Whispers – Daily Mass Quotes begins after this Intro.
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Elijah’s Whisper – My Whisper
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, beloved?
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!!
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 . . .
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01-31-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 31, 2016
(4th Sunday Ordinary Time C)
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,” . . .
Be not crushed on their account, as though I would leave you crushed before them; for it is I this day who have made you a fortified city, a pillar of iron, a wall of brass . . .
They will fight against you but not prevail over you,
for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD. Jer_1:4-5,17-19
No greater hope can ANYONE,
even the unborn, have.
God WILL deliver us!
And as for us, THIS is our call defined . . .
Love is patient, love is kind.
It is not jealous, it is not pompous,
It is not inflated, it is not rude,
it does not seek its own interests,
it is not quick-tempered,
it does not brood over injury,
it does not rejoice over wrongdoing
but rejoices with the truth.
It bears all things, believes all things,
hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never fails.
1_Cor_12:31—13:13
__________
A special happy birthday blessing for our beloved daughter Christie! May our loving God shower you and Joe with all His love and care and health and hope, in Jesus’ Name! We love you!
01-30-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 30, 2016
Asleep in the boat in the midst of the storm, Jesus woke up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Quiet! Be still!” The wind ceased and there was great calm. Then he asked them, “Why are you terrified? Do you not yet have faith?” Mk_4:35-41
Something to always remember, beloved, when WE are in the midst of the storms of life. HAVE FAITH! Jesus will always bring us calm.
01-29-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 29, 2016
They say, idle hands are the devil’s workshop. Today we hear the story of David and Bathsheba. While his army was out fighting the battles, King David was taking a siesta and lounging around on the roof. One thing leads to another. And before you know it you’re in some pretty hot water. But, no problem if you’re the king. Unfortunately, King David again forgot all about his God. And instead of finding some kind of amicable solution to the problem of Bathsheba’s pregnancy, David simply eliminated the conflict: Bathsheba’s husband Uriah . . .
The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab which he sent by Uriah. In it he directed: “Place Uriah up front, where the fighting is fierce. Then pull back and leave him to be struck down dead.” 2_Sm_11:1-4a,5-10a,13-17
The temptations of the world are all to easily succumbed to, beloved. That’s why we have our practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. It’s our spiritual exercise, so that when those temptations do come, we may be a little stronger in will to resist. Lent’s coming soon, too, beloved. Time to start thinking about how we are going to exercise that beautiful gift of will-power that God so blessed us with, so that we too can be strong. Pray for the help of the Holy Spirit. And ask God to strengthen us through His Son, Jesus, who knows all too well the struggles we’re going through.
01-26-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 26, 2016
(Sts. Timothy and Titus, Bishops)
“I am grateful to God, whom I worship with a clear conscience as my ancestors did, as I remember you constantly in my prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith . . .” 2_Tm_1:1-8
To all my beloved, whom I haven’t seen in much too long . . .
To those of my friends who are struggling with the devastation of cancer. To those who have passed on before me, especially family members. And to all of you, beloved, whom I’ve never formally met, but am eternally grateful to for having visited Whispers, God’s blessings always!
01-25-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 25, 2016
(Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle)
After His resurrection, 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_16:15-18
This is our call, as well, beloved!
St. Paul recalling the events of his own conversion, said, “On that journey as I drew near to Damascus, about noon a great light from the sky suddenly shone around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ I replied, ‘Who are you, sir?’ And he said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazorean whom you are persecuting.’” Acts_22:3-16
We are ALL God’s children, beloved. And God sent His Son, Jesus, to bring us salvation, salvation from our sins. The question is WHY would anyone not desire to receive this gift, so freely given to them? Well, the sad story is, that not only do some people not want the gift, but they want to destroy all who have it. We’re seeing it all over the world. Pray for them beloved! Let the Light of Christ come to shine in their lives just as it did for St. Paul.
Road to Damascus, by LilyBill
01-24-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 24, 2016
(Third Sunday Ordinary Time, C)
Nehemiah said, “Today is holy to the LORD your God. Do not be sad, and do not weep”— for all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. He said further: “Go, eat rich foods and drink sweet drinks, and allot portions to those who had nothing prepared; for today is holy to our LORD. Do not be saddened this day, for rejoicing in the LORD must be your strength!” Neh_8:2-4a,5-6,8-10
Imagine if God’s Word had that kind of impact on us today. We seem to just take the Scriptures for granted, or we don’t even try to understand them. They are BEAUTIFUL! They are instructive. They are hope-filled, besides! So, take heart beloved. God loves us so very much that, besides sending His Son to give His life for us, (that we may have life in Him), He also left us with his everlasting Word (that we can live with to bring us that hope all the time). So, REJOICE, beloved! For we are loved that very much!
Jesus read those Words of the Prophet Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.” Lk_1:1-4;4:14-21
And now that Spirit is upon you and me too, beloved. Rejoice, and let the world know – God loves us!
01-23-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 23, 2016
Let us see your face, Lord, and we shall be saved. Ps 80
Sometimes, beloved, when nothing seems to be going right, that’s when we need to see the face of our Lord. Look in the mirror, love, He’s there! Right there, inside of you! Believe, and all will be alright! Jesus is there.
01-22-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 22, 2016
(National March for Life)
In hot pursuit of David, King Saul instead found himself at the mercy of his prey. David said, “The LORD will judge between me and you, and the LORD will exact justice from you in my case. I shall not touch you. The old proverb says, ‘From the wicked comes forth wickedness.’ So I will take no action against you. Against whom are you on campaign, O king of Israel? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog, or a single flea! The LORD will be the judge; he will decide between me and you.” 1_Sm_24:3-21
Life! Justice! Mercy! Love!
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01-21-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 21, 2016
(St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr)
Now I know that God is with me.
In God, in whose promise I glory,
in God I trust without fear;
what can flesh do against me? Ps 56
And we would never have gotten to where we are,
and will never get to where we could be,
without Him!
01-20-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 20, 2016
The Philistine (Goliath) said to David, “Am I a dog that you come against me with a staff?” Then the Philistine cursed David by his gods and said to him, “Come here to me, and I will leave your flesh for the birds of the air and the beasts of the field.”
David answered him: “You come against me with sword and spear and scimitar, but I come against you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel that you have insulted. Today the LORD shall deliver you into my hand; 1_Sm_17:32-33,37,40-51
So said then.
So said by Jesus.
So said today . . .
The LORD of Hosts WILL defend us!
And not even death can stop us!
01-19-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 19, 2016
Samuel was sent by the LORD to anoint a new king, as Saul was not fulfilling his duties according to God’s liking. So Samuel went to the family of Jesse in Bethlehem and was called to select one of his eight sons as king . . . As Samuel examined one after another, the LORD said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but the LORD looks into the heart.” 1_Sm_16:1-13
Samuel anoints David
That could be a very encouraging or discouraging thought. If the LORD looked into our hearts, beloved, what would He find? Regardless of how pretty we look, how charismatic we seem, how wealthy we are, how famous, what is our heart condition? Is our disposition outwardly or inwardly loving. In other words, is everything centered inwardly toward ourselves, or do we care for others, sometimes even more than ourselves? The LORD is looking into our hearts. Might be a good time for us to also.
May His Name be praised in all we think and do, with thanksgiving for all we have to offer those in need.
God bless!
01-18-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 18, 2016
Jesus said, “No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse.“ Mk_2:18-22
Funny, sometimes that’s what it feels like being a grandparent. The problem is, that the new (world), in our case, is worse. We’ve seen all the fibers that the world clings to – get washed away, in our own experience, as the world continues spiraling into oblivion. Maybe to many people today, Jesus is the old and his old morality doesn’t fit into their immoral views. But it is STILL the Truth! For us, beloved, the moral of the story may be exactly as Jesus quoted it. But only this time, instead of the Pharisees being the old and Jesus being the new, we Christians are the old, and we shouldn’t let the world try to sew their new, twisted philosophies onto us. Hang in there, beloved! Jesus will redeem and vindicate his loved ones!
01-17-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 17, 2016
(Second Sunday Ordinary Time C)
To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another, the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another, faith by the same Spirit; to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another, mighty deeds; to another, prophecy; to another, discernment of spirits; to another, varieties of tongues; to another, interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, 1_Cor_12:4-11
The awesome gifts of the Holy Spirit. All different, all good, all important to one another! This is what makes The Body of Christ so wonderful!
Link to today’s Homily:
“Do whatever He tells you!”
01-16-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 16, 2016
Kish said to his son Saul, “Take one of the servants with you
and go out and hunt for the asses.” 1_Sm_9:1-4,17-19;10:1
Funny, sometimes they’re right in front of our faces!
Some scribes who were Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners and tax collectors and said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said to them, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Mk_2:13-17
And sometimes they just may be us!
01-15-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 15, 2016
Samuel was displeased when they asked for a king to judge them. He prayed to the LORD, however, who said in answer: “Grant the people’s every request. It is not you they reject, they are rejecting me as their king.” 1_Sm_8:4-7,10-22a
Sometimes “our” way is not always the ‘best way.’
But then again . . .
The men made a hole in the roof to let the paralytic into the presence of Jesus for healing. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to him, “Child, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there asking themselves, “Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming. Who but God alone can forgive sins?” . . . Jesus said, that you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins on earth” – he said to the paralytic, “I say to you, rise, pick up your mat, and go home.” He rose, picked up his mat at once, and went away in the sight of everyone. Mk_2:1-12
It’s really quite amazing the results our faith can bring us. Jesus told his disciples that if they had faith the size of a mustard seed, they could move mountains . . . And, I might add: IF moving mountains IS what they really wanted!
Today we hear two interesting stories of faith, or we might say “the power of the will.” And what we can see through these two stories is the difference between aligning our will, our faith, with God, or not.
In our Gospel story, Jesus returned to Capernaum to preach and teach the ‘Word of God’ to the people. It was a Word of hope, and a word of action. Jesus said, “The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the Gospel.” Mk 1:15 “Repent” meant – to recognize that we have been following false gods, so instead we promise to lay them aside and change our hearts. And “Believe” meant – to Know that God is among us, so we are to follow Him alone!
The people thought the message was nice, but they were still skeptical about the Messenger. They were well aware of all the healing miracles that Jesus had performed; and they were anxious to see one for themselves. So they crowded around Him.
They say, “Where there is a will, there is a way!”
And, as we heard, no crowd, nor building could keep those four, faith-filled men from having their loved-one healed. You can imagine their disappointment when ALL Jesus did was forgive the paralytic’s sins. Of course the belief, at the time, was that all sickness was caused by sin. So it wasn’t ALL bad.
But it gave Jesus an opportunity to find out the true motives of the crowd. And what it revealed, was a group of enemies who were determined to undermine Him.
Of course we know, that was NOT possible.
And in the end, the ‘faithful-four’ and the paralytic – got exactly what they “willed.”
God surely has His way with us, when our ‘way’ is aligned with His!
Which brings us to the story of Samuel. Remember that Samuel was a great prophet in Israel. The people respected him and looked up to him as a guide, leader and judge. Unfortunately his sons didn’t quite follow in his footsteps. And the people grew to needing a visible leader, as they fell away from relying on God, who saved them all those years earlier.
They say, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
It’s funny how God will warn us through all kinds of signs, when our will – is not aligned with His. And the Words God spoke through His servant Samuel – could not have been more clear.
You see, God will never force His Hand, nor His Way – upon us. But if we are open to listen, to learn from Him, He will gently lead us to the very BEST of ways . . . Whether that’s enduring an illness, preparing for death, teaching our children and grandchildren, or even just getting up in the morning, God has a Way that is best.
All we need do, is ask, in faith!
01-14-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 14, 2016
A leper came to him (Jesus) and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Mk_1:40-45
Some gifts are received in obedience and with appreciation and some are flaunted. Ever give a gift or tell a secret, beloved, that you wish you never did? Which leaves us with the question . . . Do we not give gifts? Or, do we give them anyway, knowing that they may come back to haunt us. God is a generous giver! Are we worthy? Can we be generous like Jesus too? Jesus knows the cost. He lived it. I think we can too!
01-12-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 12, 2016
Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh, and presented herself before the LORD; . . In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously, and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts, if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives; . . . When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah, the LORD remembered her. She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a son whom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him. 1_Sm_1:9-20
Samuel was so dedicated and committed to the Lord, that the people respected him as a prophet of God. And to this day we remember the great deeds that God accomplished through Samuel. And we thank Hannah for her faithfulness!
Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Mt 7:7
All it takes is the faith that God will answer!
When a man with an unclean spirit taunted Jesus, Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him. Mk_1:21-28
Jesus taught by example.
ASK!
So now, beloved, we too pray in supplication, “Lord God of all, we beg of you to cleanse us of all unclean thoughts, words, actions and spirits. We give our lives over to You that You may use us to do Your will, and Your will alone! Give us Your love and the Love of Jesus. This we ask of You, through Your most beloved Son, Jesus Christ!”
And this we know, through your most generous grace, we will receive in faith. Amen!
01-11-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 11, 2016
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” Mk_1:14-20
The TIME was at hand. Now was the time for moving from the messenger (John) to the message (Jesus). And the message was clear: Repent and Believe. The Gospel tells us that God Loves us! Do we truly believe, beloved? Would God have allowed us to sacrifice His Son – unless He truly loved us all! Would Jesus have allowed His own passion and death unless he loved us all? Repent – we have been wrong! God love us. Believe! And be saved!
01-10-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 10, 2016
(The Baptism of the Lord)
After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Lk_3:15-16,21-22
The VOICE!
Did you ever hear that voice, beloved? The One who is calling out your name. The Voice that says “Come.” The Voice that says “Do.” The Voice that says “Well done, my beloved!” Listen! He’s calling out to YOU! You are loved. God is pleased. Keep on listening. He WILL show you the Way, the Truth and the Light. And when the noises of the world seem to be getting in the way, seem to be blocking out His Voice, step back into the Book. And Jesus will guide you back. The Holy Spirit will block out that noise, and His light will return. Listen!
01-09-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 9, 2016
If anyone sees his brother sinning, if the sin is not deadly,
he should pray to God and he will give him life. 1_Jn_5:14-21
PRAY!
01-08-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 8, 2016
And this is the testimony (of God): God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life. 1_Jn_5:5-13
That’s pretty simple beloved! If we love life, if we are searching for that fountain of youth – eternal life, all we need do is believe in Jesus. He will possess us, and we will possess Him in our hearts. And that possession will then translate to love of self and neighbor and God and all of creation. In that love is the eternity of God. Jesus says, Come!
01-07-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 7, 2016
John continues . . . Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is begotten by God, and everyone who loves the Father loves also the one begotten by him. . . .
For the love of God is this, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith. 1_Jn_4:19–5:4
Ponder these words beloved! What is it that we feel is conquering us? Our jobs, our neighbors, terrorists, weather, health? John says – HAVE FAITH! It’s faith in Jesus, it’s love for God and one another that will conquer it all, even fear, even fear of death!
01-06-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 6, 2016
(St. Andre Bessette)
God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. . . . There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment, and so one who fears is not yet perfect in love. 1_Jn_4:11-18
God = Love = Fearless
When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and cried out (in fear). . . . But at once he spoke with them, “Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” He got into the boat with them and the wind died down. Mk_6:45-52
Do not be afraid, beloved. God is with us. Take courage. Remember Jesus is always here to calm down the wind, to eliminate the fear. Love Him. And love one another. And there will be nothing left to fear!
01-05-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 5, 2016
(St. John Neumann, Bishop)
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only-begotten Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. 1_Jn_4:7-10
God IS love! Not a word. Not a feeling. But a life-giving action. IF you are unable to fix our relationship, I will, says God. It will be fixed through my Son. Jesus died to fix a relationship that we are unable to fix ourselves. Now it’s up to us, beloved, to trust in Him. No, we can’t fix it. But Jesus can. And that relationship is our LIFE for eternity.
TRUST in Him, and live!
01-04-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 4, 2016
(St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious)
Beloved, do not trust every spirit but test the spirits to see whether they belong to God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. This is how you can know the Spirit of God: every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God, and every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus does not belong to God.
You belong to God, children, and you have conquered them, for the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1_Jn _3:22–4:6
We have the Spirit of God within us, beloved. We are so very blessed! Now all we need do is always remember that fact. Live the Spirit! Love in the Spirit. And enjoy the peace the Spirit of God brings to us. Jesus has conquered ‘the world’!
01-03-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 3, 2016
(The Epiphany of the Lord)
Brothers and sisters: You have heard of the stewardship of God’s grace that was given to me for your benefit, namely, that the mystery was made known to me by revelation. It was not made known to people in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that the Gentiles are coheirs, members of the same body, and co-partners in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Eph_3:2-3a,5-6
You see, Paul had an epiphany! Jesus had revealed Himself to Paul to carry out a mission. And the mission itself was an epiphany! Jesus came not only for the salvation of the Jews, since He Himself was a Jew, but He came to reveal God’s salvation to ALL who believe in Him. That’s us too, beloved! And the sign? The sign that came years before was the appearance of three non-Jewish, Gentile believers at His birth: the Magi!
St. Matthew tells us, . . . behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star at its rising and have come to do him homage.” Mt_2:1-12
And that . . . that gives us incredible HOPE, beloved. We too fall under the grace of God’s ultimate gift of eternal life. No longer is death a threat, for we know that as believers we WILL live in eternity with Jesus.
Ahhhhhhhhhh!
01-02-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 2, 2016
John the Baptist answered the Pharisees’ inquisition, saying, “I am the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” Jn_1:19-28
And what does “making straight the way of the Lord” mean?
St. John says, “And now, children, remain in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not be put to shame by him at his coming.” 1_Jn_2:22-28
Making straight means eliminating all crookedness. The crookedness of sin means doing anything that we may be ashamed of in the presence of God. Remaining in Him means staying on the straight and narrow road of righteousness. Avoid sin, love one another, put behind you all vindictiveness, anger, hatred and selfishness, so that all that is left – is LOVE. And it will be love that will return to you. Make straight the path, and His promise of eternal life will be yours – as His gift – His GRACE!
01-01-16 Catholic Daily Mass Quotes
January 1, 2016
The LORD bless you and keep you!
The LORD let his face shine upon
you, and be gracious to you!
The LORD look upon you kindly and
give you peace! Nm_6:22-27
Happy New Year, Beloved!
_______________
“Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” Lk_2:16-21
When good things happen in OUR lives, brothers and sisters, do we keep them? Or do we just keep the nasty things.
It’s funny, because it seems that the world tends to prefer to keep the nasty things. We have memorials for the holocaust, the World Wars, the 911 disaster and even the boat that sunk at Pearl Harbor. And it really is fitting to remember the souls of our loved ones who have perished . . .
But how many memorials can we think of that remind us of the GOOD things in life? Do we remember reaching the moon in a little metal rocket tube? Do we remember Nadia Comăneci, the little Russian gymnast, who won three gold medals in the 1976 Olympics and stole the hearts of America, despite the “cold war” between our nations? Do we remember the joy of the Israelites reaching the other side of the Red Sea in freedom, after 400-years of bondage?
What is it that we truly keep and reflect on – in our hearts?
One example, that the world is so desperately trying to snuff out, is our yearly remembrance of the birth of our Lord and Savior. Do we remember the splendor of the beautiful birth of Jesus, over the nastiness of the long journey to Bethlehem on the back of a donkey, over the lack of comfortable lodging, over the bed of straw and the cold of the night?
Do we remember the joy of the birth of our own first child – or do we just remember the labor?
Today we celebrate Mary, the Mother of our Lord. We remember her surprise at the appearance of an angel who announced God’s selection of her to be the vessel, the rocket ship, the arc, the tabernacle which was to hold and deliver God himself onto the soil of this strange new land. We remember her fiat, her ‘Yes’ to God’s proposal: “May it be done to me according to your word.” Lk 1:38
And we hold and we keep:
– the Shepherds,
– and the three kings,
– and the Blessings of Simeon and Anna,
– and the Finding of Jesus in the Temple,
as memorials, as trophies of the Goodness of God – given to Mary
and to us.
And we remember how very, very blessed we are – because we have a God who loves us beyond our wildest imaginations. And in return, we love God the Father, we love Jesus His Son, the Holy Spirit our helper, and we love Mary our Mother with all of our hearts and all of our souls, in recollection and in sure hope for
His promise of Life in eternity with Him, both now and forever!
Happy January, beloved!
Please stop by and visit December’s Daily Mass Quotes too…
Link below.
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EARLIER MONTH’S QUOTES can be found
in monthly subcategories of – “Whispers“
Link to Previous Month’s Whispers
Link to Next Month’s Whispers
Link back to Whispers to the Wind
Link to Saint of the Day
(also in Time page, under Liturgical Seasons section)
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Whispers to the Wind 