… ADJUST YOUR SAILS

There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'

One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages
came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.

He asked her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The
girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her.

She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.

Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her
saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before
they were yours, they were mine.'

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who
was always by their side in the most painful situations.

Life Is a Gift. Today before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone
who has nothing to eat.

Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone
who's crying out for a companion.

Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who went
too early to heaven.

Before whining about the distance you drive - Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.

And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the
unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.

And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on
your face and think: you're alive and still around.

" We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails."

QUOTES ABOUT THE HOLY EUCHARIST

♥ "It is invaluable to converse with Christ, and leaning against Jesus' breast like his beloved disciple, we can feel the infinite love of his Heart. We learn to know more deeply the One who gave Himself totally, in the different mysteries of his divine and human life, so that we may become disciples and in turn enter into this great act of giving, for the glory of God and the salvation of the world. Through adoration, the Christian mysteriously contributes to the radical transformation of the world and to the sowing of the Gospel. Anyone who prays to the Savior draws the whole world with him and raises it to God. Those who stand before the Lord are therefore fulfilling an eminent service. They are presenting to Christ all those who do not know him or are far from him; they keep watch in his presence on their behalf,"

- from Our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II's 1996 letter to the Bishop of Liege, written on the occasion of the 750th anniversary of the first celebration of the Feast of Corpus Christi

♥ “Can you feel the fragrance of Paradise which diffuses Itself from the Tabernacle?"

St.Philip Neri

♥ "Do grant, oh my God, that when my lips approach Yours to kiss You, I may taste the gall that was given to You; when my shoulders lean against Yours, make me feel Your scourging; when my flesh is united with Yours, in the Holy Eucharist, make me feel Your passion; when my head comes near Yours, make me feel Your thorns; when my heart is close to Yours, make me feel Your spear."

-   St. Gemma Galgani

♥ "This food we call the Eucharist, of which no one is allowed to partake except one who believes that the things we teach are true, and has received the washing for forgiveness of sins and for rebirth, and who lives as Christ handed down to us. For we do not receive these things as common bread or common drink; but as Jesus Christ our Savior being incarnate by God's Word took flesh and blood for our salvation, so also we have been taught that the food consecrated by the Word of prayer which comes from him, from which our flesh and blood are nourished by transformation, is the flesh and blood of that incarnate Jesus."

- St. Justin Martyr, 2nd Century

♥ "God dwells in our midst, in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar."

- St. Maximilian Kolbe

DEAR MOTHER OF CONFIDENCE …..

….. I come before you in my weakness and need, trusting in your motherly care, and in the love of God, “who has done great things” for you. I give you all my problems, my doubts and even my sins. And I ask you to give me your own limitless confidence in the tenderness of God, and in the power of Jesus your Son.

Teach me the joy and freedom of abandoning all in His hands. Together with you may I behold God’s presence and His power at work in my life.

I thank you for leading me to rise above my troubles and cares. Help me to accept all that befalls me with serenity, and ask for all I need with expectant faith; that I too may be able to see and to say that “He who is mighty has done great things … for me.”

Amen.

‘You cannot learn this from books, you must experience it in your life, that whatever you ask Our Lady, she will do …”       Mother Teresa

QUOTES BY POPE FRANCIS / 4

Concerning the devil:
“We must always be on guard,” exhorted the Pope to those who attended Mass in the Vatican’s Santa Marta guesthouse, “on guard against deceit, against the seduction of evil.”

Referencing the day’s gospel reading, in which Jesus has just healed a possessed man and is accused of casting out demons by the power of the devil, the Pope noted that often in history there have been those who wish to “diminish the power of the Lord” by offering different explanations for his works, urging that his is a temptation which has “reached our present day.”

“There are some priests who, when they read this Gospel passage, this and others, say: ‘But, Jesus healed a person with a mental illness.’”

“It is true,” he affirmed, “that at that time, they could confuse epilepsy with demonic possession; but it is also true that there was the devil! And we do not have the right to simplify the matter. No!”

“The presence of the devil is on the first page of the Bible, and the Bible ends as well with the presence of the devil, with the victory of God over the devil.”

Observing that the Lord has given many criteria in order to “discern” the presence of evil in our lives, the Pope stressed that “we should not be naïve,” and that one of the criteria which has been given is “not to follow the victory of Jesus” just “halfway.”

TO MY DEAR DAD ON FATHER’S DAY

“Our Father who art in Heaven…”                                                                                                                 I beseech Thee, Lord, keep my beloved Dad close to your heart in a loving embrace.

“Hallowed be Thy name…”                                                                                                                  That has always been on Dad’s lips, and his lesson to us his children; to give praise, honour and love to your blessed Name.

“Thy Kingdom come …”                                                                                                                                 I still recall one of Dad’s many advices: ‘You can help so that his kingdom will come by spreading his Good News and be a witness to Christ.”

“Thy will be done …”                                                                                                                         That was the only prayer I could utter between sobs and chest pains those days when my dear Dad was called by you, Lord. No other prayer could be uttered except, ‘Thy Will be done.’ Yet it had such a soothing effect spiritually.

“On earth as it is in heaven” …                                                                                                            Yes, now I am fully convinced that you, Lord, know best; You have the whole world in Your hands, being the author of life. It’s no use planning; no projection will be fulfilled without Your consent and help. Dad was right.

“Give us this day our daily bread …”                                                                                               That was Dad’s first thing in the morning before having breakfast and going to work. He used to walk up to church for his daily Bread, which, according to him used to give him all the strength he needed for the day. This is the same conviction I pass on to my children, because I know that it is a proven fact beyond any doubt.

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others …”                                                                   Never a harsh word crossed my dear Dad’s lips; even when he was in the right, he always excused others and took the blame himself. For this reason I believe that the smile he showed on his face, on his death-bed meant that he was being welcomed with a smile by you, Lord. Thank you, Lord.

“Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from all evil …”                                                     Another advice I inherited from Dad and which I still pass on to others is that if we keep close to Jesus we can never offend Him, it would be impossible to sin, because no man in his right senses would ever dream of offending or hurting the one he loves.

“AMEN.”  So be it, Lord as long as we have you at our side … rather if we always stick to you we can always walk the road ahead, difficult and stormy as it might be, because you, Lord will be carrying us in your arms out of harms way.

THANK YOU, dear Dad, for all these thoughts are yours; teachings, admonitions, advices, words of love to those you would like to meet one day in the Heavenly bliss.

QUOTES BY POPE FRANCIS / 3

Salvation from sin is like being saved from drowning:

Being upfront and honest about one's sinful nature actually helps create a more authentic encounter with God. There are people who believe they are righteous, follow the catechism well enough and abide by the Christian faith, but they don't have the experience of having been saved."

"It's one thing to hear about a boy who was drowning in a river and the person who jumped in to save him; it's another to have personally been at the scene and lent a hand; and even another for it to have actually been you who was drowning while someone jumps in the water to save you."

"Only we big sinners have this grace of knowing what salvation really means."

Sin is a stain only Jesus can remove:

"Sin is not a stain that I must wash out. What I need to do is ask forgiveness and reconcile myself, not go to the drycleaners.... I have to go encounter Jesus who gave his life for me."

People need to learn from the "shipwreck culture" and salvage the past to build the future:

"The shipwrecked castaway faces the challenge of survival with creativity.".

"He needs to begin building a hut using the boards from the sunken ship, together with new things found on the island he's washed up on."

"In every new era, one can apply the image of the shipwreck because there are things that we no longer need, temporary things, and (eternal) values that get expressed in another way."

Pain versus resentment:

"Resentment is like a full house with lots of people crammed inside so they can't see the sky, while pain is like a city in which there are still lots of people, but at least you can see the sky. In other words, pain is open to prayer, tenderness, the company of a friend and thousands of things that offer dignity. That's why pain is a healthier situation" than resentment.

Optimism versus hope:

"It's best to not confuse optimism with hope. Optimism is a psychological attitude toward life. Hope goes further. It is an anchor that one hurls toward the future, it's what lets you pull on the line and reach what you're aiming for" and head in "the right direction." Hope is also theological: "God is there, too."

God's patience is "comfortable and sweet like a summer's night."

Death, who is "eager," knocks daily; "I run from it, but it smiles at me inviting me to accept it."