Gratitude & Thanksgiving

From the depth of every human  We pray to Christ our saviour In the darkness of our sin, you are there, Lord; In the depth of our despair, you are there, Lord; In the shadow of our confusion, you are there, Lord; In our fears, you are there, Lord; In our loneliness, you are there, Lord; In our helplessness, you are there, Lord; In that instant we doubted, you are there, Lord; In that moment we fell, you are there, Lord; In that instant of disbelief, you are there, Lord; In the valley of death, you are there, Lord.

Through Christ, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.  Hebrews 13:15 "Enliven us with zeal Strengthen us with courage Fill us with s elf sacrificing love for the Gospel May our behaviour change modelled by the new mind you give us May our contrite soul be acceptable to you as we put our heart into following you into fearing you and seeking your face Help us learn to live like Christians and be zealous that in all things whatsoever we may prosper , in body and in soul in faith and in love in the Son and the Father and the Spirit in the beginning and the end."

[Notes taken from Benedictus Moments] Peace is a irrepressible yearning present in the heart of each person... We need to regain the awareness that we share a common destiny which is ultimately transcendent. .. The truths of peace calls upon everyone to cultivate productive and sincere relationships . It encourages them to seek out and to follow the paths of forgiveness and reconciliationion , to be transparent in their dealing with others and to be faithful to their word. Peace is possible whenever we listen to our own hearts with pure intentions... Jesus is the truth in person. ...we look to Him in person.  He disclosed the full truth about humanity and about humanity history.  The power of His grace makes it possible to live in and by His truth since He alone is completely true and faithful.   Jesus is the truth which gives us peace.  Pope Benedictus XVI  @Benedictus Moments 15 Oct 2019 Description ...

St John Henry Newman wrote: "I have never been able to see a connection between apprehending the difficulties...and doubting the doctrines to which they are attached. Ten thousand difficulties do not make one doubt as I understand the subject, difficult and doubt are incommensurate.  A man be annoyed that he cannot work out a mathematical problem without doubting that it admits of an answer or that a particular answer is a true one."  There is a difference between doubt and difficulty.   The person with difficulty says “How can that be so?” Where’s a person who doubts says, “That can’t be so!” Contrast Mary's difficulty in understand with Sarah's doubt: Luke 1:34 "Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” Genesis 18:12-14 “So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure? Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have...

A genteel lady of 85, It is our blessing to have known you, Mdm Lim.... Enjoy your heavenly reward,  in peace and joy in eternity.... “...we believe that having died with Christ, we shall return to life with him:  Christ as we know, having been raised from the dead will never die again.  Death has no power over him any more.  When he died, he died, once for all, to sin, so his life now is life with God; and in that way, you too must consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.”  Rom 6:8-11 If we have died with him, then we shall live with him. (2 Tim 2:11) May the Lord guard our going and coming, both now and for ever.  Amen (Ps 120:8)

[ Notes taken from Fr Donald Haggerty's message] “ Conversions are never entirely sudden, coming from nowhere, even when they seem to ignite an explosively new force within a life. The hidden chiselling of the hand of God has usually been at work for an unknown time; concealed touches have been laid upon the heart; the trailing of the soul has taken place into its shadowed hours, sometimes for long periods of time.   God meets a soul at a crossroad of life and in some unexpected way makes his real presence known .  A peronal encounter with the real mystery of a personal God is at the heart of every conversion.” Fr Donald Haggerty, Priest of the Archdiocese of New York.

It is good to give thanks to the Lord... To proclaim your love in the morning And your truth in the watches of the night... Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad For the work of your hands I shout with joy. O Lord, how great are your works! How deep are your designs! The foolish man cannot know this And the fool cannot understand.... Psalm 91 (92) O Lord, how great are your works! When we are blind to your many gifts When we are unable to give thanks When we mistake your gifts for our own achievements... Help us not be fools Help us see and say O Lord how great are your works! Inflame us with the spirit of gratitude That we may ever return thanks...

"A deep spirit of thanksgiving is what keeps us strong in the faith, so that we are never tempted to deny the one who has saved us."

Gratitude is an instinctive human response. Human give thanks just like birds sing. Children are taught to say thank you but they hardly need to be taught in the first instance to feel gratitude. Taking time to give thanks makes us realise the many blessings we have instead of focusing on what we don't have. Gratitude gives us the opportunity to appreciate and value the gifts that are given, and remember those who are less fortunate than us. Homily, Rev Fr Michael Teo @Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, 14 Oct 2019 Sun

Have I seen the face of God? Do I find the face of God in the less unfortunate?

“I am a child, unable to anything helpful or valuable on my own. Yet my loving Father puts into my hands the riches of His graces, and the infinitely valuable merits of Christ....to bring these riches to the world.  And He looks with fatherly delight on my small attempts to live up to His gift .”  Wendy-Irene Zepeda (@Magnificat)

"If we could only comprehend the immensity of God's plan for our lives, and the importance of our prayers , we would stop in our tracks and re-evaluate our priorities immediately.  Life is just too short and too precious to waste on empty things ."  (Linda Schubert @ Miracle Hour)