Prayer for a Happy Death

Meditiation: 
Praying for a happy death

We must die to self each day

Christ can then be birthed more in our lives

We should not miss the dead part of us

Except to learn from it, using it to cultivate and enrich life.

We  should welcome the newness God provides,

And when finally, the I has died,

Christ is born again, resurrected and free in the world.

Prayer:
A prayer for a happy death
Lord help me to die to myself today
Take these daily deaths
As an offering to you.
Scatter the ashes of these deaths
Over our lives
Come into my life anew
Be my life renewed
Roll the Stone away and call me forth.

Jesus says you are going to be o.k

A Note from our fraternity minister: 

Pray for Father Victor Martin, Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Fairfield.  Father Martin has recently been diagnosed with thyroid cancer and he shared this information with his Parishioners during Sunday Mass.  A friend who was there shared the following story with our Rosary group at St. Pius X Church in Fairfield last Friday.  After this Mass at St. Thomas Church, a little boy about 5 or 6 years old told his mother that he needed to talk to Father Martin.  When he saw Father Martin he told him the following:  "Father, when you held up the Host, I saw Jesus.  The little boy then threw his arms around Father Martin's legs and hugged him and said, "Jesus says you are going to be o.k.". 

I know this is unusual but I wanted to "Give God the Glory" by telling you about this story.  What a mighty God we have!  He loves us so much and He will go to great lengths to let His children know how much He loves each and every one of us--even speaking through a child!  We are so blessed to be God's children.  

Meditation: One in Love

I sat a while in this meditation from Richard Rohr.  I believe St. Francis often prayed within this oneness.


Rest: Object Meditation

Look around you and notice your surroundings at this moment. Let your eyes fall on some object—perhaps a candle, tree, rock, or creature. Simply observe the object, without judging or labeling. Give your full attention, senses, and presence to this object.

Gradually let your gaze soften and take in the more-than-matter-ness that is also here. Deepen your awareness of God’s presence within this thing and within you.

Rest in silence for several minutes (or continue with a longer time of contemplative prayer) and then turn your gaze to bless the rest of the room, landscape, and world in which you find yourself, one in Love.

A Prayer of Pope Francis

Mary, Virgin and Mother,
you who, moved by the Holy Spirit,
welcomed the word of life
in the depths of your humble faith:
as you gave yourself completely to the Eternal One,
help us to say our own 'yes'
to the urgent call, as pressing as ever,
to proclaim the good news of Jesus.

Filled with Christ's presence,
you brought joy to John the Baptist,
making him exult in the womb of his mother.
Brimming over with joy,
you sang of the great things done by God.

Standing at the foot of the cross,
with unyielding faith,
you received the joyful comfort of the resurrection,
and joined the disciples in awaiting the Spirit
so that the evangelizing Church might be born.

Obtain for us now a new ardor born of the resurrection,
that we may bring to all the Gospel of Life
which triumphs over death.
Give us a holy courage to seek new paths,
that the gift of unfading beauty may reach
every man and woman.

Virgin of listening and contemplation,
Mother of love, Bride of the eternal wedding feast,
pray for the Church,
whose pure icon you are,
that she may never be closed in on herself
or lose her passion for establishing God's kingdom.

Star of the new evangelization,
help us to bear radiant witness
to communion, service, ardent and generous faith,
justice and love of the poor,
that the joy of the Gospel may reach to the ends of the earthy,
illuminating even the fringes of our world.

Mother of the living Gospel,
wellspring of happiness for God's little ones, pray for us!
Amen! Alleluia!
(Source: Evangelii Gaudium, 288)

A prayer for the coming of Christ in My Life

Father God,

Thank you for the advent gifts of hope, peace, joy and love.
By accepting and opening thse gifts in my life, I realize that I need a savior.  Because I accept Jesus, your Son as my Savior my life is forever changed.

May I always be the face of forgiveness- just as Jesus forgave sins and so opened communications between God and man as well as each other. Give me courage to be forgivness in a society that expects revenge as payment for hurt.

May I always be the face of nonviolence, treating others as I myself would want to be treated. Give me the ability to see your presence in each heart so that I may treat others as I would treat God, for he truely exists in each created person.

May I always be the face of unconditional love, a love that is freely received and given. Give me the ability to walk a mile in the shoes of others, and to see that you walk with and love them as you surely do patiently with me.

In doing these things, not on my own power but yours, Father, may the fruit of your gifts and your work with in me be a world that knows your love, where justice and peace shall kiss.

I ask this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Joy

The joy of children
Returned to absent parents
See heaven on earth.

The joy of parents
Returned to absent children
Live heaven on earth.

The joy of heaven
Returned to lifeless earth
Witness Peace and Love.

Prayer for Peace in Syria

GOD OF COMPASSION,

LISTEN TO THE CRIES
OF THE PEOPLE OF SYRIA.

Give comfort to those who suffer
because of the violence,
console those who mourn their dead,
and strength to neighboring countries
to welcome the refugees.

Convert the hearts of
those who resort to arms
and protect those who
work to promote peace.

GOD OF HOPE,

inspire leaders to choose
peace instead of violence
and to seek reconciliation with their enemies.
Inspire compassion in the universal Church
for the Syrian people and give us hope
for a future of peace based on justice for all.
We ask this through Jesus Christ,
Prince of Peace and Light of the world.

AMEN.

Prayer of My Mission

My God has gotten me through past job losses.
My God has been with me through family crises
My God has gotten me through cancer, depression and loneliness.
I am a man on a mission traversing this life
Spreading but one message:
My God is love
And he loves every person I meet, touch or even hear about today.
I accept that love, and true acceptance means that I need to love them too.
That's kind of scary, until I realize that the God who has seen me through this life
Is the only power I have that will let me achieve that love.
Lord be my power today and every day.
Let me be your face to one of your beloved today.

I remember you my friend

I remember you my friend.
I'm glad to know that you were mine
Shared Days we were close,
Some Days we were far away;
These Days blur into yesterday.

Now in God You are today
The laughing sun
The crying rain
Far above the time given pain.
For all todays even when memory fades.

My friend stands in my life
So filled by friends
Even such as these
Wih Bodies gone.

I would not lie, would not forget
The touch that makes a life.
Touch shared in time
I tucked away
Within the heart,
By the heart the touch
returned to life.

The Wrong Funeral

God is so powerful and He speaks to us in so many wonderful ways,  even through a story passed along in email.  God bless you the reader,  the writer of this piece, and my dear sister who sent this to me. - PK  AND WE THINK GOD DOESN'T TALK TO US? Consumed by my loss, I didn't notice the hardness of the pew where I sat. I was at the funeral of my dearest friend - my mother. She finally had lost her long battle with cancer. The hurt was so intense; I found it hard to breathe at times. Always supportive, Mother clapped loudest at my school plays, held a box of tissues while listening to my first heartbreak, comforted me at my father's death, encouraged me in college, and prayed for me my entire life. When mother's illness was diagnosed, my sister had a new baby and my brother had recently married his childhood sweetheart, so it fell on me, the 27-year-old middle female child without entanglements, to take care of her. I counted it an honor. "What now, Lord?" I asked sitting in church. My life stretched out before me as an empty abyss. My brother sat stoically with his face toward the cross while clutching his wife's hand. My sister sat slumped against her husband's shoulder, his arms around her as she cradled their child. All so deeply grieving, no one noticed I sat alone. My place had been with our mother, preparing her meals, helping her walk, taking her to the doctor, seeing to her medication, reading the Bible together. Now she was with the Lord. My work was finished, and I was alone. I heard a door open and slam shut at the back of the church. Quick footsteps hurried along the carpeted floor. An exasperated young man looked around briefly and then sat next to me. He folded his hands and placed them on his lap. His eyes were brimming with tears. He began to sniffle. "I'm late," he explained, though no explanation was necessary. After several eulogies, he leaned over and commented, "Why do they keep calling Mary by the name of 'Margaret?'" "Because, that was her name, Margaret. Never Mary, no one called her 'Mary,'" I whispered. I wondered why this person couldn't have sat on the other side of the church. He interrupted my grieving with his tears and fidgeting. Who was this stranger anyway? "No, that isn't correct," he insisted, as several people glanced over at us whispering, "her name is Mary, Mary Peters." "That isn't who this is." "Isn't this the Lutheran church?" No, the Lutheran church is across the street. "I believe you're at the wrong funeral, Sir." The solemnness of the occasion mixed with the realization of the man's mistake bubbled up inside me and came out as laughter. I cupped my hands over my face, hoping it would be interpreted as sobs. The creaking pew gave me away. Sharp looks from other mourners only made the situation seem more hilarious. I peeked at the bewildered, misguided man seated beside me. He was laughing too, as he glanced around, deciding it was too late for an uneventful exit. I imagined Mother laughing. At the final "Amen," we darted out a door and into the parking lot. "I do believe we'll be the talk of the town," he smiled. He said his name was Rick and since he had missed his aunt's funeral, asked me out for a cup of coffee. That afternoon began a lifelong journey for me with this man who attended the wrong funeral, but was in the right place. A year after our meeting, we were married at a country church where he was the assistant pastor. This time we both arrived at the same church, right on time. In my time of sorrow, God gave me laughter. In place of loneliness, God gave me love. This past June, we celebrated our twenty-second wedding anniversary.  Whenever anyone asks us how we met, Rick tells them, "Her mother and my Aunt Mary introduced us, and it's truly a match made in heaven." If you Love God for all the marvelous things he has done for you, send this on to others. REMEMBER, God doesn't make mistakes. He puts us where we are supposed to be.

Life begins...

You can choose to do it alone
with someone else
or with God...

Walk to the edge.
Listen hard. Laugh. Play with abandon.
Practice wellness.
Continue to learn.
Choose with no regret.
Appreciate your friends.
Lead or follow a leader.
Do what you love.
Live as if this is all there is.

-Mary Anne Radmacher

I have made my choice. I am alive in Christ.

A Prayer to Avoid Entitlement

The Jewish people have a beautiful prayer form, a kind of litany to which the response is always "Dayenu!" (It would have been enough!).

  

They list, one by one, the mirabilia Dei, the wonderful works of God for their people and themselves, and after each one, shout out DAYENU! As if to say, "How much is it going to take for us to know that God is with us?!" It builds satisfaction instead of feeding dissatisfaction.

  

If we begin our day with any notion of scarcity, not-enoughness, victimhood, or "I deserve," I promise you the day will not be good--for you or for those around you. Nor will God be glorified.

  

Maybe we all should begin our days with a litany of satisfaction, abundance, and enoughness. God, you have given me another day of totally gratuitous life: my health, my eyes, my ears, my mind, my taste, my family, my freedom, my education, clean water, more than enough food, a roof over my head, a warm bed and blanket, friends, sunshine, a beating heart, and your eternal love and guidance.

  

To any one of these we must say, "And this is more than enough!"

by Richard Rohr

Gods goodness is so overwhelming that even one of his deeds would have been enough.  He has not only provided for my lifetime, but that of my family, friends and enemies.

Just to be. A child of God. Dayenu!

The Cookie Thief

A woman was waiting at an airport one night,
With several long hours before her flight.
She hunted for a book in the airport shops.
Bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see,
That the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be.
Grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between,
Which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock,
As the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.
She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by,
Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice, I would blacken his eye."

With each cookie she took, he took one too,
When only one was left, she wondered what he would do.
With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh,
He took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other,
She snatched it from him and thought... oooh, brother.
This guy has some nerve and he's also rude,
Why he didn't even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled,
And sighed with relief when her flight was called.
She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate,
Refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat,
Then she sought her book, which was almost complete.
As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise,
There was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair,
The others were his, and he tried to share.
Too late to apologize, she realized with grief,
That she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

Thank you Wendy for sharing!
Cukierski Family - Healing Mind, Body and Soul by Catholic Products

Use words if neccessary...

“Preach the gospel at all times. Use words if necessary.”

It is the spirit of St. Francis that counts...

This is a great quote, very Franciscan in its spirit, but not literally from St. Francis. The thought is his; this catchy phrasing is not in his writings or in the earliest biographies about him.

In Chapter XVII of his Rule of 1221, Francis told the friars not to preach unless they had received the proper permission to do so. Then he added, “Let all the brothers, however, preach by their deeds.”

I had been a Franciscan for 28 years—and had earned an M.A. in Franciscan studies—before I heard the “Use words if necessary” quote. That was during Msgr. Kenneth Velo’s homily at Cardinal Joseph L. Bernardin’s funeral in 1996.

About a year ago, a friend of mine used the Internet to contact some of the most eminent Franciscan scholars in the world, seeking the source of this “Use words if necessary” quote. It is clearly not in any of Francis’ writings. After a couple weeks of searching, no scholar could find this quote in a story written within 200 years of Francis’ death.

This saying and the “Peace Prayer,” which Francis certainly did not write, are easily identified with him because they so thoroughly reflect his spirit. Unfortunately, they would not have become as widespread if they had been attributed to “John Smith” or “Mary Jones.”

Exhaustive research on the origins of the “Peace Prayer of St. Francis” has led to Christian Renoux’s new book in French. This 210-page study (ISBN 2-85020-096-4) is described at www.electre.com under Les Editions Franciscaines.

An 11th-century French prayer is similar to the first part of the “Peace Prayer.” The oldest known copy of the current prayer, however, dates to 1912 in France. The prayer became more well known in other countries during World War I.

This prayer is sold all over Assisi today—but always under the title “A Simple Prayer.” Whoever linked it to St. Francis guaranteed a wide diffusion of the text. The same is true for the “Use words if necessary” quote. Both reflect St. Francis very well. 

Father Pat McCloskey, O.F.M

Miracle Everyday

The following quote from Jim Rohn reflect my belief that there are abounding Miracles which touch our lives every day. Thanks to Sr. Pat for the reflection.

I have found in life that if you want a miracle
you first need to do whatever it is you can do -
if that's to plant, then plant;
if it is to read, then read;
if it is to change, then change;
if it is to study, then study;
if it is to work, then work;
whatever you have to do.
And then you will be well on your way of doing the labor that works miracles.
Jim Rohn.

What miracle did you experience today?
A smile of a child.
A revelation of who you are.
Feet trodding a familar place.

Miracles All. Open your eyes to see.

Is It Well?

HOW IS IT WITH YOUR SOUL?

How is it with your soul?

I meet regularly with a few friends and we ask one another that
question. How is it with your soul? In other words, at the core of
your being ... what is going on?

It's a bigger question than, "How are you feeling?" It includes body,
mind and spirit -- everything.

How would you answer that question today? How is it with YOUR soul?

Are you caring for it? After all, you care for your body. Do you care
for your soul, too?

Do you FEED your soul?

I'm told that a hummingbird flaps its wings some 50-80 times a
second. It must eat constantly to work that hard. It takes tremendous
energy simply to live.

We, too, must feed our spirits if we intend to be healthy. It may
include prayer or meditation or the practice of other spiritual
disciplines. Or taking classes and reading books that not only teach,
but uplift and inspire.

These are only a few of the ways we feed our souls, but without
constant nourishment, our spirits will grow weak and listless.

Do you REST your soul?

In our multi-tasking lives, sometimes the best thing we can do is to
do nothing at all. Just to sit quietly long enough to let our souls
catch up with our bodies.

Charles Darwin said, "If I had my life to live over again, I would
have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least
once a week."

What rests your soul? Poetry? Music? Enjoying the beauty of nature?
This is a wonderful world we live in -- a world full of wonder. Can
you find ways to rest your soul?

Do you CHEER your soul?

Use one of the greatest gifts you have been given is a gift of
laughter. And it is a gift we never use enough.

A woman diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis told me how painful the
disease had become. Debra said that no drugs would touch the
devastating pain. "At times I prayed to die because I did not think I
could go on this way," she said.

"In 1996 I began seeing a doctor who gave me the most important
prescription that I ever could have received. He excused himself from
the room. I watched him walking back and forth in the hall; he seemed
to be in deep thought."

The doctor came back in with this prescription. He told Debra to get
some funny movies and to begin laughing. If she didn't feel like
laughing, then she should smile. If she didn't feel like smiling, she
should smile anyway. He said that it would increase the endorphins in
her brain to help with her pain.

She did just as he suggested. She smiled constantly. Her children
teased her about the fake smile, but she told them that it was going
to get rid of her pain.

And it did. Of course, not all of her pain is gone, but her newly
acquired habit of laughing and smiling has made it manageable. And now
Debra says that she takes only a fraction of the pills she used to
consume, and that she would feel abnormal without a smile.

Someone beautifully said, "Life is not about waiting for the storm to
pass -- it's about learning how to dance in the rain."

How is it with your soul? That may be the best question you can ever
ask yourself.

-- Steve Goodier

CELEBRATING YOU

An old story tells of an unhappy and discontented stone cutter. One day he came upon a merchant and was awe-struck by all of the marvelous goods the man had for sale. "I wish I were a merchant," said the stone cutter and, quite amazingly, his wish was granted.

Not long afterward he saw a parade pass his little shop. Spying a prince dressed in splendor such as he had never before seen, he said,"I wish I were a prince." And he became one.

But it wasn't too many days later that he stepped outside and felt the discomfort of the hot summer sun beating down upon his head. "Even a prince cannot stay cool in the sun," he said. "I wish I were the sun."This wish, too, was granted.

He was happy being the sun until, one day, a cloud came between him and the earth. "That cloud over shadows me," he said. "I wish I were a cloud." Again, his wish was granted and he was happy until he came to a mountain that he could not rise above. "This mountain is greater than I," he said. "I wish I were a mountain."

As a tall and mighty mountain he looked down upon the affairs of humans and felt that he was finally happy. But one day a stone cutter climbed up his side and chipped away at rock and there was nothing he could do about it. "That little man is more powerful than I," the mountain said. "I wish I were a stone cutter."

So the circle was completed and now the stone cutter knew that he would always be happy just being himself. He would never dress like a prince, shine like the sun nor rise as tall as a mountain, but he was happy to be who he was.

A sure way to unhappiness is to compare yourself to others. Like someone aptly said, "The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence, but it still has to be mowed." You are who you are and that is to be celebrated.

-- Steve Goodier

Why Jesus Multiplied Loaves AND fish

Singing In The Reign: Why Jesus Multiplied Loaves AND fish

My take on this is a little different. Bread is seen as the necessities of life, which we pray for in the Our Father. We pray for more than just bread in that prayer, we pray for forgiveness, deliverance, and the coming of the kingdom.

Jesus showes us that when we put our lives in His hands, through the power of His prayer, he will supply beyond our need, He will provide abundance.

F.R.A.N.C.I.S Commitment to Civility in Discourse

From FANs website:

I commit to:

• FACILITATE a forum for difficult discourse and acknowledge that all dialogue can lead to new insight and mutual understanding.
• RESPECT the dignity of all people, especially the dignity of those who hold an opposing view.
• AUDIT one's self and utilize terms or a vocabulary of faith to unite or reconcile rather than divide conflicting positions.
• NEUTRALIZE inflamed conversations by presuming that those with whom we differ are acting in good faith.
• COLLABORATE with others and recognize that all human engagement is an opportunity to promote peace.
• IDENTIFY common ground such as similar values or concerns and utilize this as a foundation to build upon.
• SUPPORT efforts to clean up the provocative language by calling policymakers to their sense of personal integrity.

A Morning Prayer of Letting Go

More of You, 

Less of me.

How the world

Was meant to be.

All of you,

None of me

Is the path 

To set me free.

In your hands,

In your Grace

In each one

To see your face.

In your hands 

I put my Life

My joys, my tears,

My cross My strife.

Love of you

For Love of me

And yet beyond 

infinity.

Love of you

So beyond me

Let me lose 

myself in thee.