Bread of Life

Prayer...

Prayer is, in the strictest sense, a humble religious petition of man to God to seek divine benevolence and benefits he needs for life, both temporal and eternal. It is a conversation with God, either by accepted prayer forms, or from the heart. Consider these words as if God were speaking them to His children...

"It is not necessary my child, to know much in order to please me much; it is enough that you love me fervently. Speak here to me then, as you would speak to your most intimate friend, to your mother, to your brother."

~God your Father~

He Gave His Only Son

"Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed."

John 21:29

Quotes to Live By

There should be less talk. A preaching point is not a meeting point.

The dying, the cripple, the mental, the unwanted, the unloved-- they are Jesus in disguise.

In the West there is loneliness, which I call the leprosy of the West. In many ways it is worse than our poor in Calcutta. (Commonweal, Dec 19, 1997)

It is not how much we do, but how much love we put in the doing. It is not how much we give, but how much love we put in the giving.

The poor give us much more than we give them. They're such strong people, living day to day with no food. and they never curse, never complain. We don't have to give them pity or sympathy. We have so much to learn from them.

I see God in every human being. When I wash the leper's wounds, I feel I am nursing the Lord himself. Is it not a beautiful experience?

I do not pray for success. I ask for faithfulness.

Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go.

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

~Mother Teresa~

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Lent

by Claire Clow

This is the season in the liturgical year, in the words of Pope Benedict XVI, for us to seek a conversion; a deep and lasting abandonment of our sinful ways in order to enter into a living relationship with Christ, who alone offers true freedom, happiness and fulfillment.

seek a conversion...

...deep and lasting abandonment of our sinful ways.

How are we to do this?

Our Pope goes on to explain that through the practice of prayer and penance, and an ever more fruitful reception of the Church's sacraments, we may make our way to Easter with hearts purified and renewed by the grace of this special season.

The way we spend our short time here on earth...

...will determine how and where we will spend eternity.

During Lent I have a much deeper yearning for pray, for the sacraments, and a desire to grow closer to Jesus, I believe this is truly a gift from above, a special grace. When I'm attending church services I see a lot of those around me working for the same goal, and receiving this same gift.

We live in an area where there are a lot of places to go on a retreat, or attend Lenten services in the various churches. If we have access to a computer, there are websites that have a wealth of information, and there are also religious people that can recommend a large assortment of reading materials, or recommend spiritual devotions to be practiced at home. All of these can guide us in understanding the meaning of conversion and bring us to the relationship the Holy Father is calling us to find. We can all build a closer communion with Jesus. As long as we're alive we must be striving to do this.

I am thankful we have these seasons to grow ever closer to the one who brought us salvation, with His blood emptied for us on that cross, we can live forever in Heaven if we only choose to. The Stations of the Cross are at most Catholic Churches on Friday's during Lent. Check out where the retreats are (short retreats, private retreats, group led retreats), go to confession more, pray the sorrowful mysteries of the rosary, contemplate those mysteries, fast in some way, give acts of service . The way we spend our short amount of time here on earth will determine how and where we spend our eternity. Let us work with our families, our friends, our coworkers, and our religious community so we may all join in the everlasting celebration in Heaven. We need each other, the Christ in each of us, the one Body together, working and leaning on each other to make it Heaven.

Pope Benedict ended his address on Lent 2010 with:

Dear brothers and sisters,

Lent culminates in the Paschal Triduum, in which this year, too, we shall celebrate divine justice - the fullness of charity, gift, and salvation. May this penitential season be for every Christian a time of authentic conversion and intense knowledge of the mystery of Christ, who came to fulfill every justice.

URLVD

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