TRULY BEING HUMBLE

TRULY BEING HUMBLE Are you truly A humble person? BEFORE you answer Think about What being humble truly means Being humble means: “Having or showing A modest or low estimate Of one's own importance” And some of the synonymous words Listed are: “Deferential-respectful-self-effacing- And unassertive” I do not think it means We are nothing Or even that We should think we are nothing I would like to zero in On TWO words: modest and respectful “Jesus said, For everyone Who exalts himself Will be humbled But the one Who humbles himself Will be exalted” Luke 14:11 In this me-first #1-selfish culture That we live in WE could learn A thing from Jesus' comments About TRULY BEING HUMBLE IF you are To be EXALTED Let God or others' Do it for you We already have enough of people In this world TELLING US How great they are “He guides the humble In what is RIGHT And teaches them his way” Psalm 25:9 “He mocks proud mockers But SHOWS FAVOR To the humble and oppressed” Proverbs 3:34 “BUT he gives us MORE GRACE- This is WHY Scripture says: God opposes the proud But shows favor to the HUMBLE” James 4:6 To me- Jesus is the MOST HUMBLE man Whoever lived (And he was God) And Jesus invites us To EMBRACE the truth About ourselves Jesus is simply saying: “KNOW who you are” He is saying If you have a gift or talent ACKNOWEDGE it He is not saying NOT to pretend As if you don't have that talent But he Jesus/God Is also saying Acknowledge those Who have a greater talent Than your own Know who you are And be TRULY HUMBLE about it For first and foremost You are: A CHILD OF GOD “So in Christ Jesus You are all Children of God THROUGH FAITH” Galatians 3:16 Truly being humble Is an easy thing WHEN you realize You are a child of God And how truly SUPERIOR God is to all of us And WHEN you realize- There is ALWAYS SOMEONE- Richer-better-looking-nicer-kinder- and a better person than you are At that point TRULY BEING HUMBLE Is NOT such a difficult task In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-30-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Mitch Finley

GUIDED TO LOVE UNIVERSALLY AND INCLUSIVELY

GUIDED TO LOVE UNIVERSALLY AND INCLUSIVELY I wonder What percentage of people Really have a handle On morality and ethics In today's world I wonder what percentage Of people Can actually live With a CLEAR CONSCIENCE Based on the evening news And based on Some of the stories I have heard I have a hunch That it is NOT REAL HIGH “I speak the truth in Christ- I do not lie- My conscience JOINS with the HOLY SPIRIT........” Romans 9:1 We really have To LIVE in tune with God We really Have to be guided By the Holy Spirit To have a clear conscience “So I strive ALWAYS To keep my conscience clear Before God and man” Acts 24:16 What a noble thought Paul writes with And yet so very difficult To do I too ALWAYS strive to do this And it can only be done IF we are guided by the Holy Spirit And if we Always try to be righteous Under God And in our dealings with our neighbors This can only be done If we are ROOTED In union with God “How good and pleasant It is WHEN God's people Live together in UNITY” Psalm 133:1 “Make every effort To KEEP the unity Of the spirit Through the bond of peace There is one body And one Spirit Just as you were called To ONE HOPE When you were called ONE Lord-one faith-one baptism- One God and Father of ALL Who is over all And through all-and in all” Ephesians 4:3-5 WE PROCLAIM a universal And inclusive church Yet many of us only associate With those that are like us People we understand And like We may not like Some people We may not like Some of their actions And yet We are ALL part of the church ONE church-one God-and one FATHER Like my mom used to tell me: LOVE draws a circle And pulls people in And hate draws a circle And pushes people out WE are at least TO ATTEMPT to pull All people within the circle The SPIRIT asks Each one of us that To attempt to LOVE UNIVERSALLY AND INCLUSIVELY Dear Lord-we pray HELP US to be there for all In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-29-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Julia Walsh, F.S.P.A.

NOTHING CAM SEPARATE US FROM GOD'S LOVE

NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM GOD'S LOVE One of the great TRUISMS Of this world Is expressed In Paul's writings To the Romans There is NOTHING in this world That can separate us from God's love “For I am convinced That neither death-nor life Nor angels-nor principalities Nor present things-nor future things Nor powers Nor height-nor depth Nor any other creature Will be able to separate us From the LOVE OF GOD In Christ Jesus our Lord” Romans 8:38-39 Got that=GOD LOVES YOU!: And nothing in this world Can change that NOT even your own sin If you express your sorrow to God For the things you have done wrong This is a SCRIPTURE passage That really TOUCHES ME So much so that I Memorized it without even trying You just kind of know it by HEART That GOD LOVES YOU! And nothing can separate me/us From God's love No matter how tough Our times are No matter what is going Against us God loves us WHAT COMFORTING THOUGHTS! This Scripture verse Has helped KEEP me well Through tough physical times Through tough financial times And the times I have felt exceedingly lonely It makes me think That maybe Paul Was hanging on to his own writings Through his own difficult times Through his physical beatings Through his shipwreck Through his imprisoning And maybe even PERSONAL REGRET For when he persecuted CHRISTIANS What difficult times Are holding you back HOW can knowing: GOD LOVES YOU!-at all times PROPEL you forward in this life “And we know That in ALL things God works for the GOOD Of those who love him Who have been CALLED According to his PURPOSE For those God foreknew He also predestined To be conformed To the image of his Son That he might be the firstborn Among many brothers and sisters And those he predestined - He also called Those he called-he also justified Those he justified-he also glorified” Romans 8:28-30 “What then-shall we say In response to these things? IF God is for us- Who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 Romans 8 is the cornerstone Of my FAITH God is for us Jesus is for us And the HEART OF ALL HOPE: NOTHING CAN SEPARATE US FROM GOD'S LOVE Robert P. Wallman October 28, 2015 Ps INSPIRED by an article if LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Patricia Livingston

Saint Jude=PATRON SAINT OF HOPELESS CASES

SAINT JUDE---PATRON SAINT OF HOPELESS CASES Do you ever feel hopeless I know that I do Well I have some good news for you In addition to Jesus There is a Saint that we can pray to Or at least ask to intercede for us On our behalf His name is Jude---Also known as Thaddeus Jude was the ½ brother of James the lesser Both original Apostles And ½ brothers of Jesus There was little devotion To Saint Jude Because his name was so close to that of Judas The traitor That devotion to him became discouraged But devotion Began to pick up in the 14th century When our Lord himself Directed Saint Bridget of Sweden To turn to Saint Jude in faith and confidence Our Lord told Saint Bridget That the name of Thaddeus means “Amiable and loving---and--- He will show himself most willing to help” Saint Jude’s father’s name was Cleophas And he was murdered Because of his outspoken devotion To the Risen Christ Mary Cleophas---the Mother of Saint Jude Was present at Christ’s crucifixion And after her death Many miracles were attributed To her intercession Jude---like his brother James Did not believe that Jesus Was the Son of God Until after the Resurrection After the Resurrection Jude---along with his companion Simon Preached and taught in Mesopotamia For ten years Converting many to Christianity His teachings Were primarily against Gnosticism--- The teaching that the sins of the body Does not affect the sins of the soul And against the people of his day--- Bearing false witness---about Jesus And our Christian walk He taught that Christians Need to be aware of false teachers Infiltrating the church Certainly---at least in my mind As true today---as it was back then Maybe more so---just turn on your television set But maybe---in my mind His most important teaching Was that believers Should be merciful to unbelievers He and Simon Made more converts in Persia Where he was clubbed to death We all face hopeless situations In today’s world Maybe more so than ever We may lose hope Because of our health diagnosis The loss of a loved one Our finances A broken relationship within the family Or for many other reasons “And we rejoice In the hope of the glory of God Not only so But we also rejoice in our suffering Because we know that suffering Produces perseverance; perseverance---character And character---HOPE And hope does not disappoint us Because God has poured out his love Into our hearts by the Holy Spirit Whom he has given us” Romans 5:3-5 So when we are feeling hopeless And like our Lord told Saint Bridget about Saint Jude We can be confident that: “HE WILL SHOW HIMSELF MOST WILLING TO HELP” Robert P. Wallman 10-22-11 Ps Today---October 28th---is his feast day---my sister Terri---her middle name Judith Is after our Saint Jude---THE PATRON SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE 10-28-14 10-28-15

OUR HOME IS IN GOD

OUR HOME IS IN GOD We have an earthly home The place where We spend most of our time And the place Where we lay our head At night This home is usually temporary As we move From time to time But we have a PERMANENT HOME too And that home is in God And it lasts-FOREVER-and ever “You are no longer strangers Or sojourners-but ...members Of the HOUSEHOLD OF GOD........” Ephesians 2:19 The above line was addressed To the GENTILES A line of inclusion Letting them know That they were not excluded Just because they are not Jews And I think It is important To let ALL PEOPLE today KNOW That they belong To the HOME OF GOD If they just BELIEVE Believe in love Believe in his forgiveness Believe in his kindness And-believe-also-in Jesus- HIS SON=the SON of God “I rejoiced With those who said to me: 'Let us go to The house of the Lord'” Psalm 122:1 “Is it not written: 'My house will be called A house of prayer FOR ALL NATIONS'” Mark 11:17 Our houses will be called homes HOMES for God Homes for prayer OUR HOME is in the Lord our God One of the great lines Of the GOSPEL Of the new testament Is found in John 15 “REMAIN in me As I remain in you No branch can bear fruit By itself It must remain in the vine NEITHER can you bear fruit Unless you REMAIN IN ME” John 15:4 OUR HOME is in God And we are his branches ALL good things stem from him This earth=is our TEMPORARY home Where all kinds of crazy And bad things can happen to us Not so-if-we-REST Under the PROTECTION of God's LOVE Nothing can permanently damage us For our home is IN GOD And he is our protection “You are my hiding place You will PROTECT ME From trouble And surround me WITH SONGS of deliverance” Psalm 32:7 Dear Lord HELP US to know That we are NEVER really strangers That our home Is ALWAYS in you THAT OUR HOME IS ALWAYS IN GOD Robert P. Wallman 10-27-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Patricia Livingston

WHERE GOD DWELLS!

WHERE GOD DWELLS! One thing That I am bright enough To know Is that GOD IS ALIVE In the world today He is alive In you and me And in every person In today's world That BELIEVES in God “The Kingdom of God Is like a mustard seed That a man took And planted in the garden WHEN it was fully grown It became a large bush and: 'The birds of the sky Dwelt in its branches'” Luke 13:19 The spiritual life Is NOT a linear journey It is not advancing forward And sliding backward We are not the ones Doing all the work Rather it is just letting God in A tiny little bit And it will grow Like the MUSTARD SEED Into one of the largest And biggest plants Just LET GOD IN And he will flourish and GROW Within you And he will grow into AS MUCH FAITH as you can summon Just like a mustard seed “But those Who HOPE in the Lord Will renew their strength They will soar On wings like eagles They will run And not grow weary They will walk And not be faint” Isaiah 40:31 “I planted the seed Apollos watered it But God has been Making it grow” 1 Corinthians 3:6 Let God grow in you GOD DWELLS INSIDE OF YOU We need not to be Doing things In an effort to move forward spiritually Because God Dwells inside of you and me “SURELY your goodness and love Will follow me ALL the days of my life And I will dwell In the house of the Lord forever” Psalm 23:6 “I pray That out of his glorious riches He may strengthen you with power Through his SPIRIT In your inner being So that Christ May dwell in you Through FAITH” Ephesians 3:16-17 Weed out the sin and distractions From your life Let the MUSTARD SEED Of your faith in God And the HOLY SPIRIT Grow in you Into a gargantuan tree THE SPIRIT OF GOD DWELLS INSIDE OF YOU!” Robert P. Wallman 10-26-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Elizabeth Duffy

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mary!=A MOTHER'S LOVE=THE GIFT OF A LIFE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY A MOTHER’S LOVE---THE GIFT OF A LIFE With the exception Of the Blessed Mother I feel like My 2 sisters and I Had the greatest Mother--- The world has ever seen Children are a reward From the Lord My sister Mary Is also one of the finest Mothers I have ever seen A woman devoted with love To her 4 girls Lindsay born in 1990 Children are a reward Allison born in 1992 Children are a reward “For where your treasure is There your heart will also be” Matthew 6:21 As long as I can remember Mary’s treasure Has always been Will always be Her family---her children Stephanie born in 1995 Children are A reward from God A reward for a Mother’s love Carley born in 1997 The gift of a life A reward from God For a Mother’s love Mary is also A devoted wife Been married to David for 23 years “A wife of noble character Who can find? She is worth Far more than rubles Her husband Has full confidence in her And lacks nothing of value” Proverbs 31:10-11 Mary has also been A devoted daughter and sister Despite living out of town And having a family of her own She spent much time With my Father and Mother---always But particularly As they lived out their days Mary and I Have always been close Going back all the way To when we were teenagers This continues to this day As she continues To call me numerous times each week To see how that I am Jesus once said, “Who are my Mother and brothers?” And then, as if to answer his own question, said “Whoever does God’s will Is my brother, my sister, my Mother” Mark 3:33 & 35 In that same spirit On Mary’s 51st birthday We celebrate The gift of a life The gift of her life The gift of a daughter The gift of a sister The gift of a devoted wife But mostly The gift of A MOTHER’S LOVE Robert P. Wallman 10-8-11 Ps Mary was named after the Blessed Mother---Happy 51st Birthday Mary---I Love You Mary turns 55 today=October 26th, 2015=I LOVE YOU Mary!

GOING BEYOND MAN'S LAWS INTO GOD'S

GOING BEYOND MAN'S LAWS INTO GOD'S There is a set of rules For every aspect of humanity There are local laws There are state laws There are federal laws And there are church rules But there is also a MORALITY That lives DEEP within each and every one of us And it tells us truly What is right and wrong And then there are GOD'S LAWS Which are truly Going beyond man's Into another dimension This is WHERE we find Jesus today In the XIII chapter Of Saint Luke's gospel “But the leader Of the synagogue Indignant that Jesus Had cured on the sabbath Said to the crowd in reply, 'There are six days When work should be done Come on those days To be cured NOT on the sabbath day' The Lord said to them In reply, 'HYPOCRITES'” Luke 13:14-15 The sabbath was serious business And those that followed it Felt Jesus Was making a mockery of it IF he was A great spiritual leader WHY was he breaking the rules? But Jesus UNDERSTOOD something That the church leaders did not He understood who he was And he understood That laws was The BEGINNING of morality NOT the end He understood That he had to go BEYOND human laws To get the right outcome And we need to understand That too In the above story Jesus heals a woman Who had been crippled for eighteen years By a spirit WHICH one of us Wouldn't want to be HEALED After being sick for eighteen years Sabbath day or not Or which one of us Wouldn't want our son or daughter Or relative or friend healed GOING BEYOND man's laws Into God's “DELIGHT is in The law of the Lord And who meditates On the law day and night” Psalm 1:2 “The law of the Lord Is PERFECT- Refreshing the soul” Psalm 19:7 “The law of their God Is in their hearts Their feet do not slip” Psalm 37:31 It is not enough To just follow the rules We must GO BEYOND To do what God is asking us In every situation A great example of this is In Luke chapter 10, “The PARABLE of the GOOD SAMARITAN” The priest and the Levite Pass by and do nothing But the SAMARITAN stops- Bandages him- Takes him to the inn- And pays the innkeeper To take care of him Until he returns The Samaritan was thought To be morally inferior Yet here he was Doing what was MORALLY RIGHT And going the extra mile Dear Lord-we PRAY- That as followers of Jesus You always HELP US To go BEYOND man's laws Live according to GOD'S LAWS And always do What is morally right Just as you yourself Always did In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-26-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Karla Manternach

DOES THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVE IN YOU?

DOES THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVE IN YOU? We have earthly bodies But if we make our bodies A HOME for GOD'S SPIRIT God's spirit lives in us And we can overcome our sin Through the SPIRIT OF GOD “If the Spirit Is the ONE Who raised Jesus From the dead Dwells in you The one Who RAISED Christ From the dead Will GIVE LIFE To your mortal bodies also Through the Spirit That dwells in you” Romans 8:11 The Spirit Is nothing other Than GOD'S LIFE Living in you Overcoming sin And taking you on To bigger and better things Paul's words On the flesh And on the Spirit Are comforting to me If the SPIRIT OF GOD Is living=is hanging out With me My mortal body Is BLESSED It becomes A HOME for GOD'S SPIRIT A sanctuary or shrine If you will “You God Are awesome in your sanctuary The God of Israel Gives power and strength To his people PRAISE BE TO GOD!” Psalm 68:35 “Praise the Lord Praise God in his sanctuary Praise him in his mighty heavens” Psalm 150:1 Does the SPIRIT OF GOD LIVE IN YOU? If it does Or if you want it to Make your body Into a sanctuary Into a SHRINE for God INCORPORATE the qualities Of the Spirit of God Into your life And Galatians 5:22 Tells us exactly What the qualities of the Spirit of God are: “But the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT: Is love-joy-peace-forbearance- Kindness-goodness-faithfulness- Gentleness-and self-control Against such things There is no law” Galatians 5:22-23 MAKE your body into this What chance does sin have In living in a body Incorporated with these qualities? Turn your body Over to the SPIRIT of the Lord If you are Living in these qualities Your flesh will become A SPIRIT=FOR GOD A temple for God Dear Lord=we PRAY Help us to transform Our flesh into Spirit= YOUR INDWELLING PRESENCE So we can truly say: Yes dear Lord THE SPIRIT OF GOD LIVES IN US Robert P. Wallman 10-24-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sister Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B.

THE BATTLE OF OUR LIVES

THE BATTLE OF OUR LIVES Each and everyone of us Are in a battle The battle for our Very lives The battle between Flesh and the SPIRIT “For I take delight In the law of God IN MY INNER SELF But I see in my members Another principle at war With the law of my mind Taking me captive To the law of sin That dwells in my members Miserable one That I am! Who will deliver me From this mortal body?” Romans 7:22-24 ONLY God Can deliver us Through the Holy Spirit Paul describes For the Romans The sins of the flesh And within each one of us That BATTLE is taking place “Teach me To do your WILL For you are my God May your good Spirit Lead me on level ground” Psalm 143:10 Jesus said to Peter, “Watch and PRAY That you will not fall Into temptation The spirit is willing But the flesh is weak” Matthew 26:41 And that's the way it is In today's world too But God won't fail us And Jesus won't fail us IF we stay connected to them We won't succumb to temptation And while we struggle With gluttonous temptations Sexual lusts And violent rages There is a more subtle kind of temptation That tries to bring us down The persistent anxiety and doubt That ERODES our trust in God And drives us to seek COMFORT- Anywhere but in God WE NEED to find our strength And PEACE in God By staying connected to the ONE Who stands above everything else Our God and Lord and Savior Jesus “The Lord Gives strength to his people The Lord BLESSES his people With PEACE” Psalm 29:11 “A HEART AT PEACE Gives LIFE to the body But envy rots the bones” Proverbs 14:30 There is so much betrayal In this world What I like to call Little acts of treason But we YEARN For spiritual maturity For CLOSENESS WITH God We yearn for PEACE And we can find it By winning the battle GOING ON within ourselves BY staying close to God and Jesus And winning the battle For our very lives Robert P. Wallman 10-23-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jessica Mesman Griffith

YOU HAVE A MISSION TOO

YOU HAVE A MISSION TOO! Jesus was on a MISSION With his life To bring LOVE-forgiveness- Kindness-and healing To a fallen world God had a plan And a destiny For his SON'S life “........how great is my anguish Until it is accomplished” Luke 12:50 Jesus had a driving sense Of his mission Jesus said, “Because you have So little FAITH Truly I tell you if you have faith As small as a mustard seed You can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' And it will move, NOTHING will be impossible To you” Matthew 17:20-21 NO ONE ever really thought That Jesus was THE MESSIAH With the possible exception Of Peter-the other Apostles- Mary-his mother-and Mary Magdalene Until his RESURRECTION But he had a “fire” To set on earth And HE ACCOMPLISHED HIS MISSION “Jesus looked at them And said, 'With man this is IMPOSSIBLE But not with God; ALL things are possible With God'” Mark 10:27 We may not recognize it But we too ARE CALLED on In a MISSION for God God has a PLAN For each And everyone of our lives I think back TO WHEN I was 22 When I was given Zero % chance to live Because of gangrene-peritonitis-a 108 degree fever And a blood count that reached as low as three Yet here I STILL sit and stand Some 38 + years later I PROMISED: “To LIVE for my family- My friends- And ALL PEOPLE everywhere” And I will ATTEMPT to carry that PROMISE That I made to God UNTIL the day That I die “And we know That in ALL things God works for the GOOD Of those who LOVE HIM Who have been called ACCORDING to his PURPOSE” Romans 8:28 And I PROMISE YOU That you too have a MISSION FOR GOD No matter how “ORDINARY” Your life may seem The little things you do For others in life ARE NOT UNIMPORTANT A birthday card A KIND WORD to another A visit to the elderly Or a shut-in There is NO TELLING How your life May affect another human being Even PRAYERS for others HELP THEM In fact I truly BELIEVE They may be OUR BEST WEAPON “For I know The PLANS I have for you” Declares the Lord Plans to PROSPER you And not to harm you And to give you HOPE And a FUTURE” Jeremiah 29:11 It is important That you KNOW You have a MISSION As a 21st century Disciple and apostle of Christ To give someone else HOPE and a FUTURE SHARE with others The LOVE AND KINDNESS- That God gave to you And you will FULFILL YOUR MISSION Robert P. Wallman 10-22-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Msgr. Stephen J. Rossetti

RESPONDING TO SOMEONE IN NEED

RESPONDING TO SOMEONE IN NEED As Christians In the 21st century ONE of the things We are called upon To do Is that when We see a need We are to FILL IT BE FILLED with compassion That is exactly What our master And teacher did In the 7th chapter Of Saint Luke's gospel ALL PRAYERS Do NOT come with words “WHEN the Lord Saw her He was moved With pity for her And said to her 'DO NOT WEEP'” Luke 7:13 Jesus saw a NEED And filled it Because he was filled With compassion Nain was An insignificant town A few miles south Of Nazareth But it became IMMORTALIZED Because of the MIRACLE That Jesus worked there A widow's son died And she is now vulnerable Because she has No family member To look out for her “The Lord Is CLOSE to the brokenhearted And SAVES those Who are CRUSHED in spirit” Psalm 34:18 And that is what we too HIS disciples and apostles Of this modern day world ARE called onto do BE CLOSE To those in need RESPOND To those in need COMFORT those in need “May your UNFAILING LOVE Be my comfort” Psalm 119:76 The story Of the widow Nain SHOWS that God Shows that Jesus PERCEIVES our DEEPEST longings Knows our deepest pain So whether it be Someone who has lost SOMEONE/or something Dear to them Someone sick In the hospital Or in pain STEP UP And perceive a need RESPOND to someone In need today SOMETIMES-in prayer WHEN we step forward On our own NO WORDS are necessary Robert P. Wallman 9-16-14 Ps INSPIRED by an article in Living Faith Magazine by Sister Melanie Svoboda, S.N.D. 10-19-14 12-20-14 10-22-15

THE LORD IS NEAR: OUR DIVINE RESCUER

THE LORD IS NEAR: OUR DIVINE RESCUER WHEN I think About my life It is a wonder That I have ever lived To be this old But I know The Lord has always Been with me-WITH US He is MY He is OUR DIVINE RESCUER And he is always NEAR TO US “Had not the Lord Been with us........” Psalm 124:1 “The Lord is CLOSE To the brokenhearted And SAVES those Who are crushed in spirit” Psalm 34:18 The Lord is NEAR: He is my DIVINE RESCUER He was with me As a teenager When I jumped out Over some rocks Into the Ohio river And barely missed the rocks He was with me as a teenager WHEN a friend was drinking and driving And we wound up In the gully of the freeway Facing the wrong way And he has been with me Through six operations (Three life and death) And throughout my chronic illness And yet=HERE I still stand He is close to me HE IS MY DIVINE RESCUER And if you think about it I am sure you realize He is yours too “HE TRUSTS the Lord,”-they say “Let the Lord rescue him” Psalm 22:8 And he has OVER and over again And I am sure He has done The SAME for you If you stop and think about it “The Lord WILL RESCUE his servants No one Who takes refuge in him Will be condemned” Psalm 34:22 “Then the Lord KNOWS how to rescue The godly from trials And to hold the unrighteous For punishment On the day of judgment” 2 Peter 2:9 The Lord is near HE IS OUR DIVINE RESCUER Have you ever thought What might have happened To you Had not the Lord been with you I have And I know IF not for him I would not be In this world any longer BLESSED BE God Who never leaves us We thank God Who is with us Through every trial Dear Lord-we pray-IN THANKSGIVING For being NEAR to us And being OUR DIVINE REDEEMER and RESCUER ALL the days of our life In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman 10-20-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Jennifer Christ

"HERE I AM LORD"

“HERE I AM LORD” One of my favorite Christian songs As an adult Is called “HERE I AM LORD” I often wondered WHY I didn't remember it From my childhood Now I know It wasn't written until 1981 “Here I am Lord; I come to do your will” Psalm 40:8-9 We as Christians ARE called to make A difference In this-the 21st century We are his apostles and disciples Of today And we are called TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE God CALLS us all- men-women-and children And we are called To be his hands and feet To be his ears and voice In today's world “Jesus stopped and said, 'Call him' “So they called the blind man 'Cheer up! On your feet!' Throwing his cloak aside He jumped up to his feet And came to Jesus” Mark 10:49-50 Wouldn't it be great If you and I responded Like the blind man (Bartimaeus) did WHEN Jesus called our name If all Christians-or all people UNITED under one God: THE GOD OF LOVE The God of FORGIVENESS-and The God of KINDNESS “I who made The stars of night I will make Their darkness bright Who will bear My light to them? Whom shall I send? Here I am Lord Is it I Lord?” (From the song-”HERE I AM LORD”) I often remember Looking around Assumption Church Seeing all my friends and neighbors And saying to the Lord, “Please send me” I really want To be a difference maker In today's world I want ALL PEOPLE To understand that GOD LOVES THEM- UNCONDITIONALLY! That doesn't mean We haven't sinned Or God-ACCEPTS all our actions But it does mean- HE LOVES YOU! Whom shall I send SEND ME OH Lord! And I HOPE you are saying too, “SEND ME-Oh Lord I want to make a difference For this world” “Then I heard The voice of the LORD saying, 'Whom shall I send?- And WHO will go for us?” And I said, 'HERE I am-SEND ME'” Isaiah 6:8 And when Jesus Was recruiting his apostles- He said to the fishermen- Simon and Andrew= “COME follow me- And I will send you out To FISH for people” Mark 1:17 So when God Calls our name WHEN Jesus calls our name In today's world I HOPE-like me- you will say “HERE I AM LORD-SEND ME” Robert P. Wallman 10-19-15

KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO GOD

KNOW WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO GOD We ALL have desires In life WANTS-if you will The trick is To be able To distinguish Our wants from our NEEDS It is easy To get bogged down With possessions Like the man In chapter 12 Of Saint Luke's GOSPEL Jesus tells a parable About a rich man Who has nowhere To store his crops “Then he said 'This is what I'll do I will tear down My barns And build bigger ones And there I will store up My surplus grain And I'll say to myself “You have plenty of grain Laid up for many years Take life easy; Eat-drink-and be merry'” Luke 12:18-19 Isn't this how it is In life? It is so easy To lose sight of What is important And it is NOT material wealth And riches that is important It is God=It is YOUR LIFE It is your family and friends And it is the church or churches That you are involved with DON'T EVER take your life For granted= It is=A GIFT FROM GOD USE IT WISELY “But God said to him, 'You fool-this very night Your life will be demanded Of you; And the things You have prepared To whom Will they belong? Thus will it be For the one Who stores up treasures For himself But is NOT RICH In what matters to God” Luke 12:20-21 Your life is important BUT GIVE IT BACK TO GOD LOVE HIM with your whole heart= Whole soul=whole mind=and ALL Your strength And LOVE your neighbor As yourself ( the two commandments As given to us by Jesus in Mark 12:30-31) WHAT can be more important In life=than loving others? In and of itself-to have An abundance-is NOT bad But what MATTERS MOST to God- Unlike the man in the parable Is that we have A GENEROUS HEART Is that we are READY & willing To give and to forgive That we LOVE UNCONDITIONALLY And that we show KINDNESS And compassion To all those in need “And when you PRAY Do not keep on babbling Like pagans For they think They will be heard Because of their many words DO NOT be like them For your Father knows WHAT YOU NEED Before you ask them” Matthew 6:7-8 Dear Lord-HELP US TO ALWAYS KNOW what our TRUE NEEDS ARE In Jesus' name, Robert P. Wallman 10-18-15 Ps INSPIRED BY an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Judy Schueneman

A MAN CALLED LUKE

A MAN CALLED LUKE He is The only Gentle writer Among the 72 books of the Bible He was A Greek physician by trade A disciple of Saint Paul And his books include The Gospel of Saint Luke And the Acts of the Apostles The Gospel of Saint Luke was once called “The loveliest book in the world” Or/and “The most beautiful book ever written” Luke’s Gospel is considered the Gospel of women Because of Jesus’ passion to the women of Jerusalem Because of its emphasis On Mary---the birth of Jesus--- Her visit to her cousin Elizabeth Mary’s prayer of glorification to the Lord And her acceptance of God’s mission From the angel without hesitation “I am the Lord’s servant,” Said Mary to the angel “Let it be done to me according to your word” Luke knew That then, as now, We don’t understand this notion Of God’s unconditional love For us We just don’t understand The heart of God So Luke Gives us an historical account of Jesus’ life He teaches us About Jesus’ humanity He teaches us about Jesus’ public ministry Through his perfect compassion and forgiveness Through stories like The Good Samaritan, The Lost ( “Prodigal ) Son And the rich man and Lazarus Jesus understands our weakness So says Luke Jesus understands our temptations and our trials So says Luke He came to save both Jew and Gentile So says our Saint Luke He came for both the outcasts and the accepted He came To save both the poor and the rich He came for Both men and women He came for The free and the oppressed He came for Each and every one of us So says A man called Luke In “THE MOST BEAUTIFUL BOOK EVER WRITTEN” Go ahead and read The book written by a physician and a gentile A book written by A MAN CALLED LUKE Robert P. Wallman 4-30-11 10-18-14

SUFFERING

SUFFERING- AN ORDINARY PART OF LIFE Are you suffering In your life Right now Are you BLAMING God Or are you UNITING Your sufferings With God's and Christ's In a broad sense suffering is defined as pain And it can be mental- Physical-or spiritual-OR sometimes all three At the same time And it comes in varying degrees From mild to intolerable So I ask you again ARE you suffering I would say yes Because we ALL are-in some way For suffering Is an ORDINARY part of life And it is found Even in the lives Of us Who follow Jesus Maybe particularly so “For this You have been called Because Christ Also suffered for you Leaving you an example That you should follow In his footsteps” 1 Peter 2:21 It is not A punishment or a penalty But an ordinary part Of earthly existence The good suffer The bad suffer And those in between suffer IF you haven't suffered At some point In your life You are not human And most times When suffering comes We must simply endure it There is no way To hurry it along We simply must LIVE through it We must ENDURE the cross -LIKE Christ did And patiently Work our way through it GOD KNOWS our suffering Before we even know “I am in pain and distress May your salvation-Oh God- PROTECT me” Psalm 69:29 And God is PRESENT with us Even when we are suffering “MY flesh and my heart May fail But GOD is the strength Of my heart And MY PROTECTION FOREVER” Psalm 73:26 The more we endure the cross The more Christ-like we become And if Christ Could RESURRECT over death over life We can ENDURE suffering By UNITING our lives With Christ's “Therefore We do not lose heart Though outward We are wasting away Yet inwardly We are BEING RENEWED DAY-BY-DAY For our light And momentary troubles Are achieving for us An ETERNAL glory That far outweighs Them all So we fix our eyes NOT on what is seen But on WHAT IS UNSEEN For what is seen Is TEMPORARY But what is UNSEEN IS ETERNAL” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 SUFFERING is An ORDINARY part of life But by UNITING our sufferings With Christ's WE WILL RISE AGAIN Robert P. Wallman 5-15-14 INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH magazine by Father James McKarns Ps 8-20-14 1-13-15 10-18-15

WITNESSING TO THE FAITH

WITNESSING TO THE FAITH As 21st century Christians We are called to be WITNESSES To God and Jesus And to our FAITH In today's world “….....Do not worry about HOW you will DEFEND yourselves Or what you will say For the HOLY SPIRIT Will teach you at that time WHAT you should say” Luke 12:11 MOST of the time Our witnessing to the FAITH Will be in silence Our faith Should stick out It should demonstrate That we are witnesses To the faith By our thoughts And by our actions By WHERE we go And by the KIND OF PEOPLE We surround ourselves with THE JOY AND LOVE That we live our lives with Should INSPIRE OTHERS To be Christians Or at least to say: “What does that guy got-or What does that girl got- That makes him or her so HAPPY Despite what they may be Going through We should be a SOURCE OF INSPIRATION to others But there will also be moments WHEN we will be called To speak To give explicit testimony To our faith “And this gospel Of the kingdom Will be PREACHED To the whole world As a testimony To all nations And then the end Will come” Matthew 24:14 Our witnessing by words May only impact a few But our actions And the way We live our lives SHOULD IMPACT MANY “But you Will RECEIVE POWER When the Holy Spirit Comes on you And you will be My WITNESSES In Jerusalem and Samaria And to the ends Of the earth” Acts 1:8 We will get it done ONE PERSON at a time For the rest of time IF that is what it takes We will be WITNESSES To God-to Jesus- Through our faith and thoughts SOME PEOPLE In today's world BOTH Christian and Jew Have given their lives For their faith HOPEFULLY We will never Have to do that But we may Have to TESTIFY WHEN AND IF our faith is challenged NOT to worry The HOLY SPIRIT Will give us the words We need The Holy Spirit Will STRENGTHEN AND INSPIRE US That leaves us with Just one question How can we and HOW will we TESTIFY to our FAITH THIS VERY DAY? Robert P. Wallman 10-16-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Monsignor by Stephen J. Rossetti

SAINT MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE

THE SAINT OF FAMILIES---SAINT MARGARET MARY ALACOQUE ( feast day OCTOBER 17th ) She was born In the 17th century The 5th child of a notary And she had an unhappy childhood She became a VISITATION nun At the age of 25 She was patient and charitable But also clumsy and impractical She had a series of visions of Christ And along with some others ---Namely Saint Gertrude Were responsible for reviving devotion To the SACRED HEART OF JESUS And reminding us Of Jesus’ love for ALL men Dear Lord We pray that you use us As you used Saint Margaret Mary To revive interest in both God and family In this indifferent Godless world That we live in today We pray to you Dear Lord And the great Saint---Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque To help us revive this interest Of GOD and FAMILY in today’s world And we pray That the SACRED HEART OF JESUS And the IMMACULATE HEART of MARY Reign again in ALL families Both rich and poor ALL nations, ALL religious, ALL nationalities And ALL colors and creeds We pray---Dear Lord That you again teach us The sanctity of human love The value of human love And the VALUE of family life We pray That you again teach us To be united In RESPECT and in LOVE So that we may share in your life forever We ask for ALL of these things In the name of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque ---The Saint of families And in the name of THE HOLY FAMILY Jesus, Mary, and Joseph And in the name of Jesus and HIS MOST SACRED HEART Robert P. Wallman 10-19-11

I FORGET

I FORGET God knows and REMEMBERS Everything about us Except-of course-our sins “Blessed is the man Whose sin the Lord Does not record” Romans 4:8 “If you-Lord-kept a record Of sins Lord WHO COULD STAND?” Psalm 130:3 There once was An elderly woman WHO went to her BISHOP And said: The Lord was appearing to her In visions The bishop Couldn't determine Whether the woman Was legitimate or not So he said to the woman: “The next time the Lord Appears to you-ask him What my biggest sin - What my biggest failing is” So the woman Comes to see the bishop The following week And the bishop asked her, “Did you ask him?” The woman said, “yes” And the bishop asked, “What did he say?” The woman said, Jesus said, “I FORGET” And that is the way OUR God is He keeps-NO RECORD Of our sins And neither should we Other then to forget them Once we confess them-and repent Then TRY to get things right The next time Albert Schweitzer once said, “HAPPINESS IS nothing more Than good health And a bad memory” But the truth is Other than our sins Jesus-doesn't forget a thing About us He even knows The number of HAIRS On our head “And even the hairs Of your head Are all numbered So don't be afraid; You are worth More than many sparrows” Matthew 10:30 But other than our sins God and Jesus DON'T FORGET a thing about us “Can a mother Forget the baby at her breast And have no compassion On the child She has borne Though she may forget I will NOT forget you” Isaiah 49:15 Jesus tells us WHEN others sin Against us WE are to have That same short-term memory With him or her As he(God-has with us) “IF your brother or sister Sins against you Rebuke them And if they repent FORGIVE THEM EVEN if they sin against you Seven times a day And seven times Come back to you saying 'I repent' You MUST forgive them” Luke 17:3-4 Or maybe we should just say, “I FORGET” Like the GOOD Lord said about the bishop And what he says about us EACH AND EVERY TIME we sin against him Robert P. Wallman 10-15-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Eve Tushnet

LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU(the story of St. Theresa of Avila)

LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU--- ( the story of SAINT THERESA of AVILA) So easily We become disturbed In today’s world About our health About our finances About our relationships And about a myriad of other things Even as a child Theresa of Avila Was thought to be particularly pious Playing with her brother---at hermitages And once---the two of them even ran away Hoping to die as martyrs in Monaco Theresa’s mother died when she was 14 And her reaction was predictable As she developed a desire for worldly treasures Such as romance, fashion, and perfume Her father sent her away To be educated by Augustinian nuns And while there---she became ill While ill She began so study the word of God And became so enthralled By the letters of Saint Jerome She decided to become a nun She became a Carmelite nun But a year later---became ill again Possibly a malignant malaria LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU Theresa began to practice mental prayer But later abandoned it But after her father’s death Picked it up again NEVER to give it up again Theresa’s exuberance, prudence, and charity Touched ALL---but later When she began to experience visions And other SPIRITUAL encounters She began To become misunderstood, ridiculed, and even persecuted She identified herself with two great Saints ---Two great sinners-penitents Who were TRANSFORMED BY GOD--- Saint Augustine and MARY MAGDALENE She lived in a little nunnery With 12 other nuns Under conditions of poverty-hardship-and solitude Theresa herself---took her turns at sweeping-spinning And many other menial household tasks Her prayers to God Lasted a lifetime And LIVE ON today in her writings--- THE WAY TO PERFECTION and THE INTERIOR CASTLE Dear God We pray that as we experience hardship in this life And we will That we adopt that same attitude Of Saint Theresa That we keep our eyes FIXED on you And that we truly live by what Saint Theresa truly did And in fact said: “LET NOTHING DISTURB YOU” Robert P. Wallman 10-15-11 Ps her feast day is October 15th 10-15-15

CALLED TO LOVE-NOT TO JUDGE

CALLED TO LOVE-NOT TO JUDGE The other day I overheard a conversation Between a man And a woman The young man said: “I don't judge” And the young woman responded: “I do judge-I judge myself” “There is NO PARTIALITY with God” Romans 2:11 “Now-let the fear of the Lord Be on you Judge carefully For with the Lord our God There is NO INJUSTICE- Or impartiality-or bribery” 2 Chronicles 19:7 I don't know What the young man and woman Were talking about But the truth is Judging is NEVER HELPFUL NOT even when We are judging ourselves I found that out WHEN I was a young man- I said to my mom and dad, “WHY weren't you harder on me?” And they responded: “NO one could be Or would be As hard on you As you are on yourself” And the TRUTH is As CHRISTIANS-and DISCIPLES of Christ In today's world OUR job is to Love God and to LOVE ONE ANOTHER It is NEVER TO JUDGE Each other-or even ourselves That is God-OUR FATHER'S JOB Jesus said, “A new command- I give to you: LOVE ONE ANOTHER As I have loved you So you must-love one another By this EVERYONE will know That you are my disciples IF you love one another” John 13:34-35 “Love does NO HARM To a neighbor Therefore-LOVE- Is the FULFILLMENT of the law” Romans 13:10 We are CALLED to love Not to judge Go the extra mile For one another For we do not know WHERE they have been PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE- Do not judge one another “Let the Lord JUDGE the people” Psalm 7:8 “I care very little IF I am judged By you-or any human court I do not Even judge myself My conscience is CLEAR But that does not Make me innocent It is the Lord WHO JUDGES ME” 1 Corinthians 4:3-4 HOW OFTEN do we expect things of others That we can't LIVE up to ourselves? Do we ESTABLISH high standards For others-and then not help them Meet our expectations? Dear Lord-WE PRAY HELP US to remember That we are CALLED TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR And that judgment Does-indeed-belong to you Robert P. Wallman 10-13-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Julia Walsh, F.S.P.A.

THE ETERNAL TRUTHS OF GOD

THE ETERNAL TRUTHS OF GOD We live In a world Of many truths There is His or her truth There is your truth And there is REAL TRUTH- Objective truth=what really happened Which is=THE ETERNAL TRUTH OF GOD And it is COVERED IN LOVE “They exchanged The TRUTH OF GOD For a lie........” Romans 1:25 Do you BELIEVE In the truth of God Or do you believe In the lies (disguised as truths) That the world Tries to sell us God tells us That we can BUILD A LIFE By KEEPING God and FAMILY Number 1 in our hearts And number 1 in our minds And souls We can BUILD a life By living a life by LOVING God and others And by forgiving and being kind These are ETERNAL TRUTHS OF GOD “Your word-Lord- Is eternal- It stands firm In the heavens” Psalm 119:89 “For God So LOVED THE WORLD That he gave his One and only SON That whoever BELIEVES in him Shall NOT perish But have ETERNAL LIFE” John 3:16 IF you are not buying God And his Son-Jesus Christ Are you buying What this world is selling Putting material goals and sexual lust Above God That is the big lie That this world sells And it will NEVER bring happiness For it will NEVER BE ENOUGH The real truth is That God sets us FREE The real truth is That GOD IS LOVE “Jesus said, 'If you HOLD To my teaching You are really my disciples Then you will know The TRUTH And the truth WILL SET YOU FREE'” John 8:32 And the real truth is God FORGIVES us Despite our sins And the truth is God doesn't cause the evil We face in this world HE WALKS US Through it Giving us the GRACE NOT to surrender “The WORD became flesh And made his dwelling Among us We have seen His glory Who came from the Father FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH” John 1:14 Our God is Emmanuel-which means- “God is with us” And we are his loving disciples In this the 21st century These are ALL The ETERNAL TRUTHS OF GOD And I have found it all To be TRUE Thank you Lord For your eternal truths THE ETERNAL TRUTHS OF GOD Robert P. Wallman 10-12-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Steve Givens

SINGING A NEW SONG

SINGING A NEW SONG What song Are you singing With your thoughts And with your actions Through life WHEN people are interacting With you in life What are they hearing HOPEFULLY it is a song Of joy-peace-and LOVE- Of trust-kindness-and gratitude And NOT a song Of sadness-anxiety- And constant complaining “SING to the Lord A new song Who has done WONDROUS NEEDS” Psalm 98:1 If we are the ones That are singing Of sadness and sorrow MAYBE it is time again To get IN TOUCH With our God Who can indeed Perform “WONDROUS DEEDS” Maybe it really is time To sing A NEW SONG “I will sing The Lord's PRAISE For he has Been GOOD to me” Psalm 13:6 “I will sing Of the Lord's - Great love forever And my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known Through ALL generations” Psalm 89:1 I can't speak For you But I can tell you God has indeed PERFORMED WONDROUS DEEDS in my life He HELPED me Off of my deathbed Three times in 1977 He has KEPT me going Through seven operations And day after day of pain He has given me A BEAUTIFUL FAMILY And so many friends That I can hardly count that high And he has kept me going financially Through others My God is THE GOD OF MIRACLES “You are the God WHO PERFORMS MIRACLES You display your power Among the peoples” Psalm 77:14 So look back At your life I am sure God has performed SOME WONDROUS DEEDS In your life SING a new song Unto the Lord Thank God If you have health Thank God If you have a devoted spouse And beautiful children Thank God If you are financially solvent Don't take your life For granted Thank God FOR YOUR LIFE SING A NEW SONG DON'T get bogged down By page 1 in the newspaper In today's world Look further back For a shorter-more-heart-warming story Our God Is a God of wonder “Let them give thanks To the Lord For his UNFAILING LOVE And his WONDERFUL DEEDS For mankind” Psalm 109:31 Dear Lord-WE PRAY That we learn to appreciate The marvelous deeds You are performing In our life-and in the world Help us To SING A NEW SONG Of joy and gratitude And LOVE and kindness With our lives Robert P. Wallman 10-11-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Melannie Svoboda, S.N.D.

HUMILITY LEADS TO WISDOM AND HOLINESS

HUMILITY LEADS TO WISDOM AND HOLINESS Have you ever knelt Down on your knees And pleaded to God For something-in prayer I get down on my knees Several times each day Sometimes to say thank you And PRAISE GOD Sometimes to PRAY For another human being And sometimes to PLEAD With God For something-I think I need “I pleaded-and the spirit of wisdom CAME TO ME” Wisdom 7:7 Pleading-kind of means-SURRENDERING- And we are told In today's world That we are To be in CONTROL And that we are NOT to Surrender to anything I beg to differ It is ONLY when I got down on my knees And SURRENDERED myself and my life To God That my life BEGAN to make any sense to me It was ONLY At the end of myself And the beginning of God That life began To make any sense to me “The fear of the Lord Is the beginning of WISDOM ALL who follow His precepts Have good understanding To him Belongs eternal praise” Psalm 111:10 “When pride comes Then comes disgrace But with humility COMES WISDOM” Proverbs 11:2 I mean Which of us Doesn't like to be in charge Which of us Doesn't like to be in control Of our own lives It takes a lot of FAITH It takes a lot of TRUST And it takes a lot of HUMILITY To turn our lives OVER to God “Do nothing Out of selfish ambition Or vain conceit Rather-IN HUMILITY- Value others ABOVE yourselves NOT looking To your own interests But each of you To the interests of others” Philippians 2:2-4 We have to move BEYOND-our own selfish interests And we have to Let go of our own ego By losing ourselves We find guidance Through HOLY WISDOM and the Holy Spirit Which leads to HOLINESS “Make every effort To live in peace with everyone And try to be HOLY Without holiness NO ONE will see the Lord” Hebrews 12:14 How about that So some questions remain: Are you ready To PLEAD for humility and HOLY WISDOM? Are we ready To give up CONTROL Of our life And hand ourselves over to God And his HOLY WISDOM and HOLY SPIRIT? In order To TRULY FIND OURSELVES For in reality This is the only way It can be truly done Robert P. Wallman October 10th, 2015 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

TIME FOR A CHANGE?

TIME FOR A CHANGE? Is it time For a change For you Interiorly speaking I mean ONLY you know Where you are In your relationship With God and other people “LIGHT DAWNS for the just; And gladness-for the UPRIGHT of heart” Psalm 97:11 WHEN you look Deep within your heart What do you see? I HOPE it it kindness- GOODNESS-peace and-LOVE (ALL the fruits of the spirit As described in Galatians 5:22) And NOT some other things Like what Jesus said: “What comes out of a person Is what defiles them For it is from WITHIN Out of a person's heart That evil thoughts come- Sexual immorality-theft-murder- Adultery-greed-malice-deceit-lawlessness- Envy-slander-arrogance-folly ALL these evils- Come from inside And defile a person” Mark 7:20-23 ONLY YOU Know what lives Inside of you If it good and just I ENCOURAGE YOU To keep being upright If it is anything else MAYBE it is TIME FOR A CHANGE? “The RIGHTEOUS Will rejoice in the Lord And take refuge in him ALL the upright in heart Will glory in him” Psalm 64:10 “The Lord detests The sacrifice of the wicked But the PRAYER Of the upright PLEASES HIM” Proverbs 15:8 I encourage you To LIVE UPRIGHT Before the Lord To live upright In this world IS it time For a change For you-for me ONLY you know The QUALITIES You live with And only I know The qualities I live with Bit I caution you Do not rationalize Bad behavior or bad thoughts For if we do We will become ENTANGLED with negativity And feel a lack of peace And eventually the Holy Spirit Will show us To ourselves “IF you really CHANGE Your ways and your actions And deal with each other JUSTLY …..... I will let you LIVE In this place In the land I gave your ancestors Forever and ever” Jeremiah 7:5-7 Is it TIME for you to change I can't answer that I can ONLY answer For myself-as you can BUT if you need to CHANGE Your relationship with God You will light up WITH JOY and tranquility When you do it And the dawn Will LIGHT within you Just like The psalmist describes above Robert P. Wallman 10-9-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

JUSTICE-WHERE DO YOU FIND IT

JUSTICE-WHERE DO YOU FIND IT For the umpteenth time This week in Miami I have seen someone on television Crying out for someone To come forward So the can get JUSTICE For a family member who has been WRONGED We ALL Have INJUSTICES in life And often times LIFE JUST ISN’T FAIR WHERE do you get your justice “Do NOT put your trust In mortal men WHO CANNOT SAVE” Psalm 146:3 “BLESSED is he Whose HELP IS the God of Jacob Whose HOPE Is in the LORD HIS GOD” Psalm 146:5 IT’S GREAT If we can find justice In this world It’s great If we can find justice In the LAWS of our world IF LIFE Treats us fairly But you know As well as I do That that Doesn’t always happen The Lord Our God HATES INJUSTICE “SEEK GOOD-not evil That you MAY LIVE Then the Lord God Almighty Will be with you Just as you say he is HATE evil-love good Maintain JUSTICE in the courts” Amos 5:14-15 The Lord God Hates injustice “He has showed you Oh man What is good And what does the Lord Require of you To act justly And to LOVE MERCY And to WALK HUMBLY With Your God” Micah 6:8 Those who act unjustly Those who show NO MERCY In this world Will receive their punishment From the Lord But those of us WHO ACT JUSTLY Who show mercy to others Will be FREED from guilt or blame BY FAITH “But NOW A righteousness from God APART from law Has been made known The RIGHTEOUSNESS from God Comes thought FAITH in Jesus Christ To ALL who believe There is NO DIFFERENCE For ALL have sinned And fall short Of the glory of God AND ARE JUSTIFIED Finally by his GRACE Through the redemption That came by Christ Jesus” Romans 3:21-24 MY FRIENDS There is NO justice In this world OUR justice And our JUSTIFICATION Can come ONLY THROUGH GOD Robert P. Wallman 8-22-13 Ps MISC. WITNESS 7-6-14 9-10-14 1-11-15 & 10-09-15

THE ANSWER IS: THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE ANSWER IS: THE HOLY SPIRIT Often times-we pray For particular things In this life And it seems Often times-the answer Is no WHY does this happen And why do we Sometimes feel Let down by God Let down by Jesus (Jesus said to his disciples,) “If you then Who are wicked KNOW how to give good gifts To your children How much more Will the Father in heaven GIVE the HOLY SPIRIT To those who ask him” Luke 11:13 I have- at times Felt let down by God But as TIME has gone on I have found That there is no greater gift Than LIVING with the HOLY SPIRIT In your mind-soul-and heart And in Galatians 5:22 It tells us-who a person is Who possesses the Holy Spirit “But the fruit of the SPIRIT is, Love-joy-peace-forbearance-kindness- Goodness-gentleness-and self-control Against such things There is no law” Galatians 5:22 I think maybe We got our priorities Out of whack Maybe whatever We are asking for IS the consolation prize And if We are LUCKY ENOUGH to receive The Holy Spirit And begin living with the Holy Spirit Inside of us Maybe that is NO-I know that is The real prize The real thing That is LIVING with God and Jesus Inside of us Through the qualities of the Holy Spirit “Do you know That in a race ALL the runners run But only one Gets the prize” 1 Corinthians 9:24 Maybe you-and maybe I Are the lucky ones Running the race-living Our life So that the prize Of the Holy Spirit Is living INSIDE OF US We are concentrating ON SPIRITUAL REWARDS Not material or earthly awards So much so So that we Are truly PRAYING like Jesus In no matter What we may think we may want We are praying “LOVING FATHER: you know better Your will be done” Dear Lord-we pray YOUR WILL be done-in my life No matter what Please leave me Leave us That one true gift and prize THE GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT Living inside of me/us Robert P. Wallman 10-7-15

MY ANGEL-MY SISTER-MY FRIEND

MY ANGEL---MY SISTER---MY FRIEND How do you define The word angel I define it As heavenly beings Created by God To assist people But appearing in human form My sister Terri Has been an angel To me For a number of years Terri was named After Saint Theresa---the Little Flower The Saint of the ordinary And Saint Jude ( her middle name is Judith ) The patron Saint of hopeless cases How fitting She assisted my Mom and Dad And me financially When my Father Was maimed by a surgeon And couldn’t work anymore Saint of the ordinary My angel---our angel My sister---my friend After my Father died Because of my health problems And my Mom’s advancing years She brought us to Florida Found us a place to live And continued To help us financially Our angel My angel---my sister---my friend What a grateful blessing To me To get to know My sister Terri---as an adult All over again My Mom, Terri, and I Had so many happy family times Down here in Florida I feel So greatly blessed My sister---my angel---my friend When my Mom Had her emergency surgery in 2007 And pulled through My Mom said, “I would have given up But every time I looked up You two were standing there I had to go on” So grateful For the last 2&1/2 years The 3 of us had together As my Mom passed on My angel---our angel My sister---my friend I never had a computer Couldn’t afford one Terri gave me her computer In 2005---and thereafter If one word That I have ever written Has touched you You can thank my sister Terri After my Mom died She increased the amount of money She was giving us/me So that I didn’t have to move Saint Theresa---patron Saint of the ordinary Saint Jude---patron Saint of hopeless cases Theresa Judith--- My angel---my sister---my friend I always told her That she was going to be the first Jewish Saint Now that she is Christian/Catholic again On her birthday which was October 7th I told her she was promoted From a Saint to and angel At any rate---today---the feast of ALL Saints today Please join me in saluting her And ALL the Saints that touch each And every one of our lives on a daily basis This one is for you Robert P. Wallman November 1st, 2011 Ps Terri’s birthday was October 7th---also the feast day of OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY SHE CONTINUES to HELP ME to this day-I LOVE HER so much RPW=10-7-15

GOD'S MERCY OR YOUR REVENGE

GOD'S MERCY-OR YOUR REVENGE It is Just a FACT OF LIFE People hurt us In today's world It may be intentional Or it may be That they don't even know They are doing it “But the Lord asked, 'Have you reason to be angry?'” Jonah 4:4 A CLASSIC story OF GOD'S MERCY Versus the anger of man Is REVEALED In the book of Jonah Jonah wants God's wrath To be thrust On the Ninevites For their evil deeds But instead OUR MERCIFUL GOD forgave them After the people repented Our Lord and Our God THE GREAT AND MERCIFUL ONE “Remember Lord Your great MERCY and LOVE For they are from of old” Psalm 25:6 “BLESSED are the MERCIFUL For they will be shown mercy” Matthew 5:7 “Judgment without mercy Will be shown To anyone Who has not been MERCIFUL MERCY TRIUMPHS over judgment” James 2:13 What family member-friend-or Even stranger-has offended you? Who can you forgive? Who can you EXTEND MERCY to in today's world? Jonah-in the above example Has a desire For revenge-against the Ninevite people Hence-God's question to Jonah “Have you reason to be angry?” Isn't that our response too When we've been HURT In this world That is the initial response In most human hearts WE want to seek retaliation We want that person “To get what they deserve” We want God “To make them pay for it” So I plead with you Do not be so quick To seek REVENGE Be ready to forgive And give another chance “DO NOT seek revenge Or bear a grudge Against any one Among your people But LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR As yourself I AM the Lord” Leviticus 19:18 “Do not take revenge My dear friends” Romans 12:19 Think of the story Of Jonah and the Ninevites OR What Jesus The KING OF MERCY said, “FORGIVE 70 x 7x” Matthew 18:22 Or “Father-forgive them For they do not know What they are doing” Luke 23:34 There is NO DOUBT That our desire for revenge MUST be replaced by mercy We can COUNT ON GOD'S MERCY But the question is: CAN WE BE MERCIFUL To one another? Robert P. Wallman October 6th, 2015 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Sr. Joyce Rupp, O.S.M.

LETTING GO OF THE DISTRACTIONS OF OUR LIFE

LETTING GO OF THE DISTRACTIONS OF OUR LIFE “Martha-Martha You are anxious and worried About many things There is NEED of ONLY ONE THING Mary has chosen The BETTER PART And it will not be Taken from her” Luke 10:41-42 Isn't that so true How often We become distracted-ANXIOUS- And worried about things That are not so important In life We let things That really don't matter INTERFERE with what God Tells us REALLY DOES LOVING GOD and LOVING OTHERS (What Jesus tells us ARE the two Greatest commandments in Matthew 22:37-40) HOW MANY devices do you own? How many of these devices Interfere with your LOVE OF GOD And your love of others E-mail-facebook-pager-telephone-twitter Instagram-and so on-and so on I am NOT criticizing you I am involved in enough of them myself Let us go back to Luke 10:40-one line earlier Than what we started out with “But Martha was DISTRACTED- By all the preparations That had to be made She came to him And asked, 'Lord-don't you care That my sister Has left me To do the work by myself? Tell her To help me!” But Jesus suggests to her To FOCUS On the WORD OF GOD And all things WILL take care of themselves And if WE can't Let go of some of our devices At least we could use them To PROMOTE the word of God And many of my friends-and myself- TRY to do this But I also think We have LOST that personal touch That we used to have In today's world I still and TRY to write birthday cards I still try and write- Personal notes and letters But I have to tell you That worry and anxiety STILL get the best of me Sometimes in today's world WORRY over having a clean house And making a good meal Like Martha WE NEED to let go of the worry And FOCUS MORE on the word of God “Therefore-I tell you Do not worry about your life What you will eat or drink Or about your body What you will wear Is not life MORE than food And the body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25 And so I ask you ARE YOU a little bit More Martha-or Mary- In today's world IF you find yourself Saying Martha I SUGGEST to you Maybe you should TURN AWAY from the electronic devices A little more MAYBE you should focus On the WORD of God-like Mary Just a little more “Man does not live On bread alone But on EVERY WORD That come from THE MOUTH of God” Deuteronomy 8:3 Dear Lord-Dear Jesus TODAY we turn away From many things In today's world And listen to you alone UNDISTRACTED HELP US To be a little more Mary And a lot less Martha In today's world In Jesus' name Robert P. Wallman Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Amy Welborn

WHAT WILL YOUR ANSWER BE?

WHAT WILL YOUR ANSWER BE? The TRUTH of the matter is We are CALLED by God Maybe not To the religious life Maybe not Even to married life But we are called By God To BENEFIT HUMANITY In some way Or at least HELP some other human being Or be a BLESSING Or help to someone else On there journey through life “But Jonah made ready to flee to Tarnish Away from the Lord” Jonah 1:3 Today we read About the prophet Jonah Who was CALLED by God To go and preach to the people Of Nineveh=a wicked city He fled to Tarnish And there was a storm WHERE he was thrown into the sea And was swallowed By the big fish And God eventually Had his way with Jonah You too Are being called By God In some area Of your life What will your answer be? I HOPE your answer Is YES And I hope my own answer Is yes too I want my life To benefit humanity=to benefit OTHER PEOPLE In some way-shape-or form HOPEFULLY-through love-forgiveness-and kindness “I will Lift up the cup of salvation And call On the name of the Lord” Psalm 116:13 “For God's gifts And his call Are irrevocable” Romans 11:29 We are called By God We are called By the Lord To USE our benefits For the love of God To use our gifts For the love of mankind In the beginning Our Creator Called on the first human beings Adam and Eve And they said NO NOT the answer That God wants to hear from us For we were created OUT OF LOVE-by him Mary and Jesus were called And they got it RIGHT WHEN the angel Gabriel Called on Mary She responded “'I am the Lord's SERVANT,” Mary answered 'May your WORD to me Be fulfilled' Then the angel left her” Luke 1:38 And Jesus got it right For us all “My Father If it is possible May this cup Be taken from me Yet NOT As I will But as you will” Matthew 26:29 Dear Lord WE KNOW you are CALLING on us in today's world To USE Some measure of our life For others To GIVE our lives Back to you May we FIND The courage to say “YES” To you Just as your Son Jesus And his mother Mary did Dear Lord We ask you- TO GRANT US THIS GRACE Robert P. Wallman 10-4-15 Ps INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Amy Welborn

MARRIED TO THE CHURCH

WITNESS 5-27-13 MARRIED TO THE CHURCH Growing up AS a young man in Pittsburgh, Pa. ALL I ever thought of As I got older Was going to college Meeting a woman That I very much loved And raising a family In other words-like many of us I wanted to-pursue THE AMERICAN DREAM Then came my 22nd birthday My first deathbed experience And my promise to GOD: “To live for my family My friends And ALL people everywhere” About 2005 or 2006 I finally began to realize That God had a different plan for me Than I had for myself A different plan for me Than he had for most others Like Jesus I was to be committed To God and the CHURCH SO I FOLLOW CHRIST AS MOST ALL of us do As he is the Head of the Church “For the husband Is the head of the wife As Christ is the head of the church His body Of which he is the Savior” Ephesians 5:23 “After all No one ever hated his own body But he feeds and cares for it Just as Christ does the church- For we are members of his body ‘For this reason A man will leave His father and mother And be united to his wife And the two Will become one flesh’ This is a profound mystery But I am talking about Christ and the church” Ephesians 5:32 So I believe I have A different calling than you Not better or worse-just different I have a friend I call her “Maggie” And she is my sister in Christ And my soul mate (a purely platonic relationship) She says that she believes That I was Never meant to share my life With just one woman Because I can reach SO MANY So Christ Was married to the church And he had Mary Magdalene Following in his footsteps In my own “little” way I have my friend Maggie I BELIEVE The church to BE a FAMILY And I believe in FAMILY UNITY Both in the church AND IN FAMILIES UNITY IS SO PRECIOUS I just don’t understand HOW THE CHURCH HAS BROKEN into so many pieces As I don’t understand HOW families break apart Well-FOR what it is I WILL REMAIN Married to the church And to my own PRECIOUS FAMILY And most importantly I will remain-COMMITTED to my promise And married to God And PRAY that God Will make something Out of my life and yours For we are all “PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD” Psalm 116:15 Robert P. Wallman 5-15-13 Ps Maggie has been my friend since 2006 She has attended five different churches with me -Four different denominations She CONTINUES to be my BF WITNESS 5-27-13 misc. WITNESS 2-9-14 10-4-15=I don't hear from Maggie much anymore-BUT I thank God for ALL the many women-and the churches WHOM have become a part of my LIFE GOD has a PLAN for your life and for mine-and GOD CAN make something fantastic-out of a life that otherwise would be nothing-JUST GIVE HIM THE CHANCE= I LOVE YOU LORD!

HEALING AND FAITH

WITNESS 6-18-13 HEALING AND FAITH There are millions in this world Who can heal a broken body But only one---who can heal A broken spirit---a broken soul GOD How would you describe healing I would describe it As a betterment Of making one whole again The one element In ALL the miracles that Jesus did Was that the person Had great faith In the 8th and 9th chapters Of Saint Matthew’s Gospel Matthew tells us about Some of Jesus’ miracles A centurion comes to Jesus and says, “My servant lies at home paralyzed And in terrible suffering” Jesus says, “I will go and heal him” And the centurion responds, “Lord I do not deserve To have you come under my roof But just say the word And my servant will be healed” Jesus becomes astonished and says, “I tell you the truth I have not found anyone in Israel With such great faith…….” Jesus continues, “Go! It will be done As you believed it would” And the servant was healed FAITH A ruler came before Jesus, and said, “My daughter has died But come and put your hand on her And she will live” Jesus went to the ruler’s daughter, and said, “Take her daughter Your faith has healed you” Many laughed at Jesus Scoffed at him---mocked Saying the girl was dead Jesus said, “Go away---The girl is not dead” Matthew chapter 9 FAITH That is Not so say That if you are not healed That you do not have enough faith It just means That God---Jesus Might be using you/us in other ways Maybe using our suffering As intercessory prayer Or accepting our suffering for others THIS IS CALLED REDEMTIVE SUFFERING The diseases of the body Are one thing But the diseases of the soul---the spirit Are quite another For every million out there Who can heal a broken body There is only one Who can heal a broken soul GOD Dear Lord---we pray Please heal our broken bodies If it be your will But more importantly Heal our broken spirits Heal our broken souls Of each of us individually Of each of us collectively Of our broken society And our broken world And if we are to carry our suffering Both physically and spiritually Please help us to pray like Saint Paul: “Three times I pleaded with the Lord To take it from me But he said to me My grace is sufficient for you For my power is made perfect In your weakness” FAITH Robert P. Wallman 9-5-11 Ps WITNESS 6-18-13 “He said, ‘Your FAITH has HEALED you’” Matthew 9:22 misc. WITNESS 2-11-14 August 4th, 2014 1-5-14 10-3-15

GUARDIAN ANGELS

WITNESS 10-2-13 GUARDIAN ANGELS “Now I lay me Down to sleep I pray the Lord My soul to keep……..” Which of us Hasn’t said that prayer As children Or even as adults When times Get extremely difficult It may surprise you To know That the Bible Speaks of angels And even Jesus Spoke of angels once, “See that You do not Look down on one of these little ones For I tell you That their angels In heaven Always see the face of my Father in heaven” Matthew 18:10 MY SOUL TO KEEP YOUR SOUL TO KEEP Children have guardian angels To be sure For that is why Jesus loves the children so much “Let the children Come to me And do not hinder them For the kingdom of God Belongs to such as these” Mark 10:14 So children Have guardian angels But so do you and I Angels Are heavenly beings Created by God To assist people And to guard-means to protect How great is it that To know that we have heavenly beings To assist and guard us In time of trouble It comforts me How about you “And if I die Before I awake I pray the Lord My soul to take” George Bailey In the movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life,” Wants to take his own life And through A series of flashbacks Clarence-his guardian angel Lets him see HOW IMPORTANT his life was And all the people He had a positive effect on YOUR LIFE too is also important You too have a positive influence On people Your guardian angel-in your life Is working in and for you For we know “Every time that a bell rings AN ANGEL GETS HIS WINGS” HERE IS TO THE GUARDIAN ANGEL WALKING BESIDE YOU Robert P. Wallman 10-4-12 Ps My mom called her brother-John-her Clarence The feast day of the HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS is October 2nd this year WITNESS 10-2-13 10-3-15

LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON YOU!

LET THE LIGHT SHINE ON YOU Are you a person Who tries to do God’s will In the world today Maybe not always getting it right But you keep trying To be a positive influence On the world Well stand up Take a bow Let the light Shine on you You---you Are one of the few “You are The light of the world A city on a hill cannot be hidden Neither do people light a lamp And put it under a bowl Instead they put it on its stand And it gives light To everyone in the house In the sane way Let your light shine before men That they may see your good deeds And praise your Father in heaven” Matthew 5:14-16 You can’t be a beacon If your light don’t shine I don’t know about you But I feel Like we live in a world That is getting a little bit meaner Each and every day Sometimes I feel that this world can’t get any lower But then it does I have an idea Let it stop With me and with you Do you know That kindness Is one of the fruits of the spirit “But the fruit of the spirit Is love, joy, peace, patience, KINDNESS Goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control Against such thing---there is no law” Galatians 5:22-24 If you are living in the spirit Stand up and take a bowel Let the light shine on you Saint Vincent DePaul once said, The surest way to become a Saint “Is to be kind, be kind, be kind” Saint Theresa---the Little Flower Was kind Many consider her to be The Saint of the ordinary The one whose vacation was love You can’t be a beacon If your light don’t shine “For God who said Let light shine out of your darkness Made light shine in our hearts To give us the light of the knowledge Of the glory of God In the face of Christ” 2 Corinthians 4:6 Do good---be light---let God’s light LET THE LIGHT Shine on you Robert P. Wallman 10-25-11 10--02-15

MY VOCATION IS LOVE

WITNESS 10-1-13 MY VOCATION IS LOVE ( A Dedication to the Little Flower ) = Born January 2nd---1873 She was born In a little town in France Her Mother died When she was 4 And the family moved to Liseux Where her Aunt helped her Father To look after her and her sisters One of 4 girls Who all became nuns Theresa, herself, Became a nun At the age of 15 Theresa never did anything extraordinary But did everything extraordinarily well She never Held a position with great responsibility But was gifted With a great intimacy with God She lived a life Hidden in God’s love But was directed To write an autobiography Which she called THE STORY OF A SOUL In this book She described her life “As a little way of spiritual childhood” And wrote that what matters most in life “Is not great deeds, but great love” It is said That Theresa was a very sweet person That lived her life With a great simplicity However it is very apparent That she lived out her life In conjunction with the 4 Gospels A simple life In obedience To the Word of God---to the Will of God She once said, “My mission---to make God loved--- Will begin after my death” And “I will spend my heaven Doing good on earth I will let fall A shower of roses” My Mom, myself And millions of others Have received roses from unexpected sources After prayers to her In this cold, cruel, indifferent world We could ALL Learn some things from Saint Theresa To live out our lives With selflessness Instead of selfishness To try to do small ordinary things Extraordinarily well And live out our lives With such passion for God And for others So that we can truly say Like Saint Theresa “MY VOCATION IS LOVE” Robert P. Wallman 10-4-11 Ps Saint Theresa died at the age of 24 from tuberculosis She is considered the patroness of Missions Her feast day is October 1st My Sister---Terri---is named after her ps WITNESS 10-1-13 10-1-14 RECENTLY-I learned that the LITTLE FLOWER-is POPE FRANCIS' most favorite Saint