Misunderstandings

Have you ever said something and immediately realized it could be easily misconstrued as offensive? Sometimes we hear bits and pieces of information as we want to hear it, carefully assessing if we are being wronged or it's just old patterns of behavior surfacing. We all carry emotional baggage. Unload it quickly and remember . . . listen to what Jesus tells us in the Gospels and in the Volumes. It is the Truth and the Way to our salvation. Don't ignore Him. He is trying to save us a lot of heartache while we are in exile on this earth. Forgive easily. Love always. Clarity can come from any misunderstanding if we view it through the eyes of Christ.

In the Gospel today (Luke 4:24-30), the truth seems to cause fury . . . did they misunderstand, or was it fear? 

Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth: “Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place. Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah when the sky was closed for three and a half years and a severe famine spread over the entire land. It was to none of these that Elijah was sent, but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon. Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When the people in the synagogue heard this, they were all filled with fury. They rose up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town had been built,  to hurl him down headlong. But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

In the March 2008 Monthly Message, Jesus asks us to love at all times, despite any misunderstandings:

"My dear friend, you will learn so much about love in heaven. You will look back at your time on earth and you will understand that many things that occurred to you were both exercises in love and opportunities to love. There is misunderstanding about love in the world but those who follow Me, My beloved apostles, seek to master love as I mastered love, in sacrifice. It is true that love creates joy. This is true. But when we take on love, it is also at times like taking on a burden which must then be carried. We should not decide for love and then, finding that love burdensome at times, set it down and walk away from it. This is not how it is done. On the contrary, if you love as I loved, you will find at times that the weight of love is heavy. I experienced this on Calvary when I carried My love for you to My death. Did I make the right decision, to pay the ultimate price for love? Of course I did. What else would I do, given the wonderful creation that is you? In the same way, I want each of My apostles to expect their love for Me to be a burden to them at times. This is normal. I want each of My apostles to expect their love for others to be a burden to them at times. This is also normal. In love, there are times when the decision to love feels light, of course, and there seems to be no burden to it at all. Rejoice in these times. In love, there are other times when the burden causes you to question your commitment. Do not be afraid of these times. This questioning is necessary for your growth. I experienced this, too. I was tempted toward an easier way. When love is tried this way and triumphs, that love becomes firmer and less likely to be disappointed later."

Lay apostles, are you holding a grudge due to a potential misunderstanding? Well, Jay loves to make T charts with pros on one side and cons on the other. Write down your side of the story and why you are right (pros). Then take the other person's side. List the cons by making their point. After you're done, what do you end up with? Two individuals with life experiences unique only to them. No one can think what we think or respond as we respond. Let it go. Pray about it. Then make that phone call, walk into the next room, or send an email. Go ahead, do it now. Resolve misunderstanding with love in your heart. 

Thank you, Lord, for encouraging me to resolve conflict quickly and with love. Man, this stuff is not easy but the end result is a beautiful gift You designed just for me.

God bless,

Bonnie

Who Is The Greater Sinner?

Today the Litany of Humility is heavy on my mind. I used to read it every morning and along with the Volumes, it changed my heart. I have slacked in reading it lately and occasionally glance at it posted on the cork board at my desk. It's easy to lose yourself in all your insecurities, forgetting to remember Our Humbled Jesus. Can you imagine if He was an ordinary man with people plotting to kill Him? I think I'd be a little paranoid . . . fearful. Yet Jesus continued on with His mission, knowing the only way to bring God's children back to Him was through compassion and forgiveness. And, teaching people not to judge the sins of another. So, who is the greater sinner? The murderer or the adulterer? The liar or Pharisee-like behavior? The answer is, we are all sinners who must work on ourselves until the day we die. And, admit we are all imperfect just trying to make our way to heaven.

Todays Gospel (Luke 13:1-9) shows us how Jesus teaches the people to work on themselves first and stop looking for others with greater sins:

Some people told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the blood of their sacrifices. He said to them in reply,  “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were greater sinners than all other Galileans? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did! Or those eighteen people who were killed when the tower at Siloam fell on them – do you think they were more guilty than everyone else who lived in Jerusalem? By no means! But I tell you, if you do not repent, you will all perish as they did!”

And he told them this parable: “There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener,‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. So cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, she encourages us to stop looking for ways to make ourselves more important than service to others:

"Yes, we are all guilty of self-inflicted and enjoyable martyrdom at some time and that is why we must look closely and identify this as a trap that can turn us into a Pharisee. Some will cook and clean simply as a reproach to others, to hold themselves above others. They use their service as evidence of their holiness, and not contenting themselves with this mistake, they use their service further as evidence that others are unholy. Oh, dear. This is all wrong. It is far better, my fellow apostle, if we remain in the celebration and leave the service to others if our motives are those of self-promotion."

Lay apostles, it's really hard for me at times, even after being a part of this mission for ten years, to remember the importance of humility . . . to stay focused on improving myself instead of placing high expectations on others to feel the same way I do. It's time to begin reading the Litany of Humility on a daily basis again, along with daily reading of the Volumes and prayer. It really does make a huge difference in how you react to certain situations. So, here it is for you to copy and print for daily reading if you choose:

O Jesus, meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed,

Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved…

From the desire of being extolled…

From the desire of being honored…

From the desire of being praised…

From the desire of being preferred to others…

From the desire of being consulted…

From the desire of being approved…

From the fear of being humiliated…

From the fear of being despised…

From the fear of suffering rebukes…

From the fear of being calumniated…

From the fear of being forgotten…

From the fear of being ridiculed…

From the fear of being wronged…

From the fear of being suspected…

That others may be loved more than I,

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I…

That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase

and I may decrease…

That others may be chosen and I set aside…

That others may be praised and I unnoticed…

That others may be preferred to me in everything…

That others may become holier than I,

provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me about the importance of humility and nudging me to add the Litany of Humility back into my daily reading!

God bless,

Bonnie

Jesus Was Brutally Murdered

Guest blogger today . . . my amazing hubby Jay!

Jesus was brutally murdered by those who knew DOCTRINE better than . . . GOD!

Recently, I was in a group of people discussing how Pope Francis is spontaneous, humble, kind, and solid. The discussion was how his leadership style mimics that of our Lord’s. As the positive discussion continued, one person was quick to interject that they were hopeful . . . but believed his efforts would be thwarted by his own cardinals and Church doctrine.

Sell Vatican assets to aid the poor? Nice idea in theory. Focus on the commonalities of people of different faiths? Try to actually mend bridges versus pointing out our differences and the isolation of those who have not met some of the people in the Church’s expectations? Christ welcomed all . . . forgave all . . . and encouraged all! He instructed sinners to repent and sin no more. His words were "welcome back." But more importantly, His actions demonstrated His unconditional love and the genuineness of His love.

If you are one of the fallen away Catholics or know of Catholics not practicing their faith, encourage them to come back. If they resist because of their local church, encourage them to change parishes.  If they are hearing, “welcome back, Catholics” but experiencing “come on back and we’ll be the ones to judge your worthiness,” then it's time to make the change.   There are so many Catholic Churches following the Pope’s lead. Those returning don’t need to tolerate the intolerant. What they are experiencing is not what Christ intended and not what our Catholic faith is all about. They are experiencing humans using their judgments to achieve their will, not Our Lord’s.

Your invitation back to the Catholic Church and back to an intimate relationship with Jesus is one of the greatest gifts we will ever share. There are thousands of people waiting for the invitation back. Do what you can to help their return be successful . . . pray . . . and then let Him do the rest.

In today’s Gospel (Luke 15:1-3, 11-32), Jesus was being criticized for welcoming and eating with sinners:

Tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus, but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” So to them Jesus addressed this parable. “A man had two sons, and the younger son said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of your estate that should come to me.’ So the father divided the property between them. After a few days, the younger son collected all his belongings and set off to a distant country where he squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation. When he had freely spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he found himself in dire need. So he hired himself out to one of the local citizens who sent him to his farm to tend the swine. And he longed to eat his fill of the pods on which the swine fed, but nobody gave him any. Coming to his senses he thought, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger. I shall get up and go to my father and I shall say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I no longer deserve to be called your son; treat me as you would treat one of your hired workers.”’ So he got up and went back to his father.

While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him. His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you; I no longer deserve to be called your son.’ But his father ordered his servants, ‘Quickly, bring the finest robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Take the fattened calf and slaughter it. Then let us celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead, and has come to life again; he was lost, and has been found.’ Then the celebration began. Now the older son had been out in the field and, on his way back, as he neared the house, he heard the sound of music and dancing. He called one of the servants and asked what this might mean. The servant said to him, ‘Your brother has returned and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ He became angry, and when he refused to enter the house, his father came out and pleaded with him. He said to his father in reply, Look, all these years I served you and not once did I disobey your orders; yet you never gave me even a young goat to feast on with my friends. But when your son returns who swallowed up your property with prostitutes, for him you slaughter the fattened calf.’ He said to him, ‘My son, you are here with me always; everything I have is yours. But now we must celebrate and rejoice, because your brother was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Whispers From the Cross, she reinforces we are ALL one body:

"It is not a divine mandate that we agree in all things. There is a tendency to ‘hang around’ with only those who are on our exact page. This is counterproductive to unity and will, believe me, please, result in ugly teaming and superiority. Better we reach out in love and establish relationships where we should. “But they do not like me,” the apostle protests. We are not saying to establish best-friend relationships, but periodic interactions where the apostle loves unconditionally will move us all toward unity. Yes, we will put up with something to make this happen. We will accept jibes, perhaps, maybe teasing, ridiculing and we will answer with love. Dear apostles, I knew an apostle who once decided to love unconditionally to such a degree that he was certain the recipient thought him an imbecile. There was no let up in his love, however, and eventually this resulted in capitulation and a mutually loving relationship with a person who formerly had nothing but antipathy toward him. God’s kingdom came in this situation and it came through love!"

Lay apostles, continue to be the light we want to see in the world. We are called to be the invitation and the time has never been more ripe. People are ready. Support your local Catholic Church and the leadership. Do your part to bring others back. Our Lord has shared that it gives Him great pleasure when one of His that is lost finds his/her way back home. We all have the privilege of doing something easy and giving Our Lord great joy!

Lord, thank you for Your great love! It reminds me of the Mercy Me song ”I Can Only Imagine” because the more I learn of Your love for me, the more it is both awe inspiring and overwhelming. Thank you, Jesus!

In gratitude and humility,

Jay

Turn Rejection Around

As a writer, I am used to a little rejection. It's not fun, but I have learned to ignore the negative comments of those who don't agree with what I write. What motivates me to continue writing is the positive feedback (and I don't mind constructive criticism!) I am blessed to receive. After reading a negative comment recently, I received this email from a wonderful gentleman, Al Napleton, President of the Catholic Marketing Network regarding my book Can You Text Me Directions?:

"Hi Bonnie, I received your book and thank you for it and the kind note. I like the way you have woven the YouCat Catechism with Anne's messages all under a chapter on a particular virtue. I think it would be an excellent tool for any young person as it it gives real life examples that are easy relatable to experiences that all young people go through."

We have a choice every day . . . to be happy or sad; positive or negative. We can let rejection affect our day, or, turn rejection around by seeing all the beauty God has to offer us. For every negative comment, I receive 99 positive ones. Little by little, I am erasing the old tapes that were set to replay for so many years in my head. With Christ, anything is possible!

In todays Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46), Jesus uses the vineyard owner parable to enlighten the chief priests and elders that He knows of their rejection:

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.” When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them. And although they were attempting to arrest him, they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

In Anne a lay apostle's book The Mist of Mercy, Jesus lets us know His Arms are always open and waiting for us:

“I speak to My beloved apostles today from the pain of My wounded heart. I suffer for each soul walking the earth without knowledge of My love. Despite rejection, My love cannot be limited and overflows into the world. Those who do not welcome the love of the Savior continue in loneliness. Those who welcome My love are deluged with it. Dear apostles, I know that you are weary. You do not see the full impact of your service on the Kingdom but please believe that one day you will experience the fruits of your labor. You will exult in each act of service and each act of self-denial because you will see the act attached to all of the graces obtained from it. At that time you will marvel at My generosity. You will also thank Me for obscuring this from you during your time of service because it is through this trust that you gain both merit for your eternity and conversion graces for souls. How many sinners are pulled back into My Sacred Heart through your smallest act of trust and love in the face of scorn and mockery? Dear apostles, you must consider whether or not you yourself were called back to Me through the selfless action of another. It is in this way that we are a family. Each apostle is indebted to others for his progress up the mountain of holiness because the service of each supports and sustains others. How blessed is the plan of God. My gratitude to you will endure forever." 

Lay apostles, there is always going to be a critic within earshot. Remember, do everything for His Glory and quite frankly, nothing else matters. Have a wonderful weekend!

Thank you, Lord, for helping me to accept rejection so much easier than I used to take it! And, helping me to focus on You, not the world!

God bless,

Bonnie

Looking For Hope

Three years ago Jay and I attended Mass in honor of Pope Benedict XVI's last day as our Holy Father. Prior to Mass, I received news of longer delay in something I have been patiently waiting for. I was so disappointed, frustration began to creep in. I kept telling myself everything happens in God's time, not mine. But man, I sure thought my timing was right on for this one! By the time Jay arrived to pick me up, I was ready to get to church and pray for our Pope, putting my own issues aside. I jumped in the car, and we began discussing our day. Then the delay was brought up, Jay asking how I felt about it. I just wanted to cry, but held myself together. In a disappointed tone, I complained it just wasn't fair (yes, I realize I must have sounded pretty immature!). Then my beautiful man provided the comforting words I needed to hear. God promises us, if we trust in Him, His Plan will unfold better than we could ever imagine. Part of my problem was placing hope in the world to get the job done when my hope should have stayed firmly planted in Jesus. The other part of my problem? Patience. When we place our hope in God, we are reassured all will turn out well. It may not be exactly as we wanted it, but in the end, it is exactly as it should be.

The Gospel today (Luke 16:19-31) reminds us to be thankful for everything, even when things don't go according to your plan:

Jesus said to the Pharisees: “There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen and dined sumptuously each day. And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps that fell from the rich man’s table. Dogs even used to come and lick his sores. When the poor man died, he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried, and from the netherworld, where he was in torment, he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me. Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering torment in these flames.’ Abraham replied, ‘My child, remember that you received what was good during your lifetime while Lazarus likewise received what was bad; but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented. Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing who might wish to go from our side to yours or from your side to ours.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them, lest they too come to this place of torment.’ But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets. Let them listen to them.’ He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ Then Abraham said, ‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.’”

In Anne a lay apostle's book Whispers From the Cross, Jesus refocuses us to the positive and away from the negative:

"My beloved apostles share in My dignity, it is true. By dignity, I do not mean comfort. I was not always comfortable, least of all when I was carrying the cross that redeemed mankind. Throughout My Passion, though, I possessed the dignity that belongs to a child of God. All of mankind possess this dignity and nobody can take it from them. Followers of Mine will look out at the world from their soul, united to Me, and they will desire that each person be treated as I would like them to be treated. Followers of Mine will hear My anguish at the mistreatment of so many. Beloved apostles so close to My heart, hear Me.

Listen to My pleading. There is a heavenly answer for the suffering of many and a great deal that My children suffer is unnecessary. Look at your own life and think of one instance where you helped another. You diminished the suffering of one of God’s children in that instance and lightened their cross, lessened their loneliness or provided some physical assistance that I wished this other person to be given. I used you to bring My loving kindness to this other person. I used you to affirm their dignity. How many of you are there? How many follow Me? May I say that if you were all listening to My voice, serving as I would like you to serve, I could bring more comforts to many more of God’s children. It hampers My plan when people chosen to serve refuse to serve as I wish them to serve. Sometimes, I have to remove someone from service all together in order to protect God’s children. Imagine the grief this causes Me. Not only do I feel the gap in service, but I have to mitigate the damage that has been done by the false representation of Me. Others must work harder in these circumstances and others suffer. Perhaps you have suffered from the false representation of another. Your crown will reflect this, have no fear. Your reward will be great."

Lay apostles, are you placing hope in God? Or are you relying on the world to answer your prayers? Think about it. Stop right now and let go of whatever it is you are waiting for. Give it to Jesus and continue on with your day a little lighter. It's a conscious choice, and not easy sometimes. Ultimately, you do realize you don't have control of outcomes, right? So, why struggle with the load? As the saying goes, "let go and let God!"

Thank you, Lord, for the twists and turns of this life. I know this is for my benefit, as I become much more reliant on You when things don't go my way!

God bless,

Bonnie

The Poverty of Pride

Blog post from my favorite young adult writer, Annie:

In the few weeks leading up to Lent, I think about Gerard Butler in the movie 300 shouting “THIS, IS, SPARTA!” and kicking the Persian guy into the hole. That’s how I feel about Lent. “THIS, IS, LENT!!!!!” The spiritual Olympics. Here we go. Kick those bad habits right down that hole. Take that, Athens. I mean Satan.

Every year I try to think of some new creative way to either deprive myself or enhance my spiritual life, all in the name of holiness growth, of course. But no matter what resolutions we make or how many services we attend, we will always stumble over the same particular roadblock. Pride. The natural enemy of personal progress.  

In today’s Gospel (Matthew 20;17-28), the twelve apostles get a little too assertive about authority they don’t have, and Jesus reminds them – and us – about the importance of being humble:

“And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day." Then the mother of the sons of Zeb'edee came up to him, with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you; but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave; even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Humility is the name of the holiness game. I’ve found that this trips me up in so many subtle, sneaky ways. Humility is that delicate place between being too hard on yourself and being too full of yourself – neither pole is noble, and there are traps on either side that disguise themselves in appealing cloaks. Take the apostles for instance. Odds are good they weren’t just bickering over table placements at a party – maybe they all just wanted to be as close to God as possible, and in their limited human perceptions didn’t realize that getting closer to God isn’t about where you sit. Maybe they just misunderstood what would bring them closer to God. It’s not like Disneyworld, we can’t just skip to the front of the queue or cheat our way into fast passes to get through the gate quicker*. Jesus gently reminds them that they need to have meekness of spirit and a spirit of service.

But isn’t it a good thing to be kind to yourself? How do you maintain a healthy ego and self-esteem without a degree of pride in yourself, and how do you avoid the self-hatred or timidity that meekness can threaten on the opposite end of the spectrum?

Well if you were expecting me to answer those questions, the joke is on you, because I can’t. I’m certainly not at that perfectly balanced place yet. All I know is that so far, I’ve had to sacrifice a dismaying amount of ego for the sake of service to God, and it can be incredibly difficult. But I also know that I have never been disappointed yet in what He gives in its place.

In the Monthly Message from May 2009, Jesus does a much better job than I am of illuminating these truths:

“How often have I called you ‘My little apostles’? Have I ever called you ‘My big apostles’? Why do you think it is that I call you ‘little’? I will tell you. It is because each apostle, by his desire to serve, becomes little. He becomes little so that God can be glorified. If a person is serving Me, that person desires only My glory. If a person is serving Me, he desires to be seen as a servant of men, not as a master of men. In the case of leaders, this desire for humility must be even more pronounced lest the leader begin to believe that he himself is leading, as opposed to My great hope which is that I, Jesus, am leading through the man. I intend to send leaders during this time. You will know them by their spirit of service. You will know them by their humility. You will know them because they will help you to think of Me and what I need from you. No man is entitled to the glory reserved for God. No man is worthy of this glory. I only speak in this way today so that each man will consider his call to service as a call to holiness. I want each man to give credit to Me for the good that I allow to come through him into the world. Do you understand, little apostles? I am reminding you that all good comes from Me so that you will not be tempted to pride by the great fruits I send through your service and your commitment to Me. It is important that every apostle examine himself for signs and symptoms of pride. I ask this of you in a serious way today. We, together, are ushering in a time of grace, and graces will be apparent, not through your power but through Mine. Little apostles, do not believe that Jesus is scolding you. I am not. I am helping you to examine yourself to prevent difficulties, both for your holiness and for My plan. I will help you in this each day if you ask Me.  Ask Me to send an outpouring of the Spirit to you whenever you are afraid that pride is troubling you. I will do this for you because I love you and because pride makes you so terribly sad. Pride is the great devourer of joy. You, My beautiful apostles, are entitled to joy and I send My joy to you today. All is well. We work together to perfect your soul.”

Even though it can be hard to let go of pride in many cases, this is actually incredibly liberating, in a way. It allows us to shed self-images and considerations of self that actually exhaust us. I mean, “devourer of joy”? Yeah, no thanks – I like my joy un-devoured, thank you. So I’m going to (try to) focus more on my service and my humility this year. Maybe pride can be my Persian messenger this Lent. (If you haven’t seen 300, just watch the “THIS IS SPARTA” 30 second clip on YouTube. You’ll get it.) 

Happy Lenten season everybody!

God bless,

Annie

*I will neither confirm nor deny the occurrence of having slightly scammed the Disney system for the sake of quick and easy access to Space Mountain. No further comments.

It's Hard To Be Humble

Before I begin writing my blog posts for the day, I ponder the daily readings and the Gospel. I close my eyes and ask the Lord to put into my head thoughts He desires me to articulate. Well, this song popped into my head by Mac Davis, It's Hard to be Humble:

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble

when your perfect in every way.

I can't wait to look in the mirror 

cause I get better looking each day.

To know me is to love me

I must be a hell of a man.

Oh Lord it's hard to be humble

but I'm doing the best that I can.

Emoting false humility may entertain some, but the truth is, we need to be humble in order to receive the graces God has intended for us. And as we receive those graces, we are able to remain peaceful in a world constantly changing. Without humility, we block the possibility of receiving those graces and therefore remain restless. 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 23:1-12), Jesus teaches us without humility, we may receive an earthly reward, but it pales in comparison to the reward and graces which come directly from Him:

Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’ As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Christ. The greatest among you must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

In the July 2007 Monthly Message, steady service in humility is what Jesus asks of us:

"My beloved ones, when you see signs that God has been rejected, you must remain peaceful. I, Jesus, have told you that change is necessary. I, Jesus, have told you that I desire change. I do not abandon you and I do not abandon the world. I have many friends in this world and you are among them. You trust Me, I know. I will honour the trust you have placed in Me. I will bring all things to the good, both in your life and in the world. I, the Blameless One, have never betrayed another and I will not betray you. Think often on the promises I have made to you. I have said I will never leave you. I have said I will protect My interests in your soul. I have said I will pursue conversion of your loved ones. During this time, I want each apostle to consider these promises. Serve Me in steadiness, of course, but also, serve Me in peace. Dear apostles, you are connected to Me. You accept My love. You know that just as I cherish you, I cherish all others. My dear friends, please live these truths because others are looking to you for example. Please. Give an example of joyful trust. I need this from you so that I can draw hurting souls back to Me. I am with you. I will help you to do this."

Lay apostles, it's easy to fall into the traps of the secular world where winning means being number one at all costs. Bigger, faster, stronger, more. God defines winning spiritually as more of Him and less of us. Read the Litany of Humility which I have referred to many times on my blog. In the end it comes down to giving credit where credit is due . . . to God. If we choose Him, we will be filled with joy and peace which can only come from heaven.

Thank you, Lord, for the chances at humility thrown my way. It's hard to be humble, but once understood, life becomes more meaningful.

God bless,

Bonnie

Use Lent Productively

So, how is Lent going for you so far? I'm doing pretty good . . . but still have a lot of room for improvement. This last week Jay and I had a conversation about being around negative people. It's very easy to be drawn into conversations leading nowhere, commiserating with their experience from lessons learned long ago. It takes actual concentration to turn those conversations around, focusing on the positive. I had a conversation the other morning with a young person. He complained about his job, and how unfair his boss was . . . yada, yada, yada. I have had difficult bosses in the past, so I can understand the frustration. But with age comes wisdom, right? I took my shot at turning his annoyance into empathy by explaining we never know the lives people lead when they are not at work. Some wear their emotions on their sleeve . . . and some hide despair appearing upbeat and happy. He listened and agreed you never know what's behind angry words. Then proceeded to complain some more!  The lesson I left with? I needed to add another virtue to work on during Lent . . . not letting negative talk emerge from my mouth in any way, shape or form. My goal is to use Lent productively by remembering to be more of Him and less of me. 

In todays Gospel (Matthew 16:13-19) Jesus shows us how faith in Him leads to the gates of heaven:

When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply,  “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” 

In the Monthly Message of July 2012, Jesus asks us to faithfully be His messengers on earth:

"Dearest apostles, to make way for your King you will have to fall back from drawing attention to yourself. One falls back, in this instance, by giving constant credit to the One who is fighting the battles and winning the souls.

And the war is for souls, dear apostles. I am craving allegiance from all of God’s children because I am craving what is good for them. Those who are away from Me must see the goodness in you. You are truly offering the best possible message for everyone you encounter. Your message is one of love and welcome and you give the message as the messenger of the King. Be at peace. I am all powerful and you are on the side of heaven.”

Lay apostles, how are you using your time during Lent? There are only 5 weeks left before we celebrate Easter Sunday! Make some changes. Pray more. Read spiritual literature daily. Grow closer to Our Lord.  What better time then Lent?

Thank you, Lord, for helping me focus on the positive when there is so much negative in the world. But especially help me to shine Your Light to change the hearts of those in need.

God bless,

Bonnie

Our Thoughts Are Not His Thoughts

I still believe that life is a series of Gifts and Lessons. If I'm honest, I’ve gotten the best learning from the Lessons. But more times then not, I pray for and enjoy the Gifts better.

At one point in my life I was in the midst of a real Lesson. I'd love to say that I was trusting of His Will during the process, but I'd be lying. In fact, not only was I not focused on God's hand in this, I was focused on and experiencing mostly evil from people who had set themselves out as the local religious elite.

In the process, I turned to a very good priest. I shared what was going on and in response I heard compassion. Compassion instead of legalistic jargon. Honesty instead of excuses. Forgiveness instead of judgement.

During the conversation with this priest, I mentally felt immediate relief. I thought the take away was the way the priest dealt with me. This was how I wanted to treat others in the same situation from now on. Great . . . but I had realized only part of the Lesson.

It wasn't until later when I was sharing the story with a lay apostle that I got the rest of the Lesson. After hearing what transpired and how it affected me, the lay apostle simply shared that I was hearing the voice of God. God was speaking through this priest. Here I was in the middle of all of these religious people, experiencing opposing ways of resolving issues.  If our Lord was to manifest in a human body today . . . I definitely believe He would resemble the priest who was compassionate, humble, honest, and forgiving.

Todays Gospel (Luke 9:28B-36) shows our minds aren’t able to see and comprehend everything that God is able to:

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,  “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents,one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said,  “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.

They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

In Anne a lay apostle’s book Climbing the Mountain, we see that the ultimate goal is to blend our will with His Will:

“Consider a mountain. On that mountain is a path that has been marked out carefully for each of us by Jesus. Jesus is at the top. The world is at the bottom. If we get on that path and begin to climb, we will reach Jesus. We climb the mountain through our daily “yes” to Jesus. People say that they do not know the will of God, but God will not hide His will. We must spend time in silence and ask Jesus and He will tell us where our path lies on this mountain of holiness. Most of us need look no further than to our vocations. Our path is usually marked out with the daily duties of these vocations and it is always best to begin at that point. In this time of transition, Jesus needs souls to find their path and start climbing. The higher we climb, the more grace and light Jesus flows through us into this world and the greater the number of souls saved. We praise God for the way He allows us to participate in this renewal. Some speak of darkness and sin  and the disobedience of many of our brothers and sisters. This darkness exists and we cannot ignore it. To do so would be to rest in denial. However, when souls talk more about these things than about the glory of Jesus Christ, it is clear that they are facing the wrong way on the mountain. Face up, dear friends! Face Christ! Face heaven! If you do, you will be filled with heaven’s joy and confidence. If you face down toward the world you will become afraid. Also, when a soul faces the darkness he can risk becoming mesmerized by that darkness and drawn down into it. This is bad. Some souls are so busy studying the darkness that they ignore the light. Counsel souls to face Christ always and they will talk about joy and trust and heaven. An important point to remember is that Jesus is far bigger than the Empire State Building, in terms of His power, His love, and His glory. The enemy is comparatively the size of an ant, a very small ant. The devil is like a little fire ant, it is true, and he stings, but ultimately he cannot topple the Empire State Building.” 

Lay apostles, it’s through prayer and grace that we are able to climb the mountain. Some parts of the journey are easy, and others extremely difficult. In the end, we find that we need to have both in order to experience life to its fullest with God. 

Thank you, Lord, for being there in the times where Your Will was extremely clear as well as in the times where I just need to trust.

In humility and gratitude,

Jay

Be Perfect

Perfectionist.  One of the many words I use to describe myself.  An exuberant amount of time has been wasted internally demanding perfection. I set the bar pretty high. I wanted to be the most outstanding wife, mother, daughter, sister, and aunt.  I strived to be accomplished in my career, the best in my field. And, should I even get started about my physical appearance?  Probably, because it's where I've been the hardest on myself.  If I gain a few pounds, my brain goes into panic mode.  Wrinkles as I age?  Oh, good Lord, I don't even want to think about that!  The ongoing battle I have with my curly hair?  Thank God for flatirons.  I'm not suggesting you give up on being the best you. But, do you understand what I mean about wasted time?  I know every one of us struggles with perfectionism in one way or another. After reading todays Gospel (Matthew 5: 43-48), I realized I wish I would have spent more time perfecting my soul for Jesus instead of perfecting my appearance for an imperfect world:

Jesus said to his disciples: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Clearly, Jesus is asking us to perfect our soul.  He's not asking us to strive toward driving a Mercedes or clothe ourselves in expensive designer labels.  For even the most perfectly straightened hair caught in the rain will frizz and curl, revealing what lies underneath.

In Volume Two, Jesus shows us the way to perfection begins with humility:

“My children, would you like to know how to please Me? Would you like to know what consoles Me and comforts Me in the face of widespread disobedience and hatred? Humility comforts Me. Humility consoles Me. Truly, the humility of My chosen souls softens My heart and deflects punishment from a cold world, undeserving of the mercy of its God. My children, the closer you come to Me, the more you recognize My goodness. Your intellect will automatically compare your holiness to My perfection and the result is humility. This is good. Do not fear the knowledge that you are imperfect and must improve. That is the journey, My child.”

And, in Anne a lay apostle's book Climbing the Mountain, she simply affirms:

“Facing the perfection of Christ keeps us clear on exactly how far we have to go until we reach perfection. The way in which we continue to face in His direction, upward, is through prayer.”

Lay apostles, let's all work together perfecting our souls.  What can you do today to move one step closer to perfection in God's Eyes?  Spend more time in silence with Him by heading to the nearest Adoration chapel? Take the first step to reconciliation with a family member?  Instead of concentrating on how something makes you feel, focus on how what you do will make Jesus feel.  Making Him happy will never be the wrong decision.

Thank you, Lord, for teaching me perfecting the inside is much more important than perfecting the outside.  After all, beauty fades and careers end.  But You are everlasting!

God bless,

Bonnie

Can You Handle The Truth?

I can't stand it when I'm wrong. Passionate about what I believe to be true, I find it hard to swallow when I get it wrong. Well, at least I used to be that way. Now, I am finally mature enough to admit when I'm not getting it right. Anger is not a word in my vocabulary anymore. When Jay and I have a disagreement (which is VERY rare, but it does happen!), we quickly turn to Jesus. We don't harbor ill feelings toward each other. Most importantly, we listen to each other and talk it out. Bottom line . . . there is no doubt we love each other and neither wants to cause the other any hurt. There is safety in our relationship. We both feel safe to say what's on our mind, and do our best to speak in a loving manner. We try not to judge or bring up the past (prior to our relationship). Handling the truth takes practice, but more importantly, it takes trust. Trust in my partner . . . trust in the Lord. When you have both, life carries a peace that I personally have never experienced. Trust Him and everything else will flow.

The Gospel today (Matthew 5:20-26) tells us to never resort to anger . . . lest we be judged accordingly:

Jesus said to his disciples:  “I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the Kingdom of heaven.

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, You shall not kill; and whoever kills will be liable to judgment. But I say to you, whoever is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raqa, will be answerable to the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ will be liable to fiery Gehenna. Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there recall that your brother has anything against you, leave your gift there at the altar, go first and be reconciled with your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Settle with your opponent quickly while on the way to court with him. Otherwise your opponent will hand you over to the judge, and the judge will hand you over to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Amen, I say to you, you will not be released until you have paid the last penny.”

In Volume One, Jesus asks us to remain peaceful at all times:

"Often, hearing the truth will anger a soul. Remain calm and loving in the face of this anger and know that people were and are often angry with Me. Children, do not spread unpleasantness about others, either factual or not. Say nothing unless you speak to protect another. Usually you should remain quiet about the sins of your sisters and brothers, as you have enough of your own to be busy about. Speak of kindnesses, sacrifices, and loving acts that brought you joy. Focus on the many, many good qualities of others. Remember that if a soul is not united to Me, that soul feels a gaping emptiness, a loneliness, and a sadness. Dearest children who are close to My heart, have compassion and mercy as I have had compassion and mercy for you."

Lay apostles, anger can get the best of us if we let it. Truly, anger erupts out of fear . . . fear of the truth coming out, fear of our own inadequacies, fear of the unknown. We can either choose to lash out when confronted, or act as Christ did when He faced others fears . . . calm and loving. Go out today knowing you are fully protected with the armor of Christ. So suit up and stay joyful, full of His Truth.

Thank you, Lord, for the peace you have given me through the Volumes and all of Anne's writing. I am a different person than I was even yesterday. You have filled me with peace.

God bless,

Bonnie

Do Unto Others

I can hear her voice now . . . "do unto others what you would have them do unto you." My mother probably said that to me a million times growing up.  Nineteen months separate my younger sister and me. Being so close in age, we were together a lot. One thing she was very good at . . . subtly provoking me during play time to react loudly, quickly propelling mother in our direction yelling "Bonnie Ann!" (My middle name was over exaggerated when she yelled, the "n" drawn out as if the longer she kept the "n" going, the closer she was in proximity!) I must have been in trouble at least once a day. By the time I was a struggling rebellious teenager, I took that saying and made it my own . . . "do unto others what they did unto you!" I was pretty rough on my sister in high school.  When we moved from California to Colorado the middle of my junior year (her sophomore year), people would ask me if I had a red-headed younger sister, to which I replied, "nope, I'm the youngest." Eventually word would get back to her of my denial, causing her to react loudly. You will be happy to know we grew up and actually love each other. But, every once in a while over the years, she lovingly recalls the torment I caused her to which I respond with my apologies. I wish I would have known then what I know now . . . the true meaning of my mother's words. My daughters growing up were so much kinder to each other than my sister and me. Hopefully, my grandchildren will be even better.

Todays Gospel (Matthew 7:7-12) gives us easy answers when we are struggling:

Jesus said to his disciples: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.  Which one of you would hand his son a stone when he asked for a loaf of bread, or a snake when he asked for a fish? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him.

“Do to others whatever you would have them do to you.  This is the law and the prophets.”

In Volume Seven, St. Damien asks us to remain centered on Christ when we struggle with our ego:

"I watch your difficulties and understand your struggles. You walk with Jesus, though, and if you remain in an awareness of His presence you will feel stronger and more confident. Many of your struggles can be minimized with constant acts of Holy Indifference. Jesus, along with all of His many helpers, needs you to be His hands, His heart, and His representatives. He can get the work done through you quite easily. You are a part of the work but not the whole work. Let me make this even clearer. If you remain small, understanding that without the help of God you are without power, He can do the greatest things through you. When man swells in his heart and feels that it is he himself who is accomplishing these things, the trouble begins. Egos are difficult friends and dreadful rulers. Keep your ego on a very short leash and understand that your merit lies in your obedience to Christ. Do not take credit for what Christ does through you. He cannot entrust great missions to you if your ego swells with each success. When your work is successful, praise God. When your work fails, praise God. When the sun shines, praise God. When the rain falls, praise God. Do you get the idea? You serve Him and He will do great things through you. These great things have nothing to do with you except that you allowed heaven to use you as an instrument."

Lay apostles, how do you react when accused? By yelling and screaming, seeking justice to heal your wounded ego? Or, do you respond calmly with the facts? Sometimes, not reacting is the right answer. Instead of yelling, ask God to open another door.  Ask Him to fight the fight for you. Did you realize He always wins, but in His time, not ours? Make it easy. Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.

Thank you, Lord, for the ability to let go and continue climbing the mountain. 

God bless,

Bonnie