Are You On Target?

 

  I just got back from a nice vacation with my kids in the mountains.  We needed to drive through the night, and I had mapped out the town and church we would stop at in order to celebrate Sunday Mass.  As it turned out we were right on schedule.  We arrived in the church parking lot 15 minutes before 8:00 Mass at an old southern church, the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.  “Perfect ,” I thought to myself, “We are right on target.”
 I thought about this after Mass as we got into the car to continue a few more hours to our resort. If only being right on target with your faith could be this easy. But being “on target “ with God has a lot more to do than just showing up for Mass on time.  God has something to say to each of us. The Gospels aren’t just nice stories.  They contain incredible insight to deepen our faith.  When listening to the gospel put yourself inside the story. Sometimes we may find we are the leper in need of healing, sometimes we are the Pharisee that is quick to judge, sometimes we are the tax collector consumed with money and possessions, sometimes we are the lost sheep searching for the right path, on our best days we are Simon of Cyrene helping Jesus carry the cross.
 If we are honest with ourselves, we know that our target must be God’s Kingdom and not just somewhere close by. We have to shoot for the bullseye. Our faith is more than a set of rules to follow, it is more than blessings and physical healings, and it is more than living a comfortable life.  It is an arrow of truth and love and sacrifice. It is an arrow we must treasure and carefully aim every day. Our arrow is capable of hitting the target not because of our own merit and skills, but because we put our trust in the Good Shepherd and learn to love His flock the way He did. 

-Susan

Too Much

  Most of us can relate to having too much stress in our lives. Often it can be the result of too much responsibility, too much debt, too much work or too many people demanding our time. What is the solution?  Win the Lottery?  A fun thought but difficult odds. I suspect having too much money can cause it’s own set of problems. Jesus himself said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to get to heaven. 

  The opposite of stress is peace.  I was thinking about this when a thought came to mind.  Have I ever heard anyone complain about having too much of God’s love and peace in their lives?  

  Perhaps the best way to elevate stress is to pray for peace.  Not only for peace in our families and throughout the world, but for inner peace. Peace is one of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit. It is certainly a gift God wants us to have.  This week try to find spend some quiet moments of prayer.  Ask God to allow His peace to touch your heart and mind.  Stay in that moment as long as you can, and recall it throughout your day.  Let us strive to allow peace and not stress to fill our day.  Let us look forward to being able to exclaim, "I asked to be filled with the peace of Christ and He filled me completely." 

-Susan

Just Send Me a Sign

 Have you ever had a moment when your fear, or pain, or confusion was so great that you asked God for a sign? Sometimes we may feel blessed and reassured when we receive what we perceive to be a sign. But what happens when you do not see a sign?  Are you not blessed?  

 Is it possible that the sign we need cannot be seen with our eyes?  What if the sign is just outside the border of our faith?  What if we needed to push the boundaries of our faith just a little further to see God’s sign. What if we needed to trust God’s Plan more than our own. Often it is these moments of despair or confusion or pain, we desperately desire to feel close to God. We need to know we are loved.  What if we stopped looking for outward signs and instead embraced our circumstances clinging to God. Is it possible that our faith would grow beyond the sign we seek? Perhaps we would understand that it was so easy to put our arms around God because He had been at our side the entire time.

-Susan  

Come Back to Me Dear Child

 

-Susan

Happy Father's Day St. Joseph

 

  They are called the "hidden years."  It is actually a large span of time.  It is most of Jesus' life here on earth. Mary and Joseph spent more time with Jesus than anyone else.  I bet if we asked St. Joseph what he would call those years, he would call them "absolutely incredible years!"  Imagine St. Joseph's joy to hold baby Jesus in his arms, or the fun involved when playing with Jesus in the fields, or gazing at the stars together at night.  Imagine kneeling in prayer everyday with Mary on one side and Jesus on the other.  It had to be a foretaste of heaven for St. Joseph.

  I am certainly not discounting the stress of having to protect the long awaited Messiah and Mary, because I'm sure there were plenty of days  it weighed very heavy on him. Raising a child is difficult even under the best of circumstances , yet alone when authorities wanted your family eliminated.  I'm sure there were days when work was unavailable and food was scarce, but since today is Father's Day, I want to imagine the fun times.

  Have you ever wondered if St. Joseph told "dad jokes?"  Did Jesus laugh at his jokes?  What kind of jokes do you think Jesus shared with Joseph?  What was their favorite father/son activity (after praising God of course)? Did they ever play innocent tricks on Mary?  Often when we see statues or paintings of the Holy Family they seem so serious, but I can't help thinking they had a lot of fun too.  Today as I remember all the good times I had with my own father, I'm going to imagine the Holy Family smiling, laughing, and reminiscing about all their good times as well.

-Susan

The Beauty That Surrounds Us

 

  I was taking a bike ride a couple of weeks ago when I passed by this field.  "Wow! That's absolutely beautiful!"  I thought to myself.  

  I showed the picture to my kids and they responded similarly.  "Where is that field at?"  They were surprised when I told them it was near the entrance of our subdivision.  Beauty isn't just in the eye of the beholder, it sometimes depends on what time your eyes are opened.

  It's easy to take for granted the beauty that surrounds us every day. Beautiful friendships, a loving family, good health, or financial stability may go unnoticed or underappreciated until one day they are gone. I rode by that same field today and most of the flowers have faded and simply blend in with the foliage.

 Whether we are surrounded by beauty or we find ourselves being choked by life's weeds, the Lord expects us to bloom. During the seasons when we are not "flowering", God is still showering us with graces and fertilizing the roots of our faith. Sometimes we may not even realize that the seeds of our faith have become attached to others and will bloom without us ever knowing.  God is always working through and around us even if it looks like our current circumstances are dormant or trampled upon.

  Today, whether you are gloriously blooming or feeling a bit wilted, go out and hold your head up high.  Look towards the heavens and tell God, "I am firmly planted in Your Love, and I trust the seasons and pruning to you, O Lord! My life is in your hands. Allow me to notice and appreciate the beauty of my life.!"

-Susan

True Joy

 

  Finding joy in our lives isn't always easy.  Some days it feels as if everything is working against us.  When you are having "one of those days," remember that God is working for you. He is calming your thoughts, enlightening your mind, and softening your heart. Only a soft heart can feel His tender touch. Only a mind at peace is open to understanding. Only a will joined with His will bring true joy!

-Susan