Category Archives: God’s Love

To know His overwhelming, Unconditional Love

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Inspiration quote and Reflection_Empty Hand

“It is a great loss if we greet every day with clenched hands stuffed with our own devices.
We will never know what is out there waiting for us if we don’t extend an empty hand to
The world and wait for the wonder to happen.”

_Brother Homan and Louis Collins Pratt

It is all about trust and trust comes from love. Imagine a small child standing by the side of the pool, and the father or mother says “Jump. Don’t worry I’ll catch you.” For some children that is enough, while other it may take 5 or 6 times of encouragement. But what makes them take that jump? Yes, the trust in their parents that they will be ok, even though they are scared to make that jump into the water.

What about us as adults? Are we standing there with an empty hand towards God? Are we the child today that is willing to receive what God has for us or are we too scared? Do we have the trust in God, and if not, why not?

God loves us, and is all merciful with unlimited forgiveness for us. Yes, us. All we have to do is ask.

So how do we become that child today by holding out an empty hand to God? How do we get over our fears? Literally, when are we going to make that move and jump?
Yes, its trust in God, and we’re scared just like that child trying to jump into the water.

Everything is all about love. Just trust God.

“Find a way”

_Conor

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St. Faustina

“Dear St. Faustina, I have come to know you as a friend. I ask you to plead to the Lord for me the prayer I ask of you. In times of doubt, dear friend, implore the Lord’s Mercy as you did so often here on earth, that I may remember who I am, and to what His mercy has called me.

In times of fear, implore His Mercy that I may ever remember to trust, and trust again, in joy, and in the knowledge that God is preparing me for a beautiful mission.

Please pray dear St. Faustina, that I may never forget that the abyss between my Lord and I has been bridged by His tender mercy. He will continue to be faithful and heal me of anything which stands in the way of His Will. My life is in His Hands.

Thank you dear friend. Pray with me the prayer Our Lord taught you to spread throughout the world; Jesus, I trust in You! Remind all pilgrims of life that if our trust is great, there is no limit to Jesus’ generosity.”

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All You Need Is Love

All You Need Is Love
Great Beatles song. It gets running in your head and it doesn’t stop. No way to turn it off. Little did I know a song I loved many years ago, is what guides me today in many ways of my faith. It’s a cornerstone part of my faith. It guides me, and when I may be confused or indecisive, it is what I use to choose my thoughts and actions.

What are some ways we can use love everyday as we go about what we do?
• Challenges we meet
• People we see and meet
• “Situations”
• Success
• Failures
• Help received
• Help given
• Bonds formed
• Disappointments
• Wrongs inflicted on others
• Forgiveness
• Gifts you receive
• Vulnerability
• Weakness in ourselves and others
• Viewed as an obstacle
• Listening
• Encouragements
• Them not Me
• It is the right thing to do-Carry it with us everywhere. The list goes on…………….

And when we speak and act from the heart, people from all backgrounds, all ages and all cultures, see through to the beauty of innocence, sincerity and love.

All you need is Love.

“Find a way.”

_Conor

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Pain and Suffering

We are all called to pain and suffering. It is part of life that comes in all forms, that no one can escape. Some noticeable, and others, we are made to deal with alone, in the quiet of our own company. This is the cross, or in many cases, the crosses we are meant to carry. As Blessed Fulton Sheen notes in his book, “Treasure in Clay,” “if we don’t pick up our cross you can be sure, at some time, it will be dropped on your shoulder.” Accepting one’s cross was so important to Blessed Fulton Sheen, he would pray for, and received, “extra splinters” so he could accept them for the souls of the world in need.

“As if we could give anything to God which is not already his, or (which is equally unthinkable,) He could take pleasure in our human anguish.” The blood, wounds, and the death on Calvary, speaks loudly of God’s love and forgiveness for us then, and now. Today!

As we are dealing with our cross(es) in life, let us remember on this day, the 11th of September, the horror of that day in 2001. And today, the death and torture we see in the world now, from Boston to Syria. And let us not forget, as we look back even further, the unimaginable; to think of the atrocities of the Concentration Camps of World War II. Millions were killed, while the few survivors today, still carry the pain and suffering .

Remember as God continues to loves us as He always has, that God also suffers with and for us with our pain and suffering. And also be aware, we see man’s “free will” in evidence today, both good and bad, all around us. Let us acknowledge the good given to us, and the good that we see every day as we go about, from those embracing and spreading love. And yes, let us pray for those who inflict the bad and evil as they go about, for whatever reason, that they find the love and understanding, and recognize the need for their remorse.

“As I have loved you, so you should also love one another.” _ John 13:34

So, the “Whatever,” is something we can, and should do, everyday.

“Find a way.”

_Conor

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“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy.’ They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”

― John Lennon

Happiness is a wonderful state of life. What more could you want or ask for? But, there are some questions that need to be addressed along with happiness. Some happiness is for a moment, or an event in our life, while others are for some period of time. But how do we sustain happiness for ourselves?

Happiness is needed in all dimensions of our existence; that is physical, mental and spiritual. However, it begs the question, are they mutually exclusive of one another, or are they parallel or are they sequential?

There is another way of saying what John Lennon said so simply. That is striving for the quiet or “peace of the heart.” God has promised that to all that pursue Him in prayer. And if one does not have prayer in their life, or is just beginning a prayerful life, one doesn’t have to fear it. One can also speak from the heart; everyday to God, in your own words. Just the two of you. Many times that is the only way we should speak to God. “God is merciful and will hear your prayer…..it is the key to God’s heart.” And when we have a peaceful heart, all else finds it home.

Reflect to the answer, but we all need to “Find a Way.”

_Conor

“Happy”

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Diana Nyad”s Mantra

“Find a way.”

_Diana Nyad

Most of us have probably heard of Diana Nyad’s 103 mile swim this past week from Cuba to Key West. This was finally a dream come true for her after 30 years and 4 previous attempts, all which failed for various reasons. Now at 64 years old, she has realized a lifelong dream that took tremendous commitment, determination and courage.

She was asked how she overcame all these obstacles, and she stated that her mantra this swim was simply, “Find a way.” Find a way to get through the physical pain, despair, the jellyfish bites, the hallucinations in the water, burning of her mouth from salt water…………”Find a way.”

What about us? Can we find a way to rid of ourselves of our addictions, our impatience with others? Can we find a way to help others along the way, if just in some small way? Can we lend a hand or take the time to listen, just listen to someone who needs to talk? Can we give a word of encouragement to a child or someone struggling? Can we give a smile that says hey, you’re a special person? Can we find time to love those around us as we go through our day? And maybe, those around us have problems much bigger than we are carrying around. And yes, can we find the way today to say a prayer of thanks and love to God, and if not a prayer, can we just talk to Him and share our thoughts, our thanks and love to Him sometime throughout the day? Can we “Find a Way?”

_Conor

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“It is to know God, not just knowing about God.”

Think of the relationships you have in life. Whether it may be with a husband or wife, that special person, family member, parents, friends…the list is endless. You have a special love and bond for them. They are part of your life; an important part. Think how you know them, their personality and their ways, their love and even their little quirks. Now take all that away and imagine you just know them. Period.

Kind of an empty feeling. Uncomfortable. Miss them already for who they are and what they meant to you. Now take that same feeling and apply it to God. Do you know God or just about God? Is it time to really know God and know the source of all love.

_Conor

Knowing God

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The Street Sweeper ( The Other Speech)

“What I’m saying to you this morning, my friends, even if it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, go on out and sweep the streets like Michelango painted pictures; sweep streets like Handel and Beethoven composed music; sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry; (Go ahead) sweep streets so well that all the host of heaven and earth will have to pause and say,”Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well.”

If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill

Be a scrub in the valley-but be

The best little scrub on the side of the hill,

Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.

If you can’t be a highway just be a trail

If you can’t be the sun be a star;

It isn’t by the size that you win or fail-

Be the best of whatever you are.

And when you do this, when you do this, you’ve mastered the length of life. (Yes)

This onward path to the end of self-fulfillment is the end of a person’s life. Now don’t stop there, though. You know, alot of people get no further in life than the length. They develop their inner powers; they do their jobs well. But do you know, they try to live as if nobody else lives in the world but themselves? (Yes) And they use everybody as mere tools to get to where they’re going. (Yes) They don’t love anybody but themselves. And the only kind of love that they really have for other people is utilitarian love. You know, they just love people they can use. (Well)

Alot of people never get beyond the first dimension of life. They use other people as mere steps by which they can climb to their goals and ambitions. These people don’t work out well in life. They may go for awhile, they may think they are making it all right, but there is a law. ( OH yeah) They call it the law of gravitation in the physical universe, and it works, it’s final, it’s inexorable: whatever goes up can come down. You shall reap what you sow. (Yeah) And he who goes through life not concerned about others will be a subject, victim of this law.

So I move on and say that it is necessary to add breadth to length. Now the breadth of life is the outward concern for the welfare of others, as I said. (Yeah) And a man has not begun to live until he can rise above the narrow confines of his own individual concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.

Now a lot of people have neglected this third dimension. And you know, the interesting thing is a lot of people neglect it and don’t even know they are neglecting it. They just get involved in other things. And you know, there are two kinds of athesism. Atheism is the theory that there is no God. Now one kind is theoretical kind, where somebody just sits down and starts thinking about it, and they come to a conclusion there is no God. The other kind is a practical atheism, and that kind goes out of living as if there is no God. And you know a lot of people who affirm the existence of God with their lips, and they deny his existence with their lives. (That’s right) You’ve seen these people who have a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds. They deny the existence of God with their lives and they just become so involved in other thing. They become so involved in getting a big bank account. (Yeah) They become so involved in getting a beautiful house, which we all should have. They become so involved in getting a beautiful car that they unconsciously just forget about God. (Oh Yeah) There are those who become so involved in looking at the man-made lights of the city that they unconsciously forget to rise up and look at the great cosmic light and think about it-that gets up in the eastern horizon every morning and moves across the sky with a kind of symphony of motion and paints its technicolor across the blue-a light that an can never make. (All right) They become so involved in looking at the skyscraping buildings of the loop of Chicago or the Empire State Building of New York they unconsciously forget to think about the gigantic mountains that kiss the skies as if to bathe their peaks in the lofty blue-something that man could never make. They become so busy busy thinking about radar and their television that they unconsciously forget to think about the stars and bedeck the heavens like swinging lanterns of eternity, those stars that appear to be shiny, silvery pins sticking in the magnificent blue pincushion. They become so involved about man’s progress that they forget to think about the need for God’s power in history. They end up going for days and days not knowiing that God is not with them. (Go ahead)

And I’m here to tell you today that we need God.(Yes) Modern man may know a great deal, but his knowledge does not eliminate God. (Right) And I tell you this morning that God is here to stay. A few theologians are trying to say that God is dead. And I’ve been asking them about it because it disturbs to me to know that God died and I didn’t have a chance to attend the funeral. They haven’t been able to tell me yet the date of his death. They haven’t been able to tell me yet who the coroner was that pronounced him dead. They haven’t been able to tell me yet where he’s buried.

You see, when I think about God, I know his name. He said somewhere, back in the Old Testament, “I want you to go out, Moses, and tell them “I AM” sent you. (That’s right) He said to make it clear, let them know that my last name is the same as my first, “I AM” that “I AM.” Make that clear. “I AM.” And God is the only person in the universe that can say “I AM” and put a period behind it. Each of us sitting here has to say, “I am because of my parents; I am because of certain enviromental conditions; I am because of certain hereditary circumstances; I am because of God.” But God is the only being that can say, “I AM” and stop right here. “I AM that I AM.” And He’s here to stay. Let nobody make us feel that we don’t need God.

“This is the God of the universe. And if you believe in him and worship him, something will happen in your life. You will smile when others around you are crying. This is the power of God.”

_Martin Luther King (Chicago, April 9, 1967)

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The Ways of Love

May I help you?, kindness, I’m sorry, please, thank you, excuse me, take this; I want you to have it, there’s more, what can I get for you?, let me help you, this hug is for you, kisses, a smile, a look, a touch, a glance, holding hands, a tap, a pat, offering up, doing without, making it work, an overflowing heart, prayer, that walk, that call, that note, that picture, that drawing, that song, that silence, being together, thinking of you, missing you, sitting next to you, remembering you, wishes for you, the best for you, telling others of you, caring, visiting, listening, waiting, hoping, wishing, patience, sharing, seeing, watching, helping, changing, trying, not doing it again, choosing my words, always, forever, understand, don’t worry, I’m here for you, trust me, support, got your back, friendship, partners, because, cheering you on, sacrifices, best friend, encouragement, excitement, helping hand, reach out, important to me, apple of my eye, without condemnation, unwavering, understanding, another hug, love you, the way,…….

_Conor

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Words

My life has come down to words. Words express my feelings and emotions. The love I feel; the thanks I need to give. The closeness I feel when I can speak from my heart to you, my God. Words bring it all together for me, and at other times, the lack of words and silence, gives rise to my overwhelming feelings for you.

The closeness I enjoy and I pray to keep. My life is expressed in words, my triumphs and my failures. My words say it for all to hear, and you God, acknowledge my triumphs, and forgive my failures. My words speak of sufferings that I endure for you and what you have done for all. I offer it up to you as thanks. And those words are acknowledged with love from you.

All I can say is thanks, but what my words really say is, I love you, Lord.

And my words do not have to be heard by others, Lord. It is between you and me, alone in my corner room in the early mornings of the hours. It is our secret. This closeness is all I need to move forward. Yes, at times I want to share my words with others, but it is not necessary for me. Maybe my words are for you and my actions are for others?

I know you’re always with me and I am thankful for your presence, and I know you hear me when I speak and pray to you. You hear my words, but sometimes I have none, so I let my silence speak. Other times I cannot slow down my words, as I have much to say. My feelings just come forth and I know you understand, and you God, know what is written in my heart.

I thank you again for the answers to my prayers. You have given me the words to express all that I feel and it has a profound impact on me. I can only ask now that these words are passed onto others, so they too, can know, feel and experience, your words to them.

_Conor

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A Family Prayer

” Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of our family.
Enlightened our hearts and minds that we may live more fully
this vocation to love.

In our daily life and work, may we reflect the self-giving love which you, O Father, eternally show with your Son and the Holy Spirit.

Let your love be evident in the pace that reigns in our home and in the faith we profess and live. May our family always be a place of generosity, understanding, forgiveness and joy.

Kindly give us the wisdom and courage to be a witness to your esternal design for the family; and grant that the Holy Family of Nazareth may always guide our path to holiness as a family.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God forever and ever.”

Amen.

_Archbishop William E. Lori

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Forever Young Wishes

“May God bless and keep you always
May your wishes all come true
May you always do for others
And let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
And climb on every rung
May you stay forever young
Forever young, forever young
May you stay forever young.”

_”Forever Young” by Bob Dylan

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Insights into Fulton Sheen/ “Treasures in Clay”

“Treasures in Clay”, an autobiography written by Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, is the last book penned by Blessed Archbishop Sheen, culminating over 60 books written by him, with the first one published in 1925. His articles, letters of instruction, religious papers and public writings of sermons, are too numerous to count. With his love of the word, both written and spoken, he continued his gospel messages in radio broadcasting, which began in 1930, and was known as “The Catholic Hour.” This continued until 1950 and was carried worldwide by networks and stations, as well as short wave radio, reaching 4 million people weekly. With his radio success and the advent of TV, he began his legendary TV show in 1951, “Life is Worth Living”, in his famous magenta cape and zucchetto. These TV shows were carried by 123 TV stations and over 300 radio stations, reaching 30 million weekly viewers. These television broadcasts ratings surpassed the “Saturday Shows” of Milton Berle and Frank Sinatra in TV viewership ratings. In fact, Bishop Sheen went on to win an Emmy for these shows. I would be remiss if I didn’t share some of his humor, but as he accepted an Emmy for his shows, “he wished to thank his writers; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.” An unlikely scenario in today’s world, as the world truly has changed. Needless to say, his writings and oratory skills played a significant part in the church, and still do to this day.

Bishop Sheen continues to reveal his life and his dedication to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. He brought in understandable interpretations of scriptures and the bible, insightful looks into his prayer life, teachings, retreats, and his little known passion of working for the fallen souls of Jesus. He was driven to converting them back to the church in good standing, and seeing to them; so they continued to thrive in their faith. His exploration between the spiritual bond of Christians and Muslems, and the genealogy, was informative and helpful in the understanding history, and its continuing impact on the world today. I found his question on Fatima insightful when he asked, “Why did the Blessed Mother choose a tiny, insignificant village like Fatima to appear, so that she might be called Our Lady of Fatima?” The Prophet Mohammed’s daughter bore the name of Fatima, and in the Muslim faith, is considered the holiest of all women, followed only by the Blessed Mother. Bishop Sheen continued his reflections back into his early times as a priest, his journeys and worldwide mission work for the poor and hungry, and his time as “Bishop of Rochester,” a place out in the country; far from New York City. His reflections on celibacy, converts, the Second Vatican Council and his tremendous love of the cross, I believe, is a commitment and obligation for us to reflect on, understand and embrace in our journey.

Bishop Sheen’s influence and legacy will continue throughout the church. His readings and sermons are a must for all Christians needing help in their daily lives, and wanting a loving personal relationship with Jesus. He shares his struggles and hardships, his ups and down in the priesthood and explains the must do’s for all priests. His impacts and devotions to finding the “Lost Sheep” for God were relentless. He not only sought them out, he offered his own sufferings for them, so he could do God’s work. I believe the words of Pope John Paul II best expresses Bishop Sheen’s influence on the church. Two months before his death, Fulton Sheen met Pope John Paul II in St. Patrick’s Cathedral. With the iconic picture of the Pope hugging him he said, “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus. You are a loyal son of the Church.”

As I continue my journey and ministry, I find Bishop Sheen inspirational and a teacher to imitate. He shows the power of the word, both spoken and written, and was always focused on his audience. He brings his faith to bear on those around him, and in particular, to the ones he knows needs God help and love. His daily life long “alone time” in prayer and devotion to the Holy Eucharist, was his source of strength but, his time also to review his relationship with Jesus. Something we must all embrace. He often would ask for “extra splinters” in prayer, so he could take the sufferings of the cross and unite it with his own, as he went forward every day. Bishop Sheen always felt it was better to ask for your cross, because if you didn’t, Our Lord would just put one on your shoulder anyways. And yes, Our Lord answered his prayers for “extra splinters.”

Reflecting on his life, Bishop Sheen shows the way we must travel and it’s the way regardless of one’s perspectives. He teaches embracement, getting out in front of it and always keeping God in mind. He also had a special love and devotion to the Blessed Mother, and as he said, “I always prayed to her and ask for help, and I always knew if I went through her, she would know how to get to her son, Our Lord Jesus Christ.” And in those difficult times, I knew “if she can love me, then Christ is with me.” Secondly, his devotion to developing a personal relationship with Jesus is one that has a profound effect on me, and one I need to always continue daily to nourish and grow. “The more we love Christ the easier it is to be His Alone.” It is to know Christ; not just knowing about Christ. Those words are profound and gets lost in the paragraph. It is knowing Christ; not just knowing about him. It is through this influence that challenges your faith, because you begin to ask yourself the questions which need to be answered. You need and want these answers, as the answers are the enablers for us to move forward. It puts all in perspective for the direction one must begin to take.

What drove Bishop Sheen to his heights throughout the world? What was up most in his mind and what was he always thinking? I have noted some of those answers above, but simply stated he saw a relationship he wanted with God. That was his strength to do what had to be done. He wanted to build the flock for Our Lord and to spread His word. This took on many forms in his words and actions, but for him, it always went back to that relationship. This is significant guidance and direction for me, and one of the major takeaways for me. Bishop Sheen always knew his relationship to God and did not want to disappoint him. If he was ok with God, he knew what he had to do for him. He also kept the cross of our Lord ever so present in his thoughts and his actions. Following the cross lead him to see the beauty of it, and this again for me, is something that is very important and has to always be with me.

As we go forward, we increasingly see the influence of Bishop Sheen in the church. Pope Benedict, in June of this year, began the final step in sainthood by making Bishop Sheen, “Blessed” Sheen. His influence in his teachings and interpretations of scripture are taking on more importance and scope now throughout the world. His ministry for the Propagation of Faith continues to raise the importance of the poor and its missions, and serves as an inspiration for many to follow.

I’ll close in leaving the questions that Bishop Sheen was always trying to find the answers to for his work. It speaks volumes about what I need to do, as it has relevance to the church and its practitioners’ today. They also address the answers to the question, why.

• “Have I really served the Church as well as I should?”
• “Have I used the many talents the Lord has given me?”
• “Have I cast fire upon the earth as the Lord has asked me to do?”

_Conor
Find A Way

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Life of Christ Essay

Life of Christ Essay

There are volumes of letters and gospels, both from the Old Testament and New Testament that talk about the Messiah, Coming of a King, Coming of a Prophet and the Son of David. But with all these volumes of information on the life and works of Jesus Christ, what can we consider the pillars of faith that define Christianity? For me personally, they are the Birth of Christ, his crucifixion and death on the cross, and finally his Resurrection. These three, non-negotiable precepts, demonstrate the fulfillment of scriptures, provide a means of salvation to all and explains how Jesus has saved us from sin, and through his death, has made us children of God. These examples promote opposition and dissent, but because they are pillars, one can accept that; but one also has the responsibility to explain it. I’ve decided to use Matthew to that end, as Matthew links the Old Testament, Jewish Tradition and Jesus Christ together in terms and writings we can understand.

In Matthew (1: 1), he literally starts out from the beginning telling us “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, and the son of Abraham” that the writings from the Old Testament are fulfilled, because the Messiah would be a descendant of King David. Matthew continues on (1: 18-25) saying “it is through the holy spirit that this child has been conceived in her,” “and they shall name him Emmanuel.” This is critical as we are faced with many divisions in faith today, mainly from our roots in Judaism, which fails to accept the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, as God. God is one with Jesus Christ, and only through him can we become one with God the Father. And for this reason, this pillar is contested in many religions, but essential to our belief in Christianity.

Matthews begins describing the start of the ministry of Jesus by his Baptism by John. In Matthew (3: 13), “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.” After Jesus was baptized, “the heavens were opened and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove coming upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” Matthew (3: 16-17). This occasion marks our Lord, as the Son of God, but now also with the Holy Spirit as he begins his public ministry. This also is our mark to begin our faith with Jesus. Another important aspect of his ministry is something we also covered in Christology, and that is the Call of the Disciples. In Matthew (4: 19-20), “He said to them, come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.” This then sets the stage through Baptism and the Call to the Disciples as the start of Jesus’ public ministry of miracles, healings of Demoniacs and Paralytics and the preaching to all throughout Israel.

The second non-negotiable for me is the Crucifixtion and death of Jesus. As Jesus begins to prepare his disciples for this part of his mission, Matthew notes the first prediction of the Passion, (MT 16: 22-23), “Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him; He turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Jesus knows what is to come and forewarns his disciplines, as Jesus is preparing on fulfilling his promise to God. This gets to the second pillar, and a so important part of our journey with God, and what we are asked to do for him. The cross is our connection with Jesus, and it is our way to be with him every day in our prayers, conversations and reflections. It’s up to us, for with the acceptance of the way of the cross, the cross becomes a symbol of our victory to all. Jesus has delivered life to us. This is where our faith does not ask specifically, but where we should thank the Lord for giving us the gift of the inheritance to life.

The final pillar, and a sense of full circle, we have the resurrection of our Lord. Matthew notes, (Mt 28: 5-6), “Then the angel said to the women in reply, Do not be afraid! I know you are seeking Jesus the crucified. He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.”
I’ve noted what I consider the pillars of the faith and the life and ministry of Jesus, but there are critical keys points to be made that are the essence of his life, and more specifically, the essence of Jesus himself. Throughout his life and his teachings, we see Jesus as love, forgiveness and salvation itself. What I’m really saying is Jesus is love; Jesus is forgiveness and Jesus is salvation.

_Conor