He and I

"He and I" is the title of a book I am now reading for the third time. Years ago a friend gave me this book and reading it opened the door to a deeper and more personal understanding of who Jesus Christ is and how much He loves us.

Amazon.com has this lovely product description of the book, “In this timeless spiritual testament, readers enter into the intimate, interior conversations between Jesus and Gabrielle Bossis, a French nurse and playwright. Recorded in her diary from 1936 to 1950, their tender exchanges capture Jesus' enduring presence in our daily lives, his insistence on kindly serving others, and his encompassing love for humanity--and show that ordinary individuals can experience an intimacy with Christ.” 

During my first reading I thought, how fortunate Gabriele was to have this long and intimate relationship with Jesus. This time, when reading the book I noticed the message from Jesus,” Each soul is My favorite… I choose some only to reach the others.” This time I am read the book and realized that the book was written for me and for you. The message is universal and this is how Jesus feels about each and every one of us. The tender words of Jesus bring comfort to the soul and will fill your heart with joy. This book has been an incredible blessing to me and probably the most powerful spirit filled reading I have ever experienced. I just read a couple of pages a day because the reading is so deep, you have to take it slow to soak up the awesome feeling of Jesus to talking to you!

Excerpts

“Treat Me as the most intimate One who not only excuses the sins confided to Him but who takes them upon Himself in order to obtain the Father’s pardon” (pg. 78)

G.” Lord, can we always make amends, even for the faults that we are not aware of, but that Your sensitivity sees?”

Jesus. “Don’t you know that because of My compassion a single act of perfect love atones for a whole lifetime? that one humble and tender look from you pierces My heart with love? that I am sensitive to every cry of your hearts?” (pg. 95)

“Don’t get the idea that it is the greatest number of prayers that touches your God. It’s the way you speak to Him. Be irresistible in love, abandonment and humility. “ (pg.103)

December 15, 1949 - Holy hour. Coming back from Mass in the dark at 7am in the freezing rain. "This too, Lord, may I offer for Your sinners in this Marian year?

"I take all sufferings little and big, and place them in the treasury of the Church - the treasury used for the making of saints. You forget your past sufferings, but they continue to bear fruit in My sight. You have already forgotten your travel weariness, weather annoyances, desert thirst, the fears, exile in distant countries, the slow journeys back, the long tests of endurance, times of illness. But remember that you offered Me everything and that I've kept everything.” (pg. 363)

The book has an imprimatur, an official license by the Roman Catholic Church to print an ecclesiastical or religious book.

HE and I, Gabrielle Bossis, translated and condensed by Evelyn M. Brown, Imprimatur: Msgr.Jean-Marie Fortier, Archbishop Sherbrooke, Nov. 14, 1969, Editions MEDIASPAUL,QC

Sins of the Spirit

I am a big fan of the late Father Leo Clifford and always enjoy his “reflections” on EWTN. His reflections are 5-10 minutes stories that teach biblical lessons. I was thrilled to see videos of his reflections pop up in my YouTube menu. My first selection was this reflection on sins of the spirit or respectable sins. It is a very humbling reflection and a good examination of the conscience.

Father Leo begins by telling the story of the prodigal son to point out the sins of the “good” brother. He makes comparisons of what we normally consider bad sins, the crimes in the daily news, and those other “respectable” sins that are far greater in number and worse in the eyes of God. These are the sins of the spirit: pride, selfishness, coldness, indifference, haughtiness, and condescending attitude.

Fr. Leo quotes Dickens, “There is so much bad in the best of us, and so much good in the worst of us, that it ill becomes any of us to speak about the rest of us.”

Pray for Pope Francis

We pray for the Holy Father that the heavenly Mother intercedes for him and protects him in his ministry:

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among
women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of
God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Weep not for what you have lost, fight for what you have.

Weep not for what is dead, fight for what was born in you.

Weep not for the one who abandoned you, fight for who is with you.

Weep not for those who hate you, fight for those who want you.

Weep not for your past, fight for your present struggle.

Weep not for your suffering, fight for your happiness.

With things that are happening to us, we begin to learn that nothing is
impossible to solve, just move forward.

In the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ
Amen

Prayer for my family

Loving God, I offer thanks for the gift of my family.

Help us to work together for peace and harmony in our relationships.

Grant us the grace to accept each other’s faults and weaknesses.

Protect us from harsh words and hurt feelings.

Assist us to encourage one another’s strengths and abilities.

Lead us to mutual understanding and support.

May we always forgive each other’s failings and rejoice in one another’s successes.

Watch over my family, Dear Lord.

Bless us with good health and happiness.

Fill our hearts with love, patience, and kindness for one another, now and always.

Amen

From My Saint Pio Prayer Book

Holy Family: Jesus, Mary and Joseph

Morning Prayer

Last November I wrote down one of the morning prayers from the daily prayers (Lauds) from the Universalis website. I enjoy the poetic rhyme and rhythm of the prayer and read and meditate on this prayer frequently. It is so simple yet full of wisdom. This morning I decided to share this prayer. I went to Universalis to get the URL for my blog post and there it was again!

Hymn (from Morning Prayer 9.2.15)

Now that the daylight fills the sky,

we lift our hearts to God on high,

that he, in all we do or say,

would keep us free from harm today;

Would guard our hearts and tongues from strife;

from anger’s din would hide our life;

from all ill sights would turn our eyes;

would close our ears from vanities.

Would keep our inmost conscience pure;

our souls from folly would secure;

would bid us check the pride of sense

with due and holy abstinence.

So we, when this new day is gone,

and night in turn is drawing on,

with conscience by the world unstained

shall praise his Name for victory gained.

  

Morning Prayer is part of the “Hours”, day long prayer typical of monastic living.

“Seven times a day I praise you.” – Psalm 118(119):164

The Lord has commanded us to pray without ceasing, and this is what the Hours help us do.

Morning Prayer – at the start of the day's work and the coming of the light.

Daytime Prayer – at mid-morning, noon and in the afternoon, to unite us with the one for whom and through whom we are working.

Evening Prayer – at the end of the day's work, to offer up what we have done.

Night Prayer – last thing at night, to commend our souls to God.

And finally, there is the magnificent Office of Readings, at whatever time of day is best for us to reflect on the mystery of salvation, with the help of Scripture and the writings of the Fathers of the Church.

http://www.universalis.com/index.htm

Abortion

I have thought about writing on the current news of the abortion industry and have hesitated because I don’t want my blog to be political. However, I have felt a push several times and after reading Isaiah 66:1-4, I felt it was time to write.

Isaiah 66:1-4 New International Version (NIV)

Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
Where will my resting place be?
2 Has not my hand made all these things,
and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
and who tremble at my word.
3 But whoever sacrifices a bull
is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
is like one who presents pig’s blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense
is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,
and they delight in their abominations;
4 so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
and will bring on them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
and chose what displeases me.”

When I hear the new stories that are broadcasted daily about the barbaric acts that compound an already murderous society that kills it’s most vulnerable citizens (the pre-born), I can’t help but wonder, when judgement day is coming. Throughout the bible God has ended this evil by wiping out the evil people involved with killing. Here we are a modern and much uncivilized society that sets up institutions of murder on street corners of our cities next door to schools, churches, and our homes. As a nation many have become desensitized to the horrendous acts being performed in our communities. People watch the news and are outraged (rightly so) at the injustices happening around the world, yet they condone the murder of the God’s creation in our country. Who are we to judge others when this country allows that most horrific acts imaginable to be performed daily with our government’s stamp of approval and funded by our tax dollars?

I pray for the healing of mothers who have suffered from abortions and for them to know their babies are with Jesus. I pray for the hearts of those in the abortion industry to be turned to God and that they escape the hell they are in and receive God’s forgiveness and mercy. 

Saint Anne's Shrine

For an extra special birthday weekend my husband and I took a road trip to Sainte Anne’s Shrine in Isle La Motte, Vermont. Isle La Motte is one of three islands on Lake Champlain in Northern Vermont close to the Canadian border. We took off early Friday morning and managed to get there in time for morning mass. Mass was held in an outdoor chapel. It was such a beautiful road trip and the island is gorgeous. It’s quaint and quiet, not at all touristy. Getting there we passed farms and windmills and more solar panels than I have ever seen in one day. Go green Vermont! The shrine owns a stretch of waterfront beach and it’s free and open to the public. After mass and lunch we parked ourselves on a grassy knoll and relaxed for the afternoon. I also took some time to pray the Stations of the Cross at an outdoor sort of park area they have set up with the stations. We both loved it so much we can’t wait to go back and stay for two nights next time.

The shrine is dedicated in honor of Saint Anne, the mother of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The shrine is nestled among pines and bordering Lake Champlain. I went there once before with my dad when I was a young girl. I never forgot how beautiful it was and I always wanted to go back to see it again. Thanks to my sweet husband, I made it back, 48 years later.

My birthday is the feast day of Saint Ignatius Loyola who is also the founder of the Society of Jesus, ie, “Jesuits”. I adopted St. Ignatius as my patron saint not only because his feast day is on my birthday, but also because his story of conversion sounds so familiar to me. Basically, St. Ignatius was a man of the world and only converted after he was recuperating from a war injury and had nothing to read except the bible and some other religious books. The Word of God softened his hard heart and he was on fire for the faith. His path was not an easy one and he made mistakes and learned from those mistakes. Eventually he started the Society of Jesus (16^th century). I am currently reading his spiritual writings and will surely write about that eventually.

See my pictures below. The pictures at Saint Anne’s Shrine website are even better. 

beach in front of the Shrine

Statue of "Our Lady of Lourdes" overlooking Lake Champlain at St. Anne's Shrine