Normandt' Catholic Meditations

Started by Normandt, September 20, 2020, 12:33:44 PM

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Normandt

God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

213. The thorn

There may be something left in us that still need transformation. We'll always be able to move forward, even if sometimes we feel tried or we seem stationary.

In spite of the journey that Paul has gone through, remains the test that will increase his faith and lead him to the best of himself. Since he has not finished living the purification of his being to lead him in the Love of God, Paul describes to us the ordeal he bears:
A thorn in the flesh (...) Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.' I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 7 to 9



To put one's pride in one's weaknesses is not so pleasing, to let ourselves be drawn into our weaknesses, but to remind us that God Loves us no matter what our difficulties are is a blessing.

To acknowledge that we have weaknesses allows us not to pride ourselves on the strengths, qualities that God offers us, and to create false ideas about ourselves. We have received everything from the Trinity, so we must place our pride in God.

The closer we come and discover God, the more our being leaves what makes it proud, and the more we become like God by recognizing him as the "everything" of our life. Let's seek the Love of the Trinity in everything we have.

Book: Caring for our poverties
Normand Thomas
God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

#243







214. Evangelize the Apostles

Jesus chose people of his time to send on a mission, such as Peter, John, and the other Apostles. The first to be evangelized are the Apostles. After Jesus's resurrection, they are left to themselves, but they are not alone. Jesus has already breathed his Spirit upon them and they are sent into the world to join all nations, languages and peoples:
"Receive the Holy Spirit." John, chapter 20, verse 22

Today, where we are, every person is called to share the Good News of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus sends us as we are. We're the people Jesus needs for our time and his Spirit will guide us to share what he wants the world to receive and hear. We are not alone. We: "receive the Holy Spirit," says Jesus.

The only effort is to be sure we're really listening to Jesus and his Spirit. For this we must become his disciples. We think we cannot be true disciples? We're not perfect? The important thing is to stay close to Jesus. And he will guide us. Let's accept to not be perfect. From our imperfections, the Lord will surprise us.

Jesus is there for the world, but not all people give themselves the means to meet Jesus. When we cannot evangelize people near us, let's look elsewhere for other people.

Let's not lose hope and place our trust in Jesus. In this way there will be everywhere people who have the vocation to announce the good news. A huge crowd; postmen, engineers, doctors, schoolchildren, carpenters, every person can transform the world, thanks to Jesus.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas
God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

215. The mission that saves

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.

For the scripture says, 'No one who believes in him will be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?



And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring (the) good news!'

But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?'
Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for 'Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.'" Romans, chapter 10, verses 9 to 18

Let's stop and meditate these questions: "How can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?"
Christ invites us to the mission that saves.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas
God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

216. The only promise

Paul tells us the way:
"He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised." 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 15
That: "those who live might no longer live for themselves".

Christ has come to show us that life has all its meaning to love one's neighbour and to live so that the hearts of people be transformed.

For that, we are invited to be free from what closes us on ourselves, to receive Jesus' teaching and to make him visible in our life, in order to become lights in this world. Let's run away from what tends to cut us off from God's will and from others.



The influences today are manifold and evil continues to be a counter-testimony, but there's only one way that leads to God. To receive his Love is the only way that leads to Jesus's Sacred Heart.

Jesus teaches us:
"You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, 'Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.'" Matthew, chapter 5, verse 33

The only promise we should remember is that God Himself is laying his Love in us, which nullifies all our oaths. From ourselves we could not take an oath before God without receiving the necessary from him.

To love and to move away from evil is the basis of what God wants as an oath. Our actions and words will adjust to this recommendation.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas
God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

217. We continue

God knows his friends. God knows the people who follow him and hope to accomplish his will. The Lord says to Paul:
"Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city." Acts, chapter 18, verses 9 to 10

It's as if God is telling us: "Be without fear, keep talking, don't remain silent. Stop worrying. Don't just trust what you see, what you hear and what can discourage you. Go on! Exceed your first impression of this city. Yes, you have had some difficult times, but there will be fruit. This is what the Lord seems to say to Paul."



Today, the Lord speaks to us too. We're doing it for many reasons. We don't see all the people who really follow Jesus, it's within the heart.
God knows everything that is done secretly in hearts. God knows that there are people who do his will and who are at the bedside of sick people, who extend their hand to offer money or food, who open their arms to offer health care or love for free, who are on the roads to evangelize. We don't know them all, but the Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus see them acting and speaking. Their works will surprise many.

It's as if Jesus tells us: "Continue to be my disciple, continue to do what I ask of you. It doesn't matter if you don't see everything that's happening, because I see it. I keep you in humility and I love you. I am the one who converts, it is I who touches the hearts. I only ask you to remain in my Love."

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas
God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

218. You are wondering

Jesus tells us as in John's text:
"You also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." John, chapter 16, verse 22

Jesus seems to be saying, "Yes, maybe now you are wondering, you don't see clearly, you throw some grain in the wind and it doesn't seem to fall into a fertile land. But your heart will rejoice, you will be happy, because you will follow me and you will have done the will of my Father under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Be confident! Do not be afraid!"



Then Jesus adds:
"On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you." John chapter 16, verse 23

Questions are no longer needed when Jesus goes through our life, through our heart, when we're connected to the source.


Normand Thomas
God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

219. To find trust

Let's ask the Father, by the name of Jesus, to help us find trust, that the Father will rejoice to see us follow Jesus for the good of souls. As Therese of Lisieux, who never went out after entering the cloister, may we believe that God works in our hearts, even if we think we have empty hands.

One night, the Lord tells Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you."
When we come closer to the Lord, we develop the confidence to evangelize with the testimonies of faith that we give and the acts we do.

With Jesus, our mission is growing and becoming more secure. Let's pray, meditate on the Word with a regular presence at Mass, and we'll continually enter into a relationship with Jesus.

We can observe more and more the Lord acting in the hearts and lives of the people around us. Also, by becoming more patient with ourselves, we'll become more patient in front of the faults of others. Believing more in Jesus leads us on the path with him.



It's not always simple or easy, especially when we're distracted, but we know that making Jesus known is possible. Jesus tells us:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy." John, chapter 16, verse 20

Sometimes we'll cry in the desert like John the Baptist, and we'll have the impression that no one will listen, but the Holy Spirit is active in the world. We only have to watch him act in people's lives and hearts.

Let's read again:
You are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. John, chapter 16, verse 22

The joy of God is so deep and intense that no one can rob it. Joy is in God and of God.

The sole purpose of the mission is to enter the heart of God and to be Loved. May the kingdom of God be established in our hearts. Then, let's continue to ask Jesus to guide us day by day and help us to embark in the touching and inspiring adventure of faith and evangelization. Let's accept to be joyous and daring, filled with hope, since we can see that the Holy Spirit continues his work in the world.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas
God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

220. With Jesus

Evangelization is realized to the extent that we are in communion with Jesus. Without Jesus, without welcoming his Love in our heart, there's no evangelization and null is the mission.

Whatever the function or mission in the Church, to achieve success, we must be on the move with Jesus. This is what the first Apostles understood. The author of the Acts of the Apostles describes it well:
"After staying there some time, he left and travelled in orderly sequence through the Galatian country and Phrygia, bringing strength to all the disciples." Acts, chapter 18, verse 23



Paul is successful and this success is indebted to Jesus. It is with Jesus that Paul succeeds in the mission.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas
God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.

Normandt

God says : I Love you
___

Thank you Lord for Loving me
and thanks for your Love
passing through me
into others hearts.