Reminders

Yesterday I wrote how I was reminded to remember those who passed.  Last night I was reminded also to remember those who live today, including myself.

I think sometimes God gives me (and you?) reminders, of His teachings, of His Will, and of the purpose of our lives.  The reminders are a bit of encouragement if we are on the right path, to continue even if it is hard, and an incentive to get going, if we’ve temporarily lost sight of the goal.

Last night I saw such reminders in the words of various meditations I read.  I jot them down here, as something I (and you?) can again refer to: God does care about us, and He continually tells us so, with gentle loving reminders.

Divine Intimacy, Meditation 330:

If a soul dedicates itself to prayer and sacrifice, not only will it help others but at the same time it will draw great profit for its own sanctification.

One who is just setting out in the spiritual life is not capable of attending to his own sanctification and the sanctification of others simultaneously; he should first have time to concentrate all his powers on his own spiritual formation.  … A beginner will not be capable of exercising a very fruitful apostolate. … Jesus Himself spent thirty years in prayer and retirement, although being God, He had no need to do so.  It was as if He wanted to show us that before we plunge into the work of the exterior apostolate, we must have reached a certain spiritual maturity by the exercise of the interior life.  He treated the Apostles in a similar way: the three years they spent with Jesus were years of true formation for them.

Thus, true Catholic tradition demands that, before apostles go out into the field of battle, they must prepare themselves by the practice of an intense interior life, which will make them qualified, fruitful instruments for the good of souls.

The Better Part, Meditation 196:

Be like men waiting for their master to return from the wedding feast, ready to open the door as soon as He comes and knocks.    – from Luke 12:32-48

If we want to lie in communion with God forever, we need to start cultivating that friendship now, making it our first priority.

Each human life has a task, a mission to know, love, and serve God in a particular way.

We are responsible for making good use of the gifts we have received from God (our lives, our talents, our education) in order to accomplish our mission.  Christ’s view of the universe doesn’t include reincarnation --- a concept which takes away all personal responsibility, since everyone is just recycled over and over again until they have no choice but to hit on the right combination of circumstances and decisions.  The Christian view involves responsibility, and this enables us to love, because love means freely choosing to put oneself and one’s talents at the service of another’s good.  That’s what God created us for.

Shed light into my heart and conscience, Lord, so that I don’t deceive myself and squander this wonderful life You have given me.

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These past few days God has put into my path people in need.  I could have ignored them, but I didn’t.  One needed my financial aid --- no big thing; they were most grateful for even my leftovers.  Another needed someone to listen --- that is love in a way we don’t often participate --- and I sat without saying a word as he poured out his heart, in front of me and God in the chapel.  And another person needed prayer, something I do each day, but on this particular day it had a special focus.

I think these “reminders” which I read last night in my meditations helped me see that God had put people in my path, and that I DID see them, people who in not too many years ago I would have passed by, in my busyness with my own focus.  These meditations are reminders that first, we must focus on our own growth, in our relationship with God --- pray, study His word, read the writings of His inspired saints --- and then we can grow in love of others: we’ll see the opportunities He gives us.

The growth in knowing God never stops; we can never really know God.  And as we grow closer to Him over the years, He will remind us, as His friend, to help one of His other children, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world to do.

Focus on getting to know Him; spend time with Him.  And we’ll become friends.  It’s the path for our lives.

This is just a reminder.

Halloween --- All Hallowed's Eve

Amidst all the candy, ghouls and, of course, zombies, we often forget the source of the word Halloween, and what it is meant to celebrate --- those great people who walked before us; it’s a time meant to celebrate and remember them.

I was reminded of that three times recently (there’s that magic number again).  First, the lady at the 7-11 store told me of how her daughter greatly enjoyed a cemetery tour in her home town.  My eyes rolled at the thoughts of a scary tour, but she described how the tour led to tombstones where people described who was buried there, and how they made a difference in their city, their church, and their families.  They described people worth remembering, and imitating.  I was impressed!

Later that week, I attended the retirement dinner of a man who started a charity which counseled troubled youths, and who was celebrated by the courts for turning around young lives.  There, at the dinner, were many adults (and their children) who gave praise to the retiring man: “You saved my life.”  And I was impressed!

And finally, I heard the priest on Friday lament how there were four funerals in the parish this week.  “They were all wonderful people, and their families and this church family will miss them greatly.”  And I was again impressed!

And so, I called my local historical society, which I had just joined this past summer, and described the three events (at some length) and then suggested: “I think you/we should start such tours of our local cemeteries, celebrating and remembering the great people of our community.”  The historical society director listened to my long explanation and request before responding: “It IS a great idea --- we do it twice a year, including October, and it is sold out each time within 24 hours.  Thanks for your suggesting new ideas; please don’t stop.  We’re happy to have you as a member of the society.”

And I was humbled.

In recent years God has shown me many miracles and, I think, has put before me things He would have me do.  But it’s easy to get a big head.  Just because the boss hands you some key problems to solve, it’s easy to think we’re his righthand man.  I think the word to describe such thinking is pride.  I know I’ve described how I pray the Prayer for Humility each night, yet still, sometimes it seems God must bop me on the head to actually make me feel humility.  And, you know, it feels kinda good.  I guess I’ll take His attention any way I can get it. 

Review: The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur

This book, the secret diary of Elisabeth, is a beautiful love story.  None of her friends, or even her husband, knew how deeply she loved, until her husband read (and published) this diary --- upon her death.  And as a result of her words, (and her prayers,) he later became a priest.  This story reminds one of how St. Monica must have prayed for St. Augustine, but she lived to see his conversion.  And it reminds us to NEVER give up; prayer can move mountains --- surely it can change a heart.

Elisabeth, although very well-to-do, did not live boisterously.  She wrote how she felt it “my duty to my dear husband … above all, to be extremely reserved concerning matters of faith, which are still veiled to him.  Let him see the fruit but not the sap … only on those lines, I think, must I hope for the conversion and sanctity of my dear companion of my life, my beloved Felix.”  What humility!

She loved the goodness of her friends, and prayed for their spiritual and physical well-being, yet over and over thanked God for them, as they are.  She trusted.  Here are some of her thoughts:

·                  My God and my Savior, I consecrate to Thee my future, my words, my actions, and all the good works I can ever do, begging that I may be used in Thy service to make Thee known and loved.       March 10, 1905

·                 This is the resolve of this meditation:  silence in regard to my trials, silence about my interior life and what God has done unceasingly for me.  I believe it is my duty in waiting the divine hour to preach Jesus Christ only through my prayers, my sufferings, and my example.

·         If I can fruitfully show him a little of what is in my heart, that must at least be a rare event, done with careful thought, performed in all gentleness. 

·         I must be all things to all men, occupied only with others’ griefs, not saddening or troubling anyone around me with mine.

·         And now, O Lord, with all my soul I say the sorrowful words: “I thirst.”  I thirst for the peace Thou alone canst give…. I thirst for light, to know, to see, to possess, as we shall see and possess in eternity.  I thirst for life, the only Life, full and eternal.  O my God, I thirst for Thee!

·         What good is confiding one’s pains, miseries, and regrets to those to whom one cannot say at the end: “Pray for me”?

·         Prayer to Ask of God the Virtue of Hope:   My God, who hast allowed us human hopes, but who alone bestowest Christian and supernatural hope, grant, I beseech Thee, by Thy grace, this virtue to my soul, to the souls of all I love, and to all Christian souls.  Let it enlighten and transform our lives, our suffering, and even our death, and let it uphold in us, through the disappointment and sadness of each day, an inner strength and unalterable serenity.

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After reading the above book, I read a somewhat similar one next (God seems to arrange these things in an order so I can fully appreciate the depths of the matter).  In A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Vanauken writes of his love story, and of his dear Davy.  Atheists, in love, they “raised The Shining Barrier against creeping separateness … against a world of indecencies and decaying standards, the mockers of love, and above all, we would be us-centered, not self-centered.”  They vowed nothing would come between their love.  They vowed to not have children, and to not let careers come between them.  And they made many other vows and goals, like sailing around the world on their own Grey Goose --- which they did. 

And Christianity?  “Could there be more to it?  Maybe I ought to have another look at it.  Some day.  Just to be --- well, intellectually honest.”  But, “Of course, Christianity wasn’t true.  And Davy was amused and a bit mocking, when I told her about it.  We laughed together.”   But later they went to Oxford to teach, together, and were much surprised to find most of their friends Christian, their intelligent friends --- but “that didn’t make sense.”  And they made friends with C. S. Lewis, and exchanged many letters, on their love, on God, and the logical and sensible choice to believe, with Sheldon in particular coming to believe that it really was a choice, to believe (or not) in God.  And, in part to let nothing tear down their Shining Barrier uniting them against the world, he chose to believe, as his beloved Davy had come to do.

And that belief supported him strongly, as Davy sickened and died. 

I read A Severe Mercy as I was participating in the Alpha Program at my local church.  I believe the first 100 pages of this book are a great example of how people alien to religion can logically come to choose Christianity, and believe it true.  And, as with Elisabeth, I saw how God can work, slowly and deliberately, with little help from us, if we just trust and, like St. Monica, persevere.