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 . . .
For Daily Scripture Quotes:
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:
04-30-12
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through
the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.” . . .
“I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved,” . . .
“I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” Jn 10:1-10
“As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.” Ps 42
What incredibly beautiful word pictures, beloved!
I am so famished for you O God.
Show me the way that leads to your gate.
Open up my heart to Jesus!
.
04-29-12
(Fourth Sunday of Easter)
Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.”
“..there will be one flock, one shepherd.” Jn 10:11-18
ONE!
04-28-12
Jesus said, “‘Do you also want to leave?’
Simon Peter answered him, ‘Master, to whom shall we go?
You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe
and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.’” Jn 6:60-69
BELIEVE and be CONVINCED,
there is no other option –
JESUS
04-27-12
Blinded by the Light!
As the young Pharisee, Saul was traveling to Damascus
to arrest anyone who believed in Jesus,
“a light from the sky suddenly flashed around him.
He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,
“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
He said, “Who are you, sir?”
The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”
Acts 9:1-20
Ever have one of those days?
Nothing seems to be going right, when all of a sudden –
a LIGHT, a brainstorm, a thunderclap,
“I had it all wrong!”
As a matter of fact, I had it totally opposite!
And rather than “seeing the light” out of the darkness,
I was BLINDED by that Light!
Blinded, so that I had some time to ponder.
So that I could adjust a little to this total contradiction
of what I had always thought…
Thought I was black, but I’m white. Thought I was rich, but I’m poor.
Thought I was well, but I’m really sick.
It’s all relative.
WHO AM I PERSECUTING?
It could just as well be me!
Just close your eyes, Beloved, and PONDER…
“Blinded by the Light”
lyrics background
04-26-12
Jesus said, “I am the living bread that came down from heaven;
whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give
is my Flesh for the life of the world.” Jn 6:44-51
EUCHARIST,
Greek – Eucharistia (Thanksgiving),
The Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus,
Most Holy Communion,
Blessed Sacrament…
04-25-12
(Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist)
“Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;” Mk 16:15-20
St Mark Evangelist, Gioacchino Assereto, Genoa 1600 – 1649
“So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your worries
upon him because he cares for you.” 1 Pet 5:5-14
Jesus’ Command and Commission:
LOVE and TELL
04-24-12
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life;
whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” Jn 6:30-35
Belief – Nourishes the famine of our soul.
As they were stoning Stephen, he called out,
“Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice,
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”;
and when he said this, he fell asleep (died). Acts 7:51 to 8:1
Belief – Feeds others, even when it may not be wanted.
04-23-12
Jesus said, “Do not work for food that perishes
but for the food that endures for eternal life,” Jn 6:22-29
“I AM the bread of Life.“
THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!
People from across the continent – “came forward and debated with Stephen,
but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.”
“They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes, accosted him, seized him,
and brought him before the Sanhedrin.”
“All those who sat in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him
and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” Acts 6:8-15
FREE even in the face of persecution!!
04-22-12
(Third Sunday of Easter)
Peter said, “Repent, therefore, and be converted,
that your sins may be wiped away.” Acts 3:13-19
“My children, I am writing this to you so that you may not commit sin.
But if anyone does sin, we have an Advocate with the Father,
Jesus Christ the righteous one. He is expiation for our sins,” 1 Jn 2:1-5
The resurrected Jesus said to the apostles,
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead
on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name…” Lk 24:35-48
In today’s world of independence and “do it my way,”
we don’t like to hear about sins.
– – Funny, neither does Jesus. – –
But unfortunately it is still something we have to deal with on a daily basis.
And God doesn’t punish us for sins. We do ourselves:
through our guilt, through our discovery that we’ve hurt others,
we clearly know when we’ve done wrong.
But, you see we really don’t have to beat ourselves up about it.
Yes, sins are wrong, but if we’re truly sorry for them, God forgives us.
Go back and let those we’ve hurt know that we’re sorry too.
And Jesus will wipe our pain away.
You see, He’s already taken it upon himself.
Repent and replace it with LOVE.
For we are loved, with an everlasting love,
the LOVE of Jesus!
We are His beloved!
04-21-12
Jesus said, “It is I. Do not be afraid.” Jn 6:16-21
Dearly beloved, in a world filled with fear and darkness,
of insecurity and hunger, of loneliness and hopelessness,
know and trust –
IT IS I. DO NOT BE AFRAID!
04-20-12
“Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off
to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.” Jn 6:1-15
Would we have withdrawn?
Or would we, more likely, have sucked in all of that notoriety?
Seems the way of the world says “Look at me!!”
Whereas the way of our Lord says – “No, don’t look at me”
“LOOK TO GOD!”
04-19-12
“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.” Ps 34
Lost?
The Lord is close.
Crushed or deserted?
Hope in the Lord, beloved.
04-18-12
“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.” Jn 3:16-21
Loved, so gave.
Believe, so Live.
“The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is; blessed the man who takes refuge in him.”
Psalm 34
And in this “eternal life” is BLESSEDNESS and Deliverance.
An ARMY of Angels will encamp around us, beloved.
Trust in the Lord!
04-17-12
Jesus said to Nicodemus,
“just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” Jn 3:7-15
Jesus was raised (brought up) by Mary and Joseph. Lk 2:52
He was lifted up from the baptismal waters of the Jordan River. Mt 3:16
Jesus was lifted up to the parapet of the Temple by Satan. Mt 4:5
He was lifted up in glory by His Father in the Transfiguration. Lk 9:35
He was lifted up on a cross by sinful ‘man,’
just as Moses’ snake was lifted up on a pole. Jn 19:18
He was lifted up, raised from death by God in the Resurrection. Jn 20:8-9
And Jesus was lifted up as He ascended back into heaven by the Holy Spirit. Mk 16:19
. . . so that everyone who Believes in Him may have eternal LIFE!
04-16-12
(St. Bernadette Soubirous)
Jesus said to the Pharisee, Nicodemus,
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless one is born of water and Spirit
he cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” Jn 3:1-8
The physical and the spiritual,
the cleansing of body and the cleansing of soul,
the water of life and the Spirit of LIFE!
Baptism and Confirmation!
In a fervent prayer of thanksgiving and petition for strength,
Peter, John and their community observed that:
“As they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook,
and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued
to speak the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:23-31
The Spirit of the Lord brings us strength, courage and wisdom.
Just as it did St. Bernadette, to testify to the Truth of
what she had witnessed. And today the site of her
visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Lourdes, France
is still visited by pilgrims from around the globe
by the millions.
“Blessed are all who take refuge in the Lord.” Ps 2
04-15-12
(Second Sunday of Easter)
The early Christian, “community of believers was of one heart and mind…
There was no needy person among them,” Acts 4:32-35
No one OWNED anything, yet no one NEEDED anything!
That’s VICTORY over a material based world.
“Who indeed is the victor over the world but the one
who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 Jn 5:2-6
BELIEF!
After His resurrection, “Jesus stood in their midst and said to them,
‘Peace be with you.‘”
Then, “…he breathed on them and said,
‘Receive the Holy Spirit’…“
The SPIRIT is Life and Truth!
Seeing the Lord, Thomas believed, saying:
“My Lord and my God!“
Jesus answered,
“Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
Jn 20:19-31
That’s US, beloved,
with VICTORY over the world,
and blessed with His Peace breathed into us!
04-14-12
(Saturday of Easter Octave)
Jesus said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” Mk 16:9-15
Peter and John replied to the Jewish leaders who ordered
them to stop speaking in the Name of Jesus,
“It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.”
Acts 4:13-21
And earlier, Jesus himself said to those same leaders,
“I tell you, if they keep silent, the stones (themselves) will cry out!” Lk 19:40
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE,
for we are bursting at the seams to shout out THIS Good News!
Jesus has risen and WE have HOPE!
All is NOT lost.
You see the sunrise picture at the top of this page?
I caught that one morning as I was heading to morning Mass.
I could not resist capturing God’s beauty,
and offering it to the world!
And it’s all around us – IF we just look.
– LIFE –
it comes into our eyes and into our ears.
It comes as the fresh smell of early morning dew,
or the aromatic fragrance of the fall leaves, or the salty spray of the ocean’s waves.
We breathe in LIFE and then we use these wonderful gifts of God,
to bring LIFE to the hopeless and the hungry and the downtrodden,
and we find that it is IMPOSSIBLE not to,
for we are His “beloved”!
04-13-12
(Friday of Easter Octave)
Peter answered the Jewish leader’s inquisition,
“it was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean
whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead;
in his name this man stands before you healed.
He is the stone rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
There is no salvation through anyone else,
nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race
by which we are to be saved.“
On the shore of the Sea of Tiberias, the risen Jesus said to his apostles,
“Come, have breakfast.”
He invites us, He heals us, He Saves us and He Feeds us for eternal life.
Only – JESUS!
04-12-12
(Thursday of Easter Octave)
Peter chastised them, “The author of life you put to death,
but God raised him from the dead; of this we are witnesses...”
“Repent, therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be wiped away,
and that the Lord may grant you times of refreshment…” Acts 3:11-26
Jesus said, “Peace be with you.”
“Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer
and rise from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
would be preached in his name to all the nations,
beginning from Jerusalem.” Lk 24:35-48
And thus it was preached and still is – to all the nations!
And Lives and Souls are still being saved,
by the “Healer,” Jesus, within us beloved!
PRAISE HIM!
04-11-12
(Wednesday of Easter Octave)
On the road to Emmaus, two of Jesus’ disciples were leaving Jerusalem,
when a stranger walked along with them. They did not know it was Jesus.
And Jesus said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?“
And so, opening the Scriptures to them, He enlightened them.
And when they realized it was Jesus,
“he vanished from their sight.“
And they said to one another,
“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us
on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?“
Open up the Scriptures, beloved!
Jesus WILL enlighten you.
And when that’s happened, He will no longer be standing there beside you.
For then, you will KNOW and no longer need Him for taking baby steps.
And then it will be YOU who will enlighten others!
And BLESSED will You be!
04-10-12
(Tuesday of Easter Octave)
After His resurrection,
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me…” Jn 20:11-18
Peter said, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.“Acts 2:36-41
Stop idolizing, save yourselves, live Life and
save as many others as you can in the process.
04-09-12
(Monday of Easter Octave)
“Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the news to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.“
Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.”
“Fearful – Yet overjoyed!”
And then,
04-08-12
(Easter Sunday)
Peter said, “To him all the prophets bear witness,
that everyone who believes in him will receive forgiveness of sins
through his name.” Acts 10:34-43
Alleluia!
On witnessing the opened and empty tomb, and the burial clothes of Jesus,
Mary, Peter and John believed.
“For they did not yet understand the Scripture
that he had to rise from the dead.” Jn 20:1-9
Rising from the dead in the manner of Jesus was never before nor after observed.
It’s meaning is SO significant to our lives that we can’t even fathom it.
Yet, it brings us hope for the “eternal life” that Jesus promised.
It brings us hope that beyond all the suffering,
beyond all the pain, the struggle to survive,
there is something that makes it
all worth while!!
And Jesus invites us all to, “Come!”
04-07-12
(Holy Saturday)
“Brothers and sisters: Are you unaware that we who were baptized
into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.” Rom 6:3-11
As we await His glorious resurrection, we die a little in our prayer and fasting
to our self, to our sins, to whatever holds us back from fully
living in-Him.
04-06-12
(Good Friday)
Jesus answered Pilate, “For this I was born and for this I came into the world,
to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.“
After having Jesus scourged,
“Pilate said to them, ‘Take him yourselves and crucify him.
I find no guilt in him.’” Jn 18:1 – 19:42
Pilate heard His Voice, and according to John’s Gospel, tried to have Jesus released.
And yet, as Jesus commented, Pilate was powerless to the Will of God.
Historical legend has it that eventually Pilate committed suicide.
What is truth?
“Yet it was our infirmities that he (Jesus) bore, our sufferings that he endured,
while we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins;
upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.” Is 52:13 – 53:12
What GREATER Love, beloved, could EVER be shown!
WE ARE LOVED – THAT much!
And there is so so much room in our world for us to give it back,
view Kate’s image link…
04-05-12
(Holy Thursday)
The First Passover
“They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts
and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb…
Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt,
no destructive blow will come upon you.” Ex 12:1-14
The Last Supper
“the Lord Jesus, on the night he was handed over,” . . . said,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 1 Cor 11:23-26
Eucharist – thanksgiving
The Message
Jesus said, “If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet,
you ought to wash one another’s feet. I have given you a model to follow,” Jn 13:1-15
The BLOOD, the SACRIFICE, the SERVICE, the MODEL!
Our Model, beloved, for ever!
Jesus Christ
04-04-12
(Wednesday of Holy Week)
“The Lord GOD has given me a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.” Is 50:4-9
While they were eating, Jesus said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” . . .
“but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Mt 26:14-25
Yup, that’ll rouse them, alright!
And it should rouse us as well.
Never, never, never betray Jesus,
for He will always, always, always be there for you!
04-03-12
(Tuesday of Holy Week)
Jesus said to a brave-hearted Peter,
“Will you lay down your life for me?
Amen, amen, I say to you, the cock will not crow
before you deny me three times.” Jn 13:21-38
Saying and doing are sometimes two totally different things.
What are we willing to actually DO, for the Lord, beloved?
As we come closer and closer to the Holy Triduum,
Jesus is already beginning to get a sense abandonment by his apostles.
Their bewilderment at all He has told them is heartbreaking.
And Judas is now off to do his dirty work.
If you’d ever lived through a corporate downsizing – on either side of the fence,
as management being forced to tell your awesome employees and friends that
they have to leave, or as an employee awaiting your turn in the “big guy’s” office,
for the hatchet to fall prey next upon your neck –
you might have just an inkling of how Jesus may have felt,
sensing the pain, the isolation and the agony of a gruesome death.
Knowing the horrible impact it will have on His disciples,
yet trying to encourage them, that it will not be THE ultimate end.
What INCREDIBLE strength!
God assures the prophet and us that –
“I will make you a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Is 49:1-6
With Jesus, beloved, we are that LIGHT !
Shine on, always!
04-02-12
(Monday of Holy Week)
“the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.” Jn 12:1-11
If our sole reason for being alive is because of Jesus,
they will want to kill us too. And that’s OK, because,
as the psalmist says . . .
“The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom should I fear?” Ps 27
. . . and as Jesus Himself had said,
“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you [falsely] because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Mt 5:11-12
BLESSED, beloved!
We are to Live FOR Him.
And He will be our strength!
04-01-12
(Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion)
The crowds shouted, “Hosanna!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” Mk 11:1-10
Jesus, “did not regard equality with God something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,” Phil 2:6-11
Jesus said, “This is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed for many.“
They asked, “Are you the Christ, the son of the Blessed One?”
Then Jesus answered, ‘I am’“
The crowds shouted, “Crucify him.“
“at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice,
‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’“
“Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.”
Mk 14:1 – 15:47
The irony of it all!
And in the end, WHO was the fool?
Not, Jesus!
(Link to Palm Sunday Homily)
___________________
EARLIER MONTH’S QUOTES under the “The Lord’s Page”
in monthly subcategories of – “Whispers to the Wind”
entitled “Daily Mass Quotes” (DMQs)
___________________________________
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 