Tag: St John Of The Cross

I Am All Yours, Lord

December 14th, 2016
The soul, has grown aware of her obligations and observed that life is short (Job 14:5), the path leading to eternal life constricted (Mt. 7:14), the just one scarcely saved (1 Pet. 4:18), the things of the world vain and deceitful (Eccles. 1:2), that all comes to an end and fails like falling water (2 Sam. 14:14), and that the time is uncertain, the accounting strict, perdition very easy, and salvation very difficult. She knows on the other hand of her immense indebtedness to God for having created her solely for Himself, and that for this she owes Him the service of her whole life; and because He redeemed her solely for Himself she owes Him every response of love. She knows, too, of the thousand other benefits by which she has been obligated to God from before the time of her birth, and that a good part of her life has vanished, that she must render an account of everything—of the beginning of her life as well as the later part—unto the last penny (Mt. 5:25) when God will search Jerusalem with lighted candles (Zeph. 1:12), and that it is already late—and the day far spent (Lk. 24:29)—to remedy so much evil and harm. She feels on the other hand that God is angry and hidden because she desired to forget Him so in the midst of creatures, Touched with dread and interior sorrow of heart over so much loss and danger, renouncing all things, leaving aside all business, and not delaying a day or an hour, with desires and sighs pouring from her heart, wounded now with the love for God, she begins to call her Beloved. – St. John of the Cross

Msgr. Pope has a beautiful analysis here

St. John of the Cross, pray for us
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St. John of The Cross

December 14th, 2013
In this world, the reasons we hate are vast. So vast you can’t count them. No matter the circumstances, reason or justification from any soul, the reason to Love is greater. As Love has conquered the many reasons to hate.

The life of St. John of the Cross, was full of many reasons for him to hate. But he choose to love instead. For all the reasons in the world to hate and despise can never match the one reason we Love.

I never knew until today how much I can identify with this wonderful Doctor of the Church. I sit here and ponder and contemplate everything. I have been doing this most of my life and never understood the reason why I can’t become angry anymore about the sufferings I have gone through and still go through every second in exile, until I received that wonderful grace today at Holy Mass in honor of St. John of the Cross.

What good can come from anything other than Love?

Thank you, on your feast day, St. John of the Cross, for prayers answered. I hold my cross with Love to give all the glory and honor to our Lord. I carry it in Love. There is no other way to hold it or to carry it.

“Who teaches the soul if not God?”- St. John of the Cross
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Jesus Christ Is God

January 2nd, 2013
22 Who is the liar, if not one who claims that Jesus is not the Christ? This is the Antichrist, who denies both the Father and the Son.

23 Whoever denies the Son cannot have the Father either; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father too.

24 Let what you heard in the beginning remain in you; as long as what you heard in the beginning remains in you, you will remain in the Son and in the Father.

25 And the promise he made you himself is eternal life.

26 So much have I written to you about those who are trying to lead you astray.

27 But as for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you; since the anointing he gave you teaches you everything, and since it is true, not false, remain in him just as he has taught you.

28 Therefore remain in him now, children, so that when he appears we may be fearless, and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. Reading 1, First John 2:22-28

In my conversion back home to Him, I remember my childhood. Innocence. What I heard in the “Beginning” of my life. Jesus Christ is God. On the path to adulthood this “Truth” was compromised by the evil that sought my soul through lack of faith, lack of practicing my faith and through all sources away from the Truth. I remember a time when He, our Lord, came first. Christmas Eve as a three or four-year old, I was so excited that I would be receiving gifts but had so much love for our Lord that took over my soul, I needed to find something to give back to our Lord. I wondered so much what He would receive from me for His birthday. My presence didn’t mean much. The present I could give to Him ment so much more. I looked around the house and found two pieces of candy. I didn’t take into account He being an infant couldn’t eat it. I just knew I had to give Him something. How could we be celebrating His birthday and yet give Him nothing. I didn’t have any wrapping paper nor anything to place the candy in to present to Him. I took a paper towel roll and put the candy inside. I bent both ends down and wrote His name on it and placed it on the table. I thought about the Holy Family so much that night and who they would be with Santa Clause and I KNEW He would take what I had given to Him. Time came and presents were packed under the tree. I didn’t care about the presents. All I wanted to see was the present to our Lord was gone. It was still there, on the table where I placed it. I thought it wasn’t accepted. My heart was broken.

“Sometimes the only way the good Lord can get into some hearts is to break them.”
― Fulton J. Sheen
Our Lord did not refuse that candy I gave Him, although it was still on the table. He took what it represented, all I had to give at the time and by my heart breaking, never left my side and gave me something much greater than anyone else could. He gave me faith in Him. He gave me joy in the midst of the destruction of self. He gave me everything I could need to make it through life in exile. Love. It wasn’t about the physical candy that I offered to Him, it was the love I had in my heart to offer all I had to Him. ALthough I lost sight of that, He didn’t. And that is what makes Him God. No matter how bad we mess up or pull away from Him, He allows us to understand He is with us FOREVER. The reason the present was still there is because what we place on His table, is always accepted in faith, without any physical need of the candy. The candy does not bring Him anything. We do by our simple faith and love in Him.

“You must remember to love people and use things, rather than to love things and use people.”
― Fulton J. Sheen

“Live in the world, as if God and your soul only were in it; so shall your heart be never made captive by any earthly thing.” – St. John of the Cross

St. Gregory Nazianzen, pray for us.

“God accepts our desires as though they were a great value. He longs ardently for us to desire and love him. He accepts our petitions for benefits as though we were doing him a favor. His joy in giving is greater than ours in receiving. So let us not be apathetic in our asking, nor set too narrow bounds to our requests; nor ask for frivolous things unworthy of God’s greatness.”
– St. Gregory Nazianzen
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River Of Suffering

December 14th, 2012
“And I saw the river over which every soul must pass to reach the kingdom of heaven and the name of that river was suffering: and I saw a boat which carries souls across the river and the name of that boat was love.”

St. John of the Cross

My heart is breaking for the parents and children in Newtown, Connecticut. Through the tears, I will keep you all in my prayers.
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A Slow Walk Through Purgatory

April 19th, 2011
I just broke into tears because I read something that I have been going through since 1998. I have NEVER been able to place it into this paragraph that has capture the essence of it all.

From the article: All Sin Is Disgusting

“If you want a truly Lenten experience, then pray earnestly that the Holy Spirit will reveal to you the damage that your sins have done. And then hold onto your butts, because it’s going to be a horrible ride. Don’t forget to pray for hope and healing at the same time, nothing hurts more than looking your own guilt in the face.”

It is a horrible ride. A very SLOW walk through purgatory. The ONLY THING that has kept my sanity throughout my entire experience is KNOWING it is REAL and so builds my faith and LOVE for Christ and I can only hold onto the mercy of God and pray continually.

Every second I am alive is spent in constant repentance leaving self behind, thinking only of others.

EDIT TO ADD:

It truly is: “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?” A blessing in disguise

At least while I am here, I get reprieve! I can SEE His grace at work. I can see it in the Church! I can see Him in EVERYTHING! When the reprieves come, its a beautiful peace. Its a constant ride that doesn’t end until He says “It is finished”.

From the agony in the Garden: “”My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Mark 14:34
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I Can Hear And See Again

March 25th, 2011
At the request of Bishops and Priests, John Cojanis a Catholic Lay Missionary from the Diocese of Tucson has been conducting large healing missions in many cities and states across the country. Oftentimes many emotional, spiritual and physical healing occur. This past week, my parish was blessed to hold one such healing mission. I regained my sight and my hearing. Glory goes to God.

Sunday morning, as I sit in the pew after mass, waiting for the announcements to end, my priest invited John Cojanis up to speak about his healing mission that would be taking place this week, over a two day period. I have to admit, I was a little suspicious. I will blame it on pride and thinking I know better. As I was walking out, John was in the back of church and grabbed my hand, said good by and invited me to be there. I wasn’t going to lie to the man, so I made sure to be there.

Monday evening and the church was packed. Most of the pews in the back were roped off so folks would not sit to far away. We sang songs at first and then John and his wife Sally gave there background speeches and the healing prayers began. John would ask, does anyone have any arthritis or back pains and people would raise there hands. We would all pray in the name of JESUS CHRIST, and the spirits causing most of the pain were bound up and removed. Yeah, I know, faith healing garbage! Nope! John is not a faith healer. He uses the power of Christ, through the PERSON who is afflicted to use the power of Christ through PRAYER to heal themselves and throes around them.

“After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out? He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.” Mark 9 28-29

As I was praying over the people around me, with me, John had asked if anyone had problems with their hearing. To be honest, I had for a very long time and forgot about it. I did as John asked. I rubbed my fingers together lightly next to each ear, hearing just how much I could not hear. I can not hear a few tones, but what I was truly deaf to, was listening to our Lord speaking to my heart. SO, John asked all with hearing problems to raise their hands, and I did. The prayers began. The person sitting in back of me, whom I could not see, cupped her hands over my ears as the prayers became more intense. When they were finished praying, John instructed the people to check to see if their hearing was clear in both ears. So the person behind me, turned my head to the right and whispered in my ear, “Can you hear me”. As this voice rang in loud and clear in my ear, my VISION was taken directly to a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I began to cry. I was hearing Him loud and clear. The person then turned my head to the left and whispered again “Can you hear me”. Once again, my VISION was taken to the statue of Our Holy Mother and the tears came pouring out. I could hear them loud and clear. I had spent far to long, not listening to both of them. Along with not seeing them in others.

To understand how significant this is Please read “True Love“. My story of how I came to LOVE our Lord Jesus Christ.
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