Catholic Spirit Bytes: 2014

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

You are worth It !

"Have patience with all things but first with yourself. Never confuse your mistakes with your value as a human being. You are perfectly valuable, creative, a worthwhile person simply because you exist. And no amount of triumphs or tribulations can ever change that."

- St Francis de Sales

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Patience is a Virtue

I received this quote in an email from Woman of Grace.

"The Lord was understanding towards His disciples. He had patience with their defects and their less than perfect ways. He did not give up on them. In the years to come these same men would be the pillars of His Church."
-Francis Fernandez

Patience is something I struggle with, that is patience with myself and all my defects. I always expect too much from myself and others.
I often wonder how it is that our Lord could be so patient with me and with our world. This quote helps me to put things in perspective and it gives me joy to think of how the very imperfections that I see as stumbling blocks on my journey, God plans to use as stepping stones to Holiness. God is a great optimist. We should be too.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

"Mommy Moments"

This post is in response to an invitation to write about a Mommy Moment or Mom-ism on Donna Marie Cooper O'Boyle's Blog Catholicmomscafe.blogspot.com

1.This Saturday we are having a graduation party for my 23 year old daughter, Christine.
It has been a very challenging time for us and a time where my faith is being tested. She is not little anymore. I can't always be there to rescue her from well intentioned decisions. I have to entrust her to God and His mercy in so many ways.

2.When our daughter, Christine was four years old she nearly drowned in our swimming pool. In her innocence, she really believed that just because she had watched others swim and it looked easy, that she could too. She knew the right thing to do: i.e. move her arms and kick her feet - and so in her eyes, it would follow that all she needed to do was jump in and she would be able to swim. Her dad and I had just climbed out of the pool and she was standing at the top of the ladder taking off her life jacket, the way she usually did, before exiting by descending down the pool ladder. Suddenly, instead of coming down the ladder Christine decided to jump and dive into the center of the pool. Despite the fact that her intentions and efforts were good she promptly sank to the bottom.
She was working so hard to stay afloat. My mind was racing. " if only she knew she could take on a posture of surrender so as to be carried and lifted up by the water and receive the breather that she needed. If only she knew how to be still and to float."

Thankfully, Her Father was near, dove in quickly and rescued her.

3.When I took the time to reflect on this difficult moment in my life I saw God showing me a reflection of myself and His saving love for me and my children.
There have been many times in my parenting when I have tried to apply what I learned to be the “right” thing to do but instead of swimming in the sea of parenting I quickly found myself sinking to the bottom. I have learned that like swimming, good parenting isn’t simply about knowing the right things to do. It takes practice. It takes an attitude of humility and surrender. I am reminded that to stay afloat I need to maintain a spiritual posture of surrender. I need to open my heart to God's will for my children and the power of His Holy Spirit to save them. Sometimes as a mom, I think " it is all up to me" to make things right but I am not alone. I have a father in heaven who loves me.

Scripture teaches us that as we give Him our surrender, it is His power that lifts us up.

My daughter made a mistake that nearly cost her, her life and her father rescued her. Now that my daughter is older it is hard to think about how we cant always be there to rescue her from making the wrong decisions but it is a wonderful grace to know that ,we can trust in God the Father to be near her and we can trust in his promises to save her when her earthly father can't.
What else could I glean from this?
When I make my mistakes in parenting my kids, I know that I can always trust in the nearness of our Heavenly Father, who desires to lift us up out of the depths of our sin and weakness. I can remind myself that in His goodness, God forgives us our sins and will provide for us all the graces we need to answer this call to the vocation of motherhood....
JDandrow

Revelation 21:5
He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

Here is the link to Donna Marie's Blog http://catholicmomscafe.blogspot.com/2014/06/celebrate-your-mom-isms.html

Friday, March 21, 2014

Heaven is Real

3/21/14Recently someone shared with me how a friend wanted to have a personal relationship with Jesus and the thought came to me; "Is it enough to have a personal relationship with Jesus in order to be saved?" Judas did that and Judas still betrayed Him.

By a seeming coincidence, A few days later I was listening to the radio and a story was told of a Priest who was approached by a protestant sister who accused him of not having a personal relationship with Jesus because he was Catholic. She said to him that Catholics are not saved. He replied that he didn’t need a personal relationship with Jesus to be saved and that what he wanted and what he and all of us are called to, is much more than just a personal relationship with Christ. He said what we are all called to is “Union with Christ”. He said “I don’t just want to have a relationship with Him I want to be like him and to be Him for others."
His response was clever and it made sense, after all Jesus did say in Matthew 7:2121 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many [a]miracles?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
It should give us pause to think that we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are doing the work of Christ, we can call him Lord, and even cast out demons without being known by Christ. Obedience to Christ and His will is more evidence of our love for him then pious acts or the practice of our charismatic gifts.
Obedience has its rewards.

“If anyone loves me he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him” (John 14:24). Now that's heaven!

A great site to read More on union and obedience can be found at the website below.
Read more: http://rcspiritualdirection.com/blog/2010/02/01/does-christ-suffer-with-me-when-i-suffer#ixzz2wevL

Mother Theresa's Prayer

...Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying "I thirst" in the hearts of the poor. Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person, not just the idea. How can we last even one day without hearing Jesus say "I love you"? Impossible. Our soul needs that as much as the body needs to breathe the air. If not, prayer is dead, meditation, only thinking. Jesus wants you each to hear Him speaking in the silence of your heart. Be careful of all that can block that personal contact with the living Jesus. The devil may try to use the hurts of life, and sometimes our own mistakes, to make you feel it is impossible that Jesus really loves you, is really cleaving to you. This is a danger for all of us. And so sad,because it is completely the opposite of what Jesus is really wanting, waiting to tell you. Not only that He loves you, but even more, He longs for you. He misses you when you don't come close. He thirsts for you. He loves you always, even when you don't feel worthy. When not accepted by others, even by yourself sometimes, He is the one who always accepts you. Only believe, you are precious to him. Bring all you are suffering to His feet, only open your heart to be loved by Him as you are. He will do the rest. - Mother Teresa, 1910-1997

Saint Joseph

Saint Joseph

O thou, whom no one has ever yet invoked in vain, thou, whose power with Our Lord and Our Lady is so great, that it has been truly said, "In Heaven, Joseph commands rather than supplicates," tender father, intercede for me! St. Joseph, be my advocate with thy Divine Son, Whose foster-father and faithful protector thou wert here below. Add to all thy glories, that of gaining the despaired of cause that I confide to thee. I believe, yes, I believe thou canst obtain my deliverance from the troubles that overwhelm me, and the desolation in which my soul is plunged. I have the firm hope that thou wilt neglect nothing in favor of the afflicted who invoke thee. Humbly prostrate at thy feet, dear St. Joseph, I implore thee to have pity on my tears, cover me with the mantle of thy merciful protection and bless me. Amen.
“He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph’s wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: ‘Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord’” (St. Bernardine of Siena).

The Potters Vision

MONDAY, APRIL 30, 2007 The Potters Vision Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) This Scripture struck me in a new way Isaiah 64:8 (NIV) "Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay; you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand." I wrote this to remind me of what it taught me. When the potter looks at the clay. He has a vision of what His skilled hands will create. With love and joy, he shapes the clay forming it into the image he has planned for it. As the Potter has plans for the clay, God has a plan for you. He is with you in your trials and walks with you in the fire. He longs to use these things to form you into the image of His son Jesus Christ. I wanted to look more closely at how the image of the potter is an image of the spiritual life. So I did some research. Interestingly enough, clay begins as Mud. For wheel thrown pottery the clay cannot be worked until it is pugged. This is when the clay master takes his raw materials and prepares them with a process by which it becomes thoroughly blended and almost all the air is forced out of the clay. (This can symbolize a purification from pride) Next, with water and sponge, and using the action of His spinning wheel the master patiently shapes the clay. And as the clay surrenders to the plan the master has for it, its beauty and form begins to take shape. In preparation to be “fired” the pottery is set on a shelf (left alone) to dry for several days. (In our suffering we often feel alone but God is using this time to prepare us. Remember the potter is watching, He has a vision and a plan, we are not alone.) It is then placed in the fired-up Kiln. The initial firing removes impurities that would cause the pot to break or return to mud in the glazing process. (This reminds me of how God wants to purify us of anything that will keep us from fully receiving His life giving, life changing love and He wants to make us strong.) As part of the glazing process the pot needs to be returned to the kiln for a second firing. It is important to note that before it is returned to the kiln for a second firing the bottom of the pot is placed in a pan of paraffin otherwise the glaze would adhere to the bottom and the pot would become a permanent part of the Kin shelf. (We belong to Him (our Lord) we do NOT belong to the Fiery trial.) The Third stage of firing is to create the glaze. During the glaze fire, stoneware clay continues to mature through a process called vitrification. This all reminds me of the spiritual life and how it presents itself with trials by fire. In our trials we often forget we are children of God. We are Not the pain we are suffering nor are we our mistakes. He walks with us in the fire and like the potter, He looks at us and sees a beautiful work in progress. As we submit ourselves to His handiwork the image of a lump of clay diminishes and with the help of a purifying fire The Potters vision becomes a reality and a testimony of the great things that God can do with a soul who trusts in Him. When the potter looks at the clay, He has a vision of what His skilled hands will create. He sees the image of His suffering and risen son Jesus Christ. With love and joy he shapes the clay forming it into the image he has planned for it. God is the Potter we are the Clay. God has a plan for you. Never forget that He is with you in your trials, and He walks with you in the fire. (Daniel 3:25,John 19) He longs to use these fiery trials to form you into the image of His son Jesus Christ Come Holy Spirit, send forth the fire of your Love, help us submit to God’s handiwork and to praise Him in the storm. Help us to trust in your power to bring good out of evil. Amen

FAITH

A Christian should never let adversity get him down except on his knees. -
Mae Nicholson

'Blessed is the man who endures temptation: for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
James1:12 The photo here was taken by my brother Mark Petruzzi(copywrite 2011). The resolution on my computer doesn't do it justice but I love it as it reminds me the victory we have in Christ. The roses are in all their Glory as reach for the sun and they embrace the Cross trelace.

Dear Lord in times of difficulty and always,help us to reach for your Son, Jesus, to embrace our cross and to trust that through it, He will show us Your Glory.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JbEQHmCEFU&feature=related

Catholic Spirit Bytes