The tomb is empty!
He is risen indeed!
Blessings to all this Easter!
Category: Faith
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Nothing can change what our Lord has already done. It is we who change and realign to Him. His mercy endues forever.
When our thought begin to imagine that we somehow presume to know more than we do, illusions kick in, and torment takes over, where peace once was. This is a trigger point, to keep in reference when we begin to fall back out of union with our Lord. What do I know? Is a question we should ask ourselves often. What I know, is that our Lord has promised to be with us until the end of the age. What I know, is that He doesn’t say what He doesn’t mean. Can I trust this? With my entire heart. This is not a time to rest in presumption of knowing our Lord. It is a time to delve deep into Him, spend time with Him, talk to Him, and learn to trust Him.
No matter what may come, our Lord is with us. He is with us when we freely choose to not follow Him. He is with us when we freely choose to follow Him. When we come face to face with ourselves, when we see we are no better or worse than anyone else, is when we can see the sins of all, right in the mirror as we look at ourselves. What then, shall we do at this moment? We offer to help our neighbor, not by condemning them in their sin, as our sin is no better, rather we accompany them as a friend, through their struggle with it, and try to help them to overcome it, as we have, through Christ. We do not justify the sin by continuing in it, rather, we give glory to our Lord, by acknowledging it, repenting from it, accepting our Lord forgiveness for it, and overcoming it. Never committing it again.
If since our Lord is with us, how can I justify fear of the terrible things that may come when I have ignored His call? I can not. What can be more terrible than the justice of God? Nothing. The wages of sin, is death. What can be more frightening than the justice of God? Nothing. Again, the wages of sin, is death. Notice, our Lord does not say which sins, but sin in general. Have I sinned? I know that I have. I am a sinner. Without the mercy of our Lord, the wages of my sins, have been laid out in front of me. Death.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – If then I have received this gift from our Lord, what does this mean? I know that this gift did not come without a price. That price was the life of the One who loves with an eternal and everlasting love. The One who, as I said in the start of this post, He doesn’t say what He doesn’t mean.
This coming Sunday for some, today, we celebrate Christ’s Ascension. The Catechism states:
665 Christ’s Ascension marks the definitive entrance of Jesus’ humanity into God’s heavenly domain, whence he will come again (cf. Acts 1:11); this humanity in the meantime hides him from the eyes of men (cf. Col 3:3).
666 Jesus Christ, the head of the Church, precedes us into the Father’s glorious kingdom so that we, the members of his Body, may live in the hope of one day being with him for ever.
667 Jesus Christ, having entered the sanctuary of heaven once and for all, intercedes constantly for us as the mediator who assures us of the permanent outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
If we can not see Him, how can we then believe this? One does not need to see Him in the flesh, in order to believe. One must, however, see Him in the heart, through conviction of the Holy Spirit. That is when the fire within rages for Truth. What is Truth? “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” When the fire for Truth is ignited, one can only desire Truth. Truth about ones self. Truth about the world. Truth about sin. Truth about eternal life. In this way, we live Truth. When we freely choose to live Truthfully, there is everlasting joy which no one can ever take away. Which no one can touch. Because He is Truth itself.
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Today, the tomb is empty. Do not stay within it, nor with what remains in the cold and darkness. Do not linger in the dust of mortal sin and misery. Leave the tomb of emptiness and live life in Christ our Lord and Redeemer, “behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Rise above from what is below. Be converted. Be holy.
He is not here; He has risen, just as He said!
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U.S. Army, soldiers celebrate Catholic Easter Mass inside St. Elijah’s Monastery in April, 2010 (AP photo)
Through all the history of our Catholic faith, physical buildings to worship our Lord, have come and gone. Our faith and our Lord Jesus Christ remain. The physical building of St. Elijah’s Monastery of Mosul may no longer stand, but we do in Jesus Christ and with Jesus Christ. One day, in His time, God willing, worship of our Lord may resume in that exact spot, just as it has time and time again through all the world, time and time again.
In listening to Bishop Robert Barron’s podcast Homily for this weekend, as Catholics, we are called to remember where we came from. We are to never forget that it is our Lord who has built the wall and is the bridge in our faith. Remember that not only was are Lord persecuted and put to death but He also resurrected!
Praying for my brothers and sisters all over the world, facing the same persecution as did our brothers and sisters through all history. Along with the conversion of hearts of those responsible. Finding myself pondering our Lords words, with that of St. John Paul II: “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” Along with do not abandon yourselves to despair. “We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” – St. Pope John Paul II
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Heavenly Father,
Thou hast given us the gift of freedom
to love and to follow in Thy ways and commands.
Some parents choose to abuse this freedom
by destroying the gift of life
which Thou hast given to their offspring.
Please forgive those who destroy human life
by aborting their unborn babies.
Give these unborn children the opportunity
to enjoy Thee for all eternity,
if it according to Thy ordinance.
Assist me in being one in solidarity with Thy little ones
by taking to heart the words of Thy Son,
“whatever you did for one of these least brothers of Mine,
you did for Me.” (Mt. 25:40)
Therefore, allow me today, Father,
to adopt spiritually an unborn child
and to offer my prayers, works,
joys and sufferings for that little one,
so that child will be able to be born and live
for Thy greater honor and glory.
We pray this in Jesus’ name,
in union with the Holy Spirit one God forever and ever.Amen.
Prayer for Aborted Babies from Catholic OnLine
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The split second a life is conceived, its eternally there. You can not go back and make it any different. Life is alive and growing. Abortion can NEVER un conceive a life. It only ends it senselessly. Abortion is not a magical pill that makes everything never have exist in the first place. Having one, it adds 10 fold to the suffering the woman is already experiencing.
A message for ANYONE who STILL supports Abortion:
In a post Titled:
I Had a Secret Abortion at 18, and the Baby Parts Selling Scandal is Crushing MeA “comment” was made by a woman that hits to the very heart of how women who support abortion today have lost their compassion.
EDITING OUT her name: “I’m not in your shoes, but I do t think you should despair. The scandal isn’t really a scandal – and any tissues donated from any source help save and improve countless future lives. You are also worth much more than a frail piece of tissue that separates “virgins” from “non-virgins.”” END QUOTE
To which I NEEDED to share and know needs to be shared here: – You stated: “I’m not in your shoes”. EXACTLY You are not. But I am in her shoes. Women like you should be ashamed of yourselves. If you don’t have a heart to understand the loss, realize you also don’t have the heart, nor the experience to give ANY advise to women who do. You prove you support something you don’t understand. Understand this. A women who has an abortion is always a mother. Will always be a mother. The second a life is conceived, it just doesn’t disappear and go away. One SPLIT SECOND of life in the womb of a woman, is eternal and nothing can change that. You can go back to your false concerns and false ideology that if I kill my child it never existed. To a women who realized this child will always be alive, that will never work. Nothing makes a life, never exist. For women who HAVE had an abortion, who now realize the ramifications of their decision, I offer you:
If you or someone you know is suffering after abortion, confidential non-judgmental help is available. Call Project Rachel’s national toll-free number: 888-456-HOPE (-4673) or visit HopeAfterAbortion.org.
Spanish-speakers may visit EsperanzaPosaborto.org
This is the mentality of the pro abortion culture. Its all about me, me, me. If I kill it, no one will ever know. If I have an abortion, it will just all go away. Wake up time. It doesn’t. That child is always the answer to the question gnawing at the soul: What am I missing?
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MUST read, and live the Catholic Faith
Just a small clip from EWTN:
In this dark hour, when so many have gleefully predicted the end of
the Church, let us recall that we have inherited the collected wisdom
of 2000 years! The world has always awaited and proclaimed the death
of the Church. But death could not hold Christ our Head in the tomb
nor shall it hold His divinized members. For certainly, if we apply
the words of that great soldier, St. Ignatius of Loyola, to ourselves
and “pray as if everything depended on God and act as if everything
depended on us,” the Divine Mercy will not be found wanting! So let
us gird up our loins and, united to Him, prepare to do battle as
shock troops of the Church Militant. The ultimate victory will be
ours, for our Lord told us: “Heaven and earth will pass away but my
words will not pass away.”_ Timothy T. O’Donnell, S.T.D.
Adapted from an address given at the
23rd annual National Wanderer Forum
September 22, 1990.Please read in its entirety HERE
Peg Pondering Again 