Normandt' Catholic Meditations

[Normandt]

124. We want it, Lord


"The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name - he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you." John, chapter 14, verse 26

We want it, Lord, your Spirit of Truth. This is the first request to be made to the Trinity. We want to welcome the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Jesus and of the Father.

The truth is sometimes difficult to pin down. Several situations and obstacles caused by some people made us fear the truth.

And the truth that is most difficult to grasp, even to accept, is the one within us, the one that moves us from within, until it leads us to the shore of freedom.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: ... for Love, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

125. Talk about Jesus


Jesus declares to his disciples:
"Everyone who acknowledges me before others the Son of Man will acknowledge before the angels of God." Luke, chapter 12, verse 8
That's true! But what does Jesus want us to say about him? The truth.

But what is the truth for us? This is much more delicate. To talk about Jesus (or a person), we need to spend time with him, walk together, share together and read what is said about him, enter into communion and communicate with him. May we dare a conversion to his Heart.

Above all, if we want to talk about Jesus, let's make sure we know ourselves well enough. Because a person who has not taken some time to listen to his own life will hardly put into perspective the reality of another person, especially Jesus's life. It's a daily reflection to discover ourselves and to know ourselves in reality and truth.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: ... for Love, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

126. Love on and in us


In the Gospels, there's a lot of information about Jesus. His presence, at the heart of our history, is particularly relevant to the history of his time. He is Jewish and he is surrounded by people who testify to his presence.

There are libraries lined up with books about him. From all that we can read about Jesus and to discern how he really is, may we ask a Person who knows him well to inform us. We want the Spirit of Truth!

Only the Holy Spirit and the Father truly know Jesus. Well, Jesus knows himself too. But how do we grasp the Holy Spirit if we do not see him? Let's ask for his Love on us and in us, and we will gradually discover the truth Jesus is.

The more we develop our relationship with Jesus, the more we will know him. Lesser we approach Jesus, lesser we will know him.

Jesus gave us the Church to help us know him better. The Church will offer us the best documents to get in touch with him. Surely, our welcoming the Church and the Trinity will be necessary.

Only the Love of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit leads us to the truth about God, about us and about the people around us. It takes a daily and lifelong conversion from our heart to the Heart of God.

Let's always begin with Love to know the Trinity. If there is lack of love, it's not Jesus, it's not the Trinity.

This step of faith in the Trinity will make the road easier and we will see it develop and operate in the hearts of people.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: ... for Love, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

127. Hand it over to the Lord


Listening to ourselves will help us greatly. To offer ourselves a little time to check our interior can avoid many unpleasant situations. Taking time to watch our daily movie will be the best movie we'll see every evening and for life.

There is no more "reality" than the unfolding of our life. It will teach us a lot about our thoughts, our attitudes and our actions. Let's appreciate these moments that allow us to adjust, to know ourselves better and this practice will help to continue on the road, to live joyfully.

Before we get to bed, we can check how the day went. Who did we meet during the day? Where did we meet people? How did we welcome them? How did they greet us?

To live with the desire that God may be the only master of our life requires efforts to live in reality, in search for truth and goodness. To pray with an open heart to God is also a way of keeping us from harm.

Have we listened to ourselves and to others? We learn a lot when we are in small groups sharing on topics of faith, hope, charity, exchanges on the Word of God and pray together.

Have we handed over to the Lord what seems wrong, the negative words we've heard, for example? Did we suffer the pain and weeping of the person who confided in us? Have we handed over the distress, the anguish of some people to Jesus? Have we remained calm and have we played down difficult situations? Are we becoming instruments of peace?

These are some questions that can help us improve and clean up our thoughts and memory. Above all, we are invited to give everything to Jesus. He's the only one who can free our being from all that is negative, sadness, sorrow. Let's become friends with ourselves. May we engage in joy, hope, peace.

Let's always place ourselves under the Love of God and we will see that we still have much to achieve, little by little, while respecting our limits. Let's respect the direction of the sailing, the direction of our journey to the eternal shore.

Let's offer the joy and sorrow to Jesus and believe that he will rejoice in joy with us, and with the sorrow he will transform it, free us, so that we can move evermore freely with him, toward him. Let's prepare our heart for the Presence of Jesus. He is present. Let's talk to him, freely.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: ... for Love, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

128. Ask for the graces


God knows that, despite efforts, we are sometimes at fault and we are struggling. Nobody is perfect and Jesus doesn't necessarily demand perfection of who we are and in what we do. Let's accept to not be perfect. We will make mistakes, we will sin. He simply asks us to share his Love. His Love will do its work and triumph in our heart, and we will feel its benefits, and we will see its deployment.

He wants us to be more and more like him and work toward the perfection of our being. Let's accept to be where we are right now. We move forward with who we are and what we live with. We're doing our best.

Let's abide in Jesus who embraces our heart despite the sorrows, the sickness, the errors, the lack of interest, the forgetfulness, the mistakes.
Let's be quick to ask for the graces of the Holy Spirit in activities, really all activities, so that it illuminates, inspire our efforts and our sharing. May the Lord remain with us at work, at home and while participating in activities.

Let's pray wherever we can, and whenever possible at every moment.
Sometimes we go different ways for several reasons. But if our heart is ready, we will be redirected to the one who opens his Heart to us, Jesus.

Jesus welcomes us as soon as we return silently (humbly) every evening to him. May the Lord watch over us, let him answer us and save us from whatever tries to lead us away from eternity. May our heart find comfort in him, night and day.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: ... for Love, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

129. Deeper into God's Love


The Holy Spirit helps us in faith as Paul says:
"In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groaning. And the one who searches hearts knows what the intention of the Spirit is, because it intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will. We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Romans, chapter 8, verses 26 to 28

To love God is first of all to welcome him in us. Paul tells us that there is a reality that we're going to live, whether we know Christ or not:
"The world in its present form is passing away." 1 Corinthians, chapter 7, verse 31b

This world in which we live, this world visible to our eyes will not remain. Our eyes will one day see the reality and the truth, as well as our forthcoming transformation, until then more or less successful, when entering into eternal life.

We go through life to learn to love one another, from Love. God's reign is near every person. Jesus invites us to continually convert in order to be as free as possible when we appear before him.

This doesn't mean to make ulcers and headaches with our faults, since we give them to Jesus. It simply means finding all the means to enter deeper into God's Love.

Let's not live in the regrets of the past with the memory of the wounds piling up and weighing down on our hearts. We have the right to live free from everything that assails and suffocates us.

It's important not to keep our eyes fixed on our faults, but to find ways to get rid of them, in order to approach God. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us find solutions, then continue to develop faith received from the Lord by letting us heal through Jesus.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: ... for Love, Normand Thomas