💜 From The Heart 💜

LISTENING TO EVERYBODY BUT...

“This is the word of the Lord that came to Jonah.” —Jonah 1:1
Jonah is both strikingly similar and dissimilar to Jesus. Jonah and Jesus are the only two people in the Bible who fell asleep in a boat during a storm (Jon 1:5; Mk 4:38). Jonah’s storm was stopped by “sacrificing” him, throwing him overboard (see Jon 1:14-15). By Jesus’ sacrificial death on Calvary, the storms of sin and death were stopped for those who believe in Him. As Jonah spent three days in the belly of a fish (Jon 2:1), Jesus spent three days buried in the earth (Mt 12:40).

In contrast to these amazing similarities, Jonah was directly opposite to Jesus in other ways. Jonah fled from the will of God the Father; Jesus obeyed the Father. Jonah was guilty; Jesus was innocent. Jonah was vindictive; Jesus was and is forgiving and merciful.

Ironically, Jonah was, at least originally, more quantifiably successful than Jesus. All 120,000 Ninevites converted in one day when Jonah reluctantly said “Repent” (see Jon 3:5; 4:11). However, Jesus also repeatedly said and says “Repent,” but few listen to Him. The Ninevites will remark on this at Judgment Day: “For at the preaching of Jonah [we] reformed, but you have a greater than Jonah here” (Lk 11:32).

Listen to Jesus more than you listen to any person, government, boss, celebrity, superstar, or business. Repent!

Prayer: Father, enable me to repent totally and immediately.

Promise: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” —Lk 10:27

Praise: St. Bruno devoted his life to deep prayer and solitude in order to be one with God.

3 months ago | [YT] | 0

💜 From The Heart 💜

QUESTION GOD

“They failed, however, to understand this warning; its meaning was so concealed from them they did not grasp it at all, and they were afraid to question Him about the matter.” —Luke 9:45
We often question God concerning disappointments, sufferings, and failures. We ask: “Why me?”, “How long?”, “What’s wrong?”, “What can I do?” Yet we are afraid to ask the Lord other questions. He wants us to ask Him about our daily cross (Lk 9:23), not to get out of it but into it. Jesus calls us to ask how we can die to self to bear fruit for His kingdom (Lk 9:24). He motivates us to pray that we may know how to suffer redemptively in “the pattern of His death” (Phil 3:10).

The great saints often questioned God about getting into suffering and finding their joy in it (Col 1:24). Do we grasp the cross at all? (Lk 9:45) Are we afraid to question Jesus about this matter? (Lk 9:45) If we ask the hard question, we’ll get a miraculous answer. We’ll boast with St. Paul of “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14). We’ll pray with St. Francis: “We adore You, O Christ, and we praise You, because by Your holy cross You have redeemed the world.”

Prayer: “Jesus, keep me near the cross. There’s a precious fountain.”

Promise: “Many nations shall join themselves to the Lord on that day.” —Zec 2:15

Praise: St. Vincent de Paul ministered to the poor by forming organizations of charity, appealing to those in power, and loving the poor as a humble pastor of souls.

3 months ago | [YT] | 0

💜 From The Heart 💜

THE FULL GOSPEL

“Consider your ways! You have sown much, but have brought in little.” —Haggai 1:5-6
Have you worked hard but gotten little out of it except a feeling of discontent? Have you eaten, bought, or consumed a lot but “not been satisfied”? (Hg 1:6) Have you stimulated yourself through drinking, distractions, sexual sin, sports, or entertainment but “not been exhilarated”? (Hg 1:6) Do you have a sense of emptiness and loss?

We can be empty for many reasons. One common reason is that we may have put our concerns before those of God (Hg 1:2-4) and thereby have committed idolatry. “The worship of infamous idols is the reason and source and extremity of all evil” (Wis 14:27). When we go after empty idols, we become empty ourselves (Jer 2:5).

If you want to become fulfilled rather than empty, deny your very self (Lk 9:23) and give your life to Jesus, in Whom absolute fullness resides (Col 1:19). Hunger and thirst for righteousness, and you will be filled (Mt 5:6). Seek first God’s kingdom, not yours, “and all these things will be given you besides” (Mt 6:33). “Do whatever He tells you” (Jn 2:5). Then, in response to your obedience, Jesus will fill you with the choice wine (Jn 2:10) of the Spirit (Acts 2:4). Jesus emptied Himself (Phil 2:7) to give us life to the full (Jn 10:10). Give your life to Him.

Prayer: Father, I empty myself for love of You. Fill me.

Promise: “The Lord loves His people, and He adorns the lowly with victory.” —Ps 149:4

Praise: While Ann was recovering from a broken leg, she accepted God’s grace to spend more time in intercession and spiritual reading.

3 months ago | [YT] | 0

💜 From The Heart 💜

THE SIMPLICITY OF HIS POWER

He “gave them power.” —Luke 9:1
When Jesus sent out His twelve apostles, He “gave them power and authority to overcome all demons and to cure diseases” (Lk 9:1). Moreover, He did not allow them to take walking staff, traveling bag, bread, money, and extra clothes (Lk 9:3). Jesus made it clear that power and simplicity were essential to His mission.

Worldly power is often complex. For example, armies, weapons, politics, and the media are all powerful and very complicated. In contrast, power in Christ is often simple. Power in Christ is often based on having less rather than more. Accordingly, the most powerful act in the history of the human race is Jesus’ death and Resurrection. Jesus did this by emptying Himself (Phil 2:7). Jesus lived in poverty (see Lk 9:58) and died having nothing. In weakness God’s power reaches perfection (2 Cor 12:9). “Because of this, God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name above every other name” (Phil 2:9).

Will you let the Lord make you poor and simple enough to be powerful? Will you believe in the simplicity of His power?

Prayer: Father, give me the courage to radically simplify my life.

Promise: “Thus He has given us new life to raise again the house of our God and restore its ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.” —Ezr 9:9

Praise: Leah took her teenage daughter and friends to a fashion show that featured only modest clothing.

3 months ago | [YT] | 0

💜 From The Heart 💜

FAITHFUL NO MATTER WHAT

For wherever you go I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge, your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” —Ruth 1:16
“There was a famine in the land” so Naomi’s family moved to Moab in order to survive (Ru 1:1). Then, Naomi’s husband died (Ru 1:3). Next, her two sons died (Ru 1:5). Naomi was in such despair that she thought she should change her name to “Mara,” meaning “bitter” (Ru 1:20).

When one rotten thing after another happens to us and those around us, what are we to do? We need to be like Ruth and commit ourselves to be faithful to the Lord and to those He has put into our lives (see Ru 1:16-17). Even in our faithfulness, we may see tragedies continue temporarily. Faithful love, however, is ultimately stronger than death (see Sg 8:6). Ultimately, good and faithful servants share the joy of their Master Jesus (Mt 25:21), Who Himself is “the faithful Witness, the First-born from the dead and Ruler of the kings of earth” (Rv 1:5). The Lord changes our sorrows into joys (see Ps 30:12) and works all things together for our good (Rm 8:28) by giving us the grace to be faithful. Be faithful in hard times.

Prayer: Father, make me faithful to my baptismal promises.

Promise: “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” —Mt 22:37-39

Praise: Mary now wears “on her head a crown of twelve stars,” and as Queen Mother earnestly watches over “her offspring, those who keep God’s commandments and bear witness to Jesus” (Rv 12:1, 17, RNAB).

5 months ago | [YT] | 0

💜 From The Heart 💜

WITH OR WITHOUT?
“ ‘I shall be with you,’ the Lord said.” —Judges 6:16
Gideon asked: “If the Lord is with us, why has all this” misfortune “happened to us?” (Jgs 6:13) God simply answered: “I shall be with you” (Jgs 6:16). Jesus’ disciples “were completely overwhelmed” at His “impossible” demands (Mt 19:25-26). Jesus’ answer was: “I am with you always” (Mt 28:20).

Humanity is in a rough spot. We have a fallen nature, a twisted heart (Jer 17:9), and are prone to self-deception. God doesn’t throw money at our problem, enroll us in self-help classes, or simply eliminate our problems. God’s answer is to send us Jesus, “ ‘Emmanuel,’ a name which means ‘God is with us’ ” (Mt 1:23).

We need relief from suffering; Jesus is with us in our suffering to strengthen us and guide us safely through our crosses. We need money; Jesus is with us as our Wealth (Phil 3:8). We are victims; Jesus is with us as a fellow Victim, our “Vindicator” (Jb 19:25) and “our Justice” (1 Cor 1:30). The Lord is with us as our Love (1 Jn 4:8), Peace (Eph 2:14), Strength (Phil 4:13), Counselor (Jn 14:26), Wisdom (1 Cor 1:30), Life (Jn 11:25), and our All (1 Cor 15:28).

Would you rather have good health, or the God of health? Would you rather have a life with no problems, or God with you amid your problems? Would you rather have the supplies you need, or the God Who can supply all things? (Phil 4:19) To prefer the benefits instead of the Lord is to live a preview of hell, that is, a life without God (see Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1035). The great reward of heaven is not riches, but being with the Lord forever. Choose Him now.

Prayer: Lord, when I have You with me, I have all I need.

Promise: “It is I Who send you.” —Jgs 6:14

Praise: St. John Eudes founded a community to minister to the needs of prostitutes who had repented of their sinful lifestyle.

5 months ago (edited) | [YT] | 0

💜 From The Heart 💜

Living Balanced
You’re a three-part being—spiritual, physical, and emotional. You have to take care of each one. You can pray for twenty-four hours a day, but you’re not going to feel well physically. You can go to the gym and work out five hours a day, seven days a week, but if you’re not taking time for your spiritual and emotional side, you’re not going to be your best. You can’t stay up all night and not get proper sleep and expect to have the passion you need. You can’t drink twenty cups of coffee a day, eat junk food, and expect to feel well. Some people are discouraged, don’t have any energy, and they’re praying for a miracle. If Jesus showed up, He would say, “Get away and quiet yourself. Get some sleep. Start eating better. Take care of yourself.”

Living balanced is the key. You have to take care of all three parts. You will be your most productive, your most effective, when you’re balanced physically, spiritually, and emotionally. If you neglect one area, it will lessen what you could accomplish.

A Prayer for Today
“Father, thank You for giving me my body to live in and to care for as a temple of Your Spirit. Thank You for the example of how Jesus would get away and be refreshed when He was tired. Help me to be wise about taking care of myself and living balanced. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

5 months ago | [YT] | 0