A Touching Meditation

 

  Imagine if you could place your hand in the hand of Jesus, what would you feel? Would you be consumed with love?  Would you feel like a small child trusting to follow where you are led?  Would you feel the history of time in the lines of His palm?  Would all of your loneliness fade away?  Would you feel empowered, joyous, healed, or timid? Would you feel all the missed opportunities you had to love Him? 

 Would you dare to feel the nail marks in His hand?  If you had the courage to touch the nail marks, would you suddenly realize how much pain each sin can cause?  Would you be able to look Jesus in the eye as your finger penetrated the mark?
  

  This week look closely at the hand of Jesus. What do you see?  What do you feel?  Open your mind to new possibilities. How would your life be different if you lived the rest of your life always holding Jesus’ hand?

-Susan

How Do You See things?

     Many of us are familiar with the saying “Is the glass half empty or half full? “  I wondered if we could each ask ourselves the same question about our faith life. Is my faith life half empty or half full?  Is attending Sunday Mass an obligation or is it an amazing encounter with Jesus?  Is praying just a daily habit or is it the best part of my day? Do I complain about my problems    or do I pray, "Jesus I trust in You?" Am I trying to become more successful or more loving?   Do I want more out of life or more of God’s life in me?  Do I long to dwell in the Kingdom or is the Kingdom dwelling in me?

  Sometimes I make the mistake of viewing things from the wrong point of view. Not only do I need to carry my faith in my heart, but I need to put my heart into my faith.  It's important to realize that the cup isn’t half empty because God didn’t give us enough, the cup is half empty because He wanted to give us everything:

 “drink from this all of you for this is my blood of the covenant which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”  Mat 26:28

-Susan 

Happy Birthday Mary

  Today we celebrate the birth of Mary! What do you get the woman who is full of grace?  What could she possibly want or need?  Well I have a suggestion.  Take a piece of paper and write the word "YES" on it.  Before you place it in a gift bag, tell Mary you give her permission to help you change one of your habits, so that you can draw closer to Jesus. I honestly think this is the gift that she craves from all of us. Nothing would make her happier, than if the world began loving her son more. As she opens up your gift, be ready to open your heart to whatever she shares with you. Imagine your "yes" is what she is wishing for as she blows out her birthday candles.

-Susan

We Want Justice

  Last night I made a mistake. I was somewhere where I shouldn’t have been.  It was dark and confusing. It seemed like a good idea before it all happened.  For once I was in the inner circle. I was privy to hear the conversations that mattered. Last night was supposed to be the night to stop these injustices. This new movement had to be stopped. We were ready and so were are weapons.  
 We gathered late last night. My weapon was not as impressive as everyone else's. The whole group was worked up for this. This was going to be a night to remember.  And that’s when it happened. I started feeling uncomfortable.  I wondered, "Are we taking things too far?  Is this really what I want to be known for?"  I chose to ignore my conscience. These men know what they are doing.  I had listened to their arguments. They were very convincing, but yet, I had this nagging feeling. " Was there another side?  Do I know everything?"
 I pushed away my doubts and followed the group. We were ready for a confrontation. We wanted justice.  When we arrived,  our informer approached the enemy. I couldn’t hear what was being said. Then out of nowhere a sword swung in front of me catching the side of my head.  I reached my hand up in pain. My hand was covered in blood.  My ear was gone!

  The man we had come for walked straight up to me, bent down, and picked up my severed ear. He placed his hand on my head and my ear was miraculously reattached.  I stood there. I couldn’t comprehend what had just happened. How could this man be the enemy?
 Within minutes my group had a rope around him. We had successfully arrested him. We did it!  I couldn’t help wondering though...what did we do? As we walked back, I watched the others abuse this man.  "Is this what justice looks like?  This didn’t feel right. This man was not my enemy.  He had saved me.  He cared about me.  Why?  I am no one."

  New thoughts kept going around and around in my head.  "Love not hate. Love not hate." I could feel my panic raising with my thoughts.  What had I done?  My mind could no longer convince my feet to move, so I just stood still and silent as my group continued moving forward. When my group was out of sight, my legs buckled underneath me, and I fell to the ground weeping. In desperation I called out, "Lord, have mercy on me, your servant Malchus.  I have done something terrible." I realized I no longer wished for justice, instead, I begged for forgiveness.

(fictional story based off the Gospel of John)

-Susan

  

The Sky Is The Limit

  My sister invited me to come stay at her summer house last month.  It is in a quiet little town a few hours away from my home.  The first night there she said, "It's a clear night and I want to see the comet everyone's talking about.  Do you want to come?"
  "Sure." I answered.  We got into her car and drove to the top of the bluff.  When we stepped out of the car and looked up, I was in awe.  I had never seen so many stars in my life.  It was breathtaking.  Within a few minutes we found the comet just below the Big Dipper. It was an exciting discovery!  As I stood there gazing at all those stars, I thanked God for sharing this moment with me.  It was so beautiful and peaceful.  The night sky looked so much different than it did back home.
  While I was praying  today, I was suddenly reminded of that night.  I felt there was a connection between that beautiful night and my pray life.  Sometimes when I pray, I feel like I do when I'm at home looking at the stars.  I can only see a few possibilities, because my vision is limited.  God, however, is full of possibilities!  That's why it is so important for me to spend time away from everything else and just be with God.  God helps me to see that there are possibilities that I have not even imagined.  God's ways are so much higher than my ways.  I need to trust Him.  That night, my plan was to see the comet, but I realize now, that sometimes God may want to open my eyes to see a much bigger picture.

-Susan

The Moment

 Saturday was my Dad’s Memorial Mass.  His death occurred several months earlier when our diocese was in lock down due to the coronavirus, and we were not allowed to gather for mass or funerals.  The fact that his home parish offered us the date of August 15th seemed like such a blessing. August 15th is the day we celebrate the Assumption of Mary into heaven and my Dad had a great devotion to Mary. 
 I spent the day wondering about "the moment" you leave earth. I imagined what Mary must have felt to see the face of Jesus, her beloved son and her Messiah.  Her joy, I’m sure, had to be beyond any words.  Mary was carried body and soul into heaven and crowned Queen of Heaven.  To hear the angels sing on that day must have been amazing!
 Although for the rest of us, the resurrection of our bodies will occur at some later date, our souls will be able to gaze upon the face of Jesus after we leave this world.  Imagine the joy we will feel!  I’m sure it will be beyond words for us, too!  
 The loss of my dad weighs heavy on my heart, but knowing that he was joining the angels' voices as all of heaven celebrated the Assumption of Mary, makes me smile.  It is ironic that death is painful only for the living, for the dying it is the beginning of eternal happiness. My Dad knew this. He thought we should always remember the promises of our faith at a funeral.
 We ended my Dad's Memorial Mass with the song "Soon and Very Soon".  It was one of my Dad's favorites. We all clapped with the beat as we sang, and at the song's end we clapped even louder.  After Mass, the organist told me that was one of the most uplifting funeral masses she had ever experienced.  I smiled and said, "That is exactly the way my Dad wanted it to be!" 

-Susan

God's Amazing Grace

 

  I had the opportunity to experience some amazing Lake Michigan sunsets this summer. This was one of my favorites because the bagpiper played Amazing Grace as the sun slowly dipped into the horizon. It was a perfect way to end my evening. I love photographing sunsets. I can easily take over 20 pictures because it just gets more and more beautiful with each passing minute. 

  I think that’s what spending eternity with God will be like as well. I think each moment will be more beautiful than the last. All the trials and sufferings we endured will fade away and the Son will shine with radiance. I am looking forward to experiencing the Amazing Grace God has in store for me!

-Susan