Thought Checking

        WWJD to many stands for What Would Jesus Do. It is a good question to ask if you are not sure about what to do in a situation. I think it is also good to ask yourself when a questionable thought enters your mind: What Would Jesus Say? It's WWJS to keep our thoughts pure.

The Biggest Miracle

        It is Jesus coming down to earth to give his own life so that all of us (now numbering over seven billion) may have eternal life.

All We Need to Know

       God is all-knowing. To me it means that a clear, overall plan for all things is in existence always. From Scripture reading, we could safely say that God knew the plan of salvation before the world began and that he knew each one of us before we were born. I don't believe that every little thing is rigidly predetermined because God still has to deal with our free will. As we sin, rebel, repent, return to him, start praying harder...God must accommodate all these variations in his overall scheme. 

        We are not all-knowing, but we have the good fortune that the Lord has already revealed to us all we need to know, that is, the good news that he so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Inappropriate Thought

        Any thought that makes us want to be noticed by others does not come from the Lord. Entertaining such thoughts prevents us from ever experiencing inner peace.

St. Gemma Galgani

        For me, reading the writings of past saints and servants of God has been most inspiring and rewarding spiritually. One of the very earliest books I read was St. Therese's The Story of a Soul which affected me a great deal. Over the years, I've read more of her writings as well as many other books about her ~ I consider her to be my spiritual director. Yesterday I discovered St. Gemma Galgani whom I didn't know on www.mysticsofthechurch.com, a site maintained by Glenn Dallaire of Connecticut. I became immediately attracted to her extraordinary love for Jesus, so I am going to read up on her. (Late last night I was pleasantly surprised to be informed by a fellow parishioner that the relic at the altar of our church is St. Gemma's.) 

How God Responds to Us

        When we look for some kind of response or sign from God, we usually look externally. The better way is to search deep within your inner heart and you'll often find messages which the Lord has already quietly placed there for you. 

God Needs a Chance

        Why do so many Catholics say that nothing is impossible with God, yet ruling out the possibility that they can become saints? Do they think that they are not good enough material, that is, God did not do a good enough job in making them? Or do they think that God does not wish them to become so holy? Search the heart and find the true reason. And if that reason is self-planted or unjustified, then ask the Lord to remove it so you can be on your way to becoming a saint for his great glory. All the Lord needs is to be given a chance to show you how truly he can work miracles in you.

Most Exciting Journey

        At morning Mass today, the Lord made me see the following:

        (1) When a soul no longer minds suffering for Christ's sake, he or she is free.

      (2) Following Christ every step of the way to the summit is the most exciting and rewarding journey you can ever make.  

Living in the Kingdom of God

        (1) FAITH: One of the most dramatic early cures that took place at Lourdes was that of Justin Bouhort who was not yet two years old. He was on the point of death when his mother said a prayer and plunged him into the icy water at the grotto for what seemed like a terribly long time, while the shocked onlookers screamed in protest. The child recovered within days. He lived long enough to attend Bernadette's canonization in Rome on December 8, 1933. What's so beautiful was the mother's faith, so abandoned to God that it seemed even reckless. Of course, the Lord did not let her down. Such spontaneous faith, not contrived, works miracles.

         (2) OBEDIENCE: This was exemplified by St. John of the Cross. When one obeys God, all else, great sufferings included, no longer matter. Pleasing God became St. John's sole wish and what heavenly joy it was!

     (3) ABANDONMENT: Abandonment in God leads to total freedom of the spirit. Nothing in the world can now perturb the peace and tranquility the soul experiences in the Lord. St. Therese of Lisieux comes to my mind.   

All God Asks of Us

        I like to picture myself as an empty receptacle completely open before the Lord, ready for him to deposit whatever he wished to give me in it. Again, it illustrates a passive state of our total dependence upon him. This is all God asks of us ~ obedience and trust ~ all for our eternal happiness.