Hey y'all!
I'll be back to posting on a more regular basis now that I've returned from our family vacation in the South. We had just an amazing, joy filled time. I'm so thankful to God for His Blessings, especially of my amazing husband and kids, the safe travels for all of us and those who were also traveling to and from the same events we attended (ACRAs). God's Love and Graces are so amazing, wondrous
and abundant. God is SO great and awesome! Thank you Lord!
Father,
Please hear our prayers for all those traveling during this busy holiday weekend in the United States. We send up all our prayers to You for safety for all those traveling, especially those with families. We ask St. Christopher to pray for us, and bring our petitions to You, oh God Almighty Father. You are Amazing and Powerful, and we know You hear our prayers. We pray for those that have accidents, that You keep them healthy and safe. Lord, we also pray for those that are injured this coming weekend, that You may guide them to health. Please, oh Consoler, be with those who will be in need of such consolation this weekend, that Your Spirit ease their hearts, and fill them with Your Love. May they know Your Mercy and Love.
Oh God, our beloved and perfect Creator, I offer up to you any and all graces that I receive from attending Mass this week, for those travelers in need of Your Mercy and Love, whether by their own neglect, or their deaths or injuries during travel. Surround them with others who will share Your Love and Mercy. Thank you, O Great One, for the freedom that we have to travel where we need or want to go this weekend. We thank you for keeping us safe, for You are Love beyond all things. We praise You, God, our only need. We love You; we want to glorify You in all things, great and small.
Dear Saint Christopher,
protect me today
in all my travels
along the road's way.
Give your warning sign
if danger is near
so that I may stop
while the path is clear.
Be at my window
and direct me through
when the vision blurs
From out of the blue.
Carry me safely
to my destined place,
like you carried Christ
in your close embrace.
Amen.
http://www.toweringpines.com/stchristopher.html
I was so honored and pleased to be able to attend Mass on the feast day of my Confirmation Saint, St. Dymphna, this week. I was blessed to be able to attend at one of the most memorable parishes of my youth, and my maternal grandmother's parish when she was alive. My mom grew up across the street from this parish. Just walking in, the incense smell took me back to my youth, even though as a youth I didn't appreciate the early morning Mass or rosaries. (Still not a morning person!)
Thursday's Gospel reading was:
Gospel John 13:16-20
When Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet, he said to them:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master
nor any messenger greater than the one who sent him.
If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it.
I am not speaking of all of you.
I know those whom I have chosen.
But so that the Scripture might be fulfilled,
The one who ate my food has raised his heel against me.
From now on I am telling you before it happens,
so that when it happens you may believe that I AM.
Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send
receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”
The brief homily by Father Nick emphasized an important point. Jesus said that "I AM." After the short weekday Mass, I returned across the street to my car in the parking lot, and began to make my way back to my mom's house for lunch. (I was visiting her another city a few hours away from my home.) The radio was playing as I started the car, and guess what song it was?
"I AM"!! WOW! I love how these God-incidences (not coincidences) happen and give me such peace and joy.
Here is another of my favorite 'I Am' songs as well:
Amen, amen, amen! All joys and praises to our God, our Savior!
UPDATE!! The event was CANCELED! It was not only removed from campus, it was not held at all. Claims are that they held it at a restaurant, but a report from a restaurant employee said that they were only sitting at the bar drinking. AMEN!!!! Original post: Tonight, a student group will be hosting a 'black mass' by a satanic group. They are claiming it is an informational event, but it is truly a persecution not only of Catholics, but of all Christians everywhere. They are being allowed not only to mock, but desecrate all that we believe and hold in our hearts. This would not be allowed if the religion was Islam, Buddhist or others. The Church is specifically being persecuted. I have many other thoughts on this, but for now, I ask for you to pray, especially with the greatest Angel above, St. Michael. Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits who prowl throughout the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Many times, especially in the throes of a bad day, bad week, bad month, do we struggle to see tomorrow? Sometimes, we even struggle to see today!
I've had some bad days in my life, a few in the past year. Getting older is complicated! :) Sometimes, just living is complicated. I can't see today, and I surely can't see tomorrow. It's like a black curtain is pulled over my eyes, over my heart, and the pain of the darkness is unbearable. I don't know how to get through it. I had one of those nights recently. It was hard. It was painful. It was darkness...not just for me, but for my husband who helped see me through it. It was bad. But even when I was hurting, I was praying inside...please God, help me, help my husband. I didn't give up, even though it might have seemed like it on the outside. This was a difficult time for me, and it was, sadly but now gladly, the first time I've really prayed deeply in the middle of the raging storm. I know how easy it would have been to slip, to give in, to the pain and the darkness. I've lived through it before, not because of my own weakness, but because it's an illness I've struggled with my entire life. I knew this wasn't the illness like it has been before, but it reminded me so much of it. I only survived before because of the Grace and Hand of God, even though I didn't know Him at the time like I do now. (continued............)
Hey y'all!
