I Love You

I love you, Jesus, my love.
I love you with all my heart.
I repent of having offended you.
Never permit me to offend you again.
Grant that I may love you always,
and then do with me what you will.
Amen.

- St. Alphonsus Liguori

www.livingwithchrist.us

The Chair of St. Peter

Communion Antiphon (Matthew 16:16,18)

Peter said to Jesus: You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 

And Jesus replied: You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church.

Prayer For Our Family

Blessed are you,loving Father, Ruler of the universe:

You have given us Your Son as Your Leader, 

And have made us temples of Your Holy Spirit.

Fill our family with Your light and peace.

Have mercy on all who suffer, 

And bring us to everlasting joy with You.

Father, We bless Your Name for ever and ever.

Amen

Why Fast?

Hunger for God

Fasting is more than a means of developing self-control. It is often an aid to prayer, as the pangs of hunger remind us of our hunger for God.

— from Fast, Pray, Give

"In all our necessities, trials, and difficulties, no better or safer aid exist for us than prayer and hope that God will provide for us by the mean God desires." ~ St. John of the Cross

Forgiveness

"And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us."

 

 

 

 

Lent is a Time for Confession

Catholic Diocese of Cleveland  "An Evening of Confession"

Why should I go to confession?

Psalm 23

Three times today I've stumbled across this psalm, Psalm 23.

The LORD is my shepherd;

there is nothing I lack.

In green pastures he makes me lie down;

to still waters he leads me;

he restores my soul.

He guides me along right paths

for the sake of his name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil, for you are with me;

your rod and your staff comfort me.

You set a table before me

in front of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me

all the days of my life;

I will dwell in the house of the LORD

for endless days.

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi wrote, "Psalm 23, which presents God as the shepherd leading His flock, and at the same time, our travelling companion. These elements, he said refer to the value of grace: truth on the one hand and love on the other. There is only one destination concluded Cardinal Ravasi, 'the Temple, the table laid, the sacrifice of communion' therefore the celebration of the liturgy: 'Faith is above all a gift, but it is also at the same time a conquest' ”.

Read the full article

Hands

 

What do you think of when you see this image? There's such a story behind how I received this image, I will save for another post. But when I researched the artist, J. Reed's meaning/inspiration here's what I found;

 

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for your selves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.” 

 

Yesterday during mass we began to sing, On Eagle's Wings and this image came to mind. I pictured Jesus' outstretched hands.

 

Here are the lyrics;

 

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord,
Who abide in His shadow for life,
Say to the Lord, "My Refuge,
My Rock in Whom I trust."

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
The snare of the fowler will never capture you,
And famine will bring you no fear;
Under His Wings your refuge,
His faithfulness your shield.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
You need not fear the terror of the night,
Nor the arrow that flies by day,
Though thousands fall about you,
Near you it shall not come.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
For to His angels He's given a command,
To guard you in all of your ways,
Upon their hands they will bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.
And hold you in the palm of His Hand.

A Lenten Prayer Called The Passion

Dear Lord Jesus, by Your Passion and Resurrection You brought life to the world. 

But the glory of the Resurrection came only after the sufferings of the Passion.

You laid down Your life willingly and gave up everything for us. 

Your body was broken and fastened to a Cross, 
Your clothing became the prize of soldiers, your blood ebbed slowly but surely away, 

and Your Mother was entrusted to the beloved disciple.

Stretched out on the Cross, deprived of all earthly possessions and human aid, 

You cried out to Your Father that the end had come. 

You had accomplished the work given You, 
and You committed into His hands, as a perfect gift, the little life that remained to You.

Lord, teach me to accept all afflictions after the example You have given. 

Let me place my death in Yours and my weakness in Your abandonment,

Take hold of me with Your love, that same foolish love that knew no limits, 

and let me offer myself to the Father with You so that I may rise with You to eternal life.

Amen

Chalk Drawings

I was praying tonight outside of an abortion clinic for 40 Days for Life with a group.  I have been doing this for years  and tonight I saw something I never saw before. Kids' chalk drawings on the sidewalk, right by the entrance to the building. Colorful hearts, traced in rainbows, I'm sure drawn with laughs and giggles, hopes and smiles. I could totally picture the scene in my mind, just like I've witnessed at recesses at school or my nieces and nephews so many times before over the years. 

What struck me though was the possibility that perhaps if someone were stopping by or bringing a loved one or relative for an abortion maybe they saw these kid(s) outside coloring, drawing, laughing and having fun. Perhaps minds and hearts were changed in that moment toward life not death. 

And I love that the kids drew hearts...(I know it's St. Valentine's Day so it's probably a gimme) but still to mark that place with symbols of love amidst the death that occurs within it's walls, so amazing. When I saw the drawings, I couldn't help but smile and admire their artwork. So of course I had to take a photo! 

Fall in Love!

vaLENTine

Happy St. Valentine's Day!

For God

        so loVed the world

          thAt he gave his

           onLy

     begottEn

          SoN, so

         thaT everyone who

           belIeves

              iN him might not perish but   

  might havE eternal life.       John 3:16

Let the Purging Begin!

“Give, but give until it hurts.” ~Mother Teresa

In preparation for Lent, I took some time to think and prepare to determine what I am going to do this Lenten Season to grow in relationship with Christ. Instead of giving up things for Lent, I have decided to give more. More time to prayer, fasting, and alms. In doing so I'll inadvertently be giving up things like looking inward, self-centeredness, pride but all with God's help. 

So I'll start with almsgiving, this is exciting! For sometime now I have been reflecting about how much "stuff" I have. Now I don't mean I'm a hoarder or anything, and I also don't mean I'm rich and have extravagant things, however, I feel like I am so fortunate to have what I do have and perhaps even have a little more than I need. There are many things that I just don't need. My interests have changed in many ways and so all of this stuff is just going to waste. So I started over Christmas break and decided I'm making this my Lenten almsgiving practice. I have 40 days...let the purging begin! I was so anxious to start, I actually cheated and began a little early, but I will continue going through each room, drawer, closet, nook & cranny   in my house gathering things to donate to various charities & organizations that I just don't need or use. I have a couple friends and my sister who have offered to help me with the drop-offs which will be awesome and will help me keep a good rhythm going.

My first collection totaled 6 lawn bags and 13 boxes!! (I have to admit I was mildly impressed). It felt good though it was a bit challenging. It was hard to let go of some things, but then I kept remembering that God provides. So if I need something in the future, I know things will work out. I can't tell you how amazing this feels and I've only just begun!!

O my God, fill my soul with holy joy,
courage and strength to serve you.
Enkindle your love in me and then walk with me
along the next stretch of road before me.
I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived
where the horizon now closes down,
a new prospect will open before me,
and I shall meet it with peace. Amen.

 

- St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

www.livingwithchrist.us

The Divine Call

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
“Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?”
“Here I am,” I said; “send me!” ~ Isaiah 6:8

 

 

 

Prayer for Openness to God’s Call
~Pope John Paul II

Lord Jesus, once You called the first disciples in order to make them fishers of men. Continue to let resound today Your sweet invitation: “Come and Follow Me.”

Grant to young men and women the grace of responding promptly to Your voice. Sustain our bishops, priests, and consecrated souls in their apostolic work. Give perseverance to our seminarians and to all those who are fulfilling the ideal of a life of total consecration to Your service.

Enkindle in our communities a missionary zeal. Send, Lord, workers into Your fields and do not let mankind be lost because of a lack of pastors, missionaries, and people dedicated to the cause of the Gospel.

Mary, Mother of the Church, Model of Vocations, help us say “Yes” to the Lord Who calls us to collaborate in the divine design of salvation.
Amen

 

Sts. Jerome Emiliani and Josephine Bakhita Pray for Us!

God, here I am, at your disposal, your child.
Use me to continue your loving the world,
by giving Jesus to me
and through me,
to each other and to the world.
Let us pray for each other
that we allow Jesus to love in us
and through us
with the love with which
his Father loves us. Amen. 

-Bl. Teresa of Calcutta

www.livingwithchrist.us

My prayer for this morning...

Holy Spirit, teach me to live like the Son and love like his mother. Today and all days. Amen.

St. Peregrine

Just found out my aunt has bladder cancer. Not sure at this point what this means. I'm familiar with the world of brain cancer after being immersed in that for 4 1/2 years. But not bladder cancer. I don't know if there are grades of tumors, or what treatments are available, but what I have learned is how to respond. I spoke to my mom (her sister) and she sounds "ok" jumping into action; called her mom, booking a flight to be with her and her mom. So now I pray and give it all to God. Surrender, that's all I can do. Not entirely easy, hard to concentrate as I sit in class. But I think this is where I need to be. Here's a prayer to St. Peregrine (the Patron Saint of Cancer Patients), Mike and I prayed over the years during his diagnosis.

O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty," "The Wonder-Worker," because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you. For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fibre of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favoured with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure of the sick whom we entrust to you. (Pause here and silently recall the names of the sick for whom you are praying) Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen.

Being Present

Did you know that the Church celebrates World Communication Day each year addressing the use of social media? This year marks the 47th World Communication Day. What does that mean? It will be celebrated on Sunday, May 12th, 2013, the Sunday before Pentecost. On January 24th, the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, the patron of Writers, the Pope issues a message about the upcoming World Communication Day. 

Pope Benedict the XVI, in his 2013 WCD "Social Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization." calls us to  "be true heralds and witnesses of the Gospel. 'Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mk 16:15). 

(The following is a reflection I wrote for the course Technology in Ministry). 

                  “When we are all present to others in any way at all, we are called to make known the love of God to the furthest ends of the Earth.” 

                  (Pope Benedict XVI, 47^th World Communications Day).

                   

                  This idea of being present speaks to me. How are we, the Church, present to one another? With all of these tech gadgets, trying to juggle more than one at time (yes I’m guilty of this now as I write this; I’m using a laptop, ipad and smart phone). It appears easy at times to attempt to multi-task and text and talk for example, but to be fully present, sometimes putting down the gadgets and maintaining the eye-to-eye contact is needed. While other times the opposite is true, sometimes we have to meet people where they are, on their devices, in front of the screen, across the world, or at work on their lunch break. Maintaining a balance calling to mind, “…that while the Internet can never replace that profound experience of God which only the living, liturgical and sacramental life of the Church can offer, it can certainly provide a unique supplement and support in both preparing for the encounter with Christ in community, and sustaining the new believer in the journey of faith which then begins. “ (Pope John Paul II, 36^th World Communication Day).

                   

                  Finding a balance between the face-to-face (f2f) and the virtual forms of presence, the Church can bring the Gospel Global. It is the Churches right to utilize such media, “…an inherent right of the Church to have at its disposal and to employ any of these media insofar as they are necessary or useful for the instruction of Christians and all its efforts for the welfare of souls.” (Inter Mirifica, Pope Paul VI).  To effectively use such media we need to be cognizant of what we are saying and how we are saying it, just as when we are dialoguing f2f with someone about church doctrine or beliefs (especially to nonbelievers or those of other denominations). We should be mindful and ensure that our encounters are engaging and during our interactions online that we are maintaining a web presence that is true to the Church and making known the love of God in all ways. “The news itself that is communicated should always be true and complete, within the bounds of justice and charity.” (Inter Mirifica, Pope Paul VI). Believers can utilize media in such ways to be witnesses of their faith to show hope and love in Jesus Christ.

                   

How can we begin to make God’s love known? By continuing to be present, in any way that God may be calling us to make known his love to the ends of the Earth. As the Church has demonstrated over the past 47 years, the media is just one tool that we are called to utilize to spread the Gospel. Mother Theresa said, “I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world.” So rather if you are a little pencil, like Mother Theresa, or a little blog, little tweet, a little message status, or simply a listening ear; make yourself present and God’s love known in all you do in Jesus’ name for the welfare of souls.

The Presentation of the Lord



We celebrate the presentation by lighting candles,
 reminding us that Jesus is the light of the world.

Hail, Mary, mother of God,
venerable treasure of the whole universe,
lamp that is never extinguished,
crown of virginity,
support of the true faith,
indestructible temple,
dwelling of him whom no place can contain,
O mother and virgin!
Through you all the holy gospels
call blessed the one whom comes
in the name of the Lord. Amen.

- St. Cyril of Alexandria

www.livingwithchrist.us

Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes

This novena starts on February 2nd and ends on February 11th. This novena prayer, although short is sufficient. If time permits,  one should add; three Hail Marys or say five times the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father, or to use some novena prayers from other sources.

Prayer: 

O most beautiful lady, who appeared to the humble little Bernadette in the Grotto of Lourdes, look with pitying eye upon the sick and the afflicted. Let me remember to say to you each day as do the pilgrims at Lourdes, "Ave, Ave, Ave Maria."

Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us!

 

300 days. S. Pen., Nov. 15, 1927 Prayer Source: All Day With God by Blanche Jennings Thompson