A Warm Welcome to India.. भारत में एक गर्म आपका स्वागत है bhaarat mein ek garm aapaka svaagat hai

What a joy to see India has joined us.  i hope you will return and visit again and  let others know they are welcome here.  God bless!  angie

भारत को देखने के लिए हमें क्या खुशी है कि वह हमारे साथ जुड़ चुका है। मुझे आशा है कि आप वापस आकर लौटेंगे और दूसरों को पता चलेगा कि वे यहां स्वागत करते हैं। भगवान भला करे! एंजी

bhaarat ko dekhane ke lie hamen kya khushee hai ki vah hamaare saath jud chuka hai. mujhe aasha hai ki aap vaapas aakar lautenge aur doosaron ko pata chalega ki ve yahaan svaagat karate hain. bhagavaan bhala kare! enjee

Welcome Romania .. Bine ați venit România

How lovely to see Romania join us on this blog.  Encourage all those you know and love to join us.  All are welcome here.  God bless!  Hope you come back soon.  angie

Cât de minunat este să ne vedeți România pe acest blog. Încurajați-i pe toți cei pe care îi cunoașteți și pe cei dragi să ni se alăture. Toate sunt binevenite aici. Dumnezeu să ajute! Sper că vii în curând. angie

My Act of Contrition...

MY SWEETEST JESUS.....i COME ONCE AGAIN WITH A LONG LIST OF THINGS i HAVE NOT HANDLED WELL...OF OFFENSES AND POOR EXAMPLE TO OTHERS...OF FALLING VERY SHORT OF THE ASPIRATIONS YOU HAVE FOR ME.  i COME ONCE AGAIN TO SAY i AM VERY VERY SORRY...FROM THE DEPTHS OF MY HEART....i AM SORRY AND DESIRE NOTHING MORE THAN TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE...BE PLIABLE...CLAY IN YOUR PERFECT HANDS...TO BECOME ALL YOU HAVE CREATED ME TO BE.  TO DO WHAT IS NECESSARY TO BECOME THE SAINT i WAS CREATED TO BE...TO MAKE UP FOR WRONG TURNS AND POOR DECISIONS....MISTAKES THAT HAVE MOVED ME FROM YOUR PERFECT WILL.  PLEASE GIVE ME THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO ACCOMPLISH ALL YOU HAD ENVISIONED FOR MY LIFE.....FOR YOU ARE A GOD OF U-TURNS AND MAKING NEW MEALS OUT OF LEFT OVERS!

THE SCRIPTURES CLEARLY STATE,"i CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME!"..."ALL THINGS"....AND SO AS i KNEEL HERE BEFORE YOU WITH FACE TO THE GROUND i LIFT MYSELF UP TO STAND AGAIN...BUT ONLY WITH YOUR HELP...YOUR HELP TO CHANGE, GROW, EVOLVE, AND DO BETTER EACH AND EVERY DAY.  MOST OF US ARE SORRY AND REPENT SOLELY OUT OF FEAR OF HELL AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LOSING HEAVEN...THAT IS IMPERFECT CONTRITION AND GOOD ENOUGH IF IT PROMOTES US TO GROW AND CHANGE.  BUT FOR ME, THAT IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THIS REASON....

i LOVE YOU JESUS...i REALLY REALLY LOVE YOU MY LORD WITH ALL MY HEART, ALL MY SOUL, ALL MY MIND AND ALL MY STRENGTH IN AS FAR AS i CAN...AND i DO NOT WANT TO OFFEND YOU ANY MORE...OR HURT YOU .. YOU HAVE PLANTED THIS GREAT LOVE IN ME AND FOR THIS I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL.  MY FEAR OF LOSING HEAVEN IS GREAT ONLY BECAUSE i SO DESIRE TO SPEND ETERNITY WITH YOU ONE DAY...MY DEAREST OF LOVES!

i ASK FOR THE GRACE TO BE ABLE TO LOVE ALL PEOPLE WITH YOUR LOVE...TO CARE FOR, TO LISTEN TO EVEN WHEN i THINK i CAN'T LISTEN ANY LONGER, TO GIVE HELP EVEN THROUGH THE NIGHT, TO SACRIFICE IN MANY LITTLE WAYS, TO WASH AND CLEAN OTHERS INCAPABLE OF CLEANING THEMSELVES , TO RECOGNIZE THAT IN ALL THESE SMALL THINGS I DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT.... i AM CARING FOR YOU...AND THERE IS NO GREATER JOB IN THIS WORLD...NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN THIS MINISTRY OF 1 ON 1 CARE FOR FIRST MY OWN (as the Word says,"Don't turn your back on your own!") AND THEN FOR ALL THOSE YOU SEND INTO MY LIFE.

MAY MY LIFE BE SIMPLY AN "ADVERTISEMENT" FOR YOU....MAY YOU BE SEEN AND i BE INVISIBLE.  TO YOU ALWAYS BE ALL THE HONOR FOR ANY GOOD OR WORTHY THING i SAY OR DO FOR YOU ARE THE ONLY SOURCE OF EVERYTHING GOOD AND HOLY.  THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS AFFORDING ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO START AGAIN...THANK YOU FOR CONFESSION...THANK YOU FOR YOUR GIFT OF PRIESTHOOD.......PLEASE ALWAYS STAY CLOSE....i NEED YOU!

IN YOUR (JESUS') SWEET NAME i PRAY!  AMEN!!!

Act of Contrition/Confession

i had the privilege of going to Confession again today.  How marvelous this deep experience of owning and confessing one's weaknesses to God..receiving His Marvelous Compassionate Forgiveness and Freedom....and experiencing His Peace that surpasses all understanding.  One of the things we as Catholics do at the end of our confession is say an Act of Contrition...a prayer that expresses our sorrow for offending so Great a God....a warming of the heart to truly be sorry and want to do better.  This cleansing is healing each and every time.  The more one experiences this Sacrament, the more one wants to go.....for it is not so much what happens in Confession that is visible but the Invisible that is Life Changing.  Christ gave this to us and all the early churches all had Confession as part of their practises...Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican (episcopal), and Methodist....

You can easily look online for different versions of the Act of Contrition.  All of them good.  One can even write their own.  i will blog another day of my prayer of contrition as my heart likes to express it.  For now...enjoy reading the three versions below...

til next time....let's take a good look in the mirror...bow before Our Creator and own our weaknesses asking for forgiveness and promising to try and change and grow more and more into a reflection of Jesus and His Love.......and if you are Catholic...get to a good Confession...it will be life changing....i promise...One requirement for being Roman Catholic is to make a good confession once a year prior to Easter...those seeking higher ground and really wanting deep interior conversion and change in their lives go much more frequently......

and read below what the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches on conversion....True Conversion...

"Jesus' call to conversion and penance, like that of the prophets before Him, does not aim first at outward works, "sackcloth and ashes," fasting and mortification, but at the CONVERSION OF THE HEART, INTERIOR CONVERSION. Without this, such penances remain sterile and false; however, interior conversion urges expression in visible signs, gestures and works of penance.
Interior repentance is a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return, a conversion to God with all our heart, an end of sin, a turning away from evil, with repugnance toward the evil actions we have committed. At the same time it entails the desire and resolution to change one's life, with hope in God's mercy and trust in the help of His grace."
- from the Catechism of the Catholic Church; 1430-31. 

http://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=43

be assured of my continued prayers...

Welcome Taiwan 歡迎台灣

What a joy when a new country joins us on this blog.  People of Taiwan, welcome.  Plz let your family and friends know they can visit here and find family.    Be assured of my continued prayers for you and all those you love and for your country and all its leaders.  God bless!

當一個新的國家在這個博客上加入我們的時候，這是什麼樂趣。 台灣人歡迎。 Plz讓你的家人和朋友知道他們可以到這裡找到家人。 確保我繼續為你和所有你所愛的人，為你們的國家和所有的領導禱告。 上帝保佑！

St. Gregory Nazianzen: 328-389 AD

"Each of us can say to the tempter, 'Unlike you, i have not yet become an outcast from Heaven through my pride.  By my Baptism i have become one with Him(God...Jesus).  It is you that should fall prostrate before me."'

This is a very deep and meaningful quote from St Gregory....each day...many times we battle with an enemy and we often cower in fear with the wrong perception of this relationship.  One with Christ is always the Majority!  'We can do ALL Things thru Christ Who strengthens us!'

Scripture is clear Phil 2:9-11

9Because of this, God greatly exalted Him

and bestowed on Him the Name

that is Above every name,

10that at the Name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

11and every tongue confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the Glory of God the Father.

Let us take time to read the life of  St. Gregory Nazianzen and become more empowered to imitate his virtues so that our perspective of the evil one will have it proper place.   And then we will not go forward powerless on our own but with Jesus  and have all the Power required to fight and win the battles life presents to us and those of the people we are called to minister to as well.  

The Church needs to be an informed and deeply holy body so that our Fruits will match those of the great ones that came before us and have already won the crown of victory.  

May we be open, pliable and courageous enough to chase God, pray for His Perfect Will in our lives and have the courage to act on it.  May we become the saints we each were created to be.  Praised be Jesus Christ NOW AND FOREVER!

St Gregory pray for us!

http://www.ewtn.com/library/mary/gregnazi.htm

"Nearing Home"

i am reading the book "Nearing Home" by Billy Graham to my 93 yr old Mom.  This book is for all ages but is incredibly helpful to those in their 80's 90's +++.  i have never read anything so encouraging ....and i am only on page 36.  It is sensitive to elder suffering which is a suffering all its own.  Too often we younger ones think we know everything when the older generation shares their deepest thoughts and emotions....the only thing i have learned in caring for my elders is we know NOTHING!  And we think we have an intellectual answer for everything they say and/or do.

He wrote this book at 93 and will be 99 shortly so he has the right to speak to them/us because he speaks from experience.  He is compassionate to suffering listing well the list of pains of growing older...while not letting one dwell there.  He then takes the Word of God and uses it to help us soar upward toward our purpose even if we are older.  The book is my recommendation to all ages.  If you do have an elder in your life, by all means read it to them and discuss it together.  These are the great moments caregivers/family/friends get to share on a daily basis...these deep beautiful sharing of ideas...opinions...prayer...don't miss that time with your loved ones....be willing to change your priorities and schedule for what matters...people...before they are gone!  i have seen it too well...especially in my Mom's case and all those who are privileged to live into their 90s that i know and serve...family forget you exist...or you are just important 3-4 times a year for a holiday if that much.  Yesterday was Grandparents Day and many elders were ignored by their own grandchildren because they are so wrapped up in their little children's grandparents, that they forget they themselves still have  living grandparents.

After reading these few pages....i wrote this in the front cover of the book...and continued to encourage my Mom with these words....

"YOU CAN BE BLESSED, YOU CAN BE CHOSEN, BUT TO LIVE INTO YOUR 90s...A LONG LIFE...IS TO BE FAVORED BY GOD BECAUSE IT IS A PRIVILEGE DENIED TO MANY!!

Every life matters!!!..Billy writes,"Sadly the days when the aged were admired, looked up to and respected are gone. "....This is so true...i see it all the time....

til next time....let's get his book and read it for ourselves and possibly read it to someone older who could use visits.  And maybe we will develop more compassion for this special group of people that we will make it priority to call and visit more often with very creative ideas in how to enhance their lives listening carefully to what we can learn from them.  Don't focus on a memory lapse...don't focus on their lack of energy...don't focus on their body statue....listen...because at their feet there is much to learn even if only to learn to Love in a much deeper way by listening...developing patience...for...

"FOR WHEN YOU DID IT TO THE LEAST OF THESE, YOU DID IT UNTO ME!"

be assured of my continued prayers....ang

Happy Birthday Mary, Mother of GOD!!!

A dear friend of mine sent me this text to me this morning:

"Today is The Feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary....Therefore, let all creation sing and dance and unite to make a worthy contribution to the celebration of this day.  Let there be one common Festival for Saints in Heaven and men on Earth!"

i added to it :

Sing her Happy Birthday.  Put up her picture.  Jesus had to resemble His Mother Mary both physically an in speech, mannerism an personality as all children do their parents.  Light a candle. Get a cake.  We owe her much.  She gave us Jesus, Our Savior.  She was the very first Tabernacle. Her performed His First Miracle at her bidding changing His Mind for Love of His Mother.  Let us reread Luke 1 an utter an memorize The Scriptures....The words Elizabeth said of her," HAIL MARY FULL OF GRACE!!!! " Bona Festa!

til next time....let's reread Luke 1:39-45.....and memorize the words Elizabeth spoke to Mary...
Mary Visits Elizabeth.39During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,40where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,42cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.43And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?44For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.45Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
----------------------------------------------------------

Read and view The Church of St. Anne in Jerusalem.... It was erected over the site of a grotto believed by the Crusaders to be the childhood home of the Virgin Mary....enjoy..and celebrate!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Saint_Anne,_Jerusalem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IKIxzHAH5Q

Welcome Thailand... ต้อนรับประเทศไทย T̂xnrạb pratheṣ̄thịy

Thank you so much for joining this blog.  Please invite all your family and friends to join us.  We are all God's family nomatter where we live or the language we speak.  Hope you come back soon.  Be assured of my prayers, angie

ขอบคุณมากสำหรับการเข้าร่วมบล็อกนี้ โปรดเชิญทุกคนในครอบครัวและเพื่อน ๆ มาร่วมงานกับเรา เราทุกคนเป็นครอบครัวของพระเจ้าที่เราอาศัยอยู่หรือเป็นภาษาที่เราพูด หวังว่าคุณจะกลับมาเร็ว ๆ นี้ มั่นใจในคำอธิษฐานของฉัน angie

K̄hxbkhuṇ māk s̄ảh̄rạb kār k̄hêā r̀wm bl̆xk nī̂ pord cheiỵ thuk khnnı khrxbkhrạw læa pheụ̄̀xn «mā r̀wm ngān kạb reā reā thuk khn pĕn khrxbkhrạw k̄hxng phracêā thī̀ reā xāṣ̄ạy xyū̀ h̄rụ̄x pĕn p̣hās̄ʹā thī̀ reā phūd h̄wạng ẁā khuṇ ca klạb mā rĕw «nī̂ mạ̀ncı nı khả xṭhis̄ʹṭ̄hān k̄hxng c̄hạn angie

Kindness...and Caregivers

Kindness.....plain old kindness...is so missing in today's world...i am a caregiver and a man administering a test to my Mom asked me a question as i proceeded to try and lift her from the table helping her stand and helping her "dance" back and forth to get in the wheelchair.  He asked,  "Can i do this for you?"....i answered, Are you sure?....He replied "You do this all the time, i would like to save your back just this once".  i looked at Mom to see if this was comfortable for her...and she said,"See he wants to dance with me".   Both of them were having mercy and worrying about my back....kindness...

That is the first time someone ever asked to "physically" take over my role with her....someone knew the exhaustion that comes from this type of caring.  Someone was willing to extend themselves beyond their job requirement to worry about me....a stranger no less....  i cried as i watched him handle it.  He then picked up my bag, and other belongings and walked us to the elevator and down to the lobby.

God shows up everywhere....He is faithful to take care of His Own.  Stay close to Him...we must stay close to benefit from His Unfailing Protection and His Extraordinary Acts of Kindness.

This event was topped by two neighbors watching Mom sit in a chair at the bottom of steps trying to gather her strength to go up the stairs with my help.  i asked them to assist...by one walking behind me as we did our normal climbing and one to the side of me...both to insure we did not fall since she was so weak from being out for a test and  i was exhausted too.  These two men asked if she could remain seated and they could lift her up the stairs in the chair...they did so with ease and brought her right to the front door.  Wow!  saved us a hard task at the end of a hard day.  Mommy "flew" today, not in a plane but a chair lifted by angels.

Let's look for these acts of kindness no matter how small they are and acknowledge them.  Let's say thank you ....Let's look for ways that stand out to help others ....especially caregivers.  Too often in families and among friends these angels are just ignored, forgotten, taken for granted.  Find new ways to offer your help and to bring a creative ray of sunshine into their lives too.

til next time...let's pray for all caregivers....those silent servants given Gift to Love in a self less way...they often give up their lives for another..let's find many ways to show our gratitude and afford them tangible assistance.

Mt: 25:31-40
The Judgment of the Nations.31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne,32and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.33He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.34Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,36naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’37Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?38When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?39When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’40And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.

Hospice?....Morphine?....be informed

I just received these two articles from a dear friend in Christ.  They are extremely informative and confirm my past two blogs. i thought they were important enough to post....have a Blessed Sabbath....and a relaxing Labor Day!  til next time...let's pray for all end-of-life care to reflect God and His Ways.

Is Hospice Movement Going Beyond End-of-Life Care?

 Families who have contacted the nonprofit Hospice Patients Alliance are raising important questions about hospice as a movement.

Although hospice's stated mission remains that of providing compassionate and dignified care to people at the end of life, some are asking whether hospices are starting to go beyond that role by hastening death instead.

Continued:

https://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=6982

Hospice, Morphine and Preparing for Traditional Catholic Death

Escerpt

 Hospice has helped a lot of people.  But recently it is changing to become an accomplice with Euthanasia.  I say this because of the many many people I have done the funerals for and of whom I have visited in their homes under the supervision of Hospice.

Full Article

http://www.traditionalcatholicpriest.com/2013/11/22/hospice-morphine-and-preparing-for-traditional-catholic-death/