Perseverance in Prayer

Seven simple Rules:

1) Be constant - a daily routine is essential.











2) Try to improve the quality of your prayers.








3) Never doubt that God hears your prayers.











4) Avoid distractions but don't become depressed.











5) Listen as much as you speak.









6) Learn from others about prayer.








7) Don't forget - NEVER give up!

Worth a sacrifice - an important decision

This powerful and moving video thanks to Divine Ripples shows what God did for us all (using this example).

What a sacrifice!

Thank you God for saving us all.



What would your decision be?

Hell

Does Hell Exist?

CCC1035 The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of unrepentant mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, "eternal fire."

Who goes to Hell?

Persons who die in unrepentant mortal sin.
Such souls are devoid of sanctifying grace and charity - the love of God.
God sends nobody to hell, they go there of their own accord, to that which they have 'loved'.

Why did God create Hell?

God did NOT create Hell.
Hell is the result of sin and free will.
Self love v's God's love.

Slow Fade

Lead singer/songwriter Mark Hall of the Casting Crowns comments on this song:

"When we're in the church and spending time with God, we know what we're supposed to do and how to live.
Everything is black and white.
But somewhere between the altar and the door, when we leave and go out into our lives, it all leaks out.
Everything gets gray again.
It's like we have these two lives, and the Christian life is the journey between the altar and door....trying to get the things you've got in your head, into your hands, into your feet, and into your life."



Mistakes, regrets, wrongs, sins don’t occur all at once or in a single day.
It is gradual.
It is based on small decisions we make day to day.
We find ourselves often having done something or at some place we didn’t expect to be, not because we woke up one morning choosing to do something, but rather little by little our daily choices and decisions led us there.

"Be careful little eyes what you see..."

Stepping out of your comfort zone

Do YOU step out of your comfort zone to make others aware of Jesus and talk about Him?



Video thanks to Divine Ripples.

Every sacrament is a meeting with the Lord.

A fantastic homily by Fr Speekman from Homilies and Reflections from Australia explaining;

- why Catholics go to Mass
- the sacrament of marriage and reconciliation and;
- how "...in every sacrament God makes an oath, namely, that in every sacrament he will meet us in the community, touch us, and change us..."

"I will meet you there!"

Check out Fr Speekman's blog HERE.

The Rosary

Here is a lovely post on the Rosary by Kelly at; Gratiae ut Deus

A family that prays together, stays together.

Carry the crosses YOU are given

Last night I read...

'Say often, "God bless.......," of any whom you find in disharmony with you, or whom you desire to help.
Say it, willing that showers of blessings and joy and success may fall upon them.

Leave to Me the necessary correcting or training; you must only desire joy and blessing for them.
At present your prayers are that they should be taught and corrected.

Oh! If My children would leave My work to Me and occupy themselves with the task I give THEM.
Love, love, love.
Love will break down all your difficulties.
Love will build up all your successes.

God the destroyer of evil, God the creator of good - is love.
To love one another is to use God in your life.
To use God in your life is to bring into manifestation all harmony, beauty, joy and happiness.'

How many times do we want to correct other people and change them instead of concentrating on fixing ourselves and making ourselves a better person, so that we can love one another!
It was a good reminder to me.

Lord, help us to embrace our cross the way You did.

Fireproof your marriage

This is the theme song for the movie FIREPROOF.
The movie is about how and why you should and can save your marriage.

Explaining the Holy Trinity to children

One way which I have found helpful to describe to children how God reveals Himself to us in the Holy Trinity is that:
God the Father is the mouth.
The Word He speaks is Jesus the Son.
And the breath He uses to speak is the Holy Spirit.

The Father is the idea.
The Son is the Word telling about the idea .
And the Spirit is the action that puts the idea into practice.

Tell children to think of a word.
Then holding their hand in front of their mouth, speak the word.
The "thought" I compared to the Father.
The "spoken word" I compared to Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
And the breath they felt on their hand, I compared to the Holy Spirit, the breath of Life that carried the spoken word out.

Take 3 strands of string (3 different colours if possible).
Braid them together for about half their length and stick this onto a piece of card. Then separate out the 3 strands and stick them down separately.
The 3 strands braided together represent God as one.
And then each strand can represent Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Trinity is like an ice cube in a pan of boiling water.
The ice is solid, the water is liquid and the steam is gas but they are all H2O.
All three things are separate, but they are all the same thing and all at the same time in the same place.

Ideas from monachos.net

Please share your ideas.