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4/30/10
Meditations from St.
Theresa of Avila to her discalced nuns. In meditation we can
build a “dwelling place”—a garden or a beautiful estate of
sorts, in your soul as a place to welcome Jesus Christ to
commune with Him.
1st Dwelling
Place – The Garden
Elements:
·
Water – Christ as a fountain
·
Tree – The soul is planted to receive
the lifegiving waters
·
Light – Christ is the light which
illuminates
Self understanding is achieved through Christ
Who is a mirror for our souls. Self discovery occurs when
meditating upon Christ. He becomes a mirror to reflect our true
selves to us.
4/23/10
You love God only as
much as the person you love the least. – Fr. Shaunessey, EWTN
Mass
Dear Lord,
Everyday I come more and
more to realize how much I need You. Thank you for the insight
and knowledge of my true self. Oh Reflection of Truth, I love
You and I fall on my knees in awe of You. I see how deficient I
am and how much I need Your graces, virtues, and gifts. Lord
Jesus, through the intercession and direction of the Blessed
Virgin Mary, I ask for the following in humility and anguish for
my sins:
O Holy Spirit, alight in
my heart and change my soul. Give me the holy gift of Your
theological virtues. Give me faith and hope to combat the fear
in my heart. Grant me charity, the perfection of justice, to
change my unforgiving heart. Transform my taste for hatred,
revenge, racism, judgmental nature and envy into a heart that is
meek and humble like Jesus’ heart. Remind me that in loving my
neighbor I more perfectly love You.
Holy Spirit most
generous love of God and Spirit of Christ and His Church, I need
Your gifts. Grant me temperance for my gluttony, make me pious
and grant me understanding in my anger. Break my pride and
grant me a true understanding of myself and a deep and profound
humility. Give me prudence to combat the avarice, sloth and
lust which comes so naturally to me. In the face of all my
earthly desires, grant me temperance and a deep and lasting
thirst for God and a genuine distaste for earthly pleasures.
Give me a righteous fear
of the Lord, deepen my piety and a zeal for God’s work. Show me
Your will in my life and let me work to advance the kingdom of
God and justice for all people. Teach me to feed the poor,
comfort the afflicted, befriend the friendless, love the
unlovable, and respect and raise up the despised. Let me see
Christ in every face and serve all men. Help me to want these
things each day and grant me sincerity of heart.
Guide my steps O Lord
for I have asked for great and fearful things asking to be
raised to heaven as I wallow in the mud. Love and protect Your
muddy lamb, Lord. Clasp me to Your breast as I should do to
others and wait patiently for me as I struggle to follow Your
way. I submit my will to Your will and I am content to follow
You instead of trying to find “a better way” on my own. I love
You Jesus and I thank You for redeeming this ungrateful heart.
Amen.
4/17/10
Spring! It’s like the
whole world celebrates. I keep trying to create a meditation
space in my garden but I keep getting distracted by an ivy that
needs repotting or a shrub that needs pruning or a plant that
needs a little love—Ok usually just water. Life is like that, I
want to be a mystic deeply contemplating the depths of God’s
love or at least I want to want to but there is always a bill to
be paid or toilet that needs a little love – OK usually just a
good cleaning. I have been trying to remember bring God along
with me on these little errands by praying or listening to my
mp3. Sometimes I can. Sometimes it takes all my attention to
clean the toilet. I’m not that bright. Lord, thank you for
waiting patiently for me and help me to remember You throughout
the day.
4/15/10
Today is tax day. Time
to render unto Caesar what he is due. It reminds me to say
thank you to You as well. Thank you for a roof over my head.
Thank you for the food I eat and the job You led me to. Thank
you for caring enough to count the hairs on my head and to care
when I stub my toe or have a bad day. Thank you for being the
God of the Universe and still bending low to hear my prayers and
thoughts. Thank you for needing nothing, unchanging,
unchangeable… perfect - You don’t need me, You want me;
You yearn for my attention. That’s pretty sexy. Romeo and
Juliet don't have anything on our story.
We hear “Jesus loves
you” but when I stop and think about what that means, it’s
pretty mind blowing. You made black holes. You understand that
pesky arrow of time. You even understand evolution. At what
point did you stop the process, look at the Platypus, and say
“That’s a keeper.” How could I possibly interest You? And yet
You created me, oversaw my development, watched me grow and
loved me every step of the way – even when I was a teenager and
knew I knew everything. Even then You loved me. And
twenty years later with the gray hairs and spreading waistline
and crows’ feet—Even now I captivate You. You are charmed when
I drop food down my blouse and sneak a donut in three bites.
When I come to visit You, I make Your day. I was made for
You. I am made just for You. Only You can truly satisfy my
wandering heart. That makes paying the taxes nothing more than
paying toll on the road home to You. Well worth every penny.
4/2/10
It's 4:37AM Lord and You awaken me to watch a while with You on
Good Friday. I wonder where You are right now. Are
you still praying in the Mount of Olives over what is to come?
Have the angels drawn near to comfort You? Are You feeling very
much alone? Did the angels collect those precious drops of
blood you sweat as You prayed for strength and called out to
Your Father? Have you already been captured? The man's ear
healed who came to arrest You? Even then You reached out to us
with love. Have they begun their mocking - dressing you up
in a purple robe and spitting in you most holy face. I
think that I would have called the whole thing off then.
Your hosts of angels drawing near waiting for one word, one
glance and they could descend on man and demon alike who
frolicked before you in frenzied manic joy over your downfall.
The slaughter would have been complete and you would have
emerged looking like the champion we supposed the messiah would
be. Yet you held your tongue and your army back allowing
the people that you loved to abuse you. How wretched our
sins must be to you Lord, how precious we must be that you would
allow such a thing.
And you Mother. Is she at home praying, tears streaming
down her face as she watches from afar. And Garbriel who
was never far from her, is he kneeling by her side, shoring her
up as her mind reels at the affronts and her hearts breaks with
Yours?
You are left alone. Friendless
and abandoned by those you chose and who had followed you for
three years. As they ran away and found safe places to
hide, did these men cry and curse their own cowardice.
John, the mystic, who always seemed to have the inside track
into understanding with You. Where was he? I suppose
I would have run too. Found a safe place to hole up in but
knowing you were the messiah would wait to see how you were
going to get out of this one.
At least Peter followed You to the
jail and waited around. We always think of him as the
cowardly lion who wept with shame when the cock crowed but at
least he came that far with you. The bible makes no
mention of the others.
Its not much longer now. Less
than ten hours until you gasp your last on the cross. And
yet it must seem like an eternity. I love that verse in
St. Bridget’s prayers – your flesh withered and the marrow of
your bones dried up, You were raised like a bundle of myrrh to
the top of the cross and offered as a sacrifice for our sins.
It wasn’t enough that you took the punishment or even died for
us. Just so there would be no mistake just because your
love for us is that unfathomably deep you shed every single drop
of blood you had for us. Every single drop. You gave
us everything you had and everything you were so that we would
not be lost. And here I sit on my bed surrounded by
feather pillows, typing on my laptop so inadequately bending my
head to say “Thank you.”
Remind me of this day Lord when
something happens, like I lose my job, or a test comes back with
questionable results from the doctor, or a check bounces at the
bank that it is you that I don’t fully trust to take care of me,
you are the one I doubt when I should offer you all that I am
and do. You are the one I fear to ask for humility or
patience afraid that you might actually give me what I ask for.
How silly of me. I have trusted friends I’ve known for
only a short time more than I trust you.
Even so you love me. Even so you
died on the cross for me. Even though you know how
mean and shallow I am, you still went through with it. You
still did it and would do it again even after you see how I have
wasted the gifts you have given me and how many times you have
wanted to be near me and I have said no. Even knowing all
this, you would still do it all again. Humbled and in awe,
I can only say “Thank you.”
3/28/10
Today is Palm Sunday.
We waved our palms in procession to the altar as did the people
of Jerusalem as Jesus entered the city in triumph and
celebration. These same people who a week later demanded
His death. How like me to look at You with love and offer
you my life and then turn around and offend You with my sins to
satisfy my own desires. Dear Lord, as each day passes,
remake me so that there is less of me and more of You in my
being.
3/25/10
As I work on this web site getting it ready to be published in
April, I find myself praying less and less. Mother Theresa
always began her day with prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
before going to the streets of Calcutta to help the sick, the
poor, and the dying. I can understand that staying focused
on my purpose – to know, love, and serve God; that is to work on
our relationship is different than the work I do in service to
Him. I
have
always been a pray-er. I must remember to keep my eyes and
my focus on God and He will take care of the rest. I am
going to cut this short because it is after 3:30 in the morning
and I need time to pray. I miss you Lord when I don’t make
time in my day for You for even though You run the universe, You
always have time to bend low to listen to one of Your lambs. I
love You.
3/14/10
A man, a regular guy, was visited by Jesus
one day who gave him a task. A giant boulder appeared in the
man's back yard and the man was asked to push the rock. Excited
that God had singled him out for this special job, the man
faithfully went out everyday and pushed with all his might
against the rock but it did not move one inch. Day after day,
year after year the man pushed the rock but it never moved at
all. After some time, the man became discouraged and the devil
began to whisper in his ear. Things like:
"You are such a loser"
"How can God expect you to do this impossible task, He wants to
see you fail."
and, "Just give up, you'll never move that thing!"
Disheartened the man called out to God and asked for help. God
appeared before him and the man poured out his heart; "You gave
me this job to do and I have tried to move this rock with all my
might but I have failed you!"
Jesus gently took the man into His arms. "My son," He said, "You
have been faithful to your task. I never asked you to move the
rock, I asked you to push. And because of that your body and
your will have become strong. Now, because you have been
faithful to me, I, I will move the rock." --Unknown
Keep your eyes on God at all times and set your goal to serve
him as best you can whether you are praying or cleaning a
toilet. He never asks us to succeed, only try. This will free
you to find joy in the doing and from that will grow the
gratitude you seek as God opens up your eyes to the things he
makes happen because you have been faithful to Him. He loves
that! 2/23/10
Dear Father,
You are my hero. I love You.
Please give me the grace to see you tomorrow. Please
forgive my gossiping tongue. I will try harder tomorrow.
Have mercy on me for I am a sinner and even
with You so dearly and freshly communed with me in my heart and
I in Yours, I still failed You. Please forgive me for how
I spent today; what I didn't do, and for what I did, and for
what I did poorly. I am sorry. Please help me try
again tomorrow. 2/21/10
Gardening will be hard this year without
Keith. Not just because he helped so much with acquisition
but it seemed we did everything together and now there is no one
physically present to appreciate it. I think that I will
add something this year that will honor him as well as try to
take better care of his roses.
Keith, I miss you every day. You could not have known how
much you were loved and cherished by us. Sometimes I think
the first thing I'll do when I see you again is whack you on
your stupid malfunctioning head but we both know I will jump
into your waiting arms instead.
Lord, I am still working on loving You as I should. I
think that I never can because I am not built for it but isn't
that what we were all created for? It was Your mother Mary
who really loved You as we all should. That is why St.
Catherine asked for a new heart to love You more and more and
You answered by giving her the heart of Your Mother. I am
still pondering this mystery because it seems a little strange
but I trust You. You know it is funny how chatty You
became when I started listening again. We must frustrate
You when we don't listen. Thank you for Your love and
patience. I have heard you, you
know, the secret to a closer walk with You is really no secret
at all--it is the Eucharist. It is kinda morbid really --
I feed on You and the more I do, the more You consume me.
I guess it really is true - you are what you eat. I guess that's
why so many of the lost are into vampires. Funny how we
recognize truth when we see it by still deny the Truth.
You are my beloved. I think about all
the time. You are my first love. I want You. I
want to want You more. I love You. I want to love
You more and I want to want to love You more.
I know faith without works is dead but I am
still the laziest person I know. Help me. Give me
strength since I shy away from even the smallest cross. I
know that they are precious gifts--more valuable than gold but
somehow I am still not willing to willingly, happily,
cheerfully, pick up the crosses You gift me with. I guess
knowing the Truth and living it are where You separate the lambs
from the goats. I like goats so I
cannot really see them as the damned but I do like being one of
Your lambs. Although I really see myself more as a
pigeon--dirty, lice ridden, scavenging on garbage rather than
flying away to the earth's bounty. Really gross and yet
still a creature of Yours in some way. Maybe that's why
the Ugly Duckling Story resonates with us generation after
generation -- another case of recognizing truth while refusing
to embrace the Truth. I wonder how many Buddhists are in
heaven? And seriously, what about
other Christians. They love You Lord and yet they deny
themselves the lifespring of the Eucharist. And yet they have
the grace to love and worship You. And if truth resonates
in our souls and even the deepest sleep can be stirred, why
don't we run to You in the Blessed Sacrament in droves.
Even many Catholics don't even realize what they have received.
2/22/10
Lord, You are working such wonders
in my life. You are awesome. It is early morning and
I am up and I know that we will be together in a couple of
hours when I go to mass. It is my Lenten resolve to attend
mass every day but I have already blown it since Ash Wednesday
was last week and I have yet to go to mass. So I have
changed it a little to go as often as possible, with God's help
since I am notoriously unreliable. I
wrote down a phone number which is for free legal consultation.
I think Randy's illness and care so far involves some medical
negligence but I am not sure and don't trust the lure of money,
lawyers, the devil, or my own greedy self but I have really been
thinking a lot about whether to consult a lawyer. So, if
this is where
You lead me I want to be sure. Money seems to cause more
trouble in the long run than not. Anyway I have asked for
a word of confirmation from You through someone I trust today
before I call this number. If You are leading me to seek
legal action (Really?) than I will. If not, then that will
be the last of it so I can be confident I am following Your
will. Some may call this silly or crazy but I have been
called worse by better. Besides it is too tempting to
think about a life where I don't have to work to trust my own
judgment. It is the end of the day
and no word. Thank you Lord. I will move on.
2/19/10
When Mass was over, I remained with Jesus in Thanksgiving.
Oh how sweet was the colloquy with paradise that morning! It was
such that, although I want to tell you all about it, I cannot.
There were things which cannot be translated into human language
without losing their deep and heavenly meaning. The Heart
of Jesus and my own -- allow me to use the expression were
fused. No longer were two hearts beating but only one. My
own heart had disappeared as a drop of water is lost in the
ocean. Jesus was its paradise, its King. The joy was
so intense and deep that I could bear no more and tears of
happiness poured down my cheeks.--Letter from Padre Pio
I love You Jesus. Have mercy on me a
sinner. Replace my heart with one that can love You as You
deserve. Strengthen my will that I may do Your will and
not wander off after worldly things. You are my first love
because You first loved me.
2/16/10
Let everyone be struck with fear,
The whole world tremble,
and the heavens exalt
when Christ, the Son of the living
God
is present on the altar in hands of a
priest.
O wonderful loftiness
And stupendous dignity!
O sublime humility!
O humble sublimity!
The Lord of the universe
God, and the Son of God,
so humbles Himself
that He hides Himself
for our salvation
Under an ordinary piece of bread!
See the humility of God brothers and
pour out your hearts before Him (Ps 62:8)
--Meditation of St. Francis
2/15/10
I begin to see more and more the importance
of the Eucharist and yet still my will is weak. I think
this Lent I will go to Mass in the mornings every day. I
am afraid to commit to this because I don't want to fail so I
will pray for grace and hope that with each communion my resolve
will become greater. I finally got
donated the last of Keith's things today. the Salvation
Army came and picked up everything. I was sad but glad to
see it go. Thank you Jesus for
saving souls. Hold back nothing of
yourselves for yourselves, that He who gives Himself totally to
you may receive you totally -- St. Francis of Assisi
2/14/10 I
am healing. Finally. I feel better - I feel bored
even. Please guide my steps so that my free time is used
in service to You. I am not sure how to start an
apostolate but I am going to find out.
U

I worship U
I adore U
I♥U
U
2/11/10
Never before this time could it be said that I possessed a
grateful heart. When I met a man who had no feet, not only
was I not grateful that I lacked only shoes, but I saw it as
further proof that this is a crap life. I asked God to
grant me a grateful heart but somehow could not change.
Then God granted me 3 gifts:
- The conversion and baptism of Randy
- God's unwavering assurance that Keith
had been saved before he died.
- A word of wisdom from my sister,
"Just because you didn't go to Africa doesn't mean you got
to deny the vocation God gave you. I thing you would
not be as miserable if you would just stop fighting and
accept what God made you to be."
Each day since, my heart praises and
thanks You and grows more grateful and more zealous for
souls each day. Praise You and Thank You Jesus for
sheltering Keith in Your most Sacred Heart.
2/10/10
Excerpts from Pope Benedict's Encyclical Caritas in Veritate
(Charity in Truth)
Only in charity
illumined by the light of reason and faith is it
possible to pursue development goals that possess a more
humane and humanizing value.
The sharing of goods
and resources from which authentic development
proceeds...opening up a path towards reciprocity of
consciousness and liberties.
To love someone is to
desire that person's good and take effective steps to
secure it.
Charity goes beyond
justice because to love is to give what is mine to the
other but it never lacks justice which prompts us to
give the other what is "his", what is due him by reason
of his being or acting. I cannot give what is mine
to the other without first giving him what pertains to
him in justice.
Justice is the
minimum measure of charity.
Fidelity to man requires fidelity to the truth which
alone is the guarantee of freedom.
Without the
perspective of eternal life, human progress in this
life...enclosed within history, it runs the risk of
being reduced to more accumulation of (earthly) wealth.
As society becomes
ever more globalized, it makes us neighbors but does not
make us brothers. Reason, by itself, is capable of
grasping the equality between men...but not the
fraternity--this is transcendent vocation wherein God,
the Father, through the Son teaches us fraternal charity
and reveals humanity to itself.
2/7/10
There are brief periods of
contemplation where I feel completely aligned with the Sacred
Heart of Jesus where instead of saying “I love You” and “I
worship You”, I just love and worship Him. These moments
are precious gifts and are fleeting and I value them beyond
price. Perhaps You will want to commune with me like this
more? I think that it is only my smallness, my limited
capacity that limits this union.
2/5/10
Lord; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
Please teach me to love You more and more each day.
Teach me to trust You more and more each day.
Transform me to Your image more and more each day.
Teach me to hear You more and more each day.
Teach me to want You more and more each day.
Teach me to love others for You more and more each day.
Teach me to be zealous for souls more and more each day.
Teach me to die to this world more and more each day.
Teach me to live for You and in You more and more each day.
Grant me a grateful heart more and more each day.
Grant me the grace to “Yes” to You more and more each day.
Strengthen my will so I can say “no” to my flesh more and more
each day.
Crucify me with You more and more each day. (Lord, this
one scares me. Help me to want this more and more each
day)
Let my life further Your kingdom more and more each day.
I love You and I say this prayer with every breath I take and
every beat of my heart each and every day. Amen.
2/4/10
Night Prayer
Dear Lord and Master. Thank you
for this day You shared with me. I believe, I adore, I
hope, and I love Thee. I ask pardon for those who do not
believe, do not adore, do not hope, and do not love Thee.
– Fatima Prayer of the Angel
2/1/10
I can do nothing without You.
God does not expect us to succeed, He only asks us to try.
I turn to You Lord for all things. You are the author of
all that is good in me in my life and the world. I love
You, I appreciate You. You are my first love and my hero.
I love You.
1/16/10
I used to be in awe about the thought
that God Himself waits patiently in the Tabernacle until we
think to visit Him. Now I see that He waits patiently
until we come to mass to become the Tabernacles that bring Him
to the world.
1/15/10
I stand on a rock projecting at the
precipice of a massive waterfall-like Niagara Falls. The
rumbling noise is so deep, so primal, that it moves through me
and resonates in my deepest self. I look out. There is no
fear no vertigo…just quiet anticipation, a peaceful expectancy.
Like a master cliff diver, I jump out and down in a perfect swan
dive matching the falling water in my descent. As I fall I
am transformed so that by the time I meet the water, I have in
fact become that very thing so that rather than dive into the
churning water, I meet what I have become and am engulfed,
swallowed up, completely integrated into the dynamic, churning,
tingling love. I dissolve and my consciousness
becomes a single drop that in the swirling energetic body of
which I have become a part, infused and integrated. I am
thrown up into the air with a million of my brethren and am
captured by a ray of light. I ignite in a perfect union of
water and rainbow reflection becoming vapor in the ecstasy of
the event.
Raspberries to satan. This is
the secret to life.
I read a quote once that life is not
so much surviving the storm as learning to dance in the rain.
I submit that further, it is to become the rain.
Thank you Jesus, I give myself to You.
1/6/10
Things always work out better when I
listen to You. Why do I still think I can do better?
Diary of a soul
He is fascinated by Mary and loves his
“mommy time”. Jesus fulfills all his desires for true
love. And of the Father…he is completely blown away saying
only “Holy, Holy, Holy” Not him but the Holy Spirit who speaks
through him. Sound of glass shattering. He is no
longer isolated in the fish bowl but has many many many
friends—all family. Thank You Jesus, I finally have a
grateful heart. Take care of him for me as I took care of
him for You.
12/30/09
To Do List for the New Year
-
Be meek and humble of heart
-
Forgive all who harm you
-
Say yes to God
-
Love God
-
Go to confession often
-
Pray
-
Do not fill my memory with
garbage from TV or anywhere else
Piece of Cake!
Empty yourself and let Jesus work through You – St. Catherine of
Genoa
4/21/08
People may go to sea even if they have
no skill, because You can save them from any danger.
Wisdom 14:4
Dear Lord,
In the beginning, You did Your work of
creation and gave everything a place of its own. Help me
Jesus to do work in Your image. To produce for Your glory.
Help me to become a better employee and realize that when I do
meaningful work, I work for You and when I fail to do my best, I
fail You. Amen.
11/25/07
He is such a merciful God. He
woke me up (my angel) to go to Church. I just wanted to
spend some time before the Eucharist and surprise – They were
doing Eucharistic Adoration. I spent an hour or two there
in prayer. I am at peace with God and I know He protects
me. While at Eucharistic Adoration on Friday, He gave me
two things – a vision of the Monstrance with the Host in it and
the words, He is my strength and my shield.” – Sr. Faustina
1/18/07
I give myself up to God’s will.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done. Behold the handmaid of
the Lord. Be it done to me according to Thy will.
He has an appeal for every man and
there is no heart that He cannot complete satisfy. We can
connect with Him through:
·
Prayer
·
Sacraments
·
Reading
·
Doing God’s will
·
Through the Blessed Mother
If we accept our misery and the
humiliation of having sinned, and banish our wounded pride—there
is nothing the God will not do for us. Suffering does have
merit.
The whole of Scripture re-echoes God’s
power and willingness to remove all our sins and repair our
ruin.
And if there is one way of touching
God’s heart that can be recommended above all to the sinner, it
is to cast oneself on the mercy of God who is our Father and
Savior, in the absolute confidence and abandonment to His will.
Our Lord Himself has shown us how he will RUN to receive and
restore us.
TTL, pp 156-158
1/17/07
But for a healthy Christian life, all
a man’s work must be done with God, for God, and in God; the
love of God is at once its source, its end, and its principal
value – M. E. Boylan
God is completely self sufficient and
as we can add nothing to Him, our love at times seems
hopeless...But God has so identified Himself with the needs of
our neighbor that what we do for others for God’s sake, is done
to and for God Himself. – M. E. Boylan
God loves us better than we love
ourselves and He has a better knowledge of our needs and of our
heart, if we only trust Him. We need never be afraid to
abandon ourselves to God’s will for God’s will is God
Himself—and God is infinite goodness.
Christ is the vine, God is the farmer
who cares for the vine. We are the soil in which the vine
roots. It is our choice to be what is healthy and be
absorbed fully into Christ or remain in the darkness of our own
will. – TTL, pp 88-89, 93
1/3/07
New temples, rebuilt ones, laying
foundation, restoration. Please Lord, give me patience.
I have sinned against You and then complain that the restoration
is taking too long. Forgive me Lord for my rotten attitude
and my impatience. I am distracted and irritable.
Help me Lord, I feel like I am drowning. My heart is
broken.
12/29/06
Dear Jesus,
I know I have been an unfaithful lover
to You. You have desired me, wooed me, and sought me but I
have ignored You. I am now reminded how that feels and I
am sorry for wounding Your precious Heart. I get it now.
I have been so foolish seeking out coal when I have but to ask
and the most perfect of diamonds is mine.
So I am asking for such a gift.
Have mercy on me and forgive my faithless, fickle heart.
Show me how to be a better lover of You. I welcome You
into my heart.
12/19/06
Give thanks to the Lord for He is
good. His mercy endures forever.
12/14/06
Really had day. Mass and rosary
in the AM. Feeling very unsure by the afternoon.
Lord, help me remember that You are constant and keep Your
promises. Jesus I trust in You.
12/5/06
And the Lord said to Joshua “Do not be
afraid of them. By this time tomorrow I will have killed
them for Israel. - Wow
Give thanks to the Lord for He is
good. His mercy endures forever.
Lord, why did you break down the
fences that protect this vineyard? Wild hogs feed on its
grapes, wild beasts graze in it.
Mary stood on my right and Raphael on
my left. We laid face down and it was at the end of the
decade of the Glorious Mysteries. My angel told me this
was a sacred space and to pray for my intentions. We did
this together, Mary then stood and lowered her left arm to
me and her right arm reached above to Him. She became a
bridge and mediator. She and my angel prayed with me for
the one I love.
On the fifth mystery, she assured me
with authority, “I will break the chains that bind him”
Lord, I believe you brought us this
one to protect and guide and we tried. Rescue this family
Lord, bring us back together and we will follow Your ways.
With Your grace, I can follow You.
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh
away. Blessed be the name of the Lord – Job
Mother Mary, you are his guardian and
his guide. I remember the vision of you standing over him,
protecting him and covering him with your mantle as he mowed the
lawn oblivious of the blessing you gave him. Break the
chains that bind him. You are queen of heaven and earth
and all demons must yield to you because your son has willed it
so. Oh Star of the Sea, free him.
The Lord listens to those in need and
does not forget his people in prison.
Praise God. O heaven and earth,
seas and all creatures in them. He will save Jerusalem and
rebuild the towns of Judah. His people will live here and
possess the land.
But as for me I will pray to You,
Lord. Answer me God at a time You choose.
Answer me Lord in the goodness of your
constant love. In Your great compassion, turn to me.
Don’t hide Yourself from Your servant. I am in great
trouble – answer me now! Psalm 69
12/3/06
Just
having gone to confession the day before, I was praying just
before Mass. As I was praying with things in my life
weighing heavy on my mind and heart before the Blessed
Sacrament, I felt like I was floating up up through the clouds
and then I saw a bright light like through a cat’s eye. I
moved toward it and was almost upon it when I found myself in a
very dark and comforting space and I could hear a heart beat.
It was safe from the light that was too bright for me. It
felt womb-like, lunar. I realized I was sheltered in the
Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was joined to the light which was
His Sacred Heart but I could not go there directly. I was
not ready – too bright.
In the darkness of her heart and the
darkness was not sinister or evil. It was safe and gentle.
A sacred space. She came to me and she WAS the experience.
There was no dark or light – just her. She filled my
senses but did not overwhelm them. She told me she would
teach me to pray. With her hands on my shoulders, I knelt
and bowed my head. I prayed Keith’s prayer, rather we
prayed it together. When she was mentioned her words
became statements rather than petitions like:
I said “May the Blessed Mother cover
him with her mantle and protect him”
She said “I will cover him with my
mantle, he is under my protection.”
I prayed the prayer to defeat the
works of satan and I could truly say I was praying out of pure
love because she was praying with me.
I asked that my family be protected
especially one in particular. This one I offered up to
Jesus giving up any illusion of control or that I could save
him. If he was to be saved, only God could do it. I
carried this one to the cross and gave him to Jesus who took him
in His arms.
At the end of this prayer, Mary
breathed on it like incense and it rose to her Son embellished
with her graces. She said to me, “Now that’s a prayer I
can endorse”
11/28/02
God leads his chosen souls into the
arid desert to remove all stain of avarice and gluttony and He
Himself takes up the instruction of His people teaching them to
love the Giver, not the gifts. And then we can rest in Him
because He is sufficient.
I have not deserved You. I have
raged and fussed and fumed at You. And You waited in
silence, loving me, bearing the mortal wounds of love for me.
You saved my life and I’m angry with
You. Oh selfish and ungrateful heart! I am betrayed by my
own flesh! Even worse, I betray You. How can You love such
a wretched ungrateful creature as I? I would have crucified You
with my own hands as I do with my sins every day. With
every breath in my body I worship and love You. Thank You
for Your mercy.
11/21/02
In meditating today I had in mind the
parable of the wheat and weeds allowed to grow together and then
the wheat was taken into the barn and weeds burned. But my
audience was with the Blessed Mother. She felt my sorrow
and promised me her Son was coming – that He was very near.
She corrected me for saying St. Anne did not teach her as a
child and she taught me that God knows how things “spill over”
harming others than those targeted. It is the mercy that
allows the weeds to grow even though sin offends Him. He
does it for us, His wheat. I did not realize this story is
about God’s compassion. It goes like this:
Free Will leads to Sin God
Chooses Tolerance
Sin is tolerated so that Wheat has a chance to grow and is saved
rather than uprooted in the fields with the weeds. Lord,
thank you for your mercy. I will try to be grateful.
Please help me.
9/2/02
The more docile we are to the
prompting of grace, the more we grow in inner freedom and
confidence during trials. (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
1742)
Wealth is that to which the multitude
of men pay an instinctive homage. They measure happiness
by wealth; and by wealth they measure respectability. –
Cardinal Newman
The practice of the moral life
animated by charity gives to the Christian the spiritual freedom
of the children of God. He no longer stands before God as
a slave, in servile fear, or as a mercenary looking for wages,
but as a son responding to the love of Him Who first loved us.
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1828)
Charity binds all virtues together.
The other virtues are how we live out our relationship to God.
Charity is the why.
8/21/02
My Conversion Experience
Someone has asked me to record my
conversion experience. The time of my rebirth. My
conversion experience is not so cut and dried as one shining
moment in time when clouds parted and God reached into the
stream of time to touch me in an unmistakable and miraculous,
magical moment. Rather, being a cradle-Catholic, my
“conversion” is really more of a journey with God being both the
destination and my travelling companion. It has been and
still is more a series of opportunities, desert experiences, and
blessings. Occasionally, and these are very rare, a
miraculous moment that occur. These events are shining
pebbles of pure gold in a swiftly flowing current of life.
The enemy tries to rush us by them and make the memory fade
before we realize the importance of the event. I suspect
there are quite a few of these blessings, these direct
intercessions we miss because we allow ourselves to be hurried
along toward one silly place or another.
These golden pebbles are important.
Equally important though and far less dramatic are the
opportunities and desert experiences which comprise the reaching
out, the pursuit of us by the omnipotent God.
Come from Lebanon, my bride,
Come from Lebanon, come!
You have ravished my heart, my sister,
My bride;
You have ravished my heart with one glance of your eyes,
With one bead of your necklace – Song of Songs 4:8-9
Of all the descriptions we know
through scripture, all the adjectives for God; merciful, loving,
generous, jealous, terrible, wrathful, all knowing, all
powerful, creator, judge; smitten lover is my favorite.
So I guess you could say my conversion
experience is still ongoing, a lifelong journey of
transformation rather than one shiny moment. I think I
like it better this way.
And so God our Lover pursues us with
single-minded purpose in meekness and without ego for love’s
light burns away pride and so God who is love cannot be proud.
Pride is the antithesis to His sacrifice and His patience.
Of all sins, pride is the one that Jesus was least tolerant
of-He forgave the adulteress without condemnation but the
Pharisees He called a “brood of vipers”
Mary also condemns pride in her
Magnificat, “He has shown the might of His right arm and
scattered the proud in the conceit of their hearts. Luke 1:51
And so God Who is love willingly
became the sacrificial lamb our scapegoat dying for our sins and
orders the universe to make opportunities to meet us and to
offer His love and friendship to little us. How awesome is
that?
And this fact, as enormous and
earth-shattering as it is, seems surreal and detached from the
flow of everyday life. In the light of temporal affections with
little bearing on soccer games, electric bills, and global
warming. Never forget that the Lord of the universe wants
you, courts you, hungers for your company. THAT’s the
Cinderella story!
8/20/02
In dangers, in doubts, in
difficulties, think of Mary, call upon Mary. Let not her
name depart from your lips; never suffer it to leave your heart.
And that you may more surely obtain the assistance of her
prayer; neglect not to walk in her footsteps. With her for
guide, you shall never go astray, while invoking her, you shall
never lose heart; so long as she is in your mind, you are safe
from deception; while she holds you hand, you cannot fall; under
her protection you have nothing to fear; if she walks before
you, you shall not grow weary; if she shows you favor, you shall
reach the goal. – St. Bernard of Clairvaux
8/16/02
Oh my God. You have led me into the
desert of loneliness and broken the seal of my heart that You
might teach me to love You. You are a strange God teaching
love through sorrow and talking with silence. I hate what
I am – a figure of derision and humiliation. If it was
because of You O Lord, it would be a thing of rejoicing but it
is through my own faults and wrongdoings that has made me the
fool I am today so I take no pleasure in it for it is not the
image of Christ people see and hate in me but a fool with a
sharp tongue and a prideful heart. What could You want of
such a worthless creature?
Nevertheless I recognize this
suffering as being of value. I offer it to console Your
Sacred Heart in reparation of my and the world’s outrages and
offenses. If You do not console my heart, I can at least
console Yours and that is enough.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help have mercy
on me.
A heart that is not self-seeking is
not eager to follow its own will. – T. A. Kempis
Woe to the shepherds of Israel who
have been pasturing themselves. Eze 34:2
8/14/02
Discernment Prayer of St. Francis
Great God of all glory and You my Lord
Jesus Christ, I beseech You to illuminate me and to dissapate
the darkness of my spirit, to give me a pure faith, firm hope,
and perfect charity. Oh my God, grant me to know You well
and to do all things according to Your light in conformity with
Your most holy will.
Blessed, Blessed, Blessed by the Lord
God, Creator of all things. Unchanging, unchangeable – I
profess the Immutable justice and mercy of the Almighty God Who,
to satisfy both, was born of a virgin, became man, and
offered Himself as the atonement for our sins. We have
been redeemed. He has saved us from ourselves. I
look around this world of media, our politicians, our
“lifestyles”, and I must beg forgiveness of God. Oh Lord,
have mercy on Your children! Forgive us our sins and restore us
to Yourself. Amen.
8/13/02
O God, take the sorrows of my heart
and though they are small and unimportant they pierce this
shallow and unworthy vessel. I pray Lord that You restore
my family and re-unite us. Until this is Your pleasure, I
offer You my broken heart. Help me to bear this suffering
with patience and grace. Thank you.
8/12/02
Jesus is all my riches; He alone is
sufficient for me. – St. Louis of Toulouse, 1274-1297
Therefore when we come before God in
prayer, ask grace, not instruction, desire not understanding.
The groaning of prayer, not diligent reading, the Spouse not the
teacher… - St. Bonaventure.
God, grant me passion. Return to
me the fervor of a lover in the early times of love when
everything is fresh and renewed and my thoughts were always on
You. I wanted only to be with You and talk with You and
worship You. Now I am like one who has forgotten why she
wanders and cannot remember what she seeks. You are my
heart’s desire. Renew my passion so that I might return
love for love. Amen.
I may wander but I always come back to You.
I may pursue others but I always come back to You.
I may be unfaithful, unworthy, and unlovely, but I always come
back to You.
I return to You not of my own merit but because You pursue me.
You seek me in the gutters and alleyways where I choose to lie
down. Each time I look up I see Your face. You are
with me, loving me, even in my shame.
I may turn away or neglect You but I always come back to You
because You have never forsaken me. I love You.
Tell me, you whom my heart loves where you pasture your
flock. Where you rest them at midday. Lest I be
found wandering after the flocks of others. (Song of
Songs 1:7)
7/10/02
Jesus sweet to the taste beyond all
our telling, turn all earthly consolations into bitterness for
me. (St. Therese quoting the Imitation of Christ)
Time is but a ship that bears thee,
not thy home – St. Therese, Autobiography Of a Soul.
Billet de Profession de St. Therese
Jesus, my heavenly bridegroom, never
may I lose this second robe of baptismal innocence.
Take me to Yourself before I commit any willful fault,
however slight. May I look for nothing and find
nothing but You and You only; may creatures mean nothing to
me, nor I to them – You Jesus are to be everything to me.
May earthly things have no power to disturb the peace of my
soul; that peace is all I ask of You, except love; love that
is as infinite as You are, love that has no eyes for myself,
but for You Jesus, only for You. Jesus, I would like
to die a martyr for Your sake, a martyr in soul or in body,
better still, in both. Give me the grace to keep my
vows in their entirety, make me understand what is expected
of one who is Your bride. Let me never be a burden to
the community; never claim anybody’s attention, I want them
all to think of me as no better than a grain of sand,
trampled underfoot and forgotten, Jesus, for Your sake.
May Your will be perfectly accomplished in me til I reach
the place You have gone to prepare for me. Jesus, may
I be the means of saving many souls today and, in
particular, may no soul be lost, may all those detained in
Purgatory win release. Pardon me, Jesus, if I am
saying more than I’ve any right to; I’m thinking only of
Your pleasure, of Your content. (Autobiography Of a Soul, p.
163)
I’ve always wished that I could be a
saint. But whenever I compared myself to the saints,
there was always this unfortunate difference. – St. Therese,
Autobiography Of a Soul.
7/8/02
Behold the Man
Worthy are You. For You were slain and
with Your Blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and
nation. You made them a kingdom and priests for our God
and they will reign on earth.
Worthy are You. Worthy is the
Lamb that was slain. All riches, wisdom, strength and
power, honor and glory and blessing be to You, Divine Sacrifice
and Adorable Victim.
Worthy are You. For by Your life,
death, and resurrection, You have redeemed the world. You
poured out Yourself on the altar of the cross in destitution and
poverty counting the riches of this worlk and the estimation of
man as worthless. Embracing the ignominy of death as a
criminal: dying with thieves and tormented by those You wished
to redeem.
Worthy are You of all blessing and
glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might.
May all creatures give You praise. I worship and adore You
for You are my heart’s desire. You are my Lord and my God.
My Master and Redeemer. Who am I Lord but a vile worm, a
filthy rag and yet you yearn for me in meekness and humility –
the Eternal Sacrifice for my soul.
Worthy are You of all trust and
confidence. I offer You the most unworthy sacrifice of my
self and all my acts. I am Your slave. Lord, what
dost Thou wish to do with me? May the sacrifice of my
self, my life, my will and my acts be presented to Mary, my
mistress and Mother that she may adorn it with her gifts and
virtues.
Most holy Mother, I present my
offering to You. I beg of thee oh Mother to accept my filthy
rags and adorn them with your own raiment, clothed with the sun,
and present them to Your Divine Son. Please tell him “I
love her and she is my possession to give to You” Such an
offering cannot fail to wound the Heart of the Master not
because of my offering but because of the virtues and charms of
you, my Mother. Daughter of the Father, Mother of the Son,
Spouse of the Holy Spirit and mother and protectress of the
Church.
May the offering be made in reparation
for the offenses against Your Sacred Heart, the Immaculate Hear
of Mary, for the conversion of sinners, relief of the Holy Souls
in Purgatory, and protection and restoration of the Church.
Worthy are You. Behold the Man.
Clothed in derision, tortured and disfigured, destitute and
despised. You are God and King of all creation. Oh
Jesus meek and humble of heart, make my heart like unto Thine.
Holy, Holy, Holy and powerful art Thou
in Thy work. (Rev 4:8)
6/28/10
Four times was Christ despoiled of his
garments during the Passion:
1.
Scourging at the pillar
2.
To clothe Him in mock purple
3.
Mock purple cloak removed
4.
On Calvary when they finally stripped Him to crucify Him.
For the security of the possession of
the divine Object (highest and infinite God) makes the
tranquility and rest of its enjoyment more estimable than if the
soul possessed all that is precious and rich, desirable and
worthy of attainment in all creation even if possessed at one
time. (BVM, Mystical City of God, p. 597)
Behold the Man
Beaten, tortured, humble
Yet mighty in His generosity
His sacrifice of love and suffering
To redeem His wretched children
And restore us to His friendship
Behold the Man
The Paschal Lamb, God Himself
Hidden and unknown
To no one but a few
Worshipped, loved, and adored by
No worthy pilgrim save His
Beloved child, mother and spouse.
He gave it all so that we might have Him, our
True heart’s desire.
Let it be for the glory and power of the Most High,
the King of the ages, the Immortal and Invisible God.
You died for love of me. I will live for love of Thee
6/18/02
Raphael is the prince of guardian
angels. He oversees the administration and ministration of
angels to the souls of man. God in His infinite mercy and
wisdom has placed Raphael over the important task of
guardianship of man. To this task, Raphael, the Healer of
God, sends his ranks to guide, protect, love, teach, and defend
all people born to earth. And these angels continue their
task through the pains and sufferings of this world and through
those of the next in Purgatory. Together with their Lord
and their prince, these angels mourn deeply the loss of souls to
hell and rejoice fully in the gain of souls to heaven where
their friendship with those they have guided and aided so
lovingly is fulfilled as we see our angel face to face in the
resplendent glory of the beatific vision.
It is this task, this ministry, that
Raphael quietly and so readily manages with great wisdom and
grace bestowed upon him by the Holy Spirit.
Raphael is loved greatly by the
Blessed Mother as he guides the attendance of her children and
he often acts as messenger of Jesus’ will through His Blessed
Mother to those on earth.
Raphael is the receiver of great joy
for the souls who are saved under his care but also in great
humility and mortification accepts the burden of mourning the
souls who are lost to hell. He comforts those angels whose
loss is great as guardians of these lost poor souls.
Raphael is one of seven before the
throne of God. He continually commends us to the Father
and prays for us with great mercy and tenderness. When
asked, he presents our requests to God on a golden platter,
adorned with the virtues of the Queen of Angels according to the
merit of the petition.
Raphael has a special love for each of
us and sometimes, according to the pleasure and will of the
Almighty, directly intercedes in our lives. He even takes
up the task of guardian angel himself on occasion.
Thank you St. Raphael for letting me
see you a little clearer. May I always appreciate you and
give thanks to God for the blessing of you in my life and the
lives of Tobias, Sarah, and all men. (Private revelation)
6/5/02
Dearest Mother Mary, my mistress and
model, I pray for these 3 things:
1.
1. That you help me overcome my sins
2.
2. That you teach me the practice of humility
3.
3. That you teach me to worship, love, and adore God as you do.
Amen
Canticle for the Angels - Blessing and
glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to
our God forever and ever. (Rev 7)
He himself (Gabriel) bowed profoundly
before his queen and mistress in whom he adored the heavenly
mysteries of his Creator.
Holy, holy, holy art Thou, God and
Lord. Just and powerful art Thou Lord our God who lives in
the highest and looks upon the lowly of the earth.
Admirable are all Thy works, most high and exalted in Thy
designs.
(Mystical City of God, The
Incarnation)
5/26/02
Today it was time to move into a new
area of my garden. I had been struggling all day with my
passions and was trying to pray through this time of temptation.
My angel called me from my prayers and God showed me a vision of
this garden “room”. It was dark and overgrown with weeds
that should not ve there and there in the middle was a twisted
and deformed tree.
I finished the prayer that I had
started and walked to the gate. this time as my body fell
away, it did not turn to dust but remained intact like an old
dirty suit. My angel instructed me to take it with me this
time. I folded up this “old man” and stuffed it in a sack.
It was not beautiful but stained and ugly. I did not know
what I was to do with it. We passed by the garden of
humility quickly. Still some work to do there but looking
much better. I was pleased. We stopped by the font
to fill up on grace and proceeded on.
This garden was like my earlier vision
full of weed. A dark and scary place. I was nervous
because I did not know how to start. I began trimming away
at the edges but my angel called me to the heart of the garden.
There we looked at the twisted, mis-shapen tree that grew in the
middle. My angel said “This is your sexuality. It
has been abused and twisted by you and earlier, by others.
It has grown this way because of the impure way in which it was
used.”
“What can I do to fix it? Tell
me and I will do it!” I said
“You cannot fix this. The Master
must repair it and it will come from within. You cannot
meet the Master until this has been reformed.”
“But does not the Master live in us
all? Can I not commune with Him at any time?” I asked.
“Yes” he said, “but He has given You
this vision as a gift and wishes you to be with Him here in a
different and intimate way. Intimacy is part of what must
be addressed in this garden.
We will water this tree with grace and
it will at first diminish and grow supple like a sapling so that
the Master can re-form it. Until then, do not visit in any
impure way for it will only strengthen its current form.”
Then we prayed thus:
Master I give to You my sexuality.
Take charge over it and re-form it to Your will so that it can
become a pure and chaste expression of Your union through our
marriage. I give it to You to heal and to straighten.
Forgive my sins and purify my body.”
Then taking some of the undergrowth
down from around the sides of this garden, my angel explained
that I must avoid all occasions of impure thoughts especially
certain television shows that incite the malformed passions
within me in some way. From now on, indulging in these
shows would be a sin, not just a “bad idea”.
Finally in the back of the garden was
a dark and quiet place. I did not go there. “That is
your intimacy. We will work on it later.” My angel said.
Taking some of the weeds I had pulled
away, I suddenly knew how to destroy my “old man”. I laid
it on the pile of dried sticks and struck a match. My
angel stopped my hand. “Not with that fire but this
fire—God’s love which purifies but does not consume.”
I knew this was a better way.
The flesh was purified and came from the fire brilliant and
beautiful. At times it looked like a sparkling white robe
and at times a fully grown beautiful body with the innocence of
a new-born; something like “showroom new”.
I was delighted and could not wait to
put it on. My angel explained that my weight was also part
of this garden and my purified body reflected the slimness which
would manifest outwardly so that I would be beautiful inside and
out. Not how the world defines beauty but God’s love
working within me manifested outwardly. I hugged my angel
and left the garden. On one level, my body looks the same
but I can also see the beautiful new showroom model it has been
transformed into-- forgiven, purified, sanctified.
Dear Lord, please help me to keep my
new self as beautiful as when it first emerged from the fire of
Your pure and white-hot love. May I bring it to You for
immolation again and again offering it up to You as a poor and
imperfect sacrifice that when combined with the sacrifice of
Your holy and virgin-pure body on the cross becomes acceptable
and beautiful to the Father. Amen.
5/25/02
Inspired by the meditations St. Theresa of
Avilla taught her nuns My mansion
begins with grounds. I have not seen the structure yet,
only the gardens. It is a large estate where God wishes us
to commune.
I walk through the iron gate. It
is pretty and has been there for some time but does not truly
reveal the expanse it hides. As I walk through the gate,
my body falls away to dust behind me and my soul passes
unencumbered. The first thing I see is a forest of tall
trees which shades the ground leaving only dappled patches of
sunlight here and there. There are no large plantings,
just a few specimens here and there amid moss and expansive
green lawns. The patches of ground that show grayish brown
against the peaceful green reveal casual trails which lead to
other parts of the garden as yet unexplored.
It is very peaceful here and quiet.
I have not seen the Master yet though I know He waits for me.
I have work to do first. My angel guides me first to a
beautiful waterfall which splashes down from the rocks.
The fall is fed by a spring which never runs dry. I take
some water in a bucket and we go to a beautiful lawn in a sunny
patch. It is outlined in granite posts and bordered with
bricks with two benches. But this “room” is full of weeds.
I know I must clear this place of them. Some are small and
are just taking root. Others are quite large and have been
there for years. They will be difficult to remove.
My angel tells me that this is the garden of humility. The
weeds are pride, conceit, envy, and the lies I tell to keep
myself from little humiliations in the eyes of others. I
start to work. My angel is with me but cannot do this job.
It is for me to do. His guidance is necessary and he
joyfully holds the tray as I pull out the weeds and toss them on
it. It is hard work and my angel recites with me, “All for
You O Most Sacred Heart of Jesus” which causes the weeds to
shrink and wither. Someday with the exercise of little
mortifications each day, I will be able to pull out the ones
which have been there for years and years. Finally, I pull
out all I can for now and I water this garden of humility with
the water we brought from the fountain it refreshes the
plants and the grass and withers the weeds. Oh fountain of
grace, help me to make every part of my garden a beautiful and
welcoming place for He Who waits for me.
5/15/02
Every time you are presented with an occasion to sin, you are
also being given an occasion to choose holiness. They are
simply flip sides of the same coin. -- Mother Angelica
Holy Father, my mirror of You is dull and imperfect and I cannot
fathom Your majesty and yet I am humbled and awed by your
presence. I see myself clearer each time I encounter You.
With the Virgin Mary I exclaim -- At the sight of Thee I am
annihilated and lost in astonishment. That You should love
me is a mystery. That You should want me is a miracle.
I cast myself in gratitude upon Your mercy and offer my body,
mind, spirit, and life to You. Do with me as You will.
In humble gratitude and awe I recognize that Your hand is always
upon me. Nothing happens in my life that You do not ordain
or permit for my ultimate good. Help me to remember that
all has passed Your inspection and been approved before it
impacts my life.
In every instance remind me to remain obedient to Your will,
saying, 'Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.'
Give me the grace to fulfill Your will for
me and help me to listen to You more attentively. Forgive
my sins and guide me in Your holy paths. Amen |