St. Monica Parish

St. Monica Parish
Why I Pray! Jesus is present in the Tabernacle. He promised to never leave us and his promise is true.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

New Year's Resolution for 2014 - Write on Blog

January 2014 Musings

I promised myself that this would be the year that I would keep up with my blog. But here it is April 2 and it hasn't happened. I must learn to be an intentional writer of the blog. It's so much easier to write in my journal which I carry with me to my quiet space!! Not so easy to write on the IPad or the IPhone as it is to write on the IMac, if I take the time!! But here are my January musings and will, hopefully, find time to add my February etc musings at another time. Blessings and peace to all who read these wandering thoughts!

Monday January 6, 2014
Feast of St. Andre Bessette
We are loved by God as if we were the only creature he ever created. We can touch Heaven while still on this earth because it is as near as our heart. God dwells within for he is everywhere and he is all. We cannot know God except through love. I pray that God will protect me from the darkness of this world. The darkness is negative and drags my thoughts down and I lose the joy Jesus desires to give me. Help me, Jesus, to turn to you when the darkness invades my thoughts. Help me, Jesus, to remember always your love and great mercy. I pray for release from the darkness and sin of the world. There are times when it is all pervasive and I am lost. Jesus, I trust in you!

Saturday January 18, 2014
1st Week in Ordinary Time
When we finally recognize all the sin in our lives; when we finally let go of all the justifications; when we finally are no longer self-righteous; we then finally see all the pride and arrogance that built up that wall of justification and self-righteousness. When we finally see, then and only then does it all come crashing down and the overpowering, flammable love of the creator comes in and destroys the power that sin had on our body, blood, soul and humanity. We are stripped and laid bare and all we have left to do is to choose love or choose death. Love is the answer. Not the love the world knows, but the cleansing, burning, healing love of a creator who died for his creatures. Who died that his creatures might live. And once we acknowledge the sin in our lives, all the sin, we are embarrassed and humiliated by how we have treated this all-knowing and all-loving God. And we can easily step into the time bomb of the greatest sin of all - to deny his love and his forgiveness. Once we truly humble ourselves, then love and mercy pour into our very being and we are never the same. We seek him every minute of every day. We love to lay in his embrace and be loved by him. Our greatest desire is to be blind to the world so we are never distracted by the world and we can just glory in his presence. I love you, My Lord! I do not deserve to be loved by you, but I know you love me. Thank you!

Sunday January 26, 2014
Third Week in Ordinary Time
I do not need to judge myself for God is the only true judge,
I do not need to defend myself for God is my greatest defense,
I do need to beg for healing, healing of all negative thoughts.
I pray, my Lord, for healing!
I pray for salvation of loved ones!
I pray for those who have suffered terrible losses!
I pray for growth in reverence and prayer for all!
I pray for those whose lives touch mine this day!

Monday January 27, 2014
St. Angela Merici
I come here before you, My Lord and my God, to pray for the salvation of my soul and the souls whose lives touch mine, especially those closest to me. I have seen the face of evil in my life and in the lives of loved ones. But if you say the Word, the evil one will be vanquished. In evil, we seek our own glory. In good, we seek the glory of God. In evil, we seek our own will. In good, we seek the will of God. Evil leads us down the slippery slope into eternal darkness. Good leads us up the hill of Calvary to eternal light. The darkness will overpower us with loneliness, despair, hopelessness, and all the other negative emotions and thoughts that have possessed us throughout our lives. The light will overpower us with Love, pure love, for that is God. It will possess us, heal us, cleanse us, renew us. This is conversion and it must take place here on earth. It is God we owe the glory and praise, not ourselves. Today I see the worship of oneself all around, especially in the "forever young" thinking. The wanting and needing to be our own gods and goddesses. And when life ends, as it will, he will say "I do not know you." Or how can he when you have spent your entire life worshiping yourself? But it is never too late for him. Conversion is repentance. Repentance is conversion. When we ask or beg him for the grace to know our sins and to be truly sorry for them; he will give us this grace. Fear not, God is love. In order to "avoid evil and do good" one must have an informed conscience. Informed by what? by the media? No, but by Jesus? Afraid? Because the Catholic Church is the only true Church that has not swayed from the teachings of Jesus. It offers you His Real Presence in the Sacrament of the Eucharist. It offers you true forgiveness in the Sacrament of Penance. It offers you healing. But wait, first we must humble ourselves; admit we don't have all the answers; and then trust that Jesus does and he will lead us to the truth for he is the way, the truth and the life. Begin your journey now before the thief, death, comes to take you down the slippery slope to eternal darkness where the mind never stops working.

Friday January 31, 2014
Come into the presence of Love! How can anyone of us not desire to come into this presence. Do we not all desire to love and, more so, to be loved? God is love. He offers himself in the presence of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist to be adored and praised and thanked and loved. Come to adoration that you may adore, praise, thank, and love him. It is a holy place and filled with much grace. We are all called, but few answer. He waits, ever so patiently, ever so lovingly, ever so mercifully. He waits with great love, ready to pour out upon us an abundance of grace. Just for being here in his presence! Come!

It is through repentance that we come to conversion. It is through prayer that we come to repentance. Prayer is simply coming into relationship with the one who knows and loves us best!