Thursday, December 29, 2016

Oh! Night Divine!


My People,

Good Morning! Christmas is a season of Hope and Love. This is what we celebrate at Christmas – that God shared Jesus Christ with us; that He came to serve and sacrificed His life that we might know the love and forgiveness of God and receive eternal life. 
Christmas is my favorite season. I believe in everything about the season and I love the whole concept of Santa-claus, reindeers, elves and the North-Pole. As a kid, this is what I looked to - this was the beginning of my lessons on HOPE! 
Merry Christmas! 

And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfilment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” Luke 1:45

 
 

I love listening to Country. There is always meaning and a lot of love in their music. Country is all heart. I love listening to Randy Travis. This is Three Wooden Crosses.

A farmer and a teacher, a hooker and a preacher,
Ridin' on a midnight bus bound for Mexico.
One's headed for vacation, one for higher education,
An' two of them were searchin' for lost souls.
That driver never ever saw the stop sign.
An' eighteen wheelers can't stop on a dime.
 
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows.
I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.
 
That farmer left a harvest, a home and eighty acres,
The faith an' love for growin' things in his young son's heart.
An' that teacher left her wisdom in the minds of lots of children:
Did her best to give 'em all a better start.
An' that preacher whispered: "Can't you see the Promised Land?"
As he laid his blood-stained bible in that hooker's hand.
 
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, Heaven only knows.
I guess it's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.
 
That's the story that our preacher told last Sunday.
As he held that blood-stained bible up,
For all of us to see.
He said: "Bless the farmer, and the teacher, an' the preacher;
"Who gave this Bible to my mamma,
"Who read it to me."
 
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway,
Why there's not four of them, now I guess we know.
It's not what you take when you leave this world behind you,
It's what you leave behind you when you go.
 
There are three wooden crosses on the right side of the highway.
 

It is a story of four passengers on a bus trip to Mexico that proves fatal for three of them. The end of the song reveals that the narrator is (the child of the fourth passenger). The song's four passengers are a farmer, a teacher, a preacher and a hooker. The three crosses are roadside memorials to the vehicle.
The repeated chorus of the song indicates that what you leave behind in life matters more than what you take. In one verse of the song, the dying preacher hands his bloodstained Bible to the hooker (prostitute), presumably to offer an invitation of Christian salvation in the face of death. At the end of the song, the narrator shares that he still has the Bible and that his mother read it to him as he grew up, leading him to become a preacher. This also reveals that the prostitute survived, answering the songs repeated question about why there were only three crosses and not four.

Moral: To be kind always.
 

 


“For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations" Psalm 100:5
The highest form of praise, to God is because He is good.
 
There is nothing you can do to make God love you more and there is nothing you can do to make Him love you less. We see God’s love and mercy most clearly at the cross of Calvary. When you gaze upon the dying form of the Son of God you will find grace unmeasured, mercy undeserved, and love beyond degree.
 
It is all based on His love, and no matter what I do (or don’t do), He still has a plan for me. What an awesome God I serve.
We can face the future with confidence because His faithfulness continues from one generation to another. God’s love and faithfulness go far beyond any human understanding. GOD is true. There is no deceit in Him. He is forever faithful.
 
 

What is it about a thankful heart?

1.When we are thankful we become more aware of His presence.
 
2. We look for His purpose in our circumstances.
 
3. Submission to His will-a total surrender.
 
4. A reminder of our dependence on Him.
 
5. Joy instead of fear and anxiety.
 
6. A focus on God in difficult times.
 
7. Our way of thinking towards others changes.
 
8. A never say die attitude.

 

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."   I Thessalonians 5:16-18
It is not always easy to give thanks. Satan is defeated when we have a thankful heart because thankfulness during difficulty is a sacrifice pleasing to God. There is power in a thankful heart.
 
"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men"  Philippians. 2:5-7
 
Lucifer (Satan) wished to be equal to God and in his pride, he exclaimed: "I will be like the Most High."

Jesus, Son of God, emptied Himself. John 1: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . . Jesus came down from Heaven. Jesus took in His divine person the nature of a servant that the same person might be the only Son begotten from all eternity and the Infant in the crib at Bethlehem and the Man of sorrows nailed to the cross.

Being born in the likeness of man in a manger, the tidings of His birth were given to the poor. Jesus says: "Learn of Me because I am meek, and humble of heart."

The sign of humility is obedience. Pride inclines us to do our own will and to seek what exalts us. Death on the cross was considered by the Romans and Jews as a horrible torture reserved to slaves. Jesus rendered suffering as fruitful. He glorified it by obedience and love.
 

 
 
  
At the birth of Jesus everything speaks to us of His humility. St. Luke states: "She brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

The first adorers were poor shepherds keeping a vigil over their flock. And suddenly a multitude of angels descended from Heaven singing: "Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace to men of good will
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11
When the angels appeared to the shepherds that night, they brought good news, but not only for the shepherds, but for ALL PEOPLE.
As a child, this is one of the Gospels I remember very clearly. Every time I heard this passage, every time my heart would rejoice and be filled with hope. This is the only part of the Gospel that I understood before everything else. HOPE is a good thing.

 

Paul writes: "And to keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to harass me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Pride is the beginning of every sin. God sometimes permits some infirmity which prevents us from becoming proud and makes us recognize that we cannot hold out by our own strength. The man who knows his weakness is more attentive to resisting it and because he struggles, he grows in strength. 'Gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities,' says St. Paul, since I am thus more humble, and I must fight that the power of Christ may dwell in me and bear all its fruits of grace."

Mary, was preserved from original sin, and in everything that Mary did, Mary magnified the LORD.

From all eternity God willed the Incarnation of the Word, His Son, as Redeemer of the world. "He humbled Himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. For which cause God also hath exalted Him and hath given Him a name which is above all names: that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those that are in heaven, on earth, and under the earth: and that every tongue should confess that the Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father."

"He that humbleth himself shall be exalted."
 

 
 

 
    
The one day that we wait for never seems to come.
        
When we know what’s right, we just keep putting it off, we risk missing God’s best. I know God takes care of us, but I also know that God expects us to do our part. When people do us wrong, God expects us to let the offenses go.

Stop putting off spending time with the people that you love. So often, we take people for granted. There will never be a perfect time to do what God has put in our heart. Don’t miss opportunities to be good to people. Don’t make an excuse for not doing what you know God is telling you to do.
        
I’ve learned that when a person comes to mind, I need to respond as soon as possible. Don’t ever miss out on being a blessing. Beginning today is when we need to make positive changes in our lives.

Don’t make excuses and don’t look for a more convenient time.
 

  

out of the overflow of the heart, the mouths speaks Luke 6:45
Words to me they matter. They have the power to destroy and harm or on the other hand, words can encourage, they can heal.

Words have great power to influence many—for the good and for the bad. One un-thoughtful comment can do as much damage in a person’s life as the tiny spark that sparks a huge forest fire. With our words we can destroy a reputation that has taken a lifetime to build.

This baby I know used to ask me a lot of questions and understandably so since he was just 3-31/2 years old. As far as possible I used to encourage his questions, and give him the correct answers if possible. He could walk into dark rooms without light and not be terrified by it. He is my youngest-my baby brother but he used to tell a lot of lies at the time. I did not know that my words would hurt him. I told him you know if you continue to tell lies your nose will grow as big as Pinocchio’s. He asked me has my nose grown. I said yes, a little bit. After that, I did not see him for about 10 minutes and I wondered why. Like I said, he asked too many questions. I got up and went to look out for him, saw him looking at the mirror and crying bitterly. I looked at him and asked what is wrong? He said my nose is grown long. I told, you got the cutest nose, I am sorry I lied. I carried his cute little self in my arms and I learned that we need to take care with the words we speak. If a baby can get hurt and cry bitterly imagine the impact of our words on adults. Words must be used with the wisdom of God.

Think about it for a minute. An angry or unforgiving or bitter spirit is expressed by the tongue through angry or unforgiving or bitter words. Best example I can mention, is of women in train compartments, they can be so abusive for little things. They lose their tempers very quickly and then keep fighting till the other person gets down. Never once do they think that the journey on the train is of just 15-20 minutes, after which most probably they may never meet each other. It is sad that people never realize that life is a journey and we sometimes end up fighting over petty things. Arrogance is usually seen in the words that a person utters.  Selfishness, greed, envy, and revenge are all communicated through the tongue.
 

 

 
There is no worse poison than gossip. We need to pray to The Spirit of God, to guide us with our words and in our actions towards others and ourselves.
As Christians we are called to speak the truth. TRUTH in the eyes of God – is of the highest order. God is the TRUTH. If we are to represent Him then our words should only be the TRUTH, so help me God.

We should always try to use words that bring calm to a person or a situation, not words that escalate issues. Proverbs 15: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” 

 

God has given us a free will. It requires us to believe and make a choice to have hope. Do I live a life of defeat? Do I rise above my circumstances and look to God to restore?
We do not know what to hope for. God's Word sheds light unto the great plan that He has for our lives. In a single moment, God can make all things new for you and me. It´s what we call hope. Hope carries us through as we wait for our completing moment.
Ephesians 1:19-20 says: "I pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God´s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead…" The Bible says that God gives the same power that raised Jesus from the dead to those who believe Him.

Believe in God by faith and persevere in hope! When faced with tough times, when we are filled with doubt, God´s miracle for us is put on hold until we begin to walk again in obedience and put our complete trust in Him.

We remember Abraham Lincoln where he envisioned a nation under God. Winston Churchill captured the hearts of Britain and the world when he boldly declared, as bombs fell on London, "This will be our finest hour."

When times are tough, it is easy to lose hope. It is easy to doubt and let fear in. But look at the history of America. It is the most powerful country in the Universe. Things are not so easy now. But let us look at the words again? Abraham Lincoln envisioned a nation under God. He was the only President I know who kept his Bible with him at all times. He is my favourite President. Read the words below by Winston Churchill. You can be a great leader with encouraging words. Choose your words wisely.

“Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”
“Never, never, never give up.” - Winston Churchill

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.”   - Winston Churchill

America has its emergency number 911 – the number in the Bible – Psalm 91:1 states, He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty.

On their currency – they had “In God we trust”.

They had placed God above everything, but things are changing. What am I saying – when I place God above everything and I mean everything, then there will be nothing that I should fear.

The most powerful person, God watches over me. If I fear, then I do not know God. If I say, He is my God, I take refuge in Him, then how can I fear! I must not.

Death is nothing but a closing of eyes and the breath in the body that ceases. What is life, but a gift from God it is a chance, given by God – an encounter to know Him, to Love Him and serve Him and to be happy with Him in the world to come? Death is the beginning of a new life. I must therefore learn to deny myself, consider myself as nothing. Only when I do that can I begin to understand the greatness of this life and the world to come. Without God I am nothing, I need to ask for His grace.

If it's raining here, the sun is always shining somewhere else. God always wants us to come to Him in the day of trouble. And when we call upon Him, He will show us great and mighty things, and He will surely rescue us. Amen.



 

I Believe…


·        The Bible is inspired by God and the authority on which we base our faith.

·        In one God who exists in three distinct persons: The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

·        I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who came to this earth as the Savior of the world. Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins. We believe that salvation is found by placing our faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross. We believe Jesus rose from the dead and is coming again.

·       Baptism - is a cleansing power of the original sin, we become freed from the power of darkness. Through the waters of Baptism the person enters into the life of God - Father, Son and the Holy-Spirit. He or she is dedicated to God and all that is good.

·        Communion (the Body & Blood of Christ) as an act of remembering what the Lord Jesus did for us on the Cross.

·         The will of God.

·        We are over-comers and more than conquerors in the mighty name of JESUS.

 

This is my one of my favourite prayers, and something that Fr. Joe stated in his homily. I do not remember the day. 

8th December, 2016 – I was very hurt that day, and Fr. Joe had given a beautiful homily, what he said, healed the hurt. I thank God for Fr. Joe. I always will.

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me bring your love;
where there is injury, your pardon, Lord;
and where there's doubt, true faith in you.

Chorus:
O Master, grant that I may never seek
so much to be consoled as to console,
to be understood as to understand,
to be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace.
Where there's despair in life, let me bring hope;
where there is darkness, let me bring your light;
and where there's sadness, ever joy.

Make me a channel of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
in giving to all people, we receive,
and in dying that we're born to eternal life.
 
"It is in dying that we are born to eternal life"
I feel two different and very real meanings in this statement. One is that when we die to self, or become less selfish by focusing on God and others we awaken to a spiritual life that we miss if we are focused on our own needs and wants. The other meaning is when this life is over and we have died we awaken to the eternal life.

I love this hymn (prayer). When I recite it I, I may not be able to touch Heaven and come back, but I find a simplicity that is unparalleled. I love simple things. Every time that I pray, I feel Peace.

 


Ask God with thanks and don't worry.
Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will direct your paths.  Proverbs 3:5-6

 
Words of Christ, “Learn of me for I am meek and humble of heart.” It took St. Francis de Sales 20 years to conquer his quick temper. He tells us: “The person who possesses Christian meekness is affectionate and tender towards everyone: he is disposed to forgive and excuse the frailties of others; the goodness of his heart appears in a sweet affability that influences his words and actions, presents every object to his view in the most charitable and pleasing light.”

Change is a concept that causes all kinds of emotional reactions within us. The only thing that is consistent other than the Triune God, is change.      

The closer we are to Jesus, the stronger we’re going to be. If we’ll just draw near to Christ, He will draw near to us! In the Old Testament, the presence of the Lord was associated with the ark. And so, wherever the Israelites travelled, they took the ark along with them.
 
The devil greatly fears the Lord’s presence in our lives. This is why Satan will do everything in his power to rob us of the presence of God. This is why he lets doubt and fear creep in and then he uses it to his advantage. He’ll use anything he can, to keep us away from spending time alone with Jesus. He knows our time with Christ makes us victorious over the fears and anxieties of this world!
 
The Word of God tells us we can pray without ceasing. I have come to believe that my most important prayers are those quiet whispers of thanksgiving that I offer to Him all through the day. This keeps me in the awareness of His presence.

Instead of grumbling all day long, wear the attitude of gratitude.

 

 
“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided” Exodus 14:21.
 
God wanted for His people to remember the Egyptians chasing them and how God put up supernatural walls to protect them. God wanted His people to have a faith that declared, He who began this miracle for us will finish it. All the instances were for the Israelites to remember that God who made a promise to them would not let them be in bondage anymore.

We have to remember our struggles and know that there is a reason for each one. At the time, we will not know why, but there has to be a belief, a belief - that God is watching and everything has a purpose under Heaven. We will get to the promised land, and when we look back and remember - through each detail we will begin to see the Hand of God in every struggle that we passed throuhg and then we will understand how really naive we were to fear. We may dwindle in our faith and our promises but not God. God is faithful!

God desires only to do good to us. We must be determined to no longer live in fear. We must live a life of Faith. The Israelites were to face a journey through the wilderness. They would endure suffering. God wanted a people who aren’t afraid of death, because that would mean that they trusted God in all things.

We know that God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites arrived on the other side, yet, three days later, these same people murmured bitterly against God, at Marah.

We have to trust God in the storm. We have to ask His grace and courage. We need to walk with that determination, which means not look back at what we leave behind. We have to walk on. Many a times there may not be a bridge or it could be a mountain or hill that you could be standing by and no way through, up or under. What do you do? Do you give up? God never gives up. That is exactly what God expects out of each one of us. To not give up means we trust in Him.

Walk with a determination. Have an unshakable faith in the Almighty God. To believe means to not fear even though everything looks fearful. Fear clouds the mind from seeing the impossible God can do. Trust in God and not the circumstances no matter what it looks like or who tells you what. Believe me in this walk of life many will tell you to look the other way. Walk in His will, not yours or mine or anybody else’s and you will notice that God will make a way. He always does. Don’t sing the hymn because the words are written there but believe each word to be true. (GOD WILL MAKE A WAY) God is faithful!
To believe also means that we no longer are afraid to die. If God has promised, He will deliver. Death is no obstacle to the one who believes. God is not a liar.

The economy may collapse. I may be facing a dark, stormy night. But I know beyond a shadow of doubt that God is faithful. No matter what comes, I will rest in His love for me.

Yeah though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Psalm 23

 
 
·        At some point in our lives we all have tried to please people so they won't reject us. If you do what they want you to do, they accept you; but if you don't, they reject you. God's love is not based on our performance but is based only on God. He loves us. He knows we are weak we need to admit that and ask for His help anyway.
·         2 Chronicles 16:9 says ...the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to [show] himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him
 God looks for a person whose heart is perfect toward Him.    1 Corinthians 1:27-29 says that God purposely chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise.
·        Jesus says that he who believes in Him (that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He rose from the dead) will never die! but have eternal life. Amen.
With the word of God as my shield, there is no force that can keep me apart from the love of God. The Bible calls us to be bold and courageous. Know your Bible. Hold on to the promises. Because when you do believe in the promises of God, His power is released.


Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.  Hebrews 11:1
And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. Hebrews 11:11     

Faith is about, believing without seeing. And it is living on the basis of that conviction. Faith always produces a resulting ACTION.

Heroes of Faith:

·        Abel offered to God a better sacrifice by faith than Cain. He found favour in God’s eyes.

·       Enoch-The man who walked with God-was taken to heaven without death because of his faith.

·        Noah was warned that it would rain and that it would result in a flood. It took Noah, 120 years to build the ark. In all the time it took, people continued mocking but he continued building in faith.

·       Abraham packed up and left on the word of the Lord without knowing where he was going. As hard as it was to go to an unknown place, I believe that there was something Abraham did that was even harder. When he got there, he was told to WAIT.

·        Sarah by faith was able to have a child, though she was barren and was past the age. She believed that God would keep His promise. Like most of us, Sarah was looking at God's promise from her perspective. But the Lord used her life to unfold an extraordinary plan, proving that God is never restricted.
Abraham was by faith prepared to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. He believed that God could raise his son from the dead. At the last minute, God intervened and supplied the necessary ram. This is a classic example of faith and trust in God.
·      Isaac, the promised child of Abraham and Sarah, promised blessings for the future to his sons, Jacob and Esau (twins). It's doubtless Isaac would ever forget how God had delivered him from death by supplying the necessary lamb to be sacrificed in his place

· Jacob had 12 sons who became heads of the 12 tribes. The turning point for Jacob came after a dramatic, all-night wrestling match with God. In the end the Lord touched Jacob's hip and he was a broken man, but also a new man. God renamed him Israel, which means "he struggles with God."

·  Joseph (son of Jacob) is an extraordinary example of what can happen when a person surrenders his life in complete obedience to God.
 
·  Moses is one of the most striking examples of heroic faith in the Bible. It was his willingness to obey God despite his many flaws that made Moses someone God could use--and use mightily indeed!
 
· Joshua led the people of Israel after Moses in their conquest of the Promised Land, beginning with the miraculous battle of Jericho. His strong faith and dependence on the Lord made him one of Israel's finest leaders. I love the point where he told the Sun and Moon to stand still when God promised him victory.


CONCLUSION: Noah exercised faith in God when the entire world stood against him. Let the life of Noah and all of the above heroes be an encouragement to you. 120 years and Noah build with patience. Need I say more?
Sarah was 90 years of age when she had Issac. With HOPE Sarah learned to believe and eventually walked into the blessings that God had in store for her and the future. God is faithful.

REMEMBER: All of these heroes mentioned received God’s approval because of their faith…” So, if things in life don’t turn out “well,” it does not mean the end of the road. Faith is.....everything the Bible speaks about, but you wouldn’t understand if you don’t make an attempt to read-not just once, but however many times you can. The Word needs to sink into the heart, and when it does, you will be able to understand the ways of God like never before. Amen. 

 


Day 25th December, 2016 – Fr. Reuben, Fr. Ashlyn, Fr. Alvaro, Fr. Lenny & Deacon : Simon
The 9:15 am Sunday choir sang its best. It was wonderful, better than the other years.  

Everything I wrote in my topic TO BLOOM Dec 21,2012 matches with what happened on 25Dec 2016 (comparison bullet points with details just below)

·        Sunday choir sang its best.

·        Screen on the wall displays: horses galloping.

·        Hot cocoa (& slice of cake served.-not part of topic)

·       Shimla had its first snowfall in 26 yrs on the 25th December 2016.

My topic - TO BLOOM: December 31, 2012.



When a Christmas carol is sung what we like to watch is the enthusiasm from the choir. Believe me you can have a really good voice, but it aint nothing if you don’t have that spirit of Christmas with you.
The same thing goes for the snow effect. I can ask you how it feels like. And you can say 'oh it’s just like the ice in the freezer'. There was no enthusiasm or joy in the reply. While that may be the truth, you could make it sound interesting. Couldn’t you?

Or maybe add a little bit of mystery-or maybe a little bit of magic?
Love to me is like the snow. If I’d ask you to explain, I wonder what you would say. You know when it snows, how everything around looks so wonderful. Picture this, it’s Christmas, and its beginning to snow, and your standing in one of the alleys, waiting for some sort of means to travel. You have hardly been there for a minute or so. But all of a sudden-there is this horse carriage-that comes right where you’re standing-mind you, you love horses (I do and I love horse carriages too). And up there is a familiar person (the one you love) who asks you to hop in for a ride to your home. And as you seat yourself, he offers you some hot cocoa. And between the ride with the one you love, the sip of hot cocoa and the twinkling stars in the sky-you wonder if you’re dreaming. Could this be real?

 

Day 25th December, 2016 – Fr. Alvaro’s homily on family life was very much what we all need to hear. He spoke on family and how in a matter of speaking it is breaking down and how Christmas day is our hope. He spoke of how in a crib, we have the holy family, then the 3 wise men, the shepherds and the cattle. There could be hills and plains and whatever the background. Each crib in the making differs from the other. But one constant in all the cribs was the holy family, Jesus, Mary and Joseph-this being our hope.

Day 23rd December, 2016 – Fr. Alvaro’s Birthday.
Day 21st December, 2016 – Fr. Alvaro’s Ordination Anniversary.   
Day 12th December, 2016 – 3 hrs Eucharistic Adoration.
Day 19th December, 2016 – 3 hrs Eucharistic Adoration.
Day 26th December, 2016 – 3 hrs Eucharistic Adoration.

Day 13th December, 2016 – 6:00 6:45 7:30 am morning mass.
07:30 evening mass and 08:10 evening mass (prayer group) – both mass by Fr. Ashlyn.
Thing is I wanted to start attending the prayer group meeting and I met Jordan near the Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I asked him if there was a prayer meeting today and then he told me there was going to be a mass. I was overjoyed.       
The homily was delivered in the most wonderful manner possible. Every word was crystal clear. Fr. Ashlyn gave an explanation on the offertory and when explaining it Fr. Ashlyn spoke with such love, it was like all the love in the world was right there where he was. Yes it is, Jesus is-but to hear that manner of speaking, my goodness. I still can go to that moment and when I do I know Heaven is there at the offering of the holy sacrifice of Jesus during the mass. I just wish you would know what it felt in my heart. I can write, I can speak but the feeling....is unexplainable.




 
As the year comes to a close, I thank God, for
God Himself - my All
All the priests of Mt. Carmel
Fr. Alvaro, Fr. William, Fr. Joe, Fr. Ashlyn, Fr. Lenny (simplicity) 
Fr. Reuben & Deacon Simon (The homily on trust-he explained on
with regards to the Old Testament-it was wonderful. Simon also happens to be my dads name).
My Dad & Mom, my cousins & my brothers.
and
Each and every one of us.
I am thankful for the good & the bad.


People are always disappointed when they pray and there is no response. The waiting period for people these days is the hardest.

My mum loves watching the Jetsons cartoon. For a person and as a woman, she works hard. The Jetsons is a cartoon that is set way in the future, where everything happens at the press of a button.

Imagine that, with everything that is done automatically – how and where could you learn patience from? Infact we may not be that far into the future but look at us now, most of the things we do are simplified? Our expectations have increased and so also our greed. We crave for more even though we may not necessarily need them. But who can tell us, because the friends we have are the ones we have chosen and they can’t be any different. The new pledge is –‘The heart wants what it wants’ and most of the time it wants is rubbish. When we do our will, our heart is trained to want the things that the brain thinks are necessary. We are ruled by emotions.

When we are ruled by emotions – we can go wrong. We need the grace of God, to go on His Will to do the things in life that we are called for.

Patience is something that we learn with time. When we wait we learn many other factors that we would otherwise fail to notice. Factors could be just about anything,
Do I believe? (what is my trust level with God)
God will help you with the answers. Take the first step and He will take the 99.

What is faith and how do I know if I have it?
Faith is the opposite of fear.



How long do I wait?
The waiting period is always the best period. It teaches us to trust in God. It shows whether we truly desire what we ask in prayer. Or is it something that can make us change our opinion. The longer we wait the stronger the desire. We learn to be patient with God because when we wait with Him, He opens His heart to us.

It is then that we understand that God is only looking out for our best He is teaching us more about ourselves than we possibly can ever know or understand. And if we think that we waited too long and take things into our own hands – the end result could be disastrous. Maybe not immediately but results will happen over the years to come.

Below I have mentioned an example. Now this is a little angel and a very beautiful example indeed.

Day 18th December, 2016 – There is this Christmas choir and it was on zone vice participation. This particular zone had kids in the front row and adults at the back. I don’t know the age of the youngest. But let’s say the kids are from 4-9 yrs probably. And I’m guessing that she was 4. They all were able to reach the mike. The little angel was the only one who could not, so when singing she would actually jump to be able to reach the mike. She had the whole audience around her little finger in a manner of speaking. I mean she had us all watching her.     
Finally someone gave her a cordless mike. And she was amazed by it for 2 minutes or so. And then she lost her excitement completely. I think she forgot that is what she wanted. But then kids are always that way.

Remember: Sometimes we need to wait for things, because it is in the waiting that we understand where God is taking us. He reveals Himself to us, when we wait with a heart that is grateful.
Wishing you a very 'Happy New Year-2017!'




 

 

With all my Love,
For Love Prevails!
AnitA. 


P.S: To me everyday is Christmas!


 
PRAYER: Abba, Father, keep me obedient and always faithful. Remember, this your servant.
Mama Mary keep me humble, I pray. Amen.

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