Normandt' Catholic Meditations

[Normandt]

236. Infinite number of graces

The mission varies depending of the epoch in which we are. "Through witnessing" in the world of what the Spirit realizes in our person, whether we're old or young, we're called to offer the way of salvation in God, to give thanks to him in this way, always and in all places. Whatever our poverty, whoever we are, we're bearing fruit in the world, but we must also let them pick them. We must not keep them for ourselves.

And "service of charity". Charity doesn't come from a single ray of the sun, but from all the rays of the sun that are multiple and varied.

It means, in all situations, all possibilities, as soon as we're in contact with a person, we can live the meeting of the resurrected, whatever the reality, whether we like the reality of this person or not. This requires all possible graces. We must ask everything to the Holy Spirit and use them with caution, but use them with him in abundance. To be fair and just to people is an excellent charity. That is evangelizing.



We received the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of our baptism. The gift that we still receive today, renewed, in the reality of the Holy Spirit, includes all the holiness that it implies. By holiness, it means the infinite number of graces that come to us with this unique gift:
The Most Holy Trinity gives the baptized sanctifying grace, the grace of justification:
- enabling them to believe in God, to hope in him, and to love him through the theological virtues;
- giving them the power to live and act under the prompting of the Holy Spirit through the gifts of the Holy Spirit;
- allowing them to grow in goodness through the moral virtues.

Thus the whole organism of the Christian's supernatural life has its roots in Baptism. Catechism of the Catholic Church number 1266 http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3N.HTM

Book: Joy in heaven!
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

237. Two by two


Jesus wants us to receive the baptism, the life and the light of God. He sends the disciples two by two to evangelize and he tells them:
"As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it." Matthew, chapter 10, verses 12 to 13a



Is our house welcoming to receive Jesus? Is our heart ready to welcome him? Let's stay awake to welcome Jesus, so that he may lead us to his home.


Book: Joy in heaven!
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

238. We are lights

Jesus tells us:
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. Matthew, chapter 5, verses 14 to 16

Our light shines when we're good, when we live truly, we recognize what is beautiful, and we observe the reality. The light that shines in us is the Lord. With him, joy is shown.

To be responsible for the faith and the light that dwells in us, giving glory to God, we live the mission that is proposed to us. God does not ask for more than what we can achieve, but he asks us to trust him. By giving glory to God by our agreement to his will, we also glorify him in the world.



During the Pascal meal, the Wedding of the Lamb, the Eucharist, let's ask Jesus to help us to clear and polish our light, so that it shines for the glory of God and for the salvation of the world.

Let's continue to nourish ourselves with the Word of God, to come to Mass, to live the sacraments in the Light of the Holy Spirit, to shine like the baptized believing that they are saved, to radiate the light of Jesus and to forgive. Forgiveness is the key to truth and peace in God.

We know God's will well. He wishes us to share his graces. All good deeds and charisms we freely receive, we're invited to share them for free. Let's ask the Holy Spirit in abundance so that he overflows in the meetings, in the visits, on all the people we meet.

As the sun gains strength in the spring, we will see the Holy Spirit shine around us, thanks to our decision to open up.

Book: Joy in heaven!
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

239. The sign of the will

Jesus helps people to stand up. Evil and suffering are the cause of soreness. He challenges the paralyzed and says to him:
"Come up and stand before us." Luke, chapter 6, verse 8

Getting up is the sign of the will. But let's not think that a paralytic isn't a fighter and that he has no will. On the contrary! We can associate it with someone who has cancer and decides to fight to stay alive. Often his decision to stay alive will prolong his life. He becomes a fighting and a living witness for all. The paralyzed has finished struggling as he lets Jesus lift him up.
Whatever the path, and each path is unique, we're invited to stand in the faith with a good attitude.

"Praise the Lord, my soul; I shall praise the Lord all my life, sing praise to my God while I live." Psalm 146, verse 2



To give thanks to God, to praise him is to be alive, it's above all the joy of the Spirit that manifests in us and through us. Paul sees the man standing as the one who fights. He also testifies of his personal struggle:
"I want you to know how great a struggle I am having for you and for those in Laodicea and all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged as they are brought together in love, to have all the richness of fully assured understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians, chapter 2, verses 1 to 3

Paul fights what in him doesn't want to bow to the Love of God. And through his personal struggle, he teaches us that we must become guides of faith in Jesus for our contemporaries. Fighting is above all letting go of everything, but keeping the essential, the necessary and improving in God. To fight means to become ourselves and to recognize that God is present and active.

In the beating of the Heart of God, there is our beating heart, if we want it.

Book: Joy in heaven!
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

240. The world needs to hear

Let's ask God, it's as simple as that:
"O Lord of hosts, restore us; Let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved." Psalm 80, verse 4

The world needs to hear that. Come Jesus, deliver us! Let's believe that he saves us, that he can save our children and the multitude of people who need to experience eternal salvation.



Let's continue our journey toward Jesus, even if sometimes we think we're not progressing and we also think that the world isn't moving forward. All the reasons are good for putting one foot in front of the other. With confidence in Jesus, let's continue for the salvation of the world and for the glory of God.

Book: Joy in heaven!
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

241. Peter loves Jesus

At the beginning of the christian era, just after Jesus's death, it was very difficult to testify about faith, because it was a novelty for most of the disciples and Apostles.

Jesus verifies Peter's faith and invites him to continue the mission. Peter had denied him when he was questioned before the crucifixion. Then, during the events surrounding his resurrection, Jesus will help Peter find him in his heart by asking him the same question three times:
"Do you love me?" (See John chapter 21, verses 15 to 17)

And Peter answers him with heart:
"Lord, you, you know everything: you know that I love you." John, chapter 21, verse 17



Then Jesus said to him:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." John, chapter 21, verse 18

We need to develop acceptance as Peter, to love Jesus. We also need to let ourselves be Loved by Jesus. Then, we need Peter's determination to carry out the mission. The mission of evangelizing for us will be different from him, but we will need the same determination to lead people to the faith.

To receive the Holy Spirit for our mission will enable us to see God working in the hearts of people and in life situations close to us.

Book: The Shepherd's Mission
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

242. Promise to Abraham

God is included in our life. He is present at 100%. We have the grace to receive God, but we aren't always well disposed. In the Bible, there are many testimonies of people who dare to let God come into contact with them. This is what we discover in Genesis when God enters into a covenant, in a relationship with Abraham.

God promises to Abraham (Abram) many descendants:
The word of the Lord came to him: 'No, that one shall not be your heir; your own issue shall be your heir.' He took him outside and said: 'Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so,' he added, 'shall your descendants be'. Abram put his faith in the Lord, who credited it to him as an act of righteousness. Genesis, chapter 15, verses 4 to 6

God does everything perfectly. He promises many descendants to Abraham and he will do so. This offspring, at first sight, seems to be of human nature, but God sees well beyond that, since the descendants of Abraham are ultimately "the offspring" of faith in God.



God, through Abraham, gives himself an offspring that will please his heart. It is God who accomplishes the descendants of faith in the hearts of practising believers. These believers celebrate with their God. They thank him for his presence among them. This is the very meaning of the Eucharist, a thank you, a Thanksgiving.

This descent is the people who accept God in their lives, who live by faith, who thanks God and who transmit the received graces to their neighbour.

Book: The Shepherd's Mission
Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

243. The faith

This promise of the Lord is also for us. We are the people who will see many descendants. In the Catechism, we read:
"The people descended from Abraham would be the trustee of the promise made to the patriarchs, the chosen people, called to prepare for that day when God would gather all his children into the unity of the Church. (cf Rom 11:28; ? Jn 11:52; ? 10:16.) They would be the root on to which the Gentiles would be grafted, once they came to believe." (cf Rom 11, 17-18, 24). Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 60, website:
http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PG.HTM

This gathering is also ours. And the people who will see even more converted people to the Lord are us and our descendants. Then God will continue his work of salvation from generation to generation.



We are in the mission with Jesus, he who continues to join the world, all without exclusion. And it takes only a tiny spark to light the fire of the Holy Spirit, the fire of God's Love in the hearts. In faith, with God, we are on a mission.
We proclaim:
"Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked, nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the Lord is their joy; God's law they study day and night." Psalm 1, verses 1 to 2

Happy those who "God's law they study day and night!" Let's continue to please ourselves in Jesus and even without our knowledge, we will touch people by his presence in us. Living in Jesus's Light is contagious when we are in the world:
"By their fruits you will know them." Matthew, chapter 7, verse 16

We bear the fruits of the Holy Spirit and bring them to the world. Sometimes we may not seem too happy about certain situations, but in our heart we can always carry a ball of Love received by God's grace. This ball of Love is received at each Eucharist and at each reading of the Lord's Word. Prayer is also an indispensable tool for uniting with the Trinity and the world at the same time.

Book: The Shepherd's Mission
Normand Thomas