RCIA Posting - DO YOU WANT TO BE HOLY?

Hello everyone!

I have been teaching the RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) Pre-catechumenate at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish for two years now. What a wonderful experience it has been and I thank God that He has given me the opportunity to share this time with everyone that is in the class.

 We had such an amazing class last night that I wanted to start sharing with everyone the readings we are going over each Wednesday.  I hope and pray that you will take the time to reflect on the readings and share with others. Also, please share any comments or questions you may have.

Here goes the first of many!

RCIA - Wednesday, October 12, 2011

DO YOU WANT TO BE HOLY?

"Let them grow together until harvest." —Matthew 13:30

If you are living for Jesus, you are God's wheat, citizens of His Father's kingdom (Mt 13:38). This means you are surrounded by weeds, the "followers of the evil one" (Mt 13:38). You hope and pray that God will take these people out of your life. However, the Lord refuses to do this. He wants you to grow in holiness by loving your neighbors (Mt 22:39), even and especially those who are your enemies (Mt 5:44). He wants you to "rule in the midst of your enemies" (Ps 110:2). He will spread His table before you in the sight of your foes (Ps 23:5). Some people may even be thorns in your flesh to keep you from getting proud and to help you become humble (2 Cor 12:7). Thank God that He has left the followers of Satan in our midst. As we grow in love for them and for the Lord, we can more easily see that the Lord "makes all things work together for the good of those who love" Him (Rm 8:28). Forgive, serve, pray for, and evangelize the followers of Satan. In doing so, they may receive a new nature, be changed from weeds into wheat, and become citizens of God's kingdom. Then you will grow into a saint who "will shine like the sun" in your Father's kingdom (Mt 13:43). Readings: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 Romans 8:26-27 Psalm 86:5-6, 9-10, 15-16 Matthew 13:24-43 Love & Peace, Delfina

Love Never Fails

It has been a while since I've written on my blog and I really do miss it. I hope to find more time to share my thoughts, experiences and whatever else is worth sharing.

So what brings me here today other than I can't focus on a task I am working on that will determine my future? Sounds important huh? It is, but I don't want to talk about that right now. It would be defeating the purpose of trying to clear my other thoughts before I return and give my dreadful task my undivided attention.

So here it goes......

The girls and I went walking this evening and stopped to help an elderly lady (85 yrs old) who was using a walker. She obviously was walking towards the street to throw a bag into the trash can that was in front of her house. She didn't accept our help at first because I'm sure she was frightened since it was close to 8:30pm and dark outside. If you've ever walked or even driven through Garden Villas neighborhood were the pecan trees threaten to devour you at night, you'd understand. As the light from the street lamp shined onto her face, I knew she was a fellow parishioner at my church. When I asked her if she attended OLMC her demeanor immediately changed. She kept us talking for about 45 minutes while the mosquitoes were biting us. We didn't mind because she had the most amazing stories of life's struggles (being in a concentration camp for 3 years), determination (living and working in the US for a better life) and accomplishments (learning English and being married 50 years).

Then at the end of her story she gave all glory & honor to God and told us she loved us. Wow, who does that? Who tells complete and total strangers you love them? She demonstrated both of the greatest commandments Jesus has given us.

Can you imagine if more people were like her in this world? Can you imagine if more people allowed the light of Jesus to illuminate from their being as she did with my children and I?

"Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Matthew 22: 37-40)

As we were standing on her driveway ants crawled onto her foot so I bent down and wiped her entire foot to make sure all the ants were off. The image as I did so was Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and the example of love He professed during this act. My eyes swelled with tears because I knew that I was allowing Jesus to illuminate through me.

"If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. " (John 13:14)

Before we departed, we promised to keep each other in our prayers.

My children and I walked away in silence and I know with all my heart and soul that Jesus was in the midst of us.

Where would we be without Him?

The idea: Take Psalm 23 and rewrite your own negative version — Psalm -23 (that’s Psalm Negative 23): Life in the Flesh. Really think about what life would look like without Christ. Where would we be without Him? Then, contrast that with the real Psalm 23.

Someone on the net shared their version:

Psalm -23

I am wandering shepherdless. I have more needs than I can count. I am restless, unsettled, in need of refreshment with no one to guide me. My soul feels so burdened. Where should I go? What is my purpose?

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I’m terrified, desperately lonely, and completely unprotected, exposed. In the presence of my enemies, I am mocked. Everyone has turned their back on me. My cup is empty. I’m wretched.

Any and all goodness or love is gone as though it has fled from me forever. I will never enter the house of the Lord; instead I’ll spend eternity homeless, in this hell.

Heavy stuff! But contrast to the real Psalm 23 and the relationship we are offered in Christ. Praise the Lord!!

Psalm 23 (ESV)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

B - U -S - Y are you?

Just a little something I wanted to share:

I have been crazy busy lately which has been overwhelmingly stressful. Why do we do this to ourselves?

For those who feel the same way or have before...read this scripture.

Matthew 11:28: Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Wow!! This is the promise of deep and awesome rejuvenation!!

I think the hard part is letting go and making the time to dwell in the presence of God.

Have you ever listened to a Homily or sermon and felt it was written just for you?

Last year, I was listening to a Homily and the priest said “I heard someone describe BUSY as "Busy under Satan's Yolk". YIKES!! I was thinking that was written just for me, but I bet everybody felt the same way because we allow things to consume us when we should be immersed in God. He said he hade heard someone describe BUSY as "Busy under Satan's Yolk". YIKES!!

Oh, and I looked up the acronym and here is an article I found.

http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/8687.htm

Love and Peace,

Delfina

Dear God, It's me Delfina

Dear God,

This is Delfina.

I am broken. I have tried to fix myself but I can’t do it.

I know you are an all powerful God who loves us and saves those who are crushed in Spirit. I need you.

My walk with Christ has been more like a sluggish crawl. I don’t have it all together as it may seem to others sometimes. I know without you I’m nothing. I am a human fighting my flesh and it’s hard when I can’t feel your presence. Why can’t I feel your presence? I know you are there. I know that’s all I have to do is call on you. 

I need more Faith!! God, give me more Grace so I may have more Faith!

I want to follow you. I don’t want to follow you at a distance but close enough to be seen with you. Right when I get so close, I take a few steps back until I go completely numb and feel incomplete inside. Am I feeling unworthy of a relationship with you because of the guilt of my sins against you? Or could it be that I feel I’m just unlovable?

I desire and need to be completely restored.

I want your Son Jesus….to come into my heart and turn my world upside down!

I want to be completely restored so that YOU can restore the earth through your hands and feet, which I your child, can become along with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I know you hear me and even love me so much that you will not leave me the way I am right now.

I love you. I Need You. I Desire You.

Yours Truly,

Your Daughter

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A Case of Letting Go and Letting God

As many of you may know or may not know....I can be a control freak!!

It is somewhat of a burden that I picked up on the way while living life. I won't get into any detail this time about my weakness, but I do want to share a time when God spoke to me loud and clear.

A few weeks ago, we had a full scheduled Sunday which included three Masses and one meeting. I accompanied my oldest daughter to the 7:45am Mass. She was asked to give her testimony at this time of the New Life Retreat she had recently attended. We (the whole family) had a meeting in the parish center at 9am before our normal 11:45 Mass time where we attend with family and friends. On that particular day, Alyssa also was going to be a lector for the evening Youth Mass which is given once a month. 

During the 7:45 Mass, I started worrying that Richard and the rest of the girls would not  be ready and on time for the meeting. As the choir was singing the Offertory song and the gifts were being taken to the altar, I turned to Alyssa and asked her when she wanted to receive Communion. Her reply was the Youth Mass because like me, she thought we could only receive the Eucharist once a day…we were wrong. So I said grab your things and we will walk out behind those that are coming back from taking the gifts up. Notice how I diverted the reason for leaving the Mass. Well, things did not work out as I planned and never had I seen those taking up the gifts split to the left and right instead of down the aisle to the back. Oh, and just to clear something up real quick…..I’ve never skipped out on church after a homily, especially before being able to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, and it wasn’t going to be my first that day either.

That was the moment I heard God tell me "Sit down, I am in control". I then chose to surrender my worries to Him and felt instantly at peace. God gave me another message a few minutes later but that has to be another blog (I’ll make it the next one).

Well, Mass ended and I walked out of the church towards the parish center and there was my truck…..the carriage that had brought forth my children with a knight (their daddy, my hubby) behind the wheel. God was so in control. I was stressing for nothing!!

 I sometimes have to remind myself HELLO……God caused the Red Sea to split to each side and created dry ground through the sea, He fed over 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two fish with food left over, and last but not least….God loves me so much He gave His one and only Son to die so that I may have eternal life.

He has a much better plan for me then to be sitting around worrying about the small stuff. I know that!!!

He has a bigger and better plan for you too…just have FAITH and BELIEVE!!!!

Love and Peace,

Delfina

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."
Proverbs 3:5