The Perfect Gift

You are the gift our Jesus wants most this Christmas.

Our culture says you are too old, too fat, too quiet, too short.  You are not blonde enough, tan enough, clear skinned enough.  You just never measure up you say to your reflection. 

Ahh, but when our Lord looks at you, He sees perfection! You are exactly who He created you to be and what He creates is always good, always needed and always measures up.

Visit our Lord in Mass this Christmas and give Him the gift of you . . . just as you are today.  Do not change a thing.  His eyes will light up as He sees you walking toward Him and He’ll exclaim, “Just what I wanted.  What a  perfect gift!” 

The Deserts in our Faith Journey

It is not if we suffer, that is a given; but rather how well we suffer - by never letting go of Christ - that determines our level of faith.

I cannot arrive at my destination - the answer to my prayer for increase in faith, hope and charity - if I do not first travel the road of humility, obedience, perseverance and courage.  When I get to the desolate deserts of my journey, I must remember, first of all, that I am not alone.  Secondly, I must remember this desert - dark night of the soul - is the price I must pay in order to be ready to receive my answer from God.

Our Lord ALWAYS answers our prayer to be His.  When we ask for what we need to be in His Kingdom, we must be willing to first go through all the suffering that surrendering our will to His requires. He is always ready to give, we however are often not ready to receive.

I feel so lost right now, but I find comfort in knowing my Lord knows the way and I can hear Him calling to me, "Stay close to me and I will get you there."

Saints and Rosaries

Saints meditate on the Rosary to convert sinners, but first, sinners must meditate on the Rosary in order to become saints.

Humans are more valuable than the Monarch Blue Butterfly

You would think this title was understood by our world, but when I read in the newspaper that our federal government is allocating more funds to ensuring Monarch Blue Butterflys live while also allocating funds to promote abortions of human beings, I have to wonder exactly where do we humans rate?  I, for one, stand on the side of human beings - made in the image of God created to rule and protect nature. Not, as it seems we are leaning, to become subservient to it.

Friday Lent Day 3 - Stations of the Cross

Station XI – Jesus is Nailed to the Cross

I look into the eyes of the God who allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross by His creation.  Why, I ask? The answer I heard was so that His creation will know that we have a God who feels our suffering and joins in the human experience so that our self-inflicted  suffering is not in vain.

Station XII – Jesus Dies

Humanity brought death into the world by their choice to disobey God.  God also has made a choice. He made a choice to die at the hands of His creation so that forgiveness and reconciliation is theirs if they choose. 

Station XIII – Jesus is taken down from the Cross

Mary feels the loss of God as He lies dead in her arms.  She humbly accepts the pain in atonement for the sins of her children. 

Station XIV – Jesus is placed in the Tomb

For the first time in her life, Mary feels completely abandoned and the sting of loneliness. She ponders this in her heart and holds on to the hope that God will fulfill His promise. What a sympathetic mother we have who knows our pain of loneliness, abandonment, emptiness. 

God is love. 

Lent 2001 - Day 2

 I stand right inside the large gate leading down a path to a thickly wooded forest.  It looks cold and infinitesimal. Standing next to me holding my hand is Jesus. He looks so scared. He looks to me asking with his eyes for me to accompany him down the path.

I pray, “Sweet Lord, let me take on some of the pain that you are going to be enduring for my sake.  We both know that I do not have the courage and the strength to take on all my sins; but what I can endure, please let me. It will only give you an infinitesimal relief, I know, but allow me all the same”.  He smiles at me and we begin to walk.

I am at Mass and the priest is turning the bread into the body of Jesus Christ.  As he holds up the bread I see myself walking towards the cross to touch His bloodstained feet.  A tip of a whip hits my hand and tears my flesh.  I look at my wound and up and Jesus.  He smiles weakly at me. He has answered my prayer.

As the priest holds up the wine to be turned into blood, I feel Jesus’ sweat and blood pour onto my wound. It is healed.  I look up at my Lord and His eyes tell me, “Your sin has been washed away.”

What was this sin?  Moses speaks today in Deuteronomy 30:15-20 the fate of those who choose between life and prosperity and death and doom.  How often I have chosen the latter by turning away my heart and not listening. I have adored other gods.  I am not ignorant of God’s law.  I have been taught. I have been warned that these choices mean I will perish.  So many times I have committed this sin.  But today I saw one of those times disappear into the Jesus’ ocean of mercy and I was given the grace of joining in His Passion.

Praise Be to God, our Lord Jesus Christ!

Lent 2011 - The Journey Begins

Jesus, I am ready to walk with you these next 40 days to see my part in your Passion. I cannot believe I am actually doing this.  Remember not too many years ago how scared I was to even consider what following you would mean to my life? I feared for the “testing” I thought would come. But, as you promised, You have always been with me and I trust you now that journeying with you brings joy – even in the pain.  You told me to give glory to God and to trust in You. I will. I know it will be difficult, I know there will be tears, I know that I will be laid bare, exposed to my sins but I know that you will not let me despair for long before your ocean of mercy takes my drops of sin into itself to be washed pure. I am scared but I am ready.

Blessed Mother, you have prepared me.  You have given me the supplies I am going to need to witness my sins and to heal in repentance. You won’t leave me alone. You will be with me every step of the way. As you taught us at Fatima, I pray: Lord, I believe, I adore, I trust, I love.  I pray for all those who do not believe, who do not adore, who do not trust, and who do not love.

I will walk with Jesus and Mary towards the narrow gate. Let the journey begin.  

I AM AWAKE

These are exciting times, scary and uplifting simultaneously. I turn 51 on Monday. The first 50 years I was asleep. Alot of us were. Our minds dwelled on the personal and the shallow of our American culture. We were king of the world, we had prosperity and superiority and could sit back and enjoy.

Enjoy we have, all the way to our destruction. And, except for the merciful hand of God, we would already be dust.  The Great Awakening began, for me anyhow, in 2009 following the election of Barack Obama to president of the United States.  Many, like me, had sense enough not to vote for him but we are all responsible for bringing him to power nonetheless. Our petty life issues drowned the deep dark rumblings that have been growing in the shadows of our country for almost 100 years.

Some voices have cried out in the wilderness but their pleas bummed us out so we chose to remain ignorant. And, just like many generations since the world began, we too will pay the price.

I am awake now. I fear for my family and my country but I am not afraid. In preparing me for what is to come, I once heard my Lord, Jesus Christ, speak to my heart. He said, "Trust Me. Glorify My Father."

I repeat his command often to myself to steel my will. Those five simple words hold the treasure to my redemption. I WILL put my trust in Jesus to protect my soul. I WILL glorify our Father no matter what comes for I long to see His face and, when I do, I want that face to be smiling at me.

Blessed be the name of the Lord. Whether I am in the desert or the garden, bless be His name.