The Magnificat

 Today, I would like to do a Lectio Divina on The Magnificat for Mother's Day!

Prayer is an Everyday Event

 

Prayer is an everyday event, directed towards the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. We must put our prayer into practice in secret before our God. As children of God’s the Holy Spirit teaches us to pray, and to celebrate throughout the mass in the hope of Christ’s return. Prayer nourishes hope in us, a hope that does not disappoint because the Holy Spirit has poured the love of God into our hearts.

I take this from the Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition 2658, it is the words of the Cure of Ars; known as Saint John Marie Vianney who is a patron saint of Parish Priests. “ We don’t have to talk very much in order to pray well.” Saint John Vianney

“I love you, O my God and my only desire is to love you until the last breath of my life. I love you, O my infinitely loveable God, and I would rather die loving you, than live without loving you. I love you, Lord, and the only grace I ask is to love you eternally… My God, if my tongue cannot say in every moment that I love you, I want my heart to repeat it to you as often as I draw breath.”

“Remember no prayer is ever lost” Saint John Vianney

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Written and created by My Mother Rose.

Prayer is a Battle

 

Prayer is a battle.

'It's a battle of our minds, our hearts, our will and the will of God's.'

Are we distracted? I would say yes all the time.

Do we lack faith? Yes, I lack faith at times.

Can we trust God? I would say not all the time because why should I?

Do we complain? Yes, I complain when I do not receive what I have asked for.

However, here is a great reminder from Saint Augustine.

“Do not be troubled if you do not immediately receive from God what you ask him; for he desires to do something even greater for you, while you cling to him in prayer. God wills that our desire should be exercised in prayer, that we may be able to receive what he is prepared to give.”

Women of Faith and Hope, we are all led by God on our paths and each one of us responds in different ways according to the responsiveness of our hearts. There are three major expressions of prayer, one being vocal prayer which is saying the ‘Our Father.’ Two being meditation, meditation is where our mind and heart seek to understand and discern what stirs us inside. Also, meditation is engaging with our thoughts, imaginations, emotions and desires. Lastly, there is contemplative prayer and in the words of Saint Teresa of Avila, “contemplative prayer in my opinion is nothing else than a close sharing between friends. It means take time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” To sum up contemplative prayer is making the time for God, not giving up, it is a gaze of faith fixed on Jesus, “I look at him and he looks at me.” It is a silent and intimate love.

I will share some links that may assist us in praying especially the Lectio Divina.

A-Way-to-Pray-Personally.pdf (carmelite.com)

The Way of Prayer - Carmelite Spirit

Pray With St Thérèse of Lisieux - Carmelite Spirit

Catholic Australia - Lectio Divina

 

May you find peace with Prayer this month Women of Faith and Hope.

God Bless You Always.

Written by My Mother Rose.

How to Pray with Scripture Like a Friar

Matthew 7:7-11

 Effective Prayer

Ask, and it will be given to you, search and you will find, knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives, the one who searches always finds, the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. Is there a man among you who would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or would hand him a snake when he asked for a fish? If you, then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

Receiving

 

Prayer is Receiving

Receiving means many things but in prayer receiving means we are given something, our prayers have been answered and we have received a gift. For we are told that whatever we ask for in prayer we should believe we have already received it and it will be ours. My hope is whatever you have asked for in prayer at the beginning of this journey you have received it or I hope you know that it is on it’s way to you right now.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope

Written and created by My Mother Rose.

Psalm 62:2-12

 For you my soul is thirsting

Psalm of David when he was in the desert of Judah

Psalm 62:2-12

O God, you are my God, for you I long;

for you my soul is thirsting.

My body pines for you 

like a dry, weary land without water.

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary to see your strength and your glory,

for your love is better than life, 

my lips will speak your praise.

So I will bless you all my life, 

in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, 

my mouth shall praise you with joy.

On my bed I remember you.

On you I muse through the night

for you have been my help, 

in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.

My soul clings to you;

your right hand holds me fast.

Those who seek to destroy my life

shall go down to the depths of the earth.

They shall be put into the power of the sword 

and left as the prey of the jackals.

But the king shall rejoice in God.

(All that swear by him shall be blessed)

for the mouth of liars shall be silenced.

Remembering

 

Prayer is Remembering

Do you have a good memory? I used to think I did until I became a mum and now I have what you call a foggy brain. But I think we must remember to pray for others, by praying for others we are building a better world of love and peace. “When we pray for others, God listens to us and blesses them. So when we feel safe and happy, remember that someone is praying for us.” Author Unknown.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Written and created by My Mother Rose. 

1 Peter 5:5-11

 To the faithful,

To the rest of you I say; do what the elders tell you, and all wrap yourselves in humility to be servants of each other, because God refuses the proud and will always favor the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God now, and he will raise you up on the appointed day; unload all your worries on to him, since he is looking after you. Be calm but vigilant, because your enemy the devil is prowling round like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat. Stand up to him, strong in faith and in the knowledge that your brothers all over the world are suffering the same things. You will have to suffer only for a little while: the God of all grace who called you to eternal glory in Christ will see that all is well again; he will confirm, strengthen and support you . His power lasts for ever and ever. Amen. 

Expecting

 

Prayer is Expecting

My son is doing his confirmation and I had to make a choice not to expect things because some people don’t change or grow they stay the same but I hope this prayer journey teaches me that I need to expect the unexpected because things may be different this time so I need to embrace and appreciate the journey for what it is. “ If we could sum up all the causes of hurt, pain and hatred in one word, it would be expectations.” Author Unknown

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope

Written and created by My Mother Rose. 

Edification

 

Prayer is Edification

In life it is expected that we keep growing in knowledge and understanding because so much is changing, our world is growing and so must we. “I know now that true charity consists in bearing all our neighbors defects—not being surprised at their weakness, but edifies at their smallest virtues.” Saint Therese of Lisieux . At the beginning of the year I lost my faith in humanity, other Christians and even myself because I had lost my way and my why. I also lost my understanding for people I couldn’t figure out why we hurt one another? How can we honor God with lip service while our hearts are far from him? These thoughts ran through my head over and over again but I had to stop and think we are all human beings, we are tired, exhausted, we have been through so much and this is the moment where we edify the smallest virtues of our neighbor. They maybe angry but they maybe charitable, they may look rough but they maybe gentle, or they may hate me but they love so many other people.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Written and created by My Mother Rose.

Psalm 142:1 and 142:5

 

Another Prayer in Desolation

Psalm of David The Seventh Penitential Psalm

Psalm 142:1

Lord, listen to my prayer:

Turn your ear to my appeal.

You are faithful, you are just, give answer.

Psalm 142:5

I remember the days that are past:

I ponder all  your works.

I muse on what your hand has wrought and to you I stretch out my hands.

 Like a parched land my soul thirsts for you.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope. 

Yielding

 

Prayer is Yielding

I know the relationship I have with God, it is intimate and passionate. I was thinking about this the other day my relationship with God is continuous, it grows everyday of my life, it grows on the outside of Church and it gets elevated and heightened through mass, participation and worship.  “ Surrender to what is. Let go of what was. Have faith in what will be.” Author Unknown.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Written and created by My Mother Rose. 

Teach us to pray Saints Therese and Teresa.

 

Adoration

 

 Prayer is Adoration

How do we show love for someone or something? My children are my anchors in life they keep me grounded and at bay. As I get older I realize how difficult it is to give up some people and when I have cried and cried something clicks and I understand some people might not stay in my life but rather they have a special  place in my heart a place I often go to now and then. For example like the Holy Eucharist, “ The Holy Eucharist is the perfect expression of the love of Jesus Christ for everyone.” St. Maria Goretti. In return it is our perfect expression of love of Jesus when we go to adoration to be with him, to give him all our time, heart and soul.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Written and created by My Mother Rose. 

Reverence

 

Prayer is Reverence

Do we have deep respect for someone or something? Do we think highly of someone or something? This quote comes from John Milton an English poet and intellectual, “Gratitude bestows reverence, allowing us to encounter everyday epiphanies, those transcendent moments of awe that change forever how we experience life and the world.” As a mum, one of the most important dimensions of love I can try and teach my children with consistency is respect for oneself and respect for others. I am not saying this is an easy task because I fail to show respect at times and if I have deep respect, worth and honor for God then I must feel that for others. This is hard it’s not easy especially when you’re not treated with respect and I have said it before, respect should always be given because you don’t know what someone is going through or what they have been through. “Show respect even to people who don’t deserve it, not as a reflection of their character, but as a reflection of yours.” Author Higher Perspective

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Written and created by My Mother Rose. 

Psalm 99:1-5

 Sevenfold Invitation to praise

Psalm For thanksgiving

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. 

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing for joy. 

Know that he, the Lord, is God. 

He made us, we belong to him, 

we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Go within his gates, giving thanks.

Enter his courts with songs of praise.

Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Indeed, how good is the Lord, 

eternal his merciful love. 

He is faithful from age to age. 

Praise

 

Prayer is Praise

We have many choices and praise should be one. Praise is being thankful it is an expression of gratitude and respect. Forever I will praise our Lord in the stillness and busyness of life for I have a lot to be proud of.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope

Written and created by My Mother Rose.

The Importance of Prayer.

Prayer

Written and created by My Mother Rose.

 I guess it was hard for me to believe that whatever I asked for in prayer I would receive, it would be mine. I no longer fear God, or anxiously look for him because I know in my heart, he is my God, he is your God, he is our God, a God who will strengthen each one of us, who will help us in times of trouble or those moments when we must make a choice that changes everything. Prayer is hard, I am not going to lie but prayer is in the moment, it is an act of our great faith despite the difficulty to even open our mouth to speak. Prayer brings us into an intimate and passionate relationship it changes us in ways we never thought possible, it is a key to all the greatest treasures we have ever hoped for. In the words of (Saint John Damascene, De fide orth. 324: PG 94, 1089C) found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church second Edition (2590) “Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God on the requesting of good things from God.” When we pray, we are called to God to encounter a sacred bond with him, so Women of Faith and Hope, may this month be a time of prayer, a time where you put prayer into practice even when life is so busy.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

A Lenten Journey 2022

 

A Lenten Journey 2022

Do you know I have never had my feet washed at a last supper mass? Not that I would want anyone to touch my feet because they are ticklish but I would happily wash feet though because we are to follow his example. John 13:15, I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.

Recently, I heard I am no great loss to the Parish meaning if I leave, I am not going to be missed or I am easily forgotten about and sadly I agreed. I’m not looking for pity but maybe to say enough is enough. You see through the week I was reminded that everyone should be valued, cared for, and included. I guess that is why I don't attend as much as I used to because I am never appreciated or accepted and my gifts and talents are always underestimated. So, it's possible as my back is turned stones are thrown my way but the good news is Jesus kneels in front of me, he kneels in front of you. John 8:1-11, 'If there is one of you who has not sinned, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.' Then he bent down and wrote on the ground again. I wonder what Jesus was writing on the ground? There are many possible answers to that question or maybe it was tactic to scare people away because he knows all that we do. 

I want to share a verse from John 19:25-27, Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. Seeing his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her, Jesus said to his mother, ‘Woman, this is your son. Then to the disciple he said, this is your mother.’ And from that moment the disciple made a place for her in his home.

Usually in some versions we hear ‘Woman behold your son meaning Mary see your son.’ what if God is asking us to behold one another? Behold meaning we see or gaze at someone or something with a special type of nature. I look around and I see each of us as special and a unique child who was created by the Father our Lord Jesus Christ. If Jesus asks us this Good Friday to behold someone, will you? Will you make a place for them in your heart, in your home?

You could say my role as a disciple is to be the outsider and to observe and watch people come and go, give their lives, their time for what? To only be treated poorly and unfairly. This Lenten Journey has taught me not to deny Jesus any longer but to return and kneel at his feet, to be with him as they crucify and drive nails into his hands and feet.

Think about this for a minute God’s ultimate plan for man and woman was to transform our lives physically and spiritually into the image of himself. Ever since the beginning he chose us, we are the ones to become true images of our Brother Jesus Christ. Sadly, sin happened, and it has never stopped.

I can’t help feeling embarrassed and disappointed because the house you sit in, pray in, worship in is God’s house, it’s my house, it’s your house and it’s our house but we don’t treat it that way. We treat each other as though there is no room in the inn but to be honest I would prefer to stay in the stable where our sweet baby Jesus lays. 

Colossians 3:12-15

You are God’s chosen race, his saints, he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another, forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins, The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts because it for this that you were called together as parts of one body, always be thankful.

May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.

Written and created by My Mother Rose.