Branching-Out

Remembered Quotes

Posted by Sharon Krause on Jul 5, 2022 6:00:00 AM

Reminiscing with an old friend can be very enjoyable. It can also be quite amusing when certain incidents come to mind. A memory decades old can make us laugh and also shed light on how patterns of life are established. For instance, my friend and I attended grammar school with Ursuline nuns as our teachers. Mother Bernadette was particularly strict. I still recall the Sunday morning many, many years ago when she reprimanded my cousin and me because she caught us giggling at Mass. We had been sitting in the section reserved for school children and something struck us funny. Mother Bernadette told us that if we did that again we would: “face a stern punish task!” We were not sure what that meant exactly, but I still remember her threat!

At that same school, when I was in eighth grade, Mother Regina Marie would frequently lecture my class frequently on the merits of becoming all we can be, using our God-given gifts and talents. Her speeches seemed more like admonitions than encouraging pep talks. She would repeatedly emphasize: “Don’t vegetate….live!”

My husband remembers that when he was a youngster he would go with his father and uncles to their hunting camp in the Pennsylvania woods. One day, he thought he was becoming lost in the woods, not realizing that his uncle knew his whereabouts. He recalls his Uncle Al telling him, “If you think you are lost, always go downhill, because water flows downhill and that leads to civilization.”

Over time, we remember such warnings, good advice, and rules to follow. One statement that the followers of Jesus have remembered for thousands of years is, “Do this in memory of me.” We have relived the Last Supper miracle countless times so that the faithful can be spiritually nourished. How grateful we all should be as, at Mass, the priest quotes the words of Jesus at the Consecration!

At yesterday’s liturgy, we read from the letter of St. Paul to the Philippians about the peace of God:

   Brothers and sisters: Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and

   petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace

   of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in

   Christ Jesus. (4:6-7)

 It might be a good idea to memorize that particular Bible quote to remind ourselves how to access the peace of God. With so many challenges and threats in our troubled world, we need to pray to the Holy Spirit to help find the holy peace Jesus promised us. We could start our prayer with a quote from the beginning of the sequence we prayed at Pentecost:

   Come, Holy Spirit, come!

   And from your celestial home

   Shed a Ray of light divine!

 

(Bible quote from the New American Bible, New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.)

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Topics: pray for peace, Sharon Krause

Miracle Mysteries

Posted by Sharon Krause on Mar 10, 2022 6:00:00 AM

In this world full of turmoil, we can turn to our Blessed Mother for help in praying to Jesus. The Rosary is a very useful tool, and the Mysteries of the Rosary are wonderful reminders of the great events in the lives of Jesus and Mary.

With the war waging in the Ukraine, I suggest praying with what I call five Miracle Mysteries of the Rosary. We recall just a few of the numerous miracles Jesus worked. A short meditation or prayer is added after each mystery. Of course, you can add your own thoughts and prayers.

Jesus heals the paralyzed man lowered through the roof. (Mark 2:1-12)

Mother Mary, pray for all those victims who are paralyzed with fear as they flee the ravages of war or shelter in place in their homeland. Ask your son to give them strength and courage to get through the challenges of uncertainty and danger.

Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus. (Mark 10:46-52)

Holy Mary, help us to see the needs of our brothers and sisters. Ask your son to open our eyes to ways in which we can assist people experiencing trauma and abandonment. Show us ways of feeding all who hunger and thirst for food and for freedom.

Jesus heals the woman who suffered with hemorrhages for 12 years. (Mark 5:25-34)

Gentle Mother, pray for us as we strive to assist those who are injured or sick in war-torn countries. Pray with us that Jesus will be especially merciful to those women and mothers who are engaged in the struggle or who are fending for themselves, their children, and elderly relatives as others defend their homeland.

Jesus heals 10 lepers and only one, a Samaritan, thanks him. (Luke 17:11-19)

Queen of Heaven, help us to be grateful for all our earthly blessings and for the best blessing of all, our Savior, your son. Jesus loves and heals people of all races and nationalities, and we pray for that same attitude of inclusivity. Mary, pray for open minds and open, softened hearts so that hostilities can end rapidly.

Jesus calls Lazarus out of the tomb after four days. (John 11:1-14)

Blessed Mother, your son died so that the doors of heaven would be open to us for all eternity. May those who have died in the invasion of Ukraine find eternal life with Jesus. Please ask your all-powerful son to help those who suffer to rise up with hope and trust in God..

†††

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Topics: pray for peace, Sharon Krause, The Rosary, hope in the Lord, War in Ukraine

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