Is God really in our midst or not? Is God really here among us right now? Sometimes, we ask these questions in moments of great distress when we have suffered some terrible tragedy or we have fallen away from God in some way. We wonder, is God really with us? Read More
peace | Deacon Allen Tatara Catholic Speaker - Part 5
On the Inside; On the Outside
Sabbath Place Hermitage
This past weekend, I went away on retreat to a place called Christ in the Wilderness (http://citwretreat.com) outside of Stockton, Illinois. I typically try to go away for at least four days, but with the way my calendar was this year, I could only manage a weekend. I didn’t set my spiritual expectations too high due to the short two-day retreat. (It usually takes two-days just to wind down from the stresses of life before I can solely focus on my relationship with God.) But this time, it was different.
Being completely isolated in a secluded wilderness hermitage immediately placed me in God’s presence. I was surrounded by nature, birds, animals, and God’s love for me, and an immediate peacefulness enveloped me. Read More
wikihow.com
Why is forgiving someone so difficult? How do you forgive someone when every fiber of your being resists? How do you look at them lovingly when you still have the memory of their unloving action? How can we, as Jesus tells us, forgive our brothers and sisters from our hearts? It’s certainly not an easy task.
Today we celebrate the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe. He is the patron of journalists, families, prisoners, the pro-life movement and the chemically addicted. And forgiveness was at the core of his very being. Read More
Prayer to St. Benedict for Peace
St. Benedict, you were a man of peace.
You walked the paths of peace your whole life long and led all who came to you into the ways of peace.
Help us, St. Benedict, to achieve peace;
peace in our hearts, peace in our homes, peace in our sorely troubled world.
Through your powerful intercession with God help us to be peacemakers.
Amen.
Have you ever seen that TV show called “Golden Boy?” (Well apparently, not many have. It has been cancelled for next year.) The show features a young rookie homicide cop who is filled with anger issues against his father, mother, co-workers, and many others. His wise, veteran partner has to deal with him and all of his anger. So he gives him these words of wisdom: Read More
This has been quite the roller coaster of a week for me, with a variety of highs and lows. Unfortunately, the lows seem to keep coming.
With today being the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, I turned to him for some words of peace. No matter where you are in your life, these words should provide some comfort. Read More
“I have always thought of Christmas time, when it has come around, as a good time; a kind, forgiving, charitable time; the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.”
~Charles Dickens Read More
As I was sifting through our pile of mail, I picked up our copy of U.S. Catholic. I casually flipped open the magazine, and my eyes zoned onto this quote:
In an exclusive interview with ABC News, President Obama today acknowledged that he has made mistakes during his presidency but defended the steps his administration has taken to create jobs and improve the economy.
Back in the 1985, I was divinely inspired to write a song called “On the Inside; On the Outside.” The song speaks to the fact that one needs to feel God on the inside for others to see God on the outside. In other words, if you recognize God in your daily life and live the way that God wants you to live, than others will see that something good is going on in your life. If you find that your heart is cold and empty, it may be because you have not let God inside. If you let God enter your heart, you will be filled with overflowing love, which you will want to naturally pass on to others. God is always with you, and we are called to spread His word to all. Others can’t help but to be attracted to a person who is so filled with the love of God, and so filled with the vocation of serving others. Read More
