May Our Hearts Be Alert!

Advent Blessings!

Happy New Year!

We begin again preparing for the New Creation in Jesus Christ! We are a Christmas People, and we must
review the mystery of God becoming one of us, so that we can become who we were created to be, images of the Divine working in the world!

Today we hear from the adult Jesus about what we need to be as ones who are waiting on Him:

“Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come.”
Mark 13:33

At the beginning of our liturgical year, we remember that Jesus will return to us. We must be ready for Him to return in glory. However, this is not for us to fear, rather it is to make us love each other more fully. Love of neighbor as we love ourselves, makes us ready to receive Jesus, now, at the hour of death and at glorious Second Coming!

If we love, we need not fear!

Have a blessed and meaningful Advent!

Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/e4fbd23a

Jesus Rules!

When We Allow Jesus to Rule, Peace Reigns!

We are again at this special time of the year! We close our spiritual journey 2023 and next Sunday we will begin again. Each year’s Scriptures speak to us differently; the Scriptures remain but our lives changes and they speak to us where we are.

Today we look at the Final Judgment and we can look at our lives and see what side we are on. There are somethings that we cannot compromise on, if we are truly following Jesus, if Jesus is truly our King! We read from Matthew’s Gospel:

“Then the King will say to those at His right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was in prison and you came to me.’”
Matthew 25: 34-35.

Jesus is very clear; the God of Mercy will be the God of the Final Judgement and the Judgement will be based on the mercy that we share with one another.

This challenge goes against what the world sees as important, and we are so affected by the world! We are called to rise above the world and its non-Christlike behaviors.

We can be Christlike and thank God we have this day to evaluate ourselves and become more Christlike; it will have eternal rewards!

Pax. The Hermit of Peace

https://gofund.me/e4fbd23a

Got Oil?

Got Oil in Your Lamp?

Jesus is coming, are we ready?

In the Parable of the Virgins in the Gospel of St. Matthew, we have a scene of the Virgins that are waiting for the Groom to get them and bring them to the Wedding Feast. This was done in the night; hence everyone needed a source of light to walk. The Wise Virgins were ready, but the Foolish Ones were not. It was too late for the Foolish Ones.

Jesus concludes this Parable with:

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
Matthew 25:13

As we come close to the end of the Church’s Liturgical Year, we are reminded of the end times. But our reality is that any time has the potential of being the end time for us. Every night before we go to bed may be the end time. Are we ready for Jesus?

Got oil?

In other words, are we prepared to meet Jesus if he knocks on our door? There is a simple solution, but many of us find it hard to do.

St. Peter tell us in his Epistle:

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins.”
1 Peter 4:8

Want Oil? Love everyone! Make peace and do not hold on to grudges. Remember, in Heaven even our enemies will be our friends!

Live Heaven Now!

Pax. Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

Wholeness of Life Matters!

How We Live Reveals Who We Are!

Jesus had a real problem with hypocrisy! He was quite clear to the religious leadership of His people, Judaism. He heard one thing from their mouths, but He saw something different in their actions. Jesus found their way of living a major cause of His concern for them and the people that they were serving.

Jesus wanted better for His people, then and now!

It is not enough to have a title like teacher or father. All teachers, for Jesus’ Followers, must have as their real Teacher Jesus! All fathers, if they are Jesus’ Followers, must have Father God as their real Father Source! This requires the leadership of the people to be teachable!

Jesus tells us:

“He who is greatest among you shall be your servant; whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbled himself will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:11-12

Being humble means being teachable! Being able to be taught by Father God and the Lord Jesus will allow each one of us to be Servant-Leaders after the Heart of Jesus!

Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

Forgiveness Matters!

Let The Lord Come In!

Many things that we do block the Lord’s entry into our lives. One key way of letting the Lord in Is forgiving those we deal with on every level of our existence.

The concept is clear. The Lord’s Prayer reveals this to us every time we pray it. For me that is many times a day. Jesus tells us to pray and to live these words,

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”
Matthew 6:12

But do we hear what we pray?

It is difficult for us to live these words, because they go against the way we do things in the world. However, if we want to welcome God in, we must take on Divine Culture!

Jesus came into our world through Mary, to reveal our true culture. We were made in the Image of God, hence, this is our true culture, to be Christlike!

Practice makes perfect!

We fall down, but we get up again!

Pray that we truly become what God created us to be!

We will get better intime!

Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.
.
https://gofund.me/a1d90db2

The Wedding Garment

Make Love Your Garment!

The Wedding Feast is a Love Feast!

At times our Sacred Scriptures can be difficult to understand. For example, in the Gospel of St. Matthew 22:11-12,

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment; and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless…”

What is the “Wedding Garment “?

In this Parable of the Wedding Party we we know that Jesus is talking about being in line with God’s Kingdom. The original guests were invited and they had their own things to do, they did not join the party. Then the invite went to everyone, and they came, but one was not properly dressed. Being properly dressed for the party is essential. Not have the “Wedding Garment” is like being present at the affair and not really being there.

Perhaps being properly dressed refers to being clothed in love!

Clothed in Love makes sense because it is a love fest! God became one of us to bring us together in Divine Love!

We can be at the Wedding Feast and not really be there, because we choose not to be love.

This is a wonderful reminder and challenge! Being clothed in love means we are Kingdom People! This is our ongoing goal, working towards it, we will always belong at the “Wedding Party “!

Pax.

The Hermit of Peace.

https://gofund.me/a1d90db2