What Does Holiness Look Like?

Holiness
Who wants to be holy and who wants to be a saint? Hebrew 12: 10 we are called to holiness.
What does that look like? 1John 3: 1- 3 we should be called children of God – we shall be like Him.
What am I going to do?
God lead me, what is it you want me to do?
The whole gospel is about holiness.
John 4: 1-28 Jesus goes to a Samaritan town and meets a Samaritan woman – I am the Messiah - Receive the gospel message and live it to the full. Jesus took risks; it would be like us hanging out at biker rallies, with prostitutes, drug addicts, being where sinners are, with those considered lowly.
If there was no God why would people feed the hungry, house the poor, visit the sick and the prisoners; real love doesn’t expect anything in return – God is still risking, love is a risk.
Are we really OK are we really better than any others, you cannot change others hearts unless you change your own first.
Jesus persevered. Will we love others and embrace their sins and love them despite their sinfulness. Ultimately peoples salvation depends on God, we plant the seeds, He makes them blossom. Continue to be happy, have joy it brings hope to others. Don’t feel too bad, God will never leave you.
The sin against the Holy Spirit that can’t be forgiven - is believing one can’t be forgiven. God never leaves us, never let discouragement, doubt, disillusionment, confusion and fear take root, these are the tools of Satan. Rebuke them in Jesus name when they rear their ugly heads.
Challenge God, the prophets always challenged God; it’s alright to question when you have a relationship with God. Now what do you want me to do?
If we experience anger, we need to move onto surrender. In your life if you are still struggling with something ask God – what is it you want from me, make me ready and willing – do what is put in front of you to do. Pray "I allow you dear God to work through me and pray that you will, Holy Spirit infiltrate Jesus Christ into my conversations this day."
The experience of God needs to be moved from your head to your heart – share your experience of Jesus in your life – ask Him what is the experience of you God that you want me to have? No greater love can one have than to give his life for another, how do we fulfill the scriptures in our lives? What about John 14: 12- 14 and greater works than these shall you do – have we allowed God to do these works through us, are we at least praying to be made willing and ready to do them.
When were by ourselves and temptation comes we can be overcome, but when we are gathered together with others we come into community and can be strong. Prayer groups, Church, Fellowships – what groups can I find for support. Friendships develop when there’s no judgment, that’s the church we want. Love the sinner, welcome them, we need to be able to pray and worship alongside the worst sinner, this is whom Jesus came for.
Jesus said confess your sins. The very purpose of confession is to drop the masks and say, Jesus, this is truly me, have mercy on me a sinner.
Acceptance - even though we know people are sinners, we need to accept them just as Christ accepts us, just as we are. We all stand naked before God and its OK.
Saints are able to see themselves as sinners, if you want to be holy you have to open your self-wide open to God, all your sinfulness, all you thoughts, hopes and dreams. When we stand in front of God we see He still loves us.
What are we to do? Run and tell others about our love of Christ, tell what He is doing in our lives (Mark 5: 19). It is our duty to spread the news about the kingdom of Heaven. The center is Jesus, when someone is really loved and forgiven it changes them.
Remember me Jesus in your kingdom, (St. Dismas on the cross beside Christ). This day you will be with me in Paradise. Know who you are, you are loved by Jesus. If your life has been scarred God can truly use you to help and heal others.
It’s because one person was willing to give up their fish and bread that the multitude was fed. So let it be with us, let go and let God bless and multiply what He has given us.
Suffering
Why is there suffering in this world, why did He allow His Son to be murdered in this way, He suffered for us and has given us an example to follow. No greater love can a man have than to give his live for another. Jesus was not immune to suffering; we can unite our suffering with His. St.Paul tells us in Colossians 1: 24 I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body (the church) in filling up that which is lacking in Christ’s afflictions (sufferings). 1Corinthians 11: 1 be imitators of me just as I am of Christ. There is a realty of sin and suffering in the world, there’s an imbalance in the world. Suffering takes place within us and outside of us, in the world around us – poverty – people go hungry not because it is the will of God but because of the hardness of the hearts of their brothers.
We all sin – Jesus says then stop sinning, it’s very simple.
We all have our own share of suffering; to blame someone is also part of suffering. Who is to blame is not the answer; Jesus says get up and do something about it. Suffering is a mystery that can’t be totally comprehended and can’t be reasoned out. Suffering does bring about the opportunities for healings to take place, and crosses allow God to give us strength to meet the suffering in our lives. You can’t fake peace and happiness – truly it comes from God, God loves us and will never leave us.
Jesus showed us God, why have you forsaken me; we may say this in the midst of our suffering. Jesus says 365 times in scripture "Be not afraid" out of suffering and death comes everlasting life.
When there’s lots of questions kneel down, bring your hurting to Jesus, like little children, pray simply, God I’m hurting help me, it will work for you. The healing power of God takes place in many ways, in suffering and at all times say "God be with me." Live the now with Christ and you will live without fear.
Meditate these verses. Matthew 11: 28; John 14: 27; Colossians 1: 24. There is suffering its an imperfect world, but there is also hope and Jesus loves the whole world.
Amen,
God will carry us through.

Prayer
Pray, pray, pray. Prayer is not a hard thing, it’s simple, it’s talking to God, it’s His grace in our life’s that makes us whole.
Matthew 6: 7- 13; Luke 11: 2- 4; 1Tim2: 1- 5.
It is possible to pray 24hrs a day. When we misunderstand something then it becomes a burden, when were instructed properly then it becomes a joy to do. Formulated prayers are only one form of prayer. "Our Father" we say it often, when Jesus said it, it meant that He was equal to God and they killed Him for it. We need to say "Our Father" because we have a relationship, when we go to pray remember this. When you have a relationship your in it 24 hrs a day, establish the fact that your in a relationship with God, He is the Father, we are His Children.
The Mass is a party, it is a communal activity, we are not to be quiet there, and it’s the highest form of prayer. You loose an opportunity to be fed by the God of the Universe when you miss mass; we are invited to return and attend again and again all the time no matter how long we’ve been gone. The mass is Christ present with us, Jesus is still here with us today, we have a relationship with the Blessed Sacrament, let us run to Mass as fast as we can to be with Jesus. Whenever we receive sacrament our soul is never the same, partake of confession frequently, it transforms us. For sin to be sin you must be consciously aware of it and that what one is doing is a sin.
What’s important is that were with Jesus. The Church and the Sacraments are an invitation and love, invite people, family and friends with love, don’t be angry if they aren’t open to God yet, pray for them, their salvation is in Gods hands, we are instruments of His love.
Be always thankful for what you have, have a glad and thankful, joyful heart and a attitude of gratitude with positive thinking and a joy filled mind so all who come in contact with you may have hope. Love everyone whether you like them or not, be concerned for all, ask the Lord to help you love them that your in difficulty with. Have a thanksgiving attitude towards God at all times.
Use contemplation, it is when you let your mind rest a little and consider something with God, its quieting down so you can hear God, your in the prayer of the presence of God when you contemplate. Meditate, we can be quiet and just ask Jesus to be with us. When you’re tried, get out beautiful music and rest in it with God.
Develop the habit of Blessing. Bless everything, bless everyone, bless your work, and bless homes – when you enter a home say "Peace be to this house," and in all that you do ask God’s blessing upon it.

Morning Blessing for Family
And Friends
(Make the sign of the cross on person’s forehead while reciting prayer)
May the Lord bless you and keep you free from injury, illness and tragedy throughout this day. Amen

Night Time Blessing for Family
And Friends
(Make the sign of the cross on person’s forehead while reciting prayer)
May the Lord bless you with a peaceful sleep and holy dreams and protect your spirit throughout the night.
Amen

Whatever you do, do it for the love of Jesus, allow Jesus to be a part of all you do. Offer up your entire self that all you do will be a prayer.

Every Moment Offering Prayer
"God I offer up to You every beat of my heart, every blink of my eyes, every breath of my lungs, so that every moment throughout this next twenty four hours, and until I return to renew this prayer, will be a prayer of Glory to
You dear God, for all these happen according to Your Will." Amen

We can pray through all that we do, through art, photography, counseling, welding, weightlifting, I offer up to you dear God every stroke of my brush, every line of my pencil, every image I take, every moment of counseling, every sixteenth of every inch of weld and cut I make, every ounce of every pound of weight that I lift and rep that I make and try for. When we attend Mass, we can lay these works on the Altar along with all our joys, sorrows, sufferings (Col 1:24), happiness, health or illness, prosperity or poverty, offering it all up for God to do with as He desires and it all becomes prayer.

Exorcism
Pray in the Name of Jesus Christ to drive away wrong spirits, doubt, disillusionment, discouragement, confusion, and fears are tools of the devil.
We need to also be as free as possible from self centeredness, for it leads to self pity, which leads to criticism of others, which leads to resentment and resentment can kill. We can ask for supernatural help from our friends in Heaven, for our God is the God of the living. When we pray, we can remember to ask God how He wants us to pray, how do you want me to relate with my family and friends dear God. Allow God to lead you. How do you want to lead me now God? It’s not a forced thing; it’s all voluntary. God may be leading you to something else, now.
The test of a prayer life is when we can see Christ in other people, through service to others we serve Christ. When we go to Christ at the end of our days, Christ will say what you did for the least of my brothers that you did onto me (Matthew 25: 33- 46).