Reflections from the Heart – January 21, 2024

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time
by Fr. Ivan Olmo

“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my savior.”  Recently, the Lord placed such a lovely thought in my heart and such a great desire in my soul to learn more about prayer, to grow in the spiritual life and to live more devoutly in the way, the truth and the life God has destined and desires for me.  I pray to grow in love, to increase in faith, to deepen in hope and to trust God with all the courage, confidence and strength of the saints.  I need to learn how to become holy, how to be a good, faithful servant of God and the beloved child God needs me to be.  I ponder where I can learn such treasures of the faith.  I contemplate who will be able to teach me such gracious things. The happy thought comes to mind.  The blessed desire, the holy inspiration, the good intention gives way to grace in my heart and God’s response fills the depth of my soul.  Who better to learn from than the Holy Family of Nazareth?  With a smile on my heart and the joy of the saints, I ask God for the grace to enter, enroll, attend, and participate in the home school of Nazareth.  I pray and ask Mary and Joseph to teach me what they taught Jesus.  To learn from Mary and Joseph, how to love and trust God with all my heart, soul, strength and being.  To learn how to love others, be patient with others, to forgive others from the heart, to pray for those who persecute me and even love my enemies. To learn the fruitfulness of the spiritual, contemplative life, to be disciplined and faithful to prayer, to avoid evil and be righteous, to honor the Lord with my body and give all glory and praise to God with my lips.  To be holy and virtuous like Jesus.  To be kind and compassionate like Jesus.  To be spiritually poor and simple like Jesus.  To be good and faithful like Jesus.  To honor the Father in thought, word and works like Jesus.  To be the good leader, the good shepherd, the good friend God created me to be in Jesus.  I hope to learn from Jesus the grace and necessity to actively submit and remain surrendered to God’s will.  I need to learn to say like Jesus, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.” “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” “Father, not my will but yours be done.”