Build yourselves up in your most holy faith

"But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life."  (Jude 1: 20 - 21)

How do I build up myself in the most holy faith?  I build up myself by means of the 7-Way Plan received from The Way Himself.  The 7-Way Plan has 7 elements:

1. Prayer
2. Word of God
3. Eucharist
4. Penance
5. Examen
6. Ministry
7. Spiritual Reading

"For the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age,  as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our savior Jesus Christ,"  (Titus 2: 11-13)

Through the means of the 7-Way Plan, the Lord trains me to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age.  Fortified with grace, I wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ and the blessed hope of His coming.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart in all the areas of your struggle

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence do not rely;
In all your ways be mindful of him, and he will make straight your paths."  (Proverbs 3: 5-6)

Trust completely in the supreme and powerful providence of God over you.  Do not try to figure out the whys and the hows of His ways.  His ways are not your ways because His thoughts are not your thoughts.  Embrace without questions His disposal of events in your life.  This is the way you guarantee the continual guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Commit to God unresolved issues in the areas of your health, family, finances, job, tools, food and future.  His divine providence offers step by step direction and minute by minute protection.   God has promised His children always and everywhere His pardon, peace, power, purpose, presence, protection and provision.

Trust God with all your heart.

The Story of 2 Women - Mary and Elizabeth

"During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah,  where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the holy Spirit,  cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.  And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy.  Blessed are you who believed* that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled."  (Luke 1: 40 - 45)

This is the story of two women, Mary and Elizabeth that was proclaimed in the Gospel of today, the feast of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth.  As I heard this Gospel at the morning Mass today, my thoughts explored the differences between these two great Giants of our faith.

Mary is young.  Elizabeth is old.
Mary is newly pregnant.  Elizabeth is in her 6th month of pregnancy.
Mary is married to Joseph.  Elizabeth is married to Zechariah.
Mary and Joseph live in Nazareth.  Elizabeth and Zechariah live in a town of Judah.
Mary is conceived of the Holy Spirit.  Elizabeth owes her pregnancy to her husband.
Mary was visited by an angel before her conception.  Elizabeth's husband was visited by an angel before her pregnancy.
Mary was inspired by the Holy Spirit to sing her Magnificat.  Elizabeth was inspired by the Holy Spirit to sing her Hail Mary.
Mary is the Mother of Jesus.  Elizabeth is the mother of John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ.

I saw clearly for the first time that the Gospel passage of Luke 1: 39-56 may well be one of the most important in the entire New Testament.  It bears a number of revelations and prophecies that continue to be true and inspire to this day.  Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Elizabeth foretold the future place of Mary in salvation history.  The same Holy Spirit inspired Mary to predict that all generation shall call her blessed.  All generations indeed starting from apostolic times to this day continue to call Mary blessed always and everywhere.  After the name of Jesus, which is the most pronounced name everyday, the name of Mary is second.  Each time we say the Rosary, we pronounce the name of Mary at least 106 times.  Consider how many Rosaries are said all over the world everyday.  When you add them up plus the name of Mary in the liturgies and other prayers, that is a huge number.  Faced with this critical mass of data, who can deny that all generations are hailing her blessed.  Is this a coincidence or arbitrary?  No!  It is the fulfillment of the prophecy in the Magnificat of Mary.  God is faithful.

(2000th Blog - 053112)

You do not know what you are asking

"Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking.  Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?"  (Mark 10: 38)

Prayer is both praise and petition.  In my own case, most of my prayer is petition.  We are so burdened by the weight of flesh that the spirit in us barely has room to soar in praise.

What makes up my prayer of petition ?  I pray for good health, for job and financial success, for family, my daily bread and protection from evil.  Jesus reminds me today, "You do not know what you are asking of."  Yes Lord, you are right.  I do not know what I am asking of.  I should trust you completely with every area of my life.  You know what is best for me.  I trust you to take care of me.

Your word to me, "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be yours as well," is true.  Help me never to doubt it.

For although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike

"At that time Jesus said in reply, “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike." (Matthew 11: 25)

Knowledge puffs up but love builds up.  God's modus operandi is to reveal the secrets of the kingdom to the childlike.  What are these secrets?  They are mysteries which the mind of man cannot fully understand.  Yet once they are revealed are found to be reasonable.

In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul often compares the wisdom of this world and the wisdom that comes from above.  Although the wisdom of this world deals only with the material creation, they tend to puff up those who have it.  Those who possess this wisdom pretend that they know everything.

St. James in his letter writes of two types of wisdom:  Wisdom that comes from above and the earthly wisdom.  The wisdom that comes from above bears the marks of the fruits of the Holy Spirit.  While earthly wisdom bears all the signs of the Father of lies.

The hidden things of the kingdom are revealed to the childlike.  The childlike are those who have hearts and minds disposed to God.

Lord Jesus, make me childlike.

Jesus Christ became poor so that I might become rich

"For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich."  (2 Corinthians 8: 9)

In order to appropriate the promises designed for us in the word of God, we must understand the meaning of the word.  I realize lately that I do not understand the meaning of many scriptures that I thought I did.  An example is 2 Corinthians 8:9.  What does it mean that Christ became poor so that by His poverty, I may become rich?

Early this morning, I read a couple of commentaries on the scripture and was surprised by what I discovered.  Christ is the Son of God, creator of heaven and earth and all that is seen and unseen.  He is the Lord of history.  The destiny of the entire world is in His hands. He owns all the silver and gold, all the banks and deposits.   Can you get richer than that?  Yet, Christ chose to be born in a stable in Bethlehem.  Born of poor parents, he learned carpentry as His trade.  Throughout His public ministry, He depended on women to provide for His needs from their meagre resources.  When He died, He had no wealth to bequeath to His mother.  On the cross, He entrusted the care of His mother to his disciple, John.  He was buried in a borrowed grave.

Out of His passion, death and resurrection, He bestowed freely on us the greatest gift of redemption, the person of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the source of all inspiration and power.  He is resourcefulness Himself.  If we have the Holy Spirit, we are potentially rich in every resource, of which the most important is faith.  Gold though tested by fire perishes.  Faith never perishes.  With faith all is possible.

Lord, open my eyes to see how rich you have made me.  Amen!