Normandt' Catholic Meditations

[Normandt]

259. Clean up our space


Let's prepare our heart:
"Now, put away the strange gods that are among you and turn your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel." Joshua, chapter 24, verse 23

This is the key, in order to become free. Day by day, let's leave the illusions, the automatisms that freeze and imprison without our knowledge, the spiritual disturbances of which we become accustomed to. Let's deny these "strange gods".

Destructive thoughts, manipulations, gossiping are all closures of the heart to oneself, to others and to the Trinity.

Let's go back wholeheartedly to God. Let's sort out what prevents us from being free. Let's go to God with a child's heart, free from all confinement. Jesus invites us:
"Let the children come to me, and do not prevent them; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew, chapter 19, verse 14

Let's love God, as the child surrenders to his parent's heart. Let's give him our fears, our ties and celebrate with joy and peace.

If we pursue negative conditioning, conditioning of fears or illusions (strange gods) we will reap the bitterness of our plantations.

It's reassuring to know that there are only two choices. It's one or the other; God or evil.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

260. God's heart


Jeremiah seems to say this in the name of God:
"Cursed is the man who trusts in human beings, who seeks his strength in the flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord." Jeremiah, chapter 17, verse 5

Jeremiah, like all the prophets of his time, tries to understand what God is giving him and to share it to the people in the most appropriate way.
While giving a teaching or a rule of conduct on the part of God, the prophet sometimes includes inhuman thoughts.

Let's be certain. All the texts of the Bible are wanted from God. They allow us to discover that humanity doesn't always succeed in recognizing the Love of God.

God is Love, he does not curse. It is the person who moves away from the Love of God who curses himself.

If we move away from heat in the winter to minus thirty degrees celsius and we don't wear proper clothing, we will freeze and die. If we refuse the Love of God, we will die. This is what the word "cursed" means by Jeremiah. Cursing here takes on the meaning of death. And God doesn't want our death.

It's more of a cry from God's heart. As the parent says to the child, "Do not touch the fire, you will burn yourself!" God constantly tells us what looks like this: "Do not go away from my Love, you will curse yourself, you will die!" The rock thrown in the air will very possibly fall on our head. God wants us to live!

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

261. Happiness in God


Happiness is not always where we seek it, but when we do the will of God. Committing ourselves to God will allow us not to sink. On the contrary, it values us.

May God guide our steps. Let's leave him our plans and everything will be realized according to the Heart of God, if we really give them to him. May our projects be placed in the hands of God through prayer, heart to Heart with God and adoration of the Word (of the Verb) and the Eucharist.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

262. Forgive writers


We say that to forgive, we must be more giving, go beyond giving. To forgive, it's important to stop and take time to assess the situation and then forgive.

May we forgive all authors who, with a lack of knowledge (quite normal), have placed on God's shoulders many words contrary and harmful to his Love.

If a zebra made a painting of God, he would paint him with black and white stripes. We paint God too often as we think he is and not as he really is.

As we read the Bible, we must go ever deeper to understand God. Humans have given a representation of God who, sometimes, is vengeful, inhuman and even as unthoughtful as a tyrant.

Let's imagine a beautiful play, with the expression that it supposes on the faces of the people. This is what is placed by Jeremiah in the mouth of God for the city of Sion:
"I struck you as an enemy would strike, punished you cruelly; Why cry out over your wound? Your pain is without relief. Because of your great guilt, your numerous sins, I have done this to you." Jeremiah, chapter 30, verses 14 to 15

It's as if God hurts someone with a "cruel punishment" if they don't listen or do what is told. But it's the person who is punishing and injuring himself by his faults. God can only Love. God doesn't do any harm.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

264. Jesus cares for the sick


In this story, some recognize who is God. Jesus came to show us who he is. God wants to heal every person. Are we ready to be healed:
"When the men of that place recognized him, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought to him all those who were sick and begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak, and as many as touched it were healed." Matthew, chapter 14, verses 35 to 36

Let's recognize the Love of God and let him touch our hearts. That he transforms our distorted image of him. Let's rediscover his real image. May we let Jesus save us.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

266. He is close by


Too many people are not listening to God. Too many people take their bundle and start walking alone. They are growing away from God, as if God does not exist, as if God has let them down. Yet it is they who leave and let God and the people out. They go to idols or become idols themselves. Then, turned to these idols they want to promote them. These idols will not bring anything good to the people.

It's always the people who are disappearing from God. We know it's impossible for God to let us down, for God to be far from us. He is closer to us than we can be of ourselves. He helps us to the extent that we want good for all.

Let's pray that the rulers will always lead with human thoughtful feelings and lead to achievements that are truly inspired by God's will.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

267. Be ourselves


In the Psalm, it is written:
"Who may go up the mountain of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? The clean of hand and pure of heart, who are not devoted to idols, who have not sworn falsely." Psalm 24, verses 3 to 4

With this wise passage, we have a master idea to properly embark on the journey that leads to the Kingdom of God or more precisely, in the Heart of God.

We want to "go up the mountain of the Lord" and "stand in his holy place". We want to enter the true Love, Love that God offers and receive it, simply by asking him.

"Climbing the Mountain" can make us think of some climbers who are struggling and sweating in a dangerous and high-risk environment. But with God, to go up the mountain means to become more ourselves, to welcome others more, to create bonds in order to transmit his Love.

This is "the pure of heart" mentioned in the text. The person who allows himself to be transformed by God becomes a freer person. This freedom makes it possible to climb into the Heart of God and to guide people well.
The passage ends with a recommendation. Men: "who are not devoted to idols." Idols keep us away ... far from God.

Let's search in our life for what distances from God and we will find what idols we serve. They will become visible and may be dismantled by Jesus.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

267. Be ourselves


In the Psalm, it is written:
"Who may go up the mountain of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? The clean of hand and pure of heart, who are not devoted to idols, who have not sworn falsely." Psalm 24, verses 3 to 4

With this wise passage, we have a master idea to properly embark on the journey that leads to the Kingdom of God or more precisely, in the Heart of God.

We want to "go up the mountain of the Lord" and "stand in his holy place". We want to enter the true Love, Love that God offers and receive it, simply by asking him.

"Climbing the Mountain" can make us think of some climbers who are struggling and sweating in a dangerous and high-risk environment. But with God, to go up the mountain means to become more ourselves, to welcome others more, to create bonds in order to transmit his Love.

This is "the pure of heart" mentioned in the text. The person who allows himself to be transformed by God becomes a freer person. This freedom makes it possible to climb into the Heart of God and to guide people well.
The passage ends with a recommendation. Men: "who are not devoted to idols." Idols keep us away ... far from God.

Let's search in our life for what distances from God and we will find what idols we serve. They will become visible and may be dismantled by Jesus.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

269. A good tree

Jesus teaches us:
"A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit." Luke, chapter 6, verse 43
Everyone hasn't God's knowledge. When a person lives a conversion, he comes equipped with the idols he carried, that he followed, those who sit in his environment. He still can follow some. These idols, these imprisonments, we cannot usually see them with the naked eye. On the other hand, other idols, we see them well. We know they're there.
With Jesus in our life we are like trees that give good fruit. Let's give our heart to Jesus. Jesus will transform our way of living, seeing, speaking, listening, because he is the Light we need so much. His light illuminates in our life the possible idols. All in all, we have the choice and the responsibility to either keep these idols or to keep away from them.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

270. Detecting idols


It is precious to know how to listen to the people, with our ears glued to our hearts. If we hear in their language ideas (ideals) that seem to be related to idols, we can give them to Jesus. For example, the word "energy" is fashionable. Energy is caused by movement. And the movement is caused by the Love of God. It is better to convert to the Love of God than to energy. Otherwise, we remain in a state of less importance then we stray and stay away from God.

If we hear a person talking about energy, we can silently, in our heart, hand over to Jesus what leads them to talk about it. As another example, if a person has often negative and unnecessary comments, we can offer this negativity to Jesus. He will come into his heart to add his light.

We can help many people in a day by praying for them in silence and offering their difficulties to Jesus. Detecting what is difficult in people is not a judgment if we know how to do it. Moreover, it will prevent us from judging since we are doing a good deed for them.

This will also allow us to find in ourselves what we have not thought of checking before. We too may have repeated negative comments, for example. The same practice is essential for ourselves; giving everything back to Jesus.

Jesus declares:
"Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you." Matthew, chapter 5, verse 44

Let's love, in the sense of discovering the enemies, the idols in our life, in the lives of others, and handing them over to Jesus. Let's help people get rid of the shadows they carry, that persecute them, of their idols, too often without being aware of their presence. Our prayer will become precise. We therefore ask God's purity for all.

If the difficulty of another person bothers us, destabilizes us, it's an opportunity to let Jesus take care of it. Something good will happen in our life and in the lives of others. Let's leave it to Jesus. He will take care of it.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

271. Let's adore Jesus


The only true worship to render is to Jesus Christ and to no one else.

It's liberating to think of worshiping one person (Jesus)! This solves the quest of knowing whom to worship or not:
"May God form you in all that is good to fulfill his will, that he may realize in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs glory forever and ever." Hebrews, chapter 13, verse 21

"To fulfill the will of God". God alone can make such a request because what he asks of us are what in turn is best for our salvation and for the salvation of the world.

Two rather strong expressions are included in this short piece of text: "to fulfill the will of God" and to "realize in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ". We can never say that for someone other than him.

Jesus invites people to worship him because he is God. He says:
"If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John, chapter 8, verses 31 to 32

Being faithful to meditate on the Word of God and to bring out what's good and true in the texts of the Bible, especially to discover all that is Love of God, is to worship God. No more worry. To fulfill the will of God is to let him be Lord in our life, let him Love, transform, sanctify us with his presence. May God: "realize in us what is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ".

By allowing God to take charge of our lives, we ensure our salvation, we lead others to salvation, since we allow ourselves to be purified for the great day of our entry into Eternity. We need to do everything with Jesus, accomplish everything with Jesus, hope totally in Jesus. (It's) Just to be with Jesus!

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

272. Love


When we look at Jesus on the Cross, we do not just look at metal, wood, plaster or plastic without any meditation or prayer. When we look at Jesus's Cross, we know that we look beyond this representation, onto God's pierced Heart, into God's Love who has gone to that extent so that we may be saved.
The representation of Jesus's Cross is the summit of Love for us, because of Jesus. Our soul is quenched with the memory of our God saving us.
Let's look, understand, love who Jesus is on the Cross, letting it happen to save us. What Love led him on the Cross!

We benefit from rediscovering the Cross with Jesus nailed to it, in our churches, in our homes and elsewhere. God wants us to look at the Cross with Jesus's Body on it, so that we may be saved. It is the support of widows, oppressed, persecuted, trailed, sick, dying, etc. The Cross is the support of the poor, the left behind, the lonely, etc.

Jesus on the Cross is the one who totally understands us. He wants us to give him the toils we have, as well as the people who are caught up all over the world. Let's place their pain on Jesus's Cross.

Let's take some time, at home, to begin or continue looking at the Cross. Let's meditate on him. Let's pray and let Jesus speak to our heart. Far from being an unpleasant object for the eyes, Jesus on the Cross is the way of understanding pain, a path of healing and a reminder that evil kills the person. May Jesus on the Cross speak to our heart. His Love touches us. Let's put it under our pillow and listen to him or put it on the pillow and look at Jesus. May he also be placed between the spouses.

The Cross is for us a sign of joy, liberation, redemption. The Cross is the sign and reality of the healing victory over sickness, Love over evil, the victory of Christ over death.

Jesus says:
"That everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life." John, chapter 3, verse 16

Let's read it again:
"We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you. Because by your Holy Cross you have redeemed the world."

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

273 Pray with Mary


Mary has only one goal. She always invites us to the same reality; to follow Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Mary repeatedly begs us to follow Jesus.

The Catholic Church never sees in Mary a goddess or God. It is never taught by the Church. She is a simple woman with an extraordinary experience of faith, by the grace of God. And we venerate her for who she is and for her "yes".

A statue of Mary represents the grace of God in a woman. The memory of this woman becomes an example of true faith. The more we meditate on what God has done (blessed) in Mary, the more reasons for worshiping God.

When we kneel before her, we ask her to pray with us and for us. When we kneel before Mary, she carries our heart to Jesus. When we pray to Mary, she offers our prayers to Jesus. When we speak to Mary, she speaks to Jesus about us and for us. We ask Mary to show us the way to Jesus.

We like to ask another person to pray for us. And we pray for others. It isn't because we intercede in prayer for another person that we stand between the person and God and that it would prevent him from reaching the heart of that person. When we pray for others, we do not place ourselves against God. To pray for a person is to let God through our heart (for God) to Love our neighbour. God Loves us to pray him for one another.

Mary does not stand between Jesus and his children. She helps us to reach her Son. Our thinking and meditation go further than a statue as our family meal allow more human depth than mere food. The body of a person allows going further than just his body, for example. It allows him to join the creation of God, the Heart of God.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

274. United in prayer


We appreciate it when someone asks us to intercede with him in prayer. And this person trusts in prayer. We pray with him by placing our trust in God.
When he asks us to pray, he does not cut off God. He seeks spiritual support, like for support between friends and family.

We then ask Mary to pray with us our Lord. Just by this request, we are approaching God, with Mary. Mary helps us, when we look at her, to constantly look to her Son, so that we may be saved by him. She is with us (our Mother) for that.

Communion through prayer between us and with all the saints living on earth and in heaven is a precious support. As soon as Jesus expires on the Cross, the life of the holy persons continues:
"Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many." Matthew, chapter 27, verses 50 to 53

The saints continue to live in God. They were sleeping, they were resurrected with Jesus. In the book of Revelation John sees a multitude of people living in heaven. It is also the case for Mary that John mentions here:
"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Revelation, chapter 12, verse 1

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

274. United in prayer


We appreciate it when someone asks us to intercede with him in prayer. And this person trusts in prayer. We pray with him by placing our trust in God.
When he asks us to pray, he does not cut off God. He seeks spiritual support, like for support between friends and family.

We then ask Mary to pray with us our Lord. Just by this request, we are approaching God, with Mary. Mary helps us, when we look at her, to constantly look to her Son, so that we may be saved by him. She is with us (our Mother) for that.

Communion through prayer between us and with all the saints living on earth and in heaven is a precious support. As soon as Jesus expires on the Cross, the life of the holy persons continues:
"Jesus cried out again in a loud voice, and gave up his spirit. And behold, the veil of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, rocks were split, tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And coming forth from their tombs after his resurrection, they entered the holy city and appeared to many." Matthew, chapter 27, verses 50 to 53

The saints continue to live in God. They were sleeping, they were resurrected with Jesus. In the book of Revelation John sees a multitude of people living in heaven. It is also the case for Mary that John mentions here:
"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Revelation, chapter 12, verse 1

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas