 Reflect on Holy Thursday:
It is at that Last Supper that our Lord gazes through Peter to each one of us and offers to cleanse us of all sin. Reflect, this night, upon those sacred words of our Lord and hear them spoken to you: “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.” Say “Yes” to this offer of perfect humility and mercy from our Lord and let the saving Sacrifice of the Son of God enter more deeply into your life than ever before. Reflect on Good Friday: One of the most significant events of Holy Week is the crucifixion of Jesus on Good Friday. This event serves as a reminder of the suffering that Jesus endured for our salvation. When Jesus hung on the cross, He prayed for His persecutors, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) Use Holy Week as a time to make peace where there is strife, seek to love others like Jesus loves you, and also reflect on the forgiveness He offers to you. Reflect on Holy Saturday: We don’t often stop to consider the significance of that silent Saturday. Saturday is that middle day when God occupied a grave in a garden outside of Jerusalem. Saturday is a day to reflect on the in-between moments of our own lives. It’s a day to sit, to wait, to hope, even when we’re unsure of what tomorrow will bring. We can look back and know now that Easter comes on Sunday, but Jesus’ followers didn’t know that back then. When you feel hopeless, lost, confused, or grieving, you can remember that Jesus’ followers know exactly how that feels. Saturday is about the hard and uncertain days that God still calls holy. TAGS: Reflection  This world will often leave you wishing you had just 5 more minutes. Let the following powerful words remind you to wake up each day realizing it is a gift and to make the most of it.
Every minute someone leaves this world behind. Age has nothing to do with it. We are all in “the line” without knowing it. We never know how many people are before us. We can not move to the back of the line. We can not step out of the line. We can not avoid the line. So while we wait in line: Make moments count. Make priorities. Make the time. Make your gifts known. Make a nobody feel like a somebody. Make your voice heard. Make the small things big. Make someone smile. Make the change. Make love. Make up. Make peace. Make sure to tell your people they are loved. Make sure to have no regrets. Make sure you are ready. Are you? --"Every Minute Someone Leaves This World" by Marianne Baum with art by Logan Zillmer TAGS: Reflection  "Whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me." - Matthew 10:38
Take up your cross. But take up THREE crosses? These crosses are HUGE. They've even been described as "colossal." The tempered-steel crosses were erected by a church along I-75 in Tennessee in 2013. The center cross is 125 feet tall and the other two crosses are each 100 feet tall. The crosses are meant to give the church an identity to people passing on the highway. Back in 2013, it was estimated that seventy-five thousand cars pass the site on the east side of I-75 every day. The project didn't happen overnight, though. It was in the works for eight years. The Tennessee Department of Transportation was consulted about how far away the crosses should be from the highway in the unlikely case they fell. The Federal Aviation Administration was notified in case there were any potential height restrictions. Balloons were even raised to determine the best visibility of the crosses for passers-by. The cross is our identity as well. Despite all the planning, the pitfalls, the consultations, and the wait, we will be seen and identified by the cross we carry, and how well we carry it. Whether one cross, or three crosses, and whether seen by one or seventy-five thousand, our cross is a colossal statement of Christ's sacrifice and God's love for all mankind. Take up your cross and follow Him. TAGS: Reflection, Story  “For you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3:19
On Ash Wednesday, we may hear these words while ashes are crossed onto our forehead. A young person may be confused by this phrase. “Of course we aren’t ACTUALLY dust," he may think. "When I get cut, I bleed blood, not dust! I am made out of flesh and bone!” Do you think this way? Do you see Lent as any other period of 40 days: normal? You may think there is nothing extraordinary about Lent except that it is the time leading up to Easter. Sure, you give up chocolate and don’t eat meat on Fridays, but that is it. But really think about what exactly the implications of these words are. “Then the Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living being.” – Genesis 2:7 Dust is natural. It exists as the substance of inception of all mankind. By the will of the Father, through the working of the Holy Spirit, we were given life out of the dust. We often think of dust as the substance that flies through the air or sits on our dresser, not the substance from which we come. Yet God, in his Infinite Love, gave it meaning by transforming dust into our very beings, into humanity. Dust calls us to conversion. It reminds us of our beginning and our end—of our smallness, but also of the greatness of our God. We are invited to see ourselves as dust again, to detach ourselves from the things of this world and empty ourselves so that we might be filled instead with God’s ‘breath of life.’ By contemplating our beginning and end, we are better able to focus on the eternal life offered by Christ and the resurrection to which we are called. SOURCE: Excerpted from https://www.catholicapostolatecenter.org/blog/remember-you-are-dust TAGS: Reflection  "Sarah then said, 'God has given me cause to laugh, and all who hear of it will laugh with me.'" - Genesis 21:6
We were kneeling before the tabernacle. Both silent, alone in our thoughts, yet present with the Lord. The array of flowers surrounding the Lord's house was astonishingly beautiful, lending to the serenity of the moment. After a while, she leaned over to me and commented about how the flowers were so nice. She even mentioned that she is normally allergic to flowers but was astonished that these did not bother her. I was silent for a bit, then slowly turned to her and said in a somber tone, "they're plastic." After a brief pause, she burst out laughing, and I, of course, joined her because of the levity of the moment and the expression on her face! How often do you get pulled into a situation that turns out to not be what it appeared to be? With "fake news" being such a catchphrase these days, how often have you chased something or shared something that turned out to not be true? How did you handle the situation? Turn to God. He caused you to laugh, and loves to laugh with you! Amen. TAGS: Inspiration, Story  When you get what you want in your struggle for self
And the world makes you king for a day Just go to the mirror and look at yourself And see what that man has to say. For it isn't your father, or mother, or wife Whose judgment upon you must pass The fellow whose verdict counts most in your life Is the one staring back from the glass. Some people may think you a straight-shooting chum And call you a wonderful guy But the guy in the glass says you're only a bum If you can't look him straight in the eye. He's the fellow to please -- never mind all the rest For he's with you, clear to the end And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test If the man in the glass is your friend. You may fool the whole world down the pathway of years And get pats on the back as you pass But your final reward will be heartaches and tears If you've cheated the man in the glass. --The Man in the Glass, author unknown TAGS: Reflection  My friend was just about to leave the women's restroom at a public facility. The door opened and an elderly woman entered, walking rather gingerly. Their eyes met and the woman said, "I know you." My friend did not recognize her. The woman said, "I know you from church." After exchanging names, they realized that they did indeed know each other, from church, from probably 20 years earlier in their lives.
What a chance encounter. To meet in that location, on that date, at that time, could be nothing short of a meeting arranged by God. Yet, we are all children of God, all connected, and all know each other because of our relationship with our Creator. Maybe we no longer recognize each other, or perhaps we never physically met, but our relationship is assured nonetheless. My friend recently learned that this woman passed from this life. Our eternal relationship, however, ensures that because of our connectedness, they will have a chance encounter again. Loving God, remind us always that our meetings with others are thoughtfully and wonderfully arranged by You, both now and forever. Amen. TAGS: Prayer, Story  As you turn the page on a new year, show Him how much you care.
For the Most Holy Trinity, Thank You God. For all Your creations, Thank You God. For the gift of Your Divine Love, Thank You God. For the gift of Your Divine Will, Thank You God. For the gift of Your Divine Mercy, Thank You God. For the gift of Your Divine Justice, Thank You God. For Your gift of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Thank You God. For Your gift of our Catholic Church, Thank You God. For Your gift of Holy Mass, Thank You God. For Your gift of You in Holy Eucharist, Thank You God. For the gift of all Your Sacraments, Thank You God. For creating me, Thank You God. For the gift to procreate children, Thank You God. For the choirs of Angels, Thank You God. For Patron Saints and Guardian Angels, Thank You God. For Your Priests and religious, Thank You God. For the seven spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, Thank You God. For all You’ve given me, Thank You God. For all You’ve taken from me, Thank You God. For all You permit, Thank You God. For all You forbid, Thank You God. For Your Sacrificial Suffering, Thank You God. For Your Sacrificial Death, Thank You God. For Your gift of shared redemptive suffering, Thank You God. For the gift of a free will, Thank You God. For the grace to recognize and obey Your Will, Thank You God. For the grace to ask for mercy, Thank You God. For the grace to be merciful to others, Thank You God. For the grace to trust in Your mercy, Thank You God. For the life you’ve chosen for me, Thank You God. For the death You’ve chosen for me, Thank you God. For the place You are keeping for me in heaven, Thank You God. TAGS: Prayer  The following is a short Christmas poem written by Servant of God, Father Solanus Casey, O.F.M. Cap., reflecting on making one's heart a crib for the Eucharistic Lord.
With love and with Christmas blessings to all Comes the Infant once more to free us from sorrow Whose love and Whose power and Whose gentleness call To each heart and each soul for a manger tomorrow. Whose love and Whose power and Whose wonders proclaim Him the Son of the Virgin as promised of yore. O, may He estrange us from sin with its shame! And reign in our hearts as His crib evermore! --"Always Christmas Eve - Holy Communion Daily", c. 1930 (Only in Eternity will it be known what each communion received or missed will have meant to our souls.) TAGS: Reflection  As you "prepare the way of the Lord, and make straight His paths" on your pilgrimage to Bethlehem this Advent, consider returning to a deeply spiritual approach by taking on some of these external and spiritual practices.
EXTERNAL PRACTICES:
SPIRITUAL PRACTICES:
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