Our weapon is prayer, Pope Francis

At the celebration of World Mission Sunday on the 20 October 2013, Pope Francis in his Sunday Angelus greeting said the following to an enthusiastic crowd in St. Peter�s Square.

�Above all, persevering prayer is an expression of faith in a God who calls us to fight with him, every day, every moment, to overcome evil with good,� 

�In our daily journey, especially in difficulties, in the struggle against evil outside of ourselves and within us, the Lord is not far way, he is at our side; we fight with him beside us, and our weapon is prayer, which makes us feel his presence alongside of us, his mercy, even his help,�

�God is our ally, faith in him is our strength, and prayer is the expression of this faith.�

�He knows what we need better than we do!�

Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles (Feast)

Simon is called the Zealot or the Canaanite, he was also known as Simon the Lesser, which distinguish him from Simon Peter. Jude is is known as Judas, son of James and has gain the reputation as Saint Jude Thaddeus the patron saint of hopeless causes. Jude is the brother of Saint James the Less. Saint Simon the Zealot, shares the feast with Saint Jude Thaddeus on 28 October, and both of them were among the disciples whom Jesus chose twelve to be be his apostles (Luke 6:12-16). Jude also had special gifts of the Holy Spirit which includes ordering the demons to leave the pagan idols in the temples he visited. Once they were gone, the idol images toppled and smashed to pieces, and this was a sign to all that Jude's God was the One True God. After Jesus' Ascension, Simon set for Egypt where he preached the Good News and then went on to Carthage, then into Spain and even into Britain. Upon his he returned to Jerusalem where he joined Jude on missionary journeys east to Syria, Mesopotamia and into Persia, today known as Iran.

O God, You made Your Name known to

us through the Apostles. 

By the intercession of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, 

let Your Church continue to grow with an

increased number of believers. 

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

Amen

Monday, 28 October, 2013
Saints Simon and Jude, Apostles (Feast)

Reading

Ephesians 2: 19 - 22
19	So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,
20	built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,
21	in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord;
22	in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Psalm

Psalms 19: 2 - 5
2	Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3	There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4	yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,
5	which comes forth like a bridegroom leaving his chamber, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

Gospel

Luke 6: 12 - 16
12	In these days he went out to the mountain to pray; and all night he continued in prayer to God.
13	And when it was day, he called his disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles;
14	Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,
15	and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot,
16	and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Consecration Prayer to Saint Jude Thaddeus

Saint Jude, 

Apostle of Christ and glorious martyr, 

I desire to honour you 

with a special devotion. 

I choose you as my patron and protector. 

To you I entrust my soul and my body,

all my spiritual and temporal interests, 

as well as those of my family. 

To you I consecrate 

my mind so that in all things 

it may be enlightened by faith,
my heart so that you may keep it 

pure and fill it with love 

for Jesus and Mary, 

my will so that,
like yours, it may always be one 

with the Will of God.

Amen.

Give up control of our lives and let God lead, He knows what's BEST for us

Matthew 10:39

Whoever finds their life will lose it, 

and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Matthew 16:25

Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves

 and take up their cross and follow me. 

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, 

but whoever loses their life for me will find it.

Mark 8:35

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, 

but whoever loses their life for me 

and for the gospel will save it.

Luke 9:24

For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, 

but whoever loses their life for me will save it.

Luke 17:33

Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, 

and whoever loses their life will preserve it.

John 12:25

Anyone who loves their life will lose it, 

while anyone who hates their life in this world 

will keep it for eternal life.

By sacrificing our pride and asking God for directions, we �find our life. Initially, it might not be something that we want to do but soon enough we will catch a glimpse of reality and our desires will change.Self-denial is for the sake of Christ and the gospel, for a better life. If we hold on to the temporal, we lose the eternal whereas by sacrificing everything we can know, we gain unimaginable riches and only by following Jesus we can be assured of this. 

Matthew 19:21

If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.

We must be prepared to give up everything for his sake if we are to achieve life in perfection of Jesus Christ, for all other things are distractions. Always put Jesus Christ, who is one with the Father, above all things and make sure that He is the center of our lives, and in all we do.

Lord, I trust in You and Your speedy help I trust

Heavenly Father, I come before your cross today to ask for financial blessing and grace to get my life back on right track. My faith keeps me strong even it is smaller than a mustard seed, and I know you will provide for me and the people I love. I do not seek a large sum of money. I do not trouble you for unneeded comforts or luxuries. I only ask for enough money to relieve my financial woes, ease this stress and some extra to get my day to day life back on track. Father at the foot of Christ cross, I place and surrender all my financial griefs to You, and change me Lord for the better in my Life. Give me the means to do your work, and spread your Love. I have only so much to give, if only I were allowed the chance. Lord, I trust in You and Your speedy help I trust. By Your WORD, I am HEALED. In JESUS name I pray, Amen.

Psalm 61:1,8

1 Hear my cry, O God;

listen to my prayer.

8 Then I will ever sing in praise of your name

and fulfill my vows day after day.

We all need help from time to time, 

especially in desperate and pressing times 

and there is no shame in asking for it. 

God will work wonders through his people. 

All Glory. Praise and Thanksgiving 

to Our Father, God in Heaven and on Earth.

To offer a helping hand, follow this link. 

May the Good Lord Bless you 

for Your sincere help a hundred-fold. 

God Bless and Thank You.