Rejoice in the Generosity of the Lord!

The Lord is gracious and merciful; praise Him!

We remember that the Lord follows the Divine Will and not our standards of human interaction. He determines our relationship with Him, and that relationship is divine!

Our Gospel Portion today is St. Matthew 20:1-16, and we will concentrate on,

“Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’
Matthew 20:15

Today’s Parable reveals our relationship with the Lord and His mercy. The Lord sets the rules, and they are wonderful!

In the world order, a day’s work gets a day’s pay. If we work fewer hours, we get paid based on the hours we work. However, Jesus, in this Parable, explains that our payment is not based on the time we work for the Lord, but because our payment, Salvation, is not prorated.

Remember the Good Thief, the one who stole Heaven, and his words: “Jesus, remember me when you come into Your Kingdom.” And the Lord’s response was, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

We are not to judge people, because the Lord will be the Judge.

The message of the Lord is beautiful! Every minute we can surrender to Divine Love and be forgiven. He is calling us to new life in Christ; all we have to do is listen to Him and follow His Way!

I have experienced many hurts from people whom I expected kindness from; however, I do not know how the Lord will deal with them. I pray for them and know that the Lord is mercy.

Our obligation is to live for the Lord and let our actions reveal our relationship with Him.

My friends, continue to work in the Lord’s Vineyard, and help promote Divine Love and Mercy everywhere we are.

Pax.

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May the Healing of the World Be Our Goal!

We know that the world is full of hate. So many people suffer because so many of us have lost the message of the Lord. We, His disciples, are called to be His presence in the world! May we be part of the healing that the Lord desires.

May we be part of the healing of the Earth!

Our Gospel Portion today is St. Matthew 18:21-35, and we will concentrate on,

“And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?”
Matthew 18:33

The Lord is merciful, and because He is our example of proper human interaction, we must go forward with mercy to everyone!

When we experience the hate of others, and we know we are doing our best to be loving, we are called to live what Jesus said on the Cross, “Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing!” St. Luke 23:34

We do not know what people have been through, and they may not see a problem with what they are doing, too. However, we live supernatural lives, and showing hate to those who hate us does not make the world a better place.

We are in the love business!

We control our relationships with others. We lead by example. That example comes from our relationship with the Lord. So when we experience hatred, pause, pray, and respond in truth with love.

We live in the world, but we respond to things in the world with Divine Wisdom.

Please be the change in the world that Jesus wants to see!

Please help heal the world by forgiving those who hurt you!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/d55bcd2df

Be The Divine Presence!

The more we read the Word and apply it in our lives, the more the Divine Presence is in our world! Be The Presence!

Happy Sunday!

Our Gospel Portion today is St. Matthew 10:37-42, and we will meditate on

“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives him who sent me.”
Matthew 10:40

Jesus left His followers in the world to continue His presence through encounters with humankind. Many have failed, but that is not our concern. Our concern is how we are presenting the Divine Presence now. Each day that we awake is a new opportunity to bring the Divine Presence into our world and into our lives.

Kindness always matters!

This is the motto I believe Jesus gave me. I share this with you.

Practice the pause!

Many times, I have encountered mean people; if I respond in kind, I fail before the Lord.

Act like Jesus instead of acting like the world!

Be the change that you want to see in the world and help bring about the Kingdom of Heaven in your midst!

Bring the Divine Presence in the here and now!

Sunday Blessings!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

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Thank You, Mothers, For Life!

Thank you for giving us, Jesus!

I believe most of us have been taught our faith by our mothers. I know that my mother and grandmother did that for me. I know that if I did not have my faith, I could not have survived the storms I had to endure in life.
Faith keeps us moving forward when all things seem hopeless!

Jesus showed us what faith is all about for His followers in our Gospel Portion today: St. John 14:15-21. We will concentrate on

“He who has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.”
John 14:21

We learn to love by being loved!
The first glance that a mother gives a baby is the beginning of a lifetime of love. Growing up was a difficult job with many highs and lows, but love gets us through it all.

Often, as adults, we must bring our moms back to us to survive situations and maybe keep ourselves from doing terrible things to ourselves. Our moms may have already gone to glory, but they are still with us when we need them most. My mom has been gone for over 40 years, but she has kept me out of trouble many times throughout the years.
Mothers do this by teaching us to love ourselves and others. They help us develop our moral compass for us, Christ Followers, based on the teachings of Our Lord Jesus!

Today we celebrate Moms in a very special way, every day is Mother’s Day because every breath we take is a gift of God that was given to us through our Mothers!

God bless Mothers!

Have a beautiful Mother’s Day!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/2254d5397

I Was Blind, and Now I See!

Thank you, Lord, for giving me sight again!

Rejoice! Happy Laetare Sunday!

We have just completed three weeks of Lent, and we rejoice in the Lord who has brought us to this point in our Lenten Journey. There is so much going on in our world that it may close our eyes to the truth of Divine Love at work. In Lent, we allow Jesus to touch us and help us see what is good and deserving of our attention.

Love wins!

We place our trust in the Lord who made Heaven and Earth!

Our Gospel Portion today is
St. John 9:1-41, and we will meditate on,

“He answered, ‘The man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash’; so I went and washed and received my sight.’”
John 9:11

The man born blind was given the gift of sight. This was an extraordinary moment in human history. Jesus did this in a very intimate way. The Pharisees had to respond because everyone in this region who witnessed the miracle knew this blind man. They all encountered him begging for his livelihood. The miracle was a God thing! These Pharisees could not accept this event from the Divine because it would require them to believe and change their lives.

Obviously, the blind man’s life was changed! He had an intimate exchange with Christ, and he could see. But this sight was much more than physical. He saw spiritually, and he saw these Pharisees for who they were, false guides and blind fools.

We, too, can be people like these Pharisees. We can look at love and be blind to it. We can hate others.

We need lent! This is the time when we can get more intimate with the Lord and overcome the blindness that living in the world can create in us.

Let us enter more deeply into the mystery of Divine Love, and see anew with the Eyes of Jesus!

Rejoice and be glad, Love Reigns!

Happy Laetare Sunday!

Pax, the Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/9dd5eaf85

Live On the Divine Word!

Our temptations may not control us; let Jesus be our guide!

First Sunday of Lent, Blessings!

We have begun the Great Fast of Lent, and what a marvelous time it is! We have the time to be the best that we can be. Let us use this time well and excel in our relationship with the Divine.

Our Gospel Potion for this First Sunday in Lent is St. Matthew 4:1-11, and we will meditate on

But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4

Jesus fasted for forty days, and He was hungry. He is our model. He came to be one of us so that we would be one with Him. In this weakened state, the evil one tempted Him. Jesus modeled for us what to do when we are needy and temptation comes our way: use the word of God. In it, we have our weapon to fight off the enemy.

We need Lent because our lives can get rough, but we do not have to surrender to things that God does not want from us. We have the tools to remain in good standing with God.

Lent reminds us of the power we have to face life’s difficulties as sisters and brothers of Jesus; use Jesus as our model.

Lenten blessings!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/eaa0893d6

Let Reconciliation Reign!

May we be people of peace.

We are on the Sunday before the Lenten Fast, our holy season in preparation for the glorious days we celebrate as the Passion and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ. And on this Sunday, we delve into how we should live our day-to-day lives. Our Gospel Portion is St. Matthew 5:17-37. We will concentrate on,

“So if you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift.”
Matthew 5:23-24

We must live reconciled lives if we want to be reconciled with the Lord. Our worship must come from a place of peace within us.

We cannot love God and hate our brother or sister. We must endeavor to bring peace to our relationships with one another.

However, there will be times when you want peace, yet the individual you are dealing with does not; rather, they choose to hate you and may try to destroy you. This is their issue, and it is between them and the Lord. Do not let hate win; let love win.

Reconcile your heart with those who hate as Jesus did on the Cross. He was executed by those who were far from the Lord, and the Lord forgave them. Jesus is the model for how we should live in relationships.

Give no mental time to those who are mean to you. Pray for them and retain your peace. Worship the Lord with a reconciled life, even if this means that the other person continues to hate.

Live supernaturally in a fallen world. The Lord will take care of you; have total trust in Him.

Next week will be the First Sunday in Lent. May we have a glorious Lenten Fast! Let us keep each other in prayer.

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/0d743c5fb

Change the World with the Beatitudes!

Live radically!

We are a day before the great Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, Candlemas Day, and for me, it is the time I put Christmas to rest until November 2026 (however, when life gets “blue”, I sing hymns like O Holy Night, to lift my spirits). This Feast reminds us that Jesus came to change the world; to bring Heaven on Earth. This happens one family at a time.

Looking at world history, I can get discouraged, but I realize that humans can be very stubborn. I know that humans fight against Jesus even after two thousand years. That is why each believer must fight against the lie. Jesus gives us the truth, and when we apply it to our lives, we bring a little Heaven to Earth.

Today, our Gospel Portion I call “Attitudes for Heaven on Earth.” We study Jesus’ Beatitudes anew. We study, St. Matthew 5:1-12, and we will meditate on,

“Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so people persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
Matthew 5:12

We can live in Heaven now; we do not have to wait for heavenly peace.

Jesus is clear about how we are to be and how to treat others. He is also clear that we will often be pushed back and treated badly by some people who find the teachings of the Lord intolerable. He says verse 11,

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”
Matthew 5:11

Jesus is a realist! He knows that true followers will have difficulty because not everyone wants to change.

Then, the question is, why bother? And my answer is, for me and my household, Heaven is worth the trouble and pain.

Live radical Christianity, my Sisters and Brothers, and let “Heaven come on Earth through us!

Have a blessed Candlemas Day!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/0d743c5fb

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

Being Humble Always Matters!

Through humility, we can be raised!

Love and humility are intertwined. We cannot separate the two. We find this in the life of Jesus, who chose to join humanity even though He remained Divine.

Today our Gospel Portion is St. Luke 14:1-14, and we will meditate on,

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

St. Luke 14:11

Jesus is the example that all of His followers must follow. He provides the means to bring Heaven to earth, and He showed this in His 33 years of life with us.

St. John the Apostle told us that God is love (1 John 4-8), and we see that lived out in Jesus’ life. Now our challenge is to live love out in our lives. When we encounter every individual, we are to be that love.

It is normal to love those who love you back; however, what is most difficult is to love those who openly hate you! This is so hard to do, but we are called to do this supernatural love.

Genuine humility is required to love like Jesus!

Remember, God allowed those who hated Him to execute Him, and He forgave them and the whole world! To receive that forgiveness, we must humble our pride and love those who aim to harm us.

When we become like Jesus, we allow Him to exalt us in the present moment!

Be humble like Jesus and be exalted by Him! Live in Heaven on Earth!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/6ndjm4-christophers-fund-for-charity/fb/o?utm_campaign=natman_sharesheet_dash&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=copy_link&attribution_id=sl:8b055e34-0dad-426f-af5f-0273a5dfe1c7