Beads of Joy 05-16-11
Sincere Thank You
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Thank you so much for having patience with my lack of a daily blog. It's not that I don't want to; it's that I am distracted with the fact that my daughter ran away from home back on January 3rd of this year. We know where she is, she just refuses to return home and be with her family.
The school has since contacted us, since we have moved out of the state, she can no longer legally attend the school she is in. It's because her parents (us) live in another school district. We had no idea that would happen, you know with her being 18, we figured she does what she wants. Guess not. And there are several other issues surrounding the people she is living with.
I pray that no one ever has to deal with this type of a cross, both Chrissy and I have had this cross and it seems to be only getting heavier. So please know that I am grateful for your patience in my returning to "Beads of Joy". I have so much more to write and share with everyone. Just know that I am working hard at getting back on track.. God Bless all of you. In the meantime I will posting spiritual insight in quotes. Mostly through Twitter (Monday - Friday)
http://twitter.com/#!/RosaryManJim
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
You Must Be Born A New
Beads of Joy 05-02-11
You Must Be Born A New
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
How many of you are truly born-again? A new life has been awoken inside of you. Yes you can become "born-again" at any age, this birth is a spiritual birth. There are many benefits to this new birth, many benefits that will forever change our lives, and lead us closer to Jesus. See being born naturally makes us heirs with Adam and Eve; hence we seek out the things of this world, and that which is born of this world, is of this world. But if we are born-again of the Spirit, we become heirs with Jesus the Son of God. Our lives are now spiritually alive giving us true access to the Kingdom of God. Like Jesus said in today's gospel, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." verses 5-6. Here is yet another very critical part of how I maintain such a consistent level of Joy in my life and in my heart; no matter what is happening in my life.
There is no secret formula, no secret code, no special prayer that magically makes us born again of Spirit. Instead one must fully believe in, surrender to, and follow Jesus. Once your heart is fully devoted to a sincere, devote love for our Lord Jesus Christ; you have truly become born-again. Of cause there is so much more to it, but a very important first step is your open acknowledgment that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior.
The Apostles Creed is a wonderful starting point.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God,
the Father Almighty.
From thence He shall come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen
I invite you today to open your heart and life to Jesus. Begin today, to make your life unlike you have ever before. Ask Jesus to be the center of your life, ask Him to come into your life. Share your faith and love for Him with others, change your ways, your thoughts and your mind. Embrace Jesus with all you got, follow Him, and Him alone.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
You Must Be Born A New
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
How many of you are truly born-again? A new life has been awoken inside of you. Yes you can become "born-again" at any age, this birth is a spiritual birth. There are many benefits to this new birth, many benefits that will forever change our lives, and lead us closer to Jesus. See being born naturally makes us heirs with Adam and Eve; hence we seek out the things of this world, and that which is born of this world, is of this world. But if we are born-again of the Spirit, we become heirs with Jesus the Son of God. Our lives are now spiritually alive giving us true access to the Kingdom of God. Like Jesus said in today's gospel, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." verses 5-6. Here is yet another very critical part of how I maintain such a consistent level of Joy in my life and in my heart; no matter what is happening in my life.
There is no secret formula, no secret code, no special prayer that magically makes us born again of Spirit. Instead one must fully believe in, surrender to, and follow Jesus. Once your heart is fully devoted to a sincere, devote love for our Lord Jesus Christ; you have truly become born-again. Of cause there is so much more to it, but a very important first step is your open acknowledgment that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior.
The Apostles Creed is a wonderful starting point.
Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
Who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God,
the Father Almighty.
From thence He shall come to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the Communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body
and life everlasting.
Amen
I invite you today to open your heart and life to Jesus. Begin today, to make your life unlike you have ever before. Ask Jesus to be the center of your life, ask Him to come into your life. Share your faith and love for Him with others, change your ways, your thoughts and your mind. Embrace Jesus with all you got, follow Him, and Him alone.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Never Doubt His Divinity
Beads of Joy 05-01-11
Never Doubt His Divinity
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Welcome to Divine Mercy Sunday. God is so good to us giving us Jesus Christ, His only Son. And today we don't only celebrate His Divine Mercy, but the mere fact that His resurrection did indeed happened. It was through Thomas' doubt in His resurrection, that further solidifies this truth; that Jesus Christ indeed did rise from the dead. So instead of being disappointed in Thomas and is doubtfulness, we need to be grateful that his doubt is in scripture, clearly sharing with all of us the truth. We learn of the precious wounds and how Thomas came to the reality of seeing and believing in front of His eyes that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead. We can see by scripture that Thomas loved Jesus, but he had no backbone to stand by Him in complete trust and faith. Today let us look into our own lives and our own choices as to how we follow Jesus in this life. In my humble opinion, every single choice we make should based on this one question: How much closer to Jesus, does this choice bring me in my life?
Just like Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, He calls us. Just like Jesus gave the disciples the power of the Holy Spirit, He to gave us the same. See we are also asked like to disciples to disciple and lead others to Him. And this is a wonderful time to begin, if you haven't already. Let us live each day as true, devoted followers of the Risen Christ. Our boldness should be a very real and alive part of who we really are. You don't have to be a martyr to be bold, and you shouldn't have to fear that being bold will make you one. Jesus Christ defeated death, and He alone made that one weapon (killing) against us a blessing rather than a threat. So try to be bold, try more than you have have before. For if we die in Him, we will only be closer to Him. So knowing that even death don't separate us, but rather draws us closer to Him, we should have no fear.
Look at what Jesus said in verses 27-29 today, "Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." We have not seen. No one living for centuries has seen Him, yet so many billions through the centuries have believed. Stand strong knowing that the God of the universe has defeated death for all of us, and that Jesus is the true Son of God. His love for us is immeasurable. Cling to Him, letting go of everything else, never allowing anything or anyone else to ever come before Him.
Today is wonderful day to begin again. A new month has begun, it's Sunday, and today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Today let us begin a new, with many things: maybe stopping an old sinful habit, maybe starting a new Godly one, how about committing to daily prayer, or here's a fantastic idea; everyday at 3pm pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It doesn't take all that long.
"In a suffering soul we should see Jesus Crucified, and not a loafer or burden on the community. A soul who suffers with submission to the will of God draws down more blessings on the whole convent than all the working sisters. God often grants many and great graces out of regard for the souls who are suffering, and He withholds many punishments solely because of the suffering souls." (168) ~Diary, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
"And the greater the sufferings, the more I see that I am becoming like Jesus. This is the surest way. If some other way were better, Jesus would have shown it to me. Sufferings in no way take away my peace. On the other hand, although I enjoy profound peace, that peace does not lessen my experience of suffering. Although my face is often bowed to the ground, and my tears flow profusely, at the same time my soul is filled with profound peace and happiness.." (1394) ~Diary, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
It has been asked of me this very week: How can you go through so many challenges, so much suffering, so many tears, and still remain devoted to and faithful to God with such Joy and excitement, no matter what? Once you know Jesus, and you really love Him, nothing in this world, I do mean that; nothing in this world will ever separate you from that love. No matter what happens to you, your Joy and Love for Him will always remain alive and vibrant for Him.
"Jesus, I trust in You."
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Never Doubt His Divinity
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Welcome to Divine Mercy Sunday. God is so good to us giving us Jesus Christ, His only Son. And today we don't only celebrate His Divine Mercy, but the mere fact that His resurrection did indeed happened. It was through Thomas' doubt in His resurrection, that further solidifies this truth; that Jesus Christ indeed did rise from the dead. So instead of being disappointed in Thomas and is doubtfulness, we need to be grateful that his doubt is in scripture, clearly sharing with all of us the truth. We learn of the precious wounds and how Thomas came to the reality of seeing and believing in front of His eyes that Jesus Christ did rise from the dead. We can see by scripture that Thomas loved Jesus, but he had no backbone to stand by Him in complete trust and faith. Today let us look into our own lives and our own choices as to how we follow Jesus in this life. In my humble opinion, every single choice we make should based on this one question: How much closer to Jesus, does this choice bring me in my life?
Just like Jesus called the disciples to follow Him, He calls us. Just like Jesus gave the disciples the power of the Holy Spirit, He to gave us the same. See we are also asked like to disciples to disciple and lead others to Him. And this is a wonderful time to begin, if you haven't already. Let us live each day as true, devoted followers of the Risen Christ. Our boldness should be a very real and alive part of who we really are. You don't have to be a martyr to be bold, and you shouldn't have to fear that being bold will make you one. Jesus Christ defeated death, and He alone made that one weapon (killing) against us a blessing rather than a threat. So try to be bold, try more than you have have before. For if we die in Him, we will only be closer to Him. So knowing that even death don't separate us, but rather draws us closer to Him, we should have no fear.
Look at what Jesus said in verses 27-29 today, "Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side; do not be faithless, but believing." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" Jesus said to him, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe." We have not seen. No one living for centuries has seen Him, yet so many billions through the centuries have believed. Stand strong knowing that the God of the universe has defeated death for all of us, and that Jesus is the true Son of God. His love for us is immeasurable. Cling to Him, letting go of everything else, never allowing anything or anyone else to ever come before Him.
Today is wonderful day to begin again. A new month has begun, it's Sunday, and today is Divine Mercy Sunday. Today let us begin a new, with many things: maybe stopping an old sinful habit, maybe starting a new Godly one, how about committing to daily prayer, or here's a fantastic idea; everyday at 3pm pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. It doesn't take all that long.
"In a suffering soul we should see Jesus Crucified, and not a loafer or burden on the community. A soul who suffers with submission to the will of God draws down more blessings on the whole convent than all the working sisters. God often grants many and great graces out of regard for the souls who are suffering, and He withholds many punishments solely because of the suffering souls." (168) ~Diary, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
"And the greater the sufferings, the more I see that I am becoming like Jesus. This is the surest way. If some other way were better, Jesus would have shown it to me. Sufferings in no way take away my peace. On the other hand, although I enjoy profound peace, that peace does not lessen my experience of suffering. Although my face is often bowed to the ground, and my tears flow profusely, at the same time my soul is filled with profound peace and happiness.." (1394) ~Diary, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
It has been asked of me this very week: How can you go through so many challenges, so much suffering, so many tears, and still remain devoted to and faithful to God with such Joy and excitement, no matter what? Once you know Jesus, and you really love Him, nothing in this world, I do mean that; nothing in this world will ever separate you from that love. No matter what happens to you, your Joy and Love for Him will always remain alive and vibrant for Him.
"Jesus, I trust in You."
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Returning To God's Service
Beads of Joy 04-24-11
Returning To God's Service
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Just want to say hello to everyone, and let you know that I am doing all I can to get back on track. The move is just about complete now, so I will be 100% back on track serving our Lord. I apologize for the delay and missed blog days. God has been so good to us, Chrissy's remission has brought all of us so much Joy, and the move has given us a renewed beginning, in a beautiful home and a wonderful welcoming community. I ask our Lord to continue using me, in whatever way He sees fit. I desire nothing in return, this is all for my love for Him.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Returning To God's Service
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Just want to say hello to everyone, and let you know that I am doing all I can to get back on track. The move is just about complete now, so I will be 100% back on track serving our Lord. I apologize for the delay and missed blog days. God has been so good to us, Chrissy's remission has brought all of us so much Joy, and the move has given us a renewed beginning, in a beautiful home and a wonderful welcoming community. I ask our Lord to continue using me, in whatever way He sees fit. I desire nothing in return, this is all for my love for Him.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Miracles That Really Happen
Beads of Joy 04-16-11
Miracles That Really Happen
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Let's back this story up to last month (March) and reflect on a reflection I had, that I couldn't understand, but still accepted and embraced. For starters I think it could go without saying, both Chrissy and I have never ever once lost our faith, nor did we ever blame God or even get mad at Him. On the contrary, for the past year (exactly 12 months), we have embraced this ugly thing called cancer and thanked God for the blessings hidden inside it. Chrissy even embraced the thought that it just might take her life. We have been battling this day in and day out; I guess that goes without say, I pretty much keep our lives and these events out in the open for all to see. The "JOY" we seriously have for Jesus and His Most Blessed Precious Mother have been the strength that have kept us strong. We know so many people who asked us, "Why aren't you angry with God?" It's so simple, you see in all things that are God's will, in the end, no matter if they are "good or bad" with how we perceive it; God will get all the glory and praise, the only problem is most people can't weather the storm.
It was back in March in the midst of my own personal prayer time that I got this overwhelming inner peace (I always have that peace). But this time it was different, it focused on April. Now I already knew we were moving, I knew there would be great changes ahead; but I also know that we were still under crazy difficult, harsh stress that just never stopped. In the midst of those thoughts in prayer I just knew April was going to be our "Miracle Month". The moving part was wonderful and uplifting and exciting, but there is no miracle in that. At least not simply in the move itself. But I told everyone, over and over again what April was going to be, before April ever began. Let me be clear, God never spoke to me, I never got a memo from Him, He don't send me private emails, LOL. I simple felt His peace in my heart and that peace focused on the upcoming days of April. I honestly knew there would be miracles, but never thought it to be to this magnitude. But there is so much more to this story of trust and miracles for us in April. You will see, just stay with me and read more. :)))
Now as the month began we knew there were many unresolved health issues on the table; the possibilities of cancer in Chrissy's thyroids, damage to Chrissy's liver due to all the medication this past year, and we still weren't 100% certain with Travis, as far of the doctor giving him a clean bill of health. And we also knew that in April, the C.A.T. scan was going to determine the chemo to come for Chrissy and what the next step was going to be for her. We never ever doubted God's greatness and ability to heal Chrissy; the difference was that we were right in the midst of the storm, day in and day out. So many tears have been shed throughout all this. At the beginning of all this Chrissy and I didn't have a wonderful relationship, we have been in choppy waters between us for many years; but when we were faced with this challenge, we both put down our weapons, joined the same team together and began to fight against this horrible disease, as a team, a couple and a family. Which is truly one of the best ways to gain strength, sticking together and working together.
I seriously believe that all the negative we are faced with in life, is our chance to deepen our faith; which helps bring us closer to our Lord. God uses everything we are dealt with to His glory, we just really need to be patient and never ever give up our trusting in Him. No matter how dark the road ahead looks, know that at the end of that road, God is there with open arms waiting for you. I also feel that if you have been chosen to suffer, and the cross that has been given to you is huge and the weight is immense; and you still take it with love and you embrace it, God will bless you for your faith and trust in Him. See April has been filled with so much joy and so many miracles. First Chrissy's thyroid didn't have any cancer, then Travis got a clean bill of health from his doctor. Then the house we found was a mini replica of our other home in PA, giving a "welcome home" feeling. Then the ultimate of all ultimate miracles happened Chrissy's cancer hasn't grown or done anything during these past four months of her fungal situation. So after the C.A.T. scan was done the doctor told her, no more chemo, no more appointments, no more nothing. So he wants to see her in three months for a check up. Time to celebrate !!! And the month still isn't even over yet.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Miracles That Really Happen
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Let's back this story up to last month (March) and reflect on a reflection I had, that I couldn't understand, but still accepted and embraced. For starters I think it could go without saying, both Chrissy and I have never ever once lost our faith, nor did we ever blame God or even get mad at Him. On the contrary, for the past year (exactly 12 months), we have embraced this ugly thing called cancer and thanked God for the blessings hidden inside it. Chrissy even embraced the thought that it just might take her life. We have been battling this day in and day out; I guess that goes without say, I pretty much keep our lives and these events out in the open for all to see. The "JOY" we seriously have for Jesus and His Most Blessed Precious Mother have been the strength that have kept us strong. We know so many people who asked us, "Why aren't you angry with God?" It's so simple, you see in all things that are God's will, in the end, no matter if they are "good or bad" with how we perceive it; God will get all the glory and praise, the only problem is most people can't weather the storm.
It was back in March in the midst of my own personal prayer time that I got this overwhelming inner peace (I always have that peace). But this time it was different, it focused on April. Now I already knew we were moving, I knew there would be great changes ahead; but I also know that we were still under crazy difficult, harsh stress that just never stopped. In the midst of those thoughts in prayer I just knew April was going to be our "Miracle Month". The moving part was wonderful and uplifting and exciting, but there is no miracle in that. At least not simply in the move itself. But I told everyone, over and over again what April was going to be, before April ever began. Let me be clear, God never spoke to me, I never got a memo from Him, He don't send me private emails, LOL. I simple felt His peace in my heart and that peace focused on the upcoming days of April. I honestly knew there would be miracles, but never thought it to be to this magnitude. But there is so much more to this story of trust and miracles for us in April. You will see, just stay with me and read more. :)))
Now as the month began we knew there were many unresolved health issues on the table; the possibilities of cancer in Chrissy's thyroids, damage to Chrissy's liver due to all the medication this past year, and we still weren't 100% certain with Travis, as far of the doctor giving him a clean bill of health. And we also knew that in April, the C.A.T. scan was going to determine the chemo to come for Chrissy and what the next step was going to be for her. We never ever doubted God's greatness and ability to heal Chrissy; the difference was that we were right in the midst of the storm, day in and day out. So many tears have been shed throughout all this. At the beginning of all this Chrissy and I didn't have a wonderful relationship, we have been in choppy waters between us for many years; but when we were faced with this challenge, we both put down our weapons, joined the same team together and began to fight against this horrible disease, as a team, a couple and a family. Which is truly one of the best ways to gain strength, sticking together and working together.
I seriously believe that all the negative we are faced with in life, is our chance to deepen our faith; which helps bring us closer to our Lord. God uses everything we are dealt with to His glory, we just really need to be patient and never ever give up our trusting in Him. No matter how dark the road ahead looks, know that at the end of that road, God is there with open arms waiting for you. I also feel that if you have been chosen to suffer, and the cross that has been given to you is huge and the weight is immense; and you still take it with love and you embrace it, God will bless you for your faith and trust in Him. See April has been filled with so much joy and so many miracles. First Chrissy's thyroid didn't have any cancer, then Travis got a clean bill of health from his doctor. Then the house we found was a mini replica of our other home in PA, giving a "welcome home" feeling. Then the ultimate of all ultimate miracles happened Chrissy's cancer hasn't grown or done anything during these past four months of her fungal situation. So after the C.A.T. scan was done the doctor told her, no more chemo, no more appointments, no more nothing. So he wants to see her in three months for a check up. Time to celebrate !!! And the month still isn't even over yet.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Monday, April 11, 2011
Please Bare With Me
Hello Everybody
Just having some challenges with my wireless service. Hope to have it resolved in a couple days, then all Lenten Seasons blog will continue.. Thank you so much for your patience..
In Christ,
Jimmy (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Just having some challenges with my wireless service. Hope to have it resolved in a couple days, then all Lenten Seasons blog will continue.. Thank you so much for your patience..
In Christ,
Jimmy (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Friday, April 8, 2011
Jesus Is - The Messiah
Beads of Joy 04-08-11
Jesus Is - The Messiah
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
I'd like to start of with a quote,“Our Lord had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. But we cannot choose how long we shall live, and death comes to us even against our will. Christ, by dying, has already overcome death. Our freedom from death comes only through his death. To save us Christ had no need of us. Yet without him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him we cannot live.” Saint Augustine of Hippo. Everything Jesus did, He did in God's name. Jesus boldly told us who He was, and He also boldly told us he'd die for us. There was never a misunderstanding or middle ground as to who Jesus was and what His purpose was. Jesus was very clear and direct and to the point with all that. Let us also be bold in our love for Him, our allegiance to Him and devotion to Him. Never let anyone sway you away from that.
Today's Gospel: John 7:1-2,10,25-30 (Is Jesus The Messiah?)
"After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of Tabernacles was at hand. But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? Yet we know where this man comes from; and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." So they sought to arrest him; but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Why would you ever consider not doing God's will?
-Do you question who Jesus is, not convinced yet?
-What was the question they asked of doubt, or jealousy?
-Who is Jesus really to you? Finish this: Jesus Is.....
(Stop questioning who Jesus is today, and starting
today, pray your Divine Mercy Chaplet everyday.)
JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU..
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowing with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
Jesus Is - The Messiah
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
I'd like to start of with a quote,“Our Lord had the power to lay down his life and to take it up again. But we cannot choose how long we shall live, and death comes to us even against our will. Christ, by dying, has already overcome death. Our freedom from death comes only through his death. To save us Christ had no need of us. Yet without him we can do nothing. He gave himself to us as the vine to the branches; apart from him we cannot live.” Saint Augustine of Hippo. Everything Jesus did, He did in God's name. Jesus boldly told us who He was, and He also boldly told us he'd die for us. There was never a misunderstanding or middle ground as to who Jesus was and what His purpose was. Jesus was very clear and direct and to the point with all that. Let us also be bold in our love for Him, our allegiance to Him and devotion to Him. Never let anyone sway you away from that.
Today's Gospel: John 7:1-2,10,25-30 (Is Jesus The Messiah?)
"After this Jesus went about in Galilee; he would not go about in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill him. Now the Jews' feast of Tabernacles was at hand. But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, "Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? Yet we know where this man comes from; and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from." So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, "You know me, and you know where I come from? But I have not come of my own accord; he who sent me is true, and him you do not know. I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me." So they sought to arrest him; but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Why would you ever consider not doing God's will?
-Do you question who Jesus is, not convinced yet?
-What was the question they asked of doubt, or jealousy?
-Who is Jesus really to you? Finish this: Jesus Is.....
(Stop questioning who Jesus is today, and starting
today, pray your Divine Mercy Chaplet everyday.)
JESUS, I TRUST IN YOU..
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowing with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Devout Love For God's Word
Beads of Joy 04-07-11
Devout Love For God's Word
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
The Bible, the Bible, the Bible; God's word, scripture, the Good book, the Good News. So many names for such a blessed incredibly awesome book. This exciting book, along with my mission rosary beads are my life. I can't understand how anyone so deeply in love with Jesus would need anything else; as far as possessions to help excite and light their soul on fire.. I pray that everyone has a bible, every ones version preference is different and is fine, as long as it is an approved version and it helps you understand God's message. I collect bibles, not for personal use, but to give them away. It's great to be able to put our Lord's word into the hands of people who really want it. Our Lord leads my heart when I do give them away.
I had this quote emailed to me just recently. It didn't come with an author, but I thought it was appropriate for today's blog focus on the bible. "Did you know that when you carry “the Bible”, Satan has a headache, when you open it, he collapses, when he sees you reading it, he loses his strength, AND when you stand on the Word of God, Satan can't hurt you!" unknown author.
My Reflection: (last night's quotes)
"Take a very serious, very deliberate period of time each day; to read and meditate on God's blessed word."
"While reading His word, let us spend time reflecting; on the personal relationship we have with Him."
"God's word is exciting, it always brings a new burst of life to our day; so let's embrace our bibles."
"Stay focused on the things above; prayer and bible study are truly wonderful ways to stay 24/7 Jesus."
"Avoid TV unless it's EWTN, stop feeding our mind with pointless things; rather read your bible daily."
"Pondering Gods word through the bible; is a wonderful way each and everyday, to get closer to our Lord."
"The bible is the book of choice; there's no other book like it in the world, filled with eternal joy."
"Contemplating scripture every day, can be very exciting and fun; the Joy God's word shares is eternal."
"If there was one thing, aside from praying your Rosary that I'd recommend; I'd say, read your bible."
"The Bible (sometimes The Book, The Good Book, Word of God, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, "(the) books", plural of βιβλιον, biblion, "book", originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning "papyrus", from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material), is the classical name for the Hebrew Bible of Judaism or the combination of the Old Testament and New Testament of Christianity ("The Bible" therefore actually refers to at least two different Bibles). It is thus applied to sacred scriptures. Many Christian English speakers refer to the Christian Bible as "the good book". For many people, their Bible is the revealed word of God or an authoritative record of the relationship between God, the world, and humankind." Excerpt from the Mexican Missions
Today's Gospel: John 5:31-47 (Witness to Jesus)
"If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true; there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen; and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men. But I know that you have not the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Do you really know how much Joy is found in God's word?
-Are you an eager student of God's word everyday?
-How connected to scripture, do you believe we should be?
-Is being familiar with scripture important to you? Why?
(Grab your bible, open it up and take a few minutes to
glance through the old and new testaments. Wow, isn't that
incredible how God's words are pressed between these pages.)
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Luminous Mysteries
1. Baptism of Jesus
2. Wedding at Cana
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. Institution of the Holy Eucharist
Devout Love For God's Word
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
The Bible, the Bible, the Bible; God's word, scripture, the Good book, the Good News. So many names for such a blessed incredibly awesome book. This exciting book, along with my mission rosary beads are my life. I can't understand how anyone so deeply in love with Jesus would need anything else; as far as possessions to help excite and light their soul on fire.. I pray that everyone has a bible, every ones version preference is different and is fine, as long as it is an approved version and it helps you understand God's message. I collect bibles, not for personal use, but to give them away. It's great to be able to put our Lord's word into the hands of people who really want it. Our Lord leads my heart when I do give them away.
I had this quote emailed to me just recently. It didn't come with an author, but I thought it was appropriate for today's blog focus on the bible. "Did you know that when you carry “the Bible”, Satan has a headache, when you open it, he collapses, when he sees you reading it, he loses his strength, AND when you stand on the Word of God, Satan can't hurt you!" unknown author.
My Reflection: (last night's quotes)
"Take a very serious, very deliberate period of time each day; to read and meditate on God's blessed word."
"While reading His word, let us spend time reflecting; on the personal relationship we have with Him."
"God's word is exciting, it always brings a new burst of life to our day; so let's embrace our bibles."
"Stay focused on the things above; prayer and bible study are truly wonderful ways to stay 24/7 Jesus."
"Avoid TV unless it's EWTN, stop feeding our mind with pointless things; rather read your bible daily."
"Pondering Gods word through the bible; is a wonderful way each and everyday, to get closer to our Lord."
"The bible is the book of choice; there's no other book like it in the world, filled with eternal joy."
"Contemplating scripture every day, can be very exciting and fun; the Joy God's word shares is eternal."
"If there was one thing, aside from praying your Rosary that I'd recommend; I'd say, read your bible."
"The Bible (sometimes The Book, The Good Book, Word of God, or Scripture), from Greek (τα) βιβλια, (ta) biblia, "(the) books", plural of βιβλιον, biblion, "book", originally a diminutive of βιβλος, biblos, which in turn is derived from βυβλος—byblos, meaning "papyrus", from the ancient Phoenician city of Byblos which exported this writing material), is the classical name for the Hebrew Bible of Judaism or the combination of the Old Testament and New Testament of Christianity ("The Bible" therefore actually refers to at least two different Bibles). It is thus applied to sacred scriptures. Many Christian English speakers refer to the Christian Bible as "the good book". For many people, their Bible is the revealed word of God or an authoritative record of the relationship between God, the world, and humankind." Excerpt from the Mexican Missions
Today's Gospel: John 5:31-47 (Witness to Jesus)
"If I bear witness to myself, my testimony is not true; there is another who bears witness to me, and I know that the testimony which he bears to me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony which I receive is from man; but I say this that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has granted me to accomplish, these very works which I am doing, bear me witness that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness to me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen; and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe him whom he has sent. You search the scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness to me; yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from men. But I know that you have not the love of God within you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not receive me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; it is Moses who accuses you, on whom you set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?"
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Do you really know how much Joy is found in God's word?
-Are you an eager student of God's word everyday?
-How connected to scripture, do you believe we should be?
-Is being familiar with scripture important to you? Why?
(Grab your bible, open it up and take a few minutes to
glance through the old and new testaments. Wow, isn't that
incredible how God's words are pressed between these pages.)
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Luminous Mysteries
1. Baptism of Jesus
2. Wedding at Cana
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. Institution of the Holy Eucharist
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Abundant Life - In Jesus
Beads of Joy 04-06-11
Abundant Life - In Jesus
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
The Abundant Life is something that we all want to live to some capacity, today let us look at some of the aspects of abundant life. "Abundant life refers to Christian teachings on prosperity and health for the total human being, including the body, mind, emotions, relationships, material needs, and eternal life. The Bible, the good news (Christianity), and salvation are essential elements of these teachings." wikipedi.org defines it that way. I think that is a pretty good definition. Here are nine aspects of this life.
>Minimize The Clutter: One very special quality to many living the abundant life find almost happens naturally. When you life is engulfed in our Lord, much of the "stuff" means nothing, so we tend to junk, give away and rid our lives of so much of it.
>Forgive Those of Their Wrong Doings: Anyone who speaks evil of you, badly about you, mistreats you or just even mean to you; needs to be forgiven by us. It's not going to be easy, but it is very possible. Pray every single time you are confronted with this.
>Accept Others Kindness and Charity: It's not always easy to accept things, but just like we are so blessed in giving, we are also very blessed in receiving. Allow God to lead your heart in thanksgiving for all you receive.
>Helping Out Others: This can be a wonderful Joy whenever it's possible. Sometimes others need a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen; or a chance to listen to your take on a problem they are facing. Simply allow your faith and love for Jesus to help you, help others.
>Be Charitable: Step to the plate whenever possible. Sometimes people and families in need, feel funny asking for help, when they might not even have enough to put food on their table. If we find out someones challenges, let us be like Jesus and do whatever we can to help relieve the stress.
>Do Not Allow Jealousy: No matter who has what, or does what, or travels to wherever, or drives this or that, or lives in their or in that place. No matter what the details of whoever are, never allow jealousy to enter to your heart.
>Be Grateful In All Things: This aspect of living the abundant life is lived by many already; but it's a wonderful way of sharing your love of our Lord. Thanking Him for both the good and bad things also needs to be part of this wonderful aspects.
>Tithe Often: This is vital to keeping our parishes up and running. If money is an issue, give of your talents, and your time, maybe cleaning, or teaching, setting up for events, cleaning after, anything you can give is of such a blessing.
>Financial Honesty: Complete financial honesty, only live the life you can afford, staying in your means is responsible and honest. It keeps you better focused in your faith, when your actions and faith is alive in all you do.
Today's Gospel: John 5:17-30 (The Authority of The Son)
"But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. "I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Who is the ultimate power and authority of the universe?
-How wonderful can your life being living like this?
-Do you find that these aspects of life are possible?
-Is there any difficult part of these thoughts?
(Attempt to incorporate these wonderful aspects
into your daily life. It will make you a better person.)
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Abundant Life - In Jesus
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
The Abundant Life is something that we all want to live to some capacity, today let us look at some of the aspects of abundant life. "Abundant life refers to Christian teachings on prosperity and health for the total human being, including the body, mind, emotions, relationships, material needs, and eternal life. The Bible, the good news (Christianity), and salvation are essential elements of these teachings." wikipedi.org defines it that way. I think that is a pretty good definition. Here are nine aspects of this life.
>Minimize The Clutter: One very special quality to many living the abundant life find almost happens naturally. When you life is engulfed in our Lord, much of the "stuff" means nothing, so we tend to junk, give away and rid our lives of so much of it.
>Forgive Those of Their Wrong Doings: Anyone who speaks evil of you, badly about you, mistreats you or just even mean to you; needs to be forgiven by us. It's not going to be easy, but it is very possible. Pray every single time you are confronted with this.
>Accept Others Kindness and Charity: It's not always easy to accept things, but just like we are so blessed in giving, we are also very blessed in receiving. Allow God to lead your heart in thanksgiving for all you receive.
>Helping Out Others: This can be a wonderful Joy whenever it's possible. Sometimes others need a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen; or a chance to listen to your take on a problem they are facing. Simply allow your faith and love for Jesus to help you, help others.
>Be Charitable: Step to the plate whenever possible. Sometimes people and families in need, feel funny asking for help, when they might not even have enough to put food on their table. If we find out someones challenges, let us be like Jesus and do whatever we can to help relieve the stress.
>Do Not Allow Jealousy: No matter who has what, or does what, or travels to wherever, or drives this or that, or lives in their or in that place. No matter what the details of whoever are, never allow jealousy to enter to your heart.
>Be Grateful In All Things: This aspect of living the abundant life is lived by many already; but it's a wonderful way of sharing your love of our Lord. Thanking Him for both the good and bad things also needs to be part of this wonderful aspects.
>Tithe Often: This is vital to keeping our parishes up and running. If money is an issue, give of your talents, and your time, maybe cleaning, or teaching, setting up for events, cleaning after, anything you can give is of such a blessing.
>Financial Honesty: Complete financial honesty, only live the life you can afford, staying in your means is responsible and honest. It keeps you better focused in your faith, when your actions and faith is alive in all you do.
Today's Gospel: John 5:17-30 (The Authority of The Son)
"But Jesus answered them, "My Father is working still, and I am working." This was why the Jews sought all the more to kill him, because he not only broke the Sabbath but also called God his Father, making himself equal with God. Jesus said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing; for whatever he does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all that he himself is doing; and greater works than these will he show him, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me, has eternal life; he does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. "Truly, truly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself, and has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of man. Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come forth, those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment. "I can do nothing on my own authority; as I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Who is the ultimate power and authority of the universe?
-How wonderful can your life being living like this?
-Do you find that these aspects of life are possible?
-Is there any difficult part of these thoughts?
(Attempt to incorporate these wonderful aspects
into your daily life. It will make you a better person.)
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Holiness - Free From Sin
Beads of Joy 04-05-11
Holiness - Free From Sin
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
God wants us to be free, and He wants to heal us, this is why Jesus asked, "Do you want to be healed?" Some people like to be lazy and catered to. Let us be aggressive in following after Jesus, and doing all we can to not be lazy in stopping our sinfulness. Some people are always curious as to "How" can I try to keep sin out of my life? What must I do to make every attempt to stop sinning? It's not all that difficult, I'm saying that stopping sinning is not that difficult; but I am saying a couple of the ideas to lessen it in your life is actually easy. re are some ideas:
Awareness: You know yourself, and what your weaknesses are. You know when you are at most risk with falling into sin. Simple awareness should keep you on your toes at the atmosphere around you.
It's A Choice: We inevitably chose to sin. Not too often are you forced to sin, I know work issues sometimes make it impossible not to. But if that is true, you can address it at work and stop.
Cease & Desist: Just be strong once and for all and stop all the evil you clearly know that is in your life, the evil you so chose to do. It could be talking about others, saying things that aren't true, over-eating way too much, and so much more. We all know our own weaknesses.
Run: Yes you read that correctly, RUN. If you know a certain place, or certain people, or certain situations; literally walk you down the wide path of sin, and you know the end result is always a certain sin, RUN. Run away as fast as you possibly can, and never look back. In scripture Jesus spoke about following Him and what we are to do, "Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62, that scripture fits in this situation perfectly with your flee from sin. No longer even glance back at that sin you detest and wish to get out of your life.
Build Walls: No these aren't real walls. These are protective walls, walls that separate you from the evil you are trying so hard to avoid. A wall can be, "Instead of going to that store or mall alone where you may go to that certain store or buy a magazine; from now on when you go, bring your kids, or a spouse or parent." This wall blocks you from doing or buying something you will regret later.
Today's Gospel: John 5:1-16 (The Healing at The Pool)
"After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the Sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet." But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, `Take up your pallet, and walk.'" They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, `Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the Sabbath."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Do you really know what sin is and how it offends God?
-How does the Holy Spirit within you feel when you sin?
-How often do you go to confession? Weekly? Monthly?
-What techniques of choice do you in preventing sin in your life?
(Today, offer to help out a good friend; ideas, yard cleaning
shopping, moving furniture, mowing lawn, whatever.)
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowing with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
Holiness - Free From Sin
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
God wants us to be free, and He wants to heal us, this is why Jesus asked, "Do you want to be healed?" Some people like to be lazy and catered to. Let us be aggressive in following after Jesus, and doing all we can to not be lazy in stopping our sinfulness. Some people are always curious as to "How" can I try to keep sin out of my life? What must I do to make every attempt to stop sinning? It's not all that difficult, I'm saying that stopping sinning is not that difficult; but I am saying a couple of the ideas to lessen it in your life is actually easy. re are some ideas:
Awareness: You know yourself, and what your weaknesses are. You know when you are at most risk with falling into sin. Simple awareness should keep you on your toes at the atmosphere around you.
It's A Choice: We inevitably chose to sin. Not too often are you forced to sin, I know work issues sometimes make it impossible not to. But if that is true, you can address it at work and stop.
Cease & Desist: Just be strong once and for all and stop all the evil you clearly know that is in your life, the evil you so chose to do. It could be talking about others, saying things that aren't true, over-eating way too much, and so much more. We all know our own weaknesses.
Run: Yes you read that correctly, RUN. If you know a certain place, or certain people, or certain situations; literally walk you down the wide path of sin, and you know the end result is always a certain sin, RUN. Run away as fast as you possibly can, and never look back. In scripture Jesus spoke about following Him and what we are to do, "Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” Luke 9:62, that scripture fits in this situation perfectly with your flee from sin. No longer even glance back at that sin you detest and wish to get out of your life.
Build Walls: No these aren't real walls. These are protective walls, walls that separate you from the evil you are trying so hard to avoid. A wall can be, "Instead of going to that store or mall alone where you may go to that certain store or buy a magazine; from now on when you go, bring your kids, or a spouse or parent." This wall blocks you from doing or buying something you will regret later.
Today's Gospel: John 5:1-16 (The Healing at The Pool)
"After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Hebrew called Bethesda, which has five porticoes. In these lay a multitude of invalids, blind, lame, paralyzed. One man was there, who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him and knew that he had been lying there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be healed?" The sick man answered him, "Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is troubled, and while I am going another steps down before me." Jesus said to him, "Rise, take up your pallet, and walk." And at once the man was healed, and he took up his pallet and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who was cured, "It is the Sabbath, it is not lawful for you to carry your pallet." But he answered them, "The man who healed me said to me, `Take up your pallet, and walk.'" They asked him, "Who is the man who said to you, `Take up your pallet, and walk'?" Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward, Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, "See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse befall you." The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews persecuted Jesus, because he did this on the Sabbath."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Do you really know what sin is and how it offends God?
-How does the Holy Spirit within you feel when you sin?
-How often do you go to confession? Weekly? Monthly?
-What techniques of choice do you in preventing sin in your life?
(Today, offer to help out a good friend; ideas, yard cleaning
shopping, moving furniture, mowing lawn, whatever.)
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowing with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
Monday, April 4, 2011
In Faith - Surrender to God
Beads of Joy 04-04-11
In Faith - Surrender To God
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
This incredible story, is all about the bold faith, of a man seeking out Jesus to heal his son. This high ranking officer had to travel some twenty miles to find Jesus, he was very determined. The buses and trains were out that day, so you can only imagine how long a trip that was. :))) This man didn't worry about his pride, and he most certain didn't care about the ridicule. Upon meeting with Jesus, Jesus knew this mans sincerity and faith; and by our Lord's grace, He sent him home, to a son who was healed at the exact moment he asked Jesus. This mans actions showed all that he surrendered from everything to only seek out Jesus, nothing else mattered. How determined are we when we seek out Jesus? Do we go to whatever we need to to find Him and be with Him?
Do you have courage like this official? Don't be scared, rather be more scared if you should avoid Jesus now, to avoid ridicule now. You should instead not be concerned with the ridicule of these days, and you should be only focusing on the Joy and Glory of the days to come. Our life today is more about proper preparation for tomorrow, then it is actually about this very day. See because we don't know when we shall die, bad choices without repentance, could end in some serious results. Why would anyone risk that? Hell is a hot place, where God is forever out of your life; do not risk losing Heaven with Jesus.
Let us really consider fully surrendering to our Lord. I know many of you may think I am way over the top. But that's ok. I know I am, and I love it. At times I really wish I didn't have to sleep, so I can pray and work on helping others more. I dare you to be so loyal to Jesus, that all you think about around the clock is Jesus. Your life will never be the same if you seriously take on this challenge. Also time spent before the Blessed Sacrament is a wonderful to adore Him. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, everything and all things Jesus.
Definition: Jesus Freak: The phrase originally was applied to those involved in the Jesus movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, within the context of the freak scene of that era. However, some Christians now consider it a reclaimed word, as Christians, especially Christian youth, occasionally use it today as a positive term to let others know that they are not ashamed of their belief in Jesus.
I sometimes get called Jesus Freak, more so in the past. There is much more respect now from the regulars who know me well enough. I love the title. At least there isn't any question about what it is I share and live and breathe. The real question to the person asking that. If I am a Jesus Freak, what kind of a freak are you??
Today's Gospel: John 4:43-54 (Jesus Heals an Officials Son)
"After the two days he departed to Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast. So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living. So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live"; and he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Could you really truly fully surrender completely to Jesus?
-What stops you from completely surrendering to Him?
-Do you realize the benefits of completely surrendering?
-Are you clinging to something that will keep you from Jesus?
-Would you willing surrender your earthly desires for Jesus?
(Find out when your church or any other local church has,
Eucharistic Adoration. Spend time with Jesus.)
Try to make this a monthly commitment.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
In Faith - Surrender To God
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
This incredible story, is all about the bold faith, of a man seeking out Jesus to heal his son. This high ranking officer had to travel some twenty miles to find Jesus, he was very determined. The buses and trains were out that day, so you can only imagine how long a trip that was. :))) This man didn't worry about his pride, and he most certain didn't care about the ridicule. Upon meeting with Jesus, Jesus knew this mans sincerity and faith; and by our Lord's grace, He sent him home, to a son who was healed at the exact moment he asked Jesus. This mans actions showed all that he surrendered from everything to only seek out Jesus, nothing else mattered. How determined are we when we seek out Jesus? Do we go to whatever we need to to find Him and be with Him?
Do you have courage like this official? Don't be scared, rather be more scared if you should avoid Jesus now, to avoid ridicule now. You should instead not be concerned with the ridicule of these days, and you should be only focusing on the Joy and Glory of the days to come. Our life today is more about proper preparation for tomorrow, then it is actually about this very day. See because we don't know when we shall die, bad choices without repentance, could end in some serious results. Why would anyone risk that? Hell is a hot place, where God is forever out of your life; do not risk losing Heaven with Jesus.
Let us really consider fully surrendering to our Lord. I know many of you may think I am way over the top. But that's ok. I know I am, and I love it. At times I really wish I didn't have to sleep, so I can pray and work on helping others more. I dare you to be so loyal to Jesus, that all you think about around the clock is Jesus. Your life will never be the same if you seriously take on this challenge. Also time spent before the Blessed Sacrament is a wonderful to adore Him. Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, everything and all things Jesus.
Definition: Jesus Freak: The phrase originally was applied to those involved in the Jesus movement of the late 1960s and early 1970s, within the context of the freak scene of that era. However, some Christians now consider it a reclaimed word, as Christians, especially Christian youth, occasionally use it today as a positive term to let others know that they are not ashamed of their belief in Jesus.
I sometimes get called Jesus Freak, more so in the past. There is much more respect now from the regulars who know me well enough. I love the title. At least there isn't any question about what it is I share and live and breathe. The real question to the person asking that. If I am a Jesus Freak, what kind of a freak are you??
Today's Gospel: John 4:43-54 (Jesus Heals an Officials Son)
"After the two days he departed to Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they too had gone to the feast. So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was living. So he asked them the hour when he began to mend, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live"; and he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Could you really truly fully surrender completely to Jesus?
-What stops you from completely surrendering to Him?
-Do you realize the benefits of completely surrendering?
-Are you clinging to something that will keep you from Jesus?
-Would you willing surrender your earthly desires for Jesus?
(Find out when your church or any other local church has,
Eucharistic Adoration. Spend time with Jesus.)
Try to make this a monthly commitment.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Blind Men See God's Light
Beads of Joy 04-03-11
Blind Men See God's Light
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Spiritual blindness? I think this is an aliment that has spread across the globe. Many people are unfortunately very spiritually blind. You say, "What is spiritual blindness?" It's simply an inability to see and know God, and His Son. I know many people like this. Yes they claim to believe in God, but when you speak to them, you never see or feel the light of Jesus in their words. Instead they use science and technology as to their understanding of things, giving God the back seat credit of, "oh well yes, God had something to do with that." There is a huge difference between knowing Jesus and being in a relationship with Jesus. Anyone can simply know someone, or of someone. There is a huge difference when you really know someone personally, and they are part of your daily life. Like Fr. Larry Richards would say, "You can tell me, Father, your mother doesn't exist. I will tell you, yes my mother does exist. And you would say, Father how do you know your mother exists? Because I have a relationship with my mother, believe me when I say, I know my mother exists."
It is that relationship that brings to life that person. Our eyes are completely open when we know, that we know, we know someone. For those who are blind, sometimes all they need is a hand to hold, to help lead them to the Father. We are all on this magnificent journey together, selfishness and pride are not part of this journey. Let us do all we can to help lead and direct those people we know are blind. They could be blind from an addiction, from a simple lack of knowing Jesus, or even something as simple as a lack of faith. We are each others siblings in God's family; so as sisters and brothers let us watch each others back and help one another. How bright is the simple light that we each shine individually because of Jesus? St Francis of Assisi said it this way, "All the darkness in the world can't extinguish the light from a single candle." Let us be that single candle if we need to.
To give you an idea of how powerful and strong and everlasting "light" can be, check this out. How fast does light travel? You'd be shocked that the speed of light is one of the fasted things that travel throughout the universe. Nothing can even come close. God has designed "light" to be everlasting, and with an ability to reach far away places almost immediately. See the speed of light is 186,282.4 miles per second, WOW. You do the math, that's 11,176,944 per hour. Alrighty then, I guess that changes the meaning of what Warp Speed is. lol. Warp speed is suppose to mean, that it travels faster then the speed of light. Maybe on Star Trek, but not here; at this point and time in history and technology, we can not do that, our spacecrafts would disintegrate. A simpler explanation is this, it takes 8 minutes for light to reach the earth from the sun. The suns distance from the earth obviously fluctuates, but on average we are about 93 million miles away from the sun. Anything else taking eight minutes to travel 93 million miles wouldn't survive the trip. But in God's infinite wisdom, it is only "light" that can travel that fast, that far, and in the end it creates warmth, light and visibility for direction, and it completely takes away the darkness. Well God's Light is beyond warp speed, and His light goes straight into our hearts, our mind and our soul.
Today's Gospel: John 9:1-41
(Jesus Healing A Blind Man & Questions)
"As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man's eyes with the clay, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he"; others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." They said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, `Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know. They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet. The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him. So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?" And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you." He said, "Lord, I believe"; and he worshiped him. Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, `We see,' your guilt remains."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Do you feel that your vision maybe impaired in anyway?
-Can we be spiritual blind, and not physically blind?
-Doesn't your sin blur your vision, from seeing Jesus?
-How do you protect your vision from being blurred?
-Have you been to confession at all through Lent?
(Spoil a family member or close friend today, not with
gifts of this world, but rather a coffee and some Jesus.)
Look out for people's faith when you can, help them.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Blind Men See God's Light
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Spiritual blindness? I think this is an aliment that has spread across the globe. Many people are unfortunately very spiritually blind. You say, "What is spiritual blindness?" It's simply an inability to see and know God, and His Son. I know many people like this. Yes they claim to believe in God, but when you speak to them, you never see or feel the light of Jesus in their words. Instead they use science and technology as to their understanding of things, giving God the back seat credit of, "oh well yes, God had something to do with that." There is a huge difference between knowing Jesus and being in a relationship with Jesus. Anyone can simply know someone, or of someone. There is a huge difference when you really know someone personally, and they are part of your daily life. Like Fr. Larry Richards would say, "You can tell me, Father, your mother doesn't exist. I will tell you, yes my mother does exist. And you would say, Father how do you know your mother exists? Because I have a relationship with my mother, believe me when I say, I know my mother exists."
It is that relationship that brings to life that person. Our eyes are completely open when we know, that we know, we know someone. For those who are blind, sometimes all they need is a hand to hold, to help lead them to the Father. We are all on this magnificent journey together, selfishness and pride are not part of this journey. Let us do all we can to help lead and direct those people we know are blind. They could be blind from an addiction, from a simple lack of knowing Jesus, or even something as simple as a lack of faith. We are each others siblings in God's family; so as sisters and brothers let us watch each others back and help one another. How bright is the simple light that we each shine individually because of Jesus? St Francis of Assisi said it this way, "All the darkness in the world can't extinguish the light from a single candle." Let us be that single candle if we need to.
To give you an idea of how powerful and strong and everlasting "light" can be, check this out. How fast does light travel? You'd be shocked that the speed of light is one of the fasted things that travel throughout the universe. Nothing can even come close. God has designed "light" to be everlasting, and with an ability to reach far away places almost immediately. See the speed of light is 186,282.4 miles per second, WOW. You do the math, that's 11,176,944 per hour. Alrighty then, I guess that changes the meaning of what Warp Speed is. lol. Warp speed is suppose to mean, that it travels faster then the speed of light. Maybe on Star Trek, but not here; at this point and time in history and technology, we can not do that, our spacecrafts would disintegrate. A simpler explanation is this, it takes 8 minutes for light to reach the earth from the sun. The suns distance from the earth obviously fluctuates, but on average we are about 93 million miles away from the sun. Anything else taking eight minutes to travel 93 million miles wouldn't survive the trip. But in God's infinite wisdom, it is only "light" that can travel that fast, that far, and in the end it creates warmth, light and visibility for direction, and it completely takes away the darkness. Well God's Light is beyond warp speed, and His light goes straight into our hearts, our mind and our soul.
Today's Gospel: John 9:1-41
(Jesus Healing A Blind Man & Questions)
"As he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him. We must work the works of him who sent me, while it is day; night comes, when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." As he said this, he spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man's eyes with the clay, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing. The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar, said, "Is not this the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he"; others said, "No, but he is like him." He said, "I am the man." They said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, `Go to Siloam and wash'; so I went and washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know. They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. The Pharisees again asked him how he had received his sight. And he said to them, "He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the sabbath." But others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?" There was a division among them. So they again said to the blind man, "What do you say about him, since he has opened your eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet. The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight, and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age, he will speak for himself." His parents said this because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had already agreed that if any one should confess him to be Christ, he was to be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age, ask him. So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and said to him, "Give God the praise; we know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "Whether he is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I know, that though I was blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you too want to become his disciples?" And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Why, this is a marvel! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if any one is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that any one opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who speaks to you." He said, "Lord, I believe"; and he worshiped him. Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this, and they said to him, "Are we also blind?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, `We see,' your guilt remains."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Do you feel that your vision maybe impaired in anyway?
-Can we be spiritual blind, and not physically blind?
-Doesn't your sin blur your vision, from seeing Jesus?
-How do you protect your vision from being blurred?
-Have you been to confession at all through Lent?
(Spoil a family member or close friend today, not with
gifts of this world, but rather a coffee and some Jesus.)
Look out for people's faith when you can, help them.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Saturday, April 2, 2011
God Is - A Merciful God
Beads of Joy 04-02-11
God Is - A Merciful God
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Sadly enough, we can not save ourselves, no matter how we act or what we say, it can't be done by ourselves. And unfortunately think about this; if we brag about how wonderful and nice and good we are, that would be the sin of pride filled with much arrogance. Like the Tax Collector, we need to be humble before God's altar. God isn't looking for boastful, prideful, pat themselves on the back people. I know I don't have a list of God's requirements in front of me; but we do know our Lord expects us to honor and praise Him, not ourselves. And our attitude needs to be that of an unworthy servant, because the reality is; no matter how much of a pious life we life; no matter how many times we go to Mass or confession, we are still unworthy, period.
This parable needs to bring into the light, the way we must really be before God. In other words; our heads should be bowed down, not able to look upon the altar out of guilt of our human frailties; remember we are born into sin. We are only worthy because of Jesus' blood, it's nothing we do, or can do that makes us worthy before God. All the "works" of the proud Pharisee meant nothing before God. Especially even more so, since he was so pridefully telling God, while looking down upon the tax collector. When this Pharisee does this, the first thing I think of is Matthew 7:1-5, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
Just take a look at these wonderful scriptures that help guide us:
"This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?" Exodus 10:3
"Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them." Daniel 10:12
"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12:3
Today's Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
(The Parable of The Pharisee and The Tax Collector)
"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-How should we be praying to God?
-Humility, is the only way to approach God? why or why not?
-Can we justify our pride, or own own righteousness?
-Is seeking God recommended in all things?
(Humble Pie, ever hear of that? Let us always
be humble before God. Open up to God.)
Today beg God for direction and mercy.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
God Is - A Merciful God
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Sadly enough, we can not save ourselves, no matter how we act or what we say, it can't be done by ourselves. And unfortunately think about this; if we brag about how wonderful and nice and good we are, that would be the sin of pride filled with much arrogance. Like the Tax Collector, we need to be humble before God's altar. God isn't looking for boastful, prideful, pat themselves on the back people. I know I don't have a list of God's requirements in front of me; but we do know our Lord expects us to honor and praise Him, not ourselves. And our attitude needs to be that of an unworthy servant, because the reality is; no matter how much of a pious life we life; no matter how many times we go to Mass or confession, we are still unworthy, period.
This parable needs to bring into the light, the way we must really be before God. In other words; our heads should be bowed down, not able to look upon the altar out of guilt of our human frailties; remember we are born into sin. We are only worthy because of Jesus' blood, it's nothing we do, or can do that makes us worthy before God. All the "works" of the proud Pharisee meant nothing before God. Especially even more so, since he was so pridefully telling God, while looking down upon the tax collector. When this Pharisee does this, the first thing I think of is Matthew 7:1-5, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
Just take a look at these wonderful scriptures that help guide us:
"This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me?" Exodus 10:3
"Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them." Daniel 10:12
"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you." Romans 12:3
Today's Gospel: Luke 18:9-14
(The Parable of The Pharisee and The Tax Collector)
"He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and despised others: "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, `God, I thank thee that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week, I give tithes of all that I get.' But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, `God, be merciful to me a sinner!' I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-How should we be praying to God?
-Humility, is the only way to approach God? why or why not?
-Can we justify our pride, or own own righteousness?
-Is seeking God recommended in all things?
(Humble Pie, ever hear of that? Let us always
be humble before God. Open up to God.)
Today beg God for direction and mercy.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Friday, April 1, 2011
First - Love The Lord
Beads of Joy 04-01-11
First - Love The Lord
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
I'm not sure what part of this scripture you like, but my favorite part is, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" That just says it all and it essence sums up the reality of how we should be spending our lives. A love like this is really beyond human understanding to some degree. We need to be "consumed" by our thoughts of Jesus, never seeking our own. Let us seriously use this Lenten Season to toughen up and be more loyal and devoted to Jesus; like never before.
With all your heart: Love Jesus more than anyone else in a way like no one else. He deserves every piece of love you can give Him. He died for each of us, to save us. He paid for all our sin in full.
With all your soul: Allow your soul (the Holy Spirit) to seek Him out. Fully embracing Him. There is a part inside each of us, that is specifically made for Him, Allow Him to consume you.
With all your mind: 24/7/365, I know that may sound over the top, but personally I love it. Do not let a day or en event, or anything go by, without having God, our Lord on your mind.
With all your strength: Never allow anyone to sway you away from God, BE BOLD !!!! That says it all, stop backing off, don't be scared. Let's follow Jesus' lead and boldly proclaim the Father.
Today's Gospel: Mark 12:28-34 (The First Commandment)
"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any question."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Is Jesus really first in our lives?
-And are our neighbors (others) really second?
-Why must we love God, why do think so?
-Do you spend time everyday, keeping God first?
(Commit to some time before the Eucharist,
today is First Friday and tomorrow is First Saturday)
Eucharistic Adoration, one day a month to start.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowing with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
First - Love The Lord
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
I'm not sure what part of this scripture you like, but my favorite part is, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength" That just says it all and it essence sums up the reality of how we should be spending our lives. A love like this is really beyond human understanding to some degree. We need to be "consumed" by our thoughts of Jesus, never seeking our own. Let us seriously use this Lenten Season to toughen up and be more loyal and devoted to Jesus; like never before.
With all your heart: Love Jesus more than anyone else in a way like no one else. He deserves every piece of love you can give Him. He died for each of us, to save us. He paid for all our sin in full.
With all your soul: Allow your soul (the Holy Spirit) to seek Him out. Fully embracing Him. There is a part inside each of us, that is specifically made for Him, Allow Him to consume you.
With all your mind: 24/7/365, I know that may sound over the top, but personally I love it. Do not let a day or en event, or anything go by, without having God, our Lord on your mind.
With all your strength: Never allow anyone to sway you away from God, BE BOLD !!!! That says it all, stop backing off, don't be scared. Let's follow Jesus' lead and boldly proclaim the Father.
Today's Gospel: Mark 12:28-34 (The First Commandment)
"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?" Jesus answered, "The first is, `Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' The second is this, `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any question."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Is Jesus really first in our lives?
-And are our neighbors (others) really second?
-Why must we love God, why do think so?
-Do you spend time everyday, keeping God first?
(Commit to some time before the Eucharist,
today is First Friday and tomorrow is First Saturday)
Eucharistic Adoration, one day a month to start.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowing with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Jesus - Lasting Security
Beads of Joy 03-31-11
Jesus - Lasting Security
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Almighty God has given us the greatest security we can ever ask for in our lives. No IRA or stock pile of cash or gold, or shares of stock can ever equal, even a mere fraction of God's wealth and security that are available to all of us. Even if Bill Gates himself put on the table all that he had, it wouldn't have any value in relation to the gift God has given us. God's gift is beyond magnificent, and it was Jesus who paid our debt in full; which was necessary to be paid for us, in order that we to might receive the gift of eternal life. There is no price, or amount of wealth that can ever pay for eternity with Jesus. How can the false security of this world possibly have any value before God? I believe God only sees value if what we have we share. In other words, God will bless us, as we use what we have to bless others. If we protect and selfishly embrace the blessings God has given us, I don't believe we will be blessed the same way.
Our enemy the devil, is trying his hardest to convince us; that staying attached to our wealth here is the way to go. When indeed all it will do, is become a wedge between us and God. We have to "let go" of everything here, and grab hold of Jesus. Until we fully let go of all these things, including the money and the wealth, the ego and the pride; there is no way that we honestly can grab and hold on to Jesus. See satan has an objective, if he can fill our lives with enough meaningless distractions, we won't have the time, or the patience or the desire to see, hear, listen to, learn from or hold Jesus. And that would make him very happy. Just as satan was separated from God, he wants to have us separated from God. Our detachment from the (so called) securities here keeps us closer to Jesus.
The only thing we should be focusing on here, is relationships, starting with our relationship with Jesus. Then with His mom, and the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and then family and friends. There is nothing else in the world that has any true lasting value. Open your heart, and make friends in fellowship, sharing Jesus even further and deeper in prayer together. There is a certain synergy that radiates off of believers, and when we get together, it's like a super nova exploding. In other words it very hard to hide, we can only be true to ourselves, by being true to God. Here are some scriptures sharing God's eternal security with us.
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." John 10:27-19
"...for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29
"All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." John 6:37
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:13-14
Today's Gospel: Luke 11:14-23 (Jesus and Beelzebul)
"Now he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons"; while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-What do you consider the most secure future?
-How much have you seriously invested in Jesus?
-Have I made Jesus the Master of my life?
-What do all my possessions do for me for "eternity"?
(Consider others today, forget about your possessions,
build relationships, focus on the forgotten.)
Think about family and friends you know are lonely.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Luminous Mysteries
1. Baptism of Jesus
2. Wedding at Cana
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. Institution of the Holy Eucharist
Jesus - Lasting Security
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Almighty God has given us the greatest security we can ever ask for in our lives. No IRA or stock pile of cash or gold, or shares of stock can ever equal, even a mere fraction of God's wealth and security that are available to all of us. Even if Bill Gates himself put on the table all that he had, it wouldn't have any value in relation to the gift God has given us. God's gift is beyond magnificent, and it was Jesus who paid our debt in full; which was necessary to be paid for us, in order that we to might receive the gift of eternal life. There is no price, or amount of wealth that can ever pay for eternity with Jesus. How can the false security of this world possibly have any value before God? I believe God only sees value if what we have we share. In other words, God will bless us, as we use what we have to bless others. If we protect and selfishly embrace the blessings God has given us, I don't believe we will be blessed the same way.
Our enemy the devil, is trying his hardest to convince us; that staying attached to our wealth here is the way to go. When indeed all it will do, is become a wedge between us and God. We have to "let go" of everything here, and grab hold of Jesus. Until we fully let go of all these things, including the money and the wealth, the ego and the pride; there is no way that we honestly can grab and hold on to Jesus. See satan has an objective, if he can fill our lives with enough meaningless distractions, we won't have the time, or the patience or the desire to see, hear, listen to, learn from or hold Jesus. And that would make him very happy. Just as satan was separated from God, he wants to have us separated from God. Our detachment from the (so called) securities here keeps us closer to Jesus.
The only thing we should be focusing on here, is relationships, starting with our relationship with Jesus. Then with His mom, and the Holy Spirit, God the Father, and then family and friends. There is nothing else in the world that has any true lasting value. Open your heart, and make friends in fellowship, sharing Jesus even further and deeper in prayer together. There is a certain synergy that radiates off of believers, and when we get together, it's like a super nova exploding. In other words it very hard to hide, we can only be true to ourselves, by being true to God. Here are some scriptures sharing God's eternal security with us.
"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand." John 10:27-19
"...for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29
"All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away." John 6:37
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory." Ephesians 1:13-14
Today's Gospel: Luke 11:14-23 (Jesus and Beelzebul)
"Now he was casting out a demon that was dumb; when the demon had gone out, the dumb man spoke, and the people marveled. But some of them said, "He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons"; while others, to test him, sought from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls. And if Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace; but when one stronger than he assails him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoil. He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-What do you consider the most secure future?
-How much have you seriously invested in Jesus?
-Have I made Jesus the Master of my life?
-What do all my possessions do for me for "eternity"?
(Consider others today, forget about your possessions,
build relationships, focus on the forgotten.)
Think about family and friends you know are lonely.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Luminous Mysteries
1. Baptism of Jesus
2. Wedding at Cana
3. Proclamation of the Kingdom
4. The Transfiguration
5. Institution of the Holy Eucharist
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Reverence - For Gods Law
Beads of Joy 03-30-11
Reverence - For Gods Law
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Jesus didn't come to cancel out the old testament, or to replace the old testament laws, he instead came into the world to fulfill the laws. Jesus was foretold in the old testament, He came to magnify and solidify the laws; He basically took the laws to the next level of understanding. I'd like to share more of the script from the movie "Fireproof", sorry if I do that a lot, but using all the tools I can to help share our Lord is my goal. And many will agree that that movie is incredible, awesome message of love and devotion, and staying with your partner, "You never leave your partner, especially in a fire." The fire referring to, basically any heated up, difficult times that devastate a family.
Let me set the scene, Caleb and his dad were talking while walking down a trail (where an old summer camp use to be) talking about the challenges in Calebs marriage. His dad has much love for God and he has already turned his life around by living his life for Jesus. Please take the time to really read this, and if you haven't watched the movie yet, I highly recommend you do. Read these words, there is so much wisdom:
FIREPROOF (script excerpt)
Caleb
Dad, if you're gonna tell me l need Jesus, please don't.
l don't need a crutch to get through life.
Caleb's Dad
Oh, son, Jesus is much more than a crutch.
He's become the most significant part of our lives.
Caleb
Dad, why do you keep saying that?
He's the most significant part?
How is that?
Caleb's Dad
When l realized who l was
and who he was...
...l realized my need for him.
l needed his forgiveness
and salvation.
Caleb
See, l don't understand that.
Why do l need his salvation?
What, am l gonna be thrown into hell?
For what? Because l got divorced?
Caleb's Dad
No.
Because you violated his standards.
Caleb
What? Thou shall not kill?
Dad, l help people. l am a good person.
Caleb's Dad
According to you.
But God doesn't judge
by your standards. -He uses his.
Caleb
-And what are his?
Caleb's Dad
Well, truth.
Caleb
-Okay.
Caleb's Dad
-Love.
Caleb
-l'm honest.
Caleb's Dad
-Faithfulness.
Caleb
l care about people.
l am those things.
Caleb's Dad
Sometimes.
But have you loved God,
the one who gave you life?
His standards are so high,
he considers hatred to be murder...
...and lust to be adultery.
Caleb
Dad, what about
all the good l've done?
Caleb's Dad
Son, saving someone from a fire
does not make you right with God.
You've broken his commandments.
And one day, you'll answer to him for that.
POWERFUL !!!!
Today's Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19 (The Law of The Prophets)
"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Do you see God's law as negative or positive?
-Has the Ten Commandments helped guide your life?
-Reverence? Do you have reverence for His laws?
-Have you ever really read the ten commandments?
(Prepare for a confession, using the commandments,
as your guide, reviewing all aspects of each one.)
Remember God is the Almighty God of the Universe.
He deserves our love, respect and reverence towards Him.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Reverence - For Gods Law
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Jesus didn't come to cancel out the old testament, or to replace the old testament laws, he instead came into the world to fulfill the laws. Jesus was foretold in the old testament, He came to magnify and solidify the laws; He basically took the laws to the next level of understanding. I'd like to share more of the script from the movie "Fireproof", sorry if I do that a lot, but using all the tools I can to help share our Lord is my goal. And many will agree that that movie is incredible, awesome message of love and devotion, and staying with your partner, "You never leave your partner, especially in a fire." The fire referring to, basically any heated up, difficult times that devastate a family.
Let me set the scene, Caleb and his dad were talking while walking down a trail (where an old summer camp use to be) talking about the challenges in Calebs marriage. His dad has much love for God and he has already turned his life around by living his life for Jesus. Please take the time to really read this, and if you haven't watched the movie yet, I highly recommend you do. Read these words, there is so much wisdom:
FIREPROOF (script excerpt)
Caleb
Dad, if you're gonna tell me l need Jesus, please don't.
l don't need a crutch to get through life.
Caleb's Dad
Oh, son, Jesus is much more than a crutch.
He's become the most significant part of our lives.
Caleb
Dad, why do you keep saying that?
He's the most significant part?
How is that?
Caleb's Dad
When l realized who l was
and who he was...
...l realized my need for him.
l needed his forgiveness
and salvation.
Caleb
See, l don't understand that.
Why do l need his salvation?
What, am l gonna be thrown into hell?
For what? Because l got divorced?
Caleb's Dad
No.
Because you violated his standards.
Caleb
What? Thou shall not kill?
Dad, l help people. l am a good person.
Caleb's Dad
According to you.
But God doesn't judge
by your standards. -He uses his.
Caleb
-And what are his?
Caleb's Dad
Well, truth.
Caleb
-Okay.
Caleb's Dad
-Love.
Caleb
-l'm honest.
Caleb's Dad
-Faithfulness.
Caleb
l care about people.
l am those things.
Caleb's Dad
Sometimes.
But have you loved God,
the one who gave you life?
His standards are so high,
he considers hatred to be murder...
...and lust to be adultery.
Caleb
Dad, what about
all the good l've done?
Caleb's Dad
Son, saving someone from a fire
does not make you right with God.
You've broken his commandments.
And one day, you'll answer to him for that.
POWERFUL !!!!
Today's Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19 (The Law of The Prophets)
"Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Do you see God's law as negative or positive?
-Has the Ten Commandments helped guide your life?
-Reverence? Do you have reverence for His laws?
-Have you ever really read the ten commandments?
(Prepare for a confession, using the commandments,
as your guide, reviewing all aspects of each one.)
Remember God is the Almighty God of the Universe.
He deserves our love, respect and reverence towards Him.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Remember - Always Forgive
Beads of Joy 03-29-11
Remember This - Always Forgive
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Isn't this a wake up call to all those who owe others; and at the same time you are trying to collect from those who owe you. This very selfish unforgiving servant couldn't take his eyes off those who owed him. Yet he owed much to the king, but the king showed him tremendous pity and mercy, and so forgave him of his all his debt. Why then did this servant who just received a blessing go out and make a huge problem out of something owed to Him? It makes no sense. This unforgiving servant even had his fellow servant thrown in prison, that was way too harsh. This very mean, unforgiving, selfish servant got what he deserved when the king found out. Now this parable isn't only about the forgiveness of monetary debt, it's more like the forgiveness of emotional debt, when others do wrong to us. How can we beg our Lord for forgiveness, when we ourselves in our own selfishness find it hard to forgive others?
I won't ever say that this is easy. I know first hand what it means to be so angry at someone, that forgiveness is something you would never consider. Especially when that anger is directed towards people who interfere with your own personal family life. There is something very sensitive about that, but with all that said; know that I said it is very difficult, not impossible. Sometimes to best way to begin to take the first steps, towards those you deem unworthy of forgiveness, is to begin by praying for them. Yes another difficult, but not impossible task. But I have found that if you can talk to God in prayer about them, it is so much easier to actually forgive them. God only knows the reason why people do what they do. Only God can judge them, even though we already did, it really needs to be left in God's hands. It is our responsibility to pray for them and forgive them, and sincerely from the heart.
Let keep in mind a few things. God always forgives us, no matter how many times we offend Him, yell at Him, curse Him or hurt others, or sin. The forgiveness we receive, at minimum should be the forgiveness we give to others. It is through the same compassion and understanding that God gives us; that we need to forgive others. It is very helpful to that person you hate to be kind to; while you forgive them and release them from the your hold, you to are released. You do know that when you hold someone else, you are also holding yourself.
Today's Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
(The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant)
"Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-What does this scripture tell about how to treat others?
-Have you ever treated someone like this, who owed you?
-Who owes who what? Are you understanding or are you mean?
-Can you seriously forgive, the unforgivable?
(Today make an attempt to forgive someone you can't.)
If you have a challenge with this, keep praying and trying.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowing with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
Remember This - Always Forgive
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Isn't this a wake up call to all those who owe others; and at the same time you are trying to collect from those who owe you. This very selfish unforgiving servant couldn't take his eyes off those who owed him. Yet he owed much to the king, but the king showed him tremendous pity and mercy, and so forgave him of his all his debt. Why then did this servant who just received a blessing go out and make a huge problem out of something owed to Him? It makes no sense. This unforgiving servant even had his fellow servant thrown in prison, that was way too harsh. This very mean, unforgiving, selfish servant got what he deserved when the king found out. Now this parable isn't only about the forgiveness of monetary debt, it's more like the forgiveness of emotional debt, when others do wrong to us. How can we beg our Lord for forgiveness, when we ourselves in our own selfishness find it hard to forgive others?
I won't ever say that this is easy. I know first hand what it means to be so angry at someone, that forgiveness is something you would never consider. Especially when that anger is directed towards people who interfere with your own personal family life. There is something very sensitive about that, but with all that said; know that I said it is very difficult, not impossible. Sometimes to best way to begin to take the first steps, towards those you deem unworthy of forgiveness, is to begin by praying for them. Yes another difficult, but not impossible task. But I have found that if you can talk to God in prayer about them, it is so much easier to actually forgive them. God only knows the reason why people do what they do. Only God can judge them, even though we already did, it really needs to be left in God's hands. It is our responsibility to pray for them and forgive them, and sincerely from the heart.
Let keep in mind a few things. God always forgives us, no matter how many times we offend Him, yell at Him, curse Him or hurt others, or sin. The forgiveness we receive, at minimum should be the forgiveness we give to others. It is through the same compassion and understanding that God gives us; that we need to forgive others. It is very helpful to that person you hate to be kind to; while you forgive them and release them from the your hold, you to are released. You do know that when you hold someone else, you are also holding yourself.
Today's Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
(The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant)
"Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. "Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. When he began the reckoning, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.' And out of pity for him the lord of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. But that same servant, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat he said, `Pay what you owe.' So his fellow servant fell down and besought him, `Have patience with me, and I will pay you.' He refused and went and put him in prison till he should pay the debt. When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, `You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you besought me; and should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?' And in anger his lord delivered him to the jailers, till he should pay all his debt. So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-What does this scripture tell about how to treat others?
-Have you ever treated someone like this, who owed you?
-Who owes who what? Are you understanding or are you mean?
-Can you seriously forgive, the unforgivable?
(Today make an attempt to forgive someone you can't.)
If you have a challenge with this, keep praying and trying.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries
1. Agony in the Garden
2. The Scourging at the Pillar
3. Crowing with Thorns
4. Carrying of the Cross
5. The Crucifixion of Jesus
Monday, March 28, 2011
Jesus Has Set Us Free
Beads of Joy 03-28-11
Jesus Has Set Us Free
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Wouldn't we all love to stop sinning? Of cause, is it possible? Of cause, at least it is possible to do all we can to try to stop. If we make no effort to try, and we really don't try; well then how in the world will we be able to at least have less sin in our lives? There is only one person I know who shares this thought the best, and his name is Fr. Larry Richards. Today I will share this story, one that Fr Richards share in many talks. I think his words and the way he tells the story will help so many of us get a better handle on our sins.
"You know C.S. Lewis was a great writer and he wasn't Catholic he was an Episcopalian. He wrote a book called “The Great Divorce.” I love one of the stories in The Great Divorce because in the story is a man who is in Purgatory. His whole theology of Purgatory is different than ours. Anyway he is dead and he is in Purgatory because of this demon of lust he has had his whole life. This little demon of lust, this is true, is this little demon and it sits on his shoulder. This demon has a chain around this man’s neck and he pulls it and makes this man do all this horrible things. And the man hates it and he hates himself. He is always crying out to God, “God you have got to help me. You have got to help me get rid of the demon of lust.” So anyway God sends an angel to the man. The angel looks at him and says, “What can I do for you?” And the man says, “It is this demon of lust that makes me do all these horrible things. I can’t stand it. I am so ashamed. It makes me again and again do these horrible things.” The angel looks at him and says, “May I kill it?” “Oh I don’t know if you want to kill it. Maybe you could wound it a little bit. You know, take its legs and break it or something.” And the angel looked at him and said, “May I kill it?” “Oh it is not very politically correct to kill things. I don’t know if you really want to kill it. I don’t know about killing it.” And the angel said, “May I kill it?” Finally the man said, “Yes, yes, yes you can kill it.” And the angel reaches out and he takes the demon of lust and he crushes it and he kills it. And this demon is transformed into a beautiful white stallion. And the man jumps on the stallion and the stallion takes him home to heaven, finally. God has sent all of us angels. We have a guardian angel every one of us. And the sin we deal with us in our life, the primary purpose of your guardian angel is to get you to heaven. The guardian angel looks at you almost every day and says, “May I kill the sin in your life?” What do you say? Well I don’t know. I kind of like my sin. I don’t know, maybe if it didn't control me and I controlled it. No, no, no. The only way to deal with sin in your life is to kill it. So will you give God permission in your life today to kill those sins in your life?" Fr. Larry Richards
I get so exciting hearing such incredible stories of hope and possibility. Nothing is impossible with God. We can defeat our sins, and we can do everything possible to live a life that is as pure as we possibly can. In today's gospel we can see how Jesus is talking to His people in the town where everyone knows Him since He was a child; and they gave Him no respect. Sometimes it's best when we have others from out of town come and share Jesus. This allows others to come inside and share Jesus with those we love, so we can go elsewhere to spread His love. Either way, let us do all we can to spread His joy and love with everyone. This is why I believe fellowship with strangers around the world works so well.
Today's Gospel: Luke 4:24-30
(The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth)
"And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Wouldn't we prefer to live our lives free of sin?
-How can we change what we say and do each day?
-Does the freedom Jesus give us, really free us?
-What is my earthly weakness? How can I stop?
-Do you fear being separated from God forever?
(Ponder a bit and even write down your top 3 weaknesses.)
Ask Jesus to help you rid your life of these.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Jesus Has Set Us Free
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Wouldn't we all love to stop sinning? Of cause, is it possible? Of cause, at least it is possible to do all we can to try to stop. If we make no effort to try, and we really don't try; well then how in the world will we be able to at least have less sin in our lives? There is only one person I know who shares this thought the best, and his name is Fr. Larry Richards. Today I will share this story, one that Fr Richards share in many talks. I think his words and the way he tells the story will help so many of us get a better handle on our sins.
"You know C.S. Lewis was a great writer and he wasn't Catholic he was an Episcopalian. He wrote a book called “The Great Divorce.” I love one of the stories in The Great Divorce because in the story is a man who is in Purgatory. His whole theology of Purgatory is different than ours. Anyway he is dead and he is in Purgatory because of this demon of lust he has had his whole life. This little demon of lust, this is true, is this little demon and it sits on his shoulder. This demon has a chain around this man’s neck and he pulls it and makes this man do all this horrible things. And the man hates it and he hates himself. He is always crying out to God, “God you have got to help me. You have got to help me get rid of the demon of lust.” So anyway God sends an angel to the man. The angel looks at him and says, “What can I do for you?” And the man says, “It is this demon of lust that makes me do all these horrible things. I can’t stand it. I am so ashamed. It makes me again and again do these horrible things.” The angel looks at him and says, “May I kill it?” “Oh I don’t know if you want to kill it. Maybe you could wound it a little bit. You know, take its legs and break it or something.” And the angel looked at him and said, “May I kill it?” “Oh it is not very politically correct to kill things. I don’t know if you really want to kill it. I don’t know about killing it.” And the angel said, “May I kill it?” Finally the man said, “Yes, yes, yes you can kill it.” And the angel reaches out and he takes the demon of lust and he crushes it and he kills it. And this demon is transformed into a beautiful white stallion. And the man jumps on the stallion and the stallion takes him home to heaven, finally. God has sent all of us angels. We have a guardian angel every one of us. And the sin we deal with us in our life, the primary purpose of your guardian angel is to get you to heaven. The guardian angel looks at you almost every day and says, “May I kill the sin in your life?” What do you say? Well I don’t know. I kind of like my sin. I don’t know, maybe if it didn't control me and I controlled it. No, no, no. The only way to deal with sin in your life is to kill it. So will you give God permission in your life today to kill those sins in your life?" Fr. Larry Richards
I get so exciting hearing such incredible stories of hope and possibility. Nothing is impossible with God. We can defeat our sins, and we can do everything possible to live a life that is as pure as we possibly can. In today's gospel we can see how Jesus is talking to His people in the town where everyone knows Him since He was a child; and they gave Him no respect. Sometimes it's best when we have others from out of town come and share Jesus. This allows others to come inside and share Jesus with those we love, so we can go elsewhere to spread His love. Either way, let us do all we can to spread His joy and love with everyone. This is why I believe fellowship with strangers around the world works so well.
Today's Gospel: Luke 4:24-30
(The Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth)
"And he said, "Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his own country. But in truth, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when there came a great famine over all the land; and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with wrath. And they rose up and put him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw him down headlong. But passing through the midst of them he went away."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Wouldn't we prefer to live our lives free of sin?
-How can we change what we say and do each day?
-Does the freedom Jesus give us, really free us?
-What is my earthly weakness? How can I stop?
-Do you fear being separated from God forever?
(Ponder a bit and even write down your top 3 weaknesses.)
Ask Jesus to help you rid your life of these.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Life Giving - Living Water
Beads of Joy 03-27-11
Life Giving - Living Water
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Living water? What does that mean? Does this water have a life of its own? Does this water do whatever it wants? Living water did anyone ever think to reflect on what those two words together really mean? Since Jesus is the only one who can bring us this water, this water has a very special quality; is it eternal, and it's the only water that fully quenches our thirst, where you will never be thirsty again. Just like the woman at the well asked, "where do you get that living water?" And Jesus spoke with this woman, an adulteress, a public sinner; no matter, Jesus came to heal those in need of a physician. He come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I can only imagine this scene, Jesus has this way of just capturing our hearts, and soul, literally captivating us. There was and still is, no greater speaker in this world than Jesus. Being Jesus is God's Son and the Holy Trinity is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the three are one; His voice only speaks with such extraordinary influence and love, straight from the heart of God.
The fountain of life promises us eternal life. And it is through Jesus, that we have the chance to drink this living water. Never pass up a chance to be with Jesus, or to receive something from Jesus. Our Lord only seeks to save us, everything and anything He gives to us helps us grow closer to Him. It has been said by St. Hippolytus, priest and martyr ,“This is the water of the Spirit: It refreshes paradise, enriches the earth, gives life to living things. It is the water of Christ’s baptism; it is our life. If you go with faith to this renewing fountain, you renounce Satan your enemy and confess Christ your God. You cease to be a slave and become an adopted son; you come forth radiant as the sun and brilliant with justice; you come forth a son of God and fellow-heir with Christ.” Wow, now that is really a wonderful summary of the water of the Spirit.
What is it that is so special about water? Why would Jesus place so much emphasis on water? In our world water plays a significant role in sustaining life, for without water, life wouldn't exist. This is why in planetary space exploration, the first order of business is always; finding water either on the planet surface or within the ground. Because chances are, if you find water, you will find life. In the bible, scripture, speaking of water represents many things; baptism, cleansing of sin in many ways, and so much more. When I did my research, I found water to be mentioned 527 times in the old testament and 90 times in the new testament; know that those figures all depend on the translation you use. It's still interesting to see that 617 times water was mentioned.
"All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again." Ecclesiastes 1:7
"LORD, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water." Jeremiah 17:13
"Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:37-38
Other Insightful Quotes:
"Water is also one of the four elements, the most beautiful of God's creations. It is both wet and cold, heavy, and with a tendency to descend, and flows with great readiness. It is this the Holy Scripture has in view when it says, "And the darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Water, then, is the most beautiful element and rich in usefulness, and purifies from all filth, and not only from the filth of the body but from that of the soul, if it should have received the grace of the Spirit." John of Damascus 679-749AD
"Water, like religion and ideology, has the power to move millions of people. Since the very birth of human civilization, people have moved to settle close to it. People move when there is too little of it. People move when there is too much of it. People journey down it. People write, sing and dance about it. People fight over it. And all people, everywhere and every day, need it." Mikhail Gorbachev 2001
Today's Gospel: John 4:5-42
(Jesus and The Woman of Samaria)
"So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, `I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people,"Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"They went out of the city and were coming to him. Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Has any one brought him food?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say,`There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true,`One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Would you still give to someone who was mean to you?
-Is the Holy Spirit inside of us thirsting more for Jesus?
-Does your life truly revolve around thoughts of the Savior?
-Why was Jesus even speaking to this woman at the well?
-Why would pride and selfishness keep us from receiving Jesus?
(Let's share Jesus with someone..
anyone even those who know Him.)
The key is, keeping Jesus as the center topic to all
your conversations. He alone dominates your thoughts.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Life Giving - Living Water
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
Living water? What does that mean? Does this water have a life of its own? Does this water do whatever it wants? Living water did anyone ever think to reflect on what those two words together really mean? Since Jesus is the only one who can bring us this water, this water has a very special quality; is it eternal, and it's the only water that fully quenches our thirst, where you will never be thirsty again. Just like the woman at the well asked, "where do you get that living water?" And Jesus spoke with this woman, an adulteress, a public sinner; no matter, Jesus came to heal those in need of a physician. He come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I can only imagine this scene, Jesus has this way of just capturing our hearts, and soul, literally captivating us. There was and still is, no greater speaker in this world than Jesus. Being Jesus is God's Son and the Holy Trinity is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the three are one; His voice only speaks with such extraordinary influence and love, straight from the heart of God.
The fountain of life promises us eternal life. And it is through Jesus, that we have the chance to drink this living water. Never pass up a chance to be with Jesus, or to receive something from Jesus. Our Lord only seeks to save us, everything and anything He gives to us helps us grow closer to Him. It has been said by St. Hippolytus, priest and martyr ,“This is the water of the Spirit: It refreshes paradise, enriches the earth, gives life to living things. It is the water of Christ’s baptism; it is our life. If you go with faith to this renewing fountain, you renounce Satan your enemy and confess Christ your God. You cease to be a slave and become an adopted son; you come forth radiant as the sun and brilliant with justice; you come forth a son of God and fellow-heir with Christ.” Wow, now that is really a wonderful summary of the water of the Spirit.
What is it that is so special about water? Why would Jesus place so much emphasis on water? In our world water plays a significant role in sustaining life, for without water, life wouldn't exist. This is why in planetary space exploration, the first order of business is always; finding water either on the planet surface or within the ground. Because chances are, if you find water, you will find life. In the bible, scripture, speaking of water represents many things; baptism, cleansing of sin in many ways, and so much more. When I did my research, I found water to be mentioned 527 times in the old testament and 90 times in the new testament; know that those figures all depend on the translation you use. It's still interesting to see that 617 times water was mentioned.
"All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again." Ecclesiastes 1:7
"LORD, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water." Jeremiah 17:13
"Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:37-38
Other Insightful Quotes:
"Water is also one of the four elements, the most beautiful of God's creations. It is both wet and cold, heavy, and with a tendency to descend, and flows with great readiness. It is this the Holy Scripture has in view when it says, "And the darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Water, then, is the most beautiful element and rich in usefulness, and purifies from all filth, and not only from the filth of the body but from that of the soul, if it should have received the grace of the Spirit." John of Damascus 679-749AD
"Water, like religion and ideology, has the power to move millions of people. Since the very birth of human civilization, people have moved to settle close to it. People move when there is too little of it. People move when there is too much of it. People journey down it. People write, sing and dance about it. People fight over it. And all people, everywhere and every day, need it." Mikhail Gorbachev 2001
Today's Gospel: John 4:5-42
(Jesus and The Woman of Samaria)
"So he came to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and so Jesus, wearied as he was with his journey, sat down beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?" Jesus said to her, "Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw." Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come here." The woman answered him, "I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, `I have no husband'; for you have had five husbands, and he whom you now have is not your husband; this you said truly." The woman said to him, "Sir, I perceive that you are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain; and you say that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things." Jesus said to her, "I who speak to you am he." Just then his disciples came. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but none said, "What do you wish?" or, "Why are you talking with her?" So the woman left her water jar, and went away into the city, and said to the people,"Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?"They went out of the city and were coming to him. Meanwhile the disciples besought him, saying, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Has any one brought him food?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work. Do you not say,`There are yet four months, then comes the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see how the fields are already white for harvest. He who reaps receives wages, and gathers fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true,`One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor; others have labored, and you have entered into their labor." Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me all that I ever did." So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word."
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Would you still give to someone who was mean to you?
-Is the Holy Spirit inside of us thirsting more for Jesus?
-Does your life truly revolve around thoughts of the Savior?
-Why was Jesus even speaking to this woman at the well?
-Why would pride and selfishness keep us from receiving Jesus?
(Let's share Jesus with someone..
anyone even those who know Him.)
The key is, keeping Jesus as the center topic to all
your conversations. He alone dominates your thoughts.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Glorious Mysteries
1. The Resurrection
2. The Ascension
3. The Descent of The Holy Spirit
4. The Assumption
5. The Coronation
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Prodigal - Loved and Forgiven
Beads of Joy 03-26-11
Prodigal - Loved and Forgiven
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
"How am l supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over..who constantly rejects me?" Caleb in the movie "Fireproof" That line in that movie, fit in perfectly with today's gospel. Let us not take for granted the love that our parents and family have for us. This parable goes beyond the sentences of a story; we can see how God's love for us goes far beyond anything stupid we might do. I'm not saying be rude, unholy and hateful, and "poof" God puts rings and robes on you; but I am saying that after you do that, and you repent, God's arms are wide open. In this parable this young man, abandoned his family, seeking pleasure and freedom, so he thought. The reality for him was that he became a prison of his own selfishness; separated from the love of his family by his choice, only to literally be eating with the pigs. The reality hit this young man and he woke up.
Was this prodigal son, homesick, or sick of home? One may never know, but many do know teenagers and young adults, who think they know everything, and from that, they start to be bold in their own immaturity. Adulthood and maturity have nothing to do with age, rather it comes from experience, wisdom, love and the nurturing of a loving family. A family that can't be replaced by stuff or others. This prodigal son, had only one real dad, and one real family. No riches or travels or wild life was going to replace, that place in his heart that is his family resided in. I have done many stupid things in my life, I will be the first to admit it. I won't get into all the grueling details, because I don't want to promote them. Rather I will say this, your wake up call in life does come, when you are at your lowest point; and usually it's when your flesh and blood family aren't anywhere nearby, because you don't want them nearby. Prodigal son or daughter, I say, go home, there are open arms, rings, robes and a fatted calf awaiting you. Nobody can love you, like your family does.
I pray that whoever is on this path of separation from their family, or they are thinking about it. Stop. And consider this parable in and of itself, as a chance for you to realize how much love is in the arms of those who love you, especially your mom and dad. Think of it like this, I read it said that in our repentant hearts of "coming home" back to the Father, God "kisses the past into forgetfulness." In this parable, the union back with his father was beyond anything he could have possibly expected. The son merely thought, he could blend in with his fathers servants so he can at least eat better. But the love of his father far exceeded anything he could have possibly imagined. There is so much jam packed in today's parable, I think I can write a book about it. I just might.
Today's Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
(The Parable of the Prodigal Son)
"Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable. And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants,`Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry."Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Have you ever felt like leaving the way this son left?
-How would you feel is your child did this to you?
-The sons repentant heart was touching...why?
-Can we love our children like this father did?
-Did this story personal move you in your heart?
(Today, tell all your children how much you love them.)
If you have no children, tell your parents, grandparents.
Express love today in words, eye to eye.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
Prodigal - Loved and Forgiven
©2011 James Dacey, Jr. SFO
Hello Everyone,
"How am l supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over..who constantly rejects me?" Caleb in the movie "Fireproof" That line in that movie, fit in perfectly with today's gospel. Let us not take for granted the love that our parents and family have for us. This parable goes beyond the sentences of a story; we can see how God's love for us goes far beyond anything stupid we might do. I'm not saying be rude, unholy and hateful, and "poof" God puts rings and robes on you; but I am saying that after you do that, and you repent, God's arms are wide open. In this parable this young man, abandoned his family, seeking pleasure and freedom, so he thought. The reality for him was that he became a prison of his own selfishness; separated from the love of his family by his choice, only to literally be eating with the pigs. The reality hit this young man and he woke up.
Was this prodigal son, homesick, or sick of home? One may never know, but many do know teenagers and young adults, who think they know everything, and from that, they start to be bold in their own immaturity. Adulthood and maturity have nothing to do with age, rather it comes from experience, wisdom, love and the nurturing of a loving family. A family that can't be replaced by stuff or others. This prodigal son, had only one real dad, and one real family. No riches or travels or wild life was going to replace, that place in his heart that is his family resided in. I have done many stupid things in my life, I will be the first to admit it. I won't get into all the grueling details, because I don't want to promote them. Rather I will say this, your wake up call in life does come, when you are at your lowest point; and usually it's when your flesh and blood family aren't anywhere nearby, because you don't want them nearby. Prodigal son or daughter, I say, go home, there are open arms, rings, robes and a fatted calf awaiting you. Nobody can love you, like your family does.
I pray that whoever is on this path of separation from their family, or they are thinking about it. Stop. And consider this parable in and of itself, as a chance for you to realize how much love is in the arms of those who love you, especially your mom and dad. Think of it like this, I read it said that in our repentant hearts of "coming home" back to the Father, God "kisses the past into forgetfulness." In this parable, the union back with his father was beyond anything he could have possibly expected. The son merely thought, he could blend in with his fathers servants so he can at least eat better. But the love of his father far exceeded anything he could have possibly imagined. There is so much jam packed in today's parable, I think I can write a book about it. I just might.
Today's Gospel: Luke 15:1-3, 11-32
(The Parable of the Prodigal Son)
"Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. And the Pharisees and the scribes murmured, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." So he told them this parable. And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he said, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants,`Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make merry."Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what this meant. And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted calf!' And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
Questions To Ponder Today:
-Have you ever felt like leaving the way this son left?
-How would you feel is your child did this to you?
-The sons repentant heart was touching...why?
-Can we love our children like this father did?
-Did this story personal move you in your heart?
(Today, tell all your children how much you love them.)
If you have no children, tell your parents, grandparents.
Express love today in words, eye to eye.
Your brother in Christ Jesus & His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr SFO
Today we pray the Joyful Mysteries
1. The Annunciation
2. The Visitation
3. The Birth of Jesus
4. The Presentation in The Temple
5. Finding of Jesus in the Temple
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