Heart Graffiti

~~~ 1 Kings 21:17-29 ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 5:43-48 ~~~

So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The only way for us to even come close to perfection

 is if we purge all hatred from our heart.

This purging must be done on a consistent basis.

If we are not vigilant when it comes to hatred

 it eases its way into the walls of our heart.

How often do you pay attention to the pictures hanging

 on the wall that you pass all day long?

Eventually you do not even notice.

The same is true of hatred...eventually you do not

 notice that hatred is there.

Be merciful, O Lord, for we have sinned.

Be merciful, O Lord, because hatred

 has become the graffiti painted on the walls of our heart.

Be merciful, O Lord, because we too often

 believe it is necessary to combat violence with violence.

Be merciful, O Lord, because we do not 

find enough space in our heart for love.

Justice is for God to administer.

We should not try to read the mind of God,

because our mind is too limited.

Sadly our world today is on overload with hatred.

We can only change the world of hatred

by being a reflection of God's pure love.

If we practice modeling God's pure love;

then we are on the path to perfection.

Graffiti often resembles art work,

but it still defaces the structure.

Hatred may seem justified;

but it still spoils the purity of your heart.

May you choose love over hatred

in all circumstances.

~~~Peace~~~

In Good Times and Bad Times

Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary

~~~ 2 COR 5:14-21~~~ Psalm 103 ~~~ MT 5:33-37 ~~~

Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’

Anything more is from the Evil One.”

Mary, the mother of Jesus,

 never wavered from her 'yes'.

From the minute she agreed

 to be the hand maiden of the Lord,

she never hesitated or turned back. 

She remained committed through 

the good times and the bad times.

Her heart was so in love with the Lord 

that she found the grace to endure all hardships.

Mary let her heart sing of her love for Jesus.

Mary let her heart be touched by the heart of Jesus.

Mary is a real example of how to love with your whole heart.

There may have been times in her life

 when Mary had questions...

Did her son really have to suffer and die

 like a common criminal?

He indeed died for all,

so that those who live might no longer live for themselves

but for him who for their sake died and was raised.

Before Jesus suffered and was crucified

Mary was no longer living for herself.

Every breath she took was for her son, Jesus.

She nurtured and cared for him who was to die for us.

The heart of Mary was pure and gentle.

The heart of Mary was strong and courageous.

God bestowed upon her his divine graces.

She kept her heart open for the greatest of love.

There is no greater love than to lay down

 your life for your brother.

Likewise, there is no greater love than to give your 

beloved son to die on the cross.

Mary released Jesus out into the world to do as much 

good as he could accomplish in only three years.

In only three years he was able to lay

 the foundation for Christians of all times.

Mary stood by as her heart was filled with sadness. 

Her son laid down his life for those who would 

never know him as she knew him.

So we are ambassadors for Christ...

It is the heart of Mary which teaches

 us how to be the best follower of Christ.

Whenever you find yourself tempted to say 'no'

remember you are saved because

Mary said 'yes'.

Her 'yes' was for you,

right now, today.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits.

Thank you, Blessed Mother.

We are Blessed through the love of your heart.

~~~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.

Guard the Goodness

~~~~ Hebrews 4:1-5, 11 ~~~ Psalm 78 ~~~ Mark 2:1-12 ~~~

Jesus immediately knew in his mind what 

they were thinking to themselves...

Jesus had the ability to internalize everything
about what being human meant.
He was able to see each person as an individual.
He was able to get past whatever was in their past;
he was able to offer them more.
He was and can be today for us the personification of hope.

As the crippled man was lowered down to Jesus from the roof,
Jesus was intuitively aware of what the authorities were thinking.

Mind reading is something found in amusement
 parks...at traveling carnivals.
This was Jesus who knew what they were thinking.

Imagine for a minute if the next time you entered
 into a room full of people you were able to know what
 they were all thinking about you.
Would you be totally freaked out? I would.

Why are you thinking such things in your hearts?

Jesus heals the man and forgives his sins
while he also dealing with the negativity
 in the hearts of some in the room.

Jesus could sense the darkness in their hearts.
Jesus could sense their jealousy and hatred.

Most of us can not be up to our best
 when we are surrounded with negative
 thoughts and words.

Jesus asks them 'why', because
he knew that all things first begin within the heart
whether they are good or bad.

Whatever we nourish and cuddle
within our heart is what will be manifested in our life.

We must be careful to guard
 the goodness in our heart.

Thank goodness we do not have the ability
 to know what others are thinking.

Even if we try or think we know we are
wrong much of the time.

Jesus knows what we are thinking.
He knows what is in our heart.
He knows that what comes from him is goodness.
He also knows that what is not good in our heart
originated outside of his love.

Guard all that is good within your heart.

We are Blessed to have a God
who knows what we are thinking,
who knows what is in our heart
and loves us even more.

~~~Peace~~~

We Build Walls

~~~ Isaiah 26:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 118 ~~~  Matthew 7:21, 24-27 ~~~

The LORD is God, and he has given us light.

We have been given the light of Christ,
but not even that prevents us from building walls.

We build walls around our hearts.
We all build walls.
Is a wall truly what keeps us safe?
What if the walls we build keeps the danger closer?
What if a wall is exactly the opposite
 of what we need to be safe?
We all build walls.

Walls may indeed keep out
 those who would try to harm us.
But the greater threat may be what we
harbor behind the walls.
We all build walls they hold our secrets.
We hide behind our walls.
We trust in the false sense
 of security our walls provide.
We all build walls.

May the light of Christ shine brightly in our hearts.
Through this light of Christ may we find what
must be taken outside the walls.
For our fears may no longer be fears once
we let them out
from within our wall.

May we come to a deeper trust in the Lord...
a trust that will allow us to tear down
 the walls around our heart.

Before the Lord there is longer the need for walls.
No wall can keep out the light of Christ.
You may on occasion need to grab your sunglasses.
Blessed with his light of protection...
his light of security.
~~~Peace~~~

The Cloud of Dust

(2012)

Where is Your Heart?

~~~ Jeremiah 30:1-2, 12-15, 18-22 ~~~ Psalm 102 ~~~ 

~~~ Matthew 14:22-36 or Matthew 15:1-2, 10-14 ~~~

It is not what enters one’s mouth that defiles the man;

but what comes out of the mouth is what defiles one.

What you are eating is not putting words in your mouth.

The words you speak originate from deep within 

before they tumble off the tip of your tongue.

Spicy foods does not make you speak in such a manner.

Chocolate cake will not make you speak words of love and kindness.

It would be amazing if the foods you ate could

 help you manage the words you spoke in the future.

...this people honors me with their lips, 

but the hearts are far from me.

Matthew 15:8

This addresses the more serious problem.

Where is your heart?

While this verse is not included in today's Gospel

 I believe it is pertinent to connect the readings together. 

When the apostles were caught in the storm at sea

 their words were saturated with fear.

“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.

The apostles had not yet aligned their hearts with their lips.

They had doubts because Jesus was not in the boat

with them at that very moment.

Peter came close to drowning; he proclaimed faith in Jesus,

but his heart did not completely believe.

Peter knew who Jesus was and he 

still functioned under the shadow of doubt.

Peter got out of the boat because Jesus called for him to come.

Just as Peter had asked.

Peter heard Jesus...Peter saw Jesus...Peter began 

walking on the water toward Jesus.

The weight of Peter's doubt allowed him to sink into the waves.

His heart was not faith-filled enough to keep him buoyant. 

We must get our hearts not just our lips connected to Jesus.

Peter began to feel that what he was doing was impossible and so is was...

he began to sink deeper into the sea.

We know that Jesus would have never let Peter drown.

He does wait, however until Peter cries out to Jesus...

 “Lord, save me!”

Where are you on the Faith continuum of one to five?

One meaning you have great difficulty believing

 and five meaning you believe all things are possible with God? 

Where would you be in order to call out to the Lord to save you?

Peter was near drowning. His life was in peril.

Sometimes God waits nearby for us to call out to him,

but he is never too far away to rescue.

Blessed to be saved.

~~~Peace~~~

A Mother's Heart

~~~ Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary ~~~

~~~ Lamentations 2:2, 10-14, 18-19 ~~~ Psalm 74 ~~~ Luke 2:41-51 ~~~

Jesus is lost in the temple,
everyone in the family is looking for him.
And just like a typical kid, Jesus says,
Why were you looking for me?
Jesus knew he was a fine, safe even,
but Mary and Joseph did not know.

Mary's heart aches for her son.
The heart of the Blessed Mother was tempered
from the beginning with great joy and intense sorrow.

"Your father and I have been looking
for you with great anxiety. "

She says this right after she asks him
why have you done this to us. 

Again just like a typical kid...
Jesus did not DO this to them it was just the way things played out.
Jesus did not intentionally seek to cause anguish
for his parents, but it happened.

Why didn't Jesus just tell Mary and Joseph
 it was time for him to speak in the temple?
Did he think they would have refused to let him?
Was he just being insensitive to their feelings?

Did you not know that I must be in my father's house?

Had young Jesus just realized his sole purpose...
to do the will of the Father...God? 

Mary had to accept that her young son was about to begin
 his own journey of life.
She had to begin to let go of her little boy.

Do you think she was ready to let him go?
When is a mother ready to trust
that a child will be alright out in the world? 

Mary had to trust deep within her heart that God the Father
 would now be the one looking after their son.
This may not have been easy to do.
Once again she would surrender to
God's plan...God's will. 

Mary silently kept many things in her heart.
She pondered over them.
She prayed for peace.
She prayed for strength.
She held them close.
She held them dear.
She cherished every minute
she had with Jesus;
just as any mother would.

We can always go to Mary,
because she is the mother of Jesus.
She has an intimate and unique
relationship with him.
She can teach us how to love him better.
She can speak to him on our behalf.

Loving Mary is the most wonderful thing we can do.
We have so much to learn from Mary
about Jesus.

Mary understands when we have questions.
Mary knows what it means to have a suffering heart.
Mary knows the challenge of letting your child go.

Mary has a heart overflowing with love.
Mary knows the blessings from Jesus
are life sustaining.

Mother Mary, pray for us
now and at the time of our death.
Amen.
~~~Peace~~

Sanctify Your Heart

~~~Sixth Sunday of Easter ~~~

~~Acts of the Apostles 8:5-8, 14-17~~Psalm 66~~

~~1 Peter 3:15-18 ~~ John 14:15-21~~

Sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts.

Have you ever considered what this verse really means?
Sanctify...set apart as or declare holy; consecrate.

Peter writes of how we are to set apart our hearts as holy....
holy for Christ, the anointed one as Lord.
Does that mean to consecrate only a portion
of our heart for the Lord?
Does it mean we put God in part of our heart,
leaving the rest to do with as we want?
We must each make the decision to legitimize
 the holy presence of the Lord in our heart.
We must claim his presence for ourselves.
He resides in our heart, always there with us as close
 as our next heartbeat.
No one can do it for you.

Always be ready to give an explanation
to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope,
but do it with gentleness and reverence,

You can not give an explanation for something you do not know.
It is this knowledge that Christ in always with us
that gives us a reason to have hope.

...do it with gentleness...
We are the face of God to those we come in contact with everyday.
How we talk with them, how we interact with them
should be a representation of the Christ who
is sanctifying our heart.
The Christ who lives in our heart.
The God who is our all in all...our everything.

Treating others with the utmost respect is one way
 to present the Lord to them.

If we are not capable of exemplifying God's love toward all people;
have we really sanctified a place in our heart for Christ?

What is inside our heart cannot not be confined there.
What is truly in our hearts must become visible to others.
They will know us by our love
because we have set apart our heart for our Lord.

We are Blessed to know this is not just a jumble of empty words
Keep the glow of sanctifying grace in your heart
and it will surely be visible to others.

~~~Peace~~~

Long to be Breathless

~~~1 Kings 10:1-10~~~ Psalm 37~~~Mark 7:14-23~~~

God granted Solomon the gift of profound wisdom.

The wealthy queen of Sheba sought him out;

she wanted to see for herself.

The queen had heard many rumors of his great wisdom.

She arrived ready to put him to the test.

She stood in his presence asking him question after question

to which he quickly and confidently gave his answers.

...she was breathless.

Your wisdom and prosperity surpass the report I heard.

The queen recognized and acknowledges

 the greatness of Solomon's wisdom...

a gift for which he asked God to bestow upon him.

What renders you breathless?

Jesus explains that it is not what we consume that corrupts us.

Our corruption does, however, begin from within.

Only those things which we harbor in our heart can we spew forth.

If we have hatred, anger, greed, jealousy, 

arrogance...these come from within.

 ...the things that come out from within are what defile.

If we let darkness fill the unattended 

or ignored spaces in our heart,

this will become the source of our corruption.

But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts...

It is of vital importance that we keep ourselves vigilant.

What goes in will ultimately come out.

I have been around people who routinely cuss and curse;

this is the steady diet they have fed their heart.

If necessary limit the time you spend with this person. 

How many times we begin to mimic the actions

 and the sayings of those we hang out with.

If you want to be breathless, like the queen,

be aware of with whom you are spending the most time.

Plan to spend time with those who emulate

that which you admire most.

God blesses us with the ability to push the evil from our hearts.

He offers to replace it with his light and goodness. 

Draw goodness from those who have goodness.

You can strengthen one another.

Peace.

...to be Breathless...

We Lift Up Our Hearts

~~~ Our Lady of Lourdes ~~~

~~~1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30 ~~~ Psalm 84 ~~~ Mark 7:1-13 ~~~

Look kindly on the prayer and petition of your servant, 

O LORD, my God...

All those who travel great distances to Lourdes are petitioning 

God to look kindly on them.

Many times they are pouring out their heart 

with prayers of petition.

Petitioning for their own healing, but

also on behalf of those loved ones 

who could not be present there.

The waters of Lourdes remind us of the healing power of God.

The waters flow, covering the body, totally immersing you in pure love.

May your eyes watch night and day over this temple,
the place where you have decreed you shall be honored;
may you heed the prayer which I, your servant, offer in this place.
Listen to the petitions of your servant and of your people Israel
which they offer in this place.
Listen from your heavenly dwelling and grant pardon.”

This is a beautiful prayer from our reading today from the book of Kings.

As I read the first line I began to think not of the stone temple structure,

but rather of ourselves as being the temple of the Holy Spirit.

We are often asked to pray for another person.

This prayer often originates from within our heart.

The heart is the center of our human temple.

The heart is where we express our honor and praise for God.

It is from the heart that we pray for others...

where we petition on their behalf.

I invite you to take a moment now and remember

 those you have promised to pray for...

hold them tenderly in your heart.

Ask God to allow you to love them with his compassionate heart.

We believe with all of our heart that God does indeed hear

and more importantly we believe that he does listen to our petitions.

God is in heaven but he never ceases to care for us.

God Blesses us 

with his watchful eyes day and night.

God Blesses us with his listening heart from age to age.

Peace.

Sawdust Heart

~~~ Romans 12:5-16ab ~~~ Psalm 131 ~~~ Luke 14:15-24 ~~~

 

Let love be sincere...

Sincere...free from pretense or deceit, having or showing true feeling 

expressed in an honest way, genuine or real, not false or fake.

 

Jesus always interacts with us in a sincere and genuine manner.

Their is never any ulterior motive with Jesus.

You might say Jesus was the original 'what you see is what you get'.

He never pretends to be something he is not.

It is this consistency that draws us to be near him.

 

...serve the Lord....persevere in prayer.

...exercise hospitality.

...do not be haughty but associate with the lowly.

 

Jesus gave his full attention to each person he encounters

 especially the lowly and the poor.
Jesus never let the rules dictate who he touched or who he healed.

He does not pick and choose who will be saved.

We are the ones who must make the salvation decision for ourselves.

 

True service to the Lord means mingling with the poor just as he did.

We must pray for those who have no one to pray for them;

for they may be the most needy.

Do not let your heart become phony, filled with sawdust;

rather be sincere in extending your hospitality to others.

 

 

...love one another with mutual affection...

 

In our world today the notion of sincere mutual

 affection seems almost foreign...

impossible to achieve even among 'friends'.

Recently I read this...

It is not about how well you said it

or how often you said it

 but its about how sincere

and true are you with what you are saying.

 

O LORD, my heart is not proud,
nor are my eyes haughty...

 

Speak only those words which reflect your sincere heart felt feelings.

Jesus never told a person simply what they wanted to hear.

Jesus never told a person something to simply make them feel better.

Jesus always spoke with sincerity of heart.

He never put on airs to impress others.

 

Blessing come with a sincere open heart.

A sincere person does not have a sawdust heart,

but one filled with mutual love.

Fingerprinted by God

 

~~~ Joel 1:13-15; 2:1-2 ~~~ Psalm 9 ~~~ Luke 11:15-26 ~~~

 

The prophet Joel is preaching a time of mourning for everyone.
The priests are to proclaim to the people.
 Let all who dwell in the land tremble,
for the day of the LORD is coming;

Maybe the people will be more apt to listen if the 'ministers of the altar'
are delivering the message.
It is not a popular message...repent...the end is near.
Today we still have preachers and those who claim to be prophets
 delivering the very same message.
They use similar texts to support their claims. 

The truth is we will not know the day or the hour.
The better message is to be prepared every day.

 

 

But if it is by the finger of God that I drive out demons... 

 

 The finger of God administers justice.

 The finger of God is pointed at me and at you.
The finger of God marks us as his own.
He has left his finger print upon our heart.
It is through this unique finger print of God that we are also
given the grace to repent

 

No amount of public display of penance can disguise the heart.
It does not matter if you are wrapped in sack cloth
and covered in ashes. 

It is your heart that must be changed.
God gives us all that we need to change;
 if only we would ask him. 

 

If you ask God to touch his finger
once again upon your heart you can experience genuine repentance. 

Blessings come in always having the intention
 to be on God's side. 

What we exhibit externally must come from deep within. 

 The day of the Lord is coming;
let him come into your heart today.

Where is Your Treasure?

~~~ 2 Corinthians 11:18, 21-30 ~~~ Psalm 34 ~~~ Matthew 6:19-23 ~~~

 

'...store up treasures in heaven...

For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.'

 

What do you truly treasure?

Is it your friends and family? Is it your faith in God?

Is it your material possessions? Is it your social status? Is it your acquired wealth?

Is it your reputation? Is it your health?

Perhaps your answer is a combination of all of the above.

Our heart leads us to live with passion.

You cannot treasure something without having space for it in your heart.

 

A treasure holds specific value.

Something treasured is protected from damage.

 

After a natural disaster we often see people carefully

 combing through the remains of their life.

They are compelled to salvage whatever they can...

What they find now becomes their treasure.

Many come to treasure life itself a little more...just having survived.

 

Jesus wants us to look beyond our earthly treasures.

They will all pass away.

The treasures that matter most are not visible with the naked eye.

The treasures that matter most have one thing in common;

love is always part of the equation.

Only those treasures inspired by love can be stored in heaven.

We can only withdraw from our treasure chest of love.

Whatever else we think we have stored up will not survive...

only love will remain.

Love is more precious than gold, silver, or jewels.  

 

 

  And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be.

 

 I find this verse to be particularly disturbing.

If the only 'light' in your heart is darkness then you have no light.

If you have no light how then are you to see anything?

Physically our eyes need a light source to function properly.

 

Jesus is the light of the world without him we are truly 'in the dark'.

We are children of the light.

Treasure this light.

Let this light of Christ shine forth from your heart.

 

If you treasure his light it will be reflected out toward others.

If you have light in your heart it will seep out.

You cannot keep it contained. 

 

Blessings are in what you treasure within your heart.

Can you see them? 

Treasure...Faithful Friend

~~~ Sirach 6:5-17 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Mark10:1-12 ~~~

 

A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter;
he who finds one finds a treasure.
A faithful friend is beyond price...

 

If you have been fortunate enough to have developed

 a true lasting friendship in your life;

consider yourself blessed.

 

I can honestly say that I found the treasure of a true friend in my life.

I thank God for the gift of friends in my life.

 

Jesus calls us his friends.

A faithful friend is a pearl of great price.

For where your treasure is there also your heart will be nestled.

 

It is a wonderful blessing to share a real friendship with your spouse as well.

Some people are married but would not consider themselves friends.

If you are friends with your spouse then the marriage

will have the dynamics of friendship and marriage.

 

Jesus wants us to develop a true lasting friendship with him.

He is our treasure.

He is a sturdy shelter.

He never turns against us.

He only wants what is best for us.

He stands by to support us in times of distress. 

 

 

A faithful friend is without price because you cannot but love.

Friendship takes root in your heart.

Friendship expands who you are into someone better.

 

Friendship brings joy into your life.

Friendship embraces without shame or guilt.

Friendship encourages you to be the best you can be.

 

Our earthly friendships pale in comparison to the friendship

offered to us by God.

If you cannot believe that God wants to have a friendship with you

how could you recognize a human friendship? 

  

A kind mouth multiplies friends...
and gracious lips prompt friendly greetings.

 

A friendship begins with kind words, a simple gesture, and love.

 

A faithful friend is beyond price,
no sum can balance his worth. 

 

 Protect and cherish you friends,

because there is nothing else in life than can compare. 

 All the riches and wealth in the world cannot equal even one true friend.

 

A true friend can actually be a life saver.

A true friend can calm the turbulent winds and subdue the waves.

 

God bless and keep my friends.

 They make my life so much more than it would have been

without their presence.

 

When you have a true and faithful friend

your life is profoundly changed forever.

 

 God has given me friends throughout my life

 to show me more about the friendship

he desires to have with me. 

Let your friends know how you feel about them often.

To all who are my friends...

a big hug and thank you for loving me

and encouraging me to reach higher.

 

~~~ Blessings ~~~ 

Touched by His Joy

~~~ Acts of the Apostles 15:7-21~~~ Psalm 96 ~~~ John 15:9-11 ~~~

 

The writings in the Acts of the Apostles makes it very clear;

 the message brought to us from God through Jesus was for all peoples.

The Jews were given the message first; after all Jesus was a Jew.

Once rejected it was shared with all the other peoples.

Not being of Jewish origin myself, I am very happy that the Gentiles

were offered the chance to hear the message and respond to it.

 

Remain in my love.

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

 

Have you ever thought about what brought joy to Jesus?

Did he experience joy when he was preaching?

Did he feel joy when he gave sight to the blind?

Did he have joy when he healed the lame and crippled?

Perhaps he experienced his greatest joy forgiving sins

or was it when he broke bread with the apostles?

 

It seems that love and joy are closely related.

When we love we tap into the joy of Jesus.

When have you ignored the joy of Jesus?

Have you ever deliberately blocked the joy of God?

 

Sometime we can actually be afraid of joy.

We may even think that if we open up to joy

we will be disappointed in the end.

 

What brings joy to your heart?

Jesus wants to make that joy complete in him.

He is the true source of all joy.

 

 

 God, who knows the heart...

 

God knows us in a most intimate way; he knows the depths of our heart.

God knows those things great and small that bring joy into our hearts.

He knows us so well that he can surprise us

with a gift of joy when we least expect it.

Joy comes to us from many different sources...

it might be the wildflowers along side of the road....

it may be the peaceful sleep of a baby in your arms...

it may be the gentle caress from a spouse...

it my even be the sweet taste of a chocolate drop melting on your tongue.

 

Believe that you do receive his joy.

Prepare to receive more of it into your heart.

 

He is forever making our hearts a place for his own dwelling place.

....by faith he purified their hearts...

 

So we come again to faith...

A purified heart eager to be filled up with his complete joy.

 

Blessings of Easter bathed in his Joy.

How can we not rejoice?

Humbled Heart

~~~ Isaiah 58:1-9a ~~~ Psalm 51 ~~~ Matthew 9:14-15 ~~~

 

Instead of fasting and walking around in sack cloth do something charitable for others.

Instead of 'showing off' how you are afflicting yourself share with others...

reach out to those less fortunate.

If you do something to help others God will be more pleased.

 

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,
and your wound shall quickly be healed;
Your vindication shall go before you,
and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer,
you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am!

God cares more about your naked honesty with him than

all the external actions of 'chest beating' you can perform.

He is not interested in whether or not you look the part.

 

When you are helping others; that is when your light will shine forth.

When you are thinking of others your problems begin to fade into the background.

Soon what you thought was of utter importance has passed.

 

Then you are able to hear God say, Here I am.

I am here for you. I have heard your cry for help.

 

 

 

A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

You can maintain a humble and contrite heart without marking yourself with ashes,

 fasting or inflicting corporal punishment on your body.

 

Seeking forgiveness from God with a sincere heart is of utmost importance.

 

My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.

 

The prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi comes to mind.

Let me be an instrument of Peace.

 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen

 

Be aware of the Lord's presence in your life today.

Sprinkled Freely with His Words

~~~ Hebrews 10: 11-18 ~~~ Psalm 110 ~~~ Mark 4: 1-20 ~~~

 

This is the covenant I will establish with them
after those days, says the Lord:
“I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them upon their minds,”
he also says:
Their sins and their evildoing
I will remember no more.

 For all those out there who think that they are such terrible sinners

that God could never forgive them

read the above words slowly one more time.

 God wants us to be repentant for our sins,

but more importantly he desires to forgive us.

God wants us to be able to dwell with him in heaven.

 

God does not hold grudges.

God does not hold on to our sins.

He is, however, a just God.

Just as a parent will reprimand their child, whom they love,

so it is with God...he will reprimand.

He will call us to be responsible for our actions. 

 

 

The gospel today is the well known parable of the seeds.

Jesus tells the parable and then goes on to explain the meaning.

He does not want us to miss the point.

Those with him that day did us a favor by questioning

him about this parable.

Jesus was a great storyteller.

 

If you do not hear the words of God and let them to take root in your heart,

you may never realize the magnitude of the forgiveness of God.

The depth of God's forgiveness surpasses any other. 

 

We can never repay Jesus for our salvation.

The best we can do is to have faith and believe

in his words of forgiveness,

mercy, and love.

 

This is where the meaning of the sower and the seeds becomes a reality.

What kind of believer are you?

Do you just hear for the moment and then return

to your unbelieving ways? 

Do you hear without taking the words personally?

His words are just for you.

Are you a rainy day believer?

Are you a sunshine believer?

 

Be a believer who lets the word of God

speak to your heart each and every day.

Just like the post office motto...

rain or shine God is here for you.

He offers all that he has.

His words are Spirit and Life for your soul.

 

Picture leaving a wedding reception where everyone is throwing rice

or tiny seeds over the new couple...

this is how freely God scatters his words upon us.

 

The disciples, the lame, crippled, blind, hungry,

and the scribes and Pharisees were all covered with his words.

They each had ears with which to hear, but they did not all understand.

 

They each responded in their own way corresponding

to the condition of their soul when he spoke to them.

 How do you respond to the words of Jesus?

 

Next time you are generously tossing seeds upon a new couple;

think of how generously God's words are falling on you.

 

You are loved and blessed.

Believe it!

Merrily, Merrily, Merrily

~~~Song of Songs 2:8-14 or Zephaniah 3:14-18a~~~ Psalm 33~~~Luke 1:39-45~~~

 

Mary was so filled with excitement, after her personal angel visit,

 that she rushed as fast as she could to be with Elizabeth.

She and Elizabeth had so much to share;

so much to be overjoyed by. They both had conceived in

uncommon circumstances.

 

I can just envision how the eyes of Mary must have been sparkling

with the joy she felt inside.

Her smile must have warmed the heart of anyone

she met on her journey.

Perhaps she was even singing her favorite hymns as she

merrily skipped along the roadside.

 

The birds may have taken their place by her side

circling high up with their wings of joy.

The sun shone down brightly warming the ground below her feet.

When you are filled with joy you seem to float slightly above the ground.

Your whole perception of reality is more detailed when you are joyful.

 

This type of scene is often depicted in fairy tale movies.

But this was not a fairy tale this was our tale of salvation.

 

The joy in the heart of Mary made her even more lovely to God.

Although this is not recorded in the scriptures I can almost

hear God saying, 'This is my beloved daughter,

in whom I am well pleased.'

You know God was well pleased with Mary.

She was prepared and chosen by him to give Jesus

his human flesh and blood.

She kept him safe, warm and nurtured within her little body.

 

When Gabriel returned to heaven with Mary's answer

all of heaven broke into joyous song.

The angels played their harps long into the night.

 

 

The heavens rejoiced just as vibrantly as the child leaped

with joy in Elizabeth's womb.

The news of Mary's yes is what continues to

stir joy within our own hearts today.

Be Joyful!

God is in our midst...

 

"...He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals."

Create the Space to Receive

~~~First Sunday of Advent ~~~

 

~~~ Jeremiah 33:14-16 ~~~ Psalm 25 ~~~ 1Thessalonians 3: 12-4:2 ~~~

~~~ Luke 21:25-28, 34-36 ~~~

 

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

 

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior,
and for you I wait all the day.

 

To you, O Lord, I lift my soul.

 

As we begin the solemn time of Advent

we are reminded to strengthen our hearts.

A strong heart is fortified with love.

The Blessed Mother is a model for us of what it means to be vigilant

with a heart fully awake.

 

Imagine for a moment being prepared for the coming of the Lord in

mind, body, heart and soul.

With our mind, let us focus on preparing a place in our lives

where Jesus can reside.

Make a commitment to read the daily readings

thinking about what they are saying to you.

With our body, let us act in a manner that exemplifies our intent

to receive Jesus

in a new way during Advent this year.

With our heart and soul, create a sacred inner space where the Lord

is welcome to dwell.

Dedicate time to be still and consider what you are anticipating.

Are you really eagerly waiting for Jesus to be born again

within your heart?

 

With arms outstretched embrace this vision of welcoming Jesus

into your whole being...

...allow him to inspire your thoughts...

...allow him to be present through your actions toward others...

...allow him to be the joy in your heart...

...allow him to be the song in your soul.

 

 

"The days are coming, says the LORD,
when I will fulfill the promise..."

 

Wait for the Lord.

Be vigilant and strong.

Stand up straight and tall, for he is coming for you...

He is coming so that you might have life everlasting.

 

Be not afraid.

Open up your heart, mind, body, and soul.

Praise him with all that you are.

Refreshed Hearts

~~~ Philemon 7:20 ~~~ Psalm 146 ~~~ Luke 17:20-15 ~~~

 

Paul speaks to his friend Philemon with words of inspiration.

Wouldn't you want a close friend to tell you

that because of you their heart was refreshed?

 

"...I have experienced much joy and encouragement from your love,
because the hearts of the holy ones
have been refreshed by you, brother."

 

This is so much more than plugging in an air freshener

 you bought from the store.

What does it mean to have your heart refreshed?

Is it like adding a freshener sheet to the dryer?

 

Perhaps the love of a child or a grandchild is sufficient to refresh your heart.

Paul is writing about his fondness for Onesimus.

Onesimus was a slave to Philemon at one time.

Paul has the occasion to meet him while in prison

through the slave's father.

Onesimus had not been the best person while under Philemon;

in fact he had stolen from him.

His conversion takes place through his contact with Paul,

who was in prison.

 

God can use you for good no matter where you are or what you are doing.

The name Onesimus means "useful".

By sending Onesimus to Philemon he is in fact asking him

to forgive his former slave and to see him with fresh eyes.

Possibly Paul has even given this former slave

a new name reflective of his appointed mission.

He is now being sent to be 'useful' to the mission of Philemon.

 

Paul considers Onesimus to be like a son to him.

Living the gospel message should make us a better person each day.

Once Onesimus was 'useless' to Philemon,

but now by his conversion he becomes 'useful'.

 

Not only are you transformed internally through your relationship with God,

but your relationships with others

must also be evidence to this change of heart.

 

Returning to Philemon also requires a certain degree of humility

on the part of Onesimus.

He must present himself to Philemon

as one who has been changed by God.

He must have also experienced a certain amount of fear

at the idea of returning to his former master.

 

Onesimus was anxious to get Paul's letter into the hands

of his former master right away.

Paul in his old age is almost forcing Philemon

into a situation of reconciliation with this former slave.

Paul too is willing to assume whatever debt Onesimus owes to Philemon.

Paul loves Onesimus just as God loves us.

Jesus assumed the debt for our sinfulness out of his love for us.

 

 

As a sinner we can sometimes experience similar apprehension

 as we contemplate returning to God.

Repentance for previous offenses is not always

an easy proposition to entertain.

 

We should be able to put ourselves somewhere in this story.

We have all been is a situation where another has clearly wronged against us.

Today the message of God's forgiveness is being passed on to us

through Paul's letter to Philemon.

 

You may have been wronged in the past....

you may have committed offenses in the past...

but the fact remains that God forgives you...

he sent his son, Jesus, to make atonement for your offenses.

 

Forgiveness encourages change for all involved parties.

 

Forgiveness can Refresh the Heart!

 

With Thanksgiving just a week away,

now may be the perfect time to consider

who needs your forgiveness just within your family unit.

 

Forgiveness Refreshes the Heart!