Living by the spirit

My Dear Brethren,

Today, St Paul advise the Christian community of Rome to live NOT according to the flesh but according to the spirit.  The flesh brings forth death to the soul but the spirit gives life and peace.  

St Luke productions have been fervently touring the Archdiocese presenting the live drama of Faustina, Messenger of Divine. Mercy.  St Faustina is a humble nun who had visions of Christ urging her to live by the spirit and focus on the things that pertain to the spirit.  At first, she struggled with a bit of vanity, but Christ called her to be the messenger of Divine Mercy.  

She was to pray: "for the sake of his sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world."  Now, prayer may seem insignificant of irrelevant, but only because the soul doesn't hear those in purgatory begging us for prayers.  They cry unceasingly: pray for us.  

In addition, Satan despises most the Divine Mercy of God.  He tempts the soul by devaluing prayers.  He says that prayer is useless, insignificant and worthless.  But deep down, he hates it when people trust in Jesus and rely upon his divine mercy.

But God in his goodness gives life to the soul through our prayers.  We are given the gift to bring forth life through parenting, but in a special way, we have the power to share his divine mercy to others through prayer.  

In the presentation of Faustina, Messenger of Divine Mercy, a young woman visits her grandfather while he was on his deathbed.  Throughout this whole time, the grandfather was a non- believer and an atheist.  He is angry at God and hates his life.  But near the end we soon realize that it was because he abused his granddaughter.  She was troubled by that experience and it affected her entire life because she procured an abortion, and she was living a promiscuous life.  She discovers the root of her problems, returns to her dying grandfather and says: I forgive you.  The grandfather says to her:  I'm sorry.  You can tell by his demeanor that he was a changed man.  He was forgiven and he felt loved.  He was able to die in peace.

God in His goodness gives us the gift and power to bring forth life when we live by the spirit.  It is when we rely upon Christ's divine mercy.  It is when we forgive those who have wronged us.  

Even though every ounce of our body wants to return vengeance, but that is the flesh and not the spirit.  If we live by the spirit, we will naturally value the things of the spirit.  Living by the flesh is dangerous because evil and hatred continue to escalate, making the world a more awful place to live in.  Living by the spirit brings forth life and there is peace within the soul.

God loves you!