Rising to new life~

As the stranger continued walking, praising, thanking the father, he reached a Roman Catholic Church that he had longed to visit. He sat in the last pew, as the priest began his sermon. His voice was musical, a smile lit his face, as his eyes twinkled.
 
"My people, as we celebrate again today, a week after the revolutionizing event of Jesus rising from the dead, Jesus wants us to rise from the dead; to rise from our sleep; to rise from our sometimes apathetic life; to rise from our sins and enter into the new life, again.
 
"Yes, folks, rising from the dead isn’t just something that we will experience at the end of our mortal lives. It’s rising after we have fallen again from maybe even cursing that sweet litte old lady driving in front of us on a sunday. We tell her-no, she can’t hear us. But that doesn’t prevent us from acting a little bit mad-to either drive the speed limit or parked it somewheres. Ah, some of us even use more colorful language, which causes us to fall into sinning.  Yet, praise you Jesus, he’s waiting for us to rise again."
 
The stranger smiled, as he listened to Fr. Pat.  He had the gift of telling a story, of being down-to-earth, of opening people’s hearts to God, of leading his flock to God with a grand sense of humor.
 
Fr. Pat was saying, "When we turn to Jesus, no matter our sins or crimes, we can rise again to new life…to eternal life. Like the thief on the cross who died with Jesus, when we believe in Jesus, when we welcome his kingdom into our lives, when we ask forgiveness for falling and wants to rise into the kingdom, now:  Jesus says, ‘come, enter in. Rise and be healed.  Be healed of all feelings of unworthiness which prevents me from healing you.  Rise into the resurrection of eternal life, now.  Rise, by the renewing of your mind, and you shall travel from glory to glory, encountering me all of your days.’"
 
"Well folks, I think that that message was something that the Lamb of God, the Resurrection, the Way, the Truth, The Life, would have us hear today.
 
The stranger’s heart was so joyous that he started clapping and praising God, which resonated through the entire congregation, creating jubilant moments as the Spirit was healing hearts and souls in abundance.
 
After the mass ended, Fr. Pat stood at the exit of the church, greeting the people as they were leaving the church.  The stranger was the last one to greet Fr. Pat.  The stranger looked into Fr. Pat’s soul and smiled.
 
As Fr. Pat’s shook the stranger’s hand, he said, "You liked what you saw.  And your name is.."
 
"Jesus," was the stranger’s reply. He continued. "And yes, the father and I have immensely enjoyed and been uplifted by your spirit over the years.  Your spirit of joy is the vision that the father had for all of his children, from the beginning."
 
"Hmn. Jesus. You talk about the father of all, like you know him, personally."
 
"Yes, Fr. Pat.  I was with him at the beginning.  Only I can fully reveal him to people."
 
Fr. Pat’s eyes twinkled and with a smirk that he generally wore all day long, he sarcastically said, "This is a most historic day.  Am I to understand that the only begotten son of the father is paying me a visit, a visit to a most humble priest?"
 
Jesus looked into his soul, again.  His loving gaze caused Fr. Pat to wonder if he really was from the father.  "Yes," Jesus said.  "You and many others in this town who are known by the father to be good faithful people, will be visited by me."
 
Fr. Pat has been given the gift of discernment.  His spirit could discern a good spirit from a bad spirit.  This spirit was indeed a good spirit. But Jesus coming to me, in the flesh?  I certainly have invoked his name to come in a special way into the lives of our church. But his actual presence….
 
Jesus interrupted his thoughts. "Fr. Pat, we have been listening to you invoked my name on numerous occasions lately.  And I am here to grant you your prayers.  Because you seek nothing for yourself, since you have a great devotion to my mother, and your passionate prayers seek to have my mother appear here, so that countless souls may come to know my mother, to know my saving grace, and enter into an eternal kingdom that will ever seek to bring people to me: Mary will surely appear here, soon."
 
Fr. Pat suddenly dropped to his knees and worshipped Jesus, He then fell asleep in the Spirit.  When he arose, Jesus was gone.  Fr. Pat’s joyous thoughts were, "Oh man, what a story I will have to share with everyone. Praise you Jesus."