"On the last day, when the general examination takes place, there will be no question at all on the text of Aristotle, the aphorisms o Hippocrates, or the paragraphs of Justinian. Charity will be the whole syllabus." St. Robert Bellamine

Intelligence and wisdom, popularity or wealth will not be important on that important day of our existence. What will matter is did we love in response to the many graces God gave us throughout our life. God will flash before us the many ways he loved us. His question will be did we love  in return? Everything will hinge on that one answer. But before we respond, he will also show us our whole life, the times we did or did not love.  There is only one grade that will be given: eternity with him or alienation away from him. Knowing this ahead of time, how should we prep for the final examination?

 "In proportion to the size of the vessel of faith, brought by us to the Lord, is the measure we draw out of his overflowing grace." St/ Cyprian

The amount of grace God desires to pour forth on us is limitless. The amount of grace we receive is limited by the depth of our faith in God. .How often Jesus said, "Be healed according to your faith." Is our faith superficial or is it all-in-faith? Do we keep asking for signs and wonders from Jesus, like the people of his day? Is our faith in Jesus, who he is or in what he can do for us? "Blessed are those who have not seen and still believe." The sign and wonder God manifests to us may be the grace of the present moment, which only in faith can we perceive. 

 
"Any time spent before the Eucharistic presence, be it long or short, is the best-spent time of our lives." St. Catherine of Genoa

I know that with today's hectic pace, time before the Eucharistic presence is difficult. But with a rearrangement of our weekly schedule, we can make this happen, if we see this as a high priority in our walk with God. We make time for all kinds of activities and people in our lives, but do we make time for the Lord, besides weekly Mass. Who has loved us so totally? Who has given us the greatest treasure we can ever possess? Is he not worth the effort on our part to spend time before his Eucharistic presence? He has so much more to give and do in your life. He waits for your openness and your availability. 

 "No matter how just your words may be, you ruin everything when you speak with anger." St. John Chrysostom

Anger is like vinegar in comparison to honey. The former is sour and hard to swallow; the latter sweet, going down easier. Speaking the truth is important and necessary. But when it is done in anger, the truth falls on deft ears. Sometimes, we feel that if we say something with greater force and emphasis it will be acted on. Wrong. The same truth spoken with the calmness of love, is more readily heard. Anger is a fault and a vice; love is a virtue and a grace. So, if you want to be heard, then speak the truth in love rather than in anger.

 "Every man is the painter and the sculptor of his own life." St. John Chrysostom

God provides all the tools we need to shape our life. He even gives us his Son as our model. Even though we share many of the same tools, the life that flows is uniquely different from everyone else. At the same time, God is not uninterested or absent in what we are becoming. When we mar our image through sin, he recreates us and gives us a fresh new start.  He inspires us with his grace. But the ultimate person I become depends on how I use the tools and grace given to me. Be responsible and meticulous. The ultimate me will either be with God eternally or alienated from him.

 "To love God as he ought t be loved, we must be detached from all temporal love. We must love nothing but him, or if we love anything else, we must love it for his sake." Anonymous

This is agape love, which God calls us to strive for. This is the love we will experience in eternity when we are in the presence of the All in All. Agape love involves love of others but only because of him. Thus, the two Commandments: Love God totally and love neighbor because of God. This love is not impossible. It comes from grace and our desire to do the will of God, which is love. That is what the Saints discovered as they fell in love with God, but still served and loved others. It is not a matter of exclusion, but priority.

 "Should you fall even fifty times a day, never on any account should that surprise or worry you. Instead, ever so gently set your heart back in the right direction. St. Maximilian Kolbe

Falling into sin is not something to become immune to. But doing nothing about it is dangerous. God is offended by our sin but more offended by our indifference and failure to return to him with our heart. To an extent that was the double sin of the Chosen People. They did not immediately repent but remained in their darkness. Underlying this was their thinking that God will always care for them no matter what they did. How easy for us to fall into the same mindset. God gives us the grace to avoid sin. When we do sin, he gives us grace to sincerely repent and return to him. God overlooks our sin in a sense when he forgives us. But he does not overlook our apathy and indifference to remain in sin for a long time.

 "What great profit you gain from God when you are generous! You give a coin and receive a kingdom; you give bread from wheat and receive the Bread of Life; you give a transitory good and receive an everlasting one. You will receive it back, a hundred times more than you offered." St. Thomas of Villanova

How often we fail to appreciate the generosity of God in response to our token gifts done in love! God is benevolent while we are short sighted. We think the little we give is extremely generous on our part. But in comparison to the blessings we receive from God, our gift pales. In God's eyes, the amount is not the point. It is the love with which we give. How often God desires to take our offering of a few loaves and fish and multiply them to care for the many in need? Be generous with what you are given by God and see his wonders.

 "Let my future be as God wants it. I leave it in the hands of Him who cannot operate but for the good of all. And this is enough to make me happy." Blessed Giovanni Battista Mazzucconi

How often we seek to control our future. We make decisions that are not consistent with the will of God for us. For the most part the result is unhappiness. But we try the same thing again and again, hoping that things will change. It is hard for us to entrust our lives into the hands of God. Will he come through for me? It really depends whether I truly believe he loves me more than I can love myself. If I do, then he knows what is best for me, even if it means purification and pruning. He wills my eternal salvation and glory with him. And in his infinite wisdom he knows what is best for me. Surrendering to him is freedom to become whom I am meant to be.

 "None lose you except those who depart from you." St. Augustine

Because God has blessed us with intellect and free will out of love and redeemed us out of love, God will always love us. That is his nature. Even when we forsake him as our God, going after other gods. While the light remains, when we depart from the light, we enter into darkness. Like the Prodigal Son, we can choose to deny and leave the Father, The Father always remains ready to receive us back. But if that is our last choice at the time of death, then we remain frozen in that choice. Still the Father loves u, even in accepting our free choice of darkness over the light.

 "You don't climb a mountain in leaps and bounds, but by taking it slowly." Pope St. Gregory the Great

 We must begin by getting out of the unhealthy environment of selfish preoccupations. There are people who live sad and tormented by memories of the past, by what others think of them in the resent, and by what happen to them in the future. Let them forget about themselves and worry about others, about doing them some good, about serving them, and the gray ghosts will disappear. Happiness does not depend on the outside, but on the inside."  St. Augustine

When a person is in the will of God, trying to live the way that is pleasing to the Lord, then he can experience peace and happiness. This is not what the Evil One wants for us. To distract us from our real purpose, he places stumbling blocks in our path. These are the temptations that are self-centered. Each fall is a victory for him. But thanks be to God, while the temptations are from the Father of lies, God gives us sufficient grace and strength to lift our eyes to the needs of others instead. To the extent of our love and service of others, to that extent we can begin to experience what real happiness. This is what being selfless is.

 "The word of God does not belong to him who hears or speaks it, but to him who puts in into practice." St. Giles

One of the judgments of God against the Chosen People was not that they had not heard the word, but that they did not put it into practice. It was the same in Jesus' time. The religious leaders refused to accept the word he shared with them., Recall the scribe who came to Jesus seeking to know the most important Commandment. Jesus said it came down to Love of God totally and love of neighbor. When the scribe acknowledged this, Jesus said he needed to take the next step and live it. It is not that we don't know what God has spoken to us through his word. It is that we don't always act in accord with his word. That is because like the people of old, we hear with our ears and know in our heart but we choose not to act on it less we have to change our ways.

 "Whatever a man prefers to God, that he makes a god to himself.? St. Cyprian

What are the gods of our heart and hands? We may not consciously think that we have other gods. But when we try to serve God and mammon, in reality we are serving the latter, giving lip service to the former. God has made it clear that if we want to be in relationship with him, our hearts must be rooted in him primarily. We can't substitute the God we can't see for gods we can. Scripture says that God is a jealous God. He has a right to be. He has created us in his own image and likeness and has predestined us for himself. We belong to him. To make other created things gods is to deny our relationship with the one, true God. We must choose whom we shall serve.

 "God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." St. Augustine

It is so easy for me to think that I am not that important in the eyes of God. It is so easy for me to focus on my faults and failures rather than on my true identity. That identity comes not from the world but from God who gave me life. God loves me uniquely, for there is no other person that is my clone. If I grasp and accept this truth, then should I not live my life differently? I am not an accident. I am chosen in love to fulfill my destiny in love. To do otherwise is to waste the precious gift I have been given.

 "We are not condemned because of our thoughts that enter us, but because we use our thoughts badly. St. Poemen

Remember what Jesus said.  It is not what comes into us that is sinful but what comes from our heart that is out of order. For the most part we are not in control of the many and varied thoughts that flood our minds throughout the day. Paul tells us to filter the negative thoughts and to take captive our thoughts. What we are responsible for is how we express our thoughts. or give vent to them. For example, when we are aware of a negative, condemning thought about another person, we can either reject that thought and turn to the Lord, or we can act on that thought, regardless of the consequences. The former leads to growth in virtue; the latter to possibility of sin against love. It is easy to say "the devil made me do it", yet in fact, he tempted me, but I made the choice to act.

 "In order to avoid discord, never contradict anyone except in case of sin or some danger to a neighbor; and when necessary to contradict others, do it with tact and not with temper." St. Louis

Do we always have to be right? Do we always have to win? If so, is it because of pride and self-righteousness? Does it really matter before God for us to show we know it all?  Do we have to always draw the line in the sand in everything? It is better for us to build the other up than to tear one down. In doing so, we are glorifying God by choosing to love. To live in unity is better than to live in discord. It is not "peace at all cost" but love at all cost.

 "Flee sin more quickly than you would a serpent.:" St. Louis

We would not play with a poisonous serpent, why would we hang around the poison of sin? The effects of sin are more lasting than the effects of a snake bite. One is eternally life threatening. We should instinctively flee sin as we would flee a poisonous snake. Because of an experience as a child, I am deathly afraid of snakes. Would that I be deathly afraid of sin as well. God spared me then and gives me the grace to flee sin as well. Unfortunately, we allow ourselves to be mesmerized by the pleasures of sin, rather than to recognize the poison it brings. See sin for what it is and does and flee from it quickly.

 "The most deadly poison of our time is indifference. et us strive, therefore, to praise God tothe greatest extent of our power." St. Maximillian Kolbe

There is a major difference between the sin of indifference and the virtue of holy indifference. The sin involves neglecting the basic commandments of love of God and love of neighbor. It manifests itself in the choices we make in the moment. Like the Priest and the Levite in the parable, we see someone in need but close our hearts. We have something more important to do.. The Good Samaritan couldn't ignore the situation, even at a high price. On the other hand, holy indifference is to surrender our will to the will of God in a given situation. I desire to let go my preferences and to embrace God's preference. The sin of indifference leads to the wide road of destruction. While the virtue of holy indifference leads one on the narrow road of eternal life.

 "The measure of love is love without measure." St. Bernard of Clairvaux

This is how God loves us, without measure. This is how God wants us to love in return, without measure. Is our love such? How often have we questioned another's love but fail to question our love? When we love another, do we seek love in return, rather than love the other solely for the sake of the other?  We love but many times with expectations. When those expectations are not fulfilled, then we withhold our love. If God showed us this kind of conditional love, will we ever know true love. Strive to love without measure and you will find the real meaning of love.

 "Ingratitude is the soul's enemy. Ingratitude is a burning wind that dries up the source of love, the dew of mercy, the streams of grace." St. Bernard

God does not need our gratitude. We need to be grateful, so that selfishness doesn't infect us. Did we take time yesterday to recall the blessings of the Lord and give him thanks? Do we do this each day as part of our time of prayer before the Lord? Recall the parable of the ungrateful servant. He was forgiven a huge debt by his master. Yet, he refused to do the same for another, who owed him a small debt. When we are grateful for the small blessings as well as the great ones, we open our heart to even greater blessings, which we have no right to. The Samaritan leper who was healed by Jesus, returned to thank him. In turn, besides healing, he received salvation. A grateful heart is pleasing to the Lord.

 "Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make his spirit, his devotion, his affections, his desire and his disposition live and reign there." St. John Eudes

This is the difference between one striving for sanctity and one striving for material success, between one who has priorities in right order and one who has his sights on this world only. There are many ordinary people who have their sights primarily on Jesus and secondarily on their earthly responsibilities. When a person has one's sights on Jesus as Lord and Savior, that one can accomplish all things. But when a person limits his sight on the rat race of life, it is hard to lift eyes to the Lord. Jesus said it clearly. "Seek first the kingdom of God and all things will be given to you."

 "What will Christ do in my place?" Saint Alberto Hurado Cruchaga

Let this thought-provoking question be your reflection today. The Son of God became Man like us in all things but sin. He came to show us how to live our lives as adopted children of God. He had the same emotional experiences as we do; he was tempted, hungry, thirsty, tired,. He went beyond our experiences. He was scourged, crown with thorns, mocked, ridiculed, crucified as a common criminal. "What will Christ do in my place?" He would freely choose to do the will of the Father out of love in all circumstances. He would call us to follow him in total trust. He will call us to remember who and whose we are. As he kept his eyes on the end, to give glory and to be glorified, he would urge us to do the same.

 "Our home is Heaven. On earth we're like travelers staying at a hotel. When you're away, you're always thinking of going home." St. Jean Vianny

Is this our conviction? Is this how we see ourselves as pilgrims on the way to an eternal destination? For most people, this is probably not the conscious reason of their existence. They are so caught up with just trying to make it through the day, their vision is limited. However, if we never forget that our life here is temporary and what we do matters for the future, then we will not allow our stay at the "hotel" to be permanent. Our heart is restless, until it rests in the presence of God. If we keep our destination always before us, we will not become sidelined by the attractions of this world.

 "God does not hasten his works. He does all things in their time." St. Vincent de Paul

As God's ways are not our ways, so his timing is not our timing. We want things instantly. But that may be detrimental to us. We are like the person who saw a cocoon. He couldn't wait to see the butterfly within. So he took the cocoon into his hands and began to blow hot air to hasten its development. When the butterfly came out it was deformed and could not fly. There is a time and process according to God's plan. Holiness does not happen overnight or quickly. There is much pruning that must take place in the process. Seeking instant holiness means not to eventually become holy. Submit to the time and process of God patiently, no matter the cost, if you desire authentic holiness.

 "Our true worth does not consist in what human beings think of us. What we really are consists in what God knows us to be." St. John Berchmans

Notice he didn't say what God thinks of us, but what he knows us to be. Another's thoughts about us may be right or wrong. What God know is fact and reality. Many people live their lives based on what others think of them. But have we ever ask the question, how does God see me? Not how I fear God sees me, but how does God actually see me to be?  Who I am in the eyes of God is who I truly am. In spite of all my sins and failures, God always sees me to be his beloved child, whom he has created, redeemed, adopted and sanctified. If I embrace that reality, what will my life really be in fact? Strive to be that person, no matter what others may think or say. For in that reality is our true peace and joy.

 "Faithfully do what God expects of you each moment, and leave the rest up to Him." St. Jane de Chantal

Sometimes, we want to determine the outcome of our actions, when in reality we should only be concerned with what we are supposed to do. If the Lord places on our heart to plant a garden, we are called to be obedient to his word. If we did what he told us and the results were different than we expect, that should not be our concern. Our obedience to the word of God is our task. What God accomplishes through our obedience is his prerogative. God is free, is he not?

 "I feel a longing and a need to be a Saint. I did not know it was so easy to be one, but now I see that one can be holy and happy too." St. Dominic

Do you want and need to be a Saint? It is part of your spiritual DNA once you were baptized and became a child of God. You were called to "be holy, blameless in God's sight, full of love" so that you can be with God eternally, praising his name. It is not automatic. You must desire it and move towards that goal consciously. You must not listen to the lies as a result of past sins that say you are not worthy or it is impossible for you. God's grace is greater than the lies. You have all it takes to be a saint. Just like a person may have all it takes to be an successful athlete, but need to train and perfect his ability, so you have all it takes to be a Saint. But you also must train and discipline your life, cooperating with the grace of God. Then, you may not be a canonized Saint, but you will be a Saint. That is what matters

 "The man who governs his passions is master of the world. We must either rule them or be ruled by them. It is better to be the hammer than the anvil." St. Dominic

We are a people of passion and desires. These are natural to us and are God-given. But to be effective they must be tamed and under control. They are like a wild horse. If the horse is not tamed, it will cause havoc to all around it. To tame it, you put a bridle around its mouth, so that the rider can gradually tame the wildness and bring the power of the horse under control. It is for the good of the horse and the rider. Our passions need to be bridled, if we wish to control them. If we don't control our passions, they can become addictions destroying us. While we are not capable solely on our own to control our passions. the grace of God is given us to bring them under our control. Grace is the bridle. If if is on the horse, then we have the means to bring the wild horse under our control and direction. Control your passions or they will control you.

 "Let go of your plans. The first hour of your morning belongs to God. Tackle the day's work that he charges you with, and he will you the power to accomplish it." St. Theresa Benedicta of the Cross

I know a lot of people will think setting the first hour of the day for the Lord is not possible with their busy life. But maybe that is the problem. There lives are too busy to fit the Lord in. Are we to fit the Lord in our lives or fit our lives in his? God can order our day only if we surrender to him and let go our plans to embrace his. Maybe a person can't set aside a whole hour initially. But try a solid fifteen minutes, and then increase it eventually to an hour. It is amazing what one time with the Lord will do for one's day. Doing this will be making a statement concerning where the Lord is in our lives.

 Our only desire and our one choice should be this: I want and I choose what better leads to God's deepening life in me." St. Ignatius Loyola

We either choose God or we choose what is not of God. We either move towards the light of his grace or we move deeper into the darkness of alienation. Either we walk on the narrow road through the narrow gate which leads to eternal life or we join the many on the wide road, leading to destruction. All is a choice. The question is will we make the right choice or the wrong one. Like Adam and Eve there will always be a Tree of life in our journey. Will we admire it and care for it or will we grab its fruit for our selfish use. Or to put it differently, will we choose to unite our will to God's or will we choose contrary to God. Life is a choice. God gives us the life. It is our choice how we will live it. 

How often do we think of the sign of the cross as a shield against the attacks of the devil? How often do we consciously sign ourselves as sign of our gratitude to Jesus for the gift of salvation?  The cross is not a good luck charm or an ornament to wear. It is a source of power and strength that needs to be tapped.  Making the sign of the cross at different times during the day will keep our attention on the gift we have received and the gift awaiting us. When we were baptized, when we are forgiven, when we were confirmed, when a couple is married, when a priest is ordained, when the Anointing of the Sick is administered. the sign of the cross is traced.. It is the seal that identifies us as children of God. 

 "You either belong wholly to the world or wholly to God." St. John Vianny

This saying is in line with what Jesus said. "You cannot serve God and Mammon." Some people try to straddle the fence. There is no straddling allowed by God. We are either wholeheartedly in the Kingdom of God or we are not. God does not cater to the lukewarm. At one point in his life, St. Augustine was in that state. He told the Lord, "I want to be holy, but not today."  While God may in his mercy give us time to repent and turn totally to him, this does not mean he is satisfied with us in our lack of choice. It is presumptuous for us to believe that we have time to make the choice.

 "He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor." St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Jesus puts it another way. "Remove the beam in your own eye before removing the speck in others.? It is easier for us to focus on the faults of others and fail to see our own faults. It is the blind leading the blind. There is more than enough garbage in our own hearts that needs to be dealt with before, in love, we reach out to another. What does God see in us that is not pleasing to him? If you love God and want to be one with him eternally, deal with that which separates you from him. Then when you reach out to another, you will do so in humility and love rather than judgment and condemnation.

 "Begin nothing on earth unless it has its end in heaven; do not walk on a path that does not lead to heaven." St. Sharbel

Like the Saints we are called not to lose our way once we have been baptized. Whatever does not lead ultimately to heaven is not work our time or effort. Even the mundane aspects of our life have a purpose in the eternal plan of God. There are many exits on our road to God, none of which leads to God but away from him. We should not be fooled by signs that say a shortcut or detours. The Lord goes before us, even though we don't see him. He is the only guide we need on this journey. Though we may stumble many times on the road, like the marathon runner we need to get up and keep moving forward. We don't have to be first to cross the finish line. We just need to cross the line.

"O man, why do you think so little of yourself when God thinks so highly of you?" St. Peter Chrysologus 

How often we have such a negative view of ourselves because of our sinfulness and past failures, or because of what others say about us and how they treat us.! Yet, this is not who we are. To see ourselves as we really are, we need to see ourselves in the eyes of God. How does God truly see us. He sees us with the eyes of love as his beloved sons and daughters. As Jesus said: "You are worth more than many sparrows, whom God provides for." We have been chosen in Christ Jesus to be holy, blameless in his sight, full of love to share in his glory forever. When sin disfigured us, then he became Man out of love and gave his life as the price of our ransom. He baptized us, adopted us, sanctified us, anointed and empowered us--all out of unconditional love. Does that sound like we are someone special in God's eyes? Reject the lies.  Learn to believe, accept and live in this reality of who you really are.

"What you think you possess in this world is what possesses you in reality." St. Sharbel

Jesus put it another way. "Where your heart is there is your treasure." If our focus is on material possessions, then we are possessed by them in reality. But if God is our possession, then God possess us in reality. What is really at the center of our heart? What is most precious to us, there is our treasure. If we want to be with God eternally, then we have to learn to be with him in this moment of life. Maybe we need to re-evaluate our heart's desires and priorities to find out what is really in control of our life. If it is not God, then while there is time, clean out the closets of our heart of the darkness and let the light of God fill us with his love.

 "Always pray for the healing of the soul--and don't fear illness of the body. Pray for the living, because most of the living are dead and the dead are living." St Charbel

What is our focus? If it is eternal life with God, then we would be more concern on the state of our soul that on the weakened body. But how many people spend more energy on the health of the body to the extreme than on the health of the soul? Yes, we are to be good stewards of our body within reason, but also good stewards of our soul. For ultimately, the body will die and the soul will live. Without neglecting either, we need to have our priorities in right order. A snake will risk its body to be cut off as long as the head is intact. We must keep our soul intact, even as the body weakens.

 "Begin nothing on earth unless it has its end in heaven, do not walk on a path that does not lead to heaven." St. Sharbel

Our ultimate goal should be to fulfill our purpose and destiny, which is to share in God's eternal glory Everything we do should be directed to this end. Even the most insignificant task can be transformed by intention towards this purpose. This is in line with St. Paul's admonition: "What ever you do in word of deed, do it in the name of Jesus giving glory to God the Father." This is not easy. It takes practice and perseverance.  But the end is more than worth the effort. Why waste the grace moment God gives us?

 "To write well and speak well is mere vanity if one does not live well." St. Bridget of Sweden

God is not interested in how well we write or speak. But he looks at how well we live. The ability to write and speak are gifts from him. Using them from his glory and the proclamation of truth reflects how we live in relationship to him. Even when we write and speak on his behalf, if we are not living what we profess, there is no merit for us. Write well, speak well, but above all love and live well.

 "I call to you from my quiet darkness. Show me your mercy and love. Let me see your face, hear your voice, touch the hem of your cloak. I want to love you, be with you, speak to you and simply stand in your presence. But I cannot make this happen. Pressing my eyes against my hands is not praying, and reading about your presence is not living in it. But there is a moment in which you will come to me, as you did to your fearful disciples, and say, “Do not be afraid; it is I.” Let that moment come soon, O Lord. And if you want to delay it, then make me patient. Amen." Henri Nouwen

"I cannot make this happen." It is a grace from God. Mary Magdala sought the Lord with tears, when she found the empty tomb. While Peter and John saw the empty tomb and went away. Mary Magdala remained with a searching and longing heart. When Jesus came to her, she did not recognize him, because she was seeking a dead body. When Jesus uttered her name in love, she recognized the Lord and clung to him. God gives us the grace to seek him with our whole being but only reveals himself to us, when our hearts are ready to receive him as he is, not as we want. Like the bride in the Song of Songs, we need to continue to seek the Beloved no matter what it takes. He will come, not on our terms, but on his. 

 " Worldly love aims at pleasing everyone and saddening no one. Many call this politeness, but it is simply, self-praise and flattery." At. Anthony Mary Zaccaria

How often have we fallen into this type of behavior!  This type of love is opposite to the love that Jesus commands us in the Scriptures, the love true disciples must avoid. If true love is to be other-centered, sincere, and unconditional, then it refuses to flatter for the sake of response. We profess our love to many people in our lives, how authentic is it? If it is then whether the other receives it or responds to it, really doesn't matter, only my motive and intent. True love seeks to please God, whether it pleases the other or not. True love leaves us fulfilled in Christ. Worldly love leaves us empty, repeating the same pattern. True love is being true to self, in so far as it is seeking the real good of the other.

 "Believe more in his love than in our weakness." St. Theresa of Calcutta

St. Paul had the same conviction from God, who revealed to him: "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." To this St. Paul concluded: "For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:9-10). Yes, in my humanity because of sin, I am weak and broken. That is why the Son of God because Man. He came to overcome the chains that keep us in bondage and weakness. I am still am weak, but when I turn to the Lord and yield to him my weakness, in his loving mercy he gives me the grace to stand firm. Not only must I believe in the power of his love, but I must embrace it . If I don't reach for and cling to the life preserver thrown to me, I will drown. But if I hang on to the grace of God's grace, I shall be saved.

 "Words often leave us with a sense of inner defeat. They can even create a sense of numbness and a feeling of being bogged down in swampy ground. Often they leave us in a slight depression, or in a fog that clouds the window of our mind. In short, words can give us the feeling of having stopped too long at one of the little villages that we pass on our journey, of having been motivated more by curiosity than by service. Words often make us forget that we are pilgrims called to invite others to join us on the journey. Peregrinatio est tacere. “To be silent keeps us pilgrims.” Henri Nouwen

Why is silence so hard for many people? Is it a fear of being alone? How often do we talk for the sake of talk, as a way of avoiding the awkwardness of silence? Yet, many times it is only in the inner silence of our hearts that we will be able to hear the gentle whisper of God's loving voice. But you may say, what if he doesn't speak? Even so, the grace of silence puts us in his presence, acknowledging our dependency upon him. He owes us nothing. We owe him everything, from existence, to redemption, to sanctification, to our inheritance.

 "The power of the Spirit fills the whole universe, but he gives himself only o those who are worthy, acting in each according to the measure of his faith." St Basil the Great

Unless we believe and act on that faith, the Spirt does not find a place to rest. Many people profess belief in the Holy Spirit, but do not invite him in, do not yield to the movement of the Spirit. They may have received the Sacrament of Confirmation, but they never expected anything to happen. There is a block to the release of the power of the Spirit. It is like a building is connected to a transformer which conveys electric current to the building, but switch at the breaker panel is off.. A conscious effort must be made to to activate the switch. That may be what is missing when the Holy Spirit is not moving in our lives freely. Believe and invite the Holy Spirit to freely have his way.

 "In all your deeds and words you should look upon Jesus as your model. Do so whether you are walking, keeping silence, or speaking, whether you are alone or with others, He is perfect, and thus yo0u will be not only irreprehensible, bu praiseworthy.:" St. Bonaventure

St. Paul gives us the same message.in his Letter to the Colossians. "Let everything whatsoever that you do, whether in word or in deed, be done all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through him." Yes, this is an ideal, but it is one that will bring us into a deeper relationship with the Lord of our lives. For if we can't say or do something in the name of Jesus, it has no eternal value. It may have negative value. If Jesus is our Lord, then we should be choosing to say and do what reflects his centrality in our lives. In this way, sin becomes less a reality in our lives. Instead, virtue becomes more important.

 "Every creature is a divine word because it proclaims God" St. Bonaventure

Our very existence is a miracle of God's goodness by virtue of creation. Do we proclaim God by our existence or do we proclaim ourselves? By the fact of being reconciled by the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are a sign of God's infinite love and mercy. How do we proclaim this to others? By adoption we are chosen sons and daughters of God with a destiny to be with God forever. Does our life proclaim this to others or do we forget who we truly are? Be the light to the world pointing to God as our beginning and end and leading others to him.

 "What we love we shall grow to resemble." St. Bernard

Love is transforming. It unites us to the one loved in such a way that we begin to become one with that person. We see this with older couples who over the years have seen their mutual love deepened. They seem to know what the other thinks before they speak. They can anticipate the need of the other. Their bond is so complete, that when one dies, often the other follows soon after. The same is true with our love for God and his for us. His love has the effect of perfecting us to be the person we potentially can be. Our love for him inspires in us a desire to be one with him so that we can be like him in all things.  As children resemble their parents, so as God's children, we reflect his attributes in our lives. Our desire is to be "a spiritual chip off the old block."

 "He who labors as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands." St. Benedict

Most people limit prayer to an occasional effort. St. Benedict goes beyond and sets the  bar higher. Pray as you work. This doesn't happen easily, but with practice it becomes normal and easier. If prayer is both talking and listening to God. Why can't we do this while we are working? St. Paal said "Pray unceasingly."  Basically, pray at different times. How different would our labor be if we are sharing with God about what we are doing, if we are thanking God for the ability to work, if we are aware of God's presence with us, while we work. Begin in little ways. 

 "Take away the fuel, and you take away the fire." St Ulrich

In times of temptation, we provide the fuel for the fire of sin to ignite. Temptations are not the problem. What we do with it is. The more we focus on the object of the temptation, the more we are heating up the situation. It is like placing a magnifying glass over a piece of paper in a scorching sunny day. It is not the rays of the sun that is the problem. It is our magnifying the object that is. Defuse the temptation by distracting yourself, which is removing the magnifying glass and removing yourself from the situation. No fuel, no fire. No fuel, no sin.

 "The measure of love is love without measure." St. Bernard

This short, pithy statement is rich in meaning. Most people qualify their love by putting conditions on it. I loved you. I expect you to love me in turn. That is not love but selfishness. For the focus of that statement is self, not other. True love is unconditional and faithful. Its only desire is the best for the other, without anything in return, except the happiness of the other. This is agape love, the love that God manifests to us. God loves us because he loves us for who we are. If we don't love in return freely, that is our lost. He will still love us. In doing, he calls us to love without measure, so that we can fulfill our potential, becoming the person we are called to be. 

 "We should be displeased with ourselves when we commit sin, for sin is displeasing to God. Sinful though we are, let us at least be like God in this, that we are displeased at what displeases him. In some measure then you will be in harmony with God's will, because you find displeasing in yourself what is abhorrent to your Creator." St. Augustin

This will be possible with the grace of God when we are in love with God than we are with self. It is this love that gives us the strength and the conviction to choose the Lover rather than an object. Is it a wonder that the commandment that Jesus gives us is simply love God totally and love self and others because of our love for God. One of the ways that God has taught me to deal with temptation is to say frequently during the day "I love you." If I love God intentionally at the moment, I will choose to please him. I am still a struggling sinner till the moment of death.

 "Christian, remember your dignity, and now that you share in God's own nature, do not return by sin to your former base condition. Bear in mind who is your head and of whose body you are a member. Do not forget that you have been rescued from the power of darkness and bought into the light of God's kingdom." Pope Leo the Great

How important it is to keep always before us this truth of our identity in Christ! We belong to the Lord. All we do or say should reflect this reality. To take our focus off God, our source of being and new life and put our focus on ourselves is to move from the spirit to the flesh. When we seek to please God and not self, we will more effectively stay far from sin. The focus of sin is self outside relationship with God. Jesus in his humanity kept his eyes on the Father, always seeking to do the will of the Father and not his own outside of the Father. He taught the same to his disciples. "Seek first the kingdom of God."

 "Worldly love aims at pleasing everyone and saddening no one. Many call this politeness, but it is simply self-praise and flattery." St. Antony Mary Zaccaria

If it was true love, it would be spoken for the good of the other with no expectation of any return. But since it is worldly love it is automatically false and superficial. And the fruit it bears is sour and destructive. But if our love for the other reflects God's love for us, it will bear fruit that lasts eternally. Beware of the flatterer for the trapped laid is to enslave us. On the other hand, true love always frees us to be who really are and to reach our full potential. That is the love God shows us.

 "My confidence is placed in God who does not need our help for accomplishing His designs. Our part is to pray that we may be worthy of becoming His instruments." St. Aloysius Gonzaga

Sometimes, we think we are the mover and shaker in the things of our lives. We fail to realize that we are only creatures in the guiding hands of the Creator. He is the potter and we are the clay. In our dance of life, he leads and we follow.  He doesn't make mistakes, but sometimes we get in his way. We think that we know it all.  We sing the tune, "I did it my way," only to realize that my way was not his way. What we end up with is far less than what it could have been, if we followed the lead of God. When we depend on the Lord, there is harmony; when we go on our own, we risk chaos. 

 "Always forward, never turn back." St. Junipero Serra

This is a simple axiom for the spiritual life. To look forward is to keep our eyes on our inheritance, namely union with God. To turn back is to look or yearn for what is not of God. Recall what happened to Lot's wife. The angel of the Lord was leading the family away from the destruction of the wicked city.  When she looked back, she froze in time. Looking forward doesn't make our journey easy nor smooth. It involves ups and downs, but it is a slow progress forward. To look back is a sign of a longing for the past. This was the sin of Israel during the Exodus. God was leading them to the Promise Land. They didn't trust God. They yearned for the fleshpots of Egypt, where they were slaves. As a result, many did not enter the Promised Land.  As hard as the journey forward is, followed the lead of the Lord, let go the yearnings for the fleshpot of sin. Be assured of reaching the Promised Land.

 "Brief indeed is our time for loving, for giving, for making atonement. It would be very wrong, therefore, for us to waste it, or to cast this treasure irresponsibly overboard. We mustn't squander this period of the world's history which God has entrusted to each one of us." St Josemaria Escriva

While we do the normal things of life that require our attention, do we neglect the more important aspects of our life in relation to God? So often this is the case. We treasure the mundane things over the eternal things.  We spend more energy on what is here today and gone tomorrow than on the things that last eternally. Often we wrongly feel that we don't have the energy or the time to do both. But in reality, if we put our relationship with God first, then surprisingly we will have the energy to do both. Why? When we yoke ourselves to Christ, he pulls the heavy load for and with us. He shows us the way to prioritize our duties.

 "We do not seek, nor should we seek, our own glory even among those whose approval we desire. What we should seek is their salvation, so that f we walk as we should they will not go astray in following us...So we seek no advantage for ourselves when we aim to please men. We want to take our joy in men--and we rejoice when they take pleasure in what is good, not because this exalts us, but because it benefits them." St. Augustine

Why do we seek to please others?  For our sake and benefit or for the glory of God and their good.?  It is all in the attitude and the intention. Too often people use others without regards to the other, but for some selfish gain. This does not benefit them or benefit us in what really matters, our eternal salvation. Instead of being our intercessors before God on the Day of Accountability, they will be our accusers. Seek to please God and others for their eternal good and we will be judged mercifully by God.

 "Before we ever seek God, His grace is already seeking us." St. Prosperus

Before we are aware of God, God has created us, sustained  us in existence, redeemed us through his death and resurrection, adopted us as his sons and daughters, fed us with his Body and Blood and forgiven our sins. For the most part, all we did was receive his love without appreciating his love or even responding to his love. Even when we begin to respond with love, it is by his grace that we are able to do so. All is grace! The more we are aware of this, the more we can appreciate his tremendous love for us, maybe even in spite of us. What should our response be? Simple, respond with an authentic love, a love that seeks to be agape love.

 "Where noise ends, God begins to speak." St. William

When Elijah was led  to the mountain to await the word of the Lord to him, he had to enter into the inner silence. There was an earthquake, a storm, a mighty wind, but these were just noises and distractions. As he moved from the distracting noise, he was able to hear the Lord in the stillness of a whisper. Many times when we come before the Lord in prayer, our mind is bombarded with many distractions. We need to shut our these distractions to still our heart and mind. It will be in those moments that, if the Lord wishes to speak to us, we will be able to hear clearly. He is the Lord. We wait on him.

 "To will what God wills, to will it in the way, the time and the circumstances that he wills, and to will all this not for other reasons, but only because God wills it so." St. Joseph Cafasso

This is the surest road to holiness and eternal union with God. Jesus taught us this both by word and by action. He said that the one who does the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of God. In choosing the will of the Father even to death by crucifixion, he lived what he taught, as an example for us. We express this sentiment in the Our Father: thy will be done. God called Adam and Eve to be obedient to his command. They chose, not his will, but theirs. To choose the Father's will in all things does not negate our will, but enables us to unite our imperfect will to the perfect will of the Father for the glory of God and our eternal happiness.

 "Let no seductive good fortune lead us astray. He is a foolish traveler who sees pleasant meadows on his journey and forgets where he is going." St. Gregory the Great

God reminds us of our destiny: not this life but life eternal with him. But how easy it is to get distracted and lose focus as we traverse through time and space with so much impacting us. It is easy to forget who we are and whose we are. We are called to be like St. Paul. He saw all as rubbish. He had only one goal: to reach the prize on high, life with God. He knew he did not deserve it, but he desired it. He knew it was a pure gift from God, but a gift willed for us before time began. Not to reach this goal would be failure beyond understanding. To choose something less would be the ultimate act of foolishness.

 
"If some rich and powerful friend were to enter your home, you would quickly clean the entire house for fear something there might offend your friend's eyes, when he entered. Let anyone then who is preparing his inner house for God cleanse away the dirt of his evil deeds. The Lord comes into the  heart and makes his home in one, who truly loves God and observes his commandments." St Pope Gregory the Great

Why are we more concerned at times of offending a weak, sinful person like ourselves, while not showing a greater respect for the Lord God, who is perfect? Is it because we are more concern with the person we can see than the God we can't see? In the end, the human person will come and go, while God will be the one who judges our lives. While there is time, cleanse the inner rooms of your heart from the various filth of sin. The human person may not see these areas, but God does.

"A good man is not a perfect man; a good man is an honest man, faithful and unhesitatingly responsive to the voice of God in his life.” St. John Fisher

 "I believe though I do not comprehend, and I hold by faith what I cannot grasp with the mind." St. Bernard

How powerful is the gift of faith! It is truly a grace from God that we don't fully understand. Yet, without this gift, we would not come to know and embrace the mysteries of God. Out faith is not in the mysteries but in the God who reveals them to us. Without this relationship the mysteries would be meaningless. But with this relationship, I believe because it is God who reveals.

 "We have solid ground for a common rejoicing; yet there will be more genuine and excellent reason for joy if you do not dwell on the thought of our unworthiness." Pope Leo the Great

What is the solid ground for our rejoicing? Is it not all that God has and is doing in our lives out of his infinite love? Is not our joy in the Lord? Then, what interferes with this grace of joy? Is it not when we focus on our own self? Yes, we are unworthy of his presence in our lives, but he chooses to bless us for his sake. While we acknowledge our unworthiness, we prefer to thank God for his goodness and love, which overcome our unworthiness. Rejoice in the Lord always and not in self and the joy of the Lord will remain.

"We should bear in mind and realize that when we call God our Father we ought also to act like sons. If we are pleased to call him Father, let him in turn be pleased to call us sons. We should life like the temples of God we are, so that it can be seen that God lives in us."St. Cyprian

Once we are baptized and adopted by by God as his sons ad daughters, we remain such eternally. We ,may deny and reject him but he will never deny us.  The Prodigal Son while he left his father and rejected his relationship with the father, the father  still considered him his son. The burden of proof of relationship rests not on the Father but on us his sons and daughters. The father of the Prodigal Son waited for him. It was up to the son to return and call him father again. If we call God our Father, then we should seek to live as sons and daughters in relationship with Him.

 "Attribute to God every good that you have received, if you take credit for something that does not belong to you, you will be guilty of theft." St. Anthony of Padua

Do we give thanks to God for all the good that we have received from his hands?  Do we use his gifts for his glory and honor, knowing that we will have to give an account of our stewardship? If so, we are  in right relationship with God. If we are not in this area of our life, then we may be like a thieve who takes from another what is not ours. Examine your conscious to determine the real state of your life with God.

 "Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love." St Margaret Mary Alacoque

Such great love for so unworthy a person as I am! The Lord chose out of infinite love to share our human life, while remaining God. Out of that same infinite love Jesus chose to reconcile us to God by becoming the sacrifice pleasing to God: embracing the will of God by embracing death by crucifixion. From his pierced Sacred Heart comes the blood and water that brings us salvation. How can I respond to this tremendous love? As St. Theresa of Avila once said that the only response to love is love, a love that seeks to avoid sin, which is non love.

 "There is nothing impossible to God." St Rita

All things are possible for God. All that can be done is possible to God. But just because it can be done, God may not will it to be done. Jesus addressed this. A man can to Jesus asking "if you can" asking for the healing of his son. Another person came and said, "if you will." Can Jesus heal? Yes. Will he heal the way we desire him to? Not necessary. It is not for us to determine. We are not God. Our petitions should be made with faith expectancy that the will of God may be manifested, not our will. Recall the words of Jesus in the Garden, "Father, take away this cup, yet not my will but yours be done." What God willed was, not the death of his Son, but the salvation of the world though his obedience. 

 "You will never enjoy the sweetness of a quiet prayer, unless you shut your mind to all worldly desires and temporal affairs." St. Norbert

The focus of prayer is not ourselves nor the things of this world. We go to prayer to be in the presence of the greatest of all Lovers, God himself, to praise and thank him. He tells us: "Be still and know that I am God," Still your mind and your heart and rest in the quiet with the Bbeginning and End of everything. This is not easy to do, if our focus is ourselves and the various things in our life. There will be a time for prayer of petition, But first focus on the goodness and blessings of God. Worship and praise him. Love and thank him. Then just quietly wait upon him, if he desires to share something with you to draw you closer to him. This time of being other focused is the heart of prayer. It takes practice to reach this point. Be patient and faihful.

 "O Lord and King, grant me tp see my own sin and not to judge my brother, for you are blessed from all ages to all ages. Amen." St. Ephrem

It is easy for us to see and condem the other, the faults of others, while passing over our own faults. There is no spirityual growth in that. It doesn't make us holier, though it implies we are holier than the other. Recall the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector praying in the Temple. While exalting himself the Pharisee disdained and condemn the Tax Collector. On the other hand, the Tax Collector asked for forgiveness of his own sins. If we spent our time uprooting our own sins, we will have no time to judge another. That's God's role not ours.

 "All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle" St. Francis of Assisi

That is why Jesus called us, his followers, to be the light of the world.  When we were baptized a lighted candle was given us to be kept burning until we reach our destiny. We by our life light the way for ourselves and others through the darkness of the world. If we remain in union with Jesus nothing, even the attacks of the evil of darkness, will be able to extinguish our light. As St. John reminds us, "He who is within us is greater than he who is outside." Walk confidently with your light held high.

 "Everything that is not for God is empty." St Francis Caraccolo

This is an interesting statement. Yet, how true it is! How much time and energy do we expend in things that are not of or for God? Compare these to the things we do for and in God. Then, see the two in the light of eternity. Which will have greater and lasting merit? What can we do? Even in the mundane things of life, do all for God. Here is a saying I have used often. "Do what you are suppose to do, when you are suppose to do it, the way you are to do it, to the best of your ability for the love of God." In this way, nothing will be empty or meritless.

 "Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes it's the quiet voice at the end of the day whispering 'I will try again tomorrow.'" St. Clotilda

Not only does that inner voice speak to us at the end of the day, but each time we fail, it urges us to try again. Without that grace from God, our life would be hopeless. It urges us never to give up in our spiritual journey to greater holiness. It motivates us not to focus on our failures, no matter how many, but to focus on the grace that God gives us to start afresh with him. This courage is a gift of the Holy Spirit. Pray for a fresh outpouring of this gift each day as we begin anew. For without it, left on our own, we are bound to remain in failure and defeat.

 "Do not be ashamed to confess the cross, for angels glorify in it." St. Charles Lawanga

What has been seen as a symbol of shame and condemnation has become, because of Christ, a symbol of victory and glory. A source of death has become a source of eternal life. The source of man's first sin in the Garden of Eden has become the tree of grace on Calvary. The cross is the bridge between earth and heaven. As Jesus embraced the cross in obedience to the will of God for our sake, so we are called by the Lord to take up our cross for his sake, also embracing the will of God. With St. Paul let us glory in the cross, as we journey to the Lord.

 "Without joy, faith becomes a rigorous and oppressive exercise, and risks ailing with sadness. Let us consider this word: ailing with sadness. A desert Father said that sadness is “a worm that burrows into the heart”, which corrodes life (cf. Evagrius Ponticus, The Eight Spirits of Evil, XI). Let us ask ourselves this: are we joyful Christians? Am I a joyful Christian or not? Do we spread joy or are we dull, sad people, with a funeral face? Remember that there is no holiness without joy!" Pope Francis

This admonition is in line with the words o St. Paul: "Rejoice in the Lord always...for the Lord is near," When we are witnesses of a life of joy, even in the midst of difficlties, we are proclaimg our faith in Jesus as the Lord of our life. People were drawn to Jesus because "the joy of the Lord was his strngth." If he was a prophet of doom, he would not have been so effective.  Too many Christians have a downcast spirit. What draws people to Christ is the spirit of Paul and Silas. Though beaten and imprisoned for preaching about Jesus, they began to sing and praise God. Be a child of the light through joy than a child of darkness though a sad countenance.

 "By examing the tongue of the patient, the physicians find out the diseases of the body, and philosophers the diseases of the mind." St. Justin, martyr

 More important are the diseases of the tongue that affect our relationship with God. What are some of these diseases? There is falsehood and lies, slander amd calamny that are part of gossip, words of anger and unkindness, curses and swearings, using the name of God, sexual inuendos, words of unforgiveness and revenge, words that divide. Jesus, the Divine Physician, has come to remove these spiritual diseases. He prescibes words of truth, love, justice and unity. We are called because of our baptism to turn away from destructive words to life-giving ones, so that our speech becomes pleasing to God.

 "Let your heart be more attentive than your head; it is the heart that the Lord looks at." St Paschal Baylon

Recall the words of Jesus, when he said that from the heart comes evil deeds. In a sense, thoughts enter into our head, but what we do with them flows from the desire of our hearts. Paul reminds us to take captive our thoughts. The desires of the heart acts as a filter system. What is that filter but love of God and neighbor. That is what God looks for in our decision. Were we motivated by love of him and others or by an inardent love of self? Though we may try to live in denial, the truth is known to God. Do all out of love and you will be in right relation with God and self.

 "Take care of your body, as if you are going to live forever. Take care of your soul, as if you were going to die tomorrow." St Augustine of Canterbury

Notice the balance! Both are gifts from God. Both are meant to share in the glory of God eternnally. But it seems that many people are more concerned about their body, even to the point of neglecting their soul. How much time and energy are spent in trying to prevent the natural process of aging? The consumer market thrives on this. Meanwhile the soul is deprived of the spiritual nourishment it needs for its journey. The life of the body will come to an end, but the life of the soul is eternal. Depending on how the soul was cared for, it be eternally with or away from God.

 "Late have I loved you, O beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you; now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me, and I burned for your peace." St. Augustine

How long did it take to recognize and respond to the One who loves us for who we are? How many dead ends did we have to experience before we realize that the One we were seeking was within us? In his great love and mecy God waited for us. He never forced his love but offered it freely. Even after we have found him and stll grasped for other pleasures, he never left us. He waits for us to respond to love with love, so that our life can really begin.

 "The Apostle tells us to rejoice, but in the Lord, not in the world. Whoever wishes to be a friend of this world, says Scripture, will be reckoned an enemy of God. As a man cannot serve two masters, so one cannot rejoice both in the world and in the Lord.

Let joy in the Lord prevail, then, until joy in the world is no more. Let joy in the Lord go on increasing; let joy in the world go on decreasing until it is no more. This is said, not because we are not to rejoice while we are in this world, but in order that, even while we are still in this world, we may already rejoice in the Lord...So, brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not in the world. That is, rejoice in the truth, not in wickedness; rejoice in the hope of eternity, not in the fading flower of vanity. That is the way to rejoice. Wherever you are on earth, however long you remain on earth, the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything." St. Augustine

What an attitude and practice to begin each day and maintain throughout the day! It is easy to become so caught up with the things of this world that we fail to rememember our true destiny. It is not the grave but life in Christ eternally. That is the reason we are be a joyful person. We have been redeemed and adopted by God and given an inheritance that .does not fade or vanish. We have to travel through this world with its struggles and difficulties. During this time, we are called to rejoice in the Lord always, so that we don't lose our way.

 "In her new motherhood in the Spirit, Mary embraces each and every one in the Church, and embraces each and every one through the Church." St. Pope John Paul II

It is appropriate that the day after the Solemnity of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church, that Mary should be recognized as Mother of the Church. Her role as Mother stems from the last words Jesus said to her from the cross. "Woman, behold your son...Son, behold your Mother." As Mary awaited the birth of her Son, so she awaited with the Disciples for the coming of the Holy Spirit in power. Her Son came to saved the world; the Spirit came to sanctify. anoint, empower and mission those saved as they form other disciples. In all this, Mary fulfills her role as Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church.

 "It can be easily shown from examples both in the Old Testament and the New that the Spirit changes those in whom He comes to dwell; he so transforms them that they may begin to live a completely new kind of life." St. Cyril of Alexandria

Sometimes people are satsfied with their life, because they feel in control. Most have made a mess of their lives, but they continue on the same destructible path. It is uncomfortable to give our life to another and for us to take a back seat. Yet, when we invite the Spirit to come and guide us, he leads us to a new and more fulfilling life. An example of this is seen in the community of believers after Pentcost. They came together for Apostolic teaching, for prayer, for community and for the Eucharist. They were of one mind and heart. What made the difference? The coming of the Spirit into their lives. He can do the same in us when we invite him to take over.

 "Whenever the divine favor chooses someone to receive a special grace, or to accept a lofty vocation, God adorns the person chosen with all the gifts of the Holy Sprit needed to fulfill the task at hand." St Bernadine of Siena

Reflect on this in your own life. Whatever your vocation is, God has called you to this. Yes, you have benn gifted with natural gifts and talents, which you use. But he also gifted you with the spiritual gifts of his Spitit. Are we aware of them and do we exercise them in times of need? How often have we been faced with situations that are beyond our natural gifts and have become frustrated. Did we ask God to stire up the spiritual gift to address the problem? For instance, when you don't know what to say to aid another person, ask God for the gift of counsel for the words needed. He is there for us, but many times we try to do things on our own.

 "Since we have our accuser, we need an Advocate as well." St. Irenaeus

Who is our accuser? The father of lies, the fallen spirit, who seeks to destroy us. Who is our Advocate? While on earth, Jesus. Now that he has returned to the Father, he promised to send another defenderin, the person of the Spirit. the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, who leads us to life everlastng. This is one  way Jesus fulfills another promise to be with us always, both in his Eucharistic presence and in the gift of the Spirit. As long as we believe in the Lord as our Savior and turn to the Spirit as our Advocate, our earthly journey will be secure.

When we read about the grace of the Holy Spirit in the life of Peter and Paul, we recognize multiple gifts: gifts of discrnment, healing, deliverance, prophecy, exhortation, raising the dead to life. In each, they steped out of their comfot zone, enabling the Spirit to work in and through them. Each of us in the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation have been anointed and empowered by the same Spirit to do the same ministry of witnessing. Are we ready to step out of our comfort zone in faith to be instruments of the Spirit? Renew your yes to Jesus as Lord and surrender to the move of the Spirit. 

"The Holy Spirit, whose nature is always the same, simple and indivisible, apportions grace to each man as he wills. Like a dry tree which puts forth shoots when watered, the soul bears the fruit of holiness when repentance has made it worthy of receiving the Holy Spirit. Although the Spirit never changes, the effects of this action, by the will of God and in the name of Christ, are both many and marvelous."  St Cyril of Jerusalem

As we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost--the Feast of the Holy Spirit--we need to open our hearts to receive a fresh out pouring of the grace the Spirit desires to give us. As we see from the Acts of the Apostles, the community was anointed on Pentecost and prayed for a fresh outpouring sometime later. In both cases, they were filled with the Holy Spirit. Are we filled with the Holy Spirir? Is not this the plan of Jesus, revealed to the Apostles? For the work of the Gospel and the call to be holy can only be achieved by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  It is the difference between empowered with water or high octane gasoline. Water represents our power. The high octane gasoline represents the Holy Spririt. What is our engine running on?

"The Church recognizes two kinds of life as having been commended to her by God. One is a life of faith, the other a life of vision; one is a life passed on pilgrimage in time, the other in a dwelling place in eternity; one is a life of toil, the other of repose; one is spent on the road, the other in our homeland; one is active, involving labor, the other contemplative, the reward of labor." St Agustine

Now, becase of the grace of Baptism, we were rescued from the road of destrction and lifted to the road of faith in God. This road has a different end point, the fulfillment of our destiny in God. It is not a easy road to travel; it is not an shoe-in. It is beset with many obstacles and false short cuts. But if we persevere in faith with the eyes of hope and the deeds of love, one day we will find ourseves on the road of contemplating the glory of God. How blessed will that moment in our lives will be. "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love him."

 "Nothing is so strong as prayer; nothing is so useful for all good things." St. John Chrysostom

The prayer he is talking about is not the prayer of the lips but the prayer of the heart.  It is easy to say words. It is more meaningful to be thoughtful and intentional when we pray. It is easy for one to say I love you. But if those words do not come from the depth of our heart, then they have no meaning. God sees the heart of the person who prays. He knows our inner thoughts. He is not impress with our words. What pleases him is what is behind our words. 

 "You think that by worrying too much you will be able to keep up. Woe to the man who does not lean on God but lives thinking whether it will rain a lot or it will not rain." St. John of Avila

Not leaning on the Lord means that we depend on our own efforts to be in control of everything in our life. The more we attempt to push forward on our own, the more we lose ground. But like the man in folk lore, we contine to try to push the boulder up the mountain incline unsuccessfully. God smiles, but waits for us to turn to him in our need. He doesn't remove the boulder but gives us the grace to accomplish his will,  What we can't do on our own, we can do in him. Give the control to God and watch how life will become more meaningful.

 "Whoever has the truth and does not profess it or behave accordingly to it is trapping the truth in injustice." St John of Avila

We have heard the truth of God's revelation and we know right from wrong.  But do we not only profess it on our lips but live it in our lives? There are many baptized people. How many are on fire for their faith in God and how many are lukewarm? How many are on  the narrow road to salvation in comparison to those on the wide road to destrction? I think Jesus indicated few on the former and many on the latter,  Pray for the grace to proclaim and live the truth in our daily lives, even if it goes against the culture of society.

 "I must have a great trust in God and believe that his grace will be sufficient to emable me to fulfill his holy will, however difficult it may be, provided the Holy Spirit is truly calling me. I shall know this by listning to the advice he will permit me to receive." St Louise de Marillac

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit promised to us by Jesus is to lead us to the truth conccerning God's will for us. But before we can be open to this grace, we need to fully trust ourselves to God. "Lord, into your hands I commend my spirit." This decision to trust in God's will for us enabes us to have an open heart to receive God's word. Mary's "Let it be done according to your word," enabled the Holy Spirit to conceived within her the Savior. God awaits our "yes" before he will act in our lives.

 "Let us live as the Blessed Virgin lived: loving God only, desiring God only, trying to please God only in all that we do." St. John  Vianny

For Mary, God was the begining of all her thoughts and actions. The more we imitate her, the closer will be our relationship with God, the more our heaven experience will begin on earth. Jesus himself taught us this in his emphasis on the Commandment of love. By doing the will of God, we express our love. By expressing our love, we enter into union with God. By entering into union, our joy will be complete. How more simple and focus our life will be. 

 "From Mary we learn to surrender to God's will in all things. From Mary we learn to trist even when all hotpe seems gone. From Mary we learn to love Christ her Son and the Son of God." St. John Paul II

Jesus surrendered to the will of the Father, even when it meant suffering crucifixion for our salvation. Mary embraced the will of God, calling her to virginal motherhood. She said: "Fiat, let it be done according to your word." Jesus on the cross trusted the Father to raise him up. Mary, standing under the  cross, put her trust in the plan of the Father. Jesus was motivated by his intimate love of the Father. Mary loved the Father and Jesus. Do we need any other models to follow in surrendering to the will of God, to trust in the plan of God for us, in loving the One who loves us unconditionally?

 "For God is good--or rather, of all goodness He is Fountainhead, and itis impossible for one who is good to be mean or grudging about anything." Si Athanasius

His goodness sets the model for us, who share in his life. How can we be mean or hold grudges and still consider ourselves to be in union with Him?  He dosen't separate Himself from us. We do, Is this what we want? Then, follow the way that Jesus sets before us. Sharing in the goodness of God, forgive those who offend us; blees those who persecute us; turn the other cheek instead of retalliating. Then you will prove that you are children of the Good Father. Counter culture to the world, but in line with relationship with God.

 "He (Jesus) became what we are that He might make us what He is." St Athansius

Jesus was by nature the Son of the Father. God willed us to be His adopted sons and daughters, so we can share in His divine life eternally. But because of Original sin, we became alienated from God, deserving of eternal alienation. Yet, God loved us too much. So the Son became like us in all things but sin to restore us to right relalionship. He gave his life, so that through the waters of Baptism we might be washed clean and become children of God once more. Shown so much love, should we not cherish this gift? How ungrateful we will be that after so much love, we would choose to separate ourselves from God eterally.

 "If you invoke the Blessed Virgin when you are tempted, she will come at once to your help, and Satan will leave you." St John Vianny

It is good to remember one of the reasons Jesus from the cross entrusted us to Mary.  He knew that though he broke the bondage Satan had over us, the Evil one will still come after us. Mary is the Immaculate Conception, who crushed the head of Satan. Thus, the Tempter is afraid of her. Invoking her in times of temptation is like raising a protective wall between us and the the father of lies. Mary, help of Christians be our protector against the the Evil One. 

 You must not be discouraged or let yourselve become rejected if your actions have not succeeded as perfectly a you intended. What do you expect? We are made of clay and not every soil yields the fruits expected by the one who tills it. But let us always humble ourseleves and acknowledge that we are nothing if we lack the Divine assistance." St. Padre Pio

I can do all things in him who strengthens me. The work is the Lord's. I am his servant. Everything I am and have comes from God. The good I do is because of him and for his glory. These are some basic truths of my life, while I am on earth. To take the credit for any sucess is not to live in the truth that sets one free. Humbly acknowledging my total dependance upon God keeps me in right relationship and opens me up to the more God wants to accomplish in and  through me. I am only the instrument in the hands of the Master Builder,

 " Therefore, every Christine should be a living book in which the teaching of the Gospel can be read." St. Joseph of Leonessa

Our life as a Christian may seem ordinary, but it isn't. Our life is to be a witness to the truth of who we are and what God has done in and for us. The Gospel Jesus proclaimed was the love of God shown through our salvation and final destination. The Commandment to love as he has loved us is to be our rule of life. The commission to be be a true disciple/winess is to be embraced as our primary task. To be attentive to and to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit is our daily resposibility. All this is to take place in the midst of our daily duties. In fact, being a living gospel as we go about out our responsibilities is to be our life. 

 "Eternal God...You are a mystery as deep as the sea; the more I search, the more I find, and the more I find the more I search for you. But I can never be satisfied; what I receive will ever leave me desiring more." St Catherine of Siena

St Agustine expressed the same understanding. Realizing a hunger in our hearts, he said: "Our heart is restless until it rests in You, O God."  With his everlasting, unconditional love God draws us to himself. The more we love him in return, the more we open ourselves to his love. Like the person in the Song of Songs, once a person tastes the sweetness of her lover, she goes searching for him no matter the cost. How blessed is the one caught in the web od God's love! Nothing will fully satisfy the person, ecept union with the beloved. So the search for more of him.

 "Live so as not to fear death. For those who live well in the world, death is not frightening, but sweet and precious." St. Rose of Viterbo  

The reason for this perspective is based on the promise of God. Those who live and die in Christ in this world will not suffer eternal death but enjoy eternal life. Jesus ensured this by his death and resurrection. They do not see death as a finality, but an entrance into fullness of life. They know who they are and whose they belong to and what their destiny is so as to be fulfilled. There are those who do not fear death because they are committed to a cause. And there are those who do not fear death because they ie for a person, who is the beginning of their life.