Being Holy in Today's World

When I was in 8th grade, I told my mother I wanted to become a Sister - she said - no I did not.  Being a dutiful daughter, I thought, well, perhaps I don't then - mom should know best.  There has been many times in my life that I have regretted that decision and other times I am thankful for it.  The Sisters had taken me several times that year to the mother house for retreats.  I found the life of a Sister to be inspiring - to be able to spend so much time in prayer, to be so close to the Lord.  To me - they were living holy lives.  But, I've come to understand that taking the veil is not the only way to be close to the Father.

As I looked to the lives of the saints, I wonder how in the world could I ever be at their level of holiness with the Father.  I mean - as a mother and wife there are so many things that can distract you from prayer - the meals to be cooked, beds to be made, bathrooms to be cleaned.  Not to mention working full time while doing it.  There was no way I would even be able find 15 quiet minutes to pray a rosary.  I am sure any parent can relate.

 I feel we are being constantly hit with news, gossip, bad language, etc today we become numb to it. I have to force myself to turn off the TV and put down my phone.  This makes me question "How in the world can anyone be Holy today?"

So, let's ask the question - "Just what is being Holy?"  Is it like the pictures of the saints of old?  Do we need to wander and preach? I don't think so.  There is a need for lots of prayer - but I am not referring to being on our knees before the Crucifix for hours at a time, though there may be a need of that a time or two in our lives.  I am speaking to the realization that everything I did for my family was a prayer - the cooking, the cleaning, the driving to sporting practices and cub scout meetings, all the laundry I did - and trust me - doing laundry for a stinking teenage boy was a true sacrifice to the senses (I believe all parents of teen boys can attest to this) - each and every thing was a prayer to the Lord.  And it is so easy for us to forget that today.

Our lives can be a constant prayer and a path to holiness when we bring the Father into everything we do.  And I believe this is exactly what the saints did.  We only hear about the defining moments in their lives - what we don't hear about is the everyday struggles they faced.  And that is exactly the saints lives we need to strive for on our path to holiness.  It become of letting go of "me" and becoming a person who's focus in on the needs of others.  It is bandaging the skinned knees, baking the last minute cookies for school, and trusting that each time our child leaves the house they will be safe.  It is calling a friend who you know is struggling and cooking the dish for a funeral dinner.  It is everything we do - no matter how great or how small - it all becomes our prayer and a path to holiness.

So the next time you are cleaning the floor or changing the sheets - dedicate your work to the Lord and ask Him to bless the lives of all those who will benefit from your efforts.  Trust me - you will never look at a dirty dish the same again.

Joy and Happiness

We hear in many of the Gospels, Jesus talking about true joy; and this made me wonder - what exactly is true joy.  So, the last time I was with my Spiritual Director, I asked her - what did Jesus mean when he talked about true joy - and isn't joy and happiness the same thing?

Well her answer surprised me a bit, though once I thought about it, it made sense.  Happiness comes from the actions and things of this world - it is a feeling -- as when you look outside to a pleasant sunny morning or perhaps you are in a public place and you look down at your child to see them actually behaving or your husband puts his socks in the laundry without being asked - or even greater - your husband puts his dirty dish in the dishwasher instead of just leaving it in the sink (yes, this would be a wonder and would bring great happiness in my home - lol.)  But all those things which brings happiness is based on the weather and the behavior of another person.  It could be when you score the perfect outfit - or you ordered something on line and when it came it actually fit - trust me - that would be true happiness.  But happiness can be diminished and even disappear by other's actions too.

But joy can only come from the Lord - it has nothing to do with the actions of things in this world - in fact it has nothing really to do with our physical actions - it is a product of God's love for us and of our love for Him.  And that is what it is connected to - Love.  God's love is eternal, unfathomably great - it is always there - it is constant  -- and the more we love God and do His Will - the more joy we receive - for our hearts and souls are then in sync with the Father. And joy - cannot go away based on our mood or our actions - or lack of actions -- it is a permanent fixture.

I can have happiness without great love - you cannot have joy without it.

Well, as I said this all seemed to make sense once I thought about it  - but I wanted to do a little research on joy and happiness.  And I wanted to know what it truly is based on in Catholic teaching- so I turned to two sources - Pope Francis and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.  And here is what I found:

Pope Francis in his homily of May 31, 2014 said "likened this joy given by God to the joy a mother embracing her baby after childbirth, because it is a joy 'purified' by the suffering of labor.  The joy of the Christians, is a 'joy in hope.'"

And in the Catechism I found "Joy can be described as a more complete, ecstatic, consuming passion where happiness is an emotion/a feeling.  Happiness is our response to events in this world/outside influences we find happiness is a response to happenstance, contentment, good luck, prosperity or good fortune, Happiness is connected with pleasure."  CCC 1723, 1720, 301

Pope Francis put joy it in terms all mother's can understand; that immense feeling of new life coming into the world and how it is tied to our hope in the Father; and the Catechism gave a good explanation of happiness and how it is connected with pleasure and not joy.

So, what does all this mean to me right now - right here on earth - typing my blog on my kitchen table?  Well, for one thing - I know that joy is something I want; it is not something I can get by my actions or the actions of others - and I know I want to receive as much of the Father's love as one could receive.  I want to experience complete joy!  And as a bonus - come this Christmas - when we will sing "Joy to the World,"  I will know we are actually singing "God's Love Comes in to the World."

Mary and the Miraculous Medal

As Catholic Women we like to wear Medals of Mary, I know I do.  I purchased the current one I wear when I completed a Consecration to Mary and it was part of the actual consecration where Father would bless all of our medals.  There are many different medals to Mary - each with their own story and inspiration of Mary.  The one I wear and want to share with you is the Miraculous Medal.

Before I completed the Consecration, I had heard of the Miraculous Medal, knew it was about Mary, and that is about it.  When you are a young mom - there is so much going on in your life, you don't have or take the time to really study different Medals.  You simply trust the one you are wearing (which usually was a gift) will do it's job and protect you and your family.  We always think, once the kids are grown, I'll take the time.  At least that is what I said to myself and to God.

Well, now is time.....

The Miraculous Medal was created by Saint Catherine Laboure.  She was a french Sister of Charity, who in 1830 was awoken by a child's voice calling her to the chapel.  At the chapel she heard the Virgin Mary say to her "God wishes to charge you with a mission.  You will be contradicted, but do not fear; you will have the grace to do what is necessary.  Tell your spiritual director all that passes within you.  Times are evil in France and in the world."  Later that year, the Blessed Mother appeared to Catherine, during her evening meditation, and displayed herself within an oval frame, standing upon a globe with rays of lights coming from each of her fingers directed towards the globe.  Catherine noticed that not all the fingers has rays of light from them; when she asked Mary about this, Mary replied that the rays of light were graces, and the fingers without rays were graces that no one asks for. She also explained to Mary everything that should be placed on the Medal.

Catherine shared with her Spiritual Director everything that had happened and exactly what the Holy Mother had said to her.  After a couple of years of investigation, the priest took the medal design to the Bishop for his approval.  Once receiving the Bishop's blessing, the medal was created.

Mary had said to Catherine "All who wear the medal will receive great graces."

Now, knowing all this let's think about the issue of graces not being asked for.  I ask, "how can this be?  With all the people in this world, there are still graces we are leaving on the table?"  This is a sad realization.  I've asked in prayer "what graces am I leaving behind?"  Well, I cannot change the pass and correct my lack of prayer and reflection from my earlier years.  Now, I can think about graces and Mary's blessings.  When I look at my medal, I am

reminded that I need to pray for ALL the graces the Father has for me - whether I know I need them or not.  Some graces are hard to receive - they challenge us to change and improvement.  Other's push us to do things for other people we would normally not have thought of doing.  All of this is good - really it is.

Oh, and that story I told myself of not having the time - was just that a story.  We all have a couple of minutes each day to pray - even if it is just as we lay our head on our pillow.  I wished I had realized that when I was younger - perhaps I would have been a better mother and wife.  But we cannot live in the past. We can only live in the here and now - and it is now I pray each day for all of God's graces.

Ode to My Lord

Jesus my Lord, my love, my joy

You are my brother, my father, my King.

You give Hope to the despaired

You bring Light to those in darkness

You bring Comfort to those in pain

You bring Peace to those who's hearts are troubled.

In you I have  found Love, Gladness and Mercy.

In you I have receive strength

In you I find rest.

I give you all the glory and honor!

For you have picked me up when I have fallen

You have fed me when I was hungry

You have heard my cries.

All the days of my life I will sing of your goodness,

And I will praise you holy name till the ends of time.

Waiting on God

I know I've heard many times - God's timing is not our timing; and that all things will comes as he ordains it.  That is all well and good, but it does not make the waiting any easier.  I will admit it - I can be a very impatient person, and waiting for God's time has me drumming my fingers.

Lately I've been reading a lot about St. Therese and St. Faustina and their desires of an early death, not wanting to remain in this world, but to quickly move into the next. to be even closer to the Lord.  This has been laying heavy on my mind and I have found myself also praying for God's deliverance.  I so look forward to standing before the Lord and have felt my time here on earth may be just biding my time to return home.

All this being said, a few weeks ago, while in Adoration, I was gently reminded that I am already in the presence of the Lord. (It's that tap of the Holy 2x4 to the forehead I like to refer to - "Hello Theresa - wake up - I'm talking to you.")  For God is in the essence of everything around me - everything I see, eat, feel, hear; God is already there.  He is also in every person who cross my path - whether in person, on the phone, or in the digital media.  He is there - He is with me - He is with all of us.  And even though I many not physically see that I am standing before the Throne of God - I am - actually, we all are.

God is a loving father - he would never leave us here alone to navigate these trouble waters.  And being here on earth is defiantly not a waste of time, but an opportunity to do his will.  We all have a (or more) mission(s) - and we may not even have a clue as to what that mission is - and that is okay; for if we continue to follow the path set before us - the Holy Spirit will lead us to it and help us to accomplish the task set before us.

So, does this help with my impatience - somewhat - I keep laughingly telling my husband - that God keeps giving me "opportunities" to practice being patient. It is truly a work in process.

Does the realization that God is constantly with us in everything we do, say, pray; give me any comfort -- that would be a definite YES.  I find I look at the world with different eyes since that day in the chapel of my Church.  And I am finding that if the Father can be in the smallest of details of nature - than I certainly can let go of my wants for the future and trust in his timing, no matter how long that would be - with no finger drumming.

Give to Caesar

As you may know, the Bible will speak to us with the message we need receive at that time.  The last time I read this Gospel (Mark 12:13-17) I found I was thinking about how everything belongs to God and my thoughts then went to many things including the people he has put in my life and the lovely nature outside my window to name just a few.  I found my prayers were ones of thankfulness for the bounty the Father has placed before me without even realizing it.

Today, though – my thoughts go to how everyone on this earth belongs to God – the good, the bad and the ugly.  We are all made from his love.  And I as I shared a few weeks ago, I feel an urging to pray for all the people of this earth.  Not just the saintly, but for all of us.

I envision the Father as a grandparent who is anxiously waiting for us to come home.  Perhaps there is a great feast in the process (I know my great-grandmother would cook for days before we would arrive.)  He has set a light in the window to guide us and welcome us home.  But he also sends out the Holy Spirit to walk every step with us.  And as we arrive his arms are opened wide ready to embrace us and a great banquet is set out to celebrate our home coming.  Yes, we have all sinned and we have all failed him – but this should not hold us back from receiving his love, for just as great is his love, is the greatness of his Mercy too.

So today, I pray for those who evil has taken a hold of – they have believed the lies whispered in their ears.  They are being used to try to destroy them and anyone that comes in contact with them.  What evil does not seem to understand is that it can destroy this body, but it can not change or destroy my soul/spirit.  I was created from the love of the Father, and no matter what happens here on earth – that fact will never change.  

I pray for those who have turned their backs to God.  For just as the lost lamb, they have wondered off without realizing it, and then they find themselves are too far away to make their way home without help.  That is where our prayers come in, for them to realize the Holy Spirit is right beside them, urging them upon the path where they can be found.  They just need to reach out and receive.

I pray for those who have never experienced the Father’s love.  They are unaware of what joy and love await them.

And, I pray for all the souls of this world, those who came before us, those who walk upon it now and those yet to come.  I pray for God’s love – a love so great, so grand it is unfathomable – to rain down upon this earth, that his light will brighten even the darkest of corners.  And that we all, everyone of us, find the path that will lead us home to his love and welcoming embrace.

My Apologies

You may have noticed that I have not post in a while.  Since my last post, I have had 2 eye surgeries and 1 eye procedure which has left it hard for me to read and work on the computer.  In fact at one point the doctor had ordered that I do not read for almost a week. Yikes! That was really hard.  All is good now, and I am healing well.

All of these issues with my health has caused me stress
in my prayer life.  Now, don't get me wrong, I have been praying, just not in my regular routine way.  This has happen to me before and each time, as I began to return to my regular prayer life, I have found it changed - deepened and stronger.  The Father likes to work on us when our lives are all up in the air.  He likes to challenge us to grow in these times.  This may be easy, or it may be very difficult -- all based on how much we fight the change.

For me, I feel called to grow my prayer life - and to change it up.  I am feeling that I need to alter my prayer focus from prayers for my needs and the needs of those immediately around me - to ones that are more global.  To really challenge me to pray for those in this world who fight against the love of the Father and who's eyes have not been opened to His mercy.  What will that looks like?  I don't know, I feel like it's all under construction.  I am excited for the dust to settle and see what the Father has in store for me.   I know one thing - it will be all about His love. 

Now, if you are one of my friends or family - never fear - you will still be in my prayers.

I am looking forward to sharing with you this journey and hope you will find it also challenging to your prayer life.  Perhaps it's time for you too to put on the hard hat and do some renovation in your relationship with the Father.