Your Life Matters

 

I was about to leave the men’s rest room when I noticed the young man at the sink, and I told him that I felt compelled to say: “Your life matters.”  He said thank you with a slight smile, and I walked out.

Earlier, as I was driving around doing my Thursday afternoon grocery deliveries, I had recalled some of the nice notes I had received with Christmas cards, people reminding me that they fondly recalled events that had happened in their lives, because God had made us cross paths.  For some, it was a little event (and still is), and for others it was embedded in their hearts.  One wrote “I am grateful I met you 20 years ago when …” and then described the time and place we had met. 

I’ve reflected before about how our lives matter.  We are not in outer space, living alone with no one near us.  Whether we want to or not, we impact people around us.  We’re part of God’s master plan, and because we’ve impacted some people, God can now use them in ways that were not possible, if we had not planted a seed for His grace to water.  I think we’d all like to see the results of any seeds we planted, especially if the results are what we wanted.  But … then in our pride we might think “I made that happen.”  But as I and you know only too well, much of what we want to make happen in this world is not what happens.  We are not in control.  (And, often we think “it’s their fault things didn’t happen the way I wanted.”}  It’s kind of funny to think:  our lives matter, and yet we are not in control.  But we are in control of our actions, just not the outcomes; because yes, they may be impacted by someone else, or God.  Which begs the question:  How can I influence God or someone else to help bring about the outcome I desire?

Now, that’s a question that’s easy to answer: “I give you a new commandment: love one another.  As I have loved you, so you should also love one another!” (Jn 13,34).  Will that get the outcome we want?  No, because while “our lives matter, we are not in control”.  The one commandment Jesus gave us, the new commandment, was to love as He loved.  Then, God’s plans will be brought about.  And by our loving actions we help bring about HIS plan, not ours.  Like the Christmas notes I received, people long remember how our lives had intersected, with love.  And when we die, memories like those will remain, for love never dies,  We join God; and God IS love.    

He is Alive!!

Perhaps because of my aging, I am more aware than ever of my pending earthly death.  Perhaps for the same reason, Jesus is opening my eyes ever so clearly that an earthly death is not my end.

In recent days, I have become aware of something I probably once knew but forgot.  I’ve prayed daily for the blood of Jesus on our country and its leaders.  I spend time in a nearby adoration chapel talking to Jesus, present in the Eucharistic Host, which has icons of Mary and St. Joseph on either side, and a large crucifix behind.  And I pray the Divine Mercy prayer to Our Father, and sometimes stare at a picture of the crucified Jesus, with blood pouring out of his hands, feet, and side.  But, I’ve suddenly noticed that Jesus on the crucifix in the chapel and in the church --- and in other nearby Catholic churches have over their altars is different than the pictures of the crucified Jesus I was looking at.  The Jesus on the cross above the altars has no wound in his side, the wound which happened when the soldier pierced Him to ensure He was dead.  So, the Jesus on the cross in all these churches is Jesus depicted as alive on the cross!  He is alive!

And with that awareness, I have become aware of so many other things that I didn’t fully understand.  I now better appreciate this most humbling thing a God could do for us, for you, for me.

During the mass, the priest (acting in persona Christi) raises the host and says: “This is my Body,” and raising the cup says: “This is my blood which will be given up for you.”  With those words and actions he is saying what Jesus would say, as alive on the cross, and as alive in that consecrated host.  Then, as we each receive communion the priest elevates the host in front of us, one by one, and says: The Body of Christ,” and the one about to receive says: “Amen! --- which means “I believe.”

At the church where I attend weekday masses, I now see alive Jesus everywhere.  The stained glass window of St. Joseph has him holding the child Jesus, and the statue of St. Joseph has him holding a child Jesus.  Over the altar is the alive Jesus being crucified, and next to that is a statue of Mary.  Her statue has a bow on her chest, which signifies she is pregnant with Jesus.  And then there is a stained glass image of Mary, holding the child Jesus, as is the wooden statue of Mary at the back of the church.  Finally, there is a full-sized image of the mantle of Our Lady of Guadelupe, with her bow indicating she is pregnant with Jesus.  Jesus is alive!  And He is everywhere!!  I have so much more to meditate upon, and in the silence, listen. 

 

Do Prayers Matter?

 

I’ve seen and written about personal prayers which I have seen answered, and have a strong confidence that some others were answered also --- or will be, even if I am not sure when, or how.  But I am sure of why: God doesn’t ignore us, or our sincere prayers.

The feast day of the first martyr for his Christian faith, Saint Stephen, was celebrated on December 26th.  I don’t know the history of why that date was picked for the celebration, but to me it does make perfect sense.  In two consecutive dates we celebrate being born to and dying for the Christian faith.  Saint Stephen’s dying words, as written at the end of Chapter 7 in the Acts of the Apostles, were to ask God to forgive those who were stoning him to death.  And those final words were read at the mass on his feast day, the day after Christmas. Except, ---

There was one more sentence in Chapter 7 of Acts, which was not read at mass and I think is most important.  That final sentence in Acts mentions that Saul was there at the stoning of Stephen.  So, the final TWO sentences of Chapter 7 tell us that St. Stephen was praying to God for forgiveness of Saul, among others.  And then it is only a short time later in Acts when we read in Chapter 9 how Saul was struck down off his horse by God, --- and his whole life was going to change.  Saul was about to become St. Paul.

St. Stephen’s final prayer was dramatically answered by God --- in ways Stephen never could have imagined.

There are many things to consider in those two sentences.  Saint Stephen, in great agony, did not pray for evil to be done to his slayers, as he might instinctively have done.  He did obey the call to “love your enemies.” And, while we now know that his final prayer was answered, Saint Stephen never lived to see that answer.  But Saint Stephen trusted in God, even to his death.

Jesus said that if we prayed with trust, we could move mountains.  I have seen some of my prayers answered in ways that I treasure more than any moved mountains.  I know God hears me when I pray, and I try to listen to Him.  And sometimes I go to His house, and we just silently sit together, and that’s the best prayer.    

Prayers matter.  God always hears.