Frank J Casella's photos with the keyword: prayer

Easter Prayer: O God, who on this day, through your Only Begotten Son, have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord's Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit, rise up in the light of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. www.ipernity.frankjcasella.com

Man in prayer www.ipernity.frankjcasella.com

The other day when I was on Twitter a quote I saw from sales guru hit me: You become what you think about all day long. It made me ponder on what I think about every day, which lead me to realize how much my thinking, and lifestyle, has changed over the years. I used to be more selfish, helping and serving others with the end motive of serving my own needs and ego, and praying for my own needs -- talking to God more than listening. St. Francis says [that] it is through giving that we receive, and I took it literal. Today, when I give of myself I do not look for what I receive, because the real gift is how God is blessing others through me .. which I may never see. My agenda has become Gods agenda. Said another way, I live my life as a prayer. If we focus our attention on bad news and gossip, and distractions, we will miss God's incredible, visionary, optimistic purpose for every believer: to grow so much in our faith that we shine like beacons to everyone around us! God's vision for each church is that we would grow so much in our love for God that we'd love people the way He loves them: unconditionally and passionately. He want's us to be filled up with Christ's grace, truth, and purpose so that everything we do will reflect Him to those around us. I assure you, the longer you look at Jesus on that Cross, the more He will speak to you about who you are and how you can become more Holy. The greatest image I have of my late father is how he prayed the rosary, looking at the Cross, each morning in a room with only the window light , just him and God, before leaving for work. The greatest image my children say they have of me is how I kiss the crucifix each morning as soon as I wake up. What they do not see is how often I spend just gazing at it in holy contemplation. "If a hypocrite is standing between you and God, it just means the hypocrite is closer to God than you are." -- Zig Ziglar

"Failure is an event, not a person". - Zig Ziglar We either succeed or we learn. When I sit in the presence of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and give thanks for life and every breath I take, I realize how much it's more about the big picture of things and less about me. "In all circumstances, give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." - 1 Thes. 5:18 Thanks for reading. Frank J Casella www.ipernity.frankjcasella.com