"When you pray, pray first for the Holy Spirit because when you have the Holy Spirit, you have everything."        - Medjugorje April 4, 1985

"You have forgotten that through prayer and fasting you can avert wars and suspend the laws of nature."       - Medjugorje Dec. 2, 1982

It seems hard to believe we are now just five days from the wonderful feast of Christmas. We now have just two more days left of fasting in this extraordinary year of 2023, timestamped by heaven from the miracles of both Guadalupe and Valley Forge.  As quick as we are to maintain that the writings of the apostles were intentional and that we are obligated as believers to fast every Wednesday and Friday on bread and water, we believe the period following Christmas known as the octave of Christmas is so special that no fasting is warranted. We simply celebrate the birth of our Savior and bask in His incomprehensible love for us.

So we fast today and Friday to end our effort in this calendar year. We will then return with enthusiasm in 2024 as we continue to accelerate and spread the extraordinary revival then is igniting all around us in this great country. Many we gather with over Christmas will be disheartened and confused by what they see in the media which is the exact intention of evil. Let us share with them the wonderful works we are seeing beneath the headlines and encourage them to remember - If we are anxious to see progress in restoring our country, healing our individual families, and transforming ourselves, let us hurry up and repent.

Let us encourage our lukewarm brothers that history is clear - when God's people repent, God restores His graces in abundance. And as David wrote and early Christians knew, we humble ourselves through fasting which is foundational to healing all desperate situations like America today and like so many families are in need at this time:

 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

• 2 Chronicles 7:14

How blessed we are that the Spirit has revealed the power we have in defeating evil no matter how strong it may appear when we add fasting to our prayers.

Our expectation is that moving forward believers are going to more broadly understand what the exorcists already do - it is totally insufficient to only fast during one season of a year.  We must be fasting whenever engaged with evil in order to defeat it which leads to the weekly obligation 1st century Christians articulated.

Today, a thank you to Jerry in North Carolina who sent us a physical copy of a book written in 1666 from the city of lights, Paris France.

The 39-page book is called The Practice of the Presence of God, written by Nicholas Herman. Herman was a soldier in war, then later given responsibilities over the cultivation of the French art of winemaking. He went on to become a Carmelite and afterwards known as Brother Lawrence.

The book is a striking contrast to theology.

It is simple and practical like Jesus' words. It does not waste time and open the door for evil with any intellectual pride and useless “what-if’s”.  It is a simple guide that anyone can understand and would be blessed with on their journey closer to the Lord. One particular comment from Brother Lawrence should be of great importance to us who fast weekly:

That many do not advance in the Christian progress because they stick in penances, and particular exercises, while they neglect the love of God, which is the end. That this appeared plainly by their works and was the reason why we see so little solid virtue.

That they needed neither art nor science for going to God, but only a heart resolutely determined to apply itself to nothing but Him, or for His sake, and to love Him only.

How important that demeanor is for us to remember so that our fasts do not become wrote exercises, but that we aspire that our fasts as well as our prayers will always be from the heart with the love of God as our motivation and focus. 

The fact that such an obscure and simple work written centuries ago would still be remembered and would be making the rounds in churches such as the Antioch Church today as part of their spiritual reading is fascinating given that church’s explicit goal of making disciples.

Here are a few other excerpts that we found thought provoking from this work that we hope uplift you [some paraphrasing]:

We should establish in ourselves a sense of God's presence, by continually conversing with him. That it was a shameful thing to quit his conversation to think of trifles and fooleries.

That, in order to form a habit of conversing with God continually, and referring all we do to him, we must at first apply to him with some (exerted effort): but that after a little effort, we should find his love inwardly excites us to it without any difficulty.

That we ought to act with God in the greatest simplicity, speaking to him, frankly and plainly, and employing his assistance in our affairs, just as they happen. The God never failed to grant us, as he had often experience.

[Herman] worked in the kitchen (to which he had naturally a great aversion), having accustomed himself to do everything there for the love of God and with prayer upon all occasions. He asked for his grace to do his work well, and then found everything easy during the 15 years that he was employed there.

When he failed in his duty, he only confessed his sin, saying to God, I shall never be able to do otherwise, if you leave me to myself; it is you who must aid my falling into the abyss. After confessing, he gave himself no further uneasiness about [his past sins].

With him, the set times of prayer were not different from other times; that he retired to pray, according to the directions of his superior, but that he did not want such retirement, nor ask for it, because his [worldly duties] did not divert him from God.

As he knew his obligation to love God in all things, and as he endeavored to do so, he had no need of a Director to advise him, but that he needed much a confessor to absolve him.

Useless thoughts, spoil all: that the mischief began there.

At the beginning he had often passed his time appointed for prayer rejecting wandering thoughts, then fell back into them. That he could never regulate his devotion by certain methods as some do was a disappointment. Nevertheless, at first, he had meditated for some time, but afterwards that went often a manner he could give no account of. (he accepted his inability to focus as well as he would like, surrendering his distractions to the Lord, accepting that he was trying his best.)

That all possible kinds of mortification, if they were void of the love of God, could not erase a single sin. That we ought, without anxiety, to expect the pardon of our sins from the blood of Jesus Christ, only endeavoring to love him with all our hearts. That God seem to have granted the greatest favors to the greatest sinners has more signal monuments of his mercy.

The trust we put in God, honors him much, and draws down great graces.

So let us endeavor to fast and pray with all the love possible today as we look forward to Christmas with hearts of gratitude, recalling the conclusions of another great saint:

That the sacrifice of Jesus to become a babe was even greater than His sacrifice on Good Friday when he went from God of the universe to constraining himself in human form. Such a step down as that would make us transforming ourselves into mosquitoes a trivial downgrade by comparison. Thanks be to King Jesus.

Thank you for fasting with us today - you will be glad you made the effort for all of eternity.