Fire Starters

            “But the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them… Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.  In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble.”  Wisdom 3:1, 5-7

            I never would have thought a year ago that God would call me to be doing what I’m doing today.  It started with some new friends that joined our parish, and who attended the Women’s ACTS (Adoration, Community, Theology, Service) retreat.  I did not attend the retreat this time, but I was blessed to get to know several of the women who experienced it.

            I was used to being involved with ministries inside our parish, like being a member of the choir, being a lector, and being a catechist for RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults).  I was comfortable with the people I already knew, and the ways in which we ministered to one another in the Name of our Lord Jesus.  I wasn’t looking for a change, but my Lord showed me that it was time for me to step out in faith.

            One of my new friends invited me to a Catholic Charismatic Mass at the CCCR (Catholic Center for Charismatic Renewal.)  I just about jumped out of my skin!  I had not been to a Catholic Charismatic Mass for fifteen years, even though I grew up going to weekly Catholic Charismatic prayer meetings with my mom, since 8^th grade, and continued to go to them in college, and after I got married.

I grew up praying out loud, singing praise and worship music, and using the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  In God’s holy wisdom, for the past fifteen years, He took me out of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.  I missed the weekly meetings terribly, but there were many areas of my life that I needed to pay attention to, and offer up to God for healing, so that I could grow closer to Him.

  Some of the things I learned during this time were humility; growing in my relationship with Mary, my holy Mother of God; learning to pray the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet; to love and adore my Lord at Eucharistic Adoration; to meditate on God’s Word through Lectio Divina; and to work hard at loving my husband, communicating better with him, and having a better relationship with him.

            This past year my Lord has brought me back into the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.  I have been so blessed and blown away!  I wanted so badly to start a prayer meeting at our parish, but the timing wasn’t right yet.  Instead, the Lord has been sending me and my new friends into people’s homes to start little prayer meetings, and spread the fire of His Love.

Jesus said to his disciples, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”  Matthew 28:18-20

At first, going into people’s homes felt out of my comfort zone, and definitely out of my shell.  I had to learn to rely completely upon Jesus and Mary, and the promptings of the Holy Spirit.  I constantly wondered what my husband would think.  I was worried that I would neglect my family if I spent too much time ministering away from home.

One night I was praying about this, and Mary spoke to my heart.  She said, “Say YES! to God, like I did.”  Later, Jesus spoke to my heart.  He said, “I make a way!”  Encouraged, I said yes to God, and I trusted in Jesus to make a way for me to do His Will.  I placed my faith in their beautiful words to me.  I stopped worrying about how I was going to get everything done.  God is in control of my life.  I will accomplish everything He has planned for me to do.

Lord, I want, “…to do what your hand and [your] will long ago planned to take place.  And now, Lord…enable your servants to speak your word with all boldness, as you stretch forth [your] hand to heal, and signs and wonders are done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”  Acts 4:28-30

            “Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your faithful and enkindle in us the Fire of Your Love.  Send forth Your Spirit, and we shall be created.  And You shall renew the face of the earth!”  The Holy Spirit is represented by fire, and fills us with an unquenchable, burning love.

Is God calling you to be a fire starter?  Is God asking you to spread the Fire of His Love?  Jesus is our Light, and my new friends and I truly feel like sparks running through the stubble.  My prayer is that you allow Jesus to ignite you with the Fire of His Love and Light, and come run with Him!  Praise God!

Encouraging Words for Women’s ACTS Retreat – May 2-5, 2019

4/17/19   5:42 a.m.

“Oh, My Children, My Precious Little Ones!  I am here for you.  My Heart bleeds for you.  I offer you My Precious Blood to cover, to wash, to cleanse, to heal, your wounds so deep.”

“Give to Me your wounds, your heartaches.  They are My Wounds, and My Heartaches, too.  They were Mine before they were yours.  I know what to do with them.”

“Did you know that whatever My Precious Blood touches becomes new again?  Did you know that My Streams of Living Water, My Holy Spirit, can flow from the desert of your heart?  Did you know that I can quench your deep thirst for love and righteousness, justice and mercy?”

“I know the longings in your heart.  They are My Own Longings.  What if we unite our sufferings together on the Cross?  Something beautiful will happen in your heart and soul.  If you journey with Me, you will not only die to yourself with Me, you will rise to New Life with Me.”

“Take My Hand, reaching out to you.  I want to walk with you, every blessed and painful moment of your precious life.  I will give you the grace, strength, love, joy, and peace of My Holy Presence dwelling in your heart and soul.  I will be your Lord, your God, and your King.  You will be My Holy, Beloved and Precious Daughter.”

“I love you, My Child, I love you.  I bless you, My Child, I bless you.  Halleluia, Halleluia, Amen!”

Encouraging Words for the St. Mary's Prayer Group

4/6/19  5:45 a.m.

“I am your Lord, your God, and your King.  I know that you are afraid, My Little Ones.  I am here to tell you not to be afraid.  My Father in Heaven has His Watchful Gaze upon you.  Every moment He holds you in the sight of His Love.  He sees you constantly, as if He came to Eucharistic Adoration just to see you, to be with you, to love you.”

“Oh, My Children, do not fear what might happen to you.  My Father is at work in His Holiness, even now.  Trust in His Merciful Love for you.  He will bring about every good and loving outcome for you.  He has your best interest at heart.”

“Replace fear with trust and hope in your Loving Father, My Little Ones.  You are His Children, holy and beloved, and He loves you forever.  You are deeply cherished and very near and dear to His Heart.  He loves you so much that He sent Me to you.  I am with you always.”

“So, do not be afraid.  I will guide you and bring you to My Father.  Think of yourself already in His Loving Embrace, because you are already dwelling in His Heart.”

“I love you, My Children, I love you.  I bless you, My Children, I bless you!  Halleluia, Halleluia, Amen!!”

Fresh Gas

           All I knew is that I wanted to get the lawn mowed before I left town to move my daughter into her collage apartment.  I was leaving in two weeks, and I would be gone for two weeks, since we were driving to Savannah, Georgia.  The weeds were already knee high, and it had to be done!

            I pulled out my trusty little crimson push lawn mower, checked the oil, put in the gas, and put on my foggy goggles, mint green pollen mask, and mustard yellow leather gloves.  I wheeled the lawn mower into that level sweet spot in the driveway, where I knew I had the best chance of starting the motor.  I pushed the primer button three times, gripped the safety bar to the handle, and yanked hard on the pull string.  Nothing.  I pushed the primer button three more times, grabbed close the safety bar, and quickly drew out the pull string.  Nothing.  I repeated the whole process again, thinking surely by now I was flooding the engine with gas.  And still, nothing.

            I called Home Depot, where I bought the lawn mower.  I was relieved that the mower was still under warranty, since I only purchased it eight months ago.  Unfortunately, they would have to ship my lawn mower away to find out what was wrong with it.  I called a repair shop who wanted to charge me at least $80 just to look at it.  They said the first thing they would do is empty the gas, and put in fresh gas.  Then they would check the fuel line to see if it was clogged.  I was thinking that surely the gas in my garage was fine.  I just used my lawn mower a month ago, with that same gas.

            I decided in this day and age, I could fix the lawn mower faster and cheaper myself by watching you tube videos!  I watched you tube videos for hours, making a plan of action.  I read sections of the user’s manual online, familiarizing myself with all the parts to my lawn mower.

            I drove to Home Depot to buy a new spark plug and a suction kit to drain the gas.  It took me a long time, but I finally found the correct tool in my garage to remove the old spark plug.  I installed the new spark plug, but I didn’t want to add gas until I finished checking the other things that could be wrong with it.  I was convinced that I needed to take off the fuel line, to clean it out.  I tried everything to pull it off, but I was unsuccessful.  I became more and more frustrated as each day passed, and as the weeds grew taller.

            My husband, who was swamped with work, even said that I could buy a new lawn mower if I couldn’t get this one to work.  I wasn’t ready to give up.  I thought there was one last thing I could do, but it would require me to get inside the gas pump to clean out some tiny holes with a little wire, like I saw in the promising you tube videos.

            It was dark outside at the end of the day when I went out to the garage.  After lifting the lawn mower onto some blocks of wood, I realized that I would have to literally turn the mower upside down to unscrew the motor from the base.  That is where I drew the line.  I had worked on my mower for four days, and I was getting nowhere!

            On the fifth day I decided to drive to the gas station to buy new gas.  I thought I would try one last time to engage my lawn mower before I bought a new one.  I was scared that the mower would just blow up since I tinkered with it for so long, not really knowing what I was doing.  I set up the fire extinguisher nearby, just in case.

            I pressed the primer button three times, squeezed the safety bar shut, and pulled the draw string with all my might.  I was shocked when the engine roared to life!  All it needed was fresh gas!  I was praising God!  What makes gas go bad anyway?  I didn’t care, my lawn mower was working!  Halleluia!

            Immediately, I was struck with the thought that the Holy Spirit is like fresh gas.  Just like my lawn mower needed fresh gas to run properly, I need God’s Holy Spirit to live my life the way God intended me to live it.  “…you will receive power when the holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

Encouraging Words for Men’s ACTS Retreat Nov. 1-4, 2018

10/31/18   3:51 a.m.

“Oh, My Children!  I am your Lord, and your God, and your King!  You are My Beloved Sons!  I created you.  I formed you.  I raised you up to be a mighty army in My Holy Name.”

“I have watched over you with tender love and care.  I have been intimately involved with every detail of your life.  I know you better than you know yourself.”

“I hold your heart in My Hands.  I wish to unite your heart with My Sacred Heart.  I want you to know this incredible love that I have for you.  I want to share Myself deeply with you.  I want to walk hand in hand with you in the bottom of your soul.”

“I want to fill you with My Light to disperse the darkness.  I want to bring you My Joy and My Peace.  I want to strike at the root of your soul and plant My Love.”

“I want to so fill you with My Holy Spirit, that you will be on fire with My Holy Love.”

“This is why I came, to set a fire of love upon this Earth.  I came to rescue you from yourself, to save you from your sins.”

“Your heart could be as black as charcoal, but I can make it as white as snow.  The Blood and Water that gushes forth from My Sacred Heart washes over you, cleansing and purifying your heart, soul, mind, and body.”

“Look upon Me, raised up on a Cross.  Believe in Me.  I have taken the first step closer to you.  Open your heart to Me, My Son.  Let Me be a Father to you.  Let Me be a Brother to you.  Let Me be the Holy Spirit within you!”

“I love you, My Child, I love you!  I bless you, My Child, I bless you!  Halleluia, Halleluia, Amen!”

Encouraging Words for Teen ACTS Retreat, June 29 - July 1, 2018

6/29/18   3:58 a.m.             

“Oh, My Children!  I have a tender love for you.  I was thinking about you the whole time I was in such pain for you during My Passion and Death on the Cross.  I was overflowing with love for you, like a fountain of Living Water.  I was breathing New Life into you as your sins melted away in My Precious Blood.”

“I reached out to your very precious soul, and pulled you close to Me.  I filled you with My Light, and banished the darkness from your mind.  I rescued you from yourself.  I placed you on solid ground, on My Love for you that will never fail.”

“Oh, yes, My Child, I love you!  Come to Me.  Come, let Me hold you.  Rest your head on My Heart.  Hear My Heart beating for you.  I love you, My Child, I love you.  I bless you, My Child, I bless you!  Halleluia, Halleluia, Amen!”

Call to be Missionary Disciples

Jesus calls each of us to be a missionary disciple.  What does that mean?

Jesus tells us what it is like to be a missionary disciple.  “As you go, make this proclamation: ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’  Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons.  Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give…Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave.  As you enter a house, wish it peace.  If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you.”  Matthew 10:7-8,11-13

“The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”  To me, the kingdom of heaven is something that can be experienced here and now, “at hand.”  It is God’s love, joy, and peace in our hearts.  It is definitely believing in God’s Love, Goodness, Kindness, and Mercy!

Jesus says to, “Cure the sick.”  Knowing that you are loved by God will automatically put you on the road to healing.  Believing in His Goodness, Kindness, and Mercy for you, will give you hope to overcome your illnesses – spiritual, mental, psychological, and physical.  Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  (John 4:14)  Jesus is the source of living water that brings healing to your heart and soul.  When you invite Jesus to come into your heart, and to be the Lord of your life, then He becomes a spring of living water, running over, to cure you, and the sick around you.   Jesus Himself gives all of us eternal life when we believe in Him.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.”  (John 3:16)

Jesus calls us to, “raise the dead.”  We are to love and have mercy and compassion on those around us who are spiritually dead in their sins.  We are to raise up, and lift up their hearts, in prayer, to our Lord.  We are to beg God to rain down His precious Blood and Living Water upon their hearts, so that they will turn from their sinful ways, and live a new life for God.

Jesus tells us to, “cleanse lepers.”  It is easy to want to stay away from the people in our lives that we don’t like.  It takes courage to pray for them, and even more courage to reach out to them.  Jesus says, “The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name – he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.  Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.”  (John 14:26-27)  Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you and guide you.  Allow yourself to be an instrument for God to use.  Cleansing a leper can be as simple as inviting someone to go with you to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where Jesus is present through the priest, to forgive and to heal.

Jesus exhorts us to, “drive out demons.”  Any thought that pulls you down, and does not reinforce and verify God’s love for you, is not from God.  Guard your heart and soul.  Always say, “yes,” to God’s love in your heart and soul.  Say, “no,” to thoughts that cause you to harden your heart.

  Saint Paul says, “What will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?...No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor power, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 8:35, 37-39)  Saint Paul goes on to say, “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.”  (Romans 12:21)  Driving out demons can mean encouraging a person to trust in the Lord, instead of doubting; to banish fears with the love of God; to replace anxiety with faith in God, etc…

Jesus says, “As you enter a house, wish it peace…”  A “house” can also mean a person’s heart and soul.  When you are with someone, you can wish them the peace of our Lord.  Saint Paul says, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)  You are not only a house, but a temple!  Even Jesus referred to His own Body as a temple.  He told the Jews, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up…he was speaking about the temple of his body.” (John 2:19-21)

Love is calling you.  Love is calling you to be a missionary disciple.  Do you hear it?  Believe in God’s Love for you!

My prayer is…

that the Lord’s Loving Will be done in my life today

that I may love Jesus

with all of my heart

that I may love Jesus

with all of my soul

that I may love Jesus

with all of my mind

that I may love Jesus

with all of my strength

that I may see God’s love for me today

and share His Love with others

Amen!

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength…you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  Mark 12:30-31a