'Trifecta' of Blessings

 The Most Holy Trinity
~~~ Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~
~~~Romans 8:14-17 ~~~ Matthew 28:16-20 ~~~

Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
to God who is, who was, and who is to come.

In horse racing there is a type of bet called a trifecta.
For this bet you must correctly pick the first three winners.
Not only must the winners be selected,
but they must be in the correct order.

God gave us the three persons...
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There is no need consider any other gods.
There is no need to bet on the top three.

Our doctrine teaches that the Trinity
is the description of God...
three persons in one.
Belief in the Trinity is the very root of the Catholic faith.
We profess it each time we pray the Creed.
We Baptize in the name of the Father,
 the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

We begin most of our prayers
by marking ourselves with the sign of the cross
calling to mind the three persons. 

I am with you always, until the end of the age.

God chose us to be his heirs.
We are his adopted sons and daughters.
His love for us far surpasses that of any physical parent.
He promises to be with always...
in the good times and in the bad times.
His love for us endures until the end of age.

God brought us into this world and he will be the one
 who takes us back to himself.

My prayer is that when the final breath comes;
we may come to a deeper understanding of exactly what
these words have meant and mean.

Belief in the Trinity...
“The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery
 of Christian faith and life” (CCC 234)

There is only One God.
He sends us a 'trifecta' of Blessings.
In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

If we could understand our triune God,
Saint Augustine says...he would not be God. 

Every day our blessings come in triplets.
If one does not get to you there are two more chances.
Be Ready to Receive them.

~~~ Peace~~~

Share His Light

~~~ Isaiah 42:1-7 ~~~ Psalm 27 ~~~ John 12:1-11 ~~~ 

 The Lord is my light and my salvation.

The Lord leads us into life which is into the light.
God does more than just point us into the direction of the light
he grasps us by the hand.

We are part of the light emanating from God. 

We are given the light so that we may be the light for others.
When we stay connected to his light then we are able to share this light.

God has made a covenant with us.
He calls us to open the eyes of the blind.
It is truly by our light that those who are blind
can experience the light.

Blessed with his light...
sent to be light for others...
led to salvation.

Blessings of light!
~~~Peace~~~

(previously written, but not published)

Delight in...

~~~ Sirach 44:1, 9-13 ~~~ Psalm 149 ~~~ Mark 11:11-26 ~~~

The Lord takes delight in his people.

The Lord takes delight in you.
Do you take delight in others?
Jesus comes to us, cares for, loves us, and forgives us
because he takes delight in us.

Each time we reach out to another person
we are invited to take delight in them.

Jesus went to the fig tree,
 but it was not time for for it to be producing fruit.
Sometimes Jesus comes to us and we cannot bear fruit
 because we cannot take delight in ourselves.

If our heart is heavy with anger, hatred, or other sins
it is almost impossible to take delight in ourselves...
it is impossible to think that God would take delight in us.

If we carry the heavy burden of unforgiveness,
we cannot even consider being considered as anyone's delight
much less being the delight of God.

If you remember that God takes delight in you
it just might make you think twice before you act.

If you remember to take delight in others
it might affect how you treat them.

I invite you to consider,
how God takes delight in you.

Blessings of delight.
~~~Peace~~~

Ready to See

~~~ Sirach 42:15-25 ~~~ Psalm 33 ~~~ Mark 10:46-52 ~~~

Bartimaeus, a blind man, the son of Timaeus,
sat by the roadside begging.

Jesus restores the physical sight to Bartimaeus.
He had physical blindness but he had open ears and heart.
He was able to 'see' through what he could hear...
Jesus was in his near vicinity.

The heart of Bartimaeus was filled with hope
 the day Jesus was leaving Jericho. 

He could have given up his dreams of being healed,
but instead he kept calling out to Jesus.
He begins by asking Jesus to have pity on him.
I think we can agree that is a terrible thing to be blind.
There is so much beauty in this world to see.

We can only imagine the joy and excitement
when Jesus calls for him to come forward.

In fact Bartimaeus was so excited;
 he leaves his cloak and few belongings.
He threw aside his cloak, sprang up, and came to Jesus.

To leave behind his cloak meant that he was willing
 to leave his life of darkness...
he was ready to enter into
the world of light.

Faith
...plumbs the depths and penetrates the heart...

Where there is deep faith there can be no blindness.
Faith brings us to Jesus when we are surrounded by darkness.
Bartimaeus could not see the sunshine
yet it was his faith that allowed Jesus
to release him from his world of darkness.

Just like Bartimaeus, we are urged to listen to our heart.
It is our heart that will lead us into the bright
presence of the Lord.

How beautiful are all his works!
even to the spark and fleeting vision!
The universe lives and abides forever;
to meet each need, each creature is preserved.

The Light of the World
blesses us with his sight, piercing all darkness.

Pray for an increase in faith...
you never know when it will be needed
to carry you through the darkness.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Prayer Concessions

~~~ Sirach 36:1, 4-5A, 10-17 ~~~ Psalm 79 ~~~ Mark 10:32-45 ~~~

Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.

James and John had it all backwards.
They were under the illusion that Jesus
 would grant all of their requests.
We fall into this same frame of thought so many times.

We are encouraged to ask God for what we want.
But are there limits to what is acceptable to ask of God?

Can we really expect God to consent to our every whim?
We humans have a way of changing our minds
from one day to the next.

How would God know which of our requests should get priority?
What seems important today may not be an issue tomorrow.

Every day there are many opportunities to make a request of God.

I wonder if when we ask God for something we are really
 trying to convince ourselves that he really does exist.

Have you ever considered your own doubt of God's existence?
Many people try to disprove his existence...
They write books with titles like God is Dead.

Give evidence of your deeds of old...

Sometimes we just may want God to prove his existence
 by granting our prayer requests.

Somehow we want to be rewarded for our faithfulness.
We want to also dictate what the reward will be...
in the form of our answered prayers.

In reality we do know that we cannot barter with God.
Instead we must come to him with our prayer
intentions and leave them in his hands.

That is the part we struggle the most with...
leaving them in his hands.
Our solution is not always the best solution.
For some this realization is a big 'aha' moment.

Personally I have experienced more times than I can count.
So now I try to bring God my prayer intentions
 with the concession that he really does know what is best.

There are so many Blessings in just allowing God
 to be God when it comes to our prayer requests.

Ask and you will receive.
~~~Peace~~~

Is Loss Necessary?

~~~ Sirach 35:1-12 ~~~ Psalm 50 ~~~
~~~ Mark 10:28-31 ~~~

...there is no one who has given up house
 or brothers or sisters
or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the Gospel
who will not receive a hundred times more 
now in this present age...

Reading this passage from Mark's gospel
causes one to scratch your head.
I have not had to give up my home.
I have not had to give up my loved ones.

The big question remains...
What would you be willing to give up?
As I have written here before, we tend to be
very attached to the things of this world.

Our world is what we know best.
Our world is what we love.
Our world is visible and tangible.

Many times we cry out...
Where are you God?

I cannot imagine giving up my home
 much less the family I love.

The whole concept seems so foreign
until I turn on the news.

So many people in areas around the world
 are being forced to leave their homes.
They are only being able to take with them what
they can carry in their vehicles or in their arms.

Jesus reveals that there will be persecutions
and eternal life in the age to come.

The beautiful fact about our heart is that healing
 is possible even when home and loved ones are lost.

Our God is a God of comfort and compassion.
He never leaves our side.
He gives us the strength to survive
all of our losses.

God alone is permanent...
all else is passing.
Follow Jesus and he will Bless you
in all situations.

It is necessary to loose this world
 before we can gain access to the heavenly world.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Unlimited Possibilities

~~~ Sirach 17:20-24 ~~~ Psalm 32 ~~~ Mark 10:17-27 ~~~

All things are possible for God.

There is nothing too evil, painful
or devastating that God cannot use.

He forgives the worst possible offenses.
He relieves the worst pain and suffering;
physical, mental and spiritual.

The most devastating events in our life can be made whole.
It is God alone who can put the broken pieces
of our life back together again.

As we commemorate today those who have served our country;
we also honor their pain and suffering.

We remember those who have given their lives
leaving behind loved ones struggling as they face another day.

It is God who has the power to lift them out of darkness.
There are so many inspiring stories of how
our veterans have turned their injuries into joy.

God never abandons us even in our darkest of nights.
There is a still small light from God
that will grow if we but give it a tiny bit of air.

His grace will sustain us.
His Spirit will guide and strengthen us.
His love will make us whole again.

All things are possible for God

These words alone give me courage to trust in the Lord.
He did not leave us to make our way alone.
He sent down his Spirit to live within our heart.

May we experience a greater
trust in God when all seems lost.
There is no other who overcomes all that is negative.

Peace in the God
of Unlimited Possibilities.

Come, Holy Spirit

~~~ Pentecost Sunday ~~~

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 104 ~~~
~~~1 Corinthians 12:3B-7, 12-13 ~~~ John 20:19-23

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful
and kindle in them the fire of your love.

The third person of the Trinity descends upon us today.
God the Father, creator of all, is the God of the Old Testament.
God the Father sent his Son, Jesus, to live with us.
The Son came to teach us how to live in love.
Jesus sends down the Spirit to keep us inspired.

Today we celebrate the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is like a powerful wind and a tongue of fire.
The Spirit comes as the great communicator.
The Spirit transcends all languages...
all locked doors...all closed hearts and minds.

The gift of the Holy Spirit sparks us
 to reach beyond our normal boundaries.
The Holy Spirit transforms us to see with new eyes.
The Holy Spirit breaks the chains of fear.

The Holy Spirit comes into our souls with peaceful power.

To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit
is given for some benefit.

There is no doubt, you have been given the gift of the Spirit.

It is for you to accept or ignore your specific gift.

How the Spirit manifests itself in your life
is unique to your soul.

Let the Holy Spirit move you
 to use your gifts.

Blessings in allowing the Holy Spirit
to manifest your gifts in your life.

O most blessed Light divine,
Shine within these hearts of yours...

The Spirit in me honors the Spirit in you.
Peace be with you.

The Unwritten Book

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 28:16-20, 30-31 ~~~ Psalm 11 ~~~
~~~ John 21:20-25 ~~~

There are also many other things that Jesus did,
but if these were to be described individually,
I do not think the whole world would contain the books
that would be written.

We do not have access to every aspect of the life of Jesus.
The Gospel writers preserved what they consider to be noteworthy.
We are forever curious about other things
Jesus may have done.

Even if you live in the same house with someone
 you do not know every aspect of that person's life.

We all have parts of our lives that we hold inside...good or bad.

With Jesus we want to more just because
 there is so much we do not know.

We only have three years of the life of Jesus recorded for us.

Jesus did not sit down one day to write his memoirs
like our presidents often write.

Jesus did not keep a daily journal.
He did not record his inner most thoughts.

Can you imagine what might happen
 if someone would claim to have
 the actual writings of Jesus.

Of course we don't know if Jesus could write.

There was no cell phone to catch Jesus
in the act of healing.
No one recorded his voice.
We only have what was written 

sixty or seventy years after the fact.

Paul come to his understanding and love
of the person of Jesus
through those who cared enough
to make the effort to share.

Jesus is still acting among us today.
We believe in the living Jesus.
He sends the Holy Spirit to be with us...
to guide us in his ways.

You are Blessed by a living Jesus.
You are the living proof
 that the unwritten book still has power.

All that you do that is good for the glory of God

is a part of the 'unwritten book'.

~~~Peace~~~

The Insurance Policy

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 25:13B-21 ~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ 

 ~~~ John 21:15-19 ~~~

Jesus questions Peter about love.
Jesus did not get angry with Peter for denying him three times.
Instead, Jesus puts even more faith and confidence in Peter.

Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?

Jesus has great plans for Peter to be head of his church,
but he needs to first verify Peter's love.
Jesus knew that Peter loved him.
Peter needed to profess his love for Jesus out loud.
Jesus wanted to make sure that there was nothing holding back Peter...
no obstacles that could potentially hamper this love.

Jesus does not take Peter's love for granted.
Sometimes we do not verbalize what is felt within our heart.
It can be very powerful to hear our own voice
speaking our love for another.

My husband and I have this little ritual just
 before we hang up the phone.
We always say 'I love you'.

It is something we have both been accustomed to saying and hearing.
It is a reminder of our marriage commitment to each other.

When you profess your love for another person
it changes how you view them...
It changes how you interact with them.

Jesus had great plans for Peter.
These plans relied heavily on Peter's love for Jesus.
Jesus was not trying to manipulate Peter;
he just wanted an honest answer.

Following Peter's affirmative response, the 'if-then'
statements become the essence of their conversation.

Jesus needed to make sure that Peter loved him
 enough to be willing to 'feed' the lambs and the sheep.

Jesus was leaving, someone had to take the responsibility
 of insuring the message would continue.

Peter was Jesus' insurance policy.
The premiums paid were in the form of forever love.

Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.

We have inherited this insurance policy...
if we can also answer the question.
Jesus says to us...Do you love me?
When we answer 'yes'
we are agreeing to be a part of the insurance policy.

Are you ready to feed God's people?
If you love Jesus then that is what you are called to do.

Do not be afraid because
the Holy Spirit is coming to strengthen your love.
Feeding the people of God is a banquet of love.

Blessings come in saying 'yes'
Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.
Yes, Lord, I will feed your sheep.

~~~ Peace~~~

Given and Received

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 22:30; 23:6-11 ~~~ Psalm 16 ~~~

~~~ John 17:20-26 ~~~

Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me...

Have you ever considered yourself as a gift to another person?
The first year my husband and I celebrated Christmas
as a married couple I wrapped up a big box
put a big bow in my hair
and put my chin on top of the back of the box.
I joyfully announced that I was his Christmas gift.
We were poor newly weds spending
 the holidays away from our families.

We still laugh about that time today some
forty years after the fact.

Jesus is telling the Father, with much joy,
that we are his gift.
He is so excited with his gift
 that he does not want to leave us behind.

We often hear people speak about not being able
 to take this or that with them when they die.

These things are mostly referring to our material
worldly possessions.

Here Jesus is speaking about taking us with him.
When you truly love another separation is painful.
Jesus knows that we belong with him
just as all gifts are for the recipient.

Gifts are chosen specifically for the intended receiver.
It is no different when it comes to the gift
 the Father chose for the Son.

You and I were chosen to be given to the Son...
we are his gifts.
We were not chosen haphazardly.
We were chosen by Divine intention.

This time of year we have many occasions to give
 a gift to someone...weddings, graduation, birthdays...

As you are shopping for the next gift consider,
 for just a moment the very gift that person
 is not just to you but for Jesus.

The Father gave all of us as gift to Jesus...
even those who we would not consider as gift.

Father, they are your gift to me.
I wish that where I am they also may be with me..

I can only imagine how Jesus spoke of us
with great enthusiasm and joy.

God the Father could not have chosen
a better gift for Jesus than to give him you.

Blessed to be given and received in love.
~~~Peace~~~

Departures and Arrivals

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~ 

~~~ John 17:11B-19 ~~~

They do not belong to the world
any more than I belong to the world.

We are reminded again in today's readings...
we do not belong to the world.
The world has no claim on us, however
we freely and gladly give ourselves to the world.

Do not believe that the world is all
that matters.

If we do not belong to the world
why does the world matter so much?
After creation God gave the world to us.
God created the world for our use.
Along with this gift comes the responsibility
we have to care for this world.
If we are to care for the world it does not
follow that we belong to the world.
The world was given to us to make our life on Earth easier.
God would not have placed us here with nothing.
He wanted us to have the means to sustain the life
 he intently breathed into our nostrils.

Consecrate them in the truth. 
Your word is truth.

Jesus not only lived and died for us...
he also prayed for us.

Today we hear that he consecrated us in truth.

Jesus was preparing us for his departure.
We have these readings as concrete evidence.
 God never meant for us to be left alone.

The promise of the arrival of the Holy Spirit
 keeps us from being too sad by the departure of Jesus.

We have had the experience of loved ones leaving us in death.
We hurriedly gather as many pictures as we can;
they serve as a way of keeping our loved one close.

Jesus consecrated us to the Father in truth.
This truth is the word of God.
The word that was made flesh.
The word that took his place among us.

Jesus departed from his family and disciples.
Jesus departed from this world.
We eagerly await the arrival of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings within
departures and arrivals.

~~~ Peace ~~~

The Fairy Tale World

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 20:17-27 ~~~ Psalm 68 ~~~  John 17:1-11A ~~~

Now this is eternal life,
that they should know you, the only true God...

Jesus goes on with his prayer to the Father...
I glorified you on earth
by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do.

The message here is for us to also glorify God
 in the work that we do while on earth.

We too have a role given to us by God for our time here.
There may be more than one path to glorify God,
but each must be for this same purpose.
If what you are doing with your life
does not glorify God do something different.

All that we do must be for the glory of God.

Imagine for a minute what a different world this would be
 if each person acted in a manner to glorify the Lord.
Of course this is a fairy tale world from a Disney movie.
But you can join others who have made the choice
to make their life about glorifying God.

I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me,
because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours
and everything of yours is mine,
and I have been glorified in them.

Jesus singles us out of the world in his prayers.
While we pray for the world Jesus is praying for us.
This is how we can believe that it is possible
 to glorify God while we are here on earth.

We do not have to wait until we get to heaven to give God glory.
It must be with every beat of our heart the God is glorified.

Jesus taught us how to glorify the Father...
he gave us all that the Father had given to him.
We have within all that we need;
if only more people would bump
 it to the top of their consciousness.

Glorify God with your whole being
and you will be abundantly blessed.

It is His peace we seek.
Let us give glory to God on the highest.

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~~~

Enlightened Hope

~~~Ascension of the Lord~~~
~~~ Acts of the Apostles 1:1-11 ~~~ Psalm 47 ~~~ 

~~~Ephesians 1:17-23 ~~~ Mark 16:15-20 ~~~

...you will receive power 
when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
and you will be my witnesses...to the ends of the earth.

You first received the power of the Holy Spirit
when the waters of Baptism were poured over your head.

The Lord claimed you for himself.
This included the pouring forth of the
Holy Spirit into your soul.
The apostles had to wait until Jesus returned to the Father.
His promise to them was the gift of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit was sent down upon them giving them
 all that they would need to continue his mission.

Jesus was no longer going to be with them,
 but the power of his Spirit would sustain their faith.

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,
that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call...

We have been called to go forth out
into the world to spread the good news.

Today I was thinking that I am more often
passionate about defending my favorite cruise line
 than defending my Catholic faith.

I can give you many reasons why you should take one
or the other cruise ship,
but when it comes to my faith
 I am often too quiet.
I find this curious about myself.
I really do not care which cruise line you choose.
I do care if you are bashing one cruise line
 when you have never even been on it.

Recently we were seated with some guests that had personal
issues with the Catholic church.

I found myself at a loss for defending
 the decisions of the church that basically pushed them away.

I could only tell them I understood why they were bitter and hurt.
I could only tell them that I was sorry.
I could only tell them that I personally
could never give up my sacraments.

I did not feel like there was anything
I could say that would make things better for them.

I felt bad for them that they had let one past incident
 in their life turn them completely away from the church.

I could tell them many reasons why they should try X cruise line.
But I felt somehow lacking as to why they
should return to their Catholic faith.

Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to the apostles,
which he did. They in turn received many gifts.
They were able to heal and speak in tongues.

The best I can do is to live my life
 from the core faith that I have.

The best I can do is to love you
 even when you bash the Catholic faith,
that I love.

I may not be able to convert you, but maybe
 I can give you a better vision...a more positive
experience with a practicing Catholic.

I pray that my evangelizing is more
 about my actions than my words.

Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.

May the Blessings of the Lord
bring you hope.
He is with us until the end of time.
~~~Peace~~~

Boomerang...

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 18:23-28 ~~~ Psalm 47 ~~~ 

~~~ John 3:31-36 ~~~

I came from the Father and have come into the world.
Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father. 
John 16:28

Jesus describes his existence in clear
black and white language.
He was not speaking in riddles.
He does not construct a parable to teach us about his origin.
He does not keep us guessing about where he was going.

Jesus was very precise he left nothing in the gray area.
We sometime prefer to avoid people who are
black and white.

If we look closely at Jesus we will see that his life
was not characterized as black and white.
He went about crossing the lines...
pushing the envelope.

Jesus spent his public ministry reaching out to those
 on the fringe of their society.
He walked amidst sinners, tax collectors,
the crippled, and possessed.
A typical black and white person
 would have acted very differently.

We would not fair so well if God was black and white.
I am happy to just be a boomerang.
I believe that I was conceived with the blessing of God.
I am here on earth to live the best life I can possibly live.
I believe that I shall return to God in heaven. 

I want to be a boomerang and return to the presence of God.

God blesses us on our journey to return to him.
~~~Peace~~~

Joy Stronger than Pain

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 18:9-18 ~~~ Psalm 47 ~~~ 

~~~ John 16:20-23 ~~~

But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.

God told Paul in a vision to not be afraid...
to go on speaking of Jesus.
In today's Gospel we hear about our mourning turning into joy.

When we are facing trials and suffering in our life
we should cling to this message of being not afraid...
We should trust that our suffering is actually temporary.

But I will see you again...

Jesus is telling us he will see us again,
but the promise of the Resurrection implies that
we will see our loved ones as well.
Our loved ones who have gone before us
already know the joy that we seek.

...your hearts will rejoice...

When we see Jesus in heaven our hearts will rejoice
any fear and sadness previously experienced will be forgotten.

The pain a woman experiences during childbirth
 pales in comparison to the joy of giving birth to her child.

In this the joy far surpasses the physical pain.

...no one will take your joy away from you...

When you find true joy no one can take it away.
The martyrs went to their brutal deaths
with joy in their hearts.
They overcame their fears
because they believed they
 would be in heaven with Jesus.

If you do not believe that you will see Jesus again
there is little reason to believe in the after life.

Our joy can be greater than our pain and fears.
Grace nourishes our joy.
Grace keeps our supply of joy alive in our soul.

Our joy is not dependent on our physical existence.
Our joy must come from the Divine source of love.

Blessed with a joy that
sustains me in times of fear.

~~~Peace~~~

The Replacement

~~~Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle~~~
~~~ Acts of the Apostles 1:15-17, 20-26 ~~~ Psalm 113 ~~~ 

~~~ John 15:9-17 ~~~ 

Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.

Just because you are not chosen at first does not mean
 you will never be chosen.
Jesus did not personally call Matthias to be
counted among the original apostles.
After the betrayal of Jesus by Judas the remaining eleven
felt there was a need to fill his position.

They came together and considered two men who had been
with them as they were with Jesus.
After praying they cast lots and it was Matthias who was chosen.

We do not know how Matthias viewed
 his not being chosen initially by Jesus.

What we do know is that he did not let that turn
him away from believing in the mission.

Matthias is sometimes called the forgotten apostle because
he was not one of the original twelve.

If you ask people to name one of the apostles,
Matthias would not be one you would hear.

Peter would be mentioned most often.
He is the apostle we are most familiar with...he is the one
we identify with most often. 

Matthias followed Jesus from the beginning.
Matthias knew the teachings of Jesus.
He had witnessed the miracles.
Jesus did choose him to be one of his seventy disciples.

Like the other apostles, Matthias was sent out to preach
 the good news after Pentecost.

Had he not been closely following Jesus during his ministry
 he would not have been prepared to assume
 his new position, as apostle.

Saint Matthias was stoned to death
 for preaching the gospel message.

When we believe we have been neglected or overlooked by Jesus
remember Matthias...
in time he was chosen to be among the apostles.
There is a time for all things.

Saint Matthias, pray for us.
Blessings in all times.
~~~Peace~~~

Some Other Time...

~~~ Our Lady of Fatima ~~~

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 17:15, 22—18:1 ~~~ Psalm 148 ~~~
~~~ John 16:12-15 ~~~

The Athenians appeared to be very religious.
They worshiped idols, set up shrines to an 'Unknown God'.
They were willing to listen to what Paul had to say
until he got to the resurrection.
Immediately they had more important things to do.

“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”

...Some other time...

Are you guilty of this same attitude?

Today more and more people are choosing to not embrace a religion.

Perhaps if they ignore God he will leave them alone.
...Some other time...
they might sneak in a few of those
rote prayers they learned as a child.

Many years ago in 1917 in Portugal, the Blessed Mother
appeared to three peasant children. 

The children were seen as liars and thrown into prison.
They were even threatened with a torturous death by boiling oil.

Not until 1930 did the Catholic church declare
 this apparition to be "worthy of belief".

Reportedly during the final appearance the sun whirled
 and danced in the sky amidst dazzling colors.

Surely a sight to behold for the crowd of thousands.
Mary did not say ...some other time...
because now there are too many witnesses.

I wonder why we no longer hear of any such visits
 from the Blessed Mother.

Have we become so distant from the divine faith
that such an apparition would be scorned today?
Is it because we just do not have the time to be bothered
by such trivial matters?
Are visions and apparitions just one big hoax?

Whatever the reason the Blessed Mother
has asked us to pray, especially the rosary.

Paul reminds us today...God
...made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him...

So that people might seek God
even perhaps grope for him...

Groping for something is searching blindly with your hands.
Praying with folded hands helps us to focus on our prayers
 as we seek a closer relationship with God.

We cannot wait for some other time to pray for peace.
The time is now for us all to come together.

Our Lady of Fatima,
pray for us.
Join others in praying the rosary sometime today.

May the Blessings of Fatima
bring you comfort and peace.

The Get Out of Jail Card

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 16:22-34 ~~~ Psalm 138 ~~~ 

~~~ John 16:5-11 ~~~

On the third day Jesus was raised from the dead...
he broke the chains of darkness and death.
We believe this to be true even though we have
no personal experience.

...the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.

Paul and his companions, while wrongfully imprisoned,
had the experience of their physical chains being broken open.

Jesus freed us from the evils of sin.
Jesus gave us our salvation by his death.
Paul and Silas were freed from the confines of their prison cell.
They did not flee; instead they remained.
Because they remained the Holy spirit used them
 to save the guard and his entire family.

The Holy Spirit led his early Christians to every kind of peoples.
Building up Jesus' church was all inclusive.
He welcomed everyone...Jew Gentile...
man woman...rich poor...young old.
There was no discrimination.

So many came to believe after the Resurrection
 that we share in his church today.

We are the believers of this time in history,
just as those who have gone before us
were the believers of their time.

 ...they spoke the word of the Lord to him...

The Holy Spirit is coming to each of us,
just as he came to the early believers.
Our challenge is to courageously speak the words of the Lord.

If the church is to continue to grow in numbers
we must do our part.
It is not up to our clergy or consecrated religious,
it is up to each one of us.

If you cannot find the words to speak
 then at least let your intentions come forth from his words.

Paul and Silas did not use scare tactics or coerce anyone
 to believe in what they were saying.

They simply followed the lead of the Spirit.

Are you prepared to live a Spirit led life?
Even if you are somewhat hesitant
take the plunge.
The Spirit does not lead you where
you do not belong.

Whatever shackles are holding you back
the Spirit can release them.
Trust in the Spirit.
He holds the get out of jail card.
Keep your eyes focused on God.

Blessing in being released.
~~~Peace~~~

The Purple Textile

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 4:13-21 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~ 

~~~ Mark 16:9-15 ~~~

'...a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth,
the Lord opened her heart to pay attention...'

Purple cloth...the color of royalty and kingship.
Purple is also the color of repentance.
Dyeing the cloth purple was a tedious task.
 It required much patience and time.
The only way to make colors back then was to extract the pigment
  from a plant or an animal source.
This purple dye came from tiny little crustaceans.
It took many of these creatures to get enough juice
 to dye just one yard of cloth.
If you did indeed sell purple you could expect to receive
whatever price you asked.
It was equivalent to the designer products of today.

Any piece of purple fabric would represent wealth.
This woman had a thriving textile business.
Paul and his buddies went outside the city to rest
when they encountered some women from the city.

Perhaps this woman, Lydia, was made fun of
 for selling such an expensive fabric.
Who was she hoping would come to buy from her?

Was she there to attract the wealthy men and travelers?
Did she have any idea who Paul was?
Did have have any idea that her encounter
 with Paul would change her life?

As soon as Lydia had received the Spirit into her open heart;
she also opened her home for hospitality.

"If you consider me a believer in the Lord,
come and stay at my home."

The Holy Spirit will fill a listening heart
with the words of truth and life.
The Easter Blessing of the color purple...
a reminder of our Christ the King.

Let purple remind you of the power of the Holy Spirit.
Blessings from all sources...
even purple fabrics.
Peace

Mothers...Love and Beauty

~~~ Sixth Sunday of Easter ~~~

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 10:25-26, 34-35, 44-48 ~~~ Psalm 98 ~~~ 

~~~ 1 John 4:7-10 ~~~ John 15:9-17 ~~~

Whoever is without love does not know God, 
for God is love.

God is love...peace...joy and beauty.
Pouring forth from God is the essential ingredient of life...love.
Today we remember our mothers in a special way.
Many honor their mother's with cards and flowers.

Flowers for my mother bring her much joy...
flowers make her feel loved...
flowers make her feel loved and appreciated.
Flowers expressions of God's creative love.
God chose to make flowers beautiful symbols of love.

The love of God is more beautiful than any single stem...
than any field of flowers.
God is love...
We see evidence of this love shining through in many ways.
Today I invite you to celebrate your mother...
celebrate your love for her...her love for you.
Give her a single flower, a bouquet of flowers
or even a card of flowers...
let the beauty of flowers express your love.

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you

Jesus wants us to know about his joy in us,
because God is love...
If you are a mother I invite you to tell your children
how much you love them...
tell them how much joy they bring to you.

Sometimes our kids, no matter their age...
no matter their sex...
need to hear you tell them how much joy they bring you.

We are given children to experience a slight taste
 of God's love for us.

God's love never diminishes...
A mother's love, no matter how great,
 is only a fraction of God's love.

May God Bless all of our Mothers
with more of his love.

God is Love...
Mothers...Flowers...Beauty...

~~~Peace~~~

Was Jesus Just a Novelty?

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 16:1-10 ~~~ Psalm 100 ~~~ 

~~~ John 15:18-21 ~~~

...because you do not belong to the world,
and I have chosen you out of the world,
the world hates you.

Each time members of the early church encountered obstacles
they were given direction from God.

Jesus came to earth but he never belonged to our world.
He never relinquished his heavenly world.
Jesus brought with himself while here
 in our world a portion of his heavenly world.

A world in which much of our world was not ready to accept.
They found Jesus to be a novelty...a curiosity to some...
a threat to others. 

The world hated Jesus because he was not of this world.

The truth is we are not of this world either,
because we have been chosen and called by God.
We belong in his world, with him.

For now we look like we belong in this world.
Our soul is disguised in our physical body,
but it belongs in heaven...it longs to be there.

We act like we belong in this world,
because we inherited original sin.
Instead of having a natural inclination to always being good
we face temptations that tell us otherwise.

...you do not belong to the world...

Many days the world is all that we relate to.
This world seems so real when compared to the heavenly world.
Jesus gave us a peek into the heavenly world,
but it seems so distant and foreign.
It seems so strange to contemplate not having our physical world.

Our entire spiritual journey, which we experience here in this world,
is about getting to the heavenly world.
To reach the heavenly world we must be
willing to give up this world. 

We have been chosen by Jesus
to be in his heavenly world,
but first we must make it through this world.

Jesus has indeed prepared a place for you;
he chose you to be with him from the very beginning.

Keep walking through this world...
Be confident that you can make it to the heavenly world.
The heavenly world is where we belong...
where we have always belonged.

Thank you, Jesus, for claiming
 my soul to be with you.

So Blessed to belong in God's world.
~~~Peace~~~

Best Friends...

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 15:22-31 ~~~ Psalm 57 ~~~

~~~ John 15:12-17 ~~~

I have called you friends,
because I have told you everything
 I have heard from my Father.

Throughout our life we have many acquaintances,
but out of those only a few are friends.

However you define friends it comes back
 to what you share together.

Friends share their everyday lives.
Friends share the secrets of the heart.
Friends share their hopes and dreams.
Friends share their fears and frustrations.
Friends share what matters most to them.
Friends share a mutual care and concern for each other.
Friends share their love for one another.

Jesus calls us his friends today.
He calls us friends because he has shared all of himself with us.
Jesus calls us friends because he has revealed
 the very essence of who he is to us.

Assuming you do have friends,
do you consider Jesus to be among them?

Do you share more with your girl friends, co-worker,
or neighbors than you do with Jesus.

How many times do you just take the time
to sit down and visit with a friend?

How many times do you take
the time to just spend time with Jesus?
Do you consider Jesus to be among those you call friend?

Friendship is a give and take encounter between human beings.
Jesus wants to have that kind of relationship with you.
Jesus goes out on a limb and calls you friend
even before he knows how you will respond.

Jesus calls you friend;
he never considers the possibility that you might reject him.

We are cautious about who we call our friend.
Jesus shared with us the inner most part of his life.
Jesus shared with us what the Father had shared with him.

Jesus is waiting ready to listen to your inner most being.
Friends do not reject or judge...
Friends support, encourage, and forgive.

Jesus taught us the true meaning of being a friend...
that is to love above all things.
Nothing else matters
 if you have the love of Jesus.

We can join in the chorus...
thank you for being a friend.

Next time you are sharing with a friend remember
this is exactly the kind of relationship
Jesus wants with you.

Cherish your friends;
 they represent the relationship Jesus
wants to have with you.

Treat Jesus as you would treat your best friend.
Blessed with best friends.
~~~Peace~~~

Insulation of the Heart

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 15:7-21 ~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ 

~~~ John 15:9-11 ~~~

I have a feeling that if we had the same joy
that Jesus had we would be delirious.
Jesus tells us that he loves 'as the Father loves him'.
This is a tremendous amount of love.

We also have been given peace;
a peace that can only come from him.
Peace and love from God is more than enough,
but now he is also giving us his joy.

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”

We have posted here about joy before.
What can be added, I wonder?

Without joy we could not experience
 the love and peace that Jesus is giving to us.

It is joy that sustains our soul.
It is joy that keeps our heart flexible to receive his love.
It is joy that causes us to find love where it should not exist.
It is joy that allows us to love others with his love.

Without joy we could not let our heart rest in peace.
It is joy that opens our souls to his peace.
It is joy that makes his peace real in our life.
It is joy that gives us the courage to hold on to his promise of peace.

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and
your joy might be complete.”

Only God can desire our joy to be complete...
daily he gives us himself to complete our joy.

Only love, peace, and joy which originates first
with God can be sustained. 

Only that which comes from God...
through God can endure until the end of time.

His complete joy is the foundation
 for all that is good in our life.

Joy insulates our heart from all things
 that would distract us from God.

God has chosen to love you.
God has chosen to give you his peace.
God comes into your heart to complete your joy.

You have every reason to be happy.
Now is the time to share the joy.
Complete Joy comes straight from the heart of Jesus.

Let his joy spread throughout your world.
It has to begin with someone...
why not you?

Blessings of peace, love, and joy.

Time to be Pruned

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 15:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 122 ~~~ 

~~~ John 15:1-8 ~~~

The early church needed some pruning.
It placed emphasis on rituals that, in the long run,
 made no difference.
Their ritual of circumcision
became an obstacle to their new christian growth.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

If a garden isn't pruned the plants eventually take over the garden.
The plants begin to choke out one another.
Soon all of the plants suffer from the overcrowding.

They cannot get sufficient water and light.
The plants are literally competing with one another
so they all are distressed.
They cannot grow and bear abundant fruit
because their energy is being used just to survive.
They are fighting to stay alive.

When plants are pruned they can put out healthy new shoots...
they can spend energy on making flowers and fruit.
They are more healthy in this pruned environment.

...he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

Just remaining on the vine does not mean
that it is good for the whole plant.

A portion of the vine may be damaged...just barely still alive.
This can happen to us in our own lives.
We can go through the motions of being alive,
when in reality we are barely hanging on.

Outside forces may be contributing to your
 inability to spiritually grow.

Pruning our own life is difficult because we tend to be blind
 to what needs to be pruned.

There are many areas in my life
that would improve through pruning...

I could prune my diet...
I could prune my drawers and closets...
I could prune the use of my time.
This is just a beginning for me.

What needs to be pruned in your life?
How would this pruning produce more fruit in your life?
We tend to cling to the way we have always done something.

Pruning is about creating room for growth.
Pruning is God's way of keeping us more alive in him.

Dear Lord, teach me to surrender to your pruning shears.

Blessings with less...
Blessings of Blossoms.

~~~Peace~~~

Ocean Blue Peace

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 14:19-28 ~~~ Psalm 145 ~~~
~~~ John 14:27-31A ~~~

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.

Jesus gives us his peace.
He is the source and fount of all peace.
The only peace we can give to others
must come from the same source...Jesus.

When I am standing on the deck of a ship
 in the middle of the ocean peace is tangible for me.

We  recently had this experience onboard a ship.
The water was as calm as a lake,
at times it looked as if it was just a painting.
God's peace was all around us for as far as the eye could see.

When we are cruising many things bring peace to mind...
The soaring Albatross birds seem to glide
effortlessly in the sky alongside the ship. 

They catch the wind currents coming
 off the side of the ship and drift for awhile.

This reminds me of how we might think
of the peace coming to us from Jesus...
We should let his peace gently carry us, supporting us.
Can you rest in his peace, even if just for a few minutes?

The high seas are not always smooth and calm,
but when they are it is so peaceful.

Jesus gives us his peace.
It is here for us to access as often as we can.
I invite you to close your eyes and visualize an image of peace...
For me it is the blue ocean from the edge of the ship to the horizon.

May your stress be replaced with his peace.
He gives his peace to you.
There is no other source of peace.

Blessings of peace.

Best 'Teachable' Moment

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 14:5-18 ~~~ Psalm 115 ~~~ 

~~~ John 14:21-26 ~~~

The Holy Spirit will teach you everything
and remind you of all I told you.

Jesus promised that if you love him
 and keep his commandments
 he will send the Spirit to abide in you.

The Spirit has the power to teach you the ways of the Lord.
The Spirit offers you the opportunity
 to learn to be more like Jesus.

The Spirit abides in you. Are you taking advantage
 of this increased wisdom?

Every day the Spirit can reveal
 more and more of the beauty of God.

Are you willing to open yourself up
 to the power and wisdom of the Spirit?

Sometimes the Spirit within leads you into
environments you otherwise might not venture.

You might find yourself expressing a view
you previously had not even considered.

As the Spirit grows and strengthens within your soul
the more at peace you will be on a daily basis.

Saint Paul had faith, but he also allowed
the Spirit of God to flourish within his soul.
Allow this same Spirit, sent by Jesus,
 to remind you of all that he has taught.
The results just might be astounding...the possibilities boundless.

The Spirit will take advantage
 of the best 'teachable' moments to bless you.

~~~ Peace ~~~