A Sincere Gift of Self and a Childbirth

A Sincere Gift of Self and a Childbirth

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Holy Father

Holy Father’s November Prayer Intentions

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America Needs Fatima - Worldwide Petition Launched: Ask YouTube to Remove Blasphemous Videos | Anti-Blasphemy Protest Central

America Needs Fatima - Worldwide Petition Launched: Ask YouTube to Remove Blasphemous Videos Anti-Blasphemy Protest Central

Jesus Christ, the King!

Happy Christ the King Day!  We are back from Holy Mass now and I must say I am so happy to have Jesus in my heart!  He abides in me, and I in Him, because of His great gift of Himself in the Holy Eucharist!  Our King, Jesus Christ, is truly present, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Sacred Host! 

God first made Himself as small as a tiny babe in His mother's womb...He became man!  How awesome is that!  But then, He goes farther... He becomes smaller still, so that He can truly remain with us, "until the end of the age", as He states in the Holy Bible.  I am astounded at God's humility.  He shows us, by example, how to be truly great... it is by becoming small.  He makes Himself small enough to remain hidden inside the Tabernacles of all the Catholic Churches all over the world...

I am reminded of the story in the New Testement when Jesus does the miracle of the multiplication of loaves and fishes... 12 baskets left over.  He had eleven faithful Apostles, plus Mathias taking Judas' place, to make Twelve.  I am reminded how the Twelve were to "go forth to all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit".  They went to all the corners of the world, bringing the Catholic faith with them! It's as if they each brought "a basket of leftovers", if you will.  But these leftovers will never run out because of God's sustaining power.  He multiplies Himself for the whole world! How can we comprehend the goodness and awesome power of our God?   He can do these things because He is God... and, "with God, nothing shall be impossible". 
  
  Jesus, the Son of God, our King, became man in His great love for us. And, in His continued love for us, the multiplication of the loaves and fishes signifies something even greater... and it requires much faith!  This greater miracle that requires much faith is indeed the Blessed Sacrament  ! 

Jesus Christ, our King..the son of David...more than that, the Son of God! makes Himself so small because He wants to be that close to us..in a real and physical way.  Because we are body and soul persons.  He wants to, truly, "abide in Me, and I in you". 

So, we have this great gift of the Holy Eucharist... Jesus Himself.. Do you believe?  Do you have faith in what John Chapter 6 says?  If you do, go to your nearest Catholic Church and humble yourself before your God Who makes Himself humble.. bow down before your King, saying, with faith, "my Lord and my God!" like the Apostle Thomas... "Blessed are those who have not seen, yet still believe!"  Amen. 

The Holy Eucharist...the Blessed Sacrament...Jesus our King.. is one reason I fell deeper in love with this Catholic faith.  It is one reason I will always be grateful for this wondrous gift of the Church Jesus founded..this Apostolic Faith. After all, Jesus is the Bridegroom. The Catholic Church is His Bride.  He sustains her with His own Body and Blood! How awesome is that! The Wedding Feast starts here on earth, if we have the eyes of faith. 
"Long live Christ the King!" (last words of Blessed Miguel Pro of Mexico)

My Reversion Story, chapter one

OK, I have been thinking of this for a long time and after reading a fellow blogger's "Conversion Story", I am inspired to put my own story down. I have enjoyed conversion stories for years. It's some of my favorite reading.. books such as Second Exodus, by Marty Barrack (http://www.secondexodus.com/) and Surprised by Truth, by Patrick Madrid (http://www.surprisedbytruth.com/). There are others which I can't seem to remember right now, but will put links up at some point for reference! Of course there have been conversion stories on CD which I have enjoyed too... the stories of people like Scott and Kimberly Hahn, Fr. John Corapi, SOLT, Marcus Grodi, Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, and anyone on Marcus Grodi's EWTN program, The Journey Home (Monday nights at 8pm EST).

The battle has been with myself, really...should I write my story down so as to try and help other souls, or do I keep to myself, thinking that would be the humble approach. I much prefer that approach, actually, since I am more of a natural-born introvert. But, after much thought and prayer, I have decided that I am not supposed to hide the light beneath a bushel basket, but rather should let it shine and, therefore, give God all the glory.

So, let's start with my youth. I was raised in a nominally Catholic home. I don't even know if I can say "nominally Catholic", because we never went to Mass as a family that I can remember, we didn't have family prayer, not even around the dinner table, and I don't even know if we had a crucifix hanging up on the wall. Then of course there's the fact that we lived in a strict Muslim country for almost 5 years of my childhood.

The only thing that would qualify me as being raised somewhat Catholic would be that, somehow, I ended up receiving all the Sacraments, up through Confirmation (probably at the insistence of my grandmother..but, my dad and mom must have been the ones who signed me up for the classes..thanks, Dad and Mom, and Grandma and Grandpa!). A little side note here though: I don't remember ever receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation until I was 20 years old. I have no ill feelings towards my parents for not raising me in a Catholic atmosphere. I love them and I pray for their reversion and conversion someday (my dad's Catholic, my mom is still contemplating Baptism). I want nothing more than to have them in Heaven! I pray that they come to peace with God before they draw their last breaths. They are the ones who gave me the great gift of Holy Baptism.. I can never be grateful enough for that. They also brought me to receive my 1st Holy Communion all those years ago in Texas. I think I was 7 years old... the age of my daughter this year, as she prepares to receive her Lord and Savior in 1st Holy Communion in the Spring of 2010! (she and her Daddy and I can't wait!)

On my big day, I remember walking down the aisle of the Church next to some boy in a suit... (I wonder what happened to him?). I felt like a nervous bride. In my later adult years, I looked back at a picture of me in my 1st Communion dress and I thought, "wow, that dress was short..and how 'bout those knee socks?". Sadly, I can't remember anything more about one of the most transformational days in my life.

Occasionally, I think we'd go to church in my tender years, back in Texas where we lived somewhat near my dad's only sibling... my Auntie and Godmother. Before that, let's say up to age 5, I remember snatches of prayerful moments on my knees at bedtime with my mom in Massachusetts. And there was one time, maybe when I was older. when we were at an outdoor Mass somewhere, I think with my grandparents. My Grandpa's voice is always so beautiful as he sings the hymns!

Then came San Francisco, California.... we lived there less than a year, before moving to that strict Muslim country. I was 8. I don't remember any church experiences at all from that time period. I do remember things like waking up from an earth "tremor", terrified... and then there was that "UFO" I saw from my bedroom window. I kid you not. I was scared out of my mind and awoke my mom who confirmed what I was seeing. To this day we don't know if it was a strange weather balloon or what! I am sure there is a logical explanation... anyway, I digress from my story! There are other, happier memories from San Francisco.. trips to the authentic China Town restaurants, to the Wharf, doll shopping with my parents in town, trolley cars, Golden Gate Park, this seafood restaurant right on the ocean, and roast beef grinders. ;)

Well, on that note, we must quickly head out... to Mass! This is to be continued....

Refreshing News: Cold and Flu Treatments Can Be Found In Common Foods

Refreshing News: Cold and Flu Treatments Can Be Found In Common Foods

The following is from the 40 Days For Life website (www.40daysforlife.com):
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Here’s today’s devotional from Fr. Frank Pavone, National Director of Priests for Life…
—————————————————–DAY 17 INTENTION—————————————————–
May all understand more deeply that the pro-life message is rooted in the two basic truths of life:
There is a God; He isn’t me
—————————————————–SCRIPTURE—————————————————–
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
– Genesis 2:7
—————————————————–REFLECTION by Fr. Frank Pavone, Priests for Life—————————————————–
From the beginning of the Bible until the end, the theme is echoed that God alone has dominion over human life. He made it; shared it; died to save it; will raise it up forever.
The act of creation described in Genesis 2:7, and earlier in Genesis 1:26-27, is a sovereign act. God did not have to do it, and would have been happy forever without us.
Yet without our asking for it or earning it, God brought us out of nothingness and into life, and sustains our existence at every moment. And He does so in Christ. “For by Him all things were created…in Him all things exist” (Colossians 1:16-17).
“You are not your own,” Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 6. God alone owns us. While He entrusts us to the care of one another, He does not allow any human being to own another.
A Southern California abortionist, James McMahon, once explained how he justified killing children after 20 weeks gestation by partial-birth abortion. He did not deny that this was a child, but rather asked, “Who owns the child? It’s got to be the mother.”
The struggle over abortion is really a struggle over the dominion of God. The Christian individual, and the Christian Church, cannot sit idly by when others declare that God is not God.
—————————————————–PRAYER—————————————————–
Lord, we are yours. Thank you for breathing into us the breath of life. Thank you for claiming us as your own. May our words and actions in defense of human life proclaim to all the world that you alone are Lord of life and death, Lord of our freedom and of our choices. We pray in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

My Dream

Here I am in one of my favorite places in the world.
Down Home.
We came down here enroute to our annual family reunion in Myrtle Beach, SC.
But, on our way to a family reunion, we have another reunion of dear family.
We love it here on the farm where the garden is fruitful, the atmosphere is one of joyful simplicity, and my spirit always feels revived.
Last night as I slept here in the silent countryside, I had a strange, realistic-seeming dream.
It was one where I can't remember all the details.. only the most important ones.
Here is what I remember:

I was at a festival of some kind... maybe the regional or state fair.
These big, happy-g0-lucky kind of guys who didn't seem to have a care in the world were eating these huge corn tortilla chips... about 5 times the size of a normally-sized one.
One of the chips dropped onto the ground and right away I walked over and picked it up.
I said to them, almost as an after-thought, "Do you mind if I pick that up for you?"
One of the guys looked at me like I was an idiot and said, "I don't care."
Can't remember what I did with the chip, but then all of a sudden my sister was there, maybe with some of her kids. At that time, our attention was caught by an announcement that there was supposed to be some great inspirational speech up on stage and that we should direct our attention to that same stage. So, we did, and the "inspirational" speaker started to talk.
He said as an opening line, "Life is sacred from the moment you are born!" in a booming voice.
Right away, I decided not to listen to the rest of the speech because of his opening line.
Instead, I said passionately to my sister, "No... the whole problem with our culture is when people see life as sacred only from the moment of birth. The whole truth is that life is sacred... but from the moment of conception!!" My sister responded to me saying, "I totally agree!"

And that was it.
That is it! I linked to some valuable posts below which are truly worth a good read.
I have to go now...the country (gluten-free ;-) breakfast calls.. I am being beckoned by the smell of bacon... not overdone but just right.
Later, we will see my husband's grandfather, Daddy Joe. If I ask how he is, I already know what his answer will be.. "Tolerable." I think I could write a whole post just on him... but, for now, I will just say that as I take the golf-cart ride across the farm to the 100+ year-old house where he lives (and was born), I will be thinking about both ends of life... and how precious each of them are.
From conception to natural death. And the life that awaits beyond.
Amen.

StopTheAbortionMandate.com: Responding to Healthcare Myths

StopTheAbortionMandate.com: Responding to Healthcare Myths

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Facts from Reliable Sources: Who

Facts from Reliable Sources: Who

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And this...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090811/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_protests

Wow, this is scary!

Found this interesting link on Spiritdaily.com:

http://www.blacklistednews.com/news-5124-0-5-5--.html

Wish I could type more but I have to do the dishes!

To Offer a Belt

I've had writer's block for awhile. It seems whenever I think I have something good to write, I can't figure out how to write it, so it goes unwritten. Have you ever felt like you have some great story bottled inside but the words just will not flow?? There's been a cork in the bottle of my brain for quite a long time now. Please... someone quick! Throw me a corkscrew!
OK, enough with trying to be funny... and my attempt at humor is probably failing miserably anyway. I just wanted to write something to say that I am still here...that I still want to do something with this blog, if only I would open my eyes and my mind to all the inspiration around me.... and just, well... write!
I could write about many things, and maybe that's the problem... I can't decide which thing to write about! Back around Memorial Day, I was going to title a blog "Memorials" and was ready to write about how we ended up going to a birthday party for my niece and to a memorial service in the same jam-packed day of opposite emotions. I was going to write also about my father-in-law's experience after singing at a Memorial Day weekend event at a local Civil War site. He was still dressed the part and happened to have on a rope for a belt. He stopped at WaWa for coffee afterwards on that rainy afternoon. A young black man approached him, uttering something my poor father-in-law's ears just couldn't pick up. So, he left the WaWa and was going towards his car when the young man approached him again, outside the store. So, after asking pardon for not hearing properly, he asked again what the young man was asking. "Would you like to have my belt?" came the reply, which was clear as a bell this time.
Shocked at such kindness, my father-in-law thanked the young man profusely and explained that he was just in a costume. He assured him that he was quite happy to know that there are still good people in the world. The incident gave him much hope. It affected us the same way when he retold the story later. I have so many deep reflections on that incident but can't quite seem to do it justice with my poor words here. That Memorial Day weekend we also ended up at the annual luminaries event in which thousands of Civial War soldiers at the Union Cemetary are honored. So many things to reflect upon! Then, I had something I wanted to write about the Miss America pagaent ;-/ hmmm...maybe later! ;-)
I suppose it all comes down to life and death. Celebrating births and deaths and the "dash" in between... and all the good we have the opportunity of doing during the dash.
Let's begin now, even if up until now we've had sins of omission in not doing what good we could have done.
Let's keep going, taking up our cross every day, sincerely seeking the Lord's will in every situation He puts before us and allows us to experience. Let us together keep striving for our eternal goal, whatever thorns may come...
so that, with St. Paul, we can say at our dying breath, "I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith..." (2Tm 4) Amen.

Remembering Gus

Please pray for his soul..
http://mem.com/Story.aspx?ID=2989938
May the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God rest in peace. Amen.

Sonshine

From my journal, almost a week ago....
-----------------------------------------

Sometimes, God treads lightly by.
His footsteps may be silent at times, but they are always deep.
He passed by this evening. I saw His eternal gaze in the glance of a fellow mother.
At first I did not recognize her, for her head was bent downwards, golden hair
cascading like sunlight. I saw the baby girl first, clutched in her mother's arm, facing outward so that I could see her tiny, perfect features, with cherub-cheeks and dusting of gold on her head, like a halo. Her contended eyes appeared blue, like deep pools of wisdom.
The mother's other hand gently grasped her other golden daughter's hand with love as they processed back down the aisle.
The mother had just received Jesus, our Savior, in Holy Communion.
At the time, just before I saw the golden group, my heart had been in turmoil. I fervently prayed in the pew that my soul might be made ready to receive it's King. His mother was there,
with a broom, and she vigorously swept my poor temple, just as she had swept their home in Nazareth. "Lord, please help me to receive You just a little like Mary did at the Annunciation, and please allow her to help me say with her, 'Let it be done unto me, according to Thy Word.'
Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof... but, just say the word, and my soul shall be healed. Amen. "
There were dust and cobwebs everywhere, it seemed, and they had to go! The King was coming!
The dirt wasn't too ground-in, as far as I could tell anyway, so it could just be swept out, rather than scrubbed out (with the cleansing of the Sacrament of Confession). But, it definately needed a thorough sweeping.
That brings me back to the turmoil. I was feeling absent of any consolations. "If only we could sit together as a family." "We must be doing something so wrong if our daughter is behaving so badly," I muttered in my mind. "Those people in front of us must be so annoyed with us.. look how they're glancing back and whispering to each other.... must be about our distraction," was one of the negative assumptions ricocheting through my fragile mind.
The Lord would later thump me gently on the head, in loving correction, when the couple warmly turned to me at the "Peace be with you," graciously extending their hands, and smiles, even to our baby boy.
The old man would later even comment, "Cute baby."
The Lord was humbling me. I needed it...
Especially in preparation for receiving Him fully... the throne of my heart needed a polishing before the King of kings could have a seat there. He would be bring His gifts to my soul when He came for His brief visit. I wanted to be ready to receive Him fully- and to graciously accept the gifts of His Sacred Heart. And then, despite the brevity of His physical visit, I could humbly request, with confidence, "Stay with me, oh Lord" and He would. One of those gifts would be the courage to go forward, knowing, like St. Paul, that "it is not I who live, but Christ in me."
And part of what made me finally ready to receive the King tonight was the golden group as they processed back down the aisle, the mother having just received our King, and His light beamed out from her face- as if she were a stained glass window, letting God's glory shine through, to warm my spirit.
Before I realized who she was, I could see only her children. She looked at them too.
Then, with a flash of golden sunlight, she lifted her face, and it was the face of an angel.
We recognized each other then and her smile filled her features with the warmth of God, Who reposed in the throne of her heart.
It was only a glance, but contained in that glance was eternity... and all the joy of Heaven.
It's amazing how such little things, done with much love, can affect an eternal soul.
I had felt like a gloomy, gray cloud was hanging low over my head, about to burst into tempest.
But then, a sudden shaft of Sonlight bursts through the cloud.... the light was warm and beautiful.
And then, I looked at our baby, and his big sister beside him, and I thought of the other two out in the vestibule with Daddy.
And I thought of many things.... all the beautiful, warm, and sunny moments since their births... bright-eyed smiles... tight hugs... whispers of "Mommy, I love you."..... carefully made gifts of fresh lilacs taped to green construction paper.... all the gifts they had each brought with the gifts of themselves.
I thought of their births. I thought of how tenderly each gift had been unwrapped when they were born... they had always been there the previous nine months, just hidden. When they were born, we finally got to see each precious gift and creation of God... unique creations which He made in His own Image.
I looked at the children.
As I got up from the pew, ready at last to run to our King, our baby clutched in my arm and my hand gently grasping his sister's hand, I knew I was ready.
As we processed down the aisle to greet our Royal Redeemer, I looked down at the baby and his sister. And I carried the others in my heart. I thanked the King for them and for their Daddy.
And then, just a few steps later, my poor heart became a throne for the King of Mercy.
The moment was warm and beautiful.
It was golden.

"Soul of my Savior, sanctify my breast.
Body of Jesus, be Thou my saving Guest.....
....Deep in Thy Wounds, Lord, hide and shelter me.
So that I may never, ever part from Thee. " Amen.

"It is finished."

Today, the man whom we offered our Divine Mercy Novena for passed from this life into eternity. Last night, after a very rough day, my last thought before slipping into sleep was
that I needed to pray a Divine Mercy chaplet for him. First, I managed to ask Our Lady
and St. Joseph, patron saint of the dying, to pray for him. Then, somewhere in the middle
of the Hail Mary to begin the chaplet, I slipped into the oblivion of sleep. I should know
better than to think I'll finish prayers when I get into bed, as tired as a sleep-deprived
mother!

Then, around noon today, I got the call that he has passed away this morning.
I felt like kicking myself for being so weak. Anyway, I gathered the kids as best I could and
our 6-year-old daughter and I managed to pray the chaplet for him, and his family, then.
Later, when my husband got home, he told me that he felt the urge to pray the chaplet for him for some reason this morning as he was driving to work. He at first was trying to brush off the urgency to pray, but then his guardian angel must've been very insistently whispering into his ear. So, he listened. I wonder what time he passed away? We don't know all the details yet.
It'd be interesting though if my husband answered that call to pray during this dear soul's final agony.

We love the Divine Mercy devotion and have two images in our home. Below, I will quote from the Diary of St. Faustina, to whom Jesus appeared to give her messages to the world about His Divine Mercy. Though it was a private revelation, John Paul II canonized St. Faustina as the first saint of the new millenium, I believe in the year 2000... The late, great Holy Father also made official the Feast of Divine Mercy, to be celebrated on the second Sunday of Easter..this is something requested by Our Lord to St. Faustina, as noted in the Diary.
The Mercy of God is great indeed. I hope in Him. I trust in Him.
So, here are the promised quotes from the Diary of St. Faustina:

"Tell them that no soul which has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame. I delight particularly in a soul that has placed its trust in My goodness. Write that when they say this chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person, not as the just Judge but as the merciful Saviour" (Diary, 1541).

"When this chaplet is said by the bedside of a dying person, God's anger is placated and his unfathomable mercy envelops the soul" (Diary, 811).

We weren't able, due to the circumstances, to be physically by his bedside, but we were there in spirit, praying for him.

So, the pilgrimage of life is over for this dear soul. He has, by now, stood before the throne of God. Jesus, I trust in You! Amen.
"May the souls of the faithfully departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace." Amen.

The Wonders of Divine Mercy

"Let the house of Israel say,"His mercy endures forever."Let the house of Aaron say,"His mercy endures forever."Let those who fear the LORD say,"His mercy endures forever."
~ from Psalm 118 (today's Psalm at Mass)






http://marian.org/news.php?NID=3595







The above link is a wonderful explanation of the special graces available on this special Easter day... this second Sunday of Easter, the day that tops off the holy Octave!
I finally figured out how to add images, though I wanted to have the image on the left bigger and now I don't know how to edit ;-/
Ah well, I learn a little more each time! ;)

I am just so in love with the Lord and His Church and I want to shout from the rooftops about His Divine Mercy to all souls! If only they knew how much He loves us!

He died for us... ("for He desires that all men be saved"), for starters... then, He gave us His Church, and throughout all the ages since Holy Thursday (when He celebrated the Last Supper which was also the first Holy Mass), He has given us His Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity in the Holy Eucharist.... "abide in Me, and I in you. "
"Do this in remembrance of Me." (So, every day of the week...not just on Sundays, Holy Mass is celebrated all over the world.... "Go out to all nations..."). Here is an awesome "Mass Clock" which you may refer to if you are unable to go to daily Mass (offer a Spiritual Communion):
http://www.transporter.com/FatherPeffley/Doctrine/MassClock.html

"My Flesh is real food.. My Blood is real drink...whosoever eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood will live in Me and I in him....will have eternal life" Anyway, read all of John Chapter 6! It is so very Eucharistic and speaks of just how merciful God is in that He has really stayed with us ("Behold, I am with you all days, even until the end of time" ) through the Holy Sacrament of the Altar...the Holy Eucharist, which is He Himself, Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity! How awesome is that! He waits for us in the tabernacles of every Catholic Church! {just a sidenote: I think, however, that the Orthodox Church also has the Sacraments, including the Holy Eucharist like we do...only that they are not under the authority of the Holy Father (Pope Benedict XVI) in Rome}

Yet, interestingly enough, I believe it was John 6:66 (notice the numbers) where the disciples turned away and would not walk with Him anymore...because they could not understand this teaching of the Eucharist. Did Jesus call them back to tell them, "Hey, wait a minute guys..that's not what I really meant... It's only a symbol!" (because the language He used in John Chapter 6 was anything but symbolic!) No, He very sadly watched them walk away. "Will you also go away?" Let us say, like St. Peter the Apostle.. "Where would we go, Lord? You have the words of everlasting life"... He didn't understand the teaching of the Eucharist... and just how the Lord would give us His Flesh and Blood to eat and drink (the Greek...or is it Hebrew?... in the Bible, I believe, means "to chew" or "to munch"....quite literal, don't you think?). However, St. Peter and the other faithful Apostles stayed with Him, knowing that the Lord would show them. They went on faith . They said, "Jesus, I trust in You!" And then, the Last Supper, the first Mass happens and Our Lord, in His Mercy, shows them just how He will give them His Body and Blood, through a Sacramental form. Spiritual, yes... but spiritual doesn't mean unreal. "Truly, Truly, I say to you... unless you eat My Flesh and drink My Blood, you will have no life within you." This isn't something He just skims over...He repeats it several times! "This is a hard saying", the disciples murmured among themselves before turning away.
An interesting sidenote... Judas ended up leaving that first Mass early. He didn't comprehend and did not accept, with faith, the teaching of the Eucharist.

Our Lord's Divine Mercy is always waiting for us.. He waits for all with open arms. Now for those who know about the fullness of His Truth in His Church, we are bound by the Sacraments which He gave us. However, God is not bound to them Himself. So, though the ordinary means of salvation is found through the Catholic Church which He gave us... and thereby, through the Sacraments... (the "outward signs instituted by Christ to give grace").... He Himself is free to save whomever He wills. The Church can condemn no one, for she is the instrument of God's Mercy to the world. She is the Bride of Christ, as stated by St. Paul.

Keep in mind, though, that the Church was given the power to bind and loose...to forgive sins or to retain them... St Peter, the 1st Pope, was given the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. "He who hears you hears Me. He who rejects you, rejects Me". Ultimately, though, the Church is God's mercy in action. She wants to save souls! That is her purpose for existing. Would Jesus have left us to our own devices? To our own individual interpretations? Too many different "Truths" out there lead to scandal... Especially when Christianity is so divided! Every denomination has it's own version of what is meant by a particular passage in Scripture. Too many times, the context of Scripture is forgotten. Yet, God is NOT schitzophrenic! He is One (three Persons in one God) and His Church is One. "Father, I pray that they may all be one, as You and I are one..." Anyway, it makes perfect sense, then, that He would leave us a Church to guide souls to Heaven. To teach us that One Faith.... St. Paul speaks of "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism"...

I found on a website to a nondenominational church, a quote that they do not want to seek unity with any organized body of Christians. Hmmm.. didn't Jesus pray that we all be one?? I pray for Christian reunification someday.... for the scandal of Christian divisions to be over. It is so true that sad abuses in the past caused people to leave.. Those abuses were shameful and definately not okay! But, there was Martin Luther and then there was St. Francis of Assisi. They were both for reform. However, one did it by causing a revolt against the Church. The other did it by reforming from within the Church, with approval of the Holy Father.

(One of my faults , by the way, is that I am no good at remembering exact numbers and verses, except for a few quotes...sorry about that! I know the verses, in general, but still need to work on which chapter, verse etc... )

The image above, to the left, which our Lord presented to us through St. Faustina is so awesome, but only a shadow of the greatness of God Himself in His Divine Mercy for us. The image represents such beautiful imagery.. The two rays issue forth from our Divine Savior's Sacred Heart... the pale rays represent Baptism (how appropriate that Father sprinkled us with Holy Water today at Mass, to remind us of our holy Sacrament of Baptism!). The red rays represent the Sacraments of Confession and Eucharist... Holy Communion with He who is Mercy.

Today's Mass readings reflect God's mercy... the psalm "just happens" to be all about His Mercy. God truly speaks to us through His Word!! http://www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml

The Gospel reading is especially compelling Jn 20:19-31 A piece of that is this:

"Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you." When he had said this, He showed them His hands and His side.The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the Holy Spirit.Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.""
How awesome. Right there, if you can see it, Jesus gives the Sacrament of Penance (Confession) to the Apostles, and thereby, to the whole Church, through Apostolic succession. "He who has ears, let him hear".

A requirement to receive God's Mercy, is to give it to others. This reflects the teachings in the Gospel about the sheep and the goats and the Beatitudes.
"Whatsoever you did for the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Give drink to the thirsty, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, bury the dead, be a light for those in darkness... ("Don't hide your light under a bushel basket...")
Of course, God's Mercy is endless and even the worst sinner can receive it, if he repents and believes in the Gospel, like the Good Thief who received Paradise at the Word of Jesus as they both hung on their crosses, dying. I've heard Dismus (the Good Thief) described as "the thief who stole Heaven itself".

In the picture above to the right, St. Faustina is shown, adoring our Lord and His Divine Mercy.
I imagine that we could each place ourselves alongside her in that image, if we so choose.
St. Faustina, pray for us!!
I will close with some quotes from the website http://www.divinemercy.org/ :

"Her mission was to reiterate the message of Jesus’ death on the cross, that His passion and death was to beg mercy from the Father for the world, immortalized with His heartfelt appeal to the Father “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”
The moment when He expired on the cross was the moment when Mercy triumphed over Justice and He gained a second chance or redemption for the whole world.
The Divine Mercy message is to remind us of that forgotten truth of our faith which is God's merciful love for every person. In the message, The Merciful God reveals Jesus Christ the Saviour, as the Father of love and Divine Mercy.

Jesus said to Saint Faustina:
"You will be the secretary of My Mercy, both in this life and the next.."
(Diary, 1605).

"Your task is to write down everything that I make known to you about My mercy, for the benefit of those who by reading these things will be comforted in their souls and will have the courage to approach Me" (Diary, 1693).

"I desire that the whole world know My infinite mercy" (Diary, 687).

"Today I am sending you with My mercy to the people of the whole world. I do not want to punish aching mankind, but I desire to heal it, pressing it to My Merciful Heart (...) before the Day of Justice I am sending the Day of Mercy" (Diary, 1588).

The Saviour desires, that the Divine Mercy message and His promises will be known by the whole world. His promises will be fulfilled under the conditions outlined in the Diary of Faustina, by our trust in God's love and mercy, which should inspire and our love and mercy towards our neighbor.

"I have opened My Heart as a living fountain of mercy. Let all souls draw life from it. Let them approach this sea of mercy with great trust. Sinners will attain justification, and the just will be strengthened in goodness"
(Diary, 1520).

"Both the sinner and the righteous person have need of My mercy. Conversion, as well as perseverance, is a grace of My mercy" (Diary, 1577).

"The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is - trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive"
(Diary, 1578).


In conclusion, I will close with the final sentences of the Gospel for today:

"Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see My hands,and bring your hand and put it into My side,and do not be unbelieving, but believe."Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen Me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,and that through this belief you may have life in His name. "

The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ!!!

The Lord did many other things that were not recorded in the Bible, as St. John wrote in his inspired writings. Praise be to God for giving us His One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church to guide us "in Spirit and in Truth". The Church has given us His full teachings, "whether it be by word of mouth or by writing". The Holy Catholic Church is guided by the Holy Spirit. May we all seek the fullness of Truth as He has revealed it in the Church which Jesus started with the Apostles.
"The Church is the pillar and bulwark of the Truth." St. Paul in 2Timothy 3:15 (St. Paul, please pray for us, you who are alive with Our Lord now in Heaven, during this Year of St. Paul, as declared by our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI)
Amen.

"Jezu, ufam Tobie!"

We are now on the eve of a wondrous Feast of the Church, Divine Mercy Sunday, which tops off this holiest of weeks, the Octave of Easter. He is risen! Alleluia!
There is a deep gratitude in my soul for the Lord and for the Mercy He offers.
My husband and I have been offering the Divine Mercy Novena and chaplet since Good Friday for all the souls mentioned in the Novena, as well, in a special way, for the soul of a man whom we have known for several years who is in his final weeks of life, due to a brain tumor.
Our sister-in-law's step-dad has always been a source of joyous celebration and laughter at Thanksgiving gatherings and other family get-togethers.
We pray fervently for his soul these nine days and as long as he is alive that his soul may be submersed in the infinite Mercy of God. St. Joseph, patron saint of the dying, pray for him! Our Lady, helper of Christians, pray for him! St. Faustina, pray for him!
I imagine his soul basking in the rays of eternal Mercy... (I wish I knew how to place an image of the Divine Mercy here...maybe I'll figure it out! I'm new to this blogging thing! ;)
Jesus, King of Mercy and King of all Nations, have mercy on us! Amen.

"Awake O Sleeper, Arise From Death..."

"See, the eyes of the LORD are upon those who fear him,
upon those who hope for his kindness,
To deliver them from death and preserve them in spite of famine."
~from Psalm 33 (today's Mass Readings at http://www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml)

Alleluia!! He is Risen! Indeed, He is Risen!!

So, here we are in the midst of the Octave of Easter! The 40 days of Lent flew by so quickly.
But, it seems, the Lord has given me a task during this Octave of Easter, before it is completed
on Divine Mercy Sunday, the 2nd Sunday of Easter.
This task is one I would have preferred to have dealt with during Lent. However, the Lord has His own timing with things, so I must continue to trust in Him.... whatever the results of this task might be. Please pray for me, as this is something very difficult to deal with. If I don't deal with it though, I fear for my eternal soul.
I mentioned before that I am a Prodigal Daughter. This particular task has something to do with sins of my past, before I became a Prodigal Daughter. I did confess it in the Tribunal of God's Mercy, the Confessional, however there was never opportunity to make reparation to someone I seriously offended long ago, since the time I came back to God. However, the Lord has now, only very recently, provided the opportunity. His Divine Providence astounds me.
I must put forth some real effort to go forward with this task. I am weak, but He is strong.
"His Mercy endures forever". "It is not I, but Christ in me.."
As the Psalm for today says, I hope for the Lord's kindness.
I want so badly to be delivered from death (the 2nd death) and to be preserved in spite of the famine of my soul. I look to our Eucharistic King for strength and courage to do what is right before His eyes. Feed me, Oh Lord.. I am walking in a desert, seeking an oasis in which to rest.
I find that Oasis only in You, my God!
Now that I have found this person, I must act. I have heard the distinct whisper of the Spirit in the ear of my soul, urging me on. I must be obedient to His call. I must continue to strive to walk with Him, by denying myself, taking up my cross, and following Him.
And because of God who is Love.
The time for God who is Love is now.
So, as I go forth with your prayers and under Mother Mary's mantle, I ask you to pray especially for this person, that they may be healed of any damage I may have inflicted all those years ago. That is where I will find my own healing.
Our dear Lord said in the Scriptures that when you find someone who may have something against you, reconciling with them is a way to be purified for the offering of your own “gift” at the altar of the Lord.
I will seek to reconcile at the most opportune moment.. one which I am sure the Lord will provide, preferably this week. If not this week, I will continue to trust in Him to provide the ideal time.
"Eternal Father, I offer You, the Body and Blood, the Soul and Divinity, of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and for those of the whole world....
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world...
Jesus, I trust in You!" St. Faustina, pray for us! Amen.

Good Friday

"Why do we call today Good Friday?" This is a question I often had as a child.
It is one I didn't really hear the answer to, just because I didn't listen that well!
I remember my parents letting me watch "the Jesus movie" when it came on tv around Easter or maybe it was Christmas? For that I am so grateful, for it introduced me to the God-Man, our Savior Jesus Christ.
Good Friday now takes on a new significance in my adult years.
Especially in the wake of suffering which has come.
But John Paul II gave us some hopeful words when he said that suffering is a channel through which the grace of God flows. With Jesus' suffering and death on the Cross, He has made suffering a redemptive thing, not something to be railed against, but rather, something to be embraced. It is a gift to be able to offer offer our sufferings in union with Jesus on His Cross, to save souls. The Franciscan who was asked by Pope Benedict to give the homily in Rome today said this: "Suffering has been made, almost, a sacrament". Whoa.
That was powerful for me because....well, let me just say there's been lots of opportunity lately.
Also, I love Fr. Benedict Groeschel, CFR. The meditation from today's reading from "Living Faith" happens to be one of his, from his book The King, Crucified and Risen. Here's a big portion of that quote:

"We must look at the incredible and mysterious event of the death of a God, the only God who ever died, and realize that it happened for us that we might live forever. We are forgiven-we need only accept and acknowledge the forgiveness and the need to repent, to change as much as we can.
We have two more things to do. As Jesus Christ made clear in his life and works: We also must forgive, and we must love and help others in return for what God has done for us."

How beautiful. And, for further meditation, there is of course today's readings:
http://www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml
I am a Prodigal Daughter. Jesus is the King of Mercy. He has embraced me in His Sacred Heart.
For that, I will never cease being grateful. I only pray that I stay close to Him all the days of my life, until my dying breathe. For those moments I do fail (and there are more of those moments than I care to remember), I am so happy to run to the merciful arms of the Lord in His "Tribunal of Mercy", the Confessional.
This link seems a good one to explore the Divine Mercy devotion in detail:
www.divinemercy.org Also, see www.marian.org for the site of the National Shrine of the Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.
The Divine Mercy Novena starts today!!
"O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You!" Amen.

Welcome to Pilgrim's Crossing

I warmly welcome you to my new blog!
Here, I will share with you my own journey of hope which we are all on.. the pilgrimage of life.
Sure, there are many bumpy paths along the way.. maybe even a thorn or two.
"The way is narrow.." Jesus told us in the Holy Scriptures.
There are, ultimately, two destinations.
Without falling into the sin of presumption, nor into the sin of despair, may we have the hope of life eternal, placing ourselves always into His merciful arms, even when we fail. At the start of this Holy Week, I turn you to the words of John the Baptist: "Repent! The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!". I don't mean this in an alarmist kind of way, but only as a message of love, to prepare for the great Feast of Easter (and for, hopefully and eventually, the eternal Feast of Heaven!).
I have had much to repent of and I still do! Today wasn't the best day, for example, but I give it to the Lord, for His glory and the salvation of souls (including my own). In fact, with this opening entry, I dedicate this blog to Jesus and His Divine Mercy, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary (Our Lady of Guadalupe) and the intercession of St. Joseph and St. Juan Diego. I also humbly ask for the prayers of the 3 Teresas: St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (my confirmation saint) and of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and St. Teresa of Avila.... please pray for me that every word here might be only for the glory of God, always with the virtues of faith, hope, and charity present and growing, like a child in the womb. May God bless you abundantly on your own pilgrimage! I pray you do not get discouraged along the way! Remember the words of Jesus: "I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life." Let us begin.... and persevere.... and come at last to that blessed abode. Amen.