In this wonderful day, we want to make an appeal to life. Enough of dull life, meaningless life, unmotivated life, life without love, life without joy, life without passion, careless life, empty life, rotten life, ruined life, sick life, aimless life, directionless life, life without God!
We want to experience and enjoy a full life, a life in abundance, filled with the grace of the Lord, full of meaning, full of purpose, full of ideals, full of dreams, full of persistence, full of courage, full of motivation, full of spiritual direction...
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With all joy and motivated by the certainty of the Word of God, we want to follow Christ, love Him, praise Him, and give Him all the love of our hearts, confirming our journey each day through our choices for Him and through our actions, letting the Kingdom of God shine through in our lives:
“For the kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power.” (1 Cor 4:20)
Let us reflect today on the person of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He came to teach humanity a new meaning of the word love, showing with His own life what it means to love, how to love, and to show us the depth of His love for each one of us. Saint Augustine said that Jesus came to Earth, incarnated in our nature and became man, above all, to reveal how much God loves us.
Because of this love, our Saviour, anointed and consecrated, spares no effort to save us from eternal condemnation, to deliver us from hell, to open the gates of paradise, to set the captives free, to heal the sick, to bring joy to those who live in sadness, to give courage and strength to the weak, light to those in darkness, hope to the lost, and life to those in the dark valley of death. And not just any life—but life in fullness, in abundance, without limits.
If you want this life, just like us who are writing this, let us go deeper to understand this theme better. Together, let us declare that Jesus is the great Hero of life, the hero of our story, hero and saviour of all peoples—with this beautiful song by “Adoração e Vida”
What great joy we find, in fullness, in the powerful Word of God. When Jesus spoke about going to prepare a place in Heaven for us, and Thomas questioned Him about the way to get there, our great God and Lord said:
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No man cometh to the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
I don’t know if you can fully grasp this short sentence spoken by Jesus. We’ve read it, heard it, repeated it many times—affirming it, reaffirming it, preaching it, singing it, and glorifying God because Jesus said it. However, it was only this week that we were graced with truly going deeper into it. In another time we will reflect on Jesus being the way and the truth, because today is the day of life.
Jesus is life! The perfect life! He is the model, the ideal, who gives us life, who teaches us how to live, who shows us the true way—HIMSELF—Who leads us to life. In other words, without Jesus there is no life!
How many people we know no longer truly live, no longer understand the meaning of life, see no joy in life? How many are simply existing, just a body, just a shell, just an appearance? The depth and joy of life got lost in a negative past experience, in a moment that marked their life and froze them there. They’re like people stuck in time—going in circles, always stuck in the same story, never moving forward. For them, it even seems like death is better than life.
Unfortunately, the life of many people today is just depression—they live on medication and drugs. The life of others is consumed by the desire for revenge—they breathe threats, they eat the cold dish of resentment, and they sow poison hoping to reap power. These terms may sound humorous, but if we stop and look at the lives many people live in this crazy world, it’s truly shocking.
By merely looking around you, you can see how life is devalued nowadays...
The body is sold, profaned, prostituted, adulterated, crushed, destroyed, strangled, and martyred by drugs, alcohol, addictions, and by the choices—and lack of choices—of so many men and women.
The soul is deceived, stripped of its essence, suffocated by the chilling trends of hell—by music, soap operas, movies, books, and a mind-numbing culture that feeds everyone with this stinking garbage, vomit of the devil, wrapped in the pretty packaging of sin.
The spirit is vilified, offended, crushed, and corrupted by false religions, by the cheap convenience spirituality that portrays a relationship with God without commitment, so common and easy to find on every street corner.
They are the speeches of wolves in sheep’s clothing, killing our spirit, the truth, the joy, the longing for the eternal, the impulses inside us that cry out for love.
The atheistic and de-Christianized society that Satan designed is gaining ground and expanding more each day, with strength and at an astonishing speed, removing from everywhere and in every way possible the presence of the God who created us and loved us enough to die on the cross in our place—trying to erase the memory of this love.
But here is a message that will make the demons loose on earth and in the depths of hell tremble: they will never be able to remove God from history, never be able to destroy God’s plans, never be able to stop God’s work, no matter what they do.
God is Almighty, and nothing and no one in this corrupted world, or in hell, or in heaven, can prevent the fulfilment of what the Lord has prepared for our lives.
Nothing and no one can block the grace of God that overflows in our lives—even with the sin to which we are subject, even with our free will so often used the wrong way, even with the coldness of evil that grows and the warmth of good that fades. Amen?!
Brothers and sisters, the world, our sins, and our guilt killed our Lord Jesus Christ—nailing Him to the cross by the hands of the wicked, making Him suffer and go through every torment possible and imaginable, carrying the very high, precious cost of salvation. Let us now reflect on the poem of our brother Gustavo Munhon, posted on his blog:
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Blood dripped from His head
Blood dripped from His hands
Blood dripped from His feet
Blood dripped from His body
Blood dripped from His heart
Pure blood, holy blood
Blood poured over humanity
As a sacrifice – a holocaust
The blood of animals was exchanged for His blood – in the new covenant
For that reason, considered as an animal, He descended even below
The level of a human being – to lift us from our misery
And dignify us – as persons created in His image and likeness
Giving us adoption by His Father – children of God
We are more important than the rest of creation
Weak and sinful people – empty without the truth
Who have the price of Christ’s blood paid on the cross
The truth that prevails against evil – as long as time exists
The reality of redemption – for those who take hold and commit
To a holy and pleasing life – before His eyes
The longing to meet us and give us life in fullness
Made Him humble Himself from the heights of heaven – before the Holy Virgin
And take on flesh – causing revolt in His former right-hand angel
The light that turned to darkness
The love that blackened – and dragged so many to the abyss
The mistrust that transformed him
The pride that cemented him – essence of evil
The example we have to avoid – the only one condemned
For all humanity – the hope of Jesus cries out
The power of His resurrection – dethrones death
The power of His love and mercy – sets sinners free
The power of His Spirit – teaches the desperate
The power of His arm – brings justice to the chosen
His sacrifice perpetuated – ongoing restoration
Gives us a small taste of heaven
And leads us to rejoice in the future – through present sufferings
Small compared to the greatness – guaranteed – awaited
And which He longs to offer us – such a price
Secured for us the eternal – joyful dwelling
Let us take hold of the holiness offered – sacred
That comes from His hands, His feet, His head
From His heart – from His most holy body
From the heavenly drink – desire of the angels
From His Spirit, from His most pure soul
Through His glorious Mother…
The high price of salvation!
The message embedded in this poem, about the high price Jesus paid to rescue us, portrays the victory of the Lord, which gives us a taste of heaven. Saint Peter also speaks about this in the sermons he gave after receiving the power of the Holy Spirit, emphasizing the victory of our hero:
“The God of our fathers hath raised up Jesus, whom you put to death, hanging him upon a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. And we are witnesses of these things and the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to all that obey him.” (Acts 5:30–32)
As the saying goes: He who laughs last, laughs best. The final word over all the efforts that the devil and all of hell make, that the world makes, and that we may also make—consciously or unconsciously, unintentionally or intentionally—is not death, but resurrection! And it comes from the Lord!
We can always present ourselves poor, broken, and destroyed by sin before Christ, and He will always have reason and joy to restore our dignity, to fix our lives, to help us become better, to restore in us all that was destroyed, lost, or stolen.
Speaking of stealing—which is the devil’s specialty—Jesus gives us a beautiful teaching, portraying Himself as the Good Shepherd and us as His sheep; this is the central passage of tonight:
“Amen, amen I say to you: He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up another way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. And when he hath let out his own sheep, he goeth before them: and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. But a stranger they follow not, but fly from him, because they know not the voice of strangers.”Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore, Jesus said again, “Jesus therefore said to them again: Amen, amen I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All others, as many as have come, are thieves and robbers: and the sheep heard them not. I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved: and he shall go in, and go out, and shall find pastures. The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I am come that they may have life, and may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd giveth his life for his sheep. But the hireling, and he that is not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and flieth: and the wolf catcheth, and scattereth the sheep: And the hireling flieth, because he is a hireling: and he hath no care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep. And other sheep I have, that are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice, and there shall be one fold and one shepherd. Therefore doth the Father love me: because I lay down my life, that I may take it again. No man taketh it away from me: but I lay it down of myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” (John 10:1–18)
Notice how important it is to listen to the voice of Jesus; to have our hearing healed so we can recognise the voice of the Lord who calls us by name. He is the Good Shepherd who feeds us, cares for our lives, and protects us from all evil. He protects us from the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy—and gives us life in abundance.
That is truly wonderful! Jesus is willing to give up His own life for His sheep—each one of us. See how much God loves you and be convinced of this truth! It was not enough for Him to exchange kingdoms, to surrender nations and riches for us, or to declare His love through the prophets and messengers. God sent His Son to speak to us, love us, and die in our place.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jesus emptied Himself to the point where not a drop of blood remained in His disfigured body—so much so that when His heart was pierced, it poured out water. This is the total self-emptying of an all-powerful God who gives all He has—even Himself. He gave Himself—laying down His life where we should have been: on that cross!
If you were lost in other sheepfolds, whatever they may be, today you have the opportunity to return and be led back to the sheepfold of Christ—that is, into His presence, into fellowship with Jesus. You don’t even need to do anything—Jesus already did it for you. The only question He asks is: Do you accept? Do you want to be brought back? Do you want the abundant life that only I can give you?
It doesn’t matter what it is—there is nothing that God can’t do to give us life, to restore to us every good thing, every blessing that the thief has stolen. Jesus is life itself, restored to us a hundredfold. He gives us Himself. Only those who don’t want anything to do with God will live and die in death.
Try it for yourself: give Jesus the worst part of you. Give Him all your bitterness, hatred, revenge, anger—even your blame toward Him. Maybe you’ve thought, “Why did God let that happen in my life?” or “Why did He do this or that to me?” Throw it all at Jesus. Tell Him everything you’ve been through that made you feel alone or desperate.
Then wait and see what happens to you. He will bring sweetness from within you, from the depths of your heart—a love, a desire to forgive and be forgiven, a sense of relief and reconciliation with the Lord. You’ll begin to look at your life differently—through the eyes of a God who never abandoned you. He is our Good Shepherd!
And the best part? All of this is infinite in Jesus. There is no limit, no restriction, no rule for when or how to start or end. There is no beginning or end. In Jesus is the life we try to find in sin, drugs, pornography, alcohol, parties, and people. In Him is limitless life!
But the greatest tragedy the world has managed to cause is to corrupt our minds (. And sadly, we must say: so many have believed these lies of the devil, which the world feeds into our minds.
The greatest problem is not the problems, not the evil, not the devil’s tricks, not sin, not the harm we can do or fail to do. The greatest problem is this distance, this lack of faith and trust that Jesus Christ can deliver us from death and give us life.
We need to be like the woman in the first image, lifting our eyes to heaven and seeking the God who illuminates us from within as the sun does from without. Let Him reveal our hidden life in Himself. Let us follow Saint Paul’s precious advice to live a life of fullness and quality:
“Therefore, if you be risen with Christ, seek the things that are above; where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God: Mind the things that are above, not the things that are upon the earth. For you are dead; and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ shall appear, who is your life, then you also shall appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, lust, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is the service of idols. For which things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of unbelief, In which you also walked some time, when you lived in them. But now put you also all away: anger, indignation, malice, blasphemy, filthy speech out of your mouth. Lie not one to another: stripping yourselves of the old man with his deeds, And putting on the new, him who is renewed unto knowledge, according to the image of him that created him. Where there is neither Gentile nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian nor Scythian, bond nor free. But Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:1–11)
For Jesus to be everything in us, we must follow the path of truth and life (which we’ll go deeper into in future posts) and allow Him to bring to life all He promised in His Word. His Word is alive and life-giving; it strips away what is old and renews us from the inside out. He can change everything in us—if we ask and allow Him.
We must also be like that leaf in the second image: carried by the waters, planted in the heart of Jesus, so that our lives may bear fruit, flourish, and be strong—rooted in the Lord, who is our true identity—so we never lose the source of life that flows from Him.
“I am the true vine; and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he will take away: and every one that beareth fruit, he will purge it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now you are clean by reason of the word, which I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine: you the branches: he that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing. If any one abide not in me, he shall be cast forth as a branch, and shall wither, and they shall gather him up, and cast him into the fire, and he burneth. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask whatever you will, and it shall be done unto you. In this is my Father glorified; that you bring forth very much fruit, and become my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, I also have loved you. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; as I also have kept my Father’s commandments, and do abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be filled.” (John 15:1–11)
Our Lord wants to see us happy, loving, and filled with all grace so that we can live a life of complete and perfect joy. That is true life! It’s what Jesus gives us—and is always willing to give us, no matter how much time passes. He never grows tired of waiting for us, of being patient with us, of having compassion, and of walking at our same slow pace just to be with us.
The saddest part is that, even with all of this—after He has taught us and shown us these truths—we often still don’t want to walk with God. We don’t want to follow or keep any commandments—nothing at all. We reject this full life, because we’ve settled for any small, shabby life we can manage to get, and sometimes it’s the very life the devil wants us to live. That’s the view of pessimists!
But what about the optimists? They want a good life—easy, blessed by God; a life of fullness in every way: materially, spiritually, emotionally, in the family, and physically. Some even accept that such a life might come from God, but they often don’t accept that God Himself must be a part of it, because they want to live life their way.
How many human beings want healing and freedom from their afflictions, the restoration of their families, want everything they’ve lost to be returned to them, and want to receive it directly from the hands of God… but they do not want the Author of all these blessings and wonders to come along with it!
Thousands of preachers teach this “easy gospel,” this idea of playing with God, where you can get all the blessings you want without any commitment to Him or to the Church. You just follow a few silly rules and give some money, and boom—the blessing and grace arrive automatically. No! That’s wrong!
God is not like that, and He doesn’t work that way! As we’ve said before in this blog: the things of God are free—but they are not cheap to maintain and live in. Salvation is free, and anyone can receive it quite easily—but we can also lose it. God’s gifts are irrevocable, but the prodigal son who abandons the Lord also abandons all that he could have or be—and ends up wallowing with the pigs until he comes to his senses and realises he is nothing without God.
Before we pray today, let’s end with a short story told by Father Léo, SCJ (in memoriam), to sum up this post...
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There was a very rich man who had no heirs. One day, during one of his trips around the world, while walking the streets of London, he was enchanted by a woman who was, to him, breathtakingly beautiful. Later, she became his wife. Time passed, they married, and the man discovered that she had a chronic illness that prevented her from having children—the one thing he most desired, so that he could leave his fortune to a son rather than to the government.
This man was very devoted to Our Lady and prayed the Rosary every day. And after some time, by the grace and miracle of God, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, his wife conceived and gave birth to the child he had longed for. But tragically, she died shortly after giving birth.
Time went by, and the boy grew up. It became increasingly evident what the father had feared the most: the child had inherited the father’s looks—not his mother’s beauty—and each day he became more awkward and unattractive. Since looks weren’t his strong suit, the boy studied at the best schools, took courses at prestigious institutions, and learned many languages to accompany his father on business trips.
During a trip to France, they met someone who made instant portraits of people. The boy was fascinated and asked his father to pay for one to remember that day. Tragically, the same chronic illness that had afflicted his mother was passed on to him, and just three months after that last trip, he died.
The man lost all purpose in life. His wealth, assets, homes, and cars meant nothing. Not even the countless paintings he had collected from around the world brought him any joy anymore. So, he decided to hold an auction, thinking perhaps his treasures could bring happiness to someone else.
The following week, his house was packed. People from around the world came to buy his rare and classic paintings—true treasures for collectors and art critics.
The auction began. The first oil painting by Michelangelo was sold for £500,000. The second one fetched £750,000, and so it went on.
Until they reached one painting—the portrait of his son, which he called “Self-Portrait of My Son.” When the crowd saw the bizarre, hand-painted image of that homely boy—ugly, and we mean really ugly—they mocked it. People laughed and whispered, “Who would buy a thing like that?” The first bid was £0.50. The rich man was deeply hurt and said:
“This is the self-portrait of my son. It means a great deal to me. Please, show some respect. Who will buy the portrait of my son?”
After a moment of silence, a woman in humble clothing—far from the polished suits of the wealthy men present—raised her hand and said she wanted the painting. When asked why, she replied that it had sentimental value, as she had been one of the maids who cared for the boy until his last moments.
She was told she needed to pay for it, but she had no money. She reached into her pocket and pulled out all she had: £4.32—her bus fare and a few coins. The auctioneer said:
“SOLD!”
The woman was overwhelmed with emotion. She didn’t even have a single painting at home—this would be her first. As she picked up the painting and walked away, the auction resumed.
While thinking about which wall to hang it on, she turned the painting around to look at the hook on the back—and noticed an envelope taped to it. Inside was the will of the rich man.
The will read:
“I leave all my assets, properties, vehicles, estates, and my entire fortune to whoever buys the self-portrait of my son. Use it well, and may God bless you.”
Everyone around her was filled with envy and regret. None of them could have imagined that behind that hideous image of his son was the father’s entire inheritance.
That’s exactly what the Father does with us. In His love, He gives us all things—every blessing, material and spiritual. But to receive them, we must accept the portrait, the image, the person of His Son, who—far more than that ugly boy—lost even His human form in the portrait of the cross.
It is in Christ, with Christ, and through Christ that the gates of heaven are opened to us, and through Him all the blessings of heaven are poured into our lives.
Will you accept that image into your life?
Beloved Jesus, I want to embrace You in my life with all the strength of my heart. I want to live with You and be completely Yours. I want to belong to You and live only for You. Beloved Saviour, come to my aid to free me from this dull life, from the poor life that sin creates in me. Deliver me from the evil I’ve committed and from the evil that has remained in my life. Free me from the evil of the world that tries to settle within me. Make me free in You, Lord.
At this moment, I ask for the grace to be freed from addictions, from all that is earthly in me and keeps me from seeking the things above. I ask for the grace to have a heart free from hatred, vengeance, depression, and all the evils that have tormented me and prevented me from living the full life that the Lord came to bring.
I cut from my life, my home, and my family all oppression, all depression, and all evil pressure from spiritual contamination, from things that attack my soul and my body. I want to be free from every hypocritical and meaningless life, because, Jesus, You are my meaning, You are my ideal, You are my greatest reason, so I ask You: stay with me, Lord. And teach me to stay and remain in You.
Help me, Lord, coming to my aid in my anguish and limitations. I want to surrender to You what is inside me and hurts at this moment (tell the Lord what hurts you most).
Pour out upon me Your Holy Spirit of love and come seal all grace and blessing over my life, over my work, over my studies, over my family, over my home, my community, my prayer group, and over all the people around me. I want to be a better person. I want to radiate this life because You are with me and I am with You, wonderful and glorious Jesus.
I want to give You glory and thanks for Your love, for Your presence, for Your goodness and mercy. Hallelujah. Praised be the Lord for all that You are and for all that You are doing in me at this moment. Glory forever to the Lord! Amen.
Let’s take this time and moment to sing and finish our prayer with Matt Maher, laying down our lives, everything we are and have at the feet of our Lord.
“To welcome the abundant life that Jesus came to bring, it is necessary to live with Him, because He Himself is that life.” (Future saint, Gustavo Munhon)
Discovering this marvellous secret, may we live in the blessing of the Lord, but also live with the Author of the blessing; may we live in the joy of the Lord, but also live with the Lord of all joy; may we live in the love of God and love God with all our hearts; may we live in the holy peace of Christ and live with the Christ of peace. In short, let us desire and seek God first, and all the things that are proper to His person and nature will be added to our lives.
Saint Augustine said: “The search for God is the search for happiness. The encounter with God is happiness itself.”
May we remain in this joyful encounter with the Lord and live this life in fullness until the fullness of life that awaits us—when we reach perfect and complete happiness in heaven. For now, before living in heaven, let us live heaven on Earth, with Christ.
May God bless us and grant us the grace to embrace this abundant life!
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