Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Holy Spirit Interactive in the Family

How do we allow the Holy Spirit to interact with us everyday in our family relationships? We believe that he is really present in our hearts and lives. Outside of prayer time, how often are we aware of his loving, gentle presence? How much do we allow him to interact with us through each other? God is love and where there is love, there is God. The sacred life-giving love of spouses and parents is a sacramental sign of God's presence and creative action. When two or more are gathered together in Jesus' name, he is in their midst. Is this not true when spouses, parents and children are gathered together in Jesus' name?

The Holy Spirit is a real person, a Divine person, a gentle person who never forces himself on us. As we come to know him better and acknowledge our need for him, we will listen to his gentle inspirations. We will allow him to transform us, empower us and act through our weaknesses too. He loves each one of us as we are and in the state of life in which God calls us.

....To read the whole article click here: Holy Spirit Interactive in the Family....

Monday, July 23, 2007

The Feast of St. Sharbel



St. Sharbel (also spelled Charbel) is a saint of the Maronite Catholic Church. His feast day is July 24th. He was canonized by Pope Paul VI on October 9, 1977.

Here is what the Holy Father had to say about St. Sharbel:

"...a hermit of the Lebanese mountain is inscribed in the number of the blessed, a new eminent member of monastic sanctity is enriching, by his example and his intercession, the entire Christian people. May he make us understand, in a world largely fascinated by wealth and comfort, the paramount value of poverty, penance and asceticism, to liberate the soul in its ascent to God..."

To read more about St. Sharbel visit Charbel.org.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The 3rd Annual Podcast Awards

Nominations are under review. Once voting starts you may want to vote for the catholic podcasts that make up the SQPN network. Check out SQPN.COM for more info.


Great Quote from Blessed Mother Teresa

Do you really know the living Jesus - not from books but from being with Him in your heart? Have you heard the loving words he speaks to you?

Ask for the grace; he is longing to give it.

Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able hear Him saying, "I thirst" in the hearts of the poor.

Never give up daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person - not just the idea.

--Taken from When Did We See You, Lord? by Bishop Robert J. Baker & Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

This is a fantastic quote that cuts to the heart of the matter in our relationship with Jesus. Jesus is REAL! He loves us and wants to be in a personal relationship with each of us. We simply need to open our hearts and SPEND TIME with Him in prayer.

May all of us dedicate time to Jesus every day!

Monday, July 16, 2007

Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

21 years ago today, I had an experience of the Holy Spirit that changed my life. I experienced what is referred to as the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. The late Fr. Harold Cohen explained this experience as a "stirring up of the Holy Spirit that you have already received." He used the image of chocolate milk. The Holy Spirit is like the chocolate. If you pour Hersey's Chocolate into a glass of milk, what does it do? It sinks to the bottom and has no effect on the milk. In order to change the milk into chocolate milk you need to stir it up! Many times people can receive the Holy Spirit in the Sacrament of Confirmation, but the Holy Spirit just sinks to the bottom of their hearts. We have a role to play here! We need to stir into flame the gift of the Holy Spirit!

For more information on the Holy Spirit and stirring the Spirit into flame, go here.

For more information on Our Lady of Mount Carmel, go here.



God bless you!

The Holy Spirit can set you on FIRE!