Prayer Prompt before reading MT 5:38-42: 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 is and God the Son so that I may know who I am.
“AND YOUR FATHER WHO SEES IN SECRET WILL REPAY YOU.” MT 6:1-6, 16-18
Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
Today, Jesus teaches us 3 important lessons in being Christ-like. Repent means to change our heart (the way we look at life/they way we think) to be more like Christ’s most Sacred Heart. A servant. An instrument of God’s peace, love, and joy. We are called to holiness through our baptism, to be saints.
Jesus died to have a relationship with us, so that we may know Him, imitate Him, and return to the Father. We are called to fight Satan and profess a creed. Fr. Mike Schmitz says, “What we believe in is what we belong to. What we belong to is how we live and what we are willing to die for.” This is our Christian identity branded onto us at Baptism.
In fasting, we search for the temptation in our life that is leading us the furthest from God and work on it. We may need to “cut off our hand or pluck out our eye” if it is causing us to sin. We may need to fast from our cell phone, computer, tablet, TV, to help us avoid the near occasion of sin.
Fasting is the first step in fighting addiction. Which addiction do you need to work on? The 3 areas of our life that must be controlled or rightly ordered are world/culture (electronics/social media/comparing ourselves to others/vanity), flesh (lust), and material goods (unnecessary material goods) to enter into the Kingdom. God’s grace is necessary and surrendering into His loving arms to make small gains and continue the journey towards holiness.
This will help us to be more present in our relationships and communicate more which leads to peace and joy. This may help us to not rush through our work to get to our entertainment, but concentrate on what we are made for, relationships.
Most importantly, our relationship with God, prayer and reflection on the Scriptures, silence and listening. We might feel empty the first week when we give something up. This is okay, we must walk through the desert, fall to our knees and tell God we need Him to help us. We have to go through the Passion to get to the Resurrection! Suffering brings joy! Once we recognize that we need God, we are well on our way to growing towards Him.
This in turn opens our hearts to good deeds and giving alms to the poor. In prayer, we get back to center where Jesus is and He will guide us to what is right. Jesus is Truth, reality, what is. This helps guide us and lead us.
Repent means to change your life and grow in holiness. It is difficult and maybe even impossible, but with God’s grace anything is possible if you believe. What do you need to change or fast from?
Today’s challenge: Recognize you need God through fasting from something that is keeping you away from the most important things in life, God, family, friends, and work. Receive God’s blessings and love and share them with those in greatest need. Love the unlovable.
Be a servant, be a saint today!
#Christian YODO (You Only Die Once; we will live again!)
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