Your word tells me that I will be known by my fruits. I pray that the fruit of the Holy Spirit will grow and be evident in my life, that I will be a loving and Christlike example to others, that I will have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Thank you for your Holy Spirit that makes this possible, for I know when these fruits are nurtured and grown that I will be happy and content and able to reach the potential you have for me; that I will be able to minister to others through the power of the Holy Spirit; that I will be pleasing to you. Help me please to live in the Spirit, not in the flesh.
In the course of a person’s life, there comes the time to answer “the big questions”:what are you going to do with your life? Who will you spend it with? What is the meaning of life, the universe, and everything? That moment, in my life, for at least one of these questions, is AUGUST 2, 2014, and so, with that in mind, I have decided to take something very old:this blog, and give it some new things: a new name, a new look, and a new purpose.
If my blog is novel to you, feel free to peruse its history, and read about the origins of its name and intention. Even if you’re a frequent visitor, it may give some context for that which you have seen.
But now, it has a new name: 2-Fifths and a new rai·son d'ê·tre:to tell OURstory. As we walk forward in life together, we wanted a way to share our struggles and successes with those who have loved and supported us through the years, and also to set it down for ourselves, that we can see the work God has done in our lives.
Joe and I picked the name 2-Fifths to remind us that in this relationship, we are but two small parts, but that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit play the much larger role.
If anything, our relationship has been a continual reminder that apart from the grace of God, there is very little that we can do.
It is a lesson we hope to carry forward into our marriage and the rest of our lives. I will still have my ramblings from time to time, as usual, and Joe will as well, but we will also, I hope, be able to share encouraging, funny, touching, and real moments as we start the next chapter together.
“Today bring to Me those who do not believe in God and those who do not know Me, I was thinking also of them during My bitter Passion, and their future zeal comforted My Heart. Immerse them in the ocean of My mercy."
Most compassionate Jesus, You are the Light of the whole world. Receive into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart the souls of those who do not believe in God and of those who as yet do not know You. Let the rays of Your grace enlighten them that they, too, together with us, may extol Your wonderful mercy; and do not let them escape from the abode which is Your Most Compassionate Heart.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of those who do not believe in You, and of those who as yet do not know You, but who are enclosed in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. Draw them to the light of the Gospel. These souls do not know what great happiness it is to love You. Grant that they, too, may extol the generosity of Your mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles’ Creed.
Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).
Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
“Today bring to Me all Devout and Faithful Souls, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. These souls brought me consolation on the Way of the Cross. They were a drop of consolation in the midst of an ocean of bitterness."
Most Merciful Jesus, from the treasury of Your mercy, You impart Your graces in great abundance to each and all. Receive us into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart and never let us escape from It. We beg this grace of You by that most wondrous love for the heavenly Father with which Your Heart burns so fiercely.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon faithful souls, as upon the inheritance of Your Son. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, grant them Your blessing and surround them with Your constant protection. Thus may they never fail in love or lose the treasure of the holy faith, but rather, with all the hosts of Angels and Saints, may they glorify Your boundless mercy for endless ages. Amen.
Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.
Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).
Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
“Today bring to Me the Souls of Priests and Religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave me strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them as through channels My mercy flows out upon mankind."
Most Merciful Jesus, from whom comes all that is good, increase Your grace in men and women consecrated to Your service, that they may perform worthy works of mercy; and that all who see them may glorify the Father of Mercy who is in heaven.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the company of chosen ones in Your vineyard – upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.
Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.
Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).
Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
“Today bring to Me all mankind, especially all sinners, and immerse them in the ocean of My mercy. In this way you will console Me in the bitter grief into which the loss of souls plunges Me.”
Most Merciful Jesus, whose very nature it is to have compassion on us and to forgive us, do not look upon our sins but upon our trust which we place in Your infinite goodness. Receive us all into the abode of Your Most Compassionate Heart, and never let us escape from It. We beg this of You by Your love which unites You to the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon all mankind and especially upon poor sinners, all enfolded in the Most Compassionate Heart of Jesus. For the sake of His sorrowful Passion show us Your mercy, that we may praise the omnipotence of Your mercy for ever and ever. Amen.
Begin with the Sign of the Cross, 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and The Apostles Creed.
Then on the Our Father Beads say the following: Eternal Father, I offer You the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your dearly beloved Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.
On the 10 Hail Mary Beads say the following: For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world. (Repeat step 2 and 3 for all five decades).
Conclude with (three times): Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.
And now back to our regularly scheduled programming…
All jokes aside, let us remember Egypt, where ISIS bombings killed dozens of Christians worshiping on Palm Sunday. We pray for the living, that God may grant them strength and courage. We pray for the dead, that their souls will receive mercy and rest in peace.
God our Father, You gave St Anthony of Egypt the courage and belief of an apostle to give up his wealth, living a life of poverty and solitude, and to found monasteries. Help us to be zealous in imitating his virtues and to follow in the footsteps of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Grant this through the same Christ Our Lord who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. - John 14:18
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? - 1 Corinthians 3:16
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. - Ephesians 4:29
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. - Galatians 5:22
We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. - Hebrews 2:1
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. - Isaiah 5:20
My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. - James 1:19
Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. - John 3:6
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance. - Jude 1:2
It’s insane how you see so many people boast and flaunt about their greatness these days. It is mind blowing, (and getting old very fast). I am Australian, but I hear about the greatness of Donald Trump all the way across the world. Not because of anyone else, but just from him alone! Is this really greatness though? Well let’s find out, shall we?
Now forget Trump for just a bit (check out the telly if you want more of him) and let’s bring Jesus into the conversation here. We all know that God is beyond ourselves and anything we can imagine. He is greater and next to Him we are just tiny, tiny, tiny humans who are in constant need of Him everyday, just so we can live. The world was burning and just deteriorating in sin, and so God had a mission and that is to save the world. To lead this mission, God sent down His only Son - Jesus, to come down to us. To rescue us and to save us.
Jesus! This is not some guy a few blocks away from where you live. This isn’t some guy who happens to be my neighbor. This isn’t some great athlete in some world class football team. Jesus is no prince of Egypt or England, or a president in some powerful country. Jesus isn’t any of these. Jesus is God. He is all of us combined. He is all of the universe and beyond combined and His greatness and power can’t be measured or put into perspective. It’s madness to even try to measure or even quantify who Jesus is because He is Jesus. Jesus is God.
As John shares in the Bible, - “The Word became flesh…” and goes on to say that Jesus “… Made His dwelling among us.” Some important words here if you caught on to this already. Jesus just didn’t stay or stick to one place. Not a throne. Not a place. Not a president’s office. Nope. He was so great, that it was among us that He chose to live. He didn’t stop there with defining what greatness was.
In the Bible, we meet the religious leaders and the pharisees who just about defined what greatness was to the people of the time. We have people no different from these even today. However Jesus turned heads around and left them spinning when He chose to demonstrate what greatness really was. It was all about reaching out to the helpless, healing the sick, comforting those who were in pain and even washing the feet of His own disciples. In other words - it was by serving others and in sacrifice that He demonstrated what true greatness was.
Ultimately what Christ shared with us was the fact that greatness does not come from boasting, flaunting, wealth or from literally anything earthly. Power and greatness comes from within. From Christ dwelling within us. Greatness comes from those moments when we choose sacrifice over ourselves. When we choose to serve than to be served. Greatness comes when we accept that we can’t do everything on our own but that we are in need of Jesus to take lead over our lives so that we can be more like Him. Great like Him.
I urge you today to not let anyone tell you and dictate your greatness. Your greatness does not come from the world or by any formula, quantity or ability. Your greatness comes from Jesus Himself because Jesus is greatness! You and I are great in Him.
Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.
Album Notes: Paths of Faith Christian Prayersongs Inspired by the Holy Spirit
It is with a humble, grateful heart that I announce the publication of my 29th musical album to God’s precious children, inspired by His Holy Spirit, who enabled me to create it through the risen Lord Jesus Christ within me, to the glory of our Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name.
The Lord has blessed me with much music for His glory through the risen Lord Jesus Christ in me. But He only directs me to publish what He wishes according to His plans and purposes. It is as if the Lord uses each song or composition to teach me that not
Album 28 of Music Inspired by the Holy Spirit since 2013
Original Keyboard Instrumental Prayers Featuring the Various Instrumental Voices of Guitar, Strings, & Piano Solos Performed by Suzanne Davis Harden, through the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, Inspired by the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father, In Jesus’ name, amen.
Midnight Prayers and Meditations, Volume 2, is the second chapter of…
Jesus Christ said, “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming…
There has been so much bad news lately that sometimes I find myself feeling very anxious and unsafe. Psalm 103:19 reminds me that God truly is in control of all things no matter what is going on in the world.
“The Lord hath prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom ruleth over all.” ~ Psalms 103:19 KJV
The Psalmist tells us, “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget…
This stained-glass panel with the Presentation in the Temple was made by Lawrence Saint around 1919. Glencairn Museum, Bryn Athyn, PA, 03.SG.353.
This panel from a Christmas window features the Presentation in the Temple. According to the Gospel of Luke, after Jesus was born Joseph and Mary traveled to Jerusalem to present the Christ Child at the Temple. The architectural context of the story is here emphasized in stained glass by the inclusion of a wall with turrets located just above the main scene. While the family was there, the Holy Spirit visited a man named Simeon and revealed to him that Jesus was the Messiah. The scene illustrates the part of the story where Simeon takes Jesus into his arms and proclaims Him to be “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (2:32).
This panel, together with three others from a Christmas window, was originally located in Bryn Athyn Cathedral. It was later placed in storage, where it remained until it was rediscovered in the late 1980s.
Every day, from December 1 through December 25, a new work of Nativity art from the Glencairn Museum collection will appear on the home page of our Advent calendar (Follow the Star: A 2021 Advent Calendar). To receive these in your newsfeed, follow our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr).
Page from a 15th-century Book of Hours, likely made in Northeast France. Glencairn Museum, Bryn Athyn, PA, 07.MS.639.
This scene of the Presentation in the Temple is from a page in a 15-century Flemish prayer book. Known as a Book of Hours, these personal prayer books contained devotions appropriate for the eight canonical hours of the day, as well as other prayers and texts. According to the Gospel of Luke, after Jesus was born Joseph and Mary traveled to the Temple in Jerusalem. While they were there, the Holy Spirit visited Simeon and revealed to him that Jesus was the Messiah. Simeon then proclaimed the child to be “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel” (2:32).
Mary is here depicted carrying Jesus toward Simeon, who prepares to receive the child with a white cloth. Mary, Jesus, and Simeon all have haloes. The woman on the left, perhaps the prophetess Anna (2:36), holds three birds—no doubt a reference to the “pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons” intended for sacrifice in accordance with the law (2:24). In the borders of the page, brown dogs hunt a pig (left) and a small black mammal (perhaps a stoat).
Every day, from December 1 through December 25, a new work of Nativity art from the Glencairn Museum collection will appear on the home page of our Advent calendar (Follow the Star: A 2021 Advent Calendar). To receive these in your newsfeed, follow our social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr).
“I need to be detached from my own opinions in order to be open to the quiet inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Only then will I be able to discern what he is saying and what he desires.” - Mother Angelica
Image: Woman Praying in Church in Bochnia by Leon Wyczolkowski (1910)
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”
3Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. 4He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. 5You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, 6nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. 7A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. 8You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
The Bible doesn’t tell us much about the time between Jesus’ death and resurrection. But, we do know it took place during the Passover celebration: a week-long holiday that commemorated when God freed the Israelites from slavery.
During the celebration, Jews would share a meal with each other and sacrifice perfect lambs at the temple before preparing to rest on the Sabbath. It was the day before the Sabbath that Jesus’ body was sealed inside the tomb.
Imagine being a disciple of Jesus while this happened. Not only has one of your closest friends just been wrongly killed, but you aren’t allowed to properly grieve his death until the day of rest is over.
What the disciples didn’t realize at the time was that the pain they were experiencing was part of a bigger story—a plan to redeem us all. God could see the resurrection coming, even though the disciples couldn’t.
Rest reminds us that God is Lord over every situation. And rest helps us refocus on what matters most: the One who promises to provide all we need. When we choose to be still in the middle of hardship, we choose to worship God.
So no matter what’s going on around you today, choose to rest in God—even if the world around you is choosing to worry. Nothing is impossible for Him.
Pray: Jesus, today, help me to rest in You. I know that You are greater than whatever’s going on around me. My hope is in You alone because You are my salvation. I believe that You have already answered the cries of my heart, even though I’m still waiting to see the answers. So today, I choose to fix my eyes on You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Imagine you’re watching Jesus hang from the cross. The only way He can breathe is by pushing Himself up using the nails in His wrists and ankles.
As the day draws to an end, He musters what little strength He has left to pull Himself up again so that He can cry out: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”
If we’re being honest with ourselves, we’ve all probably had moments where we’ve asked God, “Where are You in this? Why have You forsaken me?”
How should we respond when we find ourselves in situations where we feel alone, anxious, or forsaken?
The words Jesus spoke on the cross were actually taken from Psalm 22—a prophetic lament written by King David. In many ways, this Psalm is about Jesus, but it also provides us with three action steps we can follow when we feel alone:
1. Be honest with God about how you’re feeling.
Relationships start with being real. So if you’re feeling forsaken by God, tell Him that. Ask God your questions, and prepare your heart to hear his answers.
2. Give God glory anyway.
Our feelings don’t change the fact that God is worthy of being worshiped. In fact, it’s often through worship that we discover the cure for our worry. When we focus on who God is, our perspective eventually shifts—even if our situation doesn’t.
3. Remind God of his promises.
Throughout Psalm 22, David basically tells God, “I know who You are. And since You’re always true to character, deliver me like You’ve delivered Your people before me.” Reminding God of his promises is not only an act of faith, but it also helps us remember the faithfulness of God’s character.
Ultimately, God’s faithfulness was personified when Jesus was crucified. Jesus willingly suffered alone on the cross so that we could experience eternal companionship with God. Jesus is the prophetic fulfillment of Psalm 22. And, because He endured separation from God, we never have to.
Take a moment to reflect on Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for you.
Pray: Jesus, thank You for rescuing me from eternal separation from You. It’s because You willingly endured separation from Your Father that I never have to. Today, help me to pause and reflect on the magnitude of Your sacrifice, and to give You the glory You rightly deserve. No matter what I’m feeling, You are always worthy of my worship. So today, I choose to worship You. In Jesus’ name, Amen
“Drop down dew from above, you heavens”. For many, these words from Isaiah, Rorate caeli desuper, which began our Entrance antiphon tonight, are one of the key phrases of the Advent season. In the Second Eucharistic Prayer we say: “Make holy, therefore, these gifts, we pray, by sending down your Spirit upon them like the dewfall”, and so the dew that is mentioned by Isaiah is likewise a reference to the descent of the Holy Spirit, to God’s grace falling from the heavens to soften the hardness of our hearts, and to bring refreshment and joy to our lives, just as dew upon the grass softens the cold earth and glitters beautifully in the morning sunlight.
Isaiah goes on: Having called down the Holy Spirit to descend like dew from the heavens, he says, “let the clouds rain down the Just One; let the earth be opened and bring forth a Saviour.” So, in the Holy Mass the Holy Spirit descends on the bread and wine, the fruit of the earth, and these become the Body and Blood of Christ the Saviour. The earth, therefore, is opened and brings forth a Saviour.
However, these words of the prophet aren’t principally about the Mass, but rather, first of all, about the Incarnation of Christ. By the power of the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven, God’s grace which is unseen but vivifying like the dew, saturates the earth of the Virgin Mary’s and makes her fruitful, so that her womb opens and brings forth the Saviour, Jesus Christ. People sometimes think that Christmas is the feast of the Incarnation, but of course this isn’t quite accurate. The Incarnation, the moment when Mary conceives by the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit, is more properly celebrated liturgically on the 25th of March. We tend to call that date the feast of the Annunciation but it can more accurately be called the feast of the Incarnation, and each time we pray the Angelus (as we do every evening before this Mass) we recall the moment of the Incarnation when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”.
But where did the Incarnation take place? Most people will say, in accordance with Scripture, in Nazareth, and indeed if we go to Nazareth we will find a great church built around the site of Mary’s house, the place where the Annunciation happened, along with a marble slab incised with these words: “Here the Word became flesh.” However, when I visited Nazareth, I was disappointed to find that only the foundations of this house and a few stones remained there. Likewise in 1061, following a vision, Richeldis had a copy of the Holy House of Nazareth built in Walsingham. But even there, nothing remains but the foundations. Where did the Holy House go? In the 13th-century, a noble family of Crusaders called the Angel family had the Holy House moved, stone by stone, to Italy for safekeeping. Because at that time the Holy Land was being conquered by Muslim armies who had been destroying the Christian shrines.
Today’s feast, therefore, which was extended to the whole Church by Pope Francis, is a commemoration of the Holy House of Mary which is now enshrined in Loreto, Italy. However, as the Collect of the Mass makes clear, we’re not commemorating a building but the great response of Mary who lived in that house: her humility was pleasing to God and her obedience was profitable for us, for it gained for us the Saviour. Indeed, through her Fiat, Mary herself became the Holy House within whom God dwelt for nine months. It is the manifestation of the Incarnate Word to the whole world, his birth and his glorious epiphanies that we will celebrate at Christmastide.
However, the greatest marvel of all is that this same Word becomes flesh here as well. For this same Saviour wills to become our food and drink in the Mass as, by the action of the same Holy Spirit descending upon the bread and wine on the altar, Christ becomes present – body, blood, soul, and divinity – in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, given to us so that we might each be opened to receive the Just One, the Saviour, God-with-us. Let us have the humility of Mary and follow her obedience to the Word so that God’s grace will open us up to become fruitful in works of goodness and justice and truth. Thus shall we Christians also be said to bring forth the Just One for our world today that stands ever more in need of his salvation.
