Palm Sunday, April 1st, 2007

Palm Sunday
April 1, 2007
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
Luke 19:39

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Exciting News!!! Fr. John Amsberry's book is finished! Check out a little taste of it below and if you would like to order one or 1,000 just follow the ordering instructions following today's message.

If you would, make a fist. Look at it and survey its size. They say the size of your fist is the size of your heart. Take care of your fist, that is, your heart. And not just your physical heart but also the heart of who you are – your soul. We can so neglect the soul and that is where the battle for meaning, peace and joy is won or lost. I was preaching on this taking care of your fist/heart one time and after mass a collegian made a fist and said to her mom, “Mom, look at how small my heart is.” I do not know if she was intending that statement to be literal, figurative or metaphorical but I do think a lot of us see our hearts/souls as much smaller than they really are.

Your heart/soul is not small. In it, is the Kingdom of God. The God who created all that is, is in you ready to manifest his awesome, creative power. Things can never be small when the Lord and Creator of all is in our heart. Do we believe?

I was really proud when a junior in high school girl finally got up the courage to do a solo at mass in front of five hundred people. She did wonderfully and blessed us all by her beautiful voice. Talking to her mother later, she told me how her daughter said, “Mom, the only talent I have is to sing and I will never make any money doing it.” That statement caused me to start thinking about talent. I know we all have different talents and touch people in different ways. Some can sing and some cannot. But then I thought about how we all have the talent of Jesus. Jesus is within us. We are blessed! Blessed is he or she who comes in the name of the Lord. And he is Love. And we have the talent to spread his infinite and beautiful love to all we meet. So, brothers and sisters, do not ever tell me you do not have talent! You have it all! You could not be more talented. Do we believe?

After Jesus had risen from the dead, Peter was walking along one day and came upon a cripple. Peter addressed him, “I have neither have silver or gold but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus, rise and walk.” And the cripple began to walk. Peter believed in his talent and used it. And Jesus healed. The same Jesus that healed that cripple is in you and me. Do we believe?

Your heart/soul is not small. You are blessed because the Lord of all is in you. You have all the talent in the world. Be bold! Use it! Act like you believe!

Live the confronted life!

+Fr. John

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Reaching Out to Joy

Time out! Why are you running around so crazy here on earth? Slow down. Stop. Be still and know that God is God. Reach out to God. You are forever blessed, loved, and forgiven! Do you know this in your heart? Heaven is with you- all the way to heaven. Reach out to Jesus! Put Jesus over you and you will have JOY! My prayer is that this book will help you to jump into the JOY that is everlasting.

You are familiar St. Paul’s writings, correct? Sometimes one line can become very long and convoluted and even turn almost a whole chapter of a book. He would not get an “A” for grammar. But, in some ways I say, “So what? Big deal. He does not have to be perfect.” Some say he wrote in the imperfect manner that he did because he was so full of grace that it was uncontainable and spilling out all over the place. Welling up with grace and words and light and life, St. Paul just filled the page as God rushed forth! And that is the way I would like you to look at this book. It is not perfect but neither am I. This book is about a perfectly loving God coming to save a sinner like me and you. It is about God rushing in with his grace and words and light and life to create this book, however imperfect it might be. So, I pray that God will be uncontainable in you and you will not worry so much about having perfect presentation and grammar in your life. You do not have to have your house in order for God to come in. Rather, invite God into your messy house and he will put it into order. Just, without ever stopping, keep letting God in and out. Let God and his JOY write straight with crooked lines. When people see you, may they see JOY!

If you wish to purchase Reaching Out to Joy, Jesus Over You please fill out the order form below and mail to the address listed below along with your payment.

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Please mail order with payment to: Reaching Out to Joy

6012 SE Parkview Terr
Milwaukie, OR 97222

Books will be mailed out in June 2007