“GOD RAISED THIS JESUS, OF THIS WE ARE ALL WITNESSES.” ACTS 2:14, 22-33
Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
The Acts of the Apostles gives us the greatest witness to the risen Christ in the Easter season. Today, Peter shares with the Jews what the prophet David foretold, “he foresaw and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned to the netherworld nor did his flesh see corruption. God raised this Jesus; of this we are all witnesses.” In order to be a saint (enter heaven to be with our loving Father forever) we must believe Jesus resurrected. We say it in our creed every Sunday and begin every rosary with it.
But, how many people have ever stopped and learned about it. If this is a belief that is going to direct our whole lives and be something we are willing to die for, it is something that must be studied and talked about often. Many people may stop reading the Gospels, fasting, striving to be holy now that Lent is over. This is the very essence of our existence. Everything hinges on this one action in human history in which God intervened. All of us are on our own road to Calvary and we will meet the Man who hung on that cross.
What Christ did for us does not stop after Lent and Easter, but it is to be lived daily through our baptismal vows. This is a great way to check whether Christ is a part of your life or the center of your life. What can you do to change it? Make prayer a habit.
Wake each day and read the Gospel, say the “Our Father” and think about what it means, say the “Morning Offering”, and sit in silence and ask God to speak to you. Go to daily Mass once a week or more. Go to confession more often. Don’t let a day go by without saying your rosary. Think of little ways in your home to spend more time with people and less time with screens. Sign up to do stewardship at your parish.
Most importantly, Jesus wants to be your friend. We can develop this friendship by reading the Bible every day, sitting in silence, and reflecting/writing about it. We cannot worship something we do not know and if God gave us an intellect to know Him why are we not reading spiritual books and the Bible every day.
Be aware of the Devil who tries to divide, Christ unites. We are constantly distracted, take time to sit in silence and think, God will put things back into perspective. Slow down and remind yourself each day what is most important. The 4 final things are death, judgment, heaven and hell. What we do with the time God blesses us with is our choice.
When we approach God today are we “fearful yet overjoyed”? It all hinges on whether you know who you are worshiping or not. Do you know God or just about God. None of this makes sense and a person cannot be transformed without a friendship with God. A friendship requires time spent together where trust is built and sustained. I don’t know how I am going to enter heaven if I am a stranger to God’s ways.
The next time we enter a Catholic Church or Adoration chapel, remember God is truly present. We are so distracted that this takes training of our minds with God’s grace to actually accomplish it. It is difficult, but achievable. One thing I have found helpful is reading a book about the Eucharist. Jesus is still sacrificing for us today staying hidden beneath the bread and wine, so that we may have him with us. When we begin to gain knowledge and understanding that God is truly present, we will never want to leave the church or chapel. Everything will change.
Where do you go when you are struggling with sin? Where do you go when you have great suffering in your life? Jesus is here present to be with you in your struggle. This is why He came to die and remain with us. He wants to have a personal relationship with you. Will you let Him? It is much tougher than most people think.
We have to choose God’s Will over our own and that is hard. Peter Kreeft says, “It’s harder to die to self than to die our physical death.” We want to be in control. How many times does Jesus ask us to trust Him. We are made by God to be back with Him, but that requires great sacrifice.
The first step is to know Him, then we decide if we want to follow Him. It is hard to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. I hope you learned something on how to deny yourself this Lent and will continue to remind yourself that you can control yourself. We do not have to give into our desires.
I hope you continue to fast each Friday and stop what you are doing to thank Jesus for dying on the cross for us. Stations of the cross can be said any time not just during Lent. Most importantly, what is the message from all of this? God’s love is more powerful than anything in the universe. Are you accepting it or rejecting it?
Finally, have you ever paid someone or manipulated someone into lying for something bad you did? If we have power over people, how do we use it? While Jesus was being scourged at the pillar over 50 times, he was praying for those who were hitting Him. Jesus was completely innocent and was charged with death. Most importantly, Jesus always wins. May our Lenten journey, the Passion of Jesus, and the historical facts (eyewitnesses) of the early church (Acts of the Apostles) teach us something about our relationship with God and how much he loves us. What will we do in return each day to repay the love Christ has for us?
Today’s challenge: Fight the urge to stop drawing yourself closer to Christ now that Lent is over and allowing distraction to rule your life. Don’t allow your joy to be stolen by your desires or the Devil’s temptations, keep fasting. Ask God to open your heart and mind to His Truths and allow Him to be the King of your universe!
Be a servant, be a saint today!
#Christian YOLO
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