"I pray not only for these but also for those who through their teaching will come to believe in me." (John 17: 20)
Christ the High Priest has prayed especially for me: "Emmanuel, Emmanuel, I pray that your faith will not falter. After the trial, when you are strong, strengthen your brothers."
Thank you Jesus.
Christ's prayer is very effective.
"Keep me safe, O God; you are my hope….. You will show me the path to life, fullness of joys in your presence, the delights at your right hand forever." (Psalm 16: 1, 11)
The Holy Spirit has shown me the path to life – the 7-Way Plan.
"Father, you gave St. Bernadine a special love for the name of Jesus. By the help of his prayers, may we always be alive with the spirit of your love…." (Prayer on the feast of St. Bernadine – 05/20/2009)
Exactly ten years ago, I confided this brief reflection on the above prayer:
God gave St. Bernadine a special gift: Love of the name of Jesus. Everything is a gift from our Father.
St. Ignatius Loyola also had special love for the name of Jesus. He called the religious order he founded – The Society of Jesus.
"Father, let your Spirit come upon us with power to fill us with his gifts. May he make our hearts pleasing to you, and ready to do your will ……"
We are 12 days away from Pentecost 2009. We ask the Father to fill us with the awesome gifts of the Holy Spirit so that our hearts will always be pleasing to Him. With the Holy Spirit firmly in control of our hearts, He will dispose us to do God's will in all things.
"Let us come to God's presence with confidence, because we will find mercy and strength when we need it." (Hebrews 4: 6)
How to come into God's presence:
How to come into God's presence with confidence:
"When the Holy Spirit comes to you, the Spirit whom I shall send, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness to me, and you also will be my witnesses." (John 15: 26 – 27)
Yes Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word. I am your servant.
"Consecrate them in the truth; your word is truth." (John 17: 17)
O Holy Spirit, set me apart for service of the Truth, who is Jesus Christ. Amen!
"Be on your guard for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you the guardians, to feed the Church of God which he bought with the blood of his own Son." (Acts 20: 28)
Be watchful. Be alert. Your enemy is constantly prowling, seeking for an opportunity to score a goal.
Be watchful too for your flock. Pray for them constantly. Be ready to alert them after prayers on the wiles of the evil one.
"The Holy Spirit who the Father will send in my name will teach you all things, and remind you of all I have said to you." ( John 14: 26)
The Holy Spirit and instructions
The Holy Spirit and memory
The Holy Spirit will teach me and remind me.
"I have glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do." (John 17: 4)
Father, help me to glorify you by finishing the work you gave me to do.
The Enterprise will glorify God. God will not oppose anything that will glorify His name. Emm-Del, Mary-HP, AD-8 will all glorify God because all have been dedicated to His service.
"Sing to God, O Kingdom of the earth ….. Blessed day by day be the Lord, who bears our burdens; God, who is our salvation." ( Psalm 68: 33, 20)
God bears our burdens day by day. God is there for us all the time.
"But I do not place any value on my own life, provided that I complete the mission the Lord gave me – to bear witness to the good news of God's grace." (Acts 20: 24)
Christ's work must come before our very lives. It must be number one in our priority.
The task is to bear witness to the good news of God's grace.
"Lord, send the power of your Holy Spirit upon us that we may remain faithful and do your will in our daily lives ….." (Mass Prayer in the Season of Easter)
We can do nothing without the inspiration and power of the Holy Spirit.
I am favored by constant inspiration from my Precious Friend. I commit myself to acting as soon as I get the inspiration. O Holy Spirit, grant me the gift of discernment of spirits so that no open door will be left for the inspiration of the enemy. Amen.
"I am the beginning and end of all things. I have met death, but I am alive, and I shall live for eternity." (Revelation 1: 17-18)
I was dead but I am alive forevermore.
I conquered death by dying. You conquer fear by facing fears.
They conquered the enemy through:
(Revelation 12:10)
"Lord, may these gifts cleanse us from sin and make our hearts live with your gift of grace …."
The Eucharist increases the life in God in us. We call this life sanctifying grace. It also cleanses us from venial sins and enables us to live in grace.
"I have told you all this so that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have hardship, but be courageous: I have conquered the world." (John 16: 33)
It gives me peace and comfort to know that Jesus knows everything that is happening in my life. Where has he told me all that will happen in my life? In the scriptures. The scriptures reproduce faithfully the profile of the disciple.
Be courageous in your witnessing. Be courageous in living the 7-Way Plan.
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1: 8)
What type of people were the disciples of Jesus before Pentecost? They were people with weak faith, timid and unsure of themselves and their calling. Although they had been with Jesus for three years and had seen all His miracles and heard His great teaching. That was not enough to make them solid and trustworthy disciples.
What type of people were the disciples after Pentecost? They were full of faith, courage and enthusiasm for their calling. After Pentecost, they were so full of zeal for their calling that they were prepared to lay down their lives for Jesus.
What made the difference in the lives of the disciples before and after Pentecost? The gift of the Holy Spirit made all the difference.
"Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth. …… The Father of orphans and defender of widows is God in his holy dwelling. God gives a home to the forsaken; he leads for the prisoners to prosperity." (Psalm 68: 5-7)
Father, I thank you for who you are. Help me to trust and appreciate you as Father. I ask for this in the name of Jesus Christ, your Son, our brother. Amen!
"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?" (Acts 19:2)
St. Paul noticed that something is missing in the new believers. What was missing?
Wherever the Holy Spirit is, there is power. Where He is not, power is lacking. The discernment that the Holy Spirit was absent in some of the new Christians was apparent to Paul. Every Christian that has the Holy Spirit can make the same discernment. The discernment could be the first step in leading people to the Holy Spirit.
"Lord, send the power of your Holy Spirit upon us that we may remain faithful and do your will in our daily lives ….." (Prayer at Mass in Eastertide)
Without the power of the Holy Spirit, it is impossible to do God's will day after day. Faithfulness in following Jesus every day is a sign that the Holy Spirit is resident in a soul.
I need the light and courage from the Holy Spirit to do God's will in my life every day.
