Gratitude & Thanksgiving

Blessedness does not only mean receiving good things.  If we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we cannot be just spectators in life. 

We give you praise for the Scripture we do not understand. We give you praise for the mystery that is You.

      Are we making ourselves so busy that we do not have time to think about God? Have we made ourselves slaves to doing? Have we set up an unmanageable pace for ourselves?

 the wisdom from above  s first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield,  full of mercy and good fruits,  without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy

  Pope’s prayer intentions for 2022 JANUARY 2022 - For true human fraternity We pray for all those suffering from religious discrimination and persecution; may their own rights and dignity be recognized, which originate from being brothers and sisters in the human family. FEBRUARY 2022 - For religious sisters and consecrated women We pray for religious sisters and consecrated women; thanking them for their mission and their courage; may they continue to find new responses to the challenges of our times.   MARCH 2022 - For a Christian response to bioethical challenges We pray for Christians facing new bioethical challenges; may they continue to defend the dignity of all human life with prayer and action.   APRIL 2022 - For health care workers We pray for health care workers who serve the sick and the elderly, especially in the poorest countries; may they be adequately supported by governments and local communities.   MAY 2022 - For faith-filled youn...

  Joy is a state of being independent of passing situations.   Joy is sustained by the truth of God

Keep our eyes on Jesus. Be fixated on the Lord.

Today's Gospel reading is the passage from Mark 6:45-52 - Jesus walks on water Fr Michael Payyapilly from the Holy Family Church in Doveton, Australia gave a homily that resonates so much with me, affirming the disposition and approach to adopt as we take our problems to our Father in prayer. I have transcribed his homily here, and also sharing the link on You-tube at the end of this transcription. 

Noting down some gems I am reading…. When someone would ask Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta what they could do to serve,  she was known for taking the person’s hand and touching each finger, she would say,  You-did-it-to-me. I was hungry  and you gave me to eat,  I was naked  and you clothed me,  I was sick  and you visited me.  Whatever you did  to the least of my brethren,  you did it to me. Mt 25:31 Pope Francis said  We are to be  heralds of mercy .  Especially at a moment  full of great hopes  and signs of contradiction,  to introduce everyone to the great mystery of God’s mercy by contemplation of the Face of Christ. ” To love God and neighbor is not something abstract, but profoundly concrete: it means seeing in every person the face of the Lord to be served, to serve him concretely .” Jesus gives us two faces, and  actually only one real face, that of God reflected in many faces, because in t...

                                      Recent events and chats with friends prompted me to more consistently pursue my exercise regime - walks and cycling.  So, I have been looking out for, and inviting walking companions but none readily agreed.  At dinner one of these evenings with old friends, one of them inspired me with her daily hour long morning walks.  Before bed that night, I decided I would go ahead albeit by myself.  I set the alarm for 7am. I woke up on time and set off for the walk alone.    As soon as I started the walk, my heart thanked the Lord for the beautiful morning and the peace.     I prayed the morning prayer with an audio app, which took 18 beautiful minutes.     Then I listened to the day's scripture readings.   I had reached Frankel by then, witnessing the neighbourhood "waking up".  I  decided to p...

Excerpt from Rev Fr Robert Barron's reflections in the second Joyful mysteries of the Rosary (the Visitation of Mary)  

Heavenly Father, St Joseph set aside his own plans, to embrace your dream for us.   You invited his help to care for Jesus Your Son and our Saviour.   Enable us to live by Your loving plan, and to reflect to the   world  the light of Christ.  Just as St Joseph was faithful parent and diligent worker, give parents the wisdom to support own children and to guide them in the way and work of Your Kingdom.   May we, like St Joseph, have tenderness and reverence for your creations.  We learn from him to approach others justly and tenderly and to see our world as endowed with the glory of God. Teach us to love one another and to be of humble service to all of creation empowered by your life within us.  St Joseph, man of dream and trusting steward, pray for us. 

Rev Fr Michael Payyapilly VC (online mass) spoke about today's Gospel Luke 5:17-26 - the story of some men carrying the paralyzed man to Jesus.

(Scripture reflection from The Magnificat, Luke 13:10-17) “Woman, you are set free” Now I am going to tell you how I experience God, his divine presence and the effects it produces in me. I experience God at all times and in all places—when I am working, when I am eating, and even when I am in bed—but not always in the same manner nor with the same intensity. Thus, when I am alone in my cell and not distracted by physical occupations, I feel drawn by an infinite sweetness and power. My soul enjoys a complete and serene peacefulness, like a sky without any clouds. At other times it seems as if God is carrying me in his arms and he hugs me as a mother does her child. Then I say to him—no, I don’t say anything, I feel—“My God, why are you so good and why do you love this unworthy creature so much?” And I hear him say to me, although rather than hear I understand: “I do the same to all…. My desires are to unite myself with souls.”  In order that you may understand, I am...

Beautiful reading from  Romans 8:12-17  about the Trinitarian Love (and commentary from Universalis) Romans 8:12-17  My brothers, there is no necessity for us to obey our unspiritual selves or to live unspiritual lives. If you do live in that way, you are doomed to die; but if by the Spirit you put an end to the misdeeds of the body you will live.   Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God . The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons , and it makes us cry out, ‘ Abba, Father !’ The Spirit himself and our spirit bear united witness that we are children of God . And if we are children we are heirs as well: heirs of God and coheirs with Christ, sharing his sufferings so as to share his glory. Commentary This is a wonderful Trinitarian passage. To begin with, in the Lord’s Prayer Jesus has himself authorized us to call God our Father , giving us the Aramaic word , which he himself used in the A...

https://www.facebook.com/mamamia/videos/no-filter-with-eddie-jaku/348981262623281/ (if you cant view it on FB, check this link:  https://www.mamamia.com.au/eddie-jaku-died/ ) My mum forwarded this video, it is good.  It is short, and wise, by Eddie Jaku, a Holocaust survivor who died aged 101 on 12 Oct 2021, just give days ago*.   He had two messages in the short video: Do not hate Give 

  To be forgiven and to be in the family of God, we don’t earn it, it comes from the blood of Christ. But to stay in the family of God, we have to be faithful to that love that He has given us.

Grant your mercy O Lord , to love what you command and to desire what you promise. Grant your mercy O Lord that amid the uncertainties of this world, our hearts may be fixed on that place where true gladness is found. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you  in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Adapted from the Collect 23 Aug 2021 

              Are we spiritually anorexic? Are we starving ourselves to death by not being hungry for the Word, the Eucharist, for God's community and for prayer? Lord may we no longer stuff ourselves with the things of the world so as to lose our spiritual appetites.  May we crucify our flesh and its passions and its desires so we may restore our baptism appetite.    Prayer by Fr Al Lauer (1947-2002) at the Presentation Ministries.

    P rayer is putting myself in the presence of God. It is availing myself to contemplate Him. It is being open to receive what He puts in my heart and my mind. It is an opportunity to receive His pardon, to be infused in His wisdom, to absorb His grace. Prayer is complete trust, total surrender, full disclosure. Prayer is baring all, no words, no facade It is a silence that says everything. Prayer is a receiving in the quiet A hearing in the silence Receiving His instructions And receiving His grace to execute them. I desire to be in God's constant presence. I desire this heaven on earth. In all that I do in the day and in the night I do then all with Him Lord, help me to be more keenly aware of Your presence Lord, help me to pray with Your Word May the Gospel occupy my mind May my life continue to be an unending prayer to You.     Sandra Lai

Sharing an excellent talk by Rev Fr Mike Schmitz, may you be blessed as I am, by the gems from Fr Mike. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmWEXloc9cU  

    I begin by quieting bother, interiorly and exteriorly. I take the norm of silence as being extremely important for an atmosphere of love which will allow God my Father to communicate with me.   I shall take care to remain recollected to relax and to let go in His presence. May I have A listening heart An open heart A patient waiting A beggar spirit A capacity for a sense of the true  And a taste for the good A generous heart A heart with faith, hope and love Silence before God is not about achieving.  Its about receiving.    Teach me, Lord,  how to come to thee.   Nothing else do I have but willingness.   How am I to reach thee,  I do not know.   Do thou inspire me,  show me,  give me what I need for my journey.    St Augustine

( Gospel reading,15 Jul 2021) No burden is too heavy  when it is given in love and carried in love. He gives us His strength to follow His way of love. He lifts the weight of hopelessness. We exchange  a yoke despair  for a weight of glory and victory with Him. Carry Jesus' yoke of love, grace, and freedom. Rest joyfully  in His presence. Walk daily with Him along the path He has for us. ( Extracted from Daily   Reflections by Don Schwager)

      Today's Gospel from Mat 11:20-24 - the judgment on Sodom and Chorazin made me think. And a reflection article asks: "If Jesus were to visit your community today, what would he say?  Would he issue a warning like the one he gave to Chorazin and Bethsaida?" A sense of guilt has been with me for a while.   All that I have, all that I experience, all that I ever will have, will be - are blessings from the Lord.  This I know truly, I believe wholeheartedly and I give thanks sincerely.  So much blessings I am receiving from the Lord, yet so little discipline in my prayer life.   So much I pack into my days, yet so little space I put aside for my Lord. What would Jesus say when he comes to my home, see my day & the way I spend my time, observe my interactions with my closest ones.... would he lament and issue a stern warning like he did to Chorazin and Bethsaida? Do my priorities and actions point to indifference to Him?  In wha...