Come Holy Spirit, Come and fill us with your Fire

Today is the feast of Pentecoste, let us see one of the biblical passages of pentecoste;

Acts 2:1-4 – When Pentecost day came round, , they had all met together, when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent wind,which filled the entire house in which where they were sitting, and there appeared to them, tongues as of fire, these seperated and came to rest on the head of each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves."

Come holy spirit, come with you holy gifts, renew our hearts and our minds, and fill us with your love and mould us in Jesus to do God's will, for our sanctification and for all the church, renew the face of the earth, renew the church, mould her like you did on pentecost day, cleanse your church from all fear, pride, bitterness and from all sins. Make us holy dear holy spirit in Jesus name, we Pray, amen.

Long for these gifts dear brothers and sisters, long for then for the good of humantiy.........Gift of Wisdom: Gift of Understanding; The gift of Council: The gift of Fortitude or Power: The gift of Knowledge: The gift of Piety : The gift of Fear to the Lord:.

The Charisms of the holy Spirit

charisms of 1Cor.12 can be divided in 3 classes:
1- Three Charisms of the mind: - The word of wisdom. - The word of knowledge. - The discernment of the spirits.
2- Three Charisms of action: - The gifts of healing. - The working of miracles. - The gift of faith, that faith that moves mountains (Mt.21:21, Mk.11:22-23).
3- Three Charisms of the tongue: - Prophecy. - Speak in tongues. - Interpretation of tongues.

Do You Love Me?

The Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his flock is asking us, " do you love me?" That's what he asked peter, and he is asking every one of us, Jesus wants us to go after his lost sheep, he wants to go through us, this must be the ulitmate aim in our lives. if we truly love him we must care for his sheep. The evil one never sleeps, he does his best to prevent us from accomplishing God's plan, he tries hard to shift our focus away by means of Jealousy for one another, arrogance, hatred and pride. We only have to focus on Christ. When we make Christ the centre in our lives we can do great things through him, he who strenghten us.

Jesus is the solution of the world's problems.



John 21:15-23
Jesus Reinstates Peter
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?" He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17 The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." 19Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
20Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") 21When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?"
22Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." 23Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?"

Looking At The Face Of Jesus

While peter was denying Jesus, Jesus was saving peter, me and you by confessing the truth. Can we look at the face of Jesus and not feeling guilty for denying Jesus with our sins? we can't be too shocked about peter when we still cannot change our evil ways ! With every sin we are denying Jesus once again. Let us look at this face of Jesus, and see pure Love. Let us look deep into Jesus' eyes and let those eyes penetrate our innermost being in the depths of our soul, let these eyes change you with his burning love for you, let him change you! Let him look at you, don't run away from him and let his look burn you with the desire to love him more, in loving others souls as he loves, bring those souls to Jesus, on the cross he said " I Thirst", this thirst is for souls whom he died for on the cross to obtain their salvation, are you ready to quench this thirst for him? then start right now, open your heart, love him and love others, this will be the beginning of a new a life for you.

Let us pray; Thank you my Lord and my God For your love that showed in your passion,reaching it's climax on the cross, come into my heart and in my life, take over and I will be made new again, my soul we be refreshed, with you in my life I have nothing to fear but to rejoice, this I prayed in Jesus' name, Amen. N.B meditate on the biblical passage below.

Peter's First Denial
15Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest's courtyard, 16but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Peter in.
17"You are not one of his disciples, are you?" the girl at the door asked Peter. He replied, "I am not."
18It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself.
The High Priest Questions Jesus
19Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching.
20"I have spoken openly to the world," Jesus replied. "I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. 21Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said."
22When Jesus said this, one of the officials nearby struck him in the face. "Is this the way you answer the high priest?" he demanded.
23"If I said something wrong," Jesus replied, "testify as to what is wrong. But if I spoke the truth, why did you strike me?" 24Then Annas sent him, still bound, to Caiaphas the high priest.
Peter's Second and Third Denials
25As Simon Peter stood warming himself, he was asked, "You are not one of his disciples, are you?" He denied it, saying, "I am not."
26One of the high priest's servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, "Didn't I see you with him in the olive grove?" 27Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.

The Still Small Voice

This biblical passage below help us to reflect on the presence of the lord.

At times we search for the lord in strange places, in people.....but we never stop to listen to that still small voice from within. The extraordinary God wants to enter in our lives by ordinary ways. Jesus is knocking in our hearts, but we cannot understand this unless we are like little children. The 'yes' to lord will change our lives completely, we may not understand exactly God's will for us, but we can experience his grace working in our lives, the grace to be able to be bold for him, to love our enemies, to work for his glory and for his kingdom, to be his co worker with the plan of salvation for humanity.....to make a better world. That's what our 'yes' means. And most of all it means that we want to love him and be with him for eternity.

''Elijah travels, for forty days and forty nights, to Mount Horeb and seeks shelter in a cave. God again speaks to Elijah (1 Kings 19:9): "What doest thou here, Elijah?". Up until this time Elijah has only the word of God to guide him, but now he is told to go outside the cave and "stand before the Lord." A terrible wind passes, but God is not in the wind. A great earthquake shakes the mountain, but God is not in the earthquake. Then a fire passes the mountain, but God is not in the fire. Then a "still small voice" comes to Elijah and asks again, "What doest thou here, Elijah?". God then sends him out again, this time to Damascus to anoint Hazael as king of Syria, Jehu as king of Israel, and Elisha as his replacement". (Info from wikipedia)

PSALM 23

As I said in my previous post, in the silence of the desert we can somehow experience God. We will realize and reflect that truly God suffices as St Therese of Avila rightly reflected " Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things pass away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things.He who has GodFinds he lacks nothing;God alone suffices"

Jesus is our Good Shepherd as we read in this beautiful psalm 23 :

The Lord is my Shepherd

That’s Relationship!

I shall not want
That’s Supply!

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.

That’s Rest!

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

That’s Refreshment!

He restoreth my soul

That’s Healing!

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.

That’s Guidance!

For His name sake

That’s Purpose!

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

That’s Testing!

I will fear no evil.

That’s Protection!

For Thou art with me

That’s Faithfulness!

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me,

That’s Discipline!

Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies.

That’s Hope!

Thou anointest my head with oil,

That’s Consecration!

My cup runneth over

That’s Abundance!

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

That’s Blessing!

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord.

That’s Security!

Forever!

That’s Eternity!

The Desert : Meeting God

The majesty of the desert always fascinated me, the stillness, solitude, emptiness and nakedness.....

The desert is a reflection of our spirituality, it is here where our innermost being meets God. Only in stillness that we are able to listen to God. In emptying ourselves.

Hos 1: 16 "But look, I am going to seduce her and lead her into the desert and speak to her heart"

The desert Fathers saw the importance of this approach. rather then going in the desert like our spiritual fathers, for us it is more of a spiritual attitude for our search for God, according to the former, (cf the dawn of our spirituality by Segundo Galilea0), there are three requirements renunciation, conversion, and the practice of mercy [ibid p4].

my opinion we must learn to renounce evil, and anything that is not christocentric, in other words a complete change of heart, ( Ezk; 36:26 " I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you, I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead")

"compunction of heart" to love Christ above everyone else including our dear ones! And to love like him. According to the fathers of the desert [ibid p35] "the compunction of heart and permanent conversion are a gift from God,for which the must pray". So one can see here the importance of being still, [away from the hedonistic approach], reading the bible and praying, like the desert fathers, it is at this point that our soul can truly meet God, and listen to God, this is the truth....And this truth will set us free. JN 8:31-32 " To the Jews who believed in him Jesus said: if you make my word your home, you will indeed be my disciples; you will come to know the truth, and the truth will set you free".

The Risen Christ Is Still With Us

God Only tested Abraham, he tested him in his precious only son. he stopped Abraham from killing his son, but God was not finished he continued his plan of salvation by sending his only begotten son to die on the cross so that we may have life.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" [John 3:16]

Just as Isaac carried the Wood for the burnt offering so did Jesus, he carried the cross to be a perfect offering to God the father the difference from Isaac is that his life was not spared.

Jesus is present in Every mass, he is present in every Tabernacle. As he has promised c f Matt28: 20 "...and look, I am with you always: yes, to the end of time". So wherever we are, no matter what we're doing Jesus is with us and he knows every one of us as he is God.

Sometimes people ask. How come I go to mass frequently and I'm still the same? I still do the same mistakes or sins?

Humbly I may answer, you haven't yet taken JESUS seriously in your life, our hearts must burn for him, we must love him, and let him change us, open our hearts and let him in.

Pray to the holy spirit to give us his wisdom, to help us in our turbulence, and most of all to let our mother the blessed virgin Mary to guide us, to be bold like her son. We must always remember that even in our worst illness, problems etc, Jesus is with us........Let us have courage in our problems to let our cross save us through Christ for he is always with us.

HE IS RISEN ! ALLELULIA

(John 20:19-31 NIV) On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" {20} After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. {21}

Peace be with you! are Jesus' first words. Jesus is victorious over sin and death, and he wants our salvation.

Jesus is sending his mother to various parts of the world including Malta, she comes to take us to her son, she cares for us and wants to help us in our conversion. her main massage is [for Maltese people] and the whole world, to truly have conversion, we need to decide, which road to take....eternal damnation or eternal joy. our life in Christ start here and now. Our Mother Mary speaks about peace too, but we will never have peace unless we have radical conversion. when we change we are then able to change the world, from deadly sins such as abortion, euthanasia, divorce, child abuse, pornography, etc. peace starts by accepting the risen Christ in our hearts, but we have to open our hearts to him, he appeared to his apostles when the doors were closed, he was able to got through, but he will never force himself into our hearts, as he is love and we must accept him with love. we can start by humbly confessing our sins, receive Jesus in the Eucharist and pray, especially the rosary. My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it's never too late for you, Jesus has all his time to embrace you when you go to him, his time is eternity, enfolded

with unconditional love, peace and joy. Experience peace and true love, experience CHRIST.