A Lenten pledge

A Lenten Pledge
by Fr. Lawrence S. Brey

 

My crucified Jesus, my God and Savior, help me make a good Lent, root out my sins, and live in union with Thee.

With Thy help, I pledge and resolve the following Lenten efforts:

1. I will do penance for my sins, and make special sacrifices for Thee.

2. I will pray more often, more attentively, more humbly.

3. I will bend my will to Thine, by obeying Thy commandments and my superiors.

4. I will give up certain things I like, to better strengthen my will against evil allurements.

5. I will more strictly avoid occasions of sin.

6. I will control and discipline my eyes, my imagination, and my curiosity.

7. I will regard Lent as a time of war against my sins and weaknesses; a time to root out bad habits and self-love.

8. I will also use Lent as a time to grow in virtue, in Thy Love, in peace.

9. I will often think of Thee crucified for my sins, and try to have true contrition and purpose of amendment.

10. I will be cheerful amidst my penances and efforts, without becoming a cross or burden to others.

"Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can."

Why should you quit drinking ?

By Rev Fr Joseph Edattu VC

Drunkenness is a horrible affliction, currently plaguing mankind the world over. Many doubt whether it is a sin. Some misuse the Word of God to justify this deadly sin. Let us examine the Word of God on this subject and ponder over why we should avoid taking alcohol completely.

1. Alcoholism is the handiwork of the devil. (Rom 13:12-13) “...the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armour of light; let us live honourably as in the day, not in revelling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarrelling and jealousy”.

2. Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit; do not destroy it. (Cor 3:16-17) “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person. For God’s temple is holy and you are that temple”. The angel Gabriel, who came with the message of God, told Zechariah “For he (St. John the Baptist) will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink: even before his birth he will be filled with the Holy Spirit” (Lk 1:15) Jews were allowed to drink wine, and yet John was prohibited from drinking wine or strong drinks by Almighty God - because John was filled with the Holy Spirit. Those who are filled with Holy Spirit or wish to be filled with the Holy Spirit should never consume alcohol or intoxicating drinks.

3. If Jesus dwells in your heart, alcohol cannot comfort you. If Jesus is present in you, you will experience fullness of love, happiness, comfort and high spirits. You will not feel the need to go after any other intoxication or comfort. (1 Jn 3:9) “Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin, because they have been born of God”. Those who do not have Jesus in them will yearn for the comfort of alcohol and other worldly pleasures. They will never come out of these worldly sins without experiencing the intoxication of Jesus. “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit”. (Eph 5:18)

4. Those who indulge in even moderate drinking cannot maintain purity in life. God demanded that Samson should never drink alcohol so as to maintain purity of life. “Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink or to eat anything unclean”. (Judges 13:4) It shows wine is also considered as an unclean thing. Aaron was asked not to drink wine or other strong drinks so as to remain saintly. “Drink no wine or strong drinks, neither you nor your sons, when you enter the tent of meeting so that you may not die”. (Lev 10:9) For those who drink, spiritual death is certain and those who are spiritually dead are not saints - they are merely corpses.

5. Those who drink wine or any strong drink will never be able to guide others; their judgments and visions will be wrong. “The priest and prophet reel with strong drink, they are confused with wine, they stagger with strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in giving judgment. All tables are covered with filthy vomit; no place is clean”. (Is 28:7,8)(Is 22:13-14) “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. The Lord of hosts has revealed Himself in my ears: surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die, says the Lord God of hosts”.

6. The families, parishes and religious communities which serve alcohol on their dining table will perish beyond recognition and split up. "But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother or sister who is sexually immoral or greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even eat with such a one". (1 Corinthians 5:11) When that time comes, I shall search Jerusalem by lamplight and punish the men stagnating over the remains of their wine, who say in their hearts, 'Yahweh can do nothing, either good or bad.' Their wealth shall be plundered and the houses laid waste. Though they build houses they shall not inhabit them”. (Zeph 1:12-13) In European countries, cathedrals have been turned into liquor parlours and dance bars - because they have turned their own bodies (which were created as God’s temples) into bars. They have turned their homes also into liquor stores. Then why should churches or cathedrals be preserved as houses of God? “Therefore, God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves”. (Rom 1:24)

7. To drunkards and to those who justify drinking, eternal misery is the reward (Is 5:11) “Ah, you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine”, are destined to be ruined. For those who justify drunkenness, God says, “Woe to those who call what is bad, good, and what is good, bad, who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness, who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter”. (Is. 5:20)

8. Drunkards shall never inherit God’s kingdom (Gal 5:19-21)“Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the things like that. I am warning you, as I warned you before, these who do such things will not inherit the Kingdom of God”. (1 Cor 6:10-11) “...thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers - none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. And this is what some of you used to be”.

9. Drunkards can never claim God’s approval. “For this reason, the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God: it does not submit to God’s law - it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Rom.8:7-8), and“Because the desires of the flesh, the desires of the eyes, the pride in riches, comes not from the Father, but from the world”(1 John 2:16)

10. You may be drunk; but not from wine or any strong drink. Is 29:9, “Be drunk, but not from wine; stagger, but not from strong drink!” The Word of God asks us to be drunk with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 5:18, “Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery; but be filled with the Spirit…”. After the Pentecostal experience, Peter and other disciples were filled with Holy Spirit and staggering. People thought they were drunk with wine. Then Peter said, “Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.” Those who experience the pleasure of the presence of the Holy Spirit will never seek any other pleasures.

So, what shall we do? (Rom.12:1) “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”.

This is what we can do:

Repent for believing that drunkenness is not a sin.

Repent over the occasions you indulged in social drinking, to show off your social standing. It is not in joining the majority, but in standing against the worldly instincts of the majority, that you prove your character.

Pray fervently for drunkards, those who manufacture alcohol, and for the families who are involved in the sale of alcoholic beverages, so that these families may not end up in total disaster and may stop this evil immediately.

Pray for those who are addicted to drinks; especially for those chosen ones of God who are set apart for Jesus.

Pray for mercy, for those who try to justify drinking by misinterpreting the word of God.

Pray for all humanity throughout the universe, to be filled with the intoxicating presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

A different prayer

Lord, thank you for this sink full of dirty dishes; we have plenty of food to eat.

Thank you for this pile of dirty laundry; we have plenty of nice clothes to wear.

And I would like to thank you, Lord, for those unmade beds; they were so warm and comfortable last night. I know that many have no bed.

My thanks to you, Lord, for this bathroom, complete with all the splattered mirrors, soggy, grimy towels and dirty lavatory; they are so convenient.

Thank you for this finger-smudged refrigerator that needs defrosting so badly; it has served us faithfully for many years. It is full of cold drinks and enough leftovers for two or three meals.

Thank you, Lord, for this oven that absolutely must be cleaned today. It has baked so many things over the years.

The whole family is grateful for that tall grass that needs mowing, the lawn that needs raking; we all enjoy the yard.

Thank you, Lord, even for that slamming screen door. My kids are healthy and able to run and play.

Lord, the presence of all these chores awaiting me says, You have richly blessed my family. I shall do them cheerfully and I shall do them gratefully.

Sharing

It was put in my heart to share this ...... about PEOPLE about US ! 

Matthew 6: 19 -21 "Don't store up treasures here on earth, where they can be eaten by moths and get rusty, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where they will never become moth-eaten or rusty and where they will be safe from thieves. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be.

We live in a society that is concerned about things ,buying the biggest and best house ,driving the nicest car and acquiring the latest gadget.But that is not the primary focus of the Lord,nor should it be for any believer. The Lord does not object to us having things,but he objects to things having us. God didn't say that money was the root of all evil. He said the ***Love**** of money was.(1 Tim 6:10).That means putting money first in our lives above everything else.

The Psalmist wrote "Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart's desires. (Ps37:4).

Jesus tells us to “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matt 6:33)

OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE FURTHERING THE KINGDOM OF GOD .If our bottom-line heart motivation isn’t souls, we’re not focusing on the right thing. There is a record in heaven where we will have to give an account of everything that we do and say (Rom 14:12) Matthew 6:20 instructs us to lay up treasures in heaven. So, every time we give to the Lord out of a pure heart ,we’re laying up a heavenly bank account and increasing our balance. Giving is making another deposit for eternity. And just like an earthly bank account, we can make withdrawals. Consider giving as an opportunity to advance God’s Kingdom and enhance your heavenly bank account. Who knows you better-the teller at the bank or the recording angel of the bank of heaven?.

~~ we try to do the best we can, God Bless ~~

GOD will find you ........................

God will find you--very good true story 

Father John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago, writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy:

" Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith.

That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped.. I  immediately filed Tommy under 'S' for strange... Very strange.

Tommy turned out to be the 'atheist in residence' in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an
unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew.

When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone, 'Do you think I'll ever find God?'

I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. 'No!' I said very emphatically.

'Why not,' he responded, 'I thought that was the product you were pushing.'

I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out, 'Tommy! I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!' He shrugged a little and left my class and my life.

I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line -- He will find you! At least I thought it was clever.  Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was duly grateful.

Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me.  When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. 

'Tommy, I've thought about you so often; I hear you are sick,' I blurted out.

'Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It's a matter of weeks...'

'Can you talk about it, Tom?' I asked.

'Sure, what would you like to know?' he replied.

'What's it like to be only twenty-four and dying?

'Well, it could be worse.

'Like what?

'Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real biggies in life..

I began to look through my mental file cabinet under 'S' where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.)

'But what I really came to see you about,' Tom said, 'is something you said to me on the last day of class.' (He remembered!) He continued, 'I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, 'No!' which surprised me. Then you said, 'But He will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time.

(My clever line. He thought about that a lot!)

'But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that's when I got serious about locating God.. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven.. But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit.

'Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn't really care about God, about an afterlife, or anything like
that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.''

'So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad.. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him.. 'Dad.

'Yes, what?' he asked without lowering the newspaper.

'Dad, I would like to talk with you.'

'Well, talk.

'I mean . It's really important.'

The newspaper came down three slow inches. 'What is it?'

'Dad, I love you, I just wanted you to know that.' Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him.  'The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me..'

'It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years.
'I was only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.

'Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn't come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through.  C'mon, I'll give you three days, three weeks.''

'Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him.'

'Tommy,' I practically gasped, 'I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives in
love is living with God and God is living in him.' Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it would not be half as effective as if you were to tell it.

'Oooh.. I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for your class.'

'Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call.'

In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date.

However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed.  He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a
life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined.

Before he died, we talked one last time .

'I'm not going to make it to your class,' he said.

'I know, Tom.'

'Will you tell them for me? Will you tell the whole world for me?'

I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best.'

So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God's love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- I told them, Tommy, as best I could.

If this story means anything to you, please pass it on to a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes.

With thanks, 
Rev. John Powell, 
Professor, 
Loyola University , Chicago

God's protection is more than a match for our problems.

Birds use their wings for many purposes other than flying. In times of
danger, a mother bird's wings provide a feathered canopy of protection.
When darkness falls and the temperature drops, it is under their mother's
wings that young chicks find the warmth they need to make it through the
frosty night. As the rain plummets to the earth, these same wings provide
dry shelter. For those who are young and vulnerable, the wings of their
mother promise the safety and security they need.

God never abandons His own. In times of danger and distress, He spreads
His wings of protection and comfort over us. Enveloped by His pinions, we
do not need to fear the difficult circumstances of life. Personal storms
may rage around us, but we are safe under the canopy of God's constant
care. The psalmist assures us , " He shall cover you with His feathers, and
under His wings you shall take refuge " (Ps. 91:4).

If you are going through painful times, nestle yourself under His wings.
Take comfort in the fact that God's protection is spread over you. Nothing
can touch your life without His express permission. Nothing can threaten
you without His express protection .

Bambino the child Jesus

CHRIST in Christmas

STRIVING
TO PUT CHRIST BACK INTO CHRISTMAS!
(Christmas Reflection
2011, by Martin Jalleh)

Many of us who are Christians have allowed rampant
commercialisation and the “Walt Disneyfication” of Christmas to reduce our
Christian spirituality to mere sentimentality. Christ has been hijacked by
“Christ-less” carols, cakes, cool cards and cozy nativity scenes and
portrayed as one entering into a world of comfortable spiritual sentiment.

In reality “Christmas is not a nice story” and “it has nothing to do
with the nativity scenes we see on our Christmas cards or in most of the
Christmas paraphernalia…” notes Nils von Kalm, an Australian writer and
sociologist.

The Real World

In sharp contrast to the modern vehicles of entertainment, the
biblical (infancy) narratives are stark short and simple. They do not allow
the imagination to dwell on the detail of time or setting. As Charles Anderson
of God Web would put it: “The Bible does not offer brilliant descriptions of
scenes or costumes, landscapes or city scapes...…

“ The biblical writers were struggling to express that which is
beneath the surface and to reveal the fire that burns at the very heart and
center of life…One searches the scriptures in vain for descriptions of the
manger, we are given absolutely no detail to satisfy your curiosity about
what the baby Jesus looked like…(or) the costumes of Mary, Joseph and the magi.

“ If we read the Christmas story in the original we are taken into the very
depths of our own experience where the pain and the pleasure of a cold
winter day are most intense. The Bible concerns those conflicting currents of our
own inner life, those cross currents of pleasure and pain that are finally resolved
in the experience of God's love.”

Anglican priest Joy Carroll Wallis echoes the same when she
reminds us that “ Jesus didn't enter a world of sparkly Christmas cards or a
world of warm spiritual sentiment”. Sadly, “we have often settled for the
sweet coming of a baby who asked little of us in terms of surrender, encounter,
mutuality or any studying of the Scriptures or the actual teaching of Jesus ”
(Fr Richard Rohr).

Relevant till today

The dangerous world in which Jesus was born into and the ensuing
deep struggle between light and darkness, death and life, fear and faith –
is equally real till this day and in our very own beloved country. Over the
past year Christians have been increasingly discriminated against due to the
frequent contravention (with impunity) of the constitutional guarantees of
our religious freedom.

The world in which Jesus entered was not very different in
comparison to our world. It was “a world of real pain, of serious
dysfunction, a world of brokenness and political oppression. He was born an outcast, a homeless person, a refugee, and finally he becomes a victim to
the powers that be” (Joy Carroll Wallis) .

Neither should our response to the challenging realities we are
confronted with be different from that of Jesus’: “Herod recognizes
something about Jesus that in our sentiment we fail to see: that the birth of this
child is a threat to his kingdom, a threat to that kind of domination and rule.
Jesus challenges the very power structures of this evil age.”

This point is highlighted equally effectively by Fr Richard Rohr:
“ What we call the Incarnation, God becoming a human being, becoming one of
us , strikes directly at the heart of evil and corruption in the world. God
becoming human looks evil in the eye and takes it on without flinching. As Bruce Cockburn
sang it so brilliantly, it is God kicking the darkness till it
bleeds daylight ’. ”

The Word of God comforts and consoles us at Christmas. But it also
confronts, challenges and converts us! It refuses to allow us to remain at
the level of the sweetening and softening of the message of Christmas.
We have a choice of comfortable Christianity (Christmas pudding,
presents and the perfect paraphernalia) or the courage to challenge
(by God’s grace) both the darkness and the very power structures in our country.

Surely, the suffering and injustice in our country are too great
now to settle for any “infantile gospel” or any “infantile Jesus”. The Lord
invites us to work with him in His Kingdom -- to do justice, love mercy and
walk humbly with Him (Micah 6:8). Our “fiat” would mean we striving to put
Christ back into Christmas!

Reversal

Renowned Bible scholar William Barclay describes the Magnificat
which Mary sang to her baby in utero as “revolutionary”. He says the song
highlights four revolutions that God inaugurated at Christ’s birth – a
moral , social, economic and spiritual revolution. Mary’s song links religion and
politics, faith and economics.

Mary prayed a model prayer just like Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 2
and in the Psalms, and her son grew up to pray a model prayer in Luke 11…
Mary is no mother meek and mild. She is in fact a “revolutionary”! Her Magnificat
is a strong reminder that God is always with us – a people called and chosen
and through whom love and justice are to triumph over arrogance, truth over
evil.

It is a song that encapsulates the great themes of Christianity
and explicitly reveals that mercy comes to all who accept the Christ-child.
It is a song about what a Bible scholar called, “ reversals ” . In place of the
proud and the powerful, God will lift up the powerless, weak, poor and the
‘ least of these’ (Matt.25). God is one on the move to bring justice, a reversal of the way things are, even the status quo!

In her Magnificat, Mary prophesied about Christ’s mission. Jesus
fulfilled his mother's prophesy in his own Nazareth Manifesto -- his first
words, in Luke 4 -- by saying, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because
he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor."

Just like Mary, we become partakers and partners of Christ’s
mission and “revolution” when we first allow God to work a “reversal” in our
personal lives. Will we allow the Lord to turn our world upside down inside out – in
terms of our purpose, priorities, values, thinking and our whole being – in order to
bring about real, relevant and radical change in this country .

May our response to the Advent call of conversion of heart result
in our personal transformation – from one of compromise to courage, and from
convenience and comfort to one of conviction and commitment to our duty and
responsibility towards social action, justice and mission.

May our concerns and commitment be not confined to the well-being
of Christians alone but may they embrace the struggles encountered by the
peoples of all races and religions, yes, even the Muslims too. May we
champion “ the common good ” and be the very embodiment of agape as Christ is born
again in our hearts this Christmas! A Blessed Christmas!

Cell phone vs. Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat

our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....hmm...where is my Bible?

Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being
disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.

Makes you stop and think 'where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

Trust in the Lord and *ASAP (Always Say A Prayer)

Have a blessed and wonderful day!

Knock, Knock I knocked at heaven's door this morning. God asked me...'My child, what can I do for you?' And I said , ' Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message.' God smiled and answered... ' Request granted ' . ' Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle .'

The Joy Of The Lord Is My Strength

Sometimes, we in the church are accused of glossing over the fact that life can be hard.

We sometimes tend to give the impression that all you need to do is give your heart to Jesus and all of your problems will be solved, all your bills will be paid, you will have success and prosperity, and everything you touch will turn to gold. If you are a Christian, you will have a continual smile on your face and always be happy. We make all our baskets, we sink all our putts, we close all our deals.

Does that sound like your testimony? I know it doesn't sound like mine!

I think the problem is that we've confused joy with happiness.

Happiness is dependent on happenings. Circumstances in your life dictate whether or not you are happy.

Joy, on the other hand is a gift from God, a fruit of the Spirit that transcends whatever is happening in your life. Joy allows you to rise, even to soar, above difficult circumstances, challenges, and heartaches.

Joy comes from knowing Who is in control and that He has a plan to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

We do not draw our strength from the great feeling we get when things go right; if we did, we would be powerless when hard times and adversity hit, and we would all be easy pickings for the devil.

No, it is the joy of the Lord that is our strength!

Jesus wasn't happy about going to the cross. He prayed the night before 'If there is any other way, let this cup pass from me...' But He did have joy
in obedience.

The writer to the Hebrews put it this way: 'Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross...'

There was joy for the Lord Jesus even in the pain and the agony of the cross because He knew the end result of His obedience and sacrifice would be the offer of salvation for you and me. Jesus chose to go through hell for us rather than to go to heaven without us.
In the book of Philippians, the Apostle Paul talks about joy over and over again. Yet he wrote that letter to the church at Philippi while he was imprisoned in horrible conditions.

How could he write about joy while imprisoned in a dark, cold, rat-infested Roman cell? It's because joy is not dependent on circumstances!

When you and I face tough times, we can draw on great reserves of joy that are rooted in our knowledge of the faithfulness of God. That's how Job was able to say in the midst of tragedy, heartache and great loss, 'Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him' (Job 13:15, KJV)

He knew God and He trusted God. That is how he could have 'joy in unrelenting pain' (Job 6:10, NIV).

~~By Agyeman Fordjour~~

Feast of the Assumption - Ave Maria

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The Feast of the Assumption is also known as the Feast of the Dormition (falling asleep) of Mary. The feast commemorates Mary's assumption into heaven.

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
united to the victorious Christ in heaven,
you are the image and first-flowering of the Church
as she is to be perfected in the world to come.
You shine forth as a sign of sure hope and solace
for the pilgrim People of God.
In your Assumption,
you manifest the fullness of redemption
and appear as the spotless image of the Church
responding in joy
to the invitation of the Bridegroom, your Son,
who is the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

Grant that we may follow your example on earth
thereby imitating your Son as well
and being enabled to share your glory,
with Him for all eternity.
______________________________________________________________
Almighty and everlasting God,
You have taken up body and soul
into the heavenly glory the Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of Your Son: Grant, we beseech You,
that, ever intent upon heavenly things,
we may be worthy to be partakers of her glory.
Through Jesus Christ Your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Your tears are precious to God

Your tears are precious to God

Read John 19:25-27

Tears that are cried during prayer are
very valuable, like droplets of diamonds.
There's nothing wrong with
getting emotional and pouring our
sorrows upon God. When your heart
is heavy with grief over any loss, any
worry, or any hurt, Jesus expects you
to share the burden with him. Give
yourself permission to really let it all
out, from deep within. God does not
throw these diamonds away. He
cherishes them. He cries with you.
Is Not tears prayer-diamonds, Isn't heaven
supposed to be a place of joy, where there is
no more sorrow? Yet,Heaven ::: cries because of sin
in the world ::: cries for you when you turn
away from JESUS ::: cries when someone
sins against you ::: cries with you when you
cry, and so does Jesus.

Crying seems to be a female trait; because of
the way we are made biologically, women cry
more often than men. Scientists explain that
men's hormones channel their grief into anger,
and yet Jesus — fully a man — cried for others
when he saw them weeping over the death of
Lazarus, and he cried for Jerusalem when he
foresaw its destruction, and he cried for himself
when he faced crucifixion.

God appreciates our tearful prayers, because
they mean we're being honest with him and
with ourselves. Such prayers come from a passion
deep within. Not only are they offerings of
grief, like precious diamonds for God, but they
are also an act of surrender. We have reached
the end of our ability to be strong, happy, and
accepting of life's hardships.
In that humble
surrender, God has room
to move in and comfort
us and give us his own
strength to continue onward.
Have you ever felt the
hug of God ? One of the
scriptural names for the
Holy Spirit is the Comforter,
but how can we
feel the embrace of a
God who's invisible and
intangible? Often our
tears come from being
unable to feel his touch when we need it
most.

So we have to look for the various
ways that He makes himself known to us.
Throughout the day, Jesus is at our side
doing little and large favors for us. Usually,
however, we let our pain distract us
from noticing his gifts.

In John 19:25-27, the comforting embrace
of God is made tangible between
Mary and the disciple John.

While he grieved over the suffering and loss of his
dearest friend, she grieved with a heartbreak
that only a mother can know. And
Jesus, in the midst of his own pain, gave
the gift of comfort to his mother and
friend by giving them both to each other.
It is through community — the gift of
each other — that we find comfort . There
is no greater pain than suffering alone.
God does not want you to suffer alone,
ever. He's providing you with friends who
will give you his embrace, just like he did
for Mary and John.

If you don't know who
these comfort-companions are, look
closer, look in new directions; they are
already there for you.

The ant and the contact lens

Brenda was almost halfway to the top of the tremendous granite cliff. She was
standing on a ledge where she was taking a breather during this, her first rock
climb. As she rested there, the safety rope snapped against her eye and knocked
out her contact lens. 'Great', she thought. 'Here I am on a rock ledge, hundreds
of feet from the bottom and hundreds of feet to the top of this cliff, and now
my sight is blurry.'

She looked and looked, hoping that somehow it had landed on the ledge. But it
just wasn't there.

She felt the panic rising in her, so she began praying. She prayed for calm, and
she prayed that she may find her contact lens.

When she got to the top, a friend examined her eye and her clothing for the
lens, but it was not to be found. Although she was calm now that she was at the
top, she was saddened because she could not clearly see across the range of
mountains. She thought of the bible verse ' The eyes of the Lord run to and fro
throughout the whole earth .'

She thought , ' Lord, You can see all these mountains. You know every stone and
leaf, and You know exactly where my contact lens is. Please help me.'

Later, when they had hiked down the trail to the bottom of the cliff they met
another party of climbers just starting up the face of the cliff. One of them
shouted out, 'Hey, you guys! Anybody lose a contact lens?'

Well, that would be startling enough, but you know why the climber saw it? An
ant was moving slowly across a twig on the face of the rock, carrying it!

The story doesn't end there. Brenda's father is a cartoonist. When she told him
the incredible story of the ant, the prayer, and the contact lens, he drew a
cartoon of an ant lugging that contact lens with the caption, 'Lord, I don't
know why You want me to carry this thing. I can't eat it, and it's awfully
heavy. But if this is what You want me to do, I'll carry it for You.'

I think it would do all of us some good to say, 'God, I don't know why You want
me to carry this load. I can see no good in it and it's awfully heavy. But, if
You want me to carry it, I will.'

God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Yes, I do love GOD. He is my source of existence and my Savior. He keeps me
functioning each and every day Without Him, I am nothing, but with Him... I can
do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)

BURDENS

BURDENS GIVE US WINGS

An old legend relates that long ago God had a great many burdens which He wished to have carried from one place to another on earth, so He asked the animals to lend a hand. But all of them began to make excuses for not helping: the elephant was too dignified; the lion, too proud; and so on. Finally the birds came to God and said, "If you will tie the burdens into small bundles, we'll be glad to carry them for you. We are small but we would like to help."

So God fastened upon the back of each one a small bundle, and they all set out walking across the plain to their destination. They sang as they went, and did not seem to feel the weight of their burdens at all. Every day the burdens seemed lighter and lighter, until the loads seems to be lifting the birds, instead of the birds carrying the burdens.

When they arrived at their destination, they discovered that when they removed their loads, there were wings in their place, wings which enabled them to fly to the sky and the tree tops.

They had learned how to carry their burdens, and their loads had
become wings to carry them nearer to God. Burdens we carry for others may become wings of the spirit, to lift us into happiness such as we have never known.

Christian Witness

Several years ago, a priest was transferred to a distant village church in his diocese. Some weeks after he arrived, he had an occasion to ride the bus from his church to the nearest town. When he sat down, he discovered that the driver had accidentally given him a quarter too much change. As he considered what to do, he told himself, 'You'd better give the quarter back. It would be wrong to keep it.'

Then he thought, 'Oh, forget it, it's only a quarter. Who would worry about this little amount? Anyway, the bus company makes huge profits; they will never miss it. Accept it as a 'gift from God' and keep quiet.' When his stop came, he paused momentarily at the door, and then he handed the quarter to the driver and said, 'Here, you gave me too much change. '

The driver, with a smile, replied, 'You are the new priest in the village, right?' 'Yes' he replied.

'Well, I have lately been thinking a lot about going somewhere to pray. I just wanted to see what you would do if I gave you extra change. You'll see me at church on Sunday.'

When the priest stepped off of the bus, he literally grabbed the nearest light pole, held on, and said, 'Oh God, I almost sold You for a quarter!'

Our lives are the only Bible some people will ever read. This is a really scary example of how much people watch us as Christians, and will put us to the test! Always be on guard -- and remember -- you carry the name of Christ on your shoulders and on your forehead when you call yourself ' Christian '

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.

"The world suffers a lot, not because of violence of bad people. But because of silence of good people!"
Bishop Desmond Tutu.

The Mass

Lk 24,13-35.

Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus, and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred. And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus himself drew near and walked with them, but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him. He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They stopped,

looking downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken place there in these days?" And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him, "The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence of death and crucified him. But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel ; and besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place. Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at the tomb early in the morning and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive. Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as the women had described, but him they did not see." And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke! Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them what referred to him in all the scriptures. As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the impression that he was going on farther. But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them. And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he vanished from their sight. Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?" So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found gathered together the eleven and those with them who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!" Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.



Copyright © Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB

Commentary of the day

John Paul II

Apostolic Letter “Mane Nobiscum Domine” for the Year of the Eucharist, §2,11-12


“He took the bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them. With that their eyes were opened”

The image of the disciples on the way to Emmaus can serve as a fitting guide for a Year when the Church will be particularly engaged in living out the mystery of the Holy Eucharist. Amid our questions and difficulties, and even our bitter disappointments, the divine Wayfarer continues to walk at our side, opening to us the Scriptures and leading us to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of God. When we meet him fully, we will pass from the light of the Word to the light streaming from the “Bread of life”, the supreme fulfilment of his promise to “be with us always, to the end of the age” (cf. Mt 28:20)... The account of the Risen Jesus appearing to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus helps us to focus on a primary aspect of the Eucharistic mystery, one which should always be present in the devotion of the People of God: The Eucharist is a mystery of light! ...Jesus described himself as the “light of the world” (Jn 8:12), and this quality clearly appears at those moments in his life, like the Transfiguration and the Resurrection, in which his divine glory shines forth brightly. Yet in the Eucharist the glory of Christ remains veiled. The Eucharist is pre-eminently a mysterium fidei. Through the
mystery of his complete hiddenness, Christ becomes a mystery of light, thanks to which believers are led into the depths of the divine life... The Eucharist is light above all because at every Mass the liturgy of the Word of God precedes the liturgy of the Eucharist in the unity of the two “tables”, the table of the Word and the table of the Bread...In the account of the disciples on the road to Emmaus, Christ himself intervenes to show, “beginning with Moses and all the prophets”, how “all the Scriptures” point to the mystery of his person (cf. Lk 24:27).

He is Risen ! Blessed Easter

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. ~~ Luke 24 : 1-12 ~~

A man who had recently visited the Garden Tomb in Jerusalem came to me and described the personal feelings he had experienced while he was there. He said that as he stepped out of the darkness of the tomb and into the sunlight, he was overwhelmed as he though of Christ’s resurrection. He wanted me to recreate those feelings in a painting of the Savior stepping out of the tomb and into the early morning sun. He commissioned me to do this painting for him because he wanted Jesus to resemble the Red Robe painting (The Lord Jesus Christ), which was his favorite painting of the Savior.

I wanted this piece to be accurate and to capture the feelings he described to me, so I built a tomb door opening in my living room out of 2x4s to have a model step out of for the painting.

Many people have enjoyed this painting and some have commented to that the placement of his hands is meaningful to them. One hand is behind Him, touching the opening of the tomb, and the other hand reaches forward. It is as if he is putting the tomb and death behind him and reaching ahead into eternity.

A couple years after this painting , I was able to visit the tomb in Jerusalem. I thought about the man whose feelings for that place were so deep that he went to the effort to search me out and find me to paint it for him. I understood those feelings as I visited the tomb and felt what he had described for me. This was a sacred place, where one of the most significant events in all of history took place. I hope the painter have been able to capture that feeling with this painting.

by Delparson Studio

PLEASE make me like you Lord !

The Lord Passion and Death - Good Friday