Erin's Observations

The Narrow Path less Traveled....

2011-10-09T11:19:00.000-07:00

Although a part of me has always known, I do not believe I have always understood as deeply as I do now. The only way to our Lord is to suffer with Him. This may sound out-of-date or as though out of an ancient book on some ancient saint's life.

However, this mystery of suffering is not to be underestimated. It is precisely through this path that is the path avoided and even shunned by humans. It is in our animal-nature to withdraw from pain and suffering. This why we run to the medicine cabinet at the first sign of pain. This is why we try to avoid uncomfortable confrontation with those in our lives -to avoid the pain and discomfort of setting things straight. This is why we feel sorry for ourselves when someone at work or at home has hurt our feelings.

Before, I go any further I should make myself clear that we should not look for suffering or seek out new ways to suffer for Christ. He sends us the crosses, it our responsibility as Christians to embrace these crosses that He sends and to always Trust in HIs will for us. Jesus does not wish us to be sad and despondent over our sufferings and trials within this life- He wants us to endure them with Joy and love for HIm! Remember Suffering+Love=Joy. You cannot love and not suffer. This is why so many songs, poems, etc. speak of the hurts and pains of love. Love is a paradox in itself and in order to grow and become more perfect, we must suffer. Just as a mother must experience labor pains to bring a life into the world, so we must endure the labors of our own life in order to be born of everlasting life!

We should not lose hope when sufferings come that our feelings are not one's of joy but of dread. Even Christ Himself suffered terribly in the Garden of Gesthemene, the night before his Crucifixion. He could see what He would have to endure physically, emotionally, and spiritually- all for love of us and to carry out the Will of His Father! Christ suffered such terrible anxiety that he sweat blood over it! So- although we may sometimes feel anxiety - we should offer it up to our Lord to perfect us in our suffering and repeat over and over to Him- Jesus, I trust in You and I accept my suffering as Your Will for me to bring me closer to You! "Not my will, but Your will be done"

For Christ once said to St. Faustina: "Your sufferings will lead to your sanctification"

What hope this one line brings into my heart and such consolation as well! Take heart - for the more you suffer, the more dear you are to Christ's Heart.

Christ rejoices over souls that place their complete trust in Him. Even though we do not feel it, we still please our Lord just willing ourselves to trust Him. For He knows that this requires greater faith and love in Him -than knowing or feeling His Consolations for us. He personally picks up such little souls and brings them to the heights of sanctity!

However, such little souls are not aware of their sanctity because their humility and littleness keeps their feet in the palm of His hand -yet His hand be lifted towards Heaven. The little ones do not realize how high they are - for they are being carried by their Father.

It also occurred to me that every time we receive the sacrament of confession- we are once again as white as snow and crowned as daughters and sons of Our King in Heaven. Every time we sin we tarnish these crowns and bring scandal to the kingdom of God. The cause of our fall is because we place too much trust in ourselves and not enough in Christ. We do not call on Him as we should when faced with temptation or occasions of sin. Instead we try to fight it ourselves without remembering our own weakness and misery. When we turn this weakness and misery over to our Lord and call upon the names of Jesus and Mary during temptations- We will receive the necessary graces to overcome such temptations. Once overcome, it strengthens our virtues and graces within us to overcome a more powerful temptation in the future.

The most powerful tool besides the Eucharist, is prayer and the Rosary. While saying the rosary our minds are lifted to the mysteries of the life of Christ and the one who bore Him- while our lips are proclaiming the words of scripture- The Our Father and the words of Gabriel to Mary- Hail full of grace!

Lord- Today I offer You all of myself- my failings, my miseries, my pain, but most of all my love and trust in you. Please make me as you will me to be and take away my own will and make it only YOUR Will. I realize how weak I am and know I cannot do anything myself. I need You in all the moments of my life if I am to do anything worthy of entering Your kingdom and gazing onto your omnipotent face.

I empty myself Lord- so You may fill me with good and Holy virtues and graces- to carry out Your Will for me on earth.

I love you - but help me to love you as I should!

Being Free and Fluid...

2011-05-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

Some people believe that in order to be free we must be able to do what we want, when we want, and how we want; but how is that free? All that is is following your basest of desires and will. This eventually gets you or those around you into trouble by choosing the wrong path or making decisions that are harmful to others. you may ask how are any of my decisions harmful to others? They may be harmful to myself but if I'm not hurting anyone -how am I harming others?

Well, say on the way home from work you stop at the gas station and are short or rude to someone there, your rudeness can affect others or harm them in a way you would not know. That person could be having the worst day of his or her life and you in your rudeness just added the last straw that broke the proverbial camel's back!

This is why it is so important to not let our moods govern our actions but allow the Will of God to govern us.

The only way we can be truly free is to follow God's Will for us in every decision, every movement we make.

A great way to practice this is to not live a compartmentalized life. In other words, be the same person no matter what or who is around you. Does this mean to be a jerk no matter who's around? Of course not, but if you are a faithful person who wants to follow God's commandments then do it! No matter whose around, or what others think or what they're doing...stay true and free to yourself by being true to God!

Another great way to practice this is to include God in your interior dialogue. Instead of having an interior monologue, have an interior dialogue. This means do not be the only one talking when speaking to the Lord, let Him speak to you...We don't have all the answers and we know this -yet most of us try to manipulate the conversation while praying.

By practicing these little ways of connecting to God throughout the day, we are in essence offering up ourselves to Him through our actions, our thoughts, our prayers, etc. and our whole life becomes a living prayer to God.

God is Good!

2010-10-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

How sweet our Good God is in His Mercy and Love!

His wisdom is such that not even Angels could dare to know His Designs.

Thank You Jesus for all You give and you take away...

Continue to rest within the Tabernacle of my heart

I strive to make it a place of refuge for you in the face of daily offenses against You and Your church.

Stoke the embers in my heart and make it a place of burning love for You and Your will.

Take away everything that is unholy about me and transform it into holiness in order to Praise You as I

should. Help me to forget myself and my attachments in this life.

I strive to see you face to face and long for the day when You call me home.

However, until that day is here, I wish to serve You well.

So that I may hear on that blessed day, "Well done, good and faithful Servant."

I will not take take my rest in Heaven either, as I wish to serve You still then.

I will be the Servant of Heaven, the lowly one that waits on Angels and Saints and Praises You through

these works. I will be the poorest of the poor in Heaven yet the richest in love for You my Lord!

I love you, My sweet Jesus, Make me what You will.

Your unworthy daughter,

Erin

The pain of my heart.....

2009-11-14T18:35:00.000-08:00

This may make no sense to anyone but I am not concerned about it. I only write it to relieve my emotions that must be purged through words.

Dear Jesus,

You know every aspect of my heart and soul. You are currently moving and stirring things in my heart.
I know that like Therese, my vocation in life is to love. Not just a mere romantic love or caring love but
a burning love of charity- only the kind of love you can impart to a human heart. I do not know how to handle all the love you hand over to me to give to others. I cannot even take the time to make sure they accept the love or even want it but I must continually give this love because it gives relief to my poor little heart. My body and helpless heart cannot contain the love you give- so I must give it to others. My heart is breaking with Your Divine Love. It continually cracks and tears in order to make room for more love. I realize now that is why I feel the pain unless I freely give of myself to others. I have to obey your command and give until it hurts and until I have nothing left to give. Please stay by my side Lord, because I am only as strong as You allow me to be at any given moment. It's strange because even though I feel as if I were to be consumed in Your love, my body remains the same. I appear to be totally untouched, but if anyone could take a picture of my soul, they would see a complete transformation. My soul is not complete in the plans you have made for it, it is merely under the construction of Your Divine Love. This must be why there is so much pain at this time both physical and spiritual, yet I can withstand it as long as You remain in me, I will gladly endure it for it gives me consolation to know that You are working on your littlest heart. The one who has no room for a fleas love - yet You my precious Lord are preparing my poor heart for an amount of love that not even a Galaxy can compare to. I will not think how it can happen Lord, but I only trust in Your plans for me and am at your feet Lord waiting for Your next Command of me. Please, sweet heart of Jesus, all I ask is that you never allow me to do my own will -only Your will Lord, Only Your Will.
Sacred Heart of Jesus, how little I love You compared to Your love of me!

your littlest heart of love.

Embracing Humiliations...

2009-09-17T08:16:00.000-07:00

Just this title alone will probably scare or confuse most people into not even reading this...I know it would me anyway. But, the Lord has come to show me in my own arrogance and independence all of the blessings He bestows on us and those He takes away.

I have recently been reminded that sometimes the "things" we believe to be blessings could actually be the obstacle that keeps us from getting closer to God. For example, most of us right now are struggling with lost jobs, lost wages, lost health insurance and loss of "extracurricular" activities. Not that these things are necessarily blessings but they can be! The old saying a "blessing in disguise" is true in any circumstance we feel is negative. The only difference is we are not always brought to this realization. We may recognize the blessing in a week, a month, a year, or even at our own death but there must be Trust in the Lord that what "happens" to all of us is God's Will for us. It is to make us better or it may even be to prepare us for something bigger or harder in the future.

Have you ever thought about how lucky I must be to not have the extra money to go out to dinner or not be able to attend a ball game or even a movie. Most of us would not say that or even dare to think it for fear it may stay true...correct? Well when you find yourself or loved ones in a predicament you nor they can control, praise God for the blessing of having less distractions to take you away from Him!

Sometimes the Lord takes things away because we do not Rely on him as we should nor do We Praise Him as we should. I do not know His reasons nor do I claim I will ever but somehow I know in my heart of hearts that everything can be taken away but the only treasure I truly own is my love and Faith in Him and His love and Mercy for me. When you truly know and understand this mystery it will make swallowing any jagged pill of life that much easier! This is not to say everything in life will be a piece of cake because if it were being Christian would also be a piece of cake but in order to achieve the Glory of Heaven and one day gaze upon the Face of God, their must be labor and toiling involved.

Think of it as you would a job....or better yet your Vocation in life is to one day meet your Lord face to face. If you had to answer to an employer who was "in charge" of your promotion into Heaven or to which level of Heaven you were to be promoted to don't you think you'd be very careful which decision you made every waking moment of everyday?

This is how we are Judged by our Lord and Master....We must Fear Him not because He is Merciless but because He is our loving Father who wants what it best for us. So just as we all wanted to please our parents growing up and still do...so we must strive for our Heavenly Father's Joy and Praise for our good works done on earth and our spreading of His love to all of those around us.

I may have gotten a little off track in this post but my point is to embrace the humiliations of not having the finest car, the finest home, the finest clothes, the finest job, embrace the literal poverty of our time to permeate the poverty of your soul and gain true humility. For true Humility and poverty of spirit consists in if you had a choice would you stay in your present circumstance of less money, driving a beat-up car and wearing old clothes because it kept you grounded and closer to God or would you jump at the chance to better your "standing" in society once again and forget about the hidden blessings the Lord bestowed on you. There is even more humilty in a person that accepts the better job but does not change his lifstyle...instead he gives away the extra money to the poor, the church, etc. The extra money is entrusted to him by God to do good works on earth. So no matter what your current circumstance embrace your hidden blessings or humiliations and Praise God for them at the end of the day...For only by way of the Cross will we gain Eternal life.

May God bless you and keep you always......

Erin

Be ever Ready for battle......

2009-05-30T11:38:00.000-07:00

We should be ever on guard of our souls, not because we should be afraid of the enemy, but because we should constantly be praising our Lord God who deserves all of our time and praise.

Prayer in Time of Temptation

In obedience to the Immaculate Conception, I command you, every unclean spirit, to depart; cease your attacks on us, our family, business, surroundings, and on those for whom we pray. In the name of Jesus I command you into the deep pit.
(Make the sign of the cross three times).
With Ecclesiastical Approval

Taken from The Imitation of Christ:Book 3:Interior Conversation;
Chapter 6:On the Proof of a True Lover.

Christ: My child, you are not yet a valiant and wise lover.
Disciple: Why Lord?
Christ: Because with little adversity you leave off what you have begun and eagerly seek outward consolation. Valiant lovers of God stand firm in time of temptation and pay no attention to the deceitful suggestions of their enemy, the devil. When all goes well with them, I please them;and so do I please them when things go wrong.

2. Wise lovers do not consider the gift of the Lover as much as they do the love of the Giver. They look more at the love of the Giver. They look more at the love than at the value of the gift;for their Beloved is far above His gifts. Generous lovers are not content with the gift, but desire Me above any gift I can give them.

Therefore, do not be discouraged if sometimes you have less devotion toward Me or my saints than you wish.On the other hand, that good, spiritual desire you feel now and then toward your Lord is the gift of grace given to you for your comfort in this life and a foretaste of heavenly glory.
But it is not good to rely on such comforts that come and go, according to the will of the Giver. Strive always against temptations to sin and despise the suggestions of the devil, for this is a sign of virtue and of great merit.

3. Do not permit strange fantasies to disturb you, no matter what suggests them. hold to your resolutions and keep your intention fixed on Me; nor think it is an illusion if sometimes you are rapt in ecstasy and then suddenly return to your usual levity of heart.

For these you endure unwillingly, and so long as you do not encourage them and they displease you, they will be a cause of merit for you and not loss.

4. You know that our old enemy, the devil, uses every means he can to keep you from your good works and your prayer life- namely, from the worship you owe to Me and the veneration of the Saints,from meditating on My Passion, from the profitable reflection of your sins, from keeping watch over your heart and from a firm resolution to advance in virtue.
This fiend will suggest many idle and evil thoughts to draw you away from prayer and weary you with spiritual reading and other good works. A humble confession is obnoxious to him and, if he can, he will prevent you from receiving Holy Communion. Do not believe him, and pay no attention to him no matter how often he tries to trap you.

Turn his malice against him, saying to him:Begone Satan, you wicked spirit, and be ashamed, for you are foul to suggest such things to me. Depart from me, you father of lies. You shall have no hold upon me; for Jesus Christ,my Savior, is with me as my valiant defender, and you shall be put to flight in utter confusion.

I would rather die in torment than give in to you. Be silent and cease your malice, for I will not listen to you no matter how much you tempt me.

"The Lord is my light and my salvation;whom should I fear? Even if an army encamps against me, my heart will not succumb to fear. You are my help and my deliverer."(Pss 27:1,3;40:18).

Fight on like a good soldier; and if sometimes through weakness you fall, get up again and with greater strength than before, trust in My abundant grace. But be on guard against self-complacency and pride; for it is through these that many are led into error, and sometimes into an almost incurable blindness of soul.

Let the downfall of those who foolishly rely on themselves be a warning to you and keep you always humble.

Peace of Christ be with you.....

The most important and profitable time of my whole day is the time I spend with God.

Love,

Erin

Which will you choose...the spark or the fire?

2009-05-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

As a little girl....all I used to dream about was getting married and having a beautiful family of my own. I also wanted to be a Saint. Now, I wish to be an uncanonized saint.

Although I am married...I know I may never have children...it is not in God's plan for me, and I have learned to accept it joyfully because I know He must have something better in store for me!

But let's think about those called to the Holy priesthood or religious life. If you are a parent or were a parent...what would be your reaction to your only son or daughter wanting to enter religious life? What would you say? Would your dreams of grandchildren be shattered? Maybe....but think about what God is calling him/her to do and to be!

We all understand when a girl/boy or man/woman feel the chemistry and sparks of first love or romance and wish to live the rest of their life with each other. We understand it because it is a part of our human nature to love and want to find a mate in life.

So why do we not understand when a man or woman feels the Divine Fire of God's love in their life and falls completely and totally in love with Him? God's love is pure..and lasting. His love sees us through all....

When friends, brothers, sisters, daughter, or sons marry another person, we never know how long it will last. We are unsure of their future. Sometimes people even try to predict how long their marriage will last.

So why would we be afraid of letting our loved ones marry God or the Church? Both have proven to be everlasting through good times and bad. God will never leave, never cheat, never let the fire of His love go out. We are the imperfect ones.

So please, encourage those with a holy vocation and pray for them! Do not hope that they "grow out of it" or that "it's just a phase". Pray that your daughter, your son, your grandkids should be so lucky to be called to such a high state of life! We need good holy vocations to lead to future and be prayer warriors for God!

God bless you and Happy First Saturday!

My prayers,

Erin

Christ vs. Swine Flu

2009-05-02T18:49:00.000-07:00

I know today a lot of people are very worried about Swine Flu and the prevention of this or any other disease. However, it really disturbed me tonight at Mass that our Pastor would actually suggest receiving the Body of Christ in our hand as opposed to on our tongues because it has less of a chance of spreading germs. Also, he gave us the option of not shaking hands during the sign of the peace and if we had a cold we should not receive the Blood of Christ.

In the fashion of a local California t.v. personality, Huell Howser,

Do you mean to tell me....that the Swine Flu is more powerful than the Body and Blood of Christ?

Think about it......

Okay now really think about that.....

Is it not a teaching of our faith that the bread and wine during the Consecration really turn into the Body and Blood of Christ? Yes, you say?

Then why on God's green earth would I be afraid of receiving the Body or Blood of Christ a certain way? Do you not think that God will or would protect us from such a virus while receiving Him? If His Body and Blood could take away the ugly sins of the world....don't you think He could protect us from a virus?

This is more than just the way you receive or not receive something....this is a matter of faith. You either believe or you don't and honestly if you were somehow meant to get this disease....you'll get it one way or another because it is part of God's will for you, not because you decided to receive the Holy Eucharist on your tongue or because you drank from the Chalice of Precious Blood! Come on!

Let's live our faith and show our faith through our actions....how can we defend our faith if we cannot even live it through times of adversity?

I'm sorry but this infuriated me and I took offense to it as I'm sure the Lord did! I do not get angry very often...but I felt I needed to vent this and get the Truth of the Eucharist out there and stop some of the offenses incurred on our Lord out of sheer ignorance.

God bless you all....and please Do not be Afraid to receive our Precious Lord!

Phenomenon of Relics...

2009-04-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

On Divine Mercy Sunday, my parish had a special Divine Mercy Mass that started at 2:30 and after Mass, the priest blessed all who wanted to with a first-class relic of St. Faustina, and then we all said the Divine Mercy chaplet together. Well obviously I knew this was a chance of a lifetime, since I know I most likely will never make it across the ocean to see a lot of holy places and shrines. Something was a bit disturbing to me as it was when I went to St. Padre Pio's feast day Mass. There is a sort of "fanaticism" that goes along with relics.

Relics are wonderful ways of coming closer to God's Saints and servants, but what struck me as sad was if I was an outsider looking in, I could be mistaken that my fellow Catholics thought more of these "saints" than they did of our Lord. It is a holy thing to venerate God's saints, and be respectful of places and things that they have owned or worked on but there is a fine line between veneration and worship.

It is this type of behavior that gives good Catholics a bad name and starts rumors with fellow Christians that we somehow "worship" saints or pray to them. Let's get one thing straight, we do not worship saints or pray to them. We simply ask them for prayers just as you would ask someone holy you knew for their prayers.

The saints can bring almost a sort of "rockstar or celebrity" mentality to the faithful. Let's just remember who the real master is and glorify our Lord and venerate the saints. We should take the excitement we feel when we see relics to the Table of our Lord at Mass. Perhaps it is because not everyone understands what they are witnessing at a Mass or the miracle that takes place on the altar, but if they could witness the angels and all of heaven around the altar during the Consecration, the saints would be dim in comparison.

I'm in no way putting down the saints, and I depend on their prayers daily just as I do our Holy Mother's prayers, but it is our Sweet Jesus in the little white Host that I place all my Trust and Hope in and I will until I hopefully see His sweet face in heaven!

My point of this post is, if you agree with this...show some of the same veneration and excitement over the Eucharist as you would visiting a Holy place, shrine, saint, etc.
For after all, it is the Lord our God visiting us on the altar and receiving him in our body and soul....it doesn't get much more awesome than that!

Jesus, I love you but help me to love you more.
Expand my little, dark heart and make it a dwelling place for You.
A place where You may rest Your head and take comfort in my love for You against
all the blasphemies and perversions committed against your Sacred heart daily.
Jesus, I place all my trust in You!

Mary, our sweet intercessor, Pray for us!
All of God's holy angels and saints, Pray for us!

Come to Me All You Who Labor....and I will give you Rest!

2009-03-25T18:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, (especially in these hard times) we go through so much in one day or over time that we find ourselves not wanting to pray or maybe not having the energy to pray. I believe it is in these "dry" times that the Lord finds our prayer even more precious because we are persevering through prayer not because we have a warm fuzzy feeling to do so but because we are doing it out of love. Compare it to having a rough day and going home. You may not feel like talking to your Spouse or kids but do you ignore them? Of course not! So it is the same with our Lord. It is a relationship that must be nourished daily. So think about what you do with your husband, wife, best friend,etc...when you're feeling down or blue...Doesn't it help sometimes to just be in their presence and sit quietly with them and watch t.v. or watch a sunset? This is how we should treat our Lord. Can't find the words to pray because of heartache, or hard times? Run to the Tabernacle and just sit next to Him and listen! You don't need to think or speak...let Him do the tallking..I promise all of you that you will leave feeling more at peace with your situation than you did when you walked in. Remember we may not be able to control our world...but God can! So put it in His hands....and let Him know you haven't forgotten about Him. We're all human ..but remember the only difference between a sinner and a saint is the saint gets up and keeps trying. The sinner never pulls himself up out of the mud. I'm praying for you all and for our world...please keep me in your prayers as well! God love you all!

~Erin

This song is awesome!

2009-03-15T20:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to 5pm Mass and at the end of Mass before the final blessing this guy got up and sang this song. After he sung the song he said he was from the new Catholic Rock group called "The Thirsting" and they gave a free concert at our Parish. I got a couple of copies of this CD but this song really spoke to me especially during Lent. He said it was inspired by the Holy Spirit while he was praying the Rosary. It is a meditation on the mysteries of the Rosary.

The Lyrics are as follows:

A cold night in Bethlehem
No fire to warm her hands
She gives birth to the Word made Flesh
The Bread of Life she puts in a manger
She won't understand why they come to adore Him
She'll say come hold my Son
Come Hold My Son

At the Temple she holds Him
She starts to see His Salvation
Two turtle doves behold Him
As she presents Him to the world
She won't understand why a sword will pierce her heart
And she'll say Come hold my Son
Come hold Son

Come hold Jesus

In the streets of Jeruselem
She cries out loud Where is my boy?
He's gone to serve His Father now
His Father's house is where He dwells
She won't understand His Father's standing next to Him
but she'll say Come hold my Son
Come hold my Son

On the Hill of Calvary
Woman, Behold your Son
She watches Him nailed into a tree
The child she bore gasps for air
A loud cry and His heart is pierced
The child she held has gone from her
His body hangs without life
They take Him down from the tree
They lay'm in His Mother's arms
They lay'm in Her arms
She won't understand why Her Son had to die
and she said Come hold my Son
Come Hold My Son

Possess my soul My God, My Lord, My Savior!

2009-03-14T11:17:00.000-07:00

In the words of our Lady...."My spirit rejoices in God my Savior ..."

Always a people pleaser, I no longer desire to please others unless it is Your Holy will to do so Lord!

Nothing in this world matters but you...I only exist to meet you once again and this exile grows tiresome.

My Soul feels like a single glowing coal left out in the rain and I fear extinction of the fire of my love for You Lord, please do not let this fire go out for I know only You fan the flames if there be any good in me! The opinions of others no longer matter to me as if overnight you shared the wisdom of Your Word with me and in no words can I explain the wisdom and knowledge you share with me. I only wish to please You my Lord and Creator so that when the day comes that You call me home I may be worthy enough to enter the purifying fires of Purgatory! And my soul will rejoice even in your absence because I will still have the hope that You have reserved my place in Heaven which You alone have prepared for all of us!

Your love continually wounds my soul as if all suffering that my body endures is a love story about Your love for us! Thank you for the blessing of suffering! It is the only proof I have to show you the love I have for You! Like one who has fallen in love, You are the first I think of in the morning and the last I think of at night! How much longer will it be before You allow my Soul to get lost in Your Sacred Heart and share with me the mystery of Your love for us? I do not wish to tempt You Lord, but I am like one who walks through the hot, dry, desert searching for their beloved and getting excited and obtaining peace through a small glimpse at their beloved yet, never being able to meet face to face! I take comfort in receiving Your Body and Blood in the Sacrifice of the Mass! I rejoice at the mingling of Your Body and Blood with mine, but then suffer because I know I am not worthy of such a grace! I do not deserve to see You face to face but only long to be in Your presence for eternity and serve You at the lowest post. This alone would satisfy Your lover Lord....I Adore You with all that I am, please make me capable of loving and adoring You as I should and as You deserve. For I know You can make all things possible and if it be Your will, you can allow this and yet let me live. Although I will gladly suffer this exile, I look forward to the day that I pray You will call me home and not send me into the pit of fire....but have Mercy on the one who longs to be with You!

Show me the way to perfection Lord, not for my glory, but for Yours. Help me to be forgotten in this world, for only You and I exist in my heart and I gladly serve and love others for the fact that I am serving and loving You in them. It is a secret world I share with You the secrets of my heart, no one knows the love songs You sing to me and I to You! These are Sacred to You because every single thought and beat of my heart should only be to Glorify You! So any thought or action not done in Your honor is a debt that I owe to You Lord! Help me start today, in repaying of my debts to You! Suffering and love can only be repaid in suffering and love, but help me to perfect this as a Lenten offering to You and Your Holy Will!

Oh, Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, How I love you, but help me to love You more!
My love and soul are a mystery to myself as You are to me! My heart swells and would surely burst without Your hand Lord....Command me to do what it is You want of me Lord and I will gladly do it! Please make my heart a place where You can take comfort from the sins committed against You in this world, make my little heart a place of rest and consolation to You where You may stay warm from the cold indifference our world has shown towards You! Thank you for the gift of Your Eucharist, and help others to understand Your true presence in this sacrament.

Keep me in the silence and solitude of Your Holy Sacred Heart. Your innocence overwhelms me and makes want to repent every day of my life, I offer myself as a sacrifice to You to help save souls!

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us!
Our Lady of Grace, Pray for us!
Our Lady of Good Counsel, Pray for us!
Our Lady of Guadalupe, Pray for us!
Our Lady of Sorrows, Pray for us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us!
St. Joseph foster father of Jesus and protector and patron of Carmel, Pray for us!
St. Teresa of Avila, Pray for us!
St. John of the Cross, Pray for us!
St. Therese, Pray for us!
St. Paul, Pray for us!
St. Pio, Pray for us!
St. Francis of Assisi, Pray for us!
St. Rita of Cascia, Pray for us!
St. Maximilian Kolbe, Pray for us!
Our Guardian Angels, Pray for us!
All of God's Holy Angels and Saints, Pray for us!
We love You God but help us to love You more!

Your daughter,

Erin

He came for the Sinners not for the Righteous...

2009-02-28T14:28:00.000-08:00

Now that we are well underway into Lent, I feel that now more than ever God wants His message of..."I came for Sinners, not for the Righteous..." to be heard more than ever.

What does this mean to me? Well it assures me that I am a part of the sinners that He speaks of because I am "hearing" this message loud and clear. It also reminds me that I must work on my obedience skills. I've never been one to obey let alone want to obey. I've always had somewhat of a rebellious streak in me even when I didn't want to.

I've accepted this as part of my personality that God has created in me and yet it is part of my cross to perfect in coming closer to Christ.

During my morning prayers it crossed my mind that every time I do not obey Jesus or follow the Holy Spirit's inspirations, I am actually saying no to graces that Christ wished to share with me. How do I do this?

Well, if I am not following His inspirations, I am shutting down the flow of graces from His heart to mine. Think of the Blessed Virgin and her yes to God. What if she had said no? Would she still be "full of grace"? No!

It is this simple "yes" that opens us up to all the graces we ask for and still those many more we do not know to ask for. So let's pray for each other to say our "yes" to Christ during this Lent and beyond so that Christ may bless us with all the graces He wishes to bestow on us.

Christ, help us to say yes to you as Your blessed Mother did and still does today. Please forgive us for our past "no's" for we did not know what we did...but are now willing to make up for those no's with our yes today. Bless us on our Lenten journey towards you and help us to exercise this yes for the rest of our lives. Amen.

Today's "Little" Miracle...

2009-01-24T17:59:00.001-08:00

As some of you know, my Saint for the year is St. Therese. My theme in prayer for the year is to ask St. Therese for an outpouring of love within families. Today I've had some difficulty in keeping hope after the unfortunate decision our New President has made regarding abortion. I was having a hard time praying this morning so I had to ask St. Therese for her prayers and intercession to help me to pray. Well I'm literally typing this five minutes after this happened. It's something that may seem very small and insignificant to the rest of you but it means the world to me and just a reminder to me of the Love our Lord has for us and how quickly our prayers are heard even though the results are not what we have asked for. I'm in the midst of doing homework and packing for my move next weekend. So I was taking a break from the computer and went to look through some books I have to decide what I am going to keep and get rid of. Well, two books I immediately began looking through were "Mother Angelica's Little Book of Life Lessons" and "Archbishop Fulton Sheen's St. Therese~ A treasured love story". Well, there was a book mark in Mother Angelica's book so I opened up the book mark to get this:

It's a Novena to St. Therese the Little Flower! The Novena is from a prayer card given to Mother Angelica on January 8, 1943. Nine days later her stomach ailments she had been plagued with her entire life disappeared! Praise God! I will close with this Novena...but not before I write what I opened up to in the Fulton Sheen book about St. Therese. It's a miracle to me how God can speak directly to the heart of my soul at exactly the right time and exactly the right thing! I love you Jesus!

What I found in this book ironically has a lot to do with the post I did yesterday:

"Coming back now to the Little Flower. What is the secret of humility? She said it is to become nothing. Nothing. Never to stress our own powers, our own wealth(if we have any), our own gifts, but to recognize they all come from God.

There are two kinds of emptiness. There is the emptiness of the Grand Canyon in the United States; it is sterile and produces nothing. There is also the emptiness of a flute, which if you breathe through, you can pipe a tune. Now we are bidden like our Blessed Lord, to become empty, to become nothing so He can work on us. That is the basis of humility. That is what people called her "Little Way"."~ Archbishop Fulton Sheen's St. Therese: A treasured love story.

Now for the Novena:

Novena Prayer to the Little Flower

O beautiful Rose of Carmel, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus, deign according to your promise to descend from heaven to visit those who implore you. Pour down on us in profusion those celestial graces that are symbolized by the shower of roses that Jesus your Spouse has put at your disposition. Your power is great with His heart. He can only listen and hear your prayer. I have then recourse to you, O St. Therese of the Infant Jesus, assist me in this circumstance. Speak for me to Jesus and to Mary and obtain for me to live a holy life and die a happy death. Amen.

St. Therese hear my prayer. Show your power with God and cure me if it be for the honor of God, and the good of my soul. Amen.

I encourage you to pray this with me throughout the year for an outpouring of love within all families and for all those who are considering abortion or are in danger of abortion. Life is a basic right for all humans...Choose Life..Your Mother Did!

May God bless us all and you all remain in my prayers!

Empty and Beautiful

2009-01-22T16:34:00.000-08:00

This Catholic Artist Matt Maher is a local artist from Southern California who is known at a few of the Parish's around where I reside. I only discovered him this past year and his music is truly inspirational! I hope you feel the same way ! This particular song and album was dedicated to St. Paul as we all can understand St. Paul especially in this Pauline year! You can watch and listen to this song above...The following are the lyrics....

Empty and Beautiful- Lyrics and Music by Matt Maher

My past won't stop haunting me/ In this prison there's a fight between who I am and who I used to be/This thorn in my side is a grace/For because of it the flesh and blood of God was offered in my place./

You fought the fight in me/You chased me down and finished the race/I was blind but now I see/ Jesus, you kept the faith in me.

Where did my best friends go?/At my defense they disappeared/Just like your friends did to You Oh Lord/But You were there/You gave me strength/So this little one might come to know the glory of Your name/

I'm waiting and set apart/like incense to Your heart/A libation I'm pouring out

Empty and beautiful/ Beautiful/ Beautiful

Help me to follow You...

2009-01-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

Dear Lord,

Today I realized how little I did to stop the gossip.
I also realized how little mortification I am willing to do.
The body sure does not like what the will wants,
and how much louder it screams when it knows
it is Your will Lord! It's almost as if this mule of a body
You give us knows when we are trying to go against nature
and go with the flow of grace instead.
How can I serve You Lord, when I am so weak?
Help me to help You Lord!
I know You have called me by name,
and You make No mistakes, but maybe just one?
Did You realize how messed up I can be?
Didn't You see me today?
Didn't You know I helped nail You to Your cross?
And You still love me?
And You still were willing to be crucified for me?
For this slimy, stinky, soul?
Oh how I wish to serve You Lord!
Make me the soul You want me to be, Lord!
I give up, and I give You permission
I abandon myself to You and Your Will!
I leave my heart in Your capable Hands!
I know I know nothing and You know all!
My pride has come crumbling down!
Every time I feel superior for not having sinned,
my pride has already sinned for me.
Oh the human condition is disgusting and beautiful all in one!
I know I must choose Lord and I choose You!
So why then, just like St. Paul, I do what I do not want!?
It is a mystery to me and I am perplexing to myself!
Jesus, make my heart an image of Yours!
Let me melt away into Your Divine Mercy
and help me to Trust that I am forgiven
and that I am still Your loved child!
I am sorry Jesus for all that I am and all I have not lived up to be!
Take my nothingness and make it a whole lot of something for Your heavenly Kingdom!
As St. Pio has said, "I'd rather be a doorman for Heaven, than living in mansions with the wicked!"

Immaculate heart of Mary, Pray for us now and at the hour of our death...Amen!

Amazing Grace...

2009-01-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

As some of you know for the past four or five years my family has picked a Saint's Name out of a bag and each paper has something to pray for throughout the New Year. For example, it may say (St. Paul, pray that all may overcome temptations). So throughout the year, this would be each individuals running theme in prayer.

I believe this has been the best thing to happen to all of us, not only have we learned a great deal about the Saints and their lives, but are often inspired to live as they lived or practice the heroic virtue they were able to attain through God's Grace.

As some of you know, I've been discerning a vocation to the Secular Carmelites and have
received what I perceive to be an "engraved invitation" but with my human weakness and doubt, I still have my doubts. This is because I feel so torn between the Fransicans and Carmelites, even though in my heart I believe I belong with the Carmelites, I have been waiting for a sort of "push" from God to give me the assurance I needed to know I was making a correct decision and going where He was calling me to be.

The first year we started this "Saint for the New Year" tradition I chose St. Patrick for myself and Padre Pio for my husband. Well it turned out I ended up praying for both of their intercession's and St. Pio adopted me as his spiritual daughter. To make a long story short, because of his intercession I was healed enough physically to go back to work and was literally handed a dream job for myself as a Kindergarten Aide at St. Francis of Assisi School! What made this such a miracle, is I hadn't been able to work in a few years and I had absolutely no experience working at a school but was given the chance and am still there working very happily!

Many other miracles have happened since then, but I wanted to post this today to Praise God in all His Glory for giving me the small sign I needed to enter and pursue the Secular Carmelites!

Last night was a sad night for our family as we had to put one of our pet cats down who was suffering from Congenital Heart Failure due to a leaky heart valve. We praise God for sending us little Cubby and being able to enjoy such a wonderful creation for almost twelve wonderful years!

In the midst of all this, my mother says, "wait, we still have to pick our Saints for this year!" So my sister found the bag of papers and we said a prayer to the Holy Spirit to help us to pick the Saints we were meant to pray with this year. My Sister Amy went first, and she chose Louis and Zelie Martin, (St. Therese's parents), My Dad chose Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and I chose, drum role please........St. Therese of Lisieux! I was completely shocked! What are the odds of three out of five people in my family choosing from the Carmelite family? I definitely took this as a sign that this is where God wants me and I thank Him for it. He knows I need to be beaten over my hard head with the obvious! Thank you Jesus!

My mom chose Blessed John XXIII and Melissa another drum roll please.... chose Padre Pio! Yikes! I mean that in the most respectful way possible! Padre Pio and Therese have become my dearest Saint friends and Patrons over the last five years or so and I know All of us have many graces in store for us this year if we follow God's will for us.
I just wanted to share this with you to let you know God is in everything around us even in the smallest things, and even though you mat think it is a coincidence nothing could be farther from the truth! Listen to the stillness in your heart and you will find him waiting to speak to your heart!

I encourage all of you to do this for the New Year, an every year after! You can only gain eternal things by doing this!

"Happiness is not found in the things around us. It is found in the secrecy of the soul."~ St. Therese of Lisieux

Happy New Year!

God Strengthens Me...

2009-01-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

This is from a little prayer book I have called "Loving Yourself More".

God heals broken hearts and binds up wounds. ~Psalm 147:3

Over and over again our hearts cry out for healing. The death of someone we love severs the heart. The demise of marriage, a friendship, or a dream smashes it. Sharp words, dull indifference, and aloof ingratitude wound it.

Picture God as a glowing light. Imagine the light filling and healing your heart of all its present and past ruptures. Stay immersed in that light as it warms you and binds up your wounds.

If you are suffering physical illness, let this light surround and penetrate the sick part of your body. Imagine it as warming those parts and healing them.

For your day: You heal my broken heart and bind up all my wounds.

The Opposition between Nature and Grace...

2009-01-01T16:13:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year All! I hope you are all well and that 2009 will be a grace-filled year for you all! The following is again from the book : The imitation of Christ by Thomas Kemp. From Book 3 Ch. 54 - Interior Conversation.

I found this timely this morning with starting a New Year and everyone wanting to make their New Year Resolutions again! Let u look at what the Lord may want from us this year shall we? May God bless you!

Ch. 54, On the Opposition between Nature and Grace.

Christ: My child, carefully observe the actions of nature and grace, for both move in opposite directions and in such subtle ways as to be indistinguishable except by the spiritually enlightened. All human beings long after goodness and pretend there is some good in what they say or do, that is why many are deceived by an apparent goodness.

2. Nature indeed is wily and betrays many through its deceits and crafty ways, and has always self at its end. On the other hand, grace walks with simplicity, turning aside from all that appears evil . It employs no deceits, but does all unaffectedly, purely for God, in Whom it rests.

3. Nature dies hard and is not easily overcome or repressed. Never under its own accord will it become subject to obedience. But grace studies how to be mortified to both the world and the flesh, desires to be overcome and under obedience, and seeks not its own liberty , nor to dominate any creature. Grace always wants to love under God's direction, and for His sake to place itself humbly under every human creature.

4. Nature always looks to its own advantage, considering what gain it can derive from another. But grace is not concerned with its own profit, but with what may benefit others.

5. Nature looks for honor and respect. Grace refers all honor and reverence to God.

6. Nature fears rebukes and contempt. Grace is happy to suffer for the Name of Jesus.

7. Nature craves ease and idleness. But grace cannot be idle and gladly embraces toil.

8. Nature surrounds itself with rare costly things and looks down upon what is coarse and cheap. Grace takes joy in humble and simple things, but does not disdain hard things, nor refuses to be clad in poor clothing.

9. Nature focuses its attention on worldly matters, is elated in material gains, is downcast by losses, and is cut to the quick by a sharp word. Grace is intent upon things eternal, is not worried by the loss of things, nor grieved by the unkind word; for its treasure and joy are in heaven where nothing is lost.

10. Nature is greedy and gladly takes rather than gives, and clings possessively to private possessions. But grace is kind and unselfish, avoids self-interest, is content with little, and rightly judges that it is more blessed that to receive. (Acts 20:35).

11. Nature is inclined to seek creatures, to the love of its own flesh, to idle pastimes and to unnecessary running about. Grace draws people toward the love of God and virtuous living, renounces all created things, flees the world, despises the lusts of the flesh, restrains all useless wanderings, and avoids as much as possible appearing in public.

12. Nature gladly receives exterior comfort to gratify the senses. Grace seeks comfort only in God, finding delight in the Sovereign Good beyond all things visible.

13. Nature does everything for personal profit, never doing any work for nothing, but always looking for repayment-at least in equal amount, if not better, or else for praise and favor- longs to have its deeds and words highly valued. On the other hand, grace seeks no temporal reward nor any other compensation in payment, but only God himself. Grace will have no more of the necessities of life than that which serves to obtain everlasting life.

14. Nature enjoys having a crowd of relatives and friends, prides itself on the family tree and a distinguished background. Nature flatters the rich and caters to those in power and approves those who share the same opinions as itself.
But grace behaves differently, for it loves even its enemies, and does not boast of having a large circle or friends. It cares not for rank or birth unless joined with greater virtue. It favors the poor rather than the rich; and has more in common with the simple and innocent than with the influential.

It rejoices with the truthful and not with liars. It encourages the good to be zealous to aim higher, and by the exercise of virtues to become more like Christ, our Lord.

15. As soon as trouble and want appear, nature is quick to complain. Grace gladly bears poverty with constancy.

16. Nature refers all things to itself and all its striving is for itself but grace refers all things back to God, who is their Source. Grace is not presumptuous and attributes no good to self; neither does grace argue or prefer its own opinions, but submits to Eternal Wisdom.

17. Nature wants to know secrets and is avid for news, wants to appear in public and to try out new things. It likes to be noticed and to do sensational things to win approval. Grace cares nothing for the novel or curious, for it knows that all this springs from our old corruption, since there is nothing new or lasting upon earth.

Grace teaches us to control our senses, to shun all vain pleasure and outward show, and humbly to hide anything that might win human admiration. In all knowledge and in all actions, grace seeks not only spiritual profit, but, above all, the praise and honor of God, that He may be blessed in His gifts, which He freely bestows through His love.

18. This grace is a supernatural light and a special gift of God. It is the proper mark of the elect and a pledge of eternal salvation. It lifts a person above the things of earth to the love of heavenly things, making a spiritual person of a worldling.

The more nature is kept down and overcome, the more grace fills a human soul, and through new daily visitations the soul is formed more and more to the image of God.

Try this instead of the yearly diet, we have so much more to lose and gain by these acts alone!
God love you!

~Erin

Survivor of '73

2008-12-27T13:41:00.000-08:00

Dear Brother and Sisters in Christ,

I'll start this by extending my hope and prayers that all reading this, will have had a very Merry Christmas and will be blessed with future graces to come in the New Year!

As someone born a year after Roe v. Wade was made legal, I find it necessary to tell you we are all survivors of 1973! Normally, I do not try to use this blog as a platform for political discussion and this will not be a political discussion but a moral one.

We are God's hands. feet, mouths, etc. while we are on earth, we only have one shot while we are here so let's make it worthwhile.

I know if many of us saw the true horrors of abortion on an everyday basis we would do more to help and even though we don't always see this "hidden sin" as we should the effects of it are all around us.

It's in our family members and dear friends who are searching for their soul mates, it's in those who are lonely and need a friend, it's in those who are confused and could not find love so chose to look for it wherever they were accepted. Think about this.

We don't always see the implications our choices have on us or even on the world around us. Take this as an example, think of Hitler. Think of Hitler and all the madness, kaos, and killing that went with him and his ideals. This was death and destruction the world could see and still people chose to ignore it.

In today's society, the effects of abortion are astounding! Look at the loneliness, the confusion, the heartbreak, the illnesses that haven't been cured, the addictions, the abuse. Sure you may look at me for an instant and say, here's another one blaming all of the world's problems on one little political issue.

Well, that's fine, but that's not what I'm doing. These are all symptoms of the sickness that is abortion. This is how it has attacked and destroyed society. Abortion=death. Plain and simple. Death means without life. We are "living" in a culture of death.

Now think about this, many who are for this culture of death are the same people who believe in euthanasia or mercy killing based on quality of life. Quality of life? Is this quality? Is doing whatever you choose to be moral in a culture of death quality of life? So if I choose, I can kill my mother because I do not believe her quality of life is up to par. Well call it euthanasia, abortion or the latest word you want but if you had to explain it to a five-year-old, you would have to keep it simple and tell it like it is, death! So let's do ourselves a favor and look behind the curtain of abortion and take a good look at the destruction it has caused our society. Who are we to think this way? We have made ourselves gods in our own eyes and worship ourselves as the law makers. Where has the virtue of the Fear of the Lord gone? Where has the respect gone?

We who can recognize the truth are here to enlighten the minds and hearts of others and pray, pray, and pray more! God's work is never done.

I write this with urgency not because I am self-righteous or believe my way or the highway, but because I can recognize truth.
Your hearts can all recognize truth as well, it is called your conscience. If your conscience is even in the slightest aware of an offense of God even though you do not recognize it, your conscience does and immediately looks to numbing that voice. Music, Friends, Food, Drink, Drugs, you name it and you will try to numb it. This explains part of society's addiction problem.

See the problem is we've been brain-washed to believe that certain things are okay, or are "normal". This simply is not the case. There will always be a natural law of what is right and wrong and anything outside of this we'll know, this is what makes us human. Just as we know it is not right for others to starve at night while we go to sleep with a full belly, or why some of the rich walk around haughty and never bother to give back to others. These we know are wrong or are off-kilter and society says it is okay to agree with this. However, if we think of abortion, we think it is a woman's choice. Well, as a woman, I'd like to say it is also a woman's choice to have sex or not. As with rape, even though it is not her choice, God has allowed that life to come into the world for a reason. It could be to right the wrong of it's father. You never know, we;ll never know.

Now look at abortion this way, when's the last time you thanked your best friend's mother for having him or her and not aborting them? Think of your life without them. Now think of your spouse, what if their mother never had them or chose to abort? Where would you be today? Who would you be with? Would you be the same? Whether we think about it or not our human relationships can have long-lasting effects on those around us, whether good or bad. Now go and talk with someone who is desperately looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right but instead is opting for someone of the same sex out of desperate need for companionship? Think about it!

Those of you in my generation and beyond have been robbed of spouses, friends, co-workers, doctors, priests, nuns, brothers, sisters, daughters, sons, nieces, nephews, all for the sake of choice and convenience. If someone told me that the man I was supposed to marry was aborted and I would now have to remain alone, I would have been devastated. This choice is no better and no more moral than Hitler's choice of annhilating the Jews. The only difference is we do not have concentration camps, we have clinics. We do not have bodies rotting in the sun, we have bodies rotting in our clinics, trash, and hospitals. There is more convenience because we cannot smell it, we cannot see it, and we do not want to know about it! When we actually see the pictures of an aborted baby we are naturally disgusted and ashamed but still we do nothing! All I ask is you do your part and pray for the aborted babies and those in danger of being aborted and their mothers. Pray that they are given the peace of heart and mind that God wants this child in the world for a reason and it is not their choice to play god and say no. We all have the right to say no, but this does not mean it is the right thing to do.

So for all those who are struggling to find love, friendship, companionship, etc. Tell them, I also am a Survivor of '73 and you and yours are in my prayers.

Last Week of Advent...

2008-12-20T23:37:00.001-08:00

Rose, I'd like to thank you personally for inspiring this! A dear friend of mine, Rose, told me about a Poem she read about Our Lady, and the last line simply said: Will You Prepare a Place for Her?

This really got me thinking the last few weeks. I've always tried to prepare a place in my heart as a Tabernacle for Our Lord, but rarely do I contemplate a place for Our Lady, especially as an expectant Mother waiting for the Messiah to be born.

I've really been thinking how can I help our Lady and prepare a place for her before she gives birth? Think about the Inn Keeper not being able to give Joseph and Mary a room but still providing them with the shelter of a stable. And even though it was a stable, Mary and Joseph humbly accepted this as the perfectly warm and dry place to give birth to the Messiah.

So I realized if the Lord can humble Himself to become flesh in a dirty, smelly, stable, then I should not be so proud to think that the humble crumbling Tabernacle that I've prepared for Him in my heart would not be satisfactory for Him and Our Lady.

It's not the material of the Tabernacle or Stable or Room, but the Love in which the place for Our Lady and Our Lord was prepared.

So my Dear Mother and Precious Christ Child, I offer you the cold, dark, lukewarm and warm places of my heart out of love for You and do with them whatever You see fit! Make them into something beautiful to lay before your throne! Glory to God in the Highest and Peace to His people on Earth!

God Love You All!

~Erin

If I could have my Heaven today...

2008-12-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

If I could have my Heaven today, I would spend today in silence in Awe of God's creatures.

If I did not have my daily duties to accomplish, I would help and pray for those that need it.

If I weren't so tired, I could get more done for our Lord!

If I were smarter, I could think up new ways to spread God's love and mercy!

But since I do have daily duties to fulfill, and I am tired, and I am not smarter, I guess You will have to take over for me today

God! God says: "You should always let Me lead you, for only I know if tomorrow's duties exist or not. Give until it hurts, work

until your hands bleed, for you are My hands on earth, I speak through your heart and mouth, never doubt My inspirations, for

if they are not from Me, no fruit will they bear. Prepare a place in your heart for me where only I will dwell, everything else

does not matter for it passes away with time and wind. I am the only "I am" constant and secure, place all your trust in Me and

you will be as immovable rocks on the shore. Do not put off for tomorrow what you can do today, for tomorrow will happen

but only I know where you will spend your day and night. The time draws nearer every day when I will ask you: Did you see Me

in the crowd? Did you see Me in your struggles, in your friends, in your enemies? Did you feed me, give me drink, clothe me,

shelter me? Did you prepare a place for My Mother? All of these questions and more will be asked of you, do not waste time on

things that do not matter, I have your best interest at heart, even more so than yourself. Ask Me for an increase of virtues,

and I shall grant it, but you must Ask! Now go, and do My Will!"

May God bless and protect us all during this Advent and Christmas Season! Prepare a place for Our Lady and Our Lord! Will

your place be cold, lukewarm, or on fire for His Love? It is our choice!

God love you all!

Erin

Be Not Afraid...Again!

2008-12-02T20:54:00.000-08:00

The Lord our Father loves each and every one of us very much! Even if we stray from Him, He wants us to come running back to Him with open arms, hearts, and minds. Those around us may push and spit on us, but what does it matter when Christ is for us? Try to shift the focus from them, to yourself, and then from "me to He". Keeping our eyes focused on God is the only way to make it and persevere until the end. For it does no good to reach the prize if it is thrown away at the last minute! We must persevere until the end! Remember, the road less travelled will be narrow and rocky and maybe not as pretty, but the destination is so much sweeter, Paradise!

It can be compared to being up very high and not looking down, if we look down we become scared. So it is the same in the spiritual life and not dwelling on hurts or injuries caused by others, feel the pain, forgive, and move on. Sometimes the first step in forgiving may be wanting to forgive. The actual forgiveness may come later, but stay with our Lord, our Father, our Lover, our Friend. He knows what will happen to you everyday of your life, and He's still interested to see what happens as if He's watching you for the first time! How awesome!

Pray, Pray, Pray!

Prayer is Hand to Hand combat!

"The best way to fight the devil is by staying close to Christ in Prayer."
"The weapons of our warfare are not of this world, but mighty through God."
2 Col 10:4

For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, Have Mercy on us and on the Whole World!

Jesus, Mary, we love You, Save Souls!

Go with Christ,

Erin

St. Therese, God, and our relationship with Him...

2008-11-24T11:41:00.000-08:00

Taken from "Archbishop Fulton Sheen's St. Therese:A treasured love story. Ch. 7, St. Therese, God, and our relationship with Him"

Archbisop Fulton Sheen speaking to a crowd in Ireland:

"My Dear Friends, in this meditation I am going to try to describe to you what it means to be a Christian and what it means to be a saint.

First of all, how did Christ come to be on this earth? Well, one day an angel came out from the great white throne of light and came down to a virgin kneeling in prayer and said to her, "Will you give God a human nature?" When she discovered that she was not to lose her virginity to give God a human nature, she agreed. So God then took from this woman a human nature through which He taught us , He governed us, and He sanctified us.

One day, maybe while we were yet infants, we were called by God and asked, "Will you give Me your human nature?" God wishes to continue the Incarnation. As Mary gave Him a human nature, He continues His Incarnation by us giving Him a human nature. Now this had to happen too to the Little Flower. From her earliest memories, she always wanted to be God's. So she always offered to Him her human nature. Now, not every one of us gives our human nature to God in the same way. She gave hers completely and totally.

Let me give you an example of a pencil. A pencil is very supple and flexible in my hand. If I want the pencil to write the word "God" it will write the word "God". It's totally subservient and obedient to my will.

Suppose, however, this pencil had a will of its own. When I wanted to write the word "God", it might write the word "dog". I couldn't do anything with it. And why? Because the pencil would not be completely obedient to my person. And so, not every one of us gives our human nature to God in such a way that He can use it totally and completely. We hold back!

Now suppose that a number of worldly people read this sermon up to this point. Suppose they saw a picture of this young girl who dies at 24 years of age and are struck by- well, certainly- the purity of her expression and a beauty to which one cannot be totally indifferent. What would the worldly person say about anyone giving oneself so completely to Christ that she writes out a wedding invitation?

They would say it's a waste! Think of the good she could have done in the world! Wouldn't she have been a wonderful wife?! Maybe she could have done social work!

That would have been their argument. But remember that, in the divine order, some lives have to be wasted, wasted from the worldly point of view.

Take, for example, Mary of Bethany. Our Lord was seated at the table in the house of Simon the leper and Pharisee for a banquet to celebrate Jesus' raising her brother Lazarus from the dead. Her sister Martha served the meal. Mary now enters with a jar of costly perfume made from genuine aromatic nard.

She stand over the feet of our Lord. She breaks the vessel of precious ointment. It was a custom very often among Jews to break a vessel of precious ointment over a dead body and then through the remains of glass into the coffin with the body. Well, she breaks this vessel of precious over the feet of our Lord, Jesus, and Judas who was there, sats, "Why all this waste? It could have been sold for 300 denarrii and given to the poor."

Our Lord immediately came to the defense of that waste, saying, "Leave her alone." And because Our Lord was within 10 days of the crucifixion, he added, "She done it for My burial."

In other words, there are certain things in life that we waste; we are seemingly prodigal about them. The Little Flower was that way about her own life, just as this pious woman, Mary, was prodigal about giving the precious perfume.

You see, gold that is hoarded makes one a miser. Knowledge that is selfishly possessed makes one proud. Flesh that is too cared for turns into lust. It is the things that are spent, wasted for God's sake that become remembered through history.

Now I often go out for a walk and I will say to the good Lord, "All right, now use me." Well, He does use me, and it costs me a lot of money generally, but He uses me. I'll run into people who need it badly or someone who is sick. But we have to offer ourselves as pencils. Let Him write poetry. Let Him write prose. Let Him scribble. What difference does it make? This is happiness!

Thank you Servant of God Fulton Sheen for your God-given wisdom!

Now, will you offer yourself as a pencil for our Lord today? Let Him use you as He sees fit!
God bless and protect you!
~Erin

On Bearing with the Defects of Others...

2008-11-22T14:49:00.002-08:00

Taken from : The Imitation of Christ , Book 1, Chapter 16, pg. 36-38

There will always be defects in ourselves or others in which we cannot correct. These we must simply tolerate until God in His goodness sees fit to change things. After all, this may be the best possible way to prove our patience, without which our good qualities are not worth much.

Nevertheless, you must pray earnestly that God in His mercy will help you to bear these impediments with patience.

2. If once or twice you have warned someone and that person does not comply, do not contend further with such a one, but leave all in the hands of God, that His will be done and that He be glorified in all His servants, for He knows well how to turn evil into good.

Learn how to be patient in enduring the faults of others, remembering that you yourself have many which others have put up with. If you cannot make yourself be what you would like, how can you expect others to be as you would like? We wish to see perfection in others, but do not correct our own faults.

3.We want to have others strictly reprimanded for their offenses, but we will not be reprimanded ourselves. We are inclined to think the other person has too much liberty, we ourselves will not put up with any restraint. There must be rules for everyone else, but we must be given free rein. It is seldom that we consider our neighbor equally with ourselves.

If everyone was perfect, what would we have to endure for the love of God?

4. God wills us to learn to bear one another's burdens. No one is without faults, no one without a cross, no one self-sufficient and no one wise enough all alone. Therefore, we must support, comfort and assist one another, instructing and admonishing one another in all charity.

Adversity is the best test of virtue. The occasions of sin do not weaken anyone; on the contrary, they show the person's true worth.

Some advice from St. Therese:

To remain little is to recognize our nothingness. To expect everything from the good God and not to be too much afflicted about our faults, for little children
fall often but are too small to hurt themselves.

Christ's Peace be with you!
~Erin

Carrying your Cross, by Mother Luisita

2008-11-19T19:37:00.000-08:00

A Letter From Mother Luisita About
Carrying Your Cross

My dear child,

In this life we shouldn't live without a cross. It is true that wherever we go we will find the cross. And woe to us if it were not so. God our Lord sends us whatever sufferings are beneficial to us so that we may be purified and practice virtue. How could we practice patience if the opportunity to be patient never presented itself? And it is the same with the other virtues. How can we enrich our souls if we never practice any virtue? According to the love that God has for us and the place He's destined in heaven for us, He provides us with the means to beautify our souls. Oh, my child, let us love the cross! Let's embrace it and see it as the proof of the love of a crucified God.

Our Lord Himself will be your reward. You will see what a prize He has prepared for you in exchange for your efforts in your work and for so many things that one suffers in this world. Wherever we are, we find Calvary and we learn how hard it is to go up that hill, but after we reach the summit, we possess heaven.

Forward, my child. Suffer with joy whatever the good Lord sends you. That's a very good thing to do. But don't suffer and complain. No. Not that. God our Lord loves you very much and awaits your little victories with affection. Don't expect to acquire sanctity in any other way than by conquering yourself and by doing little things which will enable your soul to attain the necessary strength to endure greater troubles.

It doesn't matter if we are trampled upon, if it becomes a means of raising ourselves up closer to God, and once elevated to God, may we remain that way. We have to be strong and valiant with ourselves and not let suffering get the best of us. All pain is transitory, and as Our Holy Mother Saint Teresa tells us, any pain that is not eternal, is no pain at all.

Sometimes it seems as if the crosses are falling from every angle and, indeed, life can seem a long martyrdom. It's not a matter of dying. Rather, it is a matter of living with contradictions and difficulties. Sometimes heaven itself will turn into bronze, but let nothing disturb you and nothing frighten you.

We grieve when Divine Providence uses the hammer and chisel to polish our souls, turning them into precious stones worthy to enter the building of the heavenly Jerusalem. Suffer, then, and wait. Pray and expect. Whenever we feel tired or exhausted, without strength and longing for a moment of rest...it is a great consolation to be able to say, My troubles resemble those of my Savior.

My child, don't worry. Rather, thank God infinitely for choosing you to follow Him in this manner. Let's praise Him in everything because all that happens is for our own good. Try to fulfill your duties the best way you can and do them for God alone.

If you examine the lives of the saints, you'll discover that there is no way to heaven except the road covered with thorns. At every step they pinch us and make us bleed. Let us bless our good God in every circumstance in our lives, and, smiling, let us look up toward heaven.

- Mother Luisita

Mother Luisita was declared Venerable by Pope John Paul II and founded the Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles during the religious persecution in Mexico.

The Letter

2008-11-18T13:34:00.000-08:00

Dear friend,

How are you? I just had to send a note to tell you how much I care about you.

I saw you yesterday as you were talking with your friends. I waited all day hoping you would want to talk with me too.

I gave you a sunset to close your day and a cool breeze to rest you and I waited. You never came. It hurt me! But still I love you

because I am your friend.

I saw you sleeping last night and longed to touch your brow so I spilled moonlight upon your face. Again I waited, and wanted to

rush down so we could talk. I have so many gifts for you. You awoke and rushed off to work. My tears were in the rain.

If you would only listen to me! I love you! I try to tell you in the blue skies and the quiet green grass. I whisper it in the leaves on

the trees and breathe it in colors of flowers, shout it to you in mountain streams, give the birds love songs to sing. I clothe you

with sunshine and perfume the air the nature scents. My love for you is deeper than the oceans, and bigger than the biggest

need in your heart!

Ask Me! Talk to me! Please don't forget me! I have so much to share with you! I won't hassle you any further. It is your decision.

I have chosen you and I still wait.

I love you. Your friend,
Jesus

Taken from a prayer card called *The Letter

On Putting Our Trust in God When Evil Words are Spoken against us...

2008-11-13T20:18:00.000-08:00

Taken from the Imitation of Christ;Book 3;Ch.46:

Christ: My child, stand firm and trust in Me. What are words but only wind? They fly through the air but hurt not a stone on the ground.

If you are innocent, then you will gladly suffer such words for the love of God. If, on the other hand, you are guilty, determine willingly to make amends. It is a small matter for you to put up with a few words uttered in haste when you are yet unable to bear hard blows.

It is because you are still worldly and are eager to please others that you take such little things to heart. When you resent being corrected for your faults and seek shelter in excuses, it is because you are afraid of being despised. Search your soul carefully and you will discover that the world is still strong in you, as well as that impossible desire to please others.

For when you dread to be abased and humiliated for faults, it is clear that you are not truly humble, nor dead to the world, nor is the world crucified to you. Just listen to My word and you will not mind if ten thousand people speak against you.

Even if all the evils which the worst human malice can invent, were said against you, what harm can they possibly do to you if you pay no attention to them? They cannot take so much as one hair from your head.

But if you do not keep your eyes fixed on God, nor keep Him in your heart, then you will be easily upset by the slightest rebuke. Those who trust in Me and rely not on their own judgement will fear no human. For I am the Judge and the Discerner of all secrets.

I know how everything is done and I know both the one who inflicts the injury and the one whom it affects. Nothing happens without My permission and the power so to act, that out of many hearts thoughts may be revealed(Luke 2:35).

I will judge both the guilty and the innocent but I will test them both beforehand.

Human judgement is often erroneous. My judgement is true; it shall stand and will never be overthrown. To many it remains hidden; and only to a few is it made manifest;yet it never errs nor can it err, though to the universe it may appear wrong.
So when you need to make a decision, always come to Me and do not rely on your own judgement.

Righteous persons are never dismayed by anything I permit to happen to them. Although they be wrongly accused it will not worry them much;niether will they be overjoyed if they be reasonably acquitted. They know that I am the searcher of all hearts.(Rev 2:23), Who judge not according to outward appearances nor by the way things look to humans, but by what I esteem praiseworthy.

I Will Not Remember

When Heaven Stands before me
And I am home at last,
I will not remember
The worries of the past;
I will not be aware of all
The trials of this life,
The many times I shed some tears,
The trouble and the strife,
For I will have before me
All the glories spread above.
The meaning of it all will be
Quite softened by His love.

Bonnie L. Nelson

May God bless, reward, and have mercy on us all!

The Advantage of not having everything our own way...

2008-11-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

Taken from The Imitation of Christ:

It is good that everything is not to our own liking; for adversity makes people look into their hearts in order to realize that they are exiles and must not put their hope in any worldly thing.

It is good for us to run into opposition and have others think badly of us, even when our intentions are good. For these things help to humble us and rid us of pride. Then we seek God more earnestly, Who alone knows our inner most self, when outwardly we are ignored and discredited by others.

Therefore people should rely so entirely on God that they have no need for human consolations when adversity comes. When people of good disposition are afflicted or tempted or distracted by evil thoughts, then they understand the need they have of God and that without Him they can do nothing.

Then too they grieve, while they sigh and pray because of the miseries they endure. They grow weary of this life and long for death in order to be with Christ their Lord. It will also be clear to them that there is neither perfect peace or security in this world.

From St. Therese:

"On each fresh occasion of combat when the devil desires to challenge me, I conduct myself valiantly, knowing that to fight a duel is an unworthy act. I turn my back on the adversary without ever looking him in the face. Then I am ready to run to Jesus and tell Him I am ready to shed every drop of blood in testimony of my belief that there is a heaven."

Failure is not Fatal and Success is not Final...

2008-11-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

God has graciously breathed new life into my spiritual life! Praised be God in all and for all! And now I can see and appreciate the dryness and valleys of my life with greater awe for our Lord! My retreat was wonderous and miraculous all in one and no words will ever describe it! I can only leave you with this: Failure is not Fatal;and Success is not Final.

In other words, we all fall and we all succeed in one thing or another but we and the world are ever-changing. The only Constant in life is God and His love for us. So this is why we all must continue to keep our eyes, hearts, souls, and love fixed on the Eternal. We must keep moving and not remain idle where our enemies may find us sleeping! In the words of Fr. Thomas Dubay, "We must not follow the Commanments to merely become eligible for heaven, but to excel on our way to heaven and in Union with God." What does this mean? It means I must not just go through the motions, but to really seek heaven as someone may seek for a lost treasure! This is the whole meaning and extent of our lives; to come back into full union and communion with our Creator! To long to be alone and sit in silence with our beloved and listen to the inner most secrets of His heart. This is love and longing as God wants us! Thank you Jesus for all You give us and all You take away! Now take my will and make it yours, forevermore my Lord! Only You know the depths of my heart and my mind, my strengths, my weaknesses are all for Your Glory! Mold them into what you made me to be, a Saint to Praise You in heaven!

Farewell for a few days...

2008-10-23T15:14:00.000-07:00

Hello All~

If anyone reads this post, I'll be leaving for retreat tomorrow just for the weekend.
Please pray for me as I will be praying for all of you and your intentions.
May God continue to bless us all and our Country.

Amen.

To thank, to pray, and to persevere...

2008-10-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Today I'd like to thank you Lord for the pain I feel today.
I'd also like to thank you Lord for the joy I feel in pain.
It's strange for me to say this, because I always run from pain.
But today dear Lord, you allowed the light to penetrate my soul if only for an instance!
What relief to know it is still there!
The darkness is back, but to know that only a second of your light can give me the courage and strength to fight on!
You are so good Lord! You truly know our limits! And St. Teresa of Avila was so correct in saying:"From moment to moment, one can bear much"
Oh what words of truth! I never realized their truth until now!
Because in my ignorance I forgot that we truly are in God's hands and He is in control! The only thing we control are our choices!

So help me precious Angel, my Guardian so dear to make the blessed choices Christ wishes me to make! Help me make them for nothing but love of Him alone! How precious He is to me, and to know that He really does see the pain, the darkness and the lonliness we endure, they are all for a greater purpose, for this we can be sure!

So Lord, take my pain and comfort all those who are sick.
Take my darkness, and give light to those who need it.
Take my everything Lord and do with it what You will!
My trust in you is ever present even in my doubts!
So take it dear Lord and make it something better
Something that is worthy to lay at Your holy feet.
For I know I could never be a great saint,
but I want to please You as much as I was made to!
Take my heart Lord and make it whole in Your love
in Your suffering, in Your passion, in Your Eucharist,
in all your people.
Help us all to make each corner of our own world a better place for having been there.
And never let us brush aside any inspirations you may give us!
For all this I ask Lord,
and thank You as if I've already received.
I love You Lord, help me to persevere to the end!

Spiritually, I resemble a Prune!

2008-10-13T17:03:00.000-07:00

Okay God,

What does this mean? I struggle to do the very smallest thing out of love for You! Does this mean my love is so little that I cannot feel it anymore? I do not feel love anymore but I choose to love out of love for You and because it is the right thing to do! Why such dryness Lord? I do not want Consolations but ask to feel a little of the burning love I once felt!

Where has it gone? Why is it gone? Have I done something wrong? Speak for your servant listens Lord! Come back into my heart Lord! I welcome You as if You are already there resting in my heart! I will continue to search for you Lord! Never leave my side!

Oct. 1st, St. Therese's Feast Day! Our Little Flower!

2008-10-01T17:20:00.000-07:00

MOTTO OF THE LITTLE FLOWER

From St. John of the Cross

“Love is repaid by Love alone”

A Poem for St. Therese

God's little flower so beautiful and bright!
You were a feast for God's eyes at first sunlight
For you bloomed were God planted you
This proved that your roots were strong and true
For little flowers are just as important as the rose
For these gain humility much faster
And Heaven's ladder is open for the humble first
For the first must be the last and only little ones may pass
Gold molded you in the school of love and suffering
The two together could never be apart
For if one is missing
there truly is no love in the heart
God planted your seed with love
And you bloomed when suffering was sent from above
You became too brilliant to stay in the earth
So that's when God plucked you
And now you hold your place on His hearth.
Where He can gaze upon you each day
And you enjoy watching Your Master
plant new seedlings each day!

Happy Feast Day St. Therese! Pray for us!

The Sweet Joy of Suffering and Love!

2008-09-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

It seems strange but the more little crosses I bear throughout the day, the more I realize just how much our Lord is there to help us if only we stop and ask! How many times do we try to take things on ourselves!? How can anyone expect to control the universe around them nevertheless their own life?

Surrender everything to our Lord and let Him turn those thorns into roses. The beauty and fragrance of the rose cannot be enjoyed without the ugliness and sting of the thorn. The more one suffers well the more one will thank our Lord for the opportunities to suffer well!

Only in this way will our hearts be able to make more room to love our Lord! Think about other instances of suffering and love. The pain and suffering a mother feels bringing her child into the world, The pain and torture our Lord went through on the cross, The pain and heartache marriages can cause, The pain of suffering our Lord sends, but in the end the Love always grows!

It's as if pain,suffering and love form a template for a spiritual masterpiece! How good our God is!

I also want to publicly thank my dear Patron, St. Padre Pio for his wonderful intercession as always and to ask for his perpetual prayers for us all!
Also, Happy Feast Day to St.Therese tomorrow, please pray for us! You are my bookends in this life as is my Guardian Angel towards my Lord! Never cease praying for us!

The Holy Souls...

2008-09-27T12:31:00.000-07:00

Let us not forget our dear brothers and sisters in Purgatory.
I feel the urgent need to implore all of your prayers for their behalf!
For as we suffer on this earth, we at least are relieved a little of it during our sleep or slumber.
In the purgative fires of Purgatory, there is no rest, no moment when these poor holy souls are relieved of their suffering!
Cease not in your prayers! For how many more angels you will have praying for you and your family in heaven when they are released into their heavenly eternity!

Praise God, for the dressing room of Purgatory! For without it we would surely all be lost!

So let us all offer our earthly sufferings for those dear Holy Souls, and ask our dear Lord to live our Purgatory on earth! What difference would it make to suffer our entire lives in order to live in peace forever during our eternity! I would offer a thousand lives of earthly suffering for one eternal life filled with heavenly peace!

Be careful in not looking for suffering, because God will send us the crosses as only He sees fit! Praise our Lord whether in feast or in famine-only in this way will we be able to recognize Christ always walking beside us! For in order to follow, you must allow Him to lead the way!

I have learned in the school of suffering to thank and praise God for all my little sufferings and temptations. For how could I grow in my spiritual life without the cross of suffering?

Thank you Jesus for everything You give and take away! Please use our suffering for the conversion of sinners, the release of the holy souls in Purgatory, and the end of Abortion!

Mary, Mother most pure, pray for us always!
Ask Your Son to have Mercy on us all, and offer us as His instruments on this earthly pilgrimage!
St. Joseph, pray for us!
St. Rita, pray for us!
St. Padre Pio, pray for us!
St. Therese, pray for us!
St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us!
St. John of the Cross, pray for us!
St. Teresa of Avila, Pray for us!
All holy Angels and Saints, pray for us!

Grace comes knocking, Self Pity bars the door.

The signature of the Holy Spirit,is peace, deep interior peace.

PRAYERS FOR SOULS IN PURGATORY
There are more souls released from purgatory during the Consecration of the Mass than at any time. Christmas is the day of the year when most souls are delivered; then feast days of Our Lord, Our Lady and great saints. Souls receive much grace from prayers offered for them on their birthdays, day of baptism, anniversary of death.
The more we work for Poor Souls on earth the more others will pray for us, the more merciful will Christ be with us when were in purgatory.
Our Lady asked that we pray very much for the poor souls; that we pray:
5 I believe in God . . .

1 Hail Holy Queen . . .

1 Our Father . . .

1 Hail Mary . . .

1 Glory be to the Father . . .

1 Requiem (Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them and may they rest in peace. Amen!)

PRAYER OF ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT
A Prayer which would release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said.
Our Lord told St. Gertrude the GREAT that the following prayer would release 1,000 souls from Purgatory each time it is said.
Recommendations: Pray it at least twice, to at least release twice as many souls! After the prayer, ask the Holy Souls to pray for your intentions.

"Eternal Father, I offer thee the most precious blood of thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the Masses said throughout the world today, for all the Holy Souls in Purgatory. -Amen"

Our Lady said that if we pray the prayers "we'll deliver so many souls, so many souls!"
"The Holy wounds are the treasure of treasures for the souls in Purgatory."
BIBLE - 2 Machabees, Chapter 12. Verse 46:"it is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead,that they may be loosed from sins."
An indulgence, applicable ONLY to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted when the faithful devoutly visit a cemetery and pray for the departed.

Our Lord revealed to Saint Bridget:

The Seven our Fathers and Hail Marys In honor of His Holy wounds and His precious blood

"Know that I will grant the following five graces to those who recite every day for twelve years (or until their death, should they die before):

1. They will avoid Purgatory.
2. They will be numbered amongst the martyrs, as though they had shed their blood for the faith.
3. I will maintain the souls of three of their children (or relatives) in a state of santifying grace.
4. The souls of their relatives, up to four generations, will avoid Hell.
5. They will know the date of their death one month in advance.

Pope Innocent X confirmed this revelation and added that those who practice this devotion will liberate a soul from Purgatory on Good Fridays. How many graces can we thus obtain by accepting to dedicate 10 minutes each day to the Holy Wounds of our Lord...

I Adore Him!

2008-09-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

My heart sings praises to my Lord!
For We have been saved by His cross!
We should not be sad or gloomy for we have been saved by His Cross!
Our crosses are but splinters in the wind compared to the cross of salvation!
All pain and suffering is transitory
Our Lord is changeless, He is the Rock and true North of our souls
So what else should matter?
Hunger? Thirst? Pain? Lonliness? No Never!
If only we would learn to rest in our Lord's arms as we should
He could truly take care of us as He sees fit!
For we are always like a dear stuck in a trap struggling to get out
and our Lord only asks for us to "Be still and know that I am God"!
It is only in this stillness and trust that He can truly work in our lives!
So what should we fear? Ask Him daily to rest in your heart and that He make it a sactuary worthy of His head to lay.
Oh if only others knew the peace and greatness of our Lord! There would be no hate in this world!
I wish to please Him as a Bride wishes to please her husband or a daughter her father! But even more so! I wish to please Him and do His will as if I were the only soul on earth and His will depended on me alone! For I know that this is how He looks at every single soul on earth!
He loves us as if we were His only creation! Wow! How awesome and what responsibility! For this is truly the meaning of life! It is only to please our Lord and do His will!
For nothing else matters! It cannot get much simpler than this and perhaps this is why no one has been able to answer this timeless question! We are only here to do the work of the Lord and do His will before we are permitted to come home to Him in heaven!
For only he knows how my days are numbered and when the great day of my homecoming will be! How I look forward to this day and pray that I will see His Holy face!
His heart magnificent beyond all others and love and mercy flowing through eternity!
Thank you Jesus for my peace of heart! I pray that you grant this to all your people and that sinners may come to know this through Your love and mercy!
Bless our world Jesus, and ask the Father to have mercy on us all by sending us His Holy Spirit! For only this, will save us from damnation!

Protect your little ones, Lord.
Bless your sick ones
Comfort your dying ones,
Console your mourning ones
and give peace to your lonely ones.
Help us all to be Your hands and Your heart in our daily lives!
I adore You dear Jesus, but help me to live this!

Love is such a little word...

2008-09-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

Thank You Jesus for all You give
My words are not enough for the
power of Your Spirit!
My heart continues to throb and burn for love of You!
What can I do Lord?
I am powerless to resist it!
I am in love with my Creator
My ever-present teacher!

To You I owe all things!
I give You my will, my love and my life!
Do with it what You will!
Take my nothingness and I trust You will make it worthy in Your eyes!
I feel the need to let You rest in my heart always
so that I may help relieve Your burden of suffering.
I know I cannot do much Lord, but I hope my love for you is but a small drop of consolation if even for a second it would take away the pain You feel over the ingratitude and blasphemies thrown at You throughout the world.
Help my little light to shine and light the wick of others, an instrument in Your hands.
Never let me leave You Lord, only You know how weak I am!
Praised be God in all the tabernacles of the world, even until the end of time!

Love,

the little heart

Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows...

2008-09-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

In her desolation she bathes with her tears His beautiful face, His gentle breast,His side that is man's comfort, His wounded hands and His feet all red with blood.

Again and again she holds tightly to herself His breast and arms, and has eyes for nothing but His wounds. And in this state of mind she wholly melts away in the kisses of a bereaved mother.

Therefore we ask you, Mother, by these tears, by your Son's cruel death and by the blood of His wounds, plant well in our hearts the grief that afflicted yours.

To the Father and the son and the co-eternal Spirit, to the most high God in three Persons,be everlasting glory, eternal praise and honor in this and in every age.
Amen.

Dearest Mother,

Help us to unite our sufferings to yours and your Son's help and pray that we may be able to suffer well as you did under the cross. So many times we complain while we are on the cross and sometimes it's even harder to watch from under the cross. So help us dear Mary to suffer well as you and Your Son did, and help us to do this if only it is Christ's Will. Thank you Mother for all your sufferings and for giving us your son, your one and only and our One and Only.

Exaltation of the Holy Cross

2008-09-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

Why do we honor the cross? It is not because it is two pieces of wood or even because of the symbol it represents. It is because it is the very essence of our existence! It is where our Most beloved shed His precious blood, sweat, and tears, for US! For US! Do you understand how Awesome that is? His, yes, saved our souls from eternal damnation! Do you know anyone else who would do that for you? Sure people say in passing yeah, I'd die for you, but would they? Would they also suffer horrendous tortures for you? I seriously doubt it! No love exists like that on earth except that that comes from our Precious Lord!

So today, instead of just fulfilling your hour in Mass, really give Thanksgiving to our Lord for all He's done for you, and recognize it! Even if you had nothing, His love should be enough! For His love will always take care of you!
If you can, recieve our Lord in the Eucharist and the Precious Blood and savor it! Thank Him for being able to recieve such a precious gift every week or everyday how ever often you go!

Ask Him to fill you with His loving fire so that you may be an instrument to light the fire of others! Burn with zeal for our Lord! How many of us actually do that and live it? I can only hope that our Lord will see how pitiful I am and take constant pity on me to give me a bigger and better heart to love Him with! Ask Him to transform your love for Him into something bigger than yourself!
Let the Master work in your life and in your heart!
May God bless us all and bless our world with peace!

EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS NOVENA
Say for 9 Days
Jesus, Who because of Your burning love for us willed to be crucified and to shed Your Most Precious Blood for the redemption and salvation of our souls, look down upon us and grant the petition we ask for ...( mention here)

We trust completely in Your Mercy. Cleanse us from sin by Your Grace, sanctify our work, give us and all those who are dear to us our daily bread, lighten the burden of our sufferings, bless our families, and grant to the nations, so sorely afflicted, Your Peace, which is the only true peace, so that by obeying Your Commandments we may come at last to the glory of Heaven. Amen

An instrument of Peace...

2008-09-13T15:04:00.000-07:00

Lord, please make me an instrument of Your Peace...always.

How is it than one day, I can be so bothered and the next filled with His Peace?
I'm sure it must be in my own flaws of personality and not totally following His Will that I find myself outside of His Peace instead of in it. Or it may be I am not fully aware of His presence even in my unsettling ways.

Lord, I ask that you help me with these imperfections in my life, that I may always be a comfortable safe-haven for You to rest Your weary head for all the sacrileges that You are offended by on a daily basis.

Make me a Sacred Tabernacle for Your Holy Spirit to rest in, not for my own desires but to give You rest in an ungrateful world. Thank you Jesus, for all you give and all that You take away, for I know that everything You do is only in our best interest! Jesus, Mary, I love you save souls!

The Right Words

Lord, give me the right words to say,
To broken hearts that come my way
To those that have been hurt before
That I not hurt them anymore

To those whose hearts have hardened up
To those who won't hold out their cup
That Lord, You long to overflow
With Love and Mercy
Lord let me know

That I might have the words to say
That I might plant a seed today
That glory would be given to You
In all I say and all I do

Lord, give me the right words to say
More hearts are breaking everyday
They're out there crying in the night
I long to help them see the light

But, fragile are those souls and weak
So this is why Your words I seek
And pray Thee give me words to say
That I, not one soul turn away.

Author Unknown

Perseverence in Prayer...

2008-09-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Perseverence in Prayer is most important in the Spiritual Life!

Even if our spiritual life becomes dry, it is even more important to pray during this time even if the only words we can utter are: Come Holy Spirit, or Jesus, I love you help me to love you more!

Usually if our Spiritual lives have become dry it is because we have not asked the Holy Spirit for guidance or we are not persevering in prayer.

We need to strengthen our spiritual muscles just as we need to get daily exercise.

If we don't strengthen ourselves spiritually......How can we expect ourselves to carry the crosses when they fall? Because they do fall, they always do!

In this way, we will be able to carry our crosses and carry them well, without complaint or looking like we're carrying a cross, always in sweet joy for our Lord!

If lifting our tiny crosses compared to His, can ease His pain a little what should we care? Afterall, we deserve the pain for all of our sins.....what did Jesus deserve except our perpetual love?
When the crosses fall remember Christ crucified and remain Silent!~St.Elizabeth Seton

"If you pray well, you will live well;if you live well,you will die well;and if you die well, all will be well!"-St. Augustine

Happy Birthday Mary!

2008-09-08T20:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Dear Mother Mary!

Today our Kindergarten class all brought at least one flower from home for the Virgin Mary's Birthday! It was very sweet and you could see the smile on the Virgin's face as the children brought her flowers! We collected two vases and one small vase worth of flowers. We also made her a paper crown with flowers on it for her birthday and the kids sang Happy Birthday to her. We all celebrated at snack time with a cookie!

It's in these small things that I know Mary and Jesus truly adore about us, especially the children. Their love is so pure and full of hope! I'm sure this is what God must have been thinking about when He created Mary as the New Eve.
Who else could have carried Him? Surely not someone who would or could be defiled in any way! She had to be the most pure of lillies and as I heard last night, someone who could love Him back as He loves us.

Their mother-son relationship was a mystery in itself. Look at the Mysteries of the Rosary, Mary was invlolved in quite a few of them and if not I'm sure Stood by the cross. Think of those words "Stood by the Cross!" Would any of us have the strength to stand under the cross of our son? Mary Magdelane was weeping under the cross but Mary, The mother of our Lord, was standing! Can you imagine the unbearable sorrow she must have felt and had the strength to stand?! If this is not proof enough that She is a pure vessel, I don't know what would convince anyone! Her Fiat or Yes changed the world! So Mary, Here's my small pitiful Thank you to you, for being who you are and standing for us, and your son at the foot of His cross and ours!

I love you Mary! Help us to love Jesus More! Bring us closer to your Son under watchful eye, as only a Mother can have.
I give you my everything to present to your Son,Jesus!
Ask Him to make us as holy as He intended and to have perpetual Mercy on us!
Continue to pray for us Mary, our world is in need of your graces!
Please give us the graces we don't know to ask for and tell Jesus we adore and love Him!

Your loving daughter in Christ,
Erin

An Early Advent...

2008-09-07T13:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure but almost every year around this time, I start anticipating the Christmas Season. Maybe it's the extreme heat this time of year in Southern California or maybe it's just my love of this season when it seems to be heaven on earth! But as I was sitting in Mass this morning, I realized it's much more than that, it's also my love for the Christ Child.

I admire so much that our wonderful Lord chose to come as a little child, the most humble way a God could come to His people! But still in His smallness He glowed with wisdom and love for His Mother and His Children! Yes even as a babe, He had Children, all of us! The mystery of Christmas has always attracted me, I love the beauty of the season. I just wish everyone would focus on Christ and not so much on the secular part of the season. Evne the trees die to themselves in the winter so that may be made new again during the Easter season.
Coincidence? I think not! Nothing in this world is a coincidence! Just remember that!
I love you sweet Jesus, in the infinite smallness and greatness of the Eucharist, Your Precious Blood, Your Sacred Heart, Your Birth, Your Death, Your Ressurection,Your Mercy, and Your Will.
Thank you for coming into my heart and dwelling there as a safe tabernacle. Never let me offend You and Never let me lose You!

Help us to love You more!
Christ the Eucharist, have mercy on us.
Christ the Precious Blood, have mercy on us.
Christ the Child, hear us , Christ graciously hear us!
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, pray for us.
Our Lady of Guadalupe, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us.
Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us.
St. Francis, pray for us.
St. Jerome, pray for us.
St. Augustine, pray for us.
St. Rita, pray for us.
St. Therese, pray for us.
St. Teresa, pray for us.
St. Pio, pray for us.
St. Jude, pray for us.
St. Michael, pray for us.
St. Mary Magdelane, pray for us.
St. Maria Goretti, pray for us.
St. John Bosco, pray for us.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, pray for us.

Earth's Trash, Heaven's Treasure

2008-09-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Prayer to the Virgin Mary
for an End to Abortion

O Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of us all, we turn to you today as the one who said "Yes" to Life. "You will conceive and bear a Son," the angel told you. Despite the surprise and the uncertainty about how this could be, you said yes. "Be it done unto me according to your word."

Mary, we pray today for all mothers who are afraid to be mothers. We pray for those who feel threatened and overwhelmed by their pregnancy. Intercede for them, that God may give them the grace to say yes and the courage to go on. May they have the grace to reject the false solution of abortion. May they say with you, "Be it done unto me according to your word." May they experience the help of Christian people, and know the peace that comes from doing God's will. Amen

God truly has a sense of humor!

2008-09-05T16:48:00.000-07:00

I was laughing to myself today about my acceptance of God's call to me to the Carmelites. Not that I do not want to do it, but I just spoke to God the way I usually do, God are sure you're talking to me? Are you sure you want me for this? Didn't you see what I did yesterday or how impatient I was today? So I truly believe He has a wonderful sense of Humor, why else would He choose the most incapable and incompetant people for certain duties, it's beyond me, but I know because I realize this, anything He wants me to do, He'll have to do it through me because I am not capable on my own! Agghh! The very thought of myself without Him frightens me!

Then I cam across this entry in the book put together with St. Pio's letters:

He (God) chooses some souls. From among these, despite all my faults, he has also chosen my soul to help him in the great project of saving humanity. The more these chosen souls suffer without any comfort,the more the sufferings of our good Jesus are lightened.
Well, that's the reason I wish to suffer unceasingly, and to suffer without comfort; and from this I derive all my joy. This I can testify through the long experienceI have had of it, provided the one does not cease to cry out to Him.(304)_ From "Words of Light".

Then I opened the bible to this passage:

"Do you not know or have you not heard? The Lord is the eternal God, creator of the ends of the earth.He does not faint nor grow weary, and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;for the weak He makes vigor abound. Though young men faint and grow weary, and youths stagger and fall, They that hope in the Lord will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles' wings; they will run and not grow weary, walk and not grow faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

Wow! That's all I have to say for today, what else could possibly be said other than I get the message loud and clear!?

Have a Wonderful evening!

Communication between the head and the heart...

2008-09-03T21:00:00.000-07:00

After being inflamed with love for our Lord and enjoying my prayer life and Eucharistic life, the lights finally came on and someone is home! The problem is explaining it to my head, my heart is all for it, however, my head keeps having its reservations as I'm sure all vocations do. Ofcourse my first vocation is to be a good and (Hopefully) holy wife, but I feel I can do more through my prayers since my stamina and body don't always agree with how I should be spending my time helping others!?! Just slightly Bothersome!

I will continue to look into this and pray about it, but I also ask for your prayers as I open the door to the Secular Carmelites, I only hope to do God's will and not my own so I may decrease and He may increase!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
St. Joseph pray for us.
St. John of the Cross, pray for us.
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for us.
St. Therese, pray for us.

The Gift of Life!

2008-09-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Life is and should always be an Indispensable Gift!

A little Gratitude for His Gifts, Grace, and Guidance.

2008-08-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

Thanks is such a little word for all Your gifts of grace
For all your guidance dear Lord
No words will ever embrace
Your Fatherly love cradles me each day
Molds me into the soul
that you intended me to be
What else could I ever want dear Lord?
except Your perpetual gift of love
For anything I could ever want
was paid for in Your blood my Lord
So why do we not thank You more?
Is it because we know your Mercy's endless?
or because we are thankless?
Either way my God my heart swells with love
when I think of Your bitter agony on the cross
My words and feelings are at a loss
For I know my debt of love is endless
but please continue to look on me with tenderness
Because I love you so much my Lord
but please help me to love you more
because it seems you only made one flaw
and it was You made my heart too small
for how could I ever love you as I should
with such a tiny vessel misunderstood?
So help me sweet Jesus with everlasting grace
So I may one day repay my debt and see Your loving face.

A little late but worth the wait!?!?

2008-08-28T21:14:00.001-07:00

A little late for St. Augustine's Feast Day today but I had to post it anyway~EVER ANCIENT, EVER NEW

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would have not been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace.

~ From The Confessions of St. Augustine

PRAYERS OF ST. AUGUSTINE

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy.
Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy.
Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy.
Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy.
Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy.

"O Holy Spirit, descend plentifully into my heart. Enlighten the dark corners of this neglected dwelling and scatter there Thy cheerful beams."

Thank you Maryann for sending this to me!

Words of Fr. Corapi...Gotta love him!

2008-08-27T18:10:00.000-07:00

Words of Father Corapi...
for all my politician friends and relatives and those who vote for them

"Catholic office holders, whether presidents, senators, congress men or women, or judges at any level must adhere to Catholic teaching or run the risk of separating themselves from the Body of Christ.

In such egregious and chronic cases of gross moral evil such as instituting and perpetuating abortion and the structures of sin that surround it, it is quite probable that such Catholic officials are excommunicated in virtue of the acts themselves.

A latae sententiae (automatic) excommunication is likely triggered when they vote for laws, funding, and structures that enable and perpetuate such obvious and egregious evil (Cf. Code of Canon Law, Canons 1364,1398; Canon 1329, par. #2).

They are in turn forbidden from approaching the sacraments as the result (Cf. Catechism of Catholic Church #1463)."

"It is not morally possible for any Catholic to support abortion, euthanasia, fetal stem cell research, human cloning, or same-sex marriage. There are no ways around this, no justifications whatever.

Why? For the simple reason that the Church holds these things to be intrinsically evil. They are evil in themselves, and no circumstances or subjective conditions can ever change that."

~Enough said, Thank you Fr. Corapi you always know how to get straight to the point and the heart of the matter!

Fr. Donald's Sermon

2008-08-24T21:05:00.000-07:00

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

Thank You, Jesus!

2008-08-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

Today, I want to thank Jesus for trusting me with these sufferings. Even though it brings pain to my body, it is a sweet joy for my soul. I think because like St. Therese,(not that I am anything like her) I realize that I am a very simple soul who cannot offer anything worthy or great to our Dear Lord.

With this in mind, I pray everyday to be able to carry out my duties and obligations to the best of my ability and to do it with a grateful heart. Even in this prayer, my self-will is my constant enemy. The Lord knows how weak my will is and so I must constantly pray throughout the day through every task to be able to do His will.

He has allowed my focus to move from this earthly existence to my eternal existence, and becauase of this every choice has eternal consequences. I do not wish to sound so final but I am just writing how I feel.

So thank you Jesus for trusting me with these small sufferings and pains compared with your agony on the cross. Help me to never complain about them but to embrace them and thank you for them daily. They have turned into a sort of payment and living prayer for my debt of love for You.

I also thank you for these sufferings because they keep me humble and constantly remind me just how little I am and how much I depend on you for everything! Please take these small sufferings throughout the day and use them how You see fit my Lord, for only You know how to best use them and who am I to tell You how to use them?

Finally, keep my heart imflamed for love of You so that I never lose perseverance!
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You!

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroy, nor theives break in and steal. For where you treasure is, there also will your heart be."
Matthew 6: 19-21

God's theme for my Retreat...

2008-08-21T15:11:00.000-07:00

Well, I just returned home yesterday from my retreat at Prince of Peace Abbey in Oceanside. This is the home of The Benedictine Monks who are filled with the spirit of Prayer, Peace, Perseverence and Penance.

I went on a private "somewhat silent" retreat with my mom and was a little nervous before leaving because this is the first retreat I've been on that wasn't planned or structured. Although we did have the opportunity to go to daily Mass and join the monks in prayer up to five times a day, there was no designated speaker for us to listen to.

So we went to daily Mass and took ample amounts of quiet time for spiritual reading, prayer, and walking the stations of the cross and enjoying nature. It was wonderful!

I felt I received a lot of peace on this retreat and that God spoke to me in the silence of my heart.

Since this is private, I will not reveal anymore but I would like to leave you with the running theme for the last few days for both me and mother that somehow the Lord wanted to stress this importance to us.

Perhaps it is because I am not as grateful for all the gifts He has so generously given to me or that I can be selfish and not give as freely as I would like to.
So I will take the opportunity now of admitting this to myself and to you before God and ask Him for His forgiveness.

I love you Lord, but help me to love you more in all the things I do, say, and think.

Theme of this Retreat:

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life and what you will eat, or about your body and what you will wear.

For life is more than food and the body more than clothing.

Notice the ravens:

they do not sow or reap; they have neither storehouse or barn, yet God feeds them.

How much more important are you than birds!

Can any of you by worrying add a moment to your lifespan?

If even the smallest things are beyond your control, why are you anxious about the rest?

Notice how the flowers grow. They do not toil or spin.

But I tell you not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of them.

If God so clothes the grass in the field that grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow , will He not provide much more for you, O you of little faith?

As for you, do not seek what you are to eat or what you are to drink, and do not worry anymore.

All the nations of the world seek for these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom.

Sell your belongings and give alms.

Provide moneybags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustable treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy.

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

~Luke 12:22-34

May God bless and reward you!

The Still Small Voice...

2008-08-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sitting in Mass yesterday for the Feast of The Assumption, I was reminded of God's call to our own Blessed Mother.
He did not come in the thunder, the wind, or anything else, but in a still small voice.
Sure He sent an angel, but Mary had to listen to that still small voice within her heart to say her "yes" to our Lord.
I can only imagine her joy when her Blessed Son brought her up body and soul into heaven and made her Queen of Heaven and Earth!

Kneeling in Thanksgiving after Mass, I asked Our Lord and Our Mother to help me to listen more intently to this still small voice and so knelt in silence.

There is nothing more consoling than kneeling before the tabernacle and the crucifix and not praying with words but with the heart. Praying with the heart is more than being silent it is not even saying or thinking of words in your head, but just making yourself available to "be in the True Presence of our Lord" .

The peace and consolation are unspeakable. It is a sort of contradiction in itself, because although He does not take away the crosses which are so vital to our sanctity, one can learn to love their crosses in the slience of His heart, because He gives an understanding or wisdom that makes it easier to accept the crosses and actually learn to embrace them because it is made known to one that it is only HE who knows best and if He knows best what do we have to fear?

Stay with me, Lord
Prayer of St. Pio of Pietrelcina after Holy Communion

Stay with me, Lord, for it is necessary to have
You present so that I do not forget You.
You know how easily I abandon You.
Stay with me, Lord, because I am weak
and I need Your strength,
that I may not fall so often.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my life,
and without You, I am without fervor.
Stay with me, Lord, for You are my light,
and without You, I am in darkness.
Stay with me, Lord, to show me Your will.
Stay with me, Lord, so that I hear Your voice
and follow You.Stay with me, Lord, for I desire to love You
very much, and always be in Your company.
Stay with me, Lord, if You wish me to be faithful to You.
Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is,
I want it to be a place of consolation for You, a nest of love.
Stay with me, Jesus, for it is getting late and the day is coming to a close, and life passes; death, judgment, eternity approaches.
It is necessary to renew my strength,
so that I will not stop along the way and for that, I need You.
It is getting late and death approaches,
I fear the darkness, the temptations, the dryness, the cross, the sorrows.
O how I need You, my Jesus, in this night of exile!
Stay with me tonight, Jesus, in life with all it’s dangers. I need You.
Let me recognize You as Your disciples did at the breaking of the bread,
so that the Eucharistic Communion be the Light which disperses the darkness,
the force which sustains me, the unique joy of my heart.
Stay with me, Lord, because at the hour of my death, I want to remain united to You,
if not by communion, at least by grace and love.
Stay with me, Jesus, I do not ask for divine consolation, because I do not merit it,
but the gift of Your Presence, oh yes, I ask this of You!
Stay with me, Lord, for it is You alone I look for, Your Love, Your Grace, Your Will, Your Heart,
Your Spirit, because I love You and ask no other reward but to love You more and more.
With a firm love, I will love You with all my heart while on earth
and continue to love You perfectly during all eternity.
Amen.

His True Presence!

2008-08-11T09:16:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I never really truly appreciated Our Lord in the Eucharist as I do now.

Maybe it was a lack of understanding or wisdom but I think the Lord also knows how "dense" I can be at times and needs to give me a few extra graces or consolations here and there so I "get the picture".

Forgive me if this comes across as crass but it's the best way I know how of explaining it!

If you are someone who truly doesn't understand the True Presence of our Lord in the Eucharist, then ask Him to give you the wisdom to understand.

Not too long ago, a very holy friend of mine was comforting me because I was complaining that for some reason my local parish completely "forgot" that the first Tuesday of the month was their time to have Adoration.

I am someone who has truly grown to love and crave Adoration so I was upset when I showed up along with about 20 other people and the Blessed Sacrament was not exposed! I explained to my friend how much I was looking forward to it and then nothing!

I told her though, for some reason none of us left, and we made a holy hour anyway over by the tabernacle. I told her that I understood Jesus was still in the tabernacle but I wanted to gaze back at Him!

She said, "My dear, what does it matter if you cannot see Him? He can still see you! And all He wants is for you to come and sit with him and pray!"

These words have been so comforting to me! And have encouraged me many times to stop by my local church on my way home or before I start a busy day to visit our Lord and ask Him for His guidance.

But my most favorite thing to do, is to just sit with Him in Silence! Oh, how He will inflame your heart! I thank God for my dear friend everytime I think of her words and wonder why I was so dense as to not figure that out myself!

The following prayer will help you to feel His presence more in the Eucharist:

Soul of Christ Sanctify me
Body of Christ save me
Blood of Christ fill my veins
Water from the side of Christ wash me
Passion of Christ strengthen me
Oh Good Jesus hear me
Within your wounds hide me
and never let me be seperated from thee
From the evil enemy defend me
In the hour of my death call me
and order me to come to You
so that with your saints I may praise You
World without end. Amen.

God bless you with peace and understanding!

~Erin

Timeless Homilies!

2008-08-09T13:20:00.000-07:00

The two Mass Homilies from a Weekend Retreat by Rev. Paul O'Donnell:

Persevere In Prayer.

http://padrepiodevotions.org/audio/audio29.m3u

"Never Give Up".
http://padrepiodevotions.org/audio/audio28.m3u

Celebration and Mass in honor of Saint Pio of PietrelcinaSan Diego, CaliforniaSeptember 24, 2006 by Fr. Reginauld DeFour CSSp

"Saint Pio and Suffering"

http://padrepiodevotions.org/audio/audio07.m3u

The Secret of the Saints.....

2008-08-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

Most of us think that if we make it to Purgatory we're pretty lucky, right?

Well, I'd like to share with you, how you may be able to skip Purgatory all together!

This is the secret of the saints...

It's very simple yet complex because of the problem (at least for me it is) of our own free will.

The way to become a saint and go directly to heaven is to:

1. Be conscience of God at every moment of every day.

2. Do His will in every choice throughout the day.

Okay, okay, I know some of you might be saying easier said than done, and you're right but
practice makes perfect!

If you truly start to change your mind-set from me to "He" you'll know what He wants you to do.

After a few days of this and with the help of daily prayer you'll find your own will melting away and that all you can think of is our dear Lord!

The key is to do everything in Love and Humility. This does not mean we need to "feel love" in every moment and everyday but we need to choose to do things out of love for our Lord.

Just as we do things we may not necessarily want to do or feel like doing for those we love so we must do and more so for Our Lord.

So if someone comes up to you and starts gossiping...what is a good way to stop this without offeding the other person?
How about making a nice comment about the person they are speaking about and changing the subject?

Also, whenever you feel annoyed or anger creeping up into your heart, say a prayer to the Holy Spirit to give you peace and hel you to make the right decision.

This does not mean we can never feel angry~ it just means we should not dwell or wollow in our anger ~ This is when it is poisonous to our own souls and to people around us.

You know recently I was enlightened on how my sins just don't effect me but thet can effect everyone around me.

For instance, if I show anger towards someone during the day and they are already having a bad day, I may cause them to make a bad choice themselves~ get it?

And on and on it goes! So I decided if sin works that way, then surely making good choices has to have the same effect, right?

Try it today with me, think only of God in every decision and you'll be floored at how often He speaks to our hearts throughout the day, and you'll be even more shocked on what a great day you had!

Remember what Saint Francis said: You may be the only example of the Gospel that your fellow man sees!

This means to do your best always and you will never be leading another into sin!

The Peace of Christ be with you!

~Erin

* This post was inspired by Mother Angelica on EWTN, Thanks Mother as always for your

Divine Wisdom!

Meekness vs. Weakness

2008-07-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

I wanted to talk to everyone today about something I feel that I am guilty about more often than not.

Sometimes I believe that I focus way too much on what is happening in my own spiritual life and not enough on helping others or even the spiritual lives of others.

The proof of this is in the last post I wrote.

I know this is probably redundant of me, but please be aware of what and who is around you.

Even those that we are close to~ Just because we are close to someone does not mean that we are always aware of everything they are struggling with or even how they feel about things.

Our culture is amazingly selfish.

This doesn't mean that good things do not happen everyday but how many of us actually stop and instead of doing something we really want to do......do something for someone else because we know it will make the other person happy.

As long as what we are doing is not morally wrong or illegal, this is something selfless we can do for someone else.

Even something like this can be offered to our Lord as a small suffering or sacrifice.

I really admire St. Therese who in her own spiritual life adopted what she called "the little way".

She knew that she was a very simple soul and felt that she would never be able to offer our Lord something big or great.

But one day it struck her that she could do all of the simple everday mundane things greatly!

This means offering up every little conquering of own will or doing something as everday as washing the dishes and doing it for our Lord.

So you might ask, How on earth and what on earth does it mean to "wash dishes for our Lord"?

Well I'm not suggesting that you are actually washing the dishes for God, but you are washing them not because you want to, but because you know it is something that must be done and if that's the case it is something that God expects you to do to the best of your ability without complaing and without looking for recognition.

I think this is harder than a lot of people might think. Just try it, next time you have a lot of chores to do, do it without someone asking and when you are done do not tell people what you did or ask them what they think of your job.

This might sound strange to some of you, but this is serving our Lord with humility and love.

This means every time someone is impatient with me, I will be quiet and listen and not act impatiently in return.

Oh, if you only knew how valuable this "little conquerings" are to our Lord! To learn to be truly MEEK!

Some of us believe that meekness = weakness!

To me weakness is impatience, cowardice, and living a life of sin.

Meakness, on the other hand, isn't necessarily turning the other cheek, but knowing when to turn the other cheek with grace as opposed to standing up for what is right.

My standard for meekness is.....people can say what they want about me but not about our Lord!

This is because in my own eyes I am only as much as the Lord makes me to be and how dare anyone think less of our Lord!

You might think that maybe I am suffering from a low self-esteem or something and that is why I feel this way.

To those who are cynical of this kind of thinking, I wish I could let them see things through our Lord's eyes.

Being meek is not taking the guest of honor's place at the table but taking the last place as the guest.

If you're someone who normally does not like to be the center of attention~ This can also work in the opposite way.

If someone wishes to honor you for whatever reason, let them.
For some, this is harder than not being the center of attention. It is because it is embarrasing or humiliating for them.

Offer up this humiliation because the Holy Spirit may be working in the one who wishes to honor you and who are you to block the inspirations and actions of the Holy Spirit?

So for those of you who know me, I am making a public promise to you to try and be more aware of the Holy Spirit's inspirations in your own life and I pray that the Lord will help me to understand as opposed to being understood.

Just as saving a penny or two a day can add up to a lot of money over time......
Think about how much all these little sufferings and offerings will add up as a gift to Our Lord over our entire lifetime!

So even if you feel you cannot do great things on earth, you can do little things greatly!

So start putting some treasure in your heavenly savings account so you can make a huge withdrawal at your time of death and offer it to our Lord as gratitude for everything He gives and takes away!

It all starts with a prayer from the heart!

God bless you and reward you in all you do, say and think!

Oh, to Love Jesus as He loves us!

2008-07-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Come Holy Spirit....Help me write what I feel!

It's hard for me to put into words the immense love I have for our Lord and within the love the gratitude I feel for everything He gives and takes away!

Please bear with me and if you cannot understand through my words I apologize and please do not give it another thought.

It's impossible for a human with so many faults to describe such a perfect Love as in Jesus' heart!

Sometimes I feel a real pain through the love I have for Him, the best thing I can compare it to is loving another human so much it hurts or you cry!?

But this is a sort of pining for our Lord, the kind of love you may feel when you fall in love with another human but it is on a whole 'nother level!

I told you this comparison would be bad at best!

I also have never felt such a strong desire to take on suffering as I do now! I have always been one to run from pain or any unpleasantness in life!

It's not that I look for suffering, but when it comes my way I thank the Lord for trusting me with it and offer it back up to Him to use as He sees fit! I have become so untrusting of my own will that I can't even seem to decide how to "offer it up" I tell our Lord that I am offering it up to do His Will in the world.

Does this make sense to anyone out there?

It seems our Lord has set my heart on fire with love, yet it is a sweet burn. It burns without consuming yet sometimes it hurts with such a sweet pain and joy I know that it is only Him that keeps me from dying of Love! Thank you Jesus!

It seems You have chosen the smallest and most wretched of hearts to reside in. I only hope that You transform my heart enough to make it a fitting dwelling place for Your Spirit and Divine Love.

Maybe this is why I feel as if sometimes my heart is bursting at its seams! Such a small heart cannot contain such love! Why Lord, did you not give us bigger hearts to love You with?

Sometimes I wake up feeling like I've been marinating in His love overnight and wake up exhausted and dripping in Divine Love! I feel it run off of me and feel an intense urgency to share it with others and bring them into union with our Lord!

Why Lord? Is it that I was the weakest and most wretched creature, so you could prove to others that it truly is not me doing these things, but only the power of God could work such wonders in such a wretched and ungrateful soul?

I'm most positive this is it! Why else would something so wonderful happen to me, who is such a sinner?

It's peculiar, but even in all of His consolations there is a sweet suffering my intellect cannot describe. It's as though one cannot love in the true sense of the virtue without some suffering.

It's a beautiful union- one completes the other in such a way that I wouldn't ever want His love without the cross!

Only through The Cross can we truly appreciate Divine Love!

I am almost shameful for revealing such a feeling to you, but I know it is God who asks me to share it and so I willingly will endure the humiliation. Even through the humiliation of sharing it comes a peace and sweet pain I cannot describe.

So I guess the point of sharing this with you is to tell you to not be afraid to embrace your crosses in life and even love them a little!

You must endure the sun and the rain to enjoy the rainbow!

I guess that's where I feel that I am at right now, I am in the midst of pain, joy, love and suffering and even though I feel it all ~
it is mixed into a sweet burning love and desire to love and serve our Lord even unto death!

Lord, I love you but help me to love You more!
Not my will but Your Will be done!

Christ be with you,

Erin

Be Not Afraid.....

2008-07-28T09:09:00.000-07:00

Daily Reflection for Monday 7/28/08.

John Paul II’s words to the world, "Do not be afraid,"echo the words of Jesus.

These words reveal something of the Pope’s awareness of the precariousness of life and the need for a compass, which is the Lord

...Our lives are very small.

It was Moses to whom God spoke, from a small wind.

The wind has been silent, a long time...

The winds may seem overwhelming and beyond our control to calm them.

But it is then and perhaps only then, that the wind will speak again, calming all about us, and urging us to move on and not be afraid.

We will need to be still and listen - listen with the heart.

The heart - a small thing. It does not occupy much space but holds something of the eternal.

It guides us through what is necessarily vast and of mystery.

Like a compass, it contains all directions and yet points to the One that is necessary.

~Fr. James Behrens, O.C.S.O.

This term of "Be not Afraid" always seems to come up at the most poignant times in my life. -And yes has helped me through many trying times.

Today I find it necessary to be silent as today's reflection calls for and ask if you would or could do the same?

"Be still and know that I am God.........and Be not Afraid"

Christ's peace be with you!

~Erin

Unless you become as a little child.......

2008-07-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

Daily Reflection for Sunday 7/27/08

Christ’s insistence on the power of children is very striking.

Almost more than anything else in the Gospel, it proves that in God’s eyes, being something comes before doing something.

He sets a little child among his apostles as an example of what he loves.

He says that Heaven is full of children.

Indeed, the Architect of Love has built the door into Heaven so low that no one but a small child can pass through it, unless, to get down to a child’s little height, he goes in on his knees.

~ Caryll Houselander

Wow! This is an incredibly powerful quote! It's so funny how God's wisdom works in our everyday lives.

My focus lately has really been on children and their outlook on life.

Being a big overgrown kid myself, it is not too hard for me to relate to them on any level.

I remember as a child feeling sorry for adults who couldn't relate to children or were so jaded by life that they couldn't remember what it was like to be a kid. -looking forward to all that life has to offer and coping with all of life's disappointments with a sort of quick forgiveness and hope only a child has.

I've worked really heard all my life not to lose this outlook on life. Although sometimes it's harder at some points than others, I wish to remain a child in the eyes of our Lord.

I also wish to look at life not necessarily as a child would, but to keep that same hope and faith in life and in others that a child does.

Spend any amount of time with a child and you'll learn how quick they are to forgive and forget and hope for more fun in the future.

This is what I wish for all of us adults, to look at life with an adults wisdom but through a child's eyes and heart. What's wrong with having high hopes?

I hope on this beautiful Sunday afternoon you are able to spend some quality time with our Lord outside and appreciate all of his blessings in nature.

Look with wonder at our world and our Lord, no matter how many problems you may have, set them aside for today and put them in God's hands.

He'll take care of them as a good Father always does.

Take the role of His child and trust in Him.

Look at awe at all of His creations including other people and thank Him for every moment you have the opportunity to praise Him for everything He gives us!

Because the first must be the last
And only little ones may pass
Beyond the gate, narrow and small
Where God is waiting for us all.
Saint Francis, lift my spirit up
I raise to you my empty cup.
As I approach the narrow way
Make me a little one today.

-D. Allen

Reflections on the Daily Reflection...

2008-07-26T14:46:00.000-07:00

Looking at today's reflection with the words of St. Faustina, it reminds me how important our Lord's Divine Mercy is to all of us.

Divine Mercy is something we as humans can't fathom.

It truly is one of God's mysteries that hopefully we'll be able to understand once we are able to take part in the beatific vision.

I will not pretend to understand this myself at all~ I can only trust and thank our dear Lord for any Mercy He shows me.

As we grow closer to our Lord and in holiness, a natural thing that happens is the awareness of our unworthiness before our Lord.

This serves one purpose of recognizing our own sinfulness especially in areas we did not before realize our sin so we can grow in virtue.

But please do not fall into a cycle of guilt.

Guilt should be felt on some level for our sins and in true contrition for our sins to be reconciled with God.

However, the enemy wants us to despair in our guilt thus believing that we are not worthy of God's Divine Mercy.

This is a sort of a slap in the face to God. Paraphrasing Mother Angelica.... It is a way of saying that our sins are greater than God's Mercy!

Oh My! Think about this for a minute....

I would not for once want to think that any sin of mine was greater than God! This I'm sure falls under Pride!

It's human to think we don't deserve God's Mercy and I'm sure we don't! But this is the beautiful
mystery of God's promise of Divine Mercy!

We cannot begin to fathom the depths of His love so why should we question the depths of His Mercy?

We are not capable of understanding it because our hearts were not made big enough to contain such love and mercy!

But our Lord asks us to trust in His Mercy for us, and to not despair!

The enemy wants us to despair and lose all hope so we can wollow in our own filth!

Christ will never turn away a penitent heart, in fact His Mercy penetrates even the most broken of hearts.

Remember the only difference between a sinner and a saint is a saint is a sinner who gets up and tries again!

Perseverence and Trust in God!

If you cannot make it to confession, do a true Act of Contrition and visit our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, kneel next to the Tabernacle and be Silent. It's amazing what you'll hear in the silence!

You will be reconciled with our Lord! His mercy can do that! But still go to Confession when it is next available to you, so you can receive all the graces He wishes to bestow upon you and your family!

Speaking of Divine Mercy, please pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for all of the Holy Souls (Those Souls in Purgatory) and all those who are sick and dying. This is one of the greatest spiritual works of mercy you can perform!

Even more wonderful, once those holy souls are released into heaven....You will have angels praying for you in heaven! Can it get any better than that?

I don't know about you, but I could use all the prayers I can get just to be sure I make it into Purgatory!

So with this I will close with :

"For the sake of His sorrowful Passion have mercy on us and on the whole world....

O' Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of mercy for us,

I trust in You!"

His Divine Love~

2008-07-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

Nothing is sweeter than His silence.
Burning so sweetly without consuming
Victim and offering are united.
The pain is felt with a sweet joy ~
a sort of rapture only heaven can employ.
This joyful pain within my soul
where thorns, honey and God take control.
How sweet to sit and watch the master
create His craft ~
He stays beside me with infatuation
No Lord, it is I who should be so flattered.
You created gold out of a vessel tattered
with sin and scorn and all sort of rubbish.
Then He said, " Shh, be docile to my workings..."
"you are merely the Master's instrument...a tool...for the harvest."
Jesus I beg ...make me the most humble tool
the one that no one sees.
The kind of tool no one knows they need.
"But you already are..." He said,
"a tool so humble no one will know it was here until far after it crumbles .."
"then it will make the world anew, looking on from heaven in a pew."
Thank you Jesus, Thank you!
Not for making me a tool ~but for keeping me in heaven and humble in a pew!

Inspired by God and written by His tool.

Jesus, I love you so much it hurts, You loved us so much you died.
Help me to die to myself to repay my debt of love.
Jesus, I love you....but help me to love you more!

Praised be God in all and for all in all the tabernacles of the world even unto the end of time!

How does God reveal His will for us in our lives?

2008-07-24T12:21:00.000-07:00

This question is not as perplexing as some may think. In my experience, especially the last few years, I have come to know our Lord through life's everyday circumstances. It's quite amazing if there is an inner balance between what is going on inside your soul versus staying attentive to what is happening around you.

God very rarely will reveal His Will for you as if reading it out of a book. His will is revealed in the small inspirations He inplants into your heart and mind. Look at the circumstances around you every minute of everyday.

If we all took the time and realized the opportunities to grow in almost every virtue throughout the day, we would surely realize that God calls us all to be Saints. Not just saints but great saints!

If someone is difficult to deal with today, there is your opportunity to grow in the virtue of patience.

If you have a headache or are very ill, there is your opportunity to embrace your cross and offer your suffering for others (or a certain cause )and unite it to Christ's suffering on the cross.

When someone asks for help but you are already busy yourself, there is your opportunity to be selfless and help someone else in need.

Sometimes it comes in our humiliations. Surrender to these humiliations because nothing can be more freeing to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit than a spirit of total surrender to our Lord.

I'm sure you get the picture. I don't wish to be preachy, I only share this with you because if someone had shared this with me a few years ago I think I would've understand my life circumstances so much better than I did at the time.

I feel I should also warn you about not being too selfish even in your own prayer life. Be very careful of not being too self-involved in prayer. As someone who struggles with this daily, I know now that God answers my prayers in a most perfect way when I am praying for others.

This doesn't mean He answers my prayers the way I wish He would, but still He answers them perfectly as only He can. It can be very frustrating as humans to wait for everything to happen in God's time and not our own. But in the waiting comes the wisdom of Divine love.

So for today, Ask our Lord to reveal His will for you in your life. "Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened unto you....."

Go with the flow of the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, (hopefully not sounding too corny).
You'll know they come from the Holy Spirit if you don't listen or act and He is persistent with His inspirations.

I'd like to leave you with a favorite prayer of mine to the Holy Spirit:

Sighing for the Holy Spirit

O Mildest Comforter, Holy Spirit, come to me.

My Soul sighs for You! My heart thirsts for You!

You alone can satisfy my longing;You alone can make me happy.

Despise not, O Divine Bridegroom, the dwelling of my heart.

My heart is unclean, but You can purify it.

My heart is dark, but You can illuminate it.

My heart is wicked, but You can penetrat it with love.

My heart is sad, but You can comfort it.

My heart is weak, but You can strengthen it.

My heart is cold, but You can inflame it.

My heart clings to earth, but You can fill it with heavenly desires.

My heart is full of sin, but You can adorn it with all virtues.

My heart is inconstant and wayward, but You can make it docile.

Come then, O Holy Spirit, the Father of the poor, come and fill me with Your love.

Amen.

Father, Father, send us the promised Paraclete, through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

* Taken from the prayer book called "Devotion to the Holy Spirit".

God bless you today and forever more~

Erin

A Prayer for Spiritual Courage...

2008-07-22T12:51:00.000-07:00

You know it's a wonderful thing to witness people stepping out of themselves to notice the needs of others. Whether these needs are spiritual, physical, emotional, etc. it is an inspiring thing to see. This reminds me of Christ's call to us to look for Him in everyone we meet and it got me thinking...how often do we really do that?

I know I look for Him in people I love all the time, but what about the strangers, the people I don't necessarily like or want to like. This is the call of the Lord, maybe more in my life today than in your own but that doesn't mean we can't all try.

I feel inspired to try and be kind to everyone no matter what the cost. This conquering of our own will in our lives means so much to Christ. The reason is because none of us can be truly happy in this world or the next unless we are doing the will of God in our own lives.

Recently, I found a quote by who I can't remember now but it said: "Love is the Greatest Educational Institution on Earth" I wonder what Christ would say about this quote?
Afterall He died on the cross for us and miracles happen everyday whether we witness them or not, but yet how many of us actually visit this so-called great educational institution?

Love is not an emotion or a feeling but a willingness to love. It's easy to love someone when they are in a good mood or love you back. But what about when we are not in good moods or it seems everyone we run into during the day is having their worst day on earth? In the words of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: "Remember Christ crucified and remain silent".

My point is you never know what someone else is going through at any point in time. So why add to someone else's troubles by being selfish or moody? Challenge yourself to look for Christ even in the most angry or wretched people. He is still there! Remember Christ's words to us : "Whatever you did to the least of my people, you did it to ME."

I don't know about you, but I do not want to answer to the Lord for treating Him so terribly. It is not for us to understand everything that happens to us or others but to TRUST that the LORD KNOWS WHAT IS BEST FOR US!

So smile at a passing stranger, give your last dollar to someone who needs it, visit someone who is sick or lonely, be kind to those who are rude, and don't judge! Instead turn that judgement upon yourself and ask our Lord for His Guidance!

One person can make a difference in our everyday world, so start something contagious and choose to love without limits!

God bless you and reward you in everything you do and say!

~Erin

Stop to smell the flowers.......

2008-07-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well here goes....I'm joining this weird wonderful world of the web!

I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and drained today after finishing two finals this weekend, only to wake up this morning to two new classes, yeah! But who's complaining? I'm getting a top-notch education, right?

I'm trying to slow time down as much as possible because before I realize it, I know that school will start once again and I will be back at work as well as school! So as I'm typing this I'm enjoying the beautiful summer day that it is and wondering how long it's been since I've looked out this window because there are beautiful pink flowers growing on the trees outside. So when did that happen?

So I encourage and challenge you today to stop and look around at all the blessings that surround you in your daily chaos. God truly is everywhere even in the midst of our deepest tragedy.

For those of you that know me....I have a handful of what I like to call my "Patron Saints". These are the saints that show up in my life time and time again to help me out of the mud I create for myself. I affectionately like to refer to them as "my crew".

Being the wonderful "crew" that they are, they love to leave me with sometimes daily messages.
This one comes from one of my favorite spiritual books. It is compiled with portions of Padre Pio's letters to his Spiritual Director and his spiritual children. It is called "Words of Light".

I like to randomly open it and see what passage I open up to, (this is also a great thing to do with the bible). Whether I realize it at the time or not, it is always relevant to that day or week.

Passage 313:

Jesus wants you to know that the various Spiritual sorrows that upset you so much, are willed
directly by Him to test you and not to castigate you, to purify you even more and render you,
as far as is possible, like Him. He is the prototype of every soul that has chosen the best part ,
of divine service. He wants you, as a sign of gratitude, to be more docile to these divine workings
he is performing. (643).

~Padre Pio "Words of Light"

Make it a Great Day!