Sunday Wisdom

In today’s gospel Jesus performs his first miracle which begins His public ministry and in doing so he teaches us and his disciples a lesson in great love and also magnifies powerful love of Mary our Mother.

Mary in her great love and gentleness tells the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”  Mary is concerned about the young couple and those at the wedding feast, not herself or her son.  She shows her great love and concern for the needs of this young couple, just as she does for all of our needs, big and small. Jesus’ great love and obedience for his mother led him into ministry.  This is why we can confidently call on our Mother Mary to intercede for us. To Jesus, through Mary!

Mary certainly gets the attention of the servants who have just filled six stone jars with water.  I wonder who all of their lives were changed that day? Did you know that the number six signifies imperfections?  Interesting how Jesus not only turns ordinary water into extraordinary wine and makes perfect those six stone jars.  He not only transforms the water, but he transforms the jars. They turn from an ordinary instrument of daily work into a spring of joy. 

Throughout marriage while sacrificing for one another our jars can become empty.  We could allow them to become as hard as stone or we can allow Jesus to enter our hearts in order to bring love and forgiveness to one another. This will transform our jars and we will be filled with joy.

Mary is gently whispering to you, “Do whatever He tells you, Do whatever He asks you.”  What is Jesus asking you to do?  Will you empty yourself for Jesus and allow Him to turn your water into wine? 

With the help of our Lord, ordinary tasks can become extraordinary. I pray that Jesus will fill you with His powerful love and mercy so that you can spread joy to those around you. Be blessed by friends!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

The Baptism of Jesus is a celebration of the Father’s love and the beginning of the Jesus’ public ministry. The Father is filled with joy with His Son’s obedience, humility and trust.  With this great love and joy the Father announces from heaven that he is pleased with his beloved Son. “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).

With so much that has happened in this world, the uncertainty and daily struggles often allow us to give in to fear and then doubt creeps in. I get it, but trust me it does not have to define you because your identity as part of God’s family can fill you with that unexpected joy of unconditional love.  God wants to continually fill you with the Holy Spirit so that you are strengthened and encouraged to fulfill the work God has planned for you.

The Holy Spirit is present at Jesus’ baptism just as the Spirit was present at your baptism. So go ahead, recommit your baptismal promise, ask for a renewed Spirit and then listen as God reminds you that you His beloved child and He will never abandon you.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

What a joy it is to celebrate the birth of our Lord.  The readings for this Christmas encourage us to develop a heart of gratitude and inspire us to share the joy of the mystery of a child born from Mary with others. 

Whenever we receive a gift, it is precious and we rejoice because it is a sign that someone loves us and cares for us. God so loved the world, (that is all of us,  you, me, everyone) that he gave his only Begotten Son to us, which is a huge gift, right?  If you have children then you totally understand the magnitude of giving up one of your children for the good of all.  God’s tremendous love for us shows how much he cares us and is a light in our darkness.

The darkness of wintertime and the feast of this season reminds us of our brokenness, our sins and our need to be redeemed.  Into the darkness and messiness of our lives, God comes to dwell among us and brings light into our midst.

May the Light of Christ bless us all and fill our homes this Christmas Season.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

As we continue to open our hearts throughout this Advent Season, let our Joy be bigger than our Fear so that our response is to follow the example of obedience and service established by Jesus and His mother. It was Mary’s willingness to accept GOD’s plan that brought so much Joy into the world. Her kindness and service to Elizabeth reveals how very much Mary is aware of GOD’s presence in her life.

 So these coming weeks, as we focus on the Lord Jesus’ presence with us, let us open our heart to be called to bring the Lord Jesus to others. Who in your life needs to be visited, who could benefit from a kind word or a gentle smile?

Our caring and compassionate deeds do make a positive impact on others and is a simply way to remind our friends, family, neighbors, even strangers that they are valued and blessed by GOD. 

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

During this Advent Season we continue to hear from John the Baptist and his message is simple, conversion.  It is a loud and boastful call for us to evaluate what is important in our lives and perhaps, change our direction.  What is it that keeps us from living authentic lives, the life Christ has called us to live?

This gospel is also a call for evangelization.  How well do I share my faith with others?  Of course not everyone will listen, but my friends the love of Christ and His Mercy is so powerful, I do not want you to miss out on living a life of being loved unconditionally by our Savior.

So, this Advent Season I pray we can all lay down our brokenness and our burdens and put on the face of Christ, so that we can be empty and little allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us and bless us with the fire of His love.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

In today’s gospel John the Baptist prepares the way of the Lord, thus fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. Advent is a time of coming to Christ and it announces to us all that -We matter to God!  God will never abandon us.  God is constantly calling us back to him with hearts and hands and voices. We must trust that God’s words are true and let go of all our worries and concerns by continually seeking God’s will in our lives.

The Season of Advent offers us an opportunity to welcome the Holy Spirit and to open our hearts to a journey of love.
Advent is a faith journey into which we are all invited.  So we have to ask ourselves……..How strong is my faith?  What causes me to doubt? 

Advent takes us to an all new level, an attitude adjustment if you will.  And with this new adjustment comes a change of heart, one that believes and announces Christ’s forgiveness, allowing us all to live our life’s journey more open to God’s grace.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

Are there people in your life who are so important that if they reached out, you would drop everything?  Is Jesus on that list? 

In today’s gospel, we have a story where people were dropping everything to follow Jesus.  The Pharisees felt threatened and so they slowly build a case against Our Lord and he was arrested and brought to Pilate.

Jesus speaks to Pilate about the truth. He even says, ”Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  When we allow Jesus to enter our hearts, we begin to hear His voice and so He becomes the King of our thoughts, words and actions.  We allow ourselves to surrender to love and live in true honesty, forgiveness and humility.  We take a real look inside and see the truth of our own human weaknesses and unite in a deeper relationship with Christ the King.

He encourages us to build true relationships with others. We find the courage to tell the truth no matter what and so we put Jesus on our list of important people and become Warriors of His Truth. There is no better person to connect with than Our Lord.  So whatever you are facing now in your life, the joys, the struggles, the anxieties or the calm, remember that Our Lord is calling all of us to follow Him more closely.

God Bless You All!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

Today’s gospel is all about giving from the heart. It really does not matter how much you offer our Lord, He needs nothing from us, but sacrificial giving pleases Him. Whether we offer a monetary gift or simply give freely of our time and attention, we learn to become more generous.

The Lord does not expect us to empty our bank account, but he does want us to pour out our hearts and be as generous as He is. After all He gave every drop of blood, every ounce of mercy and even His last breath so that if we so choose, are free to eternally live in His Kingdom.

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

Today’s gospel causes us to reflect on our personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Love the Lord with all your heart, all your mind, and all your strength. When we focus on that deep love, then loving others is easy. We want what is truly good for each other. Only this deep personal relationship with our Lord will help us to let go of the wounds from our past, let go of our worry for the future and truly live in the present moment.

We can focus on the present moment and strive to live as the saints, one ordinary moment at a time then we too, will become saints. So let us all ask ourselves, How can I put God first in my life? How can I live one moment at a time in faithful trust? How can I better serve those around me?

I pray you all will have a peaceful day!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae

When we empty ourselves and become little, we allow God to fill us and we become so much more.  John and James kind of missed the point that Jesus came to serve, not to be served.  Jesus wanted James, John and all his followers, us included, to understand that His glory was most fulfilled when he emptied himself for others. 

So what does that kind of humility and glory look like?  How can we imitate Christ’s love? As we strive to humbly serve others, let us always live in the hope of the resurrection and recall how God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son for you and for me.

So today, let us be empty and little, so we can be filled and blessed!

Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time, be blessed, Renae