God so Loved the World Jn. 3:16-20
God so loved the world that He sent us His only Son.
His only Son who Who was scourged and crowned with thorns for us.
Who died on the cross for us.
Whose heart was pierced with a sword for us.
There can be no doubt therefore that God loves us.
For God has clearly shown His love for us.
But Do we love God?
We may say we do,
But Do our actions show our love for God?
As God’s actions showed His love for us?
The early Christian community was of one heart and mind.
No one claimed anything of their own.
And if someone was in need, another would go and sell his property in order to help that person.
Have we progressed or regressed in our Faith since the early days of the Church?
Are we too of one heart and mind?
Not always.
What keeps us from being so?
How can the Church of St. Patrick’s Be Of one heart and mind?
How can We be of one heart and mind with the Church in Wenona, or Toluca or Lostant?
Through Love.
Love others as the Lord has loved us.
Through forgiveness
Forgive one another as the Lord has forgiven us.
Through prayer
Prayer that we all might be one One Body, One Spirit in Christ.
Just as Jesus has loved us, so we must love one another.
Born of Water and The Spirit Jn. 3:1-8
Everyone is born of flesh and blood.
But not everyone is reborn of Water and the Holy Spirit.
Those born of flesh and blood are of this world.
Those reborn of Water and the Holy Spirit are of heaven.
Jesus reminds us that what is born of the flesh is flesh and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
He therefore, places a choice before us.
Flesh or Spirit.
This world or the Kingdom of Heaven.
If we want the Kingdom of Heaven, then we must be born again of Water and the Holy Spirit in Baptism.
Through Baptism the flesh becomes filled and led by the Holy Spirit.
And the Holy Spirit blows where He wills.
In other words, those born again leave aside their fleshly desires and allow them selves to be "blown" by the Holy Spirit wherever He wills.
Mercy not Justice
There was a man who once tried to kill Napoleon.
But was caught before he could do so.
He was to be executed in the public square.
But his mother came running up to Napoleon and fell
At his feet begging him to pardon her son.
And Napoleon responded by saying,
“Your son does not deserve pardon.”
And she answered by saying,
“That is why they call it Mercy.”
Mercy is a gift,
given only to those who do NOT deserve it.
If a person deserved it, then Mercy would not be necessary.
That is the Great Gift of Mercy.
It is given to those who do not deserve it.
Who do you know that does not deserve Mercy?
A politician?
A religious leader?
A criminal?
Someone who hurt you?
Yourself?
Those who do not deserve Mercy are the ones who need it the most.
How willing are we to give it to them?
What makes Mercy Divine
Is that it is offered even before someone asks for it.
So do not wait!
Be Merciful as your Heavenly Father is Merciful. Lk. 6:36
Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven)
Queen of heaven, rejoice, alleluia.
The Son whom you merited to bear, alleluia,
has risen as he said, alleluia.
Pray for us to God, alleluia.
V. Rejoice and be glad, O Virgin Mary, alleluia.
R. For the Lord has truly risen, alleluia.
Let us pray.
O God, who have been pleased to gladden the world
by the Resurrection of your Son our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we pray,
that through his Mother, the Virgin Mary,
we may receive the joys of everlasting life.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We will catch nothing
No matter how hard they tried
And how long they worked through the night;
The disciples had very little to show for all their effort.
That is how it is in life.
Most people spend their lives working morning to night
And in the end what do they have to show for it?
If only we would listen to Jesus telling us where to cast our nets!
They would be filled to overflowing.
Overflowing with Love, Peace, Hope, Confidence, Courage and Faith.
These are riches far beyond silver and gold.
These are riches that will see us through any crisis or difficulty;
These are riches that bear fruit far beyond what the sweat of our brow and our little intelligence and planning can accomplish.
And All we have to do before we cast our nets is to ask Jesus,
Where!!!
Touch Me! Lk. 24:35-48
After Jesus had risen from the dead,
His body changed.
He now had a glorious body.
A body so glorious that the disciples thought they were seeing a ghost.
But Jesus assured them that they were not,
By taking a piece of fish and eating before their eyes.
In the creed we profess that we believe in the resurrection of the body.
Just as our bodies are united with our souls here on this earth,
So On the Last Day,
Our bodies will be reunited with our souls,
In the resurrection of the dead.
But with one difference,
Our bodies will be glorified.
And no longer bound by time and space;
But a body nonetheless.
