Strange Things Happen on the Night of Christmas

+J.M.J.+

During these last few days before Christmas, our hearts turn more than ever to Jesus and His Coming among us.

He is still present among His brothers and sisters two thousand years after His initial appearance. We know that Christ is with us in several ways: through His Word proclaimed, by the ministry of His priests, whenever two or more gather in His Sacred Name and in a most unique and exalted fashion in the Most Holy Eucharist.

These final Advent days afford us an excellent opportunity to reflect well on the Most Blessed Sacrament and to ask ourselves how we reverence the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

Jesuit Father Segundo Llorente (1906-1989) was an outstanding missionary to the faithful of Alaska. A brilliant and humble priest, Father Llorente spent himself in the service of the indigenous of Alaska for decades.

Years ago, in a meditation entitled "Strange Things Happen on the Night of Christmas," this Spanish religious offered his thoughts on the adoration due the Most Holy Eucharist. This powerful essay, which was published in the February 1998 newsletter of the Catholic Society of Evangelists, seems more pertinent now than when it first was penned.

A priest told me what happened to him once in his first parish. After the Midnight Mass on Christmas Day he personally locked the church. With the keys in his pocket he went to his room and had a good sleep. At 7:30 in the morning he got up and went back to the church intending to have one hour of prayer all to himself. He opened the side door leading to the sacristy, turned on a light and then turned on the lights for the church. As he opened the sacristy door and walked into the church, he literally froze. Strange people clad in the poorest of clothes occupied most of the pews and all were in total silence. No one so much as wiggled and nobody cared to look at him. A small group was standing by the Nativity Scene contemplating the manger in total silence.

The priest recovered quickly and in a loud voice asked them how they got in. Nobody answered. He walked closer to them and asked again. "Who let you in?" A woman answered totally unconcerned: "Strange things happen on the night of Christmas." And back to total silence The priest went to check the main door and found it locked just as he had left it. He was now determined to get the facts and turned his face to the pews; but they were empty. The people had vanished.

He kept this puzzle to himself for some time. Unable to hold it in any longer, he told me just what I have told you. Could I help with any plausible explanation? Let me hurry to say that the priest in question is a model of sanity and is as well educated academically as most of the priests I know, if not better.

My explanation was and still is as follows. Those were dead people who were doing their purgatory, or part of it, in the church. It is safe to assume that we atone for our sins where we committed them. Those people were immersed in total silence. Why? Consider the irreverences committed before the Blessed Sacrament; how many people act out in church: chatting, giggling, and looking around. After Mass some people gather in small groups around the pews and turn the church into a market place with no regard for Christ's Real Presence in the tabernacle. Why did they vanish? They did not vanish. They simply became invisible; but they remained tied to their pews unable to utter one single word to atone for their disrespectful chatter while living.

The Blessed Sacrament is no laughing matter. There is a price tag to all we do or say. In the end it is God Who gets the last laugh--so to speak. Those people had to give the Blessed Sacrament the adoration and respect that Christ deserves. For how long? Only God can answer that. Why did the priest see them? So he could pray for them and for all other Poor Souls detained in other churches. Why other priests do not see these people? Well, perhaps they already know in theory that souls can be detained in churches as well as anywhere else, so they do not need a miracle.

Why were they clad in such poor clothes? To atone for their vanity while living. People often use clothes not so much to cover their nakedness but as a status symbol to impress others. But God is not impressed by, say, mink coats. Also people walk into church with hardly any clothes. In the summer months it is not unusual for people--mostly women--to go to receive Holy Communion in the most indecent clothing. The pastor may or may not put up with it; but God will have His day in court about this. Rags could be an appropriate punishment for these excesses.

Absent an official declaration from the Church that the above episode recounted by Father Llorente is true, one may dismiss it. But the deeper meaning cannot be summarily rejected, namely, that the Sacred Heart of Emmanuel, Who comes to us, is really, truly and substantially present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar and is to be "praised, adored and loved with grateful affection at every moment in all the tabernacles of the world, even until the end of time. Amen."

I Am Not Alone - just beautiful!

The first Adoration of Jesus’ Sacred Heart

Apartment of Prayer

Sometimes our vision of God’s call is a little different than how He chooses to unfold it.. Sometimes God has to ‘tweak’ our life, basically because free will gets in the way of His work. Yet when a soul ardently seeks His will, God finds a way to let it be done in one’s life. I wasn’t able to find donors to open a house of prayer, but God is accomplishing His will in another way in a little apartment.

Here is my simple, ordinary ‘Bethany House of Prayer ‘, a place where I hope Jesus can find a place to rest His Head. My day is split between a simple life of prayer and caring for triplet babies. 

Thank you to those who have tried to help me. I pray that as God continues to put good people on my path that God will bless them abundantly.

St John Paul II

I remember at World Youth Day one year the crowd chanted, ‘John Paul II, we love you and we want you to live forever!’

This man was a spiritual giant and we are so blessed to have been part of God’s work through him in the Church. 

From his first words as Pope:

“Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ’s power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind. Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization, and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows ‘what is in man’. He alone knows it.”

Fountain of Love

We do not understand the power of the Blood of Jesus. Every sore it touches is healed. Every impurity washed in it is made limpid and holy. Every dry, cracked and broken part of our heart is made fresh and whole. Every intention offered to the Father through the precious Blood is answered. Every need presented to Jesus here, in and through His Blood is provided for. Every person who drinks of this fountain (or is washed by our presenting them here) is transformed and richly blessed. Every desire is quenched and all evil is destroyed. Every soul is made more beautiful and holy by spiritual contact with just one drop. Blindness and deafness and confusion and despair and doubt and fear are taken away and replaced by wisdom, knowledge, joy, peace and love. Yes, all of this and more would be corrected and healed and transformed and made new if only we presented it daily to our Beloved Jesus’ precious Blood.

Listen to the Litany of the Most Precious Blood of
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Jesus, hear us. God, the Father of Heaven, God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, God, the Holy Spirit, Holy Trinity, One God, Blood of Christ, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father, Blood of Christ, Incarnate Word of God, Blood of Christ, of the New and Eternal Testament, Blood of Christ, falling upon the earth in the Agony, Blood of Christ, shed profusely in the Scourging, Blood of Christ, flowing forth in the Crowning with Thorns, Blood of Christ, poured out on the Cross, Blood of Christ, price of our salvation, Blood of Christ, without which there is no forgiveness. Blood of Christ, Eucharistic drink and refreshment of souls, Blood of Christ, stream of mercy, Blood of Christ, victor over demons, Blood of Christ, courage of Martyrs, Blood of Christ, strength of Confessors, Blood of Christ, bringing forth Virgins, Blood of Christ, help of those in peril, Blood of Christ, relief of the burdened, Blood of Christ, solace in sorrow, Blood of Christ, hope of the penitent, Blood of Christ, consolation of the dying, Blood of Christ, peace and tenderness of hearts, Blood of Christ, pledge of eternal life, Blood of Christ, freeing souls from purgatory, Blood of Christ, most worthy of all glory and honor, Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world. Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, Lamb of God, who take away the sins of the world, You have redeemed us, O Lord, in your Blood.	Lord, have mercy Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy Jesus, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Save us. Spare us, O Lord Graciously hear us, O Lord.have mercy on us. And made us, for our God, a kingdom.
Let us pray, ---  Almighty and eternal God, you have appointed your only-begotten Son the Redeemer of the world, and willed to be appeased by his Blood. Grant we beg of you, that we may worthily adore this price of our salvation, and through its power be safeguarded from the evils of the present life, so that we may rejoice in its fruits forever in heaven. Through the same Christ our Lord.  Amen.

My favorite St. Edith Stein quote:

“The followers of the Anti-Christ make every effort to tear the cross out of the hands of Christians... Therefore, the Savior today looks at us, solemnly probing us: ‘Will you remain faithful to the crucified?’ If you decide for Christ, it could cost you your life... If you intend to be the Bride of Christ, the Crucified, you too must completely renounce your will and no longer have any desire except to fulfill God’s will.

The Savior hangs before you with a pierced Heart. He has spilled His Heart’s blood to win your heart. If you want to follow Him in holy purity, your heart must be free of every earthly desire. Jesus, the Crucified, is to be the only object of your longings, your wishes, your thoughts... The world is in flames. Are you impelled to put them out? Look at the Cross. From the open Heart gushes the Blood of the Savior. This extinguishes the flames of hell. Make your heart free... and then the flood of Divine Love will be poured into your heart until it overflows and becomes fruitful to all the ends of the earth...”

The Cross is my anchor...

One day many years ago I was at a prayer meeting with Fr. Flanagan (the founder of SOLT) and he asked us to reflect on how we carry our crosses. When it came my turn to share I said, ‘I don’t feel like I carry my cross- I think that the cross carries me!’ More recently I had a similar thought- I noticed how when life is hardest and I feel thrown around the waves of life, clinging to Jesus’ Cross tends to be my reaction and His Cross becomes like my life jacket and my anchor in the storm. It is by placing the Calverized parts of my life with His suffering that I find the fruits of the Holy Spirit in my suffering. A saint once said (I think it was St. Francis) that the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit is union with Jesus crucified. The Cross of Jesus is truly the fountain of all our heart’s desire and need for happiness.

A novena of family healing Masses starting Sept. 8th... Please pray along

PRAYER FOR HEALING THE FAMILY TREE
Rev. John H. Hampsch, CMF
Heavenly Father, I come before you as your child, in great need of your help.
I have physical health needs, emotional needs, spiritual needs, and interpersonal needs. Many of my problems have been caused
by my own failures, neglect and sinfulness,
for which I humbly beg your forgiveness, Lord. But I also ask you to forgive the sins of my ancestors whose failures have left their effects on me
in the form of unwanted tendencies, behavior patterns, and defects in body, mind and spirit. Heal me, Lord, of all these disorders. –pause-
With your help I sincerely forgive everyone, especially living or dead members of my family tree, who have directly offended me or my loved ones in any way, or those whose sins have resulted
in our present sufferings and disorders.
In the name of your divine Son Jesus,
and in the power of the Holy Spirit, I ask you, Father,
to deliver me and my entire family tree
from the influence of the evil one. – pause –
Free all living and deceased members of my family tree, including those in adoptive relationships,
and those in extended family relationships,
from every contaminating form of bondage.
By your loving concern for us, heavenly Father,
and by the shed blood of your Precious Son Jesus,
I beg you to extend your blessing to me
and all my living and deceased relatives.
Heal every negative effect transmitted
through all past generations,
and prevent such negative effects
in future generations of my family tree. – pause –
I symbolically place the cross of Jesus over the head of each person in my family tree, and between each generation.
I ask you to let the cleansing blood of Jesus 

purify the bloodlines in my family lineage.u
Set your protective angels to encamp around us, and permit Archangel Raphael, the patron of healing, to administer your diving healing power to all of us, even in areas of genetic disability.
Give special power to our family members’ guardian angels
to heal protect, guide and encourage each of us in all our needs. Let your healing power be released at this very moment, and let it continue as long as our sovereignty permits.
In our family tree, Lord, replace all bondage
with a holy bonding in family love.
And let there be an ever deeper bonding with you, Lord, by the Holy Spirit, to your Son Jesus.
Let the family of the Holy Trinity pervade our family with its tender, warm, loving presence,
so that our family may recognize
and manifest that love in all our relationships.
All of our unknown needs we include with this petition that we pray in Jesus’ precious name.
Amen, Amen and Amen 

A Eucharistic Nanny... That's seriously what I am ...

So, what does a Missionary Hermit Eucharistic Nanny's life look like?

10pm-11am full time care for three really little ones (change, feed, burp, swaddle and love times three at 10pm, 1am, 4am, 7am, 10am- it takes 45 mins a child leaving just enough time in between to make formula, clean/organize bottles, log it all, etc.) - plus lots of prayer with them!

11:15am-12:15pm -prayer before the Blessed Sacrament

12:15-12:45 -Mass (Some days I hit a 11:40am Mass on my way home)

12:45-1:15 -Walk to train (exercise!)

1:15-1:45 -commute on train (Rosaries, Chaplets, etc.)

2:00-5:00pm -Sleep (sometimes I skip the noon Mass to sleep 12-5pm)

5:15-5:45 - Mass at parish nearby

5:45-6:45pm -adoration

6:45-8:45pm -food, more adoration or sleep, spiritual reading, icons, guitar, languages, just life

8:45-9:45pm -commute (train and walking)

10pm-11am -work again

*** On weekends I only work 12 midnight to 7:30am, so I have extra hours to sleep, exercise 8-10 additional miles by the Lake (I normally walk 5-6 miles daily), additional adoration, etc.

All of my life is a prayer united with four chalices lifted in consecration every second (all over the world)- when a life is anchored in the Eucharist even little things have great worth and bear good fruit.

A 'Bethany House of Prayer' in the city...

A religious sister I once knew used to say that we must become a 'resting place for the Holy Spirit'... That is my hope for this little place- that it simply is a resting place for God's presence to be among His people. The awesome adoration chapel nearby is the clincher- they brought the stones from Lourdes to build this replica (see bottom pictures).

God's Providence

A couple of weeks ago I was looking through old posts and I came across the 'wish list' I had made. I was floored to realize that God had somehow provided for everything I had asked for. No, I didn't get my own 'Fiat' (the car), but a car was made available to me. And the train works when I need to commute. No, I didn't buy a new guitar, but my brother BJ let me take his home with me for a while. My Mom bought me a new wardrobe. A donor helped me get art supplies and what is needed to make my lotion. Walmart had a sale on french presses. My sister bought me a real coffee pot. I am starting up with a house (apartment) of prayer hidden in Chicago (but it's Ravenswood instead of Southside inner city). I haven't had the response on gofundme from donors as I/we (Jesus and I) had hoped for or expected, but I have gotten along by the skin of my teeth and a beautiful job was offered to me: I get to take care of three 4 lb triplet newborns for 13 hours a night. Who (besides me) gets to pray with three innocent souls nightly? Not one, but THREE Baby Jesuses to love daily (and get paid for it). What I realized is how God provides for us in ways different than we expect or ask for at times, yet His answers that seem to pop up in our ordinary lives are more practical, better and an incredible 'fit' to our needs exactly. These ordinary answers that seem to just appear in our practical daily life are miracles we shouldn't forget to thank God for.

Oh Maria...

Keep us this close to you!

Fighting Humbly

I don't know how to fight and yet be humble. When I say fight I literally mean to fight viciously against anything and everything that can take me from my Jesus, while yet being docile to the gentle Holy Spirit trying to lead me and merciful to all the people who inevitably are not perfect around me. I struggle with keeping my heart stalwartly in the cement of faithfulness while being docile to God and approachable to others who may not be where I am in life. This juxtaposition that meets in the true definition of humility is the key to spiritual warfare... its the key to staying faithful to Jesus in a world that tries with its entire strength and might to rip you from Him and throw you to the dogs while being gentle in love. The saints say that humility is the weapon best used in the spiritual life -and yet sometimes I feel like I fight so hard to be faithful that there is no room left for humility. Am I nothing enough yet to walk through a spiritual battlefield with raging bombs and not be touched? And yet, is a little soldier gal supposed to be nothing -or instead aren't we supposed to be brilliant, vibrant, exuberant versions of who God created us to be. Is that humble? Humility is truth and so the answer has got to be somewhere between the bold determination and the contentness in being so weak that collide in my heart.

Good thing I don't even have to understand all this... I give it all to my Sweet Jesus and He can rearrange the furniture in my heart... He can form me... and I just have to trust Him when I don't see what He's doing in the darkness.  Its just my thoughts tonight... the musings of Mary:

Jesus, we love You. Jesus we trust in You. +

His Love is our Hope.

The Holy Family brought light into the darkest of journies...

May sweet Mary and Joseph and little Jesus always be 

our Light and Guide...

The Power of Naming People

Words have power. If Jesus was the Word made Flesh and He had creative power (and God the Father used words to create, like saying, 'Fiat Lux' and there was light, etc.,) this is somehow mysteriously reflected in our relationship with words (made in the image and likeness of the Trinity). And we need to be careful with this. 

Words create and give life when they are positive and they destroy when they are negative. Yesterday I encountered some nephews and nieces who are always positive and loving to me (even a few teenage ones who usually don't have much to say to me) and they all were really loving -it gave me life. Later in the evening I heard an adult ripping me to pieces in the next room -it didn't matter so much that what he was saying was not true, instead it was like being shot repeatedly or ripped apart by the negative, unkind, unloving attitude. I eventually had to just leave the event. 

People become often what they are called -or at the very least they are affected by it. When we were little my Mom would sing, 'Mary is a good little girl' over and over and I believe it contributed to my being good. The blessing of a parent is powerful (just as the negativity or cursing of a parent is -so be careful what you say!)

I was reading a book this week that went very in depth about the power of words and particularly 'naming people' -and how the author had experimented on a large level in the effect of naming people good and their reaction of becoming good. When we praise God for people and name them (even behind their backs) in a positive light they mysteriously have extra grace to be a blessing in our lives. I could write a super long post on this, but instead I'll leave it simple: only say good, positive, kind things about others. We have enough negativity in the world. And if someone is being difficult, find something praiseworthy in them and focus on that. Truly what if the world only spoke blessings about each other... like Ephesians says, 'Speaking in songs and hymns and psalms to each other'... wouldn't it be a better place?

St. Paisios -a beautiful reflection from the Orthodox

The "Beatitudes" of St. Paisios the Athonite

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior (source)

  

Note: Truly beautiful and astonishing are these "Beatitudes" of St. Paisios the Athonite, modeled after the Beatitudes of Christ and the lives and writings of the Saints. May we be humbled by his love, sacrifice and self-denial, on behalf of God and his fellow man. May we not despair of our weakness and sinfulness, but make a small effort, through the discretion and guidance of our spiritual fathers to make a change for the better, through the intercessions of such a great saint of our century!
    
The "Beatitudes" of St. Paisios the Athonite
1. Blessed are those who love Christ more than all the worldly things and live far from the world and near God, with heavenly joys upon the earth.
  2. Blessed are those who manage to live in obscu­rity and acquired great virtues but did not acquire even a small name for themselves.
  3. Blessed are those who manage to act the fool and, in this way, protected their spiritual wealth 
4. Blessed are those who do not preach the Gospel with words, but live it and preach it with their silence, with the Grace of God, which betrays them.
  5. Blessed are those who rejoice when unjustly ac­cused, rather than when they are justly praised for their virtuous life. Here are the signs of holiness, not in the dry exertion of bodily asceticism and the great number of struggles, which, when not carried out with humility and the aim to take off the old man, create only illusions.

St. Paisios the Athonite (source)

  6. Blessed are those who prefer to be wronged rather than to wrong others and accept serenely and silently injustices. In this way, they reveal in practice that they believe in “one God, the Father Almighty” and expect to be vindicated by Him and not by human beings who repay in this life with vanity.

7. Blessed are those who have been born crippled or became so due to their own carelessness, yet do not grumble but glorify God. They will hold the best place in Paradise along with the Confessors and Martyrs, who gave their hands and feet for the love of Christ and now constantly kiss with devoutness the hands and feet of Christ in Paradise.
  8. Blessed are those who were born ugly and are de­spised here on earth, because they are entitled to the most beautiful place in Paradise, provided they glorify God and do not grumble.
  9. Blessed are those widows who wear black in this life, even unwillingly, but live a white spiritual life and glorify God without complaining, rather than the mis­erable ones who wear assorted clothes and live a spot­ted life.
10. Blessed and thrice blessed are the orphans who have been deprived of their parents’ great affection, for they managed to have God as their Father already from this life. At the same time, they have the affection they were deprived of from their parents in God’s savings bank “with interest”.
   

St. Paisios the Athonite (source)

  11. Blessed are those parents who avoid the use of the word “don’t” with their children, instead restraining them from evil through their holy life – a life which chil­dren imitate, joyfully following Christ with spiritual bravery.
  12. Blessed are those children who have been born “from their mother’s womb”(Mt. 19:12) holy, but even more blessed are those who were born with all the inherited passions of the world, struggled with sweat and up­rooted them and inherited the Kingdom of God in the sweat of their face ^{(Cf. Gen. 3:19)}.
13. Blessed are those children who lived from in­fancy in a spiritual environment and, thus, tirelessly ad­vanced in the spiritual life.
Thrice blessed, however, are the mistreated ones who were not helped at all (on the contrary, they were pushed towards evil), but as soon as they heard of Christ, their eyes glistened, and with a one hundred and eighty degree turn they suddenly made their soul to shine as well. They departed from the attraction of earth and moved into the spiritual sphere.
  14. Fortunate, worldly people say, are the astronauts who are able to spin in the air, orbit the moon or even walk on the moon.
Blessed, however, are the immaterial “Paradise-nauts”, who ascend often to God and travel about Paradise, their place of permanent abode, with the quickest of means and without much fuel, besides one crust of bread.
15. Blessed are those who glorify God for the moon that glimmers that they might walk at night.
More blessed, however, are those who have come to understand that neither the light of the moon is of the moon, nor the spiritual light of their soul of them­selves, but both are of God. Whether they can shine like a mirror, a pane of glass or the lid of a tin can, if the rays of the sun do not fall on them, it is impossible for them to shine.
   

St. Paisios the Athonite (source)

16. Fortunate, worldly people tell us, are those who live in crystal palaces and have all kinds of conven­iences.
Blessed, however, are those who have managed to sim­plify their life and become liberated from the web of this world’s development of numerous conveniences (i.e. many inconveniences), and were released from the frightening stress of our present age.

 17. Fortunate, worldly people say, are those who can enjoy the goods of the world.

Blessed, however, are those who give away every­thing for Christ and are deprived even of every hu­man consolation for Christ. Thus it is that they man­age to be found night and day near Christ and His di­vine consolation, which many times is so much that they say to God: “My God, Thy love cannot be en­dured, for it is great and cannot be fit within my small heart”.

  18. Fortunate, worldly people say, are those who have the greatest jobs and the largest mansions, since they possess all means and live comfortably.

Blessed, however, according to the divine Paul, are those who have but a nest to perch in, a little food and some coverings⁹⁹• For, in this way, they’ve managed to become estranged from the vain world, using the earth as a footstool, as children of God, and their mind is con­stantly found close to God, their Good Father.

St. Paisios the Athonite (source)

  

  19. Fortunate are those who become generals and government ministers in their head by way of heavy drinking (even if just for a few hours), with the world­ly rejoicing over it.

Blessed, however, are those who have put off the old man and have become incorporeal, managing to be earthly angels with the Holy Spirit. They have found Paradise’s divine faucet and drink from it and are con­tinually inebriated from the heavenly wine.

  20. Blessed are those who were born crazy and will be judged as crazy, and, in this way, will enter Paradise without a passport.

Blessed and thrice blessed, however, are the very wise who feign foolishness for the love of Christ and mock all the vanity of the world. This foolishness for Christ’s sake is worth more than all the knowledge and wisdom of the wise of this world.

I beg all the Sisters to pray for God to give me, or rather take from me my little mind, and, in this way, se­cure Paradise for me by considering me a fool. Or, make me crazy with His love so I go out my self, outside of the earth and its pull, for, otherwise my life as a monk has no meaning. I became externally white as a monk. As I go I become internally black by being a negligent monk, but I justify myself as one unhealthy, when I hap­pen to be so; other times, I excuse myself again for be­ing ill, even though I am well, and so I deserve to be thoroughly thrashed. Pray for me. 

May Christ and Panagia be with you,

With love of Christ, Your Brother, Monk Paisios

Bold Humility

A couple of years ago I was making a retreat at a Marian Shrine and the priest in his homily spoke about the 'bold humility' of Our Lady and how we are all called to imitate it.

Humility is truth -the truth about who we are and the truth about Who God is. Often when people think of humility they think of what the saints would call false humility -when a person defaces himself or pretends to be lowly solely for show. But real humility should empower us -because within a heart filled with God's virtue of humility, we have the knowledge of our own dependence on God and the confidence of the Love He has for us as His children who He wants to be well-provided for. In light of this, humility doesn't always have to be silent or inactive, instead it can be like Mary on Her road to visit Elizabeth -She was aware of Her need for God's protection and guidance and yet she allowed Her faith (and confidence in God's provisional love) to be her foundation as She set forth alone in order to help her cousin. Real humility is set in the security of God's Love and sets us off in heroic and courageous ways to do God's will. Be boldly humble today:

The Battle for the Lost Sheep.

I posted this July 1st, but the readings at Mass today are all about the same thing... Our Good Shepherd -so I'm going to re-post it again.

Thank You, Jesus, for being such a Good Shepherd. +

So often we make the  mistake of thinking that God is somehow like us in our thinking and ways of doing things. In reality, HE is the reality, the goal, the authentic one that our lives should be striving to imitate. I read this quote of St. Maximus and I reflect on Jesus, our battle-scarred Shepherd and I think, "I wish people would imitate my wounded One." Yes, humans have freewill and the unfortunate reality is that they use this freewill wrongly so often -they use it to make themselves look good and to harm the defenseless ones. They use freewill to control, to lie, to twist, to selfishly put-down or accuse... and Jesus needing pure love in this world has to leave people free so that they at least have the chance to choose to use freewill for love. They don't, many times. 

But Jesus doesn't leave any soul entrusted to Him trapped alone. He sword-fights His way into our messy lives and disregarding the wounds, takes the blows that were coming our way upon His Own Face and Back. Yes, I feel the sting of other's selfish manipulation ... daily, even... but it would be WAY WORSE if my sweet Jesus didn't go before me in this mess and take the brunt of the blows on Himself. No, He cannot change the human heart that gets hard, that gets comfortable dominating others... only an individual soul can freely choose to accept the Love of the Father and change by itself. But He can (and does) climb into our difficult situations caused by other's sins against us (whether it be the sin of evil or the sin of their indifference to our plight) and He bleeds for us. Yes, my Jesus bleeds for me... He bleeds to soften the hearts of those who have decided to ruin me (every life has encounters with such people) -and He shelters me with His rod and staff beating away those who come against me. Yes, He 'cannot' change my plight without forcing those who have chosen sin and selfishness (He can invite them, but not force them to respond to His Love), but He can (and does) climb into the mess of things and give it meaning -give it His meaning. He can sit by me and say to the world, "I'm actually on her side in this mess... what you do to her, you do to Me." He frees me.

Yesterday I was pondering on a situation again wondering, "Where is my defense, Lord? It feels like lies, jealousy, power, money, control, gossip is ahead in this arena..." And He responded again in my heart, "My Love defends you. When you die, you get to be closer to Me than any of them... because you were right, they were wrong and you suffered injustice heroically with Me." Wow. That's powerful stuff. I got to be the sheep ... Its amazing who God raises up sometimes to be His Voice and Heart. In fact, yesterday, Jesus was my encouraging Shepherd through the voice of a child. I spent some of the day yesterday helping BJ re-stain their deck. At one point praying I thought, "I hope I'm doing this right. Oh Jesus, why have they (not BJ, 'they' being the proverbial 'they' of people who have been mean to me in the world) beaten me so badly that I even doubt my staining abilities." Immediately, as if an answer to my interior prayer, BJ's oldest son Luke came around the corner to encourage me. He yelled, "Aunt Mary, that looks great! You're doing such an awesome job! Do you want a drink? What great work!" Yes, my little Luke was the voice of Jesus encouraging me. A spiritual director 20 years ago told me that I had a soul that needed a ton of affirmation and that its just the way I was sensitively made. Jesus somehow told my little nephew Luke that yesterday. The Holy Spirit is amazing. Anyway, just a little more reflection on the powerful and awesome love of Jesus manifesting Himself in different ways. Thank you, Jesus... I trust in You. +

"When Jesus found wandering in the mountains and hills the one sheep that had strayed from God's flock of a hundred, He brought it back to the fold, but He did not exhaust it by driving it ahead of Him. Instead, He placed it on His Own Shoulders and so, compassionately, He restored it safely to the flock."

 -St. Maximus the Confessor

To Be Known by God...

"If anyone loves God, He is known by God." (1 Corinthians 8:3)

"Now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God..." (Galatians 4:9)

"Now I know in part; then (in heaven) I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12)

I can't tell you the peace and security it gives to me to know that I am known by God. Its only something I reflect on when I encounter the opposite in life -a situation of misunderstanding or a person who no matter what I say just doesn't get me. I've written about this before, and my priest friend Fr. Dariusz's comment to me in Russia that only people who love me understand me. But I think this is true not just for me, but in relationships in general. And in light of this, how natural for God to completely know me because He completely loves me. And when we plug into God's knowledge and love of a person, He allows us to partake of this life-giving, freeing, respectful, grace-filled relationship that He has with whoever that person is.

Now, all knowledge does not come from love. Sapiential knowledge does -sapiential relates to wisdom and the biblical explanation of wisdom is 'a listening heart'... a heart in a love relationship with God who listens in Love and receives a knowledge of Love. This isn't fact knowledge like satan knows about us (and uses against us). Its a knowledge of our lives and persons based in Love and whose purpose is to grow us towards a love relationship with God and each other. Simple reflections like this give me peace... because this was God's original plan for humanity (to relate in holy knowledge and Love) and this is what He redeemed... this is what He wants for us to share in with Him: a knowledge and Love of Him and each other based in Love that gives off Love. We are supposed to 'smell' to the world like Love. Its an incredible image.

The first phrase I always learn in a new language is 'I don't know.' When I'm in a new culture working with a new language more often than not I'm just not going to know what is going on or what people are saying to me (until I get a better grasp on their language). At Notre Dame my Italian class would laugh at my repeated 'Non lo so' -and in Poland and Russia people got used to 'Sister Mary' or 'Aunt Mary' saying 'Nie wiem' or 'Я не знаю.' So often I just don't know the answer to things. My comfort in life comes in knowing that God knows everything and I know God. By the transitive principle, I have nothing to worry about because my God, my Father in heaven who knows me in Love (meaning He knows what is best for me and desires that and is capable of making it happen) knows the answer to pretty much any and every predicament I find myself in in life. There is a powerful covering of Love I feel overshadow me when I can sit with my sweet Jesus in the Eucharist and know that I am known by Him, loved by Him, protected by Him, defended by Him (even if others choose to ignore His defense)... I'm in His arms and care. And each time people selfishly try to usurp Him, He knocks them away and takes me back. Thank You, Jesus. Name and Claim me... because only with You (or with those who are truly with You) am I actually safe and loved in this dangerous and so often evil world. Jesus, we trust in You.

Fiat. +

Sometimes Jesus' Answer is This Simple...

Praying Positively and the Power of Authentic Love

Most people know that speaking positive words spreads a power of positivity over people and that speaking negative words often spreads negativity. There is a time where people suffering need to speak of that suffering, but it should only be to trustworthy individuals who, while listening to the Holy Spirit, are able to shed a hopeful or Godly light on the situation (even if not directly speaking about God). Fr. Flanagan, the founder of SOLT, used to tell us that we should always be listening to people with one ear attuned to their words while another ear attuned to the Holy Spirit. But this has to be done not in a spirit of ignoring, but a spirit of love -of sort of listening so attentively to another with the Holy Spirit that the person goes away feeling listened to, understood and loved. Even if you didn't understand their entire predicament from their explanation, the Holy Spirit who you invited to be part of that conversation should have come like He promised to do when we call on Him and shared His spirit of understanding between the two conversing souls.

This morning someone asked me a question and pushed me for an answer -as I tried to explain myself they started a conversation with someone in the other room who responded as a sign that both really didn't care about me or what I felt or was saying. Frustrating was that they asked me the question and pushed for the answer... they simply never intended to get one, let alone one that wasn't what they were thinking. After yelling a new conversation to the next-door room didn't work, they simply started praying Hail Mary's outloud so as to say, "I never wanted an answer." Yes, sometimes praying 'Hail Mary's' is actually mean. I wasn't saying anything offensive -in fact, they asked a question that had to do with where I painted and to my and their chagrin, I really had an answer and it had to do with phenomenology and it made them mad. I don't know how to explain how poorly it makes another feel to not be loved in a conversation. In this situation, it felt like there was nothing present in the conversation except someone's selfish desire to prove me wrong. But relationships don't work like that. Real relationships have to be based on Love. And so, real conversations have to be based on Love -and be an exchange of Love. I speak to and/or listen to you seriously because it is the most loving thing to do in that moment... because it helps both you and me grow closer to God and His original plan for our lives (even if we never mention His Name). I see someone crying or doing something I don't understand and I ask them about it because I truly seek their good -even if it means a sacrifice of my time or an answer I don't like. I don't talk to someone so that I can gossip about the conversation later (I purposely did not put names or details in the example above) or so that I can plot about how to get a foot up on them later. I don't talk to someone so that I feel good or smart or helpful -but because truly its the sacrificial loving thing to do and it actually is helpful. If it is not helpful, I avoid it so that there is room for God or another person who might be more gifted in that relationship to enter in... That is love. Seeking the good of the beloved. That is being positive.

Anyway, this situation was the springboard of my blog post this morning. Because speaking truth (which in its essence is loving -not facts, but truth like Jesus is Truth) should always give life. Words in conversations should be positive and full of humility (which is truth -humility is simply the truth of who we are and the truth of who God is). And thinking about all of this this morning, I once again began to see how these things flow over into our prayer as well. If this is all true when it comes to people conversations, how much more true is it in my God conversation of prayer. We need the positive Holy Spirit in prayer.

I can go to Jesus and be negative -He takes it in and offers grace to be positive. I can only receive that grace if my heart is actually open in humility and a desire to change. But I see that prayer is even more powerful when it is prayed positively. There is an Orthodox book that I love called "Our Thoughts determine Our Lives..." It speaks of something similar that by thinking and praying positively we can change the spirit around us. I think its just a means of opening my heart more fully to the Holy Spirit (Who is quintessential positivity) -as a religious sister friend of mine used to say, 'Giving our hearts as a resting place for the Holy Spirit.' Jesus Himself encouraged positive prayer. He affirmed those who were thankful in prayer, who praised God in prayer and those who prayed (positively) with confidence. He said, "Ask with true faith and it will be done for you... " Faith is a positive, confident trust or belief that what you are asking God for will be answered in the most loving, positive, life-giving, awesome way possible. When you pray positively with confidence you are re-wiring any negative places in your brain and in your heart to be more similar to the Holy Spirit and life-giving. Love is positive. Even the Love of Jesus Crucified was Positive. People have asked me why I am so in love with Jesus' suffering -shouldn't I be more positive? Can you imagine doing what Jesus did for us and having the world blow it over or ignore it? I don't like to think about how cruel everyone was to Him -but I like to be with His Heart even in the midst of such cruelty because His positivity and healing and goodness was that much stronger there. Jesus' Response to human and demonic torture and death was incredible. The Resurrection was simply our seeing that conquering of God's Love and Light that was already happening hiddenly deep in the crevices of the Sacred Heart on the Cross.

I guess this is enough for today (especially since only a few read this -but only a few shepherds and kings came to see baby Jesus and only a few women were faithful witnesses under the Cross and sometimes its the best things that will bear the greatest fruit when visited by 'only a few' -God's ways are simply not our own.) I'll leave off here with this thought for today -speak and Pray Positively. Pray with Confidence even when its a fight and you feel you have none. Just move the will (like a muscle that gets tired)... and pray thanking God for something, praising Him and in such a way that you believe He can and will answer you (even if your belief has been crushed to the size of a mustard seed -it can still move a mountain.) Even if you need to describe a negative situation, do it with that air of trust that God is Good and has a plan out of it.

Please, Come Holy Spirit -and teach us to pray confidently and positively.
And thank you for Your Love.
Amen.