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How Much Do You Know About The Apostles?

Gallery February 5, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

Pentecost Public Domain Image — Pentecost
Public Domain Image

Apostle means “one who is sent”. Jesus chose twelve Apostles. He sent them into the world to spread the “good news”. The following quiz will tell you how much you know about them.

Answer the following questions to test your knowledge about the Apostles. The answers are at the end of the list.

1 Which Apostle had a mother-in-law who was cured by Jesus?

2. Which Apostles were known as “Sons of Thunder”?

3. Which Apostle was shipwrecked?

4. Which Apostle lived the longest, dying a natural death?

5. To which Apostle did Jesus say “Do not doubt but believe?”

6. Which Apostle was a tax collector?

7. Who was the brother of Simon Peter?

8. Which Apostle betrayed Jesus?

9. Which Apostle said, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders. It has become the cornerstone.”

10. Which Apostle tried to walk on water?

11. Which Apostles witnessed the Transfiguration?

12. On what day did the Holy Spirit descend upon the Apostles?

13. To whom did Jesus say, “Here is your mother?”

14. Which Apostle was present at the foot of the cross?

15. Which Apostle received the keys to the kingdom of heaven?

16. Which Apostle was blind for three days?

17. Which Apostle was chosen to replace the traitor?

18. To which Apostle did Jesus say, “Get behind me, Satan!”

19. Who is referred to as “The Beloved Disciple?”

20. Which Apostle was not present when Jesus first appeared to the other Apostles?

21. Which Apostle is mentioned the most in the gospels?

22. Who denied Jesus three times?

23. Which three apostles fell asleep while Jesus was praying in the garden?

24. To whom did Jesus say, “Feed my sheep?”

25. Can you name the twelve Apostles present at the Last Supper?

St. Andrew the Apostle Public Domain Image — St. Andrew the Apostle
Public Domain Image

St. Andrew, Apostle and Martyr

St. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter. They were both fishermen and followers of John the Baptist when they were called to follow Jesus.

After the resurrection, St. Andrew preached in Greece. He was put to death on an X shaped cross to which he was tied, not nailed. He lived two days, still preaching to those around him.

He is the patron saint of fishermen and two countries; Russia and Scotland.

The feast day of St. Andrew is celebrated on Nov. 30.

The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew by Joseph de Ribera Public Domain Image — The Martyrdom of Saint Bartholomew by Joseph de Ribera
Public Domain Image

St. Bartholomew, Apostle and Martyr

St. Bartholomew was born in Galilee. Bartholomew was one of the original twelve Apostles and present at the Last Supper. He was also known as Nathanael. He witnessed the Ascension.

After the resurrection, Bartholomew preached in India, Ethiopia and Asia Minor. He was flayed and beheaded by King Astyages.

St. Bartholomew is the patron saint against neurological diseases and leather workers.

The feast day of St. Bartholomew is celebrated on Aug. 24.

St. James the Greater, Apostle and Martyr

St. James the Greater was one of the original twelve apostles. James the Greater was the brother to St. John the Apostle and a cousin to Jesus. He followed John the Baptist before following Jesus. He was a fisherman. He was present at the Last Supper. The two brothers. James and John were called the ‘Sons of Thunder”.

St. James preached in Samaria Judea and Spain after the resurrection. He was the first Apostle to be martyred. He was stabbed with a sword by King Heron Agrippa at Jerusalem.

St. James the Greater is the patron saint of arthritis sufferers, pharmacists and veterinarians.

The feast day of St James the Greater is celebrated on July 25.

St. James the Lesser

St. James the Lesser was one of the original twelve apostles. The title Lesser probably meant he was younger than James the Greater. James was a cousin of Jesus and brother to St. Jude Thaddeus.

St James the Lesser was the first Bishop of Jerusalem. He was known for his devotion to the poor. He was beaten to death with a club while praying for his attackers.

St.James the Lesser is the patron saint of fullers and pharmacists.

The feast day of St. James the Lesser is celebrated on May 3.

St. John the Evangelist

St. John the Evangelist was the Son of Zebedee and Salome. He was the brother to James the Greater. The two brothers were called the “Sons of Thunder. They were both fishermen. John was a followers of John the Baptist before he was called by Jesus.

Peter, James and John were the only witnesses of the raising of Jairus daughter (Mark 5:37), the Transfiguration and the Agony of the Garden.

John and Peter were sent to the city to make preparations for the Last Supper. John become known as ‘The Beloved Disciple’.

John was the only Apostle to remain close to Jesus during the crucifixion. Jesus told him “This is your mother”. while hanging on the cross. (John 19: 27)

After Pentecost, John traveled with Peter and was put in prison. He preached with Peter in Samaria, Palestine and Asia Minor.

The fourth Gospel and the Book of Revelations is attributed to St. John the Evangelist.

St. John the Evangelist lived the longest of the Apostles, dying a natural death.

St. John the Evangelist is the patron saint of writers, editors and publishers.

The feast day of St. John the Evangelist is celebrated on Dec. 27.

Judas Iscariot, Apostle and Traitor

Judas Iscariot was called by Jesus to be one of the original twelve Apostles. He was present at the Last Supper. Judas went to the chief priest and said, “What will you give me if I betray him to you?” They paid him thirty pieces of silver. During the last supper Jesus said “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.” And they became greatly distressed and began to say to him one after another, “Surely not I, Lord?” He answered, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me”

When Judas saw that Jesus was condemned he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders He said “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple he departed; and he went and hanged himself. (Mat 27:4-5)

St. Jude Thaddeus, Apostle and Martyr

St. Jude was one of the original twelve Apostles. He was the son of Cleohas, who died a martyr and Mary who stood at the foot of the cross. He was the brother of St. James the Lesser. and a cousin to Jesus. He was a fisherman. He was present at the Last Supper. He is not to be confused with Judas Iscariot, who was a traitor.

After the resurrection St. Jude preached in Syria and Persia with St. Simon. He was a healer and an exorcist. He was beaten to death with a club then beheaded in Persia. His relics are at St. Peter’s Basilica, in Rome.

St. Jude is known as the patron saint of impossible causes.

The feast day of St. Jude Thaddeus is celebrated on Oct. 28.

St. Mathias Public Domain Image — St. Mathias

St. Mathias, Apostle and Martyr

St. Mathias was not one of the original twelve Apostles. He was not present at the Last Supper.

After the suicide by hanging of Judas Iscariot, the Apostles decided to choose either Mathias or Joseph called Barsabbas to replace Judas Iscariot. They prayed, saying. “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry which Judas left to go where he belongs.” Acts (1:24) They drew lots and chose Mathias to replace him.

Mathias preached in Judea, Egypt and Ethiopia. Stories of his martyrdom vary. It is believed he was stoned and beheaded.

St. Mathias is the patron saint against alcoholism and smallpox. He is also the patron of carpenters.

The feast day of St. Mathias is celebrated on May 14.

St. Matthew and the Angel Public Domain Image — St. Matthew and the Angel

St. Mathew, Apostle and Martyr

St. Mathew was one of the original twelve apostles. He was also known as Levi. He was present at the Last Supper and the Ascension of Our Lord. Before following Jesus, he was a tax collector.

St. Matthew is the author of the first Gospel. After the resurrection he preached to the Hebrews, probably in Ethiopia, Persia and Syria for 15 years. During this time he also wrote his Gospel in Aramaic.

Reports of his martyrdom vary a great deal. It is not certain if he was burned, stoned or beheaded.

St. Matthew is the patron saint of bankers.

The Feast day of St. Matthew is celebrated on Sept. 21.

St. Paul the Apostle Public Domain Image — St. Paul the Apostle

St. Paul, Apostle of the GentilesSt.

St. Paul was not one of the original twelve Apostles. He persecuted the early Christians. He was present at the stoning of St. Stephen, the first martyr. On the road to Damascus, he was struck by a heavenly light. He heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked “Who are you Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city and you will be told what you are to do.” (Acts 9:4-6)

After three days of blindness, scales fell off his eyes. He joined the Apostles becoming known as the Apostle to the Gentiles.

St. Paul wrote many of the books in the New Testament. He was instrumental in the Council of Jerusalem His missionary journeys took him many places: Asia Minor, Macedonia, Jerusalem and Europe.

St. Paul suffered many hardships including three shipwrecks. (2 Cor. 111:20-32)

St. Paul died a martyr. He was beheaded in Rome in the year 65.

St. Paul is the patron saint of writers, publishers, musicians and evangelists.

The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul is celebrated Jan 25.

The Feast of Sts. Peter and St. Paul is celebrated June 29

He died a martyr. His feast day is June 29.

St. Peter by Rubens Apostle and Martyr Public Domain Image — St. Peter by Rubens
Apostle and Martyr
Public Domain Image

St. Peter, Apostle and Martyr

St. Peter was one of the original twelve Apostles. His name was Simon and he is the brother of Andrew. They were fishermen until Jesus.called them saying, “Come and I will make you fishers of men.”

When Jesus asked the Apostles who they believed he was, Peter said “You are the Messiah, the son of the Living God.” Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you Simon son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”(Matt 1515-19)

He is also known as Simon Peter. St. Peter was married and Jesus healed his mother-in-law who was suffering from a high fever. (Matt 8:14)

St. Peter is mentioned the most often in the Bible and considered the leader of the Apostles. His name is mention 182 times in the Bible.

When Jesus foretells his death, Peter responds by saying “God forbid it Lord! This must never happen to you.” But Jesus turned to Peter saying “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.” (Matt 17: 23)

After asking Peter if he loved him Jesus told him “Feed my Sheep.” three times. (John 23:17)

Peter denied Jesus three time during the crucifixion, repenting afterwards. (Matt. 26:69)

St. Peter was crucified upside down in Rome.

St. Peter is the patron saint of fishermen.

The Feast day of Sts. Peter and Paul is celebrated on June 29.

St. Philip the Apostle Public Domain Image — St. Philip the Apostle

St. Philip, Apostle and Martyr

St. Philip was one of the original apostles. He was born in Bethsaida, Galilee and a follower of John the Baptist. He was present at the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. He was also present at the Last Supper.

After the resurrection Philip preached in Greece and Syria.

St. Philip died a martyr. He was crucified upside down at Hiorapolis under Emperor Domitian.

St. Philip is the patron saint of cooks and bakers.

The feast day of St. Philip is celebrated on May 3.

St. Simon the Zealot Public Domain Image — St. Simon the Zealot

St. Simon the Zealot, Apostle and Martyr

St. Simon was one of the original twelve Apostles. He was present at the Last Supper.

St. Simon was the second Bishop of Jerusalem. He preached in Egypt and Persia with St. Jude where both suffered martyrdom.

There are two stories of his death. The first has him dying by crucifixion in Samaria. The second has him sawed in half in Persia.

St. Simon is the patron saint of tanners.

The feast day of St. Simon is celebrated on Oct. 28.

Doubting Thomas by Caravaggio Apostle and Martry Public Domain Image — Doubting Thomas by Caravaggio
Apostle and Martyr

St. Thomas, Apostle and Martyr

St. Thomas was also known as “Doubting Thomas”. After the resurrection Jesus appeared to the Apostles. Thomas was not there and did not believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. When Jesus later appeared to him he said “Peace be with you. Do not doubt but believe.” (John 21:24)

St. Thomas also asked Jesus “How can we follow you, when we know not where you are going?” Jesus responded, “I am the way, the truth and the life. Whoever follows me will live forever.”

Thomas was one of the original twelve apostles. He was present at the Last Supper. He was also present when Jesus had the Apostles lower their nets and they miraculously caught many fish.

After the resurrection, St. Thomas was sent to evangelize the Parthians, the Persians and India. He is believed to have built the first church in India.

St. Thomas died a martyr’s death when at Calamine in India he was speared to death while praying.

St. Thomas is the patron saint of architects and the blind. The feast day of St. Thomas is July 3.

The Last Supper

All twelve Apostles whom Jesus chose were with him at the Last Supper.

Now during those days he went out to the mountain to pray; and he spent the night in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, and James, and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Simon,who was called the Zealot, and Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. (Luke 6:12-16)

Pentecost

When the day of Pentecost had come they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Acts 1:104)

The answers to the questions are the following:

1. The Apostle Peter was married. Jesus healed his mother-in-law.(Matt 8:14)

2. The Sons of Thunder were James the Greater and John the Evangelist

3. St. Paul was shipwrecked three times.(2 Cor. 11:20-32)

4. St.John the Evangelist lived the longest, dying a natural death.

5. St. Thomas, also known as ‘Doubting Thomas’ was told’“Do not doubt but believe” by Jesus.(John 21:24)

6. St. Mathew was a tax collector.

7. St. Andrew was the brother of Simon Peter.

8. Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.(Matt. 26:47)

9. Peter while preaching said, “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders. It has become the cornerstone.” (Acts 4:11)

10. Peter tried to walk on water but faltered. (Mat: 14:28)

11. The Transfiguration was witnessed by Peter, John and James.

12. The Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles on Pentecost.

13. Jesus said “This is your mother” to St. John the Evangelist while he hung from the cross.(John 19:26)

14. St. John the Evangelist was the only Apostle who stayed near Jesus during the crucifixion.

15. St. Peter was given the ‘keys to the kingdom of heaven‘.(Matt 16:16)

16. St. Paul was blind for three days after seeing a light from heaven and hearing a voice asking in Hebrew,

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (Acts 26:12)

17. St. Mathias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. (Acts 1:12)

18. Jesus was talking to Simon Peter when he said “Get behind me, Satan!” (Matt 16:21)

19. St. John the Evangelist was known as ‘The beloved disciple’.

20. When Jesus first appeared to the Apostles, Thomas was absent. He did not believe Jesus had risen. (John 21:24)

21. St. Peter is mentioned 93 times in the Gospels; 63 times in the remainder of the New Testament.

John is second, being mentioned 100 times in the Gospels and 30 in the remainder of the New Testament.

22. St. Peter denied Jesus three times during the crucifixion.(Matt 26:69)

23. While praying in the garden, Peter, James and John fell asleep. (Matt 26:36)

24. Jesus told Peter“Feed my Sheep.” three times. (John 21:17)

25. The original Twelve Apostles are the following:

St. Andrew
St. Bartholomew
St. James the Greater
St. James the Lesser
St. John the Evangelist
Judas Iscariot
St. Jude Thaddeus
St. Mathew
St. Peter
St. Philip
St. Simon the Zealot
St. Thomas

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Faith

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Brigid of Ireland, Feast Day Feb. 1

Gallery February 1, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The feast day of St. Brigid of Ireland will be celebrated on Feb. 1. She was born in 453 near Dumdalk, Loathe, Ireland. Her father had been kidnapped by Irish pirates (as St. Patrick was) and he was a slave to a druid. Brigid is believed to have been baptized by St. Patrick. She is the patron saint of babies; blacksmiths; boatmen; cattle; chicken farmers; children whose parents are not married; children whose mothers are mistreated by the children’s fathers; dairymaids; dairy workers; fugitives; infants; Ireland; midwives; milk maids; nuns; poets; poor; poultry farmers; printing presses; sailors; scholars; travelers; and water-men.

From a very early age, Brigid showed a desire to pursue a religious life. She was known for her generosity and concern for the poor. Brigid’s mother was in charge of the Master’s dairy. Brigid tended to give the produce away to the poor. The dairy prospered in spite of her generosity. When she gave produce to the poor it tended to multiply! When she gave water to a thirsty stranger, the water turned to milk!

These are only two of the legendary miracles attributed to Brigid. Most of the miracles dealt with healing and domestic tasks. She was known for her holiness and generosity. The following quote by Brigid explains her spirituality:

“Christ dwells in every creature.”

Brigid refused to marry, choosing instead to serve Jesus only. Brigid founded a double monastery at Kildare. She was the Abbess of the convent which was the first convent in Ireland. She also founded a school of art at Kildare. The illuminated manuscripts became famous, especially the Book of Kildare.

In art, Brigid is often depicted holding a reed cross made from the palm branches blessed on Palm Sunday. The cross is known as St. Brigid’s Cross. It is a symbol of peace. She often holds a lamp, which is called a lamp of learning and wisdom.

The Mantle of St. Brigid is a small rectangular piece of cloth kept in a reliquary, which is made of wood with a glass covered opening for viewing. It is brought out for viewing on her feast day of Feb. 1. The mantle is dark crimson and is believed to represent the protection provided by the prayers of St. Brigid.
Devotion to Brigid can be found in the eighth century. Her relics are in the Church of Pierre de Vare in Stocking.
St. Brigid died of natural causes at the approximate age of 70 in Kildare, Ireland in 523.

The passion of Jesus
is a sea of sorrows,
but it is also an ocean of love.
Ask the Lord to teach you to fish in this ocean.
Dive into its depths.
No matter how deep you go,
you will never reach the bottom.

Quote of St. Paul of the Cross

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord

Faith, Our Lady, Prayer, Spirituality

The Suffering Pilgrim; Short Reflections During Times of Grief

Gallery February 1, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

Look at the birds of the air, they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? (Mat. 6: 26)

Preface

The following reflections and prayers helped me to deal with the pain of grief. During times of grief, praying can be quite difficult. Not only do we find it hard to talk and pray to God, but we may find it difficult to have any relationship with God at all.

My prayer is that these reflections on my favorite prayers will help another suffering pilgrim.

Vicki Scheenstra

In loving memory of my husband Perry Scheenstra (1954-1997),

my son Alan Scheenstra 1980-2008)

and my father Leo Mahre Jr. (1922-2001).

Jesus Stills the Storm
(Matthew 23-27)

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. A windstorm arose on the sea, so great that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him up, saying,

“Lord, save us! We are perishing!” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a dead calm. They were amazed saying, “What sort of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?

Life seems to be made up of one storm after another. Turning to Jesus in a time of crisis takes faith and practice. Many of our emotions can be compared to the weather. When I think of grief, I think of a gray, rainy day. The following prayers have helped me to see the rainbow after the storm, and to appreciate that without a storm, we don’t appreciate the sunny weather nearly enough!

Many of us experience the “dark night of the soul” during grief. Only through turning to God in prayer can we begin to enjoy life completely again. Seeing God (the creator of everything) in nature can help during a stormy, stressful time.

A flower needs a rainy day to bloom.

We, as spiritual people, need prayer to deal with our emotions and to grow spiritually. The following prayers and reflections are how Jesus calmed the water during the storms in my life.

The Beatitudes

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness
for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will receive mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted
for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN.

This beatitude is one which hopefully we all experience. If we don’t, it probably means we have not learned how to love.

All of the beatitudes are lessons in how to love. If we are sad over losing a loved one then, this is a good thing. Let us rejoice and be glad! Loving someone means we have shared ourselves with someone, and have come to know them on a personal level. The love we have given and received is priceless.

Everyone experiences the death of some one they are close to at some point in their life. How we deal with the loss shows who we are. We may want to hide away and be by ourselves for awhile. This is perfectly normal. Hopefully, we talk to God in these moments when we are alone.

The beatitudes are an excellent prayer for these times.

The beatitude of mourning is often the first time we passionately turn to God for answers to our questions and doubts.

The answers to these questions and doubts can be found in the remaining beatitudes.

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT.

This beatitude tells us to be humble. It is the exact opposite of pride. When we completely lose our selfishness, we open ourselves up to God’s presence in our life.

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK.

This beatitude is knowing that God is the creator and trusting in His plan for us. The arrogant person is not meek. Being meek, means accepting that we are nothing without God and trusting in Him, even during difficult and depressing times.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Passion is a wonderful emotion. Hopefully, we are passionate about more than just our own welfare. Wanting justice for not only ourselves but everyone around us means we must actually do something when we see injustice. Finding a cause or a purpose in life is a very good way to work our way through grief issues.

BLESSED ARE THE MERCIFUL.

This beatitude is all about love; not only having a forgiving attitude, but being kind to people around us. The merciful heart is always kind and helpful. Doing a good deed for others always lifts the spirit!

BLESSED ARE THE PURE OF HEART.

Having the right motive in everything we do can be very difficult. If we reflect before acting, sometimes we can avoid being manipulative or selfish. The easiest way to increase the presence of God in my life is to get rid of my selfish thoughts and desires. It’s not easy!

BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS.

Sometimes anger is justified. Peacemakers are not people who put up with behaviors that are unacceptable. To be peacemakers, we must first be at peace with ourselves. Peacemakers deal with conflict in the world by being decisive, turning to God for guidance, and having respect for other people. We must again get rid of selfishness and arrogance in order to be a peacemaker.

The Peace of Christ is the gift we receive when we treat everyone as if…THEY ARE CHRIST!

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE.

There is a huge difference between being righteous and being self-righteous! This is where I need to turn to God for guidance. Am I being persecuted for standing up for my faith or am I being judgmental? If I am judging other people, I am playing God. However, that doesn’t mean I must condone behavior that is wrong. It means I must also be kind and forgiving. Let God be the judge. At the same time, I should never lower my standards to make other people happy. That would make ME miserable!

Living the Beatitudes during times of grief can be very challenging. It is natural to focus on our own feelings. Praying the Beatitudes reminds me to be less selfish and try to love the people I come into contact with. They also remind me that God is in charge. If I can let go and trust in God’s plan, my grief will be less painful. Knowing that God loves me, I have to work at believing He wants me to be happy.

Trusting God can be hard after loss. After all, the miracle I prayed for probably didn’t happen! However, the Beatitudes tell me to be meek…to trust that God has a plan and then live every day trying to do God’s will.

May my attitude be Christlike always.

Serenity Prayer

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change
Courage to change the things I can,
And the wisdom to know the difference.<

Living one day at a time,
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace
Taking, as He did, this world as it is,
Not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make all things right
If I surrender to His will.
That I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with Him,
Forever in the next.

(Reinhold Neibuhr, 1926)

I try to make the serenity prayer a daily prayer. Often, it helps me to get through the most difficult moments of my life. When life is out of control, this prayer reminds me that I am not supposed to be in control of everything, only God is! I am a very visual person. When I say a prayer I often have pictures to meditate on in my mind. One day as I was praying the serenity prayer I realized my definition of serenity was wrong!

I have always considered serenity as complete calm. While praying this prayer I was picturing a calm lake on a sunny day. It was so calm there were no whitecaps on the water. It was so calm if I was on a sailboat, I would not be able to sail due to lack of wind. I was stuck! This is not serenity! We need movement in our lives! Without progress we stagnate and then we seem to go backwards or become lost.

When I am the opposite of serene, I am frantic and in a panic. This frame of mind makes it impossible to make rational decisions. I finally realized that serenity is being able to make decisions while we are in the eye of a storm! While I prefer a sunny day on the lake, I always want there to be a breeze so the sailboat I am in will actually go where I direct it. Serenity is being calm enough during the storm to know which ropes to pull to keep the boat from turning over!

Help me make good decisions Lord. Direct my life!

St. Francis

The Prayer of St. Francis

Make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred let me sow love.
Where there is injury, Your pardon, Lord
And where there’s doubt
True faith in You.

Make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there’s despair in life,
Let me bring hope.
Where there is darkness, only light.
And where there’s sadness, ever joy.

Oh, Master, grant that I may never seek
So much to be consoled as to console
To be understood as to understand
To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me an instrument of your peace.
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned.
In giving of ourselves that we receive,
And in dying that we are born to eternal life.

How can I love my neighbor? This prayer tells me how. Love is actually the opposite of selfishness. Being more concerned about the people in my life than myself takes a great deal of practice and prayer! God wants me to put the needs of others before my own needs and desires. It is also about letting God use me to do his will.

This prayer teaches me to live by example, Loving and forgiving others will in the end bring me peace, happiness, and eternal life.

The only way to live this prayer is to put myself in someone else’s place to enable me to be more understanding and loving.

Sometimes, I find it impossible to understand someone’s actions. When this happens I need to give my negative feelings and reactions to my master, God. If I listen to him in prayer He will lead me and make me an instrument of his peace. He will also help me forgive those I am angry with.

It is more important to love someone than to understand them.

When I actually live this prayer, I can be confident that I am doing God’s will.

Put me to work Lord!

Celtic Cross

Breastplate of St. Patrick

Christ be behind me,
Christ be before me,
Christ be beside me,
King of my heart.

Christ be within me,
Christ be below me,
Christ be above me,
Never to part.

Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me,
Shield in the strife.

Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my rising,
Light of my life.

(may be sung to the melody of Morning is Broken)

Christ is everywhere: especially in the eye of the storm!

This prayer beautifully expresses the need to let Christ be the center of my life. If I try to follow Him always, people will recognize Christ when they see me! It’s almost impossible to imagine. From morning until night, even while I am asleep, turning to Christ, and letting him lead and guide, me, assures me, that Jesus will be with me always. What a comfort in times of grief!

Knowing what pain Christ suffered for me, helps me to give my suffering back to him and ask for his help. Life is not always easy, but when Christ is my shield, I feel as though he is giving me strength, protecting, and comforting me. My past, present, and future are in God’s hands. If I truly love Christ, I will always want his guidance and presence in my life and in my heart. The more often I turn to Christ and let Him into my life, the more I will come to love Christ.

Christ Everywhere!

Prayer of Quiet

The prayer of quiet is simply resting in the presence of God, emptying your mind of all thoughts and anxieties, offering them to God and experiencing the presence of God.

Often, it helps to have a sacred word to repeat slowly while you inhale and exhale slowly.
Following are some possibilities.

Lord…Mercy

Abba…Father

Jesus…Peace

Holy Spirit…Come

May the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit guide me today.

Thy kingdom come…..

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done.

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread

And forgive us our trespasses

As we forgive those who

trespass against us.

Lead us not into temptation,

But deliver us from evil.

Amen

The Lord’s Prayer covers all the bases. We first acknowledge God as our father (creator). We honor his name and ask for his will to be done. This is perhaps the most difficult part. When we are suffering, is this his will?

Can you picture Jesus in the Garden before the crucifixion? He prays that this cup be taken from him, but the will of His Father be done.

To be like Christ is our goal, so we must accept that suffering is part of God’s plan. If even Jesus, the son of God, suffers…what makes me so special that I should be spared? Everyone some day will die. This fact alone causes suffering to the person who is left behind.

Anger at God is a natural stage of grief. However, if we look to the cross and see the suffering Jesus went through for us, it becomes obvious…

Jesus did not come to earth to eliminate suffering!

Suffering brings us closer to Jesus and the cross. Grief and sorrow over this loss is not something to be ashamed of.

Our love matters!

Living without them changes our life forever, but we can take comfort knowing that they are in the arms of God. Death is simply a doorway to heaven. While it is hard to imagine what heaven is like, we know it is filled with the love and mercy of God.

Asking for God’s will to be done means we must stop playing God and assuming our will is His. Let Him lead us!

Asking for our daily bread, is asking for the things we need not the things we want!

How hard it is to remember this!

Just because we pray for something does not mean we will receive it. When God says NO, it helps to ask God to show us HIS will. We need to remember that God knows what is best for us. How different my life would be if all my prayers were answered YES!

Forgiveness is a two way street. We must forgive to be forgiven. How easy it is to hold a grudge! Sometimes, we don’t even realize we are doing it. We simply refuse to think about it and simmer away continually angry!

When we acknowledge our own sinfulness, it is easier to forgive the sins of others. Remind yourself of your weaknesses daily…it will help you to forgive and understand others. When you are having trouble forgiving someone…pray for them!

It is truly amazing how this almost always works.

Temptation is everywhere; especially in our mind! What are we to do about it? One thing we can do is pray often, asking God to lead us. When we recognize the things that tempt us we need to avoid them if at all possible.

We need to recognize evil in our lives. To ignore it encourages it to flourish. There is a difference between being judgmental and having high moral standards. Deal with the evil in your own life before you judge the evil in someone else’s. To Judge is the job of God. Our job is to make moral decisions. I try to remember always, I will be judged by how I love! Loving one’s enemies needs to be practiced when we see evil.

How is it even possible to love our enemy? Perhaps all I can do is begin by praying for my enemy instead of cursing him. At least this is a beginning, and when I pray for the person I am angry at I have refused to have hatred grow and consume me.

Let thy will, not my will be done.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace

(Ave Maria)

Hail Mary, full of grace.
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

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

Ave Maria, gratia plena
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesus

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei
Ora pro no bis peccatoribus
Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae

Amen

Hail Mary, full of grace. What does the word grace mean?
Grace, like faith, is a gift from God. We cannot receive it on our own,
but we can ask (pray) for it. A gift is something given to us;
which reminds me of Christmas when we receive
so many Christmas presents.

Grace is the gift (present) of God’s presence.

Of all the people in the world who but Mary
was Jesus most present to?
Being pregnant with Jesus, the son of God,
is hard to imagine.

I pray daily that I may come closer to Jesus.
One way to do that is to imitate Mary,
who loved Jesus as none of us can
because she was His mother.

Her love was a special and unique love.

On the cross, Jesus told John the disciple

“Here is your mother” (John: 19.27)

By doing this, she becomes the mother
of all disciples of Jesus. Mary’s grief must have been so great!

I ask her now to help me know the will of Jesus in my life and to teach me how to love.

Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of death. Amen

Calvary

Jesus Remember Me, when you come into your kingdom.
Luke 23: 32-43

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him saying, “He saved others, let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him which said;

“This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God,, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

The Good Thief turned to Jesus at the very end of his life. He did not need to know all the answers regarding religion. He had not been baptized. He simply acknowledged his guilt and asked Jesus to remember him. Sometimes, we make faith way too complicated. All we really need to do is turn to God and ask him to lead us to the truth.

God is Love… God is truth.

Let’s keep it simple….Seek Love…Seek Truth

Redemptive Suffering

Are you angry at God? This is a normal stage after a loss. Christianity, teaches us that Jesus redeemed us by the cross…his suffering is what saves us! This is called redemptive suffering. When we suffer, we can participate by putting our suffering at the foot of the cross and giving it to Jesus. This is what is meant when we hear the phrase “Offer it up”. By giving our suffering to Jesus as a prayer for loved ones who have died, Jesus actually turns our suffering into a virtue.

Meditate on a crucifix. Your anger at God will not last forever. Spending time with God has been very important in my healing process. I could not pretend my feelings did not exist or that I was ready to move on with my life when I was not.

Music has also been very helpful. When you sing you pray twice. (St. Augustine) Praying through my favorite hymns enables me to pray when I cannot put my feelings into words.

Suffering came first. The crucifixion came before the resurrection.

Jesus teaches us how to suffer!

Meditating on the crucifixion, and the Stations of the Cross we learn how to deal with the sufferings in our own life, small in comparison. In order to know the meaning of joy, we must experience sorrow.

Be with me, Lord!

Seasons of Life

Ecclesiastes: 3: 1-8

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill and a time to heal;
A time to break down and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and time to lose;
A time to keep and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate;
A time for war, and a time for peace.

To me, tears are spiritual rain. A garden grows in all types of weather. Without rain to water it, it will die of drought. The flowers in a garden need both sun and rain to be healthy and beautiful.
When we grieve, we need to acknowledge our suffering and pain. Tears help to cleanse our soul and bring us closer to God. Denying our pain prevents us from having an honest relationship with God. We avoid our feelings and end up pretending we are just fine. This actually just prolongs our grief!

Even Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus. (John 11: 35)

Our soul is similar to a flower garden. When we acknowledge our pain and sorrow, we enable God to heal us and bring the sunshine back into our lives. In time, we will be able to remember both the good and the sad times without tears. We can come to embrace every day as a beautiful gift from God meant to be lived in joy.

The garden of our soul needs to be fed by honest feelings; both sorrow and joy, but especially love.

Let us turn to God (who is love) during all the seasons of our life. Spending time with nature and acknowledging both God as our creator and sharing with Him whatever feelings we are experiencing will help us through the hard times. To love is to take a risk. We share ourselves with someone not knowing what the future will bring.

The rainbow which comes after the rain is a symbol of God’s promise to us that he will not abandon us. After the rain comes peace. God is always with us, if only we will turn to him. He will take us down a garden path and show us the beauty we are blind to. When we cannot see the path beneath our feet, we must turn to God for guidance. Only He knows what the future will bring.

Bloom where you are planted!

Trinity Crucifix

Glory be

to The Father,

and to the Son,

and to the Holy Ghost,

as it was in the beginning,

is now, and ever shall be,

forever and ever,

Amen.

Many of of our formal prayers end with the Glory Be prayer. I asked my friends which person in the trinity they found it easier to turn to, and who they found it difficult to turn to in prayer. There is no wrong answer!

After reflecting, I realized that during my prayer journey (my pilgrimage) I have come to know each of the persons in the trinity in a more personal way.

I began my childhood by turning to my creator, The Father. Finding God in nature comes easily to me. As a child of God, I am in awe of his majesty and the beauty of his creation and the people I know and love.

As an adult, recognizing the movement of the Holy Spirit has become easier. The Holy Spirit is the director of the show. When the apostles were confused after the crucifixion, the Holy Spirit came and removed the confusion and fear. He enlightened them as to what the will of the Father was. Through the guidance of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the Christian Church was born. When I am in confusion, I turn to the Holy Spirit to guide me. Sometimes, He actually pushes me in the direction I need to go.

Getting to know Jesus has been the most difficult. I know now, that I was avoiding Jesus. I have always connected Jesus to the cross…suffering! When I began to experience the loss of loved ones in my life, however, I found it absolutely necessary to turn to Jesus.

I also turned to Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family. The Holy Family knows in a very real and human way what our pain is like. I no longer felt alone. They always listen to me, and they understand me. Each of the Holy Family is very human… even Jesus. I share my troubles and my joys with them every day.

Each of us has a unique prayer journey.

We are pilgrims, trying to get to know God.

Daily reflection is an important part of the journey.

What a long way I have come! What a long way I have to go!

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Carmelite Saints, Faith, Spirituality

The Spirituality and Prayers of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Gallery January 30, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

Thérèse was born in Alencon, France in 1873. She suffered from the death of her mother, due to breast cancer, at the age of four. Her family then moved to Lisieux. At a young age she wished to follow her sisters, Pauline and Marie, into the convent but was denied due to her age. However, in 1888 she entered the Carmel of Lisieux. On Sept. 8, 1890 she made her religious profession as a Carmelite.

Because of her love and prayers for the missions St.Thérèse is the patron saint of missions. She is also the patron saint of gardeners and florists. Thérèse of Lisieux was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church. She is the youngest Doctor of the Church.

St. Thérèse is also known as the Little Flower. She saw herself as a flower in the garden of God. Calling herself “the little flower of Jesus” she wanted to give glory to God by just being herself among all the other flowers in Gods garden.

The health of St. Thérèse was poor. She suffered grief when her father died and also contracted tuberculosis. She suffered much pain but offered her suffering for ‘the poor sinners’. Her great desire was to save souls. “My mission…to make God loved….will begin after my death”, she said. “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.” She also said, “I want to suffer and even rejoice for love, for this is my way of scattering flowers. Never a flower shall find but its petals shall be scattered for you, and all the while I will sing, yes sing, even when gathering my roses in the midst of thorns, and the longer and sharper the thorns may be, the sweeter shall be my song!”

The following quote shows her spirituality:

“The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word and the doing of the least action for love.”

Her spirituality is known as “The little way”. She trusted in Jesus to make her holy and focused on doing small deeds daily rather than great deeds.

Her autobiography “The Story of a Soul” has led many pilgrims to her ‘little way’.

St. Thérèse was only 24 when she died of tuberculosis. After her death she was canonized a saint on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI. Pope John Paul II declared her a doctor of the Church in 1997. Her writings have led many souls closer to God.

The following prayers were written by St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

St. Therese of Lisieux Public Domain Image — St. Therese of Lisieux

**PRAYER OF ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX**

Yes, all is well when we seek only the will of Jesus!

All my strength lies in prayer and sacrifice. They are my invincible weapons, and I know, by experience that they can soften the heart as much as words.

More than ever, I understand that the smallest events of our life are conducted by God; He is the One who makes us desire and who grants our desires.

A MORNING PRAYER

O my God! I offer Thee all my actions of this day for the intentions and for the glory of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I desire to sanctify every beat of my heart, my every thought, my simplest works, by uniting them to Its infinite merits; and I wish to make reparation for my sins by casting them into the furnace of Its Merciful Love.

O my God! I ask of Thee for myself and for those whom I hold dear, the grace to fulfill perfectly Thy Holy Will, to accept for love of Thee the joys and sorrows of this passing life, so that we may one day be united together in heaven for all Eternity.

Amen.

MY SONG OF TODAY

Oh, how I love thee, Jesus! My soul aspires to Thee. And yet for one day only my simple prayer I pray!

Come reign within my heart, smile tenderly on me.

Today, dear Lord, today.

St. Thérèse

MAY TODAY THERE BE PEACE

May today there be peace within. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you. May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

St. Thérèse

PRAYER FOR SPIRITUAL CHILDHOOD

Lord, give me the open heart of a child. Let me come trustingly to you, not afraid to ask for your love.

.Deliver me from the belief that I am self-sufficient. Show me my need of you.

Give me the grace to reach out to you, Lord give me a child’s’ simplicity and a sense of wonder.

May my enthusiasm for you never die. Let me hasten to converse with you in the intimacy of prayer. Give me discernment to realize there is no detail of my life too tiny for your concern.

Help me to perceive your glory in the helplessness of the cross.

Son of God, who for my sake, took on the dependency of childhood, help me to accept the readiness of the Father’s grace.

Amen

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Faith

Pope Francis Shares Memories Of First Communion With Children

Gallery January 29, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

Pope Francis Facebook Image

While visiting in a Roman parish Sunday evening, Pope Francis shared with children preparing to receive their First Communion. According to Zenit News Agency, He told them about his own First Communion 70 years ago. Pope Francis also met with little children, the sick and families with children baptized during the year. He then heard confessions and then presided at Mass for Gaudete Sunday (the third Sunday of Advent).
While talking with the children he said,

“There are those of you here who are going to make their First Communion. Do you know? This year was the 70th anniversary of my First Communion: 70 years ago I made my First Communion. A long time ago, no? I made it on Oct. 8, 1944.”

Pope Francis said he remembered the occasion “as if it were today.” Pope Francis recalled the catechists who taught him for a full year…both were named Alice. He remembered entering the church with all the children’s hands stuck together and singing. He shared the words of the song, ‘O holy altar, guarded by the Angels, I come to you for the first time.’
Commenting that he would never forget that day he added that he also received Confirmation later on the same day. Pope Francis said to the children, ”

“You, who will make your First Communion, always remember that day your whole life: the first day that Jesus came in to us. He comes, makes himself one with us, makes himself our food, our nourishment to give us strength.”

Pope Francis encouraged the children to remember their catechist saying that when the Sister who taught him for Communion died in 1987 he went there and prayed because that Sister brought him close to Jesus. Pope Francis added,

“Don’t forget the catechists, all right? Don’t forget the date, O.K.? And every year on the date, go make a good Confession and Communion; all right?”\

Pope Francis also met with the families of the recently baptized. To these families Pope Francis said,

“In Baptism, you gave the faith, you transmitted the faith through the Sacrament, but after many years, they will do the same with their children, and thus the faith — from the time of Jesus to today — is like a chain that is transmitted by parents. And this is a beautiful responsibility! Don’t forget the day of your Baptism, don’t ever forget it!”

Pope Francis said that in Argentina it is the custom to baptize children eight days after their birth. He recalled that he was baptized on Christmas day, eight days after his Dec. 17 birthday.
In his blessing he said,

“I pray for you. May you have joy, joy with these children, joy in the home, joy in hope, so much joy. And I give you my blessing,”

In his final reflection he commented on the cry of a child, saying the cry of a child is God’s voice.

This article was originally published on Dec. 15, 2014 by Vicki Scheenstra.

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The Mystery of Faith

Galleries

How Much Do You Know About The Apostles?

St. Andrew, Apostle and Martyr

St. Bartholomew, Apostle and Martyr

St. James the Greater, Apostle and Martyr

St. James the Lesser

St. John the Evangelist

Judas Iscariot, Apostle and Traitor

St. Jude Thaddeus, Apostle and Martyr

St. Mathias, Apostle and Martyr

St. Mathew, Apostle and Martyr

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St. Peter, Apostle and Martyr

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St. Thomas, Apostle and Martyr

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Pentecost

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Brigid of Ireland, Feast Day Feb. 1

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The Spirituality and Prayers of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Pope Francis Shares Memories Of First Communion With Children

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