Love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength

Reflection by Maria Cassia

“Jesus answered, “The first is, “Hear O Israel:  The Lord our God, the Lord is one, you shall love your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.  The second is this, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”  There is no other commandment greater than these.’

———

All of our lives should be based on these pillars of Christianity.  There is a difference between the 1st greatest commandment and the second one.  The first love is one of Worship and Adoration while the second one is filial love.

Still, love God above all!  When one loves God fully and devotedly, the 2nd commandment is easy to follow.  The grace of God being showered on you as you love Him 100 percent, no doubt, no ifs and buts:  you will love your neighbour spontaneously.  Why?  It’s because, only His grace and mercy will provide all the rest that we need.

Relationships are more fruitful if we surrender this area to our Creator.  The grace of unity and friendship with God Almighty binds all with love and blessings as we abide in Him!

This is not a secret but it’s the great truth.  Love the Creator of all things first and foremost.  All things will follow and all will be given unto you.

The others will argue, Love your neighbours first!  No, love God Almighty first.  We love you, God Almighty in your Son Jesus by the grace of Holy Spirit! We love our neighbours too, as You have commanded. Thanks forever and ever.  Amen

Lovely Autumn by Pininterest

Repay evil with blessing: 1 Peter 3:9: Reflection by Prayer Aid (Jane Pimenta)

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. 1 Peter 3:9 

Our words have positive and negative power!   Blessing others is a divine action, a powerful action.  Someone has hurt us?  Let us let it go and bless…when we were growing up, when two people fought and each was giving the other grief we would say “tit for tat”   Tit for tat is not the plan of God, blessing others no matter how they great us, is God’s plan.  Forgive and forget the person is also not the plan of God… Forgive and bless is God’s plan.  God smiles on us when we bless, He smiles on our families, and on all we do, and ultimately we will inherit a blessing.  (Forgiving is difficult, but if it’s God’s command for us to forgive, we have to obey.  Excellent, Jane).

Feeding of the Five Thousand: Reflection by Cynthia Abegai

“One of his disciples, Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, said to him ‘There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many?  Jesus said, ‘Have the people recline.  Now there was a great deal of grass in that place.  So the men reclined, about five thousand in number.  Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed them to those who were reclining, and also as much of the fish as they wanted.  When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples, ‘Gather the fragments left over, so that nothing will be wasted.’ So they collected them, and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves that had been more they can eat.”   (Jn 6: 8-13)

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God is awesome!   God makes miracles at the right time!   From five barley loaves, five thousand men were fed not even counting the women and children.

It’s not only about the feeding of these people.  It’s more of the compassion and love of God for the people who are hungry and poor.  During that time, barley loaves are food for the poor.  Imagine the scenario:  Dizzy people so hungry and needing refreshment from the day’s listening to God’s Word.

This miracle shows that God can multiply out of nothing or out of a few pieces of any material thing.  God commands and it happens.  We maybe poor sometimes, but God can restore our loss into something beautiful and wonderful.  God is God!  He can do anything!

Hence, whenever we are in need, bend our knees.  Pray to God with sincere hearts and minds.  God will provide for us, guaranteed, just trust in Him.

We are like children dependent only God’s Providence.  Why not?  Our Heavenly Father is rich in love and in everything!

Real Beauty: Picture by inspire photography

PRAYER --- ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT

A PRAYER

Lord, in union with your love, unite my work
with your great work, and perfect it. As a drop
of water, poured into a river, is taken up into
the activity of the river, so may my labour
become part of your work. Thus may those among
whom I live and work be drawn into your love!

ST GERTRUDE THE GREAT

HE COMMANDS EVEN THE WIND AND THE WATER: REFLECTION BY JANE PIMENTA

The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!"  He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. "Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, "Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him."  Luke 8:24-25

Who is this?  They did not know who Jesus was, therefore they were amazed that He had so much power.  Often we too are like the disciples, we do not realize how much power He has, and that He controls everything, therefore we need never be afraid when life challenges us.   Every power of darkness that surrounds us, falls by the power of the Risen Lord.  Jesus rebuked the storm, today let us turn to Him and trust Him to rebuke the storms of our lives.  Let us open our hearts to the Risen Lord and surrender our situation to Him. 

(Jane Pimenta is a regular contributor of reflections on the Gospel.  She is a very good writer and one of the faithful followers of the Lord.  Excellent, Jane.  Keep up the good work).  New World

Song of Solomon: Picture by Forest Wander Nature Photography

WHEN THE HEART IS FULL OF LOVE BY THOMAS PHILIP RANNI

WHEN THE HEART IS FULL OF LOVE
BY THOMAS PHILIP

There is beauty in the forest when the trees are green and fair. There is beauty in the meadows when wild flowers scent the air.There is beauty in the sunlight And the soft blue beams above. Oh, the world is full of beauty When the heart is full of love.-
Author Unknown

Forwarded by Thomas
Philip Labels: Thomas Philip Ranni's Column 12/28/10 by georgekurian
republished

Kind Words: Picture

Nothing is impossible to God

God loves you! Picture

"For God loved the world so much,...(Jn 3:16)

"For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16)

As in the letter to the Romans, "all fall short of the glory of God.  If God has not sent His Son into the world, we will all perish in totality.  Yet, God's love for us is unconditional, beyond understanding and immense.  Why do we need to believe in Jesus?  Why should we not have faith in anything except God's only Begotten Son?  It was very clear:  "Everyone who believes in Him will have eternal life.". Therefore, we must now think twice before believing in other gods, whatever it is!  God Almighty in His Majesty and via His Word said,"who believes in Jesus may not die but have eternal life."

Eternal means forever.  A person may live from one year till 100.  My brothers and sisters, we are talking about a long, long time, "eternal."

Hence, our salvation is a serious matter. It is already God saying to us by His Word that we could have eternal life, guaranteed, if we abide and have faith in Lord Jesus.  Whom do you like to believe, other false gods?

For our sake and for the sake of our children, have faith in God's Word, have faith in His Son Jesus, the only Way, the Truth and the life.

Dear Lord, we pray today that whoever reads and contemplate about this truth, will be converted fully and will spread your Word.  We truly believe that this will happen, because for Thee, nothing is impossible.  Through the powerful intercession of Mother Mary, St Joseph, St Michael the Archangel, all of the Angels and Saints.  In the Holy Name of Jesus, Amen

Reflection by Cynthia Abegail

INVOKE YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL IN THE MORNING

pic credit:  www.media.photobucket.com   Thanks.
New World

The day could bring unexpected circumstances and twists.
Daily, invoke for the help of your guardian angel in
all things.  Guardian angels are given to us by God
Almighty for protection, guidance and for unity.
On the other hand, one must activate this gift by
invocation by heart and by words!

My guardian angel dear to whom God
commits me near, be ever be at my side
to light and guard, to rule and guide.
Amen.

ALL ARE YOURS FORWARDED BY CYNTHIA ABEGAIL

ALL ARE YOURS

The splendour of the sky, the billows of sunset 

Swiftness of wind--- the gales and monsoons 

Depths of the earth and the gaiety of the star

Radiance of the moon, all are yours my Lord!

The crests of the ocean waves, the trenches
Sand on the sea, the hot desert and beaches
The pinnacle of mounts, the grandiose valley
The hills that surmounts, nothing I own---

Love in the air, smile of the young maiden
Faith as a mustard seed, canopy of nests
The lion who steeps by the green forests
And tiger that lurks for prey at nighttime.

All are yours forever from rising of sun

To it's setting; world stands in utter awe
Of your power and glory O' never ends
As my heart is yours till eternity sends!

All rights reserved:  Cynthia Abegail