All About the Joy

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ 

~~~ John 16:29-33 ~~~

In the world you will have trouble,

but take courage, I have conquered the world.

Jesus tries to prepare his disciples for the realities of the world.
They had seen how he suffered and was persecuted.
Now he was telling them that they too would have
many hardships to bear in the world.
Those who follow Jesus...
those who were and are believers
have never been spared hardships, pain, and suffering.

Even today it is not for us to question why
we have troubles in our life.

It is precisely when we are facing pain and suffering
that we must remember his words of courage.

We cling to this world because it is all that is visible.
We long to cling to heaven, but it is invisible to us.

Saint Paul tells us in his letter to the Colossians...

If then you were raised with Christ,
seek what is above,
where Christ is seated at the right hand of the God.

We can take courage to keep our focus on what is above
because Jesus came into the world...
Jesus conquered the world on your behalf.

He is never far away from you.
He is with you...he loves you

None of us will escape this world without facing
 some heartaches or physical suffering.

It is the way of the world.
Take courage,
for the way of heaven is
all about the joy.

You are Blessed because
Jesus came into the world.
Jesus conquered the world for you.
Take Courage!
~~~Peace~~~

The Tranquil Heart

~~~Saint Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church~~~

~~~ Isaiah 7:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 48 ~~~ Matthew 11:20-24 ~~~

Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear;

let not your courage fail...

To remain tranquil is not always easy to accomplish.

When it seems that your world is crashing down

 around you tranquility is not on your mind.

If you search for images of the word tranquil

 you see calm water, gentle water falls, stillness of nature.

What you do not find are and images depicting fearful situations.

Being tranquil is being in a state of rest and peace.

There is no commotion, tumult or fear in the tranquil heart.

To have a tranquil heart means you know how

 and when to trust in the Lord.

It takes courage to remain tranquil 

when the storms of life are surrounding you.

To remain tranquil means you must be strong

 in spite of your initial reaction to flee.

What does tranquil mean to you?

What image do you see first when you think of the word tranquil?

The tranquil heart is not empty or void of understanding.

The tranquil heart does not ignore the obvious.

The tranquil heart takes its courage from the Lord, 

especially when facing fear.

When are you in most need of being in this tranquil state?

Tranquility is not an out of body experience, 

but it is one of complete surrender to the will of the Father.

It is the ability to pray under any circumstances...

whether it is in a busy airport or a private convent chapel.

To remain tranquil is to be in a state

 open to receiving the Blessings of the Lord.

To be tranquil is like floating alone in a quiet pool of cool water.

To be tranquil is like being a single orchard bloom on a long slender stem.

No matter what is happening around you remain tranquil,

do not fear, or let your courage wane.

You will not be abandoned or forsaken...the Lord is at your side.

~~~Peace~~~

Exhibition of Evidence

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ John 16:29-33 ~~~

Jesus says...

 I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.

In the world you will have trouble,

but take courage, I have conquered the world.” 

We tend to overlook the truth that Jesus himself 

drew strength from the Father.

As a human, there were certainly times 

when Jesus found it comforting

or necessary to tap into the strength of the Father.

He wants us to know that we are never alone

 just as he was never alone.

The Father is never far away from our side.

This should bring us peace, 

but somehow we can get overwhelmed with life and forget.

We need this reassurance particularly when life

 feels like it is crashing in around us...

when we feel as if we are being sucked into the abyss of the world. 

Paul came with the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit sweeps into their lives with a new energy.

...when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them...

Our Baptism with water is vital for our soul;

the baptism of the Holy Spirit 

may exhibit outward signs.

One is not more important than the other,

they are just different.

In a few days we will celebrate the exhibition of the Holy Spirit...

in the upper room the Spirit will come with

power and might.

People will be changed; it will be akin to a rebirth.

We have a choice either to receive and respond to the

blessings of the Holy Spirit or

we can dismiss them...turn and walk away.

What will you choose?

Allowing the Holy Spirit to take over your life 

can be a scary proposition.

Jesus says...

take courage, I have conquered the world.

Being led and fed by the Spirit can be an amazing experience.

Give it a try...

You have the rest of the week to prepare your heart to be open.

Do not be one who lets the Holy Spirit

 rush by you unnoticed.

~~~Peace~~~

Your Undivided Attention

~~~ John 4:11-18 ~~~ Psalm 72 ~~~ Mark 6: 45-52 ~~~

We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us.

Jesus sends the disciples ahead of him
 while he stays behind to dismiss the crowd he has just fed.

Earlier the disciples had urged him to leave.
He would not be swayed by their arguments
of not having enough food for the crowd.

Maybe Jesus just needed some alone time...
time to communicate with his Father in private.

Perhaps he himself was surprised that his blessing alone
 kept the baskets flowing with bread and fish.
Mark makes no mention of the disciples
being amazed by the continuous supply of bread and fish.

The disciples do as Jesus asks and leave by boat
 for the other side of the sea.
The seas become turbulent, the winds are growing stronger.

The waves are tossing the disciples' boat up and down.
They are struggling just to keep rowing to make it to the far side.
They are tired and weary. It has been a long day.
Where is Jesus when they need him most?
I think we can all say we have been
in that very place in our life.

Suddenly Jesus is casually walking on the water
 toward them and Mark adds,
He meant to pass by them. 
Why would he want to pass them by?
Perhaps his walking on the water was some indication of his divinity.
But why would he just pass by them in their time of distress?
Maybe he thought they were too occupied
with their own struggle
to even notice he was near them.

Maybe some of us can honestly admit we have been
 in that place as well.

But when they saw him walking on the sea,
they thought it was a ghost and cried out.
They had all seen him and were terrified.
But at once he spoke with them,
“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!” 

Now Jesus had their undivided attention.
'It's me, Jesus, calm down, take a deep breath.
He tells them not to be afraid and gets into the boat with them.
And, yes, as soon as he got into the boat
the seas calmed down.

If the disciples were not impressed
 by the miracle of the loaves and fishes;
they were impressed now.
From then on they would take Jesus more seriously.

I know it may sound corny, but you've
 just gotta have Jesus in the boat with you.

That is the only way to weather the storms of life.
Even if you feel God intends to pass you by
in reality it is never the case.

Blessings of courage;
believe Jesus will never pass you by.

The Moment of 'Aha'

~~~ Acts of the Apostles19:1-8 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ John 16:29-33 ~~~

 

'...when Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.'

 

John baptized with water, but now it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

It is common for one to leave behind a wonderful keepsake for their loved ones.

You certainly have pictures keeping their memory alive

for future generations even.

 

Jesus goes much farther.

He leaves behind the Holy Spirit for his loved ones.

Jesus leaves behind the living Spirit.

A Spirit that is actually part of himself.

This is truly a gift that keeps on giving.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is with us now.

The gift of the Spirit will be with us until the end of time.

 

Finally the followers of Jesus get it...

Now we realize that you know everything

I wonder how Jesus felt and thought hearing these words

 from those closest to him.

Did he say to himself...

 

'Finally, they get what I have been telling them' ?

Yes, Jesus does know the depths of our heart and soul.

He knows everything about who we are; we are his.

He shares and is one with the Father;

who is all knowing.

 

 

Their eyes and ears have been opened with understanding.

Oddly though they believe that Jesus had changed,

when in reality it was they who had changed.

 

When Jesus ascended into heaven leaving this world behind;

it may have appeared that he was all alone.

 

He assures us all that he was never alone and neither are we

or will we ever be without his presence.

 

"...But I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
I have told you this so that you might have peace in me.
In the world you will have trouble,
but take courage, I have conquered the world."

 

Jesus was here as one of us.

He understands all of our emotional needs and our physical wants.

He knows that life can be difficult to accept at times.

He wants us to trust in his triumphs over the world.

He endured pain and suffering for us.

 

He now wants us to have peace in him.

He wants us to draw courage from him.

Every time we hear the scriptures

taking us to the place where Jesus was physically present,

it is another invitation to believe.

 

We are invited to believe that Jesus was never

alone and neither are we.

He is never farther than your next heart beat or your next breath of air.

No one else can be that intimate with your essence.

 

Jesus not only conquered the world he also conquered death.

This world is not where we will ever find our peace;

perfect peace is only found in him.

 

The Easter Blessing of never being left alone or abandoned.

He is with us now and forever.

Amidst Crashing Waves

~~~ 1 John 4:11-18 ~~~ Psalm 72 ~~~ Mark 6:45-52 ~~~

 

Lord, every nation on earth will adore you.

 

We have a God who breaks the rules of science

and defies the laws of nature.

His own rules and laws, I might add.

 

What other 'human' could keep a basket bread a fish

filled to the brim while continually giving from its contents?

 

What other 'human' would even attempt to believe

a liquid surface could support their weight?

 

Jesus did all of these and more.

He had to make an indelible impression.

He needed to get the attention of those who came to him.

He had to render them breathless.

And this he did many times during his public ministry.

 

It is because of these actions and words that we still believe today;

that we still cherish these accounts and hold them dear to our hearts.

It is the very essence of these stories that restores our faith

in stormy times.

These stories keep us believing in trust and hope.

Trusting that our God is watching over us from the mountain top;

and that he will come down to save us.

Hoping that our God will come to us especially

when the waters are churning all around us.

 

Today Jesus has us to carry on his phenomenal feats through

our faith...it is our faith that keeps his actions alive today.

It is in our hour of darkness when we grasp hold of these

beautiful stories...it causes us to have courage.

 

“Take courage, it is I, do not be afraid!”

 

 

Jesus will come to us even in our times of doubt.

The frightened disciples needed the reassurance of his voice

before they were able to trust.

 

Lord, intimes of doubt give us the grace to trust that you are with us.

Courage in the Desert

~~~ Hosea 2:16, 17c-18, 21-22 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~ Matthew 9: 18-26 ~~~

"...Thus says the LORD:
I will allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak to her heart."

Today we are given Matthew's brief version of the Sunday Gospel we had earlier

this month from Mark of the hemorrhagic woman.

...A woman suffering hemorrhages for twelve years came up behind him
and touched the tassel on his cloak.
She said to herself, "If only I can touch his cloak, I shall be cured."
Jesus turned around and saw her, and said,
"Courage, daughter! Your faith has saved you."
And from that hour the woman was cured.

This woman was in what most would consider the desert of her life.

The desert is often used as an analogy to describe a time spent away

from ones normal life.

The time in the desert can be confusing; one can feel hopeless even lost.

The heat the sun the sand the parched ground come together as 

the picture of hopelessness.

God did allure this woman's heart to seek out Jesus even though

she was 'in the desert'.

God gave her the strength she needed to find Jesus.

If this woman had not been suffering with this affliction

we do not know if she would have sought out Jesus.

Our pastor recently said God sometimes leads us into the desert so we can

find him there. When you are in the desert God may be the only one

who can minister to your heart and lead you to the pool of cool water.
The desert appears to be lifeless to the casual observer, but if you look closely

you will see that even the desert is filled with life.

Life in the desert is not easy to detect as it

camouflage's well with the sandy background.

At some point in our life we each encounter the desert.

Always remember that God is with you especially in desert times.

Even when you cannot find him; he is there.

It does take courage to survive in the desert.

Let your faith lead you to the one who speaks to your heart.

He knows the way through the sand pits of the desert.

Follow the trail of his tassel as it traces in the sand.

He knows the way!

Take Courage in Jesus

~~~ Acts 19: 1-8 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ John 16: 29-33 ~~~

"...when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them..."

"...Now we realize that you know everything...

you do not need to have anyone question you...

we believe that you came from God..."

"...In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world."

The readings today should give us some consolation for the times when we do not seem to be understood. For years Jesus had been preaching, teaching, healing, forgiving, even feeding the apostles and his disciples, but they still could not grasp his real message.

Finally the 'light bulb' so to speak has come on...they are getting the message.

Oftentimes in my life something I have heard many times finally falls into my heart with new meaning...or rather with the intended meaning.

I am sure you too have had those 'AHA' experiences.

One thing I treasure about scripture is that no matter how many times you hear a scripture passage there comes a day when you hear it with 'new' ears.

You are in a different place in your life. Things have happened to change who you are from the heart...both positive and negative.

We never know what God has in store for us. Scripture truly is the living word of God.

Anyone that believes otherwise is just fooling themselves. The Bible is timeless yet holds a timely message for each of us. No matter what is happening in your life there is an appropriate scripture passage.

I would have enjoyed meeting St. Paul. It is obvious from today's reading that he was indeed an instrument of God. Paul was gifted with powers from the Holy Spirit that he could pass on. I wonder...what does it feel like to have the Holy Spirit come upon you?

Those in Corinth spoke in tongues and prophesied, but does not the Holy Spirit come upon each one of us.

I pray to be open to the Holy Spirit in my life, but I do not speak in tongues nor can I prophesy. What I can do is be aware of when the Holy Spirit is working through me and give him thanks, credit, and praise.

I welcome the opportunity to be the conduit of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus leaves us with such beautiful words in today's scripture...

'...have peace in me...take courage...

I have conquered the world.'

When can come to Jesus with anything and he will understand.

Open yourself to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.