-“God is not unfair. He will not forget the work you did or the love you showed for Him in the help you gave and still give to His people.” Hebrews 6:10 

-Does God really care for His people? YES! God never stops caring about us although we may stop caring about Him. God often reveals His caring through the works and words of ordinary people. May we all give thanks that God cares deeply for us and gives us strength to aid us on our journey to Him.

-These have been difficult times. We are a people who enjoy comfort and don’t like change. It is easy for us to have simple solutions to complex problems. It has been said that the best ship captains don’t stand on the shore to lead when trouble arises. We Christians need to exercise initiative even in the face criticism. God wants each of us to do our part to find our way forward. May we be architects of dialog and friendship. “Faith never knows where it is being led, but it knows and loves the One who is leading." Oswald Chambers

-It has been told that the great St. Teresa of Avila asked God one time why she had so many struggles in her life. God told her that He treated all His friends like this. St. Teresa reportedly replied to God “that’s why You have so few friends.” It is important for us to grow in our spiritual struggles. Praying, I believe, is like standing at the throne of God. By means of our struggles for holiness and virtue, we are transformed in the spiritual life. There is no quick path to enlightenment. God, however, is always with us in times of struggle, loneliness, powerlessness etc. Trust in the power of God and the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

-Jesus wants His disciples to depend on Him and not solely on our own resources. We don’t make it through each day without the helping hand of God. We trust God more than we do our intelligence, our strength or our beauty. Most of the saints died dirtpoor—they did not make any money from their holy lives. To see real saints we look at their charity: Jesus says cure the sick—for us this means we can offer a kind word to someone, a helping hand, a listening ear. Jesus raised the dead—people we know physically, mentally and spiritually live their lives in tombs of isolations and abandonment-we can phone them from time-to-time with words that convey we are thinking about them and care for them. We can heal a broken heart with our kindness. For those people who feel alienated and excluded we can offer them welcome. Jesus cast out demons- we should not tolerate evil. Don’t remain silent in the face of evil-we can open our eyes, ears and mouth and speak on defense of truth as we work with God to change the world. Most of us will not be miracle workers-but we can do what God wants us to do and live as He wants us to live.

-How many people really know you intimately-what you think, what you feel, what your blood type is, etc? God knows each of us so much more than anyone else does. Jesus reminds us that God never forgets us, is more intimately bonded to us than a mother is to her child. His love is eternal and our lives are eternally linked to Him. We are made in the image of God. How we see ourselves on the inside reflects how we present ourselves on the outside. God wants us to locate the spiritual image inside of us. When we listen to God’s word, pray, attend Mass, receive Eucharist, etc., when we put ourselves in the presence of God we affirm our image in God’s eyes. Our image is about humility, compassion, kindness, service to others, love. God lives in us – we are bearers of God’s image—we want to be like Him. The image of God is eternal – our value in God’s eyes is eternal. God and God alone defines us. Do you know who you are?

-Jesus is the Prince of Peace who came to bring us unity, not division. Most people want to avoid conflict and refuse to discuss politics or religion. But God wants us to be serious about our faith – our way of life 24/7. We can choose life over death, peace over war, generosity over selfishness, etc., and put all this into action. Jesus came from heaven to speak the truth of God – not to win a popularity contest. When we defend life, human rights, justice, equality, etc., some people may tell us to shut up. But our hearts should blaze with faith. Do we have the courage to defend the truth in the face of criticism and negativism? We need to speak in favor of life and love as we walk in God’s footsteps and do His work on earth.

- Who can have a sin so big that it can’t be forgiven? Who has a problem so big that it can’t be fixed? Would Jesus ever denounce us for not recognizing the goodness of God in our lives? Am I able to see the hand of God in my life, in my work, in my family? Am I so caught up in the things of the world that I do not see God’s love and mercy?

-Miracles happen around us everyday – do we see them and are we grateful? We are all called to place ourselves in the providence of God even when we don’t understand His plan for our lives. Pride keeps us from the love and knowledge of God. When we put on humility we move closer to God. We are called to imitate the life of Christ in our own life and reflect in our lives the love God shows us. Jesus challenges us to get out of our little boxes and narrow ways of viewing the world and be a people of compassion and mercy. We are all on a journey together to God. Our faith is about good, honest living and helping others – not getting stuck on ourselves and the little things in our lives. We are each very special in God’s eyes

– He has each of us in the palm of His hands. May we all choose to keep faith, live our lives in God’s peace and gratefully thank Him for His many blessings, on each of us.
 

May God forever bless the St. James Parish family and all our dear ones with His light, His peace, His Joy and His love.