Going on retreat at El Carmelo Retreat House in Redlands, California this weekend. I am looking forward to it, as I feel very spiritually tagged out. Have started re-reading about the life of St. Therese, the Little Flower, and am feeling much better. But I need time alone with God.

In God's Time
--Anonymous

Imagine a conversation with God. One day a man asked, "God, how long is a thousand years to you?" The Eternal One answered with nary a blink, "Just a second."

"Well, then, Almighty," the man queried, "how much is a million dollars to you?" The Creator of all shrugged it off with, "Just a penny."

With an idea in mind, a gleam in his eyes, and a flickering smile crawling across his face, the man asked one more question, "Lord, can I have...well, ...how about giving me just a penny?" To which the Most High All-knowing replied with a slight grin, "Maybe...in just a second."

We would like to remind you of this upcoming event.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein)

Date: Friday, August 9, 2002
Time: All Day

Edith Stein was born to a Jewish family at Breslau on October
12,1891. Through her passionate study of philosophy she searched
after the truth and found it in reading the autobiography of
Saint Teresa of Jesus. In 1922 she was baptized a Catholic and
in 1933 she entered the Carmel of Cologne where she took the
name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She was gassed and cremated
at Auschwitz on August 9, 1942 during the Nazi persecution and
died a martyr for the Christian faith after having offered her
holocaust for the people of Israel. A woman of singular
intelligence and learning, she left behind a body of writing
notable for its doctrinal richness and profound spirituality.
She was beatified by Pope John Paul II at Cologne on May 1,
1987, and Canonized on October 11, 1998.

(Divine Office: From the Common of Martyrs).

God our Father,
You give us joy each year
in honoring the memory of St. Benedicta of the Cross.
May her prayers be a source of help for us,
and may her example of courage and chastity be our inspiration.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

THE WOODEN BOWL

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together at the table, but the elderly Grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about Grandfather," said the son. I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor.

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometime he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence. One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening, the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table. For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what happens how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will be better tomorrow.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled crowds in the hot subway.

I've learned that, regardless of your relationship with your parents, you'll miss them when they're gone from your life.

I've learned that making a "living" is not the same thing as making a "life."

I've learned that life sometimes gives you a second chance.

I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.

I've learned that whenever I decide something with an open heart, I usually make the right decision.

I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to be one.

I've learned that every day, you should reach out and touch someone.

People love that human touch -- holding hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.

I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.

I've learned that you should pass this on to everyone you care about.

I just did.

Sometimes they just need a little something to make them smile. People will forget what you said ... people will forget what you did ..but people will never forget how you made them feel.

Slow Down


A young and successful executive was traveling down a neighborhood street, going a bit too fast in his new Jaguar. He was watching for kids darting out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

As his car passed, no children appeared. Instead, a brick smashed into the Jag's side door! He slammed on the brakes and drove the Jag back to the spot where the brick had been thrown.

The angry driver then jumped out of the car, grabbed the nearest kid and pushed him up against a parked car shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the heck are you doing? That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to cost a lot of money. Why did you do it?"

The young boy was apologetic. "Please, mister...please, I'm sorry...I didn't know what else to do," He pleaded. "I threw the brick because no one else would stop..." With tears dripping down his face and off his chin, the youth pointed to a spot just around a parked car. "It's my brother," he said.

"He rolled off the curb and fell out of his wheelchair and I can't lift him up." Now sobbing, the boy asked the stunned executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

Moved beyond words, the driver tried to swallow the rapidly swelling lump in his throat. He hurriedly lifted the handicapped boy back into the wheelchair, then took out his fancy handkerchief and dabbed at the fresh scrapes and cuts. A quick look told him everything was going to be okay. "Thank you and may God bless you," the grateful child told the stranger.

Too shook up for words, the man simply watched the boy push his wheelchair-bound brother down the sidewalk toward their home. It was a long, slow walk back to the Jaguar. The damage was very noticeable, but the driver never bothered to repair the dented side door. He kept the dent there to remind him of this message.

"Don't go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your attention!"

God whispers in our souls and speaks to our hearts. Sometimes when we don't have time to listen, He has to throw a brick at us.

God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.

I go on retreat at the end of August. I am looking forward to it. I give all to God, and ask that He lead me in the way He wishes.

Vocation Prayer
Thursday, August 2002

Jesus,
Our brother, you have asked us to pray for vocations, that there
might be women and men willing to give their lives for the sake
of the gospel. Hear our prayer and the prayers of your whole
Church and send us good and holy priests and religious. We
offer you this day all we shall think, do, and say, for this
intention, through Christ our Lord.
- Amen

A GLASS OF MILK

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?"

"You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart."

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life.

From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words, "Paid in full with one glass of milk" (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly.

Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through human hearts and hands.

~Author Unknown~

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"If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? It is God who acquits us."
Romans 8:31-33

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a_son_of_Carmel

Revolutionary Trust

When the Pope visited Fidel Castro's Cuba, it captured the attention of the entire world. Here was one of the world's last totally Communist countries - an officially atheist state - welcoming the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. I hate to use the word in this context, but the visit appeared to be revolutionary. In a front-page story, USA Today told about a man bicycling into Revolution Square in Havana the week before the Pope's arrival. He was quoted as saying, "I'm amazed! Look at Jesus!" The reason - a giant picture of Jesus had suddenly appeared on a wall in Revolution Square, the heart of Cuban Communism. And over the picture of Jesus were inscribed these incredible words - "Jesus Christ, I trust You." "I trust you."

Those may be hard words for you to say to anybody - because your trust has been betrayed too many times. The list of people you can really trust may be a very short one - and maybe there's not even a list. Trust takes a beating when someone who's supposed to love you betrays you or hurts you or lets you down. Maybe that's happened to you. But your heart needs an anchor - a relationship where you really are safe.

Well, our word for today from the Word of God, Romans 8:32, "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" God is simply saying here, "I gave the most precious thing I have for you - my own Son. Jesus died on that brutal cross to pay for all the sinning you have ever done. If I have given my Son for you, is there anything I wouldn't do for you?" The issue isn't trusting Christians or Christianity - it's trusting CHRIST. It's all about Jesus. Your search for someone you can totally trust ends at the foot of Jesus' cross. Just stand there - look at Him hanging there for you . . . and then answer the question, "Can I trust Jesus?"

Years ago there was a day when I made my choice - I put Jesus in the center of activity in my heart and said, "After loving me this much, Jesus Christ, I trust You." And trust is the key to beginning a personal love relationship with Jesus. It's taking down whatever other things have dominated your heart and putting Jesus there - as they did that day in Revolution Square in Havana. They may not have put Jesus there to stay - but opening your heart to Him means you are now under new management. You have trusted your life and your pain and your eternity into the hands of Jesus - hands that still carry the marks of the nails - scars that remove all doubt of whether He will ever let you down. He can't. He paid too much for you. Jesus had been missing in the heart of an island nation for too long. He's been missing in your heart for too long, too. But that could change today - right now. If you will finally commit yourself to the One who loves you most. Tell Him you want to belong to Him . . . that you are trusting Him and what He did on the cross for you. The real revolution in your life begins the day you make Jesus #1 in your heart. You are on the edge of a peace and calm inside - and a deep sense of being really loved - that you've never known before. Jesus is there. Say it to Him - "Jesus Christ, I trust You."

Written by Ron Hutchcraft.
Based on his popular "A Word With You" broadcast
(Available in transcripts or RealAudio format.)

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"Wounds of distrust hurt me most painfully" -revelation of our Lord to St. Faustina Kowalska
(Devotion to the Divine Mercy)