The Lost Series - Bible Study ReCap

Hello - happy Saturday!

I am so excited to be joining Heart of Mary Women's Fellowship's FIRST link up party! #HOMWFhearttoheart Here is the link to the Link up party - grab your cup of coffee :)

If you are visiting from the HOMWF site - HELLO! If you aren't, you should go check them out.

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For the past two weeks I've been studying Luke 15: 1-32 with HOMWF. It's called the Lost series: the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son (story of the prodigal son).

Though there was so much that I learned, two ideas stood out to me.

Right off the bat, in vs. 2 it says "This man [Jesus] welcomes sinners and eats with them." Just last Sunday we learned from Ezekiel 33 & Matthew 18:15-20 that we too are called to be watchmen of the house, to love everyone, and that we will be the ones held responsible for the sins of others if we didn't attempt to share the Truth with them. It is through meeting sinners where they were at that Jesus was able to love them and convert them. We are called to this same method. With Pope Francis especially, there has been an energized push for a "new evangelization". Namely, it's to meet people where they are at, to love them where they are at, and welcome them home. We aren't supposed to sit on our high horse, soap box, in our wood polished pew pointing fingers and naming names. We're called to go out into the streets, or the store, or the park, or the food bank, or anywhere that they are. We know who they are: it's not everyone that we meet. Rather, it's the people God puts in out path, family or friends or strangers, and through following the prompting of the Spirit, we will be able to evangelize.

The second part that really stood out was the reference verse Luke 19:10. In fact, it stood out to me so much, that I drew it out (what I do as part of my prayer meditation).

Praise be to You, God! For coming after me when I am lost. When I am lost because of doubt, because of sin, because of stubbornness, because of pride. Thank you for searching me out and seeing so much value in me to come after me. 

It is still so impressive to me that God would be willing to seek ME out. Yea, I call my self catholic. Yea, some people would say that I've been found, or saved, or more correctly - being saved. My Shephard comes to seek me out & to save me. I am human. I am a sinner. Even though I say I follow the Catholic faith, I get lost. All. The. Time. Thank goodness, I have a God that runs after me.

But you better believe that He's running after you too! He wants to meet you where you're at. Wherever you are in life, He wants to meet you where you are, hold you, love on you, bring you home, keep you safe. We just have to want to be found.

xo,

Mass Journal - Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Hand drawn by me - available as a digital download on Etsy

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Every week we get the opportunity to hear God's Words to us at Mass. And every week we also get the opportunity to take in, absorb, meditate upon, learn, heal, and grow through these words. Here at The Kristina Project, I'll be transposing my handwritten notes from my Mass Journal. Sometimes there may not be complete sentences or full thoughts. I am literally rewriting what stood out to me in the readings/homily so that I can mediate on them later. 

To learn more about Mass Journaling, click here.

To purchase Mass Journals that I create, visit my Etsy shop. 

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9-7-14 Sunday Mass

Ez 33:7-9; Rom 13:8-10; Matt 18:15-20

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF

It's concern of soul, not vanity. The Only reason we exist is to worship God - not to work, play sports, not be be active in the world.

If we harden our hearts there is a wall between us and God. We need to open our hearts and read the Word & share the Word.

Ezekiel was a prophet & a priest. "Appointed watchman of the House" -> typology for priests, bishops, popes - the hierarchy of the Church.

Others may or may not want to hear the truth. But that's ok because we, the sharers of the truth, must share anyways. If we do not share the truth with others then their sins are held against us. 

We do not get to escape the responsibility of evangelization; it's not just for the "hierarchy". This is part of our baptismal call. When we are baptized, we are baptized Priest, Prophet, & King. 

But we must share the truth in love. "Owe nothing to anyone except love." We cannot be pompous when we share the truth. 

Anyone breathing on this planet is loved by God - because He created them - therefore they must be loved by us. 

We correct the wicked & admonish the sinner not because we are above them - WE ARE NOT, WE ARE ALL SINNERS, but because we love them. and have concern for their soul. 

When I finally fully appreciate the love God has for me, then I can go out and love. Mother Teresa was so motivated by the love of God that she was able to see God in every person she met. 

We often harden our hearts because we are challenged to change. Being a Christian is not like joining a country club, it is difficult and painful, causing conflict & division. 

We cannot just say love, love, love. Love is blood, sweat, and tears.  It is a decision. 

We are called to be the watchmen to help those who have fallen away. We want them to live in life. We want them to come home & go home. 

Jesus was constantly in the presence of sinners so that He could love them & convert them. 

Isaiah 66:13

 

Journal: Mixed Media Paper

Base: Newspaper Article

Medium: Acrylic Paints (Cream, Yellow, Orange, Pink)

Image: Cut from a Catholic gift catalog

Pen: Pilot Precise V7 Fine Tip

Ink: Inkadinkado Dye Ink - Black, Yellow marker (a child's marker)

Alpha: Rubber Stamp: Studio G Uppercase Typeset

1. I am still out of my art studio from my move to FL, so since I did not have glue or sealer, I used the cream Acrylic paint as an adhesive. I mixed the paint with a little water and dipped strips of the news article in the solution. Think paper mache`. 
2. After all the layering was finished, I smeared more cream paint (paint alone, no water) over on the right side & laid Mary on top. I used my fingers (again, no art studio = no brayer) to smoosh Her down.
3. I added dots of pink paint on opposite corners then swiped up and down with my fingers to create stripes.
4. I added a splash of yellow paint on the right side & wiped it up & down also - but using a paper towel.
5. I wanted to add orange, so I dipped my thumb in the paint & added my print to the right side on the bottom. The motive behind this was to symbolize that God, my Creator, has His fingerprints all over me - I am His. 
6. Once the paint dried, I hand wrote the verse with pen, stamped the verse reference, and added a halo to Mary, Jesus the Child, and Jesus the Lamb. 
7. I also outlined any of the religious words from the news article (I found one on the Passion from this weekend's Easter edition).

To see other Catholic Art Journal Entries click HERE. 

xo,

An affirmation.

While Lectio Divina is a method of praying with scripture, Visio Divina (Latin for "divine seeing") is a method for praying with images or other media.

Visio Divina..... I'm so excited right now that I have nothing to share but my sheer joy for learning the formal name of my prayer style. I've always been a "doodler" in my prayer journals, and as of recent, I have begun art only journaling. (Currently, I am studying "The Interior Castle" of St. Teresa of Avila. As I meditate on the book, I journal out my thoughts, feelings, and discoveries on mixed media paper. - Photos up soon)

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

xo,