Called by Name

Yesterday I had an opportunity to go on a day retreat to the Shrine of the Infant of Prague to share reflections with a group of precious people who work with Catholic Charities. The theme of the talk was "Doing God's Work in Service to the Poor."

We can make many assumptions about the poor. Are the poor always poor and the rich rich, or can the poor be rich and the rich poor? We know that material goods do not make one rich, in the truest sense of the word, but rather spiritual goods. After all, "there are in the end three things that last: faith, hope and love, and the greatest of these is love." 1 Cor 13: 13

"Love is the mansion," my husband and I still say as we did when we first married knowing there can be mansions on earth with people living inside and no love in their hearts.

God's work is certainly feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, setting the captive free and sharing the good news. But it's also an interior journey. We need to be about becoming a better Christian, drawing closer to the Lord, and ultimately growing in union with him.

He calls each of us by name to enter deeply into a relationship with him. How do we do that? I shared this at the retreat based on the mysteries of the life of Christ:

God has called us each by name  Is 43: 1
to do the work we're doing
in serving the needs of his children.

Be joyful!

God reminds us to continue to give our daily fiat--our "Yes,"
to joyfully surrender as Mary did at the Annunciation,
to be hospitable and charitable in our visitations with others,
to allow Christ to be borne in our hearts,
to be obedient to his holy will,
and to keep seeking the Lord first in our life.

He has called each one of us by name,
to be light in the world,
to have a spirit of poverty,
to expect miracles
because he's still a miracle-working God,
to proclaim good news--the gospel of peace--to the poor,
to ask for the spirit of truth to be revealed
in our life and work,
and to offer the gift of ourself for others
as He does in the Holy Eucharist.

God has called each one of us by name
to unite our suffering with his,
to spend time in his presence
allowing him to fill us again and again,
to arm ourselves with his attitude  1Pet 4:1-2
and rejoice in the measure that we share in his suffering.
He encourages us to continue to carry our cross,
and to persevere to the end with forgiveness in our heart.

He has called each one of us by name
desiring us to be transformed from glory to glory,
and to have undying faith in him.
He invites us to be a hope bearer,
and to be open to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit
that never ceases.
And finally He asks for our devotion to his mother,
our heavenly mother, Mary,
and to look forward to spending all eternity with them.

And as we embrace this paschal mystery of going forth, dying, and rising, may we experience the fullness of life that the Lord so desires for each one of us.

Grace & peace be with you,
Sheila

Becoming

"Becoming a human being involves more than conception and birth. It is a mandate and a mission, a command and a decision. We each have an open-ended relationship to ourselves. We do not possess our being unchallenged; we cannot take our being for granted as God does. Nor do we possess it in the same way as other creatures around us...

Being is entrusted to us as a summons, which we are each to accept and consciously acknowledge. We are never simply a being that is "there" and "ready-made," just for the asking. From the very start we are something that can Be, a being who must win selfhood and decide what it is to be. We must fully become what we are--a human being. To become human through the exercise of our freedom--that is the law of our Being."

This quote is from one of my favorite spiritual classics--Poverty of Spirit by Johannes Baptist Metz. In the front cover I wrote, "We read this for transformation, not information."

A Joyful Song Rises

This day, this joyful day,
a song rises within me,
and I give You thanks for birth.

For a mind to know you.
For ears to hear birds singing
and whispers of love from others.
For eyes to see the magnificent splendor
created by your spoken word.

For the still small voice within to hear your voice.
For a mouth to proclaim your word.

For hands to bless and touch.
For feet to spread the Gospel of peace.

For a heart to love You & others.
For a soul to belong only to you.

For healing of brokenness,
and redemption of sin.
For reconciliation with others,
and grace to begin again.

This day, this joyful day,
I leap in my spirit
to touch you in heaven and say thank you,
O thank you for this life, this abundant life
that you have given to me.

Holy Abandonment

Abandonment is a most excellent way of finding peace and happiness. That is desiring God's will and whatever He wills. To understand this better consider marriage vows that two people make. "I will love you for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Circumstances arise in our lives that can be uncontrollable. Like when a loved one is diagnosed with a disease, suffers, and may even die. Or when someone loses their job due to recession or corporate downsizing. Abandonment means whatever happens--even when things seem to go "wrong"--we receive as God's will, understanding He allows such things to happen to sanctify us.

In the book, Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence, Father J. P. de Caussade, S.J. wrote, "To all there is but one answer--that the will of God is the only thing necessary; therefore, what it does not grant must be useless."

St. Teresa of Avila said, "In this holy abandonment springs up that beautiful freedom of spirit which the perfect possess, and in which there is found all the happiness that can be desired in this life; for in fearing nothing, and seeking and desiring nothing of all things of the world, they possess all."

Key to happiness

"As human beings we all want to be happy and free from misery.

We have learned that the key to happiness is inner peace.

The greatest obstacles to inner peace are disturbing emotions such as anger and attachment, fear and suspicion, while love and compassion, a sense of universal responsibility are the sources of peace and happiness."  Dalai Lama

Recognizing and admitting our disturbing emotions is 50% of the battle in overcoming them. Consider what the other 50% may be:

• surrender
• belief in a higher Power
• seeking God's will
• self examination
• admitting wrongs
• desire to change
• prayer
• reconciliation with others

Once we overcome whatever obstacles we may face, we gain new territory for ourselves and others. We can help them more readily because the peace we have found will draw them to desire the same good.

Grace & peace be with you!

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Today is the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. We remember Mary and how she was born without original sin. She had this special and unique privilege because she was chosen to be the mother of the Savior. Jesus was conceived in her womb by the power of the Holy Spirit. Because she was "full of grace" through God and redeemed from the moment of her conception, her heart was pure and perfectly clean throughout her life. Lk 1: 28

In the Catholic Church, we honor the mother of Jesus just as He honored her at the wedding feast at Cana. After Mary said, "They have no more wine," He instructed the waiters to "Fill those jars with water," and then turned the water into wine. Jn 2: 3-9

We have a miracle-working God with whom all things are possible.

We accept Mary as our heavenly Mother and trust that she is interceding on our behalf. "This motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfillment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal salvation... " CCC 969

Mary's heart is full of love and the perfect reflection of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus--the solemnity that we celebrated yesterday. Like her son, her heart is wounded by the ingratitude, irreverence, and grave offenses in this world.

We, her children, long to make reparation for the sins committed against these two hearts of Jesus & Mary. We do so by saying special prayers and making sacrifices.

We are promised superabundant graces and treasures of divine love when we honor His Sacred Heart and Mary's Immaculate Heart.

You may enjoy this link about our Mother's heart: http://www.becomingwomenofpeace.com/2011/05/fatima-moon.html

May the Lord bless you, keep you, make his face shine upon you, and give you peace in your heart.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

In the Catholic Church today, it is the Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Here's a beautiful traditional prayer:

O most holy heart of Jesus,

fountain of every blessing,

I adore you, I love you,

and with a lively sorrow

for my sins,

I offer you this poor heart of mine.

Make me humble, patient, pure,

and holy obedient to your will.

Grant, good Jesus, that I may live in you and for you.

Protect me in the midst of danger;

comfort me in my affliction;

give me health of body,

assistance in my temporal needs,

your blessing on all that I do,

and the grace of a holy death.

In this Most Sacred Heart of Jesus is unimaginable love. Floods of living water can not contain the love He has for each of us.

My parents were given this picture of Jesus as a wedding gift when they married sixty years ago. Just yesterday they celebrated their anniversary. Although my mother, who is in the last stage of Alzheimer's disease, was not aware of this special day, we celebrated God's goodness to them. It is the gifts from above that my parents received that helped them remain faithful to their covenant love for one another, just as the Lord has been ever faithful to His covenant love with us.

Today we celebrate the Lord's enduring love and fidelity and we remember him in special ways with a longing to comfort his heart that is broken from ingratitude and grave offenses.