Happiness…. Is ……Deep within the human heart there is a yearning for happiness.

What is happiness for you?Have you found it?What was the happiest moment in your life?Can we ever be truly happy?Sometimes we equate happiness with having ….once I have x/y I will be happy. Then when I have x/y I want an upgrade. I am not satisfied. So happiness isn’t achieved by having things.Is happiness success? Fame? Reputation? Meeting Mr. Right?

Happiness isn’t material – It’s deeper it’s spiritual. It’s about finding that inner peace. You need to look inside.

How do I find peace? By burning incense, massage? By knowing who I am and what it is I am made for and striving to be the best that I can be.

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How can I know what my identity is? My purpose? Why I am here on this earth? Is life just an experience? Eat, drink and be merry? Or is life a journey somewhere, to be with someone?

Ask whoever made me? God.

What does it mean to be a human being? If I know the answer to this question I can try to work out the answer to the happiness question.

Human being, that’s me - body and soul, created in the image of God i.e. we actually look like Him, inside and out especially since God became a human being, he walked and talked like us. So “read the instructions” what makes me tick, what makes me happy? Ask God because He made me. Get to know God because apparently I am like Him.

“When we have God in our lives it brings meaning to it, it makes everything worthwhile and fruitful too. The absence of God accompanies the less than perfect things in our world”. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

God! How can I be happy? Doing God’s will.

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What’s your will for me? You will find it in My Church that’s my presence on earth. Live your faith, practice your faith, go to mass, confession, pray, learn your faith, read the catechism and the gospels because there you will find Me and there you will find happiness. The Truth will set you free. Happiness is inseparable from truth.

Why is happiness so hard? Because we are not perfect. Since original sin we find it hard to do good we prefer the easy way out. Often we don’t recognize the truth as we see things in shadows. We need God’s grace (help) and the help of others who we know live their faith, to work out God’s will for us. But we need to remember that doing good is not about having an easy life and having an easy life won’t bring happiness. Think of great leaders, and heroes – Mother Teresa of Calcutta, John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI. But doing God’s will is the greatest adventure in life, we are guaranteed our happiness and making others happy. Trying to be the best me I can be – kind, generous, prayerful, hard working, and truthful. Living Virtue.

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Happiness is a consequence of something else. It comes as a result of finding our right north star. If we pursue happiness we may never find it, if we try to love as God wants we will be happy as a result. “This life is a talent entrusted to all of us so that we can transform it and increase it, making it a gift to others. No person is an iceberg drifting on the ocean of history. Each of us belongs to a great family, in which we have our own place our own role to play” John Paul II

Some possible resolutions:

- Virtues I would like to acquire?

- Things I would like to change about me, my life?

Human being….Who am I?

What is the purpose of my life?

A human person has basic needs - food, shelter, desires/rights/duties/aspirations

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A person is a rational animal. We have a body, soul, intellect. We need to use all our faculties to be truly human.

How do I act think?Do I act Emotionally?

Sentimentally? Rationally? Reasonably? Truthfully? Lovingly?

*scenario….. (Study vs. TV or going out)

Difference between a person and an animal e.g. a cow. Animals act instinctively. They are hungry they eat, they see water they drink, they reproduce. They don’t choose they react according to stimulus, appetites.

We can think – we can choose how we want to act. I am made to think and make decisions according to the good (will) and the truth (intellect). I am made to assess, ponder, inform myself in accordance with the truth - have a well-developed conscience, so that I can make the right,

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true and loving decisions for my happiness and that of others. Without a well developed conscience a person is like as if they had no clothes on. No matter how good you feel, or how good you think you look you have no clothes on. You are exposed to how you feel at a given moment or how others feel – not based on the truth, which is something we need to take the time to inform ourselves about. Like a library without books you have no information to inform your life or decisions. Your life is insecure and random.

Sometimes we act like animals. We react to situations.But I am Free……….

I am free doesn’t that mean I can do what I want?By making choices we express our freedom – we also curtail our freedom (if I choose to study now means I’m not going out or I’m not going to listen to music). In other words we can’t have it all because that’s not human, not real. Freedom is not unlimited – it has its limitations – Our freedom is curtailed by the truth – I can’t fly so I’m not going to jump off a 20 story building just because I want to try…I’ll kill myself. That’s fairly

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understandable. We can commit moral suicide, we can die on the inside and not even notice!

Pause and Ponder

How can I be more “human”?

Understand how I am made to act? Release all that power!! Maximise my capacity. Do I use my will & reason properly? Think of a few decisions you have made recently. Where do I tend to fall down – too emotional, too comfortable, not loving? What is my north star? I am Catholic, so what? – What was the last spiritual book I read? Are there any grey areas for me in my faith? Could I pray more? Could I use the sacraments better/more? Could I get regular classes in my faith? Does that sound too much? Am I afraid of appearing “too religious”? How do I make decisions about what I think about my faith? With a group of friends in discussion? Having read the catechism? Watching a TV. programme.

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What is truth? Is it subjective or objective?? Is it “My truth”. If it’s my truth then everything is ok – Hitler had his own truth which led to concentration camps etc.! There are certain truths about the physical world we accept because we cannot live life without i.e. gravity. In the moral life it’s the same although sometimes the consequences are not so obvious. The consequences lie in human unhappiness and infidelity, selfishness.

In things to do with values/the heart/ morality we tend to “pick and choose” because we do not see the consequences if we flaunt them – at least not now. Law of values are written on the human heart – but we find it hard to identify values at times – emotions, passions blind us, sometimes we would prefer not to think – I want to get drunk, I feel like it, but does that make it right? We are not perfect. We need help to identify values/morality. Values/morality are not impositions – “Thou shalt not” They are values which enable us to reach our full potential, similar to traffic lights we obey them to prevent crashes.

To be free we need to accept the truth about ourselves.

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Query – IS COMMITMENT TOO MUCH FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON?? Is it superhuman??

If so what’s the alternative?

LOVE – COMMITMENT - FAMILY-SUFFERING??

Freedom vs. Liberty

Concentration camp – no physical freedom – no liberty. One is tempted to think there is no freedom at all. But some found freedom there. E.g. Viktor Frankl. Deep down freedom is an interior thing. Some times we live life looking at a “Social mirror” what do others think of me? Or we live life like a “blame game” I failed that exam because I had a bad teacher. Is that free – I am not taking charge of my life, taking responsibility for my actions.

Freedom is the ability to choose the thing that will enable me to reach my full potential in

accordance with the truth.

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What is the truth about the human person? We need love and to love -

Love is a need. Without it we cannot live nor can we develop.

A Human being needs commitment to grow – family is an institution that exists for people – it is not a company, association so we can’t use the same logic for family life as we use for companies or associations – the family is the only unit where people are loved for themselves irrespective of their talents or achievements or personalities.

But that’s not love. That’s drudgery….

What is love – not just an emotion – it’s a gift – positive force in a person directed towards their growth and maturity. John Paul II said “Man only discovers himself in a sincere gift of self”.

If love isn’t = self-giving and personal & committed – it comes to mean what is convenient, useful, or pleasurable. If we treat love like a commodity then we

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can safely say that we treat human beings like commodities – we treat ourselves like commodities.

Do I consider myself a commodity? An object? Or a person?

An essential part of the definition of love is commitment, because it is part of the definition of the human person. Every person is a “gift “ and our journey or vocation in life is to give that gift (sacred part of me) to someone forever.

Believe in this and be willing to make a difference. Live life by the truth and share that with others.

Love is…

“Like this may they know that you are my disciples love one another as I have loved you” Jesus Christ said to his apostles.

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“If I have not charity I am nothing” St Paul, “Charity is patient, kind, charity is not jealous or boastful, it is not arrogant or rude. Charity does not insist on its own way, it is not irritable or rude, it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Charity bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things..”

The charity and love the first Christians had for one another was palpable. Tertullian the historian/social commentator at the time commented “See how they love one another”.

What is love? Love for others begins first with love of God. What is God’s love like – unconditional, constant.

Love between the Holy Trinity is our model.God the Father – is “God For”, called Father because his role is Father of Son, Father of Creation, of humanity. His whole purpose lies outside of Himself. We are not sufficient in

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ourselves, our whole existence is at the service of something greater. God and others. To make others happier, more fulfilled and as result we become happier. Think about your own family life – and the family lives of your friends. A Christian family is a sign, a reflection of the love of the Blessed Trinity. Domestic Church – home of virtue – my family may be chaotic. But it’s where I can help my family to live for one another, serve each other. Family isn’t a casual arrangement of people – a social construct – it’s a mirror of the Blessed Trinity. The family – male & female and children are sacred.

Pope Benedict reminds us of the need to defend this right of the family as established by God.

God the Son – God From, God the Son depends on the love of Father for his existence – Do I depend on others? Or am I always in the driving seat – always with the right answers for my friends, family? Without dependence there

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is no love, because I have not realised how much I need others, their virtues, outlook etc. Love is knowing how to overlook differences, defects, annoying things about people – discover Christ in that person. God holy Spirit - God With –– love between Father and the Son. I exist for God through his love and for others. Our Lady’s response is something we try to mirror “Let your will be done unto me”. But there is the only child syndrome in all of us – my space, my time, my opinion. World like our’s comfort is the aim – need to be going contra-culture and helping others to be courageous in their family life.

St John of the Cross “in the end we will be judged on our love”. We have an opportunity to examine what my understanding of love. Is my love to the measure of Christ? Does it pinch? Without sacrifice there isn’t any love – symbol of love for us is the Cross. Our Lord asks us many times: where are you going? This is the only real important question. Our Lord doesn’t look to the outcome of our

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actions, sometimes we justify ourselves: “I didn’t have time”, “At least I’m not like so and so”, “Its so hard”. Our Lord looks to the intention – did you try, do you try love me?

Love isn’t success, it’s fidelity. What is fidelity? Its doing the right thing no matter how hard and no matter what others think of me. We can think of our commitments – to our families and friends and ask how faithful am I to them? Faithful doesn’t imply – martyr complex or being resentful it’s meant to be with joy.

Our heads should lead our hearts. At the moment of decision making its what’s true not what feels Ok that’s important.

It’s love that is real – verb, Love is an action not a sentiment or feeling. “I just don’t love him anymore” that is saying I have chosen not to love him anymore. In love there are demands, there are difficulties – Jesus didn’t promise us an easy life – but he did promise his enduring love for us. Help those around us to understand this. See in ourselves that there is a demand. Love should be prayerful love and sincere – so not self- seeking, woe is me

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I am carrying the world on my shoulders or trying to live through my children or afraid of conflict or “losing” kids or friends so don’t say no or make difficult and unpopular decisions.

Love that is real is to love someone with their defects. Our Lord loves us with our defects. We accept ourselves with our defects. So why can’t we accept others defects? Because we have a notion about love or life. Jesus forgets our sins when we ask for forgiveness.

What is it to be a saint? Is that what I am aiming

at?

Evangelisation“Every person is a thought of God” Pope Benedict XVI

“If you are what you should be you will transform the world”. John Paul II

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Brief reflection on the Gospel: - * Jesus dies on the Cross because he loves you and me. We cannot get into heaven because of Adam’s sin. What do I do for Him and what do I do for others? What is my limit? * The widow’s mite: Jesus notices love – widows mite. The apostles notice the temple buildings, the glory and power of human achievement. Our Lord notices the widow. How consoling. Our life is about mites, cents hardly noticeable efforts but Our Lord notices and he blesses them. “ask the Lord of the harvest and He will send labourers into the harvest”. Those mites the effort to love our friends through Our Lord’s eyes.

You are the salt of the earth you are the light of the world – who we are. Jesus does not say you will be the salt of the earth. It starts now. Our heaven starts now. Our heaven depends on how I am today.

True love for others is sharing with people who we truly are, warts and all. And not being afraid of introducing them to our Lord because He is the only person who can make them truly happy. He changes them – we cant. Focus on today – today is a day I can do something.

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BC and AD are 2 concepts we are familiar with. Before Christ the world was in darkness and after Christ it was filled with Hope. We can and are called to apply them to our relationship with Our Lord. Can I be a better person? Maybe with some ideas, inspirations will change me. Try not to interrupt when God tries to talk to your soul. He has a plan for each one of us. Ask Him for the grace to say yes to Him.

What impact do I have on the lives of others? Do I love them? Tolerate them? Care for them? Go out to them? Make them laugh? Share their concerns? Or do they drink more when they are with me, mess around, gossip? Jesus’ aim was to do God’s will – not to short change people, to put himself out for them, love and speak to them sincerely. When Our Lord was with people there was never an air of indifference. He said things straight. And so people loved or hated Him. He rubbed people up the wrong way – the Pharisees, because they didn’t want Him. He disconcerted the apostles who wanted a Kingdom of here and now, he also filled souls who were sincere with inspiration love and virtue– the most

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unexpected, the Roman centurion, the Samaritan woman at the well.

There are 2 lessons in this. Our Lord’s only job was to do the will of His Father no matter what the personal cost that that involved. Christian means follower of Christ – where Christ leads we have committed ourselves to follow. He evangelised so that is our call too. But he didn’t do anything odd. He worked – he was a carpenter, he loved, he celebrated – parties.

We are called to always move souls in some way. Be careful how you live you maybe the only Bible some people may “read”. God is in charge but he uses us because he called us on our Baptism and confirmation to be his apostle. We are the envelope containing the message. Don’t forget to give the message clearly, courageously lovingly.

Our Lord didn’t have an easy life – but his was happy and full of love. We can ponder on that idea in our own life – how “uncomfortable” does my Christian vocation make me? What impact does my love of God have on me? Do I hide my faith – sneak into the back of the Church at the last Sun

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a.m. Mass. There aren’t any half-way houses. Our Lord has told us “He who is not with me is against me”.

We shouldn’t be afraid of what people think. What we should be afraid of is complacency or indifference

We cannot do everything we would like, but we can always do something. Do I do my bit, use my talent or do I bury it?

How do I react when I hear things that are wrong on the radio, TV, when the Church is being criticised or made fun of when a friend is acting in a way that is not moral, when someone is gossiping and taking

away someone’s good name, when someone stops practising, when someone else needs a friend and

seems isolated and lonely?

Our Lord went looking for the lost sheep of Israel. What am I doing now to help others to have a faith that is strong and fruitful, asking people if they would like to benefit from a monthly recollection or confession. Our Lord’s last words to the apostles – “Go and make disciples of all

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nations” – How can I go and make disciples of all nations? How many times we read in the Gospel “and He went into another town” – how often do I metaphorically go into another town – move outside my circle of friends, outside my comfort zone? It’s not so hard to love others. To love them is to want them to be the best that they can be and be loyal in helping them.

If I heard that today was my last day on earth would my motivation be slightly different. At times our own concerns, instead of taking me to God, become an end in themselves. They deafen me or blind me, or maybe we see an opportunity to go out to someone but I say to myself, I’m too busy “not now”. We may never get another chance.

What conversations would we have had – maybe we would have been more direct, maybe we would have tried to do apostolate with more people.

“A grain of wheat must die” – how is my grain dying? Someone once said to John Paul II: “Your Holiness you are tired” he responded, “if I wasn’t I would not be doing my job – after me there will be another Pope” We need an insatiable hunger for

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souls fuelled by the Eucharist. How insatiable is my hunger for souls? How serious or committed am I to Him or are there other “priorities” that get in the way? How much do I think of myself or of others?

The “look of Christ” has inspired souls to make Christ the project of their lives. Through his look Christ embraced multitudes and individuals. We have been privileged enough to be called Christian – Catholic – now Christ wants to use us to “look” at souls, to love souls and help them to love Him in return, to change their lives.

Prayer …. some ideas

“You have made us for yourself O Lord and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” St Augustine

“Jesus urges us to pray always without becoming weary, Christians know that for

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them prayer is as essential as breathing The Holy Spirit enables us to pray and guides us from within in our prayer” John Paul II

Who is the only person who fully understands me, who accepts me as I am and wants me to be the best that I can be? He will never leave me; he waits for me at every moment. He has the answers to my deepest questions. Jesus is that friend and it’s good to talk to Him. We may think: it’s so difficult to keep up a conversation, it’s boring or I don’t know how… what are we going to talk about? Isn’t it all a bit one-sided?

Here are some ideas to help you to talk to Him – especially when you visit him in the Tabernacle in a Church.

You may like start saying this prayer to Jesus asking for help:

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“My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here; that you see me, that you hear me. I adore you with profound reverence. I ask you for pardon of my sins and the grace to make this time of prayer fruitful. My Mother immaculate, Saint Joseph, my father and lord, my Guardian Angel, intercede for me.”

And before you go, when you finish, another prayer may help you to say “thank you” and “see you later”:

“I give you thanks, my God, for the good resolutions, affections and inspirations that you have communicated to me in this time of prayer. I ask you for help to put them into effect. My Mother immaculate, Saint Joseph, my father and lord, my Guardian Angel intercede for me”.

Then try to chat with Jesus as you would with a friend. Tell Him what you want, how you feel, ask Him how is He today, if he is happy with you, the plans He has ready for you...

And Jesus replies: Do you want to ask Me anything for anyone in particular? Tell me who it is and what you want for them. Remember what I said: “ask and you will receive”. Ask me for things, ask for a lot. I delight in a generous heart which is more

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concerned about the needs of others than its own, Tell Me about your families, your friends. Do you want me to help them in some ways?

And, what about you, what do you need for yourself?Why don’t you make me a list of your own needs and come and read it to Me here? Talk to me about how hard you find things, your weaknesses and stumbling points. Tell Me about how you have felt the pinpricks of the pride or sensuality, temptations of comfort or selfishness… and then ask me to come to your help when you’re making those efforts – be they great or small – to fight against these human failings. Don’t be ashamed; in Heaven there are many saints who had those same defects as you…and they struggled with them…and they began again and again many times…and little by little they got better. Don’t hesitate to ask for any kind of good thing; I will grant you whatever is good and appropriate for your sanctification. What good things can I do for you?

Tell Me about your plans!!What’s worrying you? What occupies your thoughts? What do you long for? What’s in your mind today especially? What are your dreams? Tell Me…

Do you sometimes feel a bit sad? 25

Tell Me in detail what makes you feel sad. Didn’t I tell you: “come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will refresh you?”…Who has upset you? Come close to my heart which has so often been bitterly upset by people and there you will find consolation and healing for those wounds in your heart. Tell me all about it, and you will see that it is easy to forgive and be good to other people. Are you afraid of anything? Climb to my arms and my Mother’s – she loves you too. I am with you. I’m here at your side. I know all about it and I will never leave you.

And what about the joys? Haven’t you got something happy things to tell Me? Tell Me what has turned out well for you since the last time we chatted like this: what has made you smile, made your heart soar… Perhaps there have been one or two nice surprises; someone has been particularly loving towards you; you have overcome some difficulty or sorted out something tricky… Didn’t occur to you that I had something to do with that? So why has it taken you so long to come and thank Me! I want to join in with your happiness as well. When you thank Me it makes it easier for you to realize that I am always concerned about you.

Would you like to make a specific resolution?

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You know very well that your intimacy will be greater the more you make an effort to love Me and, with my help, to become a better person. This is the moment to be sincere: Are you firmly resolved to avoid every occasion of sin? Will you be pleasant and friendly again with those people you find difficult? Do you long to choose the way of love always, even though this means sacrifice? Will you always try to keep Me in all that you do? Will you always come back to Me, whatever happens? Shall we talk again tomorrow? Now go back with your friends, to have dinner, to have fun or whatever you have to do… but don’t forget this conversation that we’ve just had here, the two of us. Try to be charitable and loving all the time; love my Mother, who is also yours, and know that you can count on my help in trying to be a good child of mine.

We all were there!! Where??? In MASS

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It is the holiest thing we posses on earth, the greatest gift given us by God. It is something divine, not human… It is something

amazing!!When the priest pronounces the words of the consecration, Jesus

is made present on the altar, with his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.

It should be a personal meeting with God, whom we adore, thank petition and ask for forgiveness. At the same time it is a joyful meeting with our fellow Christians.

It’s not a question of just attending or merely being present. One may try to understand it better so as to better participate in the

sacred liturgy. To love is to love Jesus Christ. We show this love by making every effort to prepare well for each time we go.

Have you ever thought how would you prepare yourself to receive Our Lord if you could go to Communion only once in your life?How would you prepare yourself to meet your favourite artist – back stage??? Lights, camera action – show your respect by how you dress, arrive on time, prepare yourself on the inside…talk to him in your soul..

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GETTING READY for MassSpiritual Communion

I wish Lord to receive you, with the purity, humility and devotion with which your most Holy Mother received you, with the spirit and fervour of the saints.

Prayers before Mass

O Lord, grant me the grace to attend this Mass with love, attention and piety. I offer it to you in adoration and to thank you for all your goodness to me. I ask you to forgive my sins and the sins of all mankind and I beg you for the graces I need in order to serve you faithfully today.I offer my Mass today for … (say your intentions here). Grant me, Lord, to attend this Mass with the same love and piety with which our Blessed Mother stood at the foot of the Cross, and with the sprit and fervour of the saints.

After Mass

A written conversation with Our Lord

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First of all, Jesus, I want to start by thanking you. I don’t know where to start, because I have so many things to be grateful to you for.

Thank you for the family you have given me, and in which you planned that I to be born. I deeply appreciate the formation I have received at home and at school, since that has brought me the good fortune of receiving you today at Mass.

I began by thanking you. Now I am going to ask you for a few things. I’m not worried about going “over the top” in this. I know that you are my friend, and that if you want to, you will grant what I ask for. In the first place I ask for my parents, for my brothers and sisters, and for the rest of my family.

Please help the Pope alot, so that he doesn’t feel on his own in Rome. Make him strong so that he can take on the problems of the Church, and continue to love all mankind as he has been doing up to this. I ask for the Church, bishops and priests; help them become very holy and be demanding on us to be more like you, as good Christians.

Jesus, you’ll have to do something about peace in the world. May there be no more wars. Innocent people perish

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and others may die without the help of the sacraments, especially confession. I pray for all these.

I pray now for those who don’t yet know you. May they soon come across someone who can tell them about our Faith, and lead them to your Church. I pray for people who are far from you, may they ask for your forgiveness and confess their sins. I pray for babies about to be born and especially for those who not get the opportunity, because of abortion. Jesus, may those involved realise what a ghastly crime this killing of innocent babies is.

Jesus, I can’t forget my friends. Help them in all their needs.

Jesus I want to be a better friend of yours. Ask my Guardian Angel to help me to be more aware of your presence in the Tabernacle and everywhere. Help me to say sorry as soon as I realise I’ve let you down, but in the first place to show my love by avoiding occasions of sin and resisting temptation. Help me to be generous in my prayers during the day. I don’t want to be distracted when I pay a visit to you in the Blessed Sacrament.

I ask you for my school and for the families of my fellow students. I pray for my class-mates, and especially for those I find a little hard to get on with. Jesus, you have told

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us to love everyone and that people will recognise us as your followers by the love we have for one another. I don’t always find that easy, Lord, but I know that you will give me the grace to do this, if I ask for it with perseverance. Jesus I ask for that grace now, so that I will always be able to see people as you see them, and to see you in them.

Lord I want to be more concerned about other people than about myself. That is why I ask you to be merciful on everyone. I hope that this prayer of mine, will assist at least one person come closer to you today. I would like to help like this every day, bringing lots of people nearer to God, through the example of my life and my prayers.

Jesus, it is getting near time to finish off this prayer. I’m sorry for the many times I’ve abandoned you in the past. I want to be your friend always. You are my best friend, because you never let me down, no matter how much I let you down. I want to trust more in you, and in the power of your grace.

I also want to take my leave of you, Mary, my Mother. I’m sure you’ve heard my conversation with Jesus, whom you love so much. Be a Mother to me, and I will try to behave as a good daughter of yours should. Hold me tightly by the hand so that I may never abandon Jesus. Intercede for me before God, and put in a good word for my petitions.

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Another written conversation with Our Lord

I thank you Lord for this Mass and Holy Communion. Thank you for dying for me on the Cross, suffering in your Passion what I deserved to suffer for my sins. Forgive me because I rarely realise how much you love me. I know that you suffered not only for me, but for the sins of all people of all time.

I want to thank you for this great favour: may I never break my friendship with you through sin. I adore you, I love you, but I want to love you a lot more. Help me, because at times I forget all about you, and other times I give in to temptations and selfishness. Help me to show my friendship with actions: to remember you often during the day; to have the generosity to come and visit you in the Tabernacle often; to work hard, doing my jobs out of love for you and for others. Help me to thank you by treating everyone very well, especially my family, my friends and those who study or work with me.

I firmly believe that I have received you and that you are now inside me. Although my eyes can only see a little piece of bread, I know that it isn’t bread but that it really is You. It is you who have created my parents, my brothers and sisters, all mankind, the whole universe, and everything

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good that is in the world. Now it is easier for me to love you and make resolutions to improve.

I would like to have you always in my soul, to rely on your grace and try to be faithful in everything. I need your help to be able to love other people always, especially those I find hard to get on with, and to see You in them. Help me to be pure of heart and body – I know this pleases you.

I would like to be able to make up for all my own offences and betrayals and those of everyone. Forgive me my sins. I’m sorry for having let you down so many times, and I have the firm resolution, with the help of your grace never to offend you again.

Now that you’re within me, I would like to ask you some more favours – not for myself but for others. I pray for the Pope, the bishops, priests and for all Christians. I am aware of the needs of everyone, especially those suffering because of war, the sick, those in prison and the poor. But even more so, for those who don’t know you or don’t love you. Help those who don’t want to repent for their sins; give them, and especially those who are in danger of death, the grace to go to Confession.

Since you know what’s best for them better than I do, give my parents, brothers and sisters, friends, colleagues,

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teachers, etc. what they need. I pray also for the holy souls in purgatory. If there is anyone who needs my prayer now, help them, Lord.

Before I finish I want to ask you for something special. Look, Jesus, the church and the world needs generous men and women who are prepared to dedicate themselves to you and be your apostles. Choose from among us whoever you want. Call us and give us the courage to leave everything and follow you; to be sowers of your doctrine of love and bearers of your salvation.

Mary, Mother of God, I offer you my eyes, my hearing, my tongue, my heart. I entrust myself totally to your care. I beg you to obtain for me the grace never to sin again.

Self-dedication to Jesus ChristLord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding and my will. All that I have and cherish, you have given me. I surrender it all to be guided by you. Your grace and your love are wealth enough for me. Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more.

Prayer to the Guardian AngelO Angel of God, my guardian dear, to whom God’s love commits me here. Ever this day be at my side, to light and guard, to rule and guide. Amen.

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Prayer for VocationsLord Jesus Christ, who called the apostles to be fishers of men, raise up new apostles in your holy Church. Teach them that to serve you is to reign: to possess you is to possess all things. Enkindle in the young hearts of our people the fire of zeal for souls. Make them eager to spread your kingdom upon earth. Grant them the courage to follow you, who are the Way, the Truth and the Life.

To be or not to be …….. a Leader…

Do you want to leave the world a better place? How can you make a difference? What are the

necessary strengths to be leader? Who is your role model? Do you know yourself? Do you know your

strong points? Are you happy with yourself? Here are a few quotes from world leaders, saints and heroes to think

about….

“We first make our habits then our habits make us” – Make a list of your good and bad habits.

“Be proactive – take responsibility for your life. Get used to saying “no” to yourself so that you can say yes to God and others”.

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Imagine a life without principles - for every problem find the principle that will solve it: honesty, loyalty, balance. Others – “We find comfort in those who are like us and growth in those who are not”. “I can walk in another’s shoes. I must first remove my own”.

“These world crises are crises of saints”

“If you look after others you wont need to worry about having a good time”.

“Get used to discovering the uniqueness of each person”.

“the order we have on the outside reflects the love that we have within - tidiness and punctuality are virtues for those who know how to love….

God loves a cheerful giver.The Pope is Christ on earth. To support Him is to offer up many things for him? HE LEANS ON Me and you!!

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God is the sun and the Catholic Church is the moon reflecting the light of God in this world. Do I reflect that light or obscure it?

EXCERPTS FROM THE MESSAGE OF THE HOLY FATHER BENEDICT XVI TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE WORLD ON THE OCCASION OF THE XXIII WORLD YOUTH DAY, 2008

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses " (Acts 1:8)

My dear young friends!

The XXIII World Youth Day

I always remember with great joy the various occasions we spent together in Cologne in August 2005. At the end of that unforgettable manifestation of faith and enthusiasm that remains engraved on my spirit and on my heart, I made an appointment with you for the next gathering that will be held in Sydney in 2008. This will be the XXIII World Youth Day and the theme will be: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses” (Acts 1:8). The underlying theme of the spiritual preparation for our

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meeting in Sydney is the Holy Spirit and mission. In 2006 we focussed our attention on the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of Truth. Now in 2007 we are seeking a deeper understanding of the Spirit of Love. We will continue our journey towards World Youth Day 2008 by reflecting on the Spirit of Fortitude and Witness that gives us the courage to live according to the Gospel and to proclaim it boldly. Therefore it is very important that each one of you young people - in your communities, and together with those responsible for your education - should be able to reflect on this Principal Agent of salvation history, namely the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of Jesus. In this way you will be able to achieve the following lofty goals: to recognize the Spirit’s true identity, principally by listening to the Word of God in the Revelation of the Bible; to become clearly aware of his continuous, active presence in the life of the Church, especially as you rediscover that the Holy Spirit is the “soul”, the vital breath of Christian life itself, through the sacraments of Christian initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist; to grow thereby in an understanding of Jesus that becomes ever deeper and more joyful and, at the same time, to put the Gospel into practice at the dawn of the third millennium. In this message I gladly offer you an outline for meditation that you can explore during this year of preparation. In this way you can test the quality of your faith in the Holy Spirit, rediscover it if it is lost, strengthen it if it has become weak, savour it as fellowship with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ, brought about by the indispensable working of the Holy Spirit. Never forget that the Church, in fact humanity

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itself, all the people around you now and those who await you in the future, expect much from you young people, because you have within you the supreme gift of the Father, the Spirit of Jesus.

The promise of the Holy Spirit in the Bible

Attentive listening to the Word of God concerning the mystery and action of the Holy Spirit opens us up to great and inspiring insights that I shall summarize in the following points.

Shortly before his Ascension, Jesus said to his disciples: “And behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you” (Lk 24:49). This took place on the day of Pentecost when they were together in prayer in the Upper Room with the Virgin Mary. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the nascent Church was the fulfilment of a promise made much earlier by God, announced and prepared throughout the Old Testament.

In fact, right from its opening pages, the Bible presents the spirit of God as the wind that “was moving over the face of the waters” (cf. Gen 1:2). It says that God breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life (cf. Gen 2:7), thereby infusing him with life itself. After original sin, the life-giving spirit of God is seen several times in the history of humankind, calling forth prophets to exhort the chosen people to return to God and to observe his commandments faithfully. In the well-known vision

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of the prophet Ezekiel, God, with his spirit, restores to life the people of Israel, represented by the “dry bones” (cf. 37:1-14). Joel prophesied an “outpouring of the spirit” over all the people, excluding no one. The sacred author wrote: “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh ... Even upon the menservants and maidservants, in those days, I will pour out my spirit” (3:1-2).

In “the fullness of time” (cf. Gal 4:4), the angel of the Lord announced to the Virgin of Nazareth that the Holy Spirit, “the power of the Most High”, would come upon her and overshadow her. The child to be born would be holy and would be called Son of God (cf. Lk 1:35). In the words of the prophet Isaiah, the Messiah would be the one on whom the Spirit of the Lord would rest (cf. 11:1-2; 42:1). This is the prophecy that Jesus took up again at the start of his public ministry in the synagogue in Nazareth. To the amazement of those present, he said: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour” (Lk 4:18-19; cf. Is 61:1-2). Addressing those present, he referred those prophetic words to himself by saying: “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing” (Lk 4:21). Again, before his death on the Cross, he would tell his disciples several times about the coming of the Holy Spirit, the “Counselor” whose mission would be to bear witness to

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him and to assist believers by teaching them and guiding them to the fullness of Truth (cf. Jn 14:16-17, 25-26; 15:26; 16:13).

Pentecost, the point of departure for the Church’s mission

On the evening of the day of resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples, “he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (Jn 20:22). With even greater power the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. We read in the Acts of the Apostles: “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” (2:2-3).

The Holy Spirit renewed the Apostles from within, filling them with a power that would give them courage to go out and boldly proclaim that “Christ has died and is risen!” Freed from all fear, they began to speak openly with self-confidence (cf. Acts 2:29; 4:13; 4:29,31). These frightened fishermen had become courageous heralds of the Gospel. Even their enemies could not understand how “uneducated and ordinary men” (cf. Acts 4:13) could show such courage and endure difficulties, suffering and persecution with joy. Nothing could stop them. To those who tried to silence them they replied: “We cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and

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heard” (Acts 4:20). This is how the Church was born, and from the day of Pentecost she has not ceased to spread the Good News “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

The Holy Spirit, soul of the Church and principle of communion

If we are to understand the mission of the Church, we must go back to the Upper Room where the disciples remained together (cf. Lk 24:49), praying with Mary, the “Mother”, awaiting the Spirit that had been promised. This icon of the nascent Church should be a constant source of inspiration for every Christian community. Apostolic and missionary fruitfulness is not principally due to programmes and pastoral methods that are cleverly drawn up and “efficient”, but is the result of the community’s constant prayer (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 75). Moreover, for the mission to be effective, communities must be united, that is, they must be “of one heart and soul” (cf. Acts 4:32), and they must be ready to witness to the love and joy that the Holy Spirit instils in the hearts of the faithful (cf. Acts 2:42). The Servant of God John Paul II wrote that, even prior to action, the Church’s mission is to witness and to live in a way that shines out to others (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 26). Tertullian tells us that this is what happened in the early days of Christianity when pagans were converted on seeing the love that reigned among Christians: “See how they love one another” (cf. Apology, 39 § 7).

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To conclude this brief survey of the Word of God in the Bible, I invite you to observe how the Holy Spirit is the highest gift of God to humankind, and therefore the supreme testimony of his love for us, a love that is specifically expressed as the “yes to life” that God wills for each of his creatures. This “yes to life” finds its fullness in Jesus of Nazareth and in his victory over evil by means of the redemption. In this regard, let us never forget that the Gospel of Jesus, precisely because of the Spirit, cannot be reduced to a mere statement of fact, for it is intended to be “good news for the poor, release for captives, sight for the blind ...”. With what great vitality this was seen on the day of Pentecost, as it became the grace and the task of the Church towards the world, her primary mission!

We are the fruits of this mission of the Church through the working of the Holy Spirit. We carry within us the seal of the Father’s love in Jesus Christ which is the Holy Spirit. Let us never forget this, because the Spirit of the Lord always remembers every individual, and wishes, particularly through you young people, to stir up the wind and fire of a new Pentecost in the world.

The Holy Spirit as “Teacher of the interior life”

My dear young friends, the Holy Spirit continues today to act with power in the Church, and the fruits of the Spirit are abundant in the measure in which we are ready to open up to

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this power that makes all things new. For this reason it is important that each one of us know the Spirit, establish a relationship with Him and allow ourselves to be guided by Him. However, at this point a question naturally arises: who is the Holy Spirit for me? It is a fact that for many Christians He is still the “great unknown”. This is why, as we prepare for the next World Youth Day, I wanted to invite you to come to know the Holy Spirit more deeply at a personal level. In our profession of faith we proclaim: “I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son” (Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed). Yes, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the love of the Father and of the Son, is the Source of life that makes us holy, “because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us” (Rom 5:5). Nevertheless, it is not enough to know the Spirit; we must welcome Him as the guide of our souls, as the “Teacher of the interior life” who introduces us to the Mystery of the Trinity, because He alone can open us up to faith and allow us to live it each day to the full. The Spirit impels us forward towards others, enkindles in us the fire of love, makes us missionaries of God’s charity.

I know very well that you young people hold in your hearts great appreciation and love for Jesus, and that you desire to meet Him and speak with Him. Indeed, remember that it is precisely the presence of the Spirit within us that confirms, constitutes and builds our person on the very Person of Jesus

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crucified and risen. So let us become familiar with the Holy Spirit in order to be familiar with Jesus.

The Sacraments of Confirmation and the Eucharist

You might ask, how can we allow ourselves to be renewed by the Holy Spirit and to grow in our spiritual lives? The answer, as you know, is this: we can do so by means of the Sacraments, because faith is born and is strengthened within us through the Sacraments, particularly those of Christian initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist, which are complementary and inseparable (cf. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1285). This truth concerning the three Sacraments that initiate our lives as Christians is perhaps neglected in the faith life of many Christians. They view them as events that took place in the past and have no real significance for today, like roots that lack life-giving nourishment. It happens that many young people distance themselves from their life of faith after they have received Confirmation. There are also young people who have not even received this sacrament. Yet it is through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and then, in an ongoing way, the Eucharist, that the Holy Spirit makes us children of the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus, members of his Church, capable of a true witness to the Gospel, and able to savour the joy of faith.

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I therefore invite you to reflect on what I am writing to you. Nowadays it is particularly necessary to rediscover the sacrament of Confirmation and its important place in our spiritual growth. Those who have received the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation should remember that they have become “temples of the Spirit”: God lives within them. Always be aware of this and strive to allow the treasure within you to bring forth fruits of holiness. Those who are baptized but have not yet received the sacrament of Confirmation, prepare to receive it knowing that in this way you will become “complete” Christians, since Confirmation perfects baptismal grace (cf. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1302-1304).

Confirmation gives us special strength to witness to and glorify God with our whole lives (cf. Rom 12:1). It makes us intimately aware of our belonging to the Church, the “Body of Christ”, of which we are all living members, in solidarity with one another (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-25). By allowing themselves to be guided by the Spirit, each baptized person can bring his or her own contribution to the building up of the Church because of the charisms given by the Spirit, for “to each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” (1 Cor 12:7). When the Spirit acts, he brings his fruits to the soul, namely “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22). To those of you who have not yet received the sacrament of Confirmation, I extend a cordial invitation to prepare to receive it, and to seek help

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from your priests. It is a special occasion of grace that the Lord is offering you. Do not miss this opportunity!

I would like to add a word about the Eucharist. In order to grow in our Christian life, we need to be nourished by the Body and Blood of Christ. In fact, we are baptized and confirmed with a view to the Eucharist (cf. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1322; Sacramentum Caritatis, 17). “Source and summit” of the Church’s life, the Eucharist is a “perpetual Pentecost” since every time we celebrate Mass we receive the Holy Spirit who unites us more deeply with Christ and transforms us into Him. My dear young friends, if you take part frequently in the eucharistic celebration, if you dedicate some of your time to adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Source of love which is the Eucharist, you will acquire that joyful determination to dedicate your lives to following the Gospel. At the same time it will be your experience that whenever our strength is not enough, it is the Holy Spirit who transforms us, filling us with his strength and making us witnesses suffused by the missionary fervour of the risen Christ.

The need and urgency of mission

Many young people view their lives with apprehension and raise many questions about their future. They anxiously ask: How can we fit into a world marked by so many grave

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injustices and so much suffering? How should we react to the selfishness and violence that sometimes seem to prevail? How can we give full meaning to life? How can we help to bring it about that the fruits of the Spirit mentioned above, “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (no. 6), can fill this scarred and fragile world, the world of young people most of all? On what conditions can the life-giving Spirit of the first creation and particularly of the second creation or redemption become the new soul of humanity? Let us not forget that the greater the gift of God - and the gift of the Spirit of Jesus is the greatest of all – so much the greater is the world’s need to receive it and therefore the greater and the more exciting is the Church’s mission to bear credible witness to it. You young people, through World Youth Day, are in a way manifesting your desire to participate in this mission. In this regard, my dear young friends, I want to remind you here of some key truths on which to meditate. Once again I repeat that only Christ can fulfil the most intimate aspirations that are in the heart of each person. Only Christ can humanize humanity and lead it to its “divinization”. Through the power of his Spirit he instils divine charity within us, and this makes us capable of loving our neighbour and ready to be of service. The Holy Spirit enlightens us, revealing Christ crucified and risen, and shows us how to become more like Him so that we can be “the image and instrument of the love which flows from Christ” (Deus Caritas Est, 33). Those who allow themselves to be led by the Spirit understand that placing oneself at the service of the

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Gospel is not an optional extra, because they are aware of the urgency of transmitting this Good News to others. Nevertheless, we need to be reminded again that we can be witnesses of Christ only if we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit who is “the principal agent of evangelization” (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 75) and “the principal agent of mission” (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 21). My dear young friends, as my venerable predecessors Paul VI and John Paul II said on several occasions, to proclaim the Gospel and bear witness to the faith is more necessary than ever today (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 1). There are those who think that to present the precious treasure of faith to people who do not share it means being intolerant towards them, but this is not the case, because to present Christ is not to impose Him (cf. Evangelii Nuntiandi, 80). Moreover, two thousand years ago twelve Apostles gave their lives to make Christ known and loved. Throughout the centuries since then, the Gospel has continued to spread by means of men and women inspired by that same missionary fervour. Today too there is a need for disciples of Christ who give unstintingly of their time and energy to serve the Gospel. There is a need for young people who will allow God’s love to burn within them and who will respond generously to his urgent call, just as many young blesseds and saints did in the past and also in more recent times. In particular, I assure you that the Spirit of Jesus today is inviting you young people to be bearers of the good news of Jesus to your contemporaries. The difficulty that adults undoubtedly find in approaching the sphere of youth in a

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comprehensible and convincing way could be a sign with which the Spirit is urging you young people to take this task upon yourselves. You know the ideals, the language, and also the wounds, the expectations, and at the same time the desire for goodness felt by your contemporaries. This opens up the vast world of young people’s emotions, work, education, expectations, and suffering ... Each one of you must have the courage to promise the Holy Spirit that you will bring one young person to Jesus Christ in the way you consider best, knowing how to “give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, but [to] do it with gentleness and reverence” (cf. 1 Pet 3:15).

In order to achieve this goal, my dear friends, you must be holy and you must be missionaries since we can never separate holiness from mission (cf. Redemptoris Missio, 90). Do not be afraid to become holy missionaries like Saint Francis Xavier who travelled through the Far East proclaiming the Good News until every ounce of his strength was used up, or like Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus who was a missionary even though she never left the Carmelite convent. Both of these are “Patrons of the Missions”. Be prepared to put your life on the line in order to enlighten the world with the truth of Christ; to respond with love to hatred and disregard for life; to proclaim the hope of the risen Christ in every corner of the earth.

Invoking a “new Pentecost” upon the world51

My dear young friends, I hope to see very many of you in Sydney in July 2008. It will be a providential opportunity to experience the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s power. Come in great numbers in order to be a sign of hope and to give appreciative support to the Church community in Australia that is preparing to welcome you. For the young people of the country that will host you, it will be an exceptional opportunity to proclaim the beauty and joy of the Gospel to a society that is secularized in so many ways. Australia, like all of Oceania, needs to rediscover its Christian roots. In the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania, Pope John Paul II wrote: “Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church in Oceania is preparing for a new evangelization of peoples who today are hungering for Christ... A new evangelization is the first priority for the Church in Oceania” (no. 18).

I invite you to give time to prayer and to your spiritual formation during this last stage of the journey leading to the XXIII World Youth Day, so that in Sydney you will be able to renew the promises made at your Baptism and Confirmation. Together we shall invoke the Holy Spirit, confidently asking God for the gift of a new Pentecost for the Church and for humanity in the third millennium.

May Mary, united in prayer with the Apostles in the Upper Room, accompany you throughout these months and obtain for all young Christians a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit to set their hearts on fire. Remember: the Church has confidence

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in you! We Pastors, especially, pray that you may love and lead others to love Jesus more and more and that you may follow Him faithfully. With these sentiments I bless you all with deep affection.

From Lorenzago, 20 July 2007

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

S U G G E S T I O N : How good am I at asking for help!

“ I n g r e d i e n t s t o b a k e a c a k e ”Sometimes we wonder, “What did I do to deserve this?” or “Why did God have to do this to me?”…A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong. Meanwhile, her mother is baking cake

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and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, “Here, have some cooking oil”, her mother offers. “gross!”, says the daughter. “How about a couple of raw eggs?” “Gross, mum!” Would you like some flour then?” Or maybe baking powder?” “No thanks!”.

To which the mother replies: “Yes, all these things seem gross by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!! God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good!! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful! God is crazy about you. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He’ll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

How to go to Confession? First you examine your conscience by asking God the Holy Spirit to help you remember how you

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have sinned: 1. against God, 2. against other people, 3. against yourself. There are a few questions below that will help make a good examination.

When you go into the confessional, the priest will welcome you saying: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tell him how long (more or less) since you last came to confession. Then tell him all the sin you have remembered. The priest may give you advice then he gives you a penance to do (for ex: to pray the Our Father or the Hail Mary). This penance is done afterwards when you are finished in the confessional. Then say a prayer of contrition like: “Oh My God, I am sorry that I have sinned against you, because you are so good, and with your help I will not sin again” or any other prayer that you might know.

The priest then extends his hand and absolves you: “Through the ministry of the Church may God give you pardon and peace and I absolve you from your sins + in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”.

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Thank him before you leave the confessional. Then go and say your penance if it is a prayer. You may add some other prayers, like:

Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for forgiving me and taking away my sins. I also thank you for the priest who reconcilied me today. Help me to be a better person. Help me to love you more. Help me to love other people as you love them. Help me especially to grow daily in faith, hope and love. Mary, Mother of God and my mother, pray for me.

Examination of Conscience

How well do I love God? Did I ignore or exclude him from my life? Have I missed Mass on Sunday or on a Holy Day of obligation through my own fault?

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Did I neglect my prayer(s) or say them badly?Have I used God’s name carelessly or in anger? Did I receive Our Lord in a state of mortal sin?Do I observe the 1 hour fast before Communion?

How well do I love my neighbour?Have I been impatient, angry or jealous?Have I been drunk, used drugs or given bad example to others?Have I read magazines, watched films that are indecent or pornographic?Have I sinned against the virtue of purity by myself (masturbation) or with others (sex outside marriage)?Have I caused others to sin by the clothes that I wear?Have I been dishonest by cheating or stealing?Have I been lazy at my work or at my home?Have I been unkind or uncharitable by my word, thought or deed?Have I told lies?Do I judge others rashly?Have I been disrespectful to my parents? DO I treat them with respect?If I live away from home do I keep in touch with my parents or family members?Do I quarrel with my brothers or sisters?

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Do I study hard at college/school conscious that I am privileged to have an education? Am I grateful to my parents for the sacrifices that they have made for me?DO I give good example to others – friends or family by the way I practice my faith, attend Mass and in moral issues?Do I realise that my example might help them to take their Christian faith seriously?

The lives of the saints inspire us because they have made it. Their aim in life was to love to the maximum to be the best that they could, to change the world - a saint

Use your Guardian angel to help you to grow. Ask him for all your needs? For your family and friends? For everything you want!!

Life of Saint Josemaría Escrivá

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Barbastro is a city in the province of Huesca in Spain. Josemaría Escrivá was born there at 10 o’clock at night on January 9, 1902 in a house on the corner of the main street and the market-place. Four days later, little Josemaría was baptized in Barbastro Cathedral.

Josemaría was a happy, naughty and funny child, but when he was just two he developed a very high fever. The doctor tried many different kinds of treatment, but in the end said to Josemaría’s parents: “He won’t survive the night.”

The next morning the doctor came back. “What time did the baby die?” he asked.

Don José Escrivá, Josemaría’s father, answered: “Not only has he not died, he’s completely well!”

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Don José and his wife Doña Dolores had promised God that if their baby got better they would go and pray to Our Lady of Torreciudad, at a shrine high up in the mountains near Barbastro. After Josemaría recovered they travelled there to thank our Lady. Torreciudad could only be reached by narrow paths beside steep, dangerous cliffs, but they kept their promise. Don José went on foot, while Doña Dolores rode a horse, holding the baby in her arms.

Josemaría had a sister called Carmen, who was two years older than him. Their mother Doña Dolores was a housewife, and Don José worked in a shop which sold cloth and chocolate.

Before Josemaría made his First Holy Communion, his mother took him to make his first Confession to a priest. A Piarist brother prepared him to receive Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion, and taught him a prayer which he remembered all his life. The prayer was: “I wish, Lord, to receive you with the

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purity, humility and devotion with which your most holy Mother received you, with the spirit and fervour of the saints.” The day of his First Communion was a very happy day for Josemaría.

Josemaría had three little sisters: Chon, born in 1905; Lolita, born in 1907; and Rosario, born in 1909. Tragically, Rosario died when she was only nine months old. Then Lolita died, and soon afterwards Chon also died. Josemaría was 11 years old by this time, and he was so upset that he said to his mother: “Next year it’s my turn.”

His mother answered: “My darling son, our Lady kept you on this earth for something important, because you were already more dead than alive.” She reminded him that our Lady had saved his life when he was only two. “Don’t worry,” she said again. “I offered you to our Lady, and she’ll look after you!”

Soon after that, his father’s business failed, and the family moved to the town of Logroño, where Don José got a job working in a shop.

One winter’s morning, when Josemaría was fifteen, he went out early. The streets were covered in newly-fallen snow, and he saw the prints of bare feet. They were the footprints of a friar, who was walking bare-footed in the snow to offer a sacrifice to our Lord and to imitate Jesus, who carried a Cross for us. Josemaría was struck by this, and thought: “If other people make so many sacrifices for love of God, aren’t I capable of offering Him anything?”

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From then on he began going to Mass every day, and going to Confession regularly. He felt that God was asking him for something, but he didn’t yet know what it was. And so he decided to be a priest, so that he could be freer to serve God and other people. He told his father, “I want to be a priest.”

Tears rolled down Don José’s cheeks. He had thought that Josemaría was going to be an architect or a lawyer. It was the only time Josemaría ever saw him cry. They were partly tears of joy, because Don José was a good Christian, but also partly sorrow, because a priest has to live a life of great sacrifice.

To prepare for the priesthood, Josemaría spent two years studying in the seminary at Logroño, and then went on to study in Saragossa. Shortly afterwards his father died in Logroño. Heartbroken, Josemaría went to the funeral, shared in his family’s grief, and promised to look after them.

Josemaría was ordained a priest in the Church of St Charles, Saragossa, on March 28, 1925. He said his first Mass in the

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Chapel of Our Lady of the Pillar, offering it for the repose of his father’s soul.

A little while later he moved to Madrid, and spent a lot of time looking after sick people and teaching catechism to children in the poorest parts of the city.

At the beginning of October 1928, Father Josemaría decided to spend a few days alone with God, with nothing to distract him. To do this he went to the house of the Vincentians, a group of religious brothers who lived in the centre of Madrid near the Basilica of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal. There Father Josemaría prayed and asked God to help him to be a good priest and fulfil His will.

Then, on October 2, 1928, while he was alone, reading notes he had written while praying in the past few years, God let him see Opus Dei. In other words, God asked him to found Opus Dei to remind all Christians that we have to be saints, no matter what job

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we do. It isn’t only priests who have to get to Heaven, but also doctors, footballers, teachers, housewives, students, farmers, fashion designers, astronauts, and everyone else too. Many people have forgotten that God is waiting for them in Heaven and on earth. “Opus Dei” is Latin for “the work of God”.

Father Josemaría started to pray even harder, and offered up many sacrifices. He also started to look for other people who could understand him and receive a vocation from God to Opus Dei – ordinary people who could help him to pass on God’s message to many others.

One of the first people to follow Father Josemaría was called Isidoro Zorzano. They had first met at school in Logroño. Now Isidoro was an engineer, and Josemaría was a priest. They hadn’t seen each other for a long time, but Isidoro came to find Father Josemaría because he thought that God was asking him to do something, and that his old friend might be able to tell him what he should do. The met by chance in the street, and after a long talk, Isidoro joined the Work, as Opus Dei is often called.

Father Josemaría also asked the sick people he visited to offer prayers and sacrifices. One of them was a lady called Maria Ignacia Garcia Escobar. She was suffering from tuberculosis and was very sick indeed, in the King’s Hospital in Madrid. Tuberculosis is an illness that causes a lot of pain, but Maria Ignacia never complained. She also asked to join Opus Dei, and lived out her last days in a very holy way, until her death.

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The First Years of Opus Dei

Father Josemaría already had many young friends, and he asked them to come with him on his visits to the sick people in hospitals. One of them was called Luis Gordon, and he also joined Opus Dei. Once, when Father Josemaría was talking to a tuberculosis patient, he said: “Luis, please could you empty this bedpan?

Luis saw that the bedpan was filthy, and made a face, but he took it without a word and went off. Father Josemaría saw him happily giving it a thorough clean, and saying to Jesus, “Jesus, keep me smiling!”

Father Josemaría was very happy, because Luis was doing something for others even though he found it so difficult.

During those first years in Madrid, Josemaría used to work in a church called St Elizabeth’s Foundation, where some religious sisters gave catechism classes and looked after lots of poor

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people.

Every day Father Josemaría sat in the confessional to hear the Confessions of people who wanted to tell God they were sorry for their sins. When he was sitting there, early in the morning, he used to hear a clanking noise in the church, but he couldn’t see what it was from where he was sitting. One day when he heard the same clanking noise again he went out quickly, and saw a milkman coming into the church with his metal cans. “What are you doing?” Father Josemaría asked him.“Well, Father, I come in here every morning, open the door, and greet our Lord. I tell him: ‘Jesus, here’s John the milkman’.”

Father Josemaría was impressed by the way the milkman talked to God, and he spent the rest of the day saying to Jesus, in his heart, “Lord, here’s this wretched priest who hasn’t learnt to love you as much as John the milkman.”

As soon as he could, Father Josemaría set up an apartment for university students to live in. This meant that he could talk to them about God and help them to be better Christians. One of the first people in Opus Dei, whose name was Ricardo, lived in this apartment. At the start, as well as studying hard and getting good marks, they all had to look after the housework. They made the beds, swept the floors, did the washing up and laid the table. They tried to do it all very well so that they could offer it to our Lord.

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Some months after starting this, Father Josemaría had to leave Madrid, because the Spanish Civil War had broken out and his life was in danger. When the fighting was over he went back to Madrid and found that the building where their apartment was had been bombed, and lay in ruins. He had to start all over again.

Father Josemaría and the first people who helped him to spread Opus Dei worked hard during the week at their jobs as architects, engineers and similar things, and on Saturdays they used to take a train to other towns to meet more people and explain to them that they could become saints by doing their work very well and offering it to God, and by treating their family and friends well.

The Bishop of Madrid, Bishop Leopoldo, decided to give Opus Dei an official approval, so that everyone would know that this institution was very much loved by the Church. Twenty years later, all the Bishops in the world gathered in Rome with the Pope. They wanted to remind all Christians that we are all called to be

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saints. Father Josemaría was delighted, because this was what he had been preaching about for years and years.

Father Josemaría soon realized that some of the men in Opus Dei would need to be ordained priests to serve the Church and provide spiritual help to the people in the Work and their friends. One of these new priests, called Don Alvaro, worked closely with Father Josemaría for many years, and when Father Josemaría died and went to Heaven a long time later, Don Alvaro became the new head of Opus Dei.

As God wanted Opus Dei to spread throughout the world, Father Josemaría moved to Rome, where the Pope lived, in 1946. He took a boat there from Barcelona, and while they were at sea such a fierce storm broke out that the boat very nearly sank.

When he reached Rome he went to stay in an apartment with

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some people of Opus Dei who were already living there. From their balcony they could see the windows of the Pope’s own rooms in the Vatican, and Father Josemaría spent the whole of his first night in Rome praying for the Pope, because he was very moved at being so close to him. The Pope represents Jesus on earth, and that is why Father Josemaría loved him so much.Soon students from around the world began to arrive in Rome, to live near Father Josemaría, the founder of Opus Dei, and learn from him.

They bought a bigger house and had to do a lot of alterations in it, so they were always very short of money, but they didn’t stop being happy, and nor did they complain. One hot summer’s day, while they were all chatting together after lunch, Father Josemaría asked, “How much money is there in the cash-box?”“Just a few coins,” was the answer. “Well, go down and buy some ice-creams, and I’m sure we’ll get by,” said Father Josemaría. Everyone started laughing with pleasure, because they had so little money that they almost never got the chance to have an ice-cream.

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Little by little many of his dreams came true, and there began to be people of Opus Dei in every continent in the world. To help people and be able to talk to them about Jesus, they set up training-schools for farm workers, universities, schools, hospitals, and many other projects.

But above all, there were more and more people who were learning from Saint Josemaría to do their work very well so as to be able to offer it to God. After all, none of us likes to give something ugly and badly made as a present. Lots of people joined Opus Dei, mostly married people, and for them, their marriage is their path to Heaven.

So June 26, 1975 arrived. Father Josemaría went into his office at mid-day and had a heart attack. He died soon afterwards. When he collapsed, he fell just next to a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whom he had always looked at very lovingly as the Mother of God and our Mother too.

From then on many people began to pray to God through Father Josemaría’s intercession, because they were sure that he was already in Heaven, and they asked him for all sorts of favours, big ones and little ones. On October 6, 2002, he was canonized by the Pope in Rome. Hundreds of thousands of people were there for the ceremony, and lots more followed it on television or the radio, to hear Pope John Paul II proclaiming that Josemaría Escrivá was a saint. So he showed us that it’s not too difficult to get to Heaven!

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Talking to Our Lord ….

Don't let your life be barren. Be useful. Make yourself felt. Shine forth with the torch of your faith and your love.With your apostolic life, wipe out the trail of filth and slime left by the corrupt sowers of hatred. And set aflame all the ways of the earth with the fire of Christ that you bear in your heart.

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How I wish your bearing and conversation were such that, on seeing or hearing you, people would say: This man reads the life of Jesus Christ.

Don't put off your work until tomorrow.

You are ambitious: for knowledge, for leadership, for great ventures. Good. Very good. But let it be for Christ, for Love.

Slowly. Consider what you are saying, to whom it is being said and by whom. For that hurried talk, without time for reflection, is just empty noise. And with Saint Teresa, I will tell you that, however much you work your lips, I do not call it prayer.

You write: 'To pray is to talk with God. But about what?' About what? About Him, about yourself: joys, sorrows, successes and failures, noble ambitions, daily worries, weaknesses! And acts of thanksgiving and petitions: and Love and reparation.

In a word: to get to know Him and to get to know yourself: 'to get acquainted!'

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You say that you don't know how to pray? Put yourself in the presence of God, and once you have said, 'Lord, I don't know how to pray!' rest assured that you have begun to do so.

To defend his purity, Saint Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, Saint Benedict threw himself into a thorn bush, Saint Bernard plunged into an icy pond... You..., what have you done?

The heroic minute. It is the time fixed for getting up. Without hesitation: a supernatural reflection and... up! The heroic minute: here you have a mortification that strengthens your will and does no harm to your body.

An hour of study, for a modern apostle, is an hour of prayer.

Books: don't buy them without advice from a Christian who is learned and prudent. It's so easy to buy something useless or harmful.How often a man thinks he is carrying a book under his arm, and it turns out to be a load of rubbish!

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Jesus is your friend. The Friend. With a human heart, like yours. With loving eyes that wept for Lazarus. And he loves you as much as he loved Lazarus.

My God, I love you, but... oh teach me to love!

To know that you love me so much, my God, and yet... I haven't lost my mind!

If you are so weak, is it surprising that others too have their weaknesses?

Don't make negative criticism: if you can't praise, say nothing.

Wear on your breast the holy scapular of Carmel. There are many excellent Marian devotions, but few are so deep— rooted among the faithful, and have received so many blessings from the Popes. Besides, how maternal this sabbatine privilege is!

Before, by yourself, you couldn't. Now, you have turned to our Lady, and, with her, how easy it is!

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You are amazed that your guardian Angel has done you such obvious favours. And you should not be amazed: that's why our Lord has placed him beside you.

Have you seen the dead leaves fall in the sad autumn twilight? Thus souls fall each day into eternity. One day, the falling leaf will be you.

Many great things depend — don't forget it — on whether you and I live our lives as God wants.

By good example good seed is sown; and charity compels us all to sow.

When you want to do things well, really well, it's then you do them worst. Humble yourself before Jesus, saying to him: don't you see how I do everything badly? Well, if you don't help me very much, I'll do it all even worse I

Take pity on your child: you see, I want to write a big page each day in the book of my life. But, I'm so clumsy!; and if the Master doesn't guide my hand, instead of graceful strokes my pen leaves behind blots and scrawls that can't be shown to anyone. From now on, Jesus, we'll always do the writing together.

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'Proclaim the Good News. .. I shall be with you...' It is Jesus who has said this... and he has said it to you.

Why don't you give yourself to God once and for all... really..., now?

If you see your way clearly, follow it. Why don't you shake off the cowardice that holds you back?

Don't doubt it: your vocation is the greatest grace God could have given you. Thank him for it.

To begin is easy; to persevere is sanctity. Let your perseverance not be a blind consequence of the first impulse, the work of inertia: let it be a reflective perseverance.

'My enthusiasm is gone', you write. You have to work not out of enthusiasm but out of Love: conscious of duty, which means self-denial.

Absence, isolation: trials for your perseverance. Holy Mass, prayer, sacraments, sacrifices, Communion of Saints: weapons to conquer in the trial.

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Oh blessed perseverance of the donkey that turns the water-wheel! Always the same pace. Always the same circles. One day after another: everyday the same.

Without that, there would be no ripeness in the fruit, nor blossom in the orchard, nor scent of flowers in the garden.Carry this thought to your interior life.

And what is the secret of perseverance? Love. Fall in Love, and you will not leave him.

Meditate upon this carefully and act accordingly: people who think you are unpleasant will stop thinking that when they realise that you really like them. It is up to you.

BY SAINT JOSEMARÍA

The Rosary I must tell you a secret that may very well be the beginning of the way that Christ wants you to follow.My friend, if you want to be great, become little. To be little

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it is necessary to believe as children believe, to love as children love, to give yourself up as children give themselves up... to pray as children pray.

And all of this is necessary to accomplish what I am going to reveal to you in these lines:

The beginning of the way, at the end of which you will find yourself completely carried away with love for Jesus, is a confident love for Mary.

—Do you want to love Our Lady? —Well, get to know her. How? —By praying her Rosary well.

But, in the Rosary... we always say the same things! —Always the same? And don't those who are in love always say the same things to each other?... Could it not be that there is monotony in your Rosary because, instead of pronouncing words like a man, you emit sounds like an animal, while your mind is very far from God? —Moreover, listen: before each decade we are told the mystery to be contemplated.

Have you... ever contemplated these mysteries?

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Become little. Come with me and —this is the essence of what I have to confide— we will live the life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

Each day we will render them a new service. We will hear their family conversations. We will see the Messiah grow up. We will admire His thirty years of hidden life... We will be present at His Passion and Death... We will be awed by the Glory of His Resurrection... In a word: we will contemplate, carried away with Love (the only real love is Love), each and every instant of Christ Jesus.

By Saint Josemaría

The Joyful Mysteries (Mondays & Saturdays)

1. The Annunciation: Archangel Gabriel "announces" to Mary that she shall conceive the Son of God.2. The Visitation: Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is pregnant with John the Baptist.3. The Nativity: Jesus is born.4. The Presentation: Mary and Joseph "present" Jesus in the Temple where they meet Simeon.5. The Finding in the Temple: After losing Him, Mary and Joseph find young Jesus teaching the Rabbis in the Temple.

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The Luminous Mysteries(Thursdays)

1. The Baptism in the Jordan: The voice of the Father declares Jesus the beloved Son.2. The Wedding at Cana: Christ changes water into wine, his first public miracle.3. The Proclamation of the Kingdom: Jesus calls to conversion (cf. Mk 1:15) and forgives the sins of all who draw near to him.4. The Transfiguration: The glory of the Godhead shines forth from the face of Christ.5. The Institution of the Eucharist: Jesus offers the first Mass at the Last Supper with his apostles, establishing the sacramental foundation for all Christian living.

The Sorrowful Mysteries (Tuesdays & Fridays)

1. The Agony in the Garden: Jesus sweats water and blood while praying the night before his passion.2. The Scourging at the Pillar: Pilot has Jesus whipped.3. The Crowning with Thorns: Roman soldiers

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crown Jesus' head with thorns.4. The Carrying of the Cross: Jesus meets His mother and falls three times on the way up Calvary.5. The Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross and dies before His mother and His apostle John.

The Glorious Mysteries (Wednesdays & Sundays)

1. The Resurrection: Jesus rises from the dead.2. The Ascension: Jesus leaves the Apostles and bodily "ascends" to heaven.3. The Descent of the Holy Spirit: The Apostles receive the Holy Spirit in tongues of fire in the upper room with Mary.4. The Assumption: Mary is taken bodily--assumed--into heaven by God at the end of her life here on earth.5. The Coronation: Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth.

Hail Holy QueenHail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this

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valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Leader: Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,All: That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.(Optional) Leader: Let us pray.All: O God whose only begotten Son by his life, death, and Resurrection has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant we beseech thee, that meditating on these mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord have mercy. Christ have mercy.Lord have mercy.Christ hear us.Christ, graciously hear us.God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.God the Son, Redeemer of the word, have mercy on us.God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.Holy Mary, pray for us.Holy Mother of God, pray for us.Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us.Mother of Christ, pray for us.Mother of the Church, pray for us.Mother of Divine Grace, pray for us.Mother most pure, pray for us.Mother most chaste, pray for us.

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Mother inviolate, pray for us.Mother undefiled, pray for us.Mother most amiable, pray for us.Mother most admirable, pray for us.Mother of good counsel, pray for us.Mother of our Creator, pray for us.Mother of our Savior, pray for us.Virgin most prudent, pray for us.Virgin most venerable, pray for us.Virgin most renowned, pray for us.Virgin most powerful, pray for us.Virgin most merciful, pray for us.Virgin most faithful, pray for us.Mirror of justice, pray for us.Seat of wisdom, pray for us.Cause of our joy, pray for us.Spiritual vessel, pray for us.Singular vessel of devotion, pray for us.Mystical rose, pray for us.Tower of David, pray for us.Tower of ivory, pray for us.House of gold, pray for us.Ark of the Covenant, pray for us.Gate of heaven, pray for us.Morning star, pray for us.Health of the sick, pray for us.Refuge of sinners, pray for us.Comforter of the afflicted, pray for us.Help of Christians, pray for us.Queen of angels, pray for us.Queen of patriarchs, pray for us.Queen of prophets, pray for us.Queen of apostles, pray for us.Queen of martyrs, pray for us.Queen of confessors, pray for us.

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Queen of virgins, pray for us.Queen of all Saints, pray for us.Queen conceived without Original Sin, pray for us.Queen assumed into Heaven, pray for us.Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us.Queen of Peace, pray for us.Queen of the Church, pray for us.

Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; spare us O Lord!Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; graciously hear us, O Lord!Lamb of God, You take away the sins of the world; have mercy on us.

Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray:O God, whose only begotten Son by His life, death and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation, grant, we pray, that meditating upon these mysteries in the Most Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Amen.

The AngelusV. The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary; R. And she conceived by the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary. V. Behold the handmaid of the Lord.

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R. Be it done unto me according to your word. Hail Mary. V. And the Word was made flesh, R. And dwelt among us. Hail Mary. V. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us prayPour forth, we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by his passion and cross be brought to the glory of his resurrection, through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayer to the Holy SpiritCome, O Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and enkindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit, and they shall be created. And you shall renew the face of the earth.

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O God, who has taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that by the gift of the same Spirit we may be always truly wise and ever rejoice in his consolation. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen

We give you thanks, almighty God, for all your benefits, who live and reign for ever and ever.

Amen. May the Lord grant us his peace. And life everlasting.

Amen.

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Targets for each day1# Go out of your way for someone you don’t really know.

2# Try to concentrate on your what you are saying when praying. 3# Offer up to Our Lord some small mortification (for ex: eating something you don’t really like or smiling more)4# Spend a few extra minutes talking to Our Lord in front of the Tabernacle. 5# Pray especially for people who are far from Our Lord. Pray that they have the courage to go to Confession. 6# Do something special for someone you are finding harder to get on with. 7# Try to concentrate more in Mass and do a really special thanksgiving afterwards.

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8# Try not to complain or be the centre of attention. 9# Think of a friend who is not here in Torreciudad and how you can be a better friend for her when you come home.

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