I couldn't think of a better title for this post, despite that it sounds generic or cheesy. But anyway. . .
Every now and then someone has the idea that girls being Alter servers makes them want to become Priests, which is against the Church. Women can't be Priests. None of the 12 apostles were women, and that's OK, we have plenty of other ways to help, but that's a whole other blog post!
While it might be true that some girls get this idea, It hasn't happened for me. I do not remember ever having the thought of wishing that women were allowed to be Priests. Really, in the novice ordo Mass, the altar server has a relatively small role compared to the Latin Mass.
Serving at Mass is an incredible privilege that until recent times was reserved for boys only, because we want to encourage boys to be Priests and in the Latin Mass, the server(s) have a much bigger role. I can definitely see why this was reserved, because in the Latin Mass, the servers are like little Priests-In-Training, and could see where they would be encouraged to be Priests through serving the Latin Mass.. (My younger brother serves the Latin Mass at least once a month.)
I have never felt encouraged to somehow try to go against my Faith in this way through serving at Mass. Am I an exception? I doubt it. I understand that Women just simply aren't to be Priests, that's the way God set it up, and that's fine with me. I do enjoy serving the Mass very much, and I do think it helps me become closer to God. It gives me a sense of honor or responsibility. Not only do I want to help out with the Mass in the little ways that we help out as an Alter Server, I also want to serve as an example for other servers and the congregation. If they get distracted and look to us, and see us kneeling or being reverent, perhaps their attention will be drawn back to what is really important, the Holy Sacrifice that is taking place. Since I have this sense or responsibility, I carry it back to the pew with me next Sunday, when I'll be an example to my siblings and those around me.
I believe that over the years, Serving Mass has helped me be more attentive to what's really happening, Jesus coming back down to be with us and offering Himself for us again. And again. And again, every time a Mass is said in any church, anywhere in the World, He is there. And Eternal sacrifice that cannot be drained, because that Sacrifice is Jesus, whose love and merits are infinite.
One of my favorite "jobs" while serving is ringing the Consecration bells. I admit, I get really excited about it! It kinda reminds me of John the Baptist, crying in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord!"
I hope my siblings (who often serve with me) don't get too upset when I snatch up the job first. LOcL I only have a few years left before I'll finally be able to start following my vocation, so you'll get the bells back eventually guys! Maybe. . . ;)
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Oh, how He loves you.
He really does Love you. You. Right there. yep. you.
God loves you. He loves you with a love that is inexhaustible and unfathomable. You can't imagine how great His love is for you, because our minds do not have the capacity to imagine anything so great. He is love and mercy. All of our human love has conditions, even if we do not think it has. Our purest and most powerful love is but a faint breeze compared to His level 7 time 70 gazillion million bajillion hurricane, a drop compared to His ocean, you get the point. You can't imagine it.
His mercy is so great. I've shared this quote from St. Faustina's diary before, and I'm going to share it again. And probably a whole bunch of times after that because I love it.
"My Daughter, do you think you have written enough about My mercy? What you have Written is but a drop compared to the ocean. I am Love and Mercy itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted - it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I myself take care of it."
1273 St. Faustina's diary
Rest there for a moment. Breath it in. Ah. . . . . . . .
Can you imagine that? No. I can't. I can try, and try and try to imagine His unimaginable mercy, but every time I imagine something bigger than I imagined the first time, I realize that His mercy is even bigger than that, and I am left with a great sense of amazement and peace, and am lost in awe.
It's hard for us to understand something that we cannot imagine, see or picture in our minds, because everything we have ever seen, imagined or pictured is just that. It can be seen, imagined or pictured. So when we try to fathom something that is not seen, cannot be pictured in our minds or imagined, we are left in a sense of amazement, that hopefully brings us to praise God, as it should. God is the only one who can create such marvelous things that leave us standing in this kind of awe and amazement.
" On one occasion, I heard these words:My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will I contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (St. Faustina's Diary 699)
Just so you know, those depths of mercy that are unfathomable are going to be opened this Sunday, along with the Divine Floodgates through which grace flows. Jesus loves us so much. So, very very much. Will you go to Confession and communion this Sunday? Jesus isn't just offering this Mercy to us, He is inviting us to it. He wants us to come to it! He loves us, and that is the truth.
https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/decree.htm
God loves you. He loves you with a love that is inexhaustible and unfathomable. You can't imagine how great His love is for you, because our minds do not have the capacity to imagine anything so great. He is love and mercy. All of our human love has conditions, even if we do not think it has. Our purest and most powerful love is but a faint breeze compared to His level 7 time 70 gazillion million bajillion hurricane, a drop compared to His ocean, you get the point. You can't imagine it.
His mercy is so great. I've shared this quote from St. Faustina's diary before, and I'm going to share it again. And probably a whole bunch of times after that because I love it.
"My Daughter, do you think you have written enough about My mercy? What you have Written is but a drop compared to the ocean. I am Love and Mercy itself. There is no misery that could be a match for My mercy, neither will misery exhaust it, because as it is being granted - it increases. The soul that trusts in My mercy is most fortunate, because I myself take care of it."
1273 St. Faustina's diary
Rest there for a moment. Breath it in. Ah. . . . . . . .
Can you imagine that? No. I can't. I can try, and try and try to imagine His unimaginable mercy, but every time I imagine something bigger than I imagined the first time, I realize that His mercy is even bigger than that, and I am left with a great sense of amazement and peace, and am lost in awe.
It's hard for us to understand something that we cannot imagine, see or picture in our minds, because everything we have ever seen, imagined or pictured is just that. It can be seen, imagined or pictured. So when we try to fathom something that is not seen, cannot be pictured in our minds or imagined, we are left in a sense of amazement, that hopefully brings us to praise God, as it should. God is the only one who can create such marvelous things that leave us standing in this kind of awe and amazement.
" On one occasion, I heard these words:My daughter, tell the whole world about My Inconceivable mercy. I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet. My mercy is so great that no mind, be it of man or of angel, will be able to fathom it throughout all eternity. Everything that exists has come forth from the very depths of My most tender mercy. Every soul in its relation to Me will I contemplate My love and mercy throughout eternity. The Feast of Mercy emerged from My very depths of tenderness. It is My desire that it be solemnly celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the Fount of My Mercy. (St. Faustina's Diary 699)
Just so you know, those depths of mercy that are unfathomable are going to be opened this Sunday, along with the Divine Floodgates through which grace flows. Jesus loves us so much. So, very very much. Will you go to Confession and communion this Sunday? Jesus isn't just offering this Mercy to us, He is inviting us to it. He wants us to come to it! He loves us, and that is the truth.
https://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/decree.htm
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Blood of the Soul
Hmm. .. So this morning I got distracted with this sorta odd thought. Love is kinda like the Blood of the Soul.
Without it, the soul really is sick. It is hard and cold, much like a dead body. Because without love, it really is dead. But with love, the soul is full of life. It is warm, soft and bright, just like a live person.
After pondering the though further, I realized that it really is true, but it is a little different from our body's blood.
If we give our love to God, our soul's blood, we do not suffer any want for it. On the contrary, God gives love back to us more than we could imagine. He is the source of all of our Love. Our souls cannot make their own Love, unlike our hearts which can make their own blood. But all of our Love comes from God. Hence, when a soul is separated from God by sin, it dies. Only God can restore it to life, and that is why he gave us the Sacrament of Confession.
But, if we give our Love to objects, we may lose it. The more we are attached to objects, it seems that we might lose more. Objects are not God. So the more Love we give to an object, the worse the situation becomes. It can become like an idol, and that is just spilling out our soul's blood for no reason, and offending God, the source of love, hence we waste our Love and lose it's source, killing our soul.
If we give our Love to immoral activities, such as addictions, or give too much Love to normal activities, such as eating, we get into the same situation. Our soul's blood is wasted, and it is cut off from the source of all Grace and Love.
If we give our love to people in an immoral way, such as when we objectify a person and love them for their Body, the same situation arises.
However, if we give our love to people for the sake of God, because He created them in his image, we do not lose that Love, and God will give us more for that. If we give our Love to activities or objects in a proper way which is in accordance with His will, again, we don't lose it, we gain it.
Of course, there are other ways to lose our Love. If we do not share it with others, if we hide away and reject anyone who comes near it, if we we allow hate into our soul, it will tear the soul from God, and the love will be lost.
Think of a pipe or tube that connects our Soul to God. Every time we commit a venial sin, we stick a pebble in the tube. As you can imagine, we can stick a lot of pebbles in it, but the pebbles will not block it, no matter how many there are. They will slow it, and deprive the Soul of the Love it needs slightly, but the pebbles can be dislodged by a surge of Love from the Soul to God, which is repentance asking for forgiveness, met with a surge of Love from God to the soul, when we forgives us.
However, when we commit a Mortal sin, we completely block the tube with a huge boulder. Once there, the soul cannot move the boulder, no matter how hard it tries. It is dead, and may eventually ignore the boulder. The only way that the boulder is removed is when God sends a tiny leak of a grace called Repentance into the soul. The soul realizes the boulder there, and cries out to God, and He hears. The soul is moved by the grace to go to confession, and only then does the real action start.Then, God sends a Huge surge of Love down to the soul, smashing the boulder and restoring Life and Love to the poor soul.
The soul is forgiven, and the connection between God and the Soul is restored.
Something interesting to think about.
Without it, the soul really is sick. It is hard and cold, much like a dead body. Because without love, it really is dead. But with love, the soul is full of life. It is warm, soft and bright, just like a live person.
After pondering the though further, I realized that it really is true, but it is a little different from our body's blood.
If we give our love to God, our soul's blood, we do not suffer any want for it. On the contrary, God gives love back to us more than we could imagine. He is the source of all of our Love. Our souls cannot make their own Love, unlike our hearts which can make their own blood. But all of our Love comes from God. Hence, when a soul is separated from God by sin, it dies. Only God can restore it to life, and that is why he gave us the Sacrament of Confession.
But, if we give our Love to objects, we may lose it. The more we are attached to objects, it seems that we might lose more. Objects are not God. So the more Love we give to an object, the worse the situation becomes. It can become like an idol, and that is just spilling out our soul's blood for no reason, and offending God, the source of love, hence we waste our Love and lose it's source, killing our soul.
If we give our Love to immoral activities, such as addictions, or give too much Love to normal activities, such as eating, we get into the same situation. Our soul's blood is wasted, and it is cut off from the source of all Grace and Love.
If we give our love to people in an immoral way, such as when we objectify a person and love them for their Body, the same situation arises.
However, if we give our love to people for the sake of God, because He created them in his image, we do not lose that Love, and God will give us more for that. If we give our Love to activities or objects in a proper way which is in accordance with His will, again, we don't lose it, we gain it.
Of course, there are other ways to lose our Love. If we do not share it with others, if we hide away and reject anyone who comes near it, if we we allow hate into our soul, it will tear the soul from God, and the love will be lost.
Think of a pipe or tube that connects our Soul to God. Every time we commit a venial sin, we stick a pebble in the tube. As you can imagine, we can stick a lot of pebbles in it, but the pebbles will not block it, no matter how many there are. They will slow it, and deprive the Soul of the Love it needs slightly, but the pebbles can be dislodged by a surge of Love from the Soul to God, which is repentance asking for forgiveness, met with a surge of Love from God to the soul, when we forgives us.
However, when we commit a Mortal sin, we completely block the tube with a huge boulder. Once there, the soul cannot move the boulder, no matter how hard it tries. It is dead, and may eventually ignore the boulder. The only way that the boulder is removed is when God sends a tiny leak of a grace called Repentance into the soul. The soul realizes the boulder there, and cries out to God, and He hears. The soul is moved by the grace to go to confession, and only then does the real action start.Then, God sends a Huge surge of Love down to the soul, smashing the boulder and restoring Life and Love to the poor soul.
The soul is forgiven, and the connection between God and the Soul is restored.
Something interesting to think about.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
"My soul magnifies the Lord,.."
The familiar beginning of the Magnificat. "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior"
Mary our Mother spoke this wonderful song of praise on a visit to her cousin, Elizabeth. 2000 some odd years later the church still sings this song given to us by our Mother. We use it in the Divine office (it's in the vespers, which is the evening prayer) the prayer which religious and lay people alike say throughout the worlds each day.
In this sublime canticle of praise, our Mother prophesies that "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His name"
How true this statement has been throughout the history of the Church. All generations have called her Blessed, and will continue to forever, because God did do great things for her. She was the vessel through which God gave us His son, our salvation. Through her Jesus came into the world, Because she said "Yes" to God. We Honor her because God did.
Mary our Mother spoke this wonderful song of praise on a visit to her cousin, Elizabeth. 2000 some odd years later the church still sings this song given to us by our Mother. We use it in the Divine office (it's in the vespers, which is the evening prayer) the prayer which religious and lay people alike say throughout the worlds each day.
In this sublime canticle of praise, our Mother prophesies that "For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His name"
How true this statement has been throughout the history of the Church. All generations have called her Blessed, and will continue to forever, because God did do great things for her. She was the vessel through which God gave us His son, our salvation. Through her Jesus came into the world, Because she said "Yes" to God. We Honor her because God did.
God chose her to be the Mother of our Lord, and you can't get much more of an honor than that. She was there with Jesus through His whole life, quietly supporting Him and helping where needed. And after His death and resurrection, God took her whole being, Spirit and Body, right up into Heaven.
"Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also dwells secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your godly one see the Pit." Psalm 16:9-10
I wonder what other people might have thought of this statement of Love, Faith and Hope in God. I wonder what the rulers of the tie might have thought of the lowly Mary saying "he has put down the mighty from their thrones, and exalted those of low degree" or "He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty"? I imagine this would have caused contempt and anger. But how true it is!
Throughout all of the Bible we see countless stories of God lifting up lowly people. Noah is chosen to build the ark an save creation because he and hi family are the only goo people left. Jacob (Israel) becomes higher that his first born brother, Esau. His son, Joseph is lifted above all his brothers and becomes second in power only to Pharaoh in Egypt! David, a shepherd boy becomes one of the most famous king in history. These are only a few of the countless times throughout the Bible when God Lifts up His chosen ones, however lowly they may be.
Mary knows that she is blessed, yet, this song of praise is so humble. She acknowledges how great God is, and yet He regards "The low estate of His handmaiden." She recalled how God has continually helped Israel, and how He spoke to their fathers, and how He always shows mercy upon those who fear Him.
She proclaims God's mercy and Love for His people throughout all of time. How powerful and Mighty He is, yet tender and loving towards those who fear Him. How He scatters the proud, puts down the mighty, and sends the rich away empty, yet exalts Humble,fills the hungry and shows mercy to all who fear Him
Today is the Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, the day when God sent the Angel Gabriel to Mary, to proclaim that she was chosen. Mary could have said no, she had free will. But she said Yes. And that Yes changed the worlds forever.
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
The Virtue of Religion
Have you ever wondered why we call someone who is very devoted to God "Religious"? I'm not specifically talking about Nuns or Monks, but also ordinary people who live a virtuous life, who you might see and think "That person is very Religious."
When we think of Religion we normally think of a church, or a denomination of religion. One might say "What Religion are you?"
But why don't we say something like "What religion do you belong to?" or "That person has a religion that they are very devoted to." (which would still be valid sayings, and basically mean the same thing as above, but they aren't as common.)
Let's say a person works on a farm and is very motivated in their job, We wouldn't say "That person is very Farmous." or if they worked at a diner we wouldn't say "That person is very dinerous" or it wouldn't make sense!
The reason is because Religion is a virtue, just like Charity or Patience. It's not just a name that we put on ourselves and go to a church with that same name.
The word "Religion" comes from the Latin word "Religare" which means "to bind." So, when a person is a very Religious person, they have bound themselves to God, either in the sense that they have taken vow of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience, or in the broader sense (which I am mostly getting at here) when a person subjects themselves to God and gives Him the Homage and Worship that is due to Him. That's what Religion as a virtue is,
"A quality of mind and heart which inclines us to pay to God the worship due to Him."-"Catholic Mortality" by Fr. John Laux
According to the above quoted book (which I am deriving most of this information from, you should read it.)
There are three "elements" to the virtue of Religion.
The first is the "Object" which is God. Secondary objects are the Virgin Mary and the Saints, but we do not Worship them. We Honor them because of their nearness to and relationship to God. They are not God, but they are very close to Him in Heaven, so we can ask them to Pray for us to God just like we would ask any other person to pray for us. That's a whole different article though LOL anyway. . .
The second is "Motive". Our motive is our indebtedness to God, Our love for Him and our dependence on Him.
The third is "Act". The Act of Religion is Worship.
You can probably break any virtue into three elements like this. For instance, Love could be broken into "Object- God or one of His creatures because of Him. Motive- God's Love for us, desire to please Him, indebtedness to Him. Act- Prayer, service etc."
So what does "Worship" really mean? If, by religion we are bound to Worship God, how do we do so?
"That is, the manner in which we acknowledge our indebtedness to God, our dependence on Him, and our Love for Him"-"Catholic Morality" by Fr. John Laux
So how do we do that? Well, think about it. There are two kinds of worship. Internal and external.
Internal worship. Internal worship is this acknowledgement inside of us, which we owe to God because we are bound to Him through Religion, and we are His creations, his servants.
Some examples of internal Worship would be meditation and mental prayer.
External Worship is this acknowledgment outside of us, through word or deed. We owe this kind of Worship to God because He not only created our minds and souls (in which the expression of this acknowledgement would be internal) but He also created our bodies, which we should use for His glory because our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Some examples of external Worship would be vocal prayer and good works offered to God.
So then there are two categories within these. There is Direct Worship, and there is Indirect Worship.
Where our Worship is categorized depends on the Object. Our "Object" or worship is always God. Worshiping God directly is Direct Worship. Honoring His Mother and Saints ("Secondary Objects") is Indirect Worship of God. Once again I want to stress the fact that the "Object" of Worship is always GOD. Catholics do not worship Mary or the Saints. We Honor them because in a way, God did. God "Honored"Mary by choosing her to be the Mother of His Son, can you say that this was not an Honor? God "Honored" the Saints by giving us Miracles through them. In order for a Saint to be canonized, Three miracles have to be worked in their name I believe (I think they have to be after their death too, but I'm not sure about that so look it up.) We know that God is the one who preforms these miracles, but in this case, He did them because they asked Him to. He knows that this is required for canonization. So why would he preform Miracles in the Saint's names unless He wanted us to acknowledge them and honor them. Honor is different from worship. Anyway, I've gotten on a whole different topic now.
For instance, If we take 15 minutes to meditate on the Passion of Jesus, we are preforming a Direct internal act of religion. If we put up a statue of Mary in our front yard, we are preforming an external indirect act of religion. If we go to Church on Sunday like we should, We are preforming a Direct external at of Religion. If we say a prayer to St. Joseph honoring him for listening to God and doing his will, and asking him to prey for us to God so that we an do the same, we are preforming an indirect internal act of Religion.
Speaking of St. Joseph, today is his Feast day! Happy feast of St. Joseph!
When we think of Religion we normally think of a church, or a denomination of religion. One might say "What Religion are you?"
But why don't we say something like "What religion do you belong to?" or "That person has a religion that they are very devoted to." (which would still be valid sayings, and basically mean the same thing as above, but they aren't as common.)
Let's say a person works on a farm and is very motivated in their job, We wouldn't say "That person is very Farmous." or if they worked at a diner we wouldn't say "That person is very dinerous" or it wouldn't make sense!
The reason is because Religion is a virtue, just like Charity or Patience. It's not just a name that we put on ourselves and go to a church with that same name.
The word "Religion" comes from the Latin word "Religare" which means "to bind." So, when a person is a very Religious person, they have bound themselves to God, either in the sense that they have taken vow of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience, or in the broader sense (which I am mostly getting at here) when a person subjects themselves to God and gives Him the Homage and Worship that is due to Him. That's what Religion as a virtue is,
"A quality of mind and heart which inclines us to pay to God the worship due to Him."-"Catholic Mortality" by Fr. John Laux
According to the above quoted book (which I am deriving most of this information from, you should read it.)
There are three "elements" to the virtue of Religion.
The first is the "Object" which is God. Secondary objects are the Virgin Mary and the Saints, but we do not Worship them. We Honor them because of their nearness to and relationship to God. They are not God, but they are very close to Him in Heaven, so we can ask them to Pray for us to God just like we would ask any other person to pray for us. That's a whole different article though LOL anyway. . .
The second is "Motive". Our motive is our indebtedness to God, Our love for Him and our dependence on Him.
The third is "Act". The Act of Religion is Worship.
You can probably break any virtue into three elements like this. For instance, Love could be broken into "Object- God or one of His creatures because of Him. Motive- God's Love for us, desire to please Him, indebtedness to Him. Act- Prayer, service etc."
So what does "Worship" really mean? If, by religion we are bound to Worship God, how do we do so?
"That is, the manner in which we acknowledge our indebtedness to God, our dependence on Him, and our Love for Him"-"Catholic Morality" by Fr. John Laux
So how do we do that? Well, think about it. There are two kinds of worship. Internal and external.
Internal worship. Internal worship is this acknowledgement inside of us, which we owe to God because we are bound to Him through Religion, and we are His creations, his servants.
Some examples of internal Worship would be meditation and mental prayer.
External Worship is this acknowledgment outside of us, through word or deed. We owe this kind of Worship to God because He not only created our minds and souls (in which the expression of this acknowledgement would be internal) but He also created our bodies, which we should use for His glory because our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Some examples of external Worship would be vocal prayer and good works offered to God.
So then there are two categories within these. There is Direct Worship, and there is Indirect Worship.
Where our Worship is categorized depends on the Object. Our "Object" or worship is always God. Worshiping God directly is Direct Worship. Honoring His Mother and Saints ("Secondary Objects") is Indirect Worship of God. Once again I want to stress the fact that the "Object" of Worship is always GOD. Catholics do not worship Mary or the Saints. We Honor them because in a way, God did. God "Honored"Mary by choosing her to be the Mother of His Son, can you say that this was not an Honor? God "Honored" the Saints by giving us Miracles through them. In order for a Saint to be canonized, Three miracles have to be worked in their name I believe (I think they have to be after their death too, but I'm not sure about that so look it up.) We know that God is the one who preforms these miracles, but in this case, He did them because they asked Him to. He knows that this is required for canonization. So why would he preform Miracles in the Saint's names unless He wanted us to acknowledge them and honor them. Honor is different from worship. Anyway, I've gotten on a whole different topic now.
For instance, If we take 15 minutes to meditate on the Passion of Jesus, we are preforming a Direct internal act of religion. If we put up a statue of Mary in our front yard, we are preforming an external indirect act of religion. If we go to Church on Sunday like we should, We are preforming a Direct external at of Religion. If we say a prayer to St. Joseph honoring him for listening to God and doing his will, and asking him to prey for us to God so that we an do the same, we are preforming an indirect internal act of Religion.
Speaking of St. Joseph, today is his Feast day! Happy feast of St. Joseph!
Thursday, March 13, 2014
What's Your Vocation?
Have you ever thought about what your Vocation is? Do you know what a Vocation is in the first place?
A vocation is a Call from God to do something with your life. A vocation is not just a call to religious life or Priesthood. It could be the married life, the chaste single life, or becoming a deacon. God has a plan for each of our lives, so everyone has a vocation.
So what is yours? Have you ever thought of what God might be calling you too? You should be, no matter what your age.
Having you ever considered that God may be calling you to the religious life? Lot of people are called to marriage, some to other vocations, but some are also called to religious life. Not everyone who is not called to marriage is called to religious life, but how will you know if you never explore the option? You should always be open to whatever God wants you to do.
So, what are some things you should be thinking about if you are thinking of the religious life?
What are yours intentions, or motives? Are you wanting to please God in whatever way he chooses for you, and so please Him in the best way you can? Do you Love God and want to dedicate your entire life to Him?
How about your ability? Are you pretty physically and mentally healthy? You don't need to have special talents or exceptional gifts or a super High education, but you should be physically and emotionally pretty sound and able to carry out the duties of a religious life, which may differ a little from order to order.
Do you wish to live a virtuous life in every way possible, to "Be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect"?
If you think you might have a religious vocation, there are lots of things you should do. It's probably a good idea to talk to your confessor about it. There are also people who specialize in vocation discernment, called "Vocation Directors" who will give you guidance in this matter. Lots of religious order have discernment dinners that you could attend. Some may have discernment retreats, which would be very good.
Whether you think you have one or not, you should always pray about what God wants you to do. You should take time to not only ask questions, but also to listen for Him. You don't always get a vision telling you to become a religious you know, in fact that's rather uncommon. Remember that God often speaks to us in soft little ways, sometimes even in our everyday experiences, so subtly that we don't even know it's Him. God's plan for you is so great, who ever you may be. He loves you, and He knows what is best for you. Listen to Him. Sure, its not an easy plan. The road to Heaven isn't easy. But it will be a more than ninety nine gazillionbilliontrillionbajillion, forty five million, eight hundred sixty nine thousand, seven hundred and seventy seven times worth it.
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
How do you receive Him?
I am going to share a few little snippets from some revelations of our Lord to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque.
(You can find some more here, and here where I am getting the quotes from)
"Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify Its love; and in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel most keenly is that it is hearts which are consecrated to Me, that treat Me thus."
"I thirst with such terrible thirst to be loved by men in the Blessed Sacrament that the thirst consumes me. Yet I find no one trying to quench it according to my desire by some return of my love. Do me the kindness then - you at least - of making up for their ingratitude, as far as you can."
How do you receive Communion?
Do you receive Him with ingratitude, not even paying attention to who it is that you are about to receive? Or do you thank Him and try to express the gratitude that He deserves, even though it is not possible to thank Him enough?
Are you ever irreverent? When you are supposed to bow or genuflect, do you do it reverently?
Do you express your Love for Him?
Do you even believe that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist?
Do you dress in a respectful way when you come to Mass, or do you just wear whatever you feel like wearing, be it jeans with holes or an old t-shirt?
I get the privilege of being able to serve at Mass, so I get to witness first hand how some people approach and receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Oh my goodness, even in my own parish I see this irreverence and disrespect. Sometimes I have to wonder if people rally do believe that Jesus is truly present.
I see people who come up and instead of bowing or genuflecting, they do some quick little head bob, or even nothing at all.
Sometime people come up and instead of presenting their hands in the proper way, and slowly and reverently pick up the Eucharist and consume it, they don't. I've seen people receive Him in all kinds of odd ways. I wish that people still received on the tongue, because then this particular kind of irreverence would not be possible.
Lots of people don't say Amen, or do the sign of the cross after they receive Him.
I am not telling you this to degrade these people or spread rumors, but to make you aware that disrespect and irreverence are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. We really need to put a stop to this people! If you truly believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, Show It!
He Loves you so much, and He has humbled Himself time and time again to come to you, even under the appearance of bread and wine. Do you realize that? The one whom made Heaven and Earth Loves YOU and humbles Himself for YOU and appears as bread and wine to come to YOU in this Sacrament. It's not bread and wine anymore people, It really is JESUS!
Do you come to Him with reverence and Love?
This Lent, let's take a look at how we come to Jesus to receive Him. Let's try to quench that thirst that Jesus talks about, to be Loved by men in this Sacrament. Can we ever quench it? I don't know. But that should not stop us from trying.
(You can find some more here, and here where I am getting the quotes from)
"Behold the Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming Itself, in order to testify Its love; and in return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrilege, and by the coldness and contempt they have for Me in this Sacrament of Love. But what I feel most keenly is that it is hearts which are consecrated to Me, that treat Me thus."
"I thirst with such terrible thirst to be loved by men in the Blessed Sacrament that the thirst consumes me. Yet I find no one trying to quench it according to my desire by some return of my love. Do me the kindness then - you at least - of making up for their ingratitude, as far as you can."
How do you receive Communion?
Do you receive Him with ingratitude, not even paying attention to who it is that you are about to receive? Or do you thank Him and try to express the gratitude that He deserves, even though it is not possible to thank Him enough?
Are you ever irreverent? When you are supposed to bow or genuflect, do you do it reverently?
Do you express your Love for Him?
Do you even believe that Jesus is truly present in the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist?
Do you dress in a respectful way when you come to Mass, or do you just wear whatever you feel like wearing, be it jeans with holes or an old t-shirt?
I get the privilege of being able to serve at Mass, so I get to witness first hand how some people approach and receive our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. Oh my goodness, even in my own parish I see this irreverence and disrespect. Sometimes I have to wonder if people rally do believe that Jesus is truly present.
I see people who come up and instead of bowing or genuflecting, they do some quick little head bob, or even nothing at all.
Sometime people come up and instead of presenting their hands in the proper way, and slowly and reverently pick up the Eucharist and consume it, they don't. I've seen people receive Him in all kinds of odd ways. I wish that people still received on the tongue, because then this particular kind of irreverence would not be possible.
Lots of people don't say Amen, or do the sign of the cross after they receive Him.
I am not telling you this to degrade these people or spread rumors, but to make you aware that disrespect and irreverence are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. We really need to put a stop to this people! If you truly believe that Jesus is truly present in the Eucharist, Show It!
He Loves you so much, and He has humbled Himself time and time again to come to you, even under the appearance of bread and wine. Do you realize that? The one whom made Heaven and Earth Loves YOU and humbles Himself for YOU and appears as bread and wine to come to YOU in this Sacrament. It's not bread and wine anymore people, It really is JESUS!
Do you come to Him with reverence and Love?
This Lent, let's take a look at how we come to Jesus to receive Him. Let's try to quench that thirst that Jesus talks about, to be Loved by men in this Sacrament. Can we ever quench it? I don't know. But that should not stop us from trying.
Monday, March 10, 2014
Maggie Monday!
Hewoooo! Dis is maggie, and i bet you probably thinks dat you nos wat i is going to say next. You prbably thinks dat i is going to say "I bet you can't guess wat day it is today!" well, guess wat, you is not rite! HA! i is not going to say dat. I is going to say, IT IS MAGGIE MONDAY! yay!
De weber is reely nice owt today. Me and master went fur a walk dis morning, and it was bery nice. But, master is sik, so we didnt get to go fur a long walk. i wish we coud dough.
i bet dat master didnt tuck in her nos. she probably furgetted to tuck in her nos wen she went to sleep, and den i nos wat happened. wile maste was sleeping, i bet dows reely tiny bugs dat hoomans call "sheerms" saw her nos. and den, dey beeeeeery quietly, and beeeery sneekyly sneeked into her nos, becuz it wasnt tucked in. and den, dey attacked! AH! and now dey is making masters nos be all stuffed up, becuz dere is too many in dere. and dey mak her coff because dey tikles her frowt.
and dey maks her nos run, but i don't no wat dat meens. becuz masters nos is not running away. it is still dere on her face. i think. let me check. . . . .. . .
yep. her nos is still dere. it did not run away.
well, i think dat is all i is going to say fur today. I has to mak sure dat masters nos doesnt run away, so dat she can still smell da wondurful smell of squirrels owtsid. i wuv dat smell!
- Maggie :0)
De weber is reely nice owt today. Me and master went fur a walk dis morning, and it was bery nice. But, master is sik, so we didnt get to go fur a long walk. i wish we coud dough.
i bet dat master didnt tuck in her nos. she probably furgetted to tuck in her nos wen she went to sleep, and den i nos wat happened. wile maste was sleeping, i bet dows reely tiny bugs dat hoomans call "sheerms" saw her nos. and den, dey beeeeeery quietly, and beeeery sneekyly sneeked into her nos, becuz it wasnt tucked in. and den, dey attacked! AH! and now dey is making masters nos be all stuffed up, becuz dere is too many in dere. and dey mak her coff because dey tikles her frowt.
and dey maks her nos run, but i don't no wat dat meens. becuz masters nos is not running away. it is still dere on her face. i think. let me check. . . . .. . .
yep. her nos is still dere. it did not run away.
well, i think dat is all i is going to say fur today. I has to mak sure dat masters nos doesnt run away, so dat she can still smell da wondurful smell of squirrels owtsid. i wuv dat smell!
- Maggie :0)
Monday, March 3, 2014
Maggie Monday
Hewoo! Guess wat day it is today…. I give you a hint. It starts wif M, and means I gets to say something on dis blog…… it's MAGGIE MONDAY!! YAAAAYYY i wuv Maggie Monday.
Wel, nothing really exiyting has reely happened laytly. A bunch of ice and a small bit of snow fell from da sky yesterday and last nite, so me and master didn't get to take a walk, or eben roller steak, for yesterday and today! :0(
So, i is going to show you a comfy spot. 
Heer i is. In my "Maggie bed". Dis is da little bed in masters bed, just for me! It has a blanket and a pillow. And master has a heet blanket in her bed too, so dat maks it reely nice and warm. I gets to sleep in my little Maggie bed web master is sitting in her bed. Wen she is sleeping, i gets in my crate, were i has a reely fluffy bed day is berry snuggly.
I wuv to sleep in comfy spots. Anober comfy spot it da bak of da couch. I liks to lay on da back of da couch lik a cat, hehehehehehehe. And it is hi enouf day i can see out da window wen i is not sleeping, so i can watch for introoders. Lik does odd guys who run up wif boxes. Who nos wat coold be in Der! Wat is Der is a rouge hotdog, or a rabid squirrel, or a crazy bird, or a poysinus bug, or a dangerous ebil thing in Der. So i always maks sure dat i tell eveybody in da house dat DDR is a suspisios guy wif a dangerous box, running to da door. Dat way i skairs him away, and somebody can go and get da dangerous box, and get dat dangerous who-knows-wat out of Der rite away!
Well, dat is all fur now.
-MAGGIE :O)
Monday, February 24, 2014
Maggie Monday!
Hewooo! Geuss wat day it is today. . . . . MONDAY! and dat meens Maggie Monday! yay! i wuv maggie monday. cause i is Maggie!
So, a foo days ago, master took me "rollor steaking". I haves no idea wai dey it called "roller steaks", cause i hasn't seen any steak come out or anything lik dat, but anyway, master puts on dees weerd shoos called roller steaks, and dey makes her go faster! so den i get to run, and go faster! I WUV GOING FASTER! I is really fast you no. I is probably almost as fast as a cheetah. but you no, cheetah sounds lik cheeter, so maybe dey cheet to go dat faster, witch wood meen dat i is reely da faster one.
I reely can't figur out wai day is called rollor steaks. I wish dat dey would maybe have steaks dat come out of dem when you get hom. You no, lik the rollor steaks coold say wen you get hom, "Wow Maggie, you is really fast. You must have used a millon coweries, so you needs some more. Heer, have a steak!" and den a big steak coold come out! DAT WOOD BE AUSSOM!
but, going faster is ok to. I really lik to go faster.
So, me and master has been going rollor steaking instead on walking for a foo days. We just went for a walk today, cause it was reely cold outside, and master had to go someweer. and i had to stay hom :0(
also, I wood lik to say, dat i think i has foond da cure for "insnomnia". Tuck in your nose wen you go to sleep! I almost always tuck in my nose wen i is sleeping. somtimes i tuck in in with my tail, and sometime i put it under my foot. Or somtimes i put it in a little courner of my bead, or under a blanket, or under master's arm. And i doesn't have any truble sleeping! so maybe next time you cant sleep, try tucking in your nose!
Well, maybe i will say somthing else next week.
-Maggie :0)
So, a foo days ago, master took me "rollor steaking". I haves no idea wai dey it called "roller steaks", cause i hasn't seen any steak come out or anything lik dat, but anyway, master puts on dees weerd shoos called roller steaks, and dey makes her go faster! so den i get to run, and go faster! I WUV GOING FASTER! I is really fast you no. I is probably almost as fast as a cheetah. but you no, cheetah sounds lik cheeter, so maybe dey cheet to go dat faster, witch wood meen dat i is reely da faster one.
I reely can't figur out wai day is called rollor steaks. I wish dat dey would maybe have steaks dat come out of dem when you get hom. You no, lik the rollor steaks coold say wen you get hom, "Wow Maggie, you is really fast. You must have used a millon coweries, so you needs some more. Heer, have a steak!" and den a big steak coold come out! DAT WOOD BE AUSSOM!
but, going faster is ok to. I really lik to go faster.
So, me and master has been going rollor steaking instead on walking for a foo days. We just went for a walk today, cause it was reely cold outside, and master had to go someweer. and i had to stay hom :0(
also, I wood lik to say, dat i think i has foond da cure for "insnomnia". Tuck in your nose wen you go to sleep! I almost always tuck in my nose wen i is sleeping. somtimes i tuck in in with my tail, and sometime i put it under my foot. Or somtimes i put it in a little courner of my bead, or under a blanket, or under master's arm. And i doesn't have any truble sleeping! so maybe next time you cant sleep, try tucking in your nose!
Well, maybe i will say somthing else next week.
-Maggie :0)
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