"O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hands." ~ Isaiah 64-7
Like a tree, we must be pruned of a lot of dead branches before we will be read y to bear good fruit. We can think of changed people as trees which have be en stripped of their old branches, pruned, cut and bare. But through the dark, seemingly dead branches flow silently and secretly. With the new sap comes new life. With the sun of spring, there are new leaves, buds, blo ssoms, and fruit, many times better because of the pruning. We are in the hands of the Master Gardener, who makes no mistakes in His pruning. ~ Fr. Pat Umberger
Pray that we may cut away the dead branches of our liv es. Pray that we may not mind the pruning, since it helps us to bea r good fruit later.
Choose one area of your prayer life which might benefit from attention, such as repentance, faith, zeal, relationship, boldness, humility, contentedness, concern for God's honor. H...
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All day event
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"If anyone should cause one of these little ones to lose fai th in me, (woe to that person)>" ~ Mark 9:42
A skinny boy w ith a shoeshine kit stood at the edge of a sidewalk cafe. A woman felt a su rge of admiration for him for trying to be a man and earn a living. Just th en a man charged out of the cafe, grabbed the boy, and threw him like a b ag of garbage out into the street.
The women's heart went out for the boy. Why did the man treat the boy so brutally? He hadn't picked a nybody's pocket. He hadn't stolen anyone's purse. He hadn't tried to sell d rugs.
As the boy limped off, ashamed and humiliated; the di ners went back to eating. The woman wondered: "How will this cruel experien ce affect his attitude toward work and people? ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Ho w would you have reacted if you had witnessed this incident? Now, in retro spect, how should a Catholic gentleman react?
"Give us clear vision that we may know where to stand ...
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"The greatest love you can have for his friends is to give y our life for them." ~ John 15:13
PFC Milton Lee Olive III sacrif iced his own life to save four fellow soldiers during the Vietnam War. An e nemy grenade landed in the midst of five soldiers. Without thinking twice, Olive smothered it with his own body. In awarding him the Medal of Honor p osthumously, President Lyndon Johnson said:
"In that incredible bri ef moment... in which he decided to die, he put others first and himself l ast. I have always believed that to be the hardest but the highest decision that any man is called upon to make." ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What is on e of the hardest decisions you were ever called upon to make? What helped y ou make it?
"If you limit your choices only to what seems possibl e or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and al l that is left is compromise." ~ Robert Fritz
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All day event
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"Love is patient and kind.... Love never gives up." ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4,7
Alan Loy McGinnis tells this story about the aut hor Dr. Norman Lobsenz. Young Norman's wife was in the midst of a serious i llness, and the ordeal was taking its toll on Norman. One night he was on the verge of collapse when, suddenly, he recalled an incident from his ch ildhood. One night when his mother had taken ill, Norman got up around mid night to get a drink of water. As he passed his parents' bedroom, he saw h is father sitting in a chair on his mother's side of the bed. She seemed fa st asleep. Norman rushed into the room and cried, "Daddy, is Mom worse?" "No, Norman," his father said softly, "I'm just sitting here watching ov er her, in case she wakes and need something."
That long-forgotten incident from his childhood gave Norman all the strength he needed to carry on. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What episode from your childhood is a source of strength for you?
"The pains of love b...
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"The LORD is... in this place, and I didn't know it." ~ Genesis 28:16
During World War II, Eddie Rickenbacker and a crew o f seven crashed into the Pacific. All supplies were lost, except for four small oranges. After eight days, it rained and they were able to collect a supply of water to drink. On another occasion, a seagull landed on Ricken backer's head. He caught it for food, which they all shared. After 21 days , rescue came. One of the things that kept them going was a prayer session each day. A prayer they prayed often was Psalm 139.
"Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence? ....If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the w est, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to he lp me" (Psalm 139:7, 9-10) ~ Mark Link, S.J.
Can you rec all a time when your Brother Knights were gathered in prayer and you sensed the Father's presence in a special way?
"C...
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All day event
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"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall troubl e or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" ~ Romans 8:35
Christ, be with me, Christ before me, Christ behi nd me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ o n my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit , Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me, Christ in e very eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me, Salvation is of the LORD, Salvation is of the LORD, Salvation is of the Chri st, May your salvation, O LORD, be ever with us. ~ St. Patrick, A Prayer
Patrick was a humble, pious, gentle man, whose total devo tion and trust in God should be a shining example to every Knight. He feare d nothing, not even death. How can we emulate St. Patrick's complete trust in God?
"The love of God and his fear grew in me more and...
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All day event
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St. Patrick, Bishop
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6:00am-7:00am
Location:
Ave Maria Catholic Church, 9056 E Parker Rd, Parker, CO 80138, USA
Description:
Hot breakfast at 5:45 am followed by discussion. Please join
us. For more information contact Brad Riddell at 303-548-
6184 or Bill Was serman at 954-817-5706.
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All day event
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"Why should God reward you if you love only the people who l ove you? Even the pagans do that ... Be perfect just as your Father in heav en is." ~ Matthew 5:48
Gandhi was the guiding star and architect of India's independence. For over 20 years he opposed British rule with pr ograms of nonviolent disobedience. Toward the end of his life, he got many death threats. This caused a friend to quip:
"The saints in heaven have been awaiting Gandhi's arrival for sometime now, bu he's makin g them wait. He's working on his dream of bringing a bit of heaven's perfec tion to earth before he leaves for heaven."
On January 30, 1948, G andhi was hot by an extremist, who didn't share his dream of getting India 's factions to live together in mutual love and harmony. ~ Mark Link, S.J.
What bit of heaven's perfection can we as Knights dream of leaving before we depart for heaven?
"It is not a calamity to die with dr eams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not...
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All day event
Description:
St. Cyril of Jerusaleam, Bishop & Doctor of the Church
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All day event
Location:
Our Lady of the Visitation, 34201 Co Rd 33, Kiowa, CO 80117, U SA