Saturday, August 4, 2007
I need help
Good Morning! I have been noticing that my page goes to archive very quickly and I am wondering that maybe readers are not seeing all of my posts! TJ or Susie or anyone can you help! God Bless!
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
New Blog from Omaha! http://www.defendusinbattle.org/
It great to have community of people who share the same thoughts and feelings regarding the Church!
Check out www.chnetwork.org every Wednesday there is a Fellowship Hall Forum. I have been on Chat one time before and my dear friend Susie (aka Joyful Catholic from RECONecting to the Truth) is also going to be there tonight! It was great fun! It was amazing how fast a few hours will go by so fast when chatting on line!
It great to have community of people who share the same thoughts and feelings regarding the Church!
Check out www.chnetwork.org every Wednesday there is a Fellowship Hall Forum. I have been on Chat one time before and my dear friend Susie (aka Joyful Catholic from RECONecting to the Truth) is also going to be there tonight! It was great fun! It was amazing how fast a few hours will go by so fast when chatting on line!
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
New Blog
I just found this blog on vocations and thought it was interesting! http://www.vision-vocation-guide.blogspot.com/
Prayer Request
Please pray for my friend Cindy she is going through some very difficult things physically/spiritually/emotionally. She is in need of many prayers for her and her family. God Bless you in your prayers for her and her family:)
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Q. Dear Fr Anthony,
I have just finished university and am working in my area of study. However, I now desire to be a priest. The problem is that, like many college students, I took out student loans. Thus, I have a small debt. By my calculations, it will take me a few years before I pay off the debt AND earn enough money to pursue a life in the priesthood. Is there any way around this, or must I simply wait?
- James
A. Dear James,
Your problem is not unusual, and it’s one of the reasons I tell those who are thinking about a vocation that it may not be wise to put it off until after college.
Once a young man is in the same position as you, with college debts to pay and feeling the call to be a priest, it is important NOT TO put off any action towards pursuing the priesthood until after he pays the debt. You need to start looking into it right away. You need to speak to the diocesan vocation director if you think you are called towards diocesan priesthood, or to the vocation director of the religious order you are interested in if you think you are called to religious life.
The first reason for this is that these men will help you see if you really do have the signs of a vocation, and the answer to this question will guide your actions. If they tell you that you may have a vocation, this will give a new sense to time you have between now and when you are free to join the seminary. For example, knowing you may have a vocation you will not invest time in dating, you will have the motivation and desire to curtail other interests and expenses, you will not increase your debt, you will have more time to work extra and get your debts paid off ASAP.... You will also probably feel the need to get involved in your local church a little more, and dedicate more time to prayer.
In other words, focus totally on your vocation. These are some of the best years of your life, don’t let them slip away. And a year you save now is a year earlier you will be able to enter the seminary, a year earlier you will be ordained, and a year more you will serve souls.
- Fr Anthony
www.vocations.com
I have just finished university and am working in my area of study. However, I now desire to be a priest. The problem is that, like many college students, I took out student loans. Thus, I have a small debt. By my calculations, it will take me a few years before I pay off the debt AND earn enough money to pursue a life in the priesthood. Is there any way around this, or must I simply wait?
- James
A. Dear James,
Your problem is not unusual, and it’s one of the reasons I tell those who are thinking about a vocation that it may not be wise to put it off until after college.
Once a young man is in the same position as you, with college debts to pay and feeling the call to be a priest, it is important NOT TO put off any action towards pursuing the priesthood until after he pays the debt. You need to start looking into it right away. You need to speak to the diocesan vocation director if you think you are called towards diocesan priesthood, or to the vocation director of the religious order you are interested in if you think you are called to religious life.
The first reason for this is that these men will help you see if you really do have the signs of a vocation, and the answer to this question will guide your actions. If they tell you that you may have a vocation, this will give a new sense to time you have between now and when you are free to join the seminary. For example, knowing you may have a vocation you will not invest time in dating, you will have the motivation and desire to curtail other interests and expenses, you will not increase your debt, you will have more time to work extra and get your debts paid off ASAP.... You will also probably feel the need to get involved in your local church a little more, and dedicate more time to prayer.
In other words, focus totally on your vocation. These are some of the best years of your life, don’t let them slip away. And a year you save now is a year earlier you will be able to enter the seminary, a year earlier you will be ordained, and a year more you will serve souls.
- Fr Anthony
www.vocations.com
Looking for a living model that personifies the apostle for our times that I am trying to explain, I find no better example than the Holy Father, John Paul II. A short while ago, a columnist wrote of him that in the Church’s whole history, no man, no saint, no other Pope has preached the Gospel like him to all nations, in accordance with the Lord’s last words in St. Matthew.
Every continent has seen him as a messenger of hope thanks to his apostolic journeys, sparing himself no toil or fatigue as long as he can fulfill his apostolic mission. Without a doubt the present Pontiff is an extraordinary gift of Christ to his Church. He has gone out to preach to the five continents. He has not been afraid to explain clearly the demands of the Gospel and to proclaim it in every arena. He is the first promoter of the new evangelization to which he has summoned the whole Church because for him, as for St. Paul, it is a duty to preach the Gospel. He is the number one missionary in the Church, a model of the Shepherd who gives his life in order to gather all men into the one fold of Christ.
This is piece from a weekly e-mail I receive from vocations.com Enjoy! God Bless our Beloved John Paul II may he rest in peace. God Bless!
Every continent has seen him as a messenger of hope thanks to his apostolic journeys, sparing himself no toil or fatigue as long as he can fulfill his apostolic mission. Without a doubt the present Pontiff is an extraordinary gift of Christ to his Church. He has gone out to preach to the five continents. He has not been afraid to explain clearly the demands of the Gospel and to proclaim it in every arena. He is the first promoter of the new evangelization to which he has summoned the whole Church because for him, as for St. Paul, it is a duty to preach the Gospel. He is the number one missionary in the Church, a model of the Shepherd who gives his life in order to gather all men into the one fold of Christ.
This is piece from a weekly e-mail I receive from vocations.com Enjoy! God Bless our Beloved John Paul II may he rest in peace. God Bless!
My Daily Eucharist - Reflection for July 29, 2007
"Above all I exhort thee to call upon me and ask me to help thee; for thou must know, that I am the special Advocate and Protectress of those who desire to arrive at great purity for receiving holy Communion. Whenever they invoke me for this purpose, I present myself before the throne of the Most High, and, as one well knowing the disposition required for harboring God Himself, I ask His favor and grace for those who are about to receive Him in the holy Sacrament. I have not lost in heaven the solicitude and zeal, which I exhibited upon earth. Having asked me, proceed to ask also the intercession of the angels, for they also are very anxious to see souls approach the holy Eucharist with great devotion and purity."
The Mystical City Of God
Words of Our Lady spoken to Venerable Mary of Agreda
This is from www.mycatholic.com . I thought after my previous post on the rosary it was appropriate to include this reflection. I want to ask for your prayers for members of my family that have left the Church for the church of unbelief. God Bless
"Above all I exhort thee to call upon me and ask me to help thee; for thou must know, that I am the special Advocate and Protectress of those who desire to arrive at great purity for receiving holy Communion. Whenever they invoke me for this purpose, I present myself before the throne of the Most High, and, as one well knowing the disposition required for harboring God Himself, I ask His favor and grace for those who are about to receive Him in the holy Sacrament. I have not lost in heaven the solicitude and zeal, which I exhibited upon earth. Having asked me, proceed to ask also the intercession of the angels, for they also are very anxious to see souls approach the holy Eucharist with great devotion and purity."
The Mystical City Of God
Words of Our Lady spoken to Venerable Mary of Agreda
This is from www.mycatholic.com . I thought after my previous post on the rosary it was appropriate to include this reflection. I want to ask for your prayers for members of my family that have left the Church for the church of unbelief. God Bless
Fifteen Promises of Mary to those who recite her Holy Rosary
Imparted to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive single graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. The Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenititude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of my only Son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination
I saw this on www.dailycatholic.com and I wanted to share with you how much the rosary has helped me in the last couple of years (even when I have not prayed it as regularly as I should to even begin to receive these graces! When I first started discerning the religious life I had a rosary that my dad brought home from Medjugorje it was made from rose wood and I recieved it when I was a freshman in High School at some point I lost it and some time before I began to think about the religious life I found it again, and of course it was a few years old and it no longer had the scent of roses as it once had. But, after I visited the first community (The Benedictine Sisters of Jesus Crucified)it began to smell again of roses!
I thought this was amazing and that it meant that I should joint that community even though I had previously wanted an active community (the Benedictines are Monastic) but non-the-less I continued to communicate with these sisters and then went back to visit them a second time when their Mother General was visiting from the Motherhouse in France! My rosary still smelled when I was there! After I had moved to France I to where their noviciate is located. I spent five months there in France, after realizing that this was not where God was calling me I came home and visited two other communities one was the Intercessors of the Lamb (I took a ten-day discernment retreat there, I love that community but never felt a strong call there). Then, I visited the Sisters of the Lamb of God in Owensboro, KY. They are a nice older community but they are not as traditional as I am and I liked them but just did not, after going home and thinking about it, talking about it with my spiritual director, and praying about it, I just did not feel that that was the avenue that God wanted me to go down.
So after several months of searching for a job (I had left my previous job before going to France) and searching for a community that would accept people with disabilities I went to Chicago with the School Sisters of Christ the King (a beautiful community in Lincoln, NE) to the Institute on Religious Life national conference, which is where I met Sr. Mary Michael from the School Sisters of St. Francis. I was providence that she came up to me after her and a few other religious had given their vocation talk. I had just been told that my disability would probably be a problem with another community that I was really interested in and so at the time I was praying and crying out to God in confusion and hurt that I had been told no again. That was an answer to my prayer that Sr. Mary Michael approached me at the end!
My whole point in telling you about my story here is two-fold: first stay close to your heavenly mother she will guide you. Second, I wanted you to get to know me a little better and knowing the process I have been through in the last two years. I know that it will happen in God's time and not mine no matter how hard I try!
God Bless all who read this and who post their comments! Susie, TJ, Kim and others. God Bless.
Imparted to Saint Dominic and Blessed Alan
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive single graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. The Rosary will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire for eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenititude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in paradise.
9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters of my only Son Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination
I saw this on www.dailycatholic.com and I wanted to share with you how much the rosary has helped me in the last couple of years (even when I have not prayed it as regularly as I should to even begin to receive these graces! When I first started discerning the religious life I had a rosary that my dad brought home from Medjugorje it was made from rose wood and I recieved it when I was a freshman in High School at some point I lost it and some time before I began to think about the religious life I found it again, and of course it was a few years old and it no longer had the scent of roses as it once had. But, after I visited the first community (The Benedictine Sisters of Jesus Crucified)it began to smell again of roses!
I thought this was amazing and that it meant that I should joint that community even though I had previously wanted an active community (the Benedictines are Monastic) but non-the-less I continued to communicate with these sisters and then went back to visit them a second time when their Mother General was visiting from the Motherhouse in France! My rosary still smelled when I was there! After I had moved to France I to where their noviciate is located. I spent five months there in France, after realizing that this was not where God was calling me I came home and visited two other communities one was the Intercessors of the Lamb (I took a ten-day discernment retreat there, I love that community but never felt a strong call there). Then, I visited the Sisters of the Lamb of God in Owensboro, KY. They are a nice older community but they are not as traditional as I am and I liked them but just did not, after going home and thinking about it, talking about it with my spiritual director, and praying about it, I just did not feel that that was the avenue that God wanted me to go down.
So after several months of searching for a job (I had left my previous job before going to France) and searching for a community that would accept people with disabilities I went to Chicago with the School Sisters of Christ the King (a beautiful community in Lincoln, NE) to the Institute on Religious Life national conference, which is where I met Sr. Mary Michael from the School Sisters of St. Francis. I was providence that she came up to me after her and a few other religious had given their vocation talk. I had just been told that my disability would probably be a problem with another community that I was really interested in and so at the time I was praying and crying out to God in confusion and hurt that I had been told no again. That was an answer to my prayer that Sr. Mary Michael approached me at the end!
My whole point in telling you about my story here is two-fold: first stay close to your heavenly mother she will guide you. Second, I wanted you to get to know me a little better and knowing the process I have been through in the last two years. I know that it will happen in God's time and not mine no matter how hard I try!
God Bless all who read this and who post their comments! Susie, TJ, Kim and others. God Bless.
Back from Texas!!
I have returned from Texas after visiting the School Sisters of Saint Francis. The sisters are in Panhandle, TX. (That is the name of the town not just the area of where in Texas they are!)
I had a fantastic week! I arrived on Sunday afternoon. The community is very true to the Magisterium. I will be going to visit again in the upcoming weeks. After I visit again then the Community council will meet with me and decide if they would like to invite me to enter as a postulant!
I visited just as four of their sisters were returning from the Motherhouse in Austria. They showed us wonderful pictures from Assisi and the Motherhouse. From where the congration began in 1723. How amazing to see the places of other sisters of the same congregation!
They also visit the places where St. Francis lived as well as St. Claire. They visit his tomb. One day we at Mass we received hosts that were made in Assisi and touched to the tomb of St. Francis! That was an unbelievable day! Another day we went to a place outside of Groom, Texas where there is a 190-Foot Cross and life-size stations of the cross (they are modeled after the stations in Lourdes!) That was beautiful! They also have up some stairs, on a hill the three crosses, representing Calvery! Looking at the faces of the good thief and the bad thief you see a difference in them! It was so incredible (I did not have my camera but I found their website www.crossministries.net . It was amazing! God Bless, and more later!
I had a fantastic week! I arrived on Sunday afternoon. The community is very true to the Magisterium. I will be going to visit again in the upcoming weeks. After I visit again then the Community council will meet with me and decide if they would like to invite me to enter as a postulant!
I visited just as four of their sisters were returning from the Motherhouse in Austria. They showed us wonderful pictures from Assisi and the Motherhouse. From where the congration began in 1723. How amazing to see the places of other sisters of the same congregation!
They also visit the places where St. Francis lived as well as St. Claire. They visit his tomb. One day we at Mass we received hosts that were made in Assisi and touched to the tomb of St. Francis! That was an unbelievable day! Another day we went to a place outside of Groom, Texas where there is a 190-Foot Cross and life-size stations of the cross (they are modeled after the stations in Lourdes!) That was beautiful! They also have up some stairs, on a hill the three crosses, representing Calvery! Looking at the faces of the good thief and the bad thief you see a difference in them! It was so incredible (I did not have my camera but I found their website www.crossministries.net . It was amazing! God Bless, and more later!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Saint of he Day
July 24, 2007
St. Sharbel Makhlouf
(1828-1898)
Although this saint never traveled far from the Lebanese village of Beka-Kafra, where he was born, his influence has spread widely.
Joseph Zaroun Maklouf was raised by an uncle because his father, a mule driver, died when Joseph was only three. At the age of 23, Joseph joined the Monastery of St. Maron at Annaya, Lebanon, and took the name Sharbel in honor of a second-century martyr. He professed his final vows in 1853 and was ordained six years later.
Following the example of the fifth-century St. Maron, Sharbel lived as a hermit from 1875 until his death. His reputation for holiness prompted people to seek him to receive a blessing and to be remembered in his prayers. He followed a strict fast and was very devoted to the Blessed Sacrament. When his superiors occasionally asked him to administer the sacraments to nearby villages, Sharbel did so gladly.
He died in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Christians and non-Christians soon made his tomb a place of pilgrimage and of cures. Pope Paul VI beatified him in 1965 and canonized him in 1977.
Comment:
Pope John Paul II has often said that the Church has two lungs (East and West) and it must learn to breathe using both of them. Remembering saints like Sharbel helps the Church to appreciate both the diversity and unity present in the Catholic Church. Like all the saints, Sharbel points us to God and invites us to cooperate generously with God's grace, no matter what our situation in life may be. As our prayer life becomes deeper and more honest, we become more ready to make that generous response.
Quote:
When Sharbel was canonized in 1977, Bishop Francis Zayek, head the U.S. Diocese of St. Maron, wrote a pamphlet entitled “A New Star of the East.” Bishop Zayek wrote: “St. Sharbel is called the second St. Anthony of the Desert, the Perfume of Lebanon, the first Confessor of the East to be raised to the Altars according to the actual procedure of the Catholic Church, the honor of our Aramaic Antiochian Church, and the model of spiritual values and renewal. Sharbel is like a Cedar of Lebanon standing in eternal prayer, on top of a mountain.”
The bishop noted that Sharbel's canonization plus other beatification cases prove “that the Aramaic Maronite Antiochian Church is indeed a living branch of the Catholic Church and is intimately connected with the trunk, who is Christ, our Savior, the beginning and the end of all things.”
St. Sharbel Makhlouf
(1828-1898)
Although this saint never traveled far from the Lebanese village of Beka-Kafra, where he was born, his influence has spread widely.
Joseph Zaroun Maklouf was raised by an uncle because his father, a mule driver, died when Joseph was only three. At the age of 23, Joseph joined the Monastery of St. Maron at Annaya, Lebanon, and took the name Sharbel in honor of a second-century martyr. He professed his final vows in 1853 and was ordained six years later.
Following the example of the fifth-century St. Maron, Sharbel lived as a hermit from 1875 until his death. His reputation for holiness prompted people to seek him to receive a blessing and to be remembered in his prayers. He followed a strict fast and was very devoted to the Blessed Sacrament. When his superiors occasionally asked him to administer the sacraments to nearby villages, Sharbel did so gladly.
He died in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Christians and non-Christians soon made his tomb a place of pilgrimage and of cures. Pope Paul VI beatified him in 1965 and canonized him in 1977.
Comment:
Pope John Paul II has often said that the Church has two lungs (East and West) and it must learn to breathe using both of them. Remembering saints like Sharbel helps the Church to appreciate both the diversity and unity present in the Catholic Church. Like all the saints, Sharbel points us to God and invites us to cooperate generously with God's grace, no matter what our situation in life may be. As our prayer life becomes deeper and more honest, we become more ready to make that generous response.
Quote:
When Sharbel was canonized in 1977, Bishop Francis Zayek, head the U.S. Diocese of St. Maron, wrote a pamphlet entitled “A New Star of the East.” Bishop Zayek wrote: “St. Sharbel is called the second St. Anthony of the Desert, the Perfume of Lebanon, the first Confessor of the East to be raised to the Altars according to the actual procedure of the Catholic Church, the honor of our Aramaic Antiochian Church, and the model of spiritual values and renewal. Sharbel is like a Cedar of Lebanon standing in eternal prayer, on top of a mountain.”
The bishop noted that Sharbel's canonization plus other beatification cases prove “that the Aramaic Maronite Antiochian Church is indeed a living branch of the Catholic Church and is intimately connected with the trunk, who is Christ, our Savior, the beginning and the end of all things.”
Monday, July 23, 2007
Saint of the Day
July 23, 2007
St. Bridget
(1303?-1373)
From age seven on, Bridget had visions of Christ crucified. Her visions formed the basis for her activity—always with the emphasis on charity rather than spiritual favors.
She lived her married life in the court of the Swedish king Magnus II. Mother of eight children (the second eldest was St. Catherine of Sweden), she lived the strict life of a penitent after her husband’s death.
Bridget constantly strove to exert her good influence over Magnus; while never fully reforming, he did give her land and buildings to found a monastery for men and women. This group eventually expanded into an Order known as the Bridgetines (still in existence).
In 1350, a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Although she never returned to Sweden, her years in Rome were far from happy, being hounded by debts and by opposition to her work against Church abuses.
A final pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marred by shipwreck and the death of her son, Charles, eventually led to her death in 1373. In 1999, she, Saints Catherine of Siena and Edith Stein were named co-patronesses of Europe.
Comment:
Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the Avignon papacy. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the market place.
Quote:
Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”
St. Bridget
(1303?-1373)
From age seven on, Bridget had visions of Christ crucified. Her visions formed the basis for her activity—always with the emphasis on charity rather than spiritual favors.
She lived her married life in the court of the Swedish king Magnus II. Mother of eight children (the second eldest was St. Catherine of Sweden), she lived the strict life of a penitent after her husband’s death.
Bridget constantly strove to exert her good influence over Magnus; while never fully reforming, he did give her land and buildings to found a monastery for men and women. This group eventually expanded into an Order known as the Bridgetines (still in existence).
In 1350, a year of jubilee, Bridget braved a plague-stricken Europe to make a pilgrimage to Rome. Although she never returned to Sweden, her years in Rome were far from happy, being hounded by debts and by opposition to her work against Church abuses.
A final pilgrimage to the Holy Land, marred by shipwreck and the death of her son, Charles, eventually led to her death in 1373. In 1999, she, Saints Catherine of Siena and Edith Stein were named co-patronesses of Europe.
Comment:
Bridget’s visions, rather than isolating her from the affairs of the world, involved her in many contemporary issues, whether they be royal policy or the Avignon papacy. She saw no contradiction between mystical experience and secular activity, and her life is a testimony to the possibility of a holy life in the market place.
Quote:
Despite the hardships of life and wayward children (not all became saints), Margery Kempe of Lynn says Bridget was “kind and meek to every creature” and “she had a laughing face.”
Saturday, July 21, 2007
July 22nd, 2007 16th Sunday in ordinary time
This week, Jesus, we honor two very special people in Your
salvific plan.
St's Joachim and Anna, the mother and father of Mary, our mother.
Because of the marvelous plan of salvation laid out by You long
before the creation of the world, You had these beautiful
parents give birth to the baby that was to be free of original
sin, and be full of grace from the moment of her conception.
You graced these parents with a unique gift that will be honored
throughout all of history, Mary our mother.
Let us see, by this birth, that there are no accidents of life,
but that all babies are conceived in Your image and likeness,
and that all life is sacred.
Let us all rededicate ourselves to fight against the sin of
abortion, and helped get it stopped throughout the world.
Let us work for the rights of all people, including the unborn,
to live on this planet in peace and prosperity.
Let us unite with You, and all of Your angels and saints, in
giving glory and honor to our heavenly Father, and to the Holy
Spirit, by honoring all of Your creation, including the people
of all the world.
Let us work in love, to give love to others. Amen and Amen.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us totally.
salvific plan.
St's Joachim and Anna, the mother and father of Mary, our mother.
Because of the marvelous plan of salvation laid out by You long
before the creation of the world, You had these beautiful
parents give birth to the baby that was to be free of original
sin, and be full of grace from the moment of her conception.
You graced these parents with a unique gift that will be honored
throughout all of history, Mary our mother.
Let us see, by this birth, that there are no accidents of life,
but that all babies are conceived in Your image and likeness,
and that all life is sacred.
Let us all rededicate ourselves to fight against the sin of
abortion, and helped get it stopped throughout the world.
Let us work for the rights of all people, including the unborn,
to live on this planet in peace and prosperity.
Let us unite with You, and all of Your angels and saints, in
giving glory and honor to our heavenly Father, and to the Holy
Spirit, by honoring all of Your creation, including the people
of all the world.
Let us work in love, to give love to others. Amen and Amen.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us totally.
I leave for Texas in less than 12 hours and I am not packed, not because I am not excited, but because I procrastinate! My aunt has a koozie that says "Procrastinators Unite...Tomorrow!" That made me laugh! Very true for me tonight! Anyway, I will return on Saturday July 28! So please pray for me and I will let you know all about it when I return. God Bless, now to packing I go!
I can only Imagine - Catholic Version
This was on my friend Joyful Catholics Blog and I found it today and so I had to post it. God Bless!
The below article from www.catholicexchange.com
is something that I have reflected on a lot, the story in the Gospels of Jesus meeting Martha and Mary and the lesson there that we must learn to stop in our busy lives and stop to love God in this moment. Even if that moment is stressful, scary, or what ever. We must learn to stop and thank God or invite him to come into the scary, the stress. But especially in the celebrations of life. God asks of us to allow him in every part of our lives. Not just the stress or not just the joy. We must follow and not lead.
Whatever work, home, school brings into our lives we need to let God LEAD. Live and let God is a saying that my spiritual director says often to me. She also says "God is God and I am not" and "Let God do his thing, he PROMISED he would" God's promises for sure hold water much more so than mine!
As I am getting ready to leave for Texas tomorrow (pray for me!) I think this was a good focus for me as I know that I need to let God show me what He wants to show me and He will reveal His Divine Will to me at His time! NOT MINE! God Bless you who have read my posts and commented. God Bless, See you in a week.
is something that I have reflected on a lot, the story in the Gospels of Jesus meeting Martha and Mary and the lesson there that we must learn to stop in our busy lives and stop to love God in this moment. Even if that moment is stressful, scary, or what ever. We must learn to stop and thank God or invite him to come into the scary, the stress. But especially in the celebrations of life. God asks of us to allow him in every part of our lives. Not just the stress or not just the joy. We must follow and not lead.
Whatever work, home, school brings into our lives we need to let God LEAD. Live and let God is a saying that my spiritual director says often to me. She also says "God is God and I am not" and "Let God do his thing, he PROMISED he would" God's promises for sure hold water much more so than mine!
As I am getting ready to leave for Texas tomorrow (pray for me!) I think this was a good focus for me as I know that I need to let God show me what He wants to show me and He will reveal His Divine Will to me at His time! NOT MINE! God Bless you who have read my posts and commented. God Bless, See you in a week.
Touched by Grace from Catholic Exchange
July 20, 2007
Martha seems to be one of the Gospel characters we can easily identify with. There are at least two recorded conversations between her and Jesus, and both times it is easy to come away saying, “I hear you, sister.” Our Lord, however, uses both of those occasions to reveal some profound truths. On one occasion, recorded in chapter 11 of John’s Gospel, Jesus goes to the tomb of Martha’s brother, Lazarus. Lazarus has already been in the tomb several days by the time Our Lord arrives. Martha goes out to meet Him, saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” If we have ever lost a loved one, we can readily identify with Martha’s anguish. Maybe we prayed and prayed for healing that never seemed to come. Martha is hurting, and she lets Our Lord know that. Jesus tells her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”
What a profound revelation Christ makes regarding His own self. He is eternal life, and He shares that life with those who believe in Him. That lesson is echoed elsewhere in the Scriptures: “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (Jn 5: 21); and “(We) proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us — that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and the Son Jesus Christ” (1 Jn 1:2-3).
What comfort these words can bring to us. Death takes our loved ones from us, but Christ has conquered death. We have good reason to hope that our loved ones are not lost forever. Rather, we have good reason to hope that they have gone on ahead of us, and that one day, through the grace and mercy of God, we shall see them again in Paradise. We identify with the anguish of Martha, but Christ is the source of hope.
The second conversation between Martha and Jesus is the one presented to us this Sunday. Jesus is in Bethany visiting with His friends. While Martha is bustling about the house trying to provide hospitality, her sister, Mary, is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to His teaching. Martha takes note of this: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” Again, we might be able to identify with Martha. We might live very busy lives, and finding time for good, solid meditative prayer seems almost like a luxury. There is just too much that needs to be done. This can certainly happen in family life with its many demands. It can just as easily happen even in priestly ministry. It is easy to get caught up in doing things — ministering to the many needs of others, administrative duties, teaching — and neglect personal prayer. Again, we need to make note of Jesus’ response to Martha: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”
The “good portion” chosen by Mary is Jesus Himself. While He is so near, she has chosen to sit with Him and listen to Him. We might think of Peter’s words to Jesus after the Bread of Life discourse in John 6. When Jesus asks the apostles if they, too, will leave Him, Peter asks where they could possibly go. Jesus’ words are the words of everlasting life. This should be enough to tell us that time spent in personal prayer is not a luxury. When it comes to the interior, or spiritual, life, prayer and meditation are critical. There we hold up to Our Lord our daily activities and scrutinize them in the light of His teachings to see what needs to be discarded or strengthened, to see what is leading us closer to Him or taking us away from Him.
No time of prayer, especially prayer before the tabernacle, is ever wasted. What we bring with us each time may be a little different. At times we will readily praise and adore Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer. At times we will come in sorrow for our sinfulness and weakness, seeking His mercy. At times we will come in gratitude for the spiritual and material gifts He has given us. At times we will come with numerous petitions for ourselves and others. At all times, we give Jesus our hearts. He will give us the good things we need.
What are those good things? Pope Benedict XVI gives us an answer in his book Jesus of Nazareth: “The ‘good things’ that he gives us are himself. This reveals in a surprising way what prayer is really all about. It is not about this or that, but about God’s desire to offer us the gift of himself — that is the gift of all gifts, the ‘one thing necessary.’ Prayer is a way of gradually purifying and correcting our wishes and of slowly coming to realize what we really need: God and his Spirit” (p. 137). Yes, Martha is a character we can all identify with. And thanks to her, we have learned some important lessons about Our Lord.
Fr. Paul Grankauskas is parochial vicar at St. Mary of Sorrows Parish in Fairfax, Virginia.
Martha seems to be one of the Gospel characters we can easily identify with. There are at least two recorded conversations between her and Jesus, and both times it is easy to come away saying, “I hear you, sister.” Our Lord, however, uses both of those occasions to reveal some profound truths. On one occasion, recorded in chapter 11 of John’s Gospel, Jesus goes to the tomb of Martha’s brother, Lazarus. Lazarus has already been in the tomb several days by the time Our Lord arrives. Martha goes out to meet Him, saying, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. And even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” If we have ever lost a loved one, we can readily identify with Martha’s anguish. Maybe we prayed and prayed for healing that never seemed to come. Martha is hurting, and she lets Our Lord know that. Jesus tells her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.”
What a profound revelation Christ makes regarding His own self. He is eternal life, and He shares that life with those who believe in Him. That lesson is echoed elsewhere in the Scriptures: “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will” (Jn 5: 21); and “(We) proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us — that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and the Son Jesus Christ” (1 Jn 1:2-3).
What comfort these words can bring to us. Death takes our loved ones from us, but Christ has conquered death. We have good reason to hope that our loved ones are not lost forever. Rather, we have good reason to hope that they have gone on ahead of us, and that one day, through the grace and mercy of God, we shall see them again in Paradise. We identify with the anguish of Martha, but Christ is the source of hope.
The second conversation between Martha and Jesus is the one presented to us this Sunday. Jesus is in Bethany visiting with His friends. While Martha is bustling about the house trying to provide hospitality, her sister, Mary, is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to His teaching. Martha takes note of this: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?” Again, we might be able to identify with Martha. We might live very busy lives, and finding time for good, solid meditative prayer seems almost like a luxury. There is just too much that needs to be done. This can certainly happen in family life with its many demands. It can just as easily happen even in priestly ministry. It is easy to get caught up in doing things — ministering to the many needs of others, administrative duties, teaching — and neglect personal prayer. Again, we need to make note of Jesus’ response to Martha: “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things; one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her.”
The “good portion” chosen by Mary is Jesus Himself. While He is so near, she has chosen to sit with Him and listen to Him. We might think of Peter’s words to Jesus after the Bread of Life discourse in John 6. When Jesus asks the apostles if they, too, will leave Him, Peter asks where they could possibly go. Jesus’ words are the words of everlasting life. This should be enough to tell us that time spent in personal prayer is not a luxury. When it comes to the interior, or spiritual, life, prayer and meditation are critical. There we hold up to Our Lord our daily activities and scrutinize them in the light of His teachings to see what needs to be discarded or strengthened, to see what is leading us closer to Him or taking us away from Him.
No time of prayer, especially prayer before the tabernacle, is ever wasted. What we bring with us each time may be a little different. At times we will readily praise and adore Jesus, our Savior and Redeemer. At times we will come in sorrow for our sinfulness and weakness, seeking His mercy. At times we will come in gratitude for the spiritual and material gifts He has given us. At times we will come with numerous petitions for ourselves and others. At all times, we give Jesus our hearts. He will give us the good things we need.
What are those good things? Pope Benedict XVI gives us an answer in his book Jesus of Nazareth: “The ‘good things’ that he gives us are himself. This reveals in a surprising way what prayer is really all about. It is not about this or that, but about God’s desire to offer us the gift of himself — that is the gift of all gifts, the ‘one thing necessary.’ Prayer is a way of gradually purifying and correcting our wishes and of slowly coming to realize what we really need: God and his Spirit” (p. 137). Yes, Martha is a character we can all identify with. And thanks to her, we have learned some important lessons about Our Lord.
Fr. Paul Grankauskas is parochial vicar at St. Mary of Sorrows Parish in Fairfax, Virginia.
News from American Catholic
Sedona chapel chosen top Arizona 'wonder' in online poll
SEDONA, Ariz. (CNS) -- Built on the red rocks near Sedona, the Chapel of the Holy Cross draws between 30 and 60 people for Taize prayer every Monday night. The chapel, which St. John Vianney Parish administers, is a popular stop in Arizona's second most popular city for tourists and it was just named the top "Wonder of Arizona" in a statewide vote. When a reporter visited the chapel July 9, two days after the vote, there were more than 50 people -- including visitors from Illinois, Maryland and even Canada -- on hand for the prayer service. "People who come aren't all Catholic," said Betty McGinnis, who leads the music during the service and is parish administrator at St. John Vianney. Visitors to azcentral.com, the Web site of the Arizona Republic daily newspaper, voted on the "7 Wonders of Arizona" over the last few months. Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a devout Catholic woman, designed the small chapel and believed in finding God through the arts. Her original plans were for a cathedral, but after moving to Sedona with her husband in 1941, she modified the design. Construction on the Chapel of the Holy Cross began in 1955.
Now that is great that a chapel would call such attention to itself, people of all religions and faiths. How wonderful! (And Arizona has the Grand Canyon!)Let us pray that people will come to know the Lord through this place. Here in Omaha, we have the Holy Family Shirne, and it is such a blessing. I have visited there a few times and I leave changed each time. It is a truly beautiful place. The Holy Spirit is felt there. Thank you to Matt, Denise, my dad, and Susie (who are just some of the volunteers that work and keep the Holy Family Shrine running day to day. God Bless you all!
SEDONA, Ariz. (CNS) -- Built on the red rocks near Sedona, the Chapel of the Holy Cross draws between 30 and 60 people for Taize prayer every Monday night. The chapel, which St. John Vianney Parish administers, is a popular stop in Arizona's second most popular city for tourists and it was just named the top "Wonder of Arizona" in a statewide vote. When a reporter visited the chapel July 9, two days after the vote, there were more than 50 people -- including visitors from Illinois, Maryland and even Canada -- on hand for the prayer service. "People who come aren't all Catholic," said Betty McGinnis, who leads the music during the service and is parish administrator at St. John Vianney. Visitors to azcentral.com, the Web site of the Arizona Republic daily newspaper, voted on the "7 Wonders of Arizona" over the last few months. Marguerite Brunswig Staude, a devout Catholic woman, designed the small chapel and believed in finding God through the arts. Her original plans were for a cathedral, but after moving to Sedona with her husband in 1941, she modified the design. Construction on the Chapel of the Holy Cross began in 1955.
Now that is great that a chapel would call such attention to itself, people of all religions and faiths. How wonderful! (And Arizona has the Grand Canyon!)Let us pray that people will come to know the Lord through this place. Here in Omaha, we have the Holy Family Shirne, and it is such a blessing. I have visited there a few times and I leave changed each time. It is a truly beautiful place. The Holy Spirit is felt there. Thank you to Matt, Denise, my dad, and Susie (who are just some of the volunteers that work and keep the Holy Family Shrine running day to day. God Bless you all!
Saint of the Day
July 21, 2007
St. Lawrence of Brindisi
(1559-1619)
At first glance perhaps the most remarkable quality of Lawrence of Brindisi is his outstanding gift of languages. In addition to a thorough knowledge of his native Italian, he had complete reading and speaking ability in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish and French.
He was born on July 22, 1559, and died exactly 60 years later on his birthday in 1619. His parents William and Elizabeth Russo gave him the name of Julius Caesar, Caesare in Italian. After the early death of his parents, he was educated by his uncle at the College of St. Mark in Venice.
When he was just 16 he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Venice and received the name of Lawrence. He completed his studies of philosophy and theology at the University of Padua and was ordained a priest at 23.
With his facility for languages he was able to study the Bible in its original texts. At the request of Pope Clement VIII, he spent much time preaching to the Jews in Italy. So excellent was his knowledge of Hebrew, the rabbis felt sure he was a Jew who had become a Christian.
In 1956 the Capuchins completed a 15-volume edition of his writings. Eleven of these 15 contain his sermons, each of which relies chiefly on scriptural quotations to illustrate his teaching.
Lawrence’s sensitivity to the needs of people—a character trait perhaps unexpected in such a talented scholar—began to surface. He was elected major superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany at the age of 31. He had the combination of brilliance, human compassion and administrative skill needed to carry out his duties. In rapid succession he was promoted by his fellow Capuchins and was elected minister general of the Capuchins in 1602. In this position he was responsible for great growth and geographical expansion of the Order.
Lawrence was appointed papal emissary and peacemaker, a job which took him to a number of foreign countries. An effort to achieve peace in his native kingdom of Naples took him on a journey to Lisbon to visit the king of Spain. Serious illness in Lisbon took his life in 1619.
Comment:
His constant devotion to Scripture, coupled with great sensitivity to the needs of people, present a lifestyle which appeals to Christians today. Lawrence had a balance in his life that blended self-discipline with a keen appreciation for the needs of those whom he was called to serve.
Quote:
“God is love, and all his operations proceed from love. Once he wills to manifest that goodness by sharing his love outside himself, then the Incarnation becomes the supreme manifestation of his goodness and love and glory. So, Christ was intended before all other creatures and for his own sake. For him all things were created and to him all things must be subject, and God loves all creatures in and because of Christ. Christ is the first-born of every creature, and the whole of humanity as well as the created world finds its foundation and meaning in him. Moreover, this would have been the case even if Adam had not sinned” (St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Universal Church, Capuchin Educational Conference, Washington, D.C.).
St. Lawrence of Brindisi
(1559-1619)
At first glance perhaps the most remarkable quality of Lawrence of Brindisi is his outstanding gift of languages. In addition to a thorough knowledge of his native Italian, he had complete reading and speaking ability in Latin, Hebrew, Greek, German, Bohemian, Spanish and French.
He was born on July 22, 1559, and died exactly 60 years later on his birthday in 1619. His parents William and Elizabeth Russo gave him the name of Julius Caesar, Caesare in Italian. After the early death of his parents, he was educated by his uncle at the College of St. Mark in Venice.
When he was just 16 he entered the Capuchin Franciscan Order in Venice and received the name of Lawrence. He completed his studies of philosophy and theology at the University of Padua and was ordained a priest at 23.
With his facility for languages he was able to study the Bible in its original texts. At the request of Pope Clement VIII, he spent much time preaching to the Jews in Italy. So excellent was his knowledge of Hebrew, the rabbis felt sure he was a Jew who had become a Christian.
In 1956 the Capuchins completed a 15-volume edition of his writings. Eleven of these 15 contain his sermons, each of which relies chiefly on scriptural quotations to illustrate his teaching.
Lawrence’s sensitivity to the needs of people—a character trait perhaps unexpected in such a talented scholar—began to surface. He was elected major superior of the Capuchin Franciscan province of Tuscany at the age of 31. He had the combination of brilliance, human compassion and administrative skill needed to carry out his duties. In rapid succession he was promoted by his fellow Capuchins and was elected minister general of the Capuchins in 1602. In this position he was responsible for great growth and geographical expansion of the Order.
Lawrence was appointed papal emissary and peacemaker, a job which took him to a number of foreign countries. An effort to achieve peace in his native kingdom of Naples took him on a journey to Lisbon to visit the king of Spain. Serious illness in Lisbon took his life in 1619.
Comment:
His constant devotion to Scripture, coupled with great sensitivity to the needs of people, present a lifestyle which appeals to Christians today. Lawrence had a balance in his life that blended self-discipline with a keen appreciation for the needs of those whom he was called to serve.
Quote:
“God is love, and all his operations proceed from love. Once he wills to manifest that goodness by sharing his love outside himself, then the Incarnation becomes the supreme manifestation of his goodness and love and glory. So, Christ was intended before all other creatures and for his own sake. For him all things were created and to him all things must be subject, and God loves all creatures in and because of Christ. Christ is the first-born of every creature, and the whole of humanity as well as the created world finds its foundation and meaning in him. Moreover, this would have been the case even if Adam had not sinned” (St. Lawrence of Brindisi, Doctor of the Universal Church, Capuchin Educational Conference, Washington, D.C.).
Friday, July 20, 2007
Saint of the Day
St. Arsenius
July 18, 2007
Although there is some question about his early life, it seems that St. Arsenius was born in Rome around the year 354, became a deacon, and later tutor to the sons of the Emperor Theodosius I of Constantinople. He lived at court amid great wealth and pomp, had splendid apartments, rich clothes, and a host of servants. After ten years of this kind of life, Arsenius began to feel the need to renounce the world and flee to the desert. It is said that he heard a voice saying, "Arsenius, flee the company of men, and thou shalt be saved."
Around the year 400, Arsenius joined the desert monks at Skete; later he went to Canopus and Troe. He lived the most austere of lives, performed penances, and prayed unceasingly. When told that he had been left a legacy by a relative who was a senator, he refused it saying, "I died eleven years ago and cannot be his heir." When Arsenius did indeed die, he was 95 years old.
Other Saints We Remember Today
St. Vincent de Paul (1660), Priest and Founder
Lessons
St. Arsenius left us with forty-four maxims and moral anecdotes. His sayings give us much food for thought:
Asked one day why he, a learned man, sought the advice of a monk who had no education, he replied, "I am not unacquainted with the learning of the Greeks and the Romans; but I have not yet learned the alphabet of the science of the saints, whereof this seemingly ignorant Egyptian is master."
Again, when asked why many uneducated Egyptians seemed to make more progress in the ways of virtue than educated men, Arsenius answered, "We make no progress because we dwell in that exterior learning which puffs up the mind; but these illiterate Egyptians have a true sense of their own weakness, blindness, and insufficiency; and by that very thing they are qualified to labor successfully in the pursuit of virtue."
Employed as many of the monks were in making mats of palm leaves, Arsenius never changed the water in which he moistened the leaves, allowing it to become fetid. He claimed, "I ought to be punished by this smell for the self-indulgence with which I formerly used perfumes."
His abbot once asked him why he so much shunned the company of the other monks. The saint answered, "God knows how dearly I love you all; but I find I cannot be both with God and with men at the same time; nor can I think of leaving God to converse with men."
Although St. Arsenius did give spiritual instruction to many of his brethren, he often said, "I have always something to repent for after having talked, but have never been sorry for having been silent."
July 18, 2007
Although there is some question about his early life, it seems that St. Arsenius was born in Rome around the year 354, became a deacon, and later tutor to the sons of the Emperor Theodosius I of Constantinople. He lived at court amid great wealth and pomp, had splendid apartments, rich clothes, and a host of servants. After ten years of this kind of life, Arsenius began to feel the need to renounce the world and flee to the desert. It is said that he heard a voice saying, "Arsenius, flee the company of men, and thou shalt be saved."
Around the year 400, Arsenius joined the desert monks at Skete; later he went to Canopus and Troe. He lived the most austere of lives, performed penances, and prayed unceasingly. When told that he had been left a legacy by a relative who was a senator, he refused it saying, "I died eleven years ago and cannot be his heir." When Arsenius did indeed die, he was 95 years old.
Other Saints We Remember Today
St. Vincent de Paul (1660), Priest and Founder
Lessons
St. Arsenius left us with forty-four maxims and moral anecdotes. His sayings give us much food for thought:
Asked one day why he, a learned man, sought the advice of a monk who had no education, he replied, "I am not unacquainted with the learning of the Greeks and the Romans; but I have not yet learned the alphabet of the science of the saints, whereof this seemingly ignorant Egyptian is master."
Again, when asked why many uneducated Egyptians seemed to make more progress in the ways of virtue than educated men, Arsenius answered, "We make no progress because we dwell in that exterior learning which puffs up the mind; but these illiterate Egyptians have a true sense of their own weakness, blindness, and insufficiency; and by that very thing they are qualified to labor successfully in the pursuit of virtue."
Employed as many of the monks were in making mats of palm leaves, Arsenius never changed the water in which he moistened the leaves, allowing it to become fetid. He claimed, "I ought to be punished by this smell for the self-indulgence with which I formerly used perfumes."
His abbot once asked him why he so much shunned the company of the other monks. The saint answered, "God knows how dearly I love you all; but I find I cannot be both with God and with men at the same time; nor can I think of leaving God to converse with men."
Although St. Arsenius did give spiritual instruction to many of his brethren, he often said, "I have always something to repent for after having talked, but have never been sorry for having been silent."
Spirit & Life weekly post
Spirit & Life®
"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63)
Human Life International e-Newsletter
Volume 01, Number 76 | Friday, July 20, 2007
..................................................................................
www.hli.org
The Blood That Saves
In the month of July the Church meditates in a special way upon the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. While it may seem strange for a religious people to be devoted to something as earthly as blood, it is not just anyone's blood that we meditate on. It is the Blood of the Paschal Lamb who was slain for the sins of the whole world, and we truly worship His Blood as the perfect sacrifice which sanctifies us.
The Old Testament gives us abundant evidence of the sanctifying power of blood. For example, the blood of Abel cried out to God from the earth when he was killed by Cain. Moses instructed the people of Israel to apply the blood of a lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes in Egypt in order to be saved from the destroying angel, and then he sprinkled the blood of the covenant over the people to purify them and strengthen them to keep God's commands. King Solomon established the cult of blood sacrifice of animals as Israel's primary form of worship and atonement for their sins. A blood sacrifice even averted a plague in the time of David. Blood, therefore, had an undeniable significance for the people of Israel as expiation for sins, protection from evil and as a means of consecration.
The New Testament tells us, however, that there is one perfect sacrifice of blood which surpasses all others. This sacrifice is the Blood of Christ "which speaks more eloquently than the blood of Abel" says the Book of Hebrews (12: 24); Hebrews also says that It cleanses our consciences to make us capable of true worship and St. Paul adds that It has the power to break down the barrier wall of animosity between God and man. We know that Christ's Blood flowed from His pierced Heart on Calvary as a font of sacramental life of the Church, and St. Peter's first letter describes this Blood as precious "beyond all price, the blood of a spotless, unblemished lamb." (1:19) Truly, there is no greater gift in all eternity than the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ!
So if this Blood was shed for each one of us, how do we receive Its full benefit? Simple. We spiritually "apply" the Blood of Christ to things and people for their sanctification. This is done by an act of imagination, will and prayer on our part, especially at the moment of consecration at Mass. Because Christ's Blood can dissolve bonds of evil and sin we can spiritually "cover" our loved ones and friends with the Blood of Christ if they are living immoral lives or immersed in environments of great sin. Imagine a rain of Precious Blood gently falling on your son or daughter in their home or workplace. One may bring a loved one spiritually to Calvary and place his hand on the wood of the Cross so that the Blood of Christ will flow down and seep into the very depths of his being. This happens by our willing it and by the depth of faith with which we make our prayer.
We can also bring a person, spiritually, to the altar at Mass, and when the priest raises the chalice at the moment of consecration, place her in the chalice to be immersed in love and detached from her sin. These devotional exercises do not replace the sacramental grace of Confession of course, but they apply the Blood towards the salvation of our people.
There is no greater force of spirit and life than the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. It is our protection from the evil one, our detachment from sin and our sanctification in all circumstances of life. It brings conversion, enlightenment and peace when we apply it to all the needs of the world, especially the greatest need: the salvation of souls. That, after all, is why It was shed!
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International
P.S. Stay tuned for next week's Spirit and Life on the Precious Blood as it relates to our work in the pro-life movement. This will be an excerpt from my upcoming book on Exorcism.
"The words I spoke to you are spirit and life." (Jn 6:63)
Human Life International e-Newsletter
Volume 01, Number 76 | Friday, July 20, 2007
..................................................................................
www.hli.org
The Blood That Saves
In the month of July the Church meditates in a special way upon the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. While it may seem strange for a religious people to be devoted to something as earthly as blood, it is not just anyone's blood that we meditate on. It is the Blood of the Paschal Lamb who was slain for the sins of the whole world, and we truly worship His Blood as the perfect sacrifice which sanctifies us.
The Old Testament gives us abundant evidence of the sanctifying power of blood. For example, the blood of Abel cried out to God from the earth when he was killed by Cain. Moses instructed the people of Israel to apply the blood of a lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their homes in Egypt in order to be saved from the destroying angel, and then he sprinkled the blood of the covenant over the people to purify them and strengthen them to keep God's commands. King Solomon established the cult of blood sacrifice of animals as Israel's primary form of worship and atonement for their sins. A blood sacrifice even averted a plague in the time of David. Blood, therefore, had an undeniable significance for the people of Israel as expiation for sins, protection from evil and as a means of consecration.
The New Testament tells us, however, that there is one perfect sacrifice of blood which surpasses all others. This sacrifice is the Blood of Christ "which speaks more eloquently than the blood of Abel" says the Book of Hebrews (12: 24); Hebrews also says that It cleanses our consciences to make us capable of true worship and St. Paul adds that It has the power to break down the barrier wall of animosity between God and man. We know that Christ's Blood flowed from His pierced Heart on Calvary as a font of sacramental life of the Church, and St. Peter's first letter describes this Blood as precious "beyond all price, the blood of a spotless, unblemished lamb." (1:19) Truly, there is no greater gift in all eternity than the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ!
So if this Blood was shed for each one of us, how do we receive Its full benefit? Simple. We spiritually "apply" the Blood of Christ to things and people for their sanctification. This is done by an act of imagination, will and prayer on our part, especially at the moment of consecration at Mass. Because Christ's Blood can dissolve bonds of evil and sin we can spiritually "cover" our loved ones and friends with the Blood of Christ if they are living immoral lives or immersed in environments of great sin. Imagine a rain of Precious Blood gently falling on your son or daughter in their home or workplace. One may bring a loved one spiritually to Calvary and place his hand on the wood of the Cross so that the Blood of Christ will flow down and seep into the very depths of his being. This happens by our willing it and by the depth of faith with which we make our prayer.
We can also bring a person, spiritually, to the altar at Mass, and when the priest raises the chalice at the moment of consecration, place her in the chalice to be immersed in love and detached from her sin. These devotional exercises do not replace the sacramental grace of Confession of course, but they apply the Blood towards the salvation of our people.
There is no greater force of spirit and life than the Precious Blood of Jesus Christ. It is our protection from the evil one, our detachment from sin and our sanctification in all circumstances of life. It brings conversion, enlightenment and peace when we apply it to all the needs of the world, especially the greatest need: the salvation of souls. That, after all, is why It was shed!
Sincerely Yours in Christ,
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer,
President, Human Life International
P.S. Stay tuned for next week's Spirit and Life on the Precious Blood as it relates to our work in the pro-life movement. This will be an excerpt from my upcoming book on Exorcism.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
EWTN Family Celebration
http://www.ewtn.com/FamilyCelebration/index.asp
Please consider going this weekend! It will be a fantastic time for all in Birmingham. I will be in Texas but I will praying for its success and outreach and for a good time to be had by all. God Bless EWTN for their ongoing work in evangelization for the Church.
Please consider going this weekend! It will be a fantastic time for all in Birmingham. I will be in Texas but I will praying for its success and outreach and for a good time to be had by all. God Bless EWTN for their ongoing work in evangelization for the Church.
Readings for Friday July 20, 2007
Ex 11:10—12:14Although Moses and Aaron performed various wondersin Pharaoh’s presence,the LORD made Pharaoh obstinate,and he would not let the children of Israel leave his land.
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;you shall reckon it the first month of the year.Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this monthevery one of your families must procure for itself a lamb,one apiece for each household.If a family is too small for a whole lamb,it shall join the nearest household in procuring oneand shall share in the lambin proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then,with the whole assembly of Israel present,it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.They shall take some of its bloodand apply it to the two doorposts and the lintelof every house in which they partake of the lamb.That same night they shall eat its roasted fleshwith unleavened bread and bitter herbs.It shall not be eaten raw or boiled, but roasted whole,with its head and shanks and inner organs.None of it must be kept beyond the next morning;whatever is left over in the morning shall be burned up.
“This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,you shall eat like those who are in flight.It is the Passover of the LORD.For on this same night I will go through Egypt,striking down every first born of the land, both man and beast,and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!But the blood will mark the houses where you are.Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,no destructive blow will come upon you.
“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,which all your generations shall celebratewith pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”
Responsorial PsalmPs 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18R. (13) I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.How shall I make a return to the LORDfor all the good he has done for me?The cup of salvation I will take up,and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
Precious in the eyes of the LORDis the death of his faithful ones.I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;you have loosed my bonds.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will payin the presence of all his people.R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
Reading II
Col 1:15-20
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
GospelMt 12:1-8Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.His disciples were hungryand began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,“See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.”He said to the them, “Have you not read what David didwhen he and his companions were hungry,how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,which neither he nor his companionsbut only the priests could lawfully eat?Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbaththe priests serving in the temple violate the sabbathand are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,you would not have condemned these innocent men.For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,“This month shall stand at the head of your calendar;you shall reckon it the first month of the year.Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth of this monthevery one of your families must procure for itself a lamb,one apiece for each household.If a family is too small for a whole lamb,it shall join the nearest household in procuring oneand shall share in the lambin proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish.You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then,with the whole assembly of Israel present,it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight.They shall take some of its bloodand apply it to the two doorposts and the lintelof every house in which they partake of the lamb.That same night they shall eat its roasted fleshwith unleavened bread and bitter herbs.It shall not be eaten raw or boiled, but roasted whole,with its head and shanks and inner organs.None of it must be kept beyond the next morning;whatever is left over in the morning shall be burned up.
“This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand,you shall eat like those who are in flight.It is the Passover of the LORD.For on this same night I will go through Egypt,striking down every first born of the land, both man and beast,and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the LORD!But the blood will mark the houses where you are.Seeing the blood, I will pass over you;thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,no destructive blow will come upon you.
“This day shall be a memorial feast for you,which all your generations shall celebratewith pilgrimage to the LORD, as a perpetual institution.”
Responsorial PsalmPs 116:12-13, 15 and 16bc, 17-18R. (13) I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.How shall I make a return to the LORDfor all the good he has done for me?The cup of salvation I will take up,and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
Precious in the eyes of the LORDis the death of his faithful ones.I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;you have loosed my bonds.
R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.To you will I offer sacrifice of thanksgiving,and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
My vows to the LORD I will payin the presence of all his people.R. I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the name of the Lord.
Reading II
Col 1:15-20
Christ Jesus is the image of the invisible God,
the firstborn of all creation.
For in him were created all things in heaven and on earth,
the visible and the invisible,
whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers;
all things were created through him and for him.
He is before all things,
and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church.
He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead,
that in all things he himself might be preeminent.
For in him all the fullness was pleased to dwell,
and through him to reconcile all things for him,
making peace by the blood of his cross
through him, whether those on earth or those in heaven.
GospelMt 12:1-8Jesus was going through a field of grain on the sabbath.His disciples were hungryand began to pick the heads of grain and eat them.When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him,“See, your disciples are doing what is unlawful to do on the sabbath.”He said to the them, “Have you not read what David didwhen he and his companions were hungry,how he went into the house of God and ate the bread of offering,which neither he nor his companionsbut only the priests could lawfully eat?Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbaththe priests serving in the temple violate the sabbathand are innocent?
I say to you, something greater than the temple is here.If you knew what this meant, I desire mercy, not sacrifice,you would not have condemned these innocent men.For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath.”
I have been talking to my new friend Al who is going to be beginning his 3rd year in seminary in Houston. I met him last week at the Luis Pulau Heartland Festival. Which was very exciting! The Archdiocese of Omaha gave permission for us Catholics to attend. Many great artists were there: Madisa (American Idol fame), Catholic artist Matt Mauher (fantastic), Jeremy Camp (LOVE Him).
I met Al a the Archdiocese tent and we had a great talk with my friend Susie. She is awesome. I will have a link for her RECON blog later. As well as her friend and now mine the Tiber Jumper.
Al and I talked for quite sometime about discernment into religious life or in his case the priesthood (he will be ordained 2012!) Please pray for him and other seminarians.
God Bless
I met Al a the Archdiocese tent and we had a great talk with my friend Susie. She is awesome. I will have a link for her RECON blog later. As well as her friend and now mine the Tiber Jumper.
Al and I talked for quite sometime about discernment into religious life or in his case the priesthood (he will be ordained 2012!) Please pray for him and other seminarians.
God Bless
Welcome to the blog
Good Day, welcome to my blog. My name is Sarah. I am a 26 year old woman who has been searching for religious community for about 3 years. I am leaving for Texas on Sunday to visit the School Sisters of Saint Francis. I am very excited! I have been Catholic all my life. I was born with Spina Bifida and I have had strugges with finding a community that can accept people with disabilities. I am wanting to find people who may know of communities that I can look into and also if anyone has been discerning the priesthood or religious life also. I would love to get to know more people who are discerning also. I live in Nebraska.
I also want to share with all who read this blog the Catholic Church. Which I love!
I also want to share with all who read this blog the Catholic Church. Which I love!
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