Today’s Theme for Prayer – Jesus Unites Me to His Body
“For the Souls in Purgatory – Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord”
How Do I Grow in Ability to Share and Receive
A Call to Divine Intimacy
I Thes 4:1-12
Finally, brothers, we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that, as you received from us how you should conduct yourselves to please God—and as you are conducting yourselves—you do so even more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. This is the will of God, your holiness: that you refrain from immorality, that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of or exploit a brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you before and solemnly affirmed. For God has not called us to impurity but to holiness. Therefore, whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who has given his holy Spirit to you. Now concerning fraternal charity, you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. And indeed, you do this toward all the brothers in all of Macedonia. Yet we exhort you, brothers, to progress even more, and to aspire to live a tranquil life, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you, that you may behave properly toward outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.
Grace Prayed For
The grace to desire and embrace holiness as an invitation to intimacy with the Trinity, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and purify our love.
Reflection
God’s deepest desire for us is our sanctification—our holiness, our set-apartness, our union with Him. Holiness is not a list of rules or moral perfection but a love so deep and consuming that it transforms every part of us. In this passage, Paul reminds us that holiness is not merely a personal endeavor but a response to a divine invitation, a call from the Father to share in His own life through the Spirit given to us.
To be holy is to be drawn into the very heart of the Trinity. This invitation is not burdensome but liberating—it frees us from the desires that enslave and opens us to love that sanctifies. When we embrace the will of God, we discover that holiness is not sterile or distant but deeply intimate. It is the life of Jesus alive within us, His love purifying our desires and making us vessels of divine grace.
Paul also speaks of fraternal charity, reminding us that intimacy with God cannot be separated from how we love others. Love, when rooted in God, is not selfish or fleeting but enduring and pure. The more we surrender to God’s will, the more we learn to love with His own heart—a love that does not exploit, that seeks no advantage, but gives freely.
This passage ultimately leads us into the mystery of divine communion. The call to holiness is the call to intimacy with Jesus, the Bridegroom who longs for union with our souls. As we strive to live a life pleasing to Him, we do not journey alone; the Holy Spirit, dwelling within us, teaches us to love and to live as beloved children of the Father.
Growing in Intimacy/Union with Jesus
This passage teaches us that intimacy with Jesus is found in a life surrendered to holiness. It is in choosing Him above the fleeting desires of the world that we come to know Him more deeply. As we allow His Spirit to sanctify us, we become more receptive to His love, more attuned to His presence, and more capable of loving as He loves. True holiness is nothing less than a deepening relationship with Christ, in which we are drawn ever closer to His Sacred Heart.
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Sharing
Jesus last words on Earth were to his disciples, can be found in Matthew Chap 28 when Jesus told his disciples, “Then Jesus approached and said to them, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age.”
Jesus calls all of us to share in his redemptive mission here on Earth. I would ask you to share this Scripture reflection with your family, your friends and your acquaintances, and then share it with a couple of individuals that you may may not be comfortable sharing with, keeping in mind always the words of Jesus, And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age
Author was assisted by AI in the drafting of this Post