“TOWARDS A SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION”

This is the time when the Church invites us to remember the Life and Mission of our Lord Jesus during the period called Lent. Although we should not take it only as a reminder but a time for long-needed spiritual resurrection of anything that is dead in our life. The crisis of Faith in the Church, something that I deeply care about, is dangerous because increasingly the Baptized lack a solid basis of Faith and are not united with Jesus’ Mission. What danger, you may ask? Brothers and sisters, the grave danger of LOSING Eternal Salvation, LOSING the abundant Life offered by Jesus Himself “I have come so that they may have Life and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

As we are invited to pray, fast and do charitable acts during this time of Lent, I think we must more importantly, take Eternal Life very serious since it will be the final destination for us who believe and follow the Master and Savior, Jesus Christ. Remember what happened to the people of Israel when they forgot their Lord; remember that the Lord is continuously seeking men and women of Faith to become His prophets, live out the Faith, and announce the Good News. The prophet Ezekiel was shown a vision of his people under dry bones that represented the spiritual reality of many who seem to be the “living dead” in need of Resurrection. But he was also shown the possibility that Resurrection represents and, of course, the restoration of the people of Israel that had drifted apart from God.

In His vision, God makes it clear to Ezekiel that the dry bones could be resurrected from death. And they did! The dry bones took shape and raised to new Life with the power of God. “Then He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, dry bones, hear the Word of the LORD! Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones, Listen! I will make breath enter you so you may come to Life.” (Ezekiel 37:4) Today, I ask the Lord for a small flock that has not lowered their guard, who continue to stand their ground and pray on their knees for those who are indifferent to the merciful Love of the Father through the Son so that they may be raised from the dead and Resurrected unto New Life with Him.

Pope Benedict XVI, may he rest in peace, was interviewed by the German press and radio as a priest before he became Pope. And he said some ultimately true words about our current times that hit me quite personally and which proved to be prophetic regarding the final test of the Church. “We will soon have priests reduced to the role of social workers and the message of Faith reduced to political vision. Everything will seem lost, but at the right time, at the most dramatic stage of the crisis, the Church will be reborn. She will be smaller, poorer, almost catacombal, but also more Holy. Because it will no longer be the Church of those who seek to please the world, but the Church of the Faithful to God and His Eternal Law. Rebirth will be the work of a small flock, seemingly insignificant yet indomitable, passed through a process of purification. Because that’s how God works. Against evil, a small herd resists.” (Joseph A. Ratzinger – 1969)

It hurts to see that millions have left their Faith behind and have let the world absorb them at the risk of not reaching Eternal Life with God through an encounter with Jesus. I love what Benedict XVI said about a “small flock and a Church that will be reborn. And the small flock will be UNBREAKABLE!” Was he referring to you? If so, this means you won’t be overcome by the illusion of this world. This Lent, I invite you to rekindle your Faith and, if you have drifted away from the Lord, to come back so that you do not get lost as so many millions of sheep are; that are lost or away from fellowship with the Trinity. We will soon celebrate His Victory over death and show the world that there is Life after earthly death. Jesus died on that cross precisely so we would not be lost, estranged from the Love of the Trinity. The Victory of the Resurrection is that we ultimately can be Resurrected with Him in this life and the Life to come. The cross depicts the great Love of Jesus for us sinners. And His sacrifice was the way to let us be forgiven for our sins by His abundant Mercy and Grace.

I invite you to join the “I am 73” Project; the first step is through your Consecration to Jesus Christ. A project that continues to give so many souls the opportunity of a new Life in the Lord by getting to know Him more deeply by reading all the gospels and by understanding the relevance of the Sacraments to your daily life. The Lord has shed great Blessings on this project with the support of Pope Francis; so far, thousands of souls that have become Consecrated and wonderful testimonies that are being shared with us daily on the power of the Resurrection in their life. Whole families restored by the Love of God and the Power of His Word. The next Consecration will begin on Thursday, March 09 with the Zoom orientation session at 7pm (California Time). If you want more information, please visit www.iam73.net and sign up for this Consecration opportunity.

I also invite you to reserve the weekend of July 22 and 23 to join us at Metanoia Los Angeles with your family and friends; which used to be called the “Praying Congress”. Come to the Los Angeles Convention Center and live the experience of the Love of God that you have so longed for. Please book your tickets as soon as possible by calling our offices (773) 777-7773 or at our website www.eventosesne.com

I would appreciate your support during the “Conquering Souls for Christ” day; March 1 to 15. With your help, we will be able to buy a radio station for the area of Bakersfield, California, an area with an extensive Hispanic population, to bring the message of Eternal Life to them and their families. Thank you for making it possible! Thank you for helping us sow Hope and Faith in their hearts!

Dear Sowers in Jesus and Mary; you can rest assure that I pray for you and your beloved. I encourage you to persevere in the Faith and sowing and trustily embrace the shelter of our Blessed Mother, Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and the Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ.