Pope Francis Inspires...

~~~ Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Numbers 11:25-29 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ 

~~~ James 5:1-6 ~~~ Mark 9:38-43, 45, 47-48 ~~~

...the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,

giving wisdom to the simple.

Instead of writing this post I have been mesmerized

 by the broadcast of Pope Francis at the 

Festival of the Families in Philadelphia. 

The words of wisdom from the Pope inspires families everywhere.

Before God created the world he was love..

The love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit was so

great that he created the world.

God created the world to be a place of love.

Jesus came into a family.

The family is love...

the family is the best expression of love.

The precepts of the Lord give joy to the heart.

Pope Francis inspires us to rise above 

whatever is wrong in ourselves, our families,

 our country, and our world.

Pope Francis invites us to be better...

to be more than we think we can be...

to live up to the potential God has planted within our soul.

 ...whoever is not against us is for us.

Pope Francis walks the talk with joy in his heart.

Because we see his joy we are inspired

to latch on to this same joy.

Thank you God for sending us your humble servant,

our beloved Pope Francis.

Pope Francis speaks from the heart...

a heart fertile with his great love for the Lord.

We are Blessed to have him visiting here in our country.

He truly is the People's Pope.

~~~Peace~~~

Pay Attention...

~~~ Zechariah 2:5-9, 14-15A ~~~ (Psalm) Jeremiah 31:10, 11-12AB, 13 ~~~

~~~ Luke 9:43B-45 ~~~

I will be for her an encircling wall of fire, says the LORD,
and I will be the glory in her midst.

Every year we see the terrific wild fires.
They race across the land consuming all in the path of the flames.
The Lord tells the prophet that his fire will be one of protection.
The Lord's fire will create a wall circling around Jerusalem.

This will be a time of great joy...
a time to sing and dance.
The Lord will come to dwell with the people;
he will be the glory in their midst.

The Lord continues to live among us...with us...
the glory of his presence is with us even today.

Do you recognize the glory of the Lord
in our world today?

The Lord continues to encircle us with us...
not with fire but with his great love and protection.
This is the permanent yet invisible protection he extends to you.

Jesus said to his disciples,
“Pay attention to what I am telling you.
The Son of Man is to be handed over to men.” 

Jesus was speaking to those physically present before him,
but his command to pay attention
is relevant for us today.

Unfortunately some still do not understand
the significance of the actions of Jesus.

His death overcame the darkness of sin.
His death becomes the glory that lives with us.
You participate in this glory if you so chose.

We have the opportunity to share the glory of God
every day as we engage with our neighbors.

Allow yourself to always be amazed by the Lord.
Our Lord, who has power to tame the flames of fire
forming them into a protective circle.

Our Lord, who defied death
to bring us to everlasting life with him.

There is nothing greater than the glory of God.
It is more than we can comprehend...
greater than the sun...
more powerful than fire and water.

"Pay Attention..."
there is more to come...
you do not want to miss what God has planned for you.

Jesus destroyed death
and brought life to light through the Gospel.

Blessings to be the heart and soul
of the glory of the Lord.

~~~Peace~~~

Why Ask the Question?

~~~ Haggai 2:1-9 ~~~ Psalm 43 ~~~ Luke 9:18-22 ~~~

 ...my spirit continues in your midst;
do not fear!

Once again today's gospel contains the question...
Who do you say that I am?
This question along with your personal answer
must be taken seriously.
Jesus did not ask this question in the rhetorical manner.
Jesus asks this question of all his people.
He expects your answer.

If Jesus were to abandon us now that our salvation has been secured,
there would be no need for you to answer the question.

However, the reality is that Jesus
'continues in our midst'.
His spirit is with you always...
until the end of time.

We are reminded so often to consider our answer to his question,
because we live in an ever changing environment.

Jesus remains the "Christ of God".
He is the anointed one sent down to us by the Father.

The apostles and the people of the day
recognized there was something very different about Jesus.

It was Peter who was able to verbalize the truth
about Jesus.

It is good for your soul to keep your
answer to his question on the surface of your heart
so that your soul has constant access.

You must know your answer...
no matter when you are asked.

It is the ever present spirit of Jesus
 that solidifies your answer.

The essence of Jesus is permanent,
but our relationship with him is often a work in progress.

Hold on to who you believe Jesus is for you...
do not fear when your conviction is challenged.
Write in your journal who Jesus is to you.

When you are feeling unsure or insecure
in your life journey 

return to this page and read your
own words aloud to yourself.

You are not alone...
Jesus will never abandon you.
His spirit is always with you...
always Blessing you.
In your heart you do know who Jesus is.

~~~Peace~~~

God Bless Pope Francis
 as he continues his historic visit
in America.
He is truly showing who Jesus
 is for all of us to witness.

Consider Your Ways!

~~~ Haggai 1:1-8 ~~~ Psalm 149 ~~~ Luke 9:7-9 ~~~

Consider your ways!

Herod had John the Baptist killed while he was intoxicated.
Later, when he was sober, the guilt of his sin began to haunt him.
He was mentally tormented from what he was hearing about Jesus.

Herod heard things and saw things but the sad state of his soul
prevented comprehension.
Herod needed to 'consider his ways'
but he could not do it.

His guilt was so great that it overpowered his mind.
Herod was unable to think straight,
even without being under the influence of alcohol.

We too can become intoxicated with our own sins.
We too can become intoxicated with our guilt.

The invitation for us today is from the book of Haggai.
Consider your ways!

What needs to change in your life?
This is the time to overcome any residual guilt
that lingers in your soul.

 The Lord takes delight in his people.

We have the most loving and forgiving God.
There is no reason...no excuse
to harbor guilt within your heart.

Herod could not find a way to rid his heart of guilt,
but you have Jesus...you know Jesus.
Bring any guilt you have to Jesus;
he is ready to lift it from your soul.

The Lord takes delight in his people.

He is waiting for you to consider your ways
 so that you can believe that Jesus takes delight in you.

Herod clung to his troubled heart,
but you have an alternative choice.

Blessed to have a God
who takes delight in you.

~~~Peace~~~

Cause for Bright Eyes

~~~ Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest ~~~

Padre Pio

~~~Ezra 9:5-9 ~~~TOBIT 13:2, 3-4A, 4BEFGHN, 7-8~~~

~~~ Luke 9:1-6 ~~~

...mercy came to us from the LORD, our God,

who left us a remnant and gave us a stake in his holy place;

thus our God has brightened our eyes...

You are invited to recognize and accept God's mercy for us.

The mercy which comes from God is greater than you can imagine.

When the mercy of God is allowed to live in your 

heart your eyes too can be brightened.

There is a saying that the eyes are the window to the soul.

Your eyes reveal much about your state of mind.

Consider the eyes of one who is happy...

they seem to dance and twinkle.

In contrast consider the eyes of one who

 is grieving, in pain, or depressed...

they are often dull, distant, and fixed.

Everything about your relationship with God gives

cause for your eyes to be bright.

The love and mercy you receive from God 

must escape from your soul as joy.

...shake the dust from your feet...

Whatever seems to rob you of joy;

turn and walk away.

What you cannot change you must leave behind...

just as Jesus advises the Apostles.

There are many times,

if you could just remember these six little words

your day would be much better.

I leave you today with these beautiful words of Padre Pio...

Prayer is the best weapon that we possess.

It opens the heart of God.

Don't allow any sadness to dwell in your soul,

for sadness prevents the Holy Spirit from acting freely.

In the spiritual life, you must take one step forward each day

 in a vertical line, from the bottom up.

Pray, pray to the Lord with me, 

the whole world needs prayer...

You are Blessed with numerous resources 

to help you shake the dust from your feet.

Today you have Saint Padre Pio...

pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~

Celebrating Pope Francis' visit to America.

Cause for happiness that shines 

brightly from your eyes.

No Reserved Seats

~~~ Ezra 6:7-8, 12B, 14-20 ~~~ Psalm 122 ~~~ Luke 8:19-21 ~~~

 “My mother and my brothers 

are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

The crowd was so great around Jesus that his 

own family members could not enter the structure.

Mary was not given VIP tickets...

she did not have reserved seats in the front.

She was virtually denied entrance.

She had no access to her own son, Jesus.

I wonder if Mary was surprised?

She certainly had traveled with great enthusiasm 

in her heart to see and hear Jesus.

Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Wherever Jesus is present is the house of the Lord.

Jesus does not go out of his way to see Mary,

instead he sends a somewhat confusing message.

 “My mother and my brothers 

are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”

At that very moment Jesus expanded the definition of his family.

He broke down the traditional family boundaries.

He opened family to include his whole church.

If you follow Jesus...hear his words...act accordingly,

then you are part of the family...His family...the family of God.

The book of Ezra provides details of the building of the church...

the physical structure...the place dedicated to worship.

Jesus takes the whole concept of church and extends it to the people.

So what is 'church'...is it the bricks and mortar...

or is it the flesh and blood.

Jesus makes us his living church.

We are the ones who can hear his word.

We are the ones who can live the message.

The structure is a common meeting place 

where we gather as one to receive his words.

We are in the family.

We are sent out to carry on the family business...

A business of forgiveness, compassion, and mercy.

Are you up to the task?

Do you consider yourself 'part of the family'?

Do your actions and attitudes align with those of Jesus?

Blessed to be included in the family of God.

Strive to be the best family member you can be.

~~~Peace~~~

Dress Rehearsal

~~~ Saint Matthew, Apostle and evangelist ~~~

~~~Ephesians 4:1-7, 11-13 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Mathew 9:9-13 ~~~

Their message goes out through all the earth.

The message for us is to live in a manner worthy to the call.

This is a good time to pause for a spiritual check up.

The season of Fall is here...a time when nature begins to slow down...

a time when the leaves on the trees begin to display their fire colors.

I desire mercy, not sacrifice.

Part of the message we are called to embrace is one of mercy.

Not just mercy when our heart is moved,

but mercy in every situation.

Soon the Pope will proclaim the year of mercy.

We can begin the dress rehearsal today.

Make the conscious effort to practice mercy in your daily life.

 ...grace was given to each of us

according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 

Through the power of grace 

you can make mercy a vital component of how you

use your personal gifts given to you from God.

Mercy...  

kindness or help given to an unfortunate person.

Help given to an unfortunate person...

Who is an unfortunate person?

...for building up the Body of Christ

As a living part of the Body of Christ

you are called to act with mercy...

In using your gifts you are urged 

to make mercy part of your actions.

If you are an active participant in the Body of Christ

you must support helping those who are

unfortunate.

Blessings will fill your heart as mercy grows stronger.

The time is now to take note of how the colors

 of your heart is changing.

~~~Peace~~~

A Work in Progress

~~~ Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~Wisdom 2:12, 17-20~~Psalm 54~~~ 

~~~ James 3:16—4:3 ~~~Mark 9:30-37 ~~~

The Son of Man is to be handed over to men

and they will kill him,

and three days after his death the Son of Man will rise.

Jesus is trying to prepare the apostles for his passion and death,

but they are more concerned about which one of them is greater.

Our human nature often gets in the way of our better judgment.

Since they did not understand what Jesus was telling them

they focused on their own concerns.

Their own potential greatness;

after all they may or may not have all known 

each other before Jesus called them to follow him.

But Jesus does not scold them.

He gives them an example they can relate to...

“If anyone wishes to be first,

he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.” 

If this wasn't enough to confuse them even more than they were

Jesus continues to further dissolve their concept of greatness.

He takes a child from the crowd and places him

in the middle of the group.

This must have been shocking to them

 because children had no rights at that time.

There would have been no court appointed lawyer 

to represent a child in court.

If the Jews believed that you had to earn your way

 into heaven through good works then why 

would you want to be like a little child?

They were not able to make decisions on their own so why

even bring them into the picture?

At the time children just did not make a difference...

how could they possibly have any place

 in the spectrum of 'greatness'?

“Whoever receives one child such as this in my name, 

receives me;

and whoever receives me,

receives not me but the One who sent me.”

Once again Jesus would challenge 

and frustrate their widely held beliefs.

They must have almost been insulted 

at the idea of placing such value on a child.

The Lord says that unless you place your self last,

such as a child, you can never expect to be first.

By nature, a child is weak, helpless, unworthy, dependent,

humble with no possessions...

These are the characteristics 

Jesus is advocating for us to emulate. 

Gaining entry into the kingdom of heaven 

has more to do with being like a child

 than creating a place of power and prestige.

 ...wisdom from above is first of all pure,

then peaceable, gentle, compliant,

full of mercy and good fruits,

without inconstancy or insincerity. 

James writes these words in his letter we read today.

These words too can be used to describe children.

There is nothing here to support bickering 

over who is the greatest.

Looking at your own life today,

I invite you to identify which of these child like characteristics

you see in yourself.

But more importantly honestly admit to yourself

where you are still a work in progress.

There is still time...your journey is not yet completed.

Whenever you have the opportunity

to be in the midst of children and take note of their pure joy.

Perhaps the little ones give us the best glimpse of heaven.

May you be Blessed with child like trust and faith.

~~~Peace~~~

Unapproachable Light

~~~ 1 Timothy 6:13-16 ~~~ Psalm 100 ~~~ Luke 8:4-15 ~~~

 Come with joy into the presence of the Lord.

Timothy writes about 'unapproachable light'...

this is where the King of Kings...the Lord of Lords resides.

The only thing in our world that would come close 

to this intense light would be the sun. 

The light of the sun is of course extremely hot,

but the light where God dwells does not radiate heat.

The 'unapproachable light' where God dwells

 radiates pure love and acceptance.

The psalm sings of coming with joy 

into the presence of the Lord...

into the presence of his light.

Perhaps there is no need to physically see God;

Maybe our soul will know...

God is in the light.

Maybe our natural instinct will draw us to the light.

Maybe there will be no other option.

Four years ago today my best friend walked 

into this glorious light of God.

I believe with all of my heart that she 

came into the presence of the Lord with Joy.

While she did not want to leave her loved ones;

she surrendered to God's will for her.

Perhaps the only way to make this possible

 in our own life is to know the joy of God...

the joy he actually has for each of us.

Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart

and yield a harvest through perseverance.

The sower went out to sow the seed...

he did not prejudge whether or not the seed would take root.

If the seed is the word of God, then we must 

continue to freely sow his words.

It is not for us to decide who will hear

 and respond and who will ignore his words.

God knows of every heart upon which his words have been sown.

It is God who tills the soil and removes the thorns.

He needs us to be generous with our sowing,

so that he can do the rest.

Is your heart one of 'rich soil'?

But as for the seed that fell on rich soil,

they are the ones who, when they have heard the word,

embrace it with a generous and good heart,

and bear fruit through perseverance.

My dear friend was one who heard the word 

and it made her heart more generous and good.

The perseverance and love she modeled for us all 

continues to bear fruit today.

May her soul rest in the joy and peace

of God's unapproachable light.

Her days of sowing his word have come to an end,

but the fruits will forever be there to harvest.

Four years later...

we still miss her every day.

So Blessed to have had her in my life.

~~~Peace~~~

The 'Feel Good' Pyramid

~~~ 1 Timothy 6:2C-12 ~~~ Psalm 49 ~~~ Luke 8:1-3 ~~~

...we brought nothing into the world,

just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it.

It does not matter what we have acquired 

or saved up during our life when we die.

You cannot take anything with you into eternity.

The Egyptians had it all wrong when they built their massive temples.

All the gold artifacts and riches they placed inside the tomb

have been discovered years later.

We do not even take our body with us into heaven.

There is no need for any material

 possessions on your final day.

We know this to be true...

Yet we cling to our possessions...

we allow our possessions to define who we are.

We use our wealth to acquire things that make us feel good.

We use our possessions to impress others.

We sometimes even let our wealth 

take us away from doing God's will.

...the love of money is the root of all evils,

Often when this verse is quoted the word love is omitted.

It makes it sound like money in and of itself is evil.

The truth is that when your love is misplaced 

and lavished on acquiring money,

that is when evil takes control. 

There are many good things that you can do 

with your money to help others...

giving back to the community, supporting charities...etc.

The danger is when money becomes 

the most important thing in your life.

When our greatest energy surrounds the strategies

 to get more money.

As you well know the lack of money leads to poverty

 and poverty often leads to higher incidence of crime.

There should be a balance between good works and money.

Money is not bad, but putting our emotional 

love on it will lead us into trouble.

Use your money wisely

 always remembering that your ability to earn money

 is directly related to the gifts and talents

 given to you by God.

Choose your possessions wisely...place your 

love in what truly matters.

Love God above all else...love yourself...

love your neighbors...even love your enemies

Love is the only thing that matters.

Love that no amount of money can buy.

Give, be generous and you will be Blessed.

If grace is what you seek

while on earth;

then eternal happiness will be your reward in heaven.

~~~ Peace~~~

Penitent Foot Washing

~~~ 1 Timothy 4:12-16 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ Luke 7:36-50 ~~~

Which of them will love him more?

The Pharisee...Jesus...the weeping woman...
Jesus is dining in the home of a Pharisee
when a woman approaches from behind.
She begins to wash the feet of Jesus with her tears,
kissed his feet, dries them with her hair
and anoints them with oil from her jar.

Who does this in someone else's home?
The Pharisee immediately judges the woman to be a sinner,
but does not offer foot washing to Jesus.
Jesus takes note and turns it into a teachable moment.

The weeping woman treated Jesus with the utmost
reverence, respect, and emotion.

Her actions represented what was hidden in her heart.
She saw the holiness of Jesus and realized her sinfulness.
She realized her need for repentance and forgiveness.

In the presence of Jesus, his holiness reflected back to her
his acceptance of who she really was inside.

She wept tears for the love Jesus extended to her from his heart.

Why did the Pharisee invite Jesus to dinner?
Was he simply trying to make himself look good
either to Jesus or to his peers?

Was he hoping to discover more about Jesus?
Did he want to find out first hand the intentions of Jesus?

The weeping woman already had all the answers she needed.
She had no more concerns, she experienced the real essence of Jesus.

Jesus does not judge or condemn you because of your sinfulness.
Jesus invites you to come closer to him because of your sins.
Jesus never wants our sins to hold us back from coming to him.

"...her many sins have been forgiven;
hence, she has shown great love.
But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."

Of course this is not giving you permission to go out
and commit as many sins as you can. 

That would defeat the whole purpose of coming
 to Jesus for forgiveness.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
prudent are all who live by it.

Fear of the Lord is not being afraid of his judgment...
fear of the Lord is humbly coming before him
with a contrite heart...
relying on his love, mercy, and compassion...
to be forgiven.

The weeping woman left the house
of the Pharisee a changed woman.
Perhaps the Pharisee was also changed as he pondered
the words Jesus spoke to him.

Repentance is vital to living a fully integrated Christian life.

Forgiveness is at the heart of Christianity.

The weeping woman put aside all of her inhibitions
to seek forgiveness.

Our invitation is to do likewise.
Seek the Blessings of forgiveness as often as possible.

~~~ Peace ~~~

Defining a Generation

~~~ Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs ~~~

~~~ 1 Timothy 3:14-16 ~~~ Psalm 111 ~~~ 

~~~ Luke 7:31-35 ~~~

Jesus said to the crowds:

“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?

What are they like?

They are like children who sit in the marketplace 

and call to one another...

Sociologists go to great lengths to study and define each generation.

The Bible even gives us the long genealogy of Jesus.

Are you defined and formed by your generation?

Or are you one who strives to define your generation?

Jesus came to defy his generation.

Jesus turned the beliefs of his generation upside down.

He honored the previous generalizations...his Jewish heritage,

but he represented tremendous change.

The dictionary defines generation...

all of the people born and living at about 

the same time, regarded collectively. 

There are times when I do not want to be lumped

together with others of the same generation.

Our society uses different names and labels for each generation.

...Depression...Post WWII...Baby Boomers...Generation X...etc.

These are often tied to historical events.

If Jesus were to return to our world today,

to what would he compare the people of this generation?

Are we any different than previous generations.

Are we just as misguided as those he was speaking to?

What gains have we made when it comes 

to our understanding of God's ways?

Are we still like children who sit in the marketplace

and call out to one another?

In many ways we have become complacent with our generation.

It is the easier attitude to just let things meander along.

As we coexist in this world we share certain historic events

 which come to define the current generation.

Outside sources are constantly working to manipulate 

and pressure our generation.

When Jesus came, he was just one person 

who had tremendous influence in changing future generations.

When Jesus came the Old Testament view of life

was forever changed.

Jesus came to show us the great love 

God the Father has for us.

Jesus came to show us compassion and forgiveness

as never experienced before.

Today we are still like the little children 

who sit in the marketplace and call out to one another.

Today the marketplace is the entire world.

We call out to one another, but the cultural and language

barrier is so great comprehension is lost.

But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.

Wisdom coming from God will prevail in the end.

It is through wisdom that we can realize 

God's will for our generation.

So the question remains...

Will you let this generation define you or

will you take part in defining this generation.

If you are following the wisdom of Jesus

you can make a difference for this generation.

Blessed and led by Wisdom

each and every day.

~~~Peace~~~

Stabat Mater...

~~~ Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows ~~~

~~~ Hebrews 5:7-9  ~~~ Psalm 101 ~~~ Luke 2:33-35 ~~~ 

Little did Mary know when the angel appeared before her 

that her life would be filled with so much pain and sorrow.

Unlike many of us, when the pain and suffering 

pierced her heart she did not cry out...'Why me?'

The precious words of the Stabat Mater says it all.

At the cross her station keeping,

Stood the mournful Mother weeping,

Close to Jesus to the last.

Through her heart, his sorrow sharing,

All his bitter anguish bearing,

Now at length the sword had passed.

Oh, how sad and sore distressed

Was that Mother highly blessed

Of the sole begotten One!

Christ above in torment hangs,

She beneath beholds the pangs

Of her dying, glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,

‘Whelmed in miseries so deep,

Christ’s dear Mother to behold?

We cannot pretend that her pain was not as real

 as any pain we have experienced

Mary was warned that a sword would pierce her heart.

A sword is long...a sword is sharp...

a sword pierces deep into the flesh...

a sword rips apart the skin...

a sword leaves a gaping wound...

a sword releases large amounts of blood...

a sword is capable of causing death.

Mary experienced all of this within her heart.

She carried within her heart all of the pain 

and sorrow inflicted upon her son, Jesus.

Mary remained true, loyal, strong, brave, and steadfast

 to loving her son until his very last breath.

The great sorrows of Mary teach us 

just how much love is able to endure.

Mary could have fled or gone into hiding in fear of her own life,

but we have no evidence in support of that theory.

O sweet Mother! font of love,

Touch my spirit from above,

Make my heart with yours accord.

Make me feel as you have felt;

Make my soul to glow and melt

With the love of Christ, my Lord.

Holy Mother, pierce me through,

In my heart each wound renew

Of my Savior crucified.

Let me share with you his pain,

Who for all our sins was slain,

Who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with you,

Mourning him who mourned for me,

All the days that I may live.

By the cross with you to stay,

There with you to weep and pray,

Is all I ask of you to give.

Virgin of all virgins blest!

Listen to my fond request:

Let me share your grief divine.

Let me to my latest breath,

In my body bear the death

Of that dying Son of yours.

I invite you to pray the Stabat Mater today.

Let each verse fall upon your heart as if you were beside Mary.

Draw the strength you need from her

to make your own personal sorrowful journey.

We are Blessed to have the most caring, 

loving, and compassionate mother by our side.

Our Lady of Sorrows,

pray for us.

~~~Peace~~~

Two Simple Pieces of Wood

~~~ Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ~~~

~~ Numbers 21:4B-9 ~~ Psalm 78 ~~ 

~~~ Philippians 2:6-11 ~~~ John 3:13-17 ~~~ 

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.

Although we pray this verse during Lent 

we have it today as the Gospel acclamation.

Jesus carried the cross...not his cross,

but our cross.

Every fiber of his cross represents 

just a small percentage

 of the souls being saved that day.

One man became humiliated, scourged, spat upon,

crowned, mocked, and nailed to the wood of the cross for you.

His blood dripped, stained, and saturated two pieces of wood...

we honor today as 'the cross'.

It was not a crown of glory he wore upon his head 

as he hung upon the cross.

Yet he was surrounded by the 

heavenly glory of God the Father.

Today we remember two simple pieces of wood

not for the sake of the wood,

but for whose body and blood pressed against them.

The cross stood high for all to see

the death of one who came to teach love and compassion. 

God greatly exalted him

and bestowed on him the name

that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that

Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus took on all of our human frailties...

joy, laughter, pain, and suffering;

but most of all he made being human

 the greatest creation of love.

He proved with his death on the cross for us

that there is no greater love than to lay down 

one's life for a friend.

Jesus gave his life on the cross for those he did not know.

His hands and feet were nailed to the cross

for those of the whole world for all of eternity...

until the end of times.

The name of Jesus is above all other names...

he taught us how to love...

he taught us how to forgive...

he taught us how to sacrifice all that we have...

Jesus Christ is the glory of God the Father.

Jesus Christ personified the being of God the Father

so that we could witness his great love...

the greatest love of all.

Blessed by the wood of the cross;

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you,

because by your Cross you have redeemed the world.

Be Forever Grateful

~~~Peace~~~

Better Answer

~~~ Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~~~

~~~ Isaiah 50:5-9A ~~~ Psalm 116 ~~~ 

~~~ James 2:14-18 ~~~ Mark 8:27-35 ~~~

“But who do you say that I am?” 

Can you honestly answer this question?

What influences your answer the most? 

Does your answer depend on how your day is going?

There are so many possible topics from today's readings...

faith...good works...and taking up your cross.

All related to who Jesus is to you personally.

To have faith you must believe in something or someone...Jesus.

But faith is not something you should keep hidden away.

Jesus says if you have faith...if you want to follow me...

if you know who I am then

you must pick up your cross and carry it with you.

We must serve others and perform good works 

for our own personal gratification.

Instead we must let our desire to be more like 

Christ to our guiding force.

 ...deny himself,

take up his cross, and follow me. 

Who do YOU say Jesus is?

Knowing Christ does not shield you 

from trials, and hardships in your life.

It is precisely those trials and hardships that teach 

you more about who Jesus truly is...

it is through these that you begin to fully 

formulate your answer within your own heart.

Jesus must be real for you right now...today.

Jesus cannot be real for you only in the good times.

To take up your cross and follow Jesus;

sometimes means coming to the bottom of the cross,

wrapping your arms around the feet of Jesus

and simply looking up into his eyes.

It is Jesus alone who can give you the strength to carry cross.

But if you do not know who he is how can you come to him?

Your relationship with Jesus is personal.

but your demonstration of your faith is visible to others.

Every day you take up your crosses and follow Jesus

is another day that you come to better know how

to answer his question...

“But who do you say that I am?” 

You are unbelievably Blessed...

let those define your faith commitment.

Every time you answer his question 

your answer will become more personal.

You are living into a better answer.

Think of those you love the most...

who do you say they are?

~~~Peace~~~