Jesus suffered and died for our salvation and we are called to walk in His footsteps. When we accept Jesus into our life, life will be hard. We are called to make sacrifices for the glory of God and for the good of our brothers and sisters. Marriage is a 100/100 experience – each spouse has to give it their all. Parents spend their lives worrying about their children and sacrificing for them. Later children grow up to take care of their elderly parents. Living life for God involves sacrifice – can we live without our cell phone at the dinner table and talk with each other over our meal? Can we turn off the TV? Can we live without some things that we have made too important in our life? We may be inconvenienced – but we are blessed. Let us use our time better to spend it with God and with our families. When we do this, we are following Christ.

Have you ever looked at a situation and wondered how it can change? Our hands may be tied but God‘s hands are never tied and His power is limitless. We humans see things from a natural perspective – we cannot limit our options in life merely by what we see. We need God and we need to walk by faith. “Limited“ – this word does not apply to God. We may feel small and limited but God is always with us with His power and restoration. Keep your eyes fixed on God. Be single minded as you look at the power of the living God. Be bold and courageous with our powerful God!

Jesus stands beside us and invites us to reach out to the poor, the vulnerable and the needy. We preach the “good news“ by how we live our lives. Jesus‘s mission was to communicate the great love of God to everyone. His message was at times misunderstood because His words and actions were counter-cultural. Jesus based His life on truth – yet, he was considered by some to be crazy. In our secular society, our personal faith is mocked at times. We must be courageous in believing and acting that we are doing the right thing by being a witness of Jesus in this world.

For there to be unity among Christians there needs to be understanding. We need the experience of knowing Jesus personally, walking with Him side-by-side. We need an existential experience of Jesus. We need to walk with our fellow Christians side-by-side. Can we use our wealth to help others? Can we stop using language that degrades others or condemns them? Just doing this much can help open our hearts to others. There’s no such thing, I believe, as “irreconcilable differences“. We all need to make an effort to bring all peoples together. We can bridge differences between all of us and speak in justice and charity with, and for, others. The Lord always gives us the grace we need to be a merciful and loving community of His people on earth.

Jesus has love for the outcast, the sick, the suffering. In Jesus we see God made visible. God is love and He cares so much for each one of us. In His miracles of healing we see the compassion of God. Do we follow the example of Jesus by showing compassion to others? Do we have an attitude of gratitude for all the blessings we have received – our life, our families, our abilities, etc.? Or do we complain about everything? I pray: “Let me recognize, Lord, that I am blessed. Thank you for all you’ve done for me.“ Even in the worst of times, we are blessed and loved by God. Are we able to see goodness in our worst enemies and see them also as children of God? Focus on the positive. May we all learn from Jesus how to be his followers. It is not the amount of our prayers that God pays attention to as much as the prayers that come from our hearts.

Love your enemies; pray for those who abuse us - this is not easy. Mercy is a foundational gift – a form of compassion and forgiveness. Jesus was moved by mercy to heal the sick. We humans have a capacity to move with mercy to those in need. We need to bring this attitude into our everyday lives. Mercy forgives – and gives. In our culture we are quick to condemn and judge – which makes us merciless. The Good Samaritan is a model of mercy and compassion as is the father of the prodigal son. Jesus‘s words on the cross ring out throughout the world: “Father forgive them for they know not what they are doing.“

We are not a slave of circumstances. Frustration, upset, seemingly impossible events, etc. conspire at times to make us feel overwhelmed and to sap joy from our lives. We need to keep our body, mind, and spirit directed to God who gives us strength to deal with the challenges of life. Keep faith in God; believe He is there present to each of us, supporting each of us, loving each of us. Make a declaration of faith in God each day. Decide to enjoy your life and not rush through it. Keep your focus on God. Look for the blessings that God showers us with each day and make time each day to be grateful.

Lord Jesus, may we never doubt your love and may we be merciful as you are merciful. Amen.