Thursday, April 28, 2011

Feeling like a poor fisherman

After reading the Gospel for tomorrow, I get the feeling that sometimes when in prayer I, too, am a fisherman like Peter and his friends. I cast my net repeatedly, over and over again until my arms are tired and my back is aching. Then, when my prayers are concluded I turn on the TV or read the news and lament how bad things are in the world.

It’s at times like those that I need to stop casting my net for a while where I want to—where I think the fishing is best—and wait for instructions from God thorough His Holy Word where I SHOULD be fishing. This is what the Mass and Adoration are for me—a time to stop fishing and head for shore, where Jesus is waiting to give me new instructions.

His instructions are usually, “Come and eat. Fill yourself with My Body and Blood. Come and experience love in its highest form—be with Me for a time. Come and listen and learn how to make Heaven on Earth. Come and be. Just be.” That’s why I love going to Adoration and Mass so much. During these visits with our Lord, I don’t worry so much. I don’t fret. I don’t think about how the world is going. I only think about now---and that I’m with Jesus.

Then, nourished and strengthened by His Word and Presence, I can face my fears for this world and those I love the most with confidence and hope realizing, in the words of St. Peter, "There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." (Acts 4)

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"I demand from you deeds of mercy, which are to arise out of love for Me. You are to show mercy to your neighbors always and everywhere. You must not shrink from this or try to excuse or absolve yourself from it.

I am giving you three ways of exercising mercy toward your neighbor:
the first — by deed, the second — by word, the third — by prayer. In these three degrees is contained the fullness of mercy, and it is an unquestionable proof of love for Me. By this means a soul glorifies and pays reverence to My mercy.

Many souls ... are often worried because they do not have the material means with which to carry out an act of mercy. Yet spiritual mercy, which requires neither permissions nor storehouses, is much more meritorious and is within the grasp of every soul.

If a soul does not exercise mercy somehow or other, it will not obtain My mercy on the day of judgment. Oh, if only souls knew how to gather eternal treasure for themselves, they would not be judged, for they would forestall My judgment with their mercy".