It's a New Day.   It's a New Time.  It's a New Life.

The tomb is empty! Jesus has risen from the dead. Nothing will ever be the same again.  This is
good news for the world and good news for those of us who desire change in our lives. ALL things are made new today!! ALL things! Nothing is as it was. Life starts now. It's never too late for life to begin again. Each day is new and today is one of them.  We are reminded today of the immense, unstoppable Love that Almighty God has for you and me. Not even the grave could stop it!

Today, we let go of the old, we let go of what was, we let go of everything we were before.  Today
we roll back the stone blocking our hearts.  We roll back the stone that prevents us from living fully the life Christ died to give.  Today, we stop looking for the living among the dead.  We put to rest and
forget about our past, our mistakes, our sins, our selfishness, and our wounds.  We let Christ leave the
grave behind and walk right into our hearts, fully alive, living through His Spirit in us today. Through the wounds of Christ we are made brand new. Today we call upon the Spirit of God to remove all that blocks us, prevents us, all that keeps us stuck in our old way of living and thinking. 

Who cares about what sort of person you were yesterday? Not God. No matter what your current state in life, Christ now calls you to a new life.  Nothing can separate you from His Love.  Nothing can keep
Him from you except you.  Give Him  permission to enter. There is a joy to be had in your life right now where you are no matter what your circumstances may be.  

The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us as baptized Christians and so we are called to live a life in the Holy Spirit. Easter shows us that God's Love cannot be contained.  It bursts forth into
the world and we need to let it burst forth in our lives and fill us. Jesus died to bring us His joy and we
need to make sure His death and resurrection were not in vain.   We are called to experience this same Love in our lives and spread it to others. And it's time to let go of anything and everything in our lives that
prevents us from doing that.  It's time to let go of the old and embrace the new things God has in store for all of us.  It's time for God's Will to be done.  Jesus Lives.. and we can too.

So let's be near to Jesus today. Let's be near to the Blessed Mother who's joy is complete today now that her beloved Son has risen.  Let's live the Easter life, a life dominated by the present moment and a future so blindingly bright that we can only trust God's vision of it.  Today, close the doors that need to be closed in your life, and open the ones that need to be opened, and walk out of the tomb WITH Jesus. 
A New Life is here- now.  It's time to live it.  Let's live our lives in a New Way - Today.

May the Risen Christ bless and protect you always. Happy Easter.

"Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life.  He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in Me, will never die"  (John 11:25-26)

Today's a great day to reflect on a great prayer!  One of the most powerful prayers here below is attributed to Saint Patrick although unclear who actually wrote it. It's possible He wrote it himself. As far as I'm concerned who cares! It's an awesome prayer reminding us as Christians that Jesus should
be the center of EVERYTHING we do. It's the daily challenge, the daily struggle to live the life of Christ in our own lives. Something I fail to do every single day! But the goal to live for Christ is clear here and I try to keep it my goal even though it can be so hard to do. This prayer acknowledges that we can't do
it alone. That we need Christ all around us, at all times, and in all things. 
 
I also hear in this prayer God telling us that He is with us. He is all around us. He never abandons us and is guarding us and guiding us on the journey of life. In the simple, unassuming moments of our day, He is there. It's a prayer that calls upon the power of Christ to uphold and protect us. It's originally a prayer for protection on a journey. Well, we are always on a journey and it's the direction we are headed that matters. So amidst the celebration of this day, it's a time to reflect which way the arrow of our life is pointed. Is it pointing towards God? Do we keep Christ near us? Or do we still think we don't
really need Him. 
 
So today, I pray for the grace to become a better person. To let Christ into my life, all around me. To make Him my center. I pray for all of my friends (new and old) and for my family... And I ask God's abundant blessing on you and yours this day! May nothing but good things come your way!! 
  
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!!
 
"Christ be with me, Christ within me, Christ behind me, Christ before me, Christ beside me, Christ to win me, Christ to comfort and restore me. Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ in quiet, Christ in danger, Christ in hearts of all that love me, Christ in mouth of friend and stranger." (Saint Patrick's Breastplate)

There is nothing you can do to make God Love you more than He already does.God Loves us just the way we are, unconditionally, but that doesn't mean He wants us to stay that way.  We are always called by God to change and better ourselves, but not because we're not good enough or  because we're unlovable as we are.He knows a better life awaits and through a personal relationship with Him we can 
have that life.  Whenever you wish to better yourself change is  mandatory.With God, however, change is  actually possible. The change we need comes from within.When we open our hearts to Christ
and give  Him permission to work, He will do wonderful things for us!The problem is when we don't give Him permission.Isn't it amazing that the God who created the Universe waits for us.He waits for our "Yes". I know I made Him wait a long time before I really meant it.But He doesn't force His Love on us, we must freely choose it.This is His very nature  - Freedom.We are free to choose Him or reject Him. It truly is up to us. 

Lent is an awesome time to reflect on our  lives.It's a time of self-sacrifice, a  time of personal and spiritual growth.It's a time to ask questions you may not have asked before such as what  is the
meaning of my life?Do I feel I  have a purpose?Is God real?What is God's Love all about?  Will He really
forgive me? These are great  questions and according to scripture we have a God who desires to answer them,  who loves to reveal Himself to us.
 
Bottom line, Lent is a time to change.It's a time to be Open , to be Willing, to  let God in, to be set free.It's
a time  for a new way.A time to deepen, or to  discover, a personal relationship with our God.This
is a daily challenge for me.But I believe that in the person of Jesus Christ, God is revealed. 
In and through the Holy Spirit Jesus' Love  remains alive even today. This might  sound silly at first, to
have a relationship with someone you can't see, someone  maybe you're not even sure exists.But  as you begin the journey in a serious way, Jesus will reveal Himself to you in  your heart and
you will know.This is  where our "yes" comes in.When we  say"Yes God, I'd like to know more  about you" we open a door that I promise, you will never want to shut.

There is a famous painting which shows Jesus  standing at the door of your heart, He's tenderly knocking on the door, it's so  beautiful.But there's one thing missing in the picture - a doorknob.He can't  get in. The artist intended this to remind us that we are the ones who must let Christ in.He won't knock the door down and break His way into our heart.The doorknob is on our side of the door.  The  door only opens from the inside out and we must turn the knob and  invite Him in,  and He promised in the gospel that He will always come.

So it's time to open the door of our hearts to  Christ, to Trust His Mercy, to seek His grace in our lives in a New and more  intimate way.God has wonderful things  in store for us.Be willing to let go of  your old way of thinking, your old way of seeing the world, your old way of  seeing yourself and let God show you something NEW.  God Loves you and the greatest change of all  that He wants is to make you realize that.

(A  simple prayer... Lord Jesus, I desire to know  you, to have a real relationship with you in my heart.I want you to transform my life, to make me  brand new, and give me a fresh start.Please shine your Light into my life and dispel the darkness of my  past.I'm sorry for all of my sins and I  ask for your forgiveness and mercy.I believe you love me but I want to enter into a time in my life where I come to know your Love in a more real and meaningful way ... and spread this Love to others.Amen.)