New Blue Book 16 is Available!

                Given April 13, 2016

                R. We are pilgrims on a journey –

                With a goal –

                Going through life –

                Why am I here?

                Where am I going?

                We were made to be on fire for love of God –
                We were made to grow in the image of God –

                We were made to do the Father's Plan –
                We were made to be obedient to God's will –

                We were made to love God first and others like ourselves –

                We can go through life like the men
                    who had 2 roads – one was a
                    cleared nice path –
                    the other full of debris, pot holes,
                    snakes, rocks that caught him up –

                The chosen people went 40 years
                    in the desert – they could have
                    gone through in a few weeks –

                They were headed for the Promised Land,
                    but they were caught in the desert –
                    grumbling – doing their own thing –

                The path to heaven is a narrow path and one
                    must have that as their goal – eternal salvation
 

                Sing: Holy Ground –

                R. We think about Stephen who was martyred –
                We think about many of the Apostles
                    who were martyred

                Love lasts forever –

                God commands us to love –

                We are pilgrims on a journey –
                    a journey to learn to love –

                Love is communicating –

                We want unity –

                God created us for unity –
                God is love –
                God wants intimacy with Him –

                We want people to show us their
                    love –

                Some day we will see God
                    face-to-face –

                God gives us His self-communicating
                    Love –

                Jesus showed us His love in the
                    passion –

                Jesus took flesh –

                Jesus showed us His love in the stable –

                We see Jesus who came a baby and
                    we see Him touched by Mary,
                    held by Mary –

                Mary caring for Jesus –

                Jesus spent 30 years in the Private Life –

                Jesus obeyed the Father's will –

                Jesus gives us Himself in the Eucharist –

                We receive Jesus –

                We eat His body and drink His blood –

                God has called us to hug –
                    to shake hands –
                    to look into each other's faces –

                Unity is between people –
                A person that consistently throws stuff
                    out there is not communicating –

                If God calls us to have unity – we do
                    what He wants – we want Him to teach
                    us about hearts of love –

                We don't try to possess them – then hate
                    them only as we feel they should
                    serve us –

                We seek goodness – to promote love –
                    we want unity like members of the
                    body –

                We feel unity in our hearts – unity in
                    God –

                Unity with others is found in
                    having the goal of doing
                    God's will –

                It has a goal – serving God –
                    doing God's will –

                Unity isn't coming from a person
                    full of fear of abandonment
                    and wanting to control or
                    force another to do what they want –

                Unity is found in having structure –
                    where all have a common goal –
                    God's will –

                Unity is not found in the person –
                    afraid to touch, afraid to
                    let people in their space –
                    pushing people away to
                    feel secure because of past abuse –

                    God is giving us the message to bring
                men into one mind and one heart –
                God has the plan – Many men are wounded –
                they never trusted others – they push them
                away – want their space – never learned
                to communicate and work in love on
                problems, never learned to obey authority –
                etc. –

                Survival tactics can be learned to feel safe
                    in dysfunctional situations
                    from the past –

                Then when there is no dysfunction and
                    things are safe - people can create
                    stiff isolated situations to
                    continue their survival tactics
                    they feel comfortable with –

                These are inordinate attachments –

                We need to live in the truth, not
                    make situations to fear so we
                    can act out old destructive
                    patterned behavior –

                Obedience to God's will is paramount –

                Putting the distraction out of our minds
                    and focusing on what God has
                    called us to do now - today –

                Letting God work in our mission and
                    not blocking things because we need
                    attention, drama, control –

                The Holy Spirit can fill our hearts with God's love –
                    We can grow in love and trust with
                    those God is sending to us to help us
                    grow – but we must let go of
                    old patterned behavior that is
                    destructive –

                We must want to change –

                Otherwise – every time God tells us to do
                    something –
                    We give into the temptation of satan
                        to put a wrench in the works –
                        we take control – working
                        against what God asked for –
                        We set up our agenda –
                        When God asked for a "zig"
                            we give a "zag" and
                            rationalize why we are right!

                God wants to direct our lives, live
                    in us and work in us –
                    but we can ask ourselves –

                We are pilgrims on a journey – trusting
                    God and doing things His way –
                    or do we not focus on the goal of
                    eternal salvation, but perform
                    our actions for control, or
                    pride, jealousy, attention, etc. –

                Disciples listen to God –
                When we quit listening –
                When we quit learning –
                We are not disciples –
                Disciples are learners –

                They are pilgrims on a journey –
                Trying to be more and more in the image
                    of God –

                They have not arrived –

                They are Easter people –
                    celebrating "new life"
                    in Christ.

                We are Easter people –
                We are a work in progress –
                We are pilgrims on a journey –
                We are dying to old destructive
                    patterned behavior and seeking
                    God's plan for us –

                We are growing in faith developing
                    our elevated knowing and loving
                    capacity from baptism with
                    grace from the Holy Spirit – so we
                    love and know supernaturally –

                We are learning to let go –

                We are pilgrims on a journey
                    under God –

                Say the Our Father –

                This is a most powerful prayer –

                We are giving honor to Our Father –

                We see ourselves as children under God –

                We are praying for the Kingdom of God –

                We are praying "Thy will be done on
                    earth as it is in heaven"

                We pray to be fed by God –

                We ask for forgiveness for our sins

                We forgive those who have offended
                    us

                And we pray to not be led into
                    temptation, but to
                    deliver us from evil –

                Jesus taught us to pray –

                God is teaching us about the
                    infused virtues of faith, hope and love –

                We are to be grateful –

                God has loved us into existence –

                Given us a sharing in His life in
                    baptism –

                Elevated our knowing and loving capacity
                    in baptism –

                And the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell in our
                    graced, baptized soul –

                If we want the world to change – we
                    have to live more fully our
                    commission as members of the
                    mystical body of Christ –

                We are called to be Easter people –

                To live, as God operates in us,
                    in love –

                To say as St. Paul says in Galatians –
 

                R. Easter people

                Living the Christ-life –

                Life in the Holy Spirit

                Living with Mary at our side –

                Not static, frozen people trying
                    to force others to put up
                    with our unresolved anger,
                    survival tactics, fears
                    and control

                This is not living –

                This is not life in Him.

                Men praying in the Holy Spirit work in
                    one mind and one heart –

                God has the plan –

                We need to see ourselves as pilgrims
                    on a journey – not somebody that
                    is seeing themselves as "set" –
                    "unchangeable" and "in control"
                    Where are we going?

                Our focus is always eternal happiness
                    in heaven –

                In A Touched by an Angel program
                    a man was married and the 'other
                        woman' saw herself as the
                        one who should win the man's
                        ashes –

                    She said the man loved her the most –
                    Well Tess the angel told her
                        "He was married." The other woman insisted
                        she loved him more than the wife.
                        The 'other women' broke into the
                        funeral and stole his ashes –

                Wow – is that twisted thinking and
                    she wouldn't let go –
                    her life, even after he died
                        was focused on the dead
                        man's ashes –

                    Life isn't life if it is not
                        rooted in God –

                When God has an agenda – we don't
                    say, but in this case I
                    can do my thing –

                God is omnipotent and all powerful –
                    God wants obedience –
                    God wants justice and love –

                What is your goal in life?

                Doing God's will should be our
                    ultimate goal –

                Always seeing our eternal salvation
                    before us –

                Being filled with the Holy Spirit – having
                    virtues and gifts of God –

                Dying to old survival tactics –
                Dying to old behavior patterns

                Living a "new life" in Him –

                Being Easter People

                Praying for the Holy Spirit so
                    the Spirit of truth is in us –

                Seeing through the eyes of God –

                Praying for the increase of
                    the virtues in us –

                Praying the Holy Spirit Novena –

                Listening to those God sends –
                    obeying those over us –

                How do we extend our hands –

                Are we afraid to extend our hands to others –

                Are we rigid and closed in?

                The baby comes, it's little fists are closed –
                    it has lots of needs.

                Healing comes from love –

                Children need parental love –

                Love given for good of children –
                    not children serving the adults –

                Babies need love!

                Children need love to grow –             

                Are the members of the Body of
                    Christ giving love to the
                    people of the world –
                    through prayer and caring –

                Growth comes from love –

                Many times rebellious children can be found
                    from children that did not get love –