A Prayer for the United States

H/T Loopyloo's 

A Struggling Barren Wife

I must admit that since Wednesday morning I’ve been experiencing periods of sadness.  I’ve been crying on and off.  I know the surgery was the right thing to do.  I am not angry with anyone, especially not God. Because I do know that He is looking out for me.  Not that I didn’t know what the operation would do but the past few days it hit me like a ton of bricks that I no longer have my reproductive organs. The procedure is done and believe me I am thankful to God and all his angels because I am feeling so much better but it is so hard…. crying crying as I write this…. I am so sad.  I have been praying and asking God’s help through this tough time but…. I have just suffered a big loss and I just don’t know….

I called my doc yesterday because I thought something was wrong around one of my stitches.  He thought I could have gotten an infection so besides calling me in an antibiotic he wanted to see me to make sure the stitches were okay. This morning as I was waiting to see my doctor tears started rolling down my cheeks.  Just all of a sudden.  I was thinking geesh I sure have been a watering sprinkler lately with tears popping up when I least expect it.  He came in after I had stopped crying and gotten myself together but I ended up telling him that I had been crying anyway.  We talked about it.  He was so understanding. He said that I have a right to be sad and basically that if I wasn’t he would be wondering what’s wrong with me.  He said that he’s sad for me and that he would pray for me during the next week in between visits.  He said for me to continue to look to God for guidance during this time. He made me feel much better.  He is such a caring doctor.  Thankfully I don’t have an infection but the oddest thing happened. I have an allergic reaction to the band-aid and it blistered.  But what’s weird about it and we couldn’t figure out is why I don’t have allergic reactions around my other areas where stitches are. Different band-aid? Who knows?

After I came home I offered a prayer to God asking for his help to guide me through my struggles.  I also asked Him to lead me to the right spot in the Bible.  And yes so amazingly he did.  I opened to Psalm 113: 7-9 .

Psalm 113: 7-9 says:   He raises up the lowly from the dust;

from the dunghill he lifts up the poor

To seat them with princes,

with the princes of his own people.

He establishes in her home the barren wife

as the joyful mother of children.

My first response after seeing this was God is wonderful. God is watching out for me. I know that and have known that for a long time but I have been so emotional these past few days and crying, crying, crying (and I’m not even a crier) that I hadn’t really turned to Him and asked Him for assistance til today.  God has brought peace to me. Now I feel so much better sharing my struggles with the Lord and all my blogging buddies. God Bless.

 Crossposted @ Catholibertarian 

Prayer by Secret Garden

During the spring, summer, and fall I work outside landscaping at an apartment complex. I returned to work today. While searching the net looking for things on the saint of gardening I found this video.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart…”

Do you ever find it hard to trust in the Lord? Whether it be in your everyday struggles, dealing with a health issue, a career or vocational challenge, or the loss of employment?

While I have never been angry at God over my health issues I do find it hard to trust Him sometimes, especially when I feel like I am battling sickness often.  Last October after I had surgery for my endometriosis I had mega health troubles afterward.  I can deal with pain very well.  I have a high threshold for pain but this was different.  I was extremely dizzy and it hurt me to breathe, plus something else but I won't give the details and gross people out.  It was kinda weird since that symptom has disappeared altogether now.  I came to find out that I had a vitamin B12 deficiency which was causing my dizziness.  I also found out that mild acid reflux plus the agitation of the tube from having been down in my throat during surgery was what had caused me to hurt while breathing.  While I may have asked why?  I asked why is this happening to me?  I never got angry at God for my having health troubles.  While I had some issues with trusting the Lord at first I came to trust Him and know that he had a plan for me.  I came to trust him with all my heart.

I have been feeling ill since last Friday. Today I visited my doctor and well, I wasn't expecting to need further testing.  Not a huge deal but my doc wants to make sure that there isn't something with my ovaries causing my fever or pain. God has a plan for each of us. I know he has a plan for me even though I wonder what that could be.  Or what He has in store for me in the future.  All we need to do is trust in Him. Trusting in the Lord can be very hard at times. I know.  With prayer and trusting in the Lord anything is possible and we will be able to overcome any obstacle that is put in out path.  When we trust in God we can overcome our fears and struggles in our lives.  God is our strength. God is our hope. God gives us the grace to do what we should do in our struggles.  God gives us strength when we are weak. God is the Great Healer.  God is Love.

Isaiah 41:10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.





Crossposted @ Catholibertarian 

Priests Force Rockford Abortion Mill To "Cry Uncle!" and Close For The Day

God Bless these priests in their mission to save innocent unborn babies.  

From Pro-Life Corner:

Rockford, IL – (ProLifeCorner.com) – On 7-15-2011 – by James - Last year seven Catholic Priests gathered around the Rockford abortion mill and prayed prayers of exorcism.  On that day two mothers choose life; the number of abortions fell by two thirds, and the abortion mill landlord was so unsettled that he stayed outside his abortion mill while the Priests were praying.  This year the powers that be inside the mill were taking no chances.  Instead of trying to remain open in the face of such spiritual power, they found it easier to close their doors for the day.  

The abortion mill landlord Wayne Webster, who seems to have a pathological hatred for Catholic Priests and has a history of skulking away from the abortion mill grounds when Priests are praying prayers of exorcism outside his killing center, was nowhere to be seen.  In his absence he did leave some quite vulgar signs in his abortion mill windows attacking Priests.

 

On this day in Rockford, the presence of Christ through His Priests and His people could be tangibly felt and experienced outside the building where over 60,000 human beings have been murdered.

 

On this day in Rockford, Satan fled; Christians stood united in faith and love, and no children had to face a brutal, vicious death inside the Rockford abortion mill. 

 

 Those inside the Rockford abortion mill, who have used demonic symbols such as devils masks in its windows, rubber chickens on crucifixes, and signs mocking God and celebrating the deaths of children by abortion, folded under the spiritual power of these men of God.

 

 

Let us pray for these priests as well as other pro-lifers as they battle against the evils of Satan. 

Flash Mob - Come and Kneel Before Him Now

H/T Metanoia 

Links on Both the Holy Trinity and Father's Day

Here is one amazingly inspirational article on a father who made the ultimate sacrifice - http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-17/a-father-s-day-lesson-about-children-and-life-jeffrey-goldberg.html

 Fr. Longenecker has posted a great article on the Holy Trinity and Holy Fathers - http://gkupsidedown.blogspot.com/2011/06/holy-trinity-and-holy-fathers.html  He provides a very good explanation of the Holy Trinity and explains the heresy of modalism. 

Kathryn Lopez has posted a list of the top ten Father's Day quotes from the Bible - http://www.catholicvote.org/discuss/index.php?p=18271

Here is a thought-provoking post on prayer and spiritual battles called, The Three in One and The One in Three - http://beginningtopray.blogspot.com/2011/06/three-in-one-and-one-in-three.html

What is Lent?

The season of Lent

View more presentations from Pablo Cuadra .

Advent Address by Pope John Paul II

I was searching the internet for Advent prayers or quotations and I found this website called appleseeds.org which has a compilation of prayers on it from various well-known philosphers or theologians such as Pope John Paul II.  I am posting an address of his from 2002.

"The liturgy of Advent…helps us to understand fully the value and meaning of the mystery of Christmas. It is not just about commemorating the historical event, which occurred some 2,000 years ago in a little village of Judea. Instead, it is necessary to understand that the whole of our life must be an ‘advent,’ a vigilant awaiting of the final coming of Christ. To predispose our mind to welcome the Lord who, as we say in the Creed, one day will come to judge the living and the dead, we must learn to recognize him as present in the events of daily life. Therefore, Advent is, so to speak, an intense training that directs us decisively toward him who already came, who will come, and who comes continuously."

Remembering 9/11: My Thoughts, A Prayer & Videos Honoring Our Fallen

I can remember September 11, 2001, almost like it was yesterday. I remember that I was driving in my car from Pittsburgh to Steubenville since I was taking classes at Franciscan University, and what I heard on the radio while driving seemed like fiction to me. I really wasn’t sure whether what I had heard on the radio was real or not. Then, I heard a verification that the United States of America was under a terrorist attack. I was in this state of shock and disbelief asking how can this be happening? I was scared! Shortly after I entered onto campus I found my honey, Kevin and we hugged. Kevin was so worried because he has some relatives who are NYC firefighters and police officers. We said a prayer for their and everyone’s safety. I attended my Theology class where we prayed for the people who tragically lost their lives on 9/11 and their loved ones who have had to endure their loss.

We must never forget 9/11. And, yet somehow there are people today who have forgotten about 9/11 and believe that day shouldn’t have changed our lives. It did. It will forever. That would be like saying Pearl Harbor shouldn’t have changed our mode of thinking. It did. We entered WWII to defeat our enemy. Our troops are deployed all across the world trying to defeat our enemy much in the same way that we defeated our enemies in WWII. These people who have forgotten about 9/11 need to wake up and stop burying their heads in the sand. The terrorist attacks that happened 9 years ago today were in fact an act of war. Prior to that date America was targeted with terrorist attacks that occurred mostly overseas with the exception of one attack taking place in America in 1993-- the World Trade Center bombing. Those were treated as if they were mere matters of law enforcement when in fact they were attacks on our nation - acts of war. God rest all those souls who died that tragic day. God Bless our troops who are serving overseas. God Bless the USA!















When Pope Benedict XVI visited the United States he also visited the WTC site and prayed.  He prayed this beautiful prayer:



O God of love, compassion, and healing,

look on us, people of many different faiths
and traditions,
who gather today at this site,
the scene of incredible violence and pain.
We ask you in your goodness
to give eternal light and peace
to all who died here—
the heroic first-responders:
our fire fighters, police officers,
emergency service workers, and
Port Authority personnel,
along with all the innocent men and women
who were victims of this tragedy
simply because their work or service
brought them here on September 11, 2001.


We ask you, in your compassion
to bring healing to those
who, because of their presence here that day,
suffer from injuries and illness.
Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families
and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.
Give them strength to continue their lives
with courage and hope.


We are mindful as well
of those who suffered death, injury, and loss
on the same day at the Pentagon and in
Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Our hearts are one with theirs
as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.


God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.
Turn to your way of love
those whose hearts and minds
are consumed with hatred.
God of understanding,
overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,
we seek your light and guidance
as we confront such terrible events.
Grant that those whose lives were spared
may live so that the lives lost here
may not have been lost in vain.


Comfort and console us,
strengthen us in hope,
and give us the wisdom and courage
to work tirelessly for a world
where true peace and love reign
among nations and in the hearts of all.



Pope Benedict XI--Prayer at Ground Zero


New York, 20 April 2008


God rest all those souls who lost their lives on 9/11
God Bless Our Troops! God Bless the USA!