Billy Graham passed away recently. In an interview many years ago he said,
"One day the newspapers will have a headline which will read,'Billy Graham is dead'.
Don't you believe it! At that moment i will be more alive at that moment than
ever before in my life here on earth!"
This is what we are celebrating.....Jesus' Resurrection from the dead...Any man could have died....but to rise again?....that is the proof we needed that Jesus was Who He said He was!...
As we remember all those who have died....remember Billy's words....remember Christ....for even though one should die....they will live forever! Heaven is real...God is Love and Mercy beyond our wildest imagining. Trust in Him....
Blessed Easter....if time allows i will ellaborate more on this Holy Resurrection Event.....til next time....sit at the tomb and await His Resurrection!...hugs, ang
Saturday, March 31, 2018
Friday, March 30, 2018
The Greatest Love Affair....
This week....This Holy Week is the story of The Greatest Love Affair known to man. It is a dance...a meditation....a deep interior ecstasy that exceeds all others. Many preach on the existence of Heaven and Hell this week....but i am so moved to go way beyond that reality....This is the week that reminds us of the Love beyond all Loves....beyond all passionate loves in this world...spousal love....sibling love...parental love....fraternal love....take all the loving for all time among people...add to it the most beautiful, most passionate, delicious, joyful, happy things and experiences in this world that ever happened, multiply it by a billion and it does not touch the Love God has for YOU.....the Love God has for me! You see God sent Jesus to take on our sins....to offer Himself as a Sacrifice that Heaven's Doors might be open to all who choose to walk with Him and aspire to be like Him. Do not let this week slide by like the others....it is good for us to walk this week in deep holiness and prayer. The Catholic Church has marvelous Masses and Services all week long that help us to journey thru this week. Easter is not about food....it is not about family gatherings...it is not about a bunny....Easter is God....Jesus Christ....Who really loves us!....give more time to God this week than any other preparation....than all the shopping....than all the people....There is no sin in the other things....and most are very wholesome....but if they are the focus of this week, then yes there is sin....because God deserves our undivided attention....and then we can bring Him to all the other things we do this week.
Sunday was Palm Sunday....we celebrated the Triumphant entrance of Christ into Jerusalem...then solemnly readed the Passion of Our Lord to begin the Solemn Week....Last night at all Catholic Churches the Holy Thursday celebration of The Lord's Last Supper was celebrated. Three gifts were given on Holy Thursday....The Gift of Jesus washing the feet of His Followers....teaching us that Service and Love need to be the center of our lives following His Example....become the servant of all!...Second is the gift of His Body and Blood in Holy Communion, also referred to as The Eucharist. Without reception of Holy Communion one cannot Love fully...every time we take in Jesus in This Gift, we become a little more like Him...We need this Divine Food to continue to grow and go Higher......At the end of Mass was a procession with the Consecrated Hosts and they are brought to another altar, beautifully decorated that we might adore Him til midnight. All Catholic Churches were opened for prayer til midnight last night. and finally is the gift of Priesthood...."Do this in remembrance of me!"...a command...a calling forth of Apostolic Succession....meaning to be a priest is not to be an administrator, although he may be good at that, or a counselor....and he still might be good at that....many have forgotten that without the priest, we cannot have Holy Communion...This is the primary role, focus, value of a Priest's Life...TO BRING US JESUS....IN THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR! We must pray for priests...those who have ministered sacraments to us, those who have spiritually directed us, those who have prayed for us, those who have no one to pray for them, those who have lost their first Love, those who are lost, those who have died, those who are sick, those who have been so very faithful....every last one of them past, present and future....The symbolism this week at our Masses and Services are beyond compare. Incense, colors of vestments and altar cloths, covers on statues, candles, crosses, processions, ...wow...the list is endless....and each year it becomes more beautiful as we grow and understand and notice things we missed the years before. It is during this week that the Mass of Chrism, when the Bishop meets with all His Priests and they bless all the Sacred Oils....Oil of Baptism, Oil of Confirmation...Oil of the Sick...Oil for Ordination....and then all the Oils are then sent to all the parishes for use on the faithful in the coming year. a Glorious Week....of Holy Events.
For those who have missed up til now....Wake up!!!...Start now....get to a Good Friday Service today...it is the only day we do not have Mass. The Hosts that were Consecrated last night will be distributed in Holy Communion today...and today we will venerate...kiss, bow, kneel before the Cross remembering what Jesus did for each one of us....More important than bowing with our bodies is to bow deep in the recesses of our being....bow to our Maker...bow....show reverence,,,Love ....Respect....Adoration....Gratitude....get to a service today...and pay close attention to all the details....i won't share more on today's service....you must go to see for yourself!
Remember if you cannot attend due to illness or care giving, or another legitimate reason, put on EWTN....on the TV...or look online and find when they will have their services...and watch and pray from home if necessary. This is a gift to the sick and home bound....but remember it surely does not equal the experience of being there in attendance live....experiencing the sights and sounds and fragrances in the church.
i pray we all will have the best Holy Week of our lives...i pray we will devote great time and attention...prayer and deep meditation to God....Jesus His Son....We never know...this may be our last Holy Week...surely if we won't have this opportunity again, we would want this week to be our best ever.
Be assured of my continued prayers....please pray for me. Take note i have brought my 94 yrs. old Mom home after a 4 and a half month run in hospitals and rehab and as her care giver, my hands are full right now. i therefore do not have much time to write...please forgive me...and know i will try to write more often ....til next time...celebrate these days in church...celebrate them differently than ever before....hugs, ang
A HOLY AND FRUITFUL LIFE CHANGING HOLY WEEK TO ALL OF US!
Sunday was Palm Sunday....we celebrated the Triumphant entrance of Christ into Jerusalem...then solemnly readed the Passion of Our Lord to begin the Solemn Week....Last night at all Catholic Churches the Holy Thursday celebration of The Lord's Last Supper was celebrated. Three gifts were given on Holy Thursday....The Gift of Jesus washing the feet of His Followers....teaching us that Service and Love need to be the center of our lives following His Example....become the servant of all!...Second is the gift of His Body and Blood in Holy Communion, also referred to as The Eucharist. Without reception of Holy Communion one cannot Love fully...every time we take in Jesus in This Gift, we become a little more like Him...We need this Divine Food to continue to grow and go Higher......At the end of Mass was a procession with the Consecrated Hosts and they are brought to another altar, beautifully decorated that we might adore Him til midnight. All Catholic Churches were opened for prayer til midnight last night. and finally is the gift of Priesthood...."Do this in remembrance of me!"...a command...a calling forth of Apostolic Succession....meaning to be a priest is not to be an administrator, although he may be good at that, or a counselor....and he still might be good at that....many have forgotten that without the priest, we cannot have Holy Communion...This is the primary role, focus, value of a Priest's Life...TO BRING US JESUS....IN THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR! We must pray for priests...those who have ministered sacraments to us, those who have spiritually directed us, those who have prayed for us, those who have no one to pray for them, those who have lost their first Love, those who are lost, those who have died, those who are sick, those who have been so very faithful....every last one of them past, present and future....The symbolism this week at our Masses and Services are beyond compare. Incense, colors of vestments and altar cloths, covers on statues, candles, crosses, processions, ...wow...the list is endless....and each year it becomes more beautiful as we grow and understand and notice things we missed the years before. It is during this week that the Mass of Chrism, when the Bishop meets with all His Priests and they bless all the Sacred Oils....Oil of Baptism, Oil of Confirmation...Oil of the Sick...Oil for Ordination....and then all the Oils are then sent to all the parishes for use on the faithful in the coming year. a Glorious Week....of Holy Events.
For those who have missed up til now....Wake up!!!...Start now....get to a Good Friday Service today...it is the only day we do not have Mass. The Hosts that were Consecrated last night will be distributed in Holy Communion today...and today we will venerate...kiss, bow, kneel before the Cross remembering what Jesus did for each one of us....More important than bowing with our bodies is to bow deep in the recesses of our being....bow to our Maker...bow....show reverence,,,Love ....Respect....Adoration....Gratitude....get to a service today...and pay close attention to all the details....i won't share more on today's service....you must go to see for yourself!
Remember if you cannot attend due to illness or care giving, or another legitimate reason, put on EWTN....on the TV...or look online and find when they will have their services...and watch and pray from home if necessary. This is a gift to the sick and home bound....but remember it surely does not equal the experience of being there in attendance live....experiencing the sights and sounds and fragrances in the church.
i pray we all will have the best Holy Week of our lives...i pray we will devote great time and attention...prayer and deep meditation to God....Jesus His Son....We never know...this may be our last Holy Week...surely if we won't have this opportunity again, we would want this week to be our best ever.
Be assured of my continued prayers....please pray for me. Take note i have brought my 94 yrs. old Mom home after a 4 and a half month run in hospitals and rehab and as her care giver, my hands are full right now. i therefore do not have much time to write...please forgive me...and know i will try to write more often ....til next time...celebrate these days in church...celebrate them differently than ever before....hugs, ang
A HOLY AND FRUITFUL LIFE CHANGING HOLY WEEK TO ALL OF US!
Sunday, March 11, 2018
"A PRICELESS DIGNITY AND VALUE"
"IF WE HAD THE VISION OF FAITH, WE WOULD SEE BENEATH EVERY BEHAVIOR--NO MATTER HOW REPULSIVE--BENEATH EVERY BODILY APPEARANCE--NO MATTER HOW DIRTY OR DEFORMED--A PRICELESS DIGNITY AND VALUE THAT MAKES ALL MATERIAL FACTS AND SCIENTIFIC TECHNOLOGIES FADE INTO INSIGNIFICANCE.
---FR. DANIEL EGAN
nothing to add to such a powerful statement...til next time....we meditate on Fr. Daniel's quote and hopefully allow it to bring deep interior change to our lives and the way we live! ang
---FR. DANIEL EGAN
nothing to add to such a powerful statement...til next time....we meditate on Fr. Daniel's quote and hopefully allow it to bring deep interior change to our lives and the way we live! ang
Saturday, March 10, 2018
"POSITIVELY PRECIOUS!"
i started to read a women's devotional to my Mom tonight and the title says it all....POSITIVELY PRECIOUS!....that is what each of us are in the Eyes of God...a Treasure....positively precious!...not much to add to those great words...
Take time to absorb this concept...everyone in this world gives us limited acceptance and love...it is all we know.....but God Himself says something different...you and i are POSITIVELY PRECIOUS...
That does not give us freedom to live and continue to do wrong....to continue in sinful ways without consequence...but it is the absolute starting point for a deep intimate relationship with God...to know that He really just Loves us...and thinks we are really someone special!
Let's take some time to read some of these Scriptures and soak them in...maybe one a day....and as we learn our value, we then will look and treat everyone we meet with that same look of Love and Preciousness we have received. ...even those who are masked in illness...hatred....anger....grumpiness...complaining...etc. There is only one way the world will change...when i start with myself....learning my own value and soaking in the Love of God and then being able to share that Treasure with others. Be transformed and you will help transform others...especially those in your own circle who are broken....lost....ill....young or old....clear minded or tormented....and remember....We never give up on anyone..Never......Scripture says.." never give up on your own..."....no matter how tired you get.... no matter how much you sacrifice....it is always worth doing the right things....and investing in your own relationship with God that then others may find God for themselves...may every soul experience "THE GLANCE OF GOD" that they may then pass on that Look of Love to everyone they come in contact with. Praised be Jesus Christ Now and Forever!" FRUITFUL AND LIFE CHANGING LENT TO ALL OF US! stay prayerful....ang
1. Isaiah 43:1-2
2. Isaiah 49:16
3. John 3:16
4. Ephesians 2:10
5. Jeremiah 31:3
6. Psalm 139:13-16
7. Psalm 100
8. Romans 5:8
9. 1 John 3:1a
10. Zephaniah 3:17
Take time to absorb this concept...everyone in this world gives us limited acceptance and love...it is all we know.....but God Himself says something different...you and i are POSITIVELY PRECIOUS...
That does not give us freedom to live and continue to do wrong....to continue in sinful ways without consequence...but it is the absolute starting point for a deep intimate relationship with God...to know that He really just Loves us...and thinks we are really someone special!
Let's take some time to read some of these Scriptures and soak them in...maybe one a day....and as we learn our value, we then will look and treat everyone we meet with that same look of Love and Preciousness we have received. ...even those who are masked in illness...hatred....anger....grumpiness...complaining...etc. There is only one way the world will change...when i start with myself....learning my own value and soaking in the Love of God and then being able to share that Treasure with others. Be transformed and you will help transform others...especially those in your own circle who are broken....lost....ill....young or old....clear minded or tormented....and remember....We never give up on anyone..Never......Scripture says.." never give up on your own..."....no matter how tired you get.... no matter how much you sacrifice....it is always worth doing the right things....and investing in your own relationship with God that then others may find God for themselves...may every soul experience "THE GLANCE OF GOD" that they may then pass on that Look of Love to everyone they come in contact with. Praised be Jesus Christ Now and Forever!" FRUITFUL AND LIFE CHANGING LENT TO ALL OF US! stay prayerful....ang
1. Isaiah 43:1-2
2. Isaiah 49:16
3. John 3:16
4. Ephesians 2:10
5. Jeremiah 31:3
6. Psalm 139:13-16
7. Psalm 100
8. Romans 5:8
9. 1 John 3:1a
10. Zephaniah 3:17
Friday, March 2, 2018
Welcome India and Netherlands!
Welcome to India and the Netherlands...thank you for joining us on this blog...Please invite all your family and friends to join us...be assured of our prayers....ang
Don't be afraid to lay down your life...
The calling to do something great is always a scary thing to discern. But remember that God is never in confusion or fear. When in doubt ,always stand still and wait. i promise you, if you sincerely are seeking God's Perfect Will for your life ,He will clarify things for you like never before. You will awake and know without a shadow of a doubt of the Mission before you and you will have the courage necessary to accomplish It. The only way to stay true is to stay on your knees in prayer....stay in very close contact with God....follow your conscience, not what you want or "have to do" as viewed by others or society....and in forgetting yourself and your own desires, keep God's Perfect Will as your only Aim or Goal. We don't neglect ourselves, we put God First and our self care second so to be able to serve others and not run out of strength mid stream, but we always keep before our eyes the Truth of the Gospel, "NO GREATER LOVE HATH ANY MAN THAN TO LAY DOWN HIS/HER LIFE FOR A FRIEND!" John 15:13
If we are true believers, we march by A Different Drum than all the world. No one will understand our decisions and sacrifices unless they know God's Beat fully. We will often be looked at as failures...people with great potential who never achieved what they could have done. Little do they know that the Choice ....the Heroic Choice and Courage we have made and been generously given by God to do, is the Exact Thing that will bring Innumerable Graces and Miracles into our lives and all the lives that we touch....because all the Credit and Honor goes to Him and Him Alone because the Call and Our Yes all come from Him!!
Look at your life...pray and ask God What is His Perfect Will for you and before you tell me...education, health, money, homes, cars, prestige are first....look around you at your circle of family and friends and insure that you are not missing the Calling to, as The Scriptures say clearly..."Don't turn your back on your own!" Is 58:7...It starts at home....It starts with people...souls...lives....invest yourself...be willing to die to some of your desires that others might live...It is very easy to send a check to a mission....much harder to be the missionary in your own home, family, neighborhood.
i pray that the world changes...that each of us takes seriously our Lenten Walk...and tries to become more and more like Christ...."What does it matter if we gain the whole world and lose our soul in the process!" Mark 8:36...Follow your conscience...be willing to go so deep with God that all those around you are touched by your words, example and even your meer presence because of your holiness. Be a God Chaser....and become the saint you were created to be!
a fruitful and life changing Lent to all of us!
til next time...find the charity in your own "home" and family that you can tithe to... in your time, talent and treasure....don't be afraid to be generous....sacrificial....and deeply passionate in your giving. you will never regret it!
If we are true believers, we march by A Different Drum than all the world. No one will understand our decisions and sacrifices unless they know God's Beat fully. We will often be looked at as failures...people with great potential who never achieved what they could have done. Little do they know that the Choice ....the Heroic Choice and Courage we have made and been generously given by God to do, is the Exact Thing that will bring Innumerable Graces and Miracles into our lives and all the lives that we touch....because all the Credit and Honor goes to Him and Him Alone because the Call and Our Yes all come from Him!!
Look at your life...pray and ask God What is His Perfect Will for you and before you tell me...education, health, money, homes, cars, prestige are first....look around you at your circle of family and friends and insure that you are not missing the Calling to, as The Scriptures say clearly..."Don't turn your back on your own!" Is 58:7...It starts at home....It starts with people...souls...lives....invest yourself...be willing to die to some of your desires that others might live...It is very easy to send a check to a mission....much harder to be the missionary in your own home, family, neighborhood.
i pray that the world changes...that each of us takes seriously our Lenten Walk...and tries to become more and more like Christ...."What does it matter if we gain the whole world and lose our soul in the process!" Mark 8:36...Follow your conscience...be willing to go so deep with God that all those around you are touched by your words, example and even your meer presence because of your holiness. Be a God Chaser....and become the saint you were created to be!
a fruitful and life changing Lent to all of us!
til next time...find the charity in your own "home" and family that you can tithe to... in your time, talent and treasure....don't be afraid to be generous....sacrificial....and deeply passionate in your giving. you will never regret it!
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