LET'S HIBERNATE...

Hibernation is a protective mechanism whereby certain animals reduce their bodies’ activity and sleep through winter. They prepare by storing extra fat several weeks before the onset of hibernation. When temperatures drop, the animals’ pulse rate and breathing drop to a minimum…To hibernate is to pass the winter in a resting state…(Webster’s Dictionary) 

Do these animals stop growing?

No!...In fact, when they wake up they are bigger and more mature than before…

Jesus, after being presented in the temple, went back to His hometown, grew and became strong, full of wisdom (Luke 2:22-40). No account of His activities until He was all grown and started His public ministry. Look at what He did…

Like the animals, most especially like Jesus, we also need to hibernate from time to time…not to inactively rest, but to grow in wisdom and maturity while listening to God and resting in His arms…       

Have a Teachable Heart!

- luisadelacruz

THE FANS...

When we watch entertainment shows on TV or concerts of artists, we often see people so alive, shouting, raising banners of their idols, they cry and laugh with them. There are those who even buy memorabilia, follow their idol’s every concert, watch every movie. Wherever they may be, these people will be there.

They are the fans, the dictionary says they are the enthusiastic supporters…But there are some fans who will fight for their idols even hurting others, they are the fanatics…Why do fans persevere? 
Because they see something in their idols that they like and they look up to them. They feel good and happy seeing them…

In Mark 6:53-56, many people were fans of Jesus, they follow Him wherever He went. Why? Not to listen to God’s Word but to be freed from sickness, to get healed…

Jesus doesn’t want fans who only want entertainment, He wants followers who will seek God to be transformed, leaving their old ways and living His teachings...

At this moment, let’s pause and reflect on this: Am I just a fan or a passionate follower of Jesus?  

Shining Heart for you!

- luisadelacruz

A MOMENT OF PAUSE

Ever dearest Father,

by Your grace I am alive

but if right at this moment

You stop breathing Your breath in me,

I humbly ask,

please send Jesus to fetch me…

Ever dearest Jesus,

my Beloved,

before I close my eyes

and leave my body behind,

please help me forgive those I cannot,

and forgive me, too, for all my sins.

Wash away in me with Your Most Precious Blood

what is in me that is not pleasing to the Father…

Ever dearest Spirit of Love,

please pour Your joy and peace

upon my love ones.

May love heal their pain

that they mourn

in just a little while in my absence,

but more so rejoice

that I will be with You in eternal life…

Ever dearest God,

if I only make it in purgatory,

please inspire my love ones

to pray for me that I may soon

be with You in heaven.

Death may bring me pain

but if it is the only doorway for me

to finally see You face to face

and spend eternal life with You,

then I shall welcome it,

 for what I desire most in my heart

is to eternally rest in Your bosom…

 Dearest Mama Mary,

please pray for me

at the brink of the moment of my life

as I stop breathing…

Amen.

- luisadelacruz

WHERE TO SEARCH FOR GOD....

We search....and search....and search for God because we have this deep desire to be united  with Him….We travel far and near, high and low just to find Him….

But there is one place we forget to search Him…our heart…

Ironic, isn’t it? Yes, like the people in His hometown who rejected Jesus (Mark 6:1-6), we, too, reject Him by not being aware of His Presence in the very core of our self….

Let’s journey into our very own heart where Jesus awaits us….

            PRAYER ON SILENCE

            (From The Complete Book on Prayer)

In silence

To be there before You Lord, that’s all.

To shut the eyes of my body,

To shut the eyes of my soul,

And to be still and silent,

To expose myself to You

Who are there, exposed to me.

To be there before You, the Eternal Presence.

I am willing to feel nothing, Lord,

To see nothing,

To hear nothing,

Empty of all ideas,

Of all images,

In the darkness.

Here I am, simply

To meet You without obstacles,

In the silence of faith,

Before You, Lord.

A Dazzling Heart for you!

- luisadelacruz

THEY SILENTLY TELL ME...

The plants and animals tell me how God provides food…

The flowers tell me how beautiful the handwork of God is…

The pets, how God cheers me up…

The parents, how God loves me…

A baby, how He takes me as His own…

The wind, how He breathes His breath to give me life…

The people, how merciful He is…

Simply looking at them, they silently tell so much about God and they encourage me to live for Him and be aware of His Presence…

The Gospel of Mark (Mark 16:15-18) says to us, “Preach the Gospel.” 

It is not necessary for us to stand on stage and proclaim God’s Word...We can silently tell it to others just by living it and proclaiming it on the stage of our every day lives…

Go and preach the Gospel in the way you live… 

Keep Your Life Burning!

- luisadelacruz

THE PRISONER AND MY SOUL

When a person is brought to the court and proven guilty, even if he shows genuine remorse, he still is sentenced to imprisonment as punishment to his crime. If he has good behavior, then his sentence will be lessened even paroled… 

In one confession before, my penance was to pray and do good deeds. That’s easy, I can do that… 

As I remember that today, I now understand what was meant by my penance. 

Like the prisoner, as I show repentance, I was forgiven, but the eternal punishment to my soul is still there. That’s the consequence of my sin, the justice of God…

But if I do good deeds, by God’s mercy, my soul’s suffering when I die will be lessened or better yet I will be paroled by God and I shall enter heaven. 

In the 2 Samuel 16:5-13, King David knew this, but he also believes in God’s love and mercy… 

Let’s take care of our soul, no matter how many times we fall into sin, let’s sincerely strive to stand up each time by God’s grace…

Have a Twinkling Soul!

- luisadelacruz