Gospel Thoughts Today: Handling 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 (most of the time!) 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 the Lord . . . trust in my husband. When you have both, life carries peace that I personally never experienced prior to Jay. Trust Him and everything else will flow.

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

Gospel Word Today: Honor

How do I honor Christ?

After reading the Gospel this morning, the word "honor" pervaded my thoughts. Honor means to regard with great respect; to fulfill (an obligation) or keep (an agreement). I know God doesn't have a problem fulfilling His part of the covenant with me. It's my human countenance that loses focus at times, allowing the world to dictate my ability to remain peaceful. My thoughts can quickly deteriorate, depending on the conflict ensuing. When I begin to "go there" in my head, the internal battle usually arises, causing me to feel unsettled. At that point, I know I am not respecting Christ and all He has done to get me to where I am today. So, how do I honor Him in these circumstances?  I honor Him by accepting His Mercy, even when I feel I don't deserve it. I honor Him by giving up more and more of my free will in exchange for an eternity with Him.

The Gospel today (John 4:43-54) teaches us not to ignore the graces He shows us on a daily basis:

At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When he came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, since they had seen all he had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast.

Then he returned to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe." The royal official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus said to him, "You may go; your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, "The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon." The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live," and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when he came to Galilee from Judea.

In Anne's book Staying in Place, she wisely reminds us of the honor Our Lord grants His Children:

"What is a sacrament? According to our Catechism, a sacrament is an outward and visible sign of an inward, invisible grace (St. Augustine). What is grace? Grace is a gift from God. We do not earn a gift. We cannot purchase one. It has to be given and the joy of receiving a gift is two-fold. One, we enjoy the gift itself, particularly if we need it and if it has practical application. Two, we are heartened and consoled that the Giver has contemplated us favorably, in love and earnest desire for connection. When someone earnestly desires connection with us and His motives are selfless, then we cannot help but be touched. Our God is not a God of limitations and the only thing He is unwilling to interfere with is the action of our free will. If we insist on rejection of God and the family of God, then God will honor our choice."

Lay apostles, think about how you honor God today. Is it through a kind word or smile? Visiting Him in Adoration? Showing patience with a loved one? Whatever it is, make the effort and remember it's a two-way street. God always honors us . . . let's give Him the same in return!

Thank you, Lord, for reminding me honor goes both ways. Help me to honor You in all I do.

God bless,
Bonnie

Gospel Thoughts Today: 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

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

July Monthly Message - Just What the Doctor Ordered!

We continue our cycle of monthly messages for 2015 with the message from July 1, 2007 for our prayer groups and personal reflection.  

Jesus

I am with you. How often I repeat this. I, Jesus, am with you. I, Jesus, will never leave you. I see everything that occurs in your life. I understand exactly where your pain originates. More than anyone, I understand you. Much of the suffering my little ones experience is from loneliness. Even if you are surrounded by others, you can feel lonely. You see, dear apostles, each person feels alone until he rests with Me. It is only after becoming united to Me that you can love each other as you were intended to love each other. There are many who do not allow themselves to be united to Me. I cannot force Myself upon them. They are free to reject Me. But because they reject Me, they cannot love others as they were intended to love others. Others, sadly, remain unloved. Others become wounded. Others strike out in their pain, causing more distress. Humanity was created to live on earth connected to God. My apostles, even though you struggle, you remain connected to Me. I am able to heal you and send love through you. The signs of My presence are all around you, even though you struggle. Believe this. If you look at a person who has rejected Me, you will see signs of that rejection. If you look at a world which has rejected Me, you will also see signs. 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. 

Have you been blessed through the Volumes? Please help others receive these words by donating a dollar a day. Your donation makes a big difference. 

 

Direction for Our Times (DFOT) is a 501(C)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to spreading God's messages as revealed in the Volumes.