Be Holy, Be Happy!

Monday, June 30, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #237

If we remained more often in the presence of God, if God were more present in us through prayer, mortification, intercession, and study, who knows how much fruit we would bear! Jesus explicitly said that we must bear much fruit because this is the will of God. (The Witness)


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Sunday, June 29, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #236

The stronger our negative inclinations are, the more we have to be vigilantly watchful just as Christ taught us, and after Him, just as all those who have lived an intense Christian experience like St. Peter and St. Paul have taught us. (Prayer)
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Saturday, June 28, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #235

From time to time we should ask ourselves if, after being in an environment for years, nothing has grown from my activity or my work, might it be that there is not a sufficient presence of God in me, in my life, and in my work? Do I bring myself rather than bringing Christ? (The Witness)
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Friday, June 27, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #234

Every Christian is sacramentally sent by God, by Christ, to accomplish a work, a mission, and to be a witness in the bosom of the Church. (The Witness)
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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #233

As a witness I am a sacrament; therefore I must make possible for others knowledge of the divine, experience of the divine, and participation in the divine. Those who see me must meet God and must have an experience of God through me. (The Witness)
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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #232

Birthday of Our Founder
Lord Jesus, in this moment I wish to thank You.

First of all I thank You, Jesus; then I thank our loving Father, and then Mary, our holy Mother, because You have chosen me from a little town where I certainly did not comprehend the immensity of Your love. I thank all of you with my whole heart and thank also the family from which I was born, a simple family in which love and fear of God were breathed. (Thanksgiving after Communion, March 19, 1989)


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Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #231

If I want to speak of holiness, of heroic love, and universal brotherhood, I understand that this need must come from a deep interior drive. There cannot be a separation between what I say and what I do because the message that I present is too demanding, and therefore it must involve me personally. (The Witness)
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Monday, June 23, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #230

When I give a consistent witness with my life, when I see another person as someone in whom God acts in mystery, and when consequently I connect this life pervaded by God with the experience that this person communicates to me, then I believe in the experience, and the witness is credible. (The Witness)
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Sunday, June 22, 2014

Pilgrimage June 22nd

More wonderful pictures and reflections from Margie Nelsen,
Let us pray in thanksgiving today a rosary of glorious mysteries in thanksgiving for the many fruits of the spirit being experienced in Noto and at the international convention
Margie writes: Eugenio was my very special angel this morning. The hotel staff forgot to collect my luggage. When I came downstairs with four others, he took my luggage to the bus and all of us to the door of the cathedral. He asked us to pr...
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Journeying with the Founder Day #229

At the very moment that I receive the Body of Christ, in a certain sense I have also received my neighbor because in the Eucharist I become one with him. And how must I love that neighbor? It is not simply an issue of love but of co-responsibility. My neighbor is not far from me—yet I would say the term “neighbor” is not exactly right because it means someone who is merely close, while we are instead fused into one Body. It is something more profound than to be close to one another: the other is no longer “neighbor” but part of myself. We form a Mystical Body, each one of us being responsible for our brothers and sisters because we share the Eucharist (The Eucharist).


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Saturday, June 21, 2014

More from June 21st

Still more from Margie, so grateful to her for sharing!!!!
We had an election for a new position for Pro Sanctity, that of International President. Vincenzo from Pescara, Italy humbly accepted the honor of being the first president. Donna Spoto, national director of the US and Sonia from Catania, Sicily will assist him by being on the International Pro Sanctity Board. The first picture is the three of them. Fr. Tom weisbecker gave a witness. Rick and Sue Giaquita are nephew of the Bishop. They are from San Diego. I think the picture of Rick and Sue are posted in the post below this one

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More info from June 21st

Thank you again Margie for comments and more beautiful photos
Today we walked to bishop Giaquita's birthplace and childhood home which has been renovated and is a ProSanctity center here in Noto, Italy. We celebrated Mass with the Latvian, Italian and Indian members. The video outdoors was taken during that Mass

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Pilgrimage Post June 21st

Today our pilgrims are in Noto!!! This is the birthplace of the founder!!! Let's offer a rosary today for our pilgrims intentions, how appropriate the joyful mysteries which include the birth of the Lord, fall on this day when our pilgrims are in the birthplace of our founder! May our pilgrims have an even deeper appreciation for his life and may the Founder's and our Lord's life be more real to them and all of us than ever. These pictures from Noto are courtesy of Margie Nelsen
She writes: This is the Hotel about 2/3 of us are at for the next 2 days. We were quite a site with 20 of us walking down the street about 6 blocks to the Hotel. The locals all came out to see us!
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Italy Pilgrimage post from June 20th

June 20th
Today our pilgrims are at the Shrine of our Lady of Tears in Syracuse Sicily. As we come to this Friday and pray with the sorrowful mysteries, let us thank our Lord for His great love unto death and contemplate His and Our Lady's sorrow as we all around the world try to eradicate sadness through brotherhood
http://www.visionsofjesuschrist.com/weeping1.htm

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Post from June 19th of the Italy pilgrimage including photos

I have been putting daily posts on facebook since the pilgrimage began on 6-17.  I'm sorry it took me so long to add these posts to our blog.  I thought someone might be adding them from Italy but so far this has not happened so I am transferring my posts from facebook to the blog.    This post was from June 19th

Hello pilgrimage prayer partners. Thank you for praying. Margie Nelsengot her luggage back thanks be to God. She also posted information about the day and some wonderful pictures. I will post them here
We had a great day. I woke up at 5:45 with the sun and couldnt sleep so I got up and went to breakfast. We left for Monreale at 9. It is a 3 hour drive through beautiful hills into the mountain. It is located on the Mediterranean Sea. I had a calzone at a pizzeria with a group from California and Judy. It was good. Judy and I only made it to one st...ore. The lady talked to us for a long time and told us all about her artwork with ceramics. I ended up buying a really colorful piece for outside of the front door and a small tile that she made. She was quite a character and told us about her pantalones that were holy and showed us the holes. I had Judy take a picture of the lady and I with the peices she made. Mom wanted me to buy my birthday present while in Italy so taht is done!
We celebrated Mass in the beautiful Cathedral in Monreale at 2:30 and left there for Palermo after that. The bethany in Palermo had us come for Gelato and were so excited to have us there. We took the bus back to Catania, leaving at 5:30. We went to dinner at 9 and were served at 11:15. We finished our dinner before midnigyht for the first day on the trip! Oh, the most exciting news: I got my luggage this evening! I am so happy! I plan to climb about 1 million stairs to the 6th floor roof and look at Mt. Etna after writing this. Iàll try to post some pictures on facebook tomorrow.

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Journeying with the Founder Day #228

Witness is the continuation of Christ’s mandate: “…That they may see the good you do and give praise to your heavenly Father” (Mt 5:16). Let us ask ourselves if others can always see the Father when looking at us. "Can they see the light of the Father reflected in us?" (The Witness)
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Friday, June 20, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #227

A radioactive stone has the power to radiate energy uninterruptedly, to radiate the greatest energy known, which we call nuclear energy. Behold, then, my wish for you—that you all become radioactive stones, that without your being aware of it, you have a saintly effect on others and that you emit it unceasingly. But what do you emit? First of all love, then a smile, and certainly good work. Speak, share words, share the human word and the Divine Word, Who is Christ. (The Rock)
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Thursday, June 19, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #226

ach one of you has received a little white stone on which is written a new name that is your specific vocation, the type of holiness that the Lord wants from you, the type of precious stone that you have to become. Do you know where your white stone is? Have you kept it? Have you defined it? (The Rock)
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Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #225

The personal relationship between you and God, between each person and God, is a mystery, and I would say that every person has received a hidden precious stone that only God and the person—and perhaps the spiritual director—know about. (The Rock)


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Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #224

Christ wanted the Church be holy in her entirety and in her individual members. The Church is a precious stone, a jewel, and we are precious stones because God wanted it so. The Lord wants us to become holy, that we become precious stones, and from that our apostolate follows. We are to attain this level of preciousness wanted by God that Christ, a precious Stone, has acquired with His precious blood. (The Rock)
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Monday, June 16, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #223

We must be precious stones. When we speak of holiness we say that we have to become polished, precious gemstones. (The Rock)
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Sunday, June 15, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #222

Lord, I thank You completely because You wanted me to share in Your cross, in Your suffering, and also in Your tenderness… Lord Jesus, I sense that this is the way I am to live these last years of my life. How many will there be? I do not know, and I have no interest in knowing. I know only that I am to live them in union with You, Who loved me infinitely on the Cross and Who loved Your Father, my Heavenly Father, immeasurably. Lord Jesus, thank You for all You have done for me and have given me; thank You for all You will yet do for me. (Thanksgiving after Communion, March 19, 1989)

We often think that the Trinity is not only an unfathomable mystery, but also an invisible one…yet if we reflect a little, we can identify three tabernacles of the Trinity. The Eucharistic Tabernacle is also the Tabernacle of the Trinity because where the Son is, the Father and the Holy Spirit are also present. There is also the interior tabernacle of each one of us. “If someone loves me, my Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode within him.” We understand from this that the Trinity is present within us. Finally there is the tabernacle of the world. The whole of creation is the Father’s work with the presence of the Word of God and of the Spirit Who gives life. (Homily, Holy Trinity, 1988)


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Saturday, June 14, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #221

Let us free ourselves from our negative experiences, from excessive fears or prejudices regarding priests. We love the priests, we respect them. (The Rock)
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Friday, June 13, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #220

Let us not forget to verify ourselves with Peter, that is, with the Church. When St. Paul had some questions, he consulted Peter because he didn’t want to walk a different path, to walk in vain. This means we must build on Peter and with Peter, on Christ and with Christ, and not only regarding great theological principles and the principles of faith, but also regarding pastoral and liturgical plans. (The Rock)
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Thursday, June 12, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #219

To the degree that I worship Christ, that I love Christ, and I would even say that to the degree that I adore Christ, so I love the Holy Father, so I love the bishops, and so I love priests because I venerate and love them for what is divine in them. As persons they can be poor and sullen people, but I love them for what is divine in them and because they are the continuation of Christ and of the Spirit. (The Rock)
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Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #218

The Apostolic Oblate, who is herself a gift of love to Christ, is a sacrificial offering of hope for the apostolate of holiness in general and for the apostolate of social holiness in particular. (The Theological Community)


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Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #217

Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: the Father asks for true adorers. We wish to become adorers with this spirit of adoration that includes the dimension of contemplative silence—not silence for the sake of silence, but silence that seriously ponders the divine, the supernatural. This silence helps us fix our eyes on the Master—a contemplative silence. We wish to become adorers with this spirit of adoration that includes the dimension of affective intimacy. Think of the Evangelist John who lays his head on the Master’s Heart. (The Rock)
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Monday, June 9, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #216

Do you think that acquiring Christ’s virtues and transfiguring ourselves in Christ does not imply refining our nature and our soul? Don’t you think that we need effort, help, and the sacrament of Reconciliation? To be on a penitential journey and on a transfiguring journey, we need to place ourselves on the field where the stone is leveled. Like a stone that is smoothed and polished, we are on an ascending journey to eliminate evil and acquire what is good. (The Rock)
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Sunday, June 8, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #215

Holy Spirit, fire of love, set my heart ablaze so that I may inflame the hearts of my brothers and sisters. (Prayers)


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Saturday, June 7, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #214

We have to love our perturbed, poor, devastated, and tragic time in history because this is the time in which the Lord has placed us—especially you—to be His witnesses. Our time has to be understood, not judged; it has to be loved. (The Witness)
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Friday, June 6, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #213

What spontaneous feelings accompany our time of prayer? Are they haste and boredom, or interiority and moral energy? Do we have a sense of mystery, a sense of darkness, or a sense of light? Is our time of prayer spent in loving? It is important that each one of us examines our prayer time and defines it according to our personal experience. (Prayer)
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Thursday, June 5, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #212

The penitential journey is a participation in Christ’s life, Christ’s kenosis, the emptying of Christ. (The Rock)
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Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #211

There cannot be an abundance of grace without conversion and, thus, without penance. Penance is the way of conversion; conversion is the way toward holiness. (The Rock)


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Tuesday, June 3, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #210

We know of many movements that are based on emotions and others that are especially based on psychology. We are based mainly on rationality and theology. This is what we strive for—to reach a harmonious blending of these elements. Certainly it is not easy for us or for others, but by now we have learned how difficult it is to work with stone, a stone that needs to be refined. Let us ask the Lord to give us the courage to do this hard and sometimes painful work. (The Rock)
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Monday, June 2, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #209

Man, besides being an economic and political reality that needs food, a home, and the protection of his civil rights, is first and foremost a son of God who has a soul and who is called to the vocation of maximalism—the vocation of Christian love, which is holiness. Obviously he has physical and material needs, but his first duty, the one that bathes his whole life in a unique light, is the need to love God with his whole heart. (The Revolution of the Samaritans)
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Sunday, June 1, 2014

Journeying with the Founder Day #208

At first glance, commemorating the Ascension would not seem to be a great, beautiful feast because it is when the Lord goes away and the disciples (and we with them) remain orphans in a certain sense. In fact there is a sense of sadness in the Apostles. Where do they find consolation? I do not believe they find it so much in the words that the Angels say to them (i.e., that Christ Who has ascended will return) but more through Mary’s presence in their midst. This is important because from this point on, they must model their relationship not only on Jesus but also on the living reality of Mary, whom Jesus wanted to be among them.


Today with Mary we say to Jesus, Who is ascended into Heaven: “Lord, You have planned our life, and that’s fine; You have revolutionized our life, and that’s fine; however, do not abandon us! Look at Your mother and look at us. You sustained Your mother; sustain us, too, so that we may follow You on this journey of the revolution of love.” (Homily, May 12, 1988)

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