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


389. With others



Paul and others are choosing people who can continue the mission of evangelization. Paul met Christ on the road to Damascus and since then he wants the Church to continue what Jesus started in him and in different christian communities. He says:
"We have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Acts, chapter 15, verse 26

By dedicating their lives to Jesus, they can ask the Father everything they need to continue the mission.

Let's also ask the Father, through Jesus, to give us the solutions to find other people who have faith and sow together. May faith increase in our parishes and in our hearts.

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


390. Healthy fruits



Gamaliel is a man with his mind adjusted to the will of God. It makes one believe that there are good Pharisees, Pharisees who have faith. He's also a doctor of the law. Gamaliel managed to change the idea of the few who wanted to kill the Apostles. He's very enlightened and he says to the Temple officials, concerning them:
'For if this endeavour or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.' They were persuaded by him. Acts, chapter 5, verses 38b to 39

Gamaliel has what it needs to be holy. And they are wise to be convinced.
Let's not go against God. Let's observe the fruits of those who announce the dead and risen Christ. Gamaliel has grasped how to discern the presence of the Holy Spirit in these missionaries. Let's look at the fruits. If the fruits are related to the will of God, they will be beneficial for all and if the fruits are bad, they will destroy themselves. It's also like this that in the world we can perceive what comes from God from what is not of him. The good is of him, evil isn't.

As Jesus allowed the Apostles and people to see, God is exuberant when it comes to giving his graces and his gifts. Are we ready to receive them?

May the Eucharist be for us our ultimate receiving of graces, then thanksgiving for all the fruits that it will produce in abundance in our life to nourish the people of God and satisfy the hungry, the thirsty.

May the joy of being united to Jesus fill our lives with blessings. May we share them without measure, as the excesses of God who gives without counting. God exceeds all measures.

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


391. God evangelizes



God draws our attention:
"Hear me, O coastlands, listen, O distant peoples." Isaiah, chapter 49, verse 1
We have moved away or too far away. God invites all peoples to his table, his sharing, his tenderness, his listening.

Our existence is called to flourish under the grace of the Holy Spirit. To open ourselves to God is to let ourselves be Loved and let God inhabit our existence. The more space we give to the Trinity in the world, the more we'll see God's actions in our lives, and we'll be delighted to see him act in others.

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

392. God's Presence



We wish this, as Paul asks:
"We do not cease praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding." Colossians, chapter 1, verse 9b

We want the world to be filled with the holy presence of God. So, continues Paul:
"Live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit and growing in the knowledge of God." Colossians, chapter 1, verse 10

That's how we become true christians. Always receive from God, to share with the people around us, helps us to become saints.

When we're alone and we don't ask for God's help, we're fishing in the void. This is what happens when the Apostles don't invite God in their boat.
Jesus says to Peter and to us too:
"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch." Luke, chapter 5, verse 4

They understand the difference between being alone with lost efforts and being with Jesus, he who multiplies the efforts and whose work becomes as efficient as to tear the nets with so much fish. They will need the help of other fishermen to pick up the fish. We need the faith of others to move forward together and achieve good fishing. It's also important to stop looking at the nets, to only gather around the nets, and just throw them out.

To throw out is to go forward with the Trinity, trusting Jesus. Then we'll have as a result:
"When they had done this, they caught a great number of fish and their nets were tearing." Luke, chapter 5, verse 4

Jesus shows them that with his grace, the quantity of fish is multiplied. Let's trust in Jesus, when he's in our life, for the evangelization of our environment, where our two feet are.

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


393. We announce him!



The mission of evangelization is the summit of what a person can bring to the world. Evangelization is taking the beauty of the Word of God, of his Eucharist and transmitting holiness to each person. John shares his testimony:
"What we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us." 1 John, chapter 1, verse 3a

John is precise: "We proclaim now to you." To announce Jesus, to announce the message that he offers us, to announce his presence in the Word and the Eucharist, saves us. The world needs to hear it. This is the ultimate need of the world.

We're privileged people to go to Mass, to receive the word of God and the Eucharist, the Body of Christ. We cannot imagine how much we receive graces on graces in abundance. God fills us up.

We're called as John to announce the Love of God for every person, without exception. John knows what he's talking about:
"It is this disciple (John) who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true." John, chapter 21, verse 24

John had a special relationship with Jesus and he invites us to live the same relationship with the Lord. The way to remain united to Jesus is that we make him known.

The more people around the world believe, the more we'll be able to support each other in faith and stay in Jesus. It's vital for us to announce Jesus to the world. This is the true testimony: for Jesus to be known.

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


394. The foundation is Christ



As soon as we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, that we are baptized, and decide to follow Jesus and allow others to discover the gospel, we progress in faith. We progress in the faith as we live a personal and progressive involvement with Jesus, for the world. Paul supports this idea:
"With Christ Jesus himself as the capstone." Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 20

Everything is built from and on the foundation of Christ:
"Through him the whole structure is held together and grows into a temple sacred in the Lord" Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 21

More clearly, it is Christ who is the real builder of his Church. But what is exceptional is that he needs us all, without exception. He needed Antony of Padua, the present Pope, Catherine of Siena, Bernard of Clairvaux, and many holy persons whom we may know. Paul confirms it to us:
"In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit." Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 22

Let's be assured that Jesus has come for us all, and that we all receive equally. The Trinity gives so much Love to every person who receives it. Let's give thanks to God, who keeps us in his Merciful Love.

We don't know how to ask Jesus to be with us and help us? Let's ask him in our heart and let's be sure he's heard us. Let's prepare to receive him well and let him transform us from the inside. Let's allow some time, before seeing the new shoots. Let's be patient, we will rejoice.

It's 100% sure, as soon as we ask Jesus to help us, to be with us, he's there, since he wasn't elsewhere. Let's welcome Jesus! He is here with us.

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


395. With Jesus



In what Jesus shares with us now, there's a clear contrast between the smallness of the mustard seed and its growth:
"It is the smallest of all the seeds, yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants." Matthew, chapter 13, verse 32

To welcome Jesus in our life seems to be nothing at first. Sometimes it can take time, years to develop like mustard seed. While the Lord is preparing our heart, he invites us to patience before discovering the result. It's official that the Lord works in our life. Let's allow time and improve with good values, waiting for the results.

Let's learn to feel the presence of Jesus in us. Let's get small by inner observation. May Jesus grow in us. Then let him touch people's hearts.

We don't think we have a lot of resources in view of the scale of evangelization.

Let's take one step at a time. Let's be silent in ourselves for months and years. Let's listen to Jesus. Then we'll be able to better observe and to evangelize the world. We'll only have to discover and understand the issues in the world now. We'll be gradually aware of all the challenges that it entails.

But we cannot do anything alone. On the one hand, we need the community of the Church, to learn the means to evangelize. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will develop various dimensions and goals of evangelization. Even more, for all these stages, we need the Trinity.

The Father creates the seed, the Holy Spirit sprinkles it and gives it nutrients and Jesus carries it to hearts that are hungry and thirsty for Love and all its manifestations; joy, peace, mercy, hope, etc. The seed in us, with the wisdom of God, will give fruit in its time.

We may not see the results, but God sees everything and he knows when we're walking with him for the salvation of people. With Jesus, we'll get there.

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.