"Beads of Joy" by RosaryManJim: Love Your Enemies

BEADS OF JOY 06-18-19

“Love Your Enemies”

My Friends,

Today’s Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48 (Love of Enemies)
“You have heard that it was said, `You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Reflection:
This topic and focus is difficult for me. I don’t really have any real direct personal enemies. When I say “don’t really” I am referring to the general enemies; people who want to harm my family, people who wish to take away my freedoms and those threatening me because of my faith. All those enemies are not on a one-on-one personal level with me in my face. An overall general thought of love and forgiveness towards them showers my heart with love when I think of them. I know I am not living in a bubble, if I am then it’s leaking water; because my world is not full of sunshine and roses all the time. More now than before.

The real enemy I feel the most against us in the past, was the cancer Chrissy died from, and the suffering she endured throughout those six years. Debilitating, lingering illnesses are the enemies. So, to be completely honest, when I look at them and remember what cancer and suffering did to my beautiful wife and our family, I hate them. I must embrace both of them. I have no trouble embracing my own suffering and even my own death; I can deal with that and embrace it, but watching those I love, suffer, that is extremely difficult. But having said all that, here I am hindsight thirty-one months later, I will embrace the horror of cancer and suffering, knowing how valuable the time left with those you is.

I must admit, this is very difficult. But, as the Lord tells us, let us pray for this enemy. This enemy has brought many tears to me and my family, we don’t fully understand all these things. On a positive note, it has brought us closer to one another and to our faith. So maybe, just maybe there is a glimmer of light here.

Pondering these thoughts today: Sometimes our enemies aren’t always people, but illnesses that put us to the test of our faith. That is exactly sometimes what an enemy would do, test the purity of your faith and love and cut you to the core. I embrace this disease and all that comes with it, with a willing heart to find a way to see the positive in it. God knows my heart and He knows what this has already done to Chrissy and our family.

Love Your Enemies

How to Love Your Enemies
Two Minute Message

LOVE YOU GUYS !!!!

Your brother in Christ Jesus
And His Most Blessed Mother,
Jim (The Rosary Man) Dacey Jr OFS

Today is Tuesday: We pray the Sorrowful Mysteries:

The Sorrowful Mysteries

1^.Agony on the Garden (Sorrow for sin) –Matt 26:36-46
2^.Scourging at the Pillar (Purity) –Mark 15:1-16
3^.Crowning with Thorns (Moral Courage) –Matt 27:27-31
4^.Carrying of the Cross (Patience) –Mark 15:20-22
5^.The Crucifixion (Perseverance) –Luke 23:33-46

Thank you Lord for loving us so much…