Grandmother Rosa's Special Note to Pope Francis

http://www.taylormarshall.com/2013/04/pope-franciss-special-note-from-his.html

Because of this loving Grandmother Rosa's  (Nonna Rosa) advice to her Grandson,  who one day would be Pope, I want each day of my life to be "lived like it is my last."   

Although I am not the Celebrant at a Mass, I still am living a Wonderful Life,  given to me by the LORD GOD,  and have a chance to make a difference. 

No more, "Today is the first day of the rest of my life," for me but instead it is "Today may be the last day of my life!"  I want to live each day making a difference, telling someone about his or her Angel, praying someone I really don't like (a lot)  will know that GOD loves them and so do I. There has to be a million ways to live like that.  

I am going to pray for "my"  president and his wife - AND  their daughters - as the DAUGHTERS are the key - a bit more - and pray like I love them really down deep - instead of counting the days of the rest of the term and forgetting, by the way,  WHO really is in charge around here ANYWAY!  It is so easy to forget that the President is there because GOD allowed it and for a great reason. Why would we ever think GOD does not "think things through right from creation!"

And I am never going to leave my Bed in the morning without kneeling giving the day to the Lord and saying, "Lord God, Lamb of God, only Son of the Father, who takes away the Sin of the World, have Mercy on me, a sinner.  Pour Your Spirit OUT upon me, Fill me with Your Spirit, Baptize Me with Your Spirit to full and overflowing.  Let everything I say, do or think bring GLORY TO YOUR NAME.  (That was my old Protestant Prayer and I still use it - among all the other wonderful new ones - BUT I plan to mean it even more each last day I say it.) 

And renewing all of this in my life because of Jorge Mario Bergoglio's Grandmother Rosa  (Nonna Rosa) So let's hear it for Grannies today!  

Love to you all - Psalm 90:12  So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. 

Francis Stopped for Divine Mercy

Francis Stopped for Divine Mercy 

This Sunday evening in Rome, a beautiful, quiet, clear, cool spring evening, the parish priest of the Santo Spirito in Sassia church (the church next to the world headquarters of the Jesuits, 200 yards from the colonnade around St. Peter's Square, and the church entrusted by Pope John Paul II to carry out a special devotion to the teaching about Divine Mercy preached by the Polish mystic, St. Faustina Kowalska), Father Giuseppe, a young and dynamic Polish priest, during his sermon on the day's readings, told a little story I had not heard before.

Last week, he said, last Sunday, on April 7, the Sunday of Divine Mercy -- on the eve of which Pope John Paul II died in 2005 -- Pope Francis took possession of the cathedral church of the diocese of Rome, St. John Lateran.

But after doing that, while driving back over to the Vatican, Pope Francis, at about 7:15 in the evening -- Father Giuseppe looked at his watch; "Yes," he said, "it was about at this time, about 7:15 in the evening, a little after 7" -- Pope Francis stopped in front of the church, evidently out of respect for the Divine Mercy devotion practiced in this church, on Divine Mercy Sunday.

"Yes, it was about 7:15 in the evening," Father Giuseppe said, still preaching his homily, and paused. "Pope Francis asked his driver to stop the car in front of the church, for a few moments. And when a few people noticed he was there, a crowd quickly gathered.

"And there was a young couple walking by, just at that time, in the providence of God. A young couple who had fallen away from the church. A young couple who were planning to be married. And when they saw the crowd gathering, they stopped, and they too caught a glimpse of the Pope.

"And catching a glimpse of Pope Francis, they were moved, deep within, and a few minutes later, after the Pope moved on, they came into the church. And they spoke with me for some time, and they want to again draw close to the church, because of the unusual events of that evening, because they saw the Pope stop in front of the church, just as they were walking by.

"And when I see the Pope, and I am sure that I will have a chance to see him, I will tell him this story, the story of how his decision to stop his car on the Feast of Divine Mercy, in front of this church dedicated to the Divine Mercy, brought mercy to those two young people, in such a tangible way that they wanted to change their lives and draw close again to God and to Christ.

"Little miracles of God's mercy are always occurring, and that was one of them."

Little Boy Kneels At The Foot of His Bed

Alan Alexander Milne 1882-1956

                                                                                

Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed, Droops on the little hands little gold head. Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares! Christopher Robin is saying his prayers. God bless Mummy. I know that's right. Wasn't it fun in the bath to-night? The cold's so cold, and the hot's so hot. Oh! God bless Daddy - I quite forgot. If I open my fingers a little bit more, I can see Nanny's dressing-gown on the door. It's a beautiful blue, but it hasn't a hood. Oh! God bless Nanny and make her good. Mine has a hood, and I lie in bed, And pull the hood right over my head, And I shut my eyes, and I curl up small, And nobody knows that I'm there at all. Oh! Thank you, God, for a lovely day. And what was the other I had to say? I said "Bless Daddy," so what can it be? Oh! Now I remember it. God bless Me. Little Boy kneels at the foot of the bed, Droops on the little hands little gold head. Hush! Hush! Whisper who dares! Christopher Robin is saying his prayers.

TOTUS TUUS - Pope John Paul II

Totus Tuus

This prayer was written by Pope John Paul II to 
Mary Immaculate

Totally yours, 
Immaculate Conception, Mary my Mother, 
Live in me, Act in me, 
Speak in me and through me, 
Think your thoughts in my mind, 
Love through my heart, 
Give me your dispositions and feelings, 
Teach, lead me and guide me to Jesus, 
Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior, 
Possess my soul,
Take over my entire personality and life, replace it with Yourself,
Incline me to constant adoration, 
Pray in me and through me, 
Let me live in you and keep me in this union always. 
Amen

AS WE FORGIVE . . . or not?

Bob Ricci shared a beautiful request this morning asking us to walk in total forgiveness and not carry a grudge. Since many of us, as Catholics, say the Our Father at least once every day, I wanted to share this helpful "hint!"

I have, finally at 80, learned to say the OUR FATHER in front of my mirror, first thing in the AM (while my hot water boils) just so I can watch my eyes when I pray and, I do it so, when I come to the "forgive us our trespasses AS WE FORGIVE those who trespass against us" I look deeply to see if I have not forgiven - because I can do it that minute or I can stop with the prayer. Two choices.

The same at Mass and at night when I finish the day with the same prayer. Nothing has helped me more because I cannot say that prayer to the end without forgiving. Without carrying a grudge!!! It took me too long to learn this but, the peace in my life, since I have learned to stop at that part of the OUR FATHER, IS AMAZING. Forgiveness is a choice.

Coffee has never tasted so good as that cup I have after prayer. I also do 1 Hail Mary and Psalm 23 where I relish the verse, 3 He restores my soul. * He leads me in paths of righteousness* for His name's sake. (I am fully aware then that I am an agent for my Lord and what I do is for His name's sake!) Oh, my! About the time I reach "my cup overflows." my water is done and I find myself at AMEN