APPENDIX

 

COMPOSED DEVOTIONAL AIDS

 

MY COMMITMENT TO LOVE

 

Today I will love, because this is the most important thing in life. Without love, I am nothing. I will love God with all my heart, with all my strength, because He is my Creator and deserves to be loved by me. I will keep Jesus Crucified constantly before my eyes to remind me always what it really means to love in it's maximum expression, and I will offer my life as a sacrifice of love to the Father with Him, in every Eucharist that I celebrate. I will love Mary, and ask her to teach me to accept my share of the Cross with her, as the only road of true love. I will ask the Holy Spirit to inhabit me as Love, so that He can love through me.

Today I will love; I will love all Creation and every moment the Lord gives me, even the most painful ones. I will love all people, even those who do harm to me and to others. I will learn something from everyone, even if it's something that shouldn't be done. I will listen to God speaking to me through nature, history and each person I encounter. I will love all people, whether they are pleasant to me or not, whether they think like me or not, whether they are younger or older or the same age as me, whether they are female or male, whether they are richer or poorer than me, whether they are from my culture or another, whether they are sick or disabled, whether they are beggars or criminals. I will love all without exception, especially the weak, the downtrodden, the ones who find themselves on the margin of society and who received special attention from Christ. With Christ I will love them specially, so that they feel that they have their place in society, no matter what others think.

 

Today I will love. I will also love myself as part of that Creation I have decided to love. I will let nothing disturb me or put me off balance, as all things pass. I will avoid getting enslaved by things or people. I will remember that with God, I have everything. I will accept problems and obstacles as challenges that help me to grow, and if suffering should increase, so will my capacity to cope with it. And because I love myself, I will not pamper and spoil myself, but I will give value to penance: by disciplining my body, treating it with moderation and keeping it clean and healthy; and by taking full advantage of my time, dedicated to the service of the Lord and to His Kingdom of Love. I will know that I love myself when I feed my mind with the Wisdom that comes from God and when I guard it from being poisoned by thoughts that come from the Evil One. I will share my heart and it will widen. Through prayer, my soul will always struggle forward and not become dormant. Today I will love. Tomorrow I will love. I will love persistently without ceasing. Nothing or nobody will detain me. I will love, and I will reach my goal in life, because I will love. I will run the race all the way, and when I feel tired, I shall turn to God and He will renew my strength. Never will I sit down to mope over a failure; instead I will learn from my failures and try again. With persistent love, I will overcome all obstacles, even when they may seem impossible, just as the persistent rain can finally level a mountain. I will love now and always for all eternity in God who is Love. I will value what God has given me, by developing all my potentialities to their maximum capacities. I will strive to reach the height of Jesus, following His advice to be perfect as the Father. From an insignificant grain of wheat that I am, but full of potential, I shall grow to my fullness. I will never be content to reach only half way through a life of mediocrity. I will be grateful to God for making me so like others as well as so different and original, which enables Him to enrich others through me. Thanks to Him, I am an original synthesis of many generations, and new generations shall benefit from God's gift to them through me. Through self denial, I will allow the Lord to carry out to the full His creative work in me, which began at conception and which will reach it's completion at death, when I shall be born into Eternity as a completed work of creation for the glory of the Father. Through love, I will learn to have control over my emotions, however exaggerated they may become; I will learn to cope with them, whether I become as depressed as a valley, or as grandiose as a mountain, or as explosive as a volcano, or as thirsty for affection as a desert for water. And if I find I can't cope on my own, I will search for someone who can help me. And remembering that emotions fluctuate as the waves of the sea, I will be understanding towards myself and others when moods change. I will learn not to let the moods of others or the adverse changes in life, whether they come from within me of from outside of me, knock me off balance. If I feel depressed, I will sing; if I feel sad, I will laugh; if I feel lazy, I will redouble my work; if I feel fearful, I will boldly go forward; if I feel inferior, I will think about my past successes; if I feel insecure, I will speak with confidence, lifting my voice. If I feel too confident, I will remember my failures; if I feel important, I will remember moments of shame. And I will learn to smile, even when I fail, for smiling is a gift given only to human beings. Never will I take life too seriously.

And when shall I start loving? Right now. Immediately. All my dreams are dust unless I put them into action. Jesus tells me that only those who listen to the Words of God and practices them, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. And I'm determined to reach God and not land up in Hell. I will proceed now and leave out of my vocabulary the word 'tomorrow', because it will become the constant excuse to put this plan of action off. I will remember that a firefly only gives light when it's in movement. I will proceed, without delay. I will purge all laziness from my system. I will proceed now.

 

Today I will love and I will love today, because it could be my last day on earth. I will appreciate every moment of it, as a precious gift of God to me. I will consider this day my last one. I will not allow the mistakes of yesterday rob me of these precious last minutes of my life. I will not worry about tomorrow, as it could be so different to what I now imagine, and I may never see it. So why worry? I will live intensely today and enjoy it as my last. I will enjoy every moment of it. I will make it my best. I will live it full of enthusiasm and happiness. And if I wake up tomorrow, to find that I am still here on earth, I will show my gratitude to God for the gift of another day, and if not, I will rejoice even more to find myself on the way to eternity with the confidence that is His will for it to be so.

 

Brief Form:

 

Today I will love. I will love God with all my heart, mind and strength. I will constantly keep Jesus Crucified before my eyes, and learn through Him to love through sacrifice. I will offer myself with Him on the Cross in every Eucharist. I will love Mary. She will teach me how to sacrifice myself through love. I will ask the Holy Spirit to inhabit me, so that He who is love can love through me. Today I will love. I will love all Creation. I will listen to God resounding in nature, history and through every person I encounter, and I shall love them without exceptions no matter how difficult this may seem to me, but I will go out especially to those who need me most and not those whom I need most. I shall not let selfishness ruin my love for others. Today I will love. I will also love myself as another of God's beloved creatures. I will learn to accept myself as I am, but I will grow in what is still lacking to develop all my potentialities, and I shall persist until I succeed. I will discipline my life by taking advantage of the time, being in control of my emotions, taking care of my body and keeping it healthy, by feeding my mind with the Wisdom of God given to human kind throughout all ages, by sharing my heart so that it widens, and by praying to God so that my spirit may remain fresh and youthful, full of the vitality to strive forward without ceasing. Today I will love. I will start right now, because if I leave it for tomorrow, all my determinations will be but empty words. Only when these words become reality in me, will they be of value. Today I will love, and I will love today, considering it my last day. I will live my last day intensely and enjoy it while it's here, because it is all I have. I shall not let worries of yesterday nor of the future disturb the happiness of today. I will smile and be happy, even if something painful turns up. And if I wake up tomorrow, I will thank the Lord for another day on earth.

 

Note: It is recommended that you read by parts or fully the text out loud on getting up in the morning and when going to bed at night, to have it as the first and last thing on your mind, and this repeatedly over a period of time; this should help you grow spiritually.[1]

 

       

A MORNING PRAYER

 

 

Lord, here I am in Your Presence.

       I am entirely Yours.

       I adore You.

       I offer You my whole heart.

       I wish only to do Your will.

       I offer You all my efforts.

       I offer You all my sufferings.

       I offer You this day with all that it brings.

       I offer them now,

 but especially in the (or ‘today’s’) Eucharist,

       in union with Your Sacrifice, on the Cross,

       and in union with all those

       who offer themselves to You

       for the Salvation of the World.

 

 

LITANY OF LOVE

 

Leader: Lord have mercy (Response: Lord have mercy)

L: Christ have mercy (R: Christ have mercy )

L: Lord have mercy (R: Lord have mercy)

L: Loving Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Good Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Kind Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Merciful Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Attentive Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Watchful Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Generous Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Just Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Patient Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Father rich in Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Father giver in Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Father loving Creator (R: Teach us Love)

 

L: Son of the Loving God (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Beloved Son of the Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Consecrated Son to the Father (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Most Faithful Son (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Word of Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Seed of Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Vine of Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Bread of Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Sacrament of Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Incarnated Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Maximum expression of Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Loving Shepherd (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the poor (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the oppressed (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the abandoned (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the sick (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the afflicted (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the disabled (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the young (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the elderly (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, Lover of the sinners (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, most understanding (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, most compassionate (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, most tolerant (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, most serviceable (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, most sacrificial (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, most hungry for justice (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, most free in loving (R: Teach us Love)

L: Jesus, most dead to sin (R: Teach us Love)

 

L: Spirit, Love of God (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Gift of Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that unites us in God (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that strengthen us (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that gives us courage (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love of God (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Gift of Love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that unites us in God (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that strengthen us (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that gives us courage (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that makes us free (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that makes us be like God (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that makes us God's children (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that urges us to love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love that leads us to Heaven (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love in whom we love (R: Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love in whom we consecrate our life to God (R:Teach us Love)

L: Spirit, Love in whom we rejoice (R: Teach us Love)

 

L: Mary, Mother of Love (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, teacher of Love (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, model of Love (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, sure road to Love (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, giver of Love (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, animator of Love (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, most loving (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, most compassionate (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, most tender (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, most courageous (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, most decisive (R: Pray for us)

L: Mary, our protector (R: Pray for us)

L: All apostles, pillars of Love (R: Pray for us)

L: All saints, expressions of Love (R: Pray for us)

L: All angels, guardians of Love (R: Pray for us)

 

L: Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world

R: Have mercy on us!

L: Lamb of God, who takes way the sins of the world

R: Fill us with Your Love!

L: Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world

R: Make us instruments of Your Love!

 

L: From all hatred (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all pride and conceit (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all jealousy and envy (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all harshness and rudeness (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all narrow-mindedness (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all bitterness and pessimism (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all indifference (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all lack of confidence (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all uncharitable thoughts (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all tepidness and laziness (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all sarcasm (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From a loose tongue (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all emotional slavery (R: Free us Lord!)

L: From all evil. (R: Free us Lord!)

 

L: Let us pray

Heavenly Father, we thank you for

sending your Beloved Son in a great

gesture of Love to Humankind;

He showed us the Way to Love.

We ask that we may learn to love by the Power of Your Spirit,

with the same intensity that Jesus loved us.

May Our Loving Mother,

 protect and guide us to the Kingdom of Mature Love.

This we ask through Christ Our Lord  who loved us unto death. Amen.

 

 

PRAYER TO THE HOLY TRINITY

 

       Lord, my God,

       Fount of all Humility,

       I open my heart to You,

       Allow me to be humble,

       each time more,

       in your Humility.

 

       Lord, my God,

       Fount of all Good,

       I thirst for You.

       Allow me to be good,

       each time more,

       in your Goodness.

     

       Lord, my God,

       Fount of all Love.

       I adore You.

       Allow me to love,

       each time more,

       in Your Love.

 

 

 

SONGS IN RELATION TO THE THEME OF THE BOOK

 

Note: The original music are found online. Check "Grupo Pueblo de Dios" (click link) and under:"Buscar en autores",  write "Gibson".

This will pull up all my songs as indicated under each title in English below.

 

ON THE CROSS OF THE LORD

      (Original in Spanish: "En la Cruz del Señor")

 

R: Thank you my Lord

     for your death on the cross.

 

1. For the love of your people 

        you gave up your life

        as an offering of love 

        for our salvation.

 

R: Thank you my Lord

     for your death on the cross.

 

2. Now I offer my life Lord

         to you and for all

         completing your loving offering 

         for our salvation.

 

 

    THE WATER OF CHRIST 

      (Original in Spanish: "El Agua de Cristo")

 

R:  Jesus Christ, with the Water, pouring forth from his side 

       washed us clean from all evil, and he gave us all new life

 

1.  In our baptism oh Lord, you have wash us clean of sin

     from your cross oh loving Lord, you call us to renounce our sins

 

2.  He has given us new life, with the waters from his heart.

     Let us promise him to love; follow him who loved us much.

 

  CHRIST OUR BREAD

   (Original in Spanish: "Jesús Nuestro Pan")

 

R: Only you oh lord can save us all

      In a world that is such a mess

      giving us your body and your blood

      In the holy Eucharist.

 

1. In a world that is so beautiful,       

      there are many who are lacking bread, 

      it is because of selfishness

      That much evil is to be found.

 

2. If we love like Jesus who loved us all

      So much bread then will be multiplied

      because  that love is life giving

      as it multiplies so much good.

         

 

THE CANDLE OF CHRIST

      (Original in Spanish: "El Cirio de Cristo")

 

R: Christ you are the Candle,

                with the bright new light.

                Shine and inflame us,

                in our open hearts.

 

1. We are so much like the bees Lord,

        that produce all the wax,

        to form this special candle.

        Alleluia.

 

2. You enlighten our minds Lord,

        as you show us the way,

        that leads all to your Kingdom. 

        Alleluia. 

 

3. You burn deep inside our hearts Lord;

        you are all our joy.

        You give us love and life Lord.

        Alleluia. 

 

4. Now we give you all our wax Lord,

        to be burnt in your fire Lord;

        light for the world to see us.

        Alleluia.

 

 

                   THE HOUSE OF CHRIST 

                Original in Spanish: "La Casa de Dios")

 

1. In the house that God is building, Jesus Christ is the main foundation, 

     and we are the living stones, that make up the house of the Lord.

 

2. The Spirit of God unites us, with his love that forms the Church,

     as happens with the cement, that unites all the stones of the house.

 

3. There are leaders there to guide us, like the pillars of a construction, 

     who together with all the stones are forming the House of the Lord.

 

4. A roof over all protects us; it’s the mother of Christ our Savior,

    and is mother of all his family who protects us and leads all to God.

 

5. As we grow in the love of Jesus like the building that's growing upward 

    we are moving towards the Father, who awaits us as we go to Him. 

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND GOOD READING RESOURCES

 

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