An excerpt from the Sermon: Where is the face of love? The face of love is – on this day – to be found riding on a donkey into Jerusalem and by the end of this week --- will be hanging on a cross. The face of love of is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the face of love. Jesus shows us the Father’s love. Jesus enters this city knowing that it is a culture of death … awaiting him, to deny him, to reject him, to make him suffer and then to crucify him. Jesus still goes into the city. Why? Jesus is not only the Face of Love but Jesus is Love and he loves you and me and all of us. Jesus does not disguise his divinity --- rather he discloses his divinity. Jesus shows forth a love that truly seeks the good of the other (and that other is you and me) as the other. Jesus shows us in his suffering, his rejection, his crucifixion that he is here to reveal to us what we had forgotten – and that is what love really is and that God loves us this way – God wills our good and wants so much true happiness for us. But this happiness will only come by way of submission to the Father. This submission is not an elimination of our freedom but it is the very foundation and basis of our freedom. Jesus is the face of Love when he goes into Jerusalem knowing what awaits him! Jesus is the face of Love when in Gethsemane his human nature shows the revulsion and repugnance towards suffering, but he immediately chooses the Father’s will because he knows his suffering, his sacrifice, his death will open for us the way to Love, God’s love – for every one of us! Today we begin Holy Week – where we are immersed in so much suffering and evil – at yet, if we notice … so much Love! Satan will appear to be victorious; Jesus will suffer beyond human imagination and yet … and yet … be aware that Jesus is not frightened, Jesus is not anxious, Jesus is intentionally heading right into it because Jesus is the Face of Love; Jesus IS Love – a love stronger than death, a love that is faithful, a love that is courageous and love that is personal … for you and me. Let us accompany Jesus on this donkey as the only one who reveals the face of Love!

A section of All 12 Pints: Look to the Podcast link below: Optimal Work Reframing! If we really want to give all 12 pints – all of ourself – in imitation of Jesus then we need to start this way: Develop something akin to a “plan of growth/attack” Overall objective: I want to give 12 pints to Jesus! I have to identify my character defects, points of resistance within me Are there external obstacles that prevent me from giving 12 pints? Pray for the grace to give 12 pints – never underestimate the power of prayer that is sincere! Confess faults asap with the clear intent (aside from contrition) to improve … a thousand times a day if necessary! Look for ways to serve and not be served! AND do not count times (I always do this; you never do this …. This is super easy to fall into) Change your mental outlook – reframe your day (link to the Value of Reframing) -- from: when am I going to get ‘my time to “how can I serve.” https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-golden-hour/id1514839782?i=1000633841112

From the Sermon: Do we just ‘go in’ and therefore get very little out of confession because we have prepared little and given little of our heart by way of preparation, sorrow and contrition. It is sorrow for love and contrition that allows Jesus’s Creative “Be” to have a powerful effect in our lives. Here are Four C’s to help you prepare to receive a fuller portion of Jesus’s “Be” Concise – get to the point Complete – all mortals sins, venial sins and even character faults Clear – do not give unnecessary details but do not be vague Concrete – when needed get specific “I stole - $500 or $5.00 This is what allows the Creative power of Jesus’s “be made clean” to help us not with leprosy of the body but with the leprosy of the soul --- whether mortal sins – even venial sins or character faults that disturb the waters of our inner life and the relationships we have. Such power for our good requires a response. What should our response be? Gratitude, deeper love of God’s goodness and a resolve to begin again, to avoid the near occasion of sin, to do penance --- we pray this in the Act of Contrition. We need to renew this resolve every day, many times a day so that the “wave” of our defects does not overcome us or lead to a discouragement in our hearts! Rather the divine power of Jesus’s “Be made clean” encourage you to begin again in hope – even (and I’m not kidding) if it is a 1,000x a day! Venerable Bruno Lanteri: “If I should fall a thousand times a day, a thousand times a day I will begin again with a new awareness of my weakness, promising God with a peaceful heart to amend my life.”