GLIMPSES OF GOD FOR 2021

GLIMPSE OF GOD FOR THE WEEK OF DECEMBER 6, 2021

 

This week’s Glimpse of God comes from a view outside of our Assisi Room

(Sunroom) as I took time to relax and was pleasantly surprised, due to the time of year, to see God in the many unexpected faces of His creatures and in His creation.

One day last week I was looking out our back yard and was watching all types of birds eating from the bird feeders outside the window and how Cannoli (crazy cat) was eager to help them in her own way. She was getting excited, jumping up and down and just wanting to go out with the birds and have some play time. There were also birds in the water that was on the pool cover, there were cardinals, robins, sparrows, and doves.  This went on for several minutes and I was left wondering wasn’t it too cold for the birds, shouldn’t they be going south for the winter? Don’t they know it is December? It was the first day of the last month of the year 2021.

2021, a year that will be remembered as the one where we began our new normal as we continued to journey through the pandemic, the year that we were able to move toward some sense of newness, renewal, restoration, with less of fear and anxiety due to the vaccine and the booster shots. In the stores there are more folks shopping, people have decorated their houses, lawns and whatever else they could with various types of lights, figures, and inflatables.  Christmas music is playing, and people seem to be in a pleasant and helpful mood. 2021 is definitely different than last year, the attitudes and dispositions of people seem to be more generous, helpful, loving, free, peaceful and kind.

In light of all the recent panic our world is facing because of the pandemic, the variants and the many people that are still suffering and dying from Covid19, the number of shootings of innocent people, especially children, the highest record of homicides in Philadelphia, I found myself asking many questions and having many concerns about the future of our communities, city, nation and world. Often, we seem quick to judge, to criticize, to cast aspersions and often, it seems, to not accept another point of view. We need to reflect fully and completely, as we truly are our brother’s keeper, fellow Builders of the Kingdom of God here on earth,  placed to walk with each other, build each other up and not tear each other. The question is do we take that seriously?

We have much to be thankful for; the beauty of nature, our church, friends, family, job, and the list goes on. We need to step back and look around us. There is beauty in everyone and everything, even though it may be difficult to discern it at times.  

It is as simple (and refreshing) to remember what peace there may be in silence and the majesty of our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the miracle of nature in all of its glory.

Simplicity, kindness, thoughtful gestures……..each day we can strive to become better persons and we have truly have much to give thanks for!

This week let us strive to be the better person that we know we can be, and that God created us to be. Let this second week of Advent, be a week or page in our life, where we experience spiritual renewal, refreshment, and preparation for the coming of Jesus that is reflected in our conversations, in our relationships, in the quiet whisper of our prayer and most importantly in the deepest recesses of our hearts. 

SUNDAY - for today, the second Sunday of Advent, let us be mindful of the many events, occasions, circumstances, people, and situations that we will encounter on our journey to the holy and humble day of revelation: the Birth of Christ our Savior Jesus Christ. Let us resolve to keep Christ in Christmas and be His messenger to all those we encounter: in our homes, on the road, in the workplace, in our neighborhoods, in the malls, through the tweets, the texts, the face times, the befriended and the unfriended. May God use you to tell others about His Son Jesus Christ and how He is the reason for the season, there is no other.

MONDAY - for today, let us be mindful, that as the many types of birds gathered on the pool cover to bathe, play, and enjoy the sunshine, that we too are called to be of one mind and heart, that is of God, and see each other as God sees us. Let us pray that we come together as a family, as a community, as a church, and as a nation, in the name of God, to honor, respect and love each other. As we journey through the season of Advent, let us surrender to God any grudge, any anger, any barrier that is getting in the way of us being one and opening our hearts to the Christ Child, and ask Him to fill us with His compassion and mercy so that we can come to Christmas renewed in His love, peace, and joy.

TUESDAY - for today, let us strive to live as the birds on the pool cover, with no judgment of another. Let us try to see each other as God sees us, as His beloved sons and daughters, chosen by Him to know, love and serve Him in this life so that we can all see Him face to face in the next. Let us pray for all those who are incarcerated, estranged from their families, outcasts in society, and earnestly ask God to bless them with His peace, consolation, and hope. 

WEDNESDAY - for today, as the birds gathered from all directions, that as we live in the fast lane, going to and from so many different places with very little time to be still, that we take time to be still and bask in the presence and the love of God. As you prepare for the secular aspects of the Christmas season; shopping, decorating, baking, cooking, and traveling, allow yourself the spiritual blessing and renewal of quiet time. Take time as you travel, as you decorate, as you shop, to offer God a prayer of adoration, contrition, thanksgiving, and supplication. Prayer is the lifting of your mind and heart to God, you can do that anywhere and at anytime.

THURSDAY - for today, let us be mindful that Mary said YES to God and allowed herself to be His instrument in His act of redemption. Mary said YES and was embraced by God's Holy Spirit and brought forth God's only Son to redeem us. Mary was filled with God's love and lived in His light with trust, faith, patience, peace, compassion, mercy, joy, humility, and courage. Let us seek to grow in relationship with Mary and come to a greater understanding of how she faced the many challenges in her life and did not waiver or stray away from God but remained steadfast and faithful and ask for her help so that we can do the same.

FRIDAY - As we are given the grace to observe the rain coming down from the clouds, and the sun emerging afterwards with a rainbow, the wind making the barren tress blow from one side to the other, the birds flying here and there, the squirrels seeking an acorn to feast on, all of these created things point towards God their creator so that all glory be given to Him. In all that you do, do you give God the glory? or do you take the honor for yourself? Are you able to recognize the giftedness and talents of others so as to give them credit for their work or are you sometimes selfish and proud?  During this humble season of Advent, let us strive to see the gifts, talents, and the presence of others, and of our self and give God the glory, gratitude, and gift of our hearts so that it can continually be molded to be more like His. 

SATURDAY - for today, let us pray for those who are wounded spiritually, physically, and emotionally and unable to live the life that they desire. Ask God that they find hope and peace through the prayers and support of others. Let us pray for those whose hearts are broken and wounded and do not know the healing touch of God and feel unloved. Let us pray for those who lives have been touched by tragedy, the loss of loved ones, terminal illness revelation, the pandemic, Covid illness and deaths, unemployment, and mental illness, that they seek the consolation of God and find it in those surrounding them in their community, in their church, and in their extended family members. Let us pray for those who are estranged from those they know: Their God, their family, and their friends, and ask God to fill them with His mercy, His humility, His hope, His compassion and HIs peace so that they, like the prodigal son, may return home and be reunited to those they truly do love and love them

borhood, society and world.

 

GLIMPSE OF GOD FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 28, 2021

“GIFT”

As we begin our Advent journey, I would like to pause and reflect on “gift”. I believe that the gift of our faith is the most important and precious gift that we can ever receive, yet if we take it for granted, walk away from it, deny it, or even abuse it, although it remains a gift, it doesn’t maintain its significance in our life that the giver intended. As with many things, we can place our faith on a shelf, knowing that it is in reach if we need it, we can put it in a closet and close the door so that it is easier to ignore, or we can  or we can toss it aside out of anger, yet since God is the Giver of the gift of our faith and we are His greatest creation, His beloved children, His vessel, the gift will never be taken back, or denied to us. God wants us to be our best self, the person that He created us to be and have the potential to become and He knows that we can not do that alone, we need Him and each other. As followers of the newborn child Jesus, the Messiah, our Savior, we all have been given the gift of faith so that we can grow in love with Him and serve Him with an undivided heart.

As we begin Advent and journey to Christmas, let us reflect on how we take the gift of our faith: take it for granted, take it lightly, take it seriously, and seek to grow in a greater appreciation and love for the Giver which is God.

I do not have daily reflections because I thought that as you read this on any given day, a thought or an inspiration may come to you for further reflection and personal prayer. (if you are someone that needs to see a daily reflection each paragraph can be taken day by day)

(Sunday) 

What is in a gift? How do we open a gift?

Do we open the gift slowly or tear it open?

Do we honor the gift giver? and the gift?

Do we silently cherish, hold, and look intently at the gift?

 or do we put aside the gift, paying no attention to the work,

the love and care that went into presenting the gift? 

(Monday)

When we receive a gift, we often look at the wrapping

and then we tear it off, as if we only want to see what is inside;

is it what we asked for? what we wanted? what we need?

or just a token gift?

Then there are times when we open a gift

with great thought and very slowly.

(Tuesday)

As we receive Jesus into our hearts

in the Holy Eucharist,

do we use the time prior to encountering Jesus in the Holy Eucharist

to prepare our hearts for the King?

or do we go through the motions just to fulfill our Sunday obligation?

Going through the motions, is like tearing off the paper

we miss the gift, the giver, and the reason for the gift.

The gift is Jesus and eternal life with Him

the Giver is God the Father

who loved us so much that He sent His only Son

into the world to redeem us,

the reason for the gift:

LOVE, PURE, UNCONDITONAL AND PERFECT LOVE.

(Wednesday)

 When we take time to pray,

when we take time to see Jesus in and through our lives

it is like one who slowly unwraps the gift,

we see, appreciate, and honor each moment

of the encounter between God and our self.

When we receive a gift in a gift bag,

we tend to pull the gift out of the bag and

then we look at it and choose to honor or reject it.

Do we pull Jesus out of our "gift bag" when we need Him,

or are angry at Him and need to blame someone,

or when we feel abandoned, and life seems out of control?

Or are we in a relationship with Him 

one that recognizes that He loves us and will never abandon us?

Do we see that God, and His unconditional love for us never changes?

whether we wrap Him up or put Him in gift bag.

(Thursday)

God is the Gift Giver and Jesus is the gift

whether we honor the gift, ignore the gift,

put the gift away or in hiding, whether we respect the gift or not

we are always living out of our human limitations.

God on the other hand, is not limited.

His mercy, His love, His compassion, are eternal, everlasting and all embracing.

(Friday) 

Jesus is the greatest gift to us

but do we realize, can we imagine, that we are God's gift to others?

Do we know that He loves us and

has created us to live in union with Him on this earth

and as we do that,

we are gifting others with a glimpse of His presence, 

by how we love and care for others?

Each time you give a gift to another, you are giving a part of yourself,

the part that loves, cares, and appreciates another.

You are giving someone else the gift of God

as He is revealed through you and seen in you. 

(Saturday) 

As we journey towards that beautiful day

where Mary’s Yes came to fulfillment

and our salvation was at hand, to the Holy Birth,

that which was without sin,

let us thank Mary for saying YES and allowing God to dwell within her,

let us thank God for saying YES

when He chose to use you and me to be His instruments in His world,

that HE wants us to do His work, that HE believes in us and knows our potential.

Let us thank Jesus for coming into our world, our life, and our hearts

and for making us one with Him;

in and through our baptism into His passion, death, and resurrection.

Let us thank each other for being the gift of God's presence

a Glimpse of God,

to us in and through their prayers, works, words and example.

During this Advent season,

as we prepare to receive the Baby Jesus into our hearts, let us pray to be open to recognize that Jesus is the greatest gift given to humankind,and that we have been chosen by God to receive Him.

YES. YOU AND I have been chosen by God to receive the gift of His Son Jesus into our lives forever. As recipients do we ever say thank you to God for loving us and presenting us with such a great and awesome gift? Let us thank God

now, later, tomorrow, next week, each and every day and may we never grow weary of being a gift giver or a recipient because both are avenues to encounter God and His great love for us. ……….Have a happy Advent journey…….Cookie

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLIMPSES OF GOD FOR THE WEEK OF NOVEMBER 21, 2021

 

My Glimpse for this week comes from a spirit of gratitude, appreciation, and thanksgiving to  God for His many blessings and graces, both in the sacred and the ordinary, the awesome and the pawsome, those seen out the window, and in the mirror, in person and behind the mask. Last year, the pandemic called us to change not only the way we live, but also how we communicate with each other.  Instead of going to our loved one’s home, we probably visited them virtually via zoom or face time. Instead of gathering at the Thanksgiving Day table as a family, we gathered collectively through zoom, yet individually at our own homes. This year, with many people being vaccinated we will be able to gather in person for the great day of celebration, for we have so much to be grateful for. In all the changes that the pandemic has called us to make in our lives, the true meaning of life that can be found in each day, is the presence of God. God has blessed us beyond our imaginings each and every day. Beginning with the very breath that we take as we arise to a new day, to the very one that we take as we sleep, God is blessing us. We might be temporarily blinded, or deaf or unable to feel His blessings due to fear, anxiety, stresses, heavy crosses, many burdens and unavoidable worries, if we think about it, only God can give us the strength to make it through these current challenges and the ones not yet known or experienced, of our life, to carry the crosses so that we are given so that we can experience the resurrections.  We are called to give thanks not just when things appear to go our way, but even when they appear to go opposite our way, to thank God when our cross is light and our prayers answered, to when He is silent, when His answer is “No” or “Not yet”. When we give thanks, it is not just about giving thanks for the things or blessings that He has showered upon us, but more importantly because He sent His Son Jesus to suffer, die and rise so that we might inherit eternal life.

SO as you gather with loved ones, or not, for this Thanksgiving Day, take the time to reflect on what Jesus did for you, how HE came into the world, lived and died for you selflessly, unconditionally and freely. Reflect on how He has invited you to be His follower and proclaim His good news to all those you encounter, and how you have responded and continue to respond. Take the time to be grateful for His Holy Spirit that has prompted, inspired, and a strengthened you to be your best self, the person that God created you to be and have the potential to become. As you do this, bring to mind and memory all those who have been a source of God’s love in your life, those living and those who have gone before you in faith, those who have helped form you into the person that you are today, and thank God again, after all we can never thank God enough for all that He has given us and continues to give us.

I will share a few thoughts about this week.......

Today, liturgically, we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, and this Thursday we celebrate Thanksgiving Day. This normally is the biggest traveling week of the year, but still due to the pandemic, travelling is not as big as it has been or will be. People will choose to stay home or not as long as they safe so that others will also be safe. As we continue to cope with the effects of the  pandemic and the many restrictions that are still being enforced, there are still those who will be away from loved ones this thanksgiving because of the necessity and the practice of caution to stay healthy due to old age, illnesses, and  unvaccinated people, to self-quarantine. For various and different reasons, some will spend time away from home and some will be returning home. It will be a day or week of mixed emotions; anger at those who are estranged from the family, and who would not only be missing from the table, but more importantly, missing from the lives of loved ones. There will tears of sadness as family members reflect on the lives and love of those who recently have gone before them in faith, who were gathered at their thanksgiving table a year ago and now will be absent and their seat empty.

There will be tears of joy come as the heartfelt memories spring forth from those gathered as they freely share and give thanks for the living and the deceased. Also, as individuals gather to celebrate the wonderful Thanksgiving holiday via zoom or face time, they will gather in a new way with family and friends to spend quality time in each other's presence, share stories and partake of a meal collectively but separately. There will also be those who celebrate quietly and alone on this Thanksgiving Day. There will be those who feel that they have nothing to celebrate or be thankful for because of their life challenges or situations. On this Thanksgiving Day we must be mindful of those who are suffering in body, mind, or spirit, and we must pray that God will touch their hearts so that they can uncover and rediscover the seed of gratitude and thanksgiving that has been buried or quenched by their murky waters. In gratitude and as members of the Body of Christ our King, we must pray for each other.

As you gather around the table on this Thanksgiving Day, try to recognize with a greater clarity, that God is very thankful for you and to you for being His beloved child, His greatest creation, loved unconditionally and beyond your imaginings. That each day you strive to be your best self and seek to reach your potential that God knows you can, He is very thankful because you do so by choice, your choice. You have chosen to follow Him, be His witness in the world, and to Build the Kingdom of God here on earth.

This week we will also participate in, voluntarily or not, a parent's nightmare or the shopper's heaven,.... Black Friday.  So....I invite you to see Glimpses of God in all the sanity and insanity: the ordinary and the extraordinary, the pets and the people, in a life of simplicity and in the sometimes very complicated, in the creation we see, and the greatest one that we were created to be. God is there, wherever you were, are and hope to be. 

Sunday – Thank God for the gift of His creation

Today, look outside and try to see the face of God in His creation. God gives us the gift of the fresh air, the trees, the green grass, the birds, and other creatures. God is there as the wind blows and when it is quiet. He is speaking through the birds, foxes, hawks, all of God’ creatures (great and small), the blue sky and the gentle rain. He is there to remind you that He is all around and not limited to any space or time. If you are seeking Him and having trouble just look out your window and pray that He speak to your heart. Wait and you will hear His gentle voice. Do as Mary said, Listen to Him.

Monday – Thank God for the gift of the routine and ordinary, exciting and extraordinary.

Today we celebrate the feast of Christ the King, this past week was the last week in ordinary time in the liturgical calendar. Yet, I must ask, if it were your last week, day, hour, or minute in the ordinary time of your life, how would you respond?  Would you change the way you are living as you prepare to meet Christ the King, or would you continue to live as you are with Christ as your King?

Sometimes we become stagnant because we do some of the same things each and every day like going to work, cooking meals, cleaning the house, helping with homework, paying the bills, taking care of the pets, studying, and we don’t feel as if we are growing as a person. We lose sight of their meaning and why we do them and begin to take them for granted. This happens in our spiritual life as well, we say our set prayers, we pray at meals, we reach out to those in need, and we even find time to read the Bible, but these spiritual exercises have become more routine and the understanding of their deeper meaning and purpose seems absent. Our relationship with God, our desire to grow in that relationship, falls into the depth of routine and ordinary instead of exciting and extraordinary.

A simple question to you is this: In the ordinary routine events of your day, is Christ your King or have other things taken His place? Whether you are a religious or lay person, married or single, young adult or child, would others see the crown of Christ on your head or at the cross? Is the reason you get up each morning so that you can follow Him and give Him the glory and honor that He deserves, or does He come to mind only when you need something?

Christ lived and died for you, do you recognize that you are His beloved child and that He loves you more than you can ever imagine? Does His being King of your heart and life empower you to live more for Him and not for the world? Can you give your heart to Him today and let Him heal the brokenness, bind up your wounds and make you whole? 

Tuesday – Thank God for the gift of the awesome and mighty pawsome

As I begin a new week, I reflect on Clover and how she begins her week and ours: Selflessly, completely, and joyfully. She is intuitive, energetic and a complete character. 

Today, look to the pets that you have or that others have and try to see them as God’s instrument of healing, happiness, wholeness, peace, and joy. They give of themselves completely for the happiness of their owner. They are reminders of how we should be: unconditionally loving, forgiving, and happy just because. They do not hold a grudge no matter what their owners forget to do for them. They wag their tails even at the point of dying to show their owners that they will suffer, but they don’t want their owners to. This is true love. Christ died so that we may live, does your life reflect that selfless act of love? 

Wednesday – Thank God for the gift of Children

Today look at the children and try to see the face of God in them. They remind us by their innocence that we are all called to trust and believe in the love and presence of God and not let others change or diminish our faith. God dwells in the heart and soul of each child. When they give of their heart, they are giving of what God has planted in them. Jesus calls us to be childlike not childish. This means having the trust, the joy the love, and the naivete if you will, of a child so that the doubts, worries, judgments, fears and the other adult emotions, dispositions don’t take first place in our mind and heart. As we become more childlike or grow down, we then begin to recognize the many graces, blessings, and joys that God has showered upon us. We recognize them with greater clarity with because we are eager to find and see them and not ready to disregard them to what we think is more important like worrying, anxiety, poor judgment, gossip, lack of trust, or feelings of despair, or discouragement.

When you see children living life with great joy, enthusiasm, encouragement, and happiness, you want to share in that with them.

As you see them trying to please parents and family with the gift and talents that they have discovered and uncovered in themselves, you see an uninhibited, trusting, and unconditionally loving child of God reflecting God as they are called to. God gives us the gifts and talents that we possess, and as adults, are are called to share them with others and not to hide them, diminish them, or disregard them as minimal. We should do our best to nurture, cultivate and use them to glorify Him and thank Him. Children are reminders of that they give of their hearts. Parents take that and give them the opportunity to grow with their gifts. They recognize the giftedness. Do you recognize your giftedness? Can you see that your talents are gifts are from God to be used to glorify Him? Can you thank Him today?

Thursday – Thank God for the gift of Thanksgiving Day

Today is Thanksgiving Day. Happy Thanksgiving to all. A day to give thanks for the many blessings you have. This is a day to attend the celebration of Mass and experience the greatest gift of thanksgiving, the Holy Eucharist. Weather you celebrate Thanksgiving Day alone or with others, this day is always a day to look at your blessings and look past your crosses. It is a day to see God in all those challenges and see how you are blessed because of them. Our crosses can bring us great strength and courage, hope and healing. This day is an opportunity to just be and allow the meaning of the word “Thanksgiving” to permeate your being and take root so that you can give thanks and receive thanks from God for the gratitude that He has for you being His beloved child. 

Friday – Thank God for the gift of your loved ones near and dear

Today, look for Him in the faces of those you love. Offer prayers of thanks for those you have been blessed with to call family, friend, or neighbor.  Look at those you have near to you and see God’s face in them. Today try not to take them for granted. Offer words of encouragement, support, and gratitude and let them know that you are blessed by their presence in your life. Spouses, children, siblings, nieces, nephews, and neighbors are all God’s way of showing us His many faces. He offers us the opportunity to recognize them and see in and through the differences that He is the one and only creator, we are His creation, we are all His beloved children and that we are all placed in this world to build up His Kingdom one person at a time. We can’t do anything alone; we need Him and each other.

Saturday – Thank God for the gift of YOU!!!

Today, look in the mirror and try to see that face of God in the person that you are looking at. He is there. He is smiling on you. He is looking into your very heart and placing His love there freely. This is a jaw dropping realization for some, is it for you? Do you believe or do you look in the mirror in disbelief? When I think of this, my jaw drops because it means that He sees my potential, my abilities, my desires, my heart and even my sinfulness and believes in me more than I believe in myself. Thank God He is God.

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of November 14, 2021

This week’s Glimpse of God comes in the form of a different kind if rainbow, the one of friendship. When I look at a rainbow, I see the many beautiful colors that together create the bow in the horizon. When I look at a rainbow I am always struck with a sense of awe and wonder.  When I close my eyes, I am always filled with a spirit of joy, great hope, and a deep abiding sense of peace. Friendship is a different type of rainbow in that it also renews my joy, deepens my peace, and strengthens my hope. It is in friendship where I recognize the promise and presence of God in and through His beloved sons and daughters. I am blessed that I have people that I consider friends and even more blessed that they consider me their friend. 

This week, although there were many events that surrounded and affected people I consider friends, Clover wants me to talk about her best friends, the Sisters at Assisi House, especially her very good friend, Sister Schiminsky.  Sister is one of Clover’s best friends and the one that she has known since she began being a therapy dog at Assisi House. For Sister, Clover is the highlight of her week. For most of the Sisters, Clover is the highlight and if you will, the paintbrush that refreshes the colors of their rainbow that may have faded due to health challenges, daily stresses, a heavy cross, or other unknown struggles that they are facing or have faced that week. All of these wonderful women are not only gifts that God has placed in my life, but they are also gifts that keep on giving. They continue to selflessly give of themselves by their ongoing friendship with John, me, Clover, and others. They give of their time and their presence to listen, to care, to pray for those who are in need, to support, to encourage and to lift up those, with whom they live, know, or are asked to remember, whose spirits may be a little droopy.

These people are gifts that makes me recognize the humanity does have hope of being a more selfless people and not selfish. It is through these individuals and many others in my life as well as the many that you know, that keep the colors of the rainbow vivid and stark and do not allow them to become bleak and dull.

Although we follow, witness to, and are commissioned by, Christ to build His kingdom here on earth, we sometimes fall short and instead of keeping our eyes focused on Christ and His will for us, we focus on ourselves and seek to do what we want.

It is only when a true friend calls us to our truth and nudges us or pushes us sometimes, to live out that truth and not hide, run from or deny it, that our rainbow stays vivid and maintains the sign of hope that we know it to be.  I also believe that a good friend, by their example, leads us to becoming more Christ like, to becoming our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become. They lead by example, and they know how to follow by example. When they lead us, they have our best interest at heart and only lead us to that which will enable us to grow and become our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become.  When they follow us, they are inviting us to shine by using our God given talents and gifts for the good of others.  A good friend is a humble follower who invites us to not only recognize our God given gifts and talents, but they also trust us enough to allow us to lead so that they can have our backs if we falter, hesitate, or become afraid.  

As a volunteer at the Assisi house, I am reminded that the time there is a gift of grace and opportunity to grow in grace with each Sister that I encounter. The Sisters represent a different kind of rainbow, one of a promise being fulfilled.  

As a volunteer at the Assisi house, I have had the opportunity to meet the new Congregational Minister of the Sisters, Sister Theresa. I have only crossed paths with her once or twice, but that encounter has left a mark.  From what I have witnessed thus far, she truly exudes the presence Christ by her warmth, smile and personableness (that’s my word) She has befriended the Sisters in the house as well as staff and volunteers. I see her as the sun bursting through the clouds of the ongoing restrictions, effects and reminders of the pandemic and its longevity. As a friend to the Sisters and as a leader, she does not have the aura of not being unapproachable but rather open minded and welcoming, she has a smile that reminds me that although she has a great responsibility ahead of her, she does not see it as an source of defeat, but rather an instrument that will bring about a renewed and restorative energy, a fresh stroke of color to the Sister’s rainbows and  a new friend to those who did not know her prior to her arrival here at Assisi House.

All of these individuals, and yes even Clover (as one of God’s creatures), are an incarnational sign of the reflection on the rainbow of friendship and how the colors of the rainbow bring out the best in us and the fulfillment of God’s promise that He would always be with us,

and that He would never leave or forsake us. I saw it in friendship. I believe that the friends that we choose or that God places in our lives, are the extension of that promise as Members of the Body of Christ. As faithful, faith filled individuals, trying to live and be the best people that God has created them to be, and they have the potential to become, sinners striving to be saints, they are tangible witnesses of God’s presence in our life. Our friend’s presence reminds us that God’s promise is being fulfilled in the many different and varied ways. They are signs of hope when things are tough. They are likeminded, merciful, trustworthy and just. They are instruments of peace and vessels of joy. They are humble disciples that through their lives profess their love for God, others, and self. “A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter he who finds one finds a treasure, Faithful friends are beyond price, no amount can balance their worth, Faithful friends are a lifesaving remedy, those who fear God finds. Those who fear God enjoy stable friendship, for as they are, so will their friends be,

The gifts of friendship, the gift of a rainbow, the gift of self, are three of the many signs of God’s love. We are all signs of God’s love for and to each other, but do we know that, and if we know it, do we believe it?

This week, as you think of the rainbow as a sign of promise and of hope, I would like to look at the colors of the rainbow and the meaning in the colors as you look at what friendship means.

 

Sunday (RED) – Love.

The gift of God’s love for you, your love for God, your love for self and your love for others.  Can you let your heart be expanded so that it can be filled with more love? Has your heart been broken that you are afraid to love?   Let God, through your friends, be a source of healing, consolation, and peace., so that you too can be a wounded healer. If you allow friends to love you as you truly are, with your flaws and your virtues, then you can stand before God in a spirit of humility, gratitude, and peace. 

 

Monday (ORANGE) – Openness

Are you open to the surprises that God has in store for you? Are you ready to receive the many graces that will transform, conform, and reform you into a clearer image of God to others? Are your friends a gift of surprise? How did they become your friend? Do you see how much of a gift you are to others? Does that idea surprise you? 

Can you be open to allowing others to befriend you, especially if you have been hurt, betrayed, or abandoned by who you thought was a friend? If you have been hurt, have you opened the door of your heart open so that Christ can enter in and rest in you with His healing, peace, and joy? or is it closed so that healing, wholeness, and restoration cannot enter and take over where the woundedness, injures and pain still reside?

 

Tuesday (YELLOW) - Joy   

Joy is not the denial of pain or suffering, but the trust that in and through it, God is present. Joy comes when you realize that God’s presence is the source of your happiness. Do you want to be a joyful person? Are you surrounded by joyful people? Are your friend’s joyful people? As a member of the Body of Christ, is Jesus your best friend and the best friend of your friends?

If Jesus is your best friend, is the joy of the Eucharist, His true presence in your life, your spiritual foundation, and the foundation of your friends? You and your friends are the Body of Christ, and it is in friendship that we grow as the Body of Christ, and the colors of our rainbow become more vivid? Is the color of your rainbow more vivid as you recognize the joy in Christ that you possess and experience?

 

Wednesday (GREEN) - Hope

Do you have hope? Are you a messenger of Hope? Allow the love and peace of God transcend your stress, alleviate your suffering, and transform your mind so that you can be a hopeful, hope filled person of faith.

 

Thursday (BLUE) - Rebirth,

Do you remember the promises that were made for you at baptism by your parents and Godparents? Can you close your eyes and allow the feeling of God’s love washing away your sins and making you whole? We love our friends for who they truly are, from what we see to what we know lies in their heart. As a human being we sin and offend God and those we love the most. Can you forgive yourself for the injuries you have caused against another, and can you forgive others who have offended you?

In and through our baptism we enter into the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, with our friends, are we faithful companions and witnesses of the power and presence of Christ in our lives?

By being merciful to those we trusted who have injured us and to let go of the injury takes grace, more grace and lots of grace.

It is easier to abandon them, hold a grudge and become bitter. We can die to self and be reborn in Christ when we forgive them and are reconciled, or we can choose to destroy them their reputation and our relationship with them and dwell in darkness. It’s our choice.

 

Friday (INDIGO) - Integrity

Are you a person of integrity? Do you have strong moral principles? Do you stand up as a witness to your faith? Do you see in yourself and in your friends: a person of good character, a fair person, a person that is truthful and trustworthy? All these virtues are aspects that make and create a rainbow of friendship. 

 

Saturday (VIOLET) - Peace

Is there someone you need to forgive so that you can be at peace with them?  Is your heart troubled and do you want to experience peace, healing, and reconciliation? Can you allow your friends to help you and bring you the comfort and peace that Christ wants for you? Are you a peacemaker and are the friends you choose peacemakers and instruments of God’s peace, love, and mercy?

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of November 7, 2021

Veterans Day this week and the end of day light savings time

Most of this week's Glimpse of God comes from OUR VETERANS: those who selflessly gave the ultimate sacrifice of their life for our country, those who survived in the midst of great suffering, death and despair, those who returned home with a great welcome, and those who returned with no fanfare at all, those who returned to their families who were there and supported them as they fought for our freedom and peace and those who came back to an empty house, all of these men and women Veterans are and will always be a Glimpse of God to me because no matter what war they fought or how it turned out, they said YES to God and their country and gave of themselves for others. Many of our grandparents, parents, children, siblings, neighbors, school alumni and community members, have served our country and are Veterans. Let us remember them thanks them and prayer for them. 

We celebrate Veterans Day this week, the day where we are called to remember those who said YES when asked to serve their country, who were called to return home to their God as they fought for our freedom and peace, and to thank those who survived the great trial of war and are left with the memories of their fallen comrades, their injuries, their isolation and the darkness that comes from war, death and their conscience.  Some of the Veterans who lived through great destruction, death and darkness will never speak of their experiences. They have placed them in a compartment of their soul that will not be brought out because of the impact, the devastation, and the sadness that they hold.

There are some Veterans who have selflessly fought the fight that our country called them to, but upon their return, their country did not recognize their battle, their cause, or their sufferings, and they are left feeling forgotten and alone. Whether the Veteran be that of WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Grenada, Iraq, Afghanistan, and other fronts in which our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard members have deployed and sacrificed, we owe a great debt of gratitude for their selfless sacrifice for our country and our freedoms.

As we begin a new week, we begin by gaining an hour of sleep, but losing substantial hours of day light time. How significant is this weekend to our Veterans and the celebration of Veterans Day? Although we may gain an hour of sleep this month, we lose significant day light and are navigating more in darkness again. We may complain about being tired and about the increased amount of darkness and less sunshine or light, we may even suffer from depression because there is less light to fill our day, and that is our reality.

BUT, as we reflect on our Veterans let us remember that they were surrounded by the darkness of fear, war, injury, and death and although daylight was a gift and an asset in and to their fighting strategy, it was also the same for the enemy. They were more than tired; they didn’t have the opportunity to take a nap or chill out with their kids, take a day off, walk their dog, go to the store and purchase a gift for their loved ones, or play on their phones. They were men and women who at a very young age were taught by their parents the importance of values, morals, respect for life, compassion, concern for other, and selflessness. I believe that they were taught that no matter what they did, where they were or how bad they felt, they were not alone. Their God was with them, and they were always in their heart, thoughts, and prayers. They signed up to serve their God, country, and fellow man. They did not make it a conditional enlistment. They signed up knowing that there would be moments, days or long spreads of time in darkness; physically, emotionally and spiritually, but this wasn’t meant to consume, defeat or overcome them.

They signed up to serve all people no matter what their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, or color of their skin was. They served as an instrument of God’s peace and in the most difficult situation, to protect lives, they had to take lives. They signed up to eliminate the darkness of prejudice, hatred, and discord, by living their lives and by giving the ultimate sacrifice of their life, they hoped to be a flicker of light, by their compassion, empathy, service, and commitment.

And then live with the horror of that action.  They bear the guilt and must deal with it so that they could be healed and become whole again. Some had and did, and some found the task too difficult. As we reflect on day light savings time and we want to complain about it or some aspect of it, let us take a moment to reflect on our veterans and how in and through their time of service, they were constantly vigilant about protecting life, serving their God, country, and fellow human being, and not losing hope. Let us try to follow their example and imitate the sacrifice, selflessness and the love for God and others by our actions, in our attitudes and through our prayers. 

 

SUNDAY – “V” –Voice

Our Veterans chose to use their voice to say Yes to serving and they have a voice today. They were called to use it to proclaim the freedom and the peace of God to those who were bound, unfree and living in fear. They used their voice as one of command with the troops, as well as one of reverence and respect as they pledged allegiance to the flag. Their voice carried as they shouted words of warning as well as when they shouted words of victory. They used their God given voice to serve God, country, and others. They were not ashamed, embarrassed, or afraid and neither should we be. Duty was not shirked but embraced!

For today have a voice, don’t swallow your thoughts, opinions, or perspectives out of fear, shame, or embarrassment. Don’t lose your voice over the loss of day light or complaining about it. Use your voice to proclaim how Christ light shines through the darkness of sin and that no matter how dark or lost one feels because the darkness of their sin, weakness or guilt, the light of God’s mercy, compassion, and love permeates and penetrates through the darkness.

God gave you a voice, a personal way of looking at things, a unique perspective so that you can share them with others. When you use your voice to serve God it is not a voice of control but more of humility, it is not a voice that belittles, but rather builds up, it is not a voice of condemnation but rather of compassion.  Do you realize that God uses your voice to build up His kingdom here on earth?

MONDAY – “E” – Empathy

To walk in another’s shoes and to attempt to see through the eyes of one another. Who among us has seen and heard what our veterans have done and how it has impacted the concepts of life and liberty for our nation? We have much to appreciate for the sacrifices of our Veterans and their love of God and country!

For today, seek to be empathetic to someone that has served or is serving our country and listen to their story. Listen with an open heart and seek to understand what they are saying. Allow them to tell their story and allow their story to transform you and expand your heart.

TUESDAY – “T” – Thankfulness

Most of our Veterans are thankful that they could serve their country. It wasn’t easy, but it was a job that needed to be done and they were there to do it. We are all called to do things that are not easy, but God has chosen us to do them because He knows us best and our hearts desire and chooses us because He knows that we are the best for the job. Being thankful is a choice that you make.  Although we can make people say thanks, you, can’t make someone feel thankful.

For today, be genuine in your thankfulness and your expression of gratitude. Let it come from deep down and not just in lip service. Start with God and end with yourself. God deserves your gratitude for the many blessings that He has bestowed upon you, especially the gift and love of Jesus His son, but He is also grateful to you for who you are, the person that He created you to be, and for your undivided heart that seeks to serve Him faithfully. Offer a prayer of gratitude for the gift of Christ’s light that can never be snuffed and the daylight that we so much need to guide us on our physical journey. As we enter the end of daylight savings time and more darkness emerges, let us remember that no matter how much physical day light may be missing, we have no reason to be afraid of the dark, Let us dedicate our life to living in the light of God’s love and being a person of compassion, trust, mercy, and peace so that others can walk in that light and not be afraid of the dark that the devil represents. 

WEDNESDAY – “E” – Embrace

Our Veterans were far from embracing. They did not have the blessing of a hug from their family or friends. When they were far away from home, they did not get to experience the joy of embracing their baby, their children, or their spouse, but they did have the grace to recognize that God is always embracing them and holding them deeply close to Himself.

For today, embrace someone that needs to feel the love and compassion of God through you.

There are many reasons for an embrace, it could be an embrace to offer reconciliation, extend peace, or share joy. We all need to be embraced. God wants to and is always there to embrace us spiritually and asks that we be there to extend His embrace to His sons and daughters who are in need of hope and feeling loved.

THURSDAY - “R”- Resurrection: This is the day that they Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad.

Our Veterans were men and women who had hope and did not let the circumstances that surrounded them defeat them. They were resurrection men and women. They lived through many good Fridays, but they stayed the course because they knew that Easter Sunday would follow, that there would be a resurrection and death would not have the final word.

Can you think of something that is causing you to keep looking in at the empty tomb and not believing that Jesus has risen, and that death does not have the final word? In what part of your life are you lacking in hope and choosing to stay in discouragement, or despair?

For today, be a resurrection people and choose to have hope and send the devil of despair away for good. Choose to embrace the end of daylight time, your mini tomb experiences, your cross, life challenges so that the fear of darkness dissipates, and you can begin to emerge from your tomb a renewed, healed, whole and jubilant believer.

FRIDAY - “A” – Anonymous

Our Veterans did not serve to become famous. They did not serve so that their names would be written everywhere, or that they would get extra benefits. They selflessly served, not selfishly, and they chose and continue to choose, to remain anonymous because they know that the glory and honor goes only to God not humans. They are heroes, heroines, but by choosing to be anonymous it allows them to grow in holiness, and humility so that they can serve God better.

For today, can you choose to be anonymous when choosing not to be, will afford you notoriety, fame and fortune. You are a resurrection people, let people know that and let them see that in your words, deeds, and actions.

SATURDAY – “N” – Never.

Don’t say never when asked to spend time with a Veteran.

The word never has a finality to it. Reach out to our service members ---- they are a part of our nation’s heritage and history whose lessons need to be passed on to future generations. The Greatest generation’s numbers are dwindling every day. So too our Korean vets and Vietnam Vets numbers are also growing smaller. Thank them, honor them, and please keep them and their families in your prayers.

For today, as you recall the words that Freedom is not free but is earned and must be treasured and respected each and every day, live them out by your support for veterans and your respect for what they have given you. As we all give honor and show respect for our Veterans, let us not lose sight of giving first God the glory and honor for choosing them to serve Him, their fellow human beings(us), and their country. Let us remember that although there may be more hours of darkness these days, that Gad’s love, call to commitment is always a sign and beacon of light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Reflection on All the Saints that walk with us, on this our mutual holy ground,

and

All the Souls that have walked with us on their journey of faith to their final reward:

Eternal rest, peace, and happiness in the loving embrace of God.

As we begin a new week, we enter it by looking back at yesterday as we observed Halloween, today as we honor All Saints Day and tomorrow as we commemorate All Souls Day.  Two of these days encompass that which we strive to be here one earth, sinners striving to be saints so that when we enter our eternal reward, we can join all those beloved souls of who have gone before us in faith. Halloween is God’s gift so that we can satisfy our sweet tooth and be a kid for a day.

To me, All Saints day is not just about those who have been officially declared saints by the Church and through their example and love for God, inspire us to seek a greater holiness. To me it means more than that. For me it is about those who walk on this mutual holy ground with us on our faith journey every day. It is about those who we are blessed to walk with, our beloved family members, friends, coworkers, community members, neighbors, parishioners and even the stranger.

As we walk with each other, the saints are those who endure our impatience, our weaknesses, have been the recipient of our sinful choices, tolerate our moodiness and our inability to be compassionate, pray for us as we are merciless and selfish, instead of being merciful and selfless, and see us at our worst and not our best and choose not to judge us or condemn us. They choose to remain with us because they know that that is what God would want them to do, and they also realize that is what God does for them as well. They, those saints in our lives; our parents, our family members, our spouse, our community members, our friends, fellow parishioners, choose to love us through and in all of that.

You might think of them as martyrs, but the difference is that they are not dying for their faith in us, but they are dying to their very self as they invite us to be a better person, the best person that God created us to be, and they know we have the potential to become.  They call us to a greater, deeper, and better knowledge of God through their life and their example. They invite us, by God’s design, to grow in relationship with Him. Those saints in our life choose to die to themselves, their desires for themselves while they are walking with us, so that they can show us what God truly desires for us and how we can best reach that. They are allowing God to make them His instrument as they walk with us on our mutual holy ground. Our parents, our spouse, our children and even those whom we do not know well are gifts from God, His instruments of love.

Like many gifts, we don’t always recognize their beauty or significance, purpose, or reason. As we live each day as sinful human beings, we are given the gift and presence of others who are also sinners striving to become saints, to help us see our self as God sees us; His beloved children, loved unconditionally and His greatest creation.

As we walk with each other on our faith journey here on earth, on this our mutual holy ground of God’s great creation, we walk together one with each other, one with Christ, so that we stay focused on the direction that will lead us to our eternal reward, that true and lasting holy ground.

Who is your faith journey saint? Who are you walking with that is inviting you to become your best self and at the same time, challenges and does not condemn you, when you are your worst self?  When you are in their presence, can you admit, that you see a something greater than just a Glimpse of God, but maybe a bigger picture of who God is? Does you saint inspire you? Lead you to a deeper sense of holiness and a spirit of humility? Is at peace with their God as they look in the mirror? And they can recognize themselves as a sinner, but more importantly they know and believe that in their sinfulness, God’s loves them unconditionally because they are His beloved child, His greatest creation?

Has God called your saint back home to Himself? As you remember their saintliness, can you pray to them now as they stand before God in the company of Mary and the communion of saints? Can you ask them to pray for you as you continue to be a sinner who also strives to be a saint here on earth?

All Saints Day and All Souls day should bring us a sense of peace as we think about the saints here on earth that we will walk with today, have walked with us in our yesterdays, and will walk with us in our tomorrows. Their souls, the souls of the just, are now resting in God’s loving embrace, but their memory, their love, their presence, will always remain in our hearts, and we should never forget them or think them to be gone forever.

Although we miss their physical presence, their presence and impression, their impact and their love will remain in our mind, within our heart and a part of our spirit, as long as we choose to remember them and not forget them.

As you enter a new week, take each day to remember those saints that walk with you and your saints that have walked before you to their final journey. Think of the virtues, qualities, gifts, and graces that God has bestowed on them that makes them saintly. As you admire these virtues and qualities in another one of God’s beloved children, ask him to help you nurture your own special gifts, qualities, charisms, virtues so that you can grow closer to Him. Ask for the grace to recognize those qualities, virtues, gifts, and charisms within yourself, those that will help you become your best self, the person that He created you to be and have the potential to become and will make you a living saint here on earth.

God has many gifts in store for you to help you as you seek to grow in holiness. Allow God’s goodness, His love, His invitation to grow with Him, His peace, His mercy, His dying example of selflessness and His loving embrace, be the glimpse, the big picture that keeps you focused on being the best person that you can be and want to be.

As you reflect on the saints that have journeyed with you and the souls that have gone before you, thank God for them, and in and in a spirit of humility, thank God for calling you to be a saint in their lives and on the faith journey of others. For the souls who have gone before you in faith, pray to them and for them as they find eternal rest, peace, and happiness in the loving embrace of God. If they have harmed you, or if you have caused them harm during their earthly journey, seek greater saintliness by forgiving them and seeking their forgiveness.
SUNDAY – “G” God’s goodness

God is good and gracious.  He provides all that we need to grow in relationship with Him. What glimpses or gifts has God placed in your life that have allowed you to grow in a deeper relationship with Him? Have you been given the gift of quiet time in the midst of your busy day? Have you been gifted with a better understanding of prayer and how God wants you to speak from your heart, honestly and without fear?  Can you recognize the goodness of others that surround you and how they have helped you grow in love with your God and in a deeper relationship with Him? Your parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, friends, co-workers, community members, neighbors? Thank God for being so good to you.

MONDAY – “L” God’s love

God’s love is eternal.  His love for you will never die, grow short, end or be restricted.  He loves you unconditionally. There is nothing that you can say or do that will make God love you less. Do you believe that? On your journey toward holiness, who is a beacon of the unconditional love of God? To whom have you been a beacon to of the unconditional love of God?

TUESDAY – “I” God’s invitation

God’s invitation is not a trick but a treat.  He invites us to be in relationship with Him. He invites us to be in communion with Him each and every day. This communion will be a communion of transformation, conversion, renewal, and refreshment. It is an invitation that comes not because we have earned it, or won it, or deserve it. It is free but it comes with a commission and mission. It is an invitation for us to unite our will to God’s so that we can be our best self, the person that He has created us to be, the person that others want us to be, and the person that we can face in the mirror and not run away from. Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to extend the invitation to others and be ready and willing to talk about the good news with them. Have you opened your invitation? Is it still sitting on your desk, unopened? Opened but still in the envelope?

Right out front ready to reread again and again? Is it in a prominent spot that reminds you of how much God loves you and wants to be in relationship with you?

Say your own RSVP. No regrets.

 

WEDNESDAY – “M” God’s mercy

God’s mercy is such a gift. It requires grace to share it, grace to receive it and grace to extend it. Can you recognize how God’s grace has opened your heart to receive His mercy and can you see how you have extended it to others? How has mercy been extended to you? 

Blessed are the merciful they shall be shown mercy….

 

THURSDAY – “P” God’s peace

We can’t experience true peace without God. In the midst of life, where we can get stressed out and anxious, the peace that God longs for us to have and hold onto is overshadowed by many other things.  Being at peace doesn’t mean that there will not be times of stress, but rather it can mean that in the midst of the stress, when we can turn over our concerns to God trusting in His infinite wisdom, we trust that we will not feel overwhelmed, alone or anxious.  In the midst of life, when we invite God to walk with us through it all, His presence brings about the peace that we need so that we can keep putting one foot in front of the other and not turn back. The prayer of Saint Francis, the prayer for peace, is a foundational prayer that when one prays it, one begins to experience what true peace is and can be. As we pray for peace with Saint Francis, we begin to see as a co-worker in the vineyard of God, building His kingdom one brick, one act of mercy, one prayer at a time.

What is you level of peace? is it at the brim flowing over and abounding? Is it in the middle, half of peace yet still the other half filled with worry, concern, and anxiety? Is it on empty, because your worries, anxieties, weaknesses have sucked up all your peace and left you deflated, discouraged, or defeated? Good news!!! God’s peace flows like a river, it will never run dry, it will never leave you empty, and it will never be denied.

Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall experience peace…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FRIDAY – “S” God’s selflessness and selfishness

God calls us to be selfless not selfish. Jesus’ death was a selfless act of unconditional love and surrender. He chose to die for us so that we can experience eternal peace, joy, and happiness with Him when our earthly journey is ended. How are you called to be selfless? How hard is it to selfless and not selfish? How do others encourage you to be selfless? Who has been a selfless model for you to follow? When you are tempted to be selfish instead of selfless, what changes your mind?

Only God can be selfish and when He is it is for our own good. God is selfish in that He wants us for Himself. He loves us so much that He wants us to be in relationship with Him while here on earth so that we can see Him face to face when our earthly journey has ended. He wants us to give our time to Him and not spend so much on the computer, playing video games, texting, partying, over working, self-medicating because only when we give our time to Him in prayer can we recognize and receive the graces that we need to grow to be our best self.  God is selfish in that HE is the only God, and He doesn’t want us to be deceived by the devil in believing that the world and all that it allures us with, is a god.  Only God forms us in our Mother’s womb, gives us life, nurtures us throughout our earthly life with the sacraments of the church, gives us His grace so that we can live and be the best person that we can be, and promises us eternal life.

There is no god but God. Who or what is your god: consumerism, social status, power, prestige, laziness, self-centeredness, ego? have you been deceived by your god? Do you allow the only one true God into your heart and mind so that He can steer you clear of the false gods that are ready to claim you as their own?

 

SATURDAY – “E” God’s embrace

It is the embrace of God, the love of God, the spiritual hug from God that makes one stronger, healthier, healed, whole, at one with God. How far are you from God’s embrace? What does the embrace look like? Is it in the face of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, healing, rest, enjoyment, fun, laughter, or in the form of pets, creation, the sunrise, or the sunset? God’s embraces here on earth are as many and as often as one opens their heart and mind to seeing and experiencing them.  Our greatest spiritual embrace is the Holy Eucharist, but yet we, as the body of Christ, are called to be embracers, to embrace others. How have you been God’s embrace to others? How have others been God’s embrace to you? As you walk with those saintly people in your life, how have their embraces lessened your fear, calmed your spirit, healed your soul, and awakened your hope?

 

 

 

 

 

GLIMPSE OF GOD FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 24, 2021

“Walking”

This week’s Glimpse of God on “Walking” comes from my husband John. As he presented the challenge to me, it came after a very long and casual walk with Clover, our golden retriever. After he said it, may thoughts came to my mind like, why do we walk, what do we walk towards or away from. If we define walking as placing one foot in front of the other and this sounds so simple, what do we allow to deter us from placing one foot in front of the other each day? Who or what motivates us to place one foot in front of the other? What trips us up, makes us go backward, causes us to walk quickly or even stand still? Who or what sets our walking pace?

Is it joy, happiness, love, fear, anxiety stress or pain, and when these factors set the pace, do we think that we are in control, or do we allow God to be in control?  Where is God in our walking? Is He there as we place one foot in front of the other or even when we keep our feet still, firmly planted? Are we walking with God when we choose to sit down, standstill, or fail to go forward and regress to spiritually walking backwards? Are we walking with God when we need assistance because our bodies cannot walk any longer and we are restricted to being in a wheelchair or having to use a walker or a cane?

If we are healthy and can walk on our own yet we walk with a grudge, bitterness, or anger, are we walking with God or have we left Him and chose to walk alone? If we choose to carry bitterness and hatred, jealousy, and worry, are we really walking or are we limping along on our spiritual journey? As we walk, the very decision to walk involves making a choice and following it with an action. When we place one foot in front of the other, we do so that we can get to our destination, so that we can move forward.

Many times, as we place one foot in front of the other, we are not even aware of our action. We were taught to walk as babies and we have been doing it ever since.  When we were just babies and learning to walk, we probably smiled and laughed with our parents because we had just take our very first steps by our self.  We may have fallen a few times, but we got right back up and kept going.  Today, as we get older, walking may be more difficult or challenging. The physical action of walking may be painful or leave us unsteady, yet each time we decide to place one foot in front of the other, despite the challenge we are facing, we progress forward to our destination.

Walking in our spiritual life is no different. When we choose to walk with our Lord, we may at times place one foot in front of the other with confidence, faith, and trust and yet there are other times as we think about placing one foot in front of the other, we become afraid and spiritually unsteady. As God’s beloved children, we need Him to lead and guide us on our spiritual life journey. When we choose to walk without Him, it is like we are walking in the dark and our steps falter. Although we think and even try to walk alone because we want to be in control or feel that God has abandoned us because of our sinfulness, we are never alone and even when we fall short of being our best self, God lifts us up, and helps us to become steady again.

Like our parents who were proud of us as we took our first steps, our God is always proud of us as we choose to take each step with Him. He smiles as we place one foot in front of the other despite the weight of our cross or the stress of life challenges. There may be times when we need the assistance of others to walk so that we don’t fall, or of a wheelchair because our limbs can’t carry our weight, or a cane so that we do not lose our balance, yet all of these are not tools that God gives us to punish or embarrass us, but rather to assist us as we choose to walk with Him as He sees best. The choice to walk with Him is in response to the graces received at our baptism. We choose to walk with Christ on our earthly journey so that we can reach our final destination of being reunited with Him in heaven when our earthly journey has ended.

As with our physical health and the need to use the instruments or tools of a wheelchair, cane, walking stick, or walker, arises to help us walk and not be injured, it is similar in our spiritual life. The need to utilize the graces given to us through the of the Sacraments of the Church especially Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, enable us to walk with God and others.

Developing and nurturing a prayer relationship with God, spiritual support and guidance and community all are graces that empower us to walk with our Lord and each other so that we can become our best self, the person that God created us to be, and we have the potential to become. As children, tweens, young adults, and older adults, we may be able to physically walk without the assistance of a wheelchair, cane, walking stick, or walker. There are times as God’s beloved children, that we may think we are spiritually strong enough and in control, independent and self-supporting, and do not recognize the need for spiritual assistance, yet it is those very times that the devil is tempting us and pulling us away from God. He is making us believe that we do not need God or others on this earthly journey and that we can achieve eternal salvation on our own. It is those very times that we need the graces and the gifts of the sacraments, prayer, and others so that we do not fall and fail to get up, go backwards and not recognize that things are just wrong.

As we begin a new week during this beautiful season of autumn, let us choose to walk with God and others with a renewed sense of joy and happiness. Let our choice and our action to place one foot in front of the other remind us that Christ made that choice in our place and gave up His life freely, selflessly and without a grudge. Let us walk with each other with compassion and mercy. Let us look at our steps backwards not with regret, shame, or guilt, but rather as transformative graces and gifts from God trusting that He knows our heart and our desire to do His will and when we fail to go forward, He has our back and uses the experience to help us so that we can become our best self, the person that HE created us to be and have the potential to become.

 

SUNDAY – “W” Walking alone or with others.

When we walk with others, do we see them as instruments of God’s peace in our life? When we walk by our self, are we able to recognize that we are instruments of God’s peace in the lives of others? When we walk alone or with others, do we look at our steps or just take them for granted? Each step on our spiritual journey is a step towards holiness as we all are sinners striving to become saints. Each step of mercy, compassion, forgiveness, love, reconciliation is a step towards us becoming our best self and helping others to become their best self in the light of God’s love. As builders of God’s kingdom here on earth, we can only build His kingdom one step, one prayer, one act of kindness, one act of mercy at a time.

For today: as you choose to walk alone or with others, look at each step you take as one step closer to seeing Christ in yourself and in them. As you seek to recognize Christ in all those you encounter, as well as when you look in the mirror, offer a prayer of gratitude to God for bringing you one step closer to seeing Him more clearly, loving Him more dearly and following Him more nearly each day.

MONDAY – “A” Assistance while you walk: cane, walker, walking stick, dog or another’s hand.

The moment that we enter into being, the moment that we take our first breath, we can find our self needing the assistance of another, whether it be for a short time or an extended period of time. God places others like our parents, extended family members, friends and sometimes strangers to help us as we walk on our earthly journey. There are also times that we need the assistance of tools or instruments to help us walk. People can be there to offer us support and encouragement, yet there are times when God places His instruments to aid us as we walk.

These are not meant to deter from wanting to walk or taking the first steps, but rather to encourage us to take each step with courage and trust. When we are unsteady or unable to walk on our own, we have the gift of a wheelchair, cane, walking stick, or walker. These can be seen as gifts because they allow us to live with a quality of life that is better than remaining in bed or sedentary. These gifts allow us to get around, be mobile, walk with God and others and not be defeated or discouraged by our limitations. Although we may not be able to put one foot in front of the other without assistance, this does not diminish our self-worth or God’s love for us.

In our spiritual life, God places instruments in our life to help us walk with a more steady pace. These instruments can look like the cane of courage, the walker of unwavering faith and dedication, the wheelchair of motivation and determination, the hand of humility and the feet of faithfulness. It is in and through these instruments that God’s presence, His love, and His healing is occurring. As we seek to be open to God’s presence through these instruments and our surrender to God’s will in our life, we are being healed, not of the physical or spiritual limitations that requires us to use them, but rather the doubt, discouragement or frustrations of needing to ask for help. Jesus accepted help; how can we not?

For today: look at the many instruments that you use to assist you as you walk on your spiritual journey; others, humility, obedience, patience, acceptance, and openness, and as you walk, seek to recognize them as God’s instruments of love, for your healing and becoming whole.

 

TUESDAY – “K” kickstarting – what gets you going, makes you walk: energy, others, nature.

How do you begin your walk? Stressed out, weary, determined? Spiritually, how do you begin or what makes you walk with God or away from God? When we are happy, things are going well, we feel good, we can walk with joy in our step and with a quicker pace. We may walk as if the weight of our burdens or stresses, has been taken away or lessened, and it shows. What makes you walk with God? Your heart full of gratitude, your spirit overflowing with thanksgiving, your body being energized by the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that have been showered upon you. What makes you walk away from God? Shame, weakness, sin, or guilt? As we choose to place one foot in front of the other, there are those things that can weigh our foot down so that we cannot walk right, we stumble and fall. The devil places that weight upon us because he knows that if our feet are stuck, we will also be stuck. If we allow our self to be afraid or ashamed of God because of our sin, guilt, weaknesses, or shortcomings, then the devil becomes the Kickstarter and we become the kicked. On our spiritual journey, as we discover or recognize those things that keep us from going forward, God gives us His grace and that is enough. He knows what we need and when, and that is when He places His grace in our life to motivate us to walk with Him and others.

For today: kickstart: Help another who is stuck and unable to get going, to go forward. Be their kickstarter, their reason to turn over and begin anew, their instrument of peace.

 

WEDNESDAY – “L” levels of walking: speed walking, amble or unsteady due to injury or illness

As you spend some quiet God time walking, do you have an idea of the spiritual pace that you are walking? Is your pace quick, so that you can just go to the next thing on your check list? You gave God some time, now you have move on.  Is your pace more like a meander pace where you want to be still with God, yet not completely still so that you have to listen more, where you might hear Him tell you how much He loves you, adores you and wants the best for you, and this might make you want to run and not walk? Is your pace unsteady due to the spiritual injuries that you have suffered at the hands of others or that you have caused? Is your pace unsteady due to dis -ease where you need to, desire to, experience the healing graces of God in the sacrament of reconciliation?

For today: Look at your pace and ask God to help you walk at a pace that will allow you to grow closer to Him, and others. A pace that will bring forth a greater spirit of humility so that you do not choose to walk ahead of others because of pride or self-righteousness.

A pace that will allow you to walk with compassion and accompany those who are behind you. Not because of their education level, their addiction, or their status, but because of the weight of their cross is slowing them down.   A pace that will invoke mercy from you as you want to pass them by, where you want to leave them on the road so that you can get ahead and leave them in their sin, their bad choice, and their weakness. A pace that will help you to stop and see yourself as God sees you, His beloved child, loved unconditionally and His greatest creation.

For today: Pace yourself.

 

THURSDAY – “I” what is your incentive to walk: better health, lose weight, quiet time.

As you decide to take a walk, what is your incentive, who or what is behind you wanting to put one foot in front of the other? There are probably days when we have woken up and getting out of bed was more of a challenge than it needed to be. We might have been weary from not getting enough sleep, pure exhaustion set in as we looked at what needed to be done that day, we may not have been feeling well physically, the weather may have been dreary or whatever reason, I think we can all say that we have experienced those kinds of days. It is on those types of days where we had to make a conscious choice to get out of bed, place one foot in front of the other and go forward, verses putting the covers over our head, pressing the snooze button, and hoping none caught on. So, as we can all recall those kinds of days, what motivated you to get out of bed, place one foot in front of the other and walk with God, others or for yourself? Was it your commitment to get healthy, stay healthy or to lose weight? Was it to honor and reverence your quiet time with God? Was it to bond with your dog and embrace their unconditional love, support, and affection?

For today: as you recognize what your incentive is that makes you want to walk with God, others and for yourself, be encouraged by it, cherish it, pray for it, and share its fruit with others.

FRIDAY – “N” nature walking; to observe, appreciate and be in awe of God’s creation.

Walking in nature is a like walking in grace because in and through all of God’s creatures and creation, He is alive and well, present and bursting with light and love. God is everywhere especially in His creation that shines through the windows of our home and our heart. God’s love shines through the window of our heart, that place where love dwells and there is no room for darkness. God’s love dwells in and through the windows of our homes, where the beauty, the color, the radiating joy bursts forth, where we can behold God through his creatures that hover above or crawl below. What an awesome walk.

For today: as you walk in nature or observe nature from inside, take a moment to recognize the many gifts of creation; birds and bugs, animals, and trees, that you are being given the gift to behold and thank God for each of them. As we strive to recognize the many gifts that are before us, may we open the eyes of our heart, mind, and spirit to recognize the gift that we are before God and others.

 

SATURDAY – “G” God time walking where your walk is your prayer.

How do you pray when you walk? Is your God time, the quiet time that you choose to reverence Him and your relationship with Him, either inside or outside, a time that allows you the opportunity to grow in your relationship with Him? Is your walk with God focused on the steps that you take going forward where you want to grow in your relationship with Him? Is your walk focused on the steps where you have gone backwards due to sin, weakness or shame and you truly desire to go forward and be reconciled? Or is your God time a time where you have stopped walking or felt that you could not walk any further? You only want to rest in the Lord? Our spiritual journey walk is one of greatness in that God can accomplish great things through us if we allow Him. When we realize that we do not have the energy or desire to walk one more step, it does not mean that we chose to stop walking with the Lord. It is in those times where and when God chooses to carry us so that we can be renewed, healed and whole.

For today: Allow God to carry you without complaining or condemning yourself. God knows our heart, our needs, and our limitations. When He chooses to carry us, it is not because He wants us to think that we have failed, so when we want to judge our self harshly as being too weak or incapable, let us be reminded that even Jesus accepted help in carrying His cross, and as His followers we are called to be Simon of Cyrene to others and allow others to be Simon to us

 

 

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of October 17,2021

SInce we will be away overnight this Saturday, I knew that I would not will not be able to use my computer, so I composed the Glimpse for next week and am giving it to you early.

Please continue refelcting on this current week's glimpse on teh Prayer of Saint Francis

and then take a look at this one on the 7 Dwarfs for next week.

This Glimpse of God comes as we arrived home from vacation at Disney World in Orlando, Florida

We normally go during Labor Day week, but in April of this year when we decided to get away, so we went to Orlando. As usual, we stayed at the Shades of Green which is the Military hotel right in center of the many Disney resorts. BUT what we did not know in April was because of COVID, the parks were on ticket with a reservation system. Which means you could have park hopper tickets, but without a reservation your park hopping became park stopping. When we purchased the 3-day park hopper tickets, we could only get into Epcot, since the parks were fully booked. The good news is that the park hopper tickets are good until December 31st of this year, the not so good news is that we would just have to return to Disney. What a shame. When would be good to return? That was a no brainer. Our anniversary is October 4th and John’s birthday is October 5th, so we booked a quick trip from October 4th thru the7th. We made reservations with our park hopper tickets, we were able to get a good price on flights, we were able to reserve a car and the hotel had rooms available. WOW a bundle of God’s goodness revealed, and it is the 50th anniversary of the opening of Disney World, so cool.

We eagerly awaited the good weather, the fun shine, the time to GROW DOWN and let the little kid within us to come out. I don’t believe that anyone can really be an adult in Disney, it takes the little kid inside all of us to recognize and appreciate all the joy and happiness that one will behold in Disney. God invites us, in his unique and surprising ways, to let the little child from within come out so that we can allow our self to truly embrace the beauty and fun that surrounds us.

At the same time, we can also appreciate the vision that Walt Disney had when he created a place where dreams come true, and happiness is an experience that is not out of anyone’s grasp. For us, I am reminded of how for the past 50 years, Disney has been and continues to be an a gift from God to remind us that no matter what is going on in life, there is a time and place to be still and know that God is God, that we will emerge as victor and we all are invited to be childlike. Walt Disney took that invitation very seriously and not just for himself. As a to visionary, he provided the tools to all those who pass through the gates that say Welcome to Disney World where dreams come true, to become more childlike so that dreams can and will come true. Disney is place, and experience, an encounter with God, that invites us to remember what it means to have fun, to put away the masks that we use to hide behind so that others don’t or won’t get to know who we really are, and to allow our hearts to expand as we embrace and love the child that emerges.  It is a place where we can easily break down that walls that keep our true self from emerging and keep others from getting close to us.

Disney is a Glimpse of the God who created all things, and provides for us, His children, those things in life that will allow us to grow and become the best person that we can be.  Disney calls us to grow down and be more childlike so that we can grow and rekindle the trust, love, joy, respect, and mutual understanding in each other. God invites us to be a kid at heart, to laugh, to smile more often, to sometimes say the dumbest or weirdest thing and not feel embarrassed or beat our self up over. God wants us to be childlike in that He wants us to live without the fear, anxiety, stress, worry or discouragement that has taken over the adult body that we live in. He is in control and wants us to be more open to new things and the changes that can heal us and make us more whole, and an inner realization that when we take life too seriously, we can miss the moments of joy, laughter, and peace that God provides.

There are many characters in Disney World that bring make me smile and remind me that God is behind their character and within their heart. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Daisy and Donald Duck, Pluto, Dumbo, Pooh and the many others, but for this week’s daily reflection, I have chosen the 7 dwarfs (a revised reflection) of and how they call us to emerge from our serious self to our fun and true self, OUR CHILD LIKE SELF.

 

Sunday “BASHFUL”

There are times when we are bashful and can’t be as outgoing as others are. That is who we are. God didn’t create us to all be the same, that would be boring. It is through our differences, our varied talents and abilities, our gifts, and our hearts that brings to life the picture that God has created on His canvas of His creation. God doesn’t want His children to feel inadequate or less than human. When we shrink into our self and fail to be God’s voice or action because we are bashful, then we fail to act as His follower.

A curse: Is being bashful or shy a mask that you hide behind so that others cannot approach you, or is it a wall that allows you to hide behind your own emptiness, weaknesses, or feelings of inadequacy? When you are bashful, is it because you don’t have the self-confidence or self-esteem that would bring you out of yourself to speak and be with others?

A blessing: Being bashful can be a blessing as well. When we are bashful, we are allowing others to step out of themselves and be the center of attention. We are allowing others to speak, clown around, have fun and we don’t have to be in the center of it all. Being bashful can be an act of selflessness in that we step back so that others can step forward.

For Today…God has placed before you a blessing and a curse. Choose that which will allow you to grow into the best person that you can be, that God has created you to be and have the potential to become.

 

Monday “DOC”

What’s up Doc? Do we associate Doc with Doctor? What feelings does that suggest?

If we think of a Doctor, we might think of the men and women that are God’s instruments of healing and compassion as we, or those that we love, carry their crosses of physical, emotional, and psychological illnesses. The Doc is the one that gives direction, shares wisdom, listens attentively, and has your best interest at heart.  God is the divine physician that we turn to when our bodies, heart, mind, or spirit, are drained and in need of healing, replenishment, renewal, and transformation.

A curse: There are times when we, or those we know, fall into the litany of illnesses and ailments. The first thing that they choose to talk about is what is wrong and aching, and not what is right and good. There are those who try to doctor their illnesses and avoid seeking professional help. There are those who must see Doctors frequently. Only God knows what is ailing us and how we need to be healed. We can try to be our own doc by going online and reading up on a certain condition, or help diagnose others, but the reality is that only God knows what truly needs to be healed and how it can best be done. Although we have a great deal of information at our disposal, we cannot cure our diseases or properly diagnose them alone. We need the help of professionals.

 

 

A blessing: As you reflect on your medical conditions or those of someone close to you, seek to see God’s healing in the attitude that you possess. The attitude of gratitude will enable you to be free and open to God’s healing power as He chooses to reveal it to you. As you feel the aches and pains that your body has become too familiar with, remember that healing isn’t always going to occur the way you expect it to. I also believe that living or dying with cancer is not an obstacle to getting into heaven as much as being bitter, resentful, unforgiving, angry or holding a grudge. Your ailment may just be God’s grace to gain true healing and peace.

For Today… Choose that which will allow you to grow into the best person that you can be, that God has created you to be and have the potential to become.

Tuesday “SNEEZY”

Sneezing…can be many things, but the one aspect of sneezing at I will focus on is how it is a call to prayer and a cause for blessing. When we hear someone sneeze, we naturally say God Bless You. We don’t know if they ae believers or not, and yet we still invoke that blessing and prayer. We don’t do that to cause any tension with the person that sneezed, but rather we realize what a sneeze signifies, and for that brief period we ask God to watch over them.

A curse: Sneezing can be due to allergies, a cold, or the flu. In any case, sneezing can be annoying and very frustrating. Ask God to heal your cold or flu or at least to make sure that you don’t spread your germs to the next person.

A blessing: The next time you hear someone sneeze, say God Bless You. Don’t abbreviate it by just saying bless you. When we sneeze, our heart stops briefly and asking God’s blessing is a selfless prayer. Don’t let society or what is politically correct or incorrect dictate how you pray or express your concern for others.  

For Today…God has placed before you a blessing and a curse. Choose that which will allow you to grow into the best person that you can be, that God has created you to be and have the potential to become.

Wednesday “GRUMPY”

Being Grumpy or being around someone who is grumpy is no fun. The lack of joy can bring down one’s spirit quickly. When someone is being Grumpy, there is a spirit of joy that is lacking due to stress, weariness, worry, discouragement probably because of life’s demands and challenges. One can choose to be grumpy or not. One can choose to share their misery with others or keep it between themselves and God.  Being Grumpy also shows others that things are not right. It shows others that one is stressed whereas one would not choose to talk about their hidden stresses or concerns.

Being Grumpy, although not pleasant to experience, is a sign that one needs to seek the consolation of Christ and not the carry the worries of the world without Him.

A curse: We can make excuses for being Grumpy, but in the end, no one deserves our bad attitude. We can try to carry the world; its problems, sins, and struggles, on our shoulders and complain when it gets too heavy, but the reality is that only God can carry his creation on His shoulders, and He does not ask anyone of us to do it for Him. Jesus did that once for all on the cross. We may want to act as a martyr and when no one recognizes that we are acting as one, we get mad because our efforts go unnoticed. We become grumpier and less desirable to be around. If we stop to think about how we are acting and why, we then can recognize that we have no reason to be Grumpy. The martyrs and the saints did not walk around Grumpy, but rather happy in the Lord, and they rejoiced in their suffering because they knew that they were not alone, and that God was with them.

A blessing: As you feel the weight of the physical, emotional, and psychological demands of your life, your family’s well-being, your employment demands and the personal health issues that are your cross to carry, take a moment to reflect on the cross. Pray and ask to see how Christ responded to those who threatened His inner peace and strength and seek His grace to do the same.

For Today…God has placed before you a blessing and a curse. Choose that which will allow you to grow into the best person that you can be, that God has created you to be and have the potential to become.

Thursday “HAPPY”

Only in, with and through God can true and lasting happiness be experienced.  We can try to find happiness in the things of the world, but it is an elusive happiness, one that does not last, and one that can take us away from God and not towards Him. What does it mean to be happy? Does it mean winning the lottery, or being without aches or pains, or having the biggest and the best of everything? Only God knows what can make each one of us truly happy, but we need to seek that answer from Him and not from the world.  There are those who pretend to be happy by pasting a smile on so that others don’t know their pain or suffering. There are also those who don’t know how to be happy, who choose not to want to be happy. I believe that true happiness comes when we realize that God is with us, that He loves us unconditionally, that we are His greatest creation and that there is nothing that we can say or do that will make Him love us less. We don’t have to wear a mask, or paste on a smile, but rather accept the challenges of life with a surrender and trust that enables us to see through the darkness moments to God’s amazing light.

A curse: When we fake happiness to make another feel good, we are not being true to our self. We can say that we are happy, yet we are really confused, miserable and discontented. When we strive to make others happy at our own expense, we can diminish our own self-worth. Being happy isn’t something that we should fake, but rather we should be honest about. God knows our hearts and knows when life stresses disrupt or challenge our happiness. God does not want us to lie and say that we are happy if we are not. When we do this, we deny that which is robbing us of happiness.

Instead, God would like us to be honest and say why we can’t feel or experience happiness so that He can help us rediscover the deep and true happiness that only He can provide and that lies within.

A blessing: Pray for someone who is grasping for the elusive happiness of the world and not of God. Pray that they may experience the true happiness that only God can provide.  Happiness isn’t fleeting, we can be happy during our struggles as well as in our joys, we can smile and share our happiness with others. Others can recognize when you are truly happy. If you are truly happy, wouldn’t you want others to also have that experience? God wants you to share the wealth of joy and happiness. Pass it on.

For Today…God has placed before you a blessing and a curse. Choose that which will allow you to grow into the best person that you can be, that God has created you to be and have the potential to become.

 

Friday “SLEEPY”

God rested on the 7th day. He created our bodies to get rest. He knows our needs. He knows that for us to best serve Him we need the proper amount of rest, nutrition, and relaxation. Jesus ate and relaxed with friends. Jesus rested

A curse: When we are tired or sleepy because we work too much or are so busy that getting the proper amount of rest doesn’t happen, then our bodies suffer. We can be sleepy all the time. If we are, then not only will our bodies suffer, but our heart, mind and spirit will also suffer. Sleep deprivation can be traumatic to our body and can cause us to make some horrific mistakes. Parents are the heroes that when it comes to sleep deprivation, they know it best. But even the best parents will admit that not getting enough sleep makes them grumpy and not their best self before God, their families and them self.

A blessing: Pray for those who are suffering from sleep deprivation due to being new parents, illness, sleep apnea, physical pain, worry, and ask that God give rest to their bodies, refreshment to their souls and peace in their heart.

For Today…God has placed before you a blessing and a curse. Choose that which will allow you to grow into the best person that you can be, that God has created you to be and have the potential to become.

 

Saturday “DOPEY”

We can all recognize times in our life that we were dopey or just not with it, where we may have said or done something that was completely out of our character. We can look back and laugh now, but probably couldn’t  or didn’t then. Sometimes we can claim to be dopey, simple, or ignorant of something just to get out of our responsibilities or to use it as an excuse. Yet, being dopey or simple can be a time where we choose to learn and not act as if we know it all. We can take our Dopey moments to seek wisdom from another so that we can share it with others.

A curse: We can falsely claim to be simple, dopey, or ignorant, but if we are only doing so to get out of something or to ridicule those who are physically, emotionally, or psychologically slow, then we are disrespecting God and doing others a great injustice. We cannot and will not always be the brightest bulb in the pack, but if we are true to our self, God and others, our light, though dim at times, will be the beacon that draws others to see, know  and love God more and want to know Him better.

A blessing: Thank God for the spirit of simplicity. The gift of a simple mind is not one that is to be ridiculed but respected. It is a mind that has learned or is learning how not to complicate things, to appreciate all of God’s gifts and not to take them so much for granted. As you look back on some of your Dopey moments, take another moment to see how it has been in and through them that you have grown to better appreciate and respect the gift of wisdom, silence, compassion, and mutual understanding.

For Today…God has placed before you a blessing and a curse. Choose that which will allow you to grow into the best person that you can be, that God has created you to be and have the potential to become.

 

GLIMPSE OF GOD FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 10, 2021

As I reflect on Saint Francis and the Prayer for Peace, I can only imagine how many distractions we all face as we reflect on and pray the prayer for peace and how the distractions take us away from obtaining a moment of peace. This past week, as a daily reflection I proposed that we think about what is required to bring about true peace and what we allow to disrupt or deny us experiencing peace and allowing God to touch our life with His gift of harmony, lasting joy, and deeper love. (see last week's Glimpse beneath this one for a reference to the beginning of the Prayer fro Peace)

For this week’s Glimpse of God, I will continue with the prayer of Saint Francis and how we sometimes allow distractions to interfere with what God wants to give us, what we pray for, or ask to have granted us. As we reflect on the prayer and conclude with the Amen, let us allow our desire and faith, our AMEN, to permeate our being so that we can truly be builders of God’s Kingdom here on earth and God’s instrument of peace in our families, workplace, neighborhoods, communities, church, society, and world.

 

SUNDAY - Oh Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

What distractions keep us from consoling another? Is it pride, ego or our need to be the center of others attention and focus? Is the momentary distraction that of a lack of trust since we find it difficult offering consolation because we feel as if we will say or do the wrong thing? It is okay to seek consolation when we are distressed, sorrowful or grieving, God is not going to deny us that grace or gift or the people to offer it to us. But when we find our self seeking to be consoled knowing that there is another who is suffering and in need of consolation, that can be a momentary distraction of selfishness. When we thoughtlessly turn the attention to our self, then the devil is placing a distraction before us. It is then that we need to recognize that it is only with and by the grace of God that we will be able to put it aside. What distraction is being placed before you that you find that you are more often selfishly seeking to be consoled rather than selflessly offering consolation to another?

Prayer for today: Lord, grant me the grace so that I may seek more to offer consolation than to be consoled.

 

MONDAY - To be understood as to understand and

WOW, that short prayer says so much. How many times or how often do we find ourselves saying that someone did not understand us? What does that mean or look like? How do you feel after the comment emerged? Angry, frustrated, discouraged, confused? When we seek to be understood, we are usually looking for someone to identify or empathize with us and in our needs. We share with others that we trust, our concerns during times of stress, worry, illness, or family or work struggles. In our trust of those we open ourselves up to, we hope and expect that they will understand us and extend some form of encouragement and support. AND when that understanding or support is not met or we feel as if our concerns were dismissed, that hurts. Yet we are called to forgive and not seek to get even by ignoring the other or dismissing their concerns when they come to us.

When we seek to better understand another we are acting through, with and in Christ. Those that Jesus walked with, healed, touched, and ministered to, despite His unconditional love for them, did not accept His message and chose to walk in the other direction.

The devil placed before them ignorance and fear, so that they could not surrender to and accept their need for conversion and transformation.  Their understanding for spiritual fulfillment and their hunger being satisfied was misguided by the devils lie that he understood their needs better than Jesus and that he could fulfill them without any spiritual conversion or transformation, since these were not necessary.

In our life today, the devil is still misleading God’s people to believe the same thing. That he understands us better than God, and that we do not need to understand others, since he’s got that. We seek to understand others and we seek others to understand us, because we cannot do it ourselves. God places others in our life and us in other’s life so that we can mutually be empathetic, sympathetic, compassionate, kind and be selfless when life challenges and cross experiences are shared and a genuine need to know God’s will is desired. What distractions keep you from understanding others and not always seeking their sympathy, compassion, or support?

Prayer for today: Lord, grant me the grace so that I may seek more to be understanding than to be understood

 

TUESDAY - To be loved as to love,

Being loved. A prayer and need that we all have and desire. To be loved, to be cared for, to be needed, all of these are essential or part of the weaving of our human nature. These needs or desires, among many other needs and desires, all gifts from God, enable and empower us to want to grow to be our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become. So why is the prayer stress as to love? Easy but challenging answer. To me, when we are loved, we are called to share that love with a genuine and authentic heart, and not superficially. God consoles us, understands us, and loves us unconditionally and it is that very gift of consolation, understanding and love that we are called to share with others. Although our consolation, understanding and love are imperfect, our wanting to share these gifts is a sign of our love for God, others and self, and God knowing our heart makes up for what is lacking in us as we seek to be His instrument of peace, love, compassion, and mercy to others. Do you love yourself and what does that mean? How do we love others if we do not feel loved or love our self? God loves you and me unconditionally and He showed His love for you and me when He chose Mary to be the Mother of His Son, a woman, our Blessed Mother who could understand all that we experience and can guide us toward Her Son. He showed the depth of His love when His only Son, Jesus Christ, who chose to endure His passion, suffer and die on the cross, and rise from the dead. You were in His heart when He did this, He did this for you. You were not exempt for these acts of love. You are God’s beloved son or daughter, His greatest creation oved unconditionally and without reserve or cost. When we love our self, others, and God, it is then that we reflect the love that God has planted in our heart because it has permeated our very being.  It is then that we respond the prayer as to love.

For today. Love yourself, be good to yourself, forgive yourself, pamper yourself, be kind to

yourself. That is God.

 

WEDNESDAY - For it is giving that we receive,

What are we giving away, giving up, giving into, and what will we receive, get back, hold onto? We can give of our self by giving our gift of presence to those in need of an ear to listen, a

shoulder to cry on, a hand to raise up. Presence is a gift that is meant to be given to those in need. We might not know what to say at a given time, but the Holy spirit will fill our mind and heart when the time is right and if words are meant to spoken or silence is meant to be reverenced.  

What we receive back is the grace to be God’s presence, His instrument of peace to those He places on our spiritual and earthly journey. So, back to the first questions. What are we giving away? Perhaps our time for others whose time is being occupied by daily stresses, worries, concerns, illness and our time with them brings them a sense of belonging, peace, comfort and encouragement. What are we giving up, perhaps selfishness? We can think of so many things that we need to do, to check off of our list, and yet when another who is need calls upon us, that check list becomes secondary and being present to another becomes our primary concern.

What will we receive, get back or hold onto? The gift and consolation, courage, inspiration, encouragement, and strength knowing that the grace of God was given to us so that we can be His instrument when another needed to hear from Him through us.

Prayer for today: look at what you have been given or received and seek to let go of those things that these gifts replaced.

 

THURSDAY - It is pardoning that we are pardoned,

Only when we pardon another can we seek pardon from God. I often say that we can get to heaven with cancer, but not with holding a grudge, being resentful or unforgiving. When we seek to forgive another, we are seeking to bring about peace, to build up the Kingdom of God here on earth and to be God’s instrument of mercy and compassion. If we seek to hold onto a grudge, and choose not to forgive another or our self, we are not allowing the love of God to enter into our being. By these actions we are choosing to be self-centered and self-righteous, and greater than God. As Jesus died on the cross, He said “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” Who was He referring to, who was the Them? Those who crucified Him, those who betrayed Him, those who rejected Him, those who denied Him, those who abandoned Him? If they were the ones He was referring to, then we can consider us in that same company of sinners. Don’t we abandon, reject, deny, betray Him when we abandon Him by casting aside the needs of those abandoned by society, when we judge them as less than human. Don’t we reject Him when we discard or reject those who are less fortunate, prisoners to addiction, less educated, poor, homeless, yet we all are God’s children. Even with that knowledge, we still find justification when we reject their needs to fulfill our own need of feeling or being superior or stronger and not weak?

Don’t’ we crucify Him by placing the nails of prejudice, hatred, bias, intolerance and injustice in the hands and feet of those who are different, whose life choices are not ours, who we deem as sinners, and we do not seek to understand or accept them for their choices or differences? Forgive them for they know not what they do…..When we seek to not pardon another, do we really know what we are doing and how it will affect our spiritual journey now and in the life to come?

For today: seek pardon from someone you have injured and pardon one who has injured you so that you can forgive yourself, and God can renew your hope, shower you with His gift of peace, fill you with His love and mercy so that you can share it joyfully.

 

FRIDAY - It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

As we live and walk our earthly journey we are not being promised tomorrow. We are given the grace of each day, each moment so that we can give glory to God in and through our life. To know Him, to love Him, and to serve Him in this life so that we can be happy with Him in the life to come. Sound familiar? Yet it is a short summary that tells the whole story. We are not given each day to live selfishly, but rather to die to self so to live for God. How does dying to self unfold in our life? That answer comes in and through your prayer as God reveals what dying to self means for you at that time. We die to self every time we are selfless and place the needs of others before our own. We die to self when we accept our cross without complaining and when we can unite our suffering to Christ and seek His strength so that we do not quit. We die to self when we surrender to His will, let go of the things of this world that we have allowed to possess us and choose instead to possess the attributes, attitudes and characteristics that are Christ like. We die to self when we realize that we are in the world but not of the world.

So, as we live each day dying to self and living for Christ, so that we can inherit eternal life, what is holding you back from being more in the world and not of the world?

For today: seek to let go of one thing that you are holding on to that is keeping you from dying to self and being more selfless.

 

SATURDAY – AMEN

I believe, after this week of reflecting on the distractions that keep us from truly being or becoming instruments of God’s peace, I hope that have you been able to recognize that the momentary distractions have helped you to focus more and with a greater intensity and steadfast spirit what God is calling you to, and how you are being and living as His instrument of peace. Do you believe that? I do, and so can you, after all God knows your heart better than you do, and He knows that you want to be your best self, the person that He created you to be and have the potential to become. You are living up to your potential as you continue to strive to be His instrument of peace amid the distractions that come right in the middle of your prayer, and you have put them aside and stayed the course.

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of October 3, 2021

This week's glimpse of God is focused on one word;"Distractions"

Distractions as defined by Marriam Webster is “An object that directs one’s attention away from something else”

We can look at distractions as little or big annoyances that take us away from what we are doing or had planned to do. Distractions can remove us from our commitment to a certain task, promise, job, or train of thought and cause us to stop and rethink what we were doing and how it will be accomplished. For instance, when we are studying or working and a child comes and asks for our attention, or a phone call comes and we need to stop what we are doing to listen and be present, or we are trying to accomplish all the things on our "To do" list, and we suddenly don't feel well and need to rest. These are all distractions that take us away from what we had planned to do, to doing what was unexpected. We can be annoyed with the distractions because we have the type of personality that needs to complete the tasks that we had set to do, or we can accept the distractions and incorporate them into our prayer life. Sometimes distractions can keep us from fulfilling our commitments and other times they can help us to fulfill that commitment with a greater zeal and hope because we know that through it all, we can return to our plan and accomplish the tasks that we had originally set out to do.

Where is God amid the distractions? He can be in the distractions if we are willing to recognize Him there. When we are called off course, sometimes I think it is God's way of telling us that we need to refocus our minds so that we can fulfill our commitments with the distractions as a tool. When we are committed to our vocation as a spouse, a lay person, a religious, a young adult, we are all trying to fulfill God's will in our life, we seek to focus on what God wants and how we can do His will in our daily life.

In our spiritual life, we can look at the distractions as the devil’s way of taking us away from God. We then become frustrated and distressed and feel that we have failed or sinned because we could not keep our complete focus on God as we think we should have. I believe that instead of seeing it as the devil’s way, since we did not intentionally submit to his will or seek to turn away from God, that we see it more like our mind unconsciously shifted from what we had hoped to be our time alone with God to us opening up to God about what is going on in our life and how it is taking up our emotional and spiritual energy.  Sometimes what we think God's will is, is really what we want it to be, and it can be in the distractions that God is tweeking our understanding of His will, so that we have a greater determination to fulfill it and allow it to make us a more whole person.

Some distractions can just be annoying, like a telemarketer calling during the dinner hour. How do we deal with that? Can it be a glimpse of God? When we are annoyed, let us begin to think about what or who is at the other end of the phone call. It is a person trying to do their job. They have a hard job because I am sure many people hang up on them which can be very frustrating.  The next time you get an annoying call, remember that one of God's children is on the other end and treat them with the respect that they deserve as they are only trying to fulfill His will in their life by doing a difficult job. Pray for them.

Distractions can come in the form of a phone call, a child wanting to play, an illness or a person that just needs someone to listen to them. All of these can be avenues to a greater prayer life and a stronger connection to God through His children.

I believe God uses distractions so that when we are called off course, we can reevaluate to see if our commitment to the course, to doing His will, is strong or can it be made stronger? The distractions, although they take us off our course, do we return to the course? When we do, I see those times are when God strengthens our commitment, our promise and fills our minds and hearts with a greater appreciation of His presence in the least expected things. It is a time to see if our commitment is truly set on doing His will. Distractions can be used as occasions of sin or avenues to wholeness, healing, and mercy. Children, phone calls or whatever you identify as your distractions, can be and invitation to healing, a deeper prayer experience and a greater sense of humility, honesty, openness and mercy. Instead of getting annoyed or angry, think and pray for the person or event that distracted you and pray to see how God wants you to respond. When we pray for another, that is a gift that we give to that person and God hears that prayer of humility and petition. When we focus on another and not on our self, that is a time to see that we can be selfless and not selfish.

Where is the glimpse of God? It is in the next distraction that sets you off course. Remember that distractions are things that interfere with our commitment yet can strengthen our commitment as we walk on our journey of faith. The journey is an opportunity to see more of God's presence in the surroundings, people and events that merge into our daily life activities.

We don't need to look for distractions, they always seem to find us first. When they do, welcome them as you do a stranger and allow them to teach you, help you and enable you to fulfill your commitment as God's child seeking to live and do His will so that you can be the best person you can be that God has created you to be and have the potential to become. One can look at distractions as being the devil’s way of making us turn aside from God, or it can be the fact that we are stressed out with so many concerns that we are unable to completely focus on God as we want. The good news is that God gets it and since He knows our hearts better that we do, He realizes that the distractions were not intended, but unavoidable. A momentary distraction is just that momentary, but God’s grace and love are eternal. When we feel like we unintentionally went off course all we need to do is ask for the grace to return and put one foot in front of the other and go forward. Distractions are the devil’s victory when we choose to believe that because of them we are unloved, unforgiven and fail to see our self as God’s beloved child, loved unconditionally and His best creation.  Will you let a momentary distraction derail you from the truth of God?

Tomorrow, October 4th, is the feast day of Saint Francis as well as our 23rd wedding anniversary.  HAPPY FEAST DAY TO ALL THE FRANCISCAN SISTERS, PRIESTS, LAY VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF who strive to follow in the footsteps of Saint Francis and exude his spirit of simplicity, humility, authenticity, and peace in their daily life.

As I reflect on Saint Francis and the Prayer for Peace, I can only imagine how many distractions we all face as we reflect on and pray his prayer for peace and how the distractions take us away from obtaining a moment of peace. This week, as a daily reflection I propose that we think about what is required to bring about true peace and what we allow to disrupt or deny us experiencing peace and allowing God to touch our life with true peace, lasting joy, and deeper love.

 

 

 

We all know that prayer but to help along, I will begin with Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,

SUNDAY - Where there is Hatred, let me sow love

We all want to be a loving, compassionate, and caring person. BUT we all have been injured in some way or have injured another. As we live each day and strive to be our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become, there can be distractions that want to hate and keep us from being a more loving person. 

What is the distraction that keeps you from being more loving? Other’s opinion of your experience and how you should respond to it? The unpopular view on loving your enemy but getting even instead. The color of one’s skin, their religious views, their educational or social status, jealousy? The devil only wins when we allow these views to dominate our attention so that we can form a greater and more deeper hatred and then justify it. When we truly strive to be our best self as God knows we want to be, the distraction comes more like a thorn in the side that only when we seek His grace, can it be removed.

MONDAY - Where there is Injury……pardon

When we pray to be merciful and truly desire to be, yet we are distracted by our hurt or the pain that it caused, our humanity dwells on the hurt and we get lost in it. We are not intentionally turning away from God or love, but rather, we get stuck in the hurt and are distracted from the course or pardon, reconciliation, and mercy that we originally started on.

What are the distractions that keep us away from following through with pardoning another or seeking pardon after an injury? Is it a momentary sense of pride, big ego or sense of discouragement or despair? What is your injury and how do you see it being healed? Who has caused you injury or who have you injured and what does pardon look like? A phone call, a personal visit, a letter? When we pardon another or seek pardon from another, we can only then begin to recognize what God is trying to show us in them and in our self: P – The present or gift they are to us and we are to others, A – The admiration that we have for them and they have for us, R- How we are called to Reverence them and our self as God’s beloved child, D – How we strive to become more determined and resolute in our desire to be Christ like, and how we can better recognize that same quality in others and through our distractions, gain a greater strength to overcome the temptation to give in or give up. O- How we are called to have an open mind and heart so that we can recognize the love that shines forth in our desire to pardon, and seek pardon from, another, N- Being nice is a natural attribute that helps us be the authentic person that we have been created to be, makes people want to be around us and we choose to be around.  

TUESDAY - Where there is Discord……unity

Where is there discord in your life and how disjointed do you feel because of it? Discord or conflict seems to make our worse self emerge and our best self remains hidden. Most people do not like conflict and do whatever it takes to avoid it, while others thrive on causing conflict and find happiness when others do not feel united or at peace. As God’s beloved sons and daughters, we are called to walk with each other and not place a stumbling block on their path. We are called to build each other up and not tear each other down.  There are times when we find our self in the midst of a conflict, or a disagreement with loved ones, like a family member, a spouse, a child, a neighbor, a member of our religious community, or even a stranger, and it is during those times when God calls us out of our self, and our will and seek to know better what His will is for us during these times of conflict. We cannot live when we are dis-united or separated from each other. No one is an island. God created us to be in relationship with Him, others, and our self. We are all God’s beloved sons and daughters.  Jesus died for all of us, He overcame death: yet as He lived, he loved those who tried to diminish compassion, deny love, cause dissension, create discord, deny truth and He loves them and us anyway.

WEDNESDAY - Where there is Doubt……faith

It is easy to doubt when things are not clear to us. When we feel as if we are traveling a road or journey with more questions than answers, more uncertainty than certainty, we sometimes doubt the direction and purpose that we are going.  It is in and during those times when our faith can be our greatest strength and our hope strongest reason to place one foot in front of the other. With faith there cannot be fear. Faith overcomes fear and makes us better and stronger people. This has never been more obvious as we have journeyed through this pandemic. I have witnessed firsthand how many people have placed a greater faith in their God, have returned to the spiritual practices of prayer, worship and serving others, and have overcome the fear that the pandemic has provided. Through the pandemic people have chosen to love others, serve others and be present to others because they recognize how difficult things are for so many others and how they feel called to reach out beyond their world to help, in any small way, to make better the world of those suffering more. So what do you doubt and how can God address  your doubts?  You have a great faith that is being challenged, yet without the challenge your faith can not grow stronger. Even Jesus called out to His Father on the cross, “My God, My God, Why have your abandoned me? He doubted yet HE trusted and believed that God, His Father, was with Him and had not abandoned Him. Can we say the same, Do we want to?

THURSDAY - Where there is Despair..…hope

There is a saying that despair or misery likes company. We sometimes want our pain to become the pain of others, or we want to be the center of attention by sharing and dwelling on our pain so that we can gain the sympathy of others.  We allow or choose to let sympathy be the distraction and joy to remain on the outskirts. We are afraid to allow joy to enter in and permeate our being. This can be a momentary or temporary experience or one that requires professional help. When it is a temporary experience, the distraction that enters in is sometimes shame, guilt, or self-loathing where we choose not to allow God to touch our heart, and in that choice, we lose sight or let go of hope and any form of healing or wholeness. Healing requires trust and an openness to what God has in store for us, it will being us a newness of life, give us hope, and that can sometimes makes us afraid where we go backwards and not forward.

Are you or someone you know experiencing a temporary sense of despair due to life stresses, a heavy cross and difficult challenges? Can you allow the hope that God offers you to enter into your being and change you, bring you out of the despair that you feel into a true sense of joy and a renewed hope?

If you are experiencing a lasting sense of despair and hopelessness, what is causing you to be in despair? Why do you feel hopeless? Have you sought help and guidance or are you to ashamed to? God wants to offer you his healing so that you can become whole again. Can you let Him? Trust Him? Walk with Him into the uncertainty of what healing, and hope will look like?

 

 

 

FRIDAY - Where there is Darkness…….light

When things appear dark or are dark, we can become frightened and unable to move. Darkness can be seen as a reason to be afraid and not take any steps towards light. When we enter a dark room the first thing we reach for is the light switch, when the lights go out we look for candles and flashlights, these are mini quick fixes that calm our fears and allow us to move forward. But in our spiritual life, there doesn’t seem to be a quick fix hen we are in the spirit of desolation and darkness. The spiritual sense of darkness has a deeper meaning and significance. When we are experiencing spiritual darkness, we tend to feel as if God has abandoned us due to our sinfulness How far from the truth is that conclusion. God never abandons His children, it is us who abandon Him because of our shame, anger, injury, betrayal, or self-loathing. We choose to walk in the darkness of fear and false conclusions. It is then that God is right there waiting to show us the light of His love in and through the passion, death, and resurrection of His Son Jesus. Jesus is the way, the truth, the light, and the life. Without Him we walk in the darkness of sin and get lost in despair, discouragement, and defeat. When He is our light, we seek to be reconciled to Him and others so that we can become a greater reflection of His light in our world. A world that is filled with so much darkness and fear. The world needs the light of Christ to shine more brightly. Are you willing to be that light? Even if right now you feel as if you can only be a flicker, God can make your flicker become a bright and shining star. Be that star. You rays will reach out and touch more people, to all sides of you and bring healing to so many.

SATURDAY - Where there is Sadness……joy

Sometimes when we are sad, we cannot or are unable to recognize the joy that God has in store and is waiting to share with us.  When we lose a loved one, or experience the death of a relationship, or the financial burdens outweigh the financial blessings, we can become sad and not allow any joy to penetrate our being. This is not what God wants for us. Joy to the World is a song that we sing during the Christmas season, yet when Christ died for us, He gave us true and lasting joy not just to sing about but to realize is ours as He opened the gates to paradise and the promise of eternal life for all who believe. Joy doesn’t deny the sadness but rather gives us hope that the sadness will not defeat us or overwhelm us if we believe that it is a temporary experience that will make us stronger, whole and healed builders of His Kingdom here on earth.  What is taking away your joy and being able to be joyful and joy filled? Whose joy have you spoiled by your own stress, jealousy, anger, or frustration? How can you restore your joy or that of another? Do you think that you can you do it on your own? Remember, with God, His Son our Savior Jesus Christ and the intercession of Our Blessed Mother Mary, all things are possible even finding and restoring joy.

Next week’s Glimpse of God will continue with                    

SUNDAY - Oh Divine Master grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

MONDAY - To be understood as to understand and

TUESDAY - To be loved as to love,

WEDNESDAY - For it is giving that we receive,

THURSDAY - It is pardoning that we are pardoned and

FRIDAY - It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

SATURDAY - AMEN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

Thank you, God for the refreshment of Summer,

and let us celebrate with you, the newness in your tapestry of Autumn.

This past week, we entered the season of autumn. As we begin the wonderful and colorful season of autumn, let us look at season of summer and reflect on what it has offered: the many more hours of sun light, the beautiful and colorful flowers, full trees, green grass, the rain, the storms, the winds, and the variety of miscalculated weather conditions, let us seek to see all of this in the light of God’s love. The many hours of God’s Son, Jesus, light in our life and how strived to walk in that light, the warmth of His love, the fullness of His love when we fall short and seem only to be able to offer a quick prayer for help or a moment of thanksgiving, the abundant showers of His blessings and graces, and the gentle whispers as heard in the wind.

As for the miscalculated weather conditions, let us humbly seek His forgiveness as we have sought to know His will without asking Him, and then doing our own thing, as we thought best, without seeking His direction. Doing our own thing failed because we did not know the whole story, nor could we see the whole picture. They were the times perhaps when we experienced the storms of life, the uncertainty, the fears, the personal frustrations that became overwhelming to our spirits and overflowed in prayer life, our words, through our actions. BUT in all this His love was overwhelming and present through us because there is nothing that we can say or do that will make Him love us less. HE CAN’T. HIS LOVE IS PERFECT EVEN WHEN OUR LOVE IS NOT.

Although summer is officially over, school has begun, the pools have been covered and the cookouts, well might have lessened, the time at the shore has not come to an end but people are wanting to go to the shores to rest, relax and enjoy the peace and quiet now that the crowds are gone. It is still the time of light, wearing white, light, or bright colors, and a light heartedness that can still abound from you. So don’t let the cookouts end, as long as there are family and friends to gather with, and still wear light, white or bright colors to symbolize the refreshing spirit that should still abound from within you.

As this was the first summer since the pandemic hit that we could actually go out and gather with friends and family at the beaches, for BBQs, for swim dates, take the time to look back the many valued memories that you have collected this summer and share them, don’t just put them away for next year or never. This was a year where you had the opportunity to choose to enjoy the season of summer despite still having to wear a mask and keep social distance, I hope that you were able to enjoy the gifts and the graces that summer afforded you because God’s beauty cannot be stifled or diminished by any circumstance,  not even a pandemic can cover up or destroy the beauty of God’s creation as He revealed it this summer and continues to reveal it through the beauty of and the changes that autumn brings.

Autumn is a season of color and change. As we witness to the changes in creation, can you recognize the autumn of your life? What part or aspect of your life: be it spiritual, physical, or emotional, do you recognize that requires change and are you ready to change so that you can become your best self, the person that God created you to be and have the potential to become?

 

 

Spiritual transformation and conversion occur when we can recognize, with the grace of God, where we are falling short of being our best self, and where we seek God’s continued grace to take the steps necessary to change so that we can better serve Him as our genuine and authentic self. The season of autumn in our advent to a renewed sense of self, a renewed sense of the God incarnate within us and a renewed sense of joy.

The autumn of our life can be seen as time to experience a spiritual advent one that can better prepare us for any of the cold or desolate life experiences that we will face with the sure uncertainty that even when things seem barren God is with us and has not abandoned us.

As you be season of begin your journey through the season of autumn, strive to let go of any negative thoughts, attitudes, or emotions, let them fall away from your desire to be your true self. Let the radiance and brilliance of mercy, empathy, compassion, love, understanding, and selflessness be what people see in you as you try to be the tree that not only bears good fruit and whose leaves never fade, but genuinely looks good as well.

Let the glory and awe of the tapestry of color that is before you remind us of the awe and love that God has for you. The love and awe that He has because you are His beloved child, touched and filled with His grace as you desire to change, and be transformed so that you can become your best self, the person that He created you to be and have the potential to become. Allow the CHANGES in your life to become a source of continued spiritual transformation, encouragement, hope and conversion as you build His Kingdom here on earth, one step, one prayer, one word of encouragement at a time.

 

SUNDAY - “C”- Caring

For today, let us strive to be more thoughtful and caring with and towards others. Being a caring person requires being other centered and knowledgeable and not judgmental or ego centered. When we take the time to get to know others and let them know that we care about them and for them, we get to know the true person and not the image or the façade that they try to present. Being caring requires a selfless humble attitude and disposition so that we can see past the points or aspects of someone that we may not agree with or like, but seeing the good and the face of Christ in them. When we are not truly genuine or thoughtful, we can be like the leaf that is falling off the branch, it has no root or growth, but it has become colorless and lifeless.

How thoughtful are you? How thoughtful are people towards you? Can you remember how you touched someone’s heart by your acts of care and concern? or words of thoughtfulness, sincerity, and genuineness? Can you recognize the many colors of your caring, thoughtfulness, genuineness, sincerity, and joy for life in your new leaf of life in Christ? Keep looking, God knows that you are thoughtful, genuine, caring, and sincere, and that others have experienced your new life and leaf in Christ and God wants you to know it to. You have taken the time to see the face of Christ in those you encounter and have encountered, as you look in the mirror do you see His face? If not, why? What hold you back from seeing Him in you? As you see the face of Christ in yourself, do you thank him?

 

MONDAY – “H” Hopeful

When we can trust another and when someone trusts us, it is a gift. When someone betrays our trust, it hurts beyond any physical pain that we may endure. When we find someone that is trustworthy, we know that we can open our hearts to them and be received with tender love and care, as well as with tough love, honesty, and truth. This trust offers us hope and diminishes our discouragement and sinking into to hopelessness or despair

As you think of being trustworthy, can you think of a time where you were betrayed and how it felt? Can you remember when you betrayed another, unintentionally or not, but in any case, someone was hurt very deeply. Can you also think of how it feels to be trusted by another, and how it feels to finally trust others? Can you remember where hope came in and how? Was it in and through a loved one, a friend, through your prayer, through the silence, in the noise of children playing, the presence of a beloved family member? Hope came and the sense of betrayal’s control and manipulation deceased. Hope does not deny the experience, but it brings us out of it to a brighter and less disappointing experience. As God’s Son, Jesus had hope, lived hope, was hope and is hope, yet He was betrayed. As His followers we can expect to experience the same thing. Are you ready to forgive or seek forgiveness? Do you have an attitude of gratitude to God for those who He has placed on your path so that through your hopefulness and ability to be trusted, they have come to see a glimpse of God in and through you? The past hurts and betrayals are the old leaves that are falling to the ground and your ability to forgive are the new and colorful leaves of mercy, compassion, hope and trust, and fullness of love in and through your expanded heart of love that God has given you and you have accepted.

 

TUESDAY - “A” = Living God’s Great ADVENTURE

For today, let us try to be more open to God’s wonders. Being young at heart is a gift. It means that we try not to get stuck in an attitude or disposition that is “old”, one that has no room for growth, openness, self-awareness, or transformation. No matter what our number age is we can be old at heart at 21 or young at heart at 105. Being young at heart can make living life like a great adventure whereas being old at heart can make living life like a tedious challenge. 

Are you ready for a great adventure? Can you prepare for the adventure, the journey, that Jesus has ready for you? The journey that promises that no matter what may come, you will not be overcome or defeated but that you will overcome, that your heart will not shrink but will be expanded?

WEDNESDAY - “N” Newness - We can all learn something New

For today, let us take an extra step in love to learn more about someone else. It takes a lot to want to become learned and to gain knowledge of a broad variety of topics and issues. When someone is learned they have taken the time to gain knowledge of a variety of topics, experiences, but most importantly the lessons taught by Jesus in the Gospels.  People become learned so that they can share their knowledge with others and relate to more people. Becoming learned as a Christian is about knowing the will of God and how we can live that out in our life. Becoming learned in life is not only about book knowledge, but the knowledge and language of the heart and how we can reach out to others and build them up and not tear them down. We become learned in the will of God, an experience that is ongoing because it is an ongoing movement of spiritual growth and is not stagnant.

How learned are you? Do you recognize how God has given you the desire to learn about His will for you, how you are living it out and how you are being His light to others? Do you need to have a Bachelors, Masters, or a Doctorate degree from a University to become a learned individual about the will of God? They are given as tools to help but should not be seen as the final tool to seek and know the will of God.

No, what you need and already have is a blank page so that God can write His plan and His will for you, where the only book you need is the Bible, the only writing tool you need is your free will, and the only test is the one where you challenge yourself to be more Christ centered today than you were yesterday. 

THURSDAY -“G” Giving

For today, when tempted to be selfish, choose to be a more giving and selfless person, not with a grudge but with a smile. Being selfless or selfish, what do you want to be?  Being selfless is about giving of oneself for the good of others. To be selfless and giving is a challenge because it goes against the devil’s desire for us to be selfish and self-centered. The devil does not want us to be giving or to extend our self to another. He would rather that we take from another; take away their pride, diminish their self-respect, and lie about their true identity as God’s beloved child. The devil would prefer that we be a more selfish person so that others cannot and would not come to know God or His Son and the great love they have for us. When we seek to know about others for their good, to be sincere, to become learned about others and their experiences, it is an act of selflessness. When we focus on our self and the desire to use the knowledge about others as a tool of power and control, that is selfishness. Being selfless is not easy, being selfish is. As we look at the fullness of autumn, imagine that your acts of selflessness are the new colors that ware emerging before you in the trees and the leaves, the fullness that they show and the brightness that they exude.

Do you see that you are selfless and not selfish?  What would others say? In your prayer, do you hear and listen as God gently speaks to you in gratitude for your acts of selflessness and thanks you for not choosing to be selfish instead? And…. even if you realize that you were selfish, can you listen as Christ speaks lovingly to you as He did from the cross, Father forgive them for they know not what they do?

FRIDAY “E” Encouragement

For today, let us listen with our hearts and minds to God as He encourages us to be His servant, His witnesses in the world. Spiritual inspiration and encouragement are what spark us to act and speak. Spiritual encouragement, that is true encouragement without a false motive, is when we are given the gift of God’s Holy Spirit that allows us to speak his gentle whisper to others or a challenging word, to write His words for others to read or for us to reflect on, to help others to carry their cross or to ask others to help us carry ours.  Our response involves a personal surrender of our own words in speech or writing or actions so that God’s words, desire, or invitation may be revealed through us.

When we feel motivated or encouraged, we feel blessed that God has given us the words to speak at a difficult time or a time when we had no idea what we were going to say but trusted that God would provide the words that needed to be said. When we are motivated and encouraged by God’s Holy Spirit, it is then that we choose to use His words and not ours, when we choose to trust in Him and not in what we think we need to say or write.

God’s encouragement is what allows us to help others, especially when we had no idea that they were struggling, or when we humbly sought the aid of others when our cross seemed too heavy to bear alone. Your words of encouragement to others was your autumn of color in their life when perhaps their leaves, their color seemed all too black and white and they were seeking to see God’s tapestry of color that they knew was there. As we enter into the season of autumn and we look at the tapestry of color that is before us in the tress, leaves and all of God’s creation, seek to recognize that the fullness that brings the tapestry to life is your openness and encouragement to God’s will and empowering others to recognize His will in their life.  Be open to the reality that you are the fullness and the new life that others are seeking because of the encouragement and hope that had they chance to experience through you.

SATURDAY - “S” = Sincerity

For today, let us be sincere in what we say to others. It is nice to compliment others, but if we are not sincere, we are lying and misleading them. Sincerity comes from a heart that loves and is caring, selfless and not selfish or self-centered. Can you see that God has given you a sincere heart, one that loves and has been filled with His grace that invites you to not count the cost or hold onto grudges?

As you behold the beauty of the autumn leaves and the splendid color that they behold, can you see how splendid you are and how much color you bring by your sincerity, care and love for others, and by your selflessness and compassion? Do you see that in your sincere words and actions, you have helped another recognize that they are God’s beloved son or daughter, loved unconditionally and without limits?

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLIMPSE OF GOD FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 19, 2021

The gazebo of your heart

The spirituality of a gazebo. Is there such a thing? Absolutely! Does God speak to our hearts when we enter a gazebo even if we have nothing to say, when we feel discouraged, lost, or abandoned by others, when we are weary and just need to rest in the quiet? Can we recognize how God, through the gazebo, embraces, protects, and surrounds us? In this Glimpse of God, I hope to clarify the spirituality of a gazebo, so please be patient since it is through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that I write this.

This past year, we donated a gazebo to the Sister’s at the Assisi House, the retirement home for the Sisters of Saint Francis. (It is located outside, in between St. Francis Hall and Portiuncula Convent) The gazebo was given in memory of John’s parents and my mother. In the decision to have the gazebo placed on the grounds of the Assisi House, we wanted to offer the sister’s a place to go to relax, pray, be present to their God and to each other. Knowing that we wanted the sisters to be able to enjoy their time outside without being stung or scared by any of God’s hovering bugs, we made sure that the gazebo came with a mesh screen that would protect them from both the weather and the bugs, and the roof that would provide shade and protect them from direct sunlight.

In thinking about the gazebo and having it in memory of our parents, we were maintaining the connection that we have with the Sisters. It is not just a gazebo, but it represents how we have grown in God’s love for the Sisters. The Sisters took care of John’s parents while they were residents of Immaculate Mary Nursing Home in Northeast Philadelphia. Ann was a resident for 15 years and Leo for 6 weeks, but in those 15 years, we came to know and appreciate the work that the Sisters did in their ministry of caring for the fragile, sometimes forgotten, elderly men and women. We formed a friendship with the Sisters then and continue to do so now. There is a life-giving connection that continues to grow stronger as we get to know the wonderful group of women known as the Franciscan Sisters of Philadelphia.

Leo and Ann loved them while at IMH and through the gazebo, continue to love them. My mother Josephine exuded the spirit of Saint Francis by her simplicity, humility, and graciousness as she prepared to meet her God face to face. As one enters the gazebo, their name on the bench keeps their memory alive. One may not have ever met Ann, Leo or Josephine, but as they read their names, I believe God is gracing them and us with His peace, a peace that Ann, Leo and Josephine exuded so well.

A gazebo is a structure that provides shade, protection, and comfort while out amid God’s creation. It is an open structure so that one can be filled with awe and wonder as they sit in the presence of their God, and not feel claustrophobic. A gazebo is built on a concrete foundation so that it does not fall and cause harm to those who are within its structure.

So where is God in the gazebo of your heart? Can you recognize that although the foundation of your gazebo is strong, it can always grow stronger through prayer, the sacraments of the Church, and each other so that you can continue to face the storms of life, carry your heavy crosses, and not be discouraged or defeated by the stresses of daily living? When you enter the gazebo of your heart, are you able to recognize the all-encompassing love of God that surrounds you, is embracing you, and protecting you, yet giving you the air that you need so that you can breathe in His Spirit and be the breath of His life to all those you encounter? Are you open to the promptings of God’s Holy Spirit as He invites you to become your best self, the person that He created you to be and have the potential to become?

Are you able to recognize that the gazebo of your heart, the structure that God has created, comes with protection from the direct effects of the storms of life, from heat exhaustion, burnt out or being completely soaked? Although the physical structure of a gazebo can protect you from various bugs, the gazebo of your heart is often challenged by the various people that bug you and you need to entrust them to God and forgive them from your heart.

As you journey through this week and enter the gazebo of your heart, take the time to reflect on what a gazebo represents and how God is speaking to you through it.

SUNDAY - Shelter, “The beloved of the Lord, he abides in safety beside him; He shelters him all day long; the beloved abides at his breast.” Deuteronomy 33:12

You are God’s beloved child, and He is your shelter. The gazebo of your heart is where He chooses to dwell. In that gazebo is where He provides the warmth of His love so that you do not grow cold of heart or spirit, He provides you protection from the various weather conditions so that you do not suffer burnt out, frigidness, heat stroke or drowning. You can always come to Him and seek His help as you come from the worldly ways to seek better the knowledge of His ways, and His will.

MONDAY - Strength, “My God, my fortress, my deliverer, my God, my rock of refuge! My shield, my saving horn, my stronghold, my refuge, my savior, from violence you keep me safe.” 2 Samuel

God has been and continues to be your source of strength. Can you look back on the times when you felt weak and unable to accomplish a task, face an obstacle, overcome a weakness, forgive one that has injured you, sought forgiveness from one that you injured, and yet you were able to do what you never thought possible due to God’s grace working within you? Can you recognize that it was God’s grace working in you providing you with strength courage, fortitude, and self determination to go forward and becoming a conqueror, and not going backward and feeling conquered?

TUESDAY - Protection, “For the Lord God goes before you, and your rear guard is the God of Israel” Isaiah 52:12

Do you allow yourself to feel the all-encompassing love of God as HE protects you from harm, from your worst self-emerging, from doubt, fear, despair, and hopelessness? He is your security and constantly on guard to keep you safe, and fills you with the warmth of His love, mercy, and compassion when you are feeling unlovable due to sin. He fortifies you so that you don’t give into the temptations to quit, get discouraged, lose your self-worth to the worldly lures, lies and deceptions.

WEDNESDAY - Openness, Mary said, “Behold I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Luke 1:38

Mary was open to the will of God in her life, the will that she was to become the first living tabernacle by bearing for the Savior of the world in her womb through the power of the Holy Spirit. Mary did not understand the message of the Angel, yet she fully embraced it, trusting in her God and in His messenger.  Mary was an open vessel. One that she allowed to be filled by God with His graces and His Holy Spirit so that she can then take what she was given freely sharing it with the world. Are you an open vessel or a closed container? Are your hands open in prayer or clenched? Is your heart open to peace, joy, reconciliation or does it hold grudges, resentment, or bitterness? God will not force us to become an open vessel. He invites us to the peace that comes when we are open to His will for us and where HE can take that which is hardening our heart so that we have a more open and soft heart for and where He can dwell. The gazebo of our heart is an open structure is we do not lock the door. If you have the door locked, where is the key? Is it in your pocket ready to unlock the door to healing, peace and joy that only God can give? Or did you lose it so that you can never open the door to being hurt or scarred again?

 

THURSDAY - Relaxation, God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it He rested from all the work He had done in creation” Genesis 2:3

For all those of you who want to take better care of yourself by getting more exercise, eating better, and getting more rest, God congratulates you. God who is your creator, knows what you need, and desire better than you do yourself. He realizes that you work hard as a parent, an employee, a student, a caretaker, a grandparent, a volunteer, or a retired worker. He knows that you are striving to be your best self in all that you do, yet you still feel that you must go beyond your physical, emotional, or spiritual capabilities and work till you drop or feel thoroughly exhausted. Whether you are physically busy for hours on end where you end up feeling completely exhausted which makes you unable to be present to those you love, be it your family, friends, or community. Or you are emotionally spent due to being present to those who are bearing a lot of emotional battle scars, and wounds and you are unable to separate yourself before suffer feel burnt out and are less effective. Or you are suffering from spiritual exhaustion as you carry on your shoulder the prayers, needs, sufferings, and deaths of those who have entrusted their cares to you to so that you can selflessly offer them in prayer to God on their behalf, with them and for them. Guess what…God rested on the 7th day, so what makes you think that you do not need to rest, deserve to rest, or require rest? We can not serve God or others effectively if we do not take care of our physical, emotional, or spiritual health.

SO, if you are exhausted from all the work that you are selflessly and not selfishly undertaking, take the HINT from God, REST! REST! REST! You will be a better person, more able to live up to your potential and help those live up to theirs. Mary was still and able to listen to the Angel, Joseph slept long enough to dream, Jesus accepted help, and God rested and you think you don’t need to do the same?????

 

FRIDAY - Encounter, “For you welcomed him with goodly blessings…; Psalm 21

As you enter and rest in the gazebo of your heart, as you lift in prayer those who are in need, prayers of those who have been entrusted to you and your own needs, encounter them with and in love. For those who have injured you, envision them encountering their God and being embraced in love, mercy, and compassion so that you can do the same. As you reflect on those who are ill or preparing to meet their God face to face, envision them encountering God’s healing or loving embrace and offer a prayer of gratitude for their encounter.

For those you see on a regular basis, allow them to encounter you with a smile and not a frown, for those who have injured you or that you have injured, encounter them with mercy and not a grudge, and as you encounter Jesus in Holy Eucharist, or your Worship experience, encounter Him with trust and faith and not fear or shame.

 

SATURDAY – Peace, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.” John 14:27

PEACE, PEACE, PEACE!!! MAY THE LOVE AND PEACE OF CHRIST DWELL WITHIN YOU SO THAT THE GAZEBO OF YOUR HEART CAN OVERFLOW AND TOUCH THOSE YOU ENCOUNTER AND WHO ARE IN NEED OF A GREATER SENSE OF PEACE, A DEEPER LOVE AND A MORE PERMEATING JOY IN THEIR LIFE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of September 12, 2021

 

Prayer for Transfiguration, Transformation and Renewal

In light of the many mass shootings, suicide bombings, continued terror victimization

and the uncontrollable human rage.

Lord, you invite all who are heavily burdened

to come to you and you will refresh them.

America, comes to you Lord

for healing, courage, restoration, renewal, and transfiguration.

We come to you as we remember the

terror attacks that occurred in our country 20 years ago,

the continued ambush of police officers throughout our country

who give the ultimate sacrifice

while protecting the citizens that they promise to protect and serve,

our military who give of their lives to live to provide safety and freedom

to those who are bound, voiceless and living in fear,

and the unending random shootings deaths in the communities that we live.

We come to you as we remember and pray for the many victims, survivors, and bystanders of all the violence in our country, our community, and our world.

We grieve with those who have suffered the greatest loss,

the loss of a loved one that has been taken from them:

their fathers, sons, uncles, grandfathers,

mothers, sisters, aunts, and grandmothers and even the stranger.

We come to you in the midst of death, anger, pain and weakness,

and ask that you transfigure all of us.

Transfigure our anger and hatred into your mercy and forgiveness.

Transfigure our grief and mourning into a deeper faith, a greater hope, and a lasting peace.

Transfigure our fear into a stronger courage,

greater determination and an undaunting strength.

Transfigure our desire for revenge into a greater trust in your justice.

May your gentle hand wipe away our tears,

raise our heads high and lead us to a place of healing.

Make new those who are now standing at the gates of paradise,

and renew those who struggle to go on.

May your breath of life bring us out of ourselves

and into a deeper love, service, and compassion for our neighbor, near and far.

Finally, Lord, transfigure our confusion, dismay, and discouragement

into a wonder and awe as we stand before you:

united, resilient, victorious, strong and in one accord,

because you are the God who has overcome evil, conquered death and has blessed America

through the power of the cross.

We ask this in unity with the Holy Spirit and in the name of Christ our Lord. AMEN

 

THE CROSS OF DEATH IS THE CROSS OF HOPE

 

T The TRUE Cross is

H a sign of HOPE

E to be EMBRACED

 

C Christ selflessly gave up of His life so that all may live and inherit eternal life

R Remember that you were included in that great promise

O Open you mind, heart and spirit so that this final act is your hope

S So that you can share His message of love, healing, and hope with others

S Selflessly, sympathetically and without reserve.

 

As you remember the reason for the cross,

and how it remains a sign of love and source of hope,

through your presence, listening and compassion,

with those whose burdens and crosses are heavy,

you are selflessly helping others carry theirs

so that no one feels alone, abandoned and without hope.

 

May we never forget to embrace and not exclude,

reconcile and not retaliate,

receive and not reject,

So that we can become God’s instruments of peace

as we build his Kingdom here on earth.

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of September 6, 2021

Happy Labor Day Weekend. May it be a safe, happy, relaxing, and celebratory as you gather with all those you love and hold near and dear to you, via zoom or in person, phone call or face time. During such an unexpected and challenging year, cherish those times that you celebrate with family and friends and be mindful of all the labors of love that you have participated in, been the recipient of and have freely performed. May all your conversations, and shared heartfelt wishes, be a glimpse of God’s never-failing love, grace, hope and presence. May it be an opportunity to recognize of the many hidden blessings that come out of hiding, graces that expound, joy that refreshes and peace that permeates the core of your very being, from your head to your toes, and brings you refreshment, renewal, and strength.  May the memories of the quality time spent in the presence and company of your family and friends as you celebrate the ending of summer and the upcoming of autumn, be a source of energy, encouragement, renewal, strength, hope and support. May the end of summer remind you of how blessed you are and how much of a gift you are to others and they are to you.  In your celebration of Labor Day 2021, try not to focus on feeling of discouragement that you may have felt, or may be feeling, because of the continued restrictions, rules and changes attributed to Covid19, but celebrate the beginnings of our new normal and the freedom that it brings. All have been enforced for our wellbeing and safety, and although that may be hard to recognize, especially since it has been 18 months and we seem to be returning to more restrictions again, instead of less, I pray that you are safe and have managed to stay free from the danger and death that Covid19 wreaked on so many. 

My prayer for you this Labor Day 2021 is that you are able to recognize and recall the numerous labors of love this past year that came forth from the isolation, restrictions, and social distancing, such as the many random acts of kindness, extensions of love, compassion, forgiveness, quality family time, and the growth of genuine concern and caring for the stranger that have emerged from Covid19 have imposed on us all.

As you reflect on the significance of this weekend and the gift of labor, take a moment to thank God for the many graces that He has bestowed upon you as you labored in the light of His love: in the light of your hard work as a parent, on the graces received as you raised your family and gave of yourself, your energy, though probably often depleted yet never selfishly held onto, your attention, your discipline, your wisdom, your insight, your tough love and your tender love and care. In the light of your hard work as an employee, coworker, mentor and how you were blessed with so many gifts and talents especially of your attention and reliability, look at how you gave of yourself out of selfless love for the good and growth of others so that they could grow up and become their best self, the person that God created them to be and have the potential to become. As you live and love as a consecrated religious, member of the clergy, single, married, or retired, can you recognize that it is in your many labors of love that have allowed you to grow and become the mature person that you are today. In the light of your love as you offered your talents and gifts to your family, children, siblings, grandchildren, employers, coworkers, friends, member of your religious community, neighbors, church members and even the stranger, can you see God’s presence, His graces, and blessings?

Let the memories of those who have gone before you, the gift of their hard work and their work ethic be a source of strength for you as you take a break to celebrate the gift of your labor. 

Labor Day means so much more than labor or work.  It is how we labor or work that makes this day so much more meaningful.  How we labor in love, with love, in love and out of love, for our God, self and others is what makes Labor Day a day to celebrate and remember verses just thinking that it is just another holiday that makes for a long weekend. As we cautiously celebrate this Labor Day with picnics, going to the shore, or BBQ’s at home, amongst family, friends, or neighbors, it doesn’t really matter what we do or where we go or who we celebrate with, what matters is what are we celebrating and why is it important?  For many the gift of Labor is about the job that they do so that they can provide for themselves and their family.  The gift of labor is truly a gift especially as we reflect on the pandemic, the unemployment rate and how many people are struggling as they try to find work.  Labor is truly a gift provides the ability for one to support themselves and their family. Yet as with many gifts, we fail to recognize the giver as God, and we misunderstand the significance of the gift. We sometimes think that our identity lies in what we do, our labor or work, and not who we are, God’s beloved children.  So, when one is unemployed, one can develop a sense of low self-worth and discouragement because they feel that they are insignificant since they are not financially contributing or supporting themselves or their family. Some people think that they alone are responsible for their work, and they fail to see that their gifts and talents are from God and that their identity does not lie in their work, but rather in their status as and God’s beloved children, loved unconditionally and beyond measure.  

Our labor, our giving of self, our recognition of the work and talent of others is what can make their Labor Day weekend and everyday a memorable gift, a glimpse of God to celebrate, rejoice in and thank God for. Do we labor out of obligation, or to gain attention and accolades or just to get a paycheck? Could it be that there is a deeper reason, one that speaks of service, giving of self for the good of others, out of gratitude to God so that we can be our best self by sharing the gifts and talents that we have been so blessed with? So, as you reflect on Labor Day 2021, will you take time to celebrate the gift of your life and the love of those you love and have been a coworker with you as you strive to build up the kingdom of God here on earth?  Isn’t that the best labor of love that you can participate in here on earth? One brick, one step, one prayer, one act of kindness, one word of mercy, one word of contrition, at a time…

Yes, students return to school via in person, virtual or a combination of both, the crazy and hazy rainy days of summer will soon be behind us, but as you look in the rearview mirror at the summer of 2021 can you see, do you recognize, how you have been participating in the great labor of love? It is because of your compassion, selflessness, extending of yourself to help make the days of time spent all about quality time. It is because of your presence before your God and with those that surrounded you, all of God’s beloved sons and daughters, that they are able to recognize how they too are reflections of His presence and beacons of His love.  It is because of your faith that you can be an instrument of God’s peace in a world that is divided and in discord.

Do you see how you have labored in love by the way that you cared for an elderly parent, visited a widowed neighbor, encouraged a lonely friend, called someone who may have been feeling discouraged and depressed due to being isolated and not being able to have visitors, forgave an estranged sibling or family member, how you helped raise your grandchildren, remained in contact and encouraged your nieces and nephews, were present to the member of your religious community and parish community? 

Do you see your labor of love by the time spent time in prayer placing the needs of others before your own, your sincere and humble contrition before your God and your extension of mercy and peace where there is injury and hurt?

Your labors of love are the very blessings that have come back to you.  As you have labored in the love of mercy, you have become merciful; as you have labored in the love of empathy, you have become more compassionate; as you have labored in the love of healing, you have become more whole and a wounded healer; as you have labored in the love of offering peace,

you have become a peacemaker; as you have labored in the love of silence, you have become a lover of humility; as you have labored in the love of tough love, you have become more understanding; as you have labored in the love of thoughtfulness, you have become more selfless; and as you have labored in the love of prayer, you have become a better and deeper pray-er; and as you have labored in the love of spreading the Gospel, you have become a visible witness of your faith and the presence of Christ in your life.

May your Labor Day weekend remind you that it is not the work or lack of work that makes this Labor Day special, or a cause to celebrate, as much as it is the measure of love that you use as you strive to be your best self, live up to your potential as God’s beloved child, and help others to do the same.

LABOR DAY 2021 PRAYER:

Make each day your prayer of gratitude as you recognize God’s great love for you.

May you

(Sunday) L - Live with joy, Love always, and Laugh often

(Monday) Because God A - Adores you, Abides, within you and Abounds from you.

(Tuesday) B – Believe that you are Blessed, Brave and __?___

(Wednesday) That you are beautiful in God’s eyes, though broken or discouraged at times,  

NEVER

(Thursday) 0 – Overcome by despair, destroyed by diversity or defeated by self-doubt.

BUT

(Friday) R – Renewed and replenished in the grace and by the strength of GOD. 

SO

(Saturday) D - Decide today that you want to and will LABOR IN LOVE!!!

      A - Always trusting that when love is not shown

      Y - You will never repay hate with hate.

 

2 – You and God always walking together

0 – where you are never alone

2 – when it comes to it, you and God are a great pair.

God walks hand in hand with you in this life so that He can gently take your hand as He walks you through the pearly gates to His heavenly kingdom.

1 – When Christ chose to suffer and die for you, no one was exempt or will ever be exempt from His dying, unconditional, selfless, compassionate, and merciful love. One savior, One Lord, One God who suffered and died for the one and only you.

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of August 29, 2021

WAITING: THE GIFT

Waiting? How well do you wait? What do you wait for? We wait with joy and anticipation for special occasions: the birth of a child, the graduation of a child or your own, the right job to come, your wedding day, the end of chemo where your hope has prevailed with healing and wholeness, the end of Covid and the beginning of a new normal, or the day of one’s ordination or religious profession. With a certain eagerness and concern we wait for to hear good news about a medical condition, or to hear from someone that we haven’t heard from, or for an apology. In need and vulnerability, we wait for a repair person to come with the widest window and the widest amount of time where you can’t get a lot done. In some anticipation and or frustration we wait for the seasons to change so that we can be more comfortable and away from the too cold or too hot days.

During these past few weeks, I have excitingly waited for John to return from Kenya, and for the past three weeks, I have to patiently wait for both the Verizon TV and refrigerator repairmen to come, and I am still waiting. In some instances, waiting is a gift because as I have waited, I realized that what I have been waiting for I have grown fonder of, like my husband John’s return and Clover’s end of being depressed because John was absent. Like Mary we await the birth of Christ so that we can be renewed and transformed in and through His life within us. Like Jesus we wait for people to come to believe in God His Father, so that they can experience true happiness and peace. Like God, we wait for people to recognize that they are truly God’s beloved child and that there is nothing that they can do to that will make God love them less.

BUT how do we wait for death? Do we wait for death, or do we think that it won’t come too soon so just keep putting it aside? Death is the one of the most uncertain events that we face. Not uncertain as to how we will die, but rather what lies beyond this life and wondering if we be held in God’s loving embrace, or will that embrace be delayed as we wait in purgatory? As you think about death are you fearful, joyful or fear filled? Where is God during your fear or uncertainty? If He is in your joy, do you thank Him? Death is not the end of life but the beginning of new life, it is not the end of us following the light of Christ here on earth, but the beginning of us being surrounded by the new and eternal light of God’s love, presence and peace.

Do you realize that God is always waiting for you? God waits for you every moment of every day. He waits to hear from you as you approach your prayer time. He waits for you to honestly tell Him your concerns and stresses and all that lies heavy on your heart as well as your joys. He waits for you to come back home after a long and painful journey of self-discovery and conversion. He waits for you to surrender your will to His so that He can help you become your best self, the person that He created you to be, and have the potential to become. He waits for you to listen to Him as He tells you that He loves you unconditionally and that you are His beloved. He waits for you to tell Him that you love Him.

I believe that we all know loved ones that have waited for death to come, due to a long and painful illness, a terminal illness or old age where they have outlived their loved ones. In any case, we have watched and prayerfully waited with them. I believe that during this time, God waits with great joy and expectation, the question is how do we wait? How do we help others wait?

The reason for this glimpse if because I am reflecting on the presence and the absence of John’s dad, my father-in-law Leo Magee, and how it has been 20 years this week of his going home to the Lord. I like to think of it as his anniversary of his birthday into new life. He was a great man, a gentle giant, a man of great and deep faith and an even greater and deeper love for God and others. He lived each day in faith and shared his faith and his love for God by his example, his humor, his love for the Eucharist and his strong-willed way. Even as he was sick and limited to a certain diet, he didn’t hesitate to ask me to sneak him in a cheesesteak or a hot dog. He was always upbeat and funny. And I am blessed because John is just like his dad.

As I look back, I can honestly say that Dad never expressed that he was afraid of death but faced the reality with true peace and surrender. As I look at his portrait and I see his smile, I am reminded that his  palpitating and permeating presence is real and his spirit remains alive and well. Although his physical presence is very much missed, his gentle spirit and deep faith and trust in God will always be remembered and serve as a reminder that when we need an angel of courage to touch our heart, he is there.

God was waiting for Leo and although he had been ready and waiting to return home to God, God knew that He needed to touch the hearts and spirits of those who he encountered daily, so that we could wait with expectation and anticipation and not fear. I believe that God waited to bring him home not because He wanted him to continue to suffer, or that there was no room in the inn, but rather He was waiting for us, his family and friends, to learn something from him about waiting for death and take it to heart with hope and not fear. He recognized God’s presence and love for him and how he was His beloved son. He exuded that love by his gentle smile, his trust, his courage, his hope, his sense of humor, and his love for others. He waited in great expectation and eagerness to meet his God face to face. He waited for his cross of suffering to be transformed into the cross of resurrection and exultation, his brokenness into healing and wholeness, and his sinfulness into forgiveness and reconciliation. While he waited to return home, others waited with him during a very grace filled time. In the face of dying and death, they waited with him in peace despite the grief, in trust despite the uncertainty, in hope despite the unknown, in love to honor his God, in silence to honor his spirit, in hope to reverence his God and in joy to honor His promise. As he breathed his last breath here on earth, it was his first breath in eternity. Don’t we all know or remember our loved ones in this same way?

Leo Magee loved his God, his family, his police community, his friends, the staff at Immaculate Mary Nursing Home, and himself, as all beloved daughters and sons of God.

As we enter a new week, let us enter with a courage and spirit of trust as we wait. If you find yourself waiting for a phone call about medical challenges, the death of a loved one, a repair person to arrive, an joyful occasion to come, the weather to change, medicine to kick in, or if you are waiting to become your better self with your prayer for more patience, a greater trust, more self-confidence or forgiveness of yourself or from another to be answered, wait with God knowing that He is waiting with you and for you. What is God waiting for us to do? Not for us as His children to get our act together, because even in His time that could take forever. I believe that He waits for us as to discern His will and choose to follow it. He knows our hearts better than we do, and He knows that we want to serve Him as best we can.

 

SUNDAY - “W” - Watchful

As you find yourself waiting, are you watchful and vigilant at the expense of other things? Are you waiting in fear or worry or are you trusting in God that all will work out as He intends? If you don’t find yourself waiting for anything, take a moment to think about death and reflect on your feelings and response to it? Do you think that you will live as if you are dying, or will you live as if death has no power over God’s promise of eternal life to those who love Him? Death is not the end of light and the beginning of darkness; no, it is end of darkness and the beginning of light. Do you believe that? Physical death, spiritual death or the death of a relationship all involve a dying to self so that resurrection can occur. The pain and effects of personal sin, human choices, hurts and alienations bring about darkness, but Christ light overcomes the darkness. Remember that you are a child of the light and not of darkness.

For today: Lord help me to wait in the light trust, patience, and peace and not in the darkness of impatience, worry or fear.

 

 

MONDAY - “A” - Authentic

As a trustworthy and faithful witness for God, do you find that when you are waiting on things, people or yourself, that you are not the patient person that you like to be? Mary waited as a woman of faith in the face of her challenges and crosses. Mary waited for nine months for the birth of Christ and I believe that it was a very challenging and painful nine month period: after the Annunciation she then had to then tell Joseph and he at first didn’t believe that it was by God that she was with child, she waited as the Angel of God appeared to him to reassure him that it was by God’s power that the child was conceived. She had to leave her home and give birth in a manger and did not have the help or support of her parents, family or friends. She waited for three days to find Jesus. She waited at the foot of the cross as Jesus suffered and died. She waited for three days for His resurrection. In all her waiting from the beginning of Jesus’ life to the end, she did so with trust in God and His will. She knew that whatever He asked, she could do, but not on her own, only with His spirit and help.

For today: Dear Mother Mary, please help me to wait more patiently and trust more deeply that in all things God is at the end of what I am waiting for and He will give me the grace and strength to receive it.

 

TUESDAY - “I” - Invincible

In the face of life challenges and crosses a good chant to remember is that you are invincible and that you will not be defeated. In all of life challenges and crosses, God wants you to know and believe that you will not be defeated or overcome by life’s crosses, but rather that He is and will always be with you. It is hard not to become discouraged or stressed out when life continues to incorporate various crosses in your life and you automatically must go a different direction or adopt a different mindset to overcome them. But in all of that, you are invincible because the spirit of God dwells in you and you are the Body of Christ.

For today: Lord help me to remember that in all my waiting with the crosses of my life, that the crosses that I carry will never defeat me but only strengthen me to be a better person. Please help me to recognize that my strength, courage, and determination are your gifts, your Simon of Cyrene, that remind me that I can accept help, that I am never alone and that you are always with me.

 

WEDNESDAY - “T” - Timeless

God’s love is everlasting and eternal. When God calls us back home, it is to a home that lasts forever, a home where there is no more pain or suffering, death, dying or darkness, only eternal joy, happiness, peace and life. Aa we live our life here on earth, we wait on many things, people, and events, yet with God, He is waiting only on us to know, love and witness to Him in this life so that we can be with Him in the next life.

How do you use your time? Do you feel that you waste time, or do you feel you use it wisely? Is time with God a priority or an afterthought? God’s time is not your time but that doesn’t mean that you can forget Him or ignore His many signs that He is waiting for you to come and be with Him. Love is eternal. God is eternal. Our time here on earth is short and limited. Our time in heaven is eternal.

For Today: Help me to wait with an unchanging heart to the sound of your voice and the stillness of your spirit as I discern your will and choose to follow it.

 

THURSDAY - “I”- Indomitable

Determined to live in the face of death, that was Leo. In life, we can choose to live despite our crosses or we can choose to be dead in the face of our crosses. No one knows when God will call us back home. When someone is in hospice, the know that their time will come sooner than they thought. Even in the face of death, we can choose to live in the light of God’s love, carry our cross in faith and determination, and trust the Christ will take us by the hand to walk us to our eternal reward.

Do you have any regrets? Are you living in fear or discouragement? Do you feel as if God doesn’t love you and that you are unlovable by anyone else? Choose life. Choose reconciliation over anger and resentment. Choose to listen to God, and not run away from Him as He tells you how much He loves you, is in love with you and that you are His beloved child. Listen as He tells you that you are His greatest creation, loved unconditionally, beyond measure and the cost was His son Jesus’ death on the cross.  Let go of the heavy baggage that keeps you bound so that your burdens will be lighter and your journey a delight.

For today: Lord help me to remain steadfast in my commitment to follow you and serve you to the best of my ability today. Let me not give into discouragement in the face of my trials, but rather seek with a determined heart and spirit to face them knowing that you are always with me as my strength, courage and hope. Help me to wait in hope and trust as I live with my cross and to choose life despite it.

 

FRIDAY - “N” - Nurturing

You are a nurturing person. You give of yourself, your presence, to those in need, you pray for those who entrust their cares and concerns to you, you visit those who are ill and you try to spend time with those who have no one to spend time with.

Only God can allow you to be all of that and to do all of that. We can choose to do good and follow His will and that is what He waits for. He waits for us in life and in death. He waits for us to honor Him by our lives as we witness to His presence and build up His kingdom here on earth.

As you build up His kingdom here on earth, are you able to recognize the source of your strength and determination, nutrition and sustenance? The Eucharist and the Sacraments of the Church are Jesus’ gift to us to help us on our earthly journey so that we don’t go hungry or ever thirst again. The graces that we receive from these gifts enable us to journey on earth to our heavenly reward, so that when we get to heaven and are in God’s loving embrace, our hunger and thirst will have all been fulfilled.

For today: Lord as you come to me in the Eucharist, let me wait and listen to you as you tell me again, how much you love me and how I am called to share that love today.

 

SATURDAY - “G” – Graceful

Being graceful as one waits is sometimes hard. As you wait for a phone call, do you become impatient, more concerned or even fretful? As you wait for a special occasion to come, do you become stressed over details, as you wait for another to apologize so that you can mend bridges, do you become more resentful, angry and frustrated? As you wait, do you lose that cool demeanor and your other self emerges. (not your best graceful self)? God gets it! He understands how difficult waiting can be, after all He created you and knows you better than you know yourself. As one faces death, one can lose that gracefulness or choose to grasp it tighter. That doesn’t mean that fear won’t creep in and choose to stay, but it can mean that in the face of fear, one chooses to trust God that the fear will not overcome the grace.

Leo and so many of our loved ones lived and died with dignity. He lived and chose to leave this world with the gracefulness and beauty that God instilled in his heart and spirit, and soul at his baptism, in his marriage to his wonderful wife Anne, and strengthened by the Sacraments of the Church.

For today: Lord help me to live and face all of life challenges with the grace, dignity, and strength that you possess and have instilled in me at my baptism. May I wait in silence, hope and trust, and when I get tired of waiting, help me to use the waiting time as a time for personal growth, spiritual transformation, and renewal.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of August 22, 2021

Happy Birthday

My Glimpse of God for this week comes as I reflect on what Happy Birthday means and how we celebrate birthdays. (It’s not my birthday, but a few food friends recently celebrated theirs) We say Happy birthday to someone when we know that their birthday, the anniversary of their birth, draws near or is upon us. When I think of celebrating a birthday, there is so much that comes to mind than just the giving of a present, the blowing out of candles on a cake or a card being sent in the mail or via email. When I think of a birthday, I think of that person and how they are a gift from God to me; a gift that I want to honor, reverence, and express my gratitude for. That gift could be in the special form of a spouse, an immediate or extended family member, a close friend, a neighbor, or a colleague. When I think of a birthday, I think of how special that person’s presence is in my life, how precious a gift that person is to me, and I want to remember them on their day. I realize that when we give a gift to a person who is celebrating their birthday, there is no gift comparable than the gift, the life, the presence of that person.

So, why then do we give or attempt to give gifts to a person who is celebrating their birthday? I would think because it makes us happy to do something for them, to say thank you by giving them something that they like or will enjoy, or to make them feel good just for being themselves.

Is there a Glimpse of God in your Happy Birthday? Absolutely!

God created you as unique and special. There is no one like you nor will there ever be another you. God created you and called you by name in the womb. He called you and loved you into life, and He celebrates and rejoices on the day of your birth, the day that you breathed your first breath, the day that you entered His world as His beloved son or daughter. He entrusted you into the tender love and care of your parents and later family members, friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Every day, we can live a Happy Birthday as we remember that each day we are invited to rejoice and be glad for this is the day that the Lord has made. As you continue to live life and celebrate the anniversary of your birthday, you continue to honor God your creator. God loved you into life then and everyday offers you the opportunity to return that love and share it with others. Our identity does not lie in what we do but in who we are: God’s beloved son or daughter. Every life is important, significant, and necessary and should be treated with dignity and respect, no matter how young or old, challenged or not. Although there are people who refuse to celebrate their birthday,(for whatever reason) in an unconscious way, they are refusing to honor the God who gifted them with life and gifted us with their presence in this world.

But what is a birthday? We are loved into life each day so in a way every day is a Happy Birthday. We are renewed, reconciled, and given the opportunity to start over after we have fallen short. It is a day to give thanks to God for the gift of life: the very breath that you take today, and the very first breath that you took many years ago. God continues to give you each breath that you take so that you can be His breath of life in all that you say and all that you do, through your actions, in your attitude, and by your prayers. The very first breath that you took was God’s gift and call to live in His love and grace. God had a plan for you then and has a plan for you today. As He gifts you with another birthday, He is giving you the time to come to know Him better so that you can be a better and brighter Glimpse of His love in the world., so that you can become your best self the person that He created you to be and have the potential to become.  New life, new birth in Christ abounds every day and so when we talk about Happy Birthdays, we can say that every day is a Happy Birthday. Although there are many bumps or little deaths, there are also many new births on the road to eternity. It is through the new life that only Christ offers us, that we can overcome the bumps and see the straight and level road that is ahead.

It is a day to look into the mirror and see that you are beautiful in His eyes and that His love for you is beyond measure.

What can Happy Birthday mean? A you honor the day that God’s breath of life entered the very core of your being, and you were born into this world, you can also celebrate how His love has been your strength, given you the courage to overcome the many seemingly unsurmountable challenges that you have, the conviction that  you will not be defeated and the grace to trust as you journeyed through the many dark and fearful days of your life. His grace has been your salvation as you have grown in love with Him, and you have seen how much He is in love with you. You have every reason to be happy.

As you look in the mirror, ask yourself not just on the anniversary of your birth, but every day, what do I hold as important and how has that challenged me or caused me to change to be more God like?  Being a glimpse, a reflection of God and His love to others, is important to me and how can my glimpse become brighter, clearer, and more lasting for people to see? Do I try to be, or have I been, an instrument to build up the Kingdom of God here on earth so that others may see God in all that I say and do? As you reflect on these questions, you will hear the whisper of God tell you that not only is your day a happy birthday, but you have made so many others days happy birthdays as well as you have reflected the light of Christ by  your compassion, mercy, joy, and love for them and have lifted them up, consoled them, and befriended them in the name of Christ.

It is a day to look into the mirror and see that you are beautiful in His eyes and that His love for you is beyond measure. Although today may not be the official anniversary of your birth, it is an unofficial Happy Birthday since in only in Christ are you born into new life and only though, with and in Him can true happiness be found.

As you begin this week, you might be feeling the frenzy of shopping for back to school, in person, the ending of the summer season, and new covid19 regulations, you carefully approach all of this with caution. As you do, take time to breathe and celebrate the giftedness of your person and how the hand of God is very busy in your life. 

Instead of offering daily reflections, this week, I offer you the challenge to take each day and see the hand of God in the gift of your being. 

 

SUNDAY - The hand of God as seen through your compassion...

MONDAY - The hand of God as seen through your joy for life....

TUESDAY - The hand of God as seen through your mercy and understanding....

WEDNESDAY - The hand of God as seen through your smile and laughter......

THURSDAY - The hand of God as seen through your outreach to others......

FRIDAY - The hand of God as seen through your patience and perseverance....

SATURDAY - The hand of God as seen through your humility.......

The hand of God is always reaching out to us, lifting us up, carrying us, and holding our hand. What do we do to His hand as He offers it out to us? grasp it, shake it, hold it, grab on to it or refuse it? It doesn’t matter really because in all that we do, He did the only thing that true love could do: He outstretched His hands in love, through death to new life.

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of August 15, 2021

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

I believe that we all have heard that phrase before. I am guessing that when we heard it spoken to either us or someone else, it was referring to a person that was being missed by a loved one because they were, or had been away from home for a short or long period of time. They were sad because their absence created a void, yet in the midst of that void or period of absence their heart was growing ever more in love, or fonder for that person.

This phrase is a phrase of endearment since when one acknowledges the absence of the person, their heart is expanded, and the absence of the person causes one to grow more in love for them verses the proverbial out of sight out of mind.

For my Glimpse of God this week, I would like to focus on the one main absence in my life. John my husband who is in Kenya for two weeks and due to a recent hospitalization, my absence from my Daily Mass community.

Although I talk with John every day, I miss him tremendously.  I look at his photo and smile because I realize how God has blessed me by giving me such a great husband and best friend. Although I miss him and cannot wait for him to come home, I also recognize, how amazingly, even Clover feels the absence in her own way and eagerly waits for his return as well.  As a very happily married wife, I unconsciously underestimate the power and love of God. Just when I think that I cannot love more, He shows me that I can love even more than I ever thought possible. It is through this awesome married love that my heart has been expanded and has grown fonder of John, the work that he is doing, and how much his absence is so deeply felt, both with me and the pets.

I believe that the expansion of my heart for John during His absence, resounds from my desire and longing for Jesus in the Holy Eucharist and how much I missed not being able to be present with the daily mass community. God’s love expands and permeates our entire being, whether we are married, single, or a religious, God does not limit His love for us or our ability to love others. If we choose to love others and our self as He loves us, our heart will continue to grow fonder of those qualities that make us our best self, the person that He created us to be and have the potential to become.

Last week I was in the hospital for 6 days and unable to go to mass. As grateful as I am for my good friends that brought me the Holy Eucharist, I was feeling my heart grow fonder for the entire celebration of Mass and the parishioners that form the daily Mass community.

Receiving Jesus is most important to me and being able to receive him daily at Mass is such a gift and a blessing that there are no words to accurately describe how I feel. Yet as I was in the hospital, I realized even more that my heart is drawn to community and is expanded by the community. As members of the Body of Christ I believe that we call each other to grow in love with our Lord, and how we do that is what makes us unique instruments of God. At Mass, we are given the gift to hear God’s Holy Word proclaimed and expanded upon as well as to receive His real presence in the Holy Eucharist. I believe that the spiritual absence that makes the heart grow fonder is where one feels the presence of God through what appears to be His being absent. Although I was able to receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist, when I could not, the desire to accept His invitation to enter into my heart just grew and spoke louder than a whisper,

but it didn’t scream, it tapped on the door of my heart, but didn’t break it open. It was not an invitation initiated by force but of free will.

It did not lead to discouragement or despair but gratitude. So even though I was absent from the community, the like mindedness and the connection remained strong, and it is in that strength that I found His presence in the present. God was present in my desire to listen to Him, to receive Him and to be able to share His love with others.

So my question for this glimpse is If absence makes that heart grow fonder, what is absent from your life that your heart is yearning for, desires to grow fonder for? When someone is absent from our life, we miss them and usually can’t wait for their return, yet their return is in their control. When there is something that is absent in our life; faith in God, the love of family, the gift of friendships, lasting peace, greater love, reconciliation, and true happiness, only we can invite it back and do our best to keep it. When we let go of certain things and do not seek to recapture them, we lose sight of what God is calling us to and we settle for less.

For this Glimpse of God, I will focus on the above 7 gifts and graces from God, that I feel when they are absent from our life, we are not able to be our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become. These are just a few, but there are more.

 

SUNDAY - Faith in God

Faith in God, a relationship with God, love for God, love for others and love for self. All of these are essential ingredients, if you will, for us to grow in and on our spiritual journey in this life so that we can be embraced by God when our earthly journey has ended. So, if there is a void or a seeming absence of God, or a spirit of desolation that you are experiencing, but at the same time,

you are feeling a greater need and desire for God, and your heart is growing fonder in love for God, rejoice and give thanks. If you feel that there is something missing in your spiritual life, seek it from God for He will grant you your heart’s desire.

Reflection for Today: What part of my spiritual life; prayer, service, community, worship, do I feel I am more absent from and desire to have it return? If any of these, in the midst of their absence, makes my heart grow fonder, can I recognize the presence and grace of God during their absence and in their presence?

 

MONDAY - Love of Family

The love of family, now this can be a painful point for some and a source of joy for others. Yet my prayer is that as we recognize that all human love is imperfect, we are then able to recognize that despite the hurts that we may have caused or those that have been inflicted upon us, love of family is a permeating love, a love that invites us, even in our woundedness, to become our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become. The phrase that we can choose our friends, but we cannot choose our family seems quite selfish and ungodly. I would prefer to think of it as we can choose our friends, those people that are like minded and a presence of God in their unique way, but with family whose expression of love sometimes pierces more like a sword than a feather, we are given the gift and grace to be a person of compassion and mercy, peace, and reconciliation to use and grow in strength with.

I believe that in the end, as we reflect on the day and the various expressions of family love, we realize that we are stronger than we ever thought we could be, and that the presence of Jesus stands before us to protect, heal, and strengthen us so that we can become a wounded healer on our journey towards wholeness.

Reflection for Today: As we reflect on the absence of family love, what is stirred up within you? Is that absence hindering or promoting you from becoming your best self, that person that God created you to be and have the potential to become? If you are not experiencing the absence of family love, can you lift in prayer someone you know that is? If they are experiencing that absence and estrangement of family members due to injury, divorce or separation, can you ask God to bring them healing and wholeness so that they too can experience the freedom that comes from true love; the love of God for them and His unimaginable healing power?

 

TUESDAY - Friendships

The gift of friends is such a great gift. Friends are the glue that sometimes keeps us together when we think that we are falling apart due to the everyday stresses and crosses that we carry. But where or what is that glue made of? It is a gift and grace from God to mend our brokenness, heal our woundedness and help make us whole. Friends are the presence of God in their unique way. God chose them for us, He invites us to receive them into our life and He waits for us to see His face in theirs, His hands that lift us up when we are feeling down, His feet that walk with us when we feel that we are unable to put one foot in front of the other, His heart that loves us with compassion, mercy, reconciliation and peace, His ears that listen to us when we are quiet and have no words to speak, when we are left speechless , his voice when we speak up for those who cannot; the suffering, the outcasts, the wounded. He is present in them for us. Our friends may be long time childhood friends, our fiancé, our spouse, our aged parents, parishioners, or neighbors. Whoever we consider friends, can we remember that they

is a gift from God given out of love to help us on our journey? When we have a great friend, a best friend, and their presence is missing and we feel lost without them, can we recognize that they may be missing us as well and that in and through God’s grace they will return. Not as glue to keep us together because we may not feel broken, but rather as the warmth of God’s love, healing and renewal.

Reflection for Today; “Nothing can be compared to a faithful friend, and no weight of gold or silver is able to counterweight the goodness of his fidelity. A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter, he who finds one finds a treasure, a loyal friend is like a medicine that keeps you in good health. Only those who fear the Lord can find such a friend.  A person who fears the Lord can make real friendships, because he will treat his friends as he does himself.” Sirach 6

A faithful friend scripture passage from Sirach resounds when we reflect on those people God has given us that are more like us than we ever imagined. In and through their presence in our life, help us to be our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become. When they are absent, our heart grows and expands in gratitude for not only the gift of us befriending others as a friend, but others befriending us as a friend. We also find that they have and are the catalyst in our growth of love for God, self, and others. Can you give God the glory for His gift of friendships in your life?

 

WEDNESDAY – Lasting Peace

What do I mean by lasting peace? Peace comes when we choose to allow the presence, love, reconciliation, and healing power of God to touch our heart, spirit, mind, and soul. It is more than a fleeting moment or emotion, it is the calm that assures us that no matter what our cross is, the heavy weight of it, or the feeling that we have been abandoned because of it, God is present and just as Jesus calmed the storm, He will fill us with His peace and calm as well. Lasting peace does not deny our cross or our everyday stresses, it lifts them up so that we can look them in the eye and see ourselves not being defeated or discouraged by them because we are conquerors in the name of the Lord. God’s love which is eternal can never be outdone or overrun by the false lures of the devil or his lies and mistruths, but in and through His peace, we can run the devil out and slam the door behind him.

Reflection for Today: Are you missing the lasting peace of God in your life? Who or what has robbed you of that gift? Can you seek God’s grace to bring you peace so that you can then take the steps to maintain it? Where the lasting peace of God is absent in your life, your heart grows fonder of what was. The gifts of the Church; Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist are God’s main instruments of His for us to regain lasting peace and serenity. Think about praying the prayer of Saint Francis so that you can regain God’s true desire for you as a fellow builder of His kingdom here on earth.

 

THURSDAY - Greater Love

No greater love than one has than to lie down His life for His friends. Jesus had and has that greater love for us and there is nothing that we can say or do that will ever diminish that love. It is unconditional, free, and always present. When we seek to become our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become, love for God self and others is what we seek to grow in and for. As we live and grow as followers of Christ, we live not for ourselves, we grow from selfish to selfless, and we seek to see the face of Christ in others. True love is so expansive. God’s love is unconditional, real, deep, and lasting. God is not deceptive, fraudulent, or power hungry. He loved us first and all He asks of us is to love Him in return. How each one of us does that or responds to that command between us and God. If at the end of the day we can say that we are loved and that we have loved another, love is not absent, but present and growing.

I believe that if we are able to recognize that we are God’s beloved child, loved unconditionally and His greatest creation, despite our sinfulness or weaknesses, love abounds. If we deny that truth and choose to deny or destroy it for others, then greater love is absent.

Reflection for Today: Are you in greater love for God, self and others or do you want to love less due to injury, pain, sin, discouragement, or shame? If you are seeking to become your best self the person that God created you to be and have the potential to become, but you feel that greater love is absent, ask for God’s for the grace to recognize that His love abounds in you, but a small cloud is covering it so that you cannot recognize its presence.

 

FRIDAY – Reconciliation

When the grace of reconciliation is made available to us and we accept it, our heart is ever bigger and more embracing. When we humbly seek to be reconciled to a person that we have caused injury to or that has caused us injury, the we are responding to God’s grace and invitation to do unto others as He has done unto us. If we seek to be bitter, remain estranged, hold a grudge, self-justify our actions, when we let our ego stand in the way of peace and reconciliation, then or hearts are not able to grow fonder of peace or reconciliation because we do not desire it for ourselves or for the other. The absence of reconciliation makes way for the loss of being in relationship with God and others. We become an island where we stand in self justification, self-righteousness and we have let our ego prevail. That is not God’s will or desire for us. Trough the Sacrament of Reconciliation we are given the grace and opportunity to mend, heal and restore the broken relationships and build up the Kingdom of God here on earth. As we stretch out the olive branch to those we have offended or have offended us, the absence of reconciliation no longer prevails, but the presence of a heart that has expanded and grown fonder of the peace, joy and true happiness that comes when we have been reconciled to both God and others.

Reflection for Today; Do you need to be reconciled to someone that has injured you or that you have caused injury to? Is the absence of that relationship making your heart grow fonder for peace and having then back in your life? Thank God. If God were not working in your heart at this moment, hatred could abound, bitterness could prevail, despair could win and his victory over you would be the devil’s trophy. You are victorious follower of Christ and not another victim that the devil can proclaim victory over.

 

SATURDAY - True Happiness

As we have journeyed through this week, we have touched upon gifts and graces that when absent from our life can make us feel less than the person that God wants us to be. When these absences make our heart grow fonder, than we are responding to God’s grace and invitation to continue to seek to be our best self, the person that He created us to be and knows we have the potential to become. As we seek to be our best self, then true happiness not only abounds but flourishes. True happiness does not lie in our possessions, our education, the size of our bank account, or our social status, but rather in our identity as Gods’ beloved child and living in the light of that great truth. It lies in trusting and knowing that we are and will always be in His sight, that we will never be abandoned and that no matter what our bad choices are, our sins may be or the weaknesses that we suffer, God will and can never love us less. The world may try to dispel and deny these truths, but Jesus was born, suffered, and died to disprove the world, the devil, and his mistruths. Jesus defeated death, not just physical death but spiritual death as well. His passion, death and resurrection show us that even in the darkness of our absences, mini death experiences and tomb experiences, we can emerge renewed and stronger than we ever thought possible.

Reflection for Today: Are you experiencing true happiness? Where or in what does your happiness lie? Is your happiness in the cross that you carry knowing that you are not alone and that you carrying an instrument which is allowing you to become your best self, the person that God created you to be and have the potential to become

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of July 25, 2021

Christmas in July. Last week(see below if you need to be reminded of the Glimpse) I encouraged you to hang various pandemic items that symbolized your spiritual growth and personal transformation, on your Christmas tree. As we approach, stand before, and look ahead to, we see a new normal emerging and our Christmas tree becoming and remaining a beacon of hope, life, joy, happiness, peace, and gratitude.

As you decorate your tree, you might find yourself singing some of your favorite Christmas songs or having them play in the background. This week I have taken some of the favorite and well-known songs as well as a few, not so well-known songs, to reflect on. I believe within the words lies a deep and profound message, not just for Christmas, but every day, that we are meant to hear. Take these verses and apply them to your personal and spiritual journey of transformation that you have undergone. Listen to God as He speaks to your heart the message of Christmas: His gift of Love, His present of peace, His grace of an open mind and heart, and the presence of a gentle spirit. Listen as He reveals His presence in and through the Holy Eucharist, the Sacraments of the Church, your faith journey, the words of music, the pandemic, through silence and in being silent, and in the presence of others.

SUNDAY: A Child Is Born unto Us.

Verse 1 A child is born, a Son is given unto us. His light has shone on those in darkness.

Now that we have approached the beginning to the end of the pandemic, the beginning of our new normal, and now can let go of the many and various restrictions that we have been bound to follow and adhere to, can you, do you see the light in the midst of the darkness? Through the past 16 months, do you feel that you have been walking in the darkness where you have had to surrender and trust completely in God and those He has placed in and on your path to lead you through? Do you see, can you recognize the light of Christ, the child that was born unto us, within your heart and deep within your soul, the bright and radiating light but sometimes it seemed more like a flickering light. You have radiated and exuded the presence of the baby Jesus that you have received in your baptism as you have tried to be your best self, the person that God created you to be and have the potential to become. A child has been born unto you.

 

 

 

 

MONDAY: Away in a Manger

Verse 3 Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask thee to stay Close by me forever, and love me, I pray; Bless all the dear children in thy tender care and fit us for heaven to live with thee there.

Jesus was born in a manger, away from home, away from Mary and Joseph’s family and friends. He was born in poverty and the Holy Family trusted in the protection of God, His plan and the kindness and love of strangers. This past year, I imagine that we all have prayed to God to stay close to us as we navigated the pandemic and its many challenges.

Where is Jesus and where is the manger? Jesus is alive and well within the manger of your heart. He has called you to a spiritual poverty where you have had to surrender and trust in His plan for you and your loved ones. He has called you away from those you love, and you have had to turn to the new world of virtual, touchless, and zoom to meet with others and converse with them. BUT like Jesus, Mary and Joseph, this birth, this new life that was born to us, wasn’t just of that moment a moment to remember as part of our salvation history, or to look back on with no real connection, but to look into, into our hearts, into our spirit and recognize the gift and presence of a lifetime of love to nourish, cherish and reverence, so that we are renewed, refreshed, and revitalized each and every day.

TUESDAY: Go Tell it on the Mountain

Refrain: Go tell it on the mountain, Over the hills and everywhere; go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born.

What do we want to tell on the mountain, or proclaim from the rooftop? Is it that we made it through the Pandemic, the most challenging time of our life, or that we have found a new connection with close family a great gift, or that we have undergone a personal and spiritual transformation that, at first, we did not want to embrace, but now we embrace it with great strength, gratitude, and appreciation? Is it that we are grateful to be alive and have been healed of COVID or other spiritual or physical dis-eases that were in the need of healing; the dis-ease of bitterness, estrangement, anger, resentment, discouragement, or despair?

What is your it” that you want to tell from the highest mountain, from the rooftop, or even from your valley? Remember that God knows your heart and your “it” and is waiting for you to proclaim “it” for all to hear. “It’ is your gift to share with others. Don’t leave “it” behind or forget about “it”, but rather take “it” with you, embrace “it” and love “it” for “it” has made you want to become your best self, the person that God created you to be and have the potential to become.

WEDNESDAY: Joy to the World

Verse 3: He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love.

Joy to the World. Joy is a gift that we can choose to accept or deny. We can choose to live in misery, discouragement, self-pity, frustration, or sadness. We can choose to avoid enjoying life and embrace those things that help us deny that there is any reason to be joyful. We can close the eyes and ears of our hearts, minds, and spirit to the joy to of Christmas that came not as the end but the beginning. The joy of Christmas to the world is that Jesus came not to just be born, but rather to suffer and die so that we can live with Him forever and be born anew in heaven with our Loving God. The joy is that Jesus is with us each moment of each and every day to help us through the times where we are not able to recognize the light of joy, or the reason to be joyful because our crosses have dimmed that light. Remember that the cross is not a denial of joy but an embrace of joy. Joy for and in the love of Christ and how He chose to love you. I believe that we all have many reasons to be joyful….what are some of yours?

 

THURSDAY: O Come All Ye Faithful

Verse 3: Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning, Jesus, to thee be all glory given Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing. O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him, O Come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

O come all ye faithful that is you and that is me. We are invited to come and give praise to God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Will you come? Where will you go, who will you go with and who will you invite to come with you? It is a new morning. It is a new day. This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it. Let us adore Him. Let us come with those who we are grateful for, those He has placed in our life that have allowed us, invited us, waited for us, and called us to be our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become. So, we are all walking with another as we choose to be our best self, a faithful fallower and disciple of Jesus Christ this Christmas day in July and always.

FRIDAY: Night of Silence

Verse 2: Voice in the distance, call in the night, on wind you enfold us, you speak of the light, Gentle on the ear, You whisper softly, Rumors of a dawn so embracing, Breathless love awaits darkened souls, Soon will we know of the morning.

We do know of the morning. We have opened our eyes to a new and glorious day, this day God awaits our response to His gift of light, newness, peace, joy, and the presence of loved ones. Our eyes have been closed in the darkness of uncertainty, unemployment, fear, anxiety, stress, financial despair, ill health, death, isolation, and anger, but the soft whisper of God calls us to believe in the newness that awaits us with our new normal; the newness that comes weather we choose it or not, it is God’s promise, and He never goes back on His word. His word is greater than any sin or short walk-in darkness that we may have taken. He loves us, has loved us through the darkness of the pandemic and is loving us now through this new day.

Can you identify the ways that He is loving you today? Or how He has shown His great love these past days, months, or year? Christmas in July…there’s an answer. Even if you are not able to recognize His love right now, His act of love 2000 years ago can still be your final answer and be a correct one. No jeopardy here.

 

SATURDAY: Let There Be Peace on Earth

Verse 1: …..Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now. With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow: to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally. Le there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

Can you allow these words to permeate your very being from the top of your head to the toes on your feet? It is not a peace that we can or should postpone, but rather embrace and share right now. If your step needs to be a step towards physical, emotional or psychological healing, so that you can experience a greater peace, love, sense of compassion and the grace and gift of reconciliation, then be gentle with yourself and take one step at a time, don’t run, or leap, or even skip right now, but just walk humbly and tenderly with your God as He draws you  nearer to Himself. Let each step draw you nearer to your God and be a step toward your own personal journey of healing and wholeness. Let your step of peace be an olive branch to those who have injured you or that you have injured. Let your step be into the new normal, not looking back with regret but with gratitude, not with anger that takes deep root and destroys your foundation, but rather with mercy, compassion and love. Christmas is a state of mind. One that we should seek to focus on and not lose sight of. Remember that a journey begins with placing one foot in front of the other, not jumping, or running, but walking with God and with those whose hand He places in yours in to walk with, talk with and grow with in peace eternally.

 

 

GLIMPSE OF GOD FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 18TH

Last week I wrote about Christmas in July despite the pandemic and how we can find joy and hope amid such a continuously challenging time. This week I am going to focus on the various pandemic items or procedures that dominated our life then and continue to semi-dominate our life today. Now that we have a vaccine and most people have been vaccinated, we can begin to live our new normal and experience a newfound freedom from the chains of Covid 19. Chains such as getting Covid19, spreading it to others, isolation, anxiety, discouragement, despair, depression, unemployment, and zoom meetings vs meeting in person. But now that many restrictions have been lifted, several vaccines that are readily available for people to get, fewer deaths are occurring, and fewer people are getting sick from the Corona virus, I would say that we can celebrate with joy and hope that we are on the right path to healing and wholeness, but we should not take the right path for granted or let our guard down. The required safety items or procedures that were initiated were not of our choice but dictated to us as a way for us to remain healthy and avoid getting sick. Where we had to follow the directives because they were seen as the best way for us to maintain good health and avoid getting covid19 and spreading the virus, we are now given the choice. If we are fully vaccinated, we do not need to wear a mask, except in medical institutions, we can gather in groups, give hugs, and sit next to each other. We are still afforded the opportunity to use hand sanitizer since it is everywhere. We still need to be vigilant with our safety procedures so that we can avoid a resurgence of Covid19, but I believe that if we adhere to our new normal guidelines, we will continue to emerge as a physically, emotionally, and healthier people.  This is a reason to proclaim Joy to the World.

Last year at this time, we could hardly think about Christmas because the isolation and anxiety over unemployment, getting sick from Covid, and not being able to see loved ones, was weighing many people down. Stores are still trying to recover from being closed and unemployment is still high, yet many businesses are hiring, which is a sign of hope. The shining star is there to guide those who are seeking to come to know the Savior through the pandemic, the star is there to enlighten us as to where God was and is during these pandemic days, to see the good that came out of it, and to see how it has changed and transformed each one of us.

As I reflect on certain items or procedures that have dominated our life for the past 16 months, I do so with the lens of recognizing their specific and unique spirituality. I can say that I had not thought about the spirituality of the mask, or soap and water, hand sanitizer, a thermometer, surgical gloves, or those 6ft social distance signs, but I believe that in all that we say and do, observe, and think, has a certain spiritual meaning because we process it with, and in regard, to our faith and seeing God’s action in our life. A lot of good has evolved from the pandemic if we are open to recognizing it.

 

SUNDAY “- A MASK” – what do we hide behind and how does removing it make us vulnerable? Did wearing a mask make you feel more secure because people could not see your facial expressions? Your stress, worry, concerns, joys, anger…?

As you have undergone personal and spiritual transformation, can you hang your mask on the tree and remind yourself that you do not need to hide from others or deny what you are experiencing? A mask provides us with a sense of security and protection, yet in the sight of God, we need only to turn to Him for He is the true source of security and protection. In our relationship with Him, wearing a mask is like wearing false pride and not allowing our insecurities and vulnerabilities to be healed. God would like us to be honest with Him and if we choose to run from honesty, then we are not being our authentic, genuine, and best self, the person that He created us to be and have the potential to become.

 

MONDAY – “GLOVES “(surgical) - We wear gloves for several reasons: to keep from spreading infection and to keep our hands from harm. When we place gloves on our hands, we are unable to feel the softness of one’s skin, or the texture and material of what we are handling. We are safe from any abrasive substances as well as infectious ones. So, in our spiritual life, for what or why do we wear gloves? Are we trying to avoid someone that we feel has an abrasive personality or is too controlling, or one that can infect us with false ideas, temptations? Have you been able to see the person of Christ in them and can you hang the gloves on your tree?

 

TUESDAY - “HAND SANITIZER” - to sanitize (disinfect, sterilize, decontaminate) our hands from any germs or infections that may have been transferred. What do you want to or need to sterilize or decontaminate in your spiritual life? What infection is spreading throughout your entire being, through to your heart, spirit and mind that is causing you to feel less than your best self and needs to be cleaned out?

What infection is causing you to stay down and not rise to the call of discipleship? Is it gossip, worry, sin, addiction, ego? What has been your spiritual sanitizer that has enabled you to be free of your infection?

Can you hang your hand sanitizer on the tree to remind you that you are free of infection, that you have been cleansed and decontaminated through your prayer life, your relationship with God, the sacraments of the Church and your relationship with others?

 

WEDNESDAY – “HAND SOAP AND WATER” – soap and water can clean off dirt off very quickly because it is not very deep or grounded in. With our spiritual life, what weakness do we struggle with that need the soap and water of the sacrament of Reconciliation and Eucharist so that the weakness will not become deep and grounded, where the graces of the sacrament will strengthen us to stay clean and become stronger? What can you put on the tree that represents your cleansing? What type of soap best signifies your cleansing?

Is it a bar of scented soap one that cleans seep and leaves a fresh scent to remind you that you are clean, is it liquid body soap where you can pour it on your being and spread it slowly, meticulously and with desire to clean even the areas that are hardest to reach where a bar can fall out of your hands?

 

THURSDAY – “A THERMOMETER” – it takes your temperature. What is your spiritual temperature? Are you running a fever because you have an infection? One that comes from the mistruths of the devil or the temptations of the world that are permeating your whole being? Is your temperature high because you are worn out by the journey and cannot seem to get your mind and heart on fire about your faith, or God or prayer? Various worldly temptations and detours and spiritual infections have caused you to expel your energy and have permeated your being What can you do to rid yourself of the infection so that your temperature goes down? To normal? What is normal when it comes to our spiritual life and the right temperature? Sometimes when our spiritual temperature is high, we are invited to recognize where we have diverted from the course that God has placed before us and have listened or embraced a short cut or another road. When our temperature is too low, we are invited to see how we are making it through each day but without any effort, the same things without any extra effort.

We can be spiritually anemic where our blood flow our energy is depleted and only with God can we regain that energy and increase our spiritual blood flow, that which will permeate our being and give us new life, In and through the blood of Christ in the Eucharist. Spiritually we can make it through each day with some prayer, some acts of kindness and mercy, yet our actions are not wholehearted. Can you hang a thermometer on the tree to help you recognize that you have risen above the challenges and have resumed your walk with Christ as a stronger and more determined follower?

 

FRIDAY – “6FT DISTANCE FLOOR/WALL SIGNS”

We have had to keep social distance so to avoid spreading or catching another’s germs that could lead us to getting the corona virus. 6 feet was designated as the safest distance when it came to being contagious and spreading the infection to those around you. You see the signs on the floors and walls of stores, eating establishments, they were posted at ballparks when we were allowed to re-enter them, they are still posted in some stores, yet many people fail to follow the sign and are right behind the person with no social distance. Spiritually how do we keep socially distant from another? Is it because of our ego and having to be the center of attention and not allow another who is suffering to speak, share or be consoled? Do we ignore the plight of others because we are so focused on our cross that we fail to want to help another to carry theirs? As you choose to hang a 6ft social distance sign on your tree, are you able to recognize where you have gone the extra prayer, act of kindness, acts of mercy, to become a stronger builder of God’s kingdom here on earth, and to do that you and I need to be spiritually close, not distant, to our God and each other?

 

SATURDAY – “YOUR OWN SIGN OF HOPE”.

What do you have that you often looked at, held, observed that has kept you sane this past year? What was your symbol of hope that kept you from despair, your sign of healing that kept you from dwelling and getting stuck in bitterness, anger, and discouragement? What or who has been there for you to talk to, someone you could trust and vent with, seek encouragement from and likewise console? As you look back, are you able to recognize that your strength, determination, and perseverance, has been how you made it through? Can and do you recognize the hand of God through your pandemic days? If you have received the vaccine, do you feel, have you experienced a new freedom? You have emerged from the darkness of the tomb into the light of healing and wholeness. How do you feel? What symbol or symbols will you hang on your tree that represents God’s gift of hope and healing, wholeness, and happiness?

What will you use as a tree topper that will being attention to your tree, to your ability to be resilient, to be hopeful and not hopeless? How will your tree topper bring the light of healing and love, the healing and love of Christ to others? The star, an angel, a significant symbol, these all bring the focus to the tree and what hangs on it. Don’t you want others to see how you have survived the pandemic, that way they can be inspired and in return inspire you as they share their story, their symbols?

 

 

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of July 11, 2021

 

Christmas in July. Considering all that is going on in our world, you might be asking how I can even think about Christmas in July. But now that many restrictions have been lifted, fewer deaths have occurred and fewer people have gotten sick from Corona, I would say that we can celebrate with joy and hope that we are on the right path to healing and wholeness, but we should not take the right path for granted. We still need to be vigilant with our safety procedures so that we can avoid a resurgence of Covid19. I believe that if we adhere to our new normal guidelines, we will continue to emerge as a physically, emotionally, and healthier people.  This is a reason to proclaim Joy to the World.

Last year at this time, we could hardly think about Christmas because the isolation and anxiety over unemployment, getting sick from Covid, and not being able to see loved ones, was weighing many people down. Stores are still trying to recover from being closed and unemployment is still high, yet many businesses are hiring, which is a sign of hope. The shining star is there to guide those who are seeking to come to know the Savior through the pandemic, the star is there to enlighten us as to where God was and is during the pandemic, to see the good that came out of it and to see how it has changed and transformed each one of us.

This is not a glimpse encouraging you to begin your Christmas shopping or to write out your Christmas cards, so please put the keys down, the lists away and keep the stamps and address books in the drawer. What is Christmas in July?  In our commercial and consumer world, it is where retailers have Christmas decorations and all the necessary items out for sale so that the consumer can get a jump start and shop ahead.  July is in the middle of summer where it can also be the hottest time of the year, so that when we talk about Christmas, there can be a sudden feeling of refreshment and cooling off.

But on a deeper and a more spiritual level, why is or should July be different than any other month? Why don’t we celebrate Christmas every day and not just the one day a year? On December 25th, we as Catholic Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus, where God chose Mary, a young virgin to be the Mother of God and Joseph to be His foster father here on earth. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving, we know that it is the Christmas season because it is officially Black Friday, the biggest shopping day of the year. How do you know it is Christmas? You can’t miss the various and many clues; decorations  and advertisements abound everywhere; in the Malls, on houses, in stores and on televisions, Christmas cards are sent out,  Santa Claus appears everywhere either in his PJ’s or in his full red suit, people celebrate with parties, the poor, hungry and homeless are remembered through various food collections, special dinners, coat and clothes drives, the sick children are thought of in a special way through toys for tots, people are kinder, gifts are exchanged and children send their Christmas lists to Santa at the North pole early so that they can get everything they want.

Christmas is not just about the bright and positive, it is also about the cross of Christ experienced first by Mary and Joseph. Christmas is also a time where many people grieve the loss of their loved one and would rather cry than celebrate or smile, families are broken, wounds are renewed, lives are lost through war, homicide, suicide, and addictions and all of these lives are gifts that have been taken away, the poor are still poor, many of the homeless are still without a home, the hungry are still hungry and peace on earth is still our hope and prayer. There is still more darkness than daylight and the weather can lead to cabin fever.

My Glimpse of God for this week is not to eliminate Christmas in July, but rather that we make the meaning of Christmas our daily mindset; a mindset focused on a greater and deeper sense of faith, hope, love, compassion, service, mercy, peace, joy, authenticity, presence and trust. As we begin a new week during this month of July, let us focus on some of the aspects of our faith and discipleship and seek to live it out as if it were Christmas every day.

SUNDAY – Spirit of Christmas

The spirit and gift of Christmas is a state of mind and one that we are blessed with every day. We are called to be a selfless, and not a selfish, people. We are all God’s beloved sons and daughters, and when we share the gift of our love and beloved-ness with others, it helps them recognize with greater clarity how unconditionally loved they are by God and others.  The Spirit of Christmas is a spirit of self-emptying love, surrender, trust, hope, and joy that permeates and penetrates our very being and dwells within our hearts if we are open to God’s Holy Spirit and His plan for us.

We are and can always try to give of our self. If someone is grieving and needs comfort, be God’s instrument of consolation and support. If someone is ill and needs a good listener, be the ears of Christ and listen in silence. If someone is alone and in need of a visitor, be the visitor of compassion, support, and empathy. If someone has hurt you, be merciful, listen and forgive as God has forgiven you. If someone is joyful, be joyful with them and do not let your life crosses, struggles and challenges overshadow their joy. God loves a cheerful giver.

Today, if you are carrying a heavy cross, do not try to carry it alone, remember Jesus accepted help, so let others help. If you find that you are not your best self, remember that what you see is only a partial view where God sees the whole picture. That picture is one of love, compassion, healing, and wholeness, so rejoice that your better self is emerging, just move out of your way so that you can see it more clearly. If you find that you are being tough on yourself because of mistakes, weaknesses, or sins, remember that God knows what is in our heart and that you are sorry, in humility admit your wrongs and seek His mercy so that He can take action to heal, forgive and make you whole.  

 

 

 

 

MONDAY – The Senses of Prayer for you today

May Jesus open your eyes so that you can see the wonderful gift of His presence in those that surround you: your family, your friends, your community, your neighbors, your coworkers and yes even the stranger.

May Jesus open your ears so that you can hear the laughter and listen to the stories of those around you and respond with the empathy, compassion, joy, mercy, and love of Jesus. May you hear and listen as you open your heart to His message. May Jesus touch your nose so that you can smell the various aromas of the foods that are being prepared for your table, the breakfast table, the fastfood table, the dinner table, the snack table. As you enjoy the aromas, may that prompt a prayer of thanksgiving for those who are preparing your meal. Remember each meal, beginning with Holy Eucharist, is a gift given by God to nurture and sustain you spiritually and physically, so that you can be a stronger witness as a Member of the Body of Christ to all. May Jesus touch your sense of taste and allow you to enjoy all that you partake of weather at the table, or on the run. Taste and see the Goodness of the Lord.

Today: May Jesus touch your mind, body, spirit, and soul with His grace. May you reach out and touch someone today that needs comfort, consolation, healing, empathy, compassion, peace, joy, love, and laughter.

 

TUESDAY – The Greetings of Christ

When we greet each other with a smile, kind words or a friendly gesture, it is the recognition of the presence of another that spreads love, mutual respect, understanding, peace, mercy, compassion and builds up the Kingdom of God here on earth. When the Christmas season approaches, respectful of the other holidays that are also being celebrated in and around the same time, you often hear various greetings from Merry Christmas, happy holidays to Happy Hanukah. 

I believe that these greeting are one’s attempt to be respectful of the many religious holidays and to acknowledge a person’s celebration.  Why wait till the season to greet others? Normally a smile, handshake or a simple hello are ways to acknowledge another’s presence without causing any political or religious debate or offense. 

With Covid19 how do we greet others as Christ’s followers as builders of the Kingdom here on earth? By offering peace through prayer, perseverance during fears and doubt, and persistence amid challenges and feelings of being overwhelmed. We encourage each other, support each other, and call each other to be their best self despite what contradicts that goal. Christ did not preach just at Passover. He did not perform miracles just at parties, He glorified the Father all the time without fear or hesitation. We are d to do the same.  Sometimes it is easier to give praise and thanks to God when things are going well, but when things are difficult, it is a special gift and grace form God to be able to offer Him thanks and praise.  

Today or the next time that you want to greet another but hesitate because of fear, the uncertainty of their response, or because you do not know what to say, offer a nod and say a prayer for them.  When Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to the disciples, the first words from His mouth were Peace Be with You!! Let these words echo in your heart as He speaks them to you, and as He wishes them for all His children through you.

 

WEDNESDAY – The Presence/Presents of Christmas

Christ comes to us and gives us the greatest gift that we could ever ask for or imagine receiving, the gift of His real presence in the Holy Eucharist, and His healing presence in the Sacraments of the Reconciliation and Anointing. His gift of Self to us was a selfless, unconditional self-emptying gift that we could never earn or deserve. Knowing that, He came to earth as an infant through the virgin Mary, suffered His passion, died on the cross and rose from the dead, to show us, not only how unconditionally loved we are, but that there is no sin that could ever diminish or take that love from us. Do we believe that, and can we live in and with faith that empowers us to rise above our weakness and trust in His mercy?

We are the Body of Christ and we are called to be the Body of Christ to others. Being present to others and giving of our self is not always easy, but like Mary and Joseph, if we trust in God and follow the star of His grace that guides us, we know that He will always protect us, guide us, and lead us to those who need to experience His gifts of love, mercy, and peace through us. There are so many ways that Christ is calling us to be His beacon of light, love, and compassion, we just need to listen, look, and respond the best way we can.

Merry Christmas today. Enjoy the presence and gift of Jesus in those that surround you. Keep the spirit and meaning Christmas alive by your words, deeds, attitudes, and prayers and do not give the secular world the credit for your witness and love for God through Jesus. The gift of Jesus is in all those that surround you. If the eyes of your heart , spirit and mind are open, you will see so many gifts from Jesus, gifts like; the smile of a friend, the words of consolation, the long awaited embrace after covid, the joy in being able to see another’s facial expressions, the jokes that raise our laughter level, the person in line ahead of us that invites us to go ahead of them because they have more, the person who defers to you in traffic, the child that embrace you after a hard day at work, and the opportunity to gather with others. 

Today be mindful that the gift of Jesus that is given to you each time you attend and participate in the celebration of Holy Mass. You are the Body of Christ, so as you encounter your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors, remember that the presence of Jesus is in each of them. Seek Him and you will find Him.

 

 

 

 

THURSDAY – The peace of Christmas

We hear this song throughout the season but not much during the rest of the year. If we prayed for peace more often, but more importantly, if we believed that we are instrumental in bringing about peace in our home, community, church and world, peace would abound in ways that we cannot even imagine. Peace is like the ripple in the ocean, one little prayer, selfless action, random act of kindness, can bring about peace so that it ripples and grows further out from us to those who need it most.

If you are like me, once a little song enters my mind, it stays, so with that, pray these words, sing these words, post them, but always remember YOU are God’s instrument of His Peace here on earth.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me. Let there be peace on earth the peace that was meant to be. With God as our Father and family all are, we, let us walk with each other, in perfect harmony. Let peace begin with me, let this be the moment now, with every step I take, let this be my solemn vow: to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally, let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

HOW???? Listen to the Prayer of Saint Francis

Lord make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love, injury…. pardon. doubt…faith, despair….hope, darkness…light, sadness…joy, Oh Divine Master, grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love, for it is giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

 

FRIDAY- Serve in the name of the Lord

As the festive season approaches, we often and always hear of the many organizations and ministries that reach out to the military, the poor, the homeless, the addicted, the sick children and the homebound.  We as a community, neighborhood, city, town, state, and country, amazingly and generously respond to the needs of those less fortunate and need help. When the season is over, it seems that the requests for these same people are silent or muted.  We do not hear as much about them.  Yet their situation has not changed, and they still need help. Wouldn’t it be nice if we reached out in the same way all year?

With Covid 19 many of these same groups have been the recipients of the generosity and support of various agencies and individuals.  I know that there are many agencies and organizations that assist these very same groups, and many more, throughout the year, but Christmas brings their needs to the forefront so that people can respond with their Christmas hearts more generously. People’s generosity and care during the covid19 crisis this past year have brought out the reality that it is Christmas every day and that we are called to help others, give of our self instead of being selfish and seek to raise up those who are bowed down because of their crosses.

 

Now that we can gather with others because many restrictions have been lifted, and masks are optional for those who have been vaccinated, let us remember that those who were homeless are still homeless, the poor are still among us, the addicted are still suffering  and the unemployed are still seeking employment to feed and support their families, there is never a time to stop being or seeing Christ in others who are carrying heavy and burdensome crosses.

Today, if there was a group that you were generous towards for Christmas or during this pandemic, think about them and pray for them.  With your Christmas heart, reach out to them in whatever way you feel called. You do not need to give them a gift but remember them in a prayerful way throughout the day, the week, the month, and the year.

 

SATURDAY – Joy to the World

The angel announced with great joy that the Savior was born. As you move through another weekend, another part of the hot, humid and rainy month, find your joy and share it with others.  Is your joy in Christ? Proclaim it by your smile and your love. Is your joy in that you are His beloved? Look in the mirror and say thank you. Pray for your mom who accepted the seed of faith of your presence, and where God formed you in her womb and gave you your name. Pray for your dad who loved you the nine you remained hidden and loved you to the new physical life that you took on. Is your joy in your vocation: married, single, cleric, religious? God has called you and you have generously responded to His call to be His witness and Kingdom builder to those entrusted to your care, love, and concern. If married to your spouse, children, extended family, and grandchildren. If a religious; to your community, your past and present students, your employees, your elderly religious sisters, your caretakers, your family, your nieces, and nephews. If single; to your friends, family, extended family, and community.

Is your joy in your accomplishments? God has given you the talents and gifts that have allowed you to become accomplished, but your identity does not lie in what you do, but rather in who you are:

His beloved child loved unconditionally and without measure. Look at what you think means a lot: your degree, your job, your successes and seek to see the hand of God and His Holy Spirit in your life.

Today, all of those that you have touched, and have touched you have been a source of joy to you and for you. They, and well as you, are a joy to the world and in the world. Our world needs more joy. Can you spread the joy by speaking of those who have given you joy in the past, or give you joy in the present? God is waiting to hear from you. The angels proclaimed it from the roof top, how will you proclaim it?  

From your knees, from your lips, in your greeting, in a nod?

 

As you draw nearer to the weekend and make plans on how you will enjoy it, my Glimpse of God for this upcoming week will continue with the Christmas theme. but will focus on the signs of hope that brought you through the pandemic and made you a stronger person.

As I reflect on Christmas in July, I cannot eliminate or ignore the spirituality of the Christmas tree and the decorations that are placed it.

SO…..next week the daily reflections will be on the various aspects of COVID19 that, willingly or not, we embraced. What is their spirituality and how does reflecting on it now, remind you of your inner strength, courage, your ability to persevere and stand strong?

 

A MASK,

SURGICAL GLOVES,

THERMOMETER,

HAND SOAP,

HAND SANITIZER,

6FT DISTANCE GROUND SIGNS,

AND YOUR OWN SIGN OF HOPE.

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of July 4, 2021

“Spiritual Freedom”

How appropriate that we celebrate our newfound religious freedom and our nations independence, July 4th on a Sunday. After the pandemic has caused us to feel quite unfree and independent, and with little ways to celebrate any occasion safely, this year we are invited to gather to celebrate our nations freedom at the Eucharistic Table. As we gather at the table of the Lord, we celebrate our first freedom as children of God as we listen to the Word of God as it proclaimed in Sacred Scripture. It is the Scripture where God reveals to His people, how they can become a free people.

What is our freedom in relationship to our faith? It is not just about being given the right to practice our religion freely without the fear of persecution but is more about us choosing to practice our religion and worship our God. It is about freely choosing to worship our God, not out of fear or guilt, but out of love, respect, and reverence. It is through the proclamation of the Sacred Scripture, the living word of God, that we hear God speak to our heart where He invites us to grow in a deeper relationship with Him. As God reveals Himself through Sacred Scripture, how we choose to respond will make us either a freer people or a people bound up in our guilt and sinfulness. As we listen to the Word of God, we are given the grace and wisdom to make good choices. It is through our good choices that we can avoid sin, but when we do sin, we then can choose to seek the mercy and healing power of God. God created us and instilled in us our free will. It is through that free will we can choose to be obedient or disobedient to God and His will and plan for us. This is not a task that we are given without help. Sacred Scripture, which is the inspired word of God, is there to assist us our spiritual journey.

As Mass continues and we celebrate the Liturgy of the Eucharist, we are then given the Body and Blood of Jesus. Jesus our redeemer, who suffered and died for us, who set us free from eternal damnation and opened the doors for us to eternal life, set us free and invites us to stay a free people. Our freedom is celebrated each time we receive the Sacraments especially Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. In the sacrament of reconciliation, through confession, absolution, and penance we are set free from our sin. In the Eucharist, but all throughout Mass, we are given the opportunity to repent of any wrongdoing and weakness, that does not require going to the sacrament of reconciliation, and receive God’s mercy and forgiveness. Our spiritual freedom does not mean that we will be free from sin, we are human, but what it can mean is that when we do sin,

we recognize our sinfulness and repent, and choose not to fall into self-righteousness, despair, discouragement, or hopelessness. When we can recognize how we have fallen short of God’s desire for us becoming our best self, the person that He created us to be and have the potential to become, we are free. That freedom is choosing to see how we have fallen short but with hope in reconciliation and not despair, with courage to go forward and not turn back, emerging as victorious and not victims. Our spiritual freedom is when we choose not to be bound up in Satan’s deceptions.

SUNDAY – “F” faith vs fear

Having faith is one of the biggest tools in becoming and remaining a free person. With faith, not a perfect faith, but a greater desire to believe in the God who promised to always be with us, that He would never abandon us, that you will never be overcome, and that we never have reason to be afraid. If we believe that then we have chosen to meet our fear face to face and in trust that we will not be defeated. Remember that fear is the devil’s tool to take you away from God by having you believe that there is something that you cannot overcome, that you will be defeated by it, and that you have been abandoned by God.

As you celebrate your spiritual freedom, are there areas in your life that you would like to have greater faith so that your fear will dissipate, and you will experience a newfound independence?

MONDAY – “R” reconcile vs regret

When we want to and choose to be free, we are choosing to let go of that which is constraining or binding us to our past choices, weaknesses, sins, and injuries. When we choose to be reconciled to God and others by admitting our mistakes and sins, it is in that reconciliation we are renewed in God’s grace, mercy, and compassion. Being a new creation, we are then able to go forward in that same mercy and compassion that has been shown to us and extend it to others. We then can choose not to look back and hold on to anger, grudges, resentment, and vengeance.

It is when we do not choose to be reconciled, that we can have regrets. We regret that we have isolated ourselves from others because of injuries that have been inflicted on us or by us, regrets that we are angry about, and it is surging within us and making us more miserable, that our past choices and our need to be in control is controlling us and making us feel defeated, discouraged and despairing. Regrets can be eliminated by one act of reconciliation with God, who then gives us the strength and courage to seek reconciliation with others.

As you celebrate your spiritual freedom, are there areas in your life where you would like to seek reconciliation with God and others; over a past sin, injury, grudge, so that you can experience a greater sense and reality of true autonomy, healing, and wholeness?

TUESDAY – “E” embrace vs exclude

As we choose, with the grace of God, to recognize that which is binding us, we can then choose to embrace it or exclude it. What I mean by that is when God invites us to grow in our faith, we are being invited to see ourselves as God sees us; His beloved child who is loved unconditionally His greatest creation, and that there is nothing that we can say or do that will make Him love us less, He cannot, His love is perfect. In those truths that we need to see both the weak and the strong sides of our humanity. If we fail to recognize our sinfulness, our weakness, or our bad choices, but justify them or deny them all together, then we cannot undergo personal or spiritual transformation. God knows our hearts better than we do so He knows our choices and the reasons behind them, and He is ready and willing to forgive us. I believe that we are not bad people, but rather that we are all sinners striving to become saints and, in our desire, we fall short and give in to the devil’s temptations. SO, when we acknowledge our choices or sins in the light of God’s love for us, their power to diminish our belief in God’s love for us as His beloved child is defeated and we come out living more to our potential to be our best self.

As you celebrate your spiritual freedom, are there areas in your life where you would like to acknowledge or embrace instead of denying or excluding, so that you can undergo a greater spiritual and personal transformation?

WEDNESDAY – “E” entrust vs endanger

As we seek our spiritual freedom so that we can undergo a greater spiritual and personal transformation, we sometimes put it at risk by not commending or entrusting our will to God. We seek to be in control, we try to fix our problems, we attempt to heal our brokenness and fail to see His presence and His love within us. We endanger our spiritual freedom because we seek to stay bound in control, self-righteousness, fear, ignorance, or self-reliance. Yet we are never out of God’s loving sight, or out of His desire to forgive and extend His mercy and compassion. Entrusting God means surrendering your fears, your will, and your control.  This might be scary, but not impossible. As a sinner who is seeking to become a saint, a co-builder of God’s Kingdom here on earth, and a beloved child of God, I do not believe that you mean to or want to endanger your spiritual freedom, it sometimes just gets lost in the stresses and crosses of daily life.

So, as you celebrate your spiritual freedom, can you surrender those areas that are calling you away from God and risking the spiritual freedom that God has given you?

THURSDAY – “D” delight vs discourage

God delights in you and adores you. You are His beloved child, loved unconditionally, and His greatest creation. He called you by name when He created you. You are one of a kind, there will never be another you. You are unique and special, you are YOU. You are a sinner striving to become a saint, a builder of His Kingdom here on earth, an instrument to bring others to know, love and serve Him better in this life so that we can all experience His presence in the life to come. Do you believe that, or does that discourage you? Does your sinfulness or weakness discourage you to the point that you cannot believe that God loves you unconditionally? That He delights in you? that you are loved beyond measure? and that Jesus died for you and not just everyone else? When we delight in someone or something we experience a great joy, happiness, and peace. God wants you to believe in His love for you so that you can experience His joy, happiness, and peace.

As you celebrate your spiritual freedom, where or what keeps you from believing that God delights in you and can you pray for the grace to let go so that you can find delight in yourself?

FRIDAY – “O” open vs obstructed

As we seek our spiritual freedom, we can choose to be open to it and all that it stands for, or we can put obstacles or obstructions in its way so that we cannot experience the freedom we are being invited to receive. Sometimes the idea of being free, forgiven, healed or whole can be scary, we do not know how to respond or live with this new freedom. For instance, being healed means recognizing where we are broken and then allowing God to fix the brokenness because we cannot. Being forgiven means that we have to admit that we have caused another harm and that we were wrong and sometimes our ego gets in the way and we justify our actions instead. I believe that the two phrases that are hardest for humanity to speak are “I am sorry” and “I forgive you”. When we say that “I am sorry” we are admitting that we have caused another harm, intentionally or not, we see that we have hurt them, and we feel remorse.

 

When we say that “I forgive you” we are given the grace to recognize the remorse in another who has caused us harm and we extend God’s mercy to them as He has so often extended it to us.

When we are open God’s grace overflows within us to without us. But when we put obstructions in the way because we would rather stew in our anger, shame, guilt, bitterness, vengeance, or grudge, then God’s grace is left waiting at the door of our heart and mind and we need to open the door for it to make its way in. There is not obstacle or obstruction that cannot be removed and overcome with faith and trust in God.

As you celebrate your spiritual freedom, are there areas in your life where you would like to be mor open to God’s grace so that you can overcome the obstacles or obstructions that are keeping you from opening the door of your mind and heart to His love, mercy, and compassion?

SATURDAY – “M” mercy vs memory

God’s mercy is greater than we can ever imagine or put into words. He doesn’t remember our past sins but rather our present desire to repent, conform to His will and seek personal and spiritual conversion, and transformation. Yet when we sin or are injured, we often do not want to forget, but choose to dwell on the injury or sin. We continue to allow the shame, guilt, anger, and grudge to fester and take root so that the love, mercy and compassion of God cannot make it’s dwelling within our heart, mind, spirit or soul. Our memory serves us well when we choose to remember the good times, the great people past and present that have touched our life, and the events and celebrations that have brought us great joy. Our memory also serves as a tool or instrument that reminds of the painful events or injuries that have also formed us and make us who we are today. God is not expecting us to forget those aspects of our formation, but what I think He is inviting us to do is to not allow our memory of the painful experiences to control us, make us feel like a victim and cause us to despair. But rather to remind us of His healing power that will make us a victorious, hopeful, and a resurrection people. As we seek God’s mercy, we are called to share that mercy with those who are in most need. With those who have injured us, or us for us, who have injured another. When we can share that mercy, then the pain and the effect of the memory will fade and grow farther away in the rearview mirror and we will steer straight ahead to healing and wholeness that God desires for us.

As you celebrate your spiritual freedom, are there areas in your life where you would like your memory of past hurts or injuries lead into seeking God’s mercy so that you can offer it to those in your life who are most in need?

The Declaration of Independence was officially adopted on July 4th and marked by the ringing of the Liberty Bell at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Let us remember all who have fought for our freedom.

 

Glimpse of God for the week of June 26, 2021

“receive”

This week’s Glimpse of God comes from the word “receive” and how Jesus’ love and His Good News of reconciliation, compassion, mercy, forgiveness, peace, joy, and hope, are received by His listeners both then and now. How His actions of healing, restoration and raising from the dead, His words of being “Blessed” as spoken on the Sermon on the Mount, the many parables that He told, the disciples understanding of all of Jesus’ words, actions, and silence, and how we receive them today.

What does it mean to receive something? How do we respond when we receive something?

I would imagine that it all depends on what we receive to how we will respond to it. When someone gives us a gift, we usually receive it with gratitude, and when we are given a raise at work, we usually receive it with joy, yet when we receive a poor evaluation or are given a negative review we tend not to respond positively, but with feelings of hurt or anger.

Now how does the word “receive” represent a Glimpse of God? Let me explain….

When we attend Mass, we receive many gifts from God. The first is when we listen to His Holy Word as proclaimed in Scripture, we receive His words that can speak to our heart, and how we respond to them is up to us. We can have an open mind and heart where the words take root as we seek His direction on how He wants us to build up His Kingdom here on earth, or it falls on rocky ground because our hearts and our mind is closed to the revelations of God as He chooses to reveal Himself. The seed scatters and cannot take root where it can be nurtured.

When we receive the Holy Eucharist, we are receiving the real presence of God, the Body and Blood of Jesus Himself. When we receive the Holy Eucharist, we are then commissioned to be the Body of Christ in all that we say and do, by our actions, through our life choices and in our attitudes, our words, and our prayers.  As members of the Body of Christ we have a responsibility to live as connected members and not disjointed, as people that realize that we need Christ to sustain us on this earthly journey so that we can attain our goal of reaching heaven when our earthly journey has ended. We need the Holy Eucharist, the Body of Christ; the bread of life, to nourish and sustain our body, mind, soul, and spirit. We need the Blood of Christ to quench the thirsts that arise when our life struggles leave us parched, and we suffer from burnout and need to seek refreshment in the Lord alone. When we are connected to community, we are not connected to find faults with others but to build them up. We are all sinners striving to become saints and how we receive, welcome, and embrace others as members of the Body of Christ will show them how we truly received the good news of Jesus Christ. Do we use the good news as a tool to build others up through our support, encouragement, forgiveness, compassion, and mercy? Or as a weapon to tear down because we believe God appointed us as His judge here on earth, so therefor we pass judgement on others, we seek revenge because we have been injured, we justify our anger and jealousy, and we do not feel that we need to try to understand or show empathy towards others.

The same message of love is listened to by all yet how we receive it is different. What makes Catholic Christians stronger receivers of the Word is that we have the Holy Eucharist and the other Sacraments of the church that we can receive when we are in most need. The graces that we receive when we partake of the sacraments are innumerable and beyond the understanding in the mind of humans. God is very generous and is always waiting to shower His blessings and graces upon us.

Yet as we participate in the sacraments, we can behold the rite or ritual and the actions that are shown, but we cannot behold the graces that are received because they are not tangible or visible. The graces received and the effect of God’s grace can only be recognized through the eyes of faith, the spirit of trust, and the openness of both heart and mind. The good thing about being on the receivers end with God is that we do not have to be perfect, just humble enough to admit that we are not, we do not earn or pay for His grace, we just need to recognize that as sinners, He died for us once for all and therefor our debt was already paid.

We only need to be open to His grace and allow it to work in our lives so that we can become our best self, the person that he created us to be and have the potential to become.

So, as we walk through this coming week, in anticipation of Independence Day where we received our freedom as a nation, let us be most mindful of what we receive and if it comes in the form of items, gifts, compliments, criticism, forgiveness, love, grace or silence, that God is with you as you open your hands, heart and mind to receive all of these. What they can call you to is what He wants to give you, an opportunity for personal transformation and growing deeper in love with Him and yourself.

 

SUNDAY – “R” replenishment

How do you need to be replenished? What is lacking or near empty in your life? Is it your ability to be understanding or compassionate? Are you angry or suffering from an injury that you need to be healed of? Is your heart broken over a failed relationship, the death of a loved one, the separation that has come because of Covid? The memory of someone near and dear to you? Can you allow God to refill your heart with His grace so that you can forgive, mourn with hope, and love yourself with a greater love, the love that God has for you and wants to fill you with? Can you receive these graces with open hands? These gifts that will renew both your mind and heart, can you receive them with love and humility, peace, and joy?

For today as we approach the celebration of our nations Independence Day, ask God to replenish you and free you from anything that is depleting your energy and not allowing you to be your best self, the person that God created you to be, and you have the potential to become.

 

MONDAY – “E” encouragement

Can you encouraged to keep going and not get discouraged or disheartened? Are you encouraged by the people around you, your family, and friends, loved ones, your community? What does encouragement mean to you? Can you receive encouraging words from another and humbly express your gratitude? Can you receive the words from God that lift you up and inspire you to raise others up? Today seek to encourage someone that is down and needs to be raised up.  Encouragement is often about raising others up even when you do not feel like it. When we reach out of our self and seek to raise up another, we too are then being raised up over our discouragement to be more encouraged and stronger than we thought we could be.

For today as we approach the celebration of our nations Independence Day, ask God to encourage, inspire and free you from anything that is discouraging you and not allowing you to be your best self, the person that God created you to be, and you have the potential to become.

 

TUESDAY – “C’ compassion

What does compassion or being compassionate mean to you? Being compassionate means being merciful, kind, caring, kindhearted, loving, sympathetic and empathetic towards others. Being compassionate means loving oneself so that one can share your compassion with others.  It means using the graces that you have received from God, so that you can share them as God reveals the how, when and who. Do you feel that you are not a compassionate person? Is it because of an injury or a hurt that you cannot get over or forgive? Do you feel that you cannot be compassionate towards another especially one that hurt you? As God has forgiven you and continues to show His compassion toward you are you not strong enough to also do the same?

For today as we approach the celebration of our nations Independence Day, ask God to show you how you are a compassionate person, but to also free you from anything that is causing you to be and act cold towards others and thus not allowing you to be your best self, the person that God created you to be, and you have the potential to become.

 

WEDNESDAY – “E’ embrace

God waits to embrace you. You just need to invite Him in and allow Him to embrace you tight so that you can feel His strength and receive His grace so that you can continue to go forward and build His Kingdom here on earth. He loves you unconditionally and there is nothing that you can do or say that will make Him love you less. So, what does God embracing you look like? It could mean a moment or moments of serene peace that envelopes you. It could mean a sense of strength and courage that you feel empowered by. It may mean a feeling of love and joy that only God could have planted in our heart. God embraces you every time that you receive Him in the Holy Eucharist, it is like a spiritual hug given to you by God and no one else can see this loving embrace but you feel it. You are changed, blessed, and now charged to continue to be His Kingdom builder here on earth.

For today as we approach the celebration of our nations Independence Day, thank God for His loving embrace, and ask Him to free you from anything that is causing you to reject His embrace and not allowing you to be your best self, the person that God created you to be, and you have the potential to become.

 

THURSDAY – “I” inspiration

Who or what inspires you? Do you think that you inspire others? Where does inspiration come from? As you walk through your day today, seek to reflect on what comes forth from you and how those thoughts or actions help others and cause them to be lifted and raised up.  Your inspiration, your creativity, your insight allows others to see themselves, their crosses, their joys, their struggles, their celebrations, their world, their God in a different way, you are a glimpse of God as He chooses to reveal himself though you.

For today as we approach the celebration of our nations Independence Day, ask God to continue to inspire you so that you can share your inspirations with others, and free you of the weariness that is not allowing you to be your best self, the person that God created you to be, and you have the potential to become.

FRIDAY – “V” value

You are held with great esteem before God. God does not put a price tag on you or a discount tag on you, or a no return ticket on you. He died for all sinners of which you and I are included. God knows your heart better than you do and He knows that you do not want to turn away from Him. You are His greatest creation and His beloved child; He loves you unconditionally and there is no sin that will make Him love you less or cause Him not to what to be in relationship with you. His love cannot be measured or expressed in words, only in action and that action was His death on the cross. He proved that on the cross. Were you there? Did you never hear those words that came forth from His mouth: Father forgive them for they know not what they do? The “them” was those then, those of us now and those who will follow. He values you and loves you and He wants you to love yourself as He loves you. You are a beautiful creation that enhances the Kingdom of God here on earth.

For today as we approach the celebration of our nations Independence Day, ask God to show help you to recognize how much He values you and to take way those things or thoughts that make you feel less than a beautiful creation, and not allowing you to be your best self, the person that God created you to be, and you have the potential to become.

SATURDAY – “E” enjoyment

It is July 4th weekend and there are many freedoms to celebrate. The freedom as a nation, the freedom from wearing masks, the freedom of being able to see our loved ones and being able to embrace them safely, and the freedom of religion that allows us to celebrate the many graces of freedom that God has bestowed on us. We are free to practice our religion, to give our will over to God and invite God into our heart, mind, soul, and spirit, we are free to live our lives as followers of Jesus Christ, we are free to forgive and be forgiven, we are free to be our self and not what others want us to be, we are free to forgive others or hold on to a grudge, and we are free to love our self as God’s beloved child, loved unconditionally and His greatest creation. Or we can conform to what others ask, expect, or control us to believe and not choose Christ who is the way, the truth and the life, our true freedom lies in Jesus who once and for all gave of His life so that we can be free. The question is do you believe that He suffered and died for you or just everyone else?  

For today as we approach the celebration of our nations Independence Day, ask God to free you from anything that is depriving you from enjoying life as He has set it before you, and not allowing you to be your best self, the person that God created you to be, and you have the potential to become.

Glimpse of God for the week of June 20, 2021

Let me begin by saying Happy Father’s Day to all those men who are Fathers, Fathers, Foster Fathers, Fathers by adoption, Blended family Fathers, God Fathers, Grand Fathers, and father figures. Let us remember all our Fathers, especially those who are deceased, and entrust them to the loving embrace of God. If we were estranged or hurt by our fathers, let us seek the grace from God to forgive them so that we can entrust them to the eternal and loving embrace of God. 

Let me offer praise and gratitude to all the Priests that we call Fathers who lead us closer to our Heavenly Father by their love for God, the administration of the Sacraments and their love for the flock that God has placed in their care. Let us remember women who are single parents due to divorce, death and separation, and as they fulfill both roles of father and mother and seek to protect and provide for their family. Let us encourage and support them as they try to raise their children with all their strength courage, trust, and faith in God and in those are present as support and encouragement.

This year is the year designated by Pope Francis as the year of Saint Joseph. Joseph is the foster father of Jesus and the husband of Mary. He is the patron saint of workers and Patron of the Universal Church.

Joseph is the man in the shadows of Mary and Jesus, yet he played a crucial role in protecting Mary and Jesus from harm and death. Joseph was a man that listened to God, followed His command given to him through an angel and with courage, commitment, and love, and trusted as He was led to the unknown and uncertain. Joseph was the protector and provider of the Holy Family and he taught Jesus the skill of being a good carpenter and a good son. He is seldom mentioned in the Scripture, yet He played a very crucial and significant role in our salvation history.

How are you and I followers of Saint Joseph, how do we show our love for Saint Joseph in our daily life? What qualities of Saint Joseph do we exude as we strive to follow Jesus and become our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become? What do we see in Saint Joseph that we want to possess?

As followers of Christ and imitators of Him, we know that the person Jesus became was due to the upbringing that Mary and Joseph provided.  Joseph exuded the qualities that a good Jewish boy becoming man and a believer in God would want to possess; love, mercy, compassion, understanding, patience, faith, courage, perseverance, humility, trust, hope, and joy.  It is in and through those qualities, that Jesus learned as he was growing up, how to be His best self and share that self with others.

As a follower of Jesus and lover of Saint Joseph, how do I want to be more like Him? Although Joseph was a father, any person that desires to possess his qualities and His faith is one with him. In several dreams the angel appeared to Joseph and told him what he needed to do to so that he, Mary, and Jesus would be safe. Although Joseph did not understand, he listened and did as he was commanded. He trusted and followed blindly if you will, because he knew that that message that was spoken was from God. In his fear, anxiety, and the uncertainty of the direction that he was to go, he submitted His will to God and went forward.

Today, we all have been facing fears, anxiety, uncertainty during the pandemic and wondering what direction we were and are to go in to remain healthy and stay safe.  We, like Joseph, have had to surrender our will to the God who knows all and sees all, and trust that we will emerge from the tomb of covid19 to a new life, one that has been transformed and renewed through the power of and love of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We are being called to go forward and live in the light of God’s love with the eyes of our heart and spirit focused on him and not on what the world has to offer.

 

For all Fathers who are striving to be the best father that they can be, I hope and pray that they seek the guidance of Saint Joseph as they seek to be their best self, the person that God created them to be and have the potential to become with their children, their spouse, their siblings, their God. As a Man and a Father, as a Grandfather, God Father, Uncle, Brother, these men have chosen to follow the example of Saint Joseph as they provide for their family and build up their family with the building blocks of love, patience, peace, joy, faith, humility, hope, trust, fidelity, respect, harmony, compassion and understanding. 

Saint Joseph leads us to Mary and Jesus. He protected, provided for, and embraced the love of God that he experienced through the love of Mary and Jesus.  We might not hear the message of God through the voice of an angel, and we might feel inadequate to do what He asks of us, but the reality is that He knows what we are capable of and He calls us to trust in His knowledge and direction that he chooses for us to go. I believe that Joseph may have felt inadequate to take on the responsibility to raise the Savior, the Son of God, the Holy One, yet he trusted in the God who called Him, and He went forward each time with that same trust.

As we reflect on Father’s Day, I composed rosary consisting of the events in Joseph’s life that made Him the man that God created Him to be and the example of true faith, trust, and hope that we all desire. I hope it helps as you desire to follow on the road that Saint Joseph walked, one that consisted of trust, faith, hope, understanding, inner peace and love, joy, and humility. He walked with Jesus, he carried Jesus, he raised Jesus. He was able to do so because he possessed selfless, unconditional, and eternal love for God, Mary, Jesus, and himself.

THE HOLY ROSARY

ACCORDING TO THE LIFE EVENTS OF

SAINT JOSEPH

 

1. On the crucifix, make the sign of the cross and then pray the Apostles’ Creed.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven, and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, Our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified; died, and was buried. He descended into Hell; the third day He arose again from the dead; He ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.

 

2. On the next large bead, say the Our Father.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen.

 

3. On the following three small beads, pray three Hail Mary’s.

Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

 

4. On the chain, pray the Glory Be.

Glory be to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 

5. On the large beads, meditate on the mystery of Saint Joseph and pray the Our Father.

THE FIRST MYSTERY (the first large bead)

          The angel appears to Joseph and tells him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife. Pray for courage to follow God’s will in the face of difficulty.

Dear Saint Joseph, please help me to have courage and trust in God when the decisions that I need to make are difficult and contrary to what others expect of me. Please help me to believe and remain hopeful even when I do not understand the situation that I am facing, when all seems impossible to comprehend, and I need to surrender my will to God completely as you did. Saint Joseph, I know that you do understand and can help me. Thank you

.

THE SECOND MYSTERY (the second large bead)

          The angel appears again to Joseph and tells him to take Mary and flee to Bethlehem where she would give birth to Jesus. Pray to trust God as you go forward on your journey that may be filled with some uncertainty, doubt, or disbelief.

          Dear Saint Joseph, please help me to always be open to God’s will for me even if it means beginning anew so that I can better see God more clearly, follow God more nearly and love God more dearly. As you followed the angel’s command, you and Mary left the comforts of home, family, and friends and gave birth to Jesus in a foreign land, away from home and in the midst of strangers. In your obedience to God, you and Mary realized and lived out your trust in that you were not being abandoned but guided and protected. Help me to recognize and remember that even when I feel alone and cannot be with family or friends, that I have not been abandoned and that God is always with me.

 

THE THIRD MYSTERY (the third large bead)

          The angel appears to Joseph to tell him to leave Bethlehem and flee to Egypt to escape Herod who was trying to kill Jesus. Pray that God protect all life from conception to natural death.

          Dear Saint Joseph, please help me to see as God sees and not be afraid when life challenges get painfully difficult, hard decisions need to be made, and I become afraid, discouraged, and anxious. May I seek to recognize God’s action in my life and trust that in whatever way He calls me to follow Him, that I trust as you and Mary did in God’s divine providence and love as you courageously went forward to the unknown and uncertain.

 

THE FOURTH MYSTERY (the fourth large bead)

          The angel appears to Joseph and Mary and tells them that they can return to the Holy Land because Herod has died. Pray for the grace to have an attitude of gratitude especially when God’s action in your life is so evident and lifesaving.

Dear Saint Joseph, God’s plan for us is often different than what we planned, thought, or expected. Even when we do not understand, as His plan unfolds, we can see more clearly how He was guiding and protecting us.

          Help me to surrender my will to His as you and Mary did. As you listened and followed the Lord’s angel, may I listen and follow Him as the Holy Spirit and my guardian angel lead me, knowing that He will safely guide me to where it is that He wants me to be.

 

THE FIFTH MYSTERY (the fifth large bead)

          Joseph, Mary, and Jesus settle in Nazareth and Joseph teaches Jesus about the carpentry trade. Seek to better acknowledge and share the gifts and talents that God has uniquely blessed you with, and not hide them or diminish them.

          Dear Saint Joseph, help me to always be grateful and to show my gratitude to God for the many ways that He has blessed me and has made me a better person in light and in spite of life’s challenges, crisis, and distractions. God’s gift to me is being His beloved child and possessing eternal life with Him when my earthly journey is over. As I live and grow in my relationship to God, what I do, how I use my talents and gifts is my gift to God.  As Jesus’ foster father, you showed Jesus the gift and talent of being a good carpenter. You chose to share your gifts and talents and not hide them. May I learn from you that as I discover the talents and gifts that God has blessed me with, that are meant to be shared and not hidden, that make me become and want to be my best self, that I am cooperating with God’s plan love others and help them discover their best self as well.

At the conclusion of the five mysteries:

Recite the Prayer to Saint Joseph by Pope Francis

Saint Joseph, Hail Guardian of the Redeemer, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to you God entrusted His only Son; in you Mary placed her trust, with you Christ became man.  Blessed Saint Joseph, to us too, show yourself, a father, and guide us in the path of life. Amen.

Recite the Hail Holy Queen

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness, and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

           O God, whose only begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal life; grant we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

Glimpse of God for the week of June 13

Taking care of “self” during the summer.

 

Last week’s Glimpse was about summer and how we can best enjoy the season with much more enthusiasm, encouragement, and energy than last summer. Covid19/the pandemic has caused us to reexamine much of what we do, who we meet with and how we perform normal activities. This summer will be one that we can celebrate our independence from wearing the mask, minimal or no gathering with others, and many other restrictions. We will be able to gather with loved ones; we will be able to see people smile and we can go to various places knowing that we and others are vaccinated and a bit safer than we were this time last year. This summer, with the wisdom of God as our guide, we can look at the new normal and choose to adhere to it so that we can make our world a little safer and healthier. Although this summer will be different than any other, as we adapt to our new normal, it is in and through that difference that we can learn, grow, and be renewed as children of God, co-builders of His Kingdom and sojourners to our heavenly reward.

 

As we have walked through the pandemic these past 15 months, and are still walking in its midst today, the questions that I pose for personal reflection are not to be answered as if you were taking a test or writing an essay, but rather ones that make you think and want to explore deeper into their meaning for you and how that meaning may have changed or become clearer thee past 15 months. God is not looking for fancy words, a theological discussion or worst a dissertation, but rather your honesty as to how your brokenness has led you to healing, discouragement has been replaced with encouragement and support, injury has been replaced with reconciliation, and hope has triumphed over despair. God understands and listens to our silence, so do not be intimidated or afraid of the silent times. It is in the silence that you will hear the tiny whisper of His Spirit comforting, consoling, encouraging, healing and strengthening you.

 

Are we ready to emerge from our tomb and allow God to touch our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits with the refreshment of summer and all that it can include? Are we willing and able to walk with others who are just emerging from their tomb, waiting at the tomb, stuck in the tomb? Can we walk with them and be present to them as God invites them to live as a resurrection people too? Summer is for all. We all need to find rest in the Lord and with each other. Share your summer….Live your summer…..Enjoy your summer…

 

This week, as part of the last week glimpse, I am going to focus on each day’s reflection that I provided and expand on it. This week, we are looking at SELF. Reflect on just 3 questions. I pose many but not all for one time. Ask for that grace to recognize the questions that will allow you to delve deeper into your relationship with God so to come out your better self, the person that God created you to be and have the potential to become. As you answer those questions, you will see how the answers will enhance your relationship with God and others.

 

S – Self – Am I taking care of myself and finding the time to rest and relax so as to replenish my body, mind, and spirit so that I can more fully enjoy and be present in my relationships with God, family, and friends?

 

During the pandemic this past year, how have I grown spiritually, psychologically, and emotionally? What does my personal and spiritual transformation look like? Can I identify it? And how has it changed me? Can I recognize the presence of God, the positive experiences that have risen from the tomb of the pandemic/Covid19? How has faith conquered my fears? And when have I allowed my fears to overshadow my faith? And finally, if the pandemic had not occurred, would I have been open to the transformation that I experienced, or would I have been reluctant, and closed minded?

 

As we reflect on summer and how it affords us the opportunity to enjoy life, family, and friends in new and different ways, let us reflect on hos God is inviting us to see him through the eyes of summer: bright and shining in our life, the warmth and penetrating presence of the Son, the rays of His warmth permeating to the very core of our being. The many faces of Christ that we see in all those we gather with, celebrate with, pray with, shop with, and even the stranger that we pass on the road, the sidewalk, in the store and on the shore.

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of June 6, 2021

WHAT IS SUMMER FOR?

What does summer mean and how can it change me?

Does anyone really know that unofficially summer is here, and officially it is quickly approaching? Summer usually begins with graduation parties, cookouts, and various other celebrations. We try to get out to the pool or beach as soon as we are able so that we can enjoy the sun and the company of others.

This summer, unlike last year, we will finally be able to gather with our loved ones, celebrate joyful occasions and re-gathering with those we have not been able to see or hug, embrace, or visit with during the pandemic.  This summer we will have the opportunity to see the faces and smiles of those we love who have been vaccinated.  We will be able to see their expressions, those of peace, joy, happiness, stress, worry, anxiety, and pain.  By our ability to see their faces completely, we will be able to be more present to them and not just depend on what they say behind their mask, or instant message, tweet, text, or email. We will be able to see how the pandemic has been affecting them to this day.  We will be able to be present to others and others will want to be present to us. We have walked the pandemic road and now we come to a fork in the road. We can choose to live our new normal and accept the measures that will continue to keep us and our loved ones safe and healthy, or we can choose to return to the old ways that were not as safe or healthy and could lead us to getting sick or causing others to become sick. I choose to accept and live our new normal because that is what I believe God is calling me to do and in choosing to live a safe and healthier life, my hope is that others will choose to do the same. People can still be vaccinated; the vaccine is out there and available so that no one is without.

I want to be renewed and revitalized as I continue to grow in love with life and walk with those who want to choose to do the same. We will walk this road to our resurrection from the depths of the pandemic. We will rise from the many deaths to self that we have experienced and together we will be healed, strengthened, and renewed, to a new and whole self. If we need some hope, a reason to smile, courage to continue, a boost of energy so that we can place one foot in front of the other, we will have each other to remind us of where we have been, where we are now and where we want to go. God has your back! We got this!!!

Although this summer is the beginning of us collectively living our new normal, it is a new normal and one that we need to accept, adapt to, and live out. It is our new way of living that will make us a healthier people. It is a new normal that will keep us safe, healthy, and hopefully a wiser people.

So how do we enter this summer season? A summer that people have been anxiously waiting for, anticipating and excited about. What will your summer include? How will you celebrate the end of wearing a mask? Seeing your loved ones for the first time? Hugging your grandchildren again? Returning to work in person?  Shopping? Going to the beach? Attending weddings? Barbeques? Summer is a time to relax, settle into a different schedule, routine, or location. We can appreciate the gift that summer is and the gifts that God gives us through the season of summer.

The following reflection may have more meaning and significance than ever before. I believe that we need to look within and see God and how He has blessed, transformed, and strengthened us through these days and months of the pandemic. We need to have a grateful heart despite the challenges, struggles and difficulties that we have endured these past months because we have emerged from the tomb, we have endured the many forms of the pandemic passion and deaths. God invites us to renew our resolve to follow Him more nearly, love Him more dearly, and see Him more clearly each and every day, from this day forward.

We are a resurrection people. We have emerged from the trials and tribulations that Covid19 has placed before us. The Covid19 tomb has enveloped many with pain, anxiety, worry, fear, and yet as a resurrection people we can and will emerge with a renewed joy, enthusiasm for life, greater sense of appreciation for family, friends, personal encounters, hugs, embraces and smiles. We will also remember and lift up to God the many lives that have been cut short because of Covid19.  With the many little deaths that we have endured we will walk with others who are also emerging from their tomb.

Are we ready to emerge from our tomb and allow God to touch our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits with the refreshment of summer and all that it can include? Are we willing and able to walk with others who are just emerging from their tomb, waiting at the tomb, stuck in the tomb? Can we walk with them and be present to them as Gid invites them to live as a resurrection people too? Summer is for all. We all need to find rest in the Lord and with each other. Share your summer….Live your summer…..Enjoy your summer…

 

 

 

 

S – Self – Am I taking care of myself and finding the time to rest and relax so as to replenish my body, mind, and spirit so that I can more fully enjoy and be present in my relationships with God, family, and friends?

 

U – Undo – Can I allow Mary, the Un-doer of knots, to undo the stress knots that I have, and allow myself to rest in the presence of God? If I recognize that stress comes from how I handle situations, challenges, and circumstances in my life, can I change how I react so as to live a more whole and healthy life? Can I ask Mary, the recipient of many stressful triggers, to calm my fears, lessen my anxieties, and help me to draw nearer to her Son Jesus?

 

M –Memory - The season of summer often brings back memories of our youth, and the things that we did as a family on summer vacation. If your memories are great and plentiful, continue to live them.

Try to do some of the same things with your family, or share them memories with those who surround you, so that they can come to appreciate your past and the love that your family shared on summer vacation. If your memories are painful, start your own new memories. Create new traditions. Build memories for your children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, so that they can pass them on to their children. Good heartfelt memories are incredibly special gifts from God especially created for us.

 

M – Measure – During these summer months, what do I measure? 

Do I measure and count the moments, hours of my time spent with family and friends, or my time spent in prayer? Do I look at the time I spend in relaxation as a time of blessing, or do I see it as wasting time? Do I look at and measure the time that I spend at work as a necessary evil or as using the gifts and talents that God has given me to glorify Him? If God had a measuring stick, and He asked you to mark where you thought His love for you was, where how would you mark it? Would it be in centimeters, inches, feet, or yards? Would it be on the low end because of shame, guilt, false humility, or the high end because you realize that His love is unconditional and unfailing? He gave and continues to give His love freely and without measure, without cost, the cost was paid in full on the very cross that you behold. Do you believe this?

  

 

E – Embrace – During these hot summer months, are you open to embracing and being embraced? To allow oneself to be embraced, one must let down their guard, and open their hearts and arms to fully experience the love that comes from a genuine embrace. Being embraced sometimes involves forgiveness. Can you forgive? Can you ask for forgiveness? God wants to embrace you and tell you how much He loves you. He is waiting for you to let down your guard that is hiding the shame, guilt, fears that you might be holding on to. Can you open your heart and arms to God so that He can not only embrace you, but also touch and heal you? Once you let down your guard and take the time to feel the love and embrace the mercy of God, you will also realize that God has had you in His loving embrace since that moment He formed you in the womb. His embrace has been love that surrounds you, the peace that envelopes you and the joy that fills you, despite the challenges that confront you.

 

R – Refreshment – During these summer months, take the time to be refreshed, renewed, and rejuvenated. This is the time to rejoice in the longer days filled with sunlight, the warmth of the sun as you relax under its rays, as you sit outside or even look out the window, the brisk cold feeling of the ocean waves as they hit you, the calm of laying on a raft in your pool, and the ability to go on vacation where you can enjoy the great gift of God’s creation and the blessings that surround it such as faith, family, friends, nature and the joy of having FUN !!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

GLIMPSE OF GOD FOR MEMORIAL DAY 2021

I would say that during these past 15 months, months overshadowed by the Corona Virus pandemic, many aspects of our daily living have changed. How we gather with family and friends, how we celebrate special events, how we spend our free time, all have taken on a new appearance.  During this past year, joyful celebrations like graduations, weddings, holiday gatherings, parades, as well as funerals, sacraments, and any social gatherings were placed on a back burner, postponed indefinitely, or cancelled, but now as we return to a new normal, some of these events are occurring and people can attend in person. I believe that there is a new hope. Since the pandemic began, many changes have taken place. A major effect of the pandemic was and continues to be time spent with others. Due to isolation or fear of getting sick, people have had to spend more time with those in their immediate household and have had to stay away from gathering with those outside their household. I have been told that the quality time that folks have spent together has brought them closer as a family, as a couple, as friends, as roommates. This gives me and many others a renewed hope, a renewed sense of going forward and a renewed desire and reason to stay healthy by accepting the new normal and making healthy and safe choices.

Although this Memorial Day will be celebrated a little differently than usual, the reason for remembering this day in a special way has not changed or lost its meaning, On Memorial Day we remember our Veterans, past and present who selflessly chose to serve their country so that others could enjoy what it means to be a free people, a people that do not have to live in fear but peace. As we grow farther away from the fear of getting covid 19 because we and our loved ones have received the vaccine, this Memorial Day will still be one that we will celebrate differently than the way we had hoped.  These past 15 months are days, weeks, and months that people of all ages, all social status, all education levels, all economic and political levels will remember with profound and transforming memories. The impact of Covid19 has challenged and effected all ages, from the youngest to the oldest, from the child in daycare to the parent in skilled nursing care, from the infant just born to the parent that just died.

            This is a painful period in all our lives no matter where we live. Our global community is carrying this cross of suffering and death. I believe that it has been through that collective cross that we are all carrying, that we have become more united as a world, nation, state, community, neighborhood, church, and family. The restrictions that we have been called to enforce for the safety and health and well being not only of our self, but of those we love and encounter, have tested our patience, and our ability to endure. This pandemic and its effects of isolation has led us to be afraid, anxious, discouraged, angry and disheartened, yet we know, and we resolve that we will not to be defeated. There is HOPE.

In the face of this pandemic, we can choose to open our eyes and face it or close our eyes and complain about it.  We can become a force to be reckoned with or a force that we bow to. We are fighting a war that we need to be prepared for and want to win.  We want to fight for our health and the health and wellbeing of those we love; we encounter and the stranger.

We want to rediscover peace, freedom, and warm embraces amid our new normal. So how is this pandemic and the wars that our veterans have fought similar?

We are all fighting a war; the Corona19 war. We are asked to remember and pray for those who have lost their battle to Corona19, those who are still fighting it, and those who have been exposed to it and are self-quarantined.  It is an opportunity to recognize that in the hearts of the men and women who bravely chose to serve our country that their choice was rooted in a deep love for God, country, and their fellow human being.  There was and is a presence of selfless, emptying, giving and a sacrificial love and heart where God dwells and strengthens them to give all that they have for the safety, good and wellbeing of another, from those they know to the complete stranger. Our doctors, nurses, medical staff, EMTs, fire and police, are those war veterans who are fighting for the health, wellbeing, and safety of others. There too is a presence of a selfless, emptying, giving and sacrificial love that goes beyond any ego, selfishness, self-centeredness that could take root. 

The Veterans, our heroes, that fought and continue to fight for our country, and for the peace and freedom of others in our global community, give of themselves completely and are willing to offer the ultimate sacrifice for what they believe and are fighting for. They have watched their comrades fall and could only hold their hand and speak words of peace and job well done.

 

They have lifted up those who were wounded from gun and mortar shots and the pain that wrenched through their bodies, and they have had to rescue those who were in the grips of the enemy. In a different way, our front-line heroes are doing the same. They have watched their comrades fall to the virus with only their hand to hold as they closed their eyes, they have lifted up those who contracted the virus and suffered through the pain and suffering that the virus unleashed on their bodies, they have had to test, quarantine, and isolate those who may have been exposed to the virus for their safety, health, and wellbeing and for the safety, health, and wellbeing of others. Our heroes, both our Veterans and those on the front line,

Our Veterans suffered and died for their country. Country is not just a word, but they suffered and died for humanity no matter who they were or where they lived. They deserve our gratitude, our thanks, our recognition, and our prayers. When they came home, they may have come home to a hero’s welcome, but that didn’t take away the pain of their memories and the suffering that they experienced and will continue to experience physically, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually. Our Veterans gave of themselves completely.  They fought and continue to fight for the causes of life, liberty, peace, and security.

If you ask a Veteran if they ever expected to face such a war in their own back yard, in their families, their community, their nation and their world, I will venture to say they would not have. This is a war where men and woman aren’t in camouflage searching out the enemy, but rather medical scrubs and masks, that rifles aren’t used to kill the enemy, but rather proactive testing, social distancing, proper sanitizing procedures, facial covering and vaccines, and where we are just hearing about it on the media but living out in our everyday lives.

With both combat and covid, the war affects are as devastating because people are dying, families are torn apart, there are more homeless, the economy is weaker, and the morale of the people is exceptionally low. But where do we go from here? We go with our Veterans with a greater determination to fight, live life with gratitude, and seek strength from each other, from our God, and from within especially when life’s cross gets heavy and seemingly unbearable.

As our Veterans did and continue to do, we seek the courage to fight when we feel we are without fight, we seek the strength to carry this cross when we feel fed up, we resolve to defeat the enemy and not be defeated by it so that we come out as victors and not victims.

 

So… as we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day, let us be mindful of how this day came about and let us pray for those who we are called to remember, our military past and present, that selflessly sacrificed and continue to do so for the good of others. Let us close our eyes and see that through their faith, courage, and determination, we are free and know what peace is. Let us pray that they know and believe in their hearts that they have done and continue to do the best that they could to be their best self, the person that God created them to be and have the potential to become.

If you are looking for Glimpse of God, seek out, talk to a Veteran, an active-duty member, a reservist, and listen to their story, learn from their wisdom and experience, and discover the God that called them, sustained them and loved them through the most difficult period and time of their life. Their time, their sacrifice, their love for God and others, all formed them to be the selfless and courageous person that they are today. We all need examples of faith, hope and charity. We can find it in those who served and are serving our country, the family members, close friends, neighbors and all other soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who support the home front while their loved ones are deployed far away. Our military, both active duty and reservists, are a Glimpse of God. Family, friends, and supporters are big glimpses of God, so where do you fit in?

Take each day this week to remember and pray for the Veterans who fought for us and for the front-line workers who are also fighting for us. As we begin to live our new normal, may the week ahead not make us weak in spirit, or our desire to fight, may the days ahead not put us into a daze where we choose to ignore our health and well bring and the health and wellbeing of others, may the hours in each day remind us that the day is ours and we can choose to live life to the fullest despite our limitations, may each minute remind us that nothing or no one is minute in the sight of God, and may each second offer us the opportunity to be the breath of God, where each second counts, and not wait to make that our second choice.

 

 

 

 

Glimpse of God for the week of May 16, 2021

“To Break”

 

To break something seems like a negative action and it usually is unless you experience a Break Through in some difficult area of your life, or you Break Bread or share a meal with another. To break something, be it an object by accidently dropping it, or you break a person’s spirit by sharing gossip or saying cruel words that cannot be taken back, usually out of anger, or jealousy or as an act of revenge, all need to be repaired or healed in one way or another.

Objects once broken will either need to be repaired or will need to be discarded. Relationships can be repaired or healed, reconciliation can occur and hopefully the relationship will not be discarded or become estranged.

            God wants us to be whole. Once a relationship is broken and in need of healing, His grace is there for us if we desire to make amends and mend that which is broken.

What does it take to break an object? A hard blow by accidently dropping it, carelessness, anger. Once an object is broken, although it may be able to be repaired, it will not look the same as it did when it was new and carefully taken care of. You may be able to see how or where it was repaired, and you will know that something has happened to it. For some objects that have great sentimental value, this can be an emotional experience. With objects where one can see the wounds, if you will, with people, the wounds that are caused are deeper and more damaging. The wounds that are caused by our negative words, our tearing down, our jealousy, our anger vented, are usually hidden and not as visible as we were a broken vase of dish. To break one’s spirit by what we say or do to another causes a brokenness that needs to be healed and reconciliation needs to be humbly sought, so that wholeness can occur, and peace can be experienced. We need to recognize that only with God’s grace can these actions take place.

            When we desire to repair relationships that are broken due to our harming of another by our words or actions, or because of the actions of another that have caused us injury, that is a response to God’s grace in our life. When we choose to mend or heal that which is broken, we are choosing to love others as God loves us and this begins with loving our self. When we can recognize that we have not been loving, or that others have not loved us, and we choose to heal that relationship, we see within our self, that we want to become our best self, the person that God created us to be, and that we have the potential to become.

This action is not easy and yet, as followers of Christ, we are called to forgive and when we truly follow Him, not just on an occasional trip, but throughout our earthly journey, we are trusting that He will grace us with His gifts so that we can be more loving and follow His lead as to how we are called to be the most loving that we can be. Relationships are not meant to be discarded as if they were insignificant or invisible. We are all God’s beloved sons and daughters, and as His children we are called to treat others with the respect and dignity. We are called to love others, we may not like them and when we realize that we can and should always pray for them and their good, and that God bless them because only HE knows their heart and ours better than we do our self. When we choose to hate, or not forgive or remain broken, we are choosing not to be healed but remain bitter and broken and this leads to a self-righteous, ego centered heart and spirit. God will not force His love or His mercy on us, He invites us to receive it and share it.

It is our choice. To break from God, to walk away, to suffer broken relationships, all cause deeper emotional pain, but unlike objects, we as humans cannot fix or repair these relationships. Without God’s grace, when we try to do it on our own, we tend to get frustrated by the lack of a desired response from another. So, we discard the relationship, and we walk away. When we walk away, we are not only walking away from the other, but from God, and we walk further away from living up to our potential to become our best self. When Jesus suffered and died for us, He did so that we can not only love others as we are loved by Him, but also to grow in a greater love of our self as seen though God’s love for us. As Jesus died on the cross, He asked His Father to forgive them for they know not what they do. We all sin, and I believe that we often do not think of the harm that we are causing another or our self.  We act out of our present experience and say or do something that injures another and breaks their spirit. Jesus has the spiritual repair kit; it includes the grace to desire mercy and forgiveness, a greater sense of compassion, a desire to be healed and become whole, a prayer for peace for all those who are broken in our lives, reconciliation with those who have caused us to become broken or those who we have caused injury to, and a spirit of gratitude for the graces that He gives us each and every day not to give up or give in to what seems insurmountable.

          Now when we experience a breakthrough, we are experiencing a God given grace to get past whatever has been a block and getting in our way to personal, emotional, psychological, or spiritual growth. Breakthroughs are experiences that we cannot forget or let go of quickly. When we experience a breakthrough, we experience a grace filled freedom, a sense of inner peace, a spirit of love and I would imagine a greater self-worth because whatever has been in the way of our growth has now been put aside and we had a choice in that putting it aside. The obstacle or experience that has been in our way does not disappear, but it may become smaller and not as intimidating. The fear of it diminishes and we are given a greater courage when God knows we will draw upon it, to conquer and be conquered, to become victorious and not remain a victim.

          To Break bread, to receive the Holy Eucharist at The Celebration of Mass, is the key and essential action that will lead us to healing and wholeness. Jesus repairs what is broken both through the Holy Eucharist and The Sacrament of Reconciliation. As we choose to be a resurrection people, a Eucharistic people, we are then becoming a more radiant light and rays of inner joy and peace, hope, healing, wholeness. Breaking bread together is an action that Jesus invites to partake of. We gather as sinners striving to become saints, and we leave as sinners strengthened to be more saintly.

          As you and I walk through another week, let us be mindful and pray for healing for all those who are experiencing brokenness in body, mind or spirit. As we pray for others, let us also pray that if we are experiencing any type of brokenness from the past or present, that we also seek God’s healing and not diminish it or discard the experience as nothing. Let us focus on what we need to do mend the brokenness around us and to recognize with greater clarity what we need to do to avoid breaking down others.

 

SUNDAY – T – Thanksgiving for the brokenness that can lead to a greater sense of spiritual growth and maturity, healing, and wholeness. It is not a pleasant experience to be broken or cause another to experience brokenness, but when we seek the grace to become healed, and whole, we can also experience a greater sense of oneness with God and others.

 

MONDAY – O - Other centered so that we can become more God centered. When we choose to be selfless and not selfish, we are choosing to act as God did, and not as the devil is tempting us to. To seek forgiveness or to forgive is a selfless act. When we experience brokenness, we are torn, discouraged, and hurt and need to seek God’s peace and healing so that you we can find and experience the gift of His peace and joy. When we choose to recognize that others are also hurt because of our words or actions, and in need of God’s healing, both of us will experience a greater joy in the act of reconciliation and forgiveness.

TUESDAY – B – Believe that God wants what is best for us and that we are meant to be healed and not broken, so if we cannot reconcile with another, ask for the grace to forgive them from your heart and God will take that prayer and turn it into your reality.

 

WEDNESDAY – R – Reverence others and yourself as God’s beloved children. When we reverence and respect others as God’s beloved children, we in turn treat them with that respect. That means wanting them to be healed and whole as much as we want to be healed and whole. Healing is a gift and grace from God that He wants for all His children, so if we can do anything on our part to share that gift, as Christ’s followers, we are called and expected to do so.

 

THURSDAY – E – Embrace His gift of mercy and spiritual healing. It is there for all of us. Do not turn away from it out of sense of fear or unworthiness. There is nothing that we can say or do that will make God love you less. Period!!!  Embrace His gifts, allow them to permeate your very being from the top of your head to the toes on your feet.

 

FRIDAY – A – Allow yourself to be forgiven and to forgive so that you and the other can experience God’s gift of true and inner peace, happiness, and joy.

 

SATURDAY – K – Know that God wants only the best for you and others. As we all walk on this holy Ground of our spiritual journey, we can assist others to becoming their best self, the person that God created them to be and have the potential to become, and as we choose to do that, we are choosing to become our best self, the person that God created us to be and have the potential to become.

 

Glimpse of God for the week of May 9, 2021

Happy Mother’s Day to all

To all: Mothers: Grandmothers, God Mothers, Foster Mothers.  Mothers through Adoption, Blended Family Mothers, Fathers who serve the dual role of Mother and Father, Consecrated Religious Women and Men who exude the love of the Blessed Mother in all that they do and those they encounter, and woman who are preparing to give birth.

As we set aside this day to celebrate the gift of motherhood, we also want to recognize that every day, every second of each day, we should celebrate those who have been like a mother to us. We should, and want to remember, in a special way those who have gone before us, our mothers, grandmothers, and others who have exuded the charism and qualities of Mary, our Mother, to us so that we can become our best self, the person that God created us to be so that we can be a radiant reflection of Her Son Jesus to others.

I am sure that as we all have prayed the Hail Mary, we often envisioned the encounter of Mary and Elizabeth. As Elizabeth approached Mary, she uttered the words that bless God through Mary, the Hail Mary.

As you honor Mary on this Mother’s Day, have you ever thought of how she honors you through the Hail Mary?

Here is how I think she honors you, you as mother, grandmother, God mother, foster mother, blended family mother, adoptive family mother, father fulfilling both roles, siblings that take on the responsibility of raising their siblings due to an absent mother, and those who choose religious life and radiate the love of Mary and their love for Mary to all they encounter.

I hope that this reflection brings you to a deeper relationship with Mary and a better understanding of how you echo her YES by your surrender, trust and love for God and her Son Jesus. Mary loves, honors, and hails you as you follow Jesus Her Son, walk with Her, and love God with your whole heart, mind, spirit, and soul.

 

Hail Mary: We honor Mary as we approach her in prayer. How does she honor us? As we recite these two noticeably short words, we are honoring, recognizing, and blessing God’s action through her. She in turns honors and recognizes God’s action through us. She sees and wants to let us know that she is present in our prayer to her, but also, she recognizes in our actions how we try to reflect her Yes in our Yes, to radiate the presence of Her Son as we strive to be His body, His witness, His love to others.

 

Full of Grace: we are full of the grace of God. That grace we received at our baptism and continue to receive through the Sacraments of the Church.  Mary wants to remind us that we never are empty of God’s grace, that He is always ready to shower us with His grace whenever we approach Him and ask for it. Full of Grace, means that we are not half empty although there are times when we think we are, God doesn’t do anything halfway. We might think that we are short on grace, but God’s graces are abounding and overflowing, we just need to open the eyes of our heart and mind, spirit, and soul so that we can recognize them as God chooses to reveal them to us.

 

 

The Lord is with you: Although Mary was the first living tabernacle, the tabernacle where the Son of God chose to dwell, the living Christ, we as members of the Body of Christ, who choose to receive Him in the Holy Eucharist, are also living tabernacles for Christ and where He chooses to dwell. Christ dwells within us. As we receive Him as we partake of the Body of Christ, we are consuming His very being into our very being, into the very core of who we are.

Our identity as Christ’s followers, as God’s beloved sons and daughters, as builders of the Kingdom of God here one earth, as Mary’s children entrusted by Christ to her care and love,

is recognized, strengthened, and blessed as we choose to witness to that presence within us to those outside of us.

 

Blessed are you among women; Mary was blessed beyond any other woman that God has brought forth from the womb. She was conceived without sin, chosen to be the Mother of our Divine Savior and endured the sorrow of his passion and death. She was blessed with the grace of God to endure, persevere, and overcome the challenges that they devil presented. These challenges or temptations could have taken the form of doubt, despair, discouragement, bitterness, resentment, and indifference, but she chose to believe in her God and His promise that He would never forsake her or abandon her and live her Yes in complete surrender and trust.

Many of us, both mothers and fathers, recognize the presence and blessings of God in our lives. Mary wants us to know that we too are blessed by God. He hears our prayers and gives us the answers that we need to hear when we need to hear them, they may not be the answers that we want to hear, but they are what is best for us. Mary was chosen to be the Mother of our Savior when God saw the time as best. We are not being called to be the mother or father of the Son of God, but we are called to bear witness to the Son of God in and through our lives, we are called to share our knowledge of Christ with others, we are called to stand up for what we believe especially when it is difficult, and we try to carry our crosses and face our life’s struggles and challenges. As we face the many temptations of the devil that may come in the form of despair, discouragement, revenge, bitterness, indifference, we can overcome them by remembering that our yes and Mary’s Yes were made in trust knowing that God will never abandon us or forsake us.

 

And blessed is the fruit of your Womb, Jesus: Mary gave birth to Jesus and blessed was she. The womb of Mary, the place where God chose to dwell in Mary. A woman’s womb is a place, a home, where God chooses to dwell each time she conceives a child. Many women do not conceive. What we conceive in the womb is what God calls the gift of life. Yet we are all called to be life giving, to be the breath of life, to share the life of Christ with others. We are all called to respect the dignity of human life from conception to natural death. Mary’s womb was the first to bring forth the Savior, yet His birth through her, allows us to give birth to His presence to others by how we live, the example we lead by, and the love that we show for and share with others.

 

 

 

Holy Mary, Mother of God: Mary’s love, dwells within each of us. She is our Mother, and her love is unconditional, eternal and a sign of Jesus’ presence as she cares for us, intercedes for us, prays for us, and brings us closer to her Son as she knows we want to be. Mary is the Mother of God, but we are all called to be Mother to those in whose face we are called to see God; the poor, the homeless, the forgotten, the addicted, the estranged, those we dislike and those who may hate us.

 

Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Mary is always praying for us and with us. We can and are called to pray for others as well. We are all sinners striving to become saints. Christ died for all. You and I are not exempt from His mercy, grace, peace, reconciliation, and compassion. Mary wants us to realize that as she intercedes for us to Jesus, we are asked to pray for her intercession for others. Praying for others is a selfless act. As we lift others up in prayer, we are placing our prayer and needs after theirs. Mary was selfless and as we pray for others, we too are following her example of selflessness and love. As we walk with others in and out of love, who are approaching the doors of heaven, we should want to pray for them that the doors of God’s mercy are open, and they can walk into His loving and warm embrace. As we approach Mary to be with us and our loved ones at the hour of death, we too can ask for her to be with those who may not have anyone to pray for them, who may die alone, who may die at the hands of others, who will suffer to death,  who we might not like but are called to love, who may have caused us harm or injury, or who have made us feel like we were dead, invisible or unloved.

 

AMEN: I believe. I profess and believe in the love and power of God as witnessed by Mary. I want to recognize, with greater clarity, how I am being called to witness His presence in my life each day.