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May 8,
2008

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Thoughts from Sister Patricia




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Pentecost - It's almost here!

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Quote for the Day:
Satan has in fact a plan against the saints of the Most High which is to wear them out. What is meant by this phrase, 'wear out'? It has in it the idea of reducing a little this minute, then reducing a little further the next minute. Reduce a little today, reduce a little tomorrow. Thus the wearing out is almost imperceptible; nevertheless, it is a reducing. The wearing down is scarcely an activity of which one is conscious, yet the end result is that there is nothing left. He will take away your prayer life little by little, and cause you to trust God less and less and yourself more and more, a little at a time. He will make you feel somewhat cleverer than before. Step by step, you are misled to rely more on your own gift, and step by step your heart is enticed away from the Lord. Now, were Satan to strike the children of God with great force at one time, they would know exactly how to resist the enemy since they would immediately recognize his work. He uses the method of gradualism to wear down the people of God.

Watchman Nee

Quote from the book, "101 Inspirational Stories of the Power of Prayer"

Today we had beautiful sunshine... cold....but sunshine. Yeah. Now, its almost eight o'clock and the sun is just spreading across the top of our big maple tree. Almost as if its waving goodbye before night comes.

I am continuing to work on replying to the email requests for the book ( and yes we have reached the1000 limit.. so sorry if you missed it - but the bookkeeper said I absolutely had to quit). Anyway it is a very uplifting thing to do.. because so many say nice things and share thoughts and even prayer requests. Sometimes I get particularly blessed by something someone will include as part of their "signature" or little message at the bottom of their email.

This one I thought was very nice. It's just a thought.. an imagination ...but its nice.

Perhaps they are not stars in the sky...
But rather openings where our loved ones...
Shine down to let us know they are Happy !

Do you like that? I do. It kind of reminds me of one of the stories in the Rosary book when someone was taught by their mother that when the sky was blue.. it was a Hail Mary Sky. Just a little thought trigger to help us remember loved ones or to cheer us up a bit when we are sad and missing someone.

The count down is on for the Presales. Right now you have lots of time.. 20 days... but thought I would just mention it every day.. because .... maybe you are like me... and time goes by much faster than you think!

I have also decided I would offer to autograph books for those who want that. I can only do it through Aunties Bookstore though because that is right here in town.... St. Francis Online Bookstore is in Cincinnati and that's a bit of a trip for signing books! Not sure how many I can do though.... so don't be surprised if I announce that I have reached a limit. Will try and give you a day or two warning if that's going to happen.

http://101prayer.com/autograph.html

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Book on Reconciliation

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Saint of the day

Reverend Fun

Motivational
Meditation
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Special Book Presales
May 1 - May 28, 2008

101 Inspirational Stories
of the Power of Prayer

http://101prayer.com


This project is placed under the patronage
of the Blessed Mother.

He Messed With Me
Daniel E. Halley
Hazelwood, Missouri


I used to feel quite lonely in my prayer life. Even though I felt I was praying very piously and with great reverence on a daily basis, it did not seem to be making a big difference in my life. I participated in Eucharistic Adoration and Scripture study on a weekly basis. I prayed the Scriptural Rosary daily. I prayed the Liturgy of the Hours regularly. But even with all these opportunities to be closer to the Trinity, I felt quite often that my prayers were not satisfying or even noticed by God.

Last year, without warning, I went from being fairly healthy and active to being disabled due to illness. I had to medically retire from my occupation/vocation of thirty years as a paramedic and paramedic instructor. During those years, I had been awarded and honored numerous times for my teaching and clinical skills, but now it was all over. Forever! I was angry at everyone: myself, others, and especially God for letting this happen to me.

I went to church and prayed to God, hard and loud! My dialogue with him would have been considered “for mature audiences only.” I asked God, “Why are you doing this to me? I was good at my job, and I have helped many people in their times of distress! What am I going to do to support my family? God, you are unfair!”

All I heard or felt for an answer to my prayers was, “Thank you for talking to me. Come back and let’s talk again tomorrow.”

“What!? Tomorrow? Oh, I’ll show you,” I said. I went back the next day and the next. I kept going back, again and again. I started reading books, including the Bible, in earnest. I began listening to pod-casts and trying anything and everything to figure out why this was happening to me. I went to confession for the first time in about ten years.

Slowly, over this past year, I have pretty much moved through my anger. I have asked for forgiveness from everyone, especially God. I realize now that my suffering was, and is, a necessary component in my life. I needed to be humble instead of proud and boisterous in my prayer. I needed not only to talk to God, but also to listen to Him.

I still pray and attend all the church activities as before, but now I can honestly say that I have never been more Catholic, and possibly happier, in a long time. God definitely works in a mysterious and unorthodox way. He messed with me, and I love Him more now than I ever have.

From the book 101 Inspirational Stories of the Power of Prayer
Joy from Meditation
Rejoice in Me
by Msgr. David E. Rosage

Providential Love

God's love for every one of us is absolutely infinite. One of the many dimensions of the Father's love is his providential care and concern for us at every moment of the day.

How briefly, yet how powerfully Jesus explained the loving providence of the Father when he said: "Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them."

Then he makes a point when he asks: "Are not you more important that they?" And again" "Your heavenly Father knows all that you need" (Mt 6:26f). An awareness of so great a love leaves no room for worry or anxiety.

Joy in Eating!
Healthy Eating from Barbara George

Elder Care Diet Tips
Your resource for hints on nutrition and health;
a place to learn and a place to share!

Visit Barb's Blog to leave comments and find more great tips.

Joy from Home
A Smile from Home - Danielle Bean

Today's Thought

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pictures and links to go with this text.


Summertime Routines


Kate writes:

Summer is quickly approaching and kids are getting out of school in a few weeks. I, once again, have all these high hopes of organized days with lots of reading, family prayer time, field trips, pool time etc. each and every day. That led me to routines….that led me to “I wonder how Danielle does it …” So, how do you do it? Do you have a set routine in the summer?

Well we certainly do relax things around here in the summertime, but we do wind up falling into a routine of sorts too. I am one of those spoiled wives whose husband has summers off. As a family, we tend to stay up later at night and get up later in the morning. School is limited to reading practice for those who need it, handwriting practice only when I am feeling really mean, and read alouds for their sheer entertainment value.

Prayer times will remain the same, but the chore schedule I posted a few weeks back is going to go out the window. In its place, I’ll come up with one that better suits our family’s needs when we are spending more time outdoors and less time on schoolwork, but I will hold the kids accountable for regular household contributions with laundry, meals, and housekeeping.

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Joy from Rome
Greetings from London with Sister Janet Fearns, FMDM

Pause for Prayer

Visit Janet's Blog to see pictures to go with this text.

On a personal note…




Joy from Church
Spiritual Blessings from Father Rory Pitstick

A Virtual Retreat
Reflections following the Daily Liturgical cycle

Visit Fr. Rory's Blog

Friday

Acts 25: 13b-21
Ps 102(103): 1-2.
11-12. 19-20ab
Jn 21: 15-19


Daily Readings
May 9 Fri: Easter Weekday


From today's readings: “When Paul appealed that he be held in custody for the Emperor’s decision, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar.... The Lord has established His throne in Heaven.... Lord, You know everything; You know that I love You!”

Shepherd of the Lord’s Flock


Jesus Himself not only prayed for unity in His Church (cf. yesterday’s Gospel and reflection), He also took concrete measures to achieve it! Throughout the New Testament, there are numerous verses that record the leadership that Peter exercised in the early Church, and the Gospels attest that Jesus Himself entrusted Simon Peter with this office of shepherding all of the Lord’s flock.

The Gospels also record that Peter was not perfect. But even though he failed more than once and even denied the Lord three times, Jesus forgave him and led Peter to perfect contrition and reconciliation in his triple affirmation of whole-hearted love, as recorded at the end of the Gospel of St. John. Later, as the Lord prophesied, St. Peter sealed his love in blood by dying as a martyr in Rome for Christ.

After St. Peter’s martyrdom in Rome, history records that St. Linus was called upon to fill his shoes in exercising the ministry of visibly shepherding the Lord’s flock. After he died, another took his place, and this unbroken apostolic succession continues today in the person of Pope Benedict XVI, who is the 264th historical successor to St. Peter, for the Lord still prays and provides for the guidance of visible headship in His Church!


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