Be A House of Prayer! Bring God wherever you go!

Today, we remember the Basilica of St. John Lateran, the first Basilica of the Roman Church. Its importance is great in the history of Christianity. It marks the end of the Age of Martyrdom and the beginning of the legal practice of Christianity in the Roman Empire. Our Gospel Portion today is St. John 2:13-22, and we will concentrate on

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
John 2:19

Jesus was at the cross between Temple worship and worship of God-with-us. We know that before Jesus, the Jewish people held their great worship services in the Temple, but after the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus, worship would be centered in Him!

In the Temple during Jesus’ time, animal sacrifice was required. But in Jesus, the sacrifice was found in the shedding of His Blood.

Jesus completed in Himself the plan of God from the creation of the world. And those who have put their lives in His hands continue the saving work of Jesus.

We become the New Temple modeled after Jesus. Followers of Jesus must present themselves as people of prayer; through us, people need to experience God’s presence.

Be an expression of God’s presence in the here and now!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/150ff0743

Trust In the Lord!

The Lord is always with us; bring all our cares to the Lord!

Happy Feast of All Souls!

It is a wonderful time of the year! And it is wonderful to remember and pray for all those who meant so much to us, and, out of Christian Charity, to pray for others that no one remembers except for us.

Our Gospel Portion is very helpful in understanding why we know that our prayers are important. Our Portion is St. John 6:37-40, and we will meditate on

“And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up at the last day.”
John 6:39

We belong to God, regardless of whether we are living on Earth or have passed away. We know that death is not the end, but rather a passage to be with God forever. Jesus promised us that He will not lose us, and we hold onto His promises.

We pray for our departed loved ones as we pray for our loved ones that are with us on this side of eternity.

Prayer is our connection! My mother transitioned over 40 years ago, but she is still with me in prayer.

Let us use this month, as we busy ourselves with all the wonderful activities of the Holiday Season, to remember that our departed loved ones are with us! They are not lost; they are with the Lord!

Have a blessed November!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

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Be Humble and Rise With God!

We must have total trust in the Lord!

Jesus reminds us that humility is central in our relationship with the Creator. Our Gospel Portion today comes from St. Luke 18:9-14, and let us meditate on it.

“I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for every one who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”
Luke 18:14

In this story, Jesus compares two individuals. One is a Pharisee, and the other is a public sinner, a tax collector. The public sinner is justified, whereas the Pharisee was not. The difference between the two is humility and a lack thereof.

The Tax Collector knew his only hope was in the great mercy of Father God. He begged for God’s mercy. If we read the whole Portion, we would see that the Pharisee was not communicating with the Creator; instead, he was praising himself. There is no healing possible for this Pharisee; he made himself God and told God how good he is.

We have a choice to make. I hope that we follow the public sinner and receive God’s mercy and return to our lives as justified, in other words, right with God.

I have found that true humility has allowed me to undergo terrible things. True humility enables us to entrust whatever we are going through, even the most horrendous situations, to God and experience victory in Christ Jesus.

Please choose humility! It always matters to live the best life.

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/150ff0743

Pray, Pray, and Pray Without End!

Pray is the answer!

How is prayer the answer to our lives? I speak from my experience, there were times that I had nothing else but prayer, and I was able to go on for another day. Everything could seem impossible, but being in communication with the Divine makes the seemingly impossible possible!

Our Gospel portion is St. Luke 18:1-8, and we will concentrate on,

“And will not God vindicate His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He delay long over them?”
Luke 18:7

Whatever we have to deal with, do not give up on it; may we never give up on ourselves! God will not give up on us! Turn to God, be in constant communication with God, and allow God to work things out!

I share a constant mantra prayer that I use in good times, ordinary times, and in sad times,

“God, I surrender, please take care of everything!”

Let God fight our battles and be obedient to God’s Will and purpose in our lives. I have found this to bring me to the peace that passes all understanding.

Let us share this peace!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

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Giving Thanks Always Matters!

When we have thankfulness in our lives, we open ourselves to many more blessings!

We will look at our Gospel Portion and see that thankfulness is essential for receiving blessings. Our Portion today is St. Luke 17:11-19, and we will meditate on

“And he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.”
Luke 17:16

Jesus had healed 10 lepers, but only one returned to give thanks to God. Could this be our story?

We may have been one of the nine. Once we have been healed, we go on our way and enjoy life again, but in doing so, we will miss the opportunity of receiving more blessings from the Healer.

Or we have been the one who returns to give thanks to the Healer and receives the blessing of a relationship with the healer and experiences more healing.

The difference is living a life of gratitude. In this life, we experience a relationship with the Healer that draws us back for healing.

For example, two years ago, I was crippled from arthritis and sciatica. I am grateful that I am no longer crippled. My process meant turning all of my suffering over to my Healer, Jesus. I did not give up, and Jesus did not give up on me; hence, I have a testimony that I can share now!

Be the Samaritan who returns a ” thank you ” to the Healer throughout the day!

It makes a positive difference in my life, and I am confident that it will have a similarly positive impact on all lives.

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

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The World Need Servants!Bring the Peace of Jesus to everyone we encounter!

Jesus encourages us to be like Him in the world. Imagine that God became one of us to show us how God wants us to live. Our focus must be on serving one another, regardless of who the person is, including those who have betrayed or hurt us deeply. Our love must be supernatural. The Kingdom of God must be a reality in the way we live and treat one another. Our Gospel Portion helps us enter into Divine Servitude. We read St. Luke 17:5-10, and we will concentrate on

“So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.”
Luke 17:10

Sometimes our Lord says strong things that may shake us. However, we need to be shaken up at times so that we can be true to ourselves as His disciples.

As disciples of Jesus, it is our duty to serve others. It is easy to forget that God became one with us to serve us, because we did not know how to behave.

We are called to serve others! Remember, at the Last Supper, Jesus washed the feet of His Disciples. Jesus gave us the example of Divine Servitude. This process of service is not an option! It is our duty!

Please take Jesus seriously and be a teacher of the Kingdom by how you treat everyone.

An excellent example of this teaching ministry is found in the life of St. Francis of Assisi. He famously said, and I paraphrase, preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words. And he also said that the only sermon people may experience is in our actions.

May we do our duty as disciples of Jesus Christ and expect nothing in return, other than being faithful to the Lord!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/bc47edef

We Must Bridge the Chasm In Our Lives!

The Divine and the world can be united in us!

Happy and healthy Sunday!

Divine things and things of the Earth are often at odds with each other. It is like going to church on Sunday or the shul on Saturday and forgetting the message during the workweek and acting like everyone else. This kind of separation is not suitable for the individual. Wholeness always matters and leads to peace.

Today’s Gospel Portion helps us look at this issue. Our Portion is St. Luke 16:19-31, and we will concentrate on,

“And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.”

Luke 16:26

Father Abraham said this in the parable given to us by Jesus, and he is referring to where Lazarus was with him and the division that separated him from the place where the rich man, who was in anguish, resided. That chasm did not just happen after their deaths; rather, it existed when they were on the other side of eternity.

We forge our eternity as we live now!

From our worship, we know how to treat people. If we apply the Sacred Scriptures, we know how to behave. What we worship, we are to live out in our homes, with our neighbors, and in the marketplace!

The love of God must inform the way we treat everyone. This is the way to peace!

If we desire to be whole, we must live out our faith!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/bc47edef

Be Wise Stewards of God!

The world needs such stewards!

Blessed Sunday!

We seem to always be in desperate times. The reality is that this is not a new phenomenon. There is always something to complain about. However, complaining does not solve the problem. What can we do to improve our situation? Our Gospel Portion today, St. Luke 16:1-13, offers a positive approach to dealing with our problems. We will concentrate on the following verse,

The master commended the dishonest steward for his shrewdness; for the sons of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own generation than the sons of light.

Luke 16:8

Being shrew, being smart about interpersonal interactions is a positive thing if we are children of the light. We can make positive changes in our world. It is like a battle that we fight to make the world a better place.

How can we be more proactive as children of the light?

If we follow the example of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, we must begin with our families. Raising children who understand the reality of life and make loving decisions. Raising children like this may make the world around us a more caring place. Helping our family members be able to negotiate living out the Gospel in the present moment, hopefully, makes them live more at peace

The shrewd steward of the light is an excellent response to the world situation today and every day.

Be wise stewards of God!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/bc47edef

We Adore You, O Christ!

And we praise You!

Happy Feast of the Holy Cross!

Today, we celebrate the key to our salvation.

Our Gospel Portion is St. John 3:13-17, and we will meditate on,

God sent the Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

John 3:17

Jesus died because people refused to love. But He was victorious over death through His resurrection.

We celebrate the Holy Cross because, though it was an ancient tool of torture, it became the tool on which love was accomplished.

There is so much hate in the world, and that has been over 2000 years after Jesus’ birth. We know how things must be for Heaven to reign on earth. Egos will not allow our world to change, but we, as individuals, can start a movement to bring Heaven to earth as we live our lives.

Heaven begins in us; we share it with our family, bring it to the marketplace, and radiate it through our world.

Be the Heaven that we pray in the Lord’s Prayer: Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.

Be the change that we want to see!

This is challenging! We may be hated because of it! People have been killed for being that change, but if we want to be like Jesus, we have no other choice!

The Cross we adore is our way of life! Rejoice in the Cross, and be the change we want to see!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace

https://gofund.me/bc47edef

Carry The Cross!

God will truly be with us if we are truly who we are!

God loves us and wants us to be real! If we are present in the here and now, God will strengthen us in every situation We encounter!

Our Gospel Portion today is St. Luke 14: 25-33 and we will meditate on,

“Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Luke 14:27

Honestly, it always matters!

Our lives are full of struggles, and Jesus desires to walk with us through them. This is the great gift of being a disciple of Jesus. But if we can not be honest about our reality, we block Jesus from supporting us in carrying our cross.

We endure unnecessary suffering. Jesus wants to bring us healing! We are not alone! Jesus is the friend who will never forsake us!

May we embrace the cross, accept ourselves as who we are, and trust that Jesus will help us carry it and bring us peace. He promised to be with us, and He keeps His promises!

#TotalTrustInJesus

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

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