Hope in Troubled Times

Jeremiah 33: 3
    Let your cry come to me, and I will give you an answer, and let you see great things and secret things of which you had no knowledge.

No one can deny the troubled times we live in… it is scary out there… worried about what will happen next. I’d like to share with you how my view of our God has expanded over these last few days. It all began with an email from a friend about 'the cross in our bodies'. I wanted to find out more about it and found on You Tube a video series of Louie Giglio talking of ‘the cross in our body’ as well as the immensity of the universe and how that translates to “How Great is our God”

I'll never be the same again. Maybe some of you know Louie's teaching, I didn't, I am so thankful I watched these and that He has expanded my view of Him. We have a God who is so GREAT!!!

...Jesus ...Jesus... Jesus I Trust In You...

sung by Angelina, EWTN

Works of Mercy
Be Merciful as Your Father is Merciful
We are not only to receive the mercy of God, but to use it by being merciful to others through our actions, our words, and our prayers; in other words, we are to practice the Corporal and Spiritual Works (Acts) of Mercy.
The Lord wants us to do these works of mercy, because even the strongest faith is of no use without works.


For more on "Divine Mercy" go to www.divinemercy.org




From the Spoken Word Album, "The Chaplet of Divine Mercy", Angelina traveled to Krakow, Poland then on to Lagiewniki Sanctuary of Divine Mercy where she met with the Congregation of Sister's of Our Lady of Mercy. Angelina's favorite place to have visited, Lagiewniki is filled with love and peace. A person can meditate and pray as they walk the grounds of this enormous area. The Basilica is truly magnificant with the tabernacle in the shape of the world.

We were to spend six (6) days of filming in Poland. It was our first stop of a three (3) week work schedule. I had spent over a month gathering different outfits appropriate for the filming of Angelina's videos. Upon arriving only one small hand held suitcase came off the baggage conveyor. Once over the shock that by no means our luggage was showing up in Poland, I looked around at the beauty and a peacefulness came over me and I began to say over and over to myself "Jesus, I Trust In You". What better time to put my fears and sadness into His hands. Angelina never once showed any anxiety. She was only 15 years old and again reminded me to have more faith and not to worry. We were able to break away for a time and go to the nearest mall. The clothes that Angelina is wearing in this video and "I Can Only Imagine" were from Poland.




Wishing you all a most Blessed Easter week and Divine Mercy Sunday! God's peace and blessings, Angelina Productions

"Saints"

I was not an accident, for God knew me before I was conceived, knew me as He formed me in my mother’s womb and he has a plan for my life just as He has a plan for each of us. This I am sure!
As I’ve looked back over my life, I’ve reflected on the fact that my maternal great grandfather was a Methodist minister, his daughter, my aunt, married a Presbyterian minister, his son, my grandfather’s step-family were Mormons; now on my father’s side I had cousins who were Baptist ministers and I was raised in the Episcopal Church. My church history has been very Ecumenical and really am not surprised that God brought me into The Catholic Faith…
I am a convert and Saints have become apart of my prayer life. I've been asked questions about the “Saints” and how I accepted praying to them, asking them to pray for my intentions. For me, it is no different then asking my family, my friends, my prayer group to pray for me… asking them is a powerful way to lift my prayers to Jesus.  The more I read about their lives, their walk with God the more I learn about my walk and how to live my life. St Joseph is my patron Saint and this is a little about what I’ve learned from his life.

The Bible pays Joseph the highest compliment: he was a "just" man. The quality meant a lot more than faithfulness in paying debts.
When the Bible speaks of God "justifying" someone, it means that God, the all-holy or "righteous" One, so transforms a person that the individual shares somehow in God's own holiness, and hence it is really "right" for God to love him or her. In other words, God is not playing games, acting as if we were lovable when we are not.
By saying Joseph was "just," the Bible means that he was one who was completely open to all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy by opening himself totally to God.
The rest we can easily surmise. Think of the kind of love with which he wooed and won Mary, and the depth of the love they shared during their marriage.
It is no contradiction of Joseph's manly holiness that he decided to divorce Mary when she was found to be with child. The important words of the Bible are that he planned to do this "quietly" because he was "a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame" (Matthew 1:19).
The just man was simply, joyfully, wholeheartedly obedient to God—in marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage.
 
Comment:
The Bible tells us nothing of Joseph in the years after the return to Nazareth except the incident of finding Jesus in the Temple (see Luke 2:41–51). Perhaps this can be taken to mean that God wants us to realize that the holiest family was like every other family, that the circumstances of life for the holiest family were like those of every family, so that when Jesus' mysterious nature began to appear, people couldn't believe that he came from such humble beginnings: "Is he not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother named Mary...?" (Matthew 13:55a). It was almost as indignant as "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" (John 1:46b).

Quote:
"He was chosen by the eternal Father as the trustworthy guardian and protector of his greatest treasures, namely, his divine Son and Mary, Joseph's wife. He carried out this vocation with complete fidelity until at last God called him, saying: 'Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Lord'" (St. Bernardine of Siena). 
 
Please visit St. Joseph | Saint of the Day | AmericanCatholic.org http://bit.ly/gSKcp2

Psalm 23

As you read this ... read it in a slow, in a thoughtful way. Let the words fill your soul with peace and joy... Jesus... Jesus... Jesus...

THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD!   

The Lord is my Shepherd- that's a relationship!

I shall not want-that's supply!

He makes me lie down in green pastures-that's rest!

He leads me beside still waters-that's refreshment!

He restores my soul-that's healing!

He leads me in paths of righteousness-that's guidance!

For His Names' Sake-that's purpose!

Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death-that's testing!

I will fear no evil-that's protection!

For You are with me-that's faithfulness!

Your rod and your staff they comfort me-that's discipline!

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies-that's hope!

You anoint my head with oil-that's consecration!

My cup runs over-that's abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life-that's blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord-that's security!

Forever-that's eternity!