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Showing posts with the label Prayer

Death in Orlando: Love and Solidarity

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The 49 folks killed at an Orlando entertainment venue late Saturday night/early Sunday morning, and the person who killed them, are still dead. Others are hospitalized, and may or may not survive. A whole lot of folks are mourning the loss of family and friends. Repeating what I wrote Sunday afternoon, I should love God, love my neighbors, see everybody as my neighbor, and treat others as I want to be treated.... ...Here's what a Bishop, an Archbishop, and someone at the Vatican, had to say.... More at A Catholic Citizen in America .

Ways Faith Can Help Overcome Stress and Restore Peace

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I’m sure I’m not the only one who has plenty to worry about in daily life. Worry seems to be one of those things you just can’t get away from. As soon as we let go of one worry, another comes along. Major worries take priority, but when those run out, there are plenty of trivial ones to fill their place. I can worry about world peace, the future of this nation, and whether or not there’s too much fluoride in my toothpaste all in the same breath. I worry about catastrophes that never take place (thank heaven!) but certainly do drain a lot of mental energy as I envision every possible ending to the story. I second-guess things that I can’t change and aren’t that important anyway in the grand scheme of things. I worry that there just isn’t enough of me to go around enough for my family and people I care about. Sometimes it helps me to step back for a minute and remember where God is in all of this (...) Continue reading about ways faith can help move away from stress and restore

Talking to God

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Pope Francis' universal prayer intention for May is "Respect for Women." One innovative way to pray with the Pope this month is to invite women into prayer. Author Julie Dortch Cragon can help, with her unique and refreshing new book from Franciscan Media,  Talking to God: Prayers for Catholic Women .  Please join me at Praying with Grace  for an excerpt!

Common errors of Centering Prayer practitioners

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  Centering Prayer practitioners are often very sincere people who are seeking a closer relationship with God. For some, a Centering Prayer group at church was their first introduction to the idea of cultivating a deep prayer life. Others have read the saints’ works about prayer, but have not understood them. Both groups are vulnerable to false teachings about prayer. Unfortunately for them, they are taught a skewed interpretation of the saints, the fathers, and even the Catechism. Theses errors take root. People become emotionally attached to their method of prayer. It is very difficult to convince them that the practice is not in line with Catholic tradition. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Praying Your News Feed

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#WorthRevisit - Praying Your Newsfeed          4/20/2016 0 Comments Prayer is a power gift . Perhaps you have not thought prayer in terms of gift. The interesting thing about gifts to be USEFUL — they need to be: Received, Opened, and well...Used. In putting it to use the receiver can truly express gratitude for the gift. If we are presented with a new book, dress or game, and put it in a drawer never to be touched again, couldn’t we be considered ungracious?  The irony is the only one missing out from not using the gift is the recipient.  Even Great Aunt Hilda’s itchy multi-color sweater can be put to some use with a little imagination; and should we not want to try to figure out how to do that, after all Great Aunt Hilda put into getting it for us? Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above.     James 1:17 If it is important to be attentive to sweet Auntie Hilda, how much more should my response be then to  every good gift God offers  

Have the Last 40 Days Changed You?

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Holy Week is here ... Lent 2016 will soon be done But am I any different than when it all began 40 plus days ago? Did my Lenten sacrifices - prayers, almsgiving and fasting - transform me? Did they prepare me for the coming Triduum s(Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday) services? Most importantly have the readied my heart to rise again with Jesus on Easter -- a new creation in Christ ? Lent and the expectation of the coming of Spring, maybe because I live in a seasonal location, have always co-existed in my heart. Lent starts often in the harshness of winter - cold, long, dark nights. Easter arrives after daylight savings and (usually) the last snow fall. Flowers and trees are budding, maybe even flowering, and there is an emerging from the cocoon like feel to the world. But have I changed? Has this time of no television, extra prayer and attention to participating in the Sacraments, awoken something in my heart.   What will my spiritual practices look like goi

5 Ways to Pray without Ceasing

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Always be joyful.  Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (NLT) This concept of "praying without ceasing" that St. Paul speaks of has always fascinated me. How can I have a life - read, work, be with friends and family, shower, etc. and yet still be praying? After nearly 10 years of trying to stay connected to Christ throughout my day - here are 5 ways I have learned to never stop praying. Pray Your Newsfeed. How often we encounter requests for prayers when perusing Facebook or Twitter? How about the many situations and persons we read about that could surely use our prayers. I don't stop at every post to pray - unless something is so dire that I feel it truly warrants such attention. Usually, I merely keep God at the forefront of my thoughts as I read through my social media outlets - and offer a passing, "Lord, hear my prayer" or "Lord, h

A FAST Improvement

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The last time I shared what I 'gave up' for Lent, I was severely chastised.  The person was horrified that I would seek glory for my Lenten sacrifice instead of doing it in secret where only God and I would know.  This made me sad - as it was not at all my intent.  Sharing our Lenten sacrifices, our fasts, instead allow us to do several things: Encouragement for each other .  Fasting is hard work - and we can get discouraged.  It is good to know how others are celebrating this season - it is not so much misery loves company but for me anyway.  I think more of the scripture that states a chord of 3 is not easily broken.  Accountability .  This is probably my greatest catalyst for blogging about and sharing with others my Lenten fasts.  If it is just between God and I, while that should surely be enough to keep me on track, often it is not.  I need those extra eyes on my behavior - to be sure I'm not sneaking TV apart from Sundays, or spending money (if you read Mond

How can you grow in prayer?

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So, you have set aside a certain time every day to converse with God. You are reading short passages of Scripture as a basis for your conversation. You recognize that dryness is a normal part of prayer that even the saints experience. Meditation on Sacred Scripture is just the beginning. God has much more in store for you. He desires the closest union with you. Now that you have taken the first big step, how can you continue to grow? Let’s explore what you need in order to steadily come into more intimate union with God. St. Teresa of Avila wrote about the virtues necessary for continued prayer growth. The first virtue is perseverance. In Interior Castle she says to beginners in prayer, “Perseverance is the most necessary thing here.” Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Prayerful Thoughts from St. Ignatius of Loyola

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I wanted to pray "for families" today. Then I looked in my little book of Ignatian thoughts and realized that's too vague. His words challenge me to become a better wife and mother myself--THAT is an important step in praying for families! Open this booklet with me at Praying with Grace !

Transforming Prayer with Humility and Confidence

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I think God is pleased with all our prayers, no matter how imperfect they may be. After all, even if we’re pretty distracted, the fact that we’re praying tells God that we care. We believe in him. We want him involved in our lives. And he’s merciful. If we take one step toward him, he’ll take ten toward us. So if you’re praying and trying to connect with God even just once a day ( more about how to do that here ), you’re already doing great. But there is a way to make our prayers more meaningful. Our attitudes make a difference. Not because God gives more grace or less grace depending on how “good” our prayer is, but because the state of our mind and heart makes a difference on how open we are to receiving that grace. Think of the simple image of a cup. You’re standing before a waterfall. The water flows on, and on, and on… ceaselessly. How much you receive depends on you, and the cup you bring with you. If your cup is full of other stuff, you can’t take as much water away wi

Making an Altar of Your Heart

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St. Paul of the Cross lived in the 1700s. A time period presumably very different from our own. But it seems like wives and mothers of all ages have one thing in common: too much to do.  In 1760, a busy married woman wrote Paul of the Cross saying that she couldn’t find enough time to pray. Somehow, I think I, and probably many of you, could have written the same letter. Continue reading at Eyes On Heaven.

Think You Don't Have Time to Pray? Try the Examen

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Sometimes it’s hard to find time to pray. Actually, most of the time. Maybe once in a while life calms down enough to lend itself to prayer, but the rest of the time, we can easily go from morning until evening barely keeping up with family, work and responsibilities, and never finding the time to talk to God. Finding time for prayer doesn’t have to be a daunting challenge. St. Ignatius of Loyola developed a simple prayer we can say each day called the Examen. A priest recommended this prayer to me several months ago; I’ve prayed it (almost) every day since then and have found it helpful. The best part? If I have half an hour, it can fill the full half hour. If I have only 3 or 5 minutes, that’s OK – it still works. There are many different versions of the examen, but they all consist in five basic steps that came from St. Ignatius of Loyola.  Continue reading at Eyes On Heaven.

In our prayers, remember lawmakers

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"In order to achieve their task directed to the Christian animation of the temporal order, in the sense of serving persons and society, the lay faithful  are never to relinquish their participation in 'public life',  that is, in the many different economic, social, legislative, administrative and cultural areas, which are intended to promote organically and institutionally the  common good." --Pope St. John Paul II, apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici In my state, the legislature convenes today. People from a wide variety of backgrounds are coming together to make decisions about the right to life and the government's role in protecting the public good. What's a good Catholic to do in the face of what can seem like a decidedly messy secular environment like the State House? Pray, of course. Not in desperation, but in hope and confidence. The trick is to remember that our hope and confidence lay not in human institutions, but in God. Either God is

The merciful God of the Old Testament

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One of the most common criticisms of the Bible by non-believers is that the God of the Old Testament is a tyrant, completely different from the God of the New Testament. This idea appeared as early as the second century, with the heretic Marcion. We have heard this criticism so often that I’m afraid most of us are affected by it. During this year of mercy, if God wills, I want to present a series of meditations on God’s mercy in the Old Testament. I am not planning to write scholarly articles aimed at increasing your knowledge of Scripture. Rather, I ask you to ponder these things in your heart, especially during your mental prayer time. I hope we will all learn to appreciate the ways in which God showed his merciful character to the people living before Christ. Continue reading at Contemplative Homeschool.

Whispers in the Pew, Part 3

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Immaculate Heart of Mary - CHRISTMASTIME by Mark Knobil (2007) via  FLICKR , CC Feeling conflicted about navigating the sudden CROWDS at church this Christmas? Thinking about coming to church for the first time in a while? Be not afraid! There's room for everyone. Today's post continues the series on what happens in the liturgy, and why we're all essential to what happens there. "Keep Your Fork!" Join me at Praying with Grace !

Works of Mercy Bouquet--Spiritual Works

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For a long time I would wake up in the middle of the night with situations or conversations from a decade or more ago, replaying in my mind.  The anger and hurt would bubble up and my soul would mourn that time of darkness all over again.  I found it so hard to move past the slights, bullying, and unchristian behavior of others.  However, by reliving it over and over again, and renewing my anger over it, I wasn't being Christian either.  Forgiving ALL transgressions is the key.  We all sin, and sin is dark and ugly no matter how big or small.  We must forgive them all, because through Christ we are released from all of our debts of sin, we simply need to prayerfully ask forgiveness in Confession. In this Year of Mercy, let us see Christ in all we encounter and pray often, "Forgive them Father, they know not what they do!" Read more on  Veils and Vocations.

SURPRISE!!!

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Pope Francis described the Jubilee Year of Mercy back in April 2015 in his official document,  Misericordiae Vultus . The final paragraph of that document knocks my socks off. Here's my favorite part: “In this Jubilee Year, let us allow God to surprise us. He never tires of casting open the doors of his heart and of repeating that he loves us and wants to share his love with us.” — Misericordiae Vultus, ¶25 Let us allow God to surprise us! Amen! I'm excited to journey intentionally through this Year of Mercy. On this December 8th morning, though, as we begin the jubilee, I am thinking less about what   I  plan on doing and more on what God can do. Truly, I am overwhelmed at what the Lord wants to offer us. “From the heart of the Trinity, from the depths of the mystery of God, the great river of mercy wells up and overflows unceasingly. It is a spring that will never run dry, no matter how many people draw from it. Every time someone is in need, he or she

Hope in the midst of darkness - Isaiah 29: 17-24

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Thus says the Lord GOD: But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchard be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; And out of gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the LORD, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. auntjojo Surely..., Flickr Creative Common Click here to continue.

Dear Padre Miguel Pro

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NIELSON CARLIN November 23rd was the anniversary of the death of Fr. Miguel Pro, SJ. He died a martyr for Christ during the persecution of Catholics following the Mexican Revolution which erupted in 1910. Dear Michael, We shared your story at dinner last night. It was the 88th anniversary of your execution, and my husband and I wanted to honor your memory, passing on your story to our children. Some people may think it’s strange for me to write you a letter, I know. Obviously, I will never find a mailbox capable of getting this letter to you, but I know we’re connected. As Jesus reminds us in Mark 22:32, the Lord proclaims he is “the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Even when we die, we live in God who has no beginning and no end. Disciples of Christ needn’t bother about space and time. You’ll get this. I wanted to write to you because I am so grateful for your life—and your death. While you were still a young man you chose to become a Jesuit, a pri