Happy Easter!

  

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and to an inheritance which is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while you may have to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold which though perishable is tested by fire, may redound to praise and glory and honor at the revelation of  Jesus Christ. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls.     1 Peter 1: 3-9

GOOD FRIDAY

 "But He was wounded for our transgressions, 

he was bruised for our iniquities; 

upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, 

and with his stripes we are healed." 

Isaiah 53:5

Rule of St. Benedict for Lent

My husband and I are Benedictine Oblates with Silverstream Priory in County Meath, Ireland. Back in 2011, we met with Dom Mark Kirby, the former Prior, while he was still living in Tulsa, Oklahoma where we reside for an explanation of The Rule of St. Benedict on Lent.  

I published this explanation in a post on this website shortly after and want to share it again, now 14 years later. 

St. Benedict

Dom Mark reminded us that Benedictine life is "an infirmary not Olympics. The Father monk applies the appropriate remedies to the other monks. God came to heal the sick and St. Benedict was fully aware of our human weaknesses and our tendencies toward discouragement."

"We urge the entire community during these days of Lent to keep its manner of life most pure...," said St. Benedict. This, Father Mark told us, is singleheartedness--keeping our hearts and minds fixed on the Lord. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Mt 5:8

The Rule continues, "...and to wash away in this holy season the negligences of other times." This is a time of reparation, a time to make up for sins, especially those of omission. The sins we commit by failing to do something, like not reconcile with a friend or relative, for example, or reach out to a neighbor in need.

"Compunction of heart" is something St. Benedict stresses for Lent. Allowing our hearts to be open and touched. It is humility and contrition that bring us closer to God.

Adding to the "usual measure of service," St. Benedict encourages us to abstain from food and drink. Father Mark explained that means to go without something, but to do it in moderation.  "Our usual measure of service," he said, "is our worship. Everything is worship. It's all integrated and everything is sacralized."

We offer to God an oblation--a free act of self offering--"with the joy of the Holy Spirit," wrote St. Benedict. 1 Thess 1:6  Yes, Lent is a time to have the joy of the Lord, the joy of spiritual desire--Holy Pascha.

And finally St. Benedict warned against doing anything with "presumption and vainglory," so Father Mark recommended for those who are married that we seek our spouse's approval for our spiritual observances. This will help safeguard peace and harmony in our marriage relationships.

HOPE

During Advent we hear many scriptures from Isaiah. Today's first reading is from Isaiah 40:25-31. I don't know about you, but I love thinking of our Creator God every morning when I wake up and how he created everything out of His infinite love for us. He is so mighty and powerful. Omnipotence!  He knows every detail of our life. Like he knows the number of hairs on each of our heads, he also knows the number of stars in the sky and is all-knowing. Omniscience! And he is everywhere. Omnipresence! 

Sometimes due to circumstances in our lives we think God has not heard our prayers, or the cries of the heart, but as Isaiah instructs, God knows all. He's heard our prayers and He will answer them in an intelligent purposeful way with His perfect timing.

The verse that really struck me this morning was, "They that HOPE in the LORD will renew their strength." It reminds me of a song my husband and I used to sing for many years. The words were, "They that wait upon the Lord, will renew their strength..." 

Starting this Christmas Eve, we will begin a Jubilee 2025 Year of Hope. That's one good reason the word "hope"resonates so much. More than anything I do pray that you will be filled with hope, and believe that you have a future full of hope no matter what you are facing. (Jeremiah 29:11) Some of you may be facing great tragedy, may reside in war-ravaged areas, may be abused, neglected or persecuted. Whatever the cry of your heart, the Lord hears you. Keep trusting, keep waiting, keep hoping! One day at a time.

Here is the living and active Word of God from Isaiah. It is "sharper than any two-edged sword." (Hebrews 4:12) May it pierce your heart with its truth, lead you on your way with far-sighted vision, and fill you with renewed life and strength:

“To whom can you liken me as an equal?
says the Holy One.
Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these things:
He leads out their army and numbers them,
calling them all by name.
By his great might and the strength of his power
not one of them is missing!
Why, O Jacob, do you say,
and declare, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD,
and my right is disregarded by my God"?

Do you not know
or have you not heard?
The LORD is the eternal God,
creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint nor grow weary,
and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.
He gives strength to the fainting;
for the weak he makes vigor abound.
Though young men faint and grow weary,
and youths stagger and fall,
They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,
they will soar as with eagles' wings;
They will run and not grow weary,
walk and not grow faint.” Is 40:25-31

God bless and keep you always close to His Most Sacred Heart!

Urgent request from Our Queen of Peace

Some of you may have already heard about this urgent request from Our Lady of Medjugorje to the visionary, Marija. She received this unusual message from Our Lady on June 15^th for us, her children, to  pray a Rosary Novena (3 mysteries a day) for World Peace June 16 - 25, 2024. 

 Dr. Mark Miravalle, posted this 5 minute video from Rome to help the Church understand why it is important to respond to Our Lady’s plea for help. Dr. Miravalle believes Our Mother is trying to alleviate or mitigate grave danger to world peace.

 

Let us pray for the grace to join Our Queen of Peace as she intercedes for global peace.

 

Here is the video clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lc7m_ThkfNY

 

Grace & peace,

 

Sheila

RATTLED

There are those times when we feel rattled, when there seems to be an endless list of things to do, when we do not know how it's all going to come together, when things seem almost impossible, when the weariness sets in, when the anxiety tries to creep back into the heart. 

When the mind doubts that it can all be done, but then the grace of God sweeps in and I find myself sitting at your feet. I cry out to you and I say, "Lord here I am--my rattled self. Take me as I am."

I know you love and accept me; help me to accept myself, help me to take a deep breath, and to know that everything will get done in the power of your spirit, with your overflowing grace, with your faithful love that flows like a river when I open up and say, " FIAT!"  

Come, Lord Jesus, I need you!'

Simple Blessing

I was admiring the stately and brilliant zinnias in our flower garden yesterday morning when a monarch butterfly came and posed for a photo. This simple blessing surely came from above. Over eleven years ago when my precious sister, Linda, passed away we released monarch butterflies in her honor after her Funeral Mass. You can imagine any time now that I see a monarch butterfly I sense her nearness.

What simple blessings do you experience each day as you gaze at the beauty of the earth--the sun, the moon and the stars above, or the flowers, the trees and birds of the air?