Normand Thomas's Blog: Father Normand'
April 9, 2021
Joy settles in / Book: A path to conversion (1)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08K...
When adjusting to the will of God, we can receive the light, then joy settles in and peace becomes a constant reality. Jesus came to teach us the Good News and to free us.
Jesus invites us back to a child’s dignity from God, in purity of heart. Everything is better in God. The weight of past feelings and tomorrow’s worries recede from our conscience.
Paul is proposing that we visit our heart:
“It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first instalment.” 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 21 and 22
The past is a shadow, the future is a mirage, but the Holy Spirit dwells in our heart right now. Living in God improves our life. Welcoming the Holy Spirit into our heart leads to joy in God’s Love.
But when we drag the past on our shoulders, we fight for years and we lose energy. And when we suffer from anxiety for the future, we seek for the impossible for hours, months and years as time passes. God is found in the present.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew, chapter 5, verse 3
The poor of heart, of spirit, know they can rely on God. They receive the basic necessities. They hold the key to the Kingdom God.
Notice:
Since this is the 1st book of a series of 16,
the first part of this book is:
Conversions of people in the Bible
The second part is (Pathway 2...) :
How to convert ; By being ourselves in the present moment with God.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08K...
When adjusting to the will of God, we can receive the light, then joy settles in and peace becomes a constant reality. Jesus came to teach us the Good News and to free us.
Jesus invites us back to a child’s dignity from God, in purity of heart. Everything is better in God. The weight of past feelings and tomorrow’s worries recede from our conscience.
Paul is proposing that we visit our heart:
“It is God who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us, by putting his seal on us and giving us his Spirit in our hearts as a first instalment.” 2 Corinthians, chapter 1, verses 21 and 22
The past is a shadow, the future is a mirage, but the Holy Spirit dwells in our heart right now. Living in God improves our life. Welcoming the Holy Spirit into our heart leads to joy in God’s Love.
But when we drag the past on our shoulders, we fight for years and we lose energy. And when we suffer from anxiety for the future, we seek for the impossible for hours, months and years as time passes. God is found in the present.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew, chapter 5, verse 3
The poor of heart, of spirit, know they can rely on God. They receive the basic necessities. They hold the key to the Kingdom God.
Notice:
Since this is the 1st book of a series of 16,
the first part of this book is:
Conversions of people in the Bible
The second part is (Pathway 2...) :
How to convert ; By being ourselves in the present moment with God.
Invitation to conversion / Book: Daily path to conversion (2)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Paul is not perfect, but he invites us nevertheless to a conversion:
You should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth. Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 22 to 24
May we get rid of ways that lead us to forget God in our meetings, while we’re sharing memories with our family or with our friends.
Then Paul continues in the quoted text: “put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth”.
Paul offers us a beautiful journey of faith. Let’s trust in Jesus. Let’s find time to explore God’s reality, to thank him, to let him love us. But let’s not think that we have achieved our goal. Let’s continue to move forward in faith, simply, with whom we already are.
Being in God allows us to become more ourselves. We want to be like him, give our lives to him, recognizing him in humanity and inviting people to follow him by charitable ways.
May we let God’s Word transform us to the point of becoming like him.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Paul is not perfect, but he invites us nevertheless to a conversion:
You should put away the old self of your former way of life, corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth. Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 22 to 24
May we get rid of ways that lead us to forget God in our meetings, while we’re sharing memories with our family or with our friends.
Then Paul continues in the quoted text: “put on the new self, created in God’s way in righteousness and holiness of truth”.
Paul offers us a beautiful journey of faith. Let’s trust in Jesus. Let’s find time to explore God’s reality, to thank him, to let him love us. But let’s not think that we have achieved our goal. Let’s continue to move forward in faith, simply, with whom we already are.
Being in God allows us to become more ourselves. We want to be like him, give our lives to him, recognizing him in humanity and inviting people to follow him by charitable ways.
May we let God’s Word transform us to the point of becoming like him.
Happiness in God / Book: Let’s reveal God (3)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Happiness is not always where we seek it, but when we do the will of God. Committing ourselves to God will allow us not to sink. On the contrary, it values us.
May God guide our steps. Let’s leave him our plans and everything will be realized according to the Heart of God, if we really give them to him. May our projects be placed in the hands of God through prayer, heart to Heart with God and adoration of the Word (of the Verb) and the Eucharist.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Happiness is not always where we seek it, but when we do the will of God. Committing ourselves to God will allow us not to sink. On the contrary, it values us.
May God guide our steps. Let’s leave him our plans and everything will be realized according to the Heart of God, if we really give them to him. May our projects be placed in the hands of God through prayer, heart to Heart with God and adoration of the Word (of the Verb) and the Eucharist.
Fleeing idols / Book: Refusing sin (4)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Paul says:
“My beloved, avoid idolatry.” 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 14
Avoiding, fleeing idols is quite difficult in a world that constantly offers it to us. Idols are everything that keeps us focused on other people or objects rather than on Jesus. Paul tells the people who accompany him not to follow him, but to follow Jesus:
“Whenever someone says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos,’ are you not merely human?” 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 4
We belong to no one else but to God.
Paul also speaks of worship. Worship is what a group will live together, for a common purpose to worship or adulate a person or object. There is the cult of sport, the cult of films, the cult of artists, the cult of leaders, the cult of cats, the cult of chocolate, etc.
Otherwise, we can choose some different activities to bring out some good for us and for society, for example, to improve health. It’s not a bad thing to have all these activities and professions, but they must not become a cult that monopolizes our energies, our perceptions and our actions, without regards to a life of faith in God. The true worship to render is to God.
Then Paul, following this sentence, adds:
“Judge for yourself what I am saying.” 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 15
Paul wants people to take responsibility and to verify if they follow idols or if they are constantly turning to God. Paul suggests to “avoid idolatry”.
As we deepen our relationship with Jesus, idols will fall and disappear one after the other. Jesus will enlighten our life and help us to choose reality, truth and well-being.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Paul says:
“My beloved, avoid idolatry.” 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 14
Avoiding, fleeing idols is quite difficult in a world that constantly offers it to us. Idols are everything that keeps us focused on other people or objects rather than on Jesus. Paul tells the people who accompany him not to follow him, but to follow Jesus:
“Whenever someone says, ‘I belong to Paul,’ and another, ‘I belong to Apollos,’ are you not merely human?” 1 Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 4
We belong to no one else but to God.
Paul also speaks of worship. Worship is what a group will live together, for a common purpose to worship or adulate a person or object. There is the cult of sport, the cult of films, the cult of artists, the cult of leaders, the cult of cats, the cult of chocolate, etc.
Otherwise, we can choose some different activities to bring out some good for us and for society, for example, to improve health. It’s not a bad thing to have all these activities and professions, but they must not become a cult that monopolizes our energies, our perceptions and our actions, without regards to a life of faith in God. The true worship to render is to God.
Then Paul, following this sentence, adds:
“Judge for yourself what I am saying.” 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 15
Paul wants people to take responsibility and to verify if they follow idols or if they are constantly turning to God. Paul suggests to “avoid idolatry”.
As we deepen our relationship with Jesus, idols will fall and disappear one after the other. Jesus will enlighten our life and help us to choose reality, truth and well-being.
God Loves us / Book: Let’s love God (5)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
A prophet like Jeremiah has moments of genius and he lets himself be moved by God’s truth. He writes what he receives from God in his heart:
“I Love you with an eternal Love.” Jeremiah, chapter 31, verse 3
God Loves his people, he Loves Jeremiah, he still Loves us today. God Loves us “with an Eternal Love”. The people are happy and ask God to save him. It’s party time, joy, but for how long?
It’s simple. The further we stay away from God, the more our life lacks light, lacks strength, lacks wisdom, our life becomes drained by the refusal to receive Love. So, what can we leave aside to increase our presence with Christ? What is useless and destroying our life and what could be useful to improve our faith?
John allows us to understand that there is a choice to make, either throwing ourselves toward the Love of God or moving away from him:
“Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous.” 1 John, chapter 3, verse 7
How to be fair if not to go to Church and thank God for all that we have of good, beautiful, real and true, then to receive him again in the Eucharist, to receive his Love once more and let his joy grow in our hearts.
May we let no one steer us away from the Love of God. May we not rely on others to decide for us. We are the only ones responsible for our relationship with Christ.
Immediately after, John tells us exactly what the word “devil” means. The one who divides our relationship with God:
“Whoever sins belongs to the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning.” 1 John, chapter 3, verse 8
“The devil is a sinner.” We give the devil many titles, but what characterizes him the most is that he is the best “sinner” of all. It’s not a very rewarding trophy to be the sinner, crowned with excellence.
To recognize oneself as a sinner and to follow Jesus is fine. But the devil decided not to choose the Love of God. He is “the sinner”. He doesn’t recognize or want to receive the Love of God. How difficult it is to understand someone who decides … not to lean with all his being toward, then dive into God’s Love.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
A prophet like Jeremiah has moments of genius and he lets himself be moved by God’s truth. He writes what he receives from God in his heart:
“I Love you with an eternal Love.” Jeremiah, chapter 31, verse 3
God Loves his people, he Loves Jeremiah, he still Loves us today. God Loves us “with an Eternal Love”. The people are happy and ask God to save him. It’s party time, joy, but for how long?
It’s simple. The further we stay away from God, the more our life lacks light, lacks strength, lacks wisdom, our life becomes drained by the refusal to receive Love. So, what can we leave aside to increase our presence with Christ? What is useless and destroying our life and what could be useful to improve our faith?
John allows us to understand that there is a choice to make, either throwing ourselves toward the Love of God or moving away from him:
“Children, let no one deceive you. The person who acts in righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous.” 1 John, chapter 3, verse 7
How to be fair if not to go to Church and thank God for all that we have of good, beautiful, real and true, then to receive him again in the Eucharist, to receive his Love once more and let his joy grow in our hearts.
May we let no one steer us away from the Love of God. May we not rely on others to decide for us. We are the only ones responsible for our relationship with Christ.
Immediately after, John tells us exactly what the word “devil” means. The one who divides our relationship with God:
“Whoever sins belongs to the devil, because the devil has sinned from the beginning.” 1 John, chapter 3, verse 8
“The devil is a sinner.” We give the devil many titles, but what characterizes him the most is that he is the best “sinner” of all. It’s not a very rewarding trophy to be the sinner, crowned with excellence.
To recognize oneself as a sinner and to follow Jesus is fine. But the devil decided not to choose the Love of God. He is “the sinner”. He doesn’t recognize or want to receive the Love of God. How difficult it is to understand someone who decides … not to lean with all his being toward, then dive into God’s Love.
Childlike / Book: Let's be Loved (6)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
There are elements of life that become grand. Life itself is a grace of which it is necessary to be aware and thankful of. We do not see life, it is discreet, but life is much more important, much more to appreciate than it seems to be.
Joy is a reality that we do not see, except when it is manifested through the emotions of a person. Joy is grace and it leaves us much more than just being there.
Peace is a favoured grace, because it leaves us with a sense of heavenly comfort.
Love is the proper of all these graces and it belongs to God. God invites us to live with his Love, to share his graces between us. We discover that there are small gestures and simple words that provoke a lot of good:
“Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Matthew, chapter 11, verse 25
Where the Body and Blood of Jesus is present in small elements of everyday life, we receive infinitely more than we can hope for. We receive everything from the Trinity. Let’s receive the Eucharist and let’s marvel from within.
May Mary and Joseph, who knew how to give little Jesus to the world, teach us to look at the little and humble, in order to discover God in his infinite Love.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
There are elements of life that become grand. Life itself is a grace of which it is necessary to be aware and thankful of. We do not see life, it is discreet, but life is much more important, much more to appreciate than it seems to be.
Joy is a reality that we do not see, except when it is manifested through the emotions of a person. Joy is grace and it leaves us much more than just being there.
Peace is a favoured grace, because it leaves us with a sense of heavenly comfort.
Love is the proper of all these graces and it belongs to God. God invites us to live with his Love, to share his graces between us. We discover that there are small gestures and simple words that provoke a lot of good:
“Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Matthew, chapter 11, verse 25
Where the Body and Blood of Jesus is present in small elements of everyday life, we receive infinitely more than we can hope for. We receive everything from the Trinity. Let’s receive the Eucharist and let’s marvel from within.
May Mary and Joseph, who knew how to give little Jesus to the world, teach us to look at the little and humble, in order to discover God in his infinite Love.
To listen / Book: … for Love (7)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
God knows that the strength of his Love can do anything. God wants to drag us to the desert, in the silence of our heart:
“So I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart.” Hosea, chapter 2, verse 13
We just need to listen. We often think that living a personal desert is painful and that there seems to be a growing void. We feel so alone.
The desert is rather the ideal place where we can enter into a relationship with God. A heart to Heart relationship is never a refusal for him. God wants to be in touch with us all.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
God knows that the strength of his Love can do anything. God wants to drag us to the desert, in the silence of our heart:
“So I will allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak to her heart.” Hosea, chapter 2, verse 13
We just need to listen. We often think that living a personal desert is painful and that there seems to be a growing void. We feel so alone.
The desert is rather the ideal place where we can enter into a relationship with God. A heart to Heart relationship is never a refusal for him. God wants to be in touch with us all.
A jewel / Book: The heart’s mission (8)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Jesus is the one who draws people to him. He tells us in his parable:
“Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled.” Luke, chapter 14, verse 23
We know that freedom is a jewel for those who use it to enter the Heart of God. But freedom becomes camouflaged by a virus, when they don’t use it to enter Jesus and remain in his Heart.
It is written that God wants us to enter by force: “make people come in”. But in the language of God, it’s easy to understand what he really wants to tell us. It might be something like this: “Bring them in with all the strength of my Love that I placed in your heart.” That being said, we understand how delicately, but with what insistence God tries to find us and gather us on his Heart. We are attracted to him.
To welcome Jesus is to give him time so that he may sanctify our life. In our hearts, let’s join the feast of all the saints: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. Philippians, chapter 2, verses 10 and 11
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Jesus is the one who draws people to him. He tells us in his parable:
“Go out to the highways and hedgerows and make people come in that my home may be filled.” Luke, chapter 14, verse 23
We know that freedom is a jewel for those who use it to enter the Heart of God. But freedom becomes camouflaged by a virus, when they don’t use it to enter Jesus and remain in his Heart.
It is written that God wants us to enter by force: “make people come in”. But in the language of God, it’s easy to understand what he really wants to tell us. It might be something like this: “Bring them in with all the strength of my Love that I placed in your heart.” That being said, we understand how delicately, but with what insistence God tries to find us and gather us on his Heart. We are attracted to him.
To welcome Jesus is to give him time so that he may sanctify our life. In our hearts, let’s join the feast of all the saints: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”. Philippians, chapter 2, verses 10 and 11
The Doctor / Book: Watch with faith (9)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Jesus declares:
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Matthew, chapter 9, verses 12 to 13
Ah well, it’s surprising! Jesus calls “sinners” to him. He Lo-o-o-o-ves sinners! Not because he encourages us to sin, but because he knows that our request for forgiveness will heal us and grant us peace of heart. His Love will be able to go through our life.
Jesus comes not for the ones who are well, but for the sick, for those who need the Doctor. To acknowledge that we are sinners, to recognize that we need Jesus, to recognize that we need the Doctor is already a step ahead.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
Jesus declares:
“Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.” Matthew, chapter 9, verses 12 to 13
Ah well, it’s surprising! Jesus calls “sinners” to him. He Lo-o-o-o-ves sinners! Not because he encourages us to sin, but because he knows that our request for forgiveness will heal us and grant us peace of heart. His Love will be able to go through our life.
Jesus comes not for the ones who are well, but for the sick, for those who need the Doctor. To acknowledge that we are sinners, to recognize that we need Jesus, to recognize that we need the Doctor is already a step ahead.
Deepening our faith / Book: The Shepherd's Mission (10)
Amazon:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
It’s important to nurture our faith in the Church and then become missionaries in our region. Paul tells us:
“I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand.” 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 1
We are invited to live every moment of our lives by being aware of the presence of God and also by being conscious of deepening our faith. We stand firm by keeping the Word of the Gospel close at hand and in us. We have received the Gospel, now we are good to announce it.
“Those who with God's help have welcomed Christ's call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 3, website: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015...
The best way to know if we are truly and freely attached to the Trinity is to feel “urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world”.
Let’s bring his love to the world. Let’s go into the world. Unless we have a different calling, of course, which is more related to prayer for the world as for the cloistered Carmelites, Franciscans. It’s their way of being in the world. These two ways of evangelizing are excellent. All missionaries are thus supported by prayer.
With more people in a hurry and charitably committed to proclaiming the Love of Christ, supported by the prayers of all, there will be an ocean of universal love. Then, the grace of the mission nourishes and deepens our personal faith.
Let’s recognize the Love that God gives us by his Word, by his Body and his Blood, by the Eucharist for our salvation and the salvation of the world.
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08M...
It’s important to nurture our faith in the Church and then become missionaries in our region. Paul tells us:
“I am reminding you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you indeed received and in which you also stand.” 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 1
We are invited to live every moment of our lives by being aware of the presence of God and also by being conscious of deepening our faith. We stand firm by keeping the Word of the Gospel close at hand and in us. We have received the Gospel, now we are good to announce it.
“Those who with God's help have welcomed Christ's call and freely responded to it are urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world.” Catechism of the Catholic Church, number 3, website: http://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015...
The best way to know if we are truly and freely attached to the Trinity is to feel “urged on by love of Christ to proclaim the Good News everywhere in the world”.
Let’s bring his love to the world. Let’s go into the world. Unless we have a different calling, of course, which is more related to prayer for the world as for the cloistered Carmelites, Franciscans. It’s their way of being in the world. These two ways of evangelizing are excellent. All missionaries are thus supported by prayer.
With more people in a hurry and charitably committed to proclaiming the Love of Christ, supported by the prayers of all, there will be an ocean of universal love. Then, the grace of the mission nourishes and deepens our personal faith.
Let’s recognize the Love that God gives us by his Word, by his Body and his Blood, by the Eucharist for our salvation and the salvation of the world.
