Episodios

  • Reflection 219- Difficulties in Proclaiming Mercy

    Reflection 219- Difficulties in Proclaiming Mercy
    Aug 5 2024
    If you commit yourself to a full embrace of the Mercy of God in your life, you will be transformed beyond your wildest dreams. But you will also have another experience. You will encounter great difficulties in your attempts to live and proclaim Mercy to a fallen world. The world does not understand the Mercy of God. The world only knows harshness and judgment. It seeks revenge and honors pride and self-assertion. Mercy, however, it does not understand. And when you embrace Mercy and allow it to be made manifest through your life, it will not always be accepted. You may be misunderstood, labeled as weak and even ignored by many. Do not get discouraged at the rejection you will encounter as you seek to be an apostle of the Mercy of God. This is inevitable, but in that rejection and in every difficulty you encounter, you will discover a new level of holiness as you rest close to the Heart of Christ (See Diary #1142).

    As you attempt to embrace Mercy in your life, what difficulties do you encounter? Do others fail to understand the path you are on? Do you feel misunderstood and even judged? Reflect upon your experience and try to surrender every difficulty you experience over to the Heart of Christ. His act of perfect Mercy, manifested through His death on the Cross, was seen by many as a pitiful and unfortunate consequence of His weakness. However, Jesus’ love was not hampered by these false perceptions. He pressed on, offering His life for the salvation of the world. You must do the same.

    Lord, Your Mercy is so profound and so mysterious that, at times, I question its wisdom. I question whether I am walking the road to sanctity or foolishness. Give me courage, clarity and strength to persevere down the road You have called me and help me to continually trust in Your abundance of Mercy. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: www.divinemercy.life
    Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured Image above: Crucifixion by Jacob Jordaens
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  • Reflection 218- A Single Perception of God

    Reflection 218- A Single Perception of God
    Aug 4 2024
    It is important to understand God and His ways, but understanding is not the same as knowing. Knowing God means we encounter a Person. We do not only understand what this person says; rather, we engage, meet, experience and enter into a relationship with this Person. In fact, one of the greatest blessings we can ever receive in this life is to obtain even a single perception of God. Even one single perception of Him, one single encounter with Him, one single act of knowing Him is enough to change our lives forever. An act of authentic knowing of God is more important than any other act we can do in life (See Diary #1133).

    If you were offered all the wealth and fame of the world, great success and prestige, would you take it? Most likely you would. Being successful or wealthy or well known or greatly honored is often desirable. In and of themselves, none of these qualities are bad. But there is a grave danger in these desires the moment that they become more important to us than our desire to know God, distracting us from that ultimate goal. The moment we find ourselves desiring worldly things more than a desire for the very Person of God is the moment that we have mixed up our priorities in life. Seek even one single act of encountering our merciful God and you will find that this knowledge of Him is worth more than anything this world can offer.

    My Lord, I desire to know You. Please increase that desire in my soul so that it is more powerful than every other desire in my life. I pray that You give me even a single perception of You, a single knowledge of You, dear Lord, and in that knowledge please change my life. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: www.divinemercy.life
    Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured Image above: Christ and the Rich Young Ruler by Heinrich Hofmann, via Wikimedia Commons
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  • Reflection 217- The Lazy and Idle Soul

    Reflection 217- The Lazy and Idle Soul
    Aug 3 2024
    We please the evil one when we allow our souls to become lazy and idle in the things of God. An idle soul is one that does not seek to engage the life of God. An idle soul is one who is passive in spiritual things rather than active. Being “passive,” means that the person is somewhat indifferent to matters of faith and morality. There is little interest in these areas and, as a result, very little effort is given to them. Do not delight the evil one by being idle in your spiritual life. Become zealous, passionate, hard working, diligent and committed to the path of holiness. Seek to meet our Lord, personally, through a life of generous self-surrender to Him. And never tire of doing so with all the powers of your soul (See Diary #1127).

    What are you passionate about? For example, do you have some hobby or pastime? Do you have some activity that you love doing and spend much time with? Though a hobby can be healthy, your greatest “pastime” should be that of seeking God and serving His holy Will. Nothing in life should take up more time and focus than your love of God. Reflect upon how determined you are in your life of faith. How committed are you to building a relationship with your merciful Lord? Are you idle or lazy in this area? Renew your zeal for God and allow that zeal to guide you into an ever deepening relationship with your Lord. Give Him more than an hour a week and you will reap the blessings of your commitment.

    Lord, I want to be holy. However, I realize that I do not desire holiness enough, preferring instead to be idle and lazy at times. Please increase my zeal and my desire to come to know You more. And as I grow in a deeper love for You, magnify that love and help it to continue growing in an exponential way. May I never tire of seeking You and loving You, dear Lord. I give you my life. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: www.divinemercy.life
    Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured image above: by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
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  • Reflection 216- Clarity of Mind through Authentic Love

    Reflection 216- Clarity of Mind through Authentic Love
    Aug 2 2024
    Our Church sets before us many teachings that can only be understood by grace. Some teachings are about morality, calling us to a life of great virtue. Some teachings are about God, His very being and essence. Some teachings are about humanity and bring clarity to who we are. What’s important to understand is that nothing that the Church teaches can be fully understood without love. Love is like a window inserted into a brick wall surrounding the many truths revealed to us by God. Unless we find that window and peer through, we are left unaware of all that God wishes to teach us each day. Love of God and love of others enables us to quickly make sense of the greatest mysteries of life. Through love, our minds perceive and clarify life itself and all that God wishes to reveal to us in faith. Choose to love God and others with a spiritual, selfless and sacrificial love, and allow that love to become the source of your understanding in life (See Diary #1123).

    What is it that causes you the greatest confusion? Is there some article of faith taught by the Church that you do not understand? Or perhaps there is confusion over a relationship you have, not knowing how to approach it or to resolve some underlying problem. Whatever it is that you find difficult to “solve,” know that your answer will come only when you choose to love God and others with a pure love, the love of Mercy. This is not a selfish love based on your feelings, but is a sacrificial and selfless love that imitates Jesus and His Cross. Commit to this love and you will quickly and easily comprehend the mysteries of life.

    Lord, please enlighten me. Help me to realize that pure and holy love opens the door to the mysteries of life. May I open that door through my love of You, and discover all that You wish to teach me. This is a Mercy for which I am eternally grateful. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.com
    Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured image above: flickr
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  • Reflection 215- The Freedom to Choose

    Reflection 215- The Freedom to Choose
    Aug 1 2024
    In one sense we can say that God imposes upon us an obligation to turn to Him with our whole being and receive His Mercy. He also imposes upon us the obligation to spread His Mercy to others. But we must understand that this is no ordinary “obligation.” It’s an obligation of love. This means that the “imposition” of this obligation is no imposition at all. It is something that God gives us complete freedom to choose or reject. There are no strings attached, no forms of force; rather, we are left in complete freedom to choose or not to choose to accept and bestow the Mercy of God. This freedom is essential to our lives and is essential to the gift of God’s Mercy. Only by giving us this freedom can we fully cooperate with this gift because Mercy must be freely given and freely received. If it is not, then it is not Mercy. Be grateful for the freedom the Lord has given you and use it to make a glorious choice (See Diary #1115).

    Reflect, today, upon these two gifts God has given you. First, reflect upon the gift of freedom. In having free will, you are able to make your own choices in life. As a result, you also either reap the blessings of the choices you make, or suffer the consequences. Reflect, also, upon the fact that you are invited by God to accept and distribute His abundant gift of Mercy. By freely choosing this gift, you invite the God of the Universe to descend from His Throne of Grace and embrace you with an embrace of pure love, enabling you to offer that embrace to others.

    Lord, I give You my life and freely choose to receive all the Mercy of Your most Sacred Heart. Help me to be open to all that You wish to bestow, and help me to be open to bestow all that You wish to offer others. I thank You, Lord, for these glorious gifts of freedom and Mercy and I choose Your Mercy with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: www.divinemercy.life
    Copyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured image above: flickr
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  • Reflection 214- A Complete Pardon

    Reflection 214- A Complete Pardon
    Jul 31 2024
    Imagine that you were guilty of a serious crime and faced life in prison. You were sorry for what you had done and fully confessed to it. On the day of your sentencing you came in handcuffed from where you were being held knowing that you would soon return. Instead, the judge ordered that your shackles be removed, that you were to receive a full pardon and that you were being granted a complete restoration to your former life. Certainly you would be filled with gratitude. But we must realize that God has not only done this, He has done even more. He also elevates us the status as His sons and daughters, a new status that we do not deserve in the order of grace. The Mercy of God is amazing and beyond what we can comprehend. All we have to do is repent and entrust ourselves to the benevolence of this good Judge. This is especially done through Confession and trusting in the abundance of Mercy offered to those who specifically go to Confession in honor of Divine Mercy Sunday (See Diary #1109).

    Can you admit to your sin? Are you aware of your sin? If so, then you are one step away from receiving a full pardon from the Most Merciful Judge. God longs to not only wipe away your sins, He also longs to elevate you to the glorious heights of Mercy. Do you want this? If so, do not hesitate in believing in the glorious Sacrament of Confession, and do not hesitate to trust in His Mercy poured out on Divine Mercy Sunday each year. Seek His pardon, especially on that glorious day.

    Lord, give me the grace of knowing my sins and confessing them in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. May I have great courage to face Your Mercy in that Sacrament so as to be elevated to the glorious status of Your sons and daughters. And may I especially trust in the Mercy You bestow on Divine Mercy Sunday. Thank You for the graces bestowed on this most holy day. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: www.divinemercy.life
    Copyright © 2023 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured Image above: Christ Pantocrator by Jan Henryk Rosen, via Wikimedia Commons
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  • Reflection 213- The Spiritual Gift of Understanding

    Reflection 213- The Spiritual Gift of Understanding
    Jul 30 2024
    Do you understand the mysteries of God? Imagine that you were a theologian who studied the faith of our Church for many years. Would knowledge of all the theological disciplines of our Church necessarily produce in you an authentic understanding of these mysteries that were studied? No, it wouldn’t necessarily produce understanding. In fact, it is entirely possible that while knowing all about God and all that has been revealed through the ages, you still might lack an authentic understanding of God and the profound mysteries of our faith. Understanding ultimately comes as a gift from God. It’s an infused gift which illumines and enlightens and is obtainable only by a direct and personal revelation from God. Yes, study of the faith and attentiveness to clear articulation of this same faith disposes one to understand, but the inspired gift of Understanding is still required to penetrate and grasp all mysteries of our faith. Understanding is a true gift of God’s Mercy (See Diary #1107).

    Reflect upon your own understanding of the infinite Mercy of God. How fully do you comprehend this Mercy? Reflect upon all that God has revealed to us throughout history. He has spoken definitively through Scripture and has also spoken definitively through His Church in numerous ways. Reflect upon how fully you grasp all the articles of our faith that have been revealed through the ages. God has spoken in a clear and public way. Now He desires to speak those same truths to you in the depths of your soul. If you are willing to listen, your understanding will open the floodgates of the Mercy of God.

    Lord, there are so many truths that I do not fully grasp. Your life and Your workings are glorious and mysterious all at once. Give me the grace of Understanding so that I may penetrate the depths of Your Truth and Your Mercy. I open myself to You, dear Lord. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: www.divinemercy.life
    Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Features image above: Saint Jerome in his study by Reymerswale, via Wikimedia Commons
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  • Reflection 212- Overcoming Doubt

    Reflection 212- Overcoming Doubt
    Jul 28 2024
    What is “doubt?” To doubt is to lack faith, and to lack faith is to lack trust in the perfect revelation and plan of God’s Will. First and foremost, a doubt, resulting from a lack of faith, means you are not listening. When we doubt God, His plan and all that He reveals to us, we are left on our own. But when we listen, hear, understand and believe, we are covered in the protection of His Mercy on account of the faith that we manifest. Faith means that we know with certainty all that God says and wills. Faith is not just believing in something we hope is true, it’s knowing and believing all that is true (See Diary #1101).

    Do you doubt at times? Or do you have faith? This is an exceptionally important question to ponder. Begin by asking yourself these questions: Do I listen to the Voice of God? Do I hear God speak to me and do I comprehend all that He says? Without these first steps, faith is impossible. Hearing Him speak can only come through prayer. And the form of prayer we need could be called “soaking prayer.” Soaking prayer is a form of prayer by which we allow ourselves to daily become immersed in the Voice of God revealing His holy Will. He speaks to us all day, every day. Little by little we listen, comprehend and respond. This produces the gift of faith and that faith will lead your life. Reflect upon this process in your life and renew your commitment to start at the beginning so that the Lord will lead you one step at a time.

    Dear Lord, I desire to hear You speak to me. Help me to open my ears to hear so that I may know You and discern Your perfect Will for my life. I desire to be led each day only by You and to trust in the gentle guidance of Your holy Will. Jesus, I trust in You.

    Source of content: www.divinemercy.life
    Copyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.

    Featured Image above: A Woman Praying by Willem de Poorter, via Wikimedia Commons
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