Enter the Narrow Gate

…just a little food for thought.

Well, Lent is finally upon us. Fat Tuesday is always a day that gets me thinking. It seems that it is the last hurrah before we need to knuckle down and serious think about the Lord and His great sacrifice for us. Think about it, how many of us could give up our only son so that someone could live? But it doesn’t stop there. Who can even come close to out giving God? So it only seems appropriate that we ourselves need to make little sacrifices and to tithe and give to others as much of ourselves as we can.

Back to the Fat Tuesday theme. It is a day of great excesses, be it food, drink or the passions of the flesh. Its almost as if we are saying, as the bumper sticker says, “Jesus is coming, look busy!” We should be busy all year long doing the Lord’s work, even how small and trivial some of it seems. A great Saint to emulate in this matter is St Therese, the Little Flower. She found God in all of the simple things that she did, as well as St Francis de Sales.

The picture above speaks more than a thousand words. I took this photo at a Presbyterian Church near my home. Enter the Narrow Gate! For some of us I fear that after Fat Tuesday, or living our lives as if every day is Fat Tuesday, may not be able to fit through that narrow gate because of our excess baggage. It is this baggage that we need to offer up to the Lord and ask him to help us carry it and slim ourselves down by surrendering to him 100% of our lives, so that we too may be able to fit through that narrow gate.

As for giving up something for Lent and making small sacrifices, it will indeed help us to slim down the excess bulk of our baggage that we may fit easier through the gate. All we have to do is ask Jesus for His Divine Mercy and forgiveness and to help us carry our load and burdens. I can tell you this; He has not let me down yet. Sometimes though, we need to ask him to open the eyes of our hearts to see the work that he is doing for us, through us and in us.

Have a happy, meaningful and great season of Lent.

Peace and Blessings,

Kerry

I was soon heading back home but wanted to stop to go to confession at St Anthony’s the Shrine of the Worker not too far from there. I took the first parking space I could find within a bit of a walking distance to St Anthony’s, or Arch Street as we also refer to it. It was quite a walk but I didn’t mind too much on this brisk day. A ways from there I developed a severe cramp in my leg but kept going. It would seem to me that at that point the enemy was hoping I would turn back and just go home. As I got to the corner of Arch St, I noticed plenty of empty parking spaces all around. That’s how it goes sometimes for me. It seemed as the journey to get there was a penance in and of itself.

When I neared the doors to go in, a homeless gentleman spotted me and got up and approached me. In my selfishness, I didn’t want to be bothered, but said to the Lord o.k. I’ll give him what I can. He asked for some money to eat. The thing was, he was not a bit offensive, but I actually felt a peace come over me as I spoke with him. I gave him some money and he actually gave me a blessing. I went inside and checked the schedule… I missed the opportunity for confession and it would be another hour before they would be available. As I left I knew that this was as the Lord had planned for me. I didn’t get to go to confession, but I did serve my penance in helping that gentleman. I will tell you how happy I was when I saw him emerge from the coffee shop with a coffee in his hand. The Lord certainly does work in mysterious ways.

I made my way back to my parking spot feeling enlightened. As I was driving home, I began to reflect on my experience and ‘heard’ very clearly, the Lord tell me that the homeless man was indeed Jesus. Deep down I had known this as I left the Shrine. Although sacramentally I did not receive absolution for my sins from the priest, I was given my penance from the True High Priest. I related this story to a dear friend of mine and before I could tell her what I heard on the ride home, she told me that it was Jesus whom I had actually helped. I know for me that this was an affirmation, as most times the Lord will speak to me through those that he surrounds me with. I am so thankful that the Lord has opened the eyes to my heart that I have been able to find him in these different situations.

So, the next time that you are out and about, ask the Lord to open the eyes of your heart that you may come to recognize him however he chooses to present himself to you.

Peace and Blessings,

Kerry

By the shedding of his own blood, Christ, the high

priest, entered the sanctuary once and for all

From the Letter to the Hebrews      9: 11-28

But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living  God. For this reason he is mediator of a new covenant: since a death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance.  Now where there is a will, the death of the testator must be established. For a will takes effect only at death; it has no force while the testator is alive. Thus not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood.When every commandment had been proclaimed by Moses to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves (and goats), together with water and crimson wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is ‘the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined upon you.’” In the same way, he sprinkled also the tabernacle and all the vessels of worship with blood. According to the law almost everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Therefore, it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified by these rites, but the heavenly things themselves by better sacrifices than these. For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a copy of the true one, but heaven itself, that he might now appear before God on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly from the foundation of the world. But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages  to take away sin by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that human beings die once, and after this the judgment, so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Taken from the Liturgy of the Hours

Vol II p. 472

Third Sunday of Advent

‘Gaudete in Domino semper!’

Rejoice in the Lord always!

This is the translation above. As we enter the third week of advent, the theme is Joy. We should be joyful that the season is almost over and the celebration of the birth of our Savior is near.

When we light the rose colored candle it is for Joy. My wife likes to refer to it as the ‘panic’ candle as Christmas is so near. It also makes us aware of our preparation for Christmas not only in a secular state, but also spiritually. The question that we should be asking is “Am I  ready spiritually for Christmas?”. It seems that there are a lot of distractions that we have to deal with during this season. There are distractions both at work and at home that can cause us anxiety and stress.

The first reading from Sunday is from Zephaniah. This reading should speak to our hearts as we are dealing with these distractions around us during Advent:

Zephaniah 3:14-18a

Shout for joy, O daughter Zion! sing joyfully, O Israel! Be glad and exult with all your heart, O daughter Jerusalem!

The LORD has removed the judgment against you, he has turned away your enemies; The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst, you have no further misfortune to fear.

On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem: Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!

The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior; He will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in his love, He will sing joyfully because of you,

The second reading from Paul also addresses anxiety and how we should pray to God for his peace and present to him all of our petitions:

Philippians 4:4-7

Rejoice  in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!

Your kindness  should be known to all. The Lord is near.

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.

Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

It is too easy to get caught up in all of the commercialism of the season and to forget the real ‘reason for the season’ is Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. John the Baptist has been preparing us for the coming of the Messiah. John is the voice of the one in the wilderness that is crying out to ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’. John gives us good examples to follow in the Gospel reading from Luke 3:10-18. He tells us about giving to those in need, by not taking more from others than we are supposed to, to not extort from others nor accuse others falsely.

John also speaks of humility and unworthiness. He speaks to us as to Jesus being the only one who is worthy. John baptized with water for the forgiveness of sins and he tells us that it is Jesus who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. As we continue with the season of Advent, let us also be reconciled back to God through our confession of our faults and sins, of what we have done and what we have failed to do as we prepare for the birth of our Savior.

So, as we continue, let us ask Jesus to baptize us with the Holy Spirit so that the Fire of the Holy Spirit may burn away our earthly, stubborn will and only strive to do the will of the Father.

Jesus, come fill our hearts with your Joy. We ask you to take away all of our anxieties during this season of Advent as we prepare to celebrate your birth. We pray also that as we contemplate our failings to do good for those around us in need, that you will let your Divine Mercy wash over us and stand before your judgment. Give us a true servant’s heart, that we may serve you and be able to minister to those around us that are in need during this season of preparation for your birth.

Peace and Joy in Christ,

Kerry

To You O Lord – Psalm for Advent

Merry Christmas

Once again we find ourselves in the Season of Christmas. For me, it is a time of reflection, to look back upon the year as it draws to a close. It is also a time when I try to recall all of the good things that the Lord has done for myself, my family and my friends. It is also a time for spiritual growth, a time to remember and give thanks to the Lord for all of the graces that he pours forth from his Most Sacred Heart.

When we think of Christmas, we are reminded of the Joys that we have been given. I have also learned this past week that Joy is also intertwined with sorrow. It ‘comes with the ticket’ so to speak. We laid to rest a friend on Christmas Eve day. Her birthday was on Christmas Day. Before she was called home, she had said that she wanted to be with Jesus on her birthday. What a precious gift to have!

Despite the sorrow that we all felt at this time, we celebrated her life, her life in Christ Jesus. She had shown us through example how God asks us to live. I have also learned that there are many forms of healing that the Lord bestows upon us. I know that Karen had brought such healing, as simple as they may be, to those whose lives she touched. During her funeral mass, I had prayed to the Lord that he would send his Holy Spirit upon us for comfort and consolation during this time. It was overcast with no sun that morning. During the homily, the Lord did send His Holy Spirit to us. The sun broke through the clouds briefly and shone very brightly through the stained glass window of the Holy Spirit’s descent on Pentecost to Mary and the Apostles. I saw the Joy return in this brief moment to Karen’s family and friends who saw this happen. Even in death, there is Joy and there is Life.

Peace

Kerry

  Sister Faustina with the Divine Mercy Image

We are children of the God of Mercy. The God that we praise and worship is a most merciful God. Jesus loves us so much that he wants to let his mercy stand before his judgment. In other words, Jesus wants to show us his mercy, his Divine Mercy, before he has to judge us. I cannot say enough about Divine Mercy and I pray that through the grace of God, that I may be able to always speak of it. Jesus wants us to trust completely in him and know that he loves us unconditionally. So many times as we struggle to stay on the right path, there are many more times that we backslide and stray off of the path that Jesus wants to lead us on.

So, what is Divine Mercy? The Lord has blessed me by surrounding me by friends who have taught me so much about the ways of the Lord and his grace and mercy. The Lord is very simple, it is we who complicate the Lord. He simply asks that we go to Him constantly in prayer, to repent of our sins and to ask for His mercy, not just for ourselves, but for the whole world. The Lord also wants us to be merciful just as He pours out His mercy upon us. Jesus wants us to trust completely in Him. The more trust that we have, the more of His mercy and grace that He will pour out upon us.

The message of Divine Mercy was given to us through the private revelation from Jesus to Sister Faustina. These revelations are contained in her diary: Divine Mercy in My Soul. Jesus had instructed her with the prayers for the Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena. The prayers are very simple and help us to ask God for His mercy, not only for ourselves, but for the whole world. Jesus asks that we recite the chaplet at the 3:00 o’clock hour. The hour of Divine Mercy when he died on the Cross. If we cannot do this, he simply asks us to remember His Passion at that time.

I will always remember the first time that I celebrated Divine Mercy Sunday. In the parish that I am a music minister, we had the honor of hosting Divine Mercy Sunday in 2008. There are five parishes in the town and often we do things as a cluster. Our church, Sacred Heart, had just been rebuilt after a devastating fire. The new church had been dedicated on December 15, 2007. This was a great celebration for us. It was also through the grace and mercy of the Lord that we were able to rebuild the church. The presence of the Holy Spirit was amazingly strong and felt by many people.

There were many experiences for me that day. During the petitions and prayers of the faithful, God’s mercy and grace poured forth. For myself, it was overwhelming. I had very little control of my emotions as the prayers were read. What I felt is very hard to explain, as sometimes words cannot explain the presence of the Holy Spirit. I felt God’s mercy pouring through me like a river. I felt people’s anxieties, I felt their emotions, I felt their surrender, I felt their pain and most of all I felt their healing. I cannot put this into words, but I was overflowing and had difficulty even standing. After the prayers there was complete peace! I know first hand that there were many healings that took place that Divine Mercy Sunday.

I cannot say enough about the grace and mercy of the Lord. I cannot say enough of the healing that comes from Jesus as we praise and worship Him. I cannot say enough about the workings, gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit. The Lord wants to work through all of us, just as He called His disciples to do. He is also calling on us to do works of mercy. You can go to this website to learn more about Divine Mercy:    http://thedivinemercy.org/message/

I will leave you with this question and a song:  As Jesus will let His mercy stand before His judgment, are we willing to let our mercy stand before someone before we judge them?

Your Mercy and Love

May Peace, Grace and Mercy be yours,

Kerry

The Lord descends into hell

Something strange is happening— there is a great silence on earth today, a great silence and stillness. The whole earth keeps silence because the King is asleep. The earth trembled and is still because God has fallen asleep in the flesh and he has raised up all who have slept ever since the world began. God has died in the flesh and hell trembles with fear.

He has gone to search for our first parent, as for a lost sheep. Greatly desiring to visit those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death, he has gone to free from sorrow the captives Adam and Eve, he who is God and the son of Eve. The Lord approached them bearing the cross, the weapon that had won him the victory. At the sight of him Adam, the first man he had created, struck his breast in terror and cried out to everyone: “My Lord be with you all.” Christ answered him: “And with your spirit.” He took him by the hand and raised him up, saying: “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

I am your God, who for your sake have become your son. Out of love for you and your descendants I now by my own authority command all who are held in bondage to come forth, all who are in darkness be enlightened, all who are sleeping to arise. I order you, O sleeper, to awake. I did not create you to be a prisoner in hell. Rise from the dead, for I am the life of the dead. Rise up, work of my hands, you who were created in my image. Rise, let us leave this place, for you are in me and I am in you; together we form only one person and we cannot be separated.

For your sake I, your God, became your son; I, the Lord, took the form of a slave; I, whose home is above the heavens, descended to the earth and beneath the earth. For your sake, for the sake of man, I became like a man without help, free among the dead. For the sake of you, who left a garden, I was betrayed to the Jews in a garden, and I was crucified in a garden.

See on my face the spittle I received in order to restore to you the life I once breathed into you. See there the marks of the blows I received in order to refashion your warped nature in my image. On my back see the marks of the scourging I endured to remove the burden of sin that weighs upon your back. See my hands, nailed firmly to a tree, for you who once wickedly stretched out your hand to a tree.

I slept on the cross and a sword pierced my side for you who slept in paradise and brought forth Eve from your side. My side has healed the pain in yours. My sleep will rouse you from your sleep in hell. The sword that pierced me has sheathed the sword that was turned against you.

Rise, let us leave this place. The enemy led you out of the earthly paradise. I will not restore you to that paradise, but I will enthrone you in heaven. I forbade you the tree that was only a symbol of life, but see, I who am life itself am now with you. I appointed cherubim to guard you as slaves are guarded, but now I make them worship you as God. The throne formed by cherubim awaits you, its bearers swift and eager. The bridal chamber is adorned, the banquet is ready, the eternal dwelling places are prepared, the treasure houses of all good things lie open. The kingdom of heaven has been prepared for you from all eternity.

From The Liturgy of the Hours

Book II p496

God Bless, May this Eater fill you with great Joy!

Kerry                                                                                                                            

Monday morning my son and I left on a trip for Spring Break to a small ‘Happy Island’ in the Caribbean. Our flight had been cancelled due to the storm but we were able to fly out from another airport just south of us. When we called to check in at home, my wife told me that we were indeed flooded with no heat or hot water. Unfortunately our Town did very little to help us. At this point I was devastated and felt hopeless, helpless and abandoned. There was nothing I could do to help my wife. It was all in God’s hands now.

Well, things got worse for us while we were away from home. We weren’t even here 24 hours when our rental car was stolen from in front of where we were staying. I now felt as though I was in the middle of the desert. I was actually not very far from the desert. I am so glad that I listened to the inner voice that told me to take the extra insurance on the car. It still cost me quite a bit, but it could have been alot worse.

The easiest thing to do in this situation of devastation, would be to stop praying altogether and remain angry with God. This is the time when we need most to pray. If we stop, the devil gets his way and becomes stronger as we become weaker. I think of Paul in these times of weakness as I read 2 Corinthians 9-10:

Now that we are in the Season of Lent, one thing we will hear about the most is repentance. We all know that this should apply all year long. This is a never ending battle for us it seems. Sometimes it can be extremely difficult to stay on the right path and not give in to our temptations. No matter how serious the sin, God will forgive us if we are truly sorry and repent and ask for His forgiveness. Even if a person commits a  huge sin, they are entitled to an overwhelming measure of God’s Grace and Divine Mercy for their repentance.

Merciful and gracious is the LORD, slow to anger, abounding in kindness.

God does not always rebuke, nurses no lasting anger,

Has not dealt with us as our sins merit, nor requited us as our deeds deserve.

As the heavens tower over the earth, so God’s love towers over the faithful.

As far as the east is from the west, so far have our sins been removed from us. Psalm 103 8-12

Yes, there is healing that can take place during reconciliation as the Lord pours forth his Grace and Mercy through the Holy Spirit.

On Ash Wednesday, in the Liturgy of the Hours, was St. Clement’s Letter to the Corinthians. He speaks of repentance and how God has made it available through many generations. Noah urged those around him to repent and to join him in the Ark. They did not listen and as a result they perished. Jonah went to Nineveh to tell them that God was going to destroy them, but if they repented, he would spare them. They repented and God kept his promise and let them live. As human nature would have it, Jonah was not too happy when the Lord spared them, because they were his enemies.

It is so important that we pray also for our enemies, that the Holy Spirit will lead them to repentance also. We must also keep in mind that as we pray for them and God spares them, that we should rejoice with them also.

Praise the LORD, all you nations! Give glory, all you peoples!

The LORD’S love for us is strong; the LORD is faithful forever. Hallelujah!

Psalm 117

Peace

Kerry

Well, Lent is here once again. It seems as though it came up so quickly after Christmas. Lent is one of those Seasons that I look forward to. If anything, it is a time to put our lives into perspective. Today’s reading from the Liturgy of the Hours, Is 58: 1-12, speaks to us of fasting and what is pleasing to God.

The Lord does not want us to go around with fasting ‘written’ all over us. He does not want us to be like the hypocrites who want everyone to see what they are doing.

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke;

Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own.

Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.

Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! If you remove from your midst oppression, false accusation and malicious speech;

If you bestow your bread on the hungry and satisfy the afflicted; Then light shall rise for you in the darkness, and the gloom shall become for you like midday;

Then the LORD will guide you always and give you plenty even on the parched land. He will renew your strength, and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring whose water never fails.

As we see in this reading, fasting takes on many forms. We do not have to eat only bread and drink only water to fast. When we fast, it can be by the above examples from Isaiah. We can also fast by giving up simple things. Maybe there is a favorite food or drink that you are craving. By not giving in to that craving, you are fasting. Fasting also puts into perspective our relationship with God. We come to realize how much we really need and depend upon him.

As we celebrate this season of Lent, I pray that the Lord will open our eyes and our hearts so that we may hear him speaking to us in the quietness of our hearts, and see through his eyes the Glory of his Creation in each one around us. I also pray that we will be able to remember these words from Isaiah not just during Lent, but throughout the whole year.

God Bless