What More Can He Do For You? Follow up!

Last Wednesday, Nov. 21st, the "Upper Room" aka St. Patrick House, was filled with several, pizza eating, soda drinking, cookie monsters(Covenant Keepers). More importantly, than their appetite for food was their appetite for the love of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fr. Larry Richard's presentation on the Passion of Christ in "What More Could He Do For You", enthralled all in the room. Fr. Larry mentioned at the start of his talk, that what it cost Jesus to free us from the slavery of sin was His life. Do we realize what that means? Every stripe on His back, every thorn in His head, every nail in His wrist and feet, He took for us! But what are we willing to pay? Are we willing to die to ourselves and let Jesus live within us? Jesus did the heavy lifting, all we have to do is answer yes Lord! Not one time, like some believe, but each and everyday we must answer yes Lord!
How can we do this you ask? First of all, pray. When you pray, Fr. Larry says "listen" like the prophets. We too often do all the talking when we pray giving God a list of demands for Him to fulfill. But the prophets, would say "speak Lord your servant is listening". It's in the tiny whispers that we hear God.
Secondly, do we fit God into our day or do we build our day around God? Fr. Larry asks the question, "do you try to eat everyday or do you eat? We make time for everything else in our day, why not God? Why don't we do everything around Him, instead of just squeezing Him in at the end of the day?
Finally, are we participating in the Sacraments and spending time in the presence of our Lord? We must seek to reconcile ourselves to God often, fully confessing all our sins with a contrite heart. Then receive our Lord in Communion, not just weekly, but daily if possible. Another way is the Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Like the disciples with Jesus on the road to Emmaus, it was in the breaking of the bread that they came to know Jesus. It is in the breaking of the bread that we will get to develop the deepest personal relationship with our Lord and our God.
So brothers I ask you, do you feel guilty or grateful for the suffering Jesus endured for you? It should have been you and me on that cross, but Jesus pushed us out of the way and gave us a new lease on life. Now it's up to each of us to take advantage of that new life and get to know Jesus, love Him and serve Him, so we may someday hear our Father say "well done my good and faithful servant" Mt 25:21.
If you want to find out how to develop the attitude of gratitude join us every 1st and 3rd Wednesday each month in the Upper Room, where strangers become brothers.

Peace and Love

Ed