Thoughts for the end of the day

Well, here I am winding down another day. So many things happen throughout the course of a day that it is easy to forget the important things. I did not go to mass today, I missed that time with Jesus. When I was a Protestant, time with Jesus was time spent studying the Bible and Prayer. Both of those are great, but nothing can replace receiving Him in the Host at the Eucharist!
If we truly undstand that He is there in the Host then going to Mass is going to spend time with Jesus and receive His real presence into our body. WOW! Not only that, but in the Mass we receive the Holy Scripture and devote time to prayer. Being Catholic is so much like being an American compared to the rest of the world we are so rich we can not even relate to others in a realistic way.

Daily we have the Mass! How much treasure is in one Mass, how much value is in that very thing we can participate in daily that the rest of the world is starving for? Jesus is there in the Eucharist and in the tabernacle. He is always there for us. It is so nice to know. Please go to Mass soon and be thankful for the opportunity to participate in His Church. God bless, Todd

Please pray the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Stations of the Cross daily. For the Salvation of Souls, the ending of Abortion, the intentions of the Holy Father Pope Benedict, Peace,the Holy Souls in Purgatory, the needs and intentions of at least 10 others, and for your nation. 3 million of us praying these prayers daily will have a significant impact for good on the lives of others.




Please read the Free E-Book Covenant of Mercy and Blessing. It is found on the right hand column under the pages section. Feel free to copy it to your computer and share it with as many others as you want. If this site is a blessing to you please share it with at least 10 others and help with our vision of spreading Devotion to the Divine Mercy and Grace of Jesus and helping 3 million new people start praying the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and the Stations of the Cross daily. Your prayers and gifts are greatly appreciated in this effort. Thanks, Todd

Christian Unity or Protestant judgement....What is a polite Catholic supposed to do?

Today is Thurs. pray the Luminous Mysteries- Christ is baptised, Jesus changes the water into wine, Jesus preaches the gospel, The tranfiguration of Jesus, Jesus gives us the Holy Eucharist at the last supper.
5 decades for the necessities and intentions of at least 10 others, peace, the salvation of souls, the ending of abortion, the intentions of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, the Holy souls in Purgatory, and the spreading of Devotion to the Divine Mercy of Jesus.

Today's Mass Readings:

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Hebrews 7:25 -- 8:6

Psalm 40:7-10, 17

Mark 3:7-12

I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of the hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God.

-- St. Paul in his second letter to Timothy (2 Tim 1:6-8)
Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/inspiration.htm#20#ixzz1BbCqAuKT

Today's Homily
see post below this one for the video.

Saint of the day:

St. Sebastian

(257?-288?)
Nothing is historically certain about St. Sebastian except that he was a Roman martyr, was venerated in Milan even in the time of St. Ambrose and was buried on the Appian Way, probably near the present Basilica of St. Sebastian. Devotion to him spread rapidly, and he is mentioned in several martyrologies as early as a.d. 350.

The legend of St. Sebastian is important in art, and there is a vast iconography. Scholars now agree that a pious fable has Sebastian entering the Roman army because only there could he assist the martyrs without arousing suspicion. Finally he was found out, brought before Emperor Diocletian and delivered to Mauritanian archers to be shot to death. His body was pierced with arrows, and he was left for dead. But he was found still alive by those who came to bury him. He recovered, but refused to flee. One day he took up a position near where the emperor was to pass. He accosted the emperor, denouncing him for his cruelty to Christians. This time the sentence of death was carried out. Sebastian was beaten to death with clubs. HE was buried on the Appian Way, close to the catacombs that bear his name.

What to do as a polite Catholic???

It has finally happened, my being Catholic in a family of Protestant's has become an issue. During Christmas we went to Church services with some family members who were offended when my son and I did not go up for communion. My unbelieving realative can go up and partake of the Host and that is OK. It seems strange to me that we are the one's who offend others simply by following our creed. We believe that we can only commune with those who are in full communion with the Church. This offends more Protestants than I ever imagined, they want us to commune with them, but they do not want to share our faith.
For me this is the saddest thing. I joined the Catholic Church believing it is THE CHURCH Jesus founded. We can trace Her history back to the day of Pentecost. All other denominations broke off from someone else. Yet we are the one's who are at fault? Go figure.
As polite Catholics we have to defend ourselves graciously. We must take the ribbing and the sublime persecution graciously and lovingly. Why? Because this is what Jesus did. His family wanted to put Him away as a crazy person and He did not rant or rave about it. He simply went on doing what He was called to do. This site is dedicated to Him and I must follow in His footsteps. I am not at all understanding all of this, yet I know He is faithful and will see to it that everything will work out for His glory. I just wish I could have seen it coming.
I find that every Protestant wants Christian Unity as long as it is their way. None believe we should all be Catholic. Why is that? True Christian Unity must be Catholic. It is the only way it will work. Holy Mother Church does love all of Her children even those who through misguided good intentions split the very church they proclaim to defend. How can you say you love Jesus and not love His Church?
God bless, Todd

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION Pope Benedict XVI part 1

We celebrate the birth of Jesus this week and as we do I am reminded that Christ comes to us in the Eucharist every mass. We are so blessed with Christmas everyday that it is easy to forget the real meaning of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Please read what the Holy Father has written.

POST-SYNODAL


APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION

SACRAMENTUM CARITATIS

OF THE HOLY FATHER

BENEDICT XVI

TO THE BISHOPS, CLERGY,

CONSECRATED PERSONS

AND THE LAY FAITHFUL

ON THE EUCHARIST

AS THE SOURCE AND SUMMIT

OF THE CHURCH'S LIFE AND MISSION

THE EUCHARIST, A MYSTERY


TO BE BELIEVED

"This is the work of God: that you believe

in him whom he has sent" (Jn 6:29)

The Church's eucharistic faith

6. "The mystery of faith!" With these words, spoken immediately after the words of consecration, the priest proclaims the mystery being celebrated and expresses his wonder before the substantial change of bread and wine into the body and blood of the Lord Jesus, a reality which surpasses all human understanding. The Eucharist is a "mystery of faith" par excellence: "the sum and summary of our faith." (13) The Church's faith is essentially a eucharistic faith, and it is especially nourished at the table of the Eucharist. Faith and the sacraments are two complementary aspects of ecclesial life. Awakened by the preaching of God's word, faith is nourished and grows in the grace-filled encounter with the Risen Lord which takes place in the sacraments: "faith is expressed in the rite, while the rite reinforces and strengthens faith." (14) For this reason, the Sacrament of the Altar is always at the heart of the Church's life: "thanks to the Eucharist, the Church is reborn ever anew!" (15) The more lively the eucharistic faith of the People of God, the deeper is its sharing in ecclesial life in steadfast commitment to the mission entrusted by Christ to his disciples. The Church's very history bears witness to this. Every great reform has in some way been linked to the rediscovery of belief in the Lord's eucharistic presence among his people.

The Blessed Trinity
The bread come down from heaven

7. The first element of eucharistic faith is the mystery of God himself, trinitarian love. In Jesus' dialogue with Nicodemus, we find an illuminating expression in this regard: "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him" (Jn 3:16-17). These words show the deepest source of God's gift. In the Eucharist Jesus does not give us a "thing," but himself; he offers his own body and pours out his own blood. He thus gives us the totality of his life and reveals the ultimate origin of this love. He is the eternal Son, given to us by the Father. In the Gospel we hear how Jesus, after feeding the crowds by multiplying the loaves and fishes, says to those who had followed him to the synagogue of Capernaum: "My Father gives you the true bread from heaven; for the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven, and gives life to the world" (Jn 6:32-33), and even identifies himself, his own flesh and blood, with that bread: "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh" (Jn 6:51). Jesus thus shows that he is the bread of life which the eternal Father gives to mankind.
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20070222_sacramentum-caritatis_en.html#PART_ONE

Have a Very Merry Christmas and go to mass to receive Jesus on His birthday. God bless, Todd











Please pray the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary EVERY DAY for the Divine Mercy and Divine Grace of Jesus upon all souls, for peace,the salvation of expecting mothers, the ending of abortion, the salvation of all souls, and for the intentions of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI


Please pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Daily for the mercy of God upon us,the souls of all sinners, the souls of the dying, the faithful, the Pope, all Bishops, all Priests, all religious, the Holy souls in purgatory, those who do not believe in God and who do not yet know Jesus, all who are suffering and in need. May Jesus have mercy on us all.

Please pray the Stations of the Cross daily to remember the Divine Mercy and Grace of Jesus, the sacrifice Jesus made for us and to encourage us to do the same for others. Abortion is a national tragedy and will not end without the intercession of Jesus and Mary. Jesus, we trust in you.

Please pray that we help the New Evangelism and reach 3 million who will be devoted to these prayers, with the intercession of Mary and Jesus this can actively change our world for the better!