And all each of us needs is love...

A wise nun-nurse whom I worked with years ago turned around one day to me seriously, and said,
'You know, Catherine, all each of us really needs - from every man woman and child,
to the smallest kitten - is love.'
And she was right. We can help others, have great careers, enjoy lovely families, and still 
deep down within each one of us is that need to be loved - unconditionally - just as we are.
Not as we could be. Not as others think we ought to be. Just as we are.
All of us are a work in progress. God isn't finished with us yet. 
We are not perfect, we make mistakes, and sometimes act in ways which even puzzle us.
But let us learn from our mistakes. Let us look to God to help us with His Grace to grow within our being to whom we really could be.
And let us rejoice in Jesus Christ, Who showed us the way to God.
It really is so very, very simple.
Just to love one another as God has loved us.


God loves completely; totally; without reservation.
God loves with forgiveness; understanding; pity and compassion.
God does not seek revenge.
God loves tenderly; gently; and with a Father's love for His Child.


Let us then love one another as God has loved us.
Let us rejoice in the gift of our culture, of the way we look. 
Whether we put on weight, or lose it - we are the same person. 
Whether we have the smooth skin of babyhood or maturing skin with small wrinkles as we are privileged to have a longer time on earth - we are the same person. 
Whether we have the knowledge we had at four years old, or the wisdom of long experience and many years of study or work later - we are the same person.


Let us then rejoice in our diversity; in the wondrous fact that we look different; 
have different cultures; 
different wonderful ways of worshipping God. 
And let us support each other in our unique spiritual journey towards the God Who is Love.


Reflections of Christ have a slideshow which shows wonderfully the love of Jesus for all; the same love He came on earth to encourage us to feel for each other. 
Why not take a few moments, and let the beauty of this show celebrating Jesus' love, and the beauty of our diversity bless your day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glQYsxJhv_E&feature=b-vrec

*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette of lovely blossoms in springtime, Ireland. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

You are always the Hand Who created me

Within my heart I rejoice in the radiance of Your Creation, O Lord our God
 You Whom we know by so many different names
   In so many cultures and parts of our wondrous globe.
     Yet in the depths of my heart, in the sanctuary of my inner being,
       You are always the Hand Who created me ...
         Who watched me blossom into being
           As beautiful in Your Sight as
              The peach blossoms graciously rejoicing
                against the soft green of the leaves
                  of their wisdom and love.


Teach me to be worthy of You, dear Lord
  Teach me to love all whom I meet
    Teach me to forgive the ungracious
      To turn the other cheek of forgiveness by not seeking revenge
        Help me to be the best I can be
          Help me to graciously accept the limitations of the intellect and body you gave me
            Help me to share the essence of my God-created being with  others
              Help me to be faithful to You.


So that I may reach out to every person in my human family across our whole globe
  That I may be a symbol of forgiveness and love to all I meet
    That I may help each one in some way
      That I may inspire the lonely
        And help the sick
          And encourage the downhearted
            And teach the student in need
              And give alms to the destitute
                And ... above all ... to seek to follow Your Way


Of forgiveness; mercy; compassion; graciousness; justice; and LOVE.


Thank You for creating me, God,
  And giving me the change to experience your wonderful world
    Let me offer you the gift of this picture; of the Japanese garden artist's gracious blooms
      Peach in colour, and soft green in background,
        As a thank you for all the gifts you have given me,
          The greatest of them the gift of life
             as a member of your human family
               created by Your Divinity


May I always praise and bless You
  May I never reject You
    May I always treat Your Name with reverence,
      O great and gracious God.
                                 Amen.


*Photograph taken by Catherine Nicolette

Needing Reassurance? God is our Rock and Salvation

Dear God, Creator of All,

I am feeling so anxious right now. Something has happened ( . . . here tell Him what the problem is) and I am so scared. I am not sure how things will go, and I don't know what to do. I am panicking, my heart is racing, my mouth is dry and my hands feel damp. I need to take a big breath and calm down, and I just don't know how to do it. Please help me in my hour of need. Give me the calmness to face the problem, the strength to deal with it, the courage to take any steps that need to be taken.

I feel as if others do not know or appreciate how I feel, and how the situation is affecting me. Please grant me the grace to be patient with them, courteous in speech, and calm in manner. Deat God, I trust in You. Please help me at this difficult time.

Perhaps I have not turned to you before, but I'm turning to you now. I need a rock in my life, as I am in a whirlpool and don't know how to get out.

Your son / your daughter


Dear Son / Daughter,

I am thrilled you have turned to me. Of course I will help you. Look at the problem from my perspective. From all eternity I look and see that everything can be handled if people listen to each other, face up to the situation, and take step after step to deal with it. You are surely not alone. Look around you. Do you have even one friend in your situation now to whom you can turn to in order to talk about the problem?  Is there someone you can turn to for comfort, reassurance and advice? Perhaps there is a respected person in your community to whom you can go for guidance. And there is always Me - so interested in all you are doing, and in all that is happening to you. I see this situation, and truly I have many great graces; invite my Strength and Power into your life, and I will do what I can to help.

I am the Rock in your life. No matter what happens, how bad it gets, how difficult it seems, let me shoulder the burden with you. You are never alone. Dearest one, why not light a candle at 
http://www.gratefulness.org/candles/enter.cfm?l=eng
I have most certainly heard your prayer, and the symbol of your lighted candle of prayer before my sight will perhaps comfort you greatly. Let me comfort you at this difficult time. I am your Father; you are my child.  Let us work through this together.

Your loving Father God

My soul finds rest in God alone;
  my salvation comes from Him.
He alone is my Rock and my Salvation:
  He is my fortress, I will never be
          shaken.
                     Old Testament, Psalm 62, verses 1 and 2

My salvation  and my honour depend on 
       God;
 He is my mighty Rock, my refuge.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
  pour out your heart to Him
  for God is our Refuge.
                    Old Testament, Psalm 62, verses 7 to 8.

A special blessing for all struggling from war

For all who are struggling from war,
From the terrors it brings -
From the results that accumulate.
From the losses we incur;
From the grieving for the husbands, fiancees, loved ones, friends we have lost and who can never be replaced on this earth,
May this special blessing be upon you; -

Heavenly God,
Keep your Great and Loving Hand over those who are affected by war and pain. Help our brothers and sisters in the human family who are struggling with the effects of past wars, or painfully undergoing a present war.

May special blessing be upon you, dear reader, at this time. May you be healed of all your trauma and sorrow. Worship services and prayers have been offered for you.

Rev. Catherine Nicolette.

Prayer at the Last

Let this be my last word,
That I trust in thy love.
                                            Rabindragath Tagore


The day will come when each of us will be called upon by the great God to wind up the tapestry of our life, and allow the angel to remove the strings of our earthly being from the tapestry frame on which our life has rested during this earthly life. As the angel removes our life and we prepare to bring before God the works of our hands, the thoughts of our minds, the prayers of our hearts, may we be able to look at the tapestry and see many glowing colours of wonderful things we have done. Yet, truth be told, there will be gaps in the canvas and mistakes in the stitches - we all have learned lessons through making mistakes. However, Rabindragath Tagore has told us through the song of his words that, at this great moment of our birth into everlasting life, let our last word be of unshakeable trust in the love of our Creator God, the Father of the human race.


Let us be able to humbly say as we enter the Great and Luminous Presence, that we trust in His Love.


God of all, Your Love will cover all our mistakes with mercy.
Lord, Your Love will fill with compassion, all the gaps of the things we should have done in our lives and didn't do.
Creator, Your Love will rejoice in the glowing works of compassion and love we have carried out, and the lamp of Your Love and Great Works will burn more brightly and be burnished by the flame of our love.
Heavenly One, Your Love will quietly repair the damage we have wrought in the lives of others by our sinfulness, ignorance and fear.
But, above all dear God, may my judgement rest entirely
in Your Love
Because Your Love covers all the earth like a carpet of flowers covers the universe of the Namaqualand veld,
The waters of Your Love rage relentless and all encompassing over the plates of the earth as the ocean,
And Your Love is as gentle and forgiving as the dewdrop
caressing the young daisy as it raises its shy face to the quiet sun in the morning after the rain.


Dear God
Please let my judgement rest
on the bounty of Your Love;
and on the small flame of
my love for You.
Amen. 


*Photograph by Catherine Nicolette of the morning after the rain, Dublin, beautiful Ireland. Please feel free to use copyright free for any worthy purpose

Prayer for the afflicted in the ferry sinking, India

Dear Creator of all, we remember in prayer 

all who recently lost their lives so tragically

in the recent ferry sinking on Brahmaputra River

in Dhubri, Assam. We pray for those who were

injured, for all the families of the ferryboat 

passengers, and for all who assisted the

afflicted. Please accept the symbol of

 the candle we have lit in 

remembrance of all those who

 have suffered in the tragedy. 

Amen.

Prayer works Miracles

More things are wrought by PRAYER

than this world dreams of.

Wherefore, let thy voice rise 


like a fountain for me


night and day.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Dear Reader,

Spend a few moments here in prayer,

quiet reflection. You are unutterably

precious to God. He created you utterly

unique. God does not make mistakes.

He has created you for some great purpose.

Each one of us, his sons and daughters,

has a mission in life. And your greatest

strength - is prayer. Have no doubt,

prayer is a great force, it is the communication

between God and yourself.

Have confidence in your gift of prayer.

Do not be downhearted if God answers 'no'

or 'not now' to your request. Only He knows

whether your request would cause problems for

you down the road. Rely on His strength and

wisdom; trust in His goodness.

Rejoice when He says 'yes'.

Never be shy to pray - more things have, indeed,

been wrought by prayer than we will

ever realise on this side of the veil.






*Photograph by Catherine Nicolette - please feel free to use 
copyright free for any worthy purpose