New Years Resolution on the Feast of St. Basil

Something to think about for a New Years Resolution

St. Basil said:
“The bread which you do not use is the bread of the hungry; 
The garment hanging in your wardrobe is the garment of him who is naked; 
The shoes that you do not wear are the shoes of the one who is barefoot;
The  money that you keep locked away is the money of the poor; 
The acts of charity that you do not perform are so many injustices that you commit.”

Think about it!

4th Sunday of Advent

O Key of David, opening the gates of God's eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!

20 Dec Antiphon 

First Week of Advent - Stand Erect!!

... when these signs begin to happen, 
stand erect and raise your heads 
because your redemption is at hand. (Lk 23:28)

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My Brothers and Sisters,

Standing erect in our culture means having the courage say "no." 

Saying "no" to hate and "no" to some of the people who want to destroy the foundations upon which our country was created.  

In this challenge by God, we are also called to look "forward" to the hope of Christ's redemption for each and everyone of us – – Christmas.

Question around the Advent Wreath for the Domestic Church: 

 In what areas do we, as a Domestic Church married, single, and widowed,  have to say "no" so we can have a fulfilling Advent?

God bless you and your family,

Deacon Tom 

The Universal Prayers - Christ the King (Prayers of the Faithful)

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe B

Deacon/Lector 

 

-  For our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church: 

      May we proclaim, celebrate, and serve the Kingdom of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth and to the end of time:... We pray to the Lord. 

 

-  For All Elected to Public Service:   

      May Christ the King lead them to place the dignity of human life at the center of all their policies, programs, and decisions:... We pray to the Lord 

- For a Transformation of our Hearts: 

      May Christ the King change our understanding of power, success, and glory so we may place ourselves more fully in God’s service:... We pray to the Lord. 

 

- For all Impacted by the Terrorism in France:  

       May healing and peace come to all the victims' families and may the peoples of the world unite in prayer to know Christ is the King of all:... We pray to the Lord. 

- For the Men & Women in the Armed Forces:  

      May the Lord preserve them from all harm and help their families cope with the challenges arising from increasing world terrorism:... We pray to the Lord.

(Please add personalized prayers for the Sick and the Dead)

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Change

All of a sudden my life becomes

        Feelings of rejection

        Feelings of pain 

        Dying to old ways...

After time, maybe a long time

Peace arrives...

        Colors of acceptance peek through 

        A new normal soothes our body and soul

        Metanoia!  Resurrection to new life...

Life is ablaze with love

Universal Prayers - 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Prayers of the Faithful

23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time (B)

Deacon/Lector

For all in the Worldwide Catholic Church: May we grow in faithfulness to God's Commandments; interpreting them with wisdom and discernment for the holiness of all,…We pray to the Lord

For the Leaders of Nations: May they recognize the dignity of all people regardless of status, wealth, or social position and seek to meet the basic needs of every person,…We pray to the Lord

For all in Our Community who have hearing or speech problems: May we affirm them as sisters and brothers and help them to fully use of their gifts for God’s glory,…We pray to the Lord

For a spirit of listening in our Spiritual lives: May God free us from the noise blocking our ability to hear the Word of God and the distractions obscuring the hopes God has placed within our hearts....We pray to the Lord.

For all who protect others, in particular, our military, police officers and fire fighters:  That God may grant them His protection as they serve their country and community....We pray to the Lord.

A Life of Prayer is a Call to Simplicity by Deacon Tom Frankenfield

A Life of Prayer is a Call to Simplicity

Deacon Tom Frankenfield 

The key to a full and simple life with God is found right in the word PRAY-that's right;just pray.

P - PRAISE God! Be thankful to God for all that you have

Take time to be thankful to God for all that you have been given in life. Often I am so focused on my needs that I genuinely forget to count my many blessings. During my sicknesses, I am crying out for healing and forgetting my gifts. 

For example, I have a car to drive myself to the doctors' office; I have the money to pay my bills. I am loved by a family in spite of my frustration dealing with my illnesses. When I look at my gifts, I really do have many things to thank and praise God for. 

It really helps to put God's gifts first in our prayer life. Praising God anchors us in the Blessed Trinity 

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R - REVEAL Reveal your real needs to God! 

Next, we share our needs. At first glance this seems like the easiest prayer form; at least it is often the most common. I could spend the next hour telling God all the things I would like to have. However, for the simple Christian life, I would challenge you to review your life with a different perspective. 

Can you tear away those things that are pure pleasure and see the things that you need to bring you closer to God? A new set of golf clubs might be great but ask yourself how that brings you closer to God. As we work through that process we begin to see our needs with a new vantage point. 

Let your emotions lead your prayer in telling God your needs, not the commercials on the television or the radio.

A- ADORE Adore our amazing God and all His Works! 

This next step means stopping and taking time to be with the Lord. For Catholics, we have the gift of the Eucharist to pray before. Take time in Eucharistic Adoration. 

Allow yourself to be transformed! Allow the real presence of God to permeate your being. As a last resort use words! 

Others will look at the beauty of God's creation; the beauty of our family and friends. The key here is to be present to God in these situations-then absorb the goodness!

Y - YES! Say "yes" being lead by the Holy Spirit! 

After praising, requesting and an experience of adoring, we are ready to completely give our lives to the Holy Spirit. 

In opening our lives to The Spirit many of us have experienced God in more of fruitful ways. For some, Scripture comes alive, with words seemingly jumping out off the pages; most have a craving for deeper prayer and for everyone, the Lord's peace and joy reigns in our lives in fresh ways. Can you let go to the Spirit?

Come, Holy Spirit, come. Teach us to pray. Anoint us so we have no fears of giving our lives to you!!

For Your Family Reflection

1.  How do we pray in our family; either individually or communally? Are we making rules to make it too complicated?

2.  Are you ready to a leader in your Domestic Church by walking through the 4 steps of PRAY. Lead by example and trust God to do the rest.