I'm more and more convinced there are not coincidences, but all in perfect planning by God. As fundamentalist Islamic fanatics continue their violence and spread if their evil ways, driving almost every single Christian out if Iraq and another Islamic fundamentalist state, Iran, is poised to join, we have the Solemnity of the Most Holy Blessed Trinity upon the Catholic Church - 1Billion strong this Sunday. We believe in One God- three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This among many other core beliefs distinguish us from the Islamic faith. May I suggest that we invoke this Holy Trinity at Mass tomorrow and throughout these weeks along soon with the upcoming feasts of the Body and Blood of Our Lord and the Feast of His Sacred Heart to protect all, especially those Christians in the midst of the slaughter and chaos.
When I was very young we children used to gather and pulling the skirt of my mother and beg her to tell us, each and every one of us that it was we who loved the most. My mother in her wisdom never told us so. Just as well ; for she would have caused the child she told so to burst with joy and pride and the hearts of the nine other children to break with sadness. The other night I was praying to God the Father and begged with the same childish greed that He would tell me I and I alone was His great favourite. There was a pause. Then the Father said with great tenderness. 'Ah yes you are my favourite my favourite of all...' Then a pause 'Just as each and every one of my children is my very favourite and loved totally and above all..' I felt a grumbling dissatisfaction at this for I thought if all are favourites He has no favourites. But again the father spoke. 'No I mean exactly what I say, for I love each and everyone infinitely and so equally , because it would be impossible to love each and everyone of you more..' My mouth dropped open at this.How incredible is God's love. He could not love us more. I went down in prayer one time to hell, passing through two great pillars, gates to get there. What a sad strange place , like a misty cemetery at night time, no light but a ghastly moon light and lay placed in a box in the ground like a muddy cave. No need for demons to torment or flames to burn at the thought that came to me there. That God loved me and I was separated from Him for all Eternity. But I thought of hell when God reminded me we are all His favourites. For how truly terrible it would be to lie in hell for ever and ever separated from God and knowing we are His very favourite child. View attachment 2012
Padraig, what a beautiful dream. Today's Gospel maybe reflects your dream a bit. A priest once said to take this Gospel and mentally replace the word "world" with "me" and you get a deeper sense of how much God loves us. Yes, God not just the "world" so much, but each of us individually that He sent His only Son not to condemn us but to save us IF we believe in Him. That does burst me with joy! Gospel JN 3:16-18 God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him will not be condemned, but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
How like God, Mike and how very like St John the Evangelist that this simple passage should at the one time be so reassuring and at the same time so much a challenge. It reminds me of how often spiritual writings and sermons these days can be over reassuring without the challenge, the teeth; whereas in days of old they were full of challenge without the reassurance. Like the smallest of children, however, we require both. It is well seen that John lived so long with Mary, Mother of God in Ephesus. Like a perfect , loving mother she knows so well how to bring us both.
Padraig, I love how Abba spoke to you, for I experience something akin with my own six children. Sometimes I confuse love with compatibility or expressions of love. If the depth of love was based on these, than I would love my daughters more than my sons because my girls take the time to frequently express their affection for me. Not so the boys. Interestingly, I recently mentioned how I experienced a healing of memories over a hurtful thing my Christopher had said three years ago. Though my heart had ached for three years in carrying that pain, I never loved him less. He is my son. Consider the parable of the prodigal son from Luke 15. The father lavished attention on the wayward son upon his return. The older son became envious over this expressed love, but the envy was based on perception, not reality: 31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you have always been with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 'But we had to celebrate and rejoice, for this brother of yours was dead and has begun to live, and was lost and has been found.' " All that Abba has is yours Padraig. The beauty of the Kingdom is this: there is no envy among siblings and so we will turn and share with one another freely. Yes, the love of God is unfathomable and inexhaustible, and always personable. Alleluia! Safe in the Love of the Holy Trinity!
Oh my, you must be so happy padraig. To hear this... Your prayer and the Father's words are going in my handwritten collection of quotes. . + + + The other night I was praying to God the Father and begged with the same childish greed that He would tell me I and I alone was His great favourite. There was a pause. Then the Father said with great tenderness. 'Ah yes you are my favourite my favourite of all...' Then a pause 'Just as each and every one of my children is my very favourite and loved totally and above all..' I felt a grumbling dissatisfaction at this for I thought if all are favourites He has no favourites. But again the father spoke. 'No I mean exactly what I say, for I love each and everyone infinitely and so equally , because it would be impossible to love each and everyone of you more..' My mouth dropped open at this.How incredible is God's love. He could not love us more.
I can think of no better way, Terry of living in the very heart of the Trinity than having a family of your very own. For that is what the Trinity is ; a family.
I think one of the nicest things I ever heard Jackie was from the book of Gabrielle Bossis the French mystic , author of 'He and I'. http://www.mysticsofthechurch.com/2009/11/gabrielle-bossis-he-and-i.html She was travelling through Italy by train when it stopped in a Communist run town (I think it might have been Bologna) , anyway Gabrielle was talking to Jesus when Jesus said to her, 'You are the only one talking to me in this whole great train station'. Yes sad. But how wonderful in a way too; that she would have been the only , the only one there. I know its a selfish kind of way of looking at it, but part of me is still the spoilt child. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=...AQ6wEwAA#v=onepage&q=Gabrielle Bossis&f=false
