How do you see yourself?

Dearest Ones,

I once talked with a broken-hearted parent, whose young teen-age son had just run away from home. Tearfully, he told me,"The thing that hurts the most, is that he won't let us love him." Could God be saying the same thing about us? More than anything else, God waits for us to receive His love. If our prayer consisted only in allowing God to love us, it would be the best prayer. Once we allow God's love into our hearts, then it's up to us to love others with His love. It sounds so easy - to just sit back and let God love us, but why is it so hard? It's because the evil spirit lies to us and makes us believe God doesn't want anything to do with us because we're too full of faults, weaknesses and failures for God to love us. Don't let the devil trick you into believing this. Here's what St. Peter says about the devil: "Be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring, seeking someone to seize upon and devour." (1 Peter 5:8)The only reason Jesus came was to take our messed-up past and give us hope of a bright future. In Christ we have a future worth looking forward to. The term "in Christ" simply means that we have placed our faith in Him concerning every part of our lives. What an awesome thought! Each of us has a purpose in this world and we will not be happy until we fulfill it; but that won't happen as long as we are insecure and have a poor self-image. God never intended for us to feel bad about ourselves. He wants us to know ourselves and be happy with who we are. Regardless of how we have been treated or what has happened to us, we are greatly loved by God because we are made in His image. We have God within us and that's enough, that makes us very special. No one can ever take that away from us. Too many people hate themselves because they compare themselves with others. God isn't comparing us with others. He isn't asking us to be someone else. I used to think I had to be like my two favorite saints - St. Francis of Assisi and St. Therese and if I wasn't like them, I wasn't pleasing to God. God didn't make me like St. Francis or St. Therese. I don't have the same gifts. When I meet God, he's not going to ask me why I'm not St. Francis or St. Therese, but rather, why I'm not "ME?" I don't have the same gifts as anyone else, so I can't be someone else. It's hard for parents not to compare their children, especially if one is more intelligent, more athletic, better looking, more obedient, etc. But if God doesn't compare us, why should we compare? I can remember when I first began teaching school, I thought each child should be perfect and it was my job to make them so. So I was busy watching for them to do something wrong. How foolish I was! When I learned that it was really my job not to look for things a child is doing wrong, rather, I should be looking for what they are doing right and then tell them about it - let them know and build their self-image. Once I started looking for the good, I was much happier and I know the students were, too. The only one we need to imitate is Jesus. He came to show us the Way, and we won't ever be happy or succeed at being ourselves until we become like Jesus. We can do it. God doesn't ask us to do the impossible. We need to ask the Holy Spirit to help us. We have the same Holy Spirit in our hearts as Jesus has, so, of course, we'll succeed! Lots of people have accepted Jesus into their hearts but that doesn't mean they are "saved." If they don't imitate Jesus, but instead, follow the ways of the world, they will not reach heaven. Jesus said, "Heaven can be entered only through the narrow gate! The highway to hell is wide and broad enough for many to choose its easy way. But the gate to heaven is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it." (Matt. Ch 7:13) This quote from Matthew really scares me, especially when Jesus says, "Only a few find the way to heaven." The reason the way to heaven is hard to find is because the world disguises the bad things and makes them look good. Many are misled and think they are on the way to heaven, but really they are not. Just because one has chosen Jesus at one time in their lives, does not mean they are guaranteed to go to heaven. Jesus looks at the heart. If we do not have the love of Jesus in our hearts, we are on a dangerous path, away from heaven. I must make it easy for Jesus to love through me. His joyful presence accompanies me everywhere I go! "All the way to heaven is heaven because He said, 'I am the Way!" (by St. Catherine of Sienna)

Love you -Sister Francelle