Jesus Himself is the Temple of God. At Calvary, that Temple is opened, The river of divine life flows from His own Sacred Heart. 

From His wounded side flowed blood and water, through His pierced Heart flows the water of Baptism and the blood of the Eucharist, the fountain of sacramental life in the Church. 

From the Cross flows the River of Life: the Holy Spirit, poured into our hearts through the sacraments of blood (Eucharist) and water (Baptism of the Holy Spirit).

Yet it is possible to approach the Fountain and not drink. Why? Because without prayer, our souls remain closed. Prayer is the self-opening of the human spirit to God. Without prayer, we may receive the sacraments but not drink the fullness of grace they offer. Receiving the sacraments without prayer is like standing at a well but refusing to drink. Meditation is how we draw water from the well. It opens our hearts to receive the Living Water, the Holy Spirit flowing from the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Eucharist. 

Lectio Divina: read, reflect, respond, rejoice!

My Lectio Divina: on Revelation 2

To the church in laodicea

The Words of Jesus

I know your works. 

You are neither hot or cold

Because you are lukewarm I will spit you out of my mouth

You think you are rich 

You are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, naked

Jesus counsels to buy Gold refined by fire from him and white garments and salve for anointing of eyes

I reprove and discipline those I love so be zealous and repent

I am knocking on your door

If you hear and open I will come and eat with you. 

To the conquerer I will grant to sit on my throne as I conquered and sit with my Father on his throne. 

Hear what the spirit says!

 

{God sees my works. He sees I do my deeds out of habit not with any feeling. I have become indifferent, thinking I have all I need. I should have at least love of good and desire to do things for love of him. But I have been cut from the vine. I am dying. Jesus counsels me to get gold refined by fire (faith tried in the furnace of loving others as myself and suffering for them) He wants me to have white garments (the deeds done in purity of heart for love of God) Salve for anointing of the eyes (Holy Spirit listening to open and see truth). Jesus is disciplining those he loves. I feel death and the sting to wake me up from this slumber that could lead to eternal damnation. I must wake up, repent, and be zealous to follow him again with my whole heart! He is knocking!! Will I listen and open the door? If I open the door, I can be fed again with the Eucharist. He wants to feed me with himself. He wants to nourish me to live for him! If I conquer I can sit on a throne. HEAR HIM!

Thank you Jesus for coming to tell me. Thank you for your wake-up call to stop doing things by rote. Thank you for telling me that meeting my own needs is not the goal of life here. I need to walk in love again and remember why I was doing all the things I did in the first place. I follow you and live for you because you live and died for me!! Your amazing love is the reason I am here. Help me love and do your will in faith. Thank you for feeding me with yourself so I can be strong in You. Open my eyes Lord! Empower me Holy Spirit to see what I am to do. Thank you Lord for wanting me to conquer and be with you forever!}

God is Working In Me

New Life part of His own body, Absolved of all sin, Eucharist nourishes and sustains Jesus in Me, Grace through the Spirit daily to be like Him and share His Love. Do Not Doubt His Works, Power, and Love!

Baptism brings us new life and incorporates us into Christ’s body. 

The Sacrament of Reconciliation absolves us of all our sins. 

The Eucharist, Jesus’ very presence, nourishes and sustains us on our journey to heaven. 

Every day he pours out his life and his grace in us through his Holy Spirit so that we can become more like him and share his love with the world.

All these works testify to Jesus. 

Don’t doubt the love and power of the Lord!

Lectio Divina: read, reflect, respond, rejoice!

My Lectio Divina: Psalm 31:14-17a

But I trust in you, O LORD;

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in your hand;

rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

Make your face shine on your servant;

save me in your steadfast love!

O LORD, let me not be put to shame,

for I call upon you;

{I trust you Lord. There is no one else to trust. All men are liars and I am easily deceived by my own wants and desires. I choose to trust you! You are my God! You are the creator of all. You know me in my mother’s womb and all my days were written in your book. You know all things and are working all of it out for good. All my life if is in your hands. Please God rescue me from my enemies and those that persecute me, even my own interior self! I am my own worst enemy when I want deceitful desires! I sometimes am the one killing my own life of grace. Please deliver me! Look at me, shine your light on me! Do not let me die in my sin. Help me! There is no one on earth but you that can help me! I call upon you!!

Thank you God for being full of Mercy, Love, and Grace. Thank you for being trustworthy! Thank you for being willing to be called upon by broken man. Thank you for orchestrating all things for good. Thank you for knowing everything so that there is no need to fear-just cling to you. Thank you for forgiveness and reconciliation for sinners. Thank you for being the deliverer!! Thank you for your RESCUE!! Amen}

Lectio Divina: read, reflect, respond, rejoice!

My Lectio Divina: on psalm 42

My soul pants for you, God 

My soul thirsts for the living God

{I feel like I am always in want of you God. I feel like I am dying of thirst for you. I feel like I am always trying to find you to quench my thirst but I don’t get satisfied. 

Thank you for your continual call to me. It must be you calling me to you. Without grace no one turns to you. Thank you God for wanting me.}

Why are you cast down, Oh my soul 

why are you in turmoil within me? 

Hope in God for 

I shall again praise him, 

my salvation 

and my God. 

{Because of my continued longing and thirsting that do not get satisfied I feel cast down and alone. My soul is distressed trying to find you and be satisfied, I seem to be in continuous turmoil. 

You have given me the remedy. Hope in You! Praise You! For you are the one calling me deeper. You are the one putting this longing in me to be with you. This is salvation! Wanting union with you! 

Thank you God for your grace, thank you for being my God. You want me for your own. Help me respond with praise for your amazing love and salvation!!}

by day, the Lord commands his steadfast love 

a prayer to the God of my life. 

{All day long you are making me thirst for you. It is a gift of grace because of your steadfast love. You love me and want me to be with you. Thank you God for wanting me. Thank you for loving me and calling me to salvation, union with you. Help me root out all the things contrary to you and bring me closer. I Love You God of my Life!}

Loves all some good in nature

Some chosen for eternal life above nature

God does not will this good to anyone unworthy. However, man is not worthy by nature

God, by his own will, orders someone to eternal life, he presents him with something by which he is made worthy for eternal life. (Gives a the gift [sanctifying grace] to make man worthy)

God accepts or loves someone, which is the same, is nothing else than to will him some good. 

But God wills to all creatures the good of nature, for which reason he is said to love all things, Wisdom 11:25 You love all things that exist and so on, and to approve all things, Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made and so on. Yet we are not accustomed to say that someone has God's grace by reason of this acceptance, 

Grace:

rather, inasmuch as God wills him a supernatural good, which is eternal life, thus in Romans 6:23 it says The grace of God is eternal life. 

But God does not will this good to anyone unworthy. However, man is not worthy by nature for so great a good, 

since it is above nature; and thus, from the fact that someone is held to be dear to God with respect to this good, it is held that there is something in him by which he is worthy for such a good above his natural gifts; 

from the very fact that God, by his own will, orders someone to eternal life, he presents him with something by which he is made worthy for eternal life. 

This is what is said in Colossians 1:12 Who made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 

The reason for this is that just as God's knowledge is the cause of things, not being caused by things as ours is, so also is his will the originator of goodness, and not caused by goodness as ours is. 

Therefore, man is said to have God's grace in this way, not only from the fact that he is loved by God with respect to eternal life, but from the fact that some gift is given to him by which he is made worthy for eternal life; and this gift is said to be sanctifying grace.

God accepts or loves someone, which is the same, is nothing else than to will him some good. But God wills to all creatures the good of nature, for which reason he is said to love all things, Wisdom 11:25 You love all things that exist and so on, and to approve all things, Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made and so on. Yet we are not accustomed to say that someone has God's grace by reason of this acceptance, rather, inasmuch as God wills him a supernatural good, which is eternal life, as it says in Isaiah 64:4 No eye has seen, O God, apart from you, what you have prepared for those who love you;sec. litteram Glossae Petri Lomb. super I Cor. 2.( (PL 191, 1551 A), cf. etiam Petrus Lomb. Lib. Sent. I d. 35 c. 4 thus in Romans 6:23 it says The grace of God is eternal life. But God does not will this good to anyone unworthy. However, man is not worthy by nature for so great a good, since it is above nature; and thus, from the fact that someone is held to be dear to God with respect to this good, it is held that there is something in him by which he is worthy for such a good above his natural gifts; but this certainly does not move the divine will such that it orders man to that good, rather the converse is true: from the very fact that God, by his own will, orders someone to eternal life, he presents him with something by which he is made worthy for eternal life. This is what is said in Colossians 1:12 Who made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. The reason for this is that just as God's knowledge is the cause of things, not being caused by things as ours is, so also is his will the originator of goodness, and not caused by goodness as ours is. Therefore, man is said to have God's grace in this way, not only from the fact that he is loved by God with respect to eternal life, but from the fact that some gift is given to him by which he is made worthy for eternal life; and this gift is said to be sanctifying grace.

Eli’s Sons

The passage you quoted, "But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death," is from 1 Samuel 2:25. This verse describes the fate of Eli's sons, who were wicked priests. Your question is whether grace is always offered, especially in light of such seemingly harsh outcomes.

Here's a Catholic perspective:

#### The Nature of Grace

Grace is a free and undeserved gift from God that helps us respond to His call to become His children [^3]. It is the divine assistance that enables us to attain supernatural goods, especially eternal life [^5] [^6]. God wills the good of nature to all creatures [^5]. Grace is a supernatural light, a special gift and a pledge of eternal salvation [^8].

#### Grace and Free Will

God offers grace to all, but it requires our cooperation and assent [^9]. Grace is not a rival to our freedom; rather, it enhances it when our freedom aligns with what is true and good [^7]. The more we are open to grace, the more we grow in inner freedom [^7].

#### God's Love and Justice

God loves all His creatures [^6]. However, love also involves wishing and doing good for the beloved. God's special love is seen in His assistance to those who seek the ultimate good, which is Himself [^10]. God does not will eternal life to the unworthy, and we are not worthy by nature [^5]. It is through God's grace that we are made worthy [^5].

#### Consequences of Rejecting Grace

While God offers grace, it can be rejected. The passage from 1 Samuel speaks to the consequences of rejecting God's will. Eli's sons repeatedly refused to listen to their father's correction and persisted in their wickedness. Their fate illustrates that persistent rejection of God's grace and will can lead to dire consequences.

#### Grace as a Continuous Offer

Grace is not a one-time offer but a continuous assistance from God [^6]. God continually directs us to our ultimate end through grace, which remains with us until we reach that end [^6].

#### Summary

God's grace is offered to all, enabling us to seek Him and achieve eternal life. However, this requires our free cooperation. The consequences faced by Eli's sons demonstrate that rejecting God's grace and persisting in sin can lead to severe outcomes. God's will to "put them to death" in the passage should be understood within the context of their repeated rejection of divine guidance.

[^1] [CCC 1996](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/1996)

[^2] [Disputed Questions on Truth Q. 27, A. 1, C.](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/6d54f8cd-a225-4b49-9bb1-a74163743fe0/ref/Q.%2027,%20A.%201,%20C.)

[^3] [Summa Contra Gentiles Book III. Chap. 151](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/f4d77af9-2eed-4f54-9a5e-e1305afd6f53/ref/Book%20III.%20Chap.%20151)

[^4] [Imitation of Christ The Third Book On Inward Consolation, Chapter LIV.18](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/e48bc207-b61c-4229-a441-5604733fdaae/ref/The%20Third%20Book%20On%20Inward%20Consolation,%20Chapter%20LIV.18)

[^5] [Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha 745](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/5c0fb401-3c71-494e-bfce-ac8641dafd3b/ref/745)

[^6] [CCC 1742](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/0583c069-d4bf-42dd-97de-c19f0b80150f/ref/1742)

[^7] [Compendium of Theology (Compendium Theologiae) Part I - Chapter 143](https://www.magisterium.com/docs/627e2ffb-8c05-4912-aaff-c0d44c38ad81/ref/Part%20I%20-%20Chapter%20143)