Love is patient and kind.

"This is my commandment: love one another as I love you."  (John 15: 12).

Still on the subject of love:
"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God." (1 John 4: 7).

And again:
"In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins."  (1 John 4: 10).

St. John the Evangelist is our Catechist this Sunday. The dominant theme in the Second Reading and the Gospel for today is from the Apostle of Love, LOVE.  I am not sure I fully understand what Love is and how to do love until I go to St Paul to help me.  St Paul nails it down for me in a cut and dry manner:

"Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, [love] is not pompous, it is not inflated,  it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,  it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth.  It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."  (1 Corinthians 13: 4 - 7).

So Jesus is patient and kind to me. He is not rude to me and does not rejoice when I fail but jumps for joy when I succeed. Jesus believes in spite of my sins and faults that I will make it to Heaven.

This is how Jesus wants us to love one another.  I am beginning to understand.

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I will bless you if you honor the Lord's Day of Rest.

Blessed are those who honor My Sabbath Day of rest.

"If you refrain from trampling the Sabbath, from following your own pursuits on my holy day;
If you call the Sabbath a delight,
the LORD’s holy day glorious;
If you glorify it by not following your ways, seeking your own interests, or pursuing your own affairs—
Then you shall delight in the LORD,
and I will make you ride upon the heights of the earth; I will nourish you with the heritage of Jacob, your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."  (Isaiah 58: 13 - 14).

The Sabbath/Sunday Rest is a very important institution in Judaism and Christianity. 
The Sunday Rest is a rehearsal for eternal rest which if you think of it is the main promise of Salvation.
"What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"  (Matthew 16: 26).

"Blessed are those who honor my Sabbath days of rest and keep themselves from doing wrong."  (Isaiah 56: 2 NLT)

Sunday Rest comes once a week and reminds us of creation and the Resurrection of Jesus in a weekly rhythm that forces us to pause our hectic addiction to activity. 

He who keeps holy the Lord's Day is blessed in accordance with the promises. 

“Remember to observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. You have six days each week for your ordinary work,  but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of rest dedicated to the LORD your God. On that day no one in your household may do any work."  (Exodus 20:8-10 NLT)

"That is why the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it [set it apart for His purposes]." (Exodus 20:11 AMP)

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If the world laughed at Me, they will laugh at you.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first..... If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you."  (John 15: 18, 20).

If the world laughed at Me, they will laugh at you.
If they derided Me, they will deride you.
If the world called me mad and worthless, they will do exactly the same to you.  Make no mistake about it because no slave is greater than his master.

"Be who you are created to be and you will set the world on fire."  (St Catherine of Siena).

No testing, no testimony.
Every Saint is tested:
Augustine, Teresa of Avila, Mother Teresa of Kolkata, Therese of the Child Jesus, Patrick, Ignatius Loyola, Francis Xavier, Vincent de Paul, etc.
What makes you think that you will be a different type of Saint?

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May is the Month of Mary.

May is the Month of Mary:

The Fifteen Promises of Mary to Christians Who Recite the Rosary
1. Whoever shall faithfully serve me by the recitation of the Rosary shall receive signal graces.
2. I promise my special protection and the greatest graces to all those who shall recite the Rosary.
3. The Rosary shall be a powerful armor against Hell; it will destroy vice, decrease sin and defeat heresies.
4. It will cause virtue and good works to flourish; it will obtain for souls the abundant mercy of God; it will withdraw the hearts of men from the love of the world and its vanities and will lift them to the desire of eternal things.  Oh, that soul would sanctify themselves by this means!
5. The soul which recommends itself to me by the recitation of the Rosary shall not perish.
6. Whoever shall recite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its sacred Mysteries, shall never be conquered by misfortune.  God will not chastise him in His justice; he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God and become worthy of eternal life.
7. Whoever shall have a true devotion for the Rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church.
8. Those who are faithful to recite the Rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the plenitude of His graces; at the moment of death they shall participate in the merits of the saints in Paradise.
9. I shall deliver from Purgatory those who have been devoted to the Rosary.
10. The faithful children of the Rosary shall merit a high degree of glory in Heaven.
11. You shall obtain all you ask of me by the recitation of the Rosary.
12. All those who propagate the Holy Rosary shall be aided by me in their necessities.
13. I have obtained from my Divine Son that all the advocates of the Rosary shall have for intercessors the entire celestial court during their life and at the hour of death.
14. All who recite the Rosary are my sons, and brothers of my only Son, Jesus Christ.
15. Devotion to my Rosary is a great sign of predestination.

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I chose you to go and bear fruit.

"It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you."  (John 15: 16).

Thank You Jesus.  "I will bear witness to You in the world O Lord.  I will spread the knowledge of Your name among my brothers and sisters.  (Psalm 17: 50 ; 21:23 RM).

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Lord, bless and prosper the work of our hands.

#5.  "I will pour abundant blessings on all their undertakings."

Lord, prosper the work of our hands.
From the dawn of religion, when primitive man first noticed the existence of a mysterious force influencing the course of his life, Cave man offered prayers and sacrifices to this Being to bless his planting, harvesting and hunting.  You remember all the goddesses of fertility in the ancient world?  Aphrodite, Adonis, etc.

Jesus is promising in the 5th Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to bless and prosper the work of our hands.  I have made this prayer long before I became aware of the Sacred Heart Promises.   Has the Lord Jesus always blessed and prospered the work of my hands?  Yes! It took the gifts of spiritual understanding to see how this works.
God knows exactly what I need and when I need it.  Certain jobs and enterprises could lead me to "too much money."  Opposite of my destiny.... He blocks them. I am grateful Jesus.

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus this Friday by attending Holy Mass.

For the 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, click the link below:

http://sfjweb.com/?q=content/sacred-heart-12-promises

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Show us the Father and that will be enough for us.

“Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”  (John 14: 8).

What do you want most from the Father here and now? What is the greatest desire of your heart? When I asked myself this question, I could not pick one desire.  As I struggled to land on the mother of all desires, I remembered the promise of Jesus coming at the end of today's Gospel:

"And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."  (John 14: 13 -14).

Then I decided. I will ask for the mother of All Gifts.  "Lord Jesus, fill me to the brim with Your Holy Spirit and through Your Holy Spirit fill me with His gifts and His fruits."

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Have you not seen that all you need has been provided by God's gracious Providence.

 "If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you." (John 15: 7).

Let us be honest.  Do you believe that if you ask for whatever you want, it will be given to you? If you do not believe this, you call Jesus a Liar.  A Liar with a big "L" since He is God.

The truth that God provides all our needs in a timely manner is an idea that is found throughout  sacred scripture.  Amazingly, this is also the constant teaching of the Church from time immemorial.  Yet, ask any man on the street whether he believes that God is supplying everything he needs in a timely manner and you may notice some doubts and hesitations.

God's gracious and loving providence is expressed in this line in a song used frequently by the Church:

"Have you not seen All you have needed has been met by His gracious ordaining?"

"Gracious ordaining" means of course God's providence.  The first time I became aware of this song in a worship service, I said to myself, "Wait a minute.  This isn't my experience."
I thought about it at the time and decided that this question like many questions about faith and religion is simply too mysterious.  I now realize that this attitude was an error born of unbelief.  What I should have done was to challenge God in prayer to show me how He met all my needs by His gracious ordaining.

But recently, as I read and reflect more on the subject of Prayer, I begin to get some insight.  The key to understanding the question is this important teaching of Jesus:

"What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?  Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg?
If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”  (Luke 11: 11 -13)

Yes indeed.  God provides all our necessities according to His gracious and loving Providence.  Trust that the Father knows exactly what you need and when you need it.

"By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."  (John 15: 7).

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Let not this heart be troubled.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."  (John 14: 27).

How does the world give peace?
Is your family beautiful in every way? Is your health superb all round? No financial headaches whatsoever. Great job. Big home. Big cars. Great food.  If all the above is excellent for you, then you deserve to join the peace club.
Alas, since none of the above is guaranteed to last, you may never be able to join the peace club on earth.  An example:  You may have all the money in the world.  You may stock the best food and wine. What if you are too sick to eat anything.  Nobody can cheat Divine Providence.  The only thing we are guaranteed is the present moment. Everyone can learn to trust the promises of God.

"Let not this heart be troubled,
But let it rest in you.
For with you,
Every sorrow will be washed away,
Let not my mind be burdened,
But set it free with truth,
For every care is lost in understanding grace.  (Sarah Hart).

Here is what the peace of Christ looks like.  Peace above all worldly circumstances and temporary setbacks:
"Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.  Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4: 6 - 7).

"O God, who restore us to eternal life in the Resurrection of Christ,
grant your people constancy in faith and hope, that we may never doubt the promises of which we have learned from you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen."  (Collect, Tuesday, 5th Week of Easter).

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The Holy Spirit is the Deep Memory of the Church.

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name – he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”  (John 14:  25 - 26).

Jesus taught with authority.  He is still teaching today with authority through His Church.  The Holy Spirit is the Help and Teacher.  He is the deep memory of the Church.  "Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”  (Luke 10: 16).

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for the Holy Spirit, they shall be satisfied (Cf Matthew 5:6).

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How do we bear much fruit in the Kingdom?

"Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me.  I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing."  (John 15: 4 - 5)

How do we bear much fruit? Remain in Jesus.  What is the principle of productivity?  Abide in Christ.  How do we abide in Christ?

We live in Christ through the Sacraments, particularly the Eucharist. The Eucharist is a holy exchange of gift. Through it, Jesus shares with us His divine life. Another word for God's divine life in us is sanctifying grace.

We also live in Christ through his words. "If you remain in my word, you will know the truth and the truth will make you free."  (John 8: 31 - 33).

Our fruitfulness depends therefore on this dynamic relationship with Christ living in us.

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Jesus promises true freedom on one condition.

"If you make my word your home you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8: 31 – 32)

Jesus here makes a promise that I find very attractive and irresistible.
Who on earth does not want to be free? Free of worries, fears and doubts. Free from debt.  Free from crippling worries over health and financial problems.

The promise has an easy to fulfill condition: Feed on the word of God, season out of season. Be constant, steadfast, plugged into the word of God.  To do this is evidence of faith and perseverance. The longer you make the word of God your home, the more your faith grows. Then you come to understand what Jesus means by freedom. Then you come to taste and relish the peace that passes all understanding.  (Philippians 4: 7).

When Jesus sets you free you will be free indeed (John 8: 36).  The fears, worries, doubts and addictions are over.
You are at the same time freed from sin (Romans 6: 18) because you are free from the principle of sin and death (Romans 8: 2). Jesus Christ has freed us from our sins by his blood (Revelation 1: 5)

You have become a new person; indeed a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5: 17).  Go for Freedom!

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Do not let your hearts be troubled.

"JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. You have faith in God; have faith also in me."  (John 14: 1).

Will having faith in God and Jesus relieve you of your burdens? Pay the mortgage? Bring home your estranged husband? Heal your son of opioid addiction?  Most crisis we have in society today has roots in a crisis of faith.   When we cease to believe or our belief is very weak, the foundation of our moral and social center become fragmented.  Things fall apart and the center cannot hold tightly.  Pope Benedict  and most of recent popes recognized this phenomenon for many years.  Alas, science and technology have not delivered on their promised Paradise.  Automation, microwaves, smart phones, smart cars, smart homes have all failed to procure us the peace of mind and soul and body we yearn so desperately for.

Jesus came to bring us a simple message of salvation.  Jesus Christ has complete power to save us from these evils.  (Acts 4: 12; Romans 1: 16). Do you believe this? YES or NO?

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10: 9).

The alternative is unthinkable.

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No ambassador is greater than the king who sent him.

"When Jesus had washed the disciples' feet, He said to them: "Amen, amen, I say to you, no slave is greater than his master nor any messenger  greater than the one who sent him.  If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it."  (John 13: 16 - 17).

No slave is greater than his master.  Absolutely. We know this.  No ambassador is greater than the king who sent him.  Of course!  But human nature being what it is, Ann Boleyn usurped the bed of mistress Queen Catherine of Aragon and became queen.  You don't want to know what happened to Ann Boleyn.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  He came to show us a simple and new way to the full life we hunger for. He is the truth who can never deceive.
Two deep truths marked His entire life:
#1 Necessity of Prayer. (Luke 18: 1).
#2 Necessity of suffering. (Cf Luke 24: 26).

"If you understand this, blessed are you if you do it."  (John 13: 17).

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The ABC of Evangelization

"Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:  "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.  Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned."  (Mark 16: 15 - 16).

Today is the Feast St Mark the Evangelist. Happy feast day to all my friends named Mark.  God endowed Mark with the grace not just to preach the Gospel but to be author of what is considered the first Gospel and mother of all the Gospels.

Jesus gives us the Great Commission:  "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature."  What exactly are we to proclaim?  We are to proclaim Christ crucified as the power of God and the wisdom of God. (1 Corinthians 1: 23 - 24).  Note that we are not called to be philosophers or theologians but simply to share the Good News that Christ was dead. Christ is risen from the dead. Christ will come again to judge the living and the dead.  It is as simple as ABC because God wants everyone to be involved.

"They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs."  (Mark 16: 20).
Amen. Alleluia!
God Never Fails. He is faithful.
"Behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28: 20).

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Evangelization is the core mission of the Church.

"Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that arose because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to no one but Jews."  (Acts 11: 19).

After Pentecost, it appeared that the infant Church went temporarily into a sleeping mode. But not for long. The Holy Spirit like the mother eagle had to wake them up by fluttering over them with loud shrieks.  The tool the Holy Spirit used was persecution. It worked. Henceforth, evangelization became the mission of the Church.

The Hebrew linguistic group evangelized the Jews wherever they sought refuge.  The Greeks evangelized their patriots. (Cf 11: 20).

The Holy Spirit is the Master and Leader of Evangelization.  He is the Principal Actor.  Our role is docile spectators.

As needs arose, the Holy Spirit sent the missionaries help from Jerusalem in the person of Barnabas who "was a good man, filled with the holy Spirit and faith. And a large number of people was added to the Lord."  (Cf Acts 11: 22 - 24).

Jesus says, "The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me."  (John 10: 25).

We lay people are called upon to become the tip of the spear in the work of Evangelization in the 22nd century.   The work we do in our Father's name must testify to us. (Cf John 10: 25).  Are you ready? Listen to the Church:

"Lay people also fulfill their prophetic mission by evangelization, "that is, the proclamation of Christ by word and the testimony of life." For lay people, "this evangelization . . . acquires a specific property and peculiar efficacy because it is accomplished in the ordinary circumstances of the world."  (CCC 905).

The Church continues:
"This witness of life, however, is not the sole element in the apostolate; the true apostle is on the lookout for occasions of announcing Christ by word, either to unbelievers . . . or to the faithful."  (CCC 905).

When you say yes, you will find that God will supply everything you need for the mission.

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The Holy Ghost is the Abundant life that Jesus promised.

"I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."  (John 10: 10).

In John 18: 37, Jesus told Pontius Pilate that the purpose of His coming is to bear witness to the truth.  In John 10: 10, He said that His purpose is to give us a rich and satisfying life.  Do you believe that He who came to bear witness to the truth is telling the truth about coming to help us live life to the fullest? Are you living a great full life?

What really is Christ promising here? He is promising the unrationed gift of the Holy Spirit. (John 3: 34).  The Holy Spirit is the Abundant life.  (John 10: 10).

Deepak Chopra wrote in his book, "CREATING AFFLUENCE": "Affluence is the experience in which our needs are easily met and our desires spontaneously fulfilled. We feel joy, health, happiness, and vitality in every moment of our existence."  Our prayers are answered and we feel the pure joy of answered prayer.  The Holy Spirit is Abundant Life and the Creator of Affluence in our lives.

In the Veni Creator Spiritu (Come O Holy Spirit and fill the hearts...), we ask Abba Father to grant that we may always rejoice in the consolations of the Holy Spirit.  We are asking that our lives will overflow with abundant goods and affluence.

If you do not know what I am talking about, please prepare yourself for Pentecost. Pentecost 2018 is Sunday May 20th.

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My Good Shepherd is always there for me.

"I am the Good Shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me,  just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep."  (John 10: 14 - 15).

The Good Shepherd image is my favorite image of Jesus.  I invoke in my prayers always.  Jesus is my Good Shepherd.  He guides me step-by-step. He provides everything I need.  My Good Shepherd protects me moment by moment.  When I walk through a neighborhood with unleashed dogs, I do not fear. (Cf Psalm 23).

I enjoy a stable relationship with my Good Shepherd. Jesus is not a fair weather friend.  He is not like some automobile insurance companies who are your friend on the condition that you remain accident free.  Jesus my Good Shepherd is always there, come what may.

One day, I was very anxious and my Good Shepherd said to me:
"Let Me have all your worries and cares, for I am always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you."  (1 Peter 5: 7). I made a list of 4 worries, noted the date and inserted the paper in my Missal.  One day, I found the list and scratched all the 4 items.

Like many people, I worry about money from time to time.  My Good Shepherd gently reproached me:
"Stay away from the love of money; be satisfied with what you have. For I say to you: “I will never, never fail you nor forsake you.”  That is why you can say without any doubt or fear, “The Lord is my Helper, and I am not afraid of anything that mere man can do to me.”  (Cf Hebrews 13: 5 - 6).

One day, I complained to my Good Shepherd:  “You have deserted me; the Lord has forgotten me.”
My Good Shepherd answered me:
“Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?  Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible, I would not forget you!"  (Cf Isaiah 49: 14 - 15).  I was reassured.

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There are some of you who do not believe.

"Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?”  (John 6: 60).

Today is Saturday, April 21 in the 3rd Week of Easter.  The Church concludes the Bread of life Discourse from Chapter 6 of the Gospel of St John started on Monday.  The end of the teaching is anticlimactic.  Jesus lost most of of His followers at the end of His teaching.

“This saying is hard; who can accept it?”  (John 6: 60). No doubt, the Eucharist is a hard doctrine to accept.  No religion on earth since the beginning of the world had made such an extravagant claim of eating human flesh and drinking human blood as conditio sine qua non for eternal life. But instead of backing down, Jesus pressed His point as He stared at the few who did not leave:  "But there are some of you who do not believe.”  (John 6: 64).  They looked back at Him in silence.

"It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."  (John 6:  63).

The Holy Spirit is indispensable in understanding and accepting the Doctrine of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. The key to accepting the Eucharist is Faith.  Faith in the truth that Jesus is God and that you can trust His word. The disciples believed in Jesus Christ. "We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”  (John 6: 69).  God neither lies nor deceives. (Cf 1 Peter 2: 22).  The followers of the Apostles after Pentecost believed that the Apostles had divine mandate from Jesus to teach the Faith, administer the Sacraments and appoint successors.  So it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be.

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Paul is My chosen instrument to carry My Name to the world.

“Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”  He said, “Who are you, sir?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting."  (Acts 9: 4-5).

Today is Friday, April 20 in the 3rd Week of Easter.  We interrupt the Bread of Life  Discourse to savor the Conversion of St Paul. The gentle breath of the LORD Jesus knocked Saul off his horse.  Blinded by the dazzling light coming from the Redeemer, Paul was led by hand into the city of Damascus where Saul met Ananias.

“Go, for this man is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before Gentiles, kings, and Israelites,  and I will show him what he will have to suffer for my name.”   (Acts 9: 15 - 16).

Here we witness Divine Intervention creating a unique Divine Mission.  Welcome Rabbi Saul to the Church.
A good part of Sacred Scripture is actual human experience that becomes a template for the life of faith.  Every day, God is creating your own scripture through your daily experiences.  Be proactive in this process through the Sacrament of the Present Moment.

“Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.”   (Acts 9: 17).

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Saul did not waste a moment before he started proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues as the Son of God. (Acts 9: 20).

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