Father, I can’t explain this kind of love This kind of grace I know I still break Your heart And yet You run to welcome me
This is my song of praise to You For who You are and all that You do From the moment my life began You have been faithful
Father, I love the way You hold me close And say my name I know when my life is through My heart will find its home in You
This is my song of praise to You For who You are and all that You do From the moment my life began You have been faithful You will be faithful Forever faithful
This is our song of praise to You For who You are and all that You do From before the world began You have been faithful You will be faithful Forever faithful
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. For ever and ever. Amen
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. Now and for ever. Amen
O Jesus, how many generous souls. . .have kept Thee company in the Garden, sharing Thy bitterness and Thy mortal anguish. . .How many hearts in the course of the centuries have responded generously to Thy invitation. . .May this multitude of souls, then, in this supreme hour, be a comfort to Thee, who, better than the disciples, share with Thee the distress of Thy heart, and cooperate with Thee for their own salvation and that of others. And grant that I also may be of their number, that I also may offer Thee some relief.
There is a Chinese story of a farmer who used an old horse to till his fields. One day, the horse escaped into the hills and when the farmer's neighbors sympathized with the old man over his bad luck, the farmer replied, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?" A week later, the horse returned with a herd of horses from the hills and this time the neighbors congratulated the farmer on his good luck. His reply was, "Good luck? Bad luck? Who knows?"
Then, when the farmer's son was attempting to tame one of the wild horses, he fell off its back and broke his leg. Everyone thought this very bad luck. Not the farmer, whose only reaction was, "Bad luck? Good luck? Who knows?"
Some weeks later, the army marched into the village and conscripted every able-bodied youth they found there. When they saw the farmer's son with his broken leg, they let him off. Now was that good luck or bad luck? Who knows?
Everything that seems on the surface to be an evil may be a good in disguise. And everything that seems good on the surface may really be an evil. So we are wise when we leave it to God to decide what is good fortune and what misfortune, and thank him that all things turn out for good with those who love him.
I recieved an e-mail from a friend today and this was what's written.
God indeed is ever-loving - no matter what your religion would be.
A Muslim man in Egypt killed his wife because she was reading the Bible and then buried her with their infant baby and 8-year old daughter. The girls were buried alive! He then reported to the police that an uncle killed the kids! . 15 days later, another family member died. When they went to bury him, they found the 2 little girls under the sand - ALIVE!
The country is outraged over the incident, and the man will be executed. The older girl was asked how she had survived. "A man wearing shiny white clothes, with bleeding wounds in his hands, came every day to feed us. He woke up my mom so she could nurse my sister," she said. She was interviewed on Egyptian national TV, by a veiled Muslim woman news anchor. She said on public TV, "This was none other than Jesus, because nobody else does things like this!"
Muslims believe Isa (Jesus) would do this, but the wounds mean He really was crucified, and it's clear also that He is alive! But, it's also clear that the child could not make up a story like this, and there is no way these children could have survived without a true miracle. Muslim leaders are going to have a hard time to figure out what to do with this, and the popularity of the Passion movie doesn't help! With Egypt at the centre of the media and education in the Middle East , you can be sure this story will spread.
'Stay with me, Lord, for as poor as my soul is I want it to be a place of consolation for You.'
'When Jesus wants to make me happy, He fills my heart with that spirit which is all fire, and speaks to me about His delights; but when He wants to be consoled, He speaks to me about His pains, and invites me in a manner that is both a request and a command, to offer my body to alleviate His sufferings.'
VERY HAPPY AND BLESSED EASTER TO ALL MY FRIENDS! MAY THE RESURRECTED CHRIST ALWAYS BE YOUR SOURCE OF STRENGTH, JOY AND LOVE! MAY HE LEAD YOU A SURE WAY TO HEAVEN THROUGH HIS HOLY , VICTORIOUS CROSS!
...How consoling it is to know that near us is a spirit who, from cradle to the tomb, does not leave us even for an instant, not even when we dare to sin. And this heavenly spirit guides and protects us like a friend, a brother.
..It is extremely consoling to know that this angel prays without ceasing for us and offers to God all our good actions, our thoughts, our desires, if they are pure. For pity's sake, don't forget this invisible companion , always present , always ready to listen to us, and even more ready to console us. O delightful intimacy, O blessed company! If we could only understand it!
Always keep him present to your mind's eye. Often remember the presence of this angel; thank him, pray to him, always keep him good company.Open up yourself to him, and confide your suffering to him. Have a constant fear of offending the purity of his gaze. Know this and keep it well imprinted on your mind. He is so delicate, so sensitive. Turn to him in times of extreme anxiety, and you will experience his beneficial help.
Maximilian Kolbe , a Polish priest, was the most unusual prisoner of a death camp Auschwitz. This humble friar acted like a true messenger of God in a place that was nothing more but Hell on Earth!
Kolbe was a greatly educated man. He had studied philosophy, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and psychology in Rome. He had a mind of an inventor-he even designed a spaceship. Kolbe started the largest catholic press office in Poland for his time and the monastery with the biggest amount of monks (762 brothers) in the world at that time called Niepokalanow. His love for Niepokalana (The Immaculate Conception) was the driving force for all of his actions.
Kolbe- the one with the beard
In 1941 brother Maximilian was arrested by Gestapo and soon in May taken to Auswitch. Germans treated the Jews worst of all there, and catholic priests were number two on the list of hatred. He worked as a woodcutter in the camp so he had to carry heavy timber on his back. Kolbe always got a double amount to carry and every time he fell down , he was bitten by the guards. He never complained. When he was ill, he was given 50% of a 'hunger food' and still he shared this very little with his companions. He was always compassionate and caring towards others. At nights he prayed and heard confessions (although it was strictly forbidden by Gestapo) . He taught his fellow prisoners not to answer hatred to hatred.
On July 29, 1941 one person was missing from Kolbe's barracks and the Nazi told all the inmates to stand still whole day and night with no food ,no caps in a freezing cold. The next day the Germans called an assembly of the prisoners and were going to choose 10 people to die starvation death as a form of punishment and to deter further escape attempts. When a young man called Franciszek Gajowniczek was appointed to death, he cried out' Jesus , my wife, my children!' The Germans ignored his calling. At that time Maximilian walked forward. Leaving the row without permission was breaking one of the most severe Nazi rules and meant one thing- death. The other prisoners were sure the SS would kill Kolbe on the spot but the Germans stood still in shock that someone had dared to break their order. Kolbe was very calm when the officer in charge of the concentration camp asked another SS man- "What does this Polish swine want?" (in German). They wanted to get an interpreter but Kolbe understood German and standing still he replied in their language " I want to die instead of him" "Who are you?" was the next question" "A Polish priest" he replied . Saying that demanded enormous courage as Germans hated priests as I said before. But then, the SS captain did something never seen in that place. Instead of addressing the prisoner in a vulgar 'you' he said ' why do you want to die for him, sir?" Sir is a word no German never before and never after said to a prisoner.The priest said' He has a wife and kids' A while later the SS man agreed to this unusual change.
During the time in the cell, Maximilian Maria Kolbe prayed with the men and prepared them for the meeting with the Father in Heaven. He heard confessions and raised their spirits. After three weeks of dehydration and starvation, only Kolbe and three others were still alive. Finally, he was murdered with an injection of carbolic acid.
On 10 October 1982 Maximilian Kolbe was canonized by the Polish Pope John Paul II in the presence of the man , whose life he had saved.
Here is a poem that Father Gavin Griffith, OFM shared with us. He first discovered it on a wall - a part of the graffiti collection that ornamented the sleeping quarters of an alcohol recovery centre for men on the streets.
