Amazing Grace

It seems I have meant to reflect this week on Grace. This is the second time it has been offered to me in as many days! Please enjoy this grace-filled music by Il Divo!

Amazing Grace

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Thanks be to God!!

Road to Providence

Saint Therese of Lisieux
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods

I am working on my next presentation to share with Sr. Dorothy and find it is difficult to grasp the words I am reading. So I took a break and visited Br. Charles at A Minor Friar. It will be well worth your time.

Have a grand day!

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Thanks be to God!

Grace

God's love is total, unconditional, absolute and forever. The state of grace--God's attiugde toward us--is eternal. We are the ones who change.

Sometimes we are able to believe that God loves us unconditionally, absolutely and forever. That's grace! And sometimes because we get down on ourselves, and carry guilt and fear and burdens, we are not able to believe that God loves us. Biblically, that's the greatest sin: not to believe the good news, not to accept the unconditional love of God. When we no longer believe God loves us, we can no longer love ourselves. We have to allow God to continually fill us. Then we find in our own lives the power to give love away.

Radical Grace, Daily Medications
by Richard Rohr, O.F.M.

So let it be for us this Lent, to accept that love, that grace. Spend time realizing that you have value not just to God alone. But because of his love, you have value to others. Share that giftedness! Share that wealth of love from God! Fill the earth with the knowledge of the glory of God. YOU are GOOD! You have such value he was willing to die for you! To deny your goodness is to refuse the most valuable gift you can ever receive. Accept your holiness.

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Thanks be to God!

Prayer in the Restaraunt

Saying Grace In A Restaurant...

Last week, I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace.

As we bowed our heads he said, "God is good, God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if Mom gets us ice cream for dessert. And Liberty and Justice for all! Amen!"

Along with the laughter from the other customers nearby, I heard a woman remark, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!"

Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, "Did I do it wrong? Is God mad at me?"

As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job, and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, "I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer."

"Really?" my son asked.

"Cross my heart," the man replied.

Then, in a theatrical whisper, he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes."

Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment, and then did something I will remember the rest of my life.

He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile he told her, "Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes; and my soul is good already."

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If this doesn't bring tears to your eyes. Read it again! This is the essence of LENT from the heart of a child...I would challenge you to look for the Child of God in you today! I'm looking and hoping I recognize the opportunities !

To Jenny I say,"Thank you for thinking of me and sending this treasure to me." To everyone else have a grand day and:

Thanks be to God!!!

Quiet

Today I was off work. Usually I'm off Wednesday afternoon anyway but I was caught up at work and chose to take it off. Haven't had an Ash Wednesday off in about10 years and found it the most wonderful day I have had in some time.

It was QUIET. I said my morning prayers in QUIET. Reflected at leisure in QUIET. Did my Bible Study in QUIET. Took Duchess out side and SHE was QUIET (usually barking at someone or something). God had gifted me with a real QUIET that I had not experienced in some time. It was refreshing, inspiring, and hard to relinquish.

Then it was time to offer my Mass and receive the Ashes in the evening. It is wonderful to look back on the day and see how I had been prepared for the glory of the evening.

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Thanks be to God!

Ash Wednesday

I turned to the Lord God,
pleading in earnest prayer,
with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
~Daniel 9:3~

The use of ashes as a sign of penitence and remorse is rooted in Jewish tradition.

This Jewish penitential practice carried over into Christianity. In one early Church custom dating back to the fourth century, those who had committed serious sin would present themselves to their bishop on Ash Wednesday, and would then spend the rest of Lent wearing the hair shirt as a public display of sinfulness.

The Ash Wednesday custom of placing ashes on the forehead became universal in the 11th century. In the 12th century, the practice began of burning the palm branches of the previous year to make the ashes.

After the 16th century Reformation , most Protestant churches did away with this custom, along with many other external practices of the Catholic Church. However, in recent decades, Lutheran Presbyterian Methodist, and Episcopal churches have reinstated the use of ashes as part of their liturgical renewal.

~~The Little Black Book~~

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Thanks be to God

Reflecting on Lent

Reflecting on Lent
Originally uploaded by Chris Inside

As I begin my journey this year into the season of Lent, I would like to share with you a bit of history offered by the Little Black Book.

St Telesphorus is the pope often credited with instituting the tradition of a seven week Lent.

Whether that is true or not, Telesphorus was one of the Church's earliest popes, serving from about 128-129 A.D. until his martyrdom about 10 years later.

Little is known about this saint. It is thought he was probably Greek. Legend says that he was a hermit before he became pope during the reign of the Emperor Hadrian.

But despite the scarcity of information of his background, he is credited (rightly or wrongly) with initiating may of today's Catholic traditions.

For instance, he is said to have begun the celebration of Easter on a Sunday, the tradition of midnight Mass at Christmas, and deciding that the Gloria should be sung at Christmas midnight Mass. It is also said that he started Quinquagesima Sunday (Shrove Sunday) to encourage Christians to prepare for Lent, and he determined the length of the Lenten season.

What is documented is that Telesphorus died a martyr possible because he was a powerful preacher who led many people to convert to Christianity.

The Greek Church celebrates his feast day, February 22.

And so tomorrow the Journey again begins just as it does every year. With plans and resolutions for our journey to the Cross and ultimately to the empty Tomb. May your journey be as fruitful as I hope mine will be.

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Thanks be to God!

The Oscars...

Funniest of stories...

While watching the Academy Awards, Duchess was asleep on the floor in front of the TV. When the winner for costume design was announced for the movie Duchess, OUR Duchess sat up and looked at the television waiting for her TREAT. She looked at both Ron and I as if to say, "Well? Where's the treat?"

Sorry, Duchess, no Oscar for you...only a doggie bone. (We could only laugh out loud at our "puppy.")

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Thanks be to God!

Charism

Church of the Immaculate Conception
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN

The lesson this month for discussion was that of charism. As one in the process of discerning the role of becoming an Providence Associate, this was challenging. I had to look inward and identify my gifts/talents. Then, too, I had to acknowledge them. This process involved writing cinquain poetry. I found I like it. I, too, have to acknowledge that Laura at Catholic Teacher's Musings primed me for this by challenging me to write Haiku. Today I share with you this cinquain.

Charism
Creator's gift
Cherished treasure untold
Accepted with true gratitude
Fruitfulness

Have a grand day!!!!

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Thanks be to God!

Angels explained by Children

This was sent to me my many friends. It is a little lighthearted humor about one of God's treasured gifts to us. Have a grand weekend with lots of smiles!

Angels Explained by Children

I only know the names of two angels. Hark and Harold... Gregory, 5

Everybody's got it all wrong. Angels don't wear halos anymore. I forget why, but scientists are working on it. --Olive, 9

It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die. Then you go to heaven, and then there's still the flight training to go through. And then you got to agree to wear those angel clothes. --Matthew, 9

Angels work for God and watch over kids when God has to go do something else. --Mitchell, 7

My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's not much good for science. --Henry, 8

Angels don't eat, but they drink milk from Holy Cows. --Jack, 6

Angels talk all the way while they're flying you up to heaven. The main subject is where you went wrong before you got dead. --Daniel, 9

Love this one:

When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out his breath, somewhere there's a tornado. --Reagan, 10

Angels have a lot to do and they keep very busy. If you lose a tooth, an angel comes in through your window and leaves money under your pillow. Then when it gets cold, angels go north for the winter. --Sara, 6

Angels live in cloud houses made by God and his son, who's a very good carpenter.--Jared, 8

All! angels are girls because they gotta wear dresses and boys didn't go for it. --Antonio, 9

My angel is my grandma who died last year. She got a big head start on helping me while she was still down here on earth. --Katelynn, 9

Some of the angels are in charge of helping heal sick animals and pets. And if they don't make the animals get better, they help the child get over it.

What I don't get about angels is why, when someone is in love, they shoot arrows at them

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Thanks be to God!