Name: Aaron P
A Catholic man in love with Jesus and the Church
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I am passing on this for all those who don't believe in a God or think they can challenge Him. I didn't come up with it but I like it.
So again I ask you what do you dream? No I don't mean what type of dream did you have last night or what dream do you remember last. Yes, I have had dreams that have shook me from my bed and some that have made me open an dialogue with my Lord right away. No the dreams I'm talking about is in the category "what is it that you desire?"
One of the dreams I have is the end of ignorance and racism. Some of us are under the belief that is when we will not notice the color of ones skin. I think it means just the opposite that we will recognize each others race and embrace them as they are not as we want them to be. If we are not comfortable with someone or a group of people because of their race then we should look inside ourselves not at them to see what is wrong. "How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,' when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye? You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter in your brother's eye." Lk 6:42
What will we say to our Lord on that day when he sees us face to face. Will we say "it was just a joke, I didn't know how hurtful?" Will we say "it was just a word, I didn't mean anything by it." I believe it will be at that time that we will see those words and actions as they nail our Savior to the cross. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins, Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. ISA 53:5
Yeah, I know some think it is unreal that there will be no racism or hatred. Not for a second do I believe that. I have faith not just in the goodness of all men but in a God who can change hearts. Who can soften a hardened heart. Thats my dream that we will come to love our fellow man. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. JN 13:34 So how does Jesus love you? He died for you, he took a beating for you and he gave everything he had for you.
So do you believe that you are a little more charismatic than men who follow sheep around in the field? Think about it not many shepherds are known for their charismatic speaking. Let's face it; it doesn't take much speaking ability to make sheep listen to you. Sheep are not known for their intelligence. Actually they are known for not being very bright and very easily lead. Ok, so what is the point? It is in the following line from St. Lukes Gospel right after they visited Jesus after His birth.
"When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds."
What about you are you amazed? Have you come to believe? If so why aren't people amazed at what you have to say about your savior and your belief? I am actually amazed by the people who believe that they can not tell others about their belief in Jesus and his Church. People believe that they can not evangelize others. Why not, they were only shepherds, who would listen to them?
When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been to to them." Luke 2:17-20
Merry Christmas!
What do you believe about the birth of Jesus?
Did you know that St. Bridgett had a vision of the nativity? In her vision she was there at the birth of Jesus. When Mary gave birth to the baby Jesus she laid him on the ground and knelt down and adored him not as her baby but as her Savior.
So will you adore Jesus as your personal Savior this Christmas?
" When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us."
So they went in haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the infant lying in the manger.
When they saw this, they made known the message that had been told them about this child. All who heard it were amazed by what had been told them by the shepherds.
And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.
Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them." Luke 2:15-20
So speaking to some teens today telling them about the best sermon I ever heard by Fr. John Beal. The Sermon was based on we are dust in the wind. All His work and in the expanse of the universe we are dust. Not bad for over 25 years later, it must have been a good one.
Dust compared to A God who created all this. Yet he loves us and cares for us. And the dust returns to the earth as it once was, and the life breath returns to God who gave it.
Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth, all things are vanity! Eccl 12:7-8
To all my seminarian friends, happy feast day. Here are just a couple of quotes from St. Charles Borromeo on who's feast day it is. May all the saints especially St. Charles Borromeo pray for you this day.
Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one thing, but live otherwise, and your words will bring only cynical laughter and a derisive shake of the head.
"(0 Mary,) let me be intoxicated with the cross!"
This is suppose to be a parody of a celeberty's ad. There is a lot of truth in this.
"The word of the LORD came to me thus:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you." Jer 1:4-5
So what is it that frustrates you. For me and I believe for my wife it is our insurance company. As I said in one of the earlier posts we have had major water damage to the inside of our house starting on the second floor going through the floor to the ceiling on the first floor. From there it flooded our first floor and then the basement. I'm not sure you can imagine the devastation but maybe i will show a couple of pictures for you. It has been four and half weeks and we are not close to settling with insurance company. Their estimate is 1/3 of the cost of our contractor. That is a lot of money.
We have great friends who are helping us. Our contractor has been very patient with all of our requests. Our insurance agency has been also very good with us and helping us try to settle with the insurance company. Please pray for a man named Larry, he has not been what I would call a professional in working with us. His demeanor and his attitude needs work, so we will allow the Lord to help.
The good news is that we have another man assigned from the company. He is coming tomorrow to look at the house to determine why there is such a big difference between the estimates. Hopefully this will help. I know that all my hope though comes only from one place.
"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace* with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access (by faith) to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the holy Spirit that has been given to us." Rom 5:1-5
Do we expect the unexpected? Do I? When working with teens and tweens there should be nothing that is unexpected, right? I'm reminded all the time that isn't true. No matter what you think you have heard before or seen before somebody has got something new. Well, maybe it isn't new but it is a new twist to it. Things the seventh grade boys were making a joke about, should they even know some of these things to make jokes about? Do we understand to what level they understand or maybe what level of stuff they have seen?
I read the other day that the average young person views pornagraphy at the age of 10. How do they know that? What if it's really true. What is this doing to the minds of young people. Check out this link if you think it doesn't make a difference Protect our Kids harms
As you can tell this is a rant. I'm tired of the worst of our world messn up our kids. Isn't it time we take them back. I do have a quote for those who think it's no big deal
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea. MT 18:6
Thats our God speaking, so what are we doing to change it. What are you and I going to do about this?
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