Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul the Apostle. We have a lot to learn from this man who chose to respond to Gods call.
Continue reading “Justice Gives Us Hope”Justice Gives Us Hope
Category: Being Loved
How’s It Going?
What if I told you that true freedom isn’t about doing whatever you want—but about being free to live as God calls you to live? That’s what real freedom is: the ability to do God’s will, to worship Him, and to love as He loves.
And here’s the truth: many of us are held back by the comforts and distractions of this world. Too often we have a disordered amount of screen time, unhealthy food or drink habits, and/or a lack of discipline pull us away from the freedom Christ offers. We are Christians but we live as slaves.
Last year, I read the bible in its entirety with the Ascension Bible in a Year podcast. I was in tears as I finished. It was such a gift to immerse myself in Gods word, get to know his character and hear him speak to me. It changed my heart. It was tough to remain faithful but through perseverance I was able to achieve the goal. I thank my son for his nudging a few years ago who said you’re a Christian but haven’t read the Bible?
I’m certain God is stretching me this year into a deeper understanding and relationship. My mantra is:
Make. Every. Effort.
It’s hard for me to stay focused and go deep into things. All the “good” things out there are overwhelming and always seem to catch my attention. I know I’m tired of living on the surface which is where distractions lead me. Freedom is worth fighting for, once we know what it is.
Paying Attention
How often do you think of things eternal? Do you go about your day pondering the goodness of God, the love Jesus has for you, the life of a Saint, or a passage from sacred scripture? Likely you are running around with the day to day and focused on the tasks at hand. But paying attention and inviting the Spirit into these things is what we are called to do satisfying our desires.
“Much that is true of human relationships is also true of our relationship with God. Human relationships of friendship or marriage need time, attention, and care for them to continue and to grow. The same is true of our relationship with God. We have been called to union but we need to respond. As we turn to God in conversion or in a deeper awakening, besides turning away from deliberate sin—which deforms the soul, blocks the relationship and offends the Person who has sacrificed His life for us—we need to positively build the relationship by paying attention to the One who loves us. Prayer is at root simply paying attention to God.” —Ralph Martin, The Fulfillment of All Desire
True Freedom
“And above all, be on your guard not to want to get anything done by force, because God has given free will to everyone and wants to force no one, but only proposes, invites and counsels.”— St. Angela Merici
We have difficulty understanding this, just as a blind man has difficulty understanding color, but our difficulty doesn’t alter this fact: God’s omnipotence and omniscience respects our freedom. In the core of our being we remain free to accept or reject God’s action in our lives—and to accept or reject it more or less intensely. God wants us to accept him with all our ‘heart, soul, mind, and strength’—in other words, as intensely as possible. But he also knows that we are burdened with selfishness and beset by the devil, so it will take a great effort on our part to correspond to his grace. … Every time our conscience nudges us to refrain from sharing or tolerating that little bit of gossip, every time we feel a tug in our hearts to say a prayer or give a little more effort, every time we detect an opportunity to do a hidden act of kindness to someone in need, we are faced with an opportunity to please the Lord by putting our faith in his will.” —Fr. John Bartunek, The Better Part
Taste and See
O Lord, you are the Word of life. As a new day dawns, we pray:
Jesus, light our way.
O Lord, your Word gives wisdom to the simple:
– make us simple of heart.
O Lord, your Word is sweet to the taste:
– grant us the discernment to prefer its taste to any empty words we may hear this evening.
O Lord, your Word is steadfast, abiding for ever:
– keep our feet firmly on the path to everlasting life.
May the word of Christ dwell in us richly, and bring us to life everlasting! (Col 3:16)
Amen
THE JUBILEE PRAYER
Father in heaven,
may the faith You have given us in Your son, Jesus Christ, our brother, and the flame of charity enkindled in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, reawaken in us the blessed hope for the coming of Your Kingdom.
May Your grace transform us
into tireless cultivators of the seeds of the Gospel.
May those seeds transform from within both humanity and the whole cosmos in the sure expectation
of a new heaven and a new earth, when, with the powers of evil vanquished, Your glory will shine eternally.
May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.
May that same grace spread the joy and peace of our Redeemer throughout the earth.
To You our God, eternally blessed, be glory and praise forever.
Amen.
Pulling Us Forward
God gives us highly evolved people to pull us all forward. The Christian word for them was simply “saint.” We cannot imagine something until we see it through a living model or archetypal figure.
—Richard Rohr
Today we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. a man who pulled us forward as a society. A man who fought for justice and peace. A man who allowed Gods grace to flow through him to affect change and make a difference for the lives of others.
He was given the Nobel Peace Prize at 35.
He lived his values and beliefs. He made people uncomfortable. He was assassinated.
He had a dream…the same dream God has for us…to treat every human being with dignity and respect bringing love and light to the journey.
How are you pulling your marriage, family, friends, community forward?
Grace Be With You
In a recent session with my Spiritual Director, we were discussing distractions and growth in the spirit. As I commend my spirit to my Creator, grace surely follows. Enjoy the following meditation she shared with me.
GOD’S LOVE FLOWS FROM ME AS GRACE
If I understand another person’s circumstances, grace flows from me easily. But if I witness mistreatment or injustice, my capacity for understanding may shrink. In these moments when I wish to reclaim the gift of God’s grace, I turn within to open my heart.
I remember the magnificent spark of God shines in every person. People’s actions and behaviors may not always reflect their divine nature, but if I am able to see them as divine beings, I can access the healing power of grace. I still recognize when something isn’t right or fair, but I do so lovingly, holding in mind and affirming each person’s inherent value. I honor myself and my loved ones while maintaining a spirit of forgiveness, allowing kindness to surge through me.
The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you.
—2 Timothy 4:22
Calm the Chaos
Jesus was intentional in seeking solitude.
Rising very early before dawn, he left and went off to a deserted place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35)
Where do you find solitude? Do you turn to things of this world or do you pray? In that quiet space with Him, we, too, can find strength and clarity to live our life, finding calm in the chaos. A place where we know we are loved.
Trust Issues?
Love. Forgive. Pray. Turn it over to God. The solution to trust issues.
Smitten With Goodness 