Handed Over to Heaven in Hatred

Guest blogger: the beautiful inside and out Annie, Ave Maria University senior:

It isn’t easy to be the only person on your own side. It isn’t easy to stand up and dissent from the prevailing mentality, especially when that mentality is the popular one and yours is very much not. Don’t we all know about this from living in the battlefield that modern society presents to Christians? Especially for our younger generation, it can be a serious challenge to rebel against the status quo of our peers. Unless you live in some kind of compound, the odds are good that you know and have interacted with many members of different faiths or of no faith at all. If you have been lucky enough never to have been attacked verbally by one of these people, you are not in the majority of Christians. Once when I was away at summer camp as a teenager, an atheistic and pro-choice friend of mine began to speak mockingly and hatefully about the archaic and oppressive religious practise of not killing children before they are born. (The first half are her words, the second half are mine.) Not then practised in the fine art of delicate navigation through the waters of controversial matters, I saw her scorn and raised her my passionate opposition, until we basically had a shouting match in the middle of the common area. The fight got personal and ugly and she ended up painting with a very unflattering brush. That was not the last time I engaged in an argument regarding Church matters, but the experience was so offensive to me personally that there have been many, many times since where I have quietly sat back and said nothing, knowing that to do so would mean not only ridicule but serious persecution from my friends.

Today’s Gospel (Luke 21:1-19) reassures us that yes, we will indeed receive hostility and hatred when we enter the army of Christ, but also that we will be protected and rewarded for bearing this burden far beyond what we realize:

Jesus said to the crowd: “They will seize and persecute you, they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons, and they will have you led before kings and governors because of my name. It will lead to your giving testimony. Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand, for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speaking that all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute. You will even be handed over by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends, and they will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name, but not a hair on your head will be destroyed. By your perseverance you will secure your lives.”

To me the underlying message of this Gospel is that we must have courage. We must have the courage to speak up, and we must have the courage to stay calm and with Christ in our conflicts. I have failed to have both of these forms of courage in the past, (see above example!) as I’m sure many of you have. One of the things we must remember is that no matter how many people would stand against us, we are never really the only person on our own side. Apart from the huge body of the Church here on earth, we have Christ, and even if He were literally the only one in the world, that would be enough. All we need is conviction and courage – we don’t even have to have our own defense! God does all of the work for us.

In Volume Seven, St. Dymphna tells us that we are not alone in our Christian endeavours and that we need never worry about the contempt of the world:

“Do not be afraid. There is nothing that should make you be afraid. Jesus will care for your needs and you will care for His. Fear is paralyzing many on earth at this time. This brings us back to the need for the heavenly eyes. If you look at your situation and view it as heaven views it, you will understand that there is nothing on the earth that should make you fearful. You will serve for a time and then you will die in your body. This is the way it has always been. This is heaven’s plan. This is not a bad thing but a good thing. Imagine living on earth indefinitely. That would make you sad because it would take away your hope that your time of service will end and your time in heaven will begin. If souls on earth do not think well of you and they ridicule you, well, my friend, that puts you in the greatest company you could find. They did not think well of Jesus. They ridiculed Jesus. They put Him to death. He was the greatest gift of God, the gift of Himself, and they killed Him. Did this make Him any less a King? No. He is the King. So the treatment of the world does not dictate the treatment you will receive in heaven, where the first shall be last. Never fear the opinions of others on earth. Step away from the opinions of others. Confess your sins. Let Jesus fill your soul and you will then reflect Jesus in the world, even in your suffering, or shall I say, especially in your suffering.”

So another way we could look at the whole scenario? Maybe when others burn us, we should even be grateful for the opportunity they give us to persevere for God. After all, when they hand you over to the synagogues and prisons, they are really handing you over to heaven. Let’s keep in mind always what and who we are standing for here on earth, and allow the might of those motives to steady our conviction, strengthen our perseverance, and keep us calm and humble in the face of persecution.

God bless,

Annie

A letter from Fr. Darragh Connolly

Want to give a shout out to DFOT for mentioning my blog!!! Thanks for all the support!

Now, a letter from our own Fr. D:

Dear lay apostles,

How the Lord has blessed all of us abundantly! We continue to watch the many great things Christ is doing through this apostolate and through the generous response to Christ's call we are all making.

Yesterday you heard from Anne about all the wonderful developments taking place in our work. I am excited most especially by the work at the abbey and the development of the Adult Faith Formation program.

Through the years we have been supported in our work by your prayers, words of encouragement and financial generosity. We continue to rely on this support and it is about this I am writing to you.

As part of our fundraising efforts we are inviting you to work with us by donating $1 a day to continue making all the many projects Anne told you about possible. If you feel called to help with this campaign please click on the link below and fill in your details.

We were advised that if 1000 lay apostles could participate by giving one dollar a day, then we could continue work at our current level. Maybe you can give .50 cents or two dollars a day. Maybe you can give more or less, but if everybody helps, the work will continue. Each one of us is giving what we can. 

Please prayerfully consider whether you and your family can make this sacrifice to help us continue our work. Also, if you know others who have the means and have been blessed by this apostolate, please invite them to join this team.

We will continue to keep you informed about the ongoing developments in the apostolate and the many wonderful things taking place. At the end of this letter you will find an update from Justin about the abbey and from Ryan about the ongoing multimedia work.

God bless you always,

Fr. Darragh

Chaplain

         

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P. S. Below are some other examples of the endeavours of lay apostles.

• One generous lay apostle continuously spreads the messages by making them available in parishes and hospitals to give them for free.  He covers the costs of about twenty other lay apostles who are constantly giving out great quantities of the books and booklets for free in churches, prisons, hospitals, schools and street evangelization.  He has helped DFOT acquire video production equipment to make possible the production of The Mist of Mercy DVD and future DVDs like Climbing the Mountain. 
  
• One priest has given out thousands of Volume One's and Volume Two's to all the families in his parish during the Christmas season.   

• Another lay apostle has contacted prison chaplains in most of the federal, state and juvenile correctional facilities throughout all the United States to arrange sending Heaven Speaks booklets to the prisoners. 
  
• One lay apostle has faithfully made available copies of the CD audio recordings of Anne's monthly talks to be made available at the end of each of monthly prayer group meetings in Bailieborough, Ireland. 
  
• Another lay apostle felt called to help get the messages of the Volumes in audio format for CDs and downloadable MP3s.  He has helped provide for us the sound booth and equipment to make quality audio recordings of the Volumes.  All Volumes have now been recorded and are in the process of production.  Volume One Audio CD and Volume Two Audio CD are now available.

                              

(above) Fr. Darragh Connolly with the Adult Faith Formation Participants

Update from Justin on the Abbey in Kilnacrott:

The property at the abbey consists of around 35 acres most of which is grass fields. Currently, there is one beautiful forest walk of mature broad leaf trees. In our desire to increase and promote the natural beauty we have come across a state grant that covers the implementation and upkeep of a forest. Our forest will consist, once again, of broad leaf trees including cherry, hazel, walnut and Norway maple. These trees, while beautiful in autumn, also will give us some produce to look forward to as nuts and berries; as well as maple syrup in the long run. The forest will come alive with deer, squirrels and birds. To increase pollination, honey bees are being established which is a win/ win for us. Establishing this forest with the honey bees is a serious commitment and we have trialed three hives and harvested our first honey crop this year!  It is exciting and we will happily keep you posted!

                       

Update from Ryan on the Promotion of the Messages through Media:

The messages continue to go out on-line. We are thankful for lay apostles who share the messages with their friends and family through either handing out a book, sending a link to one of the volumes on-line, or even starting their own lay apostle blog (be sure to check out Bonnie's -click here ). We also get lay apostles on facebook who share images like the one below on their daily wall. People can click the image and then find out more about the messages on our website. 

There is every reason to share the mission both through physical hard copies of the messages and through free digital electronic distribution. Grace by the Case also continues to move along and we have had over 20,000 volumes go out in this special way. One woman puts her extra volumes in the 'free books' section of her library. Driving somewhere? We are also starting to release the volumes on CD and MP3. There are many ways to share the messages! 

After the messages are read, many lay apostles still want more! Thats  why we are also rolling out an amazing Adult Faith Formation Curriculum. Be sure to watch the latest video from our recent AFF weekend in Virginia...

      

watch the AFF video click above!

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And Click below to see Bonnie's Blog

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Direction For Our Times relies on donations to supplement the cost of publishing the messages. Currently, only 40% of the publishing cost is covered by the sale of the books. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. 

 

A Sign Will Come

I don't needs signs anymore. But I do require a gentle "shove" in the right direction every once in a while. Jesus knows me well.  He knows when I ask for help with decision-making, I need His answer to slap me in the face. If it doesn't, I vacillate back and forth trying to figure out if my thoughts are His will or my own. Ultimately, the answer lies in this . . . will my decision further His Kingdom? Or, will it make me feel better, or stronger, or more loved? Pray the Litany of Humility. The answer will be crystal clear.

In todays Gospel (Luke 21:5-11), Jesus answers the "signs" question:

While some people were speaking about how the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings, Jesus said, "All that you see here the days will come when there will not be left a stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."

Then they asked him, "Teacher, when will this happen? And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?" He answered, "See that you not be deceived, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and 'The time has come.' Do not follow them! When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for such things must happen first, but it will not immediately be the end." Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plagues from place to place; and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

In Volume Three, God the Father asks us to search for signs:

"My children of the world, look for Me. Look for the signs in your world that I am present. Some would have you believe that I am no longer actively directing the outcome of this time. Children, can you believe that I would lovingly lead My children for centuries, since the beginning of the world, and then leave? Would I really turn away from My precious creatures? This idea is fooling many souls today. They proceed in their lives as though I do not exist and as though there will be no reckoning for decisions against Me, against others, and at times even against nature, as I created nature. I see all. I will judge every action. I will reward every decision made by one soul for the benefit of another. In the same way, I will challenge every decision made by one soul to the detriment of another. Children, all is being recorded. You will account for your life. I am merciful. I am merciful to a degree that will astound you. But you must allow Me to be merciful. You must accept My mercy. You cannot scorn My mercy, child. Allow Me to exercise My mercy in your life. “How must we do that, Father?” you ask. I will tell you. You must say this to Me: 'God, my Father in heaven, You are all mercy. You love me and see my every sin. God, I call on You now as the merciful Father. Forgive my every sin. Wash away the stains on my soul so that I may once again rest in complete innocence. I trust You, Father in heaven. I rely on You. I thank you. Amen.'”

Lay apostles, are you waiting for signs the end is near?  Or, are you searching for signs of God's presence in our world? Live life in preparation for His second coming, not in fear of it. If you are prepared, there are no surprises. Only the joy of living for eternity with our Savior, Jesus Christ!

Thank you, Lord, for showing me the importance of living for You while on this earth. Please keep me focused on Your signs of beauty and love so graciously provided to endure this time in exile from You.

God bless,
Bonnie

Update and Letter From Anne, a lay apostle

Dear lay apostles,

I write to you today with the briefest of updates regarding the work we are accomplishing together as an Apostolate.

First, as we prepare to take possession of the property known as the abbey, we continue to wish the very best to our Norbertine brothers as they prepare for their own next phase. Please keep them in your prayers during their period of transition.

We, ourselves, are looking at the grounds. Father Darragh is working with our architect and board members to develop a four phase plan for the buildings at the property. More on that as it develops.

Thanks to the effort of Ryan, we have increased presence on social media. Patrick, Colleen and Sarah are working away in the Chicago office. Additionally, thanks to the leadership of Tom Harkin, we distributed literally double the amount of materials last year as the year before. Good job to everyone involved.

In the meantime, I, myself, am totally immersed, with Emma, Margaret, Jane and Pam in the development of the teachings according to the four necessary pillars of formation we identify as Human, Spiritual, Academic and Pastoral. A co-responsible laity will not just happen. We will need formation and it is that which we will be offering at the new property. We are providing pilots in a few places to gather information about learning styles and how to group the information.  

Do not worry if you cannot get to a pilot. We hope to offer the material as an on-line course in the future.

Clearly, our commitment is to assist people in the development of a contemplative prayer life as an antidote for the general ‘silence poverty’ and over activity of the times. Also, we must have good Human Development as a basis for becoming thoughtful men and women of God who do not wound others in our attempt to share the Gospel message. And, if we are to become compassionate listeners, we will have to limit our words and learn to offer people space to share grief and suffering without being judged.

Lay apostles, it is such wonderful and exciting work that words fail to communicate my gratitude to God. He is so merciful in giving us absolute clarity about both our Way and our way forward. We have offered considerable time, for example, to the development and piloting of a program for secondary schools (high schools), in our diocese. The fruits have been humbling, as always in the work. It is painful to see the extent of the need and yet glorious at the same time to know that we can help. And the need is profound. And the workers are few. And yet, we are filled with hope.

Father Darragh is writing to you tomorrow to ask that you share in our work by helping with a small daily contribution. We began this mission with little and while much has changed, that part has not. We continue to be stretched, even while, through providence, we advance steadily. The prison work, for example, seemed impossible but because we work as a team, with all lay apostles, all prison orders get filled. Additionally, I was blessed to be able to visit men, women and juveniles in prison this past year and pilot our teachings for prisoners, also. Oh my goodness! God is so good. And again, the need is so great.

Our gratitude to you, lay apostles, is immense. Without you none of our work would have proceeded. I thank God every day for you and for the progress we have made in our prayer lives and spiritual works. Through your partnership, we have audio CD’s, a movie about purgatory, one coming up about Heaven, children’s books, a calendar,  a prison ministry, booklet display cases in a myriad of locations, translations in 18 languages in progress, many parish outreach programs, clergy support, a recording studio, a sound booth, and a new image of Our Lady, Queen of the Church. Most of this occurred before the Imprimatur was granted. Lord, how quickly and efficiently we have all moved. Only God, Himself could manage this Rescue Mission.

So, help us if you can, in a small ongoing way. This will take the pressure off those who are trying to keep up with the ever-expanding work. As you know, we are a small staff with a big job.  

In publishing news, we have just released the latest book calledTransforming Grace. I believe you will like it as it gives a more extensive treatment on the Contemplative Prayer Structure and much more as well.

Lay apostles, remember that Jesus asked us to form prayer groups. Well done to you who have remained faithful to His request. If you are not in a prayer group, perhaps you might consider starting one, if only with your spouse, friend or children. We take such strength from our prayer group here in Bailieborough. We also have a teen prayer group and a young adult prayer group at our headquarters at the Hague Building in Ireland.

I think you now have some of the news. In summary, we are all grateful to each of you and consider ourselves one team, together with our Queen, serving the Returning King.  

All my love is yours and I ask for your prayers of protection on our progress with our work in the Church. We will be praying for all of your intentions throughout Advent.

Your sister in service,

Anne, a lay apostle

Opportunity 

We have a donation of 50 booklet display cases, stocked and ready for deployment. Do you have a place to put one? This is the time to act if you do, while we have this generous lay apostle willing to sponsor 50. Booklet display cases are currently working in the following places: churches, retreat centers, shrines, hospitals, prisons, shops owned by lay apostles, pharmacy, hair salons, health food stores, book shops, religious goods shops, alternative medicine center, pro-life women centers, Cathedrals, juvenile detention centers, immigration detention centers.

Note from Ryan:

Anne has encouraged us to read the section from Climbing the Mountain about Heaven which is available in the book or hereon the webpage.

Adult Faith Formation Event in Virginia

Good morning, lay apostles! Below is an article (and some photos from the event) written by an attendee of the Adult Faith Formation weekend in Virginia a few weeks ago:

We began this DFOT Adult Faith Formation weekend with each person making a sign that says: 'I am imperfect'. We got creative and had fun doing this! Making a sign we can hold was a way of every person reminding themselves, for some possibly admitting for the first time (out loud), that we are not there yet and journeying like everyone else. Making this sign predisposed us for a learning experience and for me, created a family atmosphere where people are aware but at peace with their imperfection and need for work here and there. 

A beautiful moment in the first talk was when Anne described a newborn baby. Showing a picture of the newborn baby on the screen, Anne asked: “Is this a Catholic baby? Is this baby going to be in full compliance with all of the rules of the Catholic Church for his/her entire life?” This was a moment for many of us in the room because we were free to view this baby as God views all of us, with love. The love Jesus felt for Mary Magdalene. The love He felt for the woman at the well and for the good thief. Permission to love every person God has created gave me a feeling of freedom and joy. 

Margaret's talk on feelings was very helpful. I will be bringing the three steps back into my life and practicing 'a new way'. 

1. The first is to identify the feeling. How do I feel? 

2. The second is to accept the feeling. Do not try to put it in a box of 'good' or 'bad'. Be honest with yourself, it is what it is. 

3. The third step is to make a choice on how I am going to act. This is where the rubber meets the road and where the hard work in your head of 1. identifying your feeling and 2. accepting your feeling, pays off. 

Lastly, a simple but impacting teaching was "Ask why?". Asking 'why?' throughout the day gives insight into wounds, behaviours due to wounds and where healing is needed. I find this so practical. I love it! 

Have a blessed Monday,

Bonnie

Give and You Shall Receive

When Sunday Mass rolls around and the money baskets are passed, who are we thinking of when we place the check or cash within? Are we thinking of Jesus, how He died for our sins, and the price He paid?  Or, are we thinking about the brunch after Mass we will have to pay for? The cell phone bill due next week? The lattes we drink on our way to work every morning? The next time you contribute $4 for a latte at Starbucks, think about how that $4 times the number of visits to your favorite coffee shop can add up. Then, pass on the expensive coffee and add it to your church fund. Depending on how much you consume, all of the sudden you are contributing more in the right direction. The more you give Him of yourself, your time and your money, the more graces and blessings shower you on earth. I've seen it happen with my very eyes. Give for Him and He will provide exactly what you need.   

In todays very short Gospel reading (Luke 21:1-4), Jesus shows us His love and mercy for those who think of Him first:

When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy people putting their offerings into the treasury and he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins. He said, "I tell you truly, this poor widow put in more than all the rest; for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."

In Anne a lay apostle's book Lessons in Love, she gives us a healthy perspective on stewardship from any financial climate we find ourselves:

"Families proceeding from a solid Christian identity will be careful about their views of material possessions. If a family has been given or allowed great wealth, that family will be alert to keep possessions in their proper perspective, meaning emphasize people, not things, and teach their children good stewardship. The word “wealth” is highly subjective of course. The poorest family can perceive themselves as wealthy if they compare “down” to those who have less. The wealthiest family can feel bitter if they compare “up” to those who have more. A healthy attitude for any family will be to promote an outpouring of gratitude to God for whatever blessings they have been given—material, spiritual or relational. A positive approach to our faith will teach our children to flow out from Christ generously."

Lay apostles, what can you do to contribute more to your church? Take note of everything you spend money on in a given week.  Discover what is necessity and what is for pleasure. What changes can you make to add more to your gift giving on Sunday? Every little bit helps.  He is worth everything and more. Give when you have nothing left.  It won't go unnoticed. He sees everything.

Thank you, Lord, for showing me the importance of the widow's contribution in the Gospel. I will continue to look for ways to contribute more and be co-responsible for the growth of our beautiful Church!

God bless,

Bonnie

Finding Peace

There is nothing I love more than Mass with Colton, our two year old grandson. I especially love when it's time for the exchange of "peace" to those around us. When he notices all of us giving hugs and shaking hands, he jumps into action! He approaches each one of us (mommy, daddy, Papa, Mimi and Savannah) with a grin and a kiss while saying "peace!" Everything is right in the world when this beautiful baby boy looks up at me when it's my turn. God has given us the ability and graces to be examples to those around us, especially our children and grandchildren. Do you make it a point to find peace in your life? It's not always easy to find, but it is right in front of your face!

My little bubba Colton!

In todays Gospel (Luke 19:41-44), Jesus wept . . . that's how much He loves us and wishes we live peaceful lives:

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, we are encouraged to remain peaceful always:

"Jesus is grateful to us for every chore and every service. When we unite each action in our day to Him, He uses each action to restore peace in the world by exchanging our willingness and service for heavenly graces. Someone once lamented disunity in parishes, in churches, and between holy organizations. They asked what they could do about it. Well, on any given day, if I mop my floor and prepare meals for my family in a spirit of
cheerful willingness, I am creating unity and harmony between those in other areas of the world. Jesus may use my floor mopping to create peace between two families in Tibet or two warring parish councils. Jesus may use the farmer’s labors to restore unity to a tribe in a remote area we have never heard about or in the city council of our hometown. The lay apostle must believe that his daily service is fueling the renewal. The lay apostle must believe this because it is true. Do not be one who reflects constantly on the dreadful state of the world. It cannot be all that bad as Jesus is here and angels and saints surround us. Earth is an extension of heaven, dear apostles. I know with certainty that Jesus is within me. And I am here, on earth. And earth is God’s creation. So it is wrong to proceed with a long face. There are souls to be loved and services to be performed. Do not reflect constantly on the dreadful state of the world because by doing so one spreads the fruits of darkness, fear and despair. Be one who reflects constantly on the joyful state of heaven. That is our final destination after all and all is well in heaven. All will be well when we arrive there. We are here for a short time and we are given the opportunity to do our little bit to improve matters for others, so, within our precious vocations, let us proceed to do that for Jesus. When we proceed through our lives in unity with Jesus, we have joy, even in hardship. Suffering is quite a different matter when there is a purpose and meaning attached to it."

Lay apostles, I know peace isn't always easy to achieve . . . we all have our triggers. But think about Jesus in the Gospel today weeping . . . and keep that image of Him when someone or something tries to disrupt your calm. Remember, peace is from God. Unrest and chaos is from evil. What do you choose today?

Thank you, Lord, for all the reminders You send me every day to retain my peaceful existence . . . just give me a kick in the pants when I forget!

God bless,
Bonnie

Repent For His Mercy Is Great

Yes, Jesus loves sinners. Yes, His mercy is great.  Yes, we must repent and do our best to leave sinful behavior behind.  How do we do it? Where do we start? We begin with what we have avoided . . . the truth. Sometimes the truth is so awful to admit we have convinced ourselves of a different version of our truth. One less painful.  And some tell the lie so often, in their mind, it is the truth. Begin today with a reality check. Face the pain and the truth of choices made. Then ask Jesus to step in. Remember, He loves us all. As soon as we acknowledge our truth, He will be the salve on our gaping wound. 


The Gospel (Luke 19:1-10) today assures Jesus will always love me, despite my poor choices in the past, as long as I repent:

At that time Jesus came to Jericho and intended to pass through the town. Now a man there named Zacchaeus, who was a chief tax collector and also a wealthy man, was seeking to see who Jesus was; but he could not see him because of the crowd, for he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree in order to see Jesus, who was about to pass that way. When he reached the place, Jesus looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house." And he came down quickly and received him with joy. When they saw this, they began to grumble, saying, "He has gone to stay at the house of a sinner." But Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, "Behold, half of my possessions, Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

In Anne a lay apostle's book Lessons in Love, her words soothe with the greatness of God's mercy for us:

"When God’s mercy is being discussed, God’s mercy should be allowed to stand alone as a remedy for this time. When, on the other hand, sin is being discussed, one should always point first to the effect of the sin on the individual, the sinner, because this is where sin damages first. Only after this discussion should one move into the impact of the sin on others. Sin first wounds the soul of the sinner and creates sadness and grief. Next, sin moves with great determination out into the world around the sinner. Heaven mitigates fiercely when invited to do so. God’s mercy is the balm that should be carried out to those who have drifted away from the Church. Press God’s mercy into the world and sinners will return. Yes, God’s mercy is the remedy for all fear and anxiety. The truth, when accompanied by God’s mercy, is both instructive and consoling. Each soul carries within it the seed of goodness planted by the Father. It is often God’s mercy that germinates the seed, which then identifies the truth."

Lay apostles, is there something you have hidden deep in the recesses of your mind which, if admitted, could send you over the edge? Well guess what?  You are in a hostage situation. If you continue to hold on to painful mistakes or memories, you will never heal. You will never be free to accept God's mercy. Aim to please only Him, and your life will soar 5 levels higher in no time. Admission is the first step to recovery.

Thank you, Lord, for loving this sinner. The more I aim to please only You, the more I begin to heal from my past. 

God bless,
Bonnie

Feeling Rejected? You Are In Good Company

Rejection . . . I bet every person on this earth could conjure up at least a dozen occurrences . . . just within the last year (even the last week in some cases!). It sucks; it hurts; it diminishes self-esteem; it causes one to question their own intentions/feelings/decisions. So, how do we deal with the insecurities created by rejection? Seek to understand as my husband always says. And then you have a decision to make . . . move on with the intention of forgiving the offender, or, fall into the role of playing the victim. What did Jesus do when He was rejected? He continued on His Mission. He knew His Heavenly Father needed Him to complete the task at hand . . . save all of God's children from an eternity of darkness. We have a task at hand lay apostles. To bring the Light of Christ to a very dark world. We are His Hands, His Feet, His Heart on this earth until He returns. So, how are you going to handle rejection today? Before you answer, read the Gospel and excerpt from Anne's book Serving in Clarity below. You will see you are in Good Company.

Todays Gospel (Luke 17:20-25) teaches us to continue our climb up the mountain of holiness by keeping the end goal in sight . . . an eternity with Christ:

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, Jesus said in reply, “The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed, and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’ For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples, “The days will come when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’ Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Serving in Clarity, she reminds us who is behind rejection and it surely isn't Jesus:

"Remember that Jesus had the complete truth. He was the Truth then and He is the Truth now, and yet, from this position of power Jesus was and is gentle and kind. We, His followers, are called to proceed similarly. We must speak the truth in kindness and gentleness, remembering always that we do not hold ourselves above anyone. I have observed some misguided apostles proceeding in great superiority to those around them. They are arrogant and give reprimands to others freely, as though they themselves had no spiritual work to do. This is wrong and it saddens Christ. The recipient of this kind of treatment feels rejection and condemnation, two things that do not come from Christ, but from His enemy. I hear the voices of these same people shouting, “But souls are condemned. There are souls in hell.” This is true, but the souls in hell are there because they choose hell, not because God rejects them or condemns them. God is good and gives all people an opportunity to repent. We must be humble, as Jesus was humble, and bring a spirit of loving truth to others. If we do this, souls will recognize God’s mercy in us and they will return to Him, not from fear, but from love and because they have been welcomed."

Lay apostles, when the ugly head of rejection creeps up on you, look it in the face and say "I Trust In You Jesus!" "I'll take this one on the chin for You God!" Every one of us reacts with emotions generated from our past. It's how we choose to change and grow in humility that will shine His Light. You never know . . . you just might be the example someone needed to experience and see today. 

Thank you, Lord for the grace of letting rejection float over my head to the best of my ability, not causing too much hurt. Please help me to get over it a little faster, ok?

God bless,
Bonnie

Give Thanks To God

Look for the good, and you shall find it . . . even on a cruise ship! Jay and I just returned from a wonderful 4 day cruise on the Caribbean Princess gifted to us from one of our clients for a job well done. Such a generous gesture . . . we were/are very thankful for the time away with no cell phones, computers, etc. Just the two of us. We received the schedule of events Saturday evening for all activities occurring on Sunday. We called the information desk to see if there was a Catholic priest on board for Mass, which there wasn't. But there was an "Non-denominational" service at 10am being held in Club Fusion (one of the nightclubs on the boat). To our surprise, it was just a beautiful experience to be amongst fellow Christians. We sang Amazing Grace as well as 3 other hymns; we prayed the Our Father and two other prayers of thanksgiving. Then the young woman from the cruise line leading the service read the following, a favorite of hers:

A church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

“I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 Sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”

This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor. It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: “I’ve been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.  Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”

Just beautiful, isn't it? It's time to be grateful, lay apostles, receiving the nourishment we need to be spiritually alive.

Todays Gospel ((Luke 17:11-19) teaches us to be thankful for all God has given us: 

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed.  And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.  He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?  Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”  Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

In Volume Seven, St. Philomena encourages us to be thankful, no matter our situation:

"Dear brothers and sisters, you must be joyful during this time. Whenever you are tempted toward despair, you must think of heaven and how Jesus is making the earth like heaven by allowing this cleansing. Jesus is reclaiming the earth. That is a wonderful thing and will ensure that your children’s children will not have to contend with the darkness of sin that surrounds your children. It would please Jesus if you would be thankful to Him, despite any circumstances. A saint conducts herself this way and finds that she is joyful regardless of any and all hardships. Dear friends of heaven, the enemy will not prevail. You know this because you have been told this. At the end of this time, Jesus will return and the earth will be beautiful again. Before that, there will be a time when it will appear that the enemy has taken control of the world. The darkness of sin will reign and our beloved Church will suffer even more. Followers will face grave and constant attacks for their faith in many areas of the world. They will persevere and set the most beautiful example for others. This will draw others back to the faith in great numbers, so you see, the enemy’s strategy will backfire. The more God’s enemies persecute His children, the more children will choose God and remain true. It has always been this way, sadly. God’s children should serve Him faithfully in good times also, but many do not. Many become worldly when the times are easy. Be brave. Your courage will come from heaven and inspire many." 

Today, lay apostles, what are you thankful for? How have you shown Christ your thankfulness? Let's all strive to imitate the one leper out of the ten healed in todays Gospel. Praise Jesus . . . for everything.

Thank you, Lord, for all the blessings and gifts You have given me throughout my journey so far. I'm sorry I haven't been as thankful in the past. Please give me the graces needed to remember!

God bless,
Bonnie