December, 2017 Volume 24 Issue 10

The Ambassadors - Monthly News and Events 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

By: Jessica Mendez

This time of year, considering the miracle of the birth of the Christ child can bring the Christmas message right to our hearts. Can you picture Mary’s experience as she was pregnant but yet unmarried, living in a society that would just as soon stone her for the “offense”? The King of the world arrives in the disguise of a helpless baby. What was God thinking? Would you give your first born to a single mother and expose him to a world fraught with such evil that he might be killed? So many questions beg to be ex-plored. How do I see my own children? How do I experience the inconvenience of motherhood/fatherhood? Will God be reborn in me this holiday? Come to the stable. Enter in to discover Christ waiting to be reborn in you. What has to leave so that He can live in your heart? Can I see Him in the hearts of my brothers and sisters? Can God entrust me with the gift of His son in my heart, or do I take Him for granted, or even spurn Him for other, more pleasurable occupants of my heart and mind. I am so grateful for our Blessed Mother’s “Yes.” Mine, however, was shown to me as more easily shaken. In my last article I discussed the parable of the two sons. This month I want to write about the son who said no and then later changed his mind. As I went to the Lord with this parable, I said to Him, “Okay, I can think of many times that I have said yes and not followed through, but when have I told you no and then changed my mind?” Over the next couple of days, the Lord began to remind me of several times that I said no but He changed my heart. The first time that He reminded me of this was when I was young and I used to say that I never wanted children. I was so sure that I did not want children that even when I played with my dolls I was never their mom. I would pretend that I was their aunt, their sister, babysitter and even grandmother, but never their mom. Later, without it being a part of my plan, Jaime (my firstborn son) was conceived. After Jaime was born, I said never again. I even took birth control for several years in order to prevent this from happening. Once again, God in His infinite wisdom overrode my plans. After Ralph and I got married my whole outlook changed. God changed my heart to love life. That doesn’t mean that I have not hesitated sometimes, and it doesn’t mean that I’m the perfect moth-er, because I’m not, but God in His mercy has given me the honor and privilege of experiencing motherhood. When I was young it was my immaturity, my hurts, my bitterness and unforgiveness that caused me to say no to life. As the Lord healed my heart, and opened my mind I was able to realize what a blessing children are created to be for their parents. With each child I have been able to see a different side of God’s love through each of them.

They each have given me the kind of love that my heart needs. Just like the son in the parable, I said no, until God changed my heart. What areas in your life have you said no to God? Have you repented? Have you asked God to give you a new perspective? There are many reasons why we say no. Many times we believe

that we are not qualified for the job and we don’t want to disappoint others. At other times it is an inconvenience and we want to do our own will. In the parable, Jesus does not say why the second son said no. He could have said no because he expected the other brother to do the job. Or he might have thought he didn’t have

enough time to fulfill the father’s will. Whatever the case may be, he came back and did what his brother was unwilling to do. Now comes the deeper question. We have looked at Christ the baby, meek and mild, loving, caring, giving. But what about the man he became; Christ, the man who sacrificed his life for us, when we did nothing to deserve it. Are we willing to do the unfinished work of our brothers and sisters in order to fulfill our Father’s will? You may be thinking to yourself, “That’s too much work,” or “Why should I have to do something that someone else chose not to do?”My dear brothers and sisters, this is what is called atonement of sin through redemptive suffering. Have any of you ever prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet? We pray it “in atonement for our sins and for those of the whole world.” As we offer up our suffering to the Lord, His cross perfects it and allows us to take part in His plan for salvation. Perhaps our brothers and sisters in Christ have not yet matured in faith to fulfill the Father’s will, and God calls us in several ways to intercede and atone for what has not been done. As we embrace the cross, our perfection comes through Jesus. There is nothing we can do to bring ourselves to perfection, only Jesus with His perfect sacrifice can perfect ours. Today my brothers and sisters, I ask what is God calling you to do in order to fulfill His will? Can we put our inconvenience aside and be Christ to one another? Can we be Christ bearers, especially this hol-iday season? Enjoy the following, and may our Lord give you the desire to answer His call this holy season of love: This is an excerpt from a private revelation which I hope will inspire you as it inspires me:

My dear children, thank you for being here this evening. All of heaven is rejoicing with you as you prepare yourselves for the coming birth of my Son, Jesus. Open your hearts, my little children, for

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December, 2017 Page 2 The Ambassadors

the rebirth of my Son. May He be born anew within you this season. May your hearts be one with Him so that you may love with the love of Jesus....so that you may forgive as He forgives.

My dear children prepare yourselves. Fast, pray, love and forgive during these next four weeks so that you may prepare a place for our Lord within your heart. Make ready His manger. Make ready for His coming.

Show the love of my Son during this time to all whom you meet: feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give shelter to the homeless, visit the sick--for as often as you have done this to the least of my brothers, you have done it to Jesus.

I am praying for you, my dear children, that you will have a true conversion during the Advent season.

Go with my love and my peace.

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February 9-11, 2018

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