“YOU ARE NOT FAR FROM THE KINGDOM OF GOD.” MK 12:28-34
Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
Prayer Prompt before reading MK 12:28-34: Come, Holy Spirit, teach me how to pray, interpret the Scriptures for me so that I may know the Truth about who God the Father and God the Son are so that I may know who I am.
Today, Jesus puts the basis for the Good News into the Great Commandments (don’t forget the Jews saw all the laws as equal and important). This must be on our minds and hearts throughout the day as we try to imitate Christ. When we love God with our whole heart, mind, and soul we can do nothing other than love our neighbor. When we keep this in our minds and hearts throughout the day, we will see the fruits of the Spirit come forth from our words and actions: peace, joy, love (charity), kindness, generosity, gentleness, self-control, faithfulness, modesty, patience, goodness, chastity…
Every day I fail at loving God and neighbor perfectly. I choose to get back up, dust myself off, say a little prayer for help, deny self, pick up my cross, and continue this journey of loving God and others. This is what we are made for and the rewards are eternal! It is not boring. It is full of adventure! Christian YOLO!
Today’s challenge: Love with your heart! Compassion, remind yourself of what Christ suffered (stations of the cross, sorrowful mysteries) and suffer with others (see things from their perspective, grieve with them, offer prayers for those who are suffering, be a good listener, give something up to be present with those in your home and spend time with them face to face) Love likes to suffer.
Love with your mind! Use self-control to get rid of negative thoughts and build yourself up not tear yourself down, discern your negative thoughts the devil may be trying to deceive you, deny yourself by using the power of your mind, don’t put bad images in your mind through social media, tv, movies, Internet, etc. Put your mind on things of heaven, pray, sit in silence with Jesus, read the Scriptures, read about a saint or a spiritual book, say the rosary and imagine going through a scrap book with Mary of her life with Jesus.
Love with your soul! Recognize God’s presence and bring yourself into communion with Him in Church, Adoration, nature, or the silence of any room (do a spiritual communion-put yourself in the Church, Adoration chapel, nature with your mind). God is not some distant place we don’t know, He is right in your heart, in nature right outside your door, and in every human being you speak with today. He is fully alive in the Eucharist!
Again, recognize God’s presence and just be with Him and love Him back. You are His “the one”, He wants nothing more than to be with you and open yourself up to Him each day. Last, when you have accomplished these three ways to love, share this love with everyone you come in contact with. Put others first and be fulfilled, full of joy and at peace. Then, ““You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
Look at your apps on your electronic devices. Do you have any that lead you towards God? away from God? Today, add an app that will bring you closer to Christ, and get rid of an app that draws you away from Him.
Be a servant, be a saint today!
#Christian YODO (You Only Die Once; we will live again!)
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