November----- All Saints

Just for Today #431    November--- All Saints

11-25-13

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church:

#962---- "We believe in the communion of all the faithful of Christ, those who are pilgrims on earth, the dead who are being purified, and the blessed in heaven, all together forming one Church; and we believe that in this communion, the merciful love of God and his saints always (attentive) to our prayers.

From My Life with the Saints----- by James Martin, SJ

"My first year as Jesuit novice was one of exhilarating new experiences: discovering prayer and Christian spirituality; working with the poor and living in a religious community; encountering the joys of the liturgical year; and, not incidentally, learning about the saints.

It seemed that each novice entered the novitiate with a favorite saint or holy person. For the most part, it was easy to tell who the favorite saint was. Occasionally you were told outright. But usually the means of discovery was subtler: sometimes you could tell by the way a particular saint kept popping up in conversation, or by the way a person seemed almost imperceptibly happier on his saint's feast day, or by spying a holy card falling silently from his Bible as he turned a page while in chapel.

That's what this book is: a personal introduction to some of my favorite saints, holy persons, and companions. (Technically, a "saint" is someone who has been canonized, or officially recognized by the church as a person who has lived a holy life, enjoys life in heaven with God, and is worthy of public veneration by the faithful.) Over the past few years, whenever I've felt particularly close to a saint, I've spent some time writing down what drew me to him or her. Some of these essays reflect a devotion based on the public actions and well-known writings of a saint; others are rooted in a more personal response to a hidden part of a saint's life---- a small, almost unnoticed, piece of his or her story that has affected me in a deep way.

One day at Mass in the Novitiate chapel, I heard---- as if for the first time--- a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the saints: "You renew the Church in every age by raising up men and women outstanding in holiness, living witnesses of your unchanging love. They inspire us by their heroic lives, and help us by their constant prayers to be the living sign of your saving power."----- And I thought, YES!

Father Martin's list of Saints and Holy People was as follows:

Joan of Arc
Therese of Lisieux
Thomas Merton
Ignatius of Loyola
Pedro Arrupe
Bernadette Soubirous
Mother Teresa
Pope John XXIII
Dorothy Day
Peter
Thomas Aquinas
Francis of Assisi
Joseph
The Ugandan Martyrs
Aloysius Gonzaga
Mary

As for myself, I have prayed to been and close "Friends" with a number of Saints and Holy People:

St Benedict
St. Francis of Assisi
St. Anthony of Padua
Thomas Merton
St. Francis de Sales
St. Basil the Great
St. Aelred of Rievaulx
St. Vincent de Paul
St. Paul
St. Peter
St. Andrew
St. Scholastica
St. Isidore the Farmer
St. John the Baptist
St. John the Baptist de la Salle
St. Bruno
St. Ignatius of Loyola
St. Maximilian Kolbe
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
St. Bernard of Clairvaux
St. Robert Bellarmine
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
Mother Teresa
Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Francis
Leah Kunz
Susan Zachman
Anna Freund

Amen

Year of Faith Plus 1

Peace

grandpazach@yahoo.com

Let's Follow in HIS Footsteps

Walk the Path that Jesus Walked!

Part of Reflection by Catherine de Hueck Doherty (1896-1985)

As we approach the call to EVANGELIZE and spread the GOOD NEWS we need to be extremely flexible in what we do and be attentive to NEW OPPORTUNITIES, OPENINGS, POSSIBILITIES, that cut across our preconceived notions and beckon into ways and situations that we have barely assessed or perhaps never thought of. Be prepared for constant changes. We cannot be rigid in any way or undesirous of change. We seek a deeper impenetration or presentation of the Good News. It is important for us to use all modern means of communication and technology to put across the message of Christ.

Flexibility needs to be prepared for by OBSERVING, THINKING, RESEARCHING, AND PRAYER. But it is important that we do all these together, as united community. WE NEED TO BEG THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LEAD US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. If we look for the PATHS that God is already laying out for us, a new awareness, a new vitality, and new sense of challenge and adventure will come into our hearts. WE DID TO BE READY TO FOLLOW CHRIST WHEREVER HE GOES, for Christ has a way of going into unexpected places. He often directs us toward an end that we don't yet perceive but is just around the corner.

Amen.

Peace

Year of Faith

"Let's Follow in His Footsteps"

grandpazach@yahoo.com 

Is God Communicating with YOU?

Book about God Coincidences

1. From This Day:

Within the Word

The Spirit in the Christian Life

Every other year, the Saturday of the twenty-ninth week in Ordinary Time (last Saturday) through Thursday of the thirtieth week (this Week), the daily Lectionary reads through the whole of Romans 8, and with good reason. It is in this chapter more than any other that Paul develops his THEOLOGY OF THE SPIRIT.

Those who live according to the Spirit, then, view reality from God's point of view. While they live in the world and in the body, they live by the power of God's Spirit, which enables them to do what they could not do when they were in the old Adam. The power of God's own Spirit empowers them to fulfill God's law as God intended. Thus the Spirit is the power and source of their moral life.

2. Romans 8: 26-28    (tomorrow's Mass) :

Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our WEAKNESS; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to god's will.

3. "Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful, and enkindle in them the fire of your love."

4. Notes:

In those special little moments when everything just seems to fall into place---- what do you think it is that just happened? Was it Fate? Serendipity? Providence? Chance? Happenstance? Destiny?

Last week I received a small book, as a gift, by Squire Rushnell, titled, "When God Winks at you---- how God Speaks Directly to You Through the Power of Coincidence."

From the back cover:

Those Extraordinary little events in your life happen for a reason, a coincidence--- sometimes a silly little thing--- CHANGES the course of your day.... or even your life. Is it chance, is it luck, or is GOD COMMUNICATIONG WITH YOU?

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This week I'm working on a paper about the Holy Spirit in my life and I seem to flooded with these "God Winks and God Incidents+ --- this mornings  reflections about today's Gospel are prime examples.

Amen.

Peace

Year of Faith

grandpazach@yahoo.com    

We are all Apostles!

We are all Apostles!

1. Feast: St. Simon and St. Jude Apostles (First Century)

Of all the original twelve apostles, St. Jude is perhaps the most commonly invoked in prayer. He enjoys widespread popularity as the "patron of hopeless cases."

Both of these saints have long been celebrated together---- possibly owing to the legend that they were martyred in Persia on the same day.

2. From the Magnificat---- a reading they used for morning Prayers--- one of my favorites.
James 1: 22-25

BE DOERS OF THE WORD, and not hearers only, deluding yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a DOER, he is like a man who looks at his own face in a mirror. He sees himself, then goes off and promptly forgets what he looked like. But the one who peers into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres, and is not a hearer who forgets but a DOER WHO ACTS, SUCH A ONE SHALL BE BLESSED FOR WHAT HE DOES.

3. From "Saint of the Day"

"As in the case of all the apostles except Peter, James and John, we are faced with men who are really unknown, and we are struck by the fact that their holiness is simply taken  to be a GIFT FROM CHRIST. He chose some unlikely people; a former Zealot, a former (crooked) tax collector, an impetuous fisherman, two "sons of thunder" and a man named Judas Iscariot.

It is a reminder that we cannot receive too often. Holiness does not depend on human merit, culture, personality, effort or achievement. It is entirely God's creation and gift. God needs no zealots to bring about the kingdom by force. Jude, like all the saints, is the saint of the impossible; Only God can create his divine life in human beings. And God wills to do so, for all of us.

"Just as Christ was sent by the Father, so also he sent the apostles, FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT."

4.From Father Burke Masters
"The Apostles were regular men like me and you. The Lord DID NOT CALL THE EQUIPPED, BUT HE EQUIPS THE CALLED. Jesus turned these twelve ordinary men into a group of super-evangelists with the help of His grace. The Holy Spirit descended upon these men on that first Pentecost and the world would never be the same .

The Lord also calls me and you, despite our weakness and sinfulness . The Lord's call is not just for the apostles, but it is for every single  one of us. He sets high ideals for all of us. He calls us to be holy as our heavenly Father is holy. He calls us to be merciful as the Lord is merciful to us. He loves us more than we can possibly imagine. And He gives us the grace to live out this life of discipleship.

How are you responding to God's call in your life?"

Let's All be Apostles!
Grandpazach

What's Important to You? ------(The HOLY SPIRIT changed me over time)

So What are you Longing for?

9-20-13

Reading  (I Timothy 6: 2-12)

Religion with contentment is a great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)

Reflection from----- The Word Among Us-----

"Are you content? It's a surprisingly complicated question. We love Jesus, but sometimes we feel unfulfilled. We have heard, "The love of money is the root of all evils" (1 Timothy 6:10), but it isn't always about money. Sure, material things like our possessions, food, or recreation can compete for our love. But the desire for recognition, status, or fame can also make us feel dissatisfied.

SO WHAT ARE YOU LONGING FOR?
Each of us probably has something that feels just out of reach, and we think that if we had it, we would finally be happy. For some of us, it's money or material possessions. For others, it's recognition, popularity, or respect. Whatever it is for you, know that if it becomes a focal point, it can lead you into a trap. We can become envious of those who have what we want. Still yearning for something more, we can stray from the foundation or our faith and mistakenly think that we need Jesus and something else.

Banish this fiction from your mind! All you really NEED is Jesus. He wants to fill and satisfy you. He wants to give you true and lasting contentment. As you learn how to place the things of this world in proper context, you will find yourself receiving more from Jesus.

The best way to find this kind of contentment is to bring your attachments to the Lord and ask him to SET YOU FREE. Remember, you didn't bring anything into this world, and you won't take anything out of it. The only thing that will stand the test of time is knowing who you are in him, and knowing that you have loved and  SERVED OTHERS. Use your possessions to advance these three goals, and you will please the Lord.

Jesus doesn't condemn anyone for having riches. But he does warn people who find their security in riches more than in him. His greatest desire is that our HEARTS be set on things ABOVE, not on earthly matters. This is the best way to keep our money and our possessions in the right perspective. It's also a great way to build the kingdom.

'Lord, help me overcome the attachments that keep me from you. Teach me to fix my affections on you and receive the deep CONTENTMENT of knowing you!'"

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One of my favorite writers is James Martin, SJ------- let me share a couple of thoughts of his on the subject from:   "The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything---- A Spirituality for real Life"

"The more you simplify, the freer you will feel, and be. Possessions cost not only money but time. Consider the time you spend worrying about what you wear. You have to think about it, shop for it, buy it, clean it, repair it, store it, and replace it. The same goes for your house, your car, your furniture, your television, your television, your appliances, your computer, and your other electronic gadgets. the less you decide to buy, the more time you have for the things that matter more.

But How Do I Do It?

Father says: Let me suggest three steps, of increasing difficulty. Then a challenge. In all these things, TRUST THAT GOD WILL HELP YOU ALONG THIS PATH TO FREEDOM, WHICH GOD DESIRES FOR YOU.

First , get rid of whatever you don't need. It's the obvious first step to simplifying. What should you do with all that stuff? Well, once again, the extra coat you're not using doesn't belong to you it belongs to the poor. Call a local church, shelter, or clothing distribution center

Second, distinguish between WANTS AND NEEDS. Is it "nice to have" or "need to have"? Do you "need" a bigger TV or the latest phone or newest computer? Or is it something you want because your friends just bought one or because you've seen it advertised? It's difficult to resist the desire to have what friends have and what the marketers say you need, but again, TURNING THESE THINGS DOWN LEADS TO FREEDOM.------- GO ON A BUYING DIET!

Third, get rid of the things you think you need, but can actually live without.

Finally, here's a challenge: GET TO KNOW THE POOR. That's a difficult for some of us, since we are sometimes trained to ignore them, view them as lazy, or fear them. But finding opportunities to volunteer in the soup kitchen or homeless shelter(and finding appropriate and safe ways for your children to do so as well) will introduce you to the poor of your community. You will soon come to know them not as "the poor," but as individuals with their own stories.

They will have often suffered much, and it may, initially, be hard to be around them, but they can also TEACH YOU A GREAT DEAL ABOUT GRATITUDE, ABOUT PERSEVERANCE, AND ABOUT BEING CLOSE TO GOD."

xxxxxxx

Notes:

When I look back over my life, I often recall how the Holy Spirit has lead me through difficult times, always on to something better. I've been in "Formation" for over 70 years and each and every day I am blessed with new insights.  With regards to today's topic I learned exactly 40 years that money was not the answer. You see I grew up very poor, but had a strong desire to "succeed"--- well indeed I did--- but in short order I lost everything a couple of times.

About 25 years ago, in my basement, I prayed to the Holy Spirit to take my drive away for "chasing after money"--- my prayers were answered. Again, about 20 years ago while still making good money I asked the Holy Spirit to help me decide if there was anything I really "needed". The kids were through college and I understood completely the difference between needs and wants. I'd given up wanting anything many years before that---- this time I was praying about needs. Again my answer soon came, I couldn't come up with any true needs. So ,since  I was self-employed, I gradually starting taking more and more time off--- leading to total retirement almost 17 years ago.

Shortly after that I went out to dinner with dear Priest friend of mine, who directed my first Retreat back in High School, Father Maynard  C. Kegler.  He simply asked me, "what are you going to do to give back what you have been BLESSED with?"----- I said YES to the HOLY SPIRIT and have been trying to follow the WILL OF GOD for me ever since. It's been a wonderful JOURNEY!

To be continued.

Amen
Year of Faith
Peace
Granpazach 

Birds of the Bible and my yard

"Thou art my beloved son, in whom I am well Pleased."

From: All the Birds of the Bible    by Alice Parmelee

Quietly making His way through the crowd comes Jesus to be baptized by John. His thirty years of silence are ended. The crowd makes way for Jesus, such is the quality of his person, but His identity remains hidden from the multitude. Quietly He enters the Jordan for the simple rite of baptism. When He steps out of the water and is praying, something unusual happens, the heavens open and the Spirit of God descends "like a Dove" and alights upon Jesus. Then from heaven comes a Voice, saying: "Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
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From the Catechism of the Catholic Church (701)

The Dove. At the end of the flood, whose symbolism refers to Baptism, a dove released by Noah returns with a fresh olive-tree branch in its beak as a sign that the earth was again habitable. When Christ comes up from the water of his Baptism, the Holy Spirit, in the form of a Dove, comes down upon him and remains with him. The Spirit comes down and remains with the purified hearts of the baptized. In certain churches, the Eucharist is reserved in a metal receptacle in the form of a dove (columbarium) suspended above the altar. Christian iconography traditionally uses a dove to suggest the Spirit.

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Notes:

One of the Fruits of the Holy Spirit is Peace.
Where do you find Peace?
Forty years ago during some hard times, the Holy Spirit opened my eyes and ears to the beauty of Birds in my own back yard. I've been a "Birder" ever since and found PEACE each and every day because of it.

The beautiful stain glass window of St. Francis shows many birds I see and hear every day.
Just to give you an idea-- here's a few from my yard yesterday--- Downy Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Canada Goose, Robin, Blue Jay, White Breasted Nuthatch, Crow, Morning Dove, Hummingbird, Goldfinch, Killdeer, Flicker, Hairy Woodpecker, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Chickadee, Red-Tailed Hawk, Cardinal, Mallard, Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Chipping Sparrow, Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Ring-Billed Gull, and Sandhill Crane.

Turn of the Cable News---- go for a walk and find PEACE in God's Creation all around you.

Amen
Peace
Year of Faith
Grandpazach

GREAT ARE THE WORKS OF THE LORD----- lists

9-18-13

What might I do Today to WITNESS God's LOVE?

From Father Burke Masters-- part of his reflection on Luke 7:31-35

"Today many of us make excuses not to believe in God or Jesus. We don't go to Church because of something that has happened to us. Or we see people who are sinners walking into Church and we decide that we don't want to be a part of hypocrisy. I have heard people say, I don't go to Church because it is full of hypocrites, but that is why we go to Church. We go to learn more about Jesus and to receive the GRACE in order to CHANGE our lives. There is no perfect Church, but we are a people on the JOURNEY toward holiness with the GRACE OF GOD.

Do I have an emptiness in my soul that needs to be filled? Maybe the Lord will not act the way we want Him to, but that is okay. We must trust that the Lord has come to LOVE us, to HEAL us and to SAVE us. Believe me; His plans for us for us are ALWAYS better than our plans for ourselves. TRUST IN HIM BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU!"

Notes:
Early this morning, I came across a list I made about two years ago, that I would like to share with you. It's kind of a snapshot of what was going on during my Journey at the time.

Mission---- Pilgrimage---- Book Group---- Paris-----Switzerland---- Bellarmine Hall----Holy Family Church------Books-----Reunions-----Genealogy---- Nuns---- my Dog-----Flowers-----Birds----50th Anniversary of McHenry County Audubon Society----Advocate Hospital "Care" Seminar(Sam's Group--12 weeks)----my Week in the Hospital----- Log House----Pope Benedict-----Cardinal Burke's Breakfast with McHenry County Catholics----Ministry Formation (Rockford Diocese) ---SVDP Society-----Alden's------SSPP Catholic School----Grand Kids (especially Anna and Hugo)--- Linda Z's---- My Health----and "Leading Like Christ"

All my life I have been a "Goal Setter" and a List Maker. I could write at least one Blog each on all of the topics mentioned above. I firmly TRUST that the Holy Spirit will lead me as I take on the Blogging World.

In Responding to the Word: about today's first reading (1 Timothy 3:14-16)

"Unable to be with them in person, Paul writes to encourage the community to live as Christ's  WITNESSES."
What might I do today to WITNESS to God's love and be a sign of ENCOURAGEMENT to others?

Amen
Year of Faith
Peace
Grandpazach

Ballermine Hall Retreat Center Barrington, Il.

Feast of Saint Robert Bellarmine --Bishop & Doctor of the Church (1542-1621)

9-17-13

Born in Italy, he entered the Jesuits and was ordained in 1570. He became a teacher in Louvain and then professor of Controversial Theology at the Roman College (1576), where he wrote his famous 'Disputations on the Controversies of the Christian Faith against the Heretics of this Age (1586-93), which was appreciated even by Protestants because of its balanced presentation. He helped revise the Latin Bible (Vulgate), prepared two catechisms, directed the Roman College, supervised the Vatican library, and was the pope's theologian. Appointed cardinal (1599) and archbishop of Capua (1602), he was greatly loved as a pastor. May we learn that "Charity is that with which no one is lost and without which no one is saved."

From a treatise ON THE ASCENT OF THE MIND OF GOD  by Saint Robert Bellarmine

"May you consider truly good whatever leads to your goal and truly evil whatever makes you fall away from it.  Prosperity and adversity, wealth and poverty, health and sickness, honors and humiliations, life and death, in the mind of the wise man, are not to be sought for their own sake. But if they contribute to the glory of God and your eternal happiness, then they are good and should be sought. If they detract from this, they are evil and must be avoided.

Prayer

God our Father,
you gave Robert Bellarmine wisdom and goodness
to defend the faith of your Church.
By his prayers
may we always rejoice in the profession of our faith.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Notes:
I made my first Jesuit Retreat at Bellarmine Hall in Barrington, Il. almost 40 years ago. My most recent one was a 31 Day "Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola in Everyday Life"-- titled My Vacation with God. In between I made retreats on my own, with my wife and with men from our local parishes. ---- I thank John, my neighbor back min the 70's who first told me about Bellarmine Hall.

Here's a few words about the Spiritual Exercises:

"The Spiritual Exercises are activities that we choose to do to help us to BECOME ONE WITH THE GOD WHO CREATED US. Some examples include the work of praying, meditating, journaling, contemplating, drawing, body movement, Scripture reading etc.

 The Exercises are designed in such a way to engage us at every level of our being. They invite us to THINK, to FEEL, to OBSERVE, to REFLECT, and to ACT. They engage our whole person.

The Spiritual Exercises are often compared to physical exercises. Just as physical exercises condition our body, the Spiritual Exercises condition our SOULS, our HEARTS, and our MINDS so that we become ready to RECEIVE the incredible love of Our Creator and God, and then to RETURN that love to him. We are created in LOVE for Love.

Amen

A new day!

Good Morning!

By saying "YES" to Jesus, we enter the gateway to a "NEW LIFE". Peace.

Jesus will help you STEP by STEP!

8-20-13

Feast: St. Bernard Abbot and Doctor of the Church (1090-1153)

Born near Dijon, France, at 22 he entered the Benedictine abbey of Citeaux, know for its strict observance. After three years, he was sent as abbot with twelve monks to establish a new monastery in a valley known as clairvaux (the Valley of Light). From the time he became abbot until his death, Bernard dominated the religious and political life of Western Europe. His mystical and theological writings, sermons, letters, treatises, and biblical commentaries have had a profound and lasting influence on Catholic spirituality. When he died, all of Europe mourned. He was declared a doctor of the Church in 1830. May we learn from him that "real happiness will come, not in gratifying our desires or in gaining passing pleasures, but in accomplishing God's will for us."

Gospels: Both Yesterday's----- Mathew 19:16-22  and today's ----Matthew 19:23-30  Talk about selling what you have and you will get your treasure in heaven. Or It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

From Sacred Space:

In both cases he is highlighting a TRUTH about wealth---- it can ruin us. Wealth can leave us mistrustful of others or mean; is can also be the basis for service and generosity. To give away money or possessions regularly is a way to ensure wealth NEVER ensnares us.

The things to which I am most attached can slow me down.

Paul told the people of Philippi that nothing matters more than knowing Christ (Phil 3:8). I think of what really matters to me, WHAT MAKES ME TRULY RICH, and ask God's help to LET EVERYTHING ELSE GO.

From Living With Christ:

Today, few are asked to sell everything in order to follow Jesus. But we are expected to use our time, talents and energy to help build up the Kingdom of God.

from The Word Among Us:

Sometimes possessions hold us back. For someone else, it may be status or resentment or an sinful relationship. In reality, it could be ANYTHING that takes our focus off of Jesus and his call to eternal life. Instead ask Jesus to help you STEP BY STEP. HE WILL! So take up Jesus' offer, and choose to follow him JUST AS YOU ARE.  Jesus, help me to turn my eyes to you, and to follow you WHEVER YOU LEAD."  "Show me WHO I REALLY AM! FILL me with CONFIDENCE, COURAGE, and the ZEAL to serve you with all my heart.

Notes: If you look at all at some of the books I listed in my profile, you will notice that quite a few of the have to do with the Monastic Life. The picture above is of a Benedictine Monastery in Rome.
If I had a previous life I was probably a monk about the same time of St. Bernard -- say 900 years ago-- If I wasn't a Benedictine, I was a Trappist, Cistercian, or Carthusion.

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About this time yesterday, I was finishing up what I thought was a very well thought out blog. Suddenly the whole this disappeared into thin air---- never to be found again. The only thing left was the Title: Jesus will help you STEP by STEP!  I went to bed last night feeling a bit down---- BUT TODAY WAS A NEW BALLGAME--- as always. I think He's asking me to take smaller steps.

Like:   "Rome wasn't built in a day"
            "You learn something everyday"
            "You don't know what you don't know"
            "One day at a time"
            "Let go! Let God!"
            "One door closes another opens"
           
"Today I tried to follow Jesus step by step------- at the end of the day I'm ONE DAY CLOSER to God on my JOURNEY!

Amen.

Year of Faith

Peace

grandpazach@yahoo.com
 

Only Jesus truly SATISFIES!!

Rome, Italy

If earthly wealth will not satisfy, Jesus will.
Only Jesus Truly Satisfies!

Hebrews 12:1----- Persevere in running the race.

From "The Word Among Us"

Usain Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter who holds the record as the fastest person ever. Nicknamed the "Lightning Bolt," he has won many Olympic gold medals and World Championships. Like Bolt, many top athletes in the world dedicate countless hours to working out, training, and eating right
to obtain their dreams. They make many sacrifices in their time and activities so that they can stay
focused on the prize.

Do you consider yourself a Christian athlete running the GREATEST RACE of your life? Well, that's what you are. Right now, countless angels and saints, along with Jesus and your heavenly Father, are cheering you on. THEY WANT TO SEE YOU WIN. They have FAITH and HOPE that you can do it, too! What's more, you're not alone. A HUGE COMMUNITY OF BELIEVERS IS RUNNING WITH YOU, all reaching for the prize together.

During the race, Jesus wants you to know him not only as the Savior and Messiah but as your best FRIEND AND TRAINER! And to help you run, he wants you to receive his own STRENGTH and POWER, his own encouragement and excitement. He also wants to see you strengthen your spiritual muscles as you lend a helping hand, encourage someone who is downcast, and reach out to share God's word along the way. He wants to help you be free from the self-righteousness, moodiness,and impatience that can bog you down so that you can SOAR WITH EAGLES' WINGS!

Just remember one thing: This is a marathon, not a sprint! So pace yourself.

" I am here to win the race Lord! Crown me with your glory!"
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From "Living With Christ"

As we run the race of life that lies before us, we must keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. His TEACHING and EXAMPLE will not betray us.

WHEN WE GIVE OURSELVES TO THE SERVICE OF THE LEAST AMONG US, OUR LIVES WILL HAVE MEANING. When we work to build Christ's kingdom of justice and peace, we will find fulfillment that flows from his love.

Success in life depends on the GOAL we make our own. THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO SEE THE TREASURE OF HEAVEN WILL FIND JOY ON EARTH. Those who keep their eyes fixed on Jesus will cross the finish line not in disaster, but in victory.

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Notes: A couple of reasons I wanted to send a "Post" out today:
1. My wife Linda and I lector together and we did one of the Masses today.  As part of being a Lector we study the readings and practice before hand, so we have a pretty good "feel" about Mass we are about to attend. There's a publication that's offered every year for families titled "At Home with the Word"---- Put out by Liturgy Training Publications. It's inexpensive and truly gives you a better understanding of all the Sunday Gospels and Readings.

2. My Grandson is still here, so he can help me before I push the "Publish" button. For example I learned to enjoy using photos while on Facebook, I don't quite get how to move a photo from here to there and back again. Anyway, I hope to have good notes before he goes back to Paris.

In closing, a word from Pope Francis: "THE VIRGIN MARY
                                          teaches us what it means to live in the holy spirit
                                                           and what it means to accept the news of God in our life.
                                                               May Mary help you to be attentive to what the
                                                              Lord asks of you, and to live and walk forever with
                                                                             the HOLY SPIRIT!"

Amen

Year of Faith

Peace

grandpazach@yahoo.com




  

 

  

Feast: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 

 

Feast: The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"The Virgin Mary teaches us what it means to live in the Holy Spirit and what it means to accept the news of God in our life. May Mary help you to be attentive to what the Lord asks of you, and to live and walk forever with the holy Spirit!" Pope Francis

This Beautiful Mural is in The Basilica of ST. JOHN LATERRAN, ROME, ITALY.

St. John Lateran rightfully adorns herself with the title of "Mother and first of all Churches of Rome and of the World" in its capacity as Cathedral of the Eternal City. Like St. Peter's and St. Paul's, this Basilica was also founded by Constantine.  I took the picture last month when my wife Linda and I were in Rome to visit with Pope Francis and 200,000 other people at high noon on Sunday. We were also able to see the other three main Churches ---- St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. Peter.

 

from Living With Christ:  "So freely and totally did Mary respond to God's grace throughout her life, that in death she was honored by God. In declaring the dogma of the Assumption, the Church proclaims and celebrates that in Mary there was no obstacle to deny her immediate passing through death and becoming the first after her Son to be raised body and soul to fullness of with  God.

 

Today's feast of the Assumption of Mary celebrates the summit of her journey as God's most humble and faithful servant. As we reflect on this joyful feast, we realize that she is teaching us to sing the Magnificat with her to the world. We too are invited to proclaim in joy and humble service the compassion and justice of God. Like Mary, in serving the reign of god, we too will one day share in her destiny.   Rev. Michael Traher, SFM

 

Peace

 

Year of Faith

 

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Feast of Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Marytown

Maximilian Kolbe, born on January 8, 1894, in Poland, became a Conventual Franciscan and in 1918 was ordained a priest  in Rome. Out of deep filial devotion to Mary, he established the sodality called the Militia of Mary Immaculate and promoted its growth in Poland and other parts of the world. As a missionary in Japan he labored under the patronage of the Immaculate Virgin to spread the Christian faith. He returned to Poland and during World War II was imprisoned and suffered great hardship in the concentration camp in Oswiecim (Auschwitz). His life of dedication was crowned by his supreme sacrifice of charity on August 14, 1941, when he offered up his own life in place of another prisoner.

Prayer by Saint Maximilian Kolbe

Two or Three Gathered in Prayer in Jesus' Name

Prayer is..... a tool unknown to most, and yet, is the best way to reestablish peace in our souls, to reach happiness, since it serves to draw us closer to God's love.

Prayer makes the world anew.

Prayer is the necessary condition for the rebirth and life of every soul.

Through prayer, and without ever leaving the walls of her own convent, Saint Therese of Lisieux was conferred with the title of Patroness of all Missions. Therefore, we also should pray and our prayer should be fruitful and constant. By praying both with our voices and our thoughts, we shall belong to her everyday more in every aspect of our lives, how our sins shall disappear and our faults weaken, how smoothly and powerfully we shall be drawn always closer to God.

Our external activity is all right but, obviously, it is not as important as our spiritual life, our life of recollection, of prayer, of our personal love for God.

only through prayer is it possible to reach Saint Augustine's goal: "The love of God and the contempt of ourselves," a contempt not only imaginary but real, so that, by knowing ourselves, our nothingness, and our weaknesses every day better, we may truly despise ourselves, and wish the others to treat us as we deserve.

In the measure in which we shall burn always more with a divine love, we shall be able to inflame others also with a similar love.

How do we nourish the interior life, the spirit of prayer, our union with God when we are at work, or at reat, or when we are carrying out our different activities? With a spontaneous prayer.... A short spontaneous prayer while we are working is the best prayer, and it is also very practical, for it unites us always closer to the Immaculate, as an instrument in the hands of the Teacher. Through this means we obtain the grace of enlightening our minds to recognize her will, and of strengthening our will to fulfill it.  Amen  

Notes: Marytown-- Libertyville, Il. is a National Shrine in honor of Saint Maximilian Kolbe. Patterned after St. Paul Outside-the- walls of Rome, Italy, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament chapel is simply one of the most beautiful religious sites in America. The Chapel is open to adorers of the Eucharist 24/7.

Peace

Year of Faith

grandpazach

My first Blog----- Thank you Lord, for taking me down this "Trail".  

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