Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The first called had happy feet

O Lord, Thank You for the fishermen You called to be apostles, especially St. Andrew whose feast we celebrate today. Through them we benefit from hearing about You and believing in You! May we always listen to Your call - and follow You. Amen.
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“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” (Isaiah 52:7, Romans 10:15) On this feast of St. Andrew the Apostle I am grateful for all the apostles, preachers, family and friends whose feet have brought the good news of the Gospel to me.

Faith is the foundation of my life — truly the greatest blessing God has given me. My Christian faith has been my strength and guide in good times—it has also been my strength and guide and comfort in difficult times. Most of the time, however, I take this blessing for granted. Sadly, I don’t adequately thank God for this gift.

Fortunately there are special times each year when I realize anew the great blessing of faith. Advent is one of these times. My heart resonates at Old Testament passages that express humankind’s longing for a better world, for a messiah, for a savior, and those that speak directly to my own restlessness and to my often unarticulated longing for a fuller coming of God to my heart and to our world.

“Faith comes from what is heard,” Paul reminds us. (Romans 10:17) During this advent season I ask myself, “Do I witness to what I have heard and believe? Can mine be the feet bringing the good news to others and the voice that is heard and that arouses faith in others? “Their voice has gone forth to all the Earth and their words to the end of the world”. (Romans 10:18)

During this season of giving, is there any greater gift we can share with loved ones?

I continue my novena to St. Peregrine for Darlene and all other victims or survivors of cancer. I ask you to pray for me. I’ve caught the cold that is going around. Usually that means an evolution into bronchitis. Pray that I can keep it from getting any worse this time around. Thanks.

Immacualate Heart of Mary,
Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death.

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"I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor:
the first — by deed, the second — by word, the third — by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy.

Many souls ... are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul.

If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy".