Our blog is inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said to the crowds:
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.” John 6:37-40
The words that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him leaped out at me when I read them
My, our first thought was we are asked to live life as Jesus did and be a reflection of Jesus doing the will of His Father.
By our imitating Jesus by doing the will of His Father, we become Mothers, Brothers, and Sisters of Jesus. Not my words, Jesus’ words. Mark 3:35
Becoming a Mother, Brother, or Sister is a powerful statement when you or I think of it.
Throughout our blogs, we have discussed our relationship with the Triune God. You can’t get any closer relationship than Mother, Brothers, and Sisters.
For example, Jesus could have said we could be cousins three times removed.
But Jesus didn’t, They want an even closer relationship, Mother, Brother, or Sister.
As we type this, I realize the need for Jesus to die on His Cross, so we might be justified to our Father and welcomed into the family.
By imitating Jesus as he walked on this earth, loving His neighbor (everyone He came in contact with), we become physical ambassadors of Jesus.
I can imagine some of you might be thinking about the times Jesus criticized the Pharisees and Scribes, and yes, criticizing a person so they may grow in their Love of God is Love. Not criticizing would be the opposite of Love.
You and I imitate Jesus by doing the will of God the Father and by our lifestyle, people who see us because we are physical beings helping others to believe in Jesus, our Brother.
If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20
We are back happily in the Cumberland County Jail. I met Sam (not his real name) four weeks ago. Sam told us, John Kiernan and myself, that he was a drug dealer. Sam said for a time, life went well, and he prospered. Then the tide turned, and Sam was kidnapped, shot, and thrown in jail in other states besides Maine.
After careful thought, Sam realized his life was a mess, and Sam decided to find Jesus.
The first day we, John and I, walked into the Jail, Sam and Bob, not his real name, were the only two at our meeting.
An hour of talking to only two men is challenging!
We asked Sam to learn “the nine.”
The second week we returned, and I asked Sam to give me “the nine.”
Sam couldn’t.
Like so many people, and I include myself in this statement, Sam had all the answers and wouldn’t take our advice.
We missed going to the Jail for the next two weeks because of our trip to Mississippi.
When John and I returned for our third visit, Sam and three others were there. I asked Sam, “Give me the nine.”
Sam did, but he started with Peace; we stopped him and demanded he tell us the correct first word. Sam thought for a minute and said. “Love.” Next, Sam repeated seven of the Nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit.
I asked Sam, “Did you see a difference in your life?” as we have asked you from time to time in our blogs.
Sam said, “Yes, I have more Patience and Self-control.”
Do you like the change, Sam,” Yes, I do!”
At the end of our hour, I couldn’t believe how fast the time went by; we said the Our Father, and when we came to the line, As we forgive those who have trespassed against us, I said, “Stop for the next two or three minutes, remain quiet and forgive everyone who has screwed you over.” I believe Sam and the others did exactly this.
During that two or three minutes, we all felt Peace; imagine feeling Peace in a jail.
Sam is starting on his trip to Eternal Life.
We told the men that Heaven is here and now in jail, if they want it, or it can be hell, their choice. The men that day chose Heaven and forgave the people who screwed them over.
Sam and his fellow inmates left our meeting changed persons,
For,
everyone who sees the Son, and the son they saw was their self-image reflecting Jesus on His Cross, by forgiving those who have screwed them over, and believes in Him, Jesus,
may have eternal life,
“The nine” We pray you will grow in the Love, Joy, and Peace of the Holy Spirit by growing in Patience, Kindness, Generosity, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Sidebar:
My wife and I are in Ireland (first time). Stopped by a church and saw this. I thought of you because you so often have a picture of someplace you and Gail visited when you write your blog. A Friend 10-20-22
Once again, your picture got my mind working and thinking about areas I had never visited before.
Gail and I love to travel. Every place we have gone to, I fell in love with.
God’s Creation is drop-dead beautiful!
God’s Creation is also very unique. Science tells us no two snowflakes are the same.
I try to see God in all Their creations, and we are now getting breathtaking pictures from the James Webb Telescope almost daily, which adds to my awe.
A question went through my mind when I saw my friend’s picture. Since Jesus was fully Human and Divine, what did He see and feel when He saw what He had created at the request of His Father?
Let us digress for a moment.
Years ago, I watched a movie about Jesus as a young child. The film presented the situation: How and when do Mary and Joseph tell Jesus He is the Son of God?
Exciting question when you think of it because we are faced with the same question, when did YOU become aware that you have the opportunity to be a Mother, Brother, or Sister to Jesus?
Jesus remember had to listen to the whisper of the Holy Spirit and do the will of His Father.
YOU and I are asked to imitate Jesus.
St. John said at the Last Supper, Jesus fully aware that the Father had put everything into his power and that he had come from God and was returning to God, John 13: 3
Consider that Jesus had to grow over His thirty-three-year life span to become fully aware that He had come from God and was returning to Him.
Jesus WAS and IS the SON of God.
YOU who are Baptized and try to imitate Jesus by doing the will of His Father ARE Mothers, Brothers, and Sisters.
Wow!
Back to the picture at the top of the page, and as a side note, look again at what my friend started in my, and I pray, your thought process.
Remember, the Holy Family went to Jerusalem for the Holy Days. Jesus travels throughout Israel proclaiming the establishment of a new Kingdom.
Question; “What went through the mind of Jesus as He saw the beauty of Their creation as He traveled?”
I am fascinated by this question.
When did Jesus realize He carried out the will of His Father by creating what He was looking at, and what did He think as a human when He saw the beauty of His creation?
Since I am in awe by all Gail and I have seen here in Maine, and as we travel, Jesus, I’m sure, was filled with Joy as He looked about Him as He traveled.
And,
Of course, He had to marvel at you and me, who are given a free choice to Love God and our neighbor and can change instantly, as the criminal on the right did when presented with the fact that Jesus is God!
Pictures;
See how important your pictures are!
Get involved! Get snapping, don’t let satan talk you out of it.
Remember, if you want to submit a picture, no people, please, because we have to get permission from that person to use their photograph; in the comments section at the bottom of our blog, tell me you want to submit a picture, and I will send you my email address in our reply on Thursday.
