God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son:
everyone who believes in him has eternal life. JN 3:16
2 CHRONICLES 36:14-16,19-23 ©
Why does history have such a short memory? Why does it keep repeating all its horrendous errors over and over again? Why O Lord are we condemned to make the same mistakes that the world has made ever since its foundations were laid and Adam and Eve chose to eat the fruit of disobedience. Why have we not learned yet that perfect joy is possible if we only obey Your Word and are guided by the great commandment?
PSALM 137:1-6 ©
All that is recorded in this passage from the 2nd Book of Chronicles continues ad infinitum ad nauseam to this day and perhaps sadly until You return. You have shown us the Way to Life - it is by embracing the Truth which You embody, why then are we so blind and deaf, so faithless and evil, so dull that we cannot understand that separation from You brings nothing but sorrow, emptiness, and death? ow much longer O Lord will we continue down this demonic road to eternal death.
Good people continue to be ridiculed, mocked, belittled, persecuted, incarcerated, scorned, bullied, silenced, and even tortured to death.
In this glorious year dedicated to. Joseph, bring us back to our senses through his powerful intercession of your spiritual father and ours St. Joseph for we are Yours, Lord, You purchased us and redeemed us by your passion, death, Forsake not the people whom you purchased at so great a price. God of Love, bring us back and we will be saved, come and live among Your people.
“The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth; he has ordered me to build him a Temple in Jerusalem, in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all his people, may his God be with him! Let him go up.”
PSALM 137:1-6 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
We look at this beautiful world that God created for us and are overwhelmed with sorrow at how shamelessly, unconscionably, and recklessly we have destroyed what was entrusted to us and to future generations. We have robbed, raped, pillaged, and committed all kinds of savagery against nature.
Soon the world will be unable to bear the weight of our collective indifference as we continue to indulge in a throw-away culture. Nature will rise up in fury against us and swallow us whole as landfills overflow with the things we could not do without yesterday and discarded today.
Many have forgotten You, many are ignorant of You, many among those who do know You are either indifferent or lukewarm - neither hot nor cold and in danger of being spewed out of Your mouth.
What can the faithful remnant do Beloved, except lament as the people of Israel did when they were carried away into exile - they wept by the rivers of Babylon as they recalled the glory days of old?
Revive our memories, Lord. Let us return to You with praise and thanksgiving. Let us recall the price You paid to save and redeem the world. Let us put away our childish ways and put on the robe of righteousness before it is too late.
EPHESIANS 2:4-10 ©
My Soul's Beloved,
After all the lamentation You raise up my spirit with this beautiful passage taken from St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
God loves us. We belong to Him in and through You. We are sealed in the Holy Spirit, washed in Your Blood, fed on Your Body, and given new life in Baptism. Life-giving water from Your side is poured into our souls and we live, move, and have our being in You. We exult as we joyfully proclaim, 'It is no longer I who live by You who lives in me.'
All is grace. I am unable to save anyone least of all myself it is You alone who saves. In perfect obedience to the Father's will, You were raised high between heaven and earth, and through the Cross, You draw all who believe in You to the Kingdom of God. There is no other way to the Father except through You. This is the Father's will that no one comes to Him except through You. All who believe in You are given a share in Your glory and in Your inheritance.
No one can earn their way to heaven. All the good works I do are only in response to the great, mysterious, unfathomable, incomprehensible work of grace that was wrought on Calvary for the salvation of my soul.
How much does the Father love me? He loved me to death in You and to life anew in You. Salvation is His free give to me in and through You, His only well-beloved Son.
We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the beginning he had meant us to live it.
JOHN 3:14-21 ©
The Serpent is of old a devious, conniving, ruthless, malevolent, vicious Enemy. Thrown out of heaven along with his minions he has a visceral hatred for us who are bound for the Kingdom of God and will do all in his power to deny us the inheritance won for us by You on Calvary.
God's chosen people in exile on the way to the promised land were a rebellious, complaining, ungrateful lot who were always dissatisfied. Nothing God did was ever enough. The minute their prayers were granted they rejoiced briefly and like spoiled children quickly became petulant, grumbled, and cried for something else.
We are no different. Nothing pleases us. God sent His only Son to save an unworthy and undeserving world knowing full well what we would do to Him. Our intellects are too puny, too narrow, too base to comprehend the magnanimity of God in this open-hearted, open-handed, loving gesture. God actually willed You to take upon Yourself the punishment that we deserved for our transgressions. And You desired it for His sake and in order to heal us. This was the way God chose, He will that:
‘The Son of Man must be lifted up
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.'
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert,
so that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost
but may have eternal life.'
We cannot be saved except through You.
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