Thursday, November 30, 2017

Until

 by Mark Harris



Is it unfair to say that You are leading

Then try and face this mountain on my own
Why am I scared, I've never stopped believing
And You never left me alone
Well, I can get ahead of where you've led me to
But I will trust Your heart enough to wait for You ...



CHORUS:
Until this mountain moves
Until the path is clear
Until Your voice is the only one I can hear
Until I see Your hand
Until I know Your heart
Until I trust the grace that's carried me this far
I will be still, until ...


How could I have never seen this coming
It's not like I've been running from Your will
Tell me why each day's another mystery
Waiting for Your truth to be revealed
I try to tell my heart to trust what I believe
And wait on You through all of my uncertainty ...


CHORUS:
Until this mountain moves
Until the path is clear
Until Your voice is the only one I can hear
Until I see Your hand
Until I know Your heart
Until I trust the grace that's carried me this far
I will be still, until ...


Bridge:

Be still my heart of worry
Be still my restless soul
Be confident and certain
Be still and know



CHORUS:
Until this mountain moves
Until the path is clear
Until Your voice is the only one I can hear
Until I see Your hand
Until I know Your heart
Until I trust the grace that's carried me this far
I will be still, until ...
Oh, I will be still, until

Tuesday, November 28, 2017

QUOTES read


"On September 11, 2001, we all knew one thing right away: that it was not a bunch of Lutherans who flew planes into those buildings."
G.K. McBrien

On St John Paul II: "He met my visiting parents, who were not yet Catholic, and instead of discussing the papal primacy he took their hands and mine and made a kind of sandwich of them between his own. Within little more than a year they were received into the Church. The only personal contribution I made to his pontificate was at a frugal Lenten dinner when he asked the English word for 'homiletics' -- and I told him: 'homiletics.'"
Fr. George Rutler

"We are what we repeatedly do; excellence, then, is not an act but a habit."
Aristotle

"A beatification is not a posthumous honor given to a papacy, however historic and inspiring. It is a recognition by the Church that one of her members lived the theological virtues of faith, hope and love to an heroic degree and that God has confirmed that ecclesial assessment, so to speak, by the granting of a miracle (which only God can do) through prayers made to Him through that person's direct intercession."
Fr. Roger Landry

"Normal is getting dressed in clothes that you buy for work and driving through traffic in a car that you are still paying for -- in order to get to the job you need to pay for the clothes and the car, and the house you leave vacant all day so you can afford to live in it."
Ellen Goodman

"But we don't want some heavenly city on the other side of death. We are still those faded, smudgy Xerox copies of Adam whose hearts pine after restful times spent under Eden's trees heavy with fruit. We use our bulky brains to figure out back doors and forgotten tunnels back into the Garden, or technological means to disable the flaming sword. We prefer the disappointments to which we're resigned to the terrifying transformation that is demanded, and when He gently explains to us that simple innocence no longer is an option, we look deep in His eyes -- and like the rich young man, we go away sad."
John Zmirak

"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery

"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."
Aristotle

"I am all yours Mary and all that I have is yours."
St. John Paul II, Papal Motto

Monday, November 27, 2017

Are you letting your requests be made known to God?

Philippians 4:6-8
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Sunday, November 26, 2017

The Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King, Cycle A

First Reading
Ezekiel 34:11-12,15-17
God himself will shepherd the people of Israel.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 23:1-2,2-3,5-6
The Lord is our shepherd.

Second Reading
Corinthians 15:20-26,28
Because Christ has been raised from the dead, all those who have died will
also be raised.

Gospel Reading
Jesus teaches that when the Son of Man comes in glory, he will judge the
nations, separating the sheep from the goats.

Matthew 25:31-46
Jesus said to his disciples:
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
'Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you frthe foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.'
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'
And the king will say to them in reply,
'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of the least brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left,
'Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.'
Then they will answer and say,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?'
He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.'
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life."


Background on the Gospel Reading

Today’s Gospel passage is the conclusion of Jesus’ discourse with his
disciples. It is about the end of time, the coming of the Son of Man, and
the final judgment. We hear this description of the final judgment at the
conclusion of our liturgical year, the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ
the King. In the context of Matthew’s Gospel, this passage might also be
read as a conclusion of Matthew’s report on Jesus’ life and ministry; the
remaining chapters report the events of Jesus’ Passion and Resurrection.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus describes to his disciples the scene of the
judgment of the Son of Man. All the nations will be assembled before him,
and he will separate them as a shepherd separates sheep and goats upon
their return from the pasture. The judgments made by the Son of Man will be
based upon the acts of mercy shown to the least ones—the hungry, the
thirsty, the naked, the ill, and the imprisoned. Indeed, Jesus, who
suffered on the Cross, identifies himself with the least ones.

Recall that last week’s parable of the talents taught us that the gifts
that we have been given are intended to be used for the service of others,
especially the least among us. Our judgment before God will be based not
only on how we have used these gifts and talents, but also on how we have
extended ourselves in service to these least ones. Indeed, Jesus tells us
that whenever we have served these least ones, we have served Christ
himself.

When we read today’s Gospel in the context of the chapters that follow in
Matthew’s Gospel, we learn the extent to which Jesus identifies with the
least ones. In accepting death on the cross, Jesus shows himself to be one
of the hungry, the naked, the ill, and the imprisoned. To accept Jesus is
to accept him who suffered and died on the Cross as one of the least ones.


Family Connection

In today’s Gospel, Jesus teaches us that we will be judged on only one
thing: the acts of mercy we have shown to the least among us. Jesus
identifies with the least ones; thus we serve Jesus whenever we serve one
of the least ones. The Church calls the actions that Jesus described in
today’s Gospel the Corporal Works of Mercy. These works are to feed the
hungry, to clothe the naked, to bury the dead, to shelter the homeless, to
visit the sick and imprisoned, and to give alms to the poor. In these
actions we show God’s compassion and mercy to those in need.

As you gather as a family, recall the list of the Corporal Works of Mercy.
Talk about some concrete examples of how your family might do these actions
in your community and then discuss why it is important that we do these
things. Read Matthew 25:31-46. Ask: Why does Jesus say we ought to do these
works of mercy? (Because whenever we show mercy to another person, we show
mercy to Jesus himself.) Choose one Corporal Work of Mercy that your family
will act upon this week. Pray together that your family will see and serve
Jesus in the least ones among us. Pray the Lord’s Prayer or an Act of Love.



Sources: Loyola Press;Sunday Readings

Friday, November 24, 2017

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