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"Blessed be the Lord, the God of
Israel, who sent you to meet me today."
1 Samuel 25:32
PRAYER OF ST. FRANCIS
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
...where there is injury,
pardon;
...where there is doubt,
faith;
...where there is despair,
hope;
...where there is darkness,
light;
...where there is sadness,
joy;
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
...to be consoled as to console;
...to be understood as to understand;
...to
be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we
receive;
...it is in pardoning that we are
pardoned;
...and it is in dying that we are born
to eternal life.
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Come work for the Lord. The
work is hard, the hours are long and
the pay is low. But the retirement
benefits are out of this world.
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PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
Almighty and
everlasting God, you are the source of all life. We praise you for the beauty of
creation and the gifts that surround us. During these summer days, bless us with
an enduring sense of your presence and protection. May more young people answer
your call to ordained and consecrated life. Amen.
"Our houses of worship are meant to be hospitals for sinners, not museums for
saints."
Conald Trautman, Bishop of Erie, Pennsylvania
There is
no one who has given up house or family or lands for the sake of the gospel who
will not receive a hundred times and eternal life in the age to come. (cf. Mark
10:29)
It
is through giving that we receive, and it is through dying that we are born to
eternal life.
-St. Francis of Assisi
Lord,
there is not so much as a single breath I take that You are not there with me.
-- Grace A Dieu
Faith is the
first grace and the source of all the others.
-Pope St. Clement XI
If a man
is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo
painted, or Beethoven played music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep
streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here
lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.
-- Martin
Luther King, Jr
What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your
family.
-Mother Teresa
As
it is impossible to have rain without clouds, so it is impossible to understand
love without God.
-- Bishop Fulton
Sheen
Get rich quick!
Count your blessings!
-Anonymous
The whole of
our life must be an 'advent,' a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ.
- John
Paul II
Keep praying, but be thankful that God's answers are wiser than your prayers!
-William Culbertson
Your love,
Jesus, is an ocean
with no shore to bound it.
And if I plunge into it, I carry
with me all the possessions
I have. You know, Lord,
what these possessions are—
the souls you have seen
fit to link with mine.
St. Therese of Lisieux
THE FIVE FINGER PRAYER
1.
Your thumb
is nearest you. So begin your prayers by praying for those closest to you. They
are the easiest to remember. To pray for our loved ones is, as C S. Lewis once
said, a 'sweet duty.'
2.
The
next finger
is the pointing finger. Pray for those who teach, instruct and heal. This
includes teachers, doctors, and ministers. They need support and wisdom in
pointing others in the right direction. Keep them in your prayers.
3. The
next finger
is the tallest finger. It reminds us of our leaders. Pray for the president,
leaders in business and industry, and administrators. These people shape our
nation and guide public opinion. They need God's guidance.
4. The
fourth finger
is our ring finger. Surprising to many is the fact that this is our weakest
finger, as any piano teacher will testify. It should remind us to pray for those
who are weak, in trouble or in pain. They need your prayers day and night. You
cannot pray too much for them.
5. And lastly comes our
little finger
- the smallest finger of all which is where we should place ourselves in
relation to God and others. As the Bible says, 'The least shall be the greatest
among you.' Your pinkie should remind you to pray for yourself. By the time you
have prayed for the other four groups, your own needs will be put into proper
perspective and you will be able to pray for yourself more effectively.
Make it a practice to judge person and things in the most favorable light at all
times, in all circumstances.
-St. Vincent de Paul
The 'longer' you look at this picture, the 'more' you see.
Look at the lines the artist used to draw this picture of Christ. There are
scenes from Christ's life.
The Christian
life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to
go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or
'Help me.'
-Billy Graham
The school of Christ is the school of love. In the last day, when the general
examination takes place...Love will be the whole syllabus.
-St.
Robert Bellarmine
OPEN ARMS
by Max Lucado
If you ever wonder how in the world God could use you
to change the world, look at the people God used to change history. A ragbag of
ne’er-do-wells and has-beens who found hope, not in their performance, but in
God’s proverbially open arms.
Abraham- God took what was good and forgave what was
bad and used “old forked tongue” to start a nation. Moses- would you call upon
a fugitive to carry the Ten Commandments? God did. David- his track record left
little to be desired, but his repentant spirit was unquestionable. Jonah- God
put him in a whale’s belly to bring him back to his senses. But even the whale
couldn’t stomach this missionary for too long.
On and on the stories go: Elijah, the prophet who
pouted; Solomon, the king who knew too much; Jacob, the wheeler-dealer; Gomer,
the prostitute; Sarah, the woman who giggled at God. One story after another of
God using man’s best and overcoming man’s worst.
The reassuring lesson is clear. God used (and uses!)
people to change the world. People! Not just saints or super humans or geniuses,
but people. Crooks, creeps, lovers, and liars—he uses them all. And what they
may lack in perfection, God makes up for in love.
Jesus later summarized God’s stubborn love with a
parable. He told about a teenager who decided that life at the farm was too slow
for his tastes. So with pockets full of inheritance money, he set out to find
the big time. What he found instead were hangovers, fair-weather friends, and
long unemployment lines. When he had had just about as much of the pig’s life as
he could take, he swallowed his pride, dug his hands deep into his empty
pockets, and began the long walk home; all the while rehearsing a speech that he
planned to give to his father.
He never used it. Just when he got to the top of the
hill, his father, who’d been waiting at the gate, saw him. The boy’s words of
apology were quickly muffled by the father’s words of forgiveness. And the boy’s
weary body fell into his father’s opened arms.
The same open arms welcomed him that had welcomed
Abraham, Moses, David, and Jonah. No wagging fingers. No clenched fists. No “I
told you so!” slaps or “Where have you been?” interrogations. No crossed arms.
No black eyes or fat lips. No. Only sweet, open arms. If you ever wonder how God
can use you to make a difference in your world, just look at those he has
already used and take heart. Look at the forgiveness found in those open arms
and take courage.
And, by the way, never were those arms opened so
wide as they were on the Roman cross. One arm extending back into history and
the other reaching into the future. An embrace of forgiveness offered for anyone
who’ll come. A hen gathering her chicks. A father receiving his own. A redeemer
redeeming the world.
No wonder they call him the Savior.
From No Wonder They Call Him the Savior
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 1986, 2004) Max Lucado
God is so
big He can cover the whole world with his Love and so small He can curl up
inside your heart.
-June Masters Bacher
How many times do we miss God's blessings because they are not packaged as we
expected?
-Unknown
As our body cannot live without nourishment, so our soul cannot spiritually be
kept alive without prayer.
-St. Augustine
Giving shelter or
food to anyone who asks for it, or needs it, is giving it to Christ.
-Dorothy Day
Everybody
today seems to be in such a terrible rush; anxious for greater developments and
greater wishes and so on; so that children have very little time for their
parents; Parents have very little time for each other; and the home begins the
disruption of the peace of the world.
-- Mother Teresa
Angels
may not dress the part,
With robes and wings that soar,
Often angels come as friends
Knocking at your door.
-Unknown
Be
still and know that I am God.
-- Psalm 46:11
Let nothing trouble you.
Let nothing frighten you.
Everything passes.
God never changes.
Patience obtains all.
Whoever has God
Wants for nothing.
God alone is enough.
-St. Teresa of Avila
Forgiveness is unlocking the door to set someone free and realizing you
were the prisoner!
-Max Lucado
An Ecumenical Spirit
Jesus, source of our unity and
peace, we pray now for the grace of ecumenism. Give us the humility to see
others’ truths, the courage to embrace them openly, and the desire to be
one, as you taught us by your life. Amen.
Taken from the book,
Praying with Pope John XXIII, Companions for the Journey by Bill Huebsch
The love of God is like the Amazon river flowing down to water one daisy.
-Unknown
You must not only preach a sermon with
your voice, you must preach it with your life.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
By the reading of Scripture I am so
renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me.
-Thomas Merton
“Always respect everyone’s dignity
whatever his position, especially must we respect everyone’s liberty, for
God himself renders that”. Taken
from the Humor and Warmth of Pope John XXIII, His Anecdotes and Legends, by
Louis Michaels
Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness.
-St. Bernard of Clarivaux
O Lord, listen to
this blind man who calls out to You as You pass by, and implores You to help
him, You who are indeed the light of my eyes! Give me light that I may see:
“Lord, that I may see”!
Taken from Pope John XXIII, “In
My Own Words”
Rejoice always.
Pray without ceasing.
In all circumstances give thanks,
for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.
I
Thessalonians 5:16-18 NAB
God wants to
be involved in our everyday life. We need to let God out of the Sunday
morning box that we try to keep him in.
-Joyce
Meyer
Is it not true that when we have God we have everything?
-St. Peter Julian Eymard
Happiness
depends on happenings, but joy depends on Christ.
-Unknown
Even God doesn't plan to judge a man till the end of his
days, why should you and I?
-Unknown
My
heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee.
-St. Augustine
UNTANGLING LIFE'S KNOTS
by Max Lucado
It’s your best friend’s
wedding. “I’ll take care of the reception,” you’d volunteered. You planned
the best party possible. You hired the band, rented the hall, catered the
meal, decorated the room, and asked your Aunt Bertha to bake the cake.
Now the band is playing and
the guests are milling, but Aunt Bertha is nowhere to be seen. Everything is
here but the cake. You sneak over to the pay phone and dial her number.
She’s been taking a nap. She thought the wedding was next week.
Oh boy! Now what do you do?
Talk about a problem! Everything is here but the cake …
Sound familiar?
It might. It’s exactly the
dilemma Jesus’ mother, Mary, was facing. Back then, wine was to a wedding
what cake is to a wedding today.
What Mary faced was a
social problem. No need to call 911, but no way to sweep the embarrassment
under the rug, either.
When you think about it,
most of the problems we face are of the same caliber. We’re late for a
meeting. We leave something at the office. A coworker forgets a report. Mail
gets lost. Traffic gets snarled. The waves rocking our lives are not life
threatening yet. But they can be. A poor response to a simple problem can
light a fuse.
For that reason you might
want to note how Mary reacted. Her solution poses a practical plan for
untangling life’s knots. “They have no more wine,” she told Jesus (John
2:3). That’s it. That’s all she said. She didn’t go ballistic. She simply
assessed the problem and gave it to Christ.
It’s so easy to focus on
everything but the solution. Mary didn’t do that. She simply looked at the
knot, assessed it, and took it to the right person. “I’ve got one here I
can’t untie, Jesus.”
“When all the wine was gone
Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine’” (John 2:3).
Please note, she took the
problem to Jesus before she took it to anyone else. A friend told me about a
tense meeting he attended. Apparently there was more agitation than
agreement, and after a lengthy discussion, someone suggested, “Why don’t we
pray about it?” to which another questioned, “Has it come to that?”
What causes us to think of
prayer as the last option rather than the first?
___________________________
From A Gentle Thunder
Copyright (W Publishing Group, 1995) Max Lucado
A PICTORIAL LOOK AT THE LIFE OF JESUS...ARTIST(S)
UNKNOWN
THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS
LUKE 24: 1- 35
Taken from the USCCB - NAB
- 1
- 1 But at daybreak on the first day
of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.
- 2
- They found the stone rolled away from the tomb;
- 3
- but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
- 4
- While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling
garments appeared to them.
- 5
- They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said
to them, "Why do you seek the living one among the dead?
- 6
- He is not here, but he has been raised. 2
Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee,
- 7
- that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified,
and rise on the third day."
- 8
- And they remembered his words.
- 9
- 3 Then they returned from the tomb
and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others.
- 10
- The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James;
the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles,
- 11
- but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them.
- 12
- 4 But Peter got up and ran to the
tomb, bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home
amazed at what had happened.
-
- 13
- 5 6
Now that very day two of them were going to a village seven miles from
Jerusalem called Emmaus,
- 14
- and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
- 15
- And it happened that while they were conversing and debating, Jesus
himself drew near and walked with them,
- 16
- 7 but their eyes were prevented from
recognizing him.
- 17
- He asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?" They
stopped, looking downcast.
- 18
- One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply, "Are you the only
visitor to Jerusalem who does not know of the things that have taken
place there in these days?"
- 19
- And he replied to them, "What sort of things?" They said to him,
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet
mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,
- 20
- how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over to a sentence
of death and crucified him.
- 21
- But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel; and
besides all this, it is now the third day since this took place.
- 22
- Some women from our group, however, have astounded us: they were at
the tomb early in the morning
- 23
- and did not find his body; they came back and reported that they had
indeed seen a vision of angels who announced that he was alive.
- 24
- Then some of those with us went to the tomb and found things just as
the women had described, but him they did not see."
- 25
- And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to
believe all that the prophets spoke!
- 26
- Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer
8 these things and enter into his glory?"
- 27
- Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to
them what referred to him in all the scriptures.
- 28
- As they approached the village to which they were going, he gave the
impression that he was going on farther.
- 29
- But they urged him, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the
day is almost over." So he went in to stay with them.
- 30
- And it happened that, while he was with them at table, he took
bread, said the blessing, broke it, and gave it to them.
- 31
- With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him, but he
vanished from their sight.
- 32
- Then they said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning (within
us) while he spoke to us on the way and opened the scriptures to us?"
- 33
- So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem where they found
gathered together the eleven and those with them
- 34
- who were saying, "The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to
Simon!"
- 35
- Then the two recounted what had taken place on the way and how he
was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.
-
THE ASCENSION OF JESUS INTO
HEAVEN
- 6
- When they had gathered
together they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going
4
to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
- 7
- 5
He answered them, "It is not for you to know the times or seasons
that the Father has established by his own authority.
- 8
- 6
But you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and
you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth."
- 9
- When he had said this, as they
were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their
sight.
ACTS 1:6-9 (New American Bible)
- 10
While they were
looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men
dressed in white garments stood beside them.
- 11
- They said, "Men of
Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky? This
Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in
the same way as you have seen him going into heaven."
-
- ACTS 1: 10-11 (New American Bible)
PENTECOST
Acts 2:1-11
When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.
Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven
staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.”
-
"Preach the Gospel daily;
when necessary, use words.".......St.
Francis of Assisi
When you reach the end of your rope
you will find the hem of His garment.
Unknown
Nothing is too great and nothing is too small to commit into the hands of the
Lord.
-A. W. Pink
What would you do if you knew that God loved you with the entirety of His being
and power? What would you do if you knew that nothing you could ever think or
say or do could change His love for you? What would you do if you knew that
deep down you loved God with the same intensity, steadfastness, and purity that
He loves you? What would you do?
-- Grace A Dieu
People travel to wonder at the height of
the mountains, at the huge waves of the seas, at the long course of the rivers,
at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motion of the stars, and yet
they pass by themselves without wondering."
St. Augustine, 354 430
Early Christian Priest, Author
God
loves each of us as if there were only one of us.
-St. Augustine
Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.
-St. Francis de Sales
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“Smile at each
other,
smile at your wife, smile at your husband, smile at your children, smile
at each other -- it doesn't matter who it is -- and that will help you
to grow up in greater love for each other.”
Mother Teresa
Catholic Nun, Missionary
Nobel Peace Prize Recipient
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Let no one come to
you without leaving better and happier.
-- Mother Teresa
Life is an opportunity, benefit
from it.
Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it.
Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it.
Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it.
Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it.
Life is life, fight for it.
Mother Teresa
I
have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts,
Then there is
no hurt, but only more love.
Mother
Teresa, The Simple Path
If you can't
feed a hundred people, then feed just one.
-Mother Teresa
May God break my heart so completely that the whole world falls in.
-Mother Teresa
If God is your
copilot, switch seats.
--
anonymous
To love another person is to see the face of God.
--
Lyric from Les Miserables
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION
Catholic Inspiration
614-443-0864 is a Catholic telephone recorded message made twice each week.
This inspirational recorded message has been provided by the Columbus Legion of
Mary since January 1971.
RENEW
Prayer
Gracious God and Father,
We are your people embraced by
your love. We thank you for your presence with us throughout all time.
Create us anew through Jesus Christ
your Son. Liberate us from
all that keeps us from you. Send your Holy
Spirit, enabling us to share in your work of recreating our world and restoring
justice.
Heal us from every form of sin and violence.
Transform us to live your Word more profoundly. Reconcile us so enemies become
friends. Awaken us to
the sacred;
nurture our
relationships.
Enliven our
parishes; reunite our
families.
Fill us with joy to celebrate the fullness of
life. Empower us to be a community
of love growing in your likeness
by the grace
of Christ our Lord. Amen
*PLEASE REFER TO THE RENEW PAGE ON THIS WEBSITE FOR INFORMATION ON THE PARISH
RENEW PROGRAM. THANK YOU.
Copyright @ 2004 by
RENEW
International
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the
whole staircase.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
We are called to play the good Samaritan on life's roadside...True compassion is
more than flinging a coin to a beggar.
-Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is such a folly to pass one's time fretting, instead of resting quietly on
the heart of Jesus.
-St. Therese
of Lisieux
Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.
-St. Therese of Lisieux
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|
God loves you right where you are but he doesn't want to
leave you there.
-Max
Lucado
INSPIRATIONAL STORY
|
UNEXPECTED GUEST Her hands were shaking as she
placed the letter on the table. I don't have anything to offer."
With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets.
"Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer.
I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for
dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents.
Five dollars and forty cents.
"Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She
threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of French
bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk ...
leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until
Monday.
Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager
offerings tucked under her arm.
"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed
in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled
in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in
little more than rags. "Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know,
and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and,
well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and,
well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it.
Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and
frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work
if they really wanted to.
"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All
I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an
important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving
that to Him."
"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man
put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back
into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar
twinge in her heart.
"Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down
the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll
figure out something else to serve my guest."
She handed the man her grocery bag. "Thank you lady. Thank
you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and
Ruth could see now that she was shivering.
"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you
take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over
the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back
to the street ... without her coat and with nothing to serve her
guest.
"Thank you lady! Thank you very much" Ruth was chilled by the
time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was
coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She
fumbled through her purse for the door key.
But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
"That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one
day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.
Dear Ruth,
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal
and thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.
Love Always,
Jesus
The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no
longer noticed.
MATT. 25:40, Jesus said, "Whatever you did
for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me." |
Faith is to
believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you
believe.
-St.
Peter Julian Eymard
|
We
asked the Lord to bless you
As we prayed
for you today
To guide you
and protect you
As you go
along your way
His love is
always with you
His promises
are true
And when we
give Him all our cares
You know He
will see us through
So when the
road you're traveling on seems difficult at best
Just remember
we're here praying
And GOD WILL
DO THE REST
Psalms
Chapter 23
-
-
1 A
psalm of David. The LORD is my shepherd; there is
nothing I lack.
2 In green pastures you let me graze; to safe waters
you lead me;
3 you restore my strength. You guide me along
the right path for the sake of your name.
4 Even when I walk through a dark valley, I fear no
harm for you are at my side; your rod and staff give me
courage.
5 You set a table before me as my enemies
watch; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Only goodness and love will pursue me all
the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the
LORD for years to come.
... Taken from the New
American Bible (USCCB)
INSPIRATIONAL STORY
God and the Spider
During World War II, a US marine was separated
from his unit on a Pacific Island. The fighting had been
intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost
touch with his comrades.
Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy
soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover,
he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves
in the rock. Quickly, he crawled inside one of the
caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that
once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the
ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he
would be killed.
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your
will, please protect me.
Whatever your will though, I love you and trust
you. Amen."
After praying, he lay quietly listening to the
enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess
the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then
he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of
his cave.
As he watched, listening to the enemy searching
for him all the while, the spider layered strand after
strand of web across the opening of the cave.
"Hah, he thought. "What I need is a brick wall
and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does
have a sense of humor."
As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness
of his hideout and could see them searching one cave
after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make
his last stand. To his amazement, however, after
glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on.
Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the
entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for
quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the
young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web
is stronger than a brick wall."
We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is
so easy to forget the victories that God would work in
our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. As the
great leader, Nehemiah, reminded the people of Israel
when they faced the task of rebuilding Jerusalem, "In
God we will have success!" [Nehemiah 2:20]
And remember: Whatever is happening in your life, in
God, a mere spider's web becomes a brick wall of
protection.
Our hearts are like homing pigeons, fleeting
happily home to God in heaven with all due
haste. Let not our minds cause our hearts
delay.
-- Grace A Dieu
God is always trying to give good things to us, but our hands are too full to
receive them.
-Saint Augustine of Hippo
Jesus Christ is not a security from storms. He is
the perfect security in storms.
-Kathy Troccoli
-----------------------------------------------------------
SOMETIMES I FEEL NEGLECTED
...BY
KATHY TROCCOLI
So
often I question the Lord. I wonder where He is and when He’s
going to do something. I grumble and complain, mistaking the
severe mercy of God for neglect. I feel forgotten and ignored.
I think my prayers are falling on deaf ears, while all the while
He is listening. He is seeing far and deep, often protecting me
from my wants, waiting for my maturity to catch up with my
desires. He is patient as my longings mellow to the point where
I won’t hurt myself and as I learn to desire His will more than
mine.
Why
is it so difficult to understand that God only wants the best
for us? Why is it so hard to take Him at His word? He’s never
lied to us. He never will lie to us. His promises can never be
broken. They have withstood the test of time.
Next time you think you hear nothing in response to your
prayers, don’t assume God isn’t listening. He may simply want
you to rest in His shadow until He reveals His answer. When you
hear a direct “no” remind yourself there will be a better
“yes”. God is for you. And He will work out everything in
conformity with the purpose of His will. Everything (see
Ephesians 1.11).
I
pray for you and for myself – that we will both grow in our
faith. That the times we doubt God will grow fewer and fewer
and that the eyes of our hearts will be enlightened. That we
may know God’s goodness, real and solid, even in the darkness.
May we come to realize that God is motivated by a love so
strong, so undying and so wise that we have nothing and no one
to fear. He only wants the best, and His best is ours to have.
Wait for it.
Seems that God is looking more for ways to get us
home than for ways to keep us out. I challenge you to
find one soul who came to God seeking grace and did not
find it. Search the pages. Read the stories. Envision
the encounters. Find one person who came seeking a
second chance and left with a stern lecture. I dare you.
Search. -
Max Lucado, Christian
Author
If God allows me with my foibles and failures to
call him Father, shouldn’t I extend the same grace to
others? - Max Lucado
One thing’s for sure. When we get to heaven, we’ll be
surprised at some of the folks we see. And some of them will be
surprised to see us. - Max Lucado
Luke
Chapter 15
1
The tax
collectors and sinners were all drawing near to
listen to him,
2
but the Pharisees and scribes began to
complain, saying, "This man welcomes sinners and
eats with them."
3
So to them he addressed this parable.
4
"What man among you having a hundred sheep
and losing one of them would not leave the
ninety-nine in the desert and go after the lost
one until he finds it?
5
And when he does find it, he sets it on his
shoulders with great joy
6
and, upon his arrival home, he calls
together his friends and neighbors and says to
them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found my
lost sheep.'
7
I tell you, in just the same way there will
be more joy in heaven over one sinner who
repents than over ninety-nine righteous people
who have no need of repentance.
8
"Or what woman having ten coins
and losing one would
not light a lamp and sweep the house, searching
carefully until she finds it?
9
And when she does find it, she calls
together her friends and neighbors and says to
them, 'Rejoice with me because I have found the
coin that I lost.'
10
In just the same way, I tell you, there will be
rejoicing among the angels of God over one sinner who
repents."
11
Then he said, "A man had two sons,
12
and the younger son said to his father, 'Father,
give me the share of your estate that should come to
me.' So the father divided the property between them.
13
After a few days, the younger son collected all his
belongings and set off to a distant country where he
squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.
14
When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine
struck that country, and he found himself in dire need.
15
So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens
who sent him to his farm to tend the swine.
16
And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which
the swine fed, but nobody gave him any.
17
Coming to his senses he thought, 'How many of my
father's hired workers have more than enough food to
eat, but here am I, dying from hunger.
18
I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say
to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and
against you.
19
I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me
as you would treat one of your hired workers."'
20
So he got up and went back to his father. While he
was still a long way off, his father caught sight of
him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son,
embraced him and kissed him.
21
His son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against
heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called
your son.'
22
But his father ordered his servants, 'Quickly bring
the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his
finger and sandals on his feet.
23
Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us
celebrate with a feast,
24
because this son of mine was dead, and has come to
life again; he was lost, and has been found.' Then the
celebration began.
25
Now the older son had been out in the field and, on
his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound
of music and
dancing.
26
He called one of the servants and asked what this
might mean.
27
The servant said to him, 'Your brother has returned
and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.'
28
He became angry, and when he refused to enter the
house, his father came out and pleaded with him.
29
He said to his father in reply, 'Look, all these
years I served you and not once did I disobey your
orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast
on with my friends.
30
But when your son returns who swallowed up your
property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the
fattened calf.'
31
He said to him, 'My son, you are here with me
always; everything I have is yours.
32
But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your
brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost
and has been found.'"
...Taken from New American Bible (USCCB)
INSPIRATIONAL STORY
"Carl's
Garden"
Carl
was a quiet man. He didn't talk much. He would always greet you with a big smile
and a firm handshake. Even after living in our neighborhood for over 50 years,
no one could really say they knew him very well.
Before his retirement, he took
the bus to work each morning. The lone sight of him walking down the street
often worried us. He had a slight limp from a bullet wound received in W.W.II.
Watching him, we worried that although he had survived W.W.II, he may not make
it through our changing uptown neighborhood with its ever-increasing random
violence, gangs, and drug activity.
When he saw the flyer at our
local church asking for volunteers for caring for the gardens behind the
priest's residence, he responded in his characteristically unassuming manner.
Without fanfare, he just signed up.
He was well into his 87th year
when the very thing we had always feared finally happened. He was just finishing
his watering for the day when three gang members approached him. Ignoring their
attempt to intimidate him, he simply asked, "Would you like a drink from the
hose?" The tallest and toughest-looking of the three said, "Yeah, sure," with a
malevolent little smile. As Carl offered the hose to him, the other two grabbed
Carl's arm, throwing him down. As the hose snaked crazily over the ground,
dousing everything in its way, Carl's assailants stole his retirement watch and
his wallet, and then fled.
Carl tried to get himself up,
but he had been thrown down on his bad leg. He lay there trying to gather
himself as the priest came running to help him. Although the priest had
witnessed the attack from his window, he couldn't get there fast enough to stop
it. "Carl, are you okay? Are you hurt?" the priest kept asking as he helped Carl
to his feet. Carl just passed a hand over his brow and sighed, shaking his head.
"Just some punk kids. I hope
they'll wise-up someday." His wet clothes clung to his slight frame as he bent
to pick up the hose. He adjusted the nozzle again and started to water. Confused
and a little concerned, the priest asked, "Carl, what are you doing?" "I've got
to finish my watering. It's been very dry lately," came the calm reply.
Satisfying himself that Carl really was all right, the priest could only marvel.
Carl was a man from a different time and place.
A few weeks later the three
returned. Just as before their threat was unchallenged. Carl again offered them
a drink from his hose. This time they didn't rob him. They wrenched the hose
from his hand and drenched him head to foot in the icy water. When they had
finished their humiliation of him, they sauntered off down the street, throwing
catcalls and curses, falling over one another laughing at the hilarity of what
they had just done.
Carl just watched them. Then he
turned toward the warmth giving sun, picked up his hose, and went on with his
watering. The summer was quickly fading into fall. Carl was doing some tilling
when he was startled by the sudden approach of someone behind him.
He stumbled and fell into some
evergreen branches. As he struggled to regain his footing, he turned to see the
tall leader of his summer tormentors reaching down for him. He braced himself
for the expected attack.
"Don't worry old man, I'm not
gonna hurt you this time." The young man spoke softly, still offering the
tattooed and scarred hand to Carl. As he helped Carl get up, the man pulled a
crumpled bag from his pocket and handed it to Carl.
"What's this?" Carl asked. "It's
your stuff," the man explained. "It's your stuff back. Even the money in your
wallet." "I don't understand," Carl said. "Why would you help me now?"
The man shifted his feet,
seeming embarrassed and ill at ease. "I learned something from you," he said. "I
ran with that gang and hurt people like you. We picked you because you were old
and we knew we could do it. But every time we came and did something to you,
instead of yelling and fighting back, you tried to give us a drink. You didn't
hate us for hating you. You kept showing love against our hate." He stopped for
a moment. "I couldn't sleep after we stole your stuff, so here it is back." He
paused for another awkward moment, not knowing what more there was to say. "That
bag's my way of saying thanks for straightening me out, I guess." And with that,
he walked off down the street.
Carl looked down at the sack in
his hands and gingerly opened it. He took out his retirement watch and put it
back on his wrist. Opening his wallet, he checked for his wedding photo. He
gazed for a moment at the young bride that still smiled back at him from all
those years ago.
He died one cold day after
Christmas that winter. Many people attended his funeral in spite of the weather.
In particular the priest noticed a tall young man that he didn't know sitting
quietly in a distant corner of the church. The priest spoke of Carl's garden as
a lesson in life. In a voice made thick with unshed tears, he said, "Do your
best and make your garden as beautiful as you can. We will never forget Carl and
his garden."
The following spring another
flyer went up. It read: "Person needed to care for Carl's garden." The flyer
went unnoticed by the busy parishioners until one day when a knock was heard at
the priest's office door. Opening the door, the priest saw a pair of scarred and
tattooed hands holding the flyer. "I believe this is my job, if you'll have me,"
the young man said.
The priest recognized him as the
same young man who had returned the stolen watch and wallet to Carl. He knew
that Carl's kindness had turned this man's life around. As the priest handed him
the keys to the garden shed, he said, "Yes, go take care of Carl's garden and
honor him."
The man went to work and, over
the next several years, he tended the flowers and vegetables just as Carl had
done. In that time, he went to college, got married, and became a prominent
member of the community. But he never forgot his promise to Carl's memory and
kept the garden as beautiful as he thought Carl would have kept it.
One day he approached the new
priest and told him that he couldn't care for the garden any longer. He
explained with a shy and happy smile, "My wife just had a baby boy last night,
and she's bringing him home on Saturday."
"Well, congratulations!" said
the priest, as he was handed the garden shed keys. "That's wonderful! What's the
baby's name?"
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