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Thursday, September 29, 2011

I was thinking about Judgement recently. Honestly, I'm not sure if it's because I was doing the judging or feeling as if I had been the one being judged.

My favorite Bible verses about Judgement are found in the Gospel of Matthew. Here is Matthew 7:1-5 and boy does it make you think.

“Stop judging, that you may not be judged.
For as you judge, so will you be judged, and the measure with which you measure will be measured out to you.
Why do you notice the splinter in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own eye?
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye?
You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.

I think it's Matthew 7:3 that really hits home with me. How often do we pass judgement on others just so that we can feel better about ourselves? It's kind of like when you point fingers at others, notice there are at least fingers (on your own hand) pointing back at you. Yikes!

There is hope for us (splinters and beams) because as Jesus said " “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone”. I'm comforted by the verse in Luke which says;

Luke 6:37: "Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

It's the forgiveness of judgement that is so important. We will sin, we may judge but we can and will be forgiveness if we seek it. Thank goodness! How about you? Do you have specific Bible Verse that touches you or has made you really stop and think recently? I'd love to hear from you.

Blessings,
Cathi D
cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com

Labels: Bible, forgiveness, Gospel of Luke, Gospel of Matthew, judgement, sin

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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

A Cherokee Legend

I posted this on Facebook but wanted to say more about this with you here. I heard this story in a homily last Sunday and it just touched me. You've probably heard this before, or something like it, because at the heart of it, it's basic. It's something I think so many of us can relate too. If you don't God Bless you!

A Cherokee Legend

An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. "A fight is going on inside me," he said to the boy.
"It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil - he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego." He continued, "The other is good - he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you - and inside every other person, too."
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?"
The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

I consider this story wisdom for the ages. I think I was touched more because I was sitting next to my fourteen year old son. Was he listening? Did he understand? Could the priest actually be reaching out to him? Gosh, I hope so. Most of the time I don't think lightening bolts are striking at you while you're sitting in church saying "I needed to hear this today". But, sometimes they do. This time they did for me.

I'd love to hear about any stories you have about hearing something at just the right time. Did it change how you felt about something or change you in some way? Let me know.

Blessings,
Cathi D.
cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com

Labels: evil, Facehook, faith, good, greed, homily, hope, humility, regret, sorrow

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

This variation of the Prayer of St. Francis of Assasi was delivered by Mother Teresa when she addressed the United Nations in 1985

"Make us worthy Lord to serve our fellow men throughout the world,

who live and die in poverty and hunger.

Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread

and by our understanding love give peace and joy."

Lord, make me a channel of thy peace.

That where there is hatred I may bring love,

That where there is wrong, I may bring the spirit of forgiveness,

That where there is discord, I may bring harmony,

That where there is error I may bring truth,

That where there is doubt I may bring faith,

That where there is despair I may bring hope,

That where there are shadows I may bring light,

That where there is sadness I may bring joy.

Lord, grant that I may seek rather to comfort than to be comforted,

To understand than to be understood,

To love than to be loved.

For it is by forgetting self that one finds.

It is by forgiving that one is forgiven,

it is by dying that one awakens to eternal life.

Amen.

So much of this prayer speaks to me. That we could make the choice everyday to choose the path of good whenever we are presented with two roads to choose from. My children learn this song in school and it seems so simple. Actually living this prayer is a little bit harder. To imagine that WE could be the instrument of peace or the faith where there is doubt. That's just awesome!! Let me know if you have been touched by this prayer or any thoughts about it. I'd love to hear from you.

Blessings,
Cathi D.
cathid@thecatholicgiftshop.com

Labels: Catholic Saints, Catholicism, faith, forgiveness, Mother Teresa, Patron Saints, St. Francis

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Monday, September 26, 2011

The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation

"Those who approach the sacrament of Penance obtain pardon from God's mercy for the offense committed against him and are, at the same time, reconciled with the Church which they have wounded by their sins and which by charity, by example, and by prayer labors their conversion" (The Catechism of the Catholic Church)

The sacrament is sometimes called Confession, Penance or Conversion. My favorite is the Sacrament of Reconciliation because it brings to the sinner (me) the love of God which reconciles me with the Lord.

I think the Sacrament of Reconciliation is received when we are young so that we can truly see the simplicity of it.   Really how many eight year-olds have that much to confess? My children have been taught to receive the Sacrament face to face with the priest. I must "confess" I still can't do this unless the priest is just visiting, doesn't know me and probably won't ever see me again. The kids however don't have a problem with it. It's like having a conversation and I suppose that's how it should feel.    Penance requires that the sinner endure all things willingly, be contrite of heart, confess with the lips, and practice complete humility and fruitful satisfaction". (Roman Catechism - Council of Trent).


                                                           ACT OF CONTRITION

                                                     O my God, I am heartily sorry for
                                                     having offended you, and I detest
                                                     all my sins, because of Your just
                                                      punishments, but most of all because
                                                      they offend You, my God, who are
                                                      all-good and deserving of all my love.
                                                      I firmly resolve, with the help of
                                                     Your grace, to sin no more and to
                                                      avoid the near occasion of sin.
How many times have you come out of the Confessional saying again, "Phew, that wasn't so bad" and really leave feeling like a weight has truly been lifted from your shoulders? How many don't go because of guilt, shame or embarrassment? Give it a try. You will feel peace and God is just waiting to pour his Mercy out for us. He truly loves us and wants us to be forgiven.

Labels: Catholicism, forgiveness, penance, Sacraments

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Friday, September 23, 2011

Feast of St. Padre Pio da Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

Saint Padre Pio, born Francesco Forgione, Padre Pio grew up in a family of farmers in southern Italy. At the young age of 15, Francesco joined the Capuchins and took the name of Pio. Ordained in 1910, he was drafted during World War I. It was later discovered that he had tuberculosis and was discharged.

In 1917 he was assigned to the friary in San Giovanni Rotondo. On September 20, 1918, as he was making his thanksgiving after Mass, Padre Pio had a vision of Jesus. When the vision ended, he had the stigmata in his hands, feet and side.

In 1924 and again in 1931, the authenticity of the stigmata was brought into question; Padre Pio was not permitted to celebrate Mass publicly or to hear confessions. He did not complain and these decisions which were soon reversed. He did not write any letters after 1924. His only other writing, a pamphlet on the agony of Jesus, was done before 1924.

Padre Pio spent over 10 hours per day in his Confessional Ministry. He saw Jesus in all the sick and suffering. At his urging, a hospital was built on nearby Mount Gargano. Ground was broken in 1946. This "House for the Alleviation of Suffering" has 350 beds.

One of Padre Pio’s sufferings was that unscrupulous people several times circulated prophecies that they claimed originated from him. He never made prophecies about world events and never gave an opinion on matters that he felt belonged to Church authorities to decide. He died on September 23, 1968, and was beatified in 1999.

A quote credit to Padre Pio is -- "The life of a Christian is nothing but a perpetual struggle against self; there is no flowering of the soul to the beauty of its perfection except at the price of pain"

Labels: Catholic Saints, Jesus, Padre Pio, stigmata

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Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Praying the Rosary

Hello friends. I thought it would be nice to talk about the Rosary. The Rosary (from Latin rosarium, meaning "rose garden") or "garland of roses" is a traditional Catholic devotion.    The prayers consist of repeated sequences of the Lord's Prayer followed by ten prayings of the Hail Mary and a single praying of "Glory Be to the Father" and is sometimes accompanied by the Fatima Prayer; each of these sequences is known as a decade.

It was back in 2002 when Pope John Paul II added the "Luminous Mysteries" to the Rosary. Many people grew up reciting the Rosary but I'm sure there are many that have not realized the power of the Rosary. Rather than give instructions on how to recite this beautiful Marion adoration, I'll just give you the links I found most helpful. I will share with you somethings I enjoyed learning.   Here they are;

Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 stated "... the Rosary is experiencing a new Springtime. Without a doubt, this is one of the most eloquent signs of love that the young generation nourish for Jesus and his Mother, Mary. In the current world, so dispersive, this prayer helps to put Christ at the center...."

"The Rosary is a magnificent and universal prayer for the needs of the Church, the nations and the entire world" (Pope John XXIII).

Archbishop Fulton Sheen said, "The rosary is the book of the blind, where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world has ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying than the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open on the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.

Lastly and most touching for me;

"Say the Rosary every day...
Pray, pray a lot and offer sacrifices for sinners...
I'm Our Lady of the Rosary.
Only I will be able to help you.
...In the end My Immaculate Heart will triumph."
                                                       Our Lady at Fatima

For more info about the Rosary visit these helpful links:
http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/prayers/rosary

http://www.theholyrosary.org/

Labels: Archbishop Fulton Sheen, Christianity, Pope John Paul II, rosary

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Thursday, September 15, 2011