Love

We become what we love.   Say this out loud, "I become what I love."   So, what do I love?

If you only love yourself and you don't know who you are (a beautiful child of God), then what do you become?

Not too long ago I was having a conversation with some women who have both experienced great tragedies in their lives.  They were both shocked to find that they lost friends while they were going through these tragedies; friends they thought would be with them through anything.

One of the women lost her firstborn child in infancy.  There is nothing to prepare you for this or help you through this here on earth. This tragedy takes strength that only comes from heaven.  On the day they left the hospital, without their son, she was told she'd lose some friends.  She thought that was ridiculous, her friends would all be there for her.  Sadly, some weren't.  It was too painful for them, what had happened, and they didn't know what to say or they didn't know what to do, so they baled.  They left this woman out in the water and hoped someone else would throw her a life preserver.  Fortunately, others did, but where were her friends?

Go through some sort of life changing event and you'll quickly find out who your true friends are - and even family.

Her friends loved their lives - whatever those lives were - and this tragedy of hers, and therefore her life, no longer meshed with their lives, so they let her go.  I don't know how these people live their lives but in this tragedy, they put themselves first - above this woman and her hurt and certainly above God - who calls us to love. 

Jesus tells us to love God with all our hearts, souls, mind and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves.  I wonder how that friend feels today, all these years later.  Has she ever managed to reach out to another in love, unselfishly?

Another friend and her husband lost their business and of course all the money it had provided for them.  Sadly, they lost many of their friends as well.  They have wondered if those people were in their lives for them, or for their money.  The probably will never get an answer to that question.  Money is important to many people and in fact, for some, it is their god.  If you don't have money, they don't have time for you.  This was a dark time for them and they learned that losing those friends was much worse than losing the money.

Tragedy struck again for them when she was in a car accident and nearly lost her life.  Fortunately she was the only one involved in the accident so no one else was hurt, but they weren't sure she was going to make it through (she did, beautifully).

This second tragedy had poeple coming out of the woodwork; some they knew and some they did not.  Meals were delivered for over 6 weeks, money came in, gift cards, assistance at home, with the kids, rides to the doctor, etc.  People surprised them with their generosity and people they didn't even know came forward to help.

People who love.

Love equals action and when you love, you will be compelled to serve, to help others.  It doesn't matter if you know them or not, the love will compel you to action.

I believe there are two kinds of peole who serve - those who serve so they look good to others or get something in return and those who serve because they love.  God knows the difference and the judgment is His.

Those who love serve with purity of intention (I've previously written on that, check the archives).  They don't expect anything in return.  They serve because they love.  They love God and they love neighbor, and in that, they are ultimately loving themselves too.

So, what do you love?  Do you love self? Do you love God? Do you love neighbor?

What does love compel you to do?

Loving God and Neighbor

“May it be done to me according to Your word.” Luke 1:38

“His mother said to the servers, “Do whatever He tells you.” John 2:5

            The greatest commandment, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27) tells us how we can make our way to heaven.  Love accomplishes and overcomes all things.

            In the first Joyful mystery of the rosary, the Annunciation, we meditate on the words of Mother Mary, “May it be done to me according to Your word.”  She is teaching us love, obedience and humility.  Because she loved God, she was able to be obedient and humble and we were able to have a savior who would redeem us.  I love meditating on this verse and in fact, making it my prayer.  I also want to be the handmaid of the Lord, though I fall so far short of what our Blessed Mother did.  She, who was full of grace, did not have sin in her.  I find myself repeatedly going to the confessional to beg mercy of our Lord and ask Him to lift me up again and again.

            Immediately upon finding out her cousin, Elizabeth, is also with child, she journeys to visit.  She spent 3 months with Elizabeth, helping her to prepare for the coming of John the Baptist.  Love of neighbor. 

            This isn’t the only time Mary shows us how to love our neighbor.  In the second Luminous mystery of the rosary, “The Wedding at Cana”, Mary tells Jesus there is no more wine.  She then very simply turns to the servants and tells them to do whatever He tells them to do.  She knows running out of wine at a wedding can be very embarrassing to the hosts and she wants to avoid that, so she simply turns to her Son.  Her command to the servants is also a command to us.  We should, at all times, do whatever He tells us. 

            My spiritual director once told me that the only correct answer when God asks something of us is Yes!  If we’ve even heard Him talking to us, that is not usually our first response.  We tend to think of ourselves and how what He wants is going to interfere with what we want for our lives, as if we know best.

           At times I can be impressed with myself for listening to what God tells me to do, being obedient to His holy will for me.  Unfortunately, the pride of sin is no help to my salvation.  It also dawns on me that it is not the things I’ve done for God I’ll have to answer for, but the things I did not do (in the Confiteor we pray, “…in what I have done and in what I have failed to do…”).

            Each night before bed I pray, “The Prayer for Daily Neglects” (I won’t put the whole prayer here, it’s on page 16 of The Pieta Prayer Book) and in essence, I am asking God to expiate all the sins I have committed each day and during all my life, to purify the good I have done badly each day and to supply for the good I ought to have done, but neglected to do.  Unlike Mary, I am not full of grace. 

            “Be it done unto me according to thy word.” That is my prayer, my daily prayer.  What I also pray for is holy hearing so I know what God is asking of me.  Then I pray for obedience and humility and an increase in faith, hope and charity.  No wonder we are told to pray without ceasing.

           “Do whatever He tells you.”  Definitely easier said than done, but not impossible!  What does He tell us?  Love God with all your hearts, mind and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.

            Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Francis Xavier.  He certainly taught us love of Christ and love of neighbor.  So did Blessed Mother Teresa, Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. John Vianney and in fact, all the saints.  With the help of all these beautiful saints and our Blessed Mother, we can learn to love God and love neighbor, just as Jesus taught us.

What's Obedience?

Obedience is a word you don’t hear very often anymore.  Why is that do you think?  Well, obedience is viewed as a lack of choice; we have to do something someone told us to do.  We lack a choice when we are told to do something and are expected to obey.   In our culture, we like nothing more than to have our own choices.

I was helping my friend put her kids in the van one day and she told her 5 year old daughter to get in and buckle up.  Her daughter continued to wander around the outside of the van.  My friend asked her, “did you hear me?”  I chuckled and said, “I’m sure she heard you, she just didn’t obey.”  My friend looked at me and said I had a good point; she’d never thought of it that way before. 

Ever get stopped by the police?  They don’t want you to just hear them talking, they want you to obey them.  If they ask for your license, you have to give it to them.  If they tell you to get out of the car, you have to get out of the car.  In other words, you must be obedient to that officer.

We do not like to be obedient.  We don’t want to think that we are “submitting” to someone else, because that would make us weak.  No one is better than us, why should we do what they tell us?  

Our society is turning further and further away from God.  Things that 40 years ago were only whispered about are now topics of popular, prime time television shows, subjects to be taught to young school aged children and topics discussed openly in public no matter who can overhear.   God is becoming a taboo subject.  In fact, more and more, Christians, and especially devout Catholics, are being labeled bigots and intolerant.  

We don’t like obedience, unless we are being obedient to ourselves.   We certainly don’t want to be obedient to a God who tells us what we can and cannot do because that means we’ll never have any fun.  We need to remember that in order to obey God, we must disobey ourselves.  What?!?  Not do whatever I want whenever I want to do it?  

God tells us in the bible how we should live our lives and He does that so we can live for eternity in heaven with Him.  He created each one of us, individually.  He loves each and every one of us, He values us.  We all have our faults, we all sin, we all make bad choices, but God doesn’t strike us down.  He gave us free will so we could choose how to live.  That also means we can choose Him or reject Him.  There will always be plenty of both kinds of people, those that choose to follow Him and be obedient (although not perfectly) and those who choose to deny Him: disobey Him.

The Christian life is not easy by any means.  We must make sacrifices; not the least of which is trying to follow God’s will, not our own.  In other words, obeying God and disobeying ourselves.  I know that’s a foreign idea to many and seems utterly ridiculous, but God alone leads us to true life.  Being obedient to God and following His holy will for us is true freedom.  

Each day, turn your will over to our Lord.  Ask Him to help you follow Him, to strengthen you.  Ask Him to grant you the grace to desire obedience, not to yourself, but to Him.  

“The natural life knows that if the spiritual life gets hold of it, all its self-centeredness and self-will are going to be killed and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to avoid that.”   C.S. Lewis

Suggestions

A friend, who told me I shouldn't post a reflection everyday on my blog, has pointed out to me that I haven't posted anything in over a week.  Make up your mind already! :-)  haha   If you must know why it's because spiritually, I had kind of a tough week last week - things are better now. 

Sometimes things strike me, something in a homily, something someone has said to me or something I've seen.  I usually meditate (almost said medicate - there's a big difference you know!) and see where the Holy Spirit takes me with those things.  I love listening to what our Lord says, even when the message isn't necessarily for me.

Is there any topic you'd like to see here?  Something you "heard" God talk to you about that you would like expanded on?  I certainly can't guarantee the Holy Spirit will speak to me on that subject, but our God works in mysterious ways - so suggestions are always welcome.

I'm sure I'll have a "real" reflection on here soon, but in the meantime, enjoy these beautiful quotes from our big brothers and sisters.

Love consumes us only in the measure of our self-surrender. -- St. Therese of Lisieux

Confession heals, confession justifies, confession grants pardon of sin. All hope consists in confession. In confession there is a chance for mercy. Believe it firmly. Do not doubt, do not hesitate, never despair of the mercy of God. Hope and have confidence in confession. --St. Isidore of Seville

The Holy Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessings. -- Blessed Alan de la Roche

We always find that those who walked closest to Christ were those who had to bear the greatest trials. -- St. Teresa of Avila

I am not capable of doing big things, but I want to do everything, even the smallest things, for the greater glory of God.- Saint Dominic Savio

GOD LOVES YOU

I tell you this for 2 reasons:

1)       Maybe no one has ever told you this before.  If that’s the case I’m sorry, because everyone should know how much they are loved by God, our Father in heaven.

2)     You may have forgotten and in that case, now you have been reminded.

Each and every one of us is loved by God the Father as though we were the only one He loves.  He loves all of us together, but also, individually.  You are a unique creation of God and He loves you, exactly as you are.

His love is unconditional – that means He loves you no matter what.  If you have done some things in your life that you are not proud of, turn to God.  He WILL forgive you, He WILL have mercy on you and He WILL ALWAYS love you.

If you feel as though something is missing in your life and you have searched and searched and searched and have been unable to find it, turn to God.  He alone can fill that void in your life.  He alone can complete you.

Too many people in this world are wounded in one way or another, they feel unloved and unwanted.  God loves you and He wants you, for eternity.  The easiest way to turn to God, right now, is to get down on your knees and ask God to come into your life.

I don’t know your background but I do know this, if you go to a Catholic Church (they can be found everywhere) and ask to talk to the priest and tell him that you would like to get to know God, he will help you.  Tell the priest where you are right now in your life – whether you are unbaptized or were baptized in the Catholic Church, the Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist or Presbyterian church, a priest will help you.  Same applies if you are Jewish, Hindu, Muslim or atheist. A priest will help you because he has dedicated his life to serving God and he wants you to get to heaven.  

If you need help finding a priest to help you, send me a message and I will gladly assist you in finding a priest in your area.

Until you are ready to take that step (I know it’s scary), spend a minute in prayer a few times a day and ask God to be with you.  Ask Him to show you His love for you.  Ask Him to fill in the gap between the love you have received in your life and the love you have needed.

God has prepared a place for you in Heaven because He loves you.  Ask Him to help you get there so you can spend eternity with the most loving of Fathers.

SMILE – God DOES love you!