RANDOM THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS, by Deacon Sam
July 11, 2023
MIRACLES - God works His miracles to teach us that there is one God only. Hopefully, through miracles, many people are led to the Faith. Jesus does not want us to be slaves to sin - we can each choose to do good or evil, love or hate, righteousness or unrighteousness, etc. Many people choose the dark side. But, we have many opportunities to change and we have a merciful God who forgives us. As we go on with our lives we can try to make better choices, continue to strive for holiness and live in freedom from sin.
No one is perfect but we can be better. Any time is a good time for each of us to look inward and work to correct those things in us that need change. We can always restore an Don't let Jesus be a stranger. Because God has conquered death we believe that He can conquer anything including our stubborn arrogance and despair. Through faith we know God protects us, provides for our needs and leads us. Jesus is the way out of hopelessness but is also the way in to a new way of living, giving, and forgiving. Dear Lord may we always follow where you lead us. Jesus said the greatest commandment is love of God, love of neighbor and love of self. Without love, our life is meaningless. St. John of the Cross said that at the end of our life we will all be judged on love alone – did we love well or not at all? Knowing where you are supposed to be and showing up is love. Knowing what you should be doing and doing it is love. Love is showing up. God showed up through the Incarnation and lived a life that showed us what love looks like. In the Eucharist Jesus shows up and says "Here I am." God is all love and loves us – will we say "Here I am" to God and to others and return love for love? Someone said "see a need, fill a need." We all have a vocation to holiness and to service. We are equipped and empowered by sanctifying grace to be sent to serve the people of God – the hurting, the needy, the vulnerable, etc. Where do we start - wherever we are. "Let us never forget that if we wish to die like saints, we must live like them." St. Eugene de Mazenod "All the way to heaven is heaven because Jesus said: "I am the way." St. Catherine of Siena "Faith is to believe what you do not see. The reward of this faith is to see what you believe." St. Augustined improve our relationship with our gracious, loving God who will never abandon us.
Jesus is the PERFECT Man, the PERFECT Human Being. Physical birth is the most fundamental thing about us – we are born for joy, happiness, peace, sadness, etc. all of which make us human. Through our Baptism our relationship with God is deepened. Jesus raises us up to how we may share his life. The Spirit of God - the Breath of God – can help us discern what to do with our lives and help us foster genuine holiness in ourselves. How can one person be happy if everyone else is sad? In our society, often marked by selfishness and indifference, Jesus invites us to imitate the example of how he lived in our world. We are called to live a life of charity and compassion in a world that often tries to destroy and divide rather than give and share. We can build a community of giving and caring with attitudes and talents used for God's purpose.
The church is a hierarchy of service. A sense of entitlement is oppositional to how God sees the church. The way of the world and the way of God are different. The world says "let's work to get the greatest profits" – the way of God is to feed the hungry and heal the sick. Each of us is unique and special in the eyes of God. It is an honor to witness to the glory of God. "The Lord hears the cries of the poor" – let us hear and respond to the cries of the poor and give glory to God.
In the Gospels the phrase Jesus uses most in talking to His disciples is "Do not be afraid." We all know that fear is an unpleasant emotion. We fear when we say or think "what if?" What if one bad thing or another happens to us or to someone we love? We can go through life controlled by fear and anxiety or we can live committed to faith and trust in God. Once we accept the challenge to follow Jesus, we invite Him into our lives to help us deal with the storms we face. Jesus died for love of us and gives us His Body and Blood in the Eucharist – we don't have to be afraid. God has loved us from all eternity. God does not abandon us.
Hope is a gift and a choice. We often have reason to hope but we don't see it. We can miss it even if it is right in front of us. Those who hope and endure show us courage. We are ransomed by the precious love of Jesus - our faith and hope in God give us confidence. Regardless of how things may turn out for us, God will always be there for us.
Suffering is part of everyday life - we often seem to get one difficulty after another and ask God "Why me?" God answers, however, by saying "Why not you?" God has blessed so many of us with so much more than we deserve – good families, good friends, good health, etc. etc. Sometimes we feel we have nothing. Sometimes we accumulate things out of our sense of insecurity. We hang onto things we can't seem to give up. We trade for things that are perishable and give up God who is not perishable. God gives us Himself - do we trade Him for a thing or say to Him "Praise You and Thank You - You are my God and I am yours."
Don't let Jesus be a stranger. Because God has conquered death we believe that He can conquer anything including our stubborn arrogance and despair. Through faith we know God protects us, provides for our needs and leads us. Jesus is the way out of hopelessness but is also the way in to a new way of living, giving, and forgiving. Dear Lord may we always follow where you lead us.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is love of God, love of neighbor and love of self. Without love, our life is meaningless. St. John of the Cross said that at the end of our life we will all be judged on love alone – did we love well or not at all? Knowing where you are supposed to be and showing up is love. Knowing what you should be doing and doing it is love. Love is showing up. God showed up through the Incarnation and lived a life that showed us what love looks like. In the Eucharist Jesus shows up and says "Here I am." God is all love and loves us – will we say "Here I am" to God and to others and return love for love?
Someone said "see a need, fill a need." We all have a vocation to holiness and to service. We are equipped and empowered by sanctifying grace to be sent to serve the people of God – the hurting, the needy, the vulnerable, etc. Where do we start - wherever we are.
"Let us never forget that if we wish to die like saints, we must live like them." St. Eugene de Mazenod
"All the way to heaven is heaven because Jesus said: "I am the way."
St. Catherine of Siena
"Faith is to believe what you do not see. The reward of this faith is to see what you believe."
St. Augustine