On this Feast of St. Andrew, the Apostle, our reflections center around his response to Jesus. Along with John, he was the first to encounter and be encountered by Jesus. He was the first of the disciples to witness about Jesus, bringing his brother Simon, to the Messiah. He was among the first disciples called by Jesus to follow him. His life was transformed by Jesus. Eventually, Andrew embraced the cross for the sake of Jesus. During this Advent season, we have an opportunity to reflect on our encounters with Jesus. Is our life still being transformed by these encounters? Is our life as a disciple of Jesus evident in our words and actions? How consciously are we witnessing about Jesus to others? What cross is Jesus asking us to embrace at this time of our life? None of this is possible without a growing relationship with Jesus. Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Dec 3-11, 2016 First Day Dearest Lady of Guadalupe, fruitful Mother of holiness, teach me your ways of gentleness and strength. Hear my humble prayer offered with heartfelt confidence to beg this favor...... Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.  Second Day O Mary, conceived without sin, I come to your throne of grace to share the fervent devotion of your faithful Mexican children who call to you under the glorious Aztec title of Guadalupe. Obtain for me a lively faith to do your Son’s holy will always: May His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be. Third Day  O Mary, whose Immaculate Heart was pierced by seven swords of grief, help me to walk valiantly amid the sharp thorns strewn across my pathway. Obtain for me the strength to be a true imitator of you. This I ask you, my dear Mother. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.  Fourth Day Dearest Mother of Guadalupe, I beg you for a fortified will to imitate your divine Son’s charity, to always seek the good of others in need. Grant me this, I humbly ask of you. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.  Fifth Day  O most holy Mother, I beg you to obtain for me pardon of all my sins, abundant graces to serve your Son more faithfully from now on, and lastly, the grace to praise Him with you forever in heaven. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.  Sixth Day  Mary, Mother of vocations, multiply priestly vocations and fill the earth with religious houses which will be light and warmth for the world, safety in stormy nights. Beg your Son to send us many priests and religious. This we ask of you, O Mother. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.  Seventh Day  O Lady of Guadalupe, we beg you that parents live a holy life and educate their children in a Christian manner; that children obey and follow the directions of their parents; that all members of the family pray and worship together. This we ask of you, O Mother. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.  Eighth Day  With my heart full of the most sincere veneration, I prostrate myself before you, O Mother, to ask you to obtain for me the grace to fulfill the duties of my state in life with faithfulness and constancy. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.  Ninth Day  O God, You have been pleased to bestow upon us unceasing favors by having placed us under the special protection of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary. Grant us, your humble servants, who rejoice in honoring her today upon earth, the happiness of seeing her face to face in heaven. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

 

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
  This call is consistent with the prophetic message of the Old Testament. John adds the urgency for the need to repent: the coming of the Messiah. Later, Jesus begins his own preaching in the same vein but adds the important message: Reform your lives and believe in the Good News.

It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.
  Matthew wants to connect the ministry of John to that of Isaiah. Matthew also wants to show that what John is doing is fulfilling the prophetic message of Old Testament.
How does God want us to prepare the way for the Lord in our heart during this Advent season?
What do we need to repent of and change in so as to better respond to the Word of God?

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
  These are the trappings of a prophet, who totally commits himself to do the work he was sent to do and to totally depend on the Lord even for his sustenance.

At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.
  What was the difference between John’s baptism and the baptism inaugurated by Jesus? In one there is merely acknowledgement of sin so as to be better prepared to receive the Messiah. In the Sacrament of Baptism, there is the actual removal of sin and its effects in our life and the entering into the shared life of God. In the first, it is the effort of the individual that is central. In the other, it is the work of God that brings this about.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones.
  John is questioning the motives of these groups. He was aware of their self-righteousness based on their relationship with Abraham. They considered themselves the pure stock, almost above sin.
It is interesting that Jesus is going to pick up on their relationship with Abraham in his encounters with them. Jesus confronted this conviction and said: "If Abraham was your father you would have accepted me. For Abraham rejoiced in seeing me."

Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
  What fruit are you bearing in your life?
Jesus uses the same idea when he talks about a good tree bears good fruit and a bad tree bears bad fruit. Or when he cursed the fig tree for not bearing fruit.
I am baptizing you with water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals.
John acknowledges that he is less than the Messiah. This is not just a statement of humility but a fact in who he is and who the Messiah is; what he does and what the Messiah will do.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." What are the qualities of fire that John is emphasizing here?
Does not Jesus use the same language in the parable of the wheat and the weeds?                     What does God want of you in response to your reflection on this passage?

 

The opening prayer from today’s Advent Mass will be the point of our reflection. “Look with favor, Lord God, on our petitions, and in our trials grant us your compassionate help, that, consoled by the presence of your Son, whose coming we now await, we may be tainted no longer by the corruption of former ways. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.” The questions to ask: How aware am I of the presence of Jesus and how consciously does the presence of Jesus in my life console me? Am I really awaiting his coming in the present moment and at the final moment? How attentive am I in uprooting sin in my life, so that his presence can take firmer root in me? Are these the pre-conditions to God hearing my petitions and granting me his compassionate help? Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Our life as Christians is a journey in which we encounter Jesus at different moments in different circumstances. These encounters are not initiated by us, but by Jesus, who desires to encounter us first. Thus, our encounters are not accidents, but divine appointments. How many of these grace moments have we missed, because we were not open at the moment? Advent is a new time for us to become more attentive and watchful for those encounters. Not only are we preparing to celebrate his first coming at Christmas; not only are we preparing for his encounter with us in his final or second coming. But it is our response to the present moment encounters that will matter. How we recognized, encounter, welcome and receive him in the present moment will be the key to our lasting relationship with God. Lord, let me be attentive and responsive to you in each present moment. Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Lord, I do not know the amount of time I have left in this life. I do know that my life on earth will end. What matters is how I live my life now till then. I can't change my past, but I can live in the present, as if it was my last. I can live in the present moment as I desire to live eternally, namely with you. You have given us the way to do this in our daily family prayer: the Our Father. "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." By consciously choosing your will in the present moment until that last moment will prepare me to eternally be in your will. If Heaven is to be eternally in  your presence fully alive, then what better way is there now on earth to be in your presence, than doing your will. And what is your will? As the saints found out, it is love. St. Paul tells us: "Whatever you do in word or deed, do in in love in the name of the Lord, Jesus, giving thanks through  him to the Father. St. Theresa of Lisieux captured this when she said: "My vocation is love."

To be thankful cannot be limited to one day a year, just as our blessings do not happen only once a year. Everyday we receive many blessings, some of which we are not even aware of, like the air we breathe and the water we drink. Some blessings are continual and unmerited, like salvation and sharing in the life of God. But all blessings come from the hand of God as a sign of his unconditional love for us. Gratitude is the most basic response on our part. But this gratitude is to be accompanied with a life lived in relationship with God if it is to be sincere. What good is it to receive forgiveness of my sins, only to intentionally return to sin? Gratitude is expressed not in word alone but in a way of life. On the other hand, what does a lack of gratitude say about us and to the one who blessed us? Do we have a truly grateful heart or an ungrateful one each day? In all things and for all things and at all times, give thanks.

Jesus said to his disciples: "As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.
This coming of the Son of Man can refer to the Second Coming of Jesus at the end of the world or it could mean the coming of Jesus when we die. In each case there is a finality. In those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,
up to the day that Noah entered the ark. They did not know until the flood came and carried them all away.
Despite Noah’s words and actions, the people of his day did not put any stock into what they heard and saw. Because they did not heed the warnings and repent, they lost their lives in more ways than one. So will it be also at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left.

The reason it is probably the coming of Jesus at the time of death and not at the end of the world is that one is taken and one is left. Even then, the one that is left does not heed the warning signs.
How many people we know have died? We know that death is inevitable. But does the death of any bring us closer to God? Does it lead us to repentance and a change of life? Or do we continue to eat, drink and be merry as if death is far from us. It is not that we are to stop living, but our life should show awareness that God may be giving us a sign to make him the center of our lives? What do you think? Therefore, stay awake! For you do not know on which day your Lord will come. Be sure of this: if the master of the house had known the hour of night when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not let his house be broken into. So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come." How prepared are we at this moment? Are we living as if this would be our last night? Again, not in fear or anxiety but in readiness because we want to be with God at all times.
What do you think God wants you to do in response to his word which you just read and reflected on?
                  Advent is a time of preparation for the celebration of the coming of Jesus. He came and we are preparing to celebrate the remembrance of his birth. But he is coming again at the moment of our death. We are preparing to welcome him so that we can be welcomed by him. We are preparing for his second coming in glory so that we can be with him eternally.

We should not be afraid of death, since death is inevitable and an instant  in our journey. What we should be afraid  of is dying outside of relationship with God. This will be eternal. Yes, we have all sinned and deserve condemnation. But through the death and resurrection of Jesus and in the waters of baptism, we have been sent free and given new life and a new status as children of God. Even when we have fallen again and again in sin, God in his mercy has restored and renewed us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Instead of wasting our energy in fear of death, we should redouble our efforts to grow in love of God and love of others, of remaining in his presence and seeking to do his will. Because of our faith in God's tender mercy and our authentic love for him, our attitude should be that of St. Paul: "O death, where is your sting! O death, where is your victory!" We should prepare for death, not fear it. For death for the faithful means life with and in God eternally!

Thanksgiving Day Blessing Service

Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Leader: Let us glorify the Lord who fills us with his bounty. Blessed be God for ever.

All: Blessed be God for ever.

Leader: We gather today to give thanks to God for his gifts to this land and its people, for God has been generous to us. As we ask God’s blessing upon the food we will share with our families, may we be mindful of those in need.

Reader: 1 Corinthians 1:3-9

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus [Christ]. God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. The Word of the Lord.

Reader: I will give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.

All: I will give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.

Reader: I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart, For you have heard the words of my mouth;
In the presence of the angels I will sing your praise; I will worship at your holy temple and give thanks to your name.

All: I will give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.

Leader: Because of your kindness and your truth;
for you have made great above all things your name and your promise.
When I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me.

All: I will give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.

Leader: All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
when they hear the words of your mouth;
and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord: "Great is the glory of the Lord."

All: I will give you thanks, O Lord, with all my heart.

Leader: Let us pray to our loving Father as Jesus taught us:

All: Our Father…

Leader: God most provident, we join all creation in raising to you a hymn of thanksgiving through Jesus
Christ, your Son. For generation upon generation peoples of this land have sung of your bounty
we too offer you praise for the rich harvest we have received at your hands. Bless us and this food
which we share with grateful hearts. Continue to make our land fruitful and let our love for you be
seen in our pursuit of peace and justice And in our generous response to those in need. Praise and
glory to you, Lord God, now and for ever!

All: Amen

"Indeed the blessed Mary certainly did the Father's will, and so it was for her a greater thing to have been Christ's disciple than to have been his mother, and she was more blessed in her discipleship than in her motherhood. Hers was the happiness of first bearing in  her womb him whom she would obey as her master."(St. Augustine) He is reflecting on these words of Jesus: "Here are my mother and my brothers; anyone who does the will of my Father who sent me, is my brother and sister and my mother." The great grace of being the Mother of the Savior is enhanced by Mary's obedience to the Father's will in all things. Her first "fiat" at the Annunciation culminated with her silent "fiat" under the cross. In a similar way, the grace that enabled us to become sons and daughters of God is enhanced by the grace that transforms us into disciples of the Lord. Our daily "fiat", our daily "yes", to the will of God is the way we embrace this grace of discipleship. We are sons and daughters by grace and we are disciples by grace and response.

"Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive out those who were selling things, saying to them, 'It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.'"(Lk 19:45) Jesus was reminding the people that the Temple was sacred to God, as a place of worship in his presence, not a place for other things. By Baptism I became a temple for the abiding presence of the Lord. But to what extent have I made my temple a den of thieves by allowing sin to take root in me? Complacency towards true worship was expressed by what the Temple had become. Does not that same attitude pervade my heart when I am complacent about sin in my life? Even after Jesus made his statement in action, business as usual resumed. Is that what happens in my  own life? I go to confession but the reality of a firm amendment is short-lived as business as usual resumes. In the Temple they wrongly justified serving two masters. For the sake of my eternal salvation I cannot do the same, as Jesus so clearly warned.

Even thought the celebration of the Year of Mercy ends this Sunday, our reflection on and gratitude for God's unfathomable mercy should never end. As his mercy continues to be poured out upon us, so our awareness of his mercy should never wane. Each day we benefit from his mercy. Each day we should show our gratitude by showing mercy and compassion, forgiveness and love to others. To receive mercy but not to show mercy is to eventually close off our opening to his mercy. Mercy is not a two way street between God and me, but an extension street from God through me to others As God renews his mercies everyday, so should we. Be merciful to others as your Heavenly Father is to you is not a pious wish of God. It is his expectation and command and will be one of the deciding factors when we face God in judgment.

November Mass for Men:
Due to conflict scheduling, I had to change the Mass for Men from the First Saturday of November to this coming Saturday.
Men's Mass
November 19, 2016
7:30am
107 Albany Dr.
Houma, La 70360

Come and bring a friend! Enjoy some fellowship afterwards.

"O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life, Your  heart is a glowing furnace of Love. You are my refuge and my sanctuary. O my adorable and loving Savior, consume my heart with the burning fire with which Yours is a flamed. Pour down on my soul those graces which flow from Your love. Let my heart be united with Yours. Let my will be conformed to Yours in all things. May Your will be the rule of all my desires and actions. Amen." (St. Gertrude the Great) To conform one's will to God's will was the model Jesus set for us in his own life. It is the key to true happiness and peace amidst all the turmoil of human life. Though it is the way we should go, it is not always that easy. For as St Paul reminds us, our will is in a state of rebellion because of the law of sin within us. The root of this sin is the "I will not" response of Adam and Eve to God's will for their happiness. When we act the same way, we sin and are out of sync with God, our true Good. On the other hand, when we consciously choose to conform our will to God's, then we will be in conformity with our true self. This is our challenge and our path to ultimate fulfillment. That is why Jesus could have inner  peace in the depth of his sufferings.

The rulers sneered at Jesus and said, "He saved others, let him save himself if he is the chosen one, the Christ of God."
Here we have a connection with the temptation of Jesus in the desert. The focus of the question is whether Jesus is the chosen one, the Messiah of God. If he is, they implied, he would not be in this situation. God would not allow it. This was the same sticking point the devil used against Jesus in the desert temptation.
Imagine Jesus hearing this statement of mockery. What do you think went through his mind? Was he questioning his identity? Or rather did he embrace the fuller meaning of being the chosen one, the Messiah of God as the suffering servant of God?
Even the soldiers jeered at him. As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
"If you are King of the Jews, save yourself." Above him there was an inscription that read, "This is the King of the Jews."
The soldiers were aware that Pilate had asked Jesus if he was a king. They even mocked him by placing a crown of thorns on his head and a purple robe on his back and a reed in his hand, while pretending to do his homage.
What do you think Jesus was feeling as he heard the mockery intensify?
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying, "Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us."
Now, one of the criminals crucified with Jesus joins in the attack. He was not interested in whether Jesus was the Messiah or not. He was only interested in Jesus performing some miracle freeing the criminal from the cross.
The other, however, rebuking him, said in reply, "Have you no fear of God, for you are subject to the same condemnation? And indeed, we have been condemned justly, for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes, but this man has done nothing criminal." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."
The other criminal hears the mockery of the rulers, the soldiers and the other criminal. But there is something different about him. Though he recognizes that he is deserving of the punishment, he still has a "fear of God," while at the same time he recognizes the innocence of Jesus.
This man expresses his repentance for his deeds by asking God not to physically save him but to show him forgiveness and mercy.
How often have we tried to justify ourselves rather than admit our faults and seek God’s mercy?
He replied to him, "Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
What a powerful witness of Jesus mercy, even in the midst of his own suffering. Maybe it was the Father’s way of reassuring Jesus that he came to save the repentant sinner not the self-righteous. Here was the first fruit of his death and resurrection.
This event reaffirms what the psalmist said: God does not want the death of the sinner but that he repent and live.
This also underlines the word of God to the prophet. If a wicked man turns back to the Lord and dies, he will live forever with God.
Reflect of God’s mercy to you over the years.
From your reflections on this passage what is God saying to you?

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, then I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me." (Rev 3:20) Each time Jesus knocks at the door of our heart it is a special grace moment. It is a call to initial or renewed conversion of our heart. The knock is more than a rap at the door of our heart. Jesus calls us by name with tendency and love, inviting us to the more. The desired response is that we open wider the door of our heart and joyfully welcome him in, even if our heart is not perfectly clean. He desires to share with us a banquet of love. How often we are afraid to receive Jesus in a new way because our heart has been ravished by sin and there is dark coldness within. But when Jesus comes, being the light, he will dispel this darkness, if we expose it to him rather than  hide in it by keeping our heart's door shut tight. He knocks, calls and waits for a response. If it is silence, he will depart. If it is an open door, he will enter.

In the Book of Revelation we read what the Spirit spoke to the Church in Ephesus: "Moreover, you have endurance and have suffered for my name, and you have not grown weary. Yet, I hold this against you: you  have lost the love you had at first. Realize how far you have fallen. Repent, and do the works you did at first."(Rev 2:3-4) The worse thing that happens in most relationships is to no longer have the zeal and fire as when we first fell in love. This is true in our relationship with God, is it not? The passion of focusing on the Other becomes tempered by self focus which amounts to sin. That is why the Spirit says: "Repent"! How fervent and consumed were we when we first encountered and fell in love with Jesus? How fervent are we now? Is our love deepening in intensity or diminishing with familiarity? Now is the time to fall in love once more with him who loves us unconditionally, even to the death on the cross. Otherwise at the end of our life he may say: "I don't know you!"

"The saints are God's holy people. The apostle Paul speaks about all those who belong to Christ as 'holy people' or 'saints.' He directs his letters to 'those who have been consecrated in Christ Jesus and called to be God's holy people' (1 Cor 1:2) this sanctity is the work of the Spirit of Jesus. Paul again says:' All of us, with our unveiled faces like mirrors reflecting the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the image that we reflect  in brighter and brighter glory; this is the working of the Lord who is the Spirit' (2 Cor 3:18) As saints we belong to that huge network of God's people that shines like a multitude of stars in the dark sky of the universe." (Henri Nouwen) Are you a saint? If you are sharing in the divine life of God (in the state of grace), you are a saint. Too often we limit sanctity to those who have been canonized. But that is not true. If one is sharing in God's life before death, that one will share in God's life eternally. A saint is not perfect on earth but is striving to be perfected by sharing more full in the life of Christ. A saint is one who seeks to allow God to transform him/her into a greater lover. Be conscious, O saints, of sharing in God's life and desire the grace to respond to this great gift in gratitude.

“No one, however weak, is denied a share in the victory of the cross.  No one is beyond the help of the prayer of Christ.” (Pope St. Leo the Great) On the cross Jesus uttered a prayer to the Father which should resonate  in our hearts when we sin. "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." He said to the thief on the cross besides him: "Today, you shall be with me in paradise." No matter what our sin is, no matter how often we have sinned, Jesus on the cross is there is remind us of the grace of mercy and forgiveness, healing and restoration that his death offers us. Serious sin separates us from God; the cross bridges that gap to allow us to return to the Father. Not to take advantage of this mercy is to deny for ourselves that victory that Jesus won for us on the cross. Not to repent, confess our sins and receive the healing absolution in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, when needed, is to remain hardened to the sight of the suffering Jesus on the cross.

Christ the King Novena Prayers (Nov 11-19, 2016)

Christ, our Savior and our King, renew in me allegiance to Your Kingship.

Day 1 – I pray for the grace to place You above the powers of this world in all things.

Day 2 – I pray for the grace to obey You before any civic authority.

Day 3 – I pray for the grace to fervently bring about Your Kingdom in my family and community.

Day 4 – I pray that You will reign in my mind.

Day 5 – I pray that You will reign in my heart.

Day 6 – I pray that You will reign in my will.

Day 7 – I pray that You will reign in my body.

Day 8 – I pray that You will reign throughout all the world.

Day 9 – I pray that You will reign in every area of my life.

O Prince of Peace, may Your reign be complete in my life and in the life of the world. Christ, my King, please answer these petitions if they be in accordance with Your Holy Will…

[Mention your intentions here]

As I reflect on Your second, glorious coming and the judgement of all mankind, I beg You to show me mercy and give me the grace to become a great saint. I pray that not only will I spend eternity with You but that You may use me – a sinner – to bring others into Your Kingdom for Your glory.

Christ the King, Your Kingdom come!

St. Thomas More: A Father for All Seasons

"But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ." (1 Cor 3:11) Is Jesus truly the foundation of our life? Is he the Lord of our life? Or have we built our life on sand? Is our life in harmony with the will of Jesus for us or in harmony with what we want in our flesh? The psalmist says: "Unless the Lord builds the house, useless is the work." Any area of sin is rotten, molded material; only a life seeking virtue is worthy of the house Jesus wants to build upon his foundation. If David provided the most precious material for the Lord's Temple, what are we providing? Do we not know we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit? If we need to dig up, rip out, renovate and replace defective and rotten material, now is the time to do so before that final, major storm comes, death. A life not rooted in Jesus will not last.

"Do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may choose what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect." (Rom 12:2) Paul sets the bar high but not out of reach. What should our daily attitude be? We are called to choose the will of God for us as our measure, not the desires or the thinking of others. As Jesus sought to do the will of the Father, even to embracing death on the cross so we may have life in him, that same will should become our  only reason to act or not act. This choice begins in small things, with the small crosses in our daily life. Consciously choose God's will today in the decisions you make and transformation will begin to take place.

As we honor the souls in Purgatory on this day, we reflect on the truths that have been revealed to us by God. First of all, all will die but death is not the end of life. Eternal life continues after earthly life. Secondly, the only death we should fear is that death which leaves us eternally alienated from God.  This is what hell is. Thirdly, unless we die in full agape love with God, we will need to be purified of anything that we still have in us that is imperfect love. This is purgatory. We know we are saved and will be with God for eternity, but first we need to go through a decontamination chamber for any non-love germs we may still be carrying in our heart. But because we have seen God, who is love and the one whom our heart longs for, this purgation is an intensification of love for God. The pain or suffering is the pain of love seeking total fulfillment in the only One who has loved us unconditionally. Fourthly, our prayers for the souls on this last leg of their journey are prayers of love supporting them.

"When we are anxious we are inclined to over prepare. We wonder what to say when we are attacked, how to respond when we are being interrogated, and what defense to put up when we are accused. It is precisely this turmoil that makes us lose our self-confidence and creates in us a debilitating self-consciousness. Jesus tells us not to prepare at all and to trust that he will give us the words and wisdom we need. What is important is not that we have a little speech ready but that we remain deeply anchored in the love of Jesus, secure about who we are in this world and why we are here. With our hearts connected to the heart of Jesus, we will always know what to say when the time to speak comes." (Henri Nouwen) When our hearts are rooted in the Lord and we are aware of his presence with us, we have the assurance in faith that the Spirit will give us the words to say.  This is Jesus' promise. Anxiety becomes self-focused. Trust in the Lord becomes other-focused. What we say and do is not as important as what the Lord will say and do through us as we surrender to him in love. We may not impress the other but will be pleasing to the Lord.

We celebrate this Feast of All Saints not only to remind us of our true destiny, but to implore their intercession as we make our journey to God by imitating their example. Like them, we are to keep our eyes on the prize, life with God forever in glory and peace. The saints went through the same and some went through more difficult struggles in their lives than we will have. Some were persecuted and physically tortured, but refused to give up their faith and hope in Christ. Others lived a simple, humble life, insignificant in the eyes of the world, but precious in the eyes of God. Like us, the saints came from different backgrounds and experiences, but their commonality was the Lordship of Jesus in their lives as they sought to grow in love. They await us with expectant joy. May neither of us be disappointed.