Father Marino's Meditations

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin ONE CHANCE AT LIFE; WILL YOU TAKE IT? Life is an opportunity; benefit from it. Life is beauty; admire it. Life is bliss; taste it. Life is a challenge; meet it. Life is a duty; complete it. Life is a game; play it. Life is costly; care for it. Life is wealth; manage it. Life is a mystery; know it. Life is a promise; fulfill it. Life is a sorrow; overcome it. Life is a song; sing it. Life is a struggle; accept it. Life is a tragedy; confront it. Life is an adventure; dare it. Life is luck; make it. Life is precious; nurture it. Life is life; protect it. ~ St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY, make a resolution to live your best life by appreciating and respecting it as a gift from God. Remember that the gift of life comes with a price tag. How will you repay God for the gift of life He has given you? What will you do with the o

 

                                                     WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin REGRETS: A BITTER PILL TO SWALLOW Later, the coffee gets cold. Later, you lose interest. Later, the day turns into night. Later, people grow up. Later, people grow old. Later, life goes by. Later, you regret not doing something when you had the chance. Life is a fleeting dance, a delicate balance of moments that unfold before us, never to return in quite the same way again. Regret is a bitter pill to swallow, a weight that bears down upon the soul with the burden of missed chances and unspoken words. So, let us not leave anything for later. Let us seize the moments as they come, with hearts open and arms outstretched to embrace the possibilities that lie before us. Ultimately, it is not the things we did that we regret, but the things we left undone, the words left unspoken, the dreams left unfulfilled. ~ Before the C

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin CALLED NOW; QUALIFIED LATER Elijah was suicidal. Job wished he was never born. David was depressed. Moses was anxious. Hannah was barren. Paul was in prison. Jacob was a cheater. Peter had a temper. David had an affair. Noah got drunk. Jonah ran away from God. Paul was a murderer. Gideon was insecure. Miriam was a gossip. Martha was a nervous wreck. Thomas was a doubter. Sarah was impatient. Moses had a speech impediment. Zaccheus was short. Abraham was old. Lazarus was dead. On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY, remember that God set them all free. He used their struggles and turned them into testimony. God can turn your worst seasons around when you worship Him in the middle of the storm. Turn your eyes upon Jesus and away from darkness. Choose life over death. Worship is a choice. You have to choose to worship despite feeling hopeless. You have to cho

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin IN THE PALM OF HIS HAND One day, a man was crossing a bridge, But he was afraid. So he looked up to God in heaven and asked, “Can I hold Your hand so that I may not fall? God answered, “No, my child, I will hold your hand.” The man asked, “What’s the difference?”  God replied, “If you hold My hand and you waver, you might let go, but if I hold your hand, no matter what happens, I will never let go.” On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY,  with Isaiah 49:16, remember, “ Behold, I have engraved you on the palm of My hand…”  And with the psalmist in Psalm 139:10, “Even there, Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” Consider what it means to be held in God’s hand.

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin I’M A CHRISTIAN, BUT… I’m a Christian, But I sometimes say things I shouldn’t. I’m a Christian, But I struggle with life’s temptations.   I’m a Christian, But I sometimes fail to trust in God’s plan for my life.   I’m a Christian, But I find it difficult to forgive those who hurt me.   I’m a Christian, But I battle with feelings of anger and resentment.   I’m a Christian, But I am sometimes dishonest with myself and others.   Being a Christian doesn’t mean I’m perfect. Being a Christian means God gives me the grace to continue despite failures.   On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY,  recognize your imperfections, failures, and weaknesses. Then, give them to God. Let go and let God!

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin DO GOOD WHILE YOU CAN Do all the good you can By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.                     ~ John Wesley 1703-1791 On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY,  forget about yourself, your needs, and your interests. Think about others. Then do what you can for whomever you can whenever you can…at least once this week.  

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin   WHENEVER…WHEREVER In happy moments,  PRAISE  God. In sad moments,  PURSUE  God. In difficult moments,  SEEK  God. In lonely moments,  EMBRACE  God. In quiet moments,  WORSHIP  God. In confusing moments,  ASK  God. In painful moments,  TRUST  God. In every moment,  THANK  God. On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY,  make every moment a moment with God. Make every moment count!  

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY A Midweek Spiritual Workout with Fr. Marino H. Msigala, OFM Capuchin THE MEMORARE PRAYER Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen.   On this  SPIRITUAL WORKOUT WEDNESDAY and throughout the month of May, pray the Memorare to the Blessed Mother. Because Mary is a human mother, She can sympathize with us.  Because She is the Mother of God, She can most certainly help and assist us. Without Mary, we cannot succeed. With Mary, we cannot fail.  Because She is His mother, She cannot say that She cannot. Because She is our mother, She will not say that She will not. 

THE JOURNEY HOME Fr. Marino Shares the Story of His Long Journey Back Home to Tanzania Dear Friends, Peace and blessings from Tanzania! I thought you might like to hear about my adventurous journey back to my homeland. So here is the itinerary. As you may guess, I still suffer from jet lag, but I’m improving daily. Although my chauffeur, Fr. Jonathan Ulrick, got me to the Pittsburgh airport in plenty of time for my intended 7:00 p.m. flight to Dallas on Tuesday, May 7, American Airlines had other plans, resulting in delays. The plane evidently had mechanical difficulties, and the delays continued through the evening. We finally took off for Dallas in the middle of the night on Wednesday, May 8. When we arrived in Dallas in the early morning of Wednesday, May 8, delays continued, and eventually, my flight to Qatar was canceled. American Airlines provided a two-day stay at the Hawthorne Suites/Wyndham Hotel just outside the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport. I was grateful to be able to