Thursday Inspiration …

Gratitude connects us to others and feeling gratitude allows us to be our best selves. When we are truly grateful, we can count on living the life we want.
~MJ Ryan

A letter from the Society of St. Vincent de Paul’s national leaders …

November 16, 2009
Dear Friends,
We are blessed at the National Council of the Society of St Vincent de Paul to find ourselves in these last months of 2009 stronger than we began, at the start of this demanding year.
We are blessed to have come through a tumultuous on-line debate around the issues of health care reform [...]

Question of the Day for Thursday, November 26, 2009

Communion for a Home Group?
Q. My small group of Cursillo sisters meets weekly. One of the women had hip surgery and is housebound for three more weeks. We are to meet at her house this week, and one of the other women said she would bring Communion for all of us.
It is my understanding that [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for November 26, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Luke 21:20-28
The powers of the heavens will be shaken. (Luke 21:26)
Readings about the Second Coming of Christ can really make our hearts quicken—but not necessarily with excitement. They make us feel as if a dark cloud just entered the room, heralding doom and destruction. Is it because we are hiding something in our [...]

Take this bread, drink this cup — but peel back plastic first

Sanford company prepackages Holy Communion
By Rachael Jackson, Orlando Sentinel
November 23, 2009
Fresh produce now comes shrink-wrapped, but a Sanford company takes prepackaging to a whole new level.
Make that a holy new level.
Compak Companies’ product looks like a miniature pudding cup. But pulling back the plastic reveals a communion wafer. Under another layer is grape juice. For [...]

Wednesday Inspiration …

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity…Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
~Melody Beattie

Wednesday’s Word of the Day

Apostolic Constitution
(a-pah-STAH-lihk kahn-stih-TÖÖ-shuhn)
The highest form of ecclesiastical legal, or legislative, pronouncement issued by the Pope himself.

Question of the Day for Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Free Will in Heaven?
Q. Could you please help me understand how Lucifer became a fallen angel when he was in the presence of God? It makes me wonder whether those who make it to heaven still have the possibility of committing sin. Is there still free will in heaven?
Chris Lincoln, via e-mail
A. Here’s a reply [...]

Mass Reading & Meditation for November 25, 2009

Catholic Meditations
Meditation: Luke 21:12-19
You will be persecuted, Jesus warns, but “it will lead to your giving testimony” (Luke 21:13).
There is absolutely no reason to be fearful and no need to rehearse what you might say. Jesus promises: “I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist [...]

Daily Inspiration …

The goal of effective communication should be for the listener to say, “Me, too!” versus, “So what?”
~Jim Rohn