Normandt' Catholic Meditations

[Normandt]

221. Our freedom

Jesus's recommendation is clear. He addresses our freedom. He leaves us free to choose a mission with or without him. If we live our mission with Jesus, here is what he tells us:
"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. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete." John, chapter 16, verses 23 to 24

While Jesus was with the Apostles, they had nothing to bother about. Jesus took care of everything. When Jesus will be back in heaven, he invites them to ask him everything, to remain united with him, to evangelize with him, to realize everything with him, in order to succeed in the mission of evangelization. Joy is linked to our demand for salvation and holiness of humanity.



Let's ask Jesus to evangelize through us. We want to be precision instruments in his service for the salvation of humans. Let's ask everything to Jesus, so that salvation is achieved in the hearts of people, and that the glory of God comes out in the open.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

222. Offer Jesus

God hears what is said by some people:
"You have defied me in word, says the Lord, yet you ask, 'What have we spoken against you?' You have said, 'It is vain to serve God, and what do we profit by keeping his command, and going about in penitential dress in awe of the Lord of hosts?'" Malachi, chapter 3, verses 13 to 14



It may be difficult for us to conceive of people thinking that about the Lord, but there are people who have let down by refusing God's presence in their lives.

There's nothing simpler than to get away from the Lord and there's nothing more difficult thereafter than to return to him. Not because God would not welcome us if we come back, but because there are so many elements that get in the way of our march back. The reality should be the opposite; easy to approach Jesus and difficult to get away from him.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

223. A thousand and one

There are thoughts, money, hatred, fear, lack of faith that, among other things, barricades that are difficult to overcome and even bypass. There are a thousand and one impediments, but only one way to lead us to God's Heart. When we decide to walk the road toward God, he himself removes impediments, blockages, barricades, rocks.

We have just shared the importance of taking the right path with God, but it is just as important to follow the road of fraternity with our contemporaries. Jesus tells us:
"What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?" Luke, chapter 11, verse 11

Who among us would want to offer something other than Jesus and his message to people?



We can continually sow the Love we receive from God. And if we gave ourselves the challenge of bringing only one new person to the Church in the next year, we would contribute to that person's faith. Even by praying for him, and without his knowledge. We will have increased the prayer in our city and in our life. Let's pray for a person who isn't going to Mass. Whatever the result, don't seek to know the result, but rest assured that Jesus will have visited him.

Every person has God in them, since God created them. Often the person is ready to hear that God is in his life. He's waiting for someone to tell him. Said in a wise, fair and simple way, often a person cannot resist the invitation to recognize the presence of God in him. It's easy to reveal to him the joy that he has from God.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

224. Welcome him as he is

Let's ask ourselves, "Who would be on the point of wanting to come back or go to church?" Let's go slowly, invite him, but leave him free. Whether he says yes or no, we'll welcome his answer. We'll continue to welcome him as he is. Either we'll continue to pray for him, or we'll pray for another person, since he will have accepted.

One day a person says that he has no connection with God even though he's doing good. The answer was simple: "Yet you do what Jesus asks of you to watch every day on your two parents who are living their last passage to eternity." He understood. Children do what God asks for when they take care of their parents. Parents do what God asks for when they take care of their children too.



Then remains to celebrate what God offers us for free by living Mass, listening to the Word and receiving the Eucharist. Everything we receive from God is perfect. When we share the good, beautiful, real and true, it comes from God. Why not thank him by confessing our faults and receiving everything from him through the Eucharist and the Word?

Announce the Good News:
"Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea." Acts, chapter 8, verse 40
He evangelizes.

A christian is someone who carries Jesus wherever he goes. All opportunities are good to witness, to know Jesus, to evangelize and to be in the mission.

Everywhere, in all places, we can pray for the people who are present, on the road, in the shops, in our meetings. The humble prayer of the heart is powerful.

Praying in our hearts for people we meet is very effective. And we leave it to Jesus to touch their hearts.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

225. Eat!

The Lord said to Ezekiel:
"Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth." Ezekiel, chapter 3, verses 1 to 3

Let's ask Jesus to increase the grace of his Word in us.



Ezekiel finds that the scroll tastes the golden honey of God. It's the light that lights the way, that instructs, the Love that enters his heart. There's all the sweetness and tenderness of God. This contrasts with the sometimes bitter taste of all that the world does wrong under the sun; sin, injustice, pride, greed, and all that leads to evil. Why is it bitter? Because the prophet now has his eyes open to the world. He now sees what's wrong and that's bitter.

It is the difficulty of evangelization: the more we walk, the more we observe that there's hatred, evil. Our eyes are opening. It twists our guts, makes our hearts bleed, but we're confident that the world can improve. We're also favored by the sweet honey of God's tenderness. We're called to give to Jesus the difficult situations that people experience, so that he may free them from the pain that makes them suffer.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

226. What is asked of him

God said to Ezekiel,
"Son of man, go now to the house of Israel, and speak my words to them. Not to a people with difficult speech and barbarous language am I sending you." Ezekiel, chapter 3, verses 4 to 5

Ezekiel receives from God the Word and at the same time Love. And what is asked of him is to go and bring the Word and the Love of God to the house of Israel: "Go now!"

By accepting God's request, Ezekiel can help improve the lives of people in Israel. He can transmit the Word of God aware of the epoch in which he is and to the society to which he is sent. He will adapt to their language and their customs to pass the messages that God wants for the people.



Of course, he will not speak of Jesus, since this text is before the birth of Jesus. But in the Word that he will have to proclaim in the name of God, Jesus is there. The Word is whole, but the revealing of the revelation isn't complete for Ezekiel.

Therefore, through the evolution in which he lives and to his personal limits, he shares what he can receive from the Word. He will join to his words what he needs to reach the people of his time, especially to the people of Israel.

Ezekiel is between the people and God. He will need to understand what God is telling him and to make himself understood by the people to whom he is sent.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

227. Receive the Book to swallow

Jesus is the Word. At the time Jesus lived on earth, the people also had to understand it. He says all he has to say and the Word will only be understood by the opening of people's hearts. Jesus' Word is complete. We understand it imperfectly, by the way, because of the evolution of our time and because of the evolution of our thoughts and our heart. We must go beyond what limits us, return to the foundation to understand it.

Many prophets receive the Book to swallow. Now it's John's turn:
"I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, 'Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.'" Revelation, chapter 10, verse 9



A prophet is one who swallows the Word of God, it's sweet and tastes honey, but in the stomach it's bitter.

The bitterness of being unable to do anything, of feeling useless in the face of a world that is struggling and suffering. But in the mouth, the honey of the one who offered his life to Christ and the one who receives everything from him. John feels the interior sweetness of God's Love. He witnessed what Jesus did in hearts.

We observe the grace in John shared through his writing, the sweet honey of his life with Jesus and the sweet honey of the life and message of Jesus.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

228. It will be given to you

When we realize that there's evil in the world, it is because we're in the grace of the prophet. Our eyes open, our stomach shudder. We're the people sent who can introduce the goodness. We must continue to carry God's Love to others. We are prophets thanks to our Baptism.

The Gospel of John allows us to know God more deeply. By his writings he enables us to become disciples of Jesus. It opens wide the doors to the mysteries that surround the life of Christ, as the other three evangelists did also.

If Father Marie-Eugene of the Infant-Jesus is able to become blessed, only by being a witness of the faith of Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Therese of the Infant-Jesus, meditating their lives in the light of Christ, let's imagine what the writings of John the Evangelist and the texts of the Bible can achieve in our life, through the light of Christ!



John's mission, the mission of the prophet is to open a path, so that we can meet Jesus, our Lord, the Love of the Holy Spirit and know the Father.

We have a lot to ask to the Holy Spirit. We remember this Word of Jesus:
"Ask and it will be given to you." Matthew, chapter 7, verse 7

We mostly need to be with the Spirit. May the Holy Spirit increase our faith, our life of prayer, the impulse of our heart to fully share what we receive from the Trinity, to transmit to the world that seeks, sometimes through difficult trials, the meaning of life, the meaning of love. May they know that they can only find Love in God.

May the Lord keep us close to his Heart as John rested his head on Jesus' Heart. Let's listen to the message of his Heart. May he comfort us so that we may be free to embark on the road with him for the salvation of the world, the Word of God in hand and in heart.

Book: Let's evangelize
Normand Thomas