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From:
Sr Patricia
stclare3@comcast.net |
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To: Peace Card,
stclare3@comcast.net
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Novena for Employment
Day Four - Power of Prayer
Believe, believe....that's the hard part - especially on days when everything seems to be going against us.
I constantly have to work on myself to "believe" as well....our natural inclination is to take everything at
face value and and so we end up happy on good days and bummed out on the bad ones! But believing is what being
Christian is all about. And you know what? It's work! We have to nuture our "belief" with everything that we
possibly can in order to become "strong believers". Going to daily Mass, Reading Scripture (even one sentence can jump start
us out of depression!), reading good books, praying, and also very important - sharing with other believers.
One of my favorite Bible quotes is "Encourage one another daily." I guess God knows we need to be encouraged
daily! I wish I had the time to tell you about all the hundreds and hundreds of requests for jobs and better working
situations that have been sent for this novena. It would be sad if it was just "facts" but instead as believing
Christians we find it is WONDERFUL - because
each of these requests is backed up by someone "BELIEVING" that prayer is going to make a DIFFERENCE!
And we know it is.
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Novena Prayer
Eternal Father
whose infinite love watches
in wisdom over each day
of my life,
grant me the light
to see
in sorrow
as in joy,
in trial
as in peace,
in uncertainty
as in confidence,
the way Your Divine Providence
has marked out for me.
Grant me a strong faith
and trust so pleasing to You,
and I will walk
in darkness
as in light,
holding Your hand.
And finding in all
I receive from Your bounty . . .
"that all things
work together for good,
for those who love You."
Prayer taken from a Holy card
of the Poor Clare Sisters in Cleveland, Ohio
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To send today's card: Employment Novena - Day Four
For more beautiful cards All Cards
Quote for the Day: Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. Mother Teresa
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Blessing of Throats - Feast of St. Blaise
Today was the fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time and also the Feast of Saint Blaise. Most Sundays - mention of the saint is not mentioned.. but today... with the special sacramental of having one throats blessed (and its certainly the season for it) the Church lets good Saint Blaise have a mention.
Felt a little bit sacrilegious taking pictures during Mass - but I decided it was all for a good cause... as I expect many people (including Catholics) are not to familiar with the story of Saint Blaise and the blessing of throats. I think its kind of a neat thing - its not every day that we can get a special blessing for sore throats and as the blessing goes...
Through the intercession of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr, may God deliver you from every disease of the throat and from every other illness. In the name of the Father...
You can find a little more information about Saint Blaise or Blase here from Saint Anthony Messenger
Father Alberic says we have the Cadillac of Blaise candles for this occasion - maybe most parishes just use two plain candles? I don't know because I was not aware of this feast before I entered the monastery so I have nothing to base this on. This little contraption looks like it has seen many, many moons - its stored in a box and you have to put the pieces together like a puzzle. One candle fits on top of the other and then you screw the little metal clamp over them. I have noticed the handles that the priest holds are very worn so it has been through a lot of years work.
A few years ago another chaplain we had typed up the card with the words of the blessing on it.. so in case one forgot the words .... there they were. We attached it to the back of the candle thing (don't think you can see it very well) Probably helpful for the first two or three times but I expect after blessing a hundred or more people it just sort of comes out without a hitch.
You can still buy the Blaise candles though... Take a look at this one! Yikes... kind of looks like something from Star Wars to me. Sister Colleen says it looks like a giant magnet. Maybe she is right.
Blessings of All Peace and All Good, Sister Patricia
======================================== Sister Patricia'a blog - Monastic Moments http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/monasticmoments/
Barbara's blog Elder Care http://bgdiet.com
Danielle blog Danielle Daily http://daniellebean.com/
Sister Janet's blog: Pause for Prayer http://pauseforprayer.stblogs.com/
Father Rory Pitstick Fr. Rory's Blog http://virtualretreat.blogspot.com/
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Sr Patricia
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