FOR FROM THE FULLNESS OF THE HEART THE MOUTH SPEAKS

I have recently been reflecting on the great number of people who have no enthusiasm for living and yet claim to believe in God. Personally, I find this difficult to accept, precisely because Faith in Jesus Christ is the solution to life’s complacency.

Let me illustrate this with an anecdote. Once upon a time, a man took a rose in his hand, got pricked, and said, “how bad is life, for even roses have thorns!” Another man took a rose but first looked at the thorns, then beheld the beauty of the rose and said, “how beautiful is life, that even thorns have roses!”

Many people see only the thorns and miss the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the rose as a whole and curse a flower that is not only beautiful but splendid. Some people see only the negative side of life, while others, full of enthusiasm and Faith, see the positive side. We should not take things casually but devote time to contemplate and consider things in the light of the experience offered by God to us in that moment.

Jesus left a great legacy of Faith and Love for God, life, and our fellow human beings. Jesus taught us everything, that anything is possible when we Trust Him. Jesus knows better than anyone else how to face suffering fully. He was rejected by His relatives, friends, and people. Being innocent, He accepted to not only carry His cross but also to die on that cross without blaming or insulting anyone because it was His Father’s will; He wanted to give us the opportunity to be happy forever, meaning for our whole lives, as long as we practice the Beatitudes, a life plan that guarantees happiness and invites us to release our hearts from evil instincts and always to seek the Love of God. I urge you to read the Beatitudes carefully and think carefully about each of them as described in Matthew 5:3-12. Similarly, I want to share with you situations experienced by two men, both husbands and parents, that I know.

The first is about an alcoholic man who made his wife and children suffer for several years. At some point, when he was about to lose his family, this man approached our ministry seeking help and we invited him to experience a personal encounter with God. He did, and he converted afterward. He quit the vice that drove himself and his family to despair. However, everyone was deeply affected by their excruciating past. He tried to regain his wife’s trust, but she was no longer the same. After some time, she cheated on him; as you can imagine, this was devastating for the man. Due to this, this man changed his relationship with the Lord and became rebellious, as if God had failed him. The man thought that changing his life and trusting and believing in God had been useless. Thank God, this man did not return to alcohol that had harmed him so much but unfortunately, he was still hurting and lost his Faith.

The second case is about this man I met for the first time at a retreat of The Sower. His wife, whom I knew very well, was a woman of great Faith. And she always asked me to pray for her husband and insisted on the Sower doing something in English, because her husband did not speak Spanish. They have two teenage kids, a daughter, and a son. As it turned out, God touched the heart of this man, Brandon, during the retreat. Brandon began to follow the Lord from that day, and his wife became a very happy woman. Later, the daughter was diagnosed with cancer. She went through chemotherapy and fought to survive.

She clung to life. After a while, sadly enough, the mother became ill too and was diagnosed with cancer. She fought for a long time and passed away a few years ago. This was really hard for Brandon and his children. Every time I had the opportunity to see them, I would say a few words of Faith and encouragement. After a while, Tiffani, his daughter, fell ill again and died at age 16 some years ago. Brandon might have challenged God over these losses and asked why he had to put up with all these crosses after he decided to surrender his life to God. After the death of each cross he experienced, I called Brandon and he said, “Thank God, I approached Him before what happened. I don’t know how I could have otherwise dealt with so much pain!”

These cases portray two different ways to approach sorrow and loss. The title of this letter says it all “For from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45); the mouth reveals the heart. So, I ask you to reflect on what your mouth is saying about your life. How do I deal with problems, difficulties, and crosses? With fortitude, serenity, and Faith? I take this opportunity to raise my voice before God and say, “Lord, give me a humble heart to deal with every problem and difficulty without grumbling but thanking You for Your Love and everything You have provided up to this day because You have taught me to Believe in and Trust You. Amen.”

I thank you all for your generosity and unfaltering support that allows us to continue sowing the seeds that bear abundant fruits and is changing thousands of hearts that need God’s Love. Also, I thank you for your prayers for the Pope’s mission trip to the World Youth Day in Portugal. It was a wonderful experience where I had the pleasure of asking Pope Francis for a blessing for you and your families.

CDJ is almost here, only a few weeks away! We all know the great need of our young people today. Please spread the word and invite your children, nephews and nieces, godchildren, and grandchildren to have a great encounter with the Lord.

I greet all those Consecrated from the I Am 73 Project and encourage you to persevere in this discipleship experience that is growing every day and bringing abundant blessings to those who say YES to God. Should you want more guidance or information about the I Am 73 Project, please dial (818) 912-5842 or e-mail info@iam73.net.

Sincerely in the Love of Jesus Christ and Our Lady of Guadalupe, I pray for the Holy Spirit to cover you and your family and speak the fullness of God’s Love from your heart.