04/12/2006

Good Works divorced from the underlying reason for performing them are sterile things.

The church is not a social service organization.

Social Services would quickly become a meaningless catch phrase if believers would live as engaged Christians in the world.

We would clothe the naked
We would feed the hungry
We would slake thirst (both physical and spiritual)
We would instruct our youth (and in the instruction, learn our own deficits and address them)
We would open the doors of our overly insular world(s)
We would open our jealously guarded hearts
We would embrace our faith in the face of opposing views, with the courage, with the joy of the apostles on Pentecost.
We would understand that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not a theological concept, but rather, a reality that can enliven each moment with purpose and direction if we affirmatively embrace the choice to acknowledge that reality of God with us.
Here.
Now.

Lord Open my Lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Amen

4/10/2006 - Monday Holy Week - "Snippets"

I cover the walls of my cubicle at work with art and photos and "snippets" which help me when the going gets tough. Today's my day to share my "snippets".

Esurivi enim et dedistis mihi manducare; sitivi, et dedistis mihi bibere.
I was hungry and you gave me to eat; thirsty, and you gave me to drink.

Hineh matov umah nayim shevet achim gam yahad.
Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

With God I can accomplish great things. Saint Francis Xavier Cabrini

One cannot prove faith, one can discover it through experience.

Experience active love.....

Love your neighbors tirelessly. The more you succeed in loving, the more you'll be convinced of the existence of God and the immortality of your soul.

Vivi Bene, Ridi Spesso e Ama molto
Live well, Laugh often and love much.

04/06/2006

I can hear the whistling of the days of the season breezing by.

Sodden with the mundane requirements of my life, my soul shivers with cold of inattention.

I rely on grace and mercy and a sense of humor on the part of God.

I found this bit from Padre Pio which helps:

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 fail 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 wish it to be a place of consolation for you, a nest of Love.

It goes on, but the overwhelming point that I get out of the prayer is my absolute dependence on the goodness, on the grace of God.


A second quote from the Padre and I'm done for today:

You must have boundless faith in the divine goodness, for the victory is certain.

How could you think otherwise?

Isn't our God more concerned about our salvation than we are ourselves?

Isn't He stronger than hell itself?

Who can ever resist and overcome the King of the heavens?

What are the world, the devil, the flesh and all our enemies before the Lord?

04/04/2006

Faith trumps scepticism.

Faith is the gift of knowledge of the unknowable.

You don't attain to this knowledge, it is a gift, given.

God exists, get used to it.

Love is hard work.

No relationship is a picnic. A good relationship is worth the effort.

Don't cling to things, they all pass.

Value yourself by how you measure up to the ideal that you know to be correct.

The world is one oversized temptation, time is the precious currency with which we spend our lives, choose to do the right thing consistently.

The innocence of children is heaven's gift, when we do violence to that innocence, the angels weep and devils dance.

When anger is your first impulse, be the dam, be strong, don't feed the agony of the world.

Seek amity when it is hard to do so.

Don't waste yourself judging. Seek understanding. Pray that others will seek understanding when they disagree with you.

Acknowledge hypocrisy in self, then take a hammer to it.

Be the reason that someone else had a better day.

No charge for an extra smile.

The barriers that we build between people are the stones and the mortar that are used to build barriers between ourselves and God. Do you really think that perfect love could have a hand in the creation of hell? We are the ardent laborers in that task.