I am ending the month of January 2020 with a few Thoughts on Prayer

 

In the Gospels we read – Jesus rose early and went off to a deserted place, where He prayed.  Prayer was vital for the Son of God (our Savior Jesus Christ) – so how much more important/vital is it for us!

A father took his small son with him to town one day to run some errands.   When lunchtime arrived, the two of them went to a familiar diner for a sandwich.  The father sat down on one of the stools at the counter and lifted the boy up to the seat beside him.

They ordered lunch and when the waiter brought the food, the father said, "Son, we'll just have a silent prayer."  Dad got through praying first & waited for the boy to finish his prayer, but he just sat with his head bowed for an unusually long time.

When he finally looked up, his father asked him, "What in the world were you praying about all that time?"   With the innocence and honesty of a child, he replied, "How do I know? It was a silent prayer."   {Solitude and Silence Sermons (02/05/12) Our Daily Bread, Adapted}

Many of our prayers are silent, but whether our prayers are silent or spoken – God already knows our hearts.  So why pray?  One reason to prayer and to work diligently at our prayer life is to prepare our hearts for God’s answer.

You and I are called like St. Paul, who told the Corinthians [& us],

“All this I do for the sake of the Gospel, so that I too may share in it.”

So, we are to go into the world and announce the Gospel, announce the Good News, primarily by the way we live.

What is that Good News?   That God:

1.    Created you

2.    Loves you

3.    Redeemed you

4.    Chose you as a disciple

5.    Called to share His Gospel in deed & in word.

May God Be Praised!            

Does the Lord hear my pleas?

“Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.  You are faithful, you are just; give answer….
Make me know the way I should walk; to you I lift up my soul …. Teach me to do your will for you, O Lord, are my God.” (from Psalm 143)
Lord, grant me the grace to know Your answer to my prayer.

What about God’s Delays

"God’s delays are mysterious; sorrow is sometimes prolonged for the same reason for which it is sent. God may abstain for the moment from healing, not because Love does not love, but because Love never stops loving, and a greater good is to come from the woe. Heaven’s clock is different from ours."  (Fulton J. Sheen)

Is Life a mystery to be solved or to be lived?

St. Francis de Sales gave us this advice, “Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear; rather look upon them with strong hope that, as they arise, God, whose child you are, will deliver you from them.” 

“Take courage and turn troubles which you cannot remedy into material for progress and maturity.” 

  

“Let nothing disturb you; Let nothing frighten you.  All things are passing.  God never changes.  Patience obtains all things.  Nothing is wanting to him who possesses God.  Go alone suffices.”

Lord, grant me the grace to know Your answer to my prayer.

May God Be Praised!

As we prepare to celebrate the Presentation of the Lord this Sunday [2-02-2020] spend a few minutes reflecting on the Blessed Mother’s experience of Christmas and hope to make our lives allow the Light of Jesus to guide us and shine through us:

        

         Mary’s Dream

I had a dream Joseph.

I don't understand it, not really,

but I think it was about a birthday celebration for our Son.

I think that was what it was all about.

The people prepared for about six weeks.

They had decorated their homes and bought elaborate gifts.

It was peculiar though because the presents weren't for our Son.

They wrapped them in beautiful paper & tied them with lovely bows and stacked them under a tree.

Yes, a tree Joseph, right in their homes.

They'd decorated the trees.

The branches were full of glowing balls & sparkling ornaments.

There was a figure on top of the tree.

It looked like an Angel might look.

Oh, it was beautiful.

Everyone was laughing and happy.

They were all excited about the gifts.

They gave the gifts to each other, Joseph, not to our Son.

I don't think they even knew Him.

They never mentioned His name.

Doesn't it seem odd for people to go to all that trouble to celebrate someone's birthday if they don't know Him?

I had the strangest feeling that if our Son had gone to this celebration,

He would have been intruding.

Everything was so beautiful;

Joseph and everyone so full of cheer,

but it made me want to cry.

How sad for Jesus not to be wanted at His own birthday celebration.

I'm glad it was only a dream.

How terrible, Joseph, if it had been real!

“How terrible, Joseph, if it had been real”

As we reflect on our Celebration of Jesus in the Temple and our Vocational call, it is important for us to reflect on how we are living our Vocation. Vocation comes from the Latin root word that means CALLED.

God calls each one of us to a vocation;

some to be married,

some to be single,

some to be professed brothers/sisters,

some to be permanent deacons,

some to be priests,

some to be soldiers,

some to police work,

some to work in business,

some to work in politics and government,

each called to some Vocation.

Our true happiness and fulfillment are directly related to discerning what God is calling us to BE and then to BE that to the best we can. Let’s us pray for the grace to preserve in our vocation and let us pray for hearts willing to listen and follow God’s CALL for those who are discerning what they are called to BE!

May God Be Praised!

John the Baptist announced, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”  There is an old saying, “Familiarity breeds contempt.”

In the scriptures and the liturgy sometimes Familiarity breeds Inattentiveness.  Our familiarity with Jesus being called the Lamb of God may cause that title to go right past our ears, our minds and our hearts.

John’s announcement – “Behold the Lamb (Jesus) of God ….”

was earth shattering to those who heard it.  Lamb of God was packed with meaning:

1.    the apocalyptic lamb who would destroy evil (Revelations 5-7; 17:14)

2.    the pascal lamb whose love saved Israel (Exodus 12)

3.    and, the suffering/servant lamb led to slaughter – for our sins.

(Isaiah 53:7,10)

At each Mass we pray, Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.  Lamb of God … have mercy on us.  Lamb of God … grant us peace.

Our priest prays, “This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.  Happy are those who are called to his supper.”  Indeed, happy are we who are called to His supper.

How grateful and privileged we are to be at His table, knowing full well that we are not worthy to be at the Lord’s table.  Jesus invites us anyway to heal us and show us God’s love!

What are we to do?

We are to make Jesus Christ the primary focus of our live.

We are to make the Light in the world – bright, A BRIGHT SHINING LIGHT!

We are to become holy!

We are to become saints!

We are to shape our lives with the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us!

Today spend a few minutes think about the Lamb of God who invites you to His Banquet and to Life in the Trinity.

May God Be Praised!

Today take a few minutes to pray this litany and reflect on your priorities.

“For putting second things first …  Lord have mercy!

For not rejoicing in God’s love …  Lord have mercy!

For getting lost in what doesn’t matter … Lord have mercy!

For cluttering my life, & the lives of those dear to me … Lord, have mercy!

For collecting things @ the expense of people … Lord, have mercy!

For simple gifts … I thank you Lord!

For your presence in my life … I thank you Lord!

For your love … I thank you Lord!

For knowing my name … I thank you Lord!

For reminding me what really matters … I thank you Lord!

May God Be Praised!

Two friends who were avid golfers, were playing golf one day and they wondered, “Is there golf in heaven?”  That day they made a deal one day while golfing.  Whoever died first would come back and let the other one know if there was golf in heaven!

One day one of the golfing buddies died and he came back to his friend and said, I have good news and bad news.  Good News – great golf courses – never have to wait, yesterday I played with Sam Sneed, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer.  Bad News – you tee-off tomorrow @ 9:00 a.m.

Ordinary Time is an opportunity for us to look at how we are living our as disciples of Jesus Christ.  St. Francis deSales tells us, “In the end, we are really what we are before God.”  (Sermons in a Sentence, vol. II, P. 31)  Fundamental to being a disciple of Jesus is developing a contrite heart and a humble spirit.  de Sales teaches us that, “Bearing with the imperfections of our neighbor is one of the chief characteristics of this love.” [Living Jesus, p.249]

Think about the times you asked for forgiveness and how difficult that was!  Think about the times you had to forgive and how difficult that was!  Only a heart that is beating in rhythm with God can do that.

Only a will that is united with God can be contrite and humble enough to forgive.  Today reflect on this prayer of forgiveness found on the body of a dead child at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp.

Prayer of Forgiveness

Lord, remember not only the men and women of goodwill, but also those of ill-will. 

But do not remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us,

remember the fruits we have brought, thanks to this suffering—

our comradeship, our loyalty,

our humility, our courage,

our generosity,

the greatness of heart which has grown out of this, & when they come to judgment, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.

(Found on a piece of paper by the body of a dead child at the Ravensbruck concentration camp)

“Love consists in this: not that we have loved God but that (God) has loved us and sent his Son as an offering for our sins.” (1 John 4:10)

May God Be Praised!

Yesterday we celebrated the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, who believed that we should Live Jesus, below are several additional spiritual insights from the Gentlemen Saint.

 

There are, also, two prayers, the Direction of Intention to help you focus your day at its beginning and the Day is Ending to enable you to review your day at its conclusion.

Check out a little gem of St. Francis de Sales’ Wisdom with a copy of his Golden Counsels: http://embracedbygod.org/product/golden-counsels-of-st-francis-de-sales/

Direction of Intention

My God, I give you this day.  I offer you, now, all of the good

that I shall do … and I promise to accept, for love of you, all of the difficulty that I shall meet.  Help me to conduct myself during this day In a manner pleasing to you.

    

Day is Ending

Thank you for all the gifts of the day, for the place I spent it And for those with whom I spent it, for all its joys and all its sorrows, for the troubles overcome and for those that remain.

I offer you the silence of this night, its darkness and its solitude.  Whether you chose under the cover of this night to take away the problems of this day, or leave them for tomorrow, I will bless your name.

Thy will be done.         

“Nothing in this world can satisfy the person who is not first satisfied with God.” 

“Let us be who we are and be that well, in order to bring honor to the Master craftsman whose handiwork we are.”  (Oeurves, XII. Letter 289 10 June 1607)

“Walk joyfully through life and if at times you cannot walk with faith & courage.”  (Everyday with Francis deSales, June 12)

“Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear; rather look upon them with strong hope that, as they arise, God, whose child you are, will deliver you from them.” 

Each day TRUST in God, each moment TRUST in God, TRUST in God’s will and live as a child of God.  Easy to write, easy to say, but very hard to live, but so rewarding.

May God Be Praised!

   

     January 24, the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, the Gentlemen Saint

Take a few minutes today and reflect on these Virtues, recommended to us by the Gentleman Saint:

Patience

Humility

Obedience

Chastity

Poverty of Spirit

Modesty

Faithfulness to Duty

“There are some virtues of universal application, which should infuse their spirit into everything.  We rarely have the opportunity for the practice of courage, magnanimity, and great sacrifices; but every action of our daily lives should be influenced by gentleness, moderation, humility, and purity.”

[The Wisdom of Saint Francis De Sales, Translated by Mario DiTata, p.7]

Below are some thoughts on Salesian Spirituality for your consideration.

“It is not by the multiplicity of things we do that we acquire perfection, but by the perfection and purity of intention with which we do them.”

“With the single exception of sin, anxiety is the greatest evil that can happen to a soul.”

I believe that the Seven Salesian Virtues [also, known as the Little Virtues] are the foundation of making the ordinary, extraordinary.  They are the basis of the sainthood that is attainable for us:

Endure Patiently

See the Bright Side

Show Good Humor

Stay Cheerfully Excusing

Put on a Good Face,

Be Appreciative

Speak Gently and Show Courtesy

Fr. Louis Fiorelli, O.S.F.S. writes, “In Salesian spirituality … union with the will of God must always be situated in the deeper context of a loving, personal relationship with the Beloved that is expressed in and deepened through daily prayer ….” [Fr. Lewis Fiorelli, osfs in The Spiritual Directory Today]

After praying select one or two virtues, and the Little Virtues, then weave them into your daily.

May God Be Praised!

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus tells us how we will be judged 25: 31 – 46.

We are called by Jesus to “Live Jesus”, to be His disciple.

The way we live, our words but more importantly our actions, present Jesus to the world or casts “doubt” on Christianity.  Christianity is hard work, hard work filled with joy but hard work, nonetheless.

Josh Groban has a wonderful song titled “You Raise Me Up”

“When I am down, and oh my soul, so weary.

When troubles come and my heart burdened be.

Then, I am still and wait here in the silence.

Until you come and sit a while with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains.

You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas.

I am strong, when I am on your shoulders.

You raise me up…to more than I can be.

You raise me up…to more than I can be.”

Jesus calls us to be all that we can be, and at our best we are children made in the image and likeness of God, living that image in the world. 

 

Reflect on the disciples on the Road to Emmaus “…were not our hearts burning….”  Does your heart burn upon hearing or reading the Word of God [the Scriptures]?  If yes, keep doing what you are doing, if no, ask God to stir the embers of the Lord’s love in your heart.

 

All the children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic school for lunch.mmAt the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The teacher left a note that read, “Take only one, God is watching.”

 

Moving through the line, to the other end of the table, was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.  A boy wrote this note, “Take all you want, God is watching the apples.”

In our lives as Christians, we are constantly moving either to God or away from God.  Jesus saved us over 2,000 years ago. Now we are challenged to allow His saving grace to mold us, to renew us, to form us and to redeem us.  “Take courage and turn troubles which you cannot remedy into material for progress and maturity.” (de Sales)

Today and everyday begin by thanking God and remembering, to give each worry you have to the Lord of Lords.  He doesn’t want you to worry, but to be His joy-filled follower.

Remember God is watching the apples, and God is watching over you.  Today eat an extra chocolate chip cookie to remind yourself that are precious to the Lord.

May God Be Praised!

Living one day at a time, but living it for the Lord

 
St. Francis de Sales gave us this powerful insight into daily living, “Do not look forward to the changes and chances of this life with fear; rather look upon them with strong hope that, as they arise, God, whose child you are, will deliver you from them.”  Having faith and trust in God and God’s plan is much harder when our crosses are heavy.

St. Paul teaches us, “There is but one body and one Spirit, just as there is but one hope given all of you by your call. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is our all, and works through all, and is in all.”  (St. Paul Letter to the Ephesians 4:3,4) Again, we look to Francis de Sales, who tells us that the Christian Life is a life of Prayer, a life in which we are called to “Live Jesus.”

You and I are called to be Saints - - that is the goal of Christian life, and

St. Paul points to that goal, when he writes, “No longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” 

 

I want to end with a practical insight in living our faith in a world with a lot of darkness, “Don’t waste your time trying to get people to love you. Instead, spend your time loving people and the other will follow.” 

[Colors, “The Enchanted Bird”, p.78]

Let the light of Jesus Christ shine through you today, the world will have a bright light.

May God Be Praised!