Tag Archives: prayer

The Mystery of Easter Joy

April 14, 2019 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

What does Easter mean to You?

When I think of Easter, I think of the surprise those who loved Jesus expressed. Mary Magdalene exclaimed, “I have seen the Lord!” When Jesus appeared to the apostles while Thomas was absent, Thomas declared his disbelief saying he needed to “see with his own eyes the wounds of the Lord”

To me, Easter means Hope. Easter means new life. Easter means new beginnings. Most of all, Easter means Joy! Joy that Jesus is alive in our life. Jesus takes away our fear and doubt. Jesus leads us in a mysterious way to new beginnings and gives us joy at the same time.

When we are hurting and depressed it is easy to lose hope, and we can lose our faith. If everything Jesus tells us is true, than there is a heaven, and it is possible that in spite of my sins I will inherit everlasting life! How we deal with suffering defines who we are as Christians. The saints were all willing to suffer for their faith. They seemed to understand the value of suffering more than those of us in the modern world.

Jesus died on the cross for MY sins. He died on the cross for YOUR sins. If we turn to him in faith for guidance, he will lead us home…to heaven.

Lead me Lord is one of my favorite prayers. It tells the Lord that I do not know the future. I need His guidance. If I am quiet and listen, He will lead me to know His will. What a difference my life would be if all my prayers had been answered YES! I heard once that God has only two answers to our prayers…Yes or …I have a better plan! I ask God to help me discover what His plan is for me.

Thank you, Jesus, for dying for my sins.

Help me to know your will and to follow it.

Help me to never be discouraged or to give up hope.

Help me to share my joy that I feel knowing that you love me.

May I joyfully serve you always.

Lead me Lord!

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Why Pray for the Dead?

Quote November 3, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

To understand the doctrine of purgatory, it is necessary to understand several beliefs of the catholic church.

It is good to pray for the dead
We believe in tradition
Nothing unclean may enter heaven

Praying for the dead is a tradition which precedes the New Testament. In 2 Maccabees 23:45-46 it says:

“But if he was looking to the splendid reward that was laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin.“

It is good to pray for the dead. Why? If there are only two choices after death…heaven or hell...what purpose is there in praying for the dead? The historical practice of praying for the dead tells us that the belief that our prayer is heard and answered was an ancient belief.

The Catholic Church believes in tradition as well as scripture. The four marks of the church are stated in the Creed. We believe in One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. Being apostolic means that not only can the church be traced back to the apostles, but our beliefs can be traced back to the apostles as well. Remember, Jesus came to fulfill the law not to change it. (Matt 5:17)

Oral tradition was the method used to pass on the faith in the beginning. The bible was not even written down during the Apostolic Age. In 2 Thessalonians 2:15 we are told the following:

“So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the tradition that you were taught by us either by word of mouth or by our letter.”

Praying for the dead is an established tradition of the early Christians. One example of this is that in the fourth century St. Monica requested St. Augustine to remember her in the mass after she died.

Most of us know that we are unworthy to enter heaven. Jesus came to save us, however we still need to be cleansed by purifying fire before entering heaven. In Hebrews 12:29 it states the Our God is a consuming fire. We believe that before we enter heaven the fire of God’s love consumes the scars and effects of the sins we committed in out life. This explains the doctrine of purgatory as we understand it.

It is very comforting to know that our prayers make a difference. It is also comforting to know that I will be purified before facing God in heaven. A God whose love is so strong it is compared to fire….a fire which will consume and purify me.

Another way to look at purification is a cleansing. Before we go to a party or celebration we usually bathe and dress up to look appropriate. The purification we receive before partaking in the heavenly banquet makes us able to see God without the stain and scars of the sin which occurred during our lifetime.

We attend the heavenly banquet appropriately cleansed and dressed!

Praying for those souls who are in the purification process in purgatory relieves the suffering of both the soul in purgatory and my own soul.

The following prayer was given to St. Gertrude the Great by our Lord in a vision. Her feast day is celebrated on Nov. 16.

“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.”

Just as I pray on a regular basis for my loved ones who I confidently hope are already in heaven, I pray that those who love me will in turn pray for me after my death.

Prayer can heal! Prayer is powerful!

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Faith, Prayer, Spirituality

Praying the Rosary Brings You Closer to Jesus

Quote August 22, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The practice of praying the rosary has its historical roots with St. Dominic. St. Dominic founded the Order of Preachers or Dominicans. Monks in the monasteries recited the Divine Office (Liturgy of the Hours) daily. This included all 150 Psalms. The lay people were unable to read so they substituted Ave Maria’s (Hail Mary’s) for the psalms. The first half of the rosary is found in the Bible.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”

This statement was made by Archangel Gabriel (Luke 1: 26). The second part of the prayer is a prayer is a request that Mary pray for us at the time of death.

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death, Amen.

By meditating on the life of Jesus, the rosary brings Jesus into our daily life. There are four sets of mysteries which we meditate on: The Joyful , The Glorious, The Sorrowful, and the Luminous

Each set has five mysteries.

The Joyful Mysteries: 1. Annunciation 2. Visitation 3. Birth of Jesus 4. Presentation in the Temple 5. Finding the Child Jesus

The Luminous Mysteries: 1. Christ’s Baptism I the Jordan 2. Wedding at Cana 3. Proclamation of the Kingdom 4. Transfiguration 5. Institution of the Eucharist

Sorrowful Mysteries: 1. Agony in the Garden 2. Scourging at the Pillar 3. Crowning with Thorns 4. Carrying of the Cross 5. Crucifixion

Glorious Mysteries: 1. Resurrection 2. Ascension into Heaven 3. Descent of the Holy Spirit 4. Assumption 5. Crowning of Our Blessed Lady

By meditating and pondering on the life of Christ we receive grace and guidance from the Holy Spirit. A popular saying is “to Jesus, through Mary”. Mary is our spiritual mother. She always guides us to her Son. After the Mass and the Liturgy of the Hours, the Rosary is the most popular prayer of the church.

St. John Paul II added the Luminous Mysteries during his papacy.

Do Catholics actually worship Mary when they pray the rosary? Veneration and worship are two different things. To venerate is to honor. Jesus honored his mother. (Isn’t one of the commandments honor thy father and thy mother?) We are called to imitate Jesus. Why then would we pretend Mary doesn’t exist?

Worship is given to God alone (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). All Mary’s power comes from God, not from herself. But we can easily relate to Mary. She was given great responsibility. She was troubled, but her answer was

“Let it be done according to thy word.”

May we always imitate Mary when given an assignment by God!

The following website instructs on how to pray the rosary: ROSARY

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Faith, Incorruptible, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Anthony Zaccaria, Feast Day July 5

July 3, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

St. Anthony Zaccaria Public Domain Image — St. Anthony Zaccaria

The feast day of St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria is celebrated on July 5.

St. Anthony of Zaccaria is known for beginning the devotion of Eucharistic adoration and founding the religious order of the Society of Clerics.

St. Anthony was born in Cremona, Italy in 1502 into a noble family. His father died when he was still an infant. His mother was 18 and chose to devote herself to charity and caring for her son. Anthony studied philosophy in Pavia and then medicine at the University of Padua. He returned to Cremona with a degree at the age of 23.

St. Anthony not only practiced medicine, he taught catechism and then began teaching adults. Eventually he decided to study for the priesthood. He was ordained at the age of 26. At his first Mass, he experienced the presence of angels around the altar and supernatural light during the consecration of the Eucharist. Many witnessed and testified about this event after his death.

St. Anthony was an eloquent preacher. It was the time of the counter-reformation which was begun after Martin Luther began the Reformation. He founded a priestly society the Clerics Regular of St. Paul to combat the corruption which surrounded him. They were inspired by the Apostle Paul and sought humility, poverty and preaching. Their society became known as the Barnabites named after the companion of St Paul…St. Barnabas. They were active at a well known church named St. Barnabas.

St. Anthony encouraged the “40 hours” devotion which involved continuous prayer before the Blessed Sacrament.

St. Anthony died at his mother’s house in 1539 after he became seriously ill. He was only 36 years old. Thirty years after his death St. Anthony’s body was found to be incorrupt. He was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1897.

Jesus is happy to come with us…
as truth is to be spoken, as life is to be lived,
as light is to be lit, as love is to be loved,
as joy is to be given, as peace is to be spread.

Quote of St. Francis of Assisi; Feast day Oct. 4

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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Faith, Spirituality

Forgiveness and Trust

July 2, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

Sacred Heart of Jesus Public Domain Image — Sacred Heart of Jesus

Are forgiveness and trust the same thing? Jesus tells us the following:

“Blessed are the merciful, for mercy shall be theirs”. (Matthew 5:7)

Love and pray for your enemies.(Matthew 5:44)

Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. (Romans 12:19)

Where does trust come into the picture?

In Psalm 118:8 we learn the following:

“It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. “

The word trust means….to rely on. Are we supposed to rely on our enemies? I think not. However, we are to forgive them and treat them with love.

To forgive means…to cancel a debt. This is not the same as trust. We are also told to pray for our enemies. This means we don’t curse them or wish evil on them. We ask God to guide them (and us).

It is easier to forgive a person who has asked for forgiveness; however it is also important to forgive someone who has not asked us for forgiveness. This means we put the matter in God’s hands and we trust God.

“Hate the sin not the sinner.”

(Quote of St. Augustine)

This is how we can make a judgment against certain behaviors, without condemning the sinner. Only God knows a person’s heart. Perhaps the person has repented. By praying for someone who has wronged us, we release resentment and increase the love in our lives.

God is love. We need to rely on God (trust Him) to guide us through the emotional journey of forgiving our enemies. We trust God that in the end justice will be His.

Loving our enemies means to treat those who have wronged us with love and mercy. However, it is God alone we rely on. It is through prayer that we are led by God. Turning the other cheek simply means we don’t fight back. We don’t seek revenge. We actually pray for the welfare of the person who has wronged us.

Love and forgiveness go together. However, trust is connected to wisdom and understanding. Through prayer God leads us in wisdom, helping us to understand and discern who we should or should not trust.

Wisdom is turning to God for guidance. When we lack wisdom we should seek it (James 1:5)

It is only through praying that we can be led to the will of God. If we pray without ceasing, we will have the prudence to do God’s will.

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The Mystery of Faith

Tag Archives: prayer

The Mystery of Easter Joy

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Why Pray for the Dead?

Praying the Rosary Brings You Closer to Jesus

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Anthony Zaccaria, Feast Day July 5

Forgiveness and Trust

Discovering the Spirituality of Catholicism