Church

When Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Lk.1:41

The first four members of the Church meet in an embrace and the Holy Spirit is there among them.

This first meeting of Mary and Jesus, Elizabeth and John the Baptist lays the foundation for what happens at Church. People meeting Jesus in body and in spirit. The first fruit is joy. 

Every time I go to Mass is a Visitation. I embrace Jesus in his Word and in the Eucharist. My heart burns within me as I am filled with the Holy Spirit. I fellowship with other believers and leave with Joy in my heart. I love being Catholic.

Mary Mother of God, please pray for us.

Joy that Sticks

So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 
Jn.16:22

The night before his Passion, Jesus warns his disciples of their impending grief. But, he then promises a following complete and permanent joy due to his resurrection. 

Life is made from cycles of grief and joy, joy and grief. But the joy Jesus promises is deep and breaks the cycle. His resurrection gives me a joy that sticks. No one can take it away from me.

This gift of a joy that sticks is mine to take into my day and share with others.

Jesus, you are the source of my joy that sticks. All praise to you my Lord and my God.

The Winning Side

‘In a short time you will no longer see me, and then a short time later you will see me again.’
Jn.16:16

Jesus calls the disciples to an eschatological worldview. His impending death was not the end of the story.

It's said WWII was won on D-Day but it took another eleven months of "mop up operations" before the war finally ended. In a similar way, the war against evil has been won with Jesus' death and resurrection. We're living in the in-between times, fighting mop up operations before Jesus' final return to take us home.

Are two thousand years a "short time"? Well, for God to whom a thousand years are like a day, yes. The message here for me is; we're on the winning side, keep up the good fight, the final triumph over evil is coming, heaven awaits.

Church Militant will become Church Triumphant. Alleluia!

Love Lives within Me

Yet in fact he is not far from any of us, since it is in him that we live, and move, and exist.
Acts.17:28

Paul presents God as someone beyond any man made image or idol. He lives within us as he has created us. Without him we don't exist.

There is something beautifully intimate about my God living within me. Every breath I take, every beat of my heart occurs only because he wills it so. My breath and my heartbeat are constant reminders that God is with me, nurturing me, supporting me, guiding me, loving me. Indeed, love lives within me.

Today is a gift from my God who loves me.

Thank you Lord. It is in you that I live and move and have my being. 

He is Divine, I am de Branch

I am the vine; you are the branches.
Jn.15:5

There's no way around this. Connected to Jesus I thrive and bear fruit. Disconnected I'm just fuel for the fire, briefly giving heat then turning into lifeless ashes. 

He is divine, I am de branch. 

Stay connected!

The Way The Truth The Life

Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’
Jn.14:6

Thomas asks a fair question of Jesus. "How can we know the way?" Jesus' answer is unambiguous. "Follow me."

I've heard people say there are many paths to God. Jesus doesn't agree. I've tried other paths and they've all been dead ends. There's peace and joy in following Jesus that gives a hint of the glories yet to come. 

Thank you Thomas for your question. Thank you Jesus for your answer.

Saint Thomas the Apostle, please pray for me.

Less is More

After he had washed the feet of his disciples, Jesus said to them:

‘I tell you most solemnly,

no servant is greater than his master,

no messenger is greater than the man who sent him.

‘Now that you know this, happiness will be yours if you behave accordingly. 

Jn.13:16,17

Jesus demonstrates the key to happiness. Humility.

Striving for human approval is exhausting. Human exultation is temporary at best. In the Christian world, humility is held up as a virtue that  brings me closer to God, and that's where I want to be... closer to God.

Jesus, I want to be less that you may be more in my life.
Saint John the Baptist, please pray for me.