![]() Hello Everyone: I wish to apologize for being away from my postings on this website recently. My 88 year old Dad is in the hospital and it has consumed my time and has made for a better Lent. I pray he pulls through this. He has heart and kidney issues along with others. He has never been a good patient although he has been blessed with good health compared to my mother who passed away almost exactly two years ago (May 7, 2017). She had more practice in hospital visits than he has. He is now enduring a portion of his "Purgatory on Earth". Please keep Bernard in your prayers - thank you!! When we suffer, it is easy to complain. Everyone enjoys it when good health is given to us. When it is lost, it is difficult. While my sister and I were there, he was complaining. I had to bring up the fact that Bishop Sheen would always think of all the wasted suffering as he passed by or entered a hospital. We must unite our sufferings to Christ in order for us to enjoy the fruits of them both here and in eternity. I shared this with Dad and he agreed. I also have an elderly friend who is suffering much as well. I told her that she is blessed to be able to share in the sufferings of Christ during this Lenten season and that He has "slim pickings" when it comes to souls that will unite their pain to His. She felt privileged to be called during this Lent and would unite her sufferings to Christ. I shared with her that when we are in the next life, we will wish we had the opportunity to do more in order to gain more souls for Jesus and to give greater glory to God. She agreed and now felt blessed in her sufferings. Many times through life we wonder if we are doing the will of God. At times it is difficult to say for sure because we have multiple choices - Am I making the right one? But in suffering, there is no choice! We can be sure that this is God's Will and that to unite it to His -- is His Will -- and it will bear fruit! God's ways are not our ways. We may be retired, we may be chronically ill, we may be suffering and all of these can not be changed. Therefore, united to the sufferings of Christ for the salvation of souls that may otherwise be lost or for those in need and for the greater glory of God is the greatest calling! We should not want to miss nor squander this opportunity! I do not advocate denial of treatment. We must do all we can to get better to serve Him but if we do all we can and still suffering comes - we can be sure - we are pleasing God with our surrender and the offering up of our pain! What a beautiful place to be and how beautiful to live in imitation of the saints before us and in imitation of our dear Master and Lord and His most sweet Holy Mother in this surrendered suffering! Speaking of Our Mother, tomorrow is her special feast day. We remember the Sorrows of Our Lady during this Passion Week - before we enter Holy Week. How beautiful. After Our Lord and Master, no one has suffered like our good Mother! She is so little loved and appreciated. I will post something under "Total Consecration" for Our Lady! May we find peace and happiness in uniting your sufferings to the Cross of Jesus Christ! May Our Good Mother pray for us and lead us to the Cross so that we can experience the Resurrection! God bless all of you and please keep my Dad, Bernard, in your prayers! Thank you! From St. Peter: "Do not be surprised, beloved, that this fiery ordeal should have befallen you, to test your quality. There is nothing strange in what is happening to you. Rather, rejoice, when you share in some measure the sufferings of Christ; so joy will be yours, and triumph, when His glory is revealed." (II Peter 4:12-13) Quote from Bishop Sheen: " Like the goldsmith, God keeps us in the smelting furnace until He can see the reflection of the Face of the Lord Jesus in our lives. He is not so much interested in the work we do but rather in how much we resemble His Son Jesus. Holy people are to rejoice in the fact that they are co-participants in the suffering of Christ!" Fatima Prayer: "Oh my Jesus, I offer this for the love of You, for the conversion of poor sinners and in reparation of the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary."
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AuthorBernadette Porter is a Traditional Catholic, a wife of 44 years with 6 adult home-schooled children and 8 grandchildren. A sincere devotion to Mary, the Mother of God leads me to want to share "The Church's best kept secret" - Mary! Archives
February 2025
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