I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

 

Celebrating Pentecost with The Lord's Prayer in Aramaic

Come Holy Spirit!

On Pentecost 2000 or so years ago, the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles in that upper room with a mighty gust of wind and appeared as tongues of fire and the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit proclaiming the resurrection of Jesus to all those who heard them. Acts 2:1–31. It was the opposite of the Tower of Babel; everyone heard the disciples speaking in their own language! Jesus sent The Holy Spirit of understanding, not confusion. Amen!

The Catholic Church was born that day. I like to think Mary, Our Mother dandled the newborn church on her lap even! What a glorious mystery indeed!

The Lord’s Prayer in the Ancient Aramaic, the language Jesus spoke.

Aboon Dbashmayo (Our Father who art in Heaven)
Nethcadash shmokh (hallowed be thy name).
teethe malkoothokh, (thy Kingdom come),
nehwe sebyonokh, (thy will be done);
aykano Dbashmayo off bar’o. (on earth as it is in heaven.)
Hab lan lahmo dsoonconan yawmono, (Give us this day our daily bread).
washbook lan howbain wahtohain (and forgive us our trespasses)
aykano doff hnan shbakn il hayobain (as we forgive those who trespass against us)
lo thaalan il nessyoono (and lead us not into temptation)
elo fasson men beesho (but deliver us from evil)
metool ddeelokhee malkootho, (for thine is the kingdom)
ou haylo ou Teshbohto, (and the power, and the glory)
loalam olmen Amin. (for ever and ever. Amen.)

My Middle Name

I quite like my middle name ; it's "awesome". I was named after St. Thérèse of Lisieux also known as 'the little flower' therefore my middle name is Thérèse with the accents and all except I'm not religious but it makes me feel that I am loved just the same. For those who don't know her she became a nun at 15 in 1888 , and was only 24 when she died of tuberculosis . The Church honors her by declaring her to be a doctor of the Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II. You can read her autobiographical 'Story of a Soul ' here and all I know is she loved Our Lord a whole lot , which is inspiring but I am not as obedient or even "good" for that matter, although I did get pleurisy not tuberculosis but she died and I am still alive . Obviously, she had a very close and personal (intimate) relationship with Jesus , and I don't, so ya I consider her as one who was married to Christ even at a young age .
Her mother died when she was a child and I was abandoned by my mother at age 15 . Other than that I don't think I have much in common with the saint *shrugs

Oh and FYI :p her feast was just yesterday October 1st . The church commemorates their death not their birth.

St. Thérèse Quote taken from The Story of A Soul:

“I assure you that the good Lord is much kinder than you can imagine. He is satisfied with a glance, with a sigh of love… In regard to myself, I find it easy to practice perfection, because I have learned that the way to Jesus is through His Heart. Consider a small child who has vexed his mother by a display of bad temper or disobedience. If the child hides in a corner through fear of punishment, he feels that his mother will not forgive him. But if instead, he extends his little arms towards her and with a smile cries out: ‘Love, kiss me, mamma, I will not do it again,’ will not his mother press the little one to her heart with tenderness, and forget what the child has done? And yet, though she knows very well that her dear little one will misbehave again at the first opportunity, that means nothing if the child appeals to her heart. He will never be punished…”

My Ideal Saturday Night

Ukrainian Catholic Church

I don't like to drink but I do have one or two beer occasionally so drinking is not my idea of a good time . Oddly I feel better when I go to Church especially when I'm able to receive Jesus in the Eucharist . That makes everything feel a little lighter and brighter and gives me strength and graces and I like that . So my ideal saturday night would not be without going to Church first of all . Then going to some fancy restaurant with someone you love and ordering your favorite foods , whatever that may be . The ideal saturday night for me wouldn't be without having gone shopping for a dress or new shoes to wear. Going out to a movie afterwards is how I like to spend Saturday nights. Expect it isn't cheap , that's all .


1. shopping for a nice dress or shoes or both
2. going to church
3. nice restaurant good food
4. movie

Describe your ideal Saturday night.
What activities and what people are included?

A Call To Repentance and Reconciliation

We Are Ourselves Nothing

Origins

This is mouthful to digest and ponder and it is a quote from Pope Benedict's Homily for the dedication of the Church of the Holy Family 'Sagrada Familia' in Barcelona Spain yesterday.

Read his homily online

"Let each man take care how he builds. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor 3:10-11).

The Church of herself is nothing; she is called to be the sign and instrument of Christ, in pure docility to his authority and in total service to his mandate. The one Christ is the foundation of the one Church. He is the rock on which our faith is built.

Building on this faith, let us strive together to show the world the face of God who is love and the only one who can respond to our yearning for fulfilment.

(We are nothing without Christ)
(His mouthpiece)
(Total effacement)
(One One One)
(Amen)
(The faith of Christ)
(If indeed it will save a few)

I think I get the spiritual connection at least I hope so .

"Do you not know that you are God's temple?... God's temple is holy, and you are that temple" (1 Cor 3:16-17).

Pope greets a Cypriot Muslim leader

VATICAN CITY, 5 JUN 2010 (VIS) - This afternoon in Nicosia, the Pope met with Sheikh Mehmet Nazim Adil Al-Haquani, an 89-year-old Cypriot Muslim leader active in the field of inter-religious dialogue.

The brief meeting took place outside the apostolic nunciature, before the Holy Father's Mass in the church of the Holy Cross. Sheikh Al-Haquani explained how he lived in northern Cyprus and had come especially to greet the Pontiff. According to Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J., the sheikh had excused himself for awaiting the Pope seated. "I am very old", he said, to which the Pope replied, "I am old too".

Sheikh Al-Haquani gave the Pope a cane, a plaque with the word "peace" written in Arabic and a Muslim rosary. For his part, the Pope gave him a medal of his pontificate. The two men then exchanged an embrace. Before separating, the sheikh asked the Pope to pray for him, to which the Pope replied: "Of course I will, we will pray for one another".

Honoring Mothers

Hail to all the Mothers out there! The Church dedicates the whole month of May to Our Spiritual Mother Mary .



This program is from RealCatholicTV.com

What is the Catholic Church?

This program is from RealCatholicTV.com

A letter to Catholic bishops about the Church's sexual abuse crisis

In 2002 Dr Fitzgibbons and two other doctors of the Catholic Medical Association wrote a letter to Catholic bishops with their analysis of the sexual abuse crisis. It was a harsh critique of homosexuals in the priesthood:

In treating priests who have engaged in pedophilia and ephebophilia we have observed that these men almost without exception suffered from a denial of sin in their lives... Rejecting the Church's teachings on sexual morality, these men for the most part adopted the utilitarian sexual ethic which the Holy Father so brilliantly critiqued in his book, Love and Responsibility. They came to see their own pleasure as the highest end and used others -- including adolescents and children -- as sexual objects. They consistently refused to examine their consciences, to accept the Church's teachings on moral issues as a guide for their personal actions, or regularly avail themselves of the sacrament of reconciliation. These priests either refused to seek spiritual direction or chose a spiritual director or confessor who openly rebelled against Church teachings on sexuality. Tragically, these mistakes allowed these men to justify their behaviors.

Cardinal Bertone correct in linking clerical sex abuse and homosexuality, says psychiatrist :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

Cardinal Bertone correct in linking clerical sex abuse and homosexuality, says psychiatrist :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)


VATICAN: Homosexuals are responsible
for the pedophilia crisis

Pope Benedict XVI will publish a document on the Bible after Easter

This person is leaving the Catholic Church !

....please pray for this soul who is leaving the Catholic Church. But, you will have to watch the video because he is not leaving for the reasons that you think

Voiding the Voices of Heaven

The Catechism (par.67) plainly says that while the Magisterium is to "guide" us in discernment, "the sensus fidelium [the faithful!] know how to discern and welcome in[to the Church] these revelations." Jesus said it this way, "My sheep hear My voice and they follow Me!"

God Blesses any step however small, towards Christian Unity

This was and still is Christ's desire. That we may all be one! John 17, 21-23

God, You who are full of Compassion,

let Your Face smile on us to unite us,

look down from heaven,

look at our division that reigns now in Your Church,

Your lambs, My Shepherd,

are perishing in great numbers

as they search to pasture to keep life in them;

listen to the groans of the Church;

this great Apostasy predicted

is robbing You of Your children,

bring to Your Church

this Day of Glory You once foretold

so that we may all be one,

Lord, do not remain silent and do not delay any more,

come! come, bring to us the Day once foretold,

make everyone hear Your Majestic Voice;

You are known to be Gracious, My God,

give me a hearing and answer me .....

I give You thanks

for I know that You have heard me;

amen;

True Life in God, July 22nd, 1992

O Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour,

thou didst promise to abide with us always.

Thou dost call all Christians to draw near

and partake of Thy Body and Blood.

Just one sin has divided us

and we have no power to partake

of thy Holy Eucharist together.

We confess this our sin and we pray thee

forgive us and help us

to serve the ways of reconciliation

according to thy Will.

Kindle our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit

give us the spirit of wisdom, and faith

of daring and of patience,

of humility and of firmness

of love and of repentance

through the prayers of

the most blessed Mother of God,

and of all the saints. Amen

(Prayer of Fr. Sergius Bulgakov)

"Unity - Virtue of Love" can be found if you visit christian-unity.org and can be purchased HERE

The solemnity of Christ the King

Mass Readings

Scripture Study

Reflection

My Reflection

I think most of us have forgotten where we come from. I naturally am not born into royalty , but that is what we are, spiritually . We belong to the Most High and therefore we descend from sovereignty and splendour as Vassula so aptly put it . (<--this is a windows media audio play. )

"...I, your God tell you: sons! and daughters! you are the offspring of the Most High! you descend from the Sovereignty and Splendour, oh come! you belong to Us! you belong to Heaven...you are of Royal Descent..."

 We all have wandered so far away from God , that we have forgotten who we are and to whom we belong. Jesus didn't say he wasn't a king when pilate confronted him. In fact, He says " For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice."  For Isaiah 9:5 says that we will call him that ...

"For a child is born to us, a son is given us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace. 6 His dominion is vast and forever peaceful, From David's throne, and over his kingdom, which he confirms and sustains by judgment and justice, both now and forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this!"

Ok , it doesn't say He is King necessarily but that His Throne will have dominion forever . We are descendents of the Most High. Praised Be The LORD.

An Introduction to the Greatest Fathers of the Church

"Remove not the ancient landmark which your fathers have set"(Prov. 22:28 RSV)

1. A Primer on the Church Fathers

2. The "Unanimous Consent" of the Fathers - Apostolics Unanimous

3. Lumen Verum Apologetics - An Introduction to the Greatest Fathers of The Church


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