February 2025

THERE IS MORE JOY IN GIVING THAN IN RECEIVING

 

I urgently need the readers of this newsletter to know this, I am aware that today, thousands of people live paycheck to paycheck or that people are living in lack of something or worse are in debt; when we do not listen to what God tells us or do not believe in Him and therefore do not put His message into practice we can easily fall into scarcity. Conversely, if we apply what He tells us in His Word, then we will live under His promises and lack nothing. Better still, we will not only have what we need to live but actually more than we need and can therefore share from our abundance with others, family, friends, neighbors or even strangers. As a volunteer with 40 years of service in the hard work of abiding by God’s Word, I testify that therein lies the secret to an abundant life, putting it into practice the Word of God and truly believing it. God’s Word gives us life and abundance! (John 10:10). These are not just nice thoughts, this is my life in practice; I am telling you that if I can do you can do it too, in through and with the Church.

In this Jubilee Year, the Holy Door opens to let us into the Joy of God’s Love, to experience His Mercy and to live in Hope as a result of the generosity of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by sharing and guiding us in His Word. I am addressing three groups of people in this newsletter. 1). Those who do not listen to the voice of Jesus and abide by their own beliefs, who generally lacking something in their lives. 2). Those who abide by the Gospel in their everyday lives, who lack nothing and receive even more by generously sharing what God has given them. 3). Those who value every day of their lives and what God gives them, being aware of who they are and who Jesus is, who give until it hurts, recognizing that the greatest abundance is to have the Lord in their life; thus, the more generous they are the more abundance that will come to them.

The word “jubilee” comes from the Hebrew yobel, the typical sound made using a sheep’s horns to announce the beginning of a special year that was later called the Jubilee. The idea is that such sound means the announcement of Good News, a time of happiness, of stripping ourselves away from what has restrained us; a time to settle accounts, debts and go to the source of Mercy for forgiveness which is God. This time is like a time in the Old Testament when the poor were given what they needed to live by those who had a better quality of life and material abundance. It was the time of GENEROSITY, for both the rich and the poor, the willingness to give more than usual to experience the joy of the Jubilee. Jesus said a truth that today is largely ignored, “there is more joy in giving than in receiving” (Acts 20:35).

Personally, I confess that before the New Year, Jesus asked me for something more than what I have been giving, He wanted more of my three T’s; TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE. This is a word of knowledge that I have been sharing for sometime and I want to continue sharing because of the great importance of putting into practice this secret of an abundant life. He asked me for more in these three areas because of the needs in the world today, the wars, rumors of wars, violence, addictions, suicides, abuses, discrimination, poverty, abortions, illnesses, ambition, greed, selfishness, etc. All of which has billions of people walking towards the destruction of their souls by living far from the Love and Mercy of God. For this reason, the Church calls on those who are on the path of death to take up the path of Life and calls for those of us who have already had an encounter with Jesus to “give more and more until it hurts,” as Mother St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “I said yes to the Lord, that I will fight to fulfill His call to give MORE and that is what I am doing, giving more time, using more of the talents He gave me and even being more generous financially with my offerings of TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE, until it hurts.”

The work of El Sembrador, that God allowed me to start 40 years ago, is certainly not of my own doing. Rather, every year, the Lord confirms to me that this is His doing (I have discussed this with you before) but Pope Francis, in the last meeting we had in Rome with some 200 of the most committed Sembradores, reconfirmed the entire 40 years when he said of me,

“I am struck by the look of Faith that he has. The surrender to Providence. And that is how ESNE began. That is how this dream began, which is possible and continues thanks to the dedication of this community of communicators, of you who are here and of so many other collaborators”.

As I listened to his words that day, I left even more committed to give even more of TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE to show God the Father that I am extremely grateful to Him for sending His Son to save us from falling into the eternal abyss of the illusion. In our baptism we are all called to be prophets, to bring the Good News, but also to collaborate so that no soul is lost and all are saved, this is our mission; for prophets do not see the future, they plant the future and so the genesis of this apostolate’s name, El Sembrador.

It hurts me to know that many people used to give their offerings to support ESNE, which I reiterate, is of God, and now they stopped doing it even though they could do it; many others, thousands who could give more, do not respond to the Lord with gratitude. My prayers are for those who would like to give their offering but are going through a crisis that does not allow them to do so. I pray that God will bring them through this time of trial and I also pray for those who are able to give and experience the Truth of Jesus’ words that “there is more joy in giving than in receiving”.

I want to share with you that I was informed that one of our TV signals and a radio station are not being financially supported by the listeners and, because of this, we will be forced to close that channel and that radio station. This news hurts me, knowing that we all spend the treasure entrusted to us by God on so many things, but when it comes to supporting instruments of God like these, which can literally save lives, families, and thousands of souls from being lost, they have to close for lack of support for we are stewards of all that comes to our hands.

Thank you for your generosity in sowing your seeds of love. God will multiply you, no doubt. Thank you for participating in the awareness campaign that will take place this month, February 5-19, because without these campaigns we would not be able to maintain the expansion of the Good News to the ends of the earth.

In this Jubilee Year, may we all live the experience of “GIVE UNTIL IT HURTS” as Mother Teresa did. The Holy Door was opened to enter and live by Faith, Hope and Love. That is life! I pledge to you that I will to do more this year than last in giving of my TIME, TALENT AND TREASURE and that goes for my family too, as Joshua proclaimed, “and if you are not willing to serve the Lord, choose today whom you will serve, the gods that your fathers served on the other side of the river or the gods of the Amorites in whose country you dwell, I and my family will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15); press down, shaken and overflowing for I cast my lot with God.

Later I will share with you something else that God the Father is putting on my heart so that we will see more of His Glory manifested in our lives. Now, I invite you to live the 33 days of Consecration to Jesus from your home, virtually. Come experience it and become Jesus’ 73rd Disciple as am I. Contact us at (818) 912 – 5842 in the USA or write to us at info@iam73.net and one of our counselors will assist you in your registration.

And may God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Bless your path and that of your family under the maternal protection of our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary.

Your friend and servant,