Reflections of a beloved son

"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now" (Jn. 16:12).  Jesus had much more to tell His disciples, but He knew they would be unable to hear it then.  The setting in which Jesus said that was at the last time He would be with them before He would be arrested and crucified.  Even at this time Jesus thought of His disciples.  Jesus knows His disciples well like a "shepherd who knows his sheep."  God is the same with us. There are times when we wish we knew certain pieces of information or had access to certain things, and we become frustrated and even upset with God for not giving to us what we thought we needed.  The truth is that God always know what we need .  What we think we may need, we may not be able to receive it at that time.   Sometimes there are just things that if we knew at that time we wouldn't be able to handle it then.  Perhaps our hearts were not ready, or maybe we just did not have a strong enough foundation...

" I am the vine, you are the branches " (Jn. 15:5).  As a people, we do not live alone and we are unable to survive alone.  We are dependent and interdependent by nature.  Some may argue and disagree but they can debate all they want, but there is a Creator God who made this world and all that is within it, including us.  Look at the proofs offered by philosophy and science.  There are too many things that needed to happen in order for the earth to be as it is - the right mixture of elements to make earth inhabitable, the most minuscule building blocks of our bodies, etc.  Saying it is purely coincidence does not do it for me.  It is not coincidence, it is Providence. We were created out of love, with love, and for love.  In fact we were created by Love itself, for God is love.  In being created, we have been and continue to be nurtured and provided for by Our Creator.  Jesus tells us that He is the vine, the Father is the vinegrower, ...

I believe if you were to ask anyone who seems well-adjusted, doing well, and happy if everything in their lives has always been well and easy, I am sure they will tell you no.   It takes hard work to produce good results , in anything.  For a student, to get honestly good grades, one must study and work hard and diligently.  For a teacher, to be an effective instructor, one must do as much, if not more work than their students to prepare lessons and to love them well.  For a parent, to be a loving parent who does his best to provide for his family, he must maintain his career.  For an athlete, to play to win one must practice day in and day out, putting in sweat and tears.   All things worth doing are worth sacrificing for .  The struggles will be there, but if you keep in mind why you’re working so hard, those struggles will become opportunities to respond to grace and let God lead you. St. Paul and Barnabas told the people who were struggling to ...

Dear Brothers and Sisters - There will be limited activity and updates on here during the next month or so, as I will be on a 30 day retreat, drawing nearer and closer to the Father who first drew near to me and continues to do so.  Please keep me in your prayers and know that you will be in my thoughts and prayers. In Christ, A beloved son of the Father

"I will be with you in spirit."   People often say this when they are not able to be at a certain event but want to assure people that they will be in some way with them at the event.  "I'm there with you in spirit."  What does that even mean?  Do people really know what it is they are saying? In the Gospel according to John, Jesus promised His disciples that the Father will send the Advocate, the Holy Spirit to be with them always who will teach them everything and remind them of all that Jesus had taught them.   Jesus knew that He will not remain on earth forever and so He assured His disciples that even when He leave, they will not be alone for the Spirit will be with them.  Jesus here was not saying that in some ways as long as the disciples remembered everything Jesus had said to them and all of the encounters they experienced together, then Jesus will live on in their memories.  This is only a mere "remembering" of Jesus, an intellectual, ...