Answering the Call

   “Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be, and becoming that person.”  (St. Therese of Lisieux)

   Whether we recognize it or not God has a plan for each of us.  He knew us from time eternal and will know us throughout eternity.  We were created for a purpose and, if we will allow, God will show us that purpose and make us into the person we are intended to be.

   Sounds simple, right?  Just listen and God will let us know what to do.  Except for me and, I suspect, many others hearing the call isn’t that easy.  I’ve not heard the voice of the Lord clearly telling me what He wants of me.  I’ve prayed that I, like the Blessed Virgin, would be visited by an angel who would tell me God’s plan for me.  Then, like Our Lady, I could respond with “yes” and accept His will for me.

   I wish that I could approach the burning bush like Moses and hear my God giving me the direction I seek.  I pray that I could hear the voice of the Lord in the whisper as Elijah did on the mountain.  So many prophets sent by the Lord with a clear mission.  I still struggle to understand what He desires of me.

   Clearly I’ve not been visited by the Archangel Gabriel or anyone else clearly giving me a path that I am to follow.  So I pray and meditate and contemplate, trying to discover God’s will for me; how He wishes me to serve Him.

   And so I will continue to seek His guidance.  I will go on searching for the path I am intended to walk.  My greatest desire is to serve God in all ways.  I pray that He make me holy; make of me a saint.  I wait for His call.

Father, in all things I desire to serve You.

I pray for Your guidance and direction.

Show me the path You have chosen for me.

Give me the strength to walk that path.

Amen

Rest in the Lord

   “Our hearts are restless Lord, until they rest in you.” (St. Augustine)

   Have you noticed how some people seem to never be able to rest?  They are on the go constantly seeking more of whatever they hold dear.  Rest can wait until they have all they want.  And yet they never get all they want, there is always more to chase after.  Rest and peace can’t be found in earthly things.

   I know people who have worked hard for many years building a business or career.  At some point most begin to talk of retirement.  They say they are looking forward to hanging it all up and enjoying the rest of their life in ease.  Yet they still seek and take that next promotion.  Instead of selling or downsizing their business they continue to build and add on.  They may continue to talk of retirement, but their actions show they are still seeking wealth and status rather than rest.

   The very simple fact is that there is no true rest unless it is in the Lord.  The world will always tempt with more and more.  More money, more fame, more of everything.  Some people never seem to understand that they can’t get everything they want in this world.  There will always be more to get.

   If we are to find rest it can only be in God.  The world is a restless place and will remain so until the end.  We all seek rest, but it can never be found in this world.  Only through the grace of God can we find the rest we seek.

Lord I seek rest.

May I find it in You.

Let my heart rest in Your love and Mercy.

May I find the true rest You offer.

Amen

For You

“This is my body which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.’  Likewise the cup after supper saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22: 19 – 21)

   There are two words in Jesus' institution of the Eucharist on which we need to focus.  In offering both the bread and the cup He told His disciples that it was “for you”.  His body and blood was not only for the disciples but for all Christians to come.  The miracle of the Eucharist is just as real for us today as it was for the disciples at the last supper.

   We hear these words at every Mass during the consecration.  How many of us are even paying attention?  How many of us focus on the fact that Christ died for us on that cross?  It wasn’t just for the disciples of His time it was for all people for all time.  Every sin committed, every evil done can be forgiven because of His sacrifice.

   “But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.” (Romans 5: 8).  The redemption purchased by the life of Jesus applies to us though we are sinners.  He loves us regardless of our failures.  His sacrifice offers us forgiveness and salvation.  He paid the price for our sins and opened the gates of heaven to those who would believe.  He did all of this for you and for me.

Lord, Your love is eternal.

Jesus gave His life for my sins.

He died for me.

May I always remember His sacrifice.

Amen

Nourish the Seed

   “But the seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.” (Matt 13: 23)

   We are very much like farmers.  Our soul is the soil and we must tend it carefully if we want to produce a good crop.  A soul cluttered with earthly desires can’t properly nourish the word of God planted within us.

   When we become overly enamored with worldly pleasures we allow weeds to grow in our soul, lessening the crop of good that God’s word can produce.  If money, fame, or recognition is at the top of our priority list we create pagan gods within us.  We begin to worship those things that are of this world rather than those of the next.  The seed is overcome by the pleasures and desires of this world.  Good fruit cannot be produced.

   Just hearing the Word but never acting on it is very similar.  If our spiritual life consists of going to church once a week and forgetting God the rest of the week our faith has no roots, it will not last.  When a conflict arises we may choose the worldly over God.  In our neglect little or no fruit is produced.

   As a farmer must tend his crop so we must nourish the seed sown within us.  It must become the most important thing in our life; the one thing that over-rides all others.  We must read scripture and study our faith to learn all we can learn; an unknowing farmer can’t produce a good crop.  We must take the time to tend to it each day in prayer and thanksgiving for all the blessings God has given us.

   By tending the crop, nourishing it, caring for it and making the word of God our top priority we too can yield a hundred or sixty or thirty-fold.  When the crop is harvested at our death we can then rest in the comfort of God.

Father help us to cherish Your word.

Let us nourish and tend the seed planted in our soul.

May we produce abundant fruit in our life.

May we rest in the joy and comfort of heaven at life’s end.

Amen

Glory to God

   “I will glory not because I am righteous, but because I am redeemed; I will glory not because I am free from sins, but because my sins are forgiven me.”  (St. Ambrose)

   Each day I fail; each day I sin in some way.  Satan delights in tempting me and at times I don’t even recognize the temptation.  A driver pulls out in front of me or cuts me off nearly causing a wreck.  My first reaction is to call them an “idiot” or some other derogatory term.  Once again I have sinned by allowing my emotions over-ride my love.  Try as I may this scene is repeated far too often.

   So many people seem to think that anyone who claims to be Christian must also be perfect.  Any sin or failure indicates that all Christians are hypocrites.  They use the slightest slip as “proof” that Christianity is false.  They can’t seem to understand that we are not sinless but forgiven and striving to sin less.

   “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”  (1 John 1: 8).  I recognize that I am not now nor will I ever be perfect in this life.  I have sinned and will sin again.  Only through the mercy of God can I hope for perfection in the next.

   I give all glory to God for without Him there is no perfection.  Without Him there is no holiness or righteousness.  Without God and the redemption purchased for me by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ there is no forgiveness of sin.  I glory only in the love and mercy of God.  He is my hope, my stronghold, the focus of all glory and praise.

Father I am a sinner.

Jesus gave His life that I may be forgiven.

Forgive my sins I pray.

Strengthen me as I struggle to avoid sin.

Amen

The Protection of the Lord

   “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; you are mine.  When you pass through the waters I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” (Is 43: 2)

   If only we could take these words to heart and place our trust in the Lord life could be far less stressful.  We need to understand and have faith that God has everything under control.  Even when we face trials and suffering He is there.  His love for us is eternal.

   This doesn’t mean that we should ignore the day-to-day responsibilities of life.  We have an obligation to care for ourselves in many ways.  But we too often let those concerns consume us.  We focus on the earthly to the detriment of the spiritual.

   Our worries and our cares are far better handled by turning to God and seeking His peace and comfort in any situation.  Regardless of the difficulty we are facing it is much better resolved with God’s help.  We may never be able to resolve it as we think it should be but with His guidance we can begin to realize that we don’t have all the answers; God does.  His answer may not be what we would expect or even like, but it is the right answer.

   Everyone worries about things they probably should put aside and forget about.  With God we can place those things we can’t change in the hands of our Lord and let them go.  We can quit filling our lives with earthly concerns that we can’t control and focus on building a stronger relationship with our Lord.

   The daily grind doesn’t have to be a grind.  Look to God for comfort and peace.  Turn the earthly woes over to Him and trust in the fact that He has everything under control.

Father we worry about so many things.

Only You truly deserve our concern.

Help us to focus on You and Your love.

Help us to always trust in You.

Amen

Hope, Patience and Constancy

   “Rejoice in your hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” (Romans 12: 12)

   Hope, for a Christian, is the hope promised by Christ.  The hope of salvation; of forgiveness of sins.  It is hope for the consummation of God’s will on earth and within us.  In this hope we see the beauty of God’s plan.  He desires that all be saved and spend eternity with Him.  This is the hope of the gospel; the hope we rejoice in.

   Patience is difficult for many of us.  In times of sorrow and tribulation patience can be even harder.  When we are in pain or turmoil we just want it to be over.  Even a day seems too long to suffer.  Yet patience in suffering and tribulation contributes to a better understanding of God and His ways.  He will never tax us beyond our ability to cope.  In patience we learn that even though we suffer, sometimes for a lengthy time, God is still there.  He will comfort us and console us.  In this way we come to rely on His mercy even more.

   I believe the key to both hope and patience rests in constancy.  No matter the situation constancy in prayer will bring hope and help us practice patience.  At times prayer can be difficult.  Our suffering and pain may cause us to question God.  Why has He given us this cross to bear?  Reflecting on the cross of Jesus is the answer.  We are to bear our crosses just as He did.  Christ’s pain on the cross brought a tremendous good; the redemption of mankind.  When we join our pain to His perhaps some good can come of our pain as well.

   Hope, patience and constancy.  Each is important to our spiritual life.  Of these, constancy in prayer will strengthen our hope and increase our patience.

Lord You are the source of all hope.

In our sorrow Your love eases the pain.

May we always seek You in prayer,

Confident in Your love and mercy.

Amen