RANDOM THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, by Deacon Sam                                    December 2024

– What does Jesus ask of us?

1. Deny Ourself - put Jesus and our neighbors first.
2. Take Up Our Cross - God suffered on the Cross - our pain and suffering

                                                                                          are our crosses.

– The greatest accomplishment of any saint is their love. The proof of our faith is our putting our 

       faith into action.

– Treating others with dignity, love, respect, forgiveness, valuing each other, learning to work together in peace, etc. - our faith has to be more than words.

– We are all sinners. Jesus came to reconcile us with His love. All Jesus asks of us is to say "I'm sorry." We don't need to make excuses or rationalize our behavior or intentions - we admit our guilt and apologize. We should be grateful to have a God who forgives us, embraces us and gives us peace. Jesus gives us His mercy and love so we can give these to others. Be driven to do great and ordinary things with humility.

– Gratitude is often confined to moments of plenty. But we need to be grateful and thankful to God in all circumstances. Every blessing, no matter how small, is a gift from God. A life of gratitude stands out - we show our trust and worship to God with gratitude and thanksgiving. When we live a life of grace we reflect the love of God. Thanksgiving is a state of being. A constant practice of Thanksgiving and gratitude should be a way of life. All that we are and all that we have are gifts from God. Let us all be intentional in seeking God's blessings and giving Him our praise, thanksgiving, and gratitude.

– It has been said that ‘church is a hospital for sinners and not a museum for the saved.’ God comes to save the lost, the wicked, the sinner, the despicable, the evil etc. and bring them into His fold, into His embrace. Do we accept Jesus to help us change our ways? Do we judge too easily? Will our descendants look at us as grumblers? Jesus came to save us all!

– Our life is meant to be the place where God is loved and glorified. Whatever we do, do it with all your heart for the glory of God. True generosity isn't about the size of the gift but the condition of the heart. We give from the place of sacrifice and love of God. How much are we willing to give when it costs us something?

– The core truth of Christianity is that we are loved as we are right now. God rejoices in us with our presence and does not reject us because of our shame. We are loved even when we are hard to love. When I think of God do I believe that God really loves me and do I live as one who is loved by God?

– Today we experience in our culture a diminishing of God and the value of living an authentic  Christian life. To me it seems that our problem today is not the multiplication of sin but the disappearance of sin and the belief that there is no God. God calls us however to live an authentic life of love and mercy that does not diminish Him but rather helps us to draw closer to Him by the love and mercy we show to others including the lost, the lonely, the ill and the abandoned.

– God's grace is freely given to all. Humility accepts that our actions are in response to God's grace and compels us to do our duty with compassion and love. Human rights are a debt for all mankind. It is our nature to do good and we should not expect praise for our efforts. We do our duties because God calls us to do them.

– It has been said: "Jesus promises us two things:

– your life has meaning and

– you will live forever.

If you get a better deal, take it."

– May the blessings of Christ’s love and peace flow through each of us at this Christmas time and always.

– "Our true worth does not consist in what human beings think of us. What we really are consists in what God knows us to be."                                                    St. John Berchmans