Do Not Unpack and Get Comfortable

I will admit - I am a nest builder.  Whenever I've moved into a new home - I have thought about it, planned it, seen every room in my mind's eye.  When the faithful day comes, I know where I want each piece of furniture (movers love me - I can tell them exactly where to sit the couch and put the bed) and I know where to hang each picture upon the wall.  I feel safe, centered.  Life is in order. Life is good.  But is it?

And here comes the truth -- is this what God wants for our relationship with him - our journey to eternal life?  Do we tend to get to a point and stop for a while - unpack, hang pictures on the wall?  Go to Mass each Sunday, pray three Rosaries a week and pray before meals without a thought of the journey that the Lord has laid before us.  I know over my life I have many times - I grow,/move, arrive at a place and then get comfortable - too comfortable to move forward.  I come up with reasons why I cannot move - Lent is coming - so I will just stay here until Easter.  Easter comes, well it's Easter now - I like it here - I think I will hang another picture. And on and on and on it will go.

Our faith is one of growth - movement.  We are not meant to stop and move in.  We are meant to keep putting one foot in front of another.  Step by step till we reach the pinnacle of our love - the one who has loved us with an unending love - the one who created us, who loved us first.

So, why do we stop?  Why do we move in?  For me, I think it is one of fear of the unknown.  I like to understand and know what my next move will be. I tend to let life take my focus away, I can easily get "caught up" with what is going on around me and loose sight of what is stand right before me.

  But faith does not work that way - it will take us into the unknown - it takes our focus off of what is round us and moves it to what is in front of us - the Father's love.  Faith will take us to heights of which we have not dreamed of.  It will take us to people who we have not met or loved yet.  It is not always easy - it is not meant to be.  It is to be one of desire, longing, and movement.

In the Gospels we always see Jesus in movement - going from one city to the next, moving from one person to another.  We never hear of him "moving in" somewhere - even the cross could not keep him.

Growing in faith calls for movement - it calls for us to reach farther, experience God's love even deeper than we did yesterday.  It is one of learning, praying, doing.  We are called to love others as our selves.  We are called to love God above all others.  We are not called to stand still and settle in. - unpack and hang pictures.  This should  simply to be a rest stop; catch our breath and then arise and keep going.

This Lent will be for me a time of growth, movement.  I feel God's call to listen - hear His call - move closer and deeper in love with Him.  It does not mean I will abandon family and loved ones - just the opposite - my prayer is that they will join me on this journey. 

Now I need to take down those pictures....

Do Whatever He Says

This weekend's Gospel is the Wedding at Cana.  I have to admit, it is one of my favorites.  There are is so much going on in the story  and I simply love how Mary handles the whole affair.

It is suggested that since Mary, Jesus and Jesus' friends were invited to the wedding, that it most likely was for a relative.  And running out of wine for a wedding feast that goes for a week long would be terribly embarrassing for the Bride and the Groom.  Which is why Mary has taken notice of the lack of wine.  Not wanting her relatives to be embarrassed, she takes charge of the situation.

She calls her son over and explains what is going on.  Jesus makes a comment of why does this matter to me and it's not my hour.  Mary, a mother who has full confidence in her son's ability to handle the situation, does not accept Jesus' reasons.  I could almost see Mary roll her eyes (as mothers do sometimes when our children is trying to explain to us why they cannot do something we ask of them) and simple turns to the servants and tells them to do whatever Jesus says.  And then here is the best part - she leaves Jesus to handle it.

I am sure this either frustrated Jesus or amused him - the Gospels do not tell us.  We do know he was a dutiful son, who after being put on the spot, did his mother's bidding and handled the issue of the wine.

We don't know how Mary expected it to be handled, but she knew Jesus was resourceful enough to handle it and ensure that their relatives' wedding feast would continue without incident.   Jesus does handle it - and asks the servants to fill 6 large watering jugs which had been previously filled with water and was used to wash the guests' feet.  it is estimated that these jars each held 20 - 30 gallons.  The servants do as Jesus asks and then without another word, he simply tells them to draw some out and take it to the head waiter.  I'm sure they thought Jesus was crazy here - they had just filled these jugs with water and he wants them to take some to the head waiter?  But they did do just as he said, and the head waiter was amazed - not only was it now wine, but better wine than what was first served.  There are only a few witnesses to what has happened here - Jesus' friends, the servants and Mary.  We are told that his disciples began to believe in him.

As mothers we can see what our children are capable of doing - whether they believe they can or not.  And sometimes we need to do a little pushing to get them started.  Mary has done the same here.  She believed in Jesus and knew he could easily handle what needed to be done. 

Sometimes don't we all need a pushy mother in our life? 

When we feel we are being asked by the Father for something that may be a stretch to us, or we fear to do for whatever reason.  We can come up with hundreds of reasons of why we should not do it - not the right time, I'm too busy at work, I don't have enough money...etc.  But we need that mother who just listens to us and then puts us on the spot.  Mary is that for us just as she was for Jesus.  A mother who loves us, and who knows what we can do; she is fully aware of our gifts and abilities; and she know what we are capable of doing.  And she turns to us and say "do whatever he says."  There even may be a little eye rolling on her part when we protest.  But as good, faithful children - we do as our mother has requested and do whatever her son has asked of us.

A Year Acceptable to the Lord

I use to be someone who always made New Years Resolutions, and like most, I usually have broken them by mid January.  Then I went a few years with not doing anything, and now I much rather set goals.  My Spiritual Director asked me last week, where did I want myself and my faith to be at the end of 2019.  I thought about it and then said “I would like to be a published author and I would like to be bolder in my faith.”

I currently have 2 projects in the works - a children’s book and a devotional/advent calendar combo for the next Advent season.   More info on the both to come.  But what I wanted to look at is my goal at being bolder in my faith.

I had not really thought about it, but the words came tumbling out of my mouth when I answered Sister’s question.  This leads me to think, that the goal was not necessarily my goal,  but the Lord’s goal for me.

I have always been very open with my Catholic faith, but not one who really shared my deepest faith with but a few friends.  Not that I want to be in anyone’s face, but perhaps I should take the opportunity when presented to share my deep love of the Lord with others.

So, with that in mind, last week I had seen someone I am acquainted with on social media share a link about an article of nuns being sexually abused and her commentary on how the Catholic Church should close their doors and we Catholic should “wake up.” I rolled my eyes and moved on, then stopped and went back to the post.  I set it down for a little while, then decided I needed to respond.  My response was “I refuse to allow the sins of some, keep me away from the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist.”  I didn’t see any instant replies to my comment and let it go.  A few days later I went back to see if anyone added any comments to find this “friend” had un-friended me.  Honestly, it made me laugh.  Perhaps a few years ago this may have discouraged me, but not anymore.  For me it was a sign, yes, this is the direction the Lord wants me to go, and I am following it.  For I have learned when I have been on the Lord’s path, evil has tried to shut me down.  I only feel bad that evil used this person to try to move me away from my Lord.

What goals do you have for your faith? What would be a year acceptable to the Lord in your life look like? Pray on it, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where the Lord wants you to grow. And join me on an adventure this year as we travel the Lord’s path.

Happy Epiphany

Calling in the Desert

As a mother and wife I can tell you that there have been many times when I feel that everything I say falls on deaf ears.  I only want good for my family - so suggesting that my son pick up his dirty clothes or put the dish into the dishwasher versus on the counter is for his good - teaches him discipline.  But I believe there are times my family simply tunes me out.  One, perhaps because they know what I am asking them to do may require effort; or two, may require them to change something in their behaviors as in putting the dirty clothes down the laundry shoot instead of on his bedroom floor; or perhaps it is a concern that it could be a little of both.

And, I believe - make that "I know" at times I do the same with God.  I can see what he is asking of me will require me to do something/to change something.  So, I act like I didn't hear it.  Honestly, who am I kidding?  Just as I know what my child is doing, so too does the Lord know what I am doing.

It can be scary to change - it may require us stepping out of our comfort zone.  There are times when it is much easier to stay here in sin than to change.  It also just as scary when we can see the path the Lord is moving us to - and it's big and long and hard.

This is when faith must step in.  This is when we need to release our fears, and to be truthful, it is when we need to stop thinking about ourselves and our fears and just do what the Lord is asking.

Fear of what to come is a very human reaction.  We can put too much thought into it - so much so - the fear locks our feet to the ground.  What we see in the fear becomes our reality; even if it is absolutely a lie.

So, how do we release the fear?  Lots of books have been written on it, many I've read.  But it all boils down to our Faith.  Faith in the Father - faith that his love for us is greater than any fear our mind can conjure up - faith that his never ending mercy is there to help us to reject sin and pick us up each time we stumble - and faith that he is walking beside us with each and every step we take.

Today is a good day - hear the voice crying in the desert - do not tune it out or turn away.  Do not think of our own self, do not allow fear to keep us from the goodness of the Lord.  Just as Peter had to face his fear when he stepped out of the boat - the Lord is asking/calling us to do the same.

Let's turn our attention to the Lord, open our ears and do a little "water walking" today; let us step away from our fear and answer the Lord's call.