MARY, OUR LADY OF SURPRISES, TAKE OVER !

WHEN THINGS DON'T GO WELL, TRY LETTING GO -- AND INVOKING 'OUR LADY OF SURPRISES'



There are a lot of names for the Blessed Mother, but how about "Our Lady of Surprises"? There's actually a prayer invoking her help under this title (see below), and why not? God often works most powerfully through surprises.

Haven't you experienced this? You want something and you want something and you want it -- you pray endlessly -- and nothing occurs. When you let go, a bunch of surprises fall upon you.

Look at the surprise of Jesus multiplying the loaves or cleansing men of disease or the surprise of the first disciples at Lake Gennesaret. After a hard night of fishing, Jesus was suddenly there out of the blue to tell them where they should cast their nets. (They listened to what He said -- leading to an astonishing catch.)

He does this with us all. He sheds grace when we least expect it. When we're faithful and don't complain and don't try to tell God the way everything in our lives should go, He often responds with a flurry of the unexpected!

In meteorology there's a phenomenon of lightning known as the "blue giant." This is when a bolt travels dozens of miles, often striking a place even when there doesn't seem to be a cloud in the sky. It's literally a bolt from the blue. God's gifts can be like that -- when we allow Him.

It's another of those spiritual laws, that letting go lets God. We can actually inhibit the answer to a prayer by wanting something too much. That can tend toward lust, and God doesn't respect that. Or, it can signal a lack of faith. When we pray and then watch everything that transpires with a microscope -- waiting and biting our nails, doubting it will come -- the prayer often goes unanswered (or at least is delayed). It's like watching for the water to boil. It takes forever.

Instead we're called to pray from the heart and then believe that the prayer will work if it's in God's greater plan for us. Be patient. When something isn't happening, let go of it. If it is not in God's Will, the yearning for it -- the obsession -- will soon fade, granting us peace. If it is in God's Will, He now has the room to operate.

A Christian author once said that in the afterlife we will see all the presents God had in store for us and how many never came because we didn't know how to ask for them!

The key word is "release." Release your desires to the Lord. Release all that is causing you anxiety. In prayer, go through everything that may be causing you angst -- and hand it over to Christ. Release your desire. Release all your fears. This is very powerful in communicating with the Almighty One. Invite God to surprise you every day and no day will bore you!

And remember the Blessed Mother:

"O Mary, my mother and Our Lady of Surprises, what a happy joy you caused the wedding guests, when you asked your Divine Son to work the miracle of water into wine. What a happy surprise for them since they thought the wine had run dry. I, too, Mary, love surprises and as your child, may I ask you to favour me with one today? I ask this only because you are my ever caring mother."

Try it. Say that one from the heart.

You may be amazed -- surprised -- at what she brings you.

from:- Spirit Daily - Daily spiritual news from around the world

I SAID, 'HERE AM I; SEND ME' - ISAIAH 6:8

Do you have what it takes?
I said, 'Here am I; send me ISAIAH 6:8
To lead and succeed in any area of life you must have: 1) Commitment. Real leaders don't quit; they couldn't even if they wanted to. One guy said to his pastor, 'It must be hard leading an exemplary life, handling all those pressures, people waiting for one sign of weakness so they can jump on you. How do you handle it?' Smiling, he quipped, 'I stay home a lot!' Only in God's strength will you be able to handle the demands of people, pressures and problems that come your way. 2) Creativity. Homer wrote, 'Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant.' Problems unlock your creativity. The story's told of a chicken farmer whose land kept flooding and killing his chickens. In despair he told his wife, 'I've had it; I can't afford to buy another place and I can't sell this one. What can I do?' Calmly she replied, 'Buy ducks!' A wise leader prays, looks for a solution in every problem, thenand then acts on it. 3) Compassion. Bob Pearce said, 'Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.' Matthew records, 'When He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion' (Matthew 9:36 NKJV). Pastor, what moves you? Building projects? Budgets? Big crowds? Be careful; it's possible to love crowds but not love people. People are demanding, they're difficult, they're draining. But as Madeline L'Engle said, 'If you're going to care about the fall of the sparrow, you can't pick and choose who's going to be the sparrow.' So before you say, 'Lord, send me,' ask yourself, 'Do I have what it takes?'
from - UCB WORD FOR TODAY - 28/Aug/09



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HUMMING CEDARS - Acts 16:25-26 ---Matthew 14:25-32 --- Acts 5:29 --- Hebrews 12:2 --- Fix my eyes on You Jesus

 



Paul and Silas singing hymns of praise to God
 

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it ISAIAH 35:2
Picture the wind blowing through the cedars of Lebanon and some of them 'humming' in response. And the greater the storm, the sweeter their song. These were called humming cedars. And God uses humming cedars to build strong churches. In Acts, a couple of humming cedars were incarcerated in a Philippian dungeon, their hands and feet locked in stocks, their backs flogged, the contempt of society heaped on them. How did they respond? 'At midnight Paul and Silas were...singing hymns to God...Suddenly there was a great earthquake...the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were loosed' (Acts 16:25-26 NKJV). One old preacher said: 'God got so caught up in their praises that He began to tap His big foot. And when God taps His foot, you get earthquakes.' Praise breaks chains and opens doors; it's the strategy for victory. Satan will try to stop you from praising God because he knows: (a) The importance of praise. 'Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised' (Psalm 48:1 NKJV). (b) The healing effects of praise. God's answer to 'the spirit of heaviness' is 'the garment of praise' (Isaiah 61:3). But like any garment, you must put it on. (c) The power of praise in times of crisis. When Israel was outnumbered by the enemy, God told them to put a choir in front of the army and march into battle. And it worked! 'When they began...to praise, the Lord set ambushes against the [enemy]' (2 Chronicles 20:22 NKJV). Don't wait until the battle is over to shout; go to war with the praise of God on your lips and watch Him turn your situation around.

from - UCB Word For Today (24/08/09)

Lhud 12:2 --- ...Inżommu ħarsitna fuq Ġesù...
Hebrews 12:2 --- ...keeping our eyes upon Jesus...

Inzommu harsitna fuq Gesù (Fr. Hayden)




Matthew 14:25-32
²⁵ During the fourth watch of the night, he came toward them, walking on the sea. ²⁶ When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified. “It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear. ²⁷ At once [Jesus] spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” ²⁸ Peter said to him in reply, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” ²⁹ He said, “Come.” Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw how [strong] the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” ³¹ Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” ³² After they got into the boat, the wind died down.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCSXzUc8340&t=6m12s

...[Mt:14:25] Fir-raba' sahra tal-lejl mar lejn in-naħa tagħhom miexi fuq il-baħar. [Mt:14:26] Huma rawh miexi fuq il-baħar u twerwru. "Dan xi fantażma!" qalu; u qabdu jgħajjtu bil-biża'. [Mt:14:27] Iżda hu minnufih kellimhom u qalilhom: "Agħmlu l-qalb, jiena hu, tibżgħu xejn!" [Mt:14:28] Wieġeb Pietru u qallu: "Mulej, jekk huwa int, ordnali niġi ħdejk fuq l-ilma." [Mt:14:29] "Ejja," qallu Ġesù. Pietru niżel mid-dgħajsa, u qabad jimxi fuq l-ilma u jersaq lejn Ġesù. [Mt:14:30] Iżda meta ra li r-riħ kien qawwi, baża', ħabat jegħreq, u beda jgħajjat u jgħid: "Salvani, Mulej !" [Mt:14:31] Malajr Ġesù medd idu u qabdu: "Bniedem ta' fidi żgħira," qallu,"għaliex iddubitajt?" [Mt:14:32] Meta mbagħad it-tnejn telgħu fid-dgħajsa, ir-riħ waqaf...

 

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Acts 16:25-26

 

Deliverance from Prison. ²⁵ About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, ²⁶ there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook; all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCSXzUc8340&t=18m12s 

[Atti:16:25] Għal-ħabta ta' nofs il-lejl Pawlu u Sila bdew jitolbu u jfaħħru 'l Alla bl-innijiet, u l-ħabsin jisimgħuhom. [Atti:16:26] F'daqqa waħda sar terremot hekk kbir li s-sisien tal-ħabs theżhżu, minnufih il-bibien kollha nfetħu beraħ u nħall l-irbit ta' kulħadd.

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Acts 5:29  But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCSXzUc8340&t=24m21s
[Atti:5:29] Iżda Pietru, flimkien ma' l-appostli, wieġeb u qal: "Jeħtieġ nobdu aktar lil Alla milli l-bnedmin.

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EUCHARISTIC ADORATION


FIX MY EYES by Mark Mallett --- https://vimeo.com/118623483





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LITANY OF HUMILITY - LITANIJA TA' L-UMILTÀ

LITANY OF HUMILITY



by Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val,(1865-1930), secretary of state to Pope Saint Pius X
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O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being loved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being extolled, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being honoured, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being praised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being preferred to others, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being consulted, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the desire of being approved, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being humiliated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being despised, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of suffering rebukes, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being calumniated, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being forgotten, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being ridiculed, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being wronged, Deliver me, O Jesus.
From the fear of being suspected, Deliver me, O Jesus.

That others may be loved more than I, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease,O Jesus,
grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be chosen and I set aside, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be praised and I go unnoticed, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be preferred to me in everything, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should, O Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.



Litanija ta' l-umiltà


Litanija ta' l-umiltà – ta’ Rafael María José, Kardinal Merry del Val y de Zulueta (1865-1930), Segretarju tal-Istat għall-Papa Piju X (San Piju X)
O ĠESÙ TA’ QALB ĦELWA W UMLI, ismagħni
Mix-xewqa li nkun stmata – EĦLISNI ĠESÙ
Mix-xewqa li nkun maħbuba - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mix-xewqa li nkun ammirata - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mix-xewqa li niġi onorata - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mix-xewqa li niġi mfaħħra - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mix-xewqa li nkun preferuta mill-oħrajn - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mix-xewqa li niġi kkonsultata - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mix-xewqa li niġi approvata - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mill-biża li niġi umiljata - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mill-biża li niġi ddisprezzata - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mill-biża li niġi mċanfra - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mill-biża li niġi kkalunjata - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mill-biża li nkun minsija - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mill-biża li nkun mwaqqa’ għaċ-ċajt - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mill-biża li ma niġix emmnuta - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Mill-biża li niġi ssuspettata - EĦLISNI ĠESÙ.
Li oħrajn ikunu maħbuba aktar minni – ĠESÙ AGĦTINI L-GRAZZJA LI NIXTIEQHA
Li oħrajn ikunu stmati aktar minni - ĠESÙ AGĦTINI L-GRAZZJA LI NIXTIEQHA
Li fl-opinjoni tad-dinja, oħrajn jikbru u jien niċċekken - ĠESÙ AGĦTINI L-GRAZZJA LI NIXTIEQHA
Li oħrajn jintgħażlu u jien niġi mwarrba  - ĠESÙ AGĦTINI L-GRAZZJA LI NIXTIEQHA
Li oħrajn ikunu mfaħħra u jien injorata  - ĠESÙ AGĦTINI L-GRAZZJA LI NIXTIEQHA
Li oħrajn ikunu ppreferuti minni f’kollox - ĠESÙ AGĦTINI L-GRAZZJA LI NIXTIEQHA
Li oħrajn jitqaddsu aktar minni, basta li jien nitqaddes kif suppost - ĠESÙ AGĦTINI L-GRAZZJA LI NIXTIEQHA


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