THE DAILY GROTTO

Have a Blessed Christmas!

 
  Christmas Bells

  The time draws near the birth of Christ: The moon is hid, the night is still; The Christmas bells from hill to hill Answer each other in the mist.

Four voices of four hamlets round, From far and near, on mead and moor, Swell out and fail, as if a door Were shut between me and the sound;

Each voice four changes on the wind, That now dilate, and now decrease; Peace and good will, good will and peace; Peace and good will, to all mankind
-Alfred, Lord Tennyson

A HOLY AND HUMBLE SOUL

:
Prayer to St. Juan Diego( By Fr. John Giuliani)

You who were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe as an instrument to show your people and the world that the way of Christianity is one of love, compassion, understanding, values, sacrifices, repentance of our sins, appreciation and respect for God’s creation, and most of all one of humility and obedience;You whom we know is now in the Kingdom of the Lord and close to our Mother; Be our angel and protect us, stay with us as we struggle in this modern life often not knowing where to set our priorities;

Help us to pray to our God to obtain the gifts of the Holy Spirit and use them for the good of humanity and the good of our Church, through the Heart of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Heart of Jesus. Amen.
 

SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

 

Dear Readers,

I hope that you are all experiencing a Blessed Advent. Our home is starting to look a bit like Christmas. I must admit that I love the coziness of colorful lights, candles flickering in the night, vintage decorations, and our beautiful 8 foot Frazier fir beautifully adorning our living room. 

As we light our second candle this week, let us remember to thank our Lord that we still have the resources to make our Christmas merry and bright. So many people are hurt by a tough economy, and won't be able to afford much in the way of Christmas decorations or even presents. Let us all be charitable and share some of our things with those that don't have much.

How many ornaments do we really need anyway? Let us all make it a goal to pack up a box or two of Christmas things, and take it to our local resale shop or Homeless shelter. Then things will be merry and bright for others too. Let us always remember that Jesus is the reason for the season!!!!!

God Bless,

Kathy

FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT

Week 1: First Sunday of Advent  Prayer for the Advent Wreath Lord, our God, we praise You for Your Son, Jesus Christ, for He is Emmanuel, the Hope of all people. He is the Wisdom that teaches and guides us. He is the Savior of us all. O Lord, let your blessing come upon us as we light the first (purple) candle of this wreath. May the wreath and its light be a sign of Christ’s promise of salvation. May He come quickly and not delay. We ask this in His holy name. Amen. Waiting  We light a candle today, a small dim light against a world that often seems forbidding and dark. But we light it because we are a people of hope, a people whose faith is marked by an expectation that we should always be ready for the coming of the Master. The joy and anticipation of this season is captured beautifully in the antiphons of hope from the monastic liturgies: See! The ruler of the earth shall come,  the Lord who will take from us the heavy burden of our exile The Lord will come soon, will not delay. The Lord will make the darkest places bright. We must capture that urgency today in the small flame of our candle. We light the candle because we know that the coming of Christ is tied to our building of the kingdom. Lighting the flame, feeding the hungry, comforting the sick, reconciling the divided, praying for the repentant, greeting the lonely and forgotten – doing all these works hastens His coming. HT/EWTN

HAVE A BLESSED THANKSGIVING

Prayers for Hayley please......

 
Please pray for Hayley who is down with a kidney infection. Please pray that she has a full recovery and responds to necessary medicine. Thank you!

HAPPY ALL SAINTS DAY

Catholic Liturgy of the Hours All-Saints Prayer

Father, All-Powerful and ever-living God,
today we rejoice in the holy men and women
of every time and place.
May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From Christian Prayer: Liturgy of the Hours

HAPPY ALL HALLOW'S EVE

Twenty two years of wedded bliss......

Has it actually been that long since my husband and I wed?  The years since our wedding day have flown by so quickly. Has it all been wedded bliss? Well, not exactly.  However, the fortitude and longevity in marriage has been due to our commitment to the "Sacrament of Marriage". Christ between us makes three. And the Lord has definitely been wedged between the two us; often bringing us down to our knees in prayer for one and another.

The vocation of marriage is not an easy one. Especially in our times of turbulence, and even peril in the world; marriage must be something that couples do not rush into lightly. When graces are abundant though; the air is filled with heavenly sweetness and love. Like the aroma of a freshly baked apple pie on a cold, and crisp autumn day.

Marriage is also like a budding rose, beautiful but not without thorns. When it blooms, its scent carries a magnificent aroma to all in its midst. The rose eventually withers and dies buts it petals can be savored in different ways; like pressing it into a beautiful album to view for many years to come.

Marriage can be savored over time too, children fill up the house and then grandchildren arrive to bless the roost. I look forward to that chapter in our life someday.  But for now what I say to all  of my dear readers is; that I have blessed with a wonderful husband ( two beautiful daughters) that knows me all too well. He challenges me, loves me, and works really hard to provide for our family.

The economy has been a real challenge in our present day; but our faith in God sustains us and helps us to go forward on our journey in life. The ultimate goal is heaven. But until then we will strive to do our best creating our own little" domestic church" in a very unstable world.

Marriage is not an easy vocation. It is not for the faint of heart. But neither is the priesthood, religious or single life. However, God gives us the graces to endure whatever battles that we are engaged in. Sometimes just saying " I'm sorry" is the perfect ointment to put on a cut that isn't healing correctly.

I have often been a bit envious when I hear of couples that have never fought with each other, and have just been the "best of friends" forever. Mike and I both have Irish tempers and often don't see eye to eye. It's kind of uncomfortable when two people in the family are as stubborn as we are. But we are also very passionate people who put a lot of energy into things that we believe in.

Thank goodness we have good morals and values, love our Catholic faith, and honor the " Sanctity of Marriage" because without Christ's help we wouldn't have made it to one day let alone 22 years. Happy Anniversary Mike. I love you!!!!!! Here's what I said about you last year

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY, PRAY FOR US!