Look Up And Give Thanks

Look Up And Give Thanks When someone has done a charitable act, offered a kindness toward you, went out of their way in making an apology to you look up and give thanks. God gave us his Son so that we may learn, teach and recognize Christ when we see Him. Christ is in the eyes of people who are doing things right! Go through your day, not just accepting good things from others but looking up and giving thank to God that made all good things possible. John 20:11-18 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Join In Praying The Divine Mercy Novena

Join In Praying The Divine Mercy Novena Today join in praying the Divine Mercy Novena. The Catholic Church will pray each day this novena leading up to Divine Mercy Sunday, the Sunday which follows Easter. Let us pray daily that we may receive God’s mercy rather than judgment at the time of our death. (The following information has been copied from http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/ Background of the Divine Mercy Devotion From the diary of a young Polish nun, a special devotion began spreading throughout the world in the 1930s. The message is nothing new, but is a reminder of what the Church has always taught through scripture and tradition: that God is merciful and forgiving and that we, too, must show mercy and forgiveness. But in the Divine Mercy devotion, the message takes on a powerful new focus, calling people to a deeper understanding that God’s love is unlimited and available to everyone — especially the greatest sinners. Living the Message of Mercy The devotional practices revealed through Saint Faustina were given to us as "vessels of mercy" through which God's love can be poured out upon the world, but they are not sufficient unto themselves. It's not enough for us to hang The Divine Mercy image in our homes, pray the Chaplet every day at three o'clock, and receive Holy Communion on the first Sunday after Easter. We also have to show mercy to our neighbors. Putting mercy into action is not an option of the Divine Mercy Devotion; it's a requirement! To learn more visit: http://www.ewtn.com/devotionals/mercy/

Love One Another Through Our Imperfections

Love One Another Through Our Imperfections We may say things that are bigger than we can deliver. “I will never do that again!” “I will never hurt you.” “I will always think of you first.” Jesus told the disciples that where he was going they could not follow immediately. Peter wanted to go with Him so badly that he said, “I will lay down my life for you.” Jesus knew Peter would deny Him three times. Jesus also knows our weaknesses. We may in desperation, in our time of need, or in our time of personal desires make big promises to Jesus. We will never be perfect. But the love of Jesus should be comforting to all human beings, in that He will love us even in through our imperfections. We too can love one another through our imperfections. That is a commandment given to us through God. If Jesus can love all, so can we. John 13:31-38 When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’ Simon Peter said to him, ‘Lord, where are you going?’ Jesus answered, ‘Where I am going, you cannot follow me now; but you will follow afterwards.’ Peter said to him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.’ Jesus answered, ‘Will you lay down your life for me? Very truly, I tell you, before the cock crows, you will have denied me three times.

Love The Unlikable

Love The Unlikable “I don’t like that guy!” How often have we easily come to the conclusion that we just done like a particular someone. Jesus reminded many, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. Unlikable people may be that way because they were not loved as they could have been. Take the opportunity to the love the unlikable. Invest your precious time on God’s precious people. Loving another can soften even the hardest of hearts. Allow The Holy Spirit inside you guide you to where you are needed. God gave us each a beautiful heart that keeps a body alive, one that can console, one that can heal and one that can love. God is waiting for you to love the unlikable. Perhaps even you may be waiting to be loved. John 8:31-32, 42 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’ Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now I am here. I did not come on my own, but he sent me.

Using Your Spiritual Eyes

Using Your Spiritual Eyes It is easy for us to take credit for all that we do. But when you have done something awesome that you never thought possible, it should cause us to once again realize that we do nothing on our own. Jesus told many that “I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me.” He also added, “For I always do what is pleasing to Him.” Realize that God goes through great pains to work through many lives to make a simple safe commute possible. God works through many life choices of other individuals to make your choice one that works for you. God works through the spirits of us all to make us realize that without Him our life, graces and miracles would not be possible. Do what is pleasing to God. For in that good and great task, charitable act and prayer, you have been given spiritual eyes to recognize the work of God in your hands, thoughts and deeds. John 8:28-30 So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he, and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.

Presence In The Spirit

Presence In The Spirit We may mutter,. “Why should I do it that way? Where is it written that I can’t go against the grain of good.” We may even be so bold as to ask, “Why should I believe in Jesus, when I’ve never seen Him?” The challenge of the human heart is to work toward the truth that we need not go through the mental process of figuring out why good is better and where Jesus comes from. From the faith of our ancestors, from the evidence of Jesus’ crucifixion, from the testimony of the apostles and witnesses, and the from The Holy Spirit inside us we can too believe today that good honors God, and we should honor Jesus, Whom God sent. Spend quiet time regularly to get to know the Jesus that is ever present, all loving and forgiving. Even though you may not see His physical being, Jesus is there in the presence of your spirit. John 7:1-2, 10, 25-30 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him. Now the Jewish festival of Booths was near. But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but as it were in secret. Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, 'Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah? Yet we know where this man is from; but when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.' Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, 'You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me.' Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come.

You Have A Voice

You Have A Voice We are satisfied when God answers our prayers for healing and promotion in our lives. But what happens to the soul once we are healed and our promotion is no longer new. People need to see that you still are in awe over God’s mercy in your life. People need to hear that you live a life humbly and gratefully because of God’s grace. People need to see your faith so that they may positively feed off yours and be strengthened. We are the voices for Jesus who is the light of the world. Without our help, the world may miss the light. Not that Jesus needs our voices to confirm his majesty, but our voices that shout and proclaim His goodness and glory can speak volumes to believers and unbelievers. You have a voice. Use it to testify to the truth of Jesus. Perhaps you might spare a person another day of misery. John 5:31-36 ‘If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John’s.

A Call To Action

A Call To Action Often we put off doing good, changing a sour attitude or delaying an evaluation of our morals and values. One day, Jesus will come and we will hear His voice. There is no need to be sorry for the things we did not do. We have today to make things right. Those who have done good will enjoy the resurrection of life. Why spend a minute of our precious time working toward the dire alternative. If you listen, you can hear Jesus’ voice speaking to you today. Sssshhh, listen. Now act. John 5:17,25-29 But Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, the hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For just as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself; and he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not be astonished at this; for the hour is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and will come out—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Stand Up, Take Your Woes, And Walk

Stand Up, Take Your Woes, And Walk Sometimes all it takes is for us to respond, “I want to be made well.” Instead, much of the time our focus is on what’s against us. We may believe we have no one to help to get to the next step. We might feel as though we are an outcast even in our own family. A great part of what we feel is because of how we think. Jesus wants us to be made well. Jesus calls us to call upon Him. Stand Up. Take your woes and walk toward Jesus. Jesus is waiting for you. John5:1-3,5-9 After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralysed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.