Radical Relationships

Who do I do life with?  Are they good examples of living like Jesus?

Yes!  Jesus has transformed my relationships over the past few years.  He has removed the evil and toxic relationships from my life.  He has lead me to new, fulfilling relationships.  He has challenged me to grow in these relationships.  Most recently, He has led me to forgive those that harmed me.  And now, He is showing me how once again I can be influential in leading my people to an intense, living faith.  Jesus is the Master of Radical Relationships and what He has done in my relationships is nothing short of Radical!

Jesus was constantly taking people from the fringes of society and placing them at the center of the gospel.  He invites us to do the same.

Jesus is intentional about us reaching out to those bruised and broken.  As Catholics, we are called to live the gospel and offer kindness, compassion and hope to those shunned by society.

Jesus, open my eyes so I can see every person I encounter each day as you see them.

Amen.

Do Not Judge

Jesus said, do not judge so that you will not be judged.

God is trying to teach us acceptance rather than judgment.  It’s a very, very difficult lesson.

How many times a day do I think I judge? I really try hard not to judge, but I fail tremendously.  Although I don’t go around judging everyone and their every action, by recognizing their flaws more than recognizing their strengths, I am judging them.

Challenge: Count how many times I judge myself.  Count how many times today I judge other people.

Judgment is a barrier to my own growth and self-awareness.  I am not perfect.  And judging acts as a mask of hiding my flaws.

Just focusing on reducing the amount of judgment in my life is a path to peace, joy and incredible spiritual growth!

Jesus, make me aware just before I am about to fall into judging someone, and give me the grace to stop myself.

Amen.

Making Sense of Suffering

Suffering is an inevitable part of life, but it doesn’t have to be meaningless. How we respond to suffering makes all the difference.

Jesus sees suffering in a completely different light than the world does. His conception of suffering is to turn it into joy.

I’ve come across my fair share of suffering in my life.  No more than anyone else. No less either.  In the midst of the suffering, it’s hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s hard to see how any good can come.  But a steadfast faith in Jesus always brought me through.  And then there comes that moment that you look back and rejoice!  And you thank God for the trials and tribulations once experienced.  For at that moment you realize how it transformed your life.  And you are never the same again.  That is the joy of suffering!

Jesus, teach me to embrace the unavoidable suffering of life, and keep me ever mindful of those who suffer more than I do.

Amen.

Purity of Heart

To remain free we must be the master of certain areas of our lives.  Controlling what we look at can raise us up to be who God created us to be.  The eyes are the window to our soul.

It was really great to read this today.

A few years ago, I  made a decision to leave a Facebook messaging group.  I had been a part of this group for several years and I would receive constant notifications.  Someone always had something to say.  To be honest, it was a constant conversation of negativity.  It was causing a lot of anxiety in my life.  If I didn’t respond, I would get backlash.  If I did respond, I would get backlash.  It was becoming a spiritually and physically unhealthy situation for me.

So, one morning after a particularly negative night, I left the group.  The first few weeks were odd.  I kept looking at my phone, but there was nothing new to see.  I tried to stay in contact with the ladies in this group through text messages and phone calls, but that quickly fell by the wayside.  Finally, by the middle of April, these “friends” of mine deserted me completely.  I was confused and heartbroken.

But I took it to God.  Over time, I realized that God was in control the entire time (as he always is).  These ladies caused so much pain and negativity in my life.  I couldn’t see that at the time, but oh how I can see that now.  God was calling me to purify my heart.  And I followed God’s call by controlling what I looked at.  I was no longer looking at my phone and reading these messages.  I was no longer scrolling through my facebook feed being inundated with negative, and quite frankly, evil posts.  I felt a freedom for the first time in a long time.  A freedom to live in the spiritual world instead of the physical world.  Practicing custody of my eyes changed my life.

Facebook, which used to be a constant distraction in my life, has now become a distant memory.  Sure, I still have an account and I still browse and post from time to time, but the negative energy around it has been removed.  My Instagram feed is primarily biblical quotes, spiritual direction and Christian values.  My Twitter feed is more of the spiritually nature with some worldly and political news.  The gossip, drama, and negativity have been replaced with scripture and praise for the Lord our God.

Learning to control what I look at has deepened the peace within me.

Jesus, purify my heart, purify my mind, purify my body and purify my soul.

Amen.

Who is the Greatest?

“Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.”

We are all children of God and therefore all sons and daughters of a great king.

It is impossible to separate our love of God from our love of neighbor.  It is easy to say I love God.  It is easy to say I am a Christian.  But Jesus challenges us to prove it.  Our love of neighbor is proof that we love God.

Jesus, set the child within me free so I can be more childlike with every passing day, and open the eyes of my soul that I may see your children all around me.

Amen.