The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary

September 8th

We know that everyone has a birthday. The Bible doesn’t say anything about Mary’s birth, but we know that she was born. Like all parents, Mary’s parents —we call them Joachim and Ann — probably took one look at their newborn daughter and knew that she was special.

Joachim and Ann loved God very much, and they were filled with gratitude to God for the gift of a child.  They raised Mary as a child of God, teaching her to love and serve God. (Read more…)

Labor Day

This Monday we celebrate Labor Day and we honor all those who labor for a living. We thank them for their service to their families, and for their service to all those who benefit from their efforts. As we know, prayer and work go hand in hand. Therefore we are invited to pray in a special way for all laborers. We also pray for the unemployed and underemployed, and pray that more opportunities for gainful employment will materialize for those in need. (Read more…)

Dealing with Stress

Dealing with Stress

A young lady confidently walked around the room with a raised glass of water while leading a seminar and explaining stress management to her audience.  Everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘Half empty or half full?’  She fooled them all.

“How heavy is this glass of water?” she inquired with a smile. Answers called out ranged from 8 oz to 20 oz.

She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter.  It depends on how long I hold it.  If I hold it for a minute, that’s not a problem.  If I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my right arm.  If I hold it for a day, you’ll have to call an ambulance.  In each case, it’s the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.”

She continued, “and that’s the way it is with stress.  If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won’t be able to carry on.”

“As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again.  When we’re refreshed, we can carry on with the burden – holding stress longer and better each time practiced. (Read more…)