"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." - Matthew 7:7
This blue Beetle, circa 1972, looks cute, practical and functional. Okay, maybe it drips a little oil, the seats are torn, and the hood doesn't close, but at initial glance, it sure looks pretty good! How many times do you look good on the outside, but inside you're feeling "blue?" Your stomach is in knots, your mind is in a tailspin, and your body is aching all over. You tell yourself that you just can't face one more ounce of turmoil. People look at you and comment how "together" you are, but you know different. You feel "down in the dumps", discouraged, anxious, and depressed. What's the solution? How to beat the blues? Shine up the outside, and then clean up the inside by going back to the basics: Ask, Seek, Knock. The Lord is holding the door open for you to enter His merciful and loving heart. Within no time, the drips will be plugged, the rips will be patched, and the hood will be hinged so that you'll once again be classy and functional! To the Mechanic of My Soul: hear me when I ask, find me when I seek, and open Your wide doors when I knock. Amen. TAGS: Prayer, Reflection "Your life will hang in suspense and you will stand in dread both day and night, never sure of your life." - Deuteronomy 28:66
Like this errant balloon, have you ever felt as though you were "hanging on a wire?" Feeling so insecure as though you would lose your grip? God doesn't promise us a life without stress and anxiety. There will never be any letup, and there is no assurance that we will live to see the next day. You do not know what will happen to you. But if you look at the Life hanging before you, i.e. Christ on the cross, there is reason to believe that all will be well. God has made a covenant with you, and He will not disappoint. So instead of "hanging on a wire," hang yourself on the cross of Jesus Christ and feel His healing comfort and companionship. O my Lord and Savior, take me down when I am high-strung, lift me up when I am frazzled, remind me of Your promises, and always carry me close to Your heart. Amen. TAGS: Prayer, Reflection "Go up onto a high mountain, Zion, herald of good news! Cry out at the top of your voice, Jerusalem, herald of good news! Cry out, do not fear!" - Isaiah 40:9
From a distance, this "mountain" stood tall and majestic. Yet, it was rather small considering the objects surrounding it. Not like it was Mount Everest, Mount McKinley, Mount Rainier, Pikes Peak, or even the steepest slope at Brandywine Ski Resort. But it still looked quite overwhelming. A well-known song from the Sound of Music tells us to "climb every mountain, search high and low" in order to "find your dream;" a dream that will "need all the love you can give, every day of your life, for as long as you live." In His Word, God asks us to go up every mountain and cry out at the top of your lungs. And to do so without fear. So what should you find when you "climb every mountain?" Success? Wealth? A dream? Maybe all three. The dream is to spend eternity with God, and to do so, give all of the love that you can every day of your life. Then, share your dream with everyone you meet. This will provide you with a successful and fulfilling life with great wealth of God. Though it may be made of gravel or sand or earthly dirt, climb every mountain. It will be worth it. TAGS: Reflection Most merciful Jesus,
I turn to You in my need. You are worthy of my complete trust. You are faithful in all things. When my life is filled with confusion, give me clarity and faith. When I am tempted to despair, fill my soul with hope. Most merciful Jesus, I trust You in all things. I trust in Your perfect plan for my life. I trust You when I cannot comprehend Your divine Will. I trust You when all feels lost. Jesus, I trust You more than I trust myself. Most merciful Jesus, You are all-knowing. Nothing is beyond Your sight. You are all-loving. Nothing in my life is beyond Your concern. You are all-powerful. Nothing is beyond Your grace. Most merciful Jesus, I trust in You, I trust in You, I trust in You. May I trust You always and in all things. May I daily surrender to Your Divine Mercy. Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Mercy, Pray for us as we turn to you in our need. TAGS: Reflection Why did it have to be a friend
Who chose to betray the Lord? And why did he use a kiss to show them That's not what a kiss is for? Only a friend can betray a friend A stranger has nothing to gain And only a friend comes close enough To ever cause so much pain And why did there have to be a thorny Crown pressed upon his head? It should have been a royal one Made of jewels and gold instead It had to be a crown of thorns Because in this life that we live For all who would seek to love A thorn is all the world has to give And why did it have to be a heavy cross He was made to bear? And why did they nail His feet and hands His love would have held him there It was a cross for on a cross A thief was supposed to pay And Jesus had come into the world To steal every heart away Yes, Jesus had come into the world To steal every heart away --"Way" by Michael Card (P) 1985 Sparrow Records You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSzKiUTov_w TAGS: Reflection Reflect on these quotes from our Saints and friends in heaven.
“As Lent is the time for greater love, listen to Jesus’ thirst…’Repent and believe’ Jesus tells us. What are we to repent? Our indifference, our hardness of heart. What are we to believe? Jesus thirsts even now, in your heart and in the poor — He knows your weakness. He wants only your love, wants only the chance to love you.” - St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta “Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life…” - Pope Benedict XVI “Nothing, how little so ever it be, if it is suffered for God’s sake, can pass without merit in the sight of God.” - Thomas à Kempis “Renounce yourself in order to follow Christ; discipline your body; do not pamper yourself, but love fasting.” - St. Benedict of Nursia “Lent is like a long ‘retreat’ during which we can turn back into ourselves and listen to the voice of God, in order to defeat the temptations of the Evil One. It is a period of spiritual ‘combat’ which we must experience alongside Jesus, not with pride and presumption, but using the arms of faith: prayer, listening to the word of God and penance. In this way we will be able to celebrate Easter in truth, ready to renew the promises of our Baptism.” - Pope Benedict XVI TAGS: Reflection A life's story. Times gone by. The past. Memories.
Amazing where the time went. Wondering how much time is left. Remembering what you used to be able to do. Realizing what you can no longer do. It's nice to remember; it makes you smile. Yet it's sad to think about what's already past. Going through storage areas and cleaning out closets is a daunting and exhilarating task. But it is good to de-clutter and simplify. Perhaps we now have a little less of "life" and a little more of Hope. TAGS: Reflection "Also, every grain offering that is baked in an oven or made in a pan or on a griddle shall belong to the priest who offers it" - Leviticus 7:9
A traditional dessert from the northern Italian region of Piedmont, "panna cotta," which is Italian for "cooked cream," is molded sweetened cream thickened with gelatin. This one is topped with chocolate drizzle and a candle sparkler. Without a thickener and a mold, it would just be a liquid sauce in a dish. The candle would not be able to stand. Thankfully, we are like panna cotta. We are thickened by life's events, sweetened by Love, and molded by the Spirit within us that makes our light sparkle for others to see. Panna cotta is good. God is greater. Thanks be to God. TAGS: Reflection, Story Enjoy this poignant poem entitled "Christmas" by Sir John Betjeman, an English poet who studied under T. S. Eliot and C. S. Lewis. This poem is considered one of the greatest Christmas poems ever written.
The bells of waiting Advent ring, The Tortoise stove is lit again And lamp-oil light across the night Has caught the streaks of winter rain In many a stained-glass window sheen From Crimson Lake to Hookers Green. The holly in the windy hedge And round the Manor House the yew Will soon be stripped to deck the ledge, The altar, font and arch and pew, So that the villagers can say 'The church looks nice' on Christmas Day. Provincial Public Houses blaze, Corporation tramcars clang, On lighted tenements I gaze, Where paper decorations hang, And bunting in the red Town Hall Says 'Merry Christmas to you all'. And London shops on Christmas Eve Are strung with silver bells and flowers As hurrying clerks the City leave To pigeon-haunted classic towers, And marbled clouds go scudding by The many-steepled London sky. And girls in slacks remember Dad, And oafish louts remember Mum, And sleepless children's hearts are glad. And Christmas-morning bells say 'Come!' Even to shining ones who dwell Safe in the Dorchester Hotel. And is it true? And is it true, This most tremendous tale of all, Seen in a stained-glass window's hue, A Baby in an ox's stall? The Maker of the stars and sea Become a Child on earth for me? And is it true ? For if it is, No loving fingers tying strings Around those tissued fripperies, The sweet and silly Christmas things, Bath salts and inexpensive scent And hideous tie so kindly meant, No love that in a family dwells, No carolling in frosty air, Nor all the steeple-shaking bells Can with this single Truth compare - That God was man in Palestine And lives today in Bread and Wine. TAGS: Reflection Wouldn't it be nice if you could get a fresh new layer? A new start? A re-coating of yourself? To be able to strip off the old, scratch up the bad, and patch the holes definitely sounds enticing.
Sure, there could be some initial setbacks. You may "stink" for awhile. You may notice a few "tire tracks." You may even have "sticky shoes" for a bit. But it would be worth it. Afterwards, you would look clean, you would last longer, and you would repel better. Your relationship with "traffic" would be smoother, safer and more congenial. Maybe it's time for a change. Look at yourself, and then ask for God's grace to make you more fit for the road ahead. Holy God, tear off my tattered ways, make all my rough edges smooth, and cover me with your protective coating. May Your grace regenerate, purify, arouse and strengthen me. Amen. TAGS: Prayer, Reflection |
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