Bible Eucharist Fasting Prayer Confession
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Random Thoughts Today--Mary's Guardian Angels, Preparation for Mary's Assumption and Coronation, "Opulence in Churches"
Mary's guardian angel or angels must be really something! I never considered them before tonight, but while praying the rosary, I thought about them. They've never received any of our honor but I bet in heaven they are among the most honored there.
Then, consider the excited and anxious time that all the angels and saints had between the time Christ opened up heaven and the time Mary arrived, body & soul, as she was assumed into heaven. Wow, they had to be celebrating big time when she finally got there. Someone could probably write their story about that waiting and preparation time. They were probably getting busy preparing for her coronation and talking about how glorious it will be.
This leads me to another thought. Everyone talks about how glorious heaven must be. God's glory is so magnificent we'd die if we saw Him. Yet, Jesus chose to be so lowly here, which leads many to believe that our Church should be lowly, like the poor manger He was laid to rest in. They look at the Basilicas, Cathedrals, and see only opulence, and they wonder what Jesus must be thinking, as if Jesus thought bad things of it all. I think it is easy to forget that our Churches reflect God's glory, that the resurrected Jesus is physically present, body, blood, soul, and divinity in our Churches. They are heaven on earth.
No one sees anything bad about a glorious Jesus in heaven. No Christian expects to find heaven to be a bunch of barns with mangers full of hay to sleep in, poor and difficult. They all know what glory is. Yes, Jesus chose poverty and simplicity and taught us to live likewise. We should try our best to live poor in spirit.
Remember the woman who poured oil over Jesus' feet? Jesus was honored with very expensive oils and the apostles became upset about the waste of it, pouring it over His feet. They could have sold it and the money could have been used for the poor. Yet Jesus defended the action of the woman, saying it was for the glory of God and that the poor you will always have. His apostles knew Jesus cared so much for the poor and that everything should be done for them that is possible. However, they did not understand yet the goodness in giving God glory.
G.K. Chesterton wrote that we adorn the things that are beautiful. We buy jewels for our wives. We put pretty dresses on our daughters and handsome suits on men. We don't dress up cows because they aren't beautiful to begin with. We add decorative frames to beautiful paintings. We fix up our homes and decorate them and take pride in their appearances only because we have an appreciation for them to begin with. It is programmed into our nature to do these things and no one thinks twice about the acceptability of adding beauty to that which is already beautiful. People have given their money, their time and labors, their talents, etc., to add to the beauty of Churches and other holy objects. These gifts are for the glory of God and are fitting and proper for us to offer. After all, heaven on earth is found in Church, and isn't heaven magnificently glorious? And yet, I'm convinced that even our most splendid Cathedrals are like piles of dirt and sand compared to what really awaits us in heaven.
If the motives to add such splendors are for pride and a desire to "look good" in front of others, then the motives are bad. The end result itself is not bad, but the giver would be committing a sin and his actions would not be respectable.
We must always remember, everything we have is God's anyway. After all, He made everything to begin with. We all will return to ash and have nothing. If it is all just temporary, then why not give glory to God in everything and with everything? In other words, be prepared to use whatever you have in whatever means God is calling you to do, without holding on. That goes not just for money, but time, conversations, skills, whatever; be ready and willing to act on God's invitation or you will go away sad. When you hear God's call in your heart, take action and do it, and be joyful.
Then, consider the excited and anxious time that all the angels and saints had between the time Christ opened up heaven and the time Mary arrived, body & soul, as she was assumed into heaven. Wow, they had to be celebrating big time when she finally got there. Someone could probably write their story about that waiting and preparation time. They were probably getting busy preparing for her coronation and talking about how glorious it will be.
This leads me to another thought. Everyone talks about how glorious heaven must be. God's glory is so magnificent we'd die if we saw Him. Yet, Jesus chose to be so lowly here, which leads many to believe that our Church should be lowly, like the poor manger He was laid to rest in. They look at the Basilicas, Cathedrals, and see only opulence, and they wonder what Jesus must be thinking, as if Jesus thought bad things of it all. I think it is easy to forget that our Churches reflect God's glory, that the resurrected Jesus is physically present, body, blood, soul, and divinity in our Churches. They are heaven on earth.
No one sees anything bad about a glorious Jesus in heaven. No Christian expects to find heaven to be a bunch of barns with mangers full of hay to sleep in, poor and difficult. They all know what glory is. Yes, Jesus chose poverty and simplicity and taught us to live likewise. We should try our best to live poor in spirit.
Remember the woman who poured oil over Jesus' feet? Jesus was honored with very expensive oils and the apostles became upset about the waste of it, pouring it over His feet. They could have sold it and the money could have been used for the poor. Yet Jesus defended the action of the woman, saying it was for the glory of God and that the poor you will always have. His apostles knew Jesus cared so much for the poor and that everything should be done for them that is possible. However, they did not understand yet the goodness in giving God glory.
G.K. Chesterton wrote that we adorn the things that are beautiful. We buy jewels for our wives. We put pretty dresses on our daughters and handsome suits on men. We don't dress up cows because they aren't beautiful to begin with. We add decorative frames to beautiful paintings. We fix up our homes and decorate them and take pride in their appearances only because we have an appreciation for them to begin with. It is programmed into our nature to do these things and no one thinks twice about the acceptability of adding beauty to that which is already beautiful. People have given their money, their time and labors, their talents, etc., to add to the beauty of Churches and other holy objects. These gifts are for the glory of God and are fitting and proper for us to offer. After all, heaven on earth is found in Church, and isn't heaven magnificently glorious? And yet, I'm convinced that even our most splendid Cathedrals are like piles of dirt and sand compared to what really awaits us in heaven.
If the motives to add such splendors are for pride and a desire to "look good" in front of others, then the motives are bad. The end result itself is not bad, but the giver would be committing a sin and his actions would not be respectable.
We must always remember, everything we have is God's anyway. After all, He made everything to begin with. We all will return to ash and have nothing. If it is all just temporary, then why not give glory to God in everything and with everything? In other words, be prepared to use whatever you have in whatever means God is calling you to do, without holding on. That goes not just for money, but time, conversations, skills, whatever; be ready and willing to act on God's invitation or you will go away sad. When you hear God's call in your heart, take action and do it, and be joyful.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
The Invisible Mother
To help you get through some of the mundane chores and everyday blues a mother has.
It's lengthy but worth the read.
The Invisible Mother
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?'
Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this??
Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.'
Some days I'm a crystal ball; 'Where's my other sock?, Where's my phone?, What's for dinner?'
I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history, music and literature -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!
One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . She had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when she turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'With admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.'
In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: 1) No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. 2) These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. 3) They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. 4) The passion of their building was fuelled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.
A story of legend in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'
I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was Almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does.
No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, no Cub Scout meeting, no last minute errand is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.
I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree.
When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, he'd say, 'You're gonna love it there...'
As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible mothers.
Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did.
The Will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.
To all the wonderful mothers out there!! God bless and keep you.
AN EMPOWERING TESTIMONY! St. Joe's Java Speaker Social
January 7
6:30 pm
MICHAEL BURKE
"Running Thru Roadblocks"
Michael Burke, having had a lifelong battle with Cystic Fibrosis and facing a drastically shortened life expectancy, shares how he chose to redirect his negative thoughts, turn fear into action, and embrace his faith in transforming his life!
CAPPUCCINO ~ COFFEE ~ ESPRESSO
No Cost - Goodwill Offering Appreciated!
Please RSVP at rsvp@stjosephradio-stl.com
St. Joe's Java, Your Heavenly Blend
Catholic Coffeehouse
3920 S. Old Hwy 94
Woodstone Plaza
St. Charles, MO 63304
Ph.: 636-447-6000
www.stjosephradio-stl.com
Directions
www.stjosephradio-stl.com/Contact_Us.html
Monday, January 3, 2011
Attitude changes everything--acceptance with no understanding leads to might
Although it is not easy to live in constant agony,
To be nailed to the cross of various pains,
Still, I am inflamed with love by loving,
And like Seraph I love God,
though I am but weakness.
Oh, great is the soul that, midst suffering,
Stands faithfully by God and does His will
And remains uncomforted midst great
rainbows and storms,
For God's pure love sweetens her fate.
It is no great thing to love God in prosperity
And thank Him when all goes well,
But rather to adore Him midst great adversities
And love Him for His own sake
and place one's hope in Him.
When the soul is in the shadows of Gethsemane,
All alone in the bitterness of pain,
It ascends toward the heights of Jesus,
And though ever drinking bitterness--it is not sad.
When the soul does the will of the Most High God,
Even amidst constant pain and torments,
Having pressed its lips to the chalice proffered,
It becomes might, and nothing will daunt it.
Though tortured, it repeats: Your will be done,
Patiently awaiting the moment of its transfiguration,
For, though in deepest darkness, it hears the voice of
Jesus: Your are Mine.
And this it will know fully when the veil falls.
--From the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska (Divine Mercy in My Soul)
To be nailed to the cross of various pains,
Still, I am inflamed with love by loving,
And like Seraph I love God,
though I am but weakness.
Oh, great is the soul that, midst suffering,
Stands faithfully by God and does His will
And remains uncomforted midst great
rainbows and storms,
For God's pure love sweetens her fate.
It is no great thing to love God in prosperity
And thank Him when all goes well,
But rather to adore Him midst great adversities
And love Him for His own sake
and place one's hope in Him.
When the soul is in the shadows of Gethsemane,
All alone in the bitterness of pain,
It ascends toward the heights of Jesus,
And though ever drinking bitterness--it is not sad.
When the soul does the will of the Most High God,
Even amidst constant pain and torments,
Having pressed its lips to the chalice proffered,
It becomes might, and nothing will daunt it.
Though tortured, it repeats: Your will be done,
Patiently awaiting the moment of its transfiguration,
For, though in deepest darkness, it hears the voice of
Jesus: Your are Mine.
And this it will know fully when the veil falls.
--From the Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska (Divine Mercy in My Soul)
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