humility

Nothing is softer or more yielding than water, yet nothing can beat it for strength.

 

The weak defeats the strong, tenderness defeats cruelty, humility defeats pride.

 

Everyone knows this law, but nobody follows it. ~Leo Tolstoy

Don't Worry. Rejoice!

"Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our life.

Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace toward others, or our tight grip of control.

Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we've been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won't be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God's strength, our problems are small, indeed." ~ Francis Chan

"May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again; rejoice!
Show a gentle attitude to everyone. The Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything." Philippians 4: 4-5

If the sight of blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things in nature have a message you understand, Rejoice, for your soul is alive." ~ Eleanora Dusa

Awe of God

Where is God?  He is where those clever ones, arrogant in their knowledge, cannot reach.

Listen, and be filled with awe: God is in our hearts, I know it.  ~Saint Raphael Arnaiz Baron, a Spanish Trappist Monk

 

Solomon warned us not to rush into God’s presence with words.

We are slow to listen, quick to speak, and quick to become angry.
The wise man comes to God without saying a word and stands in awe of Him. ~ Francis Chan

Waiting for the Lord

I wait eagerly for the Lord's help,

and in his word I trust.

I wait for the Lord

more eagerly than watchmen

wait for the dawn -

than watchmen wait for the dawn.

Psalm 130: 5-6

God Is With Us

God is our shelter and strength,

always ready to help in times of trouble.

So we will not be afraid,

even if the earth is shaken

and mountains fall into the ocean depths;

even if the seas roar and rage,

and the hills are shaken by the violence.

~Psalm 46: 1-3

Grace

Earlier I had written the following prayer;

 

Help me, Lord God, in my good resolve and in thy holy service,

and give me grace this very day really and truly to begin,

for what I have done till now is nothing.

A few hours later my reading provided the following;

God sustains us in existence out of love, and this shows itself in the good that surrounds us. God provides support systems to sustain us, and with good people who act as escorts of grace to us.

Today I look for, try to be aware of, those supports systems, and look for the good people He provides who act as escorts of grace to us.

Grace vs. Mercy

Help me, Lord God, in my good resolve and in thy holy service,

and give me grace this very day really and truly to begin,

for what I have done till now is nothing.



 

 

Distinguishing grace from mercy:

Grace-God’s solution to man’s sin.

Mercy-God’s solution to man’s misery.

Grace-Covers the sin. 
Mercy-Removes the pain.

Grace-Gives us what we do not deserve. 
Mercy-Does not give us what we do deserve

Grace-Unearned favor which saves us. Mercy-Undeserved favor which forgives us.

Grace-Deals with the cause of sin. Mercy-Deals with the symptoms of sin.

Grace-Offers pardon for the crime. Mercy-Offers relief from the punishment.

Grace-Cures or heals the “disease.” Mercy-Eliminates the pain of the “disease.”

Grace-Regarding salvation it says, “Heaven.”Mercy-Regarding salvation it says, “No Hell.”

Grace-Says, “I pardon you.”Mercy-Says, “I pity you” 

 

 

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace, only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. Anne Lamott 

Hardships

“God writes straight with crooked lines”

I Said a Prayer

I said a prayer for you today

and know God must have heard.

I felt the answer in my heart

although he spoke no word!

 

I didn't as for health or fame,

(I knew you wouldn't mind.)

I asked Him to send treasures

of a far more lasting kind!

 

I asked that He'd be near you

at the start of each new day,

to grant you health and blessings

and friends to share your way!

 

I asked for happiness for you

in all things great and small -

but it was for His loving care

I prayed the most of all!