Podcasts about divine lord

ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ਚਉਪਦੇ ਘਰੁ ੨    ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ਜੀਅ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਕੀਏ ਜਿਨਿ ਸਾਜਿ ॥ ਮਾਟੀ ਮਹਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਰਖੀਨਿਵਾਜਿ ॥ ਬਰਤਨ ਕਉ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਭੋਜਨ ਭੋਗਾਇ ॥ ਸੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਤਜਿ ਮੂੜੇ ਕਤ ਜਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕੀ ਲਾਗਉ ਸੇਵ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਤੇਸੁਝੈ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਦੇਵ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ਜਿਨਿ ਕੀਏ ਰੰਗ ਅਨਿਕ ਪਰਕਾਰ ॥ ਓਪਤਿ ਪਰਲਉ ਨਿਮਖ ਮਝਾਰ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਮਿਤਿਕਹੀ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਸੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਦਾ ਧਿਆਇ ॥੨॥ ਆਇ ਨ ਜਾਵੈ ਨਿਹਚਲੁ ਧਨੀ ॥ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਗੁਨਾ ਤਾ ਕੇ ਕੇਤਕ ਗਨੀ ॥ਲਾਲ ਨਾਮ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਭਰੇ ਭੰਡਾਰ ॥ ਸਗਲ ਘਟਾ ਦੇਵੈ ਆਧਾਰ ॥੩॥ ਸਤਿ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਜਾ ਕੋ ਹੈ ਨਾਉ ॥ ਮਿਟਹਿ ਕੋਟਿ ਅਘ ਨਿਮਖ ਜਸੁਗਾਉ ॥ ਬਾਲ ਸਖਾਈ ਭਗਤਨ ਕੋ ਮੀਤ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਅਧਾਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਿਤ ਚੀਤ ॥੪॥੧॥੩॥ ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਵਿਚ ਲੱਗਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ। ਗੁਰੂ ਪਾਸੋਂ ਹੀ ਉਸ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼-ਰੂਪ ਮਾਇਆ-ਰਹਿਤ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦੀਭਗਤੀ ਦੀ ਸੂਝ ਪੈ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ।੧।ਰਹਾਉ।ਹੇ ਮੂਰਖ! ਜਿਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੇ (ਤੈਨੂੰ) ਪੈਦਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਜਿੰਦ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਦਿੱਤੇ, ਜਿਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੇ ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਸਰੀਰ ਵਿਚ (ਆਪਣੀ) ਜੋਤਿ ਰੱਖ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ, ਵਰਤਣ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਹਰੇਕ ਚੀਜ਼ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਕਿਸਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਭੋਜਨ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਖਵਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੂੰ ਵਿਸਾਰਕੇ (ਤੇਰਾ ਮਨ) ਹੋਰ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਭਟਕਦਾ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ?।੧।ਹੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ! ਸਦਾ ਉਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਧਿਆਨ ਧਰਿਆ ਕਰ, ਜਿਸ ਨੇ (ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ) ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਕਿਸਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਰੰਗ (-ਰੂਪ) ਪੈਦਾ ਕੀਤੇ ਹੋਏਹਨ, ਜੇਹੜਾ ਆਪਣੀ ਪੈਦਾ ਕੀਤੀ ਰਚਨਾ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਖ ਦੇ ਫੋਰ ਵਿਚ ਨਾਸ ਕਰ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਬਾਬਤ ਇਹ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾਸਕਦਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਕਿਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਕੇਡਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ।੨।ਹੇ ਮਨ! ਉਹ ਮਾਲਕ-ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਸਦਾ ਕਾਇਮ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਨਾਹ ਜੰਮਦਾ ਹੈ ਨਾਹ ਮਰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਮੈਂ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਕਿਤਨੇ ਕੁ ਗੁਣਗਿਣਾਂ? ਉਹ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਗੁਣਾਂ ਦਾ ਮਾਲਕ ਹੈ। ਉਸ ਦੇ ਘਰ ਵਿਚ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਗੁਣਾਂ-ਰੂਪ ਲਾਲਾਂ ਦੇ ਖ਼ਜ਼ਾਨੇ ਭਰੇ ਪਏ ਹਨ। ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਸਭਜੀਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਆਸਰਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ।੩।ਹੇ ਮਨ! ਜਿਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ (ਹੀ ਦੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ) ਸਦਾ ਕਾਇਮ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸਰਬ-ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦਾ ਜਸ ਹਰਵੇਲੇ ਗਾਇਆ ਕਰ, (ਉਸ ਦੀ ਸਿਫ਼ਤਿ-ਸਾਲਾਹ ਦੀ ਬਰਕਤ ਨਾਲ) ਕ੍ਰੋੜਾਂ ਪਾਪ ਮਿਟ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਆਪਣੇ ਚਿੱਤ ਵਿਚ ਉਸਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਪਿਆਰ ਪੈਦਾ ਕਰ, ਉਹ (ਹਰੇਕ ਜੀਵ ਦਾ) ਮੁੱਢ ਦਾ ਸਾਥੀ ਹੈ, ਭਗਤਾਂ ਦਾ ਮਿੱਤਰ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ (ਹਰੇਕ ਦੀ) ਜਿੰਦ ਦਾ ਆਸਰਾ ਹੈ।੪।੧।੩।RAAG GOND, FIFTH MEHL, CHAU-PADAS, SECOND HOUSE:ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU:He fashioned the soul and the breath of life, and infused His Light into the dust; He exalted you and gave you everything to use, and food to eat and enjoy — how can you forsake that God, you fool! Where else will you go? || 1 || Commit yourself to the service of the Transcendent Lord. Through the Guru, one understands the Immaculate, Divine Lord. || 1 || Pause || He created plays and dramas of all sorts; He creates and destroys in an instant; His state and condition cannot be described. Meditate forever on that God, O my mind. || 2 || The unchanging Lord does not come or go. His Glorious Virtues are infinite; how many of them can I count? His treasure is overflowing with the rubies of the Name. He gives Support to all hearts. || 3 || The Name is the True Primal Being; millions of sins are washed away in an instant, singing His Praises. The Lord God is your best friend, your playmate from earliest childhood. He is the Support of the breath of life; O Nanak, He is love, He is consciousness. || 4 ||

Oh most Divine Lord, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy Infinite Majesty, and we adore Thee and dedicate to Thy glory the devout prayers which we now present to Thee, as an act of devotion to your servant, St Gemma Galgani, whose intercession we are now imploring. O worthy Spouse of the Lamb of God and faithful virgin St Gemma, you preserved the innocence and splendor of virginity, giving to the world a bright example of purity and the most exalted virtues. Look down with pity from thy high place in heaven upon us who confide in thee, as we implore thee for the favor we so ardently desire (mention request).... Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be... Pray for us, Saint Gemma, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. O God, Who fashioned thy servant Saint Gemma into a likeness of Thy Crucified Son, grant us through her intercession the favor that we humbly request, and through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Thy Son, may we be united with You for all eternity. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The post St. Gemma Galgani Novena Day 2 – Mp3 audio & Text appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Oh most Divine Lord, we humbly prostrate ourselves before Thy Infinite Majesty, and we adore Thee and dedicate to Thy glory the devout prayers which we now present to Thee, as an act of devotion to your servant, St Gemma Galgani, whose intercession we are now imploring. Most compassionate virgin, St. Gemma, during thy short life on earth, you gave a most beautiful example of angelic innocence and seraphic love and was found worthy to bear in thy flesh the marks of our Lord's Passion. Have pity on us who are so much in need of God's Mercy, and obtain for us through thy merits and intercession, the special favor which we now fervently implore (mention request)... Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be... Pray for us, Saint Gemma, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray. O God, Who fashioned thy servant Saint Gemma into a likeness of Thy Crucified Son, grant us through her intercession the favor that we humbly request, and through the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Thy Son, may we be united with You for all eternity. We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The post St. Gemma Galgani Novena Day 1 – Mp3 audio & Text appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek at this time. (make your request) We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Saint Bernadette, pray for us. The post Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes – Day 9 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Read OnlineWhen Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34What is compassion? It's an attribute by which someone sees the suffering of another and experiences true empathy for them. This empathy, in turn, leads the person to reach out and share in the person's suffering, helping them to endure whatever they are going through. This is what Jesus experienced within His own Sacred Heart as He looked out upon this vast crowd.The Scripture above introduces the familiar miracle of the feeding of the five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two fish. And though the miracle itself offers much to ponder, this introductory line also gives us much to ponder regarding our Lord's motivation for performing this miracle.When Jesus looked out at the large crowd, He saw a group of people who seemed lost, were searching and were spiritually hungry. They desired some direction in their lives, and, for that reason, they were coming to Jesus. But what's very helpful to reflect upon is Jesus' Heart. He was not annoyed by their insistence, He was not burdened by them; rather He was deeply moved by their spiritual poverty and hunger. This moved His Heart to “pity,” which is a form of sincere compassion. For that reason, He taught them “many things.”Interestingly, the miracle was simply an extra blessing but was not the primary action Jesus took on account of His compassionate Heart. First and foremost, His compassion led Him to teach them.Jesus looks at each one of us with the same compassion. Whenever you find yourself confused, lacking direction in life and spiritually hungry, Jesus gazes at you with the same gaze He offered this vast crowd. And His remedy for your needs is to teach you, also. He wants you to learn from Him by studying the Scripture, by daily prayer and meditation, by reading the lives of the saints and learning the many glorious teachings of our Church. This is the food that every wandering heart needs for spiritual satisfaction. Reflect, today, upon the most compassionate Heart of our Divine Lord. Allow yourself to see Him gazing at you with the utmost love. Know that His gaze is one that drives Him to speak to you, to teach you and to lead you to Himself. Trust this most compassionate Heart of our Lord and allow Him to reach out to you in love. Lord, help me to see You as You gaze at me with the most heartfelt love and compassion. I know You know my every struggle and my every need. Help me to open myself up to You and Your mercy so that You become my true Shepherd. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: St. Martin Church - The Sermon on the Mountain by Arsène Robert, via Wikimedia Commons

Read OnlineWhat came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:3–5What a great image for meditation: “...the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This line completes the unique approach taken by John's Gospel to introduce Jesus, the Eternal “Word” Who existed from the beginning and through Whom all things came to be.Though there is much to meditate on in the first five lines of John's Gospel, let's consider that ending line about light and darkness. Within the material world, there is much we can learn about our Divine Lord from the physical phenomenon of light and darkness. If we briefly consider light and darkness from the perspective of physics, we know that the two are not two opposing forces fighting with each other. Rather, darkness is simply the absence of light. Where there is no light, there is darkness. Similarly, heat and cold are the same way. Cold is nothing other than the absence of heat. Introduce heat and the cold disappears.These basic laws of the physical world also teach us about the spiritual world. Darkness, or evil, is not some powerful force fighting against God; rather, it's the absence of God. Satan and his demons do not try to impose a dark power of evil on us; rather, they seek to extinguish the presence of God in our lives by getting us to reject God through our choices, thus leaving us in spiritual darkness.This is a very significant spiritual truth to understand, because where there is spiritual Light, the Light of God's grace, the darkness of evil is dispelled. This is clearly seen in the line “and the darkness has not overcome it.” Overcoming the evil one is as easy as inviting the Light of Christ into our lives and not allowing fear or sin to turn us from the Light. Reflect, today, upon the very real spiritual battle that takes place each and every day within your soul. But reflect upon it in the truth of this Gospel passage. The battle is easily won. Invite Christ the Light, and His Divine Presence will quickly and easily replace any darkness within. Lord, Jesus, You are the Light Who dispels all darkness. You are the Eternal Word Who answers every question in life. I invite You into my life this day so that Your Divine Presence may fill me, consume me and lead me down the path toward eternal joys. Jesus, I trust in You.  Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Detail of the third window of the north wall with stained glass depicting Jesus: I am the light of the world (John 8:12), via Wikimedia Commons

y- An All Around Ministry desire so to speak to you, that you may be girded for the battle against all sin and false doctrine, and be prepared to follow your Divine Lord in all His sacred warfare. May you go back to your several spheres of service feeling that you have wasted no time in coming up to this Conference, but that you have been inspirited and stimulated by communion with each other and your Lord. God help me so to speak as to give a healthy tone to our fellowship-

y- An All Around Ministry desire so to speak to you, that you may be girded for the battle against all sin and false doctrine, and be prepared to follow your Divine Lord in all His sacred warfare. May you go back to your several spheres of service feeling that you have wasted no time in coming up to this Conference, but that you have been inspirited and stimulated by communion with each other and your Lord. God help me so to speak as to give a healthy tone to our fellowship-

y: An All Around Ministry desire so to speak to you, that you may be girded for the battle against all sin and false doctrine, and be prepared to follow your Divine Lord in all His sacred warfare. May you go back to your several spheres of service feeling that you have wasted no time in coming up to this Conference, but that you have been inspirited and stimulated by communion with each other and your Lord. God help me so to speak as to give a healthy tone to our fellowship!

Our Lord Jesus Christ teaches us we need to go beyond what was practiced before Him, namely, Love your neighbor and hate your enemies. The Divine Lord requires us to love even those we deem unlovable, like our enemies who have hurt us in some way. He reasons with His listeners that His Heavenly Father makes His sun rise and set for everyone, even those who hate Him or do not follow or believe in Him. We should do more than what the Gentiles do in greeting those they like. This means Our Lord reminding us that He wants that divine life initiated in our souls in Baptism to grow and develop. It is a divine life, that is, the very life of God participated in in our souls. Loving our enemies is what God does. That is how He operates, not how our fallen human nature operates. But we have left that 'old man' behind when we followed Christ. It is His Life we want to live. Thus, we have to love everyone, even our enemies and those who prove to be unlovable.

The Spirit is Lord but is He yours?

WATCH/ LISTEN: Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time, January 11, 2024.   #SVDyouth #YoungAmbassadorsForChrist #DailyGospelReflection #VerbumDomini   “The gospel today taken from the book of Mark 1:40-45 shares a touching story of a leper approaching Jesus, saying, "If you're willing, you can make me clean."   This heartfelt request reflects deep faith. In response, Jesus not only heals but a request for silence, highlighting humility.   This Gospel passage speaks to the power of trust in divine healing and the humility needed in seeking help.   Christ is the ONLY answer, Always and Forever!   It's a short but powerful reminder of encountering Jesus, emphasizing both faith and the importance of approaching the Divine Lord with a humble heart.”   #FaithInHealing #EncounterWithJesus #DivinePower #HumilityInFaith   ***   May the Divine Word made flesh, be with you always and in all ways!   #YAC #YMAC #SYM #SVDyouth #SHRINEyouthMinistry #ShrineYouth #DrawnToFollow #PromoteTheGospel #PromotionToLOVEtheWORDofGOD #UnfailingGrace #EmpowerTheYoung #ServeOthers #etAmorServeDei #YACymacSYMstrongAndUNCONQUERED #YACymacSYMfortisINVICTA (text/pic:cttro)   “We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God.” (2Cor. 5:20)

It is difficult to stay friends with one who is suffering, especially when that suffering endures. Often, at first, when a soul is suffering from some illness or other difficulty, many friends come to help. But as time goes on, fewer friends maintain their love and support. This offers a test of their love and mercy. But there is one Friend who will be there through it all. This is our Divine Lord. He endured the greatest sufferings in life and, as a result, He does not shy away from the friendship that enters into a relationship of long suffering. Jesus' love remains steadfast and immovable. This witness of perfect love must also inspire you in your love for others. When you see someone suffering it takes great resolve to remain faithful to them and to your friendship over time. But the longer the suffering endures, the greater the opportunity to love. Time purifies and strengthens love and when you are aware of the long suffering of another, see it as one of the greatest opportunities to manifest the unwavering love of our Lord (See Diary #1508-1509).Reflect upon those with whom you have shared friendship. Are there people in your life that have carried a heavy burden for many years? If so, how firm have you remained in your dedication and love toward them? They offer you an opportunity to manifest the unfailing love of our Lord. Reflect upon how easy it is to love another when they are popular, healthy and praised by many. And then reflect upon the strength and commitment that is needed to remain steadfast to those in the opposite condition. Renew your love and friendship and you will manifest the great Mercy of God.Lord, make me a true friend. Help me to see the sufferings of others as an opportunity to love with Your Heart. May I become as faithful as You, dear Lord. I love You. Help me to love as You do. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Friends of the Rosary: Today, 60+ days after Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ), the commemoration of the institution of that sacrament—the fifth Luminous mystery. In many parishes, there is an Eucharist Procession today. This Solemnity is a commemoration of the extraordinary act of love for us that our Divine Lord performed on the night before he died. He was the sacrificial victim that won eternal life for men. As St. Paul wrote in this first Epistle to the Corinthians, which we read today Sunday (1 Cor 10:16-17), we Christians take part in the real sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ, in communion with God. As a sacrament, his "flesh" and "blood" are heavenly food, the Bread of Life (Jn 6:51-58). Through his divine power, he left to his Church, to his followers, the power to re-present again and again the sacrifice of his human nature. As we read in the Gospel, not only the incredulous Jews, but even many of his disciples drew back. Jesus said to the twelve: "Will you too go away?" Simon Peter answered him, "Lord to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life."With the feast of Corpus Christi, the Catholic Church tries to proclaim and increase the faith of believers in the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Blessed Sacrament. Today's Mass was composed by St. Thomas Aquinas upon the request of Pope Urban IV in the year 1264. It's a classic piece of liturgical work. Ave Maria!Jesus, I Trust In You! + Mikel A. | RosaryNetwork.com, New York • June 11, 2023, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Every reflection of this book ends with a prayer and each prayer ends with the prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You.” But do you? Trust is not only a one time act. It's not something we do or do not do. It's something we must do on a continually deepening level. There is no limit to the depths of the trust to which we are called. The deeper your trust, the more the Heart of our Divine Lord will be drawn to pour forth His Mercy. One essential aspect of growing in trust is seeing our misery and sin. When we see our sin without trust in God's Mercy, we are left in despair. But when we see the horror of our sin and trust in His Mercy to the same extent, He enters in and transforms our souls into His holy and pure dwelling place of love (See Diary #718).Do you trust in God and in His abundance of Mercy? If you do, you will also be aware of your sin to a great extent. Do you see your sin? Are you aware of your miserable condition? If so, do not despair; rather, see it as a graced opportunity to trust all the more in God and in His perfect love for you.Lord, I do trust in You but I do not trust You enough. Help me, first, to be aware of my wretchedness and sin. But in seeing this miserable condition, help me to turn to You rather than to despair. May my trust never end and may it grow continually deeper so that Your Heart may be opened and so that You will pour down Your grace upon me. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Kabir Says: "Just as a coded document shows the way to a hidden treasure, just so this Bijak shows the way to realize the soul. It teaches such instructive words to the soul, but there is seldom anyone to understand them." (Sakhi of Kabir)   Commentary by Dr. Jagessar Das: "Bijak means a coded document that leads to a hidden treasure. In this Bijak, Guru Kabir explains the path to that hidden treasure that is within, and not visible by the objective senses. He teaches everyone to give up cleverness and argumentation, and become humble and accept the Divine Lord dwelling within."   The term "Bijak" means treasure or treasure-map, in this case the treasure map of Guru Kabir. "Bij" means: the seed or essence. "Bijak" means treasure. The Bijak of Kabir is intended to be a treasure-map to the essence of reality: our soul and God.   In India the Bijak is the most popular sacred text containing the teachings of Guru Kabir, and as such is the main scripture for those who follow the Path of Kabir. Today we explore, "The Complete Bijak Of Kabir -- Guru Kabir's Mystical Teachings on God-Realization", by Dr. Jagessar Das, translating into English and commenting on the entire Bijak of Kabir. This is an impressive work, a true, grassroots "satsang template" of traditional Sant Mat, wonderful to have, featuring all eleven sections of the Bijak in one volume: the Ramainis, Shabdas, Sakhis, and other lesser-known sections.   "The Bijak tells of a treasure, a treasure that doesn't show. The word tells of a creature. Only rare ones know." (Kabir)   From the Principals of Kabir Published in the Earlier Ahmad Shah Translation of, The Bijak:  "To believe in One Avagat, Satya Purush [One God]. His bhakti [devotion, love] should be practiced. Have faith in the Master and in his teaching. True Sadhus should be served. Show mercy and love towards all Jivas [souls]. To abstain from all kinds of meats. No visible object in this world should be worshiped. Do not tell lies. Do not steal. Do not gamble. Do not curse any one. Repeat Satya Nam. Practice bhakti of Satya Purush [God] and teach about him. Hindu, Muslim and any other sect can join Kabir's religion. Without the knowledge of Sar Shabd [the True Sound], no one can attain jiva mukti (liberation, salvation). Abuse, deceit and jealousy are enemies of jiva mukti. Humility is a great virtue. Give thanks for the gift of the Sat Guru. Without true love of God the practice of bhakti is fruitless. To read the Sat Guru's words is a great virtue. One should know the Supreme Spirit."   In Divine Love (Bhakti), Light, and Sound, At the Feet of the Masters, Radhaswami, James Bean Spiritual Awakening Radio Podcasts Sant Mat Satsang Podcasts A Satsang Without Walls Sant Mat Radhasoami https://www.SpiritualAwakeningRadio.com https://www.facebook.com/SantMatRadhasoami    

When a child is frightened or gets hurt, the natural place of comfort is the arms of a parent. This is the first thing a crying child looks for. So it must be with us. The arms of our Father in Heaven, and Jesus our Savior, are what we must run to in our need. We should not hesitate to turn to God in all things, especially when tempted to despair, or when we recognize our weakness and sin (See Diary #505).When burdens weigh you down, or when you get angry or are tempted to despair, where do you turn? Some turn to sinful fleshly comforts, others to harsh words, and others run to God. Run to God in every moment! Ideally, we run to Him when life is good and when we are filled with great joy and consolation. But God also wants us to run to Him, immediately, when life is hard. Make the arms of God the first thing you think about when you find yourself in need.Lord, I do run to You. I pray that I will daily build a habit of running to You in all things. I pray that I will turn to You with my every need. I cling to You, Divine Lord, and seek to rely upon You always. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Where do love and sin meet? They meet in the persecution, ridicule and malice inflicted upon our Lord. He was the Incarnation of perfect love. The Mercy in His Heart was infinite. His care and concern for all people was beyond imagination. And yet the soldiers mocked Him, laughed at Him and tortured Him for entertainment and fun. He, in turn, loved them with a perfect love. This is a true meeting of love and sin (See Diary #408).Have you encountered the sins of others? Have you been treated with spite, harshness and malice? If so, there is an important question to ponder. What was your response? Did you return insult for insult and injury for injury? Or did you allow yourself to be like our Divine Lord and face sin with love? Returning love for malice is one of the most profound ways we imitate the Savior of the World.Lord, when I am persecuted and treated with sin, I find myself hurt and angry. Free me from these tendencies so that I may imitate Your perfect love. Help me to face all sin I encounter with the love overflowing from Your Divine Heart. Help me to forgive and so be Your presence to those who are guilty of much sin. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to our Divine Lord is our willfulness. We often want what we want, when we want it. Our will can become stubborn and obstinate and this can easily dominate our whole being. As a result of this sinful tendency toward willfulness, one thing that delights our Lord greatly, and produces an abundance of grace in our lives, is an interior obedience to that which we do not want to do. This interior obedience, even to the smallest of things, mortifies our will so that we are made free to more completely obey the glorious Will of God (See Diary #365).What do you want with a passion? More specifically, what do you cling to in an obstinate way with your own will? There are many things we want that could easily be given up as a sacrifice for God. It may not be that the thing we desire is evil; rather, it's that letting go of our interior desires and preferences change us and dispose us to be more receptive to all that God wishes to bestow upon us.Lord, help me to make my one desire that of perfect obedience to You in all things. May I cling to Your Will for my life in both great and small things. May I find in this submission of my will the great joy that comes from a heart fully submissive and obedient to You. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The most basic desire we have is for happiness. Everything we do, in some way, is done so as to help us achieve this goal. Even sin is committed with an erroneous sense that it will lead us to happiness. But there is one source of human fulfillment and one source of authentic happiness. That one source is God. Seek our Divine Lord as the fulfillment of every human longing that you have (See Diary #305).What is it that you seek in life? What is it that you long for? Is God the end of all your longings? Do you believe that God and God alone suffices and fulfills all you desire? Look at your goals, this day, and reflect upon whether or not God is the ultimate end of those goals. If He is not, then the goals you seek will leave you dry and empty. If He is, you are on the road to more than you could ever hope for.Lord, please help me to make You and Your most holy Will my one and only desire in life. Help me to sift through the many longings I have and to see Your Will as the one and only goal that I must seek. May I find peace in Your Will and discover You at the end of every journey. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It is most certain that our Divine Lord knows all things. He is aware of every thought we have and every need we carry far more than we will ever realize. At times, as we come to realize His perfect knowledge, we may expect Him to answer all our needs even if we do not acknowledge them. But our Lord often wants us to ask. He sees great value in us discerning our needs and offering them to Him in confidence and prayer. Even if we do not know what is best, we must still bring our questions and concerns to Him. This is an act of trust in His perfect Mercy (See Diary #295).Are you aware of your own needs? Can you articulate the challenges you face in life? Do you know what you should pray for and what to offer our Lord as your daily sacrifice? Reflect upon that which Jesus wants you to entrust to Him this day. What is it that He wants you to be aware of and present to Him for His Mercy. Let Him show you your need so that you may present that need to Him.Lord, I know that You know all things. I know that You are perfect wisdom and love. You see every detail of my life and love me despite my weakness and sin. Help me to see my life as You see it and, in seeing my needs, help me to make a continual act of trust in Your Divine Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The Blessed Sacrament is truly sacred. It is revered and treated with the greatest respect. We would never throw our Lord away or discard Him on the floor or in some irreverent place. And yet we often fail to treat others with the same respect we show Jesus present in the Sacred Host (See Diary #285). Do you realize that each person is a tabernacle? Each person is an image of God and is precious and sacred beyond imagination. We must see all people this way and we must seek to treat them with the greatest reverence and respect. In doing so, we honor our Divine Lord more than we could ever know. Reflect upon how you treat others this day. Reflect upon whether or not you treat them with the same love and respect you would show our Lord in the Sacred Host. Ask Jesus to help you to see His divine presence in everyone you meet.Lord, may I love You always in all people. May I see You in every soul and honor Your divine presence within them. You, oh Lord, are alive in the heart of every creature. I love You and desire to love You more as I encounter Your divine presence in everyone I meet. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Could you be happy if you were in prison? Or what if you were called at a young age to enter a cloistered monastery and live in seclusion throughout your life? Could you find happiness if you were living in the utmost poverty having barely enough to feed your family each and every day? The answer is “Yes.” You most certainly can find happiness within any situation of life. How? Happiness is not dependent upon the external circumstances of life that are out of our control. It is not dependent upon wealth, physical freedom, or even vocational callings. Happiness is found exclusively in the fact that we are intimately united with our Divine Lord, no matter what our vocation or life circumstances. The question is whether or not you are in love with God (See Diary #201).Reflect upon your interior relationship with our Divine Lord. Do you know and love Him in a real and personal way? Do you daily communicate with Him and spend your day in His presence? Is your life of prayer alive and flourishing? Does your heart burst forth with a burning love? God loves you perfectly. Love Him back and you will find your source of your joy in life.My dear Lord, help me to love you with a burning love. Help me to know You in the most intimate and personal of ways. I know that my happiness depends solely upon my love for You. May that love in my heart increase daily so that I may be one with You in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ਚਉਪਦੇ ਘਰੁ ੨    ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ਜੀਅ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਕੀਏ ਜਿਨਿ ਸਾਜਿ ॥ ਮਾਟੀ ਮਹਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਰਖੀ ਨਿਵਾਜਿ ॥ ਬਰਤਨ ਕਉ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਭੋਜਨ ਭੋਗਾਇ ॥ ਸੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਤਜਿ ਮੂੜੇ ਕਤ ਜਾਇ ॥੧॥ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕੀ ਲਾਗਉ ਸੇਵ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਸੁਝੈ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਦੇਵ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ਜਿਨਿ ਕੀਏ ਰੰਗ ਅਨਿਕ ਪਰਕਾਰ ॥ ਓਪਤਿ ਪਰਲਉ ਨਿਮਖ ਮਝਾਰ ॥ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਮਿਤਿ ਕਹੀ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਸੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਦਾ ਧਿਆਇ ॥੨॥ ਆਇ ਨ ਜਾਵੈ ਨਿਹਚਲੁ ਧਨੀ ॥ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਗੁਨਾ ਤਾ ਕੇ ਕੇਤਕ ਗਨੀ ॥ ਲਾਲ ਨਾਮ ਜਾ ਕੈ ਭਰੇ ਭੰਡਾਰ ॥ ਸਗਲ ਘਟਾ ਦੇਵੈ ਆਧਾਰ ॥੩॥ ਸਤਿ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਜਾ ਕੋ ਹੈ ਨਾਉ ॥ ਮਿਟਹਿ ਕੋਟਿ ਅਘ ਨਿਮਖ ਜਸੁ ਗਾਉ ॥ ਬਾਲ ਸਖਾਈ ਭਗਤਨ ਕੋ ਮੀਤ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਅਧਾਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਿਤ ਚੀਤ ॥੪॥੧॥੩॥  ਹੇ ਭਾਈ! ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਵਿਚ ਲੱਗਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ। ਗੁਰੂ ਪਾਸੋਂ ਹੀ ਉਸ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼-ਰੂਪ ਮਾਇਆ-ਰਹਿਤ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਦੀ ਸੂਝ ਪੈ ਸਕਦੀ ਹੈ।੧।ਰਹਾਉ। ਹੇ ਮੂਰਖ! ਜਿਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੇ (ਤੈਨੂੰ) ਪੈਦਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਜਿੰਦ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਦਿੱਤੇ, ਜਿਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੇ ਮੇਹਰ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਸਰੀਰ ਵਿਚ (ਆਪਣੀ) ਜੋਤਿ ਰੱਖ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ, ਵਰਤਣ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਹਰੇਕ ਚੀਜ਼ ਦਿੱਤੀ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਕਿਸਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਭੋਜਨ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਖਵਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨੂੰ ਵਿਸਾਰ ਕੇ (ਤੇਰਾ ਮਨ) ਹੋਰ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਭਟਕਦਾ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ?।੧। ਹੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ! ਸਦਾ ਉਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਧਿਆਨ ਧਰਿਆ ਕਰ, ਜਿਸ ਨੇ (ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚ) ਅਨੇਕਾਂ ਕਿਸਮਾਂ ਦੇ ਰੰਗ (-ਰੂਪ) ਪੈਦਾ ਕੀਤੇ ਹੋਏ ਹਨ, ਜੇਹੜਾ ਆਪਣੀ ਪੈਦਾ ਕੀਤੀ ਰਚਨਾ ਨੂੰ ਅੱਖ ਦੇ ਫੋਰ ਵਿਚ ਨਾਸ ਕਰ ਸਕਦਾ ਹੈ, ਅਤੇ ਜਿਸ ਦੀ ਬਾਬਤ ਇਹ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਜਾ ਸਕਦਾ ਕਿ ਉਹ ਕਿਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਕੇਡਾ ਵੱਡਾ ਹੈ।੨। ਹੇ ਮਨ! ਉਹ ਮਾਲਕ-ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਸਦਾ ਕਾਇਮ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਨਾਹ ਜੰਮਦਾ ਹੈ ਨਾਹ ਮਰਦਾ ਹੈ। ਮੈਂ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਕਿਤਨੇ ਕੁ ਗੁਣ ਗਿਣਾਂ? ਉਹ ਬੇਅੰਤ ਗੁਣਾਂ ਦਾ ਮਾਲਕ ਹੈ। ਉਸ ਦੇ ਘਰ ਵਿਚ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਗੁਣਾਂ-ਰੂਪ ਲਾਲਾਂ ਦੇ ਖ਼ਜ਼ਾਨੇ ਭਰੇ ਪਏ ਹਨ। ਉਹ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਸਭ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਆਸਰਾ ਦੇਂਦਾ ਹੈ।੩। ਹੇ ਮਨ! ਜਿਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ (ਹੀ ਦੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਉਹ) ਸਦਾ ਕਾਇਮ ਰਹਿਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸਰਬ-ਵਿਆਪਕ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਦਾ ਜਸ ਹਰ ਵੇਲੇ ਗਾਇਆ ਕਰ, (ਉਸ ਦੀ ਸਿਫ਼ਤਿ-ਸਾਲਾਹ ਦੀ ਬਰਕਤ ਨਾਲ) ਕ੍ਰੋੜਾਂ ਪਾਪ ਮਿਟ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ। ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਆਪਣੇ ਚਿੱਤ ਵਿਚ ਉਸ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਦਾ ਪਿਆਰ ਪੈਦਾ ਕਰ, ਉਹ (ਹਰੇਕ ਜੀਵ ਦਾ) ਮੁੱਢ ਦਾ ਸਾਥੀ ਹੈ, ਭਗਤਾਂ ਦਾ ਮਿੱਤਰ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ (ਹਰੇਕ ਦੀ) ਜਿੰਦ ਦਾ ਆਸਰਾ ਹੈ।੪।੧।੩। RAAG GOND, FIFTH MEHL, CHAU-PADAS, SECOND HOUSE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: He fashioned the soul and the breath of life, and infused His Light into the dust; He exalted you and gave you everything to use, and food to eat and enjoy — how can you forsake that God, you fool! Where else will you go? || 1 || Commit yourself to the service of the Transcendent Lord. Through the Guru, one understands the Immaculate, Divine Lord. || 1 || Pause || He created plays and dramas of all sorts; He creates and destroys in an instant; His state and condition cannot be described. Meditate forever on that God, O my mind. || 2 || The unchanging Lord does not come or go. His Glorious Virtues are infinite; how many of them can I count? His treasure is overflowing with the rubies of the Name. He gives Support to all hearts. || 3 || The Name is the True Primal Being; millions of sins are washed away in an instant, singing His Praises. The Lord God is your best friend, your playmate from earliest childhood. He is the Support of the breath of life; O Nanak, He is love, He is consciousness. || 4 || --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/gsjhampur/message

If you have truly sought out our Divine Lord, then ask Him if He will accept you into His Heart and into His holy Will.  Ask Him and listen to Him.  If you have surrendered all and offered yourself to Him, He will respond to you telling you that He accepts you.  Once you are given to Jesus and accepted by Him, your life will change.  Perhaps not in the way you expect it to change, but it will change for the good in a way beyond what you could have hoped for or expected (See Diary #14).Reflect upon three things today: 1) Do you seek Jesus wholeheartedly?  2) Have you asked Jesus to accept your life without reserve by your total surrender?  3) Have you allowed yourself to hear Jesus say to you that He loves and accepts you?  Follow these simple steps and let the Lord of Mercy take control of your life.Lord, I do seek You with my whole heart.  Help me to find You and to discover Your most holy Will.  As I find You Lord, help me also to let You draw me to Your merciful Heart so that I may be totally Yours.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The need to allow our Faith to rise above what we know and be open for our Divine Lord to do the supernatural to turn around our situation trusting that whatever we need He has...

What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:3–5What a great image for meditation: “...the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This line completes the unique approach taken by John's Gospel to introduce Jesus, the Eternal “Word” Who existed from the beginning and through Whom all things came to be.Though there is much to meditate on in the first five lines of John's Gospel, let's consider that ending line about light and darkness. Within the material world, there is much we can learn about our Divine Lord from the physical phenomenon of light and darkness. If we briefly consider light and darkness from the perspective of physics, we know that the two are not two opposing forces fighting with each other. Rather, darkness is simply the absence of light. Where there is no light, there is darkness. Similarly, heat and cold are the same way. Cold is nothing other than the absence of heat. Introduce heat and the cold disappears.These basic laws of the physical world also teach us about the spiritual world. Darkness, or evil, is not some powerful force fighting against God; rather, it's the absence of God. Satan and his demons do not try to impose a dark power of evil on us; rather, they seek to extinguish the presence of God in our lives by getting us to reject God through our choices, thus leaving us in spiritual darkness.This is a very significant spiritual truth to understand, because where there is spiritual Light, the Light of God's grace, the darkness of evil is dispelled. This is clearly seen in the line “and the darkness has not overcome it.” Overcoming the evil one is as easy as inviting the Light of Christ into our lives and not allowing fear or sin to turn us from the Light.Reflect, today, upon the very real spiritual battle that takes place each and every day within your soul. But reflect upon it in the truth of this Gospel passage. The battle is easily won. Invite Christ the Light, and His Divine Presence will quickly and easily replace any darkness within.Lord, Jesus, You are the Light Who dispels all darkness. You are the Eternal Word Who answers every question in life. I invite You into my life this day so that Your Divine Presence may fill me, consume me and lead me down the path toward eternal joys. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

We celebrate Christmas because, as the angel said, the birth of Jesus Christ is “good news.” Good news is meant to be celebrated. In fact, the angel said the news of Jesus' birth would cause “great joy” and would be “for all the people”—the joyful celebration would be universal. People around the globe would be glad for this occasion.

We celebrate Christmas because, as the angel said, “A Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” The three titles the angel applies to Jesus are important. Jesus is THE SAVIOR. He is the HUMAN MESSIAH, and he is the DIVINE LORD. In celebrating Christmas, we celebrate the Savior, because we needed deliverance. Listen in as we did deeper in the why, the birth date of Jesus, and much more. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/ray-martinez7/message

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.”  Luke 19:41-42It's hard to know exactly what Jesus knew about the future of the people of Jerusalem.  But we do know, from this passage, that His knowledge made Him weep in sorrow.  Here are a few points on which to meditate.First, it's important to see the image of Jesus weeping.  To say that Jesus wept implies that this was not simply some small sadness or disappointment.  Rather, it implies a very deep sorrow that moved Him to very real tears.  So start with that image and let it sink in.Second, Jesus was weeping over Jerusalem because, as He approached and had a good view of the city, He immediately became aware of the fact that so many people would reject Him and His visit.  He came to bring them the gift of eternal salvation. Sadly, some ignored Jesus out of indifference while others were infuriated at Him and sought His death.Third, Jesus was not only weeping over Jerusalem.  He was also weeping over all people, especially those of His future family of faith.  He wept, in particular, at the lack of faith that He could see so many would have.  Jesus was keenly aware of this fact and it grieved Him deeply.  Reflect, today, upon the serious temptation we all face of being indifferent to Christ.  It's easy for us to have a little faith and to turn to God when it is to our advantage.  But it is also very easy to remain indifferent to Christ when things in life seem to be going well.  We easily fall into the trap of thinking we do not need to daily surrender to Him in the most complete way possible.  Root out any indifference to Christ today and tell Him you want to serve Him and His holy will with your whole heart.Lord, I beg of You to weed out every bit of indifference in my heart.  As You weep over my sin, may those tears wash me and cleanse me so that I may make a total commitment to You as my Divine Lord and King.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It is difficult to stay friends with one who is suffering, especially when that suffering endures.  Often, at first, when a soul is suffering from some illness or other difficulty, many friends come to help.  But as time goes on, fewer friends maintain their love and support.  This offers a test of their love and mercy.  But there is one Friend who will be there through it all.  This is our Divine Lord.  He endured the greatest sufferings in life and, as a result, He does not shy away from the friendship that enters into a relationship of long suffering.  Jesus' love remains steadfast and immovable.  This witness of perfect love must also inspire you in your love for others.  When you see someone suffering it takes great resolve to remain faithful to them and to your friendship over time.  But the longer the suffering endures, the greater the opportunity to love.  Time purifies and strengthens love and when you are aware of the long suffering of another, see it as one of the greatest opportunities to manifest the unwavering love of our Lord (See Diary #1508-1509).Reflect upon those with whom you have shared friendship.  Are there people in your life that have carried a heavy burden for many years?  If so, how firm have you remained in your dedication and love toward them?  They offer you an opportunity to manifest the unfailing love of our Lord.  Reflect upon how easy it is to love another when they are popular, healthy and praised by many.  And then reflect upon the strength and commitment that is needed to remain steadfast to those in the opposite condition.  Renew your love and friendship and you will manifest the great Mercy of God.Lord, make me a true friend.  Help me to see the sufferings of others as an opportunity to love with Your Heart.  May I become as faithful as You, dear Lord.  I love You.  Help me to love as You do.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Today we will be covering a devout method of hearing the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass taken from: The Ursuline Manual, or a Collection of Prayers, Spiritual Exercises Etc. Interspersed With The Various Instructions Necessary for Forming Youth to the Practice of Solid Piety Originally Arranged for the Young Ladies Educated at the Ursuline Convent, Cork.  From the Beginning of Mass to the Gloria Divine Jesus ! Mediator of the New Testament I who didst ascend into heaven, to appear in the presence of God for us, (Heb. ix. 24.) yet daily descendest on our altars, to renew that sacrifice by which we were all redeemed, mercifully penetrate m y heart with a just sense of the happiness and the advantage of assisting at a sacrifice, by which I can abundantly satisfy the justice of God, honour his divine Majesty, acknowledge his infinite mercies, and obtain the graces necessary for serving him on earth and enjoying him in heaven. Permit me, O divine Jesus ! to ascend this new Calvary with thee, that my whole soul may do homage to the greatness of thy majesty; that my heart, with all its affections, may acknowledge thy infinite love; that my memory may dwell on the admirable mysteries here renewed; and that the sacrifice of my whole being may accompany that which thou art about to offer. Alas! I am unworthy to join with thy minister in adoring thee ; I can neither feel the extent of thy blessings, nor acknowledge them as I ardently desire to do; but, O Lord ! be thou with me, that by thee, and with thee, I may worthily assist at these tremendous mysteries. From the Gloria to the Epistle SAVIOUR of my soul! how sweet is the hope, that thou hast absolved me from my transgressions : that thy sacred blood has washed them away ; and that thou art about to seal my pardon by the most precious gift thou canst possibly bestow. DIVINE Lord ! let this encouraging hope be realized ; say to my soul, that thou art her salvation. With the fervent penitent of the gospel, I cast myself at thy sacred feet ; let me hear with her, from thy own adorable lips, the consolatory sentence of peace and mercy; let me experience with her, the conviction that thou hast accepted my repentance, and granted me pardon. Alas ! I well know that I have neither her humility nor her contrition, her fervour nor her love to offer ; but, my God ! I venture to say, that my hopes are established on still surer grounds than would be those virtues, were I happy enough to possess them. If many sins were pardoned her, because she loved thee much, still greater crimes will be remitted to me, because thou hast infinitely loved me, a wretched creature. adorable Jesus ! in thy love and mercy I firmly trust ; deign then to do for me what is altogether above my strength and capacity; purify my soul, and prepare it for the reception of thy life-giving sacrament. At the Epistle & Gospel I believe, my God! every article proposed by the holy Catholic Church to my belief; and through thy grace I am disposed to die, rather than relinquish the precious gift of faith, which elevates me to the adoption of the Sons of God, and makes me heir and joint-heir with Jesus Christ. Eom. viii. 15, 17. I believe; O divine Lord ! penetrate my heart and soul with the entire import of these short but comprehensive words, and let them produce one of those prodigies of grace and conversion, which so often followed from similar confessions. I believe all thou hast revealed, without exception or reserve ; for thou hast the words of eternal life, and thou art likewise the way and the truth, St. John, 30 xix. 6. On thy unerring word I also most firmly believe that thou art really present in the august sacrament of which I am about to participate. what miracles are contained in this sacred and ever adorable mystery ! Incomprehensible as they are, I believe them all ; I adore thy omnipotence, which is a sufficient pledge of their possibility ; and thy boundless love proves to me, in an endearing manner, that they are real. Were my faith as animated as I hope it is sincere, my heart would be inflamed at the near approach of its heavenly guest, and every movement of my body and soul would be a transport of gratitude and ardent love. Come, then, Lord! thou art the God in whom I firmly believe. Come, for thou art the support and term of my hope, and thou art, by excellence, the adorable object of my most fervent love. Come, enliven and increase in my soul the divine virtues infused therein on my admission into the bosom of thy Church. Come, and purify my baptismal robe, that I may present myself before thee with a nuptial garment, and may not deserve to be excluded from the marriage feast. Atthe Offertory Receive, Lord, this spotless Host, which thy minister offers thee in the name of thy Church. Receive, eternal Majesty, this oblation of bread and wine, which will soon become the body and blood of Jesus Christ, who, to render thee in the name of weak mortals the adoration thou meritest, vouchsafed to clothe himself with our miseries — to become susceptible of death, and to immolate himself daily on our altars as the precious victim of our salvation. omnipotent Lord ! behold me at thy feet loaded with miseries, and charged with innumerable debts, which would overwhelm me, were I not provided by thyself with a treasure of infinite value to acknowledge thy mercies, to satisfy thy justice, and to obtain for myself and others the graces thou desirest to bestow. Animated with the most lively confidence in the merits of my Redeemer, I offer thee once more his sufferings and death ; and I make this offering for the great ends for which he instituted this adorable mystery. I offer thee this sacred Victim to adore thee as my God, to testify my love for thee, my Sovereign Benefactor ! to thank thee for the blessings thou hast bestowed on all mankind ; to implore thy mercy on behalf of all those in a dreadful state of mortal sin, and to obtain the deliverance of the suffering souls in purgatory. To this offering: I unite an unreserved oblation of my whole being, and I desire to do so with the most generous and ardent love. I entreat thee, my God ! by the perfect oblation of my divine Saviour on the altar of the cross, to pardon my past ingratitude, and to grant me the inestimable grace of preservation from all mortal sin. But, my sovereign Benefactor ! how shall I thank thee for the precious gift of thy body and blood which thus enables me to satisfy my obligation! This gift, which the homage of angels and men would be insufficient to acknowledge, can only be repaid by itself. I then offer thee my Redeemer himself, as a sacrifice of praise, and pay my vows to thee, (Ps. cxv. 18,) in union with him in whom from all eternity thou wert well pleased. The Latin Prayer Podcast Patreon is finally up and running - for those of you who are able to financially support the podcast please Click Here (https://www.patreon.com/thelatinprayerpodcast). A huge thank you to my patrons! To follow me on other platforms Click on my LinkTree below. linktr.ee/dylandrego If you have any prayers you'd like to request, or comments and/or suggestions - please email me at latinprayerpodcast@gmail.com. Know that if you are listening to this, I am praying for you. Please continue to pray with me and for me and my family. May everything you do be Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. God Love You! Valete (Goodbye)      

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”  John 16:12–13As we continue to get closer to the wonderful Solemnity of Pentecost, we continue to focus in on the Holy Spirit.  This passage specifically points to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Truth.”  It's interesting how Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit under this title.  He explains that He has much more to tell them, but they cannot bear it now.  In other words, the “Truth” is too much for them to bear unless the Holy Spirit is alive within them and teaching them.  This gives us two wonderful insights worth pondering.First, if we have not truly opened our lives to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we can be certain that we cannot bear the Truth.  We cannot understand the deep truths of God and we cannot believe them unless the Holy Spirit is alive within us.  That's a frightening thought in that, when the Holy Spirit is not fully immersing someone, that person is left in the dark regarding all Truth.  And, sadly, they will not even realize they are in the dark!If that does not make sense then perhaps you, too, suffer a bit from a lacking of the Spirit of Truth.  Why?  Because when the Spirit of Truth is alive within, you will know that you know the Truth.  Secondly, when you have fully opened your mind and heart to the Holy Spirit, you will become hungry for the Truth.  The Holy Spirit will “guide you to all truth.”  And one of the effects of being guided into all truth is that you will be amazed with the journey.  You will be in awe at the understanding of things that open up in your mind.  You will be able to make sense of things in a new way.  The Holy Spirit is the perfect “guide” and the journey toward the Truth is glorious.Reflect, today, upon the Truth as it resides in the mind of the Father in Heaven.  How open are you to the Truth?  How fully do you embrace all that God wants to reveal to you?  Open yourself more fully to the Holy Spirit and seek all that He wishes to reveal to you.Holy Spirit, come consume my life.  Teach me and guide me into all Truth.  Holy Spirit, Divine Lord, Merciful Father, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Every reflection of this book ends with a prayer and each prayer ends with the prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You.”  But do you?  Trust is not only a one time act.  It's not something we do or do not do.  It's something we must do on a continually deepening level.  There is no limit to the depths of the trust to which we are called.  The deeper your trust, the more the Heart of our Divine Lord will be drawn to pour forth His Mercy.  One essential aspect of growing in trust is seeing our misery and sin.  When we see our sin without trust in God's Mercy, we are left in despair.  But when we see the horror of our sin and trust in His Mercy to the same extent, He enters in and transforms our souls into His holy and pure dwelling place of love (See Diary #718).Do you trust in God and in His abundance of Mercy?  If you do, you will also be aware of your sin to a great extent.  Do you see your sin?  Are you aware of your miserable condition?  If so, do not despair; rather, see it as a graced opportunity to trust all the more in God and in His perfect love for you.Lord, I do trust in You but I do not trust You enough.  Help me, first, to be aware of my wretchedness and sin.  But in seeing this miserable condition, help me to turn to You rather than to despair.  May my trust never end and may it grow continually deeper so that Your Heart may be opened and so that You will pour down Your grace upon me.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

“Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”  John 15:20Do you want to be like Jesus?  If so, beware of what that means.  It's easy to think that the closer we grow to Christ the more we will be loved and understood by the world.  We can think that everyone will see our holiness and admire it and all will be good and easy in life.But all we have to do is look at the life of Christ to know this is not the case.  He was obviously perfect in every way.  As a result, He was treated with great malice and persecution.  It's hard to fathom the dark truth that they actually killed Him.  In the dark of the night, He was arrested, given a mock trial, found guilty and sentenced to death.  His punishment was then carried out immediately.Why did they do this to the Son of God?  Why would someone so perfect and merciful in every way be so cruelly treated?  If we were there, as His first followers, we would have most likely been shocked, frightened, scandalized and confused.  We may have thought that Jesus messed up and lost hope in Him.  But His plan was perfect in every way and His plan did centrally involve Him enduring false accusations and malicious persecution.  And by freely accepting this abuse, He redeemed the world.So back to the original question, “Do you want to be like Jesus?”  This is a tough question when we look at it in the light of what happened to Him.  “No slave is greater than his master.”  “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”  These are tough sayings to accept and agree to.  Persecution is something from which we should not run.  We should not despair if it happens and we should not hold our head low.  Why?  Because persecution is a clear sign that we are following in the footsteps of our Master.  We are more deeply united to Christ as a result of persecution than we could ever realize. The key is to know that God intends to use all maltreatment for good if we let Him.  And we let Him use it for good when we surrender it to Him and receive it freely, not begrudgingly.  Our response must be to “rejoice and be glad” that we have been found worthy to follow in the steps of our Divine Lord.Ponder today any form of persecution or injustice you suffer for the sake of your faith and embrace of the Gospel.  The Lord wants to use that if you let Him.My persecuted Lord, I do surrender to You all that weighs me down.  I give any suffering I receive for being Your follower.  May I not only imitate You in Your suffering, but also in Your willing embrace of it.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

When a child is frightened or gets hurt, the natural place of comfort is the arms of a parent. This is the first thing a crying child looks for. So it must be with us. The arms of our Father in Heaven, and Jesus our Savior, are what we must run to in our need. We should not hesitate to turn to God in all things, especially when tempted to despair, or when we recognize our weakness and sin (See Diary #505).When burdens weigh you down, or when you get angry or are tempted to despair, where do you turn? Some turn to sinful fleshly comforts, others to harsh words, and others run to God. Run to God in every moment! Ideally, we run to Him when life is good and when we are filled with great joy and consolation. But God also wants us to run to Him, immediately, when life is hard. Make the arms of God the first thing you think about when you find yourself in need.Lord, I do run to You. I pray that I will daily build a habit of running to You in all things. I pray that I will turn to You with my every need. I cling to You, Divine Lord, and seek to rely upon You always. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”  John 13:21It's very important to note here that Jesus was “deeply troubled.”  This shows His humanity.  Jesus had a human heart and loved Judas with a divine love through His human heart.  As a result of this perfect love of Judas, Jesus' heart was deeply troubled.  It was “troubled” in the sense that Jesus could do nothing more than He had already done to change the mind and heart of Judas.  It's not that Jesus was personally offended or angered by Judas' betrayal.  Rather, it's that Jesus' heart burned with a deep sorrow at the loss of Judas whom He loved with a perfect love.  Judas had free will.  Without free will Judas could not freely love Jesus.  But with free will, Judas chose to betray Jesus.  The same is true with us.  We have free will and we are given the same ability that Judas had to accept the love of Jesus or to reject it.  We can let His loving gift of salvation and grace enter our lives or refuse it.  It's 100% up to us.Holy Week is an ideal time to seriously contemplate the road you are on.  Each and every day of your life you are invited by God to choose Him with all your might and love.  But, like Judas, we so often betray Him by our refusal to enter Holy Week with Jesus, embracing His Cross as ours.  We so often fail to give completely of our lives in a sacrificial and generous way, as our Lord did that Holy Week.  Reflect, today, upon the love Jesus had for Judas.  It was His love for Judas, more than Judas' sin, that brought so much pain to Jesus' Heart.  If Jesus didn't love him, the rejection would not have hurt.  Reflect, also, on the love Jesus has for you.  Ponder whether or not His Heart is also troubled as a result of the actions in your life.  Be honest and do not make excuses.  If Jesus is troubled in any way as a result of your actions and choices this is no reason to despair as Judas did.  Rather, it should be the cause of rejoicing that you are aware of your weakness, sin and limitation.  Turn that over to Jesus who loves you more than you love yourself.  Doing this will bring your heart much consolation and peace.  And it will also bring much consolation and peace to the Heart of our Divine Lord.  He loves you and is waiting for you to come to Him this Holy Week.My dear suffering and rejected Lord, I do love You but I also know that I cause Your Heart to be troubled by my betrayal.  Help me to see my sin honestly this Holy Week.  In seeing it, may I let go of that which keeps me from loving You more deeply, so as to walk with You to the Cross to share in Your glorious triumph.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reflection 93: The Meeting of Love and SinWhere do love and sin meet? They meet in the persecution, ridicule and malice inflicted upon our Lord. He was the Incarnation of perfect love. The Mercy in His Heart was infinite. His care and concern for all people was beyond imagination. And yet the soldiers mocked Him, laughed at Him and tortured Him for entertainment and fun. He, in turn, loved them with a perfect love. This is a true meeting of love and sin (See Diary #408).Have you encountered the sins of others? Have you been treated with spite, harshness and malice? If so, there is an important question to ponder. What was your response? Did you return insult for insult and injury for injury? Or did you allow yourself to be like our Divine Lord and face sin with love? Returning love for malice is one of the most profound ways we imitate the Savior of the World.Lord, when I am persecuted and treated with sin, I find myself hurt and angry. Free me from these tendencies so that I may imitate Your perfect love. Help me to face all sin I encounter with the love overflowing from Your Divine Heart. Help me to forgive and so be Your presence to those who are guilty of much sin. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reflection 85: Interior MortificationOne of the greatest gifts we can give to our Divine Lord is our willfulness. We often want what we want, when we want it. Our will can become stubborn and obstinate and this can easily dominate our whole being. As a result of this sinful tendency toward willfulness, one thing that delights our Lord greatly, and produces an abundance of grace in our lives, is an interior obedience to that which we do not want to do. This interior obedience, even to the smallest of things, mortifies our will so that we are made free to more completely obey the glorious Will of God (See Diary #365).What do you want with a passion? More specifically, what do you cling to in an obstinate way with your own will? There are many things we want that could easily be given up as a sacrifice for God. It may not be that the thing we desire is evil; rather, it's that letting go of our interior desires and preferences change us and dispose us to be more receptive to all that God wishes to bestow upon us.Lord, help me to make my one desire that of perfect obedience to You in all things. May I cling to Your Will for my life in both great and small things. May I find in this submission of my will the great joy that comes from a heart fully submissive and obedient to You. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reflection 78: Desire for HappinessThe most basic desire we have is for happiness. Everything we do, in some way, is done so as to help us achieve this goal. Even sin is committed with an erroneous sense that it will lead us to happiness. But there is one source of human fulfillment and one source of authentic happiness. That one source is God. Seek our Divine Lord as the fulfillment of every human longing that you have (See Diary #305).What is it that you seek in life? What is it that you long for? Is God the end of all your longings? Do you believe that God and God alone suffices and fulfills all you desire? Look at your goals, this day, and reflect upon whether or not God is the ultimate end of those goals. If He is not, then the goals you seek will leave you dry and empty. If He is, you are on the road to more than you could ever hope for.Lord, please help me to make You and Your most holy Will my one and only desire in life. Help me to sift through the many longings I have and to see Your Will as the one and only goal that I must seek. May I find peace in Your Will and discover You at the end of every journey. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reflection 77: The Lord Knows All ThingsIt is most certain that our Divine Lord knows all things. He is aware of every thought we have and every need we carry far more than we will ever realize. At times, as we come to realize His perfect knowledge, we may expect Him to answer all our needs even if we do not acknowledge them. But our Lord often wants us to ask. He sees great value in us discerning our needs and offering them to Him in confidence and prayer. Even if we do not know what is best, we must still bring our questions and concerns to Him. This is an act of trust in His perfect Mercy (See Diary #295).Are you aware of your own needs? Can you articulate the challenges you face in life? Do you know what you should pray for and what to offer our Lord as your daily sacrifice? Reflect upon that which Jesus wants you to entrust to Him this day. What is it that He wants you to be aware of and present to Him for His Mercy. Let Him show you your need so that you may present that need to Him.Lord, I know that You know all things. I know that You are perfect wisdom and love. You see every detail of my life and love me despite my weakness and sin. Help me to see my life as You see it and, in seeing my needs, help me to make a continual act of trust in Your Divine Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reflection 75: Encountering Christ in OthersThe Blessed Sacrament is truly sacred. It is revered and treated with the greatest respect. We would never throw our Lord away or discard Him on the floor or in some irreverent place. And yet we often fail to treat others with the same respect we show Jesus present in the Sacred Host (See Diary #285). Do you realize that each person is a tabernacle? Each person is an image of God and is precious and sacred beyond imagination. We must see all people this way and we must seek to treat them with the greatest reverence and respect. In doing so, we honor our Divine Lord more than we could ever know. Reflect upon how you treat others this day. Reflect upon whether or not you treat them with the same love and respect you would show our Lord in the Sacred Host. Ask Jesus to help you to see His divine presence in everyone you meet.Lord, may I love You always in all people. May I see You in every soul and honor Your divine presence within them. You, oh Lord, are alive in the heart of every creature. I love You and desire to love You more as I encounter Your divine presence in everyone I meet. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reflection 61: Where Happiness Comes FromCould you be happy if you were in prison? Or what if you were called at a young age to enter a cloistered monastery and live in seclusion throughout your life? Could you find happiness if you were living in the utmost poverty having barely enough to feed your family each and every day? The answer is “Yes.” You most certainly can find happiness within any situation of life. How? Happiness is not dependent upon the external circumstances of life that are out of our control. It is not dependent upon wealth, physical freedom, or even vocational callings. Happiness is found exclusively in the fact that we are intimately united with our Divine Lord, no matter what our vocation or life circumstances. The question is whether or not you are in love with God (See Diary #201).Reflect upon your interior relationship with our Divine Lord. Do you know and love Him in a real and personal way? Do you daily communicate with Him and spend your day in His presence? Is your life of prayer alive and flourishing? Does your heart burst forth with a burning love? God loves you perfectly. Love Him back and you will find your source of your joy in life.My dear Lord, help me to love you with a burning love. Help me to know You in the most intimate and personal of ways. I know that my happiness depends solely upon my love for You. May that love in my heart increase daily so that I may be one with You in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek at this time. (make your request) We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Saint Bernadette, pray for us. The post Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes Day 9 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

Reflection 19: The Lord Accepts You in His MercyIf you have truly sought out our Divine Lord, then ask Him if He will accept you into His Heart and into His holy Will. Ask Him and listen to Him. If you have surrendered all and offered yourself to Him, He will respond to you telling you that He accepts you. Once you are given to Jesus and accepted by Him, your life will change. Perhaps not in the way you expect it to change, but it will change for the good in a way beyond what you could have hoped for or expected (See Diary #14).Reflect upon three things today: 1) Do you seek Jesus wholeheartedly? 2) Have you asked Jesus to accept your life without reserve by your total surrender? 3) Have you allowed yourself to hear Jesus say to you that He loves and accepts you? Follow these simple steps and let the Lord of Mercy take control of your life.Lord, I do seek You with my whole heart. Help me to find You and to discover Your most holy Will. As I find You Lord, help me also to let You draw me to Your merciful Heart so that I may be totally Yours. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2022 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Beloved: What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life—for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.  1 John 1:1–4This, the third day of the Octave of Christmas, is dedicated to St. John.  St. John is particularly important to honor during Christmas because of the fact that so much of what we know about our Divine Lord comes from him.  Not only did he write one of the four Gospels, he also wrote various letters that are preserved.  The letter above was from the first reading of the Mass for today.In this letter, John echoes what he wrote in the first chapter of his Gospel when he spoke of the Eternal Word, existing from the beginning, taking on flesh.  Here, he echoes that “What was from the beginning…was made visible to us.”  Namely, the Eternal Son of the Father took on flesh for us to see.  John was a witness to this.As we honor St. John, it's good to try to look at Christmas from his perspective.  He would have been able to ponder the great mystery of the Incarnation of God throughout his life.  He would have pondered the reality that this man whom he came to know personally and intimately existed from before time and was a member of the Most Holy Trinity.  For John, the Incarnation would have been particularly real and overwhelming in a personal and transforming way.Try to look at Jesus from the perspective of John.  But look, especially, at the Incarnation from John's perspective after Jesus had ascended to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit.  For decades afterwards, John dedicated his life to the spreading of the Good News.  He dedicated his life to pondering the great mystery, by allowing himself to see more clearly that the human being with whom he walked and talked was both God and man.  He would have never fully exhausted this great mystery and would have continually been in awe of what he experienced.  Furthermore, John would have been blessed to continue “touching” the presence of the God-Man every time he celebrated the Holy Eucharist.  Little by little he would have understood that Jesus was fully present to him through this gift.Reflect, today, upon this great Apostle.  Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for his deeply insightful writings, and try to enter into his mind and heart as he prayerfully reflected upon Jesus throughout his life.  He is a gift to the Church for which we enter into gratitude today.Lord, You are glorious and beyond my understanding.  Your divine presence in this world is truly mysterious and awe-inspiring.  Thank You for coming among us and thank You for revealing Yourself to us through the writings of St. John the Apostle.  May I come to know You more deeply through all that he has written and may I always imitate his example of a beloved disciple.  St. John, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It is difficult to stay friends with one who is suffering, especially when that suffering endures. Often, at first, when a soul is suffering from some illness or other difficulty, many friends come to help. But as time goes on, fewer friends maintain their love and support. This offers a test of their love and mercy. But there is one Friend who will be there through it all. This is our Divine Lord. He endured the greatest sufferings in life and, as a result, He does not shy away from the friendship that enters into a relationship of long suffering. Jesus' love remains steadfast and immovable. This witness of perfect love must also inspire you in your love for others. When you see someone suffering it takes great resolve to remain faithful to them and to your friendship over time. But the longer the suffering endures, the greater the opportunity to love. Time purifies and strengthens love and when you are aware of the long suffering of another, see it as one of the greatest opportunities to manifest the unwavering love of our Lord (See Diary #1508-1509).Reflect upon those with whom you have shared friendship. Are there people in your life that have carried a heavy burden for many years? If so, how firm have you remained in your dedication and love toward them? They offer you an opportunity to manifest the unfailing love of our Lord. Reflect upon how easy it is to love another when they are popular, healthy and praised by many. And then reflect upon the strength and commitment that is needed to remain steadfast to those in the opposite condition. Renew your love and friendship and you will manifest the great Mercy of God.Lord, make me a true friend. Help me to see the sufferings of others as an opportunity to love with Your Heart. May I become as faithful as You, dear Lord. I love You. Help me to love as You do. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

In spiritual practice, the intention of the mind is what matters, not the external activities. One may be living in the holy land of Vrindavan, but if the mind contemplates on eating rasgullās in Kolkata, one will be deemed to be living in Kolkata. Conversely, if a person lives amidst the hubbub of Kolkata and keeps the mind absorbed in the Divine Lord of Vrindavan, he will get the benefit of residing there. All the Vedic scriptures state that our level of consciousness is determined by the state of our mind. Once you are moving in the right direction it is a matter of time. The important thing is to change course from outward to inward seeking. And strengthen the desire for Enlightenment. Everything else falls in place. Sri Ramakrishna says you should want God with the same fervor as a man whose head is under water yearns for oxygen! - Send in a Voice Message- https://anchor.fm/spirituallearningpodcast/message

Breakthrough is the moment when everything changes. The old categories are shattered, and a whole new paradigm is born.   And the greatest breakthrough in all of history is when Jesus rose from the dead. It shatters the old categories and gives birth to a whole new paradigm.   In this passage form John 20:19-31, we explore a 4-dimensional breakthrough from Jesus' resurrection. Breakthrough Resurrection: Jesus' resurrected body broke through all the disciples' categories. Neither Greco-Roman nor Jewish thought had categories for the kind of resurrection we see here in Jesus. This is important for two reasons. First, it explains their incredulity—the disciples were totally unprepared for this, and it took them a while to adjust. Second, it explains why they couldn't have made up this story, because they didn't have a frame of reference for this type of event. Will you allow Jesus to break your categories? We all have our categories for how a god ought to be, and we'll believe when he fits our preconceived ideas. Of course, then we usually end up with a god who looks strikingly like ourselves and affirms the life we are already living. But Jesus breaks through our reductionistic categories. In fact, breaking our categories is the only what you know we're encountering the real, living God, and not just some figment of our imaginations. Breakthrough Blessings: Because the resurrected Jesus is alive forevermore, His blessings in this passage are breakthrough blessings greater and more powerful than any He had previously given. There are four blessings: peace, sending, spirit, and authority. The point of all these breakthrough blessings is that Jesus' mission will go on through his disciples by the Holy Spirit. This mission continues today in all those who believe. We are Jesus' ambassadors, emissaries, and representatives. Will you join Jesus on mission in the world? Breakthrough Confession: Thomas did not at first believe in the resurrection. In fact, his initial reticence earned him the name Doubting Thomas. But when Jesus shows up in the flesh, Doubting Thomas becomes Believing Thomas when he confesses “My Lord and my God!” This confession is like a theological earthquake; it's the highest Christological confession in the Gospel of John. And it wasn't just an academic confession, it was deeply personal. Jesus is risen as the Divine Lord of all. Doubting is not the opposite of faith, because doubting may actually be where faith begins. Will you invite Jesus into your doubts? Have you ever prayed your doubts and asked God to help? Breakthrough Opportunity: Jesus blesses those who will come to believe, but who unlike Thomas, will not have the benefit of seeing the resurrected Jesus first-hand. Jesus offers life in Himself to all who will believe. Will you dare to believe in Jesus?   John 20:19-31

Every reflection of this book ends with a prayer and each prayer ends with the prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You.” But do you? Trust is not only a one time act. It’s not something we do or do not do. It’s something we must do on a continually deepening level. There is no limit to the depths of the trust to which we are called. The deeper your trust, the more the Heart of our Divine Lord will be drawn to pour forth His Mercy. One essential aspect of growing in trust is seeing our misery and sin. When we see our sin without trust in God’s Mercy, we are left in despair. But when we see the horror of our sin and trust in His Mercy to the same extent, He enters in and transforms our souls into His holy and pure dwelling place of love (See Diary #718).Do you trust in God and in His abundance of Mercy? If you do, you will also be aware of your sin to a great extent. Do you see your sin? Are you aware of your miserable condition? If so, do not despair; rather, see it as a graced opportunity to trust all the more in God and in His perfect love for you.Lord, I do trust in You but I do not trust You enough. Help me, first, to be aware of my wretchedness and sin. But in seeing this miserable condition, help me to turn to You rather than to despair. May my trust never end and may it grow continually deeper so that Your Heart may be opened and so that You will pour down Your grace upon me. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

When a child is frightened or gets hurt, the natural place of comfort is the arms of a parent. This is the first thing a crying child looks for. So it must be with us. The arms of our Father in Heaven, and Jesus our Savior, are what we must run to in our need. We should not hesitate to turn to God in all things, especially when tempted to despair, or when we recognize our weakness and sin (See Diary #505).When burdens weigh you down, or when you get angry or are tempted to despair, where do you turn? Some turn to sinful fleshly comforts, others to harsh words, and others run to God. Run to God in every moment! Ideally, we run to Him when life is good and when we are filled with great joy and consolation. But God also wants us to run to Him, immediately, when life is hard. Make the arms of God the first thing you think about when you find yourself in need.Lord, I do run to You. I pray that I will daily build a habit of running to You in all things. I pray that I will turn to You with my every need. I cling to You, Divine Lord, and seek to rely upon You always. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Where do love and sin meet? They meet in the persecution, ridicule and malice inflicted upon our Lord. He was the Incarnation of perfect love. The Mercy in His Heart was infinite. His care and concern for all people was beyond imagination. And yet the soldiers mocked Him, laughed at Him and tortured Him for entertainment and fun. He, in turn, loved them with a perfect love. This is a true meeting of love and sin (See Diary #408).Have you encountered the sins of others? Have you been treated with spite, harshness and malice? If so, there is an important question to ponder. What was your response? Did you return insult for insult and injury for injury? Or did you allow yourself to be like our Divine Lord and face sin with love? Returning love for malice is one of the most profound ways we imitate the Savior of the World.Lord, when I am persecuted and treated with sin, I find myself hurt and angry. Free me from these tendencies so that I may imitate Your perfect love. Help me to face all sin I encounter with the love overflowing from Your Divine Heart. Help me to forgive and so be Your presence to those who are guilty of much sin. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to our Divine Lord is our willfulness. We often want what we want, when we want it. Our will can become stubborn and obstinate and this can easily dominate our whole being. As a result of this sinful tendency toward willfulness, one thing that delights our Lord greatly, and produces an abundance of grace in our lives, is an interior obedience to that which we do not want to do. This interior obedience, even to the smallest of things, mortifies our will so that we are made free to more completely obey the glorious Will of God (See Diary #365).What do you want with a passion? More specifically, what do you cling to in an obstinate way with your own will? There are many things we want that could easily be given up as a sacrifice for God. It may not be that the thing we desire is evil; rather, it’s that letting go of our interior desires and preferences change us and dispose us to be more receptive to all that God wishes to bestow upon us.Lord, help me to make my one desire that of perfect obedience to You in all things. May I cling to Your Will for my life in both great and small things. May I find in this submission of my will the great joy that comes from a heart fully submissive and obedient to You. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The most basic desire we have is for happiness. Everything we do, in some way, is done so as to help us achieve this goal. Even sin is committed with an erroneous sense that it will lead us to happiness. But there is one source of human fulfillment and one source of authentic happiness. That one source is God. Seek our Divine Lord as the fulfillment of every human longing that you have (See Diary #305).What is it that you seek in life? What is it that you long for? Is God the end of all your longings? Do you believe that God and God alone suffices and fulfills all you desire? Look at your goals, this day, and reflect upon whether or not God is the ultimate end of those goals. If He is not, then the goals you seek will leave you dry and empty. If He is, you are on the road to more than you could ever hope for.Lord, please help me to make You and Your most holy Will my one and only desire in life. Help me to sift through the many longings I have and to see Your Will as the one and only goal that I must seek. May I find peace in Your Will and discover You at the end of every journey. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It is most certain that our Divine Lord knows all things. He is aware of every thought we have and every need we carry far more than we will ever realize. At times, as we come to realize His perfect knowledge, we may expect Him to answer all our needs even if we do not acknowledge them. But our Lord often wants us to ask. He sees great value in us discerning our needs and offering them to Him in confidence and prayer. Even if we do not know what is best, we must still bring our questions and concerns to Him. This is an act of trust in His perfect Mercy (See Diary #295).Are you aware of your own needs? Can you articulate the challenges you face in life? Do you know what you should pray for and what to offer our Lord as your daily sacrifice? Reflect upon that which Jesus wants you to entrust to Him this day. What is it that He wants you to be aware of and present to Him for His Mercy. Let Him show you your need so that you may present that need to Him.Lord, I know that You know all things. I know that You are perfect wisdom and love. You see every detail of my life and love me despite my weakness and sin. Help me to see my life as You see it and, in seeing my needs, help me to make a continual act of trust in Your Divine Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The Blessed Sacrament is truly sacred. It is revered and treated with the greatest respect. We would never throw our Lord away or discard Him on the floor or in some irreverent place. And yet we often fail to treat others with the same respect we show Jesus present in the Sacred Host (See Diary #285). Do you realize that each person is a tabernacle? Each person is an image of God and is precious and sacred beyond imagination. We must see all people this way and we must seek to treat them with the greatest reverence and respect. In doing so, we honor our Divine Lord more than we could ever know. Reflect upon how you treat others this day. Reflect upon whether or not you treat them with the same love and respect you would show our Lord in the Sacred Host. Ask Jesus to help you to see His divine presence in everyone you meet.Lord, may I love You always in all people. May I see You in every soul and honor Your divine presence within them. You, oh Lord, are alive in the heart of every creature. I love You and desire to love You more as I encounter Your divine presence in everyone I meet. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Could you be happy if you were in prison? Or what if you were called at a young age to enter a cloistered monastery and live in seclusion throughout your life? Could you find happiness if you were living in the utmost poverty having barely enough to feed your family each and every day? The answer is “Yes.” You most certainly can find happiness within any situation of life. How? Happiness is not dependent upon the external circumstances of life that are out of our control. It is not dependent upon wealth, physical freedom, or even vocational callings. Happiness is found exclusively in the fact that we are intimately united with our Divine Lord, no matter what our vocation or life circumstances. The question is whether or not you are in love with God (See Diary #201).Reflect upon your interior relationship with our Divine Lord. Do you know and love Him in a real and personal way? Do you daily communicate with Him and spend your day in His presence? Is your life of prayer alive and flourishing? Does your heart burst forth with a burning love? God loves you perfectly. Love Him back and you will find your source of your joy in life.My dear Lord, help me to love you with a burning love. Help me to know You in the most intimate and personal of ways. I know that my happiness depends solely upon my love for You. May that love in my heart increase daily so that I may be one with You in all things. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

O glorious Mother of God, to you we raise our hearts and hands to implore your powerful intercession in obtaining from the benign Heart of Jesus all the graces necessary for our spiritual and temporal welfare, particularly for the grace of a happy death. O Mother of our Divine Lord, as we conclude this novena for the special favor we seek at this time. (make your request) We feel animated with confidence that your prayers in our behalf will be graciously heard. O Mother of My Lord, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ and for the glory of His Name, hear our prayers and obtain our petitions. O Brilliant star of purity, Mary Immaculate, Our Lady of Lourdes, glorious in your assumption, triumphant in your coronation, show unto us the mercy of the Mother of God, Virgin Mary, Queen and Mother, be our comfort, hope, strength, and consolation. Amen. Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us. Saint Bernadette, pray for us. The post Novena to Our Lady of Lourdes Day 9 – Discerning Hearts Podcast appeared first on Discerning Hearts Catholic Podcasts.

If you have truly sought out our Divine Lord, then ask Him if He will accept you into His Heart and into His holy Will. Ask Him and listen to Him. If you have surrendered all and offered yourself to Him, He will respond to you telling you that He accepts you. Once you are given to Jesus and accepted by Him, your life will change. Perhaps not in the way you expect it to change, but it will change for the good in a way beyond what you could have hoped for or expected (See Diary #14).Reflect upon three things today: 1) Do you seek Jesus wholeheartedly? 2) Have you asked Jesus to accept your life without reserve by your total surrender? 3) Have you allowed yourself to hear Jesus say to you that He loves and accepts you? Follow these simple steps and let the Lord of Mercy take control of your life.Lord, I do seek You with my whole heart. Help me to find You and to discover Your most holy Will. As I find You Lord, help me also to let You draw me to Your merciful Heart so that I may be totally Yours. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2021 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

When Jesus saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. Mark 6:34What is compassion? It’s an attribute by which someone sees the suffering of another and experiences true empathy for them. This empathy, in turn, leads the person to reach out and share in the person’s suffering, helping them to endure whatever they are going through. This is what Jesus experienced within His own Sacred Heart as He looked out upon this vast crowd.The Scripture above introduces the familiar miracle of the feeding of the five thousand with only five loaves of bread and two fish. And though the miracle itself offers much to ponder, this introductory line also gives us much to ponder regarding our Lord’s motivation for performing this miracle.When Jesus looked out at the large crowd, He saw a group of people who seemed lost, were searching and were spiritually hungry. They desired some direction in their lives, and, for that reason, they were coming to Jesus. But what’s very helpful to reflect upon is Jesus’ Heart. He was not annoyed by their insistence, He was not burdened by them; rather He was deeply moved by their spiritual poverty and hunger. This moved His Heart to “pity,” which is a form of sincere compassion. For that reason, He taught them “many things.”Interestingly, the miracle was simply an extra blessing but was not the primary action Jesus took on account of His compassionate Heart. First and foremost, His compassion led Him to teach them.Jesus looks at each one of us with the same compassion. Whenever you find yourself confused, lacking direction in life and spiritually hungry, Jesus gazes at you with the same gaze He offered this vast crowd. And His remedy for your needs is to teach you, also. He wants you to learn from Him by studying the Scripture, by daily prayer and meditation, by reading the lives of the saints and learning the many glorious teachings of our Church. This is the food that every wandering heart needs for spiritual satisfaction.Reflect, today, upon the most compassionate Heart of our Divine Lord. Allow yourself to see Him gazing at you with the utmost love. Know that His gaze is one that drives Him to speak to you, to teach you and to lead you to Himself. Trust this most compassionate Heart of our Lord and allow Him to reach out to you in love.Lord, help me to see You as You gaze at me with the most heartfelt love and compassion. I know You know my every struggle and my every need. Help me to open myself up to You and Your mercy so that You become my true Shepherd. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS fee

What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race; the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  John 1:3–5What a great image for meditation: “...the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” This line completes the unique approach taken by John’s Gospel to introduce Jesus, the Eternal “Word” Who existed from the beginning and through Whom all things came to be.Though there is much to meditate on in the first five lines of John’s Gospel, let’s consider that ending line about light and darkness. Within the material world, there is much we can learn about our Divine Lord from the physical phenomenon of light and darkness. If we briefly consider light and darkness from the perspective of physics, we know that the two are not two opposing forces fighting with each other. Rather, darkness is simply the absence of light. Where there is no light, there is darkness. Similarly, heat and cold are the same way. Cold is nothing other than the absence of heat. Introduce heat and the cold disappears.These basic laws of the physical world also teach us about the spiritual world. Darkness, or evil, is not some powerful force fighting against God; rather, it’s the absence of God. Satan and his demons do not try to impose a dark power of evil on us; rather, they seek to extinguish the presence of God in our lives by getting us to reject God through our choices, thus leaving us in spiritual darkness.This is a very significant spiritual truth to understand, because where there is spiritual Light, the Light of God’s grace, the darkness of evil is dispelled. This is clearly seen in the line “and the darkness has not overcome it.” Overcoming the evil one is as easy as inviting the Light of Christ into our lives and not allowing fear or sin to turn us from the Light.Reflect, today, upon the very real spiritual battle that takes place each and every day within your soul. But reflect upon it in the truth of this Gospel passage. The battle is easily won. Invite Christ the Light, and His Divine Presence will quickly and easily replace any darkness within.Lord, Jesus, You are the Light Who dispels all darkness. You are the Eternal Word Who answers every question in life. I invite You into my life this day so that Your Divine Presence may fill me, consume me and lead me down the path toward eternal joys. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.”  Luke 19:41-42It’s hard to know exactly what Jesus knew about the future of the people of Jerusalem.  But we do know, from this passage, that His knowledge made Him weep in sorrow.  Here are a few points on which to meditate.First, it’s important to see the image of Jesus weeping.  To say that Jesus wept implies that this was not simply some small sadness or disappointment.  Rather, it implies a very deep sorrow that moved Him to very real tears.  So start with that image and let it sink in.Second, Jesus was weeping over Jerusalem because, as He approached and had a good view of the city, He immediately became aware of the fact that so many people would reject Him and His visit.  He came to bring them the gift of eternal salvation. Sadly, some ignored Jesus out of indifference while others were infuriated at Him and sought His death.Third, Jesus was not only weeping over Jerusalem.  He was also weeping over all people, especially those of His future family of faith.  He wept, in particular, at the lack of faith that He could see so many would have.  Jesus was keenly aware of this fact and it grieved Him deeply.  Reflect, today, upon the serious temptation we all face of being indifferent to Christ.  It’s easy for us to have a little faith and to turn to God when it is to our advantage.  But it is also very easy to remain indifferent to Christ when things in life seem to be going well.  We easily fall into the trap of thinking we do not need to daily surrender to Him in the most complete way possible.  Root out any indifference to Christ today and tell Him you want to serve Him and His holy will with your whole heart.Lord, I beg of You to weed out every bit of indifference in my heart.  As You weep over my sin, may those tears wash me and cleanse me so that I may make a total commitment to You as my Divine Lord and King.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

It is difficult to stay friends with one who is suffering, especially when that suffering endures.  Often, at first, when a soul is suffering from some illness or other difficulty, many friends come to help.  But as time goes on, fewer friends maintain their love and support.  This offers a test of their love and mercy.  But there is one Friend who will be there through it all.  This is our Divine Lord.  He endured the greatest sufferings in life and, as a result, He does not shy away from the friendship that enters into a relationship of long suffering.  Jesus’ love remains steadfast and immovable.  This witness of perfect love must also inspire you in your love for others.  When you see someone suffering it takes great resolve to remain faithful to them and to your friendship over time.  But the longer the suffering endures, the greater the opportunity to love.  Time purifies and strengthens love and when you are aware of the long suffering of another, see it as one of the greatest opportunities to manifest the unwavering love of our Lord (See Diary #1508-1509).Reflect upon those with whom you have shared friendship.  Are there people in your life that have carried a heavy burden for many years?  If so, how firm have you remained in your dedication and love toward them?  They offer you an opportunity to manifest the unfailing love of our Lord.  Reflect upon how easy it is to love another when they are popular, healthy and praised by many.  And then reflect upon the strength and commitment that is needed to remain steadfast to those in the opposite condition.  Renew your love and friendship and you will manifest the great Mercy of God.Lord, make me a true friend.  Help me to see the sufferings of others as an opportunity to love with Your Heart.  May I become as faithful as You, dear Lord.  I love You.  Help me to love as You do.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Mark 12:35-37 - Jesus, Divine Lord Of All (7/12/2020) by Mission Fellowship

Every reflection of this book ends with a prayer and each prayer ends with the prayer, “Jesus, I trust in You.”  But do you?  Trust is not only a one time act.  It’s not something we do or do not do.  It’s something we must do on a continually deepening level.  There is no limit to the depths of the trust to which we are called.  The deeper your trust, the more the Heart of our Divine Lord will be drawn to pour forth His Mercy.  One essential aspect of growing in trust is seeing our misery and sin.  When we see our sin without trust in God’s Mercy, we are left in despair.  But when we see the horror of our sin and trust in His Mercy to the same extent, He enters in and transforms our souls into His holy and pure dwelling place of love (See Diary #718).Do you trust in God and in His abundance of Mercy?  If you do, you will also be aware of your sin to a great extent.  Do you see your sin?  Are you aware of your miserable condition?  If so, do not despair; rather, see it as a graced opportunity to trust all the more in God and in His perfect love for you.Lord, I do trust in You but I do not trust You enough.  Help me, first, to be aware of my wretchedness and sin.  But in seeing this miserable condition, help me to turn to You rather than to despair.  May my trust never end and may it grow continually deeper so that Your Heart may be opened and so that You will pour down Your grace upon me.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Jesus, I trust in You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Jesus said to his disciples: “I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now. But when he comes, the Spirit of truth, he will guide you to all truth.”  John 16:12–13As we continue to get closer to the wonderful Solemnity of Pentecost, we continue to focus in on the Holy Spirit.  This passage specifically points to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of Truth.”  It’s interesting how Jesus introduces the Holy Spirit under this title.  He explains that He has much more to tell them, but they cannot bear it now.  In other words, the “Truth” is too much for them to bear unless the Holy Spirit is alive within them and teaching them.  This gives us two wonderful insights worth pondering.First, if we have not truly opened our lives to the power and presence of the Holy Spirit, we can be certain that we cannot bear the Truth.  We cannot understand the deep truths of God and we cannot believe them unless the Holy Spirit is alive within us.  That’s a frightening thought in that, when the Holy Spirit is not fully immersing someone, that person is left in the dark regarding all Truth.  And, sadly, they will not even realize they are in the dark!If that does not make sense then perhaps you, too, suffer a bit from a lacking of the Spirit of Truth.  Why?  Because when the Spirit of Truth is alive within, you will know that you know the Truth.  Secondly, when you have fully opened your mind and heart to the Holy Spirit, you will become hungry for the Truth.  The Holy Spirit will “guide you to all truth.”  And one of the effects of being guided into all truth is that you will be amazed with the journey.  You will be in awe at the understanding of things that open up in your mind.  You will be able to make sense of things in a new way.  The Holy Spirit is the perfect “guide” and the journey toward the Truth is glorious.Reflect, today, upon the Truth as it resides in the mind of the Father in Heaven.  How open are you to the Truth?  How fully do you embrace all that God wants to reveal to you?  Open yourself more fully to the Holy Spirit and seek all that He wishes to reveal to you.Holy Spirit, come consume my life.  Teach me and guide me into all Truth.  Holy Spirit, Divine Lord, Merciful Father, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

“Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”  John 15:20Do you want to be like Jesus?  If so, beware of what that means.  It’s easy to think that the closer we grow to Christ the more we will be loved and understood by the world.  We can think that everyone will see our holiness and admire it and all will be good and easy in life.But all we have to do is look at the life of Christ to know this is not the case.  He was obviously perfect in every way.  As a result, He was treated with great malice and persecution.  It’s hard to fathom the dark truth that they actually killed Him.  In the dark of the night, He was arrested, given a mock trial, found guilty and sentenced to death.  His punishment was then carried out immediately.Why did they do this to the Son of God?  Why would someone so perfect and merciful in every way be so cruelly treated?  If we were there, as His first followers, we would have most likely been shocked, frightened, scandalized and confused.  We may have thought that Jesus messed up and lost hope in Him.  But His plan was perfect in every way and His plan did centrally involve Him enduring false accusations and malicious persecution.  And by freely accepting this abuse, He redeemed the world.So back to the original question, “Do you want to be like Jesus?”  This is a tough question when we look at it in the light of what happened to Him.  “No slave is greater than his master.”  “If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you.”  These are tough sayings to accept and agree to.  Persecution is something from which we should not run.  We should not despair if it happens and we should not hold our head low.  Why?  Because persecution is a clear sign that we are following in the footsteps of our Master.  We are more deeply united to Christ as a result of persecution than we could ever realize. The key is to know that God intends to use all maltreatment for good if we let Him.  And we let Him use it for good when we surrender it to Him and receive it freely, not begrudgingly.  Our response must be to “rejoice and be glad” that we have been found worthy to follow in the steps of our Divine Lord.Ponder today any form of persecution or injustice you suffer for the sake of your faith and embrace of the Gospel.  The Lord wants to use that if you let Him.Lord, I do surrender to You all that weighs me down.  I give any suffering I receive for being Your follower.  May I not only imitate You in Your suffering, but also in Your willing embrace of it.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

When a child is frightened or gets hurt, the natural place of comfort is the arms of a parent.  This is the first thing a crying child looks for.  So it must be with us.  The arms of our Father in Heaven, and Jesus our Savior, are what we must run to in our need.  We should not hesitate to turn to God in all things, especially when tempted to despair, or when we recognize our weakness and sin (See Diary #505).When burdens weigh you down, or when you get angry or are tempted to despair, where do you turn?  Some turn to sinful fleshly comforts, others to harsh words, and others run to God.  Run to God in every moment!  Ideally, we run to Him when life is good and when we are filled with great joy and consolation.  But God also wants us to run to Him, immediately, when life is hard.  Make the arms of God the first thing you think about when you find yourself in need.Lord, I do run to You.  I pray that I will daily build a habit of running to You in all things.  I pray that I will turn to You with my every need.  I cling to You, Divine Lord, and seek to rely upon You always.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Reclining at table with his disciples, Jesus was deeply troubled and testified, “Amen, amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”  John 13:21It’s very important to note here that Jesus was “deeply troubled.”  This shows His humanity.  Jesus had a human heart and loved Judas with a divine love through His human heart.  As a result of this perfect love of Judas, Jesus’ heart was deeply troubled.  It was “troubled” in the sense that Jesus could do nothing more than He had already done to change the mind and heart of Judas.  It’s not that Jesus was personally offended or angered by Judas’ betrayal.  Rather, it’s that Jesus’ heart burned with a deep sorrow at the loss of Judas whom He loved with a perfect love.  Judas had free will.  Without free will Judas could not freely love Jesus.  But with free will, Judas chose to betray Jesus.  The same is true with us.  We have free will and we are given the same ability that Judas had to accept the love of Jesus or to reject it.  We can let His loving gift of salvation and grace enter our lives or refuse it.  It’s 100% up to us.Holy Week is an ideal time to seriously contemplate the road you are on.  Each and every day of your life you are invited by God to choose Him with all your might and love.  But, like Judas, we so often betray Him by our refusal to enter Holy Week with Jesus, embracing His Cross as ours.  We so often fail to give completely of our lives in a sacrificial and generous way, as our Lord did that Holy Week.  Reflect, today, upon the love Jesus had for Judas.  It was His love for Judas, more than Judas’ sin, that brought so much pain to Jesus’ Heart.  If Jesus didn’t love him, the rejection would not have hurt.  Reflect, also, on the love Jesus has for you.  Ponder whether or not His Heart is also troubled as a result of the actions in your life.  Be honest and do not make excuses.  If Jesus is troubled in any way as a result of your actions and choices this is no reason to despair as Judas did.  Rather, it should be the cause of rejoicing that you are aware of your weakness, sin and limitation.  Turn that over to Jesus who loves you more than you love yourself.  Doing this will bring your heart much consolation and peace.  And it will also bring much consolation and peace to the Heart of our Divine Lord.  He loves you and is waiting for you to come to Him this Holy Week.My dear suffering and rejected Lord, I do love You but I also know that I cause Your Heart to be troubled by my betrayal.  Help me to see my sin honestly this Holy Week.  In seeing it, may I let go of that which keeps me from loving You more deeply, so as to walk with You to the Cross to share in Your glorious triumph.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Where do love and sin meet?  They meet in the persecution, ridicule and malice inflicted upon our Lord.  He was the Incarnation of perfect love.  The Mercy in His Heart was infinite.  His care and concern for all people was beyond imagination.  And yet the soldiers mocked Him, laughed at Him and tortured Him for entertainment and fun.  He, in turn, loved them with a perfect love.  This is a true meeting of love and sin (See Diary #408).Have you encountered the sins of others?  Have you been treated with spite, harshness and malice?  If so, there is an important question to ponder.  What was your response?  Did you return insult for insult and injury for injury?  Or did you allow yourself to be like our Divine Lord and face sin with love?  Returning love for malice is one of the most profound ways we imitate the Savior of the World.Lord, when I am persecuted and treated with sin, I find myself hurt and angry.  Free me from these tendencies so that I may imitate Your perfect love.  Help me to face all sin I encounter with the love overflowing from Your Divine Heart.  Help me to forgive and so be Your presence to those who are guilty of much sin.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

One of the greatest gifts we can give to our Divine Lord is our willfulness.  We often want what we want, when we want it.  Our will can become stubborn and obstinate and this can easily dominate our whole being.  As a result of this sinful tendency toward willfulness, one thing that delights our Lord greatly, and produces an abundance of grace in our lives, is an interior obedience to that which we do not want to do.  This interior obedience, even to the smallest of things, mortifies our will so that we are made free to more completely obey the glorious Will of God (See Diary #365).What do you want with a passion?  More specifically, what do you cling to in an obstinate way with your own will?  There are many things we want that could easily be given up as a sacrifice for God.  It may not be that the thing we desire is evil; rather, it’s that letting go of our interior desires and preferences change us and dispose us to be more receptive to all that God wishes to bestow upon us.Lord, help me to make my one desire that of perfect obedience to You in all things.  May I cling to Your Will for my life in both great and small things.  May I find in this submission of my will the great joy that comes from a heart fully submissive and obedient to You.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The most basic desire we have is for happiness.  Everything we do, in some way, is done so as to help us achieve this goal.  Even sin is committed with an erroneous sense that it will lead us to happiness.  But there is one source of human fulfillment and one source of authentic happiness.  That one source is God.  Seek our Divine Lord as the fulfillment of every human longing that you have (See Diary #305).What is it that you seek in life?  What is it that you long for?  Is God the end of all your longings?  Do you believe that God and God alone suffices and fulfills all you desire?  Look at your goals, this day, and reflect upon whether or not God is the ultimate end of those goals.  If He is not, then the goals you seek will leave you dry and empty.  If He is, you are on the road to more than you could ever hope for.Lord, please help me to make You and Your most holy Will my one and only desire in life.  Help me to sift through the many longings I have and to see Your Will as the one and only goal that I must seek.  May I find peace in Your Will and discover You at the end of every journey.  Jesus, I trust in You.

It is most certain that our Divine Lord knows all things.  He is aware of every thought we have and every need we carry far more than we will ever realize.  At times, as we come to realize His perfect knowledge, we may expect Him to answer all our needs even if we do not acknowledge them.  But our Lord often wants us to ask.  He sees great value in us discerning our needs and offering them to Him in confidence and prayer.  Even if we do not know what is best, we must still bring our questions and concerns to Him.  This is an act of trust in His perfect Mercy (See Diary #295).Are you aware of your own needs?  Can you articulate the challenges you face in life?  Do you know what you should pray for and what to offer our Lord as your daily sacrifice?  Reflect upon that which Jesus wants you to entrust to Him this day.  What is it that He wants you to be aware of and present to Him for His Mercy.  Let Him show you your need so that you may present that need to Him.Lord, I know that You know all things.  I know that You are perfect wisdom and love.  You see every detail of my life and love me despite my weakness and sin.  Help me to see my life as You see it and, in seeing my needs, help me to make a continual act of trust in Your Divine Mercy.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

The Blessed Sacrament is truly sacred.  It is revered and treated with the greatest respect.  We would never throw our Lord away or discard Him on the floor or in some irreverent place.  And yet we often fail to treat others with the same respect we show Jesus present in the Sacred Host (See Diary #285).Do you realize that each person is a tabernacle?  Each person is an image of God and is precious and sacred beyond imagination.  We must see all people this way and we must seek to treat them with the greatest reverence and respect.  In doing so, we honor our Divine Lord more than we could ever know.  Reflect upon how you treat others this day.  Reflect upon whether or not you treat them with the same love and respect you would show our Lord in the Sacred Host.  Ask Jesus to help you to see His divine presence in everyone you meet.Lord, may I love You always in all people.  May I see You in every soul and honor Your divine presence within them.  You, oh Lord, are alive in the heart of every creature.  I love You and desire to love You more as I encounter Your divine presence in everyone I meet.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

Could you be happy if you were in prison?  Or what if you were called at a young age to enter a cloistered monastery and live in seclusion throughout your life?  Could you find happiness if you were living in the utmost poverty having barely enough to feed your family each and every day?  The answer is “Yes.”  You most certainly can find happiness within any situation of life.  How?  Happiness is not dependent upon the external circumstances of life that are out of our control.  It is not dependent upon wealth, physical freedom, or even vocational callings.  Happiness is found exclusively in the fact that we are intimately united with our Divine Lord, no matter what our vocation or life circumstances.  The question is whether or not you are in love with God (See Diary #201).Reflect upon your interior relationship with our Divine Lord.  Do you know and love Him in a real and personal way?  Do you daily communicate with Him and spend your day in His presence?  Is your life of prayer alive and flourishing?  Does your heart burst forth with a burning love?  God loves you perfectly.  Love Him back and you will find your source of your joy in life.My dear Lord, help me to love you with a burning love.  Help me to know You in the most intimate and personal of ways.  I know that my happiness depends solely upon my love for You.  May that love in my heart increase daily so that I may be one with You in all things.  Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: www.divinemercy.lifeCopyright © 2020 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

If you have truly sought out our Divine Lord, then ask Him if He will accept you into His Heart and into His holy Will.  Ask Him and listen to Him.  If you have surrendered all and offered yourself to Him, He will respond to you telling you that He accepts you.  Once you are given to Jesus and accepted by Him, your life will change.  Perhaps not in the way you expect it to change, but it will change for the good in a way beyond what you could have hoped for or expected (See Diary #14).Reflect upon three things today: 1) Do you seek Jesus wholeheartedly?  2) Have you asked Jesus to accept your life without reserve by your total surrender?  3) Have you allowed yourself to hear Jesus say to you that He loves and accepts you?  Follow these simple steps and let the Lord of Mercy take control of your life.Lord, I do seek You with my whole heart.  Help me to find You and to discover Your most holy Will.  As I find You Lord, help me also to let You draw me to Your merciful Heart so that I may be totally Yours.  Jesus, I trust in You.

This section covers the praises sung of Suta, and the request made to Suta by the wise sages eagerly wanting to hear the glory of The Divine Lord and his descent to Mother Earth, the essence of the voluminous scriptures, and with Lord Krishna in His heavenly abode & the advent of Kaliyug when people are disinclined to tread the path of God Realisation, in whom righteousness sought protection

Beloved: What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we looked upon and touched with our hands concerns the Word of life—for the life was made visible; we have seen it and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was made visible to us—what we have seen and heard we proclaim now to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; for our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.  We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.  1 John 1:1-4This, the third day of the Octave of Christmas, is dedicated to St. John.  St. John is particularly important to honor during Christmas because of the fact that so much of what we know about our Divine Lord comes from him.  Not only did he write one of the four Gospels, he also wrote various letters that are preserved.  The letter above was from the first reading of the Mass for today.In this letter, John echoes what he wrote in the first chapter of his Gospel when he spoke of the Eternal Word, existing from the beginning, taking on flesh.  Here, he echoes that “What was from the beginning…was made visible to us.”  Namely, the Eternal Son of the Father took on flesh for us to see.  John was a witness to this.As we honor St. John, it’s good to try to look at Christmas from his perspective.  He would have been able to ponder the great mystery of the Incarnation of God throughout his life.  He would have pondered the reality that this man whom he came to know personally and intimately existed from before time and was a member of the Most Holy Trinity.  For John, the Incarnation would have been particularly real and overwhelming in a personal and transforming way.Try to look at Jesus from the perspective of John.  But look, especially, at the Incarnation from John’s perspective after Jesus had ascended to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit.  For decades afterwards, John dedicated his life to the spreading of the Good News.  He dedicated his life to pondering the great mystery, by allowing himself to see more clearly that the human being with whom he walked and talked was both God and man.  He would have never fully exhausted this great mystery and would have continually been in awe of what he experienced.  Furthermore, John would have been blessed to continue “touching” the presence of the God-Man every time he celebrated the Holy Eucharist.  Little by little he would have understood that Jesus was fully present to him through this gift.Reflect, today, upon this great Apostle.  Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for his deeply insightful writings, and try to enter into his mind and heart as he prayerfully reflected upon Jesus throughout his life.  He is a gift to the Church for which we enter into gratitude today.Lord, You are glorious and beyond my understanding.  Your divine presence in this world is truly mysterious and awe-inspiring.  Thank You for coming among us and thank You for revealing Yourself to us through the writings of St. John the Apostle.  May I come to know You more deeply through all that he has written and may I always imitate his example of a beloved disciple.  St. John, pray for us.  Jesus, I trust in You.

As Jesus drew near Jerusalem, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.”  Luke 19:41-42It’s hard to know exactly what Jesus knew about the future of the people of Jerusalem.  But we do know, from this passage, that His knowledge made Him weep in sorrow.  Here are a few points on which to meditate.First, it’s important to see the image of Jesus weeping.  To say that Jesus wept implies that this was not simply some small sadness or disappointment.  Rather, it implies a very deep sorrow that moved Him to very real tears.  So start with that image and let it sink in.Second, Jesus was weeping over Jerusalem because, as He approached and had a good view of the city, He immediately became aware of the fact that so many people would reject Him and His visit.  He came to bring them the gift of eternal salvation. Sadly, some ignored Jesus out of indifference while others were infuriated at Him and sought His death.Third, Jesus was not only weeping over Jerusalem.  He was also weeping over all people, especially those of His future family of faith.  He wept, in particular, at the lack of faith that He could see so many would have.  Jesus was keenly aware of this fact and it grieved Him deeply. Reflect, today, upon the serious temptation we all face of being indifferent to Christ.  It’s easy for us to have a little faith and to turn to God when it is to our advantage.  But it is also very easy to remain indifferent to Christ when things in life seem to be going well.  We easily fall into the trap of thinking we do not need to daily surrender to Him in the most complete way possible.  Root out any indifference to Christ today and tell Him you want to serve Him and His holy will with your whole heart.Lord, I beg of You to weed out every bit of indifference in my heart.  As You weep over my sin, may those tears wash me and cleanse me so that I may make a total commitment to You as my Divine Lord and King.  Jesus, I trust in You.

Shrimad Bhagavata Mahapurana Synopsis of the Nineteenth Session Bhagavata Tritiya Skanda (Book Three) Chapter 25 to 29 (Let's Delve Deeper) ————————— Krishna Photocopies Himself: This is a beautiful story, where Brahamaji, feels that Krishna could not be the Divine Self, and as he is the creator he would have known. To test Krishna he steals aways all his calves and friends and hides them. Krishna realises what had happened and so he photocopies himself. 20 become the cowherd boys and 20 the calves and one remains as Krishna.  They all return home, and it feels that there is magic in the air. There is more love, joy and contentment in every house, then there ever was. Even the cows are giving more milk then usual. There is bliss in the aura of every being. A lot of time went by, and Brahmaji realises his folly, and returns the cowherd boys and the calves to Krishna.  The Essence: The deepest message here is when we start seeing the Divine Lord in each and every being, immense love for all will be the outcome.  The problem arise when we seclude the Lord to the furtherest of heavens or most sacred of temples. We distance him and yes, worship him. But, we forget the fact that he is present in each and every being, as their body is his temple.  Just by the inclusion of this one thought, the world becomes a better place and that me becomes a better me. This is what Kapila Muni's teaching is all about in a nutshell. ————————-  Swami Sarvpriyanandaji said; ‘Our question show the caliber of our own mind.' There is one university in which the examination is not to answer the questions, but to formulate the toughest possible question paper. The tougher the paper the higher the marks. The students agreed that it is more difficult to formulate the questions then to answer the questions. The entire Bhagwatam is the answer to 2 very profound questions which was asked by Raja Parkshit when he had only 7 days to live. He asked Sukhdevji, two questions.  - How should I die? - If I want to die like that, how should I live? Below are the question of Master Mahashey and Mother Devhuti, which when answered, formulated the teaching of Kapila Muni. Master Mahashey asked; - How can fix my mind on God or How do I think of God all the time or How do I have intense longing for God? Note here:  The answer to another question be it liberation or anything else is turn towards God. But, the problem is how do I turn towards God when I am being pulled by Samsara all the time. When Vivekananda was asked, by a person who was in a hurry, how do I get God. Vivekananda, gave him a nice long dip, till all he could think of was breath and said, when you crave for lord the way you craved for breath, as you were almost drowning, and nothing else comes to your mind. With that intensity when you seek you will get God. Over here Master Mahashey has asked - How do I get that intensity of longing for God? Ramana Maharishi answered;  - Sing the glories of God (Bhakti) - Meditate in your mind, meditate in the corner of your house, meditate in the forest, meditate wherever you are (Raj Yoga) - Always do Viveka - Spiritual discrimination between the eternal and the non-eternal. Turn towards the eternal and leave the non-eternal. (Gyana)  Ma Devhuti also had these questions. She said I understand what you are saying Bhagwana Kapila. But, How do I implement it? Kapila Muni addressed these major questions of Ma Devhuti; - What am I?  - How do I stop identifying with Prakrti? - How do I fix my mind to the Lord? How do I develop the intense love for the Lord?  What follows is his discourse to his mother. Below is an explanation of each. - Prakrti and Purusha - Devotion  - Process of eight fold yoga - Vivek  ————————— Prakrti and Purusha  What is Prakrti and what is Purusha (Chart 1 and Chart 2 enclosed) In simple words, everything that we see is Prakrti...

Our hymns podcast for 26Nov17 includes : Our Favourite Hymns – Praise my soul Welsh Male Choirs – Love Divine The Priory Singers,Belfast – Dear Lord and Father of Mankind Press play to listen or download.

Our hymns podcast for 26Nov17 includes : Our Favourite Hymns – Praise my soul Welsh Male Choirs – Love Divine The Priory Singers,Belfast – Dear Lord and Father of Mankind Press play to listen or download.

Our hymns podcast for 26Nov17 includes : Our Favourite Hymns – Praise my soul Welsh Male Choirs – Love Divine The Priory Singers,Belfast – Dear Lord and Father of Mankind Press play to listen or download.

It is difficult to stay friends with one who is suffering, especially when that suffering endures.  Often, at first, when a soul is suffering from some illness or other difficulty, many friends come to help.  But as time goes on, fewer friends maintain their love and support.  This offers a test of their love and mercy.  But there is one Friend who will be there through it all.  This is our Divine Lord.  He endured the greatest sufferings in life and, as a result, He does not shy away from the friendship that enters into a relationship of long suffering.  Jesus’ love remains steadfast and immovable.  This witness of perfect love must also inspire you in your love for others.  When you see someone suffering it takes great resolve to remain faithful to them and to your friendship over time.  But the longer the suffering endures, the greater the opportunity to love.  Time purifies and strengthens love and when you are aware of the long suffering of another, see it as one of the greatest opportunities to manifest the unwavering love of our Lord (See Diary #1508-1509).Reflect upon those with whom you have shared friendship.  Are there people in your life that have carried a heavy burden for many years?  If so, how firm have you remained in your dedication and love toward them?  They offer you an opportunity to manifest the unfailing love of our Lord.  Reflect upon how easy it is to love another when they are popular, healthy and praised by many.  And then reflect upon the strength and commitment that is needed to remain steadfast to those in the opposite condition.  Renew your love and friendship and you will manifest the great Mercy of God.Lord, make me a true friend.  Help me to see the sufferings of others as an opportunity to love with Your Heart.  May I become as faithful as You, dear Lord.  I love You.  Help me to love as You do.  Jesus, I trust in You.

In Kiskindha Kandha of the Ramayan, the Lord Shri Raam asked Sugriva about the welfare of each one of the vaanars. There were not one, two or three of the vaanars but there were a countless number of vanaars present. The Lord remembers each and every single one of his devotees. God knows who you are and has not forgotten about you. You are in His thoughts, and He is there for you. The Divine Lord is there waiting for you with open arms ready to shower upon you His blessings. In order for us to acquire the blessings of God, we need to first control the mind. We must maintain a mind that is at peace so we can be able to focus clearly on God.

Smaadhi is when you meditate on the Divine Lord. Meditation to God should be done at the appropriate place and time. In this video podcast we will discuss what makes a particular location appropriate for meditation. We will also relate the two types of samaadhi namely savikalpa and nirvikalpa samaadhi.

The question is asked by Parvati Maa: "Can you please tell me the glories of the Lord Shri Raam?" In this video podcast, Parvati Maa has prepared herself to listen to God's glories. The question is; "Are we prepared to listen to the glories of God?" How many individuals truly want to know about God? As mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, and children alike, we need to ask the questions necessary for us to understand God's glories and how it applies to our life. In order for us to understand God's glories, we must ask the appropriate individuals for spiritual guidance (your Guruji). Parvati Maa asked Bhagaavan Shivaji to explain the glories of (God) Shri Raam so she can ascertain the fundamental teachings of the Divine Lord.

God has chosen you to make a difference in this world. There is so much evil in this world that the Divine Lord sends His angels (His children) to overpower the darkness that obstructs the path of His devotees. There are many individuals who are faced with such great problems and do not know how to overcome these issues. Faithful prayers with love and devotion for the Lord is a must. As God hears these prayers, He sends His hand chosen disciples to bring about happiness, hope, faith, devotion, etc... into the lives of all in need. God has placed you in a community and society where you can make a difference in the lives of others. You must always remember that God has chosen you.

Prayer for the Week of Jan.31 to Feb.6.Given by Teri Helton©2010 Teri Helton  Dear Godde,Divine Lord and Lady of our heartsWe seek your presence toShare our circle of prayer,and further empower our intention,as we raise our voices as OneOn behalf of all beings, no exceptions.The festival of Light, Imbolc, is upon us.We prepare for the awakeningof the children of nature as the gloriuswonder that is the Sun, slowly returnsto Light our world.We sense Mother Earthas the quickening of fertility fillsthe soil and she nurtures herselfas she prepares for the comingSpring of new life.Godde of our hearts and of this beauty,Grant that our prayers be answeredIn this time of turmoil and danger in our world;that the true beauty and peace of life embrace us alland those in need will suffer no more.Where there is desperation and fear anddarkness...Where there is hunger, pain and suffering...Where there is homelessness, poverty and dis-ease...In these places and in all places where there is need,We shine Your Light as we pray,bringing your glorious presence to all your children.Bless those who ask and those who cannot ask.May we be their voice.Bless the world with love and compassion,In honor of our beloved Ancestors.Bless our planet and all who live here with Peace,That Peace may be the legacy leave to our children.We pray a special blessing for those whocommit to a life in your service as thevoices of prayer.May 'all' their needs be met.May they be blessed with the best of Your bounty.May they always know the inspiration that they are to all.Thank you for your blessed presenceand for the gift of life.Where ever life may take us,We know that we are One.In perfect love and trustAs above, so below; as within, so without.May Your blessing continue to be upon all!Blessed Be...and so it is.Amen.     DRPC, Daily Reflection and Prayer Circle is in the Grotto Chapel at Priory of the R.O.S.E. Grotto.       We meet for collective Prayer, meditation, healing energy and reflection every day at 3:00pm Central Time (USA)         A new Invocation is written each week. R.ealizing  O.ur  S.piritual  E.ssence