Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 25: In What Consists Firm Peace of Heart and True Progress

“Peace I leave you, My peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you” (John 14:27)

What is it we all seek but peace?  Unfortunately, we generally do not do what is necessary to obtain it.  Thomas a Kempis tells us that peace is found among the “humble and gentle of heart”.  To find peace you must be patient and not anxious in your daily lives.  You must learn to wait and work on God’s schedule and not yours. To obtain peace, you must seek God alone and abandon all our earthly desires.  You must seek to please Him by doing His will at all times.  You should not be concerned with what others think about you or whether they label you a “Jesus Freak”.  It is okay to completely submit yourself to God.  Look at all the examples we are given in the Saints.  Look at our two newest Saints, Saint John the XXIII and Saint John Paul the Great or some of the great American Saints such as Saint Catherin Drexel or Saint Francis Cabrini. These people led heroic lives devoted to the service of God.  Even though they suffered, they devoted their lives to doing the will and serving God.  These people found true inner peace in their service to God.  We too can find the same inner peace if we just find a way to surrender to His will.  True inner peace does not mean no pain and suffering.  It means you will find peace in whatever you face in your life.  True peace does not mean no grief or struggle and that everything goes your way.  While I hear many a prosperity preacher process that a person knows that God loves them and has found favor in them when they have no grief or have become rich.  God does not reward us with earthly treasures or material things.  He allows us to have worldly treasures to serve Him alone. God asks you to “surrender yourself with your whole heart to the will of God, and in not seeking yourself either in great things or small, in time or in eternity.”  You must find joy and happiness in whatever your state of life.  Peace comes only in serving God. You must find joy in suffering and have complete contempt for your life before you can experience the true inner peace we see in the Saints.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, you are the source of all joy and happiness.

You are the source of true inner peace.

Give me the strength to seek you while I am in exile on this earth.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Book 3 Chapter 24: On Avoiding Curious Inquiry into the Lives of Others

“My child, do not be curious nor concern yourself with useless cares.”

Today we are asked a good question to ponder upon, “What difference does it make to you whether this person is good or bad, or whether that one acts or speaks this way or that?” Christ tells us that we should not become a bunch of “busy bodies” getting involved in other people’s affairs.  We need to take care of our own affairs and not the affairs of others.  God knows all and understands all things.  The souls of His sheep are His responsibility not ours.  We should not meddle in the lives of others because we have our own life which must be put in order.  We are responsible for our own house. When we become a bunch of busy bodies, we begin to gossip and judge others.  We begin to condemn them for their actions.  We use this as a basis to place ourselves above them.  Unfortunately, what goes around comes around.  We will be judged based on our own judgment.  Likewise, you should “not be anxious to win a great name for yourself, to have the familiar acquaintance of many, nor the particular affection of any person.”  This places your desires in the wrong place; to desire to be loved by all makes you jealous of what others have.  Accept who you are and who you know for it is only in the knowledge of God that will get you into heaven.  Christ asks us to be “prudent, watchful in prayer, and humble yourself in all things.”  We must always seek God in everything we do.  We must also realize that it is only God who needs to concern Himself in the lives of others.  Be friendly and kind to others.  Offer them you hand when they are in need and food when they are hungry, but do not concern yourself with their affairs.

A Simple Prayer

God, help me to seek you.

Show me your light and reveal yourself to me.

Guide me and lead me to You so I can rest in your arms.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Book 3 Chapter 23: On Four Things that bring Great Peace

Christ to His disciple: “My child, now I shall teach you the way of true peace and perfect liberty.”

In today’s message, we are told the four things that will bring us great joy and peace.  They are i) try to always do the will of another, ii) always chose less riches than more, iii) always seek to be least, and iv) always “wish for and pray that the will of God will be accomplished in me.” In accomplishing these four things, I remove all the obstacles that keep from the kingdom of Heaven.  God created us to love and adore Him and to serve Him.  When we could not understand this, He sent us His only Son to be our example.  Jesus said that He came to serve not to be served (Matthew 20:28).  To be first, we must be last.  To place ourselves last puts us in the position to serve others and to place their needs before our needs.  So how does being last give me true peace and perfect liberty?  First and foremost, it frees us from the desires for the earthly things that separate us from God.  It takes our desires and directs them towards God for serving Gods children.  Serving others gives us self-worth in a way that is not based on earthly treasures. The feeling of accomplishment is not from a material feet, but one in giving of oneself to another.  When you help someone, especially someone in need, the joy that they receive becomes magnified in you.  So why do we chose against these four things?  When we desire to be served or desire to be rich or desire to be ahead of some else, we are driven by pride and greed and not love.  We seek to find our joy and happiness in the less fortunate position of another.  Society tells us that we will not be happy unless we have great riches.  In reality, that is a true statement.  Unfortunately, the treasures which society seeks is material and not spiritual.  If we seek material treasures, we can never be satisfied.  We always want more.  However, if we seek spiritual treasures, our chest is immediately filled with overflowing love from our Father in Heaven.  The reason we are not satisfied with the earthly treasures is that they cannot satisfy us. They never satisfy us because there is always more to be had. God’s love is instantly infinite, it is not conditioned and it is fully given to you.  He loved us so much that God created us in His image and likeness.  Therefore, we can only be satisfied when we fulfill His will and be like Him – a servant to others.

A Simple Prayer

Oh My Savior, You who can do all things and have all the treasures,

Fill my soul with Your Grace to enable me to accomplish these four things

So that I may experience true peace and perfect joy. 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Book 3 Chapter 22: On Remembering the Manifold Benefits of God

“Oh Lord, open my heart to Your law and teach me to walk in the way of Your Commandments.”

How often do you thank God for everything He has done for you?  When was the last time you held a celebration of thanksgiving for all the blessing He has bestowed upon you?   It is easy for us to seek out His aid in our times of need, but do you also praise him for the glorious wonders He has created for you? Today’s message is all about giving thanks to God for all He has done for us.  Also in today’s message is the warning not to measure or compare what was given to us to what was given to others.  We should never think that we were given more or less than another.  Because once we consider ourselves to have gained more, we begin to think that we somehow merited what we were given.  Even worse, we may begin to think less of the person who appeared to be given less.  We must realize that those who are given less are actually greater in the eyes of our Lord. Those who have received less should not be sad or think that somehow God is punishing them.   More importantly, we should not become envious of others who appear to have more.  We should accept what we are given with all the glory and praise we can give to God for everything that we have is for the glory of God.  We must realize that God alone knows what is best for us and what we need and when we need it.  We must avoid wanting more when what we were given is enough. God does not choose the rich over the poor; the strong over the weak.  He chooses us all to come follow Him.  More importantly, He asks all of us to abandon our worldly goods to help those who are need.  Nothing should give us greater joy then to surrender to the will of our Father.  Our greatest joy should come when we know that we have done what He wanted us to do for the benefit of others.  We must learn to “enjoy much peace in the lowest of places as in the highest.”  We should be glad when all is taken away, for then all our earthly burdens are taken away.  We should desire to be least just as much as the people of the world desire to be rich and famous.  It is only those that are poor in spirit who will gain the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:3).

A Simple Prayer

Lord, thank you for all you have given me.

Give me the grace to realize that these gifts are great blessings from your Father.

Give me even greater grace to accept what I have not;

For it is in being least that I am first.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 20: On Acknowledging Our Own Infirmities and the Miseries of this Life

“Lord, I will acknowledge my sin before You and confess my instability.”

Today’s message truly hit home for me.  In today’s message we are called to realize that on my very best day, I am a sinner.  On my very best day, without the help of God, I fail miserably.  The problem is that I let even the most trivial of things depress me and I become defeated.  When I become depressed, I am “slow to do good works.”  While I resolve to stand firm, the slightest temptation will set me back.  Why does this happen? Because I lose sight of the one who can carry me through all my trials and tribulations. Satan knows the little things that trip me up. The things that seem venial but actually lead to mortal errors in my life. To overcome these events in my life, I must realize just how frail that I am.  I must realize just how little I can do without the aid of our Father in Heaven.  I also must realize that in facing these trials, I become stronger.  As I become strong, I am more equipped to handle the battle. More importantly, I can learn to find the joy in my heart knowing that I have won the battle. But the war is not over.  The battle between good and evil is a life time.  Though I may weary on the road to heaven, I must learn to pick myself up to march forward.  I must learn not to give in to the temptations of this world so that I can enjoy the eternal splendor waiting for me in the Kingdom. After reading the book, Screwtape Letters, by C. S. Lewis, you begin to realize that as soon as you fend off one attack, the next is right behind.  Satan never gives up and so must we.  To prevail over Satan and his empty promises, we must be diligent in our defense and ever weary of his attacks.  And when the evil one finds a hole in the armor, we must work to repair that gap and prepare for the next.  I will fail, but I must get up.  He will knock me down, but I must not be defeated.  To surrender to Satan is to surrender to the world.  To surrender to this world is to deny the treasures that wait for us in His glorious home in Heaven above.

A Simple Prayer

Lord God, How weak and frail I am.

You are my armor and in you I find my defense.

Let me forever find joy in your arms, even in the pain of the trials of this earth.

Give me the grace to carry forward the cross until that glorious day that I meet you in Heaven.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon  

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 19: On the Patient Suffering of Injuries and Who is Really Patient

“What you suffer is but little compared with those who have borne so much for Me.”

Today’s passage reminds me of the story of the man who constantly complained about the all burdens he was carrying on his cross. He cried out to Jesus to remove these burdens and allow him to take on the burdens of others who suffered much less than he.  Jesus told the man to go into this room and leave his cross.  He then sent the man into another room and told him he could select any of the crosses in that room.  When he walked into the room he looked around and all he saw was these huge big crosses towering over him.  When he looked over in the corner, he saw this small cross little cross.  He told Jesus that he would take that cross.  Jesus said to him, “That was the cross you just gave up.”  So often we look at our suffering and think poor pitiful me. When we begin to feel this way, we should immediately turn our thoughts to others who suffer greatly in this world.  We should think of those who have no food or home.  We have the tendency to magnify our grief do to our own impatience and lack of understanding.  We allow these struggles to overwhelm us.  Yet if we would just take the time to stop and rest in the Lord, we would find that we are more prepared to handle these issues.  If we can take the time to truly examine the suffering in our life, we will be better prepared to handle these situations when they arise.  The more prepared you are, the easier it is to dispense of these trials.  We must avoid saying things like, “I cannot endure this thing from so-n-so person, nor should this be expected of me” or “why should I have to suffer when everyone else is having fun.” These are the foolish thoughts that Satan places in our mind to turn us away from our Father.  It is these little wedges that slowly begin to separate us from Jesus Christ.  We must learn to tolerate all suffering, not just the simple things.  We must learn to patiently accept everything that is placed before us with a glorious heart, no matter how painful.  It is all about finding a way to surrender your will to the will of the Father.  We must learn to accept all adversities gratefully and graciously as a gift from God no matter when it comes, no matter whatever it is and from whomever it comes, or how often it happens.  We must be ready to fight to win victory of these trials because it is in the fight that we learn patience to accept the suffering of the injuries that we are given.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, allow me to see my suffering in the light of your eyes.

Give me the grace and patience to accept these trials as blessings and not curses.

For it is very good and profitable for my soul to suffer and be afflicted for you.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 18: That All Temporal Sorrows are to be Borne Patiently after the Example of Christ

Jesus to His Disciple: “My child, I came down from heaven to save you; I took upon Myself your miseries, not because I had to do so, but out of love.”

What a profound opening statement to today’s reading from Thomas a Kempis.  This statement begs the question, “Why did Christ come into this world?”  Jesus tells his disciples, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).  We must realize that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17).  His mission was totally for us.  He completely abandoned Himself to become human so that we could realize that we were truly created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:27).  Jesus was not sent to judge us here, but to help us become more united with His Father in Heaven.  From the time that Jesus set foot on this earth, His life was filled with sorrow and suffering.  In His love for us, He endured these temporal things.  He withstood the brutal punish that man can leash out upon man.  And even through all this, He still loved us.  When He encountered the sinner, He did not condemn them, but He forgave them and healed them of their afflictions.  We are called to live out the same life.  We must learn to endure all the pain and suffering of this earthly life no matter how deep the pain.  We are called to “bear all things patiently according to God’s will” and most importantly, to bear these sufferings as long as God allows us to suffer.  In our suffering, we become more fully united with Christ and all the pain and suffering He experience on this earth and ultimately on the Cross.  We must realize that “this life is tedious and a burden to the soul, but now through His grace it can become meritorious.”  Through His example and that of all the Saints that came before us, we know that suffering has great eternal rewards for our soul in Heaven.  It allows us to begin to understand the love that God poured out for us through His only Son.  What greater way for us to honor God, then to have the patience to endure suffering on this world.  In the words of my Mother, “Offer up your suffering for the souls in purgatory.”  He came not to condemn but to save us through His suffering.  We too can turn our suffering into a joyful experience by directing this suffering to save the souls of others who are suffering in purgatory.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, I am but a mere speck of dust in this great cosmos which you created for me. 

Grant me the gift of patience to endure my suffering.

Let me offer all my suffering up to you who suffered greatly for someone as unworthy as me.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 17: That All Our Cares Must Be Placed in God

Christ to His Disciple: “My child, permit Me to do with you what I will, for I know what is best for you.”

Christ asks us only one thing, to be obedient to the will of the Father.  We must be willing to surrender ourselves to His will even if we must experience pain and suffering.  When we read the scriptures, we are told how to lead a moral life and what we must do to enter into the kingdom of Heaven.  Christ came to provide the ultimate example of what it means to lead a righteous life.  To lead a righteous life, we must be willing to place all our cares in God. We must live a life according to the instructions provided for us in the scriptures. If we do not learn to put all our trust in God, we run the risk of failing and falling prey to the whims of Satan.  We open ourselves up to the temptation of pride.  How often do we do what we want to only find out that it puts us in opposition to the teaching of God?  How often do we see our lives as cursed and turn around and curse God.  We must remember that God has a plan which only He can understand.  We must learn to submit to that plan for He created us and knows what is best for us.  We must be just as ready to suffer and we are to rejoice. Everything and every situation we encounter in our life is designed to bring us closer to God.  We must chose to either accept what has been provided to us or to deny it.  Life is filled with many trials which help us realize that it is not us but God who is in charge.  Ultimately, we have no control over life except to submit to God.  We either chose to fight with God or fall into His arms.  He is a loving and merciful God who only wants what is best for us.  We must learn to accept what has been provided to us as a gift from God.

A Simple Prayer

“Lord, I willingly bear for You whatever You are pleased to give me.

With indifference I will take from Your hand good and bad, bitter and sweet, joy and sorrow; and

For all these things that may happen to me, I thank You with all my heart.”

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 16: True Solace is to be sought in God Alone

“Whatever I can desire or imagine for my comfort, I do not expect here but hereafter.”

We are called to have complete trust in Christ alone for He alone is the source of true happiness and joy. “Therefore, my soul can never be fully comforted, nor be perfectly refreshed except in God.” The problem with society today is that it seeks to satisfy itself in earthly treasures and desires.  It is impatient and cannot ever seem to fulfill itself. It is always hungry for more material goods.  It constantly seeks self-satisfaction in the things of this world.  We must realize that it is only Christ in Heaven through the power of the Holy Spirit by the will of the Father that we have anything in our lives.  God created everything on this earth for us to use for His glory, not ours.  The things of this world are for us to use, but they are only temporal and can never bring eternal happiness.  It is only the eternal things that are in our soul like love for God and neighbor that bring on eternal happiness.  The temporal things that you possess can never make you happy, but how you use those things for the glory of God will determine your eternal happiness.  We must recognized that we are not worthy of any of the temporal things that we have.  Our belongings, our physical riches, our money will not travel with us to our judgment day.  But how we used these things can be the anchor that keeps us front passing through the gates of heaven.  True happiness can never be achieved by foolish people who place all their love in earthly things. True happiness comes to those “good and faithful followers of Christ who look forward to the kingdom of Heaven.” Have you ever met someone who devoted themselves completely to Christ?  They seem to have this overwhelming joy with no anxiety over earthly things.  They are free to love God with all their heart and soul.  Therefore, their happiness is long lasting. Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta died only owning a simple pair of slipper.  These were her only earthly treasure.  When you saw Mother Theresa, she was always happy and filled with an inner peace.  These simple shoes walked with her in her service to God.  They were the simple joy which allowed her to fulfill her mission here on earth.  We too can have that same inner peace.  Jesus tells us, “Sell everything and come follow me.”  The question is, will you be like the rich man and walk away sad, or be like Mother Theresa who devoted her entire life to the mission of Christ? Are your treasures temporal or eternal?

A Simple Prayer

“Be with me, Lord Jesus, in every place and at all times,

That I may have the special grace to forgo all human solace for love of you;

And; if Your comfort is withdrawn,

Let Your will and Your just trial of me be like the greatest comfort.”    

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 15: On How We are to Conduct Ourselves in Our Desires

“Lord, if it be Your will, so let it be, and if it be to Your honor, let it be fulfilled in Your Name.”

If we have learned only one thing throughout the writings of Thomas a Kempis, we should learn that all our desires must be focused on God.  We must learn to be obedient and submit to His will.  All our desires must be for the honor and glory of God.  If our desires are not focused on God, then these desires become harmful to our soul.  You may love to play soccer and when you play soccer you do it for the honor and glory of God.  But if you play soccer instead of choosing God or for your own glory, then your desires are miss directed and harmful to the soul.  We must recognize that not every desire is good for us.  Satan uses our desires to slowly divert us from our one and only true love.  We must be careful that we are not being deceived in our desires.  Even a desire to Holy can become misdirected if our love for God is not pure.  When our love for God becomes a channel for hatred or condemnation of others or as a means to make ourselves look better then others, then our desire becomes evil and actually diverts us away from God.  We must learn to abandon ourselves for God and commit everything to God.  In doing so, we learn to place ourselves last and our love for God first. It is through this purest form of love that we please God in our desires.  In doing so, we learn to become a humble servant of God.  We must realize that only God knows what is best for us.  We must ask Him to let it be done according to His will and not ours. Every time we seek something, ask God for guidance to make sure you are going down the right path.  Ask Him to grant you the grace to choose wisely only those things which glorify and honor Him. We must ask Him to strength to let His will be ours.

A Simple Prayer

“Am I not Your creature, and in Your hands, for You lead me about and turn me about as You will? I am Your servant, ready to do all things at Your command; for I do not want to live for myself, but only for you. If only I can do these things worthily and perfectly.”

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 14: On Considering the Secret Judgment of God so that We do not become Proud of Our Good Works

“O Lord, Your judgments sound forth like pearls of thunder over my head and all my bones shake and tremble with fear.”

What, I can’t be proud of the good works that I do?  I’m not allowed to brag about the good things that I do to help others?  The simple answer is no.  Anytime we brag, we become prideful.  If we become proud of what we do, it is a sin because it is for our glory and not the glory of God.  This is one of things that Luther struggled with.  He wanted to know how much good works a person needed to do before they justified their entrance into heaven.  What he realized is that there is no amount of good works that justify our entrance into heaven.  It is only through the mercy of our Father in Heaven that we enter through the narrow gates.  Why?  Because once we start doing good works to justify ourselves, we begin to value our good works with some sort of grace we earn.  We do not earn God’s love.  It is poured out for us no matter what we do. Don’t get me wrong, we must do good works; however, we must do good works purely because we love God with no expectation in return. Whatever we do must be done purely for the glory of God and nothing else.  It is better that your good works be a secret so that pride does not become a motive.  We must realize that even that “stars fell from heaven” (Rev 6:13) when God’s angels denied him due to their own pride.  No one is spared from the sin of pride.  There is no hope of salvation except through the merciful hands of God.  There is no wisdom unless God sends it forth.  No chastity is secure unless our God defends it and no soul is safe unless God protects it. Therefore, I have no “good” except for what God has given me.  I must learn to cherish this love and realize I am but a lowly servant not worthy of anything unless God wills it.  Once I realize it is all God and none of me, my pride will be defeated and I will truly see the light of Christ.  God is secretly watching us and judging us.  His judgment is firm but fair.  He sees the true reason why we do things.  He knows if we are doing something to brag or doing something to truly help our fellow man. We must not let flatter guide us.  We should be repulsed by flatter if it leads us to pride.  We must feel contempt for false praise as it sets us up for prideful longings.  We must truly be on our knees in the servant position before our Father. It is on our knees that we are truly humble.

A Simple Prayer

“O Substance, immense beyond all weight!

O Sea to whose furthest shore no one can ever sail,

Where I find my substance to be nothing, absolutely nothing!”

Protect me from my prideful tendencies and lead me to have a servant heart.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

Book 3 Chapter 13: On Humble Obedience after the Example of Our Lord, Jesus Christ

“They who try to withdraw themselves from obedience withdraw themselves from grace.”

I think the statement above sums up the primary issue with society today.  How many times have you heard it said, “The church needs to change it position on …”?  We want God to change because we are not willing to be obedient to His teachings.  We want to seek out our own rules and not the rules of God which have been laid out for us for centuries.  If we do not “freely and willingly submit” ourselves to God, we are telling God that we do not belong to Him, but to this world.  We are telling Him that we are rebellious to His teachings and that He who created us does not know what is best for us.  We must realize that our inner self, our interior soul, is stronger than our outward worldly desires.  The outside world is constantly doing battle with our interior self, trying to convince us that we do not need to be obedient to God.  We must not let the outside overrule the interior.  In this battle, your worst enemy is yourself.  Satan convinces you that you are in charge and that it is your will that rules.  For us to prevail over our own desires, we must learn “true contempt” of ourselves and put all of our trust in God.  We must learn to accept His will.  This does not mean that we will not struggle with His teachings, but it is in the struggle that we become closer to God and His ways. It is in the struggle that His light will shine through.  We must realize that God created us in His image and likeness.  Therefore, it is God who knows what is best and how we should live our lives.  Satan has convinced us that we are created in our own image and likeness and that we must only do what pleases us.  We must realize that we were created from the dust of this earth and it is God who breathed life into us.  When we die, we will return to ashes from which we came.  It is only through our obedience to God’s will that our soul will enter into the kingdom of Heaven.  We must not allow pride to be the rule of life.  We must set humility as our foundational cornerstone.  We must learn to be submissive to His will.  We must take joy in the fact that people rebuke us and walk all over us for this is what we do to God when we sin against Him.  This allows us to realize just how much our sinfulness hurts God. But most importantly, we must realize that we have the most merciful God who is willing to spare our soul “so that we might know His great love for us.” All you have to do is be willing to submit and humble yourself before Him.

A Simple Prayer

Make me a servant of your love, so that I may serve you through service to others.

Make me a slave to your will, so that I may rest in you all the days of my life.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 11: On the Need to Examine and Moderate the Desires of the Heart

“Conform your desires and affections to My good pleasure, that you be not full of self-love, but a zealous follower of My will in all things.”

Today’s reading from The Imitation of Christ harkens me back to the time when I was a young little boy.  At this time in my life, I was a sponge to learn and experience new things.  When I met someone I truly liked and admired and that appeared older and wiser than me, I was willing to do just about everything they wanted me to do so I could be just like them.  That is what Christ is asking of us today.  If we truly love Him with all our heart, then we will desire to do everything He wills of us because we want Him to love and cherish us. Nothing will make us happier then when we will what God wills.  It is in doing His will that we will achieve peace in this world.  We learn to be obedient to His will by following the Gospels and learning from Christ’s example.   The Gospels should become the benchmark of service to God.  However, when we feel compelled to do things, we should take time to meditate upon these things to make sure that they will be pleasing to God.  By making hasty decisions, we can actually do things that are not pleasing to God and make decisions that distract us from God.  Sometimes we even know what God wants, but chose to do it our way because we think we can do it better.  By making bad decisions, we can hurt ourselves and those around us. We must remember that we are called to be compassionate in the things that we do and to do those things God wants with a loving heart.  We must be compelled to serve with a warm heart and open hands. In doing so, we form our heart to that of Christ. “It must be chastised and compelled to serve, until it is ready to obey all things what the soul commands, and until it learns to be content with little, to delight in simple things and not to complain at any inconvenience.

A Simple Prayer

Lord, I desire only you and to serve only you.

Teach me to be simple and to desire only you.

Teach me to be your loyal servant.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Book 3 Chapter 9: How All Things Are to be Referred to God, Our Last End

Christ to His Disciple: “My child, if you desire true happiness, then I must be the ultimate goal of all your works.”

Too often we find ourselves seeking out worldly treasures which offer very little in satisfaction.  As soon as we get that prize, it no longer satisfies and we want more, or we want something new, or even worse, we want what our neighbors have. Everything that we do is to achieve more wealth, more material things and a higher status in society.  “And the rich man walked away sad!”  If you set your own happiness as your ultimate goal, you will end up sad and empty.  While it may seem counter intuitive, he who wants the world, will die in the world, but he who abandons the world for God will live in eternal joy.  How often do we strive to do things that glorify us? Our works are empty of any service to God.  We must realize that absolutely everything that we have and everything that is in our possession was given to us by God to fulfill His mission.  All gifts flow out of Gods goodness and therefore, we are called to return all things to Him. We must be happy with what we have and treasure those things as gifts from which we are to bring about the kingdom of Heaven.  Every talent you have is a gift from God that must be used to further the church.  We are His hands and feet; we are His everything on this earth.  Every talent we have was given to us so we can serve Him who gave it to us for “no one is good but God alone” (Luke 18:19).  “He alone is to be honored above all things and in all things shall He be blessed.” Last night I was at my Nephew’s confirmation. He gave me one of the greatest gifts that can be given to a person, to be a witness to the faith, to be his confirmation sponsor.  The priest asked the confirmandee and their sponsors, “Why did God give us the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation?”  He said it was so God could share His love with us in a deeper and more profound way.  It was through these sacraments that every gift we were given comes back to God who is the source of our salvation.  Without are participation in the Holy Church, we become the vine that withers and does not produce fruit. We must give absolutely everything we own, every treasure that we have and every talent that we’re given back to Him to glorify Him who is the only one who can accept us into Heaven.

A Simple Prayer

God, you are the creator of everything in the Universe.

You are the creator of all my gifts and all my treasures;

May I use these gifts and talents to further the kingdom of Heaven.

May everything that is in my possession be “referred to God, my last end.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ

Book 3 Chapter 8: On the Lowly Esteem of Self in God’s Sight

“If I think myself any better, You stand opposed to me, and what is more, my own sins bear witness against me.”

It is hard sometimes to look ourselves in light of our sinfulness.  We do not like to acknowledge the stains which cover our baptismal gown.  Self-esteem and pride are friends of the devil because they allows us to place ourselves above the Creator and His created.  We must learn to humble ourselves, acknowledge our insignificance and rid ourselves of this undue pride before the grace from our Father in Heaven can enter our souls.  It is through this grace that the light of understanding is shed upon us.  Once we can acknowledge our wretchedness and our sinfulness, our prideful self-esteem will be defeated and lost to its own nothingness.  It is through this emptiness that God will show us what we truly are, what we have been and what we have become.  It is when God looks upon us that with His love and grace that we feel true strength and joy.  It is in this abandonment that we are awakened to the love of God. This is what the military does when it gets a new recruit.  They must first break the recruit of their pride and self-esteem before the person can be built up to be a soldier. They must learn that they are nothing before they can become something.  We too must go through the same process.  We must admit our weakness and our wretchedness before we can truly understand the love of God which will fill us.  It is once I am broken and rebuilt that the love of God can protect us from the “grave dangers to which I am most prone to succumb.”  When I give into self-love and pride I empty myself of God and fill myself with those things that are opposed to God.  Therefore, we must realize our insignificance in this great universe. We must realize that we are nothing without the Creator. We are nothing without everything He has created.  Once we accomplish this, we will realize just how much He loves us and how much He did for us that day He hung on the cross. 

A Simple Prayer

“Blessed are You, O Lord, in all Your works,

For though I am unworthy of any god, You continually surround me with Your kindness.

Please turn us back to You again so that we may become grateful, humble and devout,

For You are our help, our salvation and the strength of our body and soul.”

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 7: How Grace is to be kept Close through the Virtue of Humility

Christ: “My child, it is better and safer for you to hide the grace of devotion.”

Why should God want us to hide our devotion to him?  If we hide the gifts that are given to us, how can we be an example of love to others?  Because if we show off our devotion, we will tend to brag about our devotion.  Our devotion will become prideful and we place ourselves above others. We see ourselves as more holy than others.  When we have this great gift of devotion, we must realize just how wretched we actually are.  We must realize that even during our best, we can fail God.  We must avoid the temptation to brag, because this also leads to condemnation.  We get this feeling that I am better than you because I have a deeper devotion than you.  I know we have all met that person who is “holier than thou”. Does that person bring us closer to Christ and repel us? Our spiritual growth is not dependent upon our devotion but upon our ability to wait out the periods of spiritual dryness.  We must be resolved to pray not only during the periods when we feel great devotion, but also during those periods when Gods feels absent in our lives.  We should be careful not to desire devotion, but simply to desire to love Him.  When God gives us the gift of devotion, it is on His terms and when He wants you to have it.  Too often we desire things that we are not ready for in our spiritual lives.  Instead, we should be happy where we are because that is where God wants us to be.  I can remember when I first started seeking a deeper relationship with Christ, I wanted nothing more than to have the spiritual devotion of the great Saints like St. Theresa of Avila.  In her book, the Interior Castle, she warns about the desire for devotion as it leads to false devotion.  Instead she encourage the person to seek council from the wise so as to be properly directed. This way we know when we are truly experiencing the great gifts of God.  When we follow our own judgment and refuse help from others, we tend to get lost along the path to righteousness. Also, those who have this false sense devotion and piety, tend to fall hard when they experience periods of dryness because during periods of trouble and adversity, they do not have the will power to stay true to the path. Those who “feel too secure in time of peace become dejected and fearful in time of conflict and temptation.”  Everything we do in our life should prepare us for conflict and temptation, not the joy of devotion.  There is no greater joy then knowing that you made it through the great trials that have been placed before you.

 

A Simple Prayer

My God,

Give me the strength to love you not only during great periods of devotion but also during great periods of trials and tribulation. 

It is during these periods that I must learn to trust in you.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 6: On the Proof of a True Lover

In a communication between Christ and His Disciple –

            Christ:                         My child, you are not a valiant and wise lover.

            Disciple:         Why, Lord?

            Christ:             Because when the going gets tough, you seek the world and not Me.

How true is this for all of us?  God asks one thing from us, that we love Him with all our heart, mind and soul.  In doing so, He wants us to place all our trust and needs in Him.  God gives us so many gifts and provides the comfort we need to live from day to day.  We must learn to appreciate the Love which is poured out for us by Him.  We must mediate on the love that He has given us and not the gifts.  Once we start to account for the gifts, we lose site of the love.  We must remember that God is far more valuable than any gift we receive from Him. We should be thankful for the gifts He gives us, but more importantly, we should be thankful for Him.  We should be thankful that Jesus came to this earth to teach us and to help free us from slavery.  In freeing us, He opened the gates of Heaven that were closed by the sin of Adam and Eve. But more importantly, He came so we could see Him and love Him even more.  Even though He died for us on the cross, this gift does not exceed Him.  He is still greater than the sacrifice He made for us.  Our eyes should remain focused on Him and we should love Him and everything we do should be for Him because He loves us without condition 24-7.  We must remember that we are constantly tempted by the devil to deviate from God.  We must struggle to avoid these temptations.  And more importantly, we must despise those occasions of sin even when we fall.  It is in the rising to Him who created us that we focus our gaze on Him and turn away from those sins and temptations.  We must strive to worship God, to venerate the Saints, mediate on His Passion, reflect on our sins, keep watch over our heart and resolve to advance in virtue.  We do this through prayer, spiritual reading, confession, and receiving Holy Communion.  We can only do this by giving of ourselves daily to Christ.  We must avoid the temptation that one hour on Sunday is enough.  We must even avoid the temptation that one hour a day is enough.  We must resolve to pray and rest in Him 24 hours a day 7 days a week. We must resolve to give Him absolutely everything with no hold backs. It is only then that you place all your trust in our Lover, our Lord and Savior in Heaven. It is then that you deny Satan and his wicked spirit, because now there is no room for him in your heart. 

A Simple Prayer

Lord, you are my Lover and my Savior;

Whom should I fear when I rest in You?

You are the light who puts out the darkness.

You are my help and my deliverer.

You are my everything.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 5: On the Wonderful Effect of the Love of God

“Nothing is sweeter than love, nothing higher, nothing stronger, nothing larger, nothing more joyful, nothing fuller, nothing better in heaven or on earth; for love is born of God and can find its rest only in God above all He was created.”

How wonderful it is that God loves us so much even though we betray His love at times.  Who else can never stop loving us, even when we deny them?  We should glorify God always, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit.  When God comes into our life, are we not filled with unending joy?  God should be the glory and joy of our heart.  Although we are “weak in love and imperfect in virtue,” He is there to help us and carry us.  We just need to surrender to Him.  He is the only one who can deliver from our evil passions and heal our heart from all disorderly affections.  It is in healing us that He makes us pure enough to love Him.  Love is the most powerful weapon of all because “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Since there is nothing more powerful than God, there can be nothing more powerful than love.  The love of Jesus Christ motivates us to do great things and spurs us to do charitable works of mercy for others.  “Such lovers fly high, run swiftly and rejoice.”  When we love as Jesus Christ loved are souls are freed; especially when we give all for all.  We must remember that love knows no limits and has no burden making light of our labor.  Think of the times when you are doing charitable work, not matter how strenuous that work, you find joy and happiness.  This is because of the love of God that flows through you during this time.  This love that flows through you not only affects you, but it affects all those around us and everyone we encounter.  If we do not learn to love, our soul begins to whither and become dark.  These are the seeds that allow hatred, envy and greed to foster within us.  Love is never self-seeking. The only way to defeat these weeds in our life is to open our hearts to the love of God and to reciprocate that love through service to others.  When we do charitable works and sacrifice ourselves out of love, we cry out, “You, Lord God, are my whole love and all my desire.”  We need to ask God to expand our heart so we can even love more.  When we fill our heart with love, there is no room for hatred.  When we fill our heart with love, we rest in the peace of our Lord in Heaven.     

A Simple Prayer

Oh Father in Heaven, help me to love you more.

Give me the strength to rest in your love and

To all your love to flow through me in the aid of others.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon

 

Easter Meditation

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Book 3 Chapter 4: We Should Walk before God in Truth and Humility

“My child, walk before Me in truth (1 Kings 2:4) and simplicity of heart – without pretense.”

It seems like the message from Thomas a Kempis always about humility.  “If you’re not humble, you’re not going to heaven.”  Why does God want us to be humble?  Why is this such an important character trait for me? Why can’t I be first some of the times?  Because humility is the opposite of Pride and Pride is the sin that causes Lucifer to fall.  In our own pride, we put ourself before God and others.  Christ tells us, “If you want be first, you must be last.” When we finally realize that it’s not about us, we begin to understand it’s all about serving others.  It is in this period that we realize that our earthly treasures become less important in our lives. What becomes most important is pleasing God by helping others.  Those who truly walk in humility are “shielded from the attacks of the evil one; and Truth shall free them from deceivers.”  If you think about the wisdom that is packed in that one little saying, you will begin to understand why we must be on our knees.  If we are truly humble, what can the devil do to temp us.  He temps us with things that we want or that we feel we need.  If we are truly humble, we need nothing.  There is nothing that Satan can temp us with.  Once we realize the truth in this saying, we are freed because we are no longer bound to the earth and its treasures.  We must be willing to ask God to let “His truth teach me and guide me, and lead me to eternal salvation.” Christ tells us that we must “think about our sins with great displeasure and deep sorrow in your heart.” We should never think of ourselves as being virtuous because we do good deeds.  We should only do “good deeds” because we are humble. Unfortunately, on our best day we are despicable.  In the movie Despicable Me, Gru, the evil scientist, begins out wanting everything, even the moon.  Eventually his heart is changed and realizes it’s not about him, but about the three little girls that are in his care.  He does not change overnight, but gradually.  Even in the end, he still has a little bit of the “despicable me” left in him, but his conversion is on the right tract.  We all resemble Gru to some degree.  It’s not until we realize that God is the most important thing in our lives that we will begin to change.  It’s not until we are willing to give up absolutely everything that we are on the right tract.  And it’s not until we are willing to sacrifice our life for another that we become truly humble. I hope and pray that each of you take the time to reflect back on the day to discover just how despicable you’ve been.  It’s not until you say “Oh despicable me” that your heart will begin to change.  Today, ask yourself, “How many times have I offended God and how grievous were those offenses.

A Simple Prayer

My Dear Lord in Heaven; Oh how despicable a person I am;

Please give me the wisdom to know my offenses; and

The courage to change my heart so all I think about is pleasing you.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon