Archive for month: February, 2022

To me, an old, battered piece of furniture is just an old piece of battered furniture; however, to a craftsman who restores woodwork it has great “potential”
because he/she can restore it and make it beautiful and useful again.

Think of the Holy Spirit as the craftsman who renews God’s Image within us and among us. We are all in the process of becoming the person and Church that God intends
(2 Corinthians 3:17-18).  May we “behold” Jesus Christ and listen to the Holy Spirit and grow in an awareness of God’s love and our potential to embody that love
that overcomes hatred and malice. May we reflect the glory of God as Moses and as Christ’s.

As a way of life, the Christian life brings peace and non-violence to strife and violence (Luke 6:27-38).. It is a way of life that seeks to break the cycle of violence. This is not easy, but God’s mercy is great toward us! How great is our mercy toward others?

I do admit that loving enemies and extending mercy cannot be commanded in the sense of telling someone what to do. If we do not love our enemies or extend mercy, we should ask ourselves why, and then ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to extend mercy and love even to our enemies, or perhaps better: Those who deem us enemies.

The blessed one in Luke is about being favored by God because of weakness and pain (Luke 6:17-26). God hears the cries of those who suffer. God does not side with those who do not share, or the full who do not feed the hungry, or the ones full of laughter who do not consider the ones suffering and weeping. Christ directs us to look at those experiencing hunger and poverty and pain (Luke 6:17-26).

Yes, we can make good decisions that lead to blessings, but we may find ourselves in difficult situations for whatever reasons. If experiencing troublesome times, look to God and know God is with you in your struggles. This is Good News for us when we experience troublesome times, and when you experience blessings, share it with those who lack.