Taking Care of Business

Taking Care of Business It seems to be human nature to assume the worst. We may think someone is trying to harm us when are they working to help. We may view an inquiry as a cause for doubt rather than a starting place for optimism. Jesus felt it necessary to make it clear that He did not come to abolish the law or the prophets. He said I have come to fulfill. Take care to work with the others in a positive light. Take time to give another the benefit of the doubt. Take pride in seeing the good in others. Who does these things and teaches them has much to gain. Take care of business. Matthew 5:17-19 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven."

Let It Be With Me

Let It Be With Me It is human nature to immediately fight, deny or be upset over an illness, a bad relationship, or a day gone wrong. If Mary could be told and accept that she was expecting a child, that He would be holy, and will be called the Son of the Most High, what could we possibly do with the news and experiences of our lives that we live every day. We can allow ourselves to be perplexed and ask an obvious question. But when our question cannot be answered with common sense to the mind, we can still accept it and say, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord, let it be with me according to your word.” Luke 1:26-38 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

Your Greatest Work May Be Valued More In A Foreign Place

Your Greatest Work May Be Valued More In A Foreign Place Although what you do may not be accepted by your closest friends or family, don’t stop trying to do what is good. Do what you can for those who will accept your charity, sympathy, goodwill and prayers. When it’s only those who are left that reject you, pick up and move on. Jesus was only able to help a few in his home town. He went where he was needed and where his work through the grace of God would be accepted. Pass through the midst of those who reject you. Perhaps you may be of greater value in a place where no one knows you. Your Greatest Work May Be Valued More In A Foreign Place. Luke 4:24-30 And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown. But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land; yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian." When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.

Sound Advice of Heavenly Things

Sound Advice of Heavenly Things Sometimes we might encourage another person to go and try their hand with another who will not listen to good advice that is being offered. One may even argue that their lost loved one lived the same evil way and probably found heaven. There are even people who think that if the dead would come back and say how we need to live then they would believe. We may go through a lifetime never seeming to reach a stubborn soul. God puts people in our daily lives and weaves others in and out of our paths to open our eyes to good. He even made the greatest sacrifice and put here on earth, Jesus who suffered greatly for our sake and sins. What more do we need to turn our lives around? 'If we do not listen to those who are already touched by The Holy Spirit and who can feel the presence of Jesus in their lives, what good would it be for someone from the dead to come back to say what is already being said. We must comfort those in agony, feed those who have less, pray for those who are blind to their spirit, forgive the unforgiveable, and love the unloved. If we believe and practice what Jesus teaches we will not have to rely on one another or a dead spirit for good sound advice about heavenly things. Luke 16:19-31 Jesus said to the Pharisees, "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.' But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.' He said, 'Then, father, I beg you to send him to my father's house -- for I have five brothers -- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.' Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.' He said, 'No, father Abraham; but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'"

The Core Of The Heart Is Love

The Core Of The Heart Is Love Have you ever woken up after a night of tossing and turning over an unresolved issue with a feeling of direction and peace, and then ignored it? St. Joseph teaches us by his actions that if a guardian angel or God himself comes to you to give you direction, follow your heart. When you wake, do as your heart encourages you to do. Your heart, at its core, is love. Matthew 1:16, 18-21, 24 Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.' When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife.

Rejoice Over The Graces of God

Rejoice Over The Graces of God Sometimes we put the emphasis on the wrong things. If we celebrate a birth think about who gave us life. If we are happy about a promotion think about who set all the people at the right place and at the right time to make your promotion possible. If we are excited about getting up in the morning free of pain, this about Who has the power to free you from all pain. Do not rejoice at your own doings, but rejoice over the many graces of God. Luke 10:1-12,17-20 After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’ He said to them, ‘I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.’

If Only I Ask

If Only I Ask We may rely on each other for tangible things within our reach. But to whom can we ask for those things that deal with the human spirit? Lord may we come to you when a hardened heart has bucked up against us. Lord may we come to you humbly when life is flowing smoothly. Lord may we come to you giving thanks when there is abundance in our lives. How much more will You give me Lord if only I ask? Matthew 7:7-12 ‘Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him! ‘In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

Immeasurable Joy Comes From Giving

Immeasurable Joy Comes From Giving The world would be filled with joy if only we realized that by doing for each other we do for Jesus. We may never scratch the surface of or reach the pinnacle of the joy God wishes for us if we don’t see and feel Jesus’ presence in our everyday lives. When we feed someone less fortunate, cloth another who has less, spend time with a widow or orphan, welcome a stranger, and give assistance to the sick, it’s as if we were doing these acts of love directly to Jesus. When you treat the least of your brothers and sisters as if they were Jesus, only then you will feel the joy God intended and hear the call from Jesus sharing, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you." Man can put much energy into making life pleasurable. But only God can provide that holy level of joy that Jesus speaks of. Immeasurable joy comes to us by doing for others. Matthew 25:34-40 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”

A Heart That Knows God

A Heart That Knows God This world is not “it!” Today is a mere stepping stone toward the perfection of “Heaven” and “eternity,” a world that God desires for us to inhabit and enjoy. Selflessness, charity, giving, comforting and supporting are just some of the traits that will help us along the way. Concentrate not on saving up riches or self-seeking truths, but rather contemplate, pray and then allow The Holy Spirit inside you to do what it is leading you to do. Follow the heart that knows God. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! Luke 9:22-25 Jesus said to his disciples: "The Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." Then he said to them all, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. What does it profit them if they gain the whole world, but lose or forfeit themselves?

Boasting - Who Needs It

Boasting- Who Needs It It is human nature to want to feel good about ourselves and to be noticed by others. But do we need to focus on our deed rather than the need? When you do for others, tell no one. If you can keep the receiver from knowing who you are - even better. God knows what we all do. If we are looking with our spirit rather than our ego, we will see our feel good moments in our lives every day. God had made it so that our rewards are not only for now, but the joy of gifts of giving will continue for eternity There is no need to boast to Him about what we do from the heart. Matthew 6: 1-6,16-18 ‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 'And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Look Up And Know It’s God

Look Up And Know It’s God You know that happy feeling when your hearts soars over a nice gesture, a great surprise or the winning of something special. Every day the graces of God can make your heart soar. Pay attention to the kindness of others. When something works in your favor look up and know Who’s hands have touched your life. For God all things are possible. Mark 10:23-27 Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, ‘How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, ‘Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, ‘Then who can be saved?’ Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.’

Turning It Around Until It Is Your Custom

Turning It Around Until It Is Your Custom What is your custom? What do you wake up to do each day? What do people say about you? Go through your day and really listen to how others are responding to your words, actions and mannerisms. Then modify, tweak or do a complete turn around until you can be humbly proud of who you are. Mark 10:1-2 He left that place and went to the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. And crowds again gathered around him; and, as was his custom, he again taught them.