The apostles worship Jesus, they doubt, he sees their doubts, and instead of condemning them for it, he gets closer, answers their doubts, AND THEN, because of who he has just confirmed himself to be, he sends them to make disciples.

The only way we are to be able to see Jesus and experience his life and indeed be alive ourselves is through the action of the Spirit.

John 10:9-10 contains one of the most coffee mug-able, Christian bookstore art-able, quotes in the entire Gospel

I came that they might have life and have it more abundantly.

This is a verse I think of often. Christ came that we might have full, abundant lives in him. But what does that mean?

Then Jesus does the impossible. He brings Lazarus back from the dead. The man who was beyond hope comes back to life. In an instant, He is called by him. Jesus can do the same for the people we love who seems lost. He can call them to life in an instant as well, too.

Can you imagine being angry that a man was healed of his blindness? It sounds crazy. And yet, there are those in the Church today who would not celebrate a miracle if it happened in a Charismatic prayer group, or it was given without anointing, or if it happened at a Latin Mass, or at a protestant gathering. Somehow, Phariseeism still exists in the Church today.

When you think about it, Most of us are saying to the Lord, "I love you. You are my God. You are my savior. But I don't have any time to spend with you, and I don't plan on changing that. Also, those letters you wrote to me so that I could know you, yeah, I'm not interested. But, we're cool, right?"

It doesn't make any sense.

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Catechism 409:

The whole of man's history has been the story of dour combat with the powers of evil, stretching, so our Lord tells us, from the very dawn of history until the last day. Finding himself in the midst of the battlefield man has to struggle to do what is right, and it is at great cost to himself, and aided by God's grace, that he succeeds in achieving his own inner integrity.

Fasting can be an incredibly effective medicine for the soul...Or, not.

Too often, my heart has been hardened against people who Jesus loves. Today, I want to let the words of Christ permeate me completely. Lord, help me to love those people you love. Even the ones who are hard to love.