The Love of Christ

Uncomfortable situations are just that . . . uncomfortable. We have two choices when confronted with unforeseeable encounters. We can either get mad at the person setting up the predicament (whether on purpose or not) or welcome the unexpected party with the love of Christ. As a lay apostle, I know the right thing to do is love . . . always. In the past, this would put me on edge, wondering what was behind the set up. Now, I look at it as a challenge and call to love in any given situation. Instead of asking myself "why," I ask myself "how." How can I show love and acceptance when others expect the opposite to occur? Actually, it's quite easy. Look past what's on the outside to the wounded little boy or girl on the inside (thanks, Anne, something you said and I always think about when challenged!). Judge the sin, not the sinner. Life is so much easier when you leave judgement up to Jesus and truly love your neighbor.

In todays Gospel (John 14:21-36), Jesus asks us to be open to His Love:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him,
“Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.

“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name – he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, she shares Christ doesn't view us the same as we view each other on earth:

"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."

Lay apostles, has someone put you in an awkward position, one you would not knowingly put yourself? If yes, look at it as a way to practice loving others as Christ loves us. None of us are perfect. Jay has a great saying "hurt people hurt others." Let's choose to not perpetuate the hurt. If we are open to the love of Christ, we can be the soothing balm instead of the jagged knife.

Thank you, Lord, for the love You shower over me, a constant reminder I should be doing the same for others. I am so blessed You run my life now instead of me trying to take control! 

God bless,

Bonnie

Intimacy

Jay's Corner . . . a man's view of the world and this mission. Coming to you every Saturday!

How do you define INTIMACY? Some have been raised in families sharing healthy thoughts, others perverse.  And yet others, well, it just was not something they talked about.

May I assert regardless of what family experience you had, INTIMACY is not only requisite to living a full and happy life . . . but regardless where you are with INTIMACY in your life today you can learn to be more INTIMATE. And it’s never too late.

INTIMACY can be defined as “INTO YOU I SEE and INTO ME YOU SEE.” It may just be one person . . . a close friend, a spouse, a grandparent . . . who knows everything about you, warts and all. And they have shared their life openly with you. It’s that one person who loves you not only for your attributes (and despite your flaws), but because you are willing to risk showing your humanity. We are humbled sharing areas in our lives where we may have gone astray or missed the mark (sin).

Jesus calls us to live deeply with Him. He desires INTIMACY. He sees into us, yes, everything. We cannot hide and He still loves us unconditionally. One day, while attending a Catholic Military Academy (Marmion High School), a monk likened His Love to being on a beach with one palm tree. Because we choose to stand behind the tree . . . and in the shade . . . does not mean the sun ever stops shining. It is up to us to step into the Light. It is there all the time for us to receive.

In todays Gospel (John 14:7-14), Jesus asks Philip . . . after all of the time he spent with Him . . . if he still didn’t know who He was:

Jesus said to his disciples:  “If you know me, then you will also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.”  Philip said to Jesus,  “Master, show us the Father, and that will be enough for us.”  Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip?  Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.  How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?  Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on my own.  The Father who dwells in me is doing his works.  Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else, believe because of the works themselves.  Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes in me will do the works that I do, and will do greater ones than these, because I am going to the Father.  And whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask anything of me in my name, I will do it.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, St. Faustina shares:

“Dear souls, we must spread God’s mercy throughout the world. All souls will have the

opportunity to benefit from God’s great mercy. Indeed, this opportunity is available in each moment of each life. God is patient and waits for the soul to turn to Him in need, in sorrow, in humility. When this occurs, God can flood the soul with His merciful healing."

Lay apostles, are we answering the call with open arms or is there a part of us that wants to remain in the shadows? He already knows what it is that may be holding us back to being fully open to Him in our lives. He wants to heal that hurt. He wants us to have love in our life we never believed possible.

Thank you Lord for seeing me in my entirety, knowing the great parts about me, about the gifts and talents I possess. And for all of my faults, fears and weaknesses and loving me so greatly! Help me to say Yes more every day . . . to trust . . . and to feel the love You have so readily available for me.

In humility and gratitude,
Jay

Filling Our Tires

Bicycle pumps. Yes, bicycle pumps. This is what todays Gospel triggered in my brain. Have you ever tried to ride a bike with a tire losing air? I have. At first I thought to myself, "man am I struggling today!" Then, upon further inspection, the tire was losing air quickly. A bicycle wheel is comprised of a tire, rim, spokes, hub and axle (yes, I had to google for correct terminology . . . thingy in the center sounded very elementary!). All must work together to create forward momentum. The hub at the center of the wheel (God) creates stability when everything is connected to it. The spokes (Sacred Scripture) connect the rim (Christians) to the hub to prevent damage from occurring. Now, sometimes that tire goes flat. This is where the bicycle pump (the Volumes, etc.) comes in . . . breathing new life into the tire empowering our journey to the final destination (heaven) smoothly. Before I became involved with this mission, I was a mediocre Catholic. Since then my tires remain full 99% of the time. Every once in a while I need a little extra air, a little extra peace. All I have to do is log on to this blog and begin writing. I am at 100% every time I log off.

Jesus gives us the air we need to make it home (John 14:1-6): 

Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  You have faith in God; have faith also in me.  In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If there were not, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back again and take you to myself, so that where I am you also may be. Where I am going you know the way.”  Thomas said to him,  “Master, we do not know where you are going; how can we know the way?”  Jesus said to him, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

In Volume Nine, our Blessed Mother urges us to be peaceful, even when things aren't going our way:

"Children, your Jesus has asked that you walk in peace. He needs this from you, as His plan cannot be realized unless you cooperate with that request. Only through each one of you will peace flow into your troubled world. So, because this is so important, I am going to make a suggestion. Whenever you are troubled, and feel your peace has fled, you must speak to your angel guardian. Ask your little heavenly soldier to hasten to your assistance and obtain the graces you need to recover your peace. This is the perfect request from you because there is nothing heaven likes better than to help a soul in the world be at peace. You see, we know how important it is and you might say that these graces are easily obtained when the request comes from you. So say this when you are losing your spiritual balance and your peace, “Dearest angel guardian, I desire to serve Jesus by remaining at peace. Please obtain for me the graces necessary to maintain His divine peace in my heart.” You will not be disappointed, little ones. The graces will come to you."

Lay apostles, how are you filling your tires? With spiritual reading or activities bringing you closer to Christ? Or, with worldly things like food, alcohol or (you fill in the blank) driving you farther away? Choose Jesus and things leading you to Him. I guarantee your tires will be perfectly inflated for quite a while!

Thank you, Lord, for filling me with Your Words and Love on a daily basis. I am so blessed I have You to turn to when I am in need of heavenly air!

God bless,
Bonnie

Calling All Graces

Boy, this past week has been physically challenging for me. I have been beaten down with a cold, which turned into the flu, which turned into a deep congested cough I just can't seem to shake. Challenges have occurred over the past few days and when my energy level is low, so is my ability to remain completely peaceful. Let's just say the Litany of Humility has come in handy a few times. This morning, when I needed an extra dose of graces, I summoned Jesus, Our Lady, and all the saints and angels for assistance. Within minutes, my peace returned. It's so easy to get caught up in the drama, but I find it even easier to distance myself assured heaven will assist at a moments notice! 

Todays Gospel (Mark 16:15-20) is clear as a sunny day . . . shout the name of Jesus from the rooftops! Let everyone in on the Good News:

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

In Volume One, Anne a lay apostle leads us to Jesus when we are in pain. There are so many graces available if we would only ask:

"He is within every soul. If a soul would take the time to converse with Jesus, Jesus would guide that soul personally, with love and wisdom. How sublime is the relationship with our Christ. That said, I do not want people to think it is something mysterious and beyond the reach of each simple soul. It is instinctive, within us. The call to our God comes from our center, and when we are in pain, it becomes louder and more insistent. Instead of answering the call and dropping to their knees saying, 'God, God, make haste to help me,' people go to health food stores, fortune tellers, Reiki practitioners, and all manner of holders of empty promises. The anguish, the groaning, is the soul, saying, 'Please, dear person, I am starving. Feed me with spiritual food that I may begin to flourish again, thereby granting you the peace you find so elusive.' This was not always a problem, but it is a problem today. Jesus has graces but nobody is collecting them. Hmm. More for me? That was a joke but Jesus answered, 'Yes. Exactly. An abundance of graces awaits any soul wanting them. My mother offers them to her children with such hope and tenderness. You must make this known to souls, particularly those souls who are in pain and feel unloved

and forgotten. Such souls often accept My graces willingly. Go out and speak the name of Jesus Christ. Go out and preach the Gospel. Make My name known to all, that all may be loved and be saved. I am asking this of you today, and if you look for the answer, the answer will come to you. Look closely into your daily life. Where can you evangelize? Where am I asking you to evangelize? You will be given the answer in your heart, dear one. I will put it there. Truly, you will overflow with these answers, if only you will heed the sound of My voice.'"

Lay apostles, is something or someone bothering you today? Were you hurt by the actions or words of another? If your answer is yes, and it's still bugging you, stop right now and ask for some of those graces Jesus has available. Go ahead. Right now say this prayer with me: Jesus, I trust in You. Please send the graces I need to get me through this situation. You are so merciful, please allow me heavenly assistance to move forward in peace and love. Amen. 

Thank you, Lord, for quick turnarounds when I pray for peace within. 

God bless,

Bonnie

Balancing Act

Tightrope walkers and trapeze artists mesmerized me as a child. My parents loved to take us to the circus. I think my dad was just as excited as I was to watch the gracefulness of the women swinging to and fro on the trapeze, ready to let go mid-air trusting their partner to be there with a solid grip. More impressive were the brave tightrope walkers. This balancing act requires (not that I'm an expert, but I can imagine!) relentless practice, learning to block out distractions and most importantly, no fear of heights! One misstep could have dangerous consequences. I remember straining to see if their shoes were rigged with some kind of "rope guide" allowing them to effortlessly glide. I even imagined myself above the crowd, sliding my way across the rope to the safety of the platform in front of me. Alas, I knew this was not going to be my vocation in life as I could barely keep myself steady on the balance beam in gym class! Every once in a while, I still find myself trying the tightrope walk when passing a curb or a parking lot bumper. My balance hasn't improved much since my younger days. But I'm pretty fearless (ok, for those who know me, I'm not talking about bugs, snakes and frogs here!) and in my head I refuse to think I'm to old to perfect my tightrope walking dream . . . 

In todays Gospel (John 12:44-50) Jesus tells us when rejecting Him, we also reject God the Father:

Jesus cried out and said, “Whoever believes in me believes not only in me but also in the one who sent me, and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me. I came into the world as light, so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.  And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them, I do not condemn him, for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.  Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words has something to judge him: the word that I spoke, it will condemn him on the last day, because I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.  And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”

In Volume Five, Jesus reassures us our souls will remain intact despite what the world tries to tell us:

"The darkness swirls around My little ones and many suffer in the greatest way from fear because they are targets of the enemy. Children, hear Me. Listen to Me. Man cannot touch your soul. Your soul is your property, of divine origin, and protected by Me. I wish to keep you at a heavenly level of existence during this time so that you will not nourish fears. I felt fear also. What did I do? I prayed. My fears then left Me and I was able to walk the path of your redemption. I assure you, when you need My help, My help will be yours. When you need extraordinary graces, you shall have them. Trust Me in all. Believe in My presence in your life and you will exult, despite the difficulties you encounter."

Lay apostles, we are targets of the enemy. Living our lives in unity with Christ makes us stick out like a sore thumb. Let's all do as Jesus did when faced with adversity . . . pray. The more I pray, the quicker fears cease to exist. What's bothering you today? Pick one thing. Pray about it. And let it go. 

Thank you, Lord, for the powerful effects of prayer in my life. Continue to remind me to come to You when I start going "there" losing my balance.

God bless,
Bonnie

One Cool Birthday Present!

Thank God I didn't get sick as a dog until my birthday yesterday! As an early birthday present, Jay (and our good friends Leo and Debbie) surprised me prior to the Eddie Money concert on Saturday evening:

Saw him in concert when I was 17. He rocked the house just as he did 34 years ago!

Thank you Jay, Deb and Leo! What a blast! And thank you Whit, Kev, Colty, Diane and Scott for coming along and dancing to the music!

God bless,
Bonnie

Accomplish the End Goal

No marriages or babies until you have a college degree in your hands. I can't remember how many times I told my daughters this throughout their lives. I went back to school full-time for a BSN when my youngest was two. Not an easy thing to do when raising three little girls. I am happy to report my mission is complete. Taylor just finished her BS last month and began her dream job today. As we spoke on her drive to Boca Raton this morning, she lovingly congratulated me on accomplishing exactly what I wanted for my girls. The thing she doesn't realize is . . . they all listened to me! They believed what I said. They plowed through the obstacles along the way, never losing sight of the end goal. Now, the hard work and dedication is paying off. What a great metaphor when thinking about being a Christian! We must believe what we read in the Bible . . . and believing is the easy part. Living a life driven by the words of Christ will lead us to the end goal . . . heaven. Not always easy, but worth leaping over every hurdle. 


In todays Gospel (John 10:22-30), Jesus reassures us He knows who we are: 

The feast of the Dedication was taking place in Jerusalem. It was winter.  And Jesus walked about in the temple area on the Portico of Solomon.  So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long are you going to keep us in suspense?  If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.”  Jesus answered them, “I told you and you do not believe. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep.
My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  No one can take them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.  The Father and I are one.”

In Volume Four, Jesus again asks us to unite ourselves to Him:

"Believe Me when I say to you that you will never have peace, true peace, while you are separated from Me. And your eternity must be considered. You will spend eternity in one of two places, dear little soul. You must give this serious thought and determine where you would like to reside. You say you do not believe in God or you do not believe that God would send people to hell forever. I tell you today that it is not I, the only God there is, who condemns souls to hell. It is the soul himself who chooses to reside in hell. Do you know why the soul chooses hell? Because there are like-minded souls there. A soul who aligns himself with darkness does not choose heaven because that soul would not be comfortable in heaven. You must understand that you can be angry with God but God is not at fault. You can blame God for all that is wrong with your world and perhaps this will work for you on earth. I assure you though, on this day that this will cease to work for you at the moment of your death. At that time there will be only yourself to blame as the Truth is inescapable. You will be facing the one, the only, and the true God and attempting to tell Him that He does not exist. How do you think this will go for you? It will not go well, dear soul, and that is why I am speaking to you now."

Lay apostles, do you find yourself veering off the path to heaven? If you are, think about why. Is it because if you listened to His words you would have to eliminate certain things in your life? Do you lack complete trust in Him because you have been let down in the past? My friends, Jesus only wants what is good for us. He wants us to make choices with Him in mind. Letting go of behaviors or habits which lead us away from Him can be freeing rather than restraining. Take the first step . . . just a baby step . . . and get back on track. He is waiting with open arms!

Thank you, Lord, for allowing my daughters to accomplish their goals in life with You in mind. Please continue to lead them in their careers to do everything for Your Glory!

God bless,

Bonnie

Chinese Bamboo

Guest blogger today is the love of my life, Jay!

There is a certain type of bamboo the Chinese plant and continue to water. In year one, two, three and four, not one sprout appears. However, in year five, the bamboo can ascend to 90 feet. Did all the growth occur in year five? Isn't it difficult for those planting to witness no apparent growth for four solid years? It doesn't appear to be easy, but with a little faith, the rewards are great with sustained efforts.

In todays Gospel (John 6:60-69), the disciples ask Jesus how to accept the challenge:

Many of the disciples of Jesus who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit that gives life, while the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.”

As a result of this, many of his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer walked with him. Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

In Volume One, Jesus instructs us His ways are not the ways of the world:

"I want My chosen souls to reflect on the value of obedience. Only through obedience can I bring about the movement toward perfection within you. Your current world scoffs at obedience. Even children do not obey their parents and are not punished for their transgressions. I want My souls to be obedient and they will see their faith bloom like a flower. Truly, I will reward them in an unparalleled manner during these times. I want to point out that souls, while being disobedient in matters of faith, are obedient to the impulses and cravings of their bodies. Your bodies are making slaves of you, dear chosen souls. It must not continue. You must bring your bodies under submission so that your soul will be freed to contemplate matters of faith. Do you want to be with Me? I am here for you. But you must clear the path for Me. You must listen for Me. To do that, dear chosen souls, you must free yourselves from these attachments that hold you under submission. I am with you and will fight these battles for you, if only you will let Me. This is what it means to be My follower. You need worry over nothing."

Lay apostles, are you patient in allowing God's will to develop in His timing? Do you trust His plan for your life? These are questions I ask myself every day. I often share my business plan with Him, but at the same time ask for His will to be done. Many times it looks as though He hasn't read or heard my business plan. His outcomes are always so much better and for that I thank God.

Thank you, Lord, for illuminating my path when sometimes I can't see where one exists.

In humility and gratitude,

Jay

Thanks For the Ups and Downs, Mom!

Today I give thanks to my mother, Winnie. Because of her, I am able to look beyond exterior behaviors into the heart of those appearing out of control within their environment. Mom had a good heart . . . but her mental illness always seemed to get in the way. Fear generated the outbursts which she struggled to control. Fear of failure. Fear of harm. Fear of trust. You can imagine the chaos. Despite the ups and downs, I never stopped loving her and knew how much she loved me. Because of her, I love Jesus and appreciate the beauty of my Catholic faith. Because of her, I have gotten to know externally brash people whom I have come to love and appreciate. Every one of us has a story. It's when we veer away from God's teachings we lose sight of what is important . . . love our neighbors as ourselves. It's not always easy, but with Jesus by our side, anything is possible!

In the Gospel today (John 6:44-51), Jesus spells it out for the crowd:

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 Four, God the Father teaches us to remain aligned to His Will:

"The biological event that was your birth caused all of heaven to let out their breath in expectation of your time in the world. I created you to bring My Kingdom on Earth that much closer to the return of My Son. You are to participate in this joyous process. You must ask Me, your God, what plan I have for your participation. Some will reject Me, of course. I am well used to that during this Age of Disobedience. So perhaps I might ask you to serve Me in all love and allegiance to compensate for those who reject Me. Will you do that for Me, My little souls? Please have no fears. Understand that the Father wills these changes on earth so that the Son will be welcomed in the hearts of those remaining. We do not manifest as a poor boy in the stable. We manifest as the King of Creation. My Son is your God. I am your God. Our spirit flows through your world in such a way today that none can deny the heavenly times. The enemy will deny Our spirit. But you expect that, dear ones. That denial detracts in no way from truth. Truth flows right over the enemy despite the feeble objections of evil. I, the God of All Creation, can slap down and destroy evil with a glance. I allow a certain amount of evil to co-exist because My children can then discern between light and darkness, in the same way a child is taught to discriminate between cold and hot. Children, if you desire to blame Me for the state of the world, your ancestors in heaven will bow their heads in disappointment."

Lay apostles, life is a roller coaster ride, isn't it? As long as we stay secured in God's love and teachings, nothing can throw us off track. There will be a few bumps along the way, no doubt. So be fearless in the face of adversity, and hold His Hand at all times.

Thank you, Lord, for the lessons You needed me to learn in caring for my mother. I am forever grateful.

God bless,
Bonnie

Did I Lose It or Misplace It?

I am notorious for forgetting to return phone calls. I tend to misplace my keys often. I would like to blame it on my age, but I must admit it's been like this for awhile. I can't begin to imagine suffering from Alzheimer's . . . makes me think about my friend Joyce's mother, Del. Joyce and Paul cared for Del in their home for over 3 years. Her memory became more and more distant as the days turned into months and months turned into years. But I have to tell you, she did not skip a beat when she prayed. I was blessed to pray the Rosary with her a few times over the years. She would have no clue who I was sitting next to her, but not one word of the Our Father or Hail Mary was forgotten. The Memorare she prayed before a meal flowed so beautifully, it felt as if the next thing out of her mouth would be casual conversation. Alas, it wasn't. And she would drift back to her younger days. She was a strong Catholic woman and brought her children up loving God as much as she did. So, I try to be easy on myself when I misplace my keys or forget a follow up phone call. It's all very trivial when you look at the big picture. Like Del, we must know and trust Jesus with all our heart and soul. It's comforting to know the love I feel for Christ will never leave me, and I pray I leave His Words behind for my children and grandchildren to carry on. It's the best inheritance we can leave our children. Everything else fades away.

Todays Gospel (John 6:35-40) shows Jesus declaring His inheritance:

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 The Mist of Mercy, Jesus reminds us why we shouldn't get too attached to our earthly body and possessions:

“There is an attempt to obscure the reality of the next life, life eternal. For this reason, many souls do not accept that they have an inheritance awaiting them. Poor souls. How discouraging for them to labor and suffer without understanding the purpose. Is it any wonder there is such an attempt to discover substitutes for true peace? My apostles understand that there is no value in being too comfortable in an earthly body because they will one day relinquish it. The body is not a god, for all the enemy would like to portray it as such. Each body is a creation of the Father. Each soul is a creation of the Father. Humanity, precious humanity, I want you to understand that you are cherished. I, Jesus, love you and cherish you. My enemy does not feel this way. My enemy seeks to hurt you. Do not reject Me. Spend time in silence, considering the remainder of your days on earth and how you would like to conduct yourself. The enemy cannot promise you that you will live forever. Only I can make that promise and only through Me will you find the Father, the One who loves you. Have no fear when considering the next life, regardless of your sins. If you repent, you will be saved. It is that simple."

Lay apostles, our time on this earth is limited. Our bodies may begin to fail as we age. Our forgetfulness will probably increase as time goes on. Do you have an elderly parent, relative or friend who you become easily frustrated with because they say the wrong thing or seem to forget what you told them 5 minutes ago? What about patience with our children or grandchildren? Impatience and anger don't come from God. Or, are you the forgetful one? Give yourself a break and understand one of the most important lessons of this life: to love God and shoot for heaven. 

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me to have patience with others and especially with myself. But can you please help me to remember where I put my keys?

God bless,

Bonnie

Tragedy in Boston

My thoughts and prayers go out to all affected by the tragedy in Boston. Such terror and brutality inflicted on innocent people . . . it's hard to make sense of it all. This is when we have to muster up every ounce of faith we can to cope with the loss we experience. This is when we need Jesus the most. 

In todays Gospel (John 6:30-35), Jesus explains what belief in Him provides:

The crowd said to Jesus: “What sign can you do, that we may see and believe in you?
What can you do? Our ancestors ate manna in the desert, as it is written:

He gave them bread from heaven to eat.”

So Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave the bread from heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

So they said to Jesus, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.”

In the booklet Heaven Speaks to Those Who Experience Tragedy, Jesus provides the comfort we need in times of sadness and despair:

"Life on earth is filled with change. If you look back on any life, you can see marking points where that life changed. Sometimes change comes in a predictable and expected manner, as in the movement into a vocation for which a person prepared. Sometimes, change comes in an abrupt manner, as in situations where a person is injured or dies unexpectedly. It is this, the change viewed as a tragedy, that I wish to discuss today. My friend, there are events in every life that stand out as difficult and life-altering. This tragedy, this abrupt change of course, will stand out to you, I know. When you feel a sense of shock, a sense of stunning upset in your life, you must look for Me. I am there. I do not remain with My children, day after day, and then abandon them when they most need my support. Your grief is understandable and I will support you in it. You will not always understand why I allowed a certain thing to happen. In your expected inability to understand, you will challenge Me. You will say, “God, how could You have allowed this? God, where are You? God why have You abandoned us?”  My friends, bring those questions directly to Me because I, Myself, am the most sympathetic listener when it comes to these heartfelt cries of anguish. You see, I cried these cries Myself. In My humanity, on the cross, I felt abandoned. In My humanity, on the cross, I questioned the value of God’s plan. From My viewpoint, nailed to a piece of wood and raised aloft as a subject of total rejection and derision, it appeared that I suffered more than anyone. It appeared that none could know the extent of My pain. My beloved child, I tell you this so that you will understand that I, your Savior, grasp the depth of your pain. I will walk you through each moment of anguish, surrounding you with heaven’s graces. No. You will not be left to walk alone through this tragedy."

Lay apostles, the tragedy in Boston could happen to any one of us at any time. Take time to pray for the victims and their families. And strengthen your prayer life to trust He has a plan. It doesn't always appear to be what we think it should be, but summon the courage our Blessed Mother showed watching her Son tortured and killed on the cross. She didn't die that day with Him. She had to go on and forgive murderers. Take comfort in the words above from the Tragedy booklet. He is always by our side.

Thank you, Lord, for Your Words of healing and comfort when tragedy strikes. 

God bless,

Bonnie

Do Works Matter?

The Gospel today triggered the thought of a conversation Jay and I had with a good friend of his, a non-Catholic, but strong Christian. He said works have nothing to do with going to heaven. Belief that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior was all we needed. Well, I can understand after reading the passage below how other Christian religions believe this. So I searched the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops website (where I get the daily readings) for some back up. The first thing I found regarding works is a letter from John Paul II. Here is a clip from this beautiful letter:

"The liturgy itself is prayer; the confession of faith finds its proper place in the celebration of worship. Grace, the fruit of the sacraments, is the irreplaceable condition for Christian living, just as participation in the church's liturgy requires faith. If faith is not expressed in works, it is dead (cf. Jas. 2:14-16) and cannot bear fruit unto eternal life." John Paul II

Then I found this excellent article about "works" by Tim Staples, Director of Apologetics at Catholic Answers. Definitely worth the read:  http://www.catholic.com/magazine/articles/we-can-work-it-out
After reading the above, I feel so blessed to have the richness of my Catholic faith!

In todays Gospel (John 6:22-29) Jesus sets the crowd straight:

[After Jesus had fed the five thousand men, his disciples saw him walking on the sea.] 

The next day, the crowd that remained across the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not gone along with his disciples in the boat, but only his disciples had left. Other boats came from Tiberias near the place where they had eaten the bread when the Lord gave thanks. When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. And when they found him across the sea they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.  For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.”  So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, she urges us to detach from desiring any ego stroking in our works, lest we find ourselves in the trap of the enemy:

"Very often, to protect our humility, the Lord Himself will conceal the fruits of our efforts. But I am not talking about that here. I am talking instead about the concentrated effort of the enemy of goodness to persuade us to stop our heavenly service by convincing us that our sacrifices are neither appreciated nor effective. This should not sneak up on us because it is such a predictable snare, but alas, it does. It is here that we need to learn Holy Indifference. This concept, identified by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, allows us to work hard but be detached from the outcome of our efforts. It is enough that Jesus has asked us to complete a task. Our “yes” answers to God give Him the praise and honor He is entitled to. What He brings through our “yes” answers and our efforts is up to Him. The way I see it, this attitude removes us from the enemy’s line of fire. If I am acting in good faith, in prayerful obedience to the will of God, I do not need to annoy myself with the outcome of my works. I leave the outcome to Him, who after all is the Director of all service. I may not

see the need for an action but I will complete the action. I may not see the benefit of the action I have performed but I commit the act to His divine power and let Him do what He wishes with it. If we proceed in this way, we will be liberated from the outcome of any of our works."

Lay apostles, yes, works matter. We must continually strive to do God's Will in everything we do. Don't just give lip service to the fact you are a Christian . . . prove it! Do everything for His Glory, and I mean everything. You will soon realize you are accomplishing the works of God on a daily basis. 

Thank you, Lord, for all the opportunities every day to do Your Will. Help me to be alert at all times, seeking to find what You have placed before me.

God bless,
Bonnie

What Will It Be? Dark or Light?

My mornings don't get jumpstarted without a cup (or two!) of coffee. I love the smell as it is brewing. It all began when Delta Airlines stopped serving hot chocolate. The Medical Liaison position I held for over 5 years required a lot of traveling, which meant a lot of early morning flights. As I boarded on those early mornings, I looked forward to my cup of hot chocolate and then falling asleep until I felt the plane land. Alas, when they did away with the hot chocolate, the only choices were tea or coffee. I knew tea was not going to win. Black coffee by itself was not going to cut it, either. Something was missing. Adding creamer made it more palatable, but still not something I could drink to warm me up on a cold plane. Next came the Splenda. Now, it was something I could enjoy. And my preference has remained the same 15 years later. It's kind of like faith. Take the base which is faith in God. Then add Scripture, the Volumes and other spiritual readings, the cream.  To top it off, add in good works, love, kindness, forgiveness and everything else Jesus has taught us . . . the Splenda. Just like the perfect cup of coffee radiates contentment in a sometimes chilled early morning plane, choosing to live and participate in our Catholic faith fully radiates the Light of our Savior through us in a world where others may feel drowned in darkness.

The Gospel (John 3:16-21) from 10Apr2013 reminds us to never stop seeking the Light:

God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might not be exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

In Volume Five, Jesus tells us even in the worst of times we are still able to shine His Light:

"These dark times, such as the one you are living in, create the most beautiful opportunities for holiness and sainthood. You look around and all seems hopeless. How challenging it is then to continue to hope and to allow My joy an avenue through which to flow into the darkness of your world. That, all by itself, is an opportunity for the holiest of acts, the most heroic deed of selflessness."

Lay apostles, are you choosing to live in the Light of His Love or the darkness of the enemy? The darkness provides empty promises. You will always feel something missing after the excitement or thrill is gone. It's the "God hole." Can't fill it with anything else but Him!

Thank you, Lord, for showing me choosing Your Light means graces galore, in good times and in bad.

God bless,
Bonnie

All Things Are Possible Through Christ

Today I begin with a guest blogger . . . my beloved Jay! I want to start featuring a lay apostle as a guest blogger weekly. And now, here's Jay:

Disney makes millions of dollars a year reminding people to believe in their dreams . . . to never lose hope . . . and the impossible is possible. Have you lost the ability to dream? If yes, when was it? When you decided you were an adult? Didn’t our Lord remind us to remain childlike our entire lives? In order to be in constant communication with Christ, doesn’t it require a childlike belief our Father has an eye on us at all times . . . and He is looking out for our best interest?  He wants us to experience the most benevolent outcomes in life and we can have them if we just believe . . . if we just trust.  Trust we can do all things thru Him. A trust which believes if we do our part (use our gifts and talents to the best of our ability regardless of how large or small that contribution may be),  He will see to it the rest gets put into place. If we trust in Him, knowing it is His Will, then we can allow it to occur in His time. God has perfect timing. He knows our dreams and aspirations. He wants us to prosper and live in abundance. He desires to live a life in communion with us . . . and thus a life much larger than we could possibly imagine without Him . . . without His love. If we will allow Him, He will go before us and have all events necessary occurring in perfect order and in perfect timing . . . if we just believe.

In todays Gospel (John 6:1-15), Our Lord has the apostles befuddled (again!). He sees a large crowd approaching in the distance and wants to feed them. Remember, the apostles were traveling very light at the time. All they have are the tunics on their backs . . . and the Lord is talking about feeding the mass of people gathering. Nomadic and befuddled . . . but more important, trustingly, they go about doing the best they can. In the end, the surplus is gathered. (Read that again . . . the surplus is gathered):

Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee. A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs he was performing on the sick. Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.  The Jewish feast of Passover was near. When Jesus raised his eyes and saw that a large crowd was coming to him, he said to Philip, “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” He said this to test him, because he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Two hundred days’ wages worth of food would not be enough for each of them to have a little.” One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish; but what good are these for so many?” Jesus said, “Have the people recline.”  Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.  So the men reclined, about five thousand in number. Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted. When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, “Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.” So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more than they could eat. When the people saw the sign he had done, they said, “This is truly the Prophet, the one who is to come into the world.”  Since Jesus knew that they were going to come and carry him off to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain alone.

In Anne a lay apostle's book Whispers From the Cross, she provides an excellent visual showing us our need for Christ is at our core:

"It is clear that the more closely connected we become to Christ in us, the more closely we project an accurate communication of our true self. Our true self, created by God, merges into God and we reflect God’s intent. Imagine a pot with one healthy flourishing flower, a hyacinth, for those who like clear imagery. Imagine this flower having the perfect nutrients in the soil, the perfect amount of light and water and the perfect quality of environs, meaning not too hot and not too cold. This is an ideal image, and crossing over a bridge to humanity, unrealistic. But to follow it down, this hyacinth projects a presence that is the ideal plan for a hyacinth bulb in that it has received the best possible circumstances and it has duly flourished. Sometimes, all around a flower bulb can seem ideal and yet some flaw, some biochemical happening, results in a bloom that is half-hearted or in a bulb that never blooms. The promise of a bloom, with the right circumstances, does not always result in what we expect and there is disappointment. But it is too soon to talk about disappointment when we are admiring what appears to be the perfect outcome of the plan for the bulb. Such a scent is given off by this flower! One is hard put to smell this scent and not find his heart transported to a good place. We can say that the fully blooming hyacinth accurately

reflects God’s plan for the bulb."

Lay apostles, He provides for us beyond our needs . . . in abundance. If we trust Him in good times and in times appearing grim; if we thank Him at all times; if we have faith, a childlike faith where we just believe Him no matter what is going on in our lives at the time, we will have a life of peace. We can live a life of joy. A life, once again, that we may only have once dreamed.

Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful writer in Jay, and the ability to shine our love for You together.

God bless,

Bonnie and Jay