Friends?

"I shall not call you servants anymore, because a servant does not know what his master is about. Instead, I call you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learned from my Father." - John 15:15

In our religion, it seems that there are so many rules to follow that it all just seems like a big burden. Jesus understood that things can seem this way to us and that's why He pulled His apostles aside and told them straight up that He wasn't speaking to them as the Lord Almighty and they must obey each and every commandment, but that He considered all of them His friends. He didn't want to be a weight on their shoulders, He wanted to share the news of the Kingdom of Heaven with them, and He wants to share it with us as well.

I know that religion and God talk can be the last thing people want to hear about sometimes, but when we feel like this, we need a change of perspective. While we might run away from our bosses sometimes, we usually always welcome our friends, and their good news becomes our good news. Jesus is longing to share His good news with you. I remember when those "Jesus Is My Homeboy" shirts were popular and it seemed funny at the time, but it's actually very true. Jesus wants to be a friend, a companion, a guide for us when things get tough. Learn to look at Him in this way so that you can share in His Kingdom with Him.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for looking at me as a friend and not a servant beneath You. Help me to respond to Your call of friendship and bring others to You as well. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Receive His Peace

"Peace be with you; I give you my peace. Not as the world gives peace do I give it to you." - John 14:28

Wake up in the morning, another day, same routine. Got to get to work. Driving to work… traffic, someone cuts you off. On the train, people shoving and you're standing because someone's got their feet on the only seat left. Get to work, deal with the boss and co-workers… always people trying to get over on you. After work, arguments with your family and friends. And what is the peace the world gives us? Get mad and get even? Show people you don't care about them? And then have a drink to wash it all away?

This isn't the peace of Christ. Jesus would wake up and deal with apostles that never got anything right. So many people calling on Him without ever giving Him a chance to take a break; everybody needed something from Him! Jewish leaders on top of Him, criticizing even the best of His work.

What is the peace of Christ? The peace of Christ means knowing your life has a bigger purpose and remaining in that mind set. He came to do His Father's work. No matter what people said or did to Him, He never let it get to Him because He belonged to the Father, who judged Him for what was in His heart and would reward Him for what was in His heart. You belong to the Father as well. God sees your actions. God understands, and in the midst of all of your routine, God is with you. God will lead you out to where you will find comfort and be restored. Hold on to the peace of Christ.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, sometimes the day zooms by me and leaves me worn out. I can't find comfort in the world and need Your peace more than anything. Please help me to trust in it. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Courage

"I have told you all this, so that in me you may have peace, even though you have trouble in the world. Courage! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

What problems are you facing? What's the impossible situation that is dragging you down? A lot of times people wonder where God is and why He isn't helping, but when it comes down to it, oftentimes, it's our own faith that's lacking. It's not that God isn't helping, it's that our faith is weak. In one of his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul told the Christians that they shouldn't grieve as those who have no hope. I have hope. You have hope. If we truly believe in Christ, we all have hope! And what does that faith tell us? It should tell us that God takes care of us, therefore, exercise your faith! Listen to the words of Jesus in this verse, have courage! Have peace! If your faith tells you God will come through, He will! Maybe not now or tomorrow, but He will come through at the perfect time. By letting anxiety take hold of you, you are showing that you don't believe in God, you don't believe in His peace and you don't believe He'll come through for you. Our faith is what activates the hand of God so if you have little faith and are looking only at your obstacles, then the answers to your prayers will also be small.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I need so much of You. I'm not strong at all. My only strength is You. Help me keep my eyes on You so I can confide in You completely. In Your Name we pray, amen.

The Handmaid of The Lord

"His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever He tells you.'" - John 2:5

Growing up Catholic, I prayed to the Virgin Mary as a little girl. I always understood her to be my mother too since she was Jesus' mother, and like a good mom, she brought me closer to her son. Now that I'm older, I see her as an amazing role model for my faith. Her words are seldom mentioned in the gospels, but whenever she did speak, the words backed up her exceptional obedience and confidence in the Lord. When the angel Gabriel saluted her and told her about God's plans for her, she said in complete obedience and trust, "I am the handmaid of the Lord, let it be done to me as you have said." This young woman, probably only 15 at the time, faced dishonor, bringing shame upon her family and fiancee, and death, yet her faith and humility before God was greater than everything else! Sometimes when I'm on the train and begin to pray, I get a bit embarrassed if someone sees me doing the sign of the cross… look at how far I am from her rock solid faith! And more importantly, Mary understood that all things God brings us is for our ultimate good, no matter how devastating, impossible, or burdensome they may seem to our limited human understanding. How many of us would say no to the angel because we're worried about how things are going to work out and what people will think of us? We hardly ever look beyond the inconvenience to ourselves and never accept in faith that what God asks of us or brings into our lives is actually to do something amazing for us. The Virgin Mary looked beyond herself and all the obstacles. She had tremendous faith and obedience to God at a young age, faith that literally bore fruit to the light of the word, Jesus Christ, our Savior!

Therefore, whether we're Catholic, or any other Christian denomination, let us take Mary as a role model for our faith, she who tells us as she told the servants at the wedding at Cana, "Do whatever He tells you."

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, only a woman of exceptional faith, virtue, love, and obedience could You call Your mother. Allow us to model our faith and acceptance of Your Word after hers. Help us to see that all You ask us to do is for our good. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Jesus Is Lifted Up

"And when I am lifted up from the earth, I shall draw all to myself." - John 12:32



When Jesus first said these words, He was referring to His death on the cross - when He was lifted up, crucified, He drew all people into His mercy by dying for us. If you're like me, there are people who you know and love that need to accept Jesus' mercy, but it's the last thing they'll ever pay attention to. Give them up to Jesus. During each sacrifice of the Mass, Jesus is lifted up again when the priest consecrates the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ. At that moment when the body is raised into the air by the priest, offer the lives of those you love to Jesus, those you worry about and those who you know need God so much. It doesn't matter how lost they are, our God is so much bigger than their disbelief. When Jesus is lifted up, you have all the power of God right there before you.



Today's Prayer:

Lord Jesus, thank You for the ultimate sacrifice of dying on the cross for our sins. I ask that You keep Your promise of drawing all souls to You when You're lifted up above the earth and have mercy on those who need to believe in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Get More Than Your Fill

"When they saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, 'Master, when did you come here?' Jesus answered, 'Truly, I say to you, you look for me, not because you have seen the signs, but because you ate bread and were satisfied. Work then, not for perishable food, but for the lasting food which gives eternal life. This is the food that the Son of Man gives to you, for the Father's seal has been put on him.'" - John 6:24-27

A lot of people look for Jesus. A lot of people go out of their way to try to find Him, but why is it that you and I are looking for Him? During this reading in John, Jesus had miraculously multiplied the loaves of bread for the hungry people. He then walked on water to cross to the other side. The crowds that were present when Jesus multiplied the loaves went out to look for Him again and when they found Him, Jesus gave them a warning that we need to consider in our own lives. Jesus performed miracles so that we could believe in the Son of God and in the rewards of eternal life. Unfortunately, some people went out searching for Jesus to get their fill of the bread He offered. How many of us look for God only for our own earthly survival? We look for Jesus fervently to get ourselves out of a bind, to help us find the money we need to pay off a bill, to help us through difficulties in a relationship… but once we've gotten our fill, once Jesus feeds us with what we needed, what do we do next? So many of these people left Jesus and wanted to come back only to eat again. Yes, God can take care of your needs on earth, and you should ask Him for help in everything, but never stop at just fast food. Let the Lord be your steady diet. As Jesus said, don't go to great lengths to find Him to obtain perishable things, things you will leave behind one day. Go through the effort of finding Jesus to find the source of life for your entire being, the one and only thing that I guarantee will fill you… God Himself.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, You're my safety net when I need help, but help me grow so that my life becomes a prayer instead of picking You up and dropping You off when I need something. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Your Sin Remains

"Jesus said to them, 'If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, 'we see,' your sin remains.'" - John 9:41

From the time we learn to walk and talk, our parents teach us what is right and wrong. We're not supposed to lie, cheat, steal, hurt others, etc. It's really not as simple, though, as we get older, is it? Suddenly, those things that we learned we're not supposed to do, become things that aren't that big of a deal to do. Things we tell our friends about, but would never tell our parents. Because all of our friends do it, and the people we watch on tv, it becomes the norm and then it's not necessarily bad.

Well, wrong is wrong, no matter how many people commit the sin. Think about certain things in your life where you are committing a sin, but don't feel it's so bad, although you are very well aware it is a sin. I feel this is part of Jesus' message to the Pharisees. As teachers of the law, they had very clear definitions of what everything meant. They knew the law from A to Z, and yet, they were the worst sinners Jesus ever encountered! The Lord's mercy knows no end, but it will not get you off the hook for doing something you know for a fact you're not supposed to be doing! The Pharisees said they could see, meaning they understood and since they understood, they could not be forgiven. Those who do not know the law could never be held accountable for the sins they commit, since they do not see. In the same way, you, if you know what is wrong, and you do it anyway, your sin remains. This is the type of sin that ruins your relationship with God. It separates you from God's grace, making it hard for your soul to find its way back. That's why those deep in sin keep falling and have a tough time recovering. Never carry this type of burden around. It's a dead, needless weight and only leads to more sin and death.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I see but am actually blind to many sins I carry. Give me the strength to do away with what disappoints You, what my conscience tells me that is clearly wrong, but I find myself doing anyway. I know all things are possible with You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Mercy

"For God had given us the Law through Moses, but Truth and Loving-kindness came through Jesus Christ." - John 1:17

All of my life, I have followed the correct path. I hardly ever gave my parents any trouble. I was the teacher's pet and have always been called the goody goody by those who know me. Because of this, I painfully confess, I have often judged others because they weren't like me. I wouldn't admit it then, but now I realize I thought myself better. All this time I have been really good at following the law, doing what's right and staying away from bad. But my heart had been in being proud of myself for being right, while true goodness from the heart was lacking.

God has given us His law, but each of us knows the difference between right and wrong. What about mercy? Mercy is an undeserved gift from God. That is what Jesus brought to us with His life, death, and resurrection. True love and kindness have been given to us by Jesus. That means that because He loves us, not because we have been good, and even when we've been bad, Jesus forgives us without merit. He washes away sin. He washes away guilt. He washes away any pain we carry in the heart. It really doesn't matter what we've done in the past. God doesn't look at us like I would have in the past. If you weren't "good' like me, I would have thought less of you. But not God. The further you feel from Him, the more He wants to hold you, embrace you, keep you safe in His arms. He doesn't seek our righteousness but our mercy… that we love others in this way. That we see that we all come from the same Father. This way, no one can ever feel better than anyone else since all we have is because God has been loving and merciful, and has blessed us.

Please, don't make the same mistake I've made if you feel this speaks to you as well. Ask Jesus to bless you with His mercy. We are all flawed and have all sinned, yet the Lord loves us despite of all these things. Abandon yourself in His mercy and share it with others.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, as imperfect as I am, with all my bad thoughts, deeds, and attitude, you still choose to love me and walk with me. I could never deserve you, but please change my heart. Humble me and make me pliable. Work through me and show me Your perfection. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Jesus Carries His Cross

Today we enter The Easter Triduum, the most important days in Jesus' suffering and our redemption from sin. If you can, please make the time to attend Mass this evening as the church remembers the washing of the feet and the last supper. Tonight, Jesus will find Himself in agony in the garden because in the next 24 hours, He will be put to death. Join Him in His suffering.

The Fourth Sorrowful Mystery:
Our Lord Carries His Cross to Calvary

"Bearing His own cross, Jesus went out of the city to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew: Golgotha." - John 19:17

Imagine our beaten, bleeding, crying Messiah walking through the streets toward His death, with His cross on His back. Can you see all the people laughing at Him? Some are crying. Some don't even care. His body must ache so badly after all He's been through. He hasn't even had anything to eat or drink. I don't even know how He managed to keep walking, but He did. He persevered because what He was going through, the cross He was carrying, was the work of God.

Our first reaction when we are given a cross to bear is that we don't want to and we don't deserve it. However, after sin entered the world, no one ever guaranteed us that life would be blissful and happy. On the contrary, while on earth we will deal with pain, suffering and all kinds of hurt and evil. That's why Jesus died, so that after death, we can enter Heaven and finally live in peace. But since we're still on earth, we need to bear the crosses we carry - caring for sick relatives, living with disease, dealing with financial trouble, coping with addictions, and doing the will of God by being good to others even when they don't deserve it. You see, it is ONLY in suffering, that we acquire strength and we grow. Those who don't suffer never build character. If we accept our lot in life and ask God for help, He will help us carry that cross and we grow closer to Him, earning our entry into Heaven.When I think of Jesus in His passion, I only feel sorry for the pain He was going through, but I know that during His passion is actually when He was the strongest! We don't look at suffering with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the soul which tell us that here, we are with God and we are more than conquerors against anything the devil throws at us. Pick up the cross you may be telling God to remove from you, and in the Name of Jesus Christ, carry it in victory for your God and for your soul.

Today's Prayer:

Mary, mother of God, pray for us so that we may see that it is only through suffering that we grow stronger in spirit and faith. Pray so that the Lord takes away our fears and we may join Him in His walk to Calvary.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

O, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell; lead all souls into Heaven, especially those most in need of Thy mercy. Amen.

Jesus and Lazarus

"And she said to Jesus, 'If you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.' Jesus said, 'Your brother will rise.'" - John 11:21-23

Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus were really good friends of Jesus, but when Lazarus had taken ill and was close to death, Jesus wasn't able to go to where he was. Lazarus died and a few days later, and after he was already put into a tomb, was that Jesus went to visit. Upon reaching their home, his sister said to Jesus that if He had only been there, her brother wouldn't have died. I can't help but think of our own problems when hearing this story. How many times don't we see ourselves with an urgent need and don't seem to have the company of God when we feel we need it the most? We tell God that if only He would do something, we'd be ok, but God doesn't seem to make a move to help. When Jesus arrives at their house, the bible says that He cried with them because He felt their pain. He felt compassion. Jesus asked for the stone to be removed from the tomb and prayed to God to raise Lazarus. After being dead for four whole days, Lazarus resurrected before a multitude of witnesses. Jesus told the people and Lazarus' family that He was the resurrection, and that's what you need to believe in the midst of your problems. Things can seem beyond repair, but that's only according to what Humans can do. Jesus has said that if we believe, we will see the power of God and no matter what you may be going through, if you hold steady, you will see the power of God. You have to understand that God knows what you're made of and how much you can endure. He also knows when to give you what you need. In your life, something may seem completely out of your control, but that's where God wants to work for you - in the areas where you will see that no human could have possibly helped, only the hand of the Almighty. Like Lazarus, the chances of your coming out ok from your problem could be dead, and you could say that if only God had acted sooner, but remember, nothing is over until the Almighty Lord says it's over! Nothing is ever too late. You have a God that can turn anything around for you if only you believe.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, just like with my body when I die, resurrect my hopes and my joy. Only You can guide me through and deliver me. Help me to always believe and put my trust in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Time for Confession!

"Again Jesus said to them, 'Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.' After saying this He breathed on them and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit; for those whose sins you forgive, they are forgiven; for those whose sins you retain, they are retained.'" - John 20:21-23

Ash Wednesday is this Wednesday, that means that there are a few things you need to be doing in the next 40 days. The first is to go get your ashes, the second is choose something to give up for Lent, and the third is to go to confession. I know that's a really hard one. Before, I had gone years without confessing and I know some of you have too. It's hard to go tell a priest all the bad things we've done, things we don't even want to remember, or things we might brag to our friends about but never ever tell a priest. But you need to go. Little by little, as the days pass by, you've become dirty. All those little sins add up until your soul becomes sick, making you a target for the enemy and falling into something deeper and something much worse. Attached to our soul are all those things you've done to hurt others, things you're ashamed of… things that you can clean yourself of. It's really intimidating to walk into a church and tell a priest all of your sins because he gets to hear the worst of you, but in His mercy, Jesus, through the priest, plans to bring out the best in you and free you from all the filth you've picked up along the way. There isn't a better feeling than hearing that in Jesus' Name all of your sins have been forgiven. Can you imagine how good it will feel to walk out of there knowing that you are now clean and pure before God?

Most churches offer the sacrament of reconciliation every Saturday afternoon. You should look on your parish bulletin for details, or call the rectory and ask to make an appointment with a priest. Please know that they will not judge you. They're human just like you and I'm sure they've heard it all. You can also ask them anything you want and they will direct you on what to do after confession. If you have sins that are weighing on your heart and you're repented of them, then it's time to go and receive Jesus' forgiveness. Don't let shame or embarrassment rob you of feeling forgiven and pure. And if you feel a nudging at your heart as you read this, it's a sign you better make it to confession asap!

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You because You have left us the sacrament of reconciliation so that we can cleanse our souls of all the sins we have committed along the way. Take away from us any trace of embarrassment so that we can go and receive Your forgiveness. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Friendship

"I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know what his master is about. Instead, I call you friends, since I have made known to you everything I learned from my Father." - John 15:16

Think about the last time you were with friends, the last time you laughed and shared stories. I think that more and more, people are keeping their feelings to themselves because who wants to be vulnerable? Who wants their insecurities exposed? I am so grateful for friends who are there to listen to me when I need to express myself, but more importantly, I consider it a great honor to have someone come to me to be listened to. It's a big deal for someone to trust you enough to share what's going on inside. That's what Jesus wants to do with us. During this part in John, Jesus is explaining His mission to His apostles and sharing with them the news on how things will happen. He speaks to them not as servants but as friends. Since when does a God do this? Share with mortals a divine plan? But this is who Jesus is. He chose us to be His friends, not servants who must dot every "i" and cross every "t." And that best part of the friendship you share with your closest friends reaches its perfection when the friendship is with Christ because who could possibly see through you as well as your God?

I know it's weird to be "friends" with Jesus, but when you begin to think of Him in this way, you will receive so much more from your relationship with God. Maybe you can finally move past an image of a judgmental God that's counting all your sins. It's a friendship because you share with Him and out of love, He shares with you.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for choosing me as Your friend I pray that You help me understand the giving and receiving involved in a perfect friendship. In Your Name we pray, amen.

One

"Live in me as I live in you. I am the vine and you are the branches. As long as you remain in me and I in you, you bear much fruit; but apart from me you can do nothing." - John 15:4,5

For once, I looked forward to riding the Long Island Rail Road to work in the morning, it gave me time to keep reading The Alchemist. I've wanted to devour the book to see what message God has for me through these pages. At one point, I was reading how the young shepherd boy was standing on a cliff over the Sahara desert and had to turn himself into the wind or the general of an army would kill him. As the boy stood over the dry sands, he observed the desert, the winds, the sun, and as powerful as they each were, it was the hand of God that created them and gave them their powers. At that point, the boy directed his prayers to God, and in silence without asking for anything or giving thanks for anything, felt connected to the Almighty. He felt himself and all around Him as one in God. And through this prayer, the boy had become one with this force and became the wind.

As my train pulled into Penn Station, I couldn't control the tears welling up in my eyes. As I read these words, I thought of Jesus' words when He said to remain in Him, remain in His love and we will bear fruit. I walked out of the train and felt like the boy, totally connected to this force of the living God, who created all things and is in all things, and to Jesus, through whom all things were made. This is what Jesus meant when He said to live in Him and He lives in us - when we open our eyes of faith, we will come to realize how God isn't up in Heaven, He is in us, He surrounds us, we are one with Him. Therefore, I kept thinking to myself, what can defeat me except my own fears? What can put me down except my own worries, and what can't I do if I have the force of the Almighty flowing through me, as do you? There is nothing because Jesus has chosen us, He lives in us, and only our own excuses separate us from this very real power.

This may sound so lofty, but close your eyes. Listen to your heart. Feel how your body works and your blood flows through you. This is the work of God in you. Pay attention to all that surrounds you, the noises you hear, the birds in the sky - all these were created by the same God, just like the universe outside of us. It is His life, His Spirit, His breathe that flows through and connects us all.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for opening my eyes to seeing how I am one in You. Thank You for this amazing gift, this amazing power. Help me to always be grateful for it and show others how to remain in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Seeing You For Who You Are

"So the woman left her water jar and ran to town. There she said to the people, 'Come and see a man who told me everything I did! Could he not be the Christ?'" - John 4:28-29

While crossing through Samaria, a place of people that were enemies with the Jews, Jesus was thirsty and asked a woman by a well to give Him water to drink. Astonished that a Jew would ask a Samaritan woman for water, she became curious and began to have a conversation with Jesus about her life and salvation. Without her telling Him, Jesus told her that He knew she had five husbands and she wasn't even married to the man she was with then! Imagine the surprise this woman received upon hearing her sins from a Jewish stranger! Moreover, I learned recently that in their culture, Samaritan women would go fetch water at the wells early in groups, so for this one woman to be by herself later on in the day meant that she was a "bad" woman and kind of cast aside from society. But knowing all of this, Jesus went to her to bring His Word to her life. He went to where she was and let her know that He knew her, all her life, her heart, all that she was. When she ran off to tell everyone in town about Jesus proclaiming, "Come and see a man who told me everything I did!" I believe that what she meant was, "come and see someone who has searched my heart, knows who I am, but has brought me salvation!" How about you? Do you need Jesus to look at you today, acknowledge your sins and still tell you that His love and His salvation is for you? That's what He wants to do. It must have felt amazing for that woman to have Jesus look into her soul and make her feel accepted and that God's promise has come to her. When she left her water jug behind to run off to tell people about Jesus, she left her guilt behind, and all the baggage she was carrying from her past. It's time for you to let go of the guilt and the baggage. Jesus is always there to meet you where you are. Jesus is there to look you in the eyes and tell you who you are - not a sinner, not a bad person - but a child of God. That's who you are.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, help me to define myself only as You see me. Help me to do away with the chains that tie me to my guilt and my past. Help me move forward because You have called me and You have told me who I am in You. Help me follow Your voice and not my own. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Judging To Conclusions

"Jesus stayed in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival and many believed in His Name when they saw the miraculous signs He performed. But Jesus did not trust Himself to them, because He knew all of them. He had no need of evidence about anyone for He Himself knew what there was in each one." - John 2:23-25

A lot of times what we say or do is interpreted by others as meaning something we really didn't intend it to. And how many times do we judge what someone does, take something the wrong way, and get angry about it? This is jumping to conclusions, or actually judging to conclusions, and Jesus warns us serveral times in the gospels not to do it. What is in our hearts is only known to ourselves and most importantly, to God. In Jerusalem, Jesus didn't trust anyone that wanted to spend time with Him or invite Him over because He knew exactly what their intentions were and what was in their hearts. Unlike us, who need to see proof of someone's intentions or evidence in order to really know them, Jesus didn't need any to know the people. Imagine if Jesus weren't God and misjudged all of the people in Jersusalem, thinking they had bad intentions. Imagine all the people that would be unfairly judged on account of an uneducated assumption. We have people misjudge us and we misjudge people. We don't know better and we hardly know what we feel ourselves sometimes, so what right do we have to judge what another person says or does? Thank God that He knows us even when others judge us unfairly. He still knows the truth in our hearts. Jesus says that by the same measure we measure others, we will be measured. We all sincerely need to reevaluate how we measure people and give them all a lot of slack so that God doesn't judge us according to how we judge others.

Today's Prayer:
God, I am only human and make mistakes in judging Your people. Forgive me and teach me how to better my understanding of others instead of assuming I know what they really feel or think. And help me be strong those times I am unfairly judged. Defend me Lord against those who misjudged my words and my actions. In Your Name we pray, amen.

He Did It Too

"And the Word flesh was made; He had His tent pitched among us." - John 1:14

I have always found it so amazing that God would lower Himself sooo much to actually become a mortal, human being. How could someone eternal, immortal, and omnipotent become one of us? How could our bodies even contain Him? But He did…God chose to cloth Himself with our flesh because that's how much He loves us. He was willing to come down from Heaven and be born of a woman like the rest of us. He grew up, went through adolescence, experienced hurt, joy, pain, embarrassment, excitement, anxiety, worry and anger just like the rest of us. God loves us so much that He wouldn't give us a life that He Himself wouldn't be willing to carry or understand, so He came to experience life with us. There isn't a problem we face that Jesus wasn't willing to experience in the flesh along with us. Loss, poverty, betrayal, those very things that hurt us at our very core, Jesus chose to experience to be united with us and one day free us from the power of sin and death. He pitched His tent among us. He was one of us who bled, was beaten, and died. If our God loves us so much to put Himself through pain, to be united with us, what then could He not ask of us? Or better yet, what aren't we willing to do for our Lord? Pray to Him? Yes. Go to church? Yes? How about have faith in Him even when all things seem opposed? Jesus in human flesh showed us how to have faith, so we can as well. How about love our brother, even when they have wronged us? Jesus in human flesh showed us how to forgive those who beat us down, so we can as well. How about staying faithful in a world that doesn't understand devotion to God and only seeks its own pleasure and interests? Jesus in human flesh showed us how to love God, live upright and persevere in the faith, so we can as well.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, 2000 years ago, You pitched Your tent among us to show us how much You love us. For our sake, You chose to suffer and feel what we feel, and even go through death. When I think that what You ask is too hard for me to accomplish or unrealistic, remind me that You did it as well, so that I can always follow Your life and Your example. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Hear The Voice

"My sheep hear my voice and I know them; they follow me and I give them eternal life. They shall never perish and no one will ever steal them from me." - John 10:27-28

We all hear voices. Besides the voices of our family and friends, the voices that might speak loudest to us are the ones telling us we're going to fail or that we're not good enough. We might hear voices telling us we're lonely and things will never work out. Voices telling us we're failures and we've messed up too badly to fix things. But a voice that most people can never single out is the voice of God. He does speak to each and every one of us even if right now you don't believe it. His is a voice so faint, yet so strong, that only when you abandon yourself to prayer and meditation you will be able to hear it. This voice drowns out all negative thoughts you have put in your mind and all those negative thoughts others have put in your mind. If you don't think He listens and doesn't try talking to you, you're wrong…you just haven't really taken the time to listen. And what He wants to tell you is that your situation or your past don't really matter to Him at all, it's that you're taking the time to listen right now. If you quieten yourself tonight, shut out the outside world and put yourself in His presence, you will hear Him tell you that you are His child. As a lamb is taken care of and led by a shepherd, so you are taken care of by the Lord. No other voice will be able to block what He's telling you because no one can take you away from Him. No harm, evil, sorrow or sin can separate you from your Lord. Listen to the voice to guide you.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, when I am still and my heart is open to You, You speak to me. Do away with everything else that drowns out Your voice so You are all I focus on. I love You and want to be led by You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

The Blessed Virgin Mary

"When Jesus saw the Mother, and the disciple, he said to the Mother, 'Woman, this is your son.' Then he said to the disciple, 'There is your mother.' And from that moment the disciple took her to his home." - John 19:25

The last words of a person are very important. Upon facing death, Jesus only spoke 7 times, and one of them was to hand over His mother to His disciple John. This passage is significant because in it, Jesus tells us that His mother is our mother, and we are her children. It was the Virgin Mary who accepted the will of God and brought the Messiah into the world for us, and it was also she who provoked the first miracle out of the Lord even though He thought He wasn't ready. Out of obedience to His mother, He conceded and performed His very first miracle at the wedding at Cana. Who else does God Himself have to obey except for His own mother? We too have the privilege of asking the mother to intercede on our behalf to the son so that our petitions are heard even faster since Jesus gave her to us as our mother, and us to her as her children. This is why from then on, the disciple took her into his home as we should bring her into our hearts as the Lord's mother.

My prayer for tonight is a prayer I found on a piece of paper at church one morning. I saw it and picked it up to pray it. You ask the Virgin Mary to intercede to her son on your behalf for something you need/ want and in 3 days, you will see a change. I took the prayer with a special intention and I can thank the Lord for having listened to His mother because my prayer was answered in those 3 days! The paper said that if your prayer is answered, to publish it and that's what I'm doing by passing it on to you.

Please pray this for 3 days and pass it on:

Oh, most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this necessity. Oh, Star of the Sea, help me and show herein you are my mother. Oh, Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee from the bottom of my heart to succor me in this necessity. (Make request). There are none that can withstand your power. Oh, show me herein you are my mother. Oh, Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee (3x). Oh Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3x). Sweet Mother I place this cause in your hands (3x). Thank you for your mercy to me and mine.

The Perceived Absence of God

"Jesus replied, 'You believe because you see me, don't you? Happy are those who believe although they do not see.'" - John 20:29

Watch this video from The Colbert Report on Comedy Central:




Don't let Stephen Colbert fool you in this video. He's actually a devout Catholic who even teaches Sunday school. What he did in this video is bring to national attention a really important topic - the apparent absence of God in our lives. As some of you may know, a book was just published about Mother Theresa in which she writes about her struggles with her faith, even feeling that God didn't exist, Jesus didn't exist. This absence of God is what Saint John of the Cross called the "dark night of the soul" and it's something we all experience for reasons only God knows. There are times we really feel God there with us, and other times it feels as if He's abandoned us. For Mother Theresa, this absence lasted for about 50 years. These are the moments in which we must really practice our faith. Remember, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1), so when God appears to be absent, be strong and secure in the fact that He is there, He is listening and He is acting on your behalf. Silently yet clearly, He moved Mother Theresa through those 50 years in devotion to Him. When Jesus says in the above verse, you believe because you see, He is not only referring to Thomas seeing Jesus with his natural eyes, but our ability to sense God, sense Jesus or the Holy Spirit, to really feel as if we're being listened to. But Jesus also says that blessed are those who believe without seeing, without feeling. You prove your faith by holding strong at these times - you are tested in fire and found to be gold. You show your love and confidence in God by remaining true to His commandments no matter how distant He feels from you. This is why instead of being viewed as an atheist or a fake Christian, Mother Theresa of Calcutta is actually a champion of the faith. She persevered through God's perceived absence in her life because her faith told her that although her spirit and her body couldn't feel God there, He was there with her all along. Someone who didn't believe in Jesus Christ wouldn't have spent hours kneeling before the tabernacle in deep prayer. Someone who didn't have the love of Christ wouldn't have devoted her life to helping and bathing the poor and the old. Most people wouldn't have made it past a few days, but she dedicated her entire life to God. Don't let your senses deceive you, Jesus Christ is alive and active in your life and if you don't feel Him, keep praying…practice your faith and remember that even someone as devoted as Mother Theresa struggled, yet persevered because although her senses fooled her, her faith always reconfirmed in her heart that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, strengthen my faith so that I never get lost in my dark night of the soul. Give me courage for those moments in which I don't feel You are there and work through me to strengthen my brothers and sisters who feel Your absence at this moment. In Your Name we pray, amen.

An Exercise of Your Faith - Jesus Before You

"I saw someone like a son of man, dressed in a long robe tied with a golden girdle. His head and His hair are white as wool or as snow and His eyes are like flames of fire. His feet are like burnished bronze when it has been refined in a furnace. His voice is like the roaring of the waves." - Revelation 1:13-15

During his time in Patmos, the apostle John had a vision of our Lord Jesus Christ after His ascension into Heaven, in which He saw Him absolutely radiant in all of His glory as King. That's a really powerful image of Jesus but I have another which I'd like to share with you; one I'd like you to take a few minutes to pray and meditate on when you can today. It will help you meet Jesus in Your prayers.

When I meditate, I picture myself on a grassy hill on a beautiful spring afternoon. The breeze blows gently on the grass and flowers, and over a hill, I see Jesus walking over to me. He wears a long white robe and His dark brown hair reaches His shoulders. He comes closer and I see the warmth in His face as our eyes meet. He's come to meet me; He came specifically to see me. Without saying a word He sits next to me and looks me in the eyes with so much concern…He knows what I'm feeling…my pain, my joys, my fears, they don't need to be explained because with the way He's looking at me, I know He's able to fully comprehend all I'm feeling…and the emotions surface as the tears well up in my eyes. As a loving mother picks up her 4 year old child to hug, so does Jesus take me into His arms to hold me, and I let myself be embraced by my Lord who has already laid down His life for me. He says to me, "Peace be with you, I give you my peace," as He wipes the tears away. "Not as the world gives peace do I give it to you. Do not be troubled; do not be afraid. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; remain in my love (John 14:27, 15:9)." And there on the hill, my Lord consoles me and gives me peace, for I know He is forever by my side.

While I know Jesus is strong and powerful, I also know He's my friend. So much more than a God, He's a companion that understands me fully and longs for the moments in which I pour out all I'm feeling to Him. He's there when no one else is. He's been the only one to never fail me and as much as I've betrayed Him, I know He'll always, always be there. Remain in His love.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I love You. You are my best friend, not just a God. Thank You for walking with me and holding my hand through out my ups and downs. Help me to introduce Your love and friendship to those that need a true friend. In Your Name we pray, Amen.