BELOVED

My People,

Good Morning!  The Peace of Jesus be with you and your families. May the love of mama Mary fill your hearts with gladness.  

Often you will noitce that one of the hardest things for any person to do is to accept unconditional love. Perhaps it’s because the world is so void of that kind of love. It has somehow become a give and take kind of love… a trade-off for love.

The word beloved means “esteemed, dear, favorite, worthy of love”. It’s a word indicating an action on the part of the one doing the loving.
God has chosen to love us, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. Our role in this is to BE-LOVED.

For today we can be encouraged that we have been called “beloved” and we can anticipate learning about and receiving more of His kind of love.

 

Fr. Warner on the 28th of September, 2013 said in his homily that ‘When you give Charity, you must feel a pinch or else it is not charity’. I agree.

Charity is selflessness, a not seeking of anything in return. It is the pure love of Christ.

When we have merited love the least, God has loved us the most. When you feel God’s love, you gain a deeper faith in and a love for God, along with the strength to handle whatever might come your way.

Love and forgiveness for others will grow through tribulation. People will feel the love around. Love shared is love multiplied.

When you learn to love yourself, you will be more kind & gentle.

Recognize Gods love. True gratitude is the ability to humbly see, feel, and even receive love. Gratitude is a form of returning love to God.

The Lord’s response to us is always filled with love. He gives grace for grace. As our obedience increases, we receive more grace (or goodness) for the grace we return to Him.

Unless you are feeling love, you cannot convey true love to others. Jesus told us to love one another as He loves us, so remember: to be loved, truly love.

 

  

Love is made to sound complicated. But in its entirety – in it's simplicity, it is still the only thing the Heart wants and desires.

To be loved by the one you love.

To hear your name called out.

Aren’t these simple and yet uncomplicated aspects of love?

 

 

On the 17th of October, 2013, after the 7:30 p.m. mass we had a couple of people conducting a Triduum for Mission Sunday.

On the first day, there was a couple who did speak, and the woman Darla (name changed) spoke of how she and her husband of 14 years never had a fight for six years. Now that is a little hard to believe considering that they have six children. I did say hard to believe but really not impossible. I’ll leave it at that.

On the 18th of October, Jason (name changed) started off with a joke. There were three things I did not like of what he spoke.

1. He calls himself a worst sinner then he continues to say not like some others who are sitting in the congregation.
2. He states that he and his wife do fight, unlike Darla and her husband who don’t.
3. This is what he stated that people when they come for the celebration of the mass, they look around and look to find faults with the reading, singing or even the homily given at the mass. So far, in this sentence I would stay silent-the homily part did make me a little mad. I mean I love homilies. I love my Priests. But then this wonderful man continues that from now after his talk, things will change.

 

 

I’ll speak for myself-here about myself, when I speak to my Abba, Father, I am in His presence, He lets me come to Him. I am humbled by His love. He never points out my faults. Feeling the immense love, my heart feels like It needs to give and give and give. That is when I realize how much, I have hurt HIM, by my actions words and deeds. And I never want to ever again. Before His presence, never in comparison with anybody, I am the most wretched of sinners. When I call myself wretched-I do so with humility to the Almighty God. It is His love that cleanses me. I realize my own unworthiness. I see His goodness. I see His Love. To come into His presence I must recognize my wrong doings. I must ask His pardon. When I see my own nothingness, I realize His awesomeness. I see His saving grace.

In the presence of the Holy Spirit one cannot be proud. You will choose not to offend. And if mistakenly done, you will do everything to humble yourself. You will never have yourself associated with pride. The ‘Holy Spirit’ is gentle.  

I am learning and need to be humbled by the One who is ‘The Way, the Truth and the Life’-JESUS!

Matthew 11:29 states: Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

This wonderful man pretended to be humble. He criticized his own team people. How good is that? How good is anybody who thinks he is better than Priests? How can you even think?

Sometimes, I battle within myself and it’s a struggle, knowing that you can have it all, and yet choose a road, that keeps you…. 

Priests leave everything behind. They give up their youth. I want ask you to imagine, because that would be simple. Rather, I would ask you to walk the walk.

Priests walk on Holy ground. When I am in the same proximity, I consider it a blessing.
 

 

 

The words of the Pharisees were harsh, accusatory: "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery". Mosaic Law insisted "both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death".

The Pharisees threw words at Jesus, they said: "In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?"
The crowd watched as "Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger".
Jesus waited until the crowd was ready to hear His answer.
And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, "Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her."

But then come these amazing words: "Neither do I condemn you." Jesus alone had the right to condemn this woman. He was the only Sinless One. But He did not do so.
When you ask why, it is clear that it was because He forgave her sin. Without forgiveness, justice must be satisfied.

What He requires, of course, is an acknowledgment of evil. There must be repentance. When you say, "Yes, I did it. It's wrong. I agree with you," that is repentance. Then forgiveness can come. "But where does this woman do that?" The answer, of course, is, "Within her heart!" Remember we are dealing with One who knows the hearts of men. He knows what is going on in the inner life, the inner thoughts. He knew her heart. Somewhere in the course of this incident she had repented.
 

God never condemns anybody. Jesus came for us all. Mark 13:17 states- And when Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

 

“Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:].”  Philippians 2:5

Like a mirror, the Bible tells us that we should reflect the character and likeness of Jesus. We should have His same attitude.

When we accept Jesus knowing wholly well that He is the Son of God, we become empowered by the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead. That means we have the same spirit of humility, the same strength, the same love, the same power on the inside. We are empowered to do what He did. When Jesus walked the earth, the scripture says He went around doing good and bringing healing to others physically, spiritually and emotionally. That’s what we should be doing, too.

Choose today to invite Jesus to work in you. Reflect Him in your attitude and actions, bring good to others, and reap an abundant harvest of blessing in every area of your life.

 

We are God’s beloved, that is, God truly and sincerely loves us. There is no better time to remember this truth than when we contemplate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for those whom He loves, His beloved – you and I.

 

As I go to sleep on a star filled night,

I pray the Lord, to be my side,
All I do, I ask, I pray is for your love,
Each and every hour of every day.
 

For every colour in a Rainbow,

For the yesteryears and the gift of today,
For the splendour of the Moon,
For the time that passes too soon.
For the mountains that seem to touch the sky,
For the birds they have to fly.
For the stream that meets the river and becomes one with the sea,
Oh God Almighty, Remember Me!

With all my Love,

For Love Prevails!
AnitA.

 

 

PRAYER: Abba, Father, keep me obedient and always faithful. Remember, this your servant.

Mama Mary keep me humble, I pray. Amen.

Mark 5:1-17 - Thank you, Abba Father.

Beloved-16th October, 2013.

Oh! God of the universe, my Abba Father,

Tonight, I reminisce all the years gone by,
Tonight, I know my dreams come true,
I see the wonder in everything You do,
I Love You!
 

Love and Peace. . .

 

My People,

Good Morning!  The Peace of Jesus be with you and your families. May the love of mama Mary guide you in your walk of life.

In the Moon and the Stars,
Oh God! Your glory we see
For Love and Peace,
Friend’s and family,
For Your grace, Your mercy and care
these are the blessings we have to share.
This day we offer the words of praise
with a promise to LOVE You all of our days.

I love the colour Red. You know what it best represents-it represents love. When I think of love, the first thing that comes to my mind is all the feelings that my heart can sum up. And all the memories, they just start weaving into a beautiful pattern. When ever I return to a moment in time, I return to it with the utmost fondness. Its nothing short of being a magical moment.
Life is Love and love is what the heart contains.

Everything that one understands, one only does because of love. Love awakens our innermost being. It makes us one with nature. Our greatest happiness of life is always when we are convinced that we are loved. Love is a feeling to be cherished forever.

Love is build over time. When you are ready to sacrifice, that is when you know, that you love. You don’t love someone because they are or can be perfect. You love them anyway.

I love you, I always have and I always will to the day I die.

When you really love someone nothing will seem to matter. Nothing ever will.

When I’m writing these words, I have this song at the back of my head ‘Love will keep us together.'

Just stop, 'cause I really love you
Stop, I'll be thinking of you
Look in my heart
And let love keep us together

Love wasn't put in your heart to stay. Love isn't love until you give it away.

Let the love flow from your heart to others. When you really love someone your heart is no more yours….it is a complete surrender...!

So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

 

History was one of my favourite subjects, in school. Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. were two of my favourite people.

Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States. His strength was his great character. He regarded slavery as evil. Many historians believe his humanity and honesty made him the greatest of all the Presidents.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was an amercian-clergyman and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. These lines are taken from his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, December 10, 1964. Here Martin Luther King Jr. states:

“I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.”

Nonviolent resistance, King wrote, is ‘a courageous confrontation of evil by the power of love’.

Principles of Non-Violence by Martin Luther King, Jr.

• It is active non-violent resistance to evil and it is always persuading the opponent of the righteousness of your cause. 
• Non-violence seeks to win friendship and understanding. 
• Non-violence seeks to defeat injustice, not people. Non-violence recognizes that evildoers are also victims, and not evil people. 
• Non-violence holds that suffering educates and reforms. Non-violence accepts suffering without retaliation. Non-violence accepts violence if necessary, but will never inflict it. Non-violence willingly accepts the consequences of its acts. Suffering has the power to convert the enemy when reason fails. 
• Non-violence chooses love instead of hate. Non-violent love is unselfish.
  Non-violent love gives willingly, knowing that the return might be hostility.
  Non-violent love is unending in its ability to forgive in order to restore community.
  Non-violent love does not sink to the level of the hater.
  Love for the enemy is how we demonstrate love for ourselves. Love restores community and resists injustice.
  Non-violence recognizes the fact that all life is interrelated. 
• Non-violence believes that the universe is on the side of justice and that justice will eventually win. Non-violence believes that God is a God of justice. 

No individual without Jesus Christ can ever have peace, and no world without God can ever know peace.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

The peace He gives has to be received and applied in our lives. If we lay hold of the promise of the very peace of Christ, we will have calm, untroubled hearts, regardless of external circumstances.

The peace of Christ is also an unending source of strength in the midst of difficulties.

Paul said, in 2 Corinthians 4:8-11 “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. “

But he wrote, Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. v.16-18

Paul didn't focus on his problems, but on the promises of God to sustain and ultimately glorify God. Troubles come and go. Paul understood that, and that's why in the midst of his trials he could write to the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" Philippians 4:4. 

Isaiah 26:3 says, "The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, because he trusts in You." Perfect peace comes when our focus is off the problem and constantly on Christ.

God's peace comes to those with the personal discipline to stop in the midst of the storms of life and take the time to seek Him and know Him. And to those whose minds are steadfastly fixed on Him, He gives the gift of peace.

In a world that is filled with rage, in a world that knows hatred Love will always be the answer. 'LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER.'

Just stop, 'cause I really love you
Stop, I'll be thinking of you
Look in my heart
And let love keep us together

When you face opposition, it’s easy to get discouraged and think, negative. David would only be known as a shepherd boy if it weren’t for Goliath. David’s enemy became the tool that God used to lift him high. And God will do the same in your life today. He’ll use those challenges in your life to catapult you towards success! If you are going through a hard time today, if things look impossible, don’t give up now. When all is said and done, you’re not just going to come out of that difficulty, but you’re coming out stronger, wiser, and better than you were before! Stand strong in the Lord today and trust that what the enemy meant for your harm, God will turn around and use to your advantage. He’ll take you places you never dreamed of!

  

 

 

The 6^th of October, 2013, we celebrated Thanksgiving Day in the Church.

After, the 6.oo pm mass celebration I met Fr. Alvaro, outside the Church. He is such a warm hearted person. In our conversation that followed, I told Fr. I love listening to homilies (sermons).

I crave to listen to God. It is a thirst that never ends.

As confirmed with the Holy Spirit, I write. It’s been nearly two weeks now and the number 111 has been showing up so many times, that I think I know two things of what it means. The first, being Hebrews 11:1- Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

And the second would be my birthday. For the last two years, on both my birthdays, I attended the evening mass. Both the years they were celebrated by Fr. Alvaro.

The first year, as I was standing in line for the Holy Communion, the body of Christ fell down from father’s hand, and that was no mistake of his as the person suddenly moved. I was standing to the side, I lifted Jesus, and was presenting Jesus back to father, when Fr. indicated that I could have Jesus to myself, my joy knew no bounds.

I have always wondered what it would be like, to be there, when Jesus carrying the Cross, fell to the ground. I have always wanted to go to help Jesus up. And the moment, I lifted Jesus and held Jesus I knew I got my wish. It was the best birthday gift ever. I got You, Jesus.

The second year, when I attended the mass, Fr. Alvaro gave me the body of Christ. And I received Jesus, twice in the same mass. And there could be no fault of anyone. Its Jesus wish for me.

The evening mass on the 6h of October, was celebrated by Fr. Ashlyn.  And the topic of Faith that Fr. spoke on was perfect and my favourite. It was everything that I could wish it would be. The Gospel was based on the apostles asking Jesus to increase their faith.  Luke 17:5-10

I write this down as it coincides with 111. - - -  FAITH.

 

James 4:2, “...yet ye have not, because ye ask not..”

God desires for us to come to Him in prayer, making our requests known unto Him. The Bible tells us to have an attitude of thanksgiving when we approach God in prayer. This is important, because gratitude comes from a humble heart.

God simply wants us to pray, TO ASK. But if we ask amiss, then the Holy Spirit will step in to intercede and speak on our behalf to the Father, explaining what we really need.

I ask for God's will to be done, because I've learned that God's ways and God's thoughts are far above mine. Isaiah 55:8-9

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING as 1st Thessalonians 5:17 states and then we have to be rest assured in our mind and have peace in our heart, knowing that we have cast our burdens upon the Lord. Philippians 4:6-7

If we ASK, then we have done as God commanded, and the Holy Spirit will help our infirmities and intercede for us if we're off target in our prayers.

 

When you get close, to your goal or maybe you have just begun to think of having a change in your life irrespective of your immediate surroundings, the enemy-the devil will have obstacles thrown in your way. He will have people come to discourage you or throw abuses at your face.  Whatever you do, don’t give up and don’t give in.

 
TRICKS of the devil

1. The only entrance the enemy has is the one you give him.

2. Everything starts with a thought: disobedience, divorce, adultery, envy & jealousy.

3. The enemy knows if he can affect our thoughts he can keep us in bondage for a month, for a year and so on.

4. Many times the problems that we face are created from the fears we build overtime.

5. His goal is to set up barriers in our minds. When the fears grow, one becomes a slave to the thing they fear the most. 

6. Be very careful of the words you speak. The devil always uses that against you. 

 

 

The five main powerful weapons against the devil.

The Word of God. (The Bible)
The name of Jesus.
The CROSS
Prayer-The Rosary.
A Priest.

If we yield to temptations, the devil will continually follow us but if we put on the whole armour of God, and stand it out against him, he will be gone from us. Resolution shuts and bolts the door against temptation.

Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace; besides all these, taking the shield of faith, with which you can quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Ephesians 6:13-17

Praise is the expression of gratefulness to Abba, Father. Praise gets God’s attention. Praise is a powerful because God inhabits our praises! When we enter His presence the right way, He enters our circumstances, and when God shows up, the enemy must flee! Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and open the door for Him to move on your behalf!

 

Where Love is God is

Through the wind and the rain
the storm and the pain
Up where the mountains meet the heavens
And where the lightning strikes the sea
All I pray, dear God of mine, REMEMBER me……

With all my Love,

For Love Prevails!
AnitA.

 

 

PRAYER: Abba, Father, keep me obedient and always faithful. Remember, this your servant.

Mama Mary keep me humble, I pray. Amen.

Emmanuel-God is with us.

Promise date: 14^th October, 2013. Fr. Ashlyn (7:30 pm)