Saint Mary Mackillop, Day Two- A Woman of Conviction

Day two- A Woman of Conviction

We place ourselves in the presence of God and Mary Mackillop.

"Do not for the sake of defending one or two, shrink from speaking the plain, open truth.”

Mary to Julian Tenison

We read from Scripture Isaiah 30:17

Reflection:

Though a strange feeling that something is not right remains in my mind, it is not disturbed, for the conviction, that God is with his own dear work and able to bring good out of every little evil, overrules all.

We spend some time, to allow these words to speak to us.

 

My Reflection:

Romans 16:17-18, I implore you, brothers and sisters, be on your guard against anybody who encourages trouble or puts difficulties in the way of the doctrine you have been taught. Avoid them People like that are not slaves of Jesus Christ, they are slaves of their own appetites, confusing the simple minded with their pious and persuasive arguments.

We conclude with prayer;

Mary, teach me to trust in God that God will provide what is needed for me to be a person of conviction.

Amen.

 

 

 

 

Saint Mary Mackillop, Day One- A Woman of Faith.

Day one- A Woman of Faith

We place ourselves in the presence of God and Mary Mackillop.

“Keep up your good spirits, God is all goodness and love, and what He disposes is always best.” Mary to her mother Flora on 2

We read from scripture Luke 12:27-28

Reflection;

A serious crisis is approaching, but let the sisters be faithful, humble, and at the same time unflinching in their defense of the right, and the cause of the right will triumph in the end. Mary to Sr. Monica, Phillips on 26

We spend some time, to allow these words to speak to us.

My Reflection;

“God will provide.”

We conclude with prayer;

Mary, teach me to trust in God that God will provide what is needed for me to be a person of faith.

Amen.

Written, photo, created by My Mother Rose. 

Kindness

What is a virtue? Virtue is a trait, characteristic, that
can lead to good behavior some examples of virtues someone might display;
wisdom, courage, good manners, generosity, self-control and Kindness. Kindness,
is being concerned and having consideration for others, being helpful with a
pleasant disposition. Mother Teresa said, “I would rather make mistakes in
kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindness and hardness.” Kindness,
I share with my children, family, friends, and neighbors. Kindness, I express
in action with my face, eyes, smile, my time, it’s never allowing someone who
comes to me leaving without feeling happier and better in themselves in their
situation. As a mother, I am my children’s first teacher and being an example
of kindness in a world that is so cruel. What the
world needs, is for people who live what they say, to be gifts of love and
compassion. If you know Jesus and what he did, then believe the word of his
grace has power to build you up, love him and let the love of God shine on
others, John 13:34:35, I give you a new commandment: love one another; just as
I have loved you, you also must love one another. By this love you have for everyone
will know that you are my disciples. So, let us care for other people, treat
others the way we would like to be treated, be humble, considerate, patient and
kind. What I know to be true and am very certain of is to trust wholeheartedly
in the Lord and to never put faith in our own understanding and to be a Woman of love and Kindness.

May God Bless Always

Written, created by My Mother Rose.

Come! Listen! Live!

Come! Listen! Live!

2 Corinthians 1:3-4, blessed be God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of consolation. Who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received.

I understand wanting to withdraw to be by myself, to contemplate, to understand, to gather my thoughts, feelings and I understand while this is happening, God is by my side, nothing will ever separate me from the love of God. Through God’s comfort, grace and strength, we are able to comfort and provide for others. Can we take a step ashore and be a blessing for others, like Jesus?

Written, Photo and created by My Mother Rose

Saint Mary Mackillop

Saint Mary Mackillop

Treasure Found.

“All the way to heaven is heaven because Jesus said; “I am the way.” Saint Catherine of Sienna

I possess two incredible gifts in this life, my son and my daughter; I now possess one other incredible treasure and gift in this life.

‘JESUS’

We have heard the command, ‘love one another.’ In life, the world is going to hate us, remember though, the world hated Jesus first. On my journey, I have come to understand, if we truly belong to the world, the world would love us as its own. We don’t belong to the world; Jesus chose to withdraw us from the world therefore the world will hate us. As we ponder and walk through life, may we not forget his words, may we keep them in our hearts, as disciples, servants of God, we are not greater than our Lord, God. If they persecuted Jesus, excluded Jesus, rejected Jesus, they will persecute, exclude and reject us too. Luke 23:28, Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep rather for yourselves and for your children.

I have been reading, Message of Bernadette by Vernon Johnson and Donal Foley. In the book, under the title More than friendship, it says; Listen to St Paul; “I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me.” Galatians 2:19-21. Could anything be more beautiful?

After, we have found Jesus, our most wonderful treasure in life; we slowly and gradually come to know the depths of the love of God, when we are nailed to the cross, to our pain, suffering, sickness, tiredness. We become one with him, so that he lives in us, loves in us and suffers in us. If we accept suffering with Christ, we become the most powerful instrument for helping the souls of others, and we are drawn into the mystery of our saviour’s passion. Our faith will revive and a supernatural hope will lift us above all our pain.  

I have been selfish and neglectful in my prayers, in my thoughts. I see Jesus sitting on a stool disappointed, hurt, which only makes me disappointed and embarrassed, to allow him to sit alone, suffering. As strange as it may seem, disappointment is something which, has been filtered through God’s sovereign fingers of love. Testing my faith, I cannot consider it all joy, James 1:2-4, My brothers and sister’s, you will always have your trials but, when they come, try and treat them as a happy privilege; you understand that your faith is only put to the test to make you patient, but patience too is to have its practical results so that you will become fully-developed, complete with nothing missing.

I searched and so badly wanted to find, Jesus, and I guess I had to dig a little deeper to know, he was available to me every Sunday, in every bookstore, motel/hotel I stayed in, my home growing up, my grandparents’ home, my great Aunties home, he wasn’t hidden from me at all, he was waiting with a message,  the mystery is Christ among us, our hope in his glory and this is the Christ we proclaim, the wisdom in which we are all thoroughly trained and have received instructions to make us all perfect in Christ. Colossians 1:27-28.

‘Our treasure is in God, Women of Faith and Hope, and we become, a new song.’ We don't need to sell all we have, it's finding Jesus, our greatest treasure, choosing to be good, to do right by others and to be a humble servant of God.

Matthew 6:21 for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Photo, written and created by My Mother Rose.

'My Mother Rose.'

Both, Saint Rose of Lima and Mary, Mystical Rose, inspire me to keep growing in love with God, they both teach me to ponder all things in my heart and to obtain the grace of keeping my faith and sweet hope in the midst of the bitterness of life. I love roses, they remind me, our Blessed Mother Mary, is a woman, mother, sister, and a queen of the flowers, the greatest and holiest of all the saints, who shines as the fairest flower in God’s Garden and Saint Rose, a beautiful flower blooming, a healer, hard worker and a teacher of silence and prayer.  

‘My Mother Rose.’ I chose to call my blog, YouTube, ‘My Mother Rose,’ because of Mary, Mystical Rose and Saint Rose of Lima and the fact is that Rose is my Patron Saint, I chose her when I did my Eucharist and Confirmation, I had freckles and I loved how being a servant of God, there is no right place or right time, we serve God at anytime and in any place, I also chose the name, ‘My Mother Rose,’ because I love pink roses, I am a mother myself and I have finally found a connection with Mary, our Mother Of God. As soon as my soul opened and I came to know Mary, I had to and wanted to share her love with my family, friends, my neighbors and Women of Faith and Hope.

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” Saint Catherine of Siena

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.🌷🌹🙏

Photo, written and created by Katie Robinson

Saint Mary Mackillop

Wheat among the Weeds.

“Your mind is a garden. Your thoughts are the seed. You grow flowers. Or you can grow weeds.” Author Unknown.

I have to admit, I have never been a patient woman, when it comes to discerning the time I need to take, so I can co-exist with some people and situations that make me feel uncomfortable, make me feel like I am not enough or worthy, People who are somewhat of a challenge, ignorant, rude, arrogant. For three years, I stayed in a situation, that I hated and I had to convince myself, I was there for God, to give my children the same experiences, growing up in the church, and I would miss out on catching up with friends I had made but there was one person who challenged, discouraged and I have tried to love them and seen them for who they are and what they mean to me, I pray to God for the gift of love, towards this person, and I feel so guilty and ashamed to call myself a Woman of Faith and Hope, but this one person, really challenges me and I feel it was and is a love/ hate co-existence.  Once, this person said, “You hate me, I know you do.” I said, “No, I don’t.” But I did. I was thinking back on this memory the other day and instead of lying, I should have said, “I don’t hate you, I don’t like who you have become, I don’t like your behavior, attitude and actions, the way you treat and make people feel, is not ok and I don’t understand you.  I want to love you and I want to co-exist with you in this world, living in peace, sharing the Good News, working with God and his plan for the world and us.

Is there someone in your life who challenges you?

Is there a situation in your life that you would like to be free from?

Sometimes, the most difficult and challenging situations can lead us to overcome the negativity and grow in peace, strength. It took me ten years to leave a workplace that often challenged me. Those, challenges helped me to discover who I was, and who I had to become. Somehow, God knew my faith was strong enough to get me through each challenge.  I think sometimes, we know when it is time to walk away and open that new door, enter our new lives, it doesn’t mean we will never have challenges or cross paths or see that person. It means, we take the time, for discernment, where prayer and action meet and we grow into women of Faith and Hope, mothers of Faith and Hope, sisters of Faith and Hope. This week we reflect on the Wheat among the Weeds. Weeds are challenging, I hate weeds and they can be so hard to pull out, so I get Matt to spray them and they die off. What is darnel? I couldn’t help myself; I had to look it up. “Darnel grows in the same production zones as wheat and was a serious weed of cultivation until modern sorting machinery enabled darnel seeds to be separated efficiently from seed wheat.” That’s good news. I truly believe though, Jesus is talking about the wheat being the good seed and darnel being the weed which is sowed among the good seeds and we are the good seeds, Women of Faith and Hope.

So as good seeds, how do we co-exist with the darnel being the weed, meaning the one who challenges me or the one who challenges you? What is Jesus asking of us?

I challenge myself every day to see Jesus in everyone I meet, everyone I see, I do struggle, and I find it hard. In a world so cruel, broken, it pays though to be kind, loving, and compassionate and to have faith not fear. As hard as it is, I find myself expecting too much and expect for the person to change, grow and be someone, they’re not.  It can be tricky, I think if we can be honest, or in a polite way, remove ourselves from the situation or away from the person, not meaning to be rude, silent or even distant. Meaning enough time to process and to respect each other’s boundaries. We can’t make someone change or grow, we are not the just and merciful judge, God is and it’s our mission as disciples, Women of Faith and Hope, to pray and to go to the Spirit who will help us, after all God knows everything in our hearts. I truly do believe people come into our lives for a reason, to teach us a lesson, to shake us to our core, to awaken our spiritual hunger and thirst for truth, love, and light or to reflect something we should not be. All our experiences, situations, the people who come and go from our lives, help us grow. We grow in experiences which are great ways to build our character, if we’re growing; we’re always going to be out of comfort zone. Growth and comfort do not co-exist.

To leave you with this thought, we are not alone in this world, as wheat amongst the weeds, we stand strong and firm, holding on to hope and the love of God. We pray with all our might and with faith in new beginnings. “Our chains have gone, and we are set free. Our savior has come with unending love his mercy reins.” Amazing grace, my chains are gone, Chris Tomlin.

‘We’re the fullest when we’re a tool that helps others grow.” Author Unknown.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Written and created by My Mother Rose. 💚💜🙏🌺

The Sower

'The Sower.'

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from what is preached, and what is preached comes from the word of Christ.

Do we really listen to the Word of God at mass? Are our hearts opened and ready to understand? Which sower are you?

The first time, I was rostered on to do a Reading was at the Augustine Centre, at St Augustine’s College and I read the First Reading. As I was saying; A reading from the prophet Isaiah 55:10-11, Thus says the Lord: ‘As the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, outside and this is no lie, there was thunder and it poured down with rain, as I kept reading, I knew God was saying; “Katie, you are where I want you to be, reading the Word of God. “

In the readings and Gospel, for this week, I see a powerful teaching moment and there is a lesson being learnt.  My only hope is, for you all to sit back and Listen!

 I can honestly and proudly say; ‘I love the word of God.’ I love reading and listening to the word of God, God’s words encourage, inspire and motivate me to live out my purpose here on earth and to live my life in the light of God. “In the scriptures we meet Christ, who is the very living Word of God.” Author Unknown. The word of God is where,  my teacher, guide, spiritual director, connects with me, and helps me to produce great fruits and I am helped by hearing the cries of my children, my family, my friends, those who enter on my journey, and my neighbors. However, as I was reading the readings and Gospel, my sister helped me and she reminded me, our parents and family members are our first teachers, role models of love, kindness, compassion, joy, peace and charity and they often allow God to be another role model, teacher for our lives. As a parent myself, I made the decision for God to be another role model, teacher, a light in my Children’s lives, that’s why both of them have been baptized, like my Mum, she baptized, my sister’s and I, when we were newborns and I needed to make that decision and every day I try my hardest to plant seeds of love, kindness, compassion, peace, joy, understanding and knowledge of God in their hearts and when I hear my daughter sing:  “God in my heart.” Or my son will ask me or tell me about God’s creation, they remind me, the reason why I invite God, the word of God into our lives and into our hearts.

Isn’t it astonishing, that people are still living their lives by the word of God today and it’s even more astonishing, horrific, that Jesus was crucified, brutally beat up for telling us; to love one another, love thy neighbor and to turn the other cheek.

It seems each week now, we have been led to this point, where the word of God becomes rest for our Faith, we are learning and growing in the word of God, which is alive and active, the word of God is Spirit and Life. One of my favorite verses from Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God remains forever.

The words of some people have hurt me, and my heart has been broken and I wanted to share and talk about all the horrible experiences, but if the Word of God, teaches me anything, I don’t want to,  because words do hurt and stay with you forever. But, what I have willing accepted is in life there are clues, and everyone I meet is a teacher, a role model and what I take from those teachers is you need to try and forgive, love, be kind, be gentle, be happy, be good to yourself, and to others, especially those who hurt you and break your heart. Recently, I found some powerful words in Psalm 61; “What he wants is mercy, not sacrifice.” These words, I keep in my heart as a reminder.

Women of Faith and Hope may the word of God, comfort you, heal you, and free your soul.

Luke 11:28 But he replied, “still happier those who hear the word of God and keep it!”

May God Bless Always

Written and created by My Mother Rose.

Growth!

'God is our teacher, as a child I learnt from my parents, my family. 

As an adult, I am incredibly blessed to have found my faith in God and his words.

The Word of God,

guides me,

teaches me,

leads me, 

lights the way for me

and helps me to grow in my purpose.'

Luke 8:8, And some seed fell into rich soil and grew and produced it's crop a hundredfold, saying this he cried, "Listen, anyone who has ears to hear!"

Written and created by My Mother Rose.

Listen

LISTEN, ANYONE WHO HAS EARS. 

Written and created by My Mother Rose.

Language of Love

My Yoke is Easy and My burden Light

Here I Am!

‘Here I am, when you are feeling anxious,

Here I am, when you call out in your distress,

Here I am, when you need someone to love,

Here I am, to give you rest.’