Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta said,Join with me in discovering, exploring and nurturing the JOY alive in our hearts! Celebrate Joy! Let this JOY Alive site connect us as we create the JOY Alive Network. Comment on the blogs and Joy Stories. Share your faith journey by telling your unique Joy Story. Let's equip ourselves and one another to catch souls in a net of love. — Nancy H C Ward
2 Sam 12:7-10, 13; Ps 32:1-2, 5, 7,11; Gal 2:16, 19-21; Luke 7:36–8:3
Dear ones in Jesus Christ our savior, this week we are looking at two repentance and forgiveness stories. The first is King David recognizing his grave sin in having Uriah killed in battle and through lust taking Uriah’s beautiful wife as his own.
"When the Holy Spirit enters a soul, He fills it with his fire and lets it enkindle others."
St. Anthony of Padua
The Holy Father's June Prayer Intentions:
Mutual Respect: That a culture of dialogue, listening and mutual respect may prevail among peoples.
New Evangelization: That where secularization is strongest, Christian communities may effectively promote a new evangelization.
These two intentions connect at the cross. That’s where mutual respect begins — at the feet of Jesus. Here we acknowledge both our utter dependence on God and our value as human beings.
Friars Corner: We shall praise you, Lord, for you have rescued us.
1 Kings 17:17-24; Ps 30:2, 4-6, 11-14; Galatians 1:11-19; Luke 7:11-17
Well now that we have finished the mysteries of the Easter cycle, Holy Trinity and the Body of Christ of our holy Faith, we return to “normal time.” We are at the Tenth Sunday of Ordinary Time cycle C. There is also a shift in the daily readings year one. Last week we read from the Book of Tobit and finished our reading from the Gospel of Mark. This week we move into St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians and we begin reading from the early part of St. Matthew’s gospel with the section on the Beatitudes.
“Any simple act of love, done in obedience and humility, reaches all the way into eternity.” This profound word, spoken at a recent prayer meeting, shocks those embroiled in our toxic culture. The world tells us we are to do big things. Be self-made people, strong individuals that impact the world.
Yet Jesus tells us we can impact the world by doing his Father’s will and coming into his family. “Whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother.” (Mt 12:50)
Here’s my recent interview on GRN about the fifth annual Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE and our local Catholic Writers Group.
The Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE provides Catholic authors with a prime opportunity to meet and share their writing and their faith with editors, publishers, fellow writers, and bookstore owners.
From Wednesday, August 7 at 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday, August 9, we’ll meet at the beautiful Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, NJ. We’ll enjoy the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show and social and entertainment events with publishers and bookstore owners.
Genesis 14:18-20; Ps 110:1-4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Luke 9:11b-17
As I stated last Sunday, after Pentecost the Roman Catholic Sunday worship service, the Eucharistic Liturgy or Mass, celebrates three core mysteries of our faith. Last week was the firm belief in three persons in one God, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Next Friday we shall celebrate the love of God through the human person of Jesus Christ, as symbolized by the love coming from his heart. Jesus died condemned for our sins that we could come back into God’s kingdom and receive as many divine favors (graces) as we are open to receive. This week we remember and celebrate the daily ongoing presence of Jesus Christ in the consecrated bread and wine during the Eucharistic Liturgy. Continue reading
Every day, for five minutes, control your imagination and close your eyes to the things of sense and your ears to all the noises of the world, in order to enter into yourself. Then, in the sanctity of your baptized soul, which is the Temple of the Holy Spirit, speak to that Divine Spirit saying to him:
O, Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore you.
Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, console me.
Tell me what I should do; give me your orders.
I promise to submit myself to all that you desire of me
and to accept all that you permit to happen to me.
Let me know your holy will. Amen.
Désiré-Félicien-François-Joseph Mercier (1851-1926), a Belgian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church taught this prayer as the secret to sanctity and happiness. “If you do this, your life will flow along happily, serenely and full of consolation, even in the midst of trials. Graces will be proportioned to the trials, giving you strength to carry them and you will arrive at the Gates of Paradise, laden with merit. This submission to the Holy Spirit is the secret of sanctity."
LORD, grant me the gifts of the Holy Spirit and the graces to do it.
A few months ago I attempted to add Adoration to my schedule as more than a once-in-a-while event. On my way home one afternoon I stopped at the chapel to pray for the 30 extra minutes I had. I felt that was a good start. Lingering after morning mass at times to join others in the Rosary was okay, but I felt I couldn’t really concentrate one-on-one with Jesus. I had so much to take up with him.
I tiptoed into the small chapel aglow with the light of the Holy Spirit. The Rosary reciters were long gone. The only other person there left ten minutes later. I sighed a deep breath of peace. With the Lord to myself, I prayed my intercessions aloud, surrendered my burdens and sat down to listen.
Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, May 26: Proverbs 8:22-31; Ps 8:4-9; Romans 5:1-5; John 16:12-15
After Pentecost the Church’s Liturgy celebrates three major feasts, or Solemnities, about God aside from the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the sending of the Holy Spirit. We celebrate three core mysteries of our faith: the Holy Trinity, the Body and Blood of Christ and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. These are profound mysteries we can understand only a little of here on earth with our limited minds.
Just when you thought you might pull your hair out this summer, CatholicMom.com brings you Lawn Chair Catechism. We hope it will be the discussion none of us makes time to have in real life. And, while we’re at it, we also hope it will help us grow to be better Catholics. www.CatholicMom.com/LawnChairCatechism
Join us in the “Lawn Chair Catechism” at CatholicMom.com on Wednesdays this summer, beginning on May 29. We’re using Forming Intentional Disciples, by Sherry Weddell, as the basis for our study.
You can download a discussion guide that includes both the executive summary of each chapter and discussion questions, and a two-page discussion question-only download.
We’d love to have you participate! You do not have to read the book to participate.
Our Sunday Visitor is offering the book for the incredibly low price of $10 through June 8, with free shipping. After June 8 and through the conclusion of our study, they’ll be offering free shipping.
You can find all the information on the Lawn Chair Catechism page at CatholicMom.com.
“To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit,” promises St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:7. I was born with the natural gift of writing. The Holy Spirit expanded that writing talent into a charism he uses to glorify God.
Just as he did for me, the Holy Spirit will hover over you and develop your charism, if you ask. He will inspire you to use it for God’s glory. He will surround you with love. You’ll find yourself in a Holy Spirit sandwich.
(Editor’s Note: We welcome talented writer Melissa Williams Finn as a guest blogger who promises to contribute frequently.)
Days like this one in late spring – green, breezy, crowned with a blue bowl of a sky – remind me of our little old 1930s house on McCommas and life with just my first two children. After 2 ½ years of diaper-and-nursing mayhem, with life largely governed by fractured nights and sleepy mornings, it was a big deal to get our oldest child fed, dressed and off to preschool at 9 a.m. twice a week. He and his dad would drive off down the leafy street, waving at me standing with the baby on the front porch in our breakfast-sticky pajamas. Then she and I would head back into the wreckage and sit down in the rocking chair, watching the dust motes stream onto the yellow wood floor and enjoying the hush of an almost-empty house.
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Solemnity of Pentecost: Acts 2:1-11; Ps 104:1, 24, 29-31, 34; 1 Cor 12:3b-7, 12-13 or Rom 8:8-17; John 20:19-23 or John 14:15-16, 23b-26.
Last Monday I spoke to a prayer group about the joys and blessings of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Early Tuesday morning as my mind began to think, I kept hearing the words, “Give us joys that never end.” The thoughts continue to "float" into my mind as those thoughts developed. I thought of the texts that I sent you the last few weeks about the major work of the Holy Spirit found in John’s Gospel in chapters 14 to 16. Jesus tells us that the Holy Spirit is a person not a thing. He is holy and the love between the Father and the Son was placed into us at our Baptism. He is making us more aware of what they want to share with us now if we are open to listen in some degree of peace and quiet.
Before Pentecost the disciples were fearful orphans subject to their whims of the moment. Sad and grieving without Jesus, they lacked self-direction and self-motivating guidance. He was their protector who promised to stay with them always.
Then the mighty rushing wind of the Holy Spirit breathed into them a divine life of spiritual maturity. After Pentecost they put away childish things, thought with understanding, spoke with discernment, acted with zeal and certainty. They changed the world!
Believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ
and you and
your household
will be saved.
Acts 16:31
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Acts 7:55-60 Ps 97:1-2, 6-7, 9; Rev 22:12-14, 16-17, 20; John 17:20-26
Or Ascension: Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-9; Eph 1:17-23 or Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23; Luke 24:46-53
For those diocesan areas that did not celebrate the Ascension last Thursday here is its significance. Jesus finished his teachings and saving of the human race from its sins in three years. Acts 1:1-5 told us: "In my first account, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught (Luke’s gospel) until the day he was taken up to heaven, having first instructed the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit. In the time after his suffering he showed them in many convincing ways that he was alive, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking to them about the kingdom of God. On one occasion when he met with them, he told them not to leave Jerusalem: ‘Wait, rather, for the fulfillment of my Father’s promise, of which you have heard me speak. John baptized with water, but within a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’"
Last Mother’s Day we went to the 10:00 a.m. Mass at St. Jude’s in Allen, TX, with my son Andrew and his family. We arrived early while the choir was practicing and sat in the third row behind their two reserved rows. Andrew prepared his French horn and joined the music practice.
When the practice was over, just before Mass started, I observed this young man come from the row of choir microphones and around the pews with an armful of pillows. He headed toward the pew in front of us where an elderly woman and a couple of young people were sitting. He motioned that he wanted to sit in that pew and they moved toward the aisle to allow him to move past them. He hesitated, said something to them and after a short conversation, they moved to another pew. He arranged his pillows in the pew and lay down on his back.
We all know the touching song, “Amazing Grace.” Instead of trying to sing that without crying, now I sing it smiling. The words “I once was lost but now I’m found, was blind but now I see,” speak volumes to me.
I became lost at an early age through a circumstance that I had no control over but it set me on the wrong path. I grew up in New York in a family of 8. My Mom was Catholic and my Dad was Lutheran. Every Sunday he stayed home while she took us to church.
When I was 8 years old a drunk driver killed my 16-year-old brother, Donald. I remember most that Donald was the good boy in the family. After his death, I was told, “Because he was a good boy, he is with God in heaven.” Well, that’s how my 8-year-old mind interpreted his death, and that’s how I got off on the wrong path.
Acts 15:1-2, 22-29; Ps 67:2-3, 5-6, 8; Rev 21:10-14, 22-23; John 14:23-29
We see in the Liturgy today how the structure that Jesus set up in his church works as it is guided by the Holy Spirit. Yet God gave us free will at creation and we don’t always listen or follow God’s direction, which is why he gave us his church. We see a discussion and debate of some of Jewish converts about the nature of this new group and how God wanted to guide them. Some believed in strict obedience to the details of the Mosaic and rabbinic laws to be applied to Gentile converts to the faith. Paul, Barnabas and some others were sent from the church in Antioch to Jerusalem to present this issue to the Apostles and elders there. Thus the first Church council made a dramatic decision. "It is the decision of the Holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage," Acts 15:28.
