Mass has become for me a time of incredible comfort, peace and contentment - I wish our Masses in Ireland were longer [we average about 40 minutes on a Sunday]. I now just get lost in thought and contemplation - time just flies - today I absorbed the beautiful crucifixion scene in the stained glass window behind the altar in awe of Christ the King. And so I reflected on that scene - that Jesus Christ is truly King of Kings for His coronation occurred on that first Good Friday - for his crown was that of thorns; his royal sceptre the long iron nails that pierced his hands and feet. His throne was a Cross and his blood-soaked body was a crimson robe. His orb was the earth upon which hung the Saviour of the World. Such love, such beauty, such majesty, such joy, such agony, such ecstasy - 1 cross + 3 nails = for-given!
I too was absorbed in the Crucifix today at Mass. Begging God for mercy for my intentions and for the world. Kissing every one of his precious sacred wounds and asking for mercy. His feet asking for the grace to be a servant and to be selfless, asking to be permanently grounded and steadfast in honoring our Lord in all he asks me to do. His wound on his side, which is the wound he granted only his Immaculate Mother to kiss after he appeared to her first on the morning of his Resurrection. I asked him to have mercy on those who profess unity with him and betray him. I begged him to let me stay at his side and tend the wound that was so sacred his own mother kissed it. I kissed his hands that hold up the world. That they may never tire of sustaining me and my family and I begged his forgiveness for not kissing every priests hand that I meet, even though they are embarrassed sometimes, I desire to give them that confidence that the Priesthood deserves. The thorns on his sacred head are those that constantly give him pain. With every eye movement, every turn, every eyebrow raised the thorns go in more and I have a hard time imagining the intense pain and suffering he had and continues to have because of these thorns. A headache can be debilitating and can send us to a quiet darkened room, but our Lord does not go there, he suffers every moment and grieves because we do not listen, we do not care. I brings to mind an innocent baby put in the middle of a freeway with cars zooming past, barely missing the baby who lays there waiting to be rescued and the horror I feel inside, the anger that no one is stopping and helping, the helplessness of the situation and then I realize I have done nothing to help but be HORRIFIED. I didn't send angels, I didn't walk through traffic, I didn't call for help or move, I was just horrified. I MUST DO SOMETHING MORE THAN BE HORRIFIED by our Lord's suffering, I MUST alleviate the pain and suffering by taking on some of the pain and suffering and sacrificing and I MUST tell and teach others to help and I MUST stop sinning myself.....God forgive me.
garabandal and MS7, Thanks so much for your beautiful meditations! Such love, such beauty, such majesty, such joy, such agony, such ecstasy - And then... I MUST alleviate the pain and suffering by taking on some of the pain and suffering and sacrificing and I MUST tell and teach others to help and I MUST stop sinning myself.....God forgive me. MS7, if our Crucified Lord has taken upon Himself all the sins I have committed and all the sins I will, then from an eternal perspective here is a way to alleviate some of His suffering. Cooperate with the overcoming graces we receive in the Sacrament of Reconciliation to uproot each year one sin or vice in my personal life. Thus the Holy Spirit will have destroyed a pattern of sin that otherwise would have added to the Lord's suffering. Of course as you mentioned, offering up a pain or sacrifice as a means of reparation to His Sacred Heart is beautiful, too! All for the love of Jesus! Safe in the Flames of the Sacred Heart!
I really need prayers. My daughter is trying to get away from someone who is abusive and controlling, his mother helps him in this. My daughter is autistic and has two small babies, it is very tough. I am praying for the strength for her to stay away, but I also need God to help me deal with my emotions without sinning. I am trying so hard to do His Will.
Ah, the emotional ties to our children are so strong! I want so much for them to be happy and safe. I'll pray for you and your daughter, Mary's Child! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Praying at mass this morning. MC if you can I would try to get your daughter to wear a blessed Miraculous Medal for protection. Perhaps a silver one to encourage her to wear it, for it strikes me there is a great evl at work here. Praying at Mass.
Thank you all of you for your prayers. They are much appreciated and very much needed. I too believe it is an evil force at work Padraig. I am a catechist, many things happen. We were chased out of our last home, had to leave the area as our neighbours openly stated that they hated catholics (UK) They were of not faith, We were physically assaulted. Our property was damaged. My children received threats, as did I on a daily basis. They managed to rope in about 20 others, through selling drugs etc. I had a spinal injury at the time and was in a wheelchair. It was a very harrowing time, endured for six years. Then we moved to where we are now. Evil seems to have chased me all my life, I have no idea why? But I do know that I love The Word of God with all my heart, and the Blessed Sacrament. I love our faith. I am in love with God and our Blessed Mother. My daughter was refused into a Catholic Secondary School (over subscribed, not anything we had done) Long story, but she should have been one of the first ones in, being that she has brothers and sisters who have OCD. Autism, etc. She herself has very severe asthma (life threatening) Anyway, at the time she was refused entry I had managed to talk My Parish Priest into having a reconciliation services for our confirmation candidates, 24 of them (the whole group all bar one) all got up and went to confession. The same daughter who was refused into secondary school was also hit by a car at this time, thrown up in the air and landed on the pavement. People could hear the thud from inside their houses. Thank God she was ok, the woman who was driving said something caused her to slow down. I believe it was God and the angels. But I do believe that these two incidents are linked to our confirmation candidates going to confession. Idiot downstairs was furious, still, all for the Glory of God, and I am teaching my daughter her faith at home. I do RCIA too, I am as passionate about my faith as a lot of men are about football. It is this that gives me the zeal to do RCIA, also. There is no great thing on my behalf, this is where my love lies, where my joy lies. I can cry during the day over my daughter, drag myself out to RCIA and want to skip down the road like a child afterwards. God is truly my joy. I try to encourage my RCIA catechumens/candidates to have a relationship with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. I encourage them to sit before The Blessed Sacrament, and I tell them how wonderful Our Blessed Mother is... so, my family are going to get huge kicks. I can really only be hurt via them. I have bought my daughter medals etc, but due to her sensory issues, she doesn't like the feel of things on her skin. I will try again, I have given her a relic of Padre Pio to keep with her at all times. She is with me at the moment, but he is managing to manipulate her into going back. It is very difficult with autism, they are very literal, and believe what they are told. She is also lacking in assertiveness, it just isn't there. She also doesn't understand emotions etc, or even know how she is feeling about things. It is very sad to be honest and is very heartbreaking. I keep offering it all to God, but, I have broken down crying this last few days, and shouted at her, asking her why she is going back to him, and I shouldn't do that, it just makes the problem worse and makes me the bad person. It is very difficult though. I am getting back out to Mass today, I can cope so much better with prayer. I was finding it difficult to get out to daily Mass this last couple of weeks, but am making this my priority again. Is very difficult when your daughter doesn't like being by themselves. Again, thank you all so much for your prayers. If these are kicks from satan (not giving him a capital letter) they are futile, as I will carry on loving God and fighting for my faith until the bitter end... Which is why I say the prayer.. Lord help me to acclimatize myself to living in the desert. It can be done. I have sent a petition to Mother Mary in Medjugorje. I just keep giving everything to her for her intentions, and I look to hers and Christ's suffering daily, and I draw strength from that. I have been lacking in strength as I haven't been able to get to Mass. A very good friend, invited me over to her house on Saturday evening for a break from everything. It was a train journey away, when I asked where the nearest RC Church was for Mass the next morning. That person tore into me, it was completely out of character for them. Went on for approx 30 minutes. I just kept quiet and tried to calm things. It was a bit surreal. Didn't realise it at the time, but coming home, it dawned on me that was another attack. Well, all the more souls for God and our Blessed Mother, may they bring many conversions out of this.. I must say, there have been very good incidents too. God does indeed give me consolations, Thank you all so much for your prayers. I shall pray for all your intentions at Mass also, To Our Blessed Trinity be the victory.
Virgin Mary, August 24, 1986 to Mrs Mary Casey: “Tell everybody to say the rosary. The rosary will overcome the problems Satan is causing” Found this on the internet today. I believe these prophesies, seers. There is such a peace that comes with true messages from our Blessed Mother, even when she is warning or chiding us.
