Today, I would like to do a Lectio Divina on The Magnificat for Mother's Day!
Sunday 24 April 2022
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.
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.
Saturday 23 April 2022
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.
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.
Friday 22 April 2022
The Importance of Prayer.
Prayer
Written and created by My Mother Rose.
May God Bless Always, Women of Faith and Hope.
Friday 1 April 2022
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.
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May God Bless Always, Faith, Hope and Love by My Mother Rose. Written, Photos and created by Katie Robinson
