Great Article

I loved this article by Fr Joe.He says....

"JESUS BEGAN the most famous sermon ever preached saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit...” A rich man becomes poor in spirit if he uses his wealth to care for others. A poor man is not poor in spirit if he wastes his salary getting drunk.

When Jesus exalted poverty, he was not promoting a life of begging on the streets. Nor did he want his disciples to live in slums. He was not praising the kind of poverty that feels like dirt and smells like sewage.

He did not praise the poor for being poor. He praised the poor in spirit. He did not praise poverty but the virtue of poverty.
Jesus wanted to lift the poor out of their poverty.

In the parable about Lazarus, the rich man did not end up in hell for being rich; he was sent to the eternal fire because he did nothing to help a neighbour dying of hunger.

Jesus was asking his disciples to acquire habits necessary to live the way that he lived. He said that the “Son of Man has no where to lay his head.” But he also said that the “worker deserves his wages.”

He advised his disciples not to worry about food and clothing, but he ate like everyone else and wore a seamless garment.
St Paul said, “As long as we have food and clothing, let us be content with that.”

It is not money itself that is evil but the anxiety for more and ever more money. “People who long to be rich are a prey to temptation; they get trapped into all sorts of foolish and dangerous ambitions which eventually plunge them into ruin and destruction.”

Spending money to make other people think you’re rich is a vice. If you want to be poor in spirit, start by overcoming the impulse to spend money just because you have money. Maybe you could use that money for someone in need.

Every time you’re about to make a purchase, even if it’s something small, ask yourself: “Do I really need to buy this now?” You’ll be amazed at the number of times you might comfortably survive a whole year without something you thought was absolutely necessary.

Eventually you’ll discover the secret of true poverty.

You’ll begin to ask: “What does my family need? What can I do to help others?”

Jesus promised to reward those willing to change and live this virtue. He said, “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” He opened our eyes to treasures that this world cannot offer – God’s love and life everlasting.

These treasures are only for those who overcome the tendency to be selfish with their money and their possessions."

Are you poor because it is your fate or because you want it.

NEED TO READ THIS...

A step by step guide to installing love on the human machine. 

Customer: I can do that. I'm not very technical, but I think I am ready to install now. What do I do first? 

Tech Support: The first step is to open your HEART. Have you located your HEART ma'am?
Customer: Yes I have, but there are several programs running right now. Is it okay to install while they are running? 

Tech Support: What programs are running ma'am? 

Customer: Let me see... I have PASTHURT.EXE, LOWESTEEM.EXE, GRUDGE.EXE, and RESENTMENT.COM running right now. 

Tech Support: No problem. LOVE will automatically erase PASTHURT.EXE from your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory, but it will no longer disrupt other programs. LOVE will eventually overwrite LOWESTEEM.EXE with a module of its own called HIGHESTEEM.EXE However,you have to completely turn off GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM. Those programs prevent LOVE from being properly installed. Can you turn those off ma'am? 

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how? 

Tech Support: My pleasure. Go to your Start menu and invoke FORGIVENESS.EXE. Do this as many times as necessary until GRUDGE.EXE and RESENTMENT.COM have been completely erased. 

Customer: Okay, I'm done. LOVE has started installing itself automatically. Is that normal? 

Tech Support: Yes it is. You should receive a message that says it will reinstall for the life of your HEART. Do you see that message? 

Customer: Yes I do. Is it completely installed?


Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program. You need to begin connecting to other HEARTS in order to get the upgrades. 

Customer: Oops...I have an error message already. What should I do? 

Tech Support: What does the message say? 

Customer: It says "ERROR 412 - PROGRAM NOT RUN ON INTERNAL COMPONENTS". What does that mean? 

Tech Support: Don't worry ma'am, that's a common problem.It means that the LOVE program is set up to run on external HEARTS but has not yet been run on your HEART. It is one of those complicated programming things, but in non-technical terms it means - "you have to 'LOVE' your own machine before it can "LOVE" others." 

Customer: So what should I do?


Tech Support: Can you find the directory called "SELF-ACCEPTANCE"? 

Customer: Yes, I have it. 

Tech Support: Excellent, you are getting good at this. 

Customer: Thank you. 

Tech Support : You're welcome. Click on the following files and then copy them to the "MYHEART" directory: FORGIVESELF.DOC, SELFESTEEM.TXT, REALIZEWORTH.TXT, and GOODNESS.DOC. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching any faulty programming. Also, you need to delete SELFCRITIC.EXE from all directories, and then empty your recycle bin afterwards to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back. 

Customer: Got it. Hey! My HEART is filling up with really neat files. SMILE.MPG is playing on my monitor right now and it shows that WARMTH.COM, PEACE.EXE, and CONTENTMENT.COM are copying themselves all over my HEART! 

Tech Support: Then LOVE is installed and running. You should be able to handle it from here. One more thing before I go 

Customer: Yes? 

Tech Support: LOVE is freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everybody you meet.They will in turn share it with other people and they will return some really neat modules back to you. 

Customer: I will. Thank you for your help

I ASKED GOD

I asked God to take away my pain.
God said, "No, It is not for me to take away, but for you to give it up". 

I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, "No, her spirit was whole, her body was only temporary". 

I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, "No, patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is earned". 

I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, "No, I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you". 

I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, "No, suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to me". 

I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, "No, you must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful". 

I asked for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, "No, I will give you life so that you may enjoy all things". 

I ask God to help me love others, as much as he loves me.
God said, "... Ahhhh, finally you have the idea".

DON'T

Don't think that no ones loved you,
because they've turned away.
Don't feel they didn't care for you,
because they couldn't stay.
Don't damn the world for not returning
the love you feel you've given.
Don't hate the one that you were yearning for,
because he couldn't make a commitment.
Just think of him as experience,
and think how much you've grown.
Think of him as the sacred prince
who placed you on a throne.Think of your plans of now and forever,
and hold them in your heart.
And don't let yourself feel so much hate,
For when you're both at Heaven's gate,
that man will be your brother.

The Greatest Love Of All

This is a true story that happened in Japan. In order to renovate the house, someone in Japan tear open the wall.

Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between the wooden walls.

When tearing down the walls, he found that there was a lizard stucked there because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet.

He sees this, feels pity and at the same time curious, as when he checked the nail, it was nailed 10 years ago when the house was first built.

What happened? The lizard has survived in such position for 10 years!?!! In a dark wall partition for 10 years without moving,it is impossible and mind boggling.

Then he wondered, how this lizard survived for 10 years without moving a single step - since its feet was nailed!

So, he stopped his work and observed the lizard,what has it been doing and what has it been eating? Later, don't know from where appears another lizard,with food in its mouth... AHHH!

He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stucked by nail, another lizard has been feeding it for the past 10 years...

Such a love, such a beautiful love!! Such love happened even on this tiny creature. What can love do? It can do wonders!! Love can do miracles!!

Imagine it has been doing it for a tiresome 10 yrs, without giving up hope on its partner. Imagine what a small creature can do that a creature blessed with the brilliant mind can't.

September 11 ( 9/11 ) Story

"You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news On September 11, 2001. Neither will I. I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say "Good-Bye." I held his fingers steady as he dialed. I gave him the peace to say, "Honey, I am not going to make it, but it is OK...I am ready to go."

I was with his wife when he called as she fed breakfast to their children. I held her up as she tried to understand his words and as she realized he wasn't coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to Me for help. "I have been knocking on the door of your heart for 50 years!" I said. "Of course I will show you the way home - only believe in Me now."

I was at the base of the building with the Priest ministering to the injured and devastated souls. I took him home to tend to his Flock in Heaven. He heard my voice and answered.

I was on all four of those planes, in every seat, with every prayer. I was with the crew as they were overtaken. I was in the very hearts of the believers there, comforting and assuring them that their faith has saved them.

I was in Texas, Kansas, London. I was standing next to you when you heard the terrible news. Did you sense Me?

I want you to know that I saw every face. I knew every name - ! though not all know Me. Some met Me for the first time on the 86th floor.

Some sought Me with their last breath.

Some couldn't hear Me calling to them through the smoke and flames; "Come to Me... this way... take my hand." Some chose, for the final time, to ignore Me.

But, I was there.

I did not place you in the Tower that day. You may not know why, but I do. However, if you were there in that explosive moment in time, would you have reached for Me?

September 11, 2001 was not the end of the journey for you. But someday your journey will end. And I will be there for you as well. Seek Me now while I may be found. Then, at any moment, you know you ! are "ready to go."

I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

God.

AMAZING LOVE

The brand new pastor and his wife, newly assigned to their first ministry, to reopen a church in urban Brooklyn, arrived in early October excited about their opportunities. When they saw their church, it was very run down and needed much work.

They set a goal to have everything done in time to have their first service on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc. and on Dec. 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished.

On December 19 a terrible tempest - a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sunk when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 6 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. The pastor cleaned up the mess on the floor, and not knowing what else to do but postpone the Christmas Eve service, headed home.

On the way he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity so he stopped in. One of the items was a beautiful, hand-made, ivory colored, crochet tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a Cross-embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover up the hole in the front wall. He bought it and headed back to the church.

By this time it had started to snow. An older woman running from the opposite direction was trying to catch the bus. She missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he got a ladder, hangers, etc. to put up the tablecloth as a wall tapestry. The pastor could hardly believe how beautiful it looked and it covered up the entire problem area. Then he noticed the woman walking down the center aisle. Her face was like a sheet.

"Pastor," she asked, "Where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained. The woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials, EBG were crochet into it there. They were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. The woman could hardly believe it as the pastor told how he had just gotten the tablecloth. The woman explained that before the war she and here husband were well-to-do people in Austria. When the Nazis came, she was forced to leave. Her husband was going to follow her the next week. She was captured, sent to prison and never saw her husband or her home again.

The pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. The pastor insisted on driving her home. That was the least he could do. She lived on the other side of Staten Island and was only in Brooklyn for the day for a housecleaning job.

What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full. The music and the spirit were great. At the end of the service, the pastor and his wife greeted everyone at the door and many said that they would return. One older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood, continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he was not leaving.

The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war and how could there be two tablecloths so much alike? He told the pastor how the Nazis came, how he forced his wife to flee for here safety, and he was supposed to follow her, but he was arrested and put in a concentration camp. He never saw his wife or his home again for all the 35 years in between.

The pastor asked him if he would allow him to take him for a little ride. They drove to Staten Island and to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He helped the man climb the three flights of stairs to the woman's apartment, knocked on the door and the pastor saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.