4. CONTENT
Introduction
First Step
Part of the group of the two or of the crowd?
Second Step
Listen to God
Third Step
Wanting to see
Fourth Step
The courage of the
two blind men
Fifth Step
Courage to leave mediocrity behind
Sixth Step
Mercy Cried
Seventh Step
They followed him
Eighth Step
The Great Unknown
Ninth Step
We cannot be quiet
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6. THE SPIRITUAL KEY
In this book I am going to share with you the secret to discovering the great
blessings that God has for you…
There are two types of Catholics in the world. Many Catholics who desire very little
blessings and few Catholics desire many blessings. A quick example will make this
concept easier to understand and remember.
Once upon a time, a man entered a church; he knelt down and began to pray, “Lord,
please help me… I need 100 dollars.” Fifteen minutes passed and he continued, “Lord,
please help me… I need 100 dollars.” All of a sudden a woman came and knelt beside
him and began to pray.
An hour passed and the man continued to pray, “Lord, please help me… I need 100
dollars.” The woman quickly stood up, took out a 100 dollar bill and said, “Here! Take
the 100 dollars and please go home.”
The man was puzzled and asked “Okay, but why are you giving me the money?”
with frustration the woman said “Sir, you have the money. So please leave!”
The man insisted “I want to know why?”
With a smirk on her face she said, “Fine, I’ll tell you why. I gave you the 50 dollars,
to leave, so you wouldn’t distract God…Because I’m asking him for 5,000 dollars!”
Clever, Huh?
Like earlier, some want very little while others want more. Nevertheless, that is not
the most important message.
I need you to ponder this question deeply. If God gives the man in front everything
he wanted and the woman half of what she wanted, then who got the most out of it?
The woman, or the man?
Obviously, the man right? Well, that’s actually wrong. The woman is the one who
received the most.
Why? If he only asked for 50 dollars and got exactly what he wanted?
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7. Because he asked for only 50 dollars and that is exactly what he received; but the
woman asked for more. Even though she only received half of what she wanted. She
still received 2,500 dollars and thus received more than the man who only asked for 50
dollars.
Now, I’m not trying to say that you should go ask God to give you a million dollars
in hope that He gives you only half. I am saying that it is important in every aspect of
your life, that you always want more. Wether it be blessings from God or setting goals
for your life. Do you want to receive more or less from God?
If you want more blessings in life, then this is the book for you. If you follow
these steps, God will bless you in abundance and your life will change forever.
God wants to give you more than you can imagine. Jesus Christ came to give us
abundant life (Jn 10:10b). If you apply these steps and the spiritual secrets that I will
share with you in this book, you will discover how marvelous it can be to walk beside
Jesus. God has a plan and a purpose for you.
It doesn’t matter what kind of situation you are in. It doesn’t matter how many
difficulties you have. It doesn’t matter if you’re married or single, widow or divorced,
young or an adult, man or woman, American or Hispanic, European or Asian, African or
Pacific Islander.
If you have big plans and projects or if you’re barely surviving spiritually, it doesn’t
matter if you are a committed Catholic or if you barely go to church.
What does matter and is the most important part that God has a marvelous plan of
strengthening for you. If you begin to open your heart in this moment, it will begin to act
and God can change your life tremendously.
Simply wish for life filled with abundance that Jesus Christ came to bring you. Don’t
wish for little spiritual blessings, but wish for the abundance that God wants to give you.
When you finish this book and follow the steps that I will teach you, you will be
convinced that it is possible to receive the abundant blessings that God gives to people
who live like authentic Christians.
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8. Stop at this moment, breathe deeply and read this prayer two or three times in your
mind:
“Lord Jesus Christ, I want to open my heart in this moment. You
died for me and I want to receive the life of abundance that you
came to give me. Help me take the necessary steps to fulfill it.
Amen.”
Now try to remember this prayer and repeat it slowly with your eyes closed. It
doesn’t matter if it’s exactly the same or incomplete. Simply say whatever you can
remember with your eyes closed.
Welcome to this great adventure.
When you’re done with this book, you will discover great spiritual secrets that
many people are unaware of which will drive you towards the life of abundance that God
wants for you. What you will discover are not opinions, but conditions marked by the
word of God. Accompany me on this journey and follow the necessary steps, so that we
can comprehend and live in the value of these words: I’m Catholic, so what?
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10. In what group do you want to be in?
Read attentively and listen to the gospel. I am sure that through this lecture, God will
speak directly into your heart.
As they left Jericho a large crowd followed him. And now there were
two blind men sitting at the side of the road. When they heard that it was
Jesus who was passing by, they shouted, 'Lord! Have pity on us, son of
David.'
And the crowd scolded them and told them to keep quiet, but they only
shouted louder, 'Lord! Have pity on us, son of David.'
Jesus stopped, called them over and said, 'What do you want me to do
for you?'
They said to him, 'Lord, let us have our sight back.'
Jesus felt pity for them and touched their eyes, and at once their sight
returned and they followed him.” Mt 20:29-34
In a retreat or spiritual gathering, where many people attend, but do they receive
blessings? Not all of them do. In fact the same thing happens as it did in Jericho. Many
were following Jesus, but didn’t receive anything.
The word of God tells us that one day, Jesus was leaving Jericho and around him
was a great multitude of people. A couple of minutes later, from the multitude of people
near him, only two blind men got blessed with being able to see and received a
wonderful blessing.
Don’t forget about the important fact that there was a multitude of people walking
near Jesus, but only two of them were cured.
The reason is that only the two blind men took the necessary steps to receive that
blessing. Let’s make it simpler. If you would’ve been in Jericho that day, which of the
two groups would you have been in? The crowd who was close to Jesus but didn’t
receive any blessings or the group of two blind men that were cured. If you want to be in
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11. “the group of two”, make sure that you want to receive the blessings from “the group of
two”; if you are sure, let’s continue.
It’s not enough to be close to Jesus.
This is one of the biggest barriers that stop people from receiving blessings on
behalf of God. To be close to God doesn’t mean that you automatically receive blessings.
Let’s explain this calmly and directly.
Have you ever heard someone say, “There are a bunch of hypocrites in the
church. They’re worse than those who don’t go. That is why I don’t go to church.”
Surely you have. What can we say to this? Simply, that it is true. It is true that there are
many that are close to Jesus Christ, but are also in “the crowd”.
Let me explain it another way.
If we go to a jail, will there be Catholics there? Yes! Baptized and had their First
Communion? Yes! Confirmed and married in the church? Yes! They are indeed Catholics,
but all from the group of “the crowd”.
If we go driving though the city, we see prostitutes and the men who hire them, are
they Catholics? Yes! Baptized and had their First Communion? Yes! Confirmed and
married in the Church? Yes! They are Catholics, but are part of the group of “the
crowd.”
If we continue driving and down another street, there are drug dealers and users, will
some of them be Catholics? Yes! Confirmed? Yes! Married in the church and took their
children to be baptized? Yes! They are Catholics, but still they remain in the group of
“the crowd.”
That is why they are not receiving the blessings that Christ came to give them. Don’t
think that many of the drug bosses are Atheists or Satanists. No! The Majority of them
believe in God and even some in the Virgin Mary; that is why when they go to sell drugs,
they make the sign of the cross.
We continue driving and finally on another street we find, a place filled where men
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12. and women are coming out drunk. In between them, will there be any Catholics? Yes, of
course! Baptized and had their First Communion? Yes! Confirmed and married in the
church? Yes! They are again indeed Catholics, but they are in the group of “the crowd”
and the huge blessings keep being lost.
Surely in between the criminals, alcoholics, prostitutes, robbers, etc. there are
Atheists, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormons, Fundamentalist, Protestants, and also
Catholics.
In those Catholic brothers, that believe in God, they will have a shower of blessings
that God has destined for them. Even though they believed, they remain in the group of
“the crowd”.
That’s how it is brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s not enough to be close to Jesus
Christ. If we want to receive blessings in abundance for our lives, family, church, job,
school, etc. We have to one day decide to not be from the group of “the crowd”
anymore and take the necessary steps that the blind men did.
There are millions of people who are living without knowing the marvelous plan that
God has for them. You can change all of that, if you take the first step. Do you still want
to be part of the group of “the two”? If it’s a Yes, perfect! Before we go on lets clear up
some details.
It is not enough to be “very” close to God.
With much love and delicateness, I have to share somethings that happen to
few. Not many, but just enough to make it mentionable.
Whenever I give this lecture, I am accustomed to asking people who attend, a
question which I will now ask you:
Is it possible that someone who is a lector and reads the Word of God in Mass, at
the same time, be a disaster in his personal life? The correct answer is yes! It shouldn’t
happen, but it does.
Is it possible that a Catechist that teaches the Word of God, at the same time, be a
bad example to his family? Yes! Again it shouldn’t happen, but it does. Just like when a
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13. Catechist woman died, her sons left a message on her tombstone that read: “Here lies our
mother, may she rest in peace…” and just below it read “and at home, we all rest in
peace.” Wow!
It was because this Catechist was a disaster at home: jealous, nagger, insulter, and
very offensive towards her family.
Is it possible that someone in the choir that sings in Mass, at the same time, be a
person who has her own vices? Yes! It shouldn’t happen, but it does.
It happens because although they are “very” close to God and Jesus Christ they are still
part of the group of “the crowd”.
Lastly, is it possible that a deacon, priest, nun, or bishop, that even though they
are serving God, be a disaster in their personal life?
Again the answer is Yes! It shouldn’t happen, but sadly, it does.
There have been cases where people have forgotten that it is not enough to be
“close” to God, if at the same time you live like an authentic neo-pagan.
I believe that with what you have read, you have discovered that the blessings
are not given automatically just because you believe in God (James 2: 19) and I believe
that God has already begun to speak to you. That is why I want to ask you a very
important question about your life.
In what group do you want to be?
In the group of “the crowd” that was close to God, but didn’t take any
blessings home with them? Or in the group of “the two” that received blessings in
abundance?
The story of the people of God is marked by the same characteristics.
It was a “tenth remain” or “rest” the genuine believers (Is 4:4; 6:13; Am 3:12); (Is
49:13; Ps. 18:29). It was not a crowd, but a small group of people that formed the true
Israel.
Spiritual and receive the promises. They are the ones who have a pure heart.
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14. In the New Testament, Saint Paul explains that there is a small number of Jews
who recognized Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and became participants of the
messianic promise of salvation. (Rom 9:27-29;11:5).
Jesus Christ says:
“Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
which leads to perdition, and many there are who enter through it. How
narrow is the gate, and how straight is the way, which leads to life, and
there are few who find it” (Mt 7:13).
It is exactly those few who he tells: “Do not be afraid, little flock” (Lk 12: 32). God
has a marvelous plan for all (Gen 1: 28); God wants to bless us in abundance to all (John
10:10). God wants everyone to be saved (1 Tim 2:4-5). God wants all of us to have a
new life… but there are few who want to take the necessary steps to be part of the
“group of two blind men”.
Today, you can make the decision to be a part of the group of few or to renew your
decision to continue being a part of it!
God loves you in a special way. Don’t forget that our past doesn’t matter, as long as
we repent. He is always there with open arms, waiting for us to want His life for us in
abundance.
At this moment, rest and breathe deeply. Let the spirit of the Lord speak to your
heart as you ponder deeply the following question: In which group do you want to be? In
the group of “the crowd” or in the group of “the two blind men”? If God has spoken to
you and you want to tell Him, Yes! I want to be a part of “the two”!
Welcome, that is the first step of the ten that I will joyfully share with you; which
will catapult you to a more plentiful Christian life. By the end of this book, you will be
yelling at the top of your lungs, “Yes! I’m Catholic, so what!”
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15. Together let’s say this prayer, where you will tell God your decision:
“Lord, great, good, and merciful. I want to ask you for forgiveness
because many times I have been part of the group of “the crowd”
and have lost opportunities my family and I. Help me, please, I
ask of you only this. I want to take this first step to be part of the
group of “the two blind men” and just like them, I want to take
the necessary steps to obtain a life of abundance that you came to
give me and obtained through your sacrifice on the cross for me.
Amen.”
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17. The blind men couldn’t see, but they could listen, and that’s what they did.
The second step that is necessary to be a part of the group of “the two”, is to
do what they did well. How did they find out that Jesus was nearby that day if they
couldn’t see? They were blind, but they listened. Some people started to talk about what
was going on around them and the good news came to them. That is why the gospel
says:
“And now there were two blind men sitting at the side of the
road. When they heard that it was Jesus who was passing by,
they shouted, 'Lord! Have pity on us, son of David.”
Some murmured and others shouted that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. He
who had cured the leprous and had ressurrected a dead man.
He who forgave sins, he who taught in different ways, he who had changes the lives of
so many; they listened to this and decided to not let the opportunity pass by.
All of the blessings that only these two men received came about because they
listened to the good news.
My brothers and sisters, this is the second condition and necessary step to being
a part of the group of “the two”. We have to listen to God. Let’s explain this in detail.
It seems easy, but it isn’t.
In my conferences, I ask many people the following question: Raise your hand
if you have spoken to God in the past month. Any prayer, no matter how small, simply
that you have spoken to God. The answer of 200 people is normally affirmative.
They raise their hands to confirm that they have spoken to God. An instant later I ask,
“Raise your hand you’ve listened to God this month? Raise your hand if you are sure
that you have heard God in the past few days.”
The normal answer is that only 5 to 6 of those 200 people who spoke to God heard
God talk back. It is shocking!
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18. The majority of people speak to God, but they don’t hear back from Him. If they
didn’t listen to Him then that means that they are not a part of the group of “the two”;
not knowing that they were part of the group of “the crowd”.
My dear brother and sister that is reading this book, have you listened to God in the
past few months? Are you 100% sure that you have heard Him? If your answer is no!
This means that you have to make an urgent and radical change in your life.
The most important thing is not simply talking to God, what really matters and gives
us blessing is when we hear or listen to God.
Talking is easy, that is why so many of us can do it. On the other hand it’s not easy
to hear Him. Although, a couple of minutes after I explained it, something interesting
happened.
I asked the people and now I ask you: Raise your hand if you went to Mass last
month? The answer again was yes for the majority of people. Almost all of them went to
Mass.
But, then why did they not listen to God? In Mass there are always lectures from
the Bible and it is God who speaks directly through it. At the end of it the lector says,
“Word of the Lord.” You may be remembering this right now.
In Mass, God does speak, but the majority of people simply do not listen to Him.
For this reason, it is urgent to make a decisive change in your life and take
advantage of the opportunity to listen to God and not simply talk to Him.
The first commandment in the order of time
When I ask: What is the first commandment in the order of time? Normally people
say that it is “Love God above all else” and others say it is “Love God and your
Neighbor.” This is not true.
It is the first in the order of importance, but the first in the order of time is “Listen to
God.” Let’s look at what Jesus said when they asked him what the first commandment
was, he answered:
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19. “The Lord our God is the one, only Lord…” (Mk 12: 28)
It is the famous “Shema”which Listen. This phrase has been used since the Old
Testament. Before loving God, we first have to listen to Him.
You cannot truly Love God, or your neighbor, if you don’t listen to Him first. That
is one of the biggest problems we face today. A great multitude of people claim to love
God and their neighbor, but because they are not listening to God they love him their
own way.
The thief, drug dealer, adulterer, alcoholic, rascist, homosexual, liar, jealous wife or
husband, those who yell at other people, the fornicator, and even worse the man who
yells, mistreats, and beats his wife and still goes to church at Sunday claim to Love God.
All of these people love God, but IN their own way.
Many of us love our family but the reason behind all of the divorces, fights,
disintegration of the family, and disobedience of the children is because we love each
other “our way” and not the way that God intended for us to love each other. Oh my
Lord! We live so close to you, yet so far away, because we don’t listen to you. For this
reason we stay in the “group of the crowd”.
The Young man who loved God, but did not listen to him
Once upon a time, there was a young man who talked to God but did not listen to
Him. One day he decided he wanted to be a missionary. So he went to tell the news to
his Father. His Father tells him to wait and be patient, but the young man is eager and
ignores him and sings up immediately and lucky for him they are in necessity. So the next
week they send him to Africa on a mission. The day he arrives he gets sent to a nearby
village, but he gets lost on the way. Minutes later he is startled by a lion. The lion slowly
creeps in for the kill.
Incredible. 2 weeks and he is about to be eaten by a lion.
So this young man does exactly what he has done his whole life, he talks to God; he
quickly begins praying, “Lord God, please help me, this lion wants to eat me.” The
Lion draws closer and closer and closer. “Lord, protect me, I left everything for you. I
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20. am even from Chicago! God, save me.” As the lion draws closer, he suddenly stops,
kneels, puts his paws together and looks up at the sky. The young man says, “Thank you
Lord! I knew you would save me!” The young man continues to be joyful and talked
and talked… as the lion continued to kneel.
Then something strange happened, the young man looked down at the lion as it got
into a praying position and all of a sudden the Lion began to speak, “Pater Noster” (the
lion knew Latin of course). The lion stared at the man and then back at the sky, “Lord,
Bless the food that we are about to receive; and bless my Tigers, so that they will win
the World Series. Amen.” And you know what happened next…
Wow! The young man thought he was saved, but it was the other way around. What was
his error? His error was the same that the people of “the crowd” do as well; he talked to
God, but did not listen to him.
If he would have asked God what He wanted him to do, God would’ve said “Get
out of there and stop staring at the lion, can’t you see he’s going to eat you!”.
Two news:
At this time I have some news for you, some good and some bad. The bad news is
that the lion is real. The Bible says that Satan is like a raging lion, looking to devour
people (1 Pe 5:8) and he wants to devour you, your family, your children, and
grandchildren.
In some cases, he may already have.
Just look around and notice how some of your family members might be alcoholics,
drugs addicts, getting abortions, divorces, imprisoned, cheating on their spouse, cursing,
and addicted to pornography, etc. Sometimes even we can fall in to the grips of Satan.
That is the bad news.
But the good news is excellent. God loved you so much that He sent His only son to
be nailed to the cross in order to rescue you, me, and your family from the grasp of sin
and of death. God is stronger and more powerful than Satan and he has beaten him. Our
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21. only task is to remain near God in order to be victorious.
The second step to being a part of the group of “the two” is to listen to God. Do
not waste your time watching “junk” shows, it is better to spend your extra time looking
for God.
Listening to Godmeans asking Him, in order to know His will, and then do it. In
this way, He will take charge in your life.
The last aspect of this is “how and why” decide to listen to God. During my talks I
ask people, “Raise your hand if you are married?” then I ask, “Raise your hand if you
asked God if He wanted you to marry your spouse? Jennifer, Mary, or Loretta… then
did you wait to listen to what he said.”Almost nobody raised their hand.
The sad reality is that people make one of the most important decisions in their life
without asking God for his opinion. Then people get mad and ask why they chose to
marry “that guy.”
Why not? If some people do as they wish. The greatest spiritual problem is that
people make a lot of decisions without asking God.
Have you ever asked God “Lord how do you want me to dress?” “Lord How do
you want me to spend this money?” “God do I treat my parents ok?” “Am I doing a
good job of educating my children or should I change something?” “Do I treat my
husband or wife okay?” “Lord, what do you want me to do?”
This is the big difference between being a true Christian and only being one in name.
One is a true Christian and the other is only a Christian on Sundays. One is from the
group of “the crowd” and the other is from the group of “the two.”
Listening to God. Means learning His will, so that we may follow it.
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22. Don’t think that when you ask God something you will hear a roaring voice
from the heaven, “Marry the girl from apartment B!” This will not happen.
What will happen is that indirectly, through other ways of communication He
will communicate with you. You can be sure of that.
God is not dead or mute. When you begin asking Him what to do with your life.
You can be sure that he will communicate with you either through the Bible,
prayer, or even by watching the news. You may hear the answer through the deacon or
priest, In the Holy Mass. Also through the rosary and speaking with him when you go to
a chapel.
Speaking with a friend or a stranger. God really wants to solve all of your problems
and give you a life of grace. You can be sure that He will respond to your needs.
Ask Him anything. Listen to Him in everything. Obey what He says ‘till the end. If
you fall, ask for His forgiveness and get back up again, in order to move along.
Let Him be the captain of the ship that is your life. Let Him be your God. Listen
more to God and less to the world. Listen to more hymns of the Lord and not to Lady
Gaga.
This is the second part in order to be part of Him. If you are willing to take this step
make this your contract. If you already have then do it again.
“Holy Lord Jesus Christ, I want to make a stop in my life. I don’t
want to let my will be done, but rather yours.
Forgive me for doing thousands of things without asking you
what I should’ve done. I no longer want to govern my life, but let
you do it. I accept you today, Jesus Christ as my savior and
owner of my life. Amen.”
Do me a favor.
Repeat this prayer calmly and make each of these words yours.
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23. Now look for a pen or pencil and sign your name underneath along with the
date. This way you will remember the pact you took of “listening” to Him.
____________ ______________
Signature Date
Let us keep moving forward and learn the third step, in order to be part of the group of
“the two blind men”.
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25. What do you want me to do for you?
Jesus Christ’s attitude is surprising, when he is approached by the blind men. Let’s
recall what he said:
“Jesus stopped, called them and asked them, ‘what would you want me to
do for you’. They said: ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened’, Jesus felt
compassion and touched their eyes.”
Imagine what happened, Jesus asked them to come and surely he saw that they
were blind. But instead of just curing them he asked them what they wanted. It was
obvious that they wanted to see. Why did he ask them this? They didn’t call him over to
ask for his autograph? To know how the weather will be? Or how is the stock market?
Of course none of those questions. Jesus knew exactly what they wanted, yet he
still decided to ask them.
This is another spiritual secret of the Bible. Jesus doesn’t act, change lives, or cure
without the explicit agreement from the person first.
“The crowd” thinks that just by being close to Jesus they will get automatic
blessings. They think that just because they go to church, pray a lot, or are a part of a
church group that God will bless them in abundance; but that’s not true.
The majority of people believe that just because they’re baptized Catholics, there is
no need to do anything else.
I constantly ask those who attend my meetings, “Every time that we are at church,
will God bless us?” The people yell, Yes! “Every time we go to a prayer group?” Yes!
“Every time we pray a rosary?” Yes! Well, no. That is a tremendous error that needs to
be correct in order to be part of the group of “the two.”
You have to take the first steps to ask God; and take those steps, so He can give you
what you need.
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26. Not even in Mass, where God offers Himself in the Eucharist, is there automatic
blessings. A lot of people go and receive the Eucharist, but don’t receive any blessings
because they don’t take those steps to receive them.
In the Eucharist, Christ is always present and is always received because the
sacrament is sufficient in itself, which the church calls “Ex Opere Operato”. But, at the
same time, the church and the Bible teaches us that fruits and blessings depend on the
good dispositions with which the sacrament is received (ex opere operantis).
If one doesn’t receive the Eucharist with the right attitude, respect, and need for
change then one will not receive the spiritual fruits that God wants in our lives. That is
why there are plenty of people who, without even knowing it, are a part of the group of
“the crowd.”
Remember this third condition: “You have to want to see”, just like the blind men
did, so that Jesus can act in our lives. “Wanting to see” means:
Wanting to change
Wanting to be cured
Wanting to have a new life
Wanting to be a better person
Wanting to stop vices
Wanting to receive salvation
Wanting to obey God
Wanting to live like sons of God
In summary, wanting to see with the eyes of God so that in this way we can
deductively see what happens and then take decisions that please God.
Jesus Christ says:
“Look for I am at the door and I knock, If someone listens to my voice and
opens the door I shall come in and dine with him, and he with I.” (Ap 3:20)
Jesus never enters any area in our life without asking permission; that is what he did
with the two blind men.
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27. Always follow this third step:
-Abraham offered his son
-Moses went farther than the desert
-David stood up to Goliath
-The Apostles accepted the calling
-Mary said yes
And you…?
Don’t forget that throughout your life God will ask, “What would you like for me to
do for you?” He will await your answer, if you want to receive it.
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29. The fourth step is equally marvelous it is one of the most used by people in order to
transform, comprehend, and throw themselves into their new life.
Let’s read what the Bible says: “Lord, Son of David, have compassion on us!” (Mt
20:31).
Blessed be the Lord; and blessed be the blind men that courageously made the
correct choice and left us another spiritual secret of the Bible.
The world was on their shoulders telling them to “shut up” but they did not care and
ignored them completely as they yelled even louder. They weren’t going to let that
opportunity pass them by and they had the courage to do what was necessary.
This is the fourth condition that you have to follow brothers and sisters. Today,
more than ever, we need to have a great amount of courage from the Saints, in order
to be a part of the small herd where Jesus is the pastor.
Yes brother, you read correctly, I said courage not anger…
Well, directed, courageous, and indispensable in order to be a true Christian.
Having courage means denying yourself.
That is why Jesus said: “He who wants to follow me must first deny thyself, take up
your cross and follow me” (Mc 8:34).
I will explain this in a more effective way.
Having courage means not being ashamed to be a Christian.
Long ago when our Grandparents or Great Grandparents passed a church they
would take their hat off and make the sign of the cross. Where they ashamed to show
that they were Christians in front of everybody? No!
Before they ate, they would make the sign of the cross and thank God. Where they
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30. ashamed then? No! They were not ashamed of this. Just like the two blind men who had
the courage to do what they had to in front of the world.
Today, what do the majority of Catholics do when they go eat at a restaurant? Do
we make the sign of the cross and thank God for the food? No! The majority of them
forget about it and those who do remember are too ashamed to do it.
The most courageous one will look around to make sure no one is looking and then
does it quickly as if they were swatting a fly. Oh, and if someone sees him and asks him
what he’s doing, he quickly answers, “Oh, nothing I just….dropped some crumbs on my
shirt, that’s all!”
Sounds like a joke, but it isn’t. One of the biggest problems today is the shame that
some people have towards expressing their faith that God has given them. That is how
many blessings are lost.
Do me a favor. If you want to be a part of “the two blind men,” you are going to
have to learn to let go of the shame of being a Christian and have the courage to say it
out loud.
Let’s do a visual exercise. Raise your right hand and close it, then tighten your fist.
No matter where you are or who you’re with. Lift your fist in the air and repeat after me
“We have to have courage” in order to be a true Christian.
If you did it without caring who saw you or what they
thought, I applaud you. If you didn’t, then I recommend you
stop reading this book. If you didn’t have the courage to do
such a simple thing, you will have many more problems facing
the world. When you can do it, when you understand, then you may
resume reading.
You may try it again if you didn’t. Once you do, you will understand the importance
of doing it.
There shouldn’t be Catholics that think that they are in the CIA or FBI and that they
need to hide it. You shouldn’t call yourself a Christian if you are ashamed to follow
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31. Christ. If the martyrs died because of the faith, what better reason do we have to live it
with enough courage to face the world.
Let those who do evil be ashamed, not those who do good.
The drug addicts are not ashamed. The Drug traffickers are not ashamed. Homosexuals
are not ashamed. Infact when they come out of the closet, people applaud them in their
hour long TV specials. Homosexuals even have parades.
Those who commit adultery are not ashamed of doing it; neither are those young men
and women who buy contraceptives to have sex without being married.
If those who do evil are not ashamed, then we should be the least
ashamed to proclaim and live according to the Holy Gospel of Jesus
Christ; in the only church he established: the catholic church.
Have enough courage and declare it publicily with valor.
Never be ashamed to be a Christian Catholic because that is what we are.
Never be ashamed to proclaim and live what you praise.
Never be ashamed of the Virgin Mary.
Never be ashamed to have the Pope as the Pastor of the church.
Never be ashamed of the Holy mass.
Never be ashamed to be truthful with your wife.
Never be ashamed to pray the rosary.
Never be ashamed to forgive rather than hate.
Never be ashamed to tell others that you confess with a priest because you obey
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32. the bible.
Never be ashamed to be honest and just.
Never be ashamed to save yourself until marriage.
Never be ashamed to not need drugs or alcohol to have fun.
Never be ashamed of not swearing while talking or by doing chores around the
house.
Let those who do evil be ashamed not those who do right!
Jesus Said:
“But the one who disowns me in the presence of human beings, I will
disown in the presence of my Father in heaven.” (Mt 10:33)
In order to be a Christian you need to be courageous. John Paul II said “Don’t
be afraid, go to the streets, give testimony of your faith. Soon will come the day when
Christians abandon their shames, stand up for what they believe and deserve his
mercy. Let’s take the streets.”
There is a “Crisis” of being cowards that exists in part of the church. There will be a
day when people are no longer ashamed to make the sign of the cross before they eat
and take their hat of when they pass near a Church. A small gesture, but very illustrative.
Jesus said: “Anyone who is trustworthy in little things is trustworthy in great...” (Lk
16:10).
One day we will have to make the decision to be a part of the small
and strange group; but glorious and holy are they that think and live
differently.
Today can be that day.
In order to be a part of the group of “the two,” you have to take these decisions
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33. seriously and be Catholic without being ashamed. If you already did the visual exercise of
fist pumping while yelling “We have to have courage” in order to be a true Christian, let
us pray and then we will explain the true deep meaning of having courage like the two
blind men.
“Lord Jesus Christ, do not let us ever be ashamed of you. I
proclaim in front of everyone, at every moment that I am a
son of God and I want to live like one. Give me the courage
to say it and live it. Amen.”
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35. Having courage means to leave the mediocrity behind.
Being a Catholic that is part of “the crowd” is easy; that is why there are millions of
them. Being a part of the group of “the two” isn’t. this group is only for the courageous
people who want to find and do the will of God.
It is so easy to be a part of “the crowd,” everyone recommends it.
You simply do what you feel like doing. You can be a racist, easy to anger,
impatient, a smoker, an alcoholic, have abortions, hater, holds grudges, be a homosexual,
a thief, lazy, or watch pornography, or disguised pornography.
Oh yes, they can be all of these and still have a Bible in their house that is open with
their favorite verse marked, a cross above every bed, and a place mat saying “God bless
this home!”.
My dear brother in Christ, even though I don’t know you, my God does know you
and I am 100% sure that God has many blessings for you. I have to tell you the truth; if
you don’t have enough courage at this moment to leave the mediocrity aside, it is better
if you stop reading this book. The self-deceit is what hurts people more in the steps
toward being a part of the “group of the two.”
The wife, the son, the brother, the father, and even the neighbor tell them to change
but they don’t because they are comfortable living a mediocre lifestyle. They are
unaware of the evil they do because they don’t feel the courage to change. They say that
they don’t need to change because they don’t steal or kill, or confess their sins.
The best of Satan’s Traps
What has made millions of Catholics fall in despair, is not necessarily sin, but rather
the mediocrity. That is why millions don’t change until a tragedy happens.
Millions have changed radically and turned their life around when they suffer an
accident, get divorced, when someone close to them dies, when their children fall into the
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36. same vices as them, when their children are in jail, or when their children fall into the
despair of drugs and alcoholism.
They don’t change when their life hasn’t been hit by a tragedy because
mediocrity creates a very comfortable lazy zone.
The crowd live a life of jealousy, swearing, and vulgar, vices, but at the same time
they believe in God. People take their son to be baptized and then throw a “let’s get
drunk” party afterwards. They go to mass whenever they feel like it and then when their
loved ones are sick they go to psychics or healers.
They act like a part of “the crowd” yet want the blessings of the group of “the two.”
No Brother! Don’t wait for an earthquake in your life to leave the mediocrity.
Many Catholics know that their wrong, but according to them they are not that bad
enough as to need to change.
That’s why there are these phrases:
I don’t hurt anybody, I’m not bad.
We all die of something.
I’m too Young!
Why go confess myself, if I’m going to sin again?
I can stop any time I want to!
We all believe in God, it doesn’t matter what church I go to.
I'm still a sinner. Why go to confession.
I don’t really need to do it right now … I will change later.
I get angry because people make me mad.
Nobody is going to tell me what to do!
I don't do anything bad, so I'm goin' to heaven anyway.
I'll go to church after I stop drinking.
I will start tomorrow.
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37. People can’t really change.
I don't have enough time to go to the mass.
If you want to be a part of the group of “the two,” you need to have the courage of
the two blind men!
The bad cows of Malachi
The problem is not doing evil; everybody has the free will to do what they want with
their lives. The real problem is that people claim to be Catholics but live like neo-pagans.
Religion to them is like marijuana, which serves to ease their conscience and is someone
to ask for stuff when times get tough.
Even in the old times, the people of God had the same problem. The Bible says:
“You say, How tiresome it all is! and sniff disdainfully at me,
says Yahweh Sabaoth. You bring a stolen, lame or diseased
animal, you bring that as an offering! Am I to accept this from
you? says Yahweh Sabaoth.” (Mal 1:13)
They believed in God and gave Him offerings but not the best they had and that is
why God did not accept their offering. You can be in the wide, open road or in the
narrow road, you either give Him the best of your life or give hHim nothing. God doesn’t
want the half empty bottles, like the lame cows of Malachi.
The “lukewarm” I vomit.
One of the strongest passages of the Bible is when Jesus Christ said:
“I know about your activities: how you are neither cold nor
hot. I wish you were one or the other,
but since you are neither hot nor cold, but only lukewarm,
I will spit you out of my mouth.
You say to yourself: I am rich, I have made a fortune and have
everything I want, never realizing that you are wretchedly and
pitiably poor, and blind and naked too.
I warn you, buy from me the gold that has been tested in the
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38. fire to make you truly rich, and white robes to clothe you and
hide your shameful nakedness, and ointment to put on your
eyes to enable you to see” (Rev 3: 15-18).
How incredible. Jesus never spoke so harshly, even towards prostitutes,
alcoholics, or adulterers. The most powerful words from the gospel are towards the
Pharisees who thought that it was okay. That’s why he criticized them so much. Those
who are lukewarm, He vomits them.
We have to have the courage of the Saints…
Courage! To leave vices behind.
Courage! To forgive people who do evil.
Courage! To be faithful to our spouses even with their defects.
Courage! To not swear and be bad mannered.
Courage! To not watch inappropriate shows.
Courage! to wait until marriage
Courage! To not use contraceptives.
Courage! To obey a Christ even when it seems tough.
Courage! To not be with God and the Devil at the same time.
Courage! To think differently than others.
Courage! To do what the two blind men did.
There is no separation between faith and life.
If you have decided to have courage, then welcome.
Thank God that today he moved you to make this radical change in your life.
Tighten your fist and pray:
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39. “Lord Jesus Christ, in this moment I want to take the next step to have
you be the king of my life. Lord, forgive me for all of those times where
I’ve lived in mediocrity and got stuck in my spiritual life. I don’t ever
want to be vomited by you for being lukewarm.”
I could fail, but I never accept being lukewarm. On the contrary, I will
get up and go to confession to fight the spiritual battle.
I was born to fly like an eagle.
I want to sprout wings like eagles not run around like a chicken with its
head cut off.
Lord make me like a soaring eagle, Amen.
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41. There is another key to following the sixth step.
This is a short sentence that the two blind men said, but it is capable of making a
spiritual explosion in those who say it.
They yelled:
“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Mt 20:31)
These are their words and from thousands of people who have received the divine
mercy and for that reason transform their lives.
They didn’t take the ladder, they had the person who people talk about in front of
them; they couldn’t see Him but they could feel him. They heard him and their heart
began to beat faster.
He asked them what they wanted from Him; and from the bottom of their heart
sprung out an inner hunger for a better life:
“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
And God… had it.
Jesus felt compassion for them and touched their eyes and immediately they
recovered their sight.
When they opened their hearts, God also opened His towards them. Their life was
never the same. It was clear to them that God had sent His son to cure and save people.
They were witnesses of this and they could now see. Jesus Christ had compassion.
What a marvelous moment!
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42. No more darkness, sadness, pain. The mist disappeared when the light of Jesus
came into their lives. No more suffering without necessity. No more depending and no
more missing out on life. A whole new world started for them and all of this was possible
from saying the correct words.
“Lord, Son of David, Have mercy on us!”
Jesus did not ask them anything else. He wasn’t interested in their past. Jesus didn’t
ask them if they were criminals or alcoholics, nothing else mattered. All they needed was
for him to have compassion. Jesus just wanted them to “show their wounds” so that they
could be cured. What a wonderful day! They could finally see!!
He can cure you with all his heart and love. We cannot hide anything from Him or
try to look tough; for only the weak need Jesus’ strength.
Those who are rich and proud do not think they need God’s strength; they believe
their too strong to need help. We have to lose ourselves take up our cross and follow
Him in order to receive the blessings of God.
One day we will have to show our wounds to God so that He, with all His love,
touches us and heals us; liberates us and saves us. Not to hide anything, or make
ourselves strong, because only the weak need the strength of God.
The ‘rich’, ‘Young’, ‘men’, or ‘smart’ it costs them to receive their blessings
because of their money, pride, youth and belief of being strong which doesn’t allow them
to ask for “compassion”.
We have to push all of that aside in order to receive the mercy of God. Jesus came
for the sick not the healthy (Mt 9:12). To cry for mercy is not an option, but a
prerequisite.
Simply be true to yourself and you will see the phenomenal ability that you have to
do good. You need to be healed and saved by Jesus! Don’t let this opportunity pass you
by.
If it costs you to accept it, ask God in this moment three times:
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43. Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!
Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!
Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!
One day we must truly repent for everything we do towards our brothers. We have
to stop blaming others for our problems, stop blaming the government for our mediocrity,
stop blaming our spouse for the divorce, the son for depression, our fathers for our
irresponsibility, and the fact that the Cubs lost for why you’re sitting at the bar.
We have to repent in order to receive compassion from Jesus and in return become
compassionate people.
To be a part of the group of “the two” you have to claim mercy and not say, like the
popular belief, “It’s better to ask forgiveness then to ask permission.”
This way we can ask for mercy like the two blind men and say from the heart:
“Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
Let us pray together so that we can advance to the next step:
“Lord, you were kind to cure those two blind men. You didn’t
question them and it was enough to see that they had opened
their hearts with compassion. Lord! Only those two blind men
did what was necessary to receive your blessing among the
entire crowd.
Today, at this moment, come closer to me and look at me the
same way you saw those two blind men. Lord, you know who I
am and how much I need you in my life. I want to see God!
Lord bless me! Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Now breathe deeply and allow His peace and His mercy to flow
through your heart and keep saying slowly:
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44. “Thank you Lord, Blessed are you for your love and
compassion; I believe firmly in your love and forgiveness.
Thank you for allowing me to live so far. Thank you Lord for
placing your hand over my life. Amen.”
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46. The blind men didn’t just get cured and say “okay thank you Lord, goodbye.” See
you later, No! Many others cured by Jesus forgot this rule of thumb and when they got
cured they never even followed him (Lk 17:15-18).
But these two blind men understood the next step and that’s why in the gospel tells
us what they did after being cured:
“Jesus felt pity for them and touched their eyes, and at once
their sight returned and they followed him.” (Mt 20:34)
In a couple of seconds God gave them the grace to understand what “the crowd”
doesn’t understand. It is not enough to be blessed by God but to take part in the most
important step of all, “Follow Him”!
Many actually, if you ask them: “Have you once received a blessing from God?” will
say yes!
However, an instant after receiving it, they go back to their normal life and stop
following the Teacher. That is why they go back to chaos or even worse.
If we really want to be a part of the group of “the two” there is a seventh step that
we must take in order to be Catholics until the end. The following of Christ is
necessary to discover His will day by day, until death. What is his will? It is not enough
to have taken the steps before this one. A real Christian follows His steps because a true
conversion doesn’t happen in a day. It is not enough to go to retreats or to say one
prayer like the Protestants and then say you’re saved, No!
Spiritual combat is waged every day and you are now a warrior of Jesus Christ. You
are under orders and with him we are assured victory. There will be wounds and injuries
along the way. There will be days when our feet are tired and our souls are hurting; but
now you know that you will never be alone. Jesus himself will hold you. The test will
never be greater your strength (1 Cor 10:13) Follow Him!
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47. Follow Him like those ‘two blind men’
Following Him means not staying lukewarm in our spiritual lives.
Follow Him to the fullest extent of the word. That not only are we going to listen at
mass, but be a part of it by praying, singing, and receiving the Eucharist.
Following him means that we will have a role model unlike no other. That until the
day we die we continue to shape and grow our minds so that we can become closer and
closer to our Lord, that we may hear, listen, and talk like Jesus Christ.
Following Him means to do daily what John the Baptist said, “ He must
grow greater, I must grow less” so that we can become like images of God.
Following Him means to lose ourselves like Abraham, Moses, and his disciples.
Following Him means to have God as our teacher and master.
Following Him means to take up our cross and follow him.
Following Him means to be a Catholic because of conviction and not simply for
tradition.
Prayer
“Lord, you have looked me in the eyes. Smiling, you have said
my name. I want to follow you God and next to you I will
search other shores. I no longer want to be a part of the crowd.
I want to follow you wherever you lead me. Thank you Lord for
giving me this chance to be a part of your herd, that follows
you and serves you.”
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50. What happened to the apostles who followed Him? They, in obedience of their
teacher, were awaiting “the promise” that he had given them. Even after following him
for many years, they were still afraid and sometimes confused.
Jesus knew very well that it wasn’t enough to just follow him and know him.
They lacked something very important that they needed to have the courage to
proclaim his Gospel with authority and power.
They lacked someone or something to continue the act of sanctity. God had created
the human and through sin he grew apart from him.
Despite the fact that God sent his son to die on the cross, to pay the price of redemption
(Jn 3:14-16), and he had gained a church=wife through the blood (Eph 5:25).
Lacked the Great Unknown…
He who produces the growth of the Church at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-40).
He who gives us faith, in the presence of Jesus Christ, in the Eucharist (Jn 6:54).
He who Jesus left to guide us in truth (Jn 14:26).
He who received the Apostles to forgive our sins in the sacrament of Confession
(Jn 20:22-23).
He who prays for us because we don’t know how to (Rom 8:26).
He who shows us our sins and makes us repent (Jn 16:8).
He, whom Christ the head pours out on his members to build, animate, and
sanctify the Church (1 Cor 12).
He who fills us with his love so that we can live a fruitful life (Gal 5:22).
If you want everything that we just went through in your life, then we have to know
that we cannot do it alone or simply want to change. No! The only person who can help
us is the Holy Spirit acting in our lives. This is the eighth step.
The Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus, he acts in our lives, in the church and in society.
You have to ask the Holy Spirit to be in your life every day. You and be filled with the
Holy Spirit in order to change.
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51. Pray, again and again:
“Come Holy Spirit of God and fill me with your presence
and power. Send me with your power to preach the word of
God.”
It is not enough to simply receive the Eucharist, to have vast knowledge about
the church, be friend of a priest or go to Ash Wednesday. We have to know that Jesus
told them not to leave Jerusalem until they had received the gift that the Father promised,
like Saint Luke says to “Be baptized in the Holy Spirit.”
We can be in full throttle when the Holy Spirit is with us: The Holy Mass, The Virgin
Mary, The Sacred Bible, The knowledge of the Faith, The service, and The social
compromise…
If you see this truth, you will not fall in crisis and we can continue to grow our sanctity
even more.
Say this today and every day:
“Come Holy Spirit, once again over my life and burn me
with the fire of your presence. Purify my sins and help me to
have the courage of the saints; like the Apostle Saint Paul,
the happiness of Saint Francis of Assisi, the love of Mother
Teresa, and the courage to suffer with the Gospel like John
Paul II.
Yes!
The Great Unknown is the Holy Spirit. God himself, the third person of the Holy
Trinity. It is received in the baptism and confirmation but remains dormant until you
consciously allow it to take over and to have the power that God gave you. It is like you
have won the lottery but don’t know you have the winning ticket.
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52. Let it show
They say that once there was a man who came close to a church and they said to
him, “We want to pray for you to receive the Holy Spirit.” He answered, “I already did
in my Baptism and in my Confirmation.” They said “yes, we know that and we are sure
of it, but we will pray so that it shows.”
It doesn’t take much to be a part of the group of “the crowd”, you just have to do
whatever everyone else is doing.
In order to be part of the group of “the two” it is required that we are filled with the Holy
Spirit. This is a gift you can have every day.
Pray again and again:
“Come Holy Spirit, sanctify my heart.
Come Holy author of everything good and console me.
Come enlightening light and illuminate me.
Come sweet host of hearts and don’t ever leave my side.
Live inside me. You have everything. You can do anything.
You want to give me everything. I am in a state of
admiration; I adore you, and I ask everything. Give me
everything, oh Holy Spirit. Amen.”
The spiritual “luke warmness” is something that happens to a lot of people because
they are not filled with the Holy Spirit. If you want to have the courage of the saints and
the values necessary to call yourself Catholic not only by name but by action, let the
Holy Spirit dwell in you.
Talk to God in this moment and tell him:
“Come, Spirit of God and make me a new creation. Purify
me of my sins, cleanse me, ignite the flame that comes
from your power, and wash me in your Spirit!”
Every day ask God, to wash you with His Spirit. In my 23
years of walking with God it is his spirit which strengthens
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53. me, impulses me, holds me together and motivates me to
keep moving forward.
Ask for the intercession of the Virgin Mary:
“Oh pure Holy Mary! Pray for us that the Divine God
comes to renovate this Earth! Oh Pure Virgin Mary, You
were made the Mother of God through the Holy Spirit, pray
for us! You are praying along with the apostle, so that the
same Spirit guides my life.”
Let us pray every day:
“God of glory, I need you to change my life in order for me
to be a true Christian and a good son, spouse and parent.
Send your Holy Spirit to me!
Lord, I need you in abundance; give me strength to shout
that you are alive and a great gift to humanity.I want to be
filled with your Holy Spirit and be a Catholic by
conviction.”
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55. How can we be sure that Jesus is the center of our lives? How can we have
certainty that the Holy Spirit is acting within us?
One of the clearest signs of having an encounter with Godis that the person who
has been evangelized to goes on to evangelize others.
Someone who receives the Gospel will spread it.
The presence of God will be so great that your life will change for the better and you
be compelled to tell others what is happening to you. You will begin to become a witness
of Jesus Christ.
Pope Paul VI tells us what is “the touchstone” which is necessary for confirming
that we are receiving the gospel:
“Finally, the person who has been evangelized goes on to
evangelize others. Here lies the test of truth, the
touchstone of evangelization: it is unthinkable that a
person should accept the Word and give himself to the
kingdom without becoming a person who bears witness to
it and proclaims it in his turn.” (Evangelii Nuntiandi No.
24).
A real Christian cannot stop talking about the treasure that he has discovered.
This experience is so strong that even when Jesus told them to be quiet, they
couldn’t help themselves. He told them, “Make sure not to tell anybody” but they went
out and told everyone.
Even when someone’s called them in again and commanded them not to speak or
teach in the name of Jesus, they answered, “We cannot stop talking about what we saw
and heard.” (Acts 4:20)
This must happen in your life and mine as well. When our heart begins to fill with
God, we cannot stop talking about His love, and His infinite mercy from which He has
forgiven us. Christ is our salvation, we have a spiritual mother in Mary, and a visible
pastor in the Pope; that every Mass we renovate our love with God in the Eucharist.
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56. We cannot stop talking:
That the only church that Jesus established is the Catholic.
That Jesus gave the apostles the power to forgive sins.
That there is no need for contraceptives, if we wait for marriage and are faithful to
our spouse.
That we don’t need vices or swearing to have a good time.
That being faithful to our spouse is a blessing.
That we can’t be pro-life and racists at the same time, like many of the politicians.
That justice must reach all levels of society.
That Jesus is the Good news that the world needs to know.
Being filled with the Holy Spirit in the Pentecost’s was principally having the value
to announce the Gospel. It is not an external order, but rather an imperative that explodes
from our heart. To share the gospels with each other, this is the great commandment. If
you are taking the necessary steps then this ninth step is going to be a constant in your
life.
Talk, preach, share, and announce the good news of the Gospel with everyone!
Share the testimony of what God is doing in your life! That through your words and
actions many can be converted to Jesus’ church!
Leave the myth that it is enough to have a testimony. You have to be willing
to preach the Gospel and spread the good news. You are now a warrior of
Christ and you are in a spiritual combat.
Propose without imposing
Don’t forget this one thing. Don’t get tired or make others tired of you; you cannot
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57. impose the Gospel on others. Jesus said to the blind men, “What do you want me to do
for you?” If being quiet is a sin and stop announcing an error, it is the same or even
worse to force your son, husband, or friend to change and convert from one day to
another.
We propose the Gospel, not impose it. Don’t forget the years where God has had
mercy. We should do the same, and consistantly wait for the conversion of our friends
and loved ones.
I said consistantly wait, not consistantly bother them about it.
Let us announce to all forms of media to all men and women the call of God to cure
us like the two blind men and not be a part of the “crowd”. We cannot stop talking about
all of this.
Pray with all your heart:
“God, thank you for giving me the greatest gift in the world,
to be your son. Good Father, fill me with your spirit and
give me the courage to share your Gospel with my friends,
family members, and even strangers. Fill me so that I can
show mercy and my mouth can say the that you want to say
in order to bring them closer to you. Amen.”
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59. We’re in the home stretch and here is the tenth and final step: keep persevering like
a true Christian. This step will give you some practical advice that will aid you in
becoming a victorious Christian in God. Fight for the blessings of God that He has
reserved for you and your family. Don’t allow the world to take your blessings away
from you.
a) With the feet nailed
In order to persevere until the end, it is necessary to have “your feet nailed” to
the mystic body of Christ, which is the church. Don’t waste your time reading Protestant
books or listening to Protestant preachers. Take the time to nail your feet in the
knowledge of God. The feet that arenailed in the only church of Christ, The Catholic
church and in the Holy Eucharist end up having a great personal relationship with Jesus.
b) With Bible in hand
The Bible, understood in communion with the church, is great for everything.
Do not let it go. Read it at least 5 minutes every day and it will serve you by being the
light to help you with your family, work, school, politic, friends, relationship, and any
other situation.
The Bible is not meant to be open on a stand in your house and never read. You should
have the Bible in one hand and the Catechism in the other.
Thousands of problems are evaded and thousands of blessings are obtained if you
accustom yourself to reading the Bible. It will be like a “Spiritual GPS.” Always start
with the New Testament and if you have any questions then look it up in the book
“Catholic Defend Your Faith.” Also, listen to the Word of God in Mass.
c) Kneeling Down
Jesus said: “I am life and you my vines, if you stay with me you will give
fruits…” (Jn 15:1-5). Later on, this prayer will be indispensable to you. (Ex 17:8-11);
through it, you will remain close to God.
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60. Take advantage of all of these types of prayers:
Personal prayer with your own words.
Prayer by reading Psalms from the Bible.
Pray through the rosary asking for the Virgin Mary’s intercession.
Pray during the Holy Mass.
Pray Jaculatory(small phrases) prayers during the day.
Pray asking for the Holy Spirit every day.
Pray before the Blessed Sacrament.
Pray in tongues, if the Lord gives you that gift.
Pray to the saints.
Pray giving thanks, asking for forgiveness, and praising God for His greatness.
Pray by singing 100% Catholic music.
Pray with others in the community.
Pray asking God to let you know what His will is. Everything listed before this will
help to bend you to kneel your heart. Remember that it doesn’t matter how you
pray. Don’t forget to leave moments of silence in order to hear His response,
and to do His will so that he can guide your life.
d) Lord to whom will we go?
This is without a doubt a prerequisite that is indispensable for those who want
to follow Jesus to the 100%. On the way to Emmaus (Lk 24:15-52) they heard the word,
spoke to Jesus, and felt it in their hearts but they did not recognize him.
It was not until the breaking of bread that they recognized him. “They, for their
part told what happened on their journey and how they had recognized him when he cut
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61. the bread.” (Lk 24:35). The breaking of the bred is another name for the mass and the
Eucharist. It is Jesus himself being offered in the unrepeatable act of love. It is in Mass
that we can grow in all aspects of our lives, if we take part fully aware of what we are
doing, actively engaged in the rite, and enriched by its effects.
A real Christian lives from the Eucharist because you not only go to Mass to
listen but to find yourself with Christ from beginning to end. It will be Jesus who you will
listen to Him and with receiving Him in the Eucharist you renovate the alliance between
you and him.
“Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you
hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to
share a meal at that person's side.” (Rev 3:20)
That is why the Jews didn’t believe him when he said, “Eat my flesh and drink my
blood.” Many of his disciples also had doubts, but it was the apostle Peter who said:
“Simon Peter answered, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the message of eternal
life” (Jn 6:68)
The first Christian would frequently celebrate “Thanksgiving=Eucharist.” (Acts 2:42;
Lk 22:19; 1 Cor 10:16).
In order to continue being a part of the group of “the two”, celebrating the
Eucharist, commonly through Mass, will becomeessential. It will aid you in becoming a
100% Christian, being and acting like Jesus.
e) A merciful God
In this spiritual combat that you will initiate or renovate, another thing you shouldn’t
forget is that we believe in a merciful God. If you fall, be calm. Don’t be impatient. God
has left us a wonderful gift to help us get back up in the sacrament of confession.
Jesus Christ gave the power of forgiving sins to the apostles (Jn 20:22-23).
Through the imposition they can transmit the minister ( 2 Tim 2:2; 2 Tim 4:14).
The bishops are their successors and the priests are their collaborators.
That is why when we fall, instead of condemning ourselves or relocating in sin, it is
better to look towards the Divine Mercy. Make a good examination of your conscience
before going to confession. Contrition, a decisive rejection of the sin committed, together
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62. with a resolution not to commit it again; The resolution to avoid committing these sins in
the future scalled the intent of amendment. Confess your sins to the priest and do the
penance.
Some Saints say that it is an excellent idea to attend monthly confession.
Keep going and persevere until the end. Follow the advice from this tenth step to
live happily in the group of “the two.”
Being Christian is a lifestyle:
“I am quite confident that the One who began a good work
in you will go on completing it until the Day of Jesus
Christ comes.” (Phil 1:6)
Write this down again and sign your name so that you can remember the 10 steps to
keep persevering and staying a part of the group of “the two”.
______________ _________
Signature Date
62
63. Conclusion
I am Catholic, so what!
Now it gets good.
Why is this book called I am catholic, so what!
A couple of years ago I went to preach in Chile. When I got to the city of San Bernardo,
I saw a bunch of teens wearing a shirt, or polo. In the back of their shirts it read I am
catholic, so what! In spanish, “Soy Catolico y Que!.”
They were not the least ashamed to wear a shirt saying what they were. I was so moved
by this, that I incorporated it into my talks and now this book.
The last exercise is to confirm the 10 steps to being an authentic Christian.
Since you are not afraid of expressing your faith anymore, go find a person and tell them,
“I am Catholic, so what!”
If they look at you like you are crazy, you just tell them that it is awesome being a
Catholic Christian.
Once you do this exercise, it will be wonderful to experience the faith without shame.
If you already did it, Congratulations! Keep strong and push forward.
63
64. Review these steps frequently and share it with your friends and family so that they can
get it at amazon I am Catholic, so what
. This will help you remember that you are a son of God and a Catholic by conviction.
Finally, for more books and other material to aid you in the faith visit
www.anewevangelization.com
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65. HELPS US SHARE THIS MESSAGE OF GREAT BLESSINGS
If the Lord has blessed you in abundance through this book, then it is the time to do
something to share the Gospel.
What can you do?
1.- Pray that this message reaches many others.
2.- Recommend this book to your family and friends.
They can order it at www.newevangelization.com and the kindle ebook here.
3.- Become an apostle of the “10 steps” and each month try to aid people by giving them
advice or buying books for them. Remember that evil never sleeps, so neither should we.
Lets get that message out, so that others can say “I am Catholic, so what!
4.- If you were strongly impacted by the message of this book, send us your testimony
of how God has changed your life so that we can share the news!
5.-Helps us to promote our website www.anewevangelization.com
6.- Recommend this book to your local bookstore so that they can distribute it in your
area.
7.- Send us your e-mail address so that we can send you new material that can help you
grow in your faith.
8.- Share our website and this book through your Facebook, Twitter, or other social
networks.
65
66. BOOKS
To get to know, live, celebrate, preach, and defend the faith, I recommend the following
material which is an excellent way to achieve it:
Catholic Defend Your Faith (book)
In this book you will find a biblical and direct answer from the
attacks of the Protestants and fundamentalist sects.
It’s a Bestseller that you shouldn’t pass up.
Author: Martin Zavala
Standing before God
The Judgment
Testimony of Gloria Polo (CD)
This CD contains the astonishing testimony of Gloria, who
was struck by lightning. God allows her to see her judgment and now
she goes around the world sharing her message, thousands and
thousands of people have been touched by God by reading this book.
Truly, it is a testimony that all Catholic should have at home. I
recommend it and it will produce abundant spiritual fruit. Or the
kindle ebook here.
You can order this material and others from Mission 2000
In your nearest bookstore or by contacting us at:
Tel (480) 234-6106
P.O. BOX 51986
PHOENIX, AZ 85076
66
68. Index
THE SPIRITUAL KEY 6
First Step Part of the group of the two or of the crowd? 9
Second step Listen to God 16
Third Step Wanting to see 24
Fourth Step The courage of the two blind men 28
Fifth Step Courage to leave the mediocrity behind 34
Sixth Step Mercy Cried 40
Seventh Step They followed him 45
Eighth Step The Great Unknown 49
Ninth Step We cannot stop talking! 54
Tenth Step How to persevere until the end 58
Conclusion I am Catholic, so what! 63
HELPS US SHARE THIS MESSAGE OF GREAT BLESSINGS 65
BOOKS 66
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