Thursday, December 29, 2016

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“Lord, now let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the sight of every people, a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.”

Psalm, Chapter 135, verse 20:
House of Levi, bless the LORD! You who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!

How can I a sinner, bless the Lord; the creator of all? In what we think, in what we see, in what we love and in where we use our natural talents; in our strengths. This is the prayer of Israel; the prayer that Christ himself said.

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your Heart, and with all your soul, and with your entire mind, and with all your strength.

Four prayers that will change your life[1]

All prayers are of equal importance before God, whether you are praying for patience with an excitable child or praying to make ends meet until your next paycheck. Prayer is simple and can be done any time. "I tell you, therefore, everything you ask and pray for, believe that you have it already, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24) Believe in these words and God will bless you. He loves us and wants the best for our lives. Don't hesitate; be prepared for God to change your life for the better!

1.      What do you want of me, Lord? Knowing what God wants you to do is definitely a life-changing experience. Sometimes God wants us to do things we don't want to do (see Jonah) but in the end, He will never ask us to do something that isn't for His Glory.

2.      Reveal to me my sin, and forgive me, Father! Living without guilt is certain to change anyone's life. As humans, we make mistakes - constantly. One of God's greatest gifts is His glorious forgiveness. We don't need to live our lives in constant guilt but we do need to seek forgiveness before we can change our bad habits.

3.      Teach me to love! Love is perhaps the most amazing emotion mankind is capable of. It is also the most complex. Love has different forms and can cross several planes to include familial love, romantic love, and even cross into other aspects such as respect and kindness. Must you absolutely love your mean boss or that one finicky neighbor who always has something negative to say? In a sense, yes, you do. Without realizing it, your ungrateful boss is teaching you patience, self-control and how to love the unlovable. That rude neighbor with the passive-aggressive comments is also teaching you lessons, such as how to handle situations with respect, how to be a mature adult and how to handle difficult situations by thinking both critically and emotionally. Learning to love and respect the people in your life - including yourself, which may be the most difficult of all - can turn your world right-side-up. Imagine what you will be capable of once you learn to love!

4.      Give me strength! Life is full of struggles - whether they stem from a stressful home life, financial difficulties or social situations, God wants to heal all of these wounds. Everyone struggles with something in their lives. What's important is to remember God is always here for us to lean on and He encourages us to do so. We aren't meant to deal with negative situations alone; this is why we have priests, friends and family. We're meant to communicate the good and the bad to each other - and to lift each other up. Similarly, God wants us to know He can change your personal situation to lift your spirits and relieve your stresses. Pray for guidance, forgiveness, love and strength.

If you incorporate these prayers into your life, you will see positive changes in your being. Your perspective will shift and you'll catch glimpses of God's glory in every situation. So get out there and start praying!

For Christmas my wonderful wife brought me three coffee mugs on being 1) a man of courage 2) a man of strength and 3) a man of wisdom. It takes strength to do the will of God. Here is what is on the strength mug my wife gave me: Blessed is the man whose goodness, honesty, and strength of character lead him to defend what he believes in with certainty, and to stand up for others wholeheartedly. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

St. Thomas Becket

Today is the Feast of St. Thomas Becket and it is also  St. Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, suffered martyrdom by the king's men in 1170 on this day.  There is an excellent movie about his life “Becket” if you have time to watch tonight which stars Richard Burton and Peter O'Toole. Becket was a man of strength.

Five Golden Rings


Today is the 5th day of Christmas the Five Golden Rings represent the five books of the "Pentateuch" [Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy].




GREAT GIFT FOR THE NEW YEAR! GET IT NOW IN TIME FOR THE NEW YEAR.

COURAGE FOR THE MODERN WORLD 2017 #2017CALENDAR
Authored by Mr. Richard H. Havermale Jr.This book is the continuation of my first book based on more than 365 references in the Bible to fear, dread, and that in fact our God encourages us to "BE NOT AFRAID". To do this we must be in the presence of our Lord and talk to Him. I recommend you develop the habit of spending 10-15 minutes a day with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel or if that is not available some other quiet place where you can be in the presence of our Lord. Read the daily entry and reflect on it asking our Lord and His mother to talk to your heart and reveal to you the will of the Father and then Do it. The layout of this book is to list and reflect on the books of the bible Sirach through Revelations. In the early part of September my search of the verses dealing with fear and being afraid was completed; so I asked the Lord what do I, do now. After some reflection I realize that the fruit of fear in the Lord is the Theological virtues of Faith, Hope and Love  which ultimately results in Peace of the Lord. As a consequence the month of September will deal with Peace, October with Love and the month of November will be reflections on Faith and Hope. After Thanksgiving for the season of Advent and Christmas this work uses a multitude of references that reflect the Christmas season. There are many theologians who state that the eighth deadly sin is fear itself. It is fear and its natural animal reaction to fight or flight that is the root cause of our failings to create a Kingdom of God on earth. Saint John Paul II in his writings and talks also tells us to BE NOT AFRAID. In fear or anger we walk away from God. Our Lord, Jesus Christ taught us how to walk back toward God in His sermon on the mount through the Beatitudes. Each of the beatitudes is the antidote for the opposite deadly sins.



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