Meditations

Read more about the article Blessed Are The Merciful

Blessed Are The Merciful

This Lent is different from every other Lent we have ever experienced and we all can sense that we need to respond to Our Lord’s call to repent.  We are sincere in our desire to do better, just as we are every year, but this year we need to go deeper.  Every Lent we work on giving up our vices, sins, and bad habits and succeed for a short time, but then we slide backward.  This happens because we are only pulling out the weeds that are easily visible; we need to dig deep and pull out the roots.  At the root is our lack of forgiveness.  Yes, we do struggle to forgive, again and again, and we keep having to forgive every time something triggers the memory of the hurt and the pain.  We need to get to that place where we can let go of the pain.

Letting go of the pain is not easy.  As bad as it is, it is ours and we therefore hold onto it.  Sit with that a minute because I am pretty sure you have not thought about it quite this way before.  The hurts we have experienced, whether physical, emotional, or psychological can run very deep.  When we refuse to let them go, it is like keeping a vicious dog chained in our yard near our front door.  Every time we go near the dog it bites us.  We should get the dog out of our yard, but we don’t.  We keep letting it bite us and injure us every time we go by.  We have anxiety about leaving the house, but we still keep the dog.  Even worse, it keeps our beloved Jesus on the other side of fence when he really wants to be invited and welcomed into our home.  Yes, our lack of forgiveness creates a barrier so that Jesus is unable to dwell in our hearts (He respects our free will) and bring with Him His peace.

There are so many different reasons how and why we got here, but there is one path out of this pain.  We need to take our suffering to Jesus.  Confess our sins and our lack of forgiveness.  The Holy Spirit can bring us graces to help us.  Spend time in Eucharistic Adoration every week.  It is in the silence that Jesus comes to us to heal us.  This takes time, so carve out an hour a week for a new habit.  Meditate on the Sorrowful Mysteries.  What was Jesus experiencing and how was He feeling?  He has experienced every suffering that we have ever had so He understands.  If we offer up our suffering to Him and join it to His suffering on the Cross, our suffering takes on redemptive value, and like Jesus, our Heavenly Father will send us angels to help us in our suffering and our own St. Simon to help us carry our crosses.  The cross doesn’t go away, but we will be at peace and be given the grace to let go.

Once the vicious dog is gone, we can transform our hearts into an inviting garden. We find it easier to replace bad habits with good habits.  Our prayers and Lenten offerings really become magnified and our prayers are more fruitful.  A heart that gives mercy is also more open to embracing the mercy that Jesus offers us.  When Jesus emerges from the tomb on Easter Sunday, we too will emerge as a better version of ourselves, ready to receive the renewal of the gifts the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

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Read more about the article The Leper is Healed

The Leper is Healed

In today’s Gospel, Jesus heals a leper.  In Biblical times, leprosy was incurable and highly contagious. It was considered a punishment for sin.  People believed that what was on the inside was manifested on the outside.  The leper was therefore not shown mercy, but cast out from society.  When Jesus approaches the leper and touches him, this is the first human contact the leper has had in years.  The leper has lived apart from family and friends and has not received a human touch let alone a hug for a very long time.  Jesus reaches out with compassion, mercy, and love and touches him, healing first his broken spirit and then healing his body.

In our society today, leprosy is more widespread than ever and far more damaging because it is on the inside where we don’t readily see it and we are insensitive to the damage it causes because we have lived this way for so long.  Jesus comes to us this Lent to heal us of our leprosy.

Our leprosy is a disease of the heart.  How many times have we been rejected from family and friends because we don’t conform in some way to who they think we should be or how they believe we should think?  How many times do we feel the need to “fit in” because we are afraid that others won’t like our real selves?  How many times do we have judgmental thoughts or say unkind things about others because they are different from us?  Each of us has been both the leper and the one who has treated another as a leper in some way. This is precisely what Jesus wants to heal in us and He will heal us if we approach Him with faith.

Jesus knows everything about us; we cannot hide our flaws, idiosyncrasies, or sins from Him.  Yet when we were in sin He died for us.  Even in our most unlovable moments, He still loves us.  More than anything else, this fact should give us the courage to look deep inside ourselves because He will heal everything we don’t like seeing if we ask Him.  He awaits our approach to give us His mercy, the same mercy He had for the lepers of biblical times.  His mercy in the Sacrament of Reconciliation completely restores us and cleans even our darkest corners.

He wishes to heal our woundedness from being treated as a leper as well.  Just as He touched the leper, He touches us in the holy Eucharist.  He places Himself in our hands.  This isn’t a figure of speech.  God Himself descends from Heaven and transubstantiates – changes – the bread and wine into Himself.  We have the incredible gift of being able to touch Him and be touched by Him every day of our lives.  How many wounds He can heal if we trust Him! This Lent He invites us to be reconciled with Him.  He waits for us with mercy, ready to forgive.  He waits for us with love and compassion, ready to heal.  We don’t have to be lepers anymore.  The fulness of Easter joy awaits us if we simply ask Him to touch us.

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Read more about the article Ordinary Time

Ordinary Time

The feasts of the Liturgical Season of Christmas (Christmas, Mary Mother of God, Epiphany and the Baptism of the Lord) have passed and we are now in Ordinary Time.  For many, it’s time for the post-Christmas blues as we pass through the cold, dark, winter days waiting for spring.  But this week, the readings start off with an invitation and miracles. “The Kingdom of God is at hand.” “Follow Me.” Jesus casts out unclean spirits and heals the sick (Mark 1-2).

What is Jesus saying to us about ordinary time?  When He walked into Capernaum and cast out demons who ravaged their victims, it was an ordinary day.  People were caring for their families, even those with unclean spirits, as best they could and Jesus walked right into their messy lives and healed them.  People were busy at work; Peter and Andrew casting their nets and James and John mending theirs. An ordinary day, and Jesus walked up to them and invited them to follow Him.  He healed Peter’s mother-in-law of an ordinary fever, then healed many in the town.  The first four apostles dropped everything in their lives when He invited them to travel with Him as He preached to the towns of Galilee.

Ordinary time is an invitation to build up our faith by letting God into even the small moments in our lives.  Did your teething baby keep you up all night?  God was there.  Did your child take his first steps? God was there.  Did you have a nagging headache because work was stressful?  God was there. Did you wash 3 loads of laundry? God was there.  Did you do home repair or car maintenance? God was there.  Did you serve yet another delicious meal to your family – or burn the pot like I did?  God was there.  Did you enjoy a phone call from a dear friend? God was there.  Did you spend the evening paying bills? God was there.  Did you receive a hug — or experience the loneliness of no hug today? God was there.  Did you enjoy a sunny day, a beautiful sunset, a starry night — or experience yet another day of ongoing rain, snow, or cold?  God was there.  

He is with us in all these moments and calls us to be present with Him in the present moment.  It is in the “now” that we build relationships with others and with God.  He wants time with us for daily conversation and that also means being quiet long enough for Him to speak.  How different would your day have been if you had talked to Him about your weariness, disappointment, frustration, boredom, or sorrow – or thanked Him for all the moments of laughter and joy?  How different will tomorrow be when you realize He is right there helping you carry your crosses?  How different will tomorrow be when you notice all the blessings and little miracles around you?

Our circumstances may not change, but our ability to endure the sorrows and relish the joys certainly will.  Even more important than changing our attitude is changing our relationship with Him. This is how He transformed fishermen into saints, one ordinary day at a time. And He wants to transform our ordinary moments into moments of grace because acknowledging His presence transforms us.  So, what is Jesus saying to you on this ordinary day? 

Thanks to my friend Pam Delgado for letting me use her beautiful picture of Lake Tahoe in this reflection.

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Read more about the article Epiphany

Epiphany

Today is Epiphany.  Just as the wise men brought their gifts to Baby Jesus, we also can present our gifts to Him.  What gift can we give God? The gift He desires most – ourselves.  He wants us entirely and completely.   Yes, I know this may be intimidating, and we have all of our excuses lined up.

“But I’m a sinner.”  Yes, I said that too. St. Peter denied Jesus.  St. Paul was responsible for the persecution and murder of Christians.  St. Mary Magdalene had seven demons cast out from her (I can’t even begin to imagine her sins).  If Jesus forgave them and gave new life to them, there is hope for you and me.

“But I don’t want to change who I am.”  I tried that one too. Who do you think gave you all your talents?  Why would He bless you with all your unique gifts and then withhold them from you for choosing to follow Him? Jesus does not call us to become who we are not; He calls us to be the best selves we can be.  We all have our flaws and are trying to become better, but if we give ourselves to Jesus, how much more He can help us to become the better human beings we would like to be.

“But I don’t want to give away all my stuff.”  I don’t know about you, but my stuff wears out and I have no problem parting with the stuff that is old, broken, and doesn’t fit anymore. (Yes, I still have a few sentimental favorites like my son’s Baptismal outfit.) More importantly, it’s not about giving up what we want, but being happy with what we have.  And if stuff really made us happy, we would not have to constantly buy more of it.  If we really want the things that don’t wear out, we need to think about what treasures we are storing up in Heaven.  Are we generous?  Are we kind?  Are we forgiving?  Are we patient?  Are we loving?  Do we offer up our prayers, works, joys, and sufferings to God every day?  These are the things offered with love that build up our treasures in Heaven.

“But I don’t want to give up my goals.”  This one worried me too.  I had lots of plans for my life that included starting my own business and having material success.  I had my MBA and was making progress on my plan.  Then I gave birth and the doctor presented my son to me.  As I held him in my arms everything changed 180 degrees.  I suddenly realized that I couldn’t leave him.   This was the Holy Spirit at work.  I told my husband, “We need to talk.  I can’t go back to work.  I can’t leave our son.”  He smiled at me and said, “As I watched the doctor place him in your arms I realized that I didn’t want you to go back to work.  I want you to raise our son.  I prayed that the Holy Spirit would somehow change your mind.”  Wow!  No one had to drag me away from my plans.  Suddenly I wanted God’s plan more than anything I have ever wanted before.  This is a profound grace.  My life today looks nothing like I had imagined it would; it’s even better.  God’s plan has fulfilled me in ways I could never have imagined and brought me joy that I never knew existed.  He wants to do the same for you if you will let Him.

This Epiphany Jesus wants the gift of you. As you are. Unconditionally.  So let us approach our Baby God in the manger and bring Him the gift He desires most. 

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