WHAT IS OUR IDENTITY IN CHRIST? WHO ARE WE IN CHRIST JESUS?
WE ARE THE BAPTIZED, THE CONFIRMED AND THE EUCHARISTIC PEOPLE. WE ARE THE SUNDAY PEOPLE, THE EASTER PEOPLE. WE ARE PRIEST, PRINCE & PROPHET.
THIS IS OUR IDENTITY. THIS IS WHO WE ARE.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “Now I am going to the one who sent me, and not one of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ But because I told you this, grief has filled your hearts. But I tell you the truth, it is better for you that I go. For if I do not go, the Advocate will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes he will convict the world in regard to sin and righteousness and condemnation: sin, because they do not believe in me; righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; condemnation, because the ruler of this world has been condemned.” (John 16: 5 - 11).

Tuesday 24th May 2022, in the 6th Week of Easter.

Who is the Holy Spirit? The Lord Jesus calls Him here The Spirit of truth.  He is "the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby)." (AMPC).

Why is the Holy Spirit sent after the Ascension of Jesus? He is sent to take up permanent residence in the disciple. As the Spirit of power, He will empower the disciple to fulfill the Mission of Jesus Christ and witness to the Lord. The Holy Spirit continues the ministry of Jesus today through the Body of Christ.

Jesus also promised that the Holy Spirit "will guide you [Church] to all truth." This is a very important detail that has divided the Body of Christ. St John the Evangelist writes in the conclusion of his Gospel:

"It is this disciple who testifies to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written." (John 21: 24 - 25).

The Holy Spirit reveals to the Church through the written and oral sources the truth that concerns Jesus and the Church. All the truth necessary for salvation. The FULLNESS of TRUTH.

An example of this is the stability of doctrine that characterized the early Church up to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD and continues till today 2022. Only the Holy Spirit could have guaranteed this phenomenon:
One People, One Faith, One Shepherd, Worldwide.

"I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth."

5. 24. "Each Friday take into your heart, as if for the first time, the words I uttered from the Cross. Contemplate My side pierced by the soldier’s lance; enter into the sanctuary of My open Heart and adore My precious Blood. Receive the outpouring of My Holy Spirit, and withdraw into silence and recollection, as did John with Mary, My Mother, when all is accomplished." (IN SINU JESU).

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WHAT IS ABUNDANT LIFE?
I DON'T NEED MUCH MONEY TO LIVE WELL. I DON'T NEED MANY TOOLS & POSSESSIONS TO LIVE WELL. I DON'T NEED MUCH VARIETY OF FOOD TO LIVE WELL.
WHAT I NEED IN ABUNDANCE IS MUCH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. FAITH THAT BELIEVES THAT JESUS LIVES IN ME HERE AND NOW IN THE SACRAMENT OF THE PRESENT MOMENT. THIS IS ABUNDANT LIFE.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you." (John 14: 23.... 29).

Sunday 22ND May 2022, 6th Week of the Easter Season.

Our Savior in the Farewell Discourse continues to reveal to His chosen friends the dynamics of the the Kingdom of God that He is entrusting to them. The Church is the seed of the Kingdom on earth.

The Holy Spirit, the Big Gift of the Father is the Spirit of truth. He will lead and guide the Church to all truth and preserve the integrity of the teachings of Jesus.

The Holy Spirit will be our Advocate and constant Helper. The one condition for receiving this free Gift is: "If you love me you will keep my commandments," says Jesus.
Pentecost Sunday is June 5th. Novena to prepare to receive this special Gift starts on May 26. I am excited.

5. 22.  The perpetual virginity of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been believed and honored by the Church from the beginning of the Apostolic Age to this day. Augustine describes it like this: Mary is virgin at birth. She remains virgin all her life. She is virgin forever.
The Church honors her in the Litany of Loretto with these words:

Virgin most prudent
Virgin most venerable
Virgin most renowned
Virgin most powerful
Virgin most merciful
Virgin most faithful

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WHO IS THE HOLY SPIRIT?
HE IS THE THIRD PERSON OF THE BLESSED TRINITY. HE IS THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH. THE LORD AND GIVER OF ABUNDANT LIFE. HE IS OUR ADVOCATE. THE VOICE THAT SPEAKS IN COURT FOR US. THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE GREAT FRIEND THAT IS CLOSER TO US THAN OUR GARMENT.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Advocate comes whom I will send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he will testify to me. And you also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning." (John 15: 26....16: 4).

"And you also will testify..."
What does this mean for you and for me? Testify is another word for witness which comes from the Greek word MARTYR. Jesus is saying that in small ways and big ways, we shall be martyrs for Him every day.

“I have told you this so that you may not fall away. They will expel you from the synagogues; in fact, the hour is coming when everyone who kills you will think he is offering worship to God. They will do this because they have not known either the Father or me. I have told you this so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you.”

Do not be frightened of being a martyr for Jesus in your work, home, church and public places. This is why Jesus said that the Holy Spirit will help us to bear witness to Him. Without the Holy Spirit, no one can be a martyr for Jesus.

Example of those who witnessed to Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit after Pentecost:
Peter, John, Stephen, Barnabas, James. These saints are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles.

In today's first Reading from Acts 16: 11 - 15, a wealthy business woman of Philippi witnessed to Jesus after she was baptized by St Paul.

The Cross and Martyrdom are intrinsic to the very essence of Christianity. "It was ordained that the Christ should suffer and rise from the dead, and so enter into his glory." (Luke 24: 46, 26). So must we. 

5. 22. “The Magnificat is Our Lady’s Prayer of thanks. She can help us to love Jesus best; she is the one who can show us the shortest way to Jesus. Mary was the one whose intercession led Jesus to work the first miracle. ‘They have no wine,’ she said to Jesus. ‘Do whatever he tells you,’ she said to the servants."  (Mother St Teresa of Kolkata).

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TEACH ME ABBA FATHER TO SEE YOUR LOVE FOR ME AS MY GUIDE IN EVERY EVENT IN MY LIFE. YOUR MIGHTY, MERCIFUL AND MYSTERIOUS PROVIDENCE IS ALWAYS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING. ALL SEASONS. ALL TRIALS & PERSECUTIONS.

"Jesus said to his disciples: “If the world hates you, ­realize that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love its own; but because you do not belong to the world, and I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. Remember the word I spoke to you, ‘No slave is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. And they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know the one who sent me." (John 15: 18 - 21).

Saturday 21st May 2022, in the 5th Week of Easter is also the feast of St Christopher Magallanes (1869 - 1927), Priest and his companions martyrs. The Mexican government was very anti-Catholic and anti clerical in the 1920s.  It massacred the 21 priests and 3 lay men during the Cristeros movement between 1915 and 1937. Our Gospel of today warns us to be prepared for persecution. The Cristeros members were ready for the murderous persecution unleashed by the Mex
Mexican government.

The Gospel for today shows the reality and certainty of persecution in the Christian ministry. The disciple of Christ is the bearer of the Good News. He is kind, gentle and generous in his ways. Naturally he expects to be welcomed with smiles and open arms. This does not always happen. What he may experience may be outright rejection of his person and his message. He is treated as a bearer of Bad News who deserves persecution.
This is why Jesus teaches naive disciples this basic lesson: Remember! Remember! Remember! Forget this lesson and you will be fried as a fish. I Jesus am the Lord, you are my servants. I am the Rabbi. You are my disciples. The people I am sent to, reject My message. They curse me and maltreat me. Before your eyes, they will crucify Me. Tell Me honestly: How do you think they will treat you? You bear my name. My name provokes their hatred.

Since God cursed the Ancient Serpent, the warfare between Satan and man has not abated:  "From now on you and the woman will be enemies, as will your offspring and hers. You will strike his heel, but he will crush your head.” (Genesis 3: 15).

We see in the Old Testament, the types and shadows of the persecuted Jesus Christ:
Abel persecuted by Cain, Jacob by Esau, Joseph by his brethren, David by Saul, Elijah by Ahab. These are examples to drive home the teaching of Jesus.

If the disciples of Jesus do not take special care to study the Scriptures and remember the message of Jesus, they will merit a rebuke from the Master:
“You are such foolish, foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures!  Wasn’t it clearly predicted by the prophets that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his time of glory?” (CF Luke 24: 25).

Never forget the words and works of the Lord. Because the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Cf Revelation 19: 10).

5. 21 "While saying the joyful mysteries :
I received My human face from My Mother. When you contemplate My Face, it is her beauty that you are contemplating. I received My created beauty from My Mother. My uncreated beauty is the radiance of the glory of the Father on My humanity."  (IN SINU JESU).

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