Glory of God Prayer Group, St. Cecilia Parish, Wa Diocese, Ghana - Let Your Light Shine

Saint of the Day

Forgive those who hurt you

One who is injured ought not to return the injury, for on no account can it be right to do an injustice; and it is not right to return an injury, or to do evil to any man, however much we have suffered from him. Socrates

Men should wonder at themselves

Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering. Saint Augustine

Seek to love, not to be loved

Lord, grant that I might not so much seek to be loved as to love. Francis of Assisi

Aim at heaven

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither. C. S. Lewis

True wisdom

True wisdom comes to each of us when we realize how little we understand about life, ourselves, and the world around us. Socrates

Too honest to be a politician

I was really too honest a man to be a politician and live. Socrates

Our walking is our preaching

It is no use walking anywhere to preach unless our walking is our preaching. Francis of Assisi

Concerns of animal life

We are certainly in a common class with the beasts; every action of animal life is concerned with seeking bodily pleasure and avoiding pain. Saint Augustine

Lay first the foundation of humility

Do you wish to rise? Begin by descending. You plan a tower that will pierce the clouds? Lay first the foundation of humility. Saint Augustine

Source of the deadliest hate

From the deepest desires often come the deadliest hate. Socrates

Forgiveness

Forgiveness is the remission of sins. For it is by this that what has been lost, and was found, is saved from being lost again. Saint Augustine

Man cannot diminish God's glory

A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell. C. S. Lewis

Necessary to possible to impossible

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. Francis of Assisi

unwanted, unloved

Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, forgotten by everybody, I think that is a much greater hunger, a much greater poverty than the person who has nothing to eat. Mother Teresa

Have peace fully in your heart

While you are proclaiming peace with your lips, be careful to have it even more fully in your heart. Francis of Assisi

Improve yourself by other men's wri…

Employ your time in improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you shall gain easily what others have labored hard for. Socrates

We must be hatched

It may be hard for an egg to turn into a bird: it would be a jolly sight harder for it to learn to fly while remaining an egg. We are like eggs at present. And you cannot go on indefinitely being just an ordinary, decent egg. We must be hatched or go bad. C. S. Lewis

Passion

Passion is the evil in adultery. If a man has no opportunity of living with another man's wife, but if it is obvious for some reason that he would like to do so, and would do so if he could, he is no less guilty than if he was caught in the act. Saint Augustine

Destroyer of peace

The greatest destroyer of peace is abortion because if a mother can kill her own child, what is left for me to kill you and you to kill me? There is nothing between. Mother Teresa

How to find God

We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa

Thursday, May 24, 2018

TODAY'S REFLECTION - THURSDAY, 7TH WEEK - ORDINARY TIME
Our Lady Help of Christians
James 5:1-6/ Psalm 48:14-20/Mark 9:41-50


CUT OFF ANY STUMBLING BLOCK
Beloved, in our today's first reading, St. James wants us to reflect on the worthlessness of earthly riches/possessions, that is, how we acquire them and how we use them. What earthly wealth do I have? How did I get it? How am I using it?

Friends, Jesus, in our today's Gospel reading encourages us to show kindness to others: give water to those who are thirsty and help the needy. He went further to say that it is more serious to lead others into sin. That we should avoid scandalising the little ones or the ignorant, based on what we do and say. Our duty is to be instruments of salvation. But before we can be saved ourselves and or help others to be saved, we need to cut off all stumbling blocks or eliminate any evil tendency which can lead us/others into eternal damnation. We can do this through self-sacrifice, self-discipline and self-denial. We need to purify ourselves or do away with all impurities. Some of the stumbling blocks or impurities could be materialism, greed, wickedness, pride, selfishness, bad friends, self- indulgence etc. We need to sit and reflect on what can help us to attain salvation or draw us closer to God and what can lead us and others into perpetual punishment. Let us pray for the grace to be helpful to others. We should also have the courage and the will power to eliminate anything that can lead us into hell. BE BLESSED.

Fr. Gaa (0206854323/0240308878) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The rotten generation

 Aaah! Oooh!I can smell the smokeThe smoke of the burning generationGeneration of darkness and crimeDark, deep, deeper than the bottomless pit   This rotten generationMakes my heart bleedI am filled with sorrow about how morality Is being thrown away Like a piece of cloth wrapped around the waist Aah! What a generation of it-doesn’t-matter   This rotten generationPursues the youth with its rotten fingersCapture them, harden their hearts like stonesThe youth no more see the light Jesus Christ has become deviant crime Drugs and... Read more>>>

Is the Bible the Final Authority?

This article has been inspired by the conflict that exists within Christianity mainly due to the interpretation of the bible (the genuine cases). First of all it is important for us to understand the place of the bible in Christianity before we can properly apply it to Christian spirituality. This article seeks to use the dealings of God with his people Israel, the dealings of Jesus and the apostles with the early Christians, the bible itself and common sense to... Read more>>>

Auto-panic

It is as if most human beings are configured to be automatically  afraid whenever there are challenges. This auto-panic device makes even some Holy Spirit filled Christians to cry out, complain and wish for a return to their former ways of life when they go through a test.  In fact, when this auto-panic device is activated, it automatically uninstalls any faith application. Therefore, at this stage, anxiety, fear, worry, hopelessness, dejection etc. begin to control such a person. The people of... Read more>>>

Understanding the book of Acts

Analysis of video condemning water baptism for gentiles(Understanding Acts)   It is very helpful to watch the complete video before reading my comments, so that you can have the full picture. Someone referred me to this video when we were discussing about baptism. The video claims that water baptism is not required by gentiles for salvation. I have analyzed the video and given my thoughts on it. I would have loved to post my comments directly on youtube, but comments have been disabled... Read more>>>

The art of quiet time: prayer

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the grace and peace of God be in your heart. Friends, in {bib=Luke 22:39-46}, Jesus admonished us to keep watch and pray so as to avoid trial. Beloved, there will at some point in your life be a moment of trial, but at those times you need strength from above just as in the case of Jesus. ({bib=Luke 22:43}) Importance of prayer Dear friends, prayer... Read more>>>

There is hope

There is hope for a tree that has been cut down; it can come back to life and sprout. Even though its roots grow old, and its stump dies in the ground, with water it will sprout like a young plant. ({bib=Job14:7-9}). Take heart, the Lord of Hosts is still able, the mighty God of wonders is still at work, the rock of ages is gracious and Jehovah Jire is still providing our needs according to his riches in glory in... Read more>>>

Short memory

One of the most painful things in this world is when people you helped in the past later decide to work against you. So many people have vowed never to do anything to help others again because of the ungratefulness of some people they once helped. Our world is really full of people with selective short memory. They only remember the bad you once did against them but quickly forget the good you did for them. Joseph was a man God... Read more>>>

My soul belongs to Yahweh

Oh, satan, I pity you. I've just been reminded that my soul belongs to Yahweh, so u can't touch it. You are indeed a great loser.   Read more>>>

When God decides: authority of God

Exhortation during three days fasting and prayers: 28th–30th January, 2009Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Matthew 20:1-16} When God decides, no one can stand in His way. The message in the above title is what today’s text has presented to us. Jesus has likened the kingdom of heaven (i.e., the operation of God) to the farmer who has hired workers to work in his vineyard. The vineyard owner chose to pay the latecomers as much as he had paid the early comers, and this... Read more>>>

Advice to young girls

The moment you agree to date a married man,you agree to be a second class woman andevery second class person is classified as a person of lower value.Now look at it this way.If he is with you and his wife calls,he lies that he is still in the office or on an official assignment.You dare not interrupt his conversation or quiry him, but you can't call him when he is at home....... My sister you be toy? He sneaks you from... Read more>>>

In your presence: prayer

Lord Jesus I need your presence in my life. Your presence is so sweet because you are a sweet Lord. When I rose from bed this morning, I felt so lonely, I felt so fearful because of all the difficulties I faced yesterday. I felt so uncertain about what was going to happen today. Review of previous day's events Early in the morning Ok, Lord, let’s review some of the things that happened yesterday. When I woke up in the morning, my children... Read more>>>

Lesson from the story of Joseph.

The brothers of joseph thought they were pushing him away from his dream of being who God said he would be. Little did they know that they were rather pushing him into it.   Read more>>>

It's a hoax: NASA finds message fro…

This message has been circulating on the internet and elsewhere about the discovery of a message from God by NASA. This is part of the story: The original message "NASA announced today that its Curiosity Rover has found an unambiguous message from God written on tablets in a Martian cave. According to an official press release two giant stone slabs the size of small elephants were located deep inside a cavern abutting Aeolis Mons, a large mountain. Upon one tablet is a copy of the Ten... Read more>>>

Knowing the God you serve: God will forg…

Teacher: Felix Dordaa Mahama Text: {bib=Judith 5:17-21} What if I were God? Would I be able to forgive the many wrongs that people do, even after they confess? When I examine my own thoughts and emotions and when I listen to contributions to the Friday morning toaster programme, I wonder what would happen to us if God were a human; He is so full of mercy and compassion, sometimes I wonder if I were God I would be able to forgive some of... Read more>>>

In praise of the Lord

Who is it that visits the hot sun without getting burnt?Who else but the Lord of power Who is it that visits the cold moon without being frozen?Who else but the Lord of might Who is it that confines the seas with His hands?Who else but the Lord, the creator of the heavens and the earth Who is it that tames lions?Who else but the Lord Who is it that the winds obey?Who else but the Lord Who is it that waves obey?Who else but... Read more>>>

Who pushed me?

A wealthy man had only one daughter. When the daughter was of marriage age, the father sent news around town that all the eligible young men should come to compete in a test which would determine who was fit to marry his daughter. On the set day, all able-bodied young men came out. Some came with paper and pen and others with cutlasses and swords. The rich man took them to his swimming pool and addressed them:“Any of you who can swim from... Read more>>>

The unconditional love of Jesus Christ w…

{bib=Matthew 13:44-46} Have you ever fallen in love? Do you remember when the phone rang and he or she was on the other end? Your heart fluttered with excitement. You couldn’t wait to see your loved one again. However, the romantic attraction you’ve ever had is nothing compared to the way Jesus loves you. You’re always on his mind. To him, you are the “pearl of great price” ({bib=Matthew 13:46}). He gave up everything for your salvation. If only this would... Read more>>>

I have decided

There is nothing we go through that God does not know. He sees, He feels, He hears and He knows. God knows all the challenges, difficulties and problems His children go through. He is not unconcerned. He is not indecisive about your situation. In fact, God has made a decision to deliver you and He will do it! When the people of Israel were in captivity, it looked as if the Lord had abandoned them. They were in need of deliverance... Read more>>>

What does God say about your problems?

A personal reflection on 23rd July 2011{bib=2 Kings 19:1-37} (start at {bib=2 Kings 18:13}) OR {bib=Isaiah 36, 37} {bib=2 Kings 19:3} – When you are in grief, do you pick a boyfriend/girlfriend for help; do you consult another god, do you start looking for a way to extort other people, do you throw your hands up in despair?               – When you are in shame do you show your enemies? {bib=2 Kings 19:6} – What are you going through now? Sickness, joblessness, underpayment, frustration... Read more>>>

A brief history of the Holy Rosary and h…

What is the rosary? The angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary, when he came to announce the conception of Jesus, is familiar to most Catholics. It is echoed in one of the most popular Catholic prayers, the Hail Mary (in Latin, Ave Maria): “Hail, [Mary,] favoured one [or ‘full of grace’]! The Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28). The words that follow in that prayer also come from Scripture, from Elizabeth’s greeting to our Lady soon afterward: “Blessed are you among women, and... Read more>>>