Our response to grace

"I have wandered onto the subject of silence. But this is not what I wanted to speak about, but rather about the soul's life with God and about its response to grace. When a soul has been cleansed, and the Lord is on intimate terms with it, it begins to apply all its inner force in striving after God. Yet the soul cannot do anything itself. God alone arranges everything. The soul knows this and is mindful of it. It is still in exile and understands will that there may yet come cloudy and rainy days, but it must now look upon things differently from what it had up to now. It does not seek reassurance in a false peace, but makes ready for battle. It knows it comes from a warrior race. It is now much more aware of everything. It knows that it is of royal stock. It is concerned with all that is great and holy."

- From the Diary of St. Faustina (#120)

Wisdom

"I don't know what I'm doing, but I know what I love." - Albert Soratorio

What a wonderful conversation we had about pain...and love...and healing. For the first time in 31 years, we could say that we shared with each other. We've talked before, but not like this.

And I learned a very important lesson: Do not judge the weight of another person's cross. Do what you can to help them carry it.

I really, really love my brother.

+AMDG+

Victory in Christ

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

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;
and 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. Amen.

******************************

There is no greater gift than LOVE. No greater strength. No greater virtue. Always and every day...may we remember to be LOVE.

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Amen.

+AMDG+

Buried Treasure for 2010

I was cleaning out one of my boxes and found a notebook that has all my notes from Tito Jess's Catholic morality class, the Prayer of Jabez, and the talks I went to at the National Catholic Family Conference that year.

Powerhouse.

Fr. Bill Casey. Fr. Shannon Collins. Michael Cumbie. Tim Staples. Fr. Straub.

Those were the days...

So I decided to make them my New Year's meditations. Not just for the day, but for the WHOLE YEAR.

What grace comes from going back to your roots and relearning everything that committed your heart in the first place.

Regina sent me this prayer, and truly...it was everything I needed to hear for this coming year.

"Disturb us, O Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves; when our dreams have come true because we dreamed too little; when we have arrived safely because we sailed too close to the shore; Stir us, O Lord, to dare more boldly, to venture more seas, where storms shall show your mastery, where losing sight of land, we shall find the stars. In the Name of Him who pushed back the horizons of our hopes...and invited us to follow Him. Amen."

Here's to a year consecrated to Jesus through Mary...a year of expanding territory...claimed for the Kingdom of God.

+AMDG+

Solemnity of the Mary, Mother of God

Courtesy of Fr. Ed - today's homily

1. As soon as you wake up, consecrate your day to Mary.
2. Do all acts through Mary so she can offer them up to her Son.
3. Wear the scapular. It is Mary hugging you and offering her protection.
4. Pray the Rosary as a family daily (before dinner). Short and sweet.
5. Have the FATHER lead the rosary as the example of spiritual leadership.