Friday, May 30, 2014

Joy From Anguish

Almost two years ago, I went through labor with my daughter Whitney and her husband Kevin. Whitney chose NO pain meds, NO epidural . . . completely natural. It was probably one of the most intense situations I have ever been in. To see my baby girl in so much pain was heart wrenching. She was experiencing back labor, so Kevin and I took turns putting pressure on her lower back. I would look at Kevin when her back was to me, trying to hold back the tears. Kevin would look at me when her back was to him, also trying to stay tough. She was stuck at about 6 or 7 cm dilated, and the doctor said she would have to have a C-Section . . . Colton was too big for a vaginal delivery. Whit didn't want to give up, so she insisted on sticking it out as long as Colt was doing ok. We talked her into some pain meds and then eventually into an epidural. The C-Section was inevitable as she stayed at 7cm dilated with no progress. The next time I saw my baby girl was holding her very large son! All the pain, all the waiting didn't matter anymore. There was joy, and love, and celebration. This is a perfect example of life as a Christian. We will suffer on this earth. Everyone does. But all the suffering will be replaced with joy and light and love when we finally arrive at our heavenly home! Look at every bit of anguish you suffer today as climbing the mountain of holiness to the Arms of Jesus Christ! He is worth it!

In todays Gospel (John 16:20-23), Jesus gives the example of how quickly joy is derived from anguish:

Jesus said to his disciples:  “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” 


In Volume Four, God the Father provides the comfort we need in tough times:

"Remain with Me, your heavenly Father, who seeks to direct all that has an impact on you. I will bring every event in your life and turn it into something that benefits your soul and gives you eternal satisfaction and joy. But not all in my life is good, you are thinking. I know that, My child. That is why you need Me. I can turn the pain, the anguish, the mistakes and grief, into strength, wisdom, patience, and joy. Truly, if you are detached from the world and from worldly things, you can experience a foretaste of heaven on earth and then you will have less desire for earthly things. You will have a clearer, more defined focus. You will have less difficulty with the idea of leaving the earth and making the journey to your home in heaven. Believe Me when I tell you that everything I say, all that I share with you, I share with you for your own benefit. I am your Father and a Father sees to the needs of His children. Use Me, children, to calm your spirit and direct your path. It is for this reason that I come to you now."

Lay apostles, suffering is no fun. I don't voluntarily ask for it . . . but I have learned to take what ever it is . . . pain, frustration, hurt . . . and offer it to Him to use as He pleases. When I do this, it makes whatever is going on less intense . . . every time. So give it a try today. Whatever is bothering you, causing you pain . . . accept it as your cross for today. Ask Jesus to use if for good . . . the graces will shower down, my friends!

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me how to find joy in anguish when I could very easily go the other way! Continue to provide the graces I need when I feel beaten down!

God bless, 
Bonnie

Thursday, May 29, 2014

Confidence Galore!

Today I am pondering everything I have gained from my involvement with the DFOT mission. The list is long, but here are the most important:

1. An intimate relationship with Jesus . . . and no doubt He is always with me.
2. The ability to forgive . . . not only those who have hurt me . . . I have forgiven myself.
3. A community of lay apostles all over the world, praying for and supporting each other.
4. The ability, through the Volumes and all Anne's books, to heal myself from my past. 
5. Calm and peace . . . in everything. 
6. I have become a better parent, and . . . a great Mimi!
7. I have become the woman I should have always been . . . who Jay recognized and fell in love with. 

I owe my life to this mission. Talk about confidence galore! Following and believing what Christ says and asks of us makes it, quite frankly, easy. Even the tough times seem like an inconvenience, not a catastrophe! Today, I am thankful for a woman who took on a huge responsibility for Jesus and has taught me to never doubt again. Thank you, Anne, from the bottom of my heart! 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 28:16-20), Jesus asks His Twelve to never doubt His Presence:

The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had ordered them. When they saw him, they worshiped, but they doubted. Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”

In the Monthly Message of November 2011, Jesus assures us, as He did in the Gospel, He is always by our side:

"My dear apostles, I am with you. I am with you when you are working, and I am with you when you are resting. I am with you when you are at peace, and I am with you when you are unsettled. You are unsettled less and less, though. As I watch you, struggling for holiness and struggling for My will, I can see that you are advancing. You are becoming stronger and more sure of Me. Even allowing for your human doubts, I can see that you are accepting My comfort daily, which makes it easier for you to come through your trials with less suffering. The greatest suffering is, after all, abandonment. The greatest cross is that of being left alone while craving the comfort and love of someone who is dear to you. My friends, often there is confusion in human relationships which causes terrible suffering. This part of the cross is heavy, indeed, and I, Myself, suffered this. It is during these times that I comfort you with the greatest and most tender graces because I understand the confusion which accompanies abandonment. For Me, it was important to remind myself that My Father would not abandon Me. For you, this is also important. I will never leave you."

Lay apostles, do you try to live the messages in the Volumes? I mean take EVERY one of them to heart? As I have said many times on this blog, read and reread all the messages from heaven. It creates a confidence you wouldn't have believed was possible!

Thank you, Lord, for the confidence instilled in me through Scripture and all the messages given to Anne. This truly is a "rescue mission for souls."

God bless,
Bonnie

Monday, May 26, 2014

Time To Be Bold, Lay Apostles!

Memorial Day . . . a time to remember those bold enough to fight for our freedom. It's looking adversity in the face with the end goal in sight. As Christians, we must adopt the same mentality . . . only our end goal is heaven.With all the criticism and "political correctness" in the world, if we aren't defending Christ, who will? Because of this mission, we are armed with weapons to fight spiritual warfare . . . we have the words of Jesus Himself! I am in no way a theologian. I cannot quote Scripture on the fly. But what I can do is try to possess the gentleness, kindness, and nonjudgmental love He asks of His lay apostles. I can defend Him when others assault His Church and His Teachings. Every one of us has the ability to stand up for Our Crucified Jesus!  It's time to be bold, lay apostles! Don't be silent any more!

Todays Gospel (John 15:26 - 16:4A) prepares us for any adversity we may face as Christians:

Jesus said to his disciples:  “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.”


In Anne a lay apostle's book Lessons in Love, she calls us to be as bold as the original Twelve were:

"I believe Jesus is hurting for each soul who has fallen away from His Church. There is the greatest temptation to become angry at the behavior of some who have fallen away. Sometimes they are remarkably arrogant. One man recently said to a devout Catholic woman, “Don’t you know that the Catholic Church is the Church you come away from, not the Church you join?” One is tempted to say, “I beg your pardon. I am a Catholic and you know it. Have you any manners at all?” Truly, apostles, one does wonder when it became acceptable to openly insult us and our faith. If we dared to openly insult the faith of another we would hear about it in a hurry. The apostles were put to death for their faith so I suppose there is huge precedent for being persecuted. But here is the difference. The apostles vigorously defended their faith. There is often deafening silence from Catholics today. As stated, Jesus wants His Church vigorously defended. I think we had better start defending our faith, but with gentleness, humility and good manners." 

Lay apostles, have you been in a situation where Jesus was being insulted or mocked? Did you speak up or were you silently offended? I've been there. But it was before I had the gumption to defend His Sacred Heart. Today, let's choose to defend Jesus when others mock Him. All we have to say is how much we love Him. It really is that simple.

Thank you, Lord, for calling me to be bold for You! Please continue to help me refine my words and actions, so I reflect You, not my own intentions.

God bless,
Bonnie

Friday, May 23, 2014

Love of Neighbor

About 2 1/2 years ago I wrote a blog post called Grace Under Fire. That day was a rough one for me. On the other hand, it was the day I knew, without a doubt, I was a true Lay Apostle of Jesus Christ the Returning King. It was a day where I responded to a verbal attack with humility and most importantly, I didn't respond emotionally. The old Bonnie would have come out swinging. Since that day, I haven't stopped praying for this person. I knew he was under a lot of stress and pressure, and taking it out on me would be safe considering I have a  pretty high tolerance for bad behavior. I am happy to say we are friends today. When we respond with love of neighbor instead of reacting to an outburst hurled our way, it is amazing what God can do with that love! 

Todays Gospel (John 15:12-17) provides the key ingredient of a true Christian:

Jesus said to his disciples: “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I no longer call you slaves, because a slave does not know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you. This I command you: love one another.”


Todays quote from Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain is a little on the long side, but so critical in understanding those who lash out at us and how important our prayers are for their souls: 


"Clearly, the love of Christ is meant to be shared. After the experience of heaven, I can see that the Kingdom of God is made up of souls who love each other. If Christ is in each one of us, and this is of course what we believe as Christians, then we must venerate Christ in every soul. How do we do that? 


We do that with respect and gentleness. Some might say, “Yes, this may be true but I see souls in error, in mortal sin, living far outside of the heavenly Kingdom.” Well, dear fellow apostles, this is when the call to treat them as Christ is at its most profound. If Christ has indeed been driven out of a soul, through serious sin and a spirit of rebellion in that sin, then the call to illustrate our unity with Christ is compelling. How does Christ treat that soul? How does Christ view that soul? I will tell you. 


Christ does not glance at a soul and see the sin, although He is acutely aware of the sin. Christ glances at a soul and sees the wound that both caused the sin and was worsened by the sin. So in order for the Kingdom to come, and it must and it will, we must treat each other as Christ would. 


Sometimes a soul living outside of the Kingdom is bitter. This bitterness is like a sore. When a soul in bitterness views Christ in us, it can be like salt in the wound or sore because our unity with Christ highlights his isolation from Him. This is good. The soul then comes closer to an understanding of what it lacks. Our experience of this may not be pleasant. It may be necessarily painful because in its pain his soul may strike out at us. This can be understood as an almost instinctual lashing out or crying out in the distress of his disconnectedness from Christ. We must accept these strikes as beneficial penance and part of standing with Christ as a companion on the Way of the Cross. 


To clarify, I am driving in traffic and I make a mistake, perhaps, or commit a deed that inconveniences someone else. I give the other driver an apologetic wave. He responds by swearing at me, shouting and threatening. This is shocking for a holy soul. 


We must offer this to Jesus. We must bring that soul to Jesus in prayer and petition. Our prayer will obtain critical graces for that soul. We must look at this person and see the wound, the sore. 


To be more specific to the call to bring Jesus Christ to souls directly, consider a soul who is estranged from the Kingdom. Perhaps it is a family member or neighbor. It is possible that he may be unkind to us because our holiness is an irritant to him and to his wound. Is it then acceptable to be unkind in return? No, this is not acceptable for an apostle of Jesus Christ who seeks to bring His love to them. Remember that it was AFTER the Crucifixion that the Centurion said, “Truly, this was the Son of God.” That soul only saw Christ through the manner in which Jesus accepted suffering from the offender’s hands. Note this parallel. 


A soul may be tormenting us, but for this soul to experience Christ, we must accept it as Christ would. This should be in flashing red lights. 


We may be praying for this soul and beseeching heaven for the conversion of this soul. So we must not complain at a little suffering for this soul, particularly if it comes from the hand of that same soul. 


It helps to examine our motives. Do we want this soul to be saved for the sake of the soul and for the consolation and glory of Jesus Christ? Or do we want this soul to be saved so that the soul will treat us better and make our life easier? I think perhaps it can be a bit of both and this is acceptable. But as we begin to lean more to the benefit of both the soul and the Kingdom, we will become more willing to accept the occasional bad treatment for the purpose of the greater good, which is the salvation of the soul and the consolation of Christ, as well as for the benefit of the Kingdom." 


Lay apostles, choose to love those who seem unloveable. Choose to be the light instead of the darkness. Choose humility over pride. With Jesus, anything can happen!

Thank you, Lord, for the ability to love when faced with adversity. Help me to always keep my focus on You!

God bless,
Bonnie

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Staying Connected

Last night our family went to the Broadway Palm dinner theater to see The Music Man. Believe it or not, I was the only one out of the six of us who had seen the movie! Grant it, our girls and son-in-law are all under 30, so no surprise. But my darling husband had no clue what it was about! My mom loved any kind of musical, so I even knew the words to a few of the songs. The song Shipoopi was the biggest hit for my family (see clip here) http://youtu.be/9Jj622vbrrU. We had a blast and even sang in the car on the way home. We are connected. Not only by blood, but by love, laughter, and faith. Staying connected with our Father in heaven is what binds us all here on earth. Connect with Him first . . . then everything else falls into place.

Todays Gospel (John 15:9-11) is the starting point in our journey toward heaven . . . live your life connected to God at all times:

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”


In Volume Three, God the Father encourages us in our struggles to holiness:



"The coming of My Kingdom is the coming of heaven or the expansion of heaven to earth. This is part of My plan and this is what the future holds for My children. Can you see it, dear ones? True happiness can be found only in the union of a soul’s will to the Divine Will. When your will is united to the Divine Will, there is no conflict, no struggle. Only a very few find such union on earth. The seeking of this union is the path to holiness that you follow in your obedience to My commandments. You are making decisions. You are moving forward along the road. You are making corrections. This is the process. At times in the history of mankind, most souls on earth were moving in the general direction of heaven. At this time, most souls are languishing along the way. Many are wasting their time on earth and are not coming in this direction at all. In this way, souls are lost. As a God of mercy, I send all manner of signs and warnings. In this time, however, most of My signs are being ignored. Such is the level of distraction, that My souls no sooner see a sign and experience My call, then they allow themselves to be distracted and pulled back into the world. Children, pay attention. You must focus on Me and on your path. You must be disciplined if you are to remain on the path to salvation. And believe Me when I say that all other roads lead nowhere. My children belong with each other, loving Me. Hear My call of love, now, while I can offer you a soft and gentle transition to holiness."  

Lay apostles, take a moment to look at your life so far. Are you estranged from your parents? Your children? An old friend? If you answered yes, then take a look at your connection with Christ. Is it first and foremost? Probably not. Choose to be connected with Him today. Then think about those other relationships. Love as He loves us.


Thank you, Lord, for the gift of faith and the amazing connection I have with my family. The closer I get to You, the more connected I feel to others.


God bless,

Bonnie

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Thank God For His Green Thumb

I kill plants. Not on purpose, mind you. I just forget to water them. And, pruning? Well, the word makes me think of prune juice, not plucking off or cutting back a plant. As you can imagine, the planters around our house either look pitiful or vibrant with bright yellows or oranges. Home Depot is my friend . . . always ready to sell me beautiful flowering replacements. About three months ago, it was time to replace two dying plants out back. We found two . . .  one with stunning yellow flowers and one with burgundy flowers. They were perfect! About a month later, dying. So one day when I was watching my grandson Colton, he went over to the planter and started picking off the dead flowers. Hmmmm. I ran in and grabbed a pair of scissors and cut the plant back to just about nothing. I put watering on my schedule (Colt loves the watering can and helping me do this!). Lo and behold, within a few weeks I had tons of yellow flowers!! New growth sprouting more and more little buds everywhere! Now, pruning means something different to me . . . and I am doing my best to make sure my little plants are nurtured and continue to produce more and more little pieces of sunshine. 

My planter this morning . . . thinking I need to do a little pruning today!


In todays Gospel (John 15:1-8), Jesus teaches us the importance of pruning ourselves and reaching out to others:

Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower. He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit, and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit. You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you. Remain in me, as I remain in you. Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”


In the Monthly Message of March 2007, Jesus assures us He has a Green Thumb:

"Your holiness blossoms under the prudent and watchful care of the Divine Gardner. You may wish to advance more quickly. You may sigh at the labours necessary for advancing in holiness. I understand both of these things but I tell you today that you should not be discouraged. It is I, Jesus, after all, who contemplates your soul and determines the speed with which you need to progress to arrive at the perfect place at the correct time. If you were to move too quickly, you might miss this mark. If you were to stop labouring, you would not advance as far as I require. Be at peace in the place where you are spiritually and understand that I am ministering to you constantly there. Be also at peace that you must labour for holiness, moving constantly forward in virtue. I am with you. I take your willingness to serve and your willingness to become holier and truly I flow great things into your soul and into the world. I ask that each apostle find quiet during this time, allowing silence to prune the weeds that spring up in each day’s activity. We work together on your soul, as I have said, and I, Jesus, expect that there is work to be done. If I did not expect that your soul needed work, I would say that you had advanced far enough and I would take you to heaven. When you see the condition of your soul and you correctly identify that there is work to be done and projects to undertake, rejoice. Compare your soul to My soul and you will see a glimpse of the completion of this project. You must say, ‘Truly, I trust that Jesus will get me there if I follow Him.’ I will not abandon the project of your holiness. Neither should you."

Lay apostles, there is a song by Kelly Clarkson called "Sober." One of the lines, since I first heard the song, reminds me how much my life continues to improve trusting Jesus never leaves me: Picked all my weeds but kept the flowers. But I know, its never really over. As Jesus says in the quote above, if we were perfect, He would take us to heaven! Continue to prune, my friends. Read and reread the Volumes until He has taken complete residence in your heart, mind and soul. Do the work. He is worth it!

Thank you, Lord, for the pruning You have done in my life when I wasn't strong enough or smart enough to do it myself!

God bless,
Bonnie

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Let Go Of Fear

My youngest daughter Taylor is home visiting for a week from Los Angeles. A couple nights ago she and a friend were heading out about 10pm to catch up in downtown Ft. Myers. Grant it, this young woman has been living in LOS ANGELES for the past 3 months! But I still found myself telling her to be safe, not to take certain streets, yada yada yada! She gave me a big hug and said she would be careful. As much as she acts like she is all grown up, I know she appreciates my loving guidance and protection. I guess I will never stop being a mom, caring and praying for the safety of my children. The same goes for our Heavenly Father! He wants us to feel the safety and comfort of His Love every second of every day.  If that's what we want for our own children, why wouldn't God want the same for us?

In todays Gospel (John 14:27-31A), Jesus wants us to understand there is nothing to fear in the world as long as we believe:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. You heard me tell you, ‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe. I will no longer speak much with you,
for the ruler of the world is coming. He has no power over me, but the world must know that I love the Father and that I do just as the Father has commanded me.”


In Volume Two, Jesus encourages us to always remember He will always be there to protect us:

"I tell you that you are destined for great holiness and you will achieve this holiness if you remain united to Me. And you will do so because I will protect you. Children, do not seek to further or advance the opinion others have of you. It is irrelevant. Please spend no time at all wondering or worrying about this. Worldly opinions change with the wind and a person could think well of you one day and slander you the next. You must not rely on these opinions for your peace because, as you have learned, you will be disappointed. Instead, rely on Me, who does not change. My opinion of you remains steady. I will always love you."

Lay apostles, what do you choose today . . . hanging on to the criticism of others and internalizing it or remaining peaceful in the comfort of Our Lord's embrace, allowing Him to handle all the chaos? I choose Him today. I choose Him every day! 

Thank you, Lord, for the criticisms, challenges, and lessons You send my way every day. Continue to hold me close to Your Sacred Heart so I can let go of anything bothering me quickly, placing it into Your care!

God bless,
Bonnie

Monday, May 19, 2014

Eucharistic Evening in May - Chicago!

Eucharistic Evening of Renewal 
Date: Friday May 23rd

Time: 7.15pm - 9.15pm

Venue: Polish Mission of Our Lady Mother of the Church

Address: 116, Hilton St. Willow Springs, IL 60480

Theme of the evening: Do you want to be well?


Talks and teaching by Anne, a lay apostle, Margaret McGahon and Fr. Darragh Connolly leads us in a period of Eucharistic Adoration.


The Eucharistic Evening of Renewal on Friday evening kicks off a 3 day Adult Faith Formation weekend retreat held at Rosary Hill, 9000 West 81st St. Justice, IL 60458. If you are interested in attending some or all of the retreat you can sign up on Friday evening.  

*Note- Everybody may attend the Eucharisitic Day of Renewal on Friday even if you are not planning to attend the Weekend Adult Faith Formation Retreat. 

All are welcome!

Following are comments from one of the attendees at the weekend in Ireland:

I really enjoyed the weekend and think that I will only get the full impact after practicing what we were taught. I think that there was a very good balance between spiritual and humanity talks, prayers, Mass etc.


Everyone was very friendly and approachable. Thank you sincerely for all the time and effort you all put into delivering such a great programme.


I think the Adult Faith Formation retreat will help me to:


  • Come closer to God through contemplative prayer
  • Learn to accept my imperfections and use the skills we have be given to improve my thinking processes
  • Have more compassion for myself and others – see the good
  • Learn to be more resilient
  • Learn to trust in God more and let Him transform me
  • Be aware that all of the above will take practice!

As we were told, the weekend was just a ‘taster’, which has given me an appetite for more, Thank you all again! 



Adult Faith Formation Weekend Retreat

Saturday 24th - Contemplative Prayer & Self-awareness
Sunday 25th - Living the Undefended Life with Resilience
Monday 26th & Tuesday 27th will have a programme geared toward young adults (more info click here) 


Thursday, May 8, 2014

Givers - Happy Nurses Week

Being a nurse myself, I got the biggest kick out of this posted on Facebook by a fellow nurse:




The last RN duties I performed were for both my parents at end of life. I know how hard most RNs work to make sure patients survive the experience of hospital admission, let alone in- home caregiving. Thank a nurse today . . . either one you know or one you come across in a hospital, doctor's office, or in the grocery store. I promise it will make his/her day! 


Todays Gospel (John 6:44-51) shows us the Son of God is the ultimate Giver:


Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him,
and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets:

They shall all be taught by God.

Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life.  I am the bread of life.  Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”


In Volume One, Anne a lay apostle makes it easy to understand the importance of givers:



"If you want to know how to please our God, just consider a child, and what that child would have to do to please his parents. Be good. Be nice. Be obedient. Take direction when it is given. Laugh a lot. Smile. And clean up your messes. Don’t be greedy or unkind and whatever your job is, do it cheerfully. Doing the Stations, which are rich for me, I came upon Simon of Cyrene, reluctantly helping Jesus. This breaks my heart. How dreadful to be helped grudgingly. I so often think that Jesus loves a cheerful giver. I spent a good deal of time in this hospital or that one and when a nurse was grudging or impatient in her care, it stung terribly. As a sick person, you don’t have a lot of fight or esteem, and are vulnerable to this additional wound of your emotions. At the same time I consider the great kindness and love that has been given to me in hospitals and it overwhelms me. Truly, Christ is present in these loving souls. And truly, nursing or any care of the sick or elderly is a blessed vocation. I think if those people who are called to those professions would ask Jesus for love, He would deluge them with graces. I ask Him right now to shower all of these souls with so much love that it pours over onto their patients and charges, badly in need of consolation."

Lay apostles, find opportunities to give instead of take; to love instead of hate; to accept instead of reject. As Anne says above, be a cheerful giver . . . follow in the footsteps of Our Savior!


Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of being a nurse. Bless all caregivers with strength, courage, acceptance and kindness, giving them the same in return!


God bless,

Bonnie






Wednesday, May 7, 2014

School of Holiness and Adult Faith Formation Dates and Details

 Email from DFOT today:

This past weekend we had the Adult faith Formation Pilot Program in Ireland, 2nd- 4th May 2014.

It was a great success with over 50 people attending. This is what people were saying:

  •  ‘I absolutely loved it! I really felt like I was absorbing all the information and the techniques that were taught. I was very interested in all the ways we can touch upon anxiety in our lives.  For someone who has a hard time concentrating I felt myself completely enthralled. It was comforting to know that there was a reason for feeling the way we do at times. I’ve heard Anne’s talks over the years and I can genuinely say that there is always something new to take away from what she has to say. Thank you’. 

  • 'I felt very comfortable within the group and came with an open mind.  I was very enlightened. The weekend gave me loads of food for thought. We can be so involved with the spiritual work and forget the human side. I feel my heart and mindhave been opened and ready for change and structure. It was a very gentle approach but got in deep and we really learnt some new skills. There is a great need for this, thank you Anne. We were all blessed to be present at this weekend’.

  • ‘I liked the fellowship with all those attending and the availability of Confession and Holy Mass. I liked the explanation of personal boundaries and Anne’s core teaching of ‘Christ’s Love for me’. I enjoyed the friendliness of all the staff and Fr. Darragh’s helpful input throughout’.




 

Reminders of coming events:
  • Adult Faith Formation Chicago USA May 23rd-25th
  • School of Holiness Chicago USA May 23rd – 27th.
  • School of Holiness, Cavan Ireland 2014 July 1st -21st

  • For information on this year's School of Holiness (click here!)


Please support us financially as we try to cover our costs. Each year has been such a blessing to the young people who are able to join us for these retreats and each year, with your help, we are just able to cover our costs. This year is no different and I’m asking for your help in assisting us financially as well as your prayers of support. Also, please spread the word about these retreat opportunities to your family and friends. 

       Donation Opportunity? (Increments of $1- Click Here) 

Thanks to those people who have helped us raise $750 for this years School of Holiness. We still are in need of $2,780. 

This is our last call to assist students attending this year's School of Holiness. Your donation of $25,$50,$100 dollars will support the various incidentals such as airport pick-ups, field trips, teaching materials, and other costs to host students both in Ireland and Chicago to learn about their Catholic faith and human formation as young adults. 

Angels from Heaven direct your path! 

-Justin and the DFOT team.


From Loss to Life

We never know what lessons and/or challenges God has in store for us. If we are not prepared for the unexpected, it leaves a gaping hole for evil to flood in and steer us away from Christ. But if we are prepared for anything, confident God is always with us (or loved ones, friends, etc), surprises are not so enveloping. We can go from loss to life if we stay focused on Jesus. Listen to what He says in the Gospels and the Volumes. He is giving us exactly what we need to survive anything!

In todays Gospel (John 6:35-40), Jesus teaches the crowd there is no other way than the way of His Father:

Jesus said to the crowds, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger,
and whoever believes in me will never thirst. But I told you that although you have seen me,
you do not believe. Everything that the Father gives me will come to me, and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me. And this is the will of the one who sent me, that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him may have eternal life, and I shall raise him on the last day.”


In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, St. Faustina gives such comfort in describing suffering in service to Christ:


"When you are serving Christ, you will know peace, even in suffering. Do not be surprised when you carry a cross for Jesus. This is a sign that He looks upon you as a friend. Dear friends of heaven, this is a time for the greatest trust. So trust Jesus in your doubts and fears and sufferings and you will be making the right choice.” 

Lay apostles, when a heavy cross is handed to you, turn to Him and say, "Jesus, I trust in You!" As St. Faustina says above, it means we are doing it for whatever Jesus needs of us to change an outcome; to bring support when others run away; to love when there is hatred. Trust He has a plan . . . 

Thank you, Lord, for the crosses You give me and the strength to carry it. I believe, with every cell in my body, You are giving it to me to further Your Heavenly Plan.

God bless,
Bonnie

Sunday, May 4, 2014

The Resurrected Christ

Excerpt of the writing, “The Resurrected Christ” from the upcoming book Transforming Grace (by Anne, a lay apostle)

If we desire a share in the divine life during our time on earth, we must be willing to allow the Resurrected Christ to live in us and through us. This will be accomplished through our willingness to stare into Easter Sunday joy, yes, and also Good Friday suffering and death. We will suffer, dear friends, during our time on earth and will offer our bodies to the Father at the end of our time, just as Jesus offered His body to the Father at the end of His life. Jesus died after fulfilling the promise of His life by death on the cross.

We can live, even during trials, the life of the Resurrected Christ. Let me explain.  It is the same thing as saying the word ‘HOPE’. Hope is the road on which we travel through suffering safely. Hope protects us from idleness in the spiritual life in that there is no greater call to do our spiritual work cheerfully than when we are suffering. Being convicted about hope is the way we immunize ourselves from cynicism, which might be somewhere near the opposite of hope. When we sustain a series of sufferings, we can find that our hope is flat. We may kick it, metaphorically speaking, throw water on it, and even try to shock it electrically through our favorite Scripture or devotion. And what occurs? Nothing. Hope does not leap. Hope sometimes lies still. This is a frightening state of affairs for those who are naturally buoyant. Humanity often only recognizes a suffering in another which he himself has suffered.

To examine hope that is accessible, let us look to Jesus on Easter Sunday morning. He sits outside of His tomb, which had enclosed His broken body, the remnant of His expired humanity. Death had seemingly overcome Him. He was certainly not preaching with His mouth when He lay wrapped in burial cloths. No. there was no evidence of His divinity visible to human beings as the stone was rolled across the opening of the tomb.  The crowds dispersed. For those who had been inspired to hope through the life of Christ, all hope would seem to have died. Imagine them walking away. Would it be accurate to say that their legs carried them away from the savagery of the Passion only through the action of the Spirit of hope remaining in them?  

My friends, breathing itself illustrates some degree of hope. And it is for that reason, the absolute requirement of hope to keep a person inhaling oxygen and exhaling carbon dioxide, that Satan cannot extinguish hope in humanity. Only God, who breathed hope into humanity when He breathed life into humanity, can reach into our humanity through our souls and draw back life into Himself. When we take a life, through violence or euthanasia, we are trying to be God. We, through the very gift of our free will, given to us by the Creator, attempt to force God to submit to our will. How embarrassing is a belief that we hold anything near to the wisdom of the Creator! Abortion, euthanasia, and indeed any murder, makes us pitifully arrogant. We are pretending that we hold the wisdom to extinguish hope because when we extinguish life, we have decided that no hope should exist in the life God created. If life is cooperating with the oxygen God provided, there is hope. Period.

But hope is a funny thing. It is just like oxygen in that it is invisible. It is like the wind in that it can often only be recognized by its effects. A mother feeds a sick child. She has hope that the child will be restored or she would stop feeding the child. A terminally ill patient is given water. Why? We have hope that the person will be sustained and comforted, but for what purpose? So that he can continue to inhale and exhale oxygen, thus, preserving hope for all of humanity until that person has completed his or her time in humanity. When, through God’s decision, that person surrenders his body to the Creator and advances into timelessness, hope is not extinguished, it simply transfers into those who remain with even greater abundance. Who would deny that they feel the spirit and presence of their ancestors who have gone before them, if only for an instant? No, hope is something like oxygen. We must be careful never to pollute it, deny it or damage it in another. And the Resurrected Christ lives in each one of us who welcome Him. We must never be more certain of this than when we are suffering desolation.

When the Lord viewed His Passion and death from the place of His resurrection, He saw that He had all he could manage on the cross in the physicality of his suffering. He, who possessed hope for all humanity, fought the greatest battle ever fought for hope. He did not die in desolation, despite the circumstances of His death. He died in hope because He retained His hope against the enemy’s effort to destroy all hope for all time for all people. The Lord looked upon the physical reaction to the suffering, which, it must be said, took place not in one part of his body but in all parts of his body. He was wounded simultaneously and thus, as a human being, was trying to tend to himself in that suffering in many, many areas, physically, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically…the Lord truly took it on in every area all at once.

We resemble Christ when this happens to us, that is, many sufferings at one time. One suffering can impact all of these areas and we will have to be busy tending to all of the areas during the time of the suffering and after.

What will we look like when we are suffering grave trials?

Well, did Christ look like a King when he trudged up the hill, bleeding, powerless, mocked and rejected? Did He look like a King when they took away even His very clothing, rendering Him naked before cruelty? Did Christ look like a King when they nailed His beautiful hands and feet to wood, something the Father created in His great benevolence? The answer is no. And each one of us is a treasure, like Christ, in that we were created by the Father to be reverenced and assisted by others as we make our way through the sufferings in our lives.

Apostles, when people are suffering the many aching passions in their lives, they will show signs of wear and tear. Christ is the jewel of humanity. Christ is the only perfect specimen. But He did not look like that when they turned on Him, distorting his Kingship to the furthest possible extent by disempowering Him completely. What emerged from this situation?

The King emerged.  Untarnished. Undiminished. Undaunted.  

How did Jesus feel on Easter Sunday? He felt like God. But He did not feel like that as He suffered on the cross.

The Resurrected Christ, this Jesus Christ who returned to life on Easter Sunday, wishes to live in us. In so far as we allow Him, He does so. When people around us are suffering, they will not necessarily feel the extent of either their beauty nor their sanctity. It is we, the brothers and sisters who surround them, who must remind them that they are beautiful, that they are holy and that God is filled with hope about them. This applies to those who are suffering addictions, suffering marriage failures and family disunity, and those who are not feeling joy in their vocations.

Jesus was probably not smiling and joking from the cross and our own humanity will reflect our suffering as the Lord’s humanity reflected His suffering. We must minister to others accordingly, with compassion, understanding and a great deal of tolerance with how their humanity is recoiling at the cross.

For ourselves, we must go to our safe place, our sanctuary, and, with all of the kindness and compassion of the Savior who also suffered humanity, we acknowledge “I was afraid, and then I did this. I was alone, and then I did this. I was hurt, and then I did this. I was addicted, and then I did this. I was in grief, and then I did this.” This formula or method of examination will predispose us to mercy for ourselves and also understanding for others.

Young people who come into the faith early and learn to self-examine properly are so very blessed. They begin the hard work of appropriate self-examination young and thus do not store it up for a big job later. If one is only beginning real self-examination at an old age, one may have an awful lot to examine. This method of doing the hard work in our heads will leave us very free. Nobody will be able to convince us that we are without value. And nobody will be able to convince us that any created child of God is without value.

It must be so that Jesus, looking back at the figure of Himself on the cross, feels reverence at the extent of His suffering, but also reverence at the extent of what was given to humanity through His suffering. Because He, as God, is aware of the gift given, redemption, He, Jesus, would do it all over again for each person if such a thing were necessary.

We must accept the reality of that gift now, in advance of our death, because if we do so then we will be living the Resurrected Christ. He will be living through us dynamically, impacting the world freely through our presence. This is what He wants for us and this is the plan for renewal. It takes study of both the light and darkness in us. It takes willingness to transform. It takes determination, not to point at others but to be willing to examine ourselves.