I was reading a book by Fr. Jaques Philip about maintaining peace. Oh, peace! It's what we all want, right? I looked at Jesus. I showed Him my hand that trembled from either anxiety or too much coffee, or both. Peace, Lord? School and studying, maintaining friendships, work, my trip to the Holy Land that is coming up, writing my blog, writing my novel, starting my garden, helping at home, wanting to help at my parish, and volunteer. How can I be peaceful? There is so much to do. Well, this book is giving me a lot of assurance. Jesus tells us to be like little children. So, a child tells her father that she got a splinter. She doesn't worry about getting the tweezers/needle or bandage. She just knows her father will take care of it. It still can hurt, but the Father takes care of it. It's like this with God. We need to be like little children. We have all of these problems, annoyances, and worries. They can hurt us, but we just need to let God pull out the splinter. He'll take care of it. Upon reflecting on this, I kind of demanded from God, Give me assurance. Now. Did I sound like a child pouting? Well, Jesus, You did say to act like a child... Anyway, I felt in my heart that God wanted me to read the Bible because that is His Word. So if I want assurance, Sacred Scripture is a great place to start. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat [or drink], or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?" Matthew 6:25 "Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil." Matthew 6: 34 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you..." Jeremiah 1:5 "You know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar." Psalm 139: 2 "You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem in the hand of your God." Isaiah 62:3 The Beatitudes (I will list the Beatitudes at the bottom of this article) Through these passages, He said to me, I will see to your studying. I will see to your work and money. I will see to your family; to your shaking anxiety. I will see to your health and success. I will see to your doubts and worries. I will see to your daily tasks; to your food, chores, and clothing. I will see to your beating heart. I will see to you, My work of art. I will see to all things my child; for I'm both your God and Daddy. Walk with Me. Walk with Me. Walk with Me. See, as you walk with Me, the blessings I give you. I give you heaven. I give you comfort. I give you the earth. I give you satisfaction. I give you mercy. I give you the sight of Myself. I give you My Fatherhood. I give you heaven. Does He say He will give us an "A" on that exam? That He will let us win the lottery? That He will heal every sore in our body? He certainly likes to give us these things, and He does, but He's more focused on the big stuff. Like...I don't know...eternal happiness? Haha! Yes! Satisfaction, comfort, and mercy! Look at the beatitudes. The first thing He promises is the kingdom of heaven and the last thing He promises is the kingdom of heaven. Not to mention all of that stuff in between! Hit me up, Lord. Your little child is ready for the promises of the kingdom! The Beatitudes “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:3-10
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AuthorJacqueline St. Clare: I spent six months in a cloistered convent, and now I'm a college student! Archives
April 2021
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Unexpected Church MembersAll words that are underlined can be found on the "Glossary" page
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