The Gracious Will of Abba Father reveals to the little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom.

 “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.  Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will."  (Matthew 11:  25 - 26).

It is the gracious will of Abba Father to reveal the mysteries of the Kingdom of God to little ones.  This is how God acts always and everywhere. The "gracious will" of God never fails nor does it change, come what may.

Those who have enjoyed revelation of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God through the gracious will of Abba Father are:  Saints Catherine of Sienna, Teresa of Avila, Therese of Lisieux.  These three women are Doctors of the Church.
Others are: Saints Maria Faustina, Teresa of Kolkata.
Mother Mary Angelica deserves a place on this list even though she has not been canonized.  Read her 5 books to judge for yourself the revelations she has enjoyed.

"O God, who in the abasement of your Son have raised up a fallen world, fill your faithful with holy joy,
for on those you have rescued from slavery to sin you bestow eternal gladness.
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."  (Collect 14th Sunday).

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Pour new wine into new wineskins

"People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.
Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”  (Matthew 9: 16 - 17).

Do not conform to the world. (Romans 12: 2).

He who follows me must not look back.  (Luke 9: 62).

He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.  (Matthew 10: 37).

The new and potent wine of Jesus must not be mixed with the stale wine of the world.

“Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even put a road in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert."  (Isaiah 43: 19 AMP).

Does your daily habits match the new wine of the Gospel? Or are you trying to pour potent and fermenting wine into old rags?

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New wine into new wineskins.

"People do not put new wine into old wineskins.
Otherwise the skins burst, the wine spills out, and the skins are ruined.
Rather, they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.”  (Matthew 9: 16 - 17).

Do not conform to the world. (Romans 12: 2).

He who follows me must not look back.  (Luke 9: 62).

He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me.  (Matthew 10: 37).

The new and potent wine of Jesus must not be mixed with the stale wine of the world.

“Listen carefully, I am about to do a new thing,
Now it will spring forth;
Will you not be aware of it?
I will even put a road in the wilderness,
Rivers in the desert."  (Isaiah 43: 19 AMP).

Does your daily habits match the new wine of the Gospel? Or are you trying to pour potent and fermenting wine into old rags?

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First Friday in July - Sacred Heart of Jesus.

First Friday in July - Sacred Heart of Jesus:  All over the world, we honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus today.

We live today in the Season of Mercy.  "Blessed  are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy."  (Matthew 5: 7).

The ABC OF MERCY:
A:  Ask for Mercy.
B:  Be Merciful.
C:  Completely trust Jesus for Mercy.

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Come to Jesus with all your burdens.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30) 

We all labor and are heavily burdened with problems of money, health, family, job, cars, etc. Jesus knows us individually and is aware of our situation. He invites us to come to Him to find solution to our many problems. We come to Jesus in the Eucharist. We meet Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. When the Church gathers in prayer in His name, He is there. When we accept the word of God with faith, it changes our lives and our circumstances. 

Prayer for genuine contentment

"My God, in your creation of this world you made all things to be very good. I thank you, Lord, for all the goods of this world, and especially all those who have provided for me and my loved ones. 
But remind me, Lord, that only you are the true Good, and that all earthly goods are but shadows of you. And should I become very attached to any fleeting good, and let it obstruct my love for you, grant me the holy desire to have it taken from me. Through Christ Our Lord, the King of glory who has no pillow to lay his head. Amen." 

LISTEN TO JESUS CHRIST, THE FAITHFUL WITNESS. 

"Set your mind on God's kingdom 
and His justice before everything else, and all the rest will come to you as well. 
So do not be anxious about tomorrow; tomorrow will look after itself. Each day has troubles 
enough of its own."  (Matthew  6: 33-34)

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Abraham and Mary have a lot in common.

"God put Abraham to the test."  (Genesis 22: 1).

"Take your son Isaac, your only one, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah. There offer him up as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you."  (Genesis 22: 2 - 3).

"Isaac spoke to his father Abraham. “Father!” he said. “Here I am,” he replied. Isaac continued, “Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the sheep for the burnt offering?”  “My son,” Abraham answered, “God will provide the sheep for the burnt offering.”   (Genesis 22: 7 - 8).

Isaac is a type of Christ.  Through this event and dialogue, God revealed what would happen in the future. In the Eucharistic liturgy, the Church offers to God the gift He provides. God transforms the gift into the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ gives this to us. We call this the holy exchange.

"For now I know that you fear God, since you did not withhold from me your son, your only one.” (Genesis 22: 12).

Abraham was ready to sacrifice his only son, the son of promise. But God did not spare His own Son, Jesus. Because of this, Scripture says that God will never deny us anything that is good for us. (Cf Romans 8: 32).

“I swear by my very self—oracle of the Lord—that because you acted as you did in not withholding from me your son, your only one,  I will bless you and make your descendants as countless as the stars of the sky and the sands of the seashore."  (Genesis 22:  16 - 17).

Because of Abraham's Obedience of faith, we inherited unbelievable blessings.

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The Lord hears the cry of the poor.

 “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not fear; God has heard the boy’s voice in this plight of his.  Get up, lift up the boy and hold him by the hand; for I will make of him a great nation.”  Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and then let the boy drink."  (Genesis 21:  17 - 19).

"God was with the boy as he grew up."  (Genesis 21: 20).

"This poor one cried out and the lord heard, and from all his distress he saved him.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and he saves them."  (Psalm 34: 7 - 8).

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God bless America!

"As dawn was breaking, the angels urged Lot on, saying, “Come on! Take your wife with you and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away in the punishment of the city.”  When he hesitated, the men, because of the Lord’s compassion for him, seized his hand and the hands of his wife and his two daughters and led them to safety outside the city."  (Genesis 19:  15 - 17 NABRE).

The Providence of God led Lot and his family to freedom. Just as war and famine are part and parcel of human history, so is refugee and exile a byproduct of war and famine. America by the Providence of God is a nation of immigrants. Some came as economic, religious and political refugees.  All are attracted by the bright beacon of freedom. Every single person in America is led here by the Providence of God one way or another. Politicians blocking immigration reform under the subterfuge of law and order are only kicking against the goad. The Sovereign Will of God will prevail in the fullness of time.

"Father of all nations and ages,
we recall the day when our country
claimed its place among the family of nations; for what has been achieved we give you thanks,
for the work that still remains we ask your help, and as you have called us from many peoples to be one nation, grant that, under your providence, our country may share your blessings with all the peoples of the earth. 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."  (Collect for the Mass of Independence).

Happy Independence to all!

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Stop unbelieving but believe!

Unless I see, I will not believe.
Stop doubting and believe!

"So the other disciples kept telling him, We have seen the Lord! But he said to them, Unless I see in His hands the marks made by the nails and put my finger into the nail prints, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe [it]. "
(John 20:25 AMP)

"Then Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”   (John 20:27 NIV)

Unless I become rich, I will not believe... 
Unless I am healed, I will not believe.. 
Unless I have my dream job, home, I will not believe..
What is your UNLESS?

Today is the feast of the Apostle Thomas.

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