Dear friends of Fr. Benedict,

From the Hospital:
Message for Friday, April 30, 2004

We go through life accustomed to a great many conveniences. We can walk, speak, use our arms and legs, see, hear, and do many other things. It is only when we are deprived of these for a period of time that we can appreciate what they mean. I have been deprived temporarily of the use of my legs and my right arm, which may remain incapacitated. I am painfully aware of what little thanks I gave to God for all the conveniences and faculties I had. I see people using both arms and walking quickly, and I wonder how I ever failed to thank God for that ability.
One of my favorite people is a poor old lady in the South Bronx. Ruby always smiles. When I asked her what she always smiled about, she said, “I can see, I can hear, I can walk, and I can talk. When I’m finished here, I’m going straight to heaven.”
How wise she was to be immensely grateful for the small things of life, which are really gigantic things when you are deprived of them.

Let us continue to pray for each other!

Father Benedict

__________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear Father Benedict, I am writing to you from my sister's home, Mary Ann Jepsen, in Powell, Ohio, while attending a board meeting of the Josephinum seminary in Columbus. I will be offering a Mass in your intention today and want you to know that you continue to be remembered in my daily Masses. I returned a couple weeks ago from a visit with the bishops of Region XIV with our Holy Father, the first of the Ad Limina visits of the American bishops, and my first as a bishop. I was fortunate to be able to spend about fifteen minutes with our Holy Father and found it to be a wonderful experience, as was the entire Ad Limina visit. Please continue to keep me and all the bishops of our country in your prayers, that we may imitate the faith, wisdom, and patience of our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, and of the faith, wisdom, and patience of my dear friend, Father Benedict Groeschel.
With kind personal regards and prayers,
-Bishop Bob Baker, Charleston, South Carolina

Que Dios y la Virgen Maria le sigan dando las fuerzas y el buen animo que puedo apreciar aun mantiene pese al accidente. Estoy segura que usted es ejemplo de vida para muchos y por eso Dios ejerce su gran poder sobre usted y su recuperacion. Dios lo bendiga!!!-Claudia, Lima, PERU

Dear Fr. Benedict, I am a First Grade teacher at Nativity Catholic School in Fargo, ND. The First Graders and I have been praying for you every day. Here are some thooughts for you from them.
Maggie: I hope you get better!
Cassi: Is your arm getting better?
Maria: Get well SOON!
Tyler: I hope you will be able to walk even more tomorrow!
Rachel: I hope your arm feels better.
Christian: I hope that when you get better you don't break your other arm.
Eric: God will heal your arm!
Grace: I hope you get out of the hospital soon
Michael: I hope that your arm will get better soon.
Matthew: Mary Loves YOU!
SpencerI hope that God will heal you soon.
May god continue to bless you and keep you and Mary protect you with her holy mantle. Love, -Jean,

Dear Fr Groeschel,
My daughter Megan and I would like to tell you how wonderful your video messages are! We check on you regularly and pray for you every day. We want you to know that this week we will be offering our prayers for your right hand. Megan (age 10) is sure you will see good results from our prayers. On Friday at our school Mass at St Therese we will offer our prayers for you. Lord have Mercy! God Bless!-Elaine and Megan, Ft Wayne, Indiana

Dear Father, our little seven-year-old granddaughter made her First Communion and was Confirmed yesterday. I told her that prayers she offered on this wonderful day would be especially pleasing to God, and to pray for her most special intentions. As I heard her bedtime prayers, you were one of the people she prayed for. I add my prayers to hers for your continued healing. May the peace of Christ be with you.-Jean, Williamsburg, Michigan

My dear friend Fr. Benedict;
Yes, I think of you as a dear friend, even though we have yet to meet. Your journey of suffering has strengthened my faith and draws me every day closer to Our Lord. Your journey has made me so much more aware of the sufferings of all of humanity. Your journey continues to encourage me to disparage my own small sufferings and, as I offer them up to God, to look outside my tiny world and lift my brothers and sisters up to Our Lord in prayer.
Thursday, I am returning to my little home in Homer, Alaska so my communictions by e-mail will not be possible. But Father I do continue to communicate to your heart by the Grace of Prayer.
May God continue to Bless you Father,and continue to make His Face shine upon you.
with love for you,-Linda, Halesite, New York

Dear Fr.Ben,The offer for sunglasses,lawn chair,paper and pen to use in N.M. while mending still stands.May the Virgin Mary wrap you in her mantle like an egg roll,but let your nose stick out.Much love,-Stephanie, Danbury, Conn.

Dear Father Benedict,
Your words help me get through each day when I read them first thing in the morning. I especially liked the following you wrote for yesterday, Thurs. "We go on day after day, gaining a few inches or a few moments in our struggles. In spiritual terms this is called taking up the cross and carrying it." Everyday I say my rosary,I offer it up for your quick, step by step, recovery.
Love you,
-Mary Susan, Niagara region, New York

Dear Father,
This isn't my first message to you. I have ben in a wheelchair for the last ten years, but your ordeal shows me that I am very lucky. I'm about your age and have no other medical problems to worry about. As I think back I don't think I tried quite hard enough to get back on my feet. When I get on my computer the first thing that comes to mind is your website.Thank yu for all you have done for people thru the years.-Tom, Manassas, Virginia

Dear Fr. Benedict: May God Bless You Now & Always! Please pray for me & my family and for the whole world.-Francis, Nassau,, BAHAMAS

Dear Fr Benedict
Thank you for the opportunity of sharing prayers with you. It is a great consolation to know that God gives us the Grace to work with others through Him. Our family is bery blesse3d. My husband & I have been married for 38 years and we have by God's grace been able now to look back at the difficult times of relationships and raising 5 children. We now have 15 grandchildren and all love God very deeply. We believe that God does answer prayers and we have ason-in-law who suffers from FIBROMYALGIA. It does make life very difficult for their little family and I would be most grateful if you could pray for Alan that his situation will improve. We will of course remember you and your intentions in our prayers.
May God hold you always in the palm of His hand.
God bless,love and prayers from-Anne, Auckland, NEW ZEALAND

Send your greetings to Fr. Benedict

FastCounter by bCentral