Acceptances

 Accepting whatever comes or happens AS THE WILL OF GOD

No matter what it costs Spiritually, Psychologically, or Physically, is the surest and quickest way to a freedom of soul and spirit that surpasses all understanding and explanation!

(Walter J. Ciszek S.J.)

THE SISTERS OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY NIGERIA

 

This post is to let you know about The Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary who do great work all over the world especially in Africa. They are in many countries in Africa, they are also in America, England and Ireland.

Their mission is to bring the Compassion of Christ by serving the people of God - the poor all over the world.

They were founded on 7th October 1937 by Archbishop Charles Heerey CSSP an Irish missionary who worked and died in Nigeria.

The sisters work in schools, hospitals, nursing homes they do pastoral services and other works of charity. One of the many services is to the disabled. They provide support for physical and mental needs in a secure environment, with basic education to improve the future for the disabled and the way disability is regarded in the community.

 

 

CHALLENGE  

It is very common in Africa for people who have a disability to be discriminated against and made to feel invisible, ignored or abandoned especially in poor communities where the family simply don't understand how to support their child in such a condition.

SOLUTION

They provide humanitarian services in healthcare, physiotherapy, food, music, crafts, and sports to enhance the young people's standard of life in our home and outreach day projects. They also teach parents how to care for a disabled child, to live a healthy well nourished lifestyle so they can pass what they learn on to others in the community.

 

This is just a little snapshot of the many works they do.

Their e-mail address is: immaculateheartofmarypdo@gmail.com

Link to make donation: http://caringaid.org

The Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary

 Devotion to the sorrows of Mary is a source of great graces because it is so pleasing to our Divine Lord.

The sufferings of the Mother of God cannot be comprehended; they are inconceivable. Her greatest trials came to her during the week of the bitter Passion and Death of Jesus, when the storm of hatred and fury burst forth with all violence against Him.

During Our Saviour's Passion, every glance at her suffering Son forced the sword deeper into Mary's soul. Every sound of his voice brought special bitterness to her heart. Every increase of her love for Him- and it increased with every moment of His Passion- augmented her sorrows.

The Church calls Mary the Queen of Martyrs because her martyrdom surpassed that of all others. St Bernardine of Siena says the sorrow of Mary was so great that if it had been equally divided among all men, they would have died immediately. As great as was her love for Jesus- and it was unspeakably great- so great also was the sorrow of Mary at His Passion. An Angel revealed to St. Bridget that, if Our Lord had not miraculously sustained His Mother, she could not possibly have survived her martyrdom.

If every day you would spend some time to meditate on the seven sorrows of Mary and you will be greatly rewarded.

Seven Promises to Those Who Meditate on Our Lady's Tears and Dolors

1. I will grant peace in their families

2. They will be enlightened about the divine Mysteries

3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany them in their work

4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.

5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.

6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death- they will see the face of their mother.

7. I have obtained this grace from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.

 

WISDOM

Solomon's respect for Wisdom

And so I prayed and understanding was given me;
I entreated, and the spirit of Wisdom came to me
I esteemed her more than sceptres and thrones;
compared with her,I held riches as nothing.
I reckoned no priceless stone to be her peer,
for compared with her, all gold is a pinch of sand,
and beside her silver ranks as mud.
I loved her more than health and beauty,
preferred her to the light,
since her radiance never sleeps.
In her company all good things came to me,
at her hands riches not to be numbered.
All these I delighted in, since Wisdom brings them,
but as yet I did not know she was their mother.
What I learned without self-interest, I pass on without reserve;
I do not intend to hide her riches.
For she is an inexhaustible treasure to men,
and those who acquire it win God's friendship,
commended as they are to Him by the benefits of her teaching.

 

 

THE POWER OF PSALM 91

Psalm 91
Whoever goes to the Lord for safety whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, can say to him, "You are my defender  and protector. You are my God; in You I trust".
He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. He will cover you with his wings; You will be safe in his care; His faithfulness will protect you. 
You need not fear any dangers at night or sudden attacks during the day or the plagues that strike in the dark or the evils that kill in daylight.
A thousand may fall dead beside you, ten thousand all round you, but you will not be harmed. You will look and see how the wicked are punished.
You have made the Lord your defender, the most high your protector, and so no disaster will strike you, no violence will come near your home.
God will put his angels in charge of you to protect you wherever you go. They will hold you up with their hands to keep you from hurting your feet on the stones.
You will trample down lions and snakes.
God says "I will save those who love me and will protect those who know me as Lord.
When they call to me, I will answer them; When they are in trouble, I will be with them.
I will rescue them and honour them.
I will reward them with long life; I will save them." 

During World War 1, the commander of the 91st Infantry Brigade of the U.S. Expeditionary Army was a devout Christian. He assembled his men and gave each of them a little card on which was printed the 91st Psalm - the same number as their Brigade. They agreed to recite Psalm 91 daily.
After they commenced to pray the Psalm, the 91st Brigade was engaged in 3 of the bloodiest battles in World War 1 - Chateau Thierry, Belle Wood, and the Argonne. Other U.S. units who fought in the same battles had up to 90% casualities but the 91st Brigade did not suffer a single combat related casualty.

During World War 2 actor James Stewart was in the Army Air Corps. His father gave him a letter to read en route with Psalm 91 attached.
" My Dear Jim-Boy,
Soon after you read this letter you will be on your way to the worst sort of danger. Jim, I'm banking on the enclosed copy of Psalm 91. The thing that takes the place of fear and worry is the promise of the words of Psalm 91. I'm staking my faith in these words. I feel sure that God will lead you through this mad experience. I can say no more. I only continue to pray. Goodbye my dear. God continue to bless and keep you. I love you more than I can tell you, Dad."

James Stewart returned home a decorated war hero unharmed even though his record included 20 combat missions. During the height of battle, Stewart said he learned to lean on his tattered copy of Psalm 91.

 

 
 

CHARITY

God is joined to Charity, and Charity is truly, and more intimately and really The spirit of His Spirit even more than is a married couple who love each other deeply. God Himself is Charity. Charity is but the most manifest and illustrative aspect of God. Of all His attributes Charity is the sovereign and original one, because all the other attributes of God originate from Charity.
What is Power but active Charity? What is Wisdom but teaching Charity? What is Mercy but forgiving Charity? What is Justice but ruling Charity?

Now can you believe that he, who has no Charity, has God? No, he has not. Can you imagine that he may accept God, but not Charity?
There is one Charity only and it embraces Creator and creatures and it is not possible to have only one half of it: that for the Creator, without having also the other half: that for our neighbour.

God is in His creatures. He is in them with His indelible sign, with His rights of Father, Spouse and King. The soul is His throne, the body His temple. Now he who does not love one of his brothers and despises him, holds in contempt, grieves and underestimates the Landlord of his brothers house, the King, the Father, the Spouse of his brother, and it is natural that this great Being who is "Everything" and who is present in a brother, in all brothers, should consider as given to Him the offence given to a lesser being, to a part created by "Everything" that is to a single man.
That is why I taught you the Corporal and Spiritual works of mercy, that is why I taught you not to scandalise your brothers, that is why I taught you not to judge, not to have contempt or to reject your brothers, whether they are good or not good, faithful or Gentiles, friends or enemies, rich or poor.

(taken from Poem of the Man-God)










 
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 St Blaise  (A.D.316)
St Blaise was born of rich and noble parents, receiving a christian education and being made a bishop while still quite young, in Sebastea, Armenia.
We have very little facts about this great saint.

During the persecution of Licinius, he withdrew by divine direction to a cave in the mountains which was frequented only by wild beasts. These he healed when they were sick or wounded, and they used to come around him to receive his blessing. Hunters, who had been sent to secure animals for the amphitheatre, found the saint surrounded by the beasts, and, though greatly amazed, they seized him and took him to Argricolaus governor of Cappadocia and Lesser Armenia. 

On their way they met a poor woman whose pig had been carried off by a wolf; at the command of St Blaise, the wolf restored the pig unhurt. The incident is worth mentioning because of a ceremony which arose in connection with it. On another occasion a woman brought to him a little boy who was at the point of death owing to a fishbone in his throat, and the saint healed him.

On account of this and other similar cures St Blaise has been invoked during many centuries past for all kinds of throat trouble.
The governor ordered him to be scourged and deprived of food, but the woman whose pig had been restored brought provisions to him and also candles to dispel the darkness of his gloomy prison. 
Then Licinius tortured him by tearing his flesh with iron combs, and afterwards had him beheaded.
Through his intercession many have been cured of throat diseases or protected from them.
LORD, HEAR YOUR PEOPLE THROUGH THE INTERCESSION OF ST BLAISE. HELP US TO ENJOY PEACE IN THIS LIFE AND FIND A LASTING REFUGE IN THE NEXT. AMEN
 
 

GOD's LOVE

IN  LOVE

To come to know the Thirst in the Heart of Jesus, for me personally is the single greatest gift God can give.

It gives Supreme meaning to even the smallest details of my life, for it reveals a God who is Fully in Love with me.

The Lord’s Thirst to love me and be loved by me is something Real and Alive and Powerful

BEEN A FAITHFUL CHRISTIAN

In fact, the first two of the Ten Commandments  (Exodus20), deal directly with our being faithful to God. "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God...." These are the words given directly from God to Moses for all people, for all time.

Since God assumes a covenant relationship with His people, He is declaring that He will not tolerate unfaithfulness and competition with anything else. An idol can be in the form of anything that you might place in a higher priority over God. This includes false images of worship or placing anything in our lives that has preeminence over God.  God is very faithful to all of us, and it is by His faithfulness that we can continue living as His sons and daughters in this world. For our part, we should strive to be as faithful as we can be to Him who loves us. And although it is admittedly hard to do, given our weaknesses and limitations not to mention our hard-headedness and stubbornness at times, we can still be faithful to Him in our own little ways.

For many Christians today Christianity has to do with an emotional experience, which has its roots in self-love. There is no willingness to agree with God or to conform to His way of life, thus Christianity is reduced to an intellectual experience without any transformation of character, for there is no willingness to be obedient to Jesus. More and more many of those who profess to be Christians display attributes very much different from that of the Christ they profess to follow, obviously not caring that they "are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of Him who hath called you of of darkness into His marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9)

 We are told that only "Few have that genuine faith which works by love and purifies the soul. But all who are accounted worthy of everlasting life must obtain a moral fitness for the same. I pray today that whosoever reading this will learn from it and become more faithful to God in all his or her ways Amen
(This post was written by my good friend Donald Johnson Thanks so much Donald, God bless you Glory)

ST AUGUSTINE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH

St Augustine was born on November 13th, 354, in Tagaste (modern Algeria) in Africa. Despite the good example of his mother St Monica, became a Manichean and fathered an illegitimate child. He was converted at the age of thirty-three and baptised by St Ambrose in Milan. St Augustine became Bishop of Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria) and wrote and preached energetically in defence  of the faith, making him one of the most influential Doctors of the Church. His principles concerning the religious life continue to inspire Augustinian canons, friars and nuns. St Augustine died on August 28th 430.

QUOTES FROM CONFESSIONS OF ST AUGUSTINE:  CONFESSIONS IS AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL WORK, CONSISTING OF 13 BOOKS, BY AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. IT WAS WRITTEN IN LATIN BETWEEN AD 397 AND 400
" O Lord, ...have mercy upon me according to thy great mercy, for thy name's sake. And do not, on any account whatever, abandon what thou hast begun in me. Go on, rather, to complete what is yet imperfect in me."
   Book 10 Chapter 4

" I still thought that it is not we who sin but some other nature that sins within us. It flattered my pride to think that I incurred no guilt and, when I did wrong, not to confess it...I preferred to excuse myself and blame this unknown thing which was in me but was not part of me. The truth, of course, was that it was all my own self, and my own impiety had divided me against myself. My sin was all the more incurable because I did not think myself a sinner."

 

" In my public life I was striving after the emptiness of popular fame, going so far as to seek theatrical applause, entering poetic contests, striving for the straw garlands and the vanity of theatricals and intemperate desires"  (book 4, chapter 1)

In Greek the love of wisdom is called "philosophy", and it was with this love that that book inflamed me. There are some who seduce through philosophy, under a great, alluring, and honorable name, using it to color and adorn their own errors. And almost all who did this, in Cicero's own time and earlier, are censored and pointed out in his book"   (book 3 Chapter 4)

I did not keep the moderate way of the love of mind to mind - the bright path of friendship.   (book 2 chapter 2)
I had entreated chastity of thee and had prayed,"Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet". For I was afraid lest thou shouldst hear me too soon, and too soon cure me of my disease of lust which I desired to have satisfied rather than extinguished." (book 8 Chapter 7,p.139) 

 

VENERABLE CARLO ACUTIS

" Jesus is my great friend and the Eucharist my highway to Heaven"

Carlo Acutis was born in London on 3rd May 1991. His parents, Andrea and Antonia, were there on business. They returned home in September to Milan, Italy.  Carlo's mother often heard that her son was special from the parish priest, teachers, classmates, and even the porter of their building on Via Ariosto, where they moved in 1994. the boy's exceptional qualities were due to a very special friendship. Out of nowhere it seemed, as Carlo's family did not regularly attend church,  Carlo developed a great friendship with Jesus.
Carlo's mother, Antonia Acutis, recalls how little Carlo could not pass in front of a church without asking to go in and greet Jesus. She was surprised to discover her son reading saints' biographies and the Bible, and even more surprised when her son began asking questions of such depth and profundity that she was unable to answer: "I was perplexed by his devotion. He was so small and so sure. I understood that it was his thing, but that he was also calling me. So I began my journey of rapprochement with faith. I followed him".
 At the age of seven and quite on his own, Carlo asked to receive First Holy Communion. After questioning the precocious boy, the priest attested to his maturity and level of Christian formation. However, he made a single recommendation: the celebration should take place in a place free from distractions. One the 16th June 1998 Carlo received the Eucharist in the silence of the Bernaga Monastery, near Lecco. "As a little boy, especially after his First Communion, he never missed his daily appointment with the Holy Mass and the Rosary, followed by a moment of Eucharistic Adoration," recalls Carlo's mother.

UNITED  TO  THE EUCHARIST  FROM  A  YOUNG  AGE
Carlo first attended school with the Marcelline Sisters. He received his secondary education at the hands of the Jesuits. Ever since boyhood and especially following that First Communion, Carlo's life revolved around a fixed point: daily Mass. "The Eucharist " he said, "is my highway to Heaven". He also frequently received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. As a adolescent, he added to his spiritual schedule a daily Rosary and Eucharistic Adoration. He spoke thus of Eucharistic Adoration: "If we get in front of the sun, we get sun-tans....but when we get in front of Jesus in the Eucharist we become saints".
SCHOOLDAYS
Carlo was convinced that he would not grow old. "I will die young", he often repeated. This is perhaps why he filled his days with such a whirlwind of activity, teaching the boys from the Catechism, feeding the poor at the Caritas Cafeteria, and spending time with the children of the Oratory. While still achieving excellent grades in high school and between all his charity work, Carlo still found time to play the saxophone, play football and design computer programmes.
He was naturally inclined towards computer science and was even considered brilliant by practicing engineers who encountered his technical intuition and savvy. Carlo's interests ranged from computer programming to editing films, from creating websites to writing periodicals.
His classmates looked to him, not only for advice or help, but also because of his way of putting people at ease. Carlo seemed to have a way with people from all backgrounds.
Carlo's friendly face was a common sight in his neighbourhood. He befriended everybody, included the gatekeepers, janitors, and people that worked in his neighbourhood. These workers were often non-Europeans with Muslim and Hindu backgrounds. Carlo told everybody about his love for Christ, and people couldn't help but listen and share in his joy. One such foreign worker was Rajesh, a Hindu. A friendship developed between Rajesh and Carlo. The friendship was of such a profound nature that Rajesh converted to Catholicism. This is what Rajesh had to say about his friend, Carlo; "He told me that I would have been happier if I had approached Jesus. I was baptized Christian because it was he who so affected me with his profound faith, his charity, and his purity. I have always considered it out of the ordinary because a boy so young and so hansome normally prefers to have a different life".
Carlo was careful never to waste money. He was known to donate sleeping bags to the homeless on his way to mass. He also donated to the Capuchins for the service of meals to the homeless.
Carlo never hid what made him most happy, he was always inviting his friends to go with him to Mass. It was his great source of joy when his friends became reconciled to God. Carlo wrote the following in his journal: "Sadness is the gaze turned towards oneself, happiness is the gaze turned towards God. Conversion is nothing but moving the gaze from the bottom to the top. A simple movement of the eyes is enough."

     
HIS  SPIRITUAL  LIFE  AND  DEVOTIONS
Holiness was his true goal, but not for him alone. To all, he pointed to his route to sainthood: daily Mass, Communion, Rosary, Scripture, Eucharistic Adoration, weekly Confession, and the willingness to give up something for others. Carlo also regularly offered up his sacrifices and prayed for the reparation for sins and offenses committed against the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which he felt alive and throbbing in the Consecrated Host. Carlo often prayed for the Pope, then John Paul 11, with a degree of passion that astonished his parish priest. Those who met the young man were left with an indelible impression that Jesus is the only one who can satisfy the heart of man. Carlo had a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother. He was fascinated by the apparitions in Lourdes and Fatima, and often spoke about Saint Bernadette Soubirous  and the little Shepherds of Fatima. Our Lady's messages of conversion, penance, and prayer - all this was lived concretely in his daily life. In a world hardened against the great truths of the Faith, Carlo shook consciences and invited us to look towards Heaven. In the family, in the school, in the midst of society, Carlo was a witness to eternity. To quote Carlo: "Our aim has to be the infinite and not the finite. The Infinite is our homeland. We have always been expected in Heaven".
MISSIONARY  OF  NEW  MEDIA
Carlo created several notable websites, one dedicated to young saints. He had a keen interest in those who were able to achieve holiness quickly. His efforts were that of a true missionary: to reach as many people as possible and to introduce them to the beauty and joy of friendship with Jesus. Carlo took as his model St Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles, who committed himself to bring the Gospel to every corner of the globe even to the point of martyrdom. He was inspired by the works of fellow Italian Blessed James Alberione, who was himself also inspired by the Apostle Paul. Blessed James was the Founder of the Paulines and the Daughters of St. Paul. Both Blessed James and the religious societies he founded are recognized for putting new forms of media at the service of the Gospel.  
 EXHIBITION - WEBSITE ON EUCHARISTIC MIRACLES
Carlo stated; "All people are born as originals but many die as photocopies". To move towards this destination and not "die as photocopies," he said that our compass has to be the word of God. The Eucharist was his true north. He put the Sacrament of the Eucharist at the centre of his life and he called it, "my highway to Heaven." In 2002, when he was eleven, he accompanied his parents to listen to a priest friend speak at a presentation of the Little Eucharistic Catechism. He was fascinated by what he learned  and had an idea, he would create an exhibition on Eucharistic Miracles. He said "They must be able to see." Carlo wanted people to understand that Christ is truly present in the Eucharist by showing the moments throughout history when the Eucharist visibly became flesh and blood. This was the confluence of all of Carlo's great loves: He wanted people to encounter the Eucharist and be reconciled to God renewing the Miracle of the True Presence. Carlo wanted to show people that the Eucharist truly is his great friend Jesus. He immediately set to work by documenting the Eucharistic Miracles. He began dragging his parents across Europe to gather photographs of the miracles. After two and a half years, the exhibition was ready. He had catalogued all the Eucharistic Miracles. Immediately, dioceses across the world began requesting the exhibit(see www.miracolieucaristici.org)
Carlo had reached over 136 Eucharistic Miracles that occurred over the centuries in different countries around the world and have been acknowledged by the Church and collected them into a virtual museum. He created not only a website to house this virtual museum, but panel presentations , as well, that have travelled around the world. Carlo's exhibit soon crisscrossed the globe. It would reach all the places that he would never get to visit in life.
ILLNESS AND DEATH
In early October 2006, Carlo fell ill and was brought to the hospital of San Gerardo in Monza, Italy, a hospital founded by Saint Gerald Majella himself.  Carlo soon received his diagnosis. Crossing the threshold of the hospital, Carlo said to his mother:"From here I do not go out anymore!" The diagnosis was acute promyelocytic leukaemia. A few days earlier, Carlo told his parents "I offer what I will have to suffer to the Lord for the Pope and for the Church, to skip Purgatory and go straight to Heaven." Shortly after receiving his diagnosis, Carlo died on 12th October 2006. The doctor treating him asked him if he was suffering much pain and he responded: "There are people who suffer much more than me." He was buried in Assisi in accordance with his wishes. He died with a radiant smile on his face and offering his life for the Pope and for the Church. He said "I am happy to die because I lived my life without wasting even a minute of it on anything unpleasing to God."

 


THE IMPACT OF A LIFE
He was buried in Assisi, the city of St Francis. On the day of his funeral, the Church and the Churchyard were flooded with his many friends and admirers. His mother describes the scene: "I have never seen people like this before." People filled the grieving mother's ears with stories about what Carlo had done, stories she had never heard.
Having already reached so many through his international exhibit and internet ministry, Carlo's death had an immediate impact. Thousands of letters and emails reached the family. Carlo's exhibit of Eucharistic Miracles has reached the ends of the earth, presented in Russia, Latin America, and even China. In the United States, thanks to the help of the Knights of Columbus, it has been hosted by thousands of parishes and hundreds of universities.
What was so special about Carlo? He welcomed and loved Jesus as a friend, while still living deeply immersed in the world of today, mastering computer programming, film editing, and website creation by the age of 15. Despite being immersed in media so fraught with temptation, the Gospel thrived at his touch and to such an extent that he will probably become the Patron of the Internet.
A multitude of people took part in his funeral. Whoever knew him acknowledged that they met a special teenager. Self-confident, lively, passionate about sports and a computing expert, Carlo had an ability to make himself close to those who suffer, friends or acquaintances, in each he saw the face of the One who is the centre of his affection.   
Carlo remains an inspiration, especially to teenagers who struggle to be both holy and 'normal', while remaining unique as an individual.

  


 (Taken from The Way of The Immaculate Heart Newsletter June 2019)

      

TO LIVE WELL TO LOVE GOD

"In order always to live well, we must store up deeply in our minds certain general maxims about eternal life: Everything in this life, whether it be joy or sorrow, passes away but in eternity nothing passes away. What good is all the greatness of this world at the hour of death?

All that comes from God, whether it be adverse or prosperous, all is good and is for our welfare. We must leave all to gain all. There is no peace to be found without God. To love God and save one's soul is the one thing necessary. We need be afraid of nothing but sin.






If God is lost, all is lost. He who desires nothing in this world is master of the whole world. He who prays is saved, and he who does not pray is lost"
      St Alphonsus Liguori  

GO INTO THE SILENCE

MARK : 6:30-34

Have you ever heard a gentle voice, from somewhere deep inside of you, reminding, encouraging, even urging you with the following words: "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest"{v.31NIV]? Prayer is at the heart of the Christian life because in prayer we commune with God. The more we pray, the more we want to pray; the less we pray, the less we want to pray. With prayer we flourish; without prayer we wilt.  With prayer we grow in our relationship with God; without prayer God becomes ever more distant and remote.

 Something terrible has happened to our understanding of living the Christian faith, something truly alarming and frightening, and if we don't do something to stop it, our faith is under threat. What is this terrible, alarming and frightening thing that has happened? It is this:  we have replaced prayer with action, contemplation with the apostolic; we value doing over being, and social action over the interior life. We have lost sight that God works from the inner life to the exterior life, and not the other way around. In fact, there is a new undercurrent which clings to the notion that the Christian faith is purely and simply about helping and serving others. Of course, it is self-evident that the Christian life involves love and service but a love and service which is rooted in prayer, firmly established first and foremost in a living, breathing relationship with God.

 Christians are not the only ones who undertake works of love and charity- often people of no faith are outstanding and wonderful humanitarians. The Christian life cannot be reduced to social action.
We need to spend time in Eucharistic Adoration.
Let us reflect on the following words from St Teresa of Calcutta:
" I know I would not be able to work one week if it were not for that continual force coming from Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament[during my holy hour of Adoration] to be alone with Jesus in adoration and intimate union with Him is the Greatest Gift of Love- the tender love of our Father in Heaven".
[ Taken from Bible alive Sunday 22nd July 2018]