2021 Dinner Mints
☎️ Text Mess
🆕 48. St. Ephrem the Syrian: “Mary has become 4 us da heaven dat bears God, 4 in her da exalted Godhead has descended & dwelt; in her He has grown small 2 make us great, but His nature doesn’t diminish. In her He has woven us a garment dat shall b 4 our salvation. In her da words of da prophets & da just are all contained. From her da Luminous 1 has shone forth & dispelled da darkness of paganism”
(MC=my comments)- It would definitely be unwise to shun she who has become 4 us da heaven dat bears God. What might linger can sure be of benefit to us. Being in prime position can certainly mean something on the positive side for us.
47. Bill McKibben: “Advent: da time 2 listen 4 footsteps – U can’t hear footsteps when ur running ur self”
(MC=my comments)- We must be attentive 2 da present moment which will b lost 4ever when we R looking back @ da past, R straining 4ward 2 da future. May patience be ours as we wait on da Lord, intent on being led and not in2 trail blazing.
46. Claudette Rietveld Holden: ”What is Advent? It’s a season of 4 wks of preparation b4 Christmas.Da word Advent means "coming" & refers 2 da coming of Jesus Christ.Da season emphasizes a 3 fold coming of Christ:
🌲We Celebrate His coming in HISTORY @ Bethlehem,
🌲We celebrate his coming in MYSTERY thru word & sacrament,
🌲&we celebrate his coming in MAJESTY @ da end of time.
Many people expend great energy preparing 4 Christmas, yet fail 2 appreciate da tru meaning of da season. Advent, if properly observed, can change all dat, helping us 2 realize mo fully what da coming of Christ can mean in our lives”
(MC=My Comments-It’s good sometimes 2 go back 2 da basics. Dat this Advent we mite spend da next 4 wks pondering what da coming of Christ means to us personally & prepare spiritually 4 da real reason 4 da season. Each yr there should be a deeper meaning as we advance along da spiritual ladder)
45. Elizabeth Lev: “St.Charles Borromeo did a great deal of material good 4 Milan, it’s his spiritual efforts during da long months of suffering dat art history commemorates, providin a poignant image of his holy charity. Fearful 4 souls of his flock, Charles increased da # of Masses, holdin them outdoors if churches became 2 crowded. He arranged processions thru da city, carrying da famous Milanese relic of da Holy Nail & singin so da housebound could participate wit their eyes & ears even if they couldn't make it to 1 of da 19 plague stations where Communion was distributed. It was this work of bringin da Lord 2 an abandoned city dat hastened his canonization in 1610. Artists vied 4 da cascade of commissions 2 depict da saint who lived wit 1 ear alert 2 da cries of his people while da other was always attuned 2 God.
(MC=My Comments- Contrast dat wit 2 day, some clergy & laity running scared, instead of running 2 church & da Holy Sacraments, choosing 2follow da protocol of da world. Either it’s standing strong wit God R falling 4 anything. We need 2 realize it’s time 2 Reform what is now deformed. 4 da role models needed in this day & age, we have 2 look back in order 2 move 4ward. It’s not 2 cower, but it’s 2 live in da Holy Spirit’s power. Modified a camp song dat’s coming 2mind:
✝️Everywhere we go
✝️People want to know
✝️Who we are
✝️So we tell them near and far
✝️We're the Catholic Christians
✝️Mighty, mighty Catholic Christians
✝️People ask What we’re up to & Where we come from
✝️We tell them here & there helping God’s kingdom come
✝️If they can't hear us a little louder We sing
✝️True followers staying the course of Jesus Christ the King
44. St.John of Kronstadt: “We should have recourse 2 Blessed Mary: Mother, help me! Bring me 2 Jesus! What should I do as da 1st step?Turn 2 her wit confidence. Dat is why Jesus gave her 2 us as our Mother. Indeed, we R newborns, immature & inexperienced in da spiritual life & we need an experienced mother. ‘Now there stood by da cross of Jesus His mother Dying, He gave me His mother 2 lead me 2 Him & not away from Him. She will teach me 2 live wit Jesus. Am I her child? Did I receive her by faith? Do I rely on her as my Mother in my spiritual growth?
(MC=My Comments-Blessed Virgin Mother, we thank God 4U. Jesse Romero excellently brought up da point dat da Bible says: “all generations will call me blessed”. Why is it dat not all Christians are calling Our Lady Blessed, is dat 4 Catholics only?
📖 Luke 1:48 “For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed”
As 4 me, it’s never 2 call our Lady just “Mary”, always it’s 2say: “Blessed Mary”
43. CATHERINE OF GENOA: “As 4 paradise , God has placed no doors there. Whoever wishes 2enter, does so. All-merciful, God stands there wit His arms open, waiting 2receive us in2 His glory. Da divine essence is so pure &lite-filled-much mo than we can imagine. Da soul dat has but da slightest imperfection would rather throw itself in2 a thousand hells than appear thus b4 da divine presence. Tongue cannot express nor heart understand da full meaning which the soul willingly accepts as a mercy, da realization dat suffering is of no importance compared 2 da removal of da impediment of sin. Da greatest suffering, is awareness dat something displeases God, & dat they have deliberately gone against His great goodness. In a state of grace,these souls fully grasp da meaning. When God sees da Soul pure as it was in it origins, He tugs at it wit a glance, draws it & binds it to Himself wit a fiery luv dat by itself could annihilate da immortal soul. In so acting, God so transforms da soul in Him dat it kno nothin other than God; & He cont. 2 draw it up in2 His fiery luv”
(MC=my comments)-Nov. is da month of departed souls. Let’s cont. 2 pray 4 souls who mite be finding da gate open & stepping in, seeing no doors, kno it is clean sailing from dat point on & enter in2 da beatific vision. This month it is good 2 set aside some time to visit cemeteries.So worth it 4 us 2 live in a reparatory manner, & 2 make haste while it‘s still day, we’ll be able 2 enter in da courts sooner rather than later)
42. Pius XI: “Da most important decision proposed 2 man’s free will: 4 God or against God... there’s no middle ground, no island on which we can stand, no fence we can straddle. It is Christ or it is da antichrist”.
(MC=my comments)- A stark reality, it’s black or it’s white. Ur reverent or ur’er not reverent, ur’er living in truth or Ur’er not. Grey is about compromises & 4 da lukewarm. Red hot, on fire, it’s 2B wit Christ all da way. It’s 2 line up our lives wit His way, His truth, & His life, talking about Jesus Christ, the Lord!)
41. Christian Scott “Yesterday we said tomorrow”
(MC=My Comments- How quickly already is it today. Is dat not telling us how it’ll all be over b4 we kno it. Time now for all 2 amass spiritual wealth, da only kind of wealth we can take wit us.)
40. Sr.Ruth Burrows: “In what sense is it hard 2enter da narrow gate? Certainly not takin on a great burden of rules & regulations, harsh ascetic practices, or a denial of all pleasure & joy in livin. Jesus asks nothin like dat, plenty of people in his time takin were on all dat 4 religious motives, yet they weren't men of da kingdom. What our Lord asks, what He realized was so bitterly hard 4 da human hart, was `conversion': dat which is accepting 2 turn rite round & 2 B uncoiled from da self-possession, self-centredness & self-orientation which is our native condition, 2 become God-possessed, God-centred, God-directed”
(MC=my comments-When we realize God’s plans R best & really “get it” & kno dat we kno, dat He can’t luv us anymo, luv will win us over & we’ll lose da desire 4 wantin things our way & 2 B in da driver’s seat. No answers will be needed if not given, living by trustin in God will take care of everything. Good parents put their kids 1st all da time, well, it’s time 2 luv God enuf 2 put Him 1st, not needin answers unless He chooses 2give them)
39. Aldous Huxley (1961 speech at the University of California)
“There will be in da next generation or so a pharmacological method of making people luv their servitude and producing dictatorship without tears, so 2 speak. Producing a kind of painless concentration camp 4 entire societies, so dat people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them but will rather enjoy it, because they will b distracted from any desire 2 rebel – by propaganda, or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems 2 b da final revolution.”
(MC=My Comments- Da final revolution and da final confrontation, both revealed by the Lord for this our day, let those with ears hear. So not every body was wild & crazy in da 60’s, just as sum now aren’t 4 drinking da Kool Aid wit a smile. Lord have mercy on us, please set captives free, for just as Sr Lucia said dat da final confrontation would be about marriage & da family, da battle is raging between the Lord and the reign of Satan. Her words: “Don’t be afraid because anyone who operates for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be contended and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. However, Our Lady has already crushed its head”. Let us press on, in da end bring on da right side, we win)
38. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only wit da heart dat 1 can see rightly, what is essential is invisible 2 da eye.”
(MC=my comments)-How tru, we can never see what is in another’s heart. God help us to look beyond & glean on da side of goodness. If our heart is in da right place, so different will our actions be. Lord help us be led by the Holy Spirit. Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart unto thine.
37. Claire Dwyer: “My friend was giving a moving & profound talk about da loss of her 2-yr-old son in a drowning accident. An amateur ballet dancer, she has a great luv 4St. Thérèse of Lisieux. “Da Little Flower,” she said, “is a prima ballerina. A prima ballerina spends endless hrs, yrs & yrs, doing minuscule movements over & over until she can do them wit precision & perfection which appear almost effortless. Da movements seem repetitive, boring, & pointless–but build a strong foundation of the ballerina. If incorrectly practiced, a dancer cannot grow. If done correctly wit purpose, she abounds in grace. We C her dance across da stage & it looks easy & graceful. But we could never do it because we have not put in the ages of work behind da scenes. St. Thérèse’s life appears 2 us a masterpiece of simplicity & easy trust dat has appeal because it looks so fluid & natural – but those millions of acts of luv were anything but easy. She became a saint because she practiced painfully 4 yrs.”. This, I think, begs a profound reflection. We 2 will have our hr on stage – often dat stage resembles da severity of da cross. & da world will watch –& most importantly, God will watch. & how will we perform? It will greatly depend on how we practiced in da millions of unseen instants of our lives. Da exercise of virtue gives strength 2 da soul b4 da curtains R raised. Da small sacrifices & tiny movements of luv will crescendo in2 our final act – we pray it will glorify God & leave da world searching 4 what we have found.”
(MC=my comments)- Game 4 entering dat school, beginning wit kindergarten & hoping 2b a university grad 1day.
👩🏼🎓what about U?
👩🏼🎓sitting on da sidelines just won’t do
👩🏼🎓b not among da many not prioritizing, choosing da wrong things 2pursue
👩🏼🎓enter da narrow gate be among those few
36. Pope emeritus Benedict XV: “We’re not sum casual & meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is da result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is luved, each of us is necessary”
(MC=My Comments- There4 let us rejoice & bathe in da luv dat is ours which transcends all others. Da other luvs R just a shadow of what we’ll enjoy 4ever in heaven. 4 all dat we luv here on earth will 1 day pass away, people, places, & things. B assured people will die R move away. Places change and things break, R stolen, R get lost. Let’s value life, ours & others, & fulfill well our mission. 4 we are necessary, dat is why we inhabit da earth. Nothing is useless, even dirt is important, 4 where would we be without soil? Let is give thanks 2 God.)
35. Divine Mercy Diary: ”Have da certitude dat I’m lookin @ U & supportive U. Don't fear either struggles of da soul R any temptations, because I’m supportin U. If only u’re willing 2 fite, kno dat da victory is always on ur side. Kno dat by fightin bravely U give Me great glory & a mass of merits 4 ur self. Temptation gives u a chance 2 sho Me ur fidelity”
(MC=my comments)-Da words of Jesus 2 St, Faustina certainly is apropos. May we cast our cares on Him & fear. Let us trust He who can calm storms, will calm it, & protect us as God so wills)
34. “Divine Mercy diary: ”Have da certitude dat I’m lookin @ U & supporting U. Don't fear either struggles of da soul R any temptations, because I’m supportin U. If only u’re willing 2 fite, kno dat da victory is always on ur side. Kno dat by fightin bravely U give Me great glory & amass merits 4 ur self. Temptation gives u a chance 2 sho Me ur fidelity”
(MC=my comments)-Da words of Jesus 2 St. Faustina certainly is apropos. May we cast our cares on Him & fear not. Let us trust He who can calm storms, will calm it & protect us as God Himself so wills)
33. Fr. Paul N. Check: “Nothing falls outside of God’s providence. Nothing falls outside da reach of His grace. These R spiritual truths we kno & confidant in these truths opens us 2 da peace da world cannot give R take. Cardinal Burke has taught us by his own example of fidelity in trust & surrender 2 da Good God. Dat Our Father in Heaven is good, merciful, just, provident & sovereign;we are His beloved children & He will never leave us orphans;we should not be afraid of da Cross as da way 2 eternal life; dat da Sacraments R da most direct channels of grace & we do da soul da greatest good by receiving Holy Communion often & by going 2 confession regularly; & dat we should say our daily prayers & luv 1another as Jesus Christ has loved us: generously, even 2 da point of heroic sacrifice. 1mo thing so important and so dear 2 Him, praying da Rosary frequently & fervently, placin ourselves under da mantle of Our Lady, confident in her maternal luv & intercession”
(MC=My Comments- Add 2 this St.Joseph’s cloak & most Import is the Precious Blood of Jesus as a net covering everything)
32. Abbot Anthony,a Desert Father: “A time is coming when people will go mad, & when they meet some1 who is not mad, they will turn 2 him & say, "U are out of ur mind," just because he is not like them” (MC=my comments)= In a million yrs, never would have thought this would happen in my life time. My Lord, how nice it will b when da Immaculate Heart of Blessed Mary triumph, & da springtime of Christian life dat St. JPII talked about become a reality. We kno in time da kingdom of God will be on earth as it is in heaven)
31. St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina: “Where there is no love, there is no God, & where there is no God there is no Paradise."
(MC=My Comments- Add 2 dat peace, no peace, no God. A lil love , a lil God. A lil peace, a lil of God. Now we can C why there is not much luv circulating, God is absent. Breaking dat down, da less luv we show, dat’s a telltale sign dat we do not have as much of God or Him abiding in us like we might think. Exactly why U will kno a Christian, it is by his luv, otherwise he is a counterfeit)
30. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk: “U came in2 da world 2 save sinners; there4 U came 2 save Me also... U came 2 find & save him who was lost; there4 U came 2 seek me 2, for I am 1 of da lost. O Lord, O my God and Creator! I should have come 2 U as a transgressor of Ur law. I should have fallen @ Ur feet, cast myself down b4 U, humbly begging forgiveness, pleading wit U & craving ur mercy. But U Yourself have come 2 me, wretched & good-4-nothing servant dat I am; my Lord has come 2 me, His enemy & apostate; my Master has come & has bestowed his love of mankind upon me. Listen my soul: God has come 2 us." (MC=my comments)=God forbid that we remain the same, may when He come, may He find us constantly changing 4 da good, not da same old, same old, so elementary like day 1)
29. Fr. Charles Arminjon: “Da works of man, whether good R bad, aren’t always isolated, transitory acts. Thus, @ 1st sight, a particular, secret crime seems 2b only a private, personal deed; but it becomes social on account of its effects. Certainly it’s of faith there is a particular judgment, & dat every man, @ da instant of his soul’s departure from da body, appears before the tribunal of God 2 hear his eternal sentence. Yet this judgment cannot suffice, & it’s essential dat it should B followed by another public judgment, in which God will not examine da actions in isolation taken in themselves, but will examine them in their effects upon other men, in da good or evil deriving from them on families & peoples—in a word, in da consequences they produced & which ought 2have been foreseen by those who perpetrated them."
(MC=My Comments- It’s so with our laboring in prayer. None can comprehend da damage being done 2 da kingdom of darkness & how we R aiding da Kingdom on Light. Let us b motivated 2 B team players on da rite side, not sidelined or hitting home runs scoring points 4 hell)
28. St. Augustine: “In Matthew 28:20 ‘Behold, I am wit U always, even 2 da end of da world’. The Lord was referring, 2 those about 2 depart from this life but also 2 others, including us & those who would come after us in this life. He saw everyone in his single body, & da words he spoke, 'I am wit U even 2da of da world,' were heard by them & by us too, we heard them in his foreknowledge. There4, safe as sheep among da wolves, let us keep da commandments of Him who directs us. & let us b “innocent as doves but cautious as snakes” Matthew 10:16. Innocent as doves dat we may not harm anyone; cautious as snakes dat we may b careful of letting any1 harm us."
(MC=my comments=Now & 4ever Our protection will B in place, God Himself looking after us. We see dat we have 2 do our part 2 B careful, & da rest is in His hands. This certainly brings peace of mind, 2 belong 2 God is priceless, here & now & in da life 2 come)
27. Jonathan Cahn: “Leah was da older, unattractive, unloved,
rejected wife of Jacob. Yet God opened her womb & came Reuben,
Simeon, & Levi, from whom came Moses, Aaron, da priesthood of Israel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, even John da Baptist, Judah, Boaz, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Mary, Joseph, & da Messiah Himself”
(MC=my comments) Wit all da wrongdoings going on now, in & outside da church, reading this so solidifies 4 me dat da good 2 come is on da way & it won’t b denied. God’s greater plans will come 2 pass. Evil never, ever will have da last say, just as when Laban tricked Jacob & after workin 7 yrs for Rachel, he found out dat he 2 work another 7 yrs 4 Rachel, da 1 he really luved. Also it’s good 2 C dat when 1 suffers unjustly because of being wronged, a blessing beyond measure can come from God,who rights all wrongs. Surely hope springs alive.)
26. Janet Klasson “Once I came close 2 hitting sum 1 on a crosswalk because I was mentally preoccupied. Fiat? My initial reaction was 2 beat myself up over it. But I soon realized dat was not da reaction God wanted. Repentance, yes. Firm purpose of amendment, yes. Thankfulness 2 my guardian angel 4 his constant protection, & profound gratitude it had only been a close call, yes. Dat was human will in action. Then da Divine Will kicked in: Reparation 4 all distracted drivers; a blessing & a prayer 4 da person on da crosswalk; prayers 4 da safety of all pedestrians, past, present, &future; prayers 4 those who have died, been hurt in traffic accidents past, present, & future. In da end, a great deal mo good than harm came from it, so how could my response B anything but, Thnk U Lord! FIAT! Daily trials offered in da Divine Will also serve 2 build spiritual muscle. By shouldering lil crosses, we R able 2 bear bigger 1’s wit 4 mo grace than we thought possible. Our Blessed Mother was a glorious example of both da heroic way & “lil way” of victimhood. Her largest cross came @ da end of a lifetime of training in da lil way”
(MC=My Comments- Let’s do da same, if u so please)
25. St. Basil the Great: “ Da mo have been ur trials, look 4 a more perfect reward from ur just Judge. Do not take ur present troubles ill. Do not lose hope. Yet a lil while & ur Helper will come to you and will not tarry (cf. Hab. 2:3)”
(MC=My Comments- Our God is faithful & tru, patience is key. With trust, that is vital, we have da winning combination)
24. Pope Leo XIII on 5-25-1899: ”We ordain dat on da 9th, 10th, & 11th of da mo of June, in da principal church of every town & village, certain prayers b said, & on each of these days there b added 2 da other prayers da Litany of da Sacred Heart approved by Our authority. On da last day da form of consecration shall b recited Venerable Brethren”
(MC=My Comments- What’s good 4 da goose is good 4 da gander. So on my agenda it was 2 join da church of old.
♥️1. Sacred Heart Litany
www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/litany-of-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus-12754
♥️2 . Other Sacred Heart prayers
www.stcparish.org/uploads/files/Prayers/Chaplet_of_the_Sacred_Heart.pdf
♥️3. Consecration prayer by Pope Leo XIII
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=966
23. St.Gregory: ”Da birth of these twins, Jacob & Esau shews da folly of astrologers, who pretend our actions R under da influence of da planets; & dat 2 born @ da same moment will have da same fate. How different were da lives of Jacob & Esau!”
(MC=my comments)= How much mo different can 1 be? 1 selling an inheritance 4 some stew, & da other going 4 da spiritual gold. Today some may be found wasting time & grabbing trinkets, while leaning on their own understanding, &/R on da lies of da world. Others may b workin out their salvation & laboring in da vineyard 4 promised treasures, chief of whom is da Lord. Christianity trumps all, so let’s study 2 show ourselves approved, then we’ll b in da kno. Da saints R great sign posts leading us in da right direction, so dat da truth can set us fee. We’re free 2 choose good R evil, 2 believe a lie or 2reject it. B a fool 4 God or a fan of da devil, choose wisely)
22. St.Benedict Labre Quote: “By talking & irreverence in churches, we sho disrespect 2Almighty God in His own house”
(MC=my comments)=Not learning what we should B doin R not doing, and 4 da sins dat are not mortal in nature dat we haven’t acknowledged R repented of, know dat we’ll have 2 give an account for and answer. We‘re given a life time 2 come 2 kno da truth. Not repenting cause of a refusal 2 acknowledge, there will B a big surprise dat we’ll not b 2 happy wit. Why wait till da warning! Now is da time 2 seek da Holy Spirit, examine ourselves, read da works of da saints to gain wisdom & knowledge. Let’s pray 4 fortitude 2 get “self” off da throne. Serious is our future & it’s especially so if we want a front row seat. We must it’s 2 truly abide in Jesus & He’ll guide us along da rite path”
21. 1 peter 1:3 “Praise 2 da God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth in2 a living hope thru da resurrection of Jesus Christ from da dead”
(MC=my comments)- Hope is an anchor & if used, we’ll not b moved. Scripture says we have a ‘living hope thru da Resurrection of Jesus Christ, can any thing b mo powerful? This can B a torpedo decimating hopelessness about any & everything. Time 2 throw da living anchor of hope out, & B not dead in regards 2 Faith, but come alive. Let da joy of da Lord b our strength, no matter da prob or what is 2B faced. Hope in da Lord God, cause da cattle on a thousand hills are His, & 4sho thou shalt not want)
20. James E. Faust: “A rebirth out of spiritual adversity causes us 2 become new creatures”
(MC=My Comments- Christ is Risen, Alleluia! 4 Dat da Resurrection is da billboard, da advertisement, da sign post directing us that Christ mskes all things new. Christ the Pantocrator, as teacher, makes it plain & clear, follow Him!)
19. N. T. Wright: “As da grave could not detain da Head, so it shall not detain da members. Well may we say wit Peter, ‘Blessed b da God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has begotten us again un2 a living hope by da resurrection of Jesus Christ from da dead.”
(MC=My Comments- Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Wake up 2 da Good News, as nothing can hold us back but we ourselves. No need 2 let slipping in2 darkness be our style. Let’s listen & digest what St. Peter, our 1st Pope is sayin. In doin so, we’ll eagerly run da race, knowing if it’s done in excellency, da grand prize will b ours, so well worth it)
18. Dr. Tom Neal: “It was in2 this world of agèd & calcified minds & hearts dat God entered as an infant, planting da supple genius of childhood int2 adulthood as da Son of Man became a man. As Man, Jesus introduced da foolish naïveté of God’s unconditional selfless love in2 da sinister realms of sin & death. Tru cause it is impossible! There, lying in da abode of da dead, where wonder sleeps, Christ awakened da eternal childhood of God & invited da rest of humanity 2 awaken wit Him”
(MC=My Comments-Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Da Resurrection is da incense dat produces da enticing aroma dat awakens us 2 da eternal. It quickens in da tru children of God da desire 2 get out of self, & wit reckless abandon, 2 follow it’s leadin. Wondrously, we R wooed, & therefore, confidently surrender to traveling da paths of joy & pain. Unscathed, pressing on as we trust, trust, trust)
17. Pope Francis: “May Christ, who has already defeated death & opened 4 us da way 2 eternal salvation, dispel da darkness of our suffering humanity & lead us in2 da lite of his glorious day, a day dat knows no end”
(MC=My Comments-We endure wit great hope, because weeping endureth 4 a nite, but joy cometh in da morning which unfailinly follows. Resurrection experiences can’t b beat!)
16. Peter Marshall: “Da stone was rolled away from da door, not 2 permit Christ 2 come out, but 2 enable da disciples to go in”
(MC=My Comments- First thoughts about things aren’t always what they seem. Da spiritual advantage is often overlooked, but those accustomed 2 solitude & living in da Lord can go deeper. For the disciples of Christ, it will not be parables as da world gets, but da inside scoop. How else will we be able to have da mind of Christ, for:
📖Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD.For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts”
15. A.W. Tozer: “If man had his way, the plan of redemption would B an endless and bloody conflict. In reality, salvation was bought not by Jesus' fist, but by His nail-pierced hands; not by muscle but by luv; not by vengeance but by forgiveness; not by force but by sacrifice. Jesus Christ our Lord surrendered in order dat He might win; He destroyed His enemies by dying 4 them & conquered death by allowing death 2 conquer Him."
(MC=my comments)= As it was & shall always B: His thoughts definitely not like ours, His ways, not at all liken 2ours. Always time is rite 2
re-evaluate what we say & do)
14. Mary Fairchild: “Jesus returned wit His disciples 2 Jerusalem & clears da Temple. Along da way, He cursed a fig tree cause it had failed 2 bear fruit. Some scholars believe this cursing represented God's judgment on da spiritually dead religious leaders of Israel. Others believe the symbolism extended 2 all believers, demonstrating genuine faith is mo than just outward religiosity; living faith must bear spiritual fruit in a person's life”
(MC=My Comments-Seems all R represented, cause our spiritual lives should be fruitful & not barren, authentic in every way. Again, 2 kno thyself is a step in da rite direction. Thinking & actually being on da rite track, R 2 different things. Da heart & head should B on 1 accord. If we were in da temple, what would we receive stripes 4?
13. St. Nicholas of Flue: “O man, when da world hates U & is faithless toward U, think of ur God, how He was struck & spat upon. U should not accuse ur neighbor of guilt, but pray 2 God that He b merciful 2 U both."(MC=my comments)=Da theme da Lord is: “Mercy”. So mercy is da now word. Yes & it’s 2 remember dat Judas‘s deceitful kiss can times b ours, and one we give at times. As we meditate on da Passion and keep company wit Jesus, knowin dat He is aware of all, da victory will be ours & forgiveness as we forgive)
12. Catherine Doherty: “Lent is a time of going very deeply in2 ourselves. What is it dat stands between us & God? Between us & others, between us & life, & us living life in the Spirit? Whatever it is, tear it out, without a moment’s hesitation”
(MC=My Comments- Sometimes what stands between us & all of these things are the following: A hard heart, negative attitudes, embracing tactics of darkness as 1 looks but do not see wit da mind & eyes of Christ, not knowing oneself, & possessing a spirit dat caters 2 “me, myself, and I”, living a life void of da Fruit & Gifts of da Holy Spirit in a manner dat manifests maturity. It’s 2 check ourselves 2 discover if we really are who we profess 2B.
11. St. Maximilian Kolbe: “The Blessed Virgin Mary is God’s. She belongs 2God in a perfect way 2 da extent dat she is as if a part of da most Holy Trinity, although she is a finite creature. Moreover she is not only a “handmaid,” a “daughter,” a “property,” a “possession,” etc., but also the Mother of God! Here one is seized wit giddiness… she is almost above God, as a mother is above her sons who must respect her. Da Immaculate is a Spouse of da Holy Spirit in an unspeakable way… She has da same Son as da heavenly Father has. What an ineffable family!
We belong 2 her, 2 da Immaculate. We are hers without limits, most perfectly hers; we are, as it were, her. Thru our mediation she loves da good God. Wit our poor heart she loves her divine Son. We become da mediators thru whom da Immaculate loves Jesus. & Jesus, considering us her property &, as it were, a part of his beloved Mother, loves her in us & thru us. What a lovely mystery!”
(MC=My Comments-What dynamics R in play, truly amazing, & 2 think, we R sandwiched in. So plain 2 c dat our Consecration matters, yes big time)
10. St. Robert Bellarmine: “Follow Blessed Mary & thou wilt not go astray; pray 2 Blessed Mary thou wilt never despair; think upon Blessed Mary & thou wilt not wander from da rite path. My little children, Mary is da ladder by which sinners mount up 2 God. Blessed Mary is my greatest confidence. Blessed Mary is da whole ground of my hope.”
(MC=my comments)= From da Cross, Jesus said “behold thy Mother”, da wise do just dat. Following da roadmap of da saints can help us hit da jackpot)
9. Evagrius: "If we ever become complacent & abandon da intense awareness of our sinfulness, something has gone seriously wrong" (MC=My Comments- Lent is da perfect time 2 work on @ least 1. dominant sin. Let's not our concentration & eyes B only on what we do, but also be aware of da omissions in our spiritual life)
8. Fr.Perrera “Jesus cometh not 2 bring germs,but grace”
(MC=My Comments- Dat said, Precious Blood and Holy Water, where are U, come back 2 us. Da just man lives by faith not fear. Jesus said He came dat we mite have life, & life 2 da full. Surely He would B spreading “killer” graces that can benefit us in body, soul,& spirit in His own house,rather than dispensing “killer” germs. If our fait is in Jesus, we’re being led by da Holy Spirit as a child created by God, Him, then this applies:📖John 10:10 “Da thief cometh not, but for 2 steal & 2 kill & 2 destroy. I am come dat they may have life & may have it mo abundantly”
📖2 Corinthians 5:7 “4 we walk by fait & not by sight.”
📖Romans 1:17 “4 in it is revealed da righteousness of God from faith 2 faith; as it is written, “Da 1 who is righteous by faith will live.”
📖Proverbs 22:2 “Da rich &poor have met 1 another: da Lord is da maker of them both”)
7. St.Alphonsus Liguori: “When da soul enters da kingdom of da blessed, da barrier which hinders its sight is taken away & it’ll C openly without a veil, ”da infinite beauty of God; da joy of da blessed. Every object da soul will C in God himself will overwhelm it wit delight. It’ll C da rectitude of His judgments, da harmony of His regulations 4 every soul, all ordained 2 God’s Divine glory & its own good. In particular, da soul will perceive all da graces & favors shown 2 it which had been hidden. It’ll C all da mercies bestowed on it, da pardoning of its ingratitude,da many calls, lights, & aids dat have been granted 2 it in abundance. It’ll C see dat tribulations, infirmities, losses of property or of kindred, which it counted as punishments, weren’t really punishments, but lovin arrangements of God”
(MC=My Comments- Let’s eat & digest what is being said. As we grow, there should B an awakening from slumber & sleep mo & mo. When this happens, our spiritual perception is clearer & clearer as da veil begins 2 thin, ever so slightly, lil by lil. Dear God, please help me 2 realize & give thanks dat abundant graces flow daily, bringin much favor & mercy 1’s way. Of Lord, dat we might get out of out of ourselves & live in, thru, & wit u ever so deeply)
6. Fr. Robert Wild: “U r not alone durin da time of trial. Sufferin tends 2 isolate us & we feel completely alone. Da wonderful truth of our faith is dat in sufferin & in ur very existence, God is mo present 2 u than U r 2 urself, sufferin wit U & in U. Turn 2 Jesus within U, & u’ll find him there. Jesus isn't absent; He’s present within U & He understands ur sufferin. We mite say he “understands” cause He suffered in His lifetime, but da Christian mystery is deeper than dat. It means rite now, in ur present trial, God understands cause He’s sufferin ur cross wit U & in U. It’s not somebody else sick, in prison R lonely—it’s U! & da Lord is present sufferin wit U. This mystery means u have da very power of Christ immediately present 2 U. Da Christ we meditate on in da gospels, who had strength 2 suffer rejections, misunderstandings & terrible physical pain—dat same Christ is present within u, 2help U bear ur cross in a life-givin way. Call upon him there within U. This mystery is da answer 2what we call da silence of God, it’s da silence of some1 sittin quietly next 2 us on our bed when we’re in pain—although God’s silence is deeper still. It’s da silence of His presence within us, understand all & sufferin wit us. It’s a silence so intense we can miss it without faith. Paradoxically, God’s silence is His total presence, like da air we breathe. & finally, yes, Christ is sufferin in others. Our personal sufferin puts us in touch & unites us wit others in pain, which ought 2 increase our compassion & concern 4 da sufferings of da world. Our sufferin is a reminder of our solidarity wit Christ in da pain of da world”
(MC=My Comments-Da contemplative like, will get this. Da open hearted will get it, & so will da mature in Christ. will get this, since our sufferin is a reminder of our solidarity wit Christ. R we just fair weather friends R is it “stick wit ya thru thick & thin” type of friends?
5. Pleasant Are Thy Courts Above, Psalm 84, by the hymnodist Henry Francis Lyte (1834)
⛪️Happy birds that sing & fly
⛪️Round thy altars, O Most High;
⛪️Happier souls that find a rest
⛪️In a heavenly Father’s breast!
⛪️Like the wandering dove that found
⛪️No repose on earth around,
⛪️They can to their ark repair
⛪️And enjoy it ever there
⛪️How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
⛪️My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God, O Lord of hosts
⛪️Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a
nest for herself, O Lord of hosts
⛪️Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will still be praising thee & blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them, O Lord of hosts
⛪️Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools and they go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God, O Lord God of hosts
⛪️ Hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob, behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed, O Lord of hosts
⛪️For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand, and I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness, O Lord of hosts
⛪️For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee, O Lord of hosts
⛪️Pleasant are thy courts above
⛪️In the land of light and love;
⛪️Pleasant are thy courts below
⛪️In this land of sin and woe.
⛪️O my spirit longs and faints
⛪️For the converse of thy saints,
⛪️For the brightness of thy face,
⛪️For thy fullness, God of grace.
⛪️Lord, be mine this prize to win;
⛪️Guide me through a world of sin;
⛪️Keep me by thy saving grace;
⛪️Give me at thy side a place.
⛪️Sun and shield alike thou art;
⛪️Guide and guard my erring heart.
⛪️Grace and glory flow from thee;
⛪️Shower, O shower them, Lord, on me.
(MC=My Comments-This should so appropriately express our sentiments during and after our visits spent with Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord. Indeed ihappy birds that sing & fly round thy altars, O Most High, how blest we are to take advantage of every opportunity afforded us.)
4. Holy Love site: Holy Love Alphabet
A Always have Holy Love in your heart
B Be holy
C Call upon the Name of the Lord or His Mother in every need
D Delight in doing good
E Excuse your neighbor's faults
F Forgive and forget
G Give to those in need
H Holy Love is the answer, and the way to Heaven
I Ignore those who persecute you
J Jesus should be the center of your life
K Knock and the door shall be opened to you
L Leave the world behind
M Make many sacrifices
N Never break the Commandments of Love
O Open your heart to prayer
P Place God and others first
Q Quiet your heart and listen to the Lord
R Remember Holy Love in the present moment
S Speak always in Holy Love
T Turn your hearts and your lives over to the Divine Will through Holy Love
U Unite your hearts to the United Hearts
V Virtues must be your building blocks of holiness
W Win hearts for Jesus by evangelizing Holy Love
X XXXX Many kisses to Jesus and Mary
Y Your Will, Lord, not my own
Z Zero in on personal holiness through Holy Love
(MC=my comments)-We get dat rite from A to Z, & then we will b getting somewhere in da spiritual life)
3. Henry Nouwen: “God Longs to Bring Me Home”
(MC=my comments)=There were 2 angles 4 me 2 approach this:
A= God created us & we are His, so in death when He calls us home, we who belongs to Him becomes His. As we were created by The Father, Redeemed by The Son, & Sanctified by The Holy Spirit, we can finally
become one with Him.
B= All of heaven is working overtime & if we cooperate living our life 4 heaven, we will reap what we sow. God longs 4 us 2 make da rite choices & do da rite thing so dat we can end up in heaven enjoying our heavenly mansion & not suffering eternally in Hell. Either we will satisfy His longing & make it in, R we won’t make it in & God’s will 4 us will not materialize.
2. Jonathan Chan: “In the Song of Solomon, the Groom says to his Bride: "Arise my beloved, my beautiful one, and come away. For behold the winter is gone." It's written that God is our Bridegroom, and we who have said "yes" are His Bride. These are also the words of God to us. What does that mean and why is that important? It's important because salvation is about the ending of winter and the coming of spring; the ending of the old life and the beginning of the new. When it says, "The winter is gone..," it means literally, the season of hiding. That's what the old life is...the time of hiding and living in the darkness. It's no accident that the Lord died and rose in the springtime. That's because He came to end the winter in your life. Why would anyone have to say, "For behold the winter is gone?" God is telling you, you don't have to live in the old darkness, in the fears, bondages, and sins of your winter. "For spring has come," the Lord is saying to you, "Arise my beloved, my beautiful one and come away. For behold... the winter... is gone”
(MC=My Comments-Only da bride gets da VIP treatment. U can stay single hanging on 2 ur own selfish way, or dirty dance wit darkness & b denied entrance 2 da banquet feast, da choice is ours)
1. Veni, Creator Spiritus:
“Creator-Spirit, all-divine,
Come, visit every soul of thine,
And fill with thy celestial flame
The hearts which thou thyself didst frame.
O gift of God, thine is the sweet
Consoling name of Paraclete
And spring of life and fire and love
And unction flowing from above.
The mystic sevenfold gifts are thine,
Finger of God’s right hand divine;
The Father’s promise sent to teach
The tongue a rich and heavenly speech.
Kindle with fire brought from above
Each sense, and fill our hearts with love;
And grant our flesh, so weak and frail,
The strength of thine which cannot fail.
Drive far away our deadly foe,
And grant us thy true peace to know;
So we, led by thy guidance still,
May safely pass through every ill.
To us, through thee, the grace be shown
To know the Father and the Son;
And Spirit of them both, may we
Forever rest our faith in thee.
To Sire and Son be praises meet,
And to the Holy Paraclete;
And may Christ send us from above
That Holy Spirit’s gift of love. Amen”
(MC=My Comments- We bid Farewell to 2020 with a “Te Deum”, and we welcome 2021 in with a “Veni Creator Spiritus”
🆕 48. St. Ephrem the Syrian: “Mary has become 4 us da heaven dat bears God, 4 in her da exalted Godhead has descended & dwelt; in her He has grown small 2 make us great, but His nature doesn’t diminish. In her He has woven us a garment dat shall b 4 our salvation. In her da words of da prophets & da just are all contained. From her da Luminous 1 has shone forth & dispelled da darkness of paganism”
(MC=my comments)- It would definitely be unwise to shun she who has become 4 us da heaven dat bears God. What might linger can sure be of benefit to us. Being in prime position can certainly mean something on the positive side for us.
47. Bill McKibben: “Advent: da time 2 listen 4 footsteps – U can’t hear footsteps when ur running ur self”
(MC=my comments)- We must be attentive 2 da present moment which will b lost 4ever when we R looking back @ da past, R straining 4ward 2 da future. May patience be ours as we wait on da Lord, intent on being led and not in2 trail blazing.
46. Claudette Rietveld Holden: ”What is Advent? It’s a season of 4 wks of preparation b4 Christmas.Da word Advent means "coming" & refers 2 da coming of Jesus Christ.Da season emphasizes a 3 fold coming of Christ:
🌲We Celebrate His coming in HISTORY @ Bethlehem,
🌲We celebrate his coming in MYSTERY thru word & sacrament,
🌲&we celebrate his coming in MAJESTY @ da end of time.
Many people expend great energy preparing 4 Christmas, yet fail 2 appreciate da tru meaning of da season. Advent, if properly observed, can change all dat, helping us 2 realize mo fully what da coming of Christ can mean in our lives”
(MC=My Comments-It’s good sometimes 2 go back 2 da basics. Dat this Advent we mite spend da next 4 wks pondering what da coming of Christ means to us personally & prepare spiritually 4 da real reason 4 da season. Each yr there should be a deeper meaning as we advance along da spiritual ladder)
45. Elizabeth Lev: “St.Charles Borromeo did a great deal of material good 4 Milan, it’s his spiritual efforts during da long months of suffering dat art history commemorates, providin a poignant image of his holy charity. Fearful 4 souls of his flock, Charles increased da # of Masses, holdin them outdoors if churches became 2 crowded. He arranged processions thru da city, carrying da famous Milanese relic of da Holy Nail & singin so da housebound could participate wit their eyes & ears even if they couldn't make it to 1 of da 19 plague stations where Communion was distributed. It was this work of bringin da Lord 2 an abandoned city dat hastened his canonization in 1610. Artists vied 4 da cascade of commissions 2 depict da saint who lived wit 1 ear alert 2 da cries of his people while da other was always attuned 2 God.
(MC=My Comments- Contrast dat wit 2 day, some clergy & laity running scared, instead of running 2 church & da Holy Sacraments, choosing 2follow da protocol of da world. Either it’s standing strong wit God R falling 4 anything. We need 2 realize it’s time 2 Reform what is now deformed. 4 da role models needed in this day & age, we have 2 look back in order 2 move 4ward. It’s not 2 cower, but it’s 2 live in da Holy Spirit’s power. Modified a camp song dat’s coming 2mind:
✝️Everywhere we go
✝️People want to know
✝️Who we are
✝️So we tell them near and far
✝️We're the Catholic Christians
✝️Mighty, mighty Catholic Christians
✝️People ask What we’re up to & Where we come from
✝️We tell them here & there helping God’s kingdom come
✝️If they can't hear us a little louder We sing
✝️True followers staying the course of Jesus Christ the King
44. St.John of Kronstadt: “We should have recourse 2 Blessed Mary: Mother, help me! Bring me 2 Jesus! What should I do as da 1st step?Turn 2 her wit confidence. Dat is why Jesus gave her 2 us as our Mother. Indeed, we R newborns, immature & inexperienced in da spiritual life & we need an experienced mother. ‘Now there stood by da cross of Jesus His mother Dying, He gave me His mother 2 lead me 2 Him & not away from Him. She will teach me 2 live wit Jesus. Am I her child? Did I receive her by faith? Do I rely on her as my Mother in my spiritual growth?
(MC=My Comments-Blessed Virgin Mother, we thank God 4U. Jesse Romero excellently brought up da point dat da Bible says: “all generations will call me blessed”. Why is it dat not all Christians are calling Our Lady Blessed, is dat 4 Catholics only?
📖 Luke 1:48 “For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed”
As 4 me, it’s never 2 call our Lady just “Mary”, always it’s 2say: “Blessed Mary”
43. CATHERINE OF GENOA: “As 4 paradise , God has placed no doors there. Whoever wishes 2enter, does so. All-merciful, God stands there wit His arms open, waiting 2receive us in2 His glory. Da divine essence is so pure &lite-filled-much mo than we can imagine. Da soul dat has but da slightest imperfection would rather throw itself in2 a thousand hells than appear thus b4 da divine presence. Tongue cannot express nor heart understand da full meaning which the soul willingly accepts as a mercy, da realization dat suffering is of no importance compared 2 da removal of da impediment of sin. Da greatest suffering, is awareness dat something displeases God, & dat they have deliberately gone against His great goodness. In a state of grace,these souls fully grasp da meaning. When God sees da Soul pure as it was in it origins, He tugs at it wit a glance, draws it & binds it to Himself wit a fiery luv dat by itself could annihilate da immortal soul. In so acting, God so transforms da soul in Him dat it kno nothin other than God; & He cont. 2 draw it up in2 His fiery luv”
(MC=my comments)-Nov. is da month of departed souls. Let’s cont. 2 pray 4 souls who mite be finding da gate open & stepping in, seeing no doors, kno it is clean sailing from dat point on & enter in2 da beatific vision. This month it is good 2 set aside some time to visit cemeteries.So worth it 4 us 2 live in a reparatory manner, & 2 make haste while it‘s still day, we’ll be able 2 enter in da courts sooner rather than later)
42. Pius XI: “Da most important decision proposed 2 man’s free will: 4 God or against God... there’s no middle ground, no island on which we can stand, no fence we can straddle. It is Christ or it is da antichrist”.
(MC=my comments)- A stark reality, it’s black or it’s white. Ur reverent or ur’er not reverent, ur’er living in truth or Ur’er not. Grey is about compromises & 4 da lukewarm. Red hot, on fire, it’s 2B wit Christ all da way. It’s 2 line up our lives wit His way, His truth, & His life, talking about Jesus Christ, the Lord!)
41. Christian Scott “Yesterday we said tomorrow”
(MC=My Comments- How quickly already is it today. Is dat not telling us how it’ll all be over b4 we kno it. Time now for all 2 amass spiritual wealth, da only kind of wealth we can take wit us.)
40. Sr.Ruth Burrows: “In what sense is it hard 2enter da narrow gate? Certainly not takin on a great burden of rules & regulations, harsh ascetic practices, or a denial of all pleasure & joy in livin. Jesus asks nothin like dat, plenty of people in his time takin were on all dat 4 religious motives, yet they weren't men of da kingdom. What our Lord asks, what He realized was so bitterly hard 4 da human hart, was `conversion': dat which is accepting 2 turn rite round & 2 B uncoiled from da self-possession, self-centredness & self-orientation which is our native condition, 2 become God-possessed, God-centred, God-directed”
(MC=my comments-When we realize God’s plans R best & really “get it” & kno dat we kno, dat He can’t luv us anymo, luv will win us over & we’ll lose da desire 4 wantin things our way & 2 B in da driver’s seat. No answers will be needed if not given, living by trustin in God will take care of everything. Good parents put their kids 1st all da time, well, it’s time 2 luv God enuf 2 put Him 1st, not needin answers unless He chooses 2give them)
39. Aldous Huxley (1961 speech at the University of California)
“There will be in da next generation or so a pharmacological method of making people luv their servitude and producing dictatorship without tears, so 2 speak. Producing a kind of painless concentration camp 4 entire societies, so dat people will in fact have their liberties taken away from them but will rather enjoy it, because they will b distracted from any desire 2 rebel – by propaganda, or brainwashing, or brainwashing enhanced by pharmacological methods. And this seems 2 b da final revolution.”
(MC=My Comments- Da final revolution and da final confrontation, both revealed by the Lord for this our day, let those with ears hear. So not every body was wild & crazy in da 60’s, just as sum now aren’t 4 drinking da Kool Aid wit a smile. Lord have mercy on us, please set captives free, for just as Sr Lucia said dat da final confrontation would be about marriage & da family, da battle is raging between the Lord and the reign of Satan. Her words: “Don’t be afraid because anyone who operates for the sanctity of marriage and the family will always be contended and opposed in every way, because this is the decisive issue. However, Our Lady has already crushed its head”. Let us press on, in da end bring on da right side, we win)
38. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret; it is only wit da heart dat 1 can see rightly, what is essential is invisible 2 da eye.”
(MC=my comments)-How tru, we can never see what is in another’s heart. God help us to look beyond & glean on da side of goodness. If our heart is in da right place, so different will our actions be. Lord help us be led by the Holy Spirit. Sacred Heart of Jesus, make my heart unto thine.
37. Claire Dwyer: “My friend was giving a moving & profound talk about da loss of her 2-yr-old son in a drowning accident. An amateur ballet dancer, she has a great luv 4St. Thérèse of Lisieux. “Da Little Flower,” she said, “is a prima ballerina. A prima ballerina spends endless hrs, yrs & yrs, doing minuscule movements over & over until she can do them wit precision & perfection which appear almost effortless. Da movements seem repetitive, boring, & pointless–but build a strong foundation of the ballerina. If incorrectly practiced, a dancer cannot grow. If done correctly wit purpose, she abounds in grace. We C her dance across da stage & it looks easy & graceful. But we could never do it because we have not put in the ages of work behind da scenes. St. Thérèse’s life appears 2 us a masterpiece of simplicity & easy trust dat has appeal because it looks so fluid & natural – but those millions of acts of luv were anything but easy. She became a saint because she practiced painfully 4 yrs.”. This, I think, begs a profound reflection. We 2 will have our hr on stage – often dat stage resembles da severity of da cross. & da world will watch –& most importantly, God will watch. & how will we perform? It will greatly depend on how we practiced in da millions of unseen instants of our lives. Da exercise of virtue gives strength 2 da soul b4 da curtains R raised. Da small sacrifices & tiny movements of luv will crescendo in2 our final act – we pray it will glorify God & leave da world searching 4 what we have found.”
(MC=my comments)- Game 4 entering dat school, beginning wit kindergarten & hoping 2b a university grad 1day.
👩🏼🎓what about U?
👩🏼🎓sitting on da sidelines just won’t do
👩🏼🎓b not among da many not prioritizing, choosing da wrong things 2pursue
👩🏼🎓enter da narrow gate be among those few
36. Pope emeritus Benedict XV: “We’re not sum casual & meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is da result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is luved, each of us is necessary”
(MC=My Comments- There4 let us rejoice & bathe in da luv dat is ours which transcends all others. Da other luvs R just a shadow of what we’ll enjoy 4ever in heaven. 4 all dat we luv here on earth will 1 day pass away, people, places, & things. B assured people will die R move away. Places change and things break, R stolen, R get lost. Let’s value life, ours & others, & fulfill well our mission. 4 we are necessary, dat is why we inhabit da earth. Nothing is useless, even dirt is important, 4 where would we be without soil? Let is give thanks 2 God.)
35. Divine Mercy Diary: ”Have da certitude dat I’m lookin @ U & supportive U. Don't fear either struggles of da soul R any temptations, because I’m supportin U. If only u’re willing 2 fite, kno dat da victory is always on ur side. Kno dat by fightin bravely U give Me great glory & a mass of merits 4 ur self. Temptation gives u a chance 2 sho Me ur fidelity”
(MC=my comments)-Da words of Jesus 2 St, Faustina certainly is apropos. May we cast our cares on Him & fear. Let us trust He who can calm storms, will calm it, & protect us as God so wills)
34. “Divine Mercy diary: ”Have da certitude dat I’m lookin @ U & supporting U. Don't fear either struggles of da soul R any temptations, because I’m supportin U. If only u’re willing 2 fite, kno dat da victory is always on ur side. Kno dat by fightin bravely U give Me great glory & amass merits 4 ur self. Temptation gives u a chance 2 sho Me ur fidelity”
(MC=my comments)-Da words of Jesus 2 St. Faustina certainly is apropos. May we cast our cares on Him & fear not. Let us trust He who can calm storms, will calm it & protect us as God Himself so wills)
33. Fr. Paul N. Check: “Nothing falls outside of God’s providence. Nothing falls outside da reach of His grace. These R spiritual truths we kno & confidant in these truths opens us 2 da peace da world cannot give R take. Cardinal Burke has taught us by his own example of fidelity in trust & surrender 2 da Good God. Dat Our Father in Heaven is good, merciful, just, provident & sovereign;we are His beloved children & He will never leave us orphans;we should not be afraid of da Cross as da way 2 eternal life; dat da Sacraments R da most direct channels of grace & we do da soul da greatest good by receiving Holy Communion often & by going 2 confession regularly; & dat we should say our daily prayers & luv 1another as Jesus Christ has loved us: generously, even 2 da point of heroic sacrifice. 1mo thing so important and so dear 2 Him, praying da Rosary frequently & fervently, placin ourselves under da mantle of Our Lady, confident in her maternal luv & intercession”
(MC=My Comments- Add 2 this St.Joseph’s cloak & most Import is the Precious Blood of Jesus as a net covering everything)
32. Abbot Anthony,a Desert Father: “A time is coming when people will go mad, & when they meet some1 who is not mad, they will turn 2 him & say, "U are out of ur mind," just because he is not like them” (MC=my comments)= In a million yrs, never would have thought this would happen in my life time. My Lord, how nice it will b when da Immaculate Heart of Blessed Mary triumph, & da springtime of Christian life dat St. JPII talked about become a reality. We kno in time da kingdom of God will be on earth as it is in heaven)
31. St. Padre Pio of Pietrelcina: “Where there is no love, there is no God, & where there is no God there is no Paradise."
(MC=My Comments- Add 2 dat peace, no peace, no God. A lil love , a lil God. A lil peace, a lil of God. Now we can C why there is not much luv circulating, God is absent. Breaking dat down, da less luv we show, dat’s a telltale sign dat we do not have as much of God or Him abiding in us like we might think. Exactly why U will kno a Christian, it is by his luv, otherwise he is a counterfeit)
30. St. Tikhon of Zadonsk: “U came in2 da world 2 save sinners; there4 U came 2 save Me also... U came 2 find & save him who was lost; there4 U came 2 seek me 2, for I am 1 of da lost. O Lord, O my God and Creator! I should have come 2 U as a transgressor of Ur law. I should have fallen @ Ur feet, cast myself down b4 U, humbly begging forgiveness, pleading wit U & craving ur mercy. But U Yourself have come 2 me, wretched & good-4-nothing servant dat I am; my Lord has come 2 me, His enemy & apostate; my Master has come & has bestowed his love of mankind upon me. Listen my soul: God has come 2 us." (MC=my comments)=God forbid that we remain the same, may when He come, may He find us constantly changing 4 da good, not da same old, same old, so elementary like day 1)
29. Fr. Charles Arminjon: “Da works of man, whether good R bad, aren’t always isolated, transitory acts. Thus, @ 1st sight, a particular, secret crime seems 2b only a private, personal deed; but it becomes social on account of its effects. Certainly it’s of faith there is a particular judgment, & dat every man, @ da instant of his soul’s departure from da body, appears before the tribunal of God 2 hear his eternal sentence. Yet this judgment cannot suffice, & it’s essential dat it should B followed by another public judgment, in which God will not examine da actions in isolation taken in themselves, but will examine them in their effects upon other men, in da good or evil deriving from them on families & peoples—in a word, in da consequences they produced & which ought 2have been foreseen by those who perpetrated them."
(MC=My Comments- It’s so with our laboring in prayer. None can comprehend da damage being done 2 da kingdom of darkness & how we R aiding da Kingdom on Light. Let us b motivated 2 B team players on da rite side, not sidelined or hitting home runs scoring points 4 hell)
28. St. Augustine: “In Matthew 28:20 ‘Behold, I am wit U always, even 2 da end of da world’. The Lord was referring, 2 those about 2 depart from this life but also 2 others, including us & those who would come after us in this life. He saw everyone in his single body, & da words he spoke, 'I am wit U even 2da of da world,' were heard by them & by us too, we heard them in his foreknowledge. There4, safe as sheep among da wolves, let us keep da commandments of Him who directs us. & let us b “innocent as doves but cautious as snakes” Matthew 10:16. Innocent as doves dat we may not harm anyone; cautious as snakes dat we may b careful of letting any1 harm us."
(MC=my comments=Now & 4ever Our protection will B in place, God Himself looking after us. We see dat we have 2 do our part 2 B careful, & da rest is in His hands. This certainly brings peace of mind, 2 belong 2 God is priceless, here & now & in da life 2 come)
27. Jonathan Cahn: “Leah was da older, unattractive, unloved,
rejected wife of Jacob. Yet God opened her womb & came Reuben,
Simeon, & Levi, from whom came Moses, Aaron, da priesthood of Israel, Ezekiel, Zechariah, even John da Baptist, Judah, Boaz, David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Mary, Joseph, & da Messiah Himself”
(MC=my comments) Wit all da wrongdoings going on now, in & outside da church, reading this so solidifies 4 me dat da good 2 come is on da way & it won’t b denied. God’s greater plans will come 2 pass. Evil never, ever will have da last say, just as when Laban tricked Jacob & after workin 7 yrs for Rachel, he found out dat he 2 work another 7 yrs 4 Rachel, da 1 he really luved. Also it’s good 2 C dat when 1 suffers unjustly because of being wronged, a blessing beyond measure can come from God,who rights all wrongs. Surely hope springs alive.)
26. Janet Klasson “Once I came close 2 hitting sum 1 on a crosswalk because I was mentally preoccupied. Fiat? My initial reaction was 2 beat myself up over it. But I soon realized dat was not da reaction God wanted. Repentance, yes. Firm purpose of amendment, yes. Thankfulness 2 my guardian angel 4 his constant protection, & profound gratitude it had only been a close call, yes. Dat was human will in action. Then da Divine Will kicked in: Reparation 4 all distracted drivers; a blessing & a prayer 4 da person on da crosswalk; prayers 4 da safety of all pedestrians, past, present, &future; prayers 4 those who have died, been hurt in traffic accidents past, present, & future. In da end, a great deal mo good than harm came from it, so how could my response B anything but, Thnk U Lord! FIAT! Daily trials offered in da Divine Will also serve 2 build spiritual muscle. By shouldering lil crosses, we R able 2 bear bigger 1’s wit 4 mo grace than we thought possible. Our Blessed Mother was a glorious example of both da heroic way & “lil way” of victimhood. Her largest cross came @ da end of a lifetime of training in da lil way”
(MC=My Comments- Let’s do da same, if u so please)
25. St. Basil the Great: “ Da mo have been ur trials, look 4 a more perfect reward from ur just Judge. Do not take ur present troubles ill. Do not lose hope. Yet a lil while & ur Helper will come to you and will not tarry (cf. Hab. 2:3)”
(MC=My Comments- Our God is faithful & tru, patience is key. With trust, that is vital, we have da winning combination)
24. Pope Leo XIII on 5-25-1899: ”We ordain dat on da 9th, 10th, & 11th of da mo of June, in da principal church of every town & village, certain prayers b said, & on each of these days there b added 2 da other prayers da Litany of da Sacred Heart approved by Our authority. On da last day da form of consecration shall b recited Venerable Brethren”
(MC=My Comments- What’s good 4 da goose is good 4 da gander. So on my agenda it was 2 join da church of old.
♥️1. Sacred Heart Litany
www.ewtn.com/catholicism/devotions/litany-of-the-sacred-heart-of-jesus-12754
♥️2 . Other Sacred Heart prayers
www.stcparish.org/uploads/files/Prayers/Chaplet_of_the_Sacred_Heart.pdf
♥️3. Consecration prayer by Pope Leo XIII
www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/prayers/view.cfm?id=966
23. St.Gregory: ”Da birth of these twins, Jacob & Esau shews da folly of astrologers, who pretend our actions R under da influence of da planets; & dat 2 born @ da same moment will have da same fate. How different were da lives of Jacob & Esau!”
(MC=my comments)= How much mo different can 1 be? 1 selling an inheritance 4 some stew, & da other going 4 da spiritual gold. Today some may be found wasting time & grabbing trinkets, while leaning on their own understanding, &/R on da lies of da world. Others may b workin out their salvation & laboring in da vineyard 4 promised treasures, chief of whom is da Lord. Christianity trumps all, so let’s study 2 show ourselves approved, then we’ll b in da kno. Da saints R great sign posts leading us in da right direction, so dat da truth can set us fee. We’re free 2 choose good R evil, 2 believe a lie or 2reject it. B a fool 4 God or a fan of da devil, choose wisely)
22. St.Benedict Labre Quote: “By talking & irreverence in churches, we sho disrespect 2Almighty God in His own house”
(MC=my comments)=Not learning what we should B doin R not doing, and 4 da sins dat are not mortal in nature dat we haven’t acknowledged R repented of, know dat we’ll have 2 give an account for and answer. We‘re given a life time 2 come 2 kno da truth. Not repenting cause of a refusal 2 acknowledge, there will B a big surprise dat we’ll not b 2 happy wit. Why wait till da warning! Now is da time 2 seek da Holy Spirit, examine ourselves, read da works of da saints to gain wisdom & knowledge. Let’s pray 4 fortitude 2 get “self” off da throne. Serious is our future & it’s especially so if we want a front row seat. We must it’s 2 truly abide in Jesus & He’ll guide us along da rite path”
21. 1 peter 1:3 “Praise 2 da God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth in2 a living hope thru da resurrection of Jesus Christ from da dead”
(MC=my comments)- Hope is an anchor & if used, we’ll not b moved. Scripture says we have a ‘living hope thru da Resurrection of Jesus Christ, can any thing b mo powerful? This can B a torpedo decimating hopelessness about any & everything. Time 2 throw da living anchor of hope out, & B not dead in regards 2 Faith, but come alive. Let da joy of da Lord b our strength, no matter da prob or what is 2B faced. Hope in da Lord God, cause da cattle on a thousand hills are His, & 4sho thou shalt not want)
20. James E. Faust: “A rebirth out of spiritual adversity causes us 2 become new creatures”
(MC=My Comments- Christ is Risen, Alleluia! 4 Dat da Resurrection is da billboard, da advertisement, da sign post directing us that Christ mskes all things new. Christ the Pantocrator, as teacher, makes it plain & clear, follow Him!)
19. N. T. Wright: “As da grave could not detain da Head, so it shall not detain da members. Well may we say wit Peter, ‘Blessed b da God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has begotten us again un2 a living hope by da resurrection of Jesus Christ from da dead.”
(MC=My Comments- Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Wake up 2 da Good News, as nothing can hold us back but we ourselves. No need 2 let slipping in2 darkness be our style. Let’s listen & digest what St. Peter, our 1st Pope is sayin. In doin so, we’ll eagerly run da race, knowing if it’s done in excellency, da grand prize will b ours, so well worth it)
18. Dr. Tom Neal: “It was in2 this world of agèd & calcified minds & hearts dat God entered as an infant, planting da supple genius of childhood int2 adulthood as da Son of Man became a man. As Man, Jesus introduced da foolish naïveté of God’s unconditional selfless love in2 da sinister realms of sin & death. Tru cause it is impossible! There, lying in da abode of da dead, where wonder sleeps, Christ awakened da eternal childhood of God & invited da rest of humanity 2 awaken wit Him”
(MC=My Comments-Christ is Risen, Alleluia! Da Resurrection is da incense dat produces da enticing aroma dat awakens us 2 da eternal. It quickens in da tru children of God da desire 2 get out of self, & wit reckless abandon, 2 follow it’s leadin. Wondrously, we R wooed, & therefore, confidently surrender to traveling da paths of joy & pain. Unscathed, pressing on as we trust, trust, trust)
17. Pope Francis: “May Christ, who has already defeated death & opened 4 us da way 2 eternal salvation, dispel da darkness of our suffering humanity & lead us in2 da lite of his glorious day, a day dat knows no end”
(MC=My Comments-We endure wit great hope, because weeping endureth 4 a nite, but joy cometh in da morning which unfailinly follows. Resurrection experiences can’t b beat!)
16. Peter Marshall: “Da stone was rolled away from da door, not 2 permit Christ 2 come out, but 2 enable da disciples to go in”
(MC=My Comments- First thoughts about things aren’t always what they seem. Da spiritual advantage is often overlooked, but those accustomed 2 solitude & living in da Lord can go deeper. For the disciples of Christ, it will not be parables as da world gets, but da inside scoop. How else will we be able to have da mind of Christ, for:
📖Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways—oracle of the LORD.For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, my thoughts higher than your thoughts”
15. A.W. Tozer: “If man had his way, the plan of redemption would B an endless and bloody conflict. In reality, salvation was bought not by Jesus' fist, but by His nail-pierced hands; not by muscle but by luv; not by vengeance but by forgiveness; not by force but by sacrifice. Jesus Christ our Lord surrendered in order dat He might win; He destroyed His enemies by dying 4 them & conquered death by allowing death 2 conquer Him."
(MC=my comments)= As it was & shall always B: His thoughts definitely not like ours, His ways, not at all liken 2ours. Always time is rite 2
re-evaluate what we say & do)
14. Mary Fairchild: “Jesus returned wit His disciples 2 Jerusalem & clears da Temple. Along da way, He cursed a fig tree cause it had failed 2 bear fruit. Some scholars believe this cursing represented God's judgment on da spiritually dead religious leaders of Israel. Others believe the symbolism extended 2 all believers, demonstrating genuine faith is mo than just outward religiosity; living faith must bear spiritual fruit in a person's life”
(MC=My Comments-Seems all R represented, cause our spiritual lives should be fruitful & not barren, authentic in every way. Again, 2 kno thyself is a step in da rite direction. Thinking & actually being on da rite track, R 2 different things. Da heart & head should B on 1 accord. If we were in da temple, what would we receive stripes 4?
13. St. Nicholas of Flue: “O man, when da world hates U & is faithless toward U, think of ur God, how He was struck & spat upon. U should not accuse ur neighbor of guilt, but pray 2 God that He b merciful 2 U both."(MC=my comments)=Da theme da Lord is: “Mercy”. So mercy is da now word. Yes & it’s 2 remember dat Judas‘s deceitful kiss can times b ours, and one we give at times. As we meditate on da Passion and keep company wit Jesus, knowin dat He is aware of all, da victory will be ours & forgiveness as we forgive)
12. Catherine Doherty: “Lent is a time of going very deeply in2 ourselves. What is it dat stands between us & God? Between us & others, between us & life, & us living life in the Spirit? Whatever it is, tear it out, without a moment’s hesitation”
(MC=My Comments- Sometimes what stands between us & all of these things are the following: A hard heart, negative attitudes, embracing tactics of darkness as 1 looks but do not see wit da mind & eyes of Christ, not knowing oneself, & possessing a spirit dat caters 2 “me, myself, and I”, living a life void of da Fruit & Gifts of da Holy Spirit in a manner dat manifests maturity. It’s 2 check ourselves 2 discover if we really are who we profess 2B.
11. St. Maximilian Kolbe: “The Blessed Virgin Mary is God’s. She belongs 2God in a perfect way 2 da extent dat she is as if a part of da most Holy Trinity, although she is a finite creature. Moreover she is not only a “handmaid,” a “daughter,” a “property,” a “possession,” etc., but also the Mother of God! Here one is seized wit giddiness… she is almost above God, as a mother is above her sons who must respect her. Da Immaculate is a Spouse of da Holy Spirit in an unspeakable way… She has da same Son as da heavenly Father has. What an ineffable family!
We belong 2 her, 2 da Immaculate. We are hers without limits, most perfectly hers; we are, as it were, her. Thru our mediation she loves da good God. Wit our poor heart she loves her divine Son. We become da mediators thru whom da Immaculate loves Jesus. & Jesus, considering us her property &, as it were, a part of his beloved Mother, loves her in us & thru us. What a lovely mystery!”
(MC=My Comments-What dynamics R in play, truly amazing, & 2 think, we R sandwiched in. So plain 2 c dat our Consecration matters, yes big time)
10. St. Robert Bellarmine: “Follow Blessed Mary & thou wilt not go astray; pray 2 Blessed Mary thou wilt never despair; think upon Blessed Mary & thou wilt not wander from da rite path. My little children, Mary is da ladder by which sinners mount up 2 God. Blessed Mary is my greatest confidence. Blessed Mary is da whole ground of my hope.”
(MC=my comments)= From da Cross, Jesus said “behold thy Mother”, da wise do just dat. Following da roadmap of da saints can help us hit da jackpot)
9. Evagrius: "If we ever become complacent & abandon da intense awareness of our sinfulness, something has gone seriously wrong" (MC=My Comments- Lent is da perfect time 2 work on @ least 1. dominant sin. Let's not our concentration & eyes B only on what we do, but also be aware of da omissions in our spiritual life)
8. Fr.Perrera “Jesus cometh not 2 bring germs,but grace”
(MC=My Comments- Dat said, Precious Blood and Holy Water, where are U, come back 2 us. Da just man lives by faith not fear. Jesus said He came dat we mite have life, & life 2 da full. Surely He would B spreading “killer” graces that can benefit us in body, soul,& spirit in His own house,rather than dispensing “killer” germs. If our fait is in Jesus, we’re being led by da Holy Spirit as a child created by God, Him, then this applies:📖John 10:10 “Da thief cometh not, but for 2 steal & 2 kill & 2 destroy. I am come dat they may have life & may have it mo abundantly”
📖2 Corinthians 5:7 “4 we walk by fait & not by sight.”
📖Romans 1:17 “4 in it is revealed da righteousness of God from faith 2 faith; as it is written, “Da 1 who is righteous by faith will live.”
📖Proverbs 22:2 “Da rich &poor have met 1 another: da Lord is da maker of them both”)
7. St.Alphonsus Liguori: “When da soul enters da kingdom of da blessed, da barrier which hinders its sight is taken away & it’ll C openly without a veil, ”da infinite beauty of God; da joy of da blessed. Every object da soul will C in God himself will overwhelm it wit delight. It’ll C da rectitude of His judgments, da harmony of His regulations 4 every soul, all ordained 2 God’s Divine glory & its own good. In particular, da soul will perceive all da graces & favors shown 2 it which had been hidden. It’ll C all da mercies bestowed on it, da pardoning of its ingratitude,da many calls, lights, & aids dat have been granted 2 it in abundance. It’ll C see dat tribulations, infirmities, losses of property or of kindred, which it counted as punishments, weren’t really punishments, but lovin arrangements of God”
(MC=My Comments- Let’s eat & digest what is being said. As we grow, there should B an awakening from slumber & sleep mo & mo. When this happens, our spiritual perception is clearer & clearer as da veil begins 2 thin, ever so slightly, lil by lil. Dear God, please help me 2 realize & give thanks dat abundant graces flow daily, bringin much favor & mercy 1’s way. Of Lord, dat we might get out of out of ourselves & live in, thru, & wit u ever so deeply)
6. Fr. Robert Wild: “U r not alone durin da time of trial. Sufferin tends 2 isolate us & we feel completely alone. Da wonderful truth of our faith is dat in sufferin & in ur very existence, God is mo present 2 u than U r 2 urself, sufferin wit U & in U. Turn 2 Jesus within U, & u’ll find him there. Jesus isn't absent; He’s present within U & He understands ur sufferin. We mite say he “understands” cause He suffered in His lifetime, but da Christian mystery is deeper than dat. It means rite now, in ur present trial, God understands cause He’s sufferin ur cross wit U & in U. It’s not somebody else sick, in prison R lonely—it’s U! & da Lord is present sufferin wit U. This mystery means u have da very power of Christ immediately present 2 U. Da Christ we meditate on in da gospels, who had strength 2 suffer rejections, misunderstandings & terrible physical pain—dat same Christ is present within u, 2help U bear ur cross in a life-givin way. Call upon him there within U. This mystery is da answer 2what we call da silence of God, it’s da silence of some1 sittin quietly next 2 us on our bed when we’re in pain—although God’s silence is deeper still. It’s da silence of His presence within us, understand all & sufferin wit us. It’s a silence so intense we can miss it without faith. Paradoxically, God’s silence is His total presence, like da air we breathe. & finally, yes, Christ is sufferin in others. Our personal sufferin puts us in touch & unites us wit others in pain, which ought 2 increase our compassion & concern 4 da sufferings of da world. Our sufferin is a reminder of our solidarity wit Christ in da pain of da world”
(MC=My Comments-Da contemplative like, will get this. Da open hearted will get it, & so will da mature in Christ. will get this, since our sufferin is a reminder of our solidarity wit Christ. R we just fair weather friends R is it “stick wit ya thru thick & thin” type of friends?
5. Pleasant Are Thy Courts Above, Psalm 84, by the hymnodist Henry Francis Lyte (1834)
⛪️Happy birds that sing & fly
⛪️Round thy altars, O Most High;
⛪️Happier souls that find a rest
⛪️In a heavenly Father’s breast!
⛪️Like the wandering dove that found
⛪️No repose on earth around,
⛪️They can to their ark repair
⛪️And enjoy it ever there
⛪️How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts!
⛪️My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God, O Lord of hosts
⛪️Yea, the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a
nest for herself, O Lord of hosts
⛪️Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will still be praising thee & blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are the ways of them, O Lord of hosts
⛪️Who passing through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools and they go from strength to strength, every one of them in Zion appeareth before God, O Lord God of hosts
⛪️ Hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob, behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed, O Lord of hosts
⛪️For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand, and I had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness, O Lord of hosts
⛪️For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee, O Lord of hosts
⛪️Pleasant are thy courts above
⛪️In the land of light and love;
⛪️Pleasant are thy courts below
⛪️In this land of sin and woe.
⛪️O my spirit longs and faints
⛪️For the converse of thy saints,
⛪️For the brightness of thy face,
⛪️For thy fullness, God of grace.
⛪️Lord, be mine this prize to win;
⛪️Guide me through a world of sin;
⛪️Keep me by thy saving grace;
⛪️Give me at thy side a place.
⛪️Sun and shield alike thou art;
⛪️Guide and guard my erring heart.
⛪️Grace and glory flow from thee;
⛪️Shower, O shower them, Lord, on me.
(MC=My Comments-This should so appropriately express our sentiments during and after our visits spent with Jesus, our Eucharistic Lord. Indeed ihappy birds that sing & fly round thy altars, O Most High, how blest we are to take advantage of every opportunity afforded us.)
4. Holy Love site: Holy Love Alphabet
A Always have Holy Love in your heart
B Be holy
C Call upon the Name of the Lord or His Mother in every need
D Delight in doing good
E Excuse your neighbor's faults
F Forgive and forget
G Give to those in need
H Holy Love is the answer, and the way to Heaven
I Ignore those who persecute you
J Jesus should be the center of your life
K Knock and the door shall be opened to you
L Leave the world behind
M Make many sacrifices
N Never break the Commandments of Love
O Open your heart to prayer
P Place God and others first
Q Quiet your heart and listen to the Lord
R Remember Holy Love in the present moment
S Speak always in Holy Love
T Turn your hearts and your lives over to the Divine Will through Holy Love
U Unite your hearts to the United Hearts
V Virtues must be your building blocks of holiness
W Win hearts for Jesus by evangelizing Holy Love
X XXXX Many kisses to Jesus and Mary
Y Your Will, Lord, not my own
Z Zero in on personal holiness through Holy Love
(MC=my comments)-We get dat rite from A to Z, & then we will b getting somewhere in da spiritual life)
3. Henry Nouwen: “God Longs to Bring Me Home”
(MC=my comments)=There were 2 angles 4 me 2 approach this:
A= God created us & we are His, so in death when He calls us home, we who belongs to Him becomes His. As we were created by The Father, Redeemed by The Son, & Sanctified by The Holy Spirit, we can finally
become one with Him.
B= All of heaven is working overtime & if we cooperate living our life 4 heaven, we will reap what we sow. God longs 4 us 2 make da rite choices & do da rite thing so dat we can end up in heaven enjoying our heavenly mansion & not suffering eternally in Hell. Either we will satisfy His longing & make it in, R we won’t make it in & God’s will 4 us will not materialize.
2. Jonathan Chan: “In the Song of Solomon, the Groom says to his Bride: "Arise my beloved, my beautiful one, and come away. For behold the winter is gone." It's written that God is our Bridegroom, and we who have said "yes" are His Bride. These are also the words of God to us. What does that mean and why is that important? It's important because salvation is about the ending of winter and the coming of spring; the ending of the old life and the beginning of the new. When it says, "The winter is gone..," it means literally, the season of hiding. That's what the old life is...the time of hiding and living in the darkness. It's no accident that the Lord died and rose in the springtime. That's because He came to end the winter in your life. Why would anyone have to say, "For behold the winter is gone?" God is telling you, you don't have to live in the old darkness, in the fears, bondages, and sins of your winter. "For spring has come," the Lord is saying to you, "Arise my beloved, my beautiful one and come away. For behold... the winter... is gone”
(MC=My Comments-Only da bride gets da VIP treatment. U can stay single hanging on 2 ur own selfish way, or dirty dance wit darkness & b denied entrance 2 da banquet feast, da choice is ours)
1. Veni, Creator Spiritus:
“Creator-Spirit, all-divine,
Come, visit every soul of thine,
And fill with thy celestial flame
The hearts which thou thyself didst frame.
O gift of God, thine is the sweet
Consoling name of Paraclete
And spring of life and fire and love
And unction flowing from above.
The mystic sevenfold gifts are thine,
Finger of God’s right hand divine;
The Father’s promise sent to teach
The tongue a rich and heavenly speech.
Kindle with fire brought from above
Each sense, and fill our hearts with love;
And grant our flesh, so weak and frail,
The strength of thine which cannot fail.
Drive far away our deadly foe,
And grant us thy true peace to know;
So we, led by thy guidance still,
May safely pass through every ill.
To us, through thee, the grace be shown
To know the Father and the Son;
And Spirit of them both, may we
Forever rest our faith in thee.
To Sire and Son be praises meet,
And to the Holy Paraclete;
And may Christ send us from above
That Holy Spirit’s gift of love. Amen”
(MC=My Comments- We bid Farewell to 2020 with a “Te Deum”, and we welcome 2021 in with a “Veni Creator Spiritus”