Gratitude & Thanksgiving

14 Nov 2017  Tue “Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in deed and in truth” ( 1 Jn  3:18).  O ur Holy Father Pope Francis declared this 19 Nov Sunday as the First Day of the Poor.  He said in his encyclical: At the conclusion of the Jubilee of Mercy, I wanted to offer the Church a  World Day of the Poor , so that throughout the world Christian communities can become an ever greater sign of Christ’s charity for the least and those most in need.   I invite the whole Church...to turn their gaze on this day to all those who stretch out their hands and plead for our help and solidarity. He has some important messages for us, and I attempt to share my takeaways with you…. (Words in brown are extracted directly from the Pope’s encyclical.    The full encyclical can be found in the link at the bottom of this sharing.) What this World Day of the Poor is to mean for us all… This  Day of the Poor  is meant,...

  The Gospel was about the Ten Bridesmaid, five wise ones and five foolish ones…. from Mathew 25:1-13.   Rev Fr Francis Lau asked,   “ Are we ready to meet the King?”   "There is nothing more certain than death. There is nothing more uncertain than the time of death." Is our life in a state of preparedness? Are we doing all we can to receive the graces we need through the Sacraments, prayers and good wor ks? Are w e the light of Christ, shining for all?   Fr Lau quoted Pope XXIII “My bags are packed and now I am ready to go home.”  What about us, are we ready to meet our Lord and King?

      In the silence of the night, thinking about the many whose lives are transformed through the illness of a loved one….and penning my thoughts… . "MORE" We think we are getting less... until we realize we have been given more. We think it's tribulation, nothing more... until we understand it's God pouring His love unto us all. We think it's misfortune,  we pray for no more... until we comprehend the magnitude  of the blessing and learn to say - Thank you God, for this much More. How mysterious are God’s ways His thoughts are not our thoughts When I couldn’t comprehend so many things during my late sister’s journey through cancer this verse from Romans  accompanied me through those many moments.   "..we boast in our sufferings,  knowing that suffering produces endurance,  and endurance produces character,  and character produces hope,  and hope does not disapoint us,  because God’s love has been poured into our hearts t...