Are You Listening

Friday’s mass struck me.  It began with the opening hymn words:

“Here I am, Lord, is it I Lord? 
I have heard You calling in the night …”

The first reading was Acts9:1-20, where Saul is going to Damascus to arrest Christians, until he was struck to the ground and blinded, and he spoke to the bright light before him: “Who are you, sir?”  Needless to say, like the opening hymn, Saul heard the Lord calling --- but in a way that he could not rationalize away.  This was real.  This was God, calling to him. 

Perhaps we need stop here and ask, very seriously ask, of ourselves:  Do I need to be struck blind to listen to God?  No, even that perspective is worded wrong; we need to stop always asking ourselves what to do but ask God.

The Gospel reading at mass was from John6:52-59, where Jesus says: “whoever eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”  There was a substitute priest at mass, and as he spoke his sermon, he said: “It gives me great consolation that at 88, I became who Jesus wanted me to be.  I often act as a marriage counselor, and I tell couples no one is perfect, but Jesus in our life can transform us.  My prayer is to help me read the signs you have given me.”  Prayer came first for him, before counseling anyone.

And, as we received the Eucharist, His Flesh and Blood, the choir sang: “Open my eyes, Lord, help me to see your face.  Open my ears, Lord, help me to hear your word.”

A Bible study group I participate in is considering a change in focus or format, and we’re praying about it.  Last week we listened to Fr. John Riccardo’s interview on the Lila Rose show about 2 months ago, when he spoke about “how to hear God’s word in your life.”  And I recently received copies of Bishop Robert Barron’s new book: What do their Lives Demand, about Christian persecution today.  Both Fr Riccardo and Bishop Barron said: Start with prayer and then listen.

All these events seem to be saying the same thing: Are you listening?

I spent most of my early years “doing what is right”, as I believed it to be.  I cared for my neighbor as commanded --- if it weren’t too inconvenient.  But in living those years well, I did not often ask, sincerely: What is Your will, Lord?  If those were good years, oh, oh, how much smore wonderful they could have been.

There was a young woman once, who also did what she knew was right and commanded by God.  Her whole life was planned out before her.  All would be as she wanted --- and then:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him 
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children forever.

 --- The Magnificat

 

 

Thank You

 Google apparantly no longer likes me as it used to, and so when I tried to reply to the comment on the below note it said I can't do that.  So, with this new posting I say thank you for taking the time to positively comment.  I'll continue to publish thoughts as God opens my heart.  I pray He uses them as He wishes.

Review: Let Him Lead

 

“An Invitation to Let Jesus Guide Your Heart and Your Life.”

I was given a copy of this book by the author, in thanksgiving for my support of his religious order, The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, started by my friend Fr. Benedict Groessel.  It was a wonderful gift.

Fr. Jeremiah created this book of 27 reflections based on the daily homilies he gave to a small group of sisters over 3 years.  I love this book, and it re-enforced many of my thoughts and prayers, driving Jesus deeper into my heart.

“We live with the illusion that our life is actually ours.  What have you that you did not receive? (1Cor4:7)   St Paul is alluding to a paradox that lies at the heart of the Gospel.  If we really want to enjoy our life and to love our families, and friends, then we must, to put it biblically, love them less, than God, and stop grasping at them in hope that they can satisfy us.  It is only in this way that we can come to appreciate them most fully.” (Chapter 4, Hating Our Life)

“Our relationship with God is a journey, primarily a journey of purification of our selfishness so as to love others, and especially God, selflessly.” (Ch 13, Love is a Journey)

“The place God reveals Himself most regularly is our normal life. … One of the greatest experiences in this life is being surprised by God, in this present moment.  Every one of us has had these experiences. … In the quiet recesses of our hearts we become aware, for a moment, of God’s presence.  Experiences of God’s presence in our ordinary life … are purely gifts of God’s grace.  There is nothing we can do to make these experiences happen.  The experiences are among the greatest that we can have in life. They remind us that our lives and God are not two separate realities.  The greatest sign of a mature spiritual life is a maturing life, a life where we are becoming more loving, patient, and forgiving, and where we are more willing to trust God beyond what we can see.”  (Ch 19, God is Now)

 

There are many thought-provoking words in this book.  The very short chapters took much time reading, reflecting, and talking to Jesus while in the chapel.  This book was a wonderful gift and will be one of mine to others this Christmas.

Why Am I Alive?

 

Why am I alive.  I think that is not an uncommon question, especially among those undergoing some trials, and perhaps some elderly who don’t see a future.  And many of the “wise and good” people of our society are saying: “Let’s help them die in peace.  Euthanasia is good thing to do.”  They might even say it’s a loving thing to do, but whether they’d admit it or not, I believe such actions would only display how much these “good people” are caring for themselves --- “getting these people out of their way.”  Getting back to the original question, the answer is NOT that we were born to die when things get rough.  Pain and suffering, and death, are a part of life, but there is a reason each of us is alive, a reason for the moment we are living in, NOW, even if it is a moment of suffering.

None of us created our life; all life is a gift of God.  After we are given life, that is when we take control, to use this gift as we believe He would have us do, so when this human life ends and as our eternal life continues, we will meet Him face-to-face, and we will ask Him: “How did I do?  Did I do what you wanted me to?”

In recent days, things I am doing have opened up my past to me, and what this gift of my life is about, and in particular, some of the things which impacted other people.  The culture would have us believe our life is totally ours, and we should focus on ourselves.  But I’ve been shown, clearly, how my life didn’t even have to happen, and shown through another’s example that perhaps it was even probable that my life shouldn’t have happened.  It truly is a gift of God.  And recently I ran across some old correspondence, in which some people described to me how in utter desolation they were; they had no hope.  They wrote as if this letter were their last words.  Then God put me in their lives, and through me He gave them hope.  Events that happened weren’t things I controlled or planned, but God knew what they needed, and when I showed up they felt just a little bit of love.  When all hope is lost, the love of The Father is still there, and I was His instrument.

My life didn’t have to happen, but if I were not alive, I don’t know what would have happened to those people, and what they might have done in their despair.  We are not in this world alone, to make ourselves happy.  That is what Adam and Eve chose to do.  We are in this world, among other people, now, for a reason.  Some of us have a vocation, which sets us in contact with others to love.  Love them.  God didn’t create us as robots with a pre-destination, nor for random reasons.  A loving Father gave us the gift of life, so we could choose to do what He created us for, and then come home to Him.

(I just heard Fr. John Riccardo’s latest podcast; he spoke basically the same thing ---- in much better words than mine.)