From Paul, apostle of Christ Jesus appointed by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, to Timothy, true child of mine in the faith; wishing you grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Christ Jesus our Lord.
Had to leave Mass early on Sunday. My wife’s blood sugar dropped. She had eaten but it did not help. She suffers from erratic blood sugar highs and lows. Sometimes you have to accept change. Most people don’t like to change, but just like an athlete, we have to do things to improve our souls and go beyond what is normal. We have to do things that are out of the ordinary. The result was I listened to a lonely neighbor’s story.
My point was that I was blessed by doing something out of the ordinary. Grace was my reward. I was supposed to take care of my wife and listen to my lonely neighbor. Time was in God’s hands and not mine, but if we let God lead us, we can receive the Grace of doing His will in the moment. We are sometimes the hands of God when He wanted to use us. We receive Grace when we are His instruments of love, faith, hope and peace. The grace of our Lord filled me with faith and with the love that is in Christ Jesus.
Do we listen?
Jesus in our Gospel says we don’t listen enough and judge others way too much. Luke 6:37-38 “Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”
We can’t show mercy on our own. We have to have a relationship with Jesus to be successful. “Christianity is not a system of ethics; it is a life. It is not good advice; it is divine adoption. Being a Christian does not consist in just being kind to the poor, going to church, singing hymns or serving on parish committees, though it includes all of these. It is first and foremost a love relationship with Jesus Christ.” – Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
Talk to Jesus today and ask Him how to show you the path to show more Mercy in our lives. He will answer in the next few days, and you will be blessed.
God Love You Always
Bob Burford
PS: Please Pray for the soul of our beloved Pontiff, Pope Francis and for his successor, Pope Leo. Please Pray for Cancer victims and their caregivers. Pray for the conversion of Russia and the salvation of the Ukrainian and Russian people and their soldiers. Pray for the Holy Land. Pray for peace! The impossible could and can happen. Never deny God. Pray for justice for immigrants. Pray for justice for our President.
