The Gospel today is short and confusing... I read it last night and this morning as Pat and I shared morning prayer together. "That's it...It just says that his relatives said; 'He is out of his mind.' " I said to Pat and he mumbled a "OK". But as I let it sink in it reminds me of some of the reactions I have gotten over the past years of sharing so long and hard about my LOVE for the Catholic Church with no hesitations or reservations! Pat was told by one of his brothers lately that "you guys are all crazy." My own daughter, Nancy, lovingly labeled me as "a crazy Catholic" which I adopted for a while until my wise father pointed out to me that it might scare away some of those that read my sharings. In a conversation just last week around here John said that I am considered to be "crazy Catholic" or outspoken and not holding back at all of how much I love everything there is about Jesus and His Bride, The Church!
I one time had a friend call me out about calling The Catholic Church - The Church, and that it couldn't be truly what I meant to say. Yes! It is! I believe that Jesus instituted The True Church/The Catholic Church with Saint Peter up until today - The Holy Catholic Church! I am sure that many will label me out of line and out of my mind. That worries me not nor does it make me cringe back into my shell! Do you think that Jesus' relatives coming to "seize him" deterred him from preaching the Gospel, healing the sick and suffering, or even from dying and suffering for our sins in the worst way? No! Thank goodness! It comes with the territory of sharing The Truth without holding back! Yes, I won't win a popularity contest, even in my own family, but I could care less about that. Yes, I have rejected much that the world tells us is needed to find happiness, because I know them to be lies and what really matters is being open to LIFE, and raise them as LIGHTS! That sharing our Faith with JOY with our children has born the fruit of watching them be open to LIFE and raising LIGHTS!
The first reading speaks of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives if we only are open to dying to self so that it will live and work within us! "How much more will the Blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God." Hebrews 9 And the Psalm today is to me a grand Hallel Psalm - one giving the highest Praise to God and His works in this world and in His Church!
All peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the Lord, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
For the king of all the earth is God:
sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets to the Lord.
Just think... we receive God/Jesus in the Eucharist each time we go to mass! So humbling to bow low and say to the Body and Blood as it is lifted up at the Consecration - "My Lord and my God." as we recognize Him along with Doubting St Thomas!
Jesus, may we always be ready to share the way, The Truth and the LIFE/Jesus with all those we encounter and when necessary use words. I know that I can get wordy, and I pray that it does not deter the message I am wanting to share far and wide... This is that The Church is there to help us get to Heaven and find eternal LIFE - there is no picking and choosing or being a shopping cart Catholic! We need to Trust in all that has gone into every dogma and teaching of The Church... much prayed over and investigated and the best minds, hearts and souls/Saints set to work long and hard at sharing The Truth that will set us free of our selfishness and sin and follow Jesus down the narrow path to LIFE/LOVE/LIGHT/eternal LIFE! There is nothing we need question or not believe totally and without reservation! NOTHING! Maybe it takes a crazy/out of his mind person to allow our self to disappear and die so that Christ may live in us, but guess what? That is how we find true happiness, and a small slice of heaven here on earth that leads to LIFE eternal! There is nothing more wonderful than to share Faith as a Family! Jesus, we trust in YOU and your True Church. Amen and Hallelujah
St Francis De Sales, pray for us, and share your LIGHT with all those that look to you.
"Oh, how blessed then is this womb," our Lord seems to say, "since it is more precious than the Ark of the Covenant; and therefore how blessed is this Woman because she is my Mother. And certainly this happiness belongs only to her inasmuch as no other creature, whoever she might be, can or will ever be honored with the title of Mother of God." St Francis De Sales (1622) Doctor of the Church
There is the reminder to be humble once again... so painful yet necessary!
Danielle Rose - Litany of Humility
Newsboys - God's not dead
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