To Him Who Has, More Will Be Given? Why?

Jesus said to the crowd: “No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; rather, he places it on a lampstand so that those who enter may see the light.  For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light. Take care, then, how you hear.  To anyone who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he seems to have will be taken away.” [Luke 8:16-18, NAB]

What does this parable mean to you?  Do you think in terms of wealth and riches?  Do you think in terms of talents and skills?  Why then would the Lord take even more wealth and riches from one who already does not have them?  Why would the Lord take talents and skills away from those who already do not have them?

Think about this.  The Lord says “Take care, then, how you hear.”  He is saying to concentrate on what He is going to say because we may not understand without considerable reflection.  We may misinterpret it based upon what is in our hearts when we hear Him.  What is in our hearts may be very materialistic and selfish.  What is in our hearts may be very angry and coarse.  The way we see may be blocked by darkness in our hearts.

Ah.  That is it isn’t it?  What’s in our hearts?  What is in YOUR heart?  Can you perceive?  Are you able to see clearly?  Whatever is bright in your heart comes out as if from a lamp on a lampstand, does it not?  It can not be hidden.  You do not desire to hide it.  Love compels you to emit Light so that goodness may be revealed.  If you are kind, kindness comes out.  If you are gentle, gentleness comes out.  If you are compassionate, compassion comes out.  It is filled with Light, and it is so strong that it can not be hidden.  It is compelled by Love.  It burns bright because you allow Love to enter in and stay, and you nurture Love through attempted obedience to everything that is truly good.  You will the good.

And when you will to love, you emit light, and more “fuel” is given you in return.  You receive more and more spiritual “fuel” for your lamp, so much that you must and can store up this “fuel.”  You can receive more “fuel” because your “heart” is healthy and supple and grows and makes room for more so that even more Light can shine through you.  This “fuel” is from God; it is Grace.

But, if what is in your heart is darkness, how dark that darkness will be, true?  If bitterness and anger and hatred spew from your heart, this is darkness.  There is very little light that can come from such darkness – the light that is there is like a smoldering ember crushed under the weight of disobedience.  Even the flickering light that is in there can be taken away or smouldered because disobedience, like a tar, closes in and chokes the flame.  The tar hardens and the heart can not expand.  There is no room for spiritual “fuel” to keep the lamp alight.  It can do no good unless the disobedience ceases and the cleansing and healing begin.  You must will this.  It is your own will which allows this to happen.  God does not force you.  God, with infinite Love, invites you through the gift of your own free will.  And if you obey His Will, you can be cleansed and healed.

But see?  If you will to remain dark, you hide yourself even from God.  You do not want to be seen.  You do not want to give any light.  Darkness is more important to you.  But know this, that you can not hide forever.  Your darkness will come to the Light.  It will be revealed and judged.

Yes, if you have grown dark and tarred and hard and sick, the Light will one day show your sickness.  Indeed, you must show your sickness now to the Divine Physician that He may see the depth and breadth of your sickness and heal you.  No physician cures a patient unless he can inspect the wound or disease.  You must admit your disobedience – your sinfulness – your past sins.  You must do this in order to be cured.  Humility must conquer pride.  Pride lies and hardens and closes your heart and kills you; humility tells truth and softens and opens your heart that God may heal you.

My dear friends.  Make room for God in your heart now.  Let Him in now.  He wills your salvation and sanctification and happiness. He will cleanse you of your darkness and make you healthy that you may be warm and bright, a happy living delight.  Love compels you to love and you are happy.  And the brighter you are and remain, the brighter you will become.

How bright can your lamp be?  How deep can your spiritual “fuel tanks” grow?  How much can your heart expand?  How healthy and happy can you be?

Think infinity.  Think forever.  God gives Grace and we accept it,  and remain soft and supple and resilient and ever more able to receive and retain His Grace.  We live.

Equally so, how dark can your lamp be?  How small can your spiritual “fuel tanks” shrink?  How sick and sad can you be?

Think infinity.  Think forever.  God gives Grace but we reject it, and we become hard and brittle and fractured and unable to receive and retain His Grace.  We die.

Our time on earth is a trying time.  It is an opportunity for a choice.  There is one right choice, and it is a good and happy choice.  Choose God, and all will be made well for us if we persevere.  We will be given Grace upon Grace.  Disobey God, and we condemn ourselves.  Grace will be taken away from us, even that little Grace we think we have retained.

Truth in Obedience

The Blessed Virgin Mary embodies the loving obedience. Jesus Christ, the God-man, embodies the loving Truth. In Mary’s body, Truth takes flesh. Truth and obedience (Intellect and will) touch and form the God-man, Jesus Christ.

Mary was immaculately conceived for this purpose. Her flesh is immaculate – without the stain of disobedience, that is, the stain of Original Sin.

And so we, too, before receiving the Lord in Holy Communion, should strive to be like Mary, that is, without sin on our soul. We should at least examine our consciences, discover our recent faults and habits, and apologize or repent of our habits. If greater than a venial sin, we must confess it in sacramental confession. Though less perfect with venial sin on our soul, Truth, when received with a contrite and sorrowful heart, will wash away even venial sin from the soul.

How can Truth take root and bloom in our souls if we do not prepare ourselves to receive Him? Truth does not take root in disobedience. No. This can not be. Truth may brush at our souls laden with sin, but not take root because the soul is not yet suitable for the Lord.

Follow Mary’s example. Truth and obedience meet and embrace and hold on to each other. And we bear fruit.

Eucharist – Marriage Banquet – Eternal Joy

In the Eucharist, there is union and communion. We bring forward the gifts – the bread and wine – made with human hands – the product of humanity – that is, imperfect humanity itself. And then the Holy Spirit enters and converts the symbols of humanity into Christ. Humanity is healed and made one with Christ in that instant, and then there is another exchange: We individually receive Christ in our own persons, and we are made one – one Body in Christ – one Body with Christ – one Body through Christ. As one, bonded with Christ, we can never fail – we will never die – we have happiness on the horizon.

In the mean time, when we are one with Christ, we share in His holy suffering.  This is because we live in time, and Christ’s suffering is in time – re-presented in time at each offering to the Father – and we, when we say “yes” to this mystical marriage – become partners in His Suffering.  He is not alone, and we are not alone.  There is nothing that we do not share together.  We share sacrifice; we will share bliss.  We sacrifice through Christ’s Sacrifice; we will receive Love through Christ’s Love.  Christ is perfect; we are being perfected through Christ’s Perfection.

In suffering in this way, the Way which leads to eternal Salvation,  there is reason for great joy!

Without Him, we can do nothing – achieve nothing of lasting importance – that is, we can not achieve eternal blissful Life in Love with Him.  But with Him – holding hands along the Way, we will achieve precisely what God wills for us.  He wills to heal us and perfect us along our journey.  He wills our total happiness in Him.

Be patient.  Endure.  Suffering is but a spark in time; Joy is eternal.  🙂

7 Rules for Achieving Married Love

For all of the young people. Remember that you must build upon these rules – they do not all come at once. It takes time. Have faith in God and He will help build your marriage into one which results in Holy Love. These came to me sometime in 2007 or 2008:

1) Patience: Are you patient with your spouse?
2) Commitment: Are you able to be reponsible to your spouse?
3) Compromise: Are you able to be selfless with your spouse and accept his / her ways as important, necessary and therefore complementary to your ways?
4) Fidelity: Are you able to be loyal to your spouse?
5) Forgiveness: Are you able to humble yourself and treat your spouse according to his / her fragile, truly good nature?
6) Self-Sacrifice: Are you able to give yourself for the good of your family by putting your wants last and considering your family’s needs first?
7) Holy Love: Do you deeply and truly desire all that is good for your spouse and family because they are dear to you?

In Spiritual Darkness?

It is very easy to fall into spiritual darkness. Why do we experience this? The darkness comes when we are separated from God. What separates us? Well, Original Sin weakens us in the beginning (we all have it) and then personal sin (that we commit through our own fault) increases our separation and hardens our hearts. When sweetness no longer reigns in our hearts, we become coarse with foul language, gossip, pride, selfishness, lustfulness and the like. It is like having a really bad case of bad breath in the heart – our heart becomes foul and moldy.

Prayer (response to God’s calling us) and repentance (willingness and desire to grow closer to God through obedience to His Love) is what helps bring us out of spiritual darkness.  If we turn to Him and extend our hand even with the slightest sincerity, He will help.  All is HOPE in God.

But we must persevere in this way.  Like an athelete, when we persevere, we finish the race.  Finishing is winning no matter who is first.

And in persevering, we should make use of all of the sacraments which the Church provides us to help us to salvation.  We’re never alone unless we choose to be alone.

Why We Contemplate the Sacred Heart of Jesus

In the Catholic Church, we make ample use of sacred imagery to help us contemplate our Lord who is hidden from us – present in certain ways, yet unseen in his true appearance. When we meditate upon the Heart of Christ, we are drawn to contemplate His woundedness (the thorns), His sacrifice (the Cross), His ever-burning, merciful and infinite Love (the Flame) and His intimate and perfect human soul (the Heart). Because God is Love, and because we all yearn for enduring love, we all yearn for God. He created us to be this way. Embrace Him.

Preciousness and Sweetness of God

When we dwell on God’s goodness, we are able to know that He is actually very precious to us.  Our spirit – our soul can know this.  In knowing this, we are being comforted, consoled, healed.  He refreshes us and makes us swoon in delight.  He fills us with New, Clean Water which washes us and revives us.  We are made pure by Him and we prosper in love.

And Then There Was Light

God provides all of the Light.  I am going to try to direct It your way.  Follow me in faith as we both seek to understand the Holy Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, what He desires to teach us in this life, and where He desires to lead us in the life hereafter.