Then the LORD said (to Elijah), “Go outside and stand on the mountain before the LORD; the LORD will be passing by.” 
A strong and heavy wind was rending the mountains and crushing rocks before the LORD–but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake–but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was fire–but the LORD was not in the fire. After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.
When he heard this, Elijah hid his face in his cloak and went and stood at the entrance of the cave. A voice said to him, “Elijah, why are you here?” 1 Kings 19:11-13
Why are YOU here?
Was it to discover magnificent colors? Was it to find colorful music or awesome videos? Was it just curiosity? Was it accidental? Were you really looking for God, for Hope, for true LOVE somewhere in this menagerie we call the web? Or were you just hiding in a cave, waiting on the Lord to whisper in your ear – a Word – LIFE! Life, it’s in You! And YOU are beautiful in the Eyes of God, no matter what the world may say or think.
You are Loved, beloved!!
Every day the Lord whispers in our ears – Words of HOPE, Words of LOVE, and maybe not even words – just His JOY in our hearts. Let’s follow the Scriptures of our daily Mass and see if we can catch those Words – simple but beautiful Whispers to the Wind . . .
Link to Scriptures by Date
To find Quote sources, click on Link above, select Today’s Readings or pick date from calendar.
Link for information on the day’s saints is at the bottom of this page.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Quotes for reflection:
8-31-11
“He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.
And demons also came out from many, shouting, ‘You are the Son of God.'”
Why is it that we question who Jesus is or was,
yet the demons within us know, without a doubt, “You are the Son of God”?
We know it when we blush, caught in word said or thought we shouldn’t have made.
The LORD said to Jeremiah, “I will place my law within them, and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” Jer 31:33
You see, we already know in our hearts! We just need to get our heads out of the way.
8-30-11
“What is there about his word?”
To the demon dragging the man into darkness –
“Jesus rebuked him and said, ‘Be quiet! Come out of him!'”
For I know that,
“The LORD is my light and my salvation;”
And knowing this, we are called . . .
“Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up,”
ALWAYS ! ! ! !
8-29-11
(The Martyrdom of St. John the Baptist)
“…that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.
..we believe that Jesus died and rose, so too will God, through Jesus,
bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
Our Hope.
But actually more than just hope – we know!
8-28-11
“My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.”
“I say to myself, I will not mention him, …
But then it becomes like fire burning in my heart,”
“Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.”
Sometimes Love hurts . . . Love anyway!!!
8-27-11
(St. Monica)
“Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Sometimes Faith involves a little risk. What are we willing to risk for the Lord?
Is that short statement (Well done…) so worth it?
If nothing else in life is worth striving for, yes, this IS!
And we are each blessed with some little tidbit of our being
that we can use, in faith, to gain that compliment from our Lord.
8-26-11
Paul said, “This is the will of God, your holiness…”
… at all times, our holiness!
8-25-11
“Fill us with your love, O Lord,”
Jesus said, “Stay awake!
For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.”
Being good in the eyes of God – we call it righteousness or holiness (sanctity).
What motivates me there? Is it the Beatific Vision of Heaven or is it the fear of Hell?
Is it the fear of an unknown time? When will my time, Jesus’ time, come?
I can have a heart attack in the next hour or a fatal car accident tomorrow morning.
OR, maybe there is no need for either hope or fear.
Maybe just being the best me I can be to everyone – as though they Each were Jesus –
whether good or bad, black or white, Muslim or Buddhist or Atheist or Christian –
Love! – not anxiety, not fear – LOVE!
8-24-11
(St. Bartholomew – Apostle)
Jesus said, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
you will see heaven opened and the angels of God
ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Heaven, how can we hope for something so incredibly good, we can’t even imagine it?
Guess we can start with just little pieces, little hints. Like, imagine “no time.”
No alarm clocks, no deadlines, no more late for mass or leaving early, no more missed trains or punch clocks, no more out dated discount coupons, no more burnt chicken – left in too long, no more daylight savings, no more conference calls to Singapore at midnight, no more 14 hour drive to visit children, no more 6-month dentist appointment . . .
Ahhhh, I like heaven already!
8-23-11
“Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!
You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,
but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.”
“You have searched me and you know me, Lord.”
There’s just no hiding from the Lord’s knowledge of me.
Why, He knows me even better than I do. Help me Lord, to clean the inside.
And help me please, to keep that camel out too!
8-22-11
(The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
Jesus said, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.
You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.”
Paul said, “We give thanks to God always for all of you, remembering you in our prayers,
unceasingly calling to mind your work of faith and labor of love
and endurance in hope of our Lord Jesus Christ,”
Question is, what drives us – power, greed, money, selfishness;
or Love of God and neighbor?
Which truly brings fulfillment? Which truly brings eternal joy?
Ave Maria and God’s blessings this week, beloved friends.
8-21-11
Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The LORD said, “I will place the key of the House of David on Eliakim’s shoulder;
when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open.”
Jesus said to Peter,
“And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church . .
I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven.
Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;
and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
And with those “Holy Orders” begins:
the Church, the Keys, the Pope, the Teaching, the Apostolic Succession.
“In persona Christi”
Thanks be to God!!!
8-20-11
Jesus said, “The greatest among you must be your servant.
Whoever exalts himself will be humbled;
but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Jesus pretty clearly defined God’s will.
So why do we constantly ignore it and keep asking what God’s will is?
“..Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth…”
“Blessed are the meek..”
8-19-11
“Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you!
For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge,
your people shall be my people, and your God my God.”
– Ruth, the grandmother of King David
Jesus said, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
AND
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways?”
Now, let’s see, how many stars are there in the sky???
8-18-11
“Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.”
“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
White or black? Half Full or half empty? Silver Lining or stormy dread?
What do we see?
A foolish vow and morbid sacrifice, or
a Happy yet fully submissive child (just like Mary)!
A snobby party to avoid, or a Banquet for the hungry (of heart)!
We ARE all invited – will we come (dressed in our best)?
8-17-11
“…Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Envy has no place in the Kingdom.
So if we ever feel more righteous, holy, smarter, richer, taller, prettier or better in any way than our brothers and sisters – we need to think again, count our own faults,
thank God for whatever it is we do have and try to make it even better.
And one thing we all have – is the ability to accept others.
That’s a blessing in itself!
8-16-11
Jesus said “…it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle
than for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”
“For men this is impossible,
but for God all things are possible.”
“..many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Again – If we always place God first, we just may be the smallest camels in existence.
Then being last, God will make the impossible possible and see us home first!
8-15-11
(The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,
with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.”
“From this day all generations will call me blessed:”
Mary the Immaculate Conception, Christ carved from purest clay;
Mary the language of love, Christ the Word of God.
Mary the heavens’ horizon, Christ the rising Son;
Mary the verdant pasture, Christ the Lamb of God.
Mary the unsown earth, Christ the True Vine;
Mary the wellspring, Christ the Living Waters.
Mary the candle, Christ the eternal flame;
Mary the mirror, Christ the image of God.
Mary the scroll, Christ the Author of Life;
Mary the wheat, Christ the Heavenly Manna.
Mary the throne, Christ the King;
Mary the ark, Christ the covenant.
Mary the altar, Christ the living sacrifice;
Mary the tabernacle, Christ, Emmanuel – God with us.
Ever-virgin Mary, conceived without sin, take we thy children by the hand
and lead us down the narrow paths of holiness. Guide us to your Immaculate
Heart’s delight, Christ our Savior. Amen
8-14-11
(St. Maximilian Kolbe)
“. . for my house shall be called
a house of prayer for all peoples.”
– – A L L – –
come!
8-13-11
Joshua said “As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”
Me, and my children, and their children, and . . .
8-12-11
“His mercy endures forever.”
“..the Creator made them male and female and said,
For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh”
– Male Female ONE forever –
8-11-11
(St. Clare, virgin)
Peter asked, “Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.”
Forgiveness must come from a heart of Love.
(And it’s not forgiveness of the deed, it’s forgiveness of the person.)
8-10-11
(St. Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr)
“God loves a cheerful giver.” (St. Paul)
“Whoever serves me must follow me…” (Jesus)
– – willing to give ALL – –
8-9-11
“It is the LORD who marches before you;
He will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you.
So do not fear or be dismayed.”
“Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest
in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Sometimes allowing the Lord to lead takes a little humility, or
DEPENDENCE on His greatness, not ours! Just like a child.
8-8-11
(St. Dominic)
“. . . love and serve the LORD, your God, with all your heart and all your soul . . .”
“Circumcise your hearts…”
…not your wallets, for God.
8-7-11
“After the fire there was a tiny whispering sound.”
At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”
No better reference for these quotes than one of my favorites, from Book of Joshua:
“I (the LORD) command you: be firm and steadfast!
Do not fear nor be dismayed,
for the LORD, your God, is with you wherever you go.”
8-6-11
(Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord)
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him.”
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, Love, Love, Love, love love love love love love …………
——————-
Happy Birthday Mary Ann – my love!!!
8-5-11
“…the LORD is God and there is no other.”
(Jesus said) “…whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.“
What little piece of my life can I lose every day to allow more space in it for Jesus?
8-4-11
(St. John Vianney, “Cure of Ars”)
(Moses said) “’Listen to me, you rebels! Are we to bring water for you out of this rock?’
Then, raising his hand, Moses struck the rock twice with his staff,
and water gushed out in abundance…“
(Jesus said) “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.“
GOD USES ROCKS!
For Moses it was to show God’s Glory.
But Moses acted in self-preservation, glorifying himself instead of God.
For Peter it represented his leadership that would glorify God –
through the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, via His Church – the living Body of Christ.
Leaving us as God’s ‘stepping stones,’ leading all to Heaven!
8-3-11
(St. Lydia Purpuraria)
“Forty days you spent in scouting the land;
forty years shall you suffer for your crimes..”
“She said, ‘Please, Lord, for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.’ Then Jesus said to her in reply, ‘O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.’ “
Israel lacked Faith in the Lord to deliver them into the “Promised Land,” and paid dearly. Yet a simple gentile woman who pleaded for the healing of her daughter received Jesus’ blessing for her persistent faith. Do we have faith enough to accept even just the scraps?
And even just the scraps are like diamonds in our coal mines!!
8-2-11
“Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth.”
Jesus said, “It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;
but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.”
“…they are blind guides of the blind.
If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
… and oh what a fall that would be! We need to place God’s “spam filter” over our mouths. And when it catches one, that is especially when we revisit our hearts and our minds and remember 2 things:
“There, but for the grace of God go I” and
“For every finger I point, there are three pointing back at me.”
Instead I ask, how can I keep my brother from falling in,
even though we may both be blind? . . . Jesus!
8-1-11
(St. Alphonsus Liguori)
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Manna in the desert, feeding the multitude, walking on water. If we let go of our preconceptions of the way it “should” be and TRUST,
“shouldn’t” becomes “could”, becomes IS,
with Jesus!
___________________________________
Link to Previous Month‘s DMQs
Link to Following Month‘s DMQs
Link back to Whispers to the Wind
Link to Saint of the Day
(also in Time page, under Liturgical Seasons section)
Whispers to the Wind 