Normandt' Catholic Meditations

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[Normandt]

60. John, the beloved



John, Jesus's Apostle and evangelist lives a relationship close to perfection with Jesus.

He's not perfect, but John seems to have found the way to surrender to the Heart of God. He reveals to us the truth. John is the only one who sums up the Heart of God and the core message of the Bible, in three words:
"God is Love." 1 John, chapter 4, verse 16b

And John wrote just before:
"We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us." 1 John, chapter 4, verse 16a

John speaks to "us" in this last statement, but is he aware of what this implies: "We have come to know and to believe in the Love God has for us." However, to have written it, John must have experienced the Love of God in the depths of his being.

John is near God. It is therefore possible to believe in God and to know his Love. But are we aware of it? How do we determine that we know his Love?

Some texts in the Bible give the impression that God isn't Love. How many of our contemporaries like to rebel against God and say that with all that is happening in our world, God cannot be Love? It just keeps on going.
Let's add this excerpt:
"Whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him." 1 John, Chapter 4, verse 16b

John's powerful words remind us to remain in Love to know God.
So why do we deny God's truth? What are the reasons for being opposed to John's words? Consciously or unconsciously, in many ways and words we assume that God isn't Love. Why does attraction to evil lead us so far?

It's crucial to update our database. "God is Love" and God can only be Love. Maybe we underestimate the Love of God, but we can never overestimate the Love of God.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

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[Normandt]

61. Jesus respects the people



Jesus is very respectful of people. He cannot reach us if we don't want to welcome him. Yet he could force us to receive his Love, but patiently he prefers to wait on us.

Jesus says to them:
"A prophet is not without honour except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there, apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. He went around to the villages in the vicinity teaching. Mark, chapter 6, verses 4 to 6

Jesus leaves, he goes to the neighbouring villages. In fact, it is us, we are leaving and keeping Jesus away. It's us who reject him because we're not interested in his message. Jesus is always with us, but we are not always with him. Jesus goes so far as to be surprised at the lack of faith.

Jesus saves us, he heals us from evil, he shows us the only way to be joyful and to embark with him if we want.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let's reveal God, Normand Thomas

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[Normandt]

62. Conscious refusal



The extent of a fulfilling life is to receive the Love of God and cling to him. The opposite of hosting and living God's Love is to let oneself fall into evil.
The abyss of evil is the conscious total refusal to receive God's Love.

The prophet trumpets:
Comfort, give comfort to my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her service is at an end, her guilt is expiated; Indeed, she has received from the hand of the Lord double for all her sins. Isaiah, chapter 40, verses 1 to 2

The guilt of skipping away from Love is forgiven by God. But it's always tempting to move away from him, to lurk into evil, from which emerge the denials, the fears, the crimes.

The double punishment is to get away from the Love of God and slip toward evil. It is a double fault, a double distress, a double distance. That's why in the text, the person receives double from God, accepting Love after having turned away from evil.

As a person seeks to identify the name of his illness to better be treated and heal, let's dare to observe the evil that causes sin.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

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[Normandt]

63. Whoever believes



It is written in the Gospel:
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him." John, chapter 3, verse 36

The key phrase is: "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life." We receive eternal life by believing in Jesus. Jesus enlightens the journey to the Kingdom of Heaven as soon as we allow him to.

This is more troubling: "Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life." It's honest: "Whoever disobeys (refuses to believe)". Not the one who does not believe, but the one who refuses, who will not believe.

A person may not seem to believe and walk with Jesus without noticing it. But the person who refuses to believe in Jesus sets out. He goes on without him.
The last part of the sentence is difficult to read: "Whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains upon him."

From a dehumanized point of view, God may seem angry, vengeful (wrath) but from God's point of view, he is Love. What seems to be God's anger is rather our lack of love and our rejection of Love.

To refuse God intentionally is to place ourselves before evil and let it make fun of who we are. Then, we think wrongly that God is the reflection of this evil.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

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[Normandt]

64. Far from God



Jesus comes to ease our struggles, to heal from disease:
"Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness." Matthew, chapter 9, verse 35

There are people looking for the doctor. They fight their illness, they adapt to their disability day after day. But the most destructive disease of which God wishes to heal is unquestionably the closing of our heart, of wanting to keep God's Love locked in. To imprison Love, to want to deny it and to do everything not to recognize it is the primary cause of our misfortune.

The person who is truly sick, the ultimate illness, is to shy away from the Love of God. Yet lacking his Love is impossible. Love is. Love remains.
Some people refuse love and they can give the impression that God's Love doesn't exist. But evil is always provoked either by us or by other people.

It becomes very sensitive when we experience the prolonged absence of people who care for us. We may have the impression that there's no love and that it's only for others. We think we are worthless, especially when we've been alone for too long.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

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[Normandt]

65. Being with others



We may not go and meet with others. We live with the "what will they say," "what will others say about us" and we feel that if we approach them, we will disturb them. We come to think we're a burden.

It's a shame to think that way, since loving is never a burden. Even though we are not always perfect, we can learn to be with others. Let's take steps and learn to trust others, carefully. It's all about being ourselves and being peaceful.
Paul has a deep wish:
If I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing as I observe your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. So, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Colossians, chapter 2, verses 5 to 7

Paul offers a good example of faith. Although he knows he's far from his friends, he wants to reassure them that he is with them wholeheartedly. He reminds us that no one is alone. We think of others and they think of us in a special way through prayer.

Let's give thanks to God who's 100% with us. We are united by the will of Love. Jesus gives us the courage to meet people. When we are united with Jesus, then we are fully with others. May we let Jesus totally fill us with his presence.

Jesus surrounded himself with twelve Apostles so as not to be alone. And Jesus wants everyone, without exception, around him to console and bring us to happiness.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]

[Normandt]

66. We do not listen to God



Here's a confession of the people:
We did not heed the voice of the Lord, our God, in all the words of the prophets whom he sent us, but each one of us went off after the devices of our own wicked hearts, served other gods, and did evil in the sight of the Lord, our God. Baruch, chapter 1, verses 21 to 22

It's automatic, whenever people shy away from God's will, the danger is real to get lost and seek compensation elsewhere.

God created us (creates), our body, our soul and our spirit. But if our judgment is not in conformity with his, our existence doesn't always demonstrate what is of God. Even though we have received everything from God, all too often we are not conscious about it. We are then influenced by many ways and many discordant voices that have nothing similar to the will of God.

We are told:
"We have been disobedient to the Lord, our God, and only too ready to disregard his voice." Baruch, chapter 1, verse 19

We turn easily from the goal and we risk a lot by not planting our roots in God. Let's go back to our roots, back to the Heart of Jesus.
In order to discern, let's listen to the voice of the Lord.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Refusing sin, Normand Thomas

[Normandt]