Blocked by the Holy Spirit

"And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia."  (Acts 16:6)

Where is the Holy Spirit blocking me? 

Jobs and finances.

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13: 17)

Change happens not because of what you know but because of what you do daily.

O Holy Spirit, what will you have me do? 

Submit job and finances daily to the Holy Spirit.

What does a verbal act of submission do for me?  It does exactly the same as a verbal renunciation of the devil with all his works and promises does to a soul in the rite of Baptism.  

"But what does it say?

“The word is near you,

in your mouth and in your heart

(that is, the word of faith that we preach),

for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved."  (Romans 10: 8 - 10)

Knowing and Doing

"Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  (John 14: 6)

Jesus is the Way.  His life is the Example, the best Practice to get to the Father.  He is the truth that reveals who we are, our true purpose in life.  He is the life, the abundant life that we yearn for.  He is the top prize.

Knowing the above, what difference does it make to my daily life full of fears, worries and doubts?

"Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them."  (John 13: 17)
Change happens not because of what you know but because of what you do daily.

Kicking against the goad

"And when we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’  (Acts 26:14)

"Here are just a few examples of ox-goads God uses in the lives of His people: sermons, suffering, doctrine, difficulty, adversity, affliction, godly counsel, holy confrontation, conviction of the Holy Spirit, financial reversal, business failure and academic probation.
You might like to take some time to identify other ox-goads you have kicked against in the past. What was the result of your rebellion? Did you find that your pain actually increased as you resisted? What would you do differently today? Remember, all Scripture, rightly understood, is an oxgoad – both to the sinner and the saint."
( http://goodnewsfl.org/kicking_against_the_goadsthe_meaning_and_message/)

Prosper the work of our hands

"Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
and who walk in his ways.
What your hands provide you will enjoy;
you will be blessed and prosper:"  (Psalm 128: 1 - 2)

"God our Father, creator and ruler of the universe,
in every age you call man
to develop and use his gifts for the good of others.
With St. Joseph as our example and guide,
help us to do the work you have asked
and come to the rewards you have promised.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit
one God forever and ever. Amen."
(Opening Prayer on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker, May 1st)

Divine Providence

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church :

321 Divine providence consists of the dispositions by which God guides all his creatures with wisdom and love to their ultimate end.

322 Christ invites us to filial trust in the providence of our heavenly Father (cf.Mt 6:26-34), and St. Peter the apostle repeats: "Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you" (I Pt 5:7; cf. Ps55:23).

323 Divine providence works also through the actions of creatures. To human beings God grants the ability to cooperate freely with his plans.

324 The fact that God permits physical and even moral evil is a mystery that God illuminates by his Son Jesus Christ who died and rose to vanquish evil. Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life.

Certainty of Hope

They strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.
(Acts 14:22)

"Father, you restored your people to eternal life by raising Christ your Son from death.  Make our faith strong and our hope sure.  May we never doubt that you will fulfill the promises you have made.  Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen!! "
(Tuesday 5th Week of Easter)

The Certainty of Answered Prayer

"The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you."  (John 14: 26)

Thank you Jesus for this promise.  I love your Holy Spirit very much. I cannot imagine life without His presence and activities in me.  I like the fact that He is my Teacher.  I am profoundly grateful that He is inspiration and power that I need in everything.  He never fails me.  But the gift that keeps me ever joyful is His continual reminding me of the good things that God is doing for me.  This makes me a thankful person.

Lord, we are 20 days to Pentecost and the Church is praying for a new outpouring of your Holy Spirit.  I have surveyed my life up and down.   There is nothing I desire more at this moment than a big filling of your Holy Spirit and the gift to surrender ALL to Him.  Remember your great promise that prayer for the Holy Spirit is a sure prayer to be answered.  I rejoice in this certainty of answer and I wait with confident hope.  Thank you Jesus!!!!!

Too good to be true

"And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it."  (John 14: 13 - 14)

Lord Jesus, grant me deep faith in this sweeping promise.  I know it is true but it sounds too good to be true

Adoration and Worship

Adoration Chapel's Blessed Sacrament Altar
Psalm 27:8

8 You have said, “Seek my face.”My heart says to you,“Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

Share the Gospel

"And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation."  (Mark 16:15)

"Every soul with Christ is a missionary ; every soul without Christ is a mission field."  -  (Our Daily Bread)

"I have chosen you from the world to go and bear fruit that will last."  (John 15: 16, 19)

"I will bear witness to you in the world, O Lord.  I will spread the knowledge of your name among my brothers."  (Psalm 17: 50; 21: 23)

Do not conform

Romans 12:2
Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

The antidote or medicine for not being conformed to the world is the word of God. Daily and constant intake of the precious word renews our minds. As our mind is renewed, it is transformed and made strong to withstand the lies of the Father of lies.

The Enterprise Word

Acts 5:38-39
"For if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!”

My sheep follow me

"My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me."  (John 10: 27)

I am one of the sheep of Jesus.  He says in John 10: 27 that He knows me.  I hear His voice and I follow Him.  Where do I hear the voice of Jesus?

I hear Jesus speaking to me in His word.  I hear Him at Mass and at the Blessed Sacrament.  I hear His voice when I pray.  I am surprised how often I hear Him when I blog.

Yes Jesus, I am beginning to recognize your voice.  I like what I hear all the time because I have come to trust you to lead and guide me to green pastures and protect me even when I stray into the valley of death.

Abundant life

"I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly."  (John 10: 10)

What is this abundant life?  When we look at the life that Christ lived while on earth, it is clear that He does not mean the ordinary life we live here and now even when our material goods and possessions are multiplied.  Christ made a distinction between worldly or material riches and genuine riches.  We can infer  that abundant life means life that is filled with genuine riches.

Who provides abundant life?  Genuine riches or abundant life is provided by the One who is described as Lord and Giver of Life, the Holy Spirit.

When does the Holy Spirit provide  abundant life?  The Holy Spirit provides and builds on the abundant life through the Sacraments of Initiation.  The Sacraments of Initiation are Baptism, Eucharist and Confirmation.   When the Christian is baptized, the Holy Spirit comes to live in him and fills the soul with sanctifying grace.  Sanctifying grace is the life of God in the soul.  It is the presence of the Most Holy Trinity in the soul.  This presence or life is enhanced through the Eucharist and strengthened through the Sacrament of Confirmation.  This is the abundant life that Christ speaks of in John 10: 10.

Missionary and Mission

"Every soul with Christ is a missionary ; every soul without Christ is a mission field."  -  Our Daily Bread

The Blood of the Lamb

"“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."  (Revelation 7: 14)

This scripture read in today’s second reading may prove a useful arsenal in  hospital and other outreach ministries.

"“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."  (Revelation 7: 14)

“Time of great distress” is also time of downtime through illness, financial challenges, family upheaval, loss of job and income, and more.  How do we react during these inevitable crisis of life?  Revelation 7: 14 gave the answer:  “they washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.”  They did not reject their cross.  Pope Benedict XVI taught that rejection of the cross is rejection of Jesus Christ.  When you accept your cross, you get your crown.  When you embrace your thorns, you receive your triumphs.  The Church has never compromised on this teaching.  The TRUTH on this is indivisible and perennial.  There is no choice with the truth.  The choice is “hairesis” (Greek for choosing what you want to believe) and is a rejection of Jesus Christ and the Cross.

How can I thank HIM?

Psalm 116:12
12 What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits to me?

"Instead of being discouraged by having to confess the same sin, Patty accepted the graces of frequent Confession and received victory over a stronghold in her life."
(From the Presentation Ministries)

We thank HIM for the gifts of:

• Eucharist 
• Word of God 
• Penance 
• Prayer 
• Blessed Sacrament

Victory over Stronghold

Instead of being discouraged by having to confess the same sin, Patty accepted the graces of frequent Confession and received victory over a stronghold in her life. 
(From the Presentation Ministries)

Be filled with the Holy Spirit

"So Ananias went and entered the house; laying his hands on him, he said, “Saul, my brother, the Lord has sent me, Jesus who appeared to you on the way by which you came, that you may regain your sight and be filled with the holy Spirit.”  (Acts 9: 17)

Lord Jesus, lay your hands on me that I may regain my spiritual sight.  I want to see my circumstances as you see them.  I want to see my family, my health, my finances, job, tools, food and future as you see them.

Fill me with your Holy Spirit.  I want to be free to serve you as you deserve to be served.

I am the living Bread

"I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world.”  (John 6: 51)

No ambiguity here.  No symbolism.  No metaphor.  As it was stated and written, so did the Church of the Apostles understood John 6: 51.  So has this statement been understood ever since.  So shall it be understood by the Church of Jesus Christ forever.

Lord Jesus, thank you for your Holy Spirit for preserving this truth for your Church in the past, now and forever.