I have been a lay apostle for 13 years now. I have read and reread most of the writings Jesus and all of heaven have given to Anne. There seems to be three main messages in every book . . . rely on Him, thank Him and trust Him. Evil can materialize in an instant, destroying peace and calm with no warning. This is where spiritual reading comes in handy. Something I may have read will remind me to refocus on trusting Him, that everything has a purpose. It may not make sense to me at the time, but eventually, clarity is obtained. Trusting God is not easy all the time, but so necessary to continue climbing the mountain of holiness!
Today's Gospel (John 3:31-36) encourages me, even more, to trust in Him:
The one who comes from above is above all. The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things. But the one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy. For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him.
In Anne a lay apostle's book Transforming Grace, she describes why our words and actions must be in alignment:
"With regard to discernment, please know that a real connection with God will prompt a peaceful increase in the Characteristics of the Divine Will. A real connection with God will prompt humility, for example, as opposed to arrogance and anger. A real connection with God will prompt gentleness and eagerness to serve. If one is claiming a healthy prayer life but one is unwilling to see to one’s duties of the day, can we really find that credible? I do not think so and many non-followers have been badly stung by those claiming a prayer life which does not play out in action.
Truly, the cruelty of falseness rocks even the staunchest of us who believe. Good discernment will prompt prudent decisions as opposed to reckless and dramatic actions. Prudence stands the test of time and while others do not always find it exciting, the prudent decision will insulate and protect, not just for today but for the future."
Lay apostles, do you find God trustworthy? If you really think about it, He never lets us down. Humans do. So why do we tend to base our trust in Christ by our reaction to those around us? Well, we shouldn't. Trust Him always. As we are told in Luke 12:7: every hair on your head has been counted. He knows us intimately . . . nothing can be hidden from Him.
Thank you, Lord, for leading me to this apostolate, which leads me to dig deeper into my Catholic faith. Jesus, I trust in You!
God bless,
Bonnie
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