Saintly Friends

A few years ago, I decided to try something new for my New Year's resolution. Each month I was going to get to know a new saint. The saints' lives on earth were not always saintly, so reading about them helps encourage us to keep going.  Asking their intercession will also help us in our earthly lives.

The first month I did this, I randomly chose a saint, asking the Holy Spirit's intercession, and met St. Claude de la Columbiere. He had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, so I asked him to help me to develop a devotion as well. I started the month off with a novena to this awesome saint and on the eighth day of the month I went to confession. The priest told me to say my penance with my head resting against the Sacred Heart! Beautiful! Two days later we did a votive Mass to the Sacred Heart.

Throughout the month the Sacred Heart would appear, one time in a used book store, I picked a book up and a prayer card fell out. One guess the image on that card! :-)

I bought a book on his teachings and learned as much as I could about his life. Turns out he was a priest and had been the spiritual director for St. Margaret Mary Aloqoque - who also had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (She also has a connection with St. John Vianney.....this happens a lot I have noticed - saints having connections with one another).

I have again started this practice of picking a new saint to get to know each month. I want to invite you to do the same. There are many ways to go about this friendship building and you will have to find what works best for you or your family, but I like doing a novena to my new friend at the beginning of the month, asking him/her to intercede for me in all things, and to help me come to a better understanding of their life and devotions. Buy a statue, books or even prayer cards. Invite them into your home to become a part of your life.

Picking a saint is always the hardest thing for me, but I found a wonderful website to help. I prayed and asked the Holy Spirit for help and then hit the Find Me A Saint button and up came the name of my new friend!  http://jenniferfulwiler.com/saints/

Give it a shot, who better to befriend but those who have already been here and done that and are now living all eternity in heaven!

Following Mary to Jesus

I love our Mother Mary. She is such a beautiful example for us to follow to grow in faith and love of Jesus. In fact, her every action shows us how to have faith, how to follow her Son and how to love Him more and more.

When the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and told her she would be the Mother of God, even though she didn't quite understand, she said to him, “Be it done to me according to thy word”. In other words, if that is what God is asking, I will do it. That is exactly what we should all be doing. She encourages us to do just that at the wedding in Cana when she says to the stewards, “Do whatever He tells you”. She isn't just talking to the stewards, she is talking to all of us. Imagine life if we all did what Jesus asked of us.

She followed Jesus, even to the cross. That was a cross for her as well. Imagine being there and watching your child suffer and being unable to do anything about it. The pain she must have suffered seeing Him give up His life for people who will mock Him, sin against Him and even deny His existence.

She carried Him in her womb for 9 months and when she gave birth to Him, she and Joseph soon had to flee because Herod wanted Him dead. They protected Him by fleeing to Egypt. We are called to protect Jesus as well; from our own sins and the sins and blasphemies of others. To protect Him from those who, even today, would like to see Him dead. We are called to do whatever we can to keep Him alive.

Mary carried Him in her womb for 9 months and then gave birth to Him, bringing Him into the world; not just for that generation, but for all generations to come until the end of time. She had the unique ability to give Him to everyone who desires Him. We have the ability and duty to keep Him alive generation after generation. To give Him to those in our lives, everyone we come in contact with and we can do it by following Mary's example. She carried Him within her body for 9 months, we carry Him in our bodies after receiving Holy Communion for about 15 minutes (every time we receive, so the more we receive Him in Holy Communion, the more we carry Him within us).

Mary didn't give birth and remain unchanged, she lived His teachings. She followed Him. Even today she is an example to us — showing us how to share her Son with others. When we receive Holy Communion, we should be transformed. We should be living more and more Christlike. We should be sharing the gospel with our lives, in what we do and say. Our actions will speak louder than our words. Are you living the gospel? Are you keeping Jesus alive for this generation?

Are you following Mary's example of carrying Jesus to the generations?

Today, live the way Mary teaches and tell God that you will allow His will to be done within you and that you will do whatever He tells you.

Holding the Baby Jesus

I have been praying the rosary and meditating on holding the baby Jesus. I do this as I pray the Nativity, but this is spending 5 decades on the same meditation and so I have been trying to keep myself open as the baby Jesus rests close to my heart.

At first, I just relished holding Him close and loving Him. This new little life completely dependent on others for everything, just like all babies are, except this is God. Our Lord, who humbled Himself so He could be dependent upon us, to experience life as we do.

He also needs to be taken care of, cherished, nourished and protected. Protected from what? How am I called to protect this child and who do I think I am that I can protect Him?

Then I remember my sins and that He died on the cross to save me. I need to protect Him from my sins — I need to protect Him from me! This hurts, because I am not sinless. The only way I can keep from sinning is to turn to Him in all things and even then He must come to my rescue in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Oh thank you Jesus for that most beautiful sacrament. I shudder to think where I'd be without it.

The blasphemies, the non-believers and even worse, those who have turned their backs on Him. I cannot protect Him from these things. I can't protect Him from the pain and agony we cause one another either, knowing that what we do unto the least of our brethren, we do unto Him. For that, all I can offer is prayer, fasting and penance to atone. This is the best protection I can offer and truthfully, I have to rely on Him to help me do these things.

Another image came to me as well as I held the beautiful Christ child close to my heart. I need Him more than He needs me, even at His most vulnerable. I need Him to protect and love me and guide me in all things. So in turn, as I continued to hold this babe close to my heart, I rested my head against His most Sacred Heart as He held me close. Peace.

He holds us close to His heart, just as we should hold Him close to our hearts. Our hearts should beat as one. Everything He asks of us, we can rely upon Him to help us with. We are not alone and we should not leave Him alone. As we hold Him close to our hearts and care for Him (through prayer, fasting, penance, evangelization, etc.), He holds us ever closer to His heart and cares for us in all things.

As Christmas nears, anticipate holding this beautiful Babe, this overly generous Savior. Hold Him close to your heart and do not let go. Plan to spend every moment with Him here on earth so you can be with Him eternally in the next life.

May the peace and love of Christ be with you now and forever.