Let's Journey Together

We often talk about Lent as a "giving up" time. This Lent, let us journey together during these forty days by "giving over" our words, thoughts and actions to the Lord. Lord Jesus, that we may keep you in our minds, on our lips, and in our hearts. The only way we can accomplish this is to tell Jesus we want a deeper and more personal relationship with Him.

In a personal relationship we come to know the other person more fully and we begin to see each others hearts more clearly. As we enter into His Sacred Heart, He enlightens our minds to understand more clearly His ways. He purifies our hearts to forgive those who have wounded us and to ask forgiveness for those we have wounded, "in what I have done or what I have failed to do". We begin to speak as we hear Him speaking...words of love, compassion, correction, etc. We become truly contrite as we see the gentle, tender heart of Jesus compared to our hearts.

At the end of these forty days, we will be closer to His likeness and image without ever wanting to go back to where we were before this Lenten journey began. After all, isn't that what He really asks for...not sacrifices but a "humble and contrite heart"?

During our Lenten journey, let us take time to visit Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet, make the Stations of the Cross, or simply ask Jesus, "Lord what do you want me to do for you?" He is full of surprises!

Food For Thought

On the way to the studio the other day, I received a phone call on my cell. Although I would never dial or text while driving, I answered and spoke to the other party without a thought of wrong doing. While in conversation, I noticed a police officer pulling along side of me. I immediately dropped the phone without a thought of the person on the other end.

The patrol car passed me by without incident of course. However, it gave me food for thought. If I saw the officer when my cell phone rang, would I have answered it? Probably not! Do I really need a police officer by my side to do the right thing? Do I really need someone by my side to hold me accountable? I have long held the thought that character is doing the right thing when no one is watching. Pondering this, I thought what a better world, nation, community, and family we would be if we all had a police officer, priest/pastor, mate, or a person that we loved and respected by our side every day, all day. Theft, fighting, cursing, gossip, and cheating would cease. For some, crime of all sorts would be drastically reduced if criminals knew that they were being watched and held accountable for their actions.

However, we carry within us the sweet guest of our soul - the Holy Spirit within us. We are temples of the Holy Spirit. Shouldn't that be enough for all of us? Emmanuel, God with us! Let us each make a conscious effort to remember who is with us every day, all day. The Paraclete, who reminds us of everything Jesus said and did, our helper indeed, who loves us and believes in us more than we believe in ourselves. Jesus paid the ultimate price to send His Spirit to be with us, to help us, forgive us, strengthen us, and love us unconditionally. One day we will all have to give an accounting for our words, deeds, and actions. None of us know when or how that day will come, but we know it will. When we remember daily who we are in Christ, and grow daily in His Spirit, we will hear Him say to us, Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Putting On Christ and Keeping Him On

All Saints Day gives us an opportunity to reflect about who we are and how others see us.

On Halloween, or as I like to refer to it, "Holy Eve", I watched the young and not so young trick or treat. Their costumes varied but everyone tried to take on the persona of the character they wanted to be perceived as. It was nostalgic for me and gave me food for thought if you will.

I remembered a family in Jenkintown, PA, the Pat and Wendy Stanton family coming into the house dressed in different saint costumes. They gave a little "lesson" on their particular saint. We always looked forward to that. Scripture tells us when we "put on Christ" we become a new creation.

Let us show our family, friends, and everyone we come in contact with, that we have put on Christ and don't intend to take him off; but grow more perfectly into His likeness and image for the world to see. Let us take on His persona and give the world a real treat as we decrease and allow Jesus to increase within us. Let us not trick those around us by calling ourselves Christians and acting contrary to how an authentic Christian should act.

Although it is a daily struggle, by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, He will remind us of everything Jesus said and did and enable us to yield to grace at work in us and give the world a authentic treat. After all, His working in us and through us for His good pleasure will bring us an eternal blessing as we cast off the old body.

Yes, in the twinkling of an eye, our lives are changed but not ended. We become those "Holy Souls" we honor and pray for. We too know that they are praying to our Heavenly Father for those left behind until our work on earth is finished and we too will see them again in our eternal home. As we run the good race and fight the good fight, we are surrounded by that cloud of witnesses cheering us on until the day we join the saints in heaven praising God for all eternity.

Ready Or Not, Here I Come

Being a grandmother, I was surprised to hear one of my grandchildren at a family gathering yell to his cousins; "ready or not, here I come." Surprised, because that was such a popular game when I was a youngster and happy to see the joy in innocence. However, just as quickly, I thought of the Scripture of the day..."Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour." (Matthew 25:13)

God's word does reveal that He will come like a thief in the night, meaning He will come when we least expect Him. So it is indeed necessary to be awake and to stay alert. Be prepared as the Boy Scout motto says. Be prepared and ready as if in a twinkling of an eye, He comes to take you with Him.

Are we asleep or awake and are we prepared - meaning all ready to go - when He comes or calls?

So like my grandson called out, "ready or not, here I come", let us respond - Maranatha - Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

Remember When...

When I was growing up, television was the new thing. We had the first television on the block and everyone would come over to our house and sit and watch this small box in amazement. The memories of those days are warm and nostalgic. I had a favorite TV show called, I Remember Mama. I still remember the sponsor...Maxwell House Coffee and the advertising jingle. I will forever remember that Maxwell House Coffee is good to the last drop. What an impression those jingles and programs made on me. I remember Brill Cream, a little dab'll do ya and Buster Brown who lived in a shoe and his dog Tige, he lives in there too. I could go on and on with every jingle and sponsor of each TV program. They indeed made a lasting impression. Speaking of lasting impressions, take a walk down memory lane with me.

Recently, several of my grandchildren made their First Holy Communion and reminisce I did. Watching my granddaughters in their beautiful white dresses looking like little brides of Christ and my grandson in his blue blazer and white pants and tie looking handsome and holy filled me with love and joy.

I was drawn back in time reminiscing, remembering when my own children received their First Holy Communion. Where have all the years gone? But the memories linger on! Those feelings of pride and joy that parents feel seeing their own children walk down the aisle to receive Jesus into their hearts for the very first time is really awe inspiring. This brings me to my own First Holy Communion. Talk about lasting impressions...a mystical moment captured in time.

I was headstrong and independent and as my dad told me...a free spirit like no other. When he said that, he was not saying it in a complimentary way. He often asked out of frustration, where did you come from? So it is no wonder that at my First Holy Communion, I was in trepidation. Could this holy God, this good God live in me? I mean really come into my heart and stay with me. Well I was about to find out and experience for the very first time in my life the awesomeness of God. After so much preparation and expectation, I was a little put out. This is it? The host took a long time to dissolve. I did not like the taste and could not chew it. I had to wait to swallow the host. Back in the pew as I knelt down with my eyes closed tightly I asked, are you God and are you really inside me now? I received what I call a "wow" moment that left God's imprint on my heart forever. I received the answer to my question of are you God and are you really inside me now...I AM! A voice I knew without a doubt was God, my Jesus, loved me and was really living in me!

Peace I Leave You, My Peace I Give You

This is a profound statement Jesus makes to His disciples. During His last meal with His apostles, Jesus was truly present as they knew Him and recognized Him in the flesh. He institutes the Holy Eucharist in spite of the betrayal of Judas, Peter's denial, and the abandonment of His disciples, all of which He knew would come to pass.

Yet, He so loved us that he made a way to "stay with us". For in the Upper Room where they gathered in fear, anxiety, doubt, and amidst dashed hopes, Jesus comes through the locked doors. He breathes the breath of God onto them to give them His peace. This peace will vanquish fear, anxiety, doubt and hopelessness. Then Jesus does an amazing thing indeed. He breathes on them again and confers the gift of priesthood on them. They are now priests forever. Through the institution of the priesthood from Jesus to them, they are consecrated in the mystery of the Holy Eucharist by the power of the Holy Spirit. So it continues today, through the priesthood, Jesus will "stay with us" until He comes in glory.

Jesus stays with us. He is present, really present, in mind, body, soul and divinity. He feeds us and nourishes us so we will not "collapse" on the way to our own eternal life with Him.

When we receive Jesus in Holy Communion, may our response be...stay with us Lord.

Alleluia!