Normandt' meditations

208. Welcoming Jesus





“Quiet! Be still!” Mark, chapter 4, verse 39

We wouldn’t like it that much if someone said, “Quiet! Be still!” But this person would possibly serve us well. This is what we need to recognize the presence of the Trinity in our heart.



Only silence can help us hear what Jesus tells us. Only silence allows us to return to Jesus and be free. Silence also allows us to find ourselves and clean out our lives.



Let’s welcome silence as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Some people have the gift of talking, why not ask for the gift of being silent? We may be experiencing the poverty of lack of silence and to speak at the right time.



Silence is not necessarily lack of noise. Silence is a state where we are well, where we develop a sense of serenity and listen to the Lord, to ourselves and others.



We can write, sitting in a restaurant, with some pretty loud music and still be in silence, internally. We can write in a library and silence could bother us. The external noise isn’t the first cause of the lack of silence, but the inner noise, the noise in us. Let’s give the many sounds in us to Jesus.



We would be surprised at the number of people working in the noise, and yet this doesn’t stop them from praying while going along. We can be in silence and be with Jesus, even if our work is noisy.



As soon as we approach Jesus in silence, even if it’s a timid approach, immediately Jesus will be able to obtain us peace. The more we are silent, the more Jesus will touch us subtly and the more we’ll feel his presence.



Is Jesus really present? The question gives out the answer. Yes, he is present. When we say Jesus’s name he is immediately present. We cannot live, love, breathe, sleep, hope, laugh, and so on, without Jesus in us. May we welcome him.

The Holy Spirit is the very sweetness and he displays his strength in the silence of the soul. Now, the Spirit of Jesus will fill us as a breeze in our soul.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Caring for our poverties, Normand Thomas

209. Jesus keeps evil away





Jesus sees a man come out of the tombs. It is someone who consciously or unconsciously allowed himself to be influenced and trapped in evil:

“Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!’ (He had been saying to him, ‘Unclean spirit, come out of the man!’)” Mark, chapter 5, verses 6 to 8



With Jesus, the evil in this man doesn’t resist, doesn’t hide. Jesus recognizes that there’s an evil spirit in this man. Even the evil spirit obeys him, it leaves and abandons the man who is now set free. We could also say that humanity is free, like this man, if we decide to let Jesus free us.



Notice when the conversion begins for this man. In spite of the evil that annihilates him, it’s when he advances to join Jesus, that he’s being released. Jesus is the key, the answer. Always moving forward to reach Jesus, always adjusting our lives to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, always placing ourselves under the Light of God and letting him act in our existence, saves us.



Jesus wants us to tell him now that we want to follow him and be transformed by his graces. Ready? Let’s run to him!



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Caring for our poverties, Normand Thomas

210. Outing evil must hurt





Often, we encounter situations, more or less painful, that we live or that people live. And sometimes, when a person gives us an easy way out, we don’t think it will work or fear makes us think that we’ll have more pain.



We think that to solve a problem, there must be pain. And very often, actually, it will hurt. But, getting out of harm’s way is more of a healing. And it doesn’t hurt in the same way.



How often, when we discover the truth of a painful situation, we say that it hurts: “You cannot imagine how it hurt when I knew the truth!” What a falser expression than this one! The truth has never hurt anyone. It’s not the truth that hurts, but the discovery of the lie, of a painful situation. It’s the lie that contains evil. The discovery of truth leads to freedom.



One of our greatest poverties is not knowing how to differentiate between good and bad. The line is thin when we don’t understand, at the time of discovery, whether it’s good or bad that hurts. Let’s be certain, it’s always evil that causes evil, hurt, sorrow.



Let’s take the example of a person who is bitten in the leg by a venomous snake. The bite and the venom are the cause of evil. And to pluck the venom in the leg hurts even more. If the doctor has to cut the flesh around the bite of the snake, the person will certainly cringe. Ouch!



What’s good? It’s the person who helps extract the venom. The hurt wasn’t caused by the person helping, but by the bite and the venom. Once the venom is gone, the life of the person is saved. He will have avoided death and he will continue to live.



The “evil hurt” he felt by curing from the venom is related to the bite and venom. The good that spared him from death, even though he felt the pain, is the good intention of the person who has helped heal the dying man. Let’s be sure to distinguish between what’s really good or bad.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Caring for our poverties, Normand Thomas

211. The good news





Let’s return to Love, let’s get away from what isn’t good:

“You shall love your neighbour as yourself.” Matthew, chapter 22, verse 39



To love oneself with the Love of God is to avoid violence and evil to stick to our life. When we listen to people talking to us, we don’t accept that they yell at us. Why do we accept it in certain programs and music, for example?



Suffering is already in the world because of evil. But we are invited to become saints by being ourselves and spread peace, joy and hope of life in Jesus Christ for the glory of God and the salvation of the world.



We are continually doing our best not to enter into a plan of misfortune. We must also help the world around us not to embark on ideas that will cause misfortune.



Quite simply, we are responsible for bringing the good news that Jesus is to the world and for keeping us, as we can, away from evil. It’s a decision: “You shall love your neighbour as yourself.”



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Caring for our poverties, Normand Thomas

212. God is patient





God has all eternity. We only have a few years. He’s totally patient with us. He is mercy. He continues to want the fig tree to produce fruit and is ready to weed it and put new soil around it. God takes care of it.



Let’s imagine that this next story is forever repeated. We understand that God constantly wants to give us opportunities to come back to him. Jesus tells this parable:

“There once was a person who had a fig tree planted in his orchard, and when he came in search of fruit on it but found none, he said to the gardener, ‘For three years now I have come in search of fruit on this fig tree but have found none. (So) cut it down. Why should it exhaust the soil?’ He said to him in reply, ‘Sir, leave it for this year also, and I shall cultivate the ground around it and fertilize it; it may bear fruit in the future. If not you can cut it down.’” Luke, chapter 13, verses 6 to 9



God, the gardener, by his great mercy, doesn’t stop wanting to help us to develop roots into his Love. The tree of our existence cannot flourish and bear fruit unless it is rooted in God. He wants the tree to take root in him. It would be easy to tell ourselves that this is false, since we seem to have everything to stay alive.

We live? Indeed, we live. But we can close our lives in a well-insulated cave without the constant and beneficent source of God. The cave is all that attracts us and keeps us in front of a treasure that sparkles, unattainable, illusory, instead of rooting us in the ground that is ours, in our own heart in the centre of God’s garden.



We are invited to convert every day. Every moment when we take the advantage to place ourselves in the Heart of Jesus it’s always a precious moment. This moment is worth an infinite quantity of treasures.

The Trinity is always there for us, but from time to time we are in our shelter, focused on something else and not watchful to receive God in our life.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Caring for our poverties, Normand Thomas

213. The thorn, the grace





There may be something left in us that still need transformation. We’ll always be able to move forward, even if sometimes we feel tried or we seem stationary.



In spite of the journey that Paul has gone through, remains the test that will increase his faith and lead him to the best of himself. Since he has not finished living the purification of his being to lead him in the Love of God, Paul describes to us the ordeal he bears:

A thorn in the flesh (…) Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it might leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. 2 Corinthians, chapter 12, verses 7 to 9



To put one’s pride in one’s weaknesses is not so pleasing, to let ourselves be drawn into our weaknesses, but to remind us that God Loves us no matter what our difficulties are is a blessing.

To acknowledge that we have weaknesses allows us not to pride ourselves on the strengths, qualities that God offers us, and to create false ideas about ourselves. We have received everything from the Trinity, so we must place our pride in God.



The closer we come and discover God, the more our being leaves what makes it proud, and the more we become like God by recognizing him as the “everything” of our life. Let’s seek the Love of the Trinity in everything we have.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Caring for our poverties, Normand Thomas

214. Evangelize the Apostles





Jesus chose people of his time to send on a mission, such as Peter, John, and the other Apostles. The first to be evangelized are the Apostles. After Jesus’s resurrection, they are left to themselves, but they are not alone. Jesus has already breathed his Spirit upon them and they are sent into the world to join all nations, languages and peoples:

“Receive the Holy Spirit.” John, chapter 20, verse 22



Today, where we are, every person is called to share the Good News of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus sends us as we are. We’re the people Jesus needs for our time and his Spirit will guide us to share what he wants the world to receive and hear. We are not alone. We: “receive the Holy Spirit,” says Jesus.

The only effort is to be sure we’re really listening to Jesus and his Spirit. For this we must become his disciples. We think we cannot be true disciples? We’re not perfect? The important thing is to stay close to Jesus. And he will guide us. Let’s accept to not be perfect. From our imperfections, the Lord will surprise us.



Jesus is there for the world, but not all people give themselves the means to meet Jesus. When we cannot evangelize people near us, let’s look elsewhere for other people.

Let’s not lose hope and place our trust in Jesus. In this way there will be everywhere people who have the vocation to announce the good news. A huge crowd; postmen, engineers, doctors, schoolchildren, carpenters, every person can transform the world, thanks to Jesus.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

215. The mission that saves





“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.



For the scripture says, ‘No one who believes in him will be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?



And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring (the) good news!’

But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?’



Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.

But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for ‘Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.’” Romans, chapter 10, verses 9 to 18



Let’s stop and meditate these questions: “How can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?”

Christ invites us to the mission that saves.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

216. The only promise





Paul tells us the way:

“He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.” 2 Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 15



That: “those who live might no longer live for themselves”.

Christ has come to show us that life has all its meaning to love one’s neighbour and to live so that the hearts of people be transformed.

For that, we are invited to be free from what closes us on ourselves, to receive Jesus’ teaching and to make him visible in our life, in order to become lights in this world. Let’s run away from what tends to cut us off from God’s will and from others.



The influences today are manifold and evil continues to be a counter-testimony, but there’s only one way that leads to God. To receive his Love is the only way that leads to Jesus’s Sacred Heart.

Jesus teaches us:

“You have heard that it was said to your ancestors, ‘Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.’” Matthew, chapter 5, verse 33



The only promise we should remember is that God Himself is laying his Love in us, which nullifies all our oaths. From ourselves we could not take an oath before God without receiving the necessary from him.

To love and to move away from evil is the basis of what God wants as an oath. Our actions and words will adjust to this recommendation.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

217. We continue





God knows his friends. God knows the people who follow him and hope to accomplish his will. The Lord says to Paul:

“Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack and harm you, for I have many people in this city.” Acts, chapter 18, verses 9 to 10



It’s as if God is telling us: “Be without fear, keep talking, don’t remain silent. Stop worrying. Don’t just trust what you see, what you hear and what can discourage you. Go on! Exceed your first impression of this city. Yes, you have had some difficult times, but there will be fruit. This is what the Lord seems to say to Paul.”



Today, the Lord speaks to us too. We’re doing it for many reasons. We don’t see all the people who really follow Jesus, it’s within the heart.

God knows everything that is done secretly in hearts. God knows that there are people who do his will and who are at the bedside of sick people, who extend their hand to offer money or food, who open their arms to offer health care or love for free, who are on the roads to evangelize. We don’t know them all, but the Father, the Holy Spirit and Jesus see them acting and speaking. Their works will surprise many.



It’s as if Jesus tells us: “Continue to be my disciple, continue to do what I ask of you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t see everything that’s happening, because I see it. I keep you in humility and I love you. I am the one who converts, it is I who touches the hearts. I only ask you to remain in my Love.”



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

218. Through our heart





Jesus tells us as in John’s text:

“You also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” John, chapter 16, verse 22



Jesus seems to be saying, “Yes, maybe now you are wondering, you don’t see clearly, you throw some grain in the wind and it doesn’t seem to fall into a fertile land. But your heart will rejoice, you will be happy, because you will follow me and you will have done the will of my Father under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Be confident! Do not be afraid!”

Then Jesus adds:

“On that day you will not question me about anything. Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.” John chapter 16, verse 23



Questions are no longer needed when Jesus goes through our life, through our heart, when we’re connected to the source.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

219. In people’s hearts





Let’s ask the Father, by the name of Jesus, to help us find trust, that the Father will rejoice to see us follow Jesus for the good of souls. As Therese of Lisieux, who never went out after entering the cloister, may we believe that God works in our hearts, even if we think we have empty hands.



One night, the Lord tells Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid. Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.”

When we come closer to the Lord, we develop the confidence to evangelize with the testimonies of faith that we give and the acts we do.

With Jesus, our mission is growing and becoming more secure. Let’s pray, meditate on the Word with a regular presence at Mass, and we’ll continually enter into a relationship with Jesus.



We can observe more and more the Lord acting in the hearts and lives of the people around us. Also, by becoming more patient with ourselves, we’ll become more patient in front of the faults of others. Believing more in Jesus leads us on the path with him.



It’s not always simple or easy, especially when we’re distracted, but we know that making Jesus known is possible. Jesus tells us:

“Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.” John, chapter 16, verse 20



Sometimes we’ll cry in the desert like John the Baptist, and we’ll have the impression that no one will listen, but the Holy Spirit is active in the world. We only have to watch him act in people’s lives and hearts.

Let’s read again:

You are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you. John, chapter 16, verse 22



The joy of God is so deep and intense that no one can rob it. Joy is in God and of God.

The sole purpose of the mission is to enter the heart of God and to be Loved. May the kingdom of God be established in our hearts. Then, let’s continue to ask Jesus to guide us day by day and help us to embark in the touching and inspiring adventure of faith and evangelization. Let’s accept to be joyous and daring, filled with hope, since we can see that the Holy Spirit continues his work in the world.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

220. With Jesus





Evangelization is realized to the extent that we are in communion with Jesus. Without Jesus, without welcoming his Love in our heart, there’s no evangelization and null is the mission.



Whatever the function or mission in the Church, to achieve success, we must be on the move with Jesus. This is what the first Apostles understood. The author of the Acts of the Apostles describes it well:

“After staying there some time, he left and travelled in orderly sequence through the Galatian country and Phrygia, bringing strength to all the disciples.” Acts, chapter 18, verse 23



Paul is successful and this success is indebted to Jesus. It is with Jesus that Paul succeeds in the mission.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

222. Offer Jesus





God hears what is said by some people:

“You have defied me in word, says the Lord, yet you ask, ‘What have we spoken against you?’ You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God, and what do we profit by keeping his command, and going about in penitential dress in awe of the Lord of hosts?’” Malachi, chapter 3, verses 13 to 14



It may be difficult for us to conceive of people thinking that about the Lord, but there are people who have let down by refusing God’s presence in their lives.



There’s nothing simpler than to get away from the Lord and there’s nothing more difficult thereafter than to return to him. Not because God would not welcome us if we come back, but because there are so many elements that get in the way of our march back. The reality should be the opposite; easy to approach Jesus and difficult to get away from him.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

223. A thousand and one
There are thoughts, money, hatred, fear, lack of faith that, among other things, barricades that are difficult to overcome and even bypass. There are a thousand and one impediments, but only one way to lead us to God’s Heart. When we decide to walk the road toward God, he himself removes impediments, blockages, barricades, rocks.
We have just shared the importance of taking the right path with God, but it is just as important to follow the road of fraternity with our contemporaries. Jesus tells us:
“What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?” Luke, chapter 11, verse 11
Who among us would want to offer something other than Jesus and his message to people?
We can continually sow the Love we receive from God. And if we gave ourselves the challenge of bringing only one new person to the Church in the next year, we would contribute to that person’s faith. Even by praying for him, and without his knowledge. We will have increased the prayer in our city and in our life. Let’s pray for a person who isn’t going to Mass. Whatever the result, don’t seek to know the result, but rest assured that Jesus will have visited him.
Every person has God in them, since God created them. Often the person is ready to hear that God is in his life. He’s waiting for someone to tell him. Said in a wise, fair and simple way, often a person cannot resist the invitation to recognize the presence of God in him. It’s easy to reveal to him the joy that he has from God.
The new American Bible, 2011-2014
Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

224. Welcome him as he is





Let’s ask ourselves, “Who would be on the point of wanting to come back or go to church?” Let’s go slowly, invite him, but leave him free. Whether he says yes or no, we’ll welcome his answer. We’ll continue to welcome him as he is. Either we’ll continue to pray for him, or we’ll pray for another person, since he will have accepted.



One day a person says that he has no connection with God even though he’s doing good. The answer was simple: “Yet you do what Jesus asks of you to watch every day on your two parents who are living their last passage to eternity.” He understood. Children do what God asks for when they take care of their parents. Parents do what God asks for when they take care of their children too.



Then remains to celebrate what God offers us for free by living Mass, listening to the Word and receiving the Eucharist. Everything we receive from God is perfect. When we share the good, beautiful, real and true, it comes from God. Why not thank him by confessing our faults and receiving everything from him through the Eucharist and the Word?



Announce the Good News:

“Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.” Acts, chapter 8, verse 40

He evangelizes.

A christian is someone who carries Jesus wherever he goes. All opportunities are good to witness, to know Jesus, to evangelize and to be in the mission.



Everywhere, in all places, we can pray for the people who are present, on the road, in the shops, in our meetings. The humble prayer of the heart is powerful.

Praying in our hearts for people we meet is very effective. And we leave it to Jesus to touch their hearts.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

225. Eat!





The Lord said to Ezekiel:

“Son of man, eat what is before you; eat this scroll, then go, speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth and he gave me the scroll to eat. Son of man, he then said to me, feed your belly and fill your stomach with this scroll I am giving you. I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth.” Ezekiel, chapter 3, verses 1 to 3



Let’s ask Jesus to increase the grace of his Word in us.

Ezekiel finds that the scroll tastes the golden honey of God. It’s the light that lights the way, that instructs, the Love that enters his heart. There’s all the sweetness and tenderness of God. This contrasts with the sometimes bitter taste of all that the world does wrong under the sun; sin, injustice, pride, greed, and all that leads to evil. Why is it bitter? Because the prophet now has his eyes open to the world. He now sees what’s wrong and that’s bitter.



It is the difficulty of evangelization: the more we walk, the more we observe that there’s hatred, evil. Our eyes are opening. It twists our guts, makes our hearts bleed, but we’re confident that the world can improve. We’re also favored by the sweet honey of God’s tenderness. We’re called to give to Jesus the difficult situations that people experience, so that he may free them from the pain that makes them suffer.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas

227. Receive the Book to swallow





Jesus is the Word. At the time Jesus lived on earth, the people also had to understand it. He says all he has to say and the Word will only be understood by the opening of people’s hearts. Jesus’ Word is complete. We understand it imperfectly, by the way, because of the evolution of our time and because of the evolution of our thoughts and our heart. We must go beyond what limits us, return to the foundation to understand it.



Many prophets receive the Book to swallow. Now it’s John’s turn:

“I went up to the angel and told him to give me the small scroll. He said to me, ‘Take and swallow it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.’” Revelation, chapter 10, verse 9

A prophet is one who swallows the Word of God, it’s sweet and tastes honey, but in the stomach it’s bitter.



The bitterness of being unable to do anything, of feeling useless in the face of a world that is struggling and suffering. But in the mouth, the honey of the one who offered his life to Christ and the one who receives everything from him. John feels the interior sweetness of God’s Love. He witnessed what Jesus did in hearts.



We observe the grace in John shared through his writing, the sweet honey of his life with Jesus and the sweet honey of the life and message of Jesus.



The new American Bible, 2011-2014

Book: Let’s evangelize, Normand Thomas