Day 70 – 1.5 hours               Day 71 – 4.5 hours               360 to go

Saturday’s chapter in Divine Intimacy was Love of the Cross.  The last chapter in the 12 Steps to Holiness & Salvation is Self-Denial & Love of the Cross (I will make time today to read it).  Palm Sunday is in many ways about Jesus’ self-denial & His Love of the Cross; the Will of His Father.  The DI chapter starts with this statement: “The Cross is suffering viewed in the supernatural light of faith as an instrument of salvation and sanctification, and therefore, as an instrument of love”.  Then it makes a pretty powerful statement that requires some thought.  “Our union with God cannot be accomplished except through suffering…A program of total mortification is required to break all our bonds, for we have within us many obstacles which keep us from being entirely moved by God; and the accomplishment of this work is impossible without suffering…We especially need passive suffering.  In other words, the Lord Himself must make us suffer, not only in our body, but also in our soul, because we are so covered with rust, so full of miseries that our total purification is not possible unless God Himself intervenes directly…& when God acts in a soul in this way, it is a sign that He wants to bring it to very high perfection.” – Is this what He wants for all of us?  Does God the Father want all His children to be Holy and Righteous?  Does God really wish to bring Michael to this “high perfection?  I think the answer is quite obvious for me and for all of us.  After all, true joy and peace come from accepting the Cross, in its entirety, in its fullness.  The verse about being spit out of the mouth of God if our faith is lukewarm keeps popping into my brain.  It’s not enough just to make myself a little better, He wants me, as stated in Matthew 5:48 to “be perfect as also my heavenly Father is perfect” & then in 1John 3:3, “Everyone who has this hope (to be called children of God) based on Christ, makes himself pure, as He is pure.”  Boy, I have lots of scrubbing to do – does anyone know where I can get a deal on some good soap?  -  I think I just asked for more suffering!!??!!

Yesterday we celebrated Palm Sunday…but before Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem, he paused to do something very significant; He cried!  He cried for the Jews, the chosen people, who were to reject Him (& still do to this day).  He cried for all of us who rejected Him before we began our walk in faith.  He cried for all of us that while walking in this faith continue to sadden Him by our worry and doubt and lack of trust.  He cried for our lack of obedience and humility.  He cried for us who reject His grace.

I leave you with the end of the prayer in Sunday’s DI chapter – “Even if we resist grace, O Jesus, You are still the Victor; Your triumph over the prince of darkness is accomplished, and humanity has been saved and redeemed by You.  You are the Good Shepherd who knows and loves each one of His sheep and would lead them all to safety.  Your loving heart is not satisfied with having merited salvation for the whole flock; it ardently desires each sheep to profit by this salvation…O Lord, give us then, this good will; enable us to accept your gift, Your grace, and grant that Your Passion may not have been in vain.”

Check out 1Peter 1:18-21

My chaplet was for the people of Haiti & Chile and my rosary Saturday was for an intention I just cannot recall & Sunday it was for our Disciples in Mission Small Church Community.

Peace