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Delivered Monday through Friday!
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May 29,
2008
The Chrysanthemum
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Life Changing Experience
I would like to share how the power of prayer brought me freedom from twenty-two years of living in darkness. Years of drug and alcohol abuse along with leading a very promiscuous life brought me to the brink of suicide in January 1997. Though I didn’t realize it then, even through this difficult time God was never far away from me. Many times I would suddenly get an overwhelming urge to pray and turn my life over to God, but I could not bring myself to do it. I could not even bring myself to think of the words to pray. It was as if something inside of me, beyond my control, would not let me.
One day I hit absolute bottom. My marriage was in ruins; my husband was seriously addicted to pornography; our financial life was in ruins; and my older children were in constant trouble with the police and involved with drugs. I was so totally sick and ashamed of myself, and what I had become, that one morning I fell down on my knees and, between sobs of remorse and repentance, gave it all over to God. I literally put it all in His hands, and at that moment, it was as if the darkness departed from me.
After that life-changing experience, my cravings for drugs and alcohol simply disappeared. I quit cold turkey and never did suffer through any type of withdrawal symptoms or cravings. Unfortunately, my marriage did not survive, but I am proud to say that I am happily remarried and have had no desire to resume my former promiscuous behavior.
I feel so blessed to have had prayer work such a miracle in my life. God’s mercy and His love for us are truly incredible. They brought me out of a life of darkness and into His light.
To read the whole story, Continue
http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/monasticmoments/archives/139813.asp
From the book 101 Inspirational Stories of the Power of Prayer
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Rejoice in Me
by Msgr. David E. Rosage
Growing Spiritually
Psalm 65:14
The fields are garmented with flocks
and the valleys blanketed with grain.
They shout and sing for joy.
A leisurely drive through the country will make us want to "shout and sing for joy." As we contemplate the growing grain and produce, the well-fed flocks and herds, the abundance of life-giving water, we come to realize once again how profound is God's providential love which is being poured out upon us in torrents night and day.
Jesus gave us a splendid illustration in comparing our spiritual growth with God's grace to a natural growth of seed. He said: "This is how it is with the reign of God. A man scatters seed on the ground. He goes to bed and gets up day after day. Through it all the seed sprouts and grows without his knowing how it happens." (Mk 4:26-27)
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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.
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A Smile from Home - Danielle Bean
Today's Thought
Visit Danielle's Blog to see
pictures and links to go with this text.
Marriage Matters
Have you and your spouse survived serious marriage trouble? Have you ever considered divorce, but ultimately saved your marriage? Might you be willing to share your story (anonymously if you like) with Faith & Family magazine?
email me.
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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…
Martyrs of Korea
 They are slightly dusty, but perhaps that is inevitable, neatly folded in a cupboard as they are. The scarlet tunics are not quite as red as they should be. What would be seen were they to be unfolded for all to see?
The ivory-coloured tunic is slightly grey. Does the patina of dust come through the locked cupboard door, which was never made to be air and dust proof? Who wore those tiny shoes? Did they belong to a child, perhaps only four or five years old? Was the same small individual the owner of both the slippers and the ivory satin tunic with its mandarin collar? Did they belong to St. Peter Yu Tae-chol, strangled in prison at the age of thirteen on October 31st, 1839?
Continue
http://pauseforprayer.stblogs.com/2008/05/28/martyrs-of-korea/
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Spiritual Blessings from Father Rory Pitstick
A Virtual Retreat
Reflections following the Daily Liturgical cycle
Visit Fr. Rory's Blog
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Thursday
1 Pt 2: 2-5. 9-12
Ps 99(100): 2. 3. 4. 5
Mk 10: 46-52
Daily Readings
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May 29 Thu: Ordinary Weekday
From today's readings:
“Once you were no people but now you are God’s people.... Come with joy into the presence of the Lord..... Jesus, son of David, have pity on me....”
Being Fed and Built
As Christians, our following of Christ is an ever ongoing journey - there’s no point in our lives at which we can claim to have definitively arrived, and reached the high point of faith. Rather, there’s always room for deepening our faith and growing in holiness. In his first letter, Peter writes that we should, “like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, for you have tasted that the Lord is good.”
One of the surest signs of spiritual disease thus is complacency - the presumption that we’re basically good enough, and so there’s no need for a hunger and thirst to always be growing in holiness. But if we have little or no desire for ever greater closeness with God, that’s proof enough that our lives are focused on secular pursuits, which is why Scripture warns us “to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.”
For in fact, after the foundation of true Christian faith is laid, the real lifelong work of building up begins, so we should, “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may announce the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.”
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