RANDOM THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, by Deacon Sam                                    November, 2024

Fidelity and endurance are actions and values of God. Marriage is supposed to be patterned on God's love for us. It is an openness to intimacy and to family. Today, in our society, marriage is under considerable pressure and often seems to be marked by selfishness, entitlement and a sense of isolation. Marital partners often feel visible to each other. We humans want to matter – to be seen and loved and respected. We have to notice and love the person in front of us. If I don't feel that I matter then I won't notice anyone else– because it doesn't matter. Lack of communication causes significant problems in marriage – we don't, and often can't, share what is deep down within us; we stuff anger and love within us; we use text messages to break up. We don't want to feel invisible to anyone. We do have within ourselves, however, faith, wisdom, love and a sense of awe that we can bring into our marriages. We always matter to God– who is always faithful to us. We crave a deep connection with God and with our marital partner – attachments to physical things can be obstructive to making the deep connections we long for if we are not careful. Staying calm in the busyness of life, learning from our mistakes and always trusting in God's mercy and presence in our lives are crucial.

Following Jesus’s call for us to live a life with meaning, believing we are valued by Him, and following His example of unconditional love can bring us peace and joy in our marriages and relationships with others. Praise God daily – with our first breath we give God praise; with our last breath we give God praise. Beauty and goodness are related to a loving heart. Every good deed is beautiful in God's eyes. Choose good, choose to be the best you can be to your mate, to others and to God. And – keep Jesus at the center of your life.

Be laser focused on what is really important in our lives- especially growing in faith. God does not ask us to be a judge over others nor does He want us to be distracted by comparing ourselves to others. We can however compare ourselves to what we did yesterday, last month, last year, etc. Our real battle in life is with ourselves and overcoming our sins. We need God's love to grow in our faith. What sets saints apart from us is their motivation to be intentional in their focus on God and their refusal to be distracted from the mission in life He invited them to pursue.

"It is not lengthy prayers but generous deeds that touch God's heart."            St. Arnold Janssen 

"Nothing is sweeter than love; nothing stronger; nothing higher; nothing more generous; nothing more pleasant; nothing fuller or better in heaven or on earth; for love proceeds from God and cannot rest but in God above all things created."                                            Thomas a’ Kempis

“As St. Paul points out, Christ never meant that we were to remain children in intelligence; on the contrary, He told us to be not only as harmless as doves but also as wise as serpents. He wants us to have a child's heart but a grown-up's head. He wants us to be simple, single minded, affectionate and teachable, as good children are, but He also wants every bit of intelligence we have to be alert as its job and in first-class fighting trim.”          C.S. Lewis

“Don't spend your energies on things that generate worry, anxiety and anguish. Only one thing is necessary: lift up your spirit and love God."                                                               Padre Pio