Catholicvote.com

"Would you kids be quiet! I'm trying to seek God's will here!"

Et Tu has an excellent post on seeking Gods will

"Would you kids be quiet! I'm trying to seek God's will here!"

Watch the Lamb

Sorrowfull by Point 5 Covenant

The Robe of Christ

The Robe of Christ

25 February 2007

by Joyce Kilmer (1886-1918)

At the foot of the Cross on Calvary
Three soldiers sat and diced,
And one of them was the Devil
And he won the Robe of Christ.

When the Devil comes in his proper form
To the chamber where I dwell,
I know him and make the Sign of the Cross
Which drives him back to Hell.

And when he comes like a friendly man
And puts his hand in mine,
The fervour in his voice is not
From love or joy or wine.

And when he comes like a woman,
With lovely, smiling eyes,
Black dreams float over his golden head
Like a swarm of carrion flies.

Now many a million tortured souls
In his red halls there be:
Why does he spend his subtle craft
In hunting after me?

Kings, queens and crested warriors
Whose memory rings through time,
These are his prey, and what to him
Is this poor man of rhyme,

That he, with such laborious skill,
Should change from role to role,
Should daily act so many a part
To get my little soul?

Oh, he can be the forest,
And he can be the sun,
Or a buttercup, or an hour of rest
When the weary day is done.

I saw him through a thousand veils,
And has not this sufficed?
Now, must I look on the Devil robed
In the radiant Robe of Christ?

He comes, and his face is sad and mild,
With thorns his head is crowned;
There are great bleeding wounds in his feet,
And in each hand a wound.

How can I tell, who am a fool,
If this be Christ or no?
Those bleeding hands outstretched to me!
Those eyes that love me so!

I see the Robe — I look — I hope –
I fear — but there is one
Who will direct my troubled mind;
Christ’s Mother knows her Son.

O Mother of Good Counsel, lend
Intelligence to me!
Encompass me with wisdom,
Thou Tower of Ivory!

“This is the Man of Lies,” she says,
“Disguised with fearful art:
He has the wounded hands and feet,
But not the wounded heart.”

Beside the Cross on Calvary
She watched them as they diced.
She saw the Devil join the game
And win the Robe of Christ.

From Amy at http://blog.jelliebean.org/

Fr Angels Homily

I really enjoy Father Angel's homilies at St Therese church in Aurora. I reposted this weekends from the church website:

Lent and the temptations of Jesus
Since we are beginning the Lenten Season, I thought to reflect with you on the meaning of this season in light of the temptations of Jesus.

The Gospel speaks of Jesus, being led by the Spirit, going to the desert to be tempted by the devil. Just as Eve was tempted, so now Jesus will be tempted in the same way. However, the outcome will be greatly different. Through Adam and Eve we came to experience death, not just physical death but the death of our being.

Jesus went into the desert to overcome the devil and destroy death. That is why these temptations were present throughout all his life. He won the devil not falling into these temptations and following the will of his Father. How are these temptations related to us today?

Even though Mark does not explain to us the temptations, Matthew provides for us a detailed account. Jesus' first temptation is to convert stones in bread.Bread is the symbol for security, for nourishment. What is the food of Jesus? He said that his food was to do the will of his Father. That is why he answered to the devil that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

The question for us today is the following: what is our nourishment today? Where are we looking for life? Maybe many of us are idolaters; we are looking for life not in the will of God but in money, prestige, work, etc.

Jesus' second temptation is to throw himself from the pinnacle of the temple. Maybe it is hard to understand the big deal about this temptation. The devil was telling him the following. Jesus you come from Nazareth, you are a "no-body", the son of a carpenter. You did not even study in any rabbinic school. Your father was not a famous high priest. Who is going to believe in you? Reject the life God has given you! Through yourself from the pinnacle of the temple and thus everybody will see you. If they see that the angels help you, then they will believe in you. This same temptation is also present in our lives.

The devil invites us to reject the history God is doing with us. He invites us to escaped suffering. Finally, the last temptation of Jesus is about idols and money. The devil again wants to present him with a different way of being the Messiah. The devil is inviting Jesus to worship him, because the devil wants to be like God.

He promises Jesus richness and the kingdoms of the world. Exactly the same is promised to us by the devil. He says: "if you sin, you will not die, you will be like God."

So the GoodNews of this Gospel is that Jesus overcomes these temptations for us, so that we may win our spiritual battle, which is not against flesh or blood but against the evil spirits. Lent is a time to fight against the devil with three weapons: prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

May God grant us to be one with Christ and share in his victory over death. May God Bless you,
-Fr. Angel Perez Lopez

quilts

Quilts

As I faced my Maker at the Last Judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with other souls. Before each of us in many piles laid our lives like the squares of a quilt. An angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry which is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth of the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares were. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I faced in everyday life. I saw the hardships I endured had the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me and no one else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened. My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.

Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose, each in turn, holding up their tapestries, so filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love and laughter in my life. But there had also been trials of illness, death, and false accusations that took my world as I knew it from me. I had to start over many times and often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up in ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.

Now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was. I had to accept it for what it was

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares on my life to the light. A gasp of awe filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image: the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you."

Morale: May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through.

Dog Wisdom

From Wing and a Prayer

Dog Wisdom

**********

The reason a dog has so many friends is that he wags his tail instead of his tongue.--Anonymous

Don't accept your dog's admiration as conclusive evidence that you are wonderful.--Ann Landers

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.--Will Rogers

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.--Ben Williams

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.--Josh Billings

The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.--Andy Rooney

We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made.--M. Acklam

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.--Rita Rudner

A dog teaches a boy fidelity, perseverance, and to turn around three times before lying down.--Robert Benchley

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.--Franklin P. Jones

If I have any beliefs about immortality, it is that certain dogs I have known will go to heaven.--James Thurber

If your dog is fat, you aren't getting enough exercise.--Unknown

My dog is worried about the economy because Alpo is up to $3.00 a can. That's almost $21.00 in dog money.--Joe Weinstein

Ever consider what our dogs must think of us? I mean, here we come back from a grocery store with the most amazing haul -- chicken, pork, half a cow. They must think we're the greatest hunters on earth!--Anne Tyler

Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea.--Robert A. Heinlein

You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, "Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!"--Dave Barry

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.--Roger Caras

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then give him only two of them.--Unknown

And the best quote of all:

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am.--Unknown