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Catholic Inspiration April 28, 2008 Jesus probably noticed the fear on the faces of His disciples when He told them that both they and He would have to suffer. But this did not alarm Him. Jesus knew that fear is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a good thing, if rightly accepted. When suffering and fear enter our own lives, how do we respond to them? Do we “take courage,” as Jesus said to do? There’s a meaningful quotation from the Actor John Wayne who said “Courage is being scared to death-- but saddling up anyway.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| Monsignor Charles J. Foeller has been recording Catholic Inspirations since 1971. You can listen to 2 new messages every week at 614-443-0864. | |
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Catholic Inspiration April 25, 2008 The famous Albert Schweitzer gave up a successful musical career in Europe to become missionary doctor in Africa. One day someone asked him what starting point he used to introduce Jesus and the message of Christianity to primitive tribesmen. Schweitzer replied: “When I speak of the difference between the restless and the peaceful heart, the wildest of my savages knows what is meant. And when I portray Jesus as Him who brings peace with God to the hearts of men, they comprehend Him.” Dr Schweitzer’s answer seems to echo the words of Jesus “It is my own peace that I give you.” How would we introduce a searching friend to Jesus? Jesus said, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I send you.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration April 21, 2008 614-443-0864 The author Joseph McLelland, in his book “The Clown and the Crocodile” makes a provocative statement. He says “One day a group of people will go to a cemetery, hold a brief prayer and return home. All except one; that will be you.” Some people will consider this a morbid thought, but St Paul wasn’t one of those people. Paul looked on death not as a foe, but as a friend. He didn’t consider death a tragedy; it was a glory: the crown of victory after a race. Of course, there is sadness in death from the viewpoint of a temporary separation from loved ones, but there is also the joy of achieving the goal towards which all human life is oriented. What is our view of death? The famous Michelangelo is quoted as saying “Death and love are the two wings that carry the good person to heaven.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration April 18, 2008 614-443-0864 The 19th century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer was out walking one day. His head was bowed down and he was lost in thought. He accidentally bumped into an elderly lady. Instead of apologizing, he kept right on walking and thinking. Enraged, the woman turned and shouted, “Who do you think you are, anyway?”. Still deep in thought, Schopenhauer was heard to say, “Who am I? I wish I knew!” One of the most tragic lapses of memory we can have is to forget who we are. We are children of God the Father, brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, and temples of the Holy Spirit. How well are we living out the great dignity that God has given us? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration April 11, 2008 614-443-0864 A man told about his son’s death in an auto accident and how he composed a letter and slipped it under his son’s body in the casket. An except from the letter reads: “I never told you how much I loved you. I never told you what a large part of my heart you occupied….But now you are dead…So I am writing this note and hoping that God will tell one of His angels to read this to you. I want you to know of my love for you, and my sorrow that I never told you of that love.” Why is it that we wait for people to die before we let them know how we feel about them? Is there someone we should express our feelings toward, but haven’t done so for some reason? Jesus said, “I love you just as the Father loves Me.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration April 8, 2008 614-443-0864 Most people watching television couldn’t tell you how the magic box works, but they don’t deny that it works. The picture on the screen tells them that. Most people driving cars couldn’t tell how the motor works, but they don’t deny that it works. The movement of the car tells them that. Most people eating food can’t tell how the magic protein works, but they don’t deny that it works. The health and growth of the body tells them that. It’s the same way with the Christian life. Most people can’t tell you how faith works, but they don’t deny that it works. Their own transformed lives tell them that. How often do we nourish our life of faith? The human spirit is like the human body. It we don’t nourish it, it dies. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration April 4, 2008 614-443-0864 This story must now go back over a century. Two men were sitting side by side riding on a train in France. The older man was reading his Bible- the story of the multiplication of the loaves. Noticing this, the younger man said, “Pardon me, sir, but do you really believe what you’re reading?” “Yes,” said the older man, “don’t you believe it?” “No,” said the younger man. “I’m a scientist, and that story goes against all scientific laws.” At this point the train slowed down. “This is my station,” said the young man. “ Nice talking to you, Mr…” “Pasteur,” said the older man, “Louis Pasteur”. He was one of the world’s greatest scientists. How do we handle questions of faith when they seem to conflict with science? An anonymous saying: “ A little science and faith is far, A lot of science and faith is near” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration March 31, 2008 614-443-0864 The Italian sculptor Donatello was a contemporary of Michelangelo. They say Donatello once refused a block of marble from the quarries of Florence because it was “too flawed”. It was then delivered to Michelangelo who carved from it his masterpiece “David”. Looking at the Gospels we see how “flawed” some of Jesus’ disciples were - like James and John jockeying for a place of honor in God’s kingdom. A lesser leader would have rejected ambitious men like this. Jesus, however, carved from them the foundation upon which He eventually built His Church. Do we accept people and situations for what they are, and then try to make the best of them?A quotation from E Paul Harvey says “A blind man’s world is bounded by the limits of his touch; an ignorant man’s world by the limits of his knowledge; a great man’s world by the limits of his vision. “This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration March 27, 2008 614-443-0864 A father and his young son went on a camping trip in the Adirondacks Mountains in New York. They hired an experienced guide, who led them off the beaten trails and spent a week showing them the heart of the great forest. The boy was amazed at how the old guide spotted things that the ordinary person missed. One day, after the guide had been pointing out some hidden beauties in the forest, the boy exclaimed, “I’ll bet you can even see God out here!” The old guide replied, “Son, it’s getting hard for me to see anything else but God out here.” Where do we find God most easily in nature? George Bernard Shaw said “Beware of the man whose God is in the skies.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration March 23, 2008 614-443-0864 The original stage version of “ Godspell” captured the Gospel’s spirit of joy in a special way. The first act celebrates the joy of the woman who finds her lost coin, the joy of the shepherd who finds his lost sheep and the joy of the father who finds his lost son. The second act begins in the same way. But then comes the sadness of the Last Supper farewells, the sadness of Jesus’ sufferings, and the sadness of Jesus’ crucifixion. But the joy returns in the resurrection. It is triumph ally portrayed by the disciples carrying the victorious Christ on their shoulders right down the center aisle of the theater. Do we truly believe that every Good Friday is followed by an Easter Sunday?. “Love cannot die, nor truth betray: Christ rose upon an Easter day.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. Happy Easter and God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration March 20, 2008 614-443-0864 Holy Week is a wonderful time to meditate on the words of St Paul to the Romans. At the appointed time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for us godless men. It is rare that anyone should lay down his life for a just man, though it is barely possible that for a good man someone may have the courage to die. It is precisely in this that God proves his love for us: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Now that we have been justified by his blood, it is all the more certain that we shall be saved by him from God’s wrath. For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him by the death of his Son, it is all the more certain that we who have been reconciled will be saved by his life. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration March 14, 2008 614-443-0864 There is a story of a huge fortress built on a hill overlooking Weinsberg, Germany. One day, way back in feudal times, the fortress was surrounded by an enemy. The enemy commander agreed to let all women and children leave the fortress. He also agreed to let the women take with them just one valuable possession. You can imagine the consternation of the enemy commander when he saw the women leave the fortress carrying their husbands on their backs. The secret to wisdom is love. Love gives us an insight that nothing else does. Have we ever experienced the insight that love alone can provide? The following is a quotation: “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly”. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration March 10, 2008 614-443-0864 Five poverty-stricken young men were all about the same size, build and weight. They decided to pool their meager resources and buy a good-looking suit of clothes. Then, on weekends, they took turns wearing the suit a few hours at a time. The story goes on to describe how much better and important they felt and how much differently other people treated them when they wore the suit. People would smile at them, talk to them and treat them in a way that lifted their spirits. The story prompts us to reflect on the words of Jesus “Love your neighbor as you love yourself”. “But, then, if you treat people according to their outward appearance you are guilty of sin”. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” |
Catholic Inspiration March 7, 2008 614-443-0864 One mother used to say “God bless you” each time her three-year-old daughter sneezed. One night she tucked the little girl in bed, kissed her, and said, “God bless you.” The little girl said “But I didn’t sneeze.”The little girl’s remark illustrates a sad point. Parents no longer bless their children, as parents once did. Parents should bring back this ancient practice. All they need do is place both hands on the child’s head and say words that seem appropriate, like “May God bless you and keep you”. Parents in biblical days blessed their children? What keeps parents from blessing their children today?This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration March 4, 2008 614-443-0864 A mother had just returned to an empty home after driving her only son to college. She walked into his empty room, clutching a note he had written her. She began to cry uncontrollably, realizing that his new world at college would never be her world - their world. Finally, after a long cry, she let go of the note and let it fall to the floor. In the months ahead, after the pain of separation had worn off, the mother discovered something remarkable. By “letting go” of her son, she found that they could love each other in a whole new way - an adult way that was more fulfilling than the earlier mother-child relationship. Are we perhaps holding on to something that we should let go of? What I keep I lose, what I give away is mine forever. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration Feb 29, 2008 614-443-0864 The book entitled “Winning By Letting Go” by Elizabeth Brenner tells how people in India catch monkeys. They cut a small hole in a box. Then they put a tempting nut in the box. The hole is just large enough for the monkey to put its hand through. But it’s too small for the money to pull out his hand holding the nut. So the monkey has two choices. It can let go of the nut and go free, or it can hang on to the nut and stay trapped. Monkeys usually hang on to the nut. The monkey is a good image of us and the nut is a good image of sin in our lives. As long as we hang on to our sin, we cannot go free. We remain trapped. What sin is holding us trapped? The author John Bunyan said “One leak will sink a ship; and one sin will destroy a sinner.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration Feb 28, 2008
A woman diagnosed as seriously ill went back for her second visit to a specialist. He found her condition greatly improved.The doctor was stunned. He asked her, "Did anything unusual happen since I last saw you?" Thinking for a moment, the woman replied: "The only thing I can think of is that I made up with a childhood friend with whom I had been feuding for years." Ancient people suspected that there is often a link between sin and sickness. We may have even noticed how in the Gospel Jesus first forgave the paralyzed man's sins and only then did He cure his paralysis. Jesus may have seen that in the young man's case, spiritual healing had to precede physical healing.
What spiritual healing do we feel a need for?
There is a Chinese proverb that says: "The man who pursues revenge should dig two graves - one for his enemy and one for himself."
This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
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Catholic Inspiration Feb 21, 2008 614-443-0864 In one of her columns, Ann Landers printed an anonymous poem. “When you’re feeling so important And your ego is in bloom. When you simply take for granted You’re the wisest in the room.. Just follow these instructions. They will humble your soul. Take a bucket of water. Put your hand in to the wrist; Pull it out, the hole remaining Is how much you’ll be missed.. The moral of the story Is do the best you can. Be proud, but please remember. There’s no indispensable man.” Are we too concerned with out own importance? Do we envy God’s gifts to other people? An old adage says “A mountain shames a molehill until they are both humbled by the stars” This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you |
Catholic Inspiration Feb 18, 2008 614-443-0864 In the first panel of a very old Peanut’s cartoon it shows Shroeder carrying a sign reading, “Jesus is the answer!” The second panel shows Snoopy holding a sign reading, “What is the question?” The Jews of St Paul’s time had no problem with the question. They had been waiting a long time for the promised Messiah. Where is he? Why doesn’t he come? St Paul’s response was “He has come! He is the Lord Jesus Christ!” In support of his claim, Paul showed how Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah. Are there any questions in our life to which Jesus is not the answer? To the blind, he is sight to see by. To the lost, he is a path to follow. To the weak, he is a staff to lean on. To the hungry he is the Bread of Life. To the dead, he is life without end. To all, he is Jesus the Lord. This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you |
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Catholic Inspiration Feb 15, 2008 614-443-0864 Two boys were canoeing in the Canadian wilds. They had been roughing it for a week and were tired and in need of rest. Suddenly they spotted a trapper’s cabin. The boys beached their canoe and headed up the river bank towards the cabin. No one was home. They went in and found a Bible lying open on a table. On top of the pages was a note saying: “Your cabin saved my life. I had taken seriously ill and needed shelter. Your cabin provided it. I can’t give you money, only God’s blessing. Read Matthew 25:31 below:” “Come and possess the kingdom…I was a stranger and you received me,,,I was sick and you took care of me.” This suggests that we ask ourselves when was the last time we helped a stranger of a sick person” It has been said: there’s more pleasure in loving than in being loved.” This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you |
Catholic Inspiration Feb 7, 2008 614-443-0864 A missionary was showing slides of the life of Jesus to a group of people in rural India. When a slide of the crucifixion appeared on the screen, an old man got up from the group walked up to the screen, and said, “Come down from the cross, Son of God. I’m the one who should be hanging there, not You.“ Once we become convinced of our role in the crucifixion, we cannot help but be pierced to the heart. Once this happens, only one response is logical and possible for us: repentance and reformation. How fully convinced are we that our sins played a role in Jesus’ suffering and death? Jesus said: “Once I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all men to myself,” This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you |
Catholic Inspiration Feb 4, 2008 614-443-0864 One day an Indian boy found a priceless pearl. He knew his worries were over. He would never have to work again in his life. But when the boy tried to sell the pearl, the buyers put him off. In the days ahead the boy was attacked several times. Now he knew the pearl buyers were out to rob him and possibly kill him. He had to choose between the pearl and his life. With the pearl buyers looking on, the boy went down to the beach, took his pearl, and threw it into the sea as far as he could. The story is cause for reflection. What hold do material possessions have on us? When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, everything is lost.” This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you |
Catholic Inspiration Jan 31, 2008 614-443-0864 Lew Kraft used to drive his horse, Paddy, from store to store, selling cheese products. As he did, he talked to Paddy about his dreams. But in spite of the long hours and hard work, Lew’s sales remained low and his debts high. One day someone told him bluntly, “Lew, you’re either too stubborn to admit it or too dumb to see it, but you’re licked.” But Lew refused to give up. He continued to visit stores and talk to Paddy about his dreams. Today, the multi-million dollar Kraft Company stands as a monument to a man who persevered in a dream until it came true. Didn’t Jesus Himself persevere in spite of disappointments and persecution? How do we keep our motivation high when we become discouraged and are tempted to quit? Christopher Morley said “Big shots are only little shots who kept on shooting.” This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you |
Catholic Inspiration Jan 26, 2008 614-443-0864 An expert in the potential of each human being once said that it takes five years for the sprout of a bamboo tree to emerge after the bamboo seed is planted. Once the sprout does emerge after five years, the tree soars to a height of 90 feet in just six weeks time. All during those first five years, the bamboo seedling had been putting down an elaborate system of roots -- miles of roots. It is this elaborate root system that enables the plant to grow so miraculously, once nature triggers the above-ground growing process. The bamboo farmer’s patience finally pays off in the most remarkable way imaginable. How patient are we, especially with the young and the elderly? “The old Irish lady said, “Dear Lord, give me patience! And I want it right now.“ This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you
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Catholic Inspiration Jan 21, 2008 614-443-0864 The well-known play “A Man for All Seasons” is based on the life of St Thomas More who was Lord Chancellor of England under King Henry VIII. A moving scene in the play occurs when Lord Norfolk tries to persuade Thomas More to sign a document swearing that Henry VIII’s attempted marriage is lawful. When More refuses, Norfolk responds something like this: “Confound it all, Thomas. Can’t you do what I did and sign it to keep the king happy?” More still refuses. Lord Norfolk not only sinned, but compounded his sin by trying to persuade Thomas More to sin also. Do we sometimes find one sin leading to yet another sin? It is said that “ Sin is like circles in the water when a stone is thrown into it; one produces another”. This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you
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Catholic Inspiration Jan 18, 2008 614-443-0864 A famous singer once said that he owed his singing career to his wife. She had faith in his singing ability at a time when he had lost faith in himself and was ready to quit. Many of us are saved by other people’s faith in us . A teacher has faith in a student when the student has lost faith in himself and wants to quit. A parent has faith in a daughter when she no longer has faith in herself and no longer cares. Recall the paralytic in the Gospel who had about given up when four of his friends had great faith and carried him to Jesus. It was their great faith that attracted Jesus’ attention. Once Jesus said, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would be able to say to this mountain, ‘ Move from here to there and it would move‘” This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you |
Catholic Inspiration Jan 14, 2008 614-443-0864 The three Synoptic Gospels, Matthew Mark and Luke describe Jesus’ walking on water right after the miracle of the loaves and fisehes. These two back-to-back events leave the disciples totally confused. They are amazed by both events, but they aren’t absolutely sure what they mean. This much is certain. After these two events, things were never the same for Jesus’ disciples. Something beyond their wildest dreams was happening.. Only time would tell what it was and how they fitted into it all. For the present all they could do was to be patient. How do we cope with times of confusion in our faith relationship with Jesus? A beautiful quotation states: “Faith is building on what you know is here so that you can reach out to what you know is there: This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you |
Catholic Inspiration Jan 5, 2008 614-443-0864 A high school boy imagined himself to be the young paralyzed man whom Jesus cured after first forgiving the young man’s sins. Here’s how the boy reports his reaction to Jesus..”Suddenly I began to feel badly about what I had done in my life. I had the feeling that this man knew everything about me…His voice matched his eyes. It was a voice that could shake the foundations of a building, yet calm a frightened child. He told me my sins were forgiven. How could I not believe that voice and those eyes? I knew my sins were forgiven.” How convinced are we that Jesus has forgiven all of our sins when we are truly repentant? How forgiving are we of those who sin against us? “Those who forgive most will be most forgiven.” This is the voice of Catholic Inspiration, May God bless you |
Catholic Inspiration Dec 31, 2007 614-443-0864 John the Baptist was first to refer to Jesus as the Lamb of God. Many scholars think he was drawing a parallel between Jesus and the Passover lamb in the Old Testament. Recall that a lamb was sacrificed on the night that Moses led the Israelites in their flight from Egypt. The lamb’s blood was smeared on the doorposts of the Israelites’ homes to protect them as the angel of death went through Egypt slaying the firstborn son of the Egyptian families. Perhaps John may have seen Jesus as the new Passover lamb whose sacrifice and blood would save all people from spiritual death because of their sins. In our Eucharistic Celebration we pray “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”.This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. Happy New Year and God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration Dec 27, 2007 614-443-0864 Albrecht Durer was a 16th century German painter. One of his masterpieces is called the “Descent from the Cross”. There’s an interesting detail in the painting. One of the disciples has just picked up the crown of thorns that fell from Jesus’ head when they lowered Him from the cross. Durer shows the disciple pressing his finger against one of the thorns to get some idea of how much pain Jesus felt when the thorns were pressed into His flesh. How do we try to gain a better appreciation of the price Jesus paid for our redemption? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. Merry Christmas and God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration Dec 21, 2007 614-443-0864 St Francis of Assisi produced the very first Nativity Scene using real people, a manger, a real ox and ass and real shepherds. Christmas -the celebration of the Incarnation of God the Son, was a key component in the spirituality of Francis. He wanted to celebrate the Incarnation in a special way. He wanted to do something that would help people remember the Christ Child and how He was born in Bethlehem. He wanted people to see and experience how Jesus lay in a manger with an ox and an ass standing by, how he lay on the hay in the manger where He had been placed. It was Christmas Eve in the year 1223 that the Franciscan Brothers, together with men, women and children of the area came to celebrate. They carried torches that lit up the night as they approached the crib. Once again shepherds were walking in the night to come and adore Him. All were filled with joy over the mystery of the Incarnation. So a tradition began. As you look upon your Nativity set, may you remember and celebrate again God’s love for His creation. To show His abundant love, mercy and forgiveness, He became a human being like us. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. Merry Christmas and God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration Dec 18, 2007 614-443-0864 There is a beautiful legend of a king who had no sons to succeed him. The king posted a sign inviting young men in his kingdom to become his adopted son and rule after him. There were only two qualifications. The boy must love God and neighbor deeply. A young peasant boy felt moved to apply, but he lacked decent clothing for the interview. Finally, he saved enough money for new clothes. As the boy neared the palace, he came upon a shivering old man begging for clothes. Moved with pity the boy gave the beggar the clothes he had brought along for the interview. The boy went on to the palace wondering if he would be admitted in the rags he wore. The boy did gain admittance. When he came to the throne room, he couldn’t believe his eyes. On the throne sat the shivering old man. The king smiled and said, “Welcome, my son.” How generous are we to those in need. The shivering child in the manger turned out to be the King of Kings. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , December 11, 2007 614-443-0864 Almost 2,400 years ago the Greek orator Demosthenes said that Greek law did not accept a man’s testimony on his own behalf. A Jewish commentary on the law, the Mishnah, also commented that a person is not necessarily to be believed when speaking in his own defense. Jews always required two witness beside the person in question. This explains why Jesus stressed that not only John the Baptist testified on His behalf, but also His Father in heaven. And the way His Father testified to Jesus was through the works Jesus performed. So Jesus cited His works to call attention not to Himself, but to the power of His heavenly Father working through Him. In the loving deeds of Jesus we can see the loving heart of the Father. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION, December 7, 2007 614-443-0864 James Cone, in his book “God of the Oppressed” described how much going to church on Sunday meant for black slaves in pre-Civil War days. He said: How could black slaves know they were human beings when they were treated like cattle? How could they know that they were somebody when everything in their environment said that they were nobody?” James Cone answered: “Only because they knew that Christ was present with them and that Presence included the divine promise to come again to take them to the ‘New Jerusalem’”.Do we truly long for Christ’s final coming?In the Book of Isaiah it says, When the Lord comes, “the blind will be able to see, and the deaf will hear. The lame will leap and dance, and those who cannot speak will shout for joy“.This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION, December 4, 2007 614-443-0864 An African boy and three Western men survived a plane crash in the jungle. The boy said he knew the way to safety. But the men refused to believe him, thinking he was too young to know. Eventually the men went their own way and perished. Similarly, people who rejected Jesus’ offer of help doomed themselves, just as the Western men doomed themselves by rejecting the African boy’s offer of help. Not even Jesus can help us if we deny He has the power to do so or reject His offer to help. Are we. in any way, cutting ourselves off from the forgiveness of Jesus ? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION December 1, 2007 614-443-0864 Recall the episode in Ch 21 of the Gospel of St Matthew when the chief priests confronted Jesus and asked “On what authority are you doing these things? Who has given you this power?” Instead of answering , Jesus asked them if John’s baptism was divine origin or merely human? Refusing to say it was of divine origin, they said “We do not know“. As chief priests it was their duty to help people distinguish between true and false prophets. Pleading ignorance forced them to say that they could not fulfill their duty. It’s a terrible thing to plead ignorance to avoid the consequences of telling the truth. When it comes to truth, the question isn’t “what’s the safe answer to give”. Rather, it is: What is the right answer to give. The chief priests opted for safety rather than truthfulness. What kind of respect do we have for truth? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , November 27, 2007 614-443-0864 Columnist Ann Landers once received this letter from a woman. It read: “Recently you printed a prayer for people who are hearing impaired. Now will you please print a prayer for those who must live with these folks?” The woman went on to say that her 83-year-old mother refuses to wear her hearing aid. It sits on her dresser because she thinks it makes her look old. As a result, she complains about being left out of conversations. We are a lot like the 83-year-old woman. God gave us a conscience, a kind of spiritual hearing aid that enables us to hear Him speaking to us. How conscientious are we in obeying the dictates of our conscience? One author said: “God is more anxious to communicate with us than we are to listen.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
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CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , November 23, 2007 614-443-0864 A small boy’s blood was the only match for his critically ill brother. His parents asked him if he would give his blood to save his brother’s life. When the little boy cried, his parents assured him that giving blood was quite painless. But the boy continued to cry. The parents were surprised because, normally, the boy was brave about such things. Finally the little fellow got himself together, managed a smile, and agreed. After the transfusion the boy was quiet. His mother hugged him and said, “Now, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” The boy shook his head and said to his mother, “How soon will I die?“ Only then did the mother realize that the boy thought that giving his blood meant that he would die in place of his brother. How generous are we in giving of ourselves as the boy gave? Lord, help us give and not count the cost. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION, November 15, 2007 614-443-0864 Sometimes we feel embarrassed by the insensitive questions that news reporters ask people who have just suffered a major tragedy. For example, a reporter asked a 51-year-old victim of terminal cancer, “What are your feelings as you face death?”. The man stunned the reporter and his audience by saying: “There is a joy I can’t express deep down inside me. I feel perfectly free. I want to reach out and embrace the whole universe”. The man’s terminal cancer had set before him the choice of life or death. He chose life --eternal life. Do we see tragedies in our life as opportunities for life? Jesus said “Whoever wants to save his own life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it?” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION, November 5, 2007 614-443-0864 Dr Charles Townes once won the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the laser beam. Strangely enough, the breakthrough came by accident while he was sitting on a park bench looking at some flowers. History shows that many other discoveries and movements owe their origin to apparent accidents rather than to carefully planned programs. Such was the case with the first great missionary movement in the early Church. Had Christians not been persecuted in Jerusalem they would never - at least so early - have gone to Samaria to preach the good news about Jesus. This was the start of their efforts to “Go and teach all nations”. You might remember an accident in your own life that yielded an unexpected reward. In the Old Testament Book of Isaiah it says “My thoughts…are not like yours and my ways are different from yours. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours:. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION, November 2, 2007 614-443-0864 Bedouins are desert nomads. They wander about pitching their tents wherever nightfall finds them. Someone once asked a Bedouin: “How do you know there is a God?” The Bedouin replied, “The same way I know an animal has crossed the desert: by its footprints in the sand.” In other words , for the Bedouin, the bright stars in the midnight sky, the tiny flowers in the desert sand and the palm trees in an oasis are signs of God. Some Pharisees of Jesus’ time complained that He hadn’t given them any signs. It was that they had chosen to blind themselves to Jesus’ signs, To show more signs would be like showing a blind man more pictures. How open are we to God’s “footprints” in life? Old Testament Psalm VIII says: “O Lord, our God, Your greatness is seen in all the world,” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION October31, 2007 614-443-0864 The famous concert musician Itzhak Perlman said that before he was four years old two things happened that shaped his future in an irreversible way: one that he was stricken with polio and the other that he heard a recording of the violinist Jascha Heifetz.The polio took away his legs, but Heifetz’s music gave him wings. It gave him a dream that set him on the road to musical greatness.Perlman is a faint, modern reflection of the great, great heroes of the Old Testament. They also suffered much, but they also had a dream that set them on the road to spiritual greatness. What dream spurs us on in our moments of suffering and trial? St Paul in writing to the Romans said “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , October 26, 2007 614-443-0864 A high school teacher asked her students to write a short meditation on some teaching of Jesus. One student wrote: “Every day I hitchhike home from school. Every day I meet the kind of person who motions that he is going to turn so he won’t have to pick you up. Then as you watch him, he keeps going right on in the same direction”“Lord, why aren’t people more straightforward? Why don’t they tell the truth rather than mask their actions with excuses? Why don’t they just say “No” when they mean “No“?How honest and straightforward are we with other people? “Lord, give us courage to be honest in our dealings with others. Keep us from masking our actions. Help us live as Jesus taught. Help us say “Yes” when we mean “Yes” and say “No” when we mean “No”. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , October 23, 2007 614-443-0864 Some years back, a news report stated that the average American spends a week this way: 52 hours sleeping, 40 hours working, 26 hours watching TV, 21 hours listening to the radio, 18 hours eating and 8 hours reading newspapers and magazines. That left two precious hours for things like praying, recreation and family life. Apparently that report was before the days of cell phones and computers. Whether those statistics fit our lives or not, they do startle us into asking ourselves how profitably we are using the precious gift of life. A quote from Horace Mann says: “Lost yesterday, somewhere between sunrise and sunset, two golden hours, each set with sixty diamond minutes. No reward is offered, for they are gone forever.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , October 19,2007 614-443-0864 A saintly woman was taking a walk outside before going to bed. As she strolled along under the stars, she was touched by the beauty of the night sky. Since it was dark and there was no one around she knelt down and prayed, “Father in heaven, I ask You to keep me from ever offending you, even in the smallest way.” The woman had hardly completed the prayer when she heard a voice say, “My child, you asked me to keep you from ever offending me. If I granted that request to everyone, how could I ever show my merciful forgiveness to my children?” How often do we thank God for his merciful forgiveness towards us? Psalm 86 says: “You, O Lord are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in kindness.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , October 16, 2007 614-443-0864 We usually think of Jesus as a person surrounded by loving crowds. But many times Jesus was surrounded by violent crowds. Violent crowds would also surround Jesus’ followers. In the Acts of the Apostles it tells us that the Apostles were flogged, that Stephen was stoned to death, Paul was stoned once and beaten eight times. This reminds us of Jesus’ words in the 15rh chapter of John’s Gospel: “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you.” The Gospel also reminds us that we may have to suffer for our faith as Jesus did. But it also tells us not to fear. “Be brave!” says Jesus. “I have defeated the world”. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION, October 11, 2007 This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , October 8, 2007 614-443-0864 We sometimes think of wisdom as being reserved to people with gray hair. Truly, there is a wisdom that comes from years of living. But there is also a wisdom that comes from the hand of God. It is this kind of wisdom that the poet Carl Sandburg talks about in one of his poems. A little gift is watching a military parade. Everyone is cheerful, but she is sad. Her thoughts are not on the parade but on the horrors of war and killing. Finally, she turns to someone nearby and, in effect, says: “ I know something. The time will come when they will hold a war and nobody will come.” How open are we to the wisdom that God wishes to pour into our hearts? The very young sometimes have a remarkable wisdom that comes fresh and pure from the hand of God Himself. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION , October 4, 2007 614-443-0864 Years back, J D Salinger wrote a story called Teddy”. In it young Teddy talked about how hard it is to live a spiritual life in today’s world. He said: “I mean it’s very hard to meditate and live a spiritual life in America. People think you’re a freak, if you try to. My father thinks I’m a freak in a way. And my mother …well she doesn’t think it’s good for me to think about God all the time. She thinks it’s bad for my health.” In the 3rd chapter of the Gospel of Mark, we find that Jesus had the same problem with his relatives and close friends. His lack of food and proper rest alarmed them. In effect they said, “Let’s take charge of him before he is permanently damaged.” How do we view deeply committed Christians? “The disciples were begging Jesus to eat.. But he answered them ‘I have food to eat that you know nothing about’” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION September 21, 2007 614-443-0864 Fishermen pull dragnets between two boats. The nets measure about 100 feet long and 10 feet wide. As the dragnet moves through the water, it forms a kind of curved wall that catches everything in its path. The nature of the dragnet is such that it can’t select what it takes in. The church is like a dragnet. It can’t discriminate either. Its doors are open to everyone in its path: good people and bad alike, thoughtful people and thoughtless people. When we find all sorts of people in the church, we shouldn’t be disturbed. Jesus said it would be this way. How scandalized are we by church members who seem to live one life in church and another life outside the church? Lord help us stop finding fault and start finding solutions. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION September 17, 2007 614-443-0864 Fame and wealth are fickle things, but they fail to change some people. Take the renowned painter Salvador Dali. At the age of 20, Dali was unknown and was starving. At the age of 70, he was famous and a multimillionaire. His paintings hung in 41 museums around the world. In New York, one painting sold for $250,000.00. Yet through his rise from rags to riches, Dali managed to keep his perspective. He never let fame or wealth blind him or distort his spiritual vision. How clear is our perspective on what is and is not important in life? “What profit does he show who gains the whole world and destroys himself in the process? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION September 14, 2007 614-443-0864 A man named Charlie Rumbaugh grew up in reform schools, jails and mental hospitals. At the age of 17, he escaped from a manic depressive ward, found a gun and held up a jewelry store. A scuffle followed and the jeweler was killed. A Texas jury sentenced Charlie to death. Shortly before his execution, Charlie asked a friend to pray that God would give him the grace to forgive all the people he’d grown to hate. Moments before his execution, the warden asked Charlie if he waited to say anything, Charlie said, “Yes.“ Then turning to the people present, Charlie said, “You may not forgive me my transgressions, but I forgive your transgressions against me.” Then he said to the warden, “I’m ready.” How earnestly do we pray for the grace to forgive those who have caused us anguish? It has been said “Those who forgive most will be most forgiven.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION September 3, 2007 614-443-0864 A newspaper described what was left of a small town after a tornado. “All homes were shredded to splinters. Only the shells of stores and office buildings stand above the hip-level mass of kindling strewn across the area,,, And from the population of 500 persons, no one has been found who was not injured in some way. A water tank which held the town’s water supply high atop a skeletal tower was twisted inside out like a paper cup”. How do we react to disasters in our own lives? One wise lady commented “If God sends us stony paths He provides strong shoes,” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION August 31, 2007 614-443-0864 One Sunday morning at Mass, an old African chief of the Ngoni tribe suddenly realized that there were men from different tribes worshipping side by side. These men were from the Ngoni, Senga and Tumbuka tribes, The old chief’s mind flashed back to his boyhood. He remembered sitting on a riverbank watching Ngoni warriors, after a day’s fighting, washing Senga and Tumbuka blood from their spears and their bodies. That morning at Mass, the old chief understood, as never before, what Christianity was all about. It was about God calling all people, through Christ, to put away hostility and live as one family. How do we live out the bond of unity that the Eucharist symbolizes and strengthens? In the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew it says “If you are about to offer your gift to God at the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, go and make peace with your brother and then come back and offer your gift to God,” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration August 24, 2007 614-443-0864 It was on a Good Friday morning that a Protestant minister set up a stepladder in order to drape the cross outside his church with a black cloth. Because of the shrubbery encircling the cross, the ladder was resting in an awkward position. The minister climbed the ladder and tossed the end of the cloth over the cross. As he did so, the ladder slipped and began to tip. The minister threw out his arms and grabbed the vertical bar of the cross, saving himself from what could have been a serious fall. After he regained his bearings, the minister said his experience gave him a new appreciation of how we have been saved by the cross of Christ. How aware are we of having been saved in a personal way, by the cross of Christ? On Calvary, Christ crossed out our sins, individually and collectively. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration August 19, 2007 614-443-0864 A man appeared before a federal commissioner on a charge of interstate auto theft. To try to prove his innocence, the man took off his shirt and showed the commissioner his chest. There in the midst of a maze of tattoos were the words “Crime Does Not Pay”. The commissioner was not impressed. Knowing the truth and not doing it is as foolish as buying a car and not driving it or writing a letter and not mailing it. What actions in our lives are not consistent with what we claim to believe? Lord, help us realize that “it is not by hearing the Law that people are at right with God, but by doing what the Law commands”. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
Catholic Inspiration August 14, 2007 614-443-0864 We sometimes forget that there is a big difference between information, knowledge and wisdom. Information enables us to look up at the stars and name them. Knowledge enables us to look up at the starts and use them to chart a course at sea. Wisdom enables us to look up at the stars and use them as “windows” to the infinite intelligence that created them. Do we sometimes forget that people without college degrees can possess something infinitely better: the wisdom that only God can give? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION August 11, 2007 614-443-0864 This story takes us back some years. An accident left 17 year old Joni Eareckson a quadriplegic. Her body was completely broken and helpless. But even more broken was her heart and her spirit. She wondered how she would ever be able to live out the rest of her life in this tragic condition. Yet, thanks to prayer and her daily Bible reading, she began to see possibilities in life that she had never dreamed of before her accident. Joni was to become an accomplished painter, holding her paint brush in her teeth, she became a best-selling author, a singer and a popular lecturer to young people. Certainly God breathed into her a new heart and a new spirit. Do we believe that God can use us in ways we never dreamed to be possible? In the 1st chapter of the Gospel of St Luke it says “There is nothing that God cannot do” through us, if we but let Him. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION August 7, 2007 614-443-0864 Grover, an atheist, was walking down the street with his Christian friend, Pat. They came upon two fighting street gangs. Grover pointed to the young toughs and said: “Look, Pat, it’s been 2,000 years since Jesus came into the world and the world is still filled with sinners.” Five minutes later, Grover and Pat came upon a group of dirty faced children. Now it was Pat’s turn. He pointed to the kids and said to Grover: “Look, Grover, it’s been over 2,000 years since soap was discovered and the world is still filled with dirty faces.” Just why hasn’t God’s kingdom made a deeper impact on the human race? “Dear Lord, may Your kingdom come, and may all of us do our part to bring it about.“ This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION August 3, 2007 Hikers and mountain climbers sometimes experiences incredible highs. A Swiss hiker described one such high. It took place on the sixth day of a hike with a group of friends. All of a sudden she had the feeling of being raised out of herself. She says: "I felt the presence of God..as if His goodness and power were penetrating me." The hiker was so overwhelmed that she let the others pass her up. Then she sat down. She said later: "My eyes overflowed with tears. I thanked God that in the course of my life He had taught me to know Him. I begged Him ardently that my life be consecrated to His will." How ardently do we desire God's will? Jesus said, "Father....not My will but Yours be done." This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION July 29, 2007 Every important movement in history had a turning point - some event that aimed it in the right direction at the right time. A turning point in Christianity took place in the house of the Roman officer, Cornelius, when the Holy Spirit descended upon Gentiles after Peter preached the Good News to them. This “Pentecost of the Gentiles” clarified beyond a shadow of doubt that Christianity wasn’t just the beginning of another religious group among the Jews like the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Christianity was a totally new religious reality. It was a totally new creation by God. It was the extension of the Risen Christ into space and time. It was a new reality that opened its arms to every human being, not just an elite few. Do we treat one another as members of the risen body of Christ. If not, where do we fall short? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION July 24, 2007 This is quite an old story by now, but one night during World War II, London was bombed mercilessly . A man in his 80s was standing outside St Andrew Church. The church was located on the edge of London and overlooked the city. As the old man looked down on the fire and smoke rising from the city, he began to cry. “Is there no hope at all?” he sobbed. Just then a gust of wind cleared the smoke long enough for the man to see the cross atop the dome of the church. The instant he saw it, he felt a surge of hope soar throughout his body. He stopped being “troubled and afraid”. For he suddenly realized that there was a power greater than evil at work in the world. Let’s keep this in mind when we are troubled and discouraged by the mess our world is in today. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION July 20, 2007 A story is told that one night the Philadelphia Orchestra was playing a Beethoven overture under the baton of the famous Leopold Stokowski. In it, a part for a trumpet is played offstage. When the time came for the offstage trumpet, there was no sound. Stokowski was furious. A second time came for the offstage trumpet. Again, there was only silence. When the overture ended, Stokowski stormed off the stage to find the trumpet player. There he was, his arms pinned to his side by a burly security guard who said, “This nut was trying to play his horn while your concert was going on out there.“ In a similar way, the people of Jesus’ time often frustrated God’s plan by failing to recognize Jesus’ role in it. Do we sometimes frustrate God’s plan as the security guard did? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION July 16, 2007 The English humorist G K Chesterton paid tribute to England’s 12 person jury system with a tongue-in-cheek remark. It went something like this: “For easy jobs, like exploring outer space, we choose extraordinary scientists. But for difficult jobs, like deciding if someone is guilty or innocent, we choose ordinary citizens.” That is what Jesus did, too. Jesus chose twelve ordinary citizens to carry out the toughest mission in history. One was Matthew, a tax collector. Another was Simon, a troublemaker. And the other ten were smelly fishermen. Do we believe that Jesus still works through ordinary people like us? Someone came up with this prayer: “Lord, I’m only a spark, make me a fire..I’m only a drop, make me a fountain. I’m only a feather, make me a wing.“ This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION July 14, 2007 This story may help us realize how many steps are involved and how much time it takes to bring a thing to completion and perfection. A group of people was touring a factory where expensive pianos were made. First, the guide showed them a large room where workers were sawing and shaping rough wood. Next, he took them to a room where men were working on frames. Then the guide took them to a room where metal strings and ivory keys were being assembled. Next, they visited a room where the pianos were being sanded and varnished. Finally, the people were led into the showroom where a musician was seated at a piano, bringing forth beautiful music from it. Do we truly believe that God is working in our lives and will someday bring forth great music from us? . An anonymous person said: “Please be patient; God isn’t finished with me yet.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION July 10, 2007 St Elizabeth of Hungary lived in the 13th century. She was the daughter of the King of Hungary. After her family was fully grown, she embarked on a life of personal poverty and devoted her time to serving the poor. A letter written by one of her contemporaries says, “When she came from private prayer, religious men and women often saw her face shine brilliantly.”. What these people saw in the face of the saint was a kind of visible manifestation of the light that must shine in our hearts and our lives as we try to radiate Christ to others in our daily lives. Jesus said “Your light might shine before others.“ This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION July 6, 2007 At the time of Jesus, a leper was an outcast from society. The Book of Leviticus says he had to dress in “torn clothes, leave his hair uncombed, cover the lower part of his face, and live outside the camp, away from others.” The Book of Leviticus also says that if a leper experienced a remarkable cure, “he should be brought to the priest, and the priest shall…examine him. If the disease is healed, the priest…shall pronounce him clean.” Some spiritual writers see a similarity between leprosy and sin. Sin also alienates us from God’s community. Only when we are pronounced “clean” can we rejoin God’s community in good faith. It is interesting to give thought to how sin, even private or personal sin, affects the community of the Church. Psalm 51 says: “Remove my sin, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION July 2, 2007 Pope John XXIII had many admirable virtues. One of the greatest was his humility. After becoming Pope, one of the first things he did was visit Rome’s central prison. He told the prisoners, “You couldn’t come to me, so I have come to you;” he also told them that he had a cousin who once served time in prison. The Vatican Newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, didn’t print the Pope’s remarks for fear they would scandalize its readers. How seriously do we take Jesus’ words when He said, “Learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit”? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION June 29, 2007 A wife told a funny story about her husband, who was generous to a fault. One day she called the service department of a huge department store and asked them to pick up and repair a faulty venetian blind that she had purchased. The next morning she was seated at the breakfast table with her husband, deeply involved in conversation. Suddenly the doorbell rang. Her husband answered it, and a shy, polite young man said, “I’ve come for the venetian blind.” The woman sat in total disbelief as her husband, thinking the man was collecting for people suffering from blindness, smiled at the young man, took a five-dollar bill from his wallet and gave it to him, and continued the conversation with his wife. How generous are we in sharing with others what God has so generously given to us? Some centuries ago a wise man said “The person who gives quickly, gives twice”. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION June 22, 2007 The great French painter Henri Matisse died in 1954 at the age of 86. In the last years of his life, arthritis crippled and deformed his hands, making it painful for him to hold a paint brush. Yet he continued to paint, placing a cloth between his fingers to keep the brush from slipping. One day someone asked him why he submitted his body to such suffering. Why did he continue to paint in the face of such great physical pain? Matisse replied, “The pain passes, but the beauty remains.” In a similar way, the pain Jesus would submit to in His passion would pass, but the beauty of what He did would remain forever. How do we handle pain when it comes? Someone said “Nothing is costly to one who does not count the cost.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION June 18, 2007 A young mother, exasperated with her little boy, asked“How do you ever expect to get into heaven?”. Johnny thought a minute and said, “Well, I’ll just run in and out, and in and out, and keep slamming the door. Finally, someone will say, “For pity’s sake, either come in or stay out!” Then I’ll go in.”.The author of the New Testament Letter to the Hebrews would likely have enjoyed that story. For he is doing for us what the mother did for her little boy. He is making us aware that entering God’s rest (Heaven) should be a major concern for us. He is making us aware that the loss of heaven is the ultimate and unforgivable failure of a human life. …How does our everyday life reflect the fact that our ultimate destiny is heaven?. The former heavyweight champion, Joe Louis, said “Everyone wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION June 15, 2007 During the hectic early days of the Civil Rights Movement, there was a lengthy boycott of busses by black people in Montgomery, Alabama. Whites retaliated by firebombing the homes of black people and threatening their lives. In this irrational atmosphere of hate, Martin Luther King stood up in his Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. Looking out over the sea of faces, he told his congregation that peace and forgiveness lay in their hands. King went on to explain that the act of forgiving “must always be initiated by the person who has been wronged.” Do we forgive those who hurt us or do we nurse resentment towards them? Martin Luther King also said “Forgiveness is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION June 11, 2007 Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf, made this provocative remark: “ I have walked with people whose eyes are full of light but who see nothing in the sea or the sky, nothing in city streets, nothing in books. It is far better to sail forever in the light of blindness than to be content with the mere act of seeing.”This is the message in the 13th chapter of the Gospel of St Matthew as it speaks of “This people…will look and look, but not see, because…they have closed their eyes.” How sensitive are we to the needs of people around us? Do we see the pain into heir eyes? Do we see the face of Christ in their faces? “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly”. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION June 8, 2007 The word “atonement” merits an interesting paragraph in Webster’s Dictionary that tells us that it was through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ that the reconciliation between God and man was brought about. What the dictionary doesn’t say is how the word “atonement” came into the English language. Back in 1526 when William Tyndale was making a translation of the New Testament into English, he couldn’t find an English word to express the idea of our reconciliation with God through Jesus’ death. So he made up a word. He joined two words: “at” and “onement“ thus making the word “at-onement“ or “atonement‘. In other words, by the death of Jesus we were reconciled or “made one“ with God. How often do we really meditate on Jesus‘ death? “Lord, by Your cross and resurrection You have set us free. You are the Savior of the world”. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION June 5, 2007 There is a moving scene in the Acts of the Apostles. It’s Pentecost Sunday and the Holy Spirit has just descended upon the Apostles. An excited crowd comes running, attracted by the sound of “a strong wind blowing.” Peter goes outside and explains to the crowd what has happened. He says to them: “this Jesus, whom you crucified, is the one that God has made Lord and Messiah!”, When the people heard this, they were deeply troubled and said to Peter and the other Apostles, “What shall we do, brothers?” Peter instructs them about what to do and 3,000 people were baptized before nightfall. It was through the grace of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, that they were able to see their error, acknowledge their sins and repent. How readily do we admit out errors? Cardinal Suenens said: Without the Holy Spirit, God is distant. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION June 1, 2007 This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION May 28, 2007 At the age of 44, Carlo Caretto felt called to leave everything, go into the desert in Arabia, and become a member of the Order of the Little Brothers of Jesus. In his book “Letters from the Desert”, he describes the lovely nights he found there. “How dear they were to me, those stars; how close to them the desert had brought me. Through spending my nights in the open, I had come to know them by their names, then to study them…Now I could distinguish their color, their size, their position, their beauty. I knew my way around them, and from them, I could calculate the time without a watch.” How deep is our appreciation of the beauty of God’s creation? George Washington Carver said “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system through which God speaks to us every hour, if we only tune in.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION May 22, 2007 An old Peanuts cartoon showed Lucy and Linus staring at the sky. Lucy says to Linus, “Sometimes clouds form actual words.” Charlie Brown overhears her, looks up at the sky and says, “Those aren't clouds! That’s sky-writing!” Lucy glares at Charlie, turns to Linus and says, “As I was saying, Linus, sometimes clouds form actual words.” Charlie shakes his head in disbelief. Many people in the time of Jesus were like Lucy. They had their minds all made up about certain things. There was nothing anyone could say or do to change them. How open are we to truth? What things do we tend to be close-minded about? In the Acts of the Apostles it says: They have stopped up their ears and closed their eyes.” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION May 15 , 2007 Some years ago,-Phyllis McGinley, wrote a book entitled “Saint-Watching. In it she wrote: “When I was seven years old I wanted to be a tight-rope dancer and broke my collarbone practicing on a child-size high wire. At twelve I planned to become an international spy. At fifteen my ambition was the stage. Now in my sensible declining years I would give anything… to be a saint.” Phyllis McGinley’s words return us to the basics of human existence. This life is not our ultimate destination; it is only the road leading to it.. The poet Longfellow said “Life is real! Life is earnest! And the grave is not its goal” This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
| CATHOLIC INSPIRATION May 11 , 2007 The most convincing proof of the Resurrection of the Lord is the change that took place in Jesus’ followers after it.” Off they went with burning urgency to tell the good news to all the world. The Messiah had come. Truly the Kingdom of God was at hand. Their lives were dedicated to that purpose. And for that alone. No amount of persecution could stop them,” The followers of Jesus enjoyed a new relationship with the risen Lord. He was able to work with them and through them in a remarkable new way. They were now His hands, His heart, His tongue. We may be able to recall a time when the Lord worked through us in a special way. At the end of Mass the Priest often says “Go in peace to love and serve the Lord”. How do we serve the Lord in our every day lives? This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you. |
CATHOLIC INSPIRATION April 30, 2007 The American writer Archibald MacLeish wrote a Broadway play called J.B. that takes the biblical story of Job and gives it a modern-day setting. One line reads: “Children know the grace of God better than most of us. They see the world the way the morning brings it back to them, new and born and fresh and wonderful.” This lovely line fits in with the words of Jesus who said “Unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” An occupational hazard of growing older is taking each new day for granted. Do we begin each day with prayer? Lord help us appreciate that each new day is a gift from You to us. Help us realize that how we use each day is our gift to You. This is the Voice of Catholic Inspiration. May God bless you . |