why pray without ceasing

Why should we pray without ceasing?

~~~~

"The tree beside running water 

is fresher and gives more fruit."

Saint Teresa of Ávila

Morning Prayers of Jesus

"And rising very early
He went into a desert place
and there He prayed."

Mark 1:35
Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

Seasons

"All things have their season, 

and in their times all things pass under heaven.  

A time to be born and a time to die. 

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up 

that which is planted. 

A time to kill, and a time to heal. 

A time to destroy, and a time to build. 

A time to weep, and a time to laugh. 

A time to mourn, and a time to dance.  

A time to scatter stones, and a time to gather. 

A time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces. 

 A time to get, and a time to lose. 

A time to keep, and a time to cast away. 

A time to rend, and a time to sew.

 A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. 

A time of love, and a time of hatred. 

A time of war, and a time of peace"

from the Book of Eccleseiates

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

Multiplication

A multiplication of graces is a gift from Jesus 

whenever we trust in Him.

"Then Jesus said, Make the men sit down". Now there was much grass in the place. The men therefore sat down in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves and when He had given thanks, He distributed to them that were set down. In like manner also of the fishes, as much as they would. And when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain lest they be lost." They gathered up therefore and filled twelve baskets wit the fragments of the five barley loaves which remained over and above to them that had eaten.

The Gospel of John 6:10-13

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

their first courageous step

 For all the saints, 

their first courageous step 

was to daily and continually 

turn away from all things worldly 

in favor of Jesus Christ.

In this way

every thought word and action,

every intention, success and failure,

every labor and sacrifice

was miraculously transformed into

a sweet step to climb 

into the loving arms of Jesus

for all eternity.

Communion Prayer

My Lord Jesus Christ, 

I firmly believe that I am about to receive, in Communion,

Your Body, Your Blood, Your Soul and Your Divinity.

I believe it because You have said it

and I am ready to give my life to maintain this truth. 

Amen

Someone is Praying for Me

     Saint Monica's enduring prayers for her son, Saint Augustine, are memorable. Our Church history reveals the Almighty Father's glorious response to her ardent supplication.

     As Mother Theresa's prayer filled life has taught us, praying the Rosary is "loving Jesus with the heart of Mary". I trust in Jesus and in Our Blessed Mother's constant intercession. All mothers' prayers for their children and loved ones reach Heaven. Upon review of my own life with all of its trials and spiritual upheavals, I have no doubt that someone is praying for me.

Only God

Whenever something wonderful would happen

My grandmother would say "Only God!"

Whenever there was a great need

My grandmother would pray "Only God!"

Whenever, in the midst of tragedy, miraculous transformation emerged

My grandmother would praise "Only God!"

Catholic, Even If...

     It is interesting to me that I am "not understood" when I explain why I am Catholic.  A revert to the faith, I was brought back into the Church through the powerful intercession of Our Lady.

  So close to me during my sojourn away from Catholicism, she gracefully brought me back to the Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist. I am not following Christ for social acceptance. I am Catholic because my soul is drawn to the True Presence of Christ. The road is narrow.  Jesus said:    
     "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever; and the bread that I will give, is my flesh, for the life of the world."
     "Then Jesus said to them: Amen, amen I say unto you. Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you shall not have life in you.  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath everlasting life: and I will raise him up in the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed: and my blood is drink indeed.  He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, abideth in me, and I in him.  As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, the same also shall live by me.  This is the bread that came down from heaven. Not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead. He that eateth this bread, shall live for ever."

      Many therefore of his disciples, hearing it, said, "This saying is hard, and who can hear it?" But Jesus, knowing in himself, that his disciples murmured at this, said to them: "Doth this scandalize you?  If then you shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth, the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I have spoken to you, are spirit and life. But there are some of you that believe not." For Jesus knew from the beginning, who they were that did not believe, and who he was, that would betray him.

     And He said: "Therefore did I say to you, that no man can come to me, unless it be given him by my Father." After this many of his disciples went back; and walked no more with him. Then Jesus said to the twelve: Will you also go away?  And Simon Peter answered him: Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we have believed and have known, that thou art the Christ, the Son of God."From the Gospel of John Chapter 6.

  

     So, even if "everybody else" walks away, I prefer to follow the example of our courageous Parish Priest who is never afraid to proclaim the truth of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

About Wisdom...

"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

      "And all such things are hid and not forseen, I have learned: for wisdom, which is the worker of all things taught me. For in her is the spirit of understanding, holy, one, manifold, subtile, eloquent, active, undefiled, sure sweet, loving that which is good, quick, which nothing hindereth, beneficient, gentle, kind, steadfast, assured, secure, having all power, overseeing all thingsm and containing all spirits, intelligible, pure, subtile. For wisdom is more active than all active things, and reacheth everywhere by reason of her purity. For she is a vapour of the poser of God and a certain pure emanation of the glory of the almighty God, and therefore no defiled thing cometh into her. For she is the brightness of eternal light and the unspotted mirror of God's Majesty, and the image of His goodness. And being but onem she can do all things, and remaining in herself the same she reneweth all things and through nations conveyeth herselfo into holy souls, she maketh the friends of God and prophets. For God loveth none but him that dwelleth with wisdom. For she is more beautiful than the sun and above all the order of the stars, being compared with the light, she is found before it. For after this cometh light, but no evil can overcome wisdom."

Wisdom  7: 21-29

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

"outsiders"

     The month of November is dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. As Catholic Christians, we are not citizens of this world, but of Heaven. We are not perfect. We aspire to obey God's commands although inundated with the distractions and demands of daily life.  In His infinite mercy, He affords us the way to purification of our souls, and eventual worthiness for entry into Heaven. Many are the episodes in our journey with Jesus that we feel like "outsiders" in relation to our peers. It is within our Church families that we freely experience God's presence and graces. We pray to be inspired by the generosity of Jesus and Mary as we consider the needs of those who suffer the tragedy of economic distress, violence, war, death and displacement.  We are grateful for the guidance of our Priests and religious, as we the laity, work together with them in bringing more souls to Christ. Our Holy Father invites us to pray with him for Countries Receiving Refugees (general Prayer intention) and for Collaboration of Priests and Laity (mission prayer intention)

     "Martha therefore said to Jesus,'Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But now also I know that whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee.' Jesus saith to her, 'Thy brother shall rise again.' Martha saith to Him, 'I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, although he be dead shall live.'"

John 11:21-25

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

fortified by Divine Love

      The month of February is dedicated to the Holy Family. Fortified by divine love,  Jesus, Mary and Joseph endured poverty and exile. They lived in harmony with their circumstances, nurtured by God's bountiful creation. Our Holy Father asks us to join him in prayerfully expressing our gratitude to God, by caring for the gift of His creation (general prayer intention). We are also asked to pray for the spiritual and material needs of people of Asia (mission prayer intention), where so many families suffer painful hardship. 

"O God of the heavens, 

creator of the waters and Lord of the whole creation, 

hear me a poor wretch, 

making supplication to Thee 

and presuming of Thy mercy.

Judith 9:17

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

Morning Offering/Ofrenda Matutina

 

Loving Jesus with the Heart of Mary~ Papa Francisco en Filadelfia 2015

I was so inspired by the humility of these young people who publicly and without ceasing, reverently prayed the Rosary.

Papa Francisco~Filadelfia/Pope Francis~ Philadelphia 2015

Papa Francisco y el Peregrinaje Dedicado a la Familia/

Pope Francis and the Pilgrimage Dedicated to the Family

Saint Jude ~ God's Will

Trustingly accepting and lovingly obeying

the holy and perfect will of our Almighty Father

with all our mind, heart and strength

...our greatest need...

"Most holy Apostle, St. Jude, 

faithful servant and friend of Jesus,  
the Church honors and invokes you universally, 
as the patron of difficult  cases, of things almost despaired of, 
Pray for me,I am so helpless and alone. 
Intercede with God for me that He bring visible and speedy help where help is almost despaired of. 
Come to my assistance in this great need 
that I may receive  the consolation and help of heaven 
in all my necessities, tribulations, and  sufferings, 
particularly -(make your request here)
- and that I may praise  God with you and all the saints forever. 
I promise, O Blessed St. Jude, 
to be  ever mindful of this great favor granted me by God 
and to always honor you as  my special and powerful patron, 
and to gratefully encourage devotion to you." 
Amen

Cherished Memories

happy years gone by

and many joyful years to come...

a special gift

She is more precious than all riches: 

and all the things that are desired, 

are not to be compared with her.

Proverbs 3:15

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

love your enemies

"But I say to you, love your enemies: 
do good to them that hate you: 

and pray for them that persecute and calumniate you:"
Mathew 6:44
Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe~Sueños Realizados

Our Lady of Guadalupe~Dreams Come True