Merry Christmas!

 May the Holy Spirit fill your Christmas with absolute joy!

May He fill your heart with wonder for the infant Jesus

in the arms of His mother, Mary.

May you hear the voice of the Holy Spirit 

in the silence of your prayers.

May you respond with courage and understanding

when He asks for your help.

May you open your heart to possibilities never imagined!

Merry Christmas!

Susan & Theresa

Advent, The Power Of The Holy Spirit: Week 4

 

  Actions speak louder than words. The gospels clearly demonstrate St. Joseph as a man who actively responds to God's Plan. While sleeping,
God sends a message through His angel to reveal to St Joseph that Mary has conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. Upon, waking Joseph dismisses his own plan and obeys God by bringing Mary into his home. Pope Benedict XVI helps us to understand the importance of the Holy Spirit.  "It is through the Holy Spirit who helps us in our incapacity, who illuminates our minds and warms our hearts, guiding us to turn to God."

 Joseph must have already been very familiar with the workings of the Holy Spirit and attuned to listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit. When Joseph learns the Holy Spirit came upon Mary, all doubt is eliminated from Joseph's mind. The Catechism teaches that "Knowledge of faith is possible only in the Holy Spirit: to be in touch with Christ, we must first have been touched by the Holy Spirit. He comes to meet us and kindle faith in us." (CCC683) Joseph believes and trusts in the power of the Holy Spirit. Illuminated by the Holy Spirit, Joseph understands that all things are possible with God.  Joseph responds to God's plan for salvation by bringing Mary into his home and allowing God's Plans to unfold. (It is interesting that Jesus' life begins and ends with a request for Mary to be brought into a disciple's home.)

 Spend these next few days before Christmas with St. Joseph. Reflect on listening and trusting the Holy Spirit and responding without doubts. St. Joseph was instrumental in bringing the Christ child safely into our midst. Ask St. Joseph to guide us as we share the Christ child with others.  

-Susan

Advent, The Power of the Holy Spirit: Week 3

 

 At the sound of Mary's voice, Elizabeth's son, John, leaps for joy, and Elizabeth receives the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enlightens both Elizabeth and John to recognize that Mary is pregnant with the long-awaited Messiah. It is important to note that the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus to Elizabeth and infuses Elizabeth with the knowledge of Mary being most blessed among all women. Elizabeth is both filled with joy and humbled by Mary's visit as she wonders, "And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?" (Luke 1:40)

 Elizabeth demonstrates that we should all respond to Mary with joy and humility. When we cry out to Mary, she is eager to help us. Mary, however, doesn't come alone. When Mary comes to our aid, she also brings the Holy Spirit and her son, Jesus. Wherever Jesus and the Holy Spirit are present, we also encounter God the Father. In His generosity and mercy, God allows Mary to act as a powerful magnet. When we cry out to Mary, Mary sets out in haste to bring the Holy Trinity into our lives! 

 This week joyfully embrace Mary! Let us cry out to the world that the Mother of our Lord has entered our homes as well. Let us pray with Mary as she eagerly awaits the birth of her son. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten us to the Presence of Jesus in our family, friends, and all that we encounter. I often imagine what it might have been like to pray to God in the same room with Mary and Elizabeth and their unborn sons. I am both delighted and humbled by this thought.   

-Susan

Feast Of The Immaculate Conception

 

 With God, all things are possible.  God gives each of us the graces we need to succeed in our mission.  Mary was chosen by God to be the vessel to bring Jesus into the world.  God desired her to be free from all sin in preparation for her mission.  Life begins at the moment of conception. Mary's heart was united with God from the very first moment of her life because no sin stood between them. If that was the end of Mary's story, that alone would be miraculous. 

  Mary's story is not finished.  Mary is the pure vessel God chose for His Son and the pure vessel through which He desires us to encounter Jesus.  If we go through Mary's heart, we can come so much closer to Jesus because there is no sin to separate us. Mary's heart has one desire. She desires us to be united with her Son.  Her heart is the path to Jesus. It is a path that is wide open to each of us.  We only need to cry out, "Hail Mary, full of grace!"

-Susan

 

Advent, The Power of the Holy Spirit: Week 2

"Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great in the sight of [the] Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb." (Luke1:13-15)

 Imagine an angel of the Lord announcing that your son will be filled with the Holy Spirit before he is even born!  This message was delivered to Zechariah before his son, John, was conceived and was fulfilled when Mary entered Zechariah's house. The moment John heard Mary's voice, he leaped for joy inside his mother's womb. 

 Although the Holy Spirit cannot be seen, He stirs the soul to experience the incredible joy and love of the Lord! The Holy Spirit helps us to recognize His Presence in our lives. John's heart is already beating for God even while he is still a fetus. Over time the Holy Spirit will increase John's understanding of God and prepare him for his mission. John will be the great prophet who prepares the world to repent from their sins so that their hearts will be open to receive Jesus.

 This week ask Mary to enter your house. Allow the Holy Spirit to fill you with joy when she greets you! Then, like John, announce to the world that Jesus is coming. Sing religious Christmas songs. Ask someone to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation with you. Share the Nativity story with someone in your life. The world still needs to have its hearts open to receive Jesus. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you be the prophet you were born to be.

-Susan

 

Advent, The Power of The Holy Spirit: Week 1

 

   Today we begin another Advent season! Like the Wise Men, we begin a journey to discover the newborn King! As I venture down this path, I have decided to let my compass point in the direction of the Holy Spirit. Each week I want to reflect on how the Holy Spirit prepared the world for the birth of Jesus.

  The gifts of the Holy Spirit help us to become holy. The Holy Spirit gives us the help we need to fulfill God's desired mission for each of us. Going it alone would be too hard. The Holy Spirit opens our eyes to God's vision of the world and how we should act towards others and God himself. The Holy Spirit gives us the courage to make difficult decisions and act upon them.

 This week I would like to focus on the Holy Spirit's actions within Mary. The Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will become the mother of Jesus. When Mary asks how this will occur, the angel says, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the child to be born will be called holy, the Son of God." (Luke 1:35). The Holy Spirit fills Mary completely, and she replies, "May it be done to me according to your word."(Luke 1:38). Enlightened with the gifts of Wisdom, Knowledge, and Courage, she perceives this message of truth to be God's Plan and says, "Yes!" 

 Before Jesus was crucified, He told Pilate, "For this I was born and for this I came into the world to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice." (John 18:37). Jesus was conceived in the womb of a virgin because Mary was devoted to God and recognized His voice. Mary did not listen to the voice of fear or doubt but trusted God without even knowing all the details. The Holy Spirit helped her understand that all things were possible with God.

 This week I will reflect on seeing what God thinks is possible in my life even though I may not see it. I will ask the Holy Spirit to amplify the truths of the Gospels to me so that I may hear the voice of God in my life. The child Jesus will soon be born, I do not want to be deaf to His cries.

-Susan

  

Counting My Blessings

 

     I really enjoy Thanksgiving! It is a holiday that is entirely centered around sharing a good meal with family and friends. Everyone lingers around the table a little longer conversing. It is a holiday we remember to thank God for our blessings in the past year. Not everyone is crazy about the idea of going around the table and declaring for what you are most grateful. In the past, I have been guilty of cringing when someone would suggest this tradition. Let's face it, some years are more challenging than others. Even when I know I'm blessed, I don't always feel blessed. Sadly. It is easier to remember what's wrong in my life rather than all the right little things.

     Recently, I've found I really don't have to say anything while sitting around the Thanksgiving table with my children and grandchildren. Sometimes, I prefer to remain quiet. I enjoy listening to new stories and recounting the old stories. I like to watch everyone's faces as they indulge in their favorite foods. As each bite is interrupted with laughter and smiles, I know I am richly blessed.

     Even though my life is far from perfect, I am a child of God. I am loved beyond measure on both my good days and my bad days. I am a sinner whose Father always leaves the door to forgiveness open. I am a trusting servant who can hold the hand of the Mother of God as I navigate my path in life. My life is not perfect, but when I look through the eyes of my faith, it really is quite beautiful!

-Susan