O give thanks

O give thanks to the Lord

For He is good

His mercy endureth

Forever and ever.

Daniel 3:89

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

sharing the sweetness

While gathering raspberries with a friend

Delighting in the sweetness of the berries

That somehow did not make it into our baskets

And enjoying sweet mommy memories of our growing children

 

We discovered a charming little guest...

God blessed us with yet another reason to smile

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

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

A Priest's Love for Mary

Throughout his life as a priest, 

his love for Mary grew. 

He shared this miraculous love 

by remembering everyone's prayer needs, 

and blessing all of us with encouragement and hope.

His message to us was 

that praying the Rosary 

is the answer for every difficulty 

the world presents to our families.

His grace filled love for Mary 

melodiously echoed throughout the sanctuary 

as he lead us in praying the Rosary.

Dear Father,

Thank you for being such a wonderful priest. 

May your retirement be a happy and blessed one.

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!"

at all times

I will bless the Lord at all times

His praise shall be always in my mouth
In the Lord shall my soul be praised  

Let the meek hear and rejoice

O magnify the Lord with me

And let us extol His name forever.

I sought the Lord and He heard me

He deliered me from al my troubles. 

(The words of King David)

Douay-Reims  Roman Catholic Bible 

Psalm 33(34):2-5

Drawn Home by Two Pillars

Don Bosco's Dream reminds me of 

the embrace of the prodigal son and his father 

and my return Home to Holy Mother Church.

     Reviewing my own turbulent spiritual journey, I realize that, though a cradle Catholic, I occupied dissenting enemy ships. Navigating through life's precarious deceptions, I was spiritually consumed and crushed by "what the world had to offer". Yet, my soul always knew wherein resided the Divine truth and beauty I had rejected. The most vitriolic foes of the Church are found among former Catholics. From this group emanate the strongest objections to reversion to Catholicism. Interestingly, many returning Catholics come Home fervently embracing many of the teachings which drove us away! 

     Looking at this painting, I am impressed with the unwavering, insurmountable, forward progression of the True Presence of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, the Blessed Virgin Mary and Holy Mother Church. With the Pope at the helm, the Church fearlessly overcomes all weapons aimed against her while safely carrying the faithful to our longed for eternal destination.
     It was during Blessed John Paul II's final illness that I was irresistibly drawn home, heart and soul, into the loving embrace of Jesus and Mary. When people would ask me why I returned to the Catholic faith, my  automatic response was "Jesus in the Eucharist and Mary".  Blessed John Paul II's monumental offering of prayer and suffering supernaturally brought about my reversion and that of many, many other souls. With regards to conversions and reversions, it is doubtless that when these numbers are tabulated they will represent a high point in Catholic Church History. 
     Blessed John Paul II was praying for us. I could "feel" it!
     I like to think that my current location in this painting is deep within the heart of La Barca de la Iglesia Católica~cooking, sweeping, cleaning, or fueling the engine with Adoration, Rosaries and Novenas.

Morning Offering/Ofrenda Matutina

 

special gifts

 

hermanas

 

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

Rest

How tranquil is our daily prayer and work

when we enjoy the rest that God gives us each week.

"The seventh day is the day of the Sabbath,

That is the rest of the Lord thy God."

 Deuteronomy 5:14

"And he said to them-the sabbath was made for man 

and not man for the sabbath. 

Therefore the Son of man is Lord of the Sabbath also."

Mark 2:27-28

Douay Rheims Roman Catholic Bible

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

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."

Jesus was waiting for us to visit Him

     With tachycardic angst we found ourselves in a traffic jam. Meanwhile, a midsummer thunderstorm had left it's most beautiful remnant, a glorious rainbow. Then, a labyrinth of one way streets delivered us to the front steps of an old yet elegant Catholic Church. Three doors were locked. The Holy Spirit directed us to the fourth door, hidden behind a little porch's colorful flowers. There a kind Carmelite brother escorted us into the marvelous sanctuary of the Church...

where Jesus was waiting for us to visit Him.

Please Read 
Heliotropium~Conformity of the Human Will to the Divine 
Book Review Part 3 of 5
Thank you

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