Daily Meditation - Tuesday 29April 2008 - St. Catherine of Sienna - GOD IS ACTING IN OUR LIVES ALWAYS

[BarbaraTherese]

Today is the Memorial of St. Catherine of Sienna. On the following link is included a link to The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Sienna, which in the main is written with great simplicity outlining our sound spiritual theology on the spiritual life including prayer. It was apparently dictated by St. Catherine in mystical ecstacy and is presented as the words of Jesus talking to St. Catherine.
Well worth the read!!!
forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=236264

Readings
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Meditation
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Acts 16:22-34

Fate changed suddenly for the nineteenth-century Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. Imprisoned for participating in a group spreading subversive ideas, he found himself lined up awaiting execution. He and his companions were allowed to make their final confession to a priest, then they were hooded as the firing squad prepared to carry out their sentence. Then at the last minute, the tsar’s messenger came riding in to read their pardon!

Like Dostoevsky, Paul and Silas also experienced a sudden reversal of fortune. Shackled in the depths of a Roman prison, not knowing what might happen to them, they were unexpectedly freed when an earthquake hit and their chains were shattered. Another reversal was visited upon their jailer: ***Seeing his prisoners escape, he was ready to take his life, but a few hours later he was eating a meal with them and celebrating his conversion to Christ. ***

• These stories are just two examples of how God can and does intervene in our lives,
• even in the bleakest of situations.
• If Paul and Silas can be instantly delivered from the darkness of a prison cell,
• we too can trust him to act in our lives.

He is “the same yesterday,
today,
and forever”
(Hebrews 13:8).

• If he could part the Red Sea for Moses, he can still do it for us! He is not a disinterested deity but the passionate lover of our souls.
• If he died on the cross for our sins,
• we can be sure that he cares about what we’re going through!

• However, we still need faith to believe that God works all things together for our good (Romans 8:28).
• Sometimes that “good” is hard to understand—
• especially when God doesn’t act in quite the way we expect.
• For example, we really don’t know why some people ask for healing but do not receive it,
• or why some are victims of random accidents or violence.

• But even if we never have a miraculous experience like Paul and Silas,
• we can be sure God is on our side.
• We can proclaim and believe with the psalmist,
• “The Lord is with me to the end!” (Psalm 138:8).

“Father, I praise you for your mighty power!

I trust you to work all things out,
not according to my will but according to your awesome designs and the destiny you have planned for me!”

 

[MarieVeronica]

St. Catherine of Siena… a truly magnificent Friend of God. Enjoyed reading about her life, very much. Thank you Barb.

And especially for this…

He is “the same yesterday,
today, and forever”
(Hebrews 13:8).

<and all that followed; was very comforting, on a hard day>. God bless.

MV

 

[bwhite06517]

They were doing WHAT???

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas, and the magistrates had them stripped and ordered them to be beaten with rods. After inflicting many blows on them, they threw them into prison and instructed the jailer to guard them securely. When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and secured their feet to a stake.

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened, there was suddenly such a severe earthquake that the foundations of the jail shook;

Talk about having a bad job on the job - Paul and Silas were stipped and beaten and thown in jail and in an innermost cell - and secured to a stake.

And …what are they doing? They are praying and singing!!!

Heavenly Father - no matter how bad my day has been, I need to stop and pray and sing praises to you!!!

 

[strngrnrth]

Yes! I have experienced last-minute miracles and I love Catherine of Siena’s writings.

 

[BarbaraTherese]

They were doing WHAT???

Talk about having a bad job on the job - Paul and Silas were stipped and beaten and thown in jail and in an innermost cell - and secured to a stake.

And …what are they doing? They are praying and singing!!!

Heavenly Father - no matter how bad my day has been, I need to stop and pray and sing praises to you!!!

Hi BW…it is a staggering thought isn’t it that midst so much suffering and also it must have been accompanied by fear…they could pray and sing. As did many martyrs going to their deaths. It is an awesome though what Grace can accomplish!!!

Heavenly Father - no matter how bad my day has been, I need to stop and pray and sing praises to you!!!

…Amen:thumbsup: …“all is well, all is well and all manner of things will be well” (Julian of Norwich)…all things that flow from the Loving Hands of The Lord are good and all things flow from His either direct or permissive will…always and at all times we have reason to thank and praise The Lord…

One point, I suggest you don’t pray and sing if the boss is around, wait until you get home