Sunday, May 13, 2018

The Tree of Life

And he said, "With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade." Mark 4:26 Today's Gospel
Many years ago in a moment of discouragement I got in the car and drove to a serene and scenic spot where I would often go to rest and contemplate God's goodness. When I arrived the scenery was baron as it was winter. The sunny sky that I had expected to greet me was gray and the trees were baron and lifeless. One tree in particular caught my eye and as it's empty arms stretched towards me I noticed a large hallow in it's trunk. I spoke to the Lord about how it seemed that the tree was so lifeless and how I was discouraged because what I really needed was a sign of hope. I told Him my problems weighed so heavy on me that I felt like the tree looked;
Baron, fruitless,weary....
In that very moment I was called to take a closer look and in doing so I could see a family of birds making their home in the tree's hallow. My heart was filled with joy because what I thought was a symbol of death was really a place filled with life. God was calling me to recall that he brings good out of evil, life from death. In that moment I knew that if I persevered, God would be my help and make use of my difficulties. He did! There was so much more I saw and felt in this moment that it would fill more than one Spirit Byte so I will stop here. But know that God loves you and if you ask He will give you His rest. He was crucified and died on a tree for you. He died to give us life...."Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."Matt 11:28 Thank You Jesus, Come Holy Spirit!

Monday, May 7, 2018

Motherhood and Prayer

https://www.spiritualdirection.com/2018/05/07/the-marian-life

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Adore te Devote

“Godhead here in hiding, whom I do adore,

Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more. See, Lord at thy service low lies here a heart,

Lost, all lost in wonder at the God Thou art.” Roman missal Adore te devote by St Thomas Aquinas (13^th Century)

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Woman Why are you Weeping? Christ is Risen John chapter 20

Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?"She said to them, "They have taken my Lord,
and I don't know where they laid him."....Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni,"
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, "Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
'I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.'"
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
"I have seen the Lord,"
and then reported what he had told her.

Mary mourned in the deepest way and with such emotion over the death of her Lord Jesus. It was not until she heard Christ speak her name personally that she recognized that he had risen. She was not meant to stay there in her sorrow nor to remain there holding on to our risen Lord but instead she was called to be an apostle to the apostles. She was called to believe and then to go and announce the good news that

Christ is Risen Alleluia!
Like Mary, can you hear Him calling you by name?

Thursday, March 22, 2018

Jesus Heals a Boy Possessed by an Impure Spirit

Mark 9:14-30

¹⁴When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

- Imagine that. They were overwhelmed with WONDER and ran to greet Him.

Those people in this scripture had encountered the living Christ. We have an opportunity to do this at Mass daily but how many of us run there in wonder to greet Him? Not many. I was there today among a few parishioners and I wondered,"Where are the crowds running to greet Him? " and "How can we get the message out that our Lord lives and he is with us in a most profound way in the miracle of the Eucharist? "

Dear Lord , fill our hearts with everlasting wonder at your presence in the Eucharist. Help us to know, love and see you there. Through the reception of this great gift of your son, let us be transformed so we can be united to you more deeply and so transform our world. Thank you for this great gift of Mercy. Thank you for healing me as you greet me there. Amen

Passiontide

Monday, February 12, 2018

Trust

As we prepare to enter the season of Lent, let's pray for the grace to persevere in trusting Jesus. He came into the world not to perform signs on cue, but to draw us to the Father, to everlasting life. He never stops listening. He never stops being with us in every breath and every step we take. May we trust that he will never cease in taking care of his beloved!A Minute from Malvern by mail@malvernretreat.com

Friday, January 19, 2018

Mother Angelica -Pride

“If you want to be holy, if you seek meaning in your life, start looking into your own life and attacking your pride in all of its many forms. God will give you extraordinary light and the ultimate reward of holiness. For your holiness relies not on what you do, but on what you allow God to do through you. Have courage. God will perfect you.” Mother Angelica

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