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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