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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

• 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~

August 15th was the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. This feast day is a Holy day of Obligation in the Catholic Church which means we get to attend Mass, and is one of the requirements of our religion. There are many celebrations for this feast day, which is in honor of Marys body being taken up to Heaven after her death. It doesn't state this teaching in the bible but it is one of the dogmas or beliefs that the Catholic Church holds to be true. Each year I try to attend the outdoor Mass at the Grotto and the candle lit procession through the grounds while the rosary is recited. It is very beautiful and one of my favorite celebrations throughout the year.

I have always enjoyed and been blessed by the devotion that our Faith allows us to hold for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since I was very young I have prayed to Mary for her intercession and she has always been there for me to calm my fears and relieve me of any anxiousness I've felt.

One of my earliest memories of praying, besides grace before meals, was on my first day of school. I was afraid and wanted to go home to my mom and little brother. I wanted zilch to do with sitting all day with these people I didn't know. I walked up to Sister and asked her to call my mom to come get me. (I was even demanding back then.) Sister told me that my mom had lots of housework and didn't have time to come. She said I needed to go back to my desk and learn things. Well, I returned to my desk, quietly crying, but when I got there I took my new school coat from the back of my chair. My grandmother had sewn a miraculous medal of the Blessed Mother in my coat the day before. Granny told me that Mary would always protect and watch over me while I was away from home. She said that she was Jesus' Mother and she always knew what we needed or required. I held the metal and prayed the Hail Mary until I realized I was feeling better. The day went along and when mom picked me up I told her that I loved school.

I've always kept that devotion to Mary. She has been the one I've turned to in any of the difficult times I've encountered through life. She has been a comfort that I've never found elsewhere. There is a prayer on the wall in an Adoration chapel that says:

Listen my children to what I tell you.
Do not be troubled nor disturbed by anything.
Do not fear illness nor any other distressing occurrence nor pain.
Am I not your mother? Am I not life and health?
Have I not placed you on my lap and made you my responsibility?
Do you need anything else?

This sums up the way I feel about our Blessed Mother. Mary was chosen by God to bring His son into this world. If God trusted and believed in her goodness, we can be very sure that our trust and faith can be placed there also. She'll guide us to live as Jesus wants and lead us to heaven if we only allow her.