Fr. Mark Toups has the most calming voice I've ever heard. These prayer meditations he leads have brought such peace to my life. Thank you for your "yes" to God's call, Fr. Mark. I know you're not a perfect person, but I thank God for the gift you possess. God bless you.
Wow it was hard to break out of the meditation. Now that I am in this state of grace I’m going to pray the rosary. God bless! Let’s all prepare for Christmas!
I don't know what to say.. I was walking and smiling at people with a heart broken in pieces.. And I came across this.. And I told Jesus and gave Jesus my pain.. It was so beautiful. Thank you.. Jesus Christ the Lord God Almighty our Savior Messiah King of Kings bless you in great abundance.
Thank you, everyone who maked this possible. I ask God to bless your ministry. Thank you for preaching the truth in a profound way. Preparing us for the Coming of Jesus. Thank you I am truly grateful Lots of love Farrell. Cape Town South Africa
I was in tears. Powerful to have Mary and Joseph invite us to freely come to Jesus without fear. Funny how I needed their company to do this, just to show I don't need to be afraid of the Lord.
Ascension should do a series of guided meditations like this, and after the speaker is done leading through the meditation, continue the ambient music for another 5 minutes or so to allow for quiet prayer with the music. I'd pray the heck out of that!
Oh good I’m not the only one who thought I can’t be like Mary cause she was so holy. That was always my struggle in relating to her. Thanks for your perspective.
Thank you Father Topps for this beautiful prayer. I was able to be in the presence of Mary and Joseph. I believe the Lord is listening to my husband's and my prayers to protease us to receive the miracle of being parents. Amen
God bless you abundantly Father Mark Toups. What a moment. Simply perfect. I cried in my pain when touching our beloved Mary's womb. God loves us so much. Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, forever and always! 🙏🙌
Grateful for these reflections. Loved the Lentern journey and am rejoicing with this Advent journey. Thank you for the Kindle version! Easily accessible from the UK 🇬🇧😊❤️
i have been doing the “o glorious dawn” advent book for Christmas. Today is Christmas eve. Wish I had found this earlier. Just love what you are doing and how God is using you. You are get another gift this year to add to my list!❤
Closing eyes and pictures all the scene father spoke is surreal and beautiful. As I touched mamma Mary's womb, baby Jesus I cried out in tears of Joy and gladness. And i realized even mother mary and Father Joseph had tears in their eyes and that moment was so heartwarming. Thank you father for guiding me to the place I'd always want to be. The safest place in all earth
I prayed alot today,and this was the perfect prayer to end another hard day. Praise God! Happy Advent to those who graciously brought this to us. Amen.
I was so touched it was as if I was in the room with Mary and Joseph (for real)and the part where Mary asked me to touch her womb I broke down I actually felt Jesus I was shaking with joy that loving feeling of Mary and baby Jesus I’ll never forget this feeling ,thank you for sharing this moment ♥️♥️♥️
I have a hard time sometimes believing that God is always there for me when I need help. The other day, I was experiencing such an overwhelming temptation to lust that it was constantly on my mind through the whole day. I couldn't focus on any of my daily responsibilities because of it. I prayed more than I have in a long time. I think I ended up praying 5 rosaries. I begged God to take away the temptation, but the temptations only persisted and got even worse as the day went on. I eventually gave in, and I feel like God had let me fall. I don't feel like His grace was enough in those moments, and I don't feel like he wanted to save me. I know that somehow His grace was enough, but I have a rlly hard time believing it after that. It crushed my confidence in Him in a way and I'm currently having a hard time not giving up on God. I feel I will be an addict forever, and He will never heal me from this. Please say a prayer for me whoever is reading this.
It is sometimes hard not to give in to temptation. Lust, I feel, is one of the hardest situations to resist. After all, we are only human. So please don't turn your back on the Lord. God knows that you tried all you could to resist. I'm sure he will forgive you. But please, always remember the difference between just sleeping with someone and sleeping with someone you love. I will include you in my prayers tonight. God bless you.
@@waynejfoster9860 thank you, I appreciate your reply. It's an 8-year porn addiction I've been battling seriously for the past couple years. It's hard to keep pushing forward when it doesn't get much better after so long. I feel like it's just a rinse (confession), repeat process. Every time I fall, the harder it gets to not lose hope. Ive installed accountability software, but it doesn't help that fact that I'm tempted so much I commit the sin without the porn.
We are human, made of flesh and many many times we fall into temptation and sin. We fail. He forgives always. He knows our heart and accepts us exactly as we are! He knows our truth. And at times He allows us to fall... but you need to keep your faith. “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together “ Colossians 1:17 please continue to pray. Ask the Blessed Mother to help you. She will bring you closer to Him. Keep your faith. Jesus says over and over again in the Bible... your faith has healed you. The more you trust, the more you receive. Surrender your temptation and trust 🙏🏻🕊❤️
My friend I think there are many ways in which God is telling you something beautiful right now, about life, sin, and Gods grace. Remember, Christ said there is no temptation that is not common to man, God always provides a way out, but the way out isn't always what we think, there may yet be a lesson God is teaching us. I think God might be showing you that you can depend on His grace more, remember God said to Saint Paul "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness". Imagine that, in our "weakness". God allows us to fall from time to time, this is so we do not rely too much on our own will power, to not rely on ourselves, to not view ourselves as good only when we are acting righteous. Remember Christ said in Mk2:17 "those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick", we are always in need of Christ's healing. Sometimes we need to learn that we are only human, and we will fall, but the key is to get back up again, and then you will fall, and then you get back up again, and again, and again. Remember, shame does not come from God, so if you feel shame, ask who is filling you with it? Because it is not God. I always try to remind myself in times of shame how the devil is an accuser, he will accuse you after you fall, and want you to fall into despair, while God holds out His hand to pick you up and show mercy and unconditional love. The devil wants you to sin, but not just for the sin itself, above all he wants you to fall into despair, that is the main goal of the devil. When this happens thoughts like "i cant stop this sin", or, "God has given up on me" are common, but these are the exact lies of the Lord of lies to try to get you to his ultimate goal, which is to despair in God. But that is the ultimate trick and lie of the devil, do not fall for it. We both know God is unconditional love, unconditional mercy, no matter how often you fall Gods grace is there for you if you repent, no matter what! If you are trying to overcome sin, no matter how many times you fail, Gods grace and mercy is there for you. Trials like this are teaching you to lean on God more, realise our brokenness in this fallen world, accept that we will fall, ask for forgiveness, and open our hearts to Gods grace which He said is "sufficient for us". God does not grow tired of forgiving us, but often people grow tired of asking for His forgiveness. I hope this helped a little!
Brother, you are not alone. I have been in almost the exact same situation. I am starting to think these kinds of temptations are really the "intrusive thoughts" associated with scrupulosity and OCD. I would suggest trying to find a regular confessor/spiritual director as well as a Catholic psychiatrist. And no matter what, don't give up on seeking help. The good Lord wants to heal broken people like you and me, so much that He died on the Cross out of sheer love for us. Please reflect on this. I will keep you in my prayers.
I'd love to know who is the talented artist who made these beautiful drawings, he or she has a truly blessed hand! Thank you for channeling all of these Blessings onto our lives :-D
Fr. Toups, thank you for this video. Today I was just informed that the store I work at, where I got my first job and that I've really come to care about in the past year and a half, is going to close. I'm honestly somewhat crushed, and at the same time uneasy because I don't know what I should do--or more specifically, what God wants me to do--next. I could transfer to another store, as I've been offered, or perhaps this is an indication that it's time for me to move on. Unfortunately I've grown accustomed to being pretty self-reliant in my decision-making, but as I continue to discern not just my professional life but my overall vocation, I know deep down that this simply won't do, but it's hard to let go of that and simply surrender it all to God and trust that He knows what I need and want even better than I do. And as though to pour salt on the wound, I only have two weeks to give them my answer as to whether I'll stay or leave ^_^' Please pray for me, everyone, not only that I'll have the wisdom to know what God is asking of me now, but that I'll have the resignation and trust to do it.
Wasn’t Mary and Joseph part of the Jewish monastery? They were both designated to be priest and nun with one exception to marry during their discernment?
I also want to add that only men from the tribe of Levi could be priests. Saint Joseph was from the tribe of Judah, although he WAS the rightful heir of the kingdom of David, but the Jews had been dispersed by then, so no Jewish king was recognized. In tradition, it is said that Mary was a temple maiden, but that for her protection she was married to Joseph, probably because she was of marriageable age. Nuns the way we know them didn't exist at the time. Although there IS a Saint Joseph and Marian apparition in Brazil from the mid 1990s where a teenage boy claims that Our Lady told him that she and St. Joseph independently promised their virginity to God and that they told each other and supported each other. It's not approved by the Holy See yet, but a lot of devotees don't doubt that message.
This was one of the most moving prayer experiences of my life. There wasn't a second I wasn't in tears. Thank you, Father.
Same here. I wasn't always in tears but I was most certainly emotional
Fr. Mark Toups has the most calming voice I've ever heard. These prayer meditations he leads have brought such peace to my life. Thank you for your "yes" to God's call, Fr. Mark. I know you're not a perfect person, but I thank God for the gift you possess. God bless you.
Thank you father Albert, may God bless you and your family and friends. Sicerely thank you for this meditation.
Wow! How profound and beautiful! I need God to free me from my emotional disconnect. Amen
Thank you Fr Toups. Beautiful guided meditation and prayer that brought me deeper into myself, where I need God's help the most. God bless you!
Thank you Fr Mark…….just what I needed!
Wow it was hard to break out of the meditation. Now that I am in this state of grace I’m going to pray the rosary. God bless! Let’s all prepare for Christmas!
Very profound prayer, thank you Fr so much 🙏🏻
I had tears in my eyes, beautiful prayers to God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary asking for help of our problems.
This was beautiful. I cried in my pain touching the womb of our beloved Mary.
I don't know what to say.. I was walking and smiling at people with a heart broken in pieces.. And I came across this.. And I told Jesus and gave Jesus my pain.. It was so beautiful. Thank you.. Jesus Christ the Lord God Almighty our Savior Messiah King of Kings bless you in great abundance.
Wow i started listening while distracted and ended crying... truly beautiful
Same
Me too!
same here
I agree, this was a very special prayer experience for me as well.
Thank you father🙏🏻❤️
Thank you, everyone who maked this possible.
I ask God to bless your ministry.
Thank you for preaching the truth in a profound way. Preparing us for the Coming of Jesus.
Thank you I am truly grateful
Lots of love
Farrell.
Cape Town
South Africa
This is a sign to me.
I need constant help and ask God quite a bit. Imagining is beautiful. Thank you.
I was in tears. Powerful to have Mary and Joseph invite us to freely come to Jesus without fear. Funny how I needed their company to do this, just to show I don't need to be afraid of the Lord.
Ascension should do a series of guided meditations like this, and after the speaker is done leading through the meditation, continue the ambient music for another 5 minutes or so to allow for quiet prayer with the music. I'd pray the heck out of that!
They have that on the hallow app and Fr. Mike’s homilies too!
YAY YOU BROUGHT THE PRIEST FROM THE LENT SERIES TO THE ADVENT SERIES IM SO HYPED
I just wept so hard. Thank you father
Oh good I’m not the only one who thought I can’t be like Mary cause she was so holy. That was always my struggle in relating to her. Thanks for your perspective.
Thank you Father Topps for this beautiful prayer. I was able to be in the presence of Mary and Joseph. I believe the Lord is listening to my husband's and my prayers to protease us to receive the miracle of being parents. Amen
Wow. That was a beautiful mediation. You are gifted Father. God bless you and yours.
WOW That was beautiful !!!! Thank you so much Fr. Mark Toups. Looking forward to next week. God Bless
This was beautiful, Father. Thank you so much for this gift. I'm in tears, but it's not sadness. Looking forward to the week and beyond.
Thanks a lot. Love from Chile
So relaxing. God bless you always, Fr. Mark Toups. Amen.
This was one of the most beautiful prayer experiences I’ve had in a long time. Thank you for your vocation father! Blessings!
What a beautiful blessing this video is for me. Thank you and may God continue to bless you.
Wish I could give this more than one thumbs up. A powerful meditation. Thank you for Father Mark!
100! And there's the Holy Spirit!
Thank you that was very beautiful.
Such a powerful meditation. I cried.
This is beautiful. Thank you.
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ 🙏 Mother Mary Pray For Us 🙏Abba Father Bless us and we Adore You 🙏Holy Spirit Guide us and direct our paths 🙏
I could listen to Fr. Toups read out of a phone book and I would hang onto every word! He's just great!
God bless you all! I love Advent and Christmas.
thank you so much ♡
Wow!!! So beautiful. I felt so much peace.
Great mental prayer!🙏
I cried
Thank you so much Father. This was such a beautiful, quiet time of prayer for me 🙏
Received the Holy Spirit as soon as I made my requests of help at the end of this meditation
Thank You
this was amazing, thank you so much for this and God Bless you and this beautiful community that is bringing us closer to God.
God bless you abundantly Father Mark Toups.
What a moment. Simply perfect.
I cried in my pain when touching our beloved Mary's womb.
God loves us so much.
Praise the Lord Jesus Christ, forever and always! 🙏🙌
amazing as usual.
Grateful for these reflections. Loved the Lentern journey and am rejoicing with this Advent journey. Thank you for the Kindle version! Easily accessible from the UK 🇬🇧😊❤️
i have been doing the “o glorious dawn” advent book for Christmas. Today is Christmas eve. Wish I had found this earlier. Just love what you are doing and how God is using you. You are get another gift this year to add to my list!❤
pleasant and peaceful,God's grace and mercy blesses the fruit.
Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Jesus is coming ⏳⌛️
Closing eyes and pictures all the scene father spoke is surreal and beautiful. As I touched mamma Mary's womb, baby Jesus I cried out in tears of Joy and gladness. And i realized even mother mary and Father Joseph had tears in their eyes and that moment was so heartwarming. Thank you father for guiding me to the place I'd always want to be. The safest place in all earth
This was one of the most beautiful meditations I have ever experienced🥺❤ Santa Maria, Mater Dei et Sancte Ioseph, virgo Pater Iesu, ora pro nobis🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thank you Father. Wonderful prayer experience
I was in need of that. I'll just let my tears fall, since I don't know exactly what to ask.
I prayed alot today,and this was the perfect prayer to end another hard day.
Praise God!
Happy Advent to those who graciously brought this to us.
Amen.
Thank you thanks be t to God these 11 minutes were like 11 seconds truly beautiful spirtfiid experience 🙏
God bless you !
Thank you🙏🏼
Thank you ! It was a very sincere and enlightening experience👍🏼🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🏡❤️
This is awesome. God Bless!^_^
I was so touched it was as if I was in the room with Mary and Joseph (for real)and the part where Mary asked me to touch her womb I broke down I actually felt Jesus I was shaking with joy that loving feeling of Mary and baby Jesus I’ll never forget this feeling ,thank you for sharing this moment ♥️♥️♥️
Amen. 🙏🏻
Thank you
I have a hard time sometimes believing that God is always there for me when I need help. The other day, I was experiencing such an overwhelming temptation to lust that it was constantly on my mind through the whole day. I couldn't focus on any of my daily responsibilities because of it. I prayed more than I have in a long time. I think I ended up praying 5 rosaries. I begged God to take away the temptation, but the temptations only persisted and got even worse as the day went on. I eventually gave in, and I feel like God had let me fall. I don't feel like His grace was enough in those moments, and I don't feel like he wanted to save me.
I know that somehow His grace was enough, but I have a rlly hard time believing it after that. It crushed my confidence in Him in a way and I'm currently having a hard time not giving up on God. I feel I will be an addict forever, and He will never heal me from this. Please say a prayer for me whoever is reading this.
It is sometimes hard not to give in to temptation.
Lust, I feel, is one of the hardest situations to resist. After all, we are only human. So please don't turn your back on the Lord.
God knows that you tried all you could to resist. I'm sure he will forgive you. But please, always remember the difference between just sleeping with someone and sleeping with someone you love.
I will include you in my prayers tonight. God bless you.
@@waynejfoster9860 thank you, I appreciate your reply. It's an 8-year porn addiction I've been battling seriously for the past couple years. It's hard to keep pushing forward when it doesn't get much better after so long. I feel like it's just a rinse (confession), repeat process. Every time I fall, the harder it gets to not lose hope. Ive installed accountability software, but it doesn't help that fact that I'm tempted so much I commit the sin without the porn.
We are human, made of flesh and many many times we fall into temptation and sin. We fail. He forgives always. He knows our heart and accepts us exactly as we are! He knows our truth. And at times He allows us to fall... but you need to keep your faith. “He is before all things and in Him all things hold together “
Colossians 1:17 please continue to pray. Ask the Blessed Mother to help you. She will bring you closer to Him. Keep your faith. Jesus says over and over again in the Bible... your faith has healed you. The more you trust, the more you receive. Surrender your temptation and trust 🙏🏻🕊❤️
My friend I think there are many ways in which God is telling you something beautiful right now, about life, sin, and Gods grace. Remember, Christ said there is no temptation that is not common to man, God always provides a way out, but the way out isn't always what we think, there may yet be a lesson God is teaching us. I think God might be showing you that you can depend on His grace more, remember God said to Saint Paul "my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness". Imagine that, in our "weakness". God allows us to fall from time to time, this is so we do not rely too much on our own will power, to not rely on ourselves, to not view ourselves as good only when we are acting righteous. Remember Christ said in Mk2:17 "those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick", we are always in need of Christ's healing. Sometimes we need to learn that we are only human, and we will fall, but the key is to get back up again, and then you will fall, and then you get back up again, and again, and again. Remember, shame does not come from God, so if you feel shame, ask who is filling you with it? Because it is not God. I always try to remind myself in times of shame how the devil is an accuser, he will accuse you after you fall, and want you to fall into despair, while God holds out His hand to pick you up and show mercy and unconditional love. The devil wants you to sin, but not just for the sin itself, above all he wants you to fall into despair, that is the main goal of the devil. When this happens thoughts like "i cant stop this sin", or, "God has given up on me" are common, but these are the exact lies of the Lord of lies to try to get you to his ultimate goal, which is to despair in God. But that is the ultimate trick and lie of the devil, do not fall for it. We both know God is unconditional love, unconditional mercy, no matter how often you fall Gods grace is there for you if you repent, no matter what! If you are trying to overcome sin, no matter how many times you fail, Gods grace and mercy is there for you. Trials like this are teaching you to lean on God more, realise our brokenness in this fallen world, accept that we will fall, ask for forgiveness, and open our hearts to Gods grace which He said is "sufficient for us". God does not grow tired of forgiving us, but often people grow tired of asking for His forgiveness. I hope this helped a little!
Brother, you are not alone. I have been in almost the exact same situation. I am starting to think these kinds of temptations are really the "intrusive thoughts" associated with scrupulosity and OCD. I would suggest trying to find a regular confessor/spiritual director as well as a Catholic psychiatrist. And no matter what, don't give up on seeking help. The good Lord wants to heal broken people like you and me, so much that He died on the Cross out of sheer love for us. Please reflect on this. I will keep you in my prayers.
Beautiful. Thanks.
Wow. Just wow.
Absolutely lovely
Wow
thank you guys!
Beautiful
❤🙏❤
I'd love to know who is the talented artist who made these beautiful drawings, he or she has a truly blessed hand! Thank you for channeling all of these Blessings onto our lives :-D
🕊
❤❤❤🙏🙏🙏🙌🙌🙌😊
Fr. Toups, thank you for this video. Today I was just informed that the store I work at, where I got my first job and that I've really come to care about in the past year and a half, is going to close. I'm honestly somewhat crushed, and at the same time uneasy because I don't know what I should do--or more specifically, what God wants me to do--next. I could transfer to another store, as I've been offered, or perhaps this is an indication that it's time for me to move on. Unfortunately I've grown accustomed to being pretty self-reliant in my decision-making, but as I continue to discern not just my professional life but my overall vocation, I know deep down that this simply won't do, but it's hard to let go of that and simply surrender it all to God and trust that He knows what I need and want even better than I do. And as though to pour salt on the wound, I only have two weeks to give them my answer as to whether I'll stay or leave ^_^' Please pray for me, everyone, not only that I'll have the wisdom to know what God is asking of me now, but that I'll have the resignation and trust to do it.
Will I ever be able to pray without crying?
What is the background music please
I think they have their own composers at Ascension Press, so I doubt you'd be able to find it and buy it online.
what do you think of frozen embryos ?
Wasn’t Mary and Joseph part of the Jewish monastery? They were both designated to be priest and nun with one exception to marry during their discernment?
Monasteries didn't exist at the time. Perhaps you're thinking about something else?
I also want to add that only men from the tribe of Levi could be priests. Saint Joseph was from the tribe of Judah, although he WAS the rightful heir of the kingdom of David, but the Jews had been dispersed by then, so no Jewish king was recognized.
In tradition, it is said that Mary was a temple maiden, but that for her protection she was married to Joseph, probably because she was of marriageable age.
Nuns the way we know them didn't exist at the time.
Although there IS a Saint Joseph and Marian apparition in Brazil from the mid 1990s where a teenage boy claims that Our Lady told him that she and St. Joseph independently promised their virginity to God and that they told each other and supported each other. It's not approved by the Holy See yet, but a lot of devotees don't doubt that message.
This mediation didn't give me much time to finish and see what God wanted to do or say.
Amen 🙏🏻❤️