Be afraid of rejecting your cross.

"Amen, amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit."  (John 12: 24).

Every farmer understands that new life comes out of the old.  But the old must die to give way to the new.

"And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself.”  (John 12: 32).

Jesus Christ died on the cross making it a source of new life.

"It will be like a woman suffering the pains of labor. When her child is born, her anguish gives way to joy because she has brought a new baby into the world."  (John 16: 21).

The joy of bringing a new life physical or spiritual into the world is unbelievable.

So, do not be afraid of the process. Be afraid of rejecting the cross.

St Francis de Sales writes: "The everlasting God has in His wisdom foreseen from eternity, the cross He now presents to you from His innermost heart. This cross He now sends you He has considered with His all-knowing eyes, understood with His divine mind, tested with His wise justice, warmed with loving arms and weighed with His own hands to see that it is not one ounce too heavy for you."

Your cross is tailor made for you.

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I am a trusting lamb led to the slaughter.

"Yet I, like a trusting lamb led to slaughter, had not realized that they were hatching plots against me:
“Let us destroy the tree in its vigor;
 let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will be spoken no more.”  (Jeremiah 11:  19).

As we approach Good Friday, the plot against Jesus thickens as seen here through the experience of Prophet Jeremiah.  Where are you in this unfolding drama? You will be either for Jesus or against Jesus.

"O LORD, my God, in you I take refuge; save me from all my pursuers and rescue me,
Lest I become like the lion’s prey, to be torn to pieces, with no one to rescue me."  (Psalm 7: 2 - 3).

"Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart
and yield a harvest through perseverance."  (Cf Luke 8: 15).

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On which side are you? For truth or Against truth?

"At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?"  (John 7: 25).

Yes indeed, it is He.  Jesus the Christ.

"Let us condemn him to a shameful death; for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”

"These were their thoughts, but they erred; for their wickedness blinded them, And they did not know the hidden counsels of God; neither did they count on a recompense for holiness nor discern the innocent souls’ reward."  (Wisdom 2: 20 - 22).

Do you know one of the great distinguishing marks of Christianity? Detailed prophecies on the birth, life, death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ the Only Begotten Son of God?
For those on the side of truth, there are more than sufficient evidence. For those who hate the truth, no evidence will be sufficient.  (Cf John 18: 37).

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I was born for the purpose of bearing witness to the truth.

 "For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  (John 18: 37 ESV).

Jesus who was born to bear witness to the truth humbled and subjected Himself to the Mosaic principle of acceptable testimony.

“If I testify on my own behalf, my testimony cannot be verified."  (John 5: 31).

Jesus gives four witnesses that testify He came from God:

#1.  The witness of John the Baptist (John 5: 33).  The people know that John the Baptist is a credible witness.
#2.  The works of Jesus:  Jesus fulfilled all the messianic signs for the Messiah by the Prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 42: 7).
The works of Jesus continue today in the works of missionaries and the Church.
#3.  The testimony of the Father:
"And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."  (Matthew 3: 17).
"A voice came from the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him." (Luke 9: 35)
#4.  The evidence of the Scriptures. (John 5: 39).

Do you believe in Jesus Christ the Only Begotten Son of God?
For those who are well disposed, there are more than sufficient evidence. For those who are not of the truth, no evidence will be sufficient.  (Cf John 8: 37).

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Grant me O Lord a time of favor.

"I pray to you, O Lord, for a time of your favor.
In your great mercy, answer me, O God, with your salvation that never fails."  (Isaiah 69: 14).

Why is Lent such a blessed time to receive favors from God?
Consider the following:
+Jesus went into water for Baptism and sanctified water and made it holy for Baptism.  (Matthew 3: 16).
+ At the Wedding Feast at Cana, Jesus made marriage between one man and one woman a holy Sacrament and an institution. (John 2: 1-12).
+ Jesus fasted for 40 days in the desert and defeated the devil 3 times.  (Matthew 4: 1 - 11).  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the early Church understood the significance of the event and instituted the discipline of Lent.
I received most of the blessings in my life during Lent.

"Thus says the LORD:
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you; and I have kept you and given you as a covenant to the people,
To restore the land and allot the desolate heritages."  (Isaiah 49: 8).

Faith is accepting the word of God as true.  Then act according to the the word you believe.

" The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.

The LORD is faithful in all his words
and holy in all his works.
The LORD lifts up all who are falling
and raises up all who are bowed down."  (Psalm 145: 8 - 9, 13 - 14).

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My Stronghold is the God of Jacob.

The Lord of hosts is with me; my stronghold is the God of Jacob.

God is my refuge and my strength,
an ever-present help in distress.
Therefore I fear not, though the earth be shaken and mountains plunge into the depths of the sea.

The Lord of hosts is with me; my stronghold is the God of Jacob.

There is a stream whose runlets gladden the city of God, the holy dwelling of the Most High.
God is in its midst; it shall not be disturbed; God will help it at the break of dawn.

The Lord of hosts is with me; my stronghold is the God of Jacob.
(Psalm 46:2-3, 5-6).

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The official took Jesus at His word and departed.

"The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”  “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed."  (John 4: 49 - 50).

Are you scratching your head trying to understand what faith really is? Above in my opinion is a good example of faith-in-action.  Oh that I will always act according to this model! On top of this, the senior official received the gift of understanding that helps him  perceive how God acts.

On Day 27  of Lent 2018, the word of God encourages us to be humble and pray:  "Lord, increase our faith." (Luke 17: 5).

"You changed my mourning into dancing. You took off my funeral clothes and dressed me up in joy so that my whole being might sing praises to you and never stop.
Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever."  (Psalm 30: 11 - 12).

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Why is this man born blind?

"As Jesus passed by he saw a man blind from birth.
His disciples asked him,
“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him."  (John 9: 1 - 3).

Many adverse human conditions are not associated with sin.  Of the poor, sick, homeless, refugees, lonesome, Jesus says:  "It is so that the works of God might be made visible through him."  (John 9: 3).

St Francis of Assisi said:  "Alms are an inheritance and a justice which is due to the poor and which Jesus has levied upon us."

"Wealth … is like a snake; it will twist around the hand and bite unless one knows how to use it properly."  (St Clement of Alexandria.“).

"The rich man who gives to the poor does not bestow alms but pays a debt."  ( St. Ambrose of Milan).

"Our prayers and fastings are of less avail, unless they are aided by almsgiving."  (St Cyprian).

On Day 26 of Lent 2018, where are you on almsgiving?

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Humility is the foundation of Prayer.

"The tax collector stood at a distance, beating his breast and saying:
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner."  (Luke 18: 13).

The tax collector went home justified before God.  But the Pharisee was condemned because of his righteous posture.

Mother Church has something to say on Prayer:
 "Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer.  Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God."  (CCC 2559).

"Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with ours. God thirsts that we may thirst for him."  (CCC 2560).

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Behold now is a very acceptable time.

"Thus says the LORD:
Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls.  Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount;
We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.”  (Hosea 14: 2 - 4).

Lent is the best and most fruitful time for Reconciliation with God. Don't take my word for it.  Listen rather to the word of God:

“In an acceptable time I heard you, and on the day of salvation I helped you.”
Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation."  (2 Corinthians 6: 2).

Now listen to holy Mother Church:
"The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Penance are:
- reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace;
- reconciliation with the Church;
- remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins;
- remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin;
- peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation;
- an increase of spiritual strength for the Christian battle."  (CCC 1496).

"Have mercy on me, God, in accord with your merciful love; in your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions."  (Psalm 51: 3).

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Come let us kneel before the Lord who made us.

"Listen to my voice; then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Walk in all the ways that I command you, so that you may prosper.  (Jeremiah 7:  23).

Like a mother pleading with her teenage daughter to move back home, Abba Father has been pleading with us since the beginning of Lent to heed His words and come home to a place of peace, joy, abundance, prosperity and security.

On Day 23 of Lent 2018, is it time to respond or not? Let us use Psalm 95 and say Yes to Abba Father who is full of love and faithfulness.

"Come, let us sing joyfully to the LORD; let us acclaim the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us joyfully sing psalms to him."

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

"Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the LORD who made us. For he is our God, and we are the people he shepherds, the flock he guides."

If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

"Oh, that today you would hear his voice: “Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the desert, Where your fathers tempted me; they tested me though they had seen my works.”

Respond today.  No fear. No worry. No doubt. No procrastination.

"Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart.
for I am gracious and merciful." (Joel 2:  12 - 13).

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Those who share the word of God will have unbelievable reward.

"See, I am teaching you the statutes and ordinances as the Lord, my God, has commanded me, that you may observe them in the land you are entering to possess."  (Deuteronomy 4: 5).

Obedience to the Law of God is evidence of your "wisdom and intelligence."  (Deuteronomy 4: 6)
In these times, presidents, senators, governors, priests, soldiers, etc have been caught breaking the Law.  Some of them are still in jail.

"But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven."   (Matthew 5: 19).

Every disciple of Jesus must be a teacher of the word of God. Mothers and fathers must teach it at home.  Others will teach it in offices, malls, gas stations, street corners, everywhere.

"Where there is no Law, the people perish."  (Cf Hosea 4: 6).

+ Teach the word of God.
+  Believe what you teach.
+  Practice what you believe.

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I forgave you everything because you begged Me.

"I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to." (Matthew 18:  32).

"Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’  Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan."  (Matthew 18: 26 - 27).

This servant certainly knew how to beg for relief. He knelt down and asked his Lord.  He knew something else for which we commend him.  He knew his master was compassionate and kindly.  How much do we know the Heart of Jesus?  The Sacred Heart waiting for us to come and to shower us with His forgiveness and love.

"Moved with compassion the master of that servant let him go and forgave him the loan." (Matthew 18: 27).

The master forgave him everything.  Not 50%. Not 90%.  But everything.

"You wicked servant! I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.  Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant, as I had pity on you?’ (Matthew 18: 32 - 33).

Do not miss this: "I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to." Asking for forgiveness is very important.

Look! This unforgiving servant is me and you. Consider how much God has forgiven us throughout our lives.  Not 77 times. But each and every time we approach Him with a repentant heart.

Remember the ABC of Mercy? 
A.  Ask for Mercy. 
B.  Be Merciful. 
C.  Completely trust Jesus for Mercy.

Do this and you will never have to fear this:
"So will my heavenly Father do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart.”  (Matthew 18: 35).

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How awesome is this place. It is the House of God.

“Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.”  (John 2: 16).

We see Jesus displaying righteous anger when He witnessed unrighteous activities inside the Temple.  How far are you prepared to go to defend the sacredness of the House of God.  Many people are prepared to show some spirited zeal to defend the honor of their mother.  What would you do if you see someone in your parish drinking beer with a chalice?

Let us remind ourselves what the Bible says about the House of God:

"He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."  (Genesis 28: 17).

"They are to make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst.  According to all that I show you regarding the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of its furnishings, so you are to make it." (Exodus 25: 8 - 9).

"Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle."  (Exodus 40: 35).

"And he said to them, “It is written:
"My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you are making it a den of thieves.”  (Matthew 21: 13).

Jesus has left us an example of how to honor the House of God.  Watch out for an opportunity to do the same.

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I have sinned.

“Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”  (Luke 15: 18 - 19).

On Saturday, March 3rd, Day 18 of Lent 2018, the Scriptures invite us to know the most merciful Heart of God the Father and to come to Him with confidence to ask for mercy.

"Who is a God like you, who removes guilt and pardons sin for the remnant of his inheritance;
Who does not persist in anger forever, but instead delights in mercy,
And will again have compassion on us, treading underfoot our iniquities? You will cast into the depths of the sea all our sins."  (Micah 7: 18 - 19).

God will show us wonderful signs of His love and mercy during Lent 2018.

What is our response?

"Bless the Lord, my soul; all my being, bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, my soul; and do not forget all his gifts, Who pardons all your sins, and heals all your ills, Who redeems your life from the pit, and crowns you with mercy and compassion."  (Psalm 103: 1 - 3).

Glory to You, Word of God, Lord Jesus Christ.

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They sold Joseph for 20 pieces of silver.

"They sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver."  (Genesis 37: 28).

Who do you know that was sold for thirty pieces of silver?  (Matthew 26: 15).

What do you know about Divine Providence?

"Divine providence consists of the dispositions by which God guides all his creatures with wisdom and love to their ultimate end." (CCC 322).

"Divine providence works also through the actions of creatures. To human beings God grants the ability to cooperate freely with his PLANS." (CCC 323).

"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."  (CCC 324).

Many years after Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt, Joseph confirmed the mysterious and powerful providence of God:

"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."  (Genesis 50: 20).

"When the LORD called down a famine on the land and ruined the crop that sustained them,
He sent a man before them, Joseph, sold as a slave."  (Psalm 105: 16 - 17).

"Father in Heaven, the hand of your loving kindness powerfully yet gently guides all the moment of our day. Go before us in a pilgrimage of life, anticipate our needs and prevent our falling.  Send your spirit to unite us in faith that sharing in your service we may rejoice in your presence. We ask this through Christ Our Lord.  Amen."

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First Friday in March

First Friday in March, 2018.

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 3rd month of the year 2018, we look at Promise #3.

#3.  I will console them in all their troubles.

In Promise #3, Jesus does not promise a trouble free life.  "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”  (John 16: 33 ).
Troubles are opportunity to trust Jesus more. "I promise to be your strength in proportion to the trust you place on Me."

Remind the Lord often of these promises.

Honor the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the First Friday of March, 2018.

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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How do you make your leaves stay green?

"This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from  the  Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future.
They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land."  (Jeremiah 17: 5 - 6)

Where is your security?

The Bible warns us not to put our trust in human beings or in princes or in horses and chariots (tanks, fighter bombers, etc), or bank accounts and investments. (Cf Psalm 118: 8; 146: 3)

On Day 16 of 40 of Lent 2018, the word of God asks us: Who do you trust?

“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit."  (Jeremiah 17: 5 - 8 NLT)

Lord direct our hearts to Yourself.

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Why should anybody choose to suffer and die for a cause that is a lie?

"The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20: 28).

Today is Wednesday, February 28, Day 15 of 40 in Lent 2018.

Jesus said the above to his disciples in the earshot of the mother of the sons of Zebedee who had just requested the most prestigious positions in Jesus' cabinet for her two boys.  “You do not know what you are asking." Jesus told the lady.  My Kingdom will be very different from that of Herod, Nebuchadnezzar or Augustus Caesar.  There will be a lot of blood, suffering and death in what I am setting up.

You who desire to follow Jesus, do you know what you wish? (Matthew 20: 21).  “You do not know what you are asking."  (Matthew 20: 22).  Do you? Have you counted the cost of discipleship?

The 2016  movie, "Silence" by Martin Scorsese is the story of three young Jesuit missionaries who traveled to Japan from Europe in the 17th century to evangelize the Japanese. They foresaw clearly that they would be martyred.  They eventually made many converts to Christianity.  What impressed me most in the movie is that they did not hide the cost of discipleship to their young Japanese Christian family.  Most of these Christians with the three young missionaries paid the ultimate price for their faith in Jesus.  Their persecutors taunted them with the cruel irony that the only answer to expect from their Jesus was SILENCE!

Who will leave a comfortable life to embrace a missionary life in a far flung foreign country and culture?  If the Promise of Jesus is not true, there will be no missionaries, no Church.

"The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20: 28).

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Practice what you teach.

"The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses. You must therefore observe and obey what they teach you; but do not be guided by what they do, since they do not practice what they teach."(Matthew 23: 2-3)

Reading leads to forgetfulness. Practice leads to remembrance. The disciples were to imitate Jesus and teach their new converts to practice the faith. Practice grows faith and leads to experiential knowledge.

"But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5: 19).

Lord, help us to believe Your word; to teach what we believe and to practice what we teach. 

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