Be at Peace

Be at Peace
by St. Francis de Sales

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
Rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise, God,
Whose very own you are,
Will lead you safely through all things;
And when you cannot stand it, God will carry you in his arms.
Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;
The same understanding Father who cares for you today
Will take care of you then and every day.
He will either shield you from suffering
Or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.
Be at peace, and put aside all
Anxious thoughts and imaginations

Happy pick up the cross day

Jesus said to his disciples, "The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised." Then he said to all, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. What profit is there for one to gain the whole world yet lose or forfeit himself? Luke 9:22-25


So happy pick up your cross day. Thats right there is no other way to follow Him but to pick up our daily crosses and follow him.  If not we might gain the whole world but lose our soul.


Dear Lord I pray that I have the fortitude to pick up my cross daily and follow you.  Amen.


Here Toby Mac and others tell us the same thing.

From the Inside Out

Well here it is the beginning of another lent.  I have posted the music from Hillside United called From the Inside Out.  It is exactly what I need this lent to work from the inside out.  Not only spiritually but also physically.  So here is to a great lent from the inside out.

Holiest object presented to our senses

“It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which,if you say it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree helping each other to one or the other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilites, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all of our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations – these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat.

But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit–immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play.

But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously–no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner – no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment.

Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses.” -C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory: And Other Addresses

Follow don't lead

Jesus said.."Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,
take up his cross, and follow me.
For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for my sake
and that of the Gospel will save it.
What profit is there for one to gain the whole world
and forfeit his life?"  Mark 8:34

One day Mother Teresa saw one of her sisters headed out into the streets with a long face. She called her over and said, “What did Jesus say, to carry the cross in front of Him or to follow Him?” The sister responded, smiling, “To follow Him.” Mother then asked, “Why are you trying to go ahead of Him?”

Pretty much says it all, you do not have to be the "sufferer" for all of us, just pick up your cross and follow.  Jesus will lead.  Does make you think there are some of us who like to be professional sufferers.  Always things couldn't be worse.  It is always bad in their lives and doesn't ever get better.  This type of person is leading instead of following.

Grace for our Hard Hearts

"All our life is sown with tiny thorns that produce in our hearts a thousand involuntary movements of hatred, envy, fear, impatience, a thousand little fleeting disappointments, a thousand slight worries, a thousand disturbances that momentarily alter our peace of soul.  For example, a word escapes that should not have been spoken.  Or someone utters another that offends us.  A child inconveniences you.  A bore stops you.  You don't like the weather.  Your work is not going according to plan.  Apiece of furniture is broken.  A dress is torn.

I know that these are not occasions for practicing very heroic virtue.  But they would definitely be enough to acquire it if we really wished to."  St. Claude LA Colombiere

Thought it was appropriate to add this after yesterdays blog on hard hearts.  I think St. Claude had it correct there are a thousand ways we can become hard hearted.  It is up to us with the Grace of God to be virtuous in these situations.  It is up to us say yes to his voice and "harden not our hearts."

Hardened Hearts

"Do you not yet understand or comprehend?
Are your hearts hardened?
Do you have eyes and not see, ears and not hear?"  Mark 8:

Isn't it so easy for our hearts to get hardened in this life we live.  I remember in my youth when I decided I was putting up a wall and very few if any were going to get in.  That's a hardened heart. When we allow sin to cloud our judgement or take over our conscience.  That is a hardened heart.  When we pass by those who have less and are suffering.  That is a hardened heart.  When we think the answer to immigration is send them back where they came from.  That is a hardened heart.  When we think that poor people just don't work hard enough.  That is a hardened heart.  When we look at a race of people and generalize them as lazy or thieves.  That is a hardened heart.

In every one of the above situations I can see our Lord reaching to us to be his hands to others and we give to others a hardened heart.

"If today you hear his voice harden not your hearts"  Heb 3:15

Lord I pray that today you open my heart, take the scales off.

I think my friend Jesse Manibusan says it best in his song below "Open my eyes".