Music Is An Antidepressant

Music Is An Antidepressant

1 Sam 16:14-23 NIV

14 Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.

15 Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 16 Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better."

17 So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me."

18 One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him."

19 Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." 20 So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul.

21 David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. 22 Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him."

23 Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

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"Music hath charms to soothe the savage beast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak." - William Congreve

Omnipresence

Omnipresence

Matt 8:8-13 NIV
8 The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it."
10 When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, "I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. 11 I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.

Matt 15:28 NIV
28 Then Jesus answered, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Mark 7:29-30 NIV
29 Then he told her, "For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter."
30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Luke 7:6-10 NIV
He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed.
8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

Luke 17:14 NIV
14 When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

John 4:50-53 NIV
50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.
52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

John 8:58 NIV
58 "I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

Open and Shut Case

Open and Shut Case

Matt 16:18-19 NIV
18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven , and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."

Matt 18:18 NIV
18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven , and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

Isa 22:20-23 NIV
20 "In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

Rev 3:7 NIV
7 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.

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I think the above can apply to many things but,
in this case, I'm thinking of the canonization of saints
by the Catholic Church.

Protestants believe that all "born again" believers are saints -
both the living and the dead.

Catholics, on the other hand,
acknowledge themselves to be sinners which is why...

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Luke 5:31-32 NIV
31 Jesus answered them, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor , but the sick. 32 I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Luke 15:7 NIV
7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

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Catholics ascribe sainthood to persons
who led exemplary and sacrificial lives.

The Catholic Church meticulously investigates
such persons and, when it makes a decision,
it is binding.

Truth Seeker

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http://www.catholic.org/saints/faq.php#num

Canonization does not "make" a person a saint; it recognizes what God has already done.

Though canonization is infallible and irrevocable, it takes a long time and a lot of effort. So while every person who is canonized is a saint, not every holy person has been canonized. You have probably known many "saints" in your life, and you are called by God to be one yourself.

Little Prayer

Little Prayer

Dear Lord thank You for today,
Walk beside me all the way,
Keep me safe from all that would
Cause me heartache if it could.
Guard my eyes, and ears, and lips,
Give me strength to come to grips
With each problem I must face,
And some courage, just in case.

Never let my footsteps stray,
'Lest perhaps I lose the way,
And whatever may befall,
Keep me humble through it all.
If a cross must be my share,
Make it one that I can bear,
And through shadows of the night,
Hold me close 'til morning light.

Grace E. Easley

PRAYERS TO MOTHER SAINTS

Prayer to St. Anne

Glorious St. Anne, filled with compassion for those who invoke you and with love for those who suffer, heavily laden with the weight of my troubles, I cast myself at your feet and humbly beg of you to take the present affair which I recommend to you under your special protection.

Vouchsafe to recommend it to your daughter, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and lay it before the throne of Jesus, so that He may bring it to a happy issue.

Cease not to intercede for me until my request is granted. (Here ask for favor you wish to obtain.)

Above all, obtain for me the grace of one day beholding my God face to face, and with You and Mary and all the saints, praising and blessing Him through all eternity. Amen.

Good St. Anne, mother of her who is our life, our sweetness and our hope, pray to her for us and obtain our request. (Three times).


Prayer to St. Monica

Dear St. Monica,
troubled wife and mother,
many sorrows pierced your heart during your lifetime.
Yet, you never despaired or lost faith.
With confidence, persistence, and profound faith,
you prayed daily for the conversion
of your beloved husband, Patricius,
and your beloved son, Augustine;
your prayers were answered.
Grant me that same fortitude, patience,
and trust in the Lord.
Intercede for me, dear St. Monica,
that God may favorably hear my plea for

(Mention your intention here.)

and grant me the grace to accept His Will in all things,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.
Amen.


Prayer to St. Rita

Holy Patroness of those in need, St. Rita, so humble, pure and patient, whose pleadings with thy Divine Spouse are irresistible, obtain for us from thy Crucified Jesus our request. (mention your request) Be propitious toward us, for the greater glory of God, and we promise to honor thee and to sing thy praises forever. Amen.

Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be to the Father, three (3) times.

You Can Take It With a Grain of Salt

You Can Take It With a Grain of Salt


















Revelation 8:8-9 NIV

8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, (God used man's technology,an oil drilling rig, against him?)
all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. (burned and collapsed into the Gulf of Mexico?)
A third of the sea turned into blood, (a third of the Gulf became covered with spilled oil?)
9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, (birds, fish, and various sealife?)
and a third of the ships were destroyed. (not being able to fish, their usage was destroyed?)

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In his vision, St. John could only describe what he saw using things he was familiar with. Therefore, an oil rig might have resembled a mountain, oil might have resembled blood. It stands to reason that the sealife died because of the blood (oil). The ships could be taken to mean "the fishermen" who lost their livelihood... not necessarily the destruction of the ships themselves.

One problem I used to have with this book is that I'd ask myself "are all these events going to happen globally?" I've personally come to the conclusion that these plagues, or whatever, will be located in various parts of the world at different times (they won't be simultaneous). Therefore, an earthquake in Haiti, a volcano in Iceland... you get the picture.

St. John was shown these catastrophes while exiled in Patmos, an island in Greece. He was given a whirlwind tour of the End Times which spanned an unknown period of time. The visions themselves may have taken hours, days, weeks... I don't know.

Another confusing aspect of Revelation for me used to be: Will these cataclysmic events all come directly from the Hand of God? Today, it is quite clear to me that they won't... some of them will come from God thru the hand of man (witness the BP Gulf of Mexico oil spill).

What's more, and don't laugh, some of these plagues will emanate from curses - - - some directly from God and some from other nations (which will remain nameless for the time being). That's why we need exorcists, deliverance ministries, and spiritual warriors to step up and unite in prayer and ask God for discernment.

Truth Seeker

Directions

Directions








Jesus, take me by the hand.
Guide me through this troubled land.
When, by storms, I'm tossed about
Calm the waves; erase the doubt.

Dearest Savior, light my way
'Lest in darkness, I might stray.
Though a detour cause concern
May it be a chance to learn.

Oh, Lord, shield me with Your grace.
Hold me in Your sweet embrace.
As a beacon, shining far
Stay my constant, guiding star.

God, without You, I'm afraid
I'd face too many barricades
Wrought with doubts and dead-end streets
Ending in despair, defeats.

Though the path become too steep...
And my step a little slow...
I know You'll take me in Your keep
When I have nowhere else to go.

Polly Thornton

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)

Mediatrix of All Graces

1 Tim 2:5 NIV
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Mary, Mediatrix of all graces" is a title that some give to Mary the mother of Jesus, in line with a belief that all the graces that her son gives come through
her.
Proposal for formal definition by the Catholic Church
In 1896, French Jesuit priest René-Marie de la Brosse published a proposal that the Pope should make a dogmatic definition about the role of Mary in the distribution of all graces, but did not require that it be in the form of declaring her to be the mediatrix of all graces.
Eight years later, Belgian Redemptorist priest François Xavier Godts wrote a book proposing precisely that it be defined that Mary is the mediatrix of all graces.

http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/MEDIATRI.htm
Secondly, Mary is invoked in the Church under the title Mediatrix of all grace. All the graces which flow from the redemption of Jesus Christ are granted to the human family through the motherly intercession of Mary. Mary mediated Jesus Christ, the Author of all graces, to the world when she agreed to be the human mother of God made man (cf. Lk 1:38). And from the cross at Calvary (Jn 19:26) and as the final gift to humanity, Jesus gives Mary as a spiritual mother to us all: "Son, behold your mother" (cf. Jn 19:26). For this reason, Vatican II refers to Mary as a "mother to us in the order of grace " (Lumen Gentium, n. 62) and several twentieth century popes have officially taught the doctrine of Mary as Mediatrix of all graces, quoting the words of St Bernard:
"It is the will of God that we obtain all favours through Mary." The Mediatrix performs this task in intimate union with the Holy Spirit, the Sanctifier, with
whom she began the drama of our Lord's Redemption at the Annunciation (cf. Lk. 1:35).

Prayer of St. Gertrude the Great for Souls In Purgatory

Our Lord dictated the following prayer to St. Gertrude the Great to release 1,000 Souls from Purgatory each time it is said.

"Eternal Father, I offer Thee the Most Precious Blood of Thy Divine Son, Jesus, in union with the masses said throughout the world today, for all the holy souls in Purgatory, for sinners everywhere, for sinners in the universal church, those in my own home and within my family. Amen."

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Here's the part I haven't read anywhere... can you imagine how thankful these souls will be when they reach heaven? Don't you think they'll pray their hearts out for us on earth who were responsible for releasing them from Purgatory? Some of their prayers may even prevent us on earth from going to hell (I'm not exaggerating!) Come on... memorize the prayer and recite it aloud or silently whenever you're someplace without anything to do. Do the math... if you say it 25 times a day, that's 9,125,000 souls you release from Purgatory in a year and who knows how many you prevent from going to hell. Copy this prayer and pass it on to others.

God Bless you

Truth Seeker