In stevegershom blog Steve wrote....
This has very much to do with something Anthony Bloom says about prayer:

It is absolutely pointless to ask God for something which we ourselves are not prepared to do. If we say ‘O God, make me free from this or that temptation’ while at at the same time seeking every possible way of falling to just such a temptation, hoping now that God is in control, that He will get us out of it, then we do not stand much chance.2

At first one is tempted to ask: “Then what difference does it make whether I pray for the thing or not?” But we are not praying that the task be done for us — only that our efforts be guided and brought to their proper fruition.

First Before I go any further Steves blog is well written and should be read.

Will God deliver us from something we are not willing to do ourselves?  I believe the difference is what is sinful and what is an addiction.  If it is truly just our cross in life we are struggling with or in this case not struggling with than no, God will probably not deliver us from it.  Although, He has been known to knock some people off their horse and give them instant conversion from sin.  St. Paul went through this on the road to Damascus.  The instant conversion didn't come easy either.   Remember he was left blind for a while and also talked about his own personal thorn that the Lord would not take from his side. 

I often struggle with letting God do His thing in His time and when am I personally called to do something in His time.  That does not mean I can keep putting myself in the way of sin and think God will save me.  There are consequences to our actions and even inaction.  I consider not moving ourselves from the near occasion of sin an inaction and of course I believe can be sinful in itself.  An example of this is when we are watching something on the television and the show moves on to the next one which is nothing more than some soft porn called and R movie.  Sometimes I am not sure of you but I often leave it play out thinking it will get better. 

It's like I tell my daughters who are now above 18 when they say dad there is no reason to block mtv on the tv anymore we are adults.  I tell them I didn't just block those type of channels for them but for my soul too.

If you are still struggling with something hard remember we all do.  Saints are just those who fell and got up again.  The other thing most sins of the flesh especially feel good for a short time and that makes them so enticing.  Ask the Lord to give you the urge to change before you ask the Lord to change you.  We are in this with the Lord.

What part of the vine?

Jesus said to his disciples:
"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.
He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,
and everyone that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.
You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.
Remain in me, as I remain in you.
Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own
unless it remains on the vine,
so neither can you unless you remain in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches.
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,
because without me you can do nothing.
Anyone who does not remain in me
will be thrown out like a branch and wither;
people will gather them and throw them into a fire
and they will be burned.
If you remain in me and my words remain in you,
ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.
By this is my Father glorified,
that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." Jn 15:1-8


After hearing this Gospel reading at Mass today I was wondering what part of the vine am I and am I where "the vine grower" wants me.  Have I stayed close to the trunk of the vine (Jesus) and producing good fruit or am I way out too far away from the trunk to be of any good and to produce any good fruit?

I decided to find out about grapes and their vines.  On a website on basic pruning it states that all good fruit comes from one year old vines.  Jesus had to know this when he said this parable.  Do we realize that all through our lives he would be pruning us?  Every year the vine has to be pruned to produce good fruit.  When was the last time I was pruned?  I need a retreat from the sounds of it.  Time to go let the Lord do some pruning. 

By the way Lord I am thankful for the pruning you have already done.  I am also thankful for the gift of the trunk (Jesus Christ).  May my life give glory to you.

A very good man

For those who do not know me or in case I have never written it here I work for a funeral home here in my home town.  This morning I helped with the funeral of man named Frank.  When my boss first told me who we had this morning i replied "I don't know him."  My boss assured me I did but anything he told me about him did not ring a bell.  When we were going in to close the casket after the family said their last goodbyes I looked in the casket and there was a face I saw everyday at Mass.  Thats right a daily Mass person who I had no idea what his name was.  I can tell you where he sat.  I can tell you what he wore for a coat in the spring, fall and winter but I could not tell you his name till today.  I feel a loss for not knowing this man better.  Here he was 93 years old (looked about late 70's) going to Mass daily and I knew nothing about him except the clothes he wore to church everyday.  A little of my defense he is not a member of our parish and never was just apparently liked the time of our daily Mass instead of the 7AM Mass at his own parish.  I will say though forever I will and have thought of him as the example of St. Francis when he said "Preach at all times and when necessary use words."  Frank preached with his daily Mass attendance up till his 93rd year.  Yes indeed, a very good man.

Imagine

I have been wondering what I would be thinking if I was one of the apostle during this time after Easter.  Can you imagine there he is the risen Jesus!  It is so good to have Him here with us but what does this mean?  Is he finally going to straighten things out around here?  Is he going to the leaders of this world and show them who He is and take over?  What does he want from me?  What do you think Jesus will have to say to us today?

Mercy Lives!

I don't know about anyone reading this post but I feel better.  I feel better knowing the tomb is empty and the tabernacle is now occupied.  I never really visited the church much on Holy Saturday before but I went up this year for the Divine Mercy chaplet at 3PM and it felt so strange to be there with an empty tabernacle.  After the Easter Vigil Mass I felt much better as I genuflected in front of our Lord in the tabernacle.  Then I went back on yesterday, Easter Sunday, for the chaplet and Jesus was still there in the tabernacle and everything felt so right in the world.  Mercy lives!!!!

A Day Without Jesus

Interesting thing happened yesterday, I got to deny Jesus publicly.  I was asked to lector our Good Friday service and got to do the part of the voice.  The voice gets to say that he does not know Jesus.  Than I also got to say Pilates lines and have him sent to be crucified.  I have to say I am not sure what Peter went through from Friday till Easter morning when he got to see Jesus again after denying knowing him.  I do know how I feel, I miss Him.  Yeah, I miss Him.  I told my wife* earlier today that it dawned on me this is a day without Jesus.

May We Be One

Holy Thursday.  The beginning of the end starts today or maybe its the beginning of the beginning.  I have been very anxious this Holy Week.  Not sure if after all this time I am finally getting it or what.  Just have this feeling like something big is going to happen this week.  Now I know what happened two thousand years ago it just seems like this week is different in celebrating it.  I just don't have the words to explain how I am feeling.  Maybe it will be something that next week or month when I look back it will be easier to see or understand.

Today is the day we celebrate the Lords Supper or Last Supper.  For us Catholics it doesn't get much better than this.  Jesus on this day over two thousand years ago gave us his own flesh to eat, his own blood to drink.  I know many of our Christian brothers and sisters do not see it this way.  I honestly don't get how they can read chapter 6 of John and not see it.  "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world." John 6:51  or in John 6:53-56