Letting Go

   This week as we all continue to follow the path Jesus has asked us to climb, I would like to invite you to take a moment of rest.  Place yourself in the following encounter and meditate on any truths that may be revealed to you.

  You are steadily walking up a path. When you reach the top of the hill you see Jesus sitting on a large rock.  He smiles and calls out your name.  He motions for you to join Him.  Your excitement grows with each step you take. The thought of sitting next to Jesus fills you with happiness.  You are about two steps away when you suddenly stop in your tracks.  The Almighty One is before you. Reverently you bow your head and kneel before Him. Your mouth opens as your soul speaks, "Lord, I am a sinner.  I am not worthy."

  As you bow your head, you feel Jesus place his hands on the sides of your head close to your face.  The most incredible feeling of love flows through your entire body.  Your body no longer has weight; you feel only love.  Jesus again speaks your name and says, "I desire to heal you, if you will allow it."

  "Yes, Lord! Yes!" you beg. Next you feel Jesus slowly slide his fingers and then the palms of His hand up the sides of your head until they are no longer touching you.  As this occurs, you feel as if something has been removed, although you know you weren't wearing anything on your head.

  "There," Jesus says, "That is much better.  I have no idea why you would ever want to wear this."

  For a moment you are very confused.  You quickly look up to see what Jesus has removed. You are completely baffled.  Between His hands are countless strings randomly intertwined.  You shake your head and say, "Lord I do not understand.  Where did that come from?"

  Jesus places the stringy mess on the ground. He reaches His hand out and invites you to rise and sit next to Him.  "You placed it there.  That is a circle of lies that you have told yourself over and over or have allowed others to tell you.  It really messes with your thoughts-it's very destructive."

  "I'm sorry, I'm not really understanding," you admit. "How did you know they were there?"

  Jesus smiles at you. "I know your thoughts.  Can I ask you something?"  Do you really believe that I love you?" Jesus asks.

  "Yes, of coarse," you reply.

  "Do you believe that through Baptism you became a child of God?"

  "Yes."

  "Then why do you look to the world for approval and self worth?  You have been made with such love and beauty. I would love to tell you how I see you.  Are you interested?  I desire for you to wear a crown of glory, not a circle of lies."

  You look down at the circle of lies and let out a big sigh.  It looks like such a mess, and now that it's visible, it looks very familiar.  "Jesus I really don't want to live with those thoughts anymore.  There are times when I seem to have no control over them.  They have a way of stealing peace and happiness from me.  There are a couple in particular that I would really like to talk about.  Can we start with those?"

  "Yes, my child, let's uncover some truths together."  Jesus places His arm around your shoulder as you walk this next path together.

-Susan

  

  

Are You Listening?

  As we enter into the desert for Lent, each of us must choose our own path.  A path that should challenge us to persevere when we grow weary, thirst for living water, and hunger for the bread of life. Which path is Jesus calling you to walk? Do you hear His call? When Pilate asked Jesus if he was a king, Jesus replied, “You say I am a king.  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)

  If you are not hearing the voice of Jesus, it may be because you have stopped listening to the truth.  Whose voice shapes your opinions, your decisions, your attitudes?  This Lent close your eyes to all your daily, worldly influences, and invite Jesus to enlighten your heart and mind to the Truth.  Be completely open to His love.  Be open to change.  Be completely silent and listen. If you wish to make progress and move forward on your path,  you must first encounter His voice. 

-Susan

Ash Wednesday 2021

 

  Our Lenten journey begins again. It is our yearly pilgrimage, but ask yourself, "Am I beginning in the same place as I did last year?"  Did your journey last year bring you closer to Christ?  If it did you should begin from a new vantage point.  Since your desire is to move closer to Christ, examine your current path. Don't take the same path as last year, because that would be moving backwards.

  When Jesus was arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, He "went out and said to them, 'Whom are you looking for?'  They answered him, 'Jesus the Nazorean.  He said to them, 'I Am.'"

  Before you head off to the desert with Jesus this Lent,  imagine that you first encounter Him in the garden and He asks you, "Whom are you looking for?"  Take some time to answer Jesus and ask Him what path you should take.

-Susan

Puzzled: A Piece from Heaven

 

  Lizzy was sitting at the dining room table admiring the framed puzzles on the wall while Jim made coffee. It had been several years now since they had finished Jim’s puzzle. It was funny because every time Lizzy and Jim thought they had discovered everything the puzzles could reveal, someone would discover something they had never considered. Lizzy smiled at her own thought, "God’s work is never done. There is always something that needs doing." Lizzy noticed the frames needed dusting. As she got up, Lizzy felt a strange tightening across her chest. It started to become very uncomfortable. She was able to yell, “Jim!” just before she lost consciousness and fell to the floor. 

  Lizzy lost all concept of time. She remembers barely opening her eyes and seeing Jim’s worried face over hers. He was holding her hand and it felt like they were moving. She could hear sirens wailing. Breathing was very difficult and she let her eyes close again.

  The next time Lizzy opened her eyes she instantly smiled.  An incredible warm light seemed to radiate from the most beautiful face she had ever seen! Mary, the Virgin Mother of God was standing beside her!  Mary returned her smile and said,”How are you feeling Lizzy?”

  Lizzy looked down and saw the IVs and monitor leads. “I’m in a hospital?  I don’t remember coming here.  I was at home.  Jim was making me coffee.  I was looking at the puzzles.  I think I got up...hmm....I don’t remember.....I don’t remember what I did next.”

  “That’s because you had a heart attack,” informed Mary. 

   Lizzy started to shake.  “ Oh, my gosh, am I dead?”

  “No.  Jim called 911 and did CPR until the ambulance came.”

  “Oh, poor Jim.  That must have been so hard on him.  Is he okay?”

  “Yes, Jim is pretty upset. He is very worried about you, but he is okay. How are you Lizzy?”

  “ I feel a little strange.  My body feels heavy and my mind feels cloudy."

  “I’m not surprised.  They have given you a lot of medication.”

  “What should I do?” Lizzy wondered. 

  “Would you like to pray?” asked Mary. 

  “That would be wonderful,” replied Lizzy. “Is that why you are here?”

  “Yes,  Jim has been praying nonstop.  He has begged for my intercession and God has granted his request.”

  “Praise God!  Thank you for this special blessing.  Mary can I ask you something before we pray?”

  “What would you like to know?”

  “Is God pleased with me?  Am I doing His Will?” Lizzy humbly asked. 

  Mary smiled. “Knowing God’s Will can sometimes be puzzling.”

  “Yes, yes I agree.  I kept praying to know God’s Will, and then He sent me a puzzle.  I continued praying the entire time I worked on the puzzle. Jim helped me, and the kids helped me, and even my grandkids helped me.  There were times that I thought I would never complete the puzzle, and then I would go to Mass, pray, receive the Holy Eucharist, and when I got home more of the pieces fit together! As the puzzle revealed things I felt so inspired.  I felt the Holy Spirit urging me to do things.  I did my best to respond, but I never felt like I had completed the puzzle.”

  Mary smiled.  “You only see one dimension of the puzzle. If you saw all the other dimensions you would be completely amazed!  You thought you were working on discovering God’s Will, and you were, but at the same time you helped your whole family discover God’s Will in their lives. The puzzle had a message, but you were the messenger. As you talked about your faith and discovering God’s Will you sparked joy and curiosity in the others. They began searching for the Truth right alongside you.  They watched you pray, they watched you wonder, they listened not because you were preaching, but because you drew them into God’s mystery.  They watched and helped you decipher God’s plans and were inspired when you acted on these inspirations.  They fell in love with God as they became a part of your loving relationship with God. It is all so beautiful! You are not able to see all dimensions right now, but when you come home to your Heavenly Father all will be revealed.”

   “Are you taking me there now?”  Lizzy asked.

  “No. It’s not time yet. I’m here to pray with you so that you may become stronger. You were right. There are still things for you to discover in your puzzle, and things you will help Jim discover in his puzzle.  I have been allowed to tell you that someone in your family has also been praying very hard to know God's Will. They will soon be receiving their own puzzle and will need your help."

  Lizzy smiled. "We have all been so blessed!  Will you please tell the Lord how grateful I am?"

  "I definitely can let Him know.  I have one more special message to share with you. This is for you."  Mary placed a small puzzle piece in Lizzy's hand.  "This is the piece that joins your puzzle with your mother's puzzle.  She has been praying very hard for you, too."

  "It's from my Mom?!"  Lizzy's eyes filled with tears of love.

  "Are your ready to pray now?" Mary asked.

  "Yes, please," Lizzy answered.

  Mary led Lizzy in prayer and when she grew weary, Mary lovingly embraced her and prayed for both of them.  Before Mary left, she spiritually joined Jim in his prayers so that he would be strengthened with God's love as well.

  It was several hours later when Lizzy opened her eyes again.  She saw Jim in a chair next to her.  She reached out to squeeze Jim's hand and whispered, "I'm going to be ok, Jim. Thank you for your prayers."

  Jim had never been more grateful to hear Lizzy's voice.  He leaned over a kissed her forehead.  Lizzy smiled and whispered, "I love you," before closing her eyes again.  

  Her grip on Jim's hand relaxed, and that's when Jim felt something between their hands.  He turned Lizzy's hand over and saw a small puzzle piece. Jim shook his head in disbelief.  "Where in the world did this come from?" he thought to himself. He put the puzzle piece in his pocket for safe keeping. "I can't wait to see where this fits in."  He smiled at the thought, and then continued to pray.

-Susan

Puzzled- The Missing Piece

(This story began on 1/25/21.)

  The one thing different about this box was the name.  This box had Jim's name on it.  "Jim, this is for you!"

  "I don't remember ordering anything."  Once inside Jim opened the box to discover lots of puzzle pieces.  "Well it looks like I have my own secret message puzzle.  Are you ready to do this all over again?"

  "You bet!" answered Lizzy.

  Jim was intrigued at what his own puzzle might reveal.  He wasted no time getting started and invited the kids and grandchildren to help.  There was definitely a lot of excitement around the table again as the weeks went past.  Jim's puzzle was very different from Lizzy's, but there were definitely some common themes. Jim's puzzle had lots of bible verses connecting the faces and symbols together.  Jim spent a lot of time meditating on the passages and then sharing their significance with everyone.  

  Lizzy loved watching Jim open up the Bible with the grandchildren and then asking them what they thought the significance could be.  Lizzy was surprised how good Jim was at sharing his faith with the grandkids. In the past, Jim had generally allowed Lizzy to answer all the faith questions with their own children. Lizzy causally brought up the topic one night when they were doing the puzzle together.  "Jim you did such a nice job sharing your faith tonight with the grandkids.  How come you never did that with Renee and Nolan while they were growing up?"

  "Well I guess I never felt that comfortable with it.  It was easier to let you do it because you were always so good at it.  I was watching and listening though.  I guess you could say that you were a very good teacher to me as well.  After all these years, I finally got brave enough to give it a try.  I thought it would be a lot harder, but it's really not."  Jim leaned over and kissed Lizzy on the cheek and said, "The kids and I have been very blessed that you always had the courage to share your faith."  Lizzy smiled.  It was one of the sweetest compliments Jim had given her.

  One evening Nolan and his children were helping with the puzzle.  His youngest Tyler was very excited to say, "Dad look I found the missing piece to the top of the puzzle!'

  "That's not the right piece," said his older brother Nick.  "Look it's not a straight border piece. It has an "outie" projection coming off the top.  That means it has to connect to another piece."

  Nolan looked empathetically at his younger son and hoping his feelings weren't hurt too bad.  "Let me take a look, Tyler."  Nolan looked at the puzzle piece. It did fit perfectly.  "I think Tyler is right!  It doesn't make sense but that is the right piece."

  "Let me see," said Jim.  Jim stared at the piece, and then grabbed his bible. The piece filled in the chapter of a bible verse, and the verse was very relevant.  "I would have never tried that piece there.  It doesn't make sense, but yet it works with the puzzle.  Why would there be a connecting piece coming from the top of the puzzle?"

  Lizzy leaned over to get a closer look.  "Oh my gosh!" Lizzy gasped. I have looked for that exact shape for years!  Lizzy turned around and grabbed her framed puzzle from the wall.  She carefully removed the glass and slid "her puzzle" adjacent to Jim's.  The awkward puzzle piece sticking up from Jim's puzzle fit exactly in one of Lizzy's "missing" border pieces! "I thought that piece was lost all these years! I guess it just hadn't been discovered yet!  Great job,Tyler!  You solved one of the mysteries!"

  "I did!"  Tyler smiled wide with pride.

  "Well I guess it makes a lot of sense that the plans God has for Mom's life would  connect in some way with the plans God has for your life Dad!" said Nolan.

  "So Grandma do you think your other missing pieces will connect to someone else?" asked Nick.

(To be continued...)

Puzzled- Putting the Pieces Together

 (This story began on post 1/25/21.)

  Lizzy began working on the puzzle right after Mass the next day.  She hadn't done a puzzle in years.  She began sorting through the pieces trying to organize them in possible piles. In her head she could hear her mother's voice from her childhood, "Lizzy find all the straight edge pieces first.  Then build from there."  Lizzy smiled at the memory, and wished with all her heart her mother was still here to help her.  She thanked God for having blessed her life with such a wonderful mother.  

  Before she knew it a few hours had passed by and Lizzy had made little progress with the puzzle.  This was going to take a long time to complete.  Later that afternoon Lizzy's oldest daughter, Renee, stopped by with her kids. " Hey Mom, what are you up to?" Renee asked.

  "Well I'm trying to put this puzzle together.  The puzzle was made just for me and there is a secret message about my life within it. I could really use some help with it."

  "That sounds intriguing.  What do you say guys, do you want to help Grandma find a secret message?"

  "Ya!" the three grandkids shouted back.

  "Great!  I'll go get us some snacks and we can talk and eat while we work on it," said Lizzy.  Time passed quickly as they all talked and laughed that afternoon.  The kids all came up with their own stories about the hidden message Grandma would find.  Lizzy worked on a section that appeared to be stained glass windows.

 "Hey Grandma," began Tommy, "Those pieces look like church windows. Maybe this is a secret message from God."

  Lizzy smiled.  "Well that would make me very happy!"

  "Mom come look at my pieces," said Eva.  "It looks like me when I was little." 

  Renee walked around the table to get a closer look.  "Oh my gosh, that does look like your face, Eva! But it also looks like mine, because you look just like me!"

  "Except I'm cuter!" teased Eva as everyone laughed.

  That was the beginning of many days and weeks and months to follow.  Lizzy worked on the puzzle when time allowed.  At first her husband Jim wasn't too interested, but as time went by the puzzle began to reveal things.  More faces became evident, some were familiar, and some were not. There were lots of symbols as well-- cross, dove, chalice, a cloverleaf, a music note, and a rosary to name a few.  Sometimes the symbols were being held by the different people and sometimes they seemed to connect them. There were lots of different books mixed into the scene as well. Jim enjoyed analyzing what the symbols could mean in regards to each person, and even researched the book covers. Some of the books Lizzy had already read, and the rest became a part of "I want to read that one" collection. Lizzy was surprised when Jim began to read them as well.

  Lizzy's son Nolan and his family also spent time working on the puzzle.  Everyone found themselves in the puzzle.  Nolan was excited and called one evening to let Jim know he had just found one of the books Jim had been researching.  "I've been looking and looking for that book, but I couldn't find it," admitted Jim.

  "Dad the reason you couldn't find it was because it was just published three days ago!" explained Nolan.  Jim was completely amazed.

  When the puzzle was completed Lizzy and Jim glued the pieces down to a piece of cardboard and then framed it.  They hung it on the wall in the dining room where it continued to be a conversation piece for years.  It was amazing that some of the faces that originally were not familiar, became recognizable over time. The only disappointing part of the puzzle was that in the time it took to build it, four pieces had been lost.  It didn't ruin the picture at all, but Lizzy always wished she hadn't lost them. 

  Lizzy had wished the secret message behind the puzzle would have been a more obvious reveal.  Although the she and the family had come up with many different theories, Lizzie never knew for sure which one was closest to the truth.  Lizzy, however, found it was more useful to see the puzzle as inspiration rather than concrete instruction.  

  Then one day when Lizzy and Jim were returning from morning mass they saw a package on their front porch.  Lizzy smiled when she saw it and recognized it immediately. It looked  just like the package she had received so many years ago except there was one thing different.

(to be continued...)

-Susan

Puzzled

   Lizzy made sure to arrive to daily mass early.  She loved coming early to spend time alone with the Lord.  She definitely enjoyed celebrating mass with the rest of the community, but there was just something special about praying before Mass and preparing her heart to receive the Lord in the Eucharist.  Sometimes her heart sang praises to the Lord.  Sometimes her heart begged for forgiveness.  Many times she prayed for the needs of others and for herself.  Today, though, her heart was searching ....searching for clarity.  "Lord," she began, "How can I be sure that I am doing Your Will?  When You look at my life, what do You see?"  Mentally Lizzy flashed pieces of past memories she thought may be pleasing to the Lord, but she seemed to be unclear about the future.  "Lord, help me to discover what piece comes next."

  At the end of Mass, Lizzy saw the church secretary flagging her down.  "Oh good, I was hoping to see you today," the secretary confessed.  "This box was delivered about a half hour ago.  It must be yours, it has your name on it."

  "Really?' replied Lizzy.  "That's so odd.  Why would someone leave a package for me here?"

  "I guess you'll have to open it to solve the mystery." chuckled the secretary.

  "I think your right."  Lizzy shook the box a little.  "It sounds like it's has lots of pieces.  I better wait until I get home to open it.  Thank you for finding me."

  Lizzy had errands to run and a few appointments before heading home.  She placed the box in the backseat where it sat until she remembered it later that evening.  When Lizzy opened up the box she found a box of puzzle pieces.  "What is this she thought?  I don't remember ordering a puzzle.  There's not even a picture on the box to reference, and there are a lot of little pieces to this puzzle."    Lizzy was far too busy to just sit and do a puzzle.  She closed the box and place it in her pile of things to donate.  

  Just before retiring to bed, Lizzy began her night time prayers.  She thought of all the ways that she had been blessed by the Lord today and thanked Him.  She reviewed her day and and asked for forgiveness for those moments she wasn't her best.  She again asked the Lord to guide her concerning His Will for the future.  Lizzy was feeling a little lost as if there were pieces missing from the big picture.  She prayed, "Lord help to find the lost pieces to this puzzle.  Help me. Guide me--"  Suddenly Lizzy stopped talking.  She ran to retrieve the box of puzzle pieces she had just tossed aside.  She opened the box and dumped the pieces onto the dining room table. A small piece of paper fell out with it. Lizzy picked up the paper and read, "I have given you all the pieces you need."  

  Lizzy felt overjoyed!  The Lord has answered her prayer.  Of course she had prayers answered in the past, but never in such a concrete way. She knew that solving this puzzle would set her on the right path.  She was sure of it.  She glanced at her watch and noticed the late hour and decided that she would begin to work on things tomorrow.

(to be continued...)

-Susan