May 3, 2010

                God wants me to give myself to
                    Him — to worship Him —

                God calls us by name —

                Song: By Name I Have Called You —

                God taught me about heaven when
                    my mom died at 5 —
                    I was told she went to heaven —
                    She was good and holy —
                    She died of cancer

                At five I had to learn about
                    life after death and the
                    reality of this

                God wants us to love Him
                    intimately

                — We need to examine our conscience
                    — give thanks to God for His gifts to us
                    — be accountable for our sins
                    — tell God we are sorry for our sins
                    — to tell God we will firmly try
                        to not sin again
                    — to live to love God and others and
                    — to do God's will for us with
                        passion
                    — to praise, serve and reverence
                        our God

                Our Lady begged for reparation for our
                    sins, for our offenses against her
                    Heart and Jesus' Heart —
                    She begged for this at Fatima

                We have offended God
                We have offended others

                We need to make reparation to help
                    repair this relationship with God

                — to grow in greater intimacy with
                    God and others — we admit our
                    sins, say we are sorry and have
                    a firm commitment to do better
                    not sin again

                In the Mass we can unite deeply
                    to Jesus praying to the Father
                    in the Holy Spirit through the
                    intercession of the Virgin Mary
                    with all the angels and saints

                The Mass is the sacrifice of Calvary
                    sacramentally made present —
                    We give our hearts to Jesus and Mary
                    to be made more pure in
                    our offering

                We want to help repair the breach
                    for how men have offended God —

                This is what Mary asked for at Fatima

                These are the messages of the angel
                    at Fatima

                Jesus is to be the King and Center of
                    our hearts —

                Reparation for sin — 

                God has called us in our vocation
                    Call — Response —
                    To bear fruit for the Kingdom

                Mary is the perfect handmaid of
                    the Lord
                    Mary said 'yes'
                    Eve disobeyed

               

                Bethlehem - laid in a manger
                                    house of bread

                Jesus laid in an eating vessel
                Jesus sustains us
                Jesus gives us the Eucharist

                3 Kings came — Jesus is the Savior
                    of the world —
                    Jesus came not just for Jews
                    Jesus came for the gentiles too
                    Jesus came dark skinned people

                The Kings brought gold, frankincense
                    and myrrh
                Gold — a virtuous King
                The Divine God —
                The Priest — Frankincense
                Myrrh — Jesus was to die for us

                Flight into Egypt

                Moses would lead the people from
                    the Egyptians

                Jesus is the New Moses

                New Exodus — Moses freed his
                    people from slavery

                    Water saved them
                    They made it to the promise
                        land

                    Jesus is our Savior
                    We are slaves to sin
                    Jesus frees His people by
                        dying for us

                Jesus gives us baptism —

                Through His pierced Heart the Church
                    was born
                    Water for baptism
                    blood for the Eucharist

                Mary teaches her Son
                Gabriel is the messenger from God

Isaiah 7: 14

                Messiah comes to a Virgin
                Mary was conceived without sin
                Mary is full of grace
                God is with us

                Mary is Mother of the Universe

                Mary is blasphemed in her
                    (1) Virginity
                    (2) Motherhood
                    (3) Immaculate Conception
                    (4) Images
                    (5) As Mother of children

                We are born with original sin
                    because of our first parents, Adam and Eve

                Mary says: All generations will
                    call me blessed —

                Sing: Holy Is His Name

                Pope Benedict XVI

                    Mary brings the feminine aspect
                    Many protestants believing Mary
                        is important

                From the Litany

                    Mary is Ark of the Covenant

                Sing: Oh Holy Mary

                We have insecurity in the storm

                The Apostles were afraid Jesus was sleeping

                God is forming us here in His image and
                    likeness

                We go to Mary's Immaculate Heart

                Mary's Immaculate Heart is the spiritual womb

                God blesses us with His gifts —
                    we are to tithe — give
                    back to God —

                Return to God for the blessings
                He gave to us —

                Everything we have is a blessing
                    from God —

                We are to return to God what is
                    His due — not be selfish

                We are to give to God —

                Love the souls He died for —

                Work for God

                Abraham — was told He would
                                    have descendants as numerous
                                    as the stars in the sky —

                Abraham was faithful —
                God blessed those who blessed
                    Abraham

                Cursed those who cursed him —

                We have a constant war with
                    our human nature 

                Sarah was barren
                God gave her Isaac

                Abraham proved faithful to God
                Abraham calls on God every place He goes
                Abraham always shows faith
                Abraham rich in livestock

                Lot a secularist

                People fight over things —
                    this belongs to me

                Abraham lets Lot choose
                    Lot wants to do it himself
                    Land of Sodom and Gomorrah
                    Lot making fun of Abraham 

                Noah was pleasing to God

                Where there is Sin
                There is Slavery

                Addicts — not free
                Slavery to sin

                Addiction — no longer free
                    alcoholic

                Noah — God flooded the earth —
                    corruption of people would
                        continue

                Noah is now the new Adam
                Noah did as God commanded

                God saves the just —

                With Noah we see —
                    God is teaching He saves the just

                We must be faithful to God

                Lack of order — sin

                God is order

                40 years in the desert because of
                    mumbling

                40 days of the flood —

                God is always renewing us —

                We see that Noah lives —
                    everyone on Ark with Noah
                    lives —

                Those not with Noah —
                    died — people, animals,
                    plants died

                Only Noah and ark survived
                Death with flood

                In Christ we are a new creation —

                Our reasoning is wounded

                We seek the truth in Jesus
                                        in the Church
                                        in the Word —

Wounded human nature effects reasoning                     one person thinks its okay                     another person thinks its not okay

wounded human nature

                Secularism — separates us from God
                    "trying to be like God without God"

                We are all wounded by original sin —
                    even holy parents —

                Family tree
                Jesus is the tree of life —

                The commandments are the pathway
                    to happiness

                Road map to holiness is love

                Every life has a purpose and meaning
                    in the Divine Plan

                Call ——> Response

                Day ——> NIGHT

                God created the world from nothing —
                    the seen and unseen —

                Do we focus on God's plan

                All creation bears the handprint
                    of God

                God talks to us through His creation —
                God created an orderly
                    peaceful
                    harmonious
                    good
                    world without sin or evil —

                The world did not have disease
                    or war — 

                Death is a consequence of sin —
                    of disobedience to God

                Concupiscence — an inclination to sin —
                Man in sin prefers himself to God —

                Man seeks independence from God

                Man has tendencies toward lust, jealousies,
                    pride, anger, envy, seeking
                    dominance for dominance sake —

                Man has a distorted image of God,
                    others and self —

                God makes the rules — God's Plan —
                Man seeks independence from God —

                Satan wants us to lie —
                    to turn right to wrong and turn
                    wrong to right —

                Satan wants man to not examine
                    his conscience —
                    not take responsibility for
                        his sins
                    accountability —

                Satan tempts the person with pride —
                    "I cannot do any wrong" they think
                    "I will not be corrected" they think
                    "I will do my will" against God's will

                Sin drives us from intimacy with
                    God —

                We should do good because this is
                    a sufficient reward in itself —

                God is all good —
                God wants us to be more in His
                    image and likeness —

                Cain lied —
                Cain's sin was premeditated
                Cain killed his brother —
                Cain was jealous —
                Cain gave birth to Enoch —

Genesis 4: 23-24

                Lemech is prideful,
                    arrogant — revengeful

                Man is Vengeful

                God wants a pure heart — not a
                    wicked heart —

                God chooses people

                We must fight the devil —

                God told Cain he could be master
                    over the devil —

                End of Our Father

                    "And lead us not into temptation,
                    but deliver us from evil."

                We are to work to conquer the devil —

                We have spiritual blindness —
                    the more we give into the devil —

                If giving into the devil — we
                    don't remain the same —
                    the dark gets darker

                Like virtuous living becomes
                    more virtuous

                The devil tries to get us to defend our
                    sins, not take responsibility
                    for our wrong actions —
                    not be accountable —
                    lie about our sins

                Fr. Carter examined his conscience
                    twice a day —

                St. Ignatius said to do this

                We can get a harder and harder
                    heart the more we sin

                We can get more and more bitter
                    and angry as we drive
                    ourselves away from God
                    more and more

                We are to stay attached to the vine —

                Jesus wants to heal us in
                    body and soul — if it is God's
                    will we can be physically healed —
                    So if we see we can be physically
                        healed by God —
                    We should see God and ask God to
                        spiritually heal us if
                        we are open and want
                        healing

Luke 5: 18-25

And now some men appeared, bringing on a bed a paralysed man whom they were trying to bring in and lay down in front of him. But as they could find no way of getting the man through the crowd, they went up onto the top of the house and lowered him and his stretcher down through the tiles into the middle of the gathering, in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith he said, 'My friend, your sins are forgiven you.' The scribes and the Pharisees began to think this over. 'Who is this man, talking blasphemy? Who but God alone can forgive sins?' But Jesus, aware of their thoughts, made them this reply, 'What are these thoughts you have in your hearts? Which of these is easier: to say, "Your sins are forgiven you," or to say, "Get up and walk"? But to prove to you that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins,' – he said to the paralysed man – 'I order you: get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.' And immediately before their very eyes he got up, picked up what he had been lying on and went home praising God.

                Being healed spiritually can
                    return us to abundant
                    life in Him

Acts 9: 1-20

Meanwhile Saul was still breathing threats to slaughter the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest and asked for letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, that would authorise him to arrest and take to Jerusalem any followers of the Way, men or women, that he might find.

It happened that while he was travelling to Damascus and approaching the city, suddenly a light from heaven shone all round him. He fell to the ground, and then he heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' 'Who are you, Lord?' he asked, and the answer came, 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.' The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless, for though they heard the voice they could see no one. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing at all, and they had to lead him into Damascus by the hand. For three days he was without his sight and took neither food nor drink.

There was a disciple in Damascus called Ananias, and he had a vision in which the Lord said to him, 'Ananias!' When he replied, 'Here I am, Lord,' the Lord said, 'Get up and go to Straight Street and ask at the house of Judas for someone called Saul, who comes from Tarsus. At this moment he is praying, and has seen a man called Ananias coming in and laying hands on him to give him back his sight.'

But in response, Ananias said, 'Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and all the harm he has been doing to your holy people in Jerusalem. He has come here with a warrant from the chief priests to arrest everybody who invokes your name.' The Lord replied, 'Go, for this man is my chosen instrument to bring my name before gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for my name.' Then Ananias went. He entered the house, and laid his hands on Saul and said, 'Brother Saul, I have been sent by the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, so that you may recover your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.' It was as though scales fell away from his eyes and immediately he was able to see again. So he got up and was baptised, and after taking some food he regained his strength.

After he had spent only a few days with the disciples in Damascus, he began preaching in the synagogues, 'Jesus is the Son of God.' 

                The devil wants good to look evil
                The devil wants evil to look good —

                Only God's way leads to happiness —
                    actresses many have horrible
                        lives — commit suicide

                We need to keep our eyes on Christ —

                The more we are like Christ — the
                    more we see —

                The less we are like Christ —
                    the less we see —

                Evil can be institutionalized —
                    a country — legalizing abortion

                We must stand up for what God
                    wants — not worry about
                    being popular

                Don't go with the flow —
                    Do what God wants

                The devil wants you to turn in on yourself —
                The devil wants you to focus on self —
                The devil wants you to think of only yourself

                Jesus wants us to be like Him
                    other focused —

                God intends us to work —
                    by the sweat of our brow — 

Prayer for Union with Jesus

Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.

    I am Yours to possess. I am Yours to use. I want to be selfless and only exist in You. Help me to spoon out all that is me and be an empty vessel ready to be filled by You. Help me to die to myself and live only for You. Use me as You will. Let me never draw my attention back to myself. I only want to operate as You do, dwelling within me.

    I am Yours, Lord. I want to have my life in You. I want to do the will of the Father. Give me the strength to put aside the world and let You operate my very being. Help me to act as You desire. Strengthen me against the distractions of the devil to take me from Your work.

    When I worry, I have taken my focus off of You and placed it on myself. Help me not to give in to the promptings of others to change what in my heart You are making very clear to me. I worship You, I adore You and I love You. Come and dwell in me now.

-God's Blue Book, January 17, 1994  

                Jesus wants a soft heart —
                    not a hard heart

                Confession

                Those who keep lying about their
                    sins have an ill informed conscience —

                Spiritual Blindness

                Many in our society have
                    ill - informed consciences

                We keep doing worse and worse things
                    against what God wants

                We lose sensitivity to evil —

                Those with ill informed consciences are
                    not shocked at evil when they
                    are sinning or see others sinning —
                    they are not sensitive to sin —

                Blindness        or         Light

                What keeps things in existence?

                God loves us —
                God keeps us in existence —

                There is the Good Shepherd
                There is the evil shepherd

                Those going off don't even
                    hear the voice of the Good Shepherd

                People like Mother Teresa —
                    witness to Jesus —
                    others see this and are changed

                We are to witness to God

                We don't own our bodies —

                We are here to serve Jesus

                Happy life means — harmony with God and neighbor

                We can have peace even in
                    negative conditions —

                People in nursing home who are
                    angry and bitter get more
                    angry and bitter —

                People who are loving and sweet
                    get more loving and sweet
                    when old —

                Hell is without love
                Hell is without God
                Hell is without peace

                Sing: We Have Been Told

                Look at the withered trees —
                    without life

                Life is in Him

                God prunes the branches

                We are to be deeply rooted in
                    the vine —

                There are many people
                    walking in the world —
                    dead in their hearts —

                The more we stay one with
                    God the more we will
                    flourish —

                God has to be the center of
                    our lives to be really
                    happy

Hebrews Chapter 11

Only faith can guarantee the blessings that we hope for, or prove the existence of realities that are unseen. It is for their faith that our ancestors are acknowledged.

    It is by faith that we understand that the ages were created by a word from God, so that from the invisible the visible world came to be. 

    It was because of his faith that Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain, and for that he was acknowledged as upright when God himself made acknowledgement of his offerings. Though he is dead, he still speaks by faith. 

    It was because of his faith that Enoch was taken up and did not experience death: he was no more, because God took him; because before his assumption he was acknowledged to have pleased God. Now it is impossible to please God without faith, since anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and rewards those who seek him. 

    It was through his faith that Noah, when he had been warned by God of something that had never been seen before, took care to build an ark to save his family. His faith was a judgement on the world, and he was able to claim the uprightness which comes from faith. 

    It was by faith that Abraham obeyed the call to set out for a country that was the inheritance given to him and his descendants, and that he set out without knowing where he was going. By faith he sojourned in the Promised Land as though it were not his, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. He looked forward to the well–founded city, designed and built by God. 

    It was equally by faith that Sarah, in spite of being past the age, was made able to conceive, because she believed that he who had made the promise was faithful to it. Because of this, there came from one man, and one who already had the mark of death on him, descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven and the grains of sand on the seashore which cannot be counted.   

    All these died in faith, before receiving any of the things that had been promised, but they saw them in the far distance and welcomed them, recognising that they were only strangers and nomads on earth. People who use such terms about themselves make it quite plain that they are in search of a homeland. If they had meant the country they came from, they would have had the opportunity to return to it; but in fact they were longing for a better homeland, their heavenly homeland. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God, since he has founded the city for them. 

    It was by faith that Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He offered to sacrifice his only son even though he had yet to receive what had been promised, and he had been told: Isaac is the one through whom your name will be carried on. He was confident that God had the power even to raise the dead; and so, figuratively speaking, he was given back Isaac from the dead. 

    It was by faith that this same Isaac gave his blessing to Jacob and Esau for the still distant future. By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, bowed in reverence, as he leant on his staff. It was by faith that, when he was about to die, Joseph mentioned the Exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his own remains. 

    It was by faith that Moses, when he was born, was kept hidden by his parents for three months; because they saw that he was a fine child; they were not afraid of the royal edict. It was by faith that, when he was grown up, Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter and chose to be ill–treated in company with God’s people rather than to enjoy the transitory pleasures of sin. He considered that the humiliations offered to the Anointed were something more precious than all the treasures of Egypt, because he had his eyes fixed on the reward. It was by faith that he left Egypt without fear of the king’s anger; he held to his purpose like someone who could see the Invisible. It was by faith that he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood to prevent the Destroyer from touching any of their first–born sons. It was by faith they crossed the Red Sea as easily as dry land, while the Egyptians, trying to do the same, were drowned.  

    It was through faith that the walls of Jericho fell down when the people had marched round them for seven days. It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute welcomed the spies and so was not killed with the unbelievers.

    What more shall I say? There is not time for me to give an account of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, or of David, Samuel and the prophets. These were men who through faith conquered kingdoms, did what was upright and earned the promises. They could keep a lion’s mouth shut, put out blazing fires and emerge unscathed from battle. They were weak people who were given strength to be brave in war and drive back foreign invaders. Some returned to their wives from the dead by resurrection; and others submitted to torture, refusing release so that they would rise again to a better life. Some had to bear being pilloried and flogged, or even chained up in prison. They were stoned, or sawn in half, or killed by the sword; they were homeless, and wore only the skins of sheep and goats; they were in want and hardship, and maltreated. They were too good for the world and they wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and ravines. These all won acknowledgement through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, since God had made provision for us to have something better, and they were not to reach perfection except with us.

 

                They still speak to us

                Me — Me — Me attitude

                Walk with God there is always
                        a reward

                The Church is — the
                        Pillar of truth

                A secular person
                    enriches himself

                Abraham did everything
                    God asks for —

                Fire of God purges evil out

                Burning Bush — Moses

                Sacred Heart on fire for love
                    of us —

                God never abandons us

                God welcomes us back

                When somebody is disobedient
                    innocent people suffer —

                — we can be out for ourselves
                                            Selfish

                or

                — people for others

                — the Church is the body of Christ

                We can say
                    "What can I do to please myself"

            or We can say
                    "What does God want of me"

                What makes me popular?
                What feels good for me?
                What makes me look good?
                Me - me - me —

                God wants us to look good, but
                    do it His way —
                    Do things His way

                Lot wanted what he wanted —

                Joseph's brothers were jealous —

                Jacob was a giant of faith —

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