RELATION****PS CEASE, THE LORD REMAINS
Scripture: II Timothy 4:16-17 "No man stood with me, but all men forsook
me ... But the Lord stood with me, and strengthen me."
Earlier in this chapter, Paul says that he fought a good fight, he
finished
his course, and he kept the faith. He had a determination not to let
anything or anyone deter him from preaching the gospel and fulfilling
God's
plan for his life. Paul goes on to explain that Demas deserted him and
that
a coppersmith by the name of Alexander did much evil towards him. Not
only
that, Paul faced other disappointments. When he had his court hearing, no
one defended him. Paul found himself standing alone, but took comfort in
his situation, for he knew that the Lord was with him and would strengthen
him.
There are seasons in life when relation****ps become strained or cease to
be.
Those who were with you suddenly turn and leave with no decent
explanations.
And those who have conflicting opinions stir up confusion and fight
against
you. For one reason or another, you are abandoned by those that you loved
and trusted and those that you thought loved you. And like Paul, there
seems to be no help even though you are endeavoring to serve the Lord. In
your darkest hour, you are left alone in the arena of life to manage your
disappointments and your discouragement.
However, you can always take comfort in knowing that God will always be
there for you. Even though others desert you, He will never leave you or
forsake you. Each new door will present the op****tunity to fail or
succeed,
to win or lose, to continue or to quit. The actions and opinions of
others
do not fit into this equation. It remains your choice to fulfill God's
will
and purposes for your own life. With Paul, he fought a good fight, he
finished his course, and he kept the faith. Regardless of his hard****ps
and
the disappointments of his relation****ps, he did not quit and his battle
scars won him a crown of righteousness. God also has a crown for you.
Trust in Him when all others forsake you. He will give you strength to
endure the present and empower you for the task that is set before you.
+++
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March 26th - Blessed Maddalena Caterina Morano (AC)
Born at Turin, Italy, 1847; died at Catania, Sicily, on March 26, 1908;
beatified November 5, 1994.
At the age of eight, Maddalena had to begin working to provide for her
family
after the death of her father and older sister. Nevertheless, she
continued
her
studies to earn a teaching diploma. But her studies did not end with
secular
subjects. Instead her exploration of Christian doctrine fanned the fire of
her
faith and instilled a desire for the religious life. Because family
obligations
barred immediate fulfillment of this desire, she taught at a school in
rural
Montaldo while serving as a catechist at the local parish for 12 years. In
1878,
when she had ac***ulated enough savings to provide for her mother,
Maddalena
joined the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, which had been founded
six
years earlier by Saint John Bosco. In 1881, Don Bosco permitted her to be
sent
to Trecastagni (near Catania), Sicily, to head an institute for women, to
which
she gave a new orientation inspired by the principles of the Salesian
method.
Sicily became her second home, where she carried out a varied and fruitful
apostolate. She opened new houses, set up after-school activities and
sewing
cl*****, trained teachers, etc. Her real love, though, was for catechism
class,
since she was convinced that the formation of Christian conscience was the
basis
of personal maturity and all social improvement. She coordinated
catechetical
instruction in 18 of Catania's churches and trained lay and religious
catechists
to bring the Christian message to needy boys and girls.
She spent 25 years in Sicily and served her community as local and
provincial
superior. She was an attentive mother and caring guide for many local
vocations,
faithfully living the charism of Mother Maria Mazzarello, co-foundress of
the
institute (EWTN).
Saint Quote:
God wanted to redeem men and open the way of salvation to those who seek
Him.
But men make themselves so unworthy of it that it is only just that God
should
refuse to some because of the hardness of heart what He gives to others
from
a
compassion that they do not deserve. If He had wanted to overcome the
obstinacy
of the most hardened, He could have done so by revealing Himself to them
so
obviously that they could not have doubted the truth of His Being - just
as
He
will appear at the last day with such a clap of thunder and such an
upheaval
of
nature that the dead will revive and the blindest will see. It is not in
this
way, however, that He willed to appear at His gentle coming: because so
many
men
had made themselves unworthy of His mercy, He willed to leave them
deprived
of
the good which they did not desire. And so it would not have been fair for
Him
to have appeared in an obviously divine manner, absolutely capable of
convincing
all men. But also it would not have been fair for Him to appear in a
manner
so
hidden that even those who were sincerely seeking Him should not be able
to
recognize Him... So He has tempered His knowledge, by giving marks of
Himself
which were visible to those who seek Him, and not to those who seek Him
not.
-Blaise Pascal, Pensées
Bible Quote:
Now those men, when they had seen what a miracle Jesus had done, said:
This
is
of a truth the prophet, that is to come into the world. (John 6:14)
<><><><>
The third glorious mystery prayer of the Eucharistic Rosary,
to be offered before the Blessed Sacrament:
The Decent of the Holy Ghost upon the Apostles, offered for
the gifts of the Holy Ghost, for love of God and zeal for the
salvation of souls:
O Jesus, scarcely hadst Thou entered into Thy glory at the
right hand of the Father, when Thou didst show Thy
munificence by sending forth the Holy Ghost with His many
and various gifts to Thy growing Church. From the
Eucharist, as if from another heaven, wherein Thou hast set
up Thy throne of love, Thou dost impart to souls the spirit of
life and strength, and Thou dost enkindle in them the fire of
Thy divine charity.
O Jesus, King in heaven, King also in the Eucharist, we adore
Thee and we beg of Thee, through the intercession of Thy
holy Mother, fidelity to grace in order to reap all the fruits
produced in the souls of men by the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
<><><><>
Prayer of Leon Dupont
O Adorable Face of my Jesus, so mercifully inclined toward us on
the
tree of the cross on the day of your passion offered for the salvation of
mankind; as then, even now, mercifully incline toward us poor sinners;
cast
a
glance of compassion upon us and embrace us in your kiss of peace.
Ah! That I may expire from the ardent desire to behold the most
desirable of face of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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