Seeing God. 1 Jn. 4:11-18
God is love.
And if God is love
Then we must love one another
Or we are not part of God
Now No one has ever seen God,
Or touched God.
If we want to see the face of God
And feel His touch.
Then we must look in the eyes of those we meet
And reach out for their hand.
And by loving them
We will see the face of God
And feel His touch
And know His Love.
St. Andre Bessette
He was born in Québec and joined the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1872: the parish priest sent this functionally illiterate, frail young man to the Congregation with the words “I am sending you a saint”.
He had great confidence in Saint Joseph and recommended prayer to him to all who were sick. So many were cured that Brother André himself was acclaimed as a miracle-worker,
John Neumann
St. John Neumann is known as the first male American saint, a tireless missionary for immigrants (especially German and Irish), and a pioneer in Catholic education, famous for establishing the first diocesan school system in the U.S. as Bishop of Philadelphia, building numerous churches and orphanages, promoting the Forty Hours Devotion, and being a prolific author and organizer. He is the patron saint of educators and immigrants.
Few saints are as important to our country today as St. John Neumann.
Pray to him for a renewal in Catholic Education.
Pray to him to bring light and understanding to Immigration.
Pray to him for clergy and bishops.
Prayer to St. John Neumann
St. John Newmann, servant of God and man,
through your intercession may God grant us the grace,
to serve the poor,the uneducated and the clergy and bishops.
May we live as you lived,
persevering in every difficulty,
to know and to do God's Holy Will.
In this life, may we share your intercession,
the protection of Mary,
and the grace of Jesus Christ,
Our Lord and Redeemer.
Amen.
The Wise and the Foolish
What made the Three Kings wise?
They knew that gold does make one happy.
That Frankincense was used to worship God and they were only human.
And that Myrrh used to embalm the dead would be used for their death and burial one day.
As wise men, they knew the true value of gold, frankincense, and Myrrh.
They knew that those who chase after gold are fools
That those who think they are like gods are fools
And and those who think that death will never come for them, are fools
If we wish to truly be wise
Come to Jesus with your poverty
Come to Jesus with your humanity
And come to Jesus when you are dying
And He will fill you with riches beyond compare.
Transform your humanity into His Divinity
And death will be no more.
And then we will be the Wisest of all!
Lord Jesus, I thank You for the gift of Your Blessed Mother.
Mother Mary, I ask for your intercession throughout this new year.
I commit and consecrate this new year to your Immaculate Heart.
I pray that your Immaculate Heart will speak for me and my family throughout this new year.
Dear Mother, help me to pray to love God above all things and to do His will throughout this new year.
Mother, defend and protect me and all members of my family from all harm and danger.
Dear Mother, help me to live a holy life this new year.
Dear Mother, you are full of God's grace. Let the grace of God flow abundantly into my life and family.
Increase in me the wisdom and knowledge of God.
Through your help and intercession, let the spirit of excellence be upon all that I do.
Mother, before you and in the presence of God, I renounce the devil and all that has to do with him.
Mother, I consecrate my entire self to your Immaculate Heart.
I consecrate my entire family to your Immaculate Heart.
Protect our souls from the fires of hell.
Mother, let this year be filled with blessings and testimonies. Amen.
Make Straight Jn. 1:19-28
It is a New year;
So get rid of the old;
Leave the past behind.
Set a new course;
A straight one ;
A straight one for the Lord.
Yet There are so many obstacles we place in the way of God.
Fears; Habits; Doubts; Sins;
And we wonder why we never reach our goal.
The goal is Christ!
Make a straight path year;
And let nothing get in the way.
New Year’s Resolutions
The Imitation of Christ
Every Year people make New Year’s Resolutions.
A long list of things they want to change or accomplish during the New Year.
But after a few months they all go out the window.
And ultimately nothing is accomplished.
In the Imitation of Christ;
Which is the most widely published and read book next to the Bible,
Thomas a Kempis wrote,
“If every year we rooted out just one fault.
We would soon become perfect.”
Rather than make a long list of things you want to change or accomplish.
Pick just one thing,
and work on it all year long.
Even if you, fail at it in March,
Start again in April.
If you fail at it in June,
Start again in July.
Just work on one thing.
And at the end of the Year,
You would be surprised how far you have come.
And then the next Year,
Choose something else;
And work on that one thing all year long.
And soon as the years go by,
One will see how far one has come.
And how much one has accomplished.
