Describing Jesus

Day 3 of 40 Days for Life devotional: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2012day03print.pdf

It's very easy to quote Scripture, to be "book smart" when describing Jesus.  It's easy to talk about His work and life on earth with love and adoration.  It's easy to describe His kind nature, His healing touch. We can quote Canon Law, we can quote the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  But if you don't practice what you preach, it falls on deaf ears.  In todays Gospel (Luke 9:18-22), Jesus is teaching the apostles that namedropping is not allowed:

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" They said in reply, "John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, 'One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'" Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter said in reply, "The Christ of God." He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised."

Jesus wants us to exude Him in how we think, speak and act. Don't judge the level of faith or poor choices of another.  As the old saying goes, walk a mile in my shoes . . .

In Anne a lay apostle's book Serving in Clarity, she brilliantly describes Jesus, and, lives her life as Jesus would want of all His servants:

"It is distressing to witness a spirit of pride and arrogance. We must always look for personal outrage as a marker for pride in ourselves. By this I do not refer to the outrage one feels regarding injustice done to others. This is appropriate. By this, the marker for pride, I refer to personal outrage associated with being treated less respectfully than we would like or being judged in a way that is less positive than we feel we deserve or desire. To clarify, we can go, as usual, to the Lord’s example. When people lied about Jesus personally or mistreated Him, He let it go, as in the Garden. He did not puff up and sputter in outrage. He was very consistent in behaving like a lamb. But when people planned to stone an adulteress, He stopped them. He exhibited a sense of outrage, turning the situation on its head and using it to promote non-judgmental treatment of others. Also, when He witnessed His Father’s house being used as a market place, He exhibited outrage, even reacting with just anger. Jesus quietly accepted personal insults and slights to Himself. He did not accept cruel behavior against people or blasphemous behavior against His Father."

Lay apostles, read, read, read.  Then, practice, practice, practice. What can you do today to witness your love of Christ? Not judge another's mistakes? Defend the unborn? There are so many ways to describe Jesus in our actions.  Start practicing today.

I want to leave you with my new favorite Christian song (I just discovered recently!) by Steven Curtis Chapman:



Thank you, Lord, for teaching me in addition to describing You I must exude You, too.  

God bless,
Bonnie

Confusion is Nothing New

Here is a link to the devotional prayer for Day 2 of the 40 Days for Life: http://40daysforlife.com/docs/fall2012day02print.pdf
Love and respect. Kindness and compassion. Faith, hope and charity. Words every person, let alone every Christian, should exude.  But I think some people are becoming confused.  Please tell me when berating and derogatory comments became acceptable human behavior when praying for the unborn. Yesterday as we peacefully prayed the Rosary outside the Planned Parenthood facility, most reactions from drivers passing by were positive.  But evil always lurks around the corner . . . one young man in an old beat up car circled four or five times around the median with his hand extended out the driver's window flipping us the "bird."  Then toward the end of the Rosary, some young girls drove by honking with a sign in their window saying "Up Yours . . .  (not sure what the rest of the sign said)." What kind of examples are being set for todays youth?  Is this the influence of their parents?  Their friends?  What is so confusing about good over evil? With so much noise going on in the world, take time to pray for our youth.
Todays Gospel (Luke 9:7-9) shows Herod very confused about who Jesus is . . .

Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening, and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying, "John has been raised from the dead"; others were saying, "Elijah has appeared"; still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen." But Herod said, "John I beheaded. Who then is this about whom I hear such things?" And he kept trying to see him.

In Volume Three, Our Lady teaches us to seek the good, not be confused, and trust in her Son:

"My dear souls, dedicated to Jesus, I wish to teach you more about goodness. Goodness

comes from God. All goodness is rooted in heaven and blooms on earth. Your world is filled with a false goodness, that is really malice, disguised. Your world speaks of choice and lauds the choice of the individual. Well, this is fine, if a soul is choosing God. But to choose against the natural order, set down by God, is to bring the wrath of God down upon the world. These people are not working for goodness and their motives are not good. Do not feel compelled to pay homage to the modern concept of good any longer. Instead, ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify true goodness, the kind that is rooted in heaven, and the Spirit will direct you to examples. This same spirit of truth, will uncover the dark motives and malice of those who talk about good and work for bad. Now, do not be confused or concerned. When you see these individuals spouting their lies, you have felt confusion

and suspicion. It is that suspicion I wish to direct your attention to. Pay attention to those feelings and trust a little bit more in your holy instincts. Look at the fruits of various campaigns. Does a certain approach bear good fruit? And by that I mean does it bring souls into a unity with each other and with the Creator? You are not secular, dear ones. Please do not try to be."

Lay apostles, don't let lies and venomous words cause you to doubt God. When someone speaks cruelly or acts secretive, rely on your holy instincts as Our Lady states above.  Don't react, pray for the offender.  And just remember, What Would Jesus Do?

Thank you, Lord, for patience and compassion for those spouting evil and hate. Please continue to provide me with Your shield of hope and forgiveness.

God bless,
Bonnie 

40 Days For Life

This morning I attended Mass with my good friends Karen, Stan and their daughter Jenna to kick off the 40 Days For Life campaign.  Hard to believe the election is so close.  It's time for all Christians to get involved.  Here is a link to explain activities in your local diocese and around the country: http://www.40daysforlife.com/.  There are also devotionals and prayers available if you are not able to attend activities.  This is important for our children, grandchildren and all future generations.  Stand up for life.  Have a voice.  Choose your political candidates wisely . . .

In todays Gospel (Luke 9:1-6), Jesus requires us to proclaim the Good News . . . and choosing life is a priority in our times:

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick. He said to them, "Take nothing for the journey, neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money, and let no one take a second tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there. And as for those who do not welcome you, when you leave that town, shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them." Then they set out and went from village to village proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere.

And, in Volume One, Jesus calls us to action for the defenseless unborn:

"The modern world tries to persuade you to think that life is complex. Most issues are simple. For example, abortion is murder, dear ones. Do not be fooled. Children are your treasure, regardless of when your heavenly Father decides to send them. That issue is not complex and I need My children to be courageous in defending the lives of the unborn children of God. Your generation is suffering untold calamities because of this grave, grave sin. Be alert, My children, and I will instruct you in your role. But truly I say to you, all of heaven cries out against this crime. How long can your God remain silent in the face of these pleas? I am with you. I love you. I will remain with you in a special way, and anything you are asked to do for Me will be accompanied by such graces that it will be easy to accomplish. But you must remain close to Me. It is only when you drift off and close your ears to Me that your life becomes complex again. Be happy, dear ones. All of heaven stands ready to assist you."

Lay apostles, unite with your brothers and sisters in prayer to end abortion.  Participate in the 40 Days For Life activities.  Choose your political candidates on who Christ would choose . . . I know He would steer clear of anyone promoting the killing of such a defenseless population.  Please, now more than ever, be a Christian and help turn this beautiful country toward God again.  

Thank you, Lord, for praying the Rosary today with so many loving, kind people standing up for life.  And, I pray every Christian takes a look at what is happening to this country, seriously considering what is the best choice in favor of our dear, sweet Jesus.

God bless,

Bonnie

Here are pics from today's walk:

Just In The Nick of Time

Young adult testimonies are starting to come in for my new book and I am humbled.  I can't tell you how happy it makes me when young people read the Volumes or any one of Anne a lay apostle's books. All eyes are opened to His great love and mercy with each heavenly message and Anne's eloquent writing. I tell my three daughters how much farther ahead of the game they are compared to me at their ages (29, 26, 23).  I was trying to figure out life while doing my best as a young mother. Thank the Lord they turned out so amazingly wonderful. Not only do they have Jesus, Our Lady, the Bible and all of heaven to guide them in this crazy world, they have Direction for Our Times!  Because of this mission, I see three young Christian women who want to make a difference and bring the Light of Christ to those within their reach.  Two of them are now first time mothers with very supportive husbands whom I love.  It is such a blessing to see them with their sons thankful for their gift from heaven. My youngest is a photographer in a very secular world where she is not afraid to say she loves Jesus. I share all the judgmental and condemning comments I receive in response to my book and blog posts (which are few and far between). I want them to learn how to love and not hate. How to accept, not reject. And, that it is never too late to turn to Christ for salvation. Their foundation is pretty solid.  I did the best I could to secure strong faith.  Now, as a mother and grandmother, I can enjoy the fruits knowing they don't really need me as much anymore . . . they strive to live for His Glory every day the best they can.  And, if they make mistakes along the way, they know I will always be here with open arms to guide them back to Christ (and make a batch of my yummy spongy low fat chocolate chip cookies which nobody seems to love as much as we do!). I love you girls!

In todays Gospel (Luke 8:19-21), Jesus makes a very clear point: it's easy to talk the talk, but you also have to walk the walk: 

The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to him but were unable to join him because of the crowd. He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outside and they wish to see you." He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it."

And I couldn't pass up posting the first reading today (Proverbs 21: 1-6, 10-13) as it is filled with spiritual tidbits:

Like a stream is the king's heart in the hand of the LORD; wherever it pleases him, he directs it.

All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the LORD who proves hearts.

To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

Haughty eyes and a proud heart? the tillage of the wicked is sin.

The plans of the diligent are sure of profit, but all rash haste leads certainly to poverty.

Whoever makes a fortune by a lying tongue is chasing a bubble over deadly snares.

The soul of the wicked man desires evil; his neighbor finds no pity in his eyes.

When the arrogant man is punished, the simple are the wiser; when the wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge.

The just man appraises the house of the wicked: there is one who brings down the wicked to ruin.

He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will himself also call and not be heard.

In the March 2012 Monthly Message, Jesus only asks we persevere with steadfast faith:

"It will always be a heavenly directed plan which brings individuals back to peace through holiness. Together, we are accomplishing this, person by person. I am pleased that our efforts are securing fruit, which we offer to the Father as evidence of a true desire for holiness in His children. Please, dear apostles, remain faithful to Me. Allow Me to direct your contribution and you will be blessed and consoled. Through your fidelity, others will also be blessed and consoled. When we are finished with your work on earth, you will come to Me in fullness and you will understand all that I accomplished through your willingness. I will not steer you into what is bad for you but into what is good for you. Continue on in trust and be grateful that I have chosen you to serve God's Renewal."

Lay apostles, young or old, it is never too late to be a part of God's Renewal. Strive to do His Will and continue on the path to salvation. You can change your life.  I did.  Accept the fact you are worthy of His Love and make peace with your past. Once you do, you will be amazed at all the beauty despite the thorns.

Thank you, Lord, for quick recoveries and a joyful spirit.  Your spiritual bulletproof armor is working perfectly.

God bless,
Bonnie

Steel is Strengthened with Fire

A little wickedness thrown my way is good news.  It means I am doing something right for Christ and there is always a lesson to learn. My lesson this time?  The number of people shining the Light of Christ overshadows those creating darkness. I'd say 100 to 1 in favor of Jesus and His Love in those whom I come in contact with via this blog.  But there are those "1's" who condemn and judge, giving the Church a reputation of nonacceptance.  And I am talking about people who call themselves Christians. For those of you away from the Church, take heart.  There are many of us out here who have screwed up and found our way back, ignoring people who get in our way of Christ and His Church.  The majority of us in Church on Sunday have sinned in one way or another.  After all, Church is a hospital for the sick, right? Some of us keep repeating mistakes until we learn (I always ask Jesus to slap me in the face with the answer . . . and He always does in His time, not mine!) and confess, out loud, our transgressions. Admit the truth. Stay humble, lay apostles. If you fall, get right back up again and vow to be better . . . do better. Jesus is rooting for you!

In todays Gospel (Luke 8:16-18), Jesus teaches the crowd to shine His Light:

Jesus said to the crowd: "No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light. For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear. To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away."

And in todays first reading (Proverbs 3:27-34), I just couldn't pass up posting this:

The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the just he blesses; When dealing with the arrogant, he is stern, but to the humble he shows kindness.

In Anne a lay apostle's book The Mist of Mercy, she hits the nail on the head in dealing with wickedness:

"It will help to look beyond the one who attacks us to the possible author of that person’s thoughts. Anger, while inevitable at times, can be a waste of energy. We must save our strength and direct it to serving God and allowing His Kingdom to come through us on every single day. When we identify symptoms of the devil’s anger or resistance, it helps to ask the following question: What is it that the enemy seeks to spoil? Quite often the answer will be peace, be it peace in the home, the workplace, or the world at large. Or the enemy could seek to destroy a relationship that is necessary for God’s plan to advance. Remember that the enemy is the destroyer of peace. We must always work to establish and maintain peace. I try to look at situations in two ways. I consider first, what is it that the enemy would like me to do? How is the devil setting me up? Then I consider what decision or response would please Jesus most. What does Jesus want me to do? Therein lay both the struggle and the opportunity for holiness. The soul groans. Humanity objects. Growth pains are evident. There are times when we say, “Lord, it’s too hard.” At times we fail. But if we can learn to identify and distinguish between the Lord’s way and the enemy’s way, we are at least in the game. We must be prepared for battle by being smaller, meeker, and more humble than God’s enemy. Our Leader was meek and humble of heart, after all. Forgiveness was a way of life for Jesus."

I want to end with a beautiful poem Deacon Tony read at Mass this past Sunday.  Jay and I were teary eyed as he read:

The Race

                Attributed to Dr. D.H. "Dee" Groberg

Whenever I start to hang my head in front of failure’s face, 
    my downward fall is broken by the memory of a race. 
A children’s race, young boys, young men; how I remember well, 
    excitement sure, but also fear, it wasn’t hard to tell. 
They all lined up so full of hope, each thought to win that race 
    or tie for first, or if not that, at least take second place. 
Their parents watched from off the side, each cheering for their son, 
    and each boy hoped to show his folks that he would be the one.

The whistle blew and off they flew, like chariots of fire, 
    to win, to be the hero there, was each young boy’s desire. 
One boy in particular, whose dad was in the crowd, 
    was running in the lead and thought “My dad will be so proud.” 
But as he speeded down the field and crossed a shallow dip, 
    the little boy who thought he’d win, lost his step and slipped. 
Trying hard to catch himself, his arms flew everyplace, 
    and midst the laughter of the crowd he fell flat on his face. 
As he fell, his hope fell too; he couldn’t win it now. 
    Humiliated, he just wished to disappear somehow.

But as he fell his dad stood up and showed his anxious face, 
    which to the boy so clearly said, “Get up and win that race!” 
He quickly rose, no damage done, behind a bit that’s all, 
    and ran with all his mind and might to make up for his fall. 
So anxious to restore himself, to catch up and to win, 
    his mind went faster than his legs. He slipped and fell again. 
He wished that he had quit before with only one disgrace. 
    “I’m hopeless as a runner now, I shouldn’t try to race.”

But through the laughing crowd he searched and found his father’s face 
    with a steady look that said again, “Get up and win that race!” 
So he jumped up to try again, ten yards behind the last. 
    “If I’m to gain those yards,” he thought, “I’ve got to run real fast!” 
Exceeding everything he had, he regained eight, then ten... 
    but trying hard to catch the lead, he slipped and fell again. 
Defeat! He lay there silently. A tear dropped from his eye. 
    “There’s no sense running anymore! Three strikes I’m out! Why try? 
I’ve lost, so what’s the use?” he thought. “I’ll live with my disgrace.” 
    But then he thought about his dad, who soon he’d have to face.

“Get up,” an echo sounded low, “you haven’t lost at all, 
    for all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall. 
Get up!” the echo urged him on, “Get up and take your place! 
    You were not meant for failure here! Get up and win that race!” 
So, up he rose to run once more, refusing to forfeit, 
    and he resolved that win or lose, at least he wouldn’t quit. 
So far behind the others now, the most he’d ever been, 
    still he gave it all he had and ran like he could win. 
Three times he’d fallen stumbling, three times he rose again. 
    Too far behind to hope to win, he still ran to the end.

They cheered another boy who crossed the line and won first place, 
    head high and proud and happy -- no falling, no disgrace. 
But, when the fallen youngster crossed the line, in last place, 
    the crowd gave him a greater cheer for finishing the race. 
And even though he came in last with head bowed low, unproud, 
    you would have thought he’d won the race, to listen to the crowd. 
And to his dad he sadly said, “I didn’t do so well.” 
    “To me, you won,” his father said. “You rose each time you fell.”

And now when things seem dark and bleak and difficult to face, 
    the memory of that little boy helps me in my own race. 
For all of life is like that race, with ups and downs and all. 
    And all you have to do to win is rise each time you fall. 
And when depression and despair shout loudly in my face, 
    another voice within me says, “Get up and win that race!”

Thank you, Lord, for the armor You and Our Lady protect me with.  All I can say is, thank You, thank You, thank You!

God bless,

Bonnie

Mercy Over Sacrifice

Let's start with two definitions (from Dictionary.com).

1.  Mercy - compassionate or kindly forbearance shown toward an offender, an enemy, or other person in one's power; compassion, pity, or benevolence

2.  Sacrifice - the surrender or destruction of something prized or desirable for the sake of something considered as having a higher or more pressing claim

Now, let's read todays Gospel (Matthew 9:9-13): 

As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. While he was at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat with Jesus and his disciples. The Pharisees saw this and said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" He heard this and said, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

After reading this, I decided to do as Jesus asks . . . "Go and learn the meaning of the words . . ." By definition, I completely understand what Jesus means.  Mercy is forgiving and sacrifice is suffering.  Which is the more difficult challenge?  Hands down, forgiving offenders.  I would gladly suffer for Christ, my children, grandchildren and all those I love. I would stand in front of a bullet for them . . . die for them. There is no suffering so great it could deter me from protecting what is most important in my life. But the whole mercy thing . . . why is it so hard to forgive our offenders?  And, how do we forgive those who continually want to disrupt our lives?  Mercy.  Jesus desires this of us.  By using the word "desires" in Scripture today, Jesus is basically declaring He knows we aren't perfect and we won't always get it right. However, if we are doing our best to be merciful, He will be pleased.  So, many times I refrain from rebuttal emails which could only cause more unrest or just plain keep my opinion to myself . . . and pray for the person disrupting the peace I work so hard to maintain!  

What brings me peace . . . my grandson Colton! 

And, my grandson Connor!

In Heaven Speaks to Those Who Struggle to Forgive, Jesus shows us by having mercy for others, we obtain mercy for ourselves:

"Bitterness characterizes My enemy. Forgiveness characterizes Me. You, a beloved little child of God, seek to find peace in your heart. You will only find peace if you step into the stream of goodness. This stream is like a river of grace with which I desire to bathe you, removing all pain and injury. What will remain in your soul is joy. This joy, this heavenly peace, will be obtained by accepting your flaws and accepting the flaws of others. You see, My friend, if you accept the flaws and sins of others, you will soften in attitude toward yourself. I love you. I accept you. I need you to accept yourself so that you will be at peace in My Kingdom and it is through forgiving others that you will find acceptance of your own humanity."

Lay apostles, did you offend someone today?  Apologize. Were you offended?  Have mercy. Did you make a poor choice you regret?  Accept it and forgive yourself. Do as Jesus desires . . . 

Thank you, Lord, for giving me words of wisdom, showing me the value of mercy is priceless.  Please continue to redirect my thoughts when I want so badly to debate! 

God bless,

Bonnie

Am I Worthy?

Yesterday I received a text from my dear friend Crystal with a video of her grandson (one month older than my first grandson Connor) saying his first words. Just precious! Since we both became grandmothers, pictures of our adorable grandsons have gone back and forth between us.  In response I sent her a recent pic of my grandson Colton (almost 6 weeks old).  We both decided we were very blessed! Our chat went on about our blessings and I wrote that sometimes I can hardly believe I am worthy of all this happiness. Her response (thanks for permission to quote you, Crystal!) was: "Oh silly you.  Can't imagine how grateful He is to you for all you do and who you are."  What a beautiful thing to say, huh?  Once in a while, despite receiving absolution for my sins in Confession, evil still plagues my brain with doubts I am worthy of any happiness.  Luckily, doubts dissipate quickly with the love and support of family and friends. But most importantly, Jesus forgives the sinner. And we must believe we are forgiven.  In the Bible, the Volumes and all of Anne's books, Jesus desires His lay apostles be joyful and experience happiness living in communion with Him.  So I have decided I am worthy of and very grateful for the happiness Jesus bestows. Hard times and difficult situations will always disturb us on our path to holiness. It's inevitable. But if we live each day in thankfulness for whatever He sends our way, good or bad, know He counts us worthy of His Love.  
Todays Gospel (Luke 7:36-50) reminds us nobody's sins are any greater or any less than our own.  We are all worthy of forgiveness:

A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner." Jesus said to him in reply, "Simon, I have something to say to you." "Tell me, teacher," he said.

"Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?" Simon said in reply, "The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven." He said to him, "You have judged rightly." Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; hence, she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven." The others at table said to themselves, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" But he said to the woman, "Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

In Anne a lay apostle's book The Mist of Mercy, the following quote is crucial when asking God for forgiveness through the Sacrament of Reconciliation if you are Catholic:
 

"God offers us forgiveness, regardless of the sins we have committed. God’s forgiveness has no strings or limits attached. God’s forgiveness does not come and go. God does not make forgiveness available one day and then withdraw the offer of it the next day. The forgiveness of God is and always will be. Like everything else about God, His forgiveness is perfect. Once it is given, it will not be taken away. God’s forgiveness does not rely on anything in us. Are you sorry for your sins? If the answer is yes, then you have nothing to worry about. Go to Confession if you are a Catholic and everything will be fine. Some people recall a bad experience in Confession. They cite this as the reason they no longer go to Confession or indeed pray or go to Mass. This is heartbreaking. Be aware that Jesus calls priests from the group that is humanity. Priests are human. If a priest behaved badly to you, God will deal with him. Be assured that the Lord knows the sins of His priests. We must also be assured that when we die and stand before God, He will not ask us what everyone else did wrong. He will ask us for an account of OUR life. Look past the priest to Jesus Christ. Do not allow a bad experience to pull you away from God’s love and from all that He offers through His Church. It is good for people to understand that there is no limit to God’s forgiveness. Some people think that their sins, their malice and the damage they have done to others, makes it impossible for God to forgive them. They feel they will always be permanently excluded from God’s family. This is  only possible if a person refuses to repent and wishes to be excluded. Some people think they do not want to go to Confession and confess their past sins because it means they are making a commitment to perfection. They think, I’m not ready to be perfect. I’m not ready to change. I’m not ready to completely give up some of my habits or behaviors. Please, please, please do not let this stop you from going to Confession. Jesus knows you will fail again. He accepts this. If there is the smallest desire in you to try to do the smallest bit better for God, then you should go to Confession and let Christ, through the priest, help you. Conversion is an ongoing thing. We do not become perfect in a day. We do not even become perfect in a lifetime."

Lay apostles, what has made you happy today?  Is it the beauty of the sun shining through storm clouds? A baby boy uttering his first words? A good "curly hair" day (ok, I struggle loving my curly hair, but once in a blue moon, it turns out great!)? Whatever it is, no matter how small, look for the joy instead of the sorrow. Be thankful He finds each of us worthy.  

Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to feel worthy of happiness.  Help me to overcome the times when I feel I don't deserve it.  I have never been happier in my life.  And it's all because of You!

God bless,

Bonnie

Emotional Puberty

Puberty.  Immaturity.  Adolescence.  Days of change, growth and hormones. As the mother of three daughters, it appeared to be never-ending. None of our "cycles" coincided . . . so once a week it never failed . . . someone was in a foul mood.  Random mornings getting ready for school an argument would break out about borrowing clothes without permission, taking too long in the bathroom, or just plain annoyance for no reason . . . just because. What is a mother to do?  Pray for sanity!  It does pass and they do eventually grow up (thank you, Jesus!).

Our journey as Christians is a form of emotional puberty.  We shoot for maturity, but will hit bumps along the road.  Lots of bumps.  We question Scripture, we become irritated when the teachings in the Bible don't coincide with our beliefs . . . or, to put it another way, our indiscretions.  So many blind themselves from the truth of their sins because it's too hard not getting what you want or desire. For example, becoming pro-choice if you have had an abortion (or know someone close to you who has) when the Bible says you should not kill. When I had my abortion at age 18, I didn't want to be tied down with a child.  In my mind, it would have put an end to my going away to college and having freedom from the crushing pressure of taking care of a mother with mental illness. So I did it and made myself feel justified in the decision. Of course, over time, I came to realize the choice I made was immature after I had committed such a mature act. It all boils down to this: grow up and begin to mature spiritually.  Look at your sins, those buried deep inside causing you to make decisions based on what justifies those sins, and stop denying the truth. It's a harsh reality, but Jesus is worth it!

Todays Gospel (Luke 7:31-35) finds Jesus a little frustrated with immaturity:

Jesus said to the crowds: "To what shall I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,

'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.
We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'

For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine, and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said, 'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.' But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

In Anne a lay apostle's book Whispers From the Cross, she couldn't have made a better point about spiritual immaturity and why we need to move past emotional puberty:

"People look different when we are looking at them through the eyes of Christ than they do when we look at them through the eyes of the enemy of Christ. God’s eyes will always look compassionately on a person. This does not mean that Christ’s eyes are blinded to truth. On the contrary, it is perfect truth to say that the eyes of the Savior view with complete truth. We can be observers of those around us and also be compassionate, keeping the flaws of others in perspective. Immature spirituality focuses on sin, sin and more sin. All day long, the newcomer thinks about sin, in himself and others. Now when a person is learning a new sport, the rules are explained to him and the novice begins participation by trying not to break the rules. There is no other way. If you do not learn the rules, you cannot play the game with any success. But this must eventually blend into a more advanced performance where the athlete is freed from the constant worry about breaking the rules as he rises to a level of participation where he experiences the beauty of the sport."

Lay apostles, are you making excuses for breaking the rules of our faith?  Are you blaming or condemning others because they don't agree with your new version of the rules? If you are a follower of Christ, listen to His Words.  He is the Truth. If you are living a life making exceptions to His rules, rethink what you are doing. He is so merciful and forgives easily when His children ask and then live their lives accordingly. None of us are perfect.  Not one. But if we try to live our lives in commitment to Him, we will move through emotional puberty to emotional maturity.

Thank you, Lord, for the lessons I have learned the hard way and in retrospect.  I will continue to work on my emotional and spiritual maturity . . . and I apologize in advance if I revert back to puberty once in a while!

God bless,

Bonnie

Good Changes Can Be Frightening

Everything comes with a price.  Everybody expects something in return. Over the years I developed the attitude of "I can do it myself."  Repercussions when I didn't live up to the expectations of others could be brutal, despite doing the best I could.  I learned to rely on myself, having very little trust in the good deeds performed on my behalf. Just when I thought the winds were shifting in my direction, a hurricane would appear out of nowhere. Inconsistency drives me nuts. So, what happens when someone consistently acts in a loving manner with no expectations of anything in return?  Revolt, of course, right? Revert back to my old ways, keeping the wall of bricks around my heart? It's a scary thing when change occurs . . . being vulnerable and believing I am worth loving.  But trusting in Jesus as I do, I have let myself become exposed.  The result is I have found true love.  Good changes can be frightening, but accepting the good with love and thankfulness is heavenly.   

Todays Gospel (Luke 7:11-17) teaches us to believe in good changes knowing the Lord can do all things:

Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him. As he drew near to the gate of the city, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity for her and said to her, "Do not weep." He stepped forward and touched the coffin; at this the bearers halted, and he said, "Young man, I tell you, arise!" The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming, "A great prophet has arisen in our midst," and "God has visited his people." This report about him spread through the whole of Judea and in all the surrounding region.

In Volume One, Our Lady lovingly guides us straight to her Son assuring change for Him is the path to salvation:

"Remember to pray,children. In this way, every action throughout your day can be sanctified. Think of all the small tasks you complete, barely giving any thought to them. If you offer them to us with love, we can use even the smallest action for the salvation of sinners. It is time now to pay attention. Do not put our words down and forget them. I want you to act in obedience to our words and let them change your life. It will feel like the most natural thing in the world, this transition to holiness. Once you make the decision, begin to pray. Once you begin to pray, obedience will come naturally. After obedience, we can move you swiftly to great levels of holiness. My dear one, you will then see the coming of God’s kingdom. The more you obey, the more we can reveal to you. There are many souls who allow their lives to be led by the enemy. They are leading others after them. This must cease. Answer “yes” to your mother and feel the closeness of Jesus, my Son. He will change you and introduce great beauty to your life. Be at peace as you follow the path to holiness. We are with you, and ask only that you do your best."

Lay apostles, what's changing in your life right now?  A new job?  A new relationship? Child leaving for college? Whatever it is, let go of fear and look for the good in these changes. Believe Jesus is leading you on a journey and has your back.  Look at each new situation as a chance to shine the Light of Jesus with love and compassion.  If things don't work out the way you expected, know Jesus is taking you off course to avoid a wipeout. Face every day with the knowledge you are loved, no matter what, by our heavenly Father. He is all we need.  Everyone else is icing on the cake!

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to be open to change, accepting the fact I am worthy of love and respect. Because of my full trust in You, You have led Jay to me. I am forever grateful!

God bless,

Bonnie