“Be doers of the word and not hearers only, deluding yourselves.”

This statement from the Letter of James defines our faith in action. We cannot experience a full relationship with Jesus Christ unless we let his presence affect our actions and decision-making daily. Our outward expressions must be a reflection of our inward spirituality. Through this we become the presence of Christ to those whom we interact with on a daily basis. Reacting to Jesus Christ will always bring about positive results and it is our Christian duty to insure that this state of being is spread throughout the world. Each of us, as representatives of the Christian Way, need to direct all of our actions and decisions around the influence that Jesus has in our lives. We must react to this presence and allow Jesus to do his work without any negative influence from ourselves. This may make us uncomfortable at times but that is when we must challenge ourselves to trust Jesus all the more.

Society teaches us to be selfish, thinking of ourselves first and foremost while Christ wants us to be selfless. This is where the spiritual battles lies: The War Between the Flesh and the Spirit. Do we want our spirituality to transform us into something greater than we are or do we want of physical existence to dictate our actions which will bring us to desolation and despair? When we let our spirituality influence our physical actions, our relationship with Jesus Christ becomes complete. We become unified with Christ and there is no struggle for dominance. What comes forth are fruits of our faith. The things that we do in reaction to this will always produce positive and successful results. We need not worry about failure or tribulation when we are doing things in the name of Jesus Christ.

Jesus tells us that the things that defile come from within. This serves as a warning to us that we have the capability to do so much good but, at the same time, we are the ones that can bring about the same amount of evil and degradation into the world based upon what we say and do. Every time we make a decision, even a small one, it brings us to a crossroad. We are challenged to make a choice that will bring forth Fruits of the Spirit or that will bring forth darkness and rot. We all possess great power and the potential for greatness. The more we recognize this, the more we can do in the Name of Jesus Christ.

Deacon Tom

"Ser hacedores de la palabra y no tan solamente oidores solamente, engañándoos a vosotros mismos."

Esta declaración de la Carta de Santiago define nuestra fe en acción. No podemos experimentar una relación plena con Jesucristo a menos dejamos que su presencia afecta a nuestras acciones y toma de decisiones diaria. Nuestras expresiones externas deben ser un reflejo de nuestra espiritualidad interior. A través de este llegamos a ser la presencia de Cristo a aquellos a los que nos relacionamos con sobre una base diaria. Reaccionando a Jesucristo siempre traerá resultados positivos y es nuestro deber cristiano para asegurar que este estado de bienestar se extendió por todo el mundo. Cada uno de nosotros, como representantes del Camino Cristiano, tienen que dirigir todas nuestras acciones y decisiones en torno a la influencia que Jesús tiene en nuestras vidas. Debemos reaccionar ante esta presencia y permitir que Jesús haga su trabajo sin ningún tipo de influencia negativa de nosotros mismos. Esto puede hacer sentir incómodos a veces, pero que es cuando tenemos que desafiarnos a nosotros mismos a confiar en Jesús aún más.

Sociedad nos enseña a ser egoísta, pensar en nosotros mismos, ante todo, mientras que Cristo quiere que seamos desinteresado. Aquí es donde se encuentra las batallas espirituales: La guerra entre la carne y el Espíritu. ¿Queremos que nuestra espiritualidad nos transforme en algo más grande que somos o lo que queremos de la existencia física de dictar nuestras acciones que nos llevarán a la desolación y la desesperanza? Cuando dejamos que nuestra espiritualidad influye en nuestras acciones físicas, nuestra relación con Jesucristo se completa. Llegamos a ser unidos con Cristo y no hay lucha por el dominio. Lo que viene adelante son frutos de nuestra fe. Las cosas que hacemos en reacción a esto siempre va a producir resultados positivos y exitosos. No tenemos que preocuparnos por el fracaso o la tribulación cuando estamos haciendo las cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo.

Jesús nos dice que lo que contamina vienen de dentro. Esto sirve como una advertencia para nosotros que tenemos la capacidad de hacer mucho bien, pero, al mismo tiempo, nosotros somos los que pueden aportar la misma cantidad de la maldad y la degradación en el mundo sobre la base de lo que decimos y hacemos. Cada vez que tomamos una decisión, por pequeño que sea, que nos lleva a una encrucijada. Tenemos el desafío de tomar una decisión que traerá frutos del Espíritu, o que va a dar a luz la oscuridad y la putrefacción. Todos poseemos un gran poder y el potencial para la grandeza. Cuanto más reconocemos esto, más que podemos hacer en el Nombre de Jesucristo.

Diácono Tom

Jesus tells us that it is the Spirit that gives life while the flesh is to no avail. We must remember these words if we are to approach our relationship with Christ correctly. Too many times we tend to focus on what is directly in front of us, our obstacles and problems, instead of exploring beyond the physical aspects of our existence into the spiritual where we can truly find God. This can be difficult because it is the physical that overwhelms us and causes us to forget about the most important relationship that we have. Our existence is intertwined with the God the Father who is our creator, God the Son who is our redeemer, and the Holy Spirit which brings love to us all. It is impossible to be happy within God’s creation if we fail to recognize and act upon the relationships that define who exactly we are.

Just as our human relationships and our experiences within them influence our development, the same can be said with God. The more we interact with God, the more he can influence us; changing our perspective on things while developing our thoughts to be more in tune with his thoughts and what he wants for us. Every day can be a day of discovery with God. Things are naturally adjusted and corrected as we become closer to him. There is a natural progression here: when we journey towards God things tend to fall into place and things are slowly revealed to us.  As this happens, all things can take on a different meaning because they are seen through the lense of God instead of just with us alone and with God even the smallest piece of Creation and the smallest actions are important. We are encouraged to see God in everything and experience everything with him. That is what he continuously calls us to do. It is only when we do not listen to that call that we find ourselves doubting and hurting.

There is a struggle going on in each of us. There is a subconscious discussion about whether to enjoy our lives with God or to turn away from him once again to pursue what we want to pursue. We need to recognize that this struggle is occurring so that we can make the right decisions; becoming victorious in the end. Victory can only be achieved through Jesus Christ. One of the keys to this surrendering is making a commitment to him. It can be small at first but that one small act can open a floodgate of results. We can be molded, corrected, and comforted by the fact that he will be there for us as he has always been. None of us are ever alone. We never were and never will be if we do not want to be.

Jesus does indeed want us to be happy and to live the Christian experience with him, but because he loves us so much he wants us to make the choice of being with him. He offers us salvation. He calls for us to be with him. We are then asked to make the choice: are we with him or against him?

Deacon Tom

Jesús nos dice que el Espíritu es el que da la vida, mientras que la carne es en vano. Debemos recordar estas palabras si vamos a abordar nuestra relación con Cristo correctamente. Demasiadas veces nos tienden a centrarse en lo que es justo en frente de nosotros, nuestros obstáculos y problemas, en vez de explorar más allá de los aspectos físicos de nuestra existencia en el espiritual donde verdaderamente podemos encontrar a Dios. Esto puede ser difícil porque es la física que nos abruma y nos hace olvidar de la relación más importante que tenemos. Nuestra existencia está entrelazada con el Dios Padre que es nuestro creador, Dios el Hijo, que es nuestro Redentor, y el Espíritu Santo el que trae el amor para todos nosotros. Es imposible ser feliz dentro de la creación de Dios, si no somos capaces de reconocer y actuar sobre las relaciones que definen exactamente quién somos.

Al igual que nuestras relaciones humanas y nuestras experiencias dentro de ellos influyen en nuestro desarrollo, lo mismo puede decirse con Dios. Cuanto más nos relacionamos con Dios, más se puede influir en nosotros; cambiar nuestra perspectiva de las cosas, mientras que el desarrollo de nuestros pensamientos para estar más en sintonía con sus pensamientos y lo que quiere para nosotros. Cada día puede ser un día de descubrimiento con Dios. Las cosas están ajustados y corregidos como nos acercamos a él, naturalmente. Hay una progresión natural aquí: cuando viaje hacia Dios las cosas tienden a caer en su lugar y las cosas se revelan poco a poco para nosotros. Mientras esto sucede, todas las cosas pueden tomar un significado diferente, ya que se ven a través de la lente de Dios en lugar de sólo con nosotros solo y con Dios, incluso el pedazo más pequeño de la Creación y las acciones más pequeñas son importantes. Se nos anima a ver a Dios en todo y experimentar todo con él. Eso es lo que nos llama continuamente a hacer. Sólo cuando no escuchamos a ese llamado que nos encontramos dudando y lastimar.

Hay una lucha que pasa en cada uno de nosotros. Hay una discusión sobre si subconsciente para disfrutar de nuestras vidas con Dios o alejarse de él una vez más para perseguir lo que queremos llevar a cabo. Tenemos que reconocer que esta lucha está ocurriendo para que podamos tomar las decisiones correctas; convirtiéndose en la victoria en la final. La victoria sólo puede lograrse a través de Jesucristo. Una de las claves de esta rendición es hacer un compromiso con él. Puede ser pequeña al principio, pero que un acto pequeño puede abrir una compuerta de los resultados. Podemos ser moldeado, corregimos y consolados por el hecho de que él estará allí para nosotros como siempre lo ha sido. Ninguno de nosotros está siempre solo. Nunca nos fuimos y nunca lo seremos si no queremos ser.

Jesús en efecto, quiere que seamos felices y vivir la experiencia cristiana con él, sino porque él nos ama tanto que quiere que hagamos la elección de estar con él. Él nos ofrece la salvación. Él nos llama a estar con él. Luego nos pide que tomar la decisión: ¿estamos con él o contra él?

Diácono Tom

When we gather together in community to love and worship Jesus Christ it is easy to feel the Holy Spirit move through all of us, bringing us closer together; giving us the strength necessary to continue a devote life. The right choices appear more easily. There is safety, comfort, and a powerful love that unites all of us together. It is obvious that there is presence of Jesus Christ that cannot be denied. This is why we keep coming back to the church; either when we are in crisis or for regular fellowship. But what about after we leave? How are we to sustain those feelings and the presence of the Holy Spirit within ourselves? When we feel God’s Love it can be overwhelming in a good way. We want more of it and strive for that feeling to stay. Yet, when confronted with the challenges of the world and the allure of sin, we run the risk of letting that presence become a fading glory instead of a permanent state of being. We have a natural inclination to turn away from God and it is far easier to ignore and distrust him than to surrender to him completely.

Saint Paul writes how the Spirit is constantly at war with the flesh. Our spiritual selves are naturally drawn to our creator while the flesh is drawn towards sin. They can be compatable as long as our spiritual selves remain the stronger of the two. The problem is that we have ignored our spiritual selves for far too long in favor of embracing everything physical in this world without recognizing who created this world. We ignore the Father, distrust the Son, and ignore completely the presence of the Holy Spirit. Then, in times of desperation, we cry out to the one who created us and loves us like a lost child in the forest; not realizing that he is right beside us and at times was even carrying us.

Christ understands us completely. He realizes the tremendous battle that rages within us and how we are torn apart by this conflict of the Spirit and the Flesh. He also acknowledges that when we fight alone, we will always lose. There is no doubt that we are not strong enough to overcome the forces of darkness if we choose to control all aspects of the engagement. To overcome our broken nature and to be victorious, we must surrender completely. Not to that which opposes us but rather to he who loves us completely: God.

Our faith provides us with the tools of survival and the weapons of war. One of these is the Eucharist: the true presence of the Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ. Through the Eucharist we are offered spiritual nourishment that strengthen us and builds us up. It forges our relationship with Jesus Christ and brings us closer to him. It is a special Sacramental Grace that is completely central to our faith. It is the apex of our faith-live and must be treated as such. Whenever and wherever it is offered we are obligated to respond and receive it with complete submission and awe. Nothing can withstand its presence for it is the presence of our God. How fortunate we are that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, the Father watches over us, and the Son can enter us so that he may lift us up; defending us against anything and everything that stands in our way.

We come forward broken and beaten. We seek him out and find him. We knock and the door is opened. We ask and it is given to us. We sit down at table to eat with him and he with us. He feeds us physically, mentally, and spiritually. We are nourished beyond our comprehension. We are provided with wisdom, comfort, peace, and love. Everything is given to us. We are never forgotten. We are forever unified with him now and forever. Our God has given us the capability to experience him on a very personal level such as this. For our own sake and salvation we should come forward and seize this opportunity with two hands

Deacon Tom