Wisdom From the Radio, Part 2

 "I used to be angry with people who had no Faith, then I realized that Faith is a gift from God."

I go through things sometimes with people I care about....  People I grew up with...  People who were, like me, born and raised Catholic all their formative years.  I sometimes get angry with them for not believing as I feel they should....  People who decide to leave the Church because the Church won't cave on this ideal or that teaching, and then say that it's the Church that hurt them.  It is easy to stand up and say you believe when everything is in order and things are easy.  It is precisely when things become difficult and we are feeling a challenge to our own behaviors and ideals that following the things we are taught proves our Faith.   This being said, Faith is a gift from God.  I have no right to get angry at others.  I have plenty of skeletons (sins) in my own closet.  What makes me so much better?   From this moment on, I will NOT get mad at those with little or no Faith....  I will pray for them and pity them, and love them, even when they challenge me and call me things like "Jesus Freak" and "too Catholic".... 

 "Every journey, no matter how long, begins with the first step." 

I have been out of shape for some time, spiritually as well as physically.   Sometimes I get overwhelmed with what I need to do to get back on track fully.   I know that an AA saying is "one day at a time", well, I think one step at a time is even better.  With my prayer life, as well as my dietary/exercize habits, instead of thinking "I blew it today", I just need to focus on one step at a time....  So what steps do I need to take here?  I have a few in mind...  Step one (for the body)- exercize every day, even if it is just for a bit....  and bed at 10pm (obviously not tonight...)  Step one (for the soul)- Make sure to have some quiet prayer time.  Start with 10 minutes a day.....

PRAYER FOR PERSEVERANCE:
Eternal Father, I humbly adore Thee, and thank Thee for having created me,
and for having redeemed me through Jesus Christ.
I thank Thee most sincerely for having made me a Christian, by giving me the true faith,
and by adopting me as Thy daughter, in the sacrament of baptism.
I thank Thee for having, after the numberless sins I had committed, waited for my repentance, and for having pardoned (as I humbly hope) all the offences which I have offered to Thee, and for which I am now sincerely sorry, because they have been displeasing to Thee, who art infinite goodness.
I thank Thee for having preserved me from so many relapses, of which I would have been guilty if Thou hadst not protected me.  But my enemies still continue, and will continue till death, to combat against me,
and to endeavor to make me their slave.  If Thou dost not constantly guard and succor me with thy aid,
I, a miserable creature,  shall return to sin, and shall certainly lose Thy grace.  I beseech Thee, then,
for the love of Jesus Christ, to grant me holy perseverance unto death.  
Jesus, Thy Son, has promised that Thou wilt grant whatsoever we ask in his name.
Through the merits, then, of Jesus Christ,  I beg, for myself and for all the just,
the grace never again to be separated from Thy love, but to love Thee forever,
in time and eternity. Mary, Mother of God, pray to Jesus for me.  Amen

Wisdom From the Radio

I love to listen to Relevant Radio and the other day I was listening to Fr. John Corapi.  Other than ArchBishop Fulton Sheen, Fr Corapi is one of my favorite speakers on the Faith.  They both tell it like it is, exactly like it is....   Anyway, there were two things he said that really struck a chord with me.  The first was "I used to be angry with people who had no Faith, then I realized that Faith is a gift from God."  The second was "every journey, no matter how long, begins with the first step.'  He was quoting someone on that one, but I cannot remember who he gave the credit to.....

My reflections on these quotes to come :)

God Be with you, always!

Hopefully Flawed

OK, I am getting the hang of blogging.  I was never good at keeping any type of journal, and so I suppose it is going to be that way without effort when it comes to an electronic journal....

One thing I have been able to reflect on this Lent is that I am flawed....   I have many, many flaws that are mostly due to the vices of Pride and Indulgence.  So, to counteract these, I need to prayerfully develop the virtues of Temperance and Humility.

I have found that when you ask God to help you to develop these virtues, He gives you lots of opportunity to practice.  So far, I am not doing as well as I would like to think that I am.....  Ask to be more humble, and it seems like more 'idiots' and horrible drivers and punky kids are thrust into your life....  I'm working on it, though.  Just because I "would never do x" does not mean that I do not do 'y', which may be just as much of an offense to God or man....

All this being said, I am hopeful.  Thus, I am hopefully flawed, and will likely remain so until I pass from this world.  This passage from Acts of the Apostles 2:25-27 fits my thoughts on this:
David said about him: 
   " 'I saw the Lord always before me.
      Because he is at my right hand,
      I will not be shaken.
 ²⁶Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
      my body also will live in hope,
 ²⁷because you will not abandon me to the grave,
      nor will you let your Holy One see decay.

Someday, I might actually around to blogging about being a mom or homeschooling, but I suppose that won't be today.