TODAY, our family stood on God’s chisel.
The nine of us were taken on top of Athabasca Glacier in Canada. It was surreal as we stood on ice as deep as the Eiffel tower is high. I say "chisel", because apparently glaciers are what carved earth’s landscapes as we know it.
AS I face my own weakness head on tonight, as all sense of God fades away, as darkness collapses onto my mind, and peace evades my heart…. there is only one thing left to do: cry out, like the beggar,
Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me! (Luke 18:38)
Was it not in the desert that the Israelites were tested? Was not Abraham’s faith purified when he raised the dagger over his son, Isaac? And did not Christ himself experience the crucifixion of obedience in the Garden of Gethsemane?
Lord Jesus… I need you. Have mercy on me.
HEAVEN hangs in suspense, awaiting earth’s decision:
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you...(Deut 30:19-20)
THE world cannot continue on this path of destroying human embryos for stem cell research.
As a pencil falling from a table obeys the law of gravity, so too, there is a spiritual law: "what you sow, you will reap." Through prayer, fasting, and the intervention of the Mother of God, this terrible harvest has been delayed.
But oh, how many governments and scientific bodies seem intent on hastening the day. They feel the sacrifice of life now, will possess health and wellbeing for themselves in the future. It is madness. They are taking from another–in blood–so as to give to themselves.
In Scripture, King Ahab and his wife killed Naboth so as to take possession of his vineyard. But when the Lord saw this he said,
After murdering, do you also take possession? For this, the Lord says: In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, the dogs shall lick up your blood, too.(1 Kgs 21)
Pope Benedict XVI, in his homily to open the Synod of Bishops in Rome last year said,
But God does not want to treat us according to our sins. He who loved us unto death wishes, rather, that we would respond to this warning as did King Ahab:
When Ahab heard these words, he tore his garments and put on sackcloth over his bare flesh... Then the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Have you seen that Ahab has humbled himself before me? Since he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his time..."
FORGIVENESS is the glue that holds a family together. But humility determines how good the glue is.
LISTEN carefully,
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Pt 1:13)
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. (Col 3:2)
These sacred words of Holy Scripture underscore a burning word in my heart these days:
YOU MUST BE RADICAL!
Peter tells us to set our hopes “completely” on the grace to be brought us. Completely! The whole direction of our every thought, word, and action should be toward Christ, each moment–not just for 58 minutes every Sunday. Oh, how deceived many are who think that their presence in the pew and a buck in the basket are a ticket to Heaven! How deceived we in the affluent West have become! Continue reading
JESUS goes out of His way to stress the need to “watch and pray” throughout the Gospels. It was usually in the context of His return. To watch and pray is to “live by the Spirit,” says the apostle Paul.
(Gal 6:16-17)
I say then: live by the Spirit and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh...
The moment most of us begin to live “by the flesh” is first thing in the morning. Why? Because we get up, go through the motions of the day, and think nothing of God. And so, we begin in the flesh, and usually quite grumpily. We allow ourselves to be led by the nose into the “little” sins.
But Peter says,
Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind, live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.(1 Pt 1:13)
When you rise in the morning, acknowledge God, implore His help, and hang tight to his hand–which is to say, continue to speak with Him throughout the day. We must actively, and willingly set our minds on the things of God, and what He asks of you in the present moment. As Paul says,
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.(Col 3:2)
I have more to say on this tomorrow, a word which has been welling up in heart my for weeks now. But if we could just focus on this one thing–living by the Spirit by willingly focusing our mind on God’s presence and His command to love–we may not need tomorrow.
It will not guarantee that you will not face temptations, troubles, or even stumble. But if you’re near Christ, you will rise that much more quickly, for He Himself will pick you up.
...take every thought captive in obedience to Christ...(2 Cor 10:5)
THERE has always been rowdy youth. But there is something behind the spirit of youth culture today which is beyond mischievous fun.
I believe it was Johann Strauss who said, if you want to know the spiritual climate of a culture, look at its music.
Today’s music has evolved into a world of rebellion, with rap music taking center stage. With lyrics that openly embrace suicide, murder, promiscuity, drugs, sexual abuse, rebellion, materialism, self-pleasure, and you-name-it, rap songs have become what I call “anti-psalms”.
I’m reminded of a documentary I did for CTV-Edmonton in 1998. Among youth, disturbing trends include a rapid increase in brutal teen violence, suicide, drug-use, and escalating STD’s. But there is a new statistic: for the first time ever, peers–no longer parents–are the main influence in teenage lives.
Many people talk about Matthew 24 and the bizarre trends in weather etc. when they speak of the “end times”. But few comment on 2 Timothy 3:1-5. It is a chilling description of this generation:
But understand this: there will be terrifying times in the last days. People will be self-centered and lovers of money, proud, haughty, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, irreligious, callous, implacable, slanderous, licentious, brutal, hating what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, as they make a pretense of religion but deny its power.
IT’S becoming a tradition: the first day of every concert tour is usually a dramatic one.
Today’s was spectacular.
Last summer, we had sudden electrical problems the night we were leaving. This winter, the sound and lighting equipment trailer detached from the tour bus. We found out the next day–in another city. And yesterday, two hours from home, we discovered that the bus’s water heater was kaput.
I should have expected it. In fact I did. But I was still ticked off. Grumbling, I turned the bus around, and headed to the repair shop, an hour away. We parked at a truck stop up the road.
This morning, after a short sleep, I awoke to the alarm clock… and a clear voice speaking in my heart:
IF the Eucharist is truly Jesus, why do so many of us seem unchanged after receiving Holy Communion?Continue reading
KEEPING Christ’s commandments is how we remain in His love (John 15:10), and if we remain in Him, we “will bear good fruit” (15:5).
But Jesus also said,
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him.
–John 6:56
How can we fail to take advantage of this precious gift given us in the Holy Eucharist? It is Jesus Himself!
For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.–6:55
If we find ourselves hungering for happiness, thirsting for peace, starving for virtues, and lacking in love, why do we not come to The Table where the “source and summit” of our needs is daily provided?
My brothers and sisters, how often have I been filled with the Holy Spirit, pacified in soul, and stirred to a burning love after receiving Jesus in the Eucharist–at a Mass, which only a handful of people attended!
I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.
–6:35
If the wider Church only knew what graces they would find to overcome faults, resist temptation, grow in virtue, and come to know Love itself through Holy Communion!
WHEN we traveled to some of the worst areas of hurricane-damaged Louisiana recently, we saw two kinds of houses: the ones made of wood, and those of brick.
Some wooden houses had been razed to the ground. There was nothing left but a few splinters of lumber. On the other hand, the brick houses in Katrina’s path were gutted, with broken windows and damaged roofs. But the houses stood. Or rather, withstood.
How can a person possibly withstand the forces he meets in this life–the forces of death, of illness, of unemployment, of uncertainty, of hatred, of temptation?
Listen carefully,
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? ...faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead.–James 2:14
Good works are like bricks. Faith is the mortar (what is one without the other?)
The one who builds his life with these, will testify how one can not only survive the painful forces of this life, but even bear them in peace and joy.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing... If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love... I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.–Jn 15:5, 10-11
Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse....–Mt 7:24-25
ARE not some of the best things in life hidden?
The coolest, cleanest water is usually found deep within the ground. Gold, silver, and precious jewels are disguised by rough stone and minerals. Nebulae, birthing stars, and colorful galaxies can only be seen with telescopes. Then there is the pearl within the oyster; the milk within the coconut; the nectar within the flower.
But do we recognize the great gift that lies hidden within suffering?
When we are ill-treated by a co-worker or a store clerk, do we recognize the opportunity to die to self? When small irritations befall us, do we see this as the occasion to grow in virtue? When we feel dry and desolate, do we recognize this as the moment to exercise faith?
The spiritual life is reflected in nature. For beneath the bland, rough, and unremarkable surface of the present moment, lies the Pearl of Grace to transform us.
...although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.–Matt 11:25
ANOTHER word which has been lingering beneath the surface of thought these past few weeks is “TOTALITARIANISM”.
Totalitarianism occurs when the state demands complete subservience of its subjects, which includes the realm of morality.
Pope Benedict has warned of this growing “dictatorship of relativism.” But so has a lesser known prophet, Michael D. O’Brien, in his series of “novels”: the Children of the Last Days. (If you are looking for powerful Catholic novels with an authentic and tested prophetic message, start here.)
This totalitarianism–though as yet unorganized in terms of formal governance–is beginning to openly express itself in localized policies, such as companies and school boards penalizing staff members who oppose homosexuality. Like a cancer, this dictatorial mentality is now moving into law as governments pass nebulous “hate crime” statutes. The next steps will be to strip the Church of official (and tax) status; then to silence the pulpit; then finally, open persecution–which may in fact be the Persecution. Continue reading
THE great and pressing crisis in the North American Church is that there are many who believe in Jesus Christ, but few who follow Him.
Even the demons believe that and tremble.–James 2:19
We must incarnate our belief–put flesh on our words! And this flesh must be visible. Our relationship with Christ is personal, but not our witness.
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden.–Matt 5:14
Christianity is this: to show the face of love to our neighbour. And we must start with our families–with those whom it is easiest to show "another" face.
This love is not an ethereal sentiment. It has skin. It has bones. It has presence. It is visible… It is patient, it is kind, it is not jealous, nor pompous, nor proud or rude. It never seeks its own interests, nor is it quick-tempered. It does not brood over injury, nor rejoice in wrongdoing. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. (1 Cor 13:4-7)
Can I possibly be the face of Christ to another? Jesus says,
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit.–Jn 15:5
Through prayer and repentance, we will find the strength to love. We can begin by doing the dishes tonight, with a smile.
WHILE contemplating Jesus in the Glorious Mysteries last night, I was pondering on the fact that I always picture Mary standing up while Jesus crowns her Queen of Heaven. These thoughts came to me…
Mary knelt in profound adoration of her God and Son, Jesus. But when Jesus approached to crown her, He pulled her gently to her feet, honoring the Fifth Commandment "Thou shalt honor thy mother and father."
And to the joy of Heaven, she was enthroned their Queen.
The Catholic Church does not worship Mary, a creature like you and me. But we honor our saints, and Mary is the greatest of them all. For not only was she Christ’s mother (think about it–He probably got His nice Jewish nose from her), but she exemplified perfect faith, perfect hope, and perfect love.
These three remain (1 Cor 13:13), and they are the largest jewels in her crown.
THESE five rays of light, emanating from the heart of a Christian,
can pierce the darkness of unbelief in a world thirsting to believe:
POVERTY OF STATE
POVERTY OF SELF
POVERTY OF SIMPLICITY
POVERTY OF SACRIFICE
POVERTY OF SURRENDER
Holiness, a message that convinces without the need for words, is the living reflection of the face of Christ. —JOHN PAUL II, Novo Millennio Ineunte
EVEN having the Son of God as your child is no guarantee that all will be well. In the Fifth Joyful Mystery, Mary and Joseph discover that Jesus is missing from their convoy. After searching, they find him in the Temple back in Jerusalem. Scripture says that they were "astonished" and that "they did not understand what he said to them."
The fifth poverty, which may be the most difficult, is that of surrender: accepting that we are powerless to avoid many of the difficulties, troubles, and reverses that each day presents. They come—and we are astonished—especially when they are unexpected and seemingly undeserved. This is precisely where we experience our poverty… our inability to understand the mysterious will of God.
But to embrace God’s will with docility of heart, offering as members of the royal priesthood our suffering to God to be transformed into grace, is the same docility by which Jesus accepted the Cross, saying, "Not my will but yours be done." How poor Christ became! How rich we are because of it! And how rich the soul of another will become when the gold of our suffering is offered for them out of the poverty of surrender.
The will of God is our food, even if at times it tastes bitter. The Cross was bitter indeed, but there was no Resurrection without it.
The poverty of surrender has a face: patience.
I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich... Do not be afraid of anything you are going to suffer... remain faithful until death, I will give you the crown of life.(Rev 2:9-10)
ACCORDING to Levitical law, a woman who has given birth to a child must bring to the temple:
a yearling lamb for a holocaust and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering… If, however, she cannot afford a lamb, she may take two turtledoves…" (Lev 12:6, 8 )
In the Fourth Joyful Mystery, Mary and Joseph offer a pair of birds. In their poverty, it was all they could afford.
The authentic Christian is also called to give, not only of time, but also of resources—money, food, possessions—"until it hurts", Blessed Mother Teresa would say.
As a guideline, the Israelites would give a tithe or ten percent of the "first fruits" of their income to the "house of the Lord." In the New Testament, Paul does not mince words about supporting the Church and those who minister the Gospel. And Christ places pre-eminence on the poor.
I have never met anyone who practiced tithing ten percent of their income who lacked anything. Sometimes their "granaries" overflow the more they give away.
Give and gifts will be given to you, a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap" (Lk 6:38)
The poverty of sacrifice is one in which we view our excess, less as play money, and more as "my brother’s" next meal. Some are called to sell everything and give it to the poor (Mat 19:21). But all of us are called to "renounce all our possessions"—our love for money and love of the things which it can buy—and to give, even, from what we do not have.
Already, we can feel our lack of faith in God’s providence.
Lastly, the poverty of sacrifice is a posture of spirit in which I am always ready to give of myself. I tell my children, "Carry money in your wallet, just in case you meet Jesus, disguised in the poor. Have money, not so much as to spend, as to give."
This kind of poverty has a face: it is generosity.
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house, and try me in this, says the Lord: Shall I not open for you the floodgates of heaven, to pour down blessing upon you without measure?(Mal 3:10)
...this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.(Mar 12:43-44)
WE contemplate in the Third Joyful Mystery that Jesus was born in neither a sterilized hospital nor a palace. Our King was laid in a manger "because there was no room for them in the inn."
And Joseph and Mary did not insist on comfort. They did not seek out the finest, though they rightly could have demanded it. They were satisfied with simplicity.
The authentic Christian’s life should be one of simplicity. One can be wealthy, and yet live a simple lifestyle. It means living with what one needs, rather than wants (within reason). Our closets are usually the first thermometer of simplicity.
Neither does simplicity mean having to live in squalor. I am certain that Joseph cleaned out the manger, that Mary lined it with a clean cloth, and that their little quarters were tidied as much as possible for Christ’s coming. So too should our hearts be readied for the Savior’s coming. The poverty of simplicity makes room for Him.
It also has a face: contentment.
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and being in need. I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.(Phil 4:12-13)
IN the Second Joyful Mystery, Mary sets off to assist her cousin Elizabeth who is also expecting child. Scripture says that Mary stayed there "three months."
The first trimester is usually the most tiring for women. The rapid development of the baby, changes in hormones, all the emotions… and yet, it was during this time that Mary impoverished her own needs to help her cousin.
The authentic Christian is one who empties himself in service for the other.
God is first.
My neighbour is second.
I am third.
This is the most powerful form of poverty. It’s face is that of love.
...he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave... becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross.(Phil 2:7)
WHILE meditating in the "school of Mary", the word "poverty" refracted into five rays. The first…
IN the first Joyful Mystery, Mary’s world, her dreams and plans with Joseph, were suddenly changed. God had a different plan. She was shocked and afraid, and felt no doubt incapable of so great a task. But her response has echoed for 2000 years:
May it be done to me according to your word.
Each of us is born with a specific plan for our lives, and given specific gifts to do it. And yet, how often do we find ourselves envying our neighbours talents? "She sings better than me; he is smarter; she is better looking; he is more eloquent…" and so on.
The first poverty which we must embrace in imitation of Christ’s poverty is the acceptance of ourselves and God’s designs. The foundation of this acceptance is trust—trust that God designed me for a purpose, which first and foremost, is to be loved by Him.
It is also accepting that I am poor in virtues and holiness, a sinner in reality, totally reliant on the riches of God’s mercy. Of myself, I am incapable, and so pray, "Lord, have me mercy on me a sinner."
This poverty has a face: it is called humility.
Blessed are the poor in spirit.(Matthew 5:3)
THE world is inundated with “Christian words.” But what it thirsts for is “authentic” Christian witness.
Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. —POPE PAUL VI, Evangelization in the Modern World
What should the modern Christian look like?
The world calls for and expects from us simplicity of life, the spirit of prayer, charity towards all especially towards the lowly and the poor, obedience and humility, detachment and self-sacrifice. Without this mark of holiness, our word will have difficulty in touching the heart of modern man. It risks being vain and sterile. —Ibid.
Paul VI also mentions “poverty and detachment”. It is this word poverty which speaks to me this morning…
WHILE praying before the Blessed Sacrament two weeks ago, one of my colleagues had the image of a clock flash in his mind. The hands were at midnight… and then suddenly, they jumped back a couple of minutes, then moved forward, then back…
My wife likewise has a reoccurring dream where we are standing in a field, while dark clouds gather on the horizon. As we walk toward them, the clouds move away.
We should not underestimate the power of intercession, particularly when we invoke God’s Mercy. Nor should we fail to understand the signs of the times.
Consider the patience of our Lord as salvation.–2 Pt 3:15
SO long as you breathe, Mercy is yours.
I RECENTLY met with a group of other Catholic leaders and missionaries in Western Canada. During our first night of prayer before the Blessed Sacrament, a couple of us were suddenly overcome with a deep sense of grief. The words came to my heart,
The Holy Spirit is grieved over ingratitude for the wounds of Jesus.
Then a week or so later, a colleague of mine who was not present with us wrote saying,
For a few days I have had the sense that the Holy Spirit is brooding, like brooding over creation, as if we are at some turning point, or at the beginning of something big, some shift in the way the Lord is doing things. Like we now see through a glass darkly, but soon we will see more clearly. Almost a heavyness, like the Spirit has weight!
Perhaps this sense of change on the horizon is why I continue to hear in my heart the words, “Quickly! Fill your lamps!” It’s from the story of the ten virgins who go out to meet the bridegroom (Matt 25:1-13).
YESTERDAY’s liturgy marks the end of Pentecost week–but not the profound necessity in our lives of the Holy Spirit and His spouse, the Virgin Mary.
It has been my personal experience, having traveled to hundreds of parishes, meeting tens of thousands of people–that souls who open themselves to the activity of the Holy Spirit, coupled with a healthy devotion to Mary, are some of the strongest apostles I know.
And why should this surprise anyone? Wasn’t it this combination of heaven and earth over 20 centuries ago, that wrought the incarnation of God in the flesh, Jesus Christ?
That is the way Jesus is always conceived. That is the way He is reproduced in souls… Two artisans must concur in the work that is at once God’s masterpiece and humanity’s supreme product: the Holy Spirit and the most holy Virgin Mary… for they are the only ones who can reproduce Christ. –Archbishop Luis M. Martinez, The Sanctifier
WHEN Pope John Paul II revived the Rosary in 2003, it was not out of a sense of nostalgia.
He was calling the Church to arms, to take up the spiritual and material battle raging within and from without the Church. He was urging us to call upon the greatest of intercessors–Jesus’ Mother–to come to our assistance. As one priest said, “Mary is a lady… but she wears combat boots.” Indeed, in Genesis, it is her heel which will crush the serpent’s head.
AFTER Evening Prayer, Fr. Kyle and I were discussing the necessity of the prophetic gift for the building up of the Church. As we were talking, a storm passed overhead and a bolt of lightning lit up the sky. Immediately, it carried a message for us:
one who prophesies [speaks] to human beings, for their building up, encouragement, and solace.— 1 Cor 14:3
Then it could be said that everything in between–the steps leading up this Blessed Mountain–are the charisms of the Holy Spirit, with “prophecy” being the handrails.
Prophecy “means the foreknowledge of future events, though it may sometimes apply to past events of which there is no memory, and to present hidden things which cannot be known by the natural light of reason.” (Catholic Encyclopedia).
Pursue love, but strive eagerly for the spiritual gifts, above all that you may prophesy.(1 Cor 14:1)
For a deeper understanding of the gift of prophecy, click here.
WE PRAY “Come Holy Spirit!” So when the Spirit comes, what does it look like?
The icon of this coming is the Upper Room: an infusion of grace, power, authority, wisdom, prudence, counsel, knowledge, understanding, fortitude and fear of the Lord.
But we see something else as well… something the Church has often failed to recognize: the release of charisms in the Body. The Greek word Paul used for charism means “favor” or “benefit.” These include the gifts of healing, speaking in tongues, prophecy, discernment of spirits, administration, mighty deeds, and interpretation of tongues among others.
Let us be clear: these are charismatic gifts–not “the Charismatic’s gifts”. They do not belong to a single group or movement within the Church, but belong in proper to the whole Christian community. Too often, we have sent the gifts into the church basement where they are safely hidden in the confines of the prayer meeting of a few.
What great loss this is to the community! What paralysis this has brought about in the Church! These charisms, Paul tells us, are for the building up of the Body (cf. 1 Cor 12, 14:12). If that is so, tell me, what happens when the human body stops moving on a hospital bed? The person’s muscles become atrophied–limp, weak, and powerless.
So too, our failure to appropriate the charisms of the Holy Spirit has led to a Church which has fallen asleep on its side, unable to turn over and show the face of Christ to a hurting world. Our parishes have atrophied; our youth have lost interest; and those gifts intended to build us up remain hidden beneath the dust of our Baptism.
Indeed, Come Holy Spirit–come and re-enkindle in us your seven-fold gifts and bountiful charisms, for the glory of God, the renewal of the Church, and the conversion of the world.
MANY people say they have a personal relationship with Jesus. Others speak about their relationship with the Father. This is wonderful.
But how many of us have a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit?
The Third Person of the Holy Trinity is just that–a divine person. A person whom Jesus has sent to be our Helper, our Advocate. A person who loves us with a burning love–like a tongue of fire. We can even “grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30) because of this ineffable love.
But as we enter into the great feast of Pentecost, let us bring great joy to this intimate Friend. Let us begin to speak with the Holy Spirit, heart to Heart, lover to Lover, opening our spirit to Spirit, knowing that because of the Father’s love, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, we now live, move, and have our being in this most Holy, Divine, and wonderful person: the Paraclete–who is Love itself.
the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
–Romans, 5:5
FEAST OF THE VISITATION
While pregnant with Jesus, Mary visited her cousin Elizabeth. Upon Mary’s greeting, Scripture retells that the child within Elizabeth’s womb–John the Baptist–“leaped for joy”.
John sensed Jesus.
How can we read this passage and fail to recognize the life and presence of a human person within the womb? This day, my heart has been weighed with the sorrow of abortion in North America. And the words, “You reap what you sow” have been playing through my mind.
THE flesh is lazy and idolatrous. But half the battle is recognizing this, and the other half then, is not fixating on it.
It is the Spirit who puts to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13)–not self-centered bemoaning. Fixing our eyes on Jesus in a gaze of trust, especially when we’re weighed down by personal sin, is precisely the means by which the Spirit conquers the flesh.
Humility is a gateway for God.
The image of this is the thief on the cross. He hung by the weight of his sinful flesh. But his eyes were fixed on Christ… And thus, Jesus–whose gaze was fixed on him in extraordinary love and mercy said, “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Even though we may hang by the weight of our failures, we need only turn to Jesus in a glance of humility and honesty, and we will be assured to hear the same.
IF I were God, watching unfold before My all-seeing eyes the painful headlines of the day, the open rebellion to My plans, the apathy of My Church, the loneliness of the wealthy, the hunger of the poor, and the violence to My little ones…
…I would fill the spring air with the most beautiful fragrance, paint the evening sky in delightful colors, water the ground with cool rains, and send a warm Breeze across the earth to whisper in every ear,
“I love you, I love you, I love you…”
*I took this photo after ministering at a conference in Saskatchewan, Canada.
IT IS essentially understood, based on what Christ himself said, that Judas had chosen his final destiny. Jesus says of Iscariot, "it would be better for that man if he had not been born." And again in reference to Judas, "is not one of you a devil?"
However, it wasn’t only Judas who betrayed Christ: all of them fled from the garden. And then Peter denied Christ three times.
But they all repented… and thus Christ’s first words to them after He rose from the dead were, "Peace be with you." Judas on the other hand did not repent; after betraying Life, he then took his life. Christ would have forgiven him, offering the kiss of peace to absolve the kiss of betrayal. But Judas did not convert, and thus, "it would have been better if he had not been born."
Could I possibly betray Christ like Judas, and lose my salvation? Yes, this is possible, because like Judas, I too have free will. But if I do not despair–if I turn my heart back to Christ as Peter did–love and mercy will receive me back more quickly than I had sinned.
I AM drawn so strongly these days to John 15 where Jesus says,
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.(v. 5)
How can we ever grow in holiness if we do not remain in Him? Prayer is that which draws the sap of the Holy Spirit into our souls, causing the buds of holiness to spring forth. But they will only bloom if we nurture them in the will of God:
If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love.(v. 10)
JESUS says before his coming,
Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be famines and earthquakes from place to place. All these are the beginning of the labor pains.(Matt 24:7)
While we’ve seen these things through the past two millennium, what we have not seen are these events increasing in frequency, as they are, like labor pains. So if we are in those days, what next? The very next verse:
Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name.
Is the Da Vinci Code the beginning?
POPE John Paul II called the Rosary "the school of Mary".
How often have I been overwhelmed by distraction and anxiety, only to be immersed in tremendous peace as I begin to pray the Rosary! And why should this surprise us? The Rosary is nothing other than a "compendium of the Gospel" (Rosarium Virginis Mariae, JPII). And the Word of God is "living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword" (Heb 4:12).
Do you wish to cut through the sorrow of your heart? Do you wish to pierce the darkness within your soul? Then take up this Sword in the shape of a chain, and with it, contemplate the face of Christ in the Mysteries of the Rosary. Outside of the Sacraments, I know of no other means by which one can so quickly scale the walls of holiness, be illumined in conscience, brought to repentance, and opened to the knowledge of God, than by this little prayer of the Handmaiden.
And as powerful is this prayer, so too are the temptations not to pray it. In fact, I personally wrestle with this devotion more than any other. But the fruit of perseverance can be likened to the one who drills for hundreds of feet beneath the surface until at last he uncovers a mine of gold.
If during the Rosary, you are distracted 50 times, then begin to pray it again each time. You have then just offered 50 acts of love to God. –Fr. Bob Johnson, Madonna House Apostolate (my spiritual director)
