Words of Encouragement!

Let your heart delight in the love your God has for you, personally, individually.

~Saint Katherine Drexel~

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Personally and individually he LOVES me!

Thanks be to God!!!

Cathy

Simple Justice

It is necessary to be just, that is to say, to have no preference for [anyone], nor show disgust for any of them. ~Saint Mother Theodore Guerin~

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Thanks be to God!!!

Cathy

Keep Silence With God

In order to hear the voice of God, one has to have silence in one's soul and to keep silence;not a gloomy silence, but an interior silence; that is to say, recollection in God.  One can speak a great deal without breaking silence; and, on the contrary, one can speak little and be constantly breaking silence. 

~Saint Faustina Kawalska~

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A call to silence.  Hmmm, this is something I have not been able to achieve.  I think I love to hear the sound of my own voice.  I have so much to say, and I have to admit, little of it is of value.  I think I must be that gong that makes no music in the midst of the music made by the glorious voice of God.  And perhaps I have this need to avoid silence because I fear God's voice.  What will he ask me to do!?!  And again, working to achieve silence requires effort.  I am LAZY!  I do need help and the assistance can only come from God in whom I MUST rely!  I must rely on the Holy Spirit to achieve this and again I must practice it.  It seems in this quote by Saint Faustina I have found another call to try again!

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Thanks be to God!

Cathy

Padre Pio

No pilgrim soul can worthily love God. But when a Soul does everything possible and trust in divine mercy, why would Jesus reject such a spirit? Has he not commanded us to love God according to our strength? If you have given and consecrated everything to God, why be afraid? ~Saint Padre Pio~

Padre Pio, a photo by uCatholic on Flickr.

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Knowing this and having it reaffirmed I say,

Thanks be to God!!!

Cathy

What Else Is Left But HOPE!

There are times when the events of the world, though not directly impacting my life, seem to be overwhelming.  There is the riot and looting in London, the death of 31 in the helicopter crash, an economy and nation in flux and teenagers on the lam from a shooting.  Oh my goodness, it could cause one to despair!  And then I read this:

But our hope is in the Providence of God, which has protected us until the present, and which will provide, somehow, for our future needs.  ~Saint Mother Theodore Guerin~

Again Hope should reign in our hearts.  For God will not desert us!  I can attest to that for in my life he has rescued me innumerable time.

And too Pope John XXIII tell us:

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do.  

If I turn to my favorite Psalm I hear this:

LORD, you have probed me, you know me:

2you know when I sit and stand;

you understand my thoughts from afar.

3You sift through my travels and my rest;

with all my ways you are familiar.

4Even before a word is on my tongue,

LORD, you know it all.

5Behind and before you encircle me

and rest your hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

far too lofty for me to reach.

7Where can I go from your spirit?

From your presence, where can I flee?

8If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;

if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.

9If I take the wings of dawn

and dwell beyond the sea,

10Even there your hand guides me,

your right hand holds me fast.

11If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me,

and night shall be my light”—

12Darkness is not dark for you,

and night shines as the day.

Darkness and light are but one.

~Psalm 139~

Finally,  if I would just listen more intently to the teaching of our Savior, I would hear loudly and clearly, "BE NOT AFRAID!"

And so it is today, I will leave the house and venture into a world that seem so out of control and journey with the Master.  For He is the one who is really in control!

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!

Cathy

St. Thomas More

 

St. Thomas More, a photo by Fr. Peter on Flickr.

A simple prayer offered today by St. Thomas More:

Give me, good Lord, such a love for you that I will love nothing in a way that displeases you, and I will love everything for your sake.

To that I say a sincere, "Amen."

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!

Cathy

Sunrise Reflection

Why have you brought us up out of Egypt, to bring us to this wretched place?  It is no place for grain, or figs, or vines, or pomegranates; and there is no water to drink.

~~Numbers 20:5~~

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Isn' it odd how sometimes the place we absolutely knew was the place for us--where God wants us to be--ends up being a little more complicated?  We wonder, has God changed his mind, or does he want us to be miserable?

It's a difficult situation to be in, as the Israelites discovered in the desert.  With patience and an open heart--to the needs of others, not just our own--God's will can become clear again.

Until the next time, at least.

^j^

Lord, when I begin to feel burned-out, help me seek your loving presence wherever I am.

A Catholic Woman's Book of Days

Amy Weborn

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And so this is where I find myself today.  It's been many months since I have visited Amy and her words in this treasure she has written.  Lead by Providence I am sure, I  returned here today found these words were speaking to me.  Though certainly not miserable, I am facing decisions that are most uncertain.  As I enter the stage of life when there are few who require my daily nurturing and instruction, I am faced with the reality that now I really do have to take care of myself.  

I don't even know where to begin.   So I will seek guidance from others so that decisions can be made with  good judgement.  I will trust that my wellbeing is in the hands of the Almighty.  And again that I will continue this journey with my constant companion, Providence.

~~~^j^~~~

Thanks be to God!

Cathy