Bread of Life

• The Catechism
• Patron Saints
• Papal History
• Stations of the Cross
• Catholic Prayers
• Wkly Word Archives
• Return to St. Joe's

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~

Our gray stormy, winter days and nights are coming, we're getting a sampling now, with the thunder storms, dark skies, and heavy downpours. As people start they're complaining of the weather, which will most likely go on for months and months, I'm stepping back to ponder, why doesn't this bother me more?

Each year my coworkers or people out in the public start their rampages of how horrible it is around here. The ones that know me, stop, look and say, oh yeah, this doesn't bother you does it? They say it's just not normal. I don't take it personally but I must ask why doesn't it get to me more?

I like the sun, I love our spring and summer months, they are wonderful, I just don't get depressed like so many others do during our fall and winter months. Maybe I've made a choice to not let it get to me. I must say, I don't like to be cold, I can't imagine being homeless and having to live outdoors in this weather, but I'm blessed to have a house and heat. Maybe that's it; I could be one of the unfortunate people that are homeless, that don't have the luxury's I have. Maybe I'm just grateful that I do have a warm comfortable place to sleep and spend the winter months.

This year, when our friends and family are beginning to get down and start their grumblings, let's try and cheer them up. Let's remind them of how fortunate we really are. How God is good to us. We're dry, we're safe, we're fed, and we are comfortable, at least for the majority of the time. Let us thank the One responsible for that. Let's turn to our God and praise Him for what He has given us, the rain that keeps our gardens watered and then can produce our beautiful flowers, scrubs, fruits and vegetables. Thank Him for the changes in our seasons that give us the brilliant, beautiful colors we love to see. Thank Him for the snow that sometimes falls making our landscapes a winter wonderland and an outdoor playground for the young.