November 23 - Augustine Day by Day

Christ Instructs Us in Silence
Enter into your heart, as the Prophet Isaiah says. And, if you have faith you will find Christ there. There He speaks to you.
I, the preacher, must raise my voice when I speak to you. But Christ instructs you more effectively in silence.
Sermon 102, 2

Prayer: O God, do not be silent to me, but speak the truth in my heart, for it is only truth You speak. Let me enter into the secret chamber of my heart and sing to You songs of love, which are largely sighs: my attempts to express what cannot be expressed.
Confessions 12, 16

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Father, all of Creation rightly owes you thanks and praise.

Your justice, love and mercy abound.

We thank You this day for all that you have given us:

For the Passion and Death of Your Divine Son, we thank You Father;

Through the Cross, He redeemed the world.

For the Church, we thank You Father;

It is our beacon for salvation.

For the martyrs and saints who give testimony to Your Son, we thank You Father;

Their witness to your Son is our inheritance.

For our loved ones and friends who have died and gone before us, we thank You Father;

Their love abides with us forever.

For loving spouses, we thank You Father;

Together we seek You.

For the gift of children, we thank You Father;

They are Your precious gifts to us and the world.

For the gift of our families, loved ones and good friends, we thank You Father;

Through them we see the reflection of Your Son.

For jobs, our homes and all that we have, we thank You Father;

Give us only that which we need, as we seek Your Kingdom.

We thank You through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

prayer by The Holy Spirit

November 22 - Augustine Day by Day

Pine for the Homeland
Now let us hear, bothers and sisters, let us hear and sing. Let us pine for the city where we are citizens. By pining, we are already there. We have already cast our hope, like an anchor, on that coast.
I sing of somewhere else, not of here; for I sing with my heart, not my flesh. The citizens of Babylon hear the sounds of the flesh; the founder of Jerusalem hears the tune of the heart.
Commentary on Psalm 64, 3

Prayer: Lord, lets us make our home again in You and thus avoid being lost. Long ago we left it - for what is our home but Your Eternity, which does not disappear because we have deserted it!
Confessions 4, 16

November 21 - Augustine Day by Day

Father and Judge
Really, what profit is there in temporal good health and in the ties of blood if we willingly spurn the eternal inheritance of Christ? And this opinion is not mine.
It comes from the words of the Almighty God Himself: whoever rejects Him in this world as Father will find Him in the next as Judge!.
Letter 52, 4

Prayer: O Lord, our God, let our mouths not speak of vanities. Make us happy in You, for we will not lose You if we have clung to You, nor shall we go lost. Make us happy in You.
Sermon 113, 6

November 20 - Augustine Day by Day

Captivity and Liberation
We must also know first our captivity, then our liberation: we must know Babylon and Jerusalem. These were two cities recorded in the Bible.
They were founded to symbolize those two "cities" that began in the far past and will continue to the end of time.
Commentary on Psalm 64:1-2

Prayer: Lord, while I move and bear this body, I pray tha i may be pure, generous, just, and prudent. May I be a perfect lover and knower of Your Wisdom. Finally, may I be worthy of Your Dwelling Place and live in Your most blessed Kingdom.
Soliloquies 1, 1

Continued Recovery

Thank you for all the prayers for Bob and his family. We went to visit him at the nursing home this evening and he seemed much more alert and cognizant than yesterday.

We went to the dining hall for dinner and he ate OK, but about 30 minutes into it, the entertainment arrived. Several people (obviously from an evangelical church) had a guitar, mandolin, banjo and several vocalists. The sang hymns and took requests. Most all was Bluegrass.

Bob cried throughout alot of the songs, which was good for him. Some reminded him of years passed with his parents, and some were just very emotional to hear. All songs were centered on Christ and His suffering and love. I don't really care for Bluegrass hymns, but all in all it was good this evening.

Things are looking up.

Thanks for the prayers.

Continued Prayers....

Lord, I offer You the following intentions:

• For Sue and her continued recuperation.
• For Bob and his continued recuperation.
• For Kathy and Gail and their continued strength and belief that You will handle things.
• For Travis and his struggle with what You want him to do.
• For my students and their families and their everyday struggles.
• For my staff and their strength and devotion to our students every single day.
• For all the soldiers and their families in their time of sacrifice for our country and opportunity to serve and praise You.

For all of these and others You know are in my heart, I pray to You: Hear my Prayers

November 17 - Augustine Day by Day

Friendship is Godlike
Particularly when I am worn out by the upsets of the world, I cast myself without reservation on the love of those who are especially close to me.
I know I can safely entrust my thoughts and considerations to those who are aflame with Christian loveand have become faithful friends to me. For I am entrusting them not to another human, but to God in Whom they dwell and by Whom they are who they are.
Letter 73, 3

Prayer: Lord, with your help we have one what You commanded. Reward us as You promised.
Sermon 31, 6

Lord Hear Our Prayers

For SM - a productive and quick recovery from shoulder and arm surgery.
For BR - continued improvement from drug interaction.
For KN and GR - strength to handle everyday situations and decisions.

Catholic Video: Fishers of Men Accident Scene

This week our diocese had a "pulpit swap". This is when all the priests in the diocese swap with one another and during the homily, include their vocation story. We had Father Mark from the Cathedral of Christ the King in Lexington.

I found the following video at LoveToBeCatholic.com which was inspired by a vocation story.