Joy can multiply itself in a heart that overflows with love. The joy of Jesus will be my strength - it will be in my heart. Every person I meet will see it in my work, my walk, my prayer - in everything. Keep the light of Christ always shining in your hearts. Only he is the Way to be trodden. He is the Truth we must speak out. He is the love we must love.

In order for love to be genuine, it has to be above all a love for my neighbor. Love for my neighbor will lead me to true love of God. Faith in action is love, and love in action is service. By transforming that faith into living acts of love, we put ourselves in contact with God himself, with Jesus our Lord.

To be a Christian is nothing other than to give of oneself for the sake of Christ. God so loved the world that he gave us his Son. That was the first act of self - giving.

Where God is, there is love; and where there is love, there always is an openness to serve. How can I show my love, since love is manifested in actions? I will not miss any scraifice, any gesture of sensitivity, any word.... Doing the smallest things out of love... I will always sing about it, even though roses are to be taken care of in the midst of thorns. by Therese of Lisieux

To be able to do something beautiful for God, we need Jesus. Each one of us needs to encounter Jesus. Without him, we can do nothing. Jesus must be brought to every man and woman. Jesus is the answer. Let's be willing to smile at one another, because a smile is the beginning of love. And once we begin to love one another, the desire to do something for one another more naturally follows. The chance to share our love with others is a gift from God. May it be for us just as it was for Jesus. Let's love one another as he loved us. Let's love one another with undivided love. Let's experience the joy of loving God and loving one another. Jesus wants to pass on to us the opportunity to give of ourselves to him, so we could turn our love for him into living deeds. To accomplish that, he became the hungry one, the naked one, stripped of all earthly goods and comforts.

Christ is hidden under the suffering appearance of anyone who is hungry, anyone who is naked, anyone who is homeless or dying. "For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomes me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me"

† Matthew 25:35,36

I hope the day will come when Christians may become the carriers of God's love to everyone.

The poor are great people worthy of love. Do you know the poor who live next door to you? Poverty is not only to be hungry for something to eat, to lack clothing, or not to have a home. Poverty is even greater when it is a poverty of the heart.

Let's love one another; that will accomplish miracles. A Christian is someone who gives of himself. We have to learn to do this. You need to learn how to give, not to give because you have to give, but because you want to give. We need to have a life of prayer to be able to give like that.

Jesus wants us to give of ourselves every moment. You have been taught by those who have given their whole lives to Christ. By their teaching and personal example, they have kindled the light of Christ in your lives. The time has come for you to likewise kindle the same light of Christ in the lives of those around you. Give! Give the love you have received to those around you. You must love with your time, your hands, and your hearts. You need to share all that you have.

This is the only condition that Christ really places on us: "Love one another as I have loved you." And we know very well how much he has loved us!

He died for us!

We all need to pray, to sacrifice, to be totally open to God. Then he can use us as he sees fit.

People are hungry for God. Do you see that? Quite often we look but we don't see. We are all passing through this world. We need to open our eyes and see.

Never has the world had a greater need for love than in our day. People are hungry for love. We don't have time to stop and smile at each other. We are all in such a hurry! Pray. Ask for the necessary grace . Pray to be able to understand how much Jesus loved us, so that you can love others.

We must convert our love for Christ into deeds. We must express Christian love in concrete, living ways. Pray that we don't spoil the work that God has given us, and that it continues to be his work. Let us bring love and compassion to win the world, to bring the world the gospel of Christ. Let us all bring the good news that God loves the world.

I knelt to pray but not for long

I had too much to do

I had to hurry and get to work

For bills would soon be due

So I knelt and said a hurried prayer

And jumped up off my knees

My Christian duty was now done

My soul could rest at ease

All day long I had no time

No time to speak of Christ to friends

They'd laugh at me I'd fear

No time, no time, too much to do

That was my constant cry

No time to give to souls in need

But at last the time, the time to die

I went before the Lord

I came, I stood with downcast eyes

For in his hands God held a book

It was the book of life

God looked into his book and said

"Your name I cannot find

I once was going to write it down...

But never found the time."

Author Unknown

I see his hands

on the rocky shores of Ireland

all over the western plains

in the ever growing forests

in the gentle soothing rains

I feel His hands

on a sorely troubled heart

and upon my head in prayer

so when I get to sleep

I'll feel I'm in His care

I know his hands

will be there when I stumble

to carefully raise me up

to see that I am nourished

and when thirsty

fill my cup

~Marguerite Ellen Bell~