Matthew 25: 32-34, All the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate sheep from goats, He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take your heritage the Kingdom prepare for you since the foundation of the world.
I don’t know whether my reward will be great in heaven or
not, even though I have had a dream to suggest otherwise. But it was only a
dream.
Today is all Saint’s Day, we remember men, women and
children who are the clean of heart, the peacemakers and those who are
persecuted who now call the Kingdom of Heaven home. I find it to be a comfort
to know in heaven they still intercede for us through prayer, spending an hour mediating
on who they were and how their lives still inspire and bring so much hope to
each one of us. Their concern for justice, living lives of humility,
gentleness, kindness, love, mercy and courage and acting always with purity in
heart.
Matthew 25:40, And the King will answer, "I tell you solemnly in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me."
Matthew 25:45, Then will answer, I tell you solemnly in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me."
What we can learn from our Saints, is to see Jesus in everyone and everything, Jesus is the poor in spirit, the gentle, one of those who mourns, he is hungry and thirsts for what is right, he is merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker and the one who was abused and persecuted. After all Women of Faith and Hope, we are made and created in his image and likeness, let us then rejoice and be glad, for our reward will be great in heaven. Matthew 5:1-12
Genesis 1:26-27, God said, "Let us make man in our own image, in the likeness of ourselves, and let them be masters of the fish of the sea, the birds of heaven, the cattle, all the wild beasts and all the reptiles that crawl upon the earth." God crated man i the image of himself, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.
The Sorrowful Mystery, the
crucifixion, Luke 23:46, Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father into
your hands I commit My spirit.” And have said this He breathed His Last.
Fruit of the mystery,
perseverance
“And every day, when
your heart especially feels loneliness of life, pray.” Saint Padre Pio
“Don’t worry to the
point of losing your inner peace. Pray with perseverance, with faith, with calmness
and serenity.” Saint Padre Pio
The 5th Luminous
Mystery, Christ’s institution of the Eucharist
He took bread, gave
thanks, broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given
for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Fruit of the mystery,
Adoration.
What is Adoration?
Adoration is coming to show respect, reverence, our deep love towards a man who
gave his life to save us all from sin. Lately, the word ‘Ocean’ has been on my
mind, oceans will rise and I have been sitting in the car waiting for my
children to come out of school and reading and praying the psalms and on Monday
and Tuesday I wrote something down and I would like to share it with you all. I
guess we need to take the time to recognize such a Mighty God with a Mighty Power.
"The handmaid of the Lord." Or "Servant of the Lord."
Both these honor the Mother of Jesus, a Female Leader and Mother of our Church.
Mary is our greatest example of obedience, her yes demonstrated a real spirituality. Each of us can say yes to God, responding with our entire being with a surrendered love. Our response opens up a relationship and a life lived with God who is Father to all. When we pray to Mary and make it our own, the love Mary bore in her body comes through to us and this encounter is an intimate, personal love that God invites us all to have with him.
I want to leave you with this quote;
"Your obedience to God is an act of Gratitude for his gift of grace." Author Unknown.
Christ's Transfiguration, Matthew 17:2, And He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun and His clothes became dazzling white.
Desire for Holiness.
If you have a desire for holiness, a strong feeling, something you really want or wishing for something to happen, then you must love God and do what he wants, and needs you do. Not what you want to do. Psalm 36:4, if we find your delight in the Lord, he will grant your heart’s desire.
What if the answer to all our
problems, to all our pain, to all the hurt was to hear, ‘I love you! I honestly
and truly love you, with all my heart, mind and soul?’
Mark 7:6-8, He answered, ‘It was of you hypocrites that Isaiah
so rightly prophesied in this passage of scripture:
This people honor me only with lip service,
While their hearts are far from me.
The worship they offer me is worthless,
The doctrines they teach are only human regulations.
You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human
traditions.’
What is a commandment?
A commandment is the act or power of
commanding. It’s a divine rule to be observed especially the ten commandments.
1 John 3:23-24, His commandments are
these; that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and that we love one
another as he told us to. Whoever keeps his commandments lives in God and God
lives in him. We know that he lives in us by the Spirit that he has given us.
Women of Faith and Hope, I have some
homework for you all. Can I ask if you all can read 1John, 2 John and 3 John. All
I ask is for you to make some time and read it, sit with it for a while and
allow the spirit to talk to you.
2John 6, To love is to live
according to his commandments; this is the commandment which you have heard
since the beginning, to live a life of love.
Let us begin, if we want to see
change in the world, we need to begin to see that change in our own homes,
families, friends, neighbors, those who are nearest to us. Mother Teresa says;
“Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time and always start with the
person nearest you.” We alone, Women of Faith and hope, cannot change the
world, we can though throw stones across the water to create many ripples, like
a dominos affect. One at a time.
Women of Faith and Hope, our
children are watching, they imitate our behavior, actions and attitudes. If we
can observe the laws, the ten commandments, then let us observe our own lives
we live and make the necessary changes because that is one step closer in
making this world a better place. You might say, “I owe no one anything,” you
probably don’t owe anyone anything, except to love each other as he has loved
us.
1 John 4:19, We are to love, then, because he loves us first.
Have you heard the expression; ‘Love
hurts.’ Well it’s not supposed to, yes, it hurts when we are rejected, excluded,
ignored, never acknowledged and painfully it can hurt physically, mentally and
emotionally but these things I have listed, aren’t love. Dear old love is the
only thing that can take away all the pain, all the hurt and suffering. Love is
patient and kind it is comfort and protection. Love is the only thing that can
save us and has saved us, remember God shows his love upon the cross and if you
don’t believe me, then gaze, look, open your eyes and see for yourself the crucifix, your rosary beads, the
tabernacle and the cross that is way up high for all to see.
1 John 4:9-10 God’s love for us was revealed when God sent
into the world his only Son so that we could have life through him, this is the
love I mean, not our love for God, but God’s love for us when he sent his Son
to be the sacrifice that takes our sins away.
My dear people, Women of Faith and
Hope, God reveals through his son, his greatest command.
“Love God with all your heart, with all your soul and with
all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second
resembles it. You must love your neighbor as yourself.
Matthew 22:34-40
I know most of us act and aspire to
live out the ten commandments but why can’t others? Especially, other
Christians, priests, leaders of the Church, why can’t they act and aspire to
live out these commandments? Are they above the law? Is there a law or
commandment greater than love? Does your love for God resemble your love for
your neighbor?
Of course, no one is perfect but if
you are going to lead people to God, if you are going to teach people about
God, then you should try to know the love of God, imitate the love of God, pray
and ask for the grace and gift of love. Our love for our neighbor should be like
our love for God. With all our heart, with all our soul and with all our mind.
1 John 4:7-8, My dear people, let us love one another since
love comes from God and everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God.
Anyone who fails to love can never have known God because God is love.
I have witnessed someone, preaching
the word of God, giving inspiring and encouraging homilies and then acting in a
way that never represents the truth, the word of God and the love for their
neighbor. They might love God, but they don’t love their Sister or brother in
Christ, maybe I catch them on a bad day but seems, I catch them on a bad day
all the time, a bad week, a bad month or a bad year. I want to write how angry it makes me feel but
I want to somehow correct them and say, it’s not ok, and it must stop, it’s
enough. I don’t deserve it, you can’t love God and hate your sister or brother,
ignoring me, rejecting me and excluding me does not resemble the love we are meant
to have for God or each other. Writing this, will never make a difference, they will come up
with some excuse or prove how it is ok to treat someone that way because God
says so, well I am saying it is not ok and it’s not love. Yes, my love is ready to overlook all the Offenses that have been
made; and to forgive the pain that has been caused to a child of God’s. Maybe the reason why it
hurts so much and confuses me is because I love them, my love for them
resembles the love I have for God, with all my heart, mind and soul. I am not
asking for anything, they don’t owe me anything, except for them to know the
love of God, to love God with all their heart, mind and soul and to love their
neighbor as themselves. Partly, it’s because of them, God has given me the
grace to love again, to trust in love and to know the greatest command.
‘Love’
And for that, I am so thankful and
grateful.
1John 3:1-2, Think of the love that the Father has lavished
on us, by letting us be called God’s children; and that is what we are. Because
the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.
So, go ahead, say you love, you know
Jesus Christ, you have knowledge and understanding. Continue to be rude and ignorant.
Maybe it’s me, I am scared and fearful and I don’t understand your love for me
or God’s love or my love for God. No, that can’t be it. Love shouldn’t hurt, Love is supposed to be
peaceful and joyful.
1 John 4:18, In love there can be no fear, but fear is driven
out by perfect love: because to fear is to expect punishment, and anyone who is
afraid is still imperfect in love.
Let me finish with the following:
Women of Faith and Hope, our hearts seek the Lord and
rejoice. He is our Lord and strength, constantly seek his face, seek him out.
God is ever living, Almighty and we ask him in prayer to increase our faith,
hope and charity and help us to love what is commanded of us.
If they are harsh, cry out to the Lord, and he shall hear
your cry, his anger will flare.
We love you Lord, for you are our strength, savior, shield
and mighty help, you are the rock where we can take shelter and take refuge.
God you have saved us
with an everlasting love, in return we shall praise your name.
Love him, Women of Faith and Hope, keep his words and our
Father will love us and come to us.
John 14:23,
If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will
love him, and we shall come to him and make our home with him.
