Ghouls

You ask why my anger burns and why I feel like ramming my fist through a wall

When my people are maimed and slaughtered just for living their normal lives Victims of blasts of fire and metal Caught innocently in moments of diversion

The perpetrators aren't human but ghouls instead What's worse --- they bite the hand that feeds them

You can stand idly by and calmly say "I'm not from that part of the country" But our land comprises many people who share common values and heritage

So the eagle watches them from above The eye in the sky won't let them escape See them running like the cowards they are Others wouldn't want to be in their shoes

It's just a matter of time before they're snared Justice will then undeniably be served

One more example of why freedom must be paid for with eternal vigilence Truth Seeker

Our Deeds Count

Our Deeds Count

Ps 62:12 NIV
12 and that you, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.

Eccl 12:14 NIV
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.

Matt 5:16 NIV
16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Matt 7:16-20 NIV
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

Matt 10:42 NIV
42 And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

Matt 16:27 NIV
27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

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Matt 25:31-46 NIV
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

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Matt 26:10 NIV
10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, "Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me.

Acts 26:20 NIV
20 First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.

Rom 2:5-10 NIV
6 God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7 To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8 But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9 There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

1 Cor 3:8 NIV
8 The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

2 Cor 5:10 NIV
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Gal 6:7-10 NIV
7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Phil 2:12 NIV
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,

1 Tim 6:18-19 NIV
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

2 Tim 4:7-8 NIV
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Titus 3:8 NIV
8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Heb 6:10-12 NIV
10 God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them. 11 We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, in order to make your hope sure. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.

James 2:14-17 NIV
14 What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

1 Peter 1:17 NIV
17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man's work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.

Rev 2:23 NIV
23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Rev 20:13 NIV
13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

Rev 22:12 NIV
12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.

The Riches From Above

The Riches From Above

The riches coming from above
are worth their weight in gold,
for joy and peace and faith and love
are things that can't be sold.

For everybody has a gift
of mind and heart and soul,
a gift that gives us all a lift
and makes our spirits whole.

For fame and fortune, wealth and power,
do not contentment bring -
they last a short and fleeting hour
and are a passing thing.

And all the goods that dollars buy
will into dust decay,
but good that comes from God on high
will never pass away.

Alvin Finkelstein

The Proof of Our Love For Jesus

The Proof of Our Love For Jesus

John 21:15-17 NIV

15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

16 Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

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Jesus is only interested in one quality in our resume
That quality is our love for Him and our fellow man
We may think we can show our love with mere fancy words
However, Jesus can see through our facade
When Jesus asks for a commitment from us as he did with Peter
In our job descriptions - he expects us to keep our promises

Truth Seeker

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Light Not Darkness

Light Not Darkness

1 John 2:9-11 NIV
9 Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

Love in Action

Love in Action

1 John 4:20-21 NIV
20 If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Rom 12:19-21 NIV
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Oh God, Help Me To Remember

Oh God, Help Me To Remember

Oh, God, when I have food
help me to remember the hungry,
When I have work
help me to remember the jobless,
When I have a warm home
help me to remember the homeless,
When I am without pain
help me to remember those who suffer;
And remembering
help me to destroy my complacency
and bestir my compassion.
Make me concerned enough to help
by word and deed, those who cry out
For what we take for granted.

Unknown Author

My Earnest Prayer

My Earnest Prayer

Today, I pray for others, Lord,
Who seem less blessed than I,
That in your love and mercy,
You'll heed their desperate cry.

For those depressed and lonely,
Please be their constant guide...
And show them they are not alone,
For You are by their side!

For those in pain of body...
Dear Lord, please make them whole,
And those who doubt... increase their faith;
Reveal their glorious soul!

Feed those who live in hunger,
House those who have no home,
And free this world from hatred;
Show us we all are one.

Dear Lord, thank you for listening,
And answering this prayer,
This world seems much less frightening,
Just knowing that You care.

Deborah A. Doyle

Our Lives At Sea

Our Lives At Sea

God puts us on a lifeboat
Whose purpose is to promote
Our spiritual improvement
Living our lives as He meant

With our family and others
We're all to live as brothers
Learning from our mistakes
To do this... for heaven's sakes

The waters may at times be rough
Proving we're really not so tough
Don't lose sight of God waiting on the shore
Soon you'll see what Providence has in store

At times some may go overboard
In saving them lies a great reward
Our Lord watches over our strife
Reaching out to us to save our life

Rowing toward the same heavenly goal
Is the way to save our eternal soul
If we let faith, hope and love be our beacon
Our resolve will never weaken

Truth Seeker

Rainbows

Rainbows

Some folks I know have narrow views
Of life that close them in.
And they continually await
Misfortune to begin.
They never see the sunshine,
But they always find the rain.
They've frowned so much they can't recall
How laughter sounds again.

Instead of seeing each new day
A bright and shining thing,
They face the dawn and wonder what
New sorrow it will bring.
They squeeze out every ounce of joy,
Within the hearts of those
Who seek to cheer their lonely lives,
Why? Only heaven knows.

They put a price on everything,
And say that "nothing's free",
And end up being miserable
As anyone can be.
They haven't learned the secret
That life is more than just
Accumulating lots of things,
That fall apart with rust.

For life is more than gathering
What someday we must leave.
Each one of us needs principles
In which we can believe.
It's not so much the getting,
If we don't know how to share.
For only love can turn the rain
... To rainbows, everywhere.

Grace E. Easley

Nobility

Nobility

True worth is in being, not seeming, ---
In doing, each day that goes by,
Some little good --- not in dreaming
Of great things to do by and by.

For whatever men say in their blindness,
And spite of the fancies of youth,
There's nothing so kingly as kindness,
And nothing so royal as truth.

We get back our mete as we measure ---
We cannot do wrong and feel right,
Nor can we give pain and gain pleasure,
For justice avenges each slight.

We cannot make bargains for blisses,
Nor catch them like fishes in nets;
And sometimes the thing our life misses
Helps more than the thing which it gets.

For good lieth not in pursuing,
Nor gaining of great nor of small,
But just in the doing, and doing
As we would be done by, is all.

Alice Cary

More or Less

More or Less










Philip 4:11b-13 NIV
11b I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

The God of All Comfort

The God of All Comfort

2 Cor 1:3-5 NIV
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

True Love vs the Hollywood Type

True Love vs the Hollywood Type

1 Corinthians 13:4-7,13 NIV
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Pray the Rosary - Daily!

Pray the Rosary - Daily!













The Fifteen Promises of the Virgin Mary
to those who recite the Rosary

1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against hell, it will destroy vice, decrease sin, and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of people from the love of the world and its vanities, and will lift them to the desire of eternal things. Oh, that souls would sanctify themselves by this means.
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary, shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plentitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the Saints in Paradise.
9. I shall deliver from purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my children, and brothers and sisters of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion of my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

Blessings of the Rosary

1. Sinners are forgiven.
2. Souls that thirst are refreshed.
3. Those who are fettered have their bonds broken.
4. Those who weep find happiness
5. Those who are tempted find peace.
6. The poor find help.
7. Religious are reformed.
8. Those who are ignorant are instructed.
9. The living learn to overcome pride.
10. The dead (the Holy Souls) have their pains eased by suffrages.

Benefits of the Rosary

1. It gradually gives us a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ.
2. It purifies our souls, washing away sin.
3. It gives us victory over all our enemies.
4. It makes it easy for us to practice virtue.
5. It sets us on fire with love of Our Lord.
6. It enriches us with graces and merits.
7. It supplies us with what is needed to pay all our debts to God and to our fellow men; and finally, it obtains all kinds of graces for us from Almighty God.

St. Padre Pio, Divine Mercy and the Earthquake in Haiti

http://www.spiritofmedjugorje.org/feb2010.htm

St. Padre Pio, Divine Mercy and the Earthquake in Haiti

By June Klins

I have a fire in my heart for the salvation of souls. So, years ago, when a friend told me that a priest had shared with her a type of prayer he called "anticipatory prayer,” my interest was piqued. My friend told me that anticipatory prayer means that you can pray for good results for something after it has already happened, because for God there is no time, and He knew you were going to pray! Fr. John Corapi spoke about this at a conference I attended a few years ago, when someone asked a question about praying for a person who had committed suicide. Since Fr. Corapi was given, by Pope John Paul II, the title "apostolic teacher" -- meaning he speaks with the authority of the apostles -- this confirmed for me what I had heard earlier about anticipatory prayer.

Recently I was reading the book, The Holy Souls," by Fr. Alessio Parente, OFM, Cap. Father Parente chronicles St. Padre Pio's relationship with the dead. In Chapter 46. St. Padre Pio spoke about praying for the happy death of a young girl who had already died. St. Pio said, "For the Lord, the past does not exist; the future does not exist. Everything is an eternal present. Those prayers had already been taken into account. And so I repeat that even now I can pray for the happy death of my great grandfather!"
Fr. Parente commented at the end of this chapter, "There is a very important moral to be learned here, and it is that we should always pray for the deceased, even those who have died many years ago, because for God there is neither a past nor a future, but all is the eternal present."
After I read this, I began praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet (a powerful prayer that Jesus told St. Faustina to pray for the dying) for all of my great grandparents, and then began working on my great-great grandparents. I have a list and check it off after I pray for each person. (I had already had Gregorian Masses said for all my grandparents years ago.)
One morning two weeks after the earthquake in Haiti, I felt very driven to share this, so we can all pray for the salvation of those who died in Haiti. I have been doing that every day since the earthquake. If we all do that every day for a month, and pass this along to others, we should be able to cover everyone. And then maybe we can do the same for the victims of the tsunami and other natural disasters….

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, Who wants all men to be saved …” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

Wealth Can Hold Us Back

Wealth Can Hold Us Back

Eccl 5:10 NIV
10 Whoever loves money never has money enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income.
This too is meaningless.

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Matthew 6:24 NIV
24 "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Matthew 19:23-24 NIV
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Mark 10:23 NIV
23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"

Luke 18:24-25 NIV
24 Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25 Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

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Mark 13:43-44 NIV

43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything — all she had to live on."

Luke 21:1-4 NIV
1 As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. 2 He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. 3 "I tell you the truth," he said, "this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 4 All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on."

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1 Tim 6:10 NIV
10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Heb 13:5 NIV
5 Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you."

It's an Obscenity

It's an Obscenity
by Truth Seeker

For a long time, I've prayed to St. Lucy
that God grant our family
healthy eyes and very good eyesight
so that we can see what He wants us to see
and not see what He doesn't want us to see

Now, with all the images of the Haiti quake,
I find myself not wanting to open my eyes.
It's an obscenity to look, Lord,
but He tells me " OPEN AND LOOK !"

After all, I can only donate so much;
I can only pray so much but,
I can certainly LOOK and FEEL.
With this I can show that I AM ALIVE
and that I CARE.

If I change channels to a football game,
game show or other entertainment program
I feel that I am turning my back on this tragedy.

What an unfortunate lot we humans must draw sometimes - - -
being born in Haiti against being born in the USA.
And yet, I must believe,
appearances are not always as they seem.
The Haitian people have suffered through hell
for over 200 years and now this.
As Galatians 6:7 says: "A man reaps what he sows."
I must say, many Haitians won't be reaping any good
in this world but most certainly in the next.

God bless Haiti and its people. Amen.

Help One

Help One
by Truth Seeker

I asked God:

Lord, how can I help the hungry? He said, " Feed one."
Lord, how can I help the sick? He said, " Heal one."
Lord, how can I help the pained? He said, " Comfort one."
Lord, how can I help the sorrowful? He said, " Cheer one."
Lord, how can I help the crying? He said, " Console one."
Lord, how can I help the lonely? He said, " Accompany one."
Lord, how can I help the dying? He said, " Pray for one."
Lord, how can I help the world? He said, " Help one."

Judge Not

Matthew 7:1-5 NIV
1 "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

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John 8:3-11 NIV
3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"
11 "No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."