Tag: Father Chris Alar

Beyond The Text – Love, Know, Trust

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Christian Blogger, Christianity, Faith, Father Chris Alar, God, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Love, prayer

Very often as a writer, I use common phrases I think I understand.

Wow, what am I saying?

I have been reflecting the past few weeks on the Pascal Mysteries as a part of my journey in my spiritual direction, and as part of my Lenten journey to “love Jesus, know him, and to know/do his will.”

Reflecting on my past blog posts, I have often used this phrase and the deep impact of it didn’t hit me until this Sunday. Graced awareness hit me like a ton of bricks, as I realized; “Do I even know what I was talking about?”

To love Jesus, means getting to know and be in a relationship with him. Getting to know Jesus is reading the sacred scriptures and examining how it applies to me. A relationship with Jesus is communication – am I praying and talking to Jesus. It is also in looking at the world around me through Jesus’ eyes. “Is it life giving?”

Graced awareness is what I have been praying for, and when it hits me, I am in awe how simple it is.

It is only in knowing who Jesus is that I can come to love him more. Like any friendship, it entails communication and spending time together. It is through this process I learn to trust Jesus. I am after all human, and it’s been wired into me from the onset to seek relationships – especially with God. It is only when I trust, and that I can slowly move to closer to him and let go of my fears and submit to his will.

After examining and breaking down what it means “to love, know and do the will of God” and looking beyond the text – I can understand what it really means to me.

Praise be to Holy Spirit for his guidance 💕🙏

A Prayer to Know, Love, and Trust God

Lord Jesus, thank you for coming to earth to save us and show us the Father’s overwhelming love. Thank you for making it possible for us to KNOW the very nature and character of the Great I AM. You revealed that both the law and gospel are features of God and what He wants for us. The Law shows us His will and teaches us that when we follow it we will be blessed with direction and protection. The Gospel shows us His forgiving love that covers our failures with mercy and grace.

Jesus, You perfectly represent both the Law and the grace of the Gospel. Please forgive me for failing to trust You completely and by Your mercy and grace, help me to KNOW You are God, the Messiah. Help me to LOVE You with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And help me to TRUST and OBEY Your will that I might live each day for Your glory and enjoy the blessings of a soul completely surrendered to You.

Amen.

God will always find a way to communicate with us, and this homily by Father Chris Alar was an eye opener for me:

God Bless 💕🙏

Pope Benedict XVI

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Father Chris Alar, Pope Benedict XVI

The day before his death, I had gone to St. Michaels Cathedral in Toronto and prayed the Joyful Mystery for Pope Benedict. As I prayed for his healing, an inner voice told me to pray for the grace of God to embrace his body and lift him into heaven. The next day, on the Solemnity of Our Blessed Mother, he died.

His death represents for me an ending of an era, and much prayer is needed today for the will and love of God to bless the church today, and to walk in the path of His holy will and no other.

We now enter a new era in the church.

I share with you a teaching today by Father Chris Alar. I watched this with tears, and a heaviness in my heart.

Please take the time to watch this video made by Father Chris Alar on Pope Benedict XVI – it is broadcast on the 1 Saturday of the Month, just after 2023:

God is love. It is his love which created and sustains our universe. God is truth.

God Bless 🙏❤️🤲

Marian Apparitions: Who, When, Where, What, Why

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholic Teaching, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Father Chris Alar, Marian Apparition, Marian Apparitions

I cannot express enough the role of Mother Mary in drawing me closer to Jesus. As a mother, she guides me towards her son with gentle nudges and warns me if I fall too far behind him.

In this post, I share Father Chris Alar’s teachings and insights on Marian Apparitions through his series, Explaining The Faith. It is an excellent series as Father Chris takes us on a journey filled with insights from his own seminary training for the priesthood, and it gives a deeper understanding of our faith.

https://www.thedivinemercy.org/articles/explaining-faith

In the following videos, are those on Marian Apparitions. Father Chris gives insights into the role of Marian Apparitions in our world, as well as why Mother Mary has appeared during certain climatic events throughout our history.

This post is offered in thankfulness to the our Blessed Mother Mary, and to a reader for his email on two specific Marian Apparitions.

Marian Apparitions: Who, When, Where, What, Why

God Bless 🙏💕

The Road Is Narrow

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Bible, Catholic Journey, Catholic Teaching, Catholicism, Christian Blogger, Christianity, Faith, Father Chris Alar, Father Mark Goring, Jesus, Ralph Martin

The road to heaven is narrow. The road to heaven is to love Jesus with all my heart, mind, body and spirit. This is proactively to have a sincere relationship with Jesus with all my heart, taking the time to know him, love him, and finally to follow him by doing – God’s will. Doing God’s will is not what I want, but what God wants for me.

Praying for God’s will in my life means picking up the cross of Jesus. For me this means stepping out of my comfort zone to trust and love Jesus, and, to love my neighbours. I am happy and content to exist in my little shell. It’s stress free and easy. Stepping out means I trust in Jesus to lead me along the rocky and narrow road towards heaven – and not hide in the four corners of my comfortable shell.

I am saved by grace, and this means for me to step out and love those around me. It can be a simple smile, a genuine greeting, a helping hand, and above all to love the unloveable.

Yes it’s hard to love our neighbours, and it is only through God’s grace and knowing that Jesus lives in my heart that I can do this. You can also!

Jesus, help me to enter through the narrow door. Guide and lead me to let go of the things in this world and focus just on the cross – to heed your words with a trusting and sincere heart – and to obey you🙏

I pray that each of you come to know Jesus, love him, and take up the cross to follow him. I pray for God’s blessings upon each of us to love our neighbours and ask for their salvation in our prayers, to sincerely love, greet, hugs, and give in good will.

May the light of the Cross in each of us radiate outwards.

Jesus passed through towns and villages,
teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem.
Someone asked him,
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?”
He answered them,
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate,
for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter
but will not be strong enough.
After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door,
then will you stand outside knocking and saying,
‘Lord, open the door for us.’
He will say to you in reply,
‘I do not know where you are from.
And you will say,
‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’
Then he will say to you,
‘I do not know where you are from.
Depart from me, all you evildoers!’
And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
and all the prophets in the kingdom of God
and you yourselves cast out.
And people will come from the east and the west
and from the north and the south
and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.
For behold, some are last who will be first,
and some are first who will be last.”

Gospel Lk 13:22-30

Father Chris Alar’s homily on the narrow path:

Father Mark Goring on Luke 13:22-30

Ralph Martin, Living As Catholics In Challenging Times:

God Bless 💕🙏

A Powerful Prayer: Our Lady, Queen Of Angels

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholicism, Christianity, Father Chris Alar, God, Jesus, Our Lady, Queen Of Angels, prayer

I want to share with you a powerful prayer that was introduced to me in Sunday’s homily by Father Chris Alar. His testimony was both touching and a testament to God’s abundant grace. It was a direct message to me and It touched at the core of my own journey with Jesus.

Our Lady, Queen Of Angels

August Queen of Heaven!
Sovereign Mistress of the angels!
Thou who from the beginning
hast received from God
the power and mission to crush the head of Satan,
we humbly beseech thee
to send thy holy Legions,
that, under thy command
and by thy power,
they may pursue the evil spirits,
encounter them on every side,
resist their bold attacks
and drive them hence into the abyss of eternal woe.

Amen

– – – – – – – – – –

Another version…

August Queen of Heaven,
sovereign queen of Angels,
you who at the beginning
received from God
the power and the mission to crush the head of Satan,
we beseech you humbly,
send your holy legions so that,
on your orders and by your power,
they will track down demons,
fight them everywhere,
curb their audacity and plunge them into the abyss.

Who can be compared to God?
Oh good and tender Mother,
you will always be our love and our hope.

Oh divine Mother,
send the Holy Angels and Archangels to defend me
and to keep the cruel enemy far from me.

Holy Angels and Archangels defend us,
protect us. 

Amen.

We often forget that God has given us an abundance of grace through our saviour Jesus Christ. Father Chris Alar’s homily reminds me that he is ever present in our lives and we need only lift our heart to him in prayer.

God Bless Father Chris Alar and all the Marians around the world, and to all who read my blog, and especially to all who pray Our Lady, Queen Of Angels 🙏💕

Explaining the Faith with Father Chris Alar

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholic Teaching, Catholicism, Christianity, Father Chris Alar, secularism

There are some subjects discussed today that can get us cancelled. Just as there are some topics discussed that has become embedded within our popular culture that we never question. Father Chris, MIC in the past few weeks has discussed secularism, new age beliefs, yoga, horoscope, and today – The Truth of the Lodge and the Catholic Faith.

These are topics that many Catholics don’t really dwell on as their ideas and icons have become immersed in our secular world. His teachings have helped me make sense of where I am in the world and my Catholic faith.

A must watch and share:

God Bless 🙏💕

Father Chris Alar’s Homily on Divine Mercy

by rejoiceandpraise, posted in Catholic Faith, Catholicism, Christianity, Divine Mercy, Father Chris Alar

Wow, I never pictured myself the bride walking towards Jesus (the groom) in the Holy Eucharist. I will forever have this imagine in my mind when I attend mass. Father Chris’ homily today is truly God speaking to me (and you) today!

God’s Divine Mercy Sunday completes the Easter Octave, and it’s His gift for all of us – to come before Him and to say – Jesus, I am sorry for my sins. I ask for your grace of forgiveness.

Father Chris’ homily is enlightening and inspirational. It is much needed spiritual nourishment for my soul. He explains clearly the meaning of God’s Divine Mercy, and the church (me and each of us) the bride:

Jesus, I trust in you!

God Bless 🙏💖