Daily Reminder: Submit your will to God (thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven). Consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
Website to do a consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary with Padre Pio: http://padrepiodevotions.org/prayers-of-padre-pio/
Peter turned and saw the disciple following whom Jesus loved,
the one who had also reclined upon his chest during the supper
and had said, “Master, who is the one who will betray you?”
When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”
Jesus said to him, “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?
You follow me.”
So the word spread among the brothers that that disciple would not die.
But Jesus had not told him that he would not die,
just “What if I want him to remain until I come?
What concern is it of yours?”
It is this disciple who testifies to these things
and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.
There are also many other things that Jesus did,
but if these were to be described individually,
I do not think the whole world would contain the books
that would be written. JN 21:20-25
This may be the most important paragraph in all of John’s Gospel. He says, “It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true.” John, the Apostle, was chosen by Jesus Christ to follow Him for 3 years. John witnessed all of the most important events in Jesus’ life and was the only Apostle with Mary to be at the foot of the cross. WE HAVE AN EYEWITNESS TO THE REVELATIONS OF JESUS CHRIST! If you believe it is true, then start living it with all your heart! Not by force but out of love! If we are lukewarm Catholics, the Devil has us right where he wants us. Jesus taught us there is no fence to sit on if we are His followers. He compels us to make a choice.
He says, “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” MT 12:30
John is writing these things so that we may understand what true, beautiful, and good thing we obtained, Jesus Christ’s Spirit lives on in us. Jesus did the Father’s Will, sits at the right hand of the Father to receives the glory that He passes on to us in the Holy Spirit. The first step to evangelizing is to create a daily habit of prayer making Jesus Christ the center of our lives and developing a personal relationship with Him.
John goes on to say, “I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written.” Jn 21:25 Do very many people read the Bible? Would we read all of the books the Apostles wrote about Jesus if there were several others? Many do not read the Bible or Gospels daily. The Gospels hold the Truths revealed by Jesus Christ to gain salvation. There will not be any other revelation or way to salvation. As weak humans, we forget. I have learned it is important to remind myself of the most important things first thing in the morning to help guide me in my day. There are a lot of things and a lot of information trying to persuade me.
Everything we need to know is in the Bible otherwise God would have given us more. He is not trying to hide from us or make us have to guess how to get to heaven. If we meditate each day on the Words He revealed to us through the eyewitnesses He chose, we see very clearly a Father who is deeply in love with His creation, a Son who is willing to die to show us this love and share it with us, and the Holy Spirit who is the love between Father and Son that lives on in us. Love requires a response. Are you keeping up your end?
It is difficult and a great challenge to read the Bible daily. How many other habits do we create in our lives to survive and be healthy? Our soul needs to be fed by Jesus with the Scriptures and graces we need from the Sacraments. I suggest using your competitive nature to conquer your fear that the Bible is too hard for you to read and understand. One day at a time start reading the daily Mass readings to give you a guide. There are no parameters to reading the Bible, just ask Jesus to start you somewhere and the Holy Spirit to guide you. It will take time and effort. Are you up for the challenge? It will change your life forever and give you great hope! Most importantly, you will gain a friendship that is eternal. Someone who will always have your back and remain with you even if everyone else has left. A friend who died for you even if you don’t love Him back. A friend who is always waiting to speak to you in your heart in silence, in Adoration, in the sacraments, in prayer with others, in the poor. The only friend who can give you what your heart is truly yearning for, happiness, joy, true love!
Challenge: Read the daily Mass readings and reflect on them. Pray every day in the same place and at the same time (make a chime on your phone to remind you).
Then as Padre Pio says, “Pray, Hope, and don’t worry!”
Be a servant, become a saint!
#Christian YOLO
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