2 Deaths Per Second

According to http://www.worldometers.info/ and http://www.wholesomewords.org/missions/greatc.html there are about 2 deaths per second, that is, about 120 deaths per minute, 600 deaths every 5 minutes, about 7200 deaths per hour and about 172,800 deaths per day.  Every person who dies will be judged and either taken to heaven, hell or purgatory.

We were commissioned to go out into the world to bring souls to Jesus.  While many of us can't be full-time missionaries, we are still called to do what we can to save souls.  

It takes 5 minutes to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet all the way through. Christ tells us to pray unceasingly for those dying. Jesus said to Sister Faustina:

"Say unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you.  Anyone who says it will receive great Mercy at the hour of death.  Priests will recommend it to sinners as the last hope.  Even the most hardened sinner, if he recites this Chaplet even once, will receive grace from My Infinite Mercy. I want the whole world to know My Infinite Mercy.  I want to give unimaginable graces to those who trust in My Mercy...."

"....When they say this Chaplet in the presence of the dying, I will stand between My Father and the dying person not as the just judge but as the Merciful Savior".

Read more: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/dmmap.htm#ixzz1aipFDvBf

While we are waiting in line, waiting for our browser to load, waiting for anything, we can do beautiful acts of mercy for souls in need of salvation.  It only takes 5 minutes to pray this chaplet.  It may be the most productive and blessed five minutes of your life!  Please pray the chaplet often.

See this link to learn how to pray:  http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/dmmap.htm  or go to my favorite links and sing along with EWTN.  

God Is Not Dead...but maybe we are

The only way to improve our relationship with God

 is by deepening our prayer life.

How to Pray by Fr. Stan Fortuna Click here to listen


The 4th Beatitude and Prayer as Thirst by Fr. Andrew Apostoli, CFR Click here to listen 


I Thirst by Fr. John Riccardo Click here to listen

Prayer sustains our faith. It keeps God alive and well in our lives.

If you pray well, you will live well, 
and if you live well, you will die well, 
and if you die well, all will be well.
 - St Augustine

Prayer is essential for salvation and sanctification. 

Pray as if it all depends on God. Work as if it all depends on you.


5 Modes of Prayer: Praise, Thanksgiving, Repentance, Intercessions, and Listening


Prayer is the light of the soul, giving us true knowledge of God. 
It is a link mediating between God and man. 
By prayer the soul is borne up to heaven and in a marvelous way embraces the Lord. 
This meeting is like that of an infant crying on its mother, and seeking the best of milk. 
The soul longs for its own needs and what it receives is better than anything to be seen in the world.
- St John Chrysostom (Hom 6 on Prayer)

Sauna Speculations

I was in the sauna today trying to relax.  It was so wonderful!  After being in there for about forty minutes, I started thinking about how hot it must be in hell.

I grew up in the high desert and I don't mind the heat. Hot dry summers never bothered me.  I tried to imagine the heat in hell; obviously, it would be torturous. However, thinking about the heat in hell didn't bother me too much, I kept thinking of something much worse...

Perpetual despair!

In the sauna, in the desert, in any heat, I have the hope of it ending. I also have control over the heat. I can leave the environment, or adjust it, or find an alternate way to cool down. 

In hell there is no hope. There is only perpetual lack of our highest and most desired Good, God Himself. Since God bestowed on us the gift of free will and if we are condemned to hell, then it'll be by our own doings. And no hope exists for us to rectify the situation.

Since Divine Justice will be served, I imagine that hell is the possession of the knowledge that we freely chose to be separated! Thus, in every action, we are choosing to be more closely united with God or we are choosing...hell.

When I have thoughts like these, I am thankful for the suffering in my life. In particular, my personal sufferings are mercies in disguise without which I may not be seeking salvation as diligently as I ought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"For the sake of His sorrowful passion have mercy on us and the whole world. Amen" -St. Faustina 

New Resolution

I have many new things to look forward to and many new challenges to face. I can't change the past, but I do have control over the present and future.

One of the biggest changes that I am going to make is to stop being lukewarm in my faith.

Christ said to St. Faustina:  These souls wound My Heart most painfully. My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls. There was a reason I cried out: "Father take this cup away from Me, if it be Your will." For them, the last hope of salvation is to flee to My mercy. - Notebook III # 1228

Receiving Christ in the Holy Eucharist and partaking often in the Sacrament of Reconciliation is the best way to become closer to Him. Since I am fortunate enough to live in a time and a place where I can receive Him daily, I am going to put forth the effort to do so. There is no excuse for me not to and all the reasons why I should.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you can't physically make it to Mass on the weekdays, you still can enrich your faith by reading/listening/watching the daily Mass readings and homilies.
See: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/inspiration.asp