Reflection for MCI Concord                        10/27/13                        Ken Meltz, Holy Family Parish, Concord, MA

30^th Sunday in Ordinary Time “C”

Sirach 35: 12-14, 16-18

Psalm 34

II Timothy 4: 6-8, 16-18

Luke 18: 9-14

The readings in today’s liturgy are a consolation for all of us who feel oppressed, alone, deprived, unheard, mistaken and, in the words of the psalm, “brokenhearted.” To be human is to sometimes feel some of these emotions and it does not take us too many years living to feel all of them.

As young children we may feel alone when friends do not invite us in to their games. Or mistaken when teachers or others in authority misjudge us and we feel singled out or, better said, “left out.” I remember as a kid growing up in New York often feeling like the last pick on a neighborhood stickball or baseball team since I was not the most athletic, agile or speedy kid on the block.

As we get older, the “broken heart” becomes a chronic condition. Friends may let us down and even turn their backs on us. Neighbors may ignore us and not even extend a sense of welcome. Spouses may grow distant – sometimes for reasons we cannot understand – and we are left feeling both alone and misunderstood. Our children, as they get older, usually move away which is a natural part of growing up. But, sometimes, our children move away emotionally and that, more than geography, breaks our hearts. It really does not matter whether we have a lot or a little, whether we are in a nice house or a prison, whether we are extremely healthy or sickly – we all have a cardiac condition. Our hearts are often broken.

So where is the Good News? Where is the Gospel? Years ago, while in seminary, this is the question our preaching professor would put to us every time we tried to practice preaching. The answer to this ever-important question can be found, as it so often can, in the psalm – that little piece we sing or recite between the first two readings. Today it is Psalm 34: “The Lord hears the cry of the poor.”  Note it does not say: “might hear”….or  “sometimes hears”  or “hears the cry of some of the poor.” It is a blanket grace and covers all of us and all our losses whether we are inside or outside these walls.

Allow yourself to dwell on these lines from Psalm 34 when you are feeling particularly alone, misunderstood, oppressed and poor.

“When the just cry out, the Lord hears them, and from all their distress he rescues them. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.”

When we search for something that is important to us we try to familiar ourselves with the object of our desire; remembering details that would help us in our task to obtain what we want. Sometimes we replay in our minds the last time that we saw it or what we were doing when we had it last. All tools at our disposal are brought forward. We are known even to pray for the intercession of the saints and God himself. We are focused and determined, forcing everything else from our minds. There is a strong determination that becomes evident as it becomes sort of a quest that needs to be finished beyond anything else that needs to be done. The longer it takes, the more frustrated we might become. We then might take a moment to calm ourselves and start over. This is a pattern of behavior which I feel we all can relate to. We all have had situation like this; some with successes and some with failures.

It we want to further understand our relationship with God and want to experience him in our lives, we must approach him in much the same way that we systematically approach a situation when we are looking for something that is familiar to us. God is not hiding, but it can be argued that all of us have lost him at some point in our lives. By ignoring him or underestimating his importance, we can easily forget how it feels to be with him and have him be a part of our lives. We can then forget what it feels like to be loved by him. He is always with us but we are the ones who can easily forget the difference of being with him and being without him. Like someone close to us whom we have lost contact with over the years and now have seen them again there are uncomfortable moments as we try to recapture old emotions and feelings.

This process of reestablishing our relationship can be daunting. Satan and our own nature struggle against coming back to God. We are tempted to give up the search and search for alternatives that would offer quicker results and immediate gratification. Even though these same gratifications will lead to eventual misery and disappointment. We need to remind ourselves that dismissing God will cause us to replace him with something else that is far less perfect than him. These things become like a band-aid on a wound that requires stitches or major surgery. Eventually, the blood seeps through the injury, becomes infected, and threatens our lives. So it is without God.

The Book of Sirach gives us encouragement in times of weakness and when we are poised to abandon our search:

“The LORD is a God of justice,
who knows no favorites.
Though not unduly partial toward the weak,
yet he hears the cry of the oppressed.
The Lord is not deaf to the wail of the orphan,
nor to the widow when she pours out her complaint.
The one who serves God willingly is heard;
his petition reaches the heavens.
The prayer of the lowly pierces the clouds;
it does not rest till it reaches its goal,
nor will it withdraw till the Most High responds,
judges justly and affirms the right,
and the Lord will not delay.”

When we are away from God we become the oppressed, the suffering, and the forlorn. Whatever else is happening in our lives, our relationship with God will define our state of being. Are we with him or without him? Being without him immediately puts us at a disadvantage in our lives and within his creation. It is like being in a home of someone we do not know. We cannot even find the bathroom if we needed it.

So, we are told to go to him, pray to him, and do it without ceasing. We are told that he knows us and hears all of our prayers. Just like searching for that item that we so desperately needs, we must maintain our faith even in times of doubt that we will find what we have lost. Even though it may seem futile at times, that is only because we are being challenged in our faith. That is when we need God's help the most. When we think that he is not listening then we must prayer more often and become more focused and disciplined. We must think back to when the last time was that we felt a longing for him and encountered him. We can then retrace our steps and go back to him.

When we return to him we should do so in a humble broken manner. Admitting that we indeed are sinners and are far from perfect allows God to do his work shaping us in his image and tending to our wounds. He will heal us and comfort us as long as we allow him. From an early age, society teaches us that asking for help is a sign of weakness. It oftentimes makes us feel embarrassed and humiliated. Within our relationship with God we must understand that this is acceptable and actually liberates us. When we humble ourselves, God then will lift us up and will comfort us. He will protect us and show us the path to redemption. We will never be perfect and he does not want us to pretend to be. We must remove all of our pride and self-adulation when approaching our relationship with God. Then and only then will we experience him fully.

Deacon Tom

Cuando buscamos algo que es importante para nosotros tratamos a nosotros mismos familiarizado con el objeto de nuestro deseo , recordar detalles que nos ayudarán en nuestra tarea de obtener lo que queremos. A veces nos repetimos en nuestra mente la última vez que lo vimos o lo que hacíamos cuando teníamos que dure. Todas las herramientas de las que disponemos son llevados adelante. Se nos conoce siquiera a orar por la intercesión de los santos y de Dios mismo. Estamos enfocados y decididos , obligando a todo lo demás de nuestras mentes. Existe una fuerte determinación de que se hace evidente , ya que se convierte en una especie de búsqueda que tiene que ser terminado más allá de cualquier otra cosa que hay que hacer . Cuanto más se tarde , más frustrado que podríamos llegar a ser. A continuación, puede ser que tome un momento para calmar a nosotros mismos y empezar de nuevo. Este es un patrón de comportamiento que me parece que todos podemos relacionar. Todos hemos tenido situaciones como ésta , algunos con éxito y otras con fracasos.

No queremos entender nuestra relación con Dios y queremos hacerle experimentar en nuestras vidas , tenemos que acercarse a él de la misma forma en que nos acercamos a una situación de forma sistemática cuando estamos buscando algo que nos es familiar . Dios no se esconde , pero se puede afirmar que todos nosotros lo hemos perdido en algún momento de nuestras vidas. Por ignorándolo o subestimar su importancia , fácilmente podemos olvidar lo que se siente al estar con él y que él sea parte de nuestras vidas. Entonces podemos olvidar lo que se siente al ser amado por él. Él está siempre con nosotros, pero nosotros somos los únicos que pueden olvidar fácilmente la diferencia de estar con él y ser sin él. Al igual que alguien cercano a nosotros que hemos perdido el contacto con los últimos años y ahora las hemos visto de nuevo hay momentos incómodos al tratar de recuperar viejas emociones y sentimientos.

Este proceso de restablecer nuestra relación puede ser desalentador. Satanás y nuestra propia lucha contra la naturaleza de volver a Dios. Estamos tentados a abandonar la búsqueda y la búsqueda de alternativas que ofrecer resultados más rápidos y gratificación inmediata. A pesar de que estas mismas gratificaciones dará lugar a la eventual miseria y decepción. Tenemos que recordar que despedir Dios nos hará reemplazarlo con algo que es mucho menos perfecta que él. Estas cosas se hacen como una curita en una herida que necesita puntos de sutura o cirugía mayor . Con el tiempo , la sangre se filtra a través de la lesión, se infecta , y amenaza nuestras vidas. Por lo que es sin Dios.

El libro del Eclesiástico nos da ánimos en los momentos de debilidad y cuando estamos a punto de abandonar la búsqueda :

" El Señor es un Dios de justicia ,
quien no conoce favoritos.
Aunque no es excesivamente parcial hacia los débiles,
sin embargo, él escucha el clamor de los oprimidos.
El Señor no es sordo al llanto de los huérfanos ,
ni a la viuda , cuando derrama su denuncia.
El que sirve a Dios de buena gana se escucha ;
su petición llegue a los cielos .
La oración del humilde atraviesa las nubes ;
no descansa hasta que llegue a su meta,
ni se retirará hasta que el Altísimo responde ,
juzga con justicia y afirma el derecho ,
y el Señor no tardará. "

Cuando estamos lejos de Dios, llegamos a ser los oprimidos , los que sufren y los abandonados . Independientemente de lo que está sucediendo en nuestras vidas , nuestra relación con Dios va a definir nuestro estado de bienestar. ¿Estamos con él o sin él? Estar sin él inmediatamente nos pone en desventaja en nuestras vidas y en su creación . Es como estar en una casa de alguien que no conocemos . Ni siquiera podemos encontrar el baño si lo necesitábamos .

Así , se nos dice que vaya con él, rezar con él, y lo hace sin cesar. Se nos dice que nos conoce y escucha todas nuestras oraciones . Al igual que la búsqueda de ese elemento que tanto necesita , debemos mantener nuestra fe incluso en los momentos de duda de que vamos a encontrar lo que hemos perdido . A pesar de que puede parecer inútil a veces, eso es sólo porque estamos siendo desafiados en nuestra fe. Es entonces cuando necesitamos la ayuda de Dios lo más. Cuando pensamos que no está escuchando entonces debemos orar con más frecuencia y cada vez más centrado y disciplinado. Tenemos que pensar de nuevo a cuando fue la última vez que nos sentimos un anhelo de él y lo encontramos. Entonces podemos volver sobre nuestros pasos y volver a él.

Cuando volvamos a lo que debemos hacerlo de una manera humilde roto . Admitir que realmente somos pecadores y estamos lejos de ser perfecto permite que Dios haga su obra nos conformación a su imagen y tendiendo a nuestras heridas . Él nos sanará y nos consuele siempre y cuando nos lo permitimos . Desde una edad temprana, la sociedad nos enseña que pedir ayuda es un signo de debilidad . Es muchas veces nos hace sentir avergonzados y humillados . Dentro de nuestra relación con Dios, tenemos que entender que esto es aceptable y de hecho nos libera . Cuando nos humillamos a nosotros mismos , entonces Dios nos levante y nos consuele . Él nos protegerá y nos muestran el camino a la redención. Nunca vamos a ser perfectos y que no quiere que nosotros pretendemos ser . Debemos eliminar todo nuestro orgullo y auto- adulación al acercarse a nuestra relación con Dios. Entonces y sólo entonces él en su totalidad .

Diácono Tom

Acknowledging that there is a God and that he loves us is only the beginning of our journey of faith. From there, we have to understand who this God is and what he expects of us in this life of ours. We as Christians are given the responsibility to conduct ourselves rightly and serve as an example for others to follow. Through our actions and behavior we must exemplify the teachings of Christ and of God. To do this correctly, we have to know God and continuously explore our relationship with him. There can be no short-cuts in this area if we are to be truly happy.

Reading Sacred Scripture is a form of prayer. Through it we learn about our faith and about the history of our salvation. We can gain strength, understanding, and comfort from its pages. God is speaking directly to us and teaching us. Every word is as relevant now as it was when it was first revealed. We learn this from the Gospel of John: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” God is ever-present and is revealed continuously through Sacred Scripture. We are offered this revelation as a gift and an instruction manual. It is also protection from the evils of the world and Satan who wishes to lead us to utter destruction. To use it correctly we must refer to it always. This takes discipline and constant attention. It is very easy to be distracted and ignore the Bible. The allures of sin and society are always ready to draw us away from the teachings of God.

Beyond Sacred Scripture the Church encourages us to seek out the answers to the questions we have. God challenges us in many ways because he wants us to search for him. This searching makes our life complete. The Church serves as a sort of guide in this area. When we have questions, we must seek counsel from our teachers and alternative resources. For thousands of years, people have researched Sacred Scripture and have validated what is found within the pages. It offers a historical and spiritual document of the human condition throughout eternity. We can spend our entire lives learning about God and will never completely finish all that is offered. Through this process we are being formed and molded into what God wants us to be.

Paul tells us that, “All Scripture is inspired by God

and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.”
Through us knowing Sacred Scripture we are preparing for a Spiritual Battle within ourselves

 and with the evils that permeate society. It serves as protection from temptation and from

 those who wish to shatter our faith. Paul further tells us to “Put on the armor of God 

so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the devil.” Sacred Scripture 

serves as part of this armor and we draw strength from it. 
 

 Beyond Sacred Scripture we must plunge ourselves into prayer constantly.

 This continues our conversation with God and enables us to strengthen our relationship

 with God. When we focus our attention on God and orient our daily living towards him only

 good things can happen. Think about the times when we sinned and have done bad things

 in our life. Were we thinking about God at the time we did these things? The answer is definitely 

no. So to eliminate the evil influences we must keep God in our thoughts

Remember the Greatest Commandment: “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all

 your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Following this insures a stable,

 happy, and fulfilling life. It may be challenging to do this but we work hard to sin so we can

 easily take all of that energy and time and pour it into our relationship with God.
 

In every aspect of our lives, society urges us to work hard and remain committed to goals. 

In order to be successful we are told that there has to be constant effort and planning. 

These are essential. Applying this same concept to our faith and relationship with God

will insure positive results. Nothing is achieved without hard work. The same can be said

about knowing and experiencing God. He will help us on the way but the burden is on us

to build on the foundation and assistance that he offers us through grace and love. 
 

Once this foundation becomes solid and we become committed then nothing becomes

impossible with God. What we do and what we become is limitless. With God central in

our lives we will enter into a life and have life experiences beyond anything we have

experienced before. Our life becomes a life the way God intended it to be. 
Beautiful and Awesome.
Deacon Tom

Years ago, I attended a weeklong nightly retreat given by a Franciscan priest from California named Fr. Rusty.  At one of the sessions he asked us to close our eyes and pretend that each of us was a child again and to picture that we were with Jesus.  I remember that I pictured myself sitting on Jesus' lap talking to him.  It was so soothing to gaze into his warm eyes and see his gentle smile.  I wasn't the least afraid. 

Then Fr. Rusty had us continue to keep our eyes closed, but now to think of meeting Jesus as an adult.  I imagined that I was walking down a beach at the ocean's edge all alone.  I looked up to see Jesus coming toward me.  At first I hesitated, but then I ran into his arms and unburdened all that had been weighing me down.  He looked at me with the same warm eyes and gentle smile and told me I was forgiven.  When Fr. Rusty told us to open our eyes, I had tears streaming down my cheeks.  It all seemed so real.  It is the only time I have had an experience like this.  It was quite extraordinary.  Since then, I do try to talk to Jesus directly.  I know he listens to me and to each of us.

My pastor, Fr. Austin Fleming, blogs at ConcordPastor.blogspot.com  He writes an original prayer or poem almost every day.  I wanted to share with you one of his recent offerings.  I hope you will find it as beautiful and peaceful as I did.

Slow me down, Lord...

Sit me down
and sit right by my side
until I've settled down inside
and begun to find the peace I need,
the peace that only you can give...

Temper me, Lord, with autumn days:
this season in between the seasons
of summer's heat and winter's ice...

Temper me with days sublime:
the sun's warmth upon my face
while cool breezes brush my cheek,
waking me to all the ways
you touch my life, my heart...

Temper me that I might find your beauty
in the loss of green, the letting go of leaves aflutter,
spiraling down to sleep the winter months
'neath snowy blankets, layered lovingly by you...

Temper me this fall for winter's journey, Lord,
until in spring you warm the earth again
and waken to new life the green
that brings new hope to earth
and to my soul...

Temper me this fall, Lord,
ready me for what in winter waits:
cover me in layers of your grace,
protecting and preparing me
for seasons and for gifts I don't yet know...

And for now, Lord,
slow me down, sit me down
and sit right by my side
until I've settled down inside
and begun to find the peace I need,
the peace that only you can give...

Amen.

Rosemary

God 's Grace is a beautiful and wonderful thing. It is the working and presence of his infinite love for us. We must all remember that he loves us and longs to express that love continuously. Unfortunately, the very creation that he brought into existence for us has the capability to prevent that love from being revealed. There are so many obstructions between us and God. These have been erected by us and our own actions over long periods of time and have been reenforced by Satan. Tearing down these walls can prove to be difficult; a dauntless task that, at times, can appear to produce little or no results in the beginning. Our own impatience adds to these difficulties and we become easily distracted by things that may appear to offer positive development. This in itself is another barrier that we must overcome. We are prevented from experiencing God in our lives because the time we spent ignoring him greatly outweighs the time we have spent with him so we can actually miss his presence. Even when it is plainly obvious that he is with us, we can pass right by him. Society has conditioned us to believe that we as human beings are above and beyond everything else here on this earth. We have convinced ourselves that we are gods and have forgotten that, in fact, we are God's children and are answerable to him.

To know God is to love God. John, in his first letter, tells us that love is from God and is brought to perfection through him. That is why the Greatest Commandment in centered around love: love of God and the love of our neighbor. So, to recognize that love we must first make it the most important thing in our lives. We must treat everyone we interact with with love and kindness. We must empty ourselves of all of our selfish desires and put ourselves last. That is our Christian Duty. We need to love and express that love through acts of charity and kindness. There is an immediate feeling of goodness that overcomes us when we do good. This is no coincidence. We were created for love and when we act out that love we are bringing ourselves closer to God who is the perfect love.

God has and always will help us on our journey of faith. I truly feel that all of us can reflect over our past and remember a time vividly when God interceded in our lives in some way either to destroy a barrier or help us in some way. Because of our fallen nature, we may have been thankful for a moment but then the moment passed and we continued onward in our sinful ways. He was calling out to us, comforting us, yet we were then overcome by distractions when the moment faded. Yes, we may have acknowledged God for the moment but we then squandered the moment selfishly like 9 of the ten lepers who were healed and never returned to thank Jesus. Our relationship with God is two-fold: we need to embrace these moments and use these moments to lift ourselves up to greater heights. If we do not, it can become a wasted opportunity.

We always like being stimulated. Unfortunately, physical our minds are focused more on physical stimulation than spiritual stimulation. We have become immersed in the physical dimensions of our existence and have ignored the spiritual. When we experience a spiritual moment we do enjoy it immensely, yet we may not challenge ourselves enough to embrace it and use it as an opportunity to continue the experiences because we do not know enough about it to use it to our advantage; it is too foreign to us. We are more accustomed to physical pleasures and pursue them more easily because we are very learned in these areas. Unfortunately, physical pleasures are fleeting so we train ourselves to chase after them. Spiritual pleasures can last forever because they unite us to God. If we worked towards these spiritual pleasures with as much effort as we do with physical pleasures, we would all be closer to God and his love.

Our journey of faith must be centered around getting closer to God. To do this correctly, we must unite our physical presence and life with that of our spiritual life. Our spirituality must influence our physical actions. A big mistake is to keep the two separate. Our physical life needs to be a reaction to our spirituality if we are to be truly happy and complete. Spirituality needs to become more important than the physical life. This is what God intended and what we failed to do with the exercise of our free will. We rebelled against perfection and still do continuously. It is a struggle between the flesh and the spirit. We need to stop fighting with ourselves and realize that, because of the fighting, we are only hurting ourselves.

Recognize that our God is with us. Recognize that our God loves us. Once we do this we can then embrace him and experience him in his greatness.

Deacon Tom

La gracia de Dios s es algo hermoso y maravilloso. Es el trabajo y la presencia de su infinito amor por nosotros. Todos debemos recordar que él nos ama y anhela expresar ese amor continuamente. Por desgracia , la propia creación que trajo a la existencia de nosotros tiene la capacidad de prevenir que el amor de ser revelado . Hay tantos obstáculos entre nosotros y Dios . Estos han sido erigidos por nosotros y nuestras propias acciones durante largos períodos de tiempo y se han reenforced por Satanás. Derribando los muros puede llegar a ser difícil, una tarea intrépida que, a veces , puede parecer que producen poco o ningún resultado en el principio. Nuestra propia impaciencia se suma a estas dificultades y convertirse fácilmente distraído por las cosas que puedan aparecer para ofrecer desarrollo positivo. Esto en sí mismo es otra barrera que hay que superar . Se nos impide experimentar a Dios en nuestras vidas ya que el tiempo que pasamos sin hacerle caso mucho mayor que el tiempo que hemos pasado con él, así que en realidad puede faltar su presencia. Incluso cuando es absolutamente evidente que él está con nosotros, podemos pasar junto a él. La sociedad nos ha condicionado a creer que los seres humanos están por encima y más allá de todo lo demás aquí en esta tierra. Nos hemos convencido de que somos dioses y nos hemos olvidado de que , de hecho , ahora somos hijos de Dios y somos responsables ante él.
Conocer a Dios es amar a Dios . Juan, en su primera carta , nos dice que el amor es de Dios, y es llevado a la perfección por medio de él . Por eso el mandamiento más centrada en torno al amor : el amor a Dios y el amor al prójimo . Por lo tanto , reconocer que el amor primero tenemos que hacerlo lo más importante en nuestras vidas. Debemos tratar a todas las personas que nos relacionamos con el amor y la bondad. Debemos vaciarnos de todos nuestros deseos egoístas y ponernos pasado. Ese es nuestro deber cristiano. Necesitamos amar y expresar ese amor a través de actos de caridad y bondad . Hay una inmediata sensación de bondad que nos invade cuando hacemos el bien . Esto no es casualidad . Fuimos creados para el amor , y cuando actuamos por ese amor que estamos trayendo a nosotros mismos más cerca de Dios que es el amor perfecto.
Dios ha sido y siempre nos ayudará en nuestro camino de fe . Realmente siento que todos nosotros podemos reflexionar sobre nuestro pasado y recordar un momento vívidamente cuando Dios intervino en la vida de alguna manera ya sea para destruir una barrera o ayudarnos de alguna manera. Debido a nuestra naturaleza caída , que puede haber sido agradecido por un momento, pero entonces el momento pasó y seguimos adelante en nuestros caminos pecaminosos . Estaba llamando a nosotros , nos conforta , pero estábamos entonces superar las distracciones cuando el momento se desvaneció. Sí , podemos haber reconocido a Dios por el momento, pero que luego desperdició el momento egoístamente como 9 de los diez leprosos que fueron sanados y nunca volvió a dar gracias a Jesús . Nuestra relación con Dios es doble : hay que abrazar estos momentos y utilizar estos momentos para elevarnos a alturas mayores . Si no lo hacemos , puede convertirse en una oportunidad perdida .
Siempre nos gusta ser estimulado . Desafortunadamente , físicas nuestras mentes se centran más en la estimulación física de la estimulación espiritual. Hemos llegado a ser sumergidos en las dimensiones físicas de nuestra existencia y han hecho caso omiso de lo espiritual . Cuando experimentamos un momento espiritual que nos hacen disfrutar muchísimo , pero no podemos desafiarnos a nosotros mismos lo suficiente como para aceptarlo y usarlo como una oportunidad para continuar las experiencias porque no sabemos lo suficiente sobre él para usarlo a nuestro favor , es demasiado ajeno a nosotros . Estamos más acostumbrados a los placeres físicos y perseguir con mayor facilidad debido a que estamos muy aprendido en estas áreas. Por desgracia , los placeres físicos son fugaces así nos entrenamos para perseguirlos . Placeres espirituales pueden durar para siempre , ya que nos unen a Dios. Si trabajamos hacia estos placeres espirituales con tanto esfuerzo como lo hacemos con los placeres físicos , todos estaríamos más cerca de Dios y de su amor .
Nuestro camino de fe debe estar centrada en torno a conseguir más cerca de Dios . Para hacerlo correctamente , debemos unir nuestra presencia física y la vida con la de nuestra vida espiritual. Nuestra espiritualidad debe influir en nuestras acciones físicas . Un gran error es mantener los dos separados . Nuestra vida física debe ser una reacción a nuestra espiritualidad , si queremos ser verdaderamente felices y completos. La espiritualidad tiene que ser más importante que la vida física. Esto es lo que Dios quiere y lo que no hemos podido ver con el ejercicio de nuestro libre albedrío. Nos rebelamos contra la perfección y todavía lo hacemos continuamente. Es una lucha entre la carne y el espíritu . Tenemos que dejar de luchar con nosotros mismos y darnos cuenta de que , a causa de los combates , sólo estamos haciendo daño a nosotros mismos.
Reconocer que nuestro Dios está con nosotros. Reconocer que nuestro Dios nos ama. Una vez que hacemos esto, entonces le podemos abrazar y experimentarlo en su grandeza .
Diácono Tom

It is natural for us to question God and his influence in our lives when we are confronted with a crisis or an obstacle that appears to be insurmountable. We are taught throughout our lives that God is watching over us and protecting us in a most loving way. Furthermore, God is all powerful and good. If this is true, why then do we find ourselves challenged and, at times, unhappy with ourselves? God encourages this exercise and wants us to question him. Through this process our faith can actually be strengthened. When we doubt God and his love we are more able to engage our faith. This can cause us to embrace our faith by seeking the answers to the questions that we present. It can become a quest for knowledge and understanding. As more is revealed to us, the answer will become more clear and we will have more confidence in that very same answer.

We all want to be loved. We were created that way so as to experience the perfect love that is God. For that love to be strengthened it must be tested and forged. Like steel, the more that it is heated the stronger it gets. Love that is not challenged is shallow and weak. God does not want us to come forward to him in a perfectly straight path. Our Salvation Story is long and winding. The road can be dark, foreboding, and desolate. But in the end, there is a glorious light. Through Sacred Scripture and prayer, God guides us and reminds us that we as Christians will cry out to him in misery and fail to see him. He also comforts us with the knowledge that the suffering is not forever and the reward for it will be the presence of his love for us. To experience this love we must seek it and fully embrace it, allowing it to influence this precious life of ours. When we surrender to him, then what we are to say and do in response to it will become all the more clear.

In the Letter to the Hebrews it is written, “but the just one, because of his faith, shall live. This is a guarantee that as long as we stand by God and walk with Christ, we will be rewarded and loved. God has given us the free will to choose him or reject him. Just as we spent so much time turning away from him, the journey back to him will take a lot of time and effort. There will be great rewards for this effort and hard work even if they are not immediately noticeable.

We should not expect to receive accolades for what we do in the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Most of our good works and acts of kindness will go unnoticed except by Jesus and ourselves. There is a simplicity and beauty in this. Recognition from society and from people in general are fleeting and meaningless. They come one day and are gone the next. Any type of reward that can be contrived is temporary. It is forgotten very soon and our lives continues. As Jesus says, we should store up our treasures in heaven for that reward is eternal. With that eternity comes the love of God and ultimate happiness. While we are here on this earth we should humble ourselves and have confidence that our work pleases God and that is all that matters. There should be a wantonness to please God because we love him and want to. Nothing more should matter. Through these acts we will feel his love all the more and we will be transformed continuously. This is what God guarantees.

At times, living a Christian life can be a lonely existence. There are those who will alienate us and try to convince us to abandon our journey for something more fulfilling. This type of fulfillment lies in sin and ignoring God while pursuing the corporal things in life. In the short-term, this type of life will offer stimulation and gratification but it is shallow and expires quickly, leaving an emptiness that can only be filled by more indulgence. When we are lonely we need to remind ourselves that we are working towards the strongest foundation of joy imaginable; one that is with and for God.

When Saint John the Baptist was in prison he had already proclaimed that Jesus was the messiah and the Lamb of God. Yet, in his loneliness, he started to doubt. He was challenged that everything he did and saw was for naught. He overcame this through his faith. Through his example we can receive consolation that this is a natural occurrence for those of us in the Christian Community and everyone in the world. To overcome it we must pray and concentrate ever harder on our work here on this earth knowing that God will recognize us for our love and for what we do. The more we open up to him and follow his instructions the more the truth will be revealed. It is a process of knowing and understanding. Much like Saint John the Baptist, we all have a certain amount of understanding if not a complete understanding. To have more revealed we must strive for it through our actions and faith-life.

There is greatness in the ultimate truth. We all have that ability to experience that greatness through the love of God and working hard in our lives to pursue knowledge and understanding regarding who we are and where we are going. The people that we meet and engage on this journey are the most important ones imaginable. Each is the personification of Jesus Christ. How we interact with them will define our relationship with Jesus Christ and will be the ultimate factor regarding how bright our own light will shine and how much we will be able to feel God's love. The more we feel God's love, the more we will be able to enjoy this life of ours on this earth.

Deacon Tom

Es natural para nosotros cuestionamos a Dios y su influencia en nuestras vidas cuando nos enfrentamos a una crisis o un obstáculo que parece ser insuperable. Se nos ha enseñado a lo largo de nuestra vida que Dios nos cuida y nos protege de una manera más amorosa . Además, Dios es todopoderoso y bueno. Si esto es cierto, ¿por qué entonces nos encontramos interpelar y, a veces , descontentos con nosotros mismos? Dios anima a este ejercicio y quiere que lo cuestionamos . A través de este proceso de nuestra fe en realidad puede ser fortalecida. Cuando dudamos de Dios y su amor somos más capaces de participar nuestra fe. Esto puede llevarnos a abrazar nuestra fe mediante la búsqueda de las respuestas a las preguntas que presentamos . Puede convertirse en una búsqueda del conocimiento y la comprensión . A medida que más se revela a nosotros, la respuesta será más clara y vamos a tener más confianza en esa misma respuesta.

Todos queremos ser amados. Fuimos creados de esta manera con el fin de experimentar el amor perfecto que es Dios. Por ese amor que fortalecer debe ser probado y forjado . Al igual que el acero, cuanto más se calienta más fuerte se vuelve . Amor que no se cuestiona es poco profundo y débil. Dios no quiere que nos acercamos a él en una trayectoria recta. Nuestra Historia La salvación es largo y sinuoso . El camino puede ser oscuro , presentimiento , y desolado . Pero al final , hay una luz gloriosa . A través de la Sagrada Escritura y la oración, Dios nos guía y nos recuerda que nosotros, como cristianos a clamar a él en la miseria y dejar de verlo. Él también nos conforta con el conocimiento de que el sufrimiento no es para siempre , y la recompensa por ello será la presencia de su amor por nosotros. Para experimentar este amor debemos buscar y abrazar plenamente, lo que le permite influir en esta preciosa vida de los nuestros. Cuando nos entregamos a él, entonces lo que tenemos que decir y hacer en respuesta a ello se convertirá en aún más clara .

En la Carta a los Hebreos está escrito , " pero el justo , debido a su fe , vivirá. Esto es una garantía de que siempre que estamos por Dios y caminar con Cristo , seremos recompensados ​​, y nos encantó . Dios nos ha dado el libre albedrío para elegirlo o rechazarlo . Al igual que pasamos tanto tiempo dándole la espalda , el viaje de regreso a él tendrá una gran cantidad de tiempo y esfuerzo . Habrá grandes premios por este esfuerzo y el trabajo duro, incluso si no son inmediatamente perceptibles .

No debemos esperar a recibir elogios por lo que hacemos en el nombre de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo. La mayor parte de nuestras buenas obras y actos de bondad pasará desapercibido , excepto por Jesús y nosotros. Hay una simplicidad y la belleza en esto. El reconocimiento de la sociedad y de las personas en general son fugaces y sin sentido. Vienen un día y se van al siguiente. Cualquier tipo de recompensa que puede ser artificial es temporal . Se olvida muy pronto y la vida sigue . Como dice Jesús , debemos guardamos nuestros tesoros en el cielo para que la recompensa es eterna. Con esa eternidad viene del amor de Dios y la felicidad última . Mientras estamos aquí en esta tierra debemos humillarnos y tener la confianza de que nuestro trabajo le agrada a Dios y eso es lo que importa. Debe haber un desenfreno de agradar a Dios porque lo amamos y queremos . Nada más debería importar. A través de estos actos vamos a sentir su amor aún más y seremos transformados continuamente. Esto es lo que Dios garantiza .

A veces, vivir una vida cristiana puede ser una existencia solitaria . Hay quienes nos alienar y tratar de convencernos de abandonar nuestro viaje algo más satisfactorio . Este tipo de realización se encuentra en el pecado y olvido de Dios , mientras que la búsqueda de las cosas corporales en la vida. A corto plazo , este tipo de vida va a ofrecer estímulo y la gratificación , pero que es poco profunda y expira rápidamente, dejando un vacío que sólo puede ser llenado por más indulgencia . Cuando nos sentimos solos , necesitamos recordarnos a nosotros mismos que estamos trabajando hacia la base más sólida de la alegría imaginable , uno que es con y para Dios.

Cuando Juan el Bautista estaba en la cárcel que ya había proclamado que Jesús era el Mesías y el Cordero de Dios . Sin embargo, en su soledad , comenzó a dudar . Él fue impugnada que todo lo que hizo y vio fue en vano. Venció esto a través de su fe . A través de su ejemplo podemos recibir consuelo de que este es un fenómeno natural para aquellos de nosotros en la comunidad cristiana y de cada uno en el mundo. Para superarlo hay que orar y concentrarse cada vez más en nuestro trabajo aquí en la tierra sabiendo que Dios nos reconocerá por nuestro amor y por lo que hacemos . Cuanto más nos abrimos a él y seguimos sus instrucciones más la verdad será revelada. Se trata de un proceso de conocer y comprender . Al igual que San Juan Bautista , todos tenemos un cierto grado de entendimiento si no un completo entendimiento . Para tener más revelado debemos esforzarnos para que a través de nuestras acciones y la fe en la vida .

Hay grandeza en la última verdad . Todos tenemos esa capacidad de experimentar la grandeza a través del amor de Dios y trabajando duro en nuestras vidas para buscar el conocimiento y la comprensión con respecto a quién somos y hacia dónde vamos . Las personas que se encuentran y en este viaje son los más importantes imaginables . Cada uno es la personificación de Jesucristo. ¿Cómo nos relacionamos con ellos se definen nuestra relación con Jesucristo y será el último factor en relación con el brillo brille nuestra propia luz y cuánto vamos a ser capaces de sentir el amor de Dios. Cuanto más nos sentimos el amor de Dios, tanto más podremos disfrutar de esta vida nuestra en esta tierra.

Diácono Tom