5/24  RANDOM THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, by Deacon Sam


–Do I place my trust in God? Jesus invites us to strive to know God’s will for us and to follow it every day. In faith, we trust God because we know that He loves us and is always there for us. We are in the hands of a loving God who wants us to live with honesty, integrity, charity and clarity. God is in charge. An illusion is that life is found outside ourselves. Life, however, is not about what we want to do but what God wants us to do. We need to submit our wants in life to the will of God to gain glory in heaven. It is in simple ways that we find glorious service to God – a life lived faithfully and practically to God's will, a life of gentle holiness in ordinary things. Is God the priority in my life rather than personal goals or material things?

–For Christians justice alone is not enough – it must lead to mercy. We express the love of God through the mercy we show to others. We walk the journey of life with others and give them support. As compassionate individuals we show up for others in their need, listen to them and don't judge them. We are held together as Christians when we are joined with Jesus Christ in His love for us. Our challenge is to accept that things in life can be difficult, surrender our pain to God and believe that any action done for God will not be insignificant. Welcome Jesus into the temple of our lives. Invite Him into your heart and ask for the courage to reach out to other people with support, help and love.

–The eternal question: why does evil and suffering exist in this world? Suffering can only be explained by the Cross. Christ allows suffering to take place so a greater good can happen. Jesus’s death saved the world by atoning for our sins. He transformed the Cross from an instrument of evil to an instrument of salvation. He transformed death into life. Suffering does not exist in heaven. Following Jesus has a reward in eternal life. The mystery of mercy is that there is no limit to God's mercy. God believes in second chances. If we will allow it, God meets us where we are and leads us to transition from darkness to light. We all need a Savior who brings us back to Him. His mercy is for all of us.

–Three “don'ts” and a “do”

Don't give up when you still have something to give.
                 Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Don't shut love out of your life by saying it is impossible to find. The quickest way to
     receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and
     the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Do follow St. Padre Pio's advice: "Pray, Hope and Don't worry. "


"Hungry for love, he looks at you.

Thirsty for kindness, he begs from you.

Naked for loyalty he hopes in you.

Sick and imprisoned for friendship, he wants from you.

Homeless for shelter in your heart, he asks of you.

 Will you be that one to him?"
Mother Teresa of Calcutta