Quotations that Motivate & Inspire

[Gary david]

20 hours ago, BarbaraTherese said:

What a wonderful experience for you, Gary, and for all the people who saw the window.  We do not need these appearances of Our Lady for the fullness and richness of Faith of necessity, but it must do something very positive to someone who has such an experience.  I wonder to myself "How could someone who saw an appearance of Our Lady go away and not be affected and for life?"

If I ever had such an experience, I think I would faint.

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 My experience: I was staying with my cousins in a country town over school holidays as a teenager.  I think the whole town knew the family and that we were committed Catholics.  In those days, eating meat on Fridays was forbidden.  As a bit of fun on a Friday, we would go into  shops in the main street and buy some pies and pasties (contain meat).  Hoping to the shock horror of anyone in the shop.  Catholics buying meat on Friday!!! We would hide the pies and pasties in our bedrooms until after midnight on Friday and then congregate in one bedroom, there were five of us girls.  This was real risky stuff because my Uncle and their Dad was a particularly very strict and intimidating authority figure.  The very real risk of waking him and he confronting us added, I think, to our sense of adventure and risk taking.

One Friday after midnight one of my cousins wanted tomato sauce.  To creep into the kitchen and get the sauce was another dreadfully risky exercise.  But I volunteered to do it.  I entered the kitchen and there ahead of me was the Baby Jesus.  Horrified and ashamed of myself for being disobedient to a parental authority figure, I knelt down and closed my eyes and began to pray for forgiveness.  Next thing, one of my cousins shook me on the shoulder and asked what was going on.  I pointed to the Baby Jesus ahead of me. 

Now I should have worn my glasses, because the Baby Jesus was actually the gas refrigerator pilot light reflecting on the lino.

There was much muffled merriment that night at my expense......and for a while after that too.

Hi Barbara. I too remember strict rules of meatless fridays and stores  closed on sundays. I thought those among many others certainly were an acknowledgment to the respect for God and an expression of faith. As with so many other things of good and respect these things have vanished and look what has replaced them. Seems since then many have crossed on a path leading from God and it sure is showing it, at least as far as I can see. Well anyways theres not much to be done about except to pray and keep our eyes toward heaven.

  That was a very good story from your younger years, I enjoyed that and was well written and descriptive. When I came to the part where you knelt down because you saw Jesus, I immediately thought of saint Faustina and that movie that I sent you. Then I was dissapointed to find out it was just a flame. You sure must have felt something amazing to have thought that was Jesus though, I know I would have.

  You mentioned something else. You mentioned that someone witnessing an apparition could not walk away without something positive coming from it. Well your right. There are things of heaven that when witnessed will change the course and increase their spirit of faith without a doubt.

  There is another story I have and will attempt to keep it as short as possible yet get the details correct. This concerns my mother and once again the circle of life. My mother was a devote catholic and prayed the rosary fervently each and every day. She was in her early sixties at the the time and seemingly in good health. At the time I was studying to become a pilot and was on my way to a scheduled flight with a flight instructor. As I neared the airport a voice clearly said to me, "go home your mother is ill". I never doubted the voice or anything else. I simply turned the car around and sped home much to fast. When I arrived home I ran in through the front door to find my mother laying on the couch with a wet facecloth on her forehead. As soon as I neared her she went into severe convulsions and swallowed her tongue  which I was able to clear her throat with a spoon and call an ambulance. And so began a long journey. She had contracted an extremely rare form of vasculitise which doctors knew little to nothing about. She continued with this illness having all sorts of things happen to her, such as blindness which would return after awhile, her intestines would cease to function, more convultions and on and on. She eventually was put into a well known medical center in worcester massachusetts where they would study her. She worsened after a period of weeks and things were looking dismal to say the least. Then one day we were informed that my mother has taken a turn for the worse. Her brain had shut down and there was no activity detected. After a time were told that she would not recover from this state and suggested that she be removed from life support. And so I found myself in a position once again to decide on a lifes decision, for my father, brother and sister would not or could not decide one way or the other. So with deep thought I had said mom cannot continue like this in her state. And so she was removed from life support. Somehow or another my mother  continued to live. Laying in bed in a ward for those with no chance. L so with no food or water she contined on like this for over a week. But the time did arrive and we were told there is not much time left. If one were to witness her at this time there would be no question the time was very near. So in the state she was in being brain dead and with a wisp of who she once was, as we looked at her along with the nurses, my mother suddenly opened her eyes and sat up straight in bed with outstretched arms along with the biggest brigbtest smile imaginable with her bright eyes looking straight ahead gave up her spirit and fell back into bed. Never seen nurses cry like that. Never seen anything like it. But I do know it was Jesus and He take her straight into His arms, there are no doubts.

  I thought this was important to share Barbara. Hope it didnt sadden you. At least through it all this had a miraculous ending. It has made my faith not possible to be swayed by anyone or thing.

  Talk to you later Barbara. May God have favor on you....

[Guest]

Hi Gary - Your story of both you and your mother was very moving to read - a story blest by the Presence of The Lord and thank you very much for sharing it.  

May He continue to bless you daily...........and yes, talk later........

Regards - Barb

[Guest]

 

A lovely and spot on little video, it says it all in 2 mins 20 seconds:

 

"Is it Normal to have Doubts about Faith?"

 Sister Karen Ann Lortscher, OSB

 

 

I really enjoy watching "Call the Midwife" on our Australian ABC Channel 2 - also I can catch up with the various series on Foxtel Go.  What I really enjoy about the program is the characters are all so very human, including the religious sisters.  Each episode is really interesting and rather often has layers of meaning.  Good script writing and acting.

You can catch "Call the Midwife" here: https://iview.abc.net.au/show/call-the-midwife

[Guest]

 

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.

   - George Herbert

[Gary david]

24 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

 

Thou hast given so much to me,
Give one thing more, - a grateful heart;
Not thankful when it pleaseth me,
As if Thy blessings had spare days,
But such a heart whose pulse may be Thy praise.

   - George Herbert

As we see time and time again, God works through people. Thank you Barbara.........God bless you......

[Guest]

Daily Reflection

May 19

St Vincent de Paul Society

https://famvin.org/reflections/daily-reflection-may-19-4/

“You see a great deal of distress that you are unable to relieve. God sees it also. Bear the pains of the poor together with them, doing all you can to give them whatever help they need, and remain in peace.”
– St. Vincent de Paul

– "Lord, when I feel overwhelmed by the distress I am unable to relieve, help me to feel your presence and realize You are well aware of all those needs and provide me with the direction I need."

Edited May 20, 2019 by BarbaraTherese

[Guest]

Laughter really is good medicine: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456 

 

Rowan Atkinson interviews Elton John

 

 

 

_______________________________

 

 

I am more afraid of those who are terrified of the devil than I am of the devil himself

St Teresa of Avila

[Gary david]

35 minutes ago, BarbaraTherese said:

Laughter really is good medicine: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/stress-relief/art-20044456 

 

Rowan Atkinson interviews Elton John

 

 

 

_______________________________

 

 

I am more afraid of those who are terrified of the devil than I am of the devil himself

St Teresa of Avila

  That was very funny Barbara! I hadn't seen this before. Your right, laughter is a good medicine. If one can manage a little humor it puts a little spoon of sugar in a otherwise serious and distressful world. It is good to have another send a smile or two and just as good to send one back.

  This is also much credence to that quote by St Teresa. It is a quote to ponder.

Thanks Barbara and may God bless you and buddie and all that you do....

[Guest]

"The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little."                   (1 Peter Chapter 5)

 

St Peter promises four things after suffering: 

https://catholicexchange.com/st-peter-promises-these-four-things-after-suffering?mc_cid=a45ac3b954&mc_eid=1ea4a385a2

"We can look forward to these four—restoration, confirmation, strengthening, and establishment. But what, specifically, is Peter referring to by these terms?".............MORE on above link.

[Guest]

"A spiritual life is simply a life in which all that we do comes from the center, where we are anchored in God: a life soaked through and through by a sense of God's reality and claim, and self-given to the great movement of God's will."

- Evelyn Underhill

[Guest]

To take up the cross of Christ

 

is no great action done once for all;

it consists in the continual practice of small duties which are distasteful to us.

- John Henry (Cardinal) Newman

_________________________

 

St Therese lived this with clarity and simplicity.  Since all things come from or through the Hand of The Lord, nothing can be a small matter.  This contributed to her cause for canonization.

[Guest]

[Gary david]

On 5/20/2019 at 9:21 PM, Gary david said:

  That was very funny Barbara! I hadn't seen this before. Your right, laughter is a good medicine. If one can manage a little humor it puts a little spoon of sugar in a otherwise serious and distressful world. It is good to have another send a smile or two and just as good to send one back.

  This is also much credence to that quote by St Teresa. It is a quote to ponder.

Thanks Barbara and may God bless you and buddie and all that you do....

I hope things never come to this......

[Guest]

I hope it won't come to the above...........Hope that is!...............but then one can only play the cards one is dealt..............and.......

[Guest]

Deo Gratius Laudate Dominum

 

Quote

 

REFLECTION

January 23, May 24, September 23
Chapter 5: On Obedience

It is our hearts that convict us in obedience. Not because of
feelings or emotions, those can be mistaken, but because of the
relationship between love and will. Many of us have loved someone and
hated having to do something that the love required, but we did it
anyway. Our feelings or repugnance were over-ruled by the will in our
hearts to love. Face it, love does not ALWAYS feel too good, which is
a principal way it differs from mere feelings.

Jean Ronan, one of my favorite teachers used to tell me to always make all
decisions "in the light of the death candle", that is, as if one were about
to die. How very true it is, and one could die at any time, young or old. The closer
one gets to the possibility of that death candle, the truer it is. There's a
handy rule of thumb here. Does our choice put God and our faith first, no matter
what? If it does not, something is terribly wrong.

There is also the trust of faith involved here. God is God and we must
firmly believe He will do the best for us, no matter how unclear that may sometimes
be. Jesus often told St. Faustina to ask her superiors for permissions, hard
permissions, to do this or that extra prayer or mortification, that He KNEW
they would refuse. Then, after the refusal, He would tell Faustina that
her obedience meant more to Him than the thing denied.

St. Faustina’s Diary says that all creatures do His will, whether they want
to not or, whether they know it or not. Now there's a hefty order!
Still when we look at St. Paul's remark that, "for those who love
God, all things work together for good," this is not at all far-fetched.
St. Paul did not say "all wise things", or "well-intentioned things", or
"cooperative things". He said "all" and he was inspired to say that by
the Holy Spirit.

"All things"... I think there is a mystical point where the will of God
cannot be thwarted. This is evident in the lives of many saints. When Jesus
told them nothing could harm them, He wasn't just kidding around! In spite
of seemingly insuperable odds, His will for them would triumph again and
again. But this is NOT just for saints: it is true for all of us! Obedience
throws us into the vortex of that, but it gets easier as our faith
(and experience of God's goodness!) deepens.

We have been too ready to think that obedience depends only on
humans, who are flawed. It doesn't. All obedience is given to God.
Our love and trust and His love and mercy are the deciding factors,
not the universally flawed human weakness that plagues every human
means of God's will in this world.

Want a little theological aside here? Look at what this concept of
all doing His will does to the concept of sin. It makes it the ULTIMATE
rip-off. If, even when we try to thwart God, we further His plans (and face it, He
*IS* clever enough to pull that off,) then we are left with absolutely
nothing but the bitter ashes of our own useless self- defeat. Whether we are with
Him or against Him, His kingdom will nevertheless come. What a tragedy to have

been nothing more than a futile obstacle to that!

Love and prayers,
Jerome, OSB
http://www.stmarysmonastery.org
Petersham, MA