Be Light; Be Salt!

Be the change you want to see in the world!

The world is a mess! It has always been since the Fall of Eve and Adam. That is why we have the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the great leaders of the Hebrew Scriptures, and why Father God sent us Jesus! We need guidance because we would rather destroy than build; we would rather have war than have peace.

Be the change you want to see in the world!

We continue the work of our Biblical ancestors and our Savior. People are often like sheep; sheep need direction to survive. People need a good shepherd; be one!

Our Gospel Portion today is St. Matthew 5:13-16, and we will meditate on

“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:16

We are called to be light and salt. Salt brings out the best in what it seasons. Light makes the path clear so others can find their way to safety. As the Leaders of the Sacred Scriptures culminating in Our Lord Jesus did for us, we must do for the world. We do this wherever we are and with every person we encounter.

Today I give you the example of one holy one, St. Josephine Bakhita, who was taken from her home in the Sudan, and enslaved first by Muslims and then by “Christians” and beaten regularly, even to the point of death, but survived. Finally, she worked at a convent in Italy, met Jesus, and became the salt and the light to those who came into contact with her.

The message I received from her is that you cannot change what has happened to you, but you can change your world by how you live your life. Maybe this speaks to you, too.

Be salt, be light, and be the change you want to see in the world. Kindness always matters!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

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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

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Be The Change That Jesus Wants!

The World Needs Our Apostleship!

In our Gospel selection from St. Mark that we read today, we see Jesus sending out the 12 Disciples. He gives them Divine Gifts that will change the world they enter into if they are received. We read,

And He (Jesus) called to Him the Twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. Mark 6:7.

By this point in the Gospel of St. Mark, these first leader of the Ministry of Jesus had been prepared to spread the ministry wherever they went. They were to be Jesus’ presence among those who received them.

Jesus is Divine Love in Person!

At this point in Jesus’ Ministry, He was located in one location at a time, but through the Twelve, He was present in six places more.

Jesus’ Power!

Where the Twelve went, they carried the Power of Jesus to combat the power of the evil one. The Power of Jesus was given through them as His agents!

Be part of the Divine Change!

Through the Power of Jesus, we too are able to make positive changes in the world where we are. But do not get discouraged when we are not received! Our obligation is to give of ourselves, people have the right to receive us or not. Or as Jesus said two thousand years ago,

“And if any place will not receive you and they refuse to hear you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet for a testimony against them.” Mark 6:11.

We must move on! People need Jesus’ Power, hence do not fret about those who choose to stay without Him! Keep moving and be the change that you experienced in Jesus to those who receive you!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/ffc54371

Be Mercy!

Be Sendable!

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, even so I send you.”
John 20: 21

The Eigth Day of Easter is called the Sunday of Divine Mercy by many Christians and it is a powerful concept. Mercy is key in our understanding of the life and mission of Jesus. He is Mercy and He calls His followers to be Mercy too!

However, for us to be Mercy, there must be a countercultural presence in how we are and how we treat people.

Mercy and forgiveness are interrelated. We can not be mercy if we do not forgive those who have hurt us.

Jesus said from the Cross:

“Father forgive them, because they do not know what they are doing.”.
Luke 23:34

Jesus is the Divine Psychologist and Sociologist! Jesus knew very well that the actions of people against Him and His message was related to what was going on in their lives. The people who put Him on the Cross, though they were murderers, did not know and understand who they were dealing with. Jesus forgave them! Jesus had Divine Mercy available to them, if they would only come to receive it.

We are called to be Jesuslike! A mature Christian works to understand that people come out of cultural makeup and make judgements out of this base. We struggle to forgive those who have been mean to us, remembering the words from the Lord’s Prayer:
“Forgive us our trespasses and we forgive those who trespass against us.”

We cannot change the world, but we can be the change!

Again, Happy Mercy Sunday!

Pax.

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