Two very different saints give us insight into God and prayer, take a moment to read their thoughts and reflect on them.

 

 "In order to be an image of God, the spirit must turn to what is eternal, hold it in spirit, keep it in memory, and by loving it, embrace it in the will."
[St. Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)]

"When we pray, the voice of the heart must be heard more than the proceedings from the mouth."  [St. Bonaventure]

May God Be Praised!

  

Following Christ is at once arduous and easy, arduous because our culture is overwhelmingly secular and materialistic, easy because Jesus shows us the way to live – by loving God and loving our neighbor.  If we change our focus in this life from the now to the eternal, following Christ will be easy but arduous.

 

"Francis [de Sales] insists that true devotion must touch every area of our life. True devotion is not just a matter of spiritual practices but of bringing all our life under the lordship of Christ. Francis is known for his slogan: ‘Live, Jesus! Live, Jesus!’

What he means by this is an invitation to Jesus to ‘live and reign in our hearts forever and ever’ . . . In other words, for Francis, to live the devout life is to reach the point in our love for God and neighbor that we eagerly (‘carefully, frequently, and promptly’) desire to do His will in all the various ways in which it is communicated to us: in the duties of our state in life, in the objective teaching of God’s Word, in opportunities and occasions presented to us, in response to our interior inspirations."  [Fulfillment of All Desire, Ralph Martin]

May God Be Praised!

Two Salesian saints give us practical food for thought as we journey through this life, take a few minutes to reflect on their insights.

“When you encounter difficulties and contradictions, do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time.”   [St. Francis de Sales]

“Retire at various times into the solitude of your own heart, even while outwardly engaged in discussions or transactions with others, and talk to God.”

[St. Francis de Sales]

 “St. Margaret Mary Alacoque experienced visions to our Lord in which he held his heart in his hands, extending it to her as a sign of his love and passion…. The spiritual journey … is a honeymoon, where our heavenly Lover runs to meet us, to save us from ourselves, and to make us whole with his love so that we can live together in joy and passion for all eternity.”  [Broken Gods by Gregory Popcak]

May God Be Praised!

Homily Cycle C 01-27-19 

Readings for the 3^rd Sunday in Ordinary http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/012719.cfm

As you are well aware our weather recently hasn’t been the best.  Mark Twain said, “Everybody complains about the weather and nobody can do anything about it.”   Some people in Scotland have developed a great system for Weather Forecasting.

There is an Inn at the foot of the Ben Nevis Highland in Scotland and the people who live near the Ben Nevis Inn can see the Weather Forecasting System:

Today’s Scripture readings present a powerful image, in the selection from Nehemiah we heard, “Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly … he read from the book from daybreak till midday….

[about 6 hours, I promise not to do that toady], all the people listened attentively … and answered, Amen, amen…. All the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.”

Have you ever wept hearing or reading the Word of the Lord?  We prayed in song with our Responsorial Psalm, “Lord you have the WORDS of everlasting life.”  

Do you believe that with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your being that the WORDS of Scripture are of everlasting life?

WELL IT IS TRUE!

St. Paul reminds us that we are part of the Body of Christ, each one of us not only a part of it, BUT an important/vital part of the Body of Christ.  St. Luke writes his Gospel, ostensibly, to “ … most excellent Theophilus [lover of God].  He writes to all people who will listen.  How many members of your family would call you a “lover of God”?  Would you call yourself a “lover of God’?  If not, why not?

A LOVER OF GOD IS WHAT WE ARE CALLED TO BE, THAT IS WHY WE WERE BAPTIZED.  Today spend some time thinking about how you can nourish your relationship with God [who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit].  Where on your To-Do List is prayer time/ quiet time with the Lord?

The Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jesus; Jesus anointed us with the Spirit at our Baptism, strengthened us at our Confirmation and nourishes with the Eucharist.  Last Sunday Jesus changed water into wine, [wonderful news for the wine drinkers]; it was a superabundance of wine, and it points to God’s love for us – superabundant, beyond our wildest expectations.  Today we hear about Jesus preaching in the synagogue in Nazareth, where He proclaims that He is the anointed one of God, the Messiah.

One of the vital missions of our parish is to teach the faith, to accomplish that we have our (Religious Education Program) R.E.P. led by Mrs. Salabsky and our parish school by Mrs. Frio.  Catholic Schools Week starts today here and throughout the nation.  We celebrate our Catholic School, the precious gift it is to our families, our parish, our community, our country and the universal Church.

Our school educates saint and scholars, young girls & boys who know their faith, live their faith and are academically prepared to succeed in high school and beyond.  Today take some time to offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the teachers, staff, principal and students attending our parish school,

olphbeth.org 



Ezra proclaimed God’s Word, Jesus enfleshed God’s Word – we are called to Live God’s Word
and shine His light on the darkness in our world.  For a few minutes, in silence, reflect on the importance of God’s Word in your life and in your actions?  God’s Spirit is upon you, what are you going to do with it?

May God Be Praised!

Our time on earth in short, our journey limited, so today reflect on the ultimate goal - eternity [in the land of the living]:

A Celebration of Life - Rosemary Winkelbauer (sister of Msgr. Sacks)

We pray to God for miracles

We plead with him for cures

But cures do not always come.

Often what we fail to see is that the miracle is not in the cure;

But in finding the strength to accept what has happened.

 

Death will come to each one of us we know not when, so prepare for it each day by living with the end in mind.  Live not with fear of death, but with the faith and knowledge that Jesus guides each one of us from the land of the dying to the land of the living. 

St. Francis de Sales said, "Let God gather to Himself what He has planted in His garden. 

He takes nothing out of season."

“Heartbreak is impossible unless there is great love.  Without love, sorrow & tears would disappear.”    (Eugene Kennedy)

St. Francis deSales wrote, “The distance from Heaven to Earth cannot separate hearts that God has united.”  

“There is a land of the living & a land of the dead, and the bridge is love.” (Thornton Wilder)

“Crying is a way your eyes speak when your mouth can’t explain how broken your heart is.”  (unknown)

“In Life we seek God.  In Death we find God.  In Eternity we possess God.”  (St. Francis de Sales)

 

Allow Jesus to illuminate the road you travel in this life, His light never goes out. 

May God Be Praised!

We are called to be holy, to become a saint, that doesn’t mean we are perfect, it means we seek the Lord in every thing we say & do!

 

"One should not say that it is impossible to reach a virtuous life; but one should say that it is not easy. Nor do those who have reached it find it easy to maintain."  [St. Anthony of the Desert]

"What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like."  [St. Augustine]

“Through devotion, your family cares become more peaceful, mutual love between husband and wife becomes more sincere, the service we owe to the prince more faithful, and our work, no matter what it is, becomes more pleasant and agreeable.” [St. Francis de Sales]

May God Be Praised!

Worshiping God leads belief to seek understanding; understanding and belief lead to love of the Lord at ever-deeper levels.

"I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but rather, I believe in order that I may understand."  [St. Anselm of Canterbury]

 "Worship is a spiritual weapon. When we worship God, we enter into His presence in a powerful way. Because demons tremble at His presence, they are reluctant to follow us there. No doubt the Devil is busy tempting us and trying to distract us even when we attend Mass. But if we give ourselves wholly to participating in the Mass, he has little room to operate.  In fact, true worship focuses our attention on God: praising Him for who He is and thanking Him for what He has done. When our minds and hearts are centered on God, the Enemy’s provocations and enticements lose their power. Frequent Mass attendance, then, is an effective weapon of our warfare." 

Manual of Spiritual Warfare by Paul Thigpen

May God Be Praised!

Today, January 24 we celebrate the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, who believed that we should Live Jesus, below are several spiritual insights from the Gentlemen Saint, and two prayers.

Direction of Intention

My God, I give you this day.  I offer you, now, all of the good

that I shall do … and I promise to accept, for love of you, all of the difficulty that I shall meet.  Help me to conduct myself during this day In a manner pleasing to you.

“Nothing in this world can satisfy the person who is not first satisfied with God.” 

“Let us be who we are & be that well, in order to bring honor to the Master craftsman whose handiwork we are.”  (Oeurves, XII. Letter 289 10 June 1607)

“Walk joyfully through life & if at times you cannot walk with faith & courage.”  (Everyday with Francis deSales, June 12)

“You have a great desire for Christian perfection …. Nurture it and help it grow every day…. all must seek this perfection but not by the same means.  The principal means of uniting yourself to god are the sacraments and prayer…. But in all this … be not inconvenienced by overly long visits to church, by too lengthy withdrawals to pray.  In short, we must, as far as possible, make our devotion attractive.”  (Francis deSales, Jane deChantal, Letters of Spiritual Direction, p104) 

de Sales offers great advice for parents with his Seven Little Virtues:

•     1. Endure Patiently

•     2. See the Bright Side

•     3. Show Good Humor

•     4. Excuse Cheerfully

•     5. Put on a Good Face

•     6. Be Appreciative

•     7. Speak Gently

“Do not look forward to the changes & chances of this life with fear; rather look upon them with strong hope that, as they arise, God, whose child you are, will deliver you from them.” 

“Take courage, & turn troubles which you cannot remedy into material for progress & maturity.”

Start each day TRUSTING in God, live each moment TRUSTING in God, discover TRUSTING in God’s will for your life and you will live as a child of God.  Easy to write, easy to say, but very hard to live.

“ Let nothing disturb you; Let nothing frighten you.  All things are passing.  God never changes.  Patience obtains all things.  Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.  Go alone suffices.”  

Day is Ending

Thank you for all the gifts of the day, for the place I spent it And for those with whom I spent it, for all its joys and all its sorrows, for the troubles overcome and for those that remain.

I offer you the silence of this night, its darkness and its solitude.  Whether you chose under the cover of this night to take away the problems of this day, or leave them for tomorrow, I will bless your name.

Thy will be done.        

Amen.

May God Be Praised!

If you are interested in a little gem of St. Francis de Sales’ Wisdom get a copy of his Golden Counsels: http://embracedbygod.org/product/golden-counsels-of-st-francis-de-sales/

 

A PENCIL MAKER TOLD THE PENCIL 5 IMPORTANT LESSONS JUST BEFORE PUTTING IT IN THE BOX:

1.) EVERYTHING YOU DO WILL ALWAYS LEAVE A MARK.

2.) YOU CAN ALWAYS CORRECT THE MISTAKES YOU MAKE.

3.) WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WHAT IS INSIDE OF YOU.

4.) IN LIFE, YOU WILL UNDERGO PAINFUL SHARPENINGS,

WHICH WILL ONLY MAKE YOU BETTER.

5.) TO BE THE BEST PENCIL, YOU MUST ALLOW YOURSELF

TO BE HELD AND GUIDED BY THE HAND THAT HOLDS YOU.

Today be a pencil in the hand of God, who is Father, Son & Holy Spirit; God will guide you, walk with you, and never depart from you.  God is in love with you.

May God Be Praised!

SOME THOUGHTS ON PRAYER

Father Louis Brisson said, “O You, who are at home in the depths of my heart, permit me to join You in the depths of my heart."

“Prayer is a need of our soul; it is the life of our heart.”  

 “My joy lies in being close to my God.”  [Psalm 73:28]

 

Fr. Louis Brisson wrote, “Holiness does not consist in achieving extraordinary things, in accomplishing singular actions, but in uniting ourselves entirely to the Will of God and in doing everything with Him and for Him.  Then even the most insignificant actions in themselves become acts of perfect charity, acts that have an immense value.” 

Our true contentment and happiness is discovered and nourished by living in the Trinity, our actions should help build God’s Kingdom, and assist in God’s love becoming more visible in the world.  [Deacon Kelly]

Pope Francis said. God is a father who never ignores his children when they call to him in times of suffering, loneliness and despair.  Although at times it seems that "so many of our prayers seem to have no result," Christians are called by Christ to "insist and not give up," the pope said Jan. 9 during his weekly general audience.  

"Prayer, prayer always changes reality, let us not forget that: It either changes things or changes our hearts, but it always changes," he said.

BE CHANGED TODAY - PRAY!

May God Be Praised!

 

Why pray?

I think the first thing you want to consider is why you pray, do you pray to get what you want, to know what God wants or to build and strengthen your relationship with God.

I suggest the primary purpose of praying to is build and strengthen your relationship with God, so you can discover His will for your life and follow it. 

May God Be Praised!

Some Thoughts On Nourishment!

Would we go without food/drink (nourishment) on a regular basis? No, we know we need them to sustain our physical well-being.

What about our spiritual well-being? The same logic applies; we need to feed our spiritual life to sustain it.

Why go to Mass on Sunday? Here is something to consider!

At Mass Jesus comes to us in the Eucharist to remind us that He is with us on our earthly journey. He strengthens us so that we can make a difference where we live, with our spouse, with our children, with our neighbors and with ourselves.

God’s grace flows though us so we can live as His disciple, whether we are the Magi Seeking, the Good Samaritan Helping, the Forgiving Father Embracing, the Poor Widow Sharing, the Apostles Teaching, Martha Working, Mary Listening, or just going about our daily routine!

We go to Mass to prepare ourselves to live our story as best we can for the God who loves us and created us, and for all those we meet while we are on our earthly journey.

May God Be Praised!

Homily Cycle I 01-18-19

In Luke’s Gospel Jesus healed the paralytic who was helped by four friends.  Imagine this scene – Christmas Eve Mass [at Our Lady of Perpetual Help] without the Marian Inn overflow Mass, the church is packed, people standing in the gathering space, and even in the parking lot.  Then, four people – lower someone down on a mat into the middle of Church.  Pretty chaotic!  The packed house overflowing with people was the situation in today’s Gospel.

Picture a yoga Mat, certainly the mat the four people used was larger than it.  Remember the “One Thousand & One Nights”, a.k.a. “Arabian Nights” the story of Prince Husain and his magic [flying] carpet.  That carpet was 60 mile long and 6 miles wide, going west that would be to Lebanon, PA. 

The Mat that the four men used was some where between those the yoga mat and the magic carpet, remember they were carrying a man on it.  The paralytic’s friends were really good friends – in word and in deed! 

However, the most important friend in today’s Gospel is Jesus.  He is fully human and fully divine and He teaches with authority.

Give thanks today for friends who have encouraged you in following the Lord.  Give thanks to Jesus’ for loving you; His love enables you to do good in the world. 

Reflect on the Mat in the Gospel reading, it represents the sacraments, which help us grow close to Jesus.  Take a few minutes today to thank God for the gift of your friends, your family, the Sacraments, most especially the Gift of Jesus who is the Bread of Life!

May God Be Praised!