The Lost Ones

Imagine coming across a small village where children are at play.  Sounds of laughter, of joy and the scattering of footsteps are felt and heard; the look of the parents as they stop their busy day to watch as their little ones run about. 

Now imagine a world in which you visit a site eerily vacant and silent.  It is like walking into a ghost town.  The smells of dust, wanting and nothingness seem to fill the air.  You wander the area seeking some proof of life only to find no existence.  This is the place left by broken hearts and minds.  These are the moments that cause you to reflect on your own mortality and the truer meaning of life. 

Over 2000 years ago, this was the place and the time for emptiness brought on by bigotry and ignorance.  A king found it necessary to kill off the infant population and, in essence, ridding the world of a savior.  Little did he know that it was the manifest destiny of God to produce a son and that nothing, not even a man’s blind act, would keep this from happening.  Born in a little town, in the midst of chaos and confusion, was our redemption and a warning.  To all who try and seek justice at the hands of innocents, look about, someone is now watching you.  He is there, in the quiet of the night, in the hands of a mother, in the hearts of many, to protect them.  Theirs is the new kingdom, the inheritance Jesus brought to our world and in the redemption for those little lost souls roaming and searching for heaven and the lamb. 

Children say that there is a light that shines in all of us, a beacon that they use to follow Jesus home.  What a wonderful lesson we can learn from them.  Especially at this time of year, we rush around, spending our time shopping, rushing here and there, trying to get that one gift that would make their Christmas complete.  What they really want is to just be with their family and the love that comes with the season.

We adults tend to go through life thinking that busy is better and keep our minds so pre-occupied that we forget its true meaning.  The fear of stopping, of self-reflection and finding out who we truly are, overrides our passions and makes us smaller in the eyes of God.  Therefore, strive to be like a child, think like a child, act like a child, love like a child.  Look with wonder at all of the innocence of being born.  Don’t worry about the things you must accomplish before the day ends and learn, as they do, to just live in the moment.  Remember that your love is the brightest light of all.

For all the snowy nights, the shiny lights, the whimsical sights, and the glorious rights, let us hope that those now with us and for those children, who never got a chance to exist, who struggled relentlessly for their mother to give them life, are given the same chance to experience the wonders of this season.  We celebrate their lives, however short, and of the countless lives of all children around the world today.  They are known as our little ones, our quiet ones, our blessed ones, and our lost ones.  Keep in heavenly peace my children, keep in heavenly peace.
 

May you have a wonderful holiday.  And remember, He knows when you are naughty or nice, so hope for less coal and more presents in all your stockings.  Merry Christmas, may God continue to bless us all and may His peace be with you, always.

Silent Pray-ers

People before and after masses are praying for each and every one of us.  Witnesses to His majesty, seldom noticed and unseen, they go about their business in reverent fashion.  Listen sometime when at a mass and you will find them in silent vigil speaking to God for our forgiveness and salvation.  To some of us, they may seem to be a strange occurrence but to the many suffering or ailing souls on earth and in purgatory, they are welcomed with open arms. 

When we profess our faith, do we just say the words or do we really mean them?  Jesus often said that His teachings were the thought of application and not just mere acts of meaning.   We must be consciously aware of what we are doing at all times.  To just say something is not enough but to back it up with service to others is what makes Him happy.  We see ourselves in selflessness and in our true reflections when looking through the world from another’s perspective.  It may not be the most comfortable of situations but is probably some of the greatest caring, compassionate and kind things we can involve and enrapt ourselves in, if not only for the smallest of rewards – to be with another who needs us as much as we need them.

Many lost souls are found by this simple act of courage and many become saints not because of what they do but by whom they touch.  Blessed Pope John Paul II used to talk about love to the sinner or to the hardest of hearts because it was here he could meet the person halfway.  In the middle of a war, in the most frantic of events, or even in the calmest of waters, he could then speak to the true person.  Those in silent prayer are meeting us when we join them in celebration of the mass.  Just think, prayers multiplied in uncountable degrees, in each town, city or village around the globe, the power of this can be staggering.  That is what many believe keeps our world in balance.  For every dark element that can surface, there is an equal and opposite aura of light that can beautifully overshadow it.

We all have those elements within each of us, but it is our responsibility on which of them to act upon.  I was always under the impression that by doing we put ourselves at risk for ridicule, so I remained absent when it came to this devotion.  I was embarrassed by the mere thought of praying out loud.  In a silly way, it was my procrastination that brought me to the assumption that if we do not try, we would never know the lovely character of feeling that comes along with contemplation. 

Our minds need time to recharge, to recuperate the energy drained from a day of home, work and play.  As we quietly reminisce about the day’s events, it is surprising how much baggage we carry with us.  Praying silently offers us the chance to collect all our broken thoughts and form a more unified understanding of the people most important in our lives.  It allows us time to stretch our spiritual muscle and become more globally connected to those around us.  My mom used to say ‘Never put yourself over anyone - like a car on a freeway, there is always somebody that’s going to be ahead of you’.  Rather, let us concentrate on how we can impact society’s needs over time.  Listen more, hear more, remember more, live more, and love more.  Only through reflection can we grow into more perfect ideas of what we wish to become.  The next time you think that your problems are more precious than another’s, look around.  You just might find someone saying silent pray-ers for you.   

People of Life

Imagine if some of the most blessed people in the world never got a chance to live outside of the womb.  The childlike St. Therese of Lisieux, for example, and countless others would not have made such a dynamic contribution.  Think of the many people who have made an impact on our world.  If their lives were to have been snuffed out by abortion, what a disappointment and what a horrible thing it would have been for society.  To never have known or seen them, we as children would not have had someone to emulate, to become like, to love and to look up to.  We as adults would not have anyone we could use as a mentor, guide or teacher to help walk us through the trials of life. 

Imagine if Thomas Edison had not invented the light bulb or if Alexander Bell had not invited the telephone or even if Benjamin Franklin had not discovered electricity.  Some of the most important finds in our time and in which our world now seems to revolve.  It would be like not watching the flower bloom by cutting off the bud, like listening to a melody and not being able to hear the song, or by experiencing the wonders of life but not allowing the spirit to thrive. 

One thing is for certain, the soul expands with God’s authority.  Throughout time, there had to be something in the hearts of saintly people for them to have performed such extraordinary acts of courage.  I believe, it was their faith.  Faith bound by perseverance, invention, grace and love for a cause magnified by an infinite value.

Things of true worth are not measured by the monetary wealth they consume but by the affect they have on others.  The way they practiced their devotion is seen through the many shaped by their efforts.

As Blessed Pope John Paul II said in his encyclical, The Gospel of Life - "It is impossible to further the common good without acknowledging and defending the right to life, upon which all the other inalienable rights of individuals are founded and from which they develop.”

Let us use this time to reflect on our choices in life, let us flock to Mary in prayer of the Rosary and to remember the precious value of life and to seek grace were there may be none.  In this harvest, let us also be thankful for the bounty God presents to us, in the growing fields, in the labors of our talents and in the minds of our hearts.  Forgive those who have wronged us, forgive those who have given up their children and forgive those who believe not in Christ.

Faith, hope and charity are not words for debate; they are based on the love that we all need to cope with an ever changing and often difficult world.  We use our faith to endure, our hope to bring light into darkness and our charity to recall our responsibilities to others and ourselves.  Never forget that “Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed. Each of us is loved. Each of us is necessary” - Pope Benedict XVI.

Let us therefore resolve to become a people of God, a people of faith, a people of understanding, a people of kindness and compassion, but most importantly, let us become a people of life.

May God bless the spirits to which have been given a chance to survive, may He bless all of us in our endeavors and may His peace be with you, always.

Embertide

As we travel, we come across an open field, looking down upon it from the sky.  We see visions of shapes in our mind of the wonderful colors grown by the seasons of time.  Because of this, born are two types of people – the kind that look upon it and see nothing but what the ground reveals; corn, wheat, apples.  Then there are those who see the reaping as a sign – a sign that only faith through God’s grace can produce.  They say it is the farmer that moves the soil but it is He who moves the soul and with a bit of prayer and supplication it is transformed into the vibrant images of light and deep color that come only at this time of year.

It is like a child being conceived in the womb, as a seed is planted into rich soil.  Coming of age, sprouting from the earth, growing, giving life to itself and finally becoming what it was meant to be.  Then living and surviving on the nourishment of time, it succumbs only to be reborn.

We celebrate the sanctity of this season by turning to God through prayer and giving thanks for His creations and for each person healed by their weaknesses and reflecting on our responsibilities for a religious life.  We exalt upon the Holy Cross, an ‘autumnus tempora’ – the rich colors of the spectrum that come to symbolize the bringing together of mind and spirit.

Sharing this bounty with Him and with others is a rite of passage each year at this time. ‘Let us love God; but at the price of our hands and sweat of our face’ – Saint Vincent De Paul.  Through such acts of charity, kindness and worship, we are moved to those most vulnerable in our society.  ‘God sees you’.

Our works are not to be lessened by stature or notoriety but let them be judged by Him alone.  Like the tree grows, giving of its shade and radiance of color as it goes to sleep – let us be transformed.  The days of the harvest are upon us.  Let us strive to be good stewards of the many treasures He gives to each and every one of us.  For it is just as important as what we say as what we put into our mouths. 

Give of yourself, give to those who have none and need it most and be gracious for the richness of the season and to our time here on earth.  Remember that only through hard work, love and tears do we come to celebrate the sacred abundance of embertide.

May you feel the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit, may your hearts be filled with the brightness of the harvest and may His peace be with you, always

Lighting Our Way

The transforming power of light.  Some say that we are guarded, relying on reasonable belief that the essence of our being comes from such a source.  Light plays an important role in how we come to terms with life, death and the rising of the spirit.  It is quintessential in realizing this is just a gateway, a gateway to our future existence in heaven. 

When Jesus took those disciples up to the mountain, His true self was revealed.  They knelt in obedience as they saw Him changed physically and basked in the glow of His presence with our Lord.  Critics of His teaching say that this was no more than the sun playing tricks on the mind, but for others, as believers, it is this altering of conscience that guides our faith. 

Our daily lives are taken up by the setting of the sun and of its rising in the morning.  We depend on its energy to fuel our civilizations.  We can be such hypocrites.  How is it that our very being depends on the warmth and glow of its healing powers?  By admitting this fact, we are admitting that something other than ourselves is controlling our destiny. 

Light has a power that no one can explain.  Its makeup is so complex that we are still trying to fathom its potential.  It can be a blessing or a curse but its real value is in its changing quality to our lives.  Let us remind ourselves that we are its beings, we belong to it and it to us.

As Blessed Pope John Paul II once said - "Allow the light and the healing presence of Christ to shine brightly through your lives. In that way, all those who come in contact with you will discover the loving kindness of God."

I think, to me, it is like traveling along a moonbeam as the day dispels the darkness.  I am taken up and am dissipated amongst the clouds of the sky.  I become part of the greatness of time and of the many ways I can contribute to society. 

We are all made of body and soul, light and dark.  But for Jesus and His mother Mary, their possession here in Earth was that they existed out of time, in a glow and ember burning bright.  They were the candle and the flame.  They were without sin and seen holy by the eyes of God.  I may try to reach such heights, but I will always miss because of my fallibility and in my need for explanations.

Maybe light and its power is not something for us to understand.  Maybe it is just one of those mysteries we must accept and embrace and to use it for the betterment of mankind.  When He gave us this miracle, He unlocked the door to its majesty.  It is for us to be responsible stewards.  As Jesus was lit from within, let it also light our way, in this life and in our eternal servitude to His saving grace.

May the light of Christ guide you in all your decisions, may you come to know His power and may you feel the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit.  His peace be with you, always.

Where You Will Go We Will Follow

There is a saying that if you travel far and long enough you may just meet yourself.  This is true for many of us but in a spiritual way.  We come face to face with God Himself at our end of days.  We see ourselves in His reflection and know fully as we are fully known.  Thomas, the doubter once said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11:16).  His willingness to follow Jesus offers us a valuable lesson: it reveals a total readiness to stand by Him, to the point of death.  That is extreme, especially for us as humans and for those who do not understand the nature of eternity.

In those times of desperation and hardship we tend to shy away from Jesus.  We blame Him for our troubles and in the case of the unborn; this is the most grievous of sin.  Looking for excuses at the bottom of a bottle, in the whiff of smoke or in a mother’s choice to destroy a life that has not even had the chance to live, is like dropping pennies in a wishing well, hoping your dream will come true.  In many cases our wish almost never materializes.  In prayer, we ask God to give us what we need – a demand so to speak.  If you have a personal relationship with Him, you know these are seldom realized.  What we are given is mercy but at the sake of justice.  Love, like all hard love, is forged by the soul of fire and in His ability to reveal our true heart to Him.  “A disciple of Christ is one who, in the experience of human weakness, has had the humility to ask for his help, has been healed by him and has set out following closely after him, becoming a witness of the power of his merciful love that is stronger than sin and death.” – Pope Benedict XVI.

I have had many experiences like this and have witnessed His personal message to me.  “It is not for you to decide what is best for you – that choice is left up to Me.  Come to Me with a sincere heart and an open mind and I will make of you what I would like you to be - BELIEVE.”

It is a scary thing to follow someone when you know not the outcome.  But remember, we are not of this world and this certain peril means eternal life.  Through struggle, sacrifice and pain we are shaped into the apostles we are all set out to be.  Today, even now more than ever, the Church is being attacked from all sides.  Declaring war on this institution is like declaring war on God Himself.  Be mindful of such actions.  Defend life from conception of the Holy Spirit to the ultimate.  We are being tried; let us not disappoint our Father.  To honor this name which is above every other, I say to you Lord, “Where You will go, we will follow.”

Celebrate every birth that breathes the air of freedom and in a magnificent country still largely in its infancy.  May you feel the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit, may your lives be filled with the graces of Christ, and may His peace be with you, always.

Of Grace and Gratitude

History is ripe with the events placed upon us by simple men and women, willing to lay down their lives for their devotion to the heart, mind and soul of our Savior.  Ordinary people doing extraordinary things.  If that sounds familiar, it is.  We, as Christians do this on a daily basis.  In masses across the globe on Sunday we give ourselves to Christ as Christ gives of Himself to us in the most reverent way, through the Eucharist.  Many non-believers cannot comprehend that serving each other is an act of courage.  There is also a saying that having such courage is like praying for rain during a snowstorm but I am steadfast in my belief that loving one another and offering sacrifice without acknowledgement for greed or esteem is the truest form of dedication and love.  If one cannot make that leap of faith, their image is blinded by the self-constraints of heart and in their limited understanding of eternity. 

I myself am guilty of such vanity.  I used to go to mass but was somewhat distant from the rituals going on around me.  I knew that is was important but did not appreciate the true majesty of the event itself.  One day, I decided to start attending daily mass and was there when the children of the Parish were celebrating mass.  That did it.  Seeing their eyes and watching their emotions I realized that innocence, purity and piety was simply allowing time for Jesus to work in us through them.  I soon found out that what we were given by Christ was a true interconnection between His heart, His body, His blood and in our own willingness to become a part of something truly wonderful.  

This may not happen for everyone, certainly not for those whose knowledge lacks wisdom, but it may manifest itself in ways we cannot see or feel.   Our minds can become pre-occupied with other things but God is always there.  He may give us a memory from our past or bring us face to face with an old acquaintance or even put us into a situation that makes us reflect on why we were doing what we were doing at the time we did it.  Sound confused.  Don’t be.  It just reminds us of our fallibility and why we need Him now more than ever. 

Our needs are a unique connection with others who saw the world as we do.  Saint Juliana of Liege, Saint Peter and Saint Paul all shared a common bond.  They suffered for their faith.  Not torture as we know it, but through the intercession of Mother Mary and in Jesus’ divine love for all of humanity.  Remember that the bread of life must first be shaped by water and fire in becoming the true feast it is intended to be. 

Blessed Pope John Paul II called this gratitude.  It is the nature of the human spirit to want to belong and to give thanks for what they have and return that gift as a form of love.  I have found on those rare occasions I tend to react very cautiously to another’s invitation.  I was brought up in an atmosphere where emotion was restrained and dedication to faith was subdued.  But I am learning to open up to such advances.  I am beginning to understand that without risk there is no reward.  We cannot receive the graces God gives to us unless we are willing to sacrifice ourselves for the betterment of humanity.  By offering our hearts to Jesus, we are given a renewed sense of freedom on our path to enlightenment.

His is the food for the journey.  We welcome Him into our heart as Mother Mary did, in unison with His own heartbeat and of the pulse by which we have everlasting life.  So come to the table, feast on Christ’s banquet full of His grace and holy gratitude. 

May you feel the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit, may you receive God’s bounty in plenty and may His peace be with you, always.

Humility without Hubris

Much is said, few are written.  This could be a line taken from many a novel.  It fits with circumstances often very relative to time.  We tend to think of words as linear and forget to focus our eye on where it truly should be, the past.  There is a lot to be learned through simple reflection.

What started out as a lesson in church history soon became a story.  A story about two men who meant a great deal to many people and to the lives they continue to touch.  Never take lightly what they have or have not done.  However quantifiable, their contributions should be counted amongst the stars and recollected with sublime regularity.

Take my father, George, and Dr. Lester Huber, both of them born in an age when everyday life was a struggle.  They did not tend to worry about riches or fame but concentrated on family, friends and on what would make others seem fulfilled.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled, and that has made all the difference.” – Robert Frost.  One, off to war and a working class member and the other beginning his long and distinguished career as an educator.  How are they so linked?  It turns out that Dr. Huber was teaching at Central High School about the same time as my father was in his senior year.  Did they know each other, one a Lutheran, one a Catholic?  Did they realize at the time what different paths their lives would take?  One thing is certain.  Both were believers in God and in His commandments to grace, humility, charity and duty.  Such ordinary people seem never to be recognized, but for some, their actions take on a life completely of their own.

Dr. Huber was an accomplished educator, whose resume includes a long professorship, establishing a scholarship fund with his wife Lillian at Capital University, contributions to the arts and sciences and his commitment to his family and most importantly, his faith and church.  My father, on the other hand, was a working man, a former soldier.  He was also involved with his faith and his community.  Busy with a family of ten, to him his children were his greatest accomplishment, reward and treasure.  By his efforts to love God first and by practice to this devotion, he is set no more or less on par with Dr. Huber.

Each of us contributes in ways we cannot imagine.  We touch the lives of so many people.  Everything we do seems to affect the lives of all those around us and to people we have never nor will ever know.  Six degrees of separation work as our existence is so intertwined.  Time itself seems distant from reality.  Our lives cross paths so frequently.  We believe differently but we pray, we love and we care much the same way.  We all feel a calling to be someone we were destined to be.  Let our faith separate our fate and bring us closer to salvation and let our destinies give us courage.

“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.” – Pope John Paul II. 

Memorialize our families, the husbands and wives of heroes so long removed and remember those still with us in this world.  By paying respect to men like Dr. Huber and my father George – we pay respect to the one true creation. 

These men know that someday they might leave this world as insignificant as they had entered it – with a whisper, in the quiet of the night.  For “they shall grow not old, as we are left to grow old - age shall not weary them nor the years condemn - at the going down of the sun and in the morning - we will remember them.” - Lawrence Binyon.  We come together, never to grow old again, in the face of God, eternally grateful for our time here on earth and in our willingness, however slight or grand, to make a difference.

May you feel the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit, may you never stray too far from home and may His peace be with you, always.

Still the waters run...

How calm the waters of the Jordan to bring about such a climatic metamorphosis in each of our lives?  We were changed forever by that simple act of courage and humility.  So, let this Easter season be one of rebirth and renewal - being reborn into a world still largely in its infancy and renewed by Christ’s own actions during His baptism.  I am reminded by my own experiences and of how I felt during this time.  It was a journey into rediscovering my faith and how I could now impact my community and in a larger text, the world as well. 

I remember the sights and sounds that evening and the way the room felt and the aromas from the incense burning bright.  The feeling of serenity as the darkness became light.  These were events that altered my perception of reality and began a change in my perspective on true charity and grace.

It also brought to mind the tremendous sacrifices and pain that Jesus went through on His way to His resurrection.  The calculated way in which He examined His life and in the way He scripted His death should be a lesson to us all.  He wanted to exit this world the same as He had entered it, as a man, true and undeniable.

It is a false statement to make that we are sinless at the end of our days.  It is self-righteous to think of ourselves as above reproach or as having the right to forgiveness.  What God gives us is humility, grace and truth.  Truth in the way we have conducted ourselves and to approach Him as a sinner, first and foremost.  Remember, it is through admittance of such sin that we are brought face to face with Christ and in the eternity He has prepared.  All the elements are in place if we would just allow the stream to overtake us.

Water, in all its true form, is a simple equation for scientists to solve.  But God puts complexity in the simple things of life.  It serves many things – redemption, thirst, hunger, salvation.  We still do not know of all the healing properties it possesses but are moved by faith to believe in the miracle of life that it symbolizes.  Truth is not found in fiction and let us not debate what He has given to us.  Just learn to accept that some things are best left unsaid and, with Jesus’ help, life’s problems will be met with utmost haste.

In the calmness can be turbulence and in the wake can be found tranquility.  When you drop a pebble in the water, it sends ripples outward, away from the shore but comes back as a gentle eddy.  We must allow ourselves to be constantly nourished by flood, fury and fire.  It is these trials that lead us to our final destination.

Use Easter as a time to reflect on our lives and how we have impacted others.  Rise up, begin again our charity, humility and love for all people.  Let our actions speak louder than our words.  Let the rush of water overflow your generosity.  Live life as it was intended to be lived, as Jesus taught us time and time again.  Still the waters run, deep and ever-flowing, and for our brief time here on Earth, allow it to sustain us all.

Have a wonderful and quiet season.  May all your troubles seem small and may the graces of God embellish every area of your life.  And may you feel the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit.  Peace and harmony be with you, always.

 

Walking with God

Imagine an occasion when you walked along a soft, sandy beach with your mother in hand.  Do you remember how it felt?  Do you remember the gentle breeze and the night sky and how you waited in anticipation for that time to come again?  This is what Christ gives to us this Lenten season.  It’s like taking along an old friend with you on a quiet journey through time.  A journey of discovering the meaning of your life and the adventure it can surely be.  We touch, we feel, we see with our minds, our hearts and our souls the beauty of such a moment.  Many of us try to capture and hold onto these memories but as with all things, they fade away with time.  But God is constant; He lives on in us, in the past, present and future.  He is the one thing that is unchanging, unalterable and genuine. 

During the coming months, we need to focus on what we can do as Christians to bring others into our frame of mind.  Not just attending church but celebrating the mass as it was intended.  When we accept Him as our savior and take Him in, we are transformed into beings of light.  Don’t shy away from your responsibilities as His children for He calls us each in very unique and wonderful ways.  Allow Jesus to work in you and see what He can create.  Do not be afraid of the unknown because He will always follow us on our path as a true and trusted guide. 

Mary was convinced and confident of her way through life as well.  Told about her conception in a dream, she was intent on following God’s will.  It is not for us to second guess His nature and why He does the things He does.  There is a reason for everything and a time for every purpose under the heavens. 

Understanding this is like reaching an agreement to not understand; to take a leap of faith into the unknown.  We cannot know what will happen today, tomorrow or even the next moment.  We live our lives in the here and now.  Only Christ lives in all three, direct and simultaneously.  Mary knew that when she accepted her fate.  She and all of us are shaped by the events that life places before us.  It is for all of us to try and find that same courage within ourselves.  Stand up for what you believe and fight for the innocent.  Be mindful and forgiving of others mistakes, be thankful for what you have, and share your bounty with both God and man. 

We tend to lose sight of such things during this season, the season we call the lamb.  Let us feast on His presence in the holy Eucharist and in our daily lives.  Proclaim to the world yet unborn that we intend to protect what is ours, what is created by God’s own hand and given to us in the birth of each and every child.  Yes, Mary held the son of God in her womb but all mothers carry the scent of His spirit, because of Mary’s sacrifice, in every newly conceived child.  We have lost our way in this secular society but God is patient.  He awaits our return with the anticipation of a newborn infant.  Resurrected from the ashes, we become as we are destined to be, children of God and life eternal.  Remember, we are not from this world; we are from an age beyond age and from a time beyond time.  Walk with Him along the shore, hold Him in your heart and say to the world that the traveler has awakened.  We are watchful now and will defend life, all life.  Resurrection is at hand, call to the Gospel, atone for your sins and wait in joyful hope of the coming of Jesus Christ.

May the gentle wind of the Holy Spirit be with you all, may He guide you in your decisions and may they be the right ones.  Celebrate life.  May God bless you and keep you, His child, always.

From Within Us Resides...

Did you ever wonder what was in the embers of an ash?  Why do we return to that which we once where?  Are we so grounded to this reality?  From where does the Phoenix truly rise?

These are things we ask ourselves throughout our lives here on Earth.  The more we seem to grow beyond our boundaries, the more we try to return to a more simplistic lifestyle.  Kids are constantly asking parents were they came from and how they become to be who they are.  It is true that many of us dodge this point until they are of age, but many of us are beginning to acknowledge that this explanation doesn’t suffice as an answer, especially to the most innocent of us.  Questions arise and we seek answers.  Maybe the solution is not something for us to solve. 

Did you ever wonder why our physical beings fall out of touch when we pass on?  We cannot feel the warmth of a gentle hand, the caress of a kiss or the look of a familiar face.   This bothers many of us because we do not have infinitive proof of life past death.  We only have that leap of faith to take us to that place within ourselves that we have reserved for such a presence.  Our children refer to them as ‘angels in our heart’.  Perhaps that is the simplest but most wonderful of all of the explanations. 

We shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus leaves us with mysteries rather than facts.  To believe without believing, to sense without sensing and to love without loving is not in His nature.  There cannot be dark without light, day without night, body without spirit.  We are all part of a greater universe and cannot exist without each other.  This inter-connection is what God gives to humankind, whether we are stewards to His glory or not.  Even our most revered scientists cannot explain cause without effect, thought without reflection, and for each action an equal and opposite reaction. 

We all begin and return to the same point in life.  Ashes are a symbol when we are all created and again reborn.  They are a living organism, made up the same basic elements as are we.  Children look at them and see shapes as they do when they look at the sky.  Explain to them that everything is in constant motion.  God is everywhere at all times.  He is in the food we eat, in the books we read, in the cars we drive, in the white of those same clouds and in a simple tear.  He is most importantly in our hearts and minds, so whatever we create; we are taking a part of Him with us.

Images of life are all around us.   Inanimate objects such as photographs can seem to take on a life of their own.  We look at a family album and experience emotions we thought buried deep within.  We look at the pictures and the sights, smells, feelings and memories come flooding back.  But how can that be, these are just paper and cardboard, how can they do that?  Remember that they too came from the earth and are endowed with the same spirit as we are when we are born.  We exist because of the existence of Christ.  We smell, we touch, we feel, we laugh, and love very much in life as we do in death.  We are all one in Christ and His spirit is in each and every one of us.  Remember, we are not owners but only stewards of this world.  It is not for us to second guess the nature of reality.  Remain faithful.  Realize that, like the Phoenix, from the ashes we are born, from the fires of life we are forged, and to the earth and to Heaven we return.

May the wind be at forever at your backs and may you feel the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit.  May His peace be with you, always.            

From the words of Saint John the Evangelist (14:1-6):

Let not your hearts be troubled.
You, who believe in God, believe also in me.
In my Father's house there are many mansions.
Were it not so, I would have told you,
because I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I am coming again,
and I will take you to myself,
that where I am, there you also may be.
And where I go, you know, and the way you know.

The True Light of Christ

Weddings.  What a glorious rite of passage for many men and women.  It is a coming together of mind, body and spirit in such a way as to come closer to the very nature of God and His commandment.  This month celebrates a wedding of sorts, but not in the way we think of as the common union.  It is rather a bringing together of our relationships and our promises to becoming one with Christ.

Mary, for all her majesty, is the simplest form of purity and prayer that can be given of oneself.  She held nothing back when it came to the love of her son.  All mothers sacrifice so much for their children.  On a daily basis, they do so much unselfish works that go unnoticed by the touch of time, a gentle hand and a warm smile.  It is a shame that we sometimes must lose what we have to gain an understanding of their expressions.  Remember them when they are with us physically.  Love them, pray for them and be with them when they need it most.  Those are the memories you shall cherish long after they have gone from your sight. 

As we get older, we come to understand time and its need to change.  I have experienced the benefits of having cared for my mother and by listening to her stories about her life, have come so much more involved in my own prayer, my own charity and in my own belief of our true mother, Mary.

Visit with our mother in the rosary and visit each other in prayer.  The three magi discovered that when they bestowed their gifts on the newborn Christ child.  Somewhere in the night, three men came together guided by a star and for their willingness to love without conditions.  They saw our mother in a spirit bathed in the light of her son and were forever changed.  The fire felt by these three men would keep them warm for the remaining days of their lives.

Such a powerful message to us all.  To love unconditionally, to give of oneself without regard to our personal needs is a model we should all follow.  The majority of us begin our lives through the witness of the birth of our own children and later, through their baptism into communion with God.

Just as Jesus was baptized by the Holy Spirit in the waters of the Jordan - when you look into your baby’s eyes on that day, look closely, you can see His dominion coming to life in full color.  Such a strong experience of joy can be felt also in the everyday lives of each and every one of us.  If we continue to pass on our traditions, our beliefs, and our visions of sacrifice to our children, life will shine on us all. 

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.  Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.  Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.  Amen.

What a simple prayer by a simple woman, by a simple act, by a simple sacrifice.  She came to us when we needed it most, when the world needed it most and changed, forever, our way of living. 

She is and always will be, just as our earthly mothers will be, the true light of Christ…May the wind be forever at your backs and may His peace be with you, always.