Prayer Prompt before reading LK 14:25-33: 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.
“REJOICE AND LEAP FOR JOY ON THAT DAY! BEHOLD, YOUR REWARD WILL BE GREAT IN HEAVEN.” LK 6:20-26
Humbly submit your will to God (Thy Will be done) and consecrate yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus through Mary and Joseph.
“Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.” Why? Because I won the lottery and don’t have to work anymore. School is out for a month because there is no electricity. My parents are going to give me everything I want. I can have anything I want.
Is this really what will make us happy? It is an interesting question. Have you ever thought about what really would make you happy? We have inherited a fallen human nature and we wake each day leaning towards sin and searching for comfort and luxury. We want the easy way.
God made us and knows what will make us the happiest, but it doesn’t sound entertaining or fun. It’s better than that, its joy, bliss, eternal and never passes away. Jesus teaches us to be humble. God is big, we are small. We need Him, He doesn’t need us.
Catholic Encyclopedia New Advent states humility is, “that by which a man has a modest estimate of his own worth, and submits himself to others.” Fr. Jarrod says it is the truth about oneself (gifts and limitations) in the sight of God. C.S. Lewis states, “Humility is not thinking less of oneself but thinking of oneself less.” Be a servant, become a saint!
Jesus asks us to fill ourselves with Him if we are going to be satisfied, heavenly things, not earthly possessions. We need God, seek Him out, search for Him and be filled. Seek unceasingly, where? In prayer, each other, Scriptures, Eucharist, and sacraments He is fully alive and present with us.
Jesus teaches us in suffering we will find the greatest joy! Those who start to get closer to Jesus’ most Sacred Heart start to thank Jesus for their suffering. God’s love is radical and the most powerful thing in the world. Jesus promises if we do these things we will leap for joy.
There is something greater than any earthly happiness, the reward of the joy in heaven. We have great worth and value in God’s eyes. When we fill ourselves with God this life can be an amazing adventure if we submit ourselves to our Creator and trust in Him.
Prayer, good works, spending time with Jesus in the sacraments and adoration or a quiet church, offering up our suffering with Christ’s, these things last for all eternity and are the riches that are stored up in heaven and bring joy to those on earth. For there is no law against these things.
Today’s challenge: Be humble, serve everyone in the room before you serve yourself. Seek God out, pray, read Scripture, sit with Him in Adoration, receive Him at Mass. Offer your sufferings up with Christ sufferings for the salvation of souls.
Be a servant, be a saint today!
#Christian YODO (You Only Die Once; we will live again!)
Joyfully sacrifice for someone today!
Pray for me and my family as I pray for you and yours!
Happiness is a weird sentiment. Happiness is often looked at as a bad thing in spiritual matters. How can you be happy about anything but God? If God didn’t want us to be happy, then what would he have wanted us to be? Happiness towards material matter by itself isn’t a bad thing. In moderation at least. It can get to a point, but that point is far beyond what many people see.
Love your reflections, Jackson! Keep them coming!