Preaching

Preach the Gospel always and when necessary, use words.
St. Francis of Assisi

Prayer Before Communion

Come, O Blessed Saviour, and

nourish my soul with heavenly

Food, the Food which contains

every sweetness and every

delight.  Come, Bread of

Angels, and satisfy the hunger

of my soul.  Come, glowing

Furnace of Charity, and enkindle

in my heart the flame of

divine love.  Come, Light of  the

World, and enlighten the

darkness of my mind. Come,

King of Kings, and make me

obedient to Your holy will.

Come, loving Saviour, and

make me meek and humble.

Come Friend of the Sick, and

heal the infirmities of my

body and the weakness of my

soul.  Come, Good Shepherd,

my God and my All, and take

me to Yourself.

O most holy mother, Mary Immaculate,

prepare my heart to

receive my Saviour. Amen.

Our Lady of Grace Prayer Book

A Mystical Rose

Good and devout souls, who walk in the light of
the Holy Spirit; I do not think that you will mind my
giving you this little mystical rose tree which comes straight
from Heaven and which is to be planted in the garden of
your soul.  It cannot possibly harm the sweet smelling flowers
of your contemplations; for it is a heavenly tree and its
scent is beautiful.  It will not in the least interfere with your
carefully planned flower beds; for, being itself all pure and
well ordered, it inclines all to order and purity.  If it is carefully
watered and properly attended to every day it will grow
to such a marvelous height and its branches will have such a
wide span that, far from hindering your other devotions it
will maintain and perfect them.

Of course you understand what I mean, since you are spiritually
minded; this mystical rose tree is Jesus and Mary in
life, death and eternity; its green leaves are the Joyous Mysteries
the thorns the Sorrowful ones and the flowers, the
Glorious Mysteries of Jesus and Mary.  The buds are the
childhood of Jesus and Mary, and the open blooms show us
both of them in their sufferings, and the full-blown roses
symbolize Jesus and Mary in their triumph and glory.

A rose delights in the Joyous Mysteries.  Its thorns are sharp,
and prick, which makes us think of them in the Sorrowful
Mysteries, and last of all its perfume  is so sweet that everyone
loves it, and this fragrance symbolizes their Glorious
Mysteries.

So please do not scorn this beautiful and heavenly tree,
but plant it with your own hands in the garden of your soul,
making the resolution to say your Rosary every day.  By
saying it daily and by doing good works you will be tending
your tree, watering it, hoeing the earth around it.  Eventually
you will see that this little seed which I have given
you, and which  seems so very small now, will grow into a
tree so great that the birds of heaven, i.e., predestinate and
contemplative souls, will dwell in it and make their nests
there.  Its shade will shelter them from the scorching heat
of the sun and its great height will keep them safe from the
wild beasts on the ground.  And best of all, they will feed
upon the tree's fruit, which is none other than our
adorable Jesus, to whom be honor and glory forever and
ever. Amen. So be it.
by St. Louis De Montfort, The Secret of the Rosary

To Our Lady of the Rosary

O Virgin Mary, grant that the

recitation of your Rosary may be

for me each day, in the midst of

my manifold duties, a bond of unity

in my actions, a tribute of filial

piety, a sweet refreshment, an

encouragement to walk joyfully

along the path of duty.  Grant,

above all, O Virgin Mary, that the

study of your twenty mysteries

may form in my soul, little by little,

a luminous atmosphere, pure,

strengthening, and fragrant,

which may penetrate my

understanding, my will, my heart,

my memory, my imagination,my

whole being.  So shall I acquire

the habit of praying while I work,

without the aid of formal prayers,

by interior acts of admiration and

of supplication, or by aspirations

of love.  I ask this of you, O Queen

of the holy Rosary,

through St. Dominic, your son

of predilection, the renowned

preacher of your mysteries, and

the faithful imitator of your virtues.

Amen.

Regaining Faith

"In these sad times when faith is dead,

and impiety is triumphant, when we are

surrounded by those who have

perpetual hatred in their hearts and

blasphemy on their lips, the surest

means of remaining immune to the

pestiferous disease that surrounds us, is

to fortify ourselves with Eucharistic

food. This cannot be achieved by those

who, month after month, live without

satiating themselves with the

Immaculate Flesh of the Divine Lamb."

by Padre Pio

Hush My Babe

Hush, my babe; be still and slumber,

Holy angels guard thy bed,

Heavenly blessings without number

Gently resting on thy head.

by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mary Did You Know

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day walk on water?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?

This child that you delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm a storm with His hand?

Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?

When you kiss your little baby, you've kissed the face of God.

The blind will see

The deaf will hear

The dead will live again

The lame will leap

The dumb will speak

The praises of the Lamb

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?

Mary did you know that your baby boy will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy is Heaven's perfect lamb?

This sleeping child you're holding is The Great I Am.

I Have Called You Friends

I no longer call you servants, because a

servant does not know his master's business.

Instead, I have called you friends,

for everything that I learned from my Father

I have made know to you.

John 15:15

The Two Wings

Purity and simplicity

are the two wings with

which man soars above the earth

and all temporary nature.

by Thomas A. Kempis

Prince of Peace

Isaiah 7:14- Birth of Jesus- Prophecy

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call

His name Immanuel.

Isaiah 9:6 Birth of Jesus- Prince of Peace

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father,

Prince of Peace.

John 1:14 The Word became flesh

And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father,

full of grace and truth.

On the Bright Side

I learned to look more on the bright side of

my condition, and less upon the dark side,

and to consider what I enjoyed, rather than

what I wanted; and this gave me sometimes

such secret comforts, that I cannot express

them; and which I take notice here, to put

those discontented people in mind of it,

who cannot enjoy comfortably what God

has given them, because they see and covet

something that He has not given them.

All our discontents about what we want

appeared to me to spring from the want of

thankfulness for what we have.

by Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe

Bloom on the Fruit

Obedience is the fruit of the faith;

patience, the bloom on the fruit

by Christina Rossetti

Shall I Nurse You

	She asked him, "What should I call you? Man? But your conception is divine. God? But you are clothed with our flesh and blood. What shall I do for you? Shall I nurse you with my milk or glorify you? Shall I care for you like a mother or worship you like a maidservant? Shall I kiss you like my son or pray to you like my God? Should I give you milk or incense? What an ineffable mystery! Heaven uses you as a throne and you lie in my arms! You give yourself wholly to the inhabitants of the earth, Yet you do not deprive Heaven of your presence." by Saint Basil
	by Saint Basil

Our Compass

Families are the compass

that guides us.

They are the inspiration to reach great heights

and our comfort when we occasionally falter.

by Brad Henry

Home

Whoever fears the Lord

has a secure fortress,

and for their children

it will be a refuge.

Proverbs 14:26

Family

The great gift of family life

is to be intimately acquainted

with people you might

never even introduce yourself

to, had life not done it for you.

by Kendall Hailey

Humble Yourselves

Let everyone be struck with fear,
the whole world tremble,
and the heavens exult
when Christ, the Son of the living God,
is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!
O wonderful loftiness
and stupendous dignity!
O sublime humility!
O humble sublimity!
The Lord of the universe,
God and the Son of God,
so humbles Himself
that He hides Himself
for our salvation
under and ordinary piece of bread!

See the humility of God, brothers,
and pour out your hearts before Him!

Humble yourselves that you may be exalted by Him!

Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves,
that He Who gives Himself totally to you
may receive you totally!

Meditation of St. Francis of Assisi

Joy and Peace

Rejoice in the Lord always.

I shall say it again: rejoice!  Your

kindness should be known to all.  The

Lord is near.  Have no anxiety at all, but

in everything, by prayer and petition, with

thanksgiving, make your requests known

to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses

all understanding will guard your

hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-7

Humility and Obedience

Do nothing out of selfishness or out of

vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as

more important  than yourselves, each

looking out not for his own interest, but

everyone for those of others.

For God is the one who, for his good purpose,

works in you both to desire and to work.

Do everything without grumbling or questioning,

that you may be blameless and innocent, children of

God without blemish in the midst of a

crooked and perverse generation, among

whom you shine like lights in the world,

as you hold on to the word of life, so that

my boast for the day of Christ may be that

I did not run in vain or labor in vain.

But, even if I am poured out as a libation

upon the sacrificial service of your

faith, I rejoice and share my joy with all of

you.  In the same way you also should

rejoice and share your joy with me.

Philippians 2:3-4, 13-18

Miraculous Medal

Virgin Mother of God, Mary Immaculate,

we dedicate and consecrate our selves to thee

under the title of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

May this medal be for each one of us a sure sign

of your motherly affection for us and a constant

reminder of our duties towards thee.

Ever while wearing it, may we be blessed

by your loving protection and preserved in the

grace of your Son.  Most powerful Virgin, Mother

of our Savior, keep us close to thee every

moment of our lives so that like you we may

live and act according to the teaching and example

of your Son.  Obtain for us, your children, the

grace of a happy death so that in union with thee

we may enjoy the bliss of heaven forever. Amen

Beauty

            A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told him right off he was crazy. He was a city type, you could tell by his clothes, his  car, his hands, and the way he talked. He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it was for sale. I told him he had a funny idea of beauty.

            Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there's been a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind. The summer sun's  beat down on that old barn till all the paint's gone, and the wood has turned silver gray. Now the old building leans a good deal, looking kind of tired. Yet, that fellow called it beautiful.

            That set me to thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood there, gazing at that old barn. The stranger said he planned to use the lumber to line the walls of his den in a new country home he's building down the road. He said you couldn't get paint that beautiful. Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms and scorching sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood.

            It came to me then. We're a lot like that, you and I. Only it's on the inside that the beauty grows with us. Sure we turn silver gray too... and lean a bit more than we did when we were young and full of sap. But the Good Lord knows what He's doing. And as the years pass He's busy using  the hard wealth of our lives, the dry spells and the stormyseasons, to do a  job of beautifying our souls that nothing else can produce. And to think how often folks holler because they want life easy!

            They took the old barn down today and hauled it away to beautify a rich man's house. And I reckon someday you and I'll be hauled off to Heaven to take on whatever chores the Good Lord has for us on the Great Sky Ranch.

            And I suspect we'll be more beautiful then for the seasons we've been through here... and just maybe even add a bit of beauty to our Father's house.

            May today there be peace within you.

            May you trust God
            that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

            "I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.

Heaven on Earth

You've got to dance like there's nobody watching.

Love like you'll never be hurt.

Sing like there's nobody listening.

And live like it's heaven on earth. -

by William W. Purkey.

Gift of Love

Subject: 1 Corinthians 13 - A Christmas Version

If I decorated my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted
snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the

decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried

and tired. Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated

Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful
they are there to be in the way. Love doesn't give only to those who  are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure.

Comforter

Come Holy Spirit, Creator Blest

And in our Hearts take up Thy rest,

Come with Thy grace

and Heavenly Aid,

To fill the hearts

which You have made.

O Comforter, to You we cry,

Thou gift of God sent from on High,

Thou fount of life and fire of Love,

The soul's anointing from above.

Holy Spirit

Oh, Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul

I adore You. Enlighten me,

guide me, strengthen me, console me.

Tell me what to do

Direct my every choice.

I promise to submit myself

to all that You desire of me and

to accept all that You permit

to happen to me.  Let me only

know Your Will.

Understanding

Come, O Spirit of Understanding,

and enlighten our minds, that we

may know and believe all the

mysteries of salvation; and may

merit at last to see the eternal light

in Thy light; and in the light of

glory to have a clear vision of Thee

and the Father and the Son.  Amen

The Gift of Understanding

Understanding, as a gift of the

Holy Spirit, helps us to grasp the

meaning of the truths of our holy

religion.  By faith we know them,

but by Understanding we learn to

appreciate and relish them.  It

enables us to penetrate the inner

meaning of revealed truths and

through them to be quickened to a

newness of life.  Our faith ceases to

be sterile and inactive, but inspires

a mode of life that bears eloquent

testimony to the faith that is in us;

we begin to "walk worthy of God in

all things pleasing and increasing

in the knowledge of God."

The Gift of Counsel

The gift of Counsel endows the soul

with supernatural prudence,

enabling it to judge promptly and

rightly what must be done,

especially in difficult circumstances.

Counsel applies the

principles furnished by Knowledge

and Understanding to the

innumerable concrete cases that

confront us in the course of our

daily duty as parents, teachers,

public servants, and Christian

citizens.  Counsel is supernatural

common sense, a priceless treasure

in the quest of salvation.  "Above

all these things, pray to the Most High,

that He may direct thy way

in truth."

The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and Failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess.
'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.'

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up.
' The four-year-old smiled and went back to work..

The words so struck the parents so that they were s

peechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.

That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, Neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

Duties Toward God II

Woe to craven hearts and drooping hands,

to the sinner who treads a double path!

Woe to the faint of heart who trust not,

who therefore will have no shelter!

Woe to you who have lost hope!

what will you do at the visitation of the LORD?

Those who fear the LORD disobey not his words;

those who love him keep his ways.

Those who fear the LORD seek to please him,

those who love him are filled with his law.

Those who fear the LORD prepare their hearts

and humble themselves before him.

Let us fall into the hands of the LORD

and not into the hands of men,

For equal to his majesty

is the mercy that he shows.

Sirach 2:12-18

Duties Toward God

My son, when you come to serve the Lord,

prepare yourself for trials.

Be sincere of heart and steadfast,

undisturbed in time of adversity.

Cling to him, forsake him not;

thus will your future be great.

Accept whatever befalls you,

in crushing misfortune be patient;

For in fire gold is tested,

and worthy men in crucible of humiliation.

Trust God and he will help you;

make straight your ways and hope in him.

You who fear the LORD, wait for his mercy,

turn not away lest you fall.

You who fear the LORD, trust him,

and your reward will not be lost.

You who fear the LORD, hope for good things,

for lasting joy and mercy.

Sirach 2:1-9