Tag: Jesus

Are You Jesus
Are You Jesus? Carrying On His Work in a Busy World

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Verse to live:
“Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” — Gospel of Matthew 6:33

A Question That Changes Everything

Are you Jesus? At first, that question sounds uncomfortable—even wrong. But look deeper. You are not the Jesus, yet you are called to carry on His work. His love. His mission. His way of living.

Jesus didn’t just come to be admired—He came to be followed. And following Him means something radical: letting His life reshape yours.

The Problem: A Life Too Full

Modern life is loud, fast, and demanding.
Your calendar fills up. Your phone never stops. Your mind is always racing.

And somewhere in the noise, the quiet voice of Jesus gets drowned out.

How much of your busyness is preventing you from living the life Jesus is calling you to live?
- Are you too busy to listen?
- Too distracted to care deeply?
- Too guarded to love freely?
Busyness isn’t just a schedule problem—it’s often a spiritual barrier.

What Does It Mean to “Be Like Jesus”?

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To carry on His work means choosing His way daily:
- Love without condition
- Serve without recognition
- Forgive without limits
- Trust God without fear
Jesus lived with purpose, not pressure. He was never rushed, yet He changed the world.

When you “seek first the kingdom,” you’re not adding another task—you’re reordering your entire life.

Letting Your Guard Down

One of the biggest obstacles isn’t just busyness—it’s protection.

We guard:
- Our time
- Our emotions
- Our vulnerability
But Jesus calls you to something deeper: surrender.

Letting your guard down means:
- Being honest with God
- Allowing others to see your real self
- Trusting that God is enough
It takes courage. Real courage.

A Simple Shift That Changes Everything

What if today you made one small change?

Instead of asking:
“What do I need to get done today?”

Ask:
“How can I live like Jesus today?”

That one question can transform:
- Your conversations
- Your priorities
- Your purpose
Prayer

Jesus, give me the courage to let my guard down.
Jesus, give me the courage to let down my guard.

Help me to release the busyness that distracts me from You.
Teach me to seek Your kingdom first.
Show me how to carry on Your work in my everyday life.

Amen.

Final Thought

You may not be Jesus—but you are called to reflect Him.

And in a world full of noise, pressure, and distraction,
living like Him might be the most powerful thing you can do.

Thank you for reading this article. Please share with others.

Rick Herring
thmjmj@gmail.com
March 26, 2026
“O Blood and Water…” — A Prayer of Mercy and Conversion
A Message Given in Mercy

In the private revelations recorded in the diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska, Jesus Christ entrusted a simple yet profound promise:

“When you say this prayer, with a contrite heart and with faith on behalf of some sinner, I will give him/her the grace of conversion.” (Diary 186–187)

The prayer itself is striking in its brevity:

“O Blood and Water, which gushed from the Heart of Jesus as a fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.”

These words echo the mystery of Christ’s pierced Heart, from which flowed blood and water (cf. John 19:34), symbolizing the sacraments and the boundless mercy of God poured out for humanity.

The Meaning Behind the Prayer

This prayer is not merely devotional—it is deeply theological and spiritual:
- Blood represents the Eucharist, the life of Christ given for the world.
- Water symbolizes Baptism, the cleansing and rebirth of the soul.
- Together, they reveal Divine Mercy—God’s healing love offered even to the greatest sinners.
When we pray these words, we are:
- Placing our trust in Jesus
- Interceding for others, especially sinners
- Opening ourselves to conversion and grace
A Prayer for Others

One of the most powerful aspects of this promise is that it is intercessory. Jesus specifically says the prayer can be offered on behalf of someone else.

This means:
- You can pray it for a loved one far from faith
- For someone struggling with sin or despair
- Even for those who do not believe
It becomes an act of spiritual charity—standing before God for another soul.

The Role of a Contrite Heart

The promise is not mechanical. Jesus emphasizes two essential conditions:
- Contrition – a sincere sorrow for sin
- Faith – trust in His mercy
Without these, the words remain empty. With them, the prayer becomes powerful.

A contrite heart is not perfection—it is humility. It says:

“Lord, I need Your mercy—and so does this person I pray for.”

Living the Prayer Daily

You can incorporate this prayer into your daily life in simple ways:
- Morning offering – entrust someone to God’s mercy
- During struggles – repeat it when worried about someone
- At the hour of mercy (3 PM) – unite it with Christ’s Passion
- Before sleep – commend souls to God
Its simplicity makes it accessible anytime, anywhere.

A Fountain That Never Runs Dry

The image of the “fount of Mercy” reminds us that God’s mercy is not limited. No sin is too great, no soul too far.

This short prayer becomes a doorway:
- From despair → to hope
- From sin → to conversion
- From fear → to trust
And perhaps most importantly, it transforms the one who prays it.

Final Reflection

In a world often marked by judgment and division, this prayer calls us back to the heart of the Gospel: mercy.

Each time we whisper:
“O Blood and Water… I trust in You,”
we participate in a mystery greater than ourselves—the saving love of Christ reaching another soul.

Rick Herring
thmjmj@gmail.com
March 22, 2026
Saint of the Day
Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary
- March 19
- Franciscan Media
- Saint of the Day
Saint of the Day for March 19

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Saint Joseph’s Story

The Bible pays Saint Joseph the highest compliment: he was a “just” man. The quality meant a lot more than faithfulness in paying debts.

When the Bible speaks of God “justifying” someone, it means that God, the all-holy or “righteous” one, so transforms a person that the individual shares somehow in God’s own holiness, and hence it is really “right” for God to love him or her. In other words, God is not playing games, acting as if we were lovable when we are not.

By saying Joseph was “just,” the Bible means that he was one who was completely open to all that God wanted to do for him. He became holy by opening himself totally to God.

The rest we can easily surmise. Think of the kind of love with which he wooed and won Mary, and the depth of the love they shared during their marriage.

It is no contradiction of Joseph’s manly holiness that he decided to divorce Mary when she was found to be with child. The important words of the Bible are that he planned to do this “quietly” because he was “a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame” (Matthew 1:19).

The just man was simply, joyfully, wholeheartedly obedient to God—in marrying Mary, in naming Jesus, in shepherding the precious pair to Egypt, in bringing them to Nazareth, in the undetermined number of years of quiet faith and courage.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=FSLZaZcsrHs%3Ffeature%3Doembed

Reflection

The Bible tells us nothing of Joseph in the years after the return to Nazareth except the incident of finding Jesus in the Temple (Luke 2:41–51). Perhaps this can be taken to mean that God wants us to realize that the holiest family was like every other family, that the circumstances of life for the holiest family were like those of every family, so that when Jesus’ mysterious nature began to appear, people couldn’t believe that he came from such humble beginnings: “Is he not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother named Mary…?” (Matthew 13:55a). It was almost as indignant as “Can anything good come from Nazareth?” (John 1:46b).

Saint Joseph is the Patron Saint of:

Belgium
Canada
Carpenters
China
Families
Fathers

Learn more about Saint Joseph!

Rick Herring
thmjmj@gmail.com
March 20, 2026