There is an old Greek play in which a young man is passionately devoted to the goddess Artemis, daughter of Zeus. When this strong and courageous young man is mortally wounded you expect the goddess to come down to comfort him in his dying moments. She does come down from Mount Olympus, and she sees the death sweat on his face, and she hears the death rattle in his throat. With tears in her eyes she explains that no one from Mount Olympus can bear to see mortals die. Whereupon she turns and aban…
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Added by Red Prudente on October 29, 2009 at 6:41pm —
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This feast celebrates the birth of the most important woman in the history of the world. We know that her birth brought to the very eyes of all the Predestined Woman who was to be the Mother of Jesus, Saviour of the World. Joachim and Anne, her parents, also honored as saints as are Elizabeth and Zachary her cousins. Talk about a holy family!! There are many people in our families and dear friends too who are holy also. They constantly bring us good and lift us up to God. God made all of us like…
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Added by Red Prudente on September 9, 2009 at 10:52pm —
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A woman named Corrie Ten Boom tells this story in her book, "The Hiding Place." It took place during the persecution of the Jews by the Nazis. She relates an incident which taught her a very important principle. She and her sister, Betsy had been captured by the Nazis for helping the Jews. They had just been transferred to Ravensbruck, the worst German prison camp they had seen. Upon entering the barracks, they found them extremely overcrowded and flea infested. Their Scripture reading that morn…
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Added by Red Prudente on August 18, 2009 at 7:54pm —
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In the musical play "Camelot" that was the place to live if you wanted happiness and joy. By decree of King Arthur, the weather was pleasant at all times, with the seasons timed to the conversion and comfort of the people. Maidens and children walked the streets without fear of assault. Hunger and poverty were unknown, with all the community sharing the wealth of the land. It was the perfect kingdom, at least for a while. For eventually everything went wrong: the Queen fell in love with King Art…
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Added by Red Prudente on August 12, 2009 at 7:38pm —
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While sports fishing off the Florida coast, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft. Spotting an old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted, "Are there any gators around here?" "Naw," the man hollered back, "Ain't been any for years!" Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming toward the shore. As he got closer to the shore he shouted to the guy again "What did you do to get rid of the gators?" "We didn't do…
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Added by Red Prudente on August 5, 2009 at 8:52am —
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I often sympathize with the priest in this story about a man about to be executed by hanging. As he approached the scaffold they asked him if he wanted to say a few words to the crowd gathered before him. He replied that he did not want to speak. Well, they asked him if his parish priest might say a few words on his behalf. "OK," grunted the man, "but please hang me first. I've been listening to this little man's terrible homilies for the past 15 years. Spare me now!"
You know, Jesus, I sometim…
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Added by Red Prudente on July 14, 2009 at 9:17pm —
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One of the nicest stories I've come across in a long time concerns a man who through no fault of his own lost two jobs in the space of a single year. Then he lost his third job. He came home and told his wife and three small sons the bad news: "I've lost my job again." The wife comforted him the best she could. The three boys simply stared at him without saying anything. The next morning the man awoke after his three boys had left for school. He went downstairs. In the wastebasket were the remai…
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Added by Red Prudente on July 7, 2009 at 8:47pm —
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A man tells this story. When his little daughter's dog, Sierra, died, he patiently explained to her that Sierra was now in heaven with God and enjoying all the other animals. One night, he was next to her as she said her prayers before going to bed. In a steady voice the girl prayed: "Dear God, there's a dog up there with you named Sierra. Well, she's my dog, and I want her back!"
Jesus, I think I know how that little girl felt. A loved one dies, and we miss them. I feel like praying: "Dear God…
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Added by Red Prudente on July 6, 2009 at 7:59pm —
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It was Trinity Sunday, and a Religious Education teacher had invited the pastor to her first grade class. She asked the class: "Class, can anyone tell me what feast we are celebrating today?" Many hands went up, and one kid said "Trinity Sunday." The teacher said "that's right." Then she asked: "Can anyone tell me what the Trinity is?" A little girl said: "There is one God in three Divine Persons." Now the pastor was quite impressed and said: "Great answer. Now tell us what that means?" The litt…
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Added by Red Prudente on June 14, 2009 at 12:52am —
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Whenever I celebrate Sunday Mass at parishes, I look out at the people congregated there and ask myself the question: "Why are they here?" I recall the story of a family that received a Thanksgiving Day card with a painting of a Pilgrim family as they were walking toward a church. The mother was showing her children the nice card and explained that the Pilgrim children liked to celebrate Thanksgiving Day by attending church with their parents. One of her skeptical children asked his mom, "Well,…
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Added by Red Prudente on June 8, 2009 at 12:07am —
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A little boy was always stealing things and mama took him everywhere to get help but nothing worked. Finally, she took Johnny to the pastor. She sat in the outer room while Johnny went into the pastor's office. The pastor talked to Johnny, but the kid was unresponsive. In desperation the pastor figured he would impress upon the boy the God sees everything that he does, so he asked "Johnny, do you know where God is?" The boy jumped out of his chair, ran to his mother, looked at her and yelled, "I…
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Added by Red Prudente on May 27, 2009 at 12:51am —
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A man was walking through a crowded parking lot outside the mall, going to his car when he tripped and fell flat on his face. As he was lying there, a woman stopped her car and called out, "are you hurt?" "no, I'm fine," he said. "Oh, good," she continued. "Will you be vacating your parking space now?"
Jesus, you asked us to love one another, to practice the virtue of charity. What is love? How do we practice the virtue of charity? First of all, I think you want us to be as aware of the needs o…
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Added by Red Prudente on May 20, 2009 at 9:25pm —
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The late Erma Bombeck, a wonderful wife, mother and Catholic, once wrote a poem titled "When God created Mothers." In it she describes God's effort to create a "standard model" of a mother as an angel looks on. The standard model must have "a kiss that can cure anything, six pair of hands, three pair of eyes, one pair that sees through closed doors when she asks "what are you kids doing in there?" One pair in the back of her head "that sees what she shouldn't " and one pair in the front that loo…
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Added by Red Prudente on May 12, 2009 at 4:18pm —
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Ten sheep in New Zealand now have their own web sites. School children in a town in Japan formed a partnership with school children in their sister city in Westport, New Zealand. Using the internet, the Japanese school children can check on the progress of their lambs as often as they like. The 11-year-olds in New Zealand also answer e-mail from the Japanese kids, answering on behalf of the sheep. The sheep's names include Curly, Bunter, Luncheon and Lambchop. The names of the last two make you…
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Added by Red Prudente on May 8, 2009 at 6:32am —
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In an episode of the comic strip Peanuts, Linus tells Charlie Brown, "When I hear those coyotes howling at night, it totally depresses me. I start to feel lonely. Then I get scared. I get so afraid." Charlie Brown says, " I thought holding onto that blanket made you secure." Linus replies, "I think the warranty ran out.”
You know, dear Jesus, that's the problem with most, so called, security blankets. Their warranty runs out. When people are anxious, worried and fearful they turn to drugs or al…
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Added by Red Prudente on April 22, 2009 at 8:18am —
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In a beautiful episode of the comic strip "For Better or for Worse," about family life, it is Easter morning. The family is in church. As we watch them, it seems that one of the little girls is squirming, looking around, distracted. The preacher is apparently relating the Easter story. Finally she turns to her dad: "Daddy?" The father whispers: "Yes, Meredith?" Meredith says, "Daddy, when do they get to the part where Jesus meets the Easter Bunny? ”
Jesus, I know that in no part of the Easter s…
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Added by Red Prudente on April 17, 2009 at 10:43am —
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It's not Easter yet, but it won't be long now, just seven short days. And what joy we will feel when we get there! But we have a big problem. To get from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday we have to walk through a graveyard in the dark. The only road from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday runs right through the middle of Good Friday. That road is not an easy road to walk. Those who don't have the stomach for the journey, those who seek an "ouch-less" faith, will stay home from today until next Sunday, sho…
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Added by Red Prudente on April 9, 2009 at 10:56am —
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They tell the story about a certain Mexican bank robber by the name of Jorge Rodriguez, who operated along the Texas border around the turn of the century. Eventually a Texas Ranger was able to capture him. With a pistol to his head he said, "I know who you are, Jorge Rodriguez, and I have come to get back all the money that you have stolen from the banks in Texas. Unless you give it to me, I am going to blow your brains out."There was one fatal difficulty, however, Jorge did not speak English a…
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Added by Red Prudente on April 5, 2009 at 5:02am —
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A woman tells this story: Employed as a dental receptionist, she was on duty when an extremely nervous patient came for root-canal surgery. He was brought into the examining room and made comfortable in the reclining dental chair. The dentist then injected a numbing agent around the patient's tooth, and left the room for a few minutes while the medication took hold. When the dentist returned, the patient was standing next to a tray of dental equipment. "What are you doing by the surgical instrum…
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Added by Red Prudente on March 26, 2009 at 7:03am —
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A politician, seated with friends and foes, was riding a train through a city. He suggested that he throw a five dollar bill out of the window to make someone happy. One of his supporters mused, "Perhaps you should throw out five one dollar bills instead and make five people happy." "Or perhaps," growled one of the politicians opponents, "You could throw yourself out of the train and make everyone happy.”
Jesus, I think that you want us to make other people happy, not by throwing our self out o…
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Added by Red Prudente on March 18, 2009 at 4:20am —
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