NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION...

'ALWAYS PRAY TO HAVE EYES THAT SEE THE BEST IN PEOPLE, A HEART THAT FORGIVES THE WORST IN PEOPLE, A MIND THAT FORGETS THE BAD IN PEOPLE, AND A SOUL THAT NEVER LOSES FAITH IN GOD!'

This was a quote that was printed in a church bulletin where i attended a Mass this morning.  As i sat watching a program with my son last night, a commercial we have seen many times came on for Amazon.  This commercial had the power to warm both our hearts and bring smiles to two people of different age groups, male and female and yet we both felt a Heavenly Joy that is not often experienced in this world,  yet alone come from a commercial on the tv.  It was a Catholic Priest and a Muslim Imam, both leaders in their respective faith communities.  They are shown visiting together and then say goodbye both struggling a bit physically with their legs to be able to get up and walk to the door.  As each goes to their home they both go to Amazon and order a gift for the other.  The gifts are delivered and they both ordered the same present, knee pads....KNEE PADS.  You then see each of them kneel in prayer in their own places of worship wearing their practical and heart felt gifts from each other. What Love, Respect, Brotherhood and Friendship are shown in this commercial.  It was just beautiful!  God is subtly 'advertised' in this.  When people really know the Living God, they know True Brotherly Love.  God bless Amazon for stepping out of our society's comfort zone and into the miraculous with this commercial!  Watch it for yourself...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ouu6LGGIWsc

i also got a text from a priest i know wishing me a Blessed New Year and he ended this note to his friends with the phrase,"siblings by choice".  Wow!  What a statement!  Siblings by choice!  We all have blood relatives many of whom do not understand us, accept us or respect us.  Many of whom judge our lives and our walk with God because they do not really know us yet.  And then there are the 'Siblings by Choice!'  Those people we choose to adopt as our family who understand us without even saying a word.  They deeply appreciate our hearts because they 'march to the Same Drum'.  This is Unconditional Love....  The Unconditional Love of the Father Who made us.  How lovely to watch the secular commercial spoken of above and read a holy text the same day that express the same message.  My phrase for "siblings by choice" are 'My Tribe'...for my son, 'My Clan'...sometimes some of  our blood relatives cross over and also belong to our tribe.

None of this really needs any embellishment on my part.  The message is clear as a bell...As i spoke to a dear holy brother in the Lord tonight, we again were amazed at how Our God led us to the same words and conclusions.  How God can use us, but He surely does not need us to accomplish what He wants.  i ended with this statement:

"The Lord speaks the same message to all His children who sincerely seek Him with all their hearts yesterday, today and tomorrow.  As we see that we receive the same messages without talking to each other first, we know that the Spirit of the Living God is directing all of us in our journey toward Heaven."  This is why we Catholics read the Lives of the Saints.  Those who walked  before us who knew God have lots to teach us and confirm in us.  There is nothing more profound than reading a book on a saint and find that God has brought you to a similar conclusion 300 yrs. later.  God surely does great work in those who Love Him!

And so let's all put the opening phrase that is capitilized above in a place of prominence... somewhere for us to meditate on daily and apply to our lives.  A perfect mantra to begin a New Year.  With so many New Year's Resolutions, let's put the ones that have an Origin in God first and of Most Importance. This way, as we grow and evolve and change, everyone around us will sense the impact and desire to know Who and Why these beautiful things are happening in our lives...thereby another  small 'advertisement' for God!

Stay beautiful, keep smiling and keep chasing God...."The more you chase Him the more you catch Him!"..til next time....

"You shall love your neighbor as yourself!"  Leviticus 19:18 Matthew 19:19 (in both the Old and New Testament...Jewish and Christian People have the same verse)