May 11, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today is from Living Faith:
“The jailer, assuming all his prisoners have escaped, drew his sword to kill himself. Paul’s shout stops the man from taking his own life.
Eventually, the jailer and his family are even converted to the faith. I wonder if we need to hear Saint Pauls words today. We may not be drawing our swords, but maybe we are doing harm to ourselves in other ways. What ways?
Perhaps we are over working or not getting enough sleep. Or maybe we are eating unhealthy foods or drinking too much. Or we might be neglecting daily prayer, wallowing in guilt or constantly putting ourselves down. The truth is, sometimes we are more considerate of others and gentler with them than we are with ourselves. When this happens, we must recall the old maxim, ‘Charity begins at home.’ Charity begins by loving and respecting ourselves.
Do something good for yourself today.
Let us ask God, today to give us new life

May 10, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today:
“It is God who enables you to smile in spite of tears; to carry on when you feel like giving in; to pray when you’re at a loss for words; to love even though your heart has been broken time and time again; to sit calmly when you feel like throwing your hands up in frustration; to be understanding when nothing seems to make sense; to listen when you’d really rather not hear; to share your feelings with others because sharing is necessary to ease the load.
Anything is possible because God makes it so.” – Faye Sweeney
Anything is possible because God is in our life. Maybe that’s why there are so many problems in the world because some people have shut God out of their lives.

May 9, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today is a Mother’s Day prayer:
Lord we pray for all MOTHERS
Beautiful and wonderful they fill the earth
Gracious in Your care they carry life
in a bond of love they bring forth a child.
We ask You to bless all
MOTHERS today
May they feel the joys of motherhood everyday
In all their struggles giving us a livelihood
May Your LOVE and COMPASSION
be with them for good.
May every MOTHER feel today
The pride and beauty of a family they bear
Through all pain and sorrow Lord deliver them
In your STRENGTH and GRACE
may they always stay. Amen
May God bless all mothers, grandmothers, godmothers and people who are like mothers to us.
We also pray for all our mothers who are with you in heaven. Amen

May 8, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today:
“God isn’t far away. He is the light of this day. He is the sky above you, the earth beneath you, and the life of every living thing.
He is in a smile, and every thought that gives you hope, in every tear that waters your soul, and in every moment you can’t face alone.
He’s the love on your loved one’s face. He is in the friends along the way-in strangers you have yet to meet and blessings you have yet to receive.
He’s in every good thing that touches you. He is in every step you make and every breath you take. He is never far away.” Nancye Sims
Everything that touches our lives is a gift from God. Thank you God for all the gifts of life.?

May 6, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today:
“Jesus said to his disciples: ‘As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.
I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.” John 15:9 -11
Today’s Gospel reading reminds us of how much our God loves us. The other point that struck me is how Jesus is telling us that his joy is in us. The gift of joy is given to each one of us. We don’t have to do a thing, Jesus promises us that our joy might be complete.?

May 5, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today:
“Spend a while in the garden or the park or the path amongst the trees. Do the things that please you, as well as the things you have to do. Fulfill the work and the tasks of the day while discovering something new and different along the way. Grow, learn, reach out. Be curious. The childlike.
Remember what imagination is all about. Share a smile, a feeling, a certain personal thought from the heart, from the soul. Care. Kick off your shoes. Sing along with your song. Be less concerned about what others think of you. Be more accepting of the very special person who lives inside of you.”- Colin McCarty
As the saying goes, take time to smell the roses. I hope this pandemic has taught us how precious life is. Thank you God for creating each one of us in your image and likeness. Amen

May 4, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today is from Living Faith:
“ ‘They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, ‘It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.’ Acts 14:22
The day my mother died at home, after her five-year battle with breast cancer, we had to wait hours for the medical examiner to come to our house. He had been long delayed at another house in the city – a house where a young mother and two of her children had died in a fire. Some hardships linger for years on end. Others come suddenly.
More than a million families worldwide lost loved ones due to the coronavirus. We’ve faced numerous related hardships associated with it. Add in every day challenges, and we can be easily overwhelmed.
Yet we are repeatedly assured that God loves us and that we are to enjoy his incalculable blessings. Family, friends and even people we don’t know will help us. We have, as the disciples did, the Church – to ‘strengthen our spirits’ and help us to ‘persevere in the faith.’” Terrence Hegarty
During this pandemic some people have had such tragic events in their lives. Others have had difficult times.
No matter what we are facing, I believe that God is with us through everything.
God is that faithful spirit that helps us to get through whatever problem we face. ?

May 3, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today:
“A friend who takes the time to stop and chat. A smile. A hand on your shoulder in a time of need. An unspoken prayer answered in a most uncommon way. The best gift of all is to understand that you are never alone… because when you touch a flower, catch that first raindrop on your fingertips, or see the wonder of a child. You see God.
It is the reality and profound blessing of knowing that in an infinite number of ways… God is always with you.” – Linda Hersey
Everything that touches our hearts is a gift from God!?

May 2, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today:
“Play is the gateway to vitality. By its nature it is uniquely and intrinsically rewarding. It generates optimism, seeks out novelty, makes perseverance fun, leads to mastery, gives the immune system a bounce, fosters empathy, and promotes a sense of belonging and community.” – The National Institute for Play
As children we were always looking for opportunities to play. What happened when we became an adult? We were told it was much more important for adults to work and not to play. And yet this reflection is so true ….there is so much in playing that makes us a balanced person.?

May 1, 2021

Posted on by Evelyn Rivera
My reflection today is from Living Faith:
“I always thought of Saint Joseph as a ‘kindly old man.’ When I needed a saint, I went to the likes of Padre Pio, John Vianney or Catherine of Siena. I never thought of Saint Joseph as a particularly powerful intercessor.
I was wrong. Recently, I was praying the litany of Saint Joseph and discovered that one of his titles is ‘terror of demons.’ He is noted as being effective in protecting us from evil. I started to hear stories of people’s prayers to Saint Joseph being answered in striking ways. Clearly, I underestimated this great saint.
It only makes sense. God chose him to protect the Son. He was married to the Mother of God. Now, he is very close to the divine throne and has Mary’s and Jesus’ ear.
Have you ever asked for help from Saint Joseph? If you do, you might be surprised at the graces obtained by this ‘kindly old man’
Saint Joseph, Head of the Holy Family, pray for us!” –  Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti
Today is the feast of Saint Joseph the worker. We don’t know a lot about Saint Joseph but he must’ve been an amazing man to be the foster father of Jesus. He was an amazing protector of Mary and Joseph. When we are having difficulties let us stop and look at Saint Joseph and ask him to guide us.?