"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.

 "We become what we love and who we love shapes what we become." St, Claire of Assisi

We can begin to understand why God gave us the command to love. For when He is the focus of our love, we become like God, sharing his life. The opposite is true. If we give to others what is only to be given to God and in place of God, then we become what we focus on. This is the tactic of the Evil one. He seeks to divert our love from God to something less in order to separate us from God, from life to death, from light to darkness, from freedom to slavery. Love what is deserving of your love and live as a child of God.

 "When we associate with the virtuous, we form  ourselves in imitation of their virtues, or at least lose every day, something of our faults." Pope St. Agapetus

How true this is! Associate with virtous persons can have a positive impact on us. Associate ourselves with shady characters may encourage us to imitate their life style.  Or to put it in another way. If we work in a perfume factory, we will smell like perfume. If we work in a fertilizer plant, we will reek of the fertilizer smell. Choose the environment that will lead you to God. or the environment that will us away from the Lord. Companions who do not lead us to God are not true friends. 

 "To abandon yourself to rage is often to bring upon yourself the fault of another." St. Agapetus I

No wonder Jesus spoke against the sin of rage, while at the same time urging forgiveness from the heart. Your rage affects you more than the other. To combat this, St Paul urges us not to let the sun go down on your anger, lest you give the devil an opening. The initial anger is an emotion. The sustained anger is a sin. Take control of our emotion, otherwise it will contol us. 

 "The devil's snare does not catch you, unless you are first caught by thedevil's bait." St Ambrose

What brought about the first sin? Eve took the bait and snared by the devil was seprated from God. The same thing happens to each of us when we sin. The devil offers an attractive bait on a hook, When we grab it, we are hooked. At the same time, Jesus offers us the strength of his grace to recognize the trap and to embrace God's will instead. One choice leads to darkness and bondage. The other leads to love, life and freedom. Be aware of the bait and snare, Choose what gives real life, peace and joy.

"And let them remember that prayer should accompany the reading of Sacred Scripture, so that God and man may talk together; for 'we speak to Him when we pray; we hear Him when we read the divine saying.'" St Ambrose

Before we begin reading God' Word, we should pray to the Holy Spirit, asking for the gift of understanding. As we read and reflect on God's Word, we should pray to know the deeper meaning of God's message. For everytime we delve into the scriptures, there can be a new understanding. The Word of God is like a prism upon which the light of the Spirit shines. Then when we finish our reflection, we should praise and thank God for his Word and its understanding.  

 Death is not scary for those who wait for the Lord. Scary is for the one who lives as if there is no eternity." St, Theophan the Recluse

Many people are afraid of death. They think that they can extend their life by various means. Even then, they die. They focused more on this life rather than on eternal life. They fall into the category which Jesus spoke of, What profit to gain the whole world but lose one's chance for real life? On the contrary, we are called to see death as a mere instant in the life-death-life cycle ending in the ultimate life with God eternally. Our focus is not this earthy life, which is here today but gone tomorrw, but our life with God. This mystery doesn't scaer us, but motivates us.

 "The gate of heaven is very low; only the humble can enter it" St. Elizabeth Ann Seaton

Only when we remove sin from our hearts are we able to enter in the eternal Kingdom of heaven. Sin puffs us up; humilty deflates our ego. Pride weighs us down; humility allows us to rise. Jesus uses adifferent analogies of the wide road or gate and the narrow road or gate. When we humble the self through obedience, love and service of others we will be ready to enter.  Jesus as the Way, the Truth and the Life has shown us the path through his example. He was obedient in all things to the will of the Father; he loved and served in multiple ways. He tells us, "As I have done, so you must do."

 "What does it matter to you whether Jesus wishes to guide you to Heaven by way of the desert or by the meadow, so long as he is always with you and you arrive at the possession of a blessed eternity?"

In reality, Jesus gives us both experiences, the desert and the meadow. He gives us the dryness of the desert in order to strip and purify us, like the Israelites in their desrert wanderings. He also gives us respit in lush meadows of life to refresh and renew us. Though we prefer the latter than the former, both are needed. God knows what is best for us at each stage of our spiritual journey. In either case, what really matters is arriving at tke Promise Land of eternal union with God. 

 "There is a joy which is not given to the ungodly, but to those who love you, Lord,  for your own sake, whose joy you yoursef are. And this is the happy life, to rejoice in you, of you, for you; this it is, and there is no other." St. Agustine

This joy is the fruit of the Spirit, given to those wo love and serve the Lord. The psalmist said: "The joy of the Lord is my strength." Do you have this joy? As an alleluia people, we are not only to experience this joy,  but we are to witness and manifest this joy to others. When others ask us the reason our joy, we can tell them that it is Lord, who has made a difference in our life. "Rejoice in the Lord always," is to be our way of living. 

 "For those with faith, no evidence is necessary; for those without it, no evidence will suhhice." St Thomas Aquinas

Faith is a gift from God that needs to be embraced by us. It is rooted in our acceptance and acknowlegement of God, who has revealed his mysteries to us. After the transubstantiaton of the bread and wine, we proclaim in faith "My Lord and my God." Those without faith see only bread and wine. Those who believed that Jesus was the Messiah saw him in his resurrected body. Those who had no faith rejected the proclamation of these witnesses. Thank God for this gift of faith, which allows us to know the mysteries of divine revelation.

"The things that we love tells us what we are." St Thomas Aquinas 

Have you ever thought of this? How true it is. If we love material things, we are a material person with limited focus. If we love spiritual realities, then we are a spiritual person with unlimited focus. That is why Jesus urges us to focus on the things that will matter eternally. We are to use material things not as ends, but as means to do what God desires us to do. Material entities will come to end. Spiitual realities opens us up eternal realities. 

 "Easter is not just a day to celebrate; it is a season to live with renewed faith and hope." - Saint John Chrysostom

Unfortunately, like Christmas, most people approach Easter as a one day event and move on. We have allowed commercialism to dictate our life. Accordingly, pre-Christmas and pre-Easter are more important than the seasons of Christmas and Easter.  Who can change that, if not us? This Easter continue to be an Alleluia person, praising God privately and publicly, celebrating the resurrection of Christ by living as a resurrected person. Let your Easter smile radiate to others. Let your Easter love impact your relationships. It is Christ who has set us free. Proclaim it.

 "If you are suffering from a bad man's injustice, forgive him, lest there be two bad men.: St. Augustine

Forgiveness is key to holiness. Do not let the sin of another become your sin as well. But arise above the trap of our fallen nature and follow the path of righteousness. Though Jesus was innocent, he suffered at the hands of others. Still, in his humanity he chose to rise above any righteous revenge. He chose to forgive them. He set the example for us to imitate. We may be innocent of the hatred of another, but we are not innocent of any wrongdoing.  God has forgiven us. As he has forgiven us, he expects us to forgive others unconditionally. Otherwise, we will reject his forgiveness.

Homily Second Sunday of Easter Year A

Reading 1: It is not enough to say I believe or even to believe. Our new relationship with God through baptism must impact and transform our lives. We see what happened to the initial believers in Christ as Lord and Savior. They devoted themselves to a new way of life. They wanted to know more about Jesus and his teachings. “They devoted themselves to the teachings of the apostles.” They entered into a relationship with God and with one another through prayer, both private and communal. This was essential in deepening their relationship with God.

They devoted themselves to the breaking of the bread. The Eucharist was essential to their new way of life, both as a sign of their gratitude to God for their new life and as a sign of their union with God through sharing in the Lord’s Body and Blood. They shared life in common, supporting and encouraging one another in their new community as brothers and sisters of the Lord.

Their personal and communal lives were not only internally directed but externally as well. They shared with others what God had done in their lives and signs and wonders confirmed their testimony. Their faith was evident and effective. They were a people of great joy and love which others witnessed and sought. Is the same true about us?

Gospel: Jesus’ first appearance to the Apostles on Easter was a transforming moment of grace. He could have reprimanded them for abandoning him in the time of his greatest need. Instead, Jesus shows them his love and mercy by extending them peace.

Then he commissioned them. “As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” He empowered, as he was anointed, by imparting to them the gift of the Holy Spirit. He extended to them the power to forgive sins in his name. The focus was not to relish in his resurrected presence but to be apostles, sent to bring the gift of new life to others, beginning with the forgiveness of sins.

The second part of today’s reading was the importance of believing without seeing, believing in the power of Jesus without always seeing the results. Thomas was not present when Jesus appeared to the others on the day of his resurrection. When told what Jesus said and did, Thomas would not believe, because he needed personal evidence.

When Jesus appears to Thomas and challenges his unbelief, Thomas is the first to publicly profess that Jesus is Lord and God. 

Sometimes, we have a hard time accepting the plan of God. Like Thomas, we have our own conditions before we have that conversion experience of total submission to God’s plan. We still are living out of our human framework, rather than yielding to the plan of God. Jesus could have easily dismissed Thomas for his unbelief. But he doesn’t. Jesus reminds Thomas and us of the greater faith than seeing him with human eyes. “Blessed are they who have not seen and still believe.” We have not seen the risen Lord with our human eyes but have seen him with the eyes of faith. As Paul says: “We walk by faith and not by sight.”

Reading 2: Peter is writing to Christians years after the event of Easter and Pentecost. Even though they had never seen Jesus, they believed in him and were baptized in his name. Their new life in Christ was real. In the midst of their trials and sufferings, their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior sustained and strengthened them.

Peter said in his great mercy God gave us a new birth to a new life because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. In that gift we were given the promise of sharing with God forever in glory, if we remain faithful to God.

 "I pray that God will open your eyes more and more so that you will realize on the one hand the depth of the abyss from which you have been saved and, on the other, the infinite love that has lifted you from it." St. John the Baptist do LaSalle

This is a central message of Easter that we need to reflect on.  Sin plunged us in the depth of alienation and darkness, hopelessness and despair. Jesus' death and resurrection has lifted us from this abyss into the light of God's love. From wretchedness to blessedness through no merits of our own.  As we meditate on the hopelessness of our former way of life and the beauty of our present way of life in Christ, can we choose to remain in sin in the future? Should we not be eternally grateful for God's mercy that we choose union with him  rather than return to our former darkness?

 Second Sunday of Easter Gospel:  Year A 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, "Peace be with you."  

How often are we paralyzed by fear and lack of trust in the word of God?

Notice that Jesus= resurrected body is different yet the same: different, it is not limited by a closed door; the same, it is the person of Jesus.

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.  The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.  (Jesus) said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you."  

What is it that Jesus was sent to do by the Father that the disciples and we are equally sent to do?

And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained."

In John=s theology we can=t separate the death and resurrection of Jesus from the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Together the two events make up the Paschal Mystery of God=s plan.  In Luke the two events are separated by fifty days.

Just as Jesus received the anointing of the Spirit after his baptism, empowering him to do the work of the Father, so the disciples and we are given the gift of the Spirit for the same purpose. How have we responded?

This mandate to forgive sins is one of the scriptural foundations for the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Do we take advantage of this gift of reconciliation from Jesus?

Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  So the other disciples said to him, "We have seen the Lord." 

Following what Jesus told them to do, the first person the disciples witnessed to was to Thomas.

But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe." 

Have we found ourselves at times in the same place as Thomas was, struggling with doubts, in spite of what others tell us about Jesus and what he has done?

Have we at times put conditions to Jesus to fulfill before we acted in faith?

Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe."   Thomas answered and said to him, "My Lord and my God!"  

Jesus does not chastise or condemn Thomas for his unbelief. He reaches out in compassion and love.

Of all the confessions of faith in Jesus found in John=s Gospel this is the highest.

Jesus said to him, "Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed." 

To believe without seeing is a greater sign of faith than seeing and then believing.

 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of (his) disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may (come to) believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name. 

The closing verses are addressed to us today.  How has our faith in Jesus impacted our lives?

Other reflections?

"Glow with the brightness that comes from the good example of a praiseworthy and blameless life.: St.  John  of Capistrano.

We are called to be praiseworthy and blameless by God. As he calls us, he also graces us, enabling us with his strength to fulfill our call, Thus, it is not impossible for us to reach this goal. The lives of many ordinary people who have become saints attest to this. We must believe it is possible for us to be praiseworthy and blameless in his sight. Then, with his grace, we must choose to live such a life. If we slip, then we need to get up and resume our journey of our life in Christ. In him we can do all things and become whom we are called to be.

 "The glory of God is that man lives. Behold, man lives in Christ. Here is the moment in which what he, Christ, said is accomplished: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live.'" St. John Paul II

Alleluia! He is risen! What we celebrate is the fulfillment of God's promise to us. His promise was redemption and new life. Christ's resurrection is the gift of life for all who believe and are baptized. It is also the foreshadowing of the resurrected and immortal life we will share with Jesus, if we die in his grace. The resurrection of Jesus is the apex of all of salvation history. As the tomb is forever open, new life bursts forth; the darkness of sin is shattered; new life in God has begun. Alleluia!

 Alleluia! He is risen! May you have a blessed Easter season. May the risen Lord pour out his unconditional love upon you and your loved ones.

 "The mind that is occupied with the thought of God has little room for other thoughts, especially evil ones." St. Ignatius Brianchaninot

Where there is a vacuum, there is an entrance. The more we can keep our minds focused on God and his goodness, the less other thoughts will be able to find a place to root. That is one of the reasons the Desert Fathers would recite a mantra throughout the day like: Lord Jesus Christ, son of the living God, have mercy on me. The Evil One looks for ways to distract us away from God with all kinds of thoughts. It is our choice to decide what our focus will be.  It takes discipline to keep our heart and mind on God. If we close the door, the Lord remains.

 "Trust him especially when you are in difficulty and realize that those disturbances which we term difficulties are nothing but children's toys for our dear Jesus." St. Frances X Cabrini

How blessed are we to see things through the eyes of a child! For a child has full confidence in its parents to handle any and all difficulties. Would that we would have that same confidence in our Lord! Where there is no way, he makes a way. We have only to trust in his providential care. Recall when the three young men were thrown into a hot pit for not adoring a false god. They trusted in their God to take care of them in their difficult situation. And he did. Pray for the grace to have that same confidence in God's love for us that out of whatever difficulty we face, he will bring good for us.

 "Respect each other, so you can learn to respect God. He, who is insolent to men, is insolent to God." St. John Chrysostom

This thought is in line with the words of Jesus. "What you do to the least, you do to me." Because God is the Father of all, and we are brothers and sisters of the same Father, to disrespect or degrade one of God's sons or daughters is an affront to God himself. If we thought of this before we spoke, would we say something different, more in line with the dignity and identity of the other person? But you may say, this person has done me wrong. So be it. Have we not done a greater wrong to God every time we sin? Yet, God still treats us as his son or daughter. He doesn't degrade or seek to destroy our reputation. Should we not follow his example out of gratitude for his mercy and shown the same mercy to the other?

 "Have patience to walk with short steps, not worrying about the distance you have to go, but only the step you must take at that moment." St. Francis de Sales

Yes, we must keep our eyes on the ultimate goal of our lives, eternal life with God, but if we attentive to the present moment, we could have a misstep. If we keep our eyes on each step we make, we will eventually reach our goal. But if we don't pay attention to the path in front of us, it is possible that we will not see the pitfalls of sin in front of us. How often we can become discouraged because we see how far our goal is!  But if we concentrate on where we are at the moment and take the next step, in time we will get closer to our destination. I am reminded of the times I went hiking on the trails in Colorado. The person with me would always encourage me by saying that it is just around the corner. So I continued to take the next step. Eventually, he was correct. It was just around the corner.

 "Lord, help me to live this day, quietly, easily.  To lean upon your great strength, truthfully, restfully. To wait for the unfolding of your will, patiently, serenely. To meet others, peacefully, joyously. To face tomorrow, confidently, courageously." St. Francis of Assisi

What if we strived, with God's grace, to reach this state of being? Would our many fears and anxieties be less? When our focus is God and not ourselves; when our desire is to know the will of God and to act upon it, without question; then in the midst of the disturbances around us, there will be a sense of peace and joy. This is what God desires for each of us. Don't let the distractions be our focus and consume us. Rather, in all things turn to the Lord and learn to follow his lead. Not easy, but possible.

 "We become what we love, and who we love shapes what we become. If we love things of the world, we become worldly. If we love Christ, we become like Christ. Let our fasting and prayer be a means to be more like him." St. Claire of Assisi

Is it no wonder that God commanded us to love him totally and our neighbor secondarily?  For if we become what we love, in loving God we become life God, sharing in his love and life. If we love our neighbor because of God, we reflect God's eternal love. We should not be amazed that if we love worldly things, that where our heart is, there is our focus.  Only be grace can I love God and neighbor and not let my heart be limited to things that don't matter in eternity. Lent is a time to return to the Lord, to re-prioritize our heart's focus, to realign our path back to the Lord. Let love be the connecting bridge between us and God.

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

Someone else has said that we may be the initial Gospel a person may read that will bring them to Jesus. And the opposite is also true. We may be the false Gospel that will distance another from Jesus. Christ has blessed us by redeeming us and sharing his very life with us, because of his great love. We are to be a light leading others to Jesus by our lives and words. Do we reflect Jesus' teachings in our lives, especially the teaching of love, truth and goodness? Can others see Jesus in us? We don't have to rewrite the Gospel. We are called to reflect the Gospel.

 "If we make every effort to avoid death of the body, still more should it be our endeavor to avoid death of the soul. There is no obstacle for a man who wants t be saved other than negligence and laziness of soul." St. Anthony Abbot

What is more of more concern the death of the body or the death of the soul? The first is automatic and unpreventable. The second is by choice and avoidable. Paraphrasing Jesus, if we focus more on the body, we will reap the harvest of death. But if we focus on the life of our soul, then we will reap the harvest of life. The Evil One wants us to focus on the satisfaction of the body's needs. The Spirit of God gives us the grace to be concerned about the health of our soul. Whatever choice we make, on the Day of Judgment, God will confirm our choice eternally. Choose wisely.

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

When one knows God in one's heart and has fallen in love with God, death is seen as a final moment in this life before seeing him face to face.  When we fear death, our heart is too rooted in this life and the things and people of this life. They are more important to us than God. When we fear death, our sins become more captivating than the merciful forgiveness of God. We need to ask God to give us the grace to desire him more than we desire our earthly life. Ask for the grace to believe in the depth of our hearts that he is the All in all that can and will fulfill me. I was made by God, for God, to be with God eternally. Death can be the fulfillment of my destiny or the blockage.

 "With my Christ I have ever been, with him am I now, and with him shall I be forevermore." St. Nestor

As I look back on my life, I have not always been with Christ. For I have sinned many times and in those moments alienated myself from Christ. But thanks be to God, he reconciled and restored me to his friendship. As far as I know, I am with him in this present moment by his grace and mercy. In hope I seek to be with him forever. Only he knows my final state. That hope can only be fulfilled in his grace and love. Like St. Paul, I press on, keeping the prize of eternal life before me.

 "Help me...to be patient with myself when I fail, to make amends when I am wrong, to rely on God's strength when I am weak, and to surrender myself completely to God's mercy." St. Conrad Confalonieri

It takes a strong but humble person to recognize one's faults and to know what to do about them. No matter how hard I may try to improve, and try I must, I acknowledge that I am dependent upon the Lord for his strength and grace. When I am weak, his strength is there for me, if I but learn how to turn to him. God knows my weaknesses and failures and is ready to strengthen us, but he waits for us to ask. For he will not violate our freedom, even when we use it wrongly. His mercy is everlasting. It is the sure covering we need to grow in holiness.

 Fifth Sunday of Lent Gospel A

So the sisters of Lazarus sent word to Jesus, saying, "Master, the one you love is ill." When Jesus heard this he said, "This illness is not to end in death,  but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.

Lazarus will in fact die. But his will not be his ultimate fate because Jesus will raise him              to new life, affording an opportunity for others to glorify God by means of the miracle.

" Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was ill, he remained for two days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea." 

The delay of Jesus proves fatal for Lazarus at the moment. This period of waiting is not a              mistake or miscalculation, but part of Jesus’ plan to generate faith in the disciples.              Raising the dead to new life will have a more profound effect on them than raising the              sick to health.

When Jesus arrived, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. 

Jews during NT times customarily wrapped the dead with a shroud, tied strip of cloth               around their extremities and anointed their bodies with fragrant oils and spices..

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, only about two miles  away. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him; but Mary sat at home. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. (But) even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise." Martha said to him, "I know he will rise, in the resurrection on the last day." 

The resurrection of the dead on the last day was currently held by all in Judaism except              the Sadducees. 

Jesus told her, "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" She said to him, "Yes, Lord. I have come to believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who is coming into the world."

• Martha professes her faith in Jesus. 

He became perturbed  and deeply troubled, and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Sir, come and see." And Jesus wept. 

• The humanity of Jesus is very clear in this event, even knowing what he was about to do.

So the Jews said, "See how he loved him." But some of them said, "Could not the one who opened the eyes of the blind man have done something so that this man would not have died?"  So Jesus, perturbed again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay across it.  Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha, the dead man's sister, said to him, "Lord, by now there will be a stench; he has been dead for four days." Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God?" 

• Though Martha professed faith earlier, now when Jesus called her to exercise that faith, she faltered. The reality of death was too real.

So they took away the stone. And Jesus raised his eyes and said, "Father,  I thank you for hearing me. I know that you always hear me; but because of the crowd here I have said this, that they may believe that you sent me." And when he had said this, he cried out in a loud voice,  "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, tied hand and foot with burial bands, and his face was wrapped in a cloth. So Jesus said to them, "Untie him and let him go." 

• Jesus’ love for Lazarus was real and visible. Do we recognize that same love for us? How have I experienced in the past this unconditional love?

Now many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen what he had done began to believe in him

• When and where has my faith in Jesus as “the Resurrection of the Life” been tested in the past? 

• When I face the death of a loved one, does my faith in the above promises of Jesus sustain and comfort me?