Day 80 – 1.5 hour     Day 81-1.5 hr.            Day 82 – 1 hr 336.5 to go

No, I did not quit on this thing – just have been too busy to post, but not to pray.

Actually, I have spent some more time talking to and trying to listen to God. - My formal prayer life of praying the Office has been a true gift.  The writings of the church Fathers are Holy Spirit inspired and the Psalms are the most wonderful thing to prayer – so much that Jesus prayed them daily.  Divine Inspiration is mind boggling and St. Alphonsus’ 12 Steps are sound, solid, common-sense & logical theology – but my favorite form of prayer is when I can calm myself and focus enough to ask the Father for assistance with dealing with life’s challenges.  I have learned to recognize His voice and He speaks to me in real simple sentences.  Things like “Be there for Me” & “Take what I have & give it away.”  I, being Michael, ask for explanations and God simply repeats what He said – “Be there for Me” – I find it hard to process that my Triune God pays one on one attention to me, little old me; but I know He is there and thank Him for His Father direction.  Try it – Google Mercy Seat for info on a way to “connect with” the Lord and listen for His loving counsel.

The Divine Office after Easter continues to celebrate the victory of Jesus over sin and death.  Each morning we pray from Daniel 3:57-88, 56. (Let all creatures praise the Lord) Check it out when you are in a mood to enthusiastically give God his due praise – also Romans 6:8-11 is read often during this season 8 If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. 9 We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. 10 As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. 11 Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as (being) dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.  Salvation theology is quite simple sometimes; we must believe in Him and live with Him – pretty basic.  Also, the homilies used for the readings during the OOR are very beautiful during Easter season.  If you have a breviary, check them out; they really are incredible.  1Peter is also used often during this time of year 3: 18 For Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the sake of the unrighteous, that he might lead you to God. Put to death in the flesh, he was brought to life in the spirit. 19 In it he also went to preach to the spirits in prison, ⁶ 20 who had once been disobedient while God patiently waited in the days of Noah during the building of the ark, in which a few persons, eight in all, were saved through water. 21 This prefigured baptism, which saves you now. It is not a removal of dirt from the body but an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.

This gives me hope.  I can do this – with the help of the Holy Spirit, the intercession of Mary and your prayers.  I will pray that y’all are full of hope during these 50 days of celebration.  

Please pray for Pope Benedict and the Holy Catholic Church – pray that the Father’s will be done!!!

I have prayed my chaplets for the souls in purgatory & my rosary Tuesday was for the Condon, Dreilling, Penne, & Schaefer families; Wednesday was for the ACTS Canada team and retreatants and today was for Sara Eddy and the Sisters at the Dominican Monastery of Our Lady of Grace

Peace