More Quotes

“It is better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand days as a lamb.”
Roman Proverb

“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as if everything is.”
Albert Einstein

“The true measure of an individual is how he treats a person who can do him absolutely no good.”
Ann Landers

“If you let your head get too big, it’ll break your neck.”
Elvis Presley

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Mucho Mas

He’s From Texas

Guiliani Received Communion at the Papal Mass, What Could Go Wrong?

Rudy Guliani should not be receiving communion for a number of reasons and so he did, creating something of a public scandal.  I’ll leave you to read these two short articles.

For me, what struck me initially was Guliani’s attitude that “his faith ‘is a deeply personal matter and should remain confidential.’ “  I disagree with this because our faith calls us to community, i.e. calls us into the Body of Christ.  Something that is not personal but communual.  We also have a personal aspect of our faith, that says we personally receive faith, we also personally take responsibility for our fidelity to God.  However, our faith in God calls us to communion: to love God, and then our neighbor as ourself.  We must always remember that it is Christ’s ministry, Christ’s Church, Christ’s Body.   All that is good in Christ will draw us into Communion with God and those that truly love God faithfully.

MSNBC reports
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24359892/
Cardinal: Giuliani wrong to take Communion
Egan says pro-choice ex-mayor violated ‘understanding’ during pope’s visit

Catholic World News
http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=58113
The Forum: Cardinal Egan’s rebuke to Giuliani: important subtleties

New Teacher

My dad sent this to me, and it is so true for those who teach in public schools.

NEW TEACHER

After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching prospect said, ‘Let me see if I’ve got this right: You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct their disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning.

You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride.

You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job.

You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the state exams. You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English and Spanish by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card.

You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps.

You want me to do all this and then you tell me, ‘I can’t pray?’

 

Happiness

 

I am happy enough today, but I wish I was this happy.

click here for more photos like this

It’s my day off

Okay, a little humor for your day.  All I can say is that sometimes we do what we shouldn’t, and sometimes we take delight in it. We always pay the price.  In this case, it is innocent enough.

and another

and the best for last,
the drowning painter

 

 

All Leading to The Cross

Hello everyone, my name is Paul and I’m a new blogger for the Jesus Walk.  I’m very excited and will be trying to write as much as I can.  I’m not sure if we have something to do with a theme for each mass or something, or religous event?  To be honest, I thought this the best way to help me start writing again.  It’s been almost a year since I’ve put pen to …. well in this case finger to keyboard.  So, I thought I’d free write a short flash fiction.  I think that God blessed me with something and I’d like to put it to use for His will.  I feel I need to clear my thoughts and gain a better perspective of life.  I’ve been writing for four years now, so I’m still pretty much one of the “melodramatic, not yet found their own voice writer.”  But every writer is his/her own worst critic.  I hope you enjoy what I have not yet written.

—–

Everytime we did this, my mother and I, my leg would always jump up and down, it was almost over.  I could tell, because fifteen minutes had gone by.  It was hard to concentrate when all you were saying was the same thing over and over again.  I thought it funny how such a beautiful thing could be so boring.  One of the heads of the beaded necklace was pinched, securely covered by my index finger and thumb.  Just alot more beads to go.  I knew this was a special moment, but I thought the sound and sight of my brother playing my gameboy was going to haunt me for the rest of my life.

“These beads which hang from your hand are pure love,” my mother said, “think of it as a song from our Blessed Mother.”  All I could think about was how good the beads smelled.  She continued, “Each one, a rose with no thorns, pure love connected never ending.  All leading to the cross, to Jesus, mijo.”  And so, I began to pray.  I began to let the scent of each rose take over me.  I began to listen to the Blessed Mother’s voice through my mother’s voice.  I began to hold each bead tighter and closer to my chin.

I remember this because each bead, each small, yet powerful bead led me to the cross.  I found a path that my thoughts, mouth and heart could walk without ever leaving my seat.

Keep My Commandments

From today’s Gospel reading… “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” John 14:15

We are always reminded at work that when we give instructions to our kids, to say what they need to do and NOT what they should not do.  A common example is when there is a puddle along our walkway, instead of saying ‘Don’t walk in the puddle,’ which could be interpreted as ‘Jump in the puddle’ or ‘Run in the puddle,’ we would simply say ‘Walk around the puddle.’  Or if someone is hitting, instead of saying ‘No hitting,’ which would still keep the aggression open to kicking or biting, we would simply say ‘You need to have safe hands.’

I want to share from Mark Hart’s ‘Blessed Are The Bored in Spirit’ a parallel interpretation of what we are called to do, and not as much as what we should not do from the Ten Commandments.  This is in no way meant to disregard the Ten Commandments.

‘I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, that place of slavery.  You shall not have other gods besides me.’ –
Be single-hearted towards me.
‘You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain.’ –
Be reverent in speech and conduct.
‘Take care to keep holy the sabbath day as the LORD, your God, commanded you.’ –
Keep priorities.
‘Honor your father and your mother’ –
Be respectful and obedient.
‘You shall not kill.’ –
Defend life, womb to tomb.
‘You shall not commit adultery.’ –
Be faithful to vocation, future spouse.
‘You shall not steal.’ –
Be trustworthy.
‘You shall not bear dishonest witness against your neighbor.’ –
Be honest in word and deed.
‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.’ –
Have only pure admiration.
‘You shall not desire your neighbor’s house or field, nor his male or female slave, nor his ox or ass, nor anything that belongs to him.’ –
Be grateful for what you possess.

Quotes from Deuteronomy 5:6-21

It’s Much More Than Just A Cinderella Story

As a child, I read much of fairytales, of princesses, of happily-ever-afters, of wishing upon a star.  At the same time, I was beginning to learn about the life of Jesus, of Mary and Joseph, of a baby born in a manger, of miracles of multiplication of bread, of death and resurrection, of Our Father in heaven.  What I recently realized is I’ve blended all these stories in one category, one of hope and love.  I’ve unfortunately also mistakenly believed them all as just made up, implausible, although the Life of Jesus story comes with more strength in content, and we have this worldwide community that truly believe it to have really happened.  Do I believe it?  Sometimes I still treat it as a fairytale that gives me hope when in despair.

O Lord Jesus, I believe, HELP MY UNBELIEF!

Happy Earth Day…Week…

I know it’s a little late, but in the honor of Earth Day I thought I’d share a little fact I just recently learned from a affinity group blog here at the WB…

Did you know that if you bring your used cup back to Starbucks, they will re-fill it with house coffee for only 50 cents?! You save $1.35 & you keep one more cup & lid out of the landfill.

Drink Tea?? Bring your used cup back to Starbucks where a tea bag and hot water is only 40 cents. Such a deal!

For all the crazy coffee addicts that I know you all are, here’s a good way to help the enviornment and save some money too!!