First Comes Desire

"It is God who makes you not only wish but also carry out what pleases Him." - Philippians 2:13

I attended a Divine Mercy Holy Hour tonight and after the service, the priest asked my friend if he wanted to be a priest. My friend smiled at him not knowing how to respond politely. For most of us, the thought of being a nun or a priest is out of the question, but God will never call you to do anything you don't have a desire to do first. This is how it is with all things in our lives. When I started to look for God and find ways to serve Him, I had the desire for it first, before I ever did anything about it.

So many of you might feel in your heart that there is something you want to do for the Lord and don't know where to start. Maybe you want to read during Mass, maybe you want to volunteer to help the poor or at a soup kitchen, or maybe you want to teach religion classes to children studying for their First Communion or Confirmation. Whatever you feel in your heart you want to do, God wants you to do as well. Pray about it, ask God to show you the path and lead you in what to do next. In this way you'll see that whatever road God leads you on, He'll lead you with love and never out of obligation.

Today's Prayer:
Lord, You know the desires of my heart. I want to follow You and serve You. Give me the desire to work for Your Kingdom and let me follow what You have put in my heart. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

Path To Knowledge

"God knows that I love you dearly with the love of Christ Jesus, and in my prayers I ask that your love may lead you each day to a deeper knowledge and clearer discernment." - Philippians 1:8-9

The Holy Spirit is alive in scripture. If we ask Him to open our minds so we can understand the Word, He teaches us amazing things we never noticed before. I was just blown away by this verse in Paul's letter to the Philippians - "that your love may lead you each day to a deeper knowledge and clearer discernment"… love is the true way to knowledge and discernment! It's not how much we study or the school we went to, or even any kind of street smarts, but all perfect knowledge and enlightenment is attained by love. And it makes sense because only when we love do we see that no one knows the human heart except for God, so we have compassion for others instead of holding them accountable for what we judge as wrong or annoying. We act with patience which leads to understanding, instead of anger which leads to darkness. If we have love, we are self-less, and only seek what is truly best for people instead of a tainted result. Best of all, if we love we are walking closer to God, who is the source of all wisdom and knowledge. And God, who is pleased with a humble and loving heart, will reward us by opening our minds to the knowledge and truth to understand and appreciate all of His creation.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for teaching me that love is the path to knowledge. I pray that You fill my heart with love for You and others, and lead me down the path to true wisdom. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Holy Week

"He humbled Himself by being obedient to death, death on the cross. That is why God exalted Him and gave Him the Name which outshines all names, so that at the Name of Jesus all knees should bend." - Philippians 2:8-10

When we were younger, we attended Mass during Holy Week and it was an obligation. The dressing up, the sitting and standing, and the long readings were tedious. This week, as we begin to observe Holy Week, we must recognize that we are no longer children, and approach the upcoming days with reverence and adult faith. This week, we meditate on the fact that being God, Christ chose to lay down His life for our sins. This isn't just a story or something that happened a very long time ago, but it's the very core of our lives and our salvation. If as an adult, you have decided that you believe in Jesus Christ, then observe this week in respect and reverence. God always extends an invitation to follow Him, but use this week to meditate on our own lives, our own sinfulness and the way Jesus came to Earth to serve us. Don't go through this week following the routine, but ask the Lord to let this week come alive for you. Think about the way the Human Jesus must have felt entering Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, knowing He would be put to death. His peers were about to condemn Him and His friends about to betray Him. And at the end of all this, He would resurrect, breaking the hold death had on us for so long. For the price Jesus paid, we no longer need to fear dying because He gained for us a much bigger reward with the Father in Heaven.

As adults, I ask all of you to please let your faith come alive this week. Attend the Masses, go to confession and reconcile with God, read the bible, meditate on Jesus' passion, death, and resurrection. We are no longer children, but adults that should know that our salvation is a very personal matter. It is our duty to make the time to show respect to the Lord who has given us life.

Today's Prayer:
My God, in the Name of Your son, our Lord Jesus Christ, I ask You to reveal Yourself to us during this Holy Week. Let those most in need of Your mercy come to reverence the passion, death, and resurrection of Your son, so that we may never die. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Rejoice In The Lord

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I say it again: rejoice." - Philippians 4:4

Sometimes we experience days that really drain us. There was so much going on from the very beginning that by night time, we haven't even had time to think or wrap our heads around it. Today I had a very long day, and I realized I didn't have time to really connect with God. I've been feeling a bit lost lately and not sure what to do with my future. With all I had to do, I felt my mind so cloudy. I knew I needed to reconnect, or let Him restore my soul as the psalm says. As soon as I got home around 9:45pm, I locked myself in my room and lit a candle. I sat there and let God's presence engulf me. There are so many things I need but I thought of the psalms and this verse from Paul's letter to the Philippians about rejoicing, so instead of asking for anything, I simply let the Lord in and I praised Him. I spent the next hour thanking Him for each and every little or big thing He had done for me today. I even thanked Him for the wonders He had done for His people in the past because it's a testament to what He will continue to do. I opened up my bible and read psalms to praise Him. I said to Him out loud that I love Him and wish to do His will. And now, as I still here and write to you, I feel at peace. During the day I felt so far from Him and lost inside my own head, but now, it's like the storm has settled. I can breathe easily and feel His presence with me.

I encourage you to one day, when you have the time, to dedicate a moment like this to God. Sit with only the intention to acknowledge His goodness because all that you need He already knows. Instead, rejoice in the peace and tranquility that comes from being connected to the Lord, for the gift of being in His presence.

Today's Prayer:
My God, thank You for surrounding me with Your presence. Thank You for meeting me where I was tonight and letting me know that You care and are there for me. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.

New Things In God's Hands

"Do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God." - Phillippians 4:6

Starting something new? A new job? A new project? A new relationship? Or is there something you've been working on that you want to get off the ground? Before, I used to worry a lot and wonder if whatever I was doing would work out well. I think that sometimes our doubts and insecurities get the best of us. The key to all these things and seeing success in your life is to put whatever you're starting in God's hands. At my job, I juggle about 8 projects at a time and every time a new one is starting, I go to church and present it to the Lord. I tell Him, "God, You know I have this going on. Please help me. I put this in Your hands so that You guide me and help me do a great job." And He always does exactly that. That's what you need to be doing. Your work, family, relationships, everything, put it into God's hands and He will let it grow. Even if you're a confidant person who sees the glass half full all the time, imagine how much more you could do if you put your projects in God's hands first! You see, nothing happens on this earth without the consent of God. There is nothing you can accomplish without His grace, so if you truly want to be blessed and prosper, make sure all new things you start this new year are founded on God first.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, thank You for Your grace in my life. As I start 2008, I want to place all my new projects, work, family and relationships in Your hands for You to take care of for me. I know that nothing that's not based on You can grow, and I want to make sure my foundation is securely placed on Your love. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Happy New Year

"I say only this: forgetting what is behind me, I race forward and run towards the goal, my eyes on the prize to which God has called us from above in Christ Jesus." - Phillippians 3:13-14

With the new year, we always try to put in the past the mistakes we've made and look forward to starting over on a blank slate with new resolutions. But let's be honest - just like we're not going to stick to the diet, we're going to let God down. We might fall back into those sins we're trying so hard to leave behind. Here, Paul gives us a message of hope for all new things, forget what is behind you and move forward with your eyes on the prize! Don't hold on to the guilt of those past sins or feeling like you can't get forgiveness from the Lord because you can. We're bound to fall from time to time, but don't let that stop you, don't let that slow you down! We all have to keep racing towards our dreams and goals. Our life is one big race and the only way to win is to keep looking forward. When we look back at our mistakes, we carry them with us as dead weight and we will stumble and fall. 2008 is your year to set your relationship with the Lord on fire. He is wiping your slate clean and with repentance in your heart, He has forgotten all of your past. All you have to do now is look forward and keep on running.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the new year and all I've grown in 2007. Help me to, like Paul, keep on racing towards You and never look back at the mistakes of my past. Help keep me steady, confident, and set on You and the plans You have for me. In Your Name we pray, amen.

All Things

"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me." - Phillippians 4:13

What are the problems that hold you down? What are those huge mountains that you see in your way, impossible to climb over? What are those burdens that weigh down on your chest at times, always worrying you about your future and how things will turn out?

Saint Paul was a persecuted man. He traveled among pagans teaching them a radical new belief knowing he would get laughed at and possibly killed. He had no money, no family, no possessions that were really his. All he knew was that he could do ALL THINGS in Christ who strengthened him.

If Paul depended on Christ for his very life, why can't you depend on Christ for your finances? For your future? For your health? For your happiness? You can do all things in Christ who strengthens you because our God is infinitely bigger than that mountain that blocks your vision. So when you're down, when you're sad, when you can't seem to figure a way out, repeat this verse to yourself and make sure you believe it. You will be amazed at how God works it all out for you because you believed. Never worry, He is with you.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, I get nervous but You are victorious. My problems weigh me down but there is nothing I can't achieve with You by my side. Give me the optimism to call on You day and night so I can fulfill the plan You have for me. I know I can do all things in You. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Filling Yourself with Good

"Brothers and sisters, fill your minds with whatever is truthful, holy, just, pure, lovely and noble." - Phillipians 4:8

Most of us are familiar with the phrase "you reap what you sow," and it definitely has a lot of truth to it. There are things that can poison your minds, hearts, and souls if you allow yourself to be contaminated by them. I have a friend now who let herself slip into a bad situation and now she is hurt and bitter. What she surrounded herself with has brought her down and killed her joy and her heart. God doesn't want this for us and instead, through this verse tells us to keep ourselves surrounded by good. If we want joy and peace in our lives, we need to keep ourselves free of anything that can contaminate us. We need to surround and fill ourselves with whatever is truthful, holy, just, pure, lovely, and noble. Being out in a club one night can be fun, but what truth or purity is in that? What joy can it bring about if there's emptiness the next day. Cutting class one day can be fun, but one can never find truth in that. Or hooking up with someone we're attracted to can be pleasurable a few times, but what nobility is there in that? These things bring harm to your soul when the good that God intends for us brings life. Look for this good, seek it and you will see how it brings more substance to your life.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, although I do not always see it, help me to seek the pure and good things for my life. Help me to avoid the cheap thrills and the things that are only good for the moment and later bring me harm. Help me see what You want for me and not just what I want. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Remain Positive

"Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again: rejoice." - Phillipians 4:4

I know that some of you may read this and think, "what am I going to rejoice for if my life is going so bad right now?" Maybe you just lost your job, maybe you can't pay a bill, maybe a loved one just died or is sick, or maybe someone broke your heart today. A lot of times, many of us don't realize that we're the ones keeping ourselves so upset. When things go wrong, we complain to everyone that will listen and go about with an attitude as if our lives were over. But God wants to give you hope. If you put your trust in Him, whatever you need He will already give you, but the key is for you to believe it. If instead of letting ourselves get upset, we smile and trust in God, that smile reaches our subconscience and we really do begin to feel better and our hope returns. But if we just continue to feed the negativity, those feelings eat away at us until there is nothing good left. Don't be like that when the Lord is already working. You just need to trust in Him. Work on keeping yourself positive and full of joy while God handles the rest.

Today's Prayer:
Lord God, help me to trust in You fully so that my faith in You gladdens my mind, body and soul. Help me to always rejoice in Your Name and allow Your goodness to always be on my mind. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Forward and Never Back

"I do not claim to have claimed the prize yet. I say only this: forgetting what is behind me, I race forward and run towards the goal, my eyes on the prize to which God has called us from above in Christ Jesus." - Phillipians 3:13-14

What is the prize you have in your heart that you want to achieve? We all have a dream that we want to accomplish, whether it's the ideal job, a stable relationship, better health, or even a better relationship with God and our families. This is what we were called for - to achieve those dreams in the Name of Jesus Christ. And life is a journey so I doubt many of us feel complete right now, but the point is to hope and keep our faith on Jesus, as Saint Paul writes in this passage. See, Paul had the dream of reaching Christ and being like Him in every way. He knew he wasn't there yet, but he kept on trying with hope. He was thrown in jail, shipwrecked, beaten and he still pressed forward to accomplish what God put in his heart. This is what we need to do with the things we want to achieve, keep on marching forward with faith on the Lord, eyes on the prize.

But it's always important that we never look back, because in looking back, we see our weaknesses. We see the areas in which we've failed before or were let down. God calls us to rise above where we are now and move forward. God doesn't want us to remain in the same place where we were hurt but to reach for higher things as Paul expressed! Today, remember you were called for higher things. Hope in the Lord and march forward.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, thank You for the hope You give us in our lives. Help me to remain focused, march forward and never reminisce on my past or the areas in which I was hurt. I know You want to better me Lord. In Your Name we pray, amen.

The Honor of Suffering For Him

"For through Christ you have been granted not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for Him." - Phillipians 1:29

Ever since I was little, I used to hear about the martyrs, people that suffered or died for Jesus and I used to feel a little bit of… I guess the word is disappointment that I would never have the chance to suffer in His Name since Christians aren't persecuted anymore. I didn't want to go through any pain, of course, I just wanted to feel worthy of Him. It's now as I'm standing firmer in faith that I see that we all have an opportunity to suffer for Him. I've written to you before about facing trials when we follow God because the devil always wants to take away the joy we have. He wants to rob us of our faith when he sees us growing closer to God. Lately, the enemy has been trying to hurt me in the areas of my life that cause me the most pain. I'm not one to ask God "why" anymore, but when asking Him for strength, I understood that the reason for all the sadness in my life right now is because I am holding on to God and I'm speaking to you about Him everyday, so the devil wants to knock me down, get me depressed so that I have no happiness and no energy to serve the Lord. But then I remembered this verse, not only has Jesus granted that I believe in Him but I also have the honor of suffering for Him because I know that none of what I'm going through would be happening if I wasn't so close to God and if these emails weren't making some kind of impact in your life. Therefore, honestly, I'm honored to go through what I'm going through now because I know I'm doing something right if the enemy is trying to knock me down, and I won't give into the depression that wants to kick in because My God Almighty, My Savior, and My Protector is bigger than anything that can be thrown at me and He loves me and will deliver me from my distress at His perfect time.

Today's Prayer:
Thank You God because although I'm being attacked from all sides, You are there for me to protect me, give me hope, and see me through all my sorrows. I trust in You Lord. In Your hands I put my life. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Sole Reliance on God

"For us, our citizenship is in heaven." - Phillipians 3:20

We need to be reminded constantly that we do not belong to ourselves or to this earth. God created you with a purpose and Jesus paid for your life with His blood to give you back the abundant life you lost because of sin. As you know, God took His time to make you in your mother's womb, He gave you the breathe of life and holds on to you, preserving your life until He decides. That's why your true life can only be found in Him. That's why all you try to do without Him crumbles. Understand that you cannot get away from Him, so today, accept His call to surrender your will to His for He will take care of you out of love. Look at the great things you have in your life, your friends, family, they were all given to you by God without you even asking. Imagine what else He can give you if you make your life His. I know some that don't give themselves up to God because it's just not what most people do, no one follows God anymore, you don't want to be an outsider…you certainly don't want to be a "Jesus freak." But wake up and realize that all that really matters is what God thinks of you because in about 50 years, most of us will be gone. No one will be there when you die except for God so what does it matter what other people think?

Since our time on earth is only temporary, not even a 100 years, and our citizenship is with God in Heaven, where we will be for eternity, we need to change the way we think of ourselves. Instead of what you think of yourself, what you can do for yourself, or what others think of you or can do for you, you ONLY need to worry about what God thinks of you and can do for.

Say this to God each and every morning and He'll help you get there:

Self Sufficiency - I am only satisfied when I completely depend on You.

Self Esteem - I only need to see me the way You do.

Self Awareness - I realize how poor I am and how rich You are.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I am nothing before You but You are everything. Make me aware each day of how short my life is and how much I need You in it. Help me to only depend on You and only worry about what You think of me. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Suffer With Him

"I want to know Him; I want to experience the power of His resurrection and share in His sufferings and become like Him in His death." - Phillipians 3:10

Knowing Jesus Christ is recognizing that His way and the way of the world are opposites. Knowing Him means that you are choosing to walk a lonely and very hard path. Those that choose to follow Jesus down this path start with so much joy, love and fervor but quickly fall off because being like Jesus means suffering His fate. You cannot serve this master if you refuse to imitate Him in all things, even death. Although it might not be a physical death, it's a death to all of the things of the flesh that hinder you from perfect unity with God. Believing in the power of the resurrection, as Saint Paul says here, is wanting to experience the full benefits of the redemption from sin and death that Jesus secured for us. Since this world is full of so much sin and people that will stand opposed to your faith, and mock you for your beliefs, you will suffer for His Name and you will suffer from the trials the devil will bring upon you. This is where imitating Him will be your joy, when you are at your lowest, the power of God will make you strong in your weakness and His Name will be exalted…there, in being like Him, you allow for His glory and power to shine forth.

Today's Prayer:
My Lord, my God, I understand that wanting to follow You means taking up my own cross and imitating You in Your suffering without ever losing faith. The trials are hard my God, but be with me and give me the strength to overcome evil and let Your glory be known. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

All Things

"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

Memorize this verse. Make this the new slogan for your life. The more you repeat it to yourself, the more confident and sure you will be about everything you do.

This verse implies that you already have the power of God. Anything you want to do, to accomplish, you can do without question. All you need to do is believe it. Often times the biggest obstacle to getting where we want to be or facing certain situations is ourselves, but if as a follower of God, you already know that He is with you at all times to support you, then what is stopping you? Nothing.

Those who have their faith firmly placed on God do not waver. They do not doubt. They do not spend their day moping and feeling bad for themselves. If you today believe yourself to be a follower of Jesus Christ, then your life needs to be one of optimism - you must show to others the confidence the Lord has given you. You can do all things in He who strengthens you! ALL THINGS! And if your faith is still shaky, go back to the Lord and ask Him to help you to believe so that you can be free of all the worry, anxiety, and frustrations we experience in life. All these things do come to us, but when you believe in the Lord, the burden is carried for you. You're not alone. God, who is much bigger than any trouble that could ever come to you, is on your side.

I CAN DO ALL THINGS IN HIM WHO STRENGTHENS ME!

Today's Prayer:
Lord, help me to believe fervently in You and in Your promises to me. I want to live a live of joy and confidence and let others see the wonders You have done in me. In Your Name we pray, Amen.

Eyes on The Prize

"I do not believe I have already reached the goal, nor do I consider myself perfect, but I press on till I possess Christ Jesus, since I have been pursued by Him. No, brothers and sisters, I do not claim to have claimed the prize yet. I say only this: forgetting what is behind me, I race forward and run towards the goal, my eyes on the prize to which God has called us from above in Christ Jesus." - Phillipians 3:12-14

In his letter to the Phillipians, Paul speaks about his goal - being like Christ and sharing in His resurrection. He says he was pursued by Christ and he definitely was. Jesus knocked him off a horse to get his attention! We all know what a champion Paul is to the Christian faith, helping to convert multitudes of people and even today through these letters he left behind.Regardless, Paul was just like you and I are today, trying everyday to get one step closer to God despite of our weak spirits.

Now, I know many of you might think, "But I'm not anything like Paul, he had so much faith and was such a good person," but before Paul became a Christian, he was out there killing people who believed in Jesus. You might think to yourselves, "I don't deserve to follow God," or "I can't go to church because I'm a sinner," but have any of you murdered anyone? Paul did and look at the man Jesus Christ made out of him! How can Jesus not work in you and make a greater person out of you?

Our lives should be a race, every day pressing on until we are one step closer. No one is asking that you become perfect over night but what you do today counts for where you will be tomorrow. Maybe you're expecting a sign from God, just as Jesus appeared to Paul during his conversion, but this email to you today is your call from God now to begin on your race - there are so many people in this world and today, on Pentecost Sunday, Jesus has chosen you to receive this message because He wants you to follow Him. Forget about your past and move forward in Christ - leave the rest to the Lord for if you do this, you WILL see His wonders.

Today's Prayer:
Jesus, I come before You today because You know that I want to be more like You. Help me to put my past aside and strive for this goal day by day. Give me Your Holy Sprit so that I may always be strengthened along the way. In Your Name we pray, Amen.