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Morning Prayer (Tuesday, September 28)

raphael

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September 28, 2021

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Prayer for this Morning

God gives life to all that lives:

come, let us return thanks and praise!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning,

is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia!

HYMN

God, when creation’s work was done,

Thy providence still labored on

Preserving all that thou hadst made

In beauteous majesty arrayed—

Without whom naught that is could be,

Unless both willed and kept by thee.

Thy rule extends to every place,

To stars in farthest realms of space,

Or nameless, trodden grain of sand:

Thou holdest all within thy hand.

The lowly sparrow, little worth,

Without thee cannot fall to earth.

The glories of earth, sea and sky

Thy pow’r and wisdom magnify;

The roseate dawn, the living breeze,

The flow’r-decked fields, the surging seas,

All sing in wordless song to thee,

To whom exist all things that be.

PSALM 104:1a, 14-18, 33-34, 35b

Do not worry and say, “What are we to eat?” or “What are we to drink?” or “What are we to wear?” (Mt 6:31)

God did not create the world only to abandon it to its own devices. He cares day by day for all that he has made, though we do not always recognize his hand at work.

Bless the Lord, my soul!

Lord God, how great you are!

You make the grass grow for the cattle

and the plants to serve man’s needs,

that he may bring forth bread from the earth

and wine to cheer man’s heart;

oil, to make him glad

and bread to strengthen man’s heart.

The trees of the Lord drink their fill,

the cedars he planted on Lebanon;

there the birds build their nests:

on the tree-top the stork has her home.

The goats find a home on the mountains

and rabbits hide in the rocks.

I will sing to the Lord all my life,

make music to my God while I live.

May my thoughts be pleasing to him.

I find my joy in the Lord.

Bless the Lord, my soul.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Matthew 6:26-30)

Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith?

Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? (Mt 6:25)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (cf. Mt 6:32)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

INTERCESSIONS

With trust in the love our heavenly Father has for us, we pray:

R/You are our life, O Lord!

You care for all the works of your hands:

– teach us to help and not to hinder your loving providence. R/

You feed and clothe all your children:

– forgive us the greediness that seeks to deprive others for our own benefit. R/

You provide for all the earth:

– grant us the wisdom to see and to serve your purposes. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

Loving Father, you desire to feed, clothe, and shelter all your children. Forgive the sin that seeks to feed, to dress, and to live at the expense of those in need; grant the generosity that seeks to care for all that you have given, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Morning Prayer (Tuesday, September 28)

Are Ouija boards harmless?

Articles
Q&A

gabriel

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September 27, 2021

18

Are Ouija boards harmless? Quick answer, No.

The Ouija board is a form of divination that involves seeking information from spirits. These boards aren’t the harmless games they are usually marketed to be. They sadly work in reaching spirits, the scary part is the only spirits that can be contacted through it are evil ones.

Some people usually claim the board doesn’t work or they don’t believe they do. But the problem is, not believing in something doesn’t mean they don’t exist or aren’t real. These things have scary repercussions and do not depend on the user’s belief.

God condemns any form of occultic practices which includes divination. There are tons of biblical passages treating such matters like the following:

Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord”.

Dt 18:10–12

He practiced soothsaying and divination, and reintroduced the consulting of ghosts and spirits. He did much evil in the LORD’S sight and provoked him to anger.

2 Kings 21:6

And when they say to you, “Inquire of mediums and fortune-tellers (who chirp and mutter!); should not a people inquire of their gods, apply to the dead on behalf of the living?”

Is 8:19

The Catholic Catechism:

2116 All forms of divination are to be rejected: recourse to Satan or demons, conjuring up the dead or other practices falsely supposed to “unveil” the future.48 Consulting horoscopes, astrology, palm reading, interpretation of omens and lots, the phenomena of clairvoyance, and recourse to mediums all conceal a desire for power over time, history, and, in the last analysis, other human beings, as well as a wish to conciliate hidden powers. They contradict the honor, respect, and loving fear that we owe to God alone.

2117 All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others – even if this were for the sake of restoring their health – are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion. These practices are even more to be condemned when accompanied by the intention of harming someone, or when they have recourse to the intervention of demons. Wearing charms is also reprehensible. Spiritism often implies divination or magical practices; the Church for her part warns the faithful against it. Recourse to so-called traditional cures does not justify either the invocation of evil powers or the exploitation of another’s credulity.

From professionals:

There have been several testimonies from the Church’s exorcists. They show that these things are far from harmless or games. Some have put the number of the worst cases involving some demonic activities to be around 90%. This is a very high number. Usually caused by the fact that these boards are so popular and marketed as a game, sometimes for kids.

Nothing good can come out of using these things. So what is the point of putting ourselves and our loved ones in danger?

Are Ouija boards harmless? Kindly leave a comment

Prayer for this Morning (Monday, September 27)

raphael

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September 27, 2021

1

Prayer for this Morning (Monday, September 27)

Our Intentions for Prayer this Morning is for those who use their goods and gifts wisely in service of their neighbors. May God store up for them treasure in heaven.

Prayer for the Morning

The Lord hears the cry of the poor:

let us go into his presence and pray.

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

Hymn

A hymn to Saint Vincent de Paul,

Th’apostle of brotherly love!

He cared for the great and the small,

As sons of one Father above.

He taught men in luxury’s dome,

The wisdom that feareth the Lord;

He taught men in poverty’s dome,

That patience that trusts in his word.

From parents by want driven wild,

From byways for crime set apart,

He gathered the shivering child,

And placed it next to his warm heart.

What suffering of fallen mankind

Has Vincent passed by or forgot?

Where failed he with heart and with mind

To better humanity’s lot?

Psalm 22:24-27

He sins who despises the hungry;/ but happy is he who is kind to the poor! (Prv 14:21)

Saint Vincent was a man of many talents, but he is remembered especially as the great apostle to the poor.

“You who fear the Lord, give him praise;

all sons of Jacob, give him glory.

Revere him, Israel’s sons.

For he has never despised

nor scorned the poverty of the poor.

From him he has not hidden his face,

but he heard the poor man when he cried.”

You are my praise in the great assembly.

My vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.

They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him.

May their hearts live for ever and ever!

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Matthew 6:19-21)

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and decay destroy, and thieves break in and steal. But store up treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor decay destroys, nor thieves break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.

He who has compassion on the poor lends to the Lord,/ and he will repay him for his good deed. (Prv 19:17)

Canticle of Zechariah

Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mt 19:21)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet

of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness

and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father…

Intercessions

Through the intercession of Saint Vincent de Paul, let us pray:

R/Lord, hear the cry of the poor!

For those who follow in Saint Vincent’s footsteps in caring for the poor:

– may God repay their good deeds. R/

For those who use their goods and gifts wisely in service of their neighbors:

– may God store up for them treasure in heaven. R/

For those who are destitute, hungry, and homeless:

– may God send compassionate and creative men and women to assist them. R/

(Personal intentions)

Our Father….

God of mercy, you sent your Only Begotten Son to preach the Gospel to the poor. Continue to inspire your people with a love for all those in need; bless the work of those who serve those in want; and grant relief to those who suffer from lack of food, shelter, and clothing. Through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Pledge to God to make better choices with this morning prayer

raphael

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September 27, 2021

2

Pledge to God to make better choices with this morning prayer

Ask God Almighty to help you choose good and avoid evil, picking you up whenever you fall.

When we start our morning, often, we have every intention of making better choices. But then the day progresses and we fall into old habits no matter how small they may be. At the end of the day, we find ourselves back where we started, with no improvements. The main ingredient that we are neglecting is relying on God’s strength and not our own. Pledge to God to make better choices with this morning prayer

Alone we will always fall into bad habits, but with God at our side, anything is possible!

Here is a prayer from the Golden Manual that looks to God as you begin your day, asking him for strength to make better choices and stay on the path of virtue.

Morning prayer

Deliver me, O merciful God, from the evils of this day, and guide my feet in the way of peace, strengthen my resolution to embrace with gladness all opportunities of doing good, and carefully to avoid all occasions of sin, especially those which I have found, by experience, to be most dangerous to my soul; and when, through frailty, I forget you, in your mercy, remember me; that as I often fall by the evil propensity of my nature, I may always rise again by the assistance of your grace. Make me diligent in the duties of my calling and station, and not too solicitous about the things of this life; but in all the miseries and crosses of the world, absolutely to submit to your divine will, and wholly to rely on your merciful providence. Let your blessings be upon my actions, and your grace direct my intentions; that the whole course of my life, and the principal design of my heart, may always tend to the advancement of your glory, the good of others, and the eternal salvation of my own soul. Amen.

3 Key Ways The Devil fights us and 10 Ways to Overcome Him

Articles

gabriel

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September 26, 2021

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3 Key Ways The Devil fights us and 10 Ways to Overcome Him:

Nothing says enemy like someone who wants our eternal damnation. The devil is our truest enemy, he hates God and everyone who follows him. He has some powerful tools in his arsenal some of which align with our own natural flaws. These are some of the key ways we can think of right now. If you think of others kindly add them in the comment section.

Ways the devil tempts us:

1. Holding grudges and consciously refusing to forgive, to stir up enmity:

Recently someone asked me what it means to forgive others. I said it mostly has to do with making the decision to try and let things go. This is because it is hard sometimes to actually be okay with the wrongs others do to us. Not letting even the bad feelings we have to get in the way of doing something for those people. So for me, i can still feel bad that someone hurt me, but I won’t let that feeling prevent me from looking out for their good or doing them a favor when they really need it. Forgiveness is hard and confusing, sometimes we feel guilty about the bad feelings even though we try, but this isn’t always the way. The devil will use anything at his disposal to try and prevent us from forgiving, from letting it go, from choosing to begin to let go. Remember the Lord’s prayer “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who have sinned against us”. We cannot utter those words with confidence if we consciously hold onto things.

He also wants to use us to cause division between people. There is very little need to define this as this is rather clear. He may use our personality or capitalize on communication issues or basic differences to make us feel the need to further cause division. Sometimes we do not really know we are doing this. We believe we are being political or representing some other interests. Unity is a sign of God’s presence, guess what division means? He hates that Jesus wants unity and prayed for it

“I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word,that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”
John 17: 20-21

2. He wants us to be afraid, to be overwhelmed and to be discouraged:

There is a reason Jesus always called us to be courageous “Do not be afraid”. This is because once a person allows fear to take over their hearts, it is difficult to see much else. To see God’s love in your life or to see the validity of the Salvation plan of God. To see a way out of a particular habitual sin or to see a future where you are truly free to serve God. Faith and Hope cast our fears because we trust in the word of Jesus and believe he will fulfill all his promises. One of which is that we will have joy on earth. Not that we will enjoy and be happy all the time, but that our souls will be filled with his joy. That when we sincerely love and follow him, forgetting ourselves and not counting even our own failures that we shall have our fill of joy.

God does not want us to keep track of our failures and sins. This is what the devil does. God wants us to remember we are prone to sin so that we can trust in his mercy and grace. He wants us to trust in him, not in our abilities. When we trust in him we visit him often in the Sacrament of reconciliation without postponing all the time. We move NOW not tomorrow.

3. He wants to confuse us about freedom and our abilities:

The Church rightly understands freedom not as being able to do whatever one wants but being free to do what we ought to do. We are set free to live our lives according to God’s plan; to function as we are made to function. The Catechism says :

“The more one does what is good, the freer one becomes. There is no true freedom except in the service of what is good and just. The choice to disobey and do evil is an abuse of freedom and leads to “the slavery of sin.””
CCC 1733

“Live as free men, yet without using your freedom as a pretext for evil; but live as servants of God.”
1 Peter 2:16

Confusing us about our abilities by making us feel we are strong enough to resist temptations we expose ourselves to. Even if we are not particularly prone to a certain sin, we still avoid any occasion of those sins. Counting on our own strength always leads to failure and the formation of bad habits.

3 Key Ways The Devil fights us and 10 Ways to Overcome Him

10 Ways to Overcome Him/Temptation

1. Run !

She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.”
Gen 39:12

Nothing beats running away from any occasions of sin. Like I said above, the devil wants you to become lax. He wants you to believe you have more strength than you really have and most importantly he wants you to believe that your spiritual strength comes from you and not from God. So he wants you to think that just because so far you have beat a particular sin, you will always beat it. Run!

If there’s a sin you are particularly prone to, do not tempt yourself. Use all you have to remove every reminder of the temptation from your life. Cut relationships if you have to, just to keep your heart from impurities and sin. Run!

Also remember, be ready for a fight. Temptations come to us no matter how fast and how far we run. So be prepared!

“Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”
Eph 6:13

2. Don’t be Selfish

Try at least to work on your selfishness. We are all selfish in our different ways, but refusing to admit this means you will refuse to work on it. I have met many people who quickly say “i am not selfish” anytime the subject comes up and I ask them: why do you then feel the need to defend yourself first before asking “how am I selfish”. This kind of defense is a form of selfishness. Selfishness taints even your good deeds and prevents God’s grace from working properly in us.

3. Give God your mind

Cut yourself from idle enjoyments that have sinful overtones. We can enjoy wholesome fun without tempting ourselves. Filling our heads with sinful images and thoughts is dangerous and can be the source of temptation, guilt, and anxiety later. Offer your mind and thoughts to God instead.

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
Phil 4:8

Fill your mind with God’s word. This helps us become stronger and wiser and offers very powerful counters for when the devil tries to trick us. Not knowing God’s word is dangerous since his word brings life to our souls.

4. Remember what sin really does:

“The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery;idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.”
Gal 5:19-21

Your soul cannot handle an eternal separation from God. Sin is cutting ourselves from God and basically rebelling against the idea of being eternally happy in the presence of God and his Saints. Sin is very heinous too and disfigured our souls, makes it harder and harder to practice virtue, and makes it almost impossible to hear the voice of or see God in the world.

5. Pray with a sense of God’s presence:

God is truly present when you call on him in prayer. But it happens often that we ramble through everything we want to say without actually calling this to mind. Remember each time that God is with you always, but more so when you pray. This makes prayer an opportunity to have an encounter with Jesus himself and to be changed in the heart by his love. This is what enables us to obey God in our day-to-day choices.

“Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then tell us whatever the LORD our God tells you. We will listen and obey.”
Deut 5:27

6. Frequent confession:

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.”
James 5:16

Like I say often, no matter how many times or how heavily we fall, we have to get up and receive God’s healing. The Sacramental healing of Confession is always available to us, to the point that some of us abuse this gift. We have to remember that to receive absolution we must be actually sorry for our sins, confess them and make restitution after. Going to confession regularly helps us with our resolve to follow Jesus and conquer the devil, our flesh, and the world.

7. Seeking help for habitual sins

Sometimes it is not enough to keep returning to confession for the same sin. It helps to kick the devil from our lives by actually seeking help. It can be professional help if some ailment (like depression) is affecting our resolve to avoid sin or to seek spiritual direction. Being accountable helps us avoid sin, which is why the devil wants us to hide our sins and fill our hearts with shame. As for alcoholics, for instance, admitting one has a problem is the first step towards recovery. Living in denial or hiding in shame does not help anyone.

Finally, 3 more Ways to Overcome:

Commit your progress to Mary, asking her help regularly. No one pleases God as she does, she knows the way to the heart of her son.
Do penance often to encourage discipline and ward off unnecessary temptations.
Understand the devil’s true endgame: to get you to hell and away from God. He will use every good and bad event of your life to achieve this. So BE ALERT!

3 Key Ways The Devil fights us and 10 Ways to Overcome Him

How To Have a Personal Relationship With Jesus

Articles

gabriel

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September 26, 2021

0

How To Have a Personal Relationship With Jesus? Most people are aware of how relationships generally work. Establishing and nurturing a personal relationship with a loved one. Being close and communicating with them, showing them care and attention.

In the case of our relationship with Jesus, it is difficult to have all of these mainly because there’s nothing physical about this relationship. At least not without faith. Meaning with faith, visiting Jesus in the Eucharist becomes a visit to a friend’s place. This is usually not how it goes in the beginning so let us start someplace else.

We need to choose

As with any relationship, you, first of all, choose how far you want to go, how close you want to be with the person. This is the first and most important choice that will affect the relationship and shape its very nature. Many Christians today were born into the religion. Many of us were baptized as infants. This isn’t enough to have a close personal relationship with Jesus as an adult. The Church cannot choose for you, nor your parents, it has to be you. You have to choose how closely you want to follow Jesus. You have since experienced and enjoyed exposure to the faith of the Apostles. Now you have to choose to enter a deeper part of that faith; walking closely with Jesus. Knowing about Jesus isn’t just enough, remember even demons knew him too. What is important is choosing to love him.

Nature of this love

This love is about responding to a love first extended to us by God. In creation and in adopting us as sons, God has made the first move to bring us close to him. We choose Jesus over and over again as this is not a one-and-done deal. We live out this relationship by prayer, participating in the Liturgy and Sacraments. Also by growing in virtue, especially love of God and man, serving God and men for God’s sake, and helping others discover God’s love.

Having a personal relationship with Jesus can sound like a concept from Protestantism, but it’s not. This is the most Catholic of all concepts. This is basically doing what millions of Catholic Saints did: finding God in ordinary life and worshipping him by doing his will.

From recent Popes and from the Vatican II

“Let the risen Jesus enter your life, welcome him as a friend, with trust: he is life! If up till now you have kept him at a distance, step forward. He will receive you with open arms. If you have been indifferent, take a risk: you won’t be disappointed. If following him seems difficult, don’t be afraid, trust him, be confident that he is close to you, he is with you and he will give you the peace you are looking for and the strength to live as he would have you do.” -Pope Francis

“Being a Christian means having a living relationship with the person of Jesus; it means putting on Christ, being conformed to him.” -Pope Francis

“It is necessary to awaken again in believers a full relationship with Christ, mankind’s only Savior.” Pope Saint John Paul II

“Christian faith is not only a matter of believing that certain things are true, but above all a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.” -Pope Benedict XVI

“Only in this personal relationship with Christ, only in this encounter with the Risen One do we truly become Christians.” -Pope Benedict XVI

“This mystery (of faith), then, requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer.” -CCC 2558“This conversion must be taken as an initial one, yet sufficient to make a man realize that he has been snatched away from sin and led into the mystery of God’s love, who called him to enter into a personal relationship with Him in Christ. For, by the workings of divine grace, the new convert sets out on a spiritual journey, by means of which, already sharing through faith in the mystery of Christ’s Death and Resurrection, he passes from the old man to the new one, perfected in Christ.” -Decree on Missionary Activity, §13. Vatican II

This language isn’t recent. Here are some quotes through the many years of the Church:

“Hope in him, all you assembly of the people. Pour your hearts out before him (Ps 61: 9).
Dont give in to those who are asking you, Where is your God? My tears, the Psalmist says elsewhere, have become my bread day and night while they say to me everyday: where is your God?
And what does the Psalmist say there? These things I considered, and I poured out my soul above me (Ps 41: 4-5).
I remembered what I hear, Where is your God? Seeking my God, I poured out my soul above me so that I might reach him; I didnt remain in myself. Hope in him, all you assembly of the people. Pour your hearts out before him, praying, confessing, hoping. Dont restrain your hearts inside your hearts: Pour out your hearts before him. What you pour out is not lost. For he is my protector. Cast your care upon the Lord (Ps 54:23), and hope in him. Pour out your hearts before him, God our helper.” -St. Augustine
“Should you, my child, ever be attacked by this evil spirit of sadness, make use of the following remedies. ‘Is any among you afflicted?’ says Saint James, ‘let him pray.’ Prayer is a sovereign remedy, it lifts the mind to God, Who is our only Joy and Consolation. But when you pray let your words and affections, whether interior or exterior, all tend to love and trust in God. ‘O God of Mercy, most Loving Lord, Sweet Savior, Lord of my heart, my Joy, my Hope, my Beloved, my Bridegroom.” – Francis de Sales
“Whosoever is a LITTLE ONE, let him come to me.’ (Proverbs 9:4) And so I succeeded. I felt I had found what I was looking for. But, wanting to know, O my God, what You would do to the very little one who answered Your call, I continued my search and this is what I discovered: ‘As one whom a mother caresses, so will I comfort you; you shall be carried at the breasts, and upon the knees they shall caress you.’ (Isaiah 66: 13,12) Ah! Never did words more tender and more melodious come to give joy to my soul. The elevator which must raise me to heaven is Your arms, O Jesus! And for this I had no need to grow up, but rather I had to remain little and become this more and more.” St Therese of Lisieux
“Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends. Speak to Him often of your business, your plans, your troubles, your fears— of everything that concerns you. Converse with Him confidently and frankly; for God is not wont to speak to a soul that does not speak to Him.” —St. Alphonsus de Liguori
“If you have learned everything except Jesus, you know nothing. If you’ve learned nothing but Jesus, you have learned everything.” – St. Bonaventure

So we are encouraged to talk about this form of relationship with Jesus and we need to continue working on ourselves to be closer to him.

In practice:

Some of these actions encourage this relationship with Jesus and the vigor with which we do these and more show how close we are to him. They also mean we are choosing him:

set time apart daily to pray.
go to Mass
go to Confession
read the Bible
choose to act virtuously
perform an act of mercy or kindness
share your faith with others
visit Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament
Have a special custom known to you and Jesus alone. Could be calling his name first when you wake up and last when you sleep. Or could be remembering his precious blood anytime you pick up a glass of water to drink. Anything at all to allow your heart move with love for him. And this NEEDS to be a secret. That is what lovers do:)

Every day we are supposed to renew our commitment. To remind ourselves of the initial choice we made to follow Jesus. Losing sight of that initial commitment is dangerous as we can forget quickly. But we need to wake up each day with the th9ught of doing more to be closer with him. As Thomas a Kempis says:

“You cannot live well without a friend, and if Jesus be not your friend above all else, you will be very sad and desolate. Thus, you are acting foolishly if you trust or rejoice in any other. Choose the opposition of the whole world rather than offend Jesus. Of all those who are dear to you, let Him be your special love. Let all things be loved for the sake of Jesus, but Jesus for His own sake. Jesus Christ must be loved alone with a special love for He alone, of all friends, is good and faithful. For Him and in Him you must love friends and foes alike, and pray to Him that all may know and love Him.”

This relationship can only happen when you are intentional about it. When you choose and choose every day without fail. When you fall or make mistakes you quickly rise to repentance and return to him No matter how frequently or how terribly you fall. It means remembering you need guidance and sprinkling some obedience in your soul. Get a spiritual guide if possible or have one confessor who can keep track of your progress. This is a great way to ensure your devotion is true, by choosing a wise, spiritually sound priest to help.

“Choose this day whom you will serve…as for me and my house we will serve the Lord.” -Joshua 24:15

“Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. We put no obstacle in any one’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry” -2 Cor 6:2-3

How To Have a Personal Relationship With Jesus.

How To Have a Personal Relationship With Jesus. Remember to leave a comment.

[W]hen the priest who had been trying to exorcize her the day before began once more, the woman shrieked,“Where were you last night? I was upstairs to see the old man I hate so much because he is a source of faith. I would have done more, only the White Lady stopped me.” It was said that the cushion found under Padre Pio’s head was put there by the Virgin Mary.

The woman was eventually freed from the evil spirit and was grateful for the Saint’s prayers.

Did you know Padre Pio was nearly killed by the devil but Mary saved him?. Remember to leave a comment.

St Francisco and St Jacinta were siblings and were two of the three children of Fatima who were blessed with several visits from Mary. Our Lady told them to pray the Rosary in every situation, to pray every day.

Many have testified to the power of the Rosary in helping with sleep difficulties. I myself am a witness to this. I have since recommended this to many people, some of whom have attested to the efficacy. When you begin, ask your guardian Angel to help you finish should you fall asleep before. You can also continue where you stopped in the morning. I prefer the latter.

Simplify your bedroom like St. Benedict

It is a medical truth that if you declutter your bedroom, removing every form of distractions your sleep will improve a lot St Benedict, who is known as the father of western monasticism had very specific rules for the sleeping arrangements of his monks. These rules are still followed today by a number of religious houses. The idea is to ensure that your bedroom is geared only towards sleep. Which in our day means no TV, no phones, no laptops or other devices that can distract from falling asleep. YOu can spend your time meditating on the holy mysteries or one passage of Scripture. Or you can just practice lovingly saying the name of Jesus several times before you sleep off.

Let go of anxiety before sleep like Padre Pio

Padre Pio who had a very tumultuous life is credited with the quote “Pray, hope and don’t worry”. He was an Italian priest and mystic.

It might be helpful to do a brief meditation before sleeping to help ward off any anxiety. Try saying this as frequently as you can “Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything“.

Also, you can learn the Surrender Novena?

Learn these four practices from Saints to sleep better at night. Remember to leave a comment.

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Articles

Prayers

Exhortations

Saints and More

Recent Comments

Articles

Prayers

Exhortations

Saints and More

Prayer for this Morning

HYMN

PSALM 104:1a, 14-18, 33-34, 35b

Word of God (Matthew 6:26-30)

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

INTERCESSIONS

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Are Ouija boards harmless? Quick answer, No.

The Catholic Catechism:

From professionals:

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Prayer for the Morning

Hymn

Psalm 22:24-27

Word of God (Matthew 6:19-21)

Canticle of Zechariah

Intercessions

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Ask God Almighty to help you choose good and avoid evil, picking you up whenever you fall.

Morning prayer

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Ways the devil tempts us:

1. Holding grudges and consciously refusing to forgive, to stir up enmity:

2. He wants us to be afraid, to be overwhelmed and to be discouraged:

3. He wants to confuse us about freedom and our abilities:

10 Ways to Overcome Him/Temptation

1. Run !

2. Don’t be Selfish

3. Give God your mind

4. Remember what sin really does:

5. Pray with a sense of God’s presence:

6. Frequent confession:

7. Seeking help for habitual sins

Finally, 3 more Ways to Overcome:

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We need to choose

Nature of this love

From recent Popes and from the Vatican II

This language isn’t recent. Here are some quotes through the many years of the Church:

In practice:

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Vengeance

A Mother’s care

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Pray the Rosary like St. Jacinta and St. Francisco

Simplify your bedroom like St. Benedict

Let go of anxiety before sleep like Padre Pio

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