Praying With the Gospel

 "'If you know me, then you will also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.'" (John 14:7). There is more that is said in this conversation, but this statement from Jesus is what I would like to reflect on today.

Sometimes, even I wonder if I truly know the love of God.  I hear different bible passages and stories throughout the liturgical years, and seek out the Truth of Who He says He is.  Not only does this help me get to know Him, it also reveals what kind of relationship I can have with Him.  

Is He happy with me?

Will He forgive me for such-and-such a shortcoming?

Is He angry with me?

Then here, in this very cited passage of the gospel, Jesus shows his attributes to also be God's attributes.  So why do I wonder or even fall short of grasping, Who He is?  Is this not the reality of the Trinity?  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as One?  

So Jesus is the revelation of God, as St. Paul also says, Who really is not a mystery, and I can regain the confidence I can have in Him, because He does look on me with love!  He does die for me!  He does forgive me!  

Lord, help me to regain this knowledge of You, and trust in Who You say You Are.

Loved and Claimed

 The days are getting warmer, and so are our hearts.

As we continue to revisit the empty tomb, and realize... He is risen!

There is no need to doubt or despair, because we have a healer, a lover, a redeemer,

And He says "You are mine!"  

It is time to trust, if we have not yet, and say "Yes, I am Yours oh Jesus!"

So we renew our contrition, we receive the Living Bread, 

And let life change for the better, because we are loved and claimed, 

If we but let Him in.

Now is the Resurrection!

 Now is the resurrection,

Now is the hope,

Now is the sweet relief.

The believing, the knowing,

The grace-filled accepting.

A union with the beloved

That no death can separate.

So let there be the grace of "Yes!"

That wholehearted "Yes!"

Embrace your Savior,

He remains forever,

The hero of our hearts.

With Jesus this Holy Week

 As we enter into Holy Week,

I invite you to enter into a moment of silence.

Be present to Jesus, as He prays in Gethsemane,

As He is scourged,

As His Sacred Body hangs to a cross by nails.

What do you say to Him?

Maybe nothing?  I hope it is at least a whisper of thanks

for carrying the load for us.

And for the reminder that, with every cross, there is always a resurrection.

Attentive to God in Lay Life

     I know it can be a challenge to stay with an “ear cocked” towards God’s Voice in our lives, when our surroundings can be so noisy!  Whether at home, at work, or simply in our minds, this attentiveness of being in His Presence can feel like one more thing to be alert to.  But what is God really asking of us?  Personally, as a mother of young children who have many wants and needs (and lots of intense emotions!), I have wondered how I can keep a spirit of recollection?  So I have gone on a further quest (see my blog post “My Place in the Church as Mother” for earlier points of reflection) to seek and resolve to better live in God’s Presence.  

Venturing on this little mission of mine, I asked one of the Sisters, from my time of vocational discernment, how I could possibly stay recollected?  Basically, her words of counsel were that it is a lot simpler than I realize, what with my being a busy wife, mom and homemaker. 

“Your work is focusing on your duties as a wife and mother.  Being totally present to the children and to your household duties is indeed what the Lord is asking of you and that in itself is how you become and stay recollected and aware of God’s Presence.”  A morning offering to God of my works is a great start, and little prayers at points in the day to consecrate it, is plenty!  

God is not asking us to go above and beyond our callings as lay people.  So, as for me, I needn’t overwhelm myself, nor demand of myself a “more pious” lifestyle.  St. Francis de Sales even brings this up at the beginning of his book Introduction to the Devout Life!  Yes, I am still called upon to go to Mass and to pray, but I mustn’t be discouraged if I’m distracted by little ones the entire time.  I’m still there for Him!  This is His Will for me, and I can rest assured that He will give me the grace to strive for holiness.  I am also encouraged by St. Therese’s little way, doing little things with great love for my family and Jesus.  St. Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians, “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men” (Colossians 3:23 NASB1995.) 

So let us do everything with attentiveness and love, for God is calling us to do all for Him!

Starting Over

 It is time to change, to renew.

Not later, not when the new year starts or when the liturgical season of Lent begins...

Both have already begun!

Now, in this moment, it is time to begin anew.  To start over.

Literally, a new day, a new time, a starting over.

Can we begin again?

See?  He makes all things new.

My Place in the Church as Mother

             I am back with more insights from what I am learning!  Much research and prayer was put into this blog entry, and I hope it is a point of reflection for all you wonderful mothers out there as well- both spiritual and biological ones.  It felt like being on a quest, as I searched for answers.  

You see, there has been an unrealized time of transition for me, between simply being a spiritual mother to many souls, discerning out of the possibility of a religious vocation, choosing the vocation of marriage, and then adding my gained title of a nurturing, biological mother as well.  It has been so amazing, striving to grasp that these littles ones are mine.  Yes, in spite of high-risk pregnancies and prayerful petitions to God for their well-being while still in the womb, I found myself in this phase of transition.  Not that I doubted; I am in awe, and at the same time realizing my place both in the heart of the Church and in my home.  I found some excellent sources to assist me in finding it during this “quest.”

A great help I received was in the book Mother to Mother, Spiritual and Practical Wisdom from the Cloister to the Home by Mary Elizabeth Cuff, PhD, with different topics of from cloistered nuns (spiritual mothers) to moms (biological mothers).  What a gift!  On page 33 on the chapter “The Calling of Motherhood,” Sister Clare of the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth says “A mother doesn’t see herself as a servant or slave unless there is no love, and she is resentful of her life. When a woman is a mother who loves, even the most menial tasks (like changing diapers or running errands) are not below her dignity because it is her place in the family.  We can see these tasks as opportunities to love or as degrading duties that must get done in the drudgery of the day; this is what makes a world of difference.”  “…  Sacrificial love is at the heart of spiritual motherhood, as it is in physical motherhood.  The hidden sacrifices and deep sufferings a mother endures for her family are the most powerful examples of true and selfless love!” (pg. 35)  To be ever present to my kids, and attentive to each task is all about love!  Eureka!  I can still be “love at the heart of the church” (as my dear St. Therese would say), by being a loving mother (and let’s not forget about being a loving wife to my husband too)!  To express through every act of noticing this little person in front of me, and in the chores, that I care.  I see you!  

I am currently finding the vocation of a religious sister and that of a wife and mother to have different callings, but both are done with so much loving attention, however menial the task at hand may appear.  God be praised for this realization, so I can be a better, renewed mother to my kids!    

I hope to share in my next post about the restlessness I had with wanting to keep up a spirit of recollection, even amidst the sounds of a happily squealing toddler and a needy infant.  So stay tuned!