The Weekly Word

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~

Spreading the Word spiritually, creatively, inspirationally, and historically on a weekly basis, by St. Joe's own parishoners

I Forgive You

by Patti LaRue

Three very powerful words, wouldn't you say? I forgive you. But do you believe it? Do you deep down inside really believe that when Jesus says that he forgives each and every one of us, that he really does?

After all, how could someone like me or you be so loved that He would forgive us of all our sins? How could someone really believe that we are even worthy of that kind of indescribable and unconditional love? It seems unfathomable.

You Are Forgiven...

Accept It!

Maybe it's because of this, that some find it so very difficult to bring themselves around to forgiving others. Maybe it's because their faith is so weak in their Father's love for them that they not only find it hard to forgive others, but to forgive themselves as well. And if you can't find it in yourself to forgive your own self for things that God has already forgiven you for, how will you ever forgive anyone else?

In order to feel the forgiveness that is offered to us through the love of Jesus Christ we just simply must accept the fact that it is a Truth beyond human understanding and stop trying to figure out the how's and whys of it all. Just accept it and leave it at that. If you can do that, then you'll come to understand that it's ok to forgive yourself. And once you understand this truth, it's easier to understand that we are simply God's children, who just also happen to be sinners that God is so crazy, head over heels in love with, that he would do anything for us to keep us with him, and that even means forgiving us of our sins. Once you realize that you'll soon discover that it's far easier to forgive others than you ever thought would be possible.

Forgive Yourself.... ...

Then Forgive Others....

Don't forget that Christ showed us with grace and dignity as he died on the cross, exactly what forgiveness was. "Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do." Asking for forgiveness for all those who persecuted him and were killing him. Every single one of them.

Surely, we can forgive the few in our lives that need to be forgiven. Tell them those three words, I Forgive You, those three little words, words that not only mend hearts but share the love of God.

Powerful, three words indeed.

URLVD

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