I remember falling in love with Him at the Manger when I was very young. He humbled Himself to share in our humanity. How could a young child not love Him...and how could we not love Him even more now knowing what He must have gone through to come down from Heaven to us? When I was young Christmas was about Him, not about presents, etc. They were nice, but He was the meaning of Christmas, the reason for Christmas. I believe that's the reason that I'm completely turned off to the commercialism of Christmas. I believe that it is not how His Birthday should be celebrated. I'll step down off my soap box now. (-:
As I grew older and matured so do my love for Him. If was then that I realized that each and every one of us has our own unique vocation to follow Him and in that process share His Love with others as only we can. God made us unique for that reason. Be abundantly blessed that he has a special Call for you that no one else can answer. He loves you and yearns for your love and what you have to offer Him.
Look for a moment at what Mary Magdalene did for Our Lord. She offered Him so much love by washing His feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. That has to be one of the most touching expressions of love for Him. No one else was meant to do that but her. In the first few centuries of the Church she was known as an Apostle and not only a Saint. She was, also, the first who saw Our Lord after the Resurrection. She was the second one who showed the world how a woman can serve Him. The first one, of course, being His Mother, Mary.
Luke 7: 37- 39; 44-48
37 And there was a woman in the city who was a sinner; and when she learned
that He was reclining at the table in the Pharisee's house, she brought
an alabaster vial of perfume,
38 and standing behind Him at His feet, weeping, she began to wet His feet
with her tears, and kept wiping them with the hair of her head, and kissing
His feet and anointing them with the perfume.
39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he said to himself,
"If this man were a prophet He would know who and what sort of person
this woman is who is touching Him, that she is a sinner."
44 Turning toward the woman, He said to Simon, "Do you see this woman?
I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has
wet My feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.
45 "You gave Me no kiss; but she, since the time I came in, has not
ceased to kiss My feet.
46 "You did not anoint My head with oil, but she anointed My feet
with perfume.
47 "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been
forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little."
48 Then He said to her, "Your sins have been forgiven." John 20 1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the
tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from
the tomb. 2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus
loved, and said to them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb,
and we do not know where they have laid Him." 3 So Peter and the other disciple went forth, and they were going to
the tomb. 4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster
than Peter and came to the tomb first; 5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there;
but he did not go in. 6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and
he saw the linen wrappings lying there, 7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the
linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. 8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered,
and he saw and believed. 9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise
again from the dead. 10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. 11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept,
she stooped and looked into the tomb; 12 and she saw () two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at
the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. 13 And they said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them,
"Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have
laid Him." 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there,
and did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"
Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, "Sir, if you have carried
Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, "
Rabboni!" (which means, Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended
to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I ascend to
My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.'" 18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, "I have seen
the Lord," and that He had said these things to her. John 19 26 When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing
nearby, He said to His mother, "Woman, behold, your son!" 27 Then He said to the disciple, "Behold, your mother!" From that hour the
disciple took her into his own household. Matthew 28:20 And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. It is in these chaotic times we must look up and wait for Our Lord to come back to us as He told us. Luke 21: 25-28 25 "There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay 26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming
upon the world; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 "Then they will see THE SON OF MAN COMING IN A CLOUD with power
and great glory. 28 "But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up
your heads, becauseyour redemption is drawing near." Psalm 96 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Usually those who aren't Catholic ask why we worship Mary. We do not worship Her. We honor Her as His Mother. Out all of women she was Chosen. At the Cross Our Lord gave Our Blessed Mother to us in the person of Saint John.
There is, also, a big misunderstanding in regards to the Saints. They are our Brothers and Sisters who have gone on before us. They are a part of Our Family in Christ. They inspire us to live better lives and be more like Him. We want to be as close to Our Lord as they were here on earth. Now they are in heaven and we can pray to them and ask them to pray for us just as we would our belover grandmother or another one who has gone on before us. It's very simple. The Saints are our helpers, but Jesus is the Only One who can save our souls and bring us to a new life in Him.
Recently I've been recovering from health problems and that has only brought me closer to Our Lord. He is the one who can truly comfort us and we can offer our pains and sorrows up to Him. You're blessed when you can offer anything up to Our Lord, because He will use it in the best possible way.
It all comes back to Jesus, who said that He will be with us even until the end of the world as we know it. I believe that there will not truly be an end to the world, but an end to the world as we know it. The New Jerusalem will be a wonderful place and we will live and reign with Him.
among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves,
Sing to the LORD a new song;
Sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless His name;
Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
Tell of His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
For great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.
Worship the LORD in holy attire;
Tremble before Him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will judge the peoples with equity."
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all it contains;
Let the field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
Before the LORD, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.
Some Favorite Links
Back To Pray For Priests
In Honor Of Saint Andrew Kim - My Patron Saint
In Honor of Saint Catherine Of Siena
Diocese of Beaumont
Blessed Hope Ministries InThe UK- Brother Leslie
Sherry's Heartbeats - Sister Sherry
Trusting In God - Brother Timmy
Lil Sonshine - Sister Karen
A Heart For God's Word - Sister Rose
The Society Of Saint Mary Magdalene
Los Lonely Boys Prayer Team Web Site
