The commandments are not a list of “do’s and dont’s”
They are the way we show our love
For God, for our family and for our neighbor.
Love for God and His Holy Name
Love and honor for our father and mother
Love for our neighbor by respecting their person and their property.
Everything we do and don’t do therefore should always be because of Love.
Those who follow the Beatitudes will have Abundant Life. Jn. 10:10
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Gospel of Matthew 5:3-10
For 8 weeks, put into practice one Beatitude
And see how much more Abundant your life is after 8 weeks!
Who of us has not lost a loved one?
Who of us does not want to see them again
And hear their voice and look into their eyes.
As long as we are in this world that is not possible.
But they are not as far away as one thinks.
At every Mass,
Heaven and Earth are untied at the Altar.
At every Mass,
Heaven comes to Earth;
For at every Mass,
God becomes present on the altar.
In the Body and Blood of Christ.
And where Christ is,
Every angel, every saint, every soul
Is present.
So that at this altar we cannot possibly get any closer to those who have died.
We may not see them;
But our Faith tells us that they are here!
I want to Know What Love is?
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People talk about love;
Sing about love;
Write about love;
They want to know what Love is!
Love is probably the single most used word in the English language.
They use it to talk not only about Relationships.
But people talk about loving sports, pizza, and shopping;
They love to go on vacation,
They love staying in shape;
They love sex and drugs and rock and roll.
They love their hobbies, their car and their pets.
Love is all around,
And yet nowhere to be found!
This is often because we love things that do not love us back.
Stop and think about where you spend most of your time.
This is probably what you love the most.
Because if it isn’t what you love the most,
Than why spend most of your time on it?
And what you spend most of your time on….
Does it love you back?
Does what you spend most of your time on,
Desire you above all else?
Does it love you unconditionally?
Does it accept you for all that you are and all that you are not?
Will it lay down its life for you?
Will it love you for all Eternity.
If not, then it is not True Love;
It may be something else, but it is not Love!
And this is the problem.
People look for Love in all the wrong places.
There is only one Thing,
One Person who loves us,
All the Time;
Unconditionally;
For all we are and are not;
And will lay down His life for us;
And will love us for all Eternity.
And that is God;
And only when we love God the same way that God loves us,
With all our heart and soul,
With All our mind and strength. Mk. 12:28-34
Only then, Will we know what True Love is.
Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The oldest known prayer to the Blessed Virgin is the
Sub Tuum Praesidium.
It dates back to the middle of the 2nd Century.
So as the Gospel was being spread,
The early Christians turned to Mary for help,
As did Jesus when He was a child
And as He lay dying on the cross,
And as did the Apostles in the upper room,
As they waited for the coming of the Holy Spirit.
“We fly to Thy protection,
O Holy Mother of God;
Do not despise our petitions,
In our necessities,
But deliver us always from all dangers,
O Glorious and Blessed Virgin."
Salvation is From the Jews Rom. 9:1-5
We owe a debt to the Jews that can never be repaid.
For as St. Paul says
The Patriarchs are theirs,
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
They were the first to be adopted;
They were given the First Covenant;
They were given the Commandments.
They were given the Promises.
We are received all this from them,
And above all from them,
Came Jesus, Our Lord and Messiah.
How can we ever repay them?
The Foundation
A foundation plays a major role in the construction of a building.
A good and strong foundation keeps the building standing
Even when the forces of nature wreak havoc.
The Catholic Church is built and founded on the Apostles.
The men who lived with Jesus for three years.
Who heard His teaching and who saw His miracles.
And most of all who saw Him risen from the dead.
Any other church is built on sand and hearsay
And will not stand.
The Catholic Church goes back to the Apostles and we know this because the remains of the Apostles are all found in Catholic Churches.
But the Church is not built on their remains,
But on their living Spirit handed down to every bishop
Who is their successor.
This is what makes the Church Catholic and Apostolic Church.
The Spirit Prays for us. Rom. 8:26-27
Prayer is not words.
Prayer is more a longing of the heart.
Sometimes however there are no words
To express the longings of the heart.
So what is one to do?
Ask the Holy Spirit to pray for us!
For the Holy Spirit knows the depth and breadth and height and longings of our heart better than we do.
Merely as the Holy Spirit Who dwells in your heart already,
To pray for you to the Father.
And know then that all of the longings of your heart will be heard!
Nothing compared to the glory! Rom. 8:18
What are the struggles you are facing?
What are the sufferings you are enduring?
They may be great or small
And seem as if they will never end.
But St. Paul reminds us that they are nothing,
Compared with the glory that will be revealed for us.
When that glory appears,
Our struggles and sufferings will not even be a memory
As we will be filled to overflowing with the Peace, the Joy and the Love of the Lord,
Beyond anything we can hope for or imagine.
So when the struggles and sufferings mount up,
Set your heart on the glory that is to come,
And you will be able to endure anything.
Prayer to start the Week
As I arise may…….
Christ be with me,
Christ be before me,
Christ be behind me,
Christ be in me,
Christ be beneath me,
Christ be above me,
Christ be on my right,
Christ be on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ be in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ be in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ be in every eye that sees me,
Christ be in every ear that hears me.
From Among Men : The Priesthood Heb. 5:1
Where do priests come from?
From you!
The letter to the Hebrews tells us that
They come from among men. Heb. 5:1
From families and friends.
Just like yours.
They are raised in Homes and Neighborhoods;
Just like you.
So they are human just like you.
With ups and downs
Quirks and idiosyncrasies
Sins and struggles
Just like you.
What makes them different though is as the letter to the Hebrews continues,
They are representatives before God who offer gifts and sacrifices. Heb. 5:1.
The Gifts they offer to you are the Body and Blood of Christ
For your healing and strength.
The Sacrifice they offer is the Sacrifice of the Mass,
The same Sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
And because they do,
Satan seeks to sift them all like wheat. Lk. 22:31
At the Last Supper,
Jesus told Peter that Satan seeks to sift him like wheat.
And Jesus prayed for him that his Faith might not fail. Lk. 22:32
It is a scary thing to know that Satan wants to sift you like wheat.
So this is why at every Mass at the Eucharistic Prayer,
We pray for the Pope, the Bishops and the clergy in particular.
So that their Faith might not fail.
A priest is a paradox.
Called by God to offer sacrifices for sins yet is a sinner himself. Heb. 5:1
A man set apart yet one who comes from family and society. Heb. 5:1
An individual who represents everyone before God. Heb. 5:1
And whom Satan wants to sift like wheat. Lk. 22:31
Therefore, pray for priests!
As they pray for you
at every Mass!
Live according to the Spirit Rom. 8:5
Those who live according to the flesh are concerned with the things of the flesh.
While those who live according to the Spirit are concerned with the things of the Spirit.
Just one simple question.
Which will last longer,
The Flesh or the Spirit.
Doesn’t it make sense to devote more time to the one that lasts forever rather than the one what will turn to dust!
