Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams.

"Then he said to them, “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself.”  (Luke 24: 38 ).

I recently found this inspirational advice by Pope St John XXIII:
"Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but what is still possible for you to do."   Very good advice for the fearful Apostles after the Resurrection.

My hopes and dreams are about the future.  They deal mostly with desires and intentions on enhancements of my human potentials.

But my experiences are in a different category.  They are historical certainties. Your   experience is about how God dealt with you in the past. Eg on health, family, money, job, tools, food and future.   Your experiences form the core of your own scripture.  Do you keep a diary? Through the lens of your experiences, you can observe how God has been faithful to you over the years. St Ignatius Loyola advices that when you are in hardship, consider how God treated you mercifully at a period of prosperity in the past.  I have found this advice very helpful in my life.

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Do not be afraid. It is Me.

"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)

"I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”  (Matthew 28: 2).  Jesus is in every event in our life.  He is saying to you here:  ‘Do not be afraid.  I am present with you as I promised.’  How can I make this truth serve me every single day?  In the midst of the turbulent events of my life, how can I call to mind the sure presence of Jesus?  Brother Lawrence, a humble cook in a French monastery in the 17th century taught the world how to immerse oneself in the Presence of the Lord while doing his humble duties.  [THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD]. 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)

Jesus says to us:  "Fear is useless; what is needed is trust."  (Luke 8: 50; Mark 5: 36)

In order to live constantly in the presence of Jesus, immerse yourself in the words of Jesus and say the Jesus prayer: Jesus!

“It is I.  Do not be afraid.”

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If this Enterprise is from God, you can never destroy it.

"So now I tell you, have nothing to do with these men, and let them go. For if this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself.  But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” They were persuaded by him."  (Acts 5: 38 - 39).

Every year after Easter, I look forward to this narrative from  Acts 5: 34 - 42.  It reinforces my faith.  I heard it at the beginning of my Journey of Faith and I relish to hear it again at this time in the Easter Season. You may call it the Gamaliel Principle text.  Gamaliel was a famous teacher in Israel at the time of the death of Jesus.  He was the teacher of St Paul and a member of the Sanhedrin.  He laid down a principle of discerning God's will in complex situations based on astute historical analysis. Divine action in history is predictable, he opined.

Members of the the Sanhedrin accepted Gamaliel's advice but went ahead to flog the Apostles in order to intimidate them.  You may call this state terrorism.  Read on to see if they succeeded.

"After recalling the apostles, they had them flogged, ordered them to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them." (Acts 5: 40).

"So they [Apostles] left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name." (Acts 5: 41).

These men have tasted the Holy Spirit and were transformed by the experience.  Instead of quitting....

"All day long, both at the temple and in their homes, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the Messiah, Jesus."  (Acts 5: 42).

"What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"  (Acts 8: 31).

"Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]."  (Romans 8: 37 AMP).

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Experience the Holy Spirit. Experience abundant life and affluence.

"He [The Father] does not ration his gift of the Spirit. (John 3: 34).

What other promise of the Father is so lavish?  You cannot find any other as lavish as the promise of the Holy Spirit or Wisdom.  Exactly the same thing.  Consider a few examples:

#1.  Solomon asked for Wisdom instead of wealth, power and long life and God was very pleased. "I here and now give you what you asked for and more...." (1 Kings 3: 11; 2 Chronicles 1: 11).
#2.  "If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"  (Luke 11: 13).  If you ask for the Holy Spirit, you get Him here and now.

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Creed teaches that the Holy Spirit is Lord and Giver of life.  The Holy Spirit is the Abundant life that Jesus promises in John 10: 10.

Deepak Chopra in his book, "CREATING AFFLUENCE" writes: "Affluence is the experience in which our needs are easily met and our desires spontaneously fulfilled. We feel joy, health, happiness, and vitality in every moment of our existence."

Our prayers are answered and we feel the pure joy of answered prayer . The Holy Spirit is Abundant Life and the Creator of Affluence in our lives. 
Desire the Holy Spirit above gold and silver and ask the Father for the Holy Spirit and He will give Him to you here and now.  Experience affluence. Experience abundant life.

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Yes I believe in Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God.

"God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life."  (John 3: 16).

So everyone who believes in Jesus has automatically eternal life? But what does it mean to believe in Jesus?

Every Sunday, the Church confesses its faith in Jesus Christ using the Apostles' or the Nicene Creed.  See below:

"I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty; from there he will come to judge the living and the dead."

In the early Church and still true today, every person seeking membership of the Church must learn and memorize this formula.  The entire congregation repeats this formula when they renew the Baptismal vows and new members baptized at the Easter Vigil.  Why is this important or why does it matter? Because this Creed is the Light of Christ.  It is the mystery which was hidden for ages until Jesus Christ came to reveal these truths. "The mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the Lord's people." (Colossians 1: 26).

Now here is why Belief involves knowledge:
"For every child of God defeats this evil world, and we achieve this victory through our faith."  (1 John 5 : 4).  Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  (John 14: 6).  Amen!

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The early Christians were of one heart and one mind.

"The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common."  (Acts 4: 32).

The early Christian community had one heart and one mind in every question and situation.  Is it surprising then that they had everything in common? There were no communist or conservative factions amongst them.  Wait a minute. How did we get to where we are today?

Paul proclaimed to the Corinthians with confidence:  "Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2: 16).

A modern compromise on the problem of disunity is put this way:" In Essentials Unity, In Non-Essentials Liberty, In All Things Charity."  This bogus quote was once attributed to St Augustine.  But no more.  The root of the radical relativism that undermines society, Church and family today is in my opinion the work of the Father of lies. Consider the following parable of Jesus:

“The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field.  While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off."  (Matthew 13: 24 - 25).

Enable us Almighty Father to proclaim the power of our Risen Lord and invite Him to heal divisions amongst us. Amen.

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Behold I was born to do your will.

"The Lord said, as he entered the world: Behold, I come to do your will, O God, alleuia."  (Hebrews 10: 5, 7).

Today April 9th is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, transferred from its usual date of March 25th because of Holy Week.

"Behold, I come to do your will, O God,."  (Hebrews 10: 7), which is a Scripture pointing to Christ but can fittingly be attributed to Mary.  Mary's one purpose in life is to do whatever God wants.

How about you? Still struggling to be master of your fortunes in all things? Kicking against the goad?

The Angel Gabriel coming to Mary said “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”  (Luke 1: 28).

You may wonder:  Mary is full of grace.  I am not.  How can I imitate her virtues? Hear this O Christian:
“The holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you."  (Luke 1: 35).  Is anything too marvelous for the Lord to do for you? (Genesis 18: 14).

"O God, who willed that your Word
should take on the reality of human flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, grant, we pray, that we, who confess our Redeemer to be God and man, may merit to become partakers even in his divine nature.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever."  (Collect in the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord).

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Celebrate the Feast of Divine Mercy with the ABC of Mercy.

"Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”  And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,“Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”  (John 20: 21 - 23).

Today is the 2nd Sunday of Easter, DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY.

The universal Church celebrates today the Solemnity of Divine Mercy. (Always 2nd Sunday of Easter).  Jesus is the Face of Mercy of Abba Father.  Mercy is the name and essence of God the Father revealed to us through His Only Son, Jesus the Christ. The open Heart of Jesus is the symbol and seat of Mercy.  Mercy is promised to all. 

To prepare yourself to receive and retain Mercy, follow the ABC OF MERCY.  It is called  ABC because, it is an acronym that can be remembered easily and secondly it is as simple as ABC.

A:  Ask for Mercy. 
B:  Be Merciful. 
C:  Completely Trust Jesus for Mercy.

Mercy, mercy. Nothing but mercy!
"Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy! I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings until the danger passes by."  (Psalm 57: 1)

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself. (The Diary 950).

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The Eleven refused to believe the testimony of credible witnesses.

"[But] later, as the eleven were at table, Jesus appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised."  (Mark 16: 14).

Why did the Eleven and close companions of Jesus refused to believe the testimony of credible witnesses that Jesus has risen from the dead and appeared to them?  Let us not look further than the very words of Jesus, eternal wisdom who knows what is in each human being. (Cf John 2: 24).
They refused to believe because of a spiritual condition that is called Unbelief and Hardness of heart. If you find it difficult to believe the truths of the Bible or the teachings of the Church, you may be suffering from one or both of these conditions.  Seek a wise spiritual counselor filled with the Holy Spirit to help you.

"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 our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son." (Collect in the Season of Easter)

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What is in the Name of Jesus?

“By what power or by what name have you done this?” [healed the crippled man] (Acts 4: 7).

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, the Voice that speaks in court (Cf Matthew 10: 20) answered them as a matter of fact:  "it was in the name of Jesus Christ  the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed."  (Acts 4: 8, 9 - 10).

"There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.”  (Acts 4: 12).

What is in the Name of Jesus to make It so powerful?  In Sacred Scriptures, name and mission are always linked. 

“At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:9-11).

"She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”  (Matthew 1 : 21)

“I have neither silver nor gold, but what I do have I give you: in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean, rise and walk.”  (Acts 3: 6). 
The crippled man rose and walked.

Jesus means Savior (Yeshua).  Jesus Name means what it signifies (Savior) and signifies what it means. (Savior/Salvation).

According to St Bernard of Clairvaux, Father and Doctor of the Church, "The sweet name of Jesus produces in us holy thoughts, fills the soul with noble sentiments, strengthens virtue, and nourishes pure affections.... This name is the cure for all diseases of the soul."

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My Heart is assured refuge for those who honor My Sacred Heart.

April 06, 2018 First Friday in April in the Octave of Easter.

The 12 Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus:  Jesus promised 12 special favors to all those who will honor His Sacred Heart especially on the First Friday of every month.  In the 4th month of the year 2018, we look at Promise #4.

#4.  "They shall find in My Heart an assured refuge during life and especially at the hour of death."

The key word in this promise to me is DEATH.  Do you find the subject of death scary?

I consider Promise #4 a great Promise.  St Augustine says:  "If you pray well, you live well. If you live well, you die well. If you die well, all is well."  To die well therefore is what every human being must pray for.  Most of the post Ascension apparitions of Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary to mystics promises succor at the time of the last struggle of death to those who honor them in the manner they specified.  The Church declared St Joseph patron saint of Happy Death.  I said to myself:  "I must think of my death and my dying more than I did in the past." The thought of dying no longer scares me.

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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Allow the Prince of Peace to flood your heart with peace.

“Peace be with you.”   (Luke 24: 36).

Where do you hear this sweet words?  Of course at Mass.  But do you know that PEACE is the dominant gift of Jesus to us at Easter?  Read the post Resurrection events and see how many times Jesus says it in His encounter with His beloved brothers and sisters.  It is no accident that you hear it many times at Mass. Jesus, the Prince of Peace is truly present at Mass in the persona of the priest.  He actually is the Celebrant.  TAKE AND EAT. TAKE AND DRINK. IT IS ME! Going to Mass frequently keeps one from depression and the psychiatrist's couch.

After wishing His frightened Apostles Shalom, "Jesus said to them, “Why are you afraid? Why do you have doubts in your hearts?"

What is the killer of peace in the heart and soul? Doubts. Fears. Worries. The Peace of Christ is opposed to these fruits of darkness and destroys them in mid air as they rush towards you.

"And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful."  (Colossians 3: 15).

"God our Father, you give us the joy of celebrating the Lord’s resurrection each passing year.
Let this yearly feast bring us to eternal joy and peace.
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."

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Why are you scandalized by my suffering?

 “Oh, how foolish you are! How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!  Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and enter into his glory?”  (Luke 24: 25 - 26).

The only things necessary in life according to Jesus are:
#1.  Prayer (Cf Luke 18: 1).
#2.  Suffering (Luke 24: 25 - 26).

You try to avoid them to your own peril.

Why are you scandalized by my suffering?  Jesus seemed to ask His disciples after His Resurrection. If you had read the Scriptures, you would have been wiser.

There is a divine necessity that Jesus must suffer.  It was clearly predicted by the Scriptures.
No cross, no crown is also a divine law for you and for me.

"Then Jesus said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 
(Luke 24:44).

Are you paying attention?

“The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”  (Luke 9: 22)

Why is the Spirit giving us this Scripture now?  Consider these reasons:

#1.  Are you fully aware of the power of the cross and the necessity of your own suffering? 
#2.  No following of Christ without suffering.  Rejection of the cross is rejection of Jesus Christ.  (Pope Benedict XVI). 
#3.  The Son of Man must suffer before His glorification.  (Luke 24: 26).  What is a divine necessity for Jesus is true for us.

"You are witnesses of all these things."  (Luke 24:48 NLT)

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I have seen the Lord.

"But Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping."  (John 20: 11).

Have you noticed that we have been hearing a lot about Mary Magdalene in the past few days? There is a reason for this.  Not because she was the "wife" of Jesus. That was a crazy Da Vinci myth. Happily and predictably that fake news has died and  consigned to the dust heap of history. Mary Magdalene was a significant personality in the early Christian community.

The Scripture below is taken from the feast of Mary Magdalene on July 22st.

"The Bride says:
On my bed at night I sought him
whom my heart loves — I sought him but I did not find him.
I will rise then and go about the city;
 in the streets and crossings I will seek Him whom my heart loves."  (Song of Songs 3: 1- 2).

This is the first Reading chosen for the feast of St Mary Magdalene.  It illustrates the intense love of Mary Magdalene for Jesus.  She sought the dead among the dead and found the Risen Jesus waiting for her.  Jesus promised "Seek and you shall find."  ( Matthew 7: 7). Jesus rewarded Mary by saying to her:  
"Go to my brothers and tell them:
I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God."  (John 20:  17).

And Mary responded and announced to the disciples: “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her."  (John 20: 18).

This made Mary Magdalene both the first person to see Jesus after His Resurrection and the first messenger of the Gospel.

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Go give my brothers this message.

"Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”   (Matthew 28: 10).

In spite of the betrayals, the abandonment, Jesus calls His Apostles "My brothers."   Our mission is to teach and proclaim everywhere that there is hope even for the worst sinners.

Today is April 2, Monday in the Octave (8 days) of Easter.  Each of the 8 days following Easter is a solemnity.  Easter is celebrated as feast for 50 days. Till Pentecost.  The ways of God are mysterious. 40 days of Lent. 50 days of celebration after Lent.

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it."  (Psalm 118:  24).

We Christians, the Redeemed have every reason to rejoice and be glad for the awesome gift of Easter.  Let the joy of the Lord be our strength.  (Nehemiah 8: 10).

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Our Civilization today is based on the reality of the Resurrection.

"I have risen, and I am with you still, alleluia.
You have laid your hand upon me, alleluia.
Too wonderful for me, this knowledge, alleluia, alleluia."  (Entrance Antiphon, Solemnity of Easter Sunday).

"O God, who on this day,
through your Only Begotten Son,
have conquered death and unlocked for us the path to eternity, grant, we pray, that we who keep the solemnity of the Lord’s Resurrection may, through the renewal brought by your Spirit,
rise up in the light of life.
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 on the Solemnity of Easter Sunday).

Brothers and sisters, do you fully realize that our faith, all missionary endeavors, starting with St Paul to the humble missionary today in Honduras, all Church schools and hospitals throughout the centuries, all Bibles, spiritual books, libraries and universities is all based on one truth:  The Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  If Christ is not risen from the dead, I will be not only a liar but the greatest fool.  Look at all the sacrifices I have made over many decades promoting this "fake news".  You too reading this will be a liar and a fool.  But are we really liars and fools?

Happy Easter Family.  We are no fools. No liars!

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Becoming a New Man in Christ.

"If, then, we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him."  (Romans 6: 8).

A few days ago, I walked into a parish office with a clothing shopping bag.  The receptionist noticed and asked what is going on.  "Easter is a few days away.  I am going to become a new man at Easter."  The more I thought of this conversation, my words grew in my mind to become like a prophetic utterance.  I cannot grade my Lent as A+.  But I entered Lent 2018 with a huge desire for transformation.  With regard to becoming a new man at Easter, I said to myself:  God in His merciful love and providence will deal with me according to my desires and not according to my deeds.

Yes, I can be truly a new man.  How? I have a new perspective in everything.  A supernatural perspective. I surrender all my foolish fears, worries and doubts to Jesus.

Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, I too might live in newness of life.  (Romans 6: 4).

I believe therefore I become.

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Behold the Man. Crucify Him!

"So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple cloak. And he [Pilate] said to them, “Behold, the man!”  When the chief priests and the guards saw him they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!”  (John 19: 5 - 6).

The Church is not" those people."  In fact, it is you and me. The redeemed.  How should we see the gory events of this day.  Reflect on the words below:

"It is love "to the end" that confers on Christ's sacrifice its value as redemption and reparation, as atonement and satisfaction. He knew and loved us all when he offered his life. Now "the love of Christ controls us, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died." No man, not even the holiest, was ever able to take on himself the sins of all men and offer himself as a sacrifice for all. The existence in Christ of the divine person of the Son, who at once surpasses and embraces all human persons, and constitutes himself as the Head of all mankind, makes possible his redemptive sacrifice for all."  (CCC 616).

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Lord Jesus, You can wash my feet.

"He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Master, are you going to wash my feet?”  Jesus answered and said to him, “What I am doing, you do not understand now, but you will understand later.”  (John 13: 6 - 7).

Today is Holy Thursday.  According to ancient tradition, the Church celebrates this evening the Mass of the Last Supper.  When Jesus celebrated the first Mass at the Last Supper, the Apostles did not understand what He was doing.  The narrative of today's Gospel is dominated by the event of the washing of the feet of the apostles, an event so significant that it was incorporated into the Holy Thursday liturgy from ancient times.  What does this event mean for us? First, are you going to allow Jesus to wash your feet this evening?  I once refused and still regret it till today.

"Peter said to him, “You will never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “Unless I wash you, you will have no inheritance with me.”    (John 13:  8 - 9).

Whose feet will you prefer to wash?
"If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash one another’s feet.  I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do."  (John 13: 14 - 15).

The priesthood was instituted on this day.  No priest, no Eucharist. No Eucharist, no Church.  O Lord Jesus Christ, our Eternal High Priest, bless all Your priests. Prosper their ministry and protect them from the evil one. Amen.

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They paid him thirty pieces of silver.

"One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over."  (Matthew 26: 14 - 16).

On Tuesday of Holy Week, we consider again the Mystery of Betrayal.  We shall look at Betrayal through the genealogy of some Betrayal characters in the Bible and Church history.

Old Testament:
+  David
+  Solomon
New Testament:
+  Judas
+  Peter
Church Age:
+  Pope Alexander V1
+  Martin Luther
+  King Henry VIII
+  English Bishops under Henry VIII except Martyrs and Saints John Fisher and Thomas More.

How about you and I?

"The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed."  (Matthew 26: 24).

"Hail to you, our King, obedient to the Father; you were led to your crucifixion like a gentle lamb to the slaughter."  (Gospel Acclamation).

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