Erin's Observations: Fr. Donald's Sermon

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Fr. Donald's Sermon

The following is from one of Fr. Donald's sermons and was printed on the invitation to his 50th anniversary as a priest. I came across it in my bible the other day and I'm not sure why, but I feel the need to share it with you.

For those that do not know me, Fr. Donald is first-cousins to my grandfather and is very dear to me having baptized and married my parents and also my husband and I. His wisdom alsways astounds me.

"On earth we are wayfarers, always on the go. This means that we have to keep moving forward. Therefore be always unhappy about where you are if you want to reach what you are not.

If you are pleased with what you are, you have stopped already. If you say, It is enough, you are lost. Keep on walking, moving forward, trying for the goal. Don't try to stop on the way or to go back, or to deviate from it."- Sermon 169,18

Prayer:

"Lord, guard us from all danger and carry us to Yourself. And you will be our strong support from childhood to old age; for when our strength is Yours, we are strong."

Confessions 4,16

St. Augustine of Hippo

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Daily Prayer for Priests....

Lord Jesus, present in the Most Blessed Sacrament, and living perpetually among us through Your Priests, grant that the words of Your priests may be only Your words, that their gestures be only Your gestures, and that their lives be a true reflection of Your life. Grant that they may be men who speak to God on behalf of His people, and speak to His people of God. Grant that they may be courageous in service, serving the church as she asks to be served. Grant that they may be men who witness eternity in our time, traveling on the paths of history in Your steps, and doing good for all. Grant that they may be faithful to their commitments, zealous in their vocation and mission, clear mirrors of their own identity, and living the joy of the gift they have received. We pray the Your Holy Mother Mary, present throughout Your life, may be ever present in the life of Your priests.

All heavenly angels and saints...pray for us! Amen.

Prayer to Release 1,000 souls from Purgatory!

Put Your Spouse First!

"Be Subject to one another out of reverence for Christ"

~Ephesians 5:21

" May the Holy Family never withdraw its loving gaze from you and your family. Model yourselves on it, and you will have peace and spiritual and temporal well-being."

-Taken from St. Padre Pio's Letters, Vol. 4,1000

Lord, when I think in terms of power and control, I do not want to be subordinate to anybody! But when I think in terms of your love, which calls us to our highest and our best, I feel differently. As Paul says, each of a couple must put the other's welfare first and must do so in light of being both Christ's disciples and God's precious Children. Only then can marriage follow Your design.
Fill Your world Lord, with holy marriages! And give Your grace to all those who are struggling to create them!

* This entire text was taken from "Through the Year with Padre Pio" by Patricia Treece.

Importance of True Piety

Importance of True Piety

Padre Pio understood very well the centrality of the gift of piety in the spiritual life of the Christian and priest. His religious name Pio or Pius is a telling sign...He was pious to the last detail and until the last moment of his life on earth. Padre Pio prayed, adored and contemplated with a profound sentiment of sincere piety. He transformed his whole life into an offering and sacrificial gift that began from love of the Father and extended to loving reverence of his neighbor. His piety inspired his hospital the Home for the Relief of Suffering; his piety inspired his Prayer Groups. "Practice piety...piety is useful for everything. It holds promises for the present and future life." Timothy 4:8 These words of St. Paul to Timothy, Padre Pio made his own. We should do the same.

Wisdom from Mother Teresa

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are honest, people may cheat you.
Be honest anyway.
If you find happiness, people may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
For you see, in the end it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway."
Mother Teresa

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen

"Joy is not the same as pleasure or happiness. A wicked and evil man may have pleasure, while any ordinary mortal is capable of being happy. Pleasure generally comes from things, and always through the senses; happiness comes from humans through fellowship. Joy comes from loving God and neighbor. Pleasure is quick and violent, like a flash of lightning. Joy is steady and abiding, like a fixed star. Pleasure depends on external circumstances, such as money, food, travel, etc. Joy is independent of them, for it comes from a good conscience and love of God."

Prayer for the Intercession of John Paul II

O Holy Trinity,
we thank you for having given to the Church Pope John Paul II, and for having made him shine with your fatherly tenderness, the glory of the Cross of Christ and the splendor of the Spirit of love He trusting completely in your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, has shown himself in the likeness of Jesus the Good Shepherdand has pointed out to us holinessas the path to reach eternal communion with You.

Grant us, through his intercession,according to your will, the grace that we implore,in the hope that he will soon be numbered among your saints.

Amen.