Imitating God's Love

     Our Heavenly Father's love for us infinitely surpasses any human comprehension. As parents, loving our children is and always will be our unifying priority. Our children are a singular Divine gift. In this role, we are blessed with the sublime obligation to imitate His love for us.

     Awaiting the results of our daughter's medical procedure zapped everything into perspective. The monumental significance of our being with her, united, and peacefully caring for her, undeniably radiated from her countenance. Our God given responsibility to love and protect our children can only be measured in Heavenly terms. Whatever pursuits have captured our attention during this life's journey, we are first and foremost our children's parents. This will never change. 

         God's love letter to us commands us to forgive, love and pray for one another. We are assured by our Almighty Father of the power of intercessory prayer and angelic protection. As Christians, we firmly believe in the eternity of our souls. 

       As events unfolded, beloved and "mommy"  prayer warriors were contacted. Holy men and women of God, deceased family members included, were implored for their intercession. 

        Atheists and nay sayers be cautioned: the supernatural presence of Jesus, Mary and all the angels and saints was intensely tangible throughout this familial crisis. At each moment, no minute detail was untouched by the indefatigable direction of the Holy Spirit as he supernaturally orchestrated every thought, word and action. Catastrophic imaginings and hours of waiting mystically dissolved into gentle seas of grace filled, trusting, gratitude, as hearts were lifted up in tranquil, obedient worship and prayer. Blessed be the Holy Name of Jesus forever!

Wood carving of Saint Kateri, 

Saint Anne Shrine, VT

      I recently met an amazingly holy woman. She told me that she was so grateful to God that her children's needs continually drew her heart more intimately into the Sacred Heart of Jesus through adoration and prayer. 

May our most ardent prayer be 

to peacefully and entirely accept and conform ourselves 

to the Will of our Almighty God. 

May all that Our Father sends us, draw our souls safely 

into His eternal embrace! 

The outcome of all spiritual tests belongs to God. 

God is love.

"multiple choice test"

Accepting God's Will

May I resist the inclination

To present Him with

A "multiple choice test"

Of my own feeble design

It is He who tests me

When unbearable trials

And frightening helplessness

Engulf my tranquility

Flooding my eyes with tears

The question is raised

"Will you pick up your cross?"
Holy Spirit please give me the courage,

Jesus please strengthen me 
To Imitate Our Blessed Mother
Responding in the way 
Most pleasing to God
May my only answer be

"Yes"

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

     One of the greatest deceptions of the evil one is that hatred is more powerful than love. Let us fuel our souls and hearts with the supernatural Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Receiving God's love in the Holy Eucharist, we live out the truth, that His Love cannot be defeated. Praises be to Jesus forever and ever!

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom 

and the knowledge of the holy is prudence." 

Proverbs 9:10 Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

1)Wisdom - the highest of these supernatural gifts, this gift enables us to love and desire our Creator above all things. 
2)Understanding - is the supernatural ability to grasp teachings of our faith.
3)Counsel- supernaturally helps us to follow the Holy Spirit's guidance in all of our actions.
4)Fortitude- is the supernatural courage to uphold our faith even unto death.
5)Knowledge- supernaturally enables us to choose our actions in a manner that conforms to the will and commandments of our Heavenly Father.
6)Piety - This supernatural gift has been lost in our modern times. It is the beautiful and sweet reverence we show to our Almighty Father out of our great love for Him.
7)Fear of the Lord- This has also been lost in modern society. We fear rejecting or sinning against the Lord because we love Him so much. Motivated by this love, we deeply desire to obey rather than to offend our Heavenly Father.

Fifteen Promises of the Rosary ~ The First Promise

       Our Blessed Mother's powerful intercession for us is clearly demonstrated in her fifteen promises to Christians who pray the Rosary. The first of these promises is that whoever prays the Rosary faithfully will receive Signal Graces. Signal Graces are those little clues from the Holy Spirit that tell us we are on the right path, or unexplained nudges from our Guardian Angels that keep us out of danger. They may seem to be "coincidences". It is most pleasing to think of these Signal Graces in the former category.  There are events which serve to advance our acheivement of something we desire. 

        But what about the times we don't "get what we want?" It's much more difficult to accept the job we didn't get or the lost relationship as a blessing. Yet, if we take a close look at the life of our Blessed Mother, we can see that our Heavenly Father's plan is perfect. Mary suffered many trials and sorrows. She did not enjoy material wealth or social popularity. Yet, her sacrificial, loving acceptance of God's will is the perfect example of how we are to live as Christians. Following Mary's example can only lead us directly into the heart of Jesus. Following His will, no matter how difficult, can only lead to eternal life in Heaven with Him. 

     Many signal graces, sent so mercifully to us by Our Blessed Lord, remain unnoticed. We are so busy trying to solve our problems on our own that we are not listening to Him. Reciting the beautiful Rosary prayer in a state of peaceful surrender to Our Lord opens our hearts to His perfect guidance.

     

Mother's Lessons

Our Blessed Mother

 Earnestly cradled

Within her young heart

 God's love and promises

Mother's lessons

Inspired by the Holy Spirit 

Sculpted Mary's life~and ours

To Jesus through Mary!

 Painting of Saint Anne and the Blessed Virgin Mary, 
Saint Anne Shrine, Isle La Motte, VT

Signal Graces

     Praying the Rosary causes our souls to become receptive to signal graces. Signal graces are promised to those who pray the Rosary regularly. God gives us graces and blessings every day. Signal graces are specific to our state in life, according to our vocation. These graces are events or signs, divinely assisting us in making decisions that will lead us closer to God. There are no coincidences. Doors are supernaturally opened and closed as we journey through this life. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He has a perfect unique plan for each of us. This perfect plan, our vocation, may be marriage, consecrated single life, the priesthood~for men, and religious such as Brother, Monk or Deacon and religious vocations for women such as Nun or Sister. Signal graces are important in discernment of each Christian's vocation. Additionally, we may be called to particular challenges or suffering such as chronic illness, loss, poverty or loneliness. Acceptance  of these less than pleasurable events as God's Will leads us closer to Christ. The life of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus is filled with examples of how, through her suffering, she became more holy and closer to Jesus. How many signal graces do we overlook because our souls are closed to the perfect, Holy Will of God? Prayer and obedience to God unveil these graces. Our Blessed Mother is always ready to deliver God's graces to her children, the followers of Jesus. Scripture tells how Mary lived, completely surrendering to God's Will.

     While we are praying the Rosary, our egos are set aside. We allow our souls to be immersed in the life, miracles, teachings and virtues of Jesus. This leads to the blessings of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

     The angel Gabriel said to Mary "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women" Luke, 1:28

     Elizabeth spoke these words to Mary: "Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." Luke 1:42

    May this holy and beautiful prayer always be the sweetest song in our hearts:

Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God

Pray for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death. Amen

Morning Offering/Ofrenda Matutina

 

Lent 1 ~ Good Works ~ Prayer

     Lent is a beautiful time of growing closer to Christ by giving of ourselves through the good works of prayer, fasting and alms giving. In these ways, we aspire to imitate Our Blessed Lord in the way that he gave Himself, without reservation,  to all of us.

       Prayer is lifting our hearts and souls to God. This Heavenward act of love, characterized by its simplicity and beauty, can be expressed vocally or mentally. Spontaneous or recited, sung or signed, our offerings of praise, thanksgiving, petition, contrition are essential in our growing relationship with our Creator. True holy reverent prayer is accomplished only with the divine help of the Holy Spirit. And let us never underestimate the assistance of our Guardian Angel. Our Catholic Catechism is filled with a treasury of lessons about prayer. The writings of many Holy men and women of God teach us that the inevitable multitude of tangible and intangible distractions to prayer, present an overarching struggle which can only be counterbalanced by supernatural grace. This grace, which strengthens holy perseverance, comes from Our Almighty Father, and is delivered to us by the Blessed Virgin Mary. The intercession of Mary, and all of the Saints and Angels make it possible for us to successfully overcome every obstacle to remaining in union with Christ through prayer. God commands us to pray for one another, even if we are "enemies". Prayer is so powerful, yet so easily overlooked amid daily activities. It is true that "prayer changes things", especially the heart of the person praying. 
     The time we spend praying would be spent engaged in some other activity. So, in order to pray we must "give up" something we would otherwise be doing. Prayer involves us in a subtle act of sacrifice, the supernatural results of which are uniquely perceived by the soul.
   There are many opportunities for simple, quiet prayer during any busy day. Morning prayers and Scripture reading set a lovely tranquil pace for the remainder of the day. Jesus used to get away from the frenzy of activity that so often surrounded Him so as to spend time in solitude with His Father. Jesus listened To God. He listened to hear God's will. He was always disposed to obey, even when it required suffering. Healing, miracles, love and compassion flowed from Him without limits.
   I once read a sign that said "A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel." I believe that a Lent woven in prayer embroiders our hearts ever more securely within the Heart of Jesus.

Prayer

Fasting

Alms Giving

found at weekday Mass

       Through an "interesting" series of events, I foud myself planted in the front row of a weekday Mass. My arrival, though very tardy, was surely the result of the hand of God. Father was in the middle of his sermon and the only available seat not requiring me to step in front of someone in the same pew was directly in the line of the Holy Spirit's "fire" filled gifts.  The words Father spoke at that precise  moment were exactly what my soul needed.  At once sobering and comforting, God's direct message rendered me overcome with amazement and joy.

        The morning's events underscored for me that God's action in our lives is neither random nor coincidental. Our Heavenly Father has a definite plan for the eternal good of every one of His beloved children. He finds us wherever we are and welcomes us into His heart.

   Dear Jesus, please strengthen my willingness to answer your sweet call.

Saint Anthony of Padua,

patron saint of lost souls and of finding that which is lost

 

The Anima Cristi Prayer:

Soul of Christ sanctify me

Body of Christ save me

Blood of Christ inebriate me

Water from the side of Christ wash me

O good Jesus hear me

Within Thy wounds hide me

Suffer me not to be separated from Thee

From the malignant enemy defend me

In the hour of my death call me

And bid me to come to Thee

That with Thy saints and angels I may praise Thee

Forever and ever.  AMEN

Irish Wedding Blessing

~Irish Wedding Blessing~

"May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.

May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.

May the saddest day of your future

Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

May your hands be forever clasped in friendship

And your hearts joined forever in love.

Your lives are very special,

God has touched you in many ways.

May his blessings rest upon you

And fill all your coming days."

Gratitude=Recognizing Miracles

          We pray for God to work miracles expecting the Almighty to serve us by complying with our demands. We don't get what we asked for. Then we believe that He has abandoned us. We have it backwards. We miss the point. We overlook His miracles. Our focus on material poverty blinds us to the wealth of Divine miracles that are daily showered upon us. Yet, if we carefully consider all aspects of life's events, we learn that Jesus continually blesses us with multitudes of miracles in response to our prayers. Our Father loves us so much that he only wants our best. We forget how much He loves our obedience. Obedience is a powerful expression of love. We forget that God's love for the broken hearted is immeasurable.  We deny ourselves the joy of surrendering to His Holy and Perfect Will. Like our Crosses, God chooses specific miracles for us. So often, our Cross is the sweetest of  His love filled gifts. That's where gratitude comes in. Without gratitude our petition is self centered, not Jesus centered. Gratitude opens our hearts and minds to God's beautiful Holy miracles. May the Holy Spirit fill us with the grace to recognize and obey God's Divine will for us.

 "And we know that to them that love God, 

all things work together unto good, 

to such as, according to his purpose, 
are called to be saints."

Romans 8:28

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

Discernment: to Jesus through Mary

Our Pastor asked us to pray for an increase in Catholic vocations:

Priesthood

Religious Vocations

Marriage

Single Life

Lay Associates

May we imitate Mary in following Jesus:

"Come Holy Spirit,

Come by means of the powerful intercession

of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

Thy well beloved Spouse"

Prayer by Father Gobbi (1930-2011)

Marian Movement of Priests

http://www.mmp-usa.net/cenacle_format.html

Joyfully Imitating Mary's Obedient Trust

In the timely sunlight of Our Eternal Father's perfect will

and in the unwavering showers of Jesus' mercy and love

our souls are filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit: 

Charity, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Long Suffering, Mildness, Faith, Self Control, Modesty and Chastity.

"O Blessed Saint Joseph,

 faithful guardian and protecor of virgins

to whom God entrusted Jesus and Mary

I implore you by the love which you did bear them

to preserve us frm every defilement of soul and body

that we may always serve them 

in Holiness and purity of love." Amen

Learn more about Saint Joseph 

and his powerful intercession and protection 

here @ EWTN.

Discarded

Several years ago, I came across a discarded book. Its crumbling cover and pages were worn. The binding was flimsy. As I gently turned the fragile pages, I was at once overcome with awe at the Christ filled beauty within, and shocked that this neglected treasure might have ended up in the trash!

    

I decided to learn more about the priest who so carefully compiled the prayers and meditations. Reading these pages opened a miraculous window in my life as a lay Catholic woman. I have since enjoyed many of his other books, which never fail to enhance my gratitude for our Catholic faith.

click here for 

mommynovenas.org 

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¡Muchísimans Gracias~Dios te Bendiga!