Jesus will return as you see Him go.

"Men of Galilee, why gaze in wonder at the heavens?
This Jesus whom you saw ascending into heaven
will return as you saw him go, alleluia."  (Acts 1: 11).

Today is the Solemnity of the Ascension in our Archdiocese.  Some other dioceses around the world celebrated the feast on Thursday, May 10th, 2018.

The Ascension into Heaven of Jesus watched by His disciples.  This event continues to bring Christians throughout the centuries immense joy and hope.  Joy to see the exaltation of One who overcame death.  Hope in the sure expectation of His Second Coming, not as a little poor child but like a Mighty King surrounded by a sun a million times brighter than the sun we know.

"God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord."  (Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 47:6–7).

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Have you experienced the pure joy of answered prayer?

"JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES: Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."  (John 16: 23).

Do you know the pure joy of answered prayer? In my experience, there is nothing as delightful as the happiness you feel when your prayer is answered.
The truth is that most often our prayers are answered but we do not pay attention.  Like children we quickly forget the cherished toy or doll and have our eyes on something different.

Pentecost 2018 is May 20th.  Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and eyes to see the answered prayers in your life and to show you how God answers your prayers.

The Holy Spirit is the Abundant life that Jesus spoke of in John 10: 10.  In our key Scripture today,  (John 16: 23) Jesus promises to fulfill any request made to the Father in His name.  This is a serious promise.

"Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete." (John 16: 24)

Most of our prayer involves asking for one thing or the other. God created us to be completely dependent on him for everything. Why be ashamed to ask for help in time of need?

Ask and you shall receive and your faith will grow stronger.

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Have you experienced the joy of answered prayer?

"JESUS SAID TO HIS DISCIPLES: Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."  (John 16: 23).

Do you know the pure joy of answered prayer? In my experience, there is nothing as delightful as the happiness you feel when your prayer is answered.
The truth is that most often our prayers are answered but we do not pay attention.  Like children we quickly forget the cherished toy or doll and have our eyes on something different.

Pentecost 2018 is May 20th.  Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and eyes to see the answered prayers in your life and to show you how God answers your prayers.

The Holy Spirit is the Abundant life that Jesus spoke of in John 10: 10.  In our key Scripture today,  (John 16: 23) Jesus promises to fulfill any request made to the Father in His name.  This is a serious promise.

"Ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete." (John 16: 24)

Most of our prayer involves asking for one thing or the other. God created us to be completely dependent on him for everything. Why be ashamed to ask for help in time of need?

Ask and you shall receive and your faith will grow stronger.

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I tell you the truth: No Cross, No Crown.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy."  (John 16: 20).

Do not even look at the world as they are engaged in their ecstatic show of joy. I tell you the truth, it is all show.  I promise that you will experience the true and lasting joy. He who laughs last, laughs best.

"When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world."  (John 16:  21).

How many times will I tell you that it is My Father's gracious will that the Cross will precede the Crown.  Let the story of pregnancy teach you this lesson.  I tell you the truth, nobody can change this order.

"Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory."  (Cf Luke 24: 46, 26)
The Cross is a divine necessity.

"No one will take your joy away from you."  (John 16: 22).
You can trust My word.

"Hear our prayers, O Lord, so that what was promised by the sanctifying power of your Word may everywhere be accomplished through the working of the Gospel and that all your adopted children may attain what the testimony of truth has foretold.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen."  (Collect Friday, May 11th, 6th Week of Easter).

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Do not be afraid Bros.

Do not be afraid

“They had rowed three or four miles when they saw Jesus walking on the lake and coming towards the boat.  This frightened them, but he said, ‘It is I.  Do not be afraid.”  (John 6: 19 – 20)

Jesus is in every event in my life.  He is saying to me here:  ‘Do not be afraid.  I am present.’  How can I make this truth serve me everyday?  In the midst of the hot events of my life, how can I call to mind the sure presence of Jesus?  One way is to cultivate the presence of Jesus through the Jesus prayer.  Jesus!

Lord Jesus, I believe you are present in my life through the Holy Spirit.  I thank you for the peace and tranquility that is your gift.  Sometimes I forget about your presence and become anxious and afraid.  I feel that I am in control of events and I feel so inadequate.  Lord teach me to live in your presence every moment of my life.  “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you, in God, whose word I praise, in God I put my trust and have no fear, what power has human strength over me?”  (Psalm 56: 3-4)

In order to live constantly in the presence of Jesus, I will immerse myself in the words of Jesus and say the Jesus prayer.

“It is I.  Do not be afraid.”

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Crispus heard the message and believed.

"Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized."  (Acts 18: 8).

What does it mean that Crispus came to believe in the Lord?  "The Corinthians who heard believed and were baptized?"  What is belief? What is faith?
These people heard the core message of the Gospel from the lips of St Paul.  At this time, there was no New Testament.  No document to check and verify their statement. They must have heard something similar to this:  "Jesus who was promised through the Prophets has come. He taught us about God and His plan for universal salvation. He was crucified according to the Scriptures. He died and rose again from the dead. He will come again to judge the world.  We are witnesses to these facts."

Crispus and many Corinthians heard a similar message and believed.  They believed the message because they were predisposed to believe.  They believed because they judged Paul a credible messenger and witness.  If you are reading this, you are predisposed to faith, to believe.  You believe in the word of God. You believe in the teaching of the Church.

We are 10 days to the great feast of Pentecost, Sunday, May 10th. How is your faith?
"Behold, I am with you always,
even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28: 20).
Do you believe this?

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The Spirit of truth will guide us to all truth.

"But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth......and will declare to you the things that are coming."  (John 16: 13).

The Spirit of Jesus will guide us to all truth.  All truth pertaining to salvation. Let us consider for a moment some of these awesome and mysterious truths that Jesus Christ revealed during His ministry:
+ The Trinity
+ The Holy Spirit
+ Sacraments
+ The Cross
+  The Church
+  Mystery of Mary

The Holy Spirit has led the Church to all these truths.  Most of the Church Councils in the past 2000 years have produced dogmatic definitions on these truths.  The teachings are constant and unalterable.

The Holy Spirit "will declare to you the things that are coming."  (John 16: 13).  What constitutes this revelation?  One thing that comes to mind is the appearance of the Man of Lawlessness, sometimes called the Anti-Christ.  He is a prince in the Kingdom of the Father of lies. (Cf 2 Thessalonians 2: 1 - 12). Through the spirit of discernment, the Church will be able to grasp the Signs of the Times and expose him.

"Graciously be present to your people, we pray, O Lord, and lead those you have imbued with heavenly mysteries to pass from former ways to newness of life.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen."  (Prayer after Communion).

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Spirit of light and love, come and fill us with Yourself.

"I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth. (Cf John 16: 7, 13).

What does the Church mean when she confesses: “I believe in the Holy Spirit”?
"To believe in the Holy Spirit is to profess faith in the Third Person of the Most Holy Trinity who proceeds from the Father and the Son and “is worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son”. The Spirit is “sent into our hearts” (Galatians 4:6) so that we might receive new life as sons of God."  (CCC 136)

"O Holy Spirit of Light and Love, to You I consecrate my mind, heart and will, for time and eternity. May I be ever docile to Your divine inspirations and to the teachings of the Holy Catholic Church whose infallible Guide You are.  May my heart be ever inflamed with the love of God and love of neighbor; may my will be ever in harmony with Your divine will. May my life faithfully imitate the life and virtues of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him with the Father and You, Divine Spirit, be honor and glory forever. Amen."  (Consecration to the Holy Spirit by Pope St Pius X).

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Lord prosper the work of our hands.

Prosper the Work of our Hands

“May the favor of the Lord our God be ours,
Prosper the work of our hands!
Prosper the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90: 17)

As mentioned once in this Blog, many years ago I read from time to time Christian Science literature for the sheer beauty of the language in expressing of faith. Here is something I culled from their literature in.

“God’s plan for man includes full employment. Employment is meaningful and fruitful activity. The disciple who is preparing for his life’s work is fully employed. God is omni-active. And so should man who reflects God’s image. He is employed in the business of expressing love and reflecting the divine understanding which are always fruitful. We can begin to prove this right now and bring healing to every aspect of our work.

Our understanding of and trust in these truths result in tangible provision for our needs, and enable us to help others as well. Our prayers and proofs of God’s healing care bless us, our Church and everyone.”

To summarize: There is no unemployment in God's Vineyard. Not every meaningful employment is paid employment.  The student and the volunteer are meaningfully employed.

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The Advocate whom I will send you will help you testify to Me.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning."  (John 15: 26 - 27).

To testify to Christ or not testify, that is the question. That is the existential choice we have to make.  Those who belong to the Truth will testify to Jesus. (Cf John 8: 47).  "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me."  (John 10: 27).

There are certain risks to fully committing to Jesus.  Hear them from the Master's lips.

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God."  (John 16:  1-2).

Be prepared to lose your job, club membership, etc. They will assassinate your character, ruin your business and finances, etc. Are you prepared for this for the sake of Jesus?  Will you stay or run?

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Where is My Mother?

Mother and Son - 2 Hearts: One Heartbeat!

"The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd.
He was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you.”
He said to them in reply, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.”  (Luke 8: 19 - 21).

In the new Jesus Christ Superstar Live Concert 2018, I was speechless with amazement when Jesus cried out from the cross:
"Where is My Mother?"  Even Jesus needed the closeness of a mother at such a desperate moment.

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