Universal Prayer

Lord, I believe in You; but let me believe more strongly.
I love You: but let me love You more ardently.
I sorrow, but deepen my sorrow for my sins.

I adore You as my first beginning,
I long for You as my last end,
I praise You as my constant benefactor,
I call on You as my loving protector.

Guide me by Your wisdom,
hold me with your justice,
comfort me with Your mercy, protect me with Your power.

I offer You, Lord, my thoughts, my words, to be fixed on You,
my actions, to be according to You,
my sufferings to be endured for You.

I want to do what You want, in the way You want, for as long as You want, because You want.

I pray, O Lord, enlighten my understanding, inflame my will, purify my heart, and sanctify my soul.

May I weep for my former iniquities, repel future temptations, correct my faults, and cultivate suitable virtues.

Grant me O God, love of You, hatred of myself, zeal for my neighbour, and contempt fot the world.

May I be eager to obey my superiors, be courteous to my inferiors, faithful to my friends, and to forgive my enemies.

Help me to conquer sensuality with austerity, greed with generosity, anger with gentlenesss, apathy with fervor.

Make me prudent in planning, steadfast in danger, patient in adversity, and humble in prosperity.

O Lord, make me attentive in prayer, temperate in drink, diligent in my duties, and firm in purpose.

May I take care to have an innocent interior, a modest exterior, exemplary speech, and a well-ordered life.

May I be ever-watchful in guarding against my weaknesses, cherishing Your grace, keeping Your laws, and coming to salvation.

May I learn from You the passing nature of this world, the grandness of heaven, the shortness of this life, and the life to come eternal.

Grnat that I may prepare for death, fear judgement, flee from hell, and obtain paradise.
Grant this through Christ our Lord, Amen. 



Courtesy of : Laudate version 1.89

Do you want to be Saved??? Then Pray

Potent Weapon: Prayer is the most necessary and very powerful weapon of defence against our enemies. All the saints are saved because of prayer; and all the damned are lost because of the lack of prayer.
 
St. Paul of the Cross wrote: We enter on the broad road of perdition when we neglect prayer. If we stop praying, our spiritual life gradually dies. St. Thomas says that Adam fell because he had no recourse to divine assistance. According to St. Gelasius, the rebel angels could not preserve because they did not pray. St. Charles Borromeo says that of all means recommended by jesus Christ in the Gospels, the first place is given to prayer. Prayer is more important than anything else, Dr. Alexis Carrol wrote, "If you make a habit of prayer, your life will be profoundly altered."
 
Prayer is the beginning and progresss and the completion of all virtues. When we pray, God gives us the strength to do that which we cannot do by ourselves. God knows how useful it is to us to be obliged to pray, in order to keep us humble and to exercise our confidence in Him. Prayer is urgently needed for any one who loves God, nothing can replace it. The true and only way to become a saint is to exercise ourselves in virtue and the love of God. This is done by means of prayer,a nd correspondence to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit.
 
 
Prayer: Holy Spirit, help us to recognize that nothing of this world can save us, but the deep faith in God and the eagerness and love to be united with God forever. Help us to move more close to you and be desolved in you with prayer. Help us to pray all the time so that we may be guided by the Holy Spirit in our day to day life in this world. 


Courtesy of: Prayer with the heart, Rosarian Publication

Fame, Celbrity and Power - A Contradiction

What do we value most in our society? Fame, celebrity and wealth for a start. Power, influence and position, for another. Nature favours the proud, the arrogant, the wealthy, and those with power and money. Today we seem particularly obsessed with fame, celebrity and notoriety.

Andy, Warhol said in the late 1960's that in the future everybody would enjoy 15 minutes of fame. Through reality television, people are enjoying not just 15 minutes of fame but, through programmes like 'big brother' and others, days and days of media exposure!

The birth of Jesus of Nazereth, the Son of God, in obscurity and poverty, will always be a sign of contradition. Our true dignity, the real purpose and meaning of our lives, is revealed in humility, love and the service of others.


Courtesy of : www.alivepublishing.co.uk

Happiness

Happiness: The only men in the world who are really happy are the ones who know how to pray. True happiness of man on earth, consists in praying; and loving. Prayer is one of the basic needs of man.

Breath of the soul: As food is indispensable for the body, prayer is indispensable for the soul. In fact, food for the body is not so necessary, as prayer is for the soul. Fasting is often necessary in order to keep the body healthy. For our spiritual life, we need prayer as we need breathing to remain alive. A man can live fifty days without food, but only a few minutes without breathing. Without prayer, sanctification is unthinkable. He who knows how to pray well, knows how to live well. Our prayer will show us what condition we are in.



Courtesy of : Prayer with the heart

Love One Another

"I find great joy and comfort in your love, because through you the hearts of God's people have been refreshed." (Philemon 7)

One of God's primary ways of loving us is through people. Think of the person whose love has enabled you to know more deeply the love of God has for you. This person has refreshed you through their love, bringing you "joy and comfort" (Philemon 7). When you were with this person, their love was so refreshing it was as though Jesus Himself was refreshing you (see Mt 11:28). When you look at their face, you know "God is Love" (1 jn 4:8, 16).

God so loved the world that He gave His only Son" (Jn 3:16). His love for us was so intense that it became incarnate in Jesus, so that God could love us even more intimately by taking on human flesh. God has loved us through Jesus, and now His plan is that we "love one another" (Jn 13:34). So that we can carry out His loving plan, "the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit" (Rm 5:5) Now we are missionaries of God's love, actively seeking to refresh the hearts of friends and enemies (Mt 5:44) by our love.

May love "be the root and foundation of your life" (Eph 3:17). Through your love, may many people "be able to grasp fully, with all the holy ones, the breadth and length and height and depth of Christ's love and experience this love which surpasses all knowledge" (Eph 3:18-19).

Prayer: Father, thank you for the people You send into my life to love and refresh me wit Your love. May I in return bring Your love into many lives.

Invitation from Jesus

Many will come from east to west to take their places.....at the feast int he kingdom of heaven (Mathew 8:11).

Everyone is called to enter the kingdom. No one is excluded from this invitation. Jesus ushered in the kingdom with these words: ' The time is fulfilled,a nd the kingdom is at hand: repent, and believe in the gospel' (Mark 1: 14-15). Jesus came to do God's will and his will is that we are seved and have some share in his devine life. Jesus does not call the righteous, but sinners, and we are sinners. Herein lies our true dignity because God invites us to repentance and conversion. There is great joy in heaven when we repent and believe in the gospel. Ther is rejoicing in heaven when we seek out the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It is the time to receive God's mercy and forgiveness.

Lord God, your kingdom is near at hand, I repent and believe in the gospel.

Too Busy???

There is a saying that goes: 'Jaw, jaw, not war, war!' How important it is to dialogue and converse. It is so much better to talk something through than to burst in to action that we might later regret.

Likewise, it is no bad idea to start our day and finish it with time spent with God. Time spent in prayer is not wasted time, not fruitfless time.

At the very least it can give us peace and have a calming effect. It can also give shape and purpose to our lives. We can be too quick to ask God to bless our plans. How about trying to find out what God's plans are!

There is another saying that goes: 'If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy!'

Lord, help me to overcome the obstacles which prevent me from making time to pray. Help me cultivate within the virtues of humility, trust and perseverance.


Courtesy of: www.alivepublishing.co.uk

Thursday - Lord Be Near Me

Thursday, day to make the most of the week, of getting things done before another week goes by, day of tackling chores....

Lord, be near me as I ask your help with the efforts of this Thursday.

May I put my trust in you, and in your love for me. I ask you to bless me and to be my hope.

In your goodness help me this day to be joyful within myself and in my treatment of others.

Knowing that you see the best in me may I see the best in others rather than being judgemental about their failings.

May you encourage me throughout this day, so that in all the demands made upon me and my time - like the bills and paperwork, or whatever else may be part of this day - I know you will be near me. Amen.

Wednesday - Lord Be Near Me

Wednesday, the mid-week day, day of balanced decisions, of decisiveness and action, a day to be in full swing....

Lord, be near me as I undertake the demands of this Wednesday. This day be at my side in all that happens to me. I ask you to bless me and to be my guide.

In your goodness help me this day to be upbeat in myself and in my dealings with others.

Knowing that you accept me, may I accept others especially those whose opinions I don't share, and show them patience.

May you guide me throughout this day, so that however busy the day may seem - at work with colleagues or at home with family, or whatever else may be part of this day - I know you will be near me. Amen.

Tuesday - Lord Be Near Me

Tuesday moves us into the week, a day to take initiatives, to step ahead with plans, to move forwards with our lives....

Lord, be near me as I go about the business of this Tuesday. Guide me in my thoughts, my words, my actions this day.
I ask you to bless me and to be my support.
In your goodness help me this day to be confident in myself and in my time with others.
Knowing that you care for me, may I show care and cosideration to those I meet.
May you support me throughout this day as I try to do my best, so that in all that happens - especially the unexpected or unforeseen things, or whatever else may be part of this day - I know you will be near me. Amen.

Courtesy of: The prayer Trust - The week day by day

Monday - Lord Be Near Me

Monday has its own mood, its own anxieties - Monday blues: circumstances to be dealt with, people who have to be faced.....


Lord, be near me as I take on the challenges of this new week. Help me to start afresh, ready for the week ahead, I ask you to bless me and to be my strength.
In your goodness help me this day to be positive within myself and in my sharing with others.
Knowing that you support me may I support others and help bring out the best in them.
May you strengthen me to make the most of every opportunity this day to focus on the positive, so that accepting the things that are beyond my control, - the queues, the traffic jams, or whatever else may be part of this day - I know you will be near me. Amen.


Courtesy of: The Prayer Trust - The Week Day by Day

Prayer Before Work

My heavenly father, as I enter this work place, I bring your presence with me.
I speak your peace, your grace, your mercy and your perfect order into my work.
I acknowledge your power over all that will be done, spoken, thought and decided within these walls.
I commit to use them responsibly in your honor.
Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job.
Anoint my projects, ideas,a nd energy, so that even my smallest accomplishment may bring you glory.
Lord, when I am confused, guide me.
When I am weary, energize me.
When I am burned out, infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.
May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.
And oh Lord, when I leave this place, give me traveling mercy.
Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.
Lord, I thank you for everything you've done, everything you are doing and everything you are going to do.
Lord, I thank you for the gifts you have blessed me with.
In the name of Jesus I pray, with much love and thanksgiving.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen

 

Love One Another

If you refuse to love, you must remain dead; to hate your brother is to be a murderer. (1John 3:15)

Can you imagine watching someone you love more than anything else in the world being subject to all manner of abuse, torture and punishment? Your husband, wife, your child? Mary, mother of Jesus, endured succh torment. During Jesus' trial he was subject to terrible punishments and humiliations; on the cross, his treatment was brutal and barbaric. Mary's suffering was unspeakable, herr anguish unbearable, the depth of her sorrow untold. At the foot of the cross she did not retaliate. She humbly bore her cross as Jesus humbly bore his. She opened her heart to receive this sorrow and fully embraced it. She is truly the Mother of Sorrows. She shows us how to forgive, how to love, how to suffer.


Lord God, teach me to accept suffering, anguish and any ordeal, with faith, hope and trust in you.

October is a month of Rosary. Praying Rosary with Mother Mary will lead us to experience the peace, joy and love that Jesus showers on us. Let us be united to Jesus and look forward to be shareholders of the kingdom of God through the intercession of Mother Mary.






Courtesy of:www.alivepublishing.co.uk

Evangelization

What do you think of when you hear the word "evangelization"? The idea of sharing our faith can make us feel unconfortable. We are relaxed with the idea of witnessing to our faith if this means being good or kind or helpful. In many ways actions do speak louder than words.

However, eventualy, when witnessing to our faith, we need to be prepared to share with others the reason for our hope. It is then that the idea of evangelization becomes more uncomfortable. We don't want to impose. We too easily assume that people do not want to hear about God, the promises of Christ or the Sacraments. The truth is people are hungry and thirsty to hear and a lot more open and interested than we give them credit for.

Lord, we look to Mary as the model evangelist. She always invites us to come and meet her Son and listen to him. May we play our part, too.



Courtesy of: www.alivepublishing.co.uk

Human Wickedness!!!

Psalms 14:1-7

Fools say to themselves, "There is no God!" They are all corrupt, and they have done terrible things; there is no one who does what is right.

The Lord Looks down from heaven at us humans to see if there are any who are wise, any who worship him. But they have all gone wrong; they are all equally bad. Not one of them does what is right, not a single one.

"Don't they know?" asks the Lord. "Are all these evildoers ignorant? They live by robbing my people, and they never pray to me."

But then they will be terrified, for God is with those who obey him. Evildoers frustrate the plans of the humble, but the Lord is their protection.

How I pray that victory will come to Israel from Zion. How happy the people of Israel will be when the Lord makes them prosperous again!

Word for the World

We proclaim your death, O Lord, and profess your resurrection until you come again.

We don't usually throw a party and forget the preparations. We don't tend to go on a journey and not consult a map or the Sat Nav! (Otherwise we may get lost). All of this is fun and exciting because the event is imminent.

So how do we prepare for Christ's second coming? What happens is, we think that we can't keep vigilant for 70 or 80 or 90 years, so we just get on with life (but we never know how long are we going to live). It is too far down the line to contemplate! That's where we need to think again. With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. He is not slow in keeping his promise.....he is patient with you (2 Peter 3:8-9)


Dear friends, you do not need to have any doubt in your heart that Jesus is the savior for the whole of humanity, so we need to abide by the Word of God and lead a life in preparation to enter the kingdom of God. Let us belong to Jesus. It is getting too late.....lets start the preparation now...May God bless you abundantly and the Holy spirit strengthen you.



Courtesy of: www.alivepublising.co.uk

Jesus - The Savior of Humanity

Jesus is the Lord of Human history, the Alpha and the Omega, the Morning Star. In Him the riddle and mystery of our life on earth is made clearer.

What is the meaning of life? Or to put it even more bluntly: What is it all about? Christian revelation makes clear that the answer is a person, and the person is Jesus of Nazareth: He who suffered, died and rose again on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:3). Only in the mystery of Jesus, the Word made flesh, can we understand the goal, mystery and purpose of our own lives and indeed the whole of human history. We are not the centre. Christ is. He is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15), the perfect human being. He loved us and gave himself for us (Galatians 2:20). He rose on the third day and conquered sin and death. Jesus is the meaning of life - we receive this message with open hearts and give God praise.

Those who realise that Jesus is the savior and lead a life according to the Word of God, will be saved. Praise and Glory to our Lord Jesus Christ.


courtesy of: www.alivepublishing.co.uk

Temporary Pleasures - An Obstacle to Everlasting Life

"Jesus" is the only name given to this world for the salvation of mankind. There is no other name or person you can rely on for the salvation of your souls. The human life-span in this world is limited to 70 or 80 or 90 years. This period of time is given to human race to recognize that the life is given by God and this gift of life is to be utilized to thank the creater. We are all gifted with different abilities to make our lives worthy of living. We need to use those abilities for thanking the creator during the short time of our life in this world, so that God can gift us with a more valuable and precious life in His kingdom. We need to live a life worthy to experience the blessings of God. The life we are going to live or experience after our term or years in this world, is everlasting. The real joy will be in that life. All that we see in this world are temporary. The pubs, bars, clubs, flesh, money and all other attractive things in this world give us only momentary pleasures or comforts. We should never be sunk into these pleasures and lose our lives in this world. but recognize that these were given by God and be thankful to Him throughout our lives, so that we may gain something valuable from this life and use it as a fast-track ticket for the entry to the everlasting life.

The devil is there in the world waiting for an opportunity to deceive and betray the mankind by pushing him into these temporary pleasurss and making him to think that these are the maximum we can enjoy and there is no life after death. The devil will do anything to control and manipulate your mind and your thinking, to destroy your life, so that your life is perished and be hell-like in this world. But do remember the name of Jesus, the only name that can save you from the hell. Remember and be brave to sacrifice these temporary pleasures for the sake of God and your rewards will be high and everlasting.

Please believe in God and be saved........
Jesus is the Lord of human history, the Alpha and the Omega, the Morning Star. In him the riddle and mystery of our life on earth is made clearer.
So dear friends, Please believe in God and be saved........

A Ladder to Heaven

God places in every heart, a desire and intimate yearning to personally know the One who created us in love for love. St. Augustine of Hippo, who found God only after many years of wandering in disbelief and spiritual darkness, exclaimed in his autobiographical Confessions: You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You. Jesus is the true ladder or stairway to heaven. In Jusus' incarnation,the devine Son of God taking on human flesh for our sake, we see the union of heaven and earth God making His dwelling with us and bringing us into the heavenly reality of His kingdom.Jusus' death on the cross and His resurrection opens the way for each of us to come into a new relationship with God as His sons and daughters. The Lord Jusus opens the way for each of us to "ascend to heaven"and to bring "heaven to earth" in the daily circumstances of our lives. God's kingdom is present in those who seek Him and who do His will. Do you pray as Jusus taught. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mathew 6:10)?

"Heavenly Father,through Your Son Jusus Christ, You have opend the way to heaven for us. as you revealed yourself to your beloved Patriarchs and Apostles, so reveal yourself to me that I may glorify You in my daily life. My I always find joy in Your presence and never lose sight of the kingdom of heaven"


Courtesy of Don Schwager (c) 2012 at www.dailyscipture.net

The Word of God - Our Spiritual Food

"I am the bread of life," Jesus told them. "Those who come to me will never be hungry; those who believe in me will never be thirsty. Now I told you that you have seen me but will not believe. Everyone whom my Father gives me will come to me. I will never turn away anyone who comes to me, because I have come down from heaven to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. And it is the will of him who sent me that I should not lose any of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them all to life on the last day. For what my Father wants is that all who see the Son and believe in him should have eternal life. And I will raise them to life on the last day."
(John 6: 35 - 40)

Dear friends, Jesus is constantly looking for us, with kindness, compassion and love. He is there to give himself to us for the salvation of our souls out of his great unconditional love for us. Often we don't realize the presence and love of Jesus. we are often blinded with the barriers of this material world and obstacles caused because of the love for luxuries of the world. Nothing of this world can save us but only Jusus who died for our sins and raised to life for our salvation. Jesus doesn't want our souls to be lost. He is there, calling us by name. Let us try to listen to his voice and recognize the great love. Jusus come to us in the form of our neighbours, brothers and sisters. If we are able to look at them and see them, with love, compassion and kindness, we will experience the presence of Jusus in our innerselves. To achieve this we need to be armed with the weapon of daily prayers, and the power of the Rosary will give us the intercession of Mother Mary to support us in our journey to see Jesus.

Lord Jesus, help us to realize your love for us and give us the craving and eagerness to be one with you in spirit, and not to be attracted to what the world can offer, but mold us with the Word Of God, to strengthen our belief for the salvation of our souls.

Preparing our hearts and minds

There is something 'ever new' about the Word of God. It is a living Word, coming to us afresh in all the different circumstances and experiences which make up our lives. The Word of God has the power to surprise us, jolt us, and transform us over and over again.
To receive this life-giving Word we have to be prepared. It is useful to reflect on the words of the Prophet Isaiah: 'Prepare a way for the Lord....make a straight highway for our God.' (Isaiah 40:3).
St. Mark used these words in speaking of the coming of Jesus. We use them, this week, to make sure that our hearts are ready to receive the Word.
This will mean making sure that our own preferences, our own convictions about how things should be, especially the things of the Church, do not get in the way of the Word who comes to us, to change us, to reshape our minds and hearts.

Change is hard. It does not come easily or naturally. We can be deeply attached, entrenched and, let us be honest, wedded to our own views, opinions and ideas about many things. Some are of little consequence; others are not. We can have views and opinions that are as stubborn as the highest mountains or the the most rugged of cliffs. The problem is that they often block our receiving the word which alone gives us true and lasing joy. When we examine our lives we see the ways that our thinking impacts on the way we related to God and others. We need courage to challenge our own thingking and God's grace to change it.

Lord, teach me to examine my life and by the grace of the Holy Spirit be tansformed by the renewal of my mind.


Courtesy of: Walk with me, www.alivepublishing.co.uk

The Nun's Story

A news appeared on Daily Mirror on Monday the 30th of April 2012 about Laura Adshead who was the former lover of David Cameron. The news goes on like this:

Kicking the habit: How Prime Minister's former lover kicked drug addiction and became a nun

Laura Adshead dated the future Prime Minister for more than a year but turned her back on a successful career to become Sister John Mary. A former lover of David Cameron became a nun after beating an alcohol and drug addiction, it emerged today. Laura Adshead dated the future Prime Minister for more than a year but turned her back on a successful career to become Sister John Mary. The 44-year-old was Mr Cameron’s lover when the pair were working together at Conservative Party HQ in London in 1990. Oxford-educated Laura was then-PM John Major’s correspondence secretary before moving to New York to join an ad agency. But the stress of her high-profile job saw her plunge into a world of drink and drug addiction. And now the former society girl has found her unlikely salvation in God along with 36 other nuns at an abbey in Connecticut, US. She said: “I did think my life would progress on the normal tracks of meeting someone, marrying, having children, but that’s not the path that God has led me. "I feel like I tried most things in life that are supposed to make you happy. “That journey took me down into alcoholism and drug addiction.” By 2008 Laura declared her hard-partying days were over and announced that she had decided to become a nun. She recalled: “I remember having to tell my mother, ‘I’m going to join the abbey,’ and she said, ‘Yes, I can see this world has no real meaning for you any more.’ I looked at this place and saw women who had what I wanted. You decide to surrender your life to God.”

Laura has swapped her bouffant blonde hairstyle for a closely cropped cut and wears a long serge habit and traditional wimple. Her day at the Abbey of Regina Laudis begins at 2am when a bell rings to announce night-time prayers. Then it clangs at first light, again at 8am for Mass and then at regular intervals until sunset prayers at 5pm. Her jobs include caring for a herd of cattle on the abbey’s land and mopping the chapel floors. She said: “There’s no way out. You don’t get to leave and go to a movie. You don’t get distraction from all the human emotions.
"It’s like this hothouse where things get worked out.”

Laura took her vows four years ago but her “formation” – a nun apprenticeship – lasts for as long as five-and-a-half years. Only at the end of this apprenticeship will she be eligible to take holy orders and assume the title of “Mother”. She is now the star of a new film – God Is The Bigger Elvis – documenting her life from a hopeful in British politics to a Catholic nun.
The title is a reference to the convent’s Prioress Mother Dolores. One-time Hollywood starlet Dolores Hart appeared with Elvis Presley in two of his films, Loving You and King Creole, before entering the order in 1963. Laura said: “This is the only place I could see myself being – because this is where it’s at.”

How lucky those who realize the real meaning of life and work towards achieving their goal of uniting with God.


Courtesy of: Daily Mirror. Article by Martin Flicker

God Our Protector

The power of prayer is unimaginable. Prayer is a mutual, personal and spiritual communication with God who is our creater and protector. God knows all our needs, and He has a plan for our lives, but it is our responsibility to acknowledge God's graces and works in our lives and prayer is that acknowledgement. Through prayer we are thanking God for the graces we have received in our lives and spending time in His presence. Though God knows our every needs, we are again reminded of the importance of asking for God's helping hand in our needs as Jesus says in Mathew 7:7, "Ask and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you."
Again Jesus says, "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." (Mathew 21:22). So we need to pray as it is the time for us to be with God in spirit.
The prayer for God's protection in Psalm 91, is very important in the lives of many people. People have experienced the powerful hands of God's protection every time they said this prayer before anything they do. The devil is looking for an opportunity to ruin the lives of men. This powerful prayer will keep the devil away and destroy all his plans, as God protects us in His palms.

Psalm 91 GOD OUR PROTECTOR
Whoever goes to the Lord for safery, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to Him, "You are my defenderr and protector. You are my God; in You I trust." He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. He will cover you with His wings; you will be safe in His care; His faithfulness will protect and defend you. You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight. A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all around you, but you will not be harmed. You will look and see how the wicked are punished. You have made the Lord your defender, the Most High your protector, and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home. God will put His angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hand to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones. You will trample down lions and snakes, fierce lions and poisonous snakes. God says, "I will save those who love me and will protect those who acknowledge me as Lord. When they call to me I will answer them; when they are in trouble, I will be with them. I will rescue them and honor them. I will reward them with long life; I will save them."

Dear friends, what a wonderful God we have. We need to be always thankful to Him for His protection and blessings in our lives. Thanks be to God.

Prayer - Very Necessary

St. Alphonsus Ligouri observes, "God gives to every creature the means to support itself. Man alone myst struggle to support his life. God Himself wants to be man's support." However, God has made us free. He will not force HIs help upon us. We must acknowledge our own weakness and ask for His help. So, prayer is absolutely necessary for us. God can always give us His grace. But His plan seems to be to give His special graces only in answer to prayer. "Ask and you shall receive" (Mathew 7:7). All the graces God has decided to give us, He wants to give through prayers, not because prayer is necessary for God to know what we need, but it is necessary for us to understand our needs. (St. Thomas).

You and I, everyone would like to become a saint. To be a saint, one must practice charity to a heroic degree. But charity is impossible withour prayer. A saint is a man of prayer.

The secret of all our strenght is prayer. Prayer is all powerful with God. It places the infinite power of God at our disposal. Every problem in life is overcome with faith and prayer. Great is the power at the disposal of every one. It is the most universal of all helps. When God wishes to elevate a soul, He increases its spirit of prayer.

Workaholism (over work) and lack of fidelity to prayer can be destructive forces in the active lives of apostolate of priests and religious. If we increase our "social service" without without proportionate increase in prayer-life, we are at the brink of danger! If we have more work, we must pray more.

We have to make our relationship with God the axis of our life, the central point around which all else revolve. When we are very busy, we may give up recreation, study time and sleep, before our prayer time is invaded. The more we pray, the more we find that we need to pray, and the less we pray, the less we realize our need to spend time with God. One who is too busy to find time for prayer will lose his faith. If we do not seek a personal relationship with God, we will start forgetting Him.

Courtesy: Prayer with the heart, Fr. C. Bernard, C.R.

Prayer with the Heart

George Washington, when he was President of America, used to pray daily for an hour in the morning before he began work and another hour in the evening after work. St. Thomas Moore used to spend, daily the time between 2 am and 6 am in prayer. They had, indeed, realized that 'More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.' Miss Monica Baldwin, the ex-nun, wrote in the Times of London that she and Fr. Charles Davis lost their vocation because they neglected to pray. Fr. Davis renounced even his faith. Bernard J Topel of Spokane used to advise his seminarians to cultivate personal prayer or discontinue thier clerical studies. The Spokane diocese got more vocations than any other in the country, while many other dioceses are suffering a drop in the number of vocations.


Personal Prayer:
I am not speaking here just of vocal prayer or of meditation strictly speaking, but rather about personal mental prayer. This prayer is more a loving than thinking; more an attitude than words or thoughts; it is more spontaneous than structural, more a listening than a talking.
What is prayer and how to pray are two questions difficult to answer. It cannot be otherwise as St. Paul himself testifes; "We do not know how to pray as we ought"(Romans 8:26).

Courtesy: Prayer with the Heart, Fr. Chacko Bernard C.R.

Who Am I?

Who am I? Ofcourse I am a human being with all the feelings, craving and desires to live a life as comfortable as I can in this world and not willing to think about death at all. For many this is the right (false) way of thinking. But is it true? Are we not hiding the reality? Are we just ignoring the fact that we need to nourish our souls as well?
A human being is made of spirit and body, but more often we spend time thinking of the desires, feelings and comforts of the body and ignoring the spiritual needs, the sprititual cravings and often unfilling the spiritual desires.
God really would like us all to nourish our souls, so that we can be the shareolders of His kingdom one day when we all have to live this body and end all the desires of the body through death.
For a man to be a human being, he needs to have a body as well as a well-nourished spirit. The tempatations of this world always remain as an enemy of God's spirit that dwell in us. We need to fight against this evil temptations and stand against our own physical desires sometimes, to regain spiritual strength. We shoud be able to resist and avoid our feelings such as anger, lust, craving for wealth, greed, jealosy and any other feelings that keep us far from receiving the gift of God.
Parents should be more careful to lay a good example and model for their children, by living a life as Jesus told us to live, abiding the Word of God and living as a real christian.

The Risen Lord

Are you prepared to meet the risen Lord?

What is the basis of our faith in the resurrection? The scriotures tell us that "faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the convictionof things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is an entirely free gift that God makes to us. Our faith is a free assent to the whole truth which God reveals to us through His word. Faith is certain because it is based on the very word or God who cannot lie. Faith also seeks understanding. That is why God enlightens the "eys of our hearts" that we may know what is the hope to which He has called us (Ephesians 1:18). Peter the apostle says, we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead (1Peter 1:3). Through the gift of faith the Lord reveals Himself to those who believe in His word and He fills them with "new life in His Holy Spirit". Do you live in the joy and hope of the resurrection? And do you recognize the presence of the Risen Lord in His word, in the "breaking of the bread", and in His church, the body of Christ?

"Lord Jesus, may we always live in the joy and hope of the resurrection and never lose sight of its truth for our lives."

This reflection is courtesy of Don Schwager (c) 2012,
whose website is located at http://www.rc.net/wcc/readings

Holy Saturday

This is the night, when Christ broke the prison-bars of death and rose victorius from the underworld. (The Exsultet)

At the first sign of dawn, the women went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. (Luke 24:1)

Lord Jesus, Your death was like no other death and Your mortal corpse unlike any other. Divivne power preserved your body from corruption and decay. Through your divine mercy may all the departed be granted a share in Your risen life.

"We Are Forgiven" - Good Friday

Then (Pilate) handed Him over to them to be crucified. (John 19:16)

There are at least a thousand lessons to be learned at Calvary, and then there are the mysteries beyond these lessons, which bring us to the shores of an endless sea. But in keeping with our theme, the work of Christ as Saviour and Redeemer, the forgiveness of sins by Christ on the Cross seems to be the lesson that we should concentrate on for these meditations...
We must look at the incredible and mysterious event of the death of a God, the only God who ever died, and realize that it happened for us that we might live forever. We are forgiven-we need only accept and acknowledge the forgiveness and the need to repent, to change as much as we can.
We have two more things to do. As Jesus Christ made clear in his life and works: We also must forgive, and we must love and help others in return for what God has done for us.

Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.
The King, Crucified and Risen
Courtesy: Living Faith

Holy Thursday - A Transforming Experience

"This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (1Corinthians 11:24)

Those of us who experience our First Communion as children may sometimes take this precious sacrament for granted, but those who come to it as adults tend to treasure it.
I heard many stories about the place of honor that Eucharist takes in the lives of the faithful when I was inteviewing people for a book about why Catholics choose the faith. One man who had been estranged from the Church talked of returning because he felt empty without the Eucharist. A woman who became Cathlic after marriage was drawn to the opportunity to be with Christ through the Eucharist almost any time she chooses. And a Catholic man who rediscovered his faith as a teenager found an intimacy in the Eucharist that he believes can transform our hearts.
May we all experience that transformation on this Holy Day.

Beth Dotson Brown
Beth Dotson Brown is the auther of Yes! I Am Catholic: How Faith Plays a Role in My Life, published by St. Mary's Press.

Wednesday of Holy Week

"The Lord God is my help, therefore I am not disgraced; I have set my face like flint, knowing that I shall not be put to shame." (Isaiah 50:7)
Why do you look around you here, since this is not the place of your rest? Your rest must be in healvenly things, and you must look on all earthly things as transitory and passing away.
All things pass away, and you together with them...Christ was despised by all men in the world, and in his greatest need was forsaken by His acquaintances and friends, and left in the midst of reproaches.
He was willing to suffer wrongs and to be dispised, and do you dare to complain of anything?
Christ had many adversaries and backbiters; do you wish to have all men as your friends and benefactors?
How shall your patience win its crown, if no adversity befall you?
If you are not willing to suffer opposition, how will you be a friend of Christ?
Bear up with Christ and for Christ, if you desire to reign with Christ.

Thomas a Kempis
The Imitation of Christ
Courtesy: Living Faith

Tuesday of Holy Week

Be my rock of refuge, a stonghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress.(Psalm 71:3)
Howmany times have we cried our to God for protection, safety or guidance? Sometimes the world we live in or our individual situations seem to bleak that God is our only recourse, our only hope for change and salvation.
During this Holy Week as we contemplate the final days of Jesus on earth, we remember vividly what He endured to save us. Along with His suffering came a promise for our protection and salvation. In return,Jesus did ask us for something - He called us to imitate Him.
Our challenge this week is to look around us for those who might be crying out for guidance, for friendship, for an understanding ear. Some of them are not familiar with a loving God to whom they can take their plea. Simply put, it is up to us to show them the love Jesus modeled for us. The Holy Spirit guides us and God protects and strengthens us to spread heavenly love on earth. The suffering of Jesus calls for nothing less.

Beth Dotson Brown
Courtesy: Living Faith

Monday of Holy Week

You always have the poor with you....(John 12:8)
A Relatively inconspicuous line, but one of the most oft-quoted of the gospels: "You always have the poor with you." What makes this humble verse so frequently repeated? Regularly dostorted, it serves as a handy rationale for ignoring the poor. "What's the point in helping the poor? Didn't Jesus say that the poor we would always have with us?" Right. But understood in the proper context, it simply means that there will be endless opportunities to help the poor. If I may borrow from another of the Lord's Sayings, many are called to help the poor but few do. There will always be those who lack the personal resources to manage their lives no matter how much money you give them, and there will always be those who are in need because others have failed to help. Whom will I help today? Whom will you help?
My precious God, You fill me with blessings and make me rich with the wealth of your goodness. You send the poor to me for help. Give me the grace I need to open my hand and share what I have with them.

Paul Boudreau
Between Sunday
Courtesy: Living Faith

Why "Shiloam"

The thought of starting a blog came to my mind after recollecting that I had to do something to spread the word of God as a true christian, as each christian is responsible for living a life that Jesus taught us as well as to spread the Word of God inorder to save souls for the Kingdom of God. There are many good things that we come across in our daily lives, including a pleasant experience where we can experience the love of God, the good books that we read, the good messages influence us and the good thoughts that come into our minds. If we share these, the goodness and the effects of the message will multipy in many folds in our lives.
As the technologies for media and propaganda have developed a lot, it is possible for one to communicate effectively with the touch of a finger, the utilization of a blog was thought to be ideal and better to share the thoughts as well as to enable all the readers to contribute their valuable comments and reflections.
When looking for the name of the blog, after saying a prayer, opened the Holy Bible for an inspiration. The first word I saw was "Siloam" which means 'sent',as in John 9:6-7, 'After he said this, Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud with the spittle; He rubbed the mud on the man's eyes and told him, "Go and wash your face in the Pool of Siloam." (This means "Sent.") So the man went, washed his face, and came back seeing.'
These words influenced me, as I got it straight from the Bible. I knew this was the word I had to use for the name of the blog, but I wasn't certain that this name will impress many as it is not so popular as many other common names in the Bible. So, naming of the blog delayed for few more days and finally I realized that I had to use the same name as it was given to me by God. But somewhere in the process, while typing, the spelling came out to be 'Shiloam' rather than 'Siloam'. But I realize it only after few days. Now I am so contented to accept it as the plan of God.

As Jesus healed that blind man, lets also ask Jesus to heal our blindness of our innerselves, which is blinded in the worldly things and temptations and prevents us to see the realy beauty of the gift of God. Lets all try and achieve that freedom which is far away from the cravings for richness, wealths and pleasures of this life. The freedom that Christ gives us through the gift of His Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus, help us, guide us and use us as your instrumets of peace and love. Praise and glory to Lord Jesus Christ.

The Sacrament of Marriage

The sacrament of marriage creates the perfect conditions for the transmission of life, so that a new person may come into the world in an atmosphere of love and mutual respect.
God makes married couples His partners by enabling them to participate in the work of creation. Through marriage, the Holy Spirit enables the couples to build a family that is open to life and capable of withstanding the numerous and complex challenges of our time.

Prayer
Lord Jesus, we consecrate our marriage to you: our minds, our momories, our bodies, and souls. Teach us to love each other and our children with the love that flows from Your Merciful Heart. Lord Jesus Christ, grant us a pure heart modeled upon yours, that together we might perfect a love that is wise, generous, faithful and free from self-interest, a love that steadfastly upholds your laws and commandment. May daily family prayer, the rosary, the chaplet of Divine mercy, Holy Mass, and frequent reception of the Eucharist assist us in this endeavor. May we confess at once every sin through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Grant that we may continually draw on the graces, which you make available to us through the Sacrament of Marriage.
Lord Jesus, be master of our hearts. Teach us to control our sexual desires and feelings that our love for each other and our children may not be subject to our moods and emotional states. Rather, may our love be a continual expression of our care and solicitude for each other. Grant us the gift of pure conjugal love that we may give of ourselves generously. Cleanse our love of all selfishness that we may always forgive and pray for each other without nursing grudges. To remain pure in heart, we vow never to read, buy or look at pornographic materials. We pledge never to use contraceptives and always to be ready to accept every child that God may send us. Lord, help us to avoid everything that ensnares, enslaves or incites to evil.
Mary, our Mother, guide us in our journey of faith. Lead us to the very Source of Love - to Jesus, that we may trust and believe in Him alone. After the example of Blessed John Paul II, we entrust ourselves to you: Totus Tuus, Mary! To your immaculate Heart we confide ourselves totally, all that we are, every step we take and every minute of our lives. Amen.

Courtesy: Love One Another, www.loamagazine.org

For Married Couples

Treat yourselves and each other with respect.

Remind yourselves often what brought you together.

Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves.

When frustration, difficulties and fear threaten your relationship, remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong.

In this way you will ride out the storms when the clouds hide the face of the sun. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together it will be marked by abundance and delight.

Taken and adopeted from Mathew 18

A Ladder to Heaven

Happy the man who places his trust in the Lord. (Psalm 39(40):4)
St. Rose of Lima said, 'apart from the cross there is no other ladder by which we may get to heaven.' St. Rose, as only saints can, captured succintly and beautifully how the cross of Jesus has been, from the very beginning, the heart of the gospel message. The apostles pointed consistently and persistently to the crucified Lord, to the One pierced for out iniquities. The crucifix is, if you like, the perfect aide-memoire - it reminds us that the cross, although truly a barbarous tool of execution, was transformed by the Lord into a sign of the greatest love, mercy and new life. We come to the cross to receive those gifts.

Lord Jesus, help us to boast only in your cross because by it you redeemed the world.
Lord we come to your cross to come closer to you. We seek the company of Mary who stood there with you whom you gave to us to be out Mother. Bless us on this journey of prayer. May the blood and water that flowed from your side refresh us in faith and love. Amen.

Courtesy - Walk with me. www.alivepublishing.co.uk

Quotes by Pope John Paul II

1."Marriage is an act of will that signifies and involves a mutual gift, which unites the spouses and binds them to their eventual souls, with whom they make up a sole family - a domestic church."
Pope John Paul II

2."The future starts today, not tomorrow."
Pope John Paul II

3.“Anything done for another is done for oneself.”
Pope John Paul II

4. “To maintain a joyful family requires much from both the parents and the children. Each member of the family has to become, in a special way, the servant of the others.”
Pope John Paul II

5. “Stupidity is also a gift of God, but one mustn't misuse it”
Pope John Paul II

Living in the Light

The man who lives by the truth comes into the light so that it may be plainly seen that what he does is done in God (John 3:21)

The light of Christ is what guides us each day.
The light was first shone into our souls at Baptism. The darknessof our fallen human nature was transformed by this great and powerful light, which burst from the darkest place of all: the tomb of the dead Jesus.
Now we try to walk by this light. The person of Jesus, and his Gospel, becomes our guiding light. Each step of the way we try to bring that light to bear onto what faces us, what we must do or say, how we are going to react.
This is a light of compassionate love, of clear-eyed justice and of forgiveness. It is indeed the light of light!


Courtesy: Walk with me, A lenten Journey of Prayer for 2012. www.alivepublishing.co.uk

The ABCs of the Crusade of Love

Respect Everyone - Christ resides in everyone. Be sensitive to others - they are your brothers and sisters.

Think well of of everyone - think ill of no one. Try to find something good even in the worst circumstances.

Always speak well of others - do not cast a slur on anyone. Repair any harm resulting from an uttered word. Do not provoke strife between people.

Speak to everyone in the language of love - Do not raise your voice. Do not swear. Do not vex others. Do not provoke tears. Reassure others. Show a kind heart.

Forgive everyone everything.do not hold grudges. Always be the first to extend your hand as a sign of reconciliation.

Act always to your neighbour's advantage. Do good things to others, as you would like them done to you. Never give a thought to what others owe you, but always to what you owe them.

Be actively compassionate in time of suffering. Be quick to offer consolation, counsel, assistance, kindness.

Work conscientiously - others benefit from the fruits of your labor, just as you benefit from the labor of others.

Be active in your community. Be open to the poor and the sick. Share your goods. Try to see the needs of those around you.

Pray for everyone, even your enemies.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski (1900 - 1981

This ia an endeavour to do something for the evangelisaton, for spreading the Word of God and accepting Jesus as my Lord and God.

My Lord and My God