Normandt' meditations

[Normandt]

399. My heart is ready


Let’s say together with all saints:
“My heart is steadfast, God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and chant praise.” Psalm 57, verse 8

It’s a testimony to sing, to play hymns to God. We know it, when we’re helpful, when we adjust our life to that of God, our heart is in joy and it wants to “sing and play hymns”.

Let’s add this passage:
“I will praise you among the peoples, Lord; I will chant your praise among the nations.” Psalm 57, verse 10

When we love, we want to share the joy of love that we have and especially to mention the person who gives us this love. When we love a person, his name doesn’t bother us. The name of Jesus cannot displease us. Love does not displease.

With God, we want to give thanks (thank him) everywhere and at all times, since we know that Love comes from him. We want to share the joy of the Love we receive from God, because it makes us live and transforms us to the point of experiencing joy in abundance! The desire to love the neighbour of the Love of God is the sign that we understand the mission in which Jesus engages us.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

400. God Loves through us


Here is Jesus’s command:
“Love one another as I love you.” John, chapter 15, verse 12

To love allows Jesus to recognize us as his:
“You are my friends if you do what I command you.” John, chapter 15, verse 14

But we should also learn how to convey who Jesus is and that he Loves us forever.

Beloved, we are. We are created by Love and to live his Love between us. Receiving Jesus’s love and sharing on whom he really is, allows us to become friends of the Shepherd in the Covenant. And we’re fulfilling the same mission that Jesus came to live during his stay at the heart of our reality.

The mission is to receive Jesus, to be happily saturated and evangelization is to allow others to taste his presence that overflows us by thoughts, words and gestures. We’re free to evangelize Love. Let’s not burden ourselves with evil. Let’s give the heaviness to Jesus and continue to radiate Love that circulates in our lives.

Jesus came to Love us and if we love thanks to him, we offer what he has offered us, his Love for humanity. Let’s love God and God in one’s neighbour so that we may learn to love ourselves too.

Let’s love God? Well, it’s impossible to love God, since Love comes from him. As it is written in the book Let’s be Loved, Paths 34 - 40, God gives us his Love and we cannot give him back his gift. But he asks us if he can go through us so that his gift of Love passes from our heart onto and in the hearts of others. And what great joy to let God Love through us! This is proof that we accept his Love and let him pass to heal and convert the neighbours.

The mission knocks on the door of evangelization when we’re like a sponge that’s saturated with the Love of God. Evangelization knocks on the door of the heart of the people when we let God Love. The evangelization of Jesus’s message is completed by the reception of the message of salvation by the other person.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

401. Graces


Paul discovers the graces, since he lives united with God:
“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone.” 1 Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 4 to 6

Gifts, services and activities are graces when they are intimately related to God and practised according to his will. The graces are revealed by the good, the beautiful, the real and true in the world. The sharing, health care workers, those who pray, and everything that can help a person is related to the graces and gifts that God gives us.

Assistance to people in poverty, attention to persecuted people, to those who don’t live their lives naturally and get bogged down in drugs or lies, among others, that conflict against the deep nature of people, paying them attention is a means of encouraging them and leading them to the graces they receive, but of which, too often, they no longer believe in, since they see them less or lacking in their surroundings.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

402. Grace for all


Paul tells us:
“The grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age, as we await the blessed hope, the appearance of the glory of the great God and of our saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus, chapter 2, verses 11 to 13

The grace of God is for all people. Grace is present, it is active, it makes us holy. It teaches us to reject sin and the passions of this world. Being passionate is good in itself. But Paul places certain passions as evil.

What are the passions and sins today that lead to evil? Indifference, rejection, judgment, gluttony, disordered passions, hatred, and so on, what in our life prevents us from fully receiving the grace of God? Let’s refuse sin. By asking God to help us free ourselves from everything that hinders our life to be free, we’ll discover or rediscover more and more the beauty and power of God’s grace.

By doing our part to allow the grace of God to pass through our lives, we offer ourselves the chance to advance in faith and to live in an intimate and deep relationship with him.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

403. Jesus free’s us


When we meet Christ, and this may be during our life, we can say to him:
“We have done what we were obliged to do.” Luke, chapter 17, verse 10

Our duty, our mission is to let Jesus free us from sin and evil, and let him Love us, to allow his graces to transform our lives and the lives of many thousands of people we’ll have no idea he’ll be touching their hearts. The purification of our being inspires others to look for him and let themselves be transformed. Let’s remain in prayer.

When we pray without waiting in return and letting Jesus choose an intention, prayer can reach people we don’t know. Also, it allows us to expect nothing in return. This prayer is free.

May the Lord take our sufferings upon himself, light our way, and lead us ever deeper into his universe of holiness. May the Holy Spirit invade us with his refreshing Presence and bring us together in the Kingdom of the Trinity.

This acclaim reminds us to continue in faith and joy. Praise the Lord:
“All you peoples, clap your hands; shout to God with joyful cries. For the Lord, the Most High, inspires awe, the great king overall the earth. (…) God mounts the throne amid shouts of joy; the Lord, amid trumpet blasts. Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king, sing praise. God is king over all the earth; sing hymns of praise. God rules over the nations; God sits upon his holy throne.” Psalm 47, verses 2 to 3 and 6 to 9

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

404. The testimony of God


John tells us:
“If we accept human testimony, the testimony of God is surely greater. Now the testimony of God is this, that he has testified on behalf of his Son.” 1 John, chapter 5, verse 9

The testimonies are multiple. When a team wins in hockey, we value, in the newspapers, the effort and commitment of the players. When there is a traffic accident, the witnesses say what they saw.

When people go on a visit to a natural environment that is breathtaking, they are in front of something different. Nature raises our spirit, it isn’t invented by humans. Nature is there, simply, with its beauties, its colours, its diversity of species.

Another adventure, another testimony comes to disrupt the course of history. That of the Creator to Moses, who calls himself “I am”, God. Then the evangelists and many other people testified about Jesus and this continues today. Each person’s testimony will reveal one aspect or another of what they have seen and heard. Our testimony of faith reminds us that God is always there, present with us and continues to Love us.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

405. They are One


There is also God’s testimony to his Son. The Father recognizes himself in his Son. They are One. Now, what the Father says of the Son is the summit as testimony. John confirms it:

“This is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever possesses the Son has life; whoever does not possess the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John, chapter 5, verses 11 to 12

The Son is one with us, taking flesh of the Virgin Mary. He pays homage to our human nature, since humanity is his jewel. He wants to bring us back to him.

It’s a privilege for humanity to receive Jesus, but sometimes, because of sin, people don’t do justice to God. Jesus has come to bring us back to the purity of God.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

406. John’s testimony


John shares his testimony:
“I write these things to you so that you may know that you have eternal life, you who believe in the name of the Son of God.” 1 John, chapter 5, verse 13

Our testimony helps deepen our faith in Jesus. The purpose of our life is to place our faith in him. This testimony in Jesus is valid for the world. This is the testimony of testimonies. Nothing surpasses this one.

God also receives our testimony to him. It’s our way of paying tribute to what we receive. We ask Jesus to purify us more so that our testimony will become through prayer, mass and fasting, the one that Jesus wants to hear.

May our testimony to communion with the Word and the Eucharist reflect our desire to make Jesus known, as the Father testifies:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew, chapter 3, verse 17

Then Jesus bears testimony to the Father and his Spirit by sending it to us:
“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always, the Spirit of truth, which the world cannot accept, because it neither sees nor knows it. But you know it, because it remains with you, and will be in you.” John, chapter 14, verses 16 to 17

Let’s communicate with the Holy Spirit, let’s keep him with us. We will see the wonders that the Trinity will realize in our heart and in the world.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

407. Joy


Many people live the poverty of not being in joy. God tells us:
“There shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create; for I create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight; I will rejoice in Jerusalem and exult in my people.” Isaiah, chapter 65, verses 18 to 19

God creates every second, He creates us right now. We’re in the constant creation of God. Let’s repeat what God says: “Rejoice, exult without end for what I create.”

He creates. He offers us to be in joy, to live with his joy, here and now. We have every reason to rejoice when we think of God, when we do our best to work in his vineyard, when we place our trust and life in him.

Let’s exult, because God is present with us, God feeds us and showered us with truth and graces.

The authentic journey is to place our faith in Jesus. We can already be in God’s joy and exult to know that Jesus is life and he invites us to live eternally with the Trinity.

Every day we have reasons to rejoice to know that God is with us, if we place our life and the lives of our family, friends and everyone we meet in his hands.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

408. We see God


As Jesus said in the Beatitudes:
“Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.” Matthew, chapter 5, verse 8

It’s important to see God one day, if not in our time, in eternity. To see him, let’s let God turn our heart into a pure heart.

To see God, let’s welcome his Love into our life and accept to joyfully share our experience of faith. The more we share the Love received from God, the more it grows in us. The more the flower receives sun, water and nutrients from the soil, the more it will grow and offer the beauty it receives from God, for the eyes of passers-by.

Let’s not be afraid to be so much in Jesus that he will show himself to us. And for people who have never seen Jesus, it’s not a lack, it’s only because Jesus is so close to their heart that he doesn’t seem to be perceptible to their senses.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

409. Intense joy


Seeing God doesn’t necessarily mean seeing him with our eyes. We can see him with the eyes of the heart, in the good deeds of people, in us and in all that is realized of good, beautiful and true in the world. The pure heart is to become like a child, to shed oneself of what isn’t necessary, of what keeps us captive.

To see Jesus is to see Love and to see Love is to see the Trinity. Humanly, with our eyes we do not see Love. But the Love we receive from God is what motivates us during life. We all seek love when the Love of God is offered for free. As soon as we feel the true, pure, real love, we actually receive the Love that comes from God, which comes from Jesus.

Then, there was a multitude of people who had the privilege of knowing Jesus, who had the deep and intense joy of entering into a deep relationship with him. We may have had this chance to feel Jesus’s presence in our heart, to discover his person in our lives and to understand that he is the Master and Lord, then to grasp that his only judgment is his Love, that he Loves us with a total and definitive Love.

Paul gives us the purpose of faith. In Christ Jesus:
“You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the holy ones and members of the household of God.” Ephesians, chapter 2, verse 19

Do we believe it? In Jesus, we become saints, people of his family? Let’s share what we lived with the Trinity. It’s a good time to testify.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Joy in heaven!, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

410. The nobility of works


How much time is spent at work, how many dialogues are there between two employees on multiple topics? It can also become an opportunity to slowly and gradually implant an important topic of faith.

In Genesis, God says that we will work at the sweat of our forehead. But this reality happened after the human got scared of God.

In fact, when we walk with Jesus, it’s no longer a job, much less forehead sweat, it becomes a vocation. It’s works, and it is time and energy. But it’s really different with Jesus.

When we are on a mission with Jesus, it’s no longer a job, it’s to let God be God in our life, to let Jesus be in our heart and to share his Love with others. How sweet! For the rest of the work and because of sin, yes, it’s through the sweat of our forehead.

The more we achieve his will, the more we’ll discover Jesus in our lives and in those of others.

By becoming workers of Jesus, we help the world to find him. It would be nice if each person had a little something to realize, simply, for evangelization in their environment. Only through prayer, we participate in evangelization. There are also other ways. The Lord hires all the time. Let’s ask him to work in his vineyard.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

411. Pray for his people


On the road:
“They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” Mark, chapter 16, verse 20

As soon as we think about the people around us who don’t walk, who don’t pray, who don’t go to Mass, Jesus invites us to the mission. He offers us the Holy Spirit, so that we may be little igniters of love in all hearts.

We can pray for his people, give them to Jesus, love them from a distance. And above all, send them the Holy Spirit every day that is given to us to transform their lives and to embellish their hearts.

The Holy Spirit is the breeze of fresh air that we can send to the people we love, to our children, so that the oxygen of their faith can be cleansed and cleared.
May the Holy Spirit invade every person we love.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

412. Sowing widely


“Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” 2 Corinthians, chapter 9, verse 6

It’s Paul who tells us that! It’s true in the garden as in life. The more we sow what we have and who we are, even with smaller seeds, the more we’ll harvest or others will reap the fruit of our labour. Let’s check that we receive everything from Jesus:

“For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake he became poor although he was rich, so that by his poverty you might become rich.” 2 Corinthians, chapter 8, verse 9

Jesus confirms it to us, he knows that the Father will restore it to us a hundredfold:

“When you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” Matthew, chapter 6, verse 17

Let’s offer what is most precious for a mission that is precious to God, for the salvation of all people. God gives to us accordingly to what we offer of him.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

413. Love is transmitted


The saints give freely:
“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life.” John, chapter 12, verse 25

God’s Love costs nothing. It’s always transmitted in freedom and it joins the freedom of the person who receives it.

We are invited to offer 100% of what we receive from God. If we think we cannot give a lot, let’s give 100% of the little we can offer. The Lord will be happy because we give the maximum of what we can:
“God loves a cheerful giver. Moreover, God is able to make every grace abundant for you, so that in all things, always having all you need, you may have an abundance for every good work.” 2 Corinthians, chapter 9, verses 7 to 8

It’s quite special that we have so many graces and overabundance, because God doesn’t know how to count. He gives too much, and after having given everything, we still have some superfluous to do all kinds of good.

For children, when they share their candies, candies disappear quickly. The more they share, the less they have and the little bag becomes empty. It’s different for what God gives us. Even though we share God’s Love, the more we share it, the more we receive. Then, we have forevermore.

Many of the holy people we met showed to us by their lives that God’s Love was possible and easy to share. This is the easiest thing to offer. Their hearts were swollen with the divine sap that overflows on their surroundings.

There’s no question of tests of strength or exhausting us too much wanting to convert the world, in what Jesus offers us, but to share what he himself offers us simply for the faith of people.

To love one’s life is selfish, it’s to take it strictly on oneself. But to offer what we receive from God, to be just, is to become more and more generous with the Love we receive from him. The more experience we have in transmitting what God gives us, the more we develop ways for him to pass through us, to the hearts of people.

We are created to offer the Love of our life, the Love of God, in abundance. Sharing the graces (evangelization), we receive (mission) from God is the summit of the mission.

The love that nourishes and water our life, when it’s lived happily, gives good fruit in abundance. All people can come to feed and drink from our tree filled with fruit. Then we will tell them that these fruits are provided by God to feed them.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

414. Make Christ present


What goods received from God can we waste and lose? The first good is the Love of God. We are not always aware in us of the Love of God.

When we sleep, when we eat, work, celebrate, watch, we always have the opportunity to make Christ present in us, thinking of him.

Sometimes we keep the Love of God for us. Or we don’t know how to share it. But just to realize that Jesus is with us soothes us and that can reach others. They will feel that we are not alone in life and that we are in peace. And it’s true, we are accompanied by the Presence of the Holy Spirit. He transforms us while we pay attention to him when we’re aware that he’s with us.

If we don’t have water, we dry. We only need to drink. When we drank water, this reserve follows us everywhere. It’s even simpler with Jesus. We have only to drink to his Sacred Heart and he is in us. We only have to think of him and he is Present. God is the eternal present. We drink from him, otherwise we do not drink from him.

When we receive the Eucharist, it’s the presence of God who is there. Like water, we carry God with us after Mass, wherever we go. Its luminous rays coming out of us (like Jesus in Mary’s womb) join the souls of the people we meet. In his rays are transported his Love and all that he offers us. Let’s carry his Eucharist within us and let his rays transform the world.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

415. In thanksgiving


May we transport Jesus like in vases of great price, the price of salvation for oneself and for everyone
“Whoever keeps his word, the love of God is truly perfected in him.” 1 John, chapter 2, verse 5

He who keeps the reality of Christ in him receives the Love of God in its perfection. May the Love of God overflow us to invade all the people we meet. Let’s be children of light, life, of the way and the truth.

Let’s live in thanksgiving. Let’s offer our heart and body to Jesus to cover them with his Love so that it may be reflected in us and on all.

Let’s become skilled in fighting, without violence, for the faith. May Mary and Joseph be examples of life for us, since they have remained close to Jesus by offering the gift of their lives.
Paul says to the Romans and to us:
“I am not ashamed of the gospel. It is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: for Jew first, and then Greek.” Romans, chapter 1, verse 16

The four key words in this sentence are: “To serve the gospel (French version)”. To receive the service of Jesus and his Word, his Verb.

We have here the first step to begin to know Jesus Christ, and then to make him known. Paul seems to go beyond reading the gospel, since he speaks of the service of the gospel. The gospel, the good news is all about service.

When we share the gospel or prayer, even though it’s in the kitchen, the Lord will pass. Even if it’s sitting in the stands during a sports game, the Lord passes.

We understand that we can share the Word, live evangelizing gestures, but the summit is to live accordingly to the Word, and the Lord will pass. Jesus is simply asking us to enter into intense communion with his Word and he will do the rest. To share one’s Word has the effect of increasing happiness a hundredfold. But all too often, we seek our happiness rather than receive it from Jesus. We seek to transmit our word instead of his.

If we let the Word act powerfully in our heart, it will be transmitted with power, through gentleness and respect, to other people. This is evangelization. Let’s live a deeper conversion, listening to Jesus in our heart.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

416. Disciples’ language


“The Lord God has given me a well-trained tongue. That I might know how to speak to the weary a word that will rouse them. Morning after morning he opens my ear that I may hear.” Isaiah, chapter 50, verse 4

Let’s listen to Jesus. Let’s listen to others to “rouse them”.
Jesus came into our world to assume our human nature and he took advantage of it to bear it on him, with him. He asks us to give him all the burdens, ours, as well as those of others.

Jesus shows us how to be a disciple so that with his Word, he supports the exhausted. Every morning Jesus gets up with us for the same Mission. To lead the human family to the Father.

Let’s prepare our heart to go to the Lord’s Supper, then come out from the table with Jesus and observe what he is doing for us in the world. Let’s ask the Holy Spirit to allow us to live with Jesus his unique experience, his Mission, his Word in our heart, for the salvation of humanity. May the Father rejoice that we observe his will for Love.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

417. Serving​

Jesus tells us:
“The greatest among you must be your servant.” Matthew, chapter 23, verse 11

Since Jesus is the greatest of all and has been the servant of all, we can imagine what that means for us.

Jesus asks everyone to become servants of one another. To one is given to care for a patient, to the other to be treated, to one to teach, to the other to be taught, for one to improve the world and for all to embark in the mission.
The person who is being cared for serves the caregiver. This allows the caregiver to develop his talents, become more compassionate and loving.

So it’s not just the people who need care that are receiving from God, but also the caregivers through their dedication and attention to the others.

It’s similar for faith. When we share faith, the person who receives it allows us to serve and improve. We receive as much as he does. We’re all winners when we share and receive faith from each other.

We are called to serve the neighbour, as our master, Jesus who’s with us. Let’s continue to follow Christ, to receive his Love and to share it among us.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas

 

[Normandt]

418. To encourage


John the Baptist knew how to speak to the people to distract them from what they were doing and to centre them on Jesus, on the Lamb of God. He is also the main actor in the election of the first Apostles, John and Andrew.
We have the same mission. We are invited to encourage people to follow Jesus.

Every person who focuses on Jesus sees his life being transformed. Paul tells us:
“From David’s descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a saviour, Jesus. John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.’” Acts, chapter 13, verses 23 to 25

Moses took off his sandals before God:
“Come no nearer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Exodus, chapter 3, verse 5

John the Baptist is not worthy to remove the sandals from the feet of the Lord. And Jesus does not need to take off his sandals, he is God, he is holiness. Where he stands, the earth is holy.

The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Here, where we are, Normand Thomas